High School Debut, Vol. 04
by Kazune Kawahara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my favourite volume in this series. Throughout the series, Kawahara uses repeated panels for comedic emphasis; but the Christmas episode where Haruna is planning her “big date” is her most effective use of it! Perfection!
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 1
by Kiiro Yumi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The story, art and character development/interaction is fresh and interesting. The conversation about censorship is thought provoking. And, the situation is extreme enough to thrill me. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Dojo sensei is totally my type. hah.
Princess Prince
by Tomoko Taniguchi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I love Taniguchi’s other series which usually involve a sweet/doe-eyed girl falling in-love with a relatively cute “metal-head”. The stories are sweet to a fault — and I love that!
This story too is beyond sweet and has the same style of pacing and art. But has the fantasy element of magical kingdoms, angel-birds, and prophecies.
I bought this without reading the synopsis and I probably should have. All I was thinking is that I own all her other works, and I found this volume for a decent price online. It completes my collection of Taniguchi in-English.
I gave it a fairly low rating, which I wasn’t expecting to have to do. This story was ordered in a peculiar way (was this taniguchi, or the English editor?). The side stories and other short stories were splayed intermittent between the main “Princess Prince” chapters. Usually this stuff is collected and put at the end of a volume, which works much better. Also, I frankly just miss the metal heads…
The Devil Does Exist, Volume 1
by Mitsuba Takanashi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mitsuba Takanashi is one of my favourite character fashion artists. Every day the characters have a new look, a new hairdo, a new style… even the boys. This just proves to me what a great artist she is. That she can actually vary a characters appearance but still not confuse the reader. There are some artists who just do not have the skill to pull this off.
The other thing that’s great about Takanashi is that she seems to have a great handle on human-nature. Her angsty series seem to actually come from somewhere, rather than just being angsty because that’s what teenagers do. Her teens are thoughtful and actually change and accept new situations. Her series are always satisfying, if not a little frustrating while we wait for characters to resolve their issues.
This is a series about Kayano — a typical teenage girl in her second year of high school. In her group of friends she’s the dopey meddlesome friend which they eventually label as the “heroic” type — and Takeru, a first year student, the bad boy of the school and also the principle’s son. As it happens, Takeru’s father and Kayano’s mother have decided to get married, which means Takeru and Kayano will soon be brother and sister. The story begins when Takeru finds out one of Kayano’s secrets and starts to blackmail her. But eventually she realizes he’s not as bad as he seems. And, as Takeru and Kayano become closer, they must try to resolve what that means for their future happiness as a family.
Love love love, this series! I don’t care who you are, this series is worth the read.
Karakuri Odette Volume 1
by Julietta Suzuki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was worth my time and money, and I will probably read it again (and again). It’s about a girl-android “Odette” (named after “swan lake”, I’m assuming) who wanting to be human convinces her maker to let her go to high school. There she ponders after what it means to be human, and tries her best to fit in.
It starts off a bit rough. As though the author is either unsure of where her story is going, or whether the magazine hadn’t quite decided to serialize her. I was surprised by the first volume, as it fails to really establish the character, or purpose. But, it was easy to read, and therefore easy to continue — and it becomes a delightful, and engaging story.
I’ve read online that a few people were comparing it to Chobits by CLAMP, and certainly the android girl aspect is comparable. But, I personally think the story is more closely comparable to Cheeky Angel by Hiroyuki Nishimori — about a boy who wishes to be the coolest & strongest ever, and subsequently is turned into the coolest & strongest girl ever. He learns what it means to be a girl, and even has a love interest in the school gang leader. This parallels well with Karakuri Odette, with Odette’s friends and persona becoming quite different than she was hoping — in the best possible way.
I recommend it!
Full Moon o Sagashite, Vol. 1
by Arina Tanemura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Only 7 volumes long. It’s not a super long — or super involved series. It’s cute and fun, and actually deals with the serious topic of suicide and retribution. It doesn’t seriously deal with it, but it’s a serious topic. It has a sad/cute feeling like Fruits Basket. Tanemura has a really distinct drawing & story style. Always very sweet. Maybe the story is a bit young for me, but I recommended to read at least once.
About a 12 year old girl (Mitsuki) with a benign tumor on her vocal chords. Her only wish is to sing. But, if she has surgery — she will have to have her vocal chords removed and won’t be able to sing again.
She is visited by a pair of shinigami (death-god/grim-reaper) whose mission is to claim her soul. The shinigami are all human souls who’d commit suicide when they were humans, and now cursed to work sending souls to the afterlife.
Mitsuki’s charm appeal to the shinigami who not only protect her but transform her into a 16 year old girl (sans disease). As a 16 year old she runs away from home, and auditions as a singer debuting as “Full Moon”. As the shinigami help heal her heart (and body) she helps them discover what they’ve lost, and find peace.
I read this because I was writing a blog post for work about the symbolism of rabbits in Japanese mythology. This series is about the moon (you can see my confusion) — but it is NOT about rabbits. Onto the next…
Genshiken: Second Season, Vol. 1
by Shimoku Kio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genshiken Second Season Volume 1 (or just Genshiken Volume 10)? I’m not otaku enough to know why this was released as “second season” — but I can assume it was to confuse fans into thinking that this was a new series and to buy it even if they didn’t have the first season.
It’s a new season — but all of the original characters are still there. They just don’t necessarily come to club meetings anymore. Except maybe Madarame-kun.
The new president, Ogiue has set out to find new members to join the club by doing the one thing that she knows how to do… draw. However, her drawing style, brings in a certain kind of otaku… the fujoshi (girls who love yaoi/aka gay-manga). On top of everything, one of the new members is just too pretty to be a girl!
It’s a fun series, and continues to please. I didn’t relate much to the fujoshi fangirl, so to me it’s not as comfortable as previous volumes. And some of my favourite characters take a back seat. It could just be the fact that so many new characters have been introduced, and a few of them don’t have a unique enough personality for me. I hope this is just growing pains.
Ogiue continues to charm as the classic tsundere character — and I’m so happy with Sally. I’ve read A LOT of manga in my time… and this is one of the best characterizations of an American otaku I’ve read. Usually Americans are “weird”, but Sally is weird with purpose. I’m really pleased about this!
Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Vol. 1
by Shimoku Kio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genshiken is brilliant. And, one of my favourite manga indulgences. The artwork is beautiful and obsessively detailed — and the story is hugely character driven. I’m impressed with Kio Shimoku’s sense and understanding of human nature; an expression of this group of outsiders and their interactions with the world around them.
I’m always sad when I get to the last volume. Of all the manga I read, I feel this one most closely matches the world that I want to live in. When it’s over, I miss it. And at the end when the graduating members of Genshiken are moving on… I hate that it reminds me I have to move on and live my life again.
Every time I go to Japan, I go with an expectation that somehow I’ll fall into this reality. And despite the relief and happiness I feel about being there, I can’t seem to find it.
Beast Master, Vol. 1
by Kyousuke Motomi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have a few shorter series that I like to read over and over — this is one of them. A short story about Yuiko who uninterested in boys – loves animals instead – but animals seem to HATE, and the new “beast-like” male transfer-student that everyone’s afraid of: Rei Aoi.
…you see where this is going…
When Rei Aoi is scared or sees blood his hair turns white, he loses control, and becomes a wild-beast beating-up his aggressors. He’s lived away from civilization on an uninhabited Island, in Africa, and other places. This was his father’s and guardians’ way to protect him from his family as when he turns 18 he will be the sole inheritor of his grandfathers’ 12 billion yen fortune.
Yuiko quickly realizes that he isn’t scary — he’s just nervous, and not used to being out in society. They form a quick and solid bond…
The series is short — but very satisfying. The romance is sweet and the premise is fun, without having to drag on and pull out every shoujo plot-device in existence.
I will say though that Kyousuke-san REALLY should have rethought the drawing of the father. For every other adult the drawing was fine — but her reveal of the father seemed like a joke. Every time I read it I cringe when I see his face. He is a very very odd drawing. And even now I can’t quite decide what it is about it that is off-putting…. the “Jesus Hair” maybe??? …or his head is smaller than his body… I can’t decide. But, it’s WRONG!
Anyways, I like this one. I read it often. I recommend it.
Me & My Brothers, Vol. 1
by Hari Tokeino
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sakura is 14, and her grandmother has just passed-away. Her grandmother was her sole surviving relative and she’d been living with her for year after her parents died. She`s just getting ready to live on her own when she’s “accosted” by 4 rowdy boys.
It seems that her grandmother forgot to tell her that she had 4 half-brother’s who’ve all been living with different relatives up to this point. They begin living together.
We quickly learn that these half-brothers aren’t really “true” brothers. They were the sons of the father who married Sakura’s mother. But there is no blood relation. This opens up the possibility of having a romance between her & her oldest brother (11 years older than herself).
All the brother’s have a sister-complex. They will do anything for her — and most of the humour comes from the premise that they are protecting her from “unwanted” attention from other boys.
Hari Tokeino is one of my favourite draw-ers of babies. Some shoujo artists are good at it, and some aren’t. Hari-san is a pro! Her babies & toddlers are “squeeeeeeee”-worthy cute! Hari-san often draws the brother’s memories of their time living together before the parent’s died; back when Sakura was a baby. So so cute!
The relationship between Sakura and her novelist/cross-dressing brother Masashi is complicated and long-drawn out. She quickly discovers and declares her feelings for her oldest brother (around book 5), but he also has been showing signs of his complicated feelings for her at this point (it’s obvious that it’ll turn out). In a way he doesn’t take her feelings seriously, and continues to tease her — but there are a few good moments which turn both of them as red as lobsters.
I find the ending of the series — and the official beginning of their “romantic” relationship to be a bit contrived. It’s like they told Hari-san to “wrap it up” already because it was getting too long… and she just ends it after the whole “I’ve lost my memory” plot-device. It’s not a usual place to end the series. Losing your memory is supposed to come AFTER some great declaration or promise for some added tension, not BEFORE the promise. Oh well. I will admit that the series was getting a bit long. Most of her characters don’t make astounding changes or realizations from the first pages. Without major changes in plot or characters the story is bound to get stale by the end.
It’s still a cute series — I often reread it — but there are some parts that I often skip over. Including the short stories at the end of the book. Sometimes I’ll go back and read them, but I don’t feel like I miss anything when I don’t.
The brothers are easily the “same” characters, only less complicated as in Ouran High School Host Club. If you enjoy Ouran, you’ll probably like this one.
manga hoarder 