Fire Emblem: Hikari wo Tsugu Mono

Warning: If you haven't played the game, there's little point in reading this manga, as it will make little sense to you. For the most part, it assumes you know the characters and are aware of the plot. But if you have played the game, then Hikari wo Tsugumono/Light Inheritors is a must-read.

As with all the Seisen manga, HwT provides a depth to the characters that is sorely lacking in-game. A few characters hog most of the screentime, but most of your favorite 2nd gen characters make an appearance at some point or another. (Except Leen, but who needs her?) Even a few 1st gen characters get flashback scenes, most of which are quite poignant. I especially loved the way that Levin was characterized - Nea Fuyuki does a fantastic job of emphasizing how different he is from the Prince Levin of 1st gen.

This manga does not cover all of the 2nd gen, but that enables it to take time with its pacing, and there's still plenty of Seisen story to cover in these five volumes of manga.

I felt that where this manga really shone in comparison to the other two official Seisen manga was the artwork. Simply put, it's absolutely gorgeous. All the guys all bishies (even Finn, who inexplicably has long hair...probably my only complaint with this manga). It's actually fairly shoujo-y, with less emphasis on the battles and the fighting, and more emphasis on how beautiful everyone is and how they should all pair off. That's not to say that it doesn't have its fight scenes - there was one scene in particular during the fight with Blume/Ishtar that I actually went back to and stared at for a few minutes.

Anyway, I feel that anybody who enjoyed Seisen should definitely pick up HwT. It's a short read, but it definitely makes the 2nd gen feel alive and magical again, which is what any good Fire Emblem manga should be aiming for.