Review: SHURIKEN AND PLEATS Volume 1

SHURIKEN AND PLEATS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Katherine Schilling
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8525-3; paperback (March 2016); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Matsuri Hino created the bestselling manga, Vampire Knight.  Her other popular series include Captive Hearts and MeruPuri.  Her latest series is Shuriken and Pleats.

It focuses on teenager, Mikage Kirio, a skilled ninja.  After the master that she is sworn to protect is killed, Mikage moves to Japan to start a new, peaceful life for herself.  Soon after she arrives, Mikage finds herself fighting to protect a man being attack by two ninja.

Shuriken and Pleats, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) finds Mikage totally dedicated to her master, James G. Rod, who has already lost family members to assassins.  Despite her best efforts, James is killed.  In Japan, Mikage hopes to enjoy the life James had planned for her.  Mikage enrolls in high school, where she finds other teenagers, especially Kotaro Suzuki, to be curious.  Soon, however, Mikage is drawn into the machinations of a powerful family, after she saves a man named Mahito Wakashimatsu.

The Shuriken and Pleats manga is another of those manga that are tailored made for me to love.  I am a fan of ninja manga, such as Tail of the Moon and especially the recently completed Naruto.  Shuriken and Pleats is a different kind of ninja manga, which is what I would expect from Matsuri Hino.

Shuriken and Pleats Volume 1 offers plenty of action involving ninja and also lots of intrigue.  I find it odd that Hino fills the first five chapters of this manga with so much back story, plot twists, plot lines, etc.  It is as if Hino is hurrying to finish this story.  In fact, there were times when I thought that the story was racing to its conclusion because it was a single-volume manga.

I have to admit that I am a little confused about the protagonist or antagonist status of several characters.  Perhaps, that is how Hino intends it, so I hope that Shuriken and Pleats reaches it potential because I do like my ninja manga.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

The Demon Prince of Momochi House: White Nue's Burden

I read The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 3

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

Review: HONEY SO SWEET Volume 1

HONEY SO SWEET, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Amu Meguro
TRANSLATION: Katherine Schilling
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8325-9; paperback (January 2016); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Amu Meguro is a newcomer as a mangaka.  She debuted with a one-shot manga, Makka na Ringo ni Kuchizuke O (A Kiss for a Bright Red Apple).  Her current long-form manga series is Honey So Sweet, published in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Bessatsu Margaret.

Honey So Sweet focuses on Nao Kogure.  One day in middle school, Nao left her umbrella and a box of bandages in the rain for a fellow student who was injured.  Little did she know that she would meet that student again in high school.  His name is Taiga Onise, a delinquent, and Nao wants nothing to do with the gruff and frightening teen boy.  However, Taiga suddenly presents her with a huge bouquet of flowers and asks her to date him – with marriage in mind!  Is Taiga really so scary, or is he a sweetheart in disguise?

Early in Honey So Sweet, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5), Nao discovers that Taiga actually smiles, is kind to animals, and is a good cook.  Is he really the same Taiga who is a notorious delinquent?  Before long, Nao discovers that everyone in school thinks that she and Taiga are a couple – a couple of outcasts.

I don't quite understand why the Honey So Sweet manga is entitled Honey So Sweet.  It is indeed a sweet romance, but it also has a decidedly tart side.

Honey So Sweet Volume 1 introduces three other characters besides Nao and Taiga.  All five of these characters seem to speak their minds, for the most part.  They are tart rather than sweet.  I think that is what I like about Honey So Sweet.  It is a typical high school shojo romance, but creator Amu Meguro is always adding that something extra, whether that is dialogue or action, that makes the narrative skip a beat.

There are just enough minor twists to the shojo status quo to make this series an intriguing read.  I recommend that fans of high school shojo try the first volume at least.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Komomo Confiserie: Friend-Girl Rise Kaname

I read Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 2

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

Kiss of the Rose Princess: Gala

I read Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 7

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

Review: IDOL DREAMS Volume 1

IDOL DREAMS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Arina Tanemura
TRANSLATION: Tetsuchiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8256-6; paperback (November 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Idol Dreams is a shojo manga from mangaka, Arina Tanemura, the creator of such manga as Full Moon and The Gentlemen's Alliance †, to name just two of many.  A series for adult readers, Idol Dreams follows an ordinary office worker who becomes a teenager again and gets a shot at becoming a star.

Idol Dreams, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces Chikage Deguchi, an office worker who believes that she has missed out on love and success.  During her high school reunion, it is revealed that she is 31-years-old and is still a virgin.  Although she is humiliated, Chikage gets a chance to be 15-years-old again, thanks to high school friend, Tokita.  On her first day being a teen again, a chance at stardom comes her way, but is Chikage really ready to change... everything.

[This manga includes the bonus, “Arina Way of Manga.”]

In her cartoon essay, mangaka Arina Tanemura says that when she was trying to decide what her next project should be, a publisher asked her to create a “magical girl” manga for adult readers.  The result is the Idol Dreams manga.

Idol Dreams Volume 1 has a “T for Teen” rating, but the series, in many ways, is indeed for older readers.  Teen can certainly read Idol Dreams, but you have to have at least reached a certain age well into adulthood in order not just to understand, but also to feel Chikage's sense of regret about what could have been.  The smart thing that Tanemura does is that she immediately confronts the reader with this reality:  how many of us would really do things differently if given the chance “to do it all over?”

I have liked many Tanemura manga, but Idol Dreams is the first one that I have liked unconditionally after only one volume.  I am dreaming of the chance to read the next volume.


A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

The Demon Prince of Momochi House: The Third Shikigami

I read The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 2

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

Review: KOMOMO CONFISERIE Volume 1

KOMOMO CONFISERIE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

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

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

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

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

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

[This volume includes two bonus manga.]

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

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

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: THE DEMON PRINCE OF MOMOCHI HOUSE Volume 1

THE DEMON PRINCE OF MOMOCHI HOUSE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Aya Shouoto
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7962-7; paperback (July 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
172pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

VIZ Media is publishing another manga from Aya Shouoto, the creator of Kiss of the Rose Princess.  Entitled The Demon Prince of Momochi House, the series focuses on a young woman who inherits a house with a strong supernatural connection.

On her 16th birthday, Himari Momochi inherits an old house in the woods that she has never seen.  She does not know that it is called the Momochi House and that it already has three inhabitants.  One of them is practically the “Demon Prince” of Momochi House.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 3) opens with Himari deep in the mountains looking for the ancestral estate, Momochi House.  A local warns her to avoid the house because she will be cursed by the “Omamori-sama.”  When she finally finds the house, she discovers that the place is practically a wreck, and that three squatters live there.

Seventeen-year-old Aoi Nanamori seems to be the leader, while Yukari and Ise just seem like lazy guys looking for a place to stay.  There is, however, more than meets the eye, as she learns that Momochi House is a barrier between the human and spiritual realms.  The house may have even more residents, and Aoi... handsome Aoi has a secret.

I am a sucker for a yokai-themed manga, and The Demon Prince of Momochi House manga focuses on “ayakashi,” an apparent old term for yokai.  Demons and spirits aside, this is, like other manga from creator Aya Shouoto, a shojo manga.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House Volume 1 quickly establishes a budding and complicated romance between Himari and Aoi.  This series seems as if it will be both a supernatural romance and a high school romantic drama.  It has potential, but, other than establishing the dynamics between the leads, The Demon Prince of Momochi House is a bit unformed after three chapters, which is what makes up this first graphic novel in the series.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (Support Leroy on Patreon)


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

Kiss of the Rose Princess: True Contract

I read Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 3

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

Review: METEOR PRINCE Volume 2

METEOR PRINCE, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Meca Tanaka
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7909-2; paperback (April 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Meteor Prince is a shojo fantasy romance from mangaka, Meca Tanaka (creator of Pearl Pink).  Originally published in the Japanese manga magazine, LaLa, the series focuses on an unlucky teen girl and the handsome alien prince who is totally in love with her.  VIZ Media published Meteor Prince in North America as a two-graphic novel series, with the second volume just recently being released.

Hako Natsune, the “Queen of Bad Luck,” has yet another experience of bad luck.  The President of the school's Occult Research Club draws a spell circle, hoping a ritual will help rid Hako of her bad luck.  Instead, the spell summons a naked teen boy, who seems to fall from Heaven.  He is Io, an alien prince from the planet, Yupita, and he declares that Hako is destined to be his mate!  Does this mean that Hako's luck has changed?

As Meteor Prince, Vol. 2 (Chapters 6 to 10 to Final Chapter) opens, Io is determined to be a normal boyfriend, but Hako's bad luck is falling on him.  Suddenly, a naked teen girl appears, as if dropped from heaven.  Her name is Tania, and she is from the planet, Ciel.  Tania declares that she is the one destined to be Io's mate, and she won't let Hako stand in her way.

After reading the first volume, I thought that the Meteor Prince manga seemed like a natural comic for me.  As I wrote in my review of that volume, I have loved comedies featuring aliens who come to Earth (and also comedies featuring humans whisked into space).  I was a fan of “My Favorite Martian” (1973-1975), a short-lived, Saturday morning animated series that was a follow-up of the live-action, “My Favorite Martian” (1963-1966).

Still, I was not too crazy about the first volume, but I really like Meteor Prince Volume 2, which turns out to be the final volume of the series.  That's a shame.  The story got stronger the more alien characters creator Meca Tanaka added and the more she showed readers of the wider universe.  Ultimately, Meteor Prince, as a short shojo manga, won't be memorable to many readers (relatively speaking, of course), but judging by the second and final volume, it could have been.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: HAPPY MARRIAGE?! Volume 10

HAPPY MARRIAGE?!, VOL. 10
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Maki Enjoji
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
EDITOR/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5943-8; paperback (January 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Happy Marriage?! is the longest manga series (to date) produced by mangaka Maki Enjoji.  It debuted in the Japanese josei manga magazine, Petit Comic.  VIZ Media published an English-language version of the series for North America.

Happy Marriage?! focuses on Chiwa Takanashi.  She is a young woman who never had any girlish fantasies about courtship and marriage, but she found herself in an unlikely scenario.  The 22-year-old married a total stranger in order to get her father out of debt!  Chiwa's husband, 28-year-old Hokuto Mamiya, was the President and CEO of Mamiya Commerce.  Their marriage, for a time, was a secret, with only Hokuto’s personal assistant, Taeko Soma, knowing of the union’s true nature.  Two years later, Chiwa and Hokuto are trying to be a real married couple.

As Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 10 (Chapters 37 to 39 to Final Chapter) opens, Chiwa recovers from the would she received when she tried to protect Hokuto from a savage knife attack.  Even after that, she still cannot reveal to Hokuto the letter she received from her his now-deceased father, Seiji Mamiya, that revealed a secret.

Her reticence will not stop the turmoil within the Mamiya family.  Hokuto will learn a shocking truth about his mother, Yoko Miura, and about himself.  The revelations could ruin Chiwa and Hokuto's marriage.

I am not happy about saying goodbye to the Happy Marriage?! manga.  However, I must accept that Happy Marriage?! Volume 10 is the final volume of this series that I have come to really enjoy reading.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I will admit that there are some some explosive revelations and that there are some character revelations that are worse than some readers my have expected.  I can say that Happy Marriage?! has a happy ending.  It has a celebratory last chapter that will remind readers why this typical shojo soap opera romance manages to be something different and also something especially lovable.

Readers looking for shojo/josei romantic drama will be happy with the Shojo Beat title, Happy Marriage?!

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Kiss of the Rose Princess: Here Comces Haruto Kisugi

I read Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 2

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

Review: METEOR PRINCE Volume 1

METEOR PRINCE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Meca Tanaka
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7908-5; paperback (January 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Meteor Prince is a shojo fantasy romance from mangaka, Meca Tanaka (creator of Pearl Pink).  The series focuses on an unlucky teen girl and the handsome alien prince who is totally in love with her.  Meteor Prince originally appeared in Japan's LaLa magazine.

Meteor Prince, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens at Izayoi High School.  There, Hako Natsune, the “Queen of Bad Luck,” has just had another experience of bad luck.  The president of the school's Occult Research Club has drawn a spell circle, and is hoping to use it to rid Hako of her bad luck.

Instead, a naked teen boy seems to fall from Heaven.  He is Io, an alien prince, and he declares that Hako is destined to be his mate!  Does this mean that Hako's luck has changed?

 The Meteor Prince manga seems like a natural comic for me.  Since I was a child, I have loved comedies featuring aliens who come to Earth (and also of comedies about humans whisked into space).  I was a fan of “My Favorite Martian,” a short-lived, Saturday morning animated series that was a follow-up of the live-action, “My Favorite Martian,” a classic, black and white series from the “Golden Age” of American television.

So I should really love Meteor Prince Volume 1, but I am not that crazy about it.  It isn't bad.  It is simply one of those shojo fantasy romances that feature pretty art and are built around the familiar loves-me/loves-me-not relationship between a human girl and a boy who is not human.  While I like shojo manga (to an extent that still surprises me), I find myself only mildly interested in Meteor Prince.  Late in this volume, a new character appears that brings some added conflict and dilemma into the series.  So I am curious to see if the second volume is more of the same or if it will offer some surprise and perhaps, some more tension.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Happy Marriage: Michelle Heartless?

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 9

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

Review: PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE Volume 5

PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE, VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

ARTIST: Arina Tanemura
TRANSLATION: Tetsuchiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6629-0; paperback (November 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
274pp, B&W, $10.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

VIZ Media's English-language publication of Arina Tanemura's Phantom Thief Jeanne came to an end with the November 2014 publication of the fifth graphic novel of the manga.  The series focuses on Maron Kusakabe, a 16-year-old high school student who sometimes transforms into Phantom Thief Jeanne.

Jeanne foils demons that reside in certain paintings.  She sneaks into private art collections and steals paintings possessed by demons, sealing the demons before they can devour human hearts.  However, Jeanne has a rival, Phantom Thief Sinbad, but he is also Chiaki Nagoya, a boy in love with Maron.

As Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 5 (Chapters 26 to 29 to Final Chapter) opens, Maron realizes that Chiaki is under a spell.  Perhaps, that is why he is dating Maron's friend, Miyako Todaiji, even after declaring his love for Maron.

Also, Finn Fish, the “Minor Angel” that, until recently, served Maron, explains her dark actions – including betraying Maron.  That seems minor next to the fact that it is time for Maron to visit God, who created her.  It is also time for Maron to face the Demon Lord.

[This volume includes four bonus stories:  “Let's Go, Silk Road,” “The Memory of the Fish, the Snow Crystals of the Moon,” “I Will Be You Happiness,” and “The Memory of the Fish, the Snow Crystals of the Moon 2.”]

The Phantom Thief Jeanne manga (originally titled Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne) is an early work from beloved manga creator, Arina Tanemura.  Phantom Thief Jeanne Volume 5 does not demand the emotional involvement from readers that the fourth did (which was not that much, actually).  Still, these characters are full of love and a strong desire to sacrifice for the ones they love, and that is hugely evident in this final volume.  So we get a super-happy ending in the way that only Arina Tanemura can do it, so fans of Tanemura’s manga will want to try the Shojo Beat title, Phantom Thief Jeanne.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Minor Angel, Major Saint

I read Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 4

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

KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS Volume 1

KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Aya Shouoto
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7366-3; paperback (November 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
188pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Kiss of the Rose Princess is a nine-volume graphic novel series from manga creator, Aya Shouoto.  The series focuses on a mystical girl and the four magical knights who help her on a quest to save the world from the Demon Lord and the forces of evil.

Anise Yamamoto cannot remove the rose choker from her neck or she will suffer a terrible punishment.   That is what her father told her, and she takes his dire warning quite seriously.  Then, a strange creature falls from the sky and hits Anise, causing her to lose the choker.  Instead, she gains four cards representing four knights, each of whom she can summon by kissing a card.

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens at Shobi Academy.  As usual, Anise begins the school day running from the dress code enforcer who wants to remove the choker, which is a violation of the school dress code.  However, Anise is more afraid of her father than anything, so she won't remove that choker.

Then, the bat-like/cat-like Ninufa falls from the sky and knocks the choker off her neck.  He gives her four rose cards and exhorts her to kiss each one.  Each card summons a Rose Knight who is bound by an ancient Contract of the Rose (the Rosette) to the one who summons him.  Each knight is handsome, but Anise wonders why she needs them.

I think the Kiss of the Rose Princess manga is one of those shojo manga about a magical girl.  I think VIZ Media describes Anise as a “mystical girl,” but whatever she is, this plucky heroine is a funny girl at the head of comic fantasy romance.

The humor is what surprises me about Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 1.  Creator Aya Shouoto has a funny “straight man” in Anise, who plays the grown-up in a reverse-harem situation.  Honestly, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this first volume.  Where does this series go?  Well, there is a lot about Anise's magical destiny and about her father that has yet to be revealed.  In fact, I think it is worth coming back at least one more volume to get some answers.  Fans of magical/mystical girls will want to try the “Shojo Beat” title, Kiss of the Rose Princess.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: Matsuri Hino Presents LAST NIGHT - Vampire Knight Illustrations

MATSURI HINO PRESENTS LAST NIGHT: VAMPIRE KNIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7605-3; hardback (October 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
44pp, B&W, $15.99 U.S., $18.99 CAN, £9.99 UK (for graphic novel and art book set)

Vampire Knight is a shojo manga series written and drawn by manga creator, Matsuri Hino.  VIZ Media recently published the final graphic novel collection of the series with the release of Vampire Knight Volume 19, on October 14, 2014.  Vol. 19 was released in a regular edition graphic novel and also a “Limited Edition” with an alternate cover.  The Limited Edition is actually a two-book collection that includes a hardcover mini art book entitled, Matsuri Hino Presents Last Night: Vampire Knight Illustrations.  [The Vampire Knight “Night Class” Manga Box Set 2, to be released November 4, 2014, will also include a copy of Last Night.]

Last Night contains over 40 full-color illustrations drawn and colored by Hino.  Most of these illustrations appeared in LaLa, the Japanese manga magazine in which Vampire Knight was originally serialized.  Many of the series' characters appear in these illustrations, but the characters which are most depicted are, of course, Vampire Knight's (un)holy trinity of and love triangle:  Yuki Cross, Zero Kiryu, and Kaname Kuran.

Is the packaging price of Vampire Knight Limited Edition 19 money well spent?  Well, my generous VIZ Media rep gave me both the single-volume regular edition and Limited Edition set.  The Limited Edition costs $6 more than the regular edition, and Last Night is worth the extra six bucks, especially if you, dear reader, are a fan of Matsuri Hino's illustrations.

Hino's moody, pouting, and contemplative vampires are gorgeous.  Other than their school uniforms, little of the characters' clothing could be “off the rack,” unless the clothes are off a rack found in an acclaimed fashion designer's personal work place.  These are fashion icon vampires.  As we leave the world of Vampire Knight, Last Night is the kind of neato item we might grab before we turn off the lights on our way out.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Happy Marriage?! - True Married Couple

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 8

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