#IReadsYou Review: MAO: Volume 2

MAO, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA

MANGAKA: Rumiko Takahashi
TRANSLATION: Junko Goda
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Shaenon Garrity
LETTERS: Susan Daigle-Leach
EDITOR: Annette Roman
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2058-3; paperback (November 2021); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 UK

Mao is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi.  It has been serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, since May 2019.  In September 2021, VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of Mao as a series of paperback graphic novels under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

Mao focuses on 15-year-old Nanoka Kiba.  Eight years ago, she was in a mysterious car accident in which she and her parents died, but Nanoka continues to live on.  One day, while visiting the shopping alley on Fifth Street, Nanoka inadvertently enters a portal that transports her back to Japan's Taisho era.  There, Nanoka meets a young-looking exorcist named Mao and his helper, Otoya, a shikigami that resembles a small boy.  As they try to discover what thread of fate connects them, they'll kick demon butt along the way.

As Mao, Vol. 2 (Chapters 1 to 10) opens, Nanoka, Mao, and Otoya investigate the strange cult of Priestess Shoko in hopes of bringing her to justice.  However, diabolical forces surround her, and they will kill anyone who stand in their way.  Meanwhile, Shoko reveals a shocking doomsday prophecy.  Later, Nanoka and her friend, the boy who wants to date her, Shiraha, do some historical research and discover a cataclysmic event that is yet to occur in Mao's timeline.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Mao manga is the latest multi-genre manga from Rumiko
Takahashi.  As usual, this title pairs a young female touched by the supernatural with a youngish male whose trade is in the supernatural.

Mao Graphic Novel Volume 2 finds Nanoka hopping back and forth between timelines.  She and Mao investigate all manner of demons.  Meanwhile, a historical disaster connects the two different worlds in which they live, but history may not be entirely correct about the details of event.  The Princess Shoko story arc reveals that while both their personalities and their methods sometimes clash, Nanoka and Mao are actually a rather nice match.

As she did in the first volume, Shaenon Garrity once again offers an English-language adaptation that is a delightful read, capturing the magic that infuses this volume and also the curious and inquisitive nature of Nanoka.  I couldn't stop reading Mao Vol. 1, and by the time I finished Vol. 2, I really wanted to read more.  I heartily recommend this series to any fans of supernatural fantasy comics and graphic novels even if they have never previously read Rumiko Takahashi.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers who love Rumiko Takahashi’s manga will want the Shonen Sunday title, Mao.

A

9 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: MAO: Volume 1

MAO, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA

MANGAKA: Rumiko Takahashi
TRANSLATION: Junko Goda
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Shaenon Garrity
LETTERS: Susan Daigle-Leach
EDITOR: Annette Roman
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2052-1; paperback (September 2021); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 UK

Mao is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi.  It has been serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, since May 2019.  In September 2021, VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of Mao as a series of paperback graphic novels under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

Mao, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 8) introduces 15-year-old Nanoka Kiba, a third-year middle school student.  Eight years ago, she was in a mysterious car accident in which she and her parents died, but Nanoka continues to live on.  One day, while visiting the shopping alley on Fifth Street, Nanoka inadvertently enters a portal that transports her back to Japan's Taisho era, around the year 1923.

There, Nanoka meets a young-looking exorcist named Mao and his helper, Otoya, a shikigami that resembles a small boy.  When Nanoka gets back to the present, she discovers that she has some new, incredible abilities.  She returns to the past looking for answers, but only finds herself caught up in Mao’s investigation of a series of gruesome murders and of their mutual connection to a powerful cat demon named Byoki.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Mao manga is the latest multi-genre title from Rumiko
Takahashi.  As usual, this title pairs a young female touched by the supernatural with a youngish male whose trade is in the supernatural.

Moa Graphic Novel Volume 1 is the first Takahashi manga that I have read since I read Rin-ne Volume 32 twenty-one months ago.  I don't think that I had forgotten the pure joy I often feel while reading one of her titles, but I must have been in need of her work.  It has been a long time since I enjoyed reading a volume of manga this much.

The English-language adaptation by Shaenon Garrity is a delightful read, capturing the magic that infuses this volume and also the curious and inquisitive nature of Nanoka.  I couldn't stop reading Mao Vol. 1, and I like that the characters are only revealed enough to make us come back for more.  Susan Daigle-Leach's lettering looks like a perfect fit for Rumiko's work, particularly for Mao.

This is a perfect opening volume – the kind that makes me want more.  And I already have Vol. 2.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers who love Rumiko Takahashi’s manga will want the Shonen Sunday title, Mao.

A+
10 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

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#IReadsYou Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 35

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 35
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0567-2; paperback (February 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from October 2004 to April 2017.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint since November 2006.

Hayate the Combat Butler focuses on Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings Hayate to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 35 finds pop idol, Ruka Suirenji, ready to reveal to Hayate that she has a crush on him, but should she?  Ruka asks Ishizawa for advice, but Ishizawa also has a crush on Hayate?  So will Ishizawa help a love rival, and if she does, what form will the help take?

When the housemates discover that Katsura Hinagiku was once an aspiring guitarist and singer, how will they get the dispirited talent to take up her dreams again?  Then, Maria-san decides to take Nagi to a family restaurant … because it is the perfect place for Nagi to work on her manga.  Or is it?  Finally, everyone is worried that Ruka is too stressed, which is manifesting via physical ailments.  But she isn't the only one in need of a break from work.  So is Hayate.  When they find themselves alone, what will they do to relieve the stress?

[This volume includes a bonus manga, four-panel comics, and art.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I have managed to read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga four times this calendar year.  I am always happy to return to this manga and anime parody series.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 35 is the reason I keep coming back, just as Vol. 34 was.  Vol. 35 is one of the series' best entries, making the previous two-volumes a dynamic duo, and the final story page of this volume surprised me.  I noticed the theme of “in love with Hayate.”  After all, creator Kenjiro Hata has made just about every female character in this manga in love with Hayate.  So everything goes along as normal, with each chapter being, more or less, self-contained.  Then, BAM! goes the shocker, and it is something that Hata does so well when he does present it – the Hayate the Combat Butler cliffhanger.  Dear readers, we gotta come back for more.

Also, I must mention John Werry, who provides a sparkling translation that captures the freshness of Vol. 34.  Then, there is letterer John Hunt's spry fonts that capture the romantic fun and games.  So, let's get to the next volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A
9.5 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


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

-----------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: CASE CLOSED: Volume 72

CASE CLOSED, VOL. 72
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Gosho Aoyama
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0656-3; paperback (October 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Detective Conan is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama.  It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday since January 1994.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Case Closed, under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

Case Closed focuses on Jimmy Kudo, ace high school detective.  Kudo is trailing two suspicious men in black (named “Gin” and “Vodka”), when the nefarious duo attacks him.  The two men administer to Jimmy a mysterious substance that physically transforms the teen into a first grader.  While searching for a cure, Jimmy adopts a new identity, becoming elementary school student, Conan Edogawa.  Acting alone and sometimes with his friends, the Junior Detective League (JDL), Jimmy/Conan continues to solve criminal cases and mysteries.

As Case Closed, Vol. 72 (“In the Cards”) opens, we find Conan, Dr. Herschel Agasa, Richard Moore (“the Sleeping Detective”), and his daughter Rachel continuing their London sojourn.  They were invited to the United Kingdom on an all-expenses-paid trip by an eccentric lady millionaire.  Now, Conan is trying to unravel an elaborate terrorist plot before it becomes a reality.  It involves the favorite in the finals of a women's championship tennis match.  And if Conan is in London, how does Jimmy Kudo end up there, also?  And can they solve the mystery of the devilish serial killer and terrorist whose clues reference Sherlock Holmes stories?

Next, Conan and the Junior Detective League are playing hide and seek in an abandoned building when they happen upon an unexpected criminal case with an unexpected victim and the threat of imminent death for our young detectives.  Also, when Conan is out sick, the JDL is forced to try to stop a crime on their own.  And all they have to stop that crime with is … a deck of cards?!

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a huge fan of the Case Closed manga.  But you already know that, dear readers, if you are regular reader of my manga reviews.

Case Closed Graphic Novel Volume 72 starts off by wrapping up the London adventure, and it only takes the first chapter of this volume to do so.  The abandoned building is a fun adventure with the JDL.  I have to admit that I have not always been a fan of that bunch, but I find myself warming to them.  The two mysteries in Vol. 72 that involve the JDL show me that this group of characters offers a respite from the edgier story lines and darker elements of this series.  Oh, you also get to see Conan put a soccer ball to excellent use a few times in Vol. 72, which is one of the better recent volumes.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for fun mystery fiction will want to investigate the “Shonen Sunday” detective manga, Case Closed.

A
9 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


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: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 34

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 34
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0566-5; paperback (September 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from October 2004 to April 2017.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint since November 2006.

Hayate the Combat Butler focuses on Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings Hayate to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 34 finds Nagi declaring that her dedicated maid, Maria Kyobashi a.k.a. Maria-san, is being a nag.  Nagi is determined to find some dirt on Maria-san – something she can use against her, so she sends Hayate to do her dirty work.  But does Maria have a dark side, and can Hayate find it even if she does?

Next, there is a wave of new residents at the old mansion that Hayate and company have turned into a boarding house.  First, learn the story of pop idol, Ruka Suirenji, who wants to be a manga creator.  However, her management agency practically owns her, and they don't want their pop star drawing manga as a new career.  So to escape them, Ruka moves in with Hayate and friends.  That makes Ayumu Nishizawa, who loves Hayate, jealous, as she sees Ruka as a rival.  Now, Ayumu wants to move into the boarding house, but can this financially-strapped high school girl afford $400 a month rent?

The need for more rooms leads Hayate and company to a possible “mystery room.”  What is this mystery room, and why is it protected by a magical barrier?

[This volume includes a bonus manga, four-panel comics, and art.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I have managed to read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga three times this calendar year.  There are usually several months or even a year-long gap in my readings of the series, but I am always happy to return.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 34 is the reason I keep coming back.  Vol. 34 is one of the series' best entries, and it exemplifies creator Kenjiro Hata's deft touch with magical elements.  The “Mystery Room” story arc takes up eight of this volume's 11 chapters.  It brings elements of magic and mystery to the narrative, which are a break from the sameness of recent volumes.  There are also some allusions to a previous story arc in which regular readers may find delight.

As usual, John Werry provides a sparkling translation which captures the freshness of Vol. 34.  Letterer John Hunt's spry fonts capture the fun of magical powers and supernatural characters that abound in this volume.  So, let's get to the next volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A
9 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


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

------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Reivew: CASE CLOSED Volume 71

CASE CLOSED, VOL. 71
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Gosho Aoyama
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0655-6; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Detective Conan is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama.  It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday since January 1994.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Case Closed, under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

Case Closed focuses on Jimmy Kudo, ace high school detective.  Kudo is trailing two suspicious men in black (named “Gin” and “Vodka”), when the nefarious duo attacks him.  The two men administer to Jimmy a mysterious substance that physically transforms the teen into a first grader.  While searching for a cure, Jimmy adopts a new identity, becoming elementary school student, Conan Edogawa.  Acting alone and sometimes with his friends, the Junior Detective League (JDL), Jimmy/Conan continues to solve criminal cases and mysteries.

As Case Closed, Vol. 71 (“The Game is Afoot”) opens, Conan and the Junior Detective League solve a rather benign mystery.  It is set at Teitan Elementary School, and it involves – first, finding a “crime prevention” VHS tape lost in the school's A.V. room, which is hardly organized at all.  Then, Conan and the JDL find themselves on the case of a second lost VHS tape containing a superhero TV show (“Samurai Boy”) made by the students; a lost love letter from 13 years earlier; Teitan alumnus, Detective Chiba; and his lost love.  Can Conan and the other kids find the tape, a lost message, and reignite the flames of puppy love?

Then Conan, Dr. Herschel Agasa, Richard Moore (“the Sleeping Detective”), and his daughter Rachel head to London after being invited on an all-expenses-paid trip by an eccentric lady millionaire.  So how does Jimmy Kudo end up in London, also?  And how do both Jimmy and Conan end up trailing a devilish serial killer whose clues reference Sherlock Holmes stories?

THE LOWDOWN:  I'll start off this review by saying the usual:  I love the Case Closed manga.  And regular readers of my reviews know that.

Case Closed Graphic Novel Volume 71 starts off with the sweet and charming two-chapter mystery involving videotape memories and 13-year-old messages.  The remaining nine chapters of this 11-chapter volume focus on the London-set mystery of Sherlock Holmes clues, a serial killer, and a Wimbledon championship tennis match that turns out to have life and death implications.  By the way, that mystery doesn't conclude in Vol.71, which leaves us with a helluva cliffhanger.

As usual, Tetsuichiro Miyaki's sharp translation skills come to the fore in this particularly dialogue-heavy volume.  There is so much dialogue in some chapters that you might think you are reading a double-sized chapter, dear readers.  Luckily, Freeman Wong's unique lettering sets the stage, as well as being clear and concise.  Well, we've got to hurry back for Vol. 72... for the end of the match.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for fun mystery fiction will want to investigate the “Shonen Sunday” detective manga, Case Closed.

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 syndication rights and fees.




------------------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER Volume 33

HAYATE THE COMBAT BUTLER, VOL. 33
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Kenjiro Hata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: John Hunt
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9866-6; paperback (January 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Hayate the Combat Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine from October 2004 to April 2017.  VIZ Media is currently publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

The star of the series is a young man named Hayate Ayasaki.  He begins working to pay off his degenerate parents' gambling debts when he is nine.  Before they disappear, his parents sell their son’s organs to the yakuza to cover their debts.  Hayate is working various part-time jobs to pay off the debts when fate brings him to teenage heiress, Nagi Sanzenin a/k/a “Ojô-sama.”  She is the frequent target of kidnapping plots and of various schemes by people trying to get her money.  Hayate becomes Ojô-sama’s butler, zealously protecting her, while she falls in love with him.

As Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 33 opens, Hayate gives a tour of the surrounding area to their newest resident, Kayura Tsurugino, the homeless girl who was living in a tent in the park.  How will she adjust to her first day in a new school?  Can she adjust?  Then, its the seventeenth birthday of Izumi Segawa, the girl who really (and secretly) loves Hayate.  When he makes her a large birthday cake for her birthday, he also suggests that they share it with their housemates.  But Izumi does not want to share her cake or Hayate.

Then, after a six-week break (as the Hayate the Combat manga took a six-week break from publication), it is time to head back to school... and to a big test!  But the four girls sharing the house with him all have a cold.  Can Hayate take care of them without getting sick himself... so that he can stay healthy to take a test that he cannot fail?!

[This volume includes bonus manga and four-panel comics, a preview of Vol. 34, and more.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I read the Hayate the Combat Butler manga a few times a year.  Now, I have finally moved into the first volume released in 2019.

Hayate the Combat Butler Graphic Novel Volume 33 is more of the same-old, same-old, and that's a good thing.  Its 11 chapters break the fourth wall, and creator Kenjiro Hata gives us more antics from Hayate and company.  Hayate the Combat Butler is like the cozy anime-manga parody equivalent of a cozy mystery.  It gives readers what they expect, and because they are wedded to a “cozy” genre, it gives them what they need.

As usual, John Werry's translation sparkles and allows for reader contentment.  Letterer John Hunt's spry fonts maintain the amiable mood.  They are both good on “Episode 9,” which finds Hayate attempting to teach one of his female charges to ride a bike.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for otaku comedy can find laughs in the “Shonen Sunday” manga, Hayate the Combat Butler.

A-
7.5 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.



--------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: CASE CLOSED Volume 69

CASE CLOSED, VOL. 69
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Gosho Aoyama
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
EDITOR: Shaenon K. Garrity
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9867-3; paperback (January 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Detective Conan is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama.  It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday since January 1994.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Case Closed, under its “Shonen Sunday” imprint.

Case Closed focuses on Jimmy Kudo, ace high school detective.  Kudo is trailing two suspicious men in black (named “Gin” and “Vodka”), when the nefarious duo attacks him.  The two men administer to Jimmy a mysterious substance that physically transforms the teen into a first grader.  While searching for a cure, Jimmy adopts a new identity, becoming elementary school student, Conan Edogawa.  Acting alone and sometimes with his friends, the Junior Detective League (JDL), Jimmy/Conan continues to solve criminal cases and mysteries.

As Case Closed, Vol. 69 (“The Shape of Murder”) opens, Conan is accompanying the renowned Detective Richard Moore (known as “Sleeping Moore”) and his daughter, Rachel, to “Kora Inn,” a remote inn located in the village of Kuchibashi in Gunma.  They are responding to a note purported to be from an “accused murder,” who is seeking Moore's help to clear his name.  The trio will soon discover a new murder, one that may be connected to a mysterious death near Kora Inn over a decade ago.  Scariest of all, there will be a sighting of the river monster known as the “kappa.”

Then, the Junior Detective League travels with eccentric inventor, Dr. Herschel Agasa, to a hot springs resort.  There, they find murder when a notorious film director is found dead in what appears to be a locked room murder.  Also, the JDL is involved in a classical music-themed mystery at a deserted resort.  The biggest clue the kids find is the music of Bach.

THE LOWDOWN:  I'll start off this review by sayings something familiar:  I love the Case Closed manga.  Of course, you know that, dear readers, because I have been saying that for a long time.

Case Closed Graphic Novel Volume 69 offers three murder mysteries, and begins a fourth mystery that will be concluded in Vol. 70.  The “Kora Inn” mystery is poignant, and it may be one of the saddest resolutions that I have ever come across in Case Closed.  The “hot springs mystery” did not really interest me, and I was only a little more interested in the “White Day” mystery.

The deserted resort/classical music mystery looks to be a grand time.  Tetsuichiro Miyaki shows off his sharp translation skills in this case that closes out Vol. 69.  As usual, Freeman Wong's unique lettering captures the eccentricities of this manga, and I am starting to believe that it is one of the reasons I keep coming back for the next case.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for fun mystery fiction will want to investigate the “Shonen Sunday” detective manga, Case Closed.

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 syndication rights and fees.


-------------------------------

Review: KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE Volume 1

KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Tomohito Oda
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Eva Grandt
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0712-6; paperback (June 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Comi-San Wa, Comyusho Desu (Miss Komi is Bad at Communication) is the most recent shonen manga from creator, Tomohito Oda (whose previous manga was the series, Digicon).  VIZ Media is publishing Miss Komi is Bad at Communication in English in North America under the title, Komi Can't Communicate, as a graphic novel series.  Komi Can't Communicate focuses on a group of socially awkward high school students who try to help each other gain new friends and fit in with the other students.

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 19) introduces a high school girl named Shoko Komi.  Her skin is porcelain, and her hair is silky.  Her large eyes are almond-shaped, and she smells good.  Komi is the most beautiful person most of her classmates have ever seen.  However, she has crippling social anxiety so bad that she can barely speak.  Most people think her silence is because of her “cool reserve,” so they keep their distance.  Her communication disorder is keeping her from making friends.

Into her life arrives a new classmate, an awkward boy named Hitohito Tadano.  He is timid and has average communication skills.  However, he recognizes that Komi is not aloof, but merely super awkward.  So Tadano decides to help Komi attain her goal of making 100 friends.  All he needs to do is get her to speak, a single conversation at a time.

[This volume includes bonus comics.]

I won't call the Komi Can't Communicate manga a great graphic novel... yet.  However, this series is one of those shonen (comics for teen boys) and shojo manga (comics for teen girls) mixes that offer readers young male and female characters forced together for a common goal, with some romantic elements, although that is not the central focus.

Komi Can't Communicate Graphic Novel Volume 1 is basically comprised of a series of comic situations.  The chapters vary wildly in size.  Many are only three to six pages each.  Others are 10 to 15 pages in length, with one being 19 pages long.  Regardless, Komi Can't Communicate is a situation comedy, and creator Tomohito Oda is quite adept at creating small situations out of this narrative's central conceit.

The characters have potential, but are mostly thin on personality this early in the series.  I have faith that over time, I will be surprised what depth they will gain.  John Werry, who writes the English adaptation for Komi Can't Communicate, shows quite a bit of skill at making the sometimes crazy, sometimes almost non-existent dialogue convey humor.

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: SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE Volume 1

SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Kagiji Kumanomata
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Annette Roman
LETTERS: Susan Daigle-Leach
EDITOR: Annette Roman
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0018-9; paperback (June 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
176pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is a manga from creator Kagiji Kumanomata.  The manga, known in Japan as “Maou-jou de Oyasumi,” debuted in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2016.  The series follows the misadventures of a drowsy, kidnapped human princess who deals with adorable demons, a charming demon king, and his demon castle.

VIZ Media is publishing the series in English as a series of graphic novels entitled, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle.  The series will be published under the “Shonen Sunday” imprint with a rating of “‘T’ for Teens.”  Print MSRP for Volume 1 will be $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.  Volume 1 will be available digitally on June 12th, 2018 via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores.  Future volumes of Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle will be published on a quarterly basis.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 13) introduces Princess Syalis, the princess of the human kingdom, “Goodereste.”  She has just been kidnapped by the Demon King and imprisoned in his “Demon Castle.”   While the human kingdom goes into panic over their missing princess, the princess herself is… bored.

Syalis decides to while away her hours in captivity by sleeping, but getting a good night’s rest in the Demon Castle turns out to be a lot of work.  Syalis has no choice but to take matters into her own hands and to make her prison cell/bedroom into a place perfect for sleeping.  From fashioning DIY (do-it-yourself) pillows out of cute “Teddy Demon” guards to turning the “Shield of the Wind” into an air mattress to using the “Forbidden Grimoire” into bedtime reading, Syalis will find the perfect night's rest, even if that makes things not so perfect for the Demon King and his minions.

The Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle manga is super-cute and quite funny.  It is an episodic comedy with each chapter essentially being like an episode of a television sitcom.  Each chapter offers a new comic scenario or situation.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Graphic Novel Volume 1 will surprise readers by offering thirteen chapters and almost everyone of them is only about 12-pages in length.  Then, readers will be surprised to find that what seems like a one-note manga is surprisingly inventive.  Kumanomata mines quite a bit of comedy gold out of a princess who seems oblivious of her situation because she can only focus on getting to sleep.

Plus, who can not love “Teddy Demons?”  Cuddly, portly, and tirelessly helpful teddy bears with little bat wings are simply irresistible.

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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Hayate the Combat Butler: B-DMP!

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Magi: Holy Mother Pirates

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Case Closed: Cheesecake Upside Yo Head

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Arata: The Legend - Ameeno's Campaign

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Magi: The Fourth Magi

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