What do you think?
Rate this book
Psyren #9
PSYREN－サイレン－ 9
Yoshina Ageha is a high school student who offers to help people with their problems for 10,000 yen. He'll take care of your stalkers, find your lost animal, whatever you want. One day when he's heading home, a nearby pay phone rings, and he picks it up. The only thing he hears however is his own voice echoing. After finding a mysterious telephone card with the word 'Psyren' printed on it, his life suddenly changes as he is drawn into a crazy new world.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2010
6 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 25, 2024
CH 72-80
June 28, 2022
Listen I wanted to like Psyren, I really did. I was really taken in by its setting made more interesting by the mystery. But I’m starting to think that the shonen market is all about the vending machine effect, where what’s predictable sells. This made me a little sad because the author had a lot to say about books he reads and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that he has the taste to pull off a good story. Yet though either the pressure of his publisher or overabundance of characters to lasso a plot around, Psyren falls into the broad demographic of drab shonen that doesn’t impress me.
If it has one thing going for it it’s the premise. Psyren’s setting and stories are nestled between the venn diagram of Bleach and the Matrix. Except all of the action is Bleach and none of the thinking is the Matrix. Yet the mystery that’s initially set up of the contemporary world being so different from the Psyren wasteland was really compelling and hooked me to the story. I was at first impressed with the characters fixing time in the past present and present future, but that quickly waned after the characters had less of a reason to do it more for the sake of the plot than for themselves. And the semblance of characterization that was there consisted more of archetypes than substantial players of the game. The character models and designs are all really sharp and cool but didn’t add much more to the story, and that’s the story that was squeezed between explosions that took up whole and chapters.
The severe lack of motive is something I found made the books really flat overall. Save the world because you should save the world. Yet it sets up a whole mess of characters you don’t care if Ageha saves or not. Everyone he’s fighting to save he shared a comedic moment, brodown, boob grab or info dump in response to a question. The books never give the characters time to simmer and build on each other and the point of the series seems moot if that’s what we’re given. It had potential all the way through to elaborate on some interesting storylines, yet the final result is so top heavy from its characters it’s hard to say any of them were worth reading. I would say it’s worth reading if you’re looking for something different in shonen, even if it isn’t super different. But it certainly didn’t show me that the genre has mature or thoughtful stories to tell, but just gave me more pointy-haired high school sword flingers saving the world.
If it has one thing going for it it’s the premise. Psyren’s setting and stories are nestled between the venn diagram of Bleach and the Matrix. Except all of the action is Bleach and none of the thinking is the Matrix. Yet the mystery that’s initially set up of the contemporary world being so different from the Psyren wasteland was really compelling and hooked me to the story. I was at first impressed with the characters fixing time in the past present and present future, but that quickly waned after the characters had less of a reason to do it more for the sake of the plot than for themselves. And the semblance of characterization that was there consisted more of archetypes than substantial players of the game. The character models and designs are all really sharp and cool but didn’t add much more to the story, and that’s the story that was squeezed between explosions that took up whole and chapters.
The severe lack of motive is something I found made the books really flat overall. Save the world because you should save the world. Yet it sets up a whole mess of characters you don’t care if Ageha saves or not. Everyone he’s fighting to save he shared a comedic moment, brodown, boob grab or info dump in response to a question. The books never give the characters time to simmer and build on each other and the point of the series seems moot if that’s what we’re given. It had potential all the way through to elaborate on some interesting storylines, yet the final result is so top heavy from its characters it’s hard to say any of them were worth reading. I would say it’s worth reading if you’re looking for something different in shonen, even if it isn’t super different. But it certainly didn’t show me that the genre has mature or thoughtful stories to tell, but just gave me more pointy-haired high school sword flingers saving the world.
May 4, 2013
Psyren is crazy fun. I'm still waiting for it to hit the 4 star mark for me, but it's definitely more than 3. Looking forward to seeing what happens next (curse these cliffhangers!).
July 13, 2025
Having another faction of psychic fighters in the future, independent of our protagonists or WISE, could have been more interesting, but it looks like they're just lackeys here for Ageha to get a new power-up/training arc. We're going to actually learn about Nemesis Q, that's neat!
I am certainly tired of everyone lusting over Mari like that's all she's good for.
I am certainly tired of everyone lusting over Mari like that's all she's good for.
February 21, 2019
Mau gampar Usui.
Yah, dilaut masih ada ikan-ikan...
Yah, dilaut masih ada ikan-ikan...
March 19, 2015
Psyren takes place a carefully constructed world and its overarching plot continually builds chapter by chapter. Don't start here - it really must be read from the beginning.
After the surprising request at the end of last volume Ageha, Sakurako, and some unexpected allies head out on a rescue mission. The danger is coming from an unanticipated direction however, as W.I.S.E. is not the only force that has attained power in Psyren. The author has repeated done a wonderful job in this manga integrating side stories and tangential events with vital information on the world, powers and/or characters so nothing every feels extraneous or unimportant. The conflict here revolves around one who used Nemesis Q's game to his own ends, and the resulting battle has great action and adds new dimensions to our characters' understanding of Psi powers and their potential. I love the diversity and imagination Iwashiro shows in Psi powers while always playing by the previously established rules we've seen. To top it all off, a key figure in everything that's been happening is revealed, and some long awaited answers seem forthcoming.
No signs of slowing down as Psyren barrels into its second half. I'm enjoying the balance of action and intrigue immensely and am deeply invested in all the intertwined mysteries.
After the surprising request at the end of last volume Ageha, Sakurako, and some unexpected allies head out on a rescue mission. The danger is coming from an unanticipated direction however, as W.I.S.E. is not the only force that has attained power in Psyren. The author has repeated done a wonderful job in this manga integrating side stories and tangential events with vital information on the world, powers and/or characters so nothing every feels extraneous or unimportant. The conflict here revolves around one who used Nemesis Q's game to his own ends, and the resulting battle has great action and adds new dimensions to our characters' understanding of Psi powers and their potential. I love the diversity and imagination Iwashiro shows in Psi powers while always playing by the previously established rules we've seen. To top it all off, a key figure in everything that's been happening is revealed, and some long awaited answers seem forthcoming.
No signs of slowing down as Psyren barrels into its second half. I'm enjoying the balance of action and intrigue immensely and am deeply invested in all the intertwined mysteries.
July 5, 2014
Ageha and a group of friends (minus three of his longstanding teammates, two of whom have been teleported away and one of whom is too injured to accompany them, or even wake up) decide to do as Nemesis Q asked when it came to visit them and go visit the person controlling it, someplace called Dreameater Island.
But it's never that easy. WISE and the Elmore Gang aren't the only ones who survived. A pair of police who's been hassling our main characters in the present have also founded a small society and made a place for themselves with totalitarian rule and lies. They decide to try and take out Nemesis Q as well, and travel to Dreameater Island at the same time.
I really enjoyed the fighting in this volume because it showcased something that happens far too rarely in books like this - solid teamwork in battles. Switching out, misdirection, maneuvering enemies into position for other teammates... I really liked it.
A couple other things we get - Nemesis Q is not at all the sort of person I expected, and Amamiya takes a hit from an attack that seems to leave her okay at first, but targeted some of her memories.
But it's never that easy. WISE and the Elmore Gang aren't the only ones who survived. A pair of police who's been hassling our main characters in the present have also founded a small society and made a place for themselves with totalitarian rule and lies. They decide to try and take out Nemesis Q as well, and travel to Dreameater Island at the same time.
I really enjoyed the fighting in this volume because it showcased something that happens far too rarely in books like this - solid teamwork in battles. Switching out, misdirection, maneuvering enemies into position for other teammates... I really liked it.
A couple other things we get - Nemesis Q is not at all the sort of person I expected, and Amamiya takes a hit from an attack that seems to leave her okay at first, but targeted some of her memories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2015
I really enjoyed this volume. It's all about learning/finding Nemesis Q on Dreameater Island. With the changes to time there are new enemies and Ageha and friends have to deal with them while he also figures out how to deal with the weaknesses in his current melzez programs. Meeting the new villains was okay though they were no match for the Elmore gang. I did enjoy seeing Ageha get creative. I also loved seeing the Elmore gang in action. That has been the best part of the time change.
The art was incredible. Iwashiro is especially impressive with the way close ups are framed out and character presentations. I like how the fights are very clear with what is going on - I don't feel like I have to guess.
The only real reason this isn't a five star is I really missed Oboro. He has always impressed me with his quirky character and he was missed this time. It perhaps would be 4.5 if that option were available.
The art was incredible. Iwashiro is especially impressive with the way close ups are framed out and character presentations. I like how the fights are very clear with what is going on - I don't feel like I have to guess.
The only real reason this isn't a five star is I really missed Oboro. He has always impressed me with his quirky character and he was missed this time. It perhaps would be 4.5 if that option were available.
August 25, 2013
A pretty good volume. Much heavier on action than the previous volume, but the fight scenes were generally good. I'm a little disappointed at how easily the villains were defeated, but it makes sense that the Elmore kids are quite strong, and the methods they used were clever enough to more or less make up for it. In general, I found the various powers on display here to be pretty cool and interesting, one of the things I enjoy about this series as a whole. I'm glad that the story is getting close to revealing all the secrets, and I can tell volume ten is going to be really interesting.
January 6, 2016
Perfect! You get to see more of what the kids can do no that they're grown up and you also see who is behind Nemesis Q although they don't explain much about her. Good plot development and some great battle scenes!
August 21, 2013
man i really really enjoy the elmore wood children. :) 4 stars
March 4, 2014
One of my favorites to date. I love the future versions of the kids and how powerful they had become.
March 7, 2014
The elmore kids are so impressive! I also like the casual mentioning of crushes among the friends. Marie is my favorite but Kyle is a close second! Nemesis Q will finally make an appearance.
October 31, 2015
I thought this could have been done better but it seemed a little less determined than the volumes before it.
May 7, 2015
Like it
December 13, 2013
This series continues to blow my mind.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews