Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side Volume 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Armand Villavert (Author), Hans Steinbach (Author)

Book Description

Series: Princess AI | Publication Date: March 11, 2008

Explore the world of Princess Ai with an unforgettable story collection. This anthology includes four new manga stories, an excerpt from the upcoming novel, and a sneak peak from the upcoming Princess Ai manga series The Prism of Midnight Dawn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This one is for the fans of the original Princess Ai concept created by musician Courtney Love and DJ Milky. Rumors is a compilation of short stories by various manga-inspired creators—many of whom are winners in the various Tokyopop Rising Stars of Manga competitions. The book is double formatted with some stories reading from left-to-right, others right-to-left. Princess Ai's original artist, Misaho Kujiradou, has a chapter as does Korean manhwa creator Mi-Kyung Kim (11th Cat). Other featured creators include T Campbell, Irene Flores, Erica Reis and Pauro Izaki who gives a boys' love narrative. For the most part, Rumors is a vehicle to exhibit Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga—and keep Princess Ai on the shelves. (Fans, take note: the clothes/outfits are not as spectacular as in the original.) The stories in Rumors require familiarity with the story line and characters. Most focus on the romantic aspects of the original Princess Ai story and capitalize on the strip-club setting, where Ai got her first gig. Overall, contributors try to expand and develop supporting characters in Ai's world, but the short, 20-page length impairs any substantial narrative. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Princess Ai, a popular three-volume series created by Courtney Love and D. J. Milky (Tokyopop), has been retold and embellished in these 12 short stories, 10 of which are told OEL left to right, and 2 in traditional manga style. Princess Ai has returned to Ai-land, but those she left behind–the ex-boss, jealous coworker, tabloid reporter, roommate, assistant, friends, and enemies–all have their stories to tell of her time on Earth. One tale by original artist and cowriter Misaho Kujiradou gives a brief epilogue for fans. The other installments feature different writers and illustrators who introduce their own visions of Princess Ai's background and appearance. Ranging from silly to superhero and sweet to slapstick (sometimes in the same chapter), these stories don't take themselves or the established mythology seriously. While each chapter varies widely in style, the whole is of consistently high quality in both storytelling and artwork. Humor, combined with chapter introductions, makes this volume fun for newcomers, but the book will be best appreciated in tandem with the original. With more books based on Princess Ai on their way, this is a good purchase for libraries that own the original series and want to maintain readers' interest.–Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TOKYOPOP (March 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427808228
• ISBN-13: 978-1427808226
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,604,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heart-touching complement to an emotionally moving romantic series., April 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side is an anthology of twelve short manga-style stories by a diversity of international authors, each offering a different take on the characters of the popular "Princess Ai" manga series about a winged girl with a virtually magical singing voice, and the young man who falls in love with her. The art styles range from wondrously beautiful to humorously comedic, and the themes tend to be romantic with a touch of bittersweet wistfulness. Recommended for readers 13 or older due to mild gore, moderately mature language and non-sexual/nondescript nudity, Princess Ai is ultimately a heart-touching complement to an emotionally moving romantic series.