[Manga] Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol. #1

[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Sakura Eries

Mania Grade: C+
* Art Rating: C+
* Packaging Rating: B
* Text/Translation Rating: C
* Age Rating: 16 and Up
* Released By: TOKYOPOP
* MSRP: 14.99
* Pages: 400
* ISBN: 978-1427814289
* Size: B6
* Orientation: Right to Left
* Series: Tsubasa: Those With Wings

Comments:
Though I am familiar with Takaya-sensei's work in Fruits Basket, I didn't have any expectations when I started Tsubasa: Those with Wings, yet I still came away disappointed. Tokyopop has categorized Tsubasa: Those with Wings as a fantasy, and while the magical powers of Tsubasa do lend it a mystical flavor, it also feels like it's striving to be a science fiction, a romance, an action/adventure, and a comedy as well. It begins as the comic misadventures of Kotobuki the ex-thief trying to find a real job amid encounters with evil scientists, inept criminals, and lewd military officers. The plot then shifts to drama as Kotobuki discovers her feelings for Raimon and deals with the tragedies of her past. In short, the story feels like it's trying to do too many things and doing none of them well.

[Betenoire]

I'd also throw in that many of the characters seem to go through motions because that's what the story requires as opposed to getting a feeling that they were real characters doing actions because of who they were. In Fruits Basket I got the impression that the characters were fleshed out and their strengths and flaws were decided before hand. Tsubasa: Those With Wings on the other hand hasn't shown me any depth to most characters and I feel like I have essentially read these stories before in other titles, and they were done much better there. Maybe the series will turn around, but the next volume isn't going to be high on my purchasing list.