Hibiki's Magic

I adore the innocence and compassion the main character possesses. The script and art were done separately but well. I enjoy the plot in this story.

Picked this title up on a whim because I was looking for something new to read and I recognize Rei Izumi's artwork from .hack//Legend of the Twilight (a 3 volume manga set that I recommend if you like this artwork). I won't go into the whole description of the book because someone's already done so. The first volume starts out deceptively cute at the beginning. Quite frankly the one thing I'm not impressed with are the short synopsis on the back of the books because they try to make the series sound more suspenseful or action packed than it is. Hibiki's Magic is about a little girl named Hibiki who's the apprentice to a very skilled magician. Unfortunately Hibiki is anything but skilled in the art of magic, and the series mostly focuses on how her acts of kindness ultimately help the people around her who are mostly engrossed in all of the repercussions that magic does to them. Volume one will not be as obvious about it, but you'll see how Hibiki ever-so-slowly grows in magical skill due to her determination to sincerely help those around her. If you've read this entire volume and are still on the fence about it, read volume two and then make your decision. Volume two is a lot more intense on heart-warming stories that can (and will) make you teary eyed to say the least. In the end, I love this series and look forward to the future volumes that come out.

I was a skeptic of this title at first... I have always been a bit shallow in choosing the mangas I read because my eyes were born that of "shoujo artwork". As I have grown older, these eyes grew more tolerant and my preferences have elaborated to a more refined taste, which began to include character development, setting, and a plot that is both engaging and intricate. And yet, I still picked up this manga. Why? I suppose it's been a long time since I've actually went with my instincts and just start reading a manga based solely one instinct. Hibiki's Magic stood out to me when all the other titles around seem to be fighting for my attention. It could be the super cute Gusks that caught my attention immediately which followed with a cliché yet interesting enough synopsis on the back cover of the manga. Yet, whatever it may have been, I still took it to the check out counter and soon fell into the world of magical possibilities. Hibiki's Magic introduces a story of bittersweet friendship and innocent trust. A delicately written comedy about companionship as a very unlikely magical protégé turns The Royal Kamisaid Magical Academy upside down. This title comes to you highly recommened.

I picked this up on a whim, mostly because I liked the art. The style reminds me of Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa. The summary on the back of the book sounded like it had potential to be dull and far too cute. Thankfully, it isn't. You wouldn't guess by the cover, but it's not all tea drinking, spell casting and frolicking with animals. There's also a bit of armed robbery, blood, death and sadness, and possibly a plot slightly deeper than "charming girl tries hard and, againts all odds, eventually succeeds". It's hard to judge a series based on only one volume, but I liked this enough that I'll read the next one.