Comics / Manga

Magic Touch: Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
January 17, 2009 - 09:31

Magic Touch 1 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Futouka Academy, a unique high school, actually has a Massage Research Society, which provides students free massages.  The star of this massage group is Chiaki Togu, a quiet normal girl who is something of masseur prodigy.  Then, one day Chiaki spies Yosuke Moriizumi, the hottest guy in school, and it’s love at first sight when she falls in love with his gorgeous back.  Yosuke’s back is stiff, and he could really use a massage, or at least Chiaki thinks so.  However, Yosuke has a fierce, standoffish appearance, so will he ever allow Chiaki to put her hands on his back?

In Magic Touch, Vol. 1, Chiaki’s own insecurities and the scheming of her classmates are thwarting her efforts to even make friends with Yosuke, let alone give him a massage.  Meanwhile, Chiaki’s conniving twin sister, Sayaka, has been pretending to be Chiaki, and now, her evil deeds are coming back to haunt her sister.  Chiaki doesn’t know that her reputation is in tatters, even with Yosuke.

THE LOWDOWN:  Having a massage club as the center of activity for her high school setting signals readers that Isumi Tsubaki plans to make her shoujo manga, Magic Touch, an edgy affair, and she succeeds.  There is something extra creepy about a school where students can paw all over each other in a club room, or maybe my discomfort is just an American thing.

For all its edginess, Magic Touch is also often surreal, even a bit over the edge.  In a way, it seems to have a multiple personality disorder, as it tries to be many things (comedy, fantasy, romance, teen thriller, etc.), but above all, a shoujo manga (comics for teen girls).  The high school romance is fairly typical – shy, insecure girl desires tall, dark, and handsome jock-type boy, but as a story of young love, Magic Touch seems rather pedestrian.  Even the art is commonplace.  If this series is going to stand out, the creator should focus on the scandal and conflicts between the students, especially Chiaki’s rivalry with her sister and also the jealousy of the other girls.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of anything shoujo high school romance may want to try Magic Touch.

B-

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12