Animania

Yes, I'm mostly back and I still live! Big project at work finally launched, so hoping to get through my back log even as new volumes are joining my collection.

Mugen Spiral is a two volume manga series from Mizuho Kusanagi that was originally serialized in Hana to Yume magazine. It was licensed by TokyoPOP, with the second volume being released in August 2007. It features Yayoi, a powerful mystic whose power is desired by countless demons wanting to eat her so they can become the Demon King. In particular, Ura, the king's son comes for her power, but she is able to bind him with a spell, turning him into a black cat. Since he's stuck under her spell, Ura stays with Yayoi, aiding her when other demons come after her. As Ura continues to try to find a way to absorb Yayoi's powers, they find themselves doing the one thing they never expected: falling in love. The basic premise is reminiscent of InuYasha, yet it manages to do more in two short volumes than InuYasha does in over fifty! Yayoi and Ura's characters are both well fleshed out. Yayoi is a strong woman who has managed to find her way in life despite several hardships and the annoyance of constantly being hunted for her powers. Ura tries to come off as cold and willing to kill her, but in reality, he is totally the opposite.

The art in both volumes is quite nice, with distinguishable characters, a nice bishōnen style hero, and a pretty heroine. Full scene backgrounds have plenty of detail. The darkest scenes are somewhat heavy handed, but that may be a printing issue from TokyoPOP. As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed both volumes. The mangaka could certainly have stretched out the story for quite awhile, finding new enemies to cause Yayoi to break more of the binding beads on Ura until he is completely freed, then resolving things between them. I'm glad she avoided that, however I also find myself wishing there were at least a few more volumes to the series. The whole story of Ura's dark possessed brother and dying father is basically left floating, and the character introduced towards the end of the series is never really explained at all. Things between Yayoi and Ura seemed to be on the right track, but the "big confession" doesn't really happen.

A lot is left to the imagination due to its open ending. It would be nice to see at least two or three more volumes to finish things up, but as it ended in Japan a few years ago so its unlikely to be continued. Still, it was certainly worth the read and a welcome addition to my library.

Overall Series Rating: B-