The Young Magician: Volume 4

I hadn't read anything about this title, either good or bad, so I thought I should write a review. I decided to check it out because I love Yuri Narushima's artwork. That said, I thought her series Planet Ladder got a little convoluted at times. So far, Young Magician isn't suffering from the same problem. It has a much smoother storyline and the artwork is fantastic (it reminds me a bit of Kaori Yuki's style). I won't bother giving a summary - I think the one under the product description is fine. I do admit that the plot sounds like a lot of other shonen manga out there, but the observations that characters make, the panel transitions, and of course, the artwork, make this a notch above the usual "magic boy" stories. I keep re-reading the first volume, not because it's confusing, but because the story-telling truly feels magical to me. I've read manga for almost two decades now and aside from a few titles like Berserk, I don't tend to SAVOR manga so much anymore. I usually plow through it quickly now. But I've re-read this volume four times now even though I have up to #13 in the series and loads of other titles that are piling up. (Hey some people collect shoes - I collect anime and manga). Parents - this book is shrink-wrapped and is rated Mature. That said, I don't think it's more violent than most books that are rated for Older Teens. It's definitely nowhere near Hellsing (which is rated appropriate for 13 and up) or Berserk (definitely deserves the Mature rating). The story does open up with a string of Jack the Ripper like murders in Hong Kong - so yes there is some violence - but I'm not sure enough to justify the Mature rating and shrink-wrapping.