This week’s column looks at three titles: volume one of Jyu-Oh-Sei (Tokyopop), a sci-fi epic set on a planet with man-eating plants; volume one of Oh My God! (Aurora/Deux), a comedy about a teen who unleashes an amnesiac god in modern-day Japan; and volume three of Sand Chronicles (Viz), a shojo drama about a young girl coping with her mother’s suicide.

Jyu-Oh-Sei, Vol. 1

By Natsumi Itsuki
Tokyopop, 356 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

In the year 2346 A.D., humans have colonized the Vulcan solar system, a region so inhospitable that the average life span is a mere thirty years. Rai and Thor, whose parents belong to Vulcan’s ruling elite, enjoy a life of rare privilege—that is, until a political rival executes their parents and exiles them to Kimaera, a penal colony reserved for violent criminals. To say Kimaera’s climate is harsh is a bit like saying Cookie Monster is fond of Oreos: daylight lasts for 181 days, producing extreme desert conditions and water shortages, while nighttime plunges Kimaera into arctic darkness for an equal length of time. Making the place even more treacherous is the flora, as Kimaera’s jungles team with carnivorous plants capable of eating humans whole.

Natsumi Itsuki does a superb job of world-building in volume one, striking the right balance between exposition (e.g. relating Vulcan’s history) and action. Though the story unfolds at a brisk clip, her characters are fully developed; we feel Thor’s anguish when he learns that Rai—his identical twin—has perished. Itsuki even attempts some social commentary, revealing a Kimaeran caste system based on skin color and gender. The only downside to Jyu-Oh-Sei is the artwork. Itsuki’s figures look like paper dolls that have been superimposed on pulsing screentones and pre-fab backgrounds; there never seems to be an organic relationship between background detail and foreground action. That said, Jyu-Oh-Sei is totally engrossing, whether you prefer your sci-fi shojofied (a la Moto Hagio) or prime directivized (a la Gene Roddenberry). Still need persuading? Then check out Brigid Alverson’s highly entertaining review of volume one.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Oh My God!, Vol. 1

By Natsuho Shino
Aurora/Deux, 186 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

Oh My God! tells the story of Yuto, a teenager whose family earns their bread-and-butter selling prayer cards and performing divinations. While assisting his grandfather, Yuto accidentally releases a minor deity from a sword. This god, whom Yuto eventually names Jade, can’t remember who he is, what his powers might be, or why Yuto’s ancestor sealed him away. Stranded in modern-day Japan, Jade takes up residence in Yuto’s house, behaving like a petulant, possessive golden retriever. Hijinks ensue, leading to compromising moments in a bathtub (involving Yuto and Jade) and confrontations between Jade and Yuto’s grandfather, who views the amnesiac god as slave labor.

There are three things you should know about Oh My God!:

1. (1) Though it’s published by Aurora’s Deux imprint, calling it “yaoi” seems like a stretch; the principle characters don’t even kiss. (The aforementioned bathtub scene isn’t terribly suggestive, though it does lead to a hilarious exchange about Jade’s tendency to walk around the house au naturale.)
2. (2) The artwork is bad—nay, awful. Manga-ka Natsuho Shino has considerable difficulty with perspective and anatomy, not to mention shading. Her character designs are flat and awkward, sporting hairdos last seen on Kip Winger circa 1987.
3. (3) The story employs some tired tropes—if you’ve read InuYasha or Togari recently, you’ll have deja-vu as you watch Jade adjust to twenty-first century living.

Still, I enjoyed Oh My God!. I found the jokes funny, the story engaging, and the characters appealing. Yuto is a rare breed (at least in manga): a smart, kind-hearted kid who says and does the kind of sensible things that flesh-and-blood people say and do. He handles Jade with firmness and tact, even as he begins to lose his heart to him. The volume ends with the introduction of a second romantic prospect for Yuto, as well as an important revelation about Yuto himself—two compelling reasons I’ll be picking up the second volume when it’s released on October 29th.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Sand Chronicles, Vol. 3

By Hinako Ashihara
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: 16+

The strength of Hinako Ashihara’s Sand Chronicles series has always lain in its slice of life-y take on adolescent romance over a period of years—and it’s a shame to watch the series slide a bit in its latest installment. While the first half of the book covers the angsty ups and downs of teenagers with a down-to-earth vibe, the second half rapidly escalates into a dramatic mess of secret family revelations and love polygons. There’s certainly plenty of fodder to keep the plot moving into further volumes, but when it comes at the cost of one of Sand Chronicles’ strongest aspects, the prospect becomes a bit disheartening.

Quality dip aside, the series still trumps many of its Shojo Beat neighbors in character likability—an important factor that keeps the series from plunging into the realm of the laughably bad. There’s a depth to the plot and a thoughtfulness to the characters that is lacking in other series; okay, so the hourglass metaphor is a bit trite, but the series has enough redeeming qualities to keep it in the realm of the above-average. Ashihara’s art remains staple shojo fare, but a good sense of how to panel emotions and comedic moments keeps it from becoming overly forgettable. That said, Ashihara could stand to learn that not all happy adolescent moments need to be slathered in sparkly polygonal tones; we get it, it’s nostalgic, but it’s also a bit overused.

While the series may have taken the road more traveled in prolonging its plot, there’s still hope that Ashihara’s slice of life pacing may yet win out. There’s plenty of good potential here, and if she can untwist the mess, Ashihara may yet have a chance to save her characters from the staple melodramas that are all too common and elevate the series to something much better.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson