While searching for Alice in a dimension made up of her memories, Oz stumbles on the Sablier tragedy of 100 years ago and discovers some secrets about Alice, Gil and Vincent Nightray, as well as a secret about himself. Then it’s off for some lighter moments as Oz goes to visit his younger sister who he hasn’t seen in 10 years, before an old villain re-emerges; the Baskervilles, who are looking for Oz to find the truth of Sablier from ...

1 Comment Lori Henderson Read More

Legend speaks of seven heroes, each one bearing the bower of one of the stars of the Big Dipper.  Two of these stars are constantly in conflict, destined to battle and throw the world into chaos… Not that Taitou has ever paid much attention to old stories.  Headstrong and defiant, he is the last in his village to complete his coming-of-age ceremony– a fact his sister Laila incessantly teases him about.  When he is presented with th...

No Comments Lori Henderson Read More

High Schooler Ji-Hae is desperately in love with her classmate Seung-Hyu.  She has done all she can think of to win his affection, but to no avail.  When her latest scheme crosses the line, Seung-Hyu decides he’s had enough…and inadvertently pushes her down a staircase! Ji-Hae awakens in the world beyond, only to learn that it’s not her time to die.  But why go back when the love of her life hates her to death!  Touched by h...

No Comments Lori Henderson Read More

The manga market is fairly saturated with books about ninjas. Ninjas are the latest craze for boys, just like vampires are the latest craze for girls. It’s no surprise that plenty of people are trying to get in on the ninja bandwagon.  Yen Press’ entry into ninja fiction, Nabari no Ou, has been publishing monthly in its Yen Plus anthology for more than a year now, and it’s picked up a lot of steam, but only recently has the compiled trade ...

No Comments Alex Hoffman Read More
Rasetsu Volume 3
Reviews , Viz Media / December 22, 2009

Being haunted by spirits seems to run in the family 0 this time, it’s Rasetsu’s mother who need help! Can Rasetsu dispel the spirits successfully with her own personal family issues weighing her down? By Chika Shiomi Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Supernatural/Romance Price: $9.99 While we do get a glimpse into Rasetsu’s personal life and past, the focus of this volume is really on the invisible lov...

AmeFurashi: The Rain Goddess Volume 2
Del Rey , Reviews / December 16, 2009

The Rain Goddess Sora is back and she has help in Gimmy and his friends in trying to get her tree spirit back. The group travels to an annual festival, where they think they will be able to meet the amefurashi of the land. Hopefully that god will be able to assist them in their quest to get Sora’s tree spirit back. Originally reviewed by Dan Polley By Atsushi Suzumi Publisher: Del Rey Rating: 13+ Genre: Action/Adventure Price: $10...

Angelic Runes Volume 1
Digital Manga Publishing , Reviews / December 15, 2009

Brave Sowil wields the power of mysterious runes that can bend nature to his will and even fill his pockets with unlimited riches.  But can the cryptic tiles help him unlock the many secrets surrounding the identity of his long-lost father?  He’ll have to contend with both angels and demons as he winds his way through desolate deserts, a hidden spring and shape-shifting forests on his quest.  Who will help Sowil discover his li...

Akira Volume 1
Kodansha Comics , Reviews / December 14, 2009

There was much talk about Kodansha’s decision to open offices in the US many months back. We know several publishers lost their licenses with Kodansha, and there was fear other Japanese publishers might follow suit. So far the sky hasn’t fallen yet, but in the meantime Kodansha has not flooded the market with titles, but has fairly quietly released what will be one of the biggest re-releases of the year. By Katsuhiro Otomo P...

Deka Kyoshi Volume 1
Reviews / December 7, 2009

A police detective goes undercover in this series, but he becomes a fifth-grade teacher, replacing the role left when the previous fifth-grade teacher was murdered. Now he is set to investigate what happened. Originally reviewed by Dan Polley By Tamio Baba Publisher: CMX Age Rating: Teen+ Genre: Drama/Suspense Price: $9.99 However, the plot is pretty fun and interesting. Toyama comes into the classroom and finds fifth-graders with some ...

Vampire Hunter D Volume 3
Digital Manga Publishing , Reviews / December 7, 2009

The vampire-slaying hunter known only as “D,” with a reputation of taking care of business by way of the sword, is on another bounty run– this time to resuce the beautiful daughter of a wealthy village elder, kidnapped by the vampire Noble, Mayerling.  But what happens when another group of bounty hunters have taken up the same assignment? Head of the notorious mercenary clan, the Marcus family, older Borgoff leads hi...

Sarasah Volumes 1-2
Featured , Reviews , Yen Press / December 2, 2009

High Schooler Ji-Hae is desperately in love with her classmate Seung-Hyu.  She has done all she can think of to win his affection, but to no avail.  When her latest scheme crosses the line, Seung-Hyu decides he’s had enough…and inadvertently pushes her down a staircase! Ji-Hae awakens in the world beyond, only to learn that it’s not her time to die.  But why go back when the love of her life hates her to death!  To...

Magic Touch Volume 3
Reviews / November 30, 2009

I think I am a glutton for punishment. After thoroughly disliking the first two volumes of Magic Touch, you would think that I would know to steer clear of the manga from that point onward. Sadly, the review copy for the third volume came in the mail, and I feel it’s my obligation to give the book its review. By: Izumi Tsubaki Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen Plus Genre: Romance Price: $8.99 I know that I a...

Oishinbo: A la Carte Ramen & Gyozo Volume 3
Reviews , Viz Media / November 30, 2009

Like every volume of this series, this one draws from multiple stories across nearly three decades of the manga. Viz is looking at an ongoing manga with so much history they’ve given up any hope of reprinting it volume by volume here in the US. Instead, they’ve decided to collect various stories based on subject. This does two things: it at once intensifies the “foodie-ness” and dilutes the narrative flow. When a volume is entir...

Yakitate!! Japan Volume 19
Reviews , Viz Media / November 26, 2009

Series Description: Azuma Kazuma, an energetic and dense young man, was introduced to the art of bread making when he was six. He decides to take the path of bread-making and become a baker right after graduating from middle school. Through his travels, he encounters many rivals and found work at the branch store of the most famous bread maker brand, the Pantasia. By: Takashi Hashiguchi Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Older Teen Genre:...