Series Title: Kobato
Author: CLAMP
Volumes Reviewed: 6 (complete)
Publisher: Yen Press
US Release Date: May 2010 - June 2012
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, comical-ish abuse, bullying, adult situations)
Format Read: Paperback
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Indiebound | B&N | BookDepo | Azon
Summary (of Volume 1):
Meet Kobato Hanato, a sweet and rather simple young girl on a quest to have her single, dearest wish granted. But first, she must learn the ways of the world from Ioryogi-san, a gruff blue dog whose bark is just as bad as his bite! Under his "tutelage" (read: constant verbal abuse), Kobato puts her efforts into passing various trials of common sense so that she may obtain the key to getting her wish-a magic bottle which must be filled with the suffering of wounded hearts that Kobato herself has healed. But with Kobato's common sense sorely lacking, she keeps flunking Ioryogi-san's trials left and right! It looks like the road that lies ahead of Kobato will be a long one indeed!
* * *
Series Notes: There are six volumes in the series, and all are released and available. This series takes place in the CLAMP Universe.
Kobato is a strange contemporary fantasy romance about the mysterious but energetic and naive Kobato, her abusive stuffed animal Ioryogi, and Kobato's quest to fill a bottle with "wounded hearts" so she can go where she wants to be.
Yes, the plot is that weird and vague.
While Volume 1 is mainly chapter stories of Kobato learning a little common sense and earning the bottle, the rest of the 6-volume series encompasses her time volunteering at Yomogi Kindergarten, which is struggling under the threats of a loan shark. There she grows to care for her fellow workers and strives to help them with their situation - in an effort to heal their wounded hearts, of course. As her time runs out we learn the fantastical story of how she and Ioryogi wound up on their quest, and the short series ends with a few tears, a lot of love, and ultimately a happy ending thanks to a few well-placed wishes. The artwork is an unsettling study in opposites as Kobato is adorable and playful in cute outfits and soft lines while Ioryogi, a plain stuffed animal dog when still, is grotesque and vicious when animated, warping the otherwise fluffy feel of the manga. The rest of the cast are rather plain but varied with interesting quirks and characteristics, all moving through simplistic stock settings that have the look of two-dimensional stage backdrops. But despite its artistic and dramatic oddities, Kobato is ultimately a sweet love story about several couples conquering adversity to find their place in the world together.
CLAMP Universe: For fans of the CLAMP Universe, there are a lot of familiar places to revisit and familiar faces to catch up with as many locations and characters from other CLAMP series make cameos to assist Kobato and cast with advice, work, and umbrellas. Fans of the four-book Wish series will especially be interested as this story also deals a lot with the Heavenly World, and Wish's main character Kohaku plays a minor role.
Conclusion: If you enjoy weird but sweet romances that transcend time, worlds, and physical forms featuring abusive stuffed animals and air-headed but big-hearted girls, maybe give this one a try. And if you're a CLAMP fan, it really can't be missed for the cameos.
For Fans Of: the CLAMP Universe
Kobato is a strange contemporary fantasy romance about the mysterious but energetic and naive Kobato, her abusive stuffed animal Ioryogi, and Kobato's quest to fill a bottle with "wounded hearts" so she can go where she wants to be.
Yes, the plot is that weird and vague.
While Volume 1 is mainly chapter stories of Kobato learning a little common sense and earning the bottle, the rest of the 6-volume series encompasses her time volunteering at Yomogi Kindergarten, which is struggling under the threats of a loan shark. There she grows to care for her fellow workers and strives to help them with their situation - in an effort to heal their wounded hearts, of course. As her time runs out we learn the fantastical story of how she and Ioryogi wound up on their quest, and the short series ends with a few tears, a lot of love, and ultimately a happy ending thanks to a few well-placed wishes. The artwork is an unsettling study in opposites as Kobato is adorable and playful in cute outfits and soft lines while Ioryogi, a plain stuffed animal dog when still, is grotesque and vicious when animated, warping the otherwise fluffy feel of the manga. The rest of the cast are rather plain but varied with interesting quirks and characteristics, all moving through simplistic stock settings that have the look of two-dimensional stage backdrops. But despite its artistic and dramatic oddities, Kobato is ultimately a sweet love story about several couples conquering adversity to find their place in the world together.
CLAMP Universe: For fans of the CLAMP Universe, there are a lot of familiar places to revisit and familiar faces to catch up with as many locations and characters from other CLAMP series make cameos to assist Kobato and cast with advice, work, and umbrellas. Fans of the four-book Wish series will especially be interested as this story also deals a lot with the Heavenly World, and Wish's main character Kohaku plays a minor role.
Conclusion: If you enjoy weird but sweet romances that transcend time, worlds, and physical forms featuring abusive stuffed animals and air-headed but big-hearted girls, maybe give this one a try. And if you're a CLAMP fan, it really can't be missed for the cameos.
For Fans Of: the CLAMP Universe
Scribble Rating:
3 of 5 Scribbles
Other Reviews That Might Interest:
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Series by CLAMP
That Wolf-Boy is Mine! Series by Yoko Nogiri
Meteor Prince Series by Meca Tanaka
MeruPuri Series by Matsuri Hino
That Wolf-Boy is Mine! Series by Yoko Nogiri
Meteor Prince Series by Meca Tanaka
MeruPuri Series by Matsuri Hino
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