Ima, Sokoniiru Boku

(Now and Then, Here and There)

genre: Fantasy

Heryud, a desert wasteland where water is the most precious commodity of all. While some try to live peacefully and make the most of what the harsh land will yield, one man is determined to take over the world. Hamdo, an extremely unstable, would-be dictator is relentless in raiding villages for food and man-power in order to further his aims. Key to the success of his plans is the girl, Lala-ru. With her pendant, Lala-ru has powers over water and can summon it as her will dictates. However, she refuses to yield to Hamdo's demands.

Having escaped from Heryud, Lala-ru encounters a young boy, Matsutani Shuu. However, her freedom is short lived as Hamdo's people come to take her back. Shuu, having ideas of his own tries to free Lala-ru, but instead ends up being taken to a strange new world. A world at war. And so the adventures begin...

Recommended for Mature Audiences - Definitely not for children. This series deals with the realities of war and contains a number of concepts/themes which are not suitable for children. Violence is prominent, however, more than the amount or depiction of violence, the major theme is that of young children being trained as soldiers and being taught to fight and kill. Likewise, there is the concept of rape against a young teenaged girl, killing, insanity in a dictator, corporal punishment/torture, attempted assassination, child exploitation and child brutality. All of these are wrought together in a story of survival of two young teenagers as they try to escape from the influence of an unstable, would-be world ruler.