jaebility | Review: One Fine Day (manga)

Last year at some point, I went to a con and came home with a free big selection of upcoming comics published by Yen. I flipped through most of the comics unimpressed until I found One Fine Day. Fast forward to last week; I had a coupon from Borders and happened to pass by their manga/anime section as I looked for a book. Volume one of One Fine Day! That coupon went to a good use.

When I say that OFD is cute, I mean it. This comic is adorable and sweet from start to finish. Magician No-Ah has inherited an old house, and the comic follows the daily life of the house's inhabitants - Not just No-Ah, but also kitten Guru, puppy Nanai, and baby mouse Rang. Characters switch from human to animal forms without explanation; each form is adorable. Sirial gives no explanation to this nor draws attention to the change, which was fine with me. The art style is perfect for the stories - breezy and loose. Some scenes are simplistic, but the sketchy design fits with the gentle feel of the stories.

My only complaint is the quality of the physical book. Del Ray and Toyko Pop's graphic novels have spoiled me; the paper and the cover are flimsy and already showing signs of wear. There no are extras, no notes from the translators or sneak-peeks of the upcoming volumes.

But that's the only flaw, and the quality of the art and the stories make up for this imperfection. Sometimes I just need a break from it all - OFD is like a breath of spring air. Sweet without becoming saccharine. I haven't found much on Sirial on Google, but I hope s/he continues to produce comics. I'll definitely get the third book when it comes out in September.