Here’s my next set of brief reviews of Tokyopop’s new August series. These three stories all have something familiar about them, but all are worth a read on their own. These reviews are based on complimentary copies provided by the publisher.
Otogi Zoshi, by Narumi Seto
“If only she were a boy!” Hikaru’s father says of her in this book. “She’d be the most daring warrior this land has ever seen!” That’s the plot right there: Spunky young noble-born girl would rather learn how to wield a sword than how to be a good wife. Given that it’s treading well-worn ground, Otogo Zoshi manages to spin a fairly entertaining yarn, and the setting, Heian-era Kyoto, will be a plus for many readers. The manga is a two-volume prequel to the anime of the same name, but you don’t have to be familiar with the anime to enjoy it (I haven’t seen it). As rebellious as Hikaru is, she adores her older brother, Raikou, and the plot gets going when she follows him one night and encounters a gang of thieves. Her trusty manservant Tsuna whisks her out of danger, but Hikaru manages to get in a few licks herself. It turns out that the thieves are the only survivors of a village that Raikou put to the torch, and they are sworn to kill him in revenge. This manga has a bit more depth than I expected, showing the thieves as interestingly complex people rather than villains to be cut down. One of the pleasures of reading a period piece like this is the costumes, and Seto renders them with lavish detail, although the use of flat patterns is sometimes confusing. Another quibble: In some panels the heads are unnaturally small. The cover is lovely, with a restrained use of color, and the paper quality is good enough to sustain Seto’s fine lines and restrained use of pure black. Well worth picking up.
Portrait de Petite Cossette, story by Cossette House/Aniplex, art by Asuka Katsura
Here’s another story we’ve heard before: A young man becomes obsessed with a portrait of a young girl—a cursed portrait! Eiri Kurahashi, a student who works in an art gallery, feels a strange attraction for an antique portrait of a little girl named Cossette. Soon Cossette’s ghost appears to Eiri and asks him to help retrieve her belongings, which are causing harm to those who now possess them. Convinced that this will make her happy, Eiri starts the quest. This is the sort of story that could go on forever, but in fact it wraps up in two volumes, which makes for a nice length. The anime, which I haven’t seen, gets high ratings for its imaginative use of time shifts and dreamlike sequences. Some of this is reflected in the manga, but the drawings don’t always do it justice. The figures have a crude look, as if they were traced rather than drawn, although the artist does do a good job of layering in the gothic elements—stained-glass windows, period rooms, roses spilling over bloody bodies—that give the story atmosphere. This is a good choice for readers who like a good ghost story and who aren’t easily put off by zombie eyes and lots of blood.
Peach Girl: Sae’s story, by Miwa Ueda
This series, a sequel to the original Peach Girl and Peach Girl: Change of Heart, focuses on the bitch-a-licious Sae, telling a bit of her backstory and providing an opportunity for her to turn her trademark meanness on a nice guy and a cute puppy. It’s easy to feel sorry for her in the beginning, as she has been held back in high school while the rest of her friends are having a great time at college. But Sae isn’t going to let a little thing like not being in enrolled hold her back from partying with the big boys—and quickly getting in over her head. Meanwhile, a new character arrives: Kanji Sawatari, or, as Sae refers to him, Monkey Boy. Kanji is funny-looking but big-hearted, and he’s determined to marry Sae, whom he knew as a child. As in the original series, this book is drawn in a pleasantly, clear-lined shoujo style without too much fussiness or exaggeration, so it’s very easy to read. If you liked the original Peach Girl series, you’ll probably like Sae’s Story, but don’t shy away if you haven’t read the earlier books: This series stands pretty well on its own, and the omake chapter in the back is a quick summary of the early Peach Girl.
