Manga Village

After the gripping, eye-opening revelations of the 19th volume of the series, volume 20 has been given the unfortunate task of having to follow all of that up as the series begins to wrap things up. This volume can more or less be considered a set-up volume, as plenty of things are brought to light and loose ends are tied up from the previous volume, but the plot is nigh at a standstill. Originally reviewed by Matthew Rozier By Hiromu Arakawa Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Teen (13+) Genre: Adventure, Mystery Price: $9.99 The previous volume finally revealed the origins of Hoenheim Elric, and one of the key moments in volume 20 is Alphonse encountering his father in the city Lior. Alphonse finally is able to ask Hoenheim about the mysterious figure lurking beneath Central, and Hoenheim proceeds to tell Alphonse the whole story. Hoenheim also brings up the subject of the “Day of Reckoning.” This “Day of Reckoning” is the major revelation of this volume, though to call it a “revelation” is a bit of a stretch. Not all that much information is actually divulged and readers are left waiting for future volumes to learn more. Edward also learns…

Miel is a bit out of sorts with the rest of her family. Unlike them, she isn’t really interested in developing her magical powers, which are quite common in Savarin, the kingdom she lives in. As a member of the Violette family, which had been employed as sorcerers in the palace as recently as a couple of generations ago. Originally reviewed by Dan Polley By Natsuna Kawase Publisher: CMX Genre: Fantasy/Romance Rating: Everyone Price: $9.99 It’s under those conditions that Miel brews while taking a walk. And she absent-mindedly lets go of her purse. And it ends up hitting a boy, who was out walking just up the street, right in the head. She apologies and tries to make it up to the boy, who happens to have the same popular nickname — Radi — as the prince, by taking him out to lunch. The guy seems to think Miel is trying to pick him up, and they appear to be on different pages. The two seem to bond quickly. Radi gently tries to glide Miel to understand the path of magic and to help her want to learn, even while Miel doesn’t realize that he is doing this. And…

This place may be a temple, but that scent in the air awakens a thousand and one memories in my mind. Written by Sun Jiaya; Art by Guo Guo Publisher: Yen Press Genre: Historical/romance/manhua Age rating: T/Teen Price: $12.99 The History of the West Wing is based on a classic Chinese play by Wang Shifu. It’s a simple love story, but one set in an earlier era among exalted people, which gives both the writer and the artist a chance to flex their muscles: the writer can play with the intense restrictions placed on male/female interaction among the upper class in China during the Tang Dynasty, and the artist can lavish every page with gorgeous paintings of period costumes and architecture. Normally when I consider a manga, or manhua in this case (since it’s from China), it’s the story that catches my attention first and foremost, but the prime attraction to The History of the West Wing is the art. Guo Guo’s art is full-colour — lush, delicate, and beautiful. There are a large number of full-page pinups in this volume, both interspersed through the story and in a chunk at the end, and while I’d normally resent this as…

If you knew a person that reacted to love with violence and hatred, what would you do? Enter Shogo, a young man whose childhood has caused him to react violently to any display of affection, be it from man or beast. His hatred is not unnoticed, though. As punishment for his aggression against love, a goddess appears before him and relates to him that he is to be punished by the gods to find the love he was never given as a child, and then have it snatched away violently from him over and over again. By Osamu Tezuka Publisher: Vertical, Inc. Age Rating: 16+ Genre: Drama Price: $19.95 Often claimed to be one of Tezuka’s most erotic and dark stories, Apollo’s Song is not the Astro Boy and Black Jack you’ve been used to. There is little cheer or happiness in Apollo’s Song. Vertical Inc. has released this comic to mixed appeal from many reviewers, and for good enough reason – its age. Apollo’s Song was written in 1970, a much less progressive time, especially in Japan. With each passage, we see characters and ideas rooted in that time. Women are treated more like objects and less like characters,…

Rosemarie is content with life in the humble kingdom of Ardela.  But Mache, her brother, believes they need to align with the bigger and wealthier nation of Yurinela so he promises her hand in marriage to Reynol, Yurinela’s mysterious young Prince.  Not a girl to just go along with such an arrangement, Rosemarie decides to get a peek at this Prince and maybe sabotage the wedding plans while she’s at it.  Assuming the identity of “Marie,” she shows up at the Prince’s castle as a maid and begins her role as a spy.  But could it turn out that Reynol is not the ogre she imagined? By Natsuna Kawase Publisher: CMX Age Rating: Everyone Genre: Romance/Fantasy Price: $9.99 A strong female lead is a great way to pull me into a story, but add interesting supporting characters, and a premise that’s simple but layered, and you’ve got me hooked!  A Tale of an Unknown Country does all of this, creating a fun read. I love reading stories with strong female characters, and Rosemarie, Princess of the small, relatively poor country of Ardela is exactly that.  She isn’t your average princess.  Outspoken and impulsive, Rosemarie doesn’t take the announcement of her…

In the sixth volume of Black God, the Shishigami family faces some critical decisions. Kuro, the sweet and innocent — vacuous, some could say — sister of Reishin, who is being groomed as the successor to the family leadership position. Originally reviewed by Dan Polley Written by Dall-Young Lim; Art by Sung-Woo Park Publisher: Yen Press Genre: Fantasy Rating: Older Teen Price: $10.99 Reishin falls into the young upstart whose views differ from those of the leadership council. Kuro reacts, too, to the wishes of the council and is chided for her intrusiveness. Later, after she and Reishin take a trip and talk, their mother experiences a prophetic dream, and afterward, her actions are a bit incongruous to her words. Kuro later takes a trip to a nearby city to play, but during the course of her excursion, she takes a slight detour. Unfortunately she ends up in the haven of a killer. And she watches as the killer threatens other young women who have fallen into his trap. It’s hard to believe she would be able to defend herself against a psychopath like Hiyou, and her escape is achieved through other means. After that ordeal is sorted through, the…

Series Description: Winning isn’t everything in the game of basketball, but who wants to come in second? It takes dedication and discipline to be the best, and the Shohoku High hoops team wants to be just that. They have one last year to make their captain’s dream of reaching the finals come true-will they do it? Takehiko Inoue’s legendary beloved basketball manga is finally here and the tale of a lifetime is in your hands. Volume Description: Shohoku’s (somewhat) friendly game against Ryonan finally gets underway. Old rivalries reignite with captain Akagi going toe-to-toe with Ryonan’s center, Uozumi. Hanamichi has flat-out declared that he will personally shut down Ryonan’s ace, Sendoh, but will Kaede Rukawa take care of things before Hanamichi even gets a chance to hit the floor? Either way, this is bound to be a game to remember. By Takehiko Inoue Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Teen Genre: Sports Price: $9.99 This was a tough one for me because of expectations. You see, everyone on the planet adores Slam Dunk. I mean, this series is venerated, legendary even. And Inoue’s two other series that are translated into English are awesome. I mean, have you seen Vagabond? It’s phenomenal….

Momoko Tenzen is very popular, but based on Seven, it’s hard to see why. Seven tells the story of an abandoned boy discovered by a bar owner at the age of twelve and given the name “Nana” — “Seven”, and of Mitsuha, an itinerant writer who meets Nana while searching for his long-lost brother Nanao. There is a backup story concerning exactly what did happen to Nanao, and a follow-on tale that shows how Mitsuha and Nana get on once they’ve started travelling together. By Momoko Tenzen Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing Genre: BL/Yaoi Age Rating: M/Mature/18+ Price: $12.95 And I find I have very little to say about any of it. None of it is offensive or stupid or ugly; I don’t much like Tenzen’s drawing style, since she goes in for wispy, indistinct figures and vague, low-detail backgrounds, but it’s easy enough on the eye. The story is coherent and makes a certain amount of emotional sense, but again, there’s an air of vagueness about it that makes it frustrating and unengaging. We never learn much about where the characters’ emotions are coming from, or about concrete details of their lives; Tenzen hops around from scene to scene in…

Not knowing it’s the solution to her curse, Yako thinks that Rasetsu’s quest for a boyfriend seems frivolous.  Nothing’s trivial about Rasetsu’s next exorcism, however, especially when she’s suddenly overpowered by the emotions of the spirit! By Chika Shiomi Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen+ Genre: Supernatural Romance Price: $8.99 This volume has more ghostly exorcisms that serve to bring Yako and Rasetsu together, despite themselves.  Kuryu’s introduction and first day at the agency is shown, and another glimpse of Yako’s guardian spirit makes an appearance, this time for Rasetsu. The romance between Rasetsu and Yako takes a few more small steps forward in this volume.  An exorcism that hits Rasetsu too close to home leaves her vulnerable, but Yako says just the right words to bring her back.  The attraction between them seems to be growing, despite the verbal barbs they still toss at each other.  These feelings become more evident when the whole agency goes to an amusement park for another exorcism, though it seems to be more about play than work.  I really prefer this kind of romance, with the couple getting to know each other and their feelings developing through their experiences together,…

Music has always been a powerful source of stimulation. Kyoichiro is a hot new pianist known as “The Conjurer of Melody” who possesses an extremely arrogant “bow before my greatness” attitude. So it’s no wonder that Kazune, Kyoichiro’s manager and lover, can’t help but feel she is nothing more than his erotic plaything. Will she be able to prove to Kyoichiro rhar she is more than just an instrument of pleasure? OR will she continue to be swayed by his intense melodies of desire? An erotic romance that will stimulate your senses with the rhythm of passion! By Rin Tanaka Publisher: Aurora Publishing – LuvLuv Genre: Romance/Josei Age Rating: M/Mature/18+ Price: $10.95 Arrogance that matches his musical talents, Kyoichiro is a popular pianist in this sensual tale of romance. Kazune, the ever doting girlfriend, has to manage both Kyochiro’s professional career and her adoration for a man who at first seemed to care more about making beautiful sounds in the bedroom than making the beautiful maiden truly happy. For me this was a great transitional title from the sometimes overly sappy shojo titles to a much more mature series that is geared more towards women. Within the first volume one…