A strange collection of superfluous tales
Creative Staff
Story: Magica Quartet
Art: Mura Kuroe
Translation: William Flanagan
What They Say
Oriko’s ability to see into the future led her to commit bloody acts in her efforts to forestall an even greater tragedy later on. But what if Oriko had met Yuma Chitose before she predicted the end of the world? Would she still have chosen to manipulate the young girl if Yuma had been no stranger, but a dear friend? Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Extra Story explores the might-have-been, and further explores Kirika’s devotion to her beloved Oriko.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
For the first story, we get a look at Kirika’s past. While cursing her indecisiveness, she runs into her childhood friend, Erika. However, she reacts badly and shoves her away before fleeing the scene. Thanks to her own problems Erika falls into a deep depression, and gets caught by a Witch. Even so, Kirika perseveres, rescuing her friend and reconciling with her in the process.
Next up, we get what is, apparently, an alternate story in which Oriko meets Yuma early on. Just what effect will this chance encounter have on the story that’s already been told? And how will the two manage to touch one another’s lives? Will things change for the better, or fall apart even worse? And will our heroes be able to deal with the appearance of the twisted Magical Girl Sasa Yuuki?
Finally, we get a short bit of bonus comic to help wrap things up.
In Summary
Considering its content, it’s hard to exactly recommend this volume, as it feels superficial by design. If you’re a huge fan of Oriko Magica, then perhaps the extra moments for Oriko and Kirika may be enough to help make this worthwhile for you. However, there’s not really much fresh or exciting here to keep people occupied otherwise. That’s not to say that what’s presented here is bad, but it’s mostly just extra fluff that doesn’t really add much to the story, which was already completed in the main series. Probably the best thing is the better look at Yuma’s messed up story, which definitely possesses more than a little impact. Even so, though, it’s hard to recommend this book to anyone but people really into the series, as it just feels more than a little flat and empty, even if it is decently made.
Content Grade: B-
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: March 24th, 2015
MSRP: $12.99
