 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | RYOUTARO IWANAGA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 240 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/04/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/26/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
With a name like Pumpkin Scissors, you know this manga must have something innovative and interesting to offer – and it does! Pumpkin Scissors volume one alludes to the fact that this story will be both epic and filled with substantial action. The story takes place in a war ravaged world much like our own, but set in a time that looks like a mix of Victorian times and the WWII era. The time that Pumpkin Scissors takes place is supposed to be a time of peace, three years after the end of a long war - hopefully a time that won’t again return to war. Despite the cease fire between the two factions, the world is a desolate and violent place. The bloody war between the Empire and the Republic of Frost left a deep wound throughout the Empire. Three years after the cease fire, now known as the “Thin Ice Treaty,” the Empire is still plagued with starvation and disease, while bandits of former soldiers terrorize the populace. The Empire is now fighting another battle to repair the destruction of war. That’s where a special army unit comes in: Imperial Army Intelligence Section III, also know as “Pumpkin Scissors.” The Pumpkin Scissors is a seemingly small group of individuals within the army that work to keep the peace and rebuild after the war. Many ex-soldiers are now bandits that threaten villages and the people that live there. There are also many tyrannical dictators and nobles within the land that use their power to cause suffering. The Pumpkin Scissors, led my a noble 2nd Lieutenant named Alice L. Malvin. Alice is outspoken and full of vigor – she often runs head on into a situation without really thinking it through, but the people she leads respect her. The manga centers around her military group and the engagements they get into to keep the peace of the land. In volume two, it becomes more and more apparent that the Pumpkin Scissors are the only hope for the battle-torn Empire. The nation is being threatened by new evils even more terrible than war–this time, a shadowy gang of ruthless drug dealers. These villains are poised to strike at the very heart of the Empire. Can the Pumpkin Scissors unravel their conspiracy in time? Pumpkin Scissors is inherently exciting as it has some truly great action sequences. For anyone that loves mechanical design, military tanks, etc. Pumpkin Scissors is a must. There are some amazing tank battles between the metal beasts and a single man. Different tanks and units of military, nobles and bandits have different fighting styles and different motivations for their actions. As much as the story relates to action and government/military intrigue, Pumpkin Scissors is not without laughs and jokes. The group has a messenger dog named Merc who constantly gets himself in trouble by biting military officials on their balding heads. He’s often demoted for his actions! The art style is detailed and very cool. The mechanical designs are great – especially the tanks. Every little artistic detail really adds to the story and brings out a lot of life in the characters. Uniforms are also especially worth noting – most have a neat mix of WWII German iconography and that of medieval knights. Emotions and facial expressions are very professional – a lot of the elements in the art may remind the reader of other great works like Full Metal Alchemist. Besides that, the setup is also very clean and flows well. The text is easy to read, especially when something is being said about the history or back story from a narrator, as the text is large and bolded. I can’t be said enough that Pumpkin Scissors has a lot of potential. I can’t wait to see how it progresses, and it will also be exciting to watch the anime being released in North America as it comes out!
IN SUMMARY:
Pumpkin Scissors is well written and contains a lot of interesting visual elements brought together from different real eras like that of WWII. As great as the action is, the story never skimps on characters and what makes them who they are as people, making Pumpkin Scissors a very balanced read.
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