▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		MASANORI OOKAMIGUMI KATAKURA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		200
		▪	RATING:		T+
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		09/04/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		11/28/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Wicked humor and a sexy vixen with a gun highlight this all new fantasy adventure. It has creativity, ingenuity and more laughs in the first manga volume that you usually find in a whole series. In a wasteland, Kurohime is a buxom woman with tight clothes, big guns, and a mighty attitude. No one dares cross her and no man can resist her. Ten years ago she disappeared without a trace, but that hasn’t stopped the bounty on her head and the gangs looking for a little payback, certain she’s out there, somewhere. One person idolizes her. The young teen Zero who has been in search for her ever since she saved him those ten years gone by. He’s become an adept gunslinger, though nothing to compare to Kurohime’s with-gunslinger status. She can fashion demon bullets and is said to be more than human. Zero does find her, but he’s about to discover what happens when a vixen woman with a mean ambition goes up against the very gods. His heroine will be more than his fantasies or innocent mind can handle! The adventure is about to begin and you better be packing because this lady comes loaded!

Slick action and sexy comedy are just the beginning of this new adventure series. Zero is sweet and pure-hearted. When he meets Kurohime he’s in for a shock because she’s been hexed by the very gods! It seems they didn’t take well to her telling them to let her into their club. She considers herself above most humans and thought the gods should recognize that. In retaliation they put a spell on her:  she must stay trapped in the form of a young girl until she learns true love. For this narcissist with a penchant for violence, that’s a tall order. But when she meets good and true Zero, could it be that the first steps to unraveling the curse have begun?

Kurohime is a lady that could give Carmen 99 from Gun Sword and Faye from Cowboy Bebop a run for their money. She’s opportunistic, vain, and delightfully violent. The concept of witch-gunslingers is wonderfully creative. This isn’t just a Western per se with the outlaws and lone gunmen lurking about. This has demon bullets, special guns for witch-gunslingers, and all sorts of interesting fantasy type characters that can cast spells, possess humans, and more. There are luscious death angels and dangerous witches and most of them have Kurohime’s name on their target list! She’s made no friends and a whole lot of enemies. She plans to go up against the very gods and she’s taking kind-hearted and trusting Zero with her! What’s fascinating in their relationship dynamic is that as much as she affects him, there does seem to be a bit of quid pro quo. His goodness may be getting to her, otherwise why would she suddenly transform on and off into her adult form? It could be that true love may the one thing that can get through this woman’s defenses – and her ambitious vanity!

It’s great fun and lots of action. In the first volume there’s the initial meeting of our heroes amidst a gang out for blood. Then they go head to head with a witch who has a grudge against Kurohime. Afterwards, a particularly nasty gang is out to get the witch-gunslinger and an unexpected turnabout occurs. It seems these two will be traveling the treacherous wasteland looking for her cure and a way for her to battle it out with the deities who did this to her. It promises to be a lot of fun and a thrilling ride to be along on.

The art work is gorgeous. It’s confident, sexy and smooth. You can easily picture this as an anime. There is more than a touch of fan service whenever Kurohime turns back into her adult form. The gunslinger spell action is interesting and exciting. The weapon and machine designs are nicely detailed and the manga has pages throughout the book with the specs and explanations of the weapons and spells used during the volume.

IN SUMMARY:
Kurohime is a new manga series that fans of Cowboy Bebop and Gun Sword will want to run to get! The story of a witch-gunslinger cursed by the gods and looking for payback promises to be an unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining journey. Sexy, loaded with action and thoroughly enjoyable.