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Title: B.Ichi Vol 1

Author: Atsushi Ohkubo

Publisher: Yen Press

ISBN: 9780759529779

May Contain Spoilers

Shotaro is a dokeshi, someone who can tap into his true potential and unleash a greater percentage his brain power.  In order to use these special powers, he must fulfill a condition.  In Shotaro’s case, him must perform one good deed a day.  If he keeps meeting this commitment, he is given the ability to borrow powers from animals by biting on animal bones.  If he wants to fly, he reaches for a bird bone.  If he wants to be strong, he bites on a bear’s bone.  If he fails to fulfill his condition, he loses something important to him, and he can never get it back.  When Mana enters his life, they are both caught up in more adventures than either of them bargained for!

I enjoyed certain elements of this story very much, and wish that they had been expanded on.  My favorite aspect of the dokeshi is that their powers come at a price.  This is also what I like so much about FMA.  Magic and special abilities shouldn’t be free.  Like liposuction and plastic surgery, personal enhancements should take a toll from the person seeking a little self glorification.  The greater the power, the greater the cost, in my world view.  Shotaro has the condition of having to perform one good deed a day.  The price he is paying to borrow abilities from animal bones seems equal to what he gains from using his powers – and he can even kill two birds with one stone by using his magical abilities to perform his good deed.  That’s nice, neat, and tidy.

Some of the other dokeshi don’t have conditions so beneficial to others.  Having to let off steam – eh?- seems kind of silly.  Others are much more ominous, and don’t offer any benefit to anyone other than the dokeshi.  Perform one evil deed per day? That is certainly counterproductive to a harmonious society, and is part of the reason that dokeshi aren’t exactly well regarded by regular people.  What if a condition was to commit one murder per day?  Or to steal something every day?  That would quickly turn public sentiment against them, and make me wonder why anyone in their right mind would choose to be a dokeshi in the first place.

The action is pretty standard fare, but it was quick and painless to read along with Mana and her adventures with her new friend.  Nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary, just solid action as Mana attempts to earn her commendations.  What is that all about, anyway?  Another character seeking self-gratification, but with no condition involved while she tries to promote herself.  Mana lets herself be ruled by fortune-tellers, no matter how shady.  She travels from place to place at the whim of these prophecies, the only real goal to reel in more commendations.  I thought that was a little pointless and didn’t add much depth to story, keeping it firmly in the brain-fluff category.  Still, I am curious to find out more about Atsushi Ohkubo’s world, so I am planning on following along for at least a few more volumes.

Grade: B-