Here is the next edition of the manga series, Rave Master. One of the Q&As at the back of the book says:
Q: How do you pronounce Plue?
A: It doesn’t really matter. But I pronounce it like “Blue.” It’s a little hard to explain in writing [laughs].
I pretty much figured this out, but what I am unsure of is the pronunciation of Elie. In the Japanese language the letter “E” is pronounced “Eh,” like the ‘e’ in men, but I’ve also heard it sound closer to a hard “A,” making “men” sound more like “main.” Also, the letter “i” comes across as “ee,” as in “see”. So my guess is, in English, it’s either Eh-lee-eh or AleeA? OK, so my Japanese is not great, that’s why I read translations. If anyone knows, please post as it’s driving me bonkers!
Story overview:
Haru continues his battle with Lance from the previous volume. Wielding the newly restored Ten Powers sword, Haru fights off the attacks of Lance’s Best Sword, which sends out dog-like creatures to both distract and bite him.
Just when things look bleak for Haru, the old Musica comes in and bear-hugs Lance, thus giving Haru the chance to attack without hindrance. The pair of them defeats the Demon Card hooligan and escape in time to avoid a confrontation with what looks to be a large and mysterious Imperial army.
While Haru recovers, it becomes evident that old Musica is the grandfather of young Musica, but they both are content playing ignorant to the fact. Elie finds a rid for her, Haru and Plun on a strange horse-like carriage, with an even stranger driver. They head north in search of another Rave, but get sidetracked in a village that oddly has not stopped raining for the last five years.
My thoughts:
Please Haru, stop saying the word “snap!” I continue to question the quality of the artwork and shaky storytelling, but to be fair; Mashima was only 21 when he created this series. The character designs are still good and the events are fun. I will continue to follow the progress.
Things to consider:
There’s a scene where Elie is sitting in a hot spring, and you can see some cleavage, but for manga this is quite tame. Any type of suggestive behavior is done more out of uneasiness rather than haughtiness. Same age group: 13+ and mainly for boys, with a fair amount of action violence.
Opportunities for discussion:
There are a couple good points in this one. First, there’s a slight conflict between Haru and Elie, but they both come to terms and apologize. If you have more than one child, this is a good time to tell them that people who love each other sometimes don’t get along, and even though they fight–like with their brother or sister or friend–in the end they if they discuss the problem, own up to their part, and apologize, then their relationship can be mended. The next thing to share is what happened to the boy, Chino, who lives in the raining village. Even though he knows the frogs are not to blame for the water, he takes it out on them. The lesson here is not to take your pain out on something weaker, but to tackle the true problem no matter how big it seems.
Past reviews in this series:
1) Rave Master (Volume 1)
2) Rave Master (Volume 2)
Books For Youth 