Studio - ADV Manga
Age - All Ages
By Kyoko Shitou
ADV Manga Staff
Translator - Amy Forsyth
Lead Translator/Translator Supervisor - Javier Lopez
ADV Manga Translation Staff - Kay Bertrand, Brendan Frayne & Eiko McGregor
Publishing Editor - Susan Itin
Assistant Editor - Margaret Scharold
Editorial Assistant - Varsha Bhuchar
Graphic Novel 1
"Wake up! Don't be afraid of knowledge!" (Schwarzwald - Big O II Episode 17)
Ack. It's the end of the world -- again.
This time out it's all the fault of environmental pollution.
The world is now mostly a barren toxic wasteland, with deserts stretching out as far as the eye can see.
The few remaining pockets of humanity that remains now live by the ocean, the only place left where life thrives in this shattered lands. Rumors of "sub human" creatures wandering the land have people in fear, and strangers are viewed with suspicion because of such rumors.
Thus the world shattered into isolated pockets, where paranoia and fear seem to rule over reason and logic, and immigration from one colony to the next is nearly unheard of except in rare instances.
It is in one of these few enclaves of humanity that our story takes place.
When Marine was discovered by young Kazuya, he didn't know how her discovery would change him so.
She had no memory of her life before he found her, and didn't even know how to swim in a world that depends a lot of the oceans, yet somehow there seemed to be a spark between them that could grow as he tries to help her regain her memories.
But not if the elders of his village had anything to say about it. Locking her up, and the village's doctor using her blood to cure another? Looks like there's good reason for Kazuya to take her away from there, and the sooner the better.
Blue Inferior Breakdown the 1st
What's Hot? For now I have to say that I'm waiting to see where this goes in Graphic Novel 2 before I say more. It has potential, but dragged down in this first graphic novel by very slow pacing I feel as if I want to see things pick up abit and move before I say how I really feel about the title.
You watch this possible relationship between Marine and Kazuya begin in this book, but it's slow. Maybe by Graphic Novel 2 things are moving a little better. That and we get more idea about how the world came to be like this in the first place.
What's Not? Like I said above there's not enough said about how things came to be this way. In fact there's NO explanation as to how the world came this way! No set up, no details, nothing. You are just to accept that the world is this way and that's it. Not good. Somehow I want to know more and yet it's not there. I'm hoping future Graphic Novels will explore that past and explain it abit more.
Another "not" is how ponderously slow things are. Everything moves at it's own pace in this title, and it may be awhile before any real moment between these two in their feelings for each other is shown.
While I think that's OK I'd rather is it isn't dragged out forever.
Moments to Remember? Watching Marine and Kazuya bond is most memorable.
What to Ignore? Uh -- I'd appreciate the "cover up" the elders are pulling on this whole "sub human" thing more if I had a better idea about the climate in the colonies, how the world became like this, and all the "blanks" that have to be filled before I can even grasp why they seem so secretive about their "sub human" counterparts. Me? I think this whole fear and loathing thing is a huge lie and -- well, I need to see more before I can if my suspicions are true.
Overall? In the rush to get to the romance we seem to have forgotten a few key things... like the background information that sets the stage of this romance to come, and gives it more depth and reason for you to want to watch these two (Marine and Kazuya) get together that much more.
If only this Definitive Edition took the time to really set the stage for this romance then I could get more into it, but for now I have hopes for this title, but want to see more before I really commit to praising it.
Mixed bag, for now, but maybe Graphic Novel 2 will settle my nerves and give me something to rave about.
Still the most important thing is how you feel. There is lots of potential here, so there's good reason to say that you should give it a fair shot without bias and try it for yourself. It may appeal far more to you than me so give it a chance and see how you feel about it. It's really the only way to see if it'll be the best for you.
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