Manga Review: Mao-Chan Attacks With Sugar Bombs of Cuteness

If you've even only vaguely familiar with Japanese culture, you know this: The Japanese love the cute. "Like" or even "love" is perhaps too mild. We're talking they LOOOOOOOOOOOVE this stuff. And gosh darn it, they're just so good at it. If achieving perfection in cuteness was an arms race, Japan would rule the world.

Manga-ka Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina, Negima!) has obviously thought about this concept of cuteness as a weapon. Aided by up and coming artist RAN, Akamatsu concocted Mao-chan, a goofy fantasy comedy about a trio of 8-year old girls who battle super-cute aliens. As giant (and overwhelmingly adorable) kitties, hamsters and bunnies try to steal Japan's most famous landmarks, it's up to Mao, Misora and Sylvia to jump into their tanks, planes and submarines to save the day... provided they don't trip over their own feet first.

Check out my review of Mao-chan Volume 1 by Ken Akamatsu and RAN from Del Rey Manga and see if this bundle of overwhelming cute-itude is just too sweet for its own good, or if it makes you tilt your head and say 'awww.'

Image credit: © 2002 XEBEC, Riku-Mao Honbu; © Ken Akamatsu and RAN