Dragon eye

A small town in feudal Japan is the last chance for human survival in this shonen manga romp. The world has been infected with the "D-Virus," a disease that turns people into demons upon contact. The "Dracules," as they are called, have wiped out 67% of the world's population. To fight the Dracules, super-antibody carriers (called "Vius") have organized to form a resistance. Using a combination of magic and martial arts, the Vius have become an army complete with sophisticated spells, weaponry and irreverent squad captains. The brash Issa Kazuma leads Zero Squad, a ragtag bunch of trainees-some with questionable fighting skills, others with questionable motives. Armed with a large sword and a fistful of fish sausage, Issa takes his team into battle. Fujiyama deftly builds the characters, uncovering their pasts at a pace that complements each fight scene. Despite the impending doom of mankind in this story, Dragon Eye remains relatively lighthearted with a playful narrative, antiauthority captain and enjoyable team dynamic. Dragon Eye has much the same appeal as Naruto, but lacks the televised anime tie-in. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 9 Up-In a futuristic world, a battle is raging between humans and Dracules, a murderous viral race of monsters. Some people are immune to the "D Virus," which will change a healthy person into a Dracule; these people are part of VIUS, an elite squad that fights to save humans from extinction. Leila, an eager young VIUS recruit, is prepared to do whatever is necessary to help eradicate the Dracules, but also has a deeper agenda. She seeks possession of a dragon's eye, a mystical object that grants its owner invincibility. When she is assigned to the prestigious VIUS Squad Zero, she meets a group as determined as she, and they, too, all seem to have hidden agendas. Packed with cinematic action, longstanding vendettas, and infectious monsters, Dragon Eye should appeal to most manga readers. Presenting a rather complex and detailed plot, it never completely stays within one genre. For example, this volume never hastens to poke fun at itself or take itself too seriously; when Leila and her squad face a super Dracule-a "Level 2 Darkness Hued Bird"-the monster resembles a giant chicken and is much more comical than horrifying. This sci-fi offering should have fairly broad appeal.-Jennifer Feigelman, Goshen Public Library and Historical Society, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.