Gate 7

Title:  Gate 7
Mangaka:  CLAMP
Length:  3 Volumes (Ongoing)
English Translation?  Yes.  2 volumes so far by Dark Horse.
Demo/Genre:  Shounen/Fantasy/Action

How did I hear about it?  I've read other works by CLAMP, and I was curious about their current series.

Umm...the plot....Let's see.  There's a guy named Chikahito, and he met a girl named Hana while on a trip to Kyoto.  Then he met her again after moving to Kyoto for school...and now he lives with her caretakers.  Turns out, she's some kind of warrior against supernatural things, and then there's a lot of history in there somewhere...  Yeah, I just can't get a good grasp of the plot, probably because this manga just can't hold my attention.

One good thing I can definitely say about G7 is the art is great, which one should expect from CLAMP.  It's a very beautiful manga.  Unfortunately, that's all that really interests me about it.

Many of the references in Gate 7 will be lost on those who aren't Japanophiles, which I am not.  I know some basic Japanese history, but I don't think I'm quite on the level that this manga requires.  I'm not a fan of Chikahito.  Big-eyed boys are never a big draw for me, and it's rare that I find myself taken by one (I can think of a couple that I have liked though).  Also, I can't quite figure out his purpose yet.  The manga is still in its early stages, so perhaps all will be revealed at a later time.  Currently though, he's pretty useless.  I'm not too fond of the girl either.  Hana is a loli-type, but perhaps a little too much so.  She's just too childish for me to take seriously.

It's hard for me to formulate an opinion of this manga, seeing as how it's so new, but so far, I'm not taking to it.  I continue to read the new chapters as they're released though.  I think I'm hoping that at some point, some turning point will happen in the plot, and I'll find myself liking it.  Only time will tell on this one.