Mafia's Little Angel : Married to the Cold-Blooded Devil

The Six pack series is absolutely brilliant. I’m so hooked and loved these stories and can’t wait to read about alpha Reid. So eager, a werewolf story with romance, wit, suspense and a lot of steam! Highly recommended! ...

Thanks again for the update. Looking forward to the next chapter

<p>Kannagi is a manga that commences with a boy named Jin carving a figure from the wood of a fallen sacred tree, and a girl named Nagi emerging from that figure. Nagi claims to be the god enshrined in the sacred tree, but with the tree gone, so is the protection she offered the town, leading to bug-like creatures called impurities causing chaos. However, Nagi still retains enough power in her new form to manually eliminate these impurities, and she seeks Jin's assistance. This setup initially seems like the overarching plot, but the focus on Jin and Nagi hunting impurities is largely abandoned.<br /><br />Instead, the story shifts towards Nagi and her sister Zange becoming local idols, aiming to gain followers to boost their divine power. This aspect leans more towards lightheartedness, featuring Jin, Nagi, Zange, and their friends navigating high school life with comedic antics interspersed with teenage drama. Nagi’s drama is somewhat unique for such manga, as it revolves around a divine being experiencing an existential crisis, yet it fits within the usual narrative flow. While the drama often feels overdramatic and slows the pace, the slice-of-life and comedy segments are decent. The cast, though not exceptional, holds its own.<br /><br />Midway through the manga, the narrative pivots towards a more plot-driven approach, delving into Nagi and Zange’s divine origins. Although some light-hearted comedy remains, the tone becomes more serious. Unfortunately, the writing struggles here, making the story feel messy and disjointed. It jumps between various elements without commitment, discarding many subplots. Some larger story elements work well when reversed, but numerous smaller details seem arbitrary, suggesting the author changed their mind, cumulatively resulting in a rough narrative.<br /><br />It’s common for long-running manga authors to lack a clear direction, necessitating frequent course corrections. Typically, I assess such writing based on how effectively inconsistencies are managed and whether the new direction justifies any issues. Here, the writing consistently falters, and I can’t discern why it was handled this way. For instance, a character present from the start is suddenly revealed to have supernatural powers from the beginning, kept secret due to embarrassment, which clashes with the established plot. Introducing her powers at the relevant moment would have been less disruptive and avoided contradictions.<br /><br />There are also instances where forced writing propels the plot in random directions, particularly evident in the ending. A solid, albeit generic, conclusion is abruptly complicated by an unnecessary twist that adds nothing significant—no thematic development, no impact on character arcs, and insufficient time to explore it. It seems intended as a joke, but it undermines the series’ closure. Despite its overall solidity, the ending leaves me equally confused and satisfied, as I question the author’s choices.<br /><br />Character arcs vary in quality. Jin’s arc develops steadily with a satisfying payoff, while Nagi’s suffers from the plot’s messiness. The standout arc belongs to side character Hakua, feeling natural with strong buildup and resolution akin to Jin’s. Other side characters fare worse; Zange’s arc mirrors Nagi’s inconsistency due to the erratic plotting. Tsugumi’s arc feels abrupt after a prolonged absence, with too much happening too quickly. Characters like Daitetsu, Meguru, and Shino receive only a chapter each, while others like Takako get even less attention. Shohou’s arc is unclear, as the writing suggests one should exist but fails to deliver. Conversely, relationship arcs shine, with Jin’s dynamics with Nagi, Hakua, and Tsugumi handled effectively.<br /><br />The art starts decently but improves over time, reaching good quality. Regular character designs are solid, especially Nagi and Zange, but their special outfits, like divine forms, truly highlight the artistic strengths.</p>

[::UPDATE::] July 27, 2017.  
The series has been completed at Volume 12, Chapter 78.  

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[::(LIKELY THE FINAL) UPDATE::] March, 2017.  
Well, I suppose this is it.  
I’m fairly certain Volume 11 was already complete, and I recall seeing a Korean scan of it somewhere. Unfortunately, it seems all scanlation groups have dropped the series. Unless someone here knows how to read Korean and is willing to translate, we’re out of luck.  

It was an incredible saga and will always hold a special place in my heart. Takenashi-sensei undoubtedly left her mark on the cute-comedy genre of manga art and played a significant role in the moe "revolution" that peaked between 2005 and 2010. I have no doubt that those active in this segment of the industry see Kannagi as an essential reference and hope this remains true in the future.  

My opinion on the quality of the story and art hasn’t changed; I stand by the same ratings I gave it years ago. It’s a solid 8. A cute story, lovely characters, and an overall heartwarming fantasy slice-of-life that sometimes confuses you, occasionally scares you, but usually concludes each arc beautifully.  

For anyone looking for similar franchises, I recommend Seto no Hanayome and Ika Musume—similar settings and the same style of comedy.  

That’s all. Have a lovely day. :)  

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[::UPDATE::] December, 2016.  
No new chapters, scans, volumes, or any information to be found anywhere.  

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[::UPDATE::] December, 2015.  
Chapter 59 scans have been translated.  

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[::UPDATE::] August, 2015.  
Sorry everyone, I’m flying blind here. The only English scanlation group I knew that was still working on this series had its last update with Chapter 58 in March. Amazon.jp already has the 10th volume available for sale, so I can only hope they translate it someday. It’s disappointing to leave it incomplete, but if even Noboru’s Zero no Tsukaima is now getting completed, I still have hope for Jin and Nagi’s story to reach its conclusion.  

Also, a small note: I wrote this review years ago, and back then, my vocabulary wasn’t great, and honestly, I was still young. So yes, the quality isn’t very high. I’m planning to rewrite it soon.  

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[::UPDATE::] February, 2015.  
Volume 9, Chapter 57 translation released.  

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[::UPDATE::] August, 2014.  
Currently on Volume 9, Chapter 54.  
It seems we aren’t as close to the ending as we thought. Takenashi is giving us hints that there’s more to come. However, it appears the story might be losing focus... Hopefully, this is just temporary.  

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[::UPDATE::] July, 2013.  
It’s back! And publications are now supposed to be bi-monthly.  

Ongoing.  

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It’s been bothering me for a while that nobody reviewed this until now. More than 7 years have passed since it started, and no one wrote about it... strange.  

Before starting the review itself, here are a few considerations:  
- If you watched the anime and want to know how the story continues, you may start reading from Volume 3, Chapter 18. That’s where the anime adaptation stopped.  
- Back in 2008, author Eri Takenashi was hospitalized due to illness and underwent several tests, putting the manga on hiatus for an undetermined time until January 2012 when it was announced she would resume work. However, publication depends on her health status, which is why there isn’t a set schedule, and you can’t know for sure when the next chapter will be released or if there will be one.  
- Bandai Entertainment also announced at the beginning of 2012 that they decided to drop the Kannagi series and would stop translating it. Now, the only way to read it is through online scanlation groups.  
- Kannagi’s popularity declined after an overreacted "otaku rage" regarding events in Volume 6 (similar to Haruhi’s endless eight), with people tearing up volumes, flooding forums, etc. Many fans abandoned the series, though it wasn’t something that shocking.  
- To make matters worse, the coastal area of Shichigahama, the model town for Kannagi, was completely destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. Life in the real world can be harsh sometimes. :/  

:::Story 9/10:::  
I’ll provide a brief summary of the story since the one here is quite short. If you don’t want to read it, feel free to skip a few lines.  

Kannagi’s story revolves around Jin Mikuriya, a somewhat introspective and shy high school freshman who is highly sensitive to spirits and supernatural phenomena. When he created a sculpture for his art project using a sacred piece of wood, it transformed into a vessel for the titular god of their land, Kannagi (Nagi)-sama. Nagi explains to Jin that she is on a mission in the "human world" to cleanse the "impurities" appearing as insects around the town and exorcise them back to where they belong. Additionally, she needs to gain popularity because if people forget about her or stop praying at her shrine, her godly powers will diminish until they eventually vanish.  

This is where their journey together begins.  

[end of the summary]  

In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting and original stories I’ve ever encountered because it blends the supernatural with the laid-back slice-of-life without sacrificing its comedy. The romance element is also "moderated," preventing it from becoming a romantic comedy. Right from the start, you dive straight into the action without unnecessary fillers. Each volume introduces the characters to new challenges with varied situations, ensuring you never get bored. There are also numerous references to other stories and classic mangas/anime.  

What I admire about Eri Takenashi is that she writes freely, unbothered by fan expectations or potential dislikes.  

:::Characters 10/10:::  
The supporting characters in this series are phenomenal. If possible, I’d love to see a side-story for each of them. The highlight of this manga is undoubtedly the comedy. Daitetsu’s confusion over simple things and Tsugumi’s jealousy of Nagi and Zange had me laughing endlessly.  

:::Art 9/10:::  
I have nothing to criticize. The artwork is clean and exceptionally well-drawn. You get that simple "moe" style depending on the scene, yet the drawings remain detailed when necessary.  

:::Overall 8/10:::  
I could (and would) give it a 10, but since we can’t be certain if there will be an ending or when it will arrive, I must stick with the 8/10 for now. Hopefully, another chapter will be published in the coming months, as it looks like things are moving toward the conclusion. If so, I’d be happy to adjust this score.  

Kannagi might be one of the most underrated series in both manga and anime. I once read on a discussion board: "Kannagi is a fantastic piece of work marred by tragic circumstances," which is indeed true.  

Thanks for reading. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and please, give Kannagi a try!  

<p>

Wow, only one review for a manga this old? That's a damn shame in my opinion. Well, here's something nobody asked for!  

Kannagi was a show I got into based solely off the main girl looking cute - which seems to be pretty common. The show, and first 17 chapters of the manga the show is based off of, is framed as a slice-of-life moe harem romantic comedy. And boy oh boy, does that not even scratch the surface! Right after those chapters, the plot at large really kicks into high gear. If you have watched the show and are considering reading the manga, you should! It literally ends right before all the best plot threads start up.  

Anyway, that aside, let's get into the specifics:  

Story (9/10):  
The story is excellent. It can kind of drag in the beginning chapters as the slice of life comedy aspects really trump the questions the manga initially poses and can make it seem slow, but once the story gets into gear from chapter 20 onward it really makes up for it. My only complaints really are the beginning lag and some of the chapters toward the end seem to really rush plot points which could have been further elaborated on (but knowing the production schedule was riddled with health issues of the author, it's kind of forgivable). Overall it's great, and really what kept me in the series.  

Art (8/10):  
I find it hard to ever discuss art that exists in just a "good to very good" area. If the art is something like Berserk or Attack on Titan, you can gush and gush over the beautiful detail taken especially in two-page illustrations. Kannagi has good art - the girls are cute, the designs of the characters unique and varied which serves their character. The town is well illustrated, and everything is decently serviceable to great the entire time. But it's nothing groundbreaking enough to warrant higher than an 8. To summarize it: You could totally make a wallpaper using some panels of the manga if you loved it, but you wouldn't feel especially compelled to do so unless you loved the series.  

Character (8/10):  
The main cast of Kannagi is a 10/10. Jin and his harem are *chef's kiss* magnificent. They all develop in meaningful ways and hit every mark for a harem romantic comedy. The reason the character section isn't a 10/10 overall though is...the supporting cast. Some of the supporting cast is fantastic, both of the art club boys are funny and unique - really serving the story and comedy whenever they're involved. But the girls are just kind of...there. There's also a late story development involving one of them that's just kind of...rushed? Without spoiling anything major, it's just kind of like they needed someone new to plug a heroine role and they upgrade her for the last arc. But overall, you'll love most of the characters for their individual strengths and attributes.  

Enjoyment (10/10):  
I really, really liked the manga. Obviously like I said the beginning was kind of slow for my taste (which I experienced through the show, so nothing too major), but once it hit its stride I basically read through it all in one sitting. I was pissed when I was too tired and had to sleep before continuing to read, which is always a good sign. If you liked the show, even a little, you'll love the manga. It's an absolute treat the whole way through, especially the further you go into it.  

Overall (9/10):  
Kannagi should have more attention to be honest, it's kind of a sleeper hit. That's the brutality of a production schedule marred by real-life events though. I did not expect to be such a fan going in, I was kind of just hoping to get a time waster while waiting for the world to stop burning so much. If you're curious about the manga, even just slightly, go for it. It's worth the payoffs presented in the early chapters 100%.

She goes with the mark guy later in the story. I dropped once the romance started was a bit disappointing to me.