“Reflection Of Me” – The One I Love (manga) – 9/10 Snowballs

There is no remedy for love but to love more. ~Henry David Thoreau

Mangaka: CLAMP

Genre: Romance

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volume)

Licensed: Formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: The stories were all authored be each of the members, 3 to a member, which means that the ones drawn by the same mangaka will look the same while the ones between members all look quite different. Some of their work will look quite familiar to readers of their other series, some will look quite a bit different. This is an older manga, so the clothing and hair is noticeably dated, but otherwise looks very good.

Summary: Combining CLAMP’s legendary storytelling, color artwork and elegant prose, The One I Love provides insight into the creators’ intimate lives and passions. This unique and romantic 12-story anthology dives into the heard of the matter of the insecurity and honesty, marriage and independence, and, of course, the single subject CLAMP seems to know best: Love. (back cover)

Review: This is one of the more memorable manga I know that speaks on the myriad of things that goes on when a girl’s in love. Jealousy, anxiety about marriage, age differences… all make an appearance here. It’s astounding how true to life these stories are, touching on things that I know I have felt, and even making the jump from anxieties women feel to ones that both genders do. With each story is a short story from the mangaka that drew it, telling the story that inspired the tale.

With 12 different stories in a very slim volume, there’s no character development or deep insight into what’s going on- it’s not that kind of manga. It’s one that every girl and woman that’s ever been in love can read and immediately step into the shoes of the characters. These are common experiences, and the relatability and how true they all ring make this something special. The stories that are inspiration are both funny and often insightful, which makes everything come alive in a way that exceeds how it was before.

Overall, this is for anyone who likes a little romance.

Recommended: All ages. There’s really nothing that objectionable in here.

Other titles you might enjoy:
NG Life (manga)
NANA (anime and manga)
Emma: A Victorian Romance (anime and manga)

“The Dance Of A Lifetime” – Swan (manga) – 9/10 Snowballs

Ballet is a dance executed by the human soul. ~Alexander Pushkin

Mangaka: Kyoko Ariyoshi

Genre: Drama/Romance/Shoujo

Review Status: Incomplete (8 Volumes/21 Volumes) *Note- CMX only published 15 of the 21 volumes before folding, and there are no scanlations of the series.

Licensed: Formerly licensed by CMX manga.

Art: While this does have some strange holdovers of styles from the 70’s, this is classic shoujo art that manages to be straight-up beautiful most of the time. The usual sparkles-and-flowers that fill the pages of a lot of modern shoujo have never worked better than in this manga about ballet, where such things are a part of the stage and scenery. The mangaka also has a wonderful sense of motion and movement in her art that makes the scenes easy to visualize, which is especially important when creating a story where that’s so central to the plot. The realistic character designs convey the look of dancers on the stage beautifully.

Summary: Swan is the story of Masumi, a young girl from a rural Japanese town, who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. She is picked to take part in a national ballet competition but realizes that although she has the passion and talent to be a great dancer, her training lags behind that of her peers. During the competition and the subsequent professional lessons, she fights to improve her abilities and achieve her dreams. (Amazon.com)

Review: Manga is something that is often subject to the changing styles and interests of the times. The art people like to look at changes, the things that society views as important changes, what people enjoy changes. What’s wonderful about this manga is that it manages to make a story that can withstand most of these things and create a story that’s still moving and engaging, much like Tezuka’s work still manages to be relevant and- above all- good.

This does show its age. The girls head out to a disco one night. They train in the USSR-named countries (though in the post-Cold War translation keeps the Cold War names of cities), 70’s fashions abound, but those aren’t intrusive or detrimental to the story at all.

Swan keeps is focus on one place only- the story of Masumi, a burgeoning ballet dancer who wants nothing more than to dance with the greats. With nothing but raw talent, she manages to make her way into some of the toughest ballet competitions in the world. Nothing is as easy as it appears, though. Her talent isn’t enough to win. She must train and study and work for hours on end, sacrificing time with friends and learning about herself and the characters she must portray on stage. It shows some of the most brutal things that ballet dancers go through. Becoming one is hard work and can destroy anyone who isn’t going to commit themselves 100%.

Masumi struggles with it herself. She doesn’t always win, she falls to competitive pressure, and it hits her hard when her friends find themselves in situations. Watching her grow as a character is fun and often touching. Her own growth is set off by and aided by a large and varied cast of characters that are as complex characters as Masumi herself. Things aren’t beds of roses for them, but they manage to pull through situations all the better for it. The nice thing is that these characters aren’t used as mere plot devices, to be seen once and never again. Often they are recurring characters that Masumi meets time and again, who grow and change themselves.

While this can get a little melodramatic, it doesn’t always detract from the manga. It’s about ballet, something that’s often seen as something that is melodramatic in and of itself. Swan keeps the struggles and issues of the characters pretty realistic to what real dancers go through. And the actual ballets can be gorgeously depicted. This has a charm and a strong story that manages to overcome any issues that come with being almost 40 years old.

Overall, this is one of the best shoujo manga around, and definitely worth a read if you like Princess Tutu or a good story.

Recommended: 11 and up. The ballet world isn’t always a nice one- there’s fierce competition, and when one dancer is injured in a way that might end her career permanently, she attempts suicide.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Glass Mask (anime and manga)
Cat Street (manga)
Princess Tutu (anime)

“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)

“Calling Out To You” – Voices of a Distant Star (manga) - 6/10 Pumpkin Pies

Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire. ~Francois de la Rouchefoucauld

Mangaka: Makoto Shinkai and Sumomo Yumeka

Genre: Romance/Sci-fi/Drama/Mecha

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volumes)

Licensed: No. this manga is not licensed in the US currently, but it was formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: Light and sketch-like. There really isn’t solid shading, it’s mostly in shades of gray and done lightly. The character designs and layout are pretty solid and true to the anime.

Summary: To what distance would you go for your one true love? In the midst of an alien invasion, Mikako joins the resistance, leaving behind the one young man she loves. As she goes deeper into space, Mikako's only connection with her boyfriend is through cell-phone text messages. The war rages on and years pass, but Mikako barely ages in the timelessness of space while Noboru grows old. How can the love of two people, torn apart by war, survive? (Tokyopop)

Review: There are a few things that make a manga. One is the art and whether you can stand to look at it. The other two are the story and the characters, which combine to make something enjoyable. This manga mixed them in a way that leaves me with confused feelings.

On one hand, the characters and sentimentality this manga evokes are strong and moving. This manages to capture the longing for a loved one, impossibly far away, in a way that really speaks to anyone who has had to be far away from their own family and loved ones. Being away from them is hard in the first place- being away from them for years at a time, rarely in contact, and not knowing when you’ll ever see or speak to them is something else.

What mars that wonderful feeling of longing that is so exquisite in its presentation is the whole premise. People are randomly selected to be pilots of very large, expensive machines. The idea that any government, no matter how desperate, would throw people at random into these machines and then send them into a war zone is completely unbelievable. There’s no sign that there is some sort of shortage of people who are over the age of 18 and are smart, intelligent, and able to be pressed into service if it’s that desperately needed- one need only take a look at how Israel manages its army to see that it can and is done. However, it’s just taken as a matter of course for this lottery to exist.

Unfortunately, this means a lot of the feelings and sorrow I had were constantly interrupted by the thought that no government would ever do such a thing and made the whole storyline stupid and ridiculous.

Overall, suspension of disbelief is necessary to create a world that the reader can get lost in, and that failed hard in that respect, which ruined the emotion that the manga had.

Recommended: 10+. There are brief mentions of death- there is a war going on- but there is no language, no fanservice, and the worst there is in terms of gore are the burn scars on a victim of the attacks.

Other titles you might enjoy:
5 Centimeters Per Second (anime)
The Place Promised In Our Early Days (anime)
Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (anime)
Saikano (anime)
Ef- A Tale Of Memories/A Tale of Melodies (anime)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (anime)

“Otaku Inside Me” – Genshiken (manga) – 9/10 Pumpkin Pies

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. ~T. E. Lawrence

Mangaka: Kio Shimoku

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Parody/Slice-of-Life

Review Status: Complete (9 Volumes/9 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: It looks quite nice and professional. The characters are easily recognizable, they look good, the panels are clean and easy to follow… no complaints from this quarter!

Summary: It's the spring of freshman year, and Kanji Sasahara is in a quandary. Should he fulfill his long-cherished dream of joining an otaku club? Saki Kasukabe also faces a dilemma. Can she ever turn her boyfriend, anime fanboy Kousaka, into a normal guy? Kanji triumphs where Saki fails, when both Kanji and Kousaka sign up for Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture.

Undeterred, Saki chases Kousaka through the various activities of the club, from costume-playing and comic conventions to video gaming and collecting anime figures--learning more than she ever wanted to about the humorous world of the Japanese fan . . . (Del Rey)

Review: Genshiken is a manga that both makes fun of otaku culture, at the same time it celebrates it. It’s as far from Lucky Star as you can get in tone and approach to it all, which will be great for some and not for others. The way it’s done enriches and deepens the story without making it cheesy or melodramatic- something that’s hard to do.

On the surface, this is about a bunch of guys that love anything ecchi and perverted, raiding the local comicfests for stuff that they can whack off to, while anime and manga references happen a few times a chapter (some I can pick up on, others are a little more obscure). What kept me reading was that as it went on, it got deeper, more complicated, and wonderfully realistic. A girlfriend joins to keep an eye on her brother, and the quirks and frustrations in her relationship with her boyfriend become great fodder for jokes and a great story that fits in with the rest of the club’s. More girls join, with diverse interests, from the cosplay fantatic, to the manga club reject, to the girl who’s just there to see if she can win the boyfriend.

This creates interesting dynamics in the club and between individual members. Relationships develop naturally, involving unrequited love and stubborn confessors. They find ways to work with each other to get projects and events done- something that requires work on their ends and sometimes isn’t the best. While they grow into working with each other, they also grow up. Members move on, get jobs, and disappear from the manga except for occasional mentions while others take their place. Each new ‘generation’ of Genshiken members brings something to the table, and the evolution from porn club to doujin-making club to cosplay club is both interesting and doesn’t seem forced. The club was a mishmash of things otaku to begin with, and so each evolution brings a new side of it to light.

The otaku side is never forgotten. There are comic-fests, the issues behind publishing a doujin, what it takes to cosplay… It’s hard to think of something that isn’t touched on. Something that was nice to see what how Americans were brought into the culture- Alice, a friend of one of the members from the States, is as much otaku as the rest of them, and is endearing and hilarious. Because of her interest, the issues of coming over and being an otaku are touched on. If that doesn’t say something about how many things are mentioned, then I don’t know what does.

Overall, this was a great slice-of-life that touched my otaku funny bone.

Recommended: 18+. This deals a lot with the sexual side of okatudom, with sexual doujins pretty much all the guys buy, along with porn games, hentai, and one guy is discovered to have a collection of real-life porn. The girls also get in on the action with yaoi titles for themselves, and one of them makes a yaoi doujin based off of two members of Genshiken. None of this is ever shown on the page- or in the extremely rare times it is, it is heavily censored so you can’t tell what’s in the picture. Sex is mentioned often, never graphically, but there are discussions of how many times, whether someone’s done it, and whether there is role playing. There is nudity when the girls go to the hot springs. They are clearly naked, but the page is so censored it’s Barbie-doll nudity, and non-sexual except for a joke made to get laughs.

There is very little language, perhaps two or three mentions of the d-word. There are a two or so instances of comedic violence.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Genshiken 2 (manga)
Genshiken (anime)
Lucky Star (anime or manga)
Welcome to the NHK (anime or manga)
Otaku no Video (anime)
Bakuman (anime or manga)
Kuragehime (anime or manga)

“One-Eyed Man Is King” – Land of the Blindfolded (Manga) – 9/10 Pumpkin Pies

Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing. ~Bill Cosby

Mangaka: Sakura Tsukuba

Genre: Romance/Drama/Supernatural/School

Review Status: Complete (9 Volumes/9 Volumes)

Licensed: This was formerly licensed by CMX manga. They have gone under.

Art: It’s shoujo. Very typical shoujo art.

Summary: Kanade believes that most people go through life seeing with blindfolds on- they cannot see what will happen in the future or the past. Occasionally, her blindfold slips, allowing her to see somebody’s future. One day, she meets someone who’s blindfold came off long ago, who sees the past. Can their love work out, or do they see too much?

Review: You would think that seeing the future or the past would be a good thing, right? You could see what the answers to a test were, or what had happened at great battles… but this manga shows that it comes with a downside. Kanade is scolded for getting in people’s ways (trying to keep them from getting run over), Arou is shunned for knowing things there’s no way he could have… She manages to keep a happy outlook on life while his has been one of sadness and misery. But when they meet, they connect over their abilities, and life gets better for both of them.

This manages to keep from being too outrageous. There’s no flying from buildings, no feats of astonishing foresight, these characters only see things that really could happen, from torn-up plants from a jealous friend, to a dog dying because it has been abandoned. Throw a third member in the mix that can see the future better than Kanade, and things get interesting!

I really like that they avoid the stereotypical love triangle. The main couple is the main couple, and while their relationship grows and matures, so does their friendships and other relationships. The revelation of their secrets brings about several awkward moments and misunderstandings, brilliantly told in how it’s not immediately accepted, and how it can go wrong when someone knows.

It does happen to go off the deep end at the end, with Arou’s power becoming so powerful that his life and existence is put at risk. Aside from that particular qualm, this is a sweet, lovely story about people who are a little different, but just want to help.

Overall, this is a great romance title, and definitely a good read.

Recommended: 12+. There is one scene where Arou sees back to Kanade undressing (by accident!) but you see nothing but her back. There is some innuendo, with words that sidestep around sex but never mention it, in one section of a later chapter. It will probably go over the heads of younger readers. Perhaps one use of the d-word. Arou’s mother falls off a cliff with another boy, but they are uninjured. The pasts and futures that they see are sometimes violent, even deadly, but these are only talked about.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Fruits Basket (manga)

“Frozen In Time” – Frozen Essence (VN) – 8/10 Black Cats

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates. ~Thomas Szasz

Genre: Mystery/Romance/Fantasy/Action/Supernatural

Review Status: Complete

Licensed: It’s licensed and free for download at http://games.renpy.org/

Art/Animation: Not too shabby! The art is clean, vibrant, and nice to look at. There’s a large variety of character designs and nice backgrounds. It’s not as professional-looking as it could be, but there’s very little to complain about. This being a VN, there’s really no animation to speak of, but the transitions are very nice. My only issue was with the ‘slap’ effect- it was far too often and in some inappropriate places for the story. I was quite annoyed by it by the end.

Voice Acting: There are no voices in this, just the dialogue and background music.

Summary: You play a girl that has been trapped for 1000 years, but is suddenly released from her prison of ice. When she wakes, she has no memory of what happened or who she is. With three guardians and an oracle that make it their business to protect her, she tries to discover who she is and what happened so long ago…

Review: This is a full-on VN, with many endings and an interesting storyline. The thing is that when you have more than one path to follow, you not only need to make the beginning interesting (and it is), you need to make each and every potential path have something to draw you in. This VN has them. With 14 different endings, you need them! There are so many choices that affect what is going to happen to you. There are certain things you need to do to get certain paths, and the variety of choices and events that happen based on them and when you choose them is astonishing!

Each path involves you getting close to another character. Each path has unique things revealed about the story, and you will learn about the pasts of those around you as you get their paths. Getting the paths in the first place can be an… interesting experience. Some are far easier than others. Some require some smart thinking for your choices. Sometimes it’s impossible to tell which path your choice will lead to. But regardless of the path you choose, you will discover more about the circumstances surrounding your identity.

Each person you choose for your path is well-developed. Some are great guys. Some… not so much. You can’t tell who is and isn’t until you’ve pursued their paths. It fleshes them out in terrific ways, and they’re all quite different and unique to each other. Their paths are as varied as the characters. Some of the good ends are downright gloomy, while the bad ends can get dark. There are some good ends that I wasn’t entirely fond of, to be honest, because they seemed as dark as the bad ones in their own way. That’s okay, and the variety of paths means that I am okay with that. There’s always another one to check out.

Overall, despite some of the issues with transitions, and the occasional repetitiveness of gameplay at certain points, this is one of the best free VNs out there- definitely worth playing.

Recommended: 13+. There is some mentions of being grabbed inappropriately and some rude comments, there is also the risk of death/imprisonment/etc for you and for other characters.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (manga)
Hanasakeru Seishounen (anime)
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)
Fuushigi Yugi (anime and manga)
Ayashi no Ceres (anime and manga)

“Dream A Little Dream Of Me” – After School Nightmare (manga) – 9/10 Black Cats

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates. ~Thomas Szasz

Mangaka: Setona Mizushiro

Genre: Romance/Mystery/Drama/School/Supernatural/Psychological/Gender Bender/Fantasy

Review Status: Complete (10 Volumes/10 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US.

Art: Lovely. The art is reminiscent of CLAMP’s style, with elongated limbs and some gorgeous bishies. The panels are clean and easy to read (the flow is great, too). Some of the choices in

Summary: You have just awakened to find your darkest secret revealed to a group of people who would do anything to destroy you: your classmates! That’s what happens to Ichijo Mashiro, whose elite school education turns into the most horrifying experience of his life when he’s enlisted to participate in an after-hours class. The only way for Mashiro to graduate is to enter into a nightmare world where his body and soul will be at the mercy of his worst enemies. Can Mashiro keep the life-long secret that he is not truly a “he” nor entirely a “she” – or will he finally be “outted” in the most humiliating way possible?

Review: First impressions are everything in the world, and Ichijo does the best to keep his the way he wants it- as a guy. This is harder than it seems when his top half is definitely masculine, but his bottom half is most definitely not! However, when he’s entered into a class where nightmares become reality and he must face the inner selves of himself and his classmates. The thing is, his inner fear/self happens to be himself… but with a girl’s uniform on, making him instantly recognizable to those who cross his path.

His classmates take an immediate interest- a girl that’s been broken by her abusive father and a rapist, a playboy that thinks Ichijo is the prettiest thing that he’s laid his eyes on but has inextricable ties to his sister, others that would use him as they saw fit. They all have their own demons to fight. Others come and go as they ‘graduate’, disappearing from the hearts and minds of their classmates. Some are unable to overcome their issues and merely disappear.

Watching Ichijo desperately try to figure out the feelings he has about his own identity and the romantic struggles and drama that occur while it happens is interesting, if slightly obvious by the third or fourth volume. I think most people will be able to guess what’s going to happen, and while that disappointed me because of how one of the wheels gets shunted aside, the fact that they’re able to overcome that and still be good friends who care for each other is something unique and wonderful in this genre. It also plays into them finding themselves and their inner strength.

The meaning behind needing to discover themselves and their strengths, as well as what’s happening in the school, managed to be a wonderful surprise twist. The inner struggle Ichijo goes through takes on a far greater significance, with the two sides to him perhaps not being as philosophical as suspected, and the need to graduate being more than just graduation. It all snowballs into one of the best romance/mysteries that I’ve come across in quite a while.

Overall, this was a very interesting look at the psyche and had a great twist I hadn’t expected!

Recommended: 18+. There is incest (blatantly stated but the act is merely implied). Sex is mentioned (and occurs. Genitalia is not shown and the few sections it was in were *brief* and I didn't think it was happening until I read comments that happened later. Kissing and the leadup to sex does occur. There is violence- people get slashed with swords, torn apart, dug into- but there is no gore and it's not graphic, though blood is shown. There are also a handful of minor swears.

Other titles you might enjoy:
I.S. Intersexuality (manga)
Wandering Son (anime and manga)
Revolutionary Girl Utena (anime)
Hour of the Mice (manga)
Arisa (manga)

“Conventions of Love” – DramaCon (OEL) – 7/10 Black Cats

Love at first sight is often cured by a second look.
Love is sweet when it’s new, but sweeter when it’s true.
Love is like a butterfly, it settles upon you when you least expect it.
Love is the hardest habit to break, and the most difficult to satisfy.
~Drew Marrymore

Genre: Romance/Comedy/Drama

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: No. It was currently licensed by Tokoypop, but it isn’t any longer.

Art: Very good! All the characters are easily recongizeable, and very cute! The panels flow well, and the backgrounds are excellent.

Summary: When amateur writer Christie settles in the artist alley of her first ever anime convention, she sees it as an opportunity to promote the manga she had started with her artist boyfried. But when she unexpectedly falls for a mysterious cosplayer, things become complicated. What do you do when you love someone who is going to be miles away from you in just a couple of days?! (Back cover of the 1st volume)

Review: This manga has earned a special place in my heart. An OEL manga about being an OEL mangaka gives a unique perspective on being a first time con goer (and all the interesting complications, drama, and surprises that come with it!), and the difficulties of making an OEL manga in the first place.

This covers all its bases very well and realistically. There were quite a few things that I enjoyed, from the mention of the men in skirts that don’t shave their legs, to how hard it is to break into the hardcore fans because it isn’t really ‘manga’ (which the author obviously has an opinion on, and I do have to sympathize with). This treats them with intelligence and humor, and I felt that in many ways these were the best parts of the manga.

The characters having to deal with all that on top of romance and family troubles is definitely something to behold! It’s hard not to love them, each one being such an individual. All of them are fully realized, and it’s wonderful to see their personalities bounce off of each other and create both chaos and chemistry.

However, the plot doesn’t quite live up to the brilliance that I expected from the hilarious first page. Most of it is quite good, really, from having to deal with security and other congers, getting recognized in the industry, the rough choice between going for your dreams with or without the support of a family that just doesn’t understand. Unfortunately, there’s two things that really bothered me. One was the choice of using attempted rape. Rape should never be used lightly, and that’s exactly how it comes across, both from the circumstances that precipitate it and in the aftermath of what happens to her and the boyfriend. The other is another obvious plot device to get one of the main characters and her mother closer together, used in a thousand dramas before this one.

These bring down what otherwise is a good story about the issues about romance that can happen at a convention. It really is good at tackling why it can be complicated- the distance that people live from each other, how it can be scary to actually take the step to keep in touch, the things that can happen between cons. Of course, a love triangle does happen- where Matt ends up getting together with another girl because… Well. Actually, that’s really never made clear, because it’s obvious that he really liked Christie and wasn’t really that into the other girl. This makes for a really awkward and heartbreaking situation for the other girl. She’s understandable jealous and hurt by how she’s just forgotten when it comes down to it.

All this means that some things are handled more smoothly than others, but in the end is a very decent story. Plot issues aside the romance was sweet (and sometimes bittersweet), while the situations are something that every con-goer (both those that aren’t in artists’ alley and those that are) are familiar with. It’s relatable, and accessible, for anyone who enjoys their conventions!

Overall, this was an interesting manga about the fandom and a touching manga about romance.

Recommended: 16+. There is attempted rape, almost-sex (thankfully no more than some kissing happens, though in one part they’re clearly nekked beneath the sheets). There is mention that Christine has had sex with her first boyfriend- and both she and her boyfriend are about 16 in the first volume). It’s also brought up between Matt’s ex and Christie. There’s also language- everything except the f-bomb makes an appearance about twice a volume.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Bakuman (anime and manga)
Genshiken (manga)
Fall in Love like a Comic! (manga)
Comic Party! (anime)
Doujin Work (manga)

“The Trials of Love” – The Color of Earth/Water/Heaven (manhwa) – 9/10 Black Cats

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author Unknown

Mangaka: Dong Hwa Kim

Genre: Slice-of-Life/Drama/Romance/Historical

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: The art might not be considered ‘pretty’- it’s really very plain, but it makes wonderful use of space in emphasizing things and making the story more expressive. Some of the panels are starkly beautiful. This uses a policy of ‘show, not tell’ to tell the story, and creates some of the most amazing scenes that convey a thousand things with a simple motion or expression. There is discretion and visual metaphor used when depicting openly sexual scenes. Whatever else it’s failings, the sheer skill it takes to do that is astounding and more than makes up for it.

Summary: The Color of Earth tells of the daily lives and about the world of two generations of Korean women. Sometime in the past, in a quiet rural village of Namwon, Ehwa lives with her mother, a widowed tavern keeper. They are best friends and tell each other many secrets. As each spring passes she learns about her changing body and begins to learn about life. As Ehwa grows, her mother, left alone at young age, rediscovers love. As Ehwa grows, she also discovers love and must face a trial in order to be with him.

Review: “The Color of…” is a unique manga in a thousand ways. It is the only manga I have ever seen to deal with love and sex, and do it in a way that is both mature and sensitive. Using lyrical language that is full of similar and metaphor, each book tackles the different stages of growing up and maturing in a rural village in the late 19th Century/early 20th Century, and what it means to find love.

Each book separates Ehwa’s growth and maturation into sections, not defined by age so much as what happens at those ages. “The Color of Earth” begins with Ehwa discovering the differences between men and women, innocence leading to more than one misunderstanding (thinking that she’s deformed), and the men that frequent her mother’s inn casting her into confusion about the propriety between men and women. And as she discovers her first love, so her mother rediscovers love. This has a few rough edges concerning the story, but is fairly funny. The discussions she and her mother have are honest, and her mother introduces her to the simile and metaphor she herself uses to often speak of love (and other things, when Ehwa isn’t around). Ehwa discovers that there are some she cannot and should not love for various reasons, and learns of heatbreak.

The second book flows far better. Conversations flows far more smoothly, with much joking and teasing, which makes this a delight to read. It also becomes more in-depth when it comes to the body and sex. There’s a marked difference between the Ehwa of a few years ago, who crushed on the boys in her village, and the one who now longs for a man who will truly love her- she doesn’t waste her thoughts on guys who are only looking for a quick lay or are only messing around. This leads to a fateful meeting with a man that is serious about her- and in turn must leave her.

The third book is about Ehwa having discovered love, but dealing with the wait and heartbreak that comes with needing to wait for someone to return from a long journey. Because this takes place in an old time period, the wait seems long and is fraught with waiting and thoughts on what's happening. There is a change in Ehwa and her mother's relationship as she's is nearly a grown woman and her mother is aging. Ehwa does finally marry, and her mother's observations on watching her daughter leave hit home- beautiful thoughts that capture the essence of the loss of someone so dear. All the things that happened in the former books come together in a way that is just like real life- the culmination of experience and learning. And it's done in a way that is satisfying and beautiful.

Overall, even with a little bit of a rough start, this is a fantastic manhwa that tells a beautiful story.

Recommended: 18+. This is a story that deals with sex and sexuality- while the only genitalia overtly shown are those of young boys (briefly) and breasts on occasion, but there are suggestive gestures, blantantly sexual themes, and sex is shown (though it isn’t obscene in the context of the story. It actually comes across as something special and loving).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Usagi Drop
Solanin

“The Tears Of An Angel” – Wish (manga) – 9/10 Black Cats

When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers. ~Oscar Wilde

Mangaka: CLAMP

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (4 Volumes/4 Volumes)

Licensed: No. This was formerly licensed by Tokyopop but has not been picked up again.

Art: Very typical CLAMP. Enlongated limbs, men that also look pretty feminine (along with men that look like men, but are just handsome), Long, flowing robes, etc. This particular title can throw some off with the art for the angels- since they are depicted as neither male nor female, they decided that the easiest way to depict this was via hairstyle- half being more ‘masculine (like where half of Kohaku’s hair is cut boyishly short) and half more ‘feminine’ (the other half of Kohaku’s hair is longish and makes him look more female). Some hairstyles come across better than others, but they all end up ambiguously sexual because of it.

Summary: One moonlit night Shuichiro saved an angel stuck in a tree. The angel granted him a wish to repay his generosity. Shuichiro said, “I need no wish, I can get what I want on my own.” But they’d both soon learn that some wishes can’t be fulfilled alone.

Review: CLAMP varies from hack-and-slash titles to so-cute-it-should-be-illegal. This falls into the latter category. Kohaku needs to be saved by a overly zealous cat, and Shuichiro saves him. Thus their story is set into motion, with Kohaku determined to grant Shuichiro a wish. At the same time, he must also find his missing senpai, who has inexplicably disappeared from heaven.

With only 4 volumes, it doesn’t take long for what happened to get out. There’s forbidden love all around, as well as Kohaku learning what it means to really love someone. Even if that means defying God. Yep, that’s right! God “makes an appearance” indirectly through his messenger that looks like an adorable stuffed rabbit, sending messages back and forth to His angels. There are subplots involving Heaven, Hell, and the conflict between them, but because of the length of the story aren’t explored very deeply.

Things do take a turn for the tragic. It turns out that God does have his reasons for everything, but to try and not spoil things too much, I will only say that there is a happy ending to this. I couldn’t have been happier, because I had really come to like the characters and wanted the best for them. Even the most mischievous was adorable. Kohaku is the most developed character of all, wonderfully realized as a person. The others are too but to a lesser degree. And I adored the side comments by the birds and other creatures- they made nice asides.

There isn’t much else I could ask for in this It’s well-paced, it’s sweet, it has a happy ending… I think the only thing that I felt was off was the sexual innuendos (nothing blatant or obscene is ever said) that seemed at odds with the general innocence of the series.

Overall, this was a lovely story about true love.

Recommended: 16+. There are 3 minor swears in the whole series- I’m pretty sure all of them came from the demon that torments Kohaku. Other than that, what drives the rating up is the sexual implication (both stated directly- where Kokuyo states that he and Hisui made love, and Kouryuu makes the comment that he and Kokuyo have been intimate before- and indirectly- such as when Kouryuu pulls his two servants into bed with him. Nothing is seen but the covers for one panel before moving on, where it’s clear nothing happened but a suggestive comment is made). Some people label this as shounen-ai, but since the angels and demons are neither gender, this doesn’t really apply.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Pita-Ten (anime)
Ah! My Goddess (anime and manga)
Kobato (anime and manga)

“The Place I Belong” – Whisper of the Heart (anime) – 10/10 Black Cats

We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves ~May Lamberton Becker quotes

Genre: Slice-of-Life/Romance

Review Status: Complete (1 Movie/1 Movie)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US.

Art/Animation: Lovely. The animation is very smooth, background characters and objects move, and while the art is the typical Ghibli style, it remains as lovely and bright as anything.

Dub Vs. Sub: Both the dub and the sub are fantastic! You can’t go wrong with either.

Summary: During summer vacation, a schoolgirl named Shizuku, who longs to discover her true talents, observes and ordinary-looking cat riding by himself on the train. Intrigued, she decides to follow him. This cance encounter leads her to the mysterious Seiji, a boy who is determined to follow his dreams, and The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers in her heart. Soon, Shizuku’s exciting adventures carry her far beyond the boundaries of her imagination. (back of DVD cover).

Review: This is by far and large the most down-to-earth of all Ghibli’s films to date (barring having seen On Top Of Poppy Hill, which may be the exception). Normally these are filled with magical worlds, wondrous creatures, and incredible adventures. This has an adventure and the magic of everyday life- the random chance encounters that can lead to happiness that we never even dreamed of.
Taking its cues from the country song “Country Roads” by John Denver, Shizuku discovers that taking a route that she’d never been on before leads her to an unusual antiques shop, with a strange doll that instantly captures her attention and imagination. A boy that had first gotten her attention simply by having his name on all the library cards is there, and their friendship and feelings grow for one another.

How it all happens feels so natural and believable- like whoever wrote this story knew someone that it happened to. It retains a vaguely fairytale-esque feel to it, with everything falling into place and finding a ‘prince’, though he rides a bike instead of a horse! It mirrors Shizuku’s determination to write a story herself, a fantasy story that has to do with the doll that got her attention in the first place. Nothing is truly out of place. The characters feel like they are actual people. The relationship between Shizuku and her parents, to Shizuku’s older (bossy and somewhat oblivious) sister, they feel like a real family. The old shopkeeper is entirely endearing. And the love that blossoms between her and Seiji seems genuine.

It manages to mix the love story thoroughly with the idea of following one’s dreams. Seiji has had dreams from the beginning, and knows exactly what he wants to do. He inspires and drives Shizuku to find her own. She becomes obsessed with it, to the frustration of her family, but with a little negotiation and true-to-life discussion, Shizuku is given the freedom to pursue her ambition. The one flaw I do find in the film is how they both decide to continue to high school after being decently successful with their respective endeavors- it seems like the natural course after this would be to continue on as they were. Even so, they have no plans for abandoning their dreams, but merely refining them until they’ve graduated. As her older sister says a few times during the movie, education is important!

Overall, this was a beautiful love story and a great film/

Recommended: 5+. There’s no language, the only nudity is a non-sexual scene where Shizuku’s older sister is taking off her top to put in the laundry, and the only violence is where, in a dream, Shizuku pulls a stone from the ground and it turns into a dead duckling.

Other titles you might enjoy:
The Cat Returns (anime)
Kimi ni Todoke (anime and manga)
Spirited Away (anime)
Ocean Waves (anime)
Emma: A Victorian Romance (manga and anime)
Only Yesterday (anime)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (anime)

“The Windy City” – Chicago (manga) – 4/10 Black Cats

Everything in the universe goes by indirection. There are no straight lines. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mangaka: Yumi Tamura

Genre: Action/Romance/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (2 Volumes/2 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: This looks more like a rough sketch than a manga. Unfortunately, the messy artwork makes it hard to tell what’s going on, and in some places is downright unattractive. It also seems dated for when the manga ran.

Summary: Rescue workers Rei and her handsome partner Uozumi are looking for survivors after Tokyo’s worst earthquake of the 21st century. But their efforts uncover man-made violence- they are suddenly attacked and their entire squad murdered! Some secret plot is lurking in the ruins of Tokyo Bay District D, and to find it, Rei and Uozumi must join a privately funded hostage rescue organization run out of a Tokyo bar called Chicago. Now, Rei saves the lives of others while she searches for her own salvation. (back cover of 1st volume)

Review: I’d always wondered what a shoujo action title would be like. Now I know! It’s… not that impressive. Rei works in a recovery unit, to help find those who are injured or trapped in the aftermaths of disasters. The first thing she says about herself is that her hair is long because it helps her sense danger. This should give you a clue to the quality of the rest of the series.

Unrequited love, government cover-ups, and terrorist plots pervade these two volumes. Apparently rescue workers are common targets for mad killers, because Rei and Uozumi know how to handle their guns and can detect and dismantle bombs. Their escape from a massacre and the subsequent cover-up lead to their recruitment into a special agency that investigates these issues and deals with kidnappings and murders outside of the jurisdiction of the police.

Rei’s longing for the love of her partner comes to the forefront at the most inconvenient and annoying times. The ‘mysterious third partner’ that she starts being attracted to is the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome that pervades these types of stories. He’s also flawless, able to assess a situation in a single glance, and find his partners with the barest of hints. The partner? Injured but trying.
The focus is all over the place, story-wise. Everything that occurs is connected in the story, but why they all have those connection is up in the air. Some of the plots bank on kidnappers being really dumb (not double-checking or triple-checking their victim’s identity, for instance, and only going off of one photograph). Apparently their methods of stalking are also incredibly lacking, as they don’t discover his identity over the days they watch him. Others bank on just being outright unbelievable, such as the utopia that was being built, and the people not leaving when the earthquake hit. To boot, they added in a super-dramatic past for Rei.

The end of this was abrupt and an utter letdown… even though the rest of the manga meant I wasn’t expecting much in that regard. There’s no resolution to the plot or the relationships between the characters. The only reason I’m not giving this a ‘3’ is because of one character that has perhaps two lines in the manga and an omake dedicated to him- the doctor. I found him to be utterly hilarious, though the omake will probably only appeal to those who have a darker sense of humor.

Overall, this barely works as an action title, and is barely a romance one. Go for something else.

Recommended: No. Well, if you’re into action and aren’t looking or care about a strong plot. 13+. There is some slight blood- people are shot, explosions happen- but almost no gore to speak of. One guy is outright killed on the page. No nudity, no language.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Yomigaeru Sora: Rescue Wings (anime)
Flag (anime)
Zipang (anime)
Taiyo no Mokushiroku: A Spirit of the Sun (anime)

“For Love Or…” – Kimi Ga Suki (manga) – 4/10 Black Cats

Love is friendship set on fire. ~Jeremy Taylor

Mangaka: Ayu Watanabe

Genre: Romance/School/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: No, this manga is not licensed in the US

Art: Pretty typically shoujo. Big eyes, lots of toner. Little to no detail in the backgrounds. The character designs are unremarkable. The panels are uncluttered and flow well.

Summary: Aki and Mase have always played basketball together, and their feelings have blossomed into those of love. Before she can confess, Aki gets a confession from a boy from a rival school. An unfortunate accident throws a wrench into everything, as Aki finds herself riddled with guilt and needing to make up what happened somehow. Her feelings end up mixed up, and she can’t decide what to do.

Review: This is definitely one of the poorer romance manga I have read. When you have characters that are only recognizable for their hair, and can’t be remembered a few hours after reading the manga, there’s a problem. Why should I care about their romance when I can’t care about the characters themselves?

I can think of one reason: Aki pity-dates the guy who’s injured on their date and tries to convince herself that it’s love. That’s the crux of the relationship- she’s guilty, and forces herself into an unfulfilling relationship because of it. What makes this doubly terrible is that he really likes her! Aki lies repeatedly, to herself, to the guy, to her friend, to Mase about her feelings.

Mase isn’t much better, using another girl in order to get over Maki. Quite frankly, that’s not cool.

Both need a firm slap over the heads, and they get them. They get broken up with so that they can be together. A happy ending that they went through a whole lot of shallow drama for.

Overall, this wasn’t worth my time to read. Pass!

Recommended: No. 13+, though, since the scanlations did have two swears. One instance of the a-word, and the word for illegitimate child. No fanservice, no violence except for a scene where the guy gets hit with a car. This isn’t graphic or lingered on at all. The worst he gets is a broken leg.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Fruits Basket (manga)
NANA (manga and anime)
Moe Kare!! (manga)
Kimi ni Todoke (manga and anime)

“Running Out Of Time” - Chrono Crusade (manga) – 9/10 Black Cats

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life. ~William Faulkner

Mangaka: Daisuke Moriyama

Genre: Action/Adventure/Historical/Romance/Supernatural/Shounen

Review Status: Complete (8 Volumes/8 Volumes)

Art: Nice, sleek lines. It seems like a cross between shoujo and shounen, with more
shoujo-ish eyes (big and shiny and expressive), but more shounen styles for everything else. The backgrounds tend to be surprisingly detailed. The color pages are vivid and well-done.

Summary: America in the Roaring 20s. On the surface, it's a positive, peaceful time after the violence of the Great War. But lurking in the shadows is a dark element ready to snatch that peace away. Sister Rosette Christopher, an exorcist working as a part of the Magdala Order, has a duty to fight the demons which appear and cause destruction. But along with her companion Chrono, she usually ends up causing more destruction than the demons themselves! On one particular mission, they meet a young girl with a beautiful voice named Azmaria, who is being targeted by her own stepfather. As Rosette and Chrno work to save her, more is revealed about the relationship between them. There is more to these two than meets the eye. (ADV)

Review: Action, adventure, romance… This is a manga that has it all, and wraps it in a lovely coat of bittersweetness. The story seems pretty simple- a nun and her demon companion are fighting others that want to destroy the world. As you go along, the story becomes less straightforward. Her brother was overcome by evil long ago, and now seeks to destroy humanity. They must dredge up skeletons in the closet- hers, Chrono’s, and find the courage to defeat him before the world can end.

With great characters, this manga makes it all work. Rosette is almost impossible not to root for, with an indomitable spirit and loving heart. Chrono is far more level-headed, but fun and a genuinely nice guy that repents for what he’s done in the past. Their friends are awesome characters that you feel for when things happen. Things happen because they take charge and refuse to be defeated, though a fierce toll is taken in the battles they encounter.

There are a lot of elements that make this memorable, from Rosette’s slowly dwindling lifespan and the inevitability of her death, to the love between her and Chrono that seems impossible to be realized. The ending isn’t the joyful one that is expected in many of these stories. It is one that leaves you with mixed feelings, though- in the best way possible. Every ending should tug at the heartstrings like this one does.

Overall, this was a moving and memorable action manga, and definitely worth reading more than once.

Recommended: 14+. There is some fanservice here and there (less than I feared after I got through the first volume), no full-on nudity though. There is death, with some gore including bodies and parts of bodies. Nothing terribly graphic, but it is there. There are some mild curses throughout.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Black Cat (anime and manga)
Pandora Hearts (manga)
Seirei no Morinito (anime)

“Apples And Oranges” – Fruits Basket (manga) – 10/10 Black Cats

It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others. ~Sydney J. Harris

Mangaka: Natsuki Takaya

Genre: Romance/Comedy/Drama/Supernatural/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (23 Volumes/23 Volumes)

Licensed: Formerly licensed by Tokyopop, it has not been relicensed yet.

Art: Somewhat generic character designs, but then again that might be because a lot of shoujo now take after FruBa as the model. Uncluttered panels that are easy to follow, with occasional heavy and blunt uses of toning.

Summary: Tohru Honda was an orphan with no place to go, until the mysterious Sohma family offered her a place to call home. Now, her ordinary high school life is turned upside down, as she's introduced to the Sohma's world of magical curses and family secrets. (Amazon.com description)

Review: This is a manga I avoided for the longest time simply because I wasn’t a fan of the anime. I deeply, deeply regret this now (and love my local library- yay for having the entire series at my fingertips!). There is a reason this is considered one of the best shoujo manga out there.

The first seven volumes consist of getting you introduced to the characters and the appearances of the Sohma family. This is what the anime covers. What comes after are the depths of the emotional instability and abuse that perpetuates within the household as the curse slowly unravels. At the heart of it is Akito and his relationship with his parents and the members of the Zodiac that keep him from venturing into the world and being true to himself.

Circling him are the members of the Zodiac, caught up in their forced love (and subsequent loathing) of their “God”. Akito manipulates and uses them to cure his own loneliness and self-hatred, while the parents of most of the Zodiac members fear and revile their children, leaving them with guilt and scars that they seek to heal in myriad ways. Tohru is caught up in it, with her love for Kyo and the others driving her to comfort them and befriend them, comforting them in any way she can.

Her journey in this world of conflicting roles and dark histories brings its weight to bear on her. When she finds that sometimes, there is nothing she can do, it starts making her feel that she could break. She Tohru goes from Mary-Sue-esque character to believable, real person in a heartbeat in this manga, and all the characters around her are as damaged but loveable- even the worst of them becomes sympathetic as the story unfolds.

There may not be any huge fights or adventure to distant lands, but this is nevertheless an epic story about people- coming together, moving on, and earning their happy endings.

Overall, this is a beautiful manga that deserves all the praise it gets.

Recommended: 15+. The language is really heavy in the first three volumes (Kyo has a mouth on him!) but rarely does it get worse than the d-word. There’s implied sexual relations between several characters.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Searching for the Full Moon (anime and manga)
Cat Street (manga)
Karakuri Odette (manga)

“Something Borrowed, Something Blue” – Pig Bride (manhwa) – 10/10 Black Cats

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

Genre: School/Comedy/Romance/Supernatural/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (5 Volumes/5 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manhwa is licensed in the US

Art: Lovely. More detailed than the usual shoujo, with very lovely character designs and little things that make the art stand out. The color inserts are fabulously bright and colorful, a treat for the eyes. It adds a detail that makes me smile- the guy has pink hair and eyes!

Summary: Lost in the mountains on a trip to summer camp, eight-year-old Si-Joon fears he'll never make it out alive. When a strange girl in a pig mask appears before him, he follows her to a house deep in the woods, where he is told that he must marry the pig-faced girl to atone for the sins of their ancestors. Si-Joon's not too keen on getting married, but that wedding feast looks so delicious! It's only afterward that he realizes what he's done and...wakes up. Now in high school, Si-Joon Lee has been dreaming about the pig bride for as long as he can remember. But it's all just a dream, right? (Amazon.com)

Review: This is a modern-day fairytale. A boy, lost in the woods, finds himself the unwitting husband of a girl in a pig mask. She finds him when he turns 16, determined to make him fall in love with her and break the curse that’s upon her- a curse that she brought upon herself many hundreds of years ago. She must also prove herself worthy to his family, and maybe…. Just maybe, then they can have a happy ending.

This had some wonderful twists on the standard take. The ‘prince’ is lazy and somewhat selfish, and not at all pleased with the girl he’s stuck with! In love with another, he finds that Mu-Yeon may not be the most up to date girl, a ‘country bumpkin’ in the truest of ways, but she’s sweet and genuine. Mu-Yeon herself is a lovely character, wild over Si-Joon and really wants to win him over. Even if she comes off a little strongly… and a little odd (almost every night she asks him to consummate the marriage with her), she has strength of character- when her old rival from her past life tries to get revenge, Mu-Yeon isn’t afraid to fight fire with fire.

What’s really nice is the relationships between the side characters are just as entertaining and interesting as the main couple. They aren’t just background noise and character foils. I have to admit- one thing that drives me up a wall is that those relationships aren’t quite as resolved as I normally would like them to be. Regardless, I was still highly entertained.

This puts together a great story. Not only are the characters immensely likeable- even Si-Joon’s other love interest Doe-Doe- but the story flows well and has some great moments. From Doe-Doe’s misadventures with Mu-Yeon’s mask, to attempting to pick between Mu-Yeon and “Princess”, there were a few times I nearly laughed out loud or was surprised by the twists that this took!

Overall, this was an adorable and funny manhwa that definitely deserves a little more attention!

Recommended: 10+. There are two swears in this manga, the b-word and d-word. Mu-Yeon does proposition Si-Joon a few times, but it’s not aggressive or offensive. Si-Joon also walks in on Mu-Yeon changing, but you only see her back. He walks in on her rival in the bath, but you only see her shoulders and below the knee. There is some comedy violence, but in a flashback you do see Mu-Yeon’s rival die (this isn’t graphic or lingered on- surprisingly, it manages to be funny, but not dark-humored).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Gakuen Alice (manga)
Bride of the Water God (manhwa)
NG Life (manga)
½ Prince (manhua)
Mixed Vegetables (manga)
Kuragehime (anime and manga)

"The Girl Next Door" - Just A Girl (manga) - 7/10 Black Cats

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Genre: Romance/Drama/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (2 Volumes/2 Volumes)

Licensed: Formerly licensed by CMX, it’s no longer licensed in the US.

Art: Very 90’s, but the character designs are nice, and the art is pretty typical for a shoujo of that period.

Summary: On her own for the very first time, Erica finds herself dealing with the pressures of independence. Luckily, some old friends–and some exciting new ones–are there to help her make her way in this exciting new world. Will it be enough for her to grow and be a successful woman, or will she remain…just a girl? (back cover of first volume)

Review: From the mangaka of Popcorn Romance (Tomoko Taniguchi), a title that I’m not very fond of at all, this ended up being a nice little story about friendship and figuring out yourself a little.

Erica, a new high school student, ends up being the target of a few nasty pranks on her first day of school. Rena, the school outcast, befriends her, knowing how difficult it is to be singled out for bullying. They become close, and end up with wonderful new friends, sharing stuffed animals, and figuring out their feelings for guys.

One of the really nice things about this manga is how all the different relationships are handled. Erica and her childhood friend don’t end up together, which is pretty realistic. The manga also didn’t focus only on Erica–Rena had her own immature moments. Sometimes when you only have one friend in the world, it’s tough to let your hold on them loosen a bit and let them have other friends. Rena handles this beautifully.

This is definitely a shoujo, though, in every sense of the word. The general immaturity an unbelievable amount of naiveté shown by the protagonist (seriously–she’s a highschooler, and didn’t expect to be teased about her stuffed animals?) definitely mark this for elementary school girls.

I do have a problem with the translation. This is obviously meant for a young age set. Therefore, I really question the translator’s wisdom of throwing in what we in the Western world consider swears (omg! occurs 5 times in the story, as well as the h-word in one of the side stories). That raises the age rating to a group that for the most part would have very little interest in reading this manga.

Overall, this was a decent story. Enjoyable, but nothing special.

Recommended: 10+. It really should be 8+, but the translators had to put in that language. There’s a scene where Erica takes a bath with the other girls in the school- Barbie-doll nudity, but also not sexual in the least. It’s a cultural thing. Two of the boys dress in drag to get into the girl’s dorm to visit. In one of the unrelated side stories in the back, a dad screams about how guys only have ‘one thing one their mind at that age’, and admits he did too. What that thing is, is never stated out loud.

Other titles you might enjoy:
+ Anima (manga)
Kimi ni Todoke (anime and manga)
Karakuri Odette (manga)
NG Life (manga)

"Just A Taste" - Millennium Snow (manga) - 5/10 Black Cats

We build statues out of snow, and weep to see them melt. ~Walter Scott

Genre: Romance/Supernatural/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (2 Volumes/2Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US.

Art: The art style is typical for Bisco Hattori. Clean lines, strong shading, cute character designs, this has it all.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Chiyuki Matsuoka was born with heart problems, and doctors say she won’t live to see her next snow. Toya is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood and refuses to make the traditional partnership with a human, whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years.

Chiyuki makes the most of the time she has left, even though things aren’t that exciting- until she comes across a reluctant vampire late one chilly night. Can Chiyuki teach Toya to feel passion for life, even as her own is ending? (Back of 1st volume)

Review: I’ve heard a lot of people give praise to this particular series, and after reading it, I can’t see why. Hattori dropped this and started Ouran Host Club soon after, and for very good reason. The plot of this does seem like a good one at first- a vampire that doesn’t want to force another being to go through a thousand years of loneliness with him befriends a sick girl. However, in execution, this comes off terribly.

Chiyuki admits that she loves him because he can save her life. This is a damning statement. She loves Toya because of what he can do for her, not because of who he is. That’s not love- that’s using someone. Toya fells terribly for her because of her condition. Who wouldn’t? So after seeing an attack he decides to stick around. That’s not love either- that’s pity and guilt that he’s mistaken for love. Both fall into a twisted facsimile of a relationship.

This adds a third wheel into the mix to add some shallow drama. I know that it’s common to have vampires and werewolves in the same story, that it’s very popular, but in the end we all know who she’s going to end up with. It makes every scene of her ‘torn’ between both guys seem forced.

Millennium Snow also goes for big drama but pulls it off in all the wrong ways. Somehow, but the second volume they can all afford a vacation in the Alps (they’re all 18 and under, and have no signs of an inheritance. Really?), and Chiyuki has gone through a kidnapping by a crazed admirer. This first situation seems ridiculous, while the second is pulled off decently well-after all, he had discovered that Chiyuki’s friend was a vampire- but ends in a way that seems too convenient. And the reason why he went crazed in the first place also is silly. Three men in love with her in two volumes? It’s pushing the boundaries of believability.

There are some redeeming qualities to this manga, with some of the stories being very cute or touching. Even the story who’s premise I dislike immensely (the one in the Alps) has a redeeming story to it… even if the way it relates to the character’s situation is for too obvious.

Overall, with everything said and done the bad parts are equal to the good ones. An indifferent manga at best.

Recommended: 13+. There’s very little language, but there is a small amount of blood (not graphic), and some violence- Toya attacks Chiyuki once to bite her, and Chiyuki’s friend and Toya fight a bit.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)
Full Moon wo Sagashite (anime and manga)
Gakuen Alice (manga)
Junketsu + Kareshi (manga)

"Where The Heart Is” – Hanasaku Iroha (anime) – 7/10 Notebooks

The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there. ~Ellie Rodriguez

Genre: Slice-of-life/Comedy/Drama/Romance/Seinen

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed for streaming on Crunchyroll.

Art/Animation: PA works does a fabulous job. The colors are bright and light with more pastel-oriented colors. The animation is smooth and fluid and looks superb, especially during the opening song, which looks fabulous!

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this anime. The subs are a little inconsistent on spellings for names.

Summary: Hanasaku Iroha centers around 16-year-old Ohana Matsumae who moves from Tokyo to out in the country to live with her grandmother at an onsen ryokan named Kissuisō. While restarting her life there initially seems daunting, Ohana begins working at the inn, makes friends with the other employees and watches her life take an unexpected twist. (Crunchyroll official description)

Review: Ohana is in a tough spot. Her mom has decided to run off with a man, leaving her with no place to live and nothing to fall back on. While her mom’s thoughtlessness is nothing new, this time it’s above and beyond what she’s had to deal with. She sets out to a distant town, to a grandmother that she never knew about, to stay in the onsen. Little does she know that family ties have been severed, and she’s going to have to earn her keep and fest it up herself!

You get a good feel for the characters right off the bat, which is excellent- this is a show that depends on its characters to move the story forward. Ohana is a bit stubborn but kind, and genuinely wants to do a good job. Her friends seem typical stereotypes, with one a bit of a wilting flower (yay! Breaks out of the mold and has genuine love and talents for stuff!) and the other a tsundere. The rest of the cast are just as lively and interesting, though they exist mostly in the background. Over them looms thesadow of Madame Manager, Ohana’s grandmother, who started Kissuiso with her late husband.

Things start steamrolling from there. Ohana learns what it’s like to really work, making mistakes but discovering that there can be fun to be found helping people enjoy themselves. She makes friends with the granddaughter of a fellow onsen manager. Bits and pieces of family history fall into place about why she’s there and what the tension between Madame Manager and her son Enishin are. A confession of love from her friend Ko weighs on Ohana’s mind, as she tries to figure out whether she likes him back and whether a relationship can happen between them.

Up to episode 12, this had everything going for it. There was a solid cast, some beautiful episodes with learning to do duties, making friends, finding joy in work, and a suspenseful romance brewing in the background. About this episode, it hits a mid-series drag. Plotlines are conveniently forgotten about for some pointless filler, and the episodes just aren’t very interesting. Minchi goes from being slightly frustrating to downright obnoxious and annoying a number of times, and other characters that could have used the development don’t get it.

Thankfully, about episode 21, things pick up again. A romance that had been hinted at between Enishin and the woman he hired to improve Kisuissho’s image comes into full bloom, and the plotlines are picked back up to be resolved. Tension that’s been building between Minchi and Ohana, over a perceived crush that Tohru has on Ohana, comes to a boil. Ohana makes a decision concerning Ko. And Madame Manager comes to a decision concerning the future of the onsen that changes things for everyone.

Unfortunately, the epilogue could have been really good, but falls just on this side of average because of moments that were added simply to make the series more melodramatic. Everyone comes to decide that Ohana is taking Madame Manager’s side when she never clearly did any such thing. After a halfhearted speech by Enishin, everyone suddenly becomes just hunky-dory with letting the Ryokan go. One of the big plotlines, Ohana’s relationship with Ko, ends up being very badly handled all around.

I am pleased with the majority of the anime. It has wonderful moments, between the girls, between the staff, between family members, between the staff and the onsen itself. The characters are overall very likeable and fun to watch, and the things they have to deal with hit close to home (though some might be slightly exaggerated for anime’s sake). I would definitely watch it again sometime.

Overall, this is far from the worst title out there, and definitely has some wonderful moments in it!

Recommended: 16+. There’s no language that I can remember at all, no violence except for a brief tussle that Ohana and Minchi have (no punches are thrown, just a little wrestling- standing up). There is some slight "fanservice" in how the woman who tried to increase the onsens' popularity makes the girls wear somewhat skimpy dresses in one episode, while in another the girls go shopping for some clothes and one of the girls is a little... bustier than they thought (as someone who has dealt with that in real life, I actually sympathized and found the situation hilarious).

What drives the rating up is that one of the residents, a writer, writes…. Sketchy material. Unfortunately, this ends up with a lesbian scene between the three girls (purely imagined) that doesn’t go beyond innuendo and a scene in the baths where nothing shows but the shoulders, and Ohana helping him figure out how to tie some S&M knots (fully clothed, since she’s the one who gets tied up!). There are also a few scenes in the baths. The water covers everything, and the rest of the time the shots hide everything else- except in one scene where you see a little butt.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ano Hana (anime)
Emma: A Victorian Romance (anime and manga)
Kobato (anime and manga)
Only Yesterday (anime)
Spirited Away (anime)
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée (anime)