 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | YUKO OSADA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 200 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 08/12/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 10/09/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Toto continues to be a rich and original adventure manga series as the story of a boy, a girl named Dorothy and a strange dog continues as they search for Emerald City. This utterly imaginative take on the Wizard of Oz continues to impress. Kakashi’s violent confrontation with the sinister Nassau Imperial Army turns into a mystery with a shock – their dog isn’t what he seems! A giant monster awakens and fights and in the melee, Kakashi gets swallowed up by the pup-turned-beast! Toto isn’t some mere snippy little dog but the property of the army and they want it back! But a more shocking transformation occurs leaving no doubt that to get Toto, they’ll have to kill Kakashi! On the run and now with even more questions, Kakashi, Dorothy, and the new look for Toto, fly in order to get to the Emerald City. But more sinister army happenings, sadness, and challenges await these young heroes. Not only is there the discovery of twelve “accessories” that are special items the army wants and will stop at nothing to get, but this volume also marks the introduction of a new and ongoing villain. Chopin is nothing like his military counterparts. He is far more ruthless and diabolical. And he has an “accessory” of his own which proves most deadly. With no tolerance for failure, he is close on Kakashi’s trail. Going as fast as they can, Kakashi, Dorothy and Toto arrive at a locomotive town where the trains have all been destroyed by the military. There they meet a solider who dreams of being a comic and is a handy engineer/mechanic. They also meet a young woman with a good heart. These two people will change things for the two fugitives when the army catches up with them and a cowardly solider makes a decision true to his heart. The odd and unique alternate take on the Wizard of Oz continues as the group seems to gain a companion that is in many ways a cowardly lion. It will be curious to see if the manga series has a Tin Man in store or perhaps a good witch and a wicked witch let alone a wizard. In any case, the series is an imaginative and fun adventure with lots of surprises and a most original story. Bonus manga features include translation notes and a preview of the next volume in Japanese.
IN SUMMARY:
Toto is an imaginative and highly entertaining adventure series that will appeal to fans of One Piece and Fairy Tale. |
