Danica Davidson
February 18, 2021 
Emuko is a timid twenty-something who loves shojo manga. Reading all that shojo manga as a girl made her believe that someday her “prince” would arrive for her. But not only does she not have her prince, she’s never even had a boyfriend. She’s a virgin. And that’s why a unicorn lives with her.
Harking back to the old legends of unicorns loving virgin maidens, Unicorns Aren’t Horny stars the unicorn Uni, who is obsessed with his attraction to chaste women. And it seems Emuko is the most virgin of the virgins, because he adores her. He never wants Emuko to get a boyfriend. He sniffs her down if she’s been out to make sure she hasn’t been up to anything, and he gives her a chastity belt and waxes on about the wonders of her purity.
On the one hand, Emuko would really like a boyfriend. On the other hand, she can’t seem to get one, even when she tries. She’s mournful when her friends and coworkers have dates or get married, but she also doesn’t like the idea of Uni leaving. She knows as long as she stays a virgin, she’ll have him as company. Her feelings of being left out come across as both humorous (because of how the manga’s written) and sincere (because it taps into feelings of loneliness anyone can understand).
The manga is an amusing and warped comedy that skews both unicorn legends and shojo manga, while at the same time embracing both unicorn legends and shojo manga. Rather than the beautiful, detailed, filigree artwork often seen in shojo, though, Emuko is presented as a bland character without a complicated drawing style. It fits with how she views herself, and Ikuta does a good job of showing humor in expressions.
We get some back story on Uni and how he came to Japan after originally being in Europe, and how some Japanese people used to consider him a god and made him a shrine. Toward the end of the first volume another mythological creature is introduced, which may grow in importance for the plot. But for the most part, the first volume consists of short, standalone anecdotes, sometimes in the form of four panel comics. It’s not really clear yet if Unicorns Aren’t Horny will develop a stronger plot, or just stick with the light touch it has now. While the title is suggestive and there are a few wink-wink moments, mostly the book is actually pretty tame, and it has a teen rating.
Story & Art: Semi Ikuta
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
____
Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
