Kannagi
Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

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tl;dr: A manga that is solid in terms of its lighter portions but doesn’t handle most of its serious portions all that well.

Kannagi is a manga that begins by a boy named Jin carving a figure out of the wood from a fallen sacred tree, and a girl named Nagi popping out of that figure. She claims to be the god that was enshrined in said sacred tree, but now that the tree was chopped down the protection she had offered the town was also gone, thus resulting in bug like creatures called impurities to wreak havoc. However, she still had enough power in her ... new form to take them out manually and she wanted Jin’s help to do so. This is how the manga starts and I guess it serves as the overarching plot, but Jin and Nagi searching for a defeating impurities really isn’t focused on at all.

Rather, the focus immediately shifts to it being about Nagi and her sister Zange essentially becoming local idols doing their best to gain followers as that increases their divine power. This aspect isn’t all that serious, and the end result is mostly just Jin, Nagi, Zange, and their various friends hanging out and living as high school students with various comedic hijinks ensuing while also occasionally having some soul searching teen drama. The drama centered around Nagi is pretty different from what you’d usually get in such manga as she’s a divine being having somewhat of an existential crisis, but it still kind of fit into the mold in terms of flow and such. The drama felt overdramatic pretty often and made things feel like they were dragging on at times, but the parts that were more slice of life and comedy oriented were decent enough. The cast wasn’t amazing but it held its own.

About half way through the manga it starts shifting towards being more plot oriented with a larger emphasis on explaining Nagi and Zange’s divine background. There is still some light hearted and decent comedy, but it’s overall more serious too. I felt that the writing wasn’t anywhere near as good at handling this and overall things felt overtly messy and didn’t really flow well. It jumps around too much doing a bunch of random things but not committing properly and just kind of throwing away half of what it does. There’s certain value in doing something and reversing it at times and that works well enough when it happens with bigger story elements, but with a lot of the smaller details it feels like there was no point other than that the author changed her mind which cumulatively builds up to the story overall feeling really rough.

It’s pretty normal for authors in long running manga to not know where they’re eventually going to take things and have to change course often in a forced manner. In such cases, I generally judge the writing based on how well they were able to write around the inconsistencies as well as whether what they were shifting into was worth whatever issues may have arisen. The writing here generally seemed to always feel like it screwed up in one way or another for some reason, and I have no clue why it was written in such a manner.

There were instances where it would have been incredibly easy to write things in such a way that they didn’t really contradict what was already established but it did so anyway, such as the case where a girl that had been present from the beginning was suddenly revealed to not only have supernatural powers but to have had them from essentially the beginning but didn’t tell anyone because she was embarrassed, which largely doesn’t fit with the plot at all. While there certainly was value in her having powers at that point, I see no reason why they had to change the plot such that she had them from the beginning and show her getting them in a flashback, rather than just getting them when she’s shown to have them. It was going to be pretty abrupt either way, and how it was handled in the manga just added inconsistencies for no reason at all.

There were also instances where some forced writing is used to push the plot in random directions, but I don’t really understand why the author wanted to push things in such a direction. The biggest example of this would be the ending, where forced writing is used to lead it to what would be a pretty generic but solid ending, but it randomly adds one more unnecessary complication that I don’t see the point of at all as it just kind of muddles things at the end for no reason. It doesn’t really add anything plot wise as there isn’t enough time to do anything with it, it doesn’t add to anyone’s character arc, it doesn’t really build on any of the themes. The only point I can really see is to have it be a joke, but I feel that’s not really a good note to end the series on. The ending is still pretty solid, but I’m left with just as much confusion as satisfaction, as I simply do not get why the author chose to do what they did.

Character arcs were a mixed bag. Of the two main characters, Jin’s came across pretty well with slow and steady build up and a good pay off at the end. Nagi’s on the other hand was too tied into the messiness of the plot and didn’t work nearly as well. The best character arc though I would have to say goes to one of the side characters Hakua, in that it was built up and had just as strong of a payoff as Jin’s, but it also felt a lot more natural. The rest of the side character’s arcs were pretty weak. Zange’s was overtly messy because like Nagi the plot was constantly throwing her around so she felt kind of inconsistent. The protagonist’s childhood friend, Tsugumi, felt like her character arc was overtly abrupt because there was a long stretch where she had minimal presence and then too much happened near the end. With most of the rest of the main characters, Daitetsu, Meguru, and Shino, they all essentially just have a chapter dedicated to them and that’s it. Other character’s like Takako don’t even get that, and other characters like Shohou I have no clue what was going on as in the end things are written such that it feels like Shouhou should have gotten a character arc but I didn’t really see anything of the sort. In terms of relationship arcs the manga did a much better job and Jin’s relationship with Nagi, Hakua, and Tsugumi was each handled really well.

The art quality I think starts off decent but over the course of the manga I think it improved enough to be considered good. The normal character designs in general are pretty solid, especially Nagi and Zange’s, but I think the special outfits, such as the divine forms, were when the art really shone.

Wow, only one review for a manga this old? That's a damn shame in my opinion. Well, here's something nobody asked for!

Kannagi was a show I got into based solely off the main girl looking cute - which seems to be pretty common. The show, and first 17 chapters of the manga the show is based off of, is framed as a slice-of-life moe harem romantic comedy. And boy oh boy, does that not even scratch the surface! Right after those chapters, the plot at large really kicks into high gear. If you have watched the show and are considering reading the manga, you should! ... It literally ends right before all the best plot threads start up.

Anyway, that aside, let's get into the specifics:

Story (9/10):
The story is excellent. It can kind of drag in the beginning chapters as the slice of life comedy aspects really trump the questions the manga initially poses and can make it seem slow, but once the story gets into gear from chapter 20 onward it really makes up for it. My only complaints really are the beginning lag and some of the chapters toward the end seem to really rush plot points which could have been further elaborated on (but knowing the production schedule was riddled with health issues of the author, it's kind of forgivable). Overall it's great, and really what kept me in the series.

Art (8/10):
I find it hard to ever discuss art that exists in just a "good to very good" area. If the art is something like Berserk or Attack on Titan, you can gush and gush over the beautiful detail taken especially in two page illustrations. Kannagi has good art - the girls are cute, the designs of the characters unique and varied which serves their character. The town is well illustrated, and everything is decently serviceable to great the entire time. But it's nothing groundbreaking enough to warrant higher than an 8. To summarize it: You could totally make a wallpaper using some panels of the manga if you loved it, but you wouldn't feel especially compelled to do so unless you loved the series.

Character (8/10):
The main cast of Kannagi is a 10/10. Jin and his harem are *chefs kiss* magnificent. They all develop in meaningful ways and hit every mark for a harem romantic comedy. The reason the character section isn't a 10/10 overall all though is...the supporting cast. Some of the supporting cast is fantastic, both of the art club boys are funny and unique - really serving the story and comedy whenever they're involved. But the girls are just kind of...there. There's also a late story development involving one of them that's just kind of...rushed? Without spoiling anything major, it's just kind of like they needed someone new to plug a heroine role and they upgrade her for the last arc. But overall, you'll love most of the characters for their individual strengths and attributes.

Enjoyment (10/10):
I really, really liked the manga. Obviously like I said the beginning was kind of slow for my taste (which I experienced through the show, so nothing too major), but once it hit its stride I basically read through it all in one sitting. I was pissed when I was too tired and had to sleep before continuing to read, which is always a good sign. If you liked the show, even a little, you'll love the manga. It's an absolute treat the whole way through, especially the further you go into it.

Overall (9/10):
Kanaagi should have more attention to be honest, it's kind of a sleeper hit. That's the brutality of a production schedule marred by real life events though. I did not expect to be such a fan going in, I was kind of just hoping to get a time waster while waiting for the world to stop burning so much. If you're curious about the manga, even just slightly, go for it. It's worth the payoffs presented in the early chapters 100%.

[::UPDATE::] July 27, 2017.
Series completed at Vol. 12 Chap. 78.
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[::(LIKELY THE FINAL) UPDATE::] March, 2017.
Welp, I guess that's it.
I'm pretty sure volume 11 is already complete and I remember seeing a Korean scan of it somewhere. Unfortunately it seems all scanlating groups dropped the series and unless one of you guys know how to read Korean and is willing to translate, we're out of luck.
It was a great saga and it will always have a special place in my heart. Takenashi-sensei certainly changed the cute-comedy genre of manga art and surely made her mark on the moe "revolution" that peaked in 2005~2010. I ... have no doubt those active in this segment of the industry see Kannagi as an important piece of reference and hope this continues to be true in the future.
My opinion on the quality of the story and art haven't changed, I stand with the same ratings I gave it years ago. It's a solid 8. Cute story, lovely characters and an overall heartwarming fantasy slice-of-life that sometimes confuses you, sometimes scares but usually ends each arc with a lovely conclusion.
For anyone seeking similar franchises I'd recommend Seto no Hanayome and Ika Musume, similar settings and same style of comedy.
That's all. Have a lovely day.
:)
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[::UPDATE::] December, 2016.
New chapters/scans/volumes/any info whatsoever nowhere to be found.
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[::UPDATE::] December, 2015.
Chapter 59 scans translated.
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[::UPDATE::] August, 2015.
Sorry guys, I'm flying blind here.
The only English scanlator I knew that was still doing this series had its last update with chapter 58 on March. Amazon.jp already have the 10th volume for sale, so I can only hope they translate that someday. It's a shame to have it incomplete, but if even Noboru's Zero no Tsukaima is now getting completed, I still have hope to see a closure to Jin and Nagi's tale.
Also, a little TL note, I wrote this review years ago, and years ago my vocabulary wasn't so great and honestly I was still a child. So yea, the quality is pretty low. I'm planing on re-writing it soon.
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[::UPDATE::] February, 2015.
Volume 9, chapter 57 translation released.
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[::UPDATE::] August, 2014.
Currently on Volume 9, Chapter 54.
It seems we are not that close to the ending as we thought. Takenashi is giving us hints that there's still more to come.
It seems, however, that the story is losing its focus... Hopefully this is just transitory.
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[::UPDATE::] July,2013.
It's back! And publications are now -supposed to- be bi-monthly.
Ongoing.
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It's been bothering me for a while that nobody reviewed this until now.
More than 7 years have passed since it started and no one wrote about it... weird.

Before starting with the review itself just a few considerations:
-If you watched the anime and now wants to know how the story continues you may start reading from volume 3, chapter 18. Thats where the anime adaptation stopped.
-Back in 2008 the author Eri Takenashi was hospitalized due to her illness and was submitted to several exams which kept the manga in hiatus for undetermined time until Jan, 2012 when it was announced she would start working again. However, its publication depends on her health status, that's why there isn't a schedule of publication and you can't know for sure when the next chapter will be released neither if there will be one.
-Bandai Entr. also announced in the beginning of 2012 that they'd decided to drop Kannagi series and would stop translating, so now, the only way to read it is through online scanlating groups.
-Kannagi's popularity also dropped after a overreacted "otaku rage" on events that happened in volume 6 (similar to what was done with Haruhi's endless eight) people tearing volumes apart, flooding foruns, etc, etc... A lot of fan boys dropped the series although it wasn't smth THAT shocking.
-If this wasn't enough, the coast area of Shichigahama, the model town of Kannagi, was completely destroyed by the 2011 tsunami.
Life in the real world really sucks sometimes :/

:::Story 9/10:::
I'll do a little summary of the story since the one here is really small. If you don't want to read it, just jump a few lines.
Kannagi's story goes around the life of Jin Mikuriya, a high school freshmen who's a little introspective and shy sometimes. He's very sensitive to spirits and supernatural stuff. When he did a sculpture for his art project, using a sacred piece of wood, it transformed into a vessel for the self-titled god of their land, Kannagi (Nagi)-sama. Nagi explains to Jin that she was in a mission in the "human world", she must clean the "impurities" that have been appearing as insects around the town and exorcise them back to where they belong. Along with that, she also needs to acquire popularity because if people start forgetting about her, or stops praying to her shrine with time her god powers will start decreasing until finally disappear.
That's where their story together start.
[end of the summary]
In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting and original stories that I've ever seen, basically because it mixes supernatural with the "easy-going" slice of life without losing it comedy. The romance in it is also "moderated" so it doesn't turn into a romantic comedy. Right in the beginning you go straight to the point, without fillers. At each volume the characters are introduced to a new problem with very different situations, this way you never get bored of it.
There's also a lot of references to other stories and old mangas/anime.
What I like in Eri Takenashii is that she writes what is on her mind, and don't bother with what the fans are thinking or if someone wouldn't like it.

:::Characters 10/10:::
The supporting characters of this series are just amazing. If it was possible I would like to see a side-story of each one of them. The highlight of this manga would be for sure the comedy.
Daitetsu confusion over simple things and Tsugumi been jealous of Nagi and Zange made me lol for hours.

:::Art 9/10:::
I have nothing to complain about.
It's clean and really well-drawn. You have that simple "moe" style depending on the scene but also very detailed drawings.

:::Overall 8/10:::
I could (and would) give it a 10, but since you can't know for sure if there will be an ending and when will it come out, I have to stay with the 8/10 for now.
Hopefully we'll have another chapter published in the next months, it looks like thinks are moving to the ending. If so, I'll be glad to change this score.
Kannagi may be one of most underrated series in manga and anime. Once I read in a discussion board: " Kannagi is a great piece of work just with tragic circumstances. " which is true indeed.

Thanks for reading. Feedback greatly appreciated, and please, give Kannagi a try!