Figure 17 Volume 1 Paperback – February 22, 2004

its a very interesting read. i first came across the anime at blockbuster sitting on the shelf in the rental section. they didnt have it to buy so i made a mental note to do so. then i came across the manga at a book store and was extatic.anyways, i havent seen the anime so i wouldnt know better to compare. but all in all its a great storyline. the chapter interlud pages have a funny little scketches, and whats even more cool, is that ADV didnt remove all of the kanji(japanese letters) so sometimes, anthing not in a bubble, and sound effects theres still the japanese writing. plus its in the classic-manga form (right to left)even if you HAVE seen the anime, its worth the read.

Tsubasa Shina's dad has moved to the wilderness boondocks of Hokkaido to fulfill his dream of owning his own bakery by learning from the masters. He works so much that he hardly ever sees his daughter and she's finding it hard to adjust to a new school away from Tokyo. Her life changes when she witnesses an alien policeman battling a monster in the woods. Tsubasa uses a "Rivelus", a protective combat exoskeleton made of sentient metal, to beat the creature. Normally, after it has been used, the Rivelus reverts back to liquid form, but for some strange reason, the one that joined with Tsubasa has turned into a carbon copy of of her, except her personality is the opposite and she dubs herself Hikaru. Though they LOOK just alike, Tsubasa is shy and quiet, while Hikaru is outgoing and energetic. While the two have to join together to fight an alien threat, the true lesson is in Hikaru showing Tsubasa how to improve her life.This manga is the first in a two volume manga adaptation of the anime Figure 17. While some fans of the show may complain that the book leaves too much of the story out, I found I rather enjoyed it. The bond of love between Tsubasa and Hikaru is present in the book, which to me was the real theme of the anime. I wasn't really a fan of the monster fighting in the show, so the brief battles in Volume 1 are welcome. Even the action scenes that do take place in the manga are hard to follow, and probably wouldn't make sense to someone that hadn't viewed the anime. This book is really just meant to be a supplement for fans of the anime, and more specifically, those fans who saw the relationship between the two girls as the main draw instead of the transforming female warrior fighting poorly designed monsters.

First off, let me emphasize that this manga is based on the anime series of the same name - not the other way around, as is usually the case. Unfortunately, the manga shortens the story rather than bring anything new to it. And it doesn't help that the visual character designs are less endearing than in the original.Where the anime took its sweet time to set up and develop the characters and the plot (and manages to make the viewer feel attachment to the characters in the process), this book feels like it's just rushing through the most important parts of the story. And by doing so, it rips all the heart right out of it - anything one might feel for the characters is emotional baggage left over from the anime (if one has seen it, that is). Consider this: This 200-page manga covers slightly more than the first three episodes of the anime. That's three 45 minutes long episodes.So what does get emphasized in the manga? The action perhaps? Nope... Even the battle scenes get shafted. One battle which lasted several minutes in the anime is dealt with in a single panel in the manga, and no resolution is shown. Presumably, the reader is meant to simply assume that the good guys won since they're still alive by the next page.In short - not recommended. The die-hard Figure 17 fan might want to pick up the manga for the sake of curiosity, but everyone else who considers it should try the excellent anime first.