3x3 Eyes: Descent of the Mystic City

3x3 Eyes [サザン アイズ] #8

by Yuzo Takada

Pai doesn't look a day over sixteen; of course, she's 300 years old and the last of an ancient mystical race. Yakumo doesn't look any different than your average Tokyo teen; however, he's been resurrected from the dead as Pai's immortal slave and defender. They're both on a quest to return Pai to her hidden homeland and ultimately to return Yakumo to his mortal form. They've been through hell and high water to find a lost Tibetan shrine that holds the keys to the Sacred Land of Kunlun. But with the mission accomplished, the return to Kunlun turns out not to be the heartfelt reunion Pai had hoped for, but could instead reveal her incredible journey to be only a ruse that could well release the evil Kaiyan Wang from imprisonment in the Sacred Land!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Seinen, Comics, Horror

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 1991

About the author

Yuzo Takada (real name Yuji Takada or in Japanese 高田 裕三 ) was born in 1963 in Tokyo, Japan. At University he joined the Manga society and one of his illustrations was soon spotted by an editor, who asked him to write a story for Japanese publisher Kodansha's monthly Young Magazine.

Takada created a number of popular risque romantic comedy titles, including Tokonatsu Bank and Tour Conductor Nikumori, before moving on to his flagship "ghosts and monsters" story 3x3 Eyes.

3x3 Eyes began in 1987 and the incredibly popular series continued for over fifteen years, racking up an impressive 40 collected volumes in Japan before ending in early 2003. 3x3 Eyes is pretty popular in the UK and America, despite only eight volumes of the manga being released in English. 3x3 Eyes was also serialised for several years by Dark Horse Comics in their monthly magazine Super Manga Blast!.

He has also experienced success with a number of anime based on his work, including the comedy All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku and the fantasy epic Blue Seed. The first few volumes of 3x3 Eyes were also made into a four part OAV series in the early 1990's, with an extra three episodes added in the mid 90's, and although constant rumours of further episodes persist, sadly none have yet proved true. Since the end of the 3x3 Eyes manga Yuzo Takada has moved on to several short stories, including the hospital drama "The Booking Life" and"Ultraman" -- the First, a manga featuring Japan's ever-popular superhero. Aside from manga, Yuzo Takada is also a respected freelance illustrator and has produced cover illustrations for several Gundam soundtrack albums.

Reviews

[Shin Donghae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meskipun terkesan kelam, namun pembawaan Yakumo serta karakter Pai yg lugu2 tanggung membuat kisah "berat" ini terkesan dangka. Meski begitu, perkembangan cerita yg membawa mereka ke negeri fiktif dekat India cukup menarik.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only worth reading to see a short story that takes place after the anime series ended. The anime was much more enjoyable, as the manga isn't half as dark, gory, or action-packed; all the reasons why we love 3x3 Eyes!