Kasumi, Vol. 1
Written By Surt Lim, and Illustrated by Hirofumi Sugimoto
Del Rey Manga
Rated T for Teen (13+), USA $10.95, CAN $12.50
195 pgs.
Starting off with Kasumi, I was surprised to find out that it was a global manga. The setting was very Japanese, and that’s an odd first statement to make; it ends up being the very crux of this review.

Kasumi is an interesting hybrid, with art by a Japanese artist, and writing by an American author. The two together have written Kasumi for an English speaking audience, although, to be honest, it looks like it’s been translated. The art is in the traditional right to left format of Japanese writing, and the setting is in Japan. It’s a strange path for Surt Lim to take, and it really pushes the boundaries of how closely global manga should imitate regular manga.

Kasumi shows off some very classic shojo cliches, none of which I was particularly glad to see. At an elite school for upper-class snobs, Kasumi is assigned a seat next to the coolest guy in town, who, of course, has an elite clique fan-club called the RSF that ruins the lives of anyone who even interacts with him. When Kasumi gives him a love-note for a fellow classmate, the evil fan-club leader forces Kasumi into a ridiculous agreement; she must perform a magic show (sleight-of-hand is Kasumi’s hobby) and if it doesn’t impress Ryuuki ( the classic shojo heart throb) she has to leave the school. The nasty clique destroys all of Kasumi’s magic equipment, and after a terrible, bumbled show, she finds if she holds her breath, she can become invisible.

I almost threw the book away at this point. Not that this sort of crap doesn’t happen in shojo manga all the time, but the point of the matter is, that this kind of behavior never occurs in an American school, and I doubt very highly that it happens in any school, no matter the nationality. I understand that Kasumi is a story, but by creating a set of characters who create demands of other characters that have no base in reality threw off my immersion completely. The plot at this point is completely contrived.

After I had given it a few days, I came back to it. The plot resolves itself like a typical shojo, which is fine. The rest of the book (without spoiling too much more of the story) involves Kasumi checking out her newfound powers, and battling with the RSF. The book ends with a pretty good cliff-hanger, and hints at the story to come.

The biggest problem with this manga is this: Lim tries so hard to craft an authentic Japanese shojo that she completely misses the boat on some of the most pivotal story-telling points. She manages to include every shojo cliche and gives up her voice for an authenticity she has no claim to. The starting ingredients are fantastic; a lovable geeky side-kick, a likeable heroine with a power that’s interesting yet limited in scope,
and a very competent artist. It is a shame that she could not capitalize on these wonderful elements in the way she could have.

To give the writer a bit of credit, things clear up after the awful beginning. The ending is well written, and the protagonists are all very likeable. Since I was interested enough in the ending to continue reading, I would not be a proper manga critic if I didn’t try the second volume. I do hope, however, that Lim moves beyond the cliche and starts making this manga her own. Otherwise, Kasumi will be yet another failed global manga that could have been spectacular.