SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

August 19, 2009 by Snow Wildsmith

Summer Reading Challenge: Utahime

August 19, 2009 by Snow Wildsmith   Leave a Comment

There is a kingdom where peace is maintained by two forces: the male king and his male heirs and the female songstresses and their female descendants. The king runs the kingdom and the songstresses nightly sing their song of protection. But the balance has been thrown off in one small region of the kingdom. Against all odds the next songstress born…is male.

Utahime: The Songstress
Aki
Age Rating: 16+
Digital Manga, March 2009, ISBN 978-1-56970-044-0
Number of pages, $12.95

Aki’s one-volume manga is moody and pretty at the same time. It’s not a story that is going to end with all of the characters living happily ever after, but that’s okay and readers will like it for its pathos. The main character, Kain, is a gloomy young man, quick to anger, whose outlook on life was shaped by a childhood of being the only one who was there to protect his mother and twin sister. The little family was trapped in their songstress tower together, bound by the royal degree that wouldn’t let songstresses abandon their posts. So he’s never known a world where he can trust others and even those who seem to be trustworthy, such as his village’s young chief, Thomas, are looked upon as dangerous by Kain. Thomas, for his part, loves Kain’s family and wants to do right by them, but is bound by his duty to his village. Unlike Kain, Thomas, and Kain’s sister Maria, the rest of the characters aren’t as well thought out. There are a number of convenient characters, whose existence is there more to move the story towards its slightly more hopeful if still melancholy end, rather than because they are flesh-and-blood people.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Aki’s art is very pretty, even if it doesn’t move much away from the typical shojo style. The characters are young looking and have large expressive eyes, but they are distinct enough from each other to be identifiable and they are attractive enough to catch the eye of shojo readers. Clothing and setting seems to be a mix of sword-and-sorcery fantasy design, but more subtle, fitting for a subtler story. Touches of humor are deftly inserted into the tale and serve to keep it from being depressing and to help flesh out the main characters.

Even with the rather pat nature of some characters and the almost rushed feeling of the resolution, Utahime is still a touching story. Manga fans who are looking for something a little different, more thoughtful, will enjoy this quiet tale. It is followed by a shorter, darker tale about a young assassin whose reluctance about his new job may be his undoing. Rather than being an action story, Aki turns this into an examination of the nature of evil. Combined with the title story, this makes for a collection that examines the relationship aspects of shojo literature, rather than just the romance. A nice addition to a larger manga collection or a good choice if you don’t have the budget for a longer series.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Digital Manga Publishing.

Filed under: Manga, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Snow Wildsmith

Snow Wildsmith is a writer and former teen librarian. She has served on several committees for the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association, including the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award Committee. She reviews graphic novels for Booklist, ICv2's Guide, No Flying No Tights, and Good Comics for Kids and also writes booktalks and creates recommended reading lists for Ebsco's NoveList database. Currently she is working on her first books, a nonfiction series for teens.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

June 2022

The Elusive Samurai, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

May 2022

Sakamoto Days, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

May 2022

Orochi: The Perfect Edition, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

April 2022

Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

April 2022

Minami Nanami Wants to Shine, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Yarn LIVE at ALA 2022!

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Publisher Preview: Ellen Myrick (Part Three!)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review | Red and Rover: Fun’s Never Over

by Mike Pawuk

Heavy Medal

Mock Newbery Update – Our List of First Half Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Mail: Dachshunds, monsters, magic, climate change, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Graphic Novels for Cat Lovers

15 Franco-Belgian Comics That Go Beyond "Tintin"

13 Graphic Novels To Look Forward to in 2020 | Stellar Panels 

Graphic Novel Series Updates for Both Die-Hard Fans and New Readers

10 YA Graphic Novels About the LGBTQIA+ experience | Stellar Panels

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2022


COPYRIGHT © 2022