Feb 13, 2024
A fantasy manga about gemstones. This unique premise is sufficiently appealing to see what it is about. What is it about then? A classic, light-hearted story of a young girl coming to a big city in order to start a new life.
As MAL does not have a synopsis, here is one.
Housekishou no Shinjin takes place in a fantasy world where magical gemstones have recently been discovered. These gemstones contain untapped energy that scientists have learned to harness in order to make technological leaps. The drawback is that the gemstones are often found in hazardous places, surrounded by magical phenomenons.
The main protagonist, Mana, is a young
...
girl from a small village that the gemstone technology has not yet reached. Her dream for years had been to become a gemstone hunter at the gemstone ministry, but she is not really the best candidate: she is unathletic, clumsy, an airhead and not exactly knowledgeable about gemstones. However, she managed to pass the ministry's exam thanks to her rare ability: she is able to see the magical aura of the gemstones, making the search easier. Her main issue, made obvious when she starts hunting, is that she cannot control her ability and that she tires herself quickly when using it.
The second protagonist, Ray Orven, is the daughter of an influential politician. Like Mana, she is a novice hunter at the ministry, expect that she is the complete opposite: athletic, studious, serious, used to dealing with gemstones, etc. Assigned to the same team, she has to work together with Mana, despite her initial reluctance.
You might have guessed it from the synopsis, but the main point of the narrative is the relationship between Mana and Ray, growing from hostility to friendship/rivalry. The story is definitely character-driven, with absolutely no impact outside the main characters. Of course, there are other characters, all of them co-workers from the ministry, from their superior and the other team members to Ray's self-proclaimed rival.
In the end, Housekishou no Shinjin is not exactly a memorable manga. It is not bad by any means, but it is not great either. The story and the characters do not shine by their originality, but the world itself is unique enough to be interesting, with some solid artworks. The manga takes only three volumes to end, which is good and bad, i.e. it is short enough to be enjoyable without getting boring, while the world could have been developed more with a few more chapters. Should you read it? Maybe, if you want a simple, short, cosy story in a fantasy world, with no global stake.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
.png)
.png)
