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妖精標本 [Fairy Cube] #3
Fairy Cube, Vol. 3
Ian used to just see dead people. Now he is one. Trapped inside his own body by the Fairy Cube, Ian must now figure out how to stop the devious spirit Tokage from taking over his life, stealing his girl and ruining any chance he ever has of resurrection.
Will Ian save Rin? Can he stop Tokage? Ian has one chance left to get his life back! Plus ? includes the full story of Psycho Knocker, the sequel to Fairy Cube!
Ian used to just see dead people. Now he is one. Trapped inside his own body by the Fairy Cube, Ian must now figure out how to stop the devious spirit Tokage from taking over his life, stealing his girl and ruining any chance he ever has of resurrection.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Kaori Yuki
194 books687 followersKaori Yuki (由貴香織里) is a Japanese manga artist.
She debuted in 1987 with Natsufuku no Erii (Jap: 夏服のエリー) on the manga anthology Bessatsu Hana to Yume published by Hakusensha.
She is best known for her gothic manga works, such as the Earl Cain series (Jap: 伯爵カイン, Hakushaku Cain) and Angel Sanctuary (Jap: 天使禁猟区, Tenshi Kinryōku)
Her work is typically serialized in one of Hakusensha's two shōjo manga anthologies, Bessatsu Hana to Yume and Hana to Yume. In 2010, Kaori Yuki was one of many manga artists whose work would appear in the new shōjo manga anthology Aria by the publisher Kodansha on July 28, 2010.
Her doujinshi-ka name is MoonClock.
She debuted in 1987 with Natsufuku no Erii (Jap: 夏服のエリー) on the manga anthology Bessatsu Hana to Yume published by Hakusensha.
She is best known for her gothic manga works, such as the Earl Cain series (Jap: 伯爵カイン, Hakushaku Cain) and Angel Sanctuary (Jap: 天使禁猟区, Tenshi Kinryōku)
Her work is typically serialized in one of Hakusensha's two shōjo manga anthologies, Bessatsu Hana to Yume and Hana to Yume. In 2010, Kaori Yuki was one of many manga artists whose work would appear in the new shōjo manga anthology Aria by the publisher Kodansha on July 28, 2010.
Her doujinshi-ka name is MoonClock.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 18, 2008
Reasons I love Kaori Yuki, #2934: I have to read every page at least twice to figure out what is actually transpiring. And once I get it, the revelations don't stop.
August 30, 2021
I’m so glad this series was only 3 volumes my god
February 10, 2009
This last book seemed really really chaotic and I suddenly had trouble following the characters, but the bonus story was good and of course the art from K.Yuki is always awsome.
November 17, 2025
Review for complete series
Ian claims to see fairies, yet it only earns him a reputation of being a liar. His friend Rin is the only one who believes in Ian's stories. But there seems to be another soul that resides inside his body who is now bent on ruining Ian's life. Soon he loses both his father, Rin and even his body - now he needs the help of the fairies he's seen for all his life.
The biggest problem with Fairy Cube has is either that it's far too short or that it tries to do too much with the little space given. As is typical for Kaori Yuki, this story puts a dark twist on fairies and delivers yet another macabre story. There are enough plot points to create a series trice as long than it actually is. As a result, it's a rather hard-to-follow-story that jumps from one focus to the next, leaving many things unclear or simply doesn't satisfy.
Ian is a nice enough main character, although nothing about him seemed overly memorable. Nonetheless, he is the one character where we learn the most of. Although I love how Kaori Yuki usually gives a backstory to most of her characters and makes sure they are all involved, it was simply too much in this particular work. She tries to have everyone's story and tragic fates included, yet because there is so much of it, it's not easy to connect to the characters and I feel as though there wasn't any closure for most of the cast. For some, I still don't understand what their motives were or what happened to them in the end.
It is certainly an interesting take on fairies and well worth to have a look at if one likes Kaori Yuki's works, but it is definitely not her most refined story which is a real shame.
September 25, 2017
Love the art in this series so much. <3
Very happy to have finished reading it. Definitely makes me want to go back and reread & finish Angel Sanctuary and Count Cain/Godchild :)
Story-wise, I was still confused a lot. I think this is a series that would definitely benefit from a reread, which is sort of a shame, because it seemed like a really interesting series and I wish I'd been able to get more invested in it. Still, very interesting, and I liked a lot of the concepts she used. I wished there had been a bit more explanation into the different types of faeries and stuff, though.
Very happy to have finished reading it. Definitely makes me want to go back and reread & finish Angel Sanctuary and Count Cain/Godchild :)
Story-wise, I was still confused a lot. I think this is a series that would definitely benefit from a reread, which is sort of a shame, because it seemed like a really interesting series and I wish I'd been able to get more invested in it. Still, very interesting, and I liked a lot of the concepts she used. I wished there had been a bit more explanation into the different types of faeries and stuff, though.
July 6, 2017
Pending.
April 3, 2020
Rather quickly wrapped up, but still pretty good. I rather liked Psycho Knocker... Would be interested in more of that!
February 4, 2021
2.5 stars
June 12, 2022
Confusing
January 21, 2024
Volume one started off strong and interesting, but the story went off the rails and got messy and confusing. The bonus story was pretty good though.
February 2, 2025
El final fue super enredado asi que le baje el puntaje con respecto a los primeros, me gusto que las ultimas paginas hayan sido un spinoff de tokage
February 24, 2019
由貴最新的作品之一，但犯了她常犯的毛病：分鏡亂、故事跳，如同《天使禁獵區》前幾集一般混亂，但卻沒有那麼長的集數讓她慢慢把故事拉回來。反轉橋段是她一貫的手法，遂可猜到反派到最後都情有可原，而且主角這一方有人中途背叛加入反派，最後大家才發現這個背叛者其實是假意投敵……
此外，她的畫風也變了：本來她會用極粗到極細的線條畫人，可是這次她一率改成粗細變化低的細線條。由貴小姐，你難道不知道自己的網點用得很多嗎？你用極細的線條，只會讓畫面更模糊
前景遠景分不清楚，混淆讀者！
唉，希望她不要走下坡。
（寫於2006年9月28日）
此外，她的畫風也變了：本來她會用極粗到極細的線條畫人，可是這次她一率改成粗細變化低的細線條。由貴小姐，你難道不知道自己的網點用得很多嗎？你用極細的線條，只會讓畫面更模糊
前景遠景分不清楚，混淆讀者！
唉，希望她不要走下坡。
（寫於2006年9月28日）
April 13, 2026
Originally read: 2010 ish
Reviewed: 12/24/18
It's hard to believe that this mind-boggling, complicated, and extremely dense mini series was among the first manga I ever read. I had almost forgotten about the clunky pacing, darker themes, and confusing plot line, and yet, I still felt drawn in, like I was reading it for the first time.
(Perhaps it's my thing with fairies.)
This is a manga I'd recommend to veterans of the manga/anime world, because the story is genuinely interesting and dark and fantastical, but the confusing execution can be a bit much for someone unfamiliar to manga. (Like, I'm kinda shocked I managed to read it back when I was still a "novice otaku," but then again, I probably only read the whole thing cuz, well, fairies...)
The mangaka's art style is as gorgeously Gothic as ever, and she still manages to make the characters sympathetic, even in such a short series. I love her work (Angel Sanctuary is one of my top favorite manga of all time), and it's been good, albeit mind-blowing, to revisit Fairy Cube once more.
Reviewed: 12/24/18
It's hard to believe that this mind-boggling, complicated, and extremely dense mini series was among the first manga I ever read. I had almost forgotten about the clunky pacing, darker themes, and confusing plot line, and yet, I still felt drawn in, like I was reading it for the first time.
(Perhaps it's my thing with fairies.)
This is a manga I'd recommend to veterans of the manga/anime world, because the story is genuinely interesting and dark and fantastical, but the confusing execution can be a bit much for someone unfamiliar to manga. (Like, I'm kinda shocked I managed to read it back when I was still a "novice otaku," but then again, I probably only read the whole thing cuz, well, fairies...)
The mangaka's art style is as gorgeously Gothic as ever, and she still manages to make the characters sympathetic, even in such a short series. I love her work (Angel Sanctuary is one of my top favorite manga of all time), and it's been good, albeit mind-blowing, to revisit Fairy Cube once more.
August 18, 2010
Kaori Yuki's daring and originality within this medium is evident.
This is perhaps why, despite the short-cuts and abysses of explanation as to various story lines (background and concurrent alike), she deserves to be lauded as a risk-taker.
The helter-skeltered nature of this final volume detracts only marginally from the gestalt of the trilogy: a sweeping and wondrous gesture of myth-meets-modernity saga.
NB: Within this series, there is mention of abuse and implied sexual assault (attempted or executed - unclear). It is very brief and more insinuated than concrete, yet still worth mentioning should it be triggering to certain readers.
This is perhaps why, despite the short-cuts and abysses of explanation as to various story lines (background and concurrent alike), she deserves to be lauded as a risk-taker.
The helter-skeltered nature of this final volume detracts only marginally from the gestalt of the trilogy: a sweeping and wondrous gesture of myth-meets-modernity saga.
NB: Within this series, there is mention of abuse and implied sexual assault (attempted or executed - unclear). It is very brief and more insinuated than concrete, yet still worth mentioning should it be triggering to certain readers.
Read
April 6, 2010Ian is a boy who can see strange things since he was born, fairies, to be specific. His dad hates him for this ability because his mother claims that she can see fairies, and has left him. In the meantime, there are murdering cases going on, where the victim's back is slit opened, with blood spurting out, they called it "The Fairy Murdering Case". Following these mysteries, Ian ends up in an antique store with a weird guy and a doll and somehow, he is trapped in the fairyworld and must find a way out...
March 9, 2014
3.5
I liked this story well enough, and I liked the references to fairy/mythic culture. The characters were kind of one-note, and introduced in such a way that it became really confusing as to who was doing what, and who they were working for/with, etc. Animation is gorgeous, and very nice effects with the supernatural elements (fairy wings look totally awesome).
But, my major gripe is this: I think it's a bit of a cop-out when a character that is evil for the whole series suddenly redeems themselves just because. Eh.
I liked this story well enough, and I liked the references to fairy/mythic culture. The characters were kind of one-note, and introduced in such a way that it became really confusing as to who was doing what, and who they were working for/with, etc. Animation is gorgeous, and very nice effects with the supernatural elements (fairy wings look totally awesome).
But, my major gripe is this: I think it's a bit of a cop-out when a character that is evil for the whole series suddenly redeems themselves just because. Eh.
March 30, 2011
Meh.....it wraps up nicely but I just can't give it the stars. You have to spend so much time trying to figure our the character transitions that the story stutters.
Great for a starry eyed middle school girl, but not much to speak for otherwise.
Great for a starry eyed middle school girl, but not much to speak for otherwise.
June 9, 2013
Luckily this was just a three volume manga. This last book brought some of the concepts together, but by the time it felt like I was getting a hang on this alternate world the story was over. Overall, I do not feel that the story was bad, just needed a lot of work and flushing out.
February 8, 2014
Fairy Cube ou tous les travers de Kaori Yuki en trois tomes. Une narration brouillonne, des personnages qui se ressemblent tous, des retournements de situation tout les 2 pages et une fin bâclée. Reste juste de très beaux dessins, mais cela ne suffit pas pour faire un bon manga.
October 17, 2014
Very confusing series and the ending didn't sum it up very well but it was a nice ending. Though confusing I actually liked it because it made me focus more. I was like, "What?" and then, "What?" and finally, "Oh! What?"
May 9, 2009
I like happy endings. Many things were explained, even if the unfolding was a bit confusing. However, I did like the mythology portrayed in the series.
January 21, 2010
Sweet (but very dramatic and interesting) fantasy about celtic myths, children of fairies (elves) and wars of fairies (elves) and gods in modern times. With relative happy ending. I like it. :o)
January 16, 2011
Kaori Yuki's art never ceases to amaze me. Everything is just so beautifully drawn. This last volume has to be my favourite volume in the series. The bonus story at the end was a nice touch as well.
July 25, 2011
Last volume of this series. Believe it or not, it actually got more confusing. Again. 2.5/5
April 12, 2015
A good ending but a little rushed. She really should have made this longer.
December 24, 2014
i liked it a lot
December 16, 2014
I like this series a lot, but its so short. I feel that the characters and plot could have had much more depth if it were longer.
January 22, 2018
In the end notes, mangaka Kaori Yuki says, “I only had a certain number of pages in the magazine, but I managed to fit a lot into part three, plus [the extra story]. Was it too much?”
Yes, it was too much. Instead of tightening the visual narrative and only focusing on the main characters, everything was crammed into the story, including new characters towards the end, every character had their time on stage, the aggressive plot line swept through the lot of them, and Yuki made it work with massive jumps in narrative from panel to panel. Sometimes, the narrative jumps felt like non sequiturs. I give Yuki credit for going large with her story, and her art was delightful, but the story was too choppy for me to enjoy it fully. Yuki simply had too much story to cover and not enough pages allocated. I still enjoyed the story. Fans of gothic manga art styles may enjoy it, too.
The final story was a sequel of sorts to the three part Fairy Cube story. It was creepy, and illustrated well, but it suffered from the same compressed narrative that Fairy Cube had. I’ve been meaning to finish this series for years, so I’m glad that I read it, but I’m disappointed that the story was confusing.
Yes, it was too much. Instead of tightening the visual narrative and only focusing on the main characters, everything was crammed into the story, including new characters towards the end, every character had their time on stage, the aggressive plot line swept through the lot of them, and Yuki made it work with massive jumps in narrative from panel to panel. Sometimes, the narrative jumps felt like non sequiturs. I give Yuki credit for going large with her story, and her art was delightful, but the story was too choppy for me to enjoy it fully. Yuki simply had too much story to cover and not enough pages allocated. I still enjoyed the story. Fans of gothic manga art styles may enjoy it, too.
The final story was a sequel of sorts to the three part Fairy Cube story. It was creepy, and illustrated well, but it suffered from the same compressed narrative that Fairy Cube had. I’ve been meaning to finish this series for years, so I’m glad that I read it, but I’m disappointed that the story was confusing.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews