I'm guilty of often writing off mainstream American comics for its plethora of capes, spandex and over-endowed women. But Japanese comics are also full of stories that use and re-use the same themes and characters that are designed to appeal to a subset of dedicated teen fans. Just as in American comics, the really interesting stories in this genre are the ones that cleverly mix, match, mash-up and turn these familiar cliches inside-out. One such story is Future Diary by Sakae Esuno, from TokyoPop.
The "hero" of Future Diary is, to put it kindly, a bit of a neurotic mess. Quiet and ordinary Yukiteru lacks the social skills to connect with his peers, so he contents himself with obsessively recording the events that happen around him on his cell phone. His only friends seem to be imaginary ones -- namely Deus Ex Machina, an omnipotent god who is the "King of Time and Space" and Deus' mini-messenger, Muru Muru.
When Deus asks Yukiteru, "Are you lonely?" the teen replies no, but that doesn't stop Deus from doing his part to make Yukiteru's life a little more interesting... maybe too interesting.
First, Deus turns Yukiteru's phone into a "future diary," a real-time ticker that reveals events that are to come. Then he introduces Yukiteru to 11 other "future diary" holders who will be playing a game of high-stakes cosmic tag. With only their phones to give them clues of the other players whereabouts and future actions, the players are told to seek out and kill each other, with the lone survivor to inherit the mantle of King of Space and Time from Deus.
Future Diary Volume 1 brings together many familiar manga characters: The neurotic teen hero. The overly-affectionate/borderline-stalker love interest. The fiendish psychopath. The omnipotent god with the comic-relief sidekick. There's cosmic headtrips ala The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. There's psychological suspense with a touch of creepy cuteness like Higurashi: When They Cry. And just for good measure, there's some messing with space and time as in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Sounds pretty good, right? But is Future Diary just for otaku, or does it have the same kind of page-turning appeal for mainstream comics readers? Check out my review of Future Diary Volume 1 by Sakae Esuno, and see if this new shonen manga sci-fi series is worth picking up when it hits the stores on May 12, 2009 and beyond.
Also, see more new and coming attractions from TokyoPop in the 2009 New Manga Preview Gallery.
Image credit: © Sakae ESUNO 2006
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