Manga Village

It is time for the truth to be told.  At last, all the secrets of the Hargreaves family are brought from the dark into the harsh light of day, as Cain’s epic adventures draw to a close.  Is Cain ready to find out who he truly is?  Are you ready? By Kaori Yuki Publisher: Viz Media Rating: 16+ Genre: Drama/Horror Price: $8.99 This is it. After 12 volumes of mystery and intrigue (including the Cain Saga), we finally have a resolution to all the main characters fates.  It is the end of Delilah and the evil mastermind behind all the suffering of the Hargreaves family, but the villain isn’t who you’d expect. This volume starts off with Cain saying his final goodbyes before going to try to stop Delilah and have his final confrontation with his father.  He still must struggle past Delilah’s Cards as his father prepares for Judgement Day and the resurrection of the soul of his dead sister Augusta and Cain’s mother.  When Cain finally reaches the Delilah’s headquarters, each confrontation ends in a resolution for each character.  Cain is able to face his father, and finish what he started in the Cain Saga, as well as…

Ian is transported to another world by the fairy Ainsel, who promises to help him stop Tokage upon their return to the human plane. By Kaori Yuki Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Genre: Fantasy/Horror Drama Rating: T+ Price: $8.99 Dropping Celtic mythology into modern-day Japan, Fairy Cube is a departure from the usually moody and dark tales. There’s no brooding from the lead, or long, strung out plots. The story is fast paced, but still moves smoothly as it establishes both its characters and direction of the story. Ian Hasumi has always been able to see fairies. But because he has been the only one, no has ever believed him, except for childhood friend Rin. Ian has another secret. Another Ian, that haunts him, that he calls “Tokage”. He torments Ian, turning his father against him, and leading him into trouble. Tokage is a changeling, and manipulates Ian’s father to kill Ian so he can take over his body and life. Ian, relegated to spirit form, is determined to get revenge on Tokage and reclaim his body and life. When I first read the preview for this title, I thought it was going to be another dark story, with…

Things start heating up with a holiday visit to the sunny beachside! Sachie catches the eye of handsome Azuma Inui, sparking a rivalry between Azuma and Rakuto. Will a little competition force Rakuto to reveal his feelings for Sachie? Wild Ones Volume 2 By Kiyo Fujiwara Publisher: Viz Media Genre: Comedy/Romance Age Rating: Teen Price: $8.99 Moving away from the Yakuza comedy that made up so much of volume 1, volume 2 is more about the typical shojo conventions seen in every series; at the beach, at the school camp, the school festival, and the most conventional of all, the romantic rival. While these conventions can make the story more generic, the characters are still interesting enough to keep it from being pulled down to complete mediocrity. The volume starts off with a trip to the beach to visit with an old friend of Raizo. Sachie of course has to cause a scene when she sees someone wasting food. Then we meet Azuma, who’s obviously attracted to Sachie, and who conveniently is the grandson of Raizo’s friend. Rakuto and Azuma immediately butt heads, so of course Azuma has to come back with them to live while his grandfather is in…

Haruhiko is 100% head over sneakers for his sweet, shy science teacher Yuka.  After all, she’s a total brainiac…and incredibly hot!  But what’s he supposed to do when an enchanted vixen named Eukanaria suddenly falls into his lap (in a tiny miniskirt) and demands Haruhiko’s help?  Demonic battles, powerful sorcery, and a busy bee who can’t mind her own business…what will happen when magic and mayhem mix? By Izumi Kawachi Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing Genre: Fantasy/Action Rating: 16+ Price: $12.95 Coming from a publisher that is known for mostly publishing BL manga, this title is a nearly complete 180.  Enchanter has all the action, hot girls and fan service to appease any teenage boy.  There’s actually a story in here too, though for me the fan service nearly cancels it out. Haruhiko is just an ordinary boy with a crush on his teacher and next door neighbor, Yuka.  His feelings are perfectly natural for a 16-year-old boy, but the situation he gets thrown into isn’t.  While trying to fix Yuka’s MD player, a demon, who could be Yuka’s twin falls literally into his lap.  Eukanaria is being hunted because she carries the soul of her lover, the Enchanter Fulcanelli, who…

Michio Yuki has it all: looks, intelligence, a pedigree as the scion of a famous kabuki family, a promising career at a major bank, legions of female admirers. But underneath the sheen of perfection lurks a secret with the power to shake the world to its foundations. By Osamu Tezuka Published: Vertical, Inc. Genre: Political Thriller Rating: 16+ Price: $24.95 ISBN: 1-932234-83-7 I wasn’t sure what to make of MW (pronounced Moo) when I received it. I’d never read any Tezuka before and my only real exposure to his work was the TV series Kimba, so I really didn’t know what to expect. But I really wasn’t expecting what I got! The stark reality of kidnapping, murder, and man love in just the first few chapters was a shock. But after a steady diet of shonen and shojo manga, a strong dose of realism can be a shock, but in a good way. One the surface, MW is a political crime thriller. Sixteen years ago, a poisonous gas was accidentally released on the small island of Okinawa Mafune, killing all the residents, but unknowingly, two people survived; Michio Yuki and Iwano Garai. The whole incident was covered up by the…