Magic Knight Rayearth Omnibus Edition Book

Totally retouched and retranslated, Dark Horse Comics' delicious new omnibus edition of the first series of "Magic Knight Rayearth" is miles above Tokyopop/Mixx's previous effort first published 10 years ago. Kids, this series is apart of the golden era of shoujo manga. If you want to read a classic "magical girl" scenario with a twist, you always know to go to CLAMP. This retouch of "MKR" is just a reminder of CLAMP's ability to pull you in regardless of your age, gender, sex, or preferences in terms of comics, anime, and manga.

After Tokyopop's version went out of print several years ago, I was afraid that "MKR" would be lost to the North American market for a long time. Luckily, Dark Horse went and scooped up the license, and then gave "MKR" the treatment it deserved from the get-go with a beautiful new, detailed translation (far more accurate than Tokyopop's), as well as retouching the actual art before slapping it all together into one volume. There are six volumes in the series, split into two plot lines known as I and II. This edition collects the first three volumes, or the first plot line, I, in one volume. And considering how expensive English-translated manga has become, Dark Horse is doing us all a solid by releasing this in one omnibus for a low price.

Dark Horse's retouches have made the colors brighter, the shadows darker, the lines sharper, and all of the little details stand out in a way that couldn't have happened during its original serialization both here and in Japan in the early to mid '90s. Thankfully, technology has given us the tools to give series like this the midas touch and make them gleam like they should have (but weren't necessarily able to) from the start.

"MKR" was one of my first manga series that I read in English, so it'll always have a place in my heart even with the early shoddy translation by Mixx, later Tokyopop. But now I feel like that place has been given a good spring (or summer?) cleaning with all of the cobwebs and possible questions now gone and instead in its place, a shining throne for one of the best shoujo series of the '90s.

This is going to be a pretty short review, as I'm just looking at Dark Horse's re-release of the original, but all I can say is that I am one happy customer. This is definitely going on my bookshelf once I get the funds (thanks to net galley for the preview, though, you guys area awesome). This is how it should have been done, people. This is what CLAMP's stories deserve, no matter which ones they are.

If you're a fan of the shoujo/magical girl genre, this definitely deserves at least one read, if not a place on your own shelf. You need to read one of the best titles of the '90s so you can come share my nostalgia of How Manga Used to Be. All joking aside, definitely give Dark Horse's retouch of this series a look. I think you'll like what you'll find.

(posted to librarything, goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)