YOZAKURA QUARTET (Yozakura Jûsô, “Yozakura Quartet”) (???????????????) • Suzuhito Yasuda • Del Rey (2008-ongoing) • Kodansha (Shônen Sirius, 2006-ongoing) • 6+ volumes (ongoing) • Shonen Occult Fantasy Superhero Drama • 16+ (violence, infrequent sexual situations)
In Sakurashin, a quiet town dominated by seven strange, colossal tree trunks, three superpowered girls and a guy–led by the bossy, super-strong teenage mayor–keep the peace. They work out of a dingy little office in the park, arguing over whether they can write off their food expenses, and playing with kindergarten kids. As the mysteries of Sakurashin are revealed, it turns out that the town is on the border between the world of humans and demons (a term used more in the Shinto sense of fallen spirits and elementals, rather than the Christian sense of malevolent devils), and demons are drawn there for “tuning,” which takes them back to the demon world, a process sort of like death. A mood of surrealism and mystery, mixed with the feeling of hometown warmth and everyday life so beloved of Japanese comics, gives Yozakura Quartet an interesting flavor. The forgettable action scenes and absent creature designs make it little of a fighting manga or monster manga, but as the heroes protect the town and their friends, their personal stories unfold and are revealed one after the other. This includes the stories of many vaguely moe girls, such as the cat-eared little telepath and the big-breasted lesbian–in his notes, Yasuda compares it to Charlie’s Angels. Another comparison might be a mellower, more pandering version of FLCL. But fortunately, the series is skillfully written enough that it really seems like it’s a story about characters, not merely a clothespin on which to hang character designs. The English rewrite, by superhero writers Nunzio De Filippis and Christina Weir, is solid but occasionally struggles with the Shinto-esque Japanese occult terminology.
Today’s winner is Nathaniel H. of Washington. Congratulations, Nathaniel, my new fellow Washingtonian! I hope you’re enjoying the state as much as I am!
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12 Responses to “365 Days of Manga, Day 174: Yozakura Quartet”
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I cannot wait for Day 366.
Glad I won, can’t wait for the manga!
How come they stopped publishing this series after volume 5? D: Its been over a year and I miss it! :’<
Seriously what is wrong with the release process?…
Indeed! This is one of my favorite manga series and it’s already up to volume nine in Japan! What are you guys waiting for? Has there been some snafu with the Japanese publishing company?
I want to know when will be released the Volume 6 of this manga.
I’ve noticed that Del-Rey is pretty bad at cutting series when they take a hit on finances, especially some of my favorities like Princess Resurrection. I think this series won’t start up again untill the economy gets better and people start spending thier money once more.
This is a good series. It’s been more than a year and there are no news of further volumes?
Come on Del Rey, publish volumes 6+ already! You’ve got people waiting to give you money for these volumes, yet you won’t release them, why???
come on what happen its been forever since Volume 5 was released when well 6 come!?!?!? T.T has the series been dropped?
2012 on and it is not coming… why do they have to punish me :’(
start it again NOW!!!! Please.
You Jason, know little to nothing about Japanese Manga >.> How could you simply label the series to be ‘Moe girls’ when it’s a unique story of slice-of-life with action sequence. I have MORE experience with what ‘harem’ manga really is, and your review tells nothing of the Pros of what Yozakura Quartet has, just how much you hate this kind of genre.
Sadly guys, poor Yozakura Q english series been poorly advertised with bias reviewers, hence I feel the chances of them completing this like slim chance.