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FREE COLLARS KINGDOM (VOL. 1) |
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Wednesday, 21 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | TAKUYA FUJIMA | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT/ BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 227 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/06/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/22/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Cyan is a cat who finds himself abandoned after his young owner falls ill. Alone, bereft, he waits for his master’s return. But at night, when no human eyes can see, the cats transform into beings that run the back alleys of Tokyo – at least as far as the other animals are concerned. Kitty gangs rule the streets and Cyan soon finds himself facing off with the toughest of them, a gang known as the legendary Free Collars!
Don’t be fooled by the sweet cat analogies. This is no Puss n’ Boots. This is a fun, energetic and even at times a tad violent (though not overly so) fantasy series set in modern day Japan. A world of cats as bi-pedal beings with cute cat ears and fierce survival laws roam the streets and Cyan happens to finds himself smack in the midst of the biggest territorial battle ever. It seems the area that he lived with his master is the probable hiding place of the great collar that was once worn by the legendary Wild Cat. His collar is said to possess great power and whatever cat owns it, will rule the cat gangs completely. Now all the cats are out to get their territory and find that collar. Can Cyan break his tame ways and free the power of his Wild Spirit in order to protect the ones he loves?
This first volume is a solid start to what promises to be an exciting new fantasy adventure in the world of the free cat people. It has fantastic art work. A lot of the character designs looked like they could easily be for line-art in a hit anime. The action is well drawn out and the array of characters is as appealing as they are diverse. It has a lot of action and cat attacks. Cyan is immediately likeable with his upbeat spirit and good heart. The introduction of him starts with a sad beginning that will tug at the heart strings of any pet owner. When he first meets the Free Collars, he wants to join and help, but as an abandoned pet, he has his own style. When challenged to deadly battles, he doesn’t realize the danger but thinks the other cats are playing with him like his master used to. So he comes up with some unusual (and hilariously) effective attacks.
The members of the Free Collars are fun and delightful each in their own way. Scottie, Cyan’s possible love interest, is a cute little sweetie kitty who’s design is based on a Scottish fold. The old man who is their leader is either a joke or simply joking to hide his competent side. No one knows which. Is he a lecher or a guardian? Char, the wildly sexy rocker, is another female and scads of fun. Laid back Coon is a male with all the nifty skills and weapons. Rat the girl techie rounds off the litter.
The enemies are as fun as the heroes in this manga, at least so far. Sexy Siam is the main head honcho leading her large gang against the Free Collars to claim the territory the Wild Cat collar may be hidden within. After her first battle with Cyan however, she has thoughts other than vengeance on her ever scheming feline mind.
Because the series is set in Ikebukuro (big time manga district), there are a great deal of otaku references and side jokes. The manga series overall has a lively sense of humor in the overall adventure of their lives. Extras in the manga include 4 panel comic theaters, extensive translator and editor notes as well as cultural references, and a preview in Japanese of the upcoming volume 2.
IN SUMMARY:
You don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy Free Collars Kingdom. It’s an energetic adventure series with a lot of fantasy elements (cats becoming cat eared people to run in gangs and survive). It’s fun, often comedic and holds highly attractive art work. |
