“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)

“Isn’t She a Doll?” – Dolls (manga) – 6/10 Pumpkin Pies

Yet for better or worse we love things that bear the marks of grime, soot, and weather, and we love the colors and the sheen that call to mind the past that made them. ~Junichiro Tanizaki

Mangaka: Yumiko Kawahara

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Psychological/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (4 Volumes/4 Volumes)

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

Art: This has some lovely art, with lots of details and frills. It’s very shoujo in appearance, with lots of toning and shading.

Summary: Dolls are living plant life forms that look like beautiful women which can be purchased at a special shop for the right price. But be careful what you wish for. Set in an upside-down world combining a murky mix of science fiction, reality and moral ambiguity, Yumiko Kawahara's short stories examine the ineffable disparities that exist between the lover and the loved one. (Viz)

Review: Dolls choose who they belong to, and while the owners are charged incredibly large fees, they find themselves drawn- and sometimes repulsed- by the plants that behave as if they are alive. There are a number of different scenarios that occur, from discovering what happens when a Doll ages, to attempting to find a replacement for a dead child, to a Doll becoming the last will of a yakuza boss.

What this tries to do is get inside the minds of those people who are affected by them, the scenarios that occur when the Dolls are brought into their lives. However, most of the time the stories are completely unmemorable. They are too short to really get into any psychological fears or darkness, not only in number of pages but all the stories are stand-alone. There were a few that seemed to just start doing some wonderful things but were cut short due to time.

That’s not to say they were bad, just boring. A few of these did manage to stand above the crowd, though, such as that of the girl who told fortunes, and the man who was thought to be turning into a tree. Unfortunately, it was only when the story mainly focused on human characters and had the Dolls as a plot device that they were intriguing. Most of the ones that focused on the Dolls themselves fell short of being anything above average.

Overall, while this does present an interesting scenario, Petshop of Horrors did the psychological aspect far better.

Recommended: 12+. There’s virtually no language, no nudity, and no violence that I can recall. This does deal with some darker themes, such as the loss of loved ones.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Petshop of Horrors (manga)
Rozen Maiden (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)

“A Hop In Your Step” – Happy Happy Clover (Manga) – 10/10 Pumpkin Pies

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

Mangaka: Sayuri Tatsuyama

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Kids/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (5 Volumes/5 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: There are no complaints from this quarter. The characters are all unique and easily recognizeable, while the panels are easy to follow. There might be average detail on the backgrounds and artwork, but that makes this easy for kids to follow and read.

Summary: Clover the bunny and her fluffy friends are always making mischief in Crescent Forest! Clover makes a new best friend, uncovers the secret of a haunted spring, gets chased by a hungry farmer, and fights a big bad fox! Go, Clover, Go! (back of 1st volume)

Review: If the American show Arthur had a Japanese equivalent, it would be this. It chronicles the adventures (and misadventures) of Clover and her friends as they learn about responsibility, reflect on friendship, and grow up in Crescent Forest.
The problem most children’s … anything… have is that there’s a tendency to be saccharine. This manages to be sweet, but not overpoweringly so.

There are a lot of lighthearted, fun moments, but there is a temperance with more serious themes and stories. Usually there’s no real danger or harm for the animals of the forest, but Rambler, a recurring character, shares that he lost his entire forest and everyone in it. He shares with Clover some of the hardship he goes through as he travels, and deals with survivor’s guilt. Since this is a children’s manga, it isn’t touched on too deeply but is dealt with in a gentle and sensitive way.

This is mainly a story about Clover and her friends, though. Clover’s dream is to join Rambler in his travels, and her growth and change is the lynchpin of many of the stories or is related to others. She and her classmates deal with bad grades, getting lost, forest fires, rumors of curses (usually the misinterpretation of natural phenomena), and more. It’s fun to watch them grow from rambunctious, irresponsible kids to… slightly less rambunctious, but more responsible teens/adults.

They mature emotionally as well as physically, finding love with each other. Some of the additions seem a little last-minute, but I can’t complain too much because of how well it’s all put together.

Overall, this is a wonderful children’s manga that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Recommended: Any. If your child is old enough to read Peter Rabbit or Briar Rabbit, then they can deal with the idea that humans occasionally kill or eat rabbits that’s brought up once. There is also the implication that everyone in Rambler’s forest was killed. Rambler is treated as though he’s cursed by one town, but it’s not done cruelly- they get him food but tell him to move on. Once or twice Clover’s life is ‘endangered’ (but since it’s a children’s manga, there is no actual danger and she’s quite safe). Some Looney-Tunes and other mild cartoon acts of violence occur. The kid’s own actions occasionally get them sick or mildly injured, serving as lessons.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Erin (anime)
Happy Happy Clover (anime)

“Being Schooled” – CLAMP School Detectives (manga) – 6/10 Pumpkin Pies

You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mangaka: CLAMP

Genre: Comedy/Mystery/Scool/Shoujo/Kids

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: No. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop but has not been re-released.

Art: This was done in the 90’s, and it shows in the hairstyles and clothing styles. Sometimes they’re downright ugly, and not even CLAMP’s wonderful art style can save it. It’s rarely that bad, though. For the most part, it just looks dated, but isn’t bad. The character designs for the main three guys are virtually identical.

Summary: Welcome to the CLAMP School, Japan’s most prestigious place of learning- home to prodigies, wunderkinds and young geniuses of every make and model. In a world where the average student is smarter than the teachers, how then can the top students challenge their intellects? Why, by creating a detective service, of course! Meet the CLAMP School Detectives: Nokoru Imonoyama, the world’s smartest kid, who can detect a woman in distress from two kilometers awat; Suoh Takamura, a martial arts master who’s cool as ice; Akira Ijyuin, detective by day, master theif by night. Wherever there’s a young lady in distress, they’ll be there. After all, when you’re as smart as they are, you don’t have to study. (Back cover of 1st volume)

Review: The best way to describe this is proto-Ouran. This takes three rich boys, puts them at the service of lovely young ladies, and has fun with it. They proceed to solve very shallow mysteries that highlight how frivolous both they and everyone in the school is. They find missing peacocks, discover the owner of a silk stocking, and the like. None of the mysteries end up being very interesting, or even really mysteries.

The characters aren’t really that interesting, either. They’re as one-dimensional as pancakes, with very few defining characteristics. Two of them I couldn’t tell apart except for one’s love of cooking! The virtually identical character designs don’t help. It almost seems pointless to have those traits in some situations, since at times they show that they have the same skills at the others. You never get any background on one of them, making him perhaps the least important or memorable of the three. This might have been better off as a story about one character rather than three, in order for him to make some impression on the reader.

However, uninteresting doesn’t mean bad. The situations and jokes can make you chuckle at times. They bring this from an average to a slightly above average manga, even if it utterly fails to be a memorable one.

Overall, this would be great for younger girls that aren’t ready for Ouran’s awesomeness and PG-13 rating, but if you’re older, you should just go straight to Ouran.

Recommended: Any. There’s no language, no nudity, no violence except for some things you’d find in Saturday morning cartoons…

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)
Arisu (manga)
Detective Conan (anime and manga)
Detective Academy Q (anime and manga)
Sket Dance (anime and manga)

“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)

“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)

“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)

“I, Android” – Karakuri Odette (manga) – 10/10 Notebooks

I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and the general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. ~Alan Turing, 1937

Genre: Sci-fi/School/Drama/Romance

Review Status: Complete (6 Volumes/6 Volumes)

Licensed: Not currently. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: For a shoujo, the art is surprisingly plain. Backgrounds of any sort are minimal. The characters can look awkward and gangly at times.

Summary: Odette is an android created by the young talented scientist Dr. Yoshizawa. Wanting to find the ultimate difference between humans and his android, Odette decides to persuade Dr. Yoshizawa to enroll her in a local high school. Follow Odette's adventures as she ventures through high school, in search of the true meaning of being a human. (amazon.com)

Review: The idea of an android wanting to be recognized or wanting to be like humans is a common one in science fiction. Manga isn’t very different. This shoujo takes advantage of the idea to approach the subject from the emotional standpoint of the android.

After watching a tv show, she gets the idea that it would be interesting to go to her high school and study humans. She makes friends by obeying her first directive- never to hurt a human. Odette is unusual in that she picks up most social cues very easily, figuring out what friends are and being accepting of everyone. This lands her in interesting situations, such as being a best friend (and potential love interest) of the school delinquent, and befriending other androids that weren’t made with the best of intentions.

Some of the interesting things are comparing how Odette grows and changes through the series in comparison to her companion android Chris. He ends up disappearing for a volume or two, and they are in such contrast with each other that it’s hard to believe that she was like he was a short while ago, or how ingrained she has become with her human friends. Of course, her uniqueness isn’t unnoticed by others.

A protective human guy friend (and potential love interest- but those who are going in for just that might be a tad disappointed by the ambiguous ending), an android that wants to marry her and have their parts mended, a jealous love triangle, and a scientist that only wants and values the best all end up complicating her life. Even so, friendship and family win the day. I think this ended exactly where it should have- a good note.

Overall, this was a sweet story about an android slowly becoming human.

Recommended: 10+. There was one swear in the volumes I read, the d-word. Some of the robots are assassination robots, and in two chapters you see people disappear in a flash of light. Unless the idea of seeing robot parts scattered over the floor at other parts disturbs you, then this is a very safe read.

Other Titles You Might Enjoy:
Time of Eve (OVA and Movie)
Chobits (manga)
Absolute Boyfriend (manga)
Lovers Doll (manga)

“A Little Bit Of Life” – Four Shoujo Stories (manga) – 7/10 Beach Balls

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~Maria Robinson

Genre: A mix of Shoujo and Josei stories. Other than that, it’s in the review for each one-shot.

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US. However, it is out of print, and due to when it was brought over (’96), the art is flipped in the US printing.

Art: The art is slightly dated, though still pretty typical for shoujo series. The lines aren’t always clean, but you have long-haired girls and big eyes. Some of the art is better than others. The one-shots collected in this are from all different time periods- They Were 11 was published in ’75, while some of the others date from the 80’s and 90’s.

Summary: In the review for each one.

Review:
This collection of stories is was the first shoujo manga published in the US. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s now out-of-print. Four stories from various mangaka that sprawl various genres and situations, this collection shows the roots of shoujo. However, I regret that they didn’t always pick the best stories to be published and really show Shoujo’s abilities. Two were very good, but the other two were poor in execution and story. However, the two that are good are worth seeking out on their own.

‘Promise’ by Keiko Nishi (Slice-of-Life/Drama/Supernatural)
A girl’s who’s become lost in life meets a stranger who is strangely familiar, and helps her gain back some understanding and happiness in life. Reiko always knew her mother wasn’t going to stay a widow forever, but when her mother suddenly introduces her to her husband-to-be, it comes as a shock. Reiko’s feeling as confused and as in turmoil as many people do when their parents decide to remarry- something that’s far from uncommon in today’s society. She has a hard time coming to terms with it and wishes she were dead so that she wouldn’t have to deal with it all- like her twin brother who never got a chance to live. Of course, the mysterious stranger who becomes friend and confidant expresses the idea that perhaps her brother is the one who is jealous of her. Perhaps in dealing with all the stress and discomfort of family life, Reiko is the lucky one. This was nice because it’s so relatable for so many people. While it’s not the best one-shot I’ve read, it most definitely is one for when you’re stressed by family and feel like giving up. 8/10

‘They Were 11’ by Moto Hagio (Sci-fi/Psychological/Mystery/Shoujo)
Only 10 students were sent out in on the mission into space. So why are there 11? Who is the extra, and why are they there? This is by far the best one-shot in the volume. This slowly explores the mystery of the ship- why it was abandoned, what happened to the people on it- while getting into the psychology and suspicions of the students. Tensions start building from the beginning as they can’t verify who is and isn’t a student. Accidents begin to happen and things start centering on one student who has empathetic abilities. Whether these students will survive is questionable, and will keep you on your seat! Good enough to have had a movie version made of it, this is a great story for anyone who enjoys thrillers! 10/10

‘The Changeling’ by Shio Sato (Sci-fi/Shoujo/Drama)
Lin has come from earth to contact and research a civilization started a thousand years ago. What she finds is a civilization that had a revolution 70 years ago, destroying a decadent noble class and establishing a virtual utopia. But why did it happen only 70 years ago and no sooner? What’s the secret behind these people that have genetically engineered themselves to no longer be able to breed with humans? This story is pretty short and to-the point, written in the vein of ‘I, Robot’ or ‘Bicentennial Man’. It isn’t half as sophisticated as those stories, though, and fails to have much dramatic emotional impact when the secret is exposed or when the explanation for everything is given. With such weak characters and a rushed pacing, this is a very weak addition to the volume. 6/10

‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ by Keiko Nishi (Josei/Drama)
The second contribution to this collection by Keiko, this story is about a man who’s been visiting his mistress when an earthquake hits. Enticed to stay, he starts reminiscing about how he met and fell in love with his wife. But was it really love? Or does he love his mistress? What does each woman really mean to him? It’s not as well put-together as her other work in this, ‘Promise’, is. It only shallowly explores his feelings for his wife and how they got together, and his relationship with his mistress is downright annoying. His mistress behaves like an immature child, while his wife lives out-of-touch with the world. The plot is pretty tragic, though, since when he realizes who he truly loves that person ends up dying. Overall, though, this is another poor story. 5/10

Overall, the four stories in here do manage to convey the range of shoujo and josei stories out there, but are of mixed quality.

Recommended: 14+. There is a little language, I remember the d-word being said twice. There are two instances of Barbie-doll nudity or where the genitals are covered up. ‘They Were 11’ had alien races involved, and two of them are hermaphroditic until maturation- one never matured and lives an extended life as a monk among his people, another will gain the ability to become fully a man if s/he passes the test they are on. S/he and another guy develop a somewhat romantic relationship, and s/he states that s/he would become a woman for him. In another story, a man is having an affair. No nudity or sexual situations are shown, just his bare chest and some of her legs. Any and all deaths are either offscreen and/or implied.

Other titles you might enjoy:
They Were 11 (anime)
Solanin (manga)
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan (manga)
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms (manga)

“Song of the Ages” – Utahime: The Songstress (manga) – 9/10 Beach Balls

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. ~Kenji Miyazawa

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/ 1 Volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: The art is more airy and sketch-like than, say, CLAMP is. The lines are solid, though, and the shading is done very well, giving the pictures a depth that is nice to look at.

Summary: When the unthinkable happens, it happens in a major way. For centuries, a far-off kingdom has been protected by the nightly singing of the Utahime. This powerful voice is only passed down from one female songstress to another within the Utahime’s bloodline. Then the impossible happens… a male songstress has been born. What follows then is a bitter-sweet and tragic tale revolving around this reluctant Utahime. (from the back cover)

Review: When the natural order of the world has been turned upside-down, what is the nation to do? In this case, nothing- the death of an Utahime has been hidden from the villagers, by the village leader and the brother of the girl who was pretending to be Utahime so her brother could roam the country free. Two years ago he returned in distress at the sound of her voice, only to find her dead, and has taken over the duties of the Utahime. Now the nation’s princess has sought him out, another unnatural birth in this world. They know that never before has this happened, and they are the signs that things should be changing.

The manga delves into the history of the Utahime, the things they must deal with and the pressure they are under. There is a lot of family drama, from Maria who is unable to continue her mother’s work as a songstress, to Kain, who does have the voice of a songstress but is distressed by it, to their friend Thomas who loved Maria and has lost her forever. It also delves into the evils that a country and it’s countrymen will commit and allow when they desire to keep themselves safe.

There is also a one-shot in the back of the manga, titled “Darika”, concerning an experiment to create a ‘child of God’ who brings about enlightenment. The government creates them, attempting to remove negative aspects of their personality, and executing those that find the ‘door’ to those aspects the government doesn’t desire. This is also a very well-told story, quite melancholy, about needlessly throwing away imperfect life.

Overall, though it’s a one-shot, it’s an incredibly touching story of love and duty.

Recommended: 13+. The villagers continue the bloodline by raping the Utahime. An attempt is shown. You see Maria in a pool of blood, though this isn’t a close-up or graphic. In the oneshot, Darika is executed. You merely see the body lying face-down on the ground.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms (manga)
Romeo x Juliet (anime)
Ano Hi Mita Hana No Namae Wo Bokutachi Wa Mada Shiranai (anime)
Watashitachi na Shiwase na Jikan (manga)

“A Love In Time…” – Red River (manga) – 9/10 Pools

Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. ~Anonymous

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

Review Status: Complete (28 Volumes/28 Volumes)

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

Art: This was started in ’95, and it does show a bit. Our main’s hair is a little on the large side, and her clothes are very much from that era. However, the lines are clean, the shading is well-done, the detail in the pictures looks very nice. If you can forgive the slightly-dated look, then this is above-average.

Summary: A seemingly ordinary modern day teenager, Yuri, is suddenly whisked away to the Hittite empire in ancient Anatolia, where an ambitious queen wants the girl for a blood sacrifice in order to murder all heirs but her son, thus seizing control of the throne. Luckily, the timely intervention of Prince Kail saves Yuri from the queen's grasp. Kail promises to send Yuri back to her home, but the queen's persistent schemes to kill them both, plus their growing feelings for each other, keep those plans delayed. (Source: Wikipedia)

Review: They don’t write a whole lot of shoujo like this one. From the beginning, this marks itself out as a gritty, fairly realistic historical manga, mixing a few bad clichés (such as Yuri being irresistible to every powerful foreigner that comes along) with a whole ton of inventiveness and novelty. The good guys are flawed, the bad guys are repulsively evil. You get a taste of this in the first two volumes, when two people that helped Yuri and looked like people she loved have terrible ends- one by being skinned, another by being hanged.

The ultimate goal of trying to get Yuri back to her time, avoiding her death and foiling the plans of Kail’s stepmother, is remembered throughout the series. That is what all the plots center around, all the internal politics that swirl around Yuri and Kail, and the international politics between Anatolia and Egypt. These hold true to events that occurred during that time, as far as historical records can enlighten us. The things that might be less detailed still hold to a great deal of realism, with nepotism and birth order and murder all entwining to make things difficult for our heroine and her Prince. They have serious opposition from both family and rulers of city-states, and must deal with civil war as well as the threat of invasion.

What was nice was that it was realistic and gritty enough that my brother ended up perhaps even more addicted to the series than I was. He enjoyed the action and politics, and found the relationship aspects to it to be realistic and low-key enough to not bother him. So this title is definitely one that has a strong crossover ability for its demographic.

The characters help pull this story off beautifully. Kail may have taken Yuri in as seemingly a whim, but is clever enough to have known it would vex his stepmother. He has depth as a character, deftly manipulating politics to favor him, while being more than just a typical love interest to Yuri. Yuri is a modern girl, and her sensibilities and knowledge of that both are an advantage and disadvantage. What might gain her popularity among the commoners often works against her in court. She grows from a somewhat impulsive girl to one that thinks over her actions, acting out of thought and wisdom. As they work together and deal with various incidents that threaten both their lives, the attraction grows from lust into genuine feelings. It’s far from overnight, and feels deeper and more real (and realistic) than those of many shoujo manga.

This isn’t always happy. There isn’t a good ending for a good deal of characters. Those that manage to survive don’t have easy lives ahead of them. But this does have its moments where there is tenderness and joy, and affirmations of life and love.

Overall, this is a shoujo that pushes traditional boundaries, and becomes memorable for it.

Recommended: Mature readers only! 16+ at least, since there is death both on page and off page. Some tend to be particularly powerful ones. There is attempted rape a few times, and undetailed scenes of sex are occasionally depicted, or sex is implied. There is some language, but it is relatively rare and never more powerful than the b-words.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Emma: A Victorian Romance (anime and manga)
Fushigi Yuugi: Mysterious Play (manga or anime)
From Far Away (manga)
InuYasha (manga or anime)
Saver (manga)
The Story of Saiunkoku (anime)
Twelve Kingdoms (anime or manga)
Samurai Champloo(anime)

"Country Boys" - Popcorn Romance (manga) - 6/10 Flowers

Summer Lovin', Happened So Fast! ~Grease

Genre: Slice-of-Life/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the UShttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Art: It’s so very 90’s- super-big eyes, dated styles for the hair and clothing, and overall doesn’t seem that clean or sleek.

Summary: A pair of metalhead brothers were psyched. They made their onstage debut when disaster struck… one of them collapsed. So to recuperate they decided to rest at their grandfather’s farm in the country… but now the farm might be turned into a golf course… what are they going to do… and what’s to become of the love they left behind in the city?

Review: When I opened this up, I could tell how old the manga was by the look of the art. Once I got past that and was able to focus on the story, I discovered a sweet, short little romance. The premise is believable- a boy with a genetic disorder, that could potentially kill him, needs to go to the countryside to recuperate. His brother comes with, leaving his girlfriend that he loves behind in the city.

They’re immediately put to work, harvesting potatoes, dealing with a few fans that live in town… and discover that they really enjoy the countryside, with its beautiful views and unspoiled wilderness, and try to find a way to keep the golf course from being made.

It’s the execution that sometimes is downright silly. Zenta has a talent for singing the wild beasts to him (a reference is made to this being like Sleeping Beauty). He’s thoughtless and has a tendency for forgetting his medicine. Overall, though, even though it’s incredibly idealistic, it’s not a bad story. The only things that I really had a problem with were some very regional and historical references- for instance, one of the women in the forest is freaked out by Zenta and thinks that a Russian soldier is roaming around. This would require some knowledge of history to really realize why it is funny.

I think that I preferred the bonus one-shot that was included in the manga, ‘The Magic of Love’. It dealt with something that you rarely see in manga or anime- a girl who’s self-confidence is wrecked by her bad acne. What was really nice was how the guy who liked her was able to look past her acne and see the sweet girl that was underneath. With more modern-looking art, and dealing with a very common subject and problem with teens, I really thought it was a great little story.

Overall, it was a nice, short read, but not something I would ever buy.

Recommended: 5+. No language, no nudity, the only thing that might be an issue is one of the brothers is very girly (and I mean, looks really girly and has a penchant for girl’s clothing). This is played for laughs, since he doesn’t like people thinking that he’s a girl… although even though he’s pretty manly when he’s all grown-up, he does wish that he could pull off a wedding dress like his brother’s bride does. At one point, just to have some fun, he does dress up in a dress to sing to the animals. One of the weasels is hit by a car, though there is no blood or gore, and the animal does live.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Yotsuba (manga)
Train Manga: A Shoujo Manga (manga)
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms (manga)
Baby & Me (manga)
Aishiteruze Baby (anime and manga)

"The Tall And Short Of It" - Lovely Complex (manga) - 10/10 Leprechauns

Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length. ~Robert Frost

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (16 Volumes/16 Volumes, + 1/1 extras volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: It's fairly recognizeable as shoujo, but it's not deeply toned or dramatically shaded. It also looks very pretty in general.

Summary: Risa and Otani are in a similar predicament. Neither is dating anyone, they are both continually being laughed at as a comedy duo (courtesy of their loving sensei), and they both have height problems! Risa is taller than the average girl, and Otani is shorter than the average guy!

Determined to be in a relationship, they both decide to cheer each other on in the war of love. However, along the way, Risa begins to develop feelings for Otani... are these feelings mutual? Can love win, no matter what the height? (Source: Manga-Updates)

Review: Can someone who seems so wrong, be so right? This si the question explored when Riza and Ootani come together. They start off as awesome friends- they love the same obscure singer, adore ordering fruity, exotic-sounding drinks, and have a chemistry that sets their classmates into riots of laughter.

So it comes as a total surprise when Riza finds that her feeling for Ootani may be a bit deeper than she had suspected

Height is something that people who date are very aware of. Guys are afraid of being too short, girls are afraid of being too tall. And so when you have a tall girlfriend and a short boyfriend, there's going to be a lot of tension and misunderstandings when navigating that relationship.

You do have some typical shoujo situations- childhood friends that want to come between them, and crushes that are into eachother instead of the mains. But then you have atypical shoujo situations, such as a former love rival not only turning out to be a guy, but becoming one of their strongest supporters! And the humor and wit turns this into a riot to read.

What I loved was being able to see their relationship go from the awkward first stages into a lovely, steady and stable relationship as they grew up and became people in their own right. While the relationship continues to have issues throughout the series, they are ones that come from growing up and the security issues that come with going from the safety of high school into the world of college and being in different schools, with different dreams.

And even though there does end up with some dramatics, it does it with a humor that is uplifting.

Overall, this is a hilarious look at an unusual problem- that has a happy ending.

Recommended: YES! Um... 14+, as one of the girls is actually a cross-dressing boy. You do see some shirtless guys. There is some slightly sexual content in the last two volumes, as they go on a trip and rooming together (girls with boyfriends) comes up. It's only hinted at, though, and if anything sexual happens, then it isn't shown. There is also some comedic violence (cheek-pinching, one or two punches thrown).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Lovely Complex (anime)
High School Debut (manga)
Kimi ni Todoke (anime and manga)
Toradora! (anime)
Special A (manga)
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)

"A Wish Come True" - Yume Kira Dream Shoppe (manga) - 6/10 Leprechauns

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. ~Anonymous

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Typical shoujo art- lots of flourishes, big eyes. Pretty, but nothing special.

Summary: Rin is the mysterious shopkeeper of the Yume Kira Dream Shoppe, a magical storefront shop which flies through the sky at dusk. With a store filled with unusual and rare items, Rin listens for wishes that travel on the wind and, aided by an assistant named Alpha, offers magical wares to grant these wishes at the cost of something dear to the customer. (From Wikipedia)

Review: What would you give for the person you loved? In this short one-shot, that question is explored through the eyes of four characters- a tree that longs to speak to the music-maker that brought it hope, a stuffed toy that wants nothing more than to see his owner happy, a girl who's lost her memories, and a girl that doesn't have the courage to be herself around the guy she likes.

All come to the Shoppe to have their wishes fulfilled, but in exchange for this, they must give up something precious to them.

There's suprisingly little sacrifice in here- only one story ended up bittersweet, while the rest had fairly typical happy endings. Even so, the stories presented and some of the unusual ways that the wishes were granted were decently entertaining.

This does suffer from a lack of creativity on the part of the author. The stories play out like you would expect from a shoujo. The idea of wish-granting is one that I've seen played out before, with less-predictable results.

The second chapter is what I feel pulls this just above mediocrity, with the character not wishing for love for themself, but for the happiness of the one they love with someone else. Not the usual way things play out, that's for sure!

What also is disappointing is that the manga ends with having pulled in some new minor characters and gives hints at the world that the Dream Shoppe inhabits- tantalizing clues that there is more to this than what appears. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled, so I will just have to imagine what else lies there and what the relations are between the new characters and the owner.

Overall, this was a nice, short read.

Recommended: 8+, as there is some talk of death and dying.

Other titles you might enjoy:

Ballad of a Shinigami (anime or manga)
XXXHolic (anime or manga)
Time Stranger Kyoko (manga)
Someday's Dreamers (anime or manga)
Kobato (manga or anime)
Kamichu! (anime or manga)
Someday's Dreamers ~Spellbound~ (manga)

“A Touch Of Makeup” – Beauty Pop (manga) – 5/10 Disco Balls

No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't. ~Marilyn Monroe

Genre: Comedy/School/Romance/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (10 Volumes/10 Volumes)

Licensed: This manga is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Typical shoujo, with large eyes and sparkles. Nice to look at but nothing special.

Summary: Although a truly gifted hairstylist, Kiri Koshiba has no interest in using her talent to pursue fame and fortune, unlike the three popular boys in the "Scissors Project" at school. Determined to become the best makeover team in Japan, they give showy makeovers to handpicked girls. As much as Kiri tries to shy away from the Scissors Project spotlight, she finds herself responding to beauty's call... (MAL.net)

Review: What can a haircut do for you? A good haircut can make you feel better about yourself by revealing your best features. Kiri knows the power of a good haircut, and discreetly offers to give makeovers to girls that need a boost of self-confidence.

That’s how she comes to the attention of the Scissors Project- a group of boys at school who are style all-stars, choosing only the girls with the most promise to make over. They feel that only girls with promise can be made beautiful- and Kiri shows them up. And so goes a rivalry that turns into a reluctant alliance when they go into a national styling competition. Kiri manages to find friends, win the competition, and find love within this story.

I have to say, overall this isn’t too bad. You do have your typical shoujo clichés- the five boys of scissors project are total shoujo stereotypes- and the storyline is fairly predictable. All the same, this does have some good points. I did like Kiri’s personality, which reminded me a lot of one of my other favorite shoujo leads. Kiri also isn’t the only one to find love. Her best friend does too, which is somewhat rare.

My rating reflects how I overall felt about it. There were some things that I liked (the competition and Kiri’s past were pretty interesting), others that didn’t strike as much of a chord with me (unresolved relationships and some plot points), but on the whole, the whole story was just… okay. Nothing particularly special.

Overall, this was a decent title, but for a younger age set- it would make a great starter manga for a younger sister.

Recommended: 7+. This has some bullying in it that’s resolved very quickly. One of the boys is “allergic” to girls and breaks out in hives when he’s touched by one. There is a slap or two that occurs during the course of the story when something really mean is said.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ouran Host Club (manga and anime)
Lovely Complex (anime and manga)
Skip Beat (manga)
High School Debut (manga)

“Band of Brothers” – Baby & Me (manga) – 9/10 Candy Canes

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. ~Marc Brown

Genre: Slice-of-life/Drama/Shoujo

Review Status: Complete (18 Volumes/ 18 Volumes)

Art: It’s definitely 90’s artwork, but not as ‘girly’ as most shoujo from that era.

Licensed: The manga is licensed in the US

Summary: Takuya is a normal Japanese elementary student whose mother died not very long ago, leaving him alone with his father and his baby brother Minoru. But his father is a busy man, and Takuya has to look after Minoru. Because of this responsibility that would normally never burden a child of his age, Takuya sometimes resents his fate and his baby brother... but his love for Minoru gives him the strength to carry on. (Source: ANN)

Review: One of the things that kids must go through when a parent dies is that there are so many ways a parent fills our life that it can be hard to fill their shoes. Takuya can no longer be a normal boy, he must also be a mother at a very young age.

This is equal parts learning to be a parent and brotherly adventures. Takuya attempts to teach his brother to eat correctly, not throw a fit, share and be nice to others. Then you have how Takuya and the other brothers in the series bond over their sibling’s misadventure and childish love triangles. Many times what happens never fails to draw a smile out of me- possibly because, as an older sister, I can relate to many of these stories and events.

Because of the variety of side-characters, you can see the different attitudes towards family that are taken by some of the guys- you have the reluctant and bored older brother who doesn’t want to take care of his siblings (Gon, who has both parents but a sister that unfortunately takes after the dad’s side of the family), and one from a very large family, where playing with the youngest is given to the one that has the least responsibility around the house.

Not all story arcs are serious. Many are just fun or silly, like the two times we get to go on ‘dream adventures’ with the characters. You have festival arcs and beach ars, buit all offer something a little different to the story.

This is for the most part a decent depiction of life as an older sibling, and resonates with how a household would be with a missing parent. My small complaints are that some of the story arcs get a little farfetched- at one point, Takuya and Minoru are in a bank robbery, and in another must deal with a guy who got stabbed.

Also, Minoru and Takuya are fairly static characters, with little growing-up or changing. This does change a bit near the end, when Takuya deals with issues about resentment about his brother, and it boils over when Minoru has a temper tantrum, but this is for 2 volumes out of 18. That’s not much. Minoru remains a fairly typical 3 year old throughout the story. Even so, this did little to hamper my enjoyment of the manga.

Overall, this is an interesting manga about two brothers growing up without a mother.

Recommended: Definitely! 13+ though, since there are more mature themes dealt with here. There’s an arc about a mother who’s overwhelmed with her baby and starts abusing him (this never gets too violent, and is resolved fairly quickly). There is some sexuality present- one of the women tries to attract the father by doing some scandalous things, such as having him get his Valentine’s Day chocolates from between her breasts (not as dirty as this initially sounds) and the father having pre-marital sex is implied. One child gets hit by a car later in the series- this is not graphic but may be disturbing for younger readers. The boys occasionally go shirtless, as when they’re at the beach in bathing suits or Minoru needs his short changed. In one arc a man is stabbed (he gets better). Takuya was conceived out of wedlock, but his parents married before he was born. And there are arcs dealing with bullying, other abuse, and a friend of Takuya’s going through a physiological thing that all teenage boys go through and needing to talk to Takuya’s dad. This conversation is just implied, though Takuya does ask what they talked about. There is also some corporal punishment such as slapping and spanking, some playful/comedic violence (lighter than Looney Tunes), and one of the side characters smokes and gambles on a regular basis.

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