Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT Volume 19

VAMPIRE KNIGHT, VOL. 19
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7391-5; paperback (October 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight is a shojo manga series written and drawn by manga creator, Matsuri Hino.  The series premiered and was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, LaLa.  VIZ Media publishes Vampire Knight in North America, collecting the manga in a series of graphic novels.  VIZ Media recently published Vampire Knight Volume 19, the final volume of the graphic novel series.

Vampire Knight is set in and around Cross Academy.  This is a private boarding school with two classes:  the Day Class and the Night Class.  At twilight, the Day Class students return to their dorm and cross paths with the Night Class.  They don't know that the Night Class students are actually vampires.  Yuki Cross is the adopted daughter of Headmaster Kaien Cross, and she is also a pure-blood vampire.  Zero Kiryu is a human suffering from the curse of the vampire.  Together, they are the Guardians of the school, patrolling the hallways and school grounds to protect the Day Class humans from the Night Class vampires.

As Vampire Knight, Vol. 19 (Chapters 89 to 92 to The Final Night) opens, Cross Academy will be closed again.  This time it will become the headquarters of the Hunter Society.  Meanwhile, Yuki has stolen Zero's memories of her to free him, and she plans on giving her own life to turn her brother, the pure-blood vampire, Kaname Kuran, into a human.

Kaname, however, plans to die so that his body can create new vampire-killing weapons for the Hunter Society.  The other vampires are determined to stop him, and that means war between humans and vampires.  Eternity is at stake, and Yuki and Kaname try to change destiny.

So the Vampire Knight manga has come to an end, and I didn't see it coming.  I don't know if other regular readers of the series will be satisfied with this finale.  I'm not.  Vampire Knight Volume 19 is not of poor quality.  It just seems like an untidy semi-rush job on the part of creator, Matsuri Hino.  Or maybe I'm in denial.

Vampire Knight has always been melodramatic, edgy, and bloody, and Vol. 19 is certainly that.  As usual, all the characters seem emotionally, if not mentally unhinged in this final graphic novel, and that offers some enjoyable vampire soap opera.  To the end, it's all crazy love, so at least the narrative is consistent to the end.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Happy Marriage?! - Will I Be Tied Down to You?

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 7

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

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Because I Want You to Love Me...

I read Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 2

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

Sweet Rein: Mating Season

I read Sweet Rein, Vol. 3

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

Happy Marriage?!: My/Your Cheating Heart

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is calling for donations. Follow me on Twitter.

Vampire Knight: Origin Metal Jacket

I read Vampire Knight, Vol. 18

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, and you can follow me on Twitter or even contribute to my Indiegogo campaign.

Sweet Rein: Akira the Dark Santa

I read Sweet Rein, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (where I have an Indiegogo campaign).

Happy Marriage?!: Daddy's Bills Bills Bills

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 5

I posted a review at ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics):

Manga Review: PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE Volume 1

PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Arina Tanemura
TRANSLATION: Tetsuchiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6590-3; paperback (March 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
258pp, B&W, $10.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Japanese comics creator, Arina Tanemura, is known for such manga (comics) as The Gentlemen’s Alliance † and Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura.  VIZ Media is now publishing Tanemura’s second manga series, Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne (1998), as Phantom Thief Jeanne.

The series focuses on high school student, 16-year-old Maron Kusakabe, who is also Phantom Thief Jeanne.  She sneaks into private art collections, looking to steal paintings in which demons reside.  She seals the demons before they can devour human hearts.

Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 6) introduces Phantom Thief Jeanne on her latest mission to steal demon-infused paintings.  Now, she has a rival, the mysterious Phantom Thief Sinbad, and he promises to steal the paintings before she does.  At the same time, there is a new student at Maron’s school, Momokuri Academy.  He is Chiaki Nagoya, and Maron wonders if he is also Sinbad.

Apparently, Phantom Thief Jeanne was manga creator Arina Tanemura’s second manga series.  After reading the first two chapters, I found Phantom Thief Jeanne to be somewhat juvenile, which surprised me.  I have read a lot of Tanemura’s manga the last several years, and I learned that despite the pretty art, her manga can be quite dark and even edgy.

Phantom Thief Jeanne Volume 1 is neither dark nor edgy, but this is early Tanemura.  However, this series is cute, although there are a few moments with a bit of tartness.  I am somewhat interested in reading one more volumes, but I cannot say that I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next volume.  Of course, fans of Arina Tanemura’s manga will want to try Phantom Thief Jeanne.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Happy Marriage: Consumation

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Review: D.GRAY-MAN 3-in-1 Edition Volume 1

D.GRAY-MAN 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Katsura Hoshino
TRANSLATION: Mayumi Kobayashi, Toshifumi Yoshida
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Mayumi Kobayashi, Lance Caselman
LETTERS: Elizabeth Watasin
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5567-6; paperback (July 2013); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
576pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $16.99 CAN, £9.99 UK

Debuting in 2004 in Japan’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine, D.Gray-man is a manga (comic) series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino.  The series stars a boy named Allen Walker, who becomes a member of the Black Order, an organization of Exorcists.  These Exorcists make use of an ancient substance called “Innocence,” which they use as weapons to combat the Millennium Earl and his army of demons, the akuma.

Allen lives in a fictional version of 19th century Earth, where he searches for Innocence.  Some Innocence has bonded with his left arm to form an anti-akuma, bladed weapon.  Allen is also a very special Exorcist, and the Earl knows that.

VIZ Media is currently republishing D.Gray-man in its 3-in-1 editions.  This is a kind of mini-omnibus paperback that collects three volumes of a manga series as a single graphic novel.  D.Gray-man: 3-in-1 Edition Volume 1 reprints D.Gray-man, Volumes 1 to 3

D.Gray-man, Vol. 1 (entitled Opening; Chapters 1 to 7) introduces Allen Walker, a boy who hunts akuma.  They prey on the weak and grieving, so Allan finds the akuma in the middle of a tragic tale of a priest and his wife.  Then, there is the story of John, who wants to be an exorcist, and his friend, Leo, who is seduced by the Earl.  Later, Allen is recruited by the Black Order, which allows him to learn about Innocence and its history.

D.Gray-man, Vol. 2 (entitled Old Man of the Land and Aria of the Night Sky; Chapters 8 to 16) finds Allen and fellow Exorcist, Yu Kanda, on a mission.  They travel to the city of Mater, in southern Italy, to retrieve Innocence, but what they find is a Level 2 akuma that can copy other beings’ powers.  The mission is complicated by the fact that Kanda does not like Allen, especially after the new exorcist befriends a man named Guzol and the singing doll, Lala.

D.Gray-man, Vol. 3 (entitled The Rewinding City; Chapters 17 to 26) opens with the attack of Komlin, a labor-saving robot that takes its programming too seriously and incorrectly.  Then, Allen and fellow Exorcist, Lenalee, find themselves trapped in “The Rewinding City.  The encounter Miranda Lotto, a woman connected to the mystery of the city, and also Master Record, a surprising adversary.

One of the good things about VIZ Media’s 3-in-1 editions is that they allow readers to get a look at the early chapters of manga series in what amounts to 500-page chunks.  Early in the series, D.Gray-man resembles an amateur comic (doujinshi).  At that point, series creator Katsura Hoshino is still obviously discovering her creation and getting a feel for it (or “feeling it out”).  With each chapter, the narrative gradually becomes more polished.  By the end of Vol. 3, the story is not only stronger, but it is also more self-assured, as Hoshino reveals more back story and mythology.  Even the art is stronger compositionally, and the graphic design more practical, even if it remains flashy and stylish.

The D.Gray-man manga has some similarities to various Batman and X-Men comic books.  Its fight scenes remind me of superhero fight comic books, resembling in spirit and tone what readers will find in The Avengers or a Justice League comic book.  I highly recommend D.Gray-man, and I think D.Gray-man: 3-in-1 Edition Volume 1 is the best place to start.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Happy Marriage?!: Is it All Right if I Stay by Your Side?

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Demon Love Spell: The Chapter of a New Departure

I read Demon Love Spell, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Review: SWEET REIN Volume 1

SWEET REIN, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Sakura Tsukuba
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
EDITOR/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5931-5; paperback (November 2013); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN

Have a holly, jolly manga!  It’s the most wonderful manga of the yeeeeaaarrrr!

I don’t hate all Christmas songs.  I actually do like many Christmas movies, even the wonky made-for-TV movies that show up on the Hallmark Channel.  Many American comic books have had Christmas issues (like the “Christmas Spirit,” episodes of Will Eisner’s The Spirit).  Now, enter the yuletide manga.

Sweet Rein is a shojo manga (comics for teen girls) from creator Sakura Tsukuba.  In the world of Sweet Rein, numerous people take on the role of Santa Claus, dispersing gifts to a particular area.  Each Santa has a magical reindeer that does whatever his Santa commands, and that reindeer can also transform into a human.

Sweet Rein, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 3) introduces 17-year-old Kurumi Sagara.  Since her mother died, she lives mostly alone, as her father is practically always at work.  Now, Kurumi is about to experience another lonely Christmas.

One day, Kurumi is crossing the street when a boy bumps into her.  A rein suddenly appears and binds Kurumi to the boy.  Overjoyed, the boy tells her that his name is Kaito and that she is his master.  Why?  Apparently, Kurumi is a Santa Claus and Kaito is her magical reindeer.

Can she dismiss this boy as crazy, even after he transforms into a reindeer?  Plus, see them help a sick boy named Mamoru Tajima.

[This volume contains a bonus short story, “Sweet Bite Mark.”]

The Sweet Rein manga seems as if it would be just too sweet.  At least, that is how it came across to me after one chapter.  It is a typical shojo teen magical romance, except for the fact that it is essentially a Christmas and Christmas-themed manga.  I make the distinction between Christmas and Christmas-theme because some of the chapters in Sweet Rein Volume 1 take place at Christmas time, and other parts of the narrative are about Christmas, to one extent or another and directly or indirectly.

Sweet Rein is poignant, cutesy, and even a bit weird.  It is entertaining, but not great, and it remains to be seen how much potential this series has.  I can’t say that I would read a second volume.  Obviously I am not in the target audience for this, but fans of magical romance will want to try the Shojo Beat title, Sweet Rein.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Vampire Knight: War of the Kuran Roses

I read Vampire Knight, Vol. 17

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Review: HAPPY MARRIAGE?! Volume 2

HAPPY MARRIAGE?!, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Maki Enjoji
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
EDITOR/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5935-3; paperback (October 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

After debuting with Fu•Junai (Wicked Pure Love), manga creator Maki Enjoji created four more series.  That fourth series is Happy Marriage?!.

Happy Marriage?! focuses on 22-year-old Chiwa Takanashi.  In order to get her father out of debt, Chiwa enters into a marriage.  Her husband is 28-year-old Hokuto Mamiya, the President and CEO of Mamiya Commerce.  The two live a secret life together, with only Hokuto’s personal assistant, Taeko Soma, knowing of the marriage.  To complicate things, Chiwa works in the same office as her husband.

As Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 2 opens, Chiwa worries that Hokuto is cheating on her.  She shares her concerns with the company’s hot new recruit, Yu Yamagi, but tells the young man that she is seeking advice for a friend.  Meanwhile, paparazzi catch Hokuto in the company of hot actress, Yukana Kishi.

Chiwa gets a little closer to Yu than she expected, which captures Hokuto’s attention.  Then, Chiwa is reunited with an old college friend, 26-year-old Shingo Sakuraba, the director of small startup business.  Is this another sign that the terms of the marriage contract are the only things keeping Chiwa and Hokuto together?

Early in my reading, I grew bored with the Happy Marriage?! manga.  Chiwa Takanashi’s fretting and doubting just became repetitive – real fast.  However, I started to notice that one of Happy Marriage?!’s hooks is the clever way creator Maki Enjoji gives her characters a penchant for misunderstanding everything and everyone.

This series is like a comedy of errors in which the characters are just self-centered, self-absorbed, and clueless enough to spite themselves.  A little effort and a little honesty would bring them closer to what they want, if not outright get it for them.  Pretty soon, I found myself laughing and enjoying Happy Marriage?!  It is not a great work, but it is an effective romantic comedy and drama about misunderstanding and misdirection.  Sometimes, it’s just fun to watch the characters clown themselves.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Demon Love Spell: Yamabuki the Onmyoji

I read Demon Love Spell, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Sakura Hime: The New Emperor

I read Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura , Vol. 10

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

We Were There: The Final Volume

I read We Were There, Vol. 16

I posted a review at ComicBookBin.

The Story of Saiunkoku: Final Volume and Side Stories

I read The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.