Comic:Valkyrie Symphony
From CGWiki
Valkyrie Symphony is a supernatural action webcomic written and drawn by John Doek . Started on August 30, 2006, updating on alternating days: for a time in 2008, ii updated daily, but it has since returned to it's original schedule. It is unique from most other webcomic is told in traditional comic book style, divided into issues rather then strips.
Contents |
Plot
The story takes place on the fictional Japanese island of Inazu, in the Okinawan Penninsula. It revolves around Valkyrie Yanzu-Amata, a fifteen-year old new arrival to the Island, and secretly a spritual being known as a Spirit-Gate. As Valkyrie, or "Kyrie", as she is known to her friends, comes to view the Island as her new home, she must contend with the supernatural forces which conspire to kill her in a bid to destroy the world. The story encompasses several story arcs, usually dealing with Kyrie and Mai's efforts to live a relatively normal life while at the same time fending off demon attacks and trying to uncover Kuyohashi's plans for a demonic soul-consuming sword called the Scythe-That-Cuts-The-Sky.
The first story arc, "Red Dragon Blues", introduces Kyrie to the reader, as she arrives on Inazu following the death of her grandfather, Heihataro Amata. She befriends Bui, Imashi, Maku, and Mai, and along with Mai, kills the dragon-lord Lung Wang, whom Zeioutashi had summoned to kill the two girls.
The second arc, "The Expositioner's Song", tells of how the kids are coping four months after Lung Wang was killed and Kyrie and Mai's abilities were revealed publicly. (Ironically, only a very few people believe that the dragon they all saw was real, and some are willing to pass it off simply as a publicity stunt.) Kyrie rescues her dance instructor from a rogue dirvish which hospitalizes her; whilst recovering in the hospital, Kyrie has a vision involving her grandfather and her father's death. Upon awakening, Kyrie is attacked by an enraged Zeioutashi, whom she effortlessly casts aside. It seems as though Kyrie's experience with the dirvish has left her aggressive, dismissive, and cavalier, as a day at the beach with her friends quickly devolves into Kyrie exhibiting a new, crueler, more seductive, and more violent persona, culminating in her and Mai facing off in battle.
Main Characters
Valkyrie Yanzu-Amata -Also called 'Kyrie'; Fifteen-year old Spirit-Gate able to somehow convert any harmonic sound she creates into a destructive energy. She's an accomplished flautist and practitioner of Genryukudo-style karate, having been taught by her grandfather. She has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of demons, stemming from her upbringing. She seems to be a leader of sorts amongst her circle of friends, and perhaps the most even-keeled, although she is reluctant to admit her weaknesses.
Mai Juniro -Captain of the local high school's cheerleading squad (and later co-captain, along with Kyrie), Mai is the first Spirit-Gate on Inazu in nearly seventy years. Although she knew she was a Spirit-Gate since early childhood, she did not actively use her abilities until just after Kyrie came to the island, for reasons that have yet to be revealed. Mai is able to conjur forth illusions so realistic, that they can actually interact with the material world. She often uses a deck of hand-drawn Tarot cards as inspiration for these illusions, and can summon forth massive monsters for combat and support purposes. Because she is able to alter reality in this way, she is often seen as being more powerful then Kyrie. She lives with her widowed mother Noi and her eighteen-month old sister Niichigo, and is easily recognized by her kerchiefs, her "one vice", as she puts it, and her brown hair, dyed to hide her real hair colour (see Spirit Gates, below.)Mai is an avid video-gamer, and hates showing off her body in any way.
Masakuruge Goshu -Kyrie's legal guardian, and her mother's godfather. A student of Heihataro, he now acts as the presiding monk at the local temple, living with Kyrie on the grounds of the cemetary. He was once known in the National Kickboxing circuit as the Iron Knuckle.
Lord Kuyohashi -The self-proclaimed "King of All-Damned"; formerly a ronin warrior in the Marumachi Era, he stole a holy relic called the Scythe That Cuts The Sky, a sword which belonged to the Shinto wargod, Hachiman. For some undisclosed reason, he soon turns from trying to kill Kyrie, to trying to break her will. It is implied that this has something to do with his quest for the Scythe.
Trivia
-The entire comic was inspired by the first chapter of Hiroyuki Takei's manga series, Shaman King, although it does veer off into it's own canon very quickly.
