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The story follows the crossbones detective agenct through a few cases, though I wouldn't call the cases 'supernatural' (thats more the oneshot last chapter that's unrelated to the first 4). Perhaps qwerky is a better term for the cases. Afterall, who wants to steal a cat? Or the last remaining reel of a movie that flopped?

The art is decent and the characters are fun and somtimes mysterious. The downside is there's not enough time to get to know the characters. There are hints to their pasts and they seem like they could be very interesting characters, but the story overall is so short that ... sadly the reader never gets a chance to delve into the characters more deeply.

The story follows qwerky cases with the three main detective characters and one very odd villian. The villian however seems to be outwitted a little too easily by Shiki (one of the detectives) most of the time. There's hints to Shiki's past, which sounds interesting, and his motives for joining the detective agency again seem interesting, but sadly remain undeveloped. One downside is the stories wrap up rather quickly and sometimes too neatly without the reader ever getting to see anything but -okay, it's solved.

There are some earmarks here of an interesing detective story with delightful and interesting characters, but the pace is often rushed and the resolutions just too convienient. It has great potential, but reamins underdeveloped. Still, it is an enjoyable, sometimes comedic read. If you're looking for a little detective mystery with some off-beat cases and fun characters this is an enjoyable read.

For the curious, this actually is a collection of two one-shots. And if you're going to read one of them, the second story is the better choice

The first story centers around a girl who transfers into a school and randomly knows about a rumor involving the student council. Many elements of the 'plot' (if one can call it that) seem to be thrown in for the sole sake forcing the story foward quickly and may seem to come out of nowhere. Many elements make suspension of disbelief difficult at best. There's not much fleshing out of the characters, but it is a short ... story so it's to be expected. The art is nothing to write home about, but its not absolutely horrid either. If you're not interested in depth of plot/character and looking for a random storyline that's a light read, the first story is for you.

The second story far surpasses the first in terms of plot elements and character. It one is more fleshed out for such a short story and the characters are enjoyable. The plot is understandable and more believable. The art seems to better in this story than the first. The storyline focuses on a girl who secretly has feelings for her best friend who's also her neighbor. If you're looking for a cute little romantic story- the second one is a nice light read.

What are you looking for in a story? If your looking for action (shounen style), an adventerous tale, and some drama with a little romance then you've got Arata Kangatari.

The Story: The concept itself is rather interesting: Two boys of the same name 'Arata' (but different surnames, and differing personalities) accidently switch worlds, but the people of their world see them as 'them' even though their looks actually differ. What makes it even more interesting is that the communication from one world to the other isn't entirely cut off. Thus forcing the author to strike a balance between the characters and occurances in both worlds, ... and giving the story multilayers.

The tale starts in the fantasy world where the reader isn't certain about whos who and what's what with little time to get used to the characters when it intermingles suddenly with the 'real world' - now if it's a little confusing, or off-putting, give it a couple of chapters- it gets much better. Each 'Arata' is faced with their own challenges in the 'other world' as might be expected, but things get even more crazy when another person from the fantasy world switches places- on purpose! The action in the story follows a shounen style so to speak- meaning you get the calling out of names/techniques, the 'power-ups' and big bad enemies/bosses. The plot may seem simple enough- real world 'Arata' needs to save fantasy world's princess- but becomes a bit more complex as the story continues, and with the introduction of new characters the plots in both worlds thicken.

The Art: Anyone who knows Yuu Watase's works knows her art. Perosonally I enjoy her art style, so I suppose the 'art' side could be considered a little biased. It is clean and detailed, though from time to time during the fight/power' scenes it can be a little hard to tell what's going.

Characters: Both worlds contain characters with various personalities and motivations, and most importantly, depth. The interactions between characters are sometimes comical, sometimes serious, but always interesting. In general, real world 'Arata' is serious and introspective with a sense of justice, while otherworld 'Arata' is rather wild, boisterous and carefree. With the variety of characters that surround the 'Arata's there's bound to be one the reader sympathizes with if not one of the 'Arata's. Another nice thing about the characters is they slowly begin to grow, even the side characters. Also, the characters 'switch sides' so to speak. Not everyone who starts off as friends/enimeis remains so. But don't get too attached- one interesting aspect is the reader really doesn't know the fates of the characters. Watase isn't afraid to kill some of them off, so you if you're expecting light and fluffy 'everyone lives, yeah!' don't. There's character insights and drama enough nicely woven into the action and plot.

Arata Kangatari is an adventure story that sometimes seems to move slow, sometimes fast. New characters are often getting introduced and with their variablities begs the questions: are they allies, are they enemies and will they stay that way? The plot may seem a bit predictable at times (aka 'must beat next enemy'), but it's always fun to go along with the story and figure out how the character is going to get past the next obsticle. The story (as of this review) is unfinished so who knows where the plot will twist to next.

Beyond the rather 70-80's style/feel of the characters is a deeper story realm. Terra e has an epic space opera sense to it, and it is, and yet it's not. The rules of space are acknowledged, circumfrenced, yet the plot is kept tight. First off, I'll say there is an anime based on the manga and the reviews are quite applicable to the manga as well, though the anime carries out the sequence of events and some of the characters a little differently.

The storyline follows the characters of Jomy and Keith, though initially the reader gets Soldier Blue's POV in the prologue.The pov is clearly ... delinated for the reader, which makes for ease of transition, and other minor character's pov are given throughout the story to keep the reader up to date on events. When the pov first switches to Keith it may be a little confusing since the pov shifts previously were between pre-introduced characters. Also, there are time jumps, which require a little math. Most of the time the reader is informed of these jumps via the characters' ages which appear mostly as asides - so the reader will have to do a little calculation. Thus to stay in the loop, make sure to pay attention to such things since its easy to miss. In addition, since some of the characters age more slowly than others, without this tidbit of information the reader may feel lost in the time jump.

The art is overall well done, with a futuristic style, yet 70-80's feel to the characters sometimes. Yet even beyond this is the story itself. Taking place in the far, far, far, far distant future opens several relms of posibility as well intriguing concepts reguarding use of technology and natural gifts, and yet humanity is still kept at the core. It is changes direction so it's not easy to see where or how a character will end up. The characters themselves are interesting in that, despite some ideas they ponder, still they may act against what their thinking. Many characters are actually deeper than they might appear on the surface, particularly Keith. This makes it sometimes hard to tell which way the plot will lead. The ending/epilogue might be confusing but I think going back and looking at the events in the story earlier might clearify some of the confusion, making sure to pay attention to what the characters tell the reader about themselves, their hopes and their plans.

Granted, sometimes the antics may seem over the top or somewhat unbelievable- yet still the story incorperates it in such a way tha the reader is able to maintain the suspension of disbelief to the very end.

Overall- Terra e (Toward the Terra) has copious elements of science fiction, different ways of perception, interesting characters, and a bit of mystery with a sprinkling of a few- just a few- unanswered questions.

Mystery- this is above all a mystery story with elements of the pscyhological. What exactly happened in the past? And what happens when Amasawa Rei tries to dredge it back up to fill in the gaps of her memories? Who's trying to stop her and why?

Meisou Kuiki is different from many manga, as it switches pov (points of view) to various characters throughout the story. This may be as a source of confusion to some readers, but it serves to flesh out the characters. Each 'main' character is given some sort of spotlight, allowing the reader to get to know the characters and ... bringing home their individual personalities as well as their personal stories. Therefore, the storyline allows for a focus on several characters, not just one main character and a supporting cast.

Confusion will likely be the main problem a fast, skimming reader will find with this story. Close attention needs to be paid in order to properly follow the series of events. The shifting pov is one thing that can confuse readers. There is one more element which - while it makes it a wonderful story, teasing out the mystery and fleshing out the characters- at the same time can lead to a sense of disorientation. Time shifts abound, even within pov shifts. One minute the reader is in the present, then slips back and gets a piece of the characters past. Past and present, character to character- most of the shifts are delineated, it's just a matter of realizing a pov shift or timeshift has occured as one reads. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes, so if you know to expect the pov and timeshifts, the story is relatively easy to follow.

The art is decent, the characters interesting, and the storyline intriguing. The ending leaves a little bit to the reader's imagination, but if the reader has payed attention to each of the characters, it's not too difficult to figure the status of all the characters. Overall for those in the mood for mystery and a taste of the pscyhological, it's an enjoyable, short read.