Soul Eater, Vol. 1

[chroniclesofreading]

BY: Atsushi Ohkubo
SERIES: ソウルイーター [Soul Eater] (#1)
RELEASES: October 27, 2009 by Yen Press
GENRE: Dark Fantasy
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATING: 2 out 5
SYNOPSIS: Maka is a weapon meister, determined to turn her partner, a living scythe named Soul Eater, into a powerful death scythe - the ultimate weapon of Death himself! Charged with the task of collecting and devouring the tainted souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch, Maka and her fellow meisters strive to master their weapons as they face off against the bizarre and dangerous minions of the underworld. But the meisters' own personal quirks may prove a bigger obstacle than any sultry enchantress!



REVIEW: It is Maka’s goal to transform Soul Eater, a living scythe, into the ultimate weapon of death himself through the use of a powerful death scythe. To collect and consume 99 souls and one witch soul tainted by the underworld.

Maka and her fellow meisters must master their weapons as they battle the bizarre and deadly minions of the underworld. It is likely that the meisters’ own personal quirks will prove to be more of an obstacle than any sultry enchantress!

The Soul Eater series is one of those things I try to remain neutral about. I found the first volume to be so boring. The series idea was interesting, and the art was cute - I really like the cover. My problem is that there is way too much silliness and soft-core porn after that.

Manga contains over-sexualized female characters, and most of them are underage. Among the main characters is a 13-year-old girl. This really bothers me and makes it difficult to enjoy the series. I think the story could have been better if the characters had been more mature and the plot had been more serious.

In terms of plot, it’s scattered. The transition between storylines felt abrupt and didn’t seem to flow naturally. It was difficult to keep track of all the characters, and the story lacked a strong narrative arc.

This story could have been more enjoyable without excessive fan service. This story could have been engaging and thrilling if better written, but it is fragmented.

It would have been more enjoyable if the characters had been three-dimensional and the plot had had more depth. Instead, the characters come across as caricatures and the story is predictable and shallow.