It’s always darkest before the dawn as Taitou’s journey has become more difficult as he is beaten down with the death of family and comrades, and a change in loyalty by his most trusted comrade Ryouko. Despite it all, he finds the strength to go on and decides to fight his destiny. He is determined to stop Keirou’s madness from destroying the Ken Empire and its people. By Hiromu Arakawa Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Historical Fantasy Price: $10.99 I liked the first two volumes of Hero Tales, though I had my reservations. These last three volumes move the plot along quickly to get to the final battle between Taitou and Keirou. Along the way, the story touches on the themes of dealing with loss, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and defying destiny. While I still think Hero Tales is a good story, these three volumes still can’t elevate it to a great one. In order for the story to go forward, there has to be a lot of looks back. Taitou’s past is confirmed, and Ryouko’s and Keirou’s are revealed. The reasons behind Keirou’s intense hatred of the Ken Empire is explained and understandable. Many of…
The Manga Village reviewers have covered a lot of manga over the years, and Naoki Urasawa and his titles are no different. It is interesting to note which titles are reviewers chose to review for the site. You’ll notice a lot of 20th Century Boys and Pluto, and a strange absence of this first big title here in the US, Monster. It could just be a case of choosing the new and shiny over an older series. Let’s take a look at what our reviewers have said about Urasawa’s titles over the last 5 years. Charles Tan was one of the founding reviewers for the site. While some of his reviews have been lost over site moves, some of his feelings could still be dug up. He summed up Volume 1 of 20th Century Boys as: Complex and intricate but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Has the same vibe as Old Boy and Monster. For the 1st volume of Pluto he said: Revitalizing Astro Boy for an adult audience. Not all of his reviews were lost. In his review of Volume 2 of Pluto he tackled the sci-fi elements of the series: There’s an old school science fiction flavor…
Chris collects the last of the data needed to analyze and come up with a way to cure the zombies. Irel and Lamia go in search of the last remaining bottles with the blood of Jesus Christ, when they find one, they are confronted by Lamia’s opposite, Jeanne D’Arc, trained to be the ultimate killer, and with Ian’s help Lamia is killed, but Irel continues his evolution, stopping her and going after Ian, leading to the final battle that will determine who is the real God. By JinJun Park Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action/Horror ISBN: 9780316220002 Price: $11.99 Raiders has been a rough ride for me. I started out detesting the series, but as a story started to emerge, I became more patient with it. Just as I thought it would be going somewhere, the title ends, but not before pulling out character and concepts from out of nowhere to accomplish it. The final battle is rather anti-climatic for all-powerful beings duking it out, but the ending is an appropriate one. Volume 8 picks up where 7 left off with Chris and the Zombie Hunter pretty much demolishing Area 51, with some added help from Crossline,…
After the intense drama of the Burnish Academy TV shoot, each member of the Muroe kendo team has a new outlook on their involvement with kendo, and Tamaki is eager to learn what reasons her friends have for participating in the sport, hoping they will help her find her own motivation. Kojiro plans a trip to observe the Gokuryuki national tournament to help Tamaki on her search, and with the support of her family and friends, Tamaki takes a confident step toward the future in the final volume of Bamboo Blade! Story by Masahiro Totsuka; Art by Aguri Igarashi Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Sports ISBN: 9780316189583 Price: $11.99 I was really drawn in to Bamboo Blade with the Burnish Academy arc, not knowing it was also the final arc of the series. My review of volumes 9-13 had me brimming with excitement for more, but this last volume of the series isn’t about the intense action and drama that the last 5 had. Instead it’s a quiet reflection of how far all the characters have grown and changed. But that is far from being a bad thing. After all the intensity of the match between Erina…
Madoka is horrified to learn the true nature of the witches she and her friends, the Magical Girls, have been fighting–and the terrible fate that awaits any Magical Girl who accepts Kyubey’s offer of power. Having watched countless Magical Girls sacrificed for the larger aims of his people, Kyubey is only interested in securing more girls to that end, and Madoka is left with his chilling reminder that she too is destined to be a Magical Girl of incredible power… Can Madoka and her friends escape this tragic fate? Story by Magica Quartet; Art by Hanokage Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action/Fantasy ISBN: 9780316217163 Price: $11.99 All the loose ends get tied up in this final volume of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The truth behind Kyubey, why Homura is so determined to keep Madoka from becoming a magical girl, and Madoka’s wish are all revealed, and like the rest of the series, none of it is what you would expect. Throughout the first two books, Homura has been vehemently adamant that Madoka not become a magical girl. We finally learn why through a series of flashbacks that show how Homura became a magical girl and what her…
At times hilarious, at others heartwarming, this collection of short stories penned by one of Japan’s most talented artists is a perfect addition to any library! A young girl discovers that new glasses give her a whole new perspective on the world, a bunny-girl waitress learns to cope with her male customers with dignity, an introverted art student inspires her fellow club members even as she takes inspiration from them, and more! Fans of Mori will enjoy seeing concept designs and historical notes from her award-winning series, as well as Mori’s own brand of enthusiastic commentary throughout. By Kaoru Mori Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Short Stories Price: $16.99 I haven’t read much of Kaoru Mori. I’ve only read A Bride’s Story so far. With CMX gone, her first series in English, Emma, is rather difficult to come by now. I do know about the series, and the praise it has received from other reviewers. What I wasn’t aware of, was just how much Mori likes her maids. This short story collections really makes her obsession with maids, and other things, very clear. I’ve never been into maids, so being hit with so many at once was…
Alice is having a nap n her garden when suddenly before her there appears a young man with rabbit ears! He whisks her away to a fantastic (but dangerous) world that seems straight out of a fairy tale, but one where every resident brandishes a weapon… Will Alice ever find her way back home?
When Roman architect Lucius is criticized for his “outdated” thermae designs, he retreats to the local bath to collect his thoughts. All Lucius wants is to recapture the Rome of earlier days, when one could enjoy a relaxing bath without the pressure of merchants and roughhousing patrons. Slipping deeper into the warm water, Lucius is suddenly caught in the suction and dragged through the drainage at the bottom of the bath! He emerges coughing and sputtering amid a group of strange-looking foreigners with the most peculiar bathhouse customs…over 1,500 years in the future in modern-day Japan! his contemporaries wanted him t modernize, and so, borrowing the customs of these mysterious bath-loving people, Lucius opens what quickly becomes the most popular new bathhouse in Rome — THERMAE ROMAE By Mari Yamazaki Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Historical/Comedy Price: $34.99 When I first heard about Thermae Romae, I thought the premise was ridiculous, and couldn’t sustain itself for more than a few chapters. I have never been more wrong about a title in my life. It turned out to be a funny story with fascinating cultural elements. Thermae Romae is the story of Lucius Modestus, a bathhouse engineer who…
Madoka Kaname is a happy, normal high school girl. She has a loving family and good friends. There’s nothing to cause her harm, until Kyubey, a strange, cat-like creature comes stumbling into her life, and introduces her, and her friend Sayaka, to the world of magical girls. It seems exciting at first, as she and Sayaka go on missions with Mami, the magical girl protecting their city. But it’s not all fun and games, as the girls quickly learn, but Kyubey’s offer of granting any wish becomes too tempting to Sayaka. But not everyone is cut out to be a magical girl. Story by Magica Quartet; Art by Hanokage Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action/Fantasy Price: $11.99 Being a magical girl sounds exciting. You get magical powers, a cool transformation, an awesome weapon and a cute mascot. You use all these things to fight the powers of darkness and protect the people around you. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be for magical girls. Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes all those expectations and turns them completely on their head. I first heard about the anime that this manga is based on, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, back…
For once, it looks like the Chikubushima High soccer team might heave a shot at the national tournament (provided all their players actually show up to the matches)! Rakuichi may have the raw talent that makes him an invaluable asset to this bizarre mess of a team, but his enourmous ego interferes with his ability to make good decisions on the field. (Seriously, dude. Just pass the ball.) As Rakuichi continues to irritate the heck out of his teammates, the foundation on the team, Azuchi, is out of commission, and captain Matsuri is losing interest as teh power of the principal’s bribes wane. With even tougher opponents to come, will the stars and supporting players of Chikubushima manage to pull together and secure victory? By Ryuji x Gotsubo Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Sports Price: $20.99 I’m not a masochist by nature, but I am a skeptic. So when I saw so many reviews reviling the first volume of Sasameke, I had to see the horror for myself. I was given such a chance when I received volume 2 for review. Let me just say, the reviews of volume 1 were not exaggerating. If anything, volume 2…