This series is more cute and dramatic if anything and not really a humor series which the back of the book claims. Thankfully the my lack of normal humor is delaying its “die laughing” side effect long enough to post this. Momo Tama is about a short boy named Kokonose Mutsu who’s out to reclaim his very special island, which has been turned into a base for training students to become ogre killing senkishi. Only problem is Kokonose is short, arrogant, and too cute to be taken very seriously. He has powers and is nearly fearless, so with that he sets out on his mission to retake the island. Won’t be easy since many of the instructors are powerful and Kokonose even comes across the descendant Momotaro himself, the one who banished his family. He’s a strong yaoi man with a military uniform and it should be noted that Momotaro was born from a peach and has three animals in the form of humans who fight with him.

Momo Tama is easy to get into, styled, and cute. Nobody really mentions Kokonose’s odd clothing or hair cut as he lands on the island and it’s amusing to watch his expressions change as his life is in danger. The art of this manga is sharp and smooth, but isn’t perfect on occasion like previous Chrono works. One or two panels are difficult to fully grasp and many of the non-main characters aren’t easy to remember or tell apart. An example would be not really knowing what Chairman Nagato Tougen (the 39th Momotaro) hit Kokonose with in chapter two – Allow Me to Speak. It may stem from the author’s older work which was very gritty and ruff, but in a good way (see ADV’s Peacemaker manga).

Tokyopop is the current license holder and volume two is due out in May 12th, 2009. There are two volumes mentioned on their site, but five volumes out in Japan with serialization in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade (that also brought Beyond the Beyond, Erementar Gerad, Gamerz Heaven, Tactics, Otogi Zoshi, and others). With that said I would actually recommend this if you like Erementar Gerad or the previously mentioned manga. They are all supernatural, styled, and dramatic fantasies. Of course you can look into Peacemaker and Vassalord which are also by Nanae Chrono and licensed. Have good expectations for this well spoken nine year old exorcist because he’ll be worth a lot money once he owns the island. I love the main character because he’s very reminiscent of Peacemaker’s Tetsunosuke, but with a wide mischievous smile like The Cheshire cat of Alice in Wonderland. Get this.

Number of times Kokonose showed a hint of fear: 3
Number of times Safari 4 crashed while writing this: 1
Number of pink manga covers for Momo Tama: …every volume is pink.