I picked up Twinkle Saber Nova while I was in Tokyo, for two reasons.

1) I am a huge Fujieda Miyabi fangirl

and

2) I am a shameless otaku for Drama CDs.

Volume two of this series came with a Drama CD, and along with it being a Fujieda Miyabi story and all, there was no way I was going to be able to pass it up.

The story of Twinkle Saber Nova takes place in the future at a school where our heroine Hayana seems to spend a large proportion of her day eating. Her best friend Aoi and she make the rounds of the many restaurants in their school, which is located in Tokyo Bay.

One day, while in one of Hayana’s favorite lunch places the owner, Yuzuru, is attacked by the “World School Uniform Club”. Hayana and Aoi are approached by crazy Fujishiro-sensei (female) who offers Hayana an “Active Dress” armor uniform thing which she names “Twinkle Saber”. There and then, Hayana starts the “Ally of Justice Club” and continues to battle for her right to eat lunch peacefully, against the “World School Uniform Club” whose aims remain obscure to me, for several reasons. ^_^

As the new school superheroine, Hayana develops a fan club. One of the members, Satsuki, brings Hayana a really big lunch, thus guaranteeing Hayana’s eternal devotion. Satsuki expresses some interest in being a “Ally of Justice Club” member, and is quickly outfitted with her own active dress, which she names Arc Saber.

They battle against the weirdness of the Sekai Seifukubu, and at the end of the volume are joined temporarily by one of Fujishiro-sensei’s old classmates, who has an active dress of her own – in fact, the prototype active dress – and goes by the name, Crymson.

They fight against other characters that look an awful lot like those from other recognizable Fujieda series. And, in the end, they defeat the World School Uniform Club yet again. Lunch is safe for another day. More happy fighting and fashionable armor to come in Volume 2!

Let me comment on the fashionable armor, for a second. Fujieda does *really* nice armor/uniform design. Nothing obscene, in fact, where most shounen armor/uniforms for females tend to highlight secondary sexual characteristics in ways that are entirely service-y, Fujieda’s outfits are really quite stylish and lack pointless service. Thumbs up from me, particularly for Crymson’s design, which is adult, simple and cool. Also Arc Saber, which ups Satsuki’s cool factor several notches.

Yuri in this series is light. In fact, I remember reading (and no, I don’t know where and there’s no way I’m tracking this down, so you’re out of luck) a post on a Japanese BBS by Fujieda-sensei, commenting that this series has *implied* Yuri, but nothing overt.

It is fairly obvious that Satsuki has an akogare crush on Hayana and Fujishiro-sensei pings my gaydar…and twice as much when Crymson arrives on the scene. In my head they were obviously (may still be?) a couple, but yes, I *am* reading into it. A lot. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – Fujieda Miyabi.
Story – mmm, ramen
Characters – cute!
Yuri – squint and look at it from a bent angle
Service – Yes.

Overall – 7

This isn’t a Yuri manga, but it is a cute chicks in armor with weapons manga, so if the one doesn’t work for you, the other might. ;-)