Lisa and Seya: one heart for the same destinyread the song of Cristina D’Avena in the early 90s. One of the anime majokko (here we explain in detail what this genre is) most appreciated in that period, but probably also the most misunderstood now, Lisa and Seya intersected in that variegated vein that were the souls with the magical girls, placing itself halfway between the famous and timeless Sailor Moon and the most imaginative Creamy Mami, Evelyn And Magica Emi. But Lisa and Seya (or Saint Tail in the original version) has always carved out that small piece of public that recognized its innovative, intriguing component – despite the heavy and omnipresent censorship of Mediaset – and mystery of an anime in which magic is only an accessory component of a story centered on the legality and justice of the weakest. Saint Tailmanga by Megumi Tachikawa published in Japan in 1996, it was published in chapters in Italy between 1997 and 1999 in the magazine Friends which, as many recall, included chapters from several manga in a monthly monographic issue. Star Comics, after more than twenty years, publishes a definitive edition in tankobon of the manga that tells the story of Meimi, a young thief who with a pinch of divine magic restores the balance in the city threatened by rich criminals and exploiters. So let’s review the first volume of this one SAINT TAIL NEW EDITION.
- Original title: Kaitō Saint Tail
- English title: SAINT TAIL NEW EDITION
- Japanese release: 1995
- Italian release: June 15, 2022
- Number of volumes: 7 (complete)
- Publishing house: Star Comics
- Genre: shojo, majokko, sentimental, magic, supernatural
- Drawings: Megumi Tachikawa
- History: Megumi Tachikawa
- Format: 12.8 x 18
- Number of pages: 292 pages
We reviewed SAINT TAIL NEW EDITION through press volume provided to us by Star Comics.
A Japanese Robin Hood
Meimi Haneoka is the stereotype of the young Japanese teenager: cute, not too intelligent, very good at sports, charismatic and with a serious and diligent friend of the heart, Seira Mimori, who is studying to become a nun. Meimi however hides a secret: she at night turns her into Saint Tailchampion of justice that steals valuables and works of art from shady criminals and scammers who have appropriated them illegally and with deceitto return them to their legitimate owners, humble and with a pure heart. Saint Tail it’s a manga majokko which contains the classic canons of the genre: taking up many stylistic features of the genre widespread in the 90s, it imposes itself strongly in that plethora of titles that have defined and strengthened the following ones, especially those that would have followed one another in the 2000s.
If on the one hand it has a lot in common with, for example Magica Emi for the exploitation of illusory and conjuring magicin other respects it takes on a very innovative metaphor and not properly exploited in the classical majokko genre: the powers of Meimi seem to derive from God, charging them with a divine valence which binds the girl to behave in a certain way, acting on behalf of higher justice and not earthly justice. This approach could add Tachikawa’s manga to the stories already mentioned above, in which the powers of the magical girls derive from strange little creatures from another planet or a parallel world. But Saint Tail it also shows you how educational history, at the same time indicating to readers, especially to an audience of young girls, what should be the line of action to defeat evil even in our daily lives: denounce the evildoers to do justice to the innocent. The mangaka said she was inspired, as well as the predictable Magica Emialso to Cat eyes And Lupine IIIsetting the story on the figure of a thief with strange powers, who, however, does not steal for herself, but to return in good faith to the legitimate owners.
Meimi Haneoka has a secret: at night, thanks to divine favor, she turns into Saint Tail, the mysterious thief who steals from the rich to give back to the poor and the innocent. Her intentions of hers would seem to be the best of her, but she is misunderstood by the rest of the citizenry, especially Asuka jr., Son of the police chief who tries in every way to catch her! Between magic tricks and first loves, Saint Tail must juggle the rooftops of the city to carry out her mission: to defeat injustice and evildoers.
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Saint Tail it is basically a episodic mangalinked to a background story by some narrative components: the fight for justice and the love story between the protagonist Saint Tail and what initially seems to be her main opponent, the son of the chief of police Asuka jr., Meimi’s classmate who wants at all costs to discover the true identity of the thief in order to have her incarcerated. When he realizes, however, that the girl is doing a good thing, he begins to change his opinion about her and her feelings begin to strengthen too. Magic is another constant component of the whole volume: a constant that is perceived both as a scent that pervades all the tables, both from a visual and aesthetic point of view through the use of screens and graphic elements recurring in the majokko manga of the 90s.
Eyes and glitter
From an aesthetic and graphic point of view, Saint Tail fits perfectly into the shojo landscape of the 90s: Megumi Tachikawa has one extremely childish graphic style, featuring his characters with large eyes and floral tinsel that adorn the tables. However, it must be stated that some anatomical elements are not perfect, especially the details of the hands that seem sketchy and certainly do not respect the proportions. This makes the drawings a little “aged”, Not pleasing to the eye, leading the manga itself from a graphic point of view to be considered in the light of the canons of those years. Saint Tailwe can say, it has aged not too well.
The static nature of many shots mixes with the narrative repetitiveness that already from the first volume is redundant, leading to a succession of chapters focused on a new case but which add little on a narrative and emotional level. Only the last two seem to begin to portend the intention to develop a story more focused on the two protagonists, which precisely through the detective story and the sharing of a focused pact requested by Asuka jr in Saint Tail through which she would not have had to. to be taken by no one but him, seems to be able to move towards a narrative turn increasingly focused on the love story between the two.
The new edition of Star Comics compensates and enriches the manga: a very thick edition finally packs in tankōbon all the chapters published in the magazine Friends, today perhaps complex to be found in its entirety and in any case not too manageable. On the contrary, the re-edition of Saint Tail presents an attention to detail that should not be underestimated, which make it a precious gem, at least at the edition level. The satin dust jacket is embellished with golden filigree reliefs that frame the two protagonists on the cover, presenting inside the thick initial color pages and an overall structural solidity, making it a very accurate edition that is worthily replacing the first edition. .
To whom we recommend Saint Tail?
The and the lovers of the genre majokko they will love Saint Tail: it is still one of those manga that has fascinated for its ambiguous value, leaving it halfway between shojo classic and the genre focused on “maghette”. This made it Saint Tail peculiar, focusing its story also on a metaphor that was very often ignored. Another slice of the public can be that of those who feel a strong nostalgia for this series, remembering both the capitulation in the magazine but perhaps above all the anime version: even if actually the manga has some flaws and definitely very idealized by the public also of the 90’s, Saint Tail is a pleasant series with which to indulge in memories.
- Classic of the shojo-majokko genre
- Valuable edition
- Very interesting metaphor, conveyed between the lines
- Very disproportionate designs, not always pleasing to the eye
- Episodic, sometimes repetitive history
- Staticity of the constant narration
Saint Tail
The gentlewoman thief of the 90s
When you do good, misunderstanding is often just around the corner. It also happens to Meimi, or rather to Saint Tail, thief who steals from wealthy swindlers to return works of art, giolielli or simple objects to their legitimate owners. Megumi Tachikawa’s manga is one of the most famous shojo-majokko manga of the late 90s, taking its cue from different influences, but imposing itself for its very explicit metaphor on the legitimacy of actions done for a good purpose. Although the manga has drawings that make it in effect very far from the current canons of realism and graphic composure, it must be said that Saint Tail despite this it proves to be very enjoyable and light, having no pretensions to entertain the reader with twists or suspense, but certainly to make him amused by seeing the adventures of Meimi and the other protagonists.
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