Some readers may already be familiar with Chaika - The Coffin Princess from the anime version. While the manga is not the original form of the story – it began as a light novel series – it does have some differences that make it worth checking out even if you already know where the story is going. Following Toru Acura, a young man of undetermined age, this volume basically just introduces the characters and slowly gets the plot moving, serving as an introduction for the rest of the series to build on.

We first meet Toru while he's lying in bed; as we quickly find out, this is where he's spent most of his time since the end of the two hundred year war. A saboteur (fighter able to use a special strengthening spell, as far as we know at this point), Toru's entire sense of self was defined by his profession, so now that he has no war to fight, he has little will to live. His sister Akari, who does not suffer from this form of PTSD, doesn't understand what Toru's problem is, and wants him to get out of the house and get a job. She also wants him in a more physical way – Akari has a crush on her brother that is completely inappropriate. Eventually she does oust her brother, and he sets off for the forest to find some food. There he finds a younger girl who is apparently lost...and toting a large coffin on her back. Intrigued for the first time in years, Toru finds himself helping the girl, who tells him her name is Chaika.

Coming from the same author who created Scrapped Princess, it is unsurprising to see the same sort of pseudo-European world that mixes magic with technology, and Sakaki is a good enough storyteller to make it work. Chaika performs magic by using a “gundo,” which the notes tell us is a reference to “gandr,” a Norse word for “wand.” The gundo itself resembles a sniper rifle more than the Harry Potter school of wands, which is indicative of the way this particular world works: largely fantasy with a few more mechanical trappings. We can see this in the characters' clothing as well, which is not only a wider variety of styles than we typically see in a fantasy setting, but also a cross between sword and sorcery and steampunk aesthetics. At this point it isn't clear how that affects the actual plot, although we do know that there is a substantial wait time for performing magic. This allows us to understand a bit better what it was that a saboteur such as Toru might have done in a war – he's incredibly quick and agile, and his spell makes him largely impervious to pain and harder to damage. All of this specific knowledge comes from when he and Chaika are attacked in the woods by something he calls a “fayla;” in this case the world's least friendly and most frightening unicorn. The beast is in turn controlled by an apparently human handler, although that handler's relationship with the unicorn is a little unclear. At one point I wondered if he was wearing its skin and had transformed; later I thought that perhaps he had a bond with it like a hunting dog, only a bit less loving. In any event, given that the word “fay” means “fairy,” it seems likely that there is a supernatural aspect to the bond, and probably to the creature as well.

What may be the most polarizing aspect of this volume for some readers will be Akari's aggressively sexual attitude towards her brother. Although many of her actions are well within the realm of cliché at this point (straddling his hips to wake him up, declaring herself the sole arbiter of his sexual fantasies) and frankly more annoying than anything (largely because of the cliché factors), but it may bother readers who are not fond of the incest trope. It is much more obvious here than in the anime version, and her outfit, while technically the same, feels somehow more sexualized. Toru himself gives the impression of being quite young emotionally, possibly as a result of his reawakening interest in life; this makes for an interesting dynamic in general as his hardened soldier persona rears its head as he helps Chaika.

There are a lot of characters introduced in this volume, falling into two clear groups, so even if names become a little tricky, it is easy to tell who is who visually. Shinta Sakayama's art is easy on the eyes and reads smoothly, although he has occasional problems drawing Toru's body, which can look lumpy. At this point the most interesting part of the book is the extra chapter at the end, which was originally published as a teaser for the manga, and which deals with Chaika's past. That may be because, as has been mentioned, this volume has a very introductory feel while chapter 0 tells a more exciting story.

Chaika - The Coffin Princess' first book has a lot of potential, although it in itself is not as exciting as it could be. There's a very interesting story waiting to be told once the introductory material has all be dealt with, so even if this volume isn't as good as it could be, it is clear that it will be worth giving this at least one more book to get its feet under it. Anime fans may have more patience, but even if you're unfamiliar with the story, it should be worth sticking around to see what lies beyond the world building and the forbidden love clichés, because once this gets going, it should be a journey worth taking.