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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane There's something particularly pleasant about reading a series by a well-loved manga creator and finally feeling like you have some idea what the fuss is all about. I've said before that I'm finding Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden much more engrossing than the other Yuu Watase series I've tried, and volume 9 hasn't changed my opinion. This volume begins as Takiko returns to her "real" life in 1923 Tokyo, unaware that the Celestial Warriors who she's come to love so much have driven her away after discovering that the Priestess of Genbu must die to fulfill the prophecy. Takiko arrives home to find that no real time has passed back in her own world, but she can't simply return to the life she knows. With her mother dead, she has to consider a marriage proposal from an unexpected source, which means trying to forget the intense love she shared with Uruki in The Universe of the Four Gods. Takiko's father, fearing for her safety, tries and fails to destroy the book to keep it from ever drawing Takiko back, and within its pages, the Celestial Warriors are equally unable to forget her--and increasingly aware that they really do need her power as the Priestess to save Bêi-jîa from an encroaching ice age. This volume doesn't spend much time as usual with its supporting cast, since its main focus is on Takiko's efforts to adjust to her changing life in Tokyo, and most of the attention paid to what's happening in Bêi-jîa has to do with Uruki's side of his relationship with Takiko, but they're not entirely neglected. With or without her there, things are changing quickly as the weather cools and the Qu-dong army closes in around them. Watase packs a lot of action into this volume, especially given how much of it is spent in the real world. I found myself particularly enjoying how Takiko's experiences have changed her and her relationships with the people she left behind, with so much time passing for her while their lives basically stood still. I'm glad that Watase handled it fairly subtly, making it seem genuinely possible for Takiko to choose to return to her former life if she wants to. I also liked that Takiko and Uruki's pain over being separated from each other was depicted believably despite how easy it would be for it to become too melodramatic. A very good volume, all in all. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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