Manga Reviews Reviews Yen Press

Manga Review: Pandora Seven Vol. 1 (2023) by Yuta Kayashima

Yuta Kayashima skillfully crafts a complex sci-fi/fantasy story.

“Scale, wing, vine, hair…none of that mattered to Lia, because her friends and mother loved her. She lived happily and peacefully—an almost worry-free existence. As the sole member of humania on the island, of course she dreamed about meeting others of her kind. But she never really expected the joyous days to end…until they did. Until humans arrived and attacked her friends and family. Until she opened the box. And so began her lonely quest to save them all…” (Yen Press)

's “” is storytelling on a large scale, where humans have become the global enslavers of 6 other races and have shaped the universe around them with their dominance. The hatred of humans runs through the galaxy, and Lia being raised sheltered by beasts and plucked from her idealistic village into a vast universe crafted around turmoil packs a lot of content, emotion, and exposition into the inaugural volume. Admittedly, it can be slightly overwhelming, but the pacing of the series manages to bring together elements of mythology, mysticism, and sci-fi with palatable excitement. This is one experience that dives in and expects you to keep up, rewarding those who can do just that.

In the afterword, Kayashima does convey that the book had seen several adaptations and rejections until making it to this point, with the origin of Lia tweaked several times. This aspect does explain the chaotic energy within as “Pandora Seven” often feels heavily revised with different elements thrown together in an attempt to see what sticks. That said, this acts as one of the manga's greatest strengths and Kayashima's ability to craft an easy-to-follow narrative despite the convoluted scale of world-building on display. Controlled chaos can always make for an invigorating read, and that is perhaps the aptest description of Kayashima's storytelling ability.

Visually, “Pandora Seven” is a slightly mixed bag as it has certain elements it excels in while others seem sharply out of place. The character design is wonderfully executed and the variety of creatures and fashions give a defined vision of the world the mangaka is attempting to conjure. Notably, Yuta Kayashima's defined visions of ‘good' and ‘evil' vary from silly to horrific with an emphasis on looks defining their personality traits. Additionally, the various alien landscapes and sci-fi elements are well conceptualized and executed, making moments of pseudo-science work within the context of the story instead of dissuading the reader with forced logic.

However, Kayashima's facial expressions leave a lot to be desired and often feel out of place within the sci-fi genre. Best described as ‘memable', overly exaggerated expressions are commonplace throughout and these panels contradict the tone of the work. These would be ideal within the comedy genre, but in a series devoid of humor it removes the reader from the scene. Furthermore, the monster design can come across as slightly silly, towing a fine line that could dissuade some readers from venturing too far in.

Ultimately, “Pandora Seven” is a peculiar book in the way that it does not necessarily excel in any one facet and has a few hiccups in the execution, and it is not normally a title that would not be worth a recommendation. Yet, the fast pace and grand scale of the story are conveyed with an abundance of action and excitement that has undeniable appeal. Personally, despite its faults, I found the work to be utterly engaging and entertaining to the point where I am excited to see where the next volume takes the story.

If you are going to check this one out, go into it open-mindedly and with consideration towards an inconsistent art style and you will likely find yourself pleasantly surprised with how strong of a storyteller Yuta Kayashima is when dealing with a multitude of varying elements.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

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