Manga Village

In the fourth volume of Flowers of Evil, Takao makes his decision… He will try to win the affection of one his muses. This will be no simple task, as the teens in this manga drama are all now damaged and warped. Growing up without a mother has twisted their hearts. Helping people like that open up may be impossible, but Takao has thrown away his own humanity as well. Furthermore, Takao is now in search now a utopia. One that can only be shared with his best and only friend, that will sit, even if briefly, among the rice paddies and in the mountains of his rural hometown. And most importantly, it will be a place that pokes fun and undermines every little thin ideal that holds this town together. There is no way this new society will be accepted, but that is exactly what these two wanted in the first place. By Shuzo Oshimi Publisher: Vertical Age Rating: 13+ Genre: Psychological Price: $10.95 Shuzo Oshimi’s latest volume of Flowers of Evil takes place a few weeks after where the third volume left off. Takao is left to view his two muses back in their school setting but from…

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…

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?

Reira Bandou is an ordinary, average college student, until a group of strangers tell her she is the reincarnation of Ashura, the Buddhist god of war and a member of the Hachi Bushu. Demons are invading the world, so the other members must be found, while Reira must learn to control her powers and regain her past life memories. As her memories return, the truth about the past comes to light, which could tear the Hachi Bushu apart just as the final battle with the demons is about to begin. By Yuriko Matsukawa Publisher: Digital Manga Guild Localization: Translated by Todd Gunn; Edited by Angela Eastman; Lettered by Phileas J Fogg Age Rating: Teen Genre: Supernatural/Romance Price: $6.95 eManga/$7.95 Kindle/Nook/Wowio Having recently read the CLAMP manga RG Veda, Late Advent, which also features Ashura, the Buddhist god of war, interested me. The first volume started out with a lot of potential, but the rushed ending took a lot of wind out of its sails, leading to a less than satisfying story. Late Advent started out fairly strong. Reira is introduced as she is in Art History class, learning about the Hachi Bushu, lower gods who came to earth to protect…

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?

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…

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor, one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man! Edgar Ashenbert claims to be descended from the human ruler of the fairy kingdom, and he urgently needs Lydia’s help to find and claim his birthright, the legendary sword of the Blue Knight Earl. Things will never be the same for Lydia as she is pulled into a dangerous quest against dark forces! By Ayuko; Original Concept by Mizue Tani Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen Genre: Fantasy/Romance Price: $9.99 I first heard of The Earl and the Fairy when the anime was announced in 2008, but didn’t give it much mind until Viz announced the license last year. The way the premise for the anime was presented didn’t sound too interesting to me, I decided to give the manga a try. I’m glad I did. It’s a story filled with plenty of action, but what really makes this volume shine is the characters. The…

“This darkness leads to where you want to go. You must not stop. You must not look back.”

It’s just the girls this time as the Manga Villagers discuss the latest title for the Manga Movable Feast this month, Fruits Basket. This is a shojo title created by Natsuki Takaya and published by Tokyopop. This 23 volume series was among the first big hits in the US, and was Tokyopop’s biggest seller. It’s the story of Tohru Honda, a high school girl who has recently lost her mother, and through some circumstances, comes to live in a tent in the mountains, which also happens to be near the home of classmate Yuki Sohma, who is living with his cousins Shigure and Kyo. The Sohma family has a secret. They are cursed by the thirteen signs of the zodiac. Tohru accidentally learns their secret, but after promising to keep their secret, she is allowed to live with Yuki, Shigure and Kyo. What were your initial impressions of this title? Connie: (as a disclaimer, I re-read the series a few years ago, and read the ending two years ago, but haven’t picked it up since then. I didn’t have the volumes with me to re-read it for the feast. my impressions aren’t terribly fresh.) I couldn’t wait to read it…

Reviews are subjective things. A reviewer is drawing on many things when they write their review. Besides technical things such as story structure, character development and art, a reviewers personal preferences and experiences can affect their feeling about a book. And sometimes, even their gender can make a difference as to whether a book gets a good score or bad. In the following discussions, reviewers Alex Hoffman and Lori Henderson will look at different books and examine the similarities and differences they have over each of them. Dengeki Daisy Volumes 1-2 By: Kyousuke Motomi Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen Plus Genre: Romance Price: $9.99 ISBN: Vol. 1: 978-1-4215-3727-6; Vol. 2: 978-1-4215-3728-3 Lori Henderson: Well Alex, now that you’ve settled down in wedded bliss, are you ready for another round? Alex Hoffman:Ready when you are, Lori! Do you want to give us the rundown on Dengeki Daisy? LH: Sure! Teru Kurebayashi is a high school student and orphan. Shortly before her only relative, her older brother died, he gave her a cell phone and told her it would connect her to “Daisy”, someone who would look after and be someone she could confide to. After being bullied…