▪	RELEASED BY:		DEL REY
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		TO-RU ZEKUU / YUNA TAKANAGI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		205
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/28/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/19/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

On the day of his fourteenth birthday, Akira is about to discover fantastical powers, amazing people with astonishing abilities, and a war that he must fight in order to save the Earth.

It all starts on his birthday. Akira comes into remarkable powers when he is attacked by a man talking about the Shiki Tsukai, claiming Akira is one of them. Loosely translated, Shiki Tsukai means “one who controls the four seasons”. Akira is one of these fated warriors and others wish to either destroy him or control him…except for one. A beautiful young woman appears and tells him she has been waiting for him, watching him, and will die to protect him. Koyomi shows she is deadly as well as beautiful when she saves him from malevolent forces. Confused and overwhelmed, Akira learns that his fate as the December Shiki Tsukai is to choose to either destroy humanity or salvage it, and if he can, the polluted Earth.

This fantasy adventure set in modern day Japan is not an unfamiliar style of story. A chosen one, brave but unknowing of his fate, a beautiful protector, a destiny that must be faced and fought for. Certainly it has been seen time and again in various forms in such manga genres. Even the use of humans polluting the Earth as a pivotal crisis for a war between powers has been seen in other manga such as CLAMP’s X. What marks this story as different is how it brings it about, the innovative use of the seasons and the lunisolar calendar used in Japan before the Gregorian one was introduced, offers up an intriguing conduit for a fantastical world and amazing powers.  The book is peppered with factual information about the lunisolar calendar and the meanings associated with the different months.

Filled with fantasy intrigue and action, the story also holds some comedy. Much of it is provided in the new living arrangements that occur at Akira’s house with Koyomi as his protector. The bulk of the comedy is served up by his sassy teacher who holds some powerful secrets of her own, an interest in Akira, and an unexpected connection to his mother.

The art work is great. The character designs are gorgeous, especially the female characters. Koyomi above all stands out for her exceptional beauty, lovingly rendered. Manga extras include translation notes, afterwords, a Shiki Knowledge Twelve Month Ability Chart, a collection of the seasonal incantations used in this volume, character profiles, and further notes about the lunisolar calendar. 

IN SUMMARY:
A boy’s destiny and the powers of the four seasons meet in this involving fantasy tale.