Orphen

Publisher
ADV Manga
Writer
Yoshinobu Akita
Artist
Hajime Sawada
Country of origin
Japan
Length
6 volumes
Year
1998

Orphen V. 1

By David Rasmussen
20th Mar 05

Before this point he used to be quite the different person than he is now. He used to study at a place called the Tower of Fangs, and considering he's been called an "assassin" I'm going to take it he wasn't studying the Hogwarts way of schooling. Yet that all came to an abrupt end one day, a day that changed his life as well as his name... and it all involved one young woman. Just not the woman who has come to him seeking to learn magic and get some help!

Orphen, the assassin formerly known as Krycanelo, is well versed in magic... sorta... yet he doesn't seem very well versed in that other magic, mainly the magic of money finances and accounting. Why? Well it seems he's often in debt to someone, or just barely getting by the way he's presently living. That is why he's pretty much a "mage for hire" even if it means getting stuck with some not so nice jobs which are more trouble than they're worth. And it doesn't help that he's saddled with some strange "associates" that are more burden than help! I mean really, were these characters necessary?

Yet he somehow gets by, taking odd jobs for the man who raised him (Childman), which leads him to the present and his unintentional joining with a outspoken young woman (Cleao... no relation to "psychic" Cleo, whose powers failed her in her last visit with a court of law) who is determined to have Orphen teach her magic... or get him hitched to her sister... or something... even if it kills him. And to think this all started because he had to retrieve a magic ring which turned out to be worn by, yes, Cleao.

Speaking of kill, the young woman who moved Orphen to the point that he gave up his former self is still out there, and still being hunted by the Tower of Fangs... and the man Orphen works for. Guess it's not outrageous to believe that eventually, if he ever finds out, there'll be a reckoning between Orphen and Childman over this... if it doesn't get said woman on the run killed before then. Of course nothing of the sort may happen... but only time will tell, and that time may be sooner than anyone anticipated since it seems she's been discovered and... well, that's it for now. Why? Well the story ends in a cliffhanger (like the review of Kid's Joker GN 1 a week back) which means we'll have to wait for Orphen GN 2 to see what happens next.

Nuff said, breakdown time.

Orphen Breakdown the 1st
What's Hot? - I like it. It's got likeable characters... yes, even the annoying characters has some traits that make them likeable, even if they're likeable as the fall guys who never get any respect. Orphen, as a character, is an intriguing read, and I am quite interested in seeing how this'll develop with GN 2. I'm not a die hard reader yet, but if the story develops and continues to be as good a read as this one then that'll be a situation that won't stay "status quo" for very long.

What's Not? - Hmm... can't think of anything. It's a good read, and it has merits. I haven't seen the Anime yet but I'm thinking the Anime will have similar strengths to the Manga and also be worth seeing.
Overall I found it a good read, so I have no complaints about it.

Moments to Remember? - Ah, the strange situations they get into. If it isn't the whole get the ring thing which turns out to lead to Orphen getting stuck with Cleao (the aforementioned female I talk about above) then it's the mist dragon caper... oh, heck, Orphen + Cleao equal memorable...

What to Ignore? - I'd like to ignore the over-excess of "associates". We could have done with less dopey characters, even if they have some appeal to them despite the fact they're... well... dopey.

Overall? - I know a few people who like this series, and I can see why. It has, in my opinion, a solid beginning and merits for you to check out. And with the ending of GN 1 being abit of a cliffhanger which leads into the next book, which has me intrigued. You? I'm hoping you'll be hyped about the upcoming Orphen GN 2's release after you read this one. Solid and a good read, I recommend this from me to you.

-- David Rasmussen 20th Mar 05