Phantom Dream is a 1000 year tale of 3 protectors of humans and their frailties and betrayal of humanity. There is Hira, a demon, who is drawn to the trio by the persuasion of the lovely Suigekka. With the death of Suigekka, Hira turns to the dark side. The third member of the Trio is Saga, the brother of Hira and also a demon. When the Omnipotent Suigekka is killed by the very humans she wanted to protect, Hira breaks with his pact to protect and uses his power to turn humans evil. Saga stays true to his promise and becomes the counterbalance to Hira's evil. This continues for 1000 years and many reincarnations. The final volume of this tale brings us to the ultimate battle between the two and also provides a plot twist that will have an ultimate impact on these three powerful beings.

Overview:

Not being a big fan of Shojo Manga, I went into this with some apprehension. I did have high hope because of Takaya being the creator of the beloved Fruits Basket. It did not take long for me to find it very hard to continue. The melodrama felt like a hammer smashing against my balding head. I had to set this down a few times and think to myself, this was written for teenage girls, and this became a very helpful mantra. Once I got into that frame of mind I was able to move through the final volume. 

I am not sure if there were any real high points for me but the plot twist at the end did give this a slight boost, but it was still rather cliche and trite. I am not saying that this short series did not deserve to be published, but it is a very anemic attempt to give us an exploration in love and relationships. The basic plot and idea behind this story has some real potential, but  the constant struggle between the characters and their emotions made this a rather insipid teen age soap opera. I do see how much of the intended audience would connect the continual confusion and  self-discovery that is being played out in the series, but the over the top approach is painful at times.

There is a place in the manga collector's library for this series, but it is only the chronological reference to Takaya-san that gives value to the series. I cannot recommend this series when there are so many other strong Shojo series out there. If you are a dedicated fan to Takaya then you should own this, if for no other reason but to understand that we all start somewhere and sometimes that beginning is less than spectacular.

ComicsOnline gives Phantom Dream Volume 5 1.5 out of 5 depressed heros.