Manga Village

Let’s face it – every single person reading this review right now has seen a sitcom. These shows are a pervasive part of TV culture in the United States, and the reason that they do well is because they are very easy to relate to. But sitcoms come and go. There are only a few names that stick out when I think about sitcoms, because the shows are a dime a dozen. Sitcom pitches happen each season, and only a few manage to make it. The reason for this is that it takes a special type of writer to understand what makes a sitcom tick. There have to be plenty of zingy one-liners, sure. But what makes a sitcom a powerful show as opposed to a string of laugh tracks is its human interactions and family dynamics. Written and Illustrated by Fumi Yoshinaga Publisher: Viz Media Signature Series Age Rating: OT for Older Teen Genre: Slice of Life/Josei Price: US $12.99 ISBN: 1421532409 I would like to say that the reason why All My Darling Daughters by Fumi Yoshinaga is so wonderful is due to its strength in these areas. It does have zing, it does have great interactions and…

I’ve been fairly candid in the past about mentioning my love for Bunny Drop, a Yen Press title with a twice-yearly release. The series so far has been an absolute delight to read. I’ve neglected reviewing the first two volumes, so I will try to rectify that issue with a review of the third volume.

Reviews are subjective things. A reviewer is drawing on many things when they write their review. Besides technical things such as story structure, character development and art, a reviewers personal preferences and experiences can affect their feeling about a book. And sometimes, even their gender can make a difference as to whether a book gets a good score or bad. In the following discussions, reviewers Alex Hoffman and Lori Henderson will look at different books and examine the similarities and differences they have over each of them. Bakuman, Volumes 1-4 Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata Publsiher: Viz Media Age Rating: Teen Genre: Shonen/Drama/Comedy Price: $9.99 ISBN: Vol. 1: 978-1421535135, Vol. 2: 978-1421535142, Vol. 3: 978-1421535159, Vol. 4: 978-1421537931 Alexander Hoffman (AH): It looks like our first He Said, She Said was pretty big success, Lori! Lori Henderson (LH): It does indeed! We even got some ‘likes’, so I guess they really like us! AH: I wonder if they’ll like us after we discuss this edition’s topic – Bakuman? Let’s find out. If you don’t mind Lori, I can do our introduction. LH: I yield the keyboard to you. AH: Bakuman is a comic that focuses on…

Some of my critics are quick to point out that I don’t give very many high scores on my reviews. I generally don’t have nice things to say about the books I read, and I don’t really give out high marks on my reviews at Manga Village. I don’t know if this is because I have a high standard for the materials I read, or if I just want to be as honest as possible about the content so that people can get an opinion before they go out and buy the manga. I think it is probably a mix of these two personal factors and one key point I constantly fail to remember: the manga I read and review oftentimes are not written with me in mind. By: Mitsuru Adachi Publisher: Viz Media – Shonen Sunday Age Rating: Teen Genre: Sports/Drama Price: $19.99 When I received the Cross Game omnibus a few weeks ago, I worked through it with a bit of trepidation. I love baseball, so I was worried that the manga would either be too preachy about the rules or have large errors in gameplay that would make my enjoyment suffer. My misgivings were buffered by the…

I had high hopes for Shonen Jump’s latest series, Nura, Rise of the Yokai Clan. Unfortunately, things don’t always go like you want them to. Find out why after the jump!

Is it possible to look at a horrible life experience in a completely positive way? Hideo Azumi takes a shot at it, but the result is a varried and oftentimes disturbing autobiography that is mesmerizing. Read my review after the jump!

I have been reading quite a bit of shojo lately. I don’t think that my interests have changed all that much, to be honest. I still love Takahashi, and I am impatiently waiting for the next volume of Negima! to be released by Kodansha USA. Still, after putting off a few shonen series that I haven’t been following too closely, I realized that the bulk of my reading material was actually comics for girls. Which is fine with me, because, in the case of The Story of Saiunkoku, whatever sword-fight or display of power I could find in a shonen action/adventure, I also get in a more appreciable, subtle way with this odd-ball shojo love story. Written by Sai Yukino; Illustrated by Kairi Yura Publisher: Viz Media’s Shojo Beat line Age Rating: T for Teen Genre: Historical/Shojo Price: US $9.99, CAN $12.99, ISBN: Vol. 1 – 1421538342, Vol. 2 – 1421538350 The Story of Saiunkoku is a period drama based on light novels written by Sai Yukino, and it focuses on the headstrong and wily Shurei. Born of a noble family, her intelligence and strong will have made her a perfect candidate for public office – except she is ineligible…

What happens if the entire Earth becomes a nature preserve, and humans create a ring around it to habitate? This unusual question is the basis for the quiet and reflective Saturn Apartments.

Having moved all over the country for the better part of a year working one-month stints as a pharmacy student, I have come to appreciate the postal system. It has often been a physical link to family and friends when I was in an unfamiliar location…

To put it frankly, and not all that delicately – this shit is horrid.