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The Bottom Line

Summoned by a text message at midnight, a so-called angel grants people just one wish. She doesn’t look like an angel, and her wishes don’t always work the way they should -- in fact, things usually go badly. But perhaps the unlucky souls in Only One Wish should have known better: You can't trust an angel who looks more like a witch.

While it lacks a central plot, Only One Wish keeps readers entertained with its quirky short stories about wishes gone wrong.

This one-shot might find a special place in the hearts of tweens who enjoy seeing the unworthy and selfish receive their just desserts with a supernatural twist.



Pros

• Light and easy to read
• The short stories have a few entertaining twists as wishes get twisted

Cons

• Lacks a central plot to engage readers
• The big-eyed shojo style character designs might turn off some readers

Description

• Original Title:Wish - Tatta Hitotsu no Negaigoto (Japan)
• Author & Artist: Mia Ikumi
• Publishers:
  • Del Rey Manga (US)
  • Kodansha (Japan)
• ISBN: 978-0345514646
• Cover Price: $10.99 US / $13.99 CANADA
• Age Rating:T – Teens Age 13+ for teen dating, mild violence
  More about content ratings.
• Manga Genres:
  • Shojo (Girls') Manga
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Pre-Teen / Middle School Romance
• US Publication Date: December 2009
  Japan Publication Date: October 2005
• Book Description: 208 pages, black and white illustrations
• More Manga by Mia Ikumi:
  • Tokyo Mew Mew
  • Tokyo Mew Mew Ala Mode
  • Koi Cupid

Guide Review - Only One Wish

“Be careful what you wish for – it might come true.” In Only One Wish an "angel" grants wishes, but without wings or a halo, she looks more like a teenager with a witch’s hat and a cute black cat.

This nameless witch/angel fulfills wishes with a modern twist: she materializes only after she’s been summoned with a text message.

You heard right. Cell phone texting. She'll grant wishes only if you send your message at midnight, while at a nonexistent stair landing in school, but only if you also have a mirror. Once all these conditions are fulfilled, it’s wish-granting time! The foolish few who go to her in hopes of having dreams come true usually end up with getting their wishes fulfilled with a tragic twist.

Only One Wish consists of four unrelated but similar tales.In the first story, three friends ask for help with their love lives, only to have their friendship threatened. The third story is the most amusing out of them all. A girl wishes for a boyfriend, but is given a doll-sized boy with a bratty attitude instead. How bratty? She ends up sleeping on the floor while he gets her bed. Was she expecting something romantic? Well, the wishes in Only One Wish have a way of getting twisted.

Each story has only the nameless angel in common, but there's really no central plot here. It's similar to shojo horror series like Hell Girl, only with less revenge and less hellishness.

One of the criticisms often aimed at Hell Girl is that it's too repetitive. With only one volume to play out its premise, Only One Wish doesn't much time to lag. Without a central plot to drive it, this is the type of story works best as a single volume. You get the petty vengeance, but it doesn’t go on long enough to get dreary.

While it's a bit dark, Only One Wish isn't a very deep manga. It’s flirty and fun, and could be just right for someone in the mood for a book that’s not complex. This could be considered "a beach read," something entertaining but not highbrow. I can see this being most popular with girls in their teens and tweens, because Only One Wish has its share of high school drama and angst.

The artwork is all-out shojo, complete with girls with big eyes and chibi cuteness. There is a bit of a horror edge to the stories, but it's due to the angel/witch's dark clothing, and lot less flowers and sparkles than you'd see in most shojo stories. Essentially, Only One Wish is kind of like "Hell Girl Lite": shorter stories and less eternal damnation.

At the end of Only One Wish, there's a bonus story featuring characters from Tokyo Mew Mew! This probably won't appeal to readers who aren't familiar with Tokyo Mew Mew!, but it’s a nice touch for fans.

Basically, Only One Wish is a shojo manga about people messing up their lives while they try to make it better. While I wasn't left wishing for more volumes of this story, this one-shot is good enough for a quick read and escapist fun.

Danica Davidson is a reviewer for Graphic Novel Reporter and Booklist.