Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time

Akane, an ordinary high school girl lacking personality, is summoned back in time to a magical world resembling Heian-era Kyoto. She is declared “Priestess of the Dragon God” and assigned the task of bringing back the four gods to protect the city from demon invaders, with the help of eight warriors, all of whom are attractive young men. The demons are also attractive, blond sorcerers, and Akane quickly falls in love with the chief demon. The book is based on the PlayStation 2 game Harukanaru Toki no Naka de and has been adapted into an anime series, a movie and several OAVs. Unfortunately, Akane’s lack of characterization is typical for a work based on a videogame. The only thing separating this book from similar manga series is the addition of Akane’s two high school friends to the eight guardians. The line work is extremely fine and wispy; costumes and hair are beautifully rendered. Unfortunately, the action is hard to follow, particularly to those unfamiliar with the strict subgenre conventions of this type of manga. It’s the kind of book that passes the flip-through test with flying colors, but when read, comes up very short on substance. (Apr.)