Hero Tales, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Huang Jin Zhou (Author), Hiromu Arakawa (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hero Tales | Publication Date: October 27, 2009

Legend speaks of seven heroes, each one bearing the power of one of the stars of the Big Dipper. Two of these stars are constantly in conflict, destined to battle and throw the world into chaos...

Not that Taitou has ever paid much attention to old stories. Headstrong and defiant, he is the last in his village to complete his coming-of-age ceremony - a fact his sister Laila incessantly teases him about. When he is finally deemed worthy, he is presented with the Kenkaranbu, an ancient sword that can only be drawn by a true hero. As the frustrated Taitou struggles to unsheathe the sword, a mysterious thief appears, making off with the blade and citing the legend of the Big Dipper. The stars have been set in motion, as Taitou sets off after the Kenkaranbu and the truth of his own destiny...Hiromu Arakawa, creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, brings the legend to life!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hiroma Arakawa

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Yen Press (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759531161
• ISBN-13: 978-0759531161
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,529,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Hokkaido (northern Japan), Hiromu Arakawa first attracted national attention in 1999 with her award-winning manga STRAY DOG. Her series FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST debuted in 2001 in Square Enix's monthly manga anthology Shonen Gangan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bad Pacing!, September 8, 2010

By 

Saito Hajime "My reviews are short and sweet.... (Your Momma's Bedroom, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hero Tales, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

When I saw the name Hiromu Arakawa(Fullmetal Alchemist) on the cover, I immediately bought this and the 2nd volume. The artwork, story, and characters are all good, but the pacing is awful. You are immediately thrown into this world with no explanation and everything happens so fast. The speed takes away from the characters and nice albeit, cliche' story. It's basically about a bunch of chosen ones who conveniently meet up almost immediately and fight one another. Its not quite as bad as I'm making it sound, but not worth your money, although there are only a few volumes released in Japan, so it would be inexpensive to collect them all compared to a long series with over 30 volumes.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Volume is a Sure Bet, June 21, 2010

By 

GraphicNovelReporter.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hero Tales, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Taitou lives a happy life in his village of Taizan: picking on his sister Laila, standing up to the Imperial Army when it tries to exert its might, and attempting to complete his coming-of-age ceremony. On the day that Taitou does finally become the last person in his village to complete the ceremony, he is given an ancient sword that can only be drawn by a true hero. As Taitou is frustrated in his attempts to draw the sword, a mysterious thief arrives in town, steals the sword, and unleashes a monster living inside of Taitou. Now the young man must journey with Laila and a mysterious priest named Ryuukou to try to retrieve the sword and learn more about his destiny as one of the seven hero stars of the Big Dipper.

Arakawa, popular creator of Fullmetal Alchemist (published by Viz), is part of a collaborative group turning its sights on Ancient China in this fantasy adventure. Themes of destiny, power (and the corruption of power), triumph over the odds, politics, and familial ties are all woven into the story. The hero's journey storyline is used to good effect, putting Taitou and his companions on a path that will intersect with the empire they hate. Along the way, readers are shown why the empire is hated through examples of their treatment of others. Rather than just explaining things up front, the story is built slowly, details dropping in where needed. At times, this leaves readers as overwhelmed by information as Taitou himself feels, but the story is intriguing enough to drag itself through those parts.

Volume one is obviously just the beginning. It outlines the three main characters, gives us insight into their personalities, and sends them on their way. All three are strong in both personality and body. Taitou is plucky, smart, and an extremely strong fighter, and his sister Laila is more than his equal. Just as with FMA's Edward and Al Elric, Taitou is the older brother who is often guided by the wisdom of his younger sibling, though Laila is more spirited than Al and doesn't hesitate to smack Taitou around if he needs it. Ryuukou is intelligent and resourceful, but not so old that he can't be both mentor and friend to Taitou. The art is easily recognizable as Arakawa's: round faces, muscular bodies, and sharp eyes, with strong chins on many of the older characters, especially the villains. There is a new character introduced in the last chapter of this volume whose looks are so similar to Taitou's that it is easy to confuse them, but that is the only real weakness.


This volume is a sure bet. Arakawa is a mega-popular creator, even when working in a group, and an intriguing beginning to the series, appealing characters, and attractive, eye-catching art all add to the appeal. Even if volume one doesn't do much more than set things in motion, fans of Fullmetal Alchemist, Tegami Bachi (by Hiroyuki Asada from Viz), Gin Tama (by Hideaki Sorachi from Viz), and even Fruits Basket (by Natsuki Takaya from TokyoPop) should find plenty to enjoy and be eager for volume two.
-- Snow Wildsmith