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Hello! I thought it was a real shame that such a good manga had no reviews so I thought I'd give it a go.

Sennen Meikyuu is short, it is tightly written, and it ends on a high note that leaves you feeling satisfied and hopeful. There are no arcs, no fillers, not lulls in the story. It's a fast paced fantasy story about eight beautiful young men, with shades of murder mystery and light political intrigue. All that with a gorgeously detailed fantasy castle as a backdrop. It's a great bit of light reading and you'll easily be done within a few hours.

The story is ... solidly written, especially considering how most fantasies, mainstream fantasy animanga in particular, tend to veer towards meandering. The story beats meld into each other. Stuff is always happening. There's never a dull moment. You think the characters are finally safe but no! There are twists around every corner. Certainly it's no Fullmetal Alchemist as far as endings go, but with manga, sometimes you've got to be grateful that it's got an ending at all, considering how they do tend to drag on forever. Pretty impressive for an author's debut work according to MAL's listing.

As for the art, oh goodness the art. Gorgeous in every sense of the word. The character designs stand out well from each other and are always on-model. The backdrops are meticulously detailed. Many shots of carefully drawn architecture, stained glass decoration, roses and the like. Easily on par with other bishonen-heavy manga like Pandora Hearts and Makai Ouji.

The characters too were very well written, especially in how they interact with each other. They were fun, sometimes over the top, sometimes heartfelt. The artist being damn good at drawing them really helped carry them forward too. Also of note is that the main character may look whimpy and prone to depending on other for help but he's actually very resourceful and the glue that holds this ragtag bunch of intellectuals and misfits together and unifies them. The supporting cast is small and very strong. Everyone has something to contribute. Often many things to contribute and it is through their collective effort that the end goal is achieved.

All in all, if you're into fantasy stories, in particular stories like Pandora Hearts, Makai Ouji or Kuroshitsuji, this is easily a must read. It's length is a huge strength as it doesn't require a huge time investment and also allowed the writers to maintain a well-paced interest curve. Venture forth! It's a great read.