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Title: Full Moon O Sagashite vol 1
UK Distributor: VIZ Media
Created by: Arina Tanemura
Suggested Retail Price (SRP):
£5.99
Number of Pages: 208
ISBN: 978-1591169284
Reviewed: 2nd December
2007
Reviewer: Ami-chan
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Full Moon O
Sagashite tells the story of Mitsuki, a 12 year old girl who suffers from
throat cancer. She dreams of becoming an idol in order to fulfil a promise
made to her love Eichi. Unfortunately, she only has one year to live and
it is the responsibility of Takuto and Meroko who are both part of the shinigami
(God of death) duo Negi Ramen to make sure that she lives her time before
collecting her soul. The first few chapters show how Mitsuki meets the duo
and convinces them to use their power to make her into a 16 year old so that she
can enter a singing competition.
The creator Arina Tanemura is not only responsible for creating this manga but
also others such as The Gentleman's Alliance and Kanshaku Dama no
Yuutsu. Her work is primarily
shojo and
most of her work has been published in the Japanese magazine Ribbon.
As you read through the first volume of Full Moon you will not only fall
in love with the characters introduced, but also with the style of drawing used.
Each panel is beautifully drawn and conveys well the emotion that each character
is feeling at a particular point; from Mitsuki's joy after transforming into
Full Moon for the first time to Meroko's jealously every time someone goes near
her beloved Takuto. If you do not like
fan service
on every other page then Full Moon will meet that requirement as there is
none in the entire manga.
Although the description of the story above may appear to be dark, it is
surprisingly light hearted and flows well between chapters. This could be
explained yet again by the character designs used, as shinigami are hardly
menacing when they are dressed up in rabbit and cat costumes and can transform
into plushie counterparts!
The story is very character driven as it focuses on Mitsuki's fight for life and
her dreams to come true no matter what obstacles may face her way. It is
very interesting to see the character of Full Moon develop as, although she
looks like a sixteen year old, her personality still remains at a very innocent
twelve. It is this naivety in all things from her music career to
relationships which makes her all the more loveable.
Overall, the first manga is a good introduction to the story and the characters
involved. Each chapter makes you want to read more to find out whether
Mitsuki can really reach her goals and become an idol. However, it should
be noted that this manga may not appeal to everyone's tastes as some people may
find it too sweet for their liking.
I only hope that now that the manga has been released in the UK that this will
lead to the anime also being released over here.
Extras
Throughout this volume you will find Tanemura's comments on the creation of the
manga. It is these such comments that helps you understand the manga in
further depths. You will learn about how it was created along side the
anime and the inspiration behind several of Tanemura's character designs.
She also goes on to write about her own passions and hobbies. The only
drawback here is that sometimes some of the cultural references are not
explained fully so are lost in translation.
At the end of manga one there is a bonus section, which has four mini panel
mangas. These tell small and funny stories which give an even greater insight
into the characters and their creator.
Product:
Extras:
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