I'm a big fan of anything that adapts fairy tales. You name it, I'll probably like it. From novels such as Robin McKinley's Beauty to the fanservice f...moreI'm a big fan of anything that adapts fairy tales. You name it, I'll probably like it. From novels such as Robin McKinley's Beauty to the fanservice filled Grimm Fairy Tales, I like them all. That's why it's no surprise that I liked Entwined.
I liked what Dixon did here with the story of the twelve dancing princesses. It's a pretty fun story in its own so adding sinister magicians, father/daughter strife, & romance were sort of bonuses here. I loved Dixon's descriptions of the lush & bejeweled world of the Keeper, one of my favorite parts of the book & the original tale. (Hey, what girl doesn't like reading about bling trees?) The male love interests for the various characters were also pretty well suited & I enjoyed the little details here & there.
Unfortunately at times I really thought that Dixon spent a little too much time on the "Daddy I hate you for being so cold" plot point in the book & too little on fleshing out some of the people in the book. Only about three of the daughters are all that well defined. Everyone else tends to just drift in & out of the background. I also didn't get a good sense of the ages of the various daughters, so whenever talk came up of the girls' fears of possibly being forced into an arranged marriage I couldn't help but think "gee, they're a bit young...".
This was still a pretty entertaining book & I really enjoyed reading it. It's not the absolute best beyond best that the fairy tale inspired novels out there have to offer (Beauty will always hold that spot for me), but it's decently written & entertaining enough to where I believe it'll do fairly well & it'll be something I'll be encouraging people to read outside of this review.
I picked this up at my local Borders yesterday (which is sadly closing). I'd flipped through it for a few pages before instantly falling in love with...moreI picked this up at my local Borders yesterday (which is sadly closing). I'd flipped through it for a few pages before instantly falling in love with the characters & situations.
The idea of the book (shy cute girl meets popular boy, falls in love) isn't a new one by any stretch of the imagination. The beauty of this manga is that the author manages to make it seem new & incredibly endearing. It's so well done that you won't care that you've read or seen variations of this tale somewhere before. Hikage is a pretty easy character for many to relate to in some form or fashion. I think just about everyone has felt left out at some point in their lives, which makes it that much easier to see her as a somewhat believable character as far as manga goes.
The artwork here is also very well done & the varied emotions are displayed quite well here. I have to admit, I was very impressed by the amount of detail & work that went into this manga as it'd be so incredibly easy for the author to fall back on common tropes & cliches. There are some in this manga, but by large the author manages to avoid this for the most part.
Overall consensus is that this is a must buy, especially since it's such a short series. I believe the next volume should complete the series, making this a rather cheap buy as far as manga goes. (less)
I have to say, I've really enjoyed the Sailor V manga. It's such a great look into the thought processes of Takeuchi. In the first volume she played a...moreI have to say, I've really enjoyed the Sailor V manga. It's such a great look into the thought processes of Takeuchi. In the first volume she played around with character designs that would later appear in Sailor Moon. In this volume we can see where she had fun fleshing out the world from the first Sailor Moon arc. (This series ended about the same time as the Sailor Moon manga did, so all of this was drawn way after the Dark Kingdom arc ended.)
It's really neat to see manga like this, where you not only get to see the creator play around with character designs but to also develop their art and storytelling styles as well. It's a pretty fun experience, to be honest. (And of course the artwork is spectacular.)
As far as storyline goes, I found that volume 2 had a tighter plot. You can tell that Takeuchi had a better idea of how the story was going to end, so as a result the characters were better defined and the stories were faster paced. I was a bit sorry to see it end, but it wouldn't have fared well if there were more volumes to the series.
This is an absolute must have for all Sailor Moon and shoujo fans. (less)
When I first picked up this series via Made for Each Other (book 2 in the series), I was a little underwhelmed. I'd been told that there were better e...moreWhen I first picked up this series via Made for Each Other (book 2 in the series), I was a little underwhelmed. I'd been told that there were better entries out there, so I picked this one up to see if that was the case & I'm happy to say that it is.
While the content was definitely inspired by various vampire hunting heroes (Buffy anyone?), this comic takes that inspiration & manages to turn it into something new & fun. You won't care that you've seen it before in a different incarnation. You'll be too busy tearing through the pages & rooting for Vanessa.
I absolutely loved that Jolley managed to give Vanessa just enough depth to keep her from being a cardboard cutout as well as avoiding the temptation to keep from giving her any flaws. (It's quite easy to fall into that when your story only has so many pages for both plot & character development.) The illustrator also deserves a hand of applause for doing such a great job on the characters- I loved the way this looked.
My only complaint is that while Vanessa & Jean Paul are developed as characters, the secondary ones sort of fell to the wayside & other aspects of the book (the bad vamps, JP's bosses) weren't as well explored as I'd like. Since that would probably require at least 20-30 more pages, I can't really fault the team for focusing more on our two lead characters.
This really felt like the setup for a series, so I can only hope that Graphic Universe will allow us another look back into Vanessa's world. This has far too much promise & potential for just one entry.
Witches have always been one of my favorite things to read about, so when I finally got a chance to get a copy of Hex Hall I figured that the odds are...moreWitches have always been one of my favorite things to read about, so when I finally got a chance to get a copy of Hex Hall I figured that the odds are good I'd like this book. I'm going to have to say that this was wrong. I didn't like this book. I freaking LOVED this book.
First I have to give a disclaimer. The general plot of the book isn't really all that original. Just like countless books in YA UF, it deals with a young girl who discovers she has magic, mean rivals, hunky love interests, & quirky friends. Some readers might note that the book tends to borrow quite heavily from Harry Potter from time to time, especially the "magic school in the middle of nowhere" scenario. (Although Hawkins is fully aware of this & plays on those similarities quite often.)
Despite that, this book managed to draw me in fairly easily & I was able to finish this book in one sitting. I liked that Sophie was neither a gritty "purposely go after the mean girls" type of character, nor was she the type that would go out of her way to hide from or ingratiate herself to her tormenters. Basically put, she was a fairly realistic character (I say fairly because hey, she's got magical powers) that I could imagine sitting at the desk in an average high school.
I do wish that there was a bit more detail here & there (describing the teachers, classes, expanding the characters of Sophie's rivals, etc), but overall I really loved reading this book & the various one liners throughout it. It was just fun to read. It might be a little on the fluffy side, but I'm already putting in an order for the next book in the series. (less)
If you're a manga fan, odds are you've heard of this manga under the fan translation title of My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute. If you haven't (but...moreIf you're a manga fan, odds are you've heard of this manga under the fan translation title of My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute. If you haven't (but are still a manga fan) then you really ought to check this out. It's quite possibly one of my personal "most anticipated" manga releases for fall 2012 aside from more Sailor Moon and volume 13 of the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. (Incidentally, KCDS is also available from Dark Horse and is freaking awesome if you like mystery/thriller/horror manga.) It's one of my "must buy" releases for the fall.
This really has to be one of the cuter mangas out there and at only four volumes, it isn't going to break your bank account to collect them. Oreimo's primary charm is that it doesn't try to go too overboard with very much and lets the story unfold as it will. You just can't help but be charmed by the various characters here. I have to say that it's fairly easy for me to get interested with any manga that deals with otaku life, especially when it tries to take a look at the social stigma that being an otaku still has in Japan. (Especially if you're female.) Oreimo's primary goal is to entertain so there's still quite a bit of comedy in what it does, but there's also a good dollop of drama sprinkled within. There is a bit of fanservice here and there that's a little naughty, but overall it's rather innocent.
The only thing that might give some pause is the relationship between Kirino and Kyousuke. She has a bit of a fixation on incest manga, anime, and games, which brings up the question as to whether or not there will be anything going on between the two of them. If you're someone who likes to avoid this subject matter, rest easy. To my knowledge there's no incest and the relationship between the two of them is predominantly that of two siblings reconnecting with each other.
Overall I really enjoyed this and I also enjoyed the letters column in the back of the manga run by the fictional Saori. It's a nice touch and one that I'm sure others will enjoy. One change I noted with this volume is that Dark Horse included their translation notes in the actual manga pages (akin to how other companies do it). It threw me a little, as I'm used to them collecting them all in the back of the book, but not something that would disrupt my read. Again, this is something that is on my "to buy" list for my fall and if you're looking for something cute, it should be on your "to buy" and/or "to read" lists as well. I can only hope that if we're lucky, a company will put out the light novels that this series is based on as well.
I was a little skeptical of this manga, seeing as it fit so many different manga cliches. Two lead characters who are perfect for each other but are o...moreI was a little skeptical of this manga, seeing as it fit so many different manga cliches. Two lead characters who are perfect for each other but are oblivious to it? Check. Cute high school atmosphere? Check. Technically almost all of the stuff in this series have been used before in various different manga & anime series.
Yet when this series puts it together it's absolutely fantastic. I just couldn't put this manga down & I hated that I didn't have all of the volumes in front of me to read.
The artwork in this is just adorable. It hits all of my key "cute" needs & it also shows the characters' quirks & personalities incredibly well. I can tell that the artist really put a lot of love into drawing this. If that wasn't enough, the story is just so well done that I find myself getting very drawn into everything.
I just can't wait to get the next volume of this series!(less)
I flipped through this the other day at work, mostly due to all of the hype about it. People are either holding this up as the funniest thing ever or...moreI flipped through this the other day at work, mostly due to all of the hype about it. People are either holding this up as the funniest thing ever or they're lambasting it for being so vulgar. It didn't entirely live up to the hype but it was still pretty amusing to read.
Anyone who has ever had to go through the attempt to put a child to sleep can commiserate with this book, whether they're a parent, an aunt, or even a babysitter or older sibling. The book goes through several different scenarios with different animals, with the book wondering why the heck their baby isn't going to sleep so they (the parent) can.
My only big complaint is that there's really not much here to warrant repeated viewings. Read it once or twice & you've pretty much well saturated yourself with the book. It's still a little funny each time you read it, but considering that the book costs anywhere from eight to fifteen dollars (depending on where you go) it's not really going to be enough for most people to want to purchase. This is pretty much a gag gift buy only.
My recommendation is to get it from the library and/or watch Samuel L Jackon's reading on youtube. Otherwise this is really only the sort of thing you get for new parents. It's awesome, but not really awesome enough for me to want to own. (less)
I finally got the chance to read this book via my local library and I'm glad that I finally got a chance to read this entry into the MBIAM series. I'v...moreI finally got the chance to read this book via my local library and I'm glad that I finally got a chance to read this entry into the MBIAM series. I've heard that it was one of the better stories and for the most part this was true.
I have to say that my favorite aspect of the book had to have been the artwork. It was playful when it needed to be but still managed to bring across the serious tone of the story once Zombigeddon breaks loose. I could easily re-read this for the value of the artwork alone. If you're an art fan, you'll enjoy this part.
Story-wise, this was a decent read. There were a few patchy parts to the story where things got a little thin or felt a little meh, but overall it was one of the stronger offerings of this series. I especially liked how the author chose to develop the relationship between Jack and Dicey. Some of the other offerings in this series have chosen to develop the supernatural/magical angle first, then throw the romance in as an afterthought, and that's not done here. Rest assured, there is chemistry between these two and it's great. To be honest, my favorite parts of the book were all pre-zombie and I couldn't help but feel that this would have been a great story even without the zombie angle.
If you've been hesitating at getting or reading this because some of the other books in the series were lackluster, rest assured that this book is one of the better in the series. It's not the deepest book out there, but it serves its purpose and does it well. At the very least it's worth a library rental.(less)
I'll admit that this is one of my favorite parts of the series for reasons I can't really divulge due to spoiler reasons. (There's got to be at least...moreI'll admit that this is one of my favorite parts of the series for reasons I can't really divulge due to spoiler reasons. (There's got to be at least 4-5 people who haven't seen the anime or read the Wikipedia synopsis.) I'm going to review this in two parts: the artwork and the story.
First the artwork: It's gorgeous. This is a pivotal time in the series, so the artwork gets both dreamy and serious accordingly. The splash pages at the beginning of the manga really are fun to look at. A great addition at the end of the manga was the inclusion of several character designs for both Usagi (one being a slightly different haircut!) as well as uniform designs. The sailor fuku uniform wasn't the first choice- there were several different ideas, ranging from skimpy armor to long sleeved sailor suits. I have to say, they made the right choice in the long run.
Story-wise, this was awesome. I loved it. There's still an element of playfulness to this volume but overall the tone here is serious. The romance in this volume is also excellent and I couldn't help but love the finding of the silver crystal. (My favorite part in this arc.)
Overall you can tell that this volume was very lovingly put together by Kodansha. It was clearly designed with the Sailor Moon fanbase in mind, which I whole heartedly appreciate. The translations are also a little easier to read this time around, something that tripped me up in the first volume. This is absolutely a must buy for manga collectors. (less)
Chick lit has always been one of my guilty pleasures. It's pure potato chip pleasure for me and I've been known to completely cut myself off from civi...moreChick lit has always been one of my guilty pleasures. It's pure potato chip pleasure for me and I've been known to completely cut myself off from civilization whenever Sophie Kinsella or Meg Cabot put out a new book. Paradise gives off roughly the same feel of guilty pleasure, but fails to deliver on exactly all that it promised.
I'm a little torn at how to describe this book. Carroll puts out an entertaining read to where I'm definitely going to track down her other books, but this was a bit of a chore to read at times. The book's general premise sounded like it'd be incredibly fun because after all, being able to get even with an awful ex is something most of us would love to do. In this aspect yes, the book was fun. I read the scenes of Charlotte tormenting her ex with a bit of sadistic glee. These were some of the better written scenes. Charlotte made for an interesting main character in that she was enough of an every-woman to be relatable to, something that is invaluable in any sort of read. She made me want to keep reading about her even as I wanted to throttle her for being so dense.
Where the "but I'm torn" part comes in is with the book's predictability. You can see every big revelation and plot twist coming miles away. This wouldn't be so bad considering that chick lit books tend to be a little formulaic by nature, but when you add in the parts of the book where the plot got a little dull, it became a chore to read at times. The amount of times where Charlotte visits her family members really could have been reduced greatly because most of what she does ends up being the same as the last time she saw them. I'd express more irritation over how completely devoid Charlotte is of common sense (she wouldn't know it's raining even if her head was soaked), but as this is something that was brought up in the book as a plot element I figured that I'd give it a pass. If anything, Charlotte's moronic nature was something of a "how much more simple minded can you get" form of entertainment where I eagerly turned the pages like a crack addicted chipmunk to see exactly what she'd do next.
Even with all of the irritation I would occasionally feel throughout the book, I was somehow unable to put it down. This might not live up to the high standards put out by Kinsella's fare, but Paradise was still an addicting read and I know I'll be tracking down the author's other works. Carroll still has a way to go but I have a feeling I will end up staying with her for the long haul. My recommendation? For anyone who loves chick lit, this is something you'll probably want to read, but you might want to flip through it first or check it out at the library.
I'd picked this looking for a light and fluffy read, so I wasn't disappointed on this part. I was fairly aware that this book wasn't going to be a Kim...moreI'd picked this looking for a light and fluffy read, so I wasn't disappointed on this part. I was fairly aware that this book wasn't going to be a Kim Harrison-esque read, so I didn't really hold the cutesy part against it. It's just that at times the heroine was just as dumb as a box of hammers.
The plot here is fairly simplistic: girl finds she has powers after years of feeling like the disappointment of the family. Tammy Jo is fairly cute as far as her overall personality goes, so I didn't begrudge her brainlessness for the most part, although I do wish she'd had more of a spine when it came to the guys in her life. She tended to be a little bit of a doormat. (Um hello, if you keep allowing the guys to walk all over you and dictate your life then why should you be upset when they continue to treat you like a possession or a child?) The characters were also decent, although (I seem to be saying that a lot in this review in one form or another) there were an awful lot of stereotypes here, such as stereotypical gay characters, stereotypical Texans, etc. I'm aware that there are people like this, but it just kind of kept the story from getting that level of reality that would have brought the book to that extra level, as I felt Tammy Jo was supposed to be this "fish out of water" on the same level as the reader. I suppose what disappointed me about Tammy Jo was that there was the potential for this to be a little better exploited as a plot point ala Bubbles Yablonksy. (A character written to be ditzy that embraces her ditzy habits despite working to improve herself and be more than just a doormat.)
I have to say that I did like the story idea, although I do think that Tammy Jo picked up on the whole magic thing a little too easily. She went from being unaware to being fairly fluent pretty quickly, although I suppose this could be due to her family being frequent practitioners. (Although she's pretty unaware of the other supernaturals, so I found this slightly hard to believe that she could take to all of this that easily.) There's not a huge look into the magical world or her family's background, so this just felt a little shortchanged at times.
The narration was fairly decent, with Seigfried doing a good job on accents, capturing different twangs and the slight Irish tinge to Brynn's voice. The only thing is that she sort of sounded a little younger than I thought Tammy Jo would be, sounding more like a teenager than an adult. There were also a few moments when the "Oh no!" parts sounded a little un-serious, more like she was saying "oh no, the cake burnt up" rather than "oh no, werewolves are getting ready to eat me and things are going pear shaped".
Overall though, this was a decent enough read. It's cute enough that I'll check the next one out from my library to read, but not so much that I'd leave a layer of rubber on the road in my attempt to get to the bookstore and purchase all three books. I'd recommend this as a nice fluffy read while you're waiting for other stuff and it's definitely worth a library checkout. I just felt a little underwhelmed as far as the total package goes. It's one of those "I liked it enough to want to read the next one, but..." types of books.(less)
I wasn't all that thrilled with the last book in this series, so I took a long break from reading the light novels just so I could clear my head. I ha...moreI wasn't all that thrilled with the last book in this series, so I took a long break from reading the light novels just so I could clear my head. I have to admit that if I hadn't already had this book sitting on my shelf, I might not have started back in on the series but now I'm glad that I have. This book was far better than book three was.
What I liked most about this entry was that it addressed the idea of what would happen if Haruhi was never around. Would Kyon really be enjoying his life? Would he still be able to be around the well-endowed Asahina? What would Haruhi be like? I'm glad to say that this book showed a pretty entertaining view of another world and that it's much more engaging and fun than the previous book.
The only downfall is that due to the typical light novel length, the story didn't go into as much detail as I'd want. The alternate world does give us a great look into the main characters, but only a brief one. I kind of wouldn't mind seeing more of that world and how the characters would interact with one another. (Here's hoping that world gets a spin off much like the Evangelion series has spun off of its alternate universes.)
If you're like me and have been sitting on the fence about this book, it's worth reading and diving into the series again. If you're a fan then you've probably already got this book or have it on order. If not, then this is something you've got to have. (less)
I'd seen this on the shelves & flipped through it a few times but it wasn't until I managed to pick this up for ultra cheap that I finally gave th...moreI'd seen this on the shelves & flipped through it a few times but it wasn't until I managed to pick this up for ultra cheap that I finally gave this series a try. Why do I mention that? Because the price for this manga is rather steep for casual collectors. I'll justify my reasons for saying this later.
First off, let me just say that this is a rather cute manga. The main character of is pretty energetic & while the whole "happy go lucky girl everyone likes" character is pretty done to the point of death in the world of manga, Rinna does manage to remain endearing. You can't help but root for her. Something else that I liked was that there was no clearly defined "winner" of her love. You know what I'm talking about- when the manga sets up one guy that you just *know* is going to be the one the heroine ends up with. While that can be fun, it's kind of nice when I find a series that doesn't bash me over the head with "these two are totally supposed to be together" foreshadowing. Rinna has about three love interests that are worth mentioning & so far I could see her ending up with just about any one of them. And the artwork? Awesome. There's no "one face/hair/style fits all" for these characters & being different actually helps give them that much more personality. (You know what I mean by one size fits all, when manga characters all generally look the same.)
Unfortunately where this series falls a little short is that at times it's just a little bit too all over the place. Things happen pretty quickly in this series & at times I just felt like it was just a little forced. I sort of felt like this would have been better served with maybe a few more chapters so the story can unfold a little further & come along a little more naturally. The male characters were also a teensy bit annoying at times & once in a while I just kind of wondered why Rinna even bothered with some of the characters she tried to befriend. (Then something cute would happen & Fujieda's art would draw me back in again- the artwork is truly the best part of the series.)
Offhand I'll say that there was enough here for me to warrant purchasing the next volume in the series. It's pretty cute & while this wasn't the absolute best manga I've ever read it still manages to stand out enough to get & keep my attention. The only other drawback is the price. At about twenty dollars in the average store (not including online prices) it's a pretty expensive venture for a series that isn't really that well known in the US. While other series might have compilation sets that are just as expensive as this is (such as Wallflower), they're also fairly well known & have a big fanbase who wouldn't mind investing in a set this expensive. This is still a very good price as far as manga goes but I can't help but think that the price tag will scare off a few readers. (I didn't take off any stars for it, though. That's not fair to the series.)
Honey badger might not care that it's become an internet sensation and now a must-read book, but you absolutely will! I had pretty high hopes for this...moreHoney badger might not care that it's become an internet sensation and now a must-read book, but you absolutely will! I had pretty high hopes for this book and I have to say, it didn't disappoint. If you aren't aware of the youtube video "Nastyass Honey Badger", then you absolutely should. (Be aware, there is adult language in this video.)
If you've seen the video, you know what to expect. If not, then I'll clue you into the awesomeness that this book contains. While you probably won't hear Randall narrating his own show on Animal Planet anytime soon (although we can hope), this book is full of wonderful humor and great insights on animal life. Frankly put, this is a book about animals that's written for those of us who aren't into the long Latin names or dry paragraphs about animal habits. Randall condenses all of these facts into a few pages per animal and it's incredibly fun. If I wasn't won over by the honey badger entry at the beginning of the book, I was won over by the hilarity in the following ones.
I do have to warn parents that they'll probably want to read through this to go over the language and some of the phrases in the book. (One entry suggests that Don Knotts had erm, illicit relations with a bat, but in a non-malicious way.) It's all in good fun and none of it is malicious, but this won't be appropriate for some younger readers.
This was just awesome to read and would make for an excellent late-late Christmas gift. (Or a late Boxing Day gift. Or a Valentine's gift.)
All of Harper's Nice Girls books have been incredibly quick reads for me, and this book was no exception. It's ultimately lighter fare than the previo...moreAll of Harper's Nice Girls books have been incredibly quick reads for me, and this book was no exception. It's ultimately lighter fare than the previous three books in the series but it's still a pretty fun ride.
As others have mentioned, this book is pretty much the end of the Jane series and as such, we get a lot of relatively tidy endings to everything. In one aspect this is rather nice and makes it easier to say goodbye to Jane as a main character, but it also just seems a little too light and tidy when you compare it to the rest of the series. Everything just works a little too well at times. It's a little too pat, although I do have to admit that you don't really read paranormal romance to find "Nicholas Sparks" type story lines. This is pure escapism literature and Harper makes no apologies for it, which is why I ultimately loved this book so much and breezed through it in a day.
I just wish that we'd had more of a focus on any one given story line. So much is going on that nothing ever really seems to be that big of an issue. Apart from one attack on Gabriel, most of this is so easily/quickly resolved and taken care of that it kept me from really ever seeing anything as an issue. I'd debated putting that last part in, but the Nice Girls series is an example of the romantic literary froth that you go into knowing pretty much how everything is going to end up. It's incredibly fun and a definite recommended read for anyone that's remotely a fan of the genre, but you know where you're inevitably going to end up with these books, so I didn't feel that bad leaving a slight spoiler about some events in the book.
Overall, if you've loved the past three books in the series you'll undoubtedly love this one. It's well worth checking out and I'm still in love with this world to where I'll pick up Iris's book. Harper writes some pretty great escapism literature, so I'm very much on board to pick up another book along these lines from her.(less)
I'd heard a lot about the Sailor V manga and let me tell you, it's all true. Not only can you see where Takeuchi started toying around with the charac...moreI'd heard a lot about the Sailor V manga and let me tell you, it's all true. Not only can you see where Takeuchi started toying around with the character designs for Sailor Moon, but you can also see where some view it as close, but not quite as good as Sailor Moon. (Still worth reading, though!)
First I just have to say that like Sailor Moon, the artwork is gorgeous. It's a little rough in places compared to her later work (especially since the new [[ASIN:1935429744 Sailor Moon]]), but it's still incredibly fun to look at. The story is also interesting since it's both a standalone manga as well as being linked to the SM universe. I have to warn readers that they should take this manga with a grain of salt as far as how it fits into the SM world since you'll see various things that don't match up with what we know about the Sailor Venus in Sailor Moon. This is because Sailor V was initially released before Sailor Moon was and eventually sparked the idea for what is now her best known series.
The most fun of this volume is to look to see where Takeuchi started playing around with character designs. Minako (Sailor V) was quite obviously a springing board for Usagi, as she shares many of Usagi's characteristics and surroundings, most notably Usagi's parents and a few of her classmates. It's interesting to also see how the story changed over time, as the Sailor Moon series started up not long after Sailor V started up and ran alongside the Sailor V manga. (Sailor V releases started coming out more sporadically.) You can see some of the Sailor Moon characters (most notably Usagi), which was pretty neat.
Translation-wise, this isn't bad. I did spot a grammatical error in the volume and at times it does suffer from awkward translating, it's pretty well done and actually flows a little better than the Sailor Moon translation did. (Possibly due to it being potentially less scrutinized by the fanbase as the SM manga would be.)
This isn't as strong as the Sailor Moon manga is, but it's still very fun and it's a must buy for fans of Sailor Moon. For those who aren't as die-hard? Well, personally my gut reaction is to collect everything and tell everyone else to (hey, I'm a completist), but some might find that this just doesn't grab them as much as the Sailor Moon series does (or vice-versa). For them it might be worth checking out in the bookstore before buying it.(less)
I sat down expecting to only be mildly entertained and to be slightly irritated. I'm glad to say that this wasn't the case here.
Since this manga was...moreI sat down expecting to only be mildly entertained and to be slightly irritated. I'm glad to say that this wasn't the case here.
Since this manga was released as a "mature" manga (not to mention being sold shrinkwrapped!), I was a bit surprised to see how much it resembled its more innocent kin. This is pretty much your typical "girl meets boy, they fall for each other, things conspire to keep them apart" type of read. The interactions between the two main characters are incredibly cute and the artwork definitely reminds me of some of the cuter reads out there. Where the mature content in this volume comes out is in the references to sexual acts. None really take place in this volume but they are lightly alluded to. (Later on in the series it does become more graphic, though.)
I absolutely loved the artwork for this and I couldn't help but giggle at the chibi-izations. I'll admit that at times I felt like it interrupted the flow a little but at other times it just seemed to really fit. Style-wise this reminded me an awful lot of Sensual Phrase, so fans of that work will probably like this series as well. (less)
I have to admit that although I usually despise long running series, this one is actually pretty well set up. Ther...more(I read the fan translated version.)
I have to admit that although I usually despise long running series, this one is actually pretty well set up. There's a good reason for it to be "flavor of the day" and dragged out. There's also a good reason for any potential romance to be held off until the very end, which is one of the big reasons I like this so far.
Definitely worth reading on MangaFox. (Or buying the inevitable commercial release.)(less)
Why is it broken? Because this was the last volume that was released before CMX went defunct. It's volume 2 of a 5 volume series...moreMy heart is broken...
Why is it broken? Because this was the last volume that was released before CMX went defunct. It's volume 2 of a 5 volume series so unfortunately we can only hope that some savvy manga publisher snaps it up & releases the entire series. Luckily for me, this volume manages to wrap up most of the current plot points of the volume, leaving only a very few hanging for the next volume. It's not the complete story but there's enough here to satisfy me for now.
The story in this volume was incredibly sweet. We got to see our favorite couple have their first big issue as well as kimono styles galore! The artwork continues to be one of my favorite things about this series since it captures the emotions of the various situations & characters so well.
This series really does manage to capture the imagination without going overly dramatic. It's a nice gentle story & even though the US release was unfinished, I heartily recommend tracking down a copy for your personal collection. (less)
One of the first things that struck me while looking at this in my local bookstore was that you get a bit of "bait and switch" when it comes to the ar...moreOne of the first things that struck me while looking at this in my local bookstore was that you get a bit of "bait and switch" when it comes to the artwork. I'm aware that this is a little normal when it comes to covers and color images, but the artwork for the series is largely more simply drawn in comparison to the cover and initial images. The good news is that the artwork for the series is still pretty nice and it's really very cute to look at. This is pretty much why I ended up purchasing this: the artwork was still cute enough to where I could justify getting it.
What is a bonus is that the story here is fairly strong for a series that tends to fall back on some of the more familiar tropes and habits of the seinen genre. You get fanservice, but it's rather sedate for the most part and not overly obtrusive. Zero (Louise) is your typical tsundere, but then you have to figure in that the rules and expectations of the noble class have been fairly hammered into her. Add in another aspect that is revealed at the end of the omnibus, and you can see why she'd be reluctant to admit her attraction for Saito. It's a familiar, familiar plot element and the rationales aren't overly original, but they're good enough that this is explainable and understandable for the reader.
I was also pleased that at times you can tell where the original writer tried to go against the grain a little. You have a well-worn magical sword that Saito is drawn to and is obviously his destined weapon... and he quite easily throws it to the side at one point in the series. This might not sound like much, but you have to figure that the norm would be that he would staunchly defend the magical sword (and by extension, Louise).
This isn't the most groundbreaking series out there and if not for the mixture of a decent story and incredibly cute artwork, this wouldn't really stand out for me like it did. As it is, I enjoyed it enough to where I'll end up buying the next two omnibus editions when they come out. The only word of caution I can extend is that this was based on a light novel series that was never finished due to the author's death. That means two things: at times this assumes that you've read the LNs and that there's a very real potential that there will be no true ending to this series. I wouldn't completely advocate abandoning plans to read the series based on this, but if you like definitive endings then you will want to approach this with a tiny bit of caution. (less)
I'm reupping the date of the review since I finally got the actual book itself!! :)
It took me a long time to get my hands on a copy of this due to the...moreI'm reupping the date of the review since I finally got the actual book itself!! :)
It took me a long time to get my hands on a copy of this due to the first printing selling out, but it was worth it. This volume is awesome. There's so much going on in this volume that the pacing is actually a lot faster than in previous volumes. (And this is just what Zahler managed to get into it! There's more to the series...)
In this volume we're shown what it's like for Abby and Mark to be married as well as all the typical things of superhero and normal life. There's death, love, and taxes. Lots of taxes. Let me just say that Abby's never had to be around Mark during tax time, so while the idea of watching a fictional character do taxes might not sound entertaining, Zahler makes this a pretty funny bit to read about. The romance between Amazonia and Darkblade is actually the best part of the series, I have to admit. I initially wasn't as into her character as I was for the other characters, but the romance does bring out a lot more to her personality. She's a lot more insecure and naive than previous chapters have let on. (What her people are supposed to wear when meeting the parents is pretty funny.) The volume ends on a great tone that leaves the series open for more volumes to come out. (Oh, and as a bonus most of the chapters have alternate covers drawn by someone other than Zahler, which were pretty fun to look at.)
Overall this was just awesome to read and this is definitely worth tracking down if you're a fan of the series. (less)
This ended up being one of those books that I purchased because it was just that much fun to flip through and read. It's also a volume that is making...moreThis ended up being one of those books that I purchased because it was just that much fun to flip through and read. It's also a volume that is making me rethink Seven Seas as a publisher. They've been putting out some rather entertaining work lately, so this might be a sign that they could eventually become a bigger contender than they've been.
The good news is that despite the average manga reader having seen much of the book's dynamics before, this is a pretty fun read. Lizzie is your quintessential perky "buck against the system" heroine, but darn if she isn't one that I can't help but like. She's smart, she's snarky, and she could probably give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money. Lizzie is certainly giving the two male leads a good dose of grief, setting up what I feel will inevitably become one of those love triangles we see so often in manga. The mystery here isn't exactly as elaborate as the ones you'd see in the Kindaichi Chronicles, although that might be considered an appeal to some. One of the good and bad things about mysteries is that sometimes the plots get so elaborate that the amount of work needed for it just seems a little far fetched. The plot here still has a bit of spin but it's not nearly as stretched out as it could be.
The only big downfall of the manga is that I can see where it'd get fairly predictable after a while. I like the characters and so far the character dynamics are good, but the potential love triangle is a little too overly familiar and for some will be a little too traditional/cliche to really stand out.
Overall this is a pretty good mystery manga offering and it'd pair up nicely with the Young Miss Holmes series, if you're looking for a double dose of female Victorian sleuths.(less)
There are some definite pros and cons to this manga. The pro is that quite obviously, the artwork is rather nice. One of the cons is that at times I f...moreThere are some definite pros and cons to this manga. The pro is that quite obviously, the artwork is rather nice. One of the cons is that at times I felt that the lead character of Ninako was a little overly dippy. Luckily for you, the reader, the two sort of balance each other out and the promise of more character development kept me interested.
Ninako is a huge trusting ditz in this book. She's far too trusting and while part of me wonders how she survived this far in life without being mugged or smacked around by irritated peers, Ninako also has sort of a cute charm to her that kept me from being truly irritated by her to the point where I'd stop reading. It's also part of the story line, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for the time being, but I'll warn potential readers that if you have a low tolerance for happy-go-lucky ditzes, you'll either want to approach this with caution or avoid it. It'd be a shame to completely dismiss it for this factor alone, as the artwork in this really is nicely done. The other big problem is that there are a lot of traditional manga tropes. I've peeked around on the internet for reviews of the later volumes and I've been reassured by them that the series will improve.
Although at the end of it all, there's still a charm to this manga that convinces me that many of the manga's initial faults won't really bother that many people and that this will more than likely get a nice following. There's a lot of potential here to grow and despite all of this, I can't help but get drawn into the cuteness of everything. This won't bring in people looking for series with more edge to it, at least not yet, but it's something that I'll keep my eyes on as far as future volumes go. The artwork is really what I love the most about this and I've bought entire series of manga just because the artwork hit some sort of quirk with me.
Overall, my recommendation is that this is something that die-hard fans of shoujo should absolutely get. The rest of us? Other than the groups that obviously wouldn't like it, this will be something that I'd recommend flipping through at the bookstore first, although don't be surprised if you end up getting it.
I don't know what it is about this series but I'm really starting to take a shine to it. Maybe it's because the manga doesn't have a heavy amount of r...moreI don't know what it is about this series but I'm really starting to take a shine to it. Maybe it's because the manga doesn't have a heavy amount of romance to it like other series would have. Maybe it's also because the "unattractive heroine" is actually drawn in a manner that you can actually see where she needs improvement. (Fat doesn't mean ugly but I love that she's actually fat- most mangas would have her looking the exact same as everyone else.) Maybe it's that the main character is doing her weight loss for herself rather than for the love of some guy. Whatever the reason, this series is really endearing itself to me.
This volume picks up where the last one left off, with bath house visits, sports day excitement, & all sorts of typical activities. It's really nice to see the interaction between all of the characters, especially since it's relatively believable that the guys would be drawn to Hitomi's personality. She's incredibly chipper & refuses to let things bother her, but not in a way that would be otherwise obnoxious.
The artwork could stand to be a little better & the stories in it are pretty undeveloped (typical for something that's adapted from a game- they expect the reader to be familiar with the source material) but overall this really is a cute manga. I'll be honest- you will either like this series or you won't. This isn't a deep manga by any stretch but perhaps it's that this manga is willing to actually go against some of the typical manga ideals that really makes me like this series so much.
**spoiler alert** Parts of this review could be considered spoilerish, so you've been warned.
This book finishes out the series & to be honest, it...more**spoiler alert** Parts of this review could be considered spoilerish, so you've been warned.
This book finishes out the series & to be honest, it was a rather cute volume. There's a nice lighthearted feel to this one. Nothing incredibly serious is really brought up, which I believe is partially due to the fact that this was a game to manga adaptation. Normally about this time there'd be one specific ending if this was the game, so because Hitomi doesn't actually end up with anyone there's a little bit of a lack of oomph here. This can be pretty common with dating game adaptations since they don't want to alienate fans who prefer a specific pairing. The lack of any dedicated love interest has hurt the previous volumes but you never feel it as strongly as you do in this volume. I still enjoyed it but it's kind of like eating an egg without salt. It's good but it just feels a little bland.
I do have to say that the artwork seems to have slipped slightly in this volume. It improves in the final chapter since we do see a skinny Hitomi (something that the artist says that they'd been looking forward to drawing), but overall the artwork here felt distinctively lazy in comparison to previous volumes. (Which probably isn't saying much since the artwork in the previous volumes did slip as well.)
Overall this is pretty much more of the same from previous volumes, but with a resolution to the series. Taking out the portion where Hitomi chooses a specific guy left this volume with a huge gap that was never properly filled, so it's just a bit of a letdown to be honest. If you've been collecting the series then you'll want to get this one but this volume probably isn't going to make anyone want to rush out and purchase the entire series. (less)
I picked this up during my last visit to Borders. I've been kind of burnt out on yaoi & BL for a while, but since the price was right (70% going o...moreI picked this up during my last visit to Borders. I've been kind of burnt out on yaoi & BL for a while, but since the price was right (70% going out of business sale) I figured hey, why not?
This was just an incredibly cute & sweet manga. While the story doesn't really swerve that much from the typical manga fare, there's enough here to make it stand out. I loved the interactions between our leading men & the way the artwork brought out their emotions. It was also nice to see that the main characters were attractive without being the over the top bishoujo pretty boys that I so often find in these types of stories. It's really refreshing to see guys who actually look a little masculine.
The only drawback is that at times the story just seemed to drag a little between chapters & I couldn't help but feel that this might have been better if it was just a smidgen shorter. It's a good story but I'll admit that if this hadn't been on sale I probably wouldn't have bought it. I'd have read it & liked it well enough, but this wouldn't have been something I'd re-read often enough to make it worth it.
If you're wondering whether or not there's a lot of sex in this story, then you might be disappointed by how little sex there was. Most of it takes place towards the end & while it's a little on the graphic side, it's nowhere near as explicit as some of the other books out there. If you're a person who puts story above sex then you're in luck. (less)
This review was taken from the fan translated version by Baka-Tsuki! (See their website if you want to read this book!)
I recently picked up the first...moreThis review was taken from the fan translated version by Baka-Tsuki! (See their website if you want to read this book!)
I recently picked up the first volume in the manga series & not being content to wait to find out how the series finishes, I located the fan translations of the light novel series. This is really worth the time it takes to locate this series.
This has pretty much all of the standards in anime & manga, yet the author manages to pull it off so well. The story is fun to read & the characters are so cute in their interactions together. It's a quick read, so there's no worries about investing long amounts of time to finish one volume. You could finish this in one sitting if you were so inclined & probably real all 10 volumes in one day. (But a little bit goes a far way with this series so I recommend parceling them out over a few days.)
I really wish that one of the various companies would release an official version of this light novel series. The market is small, but growing & I'm certain that this would do fairly well. (less)
(Note: This review only covers the first issue of the entire volume.)
I've only really watched the first season of Doctor Who and almost all of Torchwo...more(Note: This review only covers the first issue of the entire volume.)
I've only really watched the first season of Doctor Who and almost all of Torchwood, so all things considered I'm pretty much a newbie. However, one of the great things about the show is that as long as you know the very basics of the show, you can pick up the series just about anywhere and this comic is no exception.
The story idea for this is pretty interesting, with Doctor Who and Amy traveling to a world where it's every Ren Faire addict's greatest fantasy. It's a world designed to resemble the idealized Middle Ages, complete with magic and fantasy. When you figure that we've got several of the geniuses behind Fables writing and illustrating the story, you would think that this would be an explosion of awesomeness. It's cool, just not as much as I was hoping it would be.
I loved that I could jump right into this without having to know any major details about the series so far, which will undoubtedly help bring in new audiences who (like me) are only really familiar with the basic premise of Doctor Who. However the story just seemed a little underdeveloped so far. It's intriguing enough to where I would want to keep reading, but not enough to where I'd run out and buy the volume straight away. I can only hope that the story improves later on in the volume.
As far as the artwork goes, I liked it. The artwork is nice and playful, which suits the initial feeling of the comic. Yates did an excellent job, although I don't know how well it would fit if the tone of the volume gets darker. I also adored the covers- Buckingham is a great artist and it makes sense to have him contribute to this in some form. I can only hope that later in the volume they had him do a little of the issues' artwork as well.
Overall this was entertaining but I just can't help but think that it's not quite the best that the world of Doctor Who has to offer as far as graphic novels go. Fans of the series will probably want to read this and keep their collection up to date and for newbies this will be a good jumping in point, although they'd probably be better off getting it as a library read.
I rather liked the first volume in this series for bucking a few of the common trends in shoujo manga, so I decided to give the second volume a try so...moreI rather liked the first volume in this series for bucking a few of the common trends in shoujo manga, so I decided to give the second volume a try so I could finish the series. For the most part I enjoyed this volume greatly.
Volume 2 continues some of the things I liked in the previous book. There's still no guessing who will win Rinna's heart & the romance is highly present but not *the* only thing going on in the storyline. Rinna continues to be a rather endearing character although I'll say that she's a little denser as far as certain plot points go.
Unfortunately the biggest weakness of the book is how rushed the ending felt. Many of the more played up plot points that featured earlier on in the book (Yaotome's past is one biggie) is pushed off until the end of the manga & then revealed in one page, then dropped for the most part. The page does manage to relay the gist of Yaotome's past but I felt incredibly underwhelmed by it considering how much hype it'd been given in the past. Other plot elements are given the same treatment & I can't help but wonder if the series was meant to last for another few chapters or another volume but got axed prematurely. The ending is still satisfying but it just felt like it could have been a little more developed than it was.
Fans of the first volume will want to get the second one as well in order to complete the collection. While I did have my reservations about the slightly higher price of these volumes*, I figure that by this point the reader is fully aware of whether or not they'll like the manga.
*My initial worries what that the twenty one dollar price point might be a little pricey for a manga series that isn't as well known in the States. It's still far cheaper than it'd be if the volumes were individually released but it might deter some readers. I figure that won't apply for volume 2 for the reasons stated above. (less)
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