Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Alichino by Kouyu Shurei
First line: Compassionate…yet cruel.
Initial thoughts: I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this one.
From the description, it sounded like an interesting concept–beautiful creatures granting wishes to those who need them–but from the reviews, it was clear the story was convoluted at best.
What finally made me say "yes" was the artwork. It’s quite elegant and even if I end up hating the story, at least I’ll have the beautiful pictures to look at.
Book description:
Beautiful creates called Alichino grant wishes to those in need–but at a price! A young lady searching for an Alichino wants to bring her brother back to life. She meets Tsugiri, a handsome young man who she thinks is an Alichino. Tsugiri turns out to be a mere mortal, but he does have a mysterious connection with these rare creatures–a connection that will bring danger to those around him.
Book Details: 164 pages; TokyoPop; Pub. February 8, 2005
# Karissa wrote on July 18, 2009 at 8:06 pm:
I read these back a few years ago and they were really good! Unfortunately at that time they weren’t planning on ever finishing the story so there were only 3-4 books available. Do you know if they finally finished it?
I also loved the artwork
# Ann-Kat wrote on July 18, 2009 at 9:41 pm:
Hey Karissa,
As far as I can tell, there’s only 3 in the series and I’m not sure whether they’re planning any more. Right now, it seems as though Shurei has dropped it altogether due to an injury. Whether rumors of a 4th are true remain to be seen.
I completely agree about the artwork, it’s beautiful–elegant, yet strong and ethereal. The story, however, was something else entirely.
It was too slow and disjointed for my taste leaving me only marginally interested in learning more about Tsugiri’s connection to the Alichino. That said, I know that some stories have a warm up period and may give the second volume a shot some time in the future.
It would break my heart a little not to know what happens if I do, indeed, end up getting into the story. If I find out any more, I’ll be sure to keep you updated.