Ok, kids: the secret word of the day is folklore. Scream it real loud anytime you see it in these reviews!

Genju no Seiza, Vol. 3

By Matsuri Akino
Tokyopop, 224 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Something is rotten in the state of Dhalashar.

For generations, a semi-divine king has ruled this obscure, Central Asian country. (What—you’ve never heard of Dhalashar? Don’t they teach fictional manga geography in the public schools anymore?!) The king is protected by a multi-culti posse of mythological creatures: Naga the dragon, Garuda the phoenix, Garo the wolf, Hanuman the monkey, and Yamantaka the bull. Whenever a king dies, these guardian spirits comb the countryside for his reincarnation who, in turn, becomes the next ruler. Naga’s own political ambitions threaten to upset this cycle when he installs a puppet figure on the throne. Disgusted by Naga’s machinations, Garuda sets out to find the true king, a quest leads him to 15 year-old Fuuto Kamishina. On the surface, Fuuto is a typical Japanese teenager. But he harbors a secret: he can see ghosts and spirits, a skill that has frequently caused him and his mother, Tserin, profound embarrassment. Garuda detects Fuuto’s spiritual powers, decides that Fuuto is the true successor to the Dhalasharian throne, and pledges to protect Fuuto until the teenager accepts the fact that he may be the next leader of a tiny desert nation that he’s never heard of.

As Fuuto struggles to accept his destiny, he gradually acquires his own retinue that includes Garo and Hanuman, both of whom were originally dispatched by Naga to assassinate Fuuto; Kimihiko Ichijo, an absent-minded folklore scholar; and Mayu, Ichijo’s fourteen-year-old ward. Mayu makes the perfect foil for Fuuto. Whereas Fuuto is impetuous, ruled by his emotions, and eager to avoid situations that might make him look foolish, Mayu is cerebral, calm, and utterly indifferent to normal adolescent rituals. (In a particularly amusing episode, Garuda advises Mayu on the fine art of Valentine’s Day gift giving.) She, too, possesses special powers; blessed with ESP and a ferocious intellect, she and Professor Ichijo help Fuuto make sense of the new abilities—such as time travel and super-strength—that he has begun to manifest.

Matsuri Akino’s premise may remind you of Kundun (with chibis!), especially the obvious parallels between the fictional Dhalasharian king and the Dalai Lama. But Genju no Seiza isn’t a true political allegory; it’s a coming-of-age story documenting the social trials of a teenager who fervently wishes he could fit in with his peers. Yes, Akino invites comparisons between Dhalashar and Tibet, both through the mythology she invokes and the geopolitical intrigue she describes. (Dhalashar’s larger imperial neighbors threaten to overrun it, though this crisis has yet to be developed in the manga.) But there’s also supernatural slapstick a-plenty, comic misunderstandings between Mayu and Fuuto, and stock manga subplots involving school plays and yakuza thugs, as well as a more serious storyline about the disappearance of Fuuto’s father several years earlier.

Though I’m not always wild about Akino’s artwork, I admire the skillful way in which she weaves mythology, humor, political intrigue, and run-of-the-mill high school drama into her story. The results are never less than delightful, and offer a welcome respite from some of the more polished-looking shonen series dominating the bestseller charts.

Volume 3 of Genju no Seiza will be released on April 10th. Volume 4 arrives in stores in August.

tactics, Vol. 1

By Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Kantarou Ichiyomino is a folklore scholar with a special talent: he can see demons. (Hmmm… I’m beginning to detect a theme here. Perhaps tody’s secret word should be demon.) Since his academic publications don’t sell too well, Kantarou puts this supernatural sense to use by moonlighting as a self-proclaimed “youkai buster.” Like so many other demon-hunters of manga-dom, he prefers demonic company to human. His gal Friday is Youko, a sassy fox demon with more business sense and a stronger work ethic than her master; his right-hand man, Haruka, a powerful, handsome youkai known as “the demon-eating tengu.” Though Haruka can’t remember how he earned this moniker, the unscrupulous Kantarou has no qualms about exploiting Haruka’s badass reputation in pursuit of money.

What distinguishes tactics from dozens of similar series—and makes it such a joy to read—is its beautiful artwork. Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama are marvelous artists, populating their pages with appealing characters, varying their layout to good effect, and using just enough detail to create a believable setting without cluttering the page. The costumes alone deserve special mention—Kinoshita and Higashiyama are textile connoisseurs, and go to great pains to render the elaborate designs found on Taisho-era yukatas and kimonos. Their demons, too, are winsome creations, running the gamut from the winged Haruka to a super-cute critter with a penchant for gnawing on people.

Though I’m a sucker for stories with a folkloric flavor, I have a few reservations about tactics. My first is Kantarou. With his petulant, self-interested, and deceitful behavior, he’s a difficult protagonist to like. Kinoshita and Higashiyama wring humor out of Kantarou’s less attractive characteristics—such as his chronic inability to meet his publisher’s deadlines—but his know-it-all persona and prissy temper tantrums grow tiresome by the end of volume one. My second reservation is pacing. The first two stories move at a good clip, but the third sags under the weight of its exposition, leading to an abrupt and unsatisfying denouement; apparently, the infamous Scooby-Doo ending (“if it weren’t for you meddling kids…”) isn’t unique to Hanna Barbera cartoons. My final reservation is the appendix. The editorial team has compiled some thoughtful cultural and linguistic notes that have been squeezed onto a single page in a tiny font. Given the important role of folklore in this series, a more thorough, legible appendix would have been a welcome addition to this volume.

Still, these are minor criticisms of a very entertaining series. Anyone familiar with the original English-language edition (which was cancelled mid-run by ADV) will be pleased to learn that Tokyopop has gone the extra mile to address fan concerns, offering readers gorgeous packaging and an impeccable translation that honors the manga-kas’ original vision.

Volume one of tactics will be released on April 10th. Volume two arrives in stores in July.