   |
Manga-ka: Nao Kodaka
Writer: Rika Tanaka
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Everyone
Released: May 2007
Synopsis: “The wicked Queen has captured Kilala and Rei! Unless Kilala gives the Queen Rei’s magic tiara, she will be forced to eat the poison apple! Snow White shows up just in time and offers to eat the apple instead – can Kilala defend the tiara and save Snow White?”
It’s not a bunny but it is cute and fluffy! I continue to be undeniably charmed by these short but adorable books. The story picks up where volume one left off as Rei and Kilala are forced to face the evil Queen to retrieve the magical tiara. When Rei is injured and the two are taken hostage, it’s up to Snow White and the seven Dwarves to come to their rescue.
The plot continues to sound as cheesy as it did in volume one but also remains executed just as whimsically. It really feels like a little girl’s dream come true, the kind of story children are told before bed, going on adventures with their favourite fictional characters to save the day. Targeted a younger audience, its quick pacing resumes the work of holding the interest of short attention spans yet doesn’t really need it with a story so oddly compelling. After returning home from Snow White’s world, the drama resumes in Kilala’s home as danger hides in unexpected places and Rei prepares to leave.
The art remains a really strong part of the book. It’s simple, shoujo and utterly charming; it really makes these characters. It’s a style that may not cut it in a full-out shoujo series but somehow fits the adventures of Kilala as perfectly as a glass slipper fits a certain Cinderella.
Still may not be much here for the average manga reader, but for those who love a cute, charming story that makes for a light read, definitely try to pick up volume one and see how you like it. You may be surprised.
Written March 21, 2008 by Lissa Pattillo
Book purchased online from Chapters
Follow
