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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.

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

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.

I'm not a big Arina Tanemura fan, but I'm working on a Listmania of short shojo, and I needed more entries. I really wasn't expecting much considering that this is one of Tanemura's early works, but I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, I thought the characters were cute. They weren't especially deep, but they were believable and sympathetic, and they all had funny moments. The romance didn't get very long to develop, but some chemistry did come across. I thought it was sweet.

The story is good. It's a little random in one or two places, but it's not that noticable. The parts about psychic abilities were fun. I also thought the art was cute. It's a little overdone for my tastes, but it is well done, and it has a lot of detail.

Overall, I thought this was a fun, cute manga. The plot and characters don't get enough time to develop much, but it's still a way to spend an afternoon.