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Author Archive for Shannon Fay

Review: Gankutsuou – The Count of Monte Cristco (Vol. 01)

By Shannon Fay on Friday, August 21, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Mahiro Maeda, Yuri Ariwara
Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “To those who betrayed me, who stole everything from me, I will give death and despair unto death. Your wives and children, your loyal followers, one by one they will fall to my charms.”

While vacationing on the moon, Albert, a young Parisian nobleman, meets The Count of Monte Cristo, a fabulously rich aristocrat from the far reaches of the galaxy. Fascinated by the count’s sophistication and intelligence, Albert is unaware of the older man’s dark purpose: to enact revenge for a terrible act of betrayal committed against him twenty-five years ago. Soon, all of Paris, including Albert’s own mother and father, will feel the terror of the count’s vengeance. Read more…

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Del Rey, Manga

Review: Skip Beat! (Vol. 18)

By Shannon Fay on Tuesday, August 18, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Yoshiki Nakamura
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he’s casting her out now that he’s famous! Kyoko won’t suffer in silence–she’s going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz! Kyoko hasn’t had a Love Me Section job in a while, and this newest assignment is pushing her limits. She’s now the personal assistant to Koo Hizuri, a Japanese actor turned Hollywood star, and everyone knows how assistants are treated in Hollywood! Can Kyoko see past Koo’s meanness, or will his nastiness just make her demons worse?!”

A character in the TV show ‘Slings and Arrows’ once argued that only smart people can be great actors. I’m willing to bet that the manga-ka of Skip Beat would agree with her. The cast of Skip Beat might not be mensa members, but they are smart enough to take a good hard look at themselves before trying to be someone else.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Shoujo Beat, Skip Beat, Viz Media

Review: Real (Vol. 05)

By Shannon Fay on Thursday, August 13, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Takehiko Inoue
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2009

Synopsis: “Tomomi Nomiya is a young tough whose life goes horribly awry after he gets in an accident and causes a young woman to lose the use of her legs. After months of tormented soul searching, he sets his mind to face the two greatest fears of his life, getting back on the road to get his driver’s license and visiting the girl whose life he has irreparably damaged. Drama, tragedy and fast breaks…on wheels.”

I read volume one of Real when it was first released. I enjoyed it a lot, but didn’t buy the following volumes. Like I said, I really did like it, but if I bought every series that I enjoyed I would never make another student loan payment. After reading volume five of the series, I now regret not keeping up with Real as it reminded me what a fun and moving manga it is.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

Review: Love/Knot

By Shannon Fay on Tuesday, August 4, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Hiroko Ishimaru
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: February 2009

Synopsis: “On his way home one peaceful night, Keigo Someha, detective-by-day/assassin-by-night, discovers a boy collapsed on the street. He takes the boy home, but soon finds out that he’s taken in something troublesome. For one thing, the boy, who introduces himself as Emiya Nozaki, asks to be allowed to stay in Keigo’s house permanently. Emiya doesn’t seem to know much about household chores or ordinary everyday stuff. He seems to be keeping a huge secret, and he seems to have a knack for finding missing people- something that is invaluable with Keigo’s “official” work.”

At some point, being a detective replaced being a hairdresser as the stereotypical job for gay men, if yaoi manga is anything to go by. Keigo, however, is not just any gay detective, he’s also an assassin! And Emiya isn’t just any cute waif with psychic powers, he’s… well, actually, you’ve probably seen both of these characters before, not just in yaoi manga but in various mediums. And you’ve probably seen them done much better than in Love/Knot.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Chibi Vampire (Vol. 02)

By Shannon Fay on Friday, July 31, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Yuna Kagesaki
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2006

Synopsis: “Kenta sees Karin at work and school, each day serving as a reminder that something about the girl with the oft-bloody nose just isn’t right! He’s suspicious… and he’s not exactly subtle about it. Fearing that he might discover her secret, Karin decides to kill this potential problem–with kindness! She goes out of her way to do all kinds of nice things for him. But when Kenta catches her “feeding” yet again, the gig may be up. So what’s a vampire girl to do? Why, take the boy home to meet her parents, of course!”

Chibi Vampire is a series about a vampire teenager with a unique condition. Unlike everyone else in her family who sucks blood, Karin’s body produces too much of the red stuff. When her body makes too much, she has to either bite someone and inject the blood in them or suffer a geyser of a nosebleed. When she gives blood, her ‘victims’ become energetic and happy for a few days afterwards.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Tokyopop

Review: Ikigami – The Ultimate Limit (Vol. 01)

By Shannon Fay on Friday, July 24, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Motoro Mase
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “Dear Citizen: Thank you for your loyalty. You’ve no doubt noticed that the world is a troubled place. People are apathetic, lazy, unmotivated. You’ve probably asked yourself: Why isn’t anything being done to stop this systematic decline? Rest assured that measures are being taken. Beginning today, we will randomly select a different citizen who will be killed within 24 hours of notification. We believe this will help remind all people how precious life is and how important it is to be a productive, active member of society. Thank you for your continued attention and your cooperation and participation… Congratulations! You have been randomly selected by the government… to die in 24 hours!”

It was the unconventional summary on the back of Ikigami volume one that spurred me into buying it. I’m a sucker for dystopian fiction, anything from 1984 to Battle Royal. From the two stories in this volume, Ikigami looks to be a fine addition to the genre.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

Review: Falling Into Love

By Shannon Fay on Sunday, July 19, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Takashi Kanazaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “High school student Hisashi has admired top model Tomohito for years. His only goal in modeling is to get a contract at the same agency. By sheer coincidence, the two happen to be at the same shooting location. Looking to put some fear into his rising competition, Tomohito snares Hisashi into a passionate kiss claiming “I just wanted to wipe that prim look off your face!” But even the best laid plans are bound to have complications. Instead of running off the competition, he may have just gotten himself a suitor!”

I previously reviewed another manga by Takashi Kanazaki called His Arrogance. Both books share a cast of characters but focus on different relationships. In Falling Into Love, we meet Hisashi as a high school student who’s just breaking into the modeling world. When top model Tomohito takes an interest in the younger model, it sparks a rivalry that quickly becomes something more.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: 801Media, Boys' Love/Yaoi, Manga

Review: Pure Heart (Vol. 01)

By Shannon Fay on Sunday, July 12, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Hyouta Fujiyama
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: February 2009

Synopsis: “Tozaki is a freelance writer who, through a coincidental assignment, is reunited with his first high school crush, Kurata. Certain that the once-popular athlete doesn’t remember him, Tozaki confesses his past feelings after a night of drinking together – but Kurata does remember. Curious enough to agree to a one-night stand, will Kurata develop the romantic feelings Tozaki always hoped for? Or is the relationship that follows between them merely Kurata’s way of humiliating his bookish, former schoolmate?”

If there’s one thing I like best about Pure Heart volume one, it’s that the characters are adults. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a bender of high-school romances lately, but there’s just something refreshing about characters that have to worry about their career as well as their romantic entanglements.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Don’t Rush Love

By Shannon Fay on Thursday, July 2, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Mio Tennohji
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “Morino is the new arrival at an all-boys university prep school, who finds himself rooming with over-achieving honors student, Kusama. Apparently, Kusama keeps a secret that has him sneaking out late at night, barely returning in time for morning roll call. Morino becomes convinced it has to do with Kusama’s feelings for their teacher, Kanzaki-sensei. Are the two carrying on an illicit affair under the cover of darkness? To make matters worse, Morino finds his own fascination for his new roommate growing day by day. A simple kiss leads to more, and soon, exactly what Kusama is doing when he should be sleeping turns into Morino’s obsession.”

For Morino it’s pretty much love at first sight when he sees his new roommate, Kusama. But things aren’t so straightforward for Kusama. He has a one-sided crush on their teacher, and sneaks out every night for meaningless sex. When Morino finds out about Kusama’s nocturnal activities, he convinces Kusama to stay in the dorm and use him instead of strangers. Morino knows that for Kusama their relationship is just based on sex, but he holds out hope that one day Kusama will come to love him in return.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: 801Media, Boys' Love/Yaoi, Manga

Review: Live For Love

By Shannon Fay on Friday, June 19, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Jun Mayama
Publisher: June (DMP)
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: March 2009

Synopsis: “Yasuie runs the Kiryuuin Detective Agency in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Nichome neighborhood. With no clients and no money, it’s a constant struggle just to live and pay the rent. For the past seven years, Yasuie’s assistant and partner Yoshiyuki has been willing to suffer through all the good and bad times with him – even considering Yasuie’s playful advances, which approach sexual harassment – but life has a way of changing things. Faced with his family’s ultimatum, Yoshiyuki must choose between a penniless future with Yasuie and a more traditional lifestyle. Can Yasuie convince Yoshiyuki to stay with him? Even if Yasuie does confess the true reason he brought Yoshiyuki into the detective business, will it be enough to change his partner’s mind?”

Yasuie and Yoshiyuki follow a long line of other yaoi characters that run a detective business, though their occupation isn’t a big part of the plot as they do very little detective work. They could be astronauts-in-training and it still wouldn’t affect the story all that much.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: June, Manga