Arm of Kannon: Volume 1

by Masakazu Yamaguchi

Arm of Kannon is a horror/sci-fi title from TOKYOPOP, and our first TOKYOPOP title at PDI's bookstore. And what a title to begin with! Arm of Kannon opens with a two-punch bang of erotica and horror, and sets the stage for the surprising and mature story to follow.

The series starts out as the tale of a high school-aged brother and sister whose father has gone missing while searching for a historical artifact, The Arm of Kannon. An attempted mugging of the siblings leads the arrival of a mysterious sword-wielding bodyguard who deters the attack, but then talks to Mao and Mayo in an odd vernacular, talking about human obligations and little brother Mao’s taste for violence. The mystery man’s musings make more sense when we see the return of Mao and Mayo’s father -- or at least what seems to be their father. Would their real father really cut their mother into pieces and stick her into the refrigerator?

Arm of Kannon is a multi-layered mystery with elements of a military conspiracy (the government wants to use the artifact to make genetically mutated super-soldiers), as well as the classic battle of good vs. evil (in this case, literally, light vs. shadows). Full of bloody battles and humans transforming into monsters, Arm of Kannon has been compared to Legends of the Overfiend, but Arm of Kannon doesn't have nearly as much gratuitous sex scenes, and is overall a more mature and intelligent story.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some very electric battle scenes. Yamaguchi’s art really grabs the reader's attention, and some surprising full-page frames make for shocking page turns which really add to the horror element of the story.

Arm of Kannon will not appeal to all readers. It is directed towards a mature reader who enjoys the dark-side of manga with elements of horror and sci-fi. Volumes 1 through 8 are available now. Check here for more reviews of the Arm of Kannon series.