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Review Archive

To see a list of reviews in alphabetical order, please see our review index.

Review: Moon Boy (Vol. 07)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manhwa-ga: Lee YoungYou
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “When Hee-Ju’s hostage negotiations for Ya-Ho with Ha-Eun, Yumei and Mi-Woo go south, the tragic result of his failed attempts leads to heartbreak for Myung-Ee and company. And to make matters worse, those on Earth aren’t the only ones on the move. The leader of the Moon Foxes is about to make a trip to the Blu Planet and mete out heavenly punishment to those who get in his way… that is, if he can stay awake long enough!”

Tears are shed, pasts are hinted at, the supposedly dead come back to life and foxes continue to hunt rabbits and rabbits continue to hunt foxes. While a reread of previous books allows a semblance of clarity to the book’s still-growing cast and multi-faction plot, it leaves one to question if this should be necessary every time a new book comes out.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manhwa, Yen Press

Review: Otomen (Vol. 05)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: February 2010

Synopsis: “Ryo is chosen to participate in a contest where flower arrangement and tea ceremony skills are tested – but she sucks at those things! To top things off, the previous champion wants Asuka for herself! Does Ryo have a fighting chance?”

The way the characters act in Otomen is always good for a laugh, in the good well intended way mind you. They all feel like they intentionally overact at times, as if they know they’re being watched and are acting just that slightest bit over the top to entertain. Their personalities are just exaggerated enough to be distinct and memorable while not enough to suffocate their ability to grow.

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

Review: Sugarholic (Vol. 02)

Posted by Andre Paploo on Sunday, February 7, 2010

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Reviewer: Andre

Manga-ka: GooGoo Gong
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “Thrust in the middle of a family feud, Jae-Gyu reluctantly accepts Whie-Hwan’s proposal. For the next month, she’s agreed to pose as his live-in girlfriend and obey his every command! It’s been less than a week since she moved to Seoul, and already she’s in way over her head! And small-town life has done little to prepare her for the dark deeds of city nightlife. When Jae-Gyu’s ignorance lands her in a roomful of eager playboys with money to burn, will it be her millionaire “boyfriend” or her rock star admirer who comes to the rescue?”

Taking the path of so many girls’ comics before it, Sugarholic presents us with yet more complicated shenanigans that lead to two characters faking a relationship. Does it manage to overcome it’s clichéd plot? Fortunately GooGoo Gong does manage to squeeze some originality into this work, a fairly standard Korean shojo comic.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manhwa, Yen Press, Yuu Watase

Review: Jack and the Princess

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, February 4, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Author: Raye Morgan
Author/Artist: Junko Okada
Publisher: Harlequin K.K./SOFTBANK Creative Corp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Synopsis: “The summer of her 22nd year. That was the last time Princess Karina experienced freedom. She is about to have a political marriage for the sake of her royal family. Before she is forced to marry a man whom she does not love, she wishes to experience love. It seemed her wish might just come true. The tall and handsome Jack Santini comes to live in the estate as a bodyguard. Karina falls for the talented and charming Jack, and wishes, just once, that she could kiss the man she fell in love with for the first time…”

Karina is blond, fluffy haired, doey-eyed and raised to trust everyone despite several kidnapping attempts. As a Princess she’s meant to marry another aristocrat as chosen by her family and this coupled with her having never had a friend before leaves her feeling a bit lonely. Then you have Jack – your tall, dark and handsome suit-clad, steely-eyed bodyguard with a tender stare. You know the type. Bitter after a recent suspension from his job as a police officer, he tries not to allow himself to get too close to Karina after his past relationship led to his troubles.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: DMP, Manga

Review: Yellow 2 (Episode 01)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, February 2, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Makoto Tateno
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “Straight and macho Taki partners with feminine and gay Goh to form an expert team of bandits hired by the police to steal from the mafia. In July of 2005, DMP introduced one of the most popular creator & ground-breaking series: YELLOW to the yaoi industry, cementing Tateno as a yaoi fan favorite. Finally, Makoto Tateno has created a mini sequel series starring her two beloved characters, which have never been published in print, until now!”

Yellow 2 takes place three years from where the prequel series ended. Our two leads – Goh and Taki – now the equivalent of happily married and retired are called back to ‘duty’ by bequest of a friend. The two used to be one of the world’s best pair of ‘snatchers’ – a fancy word for thieves for hire who may or may not have morals playing into their cause. Their new job has them sleuthing for clues that’ll lead to the shipment of drugs they’ve been asked to find before someone else does.

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

Review: Dark Walker

Posted by Jaime Samms on Monday, February 1, 2010

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Reviewer: Jaime Samms

Author: Hikaru Yura
Manga-ka: Hirotaka Kisaragi
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “Tomoki Naruse has the strangest dreams. Every night, he finds himself waiting for a phantom lover – whom he has never seen. Unraveling the mystery of Tomoki’s dream lover leads him to discover the Depths of Dreams, a shadowy world hidden within the darkness, and the realization that he is one of the mythical Dark Walkers – a human born with the ability to “fall” from the Real World into the Depths of Dreams with his mind and body intact. Dark Walker is the sensual story of two boys who discover love in the midst of great danger.”

Tomoki has no idea what to make of these dreams he’s been having. He does know they aren’t something to be shared with his ribald classmates, though. No telling what they’d say to make fun of him if they knew. Strangely, he doesn’t seem to have the same worries about the new guy in class – handsome, tall, and flirtatious, Yugo. In fact, Tomoki is pretty sure his reaction to Yugo isn’t quite what he’s come to expect as ‘normal’.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Light Novels

Review: Hero Tales (Vol. 01)

Posted by Andre Paploo on Sunday, January 31, 2010

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Reviewer: Andre

Author:: Jin Zhou Huang
Manga-ka: Hiromu Arakawa
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: October 2009

Synopsis: “Legend speaks of seven heroes, each one bearing the power of one of the stars of the Big Dipper. Two of these stars are constantly in conflict, destined to battle and throw the world into chaos… Not that Taitou has ever paid much attention to old stories. Headstrong and defiant, he is the last in his village to complete his coming-of-age ceremony – a fact his sister Laila incessantly teases him about. When he is finally deemed worthy, he is presented with the Kenkaranbu, an ancient sword that can only be drawn by a true hero.”

Successful manga-ka often undertake side projects, – from Rumiko Takahashi’s publication of Maison Ikkoku while publishing weekly chapters of Urusei Yatsura, to the multiple projects often undertaken by CLAMP. With Fullmetal Alchemist being one of the biggest hits in the past decade among anime and manga fans, Hiromu Arakawa has decided to add herself to a list of famous multi-taskers with her own side project, Hero Tales. Published simultaneously with her Fullmetal Alchemist work, does it live up to the hype of her more well known title?

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Yen Press

Review: The Apartment (eManga)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, January 29, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Author: Debbie Macomber
Author/Artist: Ryo Arisawa
Publisher: Harlequin K.K./SOFTBANK Creative Corp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Synopsis: “When Hilary got a place on the San Francisco Symphony as a flute player, she decides to move into her own place to escape her restricted life with her over-protective mother. Although excited at her new found freedom, it doesn’t last for long. The next morning, the quiche she left in the fridge for breakfast was gone, her milk had been used and an unfamiliar bag was in the living room! As she stood confused, a handsome man she had never seen before appeared in front of her and says to her angrily “what are you doing in my house?””

What begins as a classic bout for freedom turns sour when young Hilary discovers she has an unexpected addition to her new apartment – a male roommate named Shaun. Now living together due to a misunderstanding by their landlords, the two must overcome their differences and learn to make due. But don’t cry for these two young adults for they have the reader-expected romance to help smooth things over in this tidy 122-page package.

Read more…

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: DMP, Manga

Review: Yokaiden (Vol. 02)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Author/Artist: Nina Matsumoto
Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “Yokai are Japanese spirits, and young Hamachi is fascinated by them. Now he continues his quest deep into the Yokai realm in the hopes of finding Madkap, the kappa he believes has killed his grandmother. Armed with nothing but a sacred rope and a lucky kappa’s foot, Hamachi has made two friends to help him on his journey: Lumi the talking lantern, and newly awakened, the umbrella that once belonged to his grandfather! Their first stop is the home of the legendary fox spirit the Ninetails, who promises to help in Hamachi’s quest if Hamachi can retrieve three lost items. But can Hamachi really find them, or does the Ninetails just want Hamachi to fail so he can keep the human boy as a pet?”

This book of Yokaiden opens with a handy exposition for those who may be picking up this second volume prior to the first; told via a short comic. Though perhaps a little taxing to those already familiar with the story, it shows the artist’s attention to audiences of both sorts and does so in a manner more entertaining than a simple paragraph recap. Regrettably the new material doesn’t feel nearly as ingenious.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Del Rey, Global Manga

Review: Rin-Ne (Vol. 02)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, January 26, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: January 2010

Synopsis: “Sakura and Rinne deal with the ghosts of an ancient warrior and a girl who drowned in the school swimming pool, but that’s just a warm-up! A wandering spirit leads them to a surprising confrontation, one that takes Sakura and Rinne on an even more amazing chase!”

A dead samurai longing for love, a troublesome school pool and a trip to the oddly corporate-looking hell are all in-store for Sakura and Rinne in this second volume of Rumiko Takahashi’s newest series. But while some fun scenes make for giggles, a lack of originality bogs it down under some deliveries that feel too formulaic to succeed at being forgivably nostalgic.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Rin-Ne, Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Media