Manga Review: Kujibiki Unbalance Volume One

[Jason]

Title: Kujibiki Unbalance
Volume: One
Author: Kio Shimoku
Mangaka: Koume Keito
Originally Serialized In: Afternoon
Published by: Del Rey
Genre: Seinen, Romance, Comedy

Cursed with bad luck for his entire life, freshman Chihiro Enamoto is just about to run into some big changes this school year. When Chihiro and childhood friend, Tokino, manage (by luck!) to get into the prestigious Rikkyoin Academy High School, it's only the start of things to come, not the least of which being the pair's unlikely lottery prize of becoming the president and vice-president elects of the student council! The two soon meet up with the other council candidates - genius girl, Renko, and unlikely elementary girl, Koyuki - setting the stage for a student council unlike any other.

From that description, you might think Kujibiki Unbalance sounds like your typical, generic high school series with some lame excuse for a twist thrown in like most anime or manga. To an extent, you'd be right. And yet, there's something about Kuji-Un that makes it stand out from the crowd. Surprisingly, it isn't the writing of Genshiken creator Kio Shimoku that does it, though. Where Shimoku managed to perfectly convey college otaku in Genshiken, Kuji-Un's high school setting is just too generic to let him shine. It's not bad writing by any means, but it is what you'd expect from the genre.

None of the characters stand out through their personalities, either. Rich genius, Renko, is overly callous and caustic to her friends; Tokino is earnest and optimistic, and Koyuki is adorably moe. Chihiro, however, breaks the mold of the milquetoast lead, so often seen in harem-esque series, and instead proves himself to be a capable president elect who manages to not lose his cool just from a girl nearby, and even showing off a few instances of bravery when needed.

Even so, Chihiro can't carry the story on his own. What's really endearing is Koume Keito's art. From what I've been able to glean elsewhere, Keito is a noted doujinshi artist, and it certainly shows. While the character designs overall may be fairly generic, Keito's art is absolutely captivating, with an attention to detail and particularly excellent shading in a medium that is all too often rather flat. Koyuki becomes one of the most adorable little girls in recent memory, and Tokino moves from generic childhood friend to a character you're turning the page for just to see her in a new outfit. Also well done are the heretofore-unmentioned current student council members. While not as appealing as the main cast, the council is attractive in their own right, and it is this trio in particular that Keito uses to exhibit a high talent for various facial expressions.

Also aiding the series is Del Rey's usual impeccable translation work. Choosing once again to leave honorifics in the text, it retains a sense of its original flavor. This is bolstered by the translation's decision to leave numerous other words in the English text, such as when describing the moe-Koyuki, the tsundere-Renko, and numerous other similar occurrences.

To be honest, going into Kujibiki Unbalance, I wasn't expecting much. The art style seen in Genshiken wasn't something that appealed to me, and I foolishly presumed that its origins as a show-within-a-show would lessen its quality. While it's true that Kuji-Un has a generic premise, it's a fun, light-hearted affair that provides a quick and breezy read that never stops being enjoyable. From cover to cover the book doesn't once take itself too seriously, and the typical high school life juxtaposed with the ridiculous situations the council finds themselves in makes for a surprisingly memorable setting.

While it's not a wordy manga by any means, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to pass this one up. For any fans of high school hijinks, or comedy in general, this is the way to go. In an industry filled with cliché after cliché, and cavity-inducing moe girls one after the other, Kujibiki Unbalance stands above the rest.

Reviewed By: Kiara
Proofed and Edited by Lissa Pattillo