Manga Village

Manga that share the same content matter with Sundome are normally considered erotica; While Sundome isn’t exactly a manga with sex in it, it’s definitely all about sex. More specifically, it’s a manga that, in the midst of a really twisted relationship, tries to discuss the concept of sexual arousal without sex. Basically, Sundome tries to explore what it is that turns you on, what arouses you. By Kazuto Okada Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Mature (18+) Genre: School Drama Price: $12.99 It does this through the interplay of Hideo Aiba, your regular boring dweeby kind of guy, and Kurumi Sahana, a girl who is far from ordinary. Everything about her turns on Hideo, and she notices as soon as she sits down next to him in class. In the first chapter of the book, she makes a deal with Hideo – I’ll be with you, but I’ll never have sex with you. In pure twisted fashion, Hideo says yes, and from this agreement, a relationship takes shape, as cruel and strange as that shape may be. Sundome explores the crevices and dirty nooks and crannies of the human mind, and as it does so, it intrigues me and infuriates…

Rando is back to his same old tricks, trying not to get caught pretending to be a girl, trying to get a job, trying to do this or that, and almost always getting caught by his crush / fake twin Rina or her group of friends. The big story arc this time around is that they’re all going on vacation to Okinawa, and Rando/Yuna has to go to the beach… By: Yasuhiro Kano Publisher: Viz Media/Shonen Jump Advanced Age Rating: Teen Plus (16+) Genre: Comedy/Gender Bender Price: $7.99 Once the story line is finished, it’s back to the same old stuff that happens in the first volume. This is not a good thing. None of the characters develop, there are no leads to the whereabouts of Yuna, and Rando seems content to just sit around and wait until she comes back. This volume abandons the main premise of the series quite easily for a dollop of fan service, and a splash of cheap laughs. If this manga is going to be character driven, the characters need to do something other than almost get caught for sexual harassment every three pages. When I first reviewed Pretty Face volume 1, I gushed…

The old cliche is that pictures are worth a thousand words; The cover of DearS volume 1, is the epitome of the cliche. One look at the tight rubber suit-like clothing, gratuitous bosoms, and the giant dog collar around the girl’s neck, and you get a pretty good idea about what this manga is about. By: Peach-Pit Publisher: Tokyopop Age Rating: Teen (13+) Genre: Comedy Price: $9.99 We start of with this loner, kind of losery guy named Takeya, and he lives by himself in an apartment. Everyone is obsessed with DearS, these  aliens that crash landed on Earth one year ago. They’re beautiful, strange, and, well, actually, they’re slaves. Great plot, right? It doesn’t get any better, I assure you. Takeya, in his own way, comes across one of these DearS and in saving her life, she becomes his slave forever. Of course, you don’t get that at the beginning of the book, but later on, it becomes readily apparent.. What isn’t apparent is why anyone would read this drivel. There is not a speck of plot to it; just a girl in a skin-tight plastic suit walking around and buying groceries in an apron. It’s like 7 different…

Junpei Manaka has a thing for film. So when a beautiful mystery girl in strawberry print panties falls on him on the roof and he gets a voyeuristic peek, what does he do? He decides to find out who she is, of course, so he can make a film of the act. By: Mizuki Kawashita Publisher: Viz Media – Shonen Jump Advanced Age Rating: Teen Plus (16+) Genre: Comedy Price: $7.99 So begins the high school melodrama of Strawberry 100%; Junpei and his friends begin the hunt for the mystery girl and her strawberry panties, and everyone gets mixed up in a strange, all to familiar love circle where everyone is sure that two people are perfect for each other, but intervening relationships, arguments, and other such tomfoolery end up keeping them away from each other. Strawberry 100% is primarily a romantic comedy, and it’s got its bright moments. The slapstick and situational humor, along with well translated, witty dialog can make for some good laughs. On the downside, it’s got some unrealistic, harem-manga qualities that I hope get weeded out in the upcoming books. Focusing on the interplay between all the characters is what makes this kind of story…