What do you think?
Rate this book
Mai: The Psychic Girl #1
Mai: The Psychic Girl, Volume 1
Penultimate volume of the story of the ordinary Japanese girl with extraordinary powers. This is the third in a four-volume collection of one of Japan's most popular "manga".
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Kazuya Kudo
98 books4 followersJapanese Profile: 工藤かずや
Kazuya Kudo is a Japanese novelist and manga author from Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture.
Kazuya Kudo is a Japanese novelist and manga author from Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 23, 2021
Ini dulu diterbitin di sini, sebanyak 8 volume oleh penerbit yang kemudian kena bredel, dan diterjemahkan bukan dari versi Jepangnya tapi dari versi bhs. Inggris (Viz). Dan mungkin jangan-jangan ini manga pertama yang aku baca dulu (≧◡≦)
Ceritanya seru banget, Mai yang punya kemampuan psikokinesis dikejar-kejar oleh organisasi jahat (╯✧▽✧)╯ Tema 'sederhana-bin-udah-banyak-kepake' pun tetep bisa menarik tergantung penceritaannya. Nilai kurangnya cuma di editan, yang banyak dijumpai di komik-komik lawas. Apalagi karena ini diterjemahkan dari versi bhs. Inggris, sfx-nya hampir semua dibiarkan begitu aja dengan bunyi "vroomm", "bwoosh", "munch", dan lainnya ^^
Ceritanya seru banget, Mai yang punya kemampuan psikokinesis dikejar-kejar oleh organisasi jahat (╯✧▽✧)╯ Tema 'sederhana-bin-udah-banyak-kepake' pun tetep bisa menarik tergantung penceritaannya. Nilai kurangnya cuma di editan, yang banyak dijumpai di komik-komik lawas. Apalagi karena ini diterjemahkan dari versi bhs. Inggris, sfx-nya hampir semua dibiarkan begitu aja dengan bunyi "vroomm", "bwoosh", "munch", dan lainnya ^^
December 2, 2021
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)
From the July 1998 edition with a theme of "Manga Month!":
INTRODUCTION
It's manga month!
Viz Communications has been America's major importer/translator of Japanese comics for about a decade now. Eight months ago, Viz launched one of its boldest titles, PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS. As the title suggests, PULP is an anthology which features adult-oriented stories: more complex and more sexual than your standard manga imports. (Alert: You're going to see a plethora of nudity and sexual content warnings in this month's column. Obvious white-outs and obscuring speed lines lightly censor most stories, but this is pretty racy stuff, folks.)
I like the idea behind PULP, though the execution has been a little sloppy. In my reviews below, I'll try not to punish the Japanese creators by remarking upon the barely adequate lettering and extremely stiff dialogue imposed upon their work by Viz's production staff and team of translators, but I want my audience to be aware that PULP does not contain the top-of-the-line Japanese to American adaptation seen in the likes of LONE WOLF AND CUB or even MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL which is reviewed below. I hope the quality of PULP's adaptations improve, but I am happy to have access to the material regardless.
This month, Viz is collecting several of the more popular serials from PULP into trade paperback format. If you have a little money left in your budget after buying all of DC Comics #1,000,000 issues, here a few collections you might want to consider.
FROM THE BACKLIST
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL Volumes 1-4 (Viz Communications)
Hey, guys, (and I know most of you are guys) don't let the title throw you off. Sure, MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL is about a teenage girl with psychic powers. No, she doesn't have large breasts. No, she's not a "bad girl." As a matter of fact, she's a good girl in a good book.
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL is a good, old-fashioned adventure tale about a girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers and must confront the agencies and villains which try to capture, manipulate, and destroy her. If you've read Stephen King's "Firestarter" you already know the gist of MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL.
What makes MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL unique and desirable is the magnificent art of Ryoichi Ikegami and the solid script by Kazuya Kudo with translation by veteran comics scribe James D. Hudnall and Satoru Fujii. While Mai is an interesting character in her own right, her adventures are made more thrilling by the high caliber opponents she must face, especially her cold-blooded but enthralling nemesis, the German psychic girl named Turm Garten.
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL does contain a significant amount of nudity, but no sexual situations. Indeed, Mai's clothes are torn during a climactic battle with some psychic boys and she spends the last couple of chapters topless. I have mixed emotions about the repeated nude scenes of the adolescent heroine. For the most part, they are unnecessary, though tastefully executed. The topless finale is especially handled well and actually serves the plot. Still, the nudity seems exploitive and borders on pandering to pedophiles. While the target audience in Japan for MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL was teenage girls, here in America many parents would probably find it unsuitable for their children based on the excessive nudity. I give MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL leeway on this issue as it is a drawn fiction. If this were a movie or done in still pictures featuring a real adolescent girl I'm sure there would be justified outrage at its release.
Grade: B
From the July 1998 edition with a theme of "Manga Month!":
INTRODUCTION
It's manga month!
Viz Communications has been America's major importer/translator of Japanese comics for about a decade now. Eight months ago, Viz launched one of its boldest titles, PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS. As the title suggests, PULP is an anthology which features adult-oriented stories: more complex and more sexual than your standard manga imports. (Alert: You're going to see a plethora of nudity and sexual content warnings in this month's column. Obvious white-outs and obscuring speed lines lightly censor most stories, but this is pretty racy stuff, folks.)
I like the idea behind PULP, though the execution has been a little sloppy. In my reviews below, I'll try not to punish the Japanese creators by remarking upon the barely adequate lettering and extremely stiff dialogue imposed upon their work by Viz's production staff and team of translators, but I want my audience to be aware that PULP does not contain the top-of-the-line Japanese to American adaptation seen in the likes of LONE WOLF AND CUB or even MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL which is reviewed below. I hope the quality of PULP's adaptations improve, but I am happy to have access to the material regardless.
This month, Viz is collecting several of the more popular serials from PULP into trade paperback format. If you have a little money left in your budget after buying all of DC Comics #1,000,000 issues, here a few collections you might want to consider.
FROM THE BACKLIST
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL Volumes 1-4 (Viz Communications)
Hey, guys, (and I know most of you are guys) don't let the title throw you off. Sure, MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL is about a teenage girl with psychic powers. No, she doesn't have large breasts. No, she's not a "bad girl." As a matter of fact, she's a good girl in a good book.
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL is a good, old-fashioned adventure tale about a girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers and must confront the agencies and villains which try to capture, manipulate, and destroy her. If you've read Stephen King's "Firestarter" you already know the gist of MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL.
What makes MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL unique and desirable is the magnificent art of Ryoichi Ikegami and the solid script by Kazuya Kudo with translation by veteran comics scribe James D. Hudnall and Satoru Fujii. While Mai is an interesting character in her own right, her adventures are made more thrilling by the high caliber opponents she must face, especially her cold-blooded but enthralling nemesis, the German psychic girl named Turm Garten.
MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL does contain a significant amount of nudity, but no sexual situations. Indeed, Mai's clothes are torn during a climactic battle with some psychic boys and she spends the last couple of chapters topless. I have mixed emotions about the repeated nude scenes of the adolescent heroine. For the most part, they are unnecessary, though tastefully executed. The topless finale is especially handled well and actually serves the plot. Still, the nudity seems exploitive and borders on pandering to pedophiles. While the target audience in Japan for MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL was teenage girls, here in America many parents would probably find it unsuitable for their children based on the excessive nudity. I give MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL leeway on this issue as it is a drawn fiction. If this were a movie or done in still pictures featuring a real adolescent girl I'm sure there would be justified outrage at its release.
Grade: B
March 15, 2022
Wonderful art an story, so one of my favorites!
June 8, 2021
An okay read but that definitely feels dated. It's interesting to note how different manga storytelling is compared to the past. The writing and plot here are a bit clunky and a tad childish. There is a lack of smoothness in the way the story is told.
Drawing side, this is clearly an earlier work of Ryoichi Ikegami. He's come a long way since then. The backgrounds are not particularly clear and sometimes it's hard to understand what is happening when Mai uses her powers. However, his drawing of people is still, as ever, on point. Mai's daddy is just *chef's kiss*
Drawing side, this is clearly an earlier work of Ryoichi Ikegami. He's come a long way since then. The backgrounds are not particularly clear and sometimes it's hard to understand what is happening when Mai uses her powers. However, his drawing of people is still, as ever, on point. Mai's daddy is just *chef's kiss*
October 7, 2025
I love this story because I love its protagonist, holds so much meaning to me. Despite that, the way it hasn't aged very well but stands in a difficult position through the way it's built is a complex issue through my reading. The panels are brutally beautiful and the action is such a good pace in the beginning.
February 5, 2020
Re-read for me - still a classic of it's genre!
February 1, 2010
Selain Mai, kalau tidak salah waktu itu Misurind juga nerbitin Yawara-nya Naoki Urasawa, tapi cuma beberapa jilid saja. Sesudah itu kayaknya nggak nerbitin manga lagi deh.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews