Fairy Cube, Vol. 2 – Manga Review

Review by: Kiki Van De Kamp

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat Manga)
Author: Kaori Yuki
Genre: Graphic Novel (Shojo)
MSRP: $8.99 US
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Available Now

The battle for the human world has begun!

Kaori Yuki, you know how to weave an intricate and intriguing tale and that is definitely evident in the first and now second volume of Fairy Cube. The first issue won our Editor’s Choice Award for a reason and that is mainly that this is a unique series that transcends gender and age despite this being considered a shojo title. Believe me when I say that you don’t even have to like shojo to love this title and missing it would be a shame.

Fairy Cube tells a very exciting tale as well as the hero of this story is killed and returns in the body of a dead child to reclaim not only his old body that has been taken by a mean-spirited entity named Tokage but also to rescue Rin, the girl he has always loved. Ian’s return in the body of a boy named Eriya has made it hard for him to reveal himself to Rin but in final chapter of the first volume Rin is rescued by Ian and discovers the truth. The cute little boy is the real Ian!

In the opening chapter of the second volume another revelation is made and this time it comes in the form of Eriya’s grandmother that suspected that something was not right about her grandson’s sudden appearance after his parents’ death. Ian and Rin try to figure out a way of to get to Tokage seeing as now they have the support of the fairy named Kaito. Of course, this plan backfires since Tokage shows off his true power by slaying another fairy that has come to campus.

Speaking of Tokage, he is not only growing more powerful but his rash actions are also catching the attention of an organization calling itself the Gotoh Group. I won’t be spoiling things by saying that the Group is composed of powerful fairies whose agenda is clean the environment and rid the world of those pesky humans. Fairies have long been brushed aside as mythological creatures by humans and the group believes that the time of humans is over. What role Tokage will play in the Group’s plan is slowly unfolding but Tokage has his own agenda that is connected with his painful past that he reveals to Ian during an intense battle.

Troubled past aside, Ian doesn’t care what tragedy befell Tokage. He wants to make the fairy pay for what he did to Ian’s father and for kidnapping Rin during class. Rin has been given a charm that not only allowed her to see Ian’s fairy companion, Ainsel, but also every fairy that has taken a human form. She is taken to Gotoh Group’s main headquarters where Rin meets the acting spokesperson for the organization … a young girl named Shira. On top of that, there is a mysterious little girl in the building that reminds Rin of Ian. Who is this little girl and why is she kept in the building like a prized possession is yet to be known but Rin is intrigued by the child.

As Ian prepares to infiltrate the Gotoh Group’s main building and discover the meaning behind the Group’s Elysium Project, Kaito’s past comes to light when a fairy named Raven comes looking for him. I won’t go into details but let’s just say that Kaito might not be who Ian or Ainsel thinks he is or even if he’s one of the good guys. Ian is even joined by a woman he had known as Aunt Lise who tells him a shocking truth about Ian’s mother.

The volume ends with something of a cliffhanger that surprisingly has something to do with Rin and an advertised search for the new spokes model that will be the “face of the Gotoh Group.” Has Rin joined the Group or is she planning on aiding Ian in her own secretive way. As Ian enters the building, he is surrounded by fairies that know who he is and what he might represent. Oh yeah, you better believe this one will have you anxiously waiting for the next volume.

Yuki’s ability to maintain tension and build up excitement is Fairy Cube’s biggest strength and while this volume seems to pack all the revelations and introductions to new characters in a volume that is shorter than the first, it doesn’t lose the excitement and wonder of the first volume. Even the art remains consistently gorgeous throughout the volume. I love Yuki’s other titles but Fairy Cube is quickly becoming one of my personal favorite series and with this second volume you’ll see why.

 

MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A+
Ian’s battle against Tokage has begun and now Rin knows the truth about her so-called boyfriend. Oh, and there’s an interesting background story about Tokage’s identity and Kaito’s past is revealed. Whew, that is a lot to digest in one volume.

ART: A+
Kaori Yuki’s art has always been downright gorgeous whether you appreciated it in Godchild or Angel Sanctuary. Fairy Cube is simply gorgeous to look at and there’s a lot to look at in this volume.

OVERALL: A+
Keeping up the momentum of the first volume, Volume 2 of Fairy Cube is thoroughly exhausting, but in a good way, and contains some of the most exciting chapters in this series. I know it’s a cliché but Fairy Cube is now one of those delightfully hard-to-put-down manga series that shouldn’t be missed by any manga reader whether or not you like shojo.