May 6, 2011
I came across the first volume of this manga at a local bookstore. I had never heard of it before, but the cover picture caught my attention and then reading the summary also drew me in further. So I read the first volume and I was hooked!
Unable to find the other volumes in the same place, I searched for them online, and to my ultimate surprise, I couldn't find it. Following this, I ordered the rest of the volumes and bought them just so that I could complete them. And I do not regret spending the money on it!
The reason I tell you this is
...
because I know this manga is hard (nearly impossible) to find! But if you do happen to see it at a book store, I highly recommend you pick it up and read it! I certainly loved it! It is disappointing that it is so unheard of and unpopular.
Story: 8
In this manga, a demon named Nora is kicked out of Hell and sent to earth to learn how to be obedient. Unfortunately for Nora, he is put in the care of a bored school boy named Kazuma. Kazuma has been bored for a while and is happy with the sudden excitement and danger that Nora brings with him. It is Nora's goal to be the strongest demon in the world! But Kazuma really couldn't care less.... these two need to learn to deal with each other in any way possible as well as fight the demons that are after them.
I am a huge fan of Shonen mangas, but not all of them catch my interest from the first chapter or even the first volume. Nora succeeded in grabbing my attention after the first few pages! And kept my interest all the way to the last page of the manga! There was no boring or unnecessary part. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Not all shonen mangas have an actual 'meaning' or 'reason' to them. Even though this series starts off much like any other Shonen manga, it soon develops into a meaningful and incredible story.
So, why would I give this an 8? Because the manga, as you may have noticed, ends at 9 volumes when it really should have continued! Perhaps it was because it didn't sell well enough or maybe because the author got tired of it; whatever the reason, it should not have ended there.
Art: 9
The characters are relatively simple looking, nothing too out of the ordinary, but even so, I think it was beautifully drawn. The creator put more than enough effort into writing and drawing this story. The shading is nicely added and there's lots of detail to keep your eyes glued to the pictures. Especially during an important or epic scene, I would pause and let my eyes scan over each detail of the picture before moving on.
Has anyone noticed that some of the popular and mainstream mangas lack some detail? The writer / artist will give the characters black clothes which allows them to skip all of the clothing folds and shading or they will leave the background completely white and only have you focus on the character's face and body. Nora stood out much more than them because each page and panel was given the perfect details necessary to make the pictures pleasing for the reader.
Character: 9
Nora - The name Nora is not his actual name, he is "Cerberus", but Nora is a name given to him (from the japanese "Nora Inu" meaning 'Stray Dog'). Nora is a typical Shonen main character, he is impulsive and a huge trouble maker, as well as a bit of an idiot. That is always what people love to watch and laugh at though. Another typical Shonen aspect is that he has a 'second form' that gives him incredible power, and even so, it is his goal to become stronger than anyone!
Nora's awkward social personality and subtle kindness is what makes him a lovable character. While reading, you can't help but cheer him on and hope for the best! Even with only 9 volumes, there is enough information about him to keep him from being a stranger to the reader.
Magari Kazuma - the other main character in the series. Rather than being the funny, carefree joker, he is the cold and serious guy who thinks before acting. However, as the series goes on, we do see some progressive changes in his character which makes him even better than before! That is exactly what I look for in a character! To be able to look back and see how much they've changed over time.
It's impressive that the writer of Nora was able to do all of this character development with only 9 volumes.
Enjoyment: 9
A little side thing that always made me laugh was the small comics in the back of each volume that the writer would add for fun. It picks fun at some of the characters or the plot. Even though these would only be about two or three pages, it was a nice little touch to the story.
As you can probably tell from my review, I give this manga a relatively high score! It may not be the most 'unique' or 'creative' idea. With Shonen mangas, it is common to see demons, fighting, weapons and comedy, but even so, this one is an enjoyable and exciting one to read! If you like shonen mangas, you'll definitely enjoy this!
Overall: 9
This manga is one of the only ones I ever bought (because I had to in order to read it). I've re-read it several times even though it is not extremely long. Even though I know what happens in each volume, it's still exciting to read!
The only thing that really upset me was that the manga didn't go longer! When it ended, I was dying to read more!
Nora is awesome! I can only hope that more people will read it and enjoy it as I have!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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