Narutaru: Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko

Overall a great manga. It certainly has a very abrupt and interesting ending, but the ending was fitting in its own way. The manga seems to embody a theme of senseless violence, with bloodbaths coming out of absolutely no where. If you liked other violence centric seinen manga/vns like Gantz, Berserk, Higurashi, and Umineko,then you will most likely enjoy this. I feel like the storyline was very deficient in some places, especially towards the end where some characters just get forgotten, and others just show up dead with no explanation. Even with major issues, I still enjoyed the manga more than most because of the author deciding to just go all out in the ending, even if rushed, and say fuck you to all the readers who wanted a happy ending.

Shadow Star is probably the most well done manga I've read and could have a code name “100 ways how to mentally break young teens”. Cute monsters and young girls? Why not make their life hell and make them fight for their lives in a battle that is seemingly lost even before they try? Why not add a psychotic group of young teens that want to rule world with “cute” monsters of their own and give “cute” another meaning the most ugly and bloody way? That’s pretty much Shadow Star.

Story: 10/10
Everything begins when Shiina finds a weird creature, Hoshimaru (as she names it), and keeps it as a pet. Later, she meets another girl with a similar pet but, unfortunately, the said girl isn’t very friendly and is weird. Weird as in, if taking everywhere your own bunch of bushes to hide in was possible she would do it. Shiina somehow manages to make this always scared and hiding girl her friend. But it isn’t until they are attacked by a freak (of similiar age) who gives a new meaning to “cute pet”, that the story actually starts unfolding. They found out that their pets are creatures called dragon children and are emotionless tools of mass destruction. Of course they find out it the hard way. These dragon children need human souls in order to mature because they don’t have their own. They usually look like something from fairy tales to show us that maybe they weren’t so far from truth.
Story perfectly ties together in every way. Not to mention that it’s perfectly realistic and whether air or ground battles with military are nothing rare. Neither are deaths that by the end happen on a massive scale.

Art: 9/10
While art isn’t anything perfect or modern since it’s a bit older but it’s extremely realistic and precise. It fits the story amazingly. Character designs are also very well done and memorable (although I didn’t like Shiina much).

Characters: 10/10
While this have a very well done and solid story with unexpected twists, characters are about as strong. This manga goes as deep into characters’nature and mental health as possible. We have a big variety of characters yet none could be a stereotype or underdeveloped. Even side characters get their own nature that is just their own and recognisable. Main characters have it much more difficult because this manga doesn’t spare them any mental trauma since they are thrown into first fronts of a warfare at a very young age. I dare to say that character mental development and exploration goes as deep and in NGE but at a far larger scale yet it feels perfectly fluent. This doesn’t spare anyoe, whether it’s the villains or leads or side characters, everyone has a secret to explore and everyone has at least one mental breakdown to survive.

Enjoyment: 10/10
The reason why I started reading Shadow Star, was the anime that ended not even in the middle of the manga. I finished the anime within a day since I just couldn’t stop. Manga took me a bit longer because my parents forced me to do such useless stuff like eating and sleeping. Needless to say that even though I was scarred for life, this was the best manga I’ve ever read. Though, that might be because I have a weakness for psychological horror.

Overall: 10/10
This is truly a must read for everyone who enjoyed NGE and the character depth in it. Everything is either explained or hinted at well enough. This is truly a masterpiece and when I manage to gather enough courage, I’ll definitely re-read it.

All the other reviews for this manga are positive, and I honestly can't understand why. The only thing I didn't think was total trash about this manga was the art, and that was "meh". Really, nothing is worthy of praise in this mess of a manga.

Characters - 4/10. All of them are unlikeable (except one or two). And NONE of them have any meaningful development. This wouldn't be that big of a deal (I mean, how many series has character development for side characters) except for the fact that whole volumes are dedicated to some characters, and still they don't develop. Of course the MC doesn't develop either.

The story - 3/10. Terrible, terrible storytelling. Reading through, my biggest impression was that the author couldn't decide on WHAT to focus on. And since he can't decide what to make of the manga, it fails to be anything. As a character study it fails because the author switches between characters way too much, and nothing seems to have a lasting impact on any of the characters. Also, the situations the kids are put in are so bizarre and extreme they are nigh impossible to relate to. As a fighting manga, it fails because the "enemy" seems to forget about their plans to capture/ attack the protagonist after one fight. They just.... forget. There was also hints of it trying to be a coming of age tale, but again it switches between characters way too much, and protagonist doesn't get any character development. Besides all of that, there are many plot holes and random stuff that happen in the manga for no apparent reason. So... yeah. The whole manga is pretty much just a bunch of weird characters interacting with each other, for 12 volumes. And all of it is pointless, too. Seriously, you can read book 1, skip to book 12, and you wouldn't be missing a thing; when the finale comes, you'll be just as confused as anyone else that read the whole thing.

All in all - 4/10. Narutaru is pretty much a pointlessly violent, incoherent version of Evangelion. But if you reeeeally want a dose of kids suffering in pain and misery, read Bokurano by the same author (he's obsessed with psychopathic kids). It has the same agony, but the story is infinitely better.

"Shadow Star" is something I happened upon on the internet, the anime that is. After watching some of the anime, I decided to read the manga too. A little sceptical at first, I gradually got pulled into the story that exceeds the standards of the anime (for one, it actually CONTINUES the story and ties up many of the loose ends left in the anime). Not to say that the anime was bad, but I found the manga was a bit better.

In particular, the art of this manga is very unique. While manga usually has many busty maidens, in this one all the kids are skinny and flat-chested, and the same goes for the adults, few of them have prominent busts at all.

One thing to note about Mohiro Kitoh, is that he really likes to put some shocking scenes in his manga. The further you read through "Shadow Star", the more uncomfortable things happen. One in particular was featured in the anime, and guess what, that episode was really controversial. There was an outrage (admittedly, it was broadcast on 'Kids Station'-God only knows why). It is about here that the English adaptation of the manga and also the anime adaptation ends. The manga continues, continues to delve into even more dodgy territory.

Most of these kids are 12 year olds. And some of the stuff that happens is just completely un-natural for kids that age. That isn't a criticism though. In fact, the dark twisted material of this manga (that completely contrasts it's outer image) appeals to me.

If you want to read something different, and if you were a fan of "Bokurano", then I am sure you will like this ★

Shadow Star (Narutaru) is a unique blend of Supernatural, Military, Action & Drama with a really promising story, which was let down by the way things concluded. Just like this mangaka's other works, Shadow Star revolves around kids but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.

It all begins when an energetic young girl named Shiina Tamai discovers a star-shaped creature, whilst visiting her grandparents over the holidays. Ever since then she becomes involved in some strange and dangerous incidents, involving other kids who have similar creatures to hers. It is later explained that these things are known by the term Dragon Child/Shadow Dragon and the kids themselves are mentally linked with their respective Dragon Child, allowing them to do what they want with them. Shadow Star is just one of those manga where you are left in the dark about all the important stuff and it just shuffles between Military and Dragon Child issues. Although when it does explain things, the explanations can leave you with a feeling of bewilderment. At least it is possible to grasp an understanding of what this manga is all about and the story finally gets interesting, but being drawn back into confusion is inevitable once it reaches the halfway point. After the sudden change in the story, it just feels like trying to understand this confusing premise all over again.

The manga revolves mainly around a bunch of kids/young adolescence, all different in some way, but they share the same bond of being a Dragon Child bearer. Shiina Tamai is just one of the kids the manga focuses on and just like all the others, the reader will become familiar with their family & social life, as the story progresses. There are various other characters that come into play as you advance through the story, but not only can some be hard to figure out, there are also those who's motives aren't made clear.

Just like with Mohiro Kitoh's other works, the artwork of this manga has a similar style. Nonetheless this comes with its problems; the details of the characters are very inconsistent and some of the character designs lack any distinctive features so you can find yourself constantly wondering, "who is this again?" The military hardware and the Dragon’s designs are about the only note worthy thing about the artwork, having a lot of thought and detail put into them along with the scenery.

Overall Shadow Star is certainly a great read but when reading it; expect to experience lots of confusion whilst trying to comprehend the purpose behind the story. The story itself has a simple structure where each volume focuses on its respective arc. Though there are a few complications along the way and by the end you will be left with a bunch of unanswered question like: why are only kids Dragon Child bearers? And what was up with that ending? We’ve all heard the term "Kids can be so cruel…" Well that term is put into practice with some really intense and disturbing moments. If these words have put you off from checking out this fine manga, then there’s no point in giving it a try.

^_^

Narutaru is perhaps one of the worst manga I've ever read, but that's probably because I stick to the ill shit. I see a bunch of praise for this manga, but I feel like that's just a misguided slap in the fucking face. This manga legitimately makes me angry, it is, very.... disappointing.

To understand why Narutaru is so bad, you'll have to read it yourself, however I urge you not to, because then you'll just get blue balled like I did. The premise is interesting, however it doesn't bother doing anything new. There are a few instances where the characters are intriguing, sure, and the structuring was cool in certain areas. An example would be the group dynamics for all the characters, they all belong to a group, while everyone is working for their own purposes. The series doesn't really treat it's characters as a collective, but rather just specific cases. I'm not gonna lie that I did skip certain sections of the manga, but that's because the pacing is really egregious. There's not much in terms of character development in this manga, the characters just never learn, or bad things happen to them just because.

The philosophical portion of this manga is weak. If you've seen any psychological anime or manga, it's all basically the same shit. This manga is seriously just Evangelion, with The 7 Psychics from Yu Yu Hakusho as the antagonists, with meaningless shock horror. It feels like this manga doesn't even have a point, the gore or whatever happens to the characters isn't insightful, and every conversation that talks about a characters "ideals" or what have you feels forced, like projection from the author onto the audience.

The Art Style sucks, it has this bubbly Pokemon art style, people call this a deconstruction of the Mon genre, which isn't really accurate. The only thing it could've possibly subverted is just being tailored towards a different demographic. The art style is especially heinous, in the fact that you it makes the tonal whiplash of the manga all the more apparent. There's down time, and then some fucked up shit happens, rinse and repeat, all the while this manga looks like some generic CLAMP shit. I'm only giving it a 3 because Kitoh IS competent when it comes to machinery like cars and planes, however: don't ask me how this is possible, but this dude can't draw in perspective to save his life. I have no idea how you can learn how to draw detailed planes right, but can't even draw a point of view shot of looking up a stairwell.

Spoilers ahead, but honestly, don't read this manga:

The worst part however, was the ending. The ending was rushed, and some BULLSHIT. The main character does a complete personality 180 and nothing makes any sense. Every character is quickly killed, for no reason, other than to justify the main character resetting Earth. This manga is seriously conflicting, it could've been cool, if the ending didn't just invalidate the entire story, and wasn't just so damn edgy and meaningless. The only "point", I could possibly divulge from this manga, is self reflection, but that's a cop out answer, because the philosophy is trite, the characters don't act like humans do, and this is a dumb fantasy story that doesn't seem to know it's target audience.

You've heard the rumors, this manga is famous for being on the list of series that appear cute and innocent, but are actually extremely disturbing. I went into Narutaru knowing this, and I expected a typical horror series filled with parasitic monsters that slowly consume the mind of their hosts. I was dead wrong. The shadow dragons aren't the truly horrifying thing about Narutaru, the real monsters are humanity itself. This manga exists to display the most depraved and twisted aspects of the human race, and it does so beautifully and unashamedly.

Story: 10/10
The story is very confusing. You will almost certainly be left thinking "What just happened?" by the end. The events are often presented in a random way, and very little is explained. I cite this as one of the manga's strongest aspects. This manga is NOT confusing because it was poorly made. Like Evangelion or Serial Experiments Lain, it is filled with symbolism and references that are easy to miss the first time you read through it. You will not be able to truly understand the story until the very last panel. As for the things that are left unexplained, (the biology of the shadow dragons, many ambiguous character interactions, and almost all the character's backstories) filling in the blanks has been a major contribution to my ongoing obsession with this series.

Art 8/10
Hey, it's nothing special, but the author's distinct style fits the macabre tone of the story quite well. Other reviewers have noted that many minor characters are difficult to tell apart, and I agree.

Character 10/10
Beautiful. The characters in this manga are so realistic, so human. That's what makes them terrifying. Every character commits some kind of unspeakable act by the end. All of them. No exceptions. Each of the dragon holders has serious psychological issues, except the main character Shiina, who stands out as one of the most patient, kindhearted, and tragic characters of all time. The characters Norio Koga and Hiroko Kaizuka will burn themselves into your permanent memory. It's hard to tell sometimes who the good guys and bad guys are, and the message by the end almost seems to be "everyone is beyond salvation."

Enjoyment 10/10
Like a fine cheese, my appreciation of Narutaru has improved over the two years since I first read it. From the beginning the series blew my mind, but I was initially put off by the strange, but intriguing ending. Yet I have never been able to completely forget this manga, and I have read and reread it's chapters more times than any other. It leaves you wanting more, not a sequel, but to delve as deeply as possible into the rich and complex story. There's no other series quite like it, the closest thing out there might be Evangelion, although Narutaru in my opinion is far more poignant. (Bokurano, while being just as fantastic, is quite different.)

Overall, I cannot recommend this manga enough. At this point you've had plenty of warning that this series is not for the faint of heart, not because of the violence, (while there's still a decent amount present) but because of how dark and morally depraved it can get. However, If you can stomach it, this is one of the most fantastic stories you'll ever read.

Narutaru was beneficial enough to have been made in an era where deconstruction series was gaining traction. If it were to made now, it'd probably be labeled as edgy without any mention of the actual quality of the story. It's notable that the genre being deconstructing is the Mon( Digimon, pokemon, etc) genre. Unlike magical girl and mecha shows of today, Mon anime are still generally fluffy and childish so a darker take on the genre was definitely in order.

Everything seems to be pretty standard at first. Protagonist Shiina meets a shadow dragon she names hoshimaru and quickly bonds with it. They go flying together and have fun adventures. For about one episode. She meets a boy who wants to use his shadow dragon to kill anyone he deems useless to society to create a better world. His sick grandmother is on the list. Things end badly and Shiina soon loses her innocence.

To give a little backdrop on the creator Morioh Kitoh, he's pretty much a nihilist that rivals gen urubuchi in cruelty. His other works include a giant robot that steals the life force of children to destroy the multiverse and a psychic who mass murders anyone who drives irresponsibly. He's that type of guy.

The manga is definitely a character-driven tale that dwells deep into the psyche of highly disturbed children. You have Akira who has depression and suicidal tendencies, Aki Honda who raped a girl with a test tube and the girl in question who snaps and goes in a killing spree. You could say that all of this bleakness is a bit too much but honestly, it felt refreshing. Mon series are generally really cheesy with bland one more characters and a story that only exists to sell merchandise. Narutaru breaks the mold and presents characters who are multi-faceted and lifelike. Contrary to popular belief, children aren't always innocent and they can be just as cruel as adults.

One major gripe I have with the manga is the art. Morioh sure can write but his art really isn't winning any awards that are for sure. Character designs are bland and minimalist. I admit the military paraphernalia is drawn in extensive detail and the dragons have cool designs but that's about it. There are other manga artists that can do sketchy manga art perfectly but Moriah isn't one of them.

I also wasn't too particularly fond of the second half of the manga. It drops elements of deconstruction and character drama to replace it with military affairs. I understand the writer is a military nut but having chapters littered with walls of text of JSDF members reacting to the shadow dragon was just so tedious. It would've been better if the plot focused solely on the children and how their actions affect their environment.

I highly recommend anyone who's curious to please read the manga. It's dark but not pointlessly dark. It's a thought-provoking social commentary on the nature of humans and how far their cruelty can go. There's an anime adaptation that isn't as good buts still a fun watch. Even if it's unlikely I'd to see the anime get a remake with a bigger budget and completely adapt the manga.For similar works, check out bokurano, devil survivor and selector infected wixoss.