Writer/Artist: Arina Tanemura
Publisher: CMX/DC Comics
Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne isn’t all about good, clean romantic fun. There’s substance here beyond the cuteness! It’s no wonder that this manga has been so popular and well received by Japanese readers! Sure, the cuteness is contagious, and the artwork by Arina Tanemura is simple and effective, lending a personal charm that coincides with her frequent interruptions in the story. But, Tanemura pulls hard on the heart strings, such as Episode 16, where she makes you laugh and cry within the space of 20 pages. You can tell this is a labor of love from her, and fortunately she has the chops to make her dreams our reality. What she has created is a story that transcends boundaries of age, making this a pleasant graphic reading experience for all manga fans. There are some themes in this particular volume that may be a little too intense for the young fans, such as attempted rape and a heart-rending death. However, for older fans such as myself, this was an entertaining volume in a solidly written and illustrated manga series.
The premise of the story revolves around a teenaged girl named Maron, who is also Joan of Arc reincarnated. This is the basis of the title: Kamikaze (meaning ‘Divine Wind’, as you might remember from your World War II studies) Kaito (‘Phantom Thief’, referring to her class of heavenly warrior, as well as the perception that she steals artwork) Jeanne (standing for Jeanne D’Arc, or Joan of Arc for us savage Americans). In Volume 4, a lot of the religious overtones, as well as the unveiling of a new and powerful enemy, are prominently figured, showing that this is not your typically empty-headed nonsense a la Sailor Moon. In one moving scene involving Maron and Zen-Kun, a boy who is dying of a terminal illness yet ironically possesses a demon that is keeping him alive, Finn (Jeanne’s sidekick/pixie) explains God’s ability to help humans. Maron/Jeanne is sure that she can ‘checkmate’ the demon (Turn it into a chess piece. I’m not joking...) out of Zen-Kun without killing him, thanks to the grace of God. However, Finn refutes that line of thinking. She says, “That’s not how it works, Maron. He can only do three things to help humans. One is to create souls. The second is to watch over those souls. And finally, he can move the earth’s air. That is the true kamikaze...the divine wind.” After this speech, the atheistic Zen-Kun asks if God is real, which Maron proves by asking God for wind, which is beautifully illustrated with blowing grass and a panel consisting only of wisping hair. The reactions to this display are both positive and negative. Zen-Kun realizes that God is real and is listening, which fills his heart with an awe-inspired joy. Maron, on the other hand, begins to cry, knowing that God will not be able to help her in successfully ridding the demon from Zen-Kun. She is on her own, and she knows that if she attempts to checkmate the demon in Zen-Kun’s weakened state, he will die. In a wonderfully worded monologue, Jeanne says, “The wind will always blow, but the power to stand up against adversity is something I have to find myself.” It’s a life-affirming message that all of us should remember. This kind of scene is indicative of the emotional power Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne continually displays throughout the series.
However, this scene is nothing compared to the entire chapter The End of Prayers (*Spoilers Ahead*), which ends with the death of Zen-Kun after an emotionally charged battle between Jeanne, Sinbad, and Noin. After the demon inside Zen-Kun floors Jeanne with a blast, it looks as if she will be unable to prevent Sinbad from checkmating Zen-Kun, which will surely kill him. She starts to cry, saying “Why am I always so weak? I want to be strong!” This outcry is answered by a heavenly voice, lettered similarly to the Asgardians in the old Walt Simonson Thor comics. This presence tells Jeanne to “use the power of regeneration.” Jeanne is frustrated for having to rely on someone else’s power rather than her own willpower (also displaying why she is such a likeable character), but she quickly changes her mind as she thinks of Zen-Kun. She says, “I’ve got to do whatever I can. The first step in becoming stronger is admitting your weakness. It takes courage to stare at yourself in the mirror.” Tanemura is great at making emotionally compelling proclamations such as this, drawing the readers closer through her word power. In thrilling fashion, Jeanne steps in front of Sinbad and screams “I won’t let you do it!” But, upon looking back at a recovered Zen-Kun, who has now figured out that Maron and Jeanne are one and the same, Sinbad performs the checkmate and Zen-Kun starts to go into seizure. Tanemura nimbly takes us from nervous anticipation to thrilling joy to heartbreaking despair within the space of ten pages. And, the full page panel that shows Zen-Kun and Jeanne hugging, with the caption “You were my wind, Maron,” will warm even the coldest heart. I’m normally not very susceptible to the emotional machinations of comic book authors, but I have to admit the personal feeling that Tanemura gives to the extraordinary world of Jeanne really has me involved. From her comments in the many asides she writes throughout this manga (sometimes to the detriment of the overall flow), Maron/Jeanne is modeled after many of her own traits and emotions. I could definitely sense this connection, as everything within this series is thoughtfully composed and worded.
So, what keeps this series from being absolutely perfect? Well, the aforementioned interruptions by Tanemura, while enlightening, break up the flow of the manga, causing me to either a) read the column right then and there, or b) continue following the story and come back to these reflections. I know of other titles that use this technique, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it! Continuing with the flow theme, there are times when the dialogue within certain pages don’t match up or the action is muddled with lines, causing some momentary confusion. Also, there are many examples of over-the-top cuteness (including the ending of this volume), which I think gives this title a perception problem from the manga-reading masses. When I first saw this volume in the store, it didn’t strike me as something I would enjoy, particularly with the powder blue coloring that enveloped Sinbad and a super-happy Jeanne. But, what’s hiding in this volume is a tale that had so much emotional substance, I really think this is the hidden treasure in CMX’s line. Nobody would know that this volume hides an emotionally mature story that would appeal to many of the fans who read titles such as Monster or Nausicaa.
What did you think of this book?
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