Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice, Vol. 2

Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice #2

by Magica Quartet, Takashi Tensugi (Illustrations), Masaki Hiramatsu (Illustrator)

A teen girl named Kazumi is roused one evening to find that she was kidnapped while she slept! Bursting from the trunk that held her, Kazumi discovers that not only has she been stripped of her clothes, but also of the memories of her life before the kidnapping. When she is recovered by a pair of schoolgirls, she doesn't recognize them as her best friends and roommates, Umika and Kaoru. As Kazumi tries to settle back into her normal life, she quickly realizes that her former "normal" was anything but! Kazumi has taken a vow to fight evil witches...as a Magical Girl?!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Fiction, Comics Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels Manga, Witches

146 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2011

About the author

A group collaboration consisting of director Akiyuki Shinbou, writer Gen Urobuchi, the original character designer Ume Aoki, and the producer Atsuhiro Iwakami.

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underhyped Readathon Book #3. I guess I'm doing this differently than how I planned. I'm getting all of the manga and graphic novels out of the way first. This was just eh for me. Most of the time, I was bored. When I wasn't bored, I was confused. There were a lot of plot holes, and things just stopped making sense. I did like Juubey, but not as much as I like Kyubey. I'm going to continue this series because it's only five volumes, and I ordered the next book in the series from the library already. I hope things start making sense in the third volume.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was... somewhat better than the first. I’m glad the illustrator is very slightly veering away from the obnoxious fan service skimpy and sexist costumes. The story was kind of confusing at first though, and sometimes it feels like nothing is very adequately explained. I also can’t keep any of the magical girls straight in my head, as there’s been just about no character development for any of them and they all sort of look the same to me. Juubey is rad though, and so cute, and I like the comedy he provides every now and then. 3/5 stars. I do hope this spin off only improves from here.

[ßawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series - the art is kinda insane but I like it a lot, it conveys an interesting mood.

[Kereesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I did like this volume much more than the first one Puella Magi Kazumi Magica, Vol. 1: The Innocent Malice. There is, as Jay, my manga rec guy, did advise me, more darkness to this volume, though Kazumi's innocence (oh look I'm referencing the title aren't I?) is a bit OMGPLEASESTOP and there is a bit of shonenesque going on with the fighting scenes.

But I truly never watched/read any of the magica stuff for its fighting scenes. I'm purely about story and the twists, and, of course, the darkness at the heart of this world.

The art is still slightly confusing at time, awkwardly shaded, and feels very amateur-like at times. But first timers are often like that for a while.

I hope it does improve.

As much as this series does disappoint me at times, it is still entertaining and I continue to hope that the darkness that's being hinted at reveals itself soon in lovely and shocking way.

4/5

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 2 out of 5]

These spinoffs just aren't pulling me in. The characters don't get enough development for me to care about them (or even to tell them apart), and the fights are such a mess of abstract shapes and screen tones that I can barely follow what's going on.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume just didn't do it for me. The characters in the Kazumi universe are poorly-defined to the point that I can't even tell who is who anymore. I also am disliking the way costumes are drawn in the Kazumi universe.

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, maybe? I'm just so confused. Hopefully there'll be some answers in the next volume.