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Ultra Maniac, Vol. 01 (Ultra Maniac #1)

Wataru Yoshizumi

really liked it 4.0 · Rating details · 7,148 Ratings · 110 Reviews

Shy Ayu Tateishi has just made a new friend at school. But this new friend, much to her surprise, is no ordinary classmate. Nina Sakura may look like a normal middle school girl, but she's got a big secret.

She's a witch.

Or, rather, she's studying to be a witch. And, apparently, she's not doing her homework. Her spells are devastating in their ineffectiveness and often re ...more

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Paperback, 184 pages

Published July 5th 2005 by VIZ Media LLC (first published 2001)

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May 31, 2017 Lara Mi rated it really liked it

Shelves: school-life, magic-witches-wizards, cats, romantic-sub-plot, japan, urban-fantasy, humour, contemporary, read-manga, friendship

Review for the complete series

Ayu is regarded as the cool girl at school - an image she'd like to maintain. But once she meets the bumbling exchange student Nina, she seems to stumble from one embarrassing incident to the next. Not only is Nina clumsy, but she also turns out to be a witch! One missed spell leads to another and soon Ayu's school life is in chaos.

Ultra Maniac is the only fantasy story this author has written so far. And it's a shame too! This author likes adding some crazy things to her stories which I always find hard to swallow. Adding magic to the story is a simple but clean way to deal with that issue - this was one of her few works where I did not feel as though I had to ignore my disbelief.

Ayu and Nina are both great characters. Nina was particularly cute and the way she always wants to help people is very loveable. I loved how their friendship developed. Ayu was quite stand-offish in the beginning and one can see how she grows to really care about Nina throughout the story - even to the point of giving up something that is dear to her for the sake of her friend.

While the author did a great job with portraying their friendship, I found the romance less convincing. I actually liked that romance took a backseat and that the main focus was on the friendship and magic. Nonetheless, I wish the romance was handled differently. It starts off quite nice and natural - I like how the characters slowly notice each other rather than falling in love too fast. But while the romance was really slow during the first few volumes, it turned fast very suddenly in the final volume. I could see the romance budding, but then it just took off like a rocket and I found it hard to comprehend.

Seeing as the romance was really not the main point, though, I can't complain too much. The magic system was never explored all that much, I think it would have been nice to know a little more about the Magic Kingdom. The comedy is much in the style of Yoshizumi and very enjoyable - the art is also adorable and just nice to look at! ...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Sesana rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics, romance

What drew me to Ultra Maniac was the art. It's really very cute. The plot is sort of silly, and fun. Nina is a (not very good) witch who wants to help her new friend Ayu with her magic. And hijinks ensue. It's light, silly, and fun, and the romance is very much on the backburner compared to the friendship between Ayu and Nina. Nina is an especially fun character to read, and I thought that her system of magic was interesting, even if it does need a little more explanation in later volumes. I'll ...more

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Sep 12, 2014 MC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ultra Maniac is a very fun shojo manga that is a tad slow to start but is has a fun enough plot and other good things going for it that this is forgivable.

It's the story of a shy, but beautiful young middle-school girl named Ayu who is head over heels in love with boy named Tetsushi. Because of this, she has remade herself to be the kind of cool girl that she thinks he would want. They seem to be getting closer, when a new girl comes to the school and latches onto Ayu as her new best friend.

The Ultra Maniac is a very fun shojo manga that is a tad slow to start but is has a fun enough plot and other good things going for it that this is forgivable.

It's the story of a shy, but beautiful young middle-school girl named Ayu who is head over heels in love with boy named Tetsushi. Because of this, she has remade herself to be the kind of cool girl that she thinks he would want. They seem to be getting closer, when a new girl comes to the school and latches onto Ayu as her new best friend.

The girl, Nina, isn't just any old middle-school girl. She is, in fact, part of a magical race of beings, a witch. Think of this as other beings, not a religious thing, or an "in the blood thing. So it's less Harry Potter and Star Wars, and more Bewitched and Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. Unfortunately, Nina flunked out of magical school and is attending school in Japan while she tries to learn her sorcery enough to return. To help in this, she has decided to help her new best friend, Ayu. Poor Ayu.

No, really. Poor Ayu. Anything wrong imaginable does, in fact, happen. Nina means well, she really does, but every time she tries to help Ayu, chaos results. Unfortunately, Ayu can't seem to separate herself from Nina as Nina is just so naive and kind that Ayu can't bear hurting her. But Nina is making it hard for her to have a chance with Tetsushi, so what can she do?

The series has a tad bit of a slow start in that there is too much time spent the first few chapters on slap-stick and humor as one spell after another intended by Nina to help Ayu just makes Ayu miserable. Only at the very end of the fourth and fifth chapters - the end of the first volume - does the story actually pick up and go somewhere.

So why give this such a high rating? Simple, it is a gorgeous book. The artwork is some of the best I have seen, though the characters look more high school than junior high. The mangaka has stated that this was an ascetic choice to draw them that way. Nonetheless, it is beautiful artwork that somehow is more solid and not the "brush stroke" effect of some other beautifully-drawn manga like Sailor Moon or others.

Yet beautifully drawn it is and that is the bonus along with the clever humor and the fact that the plot, even when stalled a bit at first, is intriguing enough. It also helps that Ayu is admirable and Nina is such a nice, sweet person that even when she causes mayhem you just want to hug her and cheer for her.

A fun beginning to this five-volume series. ...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Azzahro Wijaya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: manga

Satu hal yang bikin menarik dari komik ini yaitu nama tokoh utamanya. Ayu sama Nina (Indonesia banget). Seperti biasa, Wataru Yoshizumi kalau bikin cerita di awalnya emang suka bikin kaget. Ayu ini orang yang ga percaya sama sihir, Harry Potter atau apa lah... tapi malah ketemu sama Nina, yang merupakan penyihir gagal. Di pertengahan bahkan sampai mendekati ending cerita biasanya Wataru Yoshizumi munculin banyak karakter baru yang jadi pesaing-pesaing atau musuh dari karakter utama. Memang sudah ...more

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Jan 14, 2015 Brandi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: manga

Wataru Yoshizumi's "Ultra Maniac, Vol. 01" is beautifully illustrated. The protagonists, Ayu and Nina, are both likable and endearing. There is a lot of humour in this volume, which I enjoy, and I hope this carries through to future volumes, which I look forward to reading.
I think fans of the "Pixie Pop" series would probably enjoy this series as well. I know I did, but I'm kind of into all of that too-sweet-might-give-yourself-a-toothache cuteness.

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Aug 30, 2017 Sharon rated it liked it

It was cute. There are some parts that make me roll my eyes. Like the suggestion that boys are naturally stronger and faster (really?) and other aspects which are tropes in this genre. (Or at least I've seen them from Watase-sensei.) There is also a sense of not being honest with things, magic as a shortcut and I wonder if they will address that or it's just going to be a comedic bit.

I really like that the leads are girls as friends not fighting over a boy... and kind of wish a boy didn't play ...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Lottie Eve rated it it was amazing

This is a review on the entire series

I have read this manga a long time ago but it was so awesome I decided to review it. I love magical girl manga as they almost always promise to be cute and fun reads. Ultra Maniac did not disappoint! This manga was cute, funny, and quick read that I enjoyed very, very much.

The characters are all very cute, funny, and unique. They all had their own funny personalities. Nina and Ayu were really fun to read about and Nina's magical mishaps and the situations she ...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Phoebe Andamo rated it really liked it

Shelves: manga, w

The world of cool and calm Ayu was shaken when she met the maniac-like student Nina. She found the portable PC that Nina lost. In exchange, Nina trusted Ayu with her secret. It was the start of their friendship. Nina wanted to help Ayu solve her little problems but it always end up in disasters.

Ultra Maniac has a special place in my heart. It was one of those animés that made me addicted to animé itself *cough*still is*cough*. I was looking for this manga back when the scanlations were limited a ...more

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Jan 01, 2008 Kristen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphicnovels, paranormal-fantasy

Great little series of manga that is rated A for All Ages. About a girl who is a witch and a girl that becomes her friend. There is a lot of mishap spells and a bit of romance. So far, I love the series.

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Aug 23, 2012 Irene rated it it was amazing

Un clásico que emitieron en España durante los 90, y que gustó mucho.
Va de magia, romance y todo eso :)

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Jun 03, 2017 Robin rated it liked it

Shelves: 2place, 3-stars

One Word Rec.: BORROW

Rating: 3 ☆彡

Yoshizumi, Watasu; ULTRA MANIAC [Ultra Maniac]

e/read online; genre: { manga, shoujo }; shelves:

This is a shoujo manga series. I am only placing my actual review for V. 1 & V. 5, as my review sorta covers the entire series. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me.

General Synopsis:
Nina Sakura is a witch. The problem is, she failed at her school in the Magic Kingdom, so she has come to Earth as a transfer student. Soon after transferring, she ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 The Unicorn rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: beginning manga readers, fans of Cardcaptor Sakura without committing to a long, complex series

After revisiting this series after many years and several read-throughs later (the first being when it was first released in the U.S. in July 2005, and read at least two or three times through before), it still holds up to everything I had wanted in a shojo manga— a visual story about a magical girl being light-hearted, easy-going fun. This is perfect for anyone, especially beginning readers to manga, who wants a female-driven Japanese comic that was not too long (the complete collection contain ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Lauren Doolittle rated it really liked it

The first manga I ever read in my tweenage years! Adorably witchy and sweet. A precious read.

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Mar 13, 2018 Rachael Rayburn rated it it was amazing

Very cute and fun series. Love the friend/love interest dynamics.

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Mar 12, 2018 Westley rated it liked it

magic girl romance manga

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Jan 17, 2018 Teetee rated it liked it

Shelves: manga-shojo

3.5 stars

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May 28, 2017 Arthur rated it liked it

silly and stupid but still a fun read nonetheless

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Jul 08, 2017 Victoria rated it it was amazing

It is a great book to read

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Oct 16, 2016 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-reads, manga

A little too cutesy for my taste but it has potential. I have volume 2 on my shelf ready to go.

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Mar 10, 2016 Wilma Monica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

Na ah!
Yesterday was indeed my nostalgic days~~
I read manga all night
Probably on 9 and early 10 March~~

I'm so sad to know that my 4th and 5th book are gone~~
Let me tell a story first
I have my bookshelf coming today
So yesterday literally my life was about cleaning my room and books from my old shelf, and safe some place in my room for my shelf!
AND I FINALLY DISCOVERED

that my books were gone
I'm so sad.. but I will keep searching for my books!! no matter what!!
huh~
end up, I read the 4th and 5th book ...more

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Sep 11, 2015 Brookelyn added it

The book Ultra Maniac was about two girls named Nina she's a witch from the magic kingdom and Ayu she's a shy but she's popular with the younger girls. She also has a serious crush on Tetsushi. This all starts when Ayu sees nina crying and helps Nina find her magic pc Ayu didn't want to be noesy so she didn't ask nina what the symbols ment in the pc.Nina then tells Ayu about her powers and how she came here studying abroad and how she was a magic school drop out. Throughout the story nina tries ...more

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Oct 06, 2013 Sereneblaze rated it liked it

Shelves: life-affirming-healing-growing-up, paranormal-urban-fantasy, weird-high-school-manga

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Dec 22, 2011 Anonomanga rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

This manga is a little different to me than other shojo manga, in a good way. I like that the romantic focus is on one girl and one guy, instead of some triangle or polygon of multiple guys falling for one girl. The story follows the two girlfriends finding/realizing love, and has equal focus on their own friendship and Nina's magical blunders. I find it a nice change from the usual stories that come from Shojo Beat [not that I don't like manga from Shojo Beat].

The art is nice as well; it's defi ...more

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Apr 08, 2010 cheyenne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: grde-8-ir-books-senorita-michan

the plot in this book is about ayu finding out about this girl Nina. And since she found out Nina's secret. Ayu's life has gotten so hard. Nina tricks ayu into taking chocolates or jewerly. But not in a good way. Ayu gets turned into a boy twice. And found interesting stuff about becuase that are kind of close to her.
i can connect to this book becuase if some tricked me. I would be really mad becuase i'm messing up my life. And now its kind of weird when i see or talk to people. so i would be ...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Muhammad Rajab rated it liked it

Shelves: manga

curcol: baru nemu tempat rental komik dekat rumah. gilak! komiknya banyak banget. nilai plusnya banyak komik-komik lama angkatan Ryo Azuki, Wataru Yoshizumi, Wataru Mizukami, dll. :p

okeh, ke manga ini sekarang: udah lama banget ngincer manga yang satu ini! seru, sih, tapi kurang greget. muka gue datar banget pas baca ini. ke romantisme-annya juga nggak begitu ditampilkan.
bahasa yang digunakan penerjemah dalam komik ini juga gue kurang suka aja gitu.
kayak "WHAT THEFF" "Anjir" "So Wat Geto Loh" ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel, romance, children, fiction

Ultra Maniac sits on the border between children's manga and YA - packed with humor, the romance aspect is light and fun and often takes a backseat to the warm friendship between Ayu and Nina, an aspiring witch. There are even a few gender-bending scenes (my favorite!). The art is gorgeous and fits well with the lighthearted, cutesy plot.

That same lightheartedness might work against the manga - the plot lacks any serious substance. The shenanigans are solved easily and there are never any lasti ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: manga, shojo, friendship, friendship-conflict, school, for-teens, for-teens-and-adults

This was nice. Light fantasy, lots of humor, unpredictable in the sense that you know something's going to go wrong but you don't know exactly how. The anticipation is fun. The characters are likable and interesting. My favorite was when Ayu was shocking boys in the hallway who accidentally touched her. It's interesting to me that I find myself enjoying shojo (when it's not overbearing) more than shonen. I guess the relationship stuff is more interesting to me as long as there's some other twist ...more

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May 07, 2015 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow : ) I really enjoyed this volume, Nina gave Ayu some magic truth chocolates to give to Tetsushi to make him tell her who he liked, but he gave them to her instead, and she blurted truths out and got into a quite a predicament, lol : ) and then Nina found out Tetsushi's true colors too, wow : ) love this manga series! <3

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Oct 20, 2009 Bani M rated it really liked it

Shelves: manga, manga-owned

I enjoyed this one so much! Very cute, sweet, and relaxing. The artwork is pretty- it doesn't take huge risks but remains consistently nice and smooth. The expressions of the characters (Nina especially) make the funnier parts shine. It's also worth mentioning that there is nothing that could be considered questionable/objectionable in this series, fine for all ages.

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Dec 08, 2015 Sarah Lucas rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, faves, fiction, humor, manga, romance, series, ya

This is the first manga series I ever read. This is what got me 100% hooked on manga. There used to be a time where I could finish one in 20 minutes or less. But anyway, this book (series) is so cute and adorable. I feel like a like of people can relate to Nina because she's my personal fave character. =)

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About Wataru Yoshizumi

Wataru Yoshizumi

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Wataru Yoshizumi (吉住渉, Yoshizumi Wataru) is a Japanese mangaka. She was born as Mari Nakai (中井真里, Nakai Mari) on June 18, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated with a degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University.

Yoshizumi started her career as a mangaka while working as an office lady. Her debut manga was a yomikiri (short story) called "Radical Romance" that was published in 1984, in the summe ...more

More about Wataru Yoshizumi