“May God Protect You” – Kamichama Karin (manga) – 7/10 Pumpkin Pies

The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too. ~Teresa of Avila

Mangaka: Koge-Donbo

Genre: Action/Comedy/Romance/Supernatural/Mahou Shoujo/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (7 Volumes/7 Volumes)

Licensed: No. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: This has a very distinct chibi-like style for everyone. They’re all amazingly adorable. It’s also great that all the characters are very distinct. It’s very shoujo with almost no backgrounds and lots of toning in the backgrounds.

Summary: Karin is an average girl… at best. She’s not good at sports and gets terrible grades. On top of all that, her parents are dead and her beloved cat Shi-chan just died, too. She is miserable… but everything is about to change. Little does Karin know that her mother’s ring has the power to make her a goddess! (back cover of 1st volume)

Review: Meet Karin, your typical shoujo protagonist. She’s clumsy, she’s rather dumb, and she discovers that she has powers that she never dreamed of. Then things get good. The group of friends she falls in with- and ends up living with and fighting against- are unique in their humor and personalities, from the somewhat sexist, afraid-of-bugs buy Kazune, to the sweet bug-loving Himeka, and the not-really-evil Kirika. The way they interact and the hijinks they get into feel fresh and interesting, so different from the humor you usually find in these series.

Of course, life is not all roses and one-liners. Karin and her friends are fighting against a group that wants nothing more than to destroy them and get at Himeka. Their powers are that of the Greek Gods, borrowed from the Divine so that they can protect those that they love. The fights are simple and don’t last long, though the effects linger into their normal lives. Things ramp up around volume 5, where the stakes are raised and secrets are revealed.

This would have been a fine series if it had followed their daily lives and the occasional fights, because those moments are always hilarious. There are an incredible number of lines that set me off laughing out loud, and situations that were just as funny. They made the series shine. It was when everything tried to tie up that it started to fall apart into some poorly-done clichés and other things that didn’t seem to fit. Characters were forgotten about, plot threads were left dangling, and the status quo was maintained for characters and romances.

The first half of the series was definitely worth reading. It’s one of the best Mahou Shoujo series I’ve read and seen in that regard, and I could not be more thrilled with it. The second half... not so much. Definitely read it if you’re a completist, otherwise just drop it.

Overall, this is a hilarious, adorable series that deserved a better ending than it got.

Recommended: 8+. There’s no language, the humor is spot-on and clean, there’s no fanservice (though at one point, Karin accidentally ends up in the guy’s bath- towels are on!), and there is some suggestive humor in one of the extra stories. Comedic violence, nothing you wouldn’t see in a Looney Tunes cartoon or in a Disney movie.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Sailor Moon (anime and manga)
Pita-Ten (anime and manga)
Card Captor Sakura (anime)
Shugo Chara (anime and manga)

“A Magical Adventure” - The Big Adventures of Majoko (manga) – 8/10 Pumpkin Pies

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. ~Gilbert K. Chesterton

Mangaka: Tomomi Mizuna

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Adventure/Supernatural/Mahou Shoujo/Kids

Review Status: Complete (5 Volumes/5 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: It has the shoujo/chibi-ish character designs, but doesn’t rely so much on shades and toning. The color pages are bright and colorful.

Summary: While cleaning her room, a young girl named Nana finds a mysterious diary. As soon as she opens it, out pops Majoko, a rambunctious wizard girl from the Land of Magic! Together, these two girls explore a fantastic world full of magic spells, wondrous creatures, and endless surprises. Every day is a big adventure when Majoko is around! (Udon)

Review: This story hits the ground running and never lets up. From the first page, where Nana is taken to the world of magic, to the last one, there is an adventure every chapter. It’s pretty episodic, with each chapter a different story, but with a few recurring characters. This sets up a great way to see the wonders of the world. It’s created like every child’s dream, from a land of snow and living snowmen, to an orchard that has apples that help you with better grades, to a place where you can buy and sell rainbows.

The various adventures that happen in these places are a mix of the obvious (being ripped off for the apples) to the humorous (having to rebuild a snowman’s face), to the fascinating (needing to borrow monsters for a haunted house). All the stories are pretty funny, and darn cute to boot!

They wouldn’t be half as amusing without the various personalities of the lead characters. Majoko is different from most shoujo leads- she’s the funny man to Nana’s straight one. With a hot temper, a strong mischievous streak, and a penchant for trouble, she really is a quirky and loveable lead. Nana takes a backseat in a lot of the adventures, but is definitely a more level-headed girl. She manages to be dragged along for the fun of it many times. The rest of the group falls more into clichés, such as the spoiled girl who is Majoko’s rival, to the smart guy, but they’re a fun bunch.

The story does fall apart at the end, though, with an unfinished storyline concerning the fate of the magical world. It’s a shame, since it was shaping up to be pretty interesting, and had been a consistent storyline for about a volume before the series ended. The extras almost make up for it, with even more funny moments in it.

Overall, while this did end up falling on a few too many tropes to get a 10, it was still a great adventure story!

Recommended: 6+. There was one chapter where they visited the land of monsters, and they might look a little frightening to younger children.

Other Titles You Might Enjoy:
Happy Happy Clover (manga)
+Anima (manga)

“What Are Magical Girls Made Of?” – Puella Magi Madoka Magica (anime) – 10/10 Flowers

Love is more than a noun -- it is a verb; it is more than a feeling -- it is caring, sharing, helping, sacrificing. ~William Arthur Ward

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/Drama/Action/Psychological

Review Status: Complete (12 Episodes/12 Episodes)

Licensed: As of the beginning of July 2011, this anime is indeed licensed in the US.

Art/Animation: While the animation may not always be the smoothest, it is consistently good. The colors are bright, the style is distinctive, and the art can get downright trippy at times. This was created with a variety of different styles- you have fairly normal, recognizable designs for the ‘normal world’, but the Witches and their worlds (and occasionally some flashbacks) are more roughly-drawn, like crayons and paper puppets, or cut-outs over static patterned backgrounds. This in no way detracts from it- it brings the contrast between them into focus, and can also be downright disturbing in some parts.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this.

Summary: Beloved family, good friends, laughter and tears - these things make up the ordinary life of Kaname Madoka, a second year student of Mitakihara City Middle School. One night, Madoka dreams of a mysterious dark haired girl struggling against a terrible evil; the next morning she discovers that the girl, Akemi Homura, has transferred into her class. This encounter will lead to an incident which will alter Madoka's fate forever. (MAL.net)

Review: Nothing in this world comes without a price. It’s an integral truth for us, and in the world of magical girls. Yet, in magical girl shows, everything is totally fine when they make a contract- they get to sing or play games, use their magic for whatever, maybe only having to fight an occasional monster to do so. It seems almost disproportionate. Why should a young girl be given immense magical powers for essentially no reason? Madoka takes that question and runs with it. How is it possible? Why is it possible?

And what if it wasn’t?

There’s magic, time travel, aliens, all used skillfully to bring us this what-if of the mahou shoujo world. And off of it makes sense in the grand scheme of the genre. By that same token, the things that we are familiar with are twisted and subverted, sometimes in the most horrific of ways. This is an anime that doesn’t go for gore for a cheap thrill, no- this goes for the psyche. It’s amazing as the most innocuous or happy statement can, under the right circumstances, become a most horrific one.

It’s great to see how this plays with symbolism. The double-scythe pendulum is perhaps the most obvious one. You have themes echoed throughout the story, from mere side characters that don’t know what perils our heroines are facing: “You can’t have everything you want”. Not everything is as it seems- sometimes it takes two revelations to figure out what type of person (or being) someone is. All in all, if you’re looking for an anime that will make you think and keep you guessing, this is it.

What makes it great is how it works so well with the plot and characters. The plot is typical of Mahou Shoujo, and yet made into epic proportions. Madoka is faced with saving the world. Most of the story is taken up with her indecision of whether to go through with it, unable to decide what she really desires in turn for agreeing to become one. Of course, that’s part of the subversion. How many magical girl shows have you seen where the heroine doesn’t take the opportunity eagerly? But save it she must, and her decision is a bittersweet one. The how is both saddening, and yet brilliant.

Madoka really would be rather shallow if it weren’t for the characters within it, though. Madoka seems like most magical girls- she loves others with all her heart, and wants the best for them. However, she doesn’t make decisions rashly, as is shown in her actions throughout the series. Her friends are fully fleshed-out figures, all of them people who want nothing more than the happiness of the people they love, and yet make mistakes along the way or fail to do so regardless. They have all been hurt in some way, but continue to fight. They never truly lose hope for the world. It is through the trials and their tribulations that you see Madoka grow as a character. She watches, but takes everything in and learns from it, making a decision that is more than any mahout shoujo show before her has dared go.

Overall, this was a brilliant take on the genre, and definitely something every fan (and even non-fans) should watch.

Recommended: 13+. The nudity is never more than your standard magical-girl nudity, and most episodes only shows up in the opening sequence. The language level is low, with a bare minimum of cursing, the worst of it being the word for illegitimate child being used once or twice. There are perhaps two instances of swearing besides that. The worst of the violence is when you see one person’s head being bitten off- this is NOT shown in graphic detail, you merely see the outline of it happening, and it is brief. Besides that, you have blood spatter, some cuts, and see girls’ dead bodies which are left intact. Most violent stories are told with what looks like animated puppets, and the violence is merely implied, though you see the aftermath (but as it’s shown symbolically with those puppets, it isn’t as bad as one would think). Some of the worst violence happens to Kyuubei, who is shot full of holes (no blood or gore), shot so he explodes (again, no blood or gore). During one brief scene, two adults are drinking in a bar.

For those who have religious sensibilities, think of Madoka as a Christ-figure.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Princess Tutu (anime)
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (anime)
Mai-Hime (anime or manga)
Revolutionary Girl Utena (anime)
Bokurano (anime or manga)
Serial Experiments Lain (anime)

“And Her Seven Knights” – Pretear: The New Legend of Snow White (manga) – 6/10 Disco Balls

Although stepfamilies rarely make as smooth transition as the Bradys, it is possible to successfully blend a family. It depends on how and when you start and what you put in the blender. ~Kela Price

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/ Fantasy/Romance/Drama

Review Status: (Complete (4 Volumes/4 Volumes)

Licensed: This manga is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: The art is typical shoujo- lots of sparkles and bit eyes. But it’s still pleasant to look at.

Summary: Himeno Awayuki is a high school student who's having trouble adjusting to her new lifestyle. Her mother past away when she was a child, and her father Kaoru married the richest woman in town, Natuse. Kaoru always seems to take Natuse's side, and Natuse's two daughters aren't too fond of Himeno. Himeno's new life changes when she takes a shortcut to school and runs into a young boy, who takes her to a magical world on the brink of extinction. This world needs the help of a magical princess called the Pretear, who happens to be Himeno herself. (MAL.net)

Review: I look for Magical Girl titles like a lion looks for fruit salad. So when this happened to catch my eye while I was in a fit of boredom, I couldn’t help but be attracted to the promise of fluffy times and romantic drama that this promised. This manages to be a bit more than your standard magical girl fare, which was a pleasant surprise.

This story titles itself as “The New Legend of Snow White”. In a way that’s true- this does manage to bring elements of Snow White into the story. However, this is only in the way that she has seven knights protecting her and her mother is jealous of the attention her father gives her- there are far more elements of Cinderella in this, with her mean stepmother and sisters and her rage-to-riches story.

The overall story is interesting, with a power of making Leafe (a substance similar to The Force) passed from Pretear to Pretear as generations pass. One of the Pretears of past fell into the darkness of her own heart and became the Princes of Darkness. Himeno, the new Pretear, must defeat her and the darkness within herself.

There are still some typical clichés in here, from the angry and standoffish guy being the one who becomes the romantic interest to At least the characters are fairly likeable…. The ones you actually get to know…

Because there are seven knights, there just isn’t time to like them beyond the superficial ‘they’re cute and have tragic backstories’ way. This leads to a somewhat shallow part as Himeno grieves over the loss of one of the knights. The knights that the manga does focus on are the ones that are part of the love triangle that causes much of the drama in the story. They’re also very clichéd personalities, with one being the surly, angry guy and the other being the sweet, understanding one. Himeno ends up being a decently convincing personality- she’s no pushover. Though she’s hurt by her stepsister’s actions, she has no problem standing up for herself. Having a strong (both physically and mentally) heroine was a welcome change.

The story itself suffers from compression, with relationships and characters not fully developed, details not fully explained (how did her friend end up knowing their identities again?), and the general feel of the story being rushed.

Overall, while this was a fun, quick read, I would recommend the anime over this.

Recommended: If you can’t get your hands on the anime. 12+, as there is a shot of her cleavage in a bra in one panel. Her friend also implies that maybe she and her knights were having sex (this isn’t the case at all- it’s just something assumed off of something that Himeno says). The one swear word is replaced by #$*%& symbols.

Other titles you might enjoy: Princess Tutu (anime)
Fushigi Yuugi: Mysterious Play (manga or anime)
Kamichama Karin (manga or anime)
Ceres: Celestial Legend (manga)
Gakuen Alice (manga)
Shugo Chara (manga or anime)
Time Stranger Kyoko (manga)

“A Princess In Time” – Time Stranger Kyoko (Manga) - 8/10 Sugar Cubes

Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back. ~ Harvey MacKay

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/ Fantasy/ Romance

Review Status: Full (3 Volumes/ 3 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Very pretty, very detailed, very pleasing to look at. Overall, excellent quality.

Summary: Suomi Kyoko is the first princess of the 30th century Earth Nation... though she doesn't seem to like that title at all. Kyoko wants to live a normal life without responsibilities. As her desire to be completely free grew stronger, she discovered that there could be one possibility for her: if her twin sister Ui, asleep from the very day of her birth, could be awakened, she could take Kyoko's place as the future queen of the Earth. Unfortunately, the only way to wake Ui is finding the twelve God Stones, as well as the twelve Strangers, the persons who can control them. With her two loyal bodyguards, Sakataki and Hizuki, Kyoko sets off on a journey to stop her sister's enchanted sleep. (From ANN.com)

Review: I’m always wary of short manga, as they have a tendency to fall flat both in story and characterization. Through the first few chapters of this, I thought it would be the same as most other short manga I’ve read. Thankfully, the story quickly developed into something that made me smile and feel for the characters.

While Kyoko originally seemed a tad whiny, she still was overall a very happy character that really cares for her friends and has issues of her own way beyond needing to wake up her sister. Her bodyguards at their worst were merely amusing. Unfortunately, due to the constrained length of this manga, you don’t get too much of most of the other side characters other than two of the first Strangers that she encounters. This is darned shame, because they all looked like they had interesting stories/encounters behind them…. But thinking back on it, going through each one may have become slightly repetitive after a while. And going through them in one blow let the story get to the good parts faster ^.^

So the story? More original than most that get churned out these days! Finding the God Stones takes more thought than “I really need to wake up my sister so please give it to me!”, and at the same time, she has to deal with the problems her friends have. It’s also not like she gets her powers straight off- even she has to prove she’s good enough to have them. Since a major part of the story is the romance, there is the obligatory love triangle (or should I call it a square?), but even so it works itself out in a nice, touching way.

Overall, this is a great story, and nice if you just want a quick read. While the story does suffer a bit from its compression, the mangaka had enough skill to pull out and emphasize what was important to make this one a classic.

Recommended: Sure. I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through magic-land, and I think you would too. It’s also kid-friendly, so don’t be afraid of leaving it out where they can reach 

Other series you might like:
Kamikaze Kaito Jean (manga),
Card Captor Sakura (anime)
Shugo Chara! (anime or manga)),
Gakuen Alice (manga)

“Away From Here” - Clover (Manga) - 4/10 Sugar Cubes

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Shoujo

Review Status: Full (4 Volumes/ 4 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Minimal. While it is CLAMP, and it is very clean and easy to look at, it also seems like a midpoint in their styles, from early CLAMP to the style they’re known for today. It’s still very nice, though.

Summary: In a futuristic world, the government has conducted secret research called the 'Clover Project'. Each Clover is tattooed with a power level by the Five Elders Council. Sue is a Four Leaf Clover, the only one in existence. Ran is a Three Leaf, one of two. Gingetsu is Two Leaf and Oruha is One Leaf. Each book tells a different tale of these tragic children, backtracking from when Kazuhiko takes Sue to Fairy Park to when Ran becomes Gingetsu's ward.

Kazuhiko is a former soldier turned private eye who is giving the mission of picking up and delivering Sue to Fairy Park. Sue is part of a race of children called Clovers who are children with special powers, and in this futuristic world, the government is out to control them. (From ANN.com)

Review: The keyword for this manga is Minimalist. This story is told with the least amount of pictures and words possible. I find it amazing that they were still able to fill four volumes with what they had, but….

In any case, this was a decent manga. You got a look into the backgrounds of many of the characters, but as little as possible. However, that doesn’t seem to detract much from how sad they all are. Even so, much of the story had been stripped away, from the history between Kazuhiko and the military, the politics of what was going on, even what had happened in the world that had obviously been ravaged by some sort of disaster.

The one thing that apparently gives a lot of symbolism to the story is the song that Sue wrote and was sung by Kazuhiko’s former girlfriend. The lyrics are very nice, and it’s practically on every page, giving a melancholy undertone/narrative to the story that’s happening.

Even with all of this, there were too many unanswered questions about what was going on, who people were, and what the overall message was for me to be satisfied with this brief foray into the future.

Overall, too existential for my tastes, but if you’re looking for something philosophical then this might be for you.

Recommended: 14+, if this style appeals to you. There's violence, some blood, implied death.

Others you might like (instead?): Try some of CLAMP’s other works- perhaps Tsubasa Chronicles or XXXHolic (pronounced ‘Holic’), or even Chobits, gives some more background and some existential questions to go along with it.
Planetes (manga and anime)

"Girls with... Magic Swords?"- Magic Knights Rayearth- 7/10 Sugar Cubes

Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/ Adventure/ Fantasy

Review Status: Full (3 Volumes/ 3 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: While the panels can occasionally be confusing, the art is sparkly and clean. Though the character designs can seem slightly outdated, as it is one of their earlier works, CLAMP does it again!

Summary: Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, girls from separate schools, find themselves linked together as they fall through the floor during a field trip to the Tokyo Tower. They land in a place called Cephiro, where their will controls what happens. They meet with Guru Clef and find out that they were summoned to save Princess Emeraude who has been imprisoned by High Priest Zagato. They learn magic and acquire weapons on their quest to save Cephiro from the evils of Zagato. (From ANN.com)

Review: This is a nice, short little fantasy series that’s good for a quick read. However, it being CLAMP, the story can be more involved than it would at first seem. From the standard power-ups, to the not so standard girl who gets the Prince (hint- it’s not the main heroine!), and an ending that is as bittersweet as atypical, this manga shows a superior sense of storytelling that hallmarks many of the works by this group.

The main characters are fairly well-rounded. You do come to care for their hardships and challenges, and can see how they grow as people and friends. You also get a surprising glimpse into the eyes of the main baddie and the princess which is touching and yet heartbreaking.

Overall, this is a good starter manga if you want to get into deeper, more involved works. It’s also good as a stand-alone if you’re pressed for time. And if you’re not into the ending, there’s also a sequel!

Recommended: Sure. It’s short and bittersweet. Maybe not for those young enough to understand the idea of sacrificing oneself for their love. 10 and over.

Other series you might like: Magic Knight Rayearth (anime, though S2 of the anime is different from the second half of the manga)
Card Captor Sakura (anime),
Chobits (manga and anime),
Ballad of a Shinigami (manga and anime),
Half Prince (manga),
Alice 19th (manga

“When Your Feelings Sync, You Get Magic” -Someday’s Dreamers- 10/10 Sugar Cubes

“Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice.” ~Anonymous

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/ Drama

Review Status: Full (2 Volumes/2 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Solid, but has a watercolor-like, dream-like quality. Very suited towards the storyline.

Summary: Yume, melancholic and passionate girl of high-school age, lives in the world of Magic, being one of the apprentice mages in Tokyo. Although magic use restricted by the laws, Yume masters it in rather blatant ways, following not reason, butt her pure heart. Throughout this short story the fragile soul of the girl trifles with the reality of the Magic Users - their responsibilities and boundaries towards redundant magic. Yume is engulfed in another dimension of reality – a world with no bounds between normal and magical, which sets her to make it real to all other people. (From ANN.com)

Review: The only bad thing I can say about this manga is that it was too short. I don’t mean that it detracted from the story in any way- I just wished that this story could continue on for another volume. This world, and this girl’s troubles, are fully realized in this manga. Not only does she have to learn how to use her gift responsibly, but she must also learn how to use it to truly help others and not just help them how she thinks they need.

That is where this story shines. Her learning to help others, that the way they need to be helped isn’t always obvious. And in order to graduate, she must do one of the hardest things she can- help someone make peace with the dead.

The stories aren’t always happy, but they are always heart-wrenching. The true magic of this story is in how it can touch the reader.

Overall, this is an excellent manga. Maybe not for the youngest, but one that many readers can enjoy.

Recommended: 13 and over, for themes of death and loss. One woman commits suicide (implied).

Other Series You Might Like:
Someday's Dreamers (anime)
Kobato (manga or anime)
Saturn Apartments (manga)
Hotel (manga)
Time Stranger Kyoko (manga)
Bunny Drop (manga)
Aria (manga and anime)
Ballad of a Shinigami (anime and manga)
Someday’s Dreamers ~Spellbound~ (manga)