“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)

“Is There A Doctor In The House?” – Black Jack (manga) – 9/10 Pumpkin Pies

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

Mangaka: Osamu Tezuka

Genre: Action/Drama/Medical/Shounen

Review Status: Incomplete (9 Volumes/17 Volumes)

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

Art: This is Tezuka- very cartoonish, with round faces and exaggerated expressions. He will throw in visual gags with the panels or in faces, or even in background items. It’s easy to read and follow. The actual medical art is fairly detailed and anatomically accurate.

Summary: Black Jack is an "unregistered" doctor with a clouded, mysterious past. He works with his little assistant Pinoko (who has a massive crush on the doctor), dealing with medical cases not very well known, which can be strange, dangerous, or not known at all. But he is a genius, and can save almost any of his patients' lives (as long as they have the money for it, that is), and is known to many around the world, especially to those of medicine and science. He's a man of science himself, and does not believe much until he has seen it, yet it is many times he is surprised by love and nature often overpowering the science he bases his life in. (ANN.com)

Review: Black Jack- a man both sunned and reviled for his apparent unrivaled greed and lack of a license, yet admired for his God-like prowess with surgical tools, saving lives like nobody’s business, holding to a moral compass that’s nigh inscrutable and dealing out justice where he deems fit. He is part cowboy and vigilante in his dealings. Yet even with his skills, he cannot save everyone, either because it simply is their time or his patients have no desire to keep going, or even unfortunate accidents that prevent his cases from surviving. Each loss hurts him deeply, and fuels his need to be the best and keep working and to keep people alive.

This manga is more of an anthology of Black Jack’s cases. There is no particular running storyline, with Pinoko, the young teratoma-cum-girl the only thing that gives it any sense of time. Each volume seems to have a theme to it, one containing stories that mostly deal with how Black Jack is shunned by society, another that has various stories dealing with the will to live, and the thematic elements give it something interesting since Tezuka manages to deal with them in so many different ways.

Not only are the stories wonderfully created, with Tezuka dealing with morality and even the occasional theological question in captivating stories, but the characters manage to pull it off well. I admit to having no fondness for Pinoko, the often-annoying comedic relief, but Black Jack himself a man with many sides to him. His greed is tempered by his kindness, often receiving his ‘payment’ in forms that allow his poorer patients to breathe a sigh of relief. Those who are corrupt or evil will often find themselves at the mercy of some trickery or deception that leaves them in unfortunate predicaments.

Even when the stories focus on those he treats, there is often something compelling to their stories and their desperation. It’s easy to see why they are acting the way they do, and how Black Jack comes off to them- why he has the heartless reputation he does.

The only thing that irks me the slightest bit is how Black Jack is supposedly an unknown doctor except to the richest and most desperate. In virtually every story, though, somebody knows who he is, which flies in the face of that.

Overall, this is a fascinating medical drama that manages to show all the nuances of life, even in the face of death.

Recommended: 13+. There’s about one d-word per volume, and in the nine volumes I read, only three instances of any other language. No f-bombs. Patients do die, from old men to children. This deals with death in all its forms, from execution to suicide to congenital defects and diseases. The manga also holds a lot of medical information and procedures. Surgery of all sorts is performed, but is no more gruesome than a medical textbook. There is violence occasionally, with people being shot, crushed underneath beams, bitten by animals… if it can hurt you, it will appear in here.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ode to Kirihito (manga)
Team Medical Dragon (manga)
Monster (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)

“In A Kingdom Far Away” – Twelve Kingdoms (anime) – 9/10 Pumpkin Pies

I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be. ~Douglas Adams

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Review Status: Complete (45 Episodes/45 Episodes)

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

Art/Animation: The art seems a little dated, but considering the setting and the story it tells, fits really well. This isn’t a happy-go-lucky series, so the more mature character designs are very appreciated, with an incredible amount of unique and recognizable people that emphasize how expansive the world and the story is. The budget for the animation was a little lacking, and it does show in a few scenes, but overall is perfectly fine for the year it aired. The colors are a normal color palate and very vibrant, which helps bring this series to life.

Dub Vs. Sub: The dub starts out really weak, with some of the main’s voices sounding stilted and awkward, or just not fitting the character. I’m not sure Yoko’s ever really fits. I did not listen to the sub.

Summary: Nakajima Yoko is your average somewhat timid high school student. One day, a strange man named Keiki appears before her, swearing allegiance. Before she could properly register what was happening, demon-like creatures attack Yoko and her friends, after which they are pulled into a different world. A world unlike what she has ever known. Separated from Keiki, Yoko and her friends must do whatever they can if they wish to survive in this new world. (MAL.net)

Review: To be honest, the synopsis sounds like a really bad fanfiction. This might be why a lot of people would approach this with trepidation- who wants a bad fanfiction with Mary-Sues and over the top romances? Thankfully, this is nothing like what it sounds like. This is about a girl finding herself and coming to terms with her destiny… both the good and the bad.

This presents great takes on fantasy tropes. Yoko understands the language of the nation, but her friends do not. Her fate, which is thrust upon her, is constantly questioned by herself and others. She isn’t perfect, coming to terms with very real inner struggles and striving to be a better person… whoever that person may be. All the characters that are brought to the forefront of the storyline are fully realized people with desires, flaws, issues, and make this a story that is as much about the people as it is about the rulers and the events that happen within the kingdom.

This is a very deliberately paced. There will be bursts of action and flurries of exposition, each with its purpose in moving the story forward. Statecraft is taken into account, teaching both Yoko and the viewers about the nation and its customs as well as providing insight into what is happening and why. The stories of the nations are entwined, as much as politics in real life are. That doesn’t mean this is a snoozefest- there’s double-dealing, shifting alliances, rebellion and war that make up the meat of the story and provide fascinating stories.

It also deals with themes of racism, isolation, abandonment and betrayal, which are told in arcs that again manage to provide a look at the world Yoko has been brought into. I love that this doesn’t focus on one place or time. People and events from all places manage to be the foundations of this anime, some mentioned only briefly or seen in a moment’s scene, but brought back later so that the stories entwine and bring about a full picture of what’s happening. The world-building is superb, and I could get lost in this land of magic time and again.

My only issue was with the last five episodes. Those seemed to drag more than the others- while the story was quite good, it could have been told in fewer episodes, and the moral was a little more heavy-handed than usual. I still enjoyed the show on the whole, though.

Overall, this is a fantastic and vastly under-appreciated fantasy series.
Recommended: 14+. There is some death, most of it discreet or very brief. Very little language- I actually cannot remember any. The two girls are almost sold to a brothel. No nudity, no sexual situations.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Seirei no Moribito (anime)
Twelve Kingdoms (light novels)
Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play
Escaflowne (tv series, not movie)
The Story of Saiunkoku (anime)
Magic Knight Rayearth (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)

“The World Keeps Turning” – Hetalia: Axis Powers Season 1 (anime) – 8/10 Pumpkin Pies

The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible. ~Albert Einstein

Genre: Comedy/History

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

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

Art/Animation: It looks pretty good, with some very nice animation, bright colors, and very distinct character designs- immensely necessary with so many countries.

Dub Vs. Sub: The dub has all the great accents, some done well, some not so much, but the voice acting is good regardless. The sub is quite good with the stereotypical voices for the countries, but also has good voice acting.

Summary: Forget everything you learned in history class, and imagine all the nations of the world as cute guys hanging out on a wildly inappropriate reality show. Now, toss in every stereotype ever and prepare to pledge allegiance to your favorite superpower in Hetalia Axis Powers!

Maybe you’ll surrender to Italy’s charms. He’s a sweetie who’s always got a noodle in his mouth and he’s BFF with blue-eyed Germany and shy Japan. Sounds nice, right? Of course, their friendship sort of causes World War II, but is that really such a big deal? Not if it means those adorable allies France, America, and England will be stormin’ the beach! No matter who comes out on top, victory is yours! Now ditch your textbooks and try to keep up, because history happens fast in Hetalia Axis Powers! (Funimation)

Review: How is one supposed to take the idea of anthropomorphized nations interacting with each other in ways that are vaguely similar to historical events? If you’re looking for pure comedy, you’ll be getting a dose of history. If you’re looking for history, you’ll be getting a good dose of comedy. While it’s not the show to watch if you really want surefire historical accuracy, this manages to relate history with pizzazz and hilarity, with little shout-outs that will thrill the historians out there.

Each episode jumps around in the timeline, some taking place at the World Conference, where all of them get together to talk about… stuff… while some take place at America’s house, and even more take place during World War II, where Italy, Japan, and Germany get together and camp out on the beach, having training sessions and cookouts, while the Allies make various attempts to sabotage them.

The five-minute segments and disjointed presentation make this great for viewing when you don’t have the time for longer series, but could be frustrating for some that want their episodes in chronological order. Some people might be annoyed by the lighthearted presentation of events that were really very serious in real life. But this isn’t to be taken as a serious show- it’s about having fun with world history, and this manages to do that, from the Roman Empire returning while the Allies storm the beach once… twice… and fail each time, to Canada being overlooked for pretty much everything. Stereotypes stereotypical characteristics abound, making each country a distinct personality that most people will find both somewhat accurate and great parodies- knowing how to laugh at yourself and how your country is seen by others is key.

The other issue is that, while I really do like this show, it’s such a sausage fest. There are very few girls, and in very minor parts. Virtually no time is spent on them, which is a shame. It does allow for quite a bishie fest, however, so it’s a trade-off.

Overall, this is a cute anime with some fun twists!

Recommended: 16+. There are five swears in the sub- two of the F-word written out, the s-word twice (misused in some pretty bad Engrish, I might add), and one instance of the d-word. The sub is worse, and adds in some gay jokes that aren’t there in the sub. It’s implied that one of the male characters (the Holy Roman Empire) has a crush on Italy (a guy), but thinks that Italy is a girl. Implied slavery of some of the characters- representing historical happenings, not meant to be taken seriously.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Hetalia: Axis Powers (Season 2, manga)

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

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

Mangaka: Tomomi Mizuna

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

Review Status: Complete (5 Volumes/5 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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