Ray, Volume 1

Ray #1

by Akihito Yoshitomi

Ray was bred and raised to be a living, breathing organ donor. After her own eyes were taken from her, a stranger bestows upon her the gift of sight and something extra - she has X-Ray vision! Ten years later, Ray works as a nurse and moonlights as an underground medical doctor performing for-profit, off-the-book medical procedures. But her daily routine is interrupted by a chance encounter with an old friend that triggers Ray's memories of her hellish childhood. Ray will begin a search that will lead her back to the people who stole her eyes-and her childhood!

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction, Comics

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2004

About the author

• Associated Names:
Akihito Tomi
冨明仁

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this manga instantaneously. For a while, I had been looking in vain for a series in the vein of Boogiepop Phantom and Serial Experiment Lain. So many mangas have romance or magic, I was looking for something dark and sci-fi. I found it in Ray. The story is about Ray, a girl who was born on a secret "farm" where people's organs were sold. Somehow, she was rescued and given a pair of eyes that have X-Ray vision. Ray is a capable surgeon. Working at a clinic as a nurse, she takes on tough medical cases (for a high fee) on the side.

Although there are no informative sidebars, the art is very good. You feel as if you are in the streets of Japan. Some manga focuses only on character drawings, but the settings are very detailed in Ray.

All-around terrific. Mystery, medical thriller manga. Fans of Jessica Alba's cancelled FOX TV series Dark Angel will see a definite parallel between Max and Ray.

[Dominick Cancilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read any of the old Black Jack manga about a rogue, mercenary doctor, imagine those. Now imagine that the doctor's a woman who (as a child) was rescued from an organ farm after her eyes were sold, that her replacement eyes give her x-ray vision, and that (as an aside) hospitals are staffed with martial-arts nurses who conveniently wear skirts for the benefit of those who find entertainment in gratuitous panty shots. Got that? Then you've pretty much got a perfect picture of Ray.

If you can get past the corniness and implausibility, the stories are enjoyable, if a bit repetitive in their theme. I enjoyed the book enough to give another volume a try, but I doubt I'll make it to #3.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely over-the-top medical manga featuring a mysterious past, x-ray eyes, and kung-fu nurses. Very entertaining, but don't expect completely accurate medicine.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I heard so much about manga, so I decided to try this one after reading about it in the NY Times Book Review, 18 Sept 05. Very disappointing, uninteresting and juvenile. I guess I just don't get it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Ray because I really liked Eat Man. The story isn't as enjoyable as Eat Man, but the main characters were very similar. If you enjoyed Eat Man, than Ray should be up your ally.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the top storyline that sounded interesting, but wasn't executed well. If I happen to run across the next volume, I might pick it up.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise, but the hospital staffed entirely by super-genius kung-fu high school students was just too much.

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting! Too bad there isn't more than one copy in the library system...

[Astri]

Sadly, out of print...will have to order via ABE.