Synopsis:
Magic Knight Rayearth is about three girls who are called to save the world of Cephiro. While in the middle of a school trip, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are suddenly drawn to a strange place where monsters and mythical creatures roam free. They are given mystical weapons and the elemental powers of fire, water, and wind. Things happens so fast that the girls themselves don't fully grasp what's going on. What they do know is they can't go home if they don't save Cephiro. They must take on the responsibility of becoming Magic Knights and work together before evil forces take over everything.

Review:
Magic Knight Rayearth is similar to the phenomenally popular Sailormoon and yet different. For starters, you have three girls who are granted special powers and weapons. They have cute, school-girlish costumes acccentuated by simple pieces of armor. Their weapons and armor, however, evolve to something better as the wearer improves in skill. Their attacks and battle sequences are very impressive, and won't strike you as cutesy or sissy-ish. The plot develops rapidly, and you are thrust into the world of Cephiro just as the girls are. You meet a lot of interesting characters right from the start.

The artwork is amazing. The panels and graphic placements are done in a very creative and non-conventional way. It deviates from the usual comic book structure to give you a more visually enthralling and immersive reading experience. There are a lot of revolutionary elements in MKR that make it more unique than Sailormoon. The MKR girls have more realistic personalities compared to the sailor senshi. My qualm about the English version of MKR it's a bit overly Americanized. The character dialogues are at times very slang-y and not very believeable.

Miscellanies:
Need more gorgeous MKR art? Check out the artbook.

Sample Panels

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Rightstuf Magic Knight Rayearth (Graphic Novel Vol. 1)

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