7 Billion Needles

http://www.otakunovideo.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/JUN101148_m.jpg http://www.otakunovideo.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1934287954.01.LZZZZZZZ-210x300.jpg

Artist/Writer: Nobuaki Tadano

Published in: 2008-2010 (Japan), 2010-2011 (America)

American Publisher: Vertical

Genres: Slice-of-life, action, adolescence

Premise: A girl is inhabited by a sentient alien creature, which itself seeks a xenocidal creature that can take any human's form.

Volumes: 4

Manga Review
This is a review of volumes 1-2.

Show x Show: It's Boogiepop meets Degrassi

What are the themes? The high school girl protagonist has blocked herself off from those around her--for very understandable reasons, it turns out. Because she now is forced to seek out this creature, she is forced to come out of her shell.

The result is a combination of seinen-like slice-of-life drama with shonen action sequences.

How's the art? Modern and three-dimensional. Characters and backgrounds are rendered in loving detail.

Does the art vary from chapter to chapter? Not noticeably. Tadano's got a strong sense of character design.

How complex are the characters? The protagonist is the most dimensional, and Tadano manages an impressive feat. This is a story about a character's internal life, which is expressed visually and externally. While there is a fair amount of monologue inside her head, Tadano follows the "show, don't tell" maxim closely.

How's the plot? Pretty evenly balanced between action and quiet drama. The second volume, particularly, is much more about the protagonist's past.

Can I show it to my Mom? Yep, and this should appeal to adults. It's about teenagers, but it's about universal themes.

Can I show it to my kid brother? Sure. He'd probably get a kick out of the action, though the relatively slow, slice-of-life elements might bore him.

Can I show it to a non-manga fan? Absolutely. This is a perfect title to get them into manga, though it doesn't have the rock-em-sock-em pace of, say, mainstream American comics.

Does it have any memorable moments? Yes.

Availability: Easily available on sites like Amazon and RightStuf.