Manga Village

I have been lucky in my reading that I rarely come across things I actively hate. Sure, I have had a few instances (Sasameke comes to mind) but the stuff I don’t like I just don’t like, and there are no hard feelings. But there are times when I consider a new title to add to the “shit list,” and unfortunately, Attack on Titan is one of those times. By Hajime Isayama Publisher: Kodansha Comics Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Shonen/Speculative Fiction/Horror Price: $10.99 At the core of Attack on Titan is a futuristic version of the Earth where the human race has been driven nearly to extinction by a race of giant monsters called Titans. These creatures seem only to exist to devour human beings. Humanity has responded to these alien creatures by building a giant walled city to protect themselves, and created an elite group of fighters who protect the human race by using retro-futuristic grappling hooks and natural gas to propel themselves through the air and kill Titans. As far as end of the world stories go, it’s a fairly original premise. While the premise is original, the execution in Attack on Titan is poor. The tone of the dialogue is always some flavor…

I’ve never enjoyed Vampire Knight. Not from it’s first appearance in Shojo Beat magazine to its final issue. But with two volumes sitting the review pile and the Vampire Manga Movable Feast coming up, I decided to give the series another try. I didn’t have any real hope that I would change my mind, but it couldn’t get any worse, right?

Haruka is a young girl who is able to predict the future with incredible accuracy–an ability that has made her a target. When she is kidnapped, Haruka uses her power to seek out someone who can help her, fixing upon a blind man amid the crowded streets of Tokyo. Though seemingly odd choice, Haruka’s powers have not led her wrong, as her chosen protector draws a sword from his walking stick and deftly takes out her captors. Knowing she will always be pursued for her gift, Haruka begs the mystery swordsman to keep her safe… “Until Death Do Us Part.” Story by Hiroshi Takashige; Art by DOUBLE-S Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action Price: $18.99 I was interested in Until Death Do Us Part when it was first announced at NYCC/NYAF last year, though now that I think back, I can’t seem to remember why. That is unfortunately a common theme with this title. It isn’t very memorable in story or characters. The best thing it’s had going for it is its similarity to other stories that I did enjoy. Blind Swordsmen are nothing in Japanese story telling. Zatoichi, a character created by novelist Kan Shimozawa is…

It makes sense to me that one of the most cutting edge manga in Yen Press‘ manga collection is Soul Eater Not! The series is published on the same day and date in the USA as it is in Japan, and is the only series that Yen Press releases with that schedule. In Japanese comics, it stands beside Rumiko Takahashi’s Rin-Ne from Viz Media as the only other mainstream* comic that is released day and date in both Asia and America. The reason why this makes sense to me has quite a bit to do with the characteristics of Soul Eater Not! – it is neither shojo, shonen, or moe, but rather a strange mix of all three. By Atsushi Ohkubo Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre:  Slice of Life/Action/Fantasy Price: $11.99 USA The best way to describe Soul Eater Not! is that is not the same manga as Soul Eater, another popular release from Yen Manga. Written and illustrated by the same author and set in the same world, it even uses some of the same characters to tell a much different story. Tsugumi, our main character, is a girl enrolled in the DWMA, an international organization in charge of training meisters and “weapons” in order to make sure they are able to control their abilities…

Born into a family of “Hunters,” Takamichi’s destiny is to pursue and slay demons. When her twin brother is killed, she is saved from despair by a pair of Jiu Jiu–shape shifting familiars–in the form of two wolf pups named Snow and Night. Now Takamichi is in high school and an active Hunter. Snow and Night can’t wait to attend school in their human form to “protect” her. But are they ready to go off leash…? By Touya Tobina Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Supernatural Price: $9.99 On first reading, I didn’t really like Jiu Jiu. I didn’t like Takamichi and Snow and Night were so clingy and annoying. It really took a second read for the story to sink in and for me to understand why they had to be like that. I’ve come to like the story now, but I am still shaky on the characters. Takamichi, the protagonist of Jiu Jiu, starts off as rather dis-likable. She is cold and seemingly abusive of her two charges. She always yelling at them or hitting them on the heads. It was very difficult to see anything to like about her. As the story…

Getting halfway through a series and finding things to talk about can sometimes be quite challenging; with Natsume Ono’s work, it’s a fairly simple matter. It may be my love for her characters, her designs, and her writing, but the complexities are fascinating and are great for discussion.

Much to Akira’s dismay, his lecherous tutor from middle school, Sho Kasuga, has suddenly reappeared. Akira has a secret from his past that he doesn’t want Mizuki to know, and he’s terrified Sho will reveal it!

Sho’s plans to plunge the world into chaos continue as he targets the Eight Daitengu, hoping to strip his brother Kyo of all his protectors. And now Sho has Hoki, whose secret past makes him easy prey. Can Hoki stand up to Sho, or will his efforts to aid Kyo backfire?

The girls of the Mureo High kendo team face off again against Ishibaki’s pupils from Kamasaki High. And then the drama abounds as the popular TV show, Burnish Academy shows an interest in filming the girls for the sports segment of the show. But first, they must survive not just the rivalry between the co-hosts, but also of some surprise guests; kendo prodigy Ura Sakaki and some of the strongest girls from around the country known as Kendo Komachi! Story by Masahiro Totsuka; Art by Aguri Igarashi Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Sports Price: $11.99 I read the first few chapters of Bamboo Blade in Yen Plus when it first came out, but wasn’t impressed with what I read at the time. It’s eight volumes later, and I decided to check out the series and see if there was any improvement. I couldn’t believe the difference! The characters and story drew me in quickly, and the kendo action kept my eyes glued to the page. This is the first sports manga to really got its hooks into me. There’s been a lot of character development since the series began. When I read the first chapters, I was…

When Kanro, one of the Seven Member Committee seeking to eradicate all contradictions, sniffs out the stragglers from Z-Loan at a rundown motel and attempts to flush them down the data drain like their “deleted” comrades, Chika and Shito end up not in the ether–but as characters in a video game! With the help of an old enemy they escape, but then must face the truth about Michiru as her true nature is revealed. Michiru must come to grips with it as well, and what she decides will affect not just those of Z-Loan, but of both the mortal world and the afterlife! By Peach-Pit Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: 16+ Genre: Supernatural/Action Price: $11.99 I was surprised to hear that volume 13 was the final volume of the series, when the end of volume 11 started a new arc. Apparently it wasn’t a just new arc but the beginning of the end. But its an arc that feels rushed and slapped together rather than thoughtfully planned out. I’m sure Peach-Pit had the ending to this series all planned out. Some groundwork was laid as scenes from previous volumes that are referenced, such as Hakka telling Michiru about her true…