Graphic Friday: Magic Knight Rayearth

 

Title:  Magic Knight Rayearth

Author:  CLAMP

The Dish:  When the world as we know it is falling apart, when those sworn to lead it have turned against the realm, who will rise up and stand against the enemy?  Three teenagers from Japan.  Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are three girls visiting Tokyo Tower on school trips when the floor opens up beneath them, sucking all three into Cephiro, a world that is shaped and molded by the strongest of wills.  Once there they meet Guru Clef who informs the girls that they must save Cephiro and rescue its Pillar, Emeraude, from the once loyal priest, Zagato.  At first hesitant, each girl must find her own inner strength to draw out the power of her guardian beast, Selece for Umi, Windam for Fuu, and Rayearth for Hikaru. 

Magic Knight Rayearth is one of the older manga series and also one of the first series I read when I became interested in manga.  There is something remarkable about this series despite its familiar and perhaps clichéd plot.  Let me start off by saying this: CLAMP = Beautiful.  There is no doubt when one reads a CLAMP novel that the artwork will be gorgeous, sometimes too much so.  The detail the artists put into creating not only the characters but their very world is impressive, and it is one feature I love about Magic Knight Rayearth.  That detail is also shown in the personalities of the girls.  Granted, it is a tried and true plot device to bring together people possessing different skills in order to accomplish a task.  This doesn’t take away from the story, instead adding greater warmth to it as readers travel with Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu.  Each of the main characters has something favorable, and one cannot help but like the girls and hope for the best end result. 

Another great point of this series is meeting all of the side characters, which isn’t a large amount.  In some series there are so many side characters, a reader would need to keep a list of each one for characters who appear once and then again farther into the story.  Within Rayearth, every character that the girls meet on their quest has a reason to be there whether it’s to test Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu in some means, or to befriend and assist them; sometimes both are done in the process.  However, it is the final test that will make the girls look back on their journey and ponder the “what if?”

Overall, Magic Knight Rayearth is one manga series that I could read over and again.  With a great story, likeable characters, and beautiful art, it is one series I intend to keep in my collection. 

What manga/graphic novels do you remember from your past?