written by Mohiro Kitoh

Seventh graders Takashi Waku, Masaru Kodaka, Maki Ano and their friends are participating in a summer nature school. One afternoon the fourteen teens, along with one boy’s fourth-grade sister, discover a cave down by the beach. Going further into the cave, they stumble upon a mysterious computer lab and a man who goes by the name Kokopelli. Kokopelli offers the kids the opportunity to participate in a game. They’ll use a giant robot to fight aliens who are invading the planet. The kids eagerly agree, but it is not until the “game” begins that they realize the danger they are in.

Kitoh’s manga starts off slowly, leading readers deeper into it as if they themselves were entering the sinister cave. Volume one is just setup for what is to come, but by the last chapter, we realize that things are not what we thought them to be. The planet is different than expected, the kids are not as simple as adults would like to believe, and the robotic war seems to cover a large scale than just one planet. These are all still hints, but they are intriguing enough to engage readers and leave them eager for volume two, which seems likely to ramp up the excitement and danger.
 
The kids are unique main characters. Kitoh starts off by making them rather ordinary. They look and act like a lot of kids and it is easy to make the mistake of dismissing them. After the setup of the first three chapters, the last three allow two different children to stand apart. During their chapters the story is told from their point of view, allowing readers to get inside their heads. It is then that readers begin to see that each kid is starting to become the adult he or she will grow up to be, whether for good or ill. As seventh graders, the kids are old enough to recognize adult mistakes and triumphs and to decide for themselves whether or not to emulate the role models around them. It is that opportunity that offers tension and depth to this story.
 

The art is clear and easy, but, as with the children, deeper than it first appears. There is a faint sinister atmosphere haunting the tale, hinted at by slanted, knowing eyes and toothy grins, especially on the part of a character who claims to be assisting the children. Kitoh’s slightly scratchy lines shape bodies that are believably middle-school-aged, but they are equally effective at the dark, mechanical outlines of the fighting robots. Nothing is overly violent, but death is a part of this tale. That, along with the dark storyline, makes this more appropriate for and of interest to older teens and adults. Overall this is another fine addition to VIZ’s Signature line.

-- Snow Wildsmith

Commenting closes after a story has been up for 2 months.