Impression: Please Save My Earth 5

I recently finished reading the fifth volume of Please Save My Earth. Overall, not much happened in this volume. But I will give my impression of it nonetheless, and I will try to write less formally (which is a bad habit of mine -__-;;) Now onto the actual impression:

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Summary

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The fifth volume continues where the fourth left off. As I have recently started this blog, I do not have the impressions from volumes 1 through 4 because I read them awhile ago. If you have not read Please Save My Earth, I suggest you skip over this post as I will detail all that happened in book five without explaining preceding volumes.

As I said before, the fifth volume starts right where the fourth left off. Tamura-san is getting ready to leave Tokyo, but before he leaves, he has a heartwarming chat with Haruhiko who "jumps" to confirm his departure. The next day, Tamura-san is at the train station and calls out to Haruhiko to write to him as he boards the train with Takashi. As the train moves out of the station, Tamura-san sees Rin through the window holding up a sign that asks for a souvenir from Kyoto. The next day Haruhiko with new courage prepares to meet the other five moon dreamers as Shion. They meet at Daisuke's house, the usual meeting spot, and everyone is excited about finally meeting Shion. Everyone of the moon dreamers is present, expect for Alice, who is convinced she is not Mokuren. When they do finally meet, everyone is easily convinced that Haruhiko is Shion because of the physical similarities between them. However, Sakura and Issei are shocked to see him, for they remember Haruhiko as the boy who tried to drown himself in the river. After Haruhiko leaves, Sakura shows some doubt as to whether he really is Shion, but Issei insists she minds her own business.

After the meeting, Rin takes Haruhiko to the sea and threatens him. He is displeased to learn that Haruhiko tried to kill himself, because loosing Haruhiko would ruin Rin's plans. He threatens him with Tamura-san and warns Haruhiko against telling Tamura-san anything. Rin tells Haruhiko that the meeting with Mokuren will have to be postponed due to the changes in the plans and leaves. When Rin leaves, Haruhiko is dumbstruck, for he realizes that the letter he sent Tamura-san reveals everything and if Tamura-san were to read it, Rin would surely kill him. To fix this mistaken, Haruhiko "jumps" several times to reach Tamura-san's home in Kyoto, where Takashi finds him stumped over at the front gate. Haruhiko begs Takashi to find his letter, but Takashi doesn't find it, so Haruhiko asks him to rip it for him when it does arrive. Meanwhile, Tamura-san goes to Mikuro's house in search of him, but is politely turned away by his mother when Tamura-san mentions ESP. Confused, Tamura calls Mikuro's brother, who is a close friend of his, and asks what happened. It turns out that Mikuro's mother is overly sensitive about people trying to find out about Mikuro's ESP.

Meanwhile, its evening in Tokyo and Rin comes to see Alice, she thanks him for the carnations and tells him that they told her that Shion did not in fact send them. Rin admits he picked them out, but insists that Shion paid for them. He also sets up the next date for Alice and Shion to meet. And the day finally arrives, Haruhiko posing as Shion comes to meet Alice, but before they come to the meeting spot, Haruhiko asks Rin why he is so sure that Alice is in fact Mokuren, when she, herself, denies it so strongly. Rin tells Haruhiko something interesting; when he regained his memory as Shion, he sent Alice a memory of Mokuren and Shion, but only half complete. Alice was able to fill in the blanks, and this proves she is Mokuren. Haruhiko asks why he does not continue to help her regain her memory. Rin sadly replies that after that first vision, Alice started to strongly deny she was Mokuren and rejected further insistences. Rin hopes that Haruhiko will be able to calmly reawaken her.

When Haruhiko and Alice finally meet, Rin begins to get a little jealous, he leaves them to cool down, but every time he sees them getting along so well, he can't help but feel jealous. Then he remembers something, something he had rather not and leaves the two of them alone. Alice is a little surprised, but the meeting goes on. Haruhiko begins to ask her about what she likes and determines that Alice is very similar to Mokuren. Then for 10 pages there is a misprint in my volume so I am not quite sure what happens >__________< When the pages resume their normal flow, Sakura and Issei are walking through the park and they happen upon Haruhiko holding onto Alice VERY tightly.

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My Thoughts

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Well that was quite a long summary, longer then I thought it would be ^^;;
Not much happens in this volume, its mostly setting the stage for the coming volumes, and as a result its much weaker in the story department then the preceding four volumes. Noteworthy occurrences in this volume include; the meeting of Haruhiko with the moon dreamers and Alice. Besides these two things, not much else happens that is of the utter most importance. Hopefully in volume six the story will pick up.

As for the cover, its alright, I'm not a huge Mokuren fan, so this cover doesn't really stand out. Other then that, I'm really angry at the misprinted pages; there were about TEN pages that were a duplicate of some earlier pages....so I'm basically missing ten pages of the story >__<

~Joanna

Anime Impressions - 0.1

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: Episodes 1 ~ 5

At first glance, Nanoha looks like a typical magical girl anime and it follows the formula quite well in its first four episodes, expect in one respect; unlike the typical magical girl shows, Nanoha is not from the shoujo genre as one would assume. Furthermore, it cannot be classified as either shoujo or shounen, because the target audience does not fit any of these groups. If anything, Nanoha should be classified as otaku, because its targeted at males who have a interest in lolis, or young cute girls. And although it has an echii (or perverted) slant to it, it cannot be classified as echii either, for the fan service is comprised of a few shots in episodes 1 to 4 and a chuck of episode five. But if I would have to choose between these three genres, echii would probably fit Nanoha the best.

With all that said, the basic story of Nonaha is certainly filled with typical magical girl stuff. And if I could be so bold as to say that it seems almost as if the story writers and concept designers for Nanoha read and copied Cardcaptor Sakura. I am being dead serious here, the similarities between Nanoha and Sakura are far greater then those between Nanoha and other magical girl series. Firstly there is the popular find and seal said magical item in both shows. In CCS, its the clow cards that need to be sealed and in Nanoha its the Jewel Seeds. Next both characters have wands that they use to seal the said magical items and these wands are granted to them by their mascot companions. In CCS, this is Kero-chan and in Nanoha its Yuuno-kun. It is also worth pointing out that both mascots are male. And the similarities don't stop there, both Sakura and Nanoha are exceptionally gifted with magic that they seem to have no connection to. Both characters also use magic to jump far distances and this magic manifests itself as a pair of wings at their feet in both shows. Finally, both have a rival that strives to collect the said magical item against the main heroine; in CCS its Syoaran, while in Nanoha its a mysterious blond haired girl named Fate. The change in the gender of the rival can be attributed to the genre of each show, CCS being shoujo needs a main male lead to not only be the rival, but later to become the love interest. Echii shows don't have such a need and bringing in another magic wielding loli is in their interest.

Now, the basic story of Nanoha is as follows; Nanoha a third grader has a strange dream, in which a young boy uses magic to fight off a black ball with red eyes. The boy is unable to seal the beast with his strongest attack and faints from exhaustion. Once the boy fall to the ground, he is transformed into a ferret and asks for help. After this, Nanoha awakes from the dream by the music of the alarm on her phone. She gets dressed, introduces the viewers to her family and goes to school. After school, one of her friends suggests they go down a shortcut to get to their cram school. This shortcut turns out to be the forest from Nanoha's dreams and she once again hears a voice pleading for her help. Deciding to check it out, she runs into the ferret and her friends suggest taking it to the vet. The vet assures the girls that the ferret is alright and promises to watch over it until tomorrow. The girls thank her and go to their cram school. During their lesson, Nanoha asks her friends if they can take care of the ferret, both of her friends are unable to do so and Nanoha decides she will take care of it for the time being. In the meantime, the ferret is resting soundly when the black ball monster appears before it. It attacks the ferret who manges to escape, but it causes a lot of damage to the animal clinic. The ferret realizes that it cannot defeat the monster on its own and calls the one who heard it before to come help it again. Nanoha hears its cries and decides to go to the animal hospital. She arrives just as the monster is preparing to attack the ferret again. The ferret dodges the monster's blow and jumps into her arms. Afterwards it explains that he needs her help and allows Nanoha to wield his magic device, the Raging Heart. Nanoha is then able to, with the ferrets assistance, transform and seal the monster into a Jewel Seed. After the conflict, the ferret introduces himself as Yuuno and explains to Nanoha that he is sealing the Jewel Seeds that he had discovered on his home planet because they somehow winded up on earth and in her city. Nanoha agrees to help Yuuno seal the jewel seeds and the two of them go about doing so until another mysterious mage shows up and gets in their way. Her name is Fate, and she appears to be after the jewel seeds by the request of her mother.

As I've stated before, at the surface level, Nanoha is very much a typical shoujo and magical girl anime, and it will probably appeal to fans of these genres. The only distinction between Nanoha and a shoujo magical girl anime is the fan service. This fan service for the most part is not noticable, if you exclude episode five, where a noticeable portion of the anime is dedicated to booby and panty shots. Other then episode five, the most noticeable fan service appears in Nanoha's transformation sequence (see above) and in a few dressing shots, which can be tolerated. So although, it has an echii slant, its not full of nude and crude screen shots, and it can be enjoyed even by those who do not particularly like echii anime. As for myself, I'm not too fond of echii, but if it can entertain me then I'll give it a try.

The animation is great, and I love the designs. My only complaint is that the minor characters seem kind of plain, but its alright because the main character's designs are well thought up. Music is also up to par, the background music fits the mood and I really love the opening theme; I wouldn't mind listening to it over and over again.

Overall, Nanoha has roused my interest and I will definitely continue watching it. So far the episodes have been hinting at more plot to come so I am definitely looking forward to the coming episodes. Not to mention that I just love the magical girl genre, and although Nanoha is slightly deviating in that it is not a shoujo but a shounen magical girl show, it has still kept true to the magical girl formula. Maybe a little too well; so much so that sometimes I feel as if I am watching CCS not Nanoha.

Manga Profile [V: 1.3]

Manga Profile: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

It's time for another manga profile and this time its on a timeless classic, Nausicaa. There are a lot of different english editions of Nausicaa floating around, and the editions I own are the "Perfect Collection", comprising of four extra thick volumes. Because I own this edition, this profile will be based upon it. So I just want to say that you should keep that in mind, because the newer editions are thinner and are comprised of seven volumes. I'm pointing this out so not to confuse anyone. =)

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As with all the other profiles, to the left is the first volume of Nausicaa. Although its not horrible, it doesn't do enough justice to the artwork inside the covers. Viz rather neglected the appearance of Nausicaa, so don't let this cover fool you, the art inside is much more lovely.

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Basic Information:

Title: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Author: Miyazaki Hayao
Volumes: 4
Publisher: Tokuma Shoten
NA Publisher: Viz Communications

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The Story

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The story of Nausicaa takes place in the far future, after the collapse of civilization and the pollution of the entire world. Here pockets of humanity are struggling to survive the harsh new environment and the encroachment of the 'sea of corruption'. The sea of corruption as it is called, is a new ecosystem of fungi and giant bugs. The fungi release poisonous miasma into the air, and only the bugs can survive inside this new forest. The remaining pockets of humanity are divided into three nations; The Torumekian Empire, The Dorok Principalities, and the Autonomous States of the Periphery (previously known as the Kingdom of Eftal).

The Vally of Wind is one such autonomous state in the periphery and its princess is the gentle and courageous Naucisaa, also the heroine of this tale. Nausicaa is not only a good person, but also a girl with mysterious powers; she is able to read the wind and hear into the hearts of living things. She especially has a special bond with the sea of corruption, and in particular, the mighty Ohmu, giant bugs that act as the guardians of the forest. She has, on many occasions, begged the Ohmu to spare a human that has hurt them.

The tale begins just as Torumekia and Dorok are preparing for war with each other. Because the Valley of Wind is an ally to the Torumekian Empire, Nausicaa, as the sole heir to the Valley of Wind, must set out on this war campaign with the Valley's precious Gun Ship. But along the way, Nausicaa discovers troubling truths about both the Torumekian and Dorok Empires.

Nausicaa's story is well known for its environmental message, but that isn't its only message. Miyazaki tackles other very important themes in his story, and even as current events change, his message is still as important as it was when Nausicaa was first published in the 80s. This makes Nausicaa a classic, which can be enjoyed by any generation, yet the reasons behind Nausicaa's timelessness are, sadly, the fact that the problems which Miyazaki saw plaguing the world in the 1980s are still plaguing the world now.

Nor does Miyazaki sugar coat anything, his depictions and conclusions are far more grim then any of the current manga that focus or touch upon the theme of pollution. Nausicaa message isn't a half spirited attempt at expressing the dangers of pollution; it portrays things as they are and directs us to the real root of the problem, humanity itself and humanity's technology.

And although, Nausicaa isn't aimed at girls in particular, Miyazaki's positive portrayal of the female sex allows female readers to find someone to relate or look up to. Its a nice change for a manga, which isn't aimed a the female demographic, to have female leads that are not there for the sole purpose of being subordinate to the males, and sex objects. In my view, it shows the growth of Miyazaki as a person; he doesn't look upon something different from him as inferior.

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The Art

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Not only is the story-telling in Nausicaa superb, but so is the art. Miyazaki has definitely put forth his whole effort into Naucisaa; the art is incredibility detailed. Just don't expect to see the typical huge eyes that manga is known for now, Miyazaki's style seems to be a cross between manga and american comics. This isn't something bad, because his art is so gorgeous that it doesn't matter that it is not what we have come to expect from manga. If anything, Miyazaki's art makes the story of Nausicaa so much more realistic and powerful.

(Note: During the time it was published, there were a lot of shounen and seinen manga that were drawn like american comics or a cross between the current mainstream manga style and american comics. The big eyes that we now associate with manga were primarily found in shoujo titles. At the time, it was american comics that influenced manga, while now manga is influencing american comics. Oh how the times change =])

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The Characters

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Nausicaa features a big cast of characters, some who are with us from start to end and some who die or come up later in the story. I will not list them all as there are too many, but the most important ones in my view. And just as a reminder, these character profiles contain spoilers!!!

Nausicaa - The heroine of the tale, Nausicaa is the princess from the valley of wind and a girl with mysterious powers, some of which include, hearing into the hearts of living things, telepathy, and reading the wind. She loves all of nature, even the plants and animals of the sea of corruption. She makes a very important decision at the end of the manga, and entrusts the future of humanity to the plant, instead of trusting in the great plan the ancients devised.

Master Yupa - a master swordsman, Yupa searches for the truth behind the sea of corruption, and realizes that Nausicaa is the key. He dies in the last volume of the manga, protecting Kushana and his death stirs the sympathy of the Dorok people.

Kushana - a princess of Torumekia, Kushana is almost the exact opposite of Nausicaa, but the two seem to understand one another quite well. When Kushana was a little girl, her father tried to poison her, but instead her mother drank the poison, which drove her mad. Kushana vowed to avenge her mother and has since become the biggest threat to both her father and brothers. She is a very intelligent and able warrior, who commands the loyalty of the majority of the army. At the end of the manga, Kushana refuses the throne, and rules as king regent, she becomes known as the restorer of Torumekia.

Asbel - the prince of Pejitei, whose country was utterly destroyed by Kushana and her forces. At first, he can think of nothing but revenge and attacks Kushana's air force, but is stopped by Nausicaa's telepathic pleas and as a result is shot down. He lands in the sea of corruption and angers the insects. Nausicaa is able to convince the insects to forgive him and gives him what she was entrusted by his sister. For a brief while, they travel together but are soon separated. Asbel along with Ketcha, Master Yupa and the men from the Valley continue to follow Nausicaa's trail, until they reach the Crypts of Shuwa, where she was headed.

Ketcha - a girl from the Mani Tribe found in the Dorok Empire, her tribe still believes in the old prophecies about the "blue clad one". She looked up to the holy one and was devastated by his death. She travels with Asbel and Master Yupa, until she finally meets up with her tribe at the end of the manga. Ketcha is able to speak the Torumekian language, allowing her to communicate with Nausicaa's friends, without the aid of telepathy.

Kurotowa - Kushana's right hand man, at first Kushana tried to kill him and ignores him because he was sent by her father. Later on, she accepts him, and he becomes one of her most important soldiers. Kurotowa is very intelligent and has interesting asides. At first, it seems that he only cares about himself, but he later saves Kushana, which in turn leaves him deeply wounded. The men of the Valley of Wind nurse him back to health.

Chikuku - a child Nausicaa befriended, he has strong telepathic powers and believes Nausicaa is the white winged apposite. Near the end of the manga, he reveals himself to be the descendant of the Dorok king who was overthrown by the Holy Emperor.

Charuka - a high ranking priest from the Dorok Empire, Charuka is fiercely loyal to the emperor's brother, so much so that he will do anything, even if he knows it is wrong, should the emperor's brother ask him to do it. He gains an interest in Nausicaa, when he discovers that she saved two little children and then a whole tribe. Nausicaa saves him on a number of occasions, and he eventually comes to accept her as a savor. It is later revealed that the emperor's brother saved Charuka from poverty and that is the source of his unshakable loyalty. He is very grateful to Nausicaa for helping the emperor's brother find peace in the afterlife.

Selm - a boy from the forest, his tribe has abandoned fire and lives at peace with the insects and the sea of corruption. He is very similar to Nausicaa and holds her in high regard. He is able to leave his body and travel outside it, and has done so on a number of occasions; often times to help Nausicaa in her hour of need. Both he and Nausicaa know the whole truth and he accepts Nausicaa's decision to leave their fate in the hands of the planet.

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Themes
***I am using the term 'theme' in a very loose sense, meaning it can be anything from something the story focus on, to an aspect of the story, or the actual meaning of the word in its literary sense. Nor am I going to go into too much detail, this blog entry is already really long ;)***

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1. Pollution & the Environment

The central theme of Nausicaa; the whole story is a result of the pollution and environmental deterioration that is happening in our time. Miyazaki paints a grim picture of the future, but his solution is also not something one can easily accept. In the beginning of Nausicaa, there is a rather simple statement about pollution; humans caused pollution and now they are living with its consequences. But, at the story's conclusion, Miyazaki makes a far more profound statement; pollution and death are inevitable as long as human being continue to preserve technology. It is not so much human beings that corrupt the world, rather it is human being that have abandoned their primitive roots and gained the knowledge of technology, which allows them to harness their negative and violent actions and create far more devastating results. It must be made clear that Miyazaki separates our knowledge into two different categories, Arts and Technology. He clearly states in the final volume that under the heading of arts, is all human knowledge that is worth preserving, this includes music, art, literature, ect. Technology on the other hand, means such things as computers, cars, weapons, bombs, and biological manipulation. But even with this separation, technology still contains many useful things, such as modern medicine, comfortable housing, and cars, that will make it almost impossible for anyone to accept Miyazaki's solution. Nevertheless, the root of the problem that Miyazaki points to, is indeed an accurate assessment of the true cause of pollution. Which leaves us with the question of whether we should abandon technology as Miyazaki suggests or attempt to somehow move forward with technology, while not harming the environment. Miyazaki's option seems the most likely to succeed, while the other one seems the mostly likely to be chosen.

2. War

War is another important, but often overlooked theme in Nausicaa. For the majority of the manga, there is a war raging, and it isn't just there for the setting, Miyazaki takes great pains to show the uglier side of war. The theme of war is intertwined with the themes of death and technology, not surprisingly, since war causes death and necessitates the use of weapons and technology for destruction. Nor is there an aggressor or victim, both sides are shown as aggressors and victims, and ultimately, that the rulers only seek to establish their rule as the one single rule throughout the whole world. A very accurate portrayal of war in my mind, and it might seem obvious, but when countries are often at war with one another, such wisdom is easily overlooked and ignored by the populations.

3. Death & Extinction

A reoccurring image throughout Nausicaa, Nausicaa herself even says on a number of occasions that death is everywhere. This is less of a theme and more of an image that is interlinked with all the other themes I have listed. In the first theme, death is often associated with the sea of corruption and its poisonous miasma, which in turn is a result of ecological collapse. In the second theme, war and death go hand in hand and in the final theme, technology is seen as the root of both war and pollution, which are the only causes of needless deaths in Nausicaa's world.

Extinction on the other hand is put forth as a possible solution to pollution many times in Nausicaa, only to be finally rejected in favor of technology. Ultimately Miyazaki leaves us the choice of giving up technology or our very lives.

4. Science & Technology

A less focused on theme, but it is still there and in the final volume, it has an especially important significance. At first, technology seems to have little value in Nausicaa as a theme, but slowly it creeps up on the reader and before you know it, technology becomes the main theme. I would say that the last volume focuses on the problems of technology almost exclusively. As I have stated before, technology is something different from the arts, which Miyazaki sees as a positive human endeavour. And under the heading of technology are the weapons of war we see used through out the manga; even medicine and its related fields of research, which many of us hold in high regard, are not spared from being used for war, or the scorn of Nausicaa. It is biological manipulation that creates a baby Ohmu, which is used as bait to control the other Ohmu for their potential as weapons. It is also biological manipulation that creates the mutant mold, which was to be used as a biological weapon, but ends up just spreading more of the sea of corruption and further decreasing the land that can be used by human beings. Finally it is also biological manipulation that allows, the Holy Emperor and his brother to survive well beyond their natural limits. All these examples and Nausicaa's own response point to one conclusion, all life is sacred and should be treated as such.

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Conclusion

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Nausicaa is definitely worth at least a single reading (but I recommend reading it much more), for its insightful conclusions on technology and pollution. Furthermore, Nausicaa is one of the first works to focus on environmental deterioration; since during the time it was written, much of the western world was still sleeping in a blissful sleep of ignorance. It is only twenty years later that the cries of 'saving the earth' are finally being heard by the majority of people. Slowly is everyone realizing that authors, like Miyazaki, are right to be worrying about our Earth's condition. So if you are even mildly interested on the issue of the environment, or in the need to read something thoughtful, I highly recommend Nausicaa; its storying telling and art are top notch.

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Nausicaa is a cautionary tale of environmental deterioration, that should be read by anyone who is even mildly interested on this issue. Don't take it lightly just because, "it's a comic". Nausicaa is one of the few tales, which is thought provoking and written in a form of media that is known for its mindless entertainment.

~Joanna

Manga Profile [V: 1.2]

Manga Profile: Dream Saga

Here I am again with another manga profile; this time its on Dream Saga, a cute and short series by Tachikawa, Megumi. I've been doing only manga profiles so far, because in general, I prefer manga to anime. Hope you enjoy this profile as well. =)

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As always, to the left, is the first volume of Dream Saga, it features the leading character, Yuuki. All volume covers follow this trend and have Yuuki in various outfits on the cover. Its not break-taking, but it's still a nice cover.

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Basic Information:

Title: Dream Saga / Mugen Densetsu Takamagahara
Author: Tachikawa Megumi
Volumes: 5
Publisher: Kodansha (in Nakayoshi)
NA Publisher: Tokyopop

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The Story

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The story of Dream Saga is steeped in Japanese mythology and as you read along, you'll probably learn a few new things if you are not acquainted with it already. The main myth that is involved in the tale of Dream Saga, is the myth of the Goddess Amaterasu, who is the world's sun. In the myth, Amaterasu hides herself in a cave because her brother, the god of the sea, is becoming increasingly violent. The other gods decide to throw a party in front of the cave entrance in order to stir her interest and persuade her to come outside again.

Now, although Dream Saga is based on this myth, the actual story is not a retelling of it, but rather the myth serves as the framework for the story in Dream Saga. The characters themselves recognize this, and they too will, within the manga, read this myth as a means to try to solve the problem of the sun they face.

The actual story involves Yuuki and four other children who receive comma shaped stones dropped from the sky. Each of these stones is a different color and each one grants a different power. Yuuki, being the main character, receivers her stone first and is also the first character to make contact with Nakime, a priestess from Takamagahara. Takamagahara is the land of dreams, where each person travels to when they sleep. Under normal conditions, your self from Takamagahara and your self from Nakatsukuni (the real world) do not realize each others existences. But the magic stones that Yuuki and the other children receive allows them to recall memories from both lives and hence both their selves become aware of the other self.

But in Yuuki's case, its slightly different, the first time she travels to Takamagahara with her stone, she awakens in the desert with no recollection of her Takamagahara self. At first, the reader is led to believe that this is quite normal, but as Yuuki begins meeting up with the other children, she realizes that only she is the same in both worlds. All the other children are either older or of a different gender and each of them has memories from both Takamagahara and Nakatsukuni.

The children then begin to unravel the mysteries that surround the disappearance of the sun in both worlds. They realize that pollution which happens in one world effects the other, and often times they must fix the problem in Takamagahara to save Nakatsukuni. When at last they have all gather and reclaimed the lost mirror, an artifact of great importance, they are finally able to ascend to the heavens and save the sun.....but by then, nothing is what it was when they began their jounery and the horrible truth of their quest is revealed.

The Story of Dream Sage is both original and enjoyable; it does have some expected plot twist, but there are also ones that are not so expected. I really enjoyed the mythology heavy plot and the sugary cute love scenes. Dream Saga also blends the genres of magical girl and fantasy really well; Yuuki is a magical girl, but one that travels to another world. I also liked the idea of a dream world that exists along side the real world.

Overall, Dream Sage had some interesting concepts that it embedded into its plot very well; and with only five volumes, the story felt both complete and satisfying.

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The Art

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Dream Saga's art is a little rough around the edges, but its not horrible. It has a childish feel to it that fits the sugary and cutesy tale of Dream Saga well. There are a couple of issue I do have with the art style, however. Firstly, some of the teenagers and adults look just as young as the children themselves. Secondly, this is mostly due to tyokopop, the lines are sometimes very faded and its hard to see what is happening (but this problem only occurs once or twice throughout the whole series). And lastly, sometimes it is hard to see what is happening in the panels due to the rough art style of the mangaka. But I wish to repeat again, these are minor issues and I've actually grown to like the cutesy style of Tachikawa-san. I especially enjoy her eyes, they are far larger then the standard manga eyes and I find them quite lovely.

All in all, Dream Saga's art fits the story's feel and although it has some minor problems, on the whole it is quite enjoyable.

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The Characters

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Not being a long series, Dream Saga has a relatively small cast of characters, but that does not distract from the enjoyability of the manga. In fact, sometimes its better to have less characters, and in the case of Dream Saga this is quite true. Just as a warning and reminder, these character profiles contain spoilers!!!

1. Yuuki ~ the heroine, a young girl with three younger brothers. Yuuki is in grade five, which makes her ten or eleven years old. Being the only girl in her family and the oldest, it falls to her to keep her brothers in line, which she does quite well. She is the first to receive her magic stone and is also the only child Nakime tries to contact at first. When Yuuki goes to Takamagahara she stays the same. Her stone is red colored and it allows her to communicate and bond with nature. She is also called the Legendary Horizon Girl by the people in Takamagahara and seems to have a special destiny separate from the other children. Yuuki has a crush on her classmate Takaomi, but has not yet told him how she feels. Her true identity is revealed in the final volume of Dream Saga, it turns out that in Takamagahara, she is really an ancient tree that supports the heavens and by becoming one with her Takamagahara self, Yuuki is able to become the new sun.

2. Takaomi ~ the hero of the tale, Takaomi is a gentle and sweet boy in Yuuki's class and also the object of her affections. Unlike his Nakatsukuni self, his Takamagara self is a lot more crude and older (15 actually), but nevertheless both Takaomis have a good heart and do what they know is right. Takaomi is the only one in the group of children that does not have a magic stone and as a result, his Nakatsukuni self has no idea about the quest to save the sun. At first, Takaomi doesn't seem to mind, but as he starts falling for Yuuki, he begins to resent the fact that he is unable to recollect his Nakatsukuni memories and be a part of the group. When he is later told that he too can have a stone, Takaomi leaves the group in order to gain it. But the price he must pay to be a part of the group is heavy. The holder of the last stone, like Yuuki, has a special destiny, and that destiny is to become the god of destruction, Susanoo and eat the sun.

3. Binga ~ is a legendary bird that Yuuki saves from being eaten by Takaomi. Because Yuuki can understand her, she is able to convince Takaomi and his bandits to eat her cooking instead of Binga, and as a show of gratitude, Binga joins Yuuki on her quest. The majority of the time, Binga is a little bird, but when there is trouble, she is able to become her true self and is able to help Yuuki out.

4. Souta ~ a classmate of Yuuki's, Souta is the top student in Yuuki's class. He is also the holder of the blue stone. In Tamagahara, Souto is a priest who uses his magic stone to control water and see things upon its surface. When he first meets Yuuki in Tamagahara, he is very surprised, but decides to join her. In Nakatsukuni, he spends his extra time researching the Amaterasu myth.

5. Taizou ~ goes to the same school as Yuuki, but is not in her class. He is somewhat of a bully and in Takamagahara he is a bounty hunter. He meets Yuuki, Takaomi, and Souta before he has his magic stone and attacks the group in an effort to catch Takaomi for the bounty on his head. He later finds his magic stone and regains his memories from Nakatsukuni. In Nakatsukuni, he meets Yuuki when he is looking for the person who borrowed the book about Amaterasu. He then joins up with the group and develops a crush on Nakime.

6. Keima ~ also goes to Yuuki's school, and is also in a different class then Yuuki. He is somewhat of an oddball in both worlds. In Nakatsukuni, he looks through trash to make things, and in Tamagahara he does basically the same thing, expect that there, he is a renown inventor. Like the others, he appears much older. The others find him in a city in Tamagahara and he offers them the airship that they need.

7. Nachi ~ is a classmate of Yuuki's, he is a bit obnoxious and puts no effort into his school work because he believes that his future is already all set, as he will inherit his parents' company. In Tamagahara, Nachi is a 16 year old girl that works for the royal family. In both worlds, Nachi has a crush on Takaomi and visibly shows it.

8. Kaya ~ the princess of Tamagahara, it was assumed that she would be Amaterasu's successor, but this turned out to be not true. She is deeply in love with Takaomi, who is a childhood friend of her's and tries her hardest to earn his love. Although her father, the king, is a corrupt and heartless individual, Kaya genuinely cares for the world and Takaomi. She journeys along with the group to the heavens for the final confrontation. In Nakatsukuni, she is Yuuki's, Souta's and Takaomi's teacher and much older then her Tamagahara counter-part. Because she is not a magic stone holder, she also does not have any memories about her other self.

9. Nakime ~ Amaterasu's assistant and a priestess in Tamagahara, she holds a high position in Tamagahara, but due to the necessary help she must give Amaterasu, she is unable to aid the children in much of their journey. She is able to, however, speak to them through a special mirror that Yuuki loose at the beginning of the tale, but which is reclaimed near the finale. She knowns far more then she lets on and in the final volume it is revealed that she began the Amaterasu project again in order to renew the world. She does seem to regret her involvement in it and the pain she caused Yuuki and Takaomi, as she saves Takaomi before he is gone forever from both worlds. She also seems to return Taizou's feelings, but it is never revealed who her Nakatsukuni counter-part is.

These nine are almost the whole cast in Dream Saga, there are a few other characters, but they are not as important as these nine.

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Themes
***I am using the term 'theme' in a very loose sense, meaning it can be anything from something the story focuses on, to an aspect of the story, or the actual meaning of the word in its literary sense. Nor am I going to go into too much detail, this blog entry is already really long ;) ***

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1. Spiritual World

Although the idea of a spiritual world is not something new, the way it is presented in Dream Saga is. Instead of the spiritual world existing along side the real world, the spiritual world exists separate, yet it is still connected to the real world. In fact, each person has a real world and spiritual world counter-part and each time a person dreams, they awaken in the spiritual world, something quite unique to this theme. It is also important to point out that under normal circumstances, each aspect of a person; spiritual and material is unaware of the other aspect. In order worlds, the person in the real world has no idea or memory of the person in the spiritual world. The same is true for the person in the spiritual world, expect that the people of the spiritual world have the knowledge that they have counter-parts in the real world. And at a special time each year, the people of the spiritual world are able to see their real world counter-parts. It is a pretty interesting take on the dual material and spiritual world theme.

2. Pollution & the Environment

Pollution and the environment is a very important and central theme to Dream Saga. And although the pollution happens in Tamagahara, its lesson can be transfered to today's situation. The basic gist of the story is that humans in Tamagahara have enraged nature because of the pollution they produce and their selfishness. Unlike the real world, in Tamagahara, nature is a very powerful force and for the injuries it suffers, it demands retribution. Ultimately, once nature becomes far too enraged, it seeks out the ultimate retribution and solution; erasure. Once nature believes there is no turning back, it turns against the whole world and seeks to destroy it, in order to rebuild it anew. Now while Dream Saga is a fantasy manga and nature will surely never attempt to eat the sun, there are many lessons to be learned here. One that pollution and human selfishness leads to destruction and two that nature should be respected and cared for if we want to preserve the world. A very nice and beautiful message, even with its sugary fluff, Dream Saga has an important message to tell its readers.

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Conclusion

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The expression, short and sweet, represents Dream Saga best. With only five volumes, Dream Saga is one of the shorter manga series available, and that makes it a lot less expensive. Its art may not be top notch, but it fits the manga's story perfectly. And just as the art has a cutesy feel to it, so too is the story filled with cutesy characters and love scenes. Its a manga for younger girls, but it can still be enjoyed by the older crowd. With that said, Dream Saga is definitely not for everyone; you must enjoy the innocent puppy love and happy endings that make Dream Saga a tale aimed at the younger crowd. If you do not, then you will most likely find Dream Saga excruciatingly painful to read. As a side note, if you happen to have a younger sibling or daughter, she will probably enjoy dream saga, and you can, with confidence, hand it to her because Dream Saga is one of the cleanest manga I have read; its definitely of a PG rating.

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Dream Saga is a tale of puppy love taking place behind a fantasy setting, and can be enjoyed by both young and old. With important themes and a strong willed heroine, its an ideal first manga for the little ones.

~Joanna

Manga Profile [V: 1.0]

Manga Profile: Basara

For my first ever manga profile, it feels only right to begin with Basara, my all time favourite. Especially since it seems to be rather obscure, I hardly ever find volumes of it in any book stores or comic shops and if there do happen to be a few, they are always random ones. Currently I own and have read 22 out of the 27 volumes, and I'm waiting for 23 to come in, but its taking exceptionally long for some reason.

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The first volume's cover, shown on the left is very deceptive. Making the manga look rather boring and action oriented. Yet, the opposite is true, Basara is one of the most entertaining manga I have ever read and although it has action, the primary focus is on the relationships between the characters. This is one gem that should not be over looked.

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Basic Information:

Title: Basara

Author: Tamura Yumi

Volumes: 27

Publisher: Shogakukan (Betsucomi)

NA Publisher: Viz

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The Story

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The tale of Basara takes place after a catastrophe has halted human civilization and sent it back to a time of monarchical kings. Japan itself, is divided into many regions, each governed by a son of the current emperor. They are the red king, blue king, black king, and the white king. Sounds cliche so far, but Basara turns this cliche beginning into something very wonderful. Unlike other post-apocalyptic tales, Basara does not focus on the hopelessness of a broken world, or the stupidity of human beings, who brought about this demise. But rather, it focuses on the efforts of human being to change their miserable surroundings. If anything, Basara is a trip into state building, as the main struggle of the manga is about creating a new Japan.

Yet, the emphasis is never solely on building a new Japan, many other themes and sub-plots are woven together into one experience known as Basara. And the beauty of this work is that no one part over powers the other, every single tale is relevant and important. And every single tale connects at some point to the bigger goal, the creation of a new nation.

From this setting, we are introduced to a set of twins, Sarasa and Tatara who are born under the prophacy of liberation. Everyone assumes that Tatara is the child who will liberate them and Sarasa grows up in his shadow. She resents it at first, but gradually she grows to accept it and directs her efforts at cultivating the barren land. But as in all stories, tragedy strikes and her family along with her brother is killed by the Red King, as rebels who threaten the stability of the current regime. Her village is then set on fire and the villagers are in chaos and despair. It is from this moment that the heroine's journey truly begins. She decides to take her dead brother's place in order to protect her people. We see a beautifully symbolic scene, where she cuts off her hair and says she is now Tatara. If anything, it was this scene that won me over and infatuated me with this manga.

As Tatara, Sarasa seeks, at first, ways to avenge her family and protect her people. She begins her journey, not seeking the greater goal, but seeking to kill the one that tore her life to shreds. And slowly along the way, she comes to the realization that what she has to do is so much more.

One of the primary tasks she must accomplish is to gain allies. So along her journey, we are introduced to many different regions and characters , each with a story of their own. The majority of characters you will meet are given sufficient development, but there are a few that are not.

What starts out as a simple tale of Sarasa and her journey to revenge evolves into something very different. And early on one can see, through the introduction of Shuri, that the road Sarasa travels down is one that is never as it seems.

A truly beautiful tale, written with the uttermost of care. It truly is Tamura-san's master peice.

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The Art

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As much as I love to rave about Basara, I have to admit, the art is the manga's weak point. The art is not bad, but its not spectacular either. Its average, and it gets its job done. Never the less, the art does improve slowly. So near the end, it is of a better quality.

But, I would like to emphasize that the art is but a small issue and does not distract away from the beauty of the story.

The art may not be as beautiful as the story telling, but it gets the job done well.

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The Characters

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I could write pages and pages about the characters of Basara. The characters are the life of this manga and they are both interesting and human. Almost all the characters get a good background story and their actions are justified. They do not do things for the sake of being evil or just wanting power. They have a reason behind all their actions. As I will go into the characters eventually on their own I won't focus too much on them here. But I will just give a few examples and these contain spoilers!!!!

(1)SARASA- the heroine of our tale, she is strong willed with a deep loyalty to her comrades. Nevertheless, Sarasa is easily put into doubt. Early on in her journey, after her rash actions cause the deaths of her grandfather and friend, she is unable to go on as a leader and sinks into a state of depression. This happens again after she realizes who the Red King really is, but this depression and psychological trauma is explored in much more detail than in the other instances. Sarasa also grows from an individual fueled by revenge, to an individual who seeks to build a country where there is no violence and oppression. She has weaknesses, like all human beings, but the strength of her character is derived from the fact that she faces these weaknesses and becomes a better and stronger person as a result.

(2)SHURI- the hero and antagonist, shuri is really an interesting character to watch develop. He is rather twisted and has an interesting, to say the least, view of the world. Much of his actions are the result of his childhood, where he was branded a slave because it was foretold he would bring his father ruin. His father kept him alive as the shark that would keep his other sons in line, hence he is given the title of Red King. Shuri is very arrogant, but we slowly see him change for the better, not just because of Sarasa, but also because he looses everything that had once been his as the Red King.

(3)ASAGI- Just as interesting as shuri, asagi is the real blue king and he joins Tatara's rebel army for reasons unknown. He remains a mystery in the early volumes of the manga, but slowly his story is revealed and does it sure explain a lot. Let's just say he has a inferiority complex ;)

(4)SENJU- a far less developed side character, nevertheless, she does get some development and even shows a strength of her own. Her tragedy makes Sarasa realize that the soldiers in the red army are not demons, but men with families of their own. I grow to like Senju because of the decision she makes with regards to her child.

& there are so much many more characters, Basara has a large cast!

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Themes

***I am using the term 'theme' in a very loose sense, meaning it can be anything from something the story focuses on, to an aspect of the story, or the actual meaning of the word in its literary sense. Nor am I going to go into too much detail, this blog entry is already really long ;) ***

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1. Political Change

Basara's central theme is political change, why it is undertaken and how it can be undertaken. Basara portrays a very romantic image of political change, where a group of oppressed people band together as rebels to overthrow the corrupt regime and institute a regime of freedom (or as it is popularly known, democracy). This does not mean that everything is rosy, but rather that Basara never explores the other side of the story, where rebellions do more harm then good. So that in Basara, rebellions are portrayed as something good stemming from the people's accurate assessment of the situation and their commitment to a truly free regime. I myself, in fact, am very fond of this portrayal and fully enjoy this aspect of Basara.

The method of change is very romantic in Basara too, it is the stuff which legends are made of, which, I find, is not a bad thing. There are four swords and four rebellion leaders, each from different areas of Japan. So that when the four swords are united, so are the people of Japan. It really fits the feel of Basara and I find I really like the concept.

2. Gender

Not as prominent as political change, but it is present nonetheless. The first volumes set the premise, and the subsequent volumes slowly undermine it. Basically, in the world of basara, like our own, gender determines what you can do and cannot do. Because Sarasa is female, no one ever thinks that it is in fact she who will liberate Japan and not her brother. There are quite a few scenes in the frist volume where gender discrimination is shown in all its glory. We are shown that men are the leaders and warriors. And then we are shown Sarasa taking on the task of leader and warrior. All subsequent volumes, through the story itself, work to disprove that only men can be leaders and warriors. Through Sarasa's success, the gender specific roles are demolished. Likewise at the beginning, Sarasa becomes Tatara, she rejects her femininity and dons on a male appearance. But subsequent volumes slowly undermine this; they not only blur the distinction between male Tatara and female Sarasa, but we also see Sarasa regaining her image as female. Especially in later volumes, where she reveals her identity to her comrades and accepts Shuri as the Red King, Sarasa makes the final leap in bridging the gap between what is male and what is female; she accepts both aspects as herself.

There are other points in the story that touch on this too, Chacha like Sarasa, is a successful warrior and leader. Ginko, the white king, is tried of her life being set up for her and seeks to destroy the very society and political structure that has forced her to live a life that is not hers. These subtle instances all work together to discredit the stereotypical view of gendered roles and of submissive females. I see no submissive females in Basara. Even the very feminine Senju, is portrayed as active, not passive; she actively seeks Shido's love, rather then passively wait for it. She actively seeks the aid of others in order to protect her child, rather then passively waith and hope for the best. Yes, Basara is one of those rare shoujo titles that disregards the accepted steritypical view of what is female and makes an attempt to redefine femininity in an image that is more proactive and strong.

3. Good vs. Evil

Being the epic it is, Basara includes the theme of good versus evil. Yet, it's presented in an unconventional way, almost abolishing the distinction all together. It would not be incorrect to say that rather then good versus evil, we have good methods versus twisted evil methods. The protagonist seeks the proper method, often herself stumbling onto methods that are not so good. The antagonists use evil methods, but for good reasons, and often they are either aware of this or they become aware and correct themselves.

Sarasa and Shuri both seek to rebuild Japan, but Sarasa because of who she is, will not use methods that result in evils being done to her allies. Nevertheless, there are instances where she makes mistakes and causes pain and death upon others. Two examples of this include her rash desire to kill the Red King resulting in two deaths, and her plan to defeat the Red King by cutting off his city's water supply resulting in the justified anger of the people of Suo. Both her methods are done for something that is good; the liberation of Japan, but the methods themselves cause death and suffering. Likewise, Shuri is determined to change Japan for the better, his city is living proof of that, but the method he uses in order to produce change leaves a trail of blood.

There are many other misguided villains (if we can call them that), including the guardsmen of Abashiri Prison, Momonoi, the temporary ruler of Suo, and Ginko, the white king. The only villains, in the real sense of the word, appear to be Emperor Ukon and Higiwara. As of yet (volume 22), we are not given much information about Ukon, and while Higiwara has his reasons, they are selfish ones.

In Basara, the ends do not justify the means

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Conclusion

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Basara is my all time favourite manga, and I really feel it deserves to be recognized. It has a beautifully powerful story with interesting characters that anyone can relate to and art that conveys what is required. If you read manga for art only or don't like shoujo, then Basara is probably not for you. But to everyone else, I recommend you at least try Basara out, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was the first time I gave it a try.

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Because this is my first manga profile, it will probably undergo some changes until i standardize the sub sections and the like. I'm still not sure how long I want the character and theme sections to be. I plan on doing character profiles and I may start theme discussions on manga too. Other then that, I am quite satisfied with the outcome, and to whomever is reading, I hope you enjoyed my long rant, and do I just love to rant. If you have a suggestion, feel free to comment :)

~~Joanna.

Manga Profile [V: 1.1]

Manga Profile: Planet Ladder

It's time for another manga profile, this time its on Planet Ladder, a short but somewhat confusing series. It is comprised of seven volumes and is translated by Tokyopop. I've read all seven volumes, so this profile is written with all volumes in mind. I would also like to warn everyone that this profile contains spoilers, so if you don't want the manga spoiled for you, don't read :)

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To the left, is the alluring first volume cover. It was this beautiful cover that inspired me to try Planet Ladder for myself. The beauty of Planet Ladder's cover just beckons you to give it a try.

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Basic Information

Title: Planet Ladder
Author: Narushima Yuri
Volumes: 7
Publisher: Sobisha (Crimson Comics)
NA Publisher: Tokyopop

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The Story

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Planet Ladder's story is one that is rather confusing, yet after a second reading, it begins to make more sense. I find that its unique terminology is often the root of all this confusion. For I often find myself asking "what in the world is a collasper/ect..." Going with the previous example, the collasper is not explained until the very end of volume one and within a bonus section where the author showcases some of the weapons and items in her manga and explains what each does. I find the story telling would flow much better, if little boxes were present in the manga to give a quick explanation of any terminology or items unique to the manga, rather then them being explained at the end or in following volumes.

The main plot line of Planet Ladder centers around Kaguya, a girl living in Japan and the strange role she is to play in the universe's future. Kaguya herself, is not Japanese and seems to be a war orphan. Her earliest memory being one where she is consumed in flames and rescued by a mysterious boy, who is injured and lacking one of his hands. She was found in Japan and was adopted into a wealthy family before her past catches up to her.

Not surprisingly, Planet Ladder borrows from the popular Japanese myth of Princess Kaguya from the moon. Yet, beyond the fact that both share the same name and are princesses that do not originate from earth, Planet Ladder diverges greatly from the myth. Planet Ladder's Kaguya is a princess from another world and one with a unique and painful destiny. She is the princess of Choosing and must choose a single world out of nine to survive.

Planet Ladder is best classified as science fiction; there are nine parallel universes and earths, ours is called Eden and is the only one that lacks knowledge of the others' existence. For a reason later explained, these parallel universes are on a course that will end in collision and only Kaguya is able to choose one that will survive. Planet Ladder, as stated before, comes complete with its own unique items and terms, something the science fiction genre seems to incline towards.

Planet Ladder begins on a strong foot, it is a bit confusing, but its also interesting. A lot of mysteries are introduced in the first volume, and after a second reading, all minor confusions about names and concepts should be cleared out. The story continues until about volume five in a well paced manner, but the last two volumes drastically decrease in quality. This is probably due to the rushed ending, where everything happens too fast and the slower pacing of previous volumes is discarded. Planet Ladder, from the beginning feels like an epic tale, and seven volumes cannot do the story justice. As a result, the ending is rushed and it hurts the overall tale.

I also wish to point to volume three, where the mad prince's story is told. By and far, this is my favourite volume, not only because Seeu is an bishounen and an interesting character. But his story also points out interesting aspects of human psychology. Having taken some psychology classes, I found this volume to pique my interests, especially the focus on the need for human touch.

Although its slightly confusing, the tale of Planet Ladder has a strong beginning, which loses its momentum with a weak and rushed ending.

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The Art

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The art of Planet Ladder is definitely its strongest point. Its clean and lovely. The author's chibi-mode is also very nice. There is no area where the art suffers; characters, animals, and buildings are all depicted well. The only complaint that can be held against Planet Ladder is that the art, like the story, begins to lose its quality as we near the end. But with this said, it is still lovely, and it definitely holds up much better then the story.

The art is lovely, and is definitely the high point of Planet Ladder. Those looking for the typical beautiful style found in the majority of manga will not be disappointed.

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The Characters

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The characters in Planet Ladder are a varied sort. But there is a clear distinction between who is a main character and who is a minor character. Due to the brevity of Planet Ladder, no one beyond the main characters gets much development and back story. Some of the minor characters get a little back story or it's hinted at, but its never as developed as with the main characters. I won't mention all the characters, but some of the more important ones and these will contain spoilers!!

1.Kaguya ~~ The leading character of this story, Kaguya starts out very timid. But when she is forced to survive on her own and given the burden of choosing a single world out of nine to save, she begins to mature and shows more strength. She discovers later on that she and her brother Kagami were the last survivors of the Weimar clan on the first world, Ancient. At the end of the series, she is shown to be living on one of the worlds (most likely the fifth world) with Seeu and their son. Overall she is a decent character, with both strong and weak traits.

2. Kagami ~~ Is the mysterious boy in Kaguya's dream. The android Gold seems to be made in his image. It is later revealed that Kagami and his sister Kaguya are the last survivors of the Weimar clan from the first world. It is also revealed that he died in Seeu's place during the last great war and thus changed destiny. He was the master of the Organic Gold. Kagami plays an integral role in the story's plot, but as a character, he is not that interesting. His sole purpose seems to be to prevent the destruction of the worlds.

3. Gold ~~ An android bearing Kagami's image and also the current master of the living weapon, Organic Gold. Gold was made by Seeu and he listens to what Seeu and Kaguya tell him, but sometimes he malfunctions and Kagami's consciousness seems to appear. Just like Kagami, he plays and integral role in the plot, but is lacking as a character.

4. Seeu ~~ The only survivor from the second world, Asu. Seeu is often referred to as The Mad Prince. He was raised isolated from human beings due to the fact that his world was contaminated with a deadly bacteria and he was the only one born without being exposed to it. As the young prince of Asu, he worked hard on building dolls that were able to house the souls of the people of Asu, yet his research was never finished in time, and he was left as the sole survivor of Asu. Due to the fact that he was isolated, Seeu is very withdrawn and lacks emotional expression. He is able to break free of his prison, when he accepts the Lunato Mercury as his living weapon, for those who have living weapons cannot die by normal means. He is also the one who holds all the secrets and is integral to the survival of the worlds. He seems to have had a close friendship with Kagami and later develops some kind of feelings for Kaguya as they are shown to have a son at the end. Seeu is by far the most interesting character in Planet Ladder, and he fits the mysterious bishounen role to a T.

5. Shiina Mol Bamvivrie (Bambi) ~~ Shiina is another interesting character, she appears very cold and uncaring, but actually develops a deep love for Kaguya. How deep this love is, is open to debate. Nevertheless, her interaction with Kaguya changes her destiny and she accepts the living weapon, Geo-Pyro Gate. With the Geo-Pyro Gate, she becomes known as an effective killer, striking fear and respect in many of Kura's subjects. At the end of the manga, she is shown talking with Kaguya, when Kaguya asks her to come visit her family, Shiina declines saying she doesn't like the father. This hints at the possibility that her feelings for Kaguya are of a romantic variety.

6. Kura ~~ He is the current ruler of the seventh and most powerful world, Geo. Kura also possesses one of the living weapons, the Nox Light. He is always surrounded by a harem of women, but it is later revealed that the only one he ever loved was his wife, who died prior to the start of the manga. Kura also knows the truth behind the princess of choosing and is determined to have Kaguya no matter what. Although he is cold and calculating, he cares deeply for his world's safety.

7. Idou ~~ He first appears as the one who is sent to get Kaguya, but unluckily for him, Seeu shows up and interferes. Idou is from the eigth world, Asuraitsu where he was part of the ruling elite. It is later revealed that he decides working under Kura is the best way to save the most people. He is also the owner of the living weapon, Zenith Crio. Out of all the living weapon owners, Idou is the least developed. In the epiloge, it is written that he died protecting Kura, after the catastrophe was dealt with.

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Themes
***I am using the term 'theme' in a very loose sense, meaning it can be anything from something the story focuses on, to an aspect of the story, or the actual meaning of the word in its literary sense. Nor am I going to go into too much detail, this blog entry is already really long ;) ***

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1. Alternate Universes

A key aspect of Planet Ladder is the existence of alternate universes. It is against this background that the story takes place. There are nine identical Earths existing in Planet Ladder, but their histories are vastly different, and only our Earth, called Eden, lacks knowledge of the other eight. It is never made clear how these alternate dimensions gained the knowledge of each other's existence, but nevertheless, each of them has the technology to transcend different dimensions. There is nothing ground breaking in the conception of alternate universe in the pages of Planet Ladder. If anything, it follows the tradition of making Earth the primitive and criminal backwater planet, which all the other earths shun.

2. Human Touch

As an aside, Planet Ladder explores the importance of human touch, and no, I do not mean touch in a sexual way, I mean quite the opposite, human touch in the platonic sense, where it is above the mere physical necessity and is really a psychological necessity. Having read an article on the research findings about the importance of human touch many years prior to reading Planet Ladder, I found the artistic portrayal of it in this manga very stirring. The article I read stated that babies which are more often touched and held are later, as children, in better mental health, more intelligent and build better relationships with other children. Planet Ladder portrayal, while not scientific, showed the results of the opposite phenomena, where the baby is never touched.

It is explained quite clearly in the manga, that Seeu, a human being that never had been touched by others, should in fact be unable to survive without human touch, as other animals that are isolated. Yet he is alive, and it is thanks to the dolls that serve him. These dolls were the ones that touched him and cared for him, but although Seeu lives, he is socially and emotionally stunted. It is interesting to note, that unlike the research findings, Seeu's intelligence does not suffer. The manga also suggests that it is never too late to change, which ties in with its other theme, destiny, when Seeu is finally touched by Kaguya.

3. Destiny

This theme runs throughout Planet Ladder, and its earliest image is seen in the tarot card readings of Kaguya, who always pulls out a blank card. It is then reinforced throughout the manga with different characters and their struggles. Firstly, continuing with Kaguya, she has a so called destiny of choosing which world survives the catastrophe. But as the manga nears its finish, this so called destiny turns out to be nothing but a lie concocted by her brother and one of the sages to give the people hope. Yet, just as the blank taro cards suggests, the future is not something that was already written for someone, it is something that the person makes for themselves, and just as Kaguya's destiny was a lie, so too is the belief in an overall preset destiny.

Next we have Seeu, a character who was fated to die in the great war, but survives. His destiny is altered not only this once, but also a second time, by Kaguya, who heals the wounds on his mind, if even a little, left by the years he spent in isolation. Likewise, Shiina's destiny is altered through her interaction with Kaguya. It is stated in the manga that Shiina was not suppose to become the new master of the Gyopyrogate, but she does so to reunite with Kaguya. And finally, the worlds are fated to collide with one another and to be reborn and to restart the whole process all over again, but alas, this too is bested and the worlds do not collide. The antithesis to destiny, that it can be changed, is repeated throughout the manga, and hence, one can infer that Planet Ladder seeks to build up the conclusion that destiny is a lie and only you can decided your future.

Planet Ladder has some very beautiful themes, which are sullied by its rushed ending.

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Conclusion

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Planet Ladder shows much potential that is never truly developed, which is a real shame because it could have easily been a top rate manga. The author or mangaka has the talent to pull off a great story, but she was not given the time to develop it, as the rushed ending gives testament to. Planet Ladder's art and story (for the first five volumes that is) are captivating, and it has both interesting themes and characters. Yet, I would not full-heartedly recommend Planet Ladder, for its ending ruins all that could have been an delightful and interesting tale. No matter how good of a beginning and middle a story has, if the ending and climax are horrible, the whole experience is ruined. However, one may still enjoy this manga, if it is read only for its artistic value, but still then i would not recommend it, for its art style is one that is typically found in many mainstream manga and hence, another title could easily fulfill the artistic needs and provide a decent story that is lacking in Planet Ladder. If you don't mind a rushed and incomplete ending, and would enjoy a good science fiction manga, then I would recommend Planet Ladder to you. But everyone else be warned, this manga series will probably disappoint you by the end.

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Planet Ladder's rushed ending leaves much to be desired from this manga series. Skip over this one, even with a promising beginning, the ending will leave you frustrated and there are much better things to choose from.

~~Joanna