SAIGAMI, VOLUME 1

Depressed teenager Hanasaki Ayumi is dragged into a magical realm.

Ayumi is dissatisfied with her life when a letter from her estranged dad arrives, inviting her to meet up with him. Instead of finding her father at the waterfront, however, Ayumi is blasted off the pier by an explosion as a mysterious hooded figure looks on. When she wakes up, Ayumi finds herself in a strange place where some humans, known as saigami, have the supernatural ability to control a single element. In search of answers, Ayumi joins saigami Sean and Reyji on a journey to the city of Zaosz. On the way there, the trio are ambushed by incarnations—summoned creatures that have been consumed by magic—and during the ensuing fight, Ayumi discovers her powers as a fire saigami. Despite her lack of training, Ayumi must now take the saigami exam once they reach Zaosz—or face limited citizenship rights. To help her succeed, Sean suggests they take the exam as a team. Beautiful full-color pages are mixed with traditional grayscale manga panels. Ayumi is richly characterized through both the text and the usage of cracked lines over the artwork to represent her feelings of depression. The use of well-known manga tropes creates a nostalgic “greatest hits” album feel while still possessing enough creativity to be fresh and exciting. Names may cue characters’ ethnicities.

A taste of a fantastical world that manga lovers will adore.