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ARCHIVE MANGA REVIEWS I-P
Kare Kano Volumes 1-13
Creator : Masami Tsuda
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Teen (Age 13+)
Reviewed by Ryan Mendes
The first time I picked this up, looking for something new and different,
the cover intrigued me like no other. The confident, spirited pose
of Yukino is a real eye-catcher. This girl is unique and demands your
attention. Such is the nature of Yukino Miyazawa. She’s the
epitomy of vanity and ego all wrapped up in a 15 year-old girl. At
school she’s the apple of everyone’s eye as she charms
the pants off of everyone and excels in all her studies, pretending
to be someone who she’s not.
Her idyllic world comes crashing down when she meets her match in
male classman Soichiro Arima. Yukino has finally met someone who is
as good as her but requires no vanity, ego or self-obsession in order
to have it. It is an experience which begins a major change in who
Yukino Miyazawa is. Heck, she might even love Soichiro! Not surprisingly,
the two of them become closer. Through it, Yukino learns that Soichiro
isn’t as ‘flawless’ as he seems and that he’s
putting on his own facade. Soichiro is eternally troubled by the demons
of his traumatic upbringing and he’s terrified he’ll turn
out bad like his runaway parents. Yukino makes the two of them promise
to start acting like their true selves and thus a great partnership
begins.
Okay, the ‘girl-meets-guy she initially really hates then begins
to love’ concept has been done many times before. What makes
Kare Kano so refreshing is the quality of the characters and the continual
line of gags and self-parodies. Both Yukino and Soichiro have pretended
to be something they’re not and neither of them have really
known what’s it’s like to be loved, to have someone truly
like them for who they are. This is one of the central themes of Kare
Kano and one brought across very well. Her drawing style is pretty
kawaii, especially from about Volume 4 onwards. At times it’s
like you’re looking at a world full of angels, everything is
that gorgeous. It’s a little scratchy in the first couple of
volumes but after that it’s simply stellar. She knows when to
turn on the charm and when to let simply beauty permeate through the
pages. She’s particularly good with faces and in later volumes
she draws some pretty breathtaking backgrounds.
The one weakness I found was in some of the behaviours. Why is EVERYONE
so damn polite?! Is this standard for shoujo manga? Real people are
nothing like this. It gets so irritating at times that everyone is
so civil and sucking-up so much, it’s like swallowing too much
sugar all at once. Hey, I applaud Tsuda for not having to use fanservice
or violence as techniques or styles to make an interesting story.
But everyone being so nice negates some of the tension she builds
up in the conflict between Yukino and Soichiro. It’s a minor
issue, though. From the fourth volume onwards, the language and behaviour
is more appropriate. The spice is mixed in with the sugar, making
it a lot better. She falls back onto her bad habits a fair bit for
Volumes 7-9 but that ends pretty quickly.
Tsuda’s strength lies in her story. Initially it seems like
simple romance. It ends up being an in-depth look at the complexity
of growing up and handling the challenges that come with it. It does
echo that old saying that your high school years are the best of your
life. Now having released the 13th volume in English and the 19th
now out in Japan, it is clear there’s plenty left to tell. In
fact, from about Volume 10 onwards, Tsuda has really struck her best
form. The sappiness has drained away to a more mature and frank view
of the world as our protagonists are fast approaching the adult world,
emphasised by the more mature drawing of Yukino on Volume 13. Volume
13 is such a multi-layered, rich piece of work that it alone is a
masterpiece, emphasizing that Tsuda is not making your typical shoujo
manga. In fact, the label of shoujo manga almost seems inaccurate
as the tale is now taking on many aspects of a psychological thriller
as Soichiro's mental state takes a turn for the worse.
All said, one of the best series I’ve ever read. Kare Kano is
one of very few titles that don’t need fanservice or other shock
values to entertain – just simple gags, relevant issues for
the target audience and complex characters. Bring on the rest ASAP
- please!
Rating – 9.5 out of 10
Kizuna Volume 1 (Volume
2 pictured)
Mangaka: Kazuma Kodaka
Publisher: Be Beautiful
Age Rating: Mature (18+)
Warning: Shounen-ai (romance between males) & Yaoi (sex
between males)
Reviewed by Joanna Freeman
Ranmaru was once at the forefront of
the college Kendo world. But when his close friend Kei, the son of
a Yakuza boss, was targeted in a hit and run by a rival group, Ran
pushed Kei out of the way and was hit himself. Although he survived,
his body was terribly injured, and he can never rejoin the Kendo world.
Partly due to this incident, the relationship between Kei and Ran
blossomed, as Kei promised to always remain by Ran’s side, to
‘be his legs’. Now they live together, as what Kei describes
as ‘newlyweds’. But then Kei’s half-brother, Kai,
arrives on the scene and declares his love for Ranmaru and hatred
of Kei. With Kai willing to do anything to win Ran’s love, will
Kei and Ran’s relationship survive the test?
From Kizuna’s reputation, I was expecting a plotless sexcapade.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Kizuna is thoughtful
and engaging, with only three tastefully done sex scenes. Ranmaru
is a wonderful character – physically gorgeous, one of the surliest
uke around, and his determination to continue with his life despite
his injuries just about makes your heart break. Every time he stumbles,
you can feel Kei’s anguish at seeing his partner suffer. The
art is usually attractive but sometimes can be a little shaky, with
character consistency an occasional problem. Despite the situation,
there are a few genuinely funny moments – and the introduction
of the character of Masa at the end of this volume promises a great
deal for volume 2! A tale of romance surviving hardship, Kizuna is
a must for any yaoi fan.
Best Aspect: Sensitive
but still extremely sexy
Worst Aspect: Occasionally the art can look a little
strange
Rating: 8 out of 10
Love Hina
Creator: Ken Akamatsu
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Review by Tarrant Tolotta
"Did you know if two people who love eachother go to Tokyo U
they'll live happily ever after?" "Let's go to Tokyo U together."
(And she kisses him to seal the promise)... A memory that would stay
with Keitaro forever. Keitaro Urashima had failed getting into Tokyo
U for the second time, dampening his dreams of ever finding the girl
he made a promise with 15 years ago (please see above). Keitaro's
luck was down so far that he would never get anywhere in life except
running his family's store, plus he had completely forgotten who the
girl of his dreams was! One day Keitaro's grandmother leaves on a
trip and decides to make him the caretaker of the Hinata House, a
former inn turned into a girls dormitory (which was unbeknownst to
Keitaro at the time). When Keitaro arrived, he was shocked to find
the place inhabited solely by girls, and they were shocked to find
him naked in the bath. After the initial awkardness was wiped away
(with thanks to his Aunt Haruka), living with five girls -- a samurai
in training, a psychotic exchange student, a lazy, jobless slob that
continues to hit on him; a young, vulerable middle schooler and a
last year high schooler that is able to knock Keitaro into near orbit
-- is more trouble for him than it's worth. Keitaro's new found job
would either be a blessing, or his long and painful demise.
My Thought and Feelings (I think they are anyway):
I had seen the Anime before actually reading the Manga (which
was probably a good move, because the Anime left so much out, so when
you read the Manga you won't think you wasted money on it rather than
buying Anime after the Manga and realising that they had cut so much).
Love Hina must be the most well known Anime/Manga in the world, and
if you don't know about it, you do now. It won the USA release best
Manga 2002 at Anime Expo. This 14 Book series would captivate any
reader with Ken's (strangely wonderful) form of comedy and its (slowly
building) romantic story between the main character and the girl of
his dreams. When I read this I couldn't wait till the next book to
be in my grasp so I could read it and get the next one and so on.
I was really dissapointed when it ended because I would really of
loved to keep reading more, but all great stories must come to end,
and I must say it was a happy one (but I really hate to say, the epilogue
was a bit of a let down). The comedy in this will keep any reader
laughing all the way to the end (except maybe the epilouge [sorry
for spoiling, just trying to be honest]), and the romance between
Keitaro and Naru takes all 14 books to make it to its peak (which
would probably be expected, otherwise it'd be useless having all 14
books) but it is well worth it. This is such a good Manga I wouldn't
want to spoil it any further.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Megatokyo Vol 1 GN
Mangaka: Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Age Rating: All ages
Reviewed by Joanna Freeman
Anime and dating game obsessed
Piro and his |337 speaking, destruction inducing video gamer friend
Largo, get stuck in Japan after running out of money. Somehow, they
must survive in the chaotic world of Tokyo, while saving up enough
money to get home again. And with Largo intent on fighting t3h 3vi|,
mecha-driving police on their case and Piro’s love life in uproar,
this isn’t going to be an easy task. These are the graphic novels
of the popular webcomic of the same name.
I am undecided on whether I like Megatokyo or not. For a webcomic,
it must be said, the art is very pretty and it has quite a sturdy
cast of characters and events. However, when all these comics, produced
over such a long period of time, are condensed into a few books, the
reading becomes somehow much less enjoyable. It’s as though
the very extended production period has caused the plot to meander
and Gallagher to become too caught up in angsty romantic situations
and destructive effects. The characters are sometimes just downright
annoying in too large doses, and the jumping around of the plot doesn’t
really help tie the whole thing together. Because the art work is
largely pencil it just doesn’t quite have the crisp professionalism
of a ‘proper’ manga, although Gallagher is quite an accomplished
artist. The inclusion of too many random sketches, blogs and “shirt
guy dom” days seems to be just filler to stretch out the books.
Really, it’s probably better to stick with reading it on the
net, one strip a week – although amusing enough, in high doses
it seems to become grating.
Best Aspect: Hayasaka-san.
She’s the most grounded, believable character to be found in
all of Megatokyo
Worst Aspect: Drawn out, meandering story arcs
Rating: 5 out of 10 (but if I was rating it as a
webcomic, not a manga tankoubon, this rating would be much higher)
Negima
Mangaka: Ken Akamatsu
Publisher: Del Rey
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Reviewed By Tarrant Tolotta
Negi is a ten year old magi in training, and he has been
given the task of teaching English at a Japanese all girls high school.
Negi takes this on in high hopes that he will accomplish it, but he
finds trouble when the girls seem to treat him with little respect
as their teacher (can't blame them, for he is at least four years
their younger). When he ends up sharing a room with two of his students,
the worst has yet to come for the young magi...
I love Ken Akamatsu's work, his Love Hina won 2002 best Manga and
his AI Love You (one of his earlier works) was also very enjoyable.
If you liked Love Hina then you'll really enjoy this (you must!)
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Petshop of Horrors
Review #1
Mangaka: Matsuri Akino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Features: Horror – Gore – Bishounen - Drama
Reviewed by Nu
Summary taken from TokyoPop
(no spoilers):
In a smoke-filled alley in Chinatown lies Count D's Pet Shop, but
the pets sold here aren't your everyday variety. The mysterious Count
D sells 'Love and Dreams' in the form of magical creatures. But the
prevailing rule is 'buyer beware,' as each pet comes with a contract.
Break the terms and Count D won't be held accountable for what happens.
What Nu thought (may contain
spoilers):
I originally bought the first book of Petshop for a friend who wanted
it and ended up being as hooked on it as she was. As stated the book
surrounds D's Pet shop where every buyer will find the pet that they
deserve. Each story
focuses on different owners and a different pet, but despite that
regular formula it does not stray into the 'monster of the week' kind
of plots which can be extremely dull after a while. Petshop stays
fresh and the excitement as I get a new book or even reach a new chapter
never dulls. I think this is in part that it isn't overly predictable;
I can theorize and think I might know how it will end but never be
entirely sure. Not everything in Petshop will have the ideal happy
ending.
The characters themselves are well done and not two dimensional- Count
D himself being the most intriguing. Each book seems to be able to
hint about him and his family (Grandfather and Father specifically),
but being on the second to last volume I’m still guessing. You
feel no less love for Officer Leon Orcot, the New York cop who is
convinced of Count D's guilt on many offenses from drug dealing to
selling children (this one will make sense if you read the books I
assure you).
The artwork itself is absolutely stunning. I get a very flowing feeling
from it and even though it's a little different from most manga you
see, it's still very nice. The amount of detail that is put into some
of the outfits is just gorgeous!
The books are rated as Horror and while I don't believe they'll leave
you awake in the night from fright, each story will no doubt send
a small shiver down your spine at the events. Being 10 volumes long,
it doesn't over do it in length, although I myself am excited about
receiving the last volume in anticipation of secrets revealed, I also
dread it because it will mean the end of an amazing series.
If you liked this title, you might also enjoy: XXXHolics,
Confidential Confessionals
Best Aspect: beautiful
storyline and amazing artwork
Worst Aspect: the amount of teasing done regarding
D
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pet Shop of Horrors Review #2
Mangaka: Matsuri Akino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Review by Joanna Freeman
In chinatown, a mysterious man known
as ‘Count D’ runs a pet shop that is a little… out
of the ordinary. The animals D sells are far more exotic than the
usual goldfish and kittens – and lately, many of his clientele
have turned up… dead. Detective Leon Orcot is out to prove that
Count D and his ‘animals’ are to blame for these curious
deaths. But as he gets drawn into the world of D and a host of bizarre
adventures, will he ever solve this case? And does he really want
to put the elegant, chocolate-obsessed pet shop owner behind bars?
And who is D, anyway?
This manga, despite having many lighthearted moments, is quite dark
toned and very moralistic. Each story is basically an essay on humanity,
dealing with the flaws of our race, though cleverly hidden in beautiful
artwork and a clever storyline. Despite this it has some quite funny
moments, and D is possibly one of the most interesting and complex
characters I have encountered in a manga. However, despite the pretty
drawing style and cute moments (e.g. D’s utter obsession with
sweet foods), don’t enter into this manga expecting a happy
ending. I found it to be enjoyable but thoughtful and at times confronting
or poignant, with most of the chapters very well executed. However,
the characters of Leon Orcot and his partners at the detective agency
seemed a little clichéd and forced – I was expecting
another layer of complexity to arise in him, being a main character,
which never did. It is also never properly explained why some people
see Count D’s pets as having human form, and others see them
as animals – and it can get a little confusing working out what
an animal is supposed to be.
Best Aspect: One of
the best moralistic pieces I’ve read – it’s almost
like an adult version of a fable – but still an interesting
and exciting story
Worst Aspect: Some things are not well explained
(and there are a lot of very strange events that occur in this manga)
Rating: 7 and a half out of 10
Petshop of Horrors
Review #3
Mangaka: Matsuri
Akino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Reviewed by S. J. Smith
There’s a pet shop in Chinatown
that has something for everyone. The perfect pet for every desire.
But there’s always a contract,
and in that contract is the price of getting your heart’s desire...
“Petshop of Horrors” is
unlike any other manga I have ever seen. It is a ten part series that
details stories centred around the Petshop, its mysterious owner,
D, and Detective Leon Orcot, who is trying to unravel the secrets
of the Petshop and the string of deaths connected to it.
Every book is a self contained story,
but the meta plot about D’s origins can only be followed by
reading the entire series.
Words really fail to explain this series.
The stories are evocative and show the best and worst of humanity.
The characters are interesting and well developed and grow over time.
More than this, the story of Petshop
forces you to think. It refuses to spoon feed the viewer and explain
every last statement and gesture, but, unlike too many manga and anime,
does not leave the reader going “WTF? What just happened?”
Subtle, understated at times, complex
and visually stunning. Petshop is the best manga I have read.
Does contain horror and violence, so
young kids should be steered clear.
