Before I begin the review I would like to thank Kodansha once again for the opportunity to review one of their books and now, let’s get this show on the road!
Marko Jovanovic of Anime Corner made a good observation about this summer, and that it is the Summer of Coolkyosinnjya. Yes, you’re reading that right, it is the Summer of Coolkyosinnjya because three of his works are being adapted into three Television Anime and that is an amazing feat for a creator to accomplish, today we’re going to be reviewing one of his Manga Stories that is currently available on Crunchyroll. Peach Boy Riverside is about a princess from a Kingdom called Aldraic named Sartrienne, she dreams of traveling the world but that dream has a harsh reality due to the Monsters that roam the countryside which causes the humans to hide behind high and strong walls (Now I feel like we randomly walked into a different story description.. No, sorry I must be thinking of another story that people take refuge behind strong walls..) But she meets a young man named Mikoto who changes her world completely who gives her hope to continue living the dream! Until she learns that the man is none other than Momotaro, ruthless demon-slayer. Though horrified by the gore Momotaro leaves behind, Sartrienne is convinced more than ever that she needs to learn about the world beyond her walls, and journeys out… following the steps of the mysterious, charismatic, terrifying boy she met that day.
This take on the classical Japanese Folktale has a fantasy spin, the art style is vastly different from what I’ve gotten used to in reading from coolkyousinnjya, but with this story that the writer is trying to tell, this was is a good fit. The pacing is fast for a first volume but when dealing with either television pilots or first volumes it’s forgivable, while it may have some similar elements to Attack on Titan this gives the reader similar action when it comes to battling monsters, ogres, but with more humor and optimism to it. The characters are designed well but do offer fan service but unlike most stories that have fan service, this focused more on the story and its premise thankfully. One thing is recommended when checking out this series is that you need to be familiar with this folktale to get a good grasp on the manga’s premise.
Final Grade:
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