Rave Master, Volume 1(2008).
© Tokyopop
Manga Series: Rave Master
Issue: Volume 1
Rating: T+(Older Teen)
Original Story and Art By: Hiro Mashima
Publisher: Tokyopop
Price: $9.99
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Rave Master Volume 1
By: Adrianne HessReview Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2008
In the year 0015, a magical and deadly event called Overdrive was brought on by the evil Dark Bring crystals—destroying more than 10 percent of the World. The only thing that could protect the World from Dark Bring were the crystals of good, known as Rave. The sole possessor of Rave, known as the Rave Master, used them along with the “Ten Powers” sword to protect the planet from evil. Although he failed in preventing the Overdrive’s destruction, he managed to destroy the Dark Bring and put an end to the terror that their wielders were causing (which ended the current war).
Soon after, Shiba is attacked by members of Demon Card - the criminal organization at the core of the World’s destruction and the current possessors of Dark Bring. He tries to use Rave to defend against the enemy, but his power to control Rave has disappeared. Instead, they were transferred to Haru, the seeming heir of the title Rave Master. With his new powers and Shiba’s “Ten Powers” sword, Haru quickly dispatches the Dark Bring wielding thug and vows to save the World from Demon Card.
One of the most enjoyable parts of Rave Master is the sense of humor of the manga-ka, Hiro Mashima, which seeps out of almost every panel. First, there are the awkward character designs of several characters, including Haru’s main companion Plue. In fact, Plue’s appearance is an ongoing joke throughout Rave Master as characters debate as to whether he is a dog, a bug, a demon and several other bizarre ideas. There is also the living, breathing flower Nakajima, who (without explanation) lives attached to the side of Haru’s home.
Cover of the Japanese release of the first volume of the Rave manga series showing Plue.
Rave Master is a fairly long series at 35 tankoubon (the Japanese work for ‘volume’ for the new Maniac otaku out there.) While initially the storyline seems to be the cliché Shounen/hero manga series, the undertones of the Dark Bring and the mysteries behind Haru’s missing father and dead mother give Rave Master a much greater appeal. As he leaves the only home he has ever known with Demon Card close on his tail, watch for Haru’s journeys on the mainland to explode with plotline twists in almost every chapter.
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I wish the anime had continued longer than only 51 episodes... :(