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July 7, 2010 by Lori Henderson

Review: One Fine Day Volume 1

July 7, 2010 by Lori Henderson   5 comments

In a green roofed house covered in ivy, at the end of a red and blue brick walk, three animals and their friend have fun and magical adventures that can only be found in the simple pleasures of the every day. Put down that book, pull up a sunbeam and cookie, and rediscover the joy that can be found in One Fine Day.

One Fine Day Volume 1
By Sirial
All Ages
Yen Press; January 2010, ISBN: 978-0-7595-3056-0
168 pgs., $10.99

One Fine Day is an all ages title from Yen Press, and one of their few offerings. It’s a manhwa, or a Korean comic, and is a slice of life title. It follows the everyday adventures of novice magician No-ah Fineday and his three pets; Nanai the dog, Guru the cat and Rang the mouse.

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The characters are very likable. Nanai, the dog, is serious and studious. He loves to read. Guru, the cat, loves to go out in the rain and picking fights with Nanai. Rang, the mouse, is the little girl of the group, who loves sweets. These three are like siblings, playing, fighting, and taking care of each other. No-ah is a kind and gentle man, with a great deal of patience. All together they make a happy family.

Each chapter shows the four friends doing normal, everyday things, such as laundry, going to the pharmacy, going on a picnic, and working a part-time job. What makes reading about these mundane tasks fun is the way the animals get through them. Nanai and Guru have a harrowing experience going to the pharmacy by themselves and all three enjoy a picnic with No-ah dead tired from working so much. Because Nanai, Guru and Rang are animals, they see things differently, sometimes very innocently. Nanai and Guru try to be helpful and responsible by going to the pharmacy by themselves to get medicine for No-ah, but it’s Rang who saves the day, by thinking about how the medicine might feel.

The animals all appear in a human form most of the time, but when they are doing chores or going outside, they appear and are still limited by, their animal form. Guru can fold laundry neatly because of his nimble cat form. He does a series of acrobatic flips to get it all right. Nanai, who’s not so nimble, fumbles with the task more. And poor, small Rang need help reaching the cabinets to put the towels away. So the animal forms aren’t just a gimmick. They still are a dog, cat, and mouse, no matter their outward appearance.

The stories are cute and fun to read. “Cookie-Baking Day” is about Nanai, Guru and Rang using their paws as cookie cutters. “Snowy, Snowy Day” has the housemates cleaning up the attic to have a party with the fairies of the antique furniture stored in it. Both boys and girls can enjoy them as they are neither too cute nor too action packed. There is no violence to speak of. Nanai and Guru do have their disagreements, as one would expect from a dog and cat, but there’s really nothing objectionable at all in the volume.

The art has a unique look to it, especially No-ah and his squiggly hair, but it fits in with the stories. It’s cute, but in a way anyone can appreciate. Magical and fun, One Fine Day is fun reminder of what it was like to discover the joy in everyday things. It’s a great title to add to an elementary or middle school library.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Yen Press.

Filed under: All Ages, Manga, Reviews, Uncategorized

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About Lori Henderson

Lori Henderson is a mother of two teenage daughters and an avid reader. She blogs about manga at her personal blog Manga Xanadu as well as contributing and editing for Manga Village. She blogs about all things fandom (mainly Doctor Who) at her other personal blog Fangirl Xanadu. She's been at it so for over 5 years now and counting!

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Comments

  1. Donna Coleman says

    July 9, 2010 at 9:20 pm

    I was looking for a comic that was good for elementary age students and one both boys and girls would enjoy. I didn’t want a lot of violence in it. Also, I did not want anything objectionable in it. One Fine Day could be added to my elementary library.

  2. Katherine Dacey says

    July 11, 2010 at 12:29 am

    Donna: I agree with Lori’s assessment of One Fine Day: it’s very cute and free of objectionable content. My only reservation about the series is that the first volume is choppy — there are a lot of gaps between the panels that might confuse a reader who’s new to graphic novels. The second volume (which is also available now) is a much smoother ride, and would be great for kids in grades 3 and up. N.B. A reader can figure out what’s happening without reading the first volume, as the stories are generally self-contained.

Trackbacks

  1. New comics and old favorites « MangaBlog says:
    July 8, 2010 at 12:42 pm

    […] on vol. 50 of InuYasha (Comic Attack) Tangognat on vol. 1 of Kobato (Tangognat) Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of One Fine Day (Good Comics for Kids) Todd Douglass on Romeo x Juliet (Anime Maki) Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of Twin […]

  2. The Manga Critic » Blog Archive » Friday Procrastination Aides, 7/9/10 says:
    July 9, 2010 at 5:48 am

    […] on the web, Lori Henderson reviews One Fine Day and I tackle Arata: The Legend at Good Comics for Kids… the Graphic Novel Reporter gang […]

  3. Manhwa Monday: Mid-Season Poll « Manhwa Bookshelf says:
    July 12, 2010 at 9:50 pm

    […] reviews for me to pass along. First, at Good Comics for Kids, Lori Henderson reviews volume one of One Fine Day (Yen Press). At Manga Life, Charles Webb gives us a first-timer’s look at volume nine of […]

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