ALPI – THE SOUL SENDER VOL. 1
TITAN COMICS/Titan Manga
MANGAKA: Rona
TRANSLATION: Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements
LETTERS: Jonathan Stevenson
EDITOR: Phoebe Hedges
COVER: Rona
ISBN: 978-1787741300; paperback (October 10, 2023)
176pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $16.99 CAN, £9.99 UK
Soukon no Shoujo to Sourei no Tabi is a manga from writer-artist Rona. It was serialized by Japan's Web Comic Zenyon from 2018 to 2022. Titan Manga is publishing an English-language edition of the manga under the title, Alpi – The Soul Sender.
Alpi – The Soul Sender, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) is set on a magical version of Earth where divine spirits are the source of all life. These spirits are the incarnation of the Sun God's blessed power, and they take the form of animals. However, when a spirit's life ends, a terrible curse drives them to evil.
Enter the “Soul Senders.” They perform a “valediction” that sends the malignant spirits to the afterlife. Alpi is a Soul Sender, a very talented one despite her young age. She travels the land with her familiar, an older man named Perenai.
THE LOWDOWN: Beginning this month October 2023, Titan Comics started providing me with print copies of their manga publications for review. Alpi – The Soul Sender 01 is the first. Alpi – The Soul Sender manga is also the first title created by Rona that I have read.
Alpi – The Soul Sender Graphic Novel Volume 1 belongs to the “magical girl” manga genre. Rona, the series creator, tells the stories of Alpi and her adventures in a episodic form. In this first volume, the five chapters yield four episodes. Rona deftly uses these early chapters to shape Alpi's character and personality and also to establish the bonds between Alpi and Perenai.
In true magical girl fashion, Alpi is likable and plucky, but her demeanor belies a subtle iron will and steady determination that makes us believe that she can overcome the serious obstacles before her. When a spirit goes foul, it is a hot, dangerous mess. Alpi is always up to the challenge, and I think that makes the readers want to put themselves in her place.
Rona's detailed graphical and drawing style serve the narrative well when it comes to depicting the rich and varied environments in which these episodes are set – from a lush lake town to town that is a series of iron works. Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements' translation captures Alpi's winning personality and the seriousness of her mission and vocation; it's also an enjoyable read.
My first experience with Titan Manga is a win. I hope to keep reading Alpi – The Soul Sender.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of magical girl manga will want to try Titan Manga's Alpi – The Soul Sender.
A
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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PREVIEW of Page 127 (top) and Page 6 (bottom):
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