Cy-Believers 1

Cy-Believers 1 by Shioko Mizuki, 2008. Rated 16+. 200 pages. Published by Go Comi. Source: Library.

Rui has just transferred to a new school, and hopes to make friends quickly. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the social groups around campus have been recently shut down - by the boy who just happens to be Rui's fiance Still, determined to get around her controlling, selfish betrothed, Rui starts a new club that won't be so easy to shut down. Welcome to the Computer Believers.

First Sentence:

Domus Aurea School is a private boarding high school at the center of a major college town.

Story:
Cy-believers is one of the books were I just cannot decide if I liked enough to pursue reading the rest of the series, or whether to leave it be at the first one.

While I was a bit iffy on Cy-Believers, I did think the Shioko Mizuki did an excellent job with the characters that were in this manga. I loved that Rui's fiance was absolutely evil, and not minor evil. He was just loathsome. I also thought that Rui and the outcasts that she found herself amongst were odd yet interesting in their own way.

What I really did not like about this manga would have to be that it was kind of slow, and that the plot had a tendency to repeat itself throughout the entire volume. I thought that had the story had a little more to it-other than Rui trying to avoid her crazy fiance who is bound and determined to have her under his thumb and his quest to shutdown all the clubs at the school.
I felt like the plot should have had a little more to it, but maybe since this was the first volume they wanted to set thing up for future ones.

Content (will contain spoilers; highlight to see):
The language in Cy-Believers was not too terribly bad-just a little bit of swearing, but that seems to pretty much be the norm for manga.

Sexual content: There's a reason that this one is rated for 16+, and that is mainly for the way the "evil fiance" treats Rui by trying to get her alone and...rape her. Although, I am pretty sure that his character doesn't see it like that since he thinks that since they are to be married that she is already his in all ways (even though she does not want to marry him at all).

Violence: There is some violence evil boy and geek boy over Rui. One trying to protect her (for his own reasons...) and one trying to claim her as his. As well, as when evil boy takes her to an abandoned part of the school (see above). Lastly in this violence section, Evil maniac boy likes to hit those who work under him in his club, and scare, threaten all the other clubs and their members.
Character(s):
Rui was an okay character. While she was a bit strange and maybe just a little naive, I liked that she was not willing to be ruled by her fiance (that her parents betrothed her to). I am hoping that maybe-if I can get my hands on volume two-it will show Rui being maybe a little more aware of what is going on and less in need of being protected.

As for evil fiance guy-whose name escapes me, I just wanted to knock him upside the head for the way that he treated everyone...like they were serfs and he was their ruler. While that annoyed me to no end, what really made me dislike him was that he was a chauvinistic pig!
Artwork:
The art in Cy-Believers 1 was okay, not necessarily something that grabbed me from the first page and left me oggling the prettiness.

What prevented me from truly enjoying the art of this manga would have to be that there did not seem to be all that much in details. I felt like it was just a little too bland and that things could have had a little more...something.

Final Verdict: Cy-Believers 1 an interesting start to a promising series.

Cy-Believers 1 earns 3.5 out of 5 pineapples.