#IReadsYou Review: YONA OF THE DAWN Volume 16

YONA OF THE DAWN, VOL. 16
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Mizuho Kusanagi
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Lys Blakeslee
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8798-1; paperback (February 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Yona of the Dawn is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mizuho Kusanagi.  It has been serialized in Hakusensha's shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yume, since August 2009.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series since August 2016 under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.

Yona of the Dawn focuses on the only princess in the Kingdom of Kohka, Yona.  She lives an ideal life, and her father, King Il, dotes on her.  Her faithful guard, Son Hak of the Wind Tribe, protects her.  Yona even cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, her cousin Lord Su-won of the Sky Tribe.  However, everything changes for Princess Yona on her 16th birthday when the king is killed and Hak is blamed.  Soon, Yona is on the run with Hak, but she is determined to reclaim her throne.  To do so, she begins a journey to find the Four Dragon Warriors.

As Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 16 (Chapter 89 to 94) opens, Yona and her companions continue their fight against the drug known as “nadai,” which has spread swiftly through the coastal towns of the “Water Tribe” territories.  Their fight has earned them the ire of the nadai's kingpin, the drug dealer, Hyo, who has called on his allies in South Kai to help him defeat all those who have massed against him.

Now, a fleet of South Kai ships sails into the waters of the port town of Sensui.  Can Yona and her friends stop Hyo and his allies?  Can Yona's new friend, Lady Riri, the pampered princess of the Water Tribe's chief, General Jung-Gi, convince enough of her people to follow her?  Plus, Yona comes face to face with a dear friend turned adversary.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Yona of the Dawn manga concludes its adventure into the land of the Water Tribe, one of five tribes that comprise the Kingdom of Kohka (Sky, Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water).  This is my favorite story arc of the series, thus far.

Yona of the Dawn Graphic Novel Volume 16 is a tale of two princesses, as was Vol. 15.  Creator Mizuho Kusanagi seems to have initially used this story arc to contrast Yona and Riri.  While Yona seems so brave and self-assured to Riri, readers know that Yona is still discovering herself and what she can do.  Riri, however, is struggling to come into her own, but Kusanagi depicts her as being stronger and more capable than she thinks herself to be.

The fun in reading this arc is not only in seeing the “Nadai conspiracy”play out, but also in watching Riri come into her own, which plays a part in the formation of Yona of the Dawn's next arc.  JN Productions (translation) and Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane (English adaptation) always reveals the romantic side of this shojo historical fiction and romance, but in Vol. 16, they capture the evolution of a princess and the ongoing journey of discovery of another.

Also, in hopes of avoiding spoilers, I can say that in a way, Vol. 16 throws a spotlight on Hak.  His actions here are bound to come back to haunt future story lines...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of historical romantic adventure will want to try the “Shojo Beat” title, Yona of the Dawn.

A+
10 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: FOOD WARS!: Shokugeki no Soma Volume 28

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 28
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0254-1; paperback (February 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a Japanese shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  The manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series since August 2014, first, under its “Shonen Jump Advanced” imprint and then, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira, so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 28 (Chapters 236 to 244; entitled “First-Year Kid”) opens, the “third bout” of the Régiment de Cuisine Shokugeki continues.  There are three cards in each bout of the Régiment, pitting three members of Soma and his allies' group, known as “the Resistance,” against Totsuki's “Council of Ten.”  If the Resistance wins the Régiment, they save their expelled classmates and gain seats on the council.  If they lose, all students connected to the Resistance are expelled and Soma's father becomes a slave... of sorts.

In this crucial “third bout,” Soma will take on the Council's Somei Saito in a battle with butter as the theme ingredient.  In a duel of the sweets, Megumi Tadokoro takes on the Council's cutie-pie, Momo Akanegakubo, in a contest of apple-themed dishes.

Now, it is Takumi Aldini vs. the Council's Etsuya Eizan in a beef battle.  So how will Takumi beat Eizan, after the latter designed his artichoke and beef dish so that it will neutralize the flavors of the former's dish?  Well, Takumi answers with a half-beef and half-cheese pizza!  Say what?!

[The volume includes a recipes and illustrated character profiles and character poll results.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga continues the great shokugeki – a battle of chefs – that will decide the fates of many students.  This manga is almost always at its best when the kitchen is the battleground and cooking is the weapon.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 28 offers a new delight – the ingredient as a blade in a battle of samurai warriors.  Writer Yuto Tsukada and artist Shun Saeki continue to blend character histories and personalities with almost supernatural cooking techniques and inventive chefs.  In Vol. 28, the blade metaphor resonated with me; it is something that sticks out in this volume and makes it memorable.

I am a fan of all three theme ingredients in the third bout:  butter, beef, and apples.  One of the many things that Tsukada and Saeki do so well is make readers believe they can smell the scent of cooking wafting from the pages of a Food War! graphic novel.  Oh, lawd!  The smell of butter melting in a hot skillet is divine.  I love sinking my teeth into a crunchy, crispy apple, and I certainly enjoy apple-based desserts.  And beef, literally and metaphorically... can be so satisfying.  Vol. 27 was a volume to savor, but as the third bout theme ingredients carried over, I found Vol. 28 to be the most savory.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump Advanced” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9.5 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: TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN: Volume 1

TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN, VOL. 1
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGA-KA: AidaIro
TRANSLATION: Alethea Nibley and Athena Nibley
LETTERS: Jesse Moriarty and Tania Biswas
ISBN: 978-1-9753-3287-7; paperback (January 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
178pp, B&W with some color pages, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun is a Japanese manga series by AidaIro, the pen name of an artist named “Aida” and a writer named “Iro.”  It has been serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine, Monthly G Fantasy, since 2014.  Yen Press is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a graphic novel series, entitled Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun.  Yen originally published the first volume as an eBook in August 2017.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5)  introduces Nene Yashiro, an occult-loving girl entering her first year of high school at Kamome Academy.  This school is also infamous for its “school ghost stories” known as the “Seven Mysteries.”  “No. 7” of the Seven Mysteries is the ghost story of Hanako-san of the Toilet.  Said to occupy the third stall of the third floor girls' bathroom in the old school building, Hanako-san, the ghost of former female student, grants any wish when summoned.

“Hanako-san, Hanako-san...are you there?” Nene Yashiro calls out, as she ventures into the haunted bathroom.  The Hanako-san she meets there, however, is nothing like she imagined.  Kamome Academy's Hanako-san is actually Hanako-kun, a boy!

[This volume includes bonus manga, “Teach Me, Hanako-kun: Ideals Arc,” and “Translation Notes.”]

Yen Press launched the print edition of the Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun manga this past January.  The publisher initially released the first volume of the series as an eBook back in 2017.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun Graphic Novel Volume 1 shows all the signs of being a narrative that is very early in the story.  Nene Yashiro and Hanako-kun have potential, but, at this point, creators AidaIro don't focus much on character development.  They zero in on introducing the supernatural world of this series and on bringing in the first supernatural adversaries that the heroes will face.

The art is playful in style, and the graphical storytelling is shadowy and abstract, which heightens the atmosphere of the supernatural and of the otherworldly.  The translation by Alethea Nibley and Athena Nibley conveys the sense of young characters still learning their stations, even in the case of Hanako-kun.  Vol. 1 also ends with a killer of a cliffhanger, and that makes it likely that readers will heavily consider returning for the second volume.

7 out of 10

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


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


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#IReadsYou Review: BLACK CLOVER Volume 14

BLACK CLOVER, VOL. 14
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Yuki Tabata
TRANSLATION: Taylor Engel, HC Language Solutions, Inc.
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0221-3; paperback (February 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Black Clover is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata.  The manga has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since February 2015.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since 2016.

Black Clover focuses on a hopeful boy named Asta.  He and his friend, Yuno, are found abandoned in the village of Hage of the Clover Kingdom.  Asta dreams of one day being the “Wizard King,” the greatest mage in the land.  He has one big problem; he can't use magic.  When he is 15-years-old, Asta receives the rare “five-leaf-clover grimoire” (a book of magic), which gives him the power of anti-magic.  Can Asta become the Wizard King without being able to use magic, and is he worthy of being in the “Magic Knights” squad, “the Black Bulls?”

As Black Clover, Vol. 14 (Chapters 121 to 130; entitled “Black and Gold Sparks”) opens, the “Royal Knights Selection Test” continues.  The Wizard King has announced the formation of the “Royal Knights” brigade, an assemblage of the best Magic Knights.  The purpose of this “ultimate brigade” is to put down the threat of the “Eye of the Midnight Sun,” conspiracy that threatens the Clover Kingdom.  Forty-eight Magic Knights, including Asta and Yuno, have been divided into 16 three-person teams.

Asta and his teammates –  Mimosa Vermillion (royalty) and the mysterious jerk, Xerx Lugner – have made it into the second round.  Now, they must fight to make the second round, and their opponent is led by none other than Mimosa's brother, Kirsch Vermillion, a snobby rich guy.  Speaking of royalty and snobbery, the saga of brothers Finral Roulacase and Langris Vaude causes this selection tournament to take a dark turn.

[This volume includes bonus material:  “The Blank Page Brigade;” an “Afterword;” and sketches.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Black Clover manga is one of the best shonen battle manga available to English-speaking audiences.  I have read five volumes so far this year, and I can't get enough.

Black Clover Graphic Novel Volume 14, like Vol. 13, offers intense battle manga.  However, creator Yuki Tabata delves deeply into one of this series' themes – the idea of the Magic Knights as a group of warriors that encompasses members from all walks of life.  While this theme has arisen in past volumes, it is in Vol. 14 that that class strife rears its most ugly head.

First, we see it in the gentle and humorous interplay between the Vermillion siblings, but the battle of brothers makes class and social differences explode in readers' faces near the end of this volume.  It also makes for a helluva cliffhanger, I promise.

Taylor Engel does some of his best translation work in Vol. 14, which is important because the subtleties of dialogue, especially in arguments, reveal the personalities and the true faces of particular characters.  Annaliese Christman keeps her lettering leaping off the page to grab the reader with exhilarating competition and the ugliness of pride and hate.  Yeah, Black Clover shows its best side in this fourteenth volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the top Weekly Shonen Jump manga will definitely want to try the “Shonen Jump” series, Black Clover.

A+
10 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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