Article

First Impressions: QQ Sweeper vol. 1 by Kyousuke Motomi

QQ Sweeper originally began in Betsucomi shoujo manga magazine in March of 2014. It ran until May of 2015, and then was given a sequel shortly after. QQ Sweeper is a total of 3 volumes. Shojo Beat released the first volume in English in October 2015.

QQ Sweeper_cover1

Volume 1 English Cover

The Gist: Fumi awakens in an old room beside her high school, and no one really knows who she is. Since she has no living family, she applies for a job at the school and is hired to become a “cleaner” since she seems to have the ability to see the otherworldly. Kyutaro is also a student at the school who has inherited the job of a “cleaner” through his family – which in this series is not only custodial duties but also otherworldly duties of “cleansing the minds” of others. Fumi accidentally discovers that Kyutaro lost someone dear to him, and she hopes to help protect him when she becomes his apprentice cleaner.

The Review: The supernatural element in this series is a lot of fun! It’s not a typical supernatural shoujo manga element like yokai or vampires or werewolves. It’s actually a made up ability by Motomi-sensei. The idea of cleaning or janitorial work is not new for Motomi, as the main male character in her last series was a school janitor. But taking this and making it into a fantasy element has added an exciting twist to the plot. Motomi is skilled at writing the mystery aspects of a plot and QQ Sweeper doesn’t disappoint. Readers will find themselves anticipating the revelation of Fumi and Kyutaro’s backstories, as we are left in the dark as to how these characters are really connected.

Kyutaro is a tsundere character who comes across harsh at first. He doesn’t care for Fumi and dislikes that she’s been hired by his uncle. But he’s really a softy, especially when he discovers that Fumi is an orphan and homeless. Fumi is an outgoing girl who’s main drive it seems is to land herself a sugar daddy that is totally rich and will set her for life. Hahaha. While the comedy in QQ Sweeper is not the focus it still appears in surprising ways and Motomi is skilled at timing it right. There is also a romantic element to the story, as Fumi feels attracted to Kyutaro for saving her more than once. But Kyutaro’s emotions are tied to a girl from the past, and Fumi’s attraction is left unrequited in volume one.

Kyutaro rescues Fumi from the first infestation

Kyutaro rescues Fumi from the first infestation

The Art: QQ Sweeper has a bit of a dark element to it’s art, since the otherworldly setting requires some “cleansing” from our protagonists. I rather enjoyed seeing the imagination of Motomi’s supernatural setting and the “bugs” that the two protagonists have to fight. The character designs are definitely similar to past series, but have distinct enough personalities that they do not come across as such. The paneling and toning are great, and I really like the color art.

The Audience: QQ Sweeper is appropriate for a tween-teen audience. Despite the darker elements it has a very positive message. It would definitely appeal to fans of Dengeki Daisy and those who like supernatural shoujo manga. I would also encourage guys who like supernatural battling to give it a shot as well.

The Media: QQ Sweeper is a total of 3 volumes in Japan. The sequel series Queen’s Quality started in Betsucomi this past July and is at 4 chapters now, I believe. The first volume of QQ Sweeper is available now from Shojo Beat with volume 2 set to be out in February 2016.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Kyousuke Motomi’s new series is definitely one to collect! I hope Shojo Beat also acquires the license to the sequel.

 

 

Follow Me!
Latest posts by Laura (see all)

Comments Closed.

2018 Shoujo and Josei License Announcements
Contact Me
Subscribe to Heart of Manga

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. Your info will not be used for any other purpose.

Archives