Yuri Manga: Kannazuki no Miko, Manga Vol. 1

May 2nd, 2005

I have read several comments about my earlier reviews of the Kannazuki no Miko anime stating that I was over-harsh, that it was a good story with lots of lovely yuri, etc, etc…. I remain unrepentant. I do not think it is harsh to require a story to make sense or at least to be internally consistent. The anime made no sense. The horrible eternal fates that Oogami, Chikane and Himeko fought against were, to be sure, horrible. But, and here’s the crux of my complaints, they lasted a few minutes, not millennia. The ridiculousness of the ending of the anime sucked whatever meaning the plot had managed to hold on to (which was damn little considering the bad guy in the series turned out to be not much more than a really loud voice.) No. I’m sorry – I was not harsh.

However…I am about to be harsh.

This manga is a piece of utter, plotless dreck, wrapped up in frisson of hormonal angst, senseless screaming and a rape scene that has no meaning or context, because the story simply stops. I imagine that a second volume was initially planned, but none has been printed, so there is pretty much no explanation at all of anything. Which is kind of a mercy, because if the explanations are anything like the ones from the anime, they will make no sense at all, and simply cease to have any meaning at some point.

Yes, I am perfectly aware of the meaning of the rape, and all the other stuff that goes on, and if a decent writer got a hold of it, it would all make a damn GOOD story. But no decent writer did, and the version we are forced to endure has SO many plot holes, assumptions and sections where common sense simply has to be abandoned, that I just can’t say that it all makes sense, and still look at myself in the mirror.  (I love you, so I will rape you so you hate me so you kill me, so I can protect you from a horrible fate. Only a schizoid personality can make that make sense.)

Kaishaku, the mangaka also known for Steel Angel Kurumi isn’t really known for strong plots. I sincerely hope that he didn’t write this as well, but was just hired to illustrate someone else’s story. It reads like a story idea that just sort of peters out mid-way, like a fanfic writer who burns out halfway through an epic Evangelion fic.

Okay – to be fair, the plot, such as it is, is pretty much the same as the anime, with a little more time for Miyako, the nun/1st Kubi. Also, Chikane is, IMHO, much more openly seductive and desirous (and not in the bizarro-world psychotic way of the anime, but in a genuine, gosh-I-want-you normal way) of Himeko. For her part, Himeko is less wishy-washy, but only because there’s less of the manga to be wishy-washy in.

The final score at the end of volume one is: Kisses from Himeko; Oogami 1, Chikane 1. Rape of Himeko; Chikane 1, Oogami 0. So depending on what kind of person you are, Chikane either has won or lost.

Doesn’t matter, though, because the story doesn’t end…heck, it barely even starts.

12 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    The manga does continue, and there are plans for a second volume. It was running in Monthly Shounen Ace so there was only one chapter being produced per month, at best. However it’s run has finished now, so I don’t think there will be a third volume.

    That being said, I agree that the manga is utterly awful. I dislike it intensely.

    J

  2. doink-chan says:

    IMO both the anime and manga are bad. But the manga is probably worse than the anime (and that’s saying a lot). doinkies is so sorry that I ever wanted to see that series…the plot sounded cool! And the art was pretty! And there were mythological references! But sadly, it turned out to be….doinky. -_- I am glad that you are not one of those people who automatically praise KnM just because it has Yuri…because there are good manga and anime with Yuri, and bad manga and anime with Yuri. KnM falls into that later category.

  3. Anonymous says:

    there is a second volume and it’s out already in japan. realli goodddd

  4. Anonymous says:

    Curious but where do you download the mangas?

  5. I don’t download them – I purchase them. With money.

    The picture and the title at the top of the entry are both linked to the Amazon JP page for the item. That is where I get about 2/3 of my manga. The other 1/3 I buy from a local Sanseido bookstore. (I am very luck to have one not too far away from where I live.)

  6. Anonymous says:

    In my opinion, the anime and the manga should have been at least two times longer, because there are too many things happening too fast in such a short story. Also, some things such as the mechs don’t fit this kind of story, so they could have been cut out.
    The cycle (the reincarnation of the priestess and “necks”,the resurrection of the gods and the sacrifice of the priestess) and the relationship between the two girls should have been more detailed. It would have also been a good idea to turn the end of the story into the begging of a new season where the characters decide to break the cycle somehow and change their destiny.

    The characters were nicely drawn and the starting idea was good, but it seems as the anime and manga were made in a rush and so a great potential was lost.
    A second season (that will most probably never be made) might save this story because it’s not to late to fix some of the issues the anime and manga have, but I see no interest from anyone in this matter.

  7. Anonymous says:

    In The ANIME it was just as long as it used to be, and the managa has gone along way from it originally being a few boxes in a magazine!!!

  8. Anonymous says:

    No shit! You ACTUALLY use money to purchase things? OO:
    omg. Wow…

    Oh Btw the manga wasnt ALL bad, it would have gotten quite a lot of fan service e.e;;
    Plus, it had solid characters & good romance. But awell, we are all entitled to opinion ^^

  9. Anonymous says:

    Since when do people really buy mangas with money.. oohhh … ahhhh… *cough cough* Did you buy it at a store?? O.O usually I just give a bucket of turtle shit to the old homeless man down in the alleyway where he drags cats away that he finds and uses them as gameboys and combs.
    \(^w^)/ Reply cause I’m curious to know! OOHH HOLY ONE!

  10. Anonymous says:

    the manga art is really good.But the story makes no sense what so ever.Chikane like her and every thing but making himeno hate her isnt gonna make her have her. the storyline is bull. the story does kind of remind me of evangelion. n btw buying manga isnt necessarily a bad thing. but buying this one is a total wase of money…. i mean no offence watsoever for wat i wrote. h0pe u guys d0nt end up hating me….=P

  11. Anonymous says:

    Ack, I found this manga horrible. There is a second volume, and I read it. But somehow it ended up making less sense than the anime (I didn’t realize that was possible) and it had some sex scenes, and more rape.
    The anime actually started to interest me a little bit more towards the end, and I think that maybe if someone who actually knew what they were doing took the plot, threw out the mechas, and focused more on the mythology/priestesses and the characters, then it might have had some potential. However, that’s just wishful thinking.
    I totally agree with you. I hated the manga. It just confused and bored me.

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