I have long stood by an axiom that human nature does not change, only technology does. inee’s Love Bullet, Volume 1, one of the most anticipated titles of the year, also follows this same principle.

Cupids are real. People who died before experiencing love are sometimes given the Goddess of Love’s gift and become cupids. As cupids, they can work their way back into life by pairing people up with their perfect partners. And, because technology indeed changes, cupids are now armed with guns, which really sort of puts an emphasis on how horrid the idea of a “cupid” is. We’re so used to Raphael and Caravaggio’s chubby cheeked mini-angels, that the idea of being SHOT THROUGH THE HEART with a hormonal imbalance that causes irrational behavior stopped being horrific. But, here it is, genuinely horrific once again, in the more modern form of being shot by a gun.

We join the story in the middle of a raging disagreement between a group of cupids, over which two member of three friends ought to be the perfect love for the third. Koharu, the newest of the group, feels that there ought to be a way to come to a compromise, but while one side might be willing, one of the cupids really wants a fight and so, a fight breaks out. There is collateral damage as unwitting humans get hit by love bullets, but Koharu’s team is able to manage to fend off the other until Koharu makes a risky shot to solve the dilemma. 

We then learn a bit about Koharu’s life and death and the girl who loved her. We, and Koharu, are appalled to find that her first mission is to pair her dear friend up with someone. It makes for a powerfully bittersweet story about love…and makes us question whther becoming a cupid is really a “gift.” inee’s art is cute, which makes scenes like Koharu shooting her first love through the head in order to set her up with someone both horrible and deeply  moving.  One can understand why Koharu is always looking for a happy compromise in her pairings. 

inee’s art is simple, often relying on no or limited backgrounds, and all but line art for the cupids, but the body language and movement in the gunfights is excellent, and her narrative tension is top notch.  I finished this very much hoping that the international campaign to save this series was fully successful and lo and behold!, Volume 2 is hitting JP bookstores this very month. I’m interested in the other cupids and would like to have my emotions flailed with their sad stories, but also hope to see some happy endings. 

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – Bittersweet, with the emphasis on the bitter  – 9
Characters – 8
Service – Guns and other weapons
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

Yen is saying that they expect this volume to be one of their best selling titles of the year, even with a release date in December. Imagine that. It’s really good, honestly, so I am delighted we’re getting it in English. Thanks, Yen for a review copy for ANN, I used it for both reviews.