By Kazuo Umezu
Viz, 188 pp.
Rating: Mature (18+)

The premise of The Drifting Classrroom will resonate with fans of H. G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, or Star Trek: The Next Generation. A freak accident causes a localized rift in the space-time continuum of present-day Tokyo, sending an elementary school and its occupants into the distant future. Initially, the students and teachers believe that they are the sole survivors of a devastating nuclear attack, and the area immediately surrounding the school supports their hypothesis: it’s barren wasteland with no water, plant life, or signs of human habitation save a pile or two or non-degradable trash. (Apparently polyester can outlast even cockroaches.) As the school’s occupants realize the severity of the crisis, panic sets in. Teachers and students engage in a brutal competition for dwindling supplies while attempting to solve the mystery of what happened to them.

One of the great strengths of this series is its resourceful, plucky protagonist Sho, a sixth grader who becomes the children’s de facto leader. Sho seems like a real ten year old: he never single-handedly subdues a rampaging adult, nor does he offer a preternaturally sophisticated theory about the school’s disappearance. As a result, I felt Sho’s pain at being separated from his parents because he acts like an honest-to-goodness kid, not a pint-sized action hero.

The Drifting Classroom is not without its faults. A few other reviewers have carped about the static quality of the images, the awkward proportions of some characters, and the overuse of screentones and patterns. (One teacher’s plaid jacket was a pulsing eyesore.) Add me to that list of critics who didn’t care for the artwork. I also found the pace to be relentless: characters are always shouting and running, with few quiet moments. (Think of a typical 24 episode.) The net effect of such frantic storytelling can be wearisome, and ultimately robbed a few scenes of their full impact.

Readers should note that The Drifting Classroom is graphic but not gory; given the frequency and intensity of the violence—especially the violence directed at young children—Viz’s mature rating seems appropriate. That said, I highly recommend The Drifting Classroom. It’s the manga equivalent of a solid B-movie, with plenty of plot twists and visceral jolts, and a dash of social commentary for good measure.