Thanks to barnesandnoble.com for the above cover image.

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Tail of the Moon, a romantic ninja manga, is set in the Tenshō era of Japan (1573-1592).  This series centers around Usagi, a bumbling female ninja-in-training.  Usagi (also known as “Usa”) is the granddaughter of Sandayu, the leader of a prestigious ninja village in southern Iga.  Frustrated by Usa’s lack of progress in learning to be a ninja, Sandayu sends his granddaughter off to the young ninja Lord Hattori Hanzo, in hopes that Hanzo will take her as his wife and make lots of ninja babies.  However, Lord Hanzo doesn’t want babies; he wants a wife who is a ninja.

As Tail of the Moon, Vol. 12 opens, Usagi and Hanzo return to Iga after completing their various undercover missions in and around the Capitol.  The two are just in time for their own wedding banquet, and Usa can’t believe her dreams are coming true.  However, the ninja-hating Lord Oda Nobunaga finally makes his long-planned attack against Iga, and now the Iga ninja must fight with everything they have to protect their village from Oda’s large army.

THE LOWDOWN:  What Tail of the Moon creator Rinko Ueda offers in her shoujo manga (girls’ comics) is romance via historical fiction and intrigue via martial arts/ninjitsu.  Romance, intrigue, ninja – it’s like Danielle Steel meets Eric Van Lustbader, and Tail of the Moon is actually a highly entertaining, page-turning treat.  The characters are undeniably lovable, and the scenarios are simply grabbing.  Add that to Ueda’s pretty art with its excellent costume design and sets, and the reader has a great read and some tasty eye candy.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Shoujo fans who enjoy historical fiction, as well as fans of ninja dramas will like Tail of the Moon.

A-