Brave Story, Volume 1: A Retelling of a Classic

A lot of reviews on the net are giving this series ratings that are far more terrible than it deserves and, even worse, are basing their reviews on the first volume only. To give prospective readers some insight, volume one explains the back story behind Wataru's predicament that ultimately sends him on his journey through Vision. It mostly takes place in the real world, with some fantasy elements seeping in from Vision. While I have yet to read the novel that this series is based on, I found the manga itself an enjoyable read. The plot was engrossing and, at times, dark, and the characters were all likable. However, one of my main beefs was that, at times, the character design can be off for certain characters (reference Ki-Kiima in volume 2 and 3). I've only encountered a few instances of it, and it's not terribly distracting from the story. Although Brave Story isn't a mold breaking series, it's still worth a look if you're into fantasy manga. If you find that you like the series, please support it. It's getting harder to find any volume past 3 in local bookstores/comic shops.