Yukarism, Volume 1

May 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Yukari Kobayakawa is a 17-year-old prodigious author who has found a way to profit from deja vu. Born with the ability to remember and revisit past lives, Yukari is held in high esteem for his historically accurate and popular novels-written without conducting research. He is accustomed to and unfazed by his fans. However, his new classmate Mahoro Tachibana is not just another fan; they have known each other in another life. Yukari must figure out the nature of their past relationship. This volume oscillates between Yukari and Mahoro's modern teenage angst and unrequited (and unnoticed) love and Yukari in another carnation during the Edo period in Japan (a historical era marked by advancement in arts and culture). It is a gender-bending, languid fantasy that will require an investment in upcoming installments. The formulaic nature of the illustrations and plotlines are palatable to new and avid readers of the format alike. Fans of shojo manga will enjoy the humor, predictable undercurrent of romantic tension, and beautiful characters that drive the story. VERDICT A slow-burning, suspenseful historical drama with all of the elements expected of the shojo genre.-Tamela Chambers, Chicago Public Schools

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