Hoshi no Samidare
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer

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I read this work by Mizukami Satoshi because I was looking for something short to read. My initial impression was "boring", and I had to put it on-hold for a month. Not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I was busy with work. That being said, as soon as I read the 2nd volume I got hooked. This manga definitely has problems. Those include: weakly written main villain, even more boring enemies that our heroes have to fight and the overreliance on slice-of life content. That being said, even if they are weaknesses, some of them are the strengths of this manga ... and carry it. The fights with enemies are simply drawn and easy to follow. The art is not complex, so you won’t have to stare at it long to get all the details. Slice-of life aspect allows to appreciate the characters better.

Okay, now let’s talk about the story. It’s about a young college student and a high school girl who have to stop an evil wizard who wants to destroy the world. Pretty basic stuff. But here's the catch, she wants to destroy the world as well after stopping the bad guy. The college student pledges loyalty to her. Naturally, they find allies who want to stop the wizard and what follows is a story about camaraderie, superpowers and talking magical animals. Two words about the story: basic stuff. It’s not going to blow you away, but you’ll definitely be satisfied since it is done so well. What saves this manga from mediocrity are the characters. There are so many of them and all of them are sufficiently developed in such a short time. However, many of them are not as interesting enough to be going into favorite-character lists. Why? Because, as I said, the story is pretty basic, so their feats are nothing groundbreaking.

All in all, if you are looking for an easy-read, I recommend this one. It’s not going to blow your mind, but at least you’ll be satisfied after you finish it.

I'm not the biggest battle action manga person, but I do appreciate a good battle series every now and then. The heart pumping action where a group of heroes defeat the impossible and save the world, it's usually a fun romp every now and then. As an anime adaptation was announced for this "must-read" manga, I decided to finally give this manga a read seeing as the PVs for the 15-year late adaptation look dreadful. What did I thought of it?

It was fine. No really, if you like battle shounen (this is a seinen manga btw) or the like, you will enjoy this a considerable ... amount more than me. But, I still did enjoy my time with the manga. It really is ultimately your typical series where a group of heroes band up to save the world. The one defining factor that separates these series from each other is the execution.

And in that sense Hoshi no Samidare is fine. I really liked certain scenes and especially the conclusion, but a lot of the humor never resonated with me, and some of the serious moments, especially those early on, never landed with me either.

And maybe it's due to all of the The Pillows references in this, or the 2000s vibe from the setting, but for some reason I ended up thinking a lot of FLCL when reading this. Listening to the albums from both the series and its sequel while reading resulted in a surprisingly good fit as well.

Ultimately whether or not you'll enjoy this series is dependant on whether you enjoy these types of manga to begin with. If you want something that would truly redefine how you view this genre as a whole, you're better off looking elsewhere.

6/10

"Hoshi no Samidare" presents itself with a promising premise, but as one delves deeper into both its anime and manga adaptations, the allure starts to fade. Initially, the anime raises questions about its classification as seinen, as it fails to fully engage viewers with its intended demographic. This ambiguity leaves audiences questioning what exactly is missing from the narrative.

Transitioning to the manga, hopes of finding a more refined and compelling source material are dashed. Instead, the root issues persist, further highlighting the shortcomings of the story. By the time one reaches chapter 20, it becomes evident that the manga struggles with coherence and direction. It ... attempts to straddle the line between shounen and shoujo genres, resulting in a disjointed and often foolish narrative.

One of the main issues lies in the characterization. While there are potentially engaging characters like Hangetsu, their presence feels fleeting and underdeveloped (cus they dead). Instead, the focus often shifts back to the main character, Yuhi, who proves to be insufferable and lacking in depth. This imbalance detracts from the overall enjoyment of the story, leaving readers craving more substantial character arcs.

Furthermore, the plot progression feels contrived and implausible at times. Instead of organic development, character growth is often attributed to convenient plot devices, robbing the narrative of genuine depth and emotional resonance. This reliance on shallow storytelling undermines the potential impact of the narrative, ultimately leaving readers feeling unsatisfied.

In the end, "Hoshi no Samidare" fails to deliver the compelling experience it initially promises. Its shortcomings make it difficult to recommend to readers. Instead, exploring alternatives like "Rozen Maiden" may provide a more satisfying storytelling.