ST. LUNATIC HIGH SCHOOL (Yoru ni mo Makezu!, “Don’t Give In Even to the Night!”) (夜ニモマケズ！) • Majiko! • Tokyopop (2003) • Kadokawa Shoten (Asuka, 2004-2005) • 2 volumes • Shôjo Fantasy Comedy • 13+ (mild language, mild violence, mild sexual situations)
Niko Kanzaki, a girl, and Atchan, her big brother, are forced by poverty to work and study at the mysterious St. Lunatic High School. To her shock, Niko is assigned to the secret “night classes,” where she is the only human among a class of monsters, skeletons, pumpkin-heads and other ridiculous ghoulies—and Ren-kun, a hot, pointy-eared demon boy. Majiko’s super-cute visual style and gag sense carries this formulaic but well-drawn school comedy manga. The characters have huge chibi heads on skinny pipe-cleaner bodies, the backgrounds are full of Gothic bats, shadows and crescent moons, and the characters are memorably absurd. If anything, the fun is over too soon, although the second volume is slightly less inventive than the first.
Here’s a series which doesn’t break new ground in terms of story, but whose art is stylish enough that I give it high marks. Today’s winner is Jennifer F. of Massachusetts! Congratulations, Jennifer!
We also have a new photo of a previous winner, not just a manga fan but an artist herself… Ash!
I’m glad you liked “Alive,” Jennifer! I’ll send you out some more copies of the series ASAP! As for the rest of you folks, keep signing up, I’ve still got 2,000+ more manga to give out!
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