As an experiment, I sat down this morning and read all five series posted on Viz’s new Shonen Sunday website, recording my thoughts as I went along. Before I share my impressions, I wanted to say a few word about the site itself. I’m pleased to report that it’s colorful and easy to navigate; each series is accompanied by helpful plot summaries, character guides, and fun blog entries by Viz staff members. I’m a little dubious about the “reviews” that appear on each series’ home page, as they all seem to be written by the same three enthusiastic teenagers; I noticed few, if any, genuinely critical reviews, nor did I find any that proved helpful in deciding whether or not I’d be interested in the storylines. Perhaps that reflects a moderator’s vigilance (no flamerz allowed!), or perhaps it confirms what I discovered: some of these series are pretty damn good.

The Plot: “In a mythical world where humans and gods co-exist, a ceremony marking the new governing princess is about to occur for the first time in 60 years. Only a girl from the Hime Clan may take this position, but the lack of females born to this family means that a boy called Arata must pose for the role. Meanwhile in modern-day Japan, a boy named Arata Hinohara is starting his new life in high school. He wants to put memories of his difficult past behind him, but things aren’t going to be simple when he discovers a mysterious connection to the first Arata…”

The Low-Down: Yuu Watase is an old pro, and it really shows in the first chapter of this cross-dressing adventure. In just thirty pages, she establishes the main premise of the series, introduces us to our principal hero and villain, and throws readers a major curveball in the final scene. Like Rumiko Takahashi, Watase has great comedic chops; her characters find themselves in stock situations (e.g. Arata accidentally splashes down in a hot spring filled with beautiful young bathers, with predictable results), yet these scenes are surprisingly funny, thanks to Watase’s first-rate timing. Her artwork, too, is a big plus. She draws costumes and settings with the kind of loving detail that makes her fantasy realm seem like a real place, while her fight scenes are a model of clarity, efficiency, and grace.

Will I continue to follow it? Yes — if the first chapter is any indication of what’s to come, then Arata should be a very entertaining mix of action and comedy.

The Plot: “Shunpei Closer is your average… well, slightly below average kid in junior high who finds himself in the middle of a great battle of dark sorcery. With cursed dolls coming after him one after another, Shunpei Closer’s life is in danger! If that weren’t enough, Hyde, the teddy bear given to him by his grandfather, suddenly comes alive to rescue him. With Hyde’s help, can Shunpei save himself and live to see another day?”

The Low-Down: I’ve read several manga in which a beloved stuffed animal comes to life to defend its owner (Minima, Nui), but Hyde & Closer takes the concept to another level with nods to slasher flicks and Hong Kong action films. The stuffed animal in question is Hyde, a chocolate-cigar-chomping teddy bear who wears a tie and a fedora, carries a gun, and swaggers like Jimmy Cagney. Watching Hyde dispatch other stuffed animals is a hoot: he dodges knives and wields a magical chainsaw, sending stuffing and glass eyes flying through the air. Of necessity, Hyde’s owner Shunpei, is a much less colorful character, a fearful seventh grader who strenuously avoids conflict at the cost of his own dignity. To his credit, Shunpei starts to grow a pair by the end of chapter one — a welcome development, as his “run away!” response can only yield so many laughs before it grows stale.

Will I continue to follow it? Maybe. The premise could easily run out of gas after one or two volumes, especially if Haro Aso drags out the fight scenes to epic proportions. I will give Aso his props as an artist, however, as his stuffed animals make Chucky look like a slow, uncoordinated wimp.

The Plot: “By night, junior high student Yoshimori Sumimura is a kekkaishi — a demon-hunter who specializes in creating magical barriers around his prey. By day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor and childhood friend, Tokine Yukimura, is also a kekkaishi, but their families are feuding over who is the ‘true practitioner’ of the art.”

The Low-Down: Re-reading the first chapter of Kekkaishi made me fall in love with the series all over again. Yellow Tanabe gets everything right: the fight scenes are dynamic yet easy to follow; the primary and secondary characters are vivid; the dialogue crackles; and the jokes hit the mark. There isn’t a wasted panel in chapter one, as Tanabe swiftly introduces us to Yoshimori and Tokine, the series’ demon-fighting teens, explaining their families’ deeply intertwined histories and showing us how kekkai, or magical barriers, actually work. As I noted in my “super-sized” review of volumes one through nine, Tanabe has a terrific sense of pacing, something that’s often lacking in manga with complicated mythologies; she reveals details about the Karasumori site’s past gradually and naturally, as Yoshimori and Tokine confront new challenges. In other words, she’s a big proponent of showing rather than telling — something I wish I could say about more shonen manga-ka.

Will I continue following it? I just picked up volume seventeen. ‘Nuff said.

The Plot: “Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he’s thinking. Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city’s redevelopment plan. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage, determination and confrontation.”

The Low Down: Maoh: Juvenile Mix may be the most “adult” of the five series posted at the Shonen Sunday site, but I found it the least interesting. The story isn’t unoriginal, exactly; it’s just dumb. The vigilante force is lead by a sinister bishonen with perfect hair and a uniform fetish who — big surprise! — gets his jollies by torturing people. (In this case, bullies and perverts.) Inukai’s foil, Ando, doesn’t have much of a personality yet; about the best I can say for him is that he has a semi-useful power in his ability to make others say what he’s thinking. And sweet Jesus, is it really necessary to render a groping victim’s panties in loving detail, as if it say to the reader, Hey, don’t try this at home, kids, but doesn’t this girl have a nice derriere?

Will I continue following it? In a word: no.

The Plot: “Ever since a strange encounter when she was a child, Sakura Mamiya has had the power to see ghosts. Now in high school, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! When her mysterious classmate Rinne Rokudo shows up, Sakura finds herself following him into the amazing world between life and death!”

The Low-Down: I’ll be perfectly honest: Rin-Ne reminds me of InuYasha. A lot. Both series follow the same trajectory, introducing us first to the oil-and-water leads, then subjecting them to a series of demon-of-the-week adventures before gradually easing them into longer, more complicated storylines. The fact that Rin-Ne and Sakura have similar personalities as InuYasha and Kagome only compounds the reader’s sense of deja-vu. Yet for all its familiarity, Rin-Ne still manages to surprise and entertain, thanks to Rumiko Takahashi’s appealing characters, rich visual imagination, and talent for incorporating the supernatural into everyday settings, making them absurd and scary at the same time.

Will I continue to follow it? Absolutely. Rin-Ne may not be Takahashi’s best work, but she’s such a terrific storyteller I don’t care.