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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane At only four volumes, Anne Freaks is a psychological action manga that delivers a tightly-written plot while leaving readers plenty of room to fill in the blanks themselves--meaning that not every detail is fully explained but the things that are revealed are satisfying. (Note: I've read and enjoyed the entire series, but this review will be focusing only on the first volume.) Volume one introduces the three main characters, a trio of teenagers who have little in common--other than murder. Yuri, the first of the two boys to appear, is secretly burying his mother under a bridge when he meets Anna. He's understandably taken aback at being discovered by a beautiful girl who helps him dispose of his mother's remains instead of running away or turning him in to the authorities. But Anna does more than that--she follows him home, advises him on how to keep his secret, and ultimately tells him she needs his help. Anna, Yuri discovers, is a killer in her own right, and she's set her sights on her own father. The second boy, Mitsuba, joins their fold when Anna saves him from a masked group of attackers who know more about his family's history than he does. He and Yuri quickly find themselves caught up in Anna's world, where murder, conspiracy, and revenge separate them from the ordinary lives they'd been living. Anna herself is far more casual about killing than either boy really likes, but neither of them is willing to stop her or walk away from her, especially once they begin to learn more about what ties them all together. It adds up to an engrossing story that includes plenty of blood and violence, but the focus is on the way the characters respond to it--particularly Yuri, who clearly isn't cut out for the life he's found himself living. The plot becomes more complex in later volumes, drawing in an interesting supporting cast while continuing to develop the three leads. Meanwhile, the artwork isn't groundbreaking, but it's well-drawn, with attractive character designs, good facial expressions, and fairly detailed backgrounds. Recommended--I'm glad I added this one to my collection. --Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Comment on this review of Anne Freaks v1 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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