365 Days of Manga, Day 230: Gaba Kawa

GABA KAWA • VIZ • Rie Takada • 13+ (mild crude humor, mild violence, mild sexual situations)
From the cover art (indeed, even the interior art is cute), would you believe this is a manga about demons? Rara is a demon teenager who has come to the mortal world to cause mischief and evil, and who has a crush on Hiroshi Akusawa, “the hottest guy in the demon world.” Instead, she finds herself falling for Retsu Aku, a motorcycle-riding human who happens to be incredibly hot and kind of nice. But if Rara helps a human, she risks losing her powers, and possibly her very existence, leading to a Little Mermaid-like twist in this cute, funny one-volume manga. Rie Takada (Happy Hustle High School, Wild Act) always draws great shojo manga with appealing, tomboyish heroines. (When she hears a rumor that Aku is “gay or an alien,” she vows “I don’t care if he is a gay alien. Once he gets a look at me in this, his heart will be mine!”) The art is adorable; there are cute scenes of Rara as a chibi demon, levitating around, using telekinesis to blow-dry her hair and dress herself. The writing is sharp–when Kishiri, a ghost, says he wants to “get freaky” with Rara, Rara’s demon friends make fun of her for getting hit on by a mere ghost. The combination of great chibis, good writing and a non-dysfunctional relationship makes for an excellent little shojo manga. (The title, “Gaba Kawa,” is a made-up word meaning someone who’s cute because they don’t give up.) (Review by Jason Thompson; originally published in Otaku USA magazine.)
*** 1/2 (three and a half stars)
Today’s winner is Kristin B. of Mississippi! Congratulations, Kristin! Meanwhile, if you’re reading this, check out my article on manga artist Hiroyuki Takei, and why he is awesome, at comixology.com!