Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, Gripping Manga from one of Japan's Best
Review: WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS! THEY'RE NOT THAT BIG A DEAL, I MEAN, I COULD TELL YOU FAR WORSE, BUT THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS, SO IF YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING UNTIL YOU READ THE MANGA THEN DON'T READ ON, OTHERWISE PLEASE DO SO.
Ceres Celestial Legend is an overall really good manga. Its main component is romance, but also includes an excellent blend of horror and drop-dead comedy. It is by Yu Watase, one of the most popular female manga artists, who made the major hit Fushigi Yugi. Ceres is Watase at her best, though there are recognizable flaws, as with all her series.
Ceres starts with twins Aya and Aki getting the birthday party of their lives. Their first gift is a decrepit hand, which upon viewing causes Aya to feel a tremendous headache and for a brief moment her hair and eyes change colors. Aki on the other hand begins spurting blood from multiple parts of his body. Once Aki faints, Aya's grandpa walks over to Aya and tells her he's going to kill her.
Her first reaction is to run away, and once she's out of sight she climbs up a tree. Then a red-haired man with glasses named Toya comes up the tree and kisses her. She falls in love with him, and then a guy named Yuhi comes and takes her back to his house. Thus starts a love triangle between Aya, Toya, and Yuhi.
Aya is in love with the mysterious Toya, who has feelings for her as well, except, him being really weird, they confuse him. Yuhi on the other hand is in love with Aya and can't stand Toya, though Aya has sort of a brotherly love for him. Also, later on in the series, her real brother, Aki, develops a sexual attraction to her.
Aya is, in my opinion, the hottest chick in manga. She's SO good-looking! Though some of things Watase has her do really confuses one, and it causes Aya to be a sort of unstable character. Toya's my favorite character. For a while it was Aya, but she did some things in volume eight, so I bumped her down. With Toya you can tell that Watase seemed to have a slightly different personality for him in mind at the beginning, but he quickly develops, and the way his character acts for the majority of the series is a lot different then from the beginning. He probably wouldn't have kissed Aya nor do a lot of the things he did. Yuhi is really obnoxious. Watase says that he is not an obnoxious horndog, but she really shouldn't have made him act like an obnoxious horndog if he isn't. She says that all boys his age think about sex all the time. Yeah, but they don't go forcing themselves on chicks they like! She definitely should have made him act differently if he's not supposed to be an obnoxious horndog.
Like always, Watase's artwork is extremely great, but I'd have to say that Ceres takes the cake for best artwork in a Watase series. The characters all look great, and along with the great storytelling and characters it makes Ceres a really great manga. Although, keep in mind, the first volume really isn't al that great, and the only thing that made me buy volume 2 was that I had read other Watase mangas first and loved them, so I'd hoped that it would get better (which it did), and also the artwork was just so great, I had to get another one so I could marvel at the art (specifically Aya). Anyway, that's my review.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Manga!
Review: (Note: I lied about my age for this review, I am definitely not under 13) This is truly some of Yu Watase's best work. The artwork is flawless- which is what we've come to expect. English edition is still in the process of being published, however what I've read thus far I've loved. Aya Mikage is a spunky sixteen year old. For her birthday, she and twin brother Aki receive a mummified hand. The hand triggers Aya's "Celestial Maiden" powers, and part of her family gets hurt in the cross-fire. Now she's on the run and her family wants her dead. Worse still, she's fighting herself, against the Celestial maiden aspect of her personality, so the maiden doesn't get lose and kill someone. Beyond this basic story, there's Toya, the man who saved Aya's life and now haunts her thoughts, and a very nice dash of humor at odd moments. The 2nd editions, read right to left, have the original Japanese cultural references left in, with an explanation in the front of the book, for those of us who aren't so J Pop savvy. This manga title is rated for older teens, with good reason. Don't give it to your ten year old! That warning given, I can't say enough good things about Ceres. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: A comic book for teenage girls -- what a rare thing that is today! It's wonderful that Yuu Watase's work is being translated from Japanese and brought over here where it can be appreciated by girls of all ages who are hungering for comics specifically written for them. When I first heard that Watase was writing a comic where a girl's family tries to kill her on her 16th birthday because she inherits mysterious and dangerous powers, I just had to read it. Ceres is darker and more dramatic than Mysterious Play (Watase's other work that has been translated) and has a more adult flavor to it. Her parents do, indeed, try to kill her within the first few pages of issue #1. Why they do is a mystery she is left to sort out from amongst the shattered pieces of her life after she escapes them. I have seen the animated version of Ceres (which is available on DVD) from beginning to end, so I know how it works out. The story builds over time, with more and more questions gripping the reader as the lead character, Aya, is torn between several mighty organizations fighting to either kill, control, or protect her. Even her family is divided about what to do with her. And it's all because of this mysterious power she bears, a power that can both save lives, and destroy cities. This is a complex story that has several astonishing twists and turns before it reaches its grand finale, where *all* of the audience's questions are answered. It doesn't feel, as you get closer and closer to the end, and the tale gets stranger and stranger, that all of it can possibly be explained in a satisfactory way, but miraculously it is. Ceres, it turns out, is an excellent piece of writing -- especially for a comic book artist. Even though I do have one or two quibbles with the plotting (and with that major hottie Tooya, I'm sorry to say), I'm giving this five stars because **the artwork** is worth five stars alone. Watase's work is *gorgeous*. It flows, it feels, it lives. It's full of color, darkness, beauty. Because of the grace of her line, I prefer the comic to the animated version. There are moments in the comic where I have to stop reading and just stare at the artwork. One scene to look for, that appears in the comic book but not in the animated version, is in the bathroom. The results of a sudden and unexpected encounter there are both hilarious and sweet. I recommend this for young women ages 12-up. Though I am 25, I wish I had read it as a teenager. I would have devoured it then, even more than I devour it now. There is darkness, drama, humor, violence, romance, and sexuality (at about a PG-13 level). It is well worth a peek, even if you decide not to commit to the whole series (which I think is 10-14 issues). Keep in mind that only some of the issues have been translated, and it will be many months before the entire series is translated and brought over. If you absolutely have to know what happens now, I recommend trying the completed DVD version instead. FYI, the animated version is low-budget, and minimalizes special effects. It also has a slightly different plot. But it's still fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Great read!
Review: A long time ago, a fisherman fell in love with a celestial maiden , or angel. He stole her wings so that she could not return to her home in the heavens. The mamn then married her, they had children. The celestial maiden blood still runs in the Mikage family and at age 16, the Mikage family girls are tested for celestial maiden blood. It is because Aya Mikage has such strong celestial maiden blood that her family wants to destroy her, and she must endure many trials, etc (don't want to reveal too much of the book!) Anyway, i fell in love with this book, for anyone who loves manga, this is a must buy. Great artwork and storyline by Yu Watase. BUY IT NOW!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Epitome of Perfection!!!
Review: Amazing...simply amazing. Watase has outdone herself again. The story is deep, enriching, engaging, and powerful. Unexpected twists and turns...WITHOUT being overdone! Watase seems to know when to do what. As usual, her side columns are hillarious, and the art is gorgeous. Book 2 goes even deeper in the character development and storyline. NOT recomended for youngsters, but anyone who is mature enough to handle Ayashi no Ceres (Cere: Celestial Legend) will not regret buying this work of art. There's not much I can say to glorify this manga to the extent it deserves without spoiling the elements Watase has incorporated into her story, but I will say that nothin is overdone. The horror aspect has not been beaten to death (as titles such as X/1999 have), the romance does not drive the entire plot, and humor is added when the book seems to be gettign too dark. Sure the price is a little steep, but with a manga this great, who cares?!
Rating:
Summary: Celestial coolness
Review: At the store looking at manga when Ceres: celestial legend jumps out at me. Took a look bought the book and was very impressed. Twins Aya and Aki go to a birthday party with the whole family for their sweet sixteenth birthday. What do they get? A very creepy mummified hand, that's what. (Wouldn't that be lovely?, I mean, you're finally old enough to get a learner's permit and your gift is a bizarre mummified hand.) Well the hand creates all sorts of problems. Aya finds out she's a heavenly maiden (a.k.a. she's on the run) and Aki gets locked in some room. Suzumi saves Aya with Yuhi's help. Also a guy named Toya from the mikage house (works there) seems to be protecting her... Well anyway, I never read Fushigi Yugi so I can't compare them, but this is a great series. GET IT!!! Hurry up and ship book 2!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: wow! a must read!
Review: Ayashi no Ceres' first volume promises the series to be a hit like Yu Watase's other famous work, Fushigi Yuugi. Ceres has a love triangle in the Fushigi Yuugi style, but the story is much darker. There is more blood and violence, and much less slapstick humor. The main character, Aya, is maturer than Miaka from fushigi yuugi (except she seems to fall hopelessly for one guy immediatly like Miaka did) Basically the plot is about the twins, Aya and Aki, who on their 16th birthday recieve a pretty weird present from their family that awakens strange powers in both of them. Suddenly Aya's family is trying to kill her, and she must run or be killed. Some parts of this manga actually reminded me of scream. ^_^ It's been called a horror, but I'de say it's a dark drama. Don't worry- there is some humor in it! More Mature humor though, so combined with the blood and stuff, I would say just use your own discretion. Overall, this was a great manga so buy it today!
Rating: 
Summary: Yuu Watase does it again-- 4.5 stars!
Review: Being a mega Fushigi Yuugi fan, I wasted no time getting into this other Shojo manga by the extremely talented Yuu Watase. I was not disapointed. Ceres, while darker, and downright creepy in some parts, is still full of SuperDeformed humor, deliciously sappy romance, and lovely male eyecandy (*coughTOYAcough*--Yes, indeed, speaking from a crazed fangirl point of view, the mysterious Toya, who comes to Aya's rescue several times, is definite bishonen material. He's just got this *nice* hair....:D) Back to the manga itself...Watase's artwork is a bit sharper and tauter in this manga that in FY--that is, it's gorgeous stuff. If Fushigi Yuugi with a bolder heroine, darker atmosphere, and....a fair amount more blood sounds good to you, I'd definitely recomend Ceres: Celestial Legend (Ayashi no Ceres) I know I can't wait to get issue 2...
Rating:
Summary: Ceres starts out very mysterious
Review: Ceres celestial legend is the first series Yu Watase has done since Fushigi yuugi (mysterious play). It starts out with the main character Aya Mikage and her twin brother Aki awaiting their 16th birthday. The next day their mother tells them that their grandfather whom they rarely see wants to throw them a special party at his mansion. However when they arrive their whole family is there dressed in black and looking grim. Grandfather says that Aya must be killed and that her brother is to remain in solitary confinement for the rest of his days. Aya has a gun put to her head by Toya her crush because he saved her from getting run over the previous day. He does not pull the trigger however allowing her to escape. While the clan searches for her she hides in a tree. Toya finds her and she starts yelling at him. To shut her up because the mikage clan is about he kisses her. Stunned she sits there until they spot her and toya. She runs away and is almost caught when out of nowhere these 2 people save her and carry her to their house. When Aya awakens the girl tells her that she has powers and she has heavenly maiden blood and uncontrolled she can become dangerous thus the reason her family wants to kill her. She goes back to her house and her dad saves her from being shot by flinging himself in front of the bullet. She runs back to the girls house and decides to stay and go a different school. While remaining determined to save Aki from her family. It does not explain enough about the heavenly maiden stuff so that's why I gave it only four stars. E-mail me if you disagree. I love to talk anime and manga.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing, strong manga (much better then Fushigi Yugi)
Review: Ceres is a great read!! I first read Yu Watase's Fushigi Yugi and thought it was pretty pathetic so I was slightly hesitant to read another book by her but suprisingly enough Ceres was a wonderful enchanting read with great art work!! Get it today!
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