Not your typical 23rd-century girl meets 21st-century boy and forms pop duo story.
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Majikoi
Translation: Ray Yoshimoto
Adaptation: Hope Donovan
What They Say:
You know what they say: if the century fits, then… travel back in time to become a pop-singing sensation!
Vivacious Neo loves to sing and tests the boundaries of 23rd-century modesty with her short, short skirts. When she accidently time-travels to the 21st century, it’s time to sink or sing! Before she knows it, she’s teamed up with the handsome Saya as half of an ultimate singing duo. But all her dreams may vanish if they can’t put on one great concert. With Saya depending on her, will Neo keep time on her side?
The Review:
Content:
Neo Takigawa is a girl from the 23rd century who just doesn’t fit in. She cuts her skirts short, sings and dances, and talks with males freely (apparently the 23rd century has quite a bit in common with the 19th.) Neo is a big fan of the 21st century, a time when girls were able to act “so alive.” By way of a random accident, Neo is teleported back to the year 200X where she of course happens to fall right into the lap (literally) of a talent scout in need of performers to stand in for the popular band “P-Shock.” Neo is then thrust up on stage with a young man named Saya. Of course, the crowd ends up booing the newly formed duo off the stage (The people backstage comment on how well they did, but it’s a bit difficult to impress a crowd when you’re a last-minute substitute for the band they came to see.) After a quick fight (Neo is happy just to have performed, while Saya is sulking over the crowd’s reaction) the two-part, and Neo runs someone who looks just like her old friend, but is then booted out of the concert hall.
With nowhere left to go, Neo sets up camp in a cardboard box in a park. In the morning she’s whisked away to a record company (owned by a rather eccentric man with an afro) where she learns that the only way she can get a contract is to fill a nearby park for a concert in three months’ time. Neo then catches Saya and manages to persuade him to team up with her, ending the first chapter.
Things continue on from there as Neo wakes up to find her cardboard box was moved to an apartment complete with new clothes and about $3 spending money. Afterward, Neo meets up with the boy who looks like her old friend, who we then learn a little more about, and Saya and Neo finally decide to name their band “Clap.”
As the story progresses Neo learns she cannot contact the 23rd century despite having a “time-space compatible” phone, we meet Saya’s bespectacled friend Takai, and Clap has their first real performance at Saya’s school (of course, Neo is kidnapped first.) The volume rounds out with two quick bonus chapters that manage to be rather humorous (as they are so short, to give a summary would ruin the entirety of them, so I’ll refrain.)
In Summary:
If the contents of the story shown above sound rather hectic, that’s because… well, they are. The story moves quickly and throws a number of little plot points at you fairly often. However, the plot is definitely not the main draw of the book. Neo’s overly energetic and optimistic (not to mention rather out of touch, being from the 23rd century and all) personality is great to watch, as is seeing Saya try to maintain his cool and collected appearance while being dragged along. The other characters, such as the downright odd studio manager, are fairly simple but perform their roles well enough. The plot may be all over the place, but the characters, along with the rather charming art style, manage to hold things together and make this book an enjoyable read.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: TOKYOPOP
Release Date: November 3rd, 2009
MSRP: $9.99
