 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | MIKA KAWAMURA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 200 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 09/23/2010 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/05/2010 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | RACHEL BENTHAM |
Mitsuki is a girl who is the only heir to her family shrine and the boy across the street, Kakeru, is the only heir to his church. The two have always fought like cats and dogs. When they suddenly find out they have to partner up to re-seal the gate to the demon world, they’re both against it but it looks like destiny won’t give them any other choice! Panic x Panic is a superbly fun-filled shoujo manga series. On the same day these two kids have to do their purification rites to become heirs to their respective church and shrine is the same day they both hear a strange disembodied voice. The door to the demon world that their ancestors sealed two thousand years ago has been broken. What neither of them realizes yet is that it’s their job to fix it! They get a clue really soon when Mitsuki is attacked by a demon dog and together with Kakeru’s help is able to defeat the creature. Later, a cute cat perches on Mayu’s shoulder. She’s a classmate of theirs that constantly gives daily fortunes but for these two kids, it’s a list of misfortunes. Mitsuki finds the scroll detailing the legend and shares it with Kakeru, they both hear a voice mandating that they work together to find the most powerful demons that have escaped the demon world that have stolen the sacred beads. Mitsuki and Kakeru must work together to gather the holy beads and re-seal the gate before all heck breaks loose. If only the two would agree to work together, but they’re both ‘forget it!’. Even though they might not work together, they sure appear to have to because the demons aren’t letting them have any other choice. A cute little girl gives Mitsuki a special cookie that causes the girl to fall in love with the first guy she sees and it’s Kakeru! It turns out this little girl is more than she seems. Miko is in love with Kakeru’s descendant and mistakes him for the guy who saved her long ago. Cat demons are jealous creatures so Mitsuki had better watch her back! Love triangles are forming everywhere. A new transfer student named Kiba appears and he spells a different kind of trouble for the argumentative duo. He turns into a wolf to attack Mitsuki but her kindness undoes him. This werewolf type guy who is clearly a demon may have just fallen in love with the enemy. Looks like Mitsuki already has someone vying for her heart and he isn’t even human! The story is a wonderfully escapist, fast paced and entertaining romance with the odd couple angle. They are complete opposites but are clearly made for each other. They’re being forced to work together and you know that will bring them closer. With the interesting supernatural love rivals popping up already, who knows how many more surprises there will be along the way! It has an energetic sense of humor and the energy is amplified by the stupendous art style. It has lush character designs that are immediately eye catching. The manga is easily envisioned as an anime due to its richness and appealing imagery. The manga is a win/win all around. It’s one of the stronger first volumes I have come across in the shoujo genre and I found it immediately engaging and endearing. The manga comes with a nice range of extras including translation notes, character profiles, a preview of the next volume in Japanese, and a bonus story about a girl dressing up to pass as her older brother in order to understand how guys think and she finds out way more than she ever expected!
IN SUMMARY:
A boy from a church and a girl from a shrine have to put aside their differences to put the demons back where they belong! It’s a fun and energizing new shoujo series with great art and a terrific story! |
