Title: Itsumo
Misora (Always Beautiful Sky)
Author/Artist: Adachi Mitsuru
Publisher: SS Comics
Style: Shonen -- Action/Comedy/Sport
# of Books: 5+
Rating: PG
Summary written by: Gloria Oliver
Main Characters:
Misora Sakajou
Misora is about to turn 13 years old. She's a no-nonsense type of girl, who exercises, boxes, runs, and is good at most physical activities. She lives with her mother, who runs a hair salon and cuts wood with a chainsaw for relaxation. Misora's father is deceased, his claim to fame, a thirty second segment in a famous samurai film.
Misora has two friends she hangs around with. The three of them are very much like, but quite passionately disapprove of another group made up of a female and two other boys. Their enmity began four years ago during a three day school trip to the country in the summer.
As Misora's thirteenth birthday approaches, she starts having dreams and recollections about the summer trip four years ago. From them, she gleams that something promised will be revealed to her on her birthday April 10th.
The Groups
From top to bottom the members are: Shiro Muratajou, Yonosuke Kasugachi, Miyako Kokubo, Ryudou Mihashi, Kouta Kitajima, and Misora Sakajou. Misora, Shiro, and Ryudou are one trio, and Yonosuke, Kouta, and Miyako are the other. Because the two groups did not join any of the after school clubs, a teacher drafts them into what he calls the "Rental Club". Basically there are not enough students to give the clubs enough members to have replacements for when people are sick or injured. So the teacher came up with the idea of having a rental club to form a pool of temporary replacements for the other clubs. Not in anyway excited at first, both groups decide to stay, thinking it might prove interesting.
The members of the two groups start competing with each other in little was as they each get shifted back and forth amidst the clubs. This also helps both sides get hints about what is to come as they all start remembering what happened during the field trip both years before.
On the field trip, Miyako's group stole some watermelons from a group of farmers. While running away, they offered one to Misora's group as if being friendly then took off so the farmers would spot them and assume they were the thieves. Incensed by this, Misora's group challenged Miyako's group to a fight that night, while the rest of the students and the teachers would be busy watching the evening fireworks.
The site for the fight was by a small shrine, and all the kids throw their things inside to keep them from getting dirty during the fighting. However, when the fireworks begin, some miscalculations happened and some land on top of the shrine catching it on fire. In their hurry to retrieve their things from the shrine, Misora inadvertently picks up the shrine's holy object. After another explosion knocks them all off their feet, an old man appears and thanks them for their kindness in saving the relics. In recompense, he will endow each of them with a wondrous power when they reach the age of 13.
Of all the kids, Misora will be the first to come upon her 13th birthday.
The Cat
The cat attached himself to Misora. They have a strange relationship, but they tolerate each other well enough. Unbeknownst to Misora, however, the cat attached himself to her back on that faithful fieldtrip four years ago. He too, was present at the saving of the holy objects. And just like the kids, he too receives a gift when he turns 13 on April 11th. His gift is the ability to talk and act human. For some reason, he gets very attached to smoking.
Story Summary
A quirky but fun series, Itsumo Misora explores the lives of these six kids and how they are brought together by fate and the appearance of unusual powers. It contains everything Adachi is synonymous with--humor, sports, tangled lives, strange situations, and love triangles.
The powers bestowed upon each of the kids is not world shattering, but as each receives their own, the others become more powerful. Though all have little drawbacks or limitations. Misora's gift is to be able to move things a very short distance, up to three times a day. On the third, she falls immediately to sleep! This creates some awkward situations at times. Still, when they all discover their powers, Kouta being the last, all of them are more powerful as a result. And using them as a team, can have quite an effective effect. This very unity might prove crucial, as others appear with powers of their own and are not necessarily using them in a nice way.
If you are an Adachi fan, I think you'll love this series. It's just too much fun!