| | |  | ACTION / ADVENTURE | Home » » » Tegami Bachi, Letter Bee, Vol. 1: Letter and Letter Bee | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | R to L (Japanese Style). In Amberground, a dangerous terrain where a man-made star casts a permanent twilight, young Lag Seeing aspires to become a Letter Bee: a postman entrusted to deliver the hearts of people separated from the ones they love. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| hiroyuki Asada | | Paperback:
| 200 pages | | Publisher:
| VIZ Media LLC | | Publication Date:
| September 01, 2009 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1421529130 | | Product Length:
| 7.52 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.02 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.67 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.44 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 4.96 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.71 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.35 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 10 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 The letters and the heartSep 03, 2009
By E. A Solinas
"ea_solinas"
In the little world of Hiroyuki Asada, a letter bee is a mailman who will deliver anything with a postal tag -- and with it, the "heart" of the sender. And "Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Volume 1" introduces readers to a star-studded little world of night, insectile monsters and die-hard letter carriers, although the time skip is a bit confusing.
A letter bee named Gauche Suede (and his faithul dingo) comes across a small boy in a burned-up house, soon after his mother has been stolen by mysterious strangers. Since the kid has a postal sticker stuck to his back, he officially counts as "a letter" and must be delivered to his destination -- his aunt's house in a far-off city.
As they travel through a star-studded wasteland, Lag begins to learn about the world of the letter bees -- the insectile gaichuu that attack them, their "heart" (or memory) shooting guns that are the only weapons that can take out the gaichuu, and their determination to take any letter to its destination. He and Gauche also start to bond, and learn one another's secrets and sorrows.
Skip ahead a few years: Lag is on his way to become a letter bee, despite his lack of a dingo. But then he stumbles across a strange little girl in a niche at a train station, with a sticker on her arm. Naming her Niche, Lag takes the reluctant girl to her destination (after jamming some baggy boxers on her), but discovers that she's a creature even stranger than he once thought -- even more so than he is.
"Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee" is not a manga for people who like nonstop one-on-one fights or high drama -- it's a gentle, quiet little story with plenty of heart and poignancy. And Asada's artwork makes it a lovely experience -- he fills out the story with starlit night skies, quaint little villages, childlike round-faced people, and shimmering eruptions of "heart" that light up the desolate landscape.
The only real problem with the first volume is that the first half is a bit confusing -- I initially thought that Gauche was going to be the protagonist and titular "letter bee," but it turned out to be Lag's journey instead. But Asada keeps things interesting and moving along at a nimble clip, with moments of humor (Niche in her baggy boxers) and action (attacks from the gaichuu). And he injects some distinctly fantastical elements to his protagonists, which ought to be interesting in the future.
Despite one odd aspect of himself, Lag seems very much a normal little boy -- he's haunted by the mysterious loss of his mother, and later shows great compassion and courage (much like his mentor Gauche). Niche is a murkier character, since her emotions and past are are strange as her magical body -- especially since she hardly ever changes expression. But she seems to be warming up to Lag.
"Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Volume 1" is a bit confusing in its first half, but it's a charming, magical story interlaced with uplifting moments and sorrow.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 This may be another gemFeb 03, 2010
By J. Maxon
Story overview:
---------------
In a land of perpetual night (called Amberground), there is no sun. The world is heated from something called Spirit Amber, which is a source of energy that is buried deep beneath the ground. Light (low as it is) seems to come from either the stars in the sky, or a small man-made sun that hovers above the capital, Akatskui (which is restricted only to the "elite" and those with a special Capital Crossing Pass).
An eighteen-year-old man named Gauche Suede, along with his dog, Roda, travel from place to place to deliver messages. This position is called a Letter Bee (basically, they are a postal service). Gauche comes across a town that has been burned down, and to his surprise he finds a package in the form of a young boy (named Lag Seeing). On their journey, both Gauche and Lag inadvertently (and in a strange way) exchange glimpses into each other's hearts. They form a bond, which five years later, brings Lag to go off on his own to become a Letter Bee himself.
However, that is not Lag's main goal. You see, the elite of Akatskui captured his mother, and now he seeks to find a way into the Capital. Gauche promised Lag that he would look into the issue, but there was no word from him over these past five years (after Lag was safely delivered to his aunt). Therefore, Lag goes out to have an interview to become a Letter Bee. In the process, he comes across a strange animal-like girl who he ends up helping, which causes him to miss his interview. But in doing so he gains one of the Letter Bee requirements, a "dingo" (a companion, usually a dog, that has a contract with the Letter Bee).
My thoughts:
-------------
There is a lot I left out in the overview above, but I did not want to give away too many spoilers, even if I did, there is not enough room to list all that went into this story. One of my requirements for a great story is that it has to have heart. This has that and more. I was refreshed to find a manga with artwork in the elegant and clean style that I appreciate so much. But that's not all. I love the characters, and a story about a dark world without any sun? It can't get any better for a speculative fiction buff. I am thoroughly looking forward to reading the next one once it comes out.
Things to consider:
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This is rated "Teen" from Viz Media, but honestly, I can see it being appropriate for younger. There is the typical action violence, but it is done without any gore, and there were no inappropriate nude or sexual scenes. The closest was where Lag sees that Nichi is a girl, but this was done in good taste. Now, I cannot say anything for the series as a whole (as they are not yet released in the US), but this one gets a preteen (tween) safety stamp from me.
James D. Maxon
Author of Traphis: A Wizard's Tale
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Amazing story! Interesting and lovable characters :DDec 04, 2009
By A Happy Woman
I enjoyed reading this volume so much. I love the characters. The story is interesting and the art beautiful. I like the idea of a "dark" world where good people succeed and progress in spite of the struggles and difficulties. I love Lag Seeing's characters and Niche. Can't wait 'til next volume's out!
Touches The HeartMar 02, 2012
By Daniel Mega - Pulp Fiction Author
"Megapulp eBooks"
Tegami Bachi (Japanese for "Letter Bee") is the first manga series I have ever read. I am not particularly into the style, but this books illustrations caught my attention. When I read the book description, it immediately grabbed me.
Pros: Beautiful art, great story, loveable characters.
Cons: Only con is Niche who looks like a little girl(but is part monster) has a hard time wearing underpants! It does not show anything (it cleverly covers it up with action words!), but I thought I would point it out because some parents might want to screen this before allowing their children to read it. Again, totally PG, and rather funny, but I wanted to give parents the heads up.
Other than that con, it is great. I have read through the whole series, and I am not a book series fan. Highly recommended for both kids and adults.
Off to an intriguing startJan 26, 2011
By GraphicNovelReporter.com
Normally letters are made up of paper. But one day Gauche has to deliver a letter in the form of a young boy.
That's not the only thing off kilter in this fantasy manga. The story occurs in a place known as Amberground, a land of darkness, where there is one manmade star that mainly gives light to the elite caste. Other places of Amberground are very, very dark and it's called a "land of perpetual night." There is also the problem of running into Gaichuu, which are more or less gigantic insect monsters that roam the countryside and wreak havoc.
Gauche works as a special kind of delivery person known as a Letter Bee. He and other Letter Bees are described as "a rare breed of government agent [who] travel this dark, dangerous territory on official business. People entrust these agents with their HEARTS." He has to face Gaichuu as he delivers his mail. His parents are gone, but his younger sister is still alive, and if he earns enough money, he can heal her crippled legs. He works with a strong dedication to his job.
Still, he's surprised when he has to deliver a boy. The boy is named Lag Seeing and he's in a terrible, depressed space because his mother was taken away from him. So far, it's not clear exactly who took her or why. Gauche can't help him there, but he can take Lag Seeing to his aunt, which is where Lag's supposed to be delivered anyway. A little more than half the book covers this part of the story.
Five years pass, and the story picks up again with Lag Seeing having decided that he's going to be a Letter Bee as well. He wants to catch up with Gauche again, but he also wants to find his beloved mother. He sets out into the world, not knowing what will happen to him. Readers, likewise, are still learning about the world presented in this manga.
The art looks like pretty typical shonen work: It's neither very detailed nor too sparse, and it has its fair share of action scenes with plenty of fighting and big action words across the page. Tegami Bachi has been intriguing so far, especially with how it often talks about hearts. The theme of the heart is almost constant in these pages. A land of darkness is archetypical, and many aspects of the plot are still murky and mysterious.
-- Danica Davidson
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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