What I read in February: Digest Version, part 1 of 2

b Boys Over Flowers 33: Tsukasa still doesn't remember Tsukushi.  The nice girl who was his neighbor in the hospital starts getting really close to him, and he treats Tsukushi like dirt because no one will just tell him who she is.  (Ah, amnesia plots.)  When Tsukushi finally has enough, she lets Tsukasa have it, which seems to be the additional tramastic head injury he needs to get them back to their usual dysfunctional and crabby relationship.  And something genuine might be about to happen between Tsukushi's friend and one of the F4.  Or something shallopw and terrible.  Not sure at this point.

"Umi, when you smile, it reminds me of the sun.  How many times have I felt envious of you?  I'm a little warped, so I'd never be able to smile like that."

b D. Gray-Man 12: We're smack dab in the middle of the end of the fighting inside Noah's Ark.  Krory gives it his all.  Alan and Co. end up facing off with the sometimes ambiguous Tyki Mikk (one of my favorite characters) , and Lavi falls victim to Road's power.

b Here Is Greenwood 5: A sort-of predecessor to Seiho, this series is wacky and set at an elite, all-boys' school.  The main character is kind of everyone's punching bag, so the humor comes from the character interactions and how they needle him in their own various ways.  A good time with some touching moments followed by more gags. 

b Otomen 6: This is another series where, every time I read it, I wonder why I haven't read a volume in so long.  Chock full of goofiness and social commentary, this volume shows us what happens when Yamato falls for a girl and asks Asuka to figure out what he should do to woo her by going out on a fake, planning date.  And there are plenty of heart-pounding shojo moments, such as the one where Asuka meets another manly looking young man who likes the frothy pop group he does.  Good times.  "People should like whatever music they like."  I think I just really like comedies that play off the difference between outward appearance and inner life, especially in Japan where the expectations for outward appearance and actions are more strictly defined.

b Ouran High School Host Club 12: Seriously, how did I never finish this series?!  Easy answer: because I knew I was going to collect it, I stopped reading it and then stopped working at Borders, so I didn't really know when it had all come out, and it's popular and not in danger of going out of print, so I don't like to buy new copies of it when I could be spending that money on other things that are going out of print.  But when I see it in used bookstores, I buy it so fast because it's so much fun.  Things are getting more serious here  with Hikaru and Kaopru's battle and decision to be visibly different and maybe more mature while Kyoya hunts for Tamaki's mother in France while pretending not to and Tamaki confuses Haruhi, lies to everyone, is lonely, and finds out he may have an idea of what he wants to do with his life.  Whew.