Hand x Red

Hand x Red (ハンド×レッド) is a shōnen fantasy manga written by Kurata Hideyuki and drawn by Itsuki Hoshi. It has been serialized by Ichijinsha in the monthly shōnen manga magazine Comic Rex since 2007, and collected in 3 bound volumes as of 2009. The story is about Jim, a young boy bound by a curse which seals him in the darkness of purgatory for 100 years. When training to become a magician, Jim gave half of his heart to his best friend Luca. But Luca put a curse upon him. After Luca's betrayal, Jim was sent to purgatory with half his heart. Every 100 years Jim is allowed to return to the real world, and he is only allowed 10 days to search for Luca, whom he must defeat to break the curse.

Plot
The story starts with a boy called Virgil who is training to be a swordsman in order to follow his dream of protecting the Princess of his country. He then goes off to the top of a mountain to train, after being encouraged by Grandpa Logo. Whilst training he comes across a cave and a strange wind blowing out of it. Having gone through the cave he finds a boy, who he thinks is a monster. Gathering courage he then charges at the boy, but falls through the ice beneath him. The boy saves him and starts to eat Virgil's food. From then on they are friends and Virgil helps Jim (the boy) with finding Luca and his heart.

Characters

 * Jim
 * The main character of the manga. Jim is a boy magician with only half a heart. His best friend Luca betrayed him and cursed him when they were young, sending him to a purgatory of "nothingness" for 100 years, to which after that he is allowed 10 days of freedom to get back his heart. If he fails, he will return to the "nothingness" and wait for another hundred years. He is at odds in Magic and depends on his Physical Strength. Back in the days, he was known as the Dunce of the Magic Academy. It was in that time he first met Luca and became friends. It was later he was tricked in giving half his heart and in doing so leaving all those he loves as he can only come back every 100 years. The beginning of the volume shows episodes of every 100 years he has 10 days to find Luca. He is released near Luca as they share hearts and each one he is close but helps those he visits over getting his heart back. The curse is supposed to make him always to be alone.


 * Luca
 * Jim's former best friend. Luca cursed Jim and took half of his heart. He set up a kingdom with a false king and pretended to be the prince. He did it all in attempt to take the other half of Jim's heart. He was a war orphan, and was admitted to the same Magic Academy as Jim's when they were young. He had a great magical power, but was physically and spiritually weak. Therefore, he took half of Jim's heart with the cursed spell that takes half the heart and traps Jim in the "nothingness" plane every hundred years only released for 10 days. This sharing magic allows them to equally grow old and because Jim is in "nothingness" it will take eons until they die of age. This gives Luca perfect prime youth, immortality, and stronger magic because of a better heart.


 * Virgil
 * Another young boy, who dreams of protecting the princess and becoming a swordsman. His father was the king's knight. He meets Jim whilst he has 10 days on earth.


 * Grandpa Logo
 * Virgil's friend, Grandpa Logo fought against Luca with Jim 100 years ago. When Jim returns, he gives him a sword to break Luca's spell. The sword is a repelling sword, and Jim uses against Luca in battle.


 * Fatome
 * An old woman who Jim meets after another hundred years. She lost her grandchild, Ducelle, because of a storm (although he may have ran away), and is losing her sanity because of that. Whenever she meets any boy who looks even a little like Ducelle, she takes him home with her.