, is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

written and illustrated by

Makoto Tateno , who also uses the pen name Shinjuku Tango, is a Japanese manga artist who made her debut in 1986. Tateno regards her influences as being Go Nagai and Osamu Tezuka. Two of her best-known works are ''Yellow'' and ''Happy Boys''. For the latter, ...

. The individual chapters were collected into three '' bound volumes'', which were published by

Shodensha is a Japanese publisher of mostly non-fiction magazines and books, though it has recently begun publishing light novels and manga, including magazines which contain both. Shodensha publishes magazines such as ''Feel Young'' (a josei all-manga ma ...

between April 20, 2007, and May 25, 2009. It was licensed in English by

Digital Manga Publishing Digital Manga is a California-based publishing company that licenses and releases Japanese manga, anime, and related merchandise in the English language. Digital Manga also owns and operates eManga, a digital publishing site for manga and l ...

, which has released the first two volumes on July 22, 2009, and June 1, 2011, respectively. The manga is also licensed in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan.

Reception

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

's Snow Wildsmith comments on fantasy elements of the manga with "fantasy readers will enjoy spotting the many monsters, demons, and angels that Tateno references. atenos obviously done her research." Graphic Novel Reporter's Casey Brienza commends Takeno, due to her being a "lukewarm fan of the fantasy genre", for drawing "heavily from mythological and religious tradition—hence all of the angels and demons speaking through Erudite and Allueh." PopCultureShock's Connie C. criticizes the "episodic nature" of the manga and the "

monster-of-the-week "Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Bri ...

-type situation". Comic Book Resources' Danielle Leigh commends Takeno for building "a very interesting human dimension to the journey", with "Sowil is searching for his father, but in a way he is also on a journey of self-discovery to learn more about the origin of his powers and the reason behind his very existence." Comic Book Bin's Leroy Douresseaux commends the manga with "while the stories are uncomplicated and straightforward, they are enjoyable and charming in their simplicity." Comics Village's Lori Henderson commends the manga's art with "the art is beautifully drawn, especially Sowil. Tateno's delicate lines make for some really good looking characters. And unlike other artists, the characters are still different and distinct beyond hair and clothes."

References

External links

* 2007 manga Digital Manga Publishing titles Drama anime and manga Fantasy anime and manga Josei manga Shodensha manga {{manga-stub