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Psychic Power Nanaki: Vol. 1    by Ryo Saenagi Amazon.com order for
Psychic Power Nanaki
by Ryo Saenagi
Order:  USA  Can
TOKYOPOP, 2007 (2007)
Paperback
* *   Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto

Ryo Saenagi's Psychic Power Nanaki is simply a fun, paranormal action story. Although it is rated T, it will appeal to all readers who want to escape into a mysterious drama with some horror and fantasy elements.

After being struck by a getaway car and being out of school for a month, high school student Nanaki returns, only to have a day full of weird events, that seem triggered whenever he gets worked up. After school, he meets a very serious younger boy Ao, who explains to him that his latent psychic abilities were awakened by his head trauma and that now the psychic agency Lock wants him for an agent. It takes Nanaki a while to believe Ao, but once he agrees to join Lock, the two boys find themselves partners in many cases that involve supernatural elements. Ao, however, is not happy to have a partner – the undisciplined Nanaki or anyone else – and Nanaki is determined to get to the root of Ao's antisocial behavior. The two make good foils for each other as the series gets off to a great start.

Ryo Saenagi has written a story that is a lot of fun, hinting at depths to be revealed in later volumes. For volume one, he concentrates on establishing the characters of Nanaki and Ao and their relationship as partners working for Lock. Their psychic abilities and the cases they are called in on add to the fun of the narrative. The artwork is consistent throughout, with typical manga-type hair, facial expressions, clothing, and screen tones. While there is nothing that makes the graphics stand out, they are very well-done and complement the plot nicely. Ryo Saenagi's Psychic Power Nanaki series starts very strongly. If this keeps up in subsequent volumes, it will be a must read. I know I am looking forward to seeing what other situations Nanaki and Ao find themselves in.

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