Arata: The Legend, Vol. 18

アラタカンガタリ~ 革神語 [Arata Kangatari] #18

by Yuu Watase

Both Arata of the Hime and Arata Hinohara come under attack by members of the Six Sho, a group from Hinohara's world who found themselves in the other, gained great power, and now wish to return home for reasons more sinister than just being homesick. Arata of the Hime is tasked with protecting his classmate and friend Oribe, who turns out to be a lot more than either of them suspected, while Arata Hinohara faces perhaps his greatest challenger yet among the Six Sho—Isora, who wields the power of the written word!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Shonen, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2013

About the author

Yuu Watase (渡瀬悠宇) is a Japanese shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume continues where volume 17 left off, with Arata in Japan. It's good to see how he is getting by, but it also seems like there isn't much left to his storyline. There will be a big fight between him and Harunawa (the sho that switched with Kadowaki) at some point. Oribe will also unlock her powers at some point. I don't think those events will take up many pages of the remaining story.

Back in Amawakuni, Hinohara and his gang have run into trouble again. This time the challenge revolves around the written word (sho Isora cannot speak and uses words to trap people). Oh and Hinohara has to deal with a few unruly kids...

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just not that into it.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demonization in the real world...
And the main cast in the other world getting turned into 5yr olds...
Where's this going??

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isora may possibly be my favorite of the 6 Sho...he uses words to fight!!

ahhh this was a fast volume - Kannagi, Yataka, and Kotoha all got turned into kids by Isora and Mikusa is kinda just chilling as a captive.

and holy hime powers but Oribe is getting the hang of her Amatsuriki! meanwhile Kadowaki and Harunawa prove that they deserve no nice things ever.

[Jenny Derochemont]

I wonder what world Arata will choose to live in. I'd really like to see this be made into an anime. It's a great series and i wonder what will become of all the characters.