Mikansei No. 1

Neo is a 21st century gal living in a 23rd century world, and she hates it. Modesty and restraint are the social norms, and young Neo longs for a chance to live in a society where short skirts and outrageous pop are the order of the day.

One short accidental time-travel mishap later, and she gets her wish - teamed up with a handsome backing dancer names Saya, Neo has to prepare for her debut, or risk total failure. But why can't she communicate with her own time..?

As you'll have gathered, Mikansei No.1 isn't a gritty drama series exploring the intricacies of the human psyche, rather it's a daft-as-a-brush comedy featuring some rather good artwork from the artist behind Code Geass no less.

The artwork is rather good, and in places reminded me of the Nintendo DS game The World Ends With You- it eschews the same fashion and attitude through the moody Saya, but is broken up with plenty of chibi drawings as Neo bounces around the place with endless energy, much to Saya's annoyance.

Normally I don't think much of madcap Japanese comedy, there's a cultural rift I find hard to bridge, but I have to say that Mikansei is a surprisingly good effort. It's hard not to like Neo, and Saya's down-to-Earth attitude makes all the difference in keeping the series grounded.

The plot has elements of mystery too - the accident that propelled Neo back in time is pretty suspect, and while in the 21st century she's attracted a lot of attention from some mysterious locals. It has the potential to be a more satisfying read than might be expected from a daft manga featuring a pop-moppet.

With the rising cost of manga on the store shelves, you have to be careful what you risk your money on, but for fans of daft romantic comedy, I'd say this is worth a read.