#IReadsYou Review: TRINITY SEVEN Volume 20

TRINITY SEVEN, VOL. 20
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Kenji Saito
ART: Akinari Nao
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Anthony Quintessenza
ISBN: 978-1-9753-1041-7; paperback (April 2020); Rated “M” for “Mature”
164pp, B&W with some color, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Trinity Seven is a fantasy and romantic-comedy manga series from writer Kenji Saito and artist Akinari Nao.  It has been serialized in Fujimi Shobo's shonen manga magazine, Monthly Dragon Age, since 2010.  Yen Press is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a graphic novel series.

Trinity Seven focuses on Arata Kasuga.  He is living an ordinary life with his cousin, Hijiri Kasuga, in a small town.  Everything changes when the “Black Sun” appears and causes something called the “Breakdown Phenomenon” to happen.  This “happening” destroys their small town and makes Hijiri vanish before Arata's very eyes.  Determined to eradicate the Breakdown Phenomenon and get Hijiri back, Arata enrolls at Royal Biblia Academy, a secret school for mages.  This new life is tough, but by Arata's side are seven beautiful girls.  They are known as “Trinity Seven,” and each girl is a master of her own magical art.

As Trinity Seven, Vol. 20 (Chapters 87 to 91) opens, Arata and Hijiri are walking to school when the Black Sun appears.  Now, Arata has to save his cousin again... or maybe, things are not what they seem.  Arata is trapped in a powerful spell, the “Nostalgic Library,” and the allure of it may be too much for him to escape.  Can Trinity Seven help the young “Demon Lord” candidate find the strength he needs to emerge from this dream and confront a powerful enemy?

The Trinity Seven manga is the latest Yen Press manga that is new to me.  Although the series is deep, deep into the narrative, some Internet research will help the reader play catch-up – to an extent.

Trinity Seven Graphic Novel Volume 20 digs deep into the central premise of the series, and that is the fact that Arata Kasuga is really important.  Much of the story here involves magical fantasy battle manga, but there is a lot of exposition and multiple levels of dream worlds to overcome.  The ever versatile Christine Dashiell provides an informative and entertaining English translation, so readers simply need to go along with the story that writer Kenji Saito and artist Akinari Nao are telling.

The ending suggests that there are some big story events ahead.  I have to admit that I am curious, although I had mixed feelings about Vol. 20.

6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: MURCIELAGO Volume 14

MURCIÉLAGO, VOL. 14
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Kana Yoshimura as “Yoshimurakana”
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Alexis Eckerman
ISBN: 978-1-9753-0793-6; paperback (April 2020); Rated “M” for “Mature”
194pp, B&W, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Murciélago is a manga from writer-artist Kana Yoshimura (stylized as Yoshimurakana).  The manga has been serialized in the manga magazine, Young GanGan, since 2013.  Yen Press has been producing an English-language edition of the manga since 2017.

Murcielago focuses on a young woman named Kuroko Koumori, a former mass murderer.  She gets her dream job when she becomes a hitwoman and hired assassin for the Tokyo police force.  In a city overflowing with heinous crimes and violence, Kuroko's targets are other mass murderers that are deemed unstoppable by normal means.  For her, a license to kill others leads to some serious job satisfaction, but Kuroko still has time for the ladies.

As Murcielago, Vol. 14 (Chapters 91 to 97) opens, Kuroko continues to pursue an investigation of a string of murders involving corpses drained of blood.  Now, Kuroko and her hulking buddy, Urara, descend into the sewers to rescue Narumi from an adversary who has an all-too-familiar face.

Meanwhile, Narumi is determined to escape with the other young women who are held captive by this deranged and blood-crazy killer.  However, Narumi has a broken leg, and the maze-like underground sewer tunnels make the odds of their escape grim.  For Kuroko and Urara and for Narumi and the other captives, it is a race against the clock as the killer prepares for the next meal.

[This volume includes bonus comics.]

The Murcielago manga is another title that is new to me.  I am surprised at how unfamiliar I am with Yen Press' catalog, but luckily, I now have a Yen Press rep to help me discover new titles.

Murcielago Graphic Novel Volume 14 is the first volume of the series that I have read, but I found that this volume, at least, was easy to follow even with me being new to the series.  Besides, Murcielago's premise is pretty straightforward, and as an action-horror manga, readers will quickly figure out the good girls, the bad girls, and the ugly.  Creator Kana Yoshimura offers something that really makes for good action-horror fight comics and battle manga – intense fights.

Murcielago is also yuri or lesbian manga, as romance and romantic pursuits between women are open and seem like nothing different from other tales of love, romance, and sex.  Murcielago seems a bit too mature or at least too edgy to be called “girls' love.”  Or perhaps that is my reading of Christine Dashiell's translation.  That aside, I find Murcielago's premise intriguing, so I would like to read future volumes or go back to earlier volumes.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You


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#IReadsYou Review: DRAGON BALL SUPER Volume 6

DRAGON BALL SUPER VOL. 6
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Akira Toriyama
ART: Toyotarou
TRANSLATION: Toshikazu Aizawa, Christine Dashiell, and Caleb Cook
LETTERS: Paolo Gattone and Chiara Antonelli
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0520-7; paperback (September 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Dragon Ball was a long-running Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.  It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995 and was comprised of 519 individual chapters.  The hero of Dragon Ball was Son Goku, and the series began with the story of his childhood.

Dragon Ball Super is written by Toriyama and drawn by Toyotarou, a writer-artist who works on Dragon Ball spin-off manga.  Dragon Ball Super has been published in the Japanese manga magazine, V Jump, since June 2015.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series since May 2017, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Dragon Ball Super is a sequel to the Dragon Ball manga and to the “Dragon Ball Z” anime series.  This sequel is set several months after Goku's victory that brought peace back to Earth.  Goku and his friends must defend Earth, this time from fighters from other universes and timelines.

As Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 6 (Chapters 29 to 32; entitled “The Super Warriors Gather!”) opens, the “Zen Exhibition Match” between the “Gods of Destruction” comes to an end.  And the Lords of Everything are bored, so they change some rules.  Now, the “Tournament of Power” will only feature mortals, and gods are forbidden.

Each universe that competes must field ten warriors, which means that Goku and friends have to recruit Universe 7's mightiest warriors.  But they must win because the universes that lose will face complete destruction.

[This manga includes the sketchbook section, “Toriyama Sensei's Corrections,” which features Akira Toriyama's corrections of Toyotarou's character designs and story pages.]

THE LOWDOWN:  Because of a scattering of review copies I received, I became an occasional reader of the Dragon Ball manga.  I do enjoy reading the manga, and the Dragon Ball Super manga is a nice fresh start for new readers... at least I think so.

Dragon Ball Super Graphic Novel Volume 6 follows the changes that began with Vol. 2.  This saw the series move on from its original premise – the fight between Universes 6 and 7 – to this current battle of the universes.  After several volumes dealing with Goku and company's epic battle against the multi-universal villains, Zamas and Goku Black (which ended in the middle of Vol. 5), Toriyama and Toyotarou move readers deeper into the “Tournament of Power” story line.

Vol. 6 may be the volume that I have enjoyed the most.  It is mostly battle manga and some comedy-drama about the gathering of warriors.  It promises much battle manga fun to come, so I'll keep reading... and recommending this to you, dear readers, who happen to be Dragon Ball fans.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for more Dragon Ball manga will want to try the “Shonen Jump” title, Dragon Ball Super.

A
8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: DRAGON BALL SUPER: Volume 5

DRAGON BALL SUPER VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Akira Toriyama
ART: Toyotarou
TRANSLATION: Toshikazu Aizawa, Christine Dashiell, and Caleb Cook
LETTERS: Paolo Gattone and Chiara Antonelli
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0458-3; paperback (May 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Dragon Ball was a long-running Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.  It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995 and was comprised of 519 individual chapters.  The hero of Dragon Ball was Son Goku, and the series began with the story of his childhood.

Dragon Ball Super is written by Toriyama and drawn by Toyotarou, a writer-artist who has produced Dragon Ball spin-off manga.  Dragon Ball Super has been published in the Japanese manga magazine, V Jump, since June 2015.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series since May 2017, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Dragon Ball Super is a sequel to the Dragon Ball manga and to the “Dragon Ball Z” anime series.  This sequel is set several months after Goku's victory that brought peace back to Earth.  Goku and his friends must defend Earth, this time from fighters from other universes and timelines.

As Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 5 (Chapters 25 to 28; entitled “The Decisive Battle! Farewell, Trunks!”) opens, Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks continue their battle on the “Future Parallel World” of Universe 7.  Their adversaries are “Goku Black” and Zamas, who have now fused into “God Zamas,” a being even harder to beat than its formidable progenitors.  And just when Goku and Vegeta think that they have beaten God Zamas, their problems multiple...

Next, Goku has been itching for an “interuniverse tournament” that would pit the greatest fighters of 12 universes against one another.  It turns out that two “Lords of Everything” want the same thing.  Thus, begins the “Tournament of Power,” in a way most unexpected by many beings, including Goku!

[This manga includes a bonus story that was originally published in the Jump Victory Carnival Official 2017 Guidebook.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I began as an occasional reader of the Dragon Ball manga, and I do enjoy the franchise.  The Dragon Ball Super manga, which is a nice fresh start for new readers, has made me a semi-regular Dragon Ball reader.

Dragon Ball Super Graphic Novel Volume 5 follows Vols. 2 to 4, which moved the series beyond its original premise – the fight between Universes 6 and 7, and introduced the villains Zamas and Goku Black, as well as a future parallel world.  I will play spoiler and say that by the middle of Vol. 5, that Zamas-Goku Black story arc is resolved... with finality.  I'm glad, as I was tired of this story line.

This “Tournament of Power” feels like a return to classic Dragon Ball battle manga.  In between the end of the previous story line and the beginning of the next, Toyotarou draws a fantastic, fifteen-page battle between Vegeta and Beerus, which makes this one of the better recent volumes.  He also draws a large group of new characters, which makes this volume sound like a must-have for Dragon Ball manga fans.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for more Dragon Ball will want to try the “Shonen Jump” title, Dragon Ball Super.

A
8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: AFTER-SCHOOL BITCHCRAFT Volume 1

AFTER-SCHOOL BITCHCRAFT, VOL. 1
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Yu Shimizu
ART: Kazuma Ichihara
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Phil Christie
ISBN: 978-1-9753-9922-1; paperback (March 2020); Rated “OT” for “Older Teen”
194pp, B&W with some color pages, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Hokago Bitchcraft is a manga from writer Yu Shimizu and artist Kazuma Ichihara.  Yen Press is publishing an English language edition of the manga in North America as a series of graphic novels, entitled After-School Bitchcraft.

After-School Bitchcraft, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 6) introduces high school student, Ririka Kirise, a “gyaru,” or “party-girl fashion” type.  This style-savvy high school girl is also serious about keeping up with her chemistry class, although she struggles with the subject.  Looking for some help, she opens the door to her teacher's office and inadvertently breaks his magic barrier in the process.

It seems that Renji Fuyumi is both a high school teacher and a sorcerer.  Unbeknownst to Renji, Ririka also has the makings of being a sorceress herself.  Before she knows it, Ririka is Renji's apprentice, and she finds herself wrapped up in the world of witchcraft and stuck in some sticky situations.

[This volume includes four color pages; an “Extra” manga (Episode 4.5); an “Afterword” by Yu Shimizu and Kazuma Ichihara; and “Translation Notes.”]

The After-School Bitchcraft manga has an unusual name.  What is “bitchcraft?”

After-School Bitchcraft Graphic Novel Volume 1 does not introduce us to a high school teenage girl who is a “bitch,” not as far as I can tell.  The first volume presents, in Ririka, a girl who is very powerful, but who is more of a “klutz” or “ditz” type.  However, she is a likable, and readers may find themselves wanting to discover the world of magic through her eyes.  Writer Yu Shimizu, who is also an author of light novels, hints at a complicated and dangerous world of magic that Shimizu is bound to unveil before readers' eyes as the series unfolds.

The art and storytelling by artist Kazuma Ichihara is playful and is filled with “fanservice,” in the form of panty-shots, T&A, and Ririka's curvy figure and bountiful bosoms (which always seem ready to burst forth like eager and playful puppies).  Christine Dashiell's translation plays up the aspects of this story that are a sexy romp and teases the parts of the story that deal with this world of mysterious magic.  Letterer Phil Christie splashes fonts and word balloons across the pages that make this story pop even when it is being teasing and frivolous.

I don't know if After-School Bitchcraft will be exceptional, but the first volume does make me curious about the second volume.  Plus, it is hard to resist Vol. 1's cover art, which features the number “1” emblazoned in red on Ririka's ample left breast.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: COYOTE Volume 2

COYOTE, VOL. 2
SUBLIME MANGA/Daria – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Ranmaru Zariya
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0253-4; paperback (July 2019); Rated “M” for “Mature”
184pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S. (6.99 digital), $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Coyote is a yaoi manga from manga creator, Ranmaru Zariya.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Coyote follows a werewolf and the pianist who fall in love although their families are murderous rivals.

Coyote introduces a young man named “Coyote.”  In order to conceal that he is a werewolf, Coyote avoids getting too involved with humans, but he frequents a bar where a young man, who calls himself “Marleen,” is a pianist.  Marleen is interested in Coyote and just won’t take “No!” for an answer, but when Coyote goes into “heat,” he succumbs to the pianist.  Marleen, however, is really 28-year-old Josh Galland, the only heir of the Galland mafia family.  Although estranged from his family, Josh is being drawn into the Galland's long war against werewolves.

Coyote, Vol. 2 (Chapters 5 to 8) opens with Coyote in Marleen's bed.  When Coyote leaves, Marleen has him tracked to find out where the werewolves live in the city.  Coyote has a female werewolf associate named “Mimi,” and Marleen has an associate named Allen Brown, and each one has some news to report.  When Coyote discovers that Marleen is really Josh Galland, things fall apart.

Also, werewolf leader, Kiefer, has decreed that Coyote lead a killing raid against the Gallant family.  So what will Coyote and Marleen do?  Will they choose love or family?

[This volume includes the additional story, “Sweet Days 7, Scene 5: A Week at Marleen's Place.”]

As I wrote in my review of the first volume of the Coyote manga, I am a fan of werewolf fiction, although I don't often find much of it that I like.  That is why I treasure Stephen King's illustrated novella, “Cycle of the Werewolf,” and its film adaptation, Silver Bullet.  I am also a fan of the films, An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, and of the probably-forgotten novel, Tombley's Walk.  I am happy to have discovered the Coyote yaoi manga, thanks in part to a review copy from my VIZ Media rep.

Coyote Graphic Novel Volume 2 dives deep into the conspiracy and into the Romeo and Juliet-like feud at the center of this series.  Vol. 2 reads like urban fantasy more than it does as erotic fiction or yaoi manga.  Yes, there is an intense sex scene that opens this volume, and six pages of it are in vivid color.  Still, this volume is driven by conflict and dilemma and by character and plot.  I found myself really drawn into that, to the point that I could not stop reading.  If this were not a yaoi manga, it would still be a really good manga.

Ranmaru Zariya is a good storyteller, and the art in this series has a strong sense of realism, in addition to being some of the best that I have come across in yaoi manga.  Christine Dashiell's translation makes the conspiracies and mafia elements as captivating as the sex, while Mara Coman's lettering captures the many layers of this narrative.

Also, the additional story in Vol. 2, “Sweet Days 7, Scene 5: A Week at Marleen's Place,” is your booty-call after-drama mint.  If you need at least two hot sex scenes in your yaoi manga, this bonus at the back of the volume delivers.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at SubBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, Tumblr at http://sublimemanga.tumblr.com/, and Instagram at @sublimemanga/.


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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Yaoi Review: FOURTH GENERATION HEAD: Tatsuyuki Oyamoto

FOURTH GENERATION HEAD: TATSUYUKI OYAMATO
SUBLIME MANGA (Shinshokan) – @SuBLimeManga

MANGAKA: Scarlet Beriko
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: James Dashiell
EDITOR: Hope Donovan
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0710-2; paperback (August 2019); Rated “M” for “Mature”
232pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato is a yaoi manga from creator Scarlet Beriko (Jackass!).  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  SuBLime Manga recently published Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato in English as a standalone graphic novel.

Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato (Chapters 1 to 8) introduces 24-year-old Tatsuyuki Oyamato.  He is the fourth generation heir of “the Oyamato Syndicate,” Japan's largest yakuza organization.  Tatsuyuki, however, is not interested in being a yakuza boss, but enjoys being a playboy.  After Tatsuyuki has an erotic encounter with a masseur, Oyamato Syndicate retainer, Asoda, decides to send the wayward heir on an “adventure” to the city of Fukuoka.

Not long after arriving, Tatsuyuki is practically kidnapped and raped by a man who claims to have a past with him.  But who is this Nozomi Koga?  If he did know Tatsuyuki in the past, was Nozomi different?  And just how connected to Tatsuyuki and Nozomi's pasts is the loan shark, Uichi Roga?

[Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato includes extra material, including an illustrated “Afterword;” the manga short story, “Personal Space,” and another manga, “Bonus.”]

One thing that I can say with utmost confidence is that the Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato manga is intense.  The second thing I can say confidently is that this manga depicts dirty, crazy lust.

Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato features sex – rough and passionate and consensual.  Sometimes, the story does present that kind of romance novel did-not-say-yes-but-did-not-say-no lovemaking.  I guess it's kind of rapey.  The truth is that Tatsuyuki and Koga have so much personal baggage from their respective childhoods that it would make sense that creator Scarlet Beriko would have her lead characters be a little troubled, both in personality and in attitude.  But they grope, thrust, hump, lick, and suck their way to happiness and happy-ever-after.

I have to be honest.  The yakuza angle and subplots don't really work.  It all seems forced and contrived, but translator Christine Dashiell makes the best of it in English.  Still, I cannot call this some kind of romance slash crime-drama.  It is a yaoi manga.

Beriko's compositions are loose and fluid, sometimes shifting and impressionistic.  Her art fits this story of mercurial personalities and conniving liars.  James Dashiell lettering perfectly conveys the secrets and lies and the cries and whispers... and the sounds of sex.  “Pant,” “thrust,” “slap,” and “Ha” make frequent appearances as sound effects.

Fans of truly explicit yaoi manga and of highly melodramatic boys' love with want to read Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato.

A
8 out of 10

https://www.sublimemanga.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: GANGSTA: Cursed Volume 5

GANGSTA: CURSED, VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Kohske
ART: Syuhei Kamo
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Eric Erbes
EDITOR: Leyla Aker
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0156-8; paperback (June 2019); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 U.K.

Gangsta: Cursed is a seinen manga (comics for adult men) from writer Kohske and artist Syuhei Kamo.  It is a prequel to Kohske's crime manga, Gangsta, and was originally published in the Japanese manga magazine, Quarterly Comic Go Go Bunch, from 2014 to 2018.  VIZ Media published the manga in English as a five-volume series of graphic novels entitled Gangsta: Cursed, under its “VIZ Signature” imprint.  VIZ's series recently came to an end.

Gangsta: Cursed is largely set in the crime-ridden city of Ergastulum.  The story explores the dark and violent past of key characters from Gangsta, with a focus on Marco Adriano a.k.a. “Spas.”  “Hunters” find and kill “Twilights,” humans who have powers and abilities that normal humans do not.  Spas belongs to the most notorious group of Hunters, the quintet known as “The Second Destroyers,” but he is loosing his sense of “justice.”

Gangsta: Cursed, Vol. 5 (Chapters 14 to 18) opens in the aftermath of Spas killing Maverick, fellow Hunter and his mentor.  Spas has come to believe that Twilights are not monsters, but that he, as a prolific killer of Twilights, is the monster.  Now, Spas must confront the rest of “The Second Destroyers” (a.k.a. the “Second Destroyers Group”):  Beretta, Minimi, and especially Striker.  This rift in Spas and Striker's moral stances will scar them forever.

Plus, Don Luca Cristiano and Galahad gather the remaining Twilights as the recent violence against their community subsides.  Don Luca and his wife, Shelly, welcome their first child into the world, but it is another child that the Don welcomes into his larger family that will generate consternation.

[This volume includes bonus manga, “0.5” and four-panel comics.]

I had told you, dear readers, that I was initially skeptical of the Gangsta: Cursed manga.  After reading the first volume of Cursed, I was impressed.  The series certainly offered a lot of kinetic action scenes and plenty of ultra-violence.  Gangsta: Cursed is written the original series' creator-writer-artist, Kohske, and is drawn by Syuhei Kamo.

Gangsta: Cursed Graphic Novel Volume 5 is the final volume of this series.  It is like the rest of the series, but it is the best volume by far.  Perhaps, because this volume is the concluding one, it has clarity of purpose – depicting the costs that the main players pay for their actions.  Kohske and Kamo balance the displays of savagery with the theme of redemption.  Can redemption come to someone who has committed as much savagery as Spas?  This questions permeates every panel of this graphical narrative.

So the impressive fight scenes and explosive actions scenes repeat in Vol. 5.  However, the final volume, with its explorations of forgiveness and revenge, makes the entire series worth reading.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: GANGSTA: Cursed Volume 1

GANGSTA: CURSED, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Kohske
ART: Syuhei Kamo
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Eric Erbes
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9054-7; paperback (December 2016); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 U.K.

The edgy crime manga, Gangta, has a prequel.  It is entitled Gangsta: Cursed, and it explores the dark and violent past of key characters from Gangsta.  Cursed is written by the creator-writer-artist of Gangsta, Kohske, and is drawn by Syuhei Kamo.

Gangsta: Cursed, Vol. 1 (Chapters 0 to 3) introduces Marco Adriano, when he was young.  Before he was a loyal and beloved member of the Cristiano Family, Marco was “Spas.”  He belonged to the Destroyers Second Group, a five-member squad that hunts and brutally kills “Twilights,” humans born with power and abilities that normal humans do not have.  Marco kills and kills, slaughtering and cutting Twilights as if they were meat, but then, he is confronted by a horrifying truth.

If I understand correctly, the Gangsta: Cursed manga is a spin-off series from the original Gangsta that focuses on the origins and back stories of several of the main characters of the main series.  I like that because the flashbacks are some of the best story lines in Gangsta.  [I'm a sucka for flashbacks in manga, in general.]  Artist Syuhei Kamo does an uncanny impersonation of Kohske's drawing style, so that is so more continuity in this new series' favor.

In terms of the violence, Gangsta: Cursed Graphic Novel Volume 1, the opening salvo, looks and plays out like a regular volume of Gangsta, but with a slight difference.  I don't remember any one volume of Gangsta depicting as much carnage as Gangsta: Cursed Volume 1 does, and the original can be pretty graphic when depicting mayhem.  When I first heard about this manga spin-off prequel, I didn't think that we needed more Gangsta, but the gory horror fan in me does indeed want more Gangsta: Cursed.  I recommend it to Gangsta fans who want to swim in more blood.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: FIRE PUNCH Volume 1

FIRE PUNCH, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Tatsuki Fujimoto
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: Snir Aharon
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9717-1; paperback (January 2018); Rated “M” for “Mature”
208pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Fire Punch is a science fiction and action manga from creator Tatsuki Fujimoto.  The series began publication in the Japanese manga magazine, Shonen Jump+, in April 2016.  [The series' original Japanese publication has apparently ended in January.]  VIZ Media recently started Fire Punch's English-language publication in a series of graphic novels under its VIZ Signature imprint.

Fire Punch introduces Agni and Luna are siblings.  Like “the Ice Witch,” they are among “The Blessed,” people born with abilities to perform miracles.  Not all of “The Blessed” are friendly.  Some are murderers, like the man who destroys Agni and Luna's village.

Fire Punch, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 8) opens on a world of ice and cold.  It wasn't always that way, until “the Ice Witch” made it so.  Agni walks this world, an instrument of revenge – a walking thing of fire and regeneration.  In the city of Behemdorg, he will find his target.

The Fire Punch manga opens with surprises.  It is a tough-minded, dystopian thriller that goes in unexpected directions.

Fire Punch Graphic Novel Volume 1 introduces a world that is icy and snow-covered, but this unrelenting whiteness is not “as pure as the driven snow.”  Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto offers four chapters that are edgy and a narrative that is so mercurial that it challenges the author's breakdown of this story into chapters.  Initially, Fire Punch feels likes a juvenile fantasy, but it takes a violent turn and becomes a cold-blooded thriller.

I think that the characters will dominant this narrative, which is now dominated by this series' muscular settings and tough environments.  These characters are dangerous, and Fujimoto delights in making everything about them unexpected.  When it comes to surprises, this story continually delivers a Fire Punch to the gut.  Seriously, Fire Punch is dark, invigorating, and startling and it makes an early bid as one of the best comics of 2018.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Yaoi Manga Review: JACKASS! Volume 1

JACKASS!, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA – @SuBLimeManga

MANGAKA: Scarlet Beriko
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: James Dashiell
EDITOR: Hope Donovan
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9644-0; paperback (October 2017); Rated “M” for “Mature”
242pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Jackass! is a yaoi manga from manga creator, Scarlett Beriko.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Jackass! is a romantic comedy about the love and lust that ensues when someone accidentally puts on a pair of pantyhose.

Jackass!, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 6) introduces Keisuke, an ordinary high school student living with his older sister, Akiko.  Keisuke has a best friend named Shinoda Masayuki, who is handsome and carefree, and who is also from a wealthy family.  In fact, Masayuki is so stunningly handsome that he can (and often does) have any girl he wants.

The trouble starts one day when Keisuke accidentally wears a pair of Akiko’s pantyhose to gym class.  Suddenly the hot friend Masayuki is rubbing his hands on Keisuke’s pantyhose-clad legs!  Has Keisuke unwittingly unleashed a secret fetish that will change their relationship forever?  Masayuki certainly thinks so.

[This volume includes the bonus story, “The Shino-Hara Household” and an “Afterword” in manga form.]

Wow.  I have read quite a bit of yaoi manga, and I have come across numerous unusual scenarios.  Pantyhose as the impetus that turns friendship into romance:  no, that is new.

Jackass! Volume 1 is truly a romantic comedy, however.  Creator Scarlet Beriko seems determined to offer humorous sexual situations, and she does not rely only on sexual innuendo.  In addition to the Keisuke-Masayuki relationship, Jackass! presents other promising romantic relationships and entanglements, including one between a teacher and a student!

Don't think that Beriko denies her readers depictions of sex.  The main story ends with a bang:  condoms, mutual masturbation, fondling, and more.  On the back cover, one of the characters is wearing a t-shirt with a slogan – the kind of slogan that promises a yaoi manga of wild fun.

A
8 out of 10

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at SubBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, Tumblr at http://sublimemanga.tumblr.com/, and Instagram at @sublimemanga/.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------------------

Komomo Confiserie: My Boyfriend's Girlfriend

I posted a review of Komomo Confiserie Volume 3 at the ComicBookBin.

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Toriko Vs Heracles!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 32: Vs. Heracles

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Komomo Confiserie: Friend-Girl Rise Kaname

I read Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Rin-ne: I Don't Know You, Man...

I read RIN-NE, Vol. 19

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Toriko: Onward to the Gourmet World!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 30: Onward to the Gourmet World

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World Trigger: Outsmart Thy Neighbor

I read World Trigger, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Toriko: World's Greatest Gourmet Hunter!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 29: World's Greatest Gourmet Hunter

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Review: KOMOMO CONFISERIE Volume 1

KOMOMO CONFISERIE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Maki Minami
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8139-2; paperback (September 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

The works of manga creator, Maki Minami, include Kanata no Ao (Faraway Blue), S•A (Special A), and Voice Over! Seiyu Academy.  VIZ Media is publishing her new series, Komomo Confiserie, under the company’s “Shojo Beat” imprint, with new volumes scheduled for release in print and digitally on a quarterly basis.  Komomo Confiserie is available digitally via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores.

Komomo Confiserie focuses on Komomo Ninomiya.  As a little girl, 6-year-old Komomo delighted in picking on 5-year-old Natsu Azumi, the son of her family’s pastry chef.  Ten years later, her family fortune is lost, and 15-year-old Komomo has no place to live.  She encounters Natsu again.  He is a 15-year-old prodigy patissier who has returned to Japan to care for the family business, Méli-Mélo, a confiserie.  Now, Natsu the master pastry chef will help Komomo, but only if she works for him at his new confiserie!

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens with a recollection of the past, 10 years earlier.  Komomo is a spoiled princess, who picks on young Natsu.  The truth is, however, that she loves the sweet treats the boy can prepare, even at his young age.  In the present day, Komomo is broke, living in a boarding house, and keeps losing her wage-slave jobs.

Her savior arrives, and he even has a new place for her stay – right above the family confection shop.  He's the boss, and now, he delivers the torments.  Meanwhile, Natsu's pal from France, 23-year-old Yuri Lacroix, is coming to join the fun.

[This volume includes two bonus manga.]

I am not sure that I will enjoy the Komomo Confiserie manga as much as I enjoyed creator Maki Minami's previous manga, Voice Over! Seiyu Academy.  But there is a chance that I will.

Komomo Confiserie Volume 1 introduces a heroine in Komomo Ninomiya that has potential.  She is naive, but worldly.  She is bedraggled, but determined to be on top again.  She is a crybaby with the stiff spine of a stoic.  Yes, Komomo Confiserie has potential, and I want to see what the next volume has to offer.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Rinne: Eat Eat Shrooms

I read RIN-NE, Vol. 18

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