Title: Wonder Boy Vol. 1
Author: Kazumi Yamashita
Publisher: Yen Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 796
Genre: Supernatural, Drama
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
The Story
For an omnibus that is nearly 800 pages long, the story itself is very short and to the point. It involves the travels of the so-called “wonder boy,” who is either an angel or an immortal god-like being. He can exist anywhere and everywhere at once, regardless of the time period. The first omnibus comprises 10 chapters, each an episodic story set in a different time period, focusing on a diverse collection of characters. Since this is a character-driven story, I’ll touch on both the characters and their stories in the Characters section.
I never thought a story section for 796 pages would be this short, but, alas, here we are!
Characters
Bansaku and Yuujirou – In the first chapter, our wonder boy takes on the identity of Yuujirou Kibu. He plays the role of Bansaku Kibu’s brother; however, Bansaku cannot recall ever having a brother. He and his family are on the way to their family’s estate, where Bansaku’s grandfather is about to pass. There, they meet Tei, the family’s wet nurse, who is over 100 years old. She tells the tale of their family, how they went from rags to riches. Yuujirou unveils his powers to Bansaku and shows him what lies ahead for their future.
Emily and Charlotte – In the second chapter, our wonder boy takes on the name Edward. He helps a young girl named Charlotte find her hat after it blows away. They live at an orphanage, and one day, a carriage comes by. Emily runs up to the carriage and says her name is Mary Grass, and gets taken away. Charlotte is left behind and begins writing a novel. Edward reveals his powers to her and opens a door, showing her the truth of that day. She carries that with her into the future, where she grows up to become a novelist, but one day, cannot find the words to continue writing… until the fateful day when the two girls reunite.
Fox-Eyed Torakichi – Here, the boy assumes the name of Chiyomaru. He watches a 12-year-old boy named Torakichi become a thief. 10 years later, he grows to rebel against the rule of the land, slaughtering and burning everything in his way; however, he has a soft spot for children. He cares for them, feeds them, and teaches them life skills until one day, the imperial army finds him and threatens to burn the entire mountain where he was residing. Now, he must plan his escape while keeping the children safe.
Tetsuyo – Here, I don’t believe the boy reveals a name, but this is simply about a boy named Tetsuyo with an incredible singing voice; however, he and his mom are forced to move from place to place after the Second World War in Japan. It’s quite clear that Tetsuyo has been affected by the bomb and has radiation poisoning. Despite that, he works on his uncle’s farm and is praised for his hard work, even though everyone still looks down on him. Still, his singing voice carries him through his days.
Socrates – Yes, the famous Socrates is even featured here! Taking on the name of Crito, our boy tries to understand why Socrates doesn’t try to escape his prison, why he doesn’t fear death, and why he is so stubborn as to question the very judgment passed against him. He reveals his powers to Socrates and takes him on a journey through time. The rise and fall of the empire, to the Second World War, all the way to modern-day Japan. There, Socrates learns of a man who is about to commit suicide, and wants to talk and reason with him; however, he cannot. He can only observe and watch… and when he does, he realizes something extremely profound!
Tamara and Dmitri – A girl named Tamara was forced into an arranged marriage. She’s part of the Lala tribe, consisting mostly of the elderly. The tribe is on the verge of extinction, and she wants to see the world. She comes across our boy, this time taking the name of Miri. While he hears her pleas, he tells her that if she still wants to leave in ten years, then head north. Dmitri is a brute of a man, but as time goes on, he doesn’t seem to do anything to Tamara, yet she still wishes to leave. However, the more time passes, perhaps leaving wasn’t truly the answer?
Lesley Heyward and Shouzou Yamada – Here, our boy doesn’t take up a name again. He’s following an actor named Lesley Heyward (not to be confused with Gone with the Wind’s Leslie Howard), who was recently found not guilty of murder. As he roams the streets, he is shot at by an assailant who believes that he truly murdered a girl he was having an affair with. While all this is happening, we see an old man taking care of his wife as she is bedridden. Could the two be related, or is it simply a metaphor? Also, will Lesley face the truth about the deeds he committed?
The Three Members of the Suetsugu Family – Here, our boy takes the name of Eikichi, one of two sons of a man named Suetsugu. He works at a bank and was recently laid off; however, he couldn’t bring himself to tell his family, so he pretended to go to work every day. However, a woman’s intuition is never wrong, and she sensed something. One day, she took the kids and left. Eikichi shows him the past, and while it took Suetsugu time to process everything that happened, he was made to realize that life, and everyone on the planet, is the product of billions of little miracles. He needs to make a decision… whether to create a miracle for himself, or be content with the way things are now.
Sir Richard Wilson and Graham Becker – Here, the boy is not named, but it is the first time we see him with angelic wings. He’s known as a siren that people see before they die. An expedition to Antarctica is the next tale, with the captain, Richard Wilson, losing his entire crew to weather, illness, and injury… except for one, a stowaway named Graham Becker who thought he had boarded a boat to America. When they are forced to survive, Richard ends up succumbing to the same fate as his crew except… he refuses to die. He pushes through as the boy wonders how he will fare. As they try to make an escape by sea to a Norwegian outpost, they face rough seas, and little by little, they have to discard things to survive. All the while, Wilson recalls scenes from his past… and he makes a terrible realization!
The Two Ladies Escher – Lastly, our boy takes the name of Chris Brown, a butler to Priscila Escher… a girl of 11 years who inherited the Escher Estate after her parents died. Despite being the new head of house, she wishes to travel to London to study abroad, much to her aunt and uncle’s chagrin. While she’s in charge, she leaves Chris to fulfill the duties of the house. Years after she graduates, she returns home to find that her aunt and uncle were trying to swindle the mansion out from underneath her. She fixes the situation, but war breaks out. She decides she’s going to join it, again leaving Chris in charge of everything. Years and even decades pass as we see the fallout from after the war, and a possible miracle left in its wake.
Final Thoughts
First off, let me get my only gripe out of the way. This book was an absolute chore to read. I don’t mean in terms of story quality… I mean, it was PHYSICALLY a chore to read. I can understand going the omnibus route; however, to stuff 796 pages into a hardcover edition made holding the book a real challenge. Perhaps publishing companies should rethink their strategies when compiling works such as this. Even if it resulted in more volumes, an omnibus half this size would have sufficed!
Sore hands after two days of reading this behemoth aside, I can say that I was impressed by the quality of the stories contained within. For the first eight chapters, you wondered just what the “wonder boy” was. Was he an angel? Was he a minion of God? Was he some sort of boy with special omnipotent powers that wasn’t religiously aligned? I think chapter 9 gave us that answer by showing him with angelic wings. Plus, there were a few pages in between the chapters which showed that he is, most likely, an angel… always questioning humans, their emotions, their traditions, their mannerisms, and the like. Despite this, he has taken a fascination with humans. He hand-picks ones throughout different periods of time and intervenes in their lives… not as a way to save them or alter their lives, but to guide them and observe their lives as they unfold.
Even though the boy is the main character, he feels more like a supporting character, with the main characters being the ones in each story arc. He does everything a supporting character would, which gives this series a very unique dynamic. There are some moments where he is cold and unforgiving, other times he’s wise, other times he’s cryptic, but all of his words and encouragement are meant to accomplish two things: The first is to get those he interacts with to realize things about their life, and the second is to sate his curiosity so he can better understand the human race.
This book is going to take either a weekend or a very long afternoon, perhaps with some muscle relaxant in hand, to get through, but I can say… Its 796 pages were well worth the time and effort. I don’t have a single complaint about anything from a story perspective, and if subsequent volumes (if there are any… I would assume so since the number 1 is clearly printed on this book) continue the quality… then… dare I say that I MIGHT have already found manga of the year and we are only (as of this writing), four days into 2026. That is how much I enjoyed this book!
Why? Because this book doesn’t just tell episodic stories. It doesn’t just tell the journey of a presumed angel trying to understand mankind. It offers lessons and introspection that we can all take to heart. Every story is a moral message to the reader, veiled as entertainment. It’s clever, it’s not overbearing, and it doesn’t force ideals… but it does get you to look inward. Not many stories do that in a subtle way while hooking you to the entertainment value. Wonder Boy does and does so masterfully.
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This item was provided for review by Yen Press
