Takeuchi Mick - Her Majesty's Dog, vol. 01-03 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

Although Amane looks like your average high-school girl (as do so many manga heroines), she's actually a master of words and uses them to bind spirits. Hyoue is her loyal spirit-dog companion, who takes the form of your average (though very cute) high-school boy. She feeds him her life force via kisses, which leads to some awkward situations at school.

I really love the art in this one; it's wispy and thin and stylized in a way that I can't quite describe. I also adore Amane, who's so clueless that she doesn't quite get why everyone is confused by her making out with Hyoue all the time. And by clueless, I mean she's emotionally clueless in the ways of some of my favorite characters (read: Jin, Ishida, etc.), and it's even better because she's female. Also, the bond between her and Hyoue is absolutely adorable.

The plot is very thin, and while I got a little bored in vols. 2-3, mostly it was because I wanted more interaction between Hyoue and Amane. I love how protective they are of each other and how each is fairly clueless with regards to most things, but always manage to figure each other out.

Um, but being me, I would love it even more if it had just a wee bit more angst between the two. Or more plot. Or... actually, just more scenes between the two would be good.

Comments

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

I really liked Books 2-3 because of the focus on Amane's friendship with Takeko and because they showed her continuing to apply moral precepts to difficult situations--I really love how once Amane realizes that what she's doing is morally questionable, she'll stop, no matter how difficult it is, whether it's ordering Hyoue to do things against his will or making Takeko forget what's happened.

[oyceter]

OOo I didn't even really notice Amane's moral precepts developing! Must reread.

I really like Amane's friendship with Takeko as well, particularly the way in which Amane will put Takeko's needs above her own and even above Hyoue's, which isn't all that standard in shoujo.