Winter Demon, vol. 3

Story by Yamila Abraham with Art and Letters by Le Peruggine
Published by Yaoi Press


Slugline: Oh, those sensitive, tortured gay demon boys…

I have not read the first two volumes and I’m glad to say it’s not necessary to if you can’t find them. For a porn series, this is both well written and well drawn. Life does not revolve solely around sex, for these characters, though there isn’t any skimping on that part either. Everyone is terribly sensitive and considerate and nice, but the story manages to not get bogged down in metaphysical hand-wringing. Nothing too surprising happens, but it’s well presented and the visual storytelling is both clear and nice. That has been a problem with some of the OEL books I have read lately. I’m curious to see what else this creative team has done, and what they will do in the future.

-Miranda

Despite Miranda calling it a porn title, I went through the title to make sure after the problems the blog had earlier, and the title is not explicit. I wouldn't give it to a five year old, but it is R rather than NC-17

-Ferdinand

Winter Demon, vol. 3 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

SERIES UPDATE: Eternal Sabbath (ES), vol. 8

You can read our earlier reviews of Eternal Sabbath vol. 1 here, vol. 2 here vols. 3-4 here and vols 5-7 here.

The series draws to a not-terribly-surprising end, though there's a decent twist or two along the way. After all that's happened, it's no surprise that it comes down to Shuro and Isaac to duke it out, and the end result of the fight is interesting but ultimately not a surprise either. It's a mild disappointment after such a strong start, but on average this is still a four star series aimed at the non-teenaged reader. I will be looking forward to Fuyumi Soryo's next manga.



ES vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 6, vol. 7 and vol. 8 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

In the End

by Pink Psycho
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop


Slugline: A shallow tour of a teenage wasteland.

This is saved from getting a Dishonorable Mention by fairly good artwork.

Kaito has settled comfortably into the role of a whipping boy as a teenager, and apparently can't think of anything to do besides lay around the house provoking his father or lay around his favorite club looking for other people to emotionally abuse him. It's just a matter of time before easy meat like Kaito is picked up on by a more substantial predator like Ren, lured in with a bit of manipulation and stroking, and then it falls apart.

This could have been an ugly look at the real world of abuse, but instead the author wants the reader to feel some kind of sympathy for Ren without putting enough work into describing Ren's motivations. And Kaito's change of heart speaks more to his lack of self than any real change. Thus, the ending rings false after a string of predictable incidents that don't convey much in the way of "romance."

I was never a punk or a goth, but I also feel vaguely insulted on their behalf because this story will, in the eyes of a parent, reinforce the idea that punk/goth kids are lost and vulnerable and can be "saved" by getting them into a more normal wardrobe. Most of the people I knew who wore lots of black or dyed their hair were far more vibrant and stable than the go-with-the-crowd types.



In the End is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Fever, vol. 1

by Hee Jung Park
Published in the US by Tokyopop


Slugline: Screw-ups and lovelorn of Korea, unite!

The structure of this volume is nice and tidy: we meet Hyung-In, we meet Ji-Jun, and Kang-Dae brings them all together for a first meeting. What happens next is anyone's guess, but if the dialogue maintains this quality and Bong-Nam the spaniel sticks around, I will too.

Hyung-In is wrestling with the consequences of her friendship with an unpopular girl. Ji-Jun is...unlucky, in more ways than one, and more or less adrift in life. And Kang-Dae is the sort of scattered oddball that could make things interesting. Bong-Nam brings the drool and a waggy tail.

4 stars, with a bullet.



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

-Miranda

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

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

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

SERIES UPDATE: The Drifting Classroom, v. 7 - 9

You can read our previous reviews of Drifting Classroom vol. 1, Vols. 2 & 3, and Vols. 4-6.

The kids continue to slog through their unfolding disaster, and now some gaps are starting to show in the manga-ka's apocalyptic future. The biology does not really work. Some scenes are blatant info-dumps that don't make a lot of sense in the context offered. The abilities of sixth graders are pushed to their believable limits. And the third descent into Lord of the Flies mode is not quite as interesting as the first two.

Still, there are a few character moments and interesting context in this mid-70s look at a post-apocalyptic world. In a time when Americans were worrying about nuclear war, at least one manga-ka saw climate change as a global threat.



The Drifting Classroom vol. 7, vol. 8 and vol. 9 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

SERIES UPDATE: Eternal Sabbath, v. 5 - 7

You can read our earlier reviews of Eternal Sabbath vol. 1 here, vol. 2 here and vols. 3-4 here.

Through these volumes, Shuro and Mine try to influence Isaac by way of his friend Yuri. Although they make careful moves, things take a turn for the worse. Isaac does show some signs of human emotion, but he doesn't know how to act on them correctly. In the process of erasing his "mistakes" he sets off another encounter with Shuro. When the scene escalates, Isaac actually seems off balance due to the emotional fallout from Yuri, and the plot begins to shift in a new direction.

Tough subjects are tackled in these three volumes -- child abuse, the stresses of parenting -- and this series will be staying on my short list!




ES 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

SERIES UPDATE: The Demon Ororon, vols. 3-4 of Ultimate Edition

To see our review of the first half of The Deomon Ororon, the Ultimate Edition, click here.

At the end of v. 2, Chiaki has an Akira moment and destroys most of town. For final two volumes, however, all she does is scream and cry, making no real attempts to do anything. Around her, various demons come and go, nameless flunkies get picked off, and general havok reigns.

The politics of deposing the King of Hell were more interesting to me than Chiaki's crying over Ororon's suffering, since they were more novel. However, wading through the usual philosophical monologues to get to the politics makes for slow going. As it drags to its end, this story becomes less a romance and more an exercise in masochism. And as Ororon lies bleeding, Chiaki's inability to even try to help becomes more and more annoying.



The Demon Ororon, Ultimate Edition is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

The Demon Ororon, vols 1-2 of Ultimate Edition

by Hakase Mizuki
Published in the US by Tokyopop as a Ultimate Edition


Slugline: The king of hell shacks up with an angel's child. Much violence ensues.

The Ultimate Edition is so thick I'm making two reviews out of it.

Ororon is the king of hell. Chiaki is the daughter of the archangel Michael, though she didn't know at first. She wants him to stay with her, which he does, and they start acting in the manner which in manga is referred to as "love." If you're new to manga, you might think that they're roommates who get along fairly well, but in manga this qualifies as being madly in love.

In the first two volumes, a short settling-in period punctuated by attacks by various predators leads to the start of a more serious assault on Ororon and the arrival of more interesting characters such as Ororon's brother Othello and Mitsume the one-armed assassin. Othello and Mitsume are responsible for most of the fun and emotional fireworks in the second half of the collection.

Due to the art style, everyone's limbs are a mile long, genders are indistinct and sometimes it's hard to tell people apart. I didn't find the first two volumes inspiring, though they were competent, but there's two more to come.

The Demon Ororon, Ultimate Edition is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Shaman Warrior, v.1

By Park Joon-Ki
Published in the US by Dark Horse


Slugline: We're introduced to the action-heavy world of shaman-based fighters. Sort of.

So much time is spent on the action, in fact, that almost nothing is said about what a "shaman warrior" actually is. Little is said about our apparent main character, Yarong, too -- but that doesn't matter because this first volume is something of a bait-and-switch.

The action is gritty and un-glamorous, which is fine, and a bit of back story is provided, but this is ultimately more of a prologue than a first volume. And as such, I don't know where the story will go from here except, probably, to more combat. Which is fine, too, but I have no reason to expect that there will be anything more than that.



Shaman Warrior, v.1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Orfina, v.1

by Kitsune Tennouji
Published in the US by CMX


Slugline: A military fantasy version of "The Prince and the Pauper" complete with assault weapons and fiery dragons.

The inclusion of guns as the enemy's strange new weapon comes across as rather unoriginal in a manga -- the genre has a history of strange and fantastic weaponry, so a 9mm or a shotgun is downright mundane in this context.

Otherwise, this fantasy world is presented in a fairly standard manner with a fairly standard cast of characters, particularly Fana who is more competent injured and in her undies than the entire Royal Guard.

Princess Orfina's country is being invaded, and though either innocence or incompetence the kind does not go out to investigate, issue any orders, or do more than worry out loud until the enemy is at the gates. By the end of volume 1, the capital city is well on its way to falling.

I didn't find the story compelling and the art is in a somewhat older style than readers may be accustomed to. It's all right, but unless volume 2 pulls out some real surprises, I doubt I would keep reading.



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

-Miranda

SERIES UPDATE: Trinity Blood vol. 2 & 3

To check out our earlier reviews of Trinity Blood, you can click here for Miranda's review of vol. 1 and here for the link to Ferdinand's review at CBGXtra. Also, here is a review of Trinity Blood: Return on the Mars, vol. 1 The Star of Sorrow.

By the end of v.3, signs of the larger plot and the factions involved are emerging. Some are more interesting than others, but on the whole they are keeping me involved in the series. On the down side, the arrival of some visually complicated opponents means that the action sequences require careful reading. Also on the down side, all Sister Esther has to do to get called "exceptional" is not be totally useless. But still, Trinity Blood will stay on my short list for the time being.



Trinity Blood vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Gyo, vol.1, 2nd ed.

By Junji Ito
Published in the US by Viz


Slugline: A man-made horror story more in the vein of "Godzilla" than"Ringu."

This story starts out well enough, traditionally creepy, then bizarre, and then a good chase sequence. After that, things start to lose momentum a bit and an awkward scientific explanation retroactively drains the tension from the earlier chase scene. The story sticks to its guns, but by the end I was losing interest as the loose ends began to pile up. I was also starting to remember the “Land Shark” skit from SNL, which was distracting. (For people who are too young to remember, here is a Naruto AMV set to the original skit. There is a naughty word on the screen at the very end, so just close your eyes for that bit.)

The characters included a standard-issue girlfriend, a mildly crazy scientist and a guy. The funniest inadvertently funny line came when the girlfriend worried the guy would leave her, when she got sick with The Terrible Disease Humans Invented, because she wasn’t pretty anymore. Yes, dear, your being dead will have nothing to do with it, I’m sure.

Sea critters on legs swarming up the beach is a weird and potent image, but the lack of monster motivations and the sketchy scientific side don’t help at all. There were some good moments, but on the whole this was a mild disappointment. Maybe all will be better explained in the next volume.

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

-Miranda

SERIES UPDATE: Saihoshi the Guardian: Omnibus ed.

Please check out our review for Saihoshi the Guardian, vol. 1.

If you missed picking up Saihoshi before it sold out, there’s good news – Yaoi Press is reprinting both volumes in one book, with the addition of some chibi strips and sketchbook art. I didn’t get to volume 2, so I’m glad I got a review copy of the combined volume. Despite Saihoshi’s silly giant scissors, this is easily one of the most entertaining yaoi stories I’ve read. I’m not saying it’s great literature, but considering the genre standard, it’s not to be missed.

Saihoshi will be available November 26 (2007) and it ought to sell briskly, so if you’re a yaoi fan keep your eyes peeled for it.

-Miranda

Just My Luck

By Temari Matsumoto
Published in the U.S. by Blu


Slugline: More yaoi about confused, lonely boys falling prey… um, I mean, finding true love.

“Just My Luck” is a three-part story and the remainder of the volume is shorter yaoi stories. The main story has its interesting elements, involving Asahi’s bad luck and an anti-jinxing kiss, but does not have time to do much with them while filling out a standard-issue series of events involving a mildly competitive friend and a few past mysteries. “Mechanism of Love”, one of the short stories, also has some interesting elements and gets in more character work even though it’s shorter.

But on the whole there’s nothing exceptional about this volume. All the tops have gigantic shoulders and creepily long fingers. All the bottoms are waifish, lonely, and some have memory problems.



Just My Luck is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Miranda

Heaven!!, v 1

By Shizuru Seino
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop


Slugline: The “god of good times” starts skin-riding the school’s “yankee” and turns him into a bishonen – while the yankee watches from the body of a stuffed monkey. Wackiness ensues!

The story is nominally supposed to be about Rinne, who can whack spirits with her magic paper fan, but she’s really only a prop. It’s Keiju and Uzaki’s story.

When Uzaki gets hit by a truck and dies, Keiju hops into his body and his godly aura makes an instant heartthrob out of the troublemaker. When Uzaki complains about Keiju “ruining his reputation” as a badass, he gets turned into a stuffed monkey. This does not stop the complaining, but it does make it more interesting. Spirits and bodies trade places a few times and everybody’s well on their way to confusion and comedy.

Amusingly, I find the “yankee” version of Uzaki cuter than the bishie version… probably because when I was in high school, guys did their hair that way. Yes, I’m old. Anyway, this book did get some laughs out of me even though the deck was stacked against it – the art is mostly rough and flat, and the dialog is nothing to write home about – so maybe I will look for volume 2

Heaven!!, v 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda

Me2, v.1

By Sho Murase
Published by Tokyopop

Slugline: (cue Queen music) She’s going slightly mad… she’s going slightly mad… it finally happened, happened…

Nominating this one for “OEL That Looks Most Japanese, 2008”. Even though it reads left-to-right, this volume is full of goth-y sensibilities, ornate details, Japanese names, and mean bullies. Like Boogiepop Phantom or Chevalier d’Eon, there is a channeled protector and/or budding multiple-personality disorder in Aki, school outcast who recently lost her older brother. Thanks to the bullying of the mean girls and semi-clueless parents, Aki is starting to experience “lost time” when her ass-kicking, suave and mysterious defender starts appearing.

The volume looks great, reads well, and had me stopping and asking “Is this a backwards manga? A manhwa? It’s really an OEL?” even though the story and the characters are rather familiar. Some people don’t read OELs because they’re not “authentic” – well, this one sure does feel authentic.

Me2, v.1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Miranda

Missing, v.1

a.k.a. Kamikakushi no Monogatari
by Gakuto Coda, art by Rei Mutsuki
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop



Slugline: Kyoichi, anti-emo gothboy extraordinaire, pulls his friends into his obsessions. Next stop... the Twilight Zone.

I go into these manga just about blind -- I don't even read the blurb on the back cover, most of the time -- so the fairly shojo-flavored cover and the moderate oddities in the first part of the book left me completely unprepared for the sudden turn into CREEPYLAND. Kyo's friends stumble, with convincing innocence, straight into his secret obsession with the paranormal, and then start looking for answers and deciding to help him, whether he wants it or not.

The quite effective creepy scene is followed by a fair block of exposition, which while necessary is also not nearly as much fun. As the beginning of a story, it lays out the plot objective and some of the problems and characters in a neat package, but what will happen next is not exactly clear. This "literature club" does not seem to have the resources to track a vanished friend through a shadowy, paranormal reality.

Mutsuki-san's artwork is breezy -- there's an intermittent, invisible breeze mussing everyone's hair just so -- and nicely composed. And according to the back of the book, yes we'll all have the chance to read the story again as a light novel, if you're into that sort of thing.

Tokyopop labeled this series "Mystery" but we don't have a tag for that. Hopefully this mention will snag any searches for mysteries.



Missing: Kamikakushi No Monogatari, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda