PRINCESS AI: Volume 1

A petulant, doll-faced amnesiac named Ai finds herself on the streets of Tokyo, wondering why she is on Earth at all. She meets Kent, a long-haired young rocker, who helps her discover she has vocal talent. Along the way, Ai unearths some clues to her past, grows a pair of wings and destroys various characters' clothes in the name of fashion. Although rocker Love's name is on this modern fairy tale series, it's not clear what role she had in its making. The story, appropriate for older manga audiences, bears some resemblance to Love's life, as Ai undergoes some existential angst and complains, "It sucks being homeless!" Ai's story isn't convincing, though, and the book's creators can't seem to decide if this series is a fantasy, a mystery, a thriller or a romance. In what must be a strategy to stretch the plot out over several books, no story line is developed enough to hold readers' attention (and Ai's antics—kicking and punching her way out of most scrapes—don't make a good substitute). It's a shame Kujiradou's excellent art doesn't have a more interesting subject. Kujiradou gives Ai a gentle, childish air, and her action sequences are terrific. This series may attract fans of Love and her former band, Hole, but it probably won't draw a devoted readership. (July)