Variante 2

Following the murder of her family, a girl named Aiko wakes up in a lab to discover that her own arm has been replaced by one from a hideous and powerful monster -- and the arm has a will of its own! Agents from Aethos -- a mysterious, government-linked corporation -- want to use the power of Aiko's demon arm to fight the deadly creatures known as Chimeras, whose attacks on the civilian population are increasing. But Sudo, the agent who has befriended Aiko, isn't so happy about this development. In helping them to defeat this enemy, is she becoming an even greater threat herself?

From Publishers Weekly

A futuristic SF tale that's set in modern-day Tokyo, this manga triangulates good old-fashioned monsters (chimera), a government research lab and a high school girl in a gory narrative that exploits trust and vulnerability. Fifteen-year-old Aiko had her left arm mysteriously replaced with one having chimera-type attributes and is immediately recruited as a lab rat/secret weapon for the government. Sugimoto fleshes out her protagonist's desire to please everyone around her and, as a result, her inability to say no. Both play key parts in her willingness to be tested and studied as a human experiment and likewise, used as a killing machine. Sugimoto also adds weight to supporting character Sudo (Aiko's handler) by offering his backstory and his reasons for wanting to stay close to Aiko. By exploring Aiko's insecurities, Sugimoto makes this a girl-oriented shonen that boys will read, while offering SF/fantasy-loving girls a high school outsider comic that they can appreciate. Sugimoto's gritty shonen aesthetic couples nicely with the blood and guts of the story, as well as the raw, emotional aspect of both female and male protagonists, making for a subtle, well-thought-out story. Rated mature for violence, but no sexual overtones in this series so far. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reviews

News