Ultramaniac Vol. 5: Magical Transformations 2003 Geneon Entertainment Official Japanese Website Buy It Now

You might think that being able to use a little magic might make life easier, but as we’ve seen so far in the Ultramaniac series, that hasn’t been the case for Nina Sakura at all. Between going to school, looking for the holy stones, goy trouble, and trying to hide the truth about her real identity, she’s been rather busy. Of course, there is also some time for a bit of fun as well, but things aren’t going to get much easier for her in volume five of Ultramaniac, “Magical Transformations.”

This volume though doesn’t immediately start moving the series into a more difficult direction for Nina and Ayu, at least not at first. Nina really has improved quite a bit in her magic skills as of late, and she’s become more comfortable with casting some spells that normally might be a little beyond her skills. Her latest trick is to transform Ayu and Tusjiai pets into humans, much like Rio, though it does become problematic, but not because of the spell. Kaiji’s pet cat is a little overly affectionate as a human, and that may not be such a bad thing . . . were it not for the fact that he’s male. To make matters worse, he doesn’t want to go back to his feline form and takes off, leading to a rather humorous chase.

Yet another holy stone surfaces in this volume and Nina and Maya once again are competing to see who can grab it first. But, why this entire obsession over the stones, besides that fact that it will help improve their magic? That answer finally comes about, and the two girls are trying to become the princess of the Magic Kingdom. That may seem like a fantastic title for either, though there’s something that Nina has forgotten. She only has two months left to stay on Earth and once that time is up, it’s time to come back to the world of magic. Her grandfather decides to push her just a little more, and even tries to come between her and Ayu, though his efforts don’t work quite as he’d planned and ultimately he realizes that Ayu isn’t such a bad girl.

Obviously, Nina has followed the advice that she was given about trusting Tsujiai, but what about Kaji? Well, Ayu is still enamored with him, and yet she can’t come right out and say how she feels. But, Nina finds out that perhaps he isn’t quite the nice guy everyone thinks and decides to learn a bit more about him. However, even though she’s trying to help out her friend, Ayu begins to suspect that there might be something else gong on after all, she does have a number of rivals vying for Kaji’s affections. And, something that’s a little odd, Kawanakajima may still be talking about exposing Nina for what she really is, and yet he’s also trying to keep the secret safe for reasons that he can’t even explain.

Apparently Geneon has seen fit to exhaust any additional features they could come across early on with Ultramaniac, and there wasn’t that much to begin with. On this volume, you will actually find absolutely no special features to speak of. Perhaps they disappeared, I don’t really know, but providing nothing isn’t exactly the way to keep fans happy.

This volumes revelation of the holy stones and Nina’s limited time on Earth is just one thing to throw a bit of a curve into the series. However, as you’ll find, there is something else going on as well involving Nina, Ayu, and Kaji, and I think anyone who has been watching the series can deduce just what it might be. Ultramaniac still maintains the charm that it had at the start, but by the end of this volume, there really seems to be no choice but to grab the next volume immediately.

Episode 17 – Quest

Tsujiai knows even more about Nina and her magical abilities, including the fact that Rio is a cat who can transform into a boy. Now both he and Ayu want to have their pets transform into humans as well, but big problems happen when Tsujiai’s cat decides that he doesn’t want to go back to being just an animal and now the gang is trying to track him down and get him back to normal.

Episode 18 – R & B

Nina has received an invitation to the opening of a new night club, and although she may not be able to get in at her age, it’s nothing that a little magic can’t take care of. She’s even taken Ayu along with her, but soon Nina discovers a strange spatial distortion, and Maya has noticed it to, and it may very well be yet another holy stone.

Episode 19 – Stand by Me

Strange things seem to be happening to Ayu and Nina soon learns that the “supernatural” forces that are at work are nothing more than the work of her grandfather. He seems to be doing everything possible to cause a falling out between the two of them and Nina has had enough. It may be Ayu however who will prove that she’s worthy of being Nina’s friend . . . if she can get past all the nasty pranks.

Episode 20 – Tangle

Ayu wants to know who it is that Kaji really likes, but has a bit of a problem when she accidentally becomes the recipient of the spell Ayu created for him. Nina on the other hand discovers that maybe Kaji isn’t quite as nice as what everyone thinks, but Ayu begins to think that perhaps there is something else going on between the two of them.

-mike-