Saint Tail

Publisher
Tokyopop
Writer
Megumi Tachikawa
Artist
Megumi Tachikawa
Country of origin
Japan
Year
1995

Saint Tail

By David Rasmussen
19th Dec 04

Publisher - TOKYOPOP
Age - ?
Published in Japan (1995)
By Megumi Tachikawa
TOKYOPOP Staff
Translator - Anita Sengupta
Retouch Artist - Jinky De Leon
Editor - Jake Forbes

Before We Begin...
Ah, nostalgia.
This week I'm rolling out two minor treasures you might have overlooked at your last visit to the manga section of your bookstore, or (worse yet) have not had the opportunity to read because it's not available.
Yet I tell you they ARE worth your time to check out, these two minor little treasures hidden in the back of the manga section, and I'll tell you why...

But first I'll tell you why I don't have a rating for these, let alone a GN count!
You see, once upon a time, TOKYOPOP had a brief fling with belting out $3 a pop comics (like Dark Horse, or MARVEL, etc) but eventually gave that up for Graphic Novels only. So, it was during this time that I diligently collected these titles and a few more (Cardcaptor Sakura, Gundam Wing, etc) before TOKYOPOP pulled the plug on their $3 a pop manga franchaise.

That's why I don't have either a Graphic Novel count nor an age rating (there was no age rating on these like there are now on every TOKYOPOP Graphic Novel).
Okay. Nuff said. Let's go.

"Forgive me, Lord, for the tricks up my sleeves."
Meimi Haneoka, aka Saint Tail

Meet Meimi Haneoka. The daughter of a magician and a thief, she has combined both their skills to become the legendary Saint Tail, thief who steals from the wicked and returns said treasures to the innocent (who said treasures was stolen from)... sorta like Sly Cooper, only she doesn't pocket the "change" and go on exotic trips post thefts.

But I guess the holy moniker can be expected since she goes to a catholic school (which isn't twisted like the one in Saint Marie), and has a best friend (partner in crime) who is a nun-in-training (Seira).

In fact you could say Seira is Saint Tail's boss, giving her "marching orders".
The deal is this. She sits in on confessionals and hears people's problems, and in turn she takes those problems that can be solved with a little "thievery" to Saint Tail who carries out the good work and does her best to steal from the wicked to return to the innocent.

However she also has a rival (who somehow ends up being her love interest) in one Asuka Jr.
The Tokyo Police must have his number on speed dial because they always seem to call on him when there's Saint Tail trouble afoot, and whole legions of cops seem to follow his orders... what a life.
At first they're rivals, but as the series goes along you see Asuka Jr. start to chase Saint Tail for probably an entirely different reason than when he started. But of course even when the sparks begin between them it's not like Meimi can tell him she's Saint Tail, eh?

But then again she almost doesn't have to! Early in her career (early in the manga) she almost gets caught by him when she hesitates as he's chasing her, and almost reveals her identity when he calls her out threatening to reveal her identity (which is a bluff). That is just the start of a relationship to be.

A relationship almost derailed by a new girl in school whose got some family in high up places, and who dedicates herself to the hunt to capture Saint Tail (which only puts a complicated twist on the whole budding relationship thing, especially when she manages to link Meimi to Saint Tail and tries to blow her secret only for it to backfire).

I'm not sure how it ends, because of course once the $3 a pop books ended I stopped reading it, but I guess sooner or later I'll have to check up on it.

A touching, fun and great title to read. A little treasure well worth discovering in my opinion.
And unlike my Miracle Girls review I don't have a request for reprints... well, MAYBE if the title is hard to find then they should roll it out again (right-to-left format) but otherwise it seems they didn't monkey around with the names this time out. Nice.

Saint Tail Breakdown
What's Hot? - It's a little reading treasure you probably haven't heard of. A minor gift, and an Essential of your collection even if you don't know it's an essential! And yes, I know I said that for Miracle Girls but it's because it's all true. This is well worth your time to read, no questions asked.

If you ever have a chance to check this out for yourself, or (if possible) the Anime series (TOKYOPOP) then you should. It's one of those little treats you should check out because it's just too darling to pass up.

What's Not? - Nothing. This title avoided the pitfall that made me grumbly when it came to Miracle Girls.

Moments to Remember? - Yeah. Once again there's lots to remember, and it all centers on Meimi and Seira... I'm not hot on Asuka Jr., but I don't have a resentful dislike of him as I do Syaoran Li nor am I going to go on a Sakura/Tomoyo rant here... still he doesn't do much that's memorable unless it's concerning Meimi. Sorry.

What to Ignore? - Nothing. Absolutely positively nothing.

Overall? - Ah, yet another little gem of a read that people should check out!
I don't know if there is a need for a reprint or not, but if there is maybe they can do the same treatment they did for Cardcaptor Sakura (first half) and Magic Knight RayEarth by reprinting it in the right-to-left format. Would be nice.

-- David Rasmussen 19th Dec 04