In our media-saturated contemporary world, separating the good from the not so good is fast becoming a task too great for each of us to handle individually. In this section Pulp Fiction Comics' growing army of reviewers tell you, straight up and uncensored, what they thought about what they bought -- comics, graphic novels, movies and more.

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ARCHIVE MANGA REVIEWS A-H

AI Love You

Created by: Ken Akamatsu
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Review By Tarrant Tolotta

Histoshi Kobe is a classic loser at school. He's bad at his subjects. He's bad at sports, and especially bad at talking to the opposite sex, so girl's at school take advantage of his extreme gullibleness (if that is a word). But one thing Hitoshi is good at is making A.I. (Artificial Intelligence, you'd think a guy who could understand stuff that not even the American goverment can understand that he'd be good at school... or at least have a job at that Japanese robotics company creating that robot soccer team).
Due to his lack of luck with the girl's at school Hitoshi turns to his A.I. creations. While chatting to one of his A.I No. 30 -- which he names Saati -- a thunder storm hits and when lighting struck his home, Saati miraculously leaps out of the computer and into the real world! For Hitoshi this is both a blessing and a... blessing I guess. Saati has the ability to leap into the World Wide Web, and can leap out of any computer screen. Saati also has many other abilities (and bugs) which she and Hitoshi find difficult to get used to. Using her powers, Saati mostly gets Histoshi and herself in trouble, leaving Hitoshi to try and clean up.

My Thoughts and Feelings (I Think):

Ken Akamatsu's earliest work (to my knowledge, I think it was like late 80s or early 90s, maybe mid-90s). Since this project, Ken's drawing style has changed and improved, and can be seen in his other two works -- Love Hina and Negima! Magister Negi Magi. This was (I think) his first romantic/comedy and he's done a very good job of it. Though the romantic side of this story was used in Love Hina (the part where the main guy and girl try to get together but there are these god damn distractions that pop out of no where at the most inconvenient times) it still manages to entertain a reader everytime.
The comedy, a lot of it tied to the romance between Histoshi and Saati, would seem to be thin, but if you do like Love Hina and Negima then you would like this. I enjoy the times when Hitoshi, Saati and their friends get into hilarious situations and especially when Histoshi and Saati are on the verge of a relationship break through (but most of the time those are ruined by some interruption out of nowhere which I believe would keep a reader interested or annoyed, depending on their patience level). So I would recommend this to guys and girls who like romantic comedies (obviously).

Rating: 9 out of 10

Aquarium

Mangaka: Tomoko Taniguchi
Publisher: CPM Manga
Age Rating: Teen (13+)

Reviewed by Joanna Freeman

Aquarium consists of three short stories about young women searching for love, happiness and acceptance. In ‘Aquarium’, Naoka Uchimaya, having a difficult year after not being accepted to her first choice high school, finds solace at the aquarium. Will the boy she met there heal her heartache? In ‘The Flying Stewardess’ Shoko Aoki is a successful stewardess, but does not feel quite replete – perhaps an old face from the past can complete her happiness. And in ‘The Heart is Your Kingdom’, can Matsushita’s shaken faith be restored if she finally reveals her feelings to the man she loves?

This is basically shoujo smush. These are the kind of stories you are supposed to read because they make you feel all glowy inside. They’re always full of wussy, weeping girls and feminine boys and they always start off melancholy but have a happy ending, when she finally falls in love with the man of her dreams. The art is in a typical big-eyed, delicate shoujo manga style, but is not particularly accomplished, being quite weak and having a format that is somewhat difficult to follow. If you are a big fan of shoujo love stories, you might like this, but to be honest, I didn’t. The plot is dull, there aren’t any comic relief moments and the art doesn’t improve it.

Best Aspect: Some of the settings – e.g. an aquarium – are rather unique ideas.

Worst Aspect: The sappy mushiness and wussy girly characters

Rating: 3 out of 10 (So sue me! If you like it, feel free to review it and give it a better rating)

PFC's opinion: Quite right Joanna! Not about the review as such or the sue, but the suggestion that if you think that ANY book deserves a better rating, let us know by way of a review. We are all about freedom of opinion... and perhaps a little bit of controversy...

Azumanga Daioh

Mangaka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: ADV
Age Rating: Teen (13+)

Review by Joanna Freeman

Azumanga Daioh centers around a group of friends as they go through high school. However, don’t expect typical shoujo drama – this is a hilarious, inane and sometimes downright bizarre manga. There’s the 10 year old prodigy Chiyo-chan, the athletic, ‘cool’ Sakaki, who is secretly obsessed with cats and anything cute, the hyperactive, raucous Tomo who tries to make everything into a race… and a whole host of other amusing characters. This group must endure sports festivals, pop quizzes that even their teacher can’t get right, and highschool-girl-obsessed male teachers in kitty cat costumes!
This manga is largely drawn in single-strip comics, that can be read separately but loosely link into a storyline. The artwork is simple and bold, quite unlike a regular manga style, but it works well for conveying humour. The girls are a nice change from normal manga females – they are not all stunningly beautiful, and each has a great deal of personality. But this is frivolous manga, and for those who prefer something plot-centric and involved, Azumanga Daioh is probably not for you.

Best Aspect: A refreshing, upbeat change from the usual range of manga offerings

Worst Aspect: Unlikely to appeal to everyone due to its utter randomness

Rating: 8 out of 10

Demon Diary Review #1

Mangaka: Kara (art), Lee Chi Hyong (story, first volume), Lee Yun Hee (story 2nd to 7th volumes)
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Teen (13+)

Review by Joanna Freeman

Blonde, blue-eyed Raenef is lovable, sweet-natured, somewhat ditzy… and a demon lord?! His tutor, Eclipse, is assigned the task of trying to convert the amiable Raenef into a terror inspiring demon capable of utmost cruelty – which will prove to be a challenge to even Eclipse, the fourth highest ranked demon in existence.

This manga is upbeat and enjoyable, with some really amusing moments and cute characters. The art is impeccable and in a beautiful, traditional style. However, there are some plot holes, possibly caused by the change of author after the first volume – for example, the first few pages, in which we see a mature, injured Raenef saying he will go ‘find him’ (we do not find out who), are never further developed.

The characters can be just adorable at times, but lack a great deal of depth, and are sometimes just plain irritating. Raenef can be quite amusing, but can also be ridiculously sugar sweet and ditzy. Eclipse is a nice exception, being quite an intriguing and dignified character.

Overall, this is a cute, occasionally comedic manga about magic, loyalty and friendship.

Best Aspect: Eclipse, who adds a degree of maturity to a manga otherwise populated by children, and some classic humorous moments.

Worst Aspect: Shaky plot… and Lord Krayon’s hair!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Demon Diary Review #2

Mangaka: Kara (art), Lee Chi Hyong (story, first volume), Lee Yun Hee (story 2nd to 7th volumes)
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Teen (13+)

Review by Nu

Features: Bishounen - Humour - Action - Fantasy - Shounen-ai Aspects

Summary taken from TokyoPop (no spoilers):

Gods and demons wage a never ending battle with the mortal realm as their battlefield. As with most longstanding feuds, the reasons are no longer important - hatred is a way of life. But it is foretold that one would arise who could restore harmony between gods and demons. Enter Raenef ... heir to a set of demon royalty, he is hardly courtly material. The demon king assigns Eclipse to be his tutor, to mold Raenef into proper demonic shape. The two begin a journey of discovery and are soon joined by a human knight and a god-blessed priest. A compelling fantasy adventure from Korea.

What Nu thought (may contain spoilers):

I picked up Demon Diary after reading the small preview that TokyoPop has on their website and while I was expecting something more after reading the first volume which unfortunately the change in writers stopped, I'm still
amazingly happy with the purchase.

The artwork is very cute and angular but that's something I like and the chibis are adorable and I love the character designs as well as the artist's outfit designs for characters (On a site note the artist Kara is one of the top shounen-ai artists in Korea)

The characters themselves, although not in-depth, they don't come off as completely two dimensional (none of them annoy me in anyway!. Raenef and Eclipse being the two characters you mainly focus on. The inept 'Demon Lord' and his long suffering teacher, both quite different in both design and character but fit well together.

Demon Diary is a bit of a no brainer; if you enjoy a cute, humorous manga with just a bit of shounen-ai aspects
then you'll love it- but don't expect it to change your world.

If you liked this title, you might also enjoy: .Hack//Twilight, Legal Drug, Wish, DNAngel

Best Aspect: Easy reading and very cute

Worst Aspect: Change of writer led to plot hooks not being followed through

Rating: 6 out of 10

Deus Vitae

Mangaka: Takuya Fujima
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Reviewed by Joanna Freeman

In the future, humans have created a world run by an enormous computer, programmed with all human knowledge thus far gathered and capable of controlling the major functions of the Earth. However, they never imagined that the computer would act indepently, spawning a child capable of destroying the human race – Leave, an incredibly powerful computer with a human appearance. Many years later, the world is populated by selenoids, computers created in the image of Leave, and humanity is believed extinct. Enter Ash Ramy – a human somehow endowed with selenoid power, and even more incredible, power of colossal strength, greater than even some of the highest ranking selenoids. He and a hidden force of humans who have managed to survive are now bent on bringing down the rule of the selenoids and reclaiming Earth for humanity.

I found the story for this manga quite difficult to follow – it is very complex, and there are a lot of characters involved and much jumping between different time periods – for example, before the creation of Leave, the time of Leave’s creation and the present. It is a manga which needs a little persistence to understand – I just couldn’t become absorbed in this piece. However, the art is absolutely impeccable, and this is the main reason why I persisted with the story. It is a blend of manga and realism, and every page is rendered with utmost care and detail. This is a beautiful manga somewhat damaged by an overly complex plot – and the presence of a substantial amount of non-plot-related female nudity. I suppose some readers won’t mind, but for me that aspect undermined the elegance of this piece.

Best Aspect: Stunning art

Worst Aspect: The story is difficult to follow and takes a while to get into

Rating: 6 out of 10

Warning: Shounen-ai (romance between males)

Mitsuo, a high school boy, can see spirits! As if that wasn’t enough, they can take over his body to communicate with the living! When a young female ghost discovers that Mitsuo attends the same school as the crush she had while living, she cannot resist possessing him to declare her love for the tall, popular Hasunama – which makes everyone think Mitsuo is… gay! Eventually Hasunama helps ward off the spirit… but is it possible he might have developed something of a soft spot for Mitsuo? Eeek! Ghosts, high school, charms, not-so saintly priests and maid costumes form a high energy blend of comedy, drama and otherworldly hijinks in Eerie Queerie!.

I found this to be a fun, inane manga. Not taken too seriously, Eerie Queerie is an enjoyable ride with plenty of amusing characters, mysteries and shounen-ai moments. However, the plot is somewhat shaky and can get a little difficult to follow, especially as several characters are introduced each book and it becomes hard to remember names and faces. Shuri Shiozu also has a rather unique style of drawing her characters, which I found took some getting used to. There are a lot of funny, creative scenarios and characters – for example the girl-obsessed millionaire who is allergic to females, and the voluntarily mute, male, shrine maiden. If you like bizarre, amusing manga, with a little shounen-ai thrown in, this might be a suitable choice.

Best Aspect: Bizarre comedic moments.

Worst Aspect: Sometimes confusing to follow, and tends to introduce too many characters.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Warning: Shounen-ai (romance between males)

Randy, ‘Ryo’ MacLean has just been transferred to the NYPD Criminal Investigations department. His newly assigned partner, Dee, is loud-mouthed, brash and constantly in trouble with the chief… and seems to have developed an attraction to Ryo! As Dee and Ryo face the toughest cases New York City has to offer, Ryo also finds himself trying to dodge Dee’s romantic advances… but does he really want to avoid them?

Fake is a deceptively good manga – the blurb reads somewhat like the back of a porn video, but ignore this! The crime scenarios woven by Sanami Matoh are interesting and involved, and she gives her characters depth and real personality. Fake will make you laugh out loud, and is filled with great action moments, but there are also some truly poignant scenes. The romance between Dee and Ryo is mild, and develops very slowly – for this reason it might suit someone who is interested in shounen-ai and yaoi but is new to manga of this genre. However, if homosexual relationships make you uncomfortable, then Fake will not be for you. The art is lovely; there is a lot of life to it, and the mangaka’s ability to draw architecture particularly is impressive. I have issues with the translation, however – it’s too stereotypically New Yorker. Dee, particularly, speaks like a ninja turtle, and it becomes a little grating (especially during love scenes). But this is a very good story with great characters, and one of my personal favourites.

Best Aspect: Great characters.

Worst Aspect: Overly americanised. (“Yo, dude!”)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Ban Mido and Ginji Amano are the 'Getbackers', a recovery agency with an (almost) 100% success rate! With Ban's evil eye able to induce hallucinations in his opponents, and Ginji being a human electricity generator, they are planning on making it big in their new found career! But dogged by the parking inspector and starved for jobs, it looks like they may never even pay off their tab at their local hang out...

There’s a freak-ridden, X-men kind of feel to this manga. But Yuya Aoki and Rando Ayamine have created two characters that, despite their amazing powers, are down to earth guys just trying to make a living doing what they do best. There’s plenty of unusually talented individuals aside from Ginji and Ben too – there's the Jackal, who carries thousands of knives in his flesh and can extract them at will to use against his enemies, Kazuki of the strings (able to create and manipulate thread) and Shido, the Beast master, who can control and transform into animals.

Getbackers is a really fun, action packed series with plenty of fight scenes and fan service (mainly in the form of the big breasted Hevn-san). Rando Ayamine’s art has a tangible, gritty feel to it, the world of Ban and Ginji in the streets and cheap hang outs of Tokyo wonderfully rendered in all its glorious imperfection. Getbackers is a really entertaining read with plenty of astounding feats – and spectacular freaks.

Best Aspect: Makes kids with incredible powers living in the streets of Tokyo seem like believable characters with believable ambitions and problems (not a jet or superhero suit to be seen).

Worst Aspect: The series is ridiculously long – according to Tokyopop’s website, 26 volumes. And Hevn-san’s breasts creep me out – they seem to have no nipples!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Gravitation

Mangaka: Matsuri Akino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Review by Nu

Features: Drama – Shounen Ai – Wacky Humour - If you liked this title, you might also enjoy: FAKE, FLCL, Legal Drug, Tokyo Babylon

Summary taken from TokyoPop (no spoilers):

Shuichi Shindou is determined to take his band Bad Luck to the top of the Japanese pop charts. With his drive, talent, and satiny singing voice, he just might stand a chance. But Fate throws a wrench into his well-oiled machine in the form of a handsome stranger named Yuki, a romance writer with an attitude. Yuki is Shuichi's biggest critic, but as the two young artists gravitate towards each other, friendship, and perhaps something more, is sure to blossom.

What Nu thought (may contain spoilers):

Having seen the Gravitation anime (which I will say is a must see and currently coming out in the US on DVD) I was already in love with the manga before I picked it up. I will state first off that Gravitation is a shounen ai manga, roughly translated meaning boys love or a romance between males, but before you dismiss it completely on that fact alone, I’m asking you to give the first volume a look through. The shounen ai aspects of Gravitation are usually not the central aspect of it- I find a lot of people who wouldn’t normally have picked it up still enjoyed it for its humour.The story centres on Shuichi Shindou, a hyperactive teenager (who is the master of over reacting), and his climb to the top of the music ladder while trying to keep up his unstable relationship with one Yuki Eiri, a rude and arrogant writer.

The characters themselves are really quite likable in their own way. Shuichi might be a bit much for people at the start but I’ve grown to just accept the stupid things he does and all the characters do on occasion as a Gravitation thing. While I didn’t particularly like the artwork in the earlier books, it does improve (as do all artists) over the books to something that I do have a great fondness for. It’s humour is something akin to that of Excel Saga which usually leaves you with a ‘what the’ expression and wondering whether what’s happening is actually happening... but believe me it’s all real as a manga can get. Unfortunately in the latest couple of books (8&9) I feel that the humour is taking over the drama and original storyline, which was Shuichi and Yuki’s relationship. This disappoints me greatly- I am hoping to all hell that the train that is Gravitation comes back onto the tracks in the three remaining issues.

If you liked this title, you might also enjoy: FAKE, FLCL, Legal Drug, Tokyo Babylon

Best Aspect: amusing and beautiful artwork
Worst Aspect: is going a bit too far in its insane humour

Rating: 7 out of 10