Hit the “Random” button and see what comes up! In this feature, we take a look at whatever manga the Random Number God decides to throw at us and find out if it’s worth your time.

This time: Un Cassandra, with art by Amashi Gumi and scenario by Hifumishi Gorou

Premise:

Certain people have the power to see the future: specifically, they see death and the circumstances surrounding it. Bekku Nanaki is a new transfer student, and she meets a mysterious boy who is shunned and treated like a bad omen for always being around freak accidents. But he insists that he is using his powers as a clairvoyant to change the future and prevent as many deaths as possible.

Thoughts:

This time we have another one that’s short and sweet – UnCassandra. Eight chapters long, and it’s fully done, so no waiting months for the new chapter to arrive. You can blaze through this in about an hour, depending on how quickly you can read.

This guy Banjou has a notebook filled with fuzzy photographs. They all give clues about someone’s death in the relatively near future, whether it be from be crushed by falling debris or being caught in a terrorist bombing. He has devoted himself to giving 100% of his effort to preventing each and every one of those deaths, no matter the cost. And he doesn’t have to worry about getting himself killed while doing it, either – you see, the last prediction in the book is of his own death. In his mind, preventing all of the deaths he has perceived with his clairvoyance means that his untimely death can also be prevented, and missing just one would invalidate that concept.

So, he and Bekku travel all around Tokyo, going to absurd lengths to make sure that nobody dies while they could do something about it. Every chapter revolves around piecing together the clues of a prediction and finding out exactly what they need to set the future on the path they choose. And in typical fashion, nothing ever really goes to plan – a monkey wrench or three always gets thrown in to make the couple think on their feet.

Eventually, the plot thickens – Bekku and Banjou aren’t the only people who can see the future, after all, and not everyone wants to prevent people from dying – they see these predictions as a gift from God, an absolute decree of what must happen. The plot becomes a chess game, both sides trying to outwit the schemes of the other and make sure what is supposed to happen (whatever that may be) indeed does happen. And just when that gets interesting, the arc wraps itself up, moving on to the origins of everyone’s clairvoyance, and the sinister presence that is creating so many freak accidents.

Un Cassandra was very clearly rushed – the reader barely has time to get a handle on things during each of the three main plot arcs. A late chapter mentions that they’ve broken dozens of predictions, but as the manga is only 8 chapters the reader barely gets to see a fraction of that. Most likely it was forced to be cut short due to ratings, but it definitely could have gone on for substantially longer. It feels like a wasted opportunity in a way, but all the same it means that it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Verdict: Worth a Shot

If you have nothing better to do with your time, I’d say to check this one out. As mentioned, it isn’t very long, and it has a few decent twists and some fairly engaging drama, considering. I’ve read a lot worse, some of which you might see on this very feature. Look forward to it!