Desert Coral Vol. #03

By Mike Dungan     January 22, 2005
Release Date: November 01, 2004



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Wateru Murayama
Translated by:Brendan Frayne
Adapted by:

What They Say
A world once forgotten. Naoto may be a stranger in the already strange world of Orgos, but that doesn't mean he's welcome! As his training continues, Naoto has gradually learned to wield the awesome power of the Flame Spirit that he and Lusia share. While danger lurks in every nook and cranny of Orgos, Naoto's time spent with Desert Coral has given him strength he didn't know he possessed. Stranger things are to come when a mysterious sense of deja vu strikes Naoto, that the world of Orgos seems almost too familiar. With recalled memories of once forgotten people and places, he will be faced with a difficult choice, but will his decision assure his destiny? Only the sands of time can answer that question, as Naoto continues his quest for answers in Desert Coral.

The Review
The Review: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
After Naoto's last battle, he finds himself waking from the dream of Orgos in the school infirmary, where his childhood friend Chisato is looking over him. An encounter with Mii, the trans-dimensional dragon, sends him back to Orgos and his destiny. A flashback to six years earlier allows us to learn about Lotus, Lusia's brother, and his final wish, the wish that only Naoto can fulfill. Naoto slowly learns that he's been in Orgos before. The memories are slowly coming back to him as his power continues to grow. The truth of his existence in Orgos is that he is there only by Lusia's magic. The more powerful he is, the more power he drains from her. The more magic she uses, the shorter her lifespan. He people usually only live to about 20, but Lusia's life is getting shorter by the day. Camu, Lusia's friend and rival, doesn't want her to die, and in the midst of a great sandstorm, challenges Naoto to a fight. She will kill him if it means Lusia can live a few more months. But Naoto still has the final wish of Lotus to fulfill: the total destruction of Orgos.

Comments
With this final volume, Wataru Murayama's desert fantasy tale comes to a rushed, seemingly incomplete conclusion. While some of the back story is finally told, the ending seems a full chapter short. So much is left unexplained, it adds up to an emotionally empty ending. Murayama's art style is surprisingly light, using plenty of screentones to add depth to it. His character designs are softly rounded, with an odd feel to the facial and body proportions.

The front cover is attractive image of Lusia sitting on a rock, clad in a few wisps of cloth, red ribbons around her legs. The background fades from gold at the top to white at the bottom, with the logo and volume number behind Lusia. The author's name is across the bottom, and it all adds up to an effective design that distinguishes itself with it's simplicity. The back cover is white with the story blurb above a cartoony image of the various male members of Desert Coral practicing their swordsmanship. The first two pages are in color, which is a nice touch. The art reproduction isn't as good as it could be, with all the screentones coming out dark and muddy. As is usual with ADV titles, all sound effects are translated right on the page, next to the Japanese text. It never seems to get in the way of the art, and adds considerably to understanding what's going on.

The sudden and emotionally uninvolving ending left a sour taste in my mouth. While it seems that Murayama created a densely rich world, he did little to let us in on the story or the characters. It's a shame. If he had been a little more forthcoming with the story, it could have come out quite a bit better. As it is, it left me feeling indifferent.