There's sometimes a very fine line between fantasy and science fiction, especially when it comes to basing that designation on the setting. Mitsu Izumi (who wrote the AnoHana manga)'s 7th Garden flirts with this line more and more as it goes on, very much in the same vein as Sharon Shinn's Archangel or Wann's Give to the Heart. While not much has really been revealed about the world the story takes place in apart from the fact that there are two moons and that both angels and demons exist, there are enough little hints that could indicate that this story takes place on a different planet at some point post-Earth and that the “angels” and “demons” are in fact technologically enhanced and/or savvy people rather than magical beings. If you pay attention to the so-called supernatural creatures' outfits and language, to say nothing of the fighting “stage” demon Vyrde summons, this begins to seem more and more like a post-apocalyptic world returned to a 19th century level of technology.

It is these little details that really make this first volume, because the story itself is slow to start. While Awyn does meet Vyrde relatively quickly, there are a lot of small flashbacks scattered throughout each of the four chapters that disrupt the narrative flow and make it feel as if the main plot is taking a bit too long to really get off the ground. Chapter three is where things pick up; not coincidentally, this is also where the fight between the angels and demons truly begins. Despite this drag, the world Izumi sets up is both familiar and frighteningly reminiscent of past intolerance. The story is set in the Holy Braith Kingdom, which is fully entrenched in the most widespread religion of its world, Anti-Quoristianity, which appears to be similar to Catholicism, at least in that it is led by a pope, who serves as the ruler of Braith. Its brand of religion is reminiscent of the Inquisition in its harshness and willingness to smite the unbelievers (and sell indulgences), even if those so-called unbelievers are anything but – it's a greedy church, drunk on its own power. It is this overuse of power that ultimately drives Awyn to form his pact with Vyrde, and the implication that the angels are far more vicious than the demons solidifies as the volume goes on. Again, this leads to the suspicion of a very human hand playing with a more primitive (as in less technologically advanced) culture, particularly when you look at how Vyrde alters her appearance depending on the company: when Awyn finds her tied to the cross, she looks human with dark hair, but she can shift to having the appearance she has on the book's cover, a much more traditionally “demonic” look that would be in line with Anti-Quoristianity imagery.

As you can guess, at this point the set up and implications of 7th Garden are somewhat more interesting than the story itself. That's largely because the apparent base tale is somewhat generic in terms of supernatural fighting manga – plucky orphan in love with someone he can't have makes pact with the ostensible bad guy in order to have a fighting chance at both love and survival in an otherwise idyllic pastoral setting. Marie is the sweeter version of the ojou-sama character and the usual compliment of maids (one with pig tails, of course) and manservants fill out the cast. Izumi's art is very attractive and has a nice eye for detail; delicious lacy embellishments can be seen when a skirt lifts slightly to reveal petticoats, the flowers in Awyn's garden are all different, and backgrounds are fully realized. Izumi is also quite good at drawing humans, although all bets are off if a character has large breasts, which suffer from the usual problem of looking stuck on rather than naturally occurring. The art is actually a better world builder in some ways than the explanatory narration, which can be confusing as it attempts to clarify the social structure and religious hierarchy. In part this is because the religion was apparently founded by someone named Quorist, but now is Anti-Quoristian, with its law enforcement being carried out by Anti-Knights. While the knights do certainly act against the principles of chivalry, this naming scheme largely serves to be confusing as we start to get into the story. Again, it is likely an implication about the larger, potentially science fiction world 7th Garden appears to be heading towards revealing, but it is a problem when the first, introductory volume of a work is more interested in foreshadowing than its more immediate story.

As a series start, 7th Garden is definitely mixed. Its promise is mostly wrapped up in what is to come rather than what's on the page before us, and some of the terminology seems deliberately confusing. Despite this, there's an honestly intriguing story somewhere in here, and the little details are far more interesting than the cookie-cutter surface would suggest. With attractive art and a little fanservice thrown in for added interest, this looks to be the start of a series that will ultimately be better than its beginning volume.