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Posts Tagged Manga

ANN Review: Ouran High School Host Club (Vol. 15)

ANN Review: Ouran High School Host Club (Vol. 15)

New review of mine over at AnimeNewsNetwork this afternoon, this time for the newest volume of my newest manga-love, Ouran High School Host Club (Vol. 15).

I marathoned the entire series (released so far) in about a week leading up to reviewing this newest volume and I’ve easily found one of my favourite manga series. I’ve already seen the anime a few times (for which Funimation and all the VAs did amazing work, by the way) but I never felt compelled to read the manga. Thank goodness for the cheap up-to-date set that I was able to buy from Strange Adventures!

The series overall is really cute and silly in the best of ways, and I was really glad to see the art improve so much over the duration of the story. The amount of character development slipped in over time was impressive, though it did start beating readers over the head by around volume twelve. How can people be so in love with someone but not realize they’re in love?! It boggled the brain. But in the fifteenth volume, a lot of these emotional elements are resolved and now it’s up to the final few volumes to show us what comes of it. I’m eager to find out!


Swag Bag – Secret Foods of Gatcha Host Club

Swag Bag

A new year, a new swag bag banner! There was no Swag Bag the last two weeks as the holidays overtook and my wallet’s funds went towards buying gifts for others instead of stocking bags with goodies for myself. But I’ve since bought a few books for myself so let’s see what’s on the reading stack this coming week and what buys marked the first of the New Year!

I’ve spent the last week marathoning the Ouran High School Host Club manga, flying through volumes 1-14 with lots of love. One of my new favourites for sure – absolutely adorable! That said, I was quick to ensure I then had the newest volume so I picked up Ouran High School Host Club (Vol. 15). It looks like Tamaki is finally going to figure something obvious out… for better or worse.

Next I picked up the first volume of The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko which I bought purely upon hearing so many good things about it. Plus after reading so much Ouran I’m up for some more shoujo-y goodness. This is also the first new series I’ve bought that sports Tokyopop’s new graphic design work. It uses a lot of black and is pretty slick looking. I’m not sure how well it will compliment different series but for now the pink and black looks really nice.

Speaking of graphic design that looks really good, I bought the one-shot Not Love But Delicious Food Makes Me Happy. Firstly, crazy long name, but secondly I adore the job Yen Press did on the cover design. Very nice! The book itself is a semi-autobiographical story of ‘Y-naga’ relishing in her love for food, all of which is drawn in great detail.

And from the bargain bin at Strange Adventures (where all the books I’ve bought this week were bought from, as per usual!), I bought a volume of Gatcha Gacha. Reason being was Sean Gaffney’s apparently contagious affection for the series. We shall soon see if I join him in this upon finishing,.

Lastly, the second volume of Hetalia. I told myself I wasn’t going to, but after seeing Canada played a bigger role, I couldn’t help it… Mindless cute fun in small doses so not a buy I regret, just one I waffled a long while on if I cared enough to make. Apparently I do!

I also purchased a handful of books from Amazon.ca but those I’ll share once they arrive – doesn’t count until it’s in my hands! So what were your first purchases of the New Year?


Review: Crown of Love (Vol. 04)

Reviewer: Shannon Fay
Crown of Love (Vol. 04)

Manga-ka: Yun Kouga
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2010

Synopsis: “Rima begins to question her feelings for Ikeshiba after the night he kissed her. Finding herself shocked that it wasn’t what she imagined it would be like, her thoughts turn to Hisayoshi. But Hisayoshi, frustrated with Rima’s constant rejection, has gone missing. Will his absence finally make Rima realize how much he means to her?!”

Crown of Love is a shojo manga about an ordinary teenager who decides to become a superstar in order to impress a certain someone. In this past month alone I’ve read two manga with the very same plot (Honey Hunt & Skip Beat) but while those series manage do something new and different with the idea, Crown of Love plays it straight, delivering a clichéd story with very few surprises.

Read more…


Super Savings: RightStuf Offers Fierce Savings on Seven Seas

RightStuf’s first big sale of the year (excluding their starting-in-2010-New-Years-sale) is 33%+ off of Seven Seas books! I know I don’t often see many sales on their books so this is a great opportunity to pick up some old titles or, for even more savings, pre-order some of their upcoming omnibus editions. The sale ends January 6, 2011.

My top recommendations from Seven Seas would be the first volume of Aoi House (the second volume and I aren’t on good terms) and Aoi House in Love! – a fun OEL series that plays around with fandom tropes; Hayate x Blade Omnibus – a silly but charming story of sword battles in all girls’ school that appeals to fans of Yuri; and the Strawberry Panic Manga Omnibus – a semi-serious tale of Yuri love also in an all girls’ school. I’d also love to recommend The Last Uniform as a super adorable Yuri story but alas it’s no longer listed on RightStuf’s website.

As for me, I’m looking forward to buying the first omnibus book of Kashimashi, the complete-series omnibus of Hollow Fields and the one-shot Voiceful.

You can check out their index for the full list of RightStuf’s Seven Seas’ offerings.


Year in Brief Review – Manga Favourites of 2010

It’s New Years Day! And that means the end of 2010 has come and gone – the end of the first decade of the 2000s’, the end of another year of fantastic comics (upon other many wonderful things).

Just for a little living in the past on this first day of 2011, what better time to look back at 2010 with some favourites, surprises, disappointments and neat website tidbits. Sure it would’ve made more sense to have posted yesterday but who has time with all those celebrations going on… right?

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eManga Expands Creator Offering with Yayoi Neko’s Incubus

eManga: Incubus by Yayoi Neko

eManga has added a bunch of interesting new titles in this latter portion of 2010, notably a handful of new titles from artists outside of Japan, along with a new manga series exclusive to their site.

Most recent, and my most favourite, additions are the first two volumes of Yayoi Neko’s Incubus series. The print edition (currently up to volume three) has been published in its entirety so far by Kitty Media (after being picked up from Bang! Entertainment).

“Demonic beings longing to be human put Judas’ life at stake to possess the unique soul within him. The incubus Lenniel, has sworn to protect and defeat all who threaten the man he loves: the shy puritan Judas. But outside dangers are not all that threaten his human beloved. A painful past haunts Judas, preventing him from trusting anyone, especially Lenniel. This is an enemy the incubus is not sure how to defeat. How does one fight a crippling force that exists within another’s heart?”

I’m a fan of Yayoi Neko‘s work – it has an art style that offers something notably different than the vast majority of boys’ love released in North America (check out her website gallery). The first volume of Incubus also comes with a short called ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ (which was released originally by the artist in limited edition ‘floppy’ comic format) about a scientist and the robot he helped create with… well, it’s worth reading to get all the exact details.

Other new titles on eManga include the webcomic BL-hit, Starfighter, a sample edition of the artistically-gorgeous Teahouse (also a web comic) and Mizuki, which is a “never before released” shoujo by the creator of Wedding Peach.

Digital Manga sells its points “using a credit card at a typical rate of 1000 points for $10.”. Looking at a complete volume at 300 points, you’re only paying $3 for the rental (which lasts 72 hours). It’s a great deal for people who love to read a book once, especially when a second rental allows you unlimited time access (so about $6 a book for digital keeps).

While the addition of a variety of talented artists from around the globe is of course great, I also continue to be impressed simply by the amount of cross-publisher work being done with eManga. BLU (Tokyopop), Yaoi Press, Media Blasters and of course Digital Manga, all on one site – it’s quickly collecting all the boys’ love basics (plus some Harlequin thrown in there for good measure?). It’s a shame though that this collection of boys’ love, with its great prices in particular, isn’t able to be utilized on a more mobile platform. Even a digital-meh person such as myself wouldn’t be able to deny this kind of collection being in the palm of my hand instead of trapped on the internet-locked computer screen.


ANN Review: Ghost Hunt (Vol. 11)

ANN Review: Ghost Hunt (Vol. 11)

One of the more disappointing books I’ve read lately, I reviewed the eleventh (and possibly last) volume of Ghost Hunt for AnimeNewsNetwork.

This book was disappointing for a number of reasons but acting as pinnacle for the issues I’ve had with the series in this later half would be the jist of it. The art looks lazy and the word bubbles are haphazardly tossed around and the cast of characters feel so… flat. Mai was alright which is good since she was the only one really relevant in this one. Alas this wasn’t how I wanted my last manga-experience with this cast of ghost hunters to go.

Regarding the existence of a twelfth book, I really don’t know what to expect for the fate of this series’ final volume. Del Rey marketed this volume as the last but there is one more out in Japan, with this volume’s cliffhanger leading into it. Of course I’d love to read it – it looks like it would go into Naru’s backstory – but I’m not holding my breath. I am looking pleadingly at Kodansha Comic’s direction though. Please give the series one last chance to remind me why I loved it so much before, okay?


Review: No Touching At All

Reviewer: Shannon Fay
No Touching At All

Manga-ka: Kou Yoneda
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2010

Synopsis: “On his very first day at a brand-new job, shy Shima is trapped in the elevator with a hungover mess of a guy…who turns out to be his boss! Togawa’s prickly exterior definitely puts the rookie recruit on-edge, but it doesn’t take long before Shima’s every waking thought is invaded by his overbearing yet totally thoughtful superior. Will Shima put aside a history of disappointment in order to take a chance on a complicated relationship?”

From the summary No Touching At All sounds like plenty of other workplace yaoi where an overbearing boss harasses his shy subordinate into some after-hours hanky-panky. But No Touching At All is a less a sordid office scandal and more of a laid-back love story. The slow pacing really helps sell the realism of the characters and the world. If you’re looking for a yaoi where the characters are going at it from page one, this isn’t it. The characters spend more time working at their cubicles than they do making out (another touch of realism).

Read more…


ANN Review: Genkaku Picasso (Vol. 01)

ANN Review: Genkaku Picasso (Vol. 01)

Boxing Day already? Amazing how long we plan, purchase and pace waiting for Christmas and then it’s over in a flash! I hope everyone who celebrates it had a Merry Christmas and enjoyable time spent with family and friends. Maybe even some manga under the tree perhaps?

With the new year coming up in a little under a week, it’s a good time for me to get caught up on posting to my AnimeNewsNetwork reviews here on Kuriousity (which as a reminder you can now find at kuriousity.ca!).

Back at the end of November my review for the first volume of Genkaku Picasso was posted. Overall I liked reading it, having fairly high expectations of all the things I’d heard of and read of Usamaru Furuya’s works before. The premise is really interesting – a boy granted the ability to help others by manifesting their inner-selves in his artwork – but it suffers from a very cut-and-dry episodic execution. A neat plot and generally entertaining characters balanced out with the tedious pacing well enough to make me look forward to the next volume, which should be out early February. More creepy in-story artwork and their androgynous artist to come!


Review: Honey Hunt (Vol. 06)

Reviewer: Shannon Fay
Honey Hunt (Vol. 06)

Manga-ka: Miki Aihara
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: December 2010

Synopsis: “With Yura and Q-ta’s relationship now revealed to the public, Mizorogi will need to decide whether or not to interfere. What will Haruka do when he has the chance to tell Yura his true feelings? And when Q-ta visits Yura at her house, the two of them end up in the bedroom all alone…”

This volume of Honey Hunt focuses on the love triangle between main character Yura and brothers Q-ta and Haruka. It’s a complicated situation only made worse by the fact that all three are celebrities and have to juggle their professional and personal lives. Yet, even though they’re famous, the characters themselves are relatively grounded, with no one emerging outright as the obvious choice or bad guy.

Read more…


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