Genju no Seiza, Volume 1 (2024)

Not you're average school days manga! As expected of the creator of Pet Shop of Horrors, this is a compelling combination of thinly veiled mysteries and innuendos about things only half-believed, half-defined and half-understood, unique and dynamic characters, dramatic and powerful plot devices, unexpected and well blended comical moments, and beautiful artwork, especially of animals (which also turn half-human to a select few!). I was really impressed at the realistic, if exasperating, political interference in religious matters, with China on a secular level, and Naga on a spiritual level, appointing a figure-head puppet king to the Dhalashar throne. I wonder if it will be only assassins that Kamishina will have to battle if he decides to claim his birthright, or if he will have to outfox the dogs of politics as well. I laughed so hard when Ichijo-sensei compared Kamishina to Momotaro! I wonder who or what Mayu-chan really is; even with her genius, talent and mysterious medical condition, I get the feeling that she is more than meets the eye. Kamishina's got a lot of interesting powers, and there's the chance that he'll develop more, so it makes for a lot of interesting possibilities for the coming books - I'm really looking forward to seeing how things will turn out!

2.5 stars

Despite objectively low rating, I did enjoy the volume to some extent.

I hold very near and dear to my heart Pet Shop of Horrors by Akino Matsuri. Comparing to my fave, The Constellations of Imaginary Beasts didn’t live up to my expectations.
The story about Japanese teenage boy who is a reincarnation of a spiritual leader of a small Asian country. The boy acquired a bunch of pet familiars and he tries to help people around. Also he isn’t too hot on the spiritual leader business, he insists it’s not him, that he’s just a boy.

One of the secondary characters is a teenage girl Mai. She is a wheelchair user, she’s smart and stoic, I enjoy her dry humor.

Overall, the story feels dull. Even beautiful artwork can’t save the case.

I already have the second volume so I might as well read it, but I’m not sure I want to continue on with the series beyond vol. 2

CW: suicide, blood

ive only read the first few in the series but i love this book??? i was a fan of pet shop of horrors before i read this one, so i was excited to see this! i still love the art and the plot is great!!

このシリーズは好きか嫌いかまだ分からない。一つのことが分かっているこのシリーズはデジタル化に向いていない。ピッコマに乗せっているけどすごく読みにくい、字は透明っぽくて小さくって汚いから読みにくい！ま絵もちょっと透明のようにから絵は字をあまり助からない。それから風斗がドンドン力増やしていく。その国の法皇がそこまで強いなら、なぜその国は小さくて貧しくて中国から支配しているの？わけわかんない。

So good I loved the story the characters it was such a fun read I hope to find more to read ..

1st read : 2008
2nd read : 2 Mei 2015

Karena belakangan ini lagi marak perseteruan antar 2 agama di real life, aku jadi teringat manga yang satu ini dan jadi kangen berat buat baca ulang, makanya segera melahap koleksi pribadiku. :p
Karena sudah lama tidak baca buku dalam bahasa Indonesia, rasanya jadi aneh, dan sejujurnya terjemahannya juga rada kaku, mungkin bakal baca ulang scanlation yang versi Inggris. Sayangnya terjemahannya baru sampe vol 7. Jadi bagi teman-teman yang berniat untuk baca komik ini, mendingan sewa saja karena yang versi Indonesia sudah diterbitin sampai tamat di vol 14.

Fuuto adalah remaja yang merupakan titisan Houou (semacam Dalai Lama begitu deh) dengan dewa-dewa pelindung yang menjaga setiap reinkarnasi Houou, setidaknya begitulah anggapan Garuda, salah satu dewa pelindung Houou. Masalahnya, sudah ada Houou resmi yang baru dilantik di Darashaal (sebuah negara Asia kecil tempat Houou memerintah), seusia dengan Fuuto. Jadi ceritanya terfokus pada pertanyaan siapakah sesungguhnya Houou yang asli? Dan para dewa pelindung pun terpecah-belah karena menjagokan Houou masing-masing.

Ini adalah salah satu shoujo manga favoritku sepanjang masa dari mangaka favoritku : Akino Matsuri. Aku selalu suka dengan semua karya sensei karena rata-rata karyanya yang bertemakan supernatural itu semuanya memang bagus-bagus ceritanya. Seperti karya lainnya yang populer juga yaitu : Pet Shop of Horrors yang juga adalah favoritku. Tapi kalau dibandingkan dengan Genjuu no Seiza/Imaginary Beast (untuk judul Indonesia-nya), menurutku Genjuu no Seiza lebih bagus. :)

In a distant country of Dhalashar, they have found their leader of fifteen years of age. He is the 42nd High Priest of Dhalashar, and is supposed to be a reincarnation of the first spiritual leader. But he isn't. The high priest is actually an impostor appointed by the Chinese government and the snake god Nāga so the Chinese can claim the scared country. The real ruler is in Japan.

Kamishina Fuuto is a normal teenager who recently transferred schools. He can sense people's auras and hence sees the personality of the students . While lying on the lawn a large bird tries to approach him. It transforms into a half-man half-bird hybrid named Garuda. He claims that Fuuto is the true heir to the throne of Dhalashar.

Throughout the story, though Fuuto refuses to take on his role as the Holy King, he learns almost the same lessons as the King should have. In his experiences with more Guardian Beasts and the Supernatural world, he grows to learn of mortality, and the roads people make for themselves and others.

Agak ngebingungin ya... penyampaian ceritanya terasa kurang smooth, ada beberapa bagian yang terasa terlalu... 'aneh'. Hubungan antar tokohnya juga terasa terlalu 'diakrabkan'. Terus... tau sih cerita ini fiksi, tapi tetep aja kepikiran.. masalah letak Dhalashar

Soal cerita.. aku suka! Ceritanya ada yang menyentuh, ada juga yang tragis, ada juga yang lucu... Akino Matsuri-sensei kayaknya suka bikin cerita kayak gini ya, banyak binatangnya.. dan hampir mirip sama karya sebelumnya, Pet Shop of Horrors, di mana hanya orang-orang tertentu yang bisa liat wujud asli tiga binatang pengikut Fuuto.

3,5 dibulatin ke atas ^^

Originally read: 5/25/11
Reviewed: 9/19/19

I haven't touched this series in eight years and I still love it! But I was never able to finish it, or even come close. Hopefully, this time around, I'll be able to. It's a very creative, borderline dark supernatural series, about the unwitting reincarnation of a holy king, living as a half-Japanese teenage boy who's always been able to see and sense the strange and unknown. I'm a sucker for these sorts of fantasy stories, especially in the world of anime and manga, so I'm very glad I'm reliving this underrated, all-but-literally-unknown series. It seriously needs a bigger following or fandom, because it's such a fun read!

I really loved how we met Garuda and how Fuuto comes to accept who they are to each other. The lesson Fuuto learns from Garuda due to Sato is a sad one, but one a king must know: vengeance and violence are not the answer.

Probably my favorite part were the "lessons in leadership" that Fuuto learns at Garuda's hand. But I also enjoyed learning about Fuuto's abilities healing, seeing ghosts, summoning and more. Also he gains two new followers in a show of power.

Mayu and the professor seem kind of random to me and are the most contrived but at the same time I'm willing to go with them to see where the relationships lead.

BOTTOM LINE: The start of a cool fantasy manga series.

An interesting manga. Not really awesome or engaging but a good one. In some ways similar to Matsuri Akino's other series, Petshop of Horrors - Akino obviously has issues with "man eating" animals ;P Also, after the characters are set, the manga basically contains stand alone stories where the main heroes help solve various paranormal "cases". The overall arc is only thinly represented.

I have never read any other works of Mr. Matsuri Akino, so this will be the first of his works I have come by.
I would say that this story was 'OK.' Not overly interesting, but not that bad of a bombshell.
I was not as engaging but there were a few witty moments, and some memorable artwork. I will continue to read the second volume just to stay optimistic.

I love the art style of course, being a big fan of Pet Shop of Horrors.
The story is where this series really shines though. It's set up as a "case of the week" series, but it's got such a good supernatural/mythological base that it could go on for quite awhile & remain interesting.

[Series Length: 13 volumes / Read: volumes 1-6]

(Would you like me to post a short review of this series? Feel free to place a request in my GoodReads InBox. Thanks!)

very good, though Fuuto is a bit shouty.

#Program BUBU

Pertama kali dibeli dan dibaca pada tahun 2008.

It was alright

I was iffy about this series because I wasn't crazy about the art when I first saw it. There's plenty of comedy and darkness rolled into one and so far it's been holding my attention.

I'm really sad

not becuz this manga was bad

its because i wont get to read it again

i just checked it online

and i didn't find any more volumes

why,why would this happen............

Actual review : )

This was Amazing

the plot is cool
its about Hindu gods and the next king of dhalashar

the drawing is fine.....
not too god and its definitely not bad
just fine

i found it in a junk store

smuggled stuff from u.k

its a cool place