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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane The star of her high school's Massage Research Society club, Chiaki Togu is otherwise a normal, quiet girl until she falls in love at first sight with a gorgeous back--a back that happens to belong to Yosuke, the hottest guy at her school! Unfortunately, Chiaki's attraction to Yosuke is thwarted by her own insecurity and the scheming of other girls--especially her twin sister Sayaka! Although Yosuke seems out of Chiaki's league, she would do anything to give him a massage. The two eventually strike up a deal in which she will be allowed to touch his back...if she can make him fall in love with her! The Magic Touch certainly has a different take on "love at first sight", with its heroine, Chiaki, falling for Yosuke before she ever sees his face. Mind you, "falling for" isn't quite right, since what she wants isn't romance but the chance to give his poor, tense back a proper massage. And she'll do just about anything to (literally!) get her hands on it. It's not a deep plot by any means, although there's some groundwork laid for later developments: Chiaki's older brother, who's still in high school himself, has left the family home and is determined not to go back until he's proved himself as a respected masseur. Yosuke, meanwhile, has a younger brother he's very protective of. The sibling status quo would be just fine if it weren't for Chiaki's identical twin, Sayaka, who's a cringe-worthy specimen of the Evil Twin. Masquerading as her sister? Check. Spiteful and cruel for no apparent reason? Check. No one even knows she exists? Check, and right about there my head metaphorically hit the desk. Sibling dynamics can be extremely interesting in fiction, and there's a reason twins are a popular choice, but in this case it's by far the low point of the book. I haven't seen a lot of information about this title, so I'm not sure how far the story will go; if it's a short series and continues in the same vein, it'll be enjoyable enough, and if it's on the longer side and Tsubaki weaves in some more dramatic material, that could be good too. Given that ambiguity, it's a bit early to comment on the series as a whole, but volume 1 is a quick, fun read. 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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