Reviews

Award winning and quite popular in Japan, this lively gender mash-up qualifies as a true shojo/shonen crossover teen drama with enough angst, comedy, action, and romantic tension for wide appeal. Nine-year-old "all-boy" Megumi runs afoul of a magic book with a live-in genie, who transforms him into a cute girl. Even weirder, Megumi's parents now claim she's been their little girl all along. Now age 15, Megumi has become the hottest crush at school, her suitors banding together as "Megumi's Musketeers," but Megumi still wants her Y chromosome back. Meanwhile, she can kick butt boy-style as masterfully as she breaks hearts girl-style. Funny yet poignant, Megumi's dilemma between falling for head musketeer Soga or reverting to male is matched only by that of the Musketeers, torn between their adoration for this beautiful girl and their desire to help her reclaim her boyhood. With serious subtext about boy-vs.-girl behavior, realistic and well-handled character development, plus the action/romance combo, the 20-volume series should appeal to Ranma 1/2 fans and beyond. VIZ rates this for older teens up. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.