The precocious, pushy and mature character of eight-year-old Miriam drew me in to this manga from the very beginning, and she only got better. At first I was afraid it was going to be one of those Lolita-type romances, which it partly was, I suppose, but as the romance doesn't come until later it's not really inappropriate. And it's a great romance - not too heavy, not too light, but genuine and humorous and bold.

If you love tomboyish heroines who can take care of themselves, Miriam is for you, and if you like tough yet soft-hearted guys, Douglas is the one. These two and their chemistry really drive the series and make you fall in love with them over and over again.

There is violence, but I think the series' atmosphere of everlasting optimism and fun-loving nature helps offset that; I wouldn't exactly call it family-friendly, but it's nothing to be wary of. I haven't read any of Hikawa Kyoko's other works, but I think this was one was a good place to start.

I loved it. Recommended for people who like a fast-paced, lively romance that's sweet but not too sappy.

I really loved the protagonist, Miriam! She doesn't become weak and cry, fawning over some guy who doesn't treat her well. She rescues her guy just as much as he rescues her, and knows how to take care of herself and the people she loves! It's full of action, and is definitely not a generic shoujo. Also, don't get put off by how young Miriam seems- she grows up. It's also pretty short, so it doesn't drag on and on. I definitely recommend it!

A gorgeous masterpiece chock filled with action. Though shoujo-esque elements are certainly there, Hikawa does what she always does best: incorporates everything as a story, and includes awesome fight scenes that is sorely lacking into today's shoujo mainstream.

While the characters themselves have no fatal flaw, they are all equally enjoyable, and it's all set in the Wild West, which makes this one a keeper already.

I wrote this review on mangafox, thought I might as well add it here

When I first finished "Kanata Kara" years ago, I obviously looked into more of Hikawa Kyoko's work. I read Chizumi & Fujiomi, and wasn't too impressed (but didn't blame her as there was a 12 year gap between the two), and I also came across this one, which I didn't try.
I was put off by the protagonist being so young (didn't know she grew up) and also by the Western theme, which I don't particularly admire. I'm kind of slapping myself for being so narrow-minded, but I'm glad in the end that I still gave it a chance.
The characters are all loveable in their own way, even when I found Miriam to be a little annoying I still had great respect for her. Douglas is a semi-typical "gary stu" (but what else do you expect from a shoujo?) but still had his realistic sides, like the fact that even to the end he wasn't the best at showing his love for Miriam (though don't be fooled, there is romance).
What I love most of all is that when Miriam is older, it doesn't seem odd that she and Douglas become a pair despite him being around her as she grew up. The transition was smooth and almost unnoticeable.
There's also not a lot of cliches, which is a breath of fresh air in shoujo. (IE; no love triangles)

If you've been hesitating to read this manga, I assure you it's worth a read

If you're looking for a fun, action packed shoujo this is it. It managed to hold my attention and I was never bored. Plot rise . I remember when I came across this serie some times ago, I was put off by the age gap tag as well as the cover, but rest assure the main character does not remain a child forever in the manga!

Note:This is a review for Miriam and its two sequels.

This story was nothing amazing, but it was a good well executed story that was very unique and offered a very capable shoujo heroine as opposed to the typical female lead. It was fun to read, especially with the different setting of the old west. The American setting was handled nicely with what you expect from a western; hoses, ranches, guns, outlaws, sheriffs etc. But don’t let the western setting put you off, I myself am not the greatest fan of the west, but the story doesn’t really focus on gunplay and ranching but on the characters.

Plot- In all three volumes the plot focus’ on the characters outwitting and stopping various criminals. What I enjoyed most about this plot is while it was action packed, there was time for character development and relationships. Each story arc was nicely executed and kept me reading. The plot was never to deep or to mysterious, and at times a little repetitive but on a whole it was a nice fresh plot that was driven mainly by Miriam’s desire to help. However some elements seemed a bit forced and could have been dealt with better.

Characters- Most of the characters are typical, they were enjoyable to read about but not to unique, even though they did fade into the background as the story continued. Douglas is a bit clichéd but he was sweet and fit well with Miriam. It was mainly Miriam who stood out to me, she was an amazing female character who was capable and not afraid to fight back. She refused to sit back, perhaps a little hardheaded in that respect, and helped in fighting against the bad guys. It was neat to read about it, she is a very refreshing character.

Art- It is definitely an older art style, but unlike some older ones it doesn’t look to strange and awkward (especially with the faces) and I actually found it quite nice. Really, this manga has GREAT artwork!

Other- This story was enjoyable, a nice easy read with a unique setting a great female lead. I’d definitely recommend this manga just for its female, but the romance and plot are also very good. So why not read it? It’s a great story, nice and easy! Enjoy reading!

8/10- Was good

... Last updated on August 27th, 2012, 6:00pm

It was cute, love Miriam because she is strong and can take care of herself and others. She's a really cool 8 year old, hehehe. It's a pretty fast read and it makes me happy afterward so it was worth it. Afterward I found out that it was by the same person who did Kanata

I have just finished it and i must say that it was quiet a good read. Not the most brilliant manga but it's not really the typical shoujo manga either and it's kinda interesting. Oh, the art was quiet good too. Anyway it's cute and relaxing. Just read and see.

... Last updated on July 6th, 2009, 9:13am

A great story from a wonderful author, this series fits in with her other great works "From Far Away" and "Chotto Friday." I recommend this series wholeheartedly.

Miriam is really great if you are looking for action, shoujo, romance, a nice plot. It may be western, but I don't think it's clichee at all. Why?

1. It's the first shoujo western adventure manga I've ever heard of
2. Most other western manga have poor female leads

Yeah, sure there are some western clichees, but it's very original too.

Worth a read

... Last updated on June 4th, 2009, 12:38pm