Oof. It's been a while since the last one of these, and there really isn't any excuse for it, just been busy with other things. Arguably, however, the best has been saved for last with the glorious return of Yellow Tanabe!
The Author
Yellow Tanabe
Takenori Ichihara (keep that name in mind) stated in the interviews we've translated (and in many other places) that his motto is “cultivating new talent.” This is evidenced no better by how many of these reviews I've written that feature artists who have either never had a serialization before or at most been serialized once. They talk less of those who have works that are available to read in English --from start to finish even! So with Tanabe-sensei we have the rare trifecta. Right now, thanks to VizMedia, you can read perhaps one of the best shonen manga ever: Kekkaishi in print (or digital), as well as the well regarded anime on Crunchyroll. Although that makes my job easier, there is still a wealth of Tanabe works that have not made the leap over. First, the artist herself.
She came onto the scene in 2000 winning the Shogakukan Rookie award for their work Yami no Naka (or “In the Darkness.”) which then lead to a proper debut in a special edition of Shonen Sunday R in 2002 with Lost Princess. Before striking out on the path of making her own series, Tanabe-sensei assisted Shonen Sunday alums Mitsuru Adachi and the author of Zatch Bell Makoto Raiku. Heck, Takenori Ichihara was even her first editor during the early days of Kekkaishi (see, I told you he'd be back!) So needless to say, Tanabe is an incredible talent that Shogakukan is blessed to have. Aside from the aforementioned, she's drawn a ton of oneshots and had other series.
Cover of Tanabe-sensei's short story collection Fake!
(Left: Yami no Naka, Right: Lost Princess.)
From the Fake oneshot.
From the get-go, Tanabe-sensei's art sensibilities are magnificent. Her current character sensibilities haven't changed too much since her debut, which to me suggests a strong sense of identity. As such she's able to focus more on creating an enticing page that draws the eye in, and even with her serialized works, that sense of scale and style isn't diluted in the least. Speaking of, she has had other serializations besides Kekkaishi and Kai-hen Wizards.
From Shuumatsu no Laughter
Shuumatsu no Laughter, otherwise known as “Laughter at the end of the World” is a one volume series that ran almost immediately after Kekkaishi's conclusion in 2012. At five chapters, it's a bit surprising no one has picked it up for English release (though I think I saw it in other languages, lucky them.) Though that might have something to do with it also not being available digitally in Japan as of this writing --which is equally odd, as everything else Tanabe-sensei has written aside from oneshots is digitally available. This series follows a demonic young man and his younger sister as they hunt other demons in a society overrun by evil.
From Birdmen
After the laughter, came Birdmen in 2013. Reminiscing upon Tanabe-sensei's works like this I realize now for a while she was constantly busy! From Kekkaishi in 2003 to 2011, to Shuumatsu no Laughter in 2012, and finally Birdmen in 2013 she essentially had something serialized at some point for ten years. No wonder she took a nearly four year break from serialization after Birdmen ended in 2020. Interestingly, while this series ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday, I want to say after the first volume's worth of chapters that it became a monthly serial. I can't recall if the reason for this was ever stated, but likely it was because at the time Tanabe-sensei couldn't keep up with a weekly schedule. Hopefully the same fate doesn't befall Kai-hen Wizards.
In yet another case of “No export for you” Birdmen is not officially available in English. We did cover it on the blog occasionally during it's run, but admittedly this isn't the same as reading it yourself. In this series, loner Eishi Karasuma has only one friend, Mikisada Kamoda. The two end up in a terrible bus accident, and to survive they have to make a contract with a mysterious Birdman which changes their lives forever.
If the hues of the promotional artwork didn't make it clear, this is a much darker story from Tanabe-sensei than her previous works. I admittedly haven't read it in it's entirety but what I did read grappled with real issues such as inferiority complexes, the nature of humanity, and life itself. I don't know if Kai-hen Wizards will head down a similar path as for now it feels more like Kekkaishi perhaps due to it's setting, but this series evidences that Tanabe-sensei can change up her writing style while retaining her unique voice.
Speaking of....which, I couldn't write a Tanabe review without talking about...
Tanabe-sensei's first serial is a tough act to follow, and for good reason. It just does everything right. Interesting and relatable leads? Check. Beautiful artwork? Check. Strong Female characters? Check. Amazing worldbuilding? And how. Heck, it even won the 52nd Shogakukan manga award in 2007. There's nothing I can ding the series for other than ending and leaving me alone in a world without it. (But that’s what re-reads are for!) VizMedia completing the series means it's accessible to anyone in its entirety, and the Viz Vault makes it so you don't have to carry around 35 volumes of the series to throw at---I mean, convince others to read. Though it won't take much convincing, as the series is an all-time classic from chapter one. I could gush about this series for a few more paragraphs, but we're here to talk about...
The Serial
Kai-hen Wizards
Weekly Shonen Sunday issue #42
Starting in Issue #42 of Weekly Shonen Sunday is Yellow Tanabe's 4th serial, Kai-hen Wizards. The blurb says it is an “Oriental Fantasy” series.
The Premise
First off, no, this isn't an illusion. That is English you're reading. Viz surprised everyone with a last minute game changer by announcing the series would be available as a simulpub mere hours after the Japanese version launched. Which is to say as of this writing this is the first new WSS serial Viz has picked up for same day release, well, ever! While Tsumiki and KimiWaru got picked up after the fact, this one was fresh out of the oven, so to speak. I get why, though. Kekkaishi may not have set the world aflame (sadly), but it did get a complete run, so Tanabe-sensei isn't an unknown in English-speaking markets, and with Call of the Night's conclusion, along with mainstays like Detective Conan and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End having at best irregular serializations it makes sense to jump in on something that's “safe”. This is great for me as I can take off my translator cap for this one and speak more on what I like about the series.
Kai-hen Wizards can be directly translated as “Transforming/Changing Borders Wizard” which doesn't give us much to go on (other than the completely understandable reason why Viz left the word “kai-hen” untranslated.) It's an enigmatic title for an enigmatic series. Which if I had a nickle for female created sequel series that are currently serialized in Sunday that eschew their former works that were more action heavy for a more suspenseful atmosphere, I'd have two nickles. Which isn't much but intriguing, it's happening twice.
What we do know so far is this is a realm where magic is real, and one wizard --Zemu, has it in spades but is not willing to share. In comes an amnesiac prince whose eyes are extremely valuable and the implication that he did...something that caused a terrible incident to occur. That's it. That's what we know so far. Tanabe-sensei is taking her time to slowly drip feed information to the reader rather than give a good ol' data dump, and I think the series is better for it. Instead, we're introduced to other wizards and the prince (who as of chapter 8 still has no name)'s ambition to go back to where he came from, even if he's not completely sure where that is.
Once again the artwork steals the show in this series, going from nightmare fuel to gorgeous landscapes, all wrapped in a sense of wonder and mystery. Suspense series tend to dial more into dialog and character than artwork, but Tanabe-sensei ensures that every part of this work is in tandem to deliver a delectable delight. So much so that it's easy to get lost in the storytelling and realize that every answer gives birth to a myriad of questions. The prince's eyes are said to have the power to revive the dead, and as pictured above, someone important to him might have died, or worse been killed.
Even moreso is the implication that the wizards themselves serve a purpose aside from being conduits of magic --and that purpose may be something that functions both as a simple to understand but very sinister to consider....revenge. Revenge against what or who isn't clear, for now at least... The nameless prince's ambition, the wizards' duties, and of course the idea that there is something among them that can kill magic are all elements of the series. They imply if nothing else that they do not have a lot of time left before a cataclysmic something happens. And yet, Tanabe's character focused storytelling doesn't feel as if it's dillydallying. Rather, it's part of the woven tapestry that is the world of Kai-hen Wizards, existing in a mutualistic relationship where the characters are just as much a part of the world as the world would not exist without them.
Shout out to the localization team on the series as well, as any simulpub has to be labor-intensive what with the time crunch of getting these out week to week, but even moreso with Tanabe-sensei's artwork, and the vauge sense of the storytelling making translation from Japanese to English important. I don't know if the translator, Christine Dashiell or the letterer John Hunt will ever read this, but if they do, I want them to know your work is appreciated and looks incredible!
The Verdict
This section is becoming the hardest one to write lately. Not because I'm not enjoying the story, far from it! More so due to me finding it hard to really rate these things even after weeks go by and the overall narrative structure becomes clear. Kai-hen Wizards is another example of a story that can be discussed on a basic level, but I feel like that's not good enough. It takes the author's previous works and recontextualizes parts of them into something fresh, and intriguing. Be it Kekkaishi's supernatural atmosphere, or the implications of the darker story that lurks beneath the surface a la, Birdmen, this series can be read as an extension of those or on its own merits. Most importantly however is how there's something in these opening chapters for everyone, akin to Tanabe-sensei's other series. That ultimately is her magic, that she can write stories that appeal to everyone, and it doesn't come off as a buzz word to get people to open up their wallets. Tanabe-sensei truly is the people's mangaka, and Kai-hen Wizards is another entry into her pool of work that proves it.
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