Manga Village

Shall the son suffer for the continued sins of the father?  Alexis hatches an evil plan involving a beautiful girl with a sick fascination for his son.  And could Jizabel’s hatred of Cain also stem from their father? Step into the past as we learn more about the tortured early life of Dr. Disraeli! By Kaori Yuki Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Drama/Horror Price: $8.99 If the last volume was about betrayal, then the theme of this one could be said to be about love.  It can be twisted from infatuation into obsession, and independence into servitude.  But, in the face of a pure heart, such manipulations can be broken. Alexis Hargreaves is the master of manipulation. He uses the emotion of love and twists it from something beautiful to something dark and evil.  We watch him pull both Mikaila’s and Disraeli’s strings to get them to do his bidding, but the puppet he needs most has already cut his strings.  Cain is no long under his father’s spell, and can not only refuse him, but one-ups him!  It was very refreshing to see Cain be one step ahead of his father for a change. Throughout this…

Cain stumbles on a secret that will change his life forever.  It’s not only the Hargreaves who harbor skeletons in their closet.  To whom can you turn when the only person you every trusted betrays you beyond your worst nightmares? By Kaori Yuki Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Horror/Drama Price: $8.99 Betrayal is an act that can either destroy a person or transform them.  This volume is dedicated to the build up and reveal of a major character as a betrayer.  But the real drama begins afterwords, with Cain’s reaction and resolution to the betrayal. The betrayal revealed in this volume was probably very obvious to a lot of people.  But because it is so obvious that it’s the last person you think of.  Yuki-sensei is a master of creating red herrings to steer the reader off, in this volume she did a supremely good job of it.  She had me guessing all the way to the end.  But, once it was revealed, there was no doubt, because she is careful to lay the path before hand.  In this case, it goes back to the first series, The Cain Saga. Cain’s father, Alexis, expects…

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…

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…