Spell of Desire: Witches With Problems

I read Spell of Desire, Vol. 4

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Spell of Desire: Incubus Block

I read Spell of Desire, Vol. 3

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Spell of Desire: Enter the Black Witch Coven

I read Spell of Desire, Vol. 2

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Review: MIDNIGHT SECRETARY Volume 7

MIDNIGHT SECRETARY, VOL. 7
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Tomu Ohmi
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5950-6; paperback (September 2014); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Midnights Secretary Volume 7 is the final volume of the series.  Created by Tomu Ohmi, Midnight Secretary focuses on a human female, Kaya Satozuka, and a vampire male,  Kyohei Tohma.

Kaya Satozuka prides herself on being an excellent secretary and a consummate professional at Tohma Corp., a tableware manufacturer.  When she was 22-years-old, Kaya was reassigned to the office of the company’s difficult Managing Director, Kyohei Tohma.  Kaya did not worry about her hard-to-please new boss; then, she discovered that Kyohei was a vampire.  Now, 23-years old, Kaya works full time at Lakes Venture Capital (LVC), a new investment company started by Kyohei.

As Midnight Secretary, Vol. 7 (Chapters 31 to 33 to Final Chapter) opens, Kyohei is banished from the vampire clan because he refuses to renounce his love for Kaya.  However, it is dangerous to be a lone vampire outside the clan, cut off from the vampires' power, influence, and protection.  He even loses access to blood substitutes.

Kaya is determined to support Kyohei through this difficult time, even if it means arranging “dinner dates” for him.  A “dinner date” is a woman who has sex with Kyohei and also gives him blood.  Can Kaya really accept that?  Will she be able to accept the big change in their relationship and an even bigger change in both their lives.

[This volume includes a bonus story, “Special Feature: Midnight Butler” and the extra, “Nekomata Today.”]

The Midnight Secretary manga is an intriguing shojo vampire manga, although it is also silly and playful, at times.  I will miss it, as it is ending sooner than I expected.  As this is the final volume of the series, creator Tomu Ohmi offers two big surprises and even a few small ones.  Some have been previously teased, and some are obvious, considering that this is a romance manga.  [Hint: think Twilight.]

At times, Midnight Secretary has been melodramatic, a bit dark, even edgy, and sometimes comedic.  This final volume is all sentiment and warm cocoa.  Ohmi leaves behind the potential of the series self-contained mythology and the intrigue presented by the internal and external politics of the vampire clan, especially where it concerns Kyohei.  Still, Midnight Secretary had some good moments, and while I doubt that it will be memorable, I can be an entertaining read.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Manga Review: SPELL OF DESIRE Volume 1

SPELL OF DESIRE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Tomu Ohmi
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Monalisa de Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6775-4; paperback (August 2014); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Tomu Ohmi is a female mangaka who made her debut in 2000.  VIZ Media is currently publishing the English-language version of her series, Midnight Secretary.  The San Francisco-based publisher is also making her most recent series, Spell of Desire, available to North American readers.

Spell of Desire focuses on Kaoruko “Koko” Mochizuki owns and operates an herb shop in a small seaside town in Japan.  One day, a mysterious man dressed in black walks into the Moon Witch Herb Shop and introduces himself as Kaname Hibiki.  Kaname tells Kaoruko that she is actually a witch and that he has arrived to help her control the power that is awakening in her.

Spell of Desire, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens with the arrival of Kaname.  He is bringing shocking news about Koko and her mother and grandmother.  He says that he is a “Knight.”  He tells her about being the target of humans and demons alike.  And now her customers think that Kaoruko finally has a boyfriend.  Kaoruko wants to reject Kaname, but then, he steals a kiss…

It is worth comparing the Spell of Desire manga to Midnight Secretary, the previous manga produced by Spell of Desire creator, Tomu Ohmi.  Midnight Secretary is by turns sweet and silly and also dark and mysterious.  Its scenario is playful, which belies the danger inherent in some characters.

Spell of Desire seems like something I’ve read countless times before.  While Midnight Secretary manages to be different as vampire fiction, Spell of Desire scenario of the Knight-without-shining-armor rescuing the magical-novice-damsel seems a bit soft.  The best scenes are the ones featuring Kaname’s familiars, Dragon and Unicorn.  Like Midnight Secretary, I think Spell of Desire will start to differentiate itself in the second and third volumes.  Meanwhile, Spell of Desire Volume 1 has beautiful art, but the magic does not crackle.  Still, Fans of Tomu Ohmi may want to try Spell of Desire.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Midnight Secretary: Having a Baby

I read Midnight Secretary, Vol. 6

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

Midnight Secretary: Love Triangle?

I read Midnight Secretary, Vol. 5

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Midnight Secretary: The Mysterious Marika

I read Midnight Secretary, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Midnight Secretary: Moonlighting

I read Midnight Secretary, Vol. 3

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

Review: MIDNIGHT SECRETARY Volume 1

MIDNIGHT SECRETARY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Tomu Ohmi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5944-5; paperback (September 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Manga creator Tomu Ohmi made her debut with the romantic supernatural series, Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou (Let’s Make Forbidden Love), in the June 2000 issue of the popular Japanese shojo magazine, Petit Comic.  Her shojo manga, Midnight Secretary, was also featured in Petit Comic.

Midnight Secretary focuses on 22-year-old Kaya Satozuka.  She prides herself on being an excellent secretary and a consummate professional at Tohma Corp., a tableware manufacturer.  So, when she is reassigned to the office of the company’s difficult Managing Director, Kyohei Tohma, Kaya is unconcerned.  Then, Kaya discovers Kyohei’s secret.

As Midnight Secretary, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) begins, Kaya gets a new assignment at Tohma Corp.  She is Kyohei Tohma’s new executive secretary.  The young managing director is rumored to be prickly and quite attractive, both of which turn out to be true.  However, Kaya is unfazed… until she discovers that Kyohei is a shameless womanizer and a vampire.

Although I’ve only just read the first volume of the Midnight Secretary manga, I am a fan, and I can’t wait to read more.  It is more humorous than racy, but the “biting scenes” can come across as intensely passionate as a romance scene in a yaoi manga.  Midnight Secretary’s sex-by-vampiric-innuendo may be why it is rated for mature readers.

Visually and graphically, Midnight Secretary sometimes looks as if it comes from some pre-World War II era.  Much of that is due to Kaya’s conservative look – in terms of her clothing and hairstyle.  Creator Tomu Ohmi seems to want to make sure that Midnight Secretary does not look like just another vampire manga.  It isn’t.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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