­Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, Vol. 1

Gr 3-7–Middle school student Hikaru’s world is turned upside down when a mysterious mechanical arm fuses with his hoodie. It turns out that the arm has a name, Alma, and it is a sentient being that has zero recollection of what or who it is. There is little time to figure out those details as it becomes increasingly clear that Alma is potentially highly valuable and is being sought by dangerous organizations, including the Kagami Group. While manga is often the inspiration for anime, in Mecha-Ude’s case, the anime came first, which is apparent in how the story is told and the amount of action on each page. It’s also in color instead of traditional black-and-white. Both the color and the lines are bright, dynamic, and exciting. Younger readers new to manga might enjoy the action sequences, though the plot is somewhat hard to follow. Subsequent volumes will likely help to explain and develop characters and backstory.