The Third, Vol. 1

Story by Ryo Hoshino, Art by Ariko Itou
Tokyopop, 176 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

Based upon the anime series of the same name, The Third acts as a prequel exploring the time before Honoka earned the nickname of Sword Dancer, when she was just starting out in her career as a Dune Runner. The manga chronicles the missions and events that would forge her into the character seen in the anime. Unfortunately, these events and missions consist heavily of making uninteresting motivational speeches, finding cats, and talking crazy girls down from destroying buildings with violins. Action and adventure? Apparently a Dune Runner craves not these things, even if readers do.

The writing in the first volume is oddly stilted. Sentences are just worded strangely and there’s tons of exposition. In fact, that’s what most of this book is, usually in the form of speeches explaining outlooks and beliefs and other life lessons. Watch as Honoka carries on an internal monologue explaining how it’s important to take all her missions seriously, even the little ones like finding a lost cat! Gasp as she rambles on for pages about how everything, even robots, deserve to live! Tremble in awe as she explains why she does her job to a mad violin-wielding teen! I get that it’s supposed to show her in the early days before the high adventure and all that, but come on… next to no action but dozens of speeches? The journeymen period for adventurers can be a really interesting time. Look at the lessons Luke learned in Star Wars before becoming a full fledged Jedi. Look at Iria in the Iria: Zeiram the Animation. She’s just starting out but cities still get leveled in her adventures. But Honoka has to make do with convincing a terrified boy to pursue his dream of trying to fly a model airplane.

It’s not all bad and boring; there’s some interesting information about the world dropped here and there. Bizarre rules that The Third (the name of said world’s ruling group, all of whom have third eyes) have set out. Bans on advanced technology, flight, etc. that may or may not be linked the great war that turned most of the earth into a hostile desert environment.

Art-wise, the manga is OK but a little on the bland side. You can see what’s going on, and it’s fairly easy to follow and everyone’s kind of cute, but there’s nothing really spectacular or stand out about it one way or another. It’s not bad enough to really rant about, but it’s not lovely enough to gush over–serviceable but not spectacular. I did think that Honoka looked a bit scrawny and waifish at times, though. I get that she’s supposed to small and tomboyish, but at times she looked like a strong breeze would have snapped in her two. I really appreciated the fact that there was a manga in it with a small chested woman as the lead, as it’s nice to see different body types in manga–until all the older male characters began to make cracks about her small breasts. Meh.

I’d have a hard time recommending this book to anyone but fans of the anime, and even then you might be a bit disappointed. There’s just not enough in it for it to be anything but bland and fairly boring.

Volume one of The Third is available now.