There's a saying in manga: A little fan service goes a long way...and a lot of fan service is what you get in Sokora Refugees. But nestled between the T and the A you'll find a charming story about Kana, a girl who is trying to get noticed by someone...anyone! But when the new boy in class conjures up a portal in the girl's shower, she is transported to the magical world of Sokora—in the middle of a giant battle between good and evil! Now, on top of landing at the center of this conflict, she finds that her body is beginning to go through some tremendous changes!

~Rob Valois, Editor

Lured into an inept rebellion to liberate Sokora, the elfin home world, from demonic invaders, Kana and her companions may be the last hope for a desperate land. Of course, since their would-be savior can't even be trusted to wake herself up and get to class on time, there may not be that much hope after all ...

SEGAMU:
Spent entirely too much time immersed in manga and anime before ultimately stumbling into Sokora. He has yet to find his way out. His life should be viewed as a cautionary tale. Trade thoughts with him at www.sokora.com.

MELISSA DEJESUS:
Melissa graduated from The School of Visual Arts in 2002 with a BA in Animation. Though Sokora Refugees is her first graphic novel, Melissa has worked on numerous projects as a member of the all-girl Estrigious Studios. Their credits include publishing their own illustrations and comic books and animating a short for the feature film Super Troopers. Melissa was also involved in the online animation for Urban Box Office in 2000 and is currently teaching a Cartooning class for children at LaGuardia Community College in New York.

Kana
Notoriously lazy, Kana would do just about anything to go back to her old life of scarfing down junk food and dodging homework.

Veila
A powerful sorceress forced by circumstance to time-share Kana's body, Veila might just be the one to unlock the reluctant girl's true potential.

Tamara
The athlete of the group, Tamara is ready to take on any and every challenge but not without a sarcastic remark or two.

Tien
As arrogant as he is gifted, this magical wunderkind is constantly getting in over his head and only too willing to leave it to his friends to bail him out.

Julie
Endlessly patient and kindhearted to a fault, Julie is the mother figure and always the one to see the good in any situation.

Salome
A nymph with nothing on her mind but cozying up to Tristan, Salome is less than thrilled with all the cute human girls who keep showing up to vie for her elf's attention.

Tristan
Always the hero, Tristan is an elf that would much rather risk losing his life than his honor—which would be fine if his adversaries ever fought fair.

Kogurai
The living embodiment of the demon world's spirit, the vampire Kogurai would like nothing better than to find the strength to take back his homeland, and in Kana, he might have found more than a mere kindred spirit.

Griever
Never a fan of cooperation, the goyle finds that as allies this motley band might just be better for his overall health—besides it might present an opportunity to give the snotty little one, Tien, a good pounding when backs are turned.

From Publishers Weekly

What do you do if one day, while in the school shower, you're suddenly whisked off to an alternate universe inhabited by elves and goblins, where your body is possessed by the spirit of a very powerful (and sexy) magical person? Self-absorbed teenager Kana finds herself in this very predicament when she enters the world of Sokora and her body becomes possessed by an elf sorceress. When she returns to school, she finds that the act of blushing transforms her from a regular, somewhat flat-chested schoolgirl into an extremely bodacious elf princess who can barely squeeze her assets into a plaid kilt and school blouse. Soon Kana and her schoolmates are hopping back and forth to Sokora to take on a dark prince, a horde of killer bumblebees, a gargoyle who can turn things to stone and a jealous humanoid raccoon cat. This tale rides the line between fun and madness—which is just where a good manga story should be. What sets this one apart is that it is produced by American creators who have all the conventions of Japanese manga down pat, from the high school soap opera to the generous portions of cheesecake. DeJesus's art is solid but not flashy, and the wacky but detailed story sets up entertaining subplots galore for future volumes.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From IGN Comics

Scantily-clad elf refugees? Hot damn!

"Dripping with witty satire, some sarcastic elves and thong-wearin' furries, this manga is in no danger of ever being accused for playing it safe.... All in all, I give Sokora Refugees 3 stars, gold ones at that. Check it out."

~Jessica Chobot

Copyright © IGN Entertainment, Inc.

From Manga Life

This is a very entertaining and impressive first graphic novel by artist Melissa DeJesus and writer Segamu.... The story travels back and forth between Earth and Sokora, weaving together the magical and the mundane, action and character development, the sexy and the silly. These elements all balance out nicely, making Sokora Refugees pure fun to read....

The art has a smooth, clean, uncluttered look, with a variety of appealing character designs. DeJesus uses exaggerated facial expressions to good comic effect, in a style reminiscent of many Japanese manga. I really did not stop and think about the art very much during my first reading of this book, and I mean that as a compliment: the art effectively immersed me in the story and got me interested in the characters. This type of art accomplishes a lot while making it all seem easy and natural.

Sokora Refugees is worthy of a place on any manga fan's reading list. A debut this good is likely the start of a great series.

~Tom Good

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