365 Days of Manga, Day 41: Psychic Power Nanaki

PSYCHIC POWER NANAKI (Cho Shinri Genshô Nôryokusha Nanaki, “Super Psychic Power User/ESPer Nanaki”) ????????????? • Ryo Saenagi • Tokyopop (2007-2008) • Hakusensha (Hana to Yume, 2004-2005) • 3 volumes • Psychic Mystery Action • 13+ (mild language, violence)
Nanaki, a rowdy teenage with spiky black hair, survives a car crash and discovers that he has powers of telekinesis and teleportation. He is quickly recruited into “Lock,” a secret paranormal-research agency which assigns him a partner–Ao, a girlish long-haired youth–and puts them to work solving mysteries and fighting bad guys, ghosts and vampires. This pointless Psychic Academy/X-Men rip-off (there’s even a sort of holographic “Danger Room” in Lock headquarters) is as episodic as an old-fashioned American comic, and although our heroes solve various cases, the story never builds up to any kind of climax; it just ends. The art is dull, the page layouts and storytelling are confusing, and Nanaki’s powers manifest mostly as telekinetic blasts of screentone.
* (one star)
Today’s winner is Marty Q. of Pennsylvania! Congratulations, Marty! Prepare to receive 5 manga! And as usual, if you send us a link to a photo of yourself with a blog entry linking back to “365 Days,” I’ll send you 5 more manga ASAP.