 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | TO-RU ZEKUU / YUNA TAKANAGI | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 208 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 11/24/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 11/24/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
On the day he turns fourteen, Akira discovers his destiny: He’s a shiki tsukai, a warrior with the magical power to control the seasons. He also meets the beautiful Koyomi, another warrior, who is sworn to protect him. For there are evil forces intent on destroying Akira – and the entire universe! Shiki Tsukai is part of a familiar genre that doesn’t exactly have a name, but everyone knows what it is. This is one of those manga where a young boy comes of age and realizes his destiny as a great warrior is to be his future. What sets this one apart is its emphasis on the seasons and their meanings. Akira's 14th birthday means an attack from which he's saved by a lovely girl who has similar seasonal powers to those he's developing. She moves in with him, providing fan service for ogling as well as protecting him from random mystical monsters. They fight with weapons and cards, by yelling the names of special calendar days and natural signs at each other. It’s almost like a magical girl manga, but it’s a boy who is the main character. It isn’t exactly Card Captor Sakura, but it could be her lesser known cousin from out of state. The lists of monthly meanings, spell names, flowers and birthstones are somewhat overwhelming to begin with, but once you get a hold on what exactly is going on here it really adds some expansive depth to the story and its meanings. In volume six, paradise could spell conflict for our heroes! As a Shiki Tsukai – a warrior with the power to change the seasons – Akira battles evil forces who seek the destruction of all humanity. While searching a tropical paradise for new sources of magical power, Akira and his team encounter fiercely violent creatures known as Kijyuu. Can Akira achieve peace with the angry Kijyuu king or will it be all-out war? The setting of a tropical paradise was a nice move for volume six. It’s a fun place to set a story, and certainly an interesting setting to draw. I really liked the art in this volume – there was a lot of action and explosions, and that lends well to a manga that likes a lot of movement conveyed through its visuals. The way the visuals are done also helps keep the pacing fast – this is indeed a fast paced manga both in art and story. This pacing speed helps to keep attention focused, and keeps the reader entwined in the plot and the conflicts between characters and their enemies. The character designs are varied and the character art is quite good. This artist is another one of those manga artists that does really well with character’s hair. Everyone’s hair is very detailed and different in this manga – it helps to tell them apart and give them their own sense of character just visually. As usual, the back of the book features a truly expansive extras section with joke comics and explanations for all sorts of things in the manga. Anyone interested in astrology and things of that nature would find the extras section of Shiki Tsukai to be very involving. This is an interesting entry into the “magical/mystical action” genre, and a coming of age story that is sure to please many!
IN SUMMARY:
Shiki Tsukai is fast paced and full of great action. It has a unique look and feel for a manga of its genre, making it stand out from the crowd. Younger teens will find it great reading, and should get entwined in the adventure in no time! |
