Magician A

 

Magician A is not a book for children. It is a collection of short stories that highlight feminine sexuality and competition in different milieus, providing a range of insights into how contemporary women strive to take control of their own destinies. In some stories the women act in entrepreneurial ways, for instance a sex worker who provides her one client with a loyalty punch card, a magician who gets paid to pray for people's wishes to come true, and a young woman who provides manual relaxation for customers in a park. 

Almost all involve women who are struggling to find their confidence or way in the world, including one who has a random encounter with a really cool woman she aspires to be like in a bookstore, a fledgling magician trying to make sense of magic school, and an artist trying to find her voice and style in art school.

I found all of these stories of revelation and personal growth compelling. The author has a way of immediately portraying her characters' personalities in striking, empathetic fashion, and I found it easy to get involved with their personal dramas. Additionally, each story is unique and intricately plotted to deliver both an emotional wallop plus a good deal of suspense. These stories are not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. They are erotically charged, emotionally wrenching, and eminently memorable.

This impressive debut was created by Natsuko Ishitsuyo. I learned a lot about her from the journal entries and Q &A that appear at the back of the book.

The reviews I have read of this book were very positive. Morgana Santilli opined about the prevalence of masculine sexuality in manga and wrote, "Magician A is a striking counterpoint where instead of wallowing in self-pity and fantasizing about harming others, Ishitsuyo’s protagonists use their sexual awakenings as personal reflection and a catalyst for empowerment that men, born into power, take for granted." Katie Skelly concluded, "These are very accomplished visions from a determinedly independent creator, and we’re so lucky to have them." This book's translator Jocelyne Allen commented about the original Japanese version, "It’s so assured and unlike anything I’ve come across in the world of manga before."

Magician A was published by BDP, and they offer more info about it here. There are previews available here at the Kickstarter page where this project was originally funded. If you have gotten this far into my review, you probably know that this book is suggested for mature readers.