Momoko Tenzen is very popular, but based on Seven, it’s hard to see why. Seven tells the story of an abandoned boy discovered by a bar owner at the age of twelve and given the name “Nana” — “Seven”, and of Mitsuha, an itinerant writer who meets Nana while searching for his long-lost brother Nanao. There is a backup story concerning exactly what did happen to Nanao, and a follow-on tale that shows how Mitsuha and Nana get on once they’ve started travelling together. By Momoko Tenzen Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing Genre: BL/Yaoi Age Rating: M/Mature/18+ Price: $12.95 And I find I have very little to say about any of it. None of it is offensive or stupid or ugly; I don’t much like Tenzen’s drawing style, since she goes in for wispy, indistinct figures and vague, low-detail backgrounds, but it’s easy enough on the eye. The story is coherent and makes a certain amount of emotional sense, but again, there’s an air of vagueness about it that makes it frustrating and unengaging. We never learn much about where the characters’ emotions are coming from, or about concrete details of their lives; Tenzen hops around from scene to scene in…
Not knowing it’s the solution to her curse, Yako thinks that Rasetsu’s quest for a boyfriend seems frivolous. Nothing’s trivial about Rasetsu’s next exorcism, however, especially when she’s suddenly overpowered by the emotions of the spirit! By Chika Shiomi Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen+ Genre: Supernatural Romance Price: $8.99 This volume has more ghostly exorcisms that serve to bring Yako and Rasetsu together, despite themselves. Kuryu’s introduction and first day at the agency is shown, and another glimpse of Yako’s guardian spirit makes an appearance, this time for Rasetsu. The romance between Rasetsu and Yako takes a few more small steps forward in this volume. An exorcism that hits Rasetsu too close to home leaves her vulnerable, but Yako says just the right words to bring her back. The attraction between them seems to be growing, despite the verbal barbs they still toss at each other. These feelings become more evident when the whole agency goes to an amusement park for another exorcism, though it seems to be more about play than work. I really prefer this kind of romance, with the couple getting to know each other and their feelings developing through their experiences together,…
Music has always been a powerful source of stimulation. Kyoichiro is a hot new pianist known as “The Conjurer of Melody” who possesses an extremely arrogant “bow before my greatness” attitude. So it’s no wonder that Kazune, Kyoichiro’s manager and lover, can’t help but feel she is nothing more than his erotic plaything. Will she be able to prove to Kyoichiro rhar she is more than just an instrument of pleasure? OR will she continue to be swayed by his intense melodies of desire? An erotic romance that will stimulate your senses with the rhythm of passion! By Rin Tanaka Publisher: Aurora Publishing – LuvLuv Genre: Romance/Josei Age Rating: M/Mature/18+ Price: $10.95 Arrogance that matches his musical talents, Kyoichiro is a popular pianist in this sensual tale of romance. Kazune, the ever doting girlfriend, has to manage both Kyochiro’s professional career and her adoration for a man who at first seemed to care more about making beautiful sounds in the bedroom than making the beautiful maiden truly happy. For me this was a great transitional title from the sometimes overly sappy shojo titles to a much more mature series that is geared more towards women. Within the first volume one…
A robot may not harm or kill a human being. Article 13 of the Robot Laws. Adolph, a member of a robot hate group, is being used as a pawn and hunted down by the members of his own brotherhood. He must now turn to his worst enemy for protection–Gesicht, the robot who he believes killed his own brother. Originally reviewed by Matthew Rozier By Naoki Urasawa x Osamu Tezuka Publisher: Viz Media – Viz Signature Age Rating: Older Teen (16+) Genre: Mystery, Thriller ISBN: 9781421525839 Price: $12.99 Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto is beginning to show signs of winding down. With a mere three volumes to go after the conclusion of volume five, things appear to be headed towards the climax as Urasawa’s continues to peel layers off of his multi-layered plot. Inspector Gesicht’s past really begins to unravel here as Urasawa finally sheds light on the gaping hole regarding Hans’ brother and Gesicht’s involvement in the whole affair. Gesicht’s recollection of his horrid memories further blurs the line between human and machine. Apparently robots can harbor feelings of true hatred, a concept that is fascinating on its own. It is also Hercules’ turn to face the mysterious enemy and this…
It was my first time seeing the city at night. Those lights glittering like white sugar against the gloom of the dark sky were as wondrous as the starry heavens spread out upon the earth. By Gong GooGoo Publisher: Yen Press Genre: Shoujo/Manwha/Drama Age Rating: T/Teen Price: $10.99 I’m not very familiar with Korean comics, or manwha, but all the examples I’ve encountered have been both excellent and distinctly different from Japanese comics, while obviously owing them a stylistic debt. Sugarholic is no exception; it’s so steeped in the shoujo tradition that it even includes a brief parody of Rose of Versailles, the shoujo manga to end all shoujo manga; and of course, the heroine is clumsy and plain. But she doesn’t start the manga by running out of the house with a slice of toast in her mouth because she’s late for school, and for that we can all be thankful. No, the heroine of Sugarholic has left school behind: she’s 20-year-old Jae-Gyu Sin, who’s been shipped off to Seoul to live with her brother because her hardass of a grandmother is tired of her lazy, gluttonous ways. On her way to her brother’s apartment, Jae-Gyu runs into Whie-Hwan…
Before a certain orange jump suited ninja came onto the scene people were reading about a very different ninja in the pages of Shonen Sunday. I remember many years back one of my coworkers mentioning that Flame of Recca was his favorite anime but that is sort of just ends in the middle of a storyline after being canceled. He lamented the fact that from what he knew the manga had a proper ending but he knew of no plans to pick up the license in the US. Then about a year later came the Tokyopop revolution and the manga boom. Many titles that have been on wish lists for licensing for the longest time became realities and Flame of Recca was one of those titles. So I decided to read what had been recommended to me so long ago. Originally reviewed by Alain Mendez By Nobuyuki Anzai Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Teen+ Genre: Action Price: $9.99 Recca Hanabishi is the son of a fireworks manufacturer who is a self-styled ninja that he mentions quite often in the least ninja way possible. He has made it known that anyone who defeats him in a fight will gain his services…
Raizo has a secret: He has a horn growing on the top of his head. To everyone in the village around him, that makes him an outcast, someone to be avoided at all possible costs. Originally reviewed by Dan Polley By Tanaka Hosana Publisher: Del Rey Manga Genre: Action Rating: Older Teens (16+) Price: $10.99 However, to a few select ninjas who happen to be women, he is the final stop in the bloodline of the Katana family. In their eyes, that makes him the rightful heir to the throne. And now that they’ve found him, they are going to do everything they can to ensure that he rules the land like he should. It’s how these ninja girls go about that provides some intrigue and hilarity to the plot. Raizo meets the ninjas one at a time, and each one tries — in her own way — to ensure his safety. And that’s always how the comedic portions of the volume are set up. Each new ninja is introduced and then works to lay out a plan to save Raizo from any trouble nearby and to help him regain rulership of the land under his family’s banner. Although the…
When Viz Media first debuted their new website, SIG IKKI, a collection of seinen (young men’s) and josei (young women’s) manga titles aimed at older readers, Children of the Sea was the first comic to see its debut. Now that the first 8 chapters have all been released online, they’ve been printed into the first collection of the manga title, in a whopping 320 page Signature size book which looks more like a Pluto or a 20th Century Boys style publication. By Daisuke Igarashi Publisher: Viz Media – Sigikki Age Rating: Older Teen (16+) Genre: Mystery Price: $14.99 Children of the Sea is at its heart, a character driven mystery. It hinges on the fantastic and strange myths of the sea, and three children all connected by a “Ghost of the Sea.” Ruka is a young, brash, tomboy who can’t really express herself through words, and gets in trouble playing handball and gets kicked off her school’s team right at the beginning of their summer break. In her sulking, she decides to travel to Tokyo, and meets Umi, a strange, glowing boy, who is connected to her father, who works at an aquarium in Tokyo. Soon, she also meets Sora,…
Now that I don’t get to talk to my family, I’ve noticed I talk to myself more often… By Mikage Publisher: Yen Press Genre: Humour/yonkoma/yuri Age rating: T/teen Price: $10.99 Yonkoma (or “four-cell comics”) are the Japanese equivalent of comic strips like Penny Arcade or Garfield: short, continuity-light gag strips that may or may not build up into a longer story. The best-known yonkoma in the English-speaking world is probably Azumanga Daioh. Ichiroh! concerns two girls, Nanako and Akane, who have failed their college entrance exams and must spend a year studying at a prep school to re-take them — hence the title: they are “ronin” because they failed the exams, and “ichiroh” because they’re in their first (“ichi”) year of studying to catch up.Added to the picture is Shino, a classmate who is hopelessly infatuated with Nanako but who unfortunately managed to pass her entrance exam and so can’t join her in prep school (no matter how hard she tries), and a very eccentric dorm manager, whose dorm is also a Shinto shrine which Nanako and Akane are expected to help maintain as mikos to offset their rent.And as if that wasn’t enough, Akane is addicted to video games…
A demon’s wrecking havoc in Feng Xia neighborhood! While tracking down this demon, Yun-Shi’s shifu ends up at Hui-Niang’s house. Will she survive this encounter? Su Ping learns that Cai-Sheng is familiar with the mysterious long-haired man. Su Ping starts to wonder how they are related. Wei Zi-Qiu receives an order that if Cai-Sheng is to harm humans, she must be killed. What will Zi-Qiu do? By I-Haun Publisher: DrMaster Publications Age Rating: 13+ Genre: Fantasy/Romance Price: $9.95 Cai-Sheng finally starts to realize her faults, but not until after she loses the one must precious to her, Hui-Niang. Her drive for revenge puts her in potential trouble with heaven, and her naiveté about human relationships puts any relationship between Su Ping and Yun-Shi in peril as well. I didn’t feel as excited about this volume as I did the first two. That Cai-Sheng’s selfishness not only cost Hui-Niang her life, but those of her children as well bothered me, and I didn’t really feel anything for her when she took her revenge on Yun-Shi’s shifu. If she had done what she had promised in the previous volume, they wouldn’t have had to die. Even though Cai-Sheng realizes her error, she…