CBG Review: Mail Order Ninja, vol. 1

I have written a review for Mail Order Ninja, vol. 1, available on the Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Mail Order Ninja, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

Crayon Shinchan, vol. 1

By Yoshito Usui
Released in the US by CMX Manga


Slugline: Everyone loves a bad boy, even if he is in kindergarten

Shinchan is a five year old with an innocence of a two year old and the mind of a typical lecherous old man of anime. So needless to say he makes the lives of his family, friends, teachers and random passing strangers difficult and interesting all at the same time. This volume does not seem to have any continuing stories, sometimes more along the lines of situation or complications that have been added to the main characters lives, such as a principal with a face like a mobster and the addition of a dog to the household. These are short, brutal and funny. The volume itself is fairly small, but it works to the title's advantage, because if it was too long I think Shinchan would cease being funny at some point and just be annoying. As it is, I think some psychiatrist is going to make a lot of money from Shinchan's parents one of these days, that is if the pharmaceutical industry doesn't make him a poster boy for the need for more ADD drugs. The reason that this title is rated M for Mature has to do with Shinchan having the innocence of a two year old, in that random nudity seem perfectly acceptable to him.

And no, I have never watched the anime, the perils of living a cable free life. And writing all these review for you, my readers. I slave away, really.



Crayon Shinchan, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in manga and anime.

-Ferdinand

SERIES UPDATE: Presents, vol. 2

You can check out our review of Presents, vol. 1.

Presents continues its approach of one-off horror stories, all centered around the idea of presents, how they help, hurt and curse people that accept them. In some ways, I think this volume is stronger then the first, because it starts out immediately with a vision of Santa Claus that I suspect only a culture that hadn't been steeped in Christmas and Santa Claus could produce. Santa Claus and Death are both recurring characters, talking and giving the main character Kurumi's perspective and some suggestions on how to deal with some gift givers. Not all of the stories devolved into horror filled tales of greed gone wrong over presents, several of them were rather touching. So while I could easily got bored at too many one-off tales, Presents, at least in this volume, varied their approach enough to continue to draw me in.



Presents, vol. 1 and vol. 2 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

CBG Review: Star Trek, The Manga, vol. 1 Shinsei/Shinsei

We have already done a review of Star Trek, The Manga, vol. 2 Kakan ni Sjinkou.

I have written a review for Star Trek: the Manga vol. 1 Shinsei/Shinsei, available on the Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Star Trek, The Manga, vol. 1 Shinsei/Shinsei, Star Trek, The Manga, vol. 1 Shinsei/Shinsei the alternate cover,
Star Trek: the Manga, vol. 2 Kakan ni Shinkou are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

Translucent, v.1

by Kazuhiro Okamoto
Published in the US by Dark Horse Manga


Slugline: Teenagers feel invisible. That much never changes.

Invisibility as a cycling, mysterious illness -- it's a reasonable enough story idea. Even when set in the mundane world of middle school. But volume 1 proceeds to introduce us to a group of familiar characters, all of whom are dead set on being as normal as possible. Here's a disease whose only physical effect is invisibility, and everyone's ignoring the obvious implications.

Furthermore, the storyline insinuates that the disease is partly psychological. Which could lead to interesting stories too, but there isn't much sign of anything interesting happening so far. I couldn't even guess what volume 2 would be about -- there's no apparent conflict or goal in mind. The girl suffering from this disease wants to be an actress, but the story of reaching that goal hardly needs an invented disease to be interesting. The added "problem" actually detracts from that, in my opinion.

You can also check out Ferdinand's review!



Translucent, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Variante, vols. 1 + 2

Written and Illustrated by Iqura Sugimoto
Released in the US by CMX Manga


Slugline: Having your arm replaced with a metastasizing shape changing thing is one way to get out of piano lessons.

Aiko has had a really bad day. She has not been doing so well in her piano practices, because of them she never gets to play outside with her friends, she comes home late one day and her parents are dead, killed by something that is so horrible she has blocked out her memory. And to cap it off, somehow her arm has been replaced with some rapidly changing chimera, capable of expanding, shifting shape and slicing people to shreds. It seems to be mostly under her control, but it does some bad things, such as killing her best friend's dog. The organization that 'rescued' her and is trying to control, cover up and exploit the Chimeras has this idea that it might be a good idea to pack her off to a lab and cut her up a bit to determine what makes her tick. But despite being very depressed (incited by the additional murder of her best friend by another Chimera) she decides that she will continue to live, and to do so she has to agree to fight the Chimeras. The second volume is mainly about Aiko learning to deal with the fact she is used as a killing machine and the fact that she freaks out everyone around her. In addition, we learn a little about the background of Sudo, the homicide detective that is part of the organization and is Aiko's handler.

Body horror has this interesting tradition in manga. I suppose it is the ultimate expression of the confusion of adolescence, when your body changes and seems to have its own wants and desires, irrespective of your own feelings in the matter. I think that the first volume is stronger to the second, where it descends more into the monster of the week and the monster within, where the first volume dealt more strongly with the isolation and depression of such a radical reshaping of one's life. I am sad to say that the shocker of the first volume actually took me by surprise, where I thought a character was going to serve as a grounding force and doesn't (dancing around to maintain the spoiler aspect of it.) But the first volume works much better as a horror story, where the second volume starts going into the action aspects of it, which were less engaging for me. The story also has the hurt Rei aspect, that infatuation that came out of Neon Genesis Evangelion to see the character Rei hurt. I never understood it myself, but apparently that is a big thing, and that built that right into the character, the haphazard, hurt look she continually project whenever she meets a Chimera, because that is the best way to engage her arm's self-defense mechanisms. I am not sure to admire the creator's rationale or wince at the thought that people like that.



Variante, vol. 1 and vol. 2 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

CBG Review: Hellsing, vol. 1

As a reminder of why we are running so many links at the moment, I have a contract with TokyoPop to write a pilot manga for them, and while I am working on it I am trying to avoid reviewing their stuff. So of course I get nothing but TokyoPop titles to review.

I have written a review for Hellsing, vol. 1, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Hellsing, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in manga and anime.

- Ferdinand

Blue Eyes, vol. 1

Blue Eyes, vol. 1 and all other explicit titles have been moved to Prospero’s Manga – Mature, a review blog for explicit manga titles. Please check there for reviews of such titles.

CBG Review: Agent Boo, vol. 1

I have written a review for Agent Boo, vol. 1, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Agent Boo, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in manga and anime.

- Ferdinand

CBG Review: BoogiePop Doesn't Laugh, vols. 1 + 2

I have written a review for BoogiePop Doesn't Laugh, vols. 1 + 2, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!

Miranda has previously written a review of BoogiePop Doesn't Laugh, vol. 1. Check it out and feel free to compare what she thought to what I wrote!



BoogiePop Doesn't Laugh, vol. 1 and vol. 2 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

Minima!, vol. 1

By Machiko Sakurai
Released in the US by Del Rey


Slugline: Cute dolls can lead to not-so cute situations.

Ame is schoolgirl who is actually depressed and knows that her friends don't really like her, rather than just being relentlessly upbeat about it. In a moment of despair, she buys a remaindered small stuffed toy, who is tired of being quiet and overlooked, and breaks the code of silence and speaks. Things spin out of control like you would and would not expect as Nicori tries to find his place in the world and with Ame.

First of all, Ame is portrayed as actually depressed rather than the fake depressed that seems to pervade manga. You don't stay upbeat, you just exist and hope that you will stop feeling. Then Nicori enters the picture and while things change under his influence, they are just the first steps of change, Ame does not discover that all of her problems are solved overnight. And she has been crafted by her problems so even if the problems disappeared she would still be the same person for a while until she adjusted to the changes. The fact that when Nicori was revealed to the world as a talking, moving plush animal that Ame was able to leave the amusement park without being chased or cornered by reporters and businessmen seeking to take advantage was something that I had a hard time believing. But that plot hole was soon plugged by the return of the reporters, a businessman seeking to take advantage of Nicori and a gang of street toughs kidnapping Ame hoping to also take advantage of Nicori. This injection of real world consequences of something that at first seems impossible grounds the piece and makes me eager to see more.



Minima!, vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

Manga Sutra, v. 1

By Futari H and Katsu Aki
Published in the US by Tokyopop


Slugline: A realistic story about figuring out how to enjoy sex.

It should be noted that pornography is not an accurate representation of people having sex – this is. And it’s not pornography, in that it’s more concerned about plot than gynecology.

The story centers on Makoto and Yuri, two virgins who meet through a matchmaker and get married. They are both willing and eager to enjoy sex, but reality keeps getting in the way. They both need practice, they’re both embarrassed by not getting it right the first time, and they both have siblings who try to educate them. No, there is no incest porn.

Factoids are sprinkled throughout the story along with a bit of explanation about various techniques. The central story is simple and straightforward and sweet in its way, but the obvious aim of the series is to educate. I think that’s a great idea, because sex requires practice and exploration and the fib that everyone’s automatically good at it really needs to be laid to rest.



Manga Sutra, vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Yozakura Quartet, vol. 1

By Suzuhito Yasuda
Released in the US by Del Rey Manga


Slugline: Superteens? I think they didn't know what else to tagline this with.

Four teens work to protect the town of Sakurashin from whatever arises to threaten it. There is something going on in the town, especially considering that the smokestacks on the town's skyline have blessing strips on them. But not to worry, the four teens all have abilities beyond that of normal men. Hime, despite being a teenager is the mayor of the town seems to have enhanced strength and speed. Ao, a cat-girl can read minds and Kotoha is a magician that can create things with just a word round out the superpowered part of the team. And then there is the guy, Akina, who will no doubtedly have to fend off the interest of the three girls.

I was thinking from the back ad copy that this would be more like a traditional superhero story. I mean, there is nothing wrong with super heroic stories, you can easily argue that Naruto is one. But this story didn't feel like one at all. It feels more like a civic class, with the characters all concerned about the town, but for some reason not seeming to have any of the apparatus of a town to draw upon. People must flock to live in this town, because the property taxes must be incredibly low if the town's mayor runs things with just the help of three friends. The fact that the three friends have wacky powers is just is, without any explanation. It just doesn't feel like it holds together, with the threats feeling fairly hollow.



Yozakura Quartet, vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

CBG Review: Fruits Basket, vols. 1

We have also reviewed Fruits Baskets, vol. 13.

I have written a review for Fruits Basket, vols. 1, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Fruits Basket, vols. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

CBG Review: Megatokyo vols. 1-4

I have written a review for Megatokyo vols. 1-4, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Megatokyo vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 and vol. 4 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

CBG Review: 0/6, vols. 1 + 2

As a way to get around the Conflict of Interest problem that I mentioned yesterday, I will be featuring (for a little while anyways) some of the my CBGXtra reviews that I have not previously linked to that date from before the conflict.

I have written a review for 0/6, vols. 1 + 2, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



0/6, vols. 1 and vol. 2 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

Blog Update

Ferdinand (me, in other words) has just now signed a contract with TokyoPop to provide a pilot manga for them. This presents a Conflict of Interest on my part with TokyoPop, but since TokyoPop puts out a sizeable chunk of the new titles, it will be hard to for me to stop reviewing all of them. I can tell you my reviewing style won't change, and I will try as much as possible to push reviewing TokyoPop titles off to Miranda. In the cases in which I can't, I will remind people in the review about my Conflict of Interest.

-Ferdinand

I Wish..., vol. 1

By Hyun-Joo Seo
Released in the US by TokyoPop


Slugline: The granting of wishes with no monkey paw in sight!

Jin Ryu was left behind when her parents and brother went on vacation, and in a moment of spite wished that their plane would crash. Of course, their plane really does crash and Jin, ridden with guilt, goes to a sorcerer K who will grant a wish in return of what is most precious of the wisher. Unfortunately, his rule is that he cannot bring the dead to life. And since Jin has seen him, he cannot let her go without her making a wish. So Jin ends up being K's assistant, and observes (and usually tries to help) the people who come to K looking for wishes to solve their problems.

Many of these sort of stories seem to revolve around the monkey paw type of a wish, a wish whose intentions rebound on the wisher so that he receives what he wants in the most horrible way possible. I Wish... is different, in that while there are consequences to the wish, and what is taken in payment is often unexpected, if the wish rebounds unexpectedly, so far it does so in a way that the wisher would actually prefer if he knew. There is also an unexpected relationship between K and Jin's dead brother, which implies that Jin herself is more than one would expect. Also of interest is that the chapters are of much longer than one would expect, with only three stories in this volume. I am not sure if the published format for this story is longer than normal or that several episodes have been edited together to form longer chapters. Either way, this is a different but still well done entry in the wish-fulfilling genre of stories.



I Wish..., vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

SERIES UPDATE: Loveless, vols 4-7

Feel free to check out our previous reviews for Loveless, vol. 1 and Loveless, vol 2&3.

The story drifted a bit, introducing characters who may or may not become more interesting, some bits of intrigue and some ass-dragging on Ritsuka's part. But in vol. 6, he demands to visit this Septimal Moon that has been mentioned and lo, in vol. 7 we are making progress. A diversion of sorts is begun in vol. 7 with the likely goal of making a team of Ritsuka and Soubi. It's sure to have repercussions later, no mystery about that.

And the short stories at the end of some volumes are cute too.



Loveless vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 6 and vol. 7 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

.hack//G.U.+, vol. 1

Story by Tatsuya Hamazaki with Art by Yuzuka Morita (corrected)
Released in the US by TokyoPop


Slugline: Griefers can cause real grief over the fuzzy line of reality and the computer in the .hack world.

I may be one of the five people on the planet that doesn't know or apparently care that much about the .hack franchise. I do like the fact they are talking aboutgriefers AKA Player-Killers. Those are the folks whose game is to deny others the game. But many of the other elements of the story come from any one a half dozen cyberpunk, the computer is alive style games that date all the way back to TRON. Oh look, player's injuries affecting their real life status, the idea of rogue systems, missing mentors wandering back into people's life and so on. Add into it a heavy amount of the traditional fighting story elements, such as revenge and the desire for one to be stronger, as if you can suddenly add muscle mass just by yelling really loudly. Yet I am still giving this an average rating, despite those issues. Maybe I have been reading too muchshoujo and the like recently, but I do find most of the characters well done and they take full advantage of the possibility of the non-logical appearance in the computer world and run with it. If I had just read a bunch ofshonen I would have been less forgiving, but I find this okay, even if it does not make much of an impression.



.hack//G.U.+, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

CBG Review: Shin Megami Tensei KAHN, vol. 1

I have written a review for Shin Megami Tensei KAHN, vol. 1, available on The Comic Buyer's Guide website. Please remember that the CBG website uses a 4 star rating. Check it out!



Shin Megami Tensei KAHN, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand