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Posts Tagged Yen Press

Review: Sundome (Vol. 02)


Manga-ka: Kazuto Okada
Publisher: YenPress
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: June 2008

Synopsis: “Kurumi makes Hideo quit her cold turkey for two weeks! Whatever is poor, horny Hideo to do? Well, for one thing, his club is visited by a masked OB for some hardcore “physical training.” Then, there’s a UFO-sighting field trip up to a mountain. But Hideo’s never quite over his obsession with the transfer student and he thinks he’s gotten just a little closer to the object of his affection when he helps her catch a panty-thief. His reward? A trip to the movies… in handcuffs!”

Kurumi’s sexual hold on Hideo continues here in volume two of Sundome. Not for the young in age or the faint of heart, Sundome follows the sadistic relationship of these two students, one which goes past friendship, but stops before lovers, and settles on slave and master. Warning: Review contains some content not suitable for minors!

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Review: Croquis Pop (Vol. 01)


Author: KwangHyn Seo
Manhwa-ga: JinHo Ko
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: June 2008

Synopsis: “Da-Il has a new job working for a famous comic creator. Not that Da-Il has any artistic ability. At least that’s what he thinks until he meets Mu-Huk, a ghost whose appearance Da-Il’s creativity gives shape. The budding artist soon learns that he has the skills of a “Croquer”, someone whose talent gives form to ghosts – ghosts it is Mu-Huk’s job to dispatch.”

Da-Il is the newest assistant to famous manhwa-ga, Ho-Go. He’s a boy with no knowledge or talent for drawing, but his passion for reading the man’s comics gets him hired none-the-less. When moving in to his new home, simple images drawn in the floor’s dust bring forth violent doodles that attack! Suddenly a strange guy named Mu-Huk shows up, saving Da-Il and telling him that’s he a Croquer, someone who can draw fast and give ghosts physical forms through his creativity. Wait… what? Croquis Pop takes an interesting spin on the common-manga archetype of sports manga, replacing the sport with art and the equipment with pencils and erasers!

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Review: 11th Cat Special


Manhwa-ga: Kim MiKyung
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: May 2008

Synopsis: “The Sword Master of Black Iron is kicked out of the magic guild when he’s unable to follow an order to destroy the beautiful doll called Fiona. Then one night, Fiona comes home with a letter for him. What are the contents of this letter and why is Fiona so afraid to present it to her Master? Also included are Kim Myung’s early short stories Strawberry Children, Alien House, and The Reason Why I’m Poor and Burdened.”

Despite being presented as a side-story sequel to the series, 11th Cat, those who have not read the series need not worry when picking up 11th Cat Special. The ‘side story’ takes up a mere 22 pages in this 176 page. Following that are several unrelated short stories ranging from aliens, ghosts and fantasy kingdoms that come together for an interesting collection of chapters.

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Review: Chocolat (Vol. 05)


Manhwa-ga: Shin JiSang – Geo
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: June 2008

Synopsis: “Kum-Ji may have started following Yo-I to get close to her favourite boy band, DDL, but it’s E-Wan of Yo-I that she can’t get out of her head! With E-Soh’s confession still heavy on her heart, a confused Kum-Ji joins her fellow fan girls in strategizing for the next tour. But Barbie, the fanclub president, has other ideas. When a surprise attack leaves Kum-Ji bruised and beaten, it’s E-Soh who becomes her knight in shining armor!”

It’s girl loves boy, girls love band, girl hates other girl and boy loves girl who loves other guy, in volume five of Chocolat. It’s a slice of life drama, spiced up with trendy clothing and beautiful boy bands. Kum-Ji is the character’s lead and most of the book follows her as she deals with unrequited feelings, boy-band crushes and a dangerous fan club leader who sends flunkies to crack the skulls of her self-proclaimed enemies.

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Review: One Thousand and One Nights (Vol. 04)


Author: Jeon JinSeok
Artist: Han SeungHee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: May 2008

Synopsis: “Sehara meets Sultan Shazaman and discovers that his brother’s distrust of women not only comes from Fatima’s betrayal but also his mother’s traumatic death. And while Sehara is away, Shahryar continues to play his dangerous game with another girl. Will Sehara’s next night story be enough to stop the sultan’s wicked ways?”

After a long wait for faithful readers, volume four of One Thousand and One Nights finally arrives! This book continues the fine balance between story and present events as Sehara tells the ailing Prince another story, while he himself got to hear a disturbing true story from the prince’s brother, Shazaman. With this glimpse into Shahryar’s dark past, Sehara is determined to defeat the dark pain inside the Prince before it consumes him.

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