Of the many different manga series in the world, one of the most valuable when it comes to entertainment factors as well as art and storyline is the Sorcerer Hunters series. Also known as Bakuretsu Hunters (which happens to be Japanese for Sorcerer Hunters), this particular series is a combination of fantasy, comedy, and drama that is blended to create something vastly entertaining. For more mature readers, this particular series will give anyone excitement, as well as fulfill any desires for a magical land where anything can happen. Published in 1993, and written by Satoru Akahori with art by Ray Omishi, this title has not only spawned an animated series, but an original video animation (OVA) and a follow up story volume.

One of the most charming things about Sorcerer Hunters is the world Akahori and Omishi have created. On the world of Spooner, people are separated into two groups. Parsoners are regular people, and the lower class, while Sorcerers are the ruling class. To keep Sorcerers from abusing the regular people, a group of exceptional Parsoners were chosen to become Sorcerer Hunters by a ruling body known as the Stella Church. The world is a mixture of steam punk, medieval fantasy, and mythology, bringing these elements together to make a world unlike any other.

The characters of Sorcerer Hunters are a group of amazing and lovable people who all have a unique and captivating personality of their own. The main characters consist of brothers, the love-sick Carrot and cool-headed Marron Glaces, sisters such as the leather wearing Tira and the obsessed-with-Carrot Chocolat Misu, and bodybuilder Gateau Mocha. Every character in the series, major or minor is also named after a dessert or pastry of some kind, giving us names like Almond Rassel and Chiffon Cake. Another main character is Big Mamma, the leader of the Stella Church, and a beautiful female Sorcerer whom gives these characters their orders and accepts the magic they collect.

The plotlines of the series are intricate and yet easy to follow at the same time. While there is one overwhelming story arc, which shows that one of the Sorcerer Hunters may be destined to destroy the world of Spooner Continent, there are also smaller story lines that include Gateau finding his long-lost sister, Tira and Chocolat dealing with their murderous father’s attempts on their lives in the past, and Carrot’s continual attempts to simply find a girl that will go out on a date with him. Drama and comedy are balanced so that while you laugh on one page, you find yourself close to tears on another all in the same book.

In all thirteen volumes, the art is well-done and beautiful. Backgrounds are rich with detail, and the characters, while related, are very individual. Many of the characters are very attractive, but there are certainly others whom are realistic looking, and give the look a good balance. The lines are clean, and this manga fortunately does not have the “amazing disappearing nose” syndrome that many mangas can have.

If looking for a good read, Sorcerer Hunters cannot be a bad purchase. Anyone who enjoys romance, comedy, drama, fantasy, magic, and women who turn into dominatrices to calm demon beasts will love this series as much as this author did. All thirteen volumes are put out by Media Works and are available in the United States.