The more common formula is a manga becoming an anime but it’s not the only formula, just the more common. There are times when a successful anime is then converted into manga and This Ugly Yet Beautiful World from Tokyopop is exactly this type of manga. There will be times that such manga tweak the story a bit but overall they stick to the formula. For manga fans how does This Ugly Yet Beautiful World stack up as a standalone manga, let’s take a look.
Takeru and Ryo, childhood friends who chance upon a mysterious light one night, a light which when investigated reveals a young girl, Hikari, lying unconscious and naked. She immediately latches onto Takeruo and ends up living with him. Upon taking her in the duo is attacked by a mysterious monster which reveals a hidden power in Takeru. Her affection to Takeru sets off his many female friends and interest and when Ryo shows up with his own younger mysterious girl the questions begin. Who are these two young ladies, why are they attacked by monsters, what is Takeru’s strange power and what is Hikari’s true self? Mysteries and danger wait as does the challenges of dealing with so many fine young ladies.
From a story standpoint TUYBW is shaping up to be a fine entry in the long running harem anime genre. Similar to Tenchi in its alien babe way and young guy with power, not a bad series to be compared too. There are two hooks in this series the first of which is the relationship aspect for Takeru and the second the mystery of Hikari and her sister’s origin. Who is after them, what are they and can there be more boob shots in one book? Yes, this is a mature title due to a lot of clothes flying off, something not really needed with a fun and engaging story and great art. It’s not over the top, but the tops be missing a lot.
The art style is set from the anime as seen on the gorgeous cover. That quality remains on every page and readers should take notice of Ashita Morimi, great art really (yes, Morimi does not do the cover art but see if you can tell a difference). Overall This Ugly Yet Beautiful World starts off a bit slow but ends very strong and will leave the reader wanting more.
