Guest Review – Tena on S-String, Volume 1

Tena on S-String, Vol. 1
By Sesuna Mikabe
Published by Yen Press

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Review by Lorena Nava Ruggero

After a serious accident, music teacher Kyousuke Hibiki finds himself in the hospital and able to hear unexplained music and see musical notes surrounding others. While his doctor is unworried, he later meets a cavalier, teenaged girl named Tena Fortissian who calls the music Hibiki sees and hears a “soul score.” Evidently, these soul scores are a musical representation of one’s fate. When Tena finds out Hibiki can also see these soul scores because of a corruption of his own soul score, she “lets him” be her pet. In a contest with other soul tuners to collect the most “bad” notes in Hibiki’s world, she’s determined to beat anyone who gets in her way. When Tena encounters a pair of soul tuner sisters-cum-soul score researchers intent on studying the “bad” notes in Hibiki’s soul, the girls strike up a deal for Hibiki.

This series has a few things going for it: a unique concept, a caring sensei in Hibiki, Tena’s cute lolita look and a fairly funny ongoing joke with Tena’s “pet.” But, it’s also got a few things I could certainly do without: fan service with big boobs and stolen panties, Tena’s prepubescent body and ending on a seemingly harem comedy-centric note. While I don’t have much experience (or interest) in reading harem comedies, I certainly don’t appreciate the concept.

Despite my best attempts at apathy, I found myself giggling from time to time, like when Hibiki lost it in a fit of rage, turning into a shonen-styled, muscle-bound hero ripping off his shirt. And I also liked it when Hibiki had to wear a one of those cone-shaped, Elizabethan dog collars. Or when he goes into heart-rending detail about how important his bike is to him. Oh, and when Tena finds out the soba mat thing isn’t meant to be worn like a bib. So, basically it has great one-time, non-sexual gags that are offset by the occasional big-boobed girl or a pantiless Tena. And that’s what made this a hard review for me — I intrinsically do not want to like it, but I can’t help but laugh. Another thing that drew me to this manga are the main characters’ personalities — Tena is a commanding presence, despite her small stature, and Hibiki possesses a misplaced soft spot for Tena’s predicament.

As far as the art goes, it’s actually much more shojo in look than its seinen content. Screentone abounds and the characters are young looking with their big, low-placed eyes. At times, the characters are sometimes indistinct, like the nurses that initially take care of Hibiki. And the prepubescent look isn’t just confined to the female characters; Hibiki also looks like a junior high-aged boy, despite having graduated from college. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, it is disconcerting considering the occasional sexual jokes. The backgrounds are also shojo-like with minimal detail and panels instead relying on close-ups of mostly Hibiki’s or Tena’s faces.

While I’m not sure that this is a keeper of a series, I’ll probably check out the second volume if I have the opportunity. If it continues to entertain and rise above its puerile roots, I’ll certainly keep reading.

Volume one of Tena on S-String will be available on August 4th, 2009. Review copy provided by the publisher

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