Saint Tail was one of the first magical girl series released by Tokyopop before they started unflipping manga, it came out along side titles such as Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura in the U.S. Even though the translations were less than desirable, one was just happy to see titles being released. The magical girl genre hasn’t really flourished in the states since then and sadly has left a number of titles out-of-print including the irresistible Saint Tail.
Saint Tail by Megumi Tachikawa
Saint Tail is a short, fun, and a little bit romantic magical girl series. Meimi, alter ego Saint Tail, and her friend Seira, a nun-in-training, spend their time much like wannabe Robin Hoods. Seira finds out what happened and Saint Tail steals back that which has been stolen from the practitioners. However, any good thief must have a rival desperate to catch them. Most of the city, and especially Asuka Jr., think Saint is a menacing phantom thief on the loose. Of course Asuka Jr. has no idea that his classmate, who maybe he is getting a crush on, and the famous thief, who he is also falling for, are the very same girl. Add in some great characters like Sawatari the school’s newspaper man, Asuka’s famous father, and Meimi’s off beat parents for spice. Megumi’s artwork is very charming and the very innocent romance playing out between Meimi and Asuka couldn’t be more appealing. Saint Tail is easily one of the best magical girls!
Yankee-kun to Megane-chan by Miki Yoshikawa
I was sold on Yankee-kun to Megane-chan by the name alone. And I was not disappointed. When I later learned that Miki Yoshikawa had been Mashima Hiro’s assistant it gave me some insight into style and tone of the manga while still retaining a distinct impression that this a unique work. If you like the style of Rave Master you will also enjoy Yankee-kun to Megane-chan’s art.
Shinagawa Daichi is famous for being one of the biggest delinquents at the school. One day Daichi is trying to have smoke on the toilet when his female class representative, Hana Adachi, bursts into the restroom forcing him on the school trip. Although Hana seems like a model class president it turns out she used to be an even bigger punk than Daichi and dumber than him to boot. As part of her new reformed image she is trying to be the ideal student president and solve her classmates’ problems. Soon Hana is dragging Daichi into her bizarre plans as well. Daichi begins to have a crush on Hana but can never figure out if she likes him or not.
The characters are quite charming and well suited for comedy. Daichi and Hana play off each other quite well. Daichi is the prefect straight man to Hana’s insane worldview. Miki Yoshikawa also has a very good grasp of just how long to build up a joke before setting off the punchline. The supporting characters are just as engaging, especially the ultra cute in a punk fashion, Rinka Himeji. I find Rinka intensely amusing and she has her own unique reality that complements Hana’s. There is also a cute little love story between Daichi and Hana that is somewhat slow to develop but that is sort of the nature of romantic comedies. Still Miki shows her ability to take the best of shojo and shonen and fuse them into something great.
Anime of the Month
Irresponsible Captain Tylor by Tatsunoko Production
The United Planets Space Force and the Raalgon Empire have been at war for years. Justy Ueki Tylor is a slacker determined to make an easy life for himself by joining the UPSF. In his estimation, being a part of the military is easy because they give you free room, board, and clothing. Through a bizarre chain of events Tylor becomes the captain of his own ship despite the fact that he has no real experience. Since the top brass wish to have nothing to do with Tylor they assign him to the Soyokaze, the worst ship in the fleet with every problem case in the space forces. Tylor quickly learns that the crew have forced out every other captain. Tylor seems to survive battle after battle and assassination attempt after assassination attempt of the enemy (and his own crew) through sheer luck. But is Tylor the luckiest man in space or is their some method to his madness?
Irresponsible Captain Tylor can be comedic, dramatic, suspenseful, and action-packed all in one episode. No matter what is going on, the show always exudes an upbeat feeling. The changing between tone never feels abrupt because it has a consistent theme of positivity. Most of the crew is textbook eccentric but they are all fun variations on the stock characters. From the crazy marines to the ships doctor who can only work when drunk they are all guaranteed to bring big ole smile to your face. I would be remiss not to mention that I love Yuriko Star. She is a great, strong female character. She acts as a good foil to Tylor while still being a pleasant, feminine part of the crew.
Tylor himself sells this show. He is easily one of the most entertaining characters in anime. Tylor is an amusing character and every scene with him is infused with a sense of whimsy and energy. He is instantly likable and disarmingly charming.
Manga of the Month
Sugar Sugar Rune by Moyoco Anno
Chocolat and Vanilla are two young witches competing to become queen of their realm. A contest is the way to settle things and the girls are whisked off to the human world. Their mission is to capture people’s hearts but really they are capturing emotions given off by the heart. Chocolat is a hyper, over the top, tomboy while Vanilla is a shy, sweet, feminine girl. Their friendship is built on understanding and knowing they compliment each other. A constant struggle occurs for Chocolat to be herself or to win more hearts (as she quickly learns most guys love Vanilla’s personality). There is also nice dialogue about what it means to take someone’s emotions because once you capture them they forget them (or how they felt about you). Enter Pierre, a boy with a cold demeanor, who Chocolat is determined to win over, but he has his own agenda. This manga’s art certainly sets it apart from a lot of young girls series. The manga-ka is better known for her josei work but actually Sugar Sugar Rune is a perfectly done (and award-winning) children’s manga. It exudes fun and friendship and gives an interesting spin to the magical girl concept.
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