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: QQ SWEEPER Volume 3

QQ SWEEPER, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kyousuke Motomi
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Eric Erbes
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8633-5; paperback (June 2016); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

The paranormal, romantic shojo manga, QQ Sweeper, comes to an end.  Created by mangaka Kyousuke Motomi, who also created the manga, Dengeki Daisy and Beast Master, QQ Sweeper is an adventure about two “Soul Cleaners,” one an expert, the other a novice – who fall in love.

QQ Sweeper begins on the 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 is now his apprentice.

As QQ Sweeper, Vol. 3 (Chapters 11 to 15) begins, Fumi rethinks her plan to leave the home of Kyutaro and his family.  She feels a sense of calm living and working with them, and Fumi begins to except the amorous feelings she has for Kyutaro.

Meanwhile, classmate Kaori Tachibana begins acting strangely towards Fumi during what is supposed to be a karaoke outing with friends.  The trouble seems to be emanating from Ataru Shikata, a so-called fortune teller, who is really a “Bug Handler.”  And he has big plans for Fumi.

The QQ Sweeper manga seemed unusual from its first volume.  Well, the series cements its unusual nature because it has come to a quick or, as I think, an abrupt end.

QQ Sweeper Volume 3 is the final volume of this particular iteration of the story of Fumi Kyutaro.  Fumi and Kyutaro will return in a new series apparently called Queen's Quality.  As for the end of QQ Sweeper, Kyousuke Motomi will leave you wanting more.  In fact, by the end of Vol. 3, you will think that there is no way the series could end with so much left unanswered and because the story has the potential to offer even more to the readers.

Well, however that works out, QQ Sweeper is short-but-good.  So, yes, good things do come in small packages.  This romance, dark fantasy, and mystery drama is worth a shojo reader's time.

A-

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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QQ Sweeper: Memories of Fuyu

I read QQ Sweeper, Vol. 2

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

Review: QQ SWEEPER Volume 1

QQ SWEEPER, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kyousuke Motomi
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Bryant Turnage
LETTERS: Eric Erbes
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8214-6; paperback (April 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Kyousuke Motomi is a mangaka (creator) known for her two manga series that were published in North America, Dengeki Daisy and Beast Master.  Her latest manga is the supernatural high school drama and romance, QQ Sweeper.

The series focuses on two characters.  First is the tall, dark, and handsome, Kyutaro Horikita, the cleaning expert of Kurokado Private High School.  One day, he finds a maiden sleeping in an old room on campus.  She is the second character, transfer student Fumi Nishioka, and like Kyutaro, she has a talent for cleaning.

Early in QQ Sweeper, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5), Kyutaro discovers Fumi sleeping in the “Old School Building.”  To her, the place is dirty... but alluring and mysterious.  Kyutaro, considered a weirdo by the other students, keeps the building clean, but he is a cleaner both in the physical world and in the spiritual realm.  When fellow student, Junya Sakaguchi, gets dirty and infested, Kyutaro will discover that Fumi may have a surprising talent for getting rid of dirty things.

The QQ Sweeper manga is unusual simply because so much of it focuses on cleaning services and janitorial duties.  Creator Kyousuke Motomi depicts the cleaning as more than just drudgery.  There is a technique to getting it right and to taking a dirty room or object and cleaning it down to the tiny details.

QQ Sweeper Volume 1 introduces quite a bit about the series' magic and its internal mythology, but not so much that the series loses its sense of mystery.  The unknown will be important to this series, as nearly all the main characters are incomplete, especially when it comes to their pasts.  QQ Sweeper is different, especially when compared to Motomi's previous series, Dengeki Daisy, but like this earlier manga, QQ Sweeper is filled with thrills.

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.

Review: DENGEKI DAISY Volume 16

DENGEKI DAISY, VOL. 16
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Kyousuke Motomi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7771-5; paperback (April 2015); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN

Dengeki Daisy is a shojo romantic comedy manga created by Kyousuke Motomi.  The series began serialization in Betsucomi, a Japanese shojo manga magazine, in October 2007.  VIZ Media published the manga in North America as a series of graphic novels, and recently published the final volume.

Dengeki Daisy focuses on Teru Kurebayshi, an orphan who lost her beloved brother, Soichiro.  She is not alone, however.  Teru exchanges messages with DAISY, a mysterious figure who can only be reached through a cell phone Teru's brother left her.  Eventually, Teru learns that DAISY is Tasuku Kurosaki, a janitor who is always around when she needs him.

Shadowy government agents abducted Teru and took her to an uninhabited island.  There, a trap is set to lure Kurosaki and their real target, Akira, a mathematical genius who is deemed a national security threat.  Before the trio can escape, the island is detonated...

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 16 (Final Chapter - “To Our Future”) reveals how Teru, Kurosaki, and Akira escaped.  Who helped them leave the island just in time?  The source of one bit of assistance is obvious, but the second is a big surprise, and only Teru knows the savior's identity.  Plus, what are they going to do with the rest of their lives, and what is Kurosaki's next big career move?

[This volume includes two bonus features:  “To the Tip of the Nails,” and “New Year's” and two Bonus Chapters: “Daisy Special Episode Part 1,” and “Daisy Special Episode Part 2.”  This volume also includes Kyousuke Motomi's debut short story, “No-Good Cupid.”]

The Dengeki Daisy manga comes to an end.  Dengeki Daisy Volume 16 brings the series to a close, although only one chapter in this volume is part of the main story.  The rest is bonus material, which includes creator, Kyousuke Motomi's debut manga, the short story “No-Good Cupid.”

Vol. 16 is a bit anti-climatic, but it has a feel-good ending.  I am so used to on-going American comic books, which don't end so much as they restart, that I am still adjusting to the fact that manga end.  They are finite comics narratives.  In my final analysis of Dengeki Daisy, I would recommend it to new readers, because it is different.  It is odd in that it is an off-kilter high school shojo romance and in that it also has a dark side in which death plays a prominent part.  In fact, romance in bloom and the specter of death are equal partners in Dengeki Daisy.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Dengeki Daisy: The Secret of M's Last Testament

I read Dengeki Daisy , Vol. 14

I posted a review on ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter and at Grumble.

Dengeki Daisy: A Message from Soichiro

I read Dengeki Daisy , Vol. 13

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

I Reads You Review: DENGEKI DAISY Volume 11

DENGEKI DAISY, VOL. 11
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Kyousuke Motomi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5060-2; paperback; Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN

Kyousuke Motomi is female mangaka (manga creator) who debut in 2002 with the manga, No-Good Cupid! (English title). Her current series is Dengeki Daisy.

Teru Kurebayshi, an orphan, is the lead character in Dengeki Daisy. She lost her brother, Soichiro, but she wasn’t alone. Teru exchanges messages with DAISY, a mysterious figure who can only be reached through a cell phone her brother left her. Eventually, Teru learns that DAISY is Tasuku Kurosaki, a janitor who is always around when she needs him.

As Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 11 opens, Teru is frustrated at the lingering fear she feels from the threat of Chiharu Mori and her flunky, Akira. Teru is glad that Kurosaki is around to protect her, but she also wants to be able to protect herself. Meanwhile, Teru’s longtime friend, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, struggles with his deeply romantic feelings for Rena Ichinose, another friend of Teru’s. But Rena already has a fiancé.

That fiancé is a shady-acting business man named Kazuki Morizono. His actions will give Teru a chance to show her strength. Morizono brings up Kurosaki’s past as a hacker and endangers Rena. Can Teru protect her friend?

After first reading the Dengeki Daisy manga, I saw it as another romantic tale featuring a beastly male love interest, from the creator of Beast Master, Kyousuke Motomi. After reading Dengeki Daisy Volume 11, I now see it as a kind of manga version of American television soap operas. Why?

Dengeki Daisy borrows from several genres. It has a high school romance. The male love interest is an older man, while the female is a high school student, so there is a tad bit of a tawdry true romance feel to it. Kurosaki’s past as a hacker and Teru’s late brother’s life as a programmer adds an espionage angle. The series is also a light suspense thriller because of the threats of violence, personal destruction, and kidnapping. I could see a young Susan Lucci as perfect for a dramatization of this.

I like the soap opera and melodrama. This is a shojo high school romance that is not as comic as some shojo romances and is darker, in a theatrical way, than most. Readers looking for shojo romantic drama as American soap opera will like the Shojo Beat title, Dengeki Daisy.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: DENGEKI DAISY, VOL. 04

Creators: Kyousuke Motomi with JN Productions (translation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, B&W, paperback, 192 pages, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-3730-6

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Not only is she an orphan, but Teru Kurebayshi also lost her brother, Soichiro. She isn’t alone, however. Teru exchanges text messages with DAISY, a mysterious figure who can only be reached through a cell phone Soichiro left her. Meanwhile, another mysterious figure comes into Teru’s life, Tasuku Kurosaki, a janitor who is always around when she needs him.

As Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 4 opens, Teru is still reeling from her discover that Kurosaki is really DAISY. What should she do? Should she tell Kurosaki that she knows his secret? Meanwhile, someone else is pretending to be DAISY and is sending viruses to Teru’s classmates, who blame her for the problems the DAISY virus causes them. But this is more than just a prank, and someone may be out to hurt Teru.

The creator of Dengeki Daisy, Kyousuke Motomi, is also the creator of Beast Master. Both series are shojo manga high school romances that match a lovelorn girl with a wild boy type. Talk about star-crossed lovers; sometimes you can’t help but think that the girl is in danger because of her beastly male love interest.

Dengeki Daisy is an edgy romantic drama, sometimes frivolous and sometimes surprisingly dark. For my tastes, this series is too moody and the narrative is drought-condition dry. However, the fake DAISY hacker storyline is fun to read, full of intrigue, classroom squabbles, teen angst, and incidents of bullying. This is a good storyline because there is mystery, conflict, and danger, and it is enough to get me back for a fifth volume – something I thought not possible.

B

Fourth Quarter Books from VIZ Media

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA SERVES UP SCIENCE FICTION, ACTION FANTASY, ROMANCE AND JAPANESE CUISINE FOR NEW FOURTH QUARTER MANGA RELEASES

New Titles Span A Variety Of Genres To Delight Fans Of All Ages And Interests

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has previewed an array of new manga (graphic novel) releases scheduled to debut throughout the Fourth Quarter of 2009. The new titles span a diverse range of genres everywhere from science fiction, fantasy/adventure, and crime thrillers to shojo (comics for girls) and teenage coming-of-age stories.


The new manga titles debuting are as follows:
YU-GI-OH! r, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

YU-GI-OH! R is the shocking manga-only sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist and the prequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World. Volume 1, with story and art by Akira Ito, begins when the follower of an old enemy returns to take revenge. Yugi Muto must duel to save a friend's life, but can he overcome the power of the three "Jashin," the terrifying Evil God Cards? Creator Kazuki Takahashi built an action-packed adventure based on themes of friendship and fighting, and combined lots of weird and imaginative monsters to make YU-GI-OH! an international smash hit that spawned a real-world card game, multiple video games, and three anime series. Exclusive bonus card in the first print run!



RIN-NE, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

RIN-NE is the brand new series from celebrated manga creator Rumiko Takahashi (INUYASHA). As a child, Sakura Mamiya mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind her grandma’s home. She returned whole and healthy, but since then she has had the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! At school, the desk next to Sakura’s has been empty since the start of the school year, then one day her always-absent classmate shows up, and he’s far more than what he seems!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available Now!
A poignant collection of intersecting vignettes depicting twenty-something angst, Inio Asano’s WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD explores the various ways that modern life can be at once ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated. In Volume 1, what begins with a college dropout bored of her mediocre routine soon becomes a fantastic series of stories about the unexpected ways that different lives intersect. Filled with magical realism in the face of the cold reality of daily modern life, at their core these stories are about young people discovering something precious amidst the chaos of existence.

BEAST MASTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available November 3rd
Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened and sees blood. That doesn't stop animal-lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits...

DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd (Novel) · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available Now!

DEATH NOTE: L, Change the WorLd introduces the unwritten chapter of DEATH NOTE and reveals how the legendary detective “L” (Kenichi Matsuyama) spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the “Kira” case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving him with only 23 days left to live. For his final case, L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to.

The DEATH NOTE novel features the same format as the original Japanese printing with a hardcover and clear acetate jacket with metallic ink. DEATH NOTE is one of VIZ Media’s top five bestselling properties, with over 1 million copies of the manga sold in the U.S. The character of L is extremely popular with fans and has inspired various products such as apparel and stationery as well as spinoff novels and two live action DEATH NOTE films (available from VIZ Pictures).

POKÉMON: Giratina & the Sky Warrior! Ani-Manga, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · MSRP: $11.99 US / $15.99 CAN · Available November 3rd

Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon, usually leads a peaceful life in forests and among flowers. But when it gets swept up in a great battle between Legendary Pokémon Giratina and Dialga, it accidentally becomes part of a struggle to maintain the delicate balance between the Real World and an alternate dimension called the Reverse World. Ash, Dawn and Brock join the fight and soon discover that there's more to Shaymin than meets the eye!



INUYASHA (VIZBIG), Vol. 1· Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available November 10th
Rumiko Takahashi’s epic manga adventure INUYASHA is given an omnibus VIZBIG treatment that combines the first three volumes of the smash hit series. Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power they need to come true. Beginning October 3rd, fans can also catch animated episodes of INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT (subtitled) on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com mere hours after they air in Japan.

GO GO MONSTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $27.99 US / $36.00 CAN · Available November 17th
Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students' lives, and even nature itself.

This gorgeous edition is available in hardcover format with a four-color slipcase.

GO GO MONSTER was created by Taiyo Matsumoto, whose other works include BLUE SPRING, NO. 5 and TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. TEKKONKINKREET won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted into an animated feature film.

OISHINBO THE JOY OF RICE, Vol. 6 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available November 17th
Japanese cuisine is the star in this appetite-inducing series that has sold more 100 million copies in Japan. In this volume, Tōzai newspaper writer Shiro Yamaoka and his colleagues look into the single most essential food in Japanese cuisine: rice. Cultivated for millennia, a staple meal in itself and the basis of countless other dishes, rice is an important component not only of the Japanese kitchen but also of Japanese culture. When Yamaoka is asked by Tōzai's head chef for help in coming up with a new rice dish, what starts out as a simple culinary request rapidly grows into a disquisition into the past, present and future of Japan's food culture.

THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, ARINA TANEMURA ILLUSTRATIONS · MSRP: $19.99 US / $27.00 CAN · Available November 17th

Renowned manga artist Arina Tanemura created this acclaimed series that exemplifies the shojo style with highly stylized artwork and romantic plot twists presented with a swirl of billowing ribbons, romance and heartbreak. The gorgeously illustrated edition features designs for all the major characters from THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † and also includes two exclusive images for North America, author commentary, and a double-sided, full color fold-out poster. Tanemura is a prolific manga artist and is also the creator of several popular shojo series such as I-O-N, TIME STRANGER KYOKO and FULL MOON (all of which are published in North America by VIZ Media).

BUTTERFLIES & FLOWERS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available December 1st

Choko Kuze is the sensible daughter of a venerable family who went bankrupt. She joins a real estate company as an entry-level office worker, but her eccentric boss is harder on her than anyone else in the company! After hearing him inadvertently call her "milady," she realizes he was the young servant boy she knew as a child. At work he's a tyrant, but after hours he insists on treating her like a lady of the nobility. Is romance even possible for a couple locked in such a crazy role reversal? [END]

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