This Ugly yet Beautiful World
Boy meets girl; Boy falls in love with girl; Girl happens to be an alien. That would be the simple summary of what This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is about.
Adapted from a television series by Studio Gainax, this story follows a pair of young boys named Takeru and Ryou as they happen upon a strange beam of light that transforms itself into the body of an attractive young woman named Hikari. Rather than leaving her out in the middle of the forest, Takeru opts to bring her home where she becomes a permanent resident. Later on, Ryou discovers an even younger girl claiming to be Hikari’s sister, Akari.
The bulk of this first volume is devoted to Takeru and Ryou and the changes made to their lives thanks to the unexplained arrival of Hikari and Akari. Much of it is comedic as Hikari slowly learns to adapt to her surroundings inadvertently wreaking havoc on Takeru. Takeru soon finds himself falling for the shapely alien while unaware of the truth behind the two girl’s presence.
This is a mature title so there is a fair share of nudity, especially from Hikari and Akari as the two don’t understand the meaning of modesty.
With the ominous nature in which volume one ends, it seems the story is set to take a darker turn. It will be interesting to see if the series can maintain its lighthearted nature when it decides to showcase the uglier side of the world.
This Ugly yet Beautiful World Volume 1 – B
.Hack//Legend of the Twilight
.Hack has built itself a respectable following with its numerous media adaptations ranging from anime to RPGs. Back in 2002, a sequel in the form of a manga series was produced introducing a new cast of characters who were sporting familiar faces. Originally released in three volumes, Tokyopop has opted to collect the entire series into a single omnibus book.
Legend of the Twilight revolves around the siblings Shugo and Rena as they enter the on-line game “the World” for the first time. After winning a contest, the two are awarded the avatars of the legendary players Kite and BlackRose. A familiar face from the past appears in the form of the mysterious AI girl Aura as she saves the two from an attacking monster by giving Shugo the legendary item, the Twilight Bracelet. After using the bracelets enormous power to fend off the monster, the two set out on an adventure to find Aura and discover the true nature of the Twilight Bracelet.
Several other familiar faces show up such as Balmung, a legendary player who now acts as an administrator, and Mireille, a low level mage who once assisted the original Kite and BlackRose. Balmung is quick to distrust the two, having dealt with similar situations in the past and by series end he and Shugo are all but ready to settle things in a duel. Meanwhile, the Cobalt Knights, another group of administrators begin hunting the two in the hopes of locating Aura and nabbing the Twilight Bracelet.
The story is reminiscent of the past .Hack series with characters embarking on quests while still trying to solve the various mysteries plaguing “the World”. There are many RPG elements strewn about with Characters encountering various beasts and leveling up after every battle.
As far as art is concerned, characters are drawn with a cartoonish flare reflecting the nature of the series. The early chapters exhibit a high level of detail which unfortunately falters as the series progresses. At times, the artwork is downright simplistic.
Though this isn’t the strongest entry in the .Hack franchise it is far from the weakest. It characters are a bit one-sided but the plot is compelling enough to carry the series on its own merrits. There is a lot to like here especially for fans who are already familiar with these characters. .Hack//Legend of the Twilight is a fitting continuation of the franchise, with just the right mixture of content and tone. Those familiar with the .Hack universe will appreciate it for expanding on the .Hack mythology while hooking newcomers at the same time.
.Hack//Legend of the Twilight - A
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