Plot Summary: In a mythical land the rulers of the land must always be female from the Hime clan. Unfortunately, there haven't been any girls born to the Hime clan in many years, and the ruling princess has already served two terms - more than she should have to. Arata, a teenage boy member of the Hime clan hasn't thought about the situation, but his grandmother has - she registered Arata as a girl when he was born just in case something like this happened. Once grandmother reveals the truth to Arata, he's forced to keep up appearances while she searches for any Hime girls. After Arata arrives at the palace to begin the ceremony to become the ruler, he is witness to her murder, at the hands of the warriors sworn to protect her. After the warriors turn on Arata and discover his true gender, he and his close friend from childhood are forced to run from the warriors and the accusation of the murder of the princess. On the run in the forbidden forest, Arata runs into a cave and sets into motion events that send Arata to modern day Japan and send a struggling teen from modern Japan (also named Arata) back to his place. As the two try to forge their way ahead, both are tormented by others and have to learn what they're truly made of.
Critical Evaluation: Yuu Watase is a leading name in manga for a reason. This manga novel is accessible for even the most inexperienced manga reader (like me, I had a really hard time transitioning to the back to front, right to left layout of these novels) and the appealing illustrations and well written story will keep readers of all ages engrossed in the story from start to finish. The unique combination of an ancient mythical land where magic forces exist with modern day Japan and the more commonly seen teen issues is masterfully penned and the result is an engaging, fun read.
Reader's Annotation: Arata is the next in line to the throne, except he's supposed to be a girl, and well, he's not. Just as things can't get any more embarassing, he witnesses the murder of the existing ruler, sent to another time and things get really interesting.
About the Author: Born in Japan in 1971, Yuu Watase is a leading manga author who's first manga novel was published in 1989, when Watase was just 18 years old. Since then, she has written over 50 manga books and short stories, most notably her manga series Fushigi Yugi.
Many of her titles have been translated into English. Her works have been converted to two television series, an OVA series and many soundtracks and novels.
Information retrieved from authors.simonandschuster.com/Yuu-Watase/27622955
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: Fish out of water scenarios with the world exchange of Arata's. Tie in to the history of Japan and ninja warriors.
Reading Level: 11+
Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issues: N/A
Why is This Included: Written by a leader in the Manga genre, this title is a good representation of that genre.
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