When the promotional material for the second volume of a manga series begins, "Wondering just what the heck is going on?" you know you're in trouble. It's a shame that the first volume of Chrono Code
plunges readers into such confusion, because it has real potential. Ji-Soo Chung is an orphaned schoolgirl in search of her missing younger brother in Seoul, Korea, in 1994. But in the 23rd century she may be Yun-hee, a "chronoid" with time-traveling capabilities and a colleague of the swash-buckling Blade (who, in 1994, is Ji-Soo's Russian teacher, Professor Nicolai). Blade's search for Yun-hee, who is apparently a powerful time traveler, overlaps with his pursuit of Doctor Joseph, another chronoid who has changed the confidential code for a satellite called Riverside that has the power to stop an apocalyptic 23rd-century war. It's fair to say that Chrono Code
is suffering from an overabundance of plot and a dearth of background. But its art is lovely, combining fight scenes with dreamy splash pages, and the story is intriguing, despite a sometimes clunky translation. Manga fans who have the patience to follow the meandering plot should enjoy what they find. (Aug.)
