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Monday, 12 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | BROCCOLI BOOKS | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | SHINGO NANAMI | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT/ BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 208 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | 13+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 11/30/2006 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/13/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD | | |
A catastrophic earth quake has sent most of the world under water and humanity on the brink of annihilation. In this new world order, the agents of NOA wield the elemental powers of kamui, the spirits of nature. Yet that nature has been thrown into chaos by the disappearance of the sacred spirit of Okikurumi from a distant village. A young man is chosen to find and bring the sacred sprit back and restore order to the spirit realm and the world. For this task, Atsuma is entrusted with a powerful sword infused in his very being. But nothing could prepare him for the beautiful and deadly NOA agents who battle the renegade creatures that the chaos sees rampaging across what is left of Japan. Somehow they are linked to the sacred spirit, somehow he must get into the organization known as NOA and find out the truth, somehow, he must fulfill his mission and not lose his soul in the balance…
Kamui is an epic science fiction saga with elements of fantasy and Gothic undertones. Enigmatic and wicked, NOA is not the place any sane person would want to be. The agents there, whether they work for the “Heaven” or the “Earth” division, have as twisted agendas as ever seen. Atsuma is no less mysterious a figure in this story however. So far the reader is given little information on his background, where he came from, or how he obtained such strong powers. He certainly has caught the eye of more than on NOA agent whether they are male or female. When he sees no other way but to join NOA in order to find his answers, he literally opens up a Pandora’s Box of government secrets, personal jealousies and deceit. He must find the Okikurumi fast before his entanglement with NOA affects him too deeply, before they find out what he is up to, and most importantly before the entire planet is destroyed. He is fighting against a ticking time bomb, for the longer the sacred spirit is missing, the closer the Earth will be brought to complete destruction.
Richly told, exhilarating pacing and neo-Gothic art work all make this a fast addiction for manga fans. It has a great deal in common with the cult favorite CLAMP series X. Like that one, there is lead male that is brooding with a mysterious past and incredible supernatural power. Kamui, like X, is also full of beautiful men and women with deadly powers and even deadlier secrets. Like the other manga, Kamui also uses elemental powers in a psychic fashion. Kamui contains gorgeous art work and a riveting story with attractive characters that stand on its own. It’s mysterious, suspenseful and will leave readers on their edge of their seats wanting to know what happens next.
Extras in the manga include a full color cover page, terminology notes, translation notes, an outline of the NOA chain of command, character notes, and an English translated preview of the next volume.
IN SUMMARY:
Kamui is a captivating manga series. It is a mysterious and beautifully rendered science fiction with elements of dark fantasy and neo-Gothic undertones. Kamui is a darker series that will appeal to fans of Gilgamesh, CLAMP’s X, and Tokyo Babylon. |
