Chika Shiomi

Yurara has been able to see ghosts since she was a young girl. This has lead to her living a life estranged from her peers who think her long periods of staring off in to space and sudden crying fits are unforgivably odd. Instead Yurara's strange actions are from her empathic connection to the spirits around her. She had thought that starting a new school would give her a new chance, unfortunately it turned out there were more restless entities there than anywhere else she had ever been. To show more top it off the ever flirtatious, popular and not to mention grabby, Mei, develops an instant interest for her, much to the dismay and jealousy of her female classmates. Soon Yurara finds that there are even greater forces at work, in her classmates, in the spirits drawn to the school and, most importantly, within Yurara herself. So much for fitting in!

I had put aside reading this manga for a bit of time as I had liked Shiomi's other series, Night of the Beasts, but hadn't loved it. However, Yurara is an entirely separate kettle of fish. I really enjoyed this one. It had subtle humorous moments which I haven't really seen in any other manga than Her Majesty's Dog that I totally enjoyed. I love the interactions between Yurara, Mei and Yako and see a potential love triangle issue brewing. This manga was much, much better than I expected and I'm very excited about reading future volumes. This manga is rated for older teens, but thus far I haven't seen anything I think would be too offensive for teens 13 and up yet. However, I think there is the potential that this might change as the series goes on show less

Okay, if I can get past the shoulder pads, I can review this book!

I finally had to look at the copyright date. If I saw one more padded vamp I was about to scream. It was written in 1994. That explains it - the beginning of the end of the era of shoulder pads. The dress I was married in (about that same time) is still in my closet and still padded. At least very lightly. But the dress I wore for that year's Christmas party - yikes! (But I digress. . . .)

Yes, Canon is a vampire and she's an show more unhappy vampire with very broad shoulders (Okay, I can't help myself. I'll try to stop.) She is in search of the mean, evil vampire who made her what she is today. He better watch out, she can really kick some butt! Meanwhile, every time she runs across another vampire, she feels compelled to change them back to human. She has a lot of morals for a recently turned vamp.

She also has a talking vampire crow for a pet. A really obnoxious crow. I have no idea why or how, it's probably in a later story line. So - even though this is not a comedy per se, it's not yet a super serious drama.

I would read another, why not? I'll just have to realize it's like watching an early 90's movie on TV. At least her bangs aren't sticking up a foot off of her head. show less

It has become very clear that if Yukari can't figure out how to break his, Mahoro, and Satomi's connections to their past lives, then history will repeat itself whether they wish it to or not. Yukari learns that Yumurasaki's death was much more terrible and tragic than he realized, and he becomes determined to find a better solution than Mahoro/Takamura killing Satomi/Kazuma.

This is one of those rare short manga series that's actually pretty decent. It's a bit inconsistent throughout, and show more the first volume is, unfortunately, probably the weakest, but this final volume was excellent.

Considering that the series started off more focused on Yukari/Yumurasaki, I was surprised at how important a character Mahoro became. I'm still not a fan of Takamura's scenes in volume 1, but I really liked how things turned out between Mahoro/Takamura and Yukari/Yumurasaki in the end, even if the explanation for Yumurasaki's numerous rejections of Takamura's offers to buy her freedom was a little awkward. Too bad it took them one and a half lifetimes to finally have a proper conversation, although sadly Yumurasaki probably couldn't have spoken so freely when she was still alive.

The action and tragedy in the pages leading up to the volume's climax reminded me of other historical series I've loved, like Peacemaker Kurogane (I've only seen the anime so far, which has some sad bits but stops prior to the really sad stuff). All flames, bloodshed, and crying. Thankfully, the series as a whole didn't end tragically, although I was afraid it would. And, oh, I worried about Mahoro in the aftermath, poor girl.

I did have some questions about Mahoro and Yukari's relationship in the end, and how things would work out considering their differing memories, but for the most part I found this to be a satisfying ending. I'm tempted to buy myself a copy of this last volume because I enjoyed it enough that I could see myself wanting to reread it. But, knowing me, I'd then decide I should own the first three volume too, and my shelf space is at a premium.

Extras:

- Two pages of translator's notes.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

In this volume we learn that Kazuma is Yumurasaki's brother. Their mother sold Yumurasaki when she was a child, which allowed Kazuma to survive. When he meets Yumurasaki again years later, she doesn't recognize him, but he recognizes her and decides to devote the rest of his life to protecting her.

In the present, Yukari has decided to try breaking free of his past life by purposely learning more about those around him and allowing himself to grow attached to people. In particular, he'd show more like to grow closer to Mahoro. Unfortunately, Yukari, Mahoro, and Satomi have all become so bound up in the patterns of their former lives that breaking free might not be possible. Mahoro and Satomi have a habit of blanking out and attacking each other every time they spend more than a few minutes together, and Yukari can't seem to stop being drawn back to the past.

My experience with short manga series has been that most of them are unsatisfying on some level, but so far this has been one of the more decent ones. I wish that Mahoro and Satomi's connections to their past lives could have been done a little more subtly, although I suppose the way Shiomi did things wasn't too bad. Their connection started off so suddenly and over-the-top that it was almost comedic at times, but in this volume it morphed into something more serious that could truly get people killed.

The section of this volume focused on Kazuma was...disconcerting. When he first met Yumurasaki as an adult, he wasn't 100% sure that she was his sister, and he found himself a little attracted to her. The realization that she was definitely his sister came right after his realization that he was maybe attracted to her, but I somehow doubt he ever examined that horrifying mixture of feelings too closely. Oh man, I hope the last volume doesn't reveal that his protectiveness really does spring from feelings a bit more complicated than survivor guilt and brotherly love, because ewww.

Yukari (in Yumurasaki's body) and Takamura had some cute scenes this time around. I'm still not sure I buy that Takamura's scariness in the first volume was really just an act, but Shiomi did a better job of making Yumurasaki and Takamura a believable potential couple than I expected.

I'm looking forward to reading the final volume. Here's hoping it at least ends well for Yukari, Mahoro, and Satomi.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less