Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Price: $11.99

Creator(s): Nagaru Tanigawa, Noizi Ito

Format: 160 pgs.; B&W; Trade Paperback

ISBN: 978-0-3162-2871-8

Age Rating: Teen

ICv2 Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

 

The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi is a spin-off of the popular Haruhi Suzumiya franchise created by Nagaru Tanigawa where the spotlight gets turned onto the supporting cast of the series.  In particular, Kyon and Koizumi, members of the SOS Brigade which may appear to be an innocuous after school club but which has a secret mission.  To keep the easily bored Haruni just agitated enough that she won't use her reality warping powers to rewrite reality.

 

If you're unfamiliar with Haruhi Suzumiya it's a nicely executed science fiction high school comedy with an amusing high concept plot (bored girl forms club to try and find strange phenomenon unaware that she herself is a strange phenomenon).  Unfortunately while The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi has the exact same characters and premise it doesn’t work nearly as well.

 

The major problem with this version is that neither character is particularly strong and throwing them together in increasingly close quarters doesn't make them any more interesting.  And it doesn't help that since this is an anthology of short stories done by a variety of manga artists we get the same plot over and over again.  Each story in this volume is just another variation on an increasingly thin theme. Hardcore Haruhi Suzumiya fans might feel differently but unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one.

 

--Steve Bennett: Writer and retail services consultant.