Victoria's Electric Coffin 01

Victoria's Electric Coffin #1

by Ikuno Tajima

A thirteen-year-old medical genius gives a boy on death row a chance at life after death!

David Douglas wishes he'd never been born. What's the point of a slum boy enduring a miserable existence and ending up on death row? Victoria Frankenstein, a thirteen-year-old medical doctor, offers him a change of fate. Together they can help people and prove the worth of Victoria's invention, the Electric Coffin. After David becomes Eins, what kind of life will this second chance offer?

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Historical, Comics

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conceptually it's interesting, I just couldn't get into it though.

[༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3,5

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 5 out of 5]

When prisoner David Douglas was locked away on death row, he witnessed an angel… or so he thought. Prodigy Victoria Frankenstein’s hands are stained red in sin as a result of her human experimentation. Having heavily experimented on both living humans as well as corpses in the past, she’s finally hit a breakthrough with the corpse of David Douglas, now dubbed Eins, Victoria’s Electric Coffin.

Though her methods have been morally questionable at best, Victoria only wishes to advance technology and to help others. She believes that immense power can be used for evil just as much as it can be used for good, therefore why not choose to wield it for the betterment of everyone?

Fraught with sin, convicted murderer turned Electric Coffin, Eins (formerly known as David), feels as though he’s seen the light just by being with Victoria. The birth of a new life and the gift of semi-immortality and superhuman strength has given Eins a second chance at making things right. Being shown a new path Eins hadn’t been allowed to consider in his past life, Victoria guides him along the path to salvation and forgiveness alongside herself as she aims to right her own past transgressions and carve a brighter tomorrow not only for herself but for the people within her reach.


Victoria’s Electric Coffin takes a fun spin on Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (also known as the Modern Prometheus). It takes heavy inspiration from the novel both in terms of characters and setting as well as the moralistic questions posed to the reader as exhibited by the cast. Who is a man and who is a monster? Can a monster be forgiven by a society run by “men”? Can a monster be anything else and if so, can they forgive themselves? Do they even have to? This manga may appear heavy on the surface but referring to it as so would be an understatement. Victoria’s Electric Coffin deals with extremely heavy themes that can only be experienced by mankind in a society which does not easily forgive for being someone other than society’s modern ideal.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an alternate 1920s New York, a 13-year-old medical genius reanimates an executed criminal. This is a Frankenstein-inspired manga with heart, as Victoria Frankenstein presents the world with her Electric Coffin - "Eins".

I enjoyed the interplay between the serious but earnest Victoria and the roguish Eins. It's a classic, "Can I be redeemed?" meets "I fixed you, so yes". I do wonder where the story intends to go. The long first chapter establishes internal conflicts (Ein's trying to live up to his new life) and external conflicts (opposition to Victoria's experimentation), but there's a lot that can be built from those initial conflicts.

The art is clear and easy to read. The character designs are memorable yet simple and fitting to the 1920s.

Overall, I'm looking forward to seeing where this manga goes in the next volume.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but nothing standout to me yet. There is a heavy focus on redemption and the internal struggle of feeling "worthy” of second chances which I enjoyed. That focus on the theme and questions surrounding it kept me reading even as the actual events were only so-so to me. But as a first volume it does achieve setting the table and what to expect so it's hard to blame it for having some sorta mundane plotting before it ramps up later on. It does look like it's going in a more battle action route in the second volume that'll hopefully build up something more in me while reading. There is some light shipping stuff between the Frankenstein and Eins which I disliked and I hope stops. The art is good with it impeccably capturing the time period and the vibe it wants to create.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reminded me a bit of “Empire of Corpses”, which is what got my attention, but it can’t keep seem to keep my attention. I’ll blame the rival doctor since he’s irritating enough. Over all - it’s an alright read and who knows, the later chapters may be even more fascinating.

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute art style, but it’s not my thing how the story relies more on the supernatural aspects instead of realism

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a lot of potential but I think some of the translational language choices make the dialogue a bit clunky/ childish

[Kirinna · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎵He was a boy🎵
🎵She was a girl🎵
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was 19. She was 13.
🎶Plz don't do this to me agaaain.🎶

Victoria's Electric Coffin ist ein interessantes Retelling des Klassikers Frankenstein und überzeugt besonders durch seinen schönen Artstyle mit dünner, lebendiger Linienführung, spannenden Szenen und spaßigen Charakteren.
David Douglas ist ein verurteilter Mehrfachermörder und Gelegenheitsverbrecher, aufgewachsen in der "Gosse" und erwartet nichts mehr vom Leben als seinen staatlich vorbestimmten Tod.
Da trifft er auf die junge Victoria Frankenstein, die seine Leiche kurzerhand reanimiert und ihn, den sog. "Electric Coffin 1", genannt Eins, dazu bestimmt von nun an der Menschheit zu helfen. Ihre Motive dafür und ob man aus einem Mörder einen Helden machen kann, sind die zentralen Themen des Manga. Gerade letzteres fühlt sich nach einer frischen, tiefgründigen Idee an.

Ich mochte alle Charaktere, auch die Nebencharaktere (Walton!) und fand das Setting super - das einzige was mich stört ist, dass es bisher schon so wirkt als würde da eine Romance zwischen Eins und seiner Schöpferin entstehen, die aber trotz Superintelligenz noch ein Kind ist.
Anders als bei MOMO - the Bloodtaker, das ich dieses Jahr auch gelesen hab, ist Victoria aber vom Verhalten her nicht kindlich sondern erwachsen und turnt außerdem nicht in Reizwäsche auf Eins herum.
Also hab ich noch Hoffnung dass es doch einfach bei einem süßen brüderlichen Verhältnis bleibt.

Ich finde leider auch dass der Manga trotz des tollen Potentials für eine spannende Welt und des klasse Zeichenstils vom Pacing her ein bisschen Schlapp macht zwischendrin, weil er Konflikte zu schnell auflöst.
Dennoch endet der Band mit einem spannenden Ausblick auf Band 2 und macht Lust auf mehr.

[Anja von "books and phobia" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mit dem ersten Band von "Victorias Electric Coffin" ging es in das New York der 1920er-Jahre, wo man als erstes David kennenlernt, der zum Tode verurteilt ist und vor seinem Tod gefragt wird, ob er als Wissenschaftsobjekt zur Verfügung stehe. Nach seiner Zustimmung geht es dann auch gleich ins Geschehen, welches daraus besteht, dass er durch seine Schöpferin Victoria nicht nur lernt seine neuen Kräfte richtig zu nutzen, sondern auch wie er Gutes tun kann.

Wie man bereits im Titel lesen kann, hat man es hier mit einer Interpretation von Frankenstein zutun. Leider macht man aus meiner Sicht nicht viele Neues mit der Thematik. Dies merkt man gerade bei den Charakteren, welche nicht gerade aus der Menge herausstechen und mir persönlich zu schnell auf einer Wellenlänge sind.

Was der Band dafür sehr gut konnte, war zum Nachdenken anregen. Denn, sollte ein Toter wieder zum Leben erweckt werden und kann ein Mörder wirklich Gutes für die Gesellschaft tun? Schwierige Fragen, welche im Band aus verschiedenen Perspektiven betrachtet werden. Dazu muss ich sagen, dass mich besonders das Ende begeistern konnte, da die ansonsten fast schon liebliche Geschichte einen herben Ton bekam.

In Sachen Zeichnungen bin ich auch ganz happy. Wie bereits erwähnt, fehlte mir ein wenig der Wiedererkennungswert, aber die Bilder waren sauber und selbst bei actionreicheren Abschnitten konnte man der Handlung gut folgen.

Trotzdem muss ich sagen, dass ich ohne das spanende Ende, wahrscheinlich nicht zum Nachfolger greifen würde. So, möchte ich nun aber doch wissen, wie es weitergeht. Ich gebe daher 3,5 Sterne.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging re-imagining of the Frankenstein concept, this time focused on second chances and redemption instead of on the original's deadbeat creator: a criminal is executed for murder, but his body is donated to science and he is resurrected by 13-year-old medical prodigy Victoria Frankenstein, who offers him a change of fate--his old life is over, but he can use his new existence to help people and thus prove the worth of her invention, the electric coffin. Can he start afresh, or are the naysayers and protestors right that he's just a criminal in the end?
The vibe is more historical sci-fi than horror, and it has interesting characters; I like the relationship between Eins (his resurrected name), baffled and wondering how to deal with this clean-slate chance at life, and the idealistic but practical and work-focused Victoria. At this point it seems like an older-brother-ish vibe ("-ish" because he's still subordinate to her as her invention), not romantic. Some tantalizing clues are dropped about Eins's past, but Victoria is a reserved character who will take longer to unravel. I like the realism of the public's mixed reaction to Eins, some thinking of him as a cool new toy or almost a superhero, some vehemently opposed to his existence on ethical or religious grounds.
I will definitely look up the second volume.

Content concerns: no nudity or sex scenes so far (one female character introduced later on is portrayed in a sexy femme fatale way, but nothing too revealing); no gore despite the reanimation plot; no alcohol/drugs so far; no swearing that I remember

[Snail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this title at the bookstore in Japanese and was immediately pulled in by the art. I considered buying it to read, but in the end returned it to its place on the shelf. Not a month later, I stumbled across it in English in my library’s ebook collection.

I was almost comically shocked to realize it was the same work; in my head for a split second it felt as if the book had been translated impossibly quickly.

Put on the spot, I panicked, floundered — should I run back and get the Japanese volume to read it before reading the English version?? Then I realized no, that’s silly, just read the thing you have in your hands now. If you like it, you can always read it again in Japanese.

Odd moral quandary solved (I’ve realized most people don’t suffer these same internal debates)… in the end I’m glad I didn’t bother buying or making my way through the Japanese copy; the dialogue and the characters wouldn’t have been worth the effort. Breezing through it in English, the character tropes felt overused and tired, not fully convincing. The art was still pretty to look at, but it doesn’t make up for the lack of the characters or plot to really grab me.

I do enjoy having a strong, young, calm female lead character. I would like to feel more moved by her story.

I’d probably read volume two, but I don’t expect the story to get deeper or that I’ll feel more attached to the characters by the end of it.

Art: ★★★★⭐︎
Plot: ★★⭐︎⭐︎⭐��
Characters: ★★⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

Overall feelings: Bored.
A little disappointed.

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Frankenstein-Thematik ist immer wieder interessant, so auch hier. Victoria (Dr. Frankenstein) ist 13 Jahre alt und wurde schon mit einem Orden für ihre medizinischen Erfolge ausgezeichnet. Eins war zu Lebzeiten ein zum Tode verurteilter Mörder, der nun als lebende Leiche als Held eine zweite Chance bekommt.

Optisch gefällt es mir sehr gut, die Zeichnungen haben viel Dynamik und unterstreichen den Plot sehr gut, teils sehr detailliert. Die Charaktere haben Charme und wirken sehr realistisch, nicht zu übertrieben. Man erfährt nach und nach ihre Backgroundstory und was es mit allem auf sich hat.

Der Start gefällt mir schon sehr gut und ich bin gespannt, was da noch so kommt.

[emma ⁠☆｡⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was okay,, I thought the art was really pretty,, but it feels kind of skeevy. they really stress Victoria's age and then make a handful of weird comments about her :// also just the design of Willie as a whole is pretty gross,, a woman in a revealing dress and her face obscured, who's nothing more than a machine. I might read the next one?? because it'd be very nice if this series defied my sinking feelings about it.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting twist to the story, I'll say. I like the ethical discussions laid out here, and the characters are fun in their own way. I'm not a big fan of the small implications of the age gap romance between Eins and Victoria. I do hope they keep the more brother-sister dynamic even though the bonus chapter says otheriwse.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Choices were made and not good ones. There is no point to Victoria being so young, they could have easily kept the whole youthful prodigy with her at 16-18 years old.

The art is cute but the story was generally pretty tedious.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Auch das trifft nicht meinen Geschmack

[Jourdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was so cute and a cool idea!!!!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustration style, but the story didn’t really go anywhere.

[Sofy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay, if it ever makes it into an anime I would watch but don’t like it enough to buy the next volume

[Macie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Interested to see where the story goes from here.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt a bit off. Not sure if it's the kids being treated with as much esteem as adults, but it felt odd.

[Erica Schimmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Void · Rating 5 out of 5]

this reminded me a lot of Frankenstein which was probably the point. this was short and sweet only three vols I have not yet read the third volume at this time but still good from what I have read

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually love when characters are allotted a second chance to life; i think it poses some interesting quandaries and he was just a boy who ran out of options

[Kimi Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a pleasant twist on Frankenstein and I cant wait to continue!

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked the mangas "Frau Faust" by Kore Yamazaki or "My Gemini"by Yuu Morikawa then I think you'll like this very loose adaptation of the Frankenstein mythos.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5, wanting to see where this thing goes…

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute...I think. I definitely liked it enough to pick up the second one, and I really like the art and aesthetics at least.

[Weinlachgummi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kennt ihr diese Tage, an denen alles schiefgeht, so einen hat David.
Doch ganz so schlimm lief es für David doch nicht, denn kurz vor seiner Hinrichtung willigt er ein, seinen Körper für ein medizinisches Projekt freizugeben. So kommt es, dass die 13-jährige Medizinerin Victoria Frankenstein ihn wieder zum Leben erweckt.

Die Reihe stammt aus Japan und ist mit drei Bänden abgeschlossen. Was ich richtig super finde.

Ihr merkt schon, hier haben wir eine etwas andere Frankenstein Geschichte. Die Idee, aus Dr. Frankenstein ein junges Mädchen zu machen, hat mir gefallen, wobei ich es realistischer gefunden hätte, wenn man sie wenigstens 16 Jahre alt gemacht hätte. Auch im Hinblick auf evtl. Gefühle, die zwischen ihr und ihrem Experiment entstehen.

David fand ich auch interessant, er ist ein Serienmörder und hat nun eine zweite Chance bekommen. Wird er sie nützen?

Auch wenn ich die Grundstimmung eher als ruhig empfand, gab es doch einige spannende Szenen. Es wird auch Wert darauf gelegt, den Protagonisten Raum zu geben.

Ich bin auf die Hintergründe der beiden gespannt, hier wurde noch nicht so viel verraten. Und auch wie sich das Projekt von Frankenstein weiter entwickelt. Werde die Reihe auf jeden Fall weiter lesen.