Capriccio - new Bessatsu Shounen Magazine Sci-Fi Rom-Com

[Dave Baranyi]

The April 2012 issue of Bessatsu Shounen Magazine brought the start of a new
alien-girlfriend rom-com series, “Capriccio”, with story and art by Fujitani
Mukku. The story starts out with a number of familiar elements, but the first
two chapters deliver a fair amount of wit, fun, and a very “pretty” alien.

High schooler Sugatami Akira has had an unrequited love for classmate Kitajima
Miyoko since they were in grade school together. But Akira has always been too
nervous to confess to Miyoko. While the rest of the girls in the class chat
openly about having sex, Miyoko states that she wants to wait until she is
married, which strikes a cord with Akira who finds Miyoko to be extra “pure”
because of this attitude.

At the same time, off in space and racing towards the Earth is an alien being
that has been travelling alone for a long time. The being spots the Earth and
decides to land in order to find out if she can fulfill her mission of spreading
her race across the Galaxy.

On his way home from school Akira is accidently knocked to the ground by one of
his buddies. When Akira gets home he finds that he has somehow gotten a chain
with a small ball with six spikes on it around his neck. Akira can't take the
chain off for some reason. As Akira tries to remove the chain the ball suddenly
grows to a flying sphere about almost two meters in diameter. The big sphere now
has two big eyes and a huge grin full of teeth, and it starts to speak to Akira.

The ball is a space princess named Demelta C Bete Brumanto, and she wants to
mate with Akira so that she can produce more of her kind. Akira doesn't think
this makes sense because they are so different, but Demelta states that there is
no problem. Akira gets mad at the Demelta and grabs one of her spikes, at which
point she transforms into a beautiful, busty, naked, and nordic-looking girl.

Demelta is none-to-pleased with this transformation from what she considers to
be her “more beautiful” usual self, but she isn't deterred from using her new
appearance to try to get Akira to mate with her. But Akira finds the idea wrong,
particularly since he wants Miyoko to be his “first”. But Akira and Demelta are
chained together with an unbreakable (albeit extensible) chain that won't come
off until Demelta gets pregnant.

So I found a fair amount of potential in the first two chapters. There are
several things that are being done quite nicely, such as having Akira being the
only human who can understand what Demelta says, and how Demelta has no idea
about nor any interest in Akira's description of “love”. Add to that some great
character art, particularly that of Demelta, and this has become yet another
series that I am looking forward to reading each month in Bessatsu Shounen
Magazine.

Dave Baranyi

[Dave Baranyi]

The opening of Chapter 3 of Capriccio, called, “Abunai Ohiruyasumi” - “Dangerous
Lunchtime”, finds Akira dreaming of Miyoko. But that dream soon turns into a
nightmare in which a pregnant Demelta tells Akira that she wants 58 children!

Akira wakes up to find that Demelta is back in her Giant Ball form and is
pulling off his pajama bottoms with her teeth. Akira whacks Demelta with a
baseball bat, after which Demelta accuses him of Domestic Violence. He denies
any domesticity in their relationship.

When Akira goes to school his best friend asks where the “golden-haired angel”
is today. Akira responds that she is a “vulgar devil”, to which the friend says
that is good too. Miyoko then comes to class and surprises Akira by saying good
morning to him. He barely stutters out good morning in response when Demelta, in
small ball form, starts to bother him to take her to the washroom.

Akira can’t understand why Demelta wants to go to the washroom, so she informs
him that she is a living being too, and has similar needs. So he takes her there
and she transforms into human form while sitting bored in a stall.

Because the chain connecting them can extend quite a ways Demelta is able to sit
and think by herself. She decides that she needs to find a way to take on
Miyoko’s form. She is about to leave the washroom when Miyoko comes in with a
friend and Demelta overhears Miyoko planning to have lunch on the rooftop. So
afterwards Miyoko convinces Akira to go to the rooftop too during lunch, without
telling him that Miyoko will be there.

At lunchtime Akira is sitting on the rooftop listening to music with Demelta in
her small form under his shirt. He is idly thinking of Miyoko when she suddenly
appears and starts to talk small talk about lunch. Akira is totally flustered
and doesn’t know what to do or say, but Miyoko doesn’t notice because she is
just happy to share the lunch that she made with Akira while she chatters away.

Akira slowly starts to relax and he can’t believe his luck has turned so much
for the better. He even thinks to himself that Demelta indirectly contributed to
this situation. Just then, Demelta wakes up from her nap and appears in her
Giant Ball form. Miyoko is horrified, but not as much as Akira who can’t believe
that things have suddenly turn so bad, so fast.

Demelta wants to talk in private with Akira so she grabs his shirt collar with
her teeth and flies off with him towards the stairway door. But she is a few
centimeters too big and hits the door opening instead. Akira starts to argue
with Demelta and tries to push her out of sight around the corner of the doorway
while Miyoko thinks that Akira is trying to Protect her from the Monster.

Akira finally grabs one of Demelta’s horns and she turns back into her human
form just as Miyoko comes over to see what is happening. So Miyoko sees Akira
leaning over a semi-prostrate and totally naked human Demelta. Miyoko recognizes
Demelta as Akira’s Foreign Relative. Akira figures that he is dead, then he
suddenly gets an idea and tells Miyoko that the Monster “ate” Demelta’s clothes.

Miyoko buys that story and runs off to get her gym clothes for Demelta, warning
her not to “catch cold”. Akira suddenly realizes that Miyoko is something of an
air head.

Demelta is still obliviously happy with how things ended up when she suddenly
sneezes. Meanwhile, somewhere in space another space being is heading towards
the Earth, looking forward to seeing Demelta again.