#IReadsYou Review: THE WATER DRAGON'S BRIDE Volume 10

THE WATER DRAGON'S BRIDE, VOL. 10
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Rei Toma
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Abby Lehrke
LETTERS: Monaliza de Asis
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0503-0; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

The Water Dragon's Bride is a shojo romance and fantasy manga from writer-artist Rei Toma (creator of Dawn of the Arcana).  It was serialized in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Cheese!, from 2015 to 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as an 11-volume graphic novel series from 2017 to 2019.

The Water Dragon's Bride focuses on Asahi.  She is a modern-day girl who is pulled into a pond and is whisked away to a strange and mysterious new land.  She meets a boy, Subaru, the son of a prominent family from a nearby village, but his mother immediately dislikes Asahi and plots to sacrifice her to the god of the Great Lake.  The Water Dragon God wants Asahi to be his wife, and though she refuses, some locals still see her as a priestess.

As The Water Dragon's Bride, Vol. 10 (Chapters 37 to 40) opens, the Water Dragon God has transferred his powers to Asahi.  Now, the “water priestess” is going to put an end to the god of darkness, Tokoyami's plot to cover the world in darkness.  First, Asahi is going to have to change the heart of Kurose, a boy from her world, who is the god of darkness' pawn.

Then, Asahi is confronted with another problem.  Why has the Water Dragon God fallen asleep?  Can she save him?

[This volume includes the four-panels comics, “The Water Dragon God's Chill Zone” and bonus manga.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Water Dragon's Bride manga can sometimes suffer from a sense of the sameness.  However, as the series approaches its conclusion, it recovers some of the edginess it showed in its earliest chapters.

The Water Dragon's Bride Graphic Novel Volume 10 is the penultimate volume of the series.  Like the previous two volumes, it is out to offer surprises.  Creator Rei Toma digs deep into Kurose's despair and also reveals more about the first moments in the human boy's relationship with the god of darkness (whom the boy named “Tokoyami”).  Toma also confronts the status quo of the relationship between her star-crossed lovers, Asahi and the Water Dragon God.

So the series is headed for a substantial ending (hopefully) that will probably be consequential.  I would be surprised if Toma gave us only easy answers as she resolves this relationship.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Rei Toma will want to try the “Shojo Beat” title, The Water Dragon's Bride.

A
8 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 reprint and syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: ANONYMOUS NOISE Volume 18

ANONYMOUS NOISE, VOL. 18
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Ryoko Fukuyama
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Casey Loe
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1078-2; paperback (January 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Anonymous Noise is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ryoko Fukuyama.  The series was serialized in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yumi (Hakusensha), from April 2013 to January 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as an 18-volume graphic novel series, cover dated from March 2017 to January 2020, under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.

Anonymous Noise focuses on Nino Arisugawa.  When she was a child, Nino experiences two heart-wrenching goodbyes.  The first is Momo Sakaki, to whom she loves to sing, but he suddenly moves away.  Next is the young songwriter, Kanade “Yuzu” Yuzuriha, who nicknames Nino, “Alice.”  Before he moves away, he tells Nino that she should sing instead of scream.  Now, Nino is in high school and is the lead singer of the band, “In No Hurry to Shout” a.k.a. “In No Hurry.”  She is reunited with Momo and Yuzu, but things are complicated...

As Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 (Chapters 99 to 104) opens, Nino is busier than ever, working hard to be a better singer.  The single, “Contemporary,” her latest duet with the band, Girlless, has just been released.  In No Hurry is still on hiatus, and although Yuzu has returned from his sojourn to Europe with his mother, he has so much classwork for which he has to make up.

Before they know it, however, summer arrives, and In No Hurry is performing at Rock Horizon – on the much sought-after “Horizon Stage.”  So what does the future hold for everyone?  Will Yuzu reconcile his past with his present.  Where is Nino's relationship with Momo going?  How will Nino resolve her feelings for Yuzu so that In No Hurry can keeping hurrying along?

The Anonymous Noise manga will keeping on rocking, long after the series ends.  This tale of love and rock music is kind of a never-ending story.

Anonymous Noise Graphic Novel Volume 18 is the final volume of the series.  I am late getting to it, as Vol. 18 was published in early January of this year (2020).  Creator Ryoko Fukuyama offers a perfectly happy ending, and although I don't want to spoil it for you, dear readers, I can say that everyone gets most of what he or she wants.  Yuzu gets to keep loving Momo and Yuzu, but in a different way for each young musician.  Is it happily ever after?  Who really wants that?  I can say that I would not be surprised to see future Anonymous Noise one-off or one-shot type sequel stories.

To the end, Casey Loe does excellent work on the translation and English adaptation, capturing the hope, happiness, and sense of the future in this series.  Letterer Joanna Estep finishes her work on Anonymous Noise with a crescendo and with a smile.  Everyone on both sides of the Pacific made Anonymous Noise a manga and graphic novel series worthy of being a perennial favorite.

A
9 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 reprint and  syndication rights and fees.

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Review: AN INCURABLE CASE OF LOVE Volume 1

AN INCURABLE CASE OF LOVE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Maki Enjoji
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0931-1; paperback (October 2019); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomade mo is a “josei” manga (comics for adult women) from Maki Enjoji, creator of the Happy Marriage?! manga.  “Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomade mo” was serialized in the Japanese magazine, Petit Comic, from February 2016 to January 2019.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language version of “Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomade mo” in a graphic novel series, entitled An Incurable Case of Love.

An Incurable Case of Love, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces Nanase Sakura.  Five years ago, she witnessed a handsome and charming doctor save a stranger’s life.  Inspired by this mystery physician, Nanase trains to become a nurse.  On her first day as a new nurse, Nanase meets the doctor again.

However, Dr. Kairi Tendo turns out to be nothing like the man she imagined or remembered him to be.  He is so harsh and blunt, especially with her, that Nanase nicknames him “Dark Lord.”  But, of course, there is more to him than she realizes.

The An Incurable Case of Love manga is not a typical “Shojo Beat” romance manga.  For one thing, it has a “mature” rating and is a “josei” manga, and secondly, the romantic lead characters are both adults with serious adult responsibilities.

An Incurable Case of Love Graphic Novel Volume 1 is also the first time that I have read a manga set largely in a hospital and focusing on a nurse and a doctor.  I have enjoyed romantic manga starring people who worked in the food industry, in the banking industry, and in the entertainment industry.  I have enjoyed love stories featuring aliens, magical girls, and vampires, to name a few supernatural types.  But no medical personnel, as far as I can remember.

An Incurable Case of Love also focuses on two characters badly at odds with one another.  Nurse Nanase and Dr. Tendo clash so much that them getting together might take some willing suspension of disbelief.  The hospital setting also presents sick and dying patients... yikes!  JN Productions translation ably mixes the drama and the couple's sparring, and Inori Fukuda Trant's lettering captures the frequent shifts in mood.  So this first volume is an interesting read.

I am curious about An Incurable Case of Love; this first volume is not great, but it does have potential.  I think this series is certainly worth two reads; by then, I'll have an idea how strong this series is going to be.

7 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BLOODY MARY Volume 10

BLOODY MARY, VOL. 10
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Akaza Samamiya
TRANSLATION: Katherine Schilling
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
EDITOR: Erica Yee
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9809-3; paperback (March 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
166pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Bloody Mary is a shojo vampire manga from creator Akaza Samamiya.  The manga was serialized from 2013 to 2017 in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Monthly Asuka.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of Bloody Mary in a series of graphic novels from 2015 to 2018.

Ichiro Rosario Di Maria is a high school student and a priest, but he also has the “Power of Exorcism,” which enables him to kill vampires.  He meets the vampire, Bloody Mary, who is unlike most vampires because he is both immortal and has red hair.  Bloody Mary wants to die, and Ichiro offers to kill him, but first...  Ichiro wants to kill every other vampire on Earth, and Mary will be his bodyguard.

As Bloody Mary, Vol. 10 (Chapters 37 to 39 to Final Volume) opens, the secret of Mary and “Mary” has been revealed.  Bloody Mary was once a boy named Maria, who had a twin brother named Mary, a weak and ailing boy.  Bloody Mary's alter-ego, “Mary,” a vicious vampire, was an attempt to revive Mary.  In a bid to save Bloody Mary/Maria, Ichiro will make a choice with tragic consequences.  Can Bloody Mary save Ichiro?  And what of Hydra, the female vampire who loves “Mary?”

[This volume includes a postscript and the bonus story, “And Then.”]

In my previous reviews of the Bloody Mary manga, I stated that I liked the series because I liked vampire manga, especially of the “Shojo Beat” variety, which Bloody Mary is.  I found that, over time, the narrative grew stronger as the number of personalities, living and deceased, grew.

Bloody Mary Graphic Novel Volume 10 is the final volume of the series.  It actually ended March of 2018, but I lost track of the series and of my copy of Vol. 10.  Well, it was good to get to the end, although I think that there is back story in this series still to be mined.

The translation by Katherine Schilling makes the most of these final chapters by creator Akaza Samamiya, emphasizing the themes of redemption and resolution.  The lettering by Sabrina Heep captures the lyrical and dream-like quality of this final go-round of Bloody Mary.  Hopefully, new fans of vampire manga will discover this unique spin on vampire fiction.

A
8 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: SNOW WHITE WITH THE RED HAIR Volume 2

SNOW WHITE WITH THE RED HAIR, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Sorata Akiduki
TRANSLATION: Caleb Cook
LETTERS: Brandon Bovia
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0721-8; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Snow White with the Red Hair is a shojo manga from creator Sorata Akiduki.  It focuses on a feisty herbalist who saves a prince from a poisoned apple, and, in turn, is saved by him.

In Tanbarun Kingdom, there is born a girl with beautiful hair that is as red as apples.  When she grows into young womanhood, Shirayuki's red hair earns her the unwanted attention of Prince Raj of Tanbarun.  Prince Zen, the second prince of the neighboring Clarines Kingdom, rescues Shirayuki and brings her to Wistal, Clarines' capital.  Zen moves her into Wistal Palace, where Shirayuki hones her skills as an herbalist, and thus, a love story begins.

As Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 2 (Chapters 5 to 8) opens, Shirayuki begins her apprenticeship as a “court herbalist.”  She also meets her mentor, Ryu, who is a prodigy as an herbalist.  But he is 12-years-old!  Later, Shirayuki joins Zen and a small military contingent as they travel to Fort Laxdo.  There, Shirayuki earns her first official duty – quell an illness that has struck down the men of the fort.

[This volume includes the manga short story, “Connect Us,” and bonus manga pages.]

I did not read the first volume of the Snow White with the Red Hair manga.  My VIZ Media rep sent me the second volume, and I found that I did not have a difficult time figuring out the story dynamics of the series.

Snow White with the Red Hair Graphic Novel Volume 2, if this is your first volume, will introduce a cast of likable characters.  I find myself intrigued by the fact that Shirayuki is an herbalist, and I like the offbeat manner in which creator Sorata Akiduki is developing the relationship between herbalist and prince.  Akiduki adds more than a touch of darkness by introducing an important character late in this volume.  Snow White with the Red Hair is not great, but fans of The Water Dragon God may find that this is their kind of shojo manga.

B+
7 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 or syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BEHIND THE SCENES!! Volume 7

BEHIND THE SCENES!!, VOL. 7
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Bisco Hatori
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-9768-3; paperback (August 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Urakata!! is a shojo manga (comics for teen girls) from creator Bisco Hatori (Ouran High School Host Club).  Urakata began publication in 2014 in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, LaLa.  In 2016, VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of Urakata!! as a series of graphic novels under the title, Behind the Scenes!!

Behind the Scenes!! focuses on 18-year-old, Ranmaru Kurisu, who blames himself for everything.  As an outcast from a village of fisherman, Ranmaru is not crazy about people and is not crazy about being around them.  He is now a first year student as Shichikoku University (“Shichi U”), and while he initially planned on trying to find a group into which he could fit, he is back to being his old isolated self.  Then, fate brings him into contact with “The Art Squad.”

As Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 7 (Chapters 34 to 38 to Last Scene) opens, the members of the Art Squad prepare for change.  It is the final year for their chief, Ryuji Goda, who has decided to embark on directing a film.  Meanwhile, Tomu Tenba worries that he has no talent.  Ruka Enjoji decides to leave the squad because of family troubles at home.  Soh Kobora goes on her first date.  Izumi worries about his amnesia, and Maase may give up her love zombies.  So is it up to Ranmaru Kurisu, the newest member of the Art Squad, to save the spirit of the squad.

[This volume includes bonus text and art and a glossary.]

The Behind the Scenes!! manga is all about making costumes, make-up, and special effects for film and theatrical productions and also for festivals and events.  Clearly, creator Bisco Hatori has done her research well.

Behind the Scenes!! Graphic Novel Volume 7 is the series' final volume.  I think that there is a lot left to say, so this volume seems like a hurry to an ending.  However, Hatori does not wrap things up in a neat bow – quite the contrary.  Readers will find that there is a world of possibilities for her characters, as their lives will go on Behind the Scenes!!  This is not the best volume of the series, but readers will like this final volume's hope for the future ending.

B+
7 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: DAYTIME SHOOTING STAR Volume 1

DAYTIME SHOOTING STAR, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Mika Yamamori
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0667-9; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Daytime Shooting Star is a shojo manga from creator Mika Yamamori.  The series was originally serialized in The Margaret, a Japanese manga magazine, from 2011 to 2014.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a graphic novel series, entitled Daytime Shooting Star.

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 7) introduces 15-year-old Suzume Yosano, a girl who lives in a small rural town that does not have convenience stores, cafés, or traffic lights.  When her parents suddenly announce that they are moving to Bangladesh, they also tell that Suzume that she will be moving to Tokyo to live with her uncle, Yukichi Kumamoto.

Not long after arriving in Tokyo, Suzume has a fainting spell.  She is rescued by a odd young man, who turns out to have a surprising connection to her uncle and to her high school.

In some ways, the Daytime Shooting Star manga is a typical high school shojo manga.  It is about a girl who falls in love, after all.

Daytime Shooting Star Graphic Novel Volume 1, however, strikes many odd and offbeat notes.  I don't want to spoil anything just yet, but Suzume's new Tokyo home offers surprising relationships.  Suzume even forces a taciturn boy to be her friend, and she also makes a “frenemy.” And there is a shocking confrontation.

Mika Yamamori's wide-open illustration style and pretty figure drawing (especially the nice-looking characters who have big eyes) are attractive on the page.  As far as the art goes, Daytime Shooting Star reminds me of Io Sakisaka's Ao Haru Ride.  As for the story, JN Productions throws down a tart translation that captures the narrative's edginess which bubbles beneath the surface.  I think shojo fans will latch onto this series, especially for its potential to surprise.

8 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT: Memories Volume 3

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MEMORIES VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0515-3; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight is a vampire romance and shojo manga from creator Matsuri Hino.  It was published in the magazine, LaLa, from 2004 to 2013.  It has been collected in 19 tankōbon (similar to a graphic novel), and VIZ Media has published the manga in the United States as an English-language, paperback graphic novel series.

A few years after the end of the original series, Hino began producing a series of “special chapters.”  These are episodes of Vampire Knight that take place after the events depicted in Vampire Knight Volume 19, which contained the final chapters of original manga.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language translation of the new chapters in a graphic novel series, Vampire Knights: Memories.

Vampire Knight focuses on Yuki Cross, a student at the vampire (the “Night Class”) and human (the “Day Class”) school, Cross Academy.  Headmaster Kaien Cross is her stepfather, but Yuki eventually learns that she is a pure-blood vampire.  Her first love interest is Zero Kiryu, a human suffering from the curse of the vampire.  Yuki eventually falls in love with Kaname Kuran, a pure-blood vampire.  At the end of Vampire Knight, Kaname sacrifices his body to create new vampire-killing weapons for the vampire-hunting Hunter Society.

Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 3 opens with the chapter, entitled “Bond.”  Yuki and Zero encounter old friends, now aged, and new enemies.  All that pales next to the strength of their bond, and now, they have decided to become a couple.  In “Memories of Those Who Have Gone,” Kaien Cross reminisces about the photographs he took and the memories they recall.  Vampires Ruka and Akatsuki become engaged in the story, “Wedge,” and they marry in “Till Dust Do Us Part,” which also finds Yuki and Zero make decisions about their relationship.

[This volume includes the bonus stories, “A Vampire Who Claims that Friendship is the Source of Life” and “What is to Come;” a four-panel manga, “Memories of Little Consequence;” and “Editor's Notes.”]

In general, I enjoyed the Vampire Knight manga, although I was not a fan of the final graphic novel, Vol. 19.  I liked the first volume of the Vampire Knight: Memories manga, but I thought the second volume was stronger.

Vampire Knight: Memories Graphic Novel Volume 3 maintains the increase in the quality of drama that Vol. 2 presented.  I like that Cross Academy is back in play, but I am also intrigued by the increasing tensions between various factions of humans and vampires.  Intrigue will apparently yield acts of terrorism, double-dealing, double agents, and perhaps, some kind of biological warfare.

Best of all about Vol. 3 is the romance.  We have a wedding, a beautiful one that occurs at night.  The new state of affairs between Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu promises a resurgence of Vampire Knight.  How long will this “sequel” last?  Hopefully, it will last several more volumes – if love and war are the order of the Day (Class) with the creatures of the Night (Class).

A
8 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KAKURIYO: Bed and Breakfasts for Spirits Volume 1

KAKURIYO: BED & BREAKFAST FOR SPIRITS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Waco Ioka
ORIGINAL STORY: Midori Yuma
CHARACTER DESIGNS: Laruha
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0372-2; paperback (January 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Afterlife Inn Cooking is a Japanese light-novel series written by Midori Yūma and illustrated by Laruha.  Wako Ioka has been producing a manga adaptation of the series for Enterbrain's josei manga magazine, B's Log Comic, since 2016.  VIZ Media has started publishing an English-language graphic novel edition of the manga under the series' English title, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces a young woman named Aoi Tsubaki.  She inherited her grandfather, Shiro's ability to see the spirits known as ayakashi (yokai).  Aoi also inherited his massive debt to the ayakashi, and now, she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo (the spirit world) to settle that debt.

Aoi's options are limited.  She can marry Kijin a.k.a. “the Ōdana, who is the ogre and the owner of “Tenjin-ya,” the inn where her grandfather incurred so much debt.  Or she can be eaten by demons.  But Aoi is determined to settle affairs on her own terms.

I was interested in reading the Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits manga after first learning about it via a VIZ Media press release.  Luckily, my VIZ media representative sent me a copy of the first volume for review.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a delight.  Before I continue this review, however, I must admit to you, dear readers, that I am a huge fan of yokai manga.  Kakuriyo does not have prettiest art that I have ever seen in a yokai manga, nor are these most imaginative ayakashi characters I have ever come across (at least so far in the narrative).

What Kakuriyo does have is a fantastic lead in Aoi Tsubaki, a young woman who is stout and determined no matter what is against her.  Aoi has “street smarts” in the fact that she is always on the lookout for someone or some spirit that might try to harm her or to take advantage of her.  An engaging character like Aoi, who is full of curiosity, is worth following.

8.5 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review AO HARU RIDE Volume 1

AO HARU RIDE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Io Sakisaka
TRANSLATION: Emi Louie-Nishikawa
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0265-7; paperback (October 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Ao Haru Ride (also known as Blue Spring Ride) is a shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka.  The series was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Margaret, from February 2011 to February 2015.  VIZ Media is publishing this manga in English as a series of graphic novels, entitled Ao Haru Ride, available in both print and digital editions.

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 1 (“Unwritten” and Chapters 1 to 3) introduces Futaba Yoshioka, a middle school girl who cannot stand boys.  That is the case until she meets Kou Tanaka, and she is immediately smitten with him.  Kou moves away before Futuba can really express her feelings.  Now, she is in high school, and she sees a boy who looks like Kou.  But is he the same boy in which she fell in love?

Shojo readers will recognize the illustrative style of the Ao Haru Ride manga.  Creator Io Sakisaka also produced the manga, Strobe Edge, which VIZ Media also published in English as a series of graphic novels.

Ao Haru Ride Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a little different from Strobe Edge.  The main characters, Futuba and Kou, are introduced in a short story, entitled “Unwritten,” which, as a read, is as sweet and as comforting as a cup of warm cocoa.

The main story, which is set in high school and covers three chapters in this volume, is decidedly different.  It is a little edgy and is certainly tart, as Sakisaka deals with such themes and topics as friendship, yearning for the way things were, fake friends, and being true to oneself.  After really liking “Unwritten,” I found myself initially put off by the present day narrative.  It may take awhile for me to truly warm up to this, but I like that the characters are stubborn about being true even if its means being standoffish.  I am curious to read future volumes.

7.5 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 or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SHORTCAKE CAKE Volume 1

SHORTCAKE CAKE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: suu Morishita
TRANSLATION: Emi Louie-Nishikawa
LETTERING: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0061-5; paperback (August 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
176pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Short Cake Cake is a shojo manga created by Suu Morishita (or “suu Morishita”).  The manga began serialization in the Japanese manga magazine, Margaret, in 2015.  VIZ Media is publishing the manga in a series of English-language graphic novels, entitled Shortcake Cake.

Shortcake Cake, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces Ten Serizawa, a freshmen at Nekochiya High School.  In order to attend the high school, however, Ten has a two-hour commute through the mountains, both ways, every school day.  Ten's friend, Ageha Haruno, suggests that she move into the boarding house where Ageha stays.  If she does move in, Ten will have to contend with three high school boys who, to varying degrees, are attracted to her.

[This volume includes bonus manga and eight pages of cover and chapter-page illustrations.]

In the tradition of Honey So Sweet, the Shortcake Cake manga is a like a warm cup of cocoa.  It does manage to be a bit off-beat as far as shojo high school romances go; the boarding house element is the reason.

Shortcake Cake Graphic Novel Volume 1 introduces a nice cast of six boarding house residents, all of high school age, and also the adult “house mom.”  They are all good characters, and I like that there is a bit of tartness to Ten Serizawa.  I found that each character is different from the other, and while they are familiar high school shojo types, they are interesting, maybe even a little intriguing.  I enjoyed reading this first volume and look forward to the second volume.  I think that Shortcake Cake will reveal a bit more edge in upcoming volumes.

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 or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT: Memories Volume 2

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MEMORIES VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0024-0; paperback (August 2018); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight is a vampire romance and shojo manga from creator Matsuri Hino.  It was published in the magazine, LaLa, from 2004 to 2013.  It has been collected in 19 tankōbon (similar to a graphic novel), and VIZ Media has published the series in the United States as a series of English-language, paperback graphic novels.

A few years after the end of the original series, Hino began producing a series of “special chapters,” episodes of Vampire Knight that take place after the events depicted in Vampire Knight Volume 19, which contained the final chapters of Vampire Knight.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language translation of the new chapters in the graphic novel series, Vampire Knights: Memories.

Vampire Knight focuses on Yuki Cross, who eventually learns that she is a pure-blood vampire.  Her first love interest is Zero Kiryu, a human suffering from the curse of the vampire.  Yuki eventually falls in love with Kaname Kuran, a pure-blood vampire.  At the end of Vampire Knight, Kaname sacrifices his body to create new vampire-killing weapons for the vampire-hunting Hunter Society.

As Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 2 opens, Kaname experiences the events that occurred during his thousand-year slumber as memories.  While Kaname sleeps, Yuki and Zero begin a romance and contemplate marriage.  However, vampires begin threatening Zero because he is a vampire hunter, and they do not want him tainting, Yuki, their “pure-blood” princess.

Can Yuki and Zero overcome the forces arrayed against them?  Meanwhile, vampire scientist and inventor, Hanabusa Aido, begins a doomed romance with Sayori Wakaba, a young human woman.  Can either of them really accept the fact that Sayori will suffer the fate of all humans – to die one day, while Zero will not.

As I wrote in my review of the first volume of the Vampire Knight: Memories manga, I did not like the end of the first Vampire Knight manga, especially the “death” of Kaname.  In general, however, I really liked the series, and I enjoyed the prettiness of creator Matsuri Hino's art.

Vampire Knight: Memories Graphic Novel Volume 2 is a little stronger than the first volume.  The series is now more a melancholy supernatural romance, purely so.  The original series deals with the politics of Cross Academy, a school attended by vampires and humans who did not know that vampires attended.  Vampire Knight also focuses on the internal politics and intrigue of vampires and Hunters.

The new series is quite a bit different.  I like its focus on themes of love, family, and obligation.  The five chapters contained in this second volume also deal with how complicated relationships can be and with the fragility of life, especially that of humans.  If fans did not get enough of Vampire Knight, Vampire Knight: Memories is a worthy second serving.

A
8 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 or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KENKA BANCHO OTOME: Love's Battle Royale Volume 2

KENKA BANCHO OTOME: LOVE'S BATTLE ROYALE, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Chie Shimada
TRANSLATION:  JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9911-3; paperback (July 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Original concept by Spike Chunsoft; video game developed by Red Entertainment

A series of video games that debuted a decade ago for the Playstation Portable, Kenka Banchou follows the efforts of a male “bancho” (delinquent) to beat up other delinquents.  Manga creator, Chie Shimada, created a manga, entitled Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys, based on the game, but it focused on a female character as the lead.

VIZ Media is publishing that manga under the title, Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale, which focuses on Hinako Nakayama, an orphaned girl.  She is about to start her first day at the all-girls school, Kotobuki Girls' High School, when she accidentally bumps into a teen boy whose face resembles her face.  His name is Hikaru Onigashima, and he is her long-lost twin.  Hikaru demands that because Hinako has hurt him, she must disguise herself to look like him and take his place at his new school, Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school of delinquents – who fight all the time!

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale, Vol. 2 (Chapters 5 to 8) finds Hinako-as-Hikaru the boss of the first and second year classes.  However, she is in for a surprise when she meets Houou Onigashima, the real Hikaru's older brother, and that means she also has a big brother.

Meanwhile, Hinako is so happy to finally have friends.  She grows closer to Totomaru Minowa, Rintaro Kira, Takayuki Konparu, and Yuta Mirako.  Totomaru and Kira are secretly rivals for Hinako's affections, but it may all end when one of her friends is being forced to leave the school

The Kenka Bancho Otome manga has a familiar premise, as it reminds me of the recent shojo manga, So Cute it Hurts!!, from mangaka Go Ikeyamada.  Kenka Bancho Otome, however, will not run as long at the latter manga did.

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love's Battle Royale Graphic Novel Volume 2 is the final volume of this series.  It is a nice volume as it solidifies the relationship dynamics so that readers can recognize Hinako's immediate circle of friends.  I don't know if there will be more of this series, but this second volume makes me think that there is more story to tell.  In the meantime, I recommend this to fans of gender-switch manga.

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 or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KENKA BANCHO OTOME Volume 1

KENKA BANCHO OTOMO: LOVE'S BATTLE ROYALE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Chie Shimada
TRANSLATION:  JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9910-6; paperback (April 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Original concept by Spike Chunsoft; video game developed by Red Entertainment

Kenka Banchou is a series of video games that debuted in Japan a decade ago for the Playstation Portable.  The games follow the efforts of a male “bancho” (delinquent) to beat up other delinquents.  Manga creator, Chie Shimada, created a manga, entitled Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys, based on the game, but it focused on a female character as the lead.  VIZ Media is publishing that manga as a two-volume graphic novel series, entitled Kenka Bancho Otome: Loves's Battle Royale, under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.

Kenka Bancho Otome: Loves's Battle Royale, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) introduces Hinako Nakayama, an orphaned girl who is about to start her first day at the all-girls school, Kotobuki Girls' High School.  However, she accidentally bumps into a teen boy whose face looks just like her's.  His name is Hikaru Onigashima, and he is her long-lost twin.  Hikaru demands that because Hinako has hurt him, she must disguise herself to look like him and attend the opening ceremony at his new school, Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school of delinquents – who fight all the time!

One might think that a girl has no chance of surviving a school where delinquent boys fight each other to be the #1 boss of his year.  Hinako is full of surprises, and so are some of the boys she meets.

The Kenka Bancho Otome manga has a familiar premise.  After all, dear readers, I just recently guided you through the shojo manga, So Cute it Hurts!!, from mangaka Go Ikeyamada.  That manga followed a twin brother-sister pair that looked identical, or whose faces looked close enough that they could pose as each other.

Kenka Bancho Otome: Loves's Battle Royale Graphic Novel Volume 1 introduces a similar plot of look-a-like twins taking each others place at school, in which the girl must play the tough.  The difference is that in Kenka Bancho Otome, its star female lead is actually quite capable of defending herself against bad boys.  However, the character writing in Kenka Bancho Otome is not as strong as it is in So Cute It Hurts!!

The male supporting characters have potential, but none of them really steps forward as a breakout male antagonist.  Hinako's brother, Hikaru, barely registers as a character; it is almost as if he is merely a throwaway piece used to explain how a girl ends up in an all-boys school.  Still Kenka Bancho Otome is a fun read, and this first volume does end with a tease of a new adversary for Hinako.  That plus Chie Shimada's beautiful art make this worth another look.  Fans of switched-identity shojo manga will want the Shojo Beat title, Kenka Bancho Otome: Loves's Battle Royale.

B
6 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 or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE YOUNG MASTER'S REVENGE Volume 1

THE YOUNG MASTER'S REVENGE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Meca Tanaka
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9897-0; paperback (March 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Young Master's Revenge (Kimi no Koto nado Zettai ni) is a manga (Japanese comics) from creator, Meca Tanaka.  The series is published in the Japanese manga magazine, LaLa.  VIZ Media is publishing the manga in English as the graphic novel series, The Young Master's Revenge.  VIZ Media has also launched The Young Master's Revenge digitally via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores.

The Young Master's Revenge introduces Leo Tachibana.  Leo wants revenge for an incident that occurred ten years ago.  His target is a childhood friend, the rich girl Tenma Tsuwabuki.  When he is reunited with Tenma, however, Leo discovers that she and her family have fallen on hard times.

The Young Master's Revenge, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens as Leo returns to Japan.  His first stop is to visit the home of Tenma, the girl who destroyed his pride.  However, the family business, Tachibana Department Store, is now bankrupt, and Leo finds the Tachibana estate abandoned and in disrepair.  Inside the dilapidated home, Leo finds Tenma scrounging for family heirlooms and treasure that she can sell.  Leo decides if he is to get revenge, he will have to take this sad former “princess” under his care, and make her love him so that he can break her heart.  But will it be that easy?

[This volume includes the bonus manga, “If It's About Me, Keep It Brief” and “Meca Site.”]

Sweet and frothy, The Young Master's Revenge manga is a familiar tale of reunions and ulterior motives.  This series is also from manga writer-artist, Meca Tanaka, the creator of the sweet and delightful shojo manga, Meteor Prince (which VIZ Media published in English back in 2015 in a two-graphic novel series).

The Young Master's Revenge Graphic Novel Volume 1 reveals that Tanaka will bolster this manga's slight premise with supporting characters that are interesting, conniving, and aggressive.  Two of the best are Tenma's jilted fiancé, Gou Gamada, and the student council president, Masaomi Barazono, who is just like one of those rich boy villains out of a John Hughes' teen romantic comedy.

The Young Master's Revenge is not exactly “Shojo Beat” empty calories.  There is some substance inside and a tart cherry on top of the shojo ice cream sundae that is The Young Master's Revenge.  I like it, and I'm giving the first volume a high grade.

8 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 or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: TAKANE & HANA Volume 1

TAKANE & HANA, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Yuki Shiwasu
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9900-7; paperback (February 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Takane & Hana is a shojo manga from creator Yuki Shiwasu.  A romantic comedy, the series uses the familiar “opposites attract” scenario to focus on a female high school student and a young businessman and heir, who both have strong personalities.  The series originally began publication in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yume.

Hana Nonomura is 16-years-old, and she is about to meet a man who could be her husband.  Why?  Her 23-year-old sister, Yukari, has refused to go to an arranged marriage meeting with 26-year-old Takane Saibara, the heir to a vast business fortune.  Hana and Yukari's father works for the company owned by Takane's family.  Fearing that he might lose his job because of Yukari's refusal, their father convinces Hana to be Yukari's stand-in and save face for their family.

As Takane & Hana, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) opens, Hana is sitting with her father in the room where the arranged marriage meeting is to be held, but the perspective groom, Takane, heir to the Takaba Group, is a no-show.  When he does finally arrive, Takane proves to be snobby and condescending, but he is about to discover that Hana may still be in high school, but she is no push-over

[This volume includes a bonus story, “Takane & Hana & Jr.,” an afterword, unpublished scene, and character introductions.]

The Takane & Hana manga is a high school shojo romance in which one of the star-crossed lovers is ten years older than the other.  Still, readers will recognize the familiar tropes of young shojo manga in love

Takane & Hana Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a manga narrative feeling its way in its early chapters.  These first four chapters don't equal exceptional material, but Takane & Hana has potential.  All it needs is a third character (or more) to come between the lead characters.  What creator Yuki Shiwasu offers here promises that more fun is coming.

B+
7.5 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 or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SO CUTE IT HURTS Volume 15

SO CUTE IT HURTS!!, VOL. 15
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Go Ikeyamada
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9328-9; paperback (October 2017); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

So Cute It Hurts!! is a shojo manga from creator, Go Ikeyamada.  Also known as Koba Cute in Japan, VIZ Media has the license to publish an English language edition of the manga,  It released the entire manga as a 15-volume graphic novel series.

So Cute It Hurts!! focuses on a high school girl, Megumu “Mego” Kobayashi,  She has a twin brother, Mitsuru Kobayashi.  Megumu is a full-on otaku and a history nerd, while Mitsuru, the popular and successful high school jock, is terrible at history.  One day, dark-haired Mitsuru concocts the idea that he should put on a blonde wig and dress up as Megumu and attend her school, Tosho High.  Meanwhile, Megumu will wear a dark wig, dress like Mitsuru, and take his history exams.  This is not the last time the twins will switch places, especially when love is involved.

So Cute it Hurts!!, Vol. 15 (Chapters 72 to Final Chapter) opens four years after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and nearly nine years after the story began.  This is the wedding day of Megumu, now 23-years-old, and her longtime boyfriend, Aoi Sanada.  After so much tragedy, can this day be the beginning of happily-ever-after?

[This volume includes two “Bonus” stories; an interview with Go Ikeyamada; the story, “The Goddess Never Turns Back?!” and an “Afterword.”]

The So Cute it Hurts!! manga started out as “T” rated shojo-manga-cute.  The series took a surprising turn as its rating went from “T” (for Teen) to “M” (for Mature), as Megumu and Aoi became... intimate.

So Cute it Hurts!! Volume 15 is the final volume of the series, and it closes the series with a mixture of cute and grown-up.  This “cute,” however, has to do with teen characters who have made the transition into adulthood, and adult relationships and roles.  That includes parenthood and cute kids!  I often find myself having problems with final volumes, but in the final volume of So Cute it Hurts!!, creator Go Ikeyamada gives the characters the happiness they deserve

A
8 out of 10

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.

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Review: KAMISAMA KISS Volume 25

KAMISAMA KISS, VOL. 25
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Julietta Suzuki
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9382-1; paperback (October 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

LIMITED EDITON includes
Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 with a new cover
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9848-2; paperback (October 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $17.99 U.S.
Kamisama Kiss: Kamistravaganza – hardcover art book – 5 x 7 1/2
Hardcover; 64pp, Color & B&W

Kamisama Kiss is a supernatural romance shojo manga from manga creator, Julietta Suzuki.  It was originally published in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yume.  VIZ Media began publishing Kamisama Kiss in English as a paperback graphic novel series in 2010.

The series focuses on high school student, Nanami Momozono.  She was kicked out of the apartment she shared with her father after he left town to avoid his gambling debts.  Later, Nanami saved a strange man named Mikage, so he generously offered her his home.  Nanami later discovered that Mikage had tricked her into taking his job as the tochigami (local god) of the Mikage Shrine.  To make matters worse, Nanami fell in love with her head shinshi (or familiar), Tomoe, a fox yokai who hates humans.

As Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 25 (Chapters 144 to 148 to Final Chapter) opens, Nanami prepares for her final year of high school.  She is getting ready to leave the Mikage Shrine, and she also has been accepted into a junior college.  That means rejoining the human world for good.  Tomoe is ready to become a human and leave the world of the yokai.  Obviously, Nanami and Tomoe will be together, but will they be together as husband and wife?

Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 offers a happy ending that is also bittersweet, which I had expected since I began reading this manga.  This is the end of Nanami and Tomoe's story for now, and the ending and a promised new beginning are as genuinely magical as Kamisama Kiss has ever been.  This is a graphic novel series that deserves to be reread and discovered by new readers.

In commemoration of this final volume, there is a Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 Limited Edition.  It features a cover that is different from the regular edition cover, and it comes wrapped in a bundle with a mini art book, Kamisama Kiss: Kamistravaganza.  The book includes a bonus story set a decade in the future, some full-color art, and some pencil sketches Suzuki drew for the final chapter.  In America, we call those “pencil sketches” pencil art, because they look more detailed than sketches.

A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: QUEEN'S QUALITY Volume 1

QUEEN'S QUALITY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kyousuke Motomi
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Mark McMurray
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9244-2; paperback (September 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Queen's Quality is a paranormal romantic adventure shojo manga from manga creator Kyousuke Motomi, the creator of such series as Dengeki Daisy and Beast Master.  Queen's Quality is also a sequel to Motomi's QQ Sweeper, a series about Soul Cleaners.

One day, Kyutaro Horikita, the cleaning expert of Kurokado Private High School, finds a maiden sleeping in an old room on campus.  She is transfer student Fumi Nishioka, and like Kyutaro, she has a talent for cleaning.  However, the tall, dark, and handsome Kyutaro is also a “Sweeper,” someone who cleans away negative energy from people's heart, and Fumi becomes his apprentice.  Now, comes the second part of their story.

As Queen's Quality, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) begins, Fumi is now part of the Horikita family, living with them in the Horikita mansion.  The family is also part of the Genbu-Kita Clan of “Sweepers,” and she works with them.  Now, a peculiar and odd new man enters her life.  He is Takaya Kitahara, a psychiatrist and an expert in suggestive therapy.

Kitahara is there to guide Fumi who turns out to be a “Queen.”  Queens are women born with an extremely rare power and can control people's minds.  A Queen can force anyone and everyone to do what she wants.  Fumi may become a “Black Queen,” and there are a group of people seeking to turn her into just such a malevolent creature.

QQ Sweeper was offbeat, but did not show the darker side of its narrative until the second half of what was a three-volume series.  Queen's Quality Volume 1 is less offbeat and plays more like a high school shojo romance.  It does not fully show the dark side of its narrative until the fourth and fifth chapters of this five-chapter opening graphic novel.  The dark elements are a thrill to read, and I was disappointed that I had reached the end of the first volume, especially if it was going to give me more darkness.

The parts of the story that deal with romance and with cleaning/sweeping are a mixed bag – sometimes interesting, sometimes not.  Creator Kyousuke Motomi is at her best when she shows her characters facing and fighting darkness, but she seems (at least to me) determined to offer shojo romance.  Well, the fighting-evil parts of the story make it worth putting up with the lovey-dovey parts.

A-
7.5 out of 10

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.

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Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT Memories Volume 1

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MEMORIES VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9430-9; paperback (August 2017); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight was a vampire romance and shojo manga from creator Matsuri Hino.  It was published in the magazine, LaLa, from 2004 to 2013.  It was eventually collected in 19 tankōbon (similar to a graphic novel) and was also published in the United States (by VIZ Media).

Vampire Knight: Memories is a collection of four short stories that continues the world of Vampire Knight.  Written and drawn by Matsuri Hino, these stories delve into the past of some characters, and also explores the relationships between new characters and old.

The series was set in and around Cross Academy, a private boarding school with two classes:  the Day Class and the Night Class.  At twilight, the Day Class students returned to their dorm and crossed paths with the Night Class.  They did not know that the Night Class students were actually vampires.

The series lead was Yuki Cross, the adopted daughter of school headmaster, Kaien Cross, but she later learned that she was also a pure-blood vampire.  Her first love interest was Zero Kiryu, a human suffering from the curse of the vampire.  Together, Yuki and Zero were the Guardians of the school, patrolling the hallways and school grounds to protect the Day Class humans from the Night Class vampires.  Yuki eventually fell in love with Kaname Kuran, her fiancé who was raised as Yuki's sibling.  At the end of Vampire Knight, Kaname sacrificed his body to create new vampire-killing weapons for the Hunter Society.

As Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 1 opens, a peace has been established between the Hunters and the few remaining vampires.  Kaname continues to sleep in an ice coffin, and Yuki has given her heart so that he can be revived as a human.  Yuki and Zero begin a new relationship.  Yuki's birth daughter, Ai, and her adopted son, Ren, seek to learn more about Kaname.  Memories contain four stories that tell about life during the 1,000 years of Kaname's slumber in an ice coffin.

I was not crazy about the end of the Vampire Knight manga, especially the “death” of Kaname.  In general, however, I really liked the series, and I enjoyed the prettiness of creator Matsuri Hino's art.

Vampire Knight: Memories Volume 1 contains four manga short stories:  “Life,” “I Love You,” “Love's Desire,” and “Between Death and Heaven.”  The most poignant segment of this volume is the “Seiren's Side Story” part of “Between Death and Heaven,” which reiterates that while the vampire leads of this series are adorable, most other vampire characters are monsters.

If I understand correctly, there will be more of these “Memories” stories, which I hope is the case.  A lot happens in a thousand years, and there are a number of shocking deaths and demises in the stories of Memories Vol. 1 that need some narrative expanding.  These four stories are, for the most part, a really good addition to Vampire Knight, and I think fans will want to read them and want to read more.

A-
7.5 out of 10

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.

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