Yumi’s art is up to the job, matching the writing in cuteness, while still making the characters look close to their ages. The story is light and fun and the romance promises to be touching, though the main participants’ cluelessness about it can be frustrating. The characters are likeable, even the grumpy ones, who readers just know will be redeemed by the end of the series. Rather they make Library Wars seem like a new friend who fits in really well with the old ones. And, finally, Iku is always motivated by the memory of a mysterious–but handsome and gallant, she’s sure–rescuer from her childhood, an element that put me in mind of Kitchen Princess (Del Rey Manga).īut these familiar elements aren’t really a handicap. Dojo looks and acts like a blend of Roy Mustang and Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist (VIZ) and the military elements might remind a few readers of that series, though Library Wars does not have anywhere near the depth of FMA. She’s a good bit taller than Dojo, so some of their interactions reminded me of the series Love*Com (also from VIZ). Iku is the bumbling main character who tries to do her best but doesn’t know her own strength, as seen so often in both shojo and shonen manga (think Naruto). As a librarian and a military brat, I couldn’t resist writing about a story where librarians are in paramilitary groups and fighting censorship! Shojo readers will find a lot of familiar elements here. Yumi’s manga is based on a light novel series by Arikawa.

Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi