The Record of Fantastical Nomenclature Volume 1 Review

Mangaka Maki Komatsu makes their way to the Western market in print for the first time with The Record of Fantastical Nomenclature from publisher Yen Press, but does this supernatural series prove to be an interesting read? Let’s take a closer look!

The story follows Iori Midorisawa, an artist with the ability to see otherwise invisible creatures. He used to spend his days drawing them but suddenly found his vision blocked by a ‘dark shadow’, rendering him unable to continue depicting the Obscura as they come to be known. Still, he continues to work as an artist, and that leads him to being commissioned by the author, Michael Carter, otherwise known as Mika.

At first Iori is confused as to why anyone would commission him specifically to work on a book. He’s barely getting by doing cheap commercial work and certainly lacks the reputation for a gig like this. And then there’s Mika, an oddball foreigner who claims to be an alien from ‘beyond the world’ and who also has the ability to see the Obscura. In fact, Mika is in Japan, having heard about the powerful Obscura that reside there, and he wishes to research them and also protect them.

Obscura are steadily fading away from the world, but one thing that can prevent that happening is having a record of them. And that’s where Iori comes in. Mika wants to research and write about these creatures, with Iori providing illustrations. Of course, Iori isn’t pleased to have been picked specifically due to his vision and wants nothing to do with the eccentric Mika, but slowly but surely he finds himself getting involved with Mika’s work…

This is a manga that strikes me as having a lot in common with a series like Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture, not only due to the episodic nature of investigating the Obscura but also the backstories of the two main characters. Both Iori and Mika have been through a lot due to the Obscura prior to their meeting, and it’s those experiences that slowly lead them to bond. And there’s the fact that Mika has this whole otherworldly aura, not too dissimilar to Professor Akira at times.

This is the first of mangaka Maki Komatsu’s work to make it to English print, but they did have a couple of two-volume series prior to this (The Immortal Demon is on Manga Plaza) and another currently ongoing (根の国家). Generally, I like Komatsu’s art, which meshes these otherworldly creatures with everyday Japan in plenty of detail. And the character designs are solid too, depicting Iori as perfectly ordinary while Mika looks every bit as eccentric as you’d expect from someone calling himself an alien (whether he is or not remains to be seen). There’s a lot of detail in every panel, which I think conveys the supernatural atmosphere of it well.

What I’m less convinced by is the pacing, which I felt was a bit all over the place. There’s clearly a lot to explore when it comes to our two leads, but Volume 1 only scratches the surface, and sadly the series concludes with Volume 2, so I worry that won’t be as satisfying as it otherwise would have been. The chapters just don’t flow into each other very well, even if individually they prove quite enjoyable. I don’t think that’s a deal breaker if you generally gravitate toward these kinds of stories, though.

As mentioned, The Record of Fantastical Nomenclature Volume 1 comes to the West thanks to Yen Press. It has been translated by Ajani Oloye, with lettering by Oliva Osanz, both of whom do a good job. The release also includes several colour pages at the beginning, which are a treat.

The series is complete with Volume 2, which is currently scheduled for a English release in February. That feels like a long way off, but it’s a relatively reasonable timeframe compared to some of Yen Press’ other releases as of late. Hopefully some of Komatsu’s other work will be picked up for a print release in due course!

Overall, The Record of Fantastical Nomenclature is a fairly interesting read that offers a slight twist on the usual yokai focus you’d expect of the setting. While there are pacing issues, I think fans of the genre will still enjoy watching over the adventures of Iori and Mika as they find themselves meeting all kinds of Obscura.

Our review copy was supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss

Demelza

When she’s not watching anime, reading manga or reviewing, Demelza can generally be found exploring some kind of fantasy world and chasing her dreams of being a hero.

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