Volume: 1 (of 3)
Creator: Nobuaki Enoki & Takeshi Obata
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 2/2/16
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421585669
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (For Teen)
Description: In order to curb the crime running rampant in the elementary school system, a new solution has been enacted in the form of the School Judgment System. Now the young students themselves will be responsible for solving the issues that befall them. But are they up for the task?
At Tenbin Elementary, there is only one way to settle a dispute—in a court of law! All disputes bypass the teachers and are settled by some of the best lawyers in the country…who also happen to be elementary school students. The accused this time is a boy named Tento. His crime? Murder of the beloved class fish Suzuki! Luckily for him, the state has sent him a defense attorney, Abaku Inugami. But is this wild young lawyer skilled enough to argue his client off the hook?
Contains Chapters 1-7:
- Chapter 1: The Suzuki Murder and Dismemberment Case
- Chapter 2: The Suzuki Murder and Dismemberment Case (2)
- Chapter 3: The Pretty Idol Airi Takanashi Photo Voyeurism Case
- Chapter 4: The Pretty Idol Airi Takanashi Photo Voyeurism Case (2)
- Chapter 5: The Shuichi Higashide Cheating Case
- Chapter 6: The Shuichi Higashide Cheating Case (2)
- Chapter 7: Beware of the Magical Powder
Review:
Cover: The cover for this volume features our main protagonist, Abaku Inugami, standing in a destroyed classroom. There's a little blurb on the chalkboard letting reades know that the artist of this series was the artist of Death Note. The series title and volume number are displayed on the lower portion of the cover.
The spine from top-to-bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangakas, and the VIZ company logo.
The top half of the back cover has he volume summary. The lower half features an image of the supporting cast.
I really like this cover a lot. The colors are very bright and vivid which makes it stand out well. My only problem is the colors used for the test and series title. I was looking for this volume on two specific outings before I actually had to ask an employee help me look for it and it was in front of my face the entire time. Even the spine is hard to recognize with no actual character present to identify.
Artwork: The artist for this series is world famous Takeshi Obata, which is the main reason I decided on this purchase. To me it reminds me of a more childish version of Death Note. The series is also a court type drama so don't expect a whole lot of action when picking up this series. Besides saying that I really do still enjoy this style of art a lot. The character designs are very fresh and uplifting and almost feels like they are alive on the page. Even though this is a short series, I wouldn't mind watching an anime of it just from the art alone.
Translation: Character names and for the most part the cases were left entirely to the original plot. Sound effects and honorifics have been changed and omitted, which is expected since this is a Shonen Jump title.
Extras: Character profiles and fact sheets, a translation notes section, and an afterword are included in this volume. The fact sheets are pretty entertaining as both mangakas give lots of details on how certain characters were originally supposed to be and how they actually ended up.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): As I mentioned above, this series is pretty much a mystery courtroom drama. For the most part it has a format that stays the same over the course of the entire volume as each story takes place over two chapters. The first chapter being the case introduction and the second chapter being the courtroom scenario to it being solved. Since there are 7 chapters the last case is not finished in this volume and we have to wait for its conclusion in V.02.
The first case we are introduced to our main character, Abaku Inugami, who just transferred to a new school . In this world schools have Judgement systems that the students have court cases to solve problems and mysteries related to their classroom dilemmas. And just like clockwork within the first couple pages we have a mystery to be solved as the class pet fish appears to have been gutted and left for dead inside its tank. Over the course of the first two chapters Abaku gathers his clues and goes up against his female rival, Pine Hanzuki, in a classroom courtroom with a Pre-K judge who looks like an old man from all the stress from making the tough decisions in court.
The same set-up goes on for the next four chapters as we have other cases dealing with a student being spied on from a hidden shelf in her locker to another student being blamed for cheating on a test. The last chapter sets up a case to be concluded in V.02; a mysterious highly addicted sugar is being pushed out like a drug among the students and its up to Abaku to find out who is behind it.
I really don't want to go into much details with this title as I don't want to spoil the outcomes of each case. I can say that this was a very fun read and I highly recommend it. The characters all have unique personalities and hidden backstories that really pulled me in to want to learn a lot more about them. April can't come soon enough for the next volume.
Objectionable Content:
I really like this cover a lot. The colors are very bright and vivid which makes it stand out well. My only problem is the colors used for the test and series title. I was looking for this volume on two specific outings before I actually had to ask an employee help me look for it and it was in front of my face the entire time. Even the spine is hard to recognize with no actual character present to identify.
Artwork: The artist for this series is world famous Takeshi Obata, which is the main reason I decided on this purchase. To me it reminds me of a more childish version of Death Note. The series is also a court type drama so don't expect a whole lot of action when picking up this series. Besides saying that I really do still enjoy this style of art a lot. The character designs are very fresh and uplifting and almost feels like they are alive on the page. Even though this is a short series, I wouldn't mind watching an anime of it just from the art alone.
Translation: Character names and for the most part the cases were left entirely to the original plot. Sound effects and honorifics have been changed and omitted, which is expected since this is a Shonen Jump title.
Extras: Character profiles and fact sheets, a translation notes section, and an afterword are included in this volume. The fact sheets are pretty entertaining as both mangakas give lots of details on how certain characters were originally supposed to be and how they actually ended up.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): As I mentioned above, this series is pretty much a mystery courtroom drama. For the most part it has a format that stays the same over the course of the entire volume as each story takes place over two chapters. The first chapter being the case introduction and the second chapter being the courtroom scenario to it being solved. Since there are 7 chapters the last case is not finished in this volume and we have to wait for its conclusion in V.02.
The first case we are introduced to our main character, Abaku Inugami, who just transferred to a new school . In this world schools have Judgement systems that the students have court cases to solve problems and mysteries related to their classroom dilemmas. And just like clockwork within the first couple pages we have a mystery to be solved as the class pet fish appears to have been gutted and left for dead inside its tank. Over the course of the first two chapters Abaku gathers his clues and goes up against his female rival, Pine Hanzuki, in a classroom courtroom with a Pre-K judge who looks like an old man from all the stress from making the tough decisions in court.
The same set-up goes on for the next four chapters as we have other cases dealing with a student being spied on from a hidden shelf in her locker to another student being blamed for cheating on a test. The last chapter sets up a case to be concluded in V.02; a mysterious highly addicted sugar is being pushed out like a drug among the students and its up to Abaku to find out who is behind it.
I really don't want to go into much details with this title as I don't want to spoil the outcomes of each case. I can say that this was a very fun read and I highly recommend it. The characters all have unique personalities and hidden backstories that really pulled me in to want to learn a lot more about them. April can't come soon enough for the next volume.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: No
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: No
Score:
Original Review Date: 4/5/16
- Cover: 7/10
- Artwork: 8/10
- Translation: 6/10
- Extras: 8/10
- Story: 8/10
Original Review Date: 4/5/16
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