With more people reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before, Beat’s Bizarre Adventure gives three writers an opportunity each week to recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have magical girls, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and, of course, sparkles.
Magical Girl Dandelion
Writer/Artist: Kaeru Mizuho
Translation: Mei Amaki
Lettering: Finn K.
Publisher: VIZ
One of the more interesting developments in the magical girl genre over the last 15 years is the integration of overt horror elements. Puella Magi Madoka Magica might be the most obvious starting point but there are also series like Wonder Egg Priority and Ghost Reaper Girl (which directly references the work of H.P. Lovecraft). Of course, past magical girl stories could be dramatic; remember how the cast of Sailor Moon almost dies in the first arc? Not to mention the monsters. Some artists recognized this and decided to build on it further.
This is where Magical Girl Dandelion by Kaeru Mizuho comes in. A war rages between monstrous fiends and Butterfly’s magical girl soldiers. High school student Tanpopo Ohanami discovers that she has the potential to “bloom” into a magical girl. There’s a problem though. Her best friend since childhood is a fiend named Shade. Her protects her as best he can but it’s not to his advantage for his best friend to become a magical girl.
Mizuho’s setup presents a unique scenario. How do a magical girl and the monster she’s supposed to fight stay friends? Shade can be ruthless fighting other fiends, and his motives for why he helps Tanpopo after she becomes Dandelion remains a mystery. Additionally, the more Tanpopo learns from her icy veteran mentor Peony, the darker her world becomes. Being a magical girl might look like a grand adventure to onlookers but in Magical Girl Dandelion the stakes couldn’t be higher. Through it all, though, Tanpopo maintains her belief that good can triumph over darkness. That everyone can be saved.
Visually this is one of the most confident debut series of recent years. Mizuho draws like an old pro. They have a knack for energetic action scenes and fun monster designs. Shade’s abilities to manipulate shadows and move through them allows for play with negative space and darker marbled textures. The depiction of the magical girl elements, such as the flower petals that appear when Peony uses her powers or when Tanpopo uses her magic, are always delicate and intricate. Yet this series doesn’t shy from violence or creepy imagery either.
Only nine chapters are out but Magical Girl Dandelion is off to a solid start. It’s visually interesting and the story offers some intriguing possibilities. At its heart, though, this is a manga that believes anything is possible no matter how dark things get. — D. Morris
Tony Takezaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion
Writer/Artist: Tony Takezaki
Translation: Labaamen, HC Language Solutions
Editor/English Adaptation: Carl Gustav Horn
Lettering/Touchup: John Clark
Publisher: Dark Horse
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those works that every anime fan should watch, no matter what they end up thinking of it. It is without a doubt an important work in the overall history of anime. Yet it is also so much fun to take the piss out of the story and the characters. There’s so much to work with!
Tony Takezaki (Genocyber) takes a peek under Evangelion’s skirt and goes to town dissecting the language, character mannerisms, and “hidden meanings” laced throughout the show. He also pokes fun at others works that shaped it into what it is. From fun redesigns of the Eva Units and Angels to over the top jokes about fan service, and even Asuka slipping further into a German accent the more frustrated she gets, there’s a lot to love in this collection of short gag comics.
Some have criticized Evangelion for being pretentious, particularly the latter half. (The first half is quite funny in its own right.) This book helps dispel that though, because no matter how serious the show might be, Anno is always open to making fun. That is Tony Takezaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion: an opportunity to laugh at and with a classic series, featuring characters you love no matter what genre they’re in.
Go check this out!
Jo~Ha~Kyuu~! ♡ — Derrick Crow
Lost in Reverie
Writer: Qijian
Platform: Webcomics
This manhua follows a 16-year-old girl named Eugenie Lin whose parents’ messy divorce leads to her living with her father and his new wife and son. Unloved and unwanted, Eugenie stumbles across a tattoo shop where she meets an 18-year-old boy named Shen Juan. While Eugenie thought she had seen the last of him, it turns out they go to the same school and are in the same class. What’s more, Juan is now her new seatmate. Eugenie isn’t sure what to make of him. He looks and acts like a delinquent and there’s a rumor he took a year off school after beating his last seatmate half to death. But he also seems to be studious and health-conscious. The two slowly get to know each other as Eugenie uncovers Juan’s past.
Lost in Reverie has some of the best art I’ve seen; we’re talking serious eye candy here. The best way I can describe it is “sparkly.” The characters’ eyes are truly beautiful and almost gem-like in how the artist blends colors. The series also has a good mix of chibi art for humorous moments and dramatic close-ups when Eugenie and Juan are together.
In terms of story and character, this series isn’t reinventing the wheel. The bubbly female protagonist and mysterious male love interest are tropes that we’ve seen time and time again. But I like how there’s always a bit of a twist. Juan isn’t some “bad boy;” as we later see in the manhua, he consistently ranks at the top of his grade. And Eugenie isn’t the shy, quiet protagonist that we normally see in stories with this premise. She’s outspoken (one of the first things that she notices about Juan, out loud, is his butt) and oblivious to Juan’s growing affection for her. I also like how the story takes place in a contemporary setting which makes for more natural interactions between Eugenie and Juan.
Anyone who wants to try reading high school romance manhua should check out Love in Reverie. It was also adapted into a live-action drama series in 2023. While I have yet to watch it, I’m looking forward to doing so after the manhua is done. — Hilary Leung
Follow Beat’s Bizarre Adventure to get weekly manga and webtoon recommendations!
