“Shiina befriends alien creature Hoshimaru, becoming involved in extraterrestrial war over Earth via Shadow Dragons.”
Shadow Star☆
なるたる 骸なる星・珠たる子
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Shiina befriends alien creature Hoshimaru, becoming involved in extraterrestrial war over Earth via Shadow Dragons.
"From a dying planet shall come the children of light..." While on vacation on a small island, young Shiina Tamai dives under the water near an old shrine and discovers an unearthly starfish-like creature. She nearly drowns but is rescued by the silent, wide-eyed little animal, who Shiina befriends and names Hoshimaru. To Shiina's surprise and delight, the creature changes shape, lets Shiina stand on him, and the two fly off into the clouds. But what looks to be a young girl's ultimate fantasy soon takes a darker turn as Shiina and Hoshimaru become entangled in a struggle between rival extraterrestrial factions who battle in the skies upon huge alien beasts called Shadow Dragons, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance. (Source: Dark Horse)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 13 sampled reviews
What 13 readers settled on.
Polarized
σ 2.69 · split reception
5.8 pts
Recommenders 9.0 · others 3.3
↓ 1.23
Running avg · Sep 2008 → Jul 2025
- 10 “Overall a great manga. It certainly has a very abrupt and interesting ending, but the ending was fitting in its own way. The manga seems to embody a theme of senseless violence, with bloodbaths...”
- 9 “Narutaru is an interesting work, using elements from series like Pokemon or Digimon, it deconstructs them and talks about how children develop and the different parenting styles that parents adopt...”
- 8 “"Shadow Star" is something I happened upon on the internet, the anime that is. After watching some of the anime, I decided to read the manga too. A little sceptical at first, I gradually got pulled...”
Read Order & Related
Explore the Shadow Star☆ universe
Cast
See all →Gallery
See all →If you stay for this, you'll stay for these
See all →The community pairs this with
See all →Publication slate
A Manga Publication
- Format 68 × 12 ch × vol
- Total read 9h 04m approx
- Published Mar 1998 – Oct 2003
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M1060 catalog