Hey all, Sam here.
It feels fun to be writing a review for this particular manga series (even if it’s the first volume of the spin-off) when they just announced that the anime adaptation will be getting a second season, and I am super excited about that. David and I were watching the first season of the anime together but we got a bit busy with everything, so we need to get caught up before season two comes this fall.
Anyway, I’m feeling pretty good about my reading and writing and blogging and everything. It’s Camp NaNoWriMo time. I’m keeping up with my daily word count goals, and really enjoying the projects I’m working on. I am still keeping the blogs coming each day, which is great. I’m managing to get back to my old habit of reading like 15-20 books each month. And I’m back to working a full-time job again. It’s all just pretty awesome.
Okay, let’s jump into today’s Manga Monday review post!
Aira Misono is a run-of-the-mill high school girl. She never imagined that she’d be summoned to another world, let alone declared its savior. Yet from the moment the handsome Prince Kyle lays eyes on her, he’s convinced that she’s the long-awaited Holy Saint destined to banish darkness from his world. Aira herself maintains significant doubts. Is she really up to this challenge? She might be able to use magic, but is she really a Saint? Aira’s fears and struggles only deepen when the woman summoned alongside her begins to look more and more like the one who truly deserves that title.
My Thoughts
Rating: 5 stars
Don’t get me wrong…I adore Sei as a main character, and I really do enjoy the main series, but finding out that there was going to be a spin-off/companion series that gives more insight into Aira’s time in this other world.
We’ve known that the Saint summoning ritual brought two young women to the world, and because of Prince Kyle, it was believed that Aira was the true Saint and Sei was just a bonus or a side effect or something. But after that we pretty much are wholly focused on Sei, and only get to see Aira in passing a couple times. I know for me, at least, I was curious what was going on with this Other Saint.
Part of this volume is basically a reiteration of what we’ve seen in a couple different volumes of the main series, but other than that we get to see Aira in magic lessons, and discovering a high aptitude with a few different magical affinities, something that makes her stand apart and above other magic users in the world, while also making her unique among our Saints as well.
But Aira basically having Saint level power in magic other than just Holy magic makes me wonder if we’re building up to some HUGE problem in the world, something that will actually require two Saints.
It was interesting to follow Aira around in this volume, especially seeing how she is basically kept so separate and isolated. I felt a bit sorry for her. But I think things are going to start really changing for her, especially as it has become more clear that Sei is the Saint that was summoned. It takes a lot of the weight and pressure off of Aira’s shoulders, but also leaves her wondering what her life and future look like since she is also now trapped in this new world and new life.
I think this was a nice introductory episode to what could be a pretty great companion series. I look forward to seeing how Aira grows and changes. I still need to buy Volume 2, so hopefully I can do that fairly soon and have another review for this series up in the near future.
Well that’s all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
Free State of Geek 