Princess Ai: Ultimate Edition

Princess Ai [プリンセス·アイ物語] #1-3

by D.J. Milky (Created and written by), Courtney Love (Created by), Misaho Kujiradō (Illustrated and written by)

Relive the amazing journey of Ai-Land's most outrageous princess—collected here as one compete volume!

A Dive torn from Chaos... a Savoir doomed to Love...

Ai finds herself lost on the cold, hard streets of Tokyo, where she must piece together clues about who she is, why she's on Earth, and the secret of the heart-shaped box she carries. As the story unfolds, the burgeoning music star struggles against conspirators and her own conflicted emotions... all as she searches for a way to bring peace to her troubled homeland.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Music, Comics, Young Adult

592 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2007

About the author

D.J. Milky is the author pen name of creator and entrepreneur Stu Levy.

Born in Los Angeles, Stu is the founder, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer of the manga media company TOKYOPOP. Stu also produces, directs, and writes for graphic novels, film, and television. His preeminent work "Princess Ai" debuted at #1 on the National Bookscan charts for Graphic Novels.

Stu’s creative works include writing the children’s novels “Sailor Moon – A Scout is Born”, “Sailor Moon – The Power of Love”, and “Karma Club”; children’s books “Stray Sheep” and “Kung Fu Klutz & Karate Cool”; and the graphic novels “Juror 13” and the “Princess Ai” series, created with Courtney Love. He has also translated manga volumes of “Parasyte”, “Sailor Moon”, “Ice Blade” and “Magic Knight Rayearth”. He also has written and produced a series of songs including anime theme songs and a soundtrack from “Princess Ai”.

Stu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics/Business from UCLA and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He studied at Tokyo University and Keio University in Japan and is a California attorney. Currently, Stu chairs the Producer Guild of America's International Committee and was previously a Board Member of its New Media Council. He is fluent in Japanese.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα graphic novel που διάβασα πολλά χρόνια πριν, με πρωταγωνίστρια μια πριγκίπισσα που προσγειώνεται στη σύγχρονη εποχή (στο Τόκιο) και προσπαθεί να βγάλει άκρη με το ποια είναι και τι πρέπει να κάνει!
Τώρα τι κοινό έχει αυτό με τη ζωή της Courtney Love, που γράφει πίσω ότι είναι εμπνευσμένο από τη ζωή της δεν ξέρω (και δεν με νοιάζει να πω την αλήθεια). Η ιστορία είναι πάντως ενδιαφέρουσα και χαριτωμένη!

[Carson]

Now a huge fan of Hole, this was how I first heard about Courtney Love. Seriously. My parents were kind of making fun of me for reading something by her and I didn't get what the big deal was.
So they explain who she is. I have nothing but sympathy for her.
Now I have read all of Princess Ai and I listen to Celebrity Skin fully several times a month. I love these books.

[Ada · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Thoughts before reading***
I've only read volume 1&2 in Dutch because that was everything I could find at the time. I remember that the story was bonkers but every time I tried to get rid of it I just couldn't. The fact that Courtney Love's name is on the cover helped. My sisters adored Kurt Cobain and somehow I got trained to have an attachment to everything that's attached to him 😑.

I'm curious to find out how it ended (or even what it was about)

***Thoughts after reading***
... That was dumb.

***Read for the Manga Olympics Reading Challenge***
Runs from Friday July 23 to Sunday August 8

The person responsible for this challenge is Christy Lou on YouTube . They announced this challenge in their Manga Olympics Reading Challenge! | Announcement video. They have made a lovely bingo board which you can find on their Twitter

CHALLENGES
Complete 5 Challenges for a Bronze Medal
Complete 8 Challenges for a Silver Medal
Complete all 17 Challenges for a Gold Medal

I’ll try to read a different manga for every prompt but I don’t know how successful I’ll be. I’ve read this manga for the prompt:
16. Weightlifting: Read the manga that's been on your TBR the longest

1. Triathlon: Read a whole Series
Love in Limbo by Haji, vol.1 and Love in Limbo by Haji, vol.2
2. Swimming: Read a Sports manga
High School Debut (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 by Kawahara, Kazune
3. Track & Field: Read a Short series (4 vols or less!)
Escape Journey, Vol. 1 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka, Escape Journey, Vol. 2 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka, and Escape Journey, Vol. 3 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka
4. Sailing: A manga that gives you summer vibes
Love Hina, Vol. 01 by Akamatsu, Ken
5. Gymnastics: Read a manga with a female main character
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 1 by Tsurutani, Kaori
6. Taekwondo: Read an Action Manga
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 7 by Arakawa, Hiromu
7. Tokyo 2020: Read a manga set in Tokyo
Manga to come
8. Skateboarding: Read a new release
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 3 by Tsurutani, Kaori. Published in December 2020 and I’m counting a half year as a ‘new release’.
9. Fencing: Read a fantasy manga
Revolutionary Girl Utena Complete Deluxe Box Set, second volume by Saitō Chiho
10. Table Tennis: Read a manga recommended by a Manga content creator
Spy x Family, Vol. 1. I needed an easy recommendation and it just so happened the moment I was looking for one the YouTuber Swiss Bohemian recommended this series in their I like 'em, those japanese comics! (manga collection video tour 4K) video. So I’ll just re-read this volume for this challenge.
11. Shooting: Read something outside your comfort zone
Chobits 20th Anniversary Edition, vol. 1 by CLAMP
12. Rugby: Read a Shonen/Seinen
Love Hina, Vol. 02 by Akamatsu, Ken
13. Cycling: Read a Shojo/Josei
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 by Shiina, Karuho
14. Volleyball: Read a manga you've been excited for
Don't Call Me Dirty by Kanbe, Gorou
15. Archery: Read an underrated Manga
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 2 by Tsurutani, Kaori
17. Softball: A manga that features an ensemble cast
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol 2 by Fujita

[Alles Allerlei · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 von 5 Sternen

Eine etwas andere Art von Magical Girl Manga
Prinzipielle fand ich den Manga wirklich gut, ich mochte die Story und auch die Massge die er verbrieten soll.
Leider jedoch wirkten die Charaktere für mich dann doch zu flach und oberflächlich.
Bei den nebencharakteren fehlte mir z.B. komplett das verständniss wieso sie einige Dinge taten die sie taten. Bei unserer Protagonistin war das schon mehr verständlich, jedoch auch stellenweise noch sehr pberflächlich.
Auch das Tempo war gewöhnungsbedürfdig. Zog es sich an menshen Stellen, so ging es mir an anderen wieder viel zu schnell.

Insgesammt weine wirklich schöne Geschichte mit einem wunderschönen Zeichenstil wo es jedoch an der Umsetzung ein bisschen harperte und ich mir diesbezüglich verbesserung vorstellen könnte.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really would've liked to have seen more of the revolution. It was very slow-paced on that and more focused on the romance. The end was a tad odd because in one moment she is saying she will always be together even if she returns but the epilogue shows her still here. Anyway, an end-note explains the plot will continue in other mediums. It was interesting but not enough for me to go find the rest.

[Kelly Louise Borg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A visually aesthetically pleasing manga series however the plot is lacklustre and feels rushed. The transitions between panels seem rushed and not as thought out as other series I’ve read. It had such potential but didn’t really go anywhere. Also, it’s aimed at teens who are 13+ but the language (as in swearing) is more adult.

[Vivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A personal nostalgia bomb. It's Tokyopop's typical 3-volume mess. The story is bog-standard mary sue tale loosely (and boy do I mean loosely) based off of Courtney Love's rise to fame. The artwork is attractive and gorgeous, but there isn't much else here.

[Wrenna Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to like this book when I was younger. Now that I am older it just doesn't hit the same way. It was my first manga that I ever read. So, it will always be a part of my stories of reading.

[Phantoms_Fury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful put together. It was worth reading.

[Flusspelz Aka Flussi · Rating 3 out of 5]

borrowed this Manga from the library and I did not understand the ending at all... seemed a bit rushed in the end

[Soobie is expired · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I was curious about this one. I remember seeing the luscious covers at the comic book stores years ago and the memory kept nagging me till I bought this second hand. I have to admit the covers designed by Ai Watase were way better than this one but yeah, this was cheaper.

I honestly didn’t care about Courtney Love. She did a couple of good songs back in the days but I didn’t read this one because of her name. I'm not sure I like the image she gives of herself.

It was surprisingly good. I mean, I was expecting something as bad as Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes, Vol. 1 but it was unexpectedly way better than that. Not a masterpiece, of course, but I enjoyed reading it and the art was quite good. The author took her time in drawing the clothes and the various critters that appear here.

I don’t understand why Ai should always wear tattered clothes but me and fashion, yeah, we don’t get along that well. And if Ai should be Courtney Love on paper, well even Ai dresses more tastefully in confront to Courtney Love.

There are winged creatures here and music. This winged girl with no memory of her past that becomes a very famous music diva even if at least two different groups of people try to kill her. I didn’t care about the lyrics ‘cause I don’t think they mean something without music in the background. But the way this story was told did it for me.

I really liked the secondary characters: Jen, Kent, Fa’an (even if I didn’t understand his role at the beginning), Takeshi and Yoshi. The one I disliked the most was Hikaru: too many stereotypes on one person.

The story was interesting and it made me keep reading. Sometimes I would lose track of who’s who but that’s my fault. Too many sisters with weird wings and I couldn’t tell them apart. The part about music was a bit difficult to believe but hey, this is a fantasy world.

I may read the volume #4 and #5 if I can find them at a reasonable price.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pop star theme seems to crop up pretty often in manga series: Gravitation and Skip Beat are just a couple. There really is a manga out there to fill every niche of interest, however--and while Gravitation juxtaposes boy love and Skip Beat plays for laughs, Princess Ai is really all about the fashion. The style of the artwork is in a similar vein as Bizenghast or CLAMP's xxholic. Look for lush, intricate detail and variety with Ai's costumes throughout. The visual appeal of this manga is high beyond a doubt, and for some this will more than compensate for the weak plot and two-dimensional characters.

This ultimate collection takes the reader through the princess's sudden appearance on earth and (ostensibly) her journey to retrieve her memories and find clues to her past. In reality though, it's like a pretty convenient excuse for her to hang out around earth and flirt with the glam life of a pop star. The "songs" interspersed throughout are overwrought, one is actually uninentionally funny ("Broken Leash") and all feel slightly clunky (although Courtney Love's contribution is definitely the best of the lot).

Age Recommendation 12+
Outside of Ai's parade of cleavage-friendly Gothic Lolita getups and a (very brief) scene in a gentlemen's club (during which you see nothing) this ultimate collection is actually pretty darn tame. The violence amounts to a couple of brief but intense skirmishes (one ends with the two principals becoming friends)and some archery. A gun is waved a couple of times to no purpose. Even the deaths of major characters either happen offstage or indirectly. I would say the target audience here is probably a 14-15 year old girl, because they're going to appreciate the fashion element and the turbulent emotions behind the songs, but there's really nothing all that scandalous here.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the copy I own, and it's great! Nit only does it have all three books in it, but it also has extra things, like the lyrics for all of the songs, pictures, and a lot more. This book is so thick, it takes up a lot of space in my backpack! Anyway, this is a piece of art. As everyone can tell, I love Princess Ai! *cough, cough, my picture, cough* When I first saw this book, I wasn't going to buy it because it's fantasy and I hate fantasy, but it's not the kind of fantasy I thought it would be. It was funny, cute, romantic, and fantasy all at once. So, yes, read it and see what I mean. It's very inspiring, too. It'll want to make you write your own manga!

[Anat]

The plot is silly, but the kind of silly that keeps you reading. The art is lovely - and the absurd gothic-lolita outfits are simply gorgeous.

Even if the sensational "Ai" is an alter ego of Courtney Love, she easily managed fitting a shoujo manga like this, and had even me liking her (in a way).

The ridiculing of gay Hikaru and the drag Yoshi was a improper, and same with Ai's impulsive behaviour - it didn't contirbute much to the plot, in my opinion.



You could also read between the lines some wise words - the importance of happiness, love and positive energy that influence our surrounders.

[papalbina · Rating 1 out of 5]

No es que sea malo, pero he leído demasiados shojos en mi vida para encontrar este interesante. Demasiada historia en poco espacio condensada... La protagonista es bipolar, aunque tiene su punto, Kent es así como raro, pero mono... y el mejor de todos es Hikaru xDD

En general, me pareció una historia ñoña y sosa, normalmente los shojos me hacen reír, pero este ni eso ¬¬

Y alguien puede explicarme qué significó esa última escena en la que parece que están en Ai-Land pero Kent anda por ahí rondando?? fO.o

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first tankobon volume so I bought this to make sure I had everything. Sadly the first volume was the best, and the story became more vacuous as it went on. Oh well, at least it was short. The artwork is still gorgeous.

[Ari Half Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, short manga that doesn't force you to read piles of books. Beautiful illustrations and an intruguing plot. This is probably the most-read book on my manga shelf.

[Janepage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good so far! My friend is giving it to me on loan, but I don't know if I'll give it back!

[*Sklip* · Rating 4 out of 5]

*review to come*

[Mherhean Giray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reaing this book because it's fasanating and her life from earth to her world is exciting. It has a hero in this story.

[Xiauyu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty art~ and quite a positive manga.

[Marita · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute!!

[Holly Letson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series years ago. I remember that I liked it quite well.