I.O.N [Paperback]

Arina Tanemura (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Ion Tsuburagi chants the letters of her first name as a charm to bring good luck when she needs it. Then she meets Mikado Hourai, the president of the Psychic Powers Research Society at school, and touches a mysterious substance he's been developing. Now chanting "I-O-N" gives her telekinetic powers!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ion Tsuburagi was born with the ability to influence events by chanting her first name as a spell. Ion discovers that her psychic abilities increase when she holds a piece of experimental metal developed by her classmate Mikado the boy genius. Her powers—which allow her to fly and rescue classmates—soon take a backseat to a love story involving Mikado, who also happens to be president of the school's Psychic Power Research Society. Ion worries that Mikado is more interested in her as a psychic than a girlfriend. This manga is Tanemura's debut—her later Full Moon and Gentlemen's Alliance Cross are popular and more assured. Her author's notes in the sidebars are sometimes more interesting than the plot, revealing the story's muddled origins and providing valuable insight into the career path of a manga artist. A few pages of almost magical-girl–style psychic action are very well-drawn, but even Tanemura admits her early artwork contains too many decorative patterns based on strawberries, irises, lace and newsprint. Humor, ESP and romance coalesce well in this satisfying yet poorly paced early work by a talented author. (Apr.)
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About the Author

Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 at the early age of 18,

when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. Tanemura gained

notoriety with the 1997 publication of I-O-N, a high school romance with

a supernatural twist. From 1998 to 2000, she worked on the popular series

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, about a young girl who is the reincarnation of

Joan of Arc, followed by Time Stranger Kyoko in 2000-2001 and Full

Moon o Sagashite in 2002. Despite Tanemura's intentions to draw in a style

that makes her stories difficult to animate, both Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

and Full Moon o Sagashite have been adapted into TV series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421518007
• ISBN-13: 978-1421518008
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #398,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good., April 5, 2008

By 

Harmony Lawler - See all my reviews

This review is from: I.O.N (Paperback)

for the "first book by Arina Tanemura", Its pretty good. Even for a 1 volume series, this is a good addition to anyone's manga collection. The story is kind of odd and is different then what you'd expect. Though all the same, it's kinda cheesy. Only because her psychic powers aren't explained very well, but for a short story like this, it's still okay. Long time fans and new of Arina will quickly pick up on the charm and cuteness. And still in my opinion, way too overtoned, but some like that. Pick it up if you're a fan. If not, I recommend The Gentleman's Alliance. Read that first before this and get used to the art if that's somthing that might bother you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clearly an early work, but still enjoyable escapism, February 9, 2011

By 

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

This review is from: I.O.N (Paperback)

Ion has a special technique to make good things happen to her. She chants the letters of her name and something good will happen, whether it be big or small.

Unfortunately, Ion still isn't having much luck in the romance department. One boy likes her and asks her out, but she has eyes on schoolmate Mikado, especially after he hides her from the other boy. And Mikado? He likes to think about psychic research and all that goes with it. He talks about a substance that increases psychic powers.

Ion seems to already have some sort of psychic abilities, judging by the good luck of chanting her name. However, after hanging out with Mikado, her powers increase. That's because she outright touches the substance he told her about earlier. She can levitate and move objects with her mind. Mikado is impressed...but does he like Ion for her powers, or does he like her as a girl?

To make matters worse, his ex-girlfriend shows up and is still interested in him. Not only that, but she's a psychic, too! Will she and Ion have to out-psychic each other in order to get the boy? Though the book is so much about psychic abilities, a good portion of Ion reads like a typical high-school girl fight over a boy. Both Ion and the ex-girlfriend want Mikado, and they don't give up easily.

Still, all the psychic stuff is more interesting than everything about fighting over a boy. And it's cool toward the end when the psychic part of the book gets more leverage and Ion's powers are explained. That makes it more than a slice-of-life high-school story.

Ion is a single volume, something not too typical in manga. It's also just a little bit longer than your average manga, though not by much. This is an early work from Arina Tanemura, and it does kind of seem like a book by someone who's feeling the genre out. There are some rough patches. It's not as tight as it could be, but it's definitely not bad. Fans of Tanemura's later works, like Full Moon and Gentlemen's Alliance, will probably enjoy seeing how the mangaka started out. Artwise, it has the feel of a specific kind of shojo, with big eyes and plenty of glitter. It's a good escapist read, and will most likely find the bulk of its audience in high-school girls.


-- Danica Davidson

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky good fun from Tanemura, April 12, 2008

By 

Karusichan "Karusichan" (Lansing, MI. USA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I.O.N (Paperback)

Ion Tsuburagi has had a good luck charm since she was a child. Whenever she chants the letters of her name something good always happens. She has also had a lifelong dream concerning romance... The man she will fall in love with must have a dream, something he's passionate about, something he has to work towards. In high school the student council president, Kouki, starts pursuing her she has no interest in him. He's shutting down clubs he doesn't like and this turns Ion off of him and she tries to dodge him at all costs. During one of her attempted escapes Ion meets Mikado, the president of the Psychic Power Research Society, and she falls for him. He's so passionate about psychic ability, and this passion allures Ion to him in a nanosecond.

Ion joins the PPRS, mostly to prevent its shut down, and things heat up between her and Mikado. Her good luck seems to be triggered by a substance he is researching and Ion soon discovers that her good luck can actually be attributed to true psychic ability. Kouki still does all he can to interfere, but something is developing between Ion and Mikado that psychic ability cannot account for... or is it merely that he is only interested in her as a research specimen?

Cute and quirky this single volume by Tanemura will have readers squealing with glee. Her work is always good and the fact that this series is short and concise only improves the flow of her storytelling. As always, beautifully drawn, but even more beautifully conveyed. This is one of those series that Tanemura fans must have.