S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 43

Anime Review: Rose Of Versailles Part 2 Litebox DVD

Anime reviews generally feature the latest and greatest from Japan, but occasionally, we get a blast from the past. Nozomi Entertainment’s release of Rose of Versailles definitely falls into that category with a shojo title that was  considered “classic” back when I was growing up. Read on for my review of Part 2 of the litebox DVD set. (For my review of Part 1, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The French royalty’s indulgences have taken their toll on the common folk. While nobles live in opulence, children starve in the streets. Counts and countesses attend masquerade balls, as families unable to afford medicine are forced to bury their loved ones. What were once pleas for equality are now enraged demands for radical change.

Just as the times have changed, so has Oscar’s heart. Looking to challenge herself further, Oscar leaves the Queen’s side. She enlists with the French Guards, common soldiers who put their lives on the line every night as they patrol the streets and keep the peace. However, Oscar soon finds that an anti-noble sentiment resides everywhere, even amongst the guards that grudgingly follow her orders. As the flames of revolution begin to spread, she soon finds herself torn between her loyalty to the crown and her loyalty to France itself.

The Review

In the interview included with this DVD set, the director mentions that he took over the anime halfway through the series, and there is a definite shift in these last twenty episodes of Rose of Versailles. Whereas the first half had more to do with Oscar’s relationship with Marie Antoinette and the frivolities of Versailles, the second half focuses on her relationship with Andre. Indeed, Andre, who was mostly loyal sidekick before, gets a stronger voice and a chance to air his opinion. The change in tone is also because the story leads up to the turmoil of the French Revolution. Oscar’s a noble with a noble’s perspective while Andre is in a position to understand both the old regime and the rising tide of the new era. He provides the outlet to expound the new ideas of Robespierre’s movement, which is crucial for our heroine to comprehend the desperation of the revolutionaries.

Meanwhile, Marie Antoinette becomes less an intimate associate of Oscar and more of a distant figurehead. The second half begins with the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, which is based on an actual incident. The Queen’s popularity plummets as a result, and shortly thereafter, Oscar’s and Marie Antoinette’s paths diverge when Oscar leaves the Royal Guards for the French Guards, a regiment of commoner roughnecks. After that, Marie Antoinette appears only occasionally, and usually for the purpose of highlighting some historic event. Marie Antoinette wasn’t too sympathetic to start with, and the final episodes portray her in a way that all but justifies her end at the guillotine.

So in contrast to the sparkly opulence and petty cat fights of Versailles, the second half of the series lingers in the dangerous streets of Paris and the barracks of Regiment B. In short, there’s a lot less dancing and a lot more brawling. Oscar’s commoner subordinates hate nobles, and the fact that she’s a woman makes it worse. However, Oscar being our heroine, she wins their respect and loyalty in a manner that for the most part stays true to character.

Aspects of Andre, however, do suspend belief. His unswerving love for Oscar rises to the forefront in these episodes, but it’s not enough for him to counter the twin challenges of class difference and Oscar’s obsession with Fersen. On top of all that, he starts going blind. Even so, he functions ably among the ranks of the French Guards AND keeps his growing disability a secret from Oscar. While the Versailles episodes get overdramatic with the intrigues of the court, these final episodes get overdramatic with Andre’s and Oscar’s personal angst.

Still, Oscar finishes her part well in this series. She is in the thick of it when the French Revolution erupts, taking part in the storming of the Bastille. The actual final scene, however, feels more weird than satisfying. As if needing to complete a history lesson, Rose closes with a summary of the five years following the revolution. While it seems appropriate to show what happened to the French royals, the final note is about Fersen, and his ultimate fate seems a very strange way to end this story about a heroic woman.

In Summary

Rose of Versailles reaches its dramatic end. The second half has a distinctly different tone as the setting shifts from Versailles to the discontent in Paris. Whereas the early part of the series concentrated on the problems of the bubbleheaded young Marie Antoinette, these episodes focus on Oscar’s personal turmoil in love and identity as the French Revolution draws near. While it does get overdramatic at times with characters going blind and contracting tuberculosis, these later episodes of Rose have more substance and definitely flesh Oscar out as a character.

Features:

Japanese 1.0 Language, English subtitles, interview with Director Osamu Dezaki, and promos for other Right Stuf! anime.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy Vol. #11

For hard core manga and anime fans, the voice acting world has the same kind of glamor and mystique as Hollywood. So it’s no surprise that the world of Maki Minami’s manga Voice Over! Seiyu Academy portrays it as such. Viz Media has released Volume 11 of the series and you can read on for the review. (To see previous reviews of the series, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Hime Kino’s dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely ♥ Blazers anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime’s gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She’ll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

The Review

Senri dominated the previous volume, and as if to make up for it, AQUA takes the spotlight (quite literally) in this volume. Yamada finally thinks the time is right for fans to get a look at Shiro and arranges for her big reveal to take place with the idol duo. I found it really odd for Yamada to be so secretive about the AQUA music video; it’s one thing to keep the general public from knowing, but to keep Hime out of the loop when she’s actually in the video seems totally unnecessary.

At any rate, she’s back in close quarters with AQUA, and  those wanting more of Shuma will get it in Chapter 60. Granted, most of the chapter deals with his objection to Hime’s fraternization with Mizuki, but we do get to spend time in Shuma’s head. The one conversation between Shiro and Shuma about “[covering] someone’s mistake” is a dead giveaway for what happens during the concert, but it does the trick of allowing our heroine to finally win over Shuma.

Then the focus shifts to Hime’s love life. Having made huge strides in her career, Hime now faces matters of the heart. For a girl nicknamed “Gorilla Princess” who spends her time impersonating a boy, she suddenly gets a lot of attention from the opposite sex in Chapter 61. Instead of the struggling newbie in the recording booth, Hime’s now the confused high school girl sorting out her feelings. Oh, and by the way, her hair gets longer, as if to highlight her femininity. Anyone who’s wanted to see a more girly Hime should be fairly satisfied with this installment

Extras include embedded author’s remarks and two bonus mini-manga.

In Summary

Voice acting takes a backseat to high school romantic angst. Hime’s alter ego reaches a new level of success, but the real focus of this volume is her personal relationships with Senri, Mizuki, and even Shuma. She may be a professional in the voice acting world, but she’s provides plenty of shojo fluster as she deals with first dates and confessions.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #14

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 14 of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

Thanks to the silversmith Fran, Lawrence now has a map of the North. But Lawrence’s gladness at the thought of finally being able to take Holo back to her home is short-lived, as upon revisiting Lenos he is embroiled in the strife surrounding a forbidden text. It is said that this mysterious book contains details of methods that threaten the land of Yoitsu itself. But in trying to get his hands on the book, Lawrence, who must return to the marketplace, finds himself running out of time to head for Yoitsu with Holo…Pressed into making a decision he may ultimately come to regret, which option will Lawrence choose?

The Review

If you’ve never read any of the books in the series, this would not be the best volume to start with. If you’ve been traveling with Holo and Lawrence for a while, Volume 14 feels like the beginning of the end of their story. There are numerous references to prior adventures, and it has a retrospective air even as journey’s end draws steadily into view. Most Spice and Wolf arcs have Holo and Lawrence going to a new place and meeting new people. Not only does Volume 14 take place in a location they’ve already visited, but we encounter Elsa, the deaconess of Tereo from Volume 4.

Thanks to Fran, Holo and Lawrence are on the verge of discovering the location of Yoitsu. They go to Lenos, the town where Lawrence got ensnared by Eve, to prepare for the final leg into the north, and Lawrence grows increasingly distraught at the prospect of separating from Holo. With as many twists and turns as they’ve taken, their travels have had the tone of an endless journey, and it seemed that they could stretch out their search for Yoitsu indefinitely. However, that’s not the case, and Lawrence finds himself torn by his responsibility to return to the southern villages by spring and his desire to remain with Holo.

That equation gets more complicated when Elsa’s travel companion, an avaricious bookseller named Le Roi, reveals the existence of a forbidden book of mining techniques, which, if it falls into the wrong hands, could mean the ruin of Holo’s homeland. When he discovers Lawrence has a stake in protecting the north lands, he offers a proposal that would both profit Lawrence and remove the threat to Yoitsu. The catch is that he must cut short his journey with Holo.

The story has constant business elements running throughout, from Lenos’ cash-strapped economy to money orders, but the most compelling aspect of Volume 14 is not the underhanded method Lawrence devises to attain the book but the impetus behind it. Lawrence’s feelings for Holo have been building throughout the series, and his agony over their impending separation is delicious. It gets even better when he discovers a member of Holo’s old pack is probably still alive. Much of Spice and Wolf has been Holo helping Lawrence get out of various scrapes so to see him take the initiative for her sake and succeed in a way that exceeds even her expectations is a delight.

Lawrence doesn’t just take the initiative in the business department. Between Holo’s teasing and her true wolf identity, he’s maintained a respectful distance from her. However, as he’s gotten better at understanding her and her cutting remarks, that distance has been closing, and Holo/Lawrence fans will be gratified with a couple of super warm and fuzzy moments.

This light novel includes the first four pages printed in color, world map, and seven black-and-white illustrations. I should also mention that while the text read more smoothly than other volumes, there are, as usual, lines of dialogue that seem muddled and other places where it is unclear who is speaking.

In Summary

Our travelers are drawing close to Yoitsu, but Lawrence isn’t ready to part from Holo. This arc contains a strong economics aspect with Lenos’ currency crisis and Le Roi’s book plot, but Lawrence’s suppressed desires are what make it really compelling. He may have been a mere traveling merchant before, but his time with Holo has affected him profoundly, in heart and mind, and this volume brilliantly demonstrates how much he’s changed.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Writing Contest Alert: 19th GLA “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest!

For those with finished YA manuscripts,  the Guide to Literary Agents (GLA) blog is holding its 19th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest. The judging agent, by the way, is Eric Smith with P.S. Literary.

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to dearluckyagent19@gmail.com. Paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-250 words (i.e., your first double-spaced page) of your unpublished, completed book-length work of young adult fiction (all categories of YA are acceptable). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with each entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, you must mention this contest twice through any social media. Please provide a social media link or Twitter handle or screenshot or blog post URL, etc. and notes with your entry.

PRIZES!!!

Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 double-spaced pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com ($50 value)! 3) Their choice of any of Chuck Sambuchino’s 3 new books.

For more details about the contest, go to the GLA website!

Manga Review: My Love Story!! Vol. 4

Takeo Goda, the male lead for Viz Media’s  My Love Story!!  is quite unusual. Bishonen tend to dominate the cast of shojo manga, but Takeo’s looks are about as far from a stereotypical pretty boy as you can get. Still, he possesses tremendous appeal in this hilarious romantic comedy. I had the opportunity to take a look at Volume 4 of the series, and you can read on for the review. (For my review of other volumes, click here.)

Back cover blurb

Sunakawa’s older sister, Ai, has had a secret crush on Takeo since she was little. But Hayato Oda, someone who goes to the same collage as her, is making some aggressive romantic advances. Can Ai sever her feelings for Takeo and accept Oda’s feelings? Meanwhile, a girl other that Yamato has realized Takeo’s appeal…!

The Review

Suna’s sister Ai returns for another arc. I honestly didn’t expect to see more of her, except maybe in references to the past, but she’s back, thanks to the meddling of her classmate, Hayato Oda. Oda’s a handsome, irresponsible airhead who is in love with Ai, but she’s rejected him because of her persisting feelings for Takeo. So Oda goes to see what kind of guy has captured Ai’s heart and of course gets thrown for a loop.

But instead of backing down, he decides Ai must confess to Takeo or she’ll never get over him. So he finagles a group outing to the MM Land amusement park with the Sunakawas, Yamato, Takeo, and himself. His plan: separate Yamato and Takeo so Ai can be alone with Takeo. However, Ai is supportive as ever of Takeo/Yamato so we get layers of comedy with Yamato and Takeo frolicking in a kind of Disneyland parody with Ai and Oda fighting in the background.

Then it’s time for the Shuei High athletic meet. Sports is where Takeo shines (in his own uniquely hilarious fashion), and although Takeo (and almost everyone else) insists he’s not popular, Yamato grows increasingly anxious that another girl will steal him away. Her fears look like they’ll materialize when a cute classmate that Takeo helps in the relay race starts following him around. While the ultimate resolution feels contrived, it is funny watching Yamato’s friends help her scheme to keep her hold on Takeo’s affections.

Extras include story thus far, notes from the creators, and a bonus chapter set when Takeo and Suna are kids.

In Summary

Suna might be the popular one, but Takeo is the center of a lot of female attention in Volume 4. Ai returns, along with a classmate determined to get her to confess her feelings to Takeo. Then Takeo’s character and physical prowess in the school athletic meet grab the attention of another pretty girl. While it is nice that Takeo’s not being viewed as just a big bear, I really hope the trend doesn’t lead to him acquiring a harem.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Manga Review: My Little Monster Vol. 8

There’s the type of shojo manga where a girl really can envision herself as the heroine. And then there are those where the characters are constantly going off the deep end. My Little Monster falls into the latter category, and if your taste in high school romance leans toward the improbable and wacky, this title might be up your alley. Kodansha  has released Volume 8 of the English translation, and you can read on for the review. (For my review of previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The second year of high school is here, but Haru’s been moved to another class all by himself! At first, the former chronic truant refuses even to enter the strange classroom, but with Shizuku’s “encouragement,” he slowly comes to terms with the change. Shizuku begins to feel she’s really reaching Haru, especially compared to how things used to be, but then the unexpected arrival of a new student throws things out of whack, and Yamaken finally begins to move… What could possibly come next?

The Review

Finally! Progress on our lead couple’s relationship, and it’s due in part to a new character. Shizuku and company begin a new school year in the previous volume, and Iyo Yamaguchi is an incoming freshman. She’s pretty but has a peculiar way of speaking that might confuse Western readers. As for her role, she’s a new rival for Haru’s heart. Unlike Oshima, she’s completely aggressive about her intentions, not that Haru’s interested. Oh, and by the way, she happens to be Yamaken’s little sister.

So we have two Yamaguchi siblings aiming to split up Haru and Shizuku, not that they are collaborating. Yamaken regards Iyo with disdain, and she shrivels up when he’s around. At one point, Shizuku, Haru, Natsume, Sasayan, the Yamaguchi siblings, and Yamaken’s stooges are together in a donut shop, and all sorts of awkwardness ensues. Trying to follow so many wacky interactions is a bit confusing, but the scene creates a believably crazy vibe–crazy enough to push Yamaken into confessing his feelings to Shizuku.

That felt like the surprise of the entire series, especially given the circumstances under which he spits it out. It’s an unusually anxious moment for the cast’s two most unflappable characters. While Shizuku’s rejection is a given, watching it play out is pretty interesting.

So Iyo and Yamaken get nowhere in their romantic pursuits, but their efforts serve to push Haru and Shizuku into admitting the feelings they’ve been holding back. And so (drumroll)… Haru and Shizuku become a couple. Yes, it’s a sweet moment, but my main reaction was, “It’s about time!”

Now that that’s settled, it’s unclear what direction the story will take. A summer vacation arc begins with Haru and Shizuku in the mountains again, this time with the Yamaguchi siblings and their cohorts. Yamaken and Iyo make clear they haven’t given up hope, but neither really qualifies as romantic rival material. For now, the group dynamic continues much the way it has been, except Haru and Shizuku now have the “official” label on the relationship.

Extras include bonus four-panel comics, short bonus manga, an afterword from the mangaka, and translation notes.

In Summary

A very eventful Volume 8! The introduction of a new character and lots of hearts laid bare. The relational mayhem makes for surprising and entertaining scenes, and Haru/Shizuku fans will be gratified by the decision that results from this roller coaster of teenage emotions.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: My Little Monster Vol. 7

There’s the type of shojo manga where a girl really can envision herself as the heroine. And then there are those where the characters are constantly going off the deep end. My Little Monster falls into the latter category, and if your taste in high school romance leans toward the improbable and wacky, this title might be up your alley. Kodansha  has released Volume 7 of the English translation, and you can read on for the review. (For my review of previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Shizuku’s mother gives her advice about having it all, success in studies and success in love. All it takes is effort! But it’s not only Shizuku who exerts the effort. Oshima reaffirms her love for Haru, and Natsume continues her hopeless assault on Mitchan’s heart. And Yamaken struggles to overcome his own arrogance to make an earnest attempt at prying Shizuku away from Haru. So much effort from so many people, will anyone have the energy to actually be happy?

The Review

A lot happened on Valentine’s Day, and Volume 7 wraps up with the fallout. It’s much briefer than the back cover blurb would lead you to believe, but we hear a bit of Shizuku’s much-anticipated phone conversation with her mother, who is surprisingly encouraging about her boyfriend situation. We also get Mitchan’s response to Natsume’s Valentine chocolate. Although it’s obvious what his answer will be, Robico-sensei gets a couple laughs in by putting the two on completely different wavelengths and using Natsume’s subsequent depression as an excuse for a Haru/Mitchan brawl. Even so, Natsume remains unwilling to give up on Mitchan, and I wonder how much longer Robico-sensei can string out her one-sided crush before it gets tedious.

On the other hand, Oshima makes a completely clean break. In the previous volume, she managed to give Haru her chocolate sans confession, and I thought she would leave it at that. In an astonishingly bold move, she confesses her feelings to Haru in a way that’s extremely direct yet completely in character for the timid girl. It’s no surprise when Haru turns her down, but his response is much more complicated than you might think.

As if needing to cycle through all the romantic angles in the series, Yamaken circles back to Shizuku for a spring break interlude. His feelings for her are as inexplicable as ever to Yamaken and to the reader. However, their snotty rich boy/indifferent frumpy girl interactions do result in some sitcom style humor.

Then a new school year begins for Shizuku and friends, and for some reason, a new adult steps into the story. Actually, Ando has popped up before, but he was more like a prop to show off how wealthy Haru’s family is. Now, for some reason, the Yoshida family personal assistant gets fleshed out as an actual character. While Ando does provide a unique perspective on the Yoshida family history, it’s unclear for now why he is hovering around Haru and Mitchan.

Extras include bonus four-panel comics, short bonus manga, an afterword from the mangaka, and translation notes.

In Summary

A lot of feelings come out on Valentine’s Day, and most of Volume 7 is affirmation of those feelings. While interactions and dialogue are entertaining, there are no huge surprises or shakeups in regard to our current pairings. Haru and Shizuku do make more small steps forward in their relationship, but at its current rate, My Little Monster is going to need a big shakeup to keep things interesting.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Kiss of the Rose Princess Vol. 4

Magical girls and reverse harems are standard fare in shoujo manga, and you can find both in Aya Shouoto’s Kiss of the Rose Princess. Read on for Volume 4 of the series! (For my review of previous volumes, click here.)

The Review

The events of Volume 3 finally give the Rose Knights something to do that falls into the fate-of-the-world-depends-on-it category. However, their first step to sealing the Demon Lord seems more of an excuse to show off the Rose Knights’ good looks and make Anise cross-dress. Their flippant attitudes toward the idol contest despite its supposedly vital prize makes it difficult to take any of it seriously.

When Rhodecia pop onto the stage and reveal themselves as Roses Lime and Orange, the story looks like it might rev up into battle mode, but the fight devolves into more bishounen strutting and posing. Not surprisingly, big bad daddy Schwartz, who’s strangely absent despite his new school position, is behind the idol pair, and their target is Anise. And like the Yellow Rose, Lime and Orange’s first head on confrontation with the Rose Knights appears to be their last.

Supposedly, Anise has twenty-two more Arcana cards to retrieve, and considering adversaries Lime, Orange, and Yellow have been such a short-lived challenges, I anticipated the process of collecting the remaining cards to be encounters with a rainbow spectrum of bishounen roses. As such, I was surprised to discover their next enemy is female. Although the amusement park setting for their showdown is almost as cheesy as the idol contest, Mikage Hiragi exudes a much more sinister aura than Rhodecia. That plus the Black Rose’s reawakening memories give this arc a much darker tone than the idol contest airhead silliness. Still, Shouoto-sensei has a way to go in balancing the comic and dramatic elements of this series.

Extras include the opening splash illustration and table of contents printed in color; character profiles and story thus far; a mini-manga about the mangaka and her editor; and bonus illustrations.

In Summary

The fate of the world depends on… an idol contest? Anise and company have to keep evil from overtaking the world, but you can’t really tell from their attitudes or the opponents they face. Most scenes don’t seem to have much point other than showing off how hot the guys around Anise are. Meanwhile, it remains unclear why Dad/Schwartz is playing the part of Anise’s nemesis in all of this. If all you want are illustrations of a variety of 2-D bishounen, Kiss of the Rose Princess delivers. However, if you want an understandable plot, look elsewhere.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Are You Alice? Vol. 8

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has inspired all sorts of spinoff works, from visual art to movies to manga. However, Ai Ninomiya may have conjured up the most unusual Alice yet.  Are You Alice?, which originally began as a CD series, features a gun-toting male as its Alice! Yen Press has recently released the eighth volume, and you can read on for the review. (If you’re interested in my reviews for previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

After the Alice Fixed Holiday, Alice is ready to return to the task at hand: killing the White Rabbit. But Hatter, determined to break his fealty to the Queen of Hearts and get his time moving again, has other ideas. He leaves Alice in the hands of a courtly armed stranger with a horse-drawn carriage ready to take Alice to the Land Through the Looking-Glass… as its queen?! When Alice and Hatter meet again through the looking-glass not long after, will bodyguard and ward still be on the same page?

The Review

The Alice Fixed Holiday ends, and an intriguing arc begins. With it, we get three new characters and a change of setting. The Land Through the Looking Glass is Alice’s new locale, and the one who guides him there is a handsome gentleman, who is as attentive as the Hatter is indifferent. He doesn’t give his name, but the 88th Alice makes mention of a “White Knight” so perhaps that’s his name? At any rate, the guy wants to make Alice his queen, and it’s fun watching Alice weep from the royal treatment.

As for our other newcomers, they are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and they are nothing like the dumpy Disney version. The Tweedles are a pair of bishounen twins, and in this Wonderland story, they are the “Regrets Reissuer” and “New Name Issuer.”

There’s a lot of situational comedy in these chapters as Alice does everything from mangling the Tweedles’ names to freaking out at the Nameless Forest to getting lost in the Land Through the Looking Glass palace. The funny bits are entertaining, but what really makes this arc engaging are the numerous flashbacks to the real Alice and the origins of the White Knight, the Tweedles, and most interestingly, the Cheshire Cat.

On the surface, The Land through the Looking Glass looks like a big detour from the Game to Kill the White Rabbit. However, between the glimpses of the past and revelations from the Tweedles, the story cleverly winds back to the rabbit, and on the way, delivers a stronger sense of the White Rabbit’s intentions and how he’s controlled the Game. While we get more pieces to the puzzle that is the 89th Alice and his “sister,” the truth remains a mystery. The only thing that’s clear is that Wonderland is caught in an endless loop, and it will take something drastic to break the cycle.

Manga extras include closing remarks from the creator and the title page and table of contents printed in color.

In Summary

New characters, new setting, and, best of all, new insights. Through a mix of flashbacks and confessions, we get a glimpse of the myriad motives at play in the Game to Kill the White Rabbit as well a better look into the world of the real Alice. Between these tantalizing revelations and a series of comic interactions, Volume 8 makes a fun and thrilling read.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: My Love Story!! Vol. 3

Takeo Goda, the male lead for Viz Media’s  My Love Story!!  is quite unusual. Bishonen tend to dominate the cast of shojo manga, but Takeo’s looks are about as far from a stereotypical pretty boy as you can get. Still, he possesses tremendous appeal in this hilarious romantic comedy. I had the opportunity to take a look at Volume 3 of the series, and you can read on for the review.

Back cover blurb

Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They want his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn!

The Review

Takeo’s got to be one of the purest manga characters I’ve come across. He’s obviously head over heels for Yamato, but as the first two chapters of Volume 3 demonstrate, he’s a gentleman no matter what the circumstance. In Chapter 8, a romantic picnic turns into an unexpected overnight adventure when he and Yamato tumble off a cliff. (In any other series, this would be ridiculous, but given their history of falling beams and burning buildings, it’s par for the course.) As usual, Takeo doesn’t pick up on the real cause of Yamato’s nervousness as they wander alone, but he’s sweet and funny as he takes down everything from mosquitoes to wild boars for her sake.

In Chapter 9, Yamato ups her game by proposing a group trip to the beach. The beach means swimsuits, and Yamato’s friends go all out to help her find the right swimsuit  to knock Takeo for a loop. At the same time, Takeo’s chewing his friends out for even thinking about ogling at girls so it’s pretty funny when they get to the beach and both get overwhelmed by the physicality of the other.

One nice thing about this volume is that Takeo gets a chance to be popular. While people often perceive him as the scary guy, he’s capable of drawing a crowd (in a positive way) and does so in Chapters 9 and 11. (The drawings showing his prowess on the beach, skating rink, and soccer field are pretty funny, too). Given that Yamato is the “cute” one in the relationship, it came as a surprise to see her concerned about other girls stealing Takeo (I’d just written off big sis Ai as a fluke). Having that element of jealousy play out in their growing relationship is interesting, but what’s really gratifying is watching a girl who dissed Takeo in middle school realize that he’s actually kind of cool.

Extras include story thus far, notes from the creators, and a three-page bonus mini-manga.

In Summary

Volume 3 consists of four standalone chapters. Although the story arcs are brief, their entertainment value remains high. They follow the same basic premise of Takeo’s devotion to Yamato and her gushing admiration for him, but there’s enough variation in the details (such as Takeo’s parents taking interest in Yamato) that keeps the story fresh and funny. Plus, it’s hard not to laugh at Aruko-sensei’s hilarious visuals.

First published at The Fandom Post.