May 20, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Tanigawa, Tsugana, and Ito: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, vol. 3
When Haruhi enters the SOS Brigade into a local baseball tournament, the club members once again find themselves scrambling to cater to her whims. Winning isn’t everything to Haruhi; it’s the only thing. And it’s up to Kyon and the … Continue reading
May 20, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Chmakova, Svetlana: Nightschool: The Weirn Books, vol. 1
Sarah Treveney has a new job as part of the staff at a high school for vampires, werewolves, and witches. For reasons not yet explained, her younger sister Alex, a talented weirn (a type of witch in the series), is … Continue reading
April 28, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Kiyuduki, Satoko: GA, vol. 1
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class is a yonkoma (4 panel) manga that follows five friends–Kisaragi, Miki, Namiko, Tomokane, and Miyabi–during their days in a high school art department. Each strip collected in this volume captures a different moment in the … Continue reading
April 22, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Ishida, Akira: Oninagi, vol. 1
Fifteen-year-old Nanami is looking forward to starting high school, since it will give her an opportunity to be closer to her long-time crush Kazuto Sanjouin. But her hopes for a normal springtime of youth are promptly derailed by the arrival … Continue reading
March 20, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Urasawa, Naoki: 20th Century Boys, vol. 1
Even in the US, where most of his work is still not yet available, Naoki Urasawa is something of a manga superstar. When his work Monster, a suspenseful thriller about a doctor on the trail of a serial killer, first … Continue reading
February 10, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Mizushiro, Setona: After School Nightmare, vol. 10
The tenth volume of After School Nightmare marks the end of the series and finally offers some answers regarding Ichijo’s mysterious experiences in the dream class. Readers who’ve stuck with this fascinating series through all its earlier twists and turns … Continue reading
January 16, 2009
by Joy
1 Comment
In Silver Diamond, Rakan, an orphaned teen with an affinity for plants, has his life turned upside down when a series of unexpected guests from another world turn up in his garden. Chigusa arrives first; he initially mistakes Rakan for … Continue reading
December 30, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on A partial “best of” list
Manga Life has posted its end of 2008 wrap-up. I contributed a few thoughts on my favorite manga and anime releases in 2008. Click on the link to see what I and other ML contributors cited as our favorites. I … Continue reading
December 1, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Hagaren miscellany
Via umadoshi: Jake Forbes on the joys of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. An excerpt: Any anime fan who’s followed the scene for the last five years is probably quite familiar with this ongoing tale of angst and alchemy, but if … Continue reading
November 19, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Naruto Nation redux
As others in the comics & anime blogosphere have already reported, Viz will be repeating last year’s Naruto Nation in the first half of 2009. On the manga front, eleven volumes of manga will be released between February and April … Continue reading
November 18, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Usui, Yoshito: Crayon Shinchan, vol. 6
Crayon Shinchan is a gag manga about a cheeky five-year-old boy whose obsession with bodily functions, pretty girls, and his mother’s clothing tends to make life very interesting for his family, friends, and classmates. Though I haven’t read the earlier … Continue reading
October 30, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Nakaji, Yuki: Venus in Love, vol. 5
In volume 5 of Venus in Love, romance is finally blossoming between Suzuna and Eichi, and their relationship grows stronger as various holidays provide opportunities for each to demonstrate their affection to the other. But complications loom on the horizon … Continue reading
October 21, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Kusakawa, Nari: Two Flowers for the Dragon, vol. 3
In Two Flowers for the Dragon, Shakuya, the teenage princess of the Dragon Clan, finds herself in the uncomfortable situation of having not one but two fiancés. The cause of her predicament? The unexpected return of Lucien, her first fiancé, … Continue reading
October 15, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on CLAMP: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, vol. 16-18
CLAMP kicks the plot of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle into high gear in volumes 16-18 of this ongoing series. Readers of the first fifteen volumes would have been somewhat justified in wondering if the story’s determined group of travelers–Sakura, Syaoran, Kurogane, … Continue reading
October 3, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Manga worth re-reading
John Jakala at Sporadic Sequential has recently shared his list of re-readable manga. David Welsh at Precocious Curmudgeon has also chimed in with a post on why he re-reads. Since I’m always re-reading books I love, I thought this would … Continue reading
August 27, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Urushibara, Yuki: Mushishi, vol. 4
Ginko is a mushishi, an expert in the primordial life forms known as mushi. He does not have any unusual powers of his own, aside from a tendency to attract mushi and to see them while some others cannot. As … Continue reading
August 14, 2008
by Joy
1 Comment
Two of my favorite manga blogs are discussing the idea of literary merit in sequential art. Over at Sporadic Sequential, John Jakala asks which superhero comics and manga have literary merit. Many people contribute their opinions in the comments. David … Continue reading
August 13, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on CLAMP: xxxHOLiC, vol. 11-12
Volumes 11 and 12 of xxxHOLiC continue the story of Kimihiro Watanuki, a high school student whose inconvenient tendency to attract spirits led him to make a rash bargain with Yûko, the space-time witch, back in volume 1. Now fully … Continue reading
August 8, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Female characters in manga and anime
A while back, over at Sporadic Sequential, John Jakala posted a list of his 25 favorite manga characters. I’m a big fan of lists, but in the tradition of “5 things makes a post,” I’m going to do a shorter … Continue reading
August 7, 2008
by Joy
1 Comment
Wild Adapter, vol. 1-2 By Kazuya Minekura Translation: Alexis Kirsch English Adaptation: Christine Boylan Tokyopop ISBN-10: 1598169785 (v1) $9.99 ISBN-10: 1598169793 (v2) $9.99 In Wild Adapter, Kazuya Minekura takes readers into Japan’s underworld, where yakuza power struggles, interpersonal rivalries, and … Continue reading