Gate 7

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Alright. I'm sick of the hate this is getting from ex-Clamp fans. If you view my profile, you'll see I've already added it to my favourites after reading just 13 chapters. That's how much I love it.

Art (10)
The first thing that grabbed my attention about this is the incredible artwork. Clamp has truly outdone themselves. It's consistent, beautiful and I have no more to say on this matter, as it is undeniably perfect.

Story (8)
Now, I know the story is a little confusing. But that isn't because of bad writing. It's because of the many references to historical figures in Japan that Westerners are not familiar ... with. However, it is still an interesting story, without knowing any of the background information. I read about 10 chapters without doing any research on Japanese history, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. After going to the effort of reading up on the references Clamp makes, however, I found the story even more enjoyable to read. I do have one criticism and that is the fact that the pacing is a little all over the place, but I believe that it will smooth out eventually.

Character (10)
I LOVE the characters. Especially Tachibana. And Hana. And Date Masamune. And Sakura. And Chikahito. No, i love them all.
Their relationships are all so believable and interesting. And I love how quickly they're developing and revealing their pasts. And I can already see the angst (coughcough Tachibana coughcough) that's coming up soon. I love angst.
It annoys me that so many people compare these characters to other Clamp characters. They have a few similarities, yes. But this manga is completely different from any other Clamp manga you've read. As are the characters. It's not meant to be read as a reincarnation of Tsubasa or XXXholic.

Enjoyment (10)
Overall (10)
So, all up, I love it forever. I recommend it to anyone looking for a manga which actually has a deep storyline, which doesn't solve itself in the first chapter, but builds tension and suspense properly, like any good piece of writing should.

(having read the first two volumes)

Takamoto Chikahito is probably one of the most relatable protagonists I've seen in the manga/anime world for one reason--when you're confused, so is he. I remember reading chapter one when Sakura, Tachibana and Hana appear and random stuff just starts exploding and thinking to myself "What's going on?!" and turning the page and to find Chikahito saying "What's going on?!" Glad to know we're on the same page....

That said this manga has a habit of throwing a lot of info at you and then going back and explaining itself. However, a lot of that is due to my (and I'd ... wager most Western readers') lack of knowledge of Japanese history. Much of the story and characters are intertwined with what I guess is common knowledge history in Japan--but the rest of us are left flipping to the back of the volume looking for translator notes to explain what we're reading about.

Now many would say that is a serious drawback to the series, but personally I found it fun. I liked learning more of a subject I was completely unaware of. With a patient read, the translation notes DO bring everything into light and the story makes sense. This isn't a straightforward story--it takes a bit of effort on the reader's part, but it's by no means incomprehensible.

The characters main characters are rather enjoyable. The three "strange people" our hero, Chikahito, meets have very distinct and dynamic personalities, and I enjoyed how in depth they got in just two volumes. Hana is especially fun just becuase of the stark contrast between her wants-noodles mode and her serious mode (one being excessively adorable and the other being downright beautiful).

Which brings me to the art. This is the first thing I've ever read of Clamp's, and when I picked it up my friends all told me how amazing it was sure to be "because Clamp is god"

I see what they meant.

This artwork is AMAZING. At several points per chapter I literally just stopped and stared in awe at the page wondering "how do they do that....it's not fair..." The characters are all incredibly detailed, and as I mentioned above, Hana is simply stunning. The only drawback is perhaps the lack of clarity during the fights--it's sometimes hard to tell exactly what happened in each panel, but even that hardly takes away form the literally breathtaking visuals this manga has to offer.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this manga so far, and I cannot WAIT until July for volume 3 to come out in the US (I refuse to read this online--this art demands that it be seen in person).

The art is gorgeous, almost jaw-dropping as CLAMP once again, flaunts off their skills as a 20-year veteran of manga. Which is where I'm confused. If I'm a historian or fanatic of history class, certainly I could enjoy this. This manga however, as engaging as it promises to be in the beginning first pages, completely speeds away from its friendly welcome, and leaves you in the dust reading paragraph-long dialogue bubbles,struggling to keep your attention, as the fast-paced story forwards months later where the story connects with chapter 1. The characters don't help to pull you in either. Hana is adorable, main character guy is ... boring, and the other two men are kind of hot. But unless you want an artbook littered with words, I don't recommend something even a reader as patient as I, couldn't enjoy.