What I read in June 2013: Digest Version, part 3 of 3

b Loveless 1,3: I have very little self control.  When there is a Manga Moveable Feast, if I make the mistake of reading any of the posts, I always end up re-reading part of the topic.  And loving it.  And feeling guilty.  Oh, man, things were so simple in these early volumes even though they were incredible mysterious and complicated.  Soubi is a very puzzling character.  He can be very mature, he can be kind, he's ruthless enough to put himself through a lot of pain to beat the Zeroes, but then he takes them home and takes care of them.

b One Pound Gospel 1-4: This is the story of a boxer with promise but no self-discipline where food comes in and his quest to win the affection of a lovely neighborhood nun-in-training.  Yeah, it's a tad wacky, more Maison Ikkoku Lite than InuYasha, and it's not really a sports manga at all, but it was amusing.  Each fight has some weird constraint or bargain or lesson, and my favorite is probably the one where the opponent has a huge tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his chest, and Kosaku is told by the head nun that he's not allowed to punch the tattoo or else.

"You've taken my tacos from me.  Boxing is all I have left!"

b Saiyuki Reload 8:This is a tough but good volume, where the crew is split up, and a city of humans scheming to steal more from the youkai who lived there first uses some of them to their own ends.  It's pretty much sad the whole way through as powerful people manipulate the fear in people's hearts and inflame it into hatred, and horrors that cannot be taken back are committed, perpetuating a cycle of revenge that might only end when no one is left standing.  Poor Goku is helpless to stop things.

"It's not about human or youkai.  Or whose side I'm on.  This's about what's important to me."

b Skip Beat! 31: Oh, things are tense as Ren dives deep into his role as a psycho, so deep that he kind of nearly kills a co-star.  Kyoko talks him down and pacifies the director and tries to figure out what she's supposed to do to help him when he's in such obvious and (to her) inexplicable agony.

b Slam Dunk 9:Guess what?  There is some basketball in this volume.  There's a lot more drama off the court, though, as someone who once turned his back on the sport tries to get back in the groove and become part of the team he was somewhat responsible for beating the crap out of in recent volumes.  And it's tourney time!  Can their new line-up blow away the competition?

b W Juliet 10-11, 13: Summer camp brings Ito back in contact with a childhood bully, and he's crushing on her hard.  She has some trouble telling him she's already taken, and Makoto gets jealous.  On the home front, things come to a head with the weird American girl who's obsessed with Ryuya.  Can she manage to score a point off Papa Miura to avoid having to leave Ryuya and go back to America?

Then more trouble on the homefront as youngest Miura Tatsuyoshi has enough of being picked on and snaps.  Yuko and Akane have some rough moments, but they finally say what they need to say.  Makoto's oldest sister who eloped to get away from their father is in town, and Ito can't help meddling to try to get the family to reconcile.  Then there's a bit about how people always think Ito and her best friend Yoshiro are dating when Yoshiro has already publically confessed his love to Misaki.  Then it's costumes and cultural festivals and sabotage.  Then other stuff happens in volume 12, which I don't have.

In volume 13, Ito ends up spending some accidental quality time with Makoto's hated father.  She does her best to work her usual magic.  Graduation is coming up, and Makoto and Ito are auditioning to try to find employment once they graduate, but Ito gets really sick and has a terrible audition, but she impresses the scary director, and they both get in.  Then it's the big reveal as Ito gets in trouble, and Mako gets caught with his hair off by one of her brothers, and things start to fall apart.

"Manga is about being entertaining, not being realistic." 98

Good to know.

What I read in March 2013: Digest Version, part 1 of 2

b Aria Volume 5: More serenity on Aqua as the young undines explore and train and live drenched in whimsy and wonder.  So relaxing.  They learn more about Akira and her very strict style of training, have coffee, watch a meteor shower, get lost and found, and discover things about each other and the world around them.  IF you are not in the mood, this slice of life sci-fi series will likely bore you to tears, but if you are in the right mood, it's like a balm to the roughed-up soul.

b The Betrayal Knows My Name 5:  I really, really want to know what's up with this newest Zweilt guy.  I think he had a thing for Yuki in the last reincarnation, but it seems more complicated than that.  There are hot springs, mysterious kidnappings, and yet another obnoxiously tense cliff-hanger ending.  I like the way that the bonds between the various Zweilt are being explored (not just between the pairs)

b Cross Game 6: More subtle humor and drama and baseball as life moves and time marches on.  I do like the effortless way the author shows us how easy it is for people to drift apart.  There isn't really a love triangle vibe that you get in a lot of shojo (and even shonen) manga.  This is a tangled web of a shape, but it's all understated and in the background.  There isn't much in the way of manufactured drama or hysteria.  Things just happen, and we don't get much of a glimpse into the deeper, psychological reasons why it is happening.  I can't describe why I like this so much, but the ambiguity that arises from being shown only what the characters say and do makes this story breathtaking reading.  He did this, but why?  We don't know, and that makes us curious.  Makes me curious, anyway.  Oh, yeah, and there's baseball.  Lots of practicing and working hard and seeing each other in new lights.  LOVE IT.

b Genshiken Second Season 1: Fun and chaos reign in this entertaining follow-up series.  The new crop of oddballs keeps the Genshiken afloat, but it's full of Fujoshi.  I like the way the new folks interact with each other and the way that some of the old guard are still involved.  It captures something about college that is pretty accurate these days: the way graduates drift apart at varying speeds.

"Girl otakus and fujoshi are different things!"

What I read in November: Digest Version, Part 1 of 2

b Aqua 2: Calm and episodic.  Peaceful soft sci-fi where a girl who immigrated to a terraformed, water-rich planet trains to be a full-fledged undine (the gondoliers who ferry folks around).  Very pleasant and relaxing.  If I had better arms, I could cosplay this. : )

b The Betrayal Knows My Name 4: I am ever more suspicious about the origins of this war.  There's just something about what we know the big leader isn't telling us and the way Kanata/Reiga is acting that make me really, really suspicious.  And we're still getting crumbs of pieces about our favorite Duras fighting on the side of humans and his past with the person currently incarnated as Yuki.  I'm pretty sure Yuki really shouldn't want to remember his last life.  Really.  Oh, and there are two new folks.  One might be trouble.  He seems kind of vicious towards Yuki.  I hope we find out why before he does something even worse than what he's already tried.  I totally need a character chart.

"I wonder why it's invisible when we hurt on the inside."

b Black Butler XI: The real end of the murder mystery.  The author knows something is wonky, so he comes back, and they explain everything to him.  He leaves, properly terrified, and we see that there are plots within plots and the Queen (or at least her other servants) may not be even vaguely trustworthy as they work towards some other end.

b Bunny Drop 7: More laid-back family drama.  Daikichi hurts his back, and his co-workers, Kouki, and Rin take care of him.  His co-workers all tell stories about their own (usually child-related) back problems, which is hilarious.  Rin's mom is pregnant again, and the father wants to get married.  Rin decides she wants to meet her, and that meeting is interesting.  You can really tell she's Daikichi's child by how she handles that whole situation.  Also, I have no idea how Rin's mom met this guy, but he's a keeper.  So great in this super-awkward situation.

"At the time, I believed that there were plenty of people who could be "mothers," but that I was the only person who could do 'my work.'  But by the time I realized that I had those two things completely reversed, you were in a place where I couldn't reach you.  I'm so sorry."

What I read in October: Digest Version, Part 2

b Loveless 9: A spell battle for the fate of the kidnapped Kio who may not be quite as uninvolved in this whole mess as I had thought.

"That boy is interesting.  He understands all too well that adults are not always kind to children."
"Well, of course.  Adults are only human.  I've never liked children who don't understand that."
---
"Everybody runs away from things that are painful and traumatic.  They all want to live in nothing but happy times.  There's no need to feel bad, Ritsuka.  You can just forget all the sad things."
---
"If you open that, you won't be able to go back."
"If I can't go back, I'll just go forward."
---
"You're stupid, Soubi.  If you close your eyes to scary things, they only become more terrifying."

b Rasetsu 3, 9: I probably talked enough about this one here.

b Seiho Boys High School 6: More shenanigans with the boys from the isolated Seiho Boys' High School.  The school fesitval gives rise to silly and outrageous plans to try to get girls to come to their godforsaken school, and some unexpectedly bad things happen (with interesting resolutions).  Entrenched Japanese sexism rears its ugle head and makes me scratch mine.  Maki and his girlfriend get caught sneaking her back into her Catholic boarding school dorm and have a really uncomfortable conversation with a nun.  Still lots of laugh-out-loud moments.

b Skip Beat 29: This. And the cover picture with Ren being all King of the Night and Kyoko swooning: hahahahaha.  Maybe in 20 more volumes, if ever.

Is this photoshopped?
---
I never thought having a man court me would wear me down so much . . .
---
I feel so refreshed that I'm not in a place where disasters like ulterior motives (love) and sincerity (affection) can strike me . . .

b Whistle! 10: Oh, Whistle, I really like you.  I wasn't very serious about or good at soccer, which may be why I like manga about it.  100% fewer foot, ankle, and shin injuries for me!  Lots of action and strategy, and friendship, and teamwork.  So nice.

b Yozakura Quartet 3:  I may be torturing myself because I don't know that this series was ever finished here or in Japan.  And it's so darn full of mysteriousness that I find it a shame I may never be able to find out how it ends or what's going on behind the scenes and the mysteriousness.  It's a fun ride while it lasts, anyway.  And we get to see Hime go to town and understand more about her relationships with various folks in the town. 

b Young Miss Holmes 1 and 2: Well, this was a fun little romp.  And the cameo by Mina Teppes from Dance in the Vampire Bund was kind of hilarious.  Not the story itself but the fact of the crossover, which as so very random and unexpected in a well-bred, Victorian-set shojo manga.

What I read in September : Digest Version, part 3 of 3

I am interested in finding out what she does with these characters after all these years. 

b Library Wars 8: Phew.  We find out who's pulling strings and what Iku's fate is.  Iku figures out who her prince is, and it's traumatic.  For everyone.  Other folks experience trauma, as well, and side characters continue getting some screen time of their own.  Lots of folks complain about the relationship between Iku and Dojo, but I rather enjoy it.  Now that its fundamental nature has changed, I wonder what's coming next . . .

b Saturn Apartments 5: Things keep moving slowly, but I feel like they're inching towards destruction.  Specifically, I fear for Mitsu.  Covering for someone else gets him hurt, and helping others continues to be his modus operandi.  I always worry for the innocent characters when intrigue swirls around because they don't really know how to protect themselves.  In realistic stories, they tend to get hurt.

b Shinobi Life 5: This is another license I hope someone rescues because this series was way more fun than it really had any right to be.  Lots of twists, and the most recent one is the best.

"No one knows anything at first.  We aren't born knowing how to do things.  But when you really want to do something, you keep practicing and failing until you acquire the skill you need.  There's no shame in not knowing how to do something.  The thing that's embarrassing is not devoting yourself to reaching a goal."

b Wild Adapter 4-5: Volume 4 is where we meet Anna and learn a bit about Kubota's past and what kind of person he is/was.  Volume 5 is still my favorite, as it covers the missing year between volumes 1 and 2 through the eyes of the neighbor kid who helps them connect.

b Yotsuba 11: Yotsuba!!!  Oh, the good-natured jolt of energy that is Yotsuba.  A new volume always makes me smile, and I try really hard to make it last.  I tell myself, "Only one chapter a day!" very sternly, but then I am lucky if I can make it last for two days.  For some reason, Yotsuba reminds me of the 3-year-old I know right now.  They even both have a stuffed animal with a totally weird name.  Delightful!

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

I find myself shocked and appalled by the fact that no one has made an FMA AMV of the Decemberists "The Shankill Butchers."  Seriously, internet?  You disappoint me.

b 20th Century Boys 21: All the threads converging slowly, deliberately, perfect endings each time (not quite cliffhanger but definitely making you want to read to find out what happens next).

b Alice in the Country of Hearts omnibus 1-3 of 3: It's true that those who didn't read to the end of this series missed out on the part that pulled many of the foreshadowing threads throughout together finally.  Dwaaaawwwww.  Finding out what you do at the end sheds a new light on things and somewhat redeems what would otherwise have been a totally frilly, silly bit of reverse-harem comedy fluff.

b Book Girl and the Wayfarer's Lamentation: I was quite surprised that this plot thread unravelled here.  There are still quite a few books left; I thought this was the main conflict.  I guess I was wrong.  I hope the real main conflict feels organic and not tacked on because I really like these books and all their broken people and literary nerdiness.

b Dawn of the Arcana 5: Things get even more muddy in this volume, as everyone figures out the dastardly plot and then tries to stop another slaughter from happening.  And Cain?  Your life story has been unpleasant, but you're not helping yourself by lending yourself to more evil, as if that will erase the wrong done to you.

b Gimmick! 9: And the finale!  More passionate declarations, more makeup art madness, and some really touching reunions.  Villains learn their lessons, mentors return from their globetrotting and make me laugh with their weird reasons for going on with special effects.  Good stuff!

"Why are you so mad?  It's our job to make people believe things that aren't true! To make them believe lies."
"But with that power comes responsibility, Kazuki.  We can never use it to deceive people."
"But millions of people believed my lie!  I was just using the power of SFX that you taught me.!"
"You still don't get it!  SFX should only be used for good!"

Do you really think your friend's death was your fault?  We just do our jobs.  What people do after seeing those images is entirely on them.  Nobody made your friend enlist.  If people are deceived by images, then they're fools.  BE proud of your abilities, Kohei Nagase!  The SFX you created fooled everyone.  You defeated reality!"
"That's not why I got into this business."

"The process of creation is basically communicating something to others."

b Kaze Hikaru 20: As with every new volume, I was totally lost at the beginning, but it very quickly didn't matter at all because this series is so fantastically awesome.  There are consequences for Kamiya's dressing up as a girl briefly a little bit ago, and in this volume, she's undercover in a dangerous way.  No one really explains it to Hijikata, and things are pretty tense until the end, which wraps up kind of hilariously . . .  I never thought I would be grateful for having watched the Shura no Toki MANime for this reason: because it made me look up Ryoma Sakamoto, I could really enjoy his bits in this shojo manga of awesome.  Thanks, MANime.

b Legal Drug 1-3: In honor of CLAMP re-starting this series, I read it again.  I see the seeds of xxxHolic here in the move towards more solid black and white and the vignettes and mysteries and mysterious store owner and awkward relationship between the two protagonists.  They better fill in the missing pieces of background in this one, is all I can say.  Reading it again just made me more curious . . .  One of my favorite quotes about this series came from my co-worker at the bookstore who took one look at the marijauan leaf logo and said, "I don't think this is actually a legal drug."

What I read in July: Digest Version, Part 2 of 2

Lest you wonder at the sad number of things I read this month, I also read something like 6 novels, which is where my time went.

b Haunted House: He's a normal guy who just wants to be normal, but his family is full of morbid, weird, Gothic-obsessed freaks.  This is not good for his love life, especially since he can't quite get his life together enough to move out.  The ending is supposed to be sweet and such, but mostly I still just want to smack them around.  If he wants so badly to be normal, just leave him alone in his own boring company.  I suspect my reaction to this book has more to do with my inherent dislike of pranks and jokes that involve tormenting and lying to people.  The book itself has fun art and is somewhat novel with its way of not repeating itself exactly in every chapter.  (The ways his family is weird are always slightly different in the details.)

"This money is the fruit of Sabato's blood, sweat, and tears, and god help me, that makes me want to spend it on stupid things."

b Kindaichi Case Files3-4: More cheesy, mystery-solving shonen greatness as slacker Kindaichi solves mysteries and doesn't get the girl.  Death TV was pretty out there, and Smoke & Mirrors was a way out there and kind of awesome history mystery.

b Olympos:  What a gorgeous book.  What did they use for the cover to give it that lovely sheen?  Anyway, reviews have been mixed on this one.  I found it interesting, but I was glad that the author pointed out how much she made up to save me the trouble of tracking down the myths this one touched on.  Since I didn't expect it to be straight myth anyway (and since I've forgotten most of what I ever knew about these myths), I was just fine.  Lots of musing and a kind of bittersweet ending.

b Pandora Hearts 11: Don't keep doing this to me, PH.  My heart can't take it.  And neither can my brain.  All these hints and nuances that I forget from one book to the next, requiring me to go back and read the several volumes preceding each new volume.  I really need to read them all from the beginning, but the series is growing large enough to make that troublesome.  The best thing to do would be to wait until the series is finished and then read them in a marathon.  As this would require a lot of self-control, I will call it unlikely and reserve some time in my schedule each time a new volume comes out.

"No, you fool!!  It is!! A duty!! I should fulfill as your friend!  Why you!  Stupid Xerx!!"  Ah, friendship.

b Ratman 4:I haven't actually seen Tiger and Bunny yet, but I'm thinking there are some similarities to this story and Mystery Men.  I am so bummed that this series never got finished over here.  It's a hoot.  A short kid obsessed with heroes (in a world like the one in Mystery Men where heroes exist and compete for corporate sponsorships and fame) ends up falling in with a group that seems pretty much like stereotypical villains.  But who are the heroes and who are really the villains?  I really want to know!  Things were just getting good here!  Sigh.

b Wandering Son 1-2: I think the reason I like this series is because it doesn't feel gimmicky and agenda'd.  It just feels like a story about characters who grow increasingly familiar and more complex the more you get to know them (kind of like real people).  It has a gentle air even though it's not like everything always goes right or anything.  And the essays/editor reflections are way more informative than the average.  I'm hooked.

What I read in June: Digest Version, part 3 of 3

b Stellar Six of Ginkacho 2-3: Oooooh, this series just makes me happy.  We fast forward out of elementary school, and the stellar six have split up a bit, but they still come together when it really counts.  How can it make me nostalgic for something I never really had?  I don't know; it's just that powerful.

b Strawberry Marshmallow 5: More totally cute adorableness with four elementary school girls and the high school girl they, well, vie for the attention of, I suppose.  It's pretty funny watching them interact, especially because Miu is totally insane and impulsive and stupid funny.  She reminds me a bit of my best friend's crazy little sister.  I hear that girl grew into a fine adult, so there's hope for Miu in the future.

b Tesoro: Cute little vignettes and illustrations and ideas.  It's kind of hard to believe that this is the same author who wrote not simple.  Really hard.  But there is that same sense of realism in these works, I guess, just in smaller doses.

b Til Death Do Us Part 1: Excitement, action, and adventure, conspiracies, gangsters, fighting, international terrorism, vigilante justice, and one little psychic girl who makes the right choice when she calls out to a blind man on the sidewalk one day.  Turns out through the power of science, he can still kick plenty of ass.  I really liked this one, especially its avoidance of easy fanservice (well, panty shots, anyway).  I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next.

b Twin Spica 12: of 12: I learned a valuable lesson while reading this book: don't read sad things in front of your friends, even if you've already warned them it's sad because they freak out when they see you crying.  This one ended brilliantly and strongly, and I really loved the whole series.  How can something so heart-breakingly sad and nostalgic and melancholy also be so darn uplifting?  It's the power of dreams, I guess. This series is already out of print, so if you are interested in it, buy it before the priced get crazy.

b Wallflower 12:Sometimes you just want to read some bitter outsider reverse-harem ridiculous comedy full of character designs you consider ugly.  Because, you know, it's funny, and it was only a dollar.

b X/1999 9-13: I was reading the hilarious picture blog Party Like It's 1999, and I just couldn't resist breaking out some of the volumes myself.  And then I couldn't stop.  It's still wild and compelling and emotional and gripping and overwrought and full of gore.  I'm kind of glad I used those post it notes all those years ago to cover up the worst bits.  When I finish reading the blog (I'm rationing myself on it now), I will probably marathon this series and end it wailing about its still unfinished state.

What I read in June: Digest Version, part 2 of 3

b House of Five Leaves 7: The end is nigh, and self-destructive behavior is everywhere.  Yaichi's past is revealed more linearly, and, well, hmmm.  Where is justice in all this?  And then there's Masa's stupid brother.  Sigh.  When the last volume comes out, there will be a marathon before I read it.

b Kaze Hikaru 1: Speaking of marathons . . .  I should need to marathon this one each time because there is so much time between volumes, and it's true that I start each volume totally lost, but that quickly doesn't matter because the story, oh, the story.  The problem is that if I marathon it, I'll just want more, and I should just be greatful it's coming out at all (Crimson Hero, I weep for you).

b Maid Sama! 8: And speaking of things I wish were still coming out . . .  Things were just getting really dicey, and the potential for the series to turn stupid was high.  There were mysteries boiling up, and I really wanted to find out what happened . . .

b Natsume's Book of Friends 12: Oh, dear Natsume . . .  Some folks apparently didn't like the long three-part story at the end.  I found it vital to the overarching plot and very touching.  I mean, so much of the tension from the story comes from the fact that the way Natsume has found to fit in more is to lie to those closest to him.  He used to tell the truth, and that drove everyone away.  Reiko just drove everyone away without the truth.  (At some point, I would love to know where and how she met the guy she married and how that played out.)  Others in the supernatural community are used to some sort or combination of lies and driving people away.  But Natsume wants desperately for there to be a way he can stop lying while still protecting those around him.  The problem is that it might be impossible for him to predict and protect the ones he loves when they know he is in danger.  He can't resist the urge to help those who need him; how can he honestly expect his loved ones to leave him alone when they know he is in danger?  The story keeps circling back and touching on this point every so often (kind of like real life), and things are a bit different each time.  Oh, Natusme, I want for you to be loved and love the way you want to, but I'm not sure you can . . .


b Pandora Hearts 9-10: Another one I have to resist the urge to marathon each time a new volume comes out.  There are so many hints and nuances and such that I forget about immediately after reading, so I'm sure I miss plenty in the next volume.  There really is so much to miss, so many strings playing out, so many lies and misdirections, so much awesome!

b Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei! 5: More deeply cynical sarcasm!  More depression!  More social commentary as subtle as a bat upside the head.

b Skip Beat! 12, 28: Oh, Skip Beat.  One of my favorite things about this series is how the main characters have really good reasons to avoid falling in love.  Realizing that they are in love is a horrifying Very Bad Thing.  It's so anti-shojo . . .  There is trauma that digs up past trauma, and we get to see more clearly the facts behind some of the hints about Ren's inner darkness and turmoil, and Kyoko saves the day, but, well . . .  When is 29 coming out?

b Slam Dunk 8: More furious basketball action and lots of fighting this time around as a former teammate who quit due to an injury rejoins the team in his own stupid, violent way.  He'll fit in just fine . . .

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 4 of 4

So, so random.  Marimo Ragawa, author of Baby & Me, a sweet and touching slice of life series published in the US by VIZ (and winner of the Kodansha manga award?) has won the Manga Taisho award for her shonen manga Mashiro no Oto, which appears to be about a group of high school kids who play the shamisen?! 

b Seiho Boys High School 4-5: Every time I read this series, I am reminded for some reason of Fumi Yoshinaga, and it turns out I'm not the only one (see here) and here: "There’s a slight taste of Fumi Yoshinaga’s character observation and development skills, and that was what got me to stop hating it after the first chapter."  Sometimes it's a particular drawing or framing of an image, and sometimes it's a character observation or situation.  Anyway, it's a favorable comparison.  : )  So if you need at least a few good giggles check out this other take on what it's like in an isolated boys' high school . . .

b Stellar Six of Gingacho 1: Oh, this series is just delightful.  It's bursting with energy, and I'm a sucker for stories that have a bit of melancholy nostalgia.  Here's hoping they stay friends until long after that next meteor shower . . .  And, you know that someone rescues the license, so I can read about their further adventures.

b Sugar Sugar Rune 3-5: This slightly twisted magical girl story comes to you from the pen of Mayoco Anno, which shouldn't be a surprise.  I love the combination of sweet and creepy, and I really like the story as it's heading deeper into this idea of two magical races that have been at war and how they might be stopped.  I'm a little sad about all the deception and the willingness of people to believe the worst about each other, and it is overdramatized a bit, but not to the point of ridiculousness.  I do want there to be a happy ending, and I would like to be able to read it in English . . .

I wonder why we stopped being honest like we were when we were kids? 

Everyone's feelings for another person have a little drop of poison in them. 

"If you wish to eat whatever you want and never gain weight, it means your heart will never be fulfilled."

b Tsubasa: Those with Wings2-3:  "If you want to save the world, plow the fields and plant seeds."  So this one ended with a lot of twists and the kind of plotting that pushes it more firmly into the territory of fantasy even as it tries to convince that it's sci-fi.  Who cares.  Sometimes it was a bit of a slog, but I don't regret reading it.  I mean, it's rare to read a shojo where the hero is kind of a rogue and spends an inordinately large amount of time trying to get into the heroine's pants . . . Caution: if you're looking for Fruits Basket art or content, don't be fooled by the covers.

"Loving someone that much makes you feel strangely lonely inside, doesn't it?  That loneliness doesn't go away easily.  And it won't go away even if you were to learn all about me.  No matter how much you know about your partner, no matter how deep your love is for them, that little kernal of loneliness will still be there, and that kernal breeds the need to reaffirm your love over and over." 

---

"But having a dream, an ideal you can hold onto, can help you keep your chin up and look forward to the future!  It can give you courage to try, and to work hard at whatever you want to do!"

"I think I've just realized that I may be a tad jealous of you.. . . My deep interest in you may perhaps stem from the fact that I am--all unthinkingly and naturally--jealous of you for possessing something twisted people like myself do not.  Honesty, purity, integrity, those are things the cynical have little to do with."

---

"Why is it that when people try to make themselves happy, they always seem to feel the need to sacrifice other peoples' lives to do so?"

--- 

No matter how much you love the person, no matter how precious they are to you, sometimes you just don't get a happy ending.

b Utahime: A sad and lovely story about what people will sacrifice to protect the people they love and about the darkness of human nature and the triumph of quiet, dedicated love to bring salvation and freedom.  The art is really lovely, too.

"For once in your life, why don't you decide something for yourself?!  All of today, no, ever since I met you, you haven't made a single decision for yourself!  You even told me yourself that the reason you left home was so you wouldn't stand between your sister and this Thomas fellow.  You act like people and circumstances forced you to leave, but in reality, you just chose to leave because you felt uncomfortable there, didn't you?  Can't you do anything unless you have somebody to blame for your actions?. . .

"Just so you know, it's not that I'm speechless, I'm just thinking." 

"Do you even know how pathetically lame that excuse sounded?

b VB Rose 8: Frilly, girly, emotional giddiness that I adore.  Finally, a confession has taken place.  Things are awkward!  There is jealousy!  There is another confession!  Squee!

b Whistle! 5: Good, fun-loving teamwork goodness.  In this volume, we see the power of nice and teamwork versus the snotty, punk-a-rrific star player on an opposing team.  Who will win?!  Well, you'll have to wait for volume 6 . . .

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 3 of 4

b Hands Off: Don't Call Us Angels 1-2 of 2: Well, I sort of remember these characters from their grown up versions in the original Hands Off! series but, well, not really.  It doesn't matter though, because the story is self-contained.  Maybe it would have more impact if I remembered . . .

b Oresama Teacher 8: More silly, goofy, former gang leader sort of trying to be normal funtimes.  The plot thickens and stuff happens.  I laughed and rolled my eyes a lot.  Good times.

b Shinobi Life 2-3: Kind of frustrating that this one didn't get finished here.  (Oh, Tokyopop.)  It's sometimes ridiculous, but it's really sincere about it, and, well, the ninja guy is quite endearing even if the main girl starts out not endearing at all.

b Silver Diamond 4: There's something soothing about this series.  There's peril aplenty, but no one seems to really die in the present; maybe that helps it feel less depressing.  Also, the main character is Mr. Kind, and you really want him to be able to save/change the world with the power of kindness, which would be hard if this was relentlessly depressing.

b Skip Beat!, Vol. 16 13-20:  I love the panels where she doesn't show what you would expect her to.  You see the setup, and you see the back of the person's head, and you see the other characters reacting, and you are in awe (and usually snorting hysterically).  Best use of this since Story of Sainkoku refused to ever show you this one guy's face while talking about it all the time in tantalizing ways and showing people reacting to seeing it. 

b Soulless 1:  Well, it's got some saucy, naughty bits, but far fewer than the novel (which is much longer) from what I've heard.  It holds together well on its own, and I do like REM's art.

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 2 of 4

b Kyo Kara Maoh 5-6: Classic fish out of water comedy with some subtle social concerns. Man, I wish I could read the light novels this is based on. Or even more of the manga. Oh, Tokyopop . . .

b Mad Love Chase 1-5 of 5: This was exhuberant and ridiculous, and I couldn't figure out what kind of demon the big guys was until the author's note at the end designated him as a Frankenstein. ?! Anyway, I liked him. Some fun moments here.

b Maison Ikkoku 15 of 15: And FINALLY, the happy ending. I really say that because it took so long for me to collect it. Compared to the anime, the manga flies. Happy(-ish) endings all around. Phew.

b Maid Sama! 3-7: I think my favorite part is the way you open the book, and the title illustration is a continuation of the "photo shoot" from the front cover.  I find this series hilarious. Apparently, it rubs some people the wrong way. I think I understand why. It has potential with its strong main character and male love interest who actually likes her the way she is. I would like to see how she can keep being a strong individual even if she starts dating the perverted space alien who has a crush on her.  (He seems like he would dump her if she got boring and traditional.)  The problem is that, too often, shojo manga is more like The Taming of the Shrew than the Merchant of Venice in terms of what it does to strong female characters. Romance dilutes the females; they become helpless and dependent and ultra-stereotypical-feminine now that they have a strong male to take over. If that happened to Misaki, I would be sad. I prefer when both people in a relationship grow and change rather than shrinking.  However, unless this one gets licensed rescued by some kind publishing company, I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.  This could be good if it goes the way of Taming . . .

b Naruto 34 -38: Oh, sad things. More dying and death and plotting and weeping. Also ninja fighting (not unexpectedly)! Excellent exercise manga! Except when you lose volume 37 in your trunk and then doubt your sanity and think you maybe forgot to check it out of the library and then you rage and then you find it under a blanket later (at least before you went back to the library to track it down). That's just annoying.

b NG Life 1, 5: Still funny, still stupid, still dramatic. This tale of a boy who remembers his past life and the chaos it causes in the present where he is surrounded by people from his past life who don't remember (and some who do). I am going to marathon this now that I have the whole series

What I read in April: Digest Version, part 3 of 3

b Naruto 33: Y'know, dude, Naruto, it really does you credit how much you care for your friend who has fallen into the darkness, but it's kind of hard on the people around you.  Part of me just wants you to leave him alone.  You're right; he loves you like the brother he never had (as in the one that didn't kill everyone else in the clan).  He's not making trouble for your village. Leave him alone to finish what he started and find his own damnation.  Everyone would be better off, I think.  But if you did that, you wouldn't be you.  What a dilemma.

b Skip Beat 27:  Ren and Kyoko are still undercover perfecting their roles for Ren's upcoming movie.  This sounds lame and boring, but since this is a Skip Beat volume, it is so, so not.  There are misunderstandings, shower scenes, missed opportunities, and every time Ren has a moment, Kyoko stomps all over it obliviously and with sincere, good-natured cheer.  My abs hurt often for a couple of days after a volume of this off-beat shojo awesome-fest. 

b Tsubasa: Those with Wings 1-2: My subtitle: Travels with a sociopath who loved me.  This is the story of an orphaned former-thief trying to be good enough to be with the man who loves her enough that he left his job to stalk her and proposition her at every opportunity.  This is not Fruits Basket, though it's by the same author, and the covers make you think the interior will look similar.  (It does not.  At all.  They were drawn years later after FB made it big.)

A favorite exchange:
"After all is said and done, idealism is nothing more than a different  name for hypocrisy.  Pompous fools wrap meaningless rhetoric in a paper-thin veil of altruism and do nothing but congratulate themselves on being great humanitarians.  Such incredible stupidity makes me shudder in disgust.  I can barely stand the thought of breathing the same air as they.  Among those fools who preach so-called 'world peace' are particularly detestable to me."
"But that doesn't mean you have to shoot them."

Indeed.  This is a dark, sci-fi romantic comedy.  Somehow.  It earns its T+ rating with gusto and innuendo and more, and it can feel a bit like a slog at times, but it's worth a read, especially if you dig those early 90s sci-fi bits like Jihai and Flat Earth Exchange.

b Vampire Knight 11: There are vampires and boatloads of angst and really no plot movement.  All wrapped in Gothic pretty.

b Yozakura Quartet 1-2: I remember liking this quirky, off-beat series and wanting to read the rest.  Or see the anime.  But bookstores and Netflix have so far let me down.  Good stuff about people who live in a town where demons go to die and often end up living instead.  Great mythic-y bits in the background and lots of mystic mystery all swirled in with something like a superhero team.  It's very hard to describe.

b Yurara 5: Right then.  And some people live happily ever after (you can check in on them in Rasetsu) while others have a few miserable years before things get "better."  The end.  I think I'm glad for the guy who got to be in Rasetsu because he got to really develop as a character there.

What I read in April: Digest Version, part 1 of 3

b Animal Academy 5: So, so cute and full of awkward.  What is up with the ninja brothers?!  I need another series just to explain them and help me tell them apart.  The kids start spreading rumors about who likes who, and things get tough for our human protagonist. 

b Bakuman 2: More fighting spirit as two boys struggle to create the ultimate manga so one of them can marry the girl of his dreams.  Random guest appearance by Arakawa Under the Bridge's bridge . . .

b The Betrayal Knows My Name 3:  More super-angst-y backstories containing information that may not quite be what one would call complete.  But not the backstory of the characters I most want.  Patience, my precious.  I'm sure it's coming in bits and dribbles!  "It's strange.  There are times when things you couldn't see before come clear."  And the blue/greens on the cover are lovely, and the art inside is detailed and awesome as always.

b Black Butler IX: Hmmmm.  So Ciel is not above suspicion by his monarch in the manga version, either.  I would give the anime credit for knowing this except I think the first season with its ridiculous queen plot was over before we hit this bit in the manga.  Well, we meet some new characters (one of them should be familiar to fans of mystery novels) and have a little traditional murder mystery Sebastian-style.  As they say, it's a bloody good time . . .

b Blood Alone 6:  A mostly normal human friend gets caught up in the vampire shenanigans this time around.  More lovely art and creepy, moody vampire interpersonal conflicts.

b Blue Exorcist 1: I'm going to love this series a lot.  Vengeance, power under control, sibling conflict, so much shonen goodness slightly twisted!  Too bad I started reading it, and it's early in its ongoing serialization.  Silly me!

b Seikai: Crest of the StarsTrilogy:  This was a lot of fun despite its ridiculous specialized terminology (keep a bookmark handy on the glossary page, folks).  This was a neat trilogy of novels set in a fun YA scifi world.  The narrator was quite a bit of fun but different enough from the current familiar protagonist types of narrators found in Haruhi and Book Girl, for instance.  This kid has quite a bit of spunk and grit, and he handles himself pretty well overall.  His relationship with the other main character is very well-balanced.  I'm really pleased with it and glad Tokyopop took the risk of publishing it all those years ago.  I couldn't remember if I'd ever finished watching the anime version (still can't, so it's time for a re-watch), but quite a bit of this was familiar, so maybe I did watch the whole anime.

What I read in February: Digest Version, part 5 of 5

Yes, 5.  I had a book binge weekend, and it included a lot of manga.  A lot of manga . . .  Yum. 

b Two Flowers for the Dragon 1-6: I am irritated that I will never get to read the last volume (CMX, RIP) because I would really like to know how it all turns out.  I have a guess, but I don't have a "know."  A couple volumes back, I would have said she would have to choose X, but Y started creeping back into the running.  And now I'll never know unless some sort of super-unlikely license rescue of a single volume occurs.  JManga or DMP, help me out here?

b W Juliet 8-9: Fun times.  So nostalgic.  I've read some negative reviews of this series, so I wondered if I wouldn't like it as much since I've read so much manga since then, but I still found it fun and energetic.  Kind of goofy cross-dressing fun.

b Whistle! 9: And then on to the shonen soccer madness!  Just makes me want to get out and exercise and try my hardest at something.

b Wild Adapter 6: Oh, Wild Adapter.  You are so terrifying.  So, so terrifying.  I feel like this is how shojo romances with one partner who always gets kidnapped should work.  If the vengeance was like this, I would never let myself get kidnapped again.  In some ways, it's an okay place to have a story just stop, but I really want to know what happens next and after that . . .

b xxxHolic 19: I've heard lots of complaining about this ending.  I guess I understand people wanting something big and bombastic or at least splendid and conclusive, but this second bit of the series was supposed to be kind of a coda, I thought, and I was okay with it sort of tapering off and ending on a melancholy, unresolved note.  I thought it fit the series, if not other people's expectations.  Of course, then I went to Amazon and read L. Smith's amazing review and realized I totally didn't get anything at all about this book.  Thank you, L. Smith.  Wow.  Just wow.

What I read in February: Digest Version, part 4 of 5

b Oresama Teacher 6: Hilariousness continues, and in the end of the volume, the truth is revealed!  It's sad, but our heroine is committed to setting things right with the power of her fists.  I don't like shallow, airheady protagonists in typical shojo romances, but apparently there is a level of denseness and straightforward stupidity in this comedy (I even hesitate to name it any kind of romance, including romantic comedy) that I just love.

b Pandora Hearts 7:  "To move forward is frightening!  To stop moving altogether is frightening, too!"  and "To know is the greatest joy!" Shivers.  Really, I suspect the more we know, the less we'll want to know.  Lots of stuff happens in this volume, but it never seems like enough.  I want the next volume immediately.  This will be one I will regret starting before it ended because these little revelations and plot intricacies might drive me crazy.

b Princess Knight 1-2 of 2: I had a ton of fun with this one.  Zany adventures, swashbuckling action, random character deaths, magic, a guest-appearance by Satan, and not a whole lot of deeply intellectual thinking about gender roles.  Trust me; if you go in expecting a fun and disjointed fantasy action adventure romance, you will probably enjoy the ride.  If you go in expecting a cogent look at issues of gender in modern (or modern at the time) culture, you will be irritated.  Also, there's pirates.

b Saturn Apartments 4: Saaaad!!!!!  Oh, man, subplots are developing, bad things are happening to good people, and the overall mood is still a sort of calm, do-your-best always but with rising doubts.  I love this series.  It's so different and so good.

b Strawberry Marshmallow 4: This series.  Oh, man.  Short and hilarious sitcom stuff.  Every time I read it, I want to watch the anime again.  It's just so goofy and ridiculous, and it makes me grin.

b Twin Spica 9: 9-11: Still sort of quietly awesome.  There was an incident of Sudden Unexpected Character Death that kind of floored me but also made me grateful that I waited to read that volume until I had the next one (not that I did it on purpose).  The aftermath was tough.  One volume to go, and then I can start reading it over again.

What I read in February: Digest Version, part 2 of 5

b Drops of God 2:  This is a manga about a guy competing with a professional wine critic to inherit a ridiculous wine collection.  Dirt licking is common.  In this volume, our hero faces off against a co-worker who is a champion of Italian wines. ("Fauxtalian Chosuke" should be the name of a band.)  Friends are made, wine is imbibed, and a wonderful time is had by all.

b Genkaku Picasso 2: More weird and creepy heart diving in this episode of outcast artist boy saves the world of his classmates and usually makes a fool of himself in awkward and embarrassing ways.  This series is just odd in the best sense of the word.  And the art, the art!  Compelling stuff.

b IC in a Sunflower: The literal translation is apparently something like "The Sunflower Quality of an Integrated Circuit."  This is some interesting stuff.  One story was about a future where pornography was totally legal, and the birthrate was dropping dangerously drastically because teens and young adults just weren't interested in sex anymore.  Seriously.

b ICO Castle in the Mist: Too much fun.  Technically, this is a video game adaptation, but it's by Miyuki Miyabe (Brave Story), so it's pretty much just awesome fantasy swashbuckling, rescuing, mystery-solving goodness.

b Itazura Na Kiss 1: I kind of hate the main characters, and I would move to another city to avoid going to high school with them, but something about this series is just addictive anyway.

b Kamisama Kiss 4: I'm still enjoying it, but it's a bit tiresomely superficial at times.  I want to like the main character, but she's kind of shallow and silly.  I guess I'm reading it wanting it to be more serious than it is, which is my fault.  I'm still reading because it's fun.

b Kekkaishi 30: Oh, man!  The tension is slowly rising, mysteries are bubbling to the surface, people are lying, betraying, appearing, disappearing, and still trying to get stronger, make their own decisions, and protect the people important to them.  And finally, finally we discover why Masamori didn't get the mark.  It makes sense in retrospect.

What I read in January: Digest Version, part 3 of 3

b Oresama Teacher 3-5: Dumb and goofy adventures with reformed-delinquent-trying-to-live-a-normal-school-life girl and her mysteriously motivated childhood friend/tormentor/teacher.  Her former gang friends are just kind of wrong.  The plot thickens.

b Pandora Hearts 3-6:  I knew I shouldn't get into this series until it ends.  I adore it.  I eat it up.  I love it.  I hope it ends brilliantly and lives up to all the tragic expectations and potential it has set up.  I need to lower my expectations, or it won't be able to . . .

o Pita-Ten 1:  Er, no thanks.  I think I'll just accept Kamichama Karin as the work by this author that I like.  This one's too much of a hassle to track down.  Thanks.

b Punch! 1-3: Silly romance in the Happy Hustle High vein more than the Wild Act vein. 

b Ratman 1: This is great.  I love it, and I want to read it all now.  Thank you Tokyopop, for making it likely that will never happen.

b Sakurahime 1: Fun, frilly Tanemura goodness.  I am not, er, pleased with the character who betrays because he isn't set up very well, but maybe that gets better as the series goes on?

b The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko 2: One away from completion.  Acid black observational humor.  Thanks for 66% of the fun and snarky ride, Tokyopop.

b Switch 11-13: That was sad.  Never really grew to like the artwork, but it was a somewhat decent ending.  (That was a happy ending, right?)  Way to go, public library!  I'm not sure why you chose this one, but I appreciate the fact that you collected it all!

b Yotsuba&! 10: Enjoy everything, indeed.  Awwww.  This series is like happiness.