Anime Impressions - 0.2

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Episodes 1 ~ 15



Well I finally got around to doing another anime impression. About time eh? Let's see, I the summary sounded interesting so I decided to give this one a go. I have mixed feelings, but overall I'm enjoying it. Episodes 1 through 15 are broken down into 4 arcs; The Spirited Away by a Ogre Arc, The Cotton Drifting Arc, The Killing Curse Arc, and the Time Wasting Arc.

It started out rather boring, but with little hints about the brutality to come, and these hints kept me watching. The Spirited Away chapter was probably the best one because I didn't know what to expect going in. And the slow degeneration of the main character as he gets more and more paranoid, as well as the seeming demonic nature of two of four girls (Mion and Rena) really intrigued me. The ending left much to be desired, as instead of the two girls killing Keiichi, he kills them and then seemingly commits suicide with hints that behind it all stands some sort of organization. I was left going, "ummm...ok?", but the promise that things will be slowly explain kept me watching.

Cotton Drifting started out strong, it seemed at first to be taking place during the same time as Spirited Away, but instead showing things in a different perspective. Yet as the arc progresses, contradictory things happen and the arc goes in a totally different direction. This time Mion appears to be the villain, and it appears that her family is a criminal organization that is behind the brutal deaths. She also happens to be descended from onii (demonic ogres). Yet the ending implies that Mion died before everything happened and that her twin sister was the one who did everything. The ending also implies that only Rena survived this time. I didn't like that instead of a different perspective, we got a different story. It felt disjointed and I was upset that we didn't learn more about what happened during the first arc. Still it was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Killing Curse is much the same, things appear at first to happen at the same time as the previous arcs, but too many contradictions happen. Unlike Cotton Drifting however, the characters themselves begin to realize these contradictions. For example, Keichii trying to protect Satoko kills her uncle during the festival, yet the other characters say he was at the festival like in the other arcs. This marks the first time the contradiction is made apparent by the anime itself and this intrigued me once more, and got me excited about Higurashi again. We also learn quite a bit about Satoko's sad history. Killing Curse picked up the slack from Cotton Drifting, but the ending made me go "umm...ok?" again. Namely, this time everyone dies because of the poison gas released by a volcano near the village; it is strongly suggested that Keiichi cursed the village and that is why it happened. This left me a bit puzzled as to how this poison gas ending relates to the other endings, I also found it strange that this time Oyashiro-sama (the deity attributed with all the bizarre events) would be 'helping' Keiichi instead of the girls like in the other arcs. I also found the missing corpse rather strange; I mean why would someone dig it up for Keichii, or did he imagine killing Sakato's uncle. Hence the ending left me going "ummm...ok?" Sometimes I think all the characters are mentally insane and we are seeing what each one sees and since they are all so deluded it doesn't have to make sense. I don't know, but there is a lot of suggestion that this is the case; examples include, psychotic laughter from Rena, Mion, and Shion, Rena's past with a psychologist, Keiichi's paranoid behavior during arc one, and Keichii's possible delusions involving the murder of Satako's uncle. The only characters not to appear psychotic are Satako and Rika. If this turns out to be the case for all the mysteries, I'm going to be disappointed, but the fourth arc seems to point to something different, so I still have hope. :D

Finally Time Wasting arc suggests that Rika plays a key role in this whole mystery because she knows what will happen even before it does. This also suggests that mental disorders will not to used to explain away all the contradictions between the arcs, thank god! Strangely enough, the poison gas that seems to have happened to Hinamizawa, never occurred in the first two arcs....maybe the characters didn't survive long enough? That or higurashi is being needlessly twisty. :/

Like I said, I'm enjoying this anime for the most part because I am genuinely interested in how everything will be pulled together, yet at the same time, I'm a little annoyed at the disjointed nature of each arc. The violence also seems a bit pointless and I often question the characters sanity. But all the mysterious are very compelling and I am definitely going to keep watching, which means the anime has done its job right. I'm entertained and I genuinely want to watch more of it.

Also, I found this other blog that analyzes Higarushi more in-depth then myself. (Sorry I'm just too lazy to do such an in depth analysis ^^;;) If your interested in some really good analysis on the show I suggest going here for arc one.

Edit: I have finished watching both seasons, it was pretty good and I enjoyed it enough to marathon it :) All I have left is the third season comprising of five episodes

~Joanna

Currently Reading: Impressions

Loveless: Chapter Six
So I was reading this, enjoying it very much and then I read chapter 6 and I am shocked! All of the character development for Ritsuka was thrown out the window. I'm so shocked I decided to write a little spiel just on it. Ok, so I don't confuse anyone, I am going to point out that for the last five chapters, Ritsuka has refused Soubi's advancements, has mistrusted him, and in general feels that Soubi does not love him. Yet in chapter six ALL that is thrown out the window! During their battle with Sleepless, Ritsuka gives Soubi a bit of his tongue (if you know what I mean) and even licks the blood off his neck in a very sexual way. WHAT THE HELL?! Ritsuka, pacifist Ritsuka, Ritsuka who refuses Soubi's advancements, who thinks Soubi is toying with him when Soubi tells him that he loves him, this very same Ritsuka KISSES Soubi?! what ever happened to character development? God, I hate when a mangaka does this, it's so illogical. Ritsuka isn't suppose to be making the first move, at least not until he comes to terms with Soubi's feelings and his own. Really this just pissed me off. I'm still going to read Loveless, but my enjoyment just plummeted. :/ I do not read shounen-ai for cheap thrills (kissing, fan service, sex scenes, ect) I read it for story and character development and I expect that a mangaka who isn't just trying to give her/his readers cheap thrillers will stick with what s/he has written instead of discarding everything for literally two panels of fan service. Yes, me likes to write angry rants, they make me feel better. :)

G Senjou Heaven's Door
I want to start by saying this manga is REALLY good! I didn't think it would be as good as it is, and I don't even like any of the characters. Well, I am warming up to Machizo and his dad. The story really pulls you in and I cannot wait to see what happens to the careers of the two friends, Machizo and Tetsuo. My biggest annoyance with this series? I wish all the chapters were already released! I want to know what is going to happen! sigh, guess I'm stuck waiting for more scanlations...anyways, if your looking for something new to read, Heaven's Door is really good seinen work. :)

Bleach
Lately its been rather boring, with most of the focus on fights. I like fights as well, and being introduced to some of the yet not shown bankai(s) is nice, but what I am really interested in is the plot and all the unanswered question. Ok, and also the fact that I like Rukia and I want to see more of her and the fact that most of my favourite characters are currently in Hueco Mundo. =P I also have this weird feeling that Urahara is the big mastermind behind everything and that Aizan answers to him. I don't know why, but I'm getting this vibe. I hope I'm wrong because I like Urahara, and if he did turn out to be the mastermind, well he would be killed eventually. Wish the story would head back to Hueco Mundo so some of the questions would be answered: like what happened to Ichigo during that transformation, and are Grimmjow and Ulquiorra really dead?

One of the biggest unanswered question involves Rukia though. When and why did Urahara place the Hougyoku in Rukia. The anime seems to say that he put it into the gigai he gave her when she gave Ichigo her powers, but the manga seems to say something different. Aizen says that when he finally discovered the hiding place of the Hougyoku, Rukia had already gone missing in the Human World and hence he had to orchestrate her retrieval. What he says suggests that Urahara hid Hougyoku in Rukia at some point and then when she came to earth gave her the gigai that would turn her human so that she could continue to hid the Hougyoku, and it was at this point that Aizan realized where the Hougyoku was hidden. But if that's the case, there are two key questions. One, when did Urahara hide it in Rukia (seems like there wasn't much time for him to do it according to the Turning Back the Pendulum chapters) and why Rukia? (Of course there is also a possibilty that the translation hasn't been as tight or I am misunderstanding what Aizan is saying.) Anyway, here are the two pages in question:

~Joanna

Impression: Wild Com.

When I noticed that Wild Com. was done by Basara's mangaka, Yumi Tamura-san, I knew it would be good, even through it was a one-shot. I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint.

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Summary

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Wild Com. is a one-shot with three unrelated stories from varying genres. The stories are: Wild Com., The Beasts of June, and The Eye of the Needle. The front cover features three characters from the first story, the one-shot is also titled after the first story.

The first story revolves around Michiru Ozeki, a psychic with power over flames. However, Ozeki wants nothing to do with her powers and fears that they only bring death to those around her. She is recruited by Wild Com., an organization that recruits psychics and uses their powers to help save people from disasters. However, even when Wild Com. asks her to put her powers to good use, Ozeki believes that her powers can only bring death, and is unable to use them properly. Eventually she learns the true nature of her powers and is able to put the past behind her and use her power to help those in need.

The second story is about two teenagers, Aki and Akane, who both work for the same gang. Aki is an assassin and Akane is the boss's girl. When the two meet, Aki marks Akane, and she is strangely drawn to him. The two bear names of dragonflies, and both wish to grown wings and soar into the sky, they fall in love, but the boss has other plans.

The third story stars Shiki Haibara, a raising celebrity. Shiki has a girlfriend he has known since middle school, but when his career takes off, Uiko, his girlfriend, becomes a obstacle to his image. When he finally tells her to leave him alone, he begins to experience harassment and Uiko keeps showing up at all his shootings. Annoyed by her staking and harassment, he eventually punches her, telling her that he has had enough of her staking. Yet the harassment doesn't stop, and Shiki discovers a little too late that the culprit may not be Uiko after all.

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My Thoughts

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The longest and the best story was definitely The Eye of the Needle; the other two were also good, just not as good as the last story. Wild Com. was mostly well done, and its best aspect was the two leading characters Ozeki and Amano, although Ozeki was more fleshed out making her a bit better than Amano. Both characters are slightly emotionally tortured, Ozeki because of an incident involving her powers and Amano because of his mentally distraught mother. Although again, we don't really learn the nature of Amano's relationship with his mother, what we do learn is more hinted at, leaving it up to the reader to decide the impact his mother had on him. Ozeki's emotional state is the main focus of the story, so we learn a lot about her character. The interactions between Ozeki and Amano were also entertaining, because like their powers, fire and water, the two don't seem to get along well, but they eventually do become friends. The only aspect that I did not like was the resolution; it happened too smoothly and felt like a deus ex machina was given to Ozeki so she could resolve her fears involving her powers. I was really hoping she would pull through the hardships, but I was disappointed when the fireman explained to her what had really happened at the house of her bully that burned down, and thus resolving the main conflict; especially since Ozeki's fear and character development played such an important role in the whole story. Still overall it was a good story about ESPers, and the Tam-Tam extra detailing the inspiration for Wild Com. was funny.

Next, Beasts of June. It basically had the same problem as Wild Com., the main characters were not developed enough. However, unlike Wild Com., because of the way Beasts of June was written and done, I wasn't too angry at this one minus. Beasts was written to be a poetic tale of love, and it does that very well. I really enjoyed it. There was one little annoyance though, Aki and Akane state that animal love is equal, that animals don't control and aren't controlled. This actually isn't true. I used to be a biology major, so I learned quite a bit about mating rituals. Most mammal rituals involve power, either the males fight it out between themselves for a whole harem of females (seen in lions, or walruses) or they use a variety of methods to prevent the female from having sexual intercourse with other males of the same species. I remember reading about a species of deer in which the male follows around the female and the fawn in order to prevent her from breeding again, yet if a predictor comes, the male flees and offers no protection to the female or the fawn. Also, it isn't always male domination of the female, there are a few species of spiders where the female is larger and will eat the male if he doesn't bring her enough food during sex (there are other examples, but the elude me at the moment). Basically all I wanted to point out was that power relations between the sexes during and in the aim toward intercourse exist in most animal species, hence the statement that animals don't control or aren't controlled isn't very accurate. But this does not take away from the message, which was beautiful and I ended up really enjoying The Beasts of June, even with this little blooper.

Finally, The Eye of the Needle was very very well written; being a horror story, it was well executed and I never once expected the "harasser" to be who they were. Like a good horror tale, all the signs were there to point one subtlety in the direction of the real "harasser", but it was not until the reader was shown who it really was that I even suspected the real culprit. Just as Tamura-san wanted, all my suspicion was thrown on Uiko, the girlfriend, until the very end. Character-wise, only Shiki was developed; and although he is rather mean to Uiko, all his motives seem very human, if only because humans tend to be weak. Not that character development really matters, because this is one of those rare stories where the characters don't really matter, what matters is pacing and mood, and both of these were well done. Everything was so well done that anyone, regardless if they like shoujo or not, would enjoy it.

This one-shot is definitely recommended. All three stories are entertaining enough, and even someone who doesn't like shoujo in particular, may find that Wild Com. is delightfully engrossing. The third story is the best, and leaves the reader ending the collection on a high note. But of course the other two are still very enjoyable, only minor problems prevent them from being just as good as the last story. Actually, I feel that only the first story has something concrete that could have been done better, mainly the resolution. Nonetheless, a solid short story collection by one of my favourite mangaka, Yumi Tamura, and one of the few I have come across that really felt just as good as any manga spanning more then jut one volume. I cannot wait to pick up Tamura-san's Chicago, she is a remarkable story teller. I just wish more of her works were licensed in America.

~Joanna

Upcoming Posts

well, I have decided to give everyone a little tease of what is yet to come because I take so long to post new stuff, plus this little list will remind me of what I have yet to finish (and trust me, I am pretty forgetful ^^;;;)

Manga Related:
-Impression: Wild Com.
-Impression: Basara 26
-Impression: Basara 27

Guess I should call this the Yumi Tamura marathon..ahaha. Well her manga is really good, so I can't help but try to pick up every little thing of hers that is localized. Wild Com. will be coming soon (I hope) as I have already finished reading it. And I hope to get started on the last two volumes of Basara tonight. I'm so happy I was able to pick up the whole series. :D :D I think of Tamura-san's works, I still have Chicago to pick up. Too bad the only editions of it avaliable are the older ones...

Game Related:
-DSing Update
-Game Review: Rocket Slime
-Game Review: Final Fantasy III

I haven't done a gaming update in awhile, so I guess I should do one, just to let everyone know what I'm currently playing and my thoughts on that. ;) I finished Rocket Slime awhile ago, so I really need to get the review done. And I finished FFIII recently so I also want to get my thoughts down while my impressions are still fresh. Reviews take me awhile to write, so I wouldn't expect these any time soon. :/

Anime Related:
-Anime Impressions -0.2

I haven't done an anime related post since forever, because I just lazy. T___T Hopefully, I'll get one done soon, and if I do, it will most likely be about Higurashi no naku koro ni. Not a new anime by any means, but I'm watching it now, so it's ideal for an impression. Actually, I never watch any "airing" anime, the only exception is Bleach, because I was hooked on it once and now I just watch it for the animated fights. The manga has been going downhill lately...but that rant is for another time.

~Joanna

Impression: Fushigi Yugi 7

I found volume 7, so I picked it up. I'm not a big fan of Fushigi Yugi, but I like it enough to keep reading and buying the volumes. I'm going to try and keep the summary short, here goes....

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Summary

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After failing to perform the ceremony for Suzaku properly in volume 6, Miaka and the Suzaku warriors are told that there is one other way to summon the god, and that is to travel to the northern country of Genbu, Bei-Ja, and recover the Shentso-Pao. Miaka agrees to go, but she isn't too sure about how she will be able to fight against Yui again.

On top of that, she finds out that in order to summon Suzaku using the new method, she must remain a virgin and cannot have any intimate relationships with any of her warriors. Determined to summon Suzaku, she tells Tamahome that it was all a fling and he means nothing to her, just as he asks her to marry him.

Later the group decides to enjoy their last night in Hong-Nan at the star viewing festival. It is there that Tamahome corners Miaka and asks her to be truthful with him. She finally decides to tell him the truth. Tamahome is shocked at first, but declares that once the ceremony is performed, he will make Miaka the happiest bride on earth. A joyful Miaka agrees.

Before the warriors leave, Hotohori gives Miaka his sword, and tells Tamahome that he will give his family a crown paid residency for their hospitality towards him. Tamahome is overjoyed and he, Miaka, and Nuriko go to tell his family the good news. However the three of them aren't greeted by Tamahome's happy family; instead they see his whole family slaughtered. Just as a very familiar melody plays. Miaka runs to see who it is, knowing that Amiboshi cannot be alive. It turns out to be his twin brother Suboshi and he has come to get revenge. Since the Suzaku warriors killed his only family, he determined he would do the same to Tamahome. Just as Suboshi is about to kill Miaka with his attack, Tamahome comes to her rescue and easily overpowers Suboshi in his rage. Thankfully for Suboshi, another Seiryu warrior, Soi, saves him by preoccupying Tamahome with an injured Miaka, and the two of them make their escape.

When Miaka wakes up, she finds Tamahome at the graves of his family, crying uncontrollably. He tells her to leave him alone, and unable to help him in any way, she runs away from him. She and Nuriko spend the night alone, but are shocked to see Tamahome back to normal in the morning. The group returns to the capital, where Miaka informs Hotohori of the tragedy and the Suzaku warriors (excluding Hotohori) and Miaka finally sail away to Bei-Ja. Miaka realizes that Yui would never have allowed the tragedy to happened, and knows it must have been the fault of the cruel Nakago. She decides she must stop the summoning of Seiryu at all costs, even if that should mean going up against Yui.

Meanwhile, Miaka's brother Keisuke is still researching The Universe of the Four Gods. He meets up with his friend and the two discover that the translator for the Japanese edition of The Universe of the Four Gods is not credited with the book's translation, nor is there an entry for it in the Japanese publications catalog. Even stranger is the fact that this translator killed his own daughter and then committed suicide. But worsted of all, Keisuke discovers a reference book about the Universe of the Four Gods where it states that in ancient China there was a sect that worshiped these four beasts, but were pronounced heretics because the ritual to summon the god beast required a maiden as a sacrifice.

Worried about his sister's safety, Keisuke contacts her via the ribbon, telling Miaka to come back home with Yui because the book is dangerous and both of them may be killed. Miaka is momentarily torn between listening to her brother's advice and Tamahome's dependence on her. However she decides that she cannot go back yet, and asks Tasuki to burn her ribbon. Before the ribbon is burnt, Keisuke tells her not to summon Suzaku, no matter what. Miaka isn't too sure what to make of this last warning, but before she can ponder it much longer, the boat is hit by a massive storm cause by the powers of the Seiryu warrior Soi. Keisuke, on the other hand is completely annoyed by his sister's idiotic behavior and vows to get to the bottom of the mystery involving the Universe of the Four God's translator.

Due to the storm's volatile nature, Tasuki accidently falls overbroad and he cannot swim. Miaka jumps in after him, but also cannot swim, so Tamahome jumps in after her. Nuriko, the only sensible one, throws a rope across to Tasuki, however, the waves pull him over as well just as Tasuki manages to climb back aboard. The intensity of the waves separates Nuriko, Miaka, and Tamahome from the boat, and the three of them find a small cave to hide in.

During their stay in the cave, Nuriko opens up and tells us that he too is afraid of losing someone close to him and that is why he started dressing like his dead sister, so that she would continue to live inside him. The chat is cut short however, when a bolt of lighting destroys the cave, and it starts flooding with water. Miaka looses her balance and Tamahome tries to save her, but he falls into the hole as well, thankfully Nuriko grabs his arm. Yet, Nuriko is at the limit of his power as he tries to push back the rushing water and at the same time tries to pull up Miaka and Tamahome. Lucky for the three of them, the bracelets he got from Tai Yi-Jun turn into bracers and give Nuriko the extra strength he needs to pull Miaka and Tamahome out before some lightning strikes them. The others find them soon after, and Miaka with her warriors are now adrift and land on an island far off from Bei-Ja. The good new is that the storm stopped; the bad news, that there is a dead Hong-Nan solider on the beach...this ends the seventh volume.

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My Thoughts

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Not much happens this volume, yet quite a bit does happen. I know that sounds contradictory, but it's very true. The plot doesn't progress at all, but we have a lot of build up with many things happening at once (Miaka-Tama mini-break up, Murder of Tama's family, Departure from Hong-Nan). All these incidents don't have much impact on the plot, but they do set up the next arc of the story so that the plot can progress in the next volume. For example, the mini break up and murder didn't change anything, but they, one, created a new reason for Maika and Tamahome to have their awkward romantic moments, and two, gave Miaka a goal to strive for and a very passionate reason to strive for it. Thus setting up the next part of the story where more romantic entanglements happen and where Miaka has a reason to fight against Yui. The departure, on the other hand, was simply a transitory tool used to make the shift between the first arch (aka gather the seven constalations and summon suzaku) and the next arc (aka find the sacred treasure). Everything done in this volume has a future aim making this volume feel a bit filler-ish. Thankfully, not to make it feel too filler-ish, there are also a lot of revelations made in this volume like the origin of the Japanese translation of the Universe of the Four Gods, as well as Nuriko's past.

Speaking of Nuriko, the guy is really growing on me. At first he was just this annoying vain man in drag, but he has grown and now he is a dependable and empathetic Suzaku warrior. He is still used in comic relief, but he now comes off as goofy rather then annoying. His story was also tender, albeit a little too simple and underdeveloped. I also quite like Tasuki because he acts so tough yet he is a big teddy bear (not to mention he is used very well in comic relief). Actually, all the Suzaku warriors are likable, all except Tamahome. I swear, with each passing volume, he becomes more and more cheesy and dumb. I kept rolling my eyes every time he told Maika that he still had her and would protect her no matter what. I mean how cheesy can you get?! Not to mention he does some pretty stupid things when Miaka is involved (like saving her every single time she does something stupid, often resulting in himself becoming injured)

And Miaka, why do I feel that every time she takes one step forward, she takes two steps back? Every time I grow even the tiniest empathy for her character, she goes and does something really stupid, making me loath her once more. I'm not talking about her stupidity in the comic relief sections (eating a whole bowl of soup, jumping in the water when she can't swim, ect), which I find quite funny and really enjoy. I'm talking about how she couldn't tell Tamahome about the virgin deal in the first place. How she broke the poor guy's heart right when he was spilling it out to her. Seriously! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why she thought it was a good idea to pretend to be toying with him. Every single time she tries to act strong (trying to deny her emotions), she comes off as weak and immature. It really boggles my mind. Oh and don't get me started on her supposed guilt to Yui. She seems to remember that "guilt" whenever it is useful, and whenever it's not, she doesn't.

Ok, on to more positive things...I love Watase-san's humor and I really appreciate it. It gives Fushigi Yugi a much needed diversion from all the intense drama. I think the little comic scenes here and there really help me enjoy the manga and story. If there was no comic relief and only constant drama, I think it would eventually wear thin on me. I really do think so, because even Tamahome's family slaughter didn't raise any empathy from me. Rather I was thinking, 'ok more drama, yar' and I felt that it only occurred so that Miaka could have a reason to really fight tooth and nail with Yui, aka more drama to come. Luckily, the little bickerings and funny responses from the characters made me chuckle and reminded me that I really like the story, even when the drama gets to be a bit too much.

The art is as usual, gorgeous, but who could expect any less from Watase-san. Overall, this was one of the weaker volumes so far. It wasn't bad per say, just the plot was non-existent in this volume, and because plot is the main reason I read Fushigi Yugi, I ended up enjoying this volume a little less then the previous ones. Nevertheless, little moments of comic relief and revelations (that did advance the plot) did keep me happy. Not to mention that I got to see a lot of Nuriko this volume, and he is easily becoming my favourite character in the whole series, with Tasuki in a close second.

Drama was pretty high in this volume, but Watase-san knows that her little wacky characters and interesting story keep us fans coming back for more. Too bad the main leads are so unlikeable, if they were portrayed in a more mature and intelligent manner, Fushigi Yugi would become a really good read. Right now, it's just a good read. The bottom line, it's still worthy of more investment and I will be continuing with the series; it is just not at the top of my priority list at the moment.

~Joanna

Impression: Fairy Cube 1

I picked this up purely because the cover looked so lovely, thankfully it turned out to be just as good as the cover.

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Summary

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Fairy Cube starts out rather scattered. We see a glimpse of Ian's childhood, then we see a fairy murder, and finally we get a little introduction to Ivan before he takes a hit from Rin who was trying to hit a few girls that tried to bully her.

Ian tells us Rin is his dear childhood friend, but he has to pretend he dislikes her because of a certain incident. Rin is rather annoyed at this, but before they can talk too long, Ian's father tells him to hurry to class. Ian's father is a teacher at his school. Then we see another Ian, a much darker and meaner Ian, who berates the first Ian. Ian tells us this is Tokage, his other self, who he has seen since he was little, and who has made his life miserable. No one but Ian can see him.

As Ian is walking home, Tokage pulls his bag away. When Ian goes to pick it up, he sees someone at the scene of a fairy murder. He also notices a talking doll and the fact that the gentleman takes something from the scene of the crime. He follows the man to a shop and is corner. When Ian is corner, he confronts the man about the crime. The man tells him he only took what the lady stole from his shop and gives Ian a cube with a green lizard inside. As Ian leaves, the dolls expresses her regret that he will die soon.

Ian runs to the police station to tell them about the man, but no one believes him because Ian has gained a reputation for telling lies. Just then Rin comes in with her mother. As the police take her mother, Rin reminisces with Ian about their childhood. We get a brief flashback, showing that Rin's mother has always been abusive to her and that Ivan told Rin about fairies. Unlike the other children however, Rin believed Ian and went out early one morning so that he could show them to her. After witnessing the fairies, Ian showed Rin the wings drawn on his back, which Rin found beautiful. However, this little meeting was cut short when Rin's mother and Ian's father find the two. It seems Tokage somehow influenced Ian's father and brought him to Ian and Rin. Ian also remembers what followed, how his father burned the wings on his back, and how he told Rin he hated her in order to protect her from his father.

Before the two can talk much longer Ian's father shows up once more and forces Ian to leave. At home he questions Ian and asks whether he was trying to leave like his mother. Then he checks to see if Ian's wings are still gone so that his son will not be able to fly away. Meanwhile, Tokage is up to his tricks again. This time he takes Rin's bus pass, the one she dropped, and kills a guy from Rin's school who is on the phone with his girl and places her pass near his corpse. His girlfriend, worried, goes to find him and finds Rin's bus pass; she tells a few people, and the next day, a bunch of girls begin to gang up on Rin. They insist that she killed the guy, even though Rin states she lost her bus pass and didn't do anything. Ian comes to help her, but the girls brush him off by saying he is a lair. To save Rin, Ian asks her to trust him like before and takes her hand. Using her power and his, he is able to show all the students fairies. The students are dazed and Rin takes Ian's hand and runs. However, Ian's father sees the two, and just as Ian confesses to Rin that she is precious to him, his father stabs him and Ian dies.

Ian's soul is protected from minor demons by a mysterious person, and when he finally reawakens and goes to the human world, he sees Rin with himself, only it isn't him but Tokage. Knowing that Rin means a lot to Ian, Tokage makes his move on her and asks her out. Ian, infuriated, goes to find the strange man and doll for answers and a way to return to normal. Angry, he attacks the man, but he is stopped when a fairy emerges from the doll. The fairy, in her own anger, looses control of her powers and the mysterious man named Kaito, transports both of them to the other world.

Kaito tells the two how to get back, but they run into trouble on their way home. Thankfully with Ainsel, the fairy's help, the two manage to return in one piece. Ainsel is quite impressed with Ian and decides to help him, but she informs Ian that she is doing all this for Kaito and not Ian. Ian is given the body of Eriya, a young boy and a special amulet that prevents other 'wing people' from seeing that he is one as well. Wing people are fairies who have taken over a human's body.

Meanwhile, a girl transfers to Ian's school, and it turns out she is a wing person as well. She and Tokage eventually have a show down in which Tokage kills her and claims victory. Rin sees this, but she is knocked out by Tokage's attack when he hears her. When she awakens, she believes that what she saw was just a dream, until she notices Tokage's broken amulet. Just then Eriya comes running in to save Rin and Rin finally realizes that Ian is really Eriya. Unfortunately, Eriya dropped his amulet, and by saving Rin, Ian has exposed himself to Tokage. The two arrive that Eriya's house, where his angry grandmother waits, but instead of a lecture, Ian learns that Eriya's grandmother is special and able to see spirits. Hence she knows that Ian isn't her grandchild and she is able to see Ainsel. The volume finishes with Eriya's grandmother telling the group that they will have to hear her story tomorrow.

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My Thoughts

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Fairy Cube is amazing! I love it. I haven't read a Yuki Kaori manga before, so I was not too sure what to expect going in, but now I know I'll have to pick up her other series available in English, Godchild, Cain Saga, and Angel Sanctuary. I love the beautiful art and intricate story, as well as the multifaceted characters.

Fairy Cube moved at a very brisk pace, but it never felt rushed. The pace was perfect, I felt that nothing dragged on, and nothing was done too fast. Rarely does a manga manage to pace itself so very well; I am impressed. The story itself was very interesting; a lot of mysteries and mysterious characters were introduced. I cannot wait to discover each one's motives and what is really going on behind the scenes.

The main characters are also very interesting and likable. Ian seems rather weak at first, but he is actually rather strong, and grows stronger as the story moves on. On the other hand, Rin seems rather strong at the beginning, but we learn she is very frail, yet even when she is so very frail, she still manages to stay strong. The two main characters have a lot in common (namely their traumatic childhoods), yet both take drastically different approaches in dealing with them. Ian is rather passive, he tries as much as possible not to anger his father (mainly because he knows Tokage's influence causes his father's abusive behaviour), and pretends to be happy. Rin on the other hand, doesn't hide the fact that she isn't happy and tries to cut herself away from her mother's abusive tendencies by going to the police. Both also see in the other the only ray of light in their lives. However, neither is mushy and lovey-dovey, thankfully! Ian, distances himself from Rin for her safety, and Rin isn't blinded by love, she notices the difference in Ian when Tokage takes over. Both characters have weaknesses and strengths, making them more enjoyable to read about and connect with. In particular, I like how neither becomes plain stupid just because they are in love. Countless times there is an interesting lead who becomes stupid because s/he falls in love, so this was very refreshing!

The art is lovely. Yuki-san manages to have a unique art style while at the same time retaining a main stream manga feel to her art. The art is clean and very detailed. Character designs are lovely, especially Ainsel. Actions and gore are also well depicted. The layout isn't the best, but it still works rather well and captures some cinematic feel. Overall, I am very impressed with Fairy Cube volume one and will definitely be continuing with this series.

~Joanna

Redeemed my Club Nintendo Points!

I happened to redeem my club nintendo points a few months ago, but just got around to posting about it now. I decided to go with the animal crossing cards because I needed some play cards and the point amount was not too extreme.

Free shipping and handling was really nice on nintendo's part, and I am very satisfied with these cards. Now I can play Crazy 8s in style. hehe.

ps - I made it to gold status, so I'll be getting a nifty 2010 calendar :D

~Joanna