Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Part I-II, LN 1-2

Agents of the Four Seasons, Dance of Spring Part I and II, Written by Kana Akatsuki, Illustrated by Suoh. Published by Yen Press. Translated by Sergio Avila

Agents of the Four Seasons is a fantasy series written by Kana Akatsuki, who is well known for the Violet Evergarden series, which is highly regarded. I haven't watched Violet Evergarden yet (the novel hasn't been licensed, though there is a fan translation), but I know that it's a well-regarded as a highly emotional and beautiful series, and worth the watch.

I really liked the art on this once, so I decided to pick it up physically. Dance of Spring Part I and II are one complete story released in two parts. In Japan, they were released simultaneously, but their release was split up by Yen Press. 

The story is about a world similar to our own, in which natural phenomena like the four seasons and the day/night cycle are managed by people (agents) with god-like abilities. The main character for these two books is a girl named Hinagiku Kayo, a 16 year old girl who is the Agent of Spring in the country of Yamato (Japan). She is recovering from a traumatic incident involving her kidnapping, and the same thing happens to another agent. The characters band together to save the other agent, and reconcile their past differences. 

Lots of trigger warnings apply to this series, as the characters are dealing with some heavy emotions, such as feelings of inadequacy, abandonment, confinement, suicidal ideation, etc. Despite all this, and while it may be a tear-jerker of a story, it's still one of hope and determination. Of moving past trauma, and letting love into your heart again. 

And there's a lot of love to be found here; Love between Agent and Guards (like Hinagiku and her Guard Sakura), love between parent and child, and love between family members. And of course, there is also a romantic love between the Agents of Spring and Winter. 

I wouldn't say that this is a romance driven series, as it focuses primarily on the plot, but since these feelings are integral to the character's motivations and their development, it feels included naturally. 

And I can't lie, there were several moments that brought me to tears. The traumatic backstories of the characters are recounted through harrowing flashbacks, and some truly terrible stuff happens to them. But it's not just the what but the how the story is told, and Kana Akatsuki's writing truly delivers that emotional journey. 

This felt wonderfully complete on it's own, and the next books focus on other characters. Although it's a hard read at times, I really am looking forward to continuing the series. The next books will cover the Agent of Summer, who I really liked in this book, so I'm excited to see where the story goes next.