⋙ PDF Magic Knight Rayearth I Book 1 Jamie S Rich Clamp Anita Sengupta Books

Magic Knight Rayearth I Book 1 Jamie S Rich Clamp Anita Sengupta Books

Download As PDF : Magic Knight Rayearth I Book 1 Jamie S Rich Clamp Anita Sengupta Books

Magic Knight Rayearth I Book 1 Jamie S Rich Clamp Anita Sengupta Books

Magical happenings often occur around Tokyo Tower . . . at least in the realm of anime and manga.

Schoolgirls Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu have nothing in common except their age. Hikaru is bubbly and childlike, Umi is an elegant model and fencer, and Fuu is a brainy wallflower. The three have never met. They don't even attend the same school. One day, all three happen to be on field trips to Tokyo Tower when a bright light engulfs them and sends them plummeting down to another world--the magical world Cephiro.

Greeted by the mage Guru Clef, the girls are told that they are the legendary Magic Knights, three girls from an outside realm who will awaken the Mashin and save the world. Cephiro is built on the wishes and prayers of Princess Emeraude, the "pillar of Cephiro." Emeraude has been kidnapped by her once-protector Lord Zagato. The girls must forge their own weapons, master magic use, and confront their deepest fears if they are going to become strong enough to rescue the princess. Lord Zagato, however, is fully aware of the Magic Knights' presence. He sends out his generals, each with devastating powers, to hunt down the girls and destroy them.

This series comes in two parts, each three volumes long. The first trilogy works fine as a standalone; it leaves the reader satiated, though perhaps curious to know what happens to Cephiro and the girls afterward. The second trilogy isn't so self-contained; however, it does give a satisfying follow-up.

Magic Knight: Rayearth is considered one of the classic shoujo series. Female-targeted, fantasy manga is what Clamp (a collective of female artists) does best. Rayearth is an excellent series for a young audience, but it can also be appreciated by more mature crowds. Certain parts of it may seem a bit adolescent, but then there will be shocking twists that make a reader second guess just who exactly this story is intended for. The emotions and the relationships the characters form are all very believable. The series also has a very distinct and expertly drawn signature art style. Every page is filled to the brim with imagery, and the cover art is superb in sheer elegance and detail.

Fortunately, Rayearth's weaknesses do not drag it down. There are some major clichés related to manga-style art and storytelling in general. The characters "super deform" (an art style in which the characters become small and squat, usually when surprised or shocked, for comedic effect), which makes this series feel a bit immature since it happens so often. Another general cliché is in the names. For example, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu translate to "fire," "water," and "wind," respectively. Each girl uses the type of magic that corresponds with her name. Then there are the Mashin, which are rather typical Japanese mecha (giant robots), but in this case lean toward the mystical side rather than the technical. Rayearth also beats the reader over the head with the whole "friends forever" theme.

On the other hand, Clamp seems to be aware of its own clichés. Characters even point out on multiple occasions how their experiences are a lot like the kinds found in video games (which is especially ironic, because there is a Magic Knight: Rayearth video game).

Readers not familiar with anime and manga may not even notice any of these clichés. If you are familiar, but willing to let them slide, then this will be an enjoyable reading experience. The story is very well structured, and the art is solid.

-- Courtney Kraft


Tags : Amazon.com: Magic Knight Rayearth I, Book 1 (9781591820826): Jamie S. Rich, Clamp, Anita Sengupta: Books,Jamie S. Rich, Clamp, Anita Sengupta,Magic Knight Rayearth I, Book 1,TokyoPop,1591820820,Comics & Graphic Novels - Manga,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Comics & Graphic Novels Manga General,Fantasy - General,General,Graphic Novels,Science Fiction - General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Young Adult Fiction Comics & Graphic Novels Manga

Magic Knight Rayearth I Book 1 Jamie S Rich Clamp Anita Sengupta Books Reviews

This is the first manga I ever read, the first I ever even touched!!! (So I¡¦m obsessed, so what?) Anyway, it was excellent, I loved it, and I¡¦m dying to get my hands on more and more manga, but I¡¦m currently staying in Egypt where manga in nonexistent. Lot¡¦s of anime on TV, translated into Arabic, but no manga ƒ¼.

To get down to Magic Knight Rayearth.

It rocks! And so does CLAMP, the famous all-female team of four women who have earned fame¡Xand fortune¡Xthrough their breathtaking manga. Now, anyone into manga likes to know some things before they buy one, such as

1. Story Great story, very classical Shoujo storyline, but definitely original and captivating. The story is about Hikaru, Umi and Fuu, three 14-year-old girls who find themselves magically transported to Cephiro, a land where the strength of your will determines your strength. Will is everything in Cephiro. They meet Clef, a 745-year-old magician (and the cutest shonen ever!!!) who gives them magical armor, and sends them on an epic quest. They must revive become the Legendary Magic Knights and save Princess Emeraude from the evil Zagato¡¦s clutches! But first they must get weapons¡K Now if that doesn¡¦t spark your interest, than you are not a Shoujo manga fan. (Bow your head in shame)

2. Love Interest Come on guys, it¡¦s a Shoujo manga; it¡¦s got the cutest love stories ever, but in the first cycle only Fuu gets a love interest, but boy! What a guy she gets! Don¡¦t worry parents, nothing offensive, and there isn¡¦t even any kissing ƒ¼.

3. Artwork Gorgeous. And you can trust my opinion; I draw manga, so I know good artwork when I see it, seriously. Mokona and Fuu are not drawn to my tastes in the first cycle; Mokona has these weird cheeks, but that¡¦s just me. The rest of the artwork will have you drooling (especially over Zagato) and the character design is scrumptious, but some of the battle scenes are confusing until you get the hang of them and know what to look for.

4. Translation Great translation; great fonts. Princess Emeraude and Zagato both have their own personal fonts, a really neat stylistic quirk. It really adds depth to the story. There is a small problem cuz Japanese isn¡¦t written like English, so the speech bubbles are taller than they are wide, but that¡¦s usually not a problem. ¡¥Why don¡¦t you¡¦ is spelled ¡¥Whydoncha¡¦ and Ferio charmingly greets the girls with, ¡¥who are y¡¦all?¡¦ but overall it was perfect.

5. Quality Excellent Quality, it¡¦s a beautiful book that will not fall apart like the Sailor Moon manga reportedly does. It reads from right to left; Japanese form, but since I can read and write Arabic, it came naturally to me. On the last page is a quick, useful tutorial to show you how to read authentic manga in it¡¦s original form. Words don¡¦t lead off the page or anything, and the paper is beautiful.

6. Mokona Puu! Puu! (seriously, how can you resist a book with Mokona, the pokemon-like fluffy bunny creature in it?)

7. Nudity NONE

8. Price Ok, now, as much as I love manga, ten bucks for a 120-page comic book is kind of a lot. I have to buy everything online, so I¡¦m under my parent¡¦s thumb, and though I would gladly produce the money myself, they don¡¦t approve of it. ƒ¼ -sigh-

This is as good as you can get, an original storyline, cool characters, nonstop action uninterrupted by chapters, and a shocking ending! Buy it now!

Puu! Puu! (Mokona says to buy it, too) =^-^=
Magical happenings often occur around Tokyo Tower . . . at least in the realm of anime and manga.

Schoolgirls Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu have nothing in common except their age. Hikaru is bubbly and childlike, Umi is an elegant model and fencer, and Fuu is a brainy wallflower. The three have never met. They don't even attend the same school. One day, all three happen to be on field trips to Tokyo Tower when a bright light engulfs them and sends them plummeting down to another world--the magical world Cephiro.

Greeted by the mage Guru Clef, the girls are told that they are the legendary Magic Knights, three girls from an outside realm who will awaken the Mashin and save the world. Cephiro is built on the wishes and prayers of Princess Emeraude, the "pillar of Cephiro." Emeraude has been kidnapped by her once-protector Lord Zagato. The girls must forge their own weapons, master magic use, and confront their deepest fears if they are going to become strong enough to rescue the princess. Lord Zagato, however, is fully aware of the Magic Knights' presence. He sends out his generals, each with devastating powers, to hunt down the girls and destroy them.

This series comes in two parts, each three volumes long. The first trilogy works fine as a standalone; it leaves the reader satiated, though perhaps curious to know what happens to Cephiro and the girls afterward. The second trilogy isn't so self-contained; however, it does give a satisfying follow-up.

Magic Knight Rayearth is considered one of the classic shoujo series. Female-targeted, fantasy manga is what Clamp (a collective of female artists) does best. Rayearth is an excellent series for a young audience, but it can also be appreciated by more mature crowds. Certain parts of it may seem a bit adolescent, but then there will be shocking twists that make a reader second guess just who exactly this story is intended for. The emotions and the relationships the characters form are all very believable. The series also has a very distinct and expertly drawn signature art style. Every page is filled to the brim with imagery, and the cover art is superb in sheer elegance and detail.

Fortunately, Rayearth's weaknesses do not drag it down. There are some major clichés related to manga-style art and storytelling in general. The characters "super deform" (an art style in which the characters become small and squat, usually when surprised or shocked, for comedic effect), which makes this series feel a bit immature since it happens so often. Another general cliché is in the names. For example, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu translate to "fire," "water," and "wind," respectively. Each girl uses the type of magic that corresponds with her name. Then there are the Mashin, which are rather typical Japanese mecha (giant robots), but in this case lean toward the mystical side rather than the technical. Rayearth also beats the reader over the head with the whole "friends forever" theme.

On the other hand, Clamp seems to be aware of its own clichés. Characters even point out on multiple occasions how their experiences are a lot like the kinds found in video games (which is especially ironic, because there is a Magic Knight Rayearth video game).

Readers not familiar with anime and manga may not even notice any of these clichés. If you are familiar, but willing to let them slide, then this will be an enjoyable reading experience. The story is very well structured, and the art is solid.

-- Courtney Kraft