A review by obscurepages
Magical Boy, Volume 1 by The Kao

adventurous funny inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Humorous, campy, and so so good! 😂

I didn't have a lot of expectations diving into this book, especially because I don't know too much about it. But wow this was a pleasant surprise.

Great art (I could see the anime-style kind of art, but it was still its own design). Love the story and what it teaches about queerness/gender identity and transitioning. Loved the plot and the world-building, I thought it was really exciting and reminiscent of those "chosen one" YA fantasy we love but it has a fresh take. The friendships and the characters in here were also so good! I'm a sucker for found family or the ragtag group of misfits kind of trope so I just love how "Team Magical Boy" came together 😆

My only gripes would be that sometimes it's hard to discern which scene or panel is next? Same with the dialogue 😅 So it can get confusing sometimes. It also left us in a cliffhanger, which I feel conflicted about 😆 Not that I don't like cliffhangers, but maybe I would have liked to see some character development for particular characters? (The mom, Pyper, even Max as the MC) But honestly, it's not that bad and I know there's already a Volume 2 so I'm really excited!

Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! 🏳️‍⚧️
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