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Reviews
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Sunday, 03 August 2008 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | RYOUTARO IWANAGA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 240 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/24/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 08/03/2008 | | | ▪ | 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! 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 three, the Pumpkin Scissors are deployed to the waterworks headquarters after receiving an explosive tip. But when they arrive, Claymore One is already there with orders to shoot to kill. When the Pumpkin Scissors try to defuse the deadly situation, Claymore One strikes back: They demand an execution order against Alice. The Pumpkin Scissors are supposed to be saving the Empire . . . but can they save themselves in the meantime? The art style continues to be very clean and dynamic – it flows extremely well because of how clean and well-thought-out the format is. Again the mechanical designs rise to the occasion in volume three with some very interesting military concoctions for us to ponder over. There are some special full body armour suits for soldiers that have a deadly secret, and some more WWII era look-a-like tanks (always awesome). The amount of detail that is present in each little box is quite amazing at times – the artist is very good at making things be detailed even when they are of a small size. He never skimps on the visuals, even if the objects in question are in the background, or very small on the page. This helps to make the art more enjoyable – it’s nice to see all the little details being though about and processed onto the page for the readers. If that isn’t enough for some readers, then the addition of an ever-building plotline should sell you. The stories and characters in Pumpkin Scissors are put together in a way that gives them a lot of depth that you slowly learn about as the series flows along. There’s nothing better than being given little snippets of a puzzle and being left wanting more from the story – it’s this sort of thing that makes a story/character all the more interesting. Pumpkin Scissors is involving on various levels, and should leave readers with a want for more at the end of each volume – volume three being no exception!
IN SUMMARY:
Pumpkin Scissors is unique in its setting and its use of visuals. Fans of Fullmetal Alchemist should look to this series if they are looking for a comparably good series to read next, but it should be said that Pumpkin Scissors sits perfectly well on its own as a fine piece of work. |
