Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Pick of the Litter, vol. 1

By Yuriko Suda
Released in the US by TokyoPop


Slugline: If 2 rabbits and a cat showed up and claimed to my brothers, I would at least ask for a birth certificate.

Riku was found when he was 10 years old, without any memory or the ability to speak Japanese. Five years later, he is one of the most helpful people in his school dorms when he is reunited with his brothers, who just happen to run a store in another dimension. Riku decides to work there on the weekends while remaining in school in Japan, and gets caught up in a couple of different adventures, including several that involve a greeting cat statue that has a spirit bound into it. While the story is fairly episodic, there are some elements that carry over, especially the before mentioned cat statue

While most of the story takes place in the other world, I actually find the parts of the story that are in both world's the most interesting. Maybe because in most of these types of stories, when the character leaves his world he does not get to return until the very end of the story. The act of juggling the two worlds is much more interesting to me, otherwise the other world is just a dream that can be ignored at the end with the character now able to go off and become what he always wanted, a boring normal person.

Wow, I think that particular bit of annoyance had been lurking in me for a bit. This is a solid story, but it would appeal mostly to people who enjoy high school/fantasy comedies, for it's writings does not transcend its genres. And the art could use a little tidying up.



Pick of the Litter, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

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