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Review Archive

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

Review: Sand Chronicles (Vol. 07)

Posted by Shannon Fay on Monday, January 25, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Hinako Ashihara
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “Ann’s junior high school reunion is coming up, and she hasn’t seen Daigo in two years. How will their reunion go? Then, finally, the story behind Ann’s engagement. Who is her fiancé…?”

One thing that impresses me about Sand Chronicles, especially in this volume, is how consistent that tone has been throughout. Ann might grow older and her life change, but the series always maintains its bittersweet atmosphere. It really is a slice-of-life drama – the characters go through good times and bad, and a happy ending isn’t guaranteed.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

Review: Toxic Planet

Posted by Andre Paploo on Friday, January 22, 2010

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Reviewer: Andre

Author/Artist: David Ratte
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2009

Synopsis: “In Sam’s world, pollution is such that everyone is forced to wear gas masks at all times. He lives with a lovely young woman whose face he has not seen in years. Though pollution still poses a few (arguably) negligible problems here and there, Sam finds the state of his world. . . normal!”

Yen Press has experimented with an assortment of colour French and Chinese comics in addition to translating black and white manga. Toxic Planet brings us another of these titles, this time a series of comic strips from French creator David Ratte. Darkly satirizing both polluters and environmentalists, Ratte has created a collection that walks a fine line between preachiness and parody.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Yen Press

Review: Pluto (Vol. 07)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, January 21, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Naoki Urasawa
Publisher: Viz Signature
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: January 2010

Synopsis: “Pluto has destroyed six out of the seven great robots of the world, and the pacifist robot Epsilon is the only one that remains. Will Epsilon, who refused to participate in the 39th central Asian war, leave behind his war-orphaned charges to step onto the battlefield? It just might be that kindly Epsilon, who wields the limitless power of photon energy, will be Pluto’s greatest opponent of all!”

Reading Pluto has always been a predominantly emotional-journey. The suspense and mystery is there. The action and drama is near seamless. But among all this, it’s the characters who really pull you in and keep you there. Even the most seemingly unimportant character can look just so in one panel and steal your heart, or in most cases break it. This ninth volume is no exception to the consistent hold the series has held on many a reader. It delivers what could perhaps be the most brilliantly executed moment to date – and in turn easily the most devestating.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

Review: Our Kingdom – Arabian Nights

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, January 20, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Naduki Koujima
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “During a trip following a devastating heartbreak, Raoul meets the handsome Arabian prince, Asif! The prince is more radiant than the sun and Raoul finds himself captivated by Asif’s beauty. Despite Raoul’s vow never to let himself suffer heartbreak again, he wonders if this love is worth breaking his vow over. Filled with an endless supply of beautiful princes and valets, the popular Our Kingdom series brings you a delicious tale of exotic love!”

A spin-off of the multi-volume series, Our Kingdom, Arabian Nights follows the series’ antagonist-esque character, Raoul. Remaining envious of his same-age uncle, with whom he’s felt a lifetime of rivalry towards, the young man travels to Arabia to find solace away from his broken heart and spoiled little sisters. But love and trouble follows a boys’ love character everywhere so it doesn’t take long for him to become prisoner of the country’s attractive young prince, Ashif.

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

Review: Gentle Cage

Posted by Jaime Samms on Tuesday, January 19, 2010

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Reviewer: Jaime Samms

Author: You Shiizaki
Manga-ka: Kumiko Sasaki
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: July 2008

Synopsis: “Amateur painter Itsuki Hashimoto and up-and-coming sculptor Masatsugu Tokiwa became friends through their love for art. But a few years later, family circumstances force Itsuki to cut Tokiwa off of his life. Now, Itsuki is living a confined life as the “human pet” of Yamabe-sensei, Tokiwa’s former teacher. Can Tokiwa help Itsuki break free of his cage?”

It has to be noted, at least by me as a writer of m/m romance from a western perspective, that had this book fallen into any romance category other than yaoi, there’s a good chance it might never have been published. Tokiwa’s ‘seduction’ of Itsuki is not gentle, and really, non-consensual. At least not at first, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that. Knowing the genre, I’m well aware this is a common trope, but I have reservations about it nonetheless. Lots of people who love the genre aren’t really bothered by it. Still, as far as the execution of the much-used plot device goes, in this book it is at least rather well done.

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

Review: Shinobi Life (Vol. 02)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Monday, January 18, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Shoko Conami
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: March 2009

Synopsis: “Beni convinces Kagetora to go back with her to the future – as a student! Everything is going fine until they meet a strange and mysterious classmate, Iwatsuru. As Kagetora and Beni’s interest in one another blossoms, Beni’s Father reminds Kagetora that he is only a mere body guard and nothing more! What’s worse, he reveals that he has already arranged Beni to get married – to Iwatsuru!”

Whether it’s a comedic exchange of misunderstandings or one look at Beni and Kagetora’s pained expressions when fate intervenes, volume two of Shinobi Life continues to ensure your heart will laugh and ache right along with theirs. Thankfully the same can be said for their times of romantic bliss as well and as the two come to care deeply for one another, the smallest of moments can provide these gifts. But with an emotionally detached Father pulling the strings and an old foe making a surprise reappearance, there’s still much more to this story than just a remarkably compelling romance.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Tokyopop

Review: Pig Bride (Vol. 03)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, January 17, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manhwa-ga: KookHwa Huh/SuJin Kim
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “Now that she has discovered Si-Joon’s secret fiancée, Doe-Doe will stop at nothing to rip the masked girl away from Si-Joon, whom she has already claimed as her own. But Mu-Yeon’s affection for Si-Joon is not something to be trifled with, especially when dark spiritual forces are involved. As memories of his past life with Mu-Yeon resurface, the time when Si-Joon will have to face the mystery of the pig bride head-on is drawing near. But will he be prepared when the moment comes?”

Past-live dream exposés, the feeling of sinister eyes upon him and the clock ticking ever closer, Si-Joon has more than a few things on his mind. But with his life (or is it his chastity?) at risk at the hands of an ‘assassin’ on top of that, and his constant refusal of Mu-Yeon’s advances, the Pig Bride needs to turn to some different tactics with only a day left to lift her curse and have Si-Joon finally confess his feelings of love (whether they exist or not).

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manhwa, Yen Press

Review: GoGo Monster

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, January 15, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Taiyo Matsumoto
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and nature itself.”

Taiyo Matsumoto isn’t the easiest manga-ka to get into. His style is a strange blend of Japanese and European, of cartoony and realistic. Even his stories, set in mundane places like elementary or high school, have a surrealistic quality to them, making it seem like they take place in a dream world rather than the real world. Gogo Monster manages to bring out all of Matsumoto’s best qualities – his unique art and strange plots – while still being more coherent than some of his earlier works. It is also very, very good.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

Review: Shinobi Life (Vol. 01)

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, January 14, 2010

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Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Shoko Conami
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “Energetic and strong-willed, Beni doesn’t care if she lives or dies as long as her death will result in embarrassing her arrogant father! But one day, she suddenly encounters Kagetora, a ninja who’s fallen from the sky and swears complete loyalty to her – as her bodyguard. Kagetora has time traveled from a long, long time ago, and has devoted his life to protecting Princess Beni. Little does Kagetora know that this Beni is not the real princess…”

A rich girl with daddy-issues and a time-traveling ninja – what may not scream instant classic still achieves its own irrefutable charm. Shinobi Life is a satisfying story about a proverbial fish out of water proving to be exactly what one woman needs to find happiness. But in true romantic fashion, nothing comes quite that easily and they’ll have more than their share of speed bumps on the road to a happily ever after.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Tokyopop

Jaime Samms Joins Kuriousity as BL Light Novel Reviewer

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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Today I’m proud to officially announce our newest reviewer here at Kuriousity: Jaime Samms. She’ll be covering a sorely-lacking-until-now portion of the site – boys’ love light novels! You can read her first review of Digital Manga’s Caged Slave.

“Hi! I’m Jaime Samms, also known as dontkickmycane in live journal land. I’ve been writing gay romance and fiction for quite some time now, and reviewing it for almost as long, since I tend to have lots of opinions… …My love for all things Yaoi is what brought me here, and I’m so pleased to join the team. I have no complaints about all the reading I’ll have to do, either!” – Read more…

Welcome to the team, Jaime!

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