What I read in April 2013: Digest Version, part 2 of 3

b Dawn of the Arcana 7-9: So.  Having knowledge of what might happen in the future can REALLY SUCK.  It can interfere with your relationships, your sanity, and your life.  Nakaba's starting to really see this.  She's also struggling to figure out who she can trust.  She thought she could trust Loki, but she knows he's hiding a lot, and she's not sure what his ultimate goal is.  She's increasingly in love with Caesar, but their awful family situations make really trusting him difficult.  Some sad deaths here and some scheming and some ally-gathering lay the foundation for what's to come, but sometimes the pacing seems to drag because things stew rather than move forward.  It certainly has its tensions, such as the cliffhanger ending of volume 9 when Nakaba is faced with the choice of which of two people she must allow to die.  Fans of non-stop action, adventure, and intrigue may yawn a bit, but why would they be reading this particular shojo manga in the first place?  Anyway, it still has promise, and I will definitely keep reading to see if that promise is ever kept.  : )

b Drops of God: New World: In an effort to try to boost sales, Vertical skipped several volumes of the story to place us in the arena of New World Wines.  You will be pleased to know that the hilariously over-the-top descriptions and illustrations are still present.  I may never drink wine, and if I do, I will never be able to taste it like this.  Viva la fiction!  I can get some of the experience (despite my too-oft-broken nose and allergy problems that prevent me from smelling or tasting much of anything) and none of the hangover or alcohol-tastingness of the whole endeavor.  There is mystery, intrigue, competition, ridiculousness, wine-related gang violence, and extreme environmentalism.  What is not to like?!  If you want to see a volume 2 (and maybe a fill-in of the skipped volumes), do what you can to help this one sell really well.  : )

b Ghost Hunt4-5: The problem with reading Ghost Hunt is that it really makes you frustrated that it stopped being published here, and I have no way of knowing where they were going with the tantalizing bits of info on Naru's past.  Anyway, this is early, when all you get are little hints that he's more than what he appears to be.  The stories are creepy and contain unexplained phenomena (shockingly).  I really wish the rest of this series or the novels it was based on could be released because I really want to know what happens (especially with Naru's past and his divergent dream and real life personalities).

b Jiu Jiu 2: Well, the puppies are growing up, and they're accompanying their master to school and there are demon killing, wacky hijinks, impractical attire, suggestive art, time apart, touching moments, and moping.  The art is still really different with its heavy ink and oddly proportioned characters.  It's a bit of a chaotic mess in all ways, but I'm curious about where it's going and where it will end up.

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

b Aria 4: Trip to the beach!  Meeting Grandma!  The perils of hitching a ride with Woody!  Aria continues to be a soothing, relaxing, wide-eyed exploration of a future world more laid back than our own.  You really want it to exist, so you can go there.

"Just consider it a secret ingredient to a happy life.  Try to turn pain into something better.  Enjoy everything you do.  Living each day is wonderful.  Just give yourself credit for your hard work." 140-141

b Dengeki Daisy1-10: So except for that one HUGE, GLARING LOGIC PROBLEM I CAN'T GET OVER WHEN I REREAD IT, I still love pretty much everything about this series.  Its goofy side, its serious side, its romantic side, it's suspense/action/techno-thriller aspects, its author's notes, its hilarious and unexpected crudity, everything it does that shojo is just not supposed to do: this is solid, good stuff here.

b Dogs 5:It's funny because the overall shallow plot means that basically the same actions get repeated each volume.  There is fighting, extreme violence, short bursts of hints about terrible pasts, smoking, mysterious crypticness, drinking, occasional touching moments between characters, miscommunication, and so much style.

b Drops of God 3:I don't drink wine.  I think it smells of fermenting things, and I just can't stomach fermenting things of any kind.  I love this manga and its crazy premise of a shojo-style, drawn out showdown between two boys, er, men as they learn and grow from interactions with each other.  There's also a lot of wine and awesome, ridiculous commentary about wine and what it tastes like.  If I had any interest in wine, this would be an awesome resource along with being an awesome manga.  It's like Yakitate Japan for grownups, and who doesn't want to read that?

b Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something: Basically, yes.  Everything from short pieces for men's magazines of various focus and fetish to trip narratives and the crazy illustrated author's notes we've come to love only in greater quantity. The quality is wildly variable, and reading it one story at a time is probably a good idea (instead of reading the whole thing in extended bouts), but I enjoyed it.

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 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 February: Digest Version, part 1 of 5

The trouble with not having sufficient self-control to keep you from reading your favorite manga when they arrive is that then you have to wait FOREVER for the next volume. Until then, there are other books to read.

b Bamboo Blade 1: "What a terrible man.  What a horrible, worthless adult.  He's like the model for everything wrong with adulthood.. . . What a scumbag."  Really, he is.  Every time you think maybe the author will reveal something admirable, it hilariously turns out to just be another nail in the coffin.  But this story is actually about girls and kendo and being a hero of justice.  It's a bit reminiscent of Yawara if the grandpa wasn't so awful and the arena was the high school club instead of national competitions and the main character was more like the one from Nabari no Ou.  Hmmm.

b Black Butler VI: The tale of a boy bent on revenge and his dog, er, butler.  More smirking, more needling on both sides.  More morally dubious actions (and beyond dubious).  There is a plot forming slowly into larger story arcs, but this could go on a long time because the flashbacks indicate there were probably a lot of people there that he has to kill before his contract is up.

b Black Jack 1-5:  Oh, I'm sorry I didn't start reading this sooner.  It's a lot of fun, and the romance stories are so sweet (and more than a little creepy and dated, but anyone who doesn't expect that of a work written decades ago is a bit silly.

b Book Girl and the Captured Angel: This time the plot tangles with The Phantom of the Opera and introduces a highly intriguing character it then throws away at the end, which is irksome because I could see him being useful.  Small advances are made on the overall plot, and a certain mysterious girl working evil in the background is likely going to be in the foreground next time.  I hope the book deals with her well because the set-up has been excruciating.  I do love that the main character is slowly developing and growing.  Maybe by the next volume, he'll be strong enough to handle his nemesis.

b Border 3: I will admit that I really didn't want a whole volume about the young, innocent genius kid in the group.  There are so many characters I wanted to know more about more.  And I still Want books about them, which is why I hope this series continues and gives me what I want.  The problem with the series overall is I'm not sure how everything will come together since there's not exactly an overarching plot or even strong hints of one.  Not that I care, of course.  This is a character-centric series that has lots of characters with pasts and presents that are interesting, and they interact with each other well.  This might just be a journey manga more than a destination manga, and it's okay if there's no solid happy ending as long as there's more good stuff about these characters.

b Bride's Story 1-2:  This is gorgeous, richly illustrated, breathtakingly overwhelmingly lovely stuff.  It's very slice of life, so if you don't really like observing other cultures or appreciating minute details and nuance, you might actually lose consciousness in the first chapter.  Please don't drool on the book.  Wow.  Just great stuff.  I'm glad I waited to read it until I had two, so I could immerse myself in a silk road mini-marathon.

b The Cage of Zeus: Kind of talky, kind of clunky sci-fi novel that is Trying to Make a Statement About Gender and does so with kind of ham-handed prose.  Interesting when you know it's coming from Japan and what kinds of cultural mindsets they deal with there.  The pronouns were super awkward, but that's mostly English's fault.  The Amazon review is actually really thorough, if you're interested.

What I read in December: Digest Version, part 1 of 4

After all my patience and patronage, I am still not going to get TurnA Gundam.  I was so close.  Oh, the humanity.

b The Betrayal Knows My Name 2: More angst!  More sad backstory!  And a twist so unsurprising the author was actually shocked that so many of her readers didn't see it coming.  (I saw it coming; that should tell you how obvious it was.)  This series takes me a long time to read because there's a lot to savor in the artwork and the tragedy of it all.  I was ready to be really impressed at one point when I thought some foreshadowing came true in a big way with an actual character death, but no dice.  There's always next volume.

b Black Butler 5: Y'know, I can see why this series irritates some people.  There are gut-wrenching serious bits, but then they're surrounded by fluff that just seems crappy in comparison.  However, without the fluff, this series would likely bog down in horror.  Also, Queen Victoria = random + awesome.

b Blood Alone 5:  I read someone saying somewhere that this volume clearly indicated there was a romantic relationship going on.  Did we read the same volume?  Because mine didn't indicate any hanky-panky.  It's true that I'm likely to willfully not notice things I don't like, and my memory is crappy, but I really thought there wasn't anything even vaguely like that.  Just more darkness and awkwardness and tenderness not connected to sex in any way.  I swear it is still not creepy!  Okay, um, maybe I should say that it still isn't definitively that exact kind of creepy, though there is a lot of other kinds of creepy it does well.  Moving on . . .

b Blood Blockade Battlefront 1: Okay.  Nothing like Trigun.  Awesome anyway.  Kind of kooky and sometimes confusing with lots of mystery, the occasional emotional gut punch, and instances of super-gory violence, this volume has me hooked.  Sign me up for the next one.

b Bokurano Ours 3:  If you are looking for a positive and uplifting series full of cuddly puppies and happy children, you should look somewhere else.  Right now.  I thought volume 2 was harsh and depressing, but I had no idea volume 3 would be even more horrific.  Like, far beyond what I could have reasonably anticipated.  Part of me wants to hold off on future volumes until the whole series is out in order to make sure I can marathon the depression all in one day, whiplash-inducing plot twists included.  Another part of me remembers Shadow Star Narutaro's cancellation and cringes.

b Book Girl and the Captive Fool:  Oh, Book Girl!  More little bits and dribbles of the narrator's tragic past get dropped, and gosh, they're juicy ones.  Especially because of that lovely, unexpected plot twist at the end.  Bring on the next volume of literary-themed intrigue and school hijinks!

b Chi's Sweet Home 7: My favorite fictional kitten is back and being adorable and obnoxious in equal measures.  Poor Chi learns why you shouldn't eat things you find on the ground.  Gross and sad.  Somehow still adorable.

b Dengeki Daisy 6-8: Thank you, Barnes and Noble and ST, for letting me marathon these over Christmas.  They were delicious.  ST made the comment that she was glad the explanation was long and complicated and serious because she was ready to be really ticked off if all this drama and trauma were the result of the usual silly shojo miscommunication/misunderstanding.  No fear of that.  I also like how everyone makes it clear that they are only relating their side of things.  Next volume is the resolution of it all.  I would like to trust this unconventional series to end with a satisfying and not-illegal bang, er, conclusion.  Don't let me down, Daisy.

What I read in November 2011: Digest Version, part 1 of 3

b AiON 1-2: Oh, another weird one from the creepy-hilarious mind that brought you Chibi Vampire.  Too bad I will never know how it ends since this was one of the fun ones Tokyopop licensed before it self-destructed. 

b Bleach 14, 27, 28, 31: Oh, Bleach, why must you show everything?  Because you are a particular kind of shonen, I suppose.  And this early, it's still somewhat interesting to see every bit of every fight going on at the same time, but I begin to long for a single plot thread to follow or a single point of view character.  Sigh.  I will enjoy you for what you're good at!

b Bunny Drop 4: More learning parenting on the job as our protagonist meets with new experiences and talks with other parents about the challenges and rewards of raising another human being.

b Butterfly 1: I got a kick out of this one, another series rolled out by the big TP before it went belly-up.  I liked the creepy dynamic and the wackiness.  I was curious about what would happen next and where things would end up.

b Dengeki Daisy 5: I've been out of touch this year, but I really haven't been hearing much about this remarkably un-shojo series.  I admit that I was a tad skeptical, at first, because there was the potential for it to get stupid, like other series, but instead it has stayed intelligently dumb and hasn't broken any decency laws yet, I think.  It knows exactly when to be inappropriate for maximum effect.  It switches between heart-pounding drama and ridiculous silliness with, well, not ease but serious skill.  I just hope it doesn't toss all the decency out the window . . .

b Dining Bar Akira: Cranky people dealing with unwanted attraction to each other with a cast of wacky side characters who could easily fill out a whole series much more entertainingly than the usual cafe story.

b Drops of God 1: The wild world of wine enthusiasts is brought to credible and sometimes slightly over-the-top life in this series that my wine enthusiast friend has read and endorsed.  He opines that trying to put taste into words is hard.  I would agree.  Trying to put most things into words is hard.  Rarely are the results this educational and fun.  I can die now that I know what a decanter is actually for.

b Ghost Hunt 3, 9-11: Hooray for series resurrection!  May it continue and not leave me hanging again!!!!

b Hayate the Combat Butler 15: More wacky episodic comedy for otaku.  Funtimes!

What I read in August: Digest Version (Part 2 of 2)

b Kaze Hikaru 19: These volumes come out so infrequently that at this point I start them and have no idea what's happening.  And I still adore them.  Cross-dressing, sword-swinging historical (would this really be classified as romance with all the action and politics and other stuff that goes on?) shojo series that is high quality every time.

b Kyo Kara MAOH! 7: A little girl shows up claiming to be Yuri's daughter, but, well, he's only 15, and she looks 8 or 9, and the math isn't adding up.  Yuri, being Yuri, is more interested in why she's lying than in the fact that she sort of tried to kill him.  Well, it certainly sucks that there won't be any more of this series over here.  I'll have to finally sit down and watch all the DVDs.  Hopefully they won't have the awful typos and clunky translation this one did sometimes.  It was cute and fun anyway; I'll miss those culture shock moments . . .

b Maid Sama! 6: Fun, fun, fun.  My favorite part still remains the illustrations that follow the title page and show everyone's reactions after the photo shoot for the cover is over.  Usually kind of a hoot.  It's kind of hard to deal with characters like this male lead who have all sorts of secrets, and you never really know if their intentions are 100% honorable or when their pasts are going to catch up with them.  I don't really care about that at this point.  I'm too busy mourning that I won't be able to find out how the manga ends since this is yet another Tokyopop incomplete series.  There is anime out there that has been licensed, and I am mighty curious, especially if it has more story than the manga has covered here.  Shush and let me clutch my dreams as long as I can.

b My Girlfriend Is a Geek 3: She is such a geek.  Outrageous?  Yes.  Unrealistic?  No.  I know someone like her.  Really.  More entertaining antics when a fairly normal but highly tolerant guy puts up with all manner of nonsense from his fujoshi girlfriend because, goshdarnit, he likes her, okay?  Even is she's a weirdo.

b Natsume's Book of Friends 8: Oh, Natsume . . .  Any time this exorcist family creeps in, I end up creeped out.  Bad guy alarms just go off all over the place.  Here is a person who really sees yokai as tools, and when someone sees your friends as tools, well, you probably aren't going to get along with them.  Ever.  There is some sweet development of friendship between Natsume and humans in this one, but it's nothing huge and dramatic, but I love the way this series meanders.

b Ouran High School Host Club 16:Well, I'll be darned.  People are graduating!  Sad times!  I'm glad my grandparents weren't this bad.  Yuck.  And I'm sure the dad has all kinds of plans and whatever, but I feel really bad for Tamaki because now he's having to cope with all this crap without the help of his friends (the witch woman even took away his dog, for Pete's sake).  I wonder when he will snap and what will happen when he does.

b Saiunkoku 2-4:  Dang!  Way darker in the politices!  Go, Koya!  And way clearer in the "What just happened?" department.

b Toradora! 2: Giddy-goofy-romantic-dramedy funtimes continue.  Nice.

b Twin Spica 8: Sad and thoughtful with more hints of tragic and some actual science fiction.  I love the atmosphere this series creates: hardworking and wistful and quiet.  As a tallish person, I feel so bad for the main character not being chosen for an honor she probably deserved because she's too small.  And I feel sad that one of their friends is moving away, but that's what life is like in high school.  Shucks.

o The Wanderer 1-2: Clearance weirdness.  What an interesting translation choice and a somewhat incomprehensible little slice of a series.  Sometimes I really don't wonder why some of these boutique manga publishers went under . . .

What I read in July: Digest Version, Part 2 of 3

b Fullmetal Alchemist 25:  Oh, Al!  Oh, Al!!  When I get the last volume, I am going to marathon all the volumes I have not lent to my sister, and I am going to have plenty of tissues on hand, and then I am going to watch Brotherhood.  And I will love it!!!!!

b Guin Saga 1-5: Guin Saga is a masterpiece of pulp soaked in testosterone.  It is not for the weak of stomach.  It is, however, chock full of hilarious invective, more fighting than you could shake an armory at, and enough slaughter to make you not want to eat for a few days.  I am really looking forward to seeing the anime because it goes further than the first 5-book arc we got here.  Thank you, Vertical!  More please.  (Please release it in the spring, so I can read it outside in the sun.)

b Imperfect Hero 3: I may not have had the chance to read the second one, but it didn't really matter.  It ended amusingly and predictably.

b La Quinta Camera: Ah, more Natsume Ono.  This is an early work, a breezy slice-of-life set of stories centered on a 5-bedroom house in Italy.  The titular fifth room is rented out to a succession of people, and you slowly learn about the oddball permanent inhabitants through shifting points of view until the bittersweet ending.

b The Manzai Comics 1: A bit more BL flavored than I was expecting from the description, but I should have known since it was published by Aurora and wasn't hetero romance.  Anyway, it's an amusing story about this guy who wants to be a comedian and the partner he courts who wants nothing to do with comedy or him.  Sad that more wasn't published.

o Moon and Blood 1: You know, I really didn't like this.  It was a mess, and it was so short it didn't have a chance to redeem itself.  Maybe 3 full-sized volumes would have resulted in something palatable, but this tiny, messy bite just wasn't enough.

b Nabari No Ou 5-7: I read a few volumes to see if I was remembering the books right, and I was.  They played things a bit more straight than the anime, but the adaptation seemed faithful (at least to the number of volumes published at the time).  I'm sure there's a divergence, or maybe that's just wishful thinking because the ending in the anime kind of fell apart, and/or I just didn't like it.  I'm looking forward to the manga to redeem the story's end.  You can do it!

What I read in July: Digest Version (Part 1 of 3)

b 20th Century Boys 15: This series is bad for my blood pressure.  I love it.  Suspense, occasional action, huge conspiracies, characters to give you nightmares.  I want to know how it all ends, but I don't want it to end.

b American Born Chinese: I was really curious how all three of these separate stories were going to come together, and I was a little baffled at how they managed to.  Nice, clean art and thought-provoking story.

b Chicago 2: Book of Justice: Don't you hate it when you read something the author just stopped writing?  Especially when it's really good?  I do . . .  Don't worry; this one's so out of print, you'll probably never find it to know what you're missing.

b Chi's Sweet Home 6: More wacky everyday adventures with an adorable kitten and family of humans now living in a pet-permitting apartment.

b Children of the Sea 4: Holy Cow, my children.  Sometimes gross, sometimes creepy beyond all belief, possessing a sense of wonder and a bizarre aesthetic, this series is always sort of whimsically baffling.  Really not like anything else out there.  Your mileage will vary . . . 

b Color Of Heaven: Once the subject of a MMF, it's been on my list.  Finally, it's off my list.  I found it fascinating, unique among manhwa brough here in translation.  The nature artwork of the backgrounds was my favorite part.  Reading the fictionalized history of a couple of women written by their male descendent was intriguing, and I do love encountering other cultures.  Should you read it?  How tolerant are you of nature as metaphor for woman in olden times?  And what about visual metaphors?  If you can handle being brained over the head with those, you might enjoy this trilogy.

o Countdown 7 Days 1: You know, I think this was one of those ones where the art is supposed to be enough to make up for the crazy plot holes and unsympathetic characters.  It almost was.  Maybe volume 2 will redeem it!

What I Read in June: Digest Version, 3 of 3

b Rebirth 6: Flashback city!  Oh, yeah.  This series was pretty awesome before it mostly descended into tournament fighting mode.  Bring on the vampire misunderstanding and melodrama!

b Saturn Apartments 3: Still mostly a quiet series with flashes of commentary on class conflict and the nature of work.  If slow and steady slice of life is your thing, you might really adore this series with its sketchy, nos-standard art and quirky science fiction future subject matter.  There's some political turmoil and tension thrown in to this one, too!

b Shaman King 32: I put off reading this because I knew this was the crappy Shonen Jump ending, not the expanded, better ending that got told later, but, aside from it, you know, not really concluding, there was a very peaceful sense that if it ended here, all was peaceful and would somehow end well.  Very Buddhist.  :)

b Skip Beat! 24: Ah, Skip Beat, how I love thee.  Kyoko's unpredictability, misunderstandings, and amazing vengefulness make this a gleeful ride every time. It makes me happy to read for reasons that are hard to describe.  Maybe it's the innocent joy that is as much a part of Kyoko as her pure hatred.  Maybe it's the way she's still working hard and learning despite all her disadvantages and the crappy people around her.  And tha Beagle chocolate?  Priceless.

b Suppli 3, 4&5:  Wow.  I read these even after I found out I would never know how it ended.  There's something compelling about watching someone you would never be friends with stumble half-asleep through life with her focus on wrong things.  It's an eye-opener.

b Twleve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn: Yarg!  Whoa.  Exciting.  I liked them enough to put them on my book, writing, and story blog.

b Twleve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas: Well, finally.  Yoko grows a spine!  As much as I am super sad that this will likely be the last book we get, this was actually an okay place to end.

b Twin Spica 7: Cutthroat competition and sad, gentle melancholy.  And always, eyes on the future, eyes toward space.  I love this series.

b Yakitate!!  Japan 26: Most hilariously inappropriate use of a turtle bread ever.  Also, I will never again see fighting devil bread with Chopin's head.  "No matter how strong you have become, I am bread.  You cannot defeat me with physical attacks like kicks and punches."  "There's no way you could match up against a bread made with pure dreams and hopes."  Also, bread that stops global warming.  A properly outrageous ending to a ridiculous (and ridiculously entertaining series).

What I Read in April: Digest Version, 1 of 3

b Animal Academy 2: Soooooo cuuuuuuuuute.  There's just something about this fish out of water story that is endearing and adorably but not saccharine.  Biggest disappointment: this is another Tokyopop series that may never see completion.  Oh, the pain . . .

b Alice 101st 2: One of my favorite things about this series is the doodles it shows in the main character's margins.  It's just awesome.  The story is compelling, too, with more guest appearances from another series by this author (you don't have to have read the other series, really).  Rivals and mysteries, miraculous talent, and hard work in a cutthroat fine arts school: what's not to love?

b Adventures of Young Det 2-3: I knew it was coming this time, and I still cried.  Anyway, I wish more of this series was available because it's so promising, I really wanted to collect it.  It's kind of like an RPG after the long introduction (so far the most compelling part of the story).

b Chi's Sweet Home 3-5: An adorable and sometimes exasperating kitty I am not allergic to!  It's such a treat to watch the misunderstandings between cat and humans . . .

b Hikaru no Go 23: So sad that this is the end.  I really want to see the anime now.  I got all weepy because I've been following this story for years, and now they're all grown up and going off into the world . . .

b Spiral 15: Whoa.  I cried almost the whole second half of this.  I respect the author for following through, but, man, that was hard.

b Crown of Love 4: Was that a happy ending?  I guess it's as close to one as you can expect from a series that shines a light on love-as-obsession.

b Your and My Secret 7: Ai Morinaga, you make my nose hurt.  Your comic timing is impeccable, and your sense of humor is so very twisted.  I adore you.

What I Read in March: Digest Version, Part 4 of 4

b Me & My Brothers 2: You know, this could be so stupid, and if you're in the wrong mood, it will be. If you're in any other mood, you might enjoy this cute story about a girl who thought she was an orphan suddenly finding out she has 4 step brothers. When they move in together, it's a huge adjustment for them all. It's awkward and often hilarious.

b Mushishi 8-9-10: I don't think I've mentioned enough how incredible this series is. These last volumes deliver more small vinettes about the strange creatures called mushi and how they interact with humanity and especially one "mushi master." We get some more of his backstory, and I am so sad to see this series end. It has excellent re-read value. I look forward to checking on that.

b My Heavenly Hockey Club 1: This series is just stupid, but it's Ai Morinaga's stupid, so there is higher than average cleverness and sight-gags that will make your jaw drop. It's the story of a girl who loves sleep so much that she studies her hardest to get into the school closest to her, so she can get a few more minutes of sleep. Stuff happens, and she gets swindled into joining the tiny field hockey team that never actually plays field hockey in one of the series funniest running gags.

b NG Life 8: Oh, I love it! I love this series. What's going to happen?! How will this poor, hapless, hilarious main character resolve this terrible conundrum?  And will the girl who loves him be able to get him to look at her and see her and only her? Reincarnation meets romantic comedy.

b Pandora Hearts 2: I do like this series. There are such frequent glimpses of darkness. The only think that could make it fail is if the actual darkly-hinted at backstory is crappy. Let's hope that doesn't happen. I like this main character; he's not your standard shonen hero (he used to pick his friend somewhat mercilessly), and he's somewhat hard to read. All these weird and fun side-characters are a blast, too.

o Pavane for a Dead Girl 1: Ummmm, I'm really not sure what I think of this one. I just know I keep hearing "Pavane for a Dead Princess" every time I see it, so at least the music in my head was good . . .  The art is cute, as per Koge Donbo's usual style, but the protagonist is totally unsympathetic, and the girls so far are kind of dumb and also unsympathetic. I'm not devastated by the fact that Tokyopop's abrupt exit will likely prevent any more volumes from being published.

b Rasetsu 8: Penultimate volume! Dude! My heart can't take this! Gearing up for the final showdown, and it will likely be a doozy, chock full of really super-tragic stuff. And will these two ever just admit that they love each other?!

b Seiho Boys' High School! 4: Holy cow, this series is a good time. Life at an all-boys' school on an island in the middle of nowhere. Funny stuff because this is not an idealized vision of blissful boy life. It has swearing and a high percentage of encounters with females that end in hilarious and humilating foot-in-mouth failure. Good times.

b Shugo Chara! 1: Good set-up. I'm curious to see what happens, and I'm glad this one is being published again.

b Sky Blue Shore 2: Oh, this one was painful to read now that I know no more is coming. So sad. Mysterious mysteries added to the pot. Cheerful school drama about how people deal with their pasts and each other in the present to create a better future. Also, lots of crafts with sea shells. I totally want to make the sea glass candle someday.

b Tonoharu: Part One: Kind of stunning story of a young man who went to Japan to teach in the JET program. He's kind of a loser, and he does a lot of stuff wrong in this first book, lots of stumbling and flailing. I still want to see if he manages to make something of his life and opportunities.

b Twin Spica 5-6: Will they reach the stars? The number of students in their class continues to dwindle. They meet new people and face new challenges and learn things. This sounds so boring. Why is it so touching and incredible? I don't know, but it is, and I look forward to each volume.