Of Swords and Parasols

In the Clamp mini-comic at the end, one of the Clamp members is bouncing around, begging Ohkawa for spoilers, which only causes Evil Hinting. This makes me more inclined to believe the theory I have seen posited that Ohkawa sits in front of her computer and googles “Clamp” so she can cackle as the fans drive themselves crazy trying to figure out what will happen next.

( Spoilers involve slightly fewer chibis than previous volumes. )

One volume to go!

Do Umi and Fuu remind anyone else a bit of Kurogane and Fai? Only, you know, sans the unhealthy levels of angst. And “Zomg! Look! We’re deep in the closet!” I think it’s Umi and Kurogane’s deep and abiding one-sided rivalry with their respective Mokona’s.

( Swirly lines mean action overload! )

I just wish I could tell how much I’d be liking this if I hadn’t been brainwashed by Clamp over the last year.

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are eighth graders from different schools who are all on field trips to Tokyo Tower when the ground suddenly opens up beneath them, and they find themselves in a world with floating landmasses, saved from a free fall by a flying fish. After introducing themselves, they meet Guru Clef, a 745-year-old who looks like a 10-year-old that they are the legendary Magic Knights and have been summoned to that world, whose magic works on belief, by Princess Emeraude to save the world from a very familiar looking evil magician whose name I forgot. I do not make this up. This is why people save icons going “manga=crack.”

The book has an extreme RPG feel to it, which is only emphasized by Fuu’s constantly pointing it out, such as commenting that it’s strange to be given weapons when you usually have to pay for them. This is just before they learn they have to collect the minerals for their weapons themselves by going on a mission no one has ever survived. So far, Fuu seems to be our info girl, always piping up with every bit of RPG trivia ever. She’s very nice and polite, but I’m not sure how bright she is outside of her geekhood. Hikaru seems to be a normal 90s Magical Girl Shoujo Manga heroine-tiny and a bit tomboyish and energetic and a real go-getter, but not borderline rabid, like, say, Miaka. She also saves herself by accomplishing things and figuring them out. Umi seems to be the sane one, and is properly freaking out over things that need to be freaked out over. There’s also the original Mokona, which, so far, is neither cute nor annoying, just kind of there.

The characters are also amazingly prone to turning chibi, and I mean at everything. Not even Wallflower or Skip-Beat likes chibi characters as much, I don’t think. But it manages to be more cute than annoying. I’m not completely sure about this one yet. While fun, it is rather normal Macgical Girl Shoujo so far, but I’m interested in seeing where it goes. Also, I must read it to spot the references in Tsubasa and xxxHolic. Clamp has properly brainwashed me.

Even though it’s been out for years, and I’m not sure when I’ll get/read the rest, please don’t spoil me.