Review: MY LOVE STORY!! Volume 2

MY LOVE STORY!!, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Kazune Kawahara
ART: Aruko
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Mark McMurray
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7145-4; paperback (October 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Kazune Kawahara is a manga creator best known for her romantic comedy shojo manga, High School Debut.  She also writes the high school, romantic comedy manga, Ore Monogatari, which is drawn by Aruko.  VIZ Media recently began publishing Ore Monogatari in North America as My Love Story!!

The series focuses on high school student, Takeo Goda.  He is a gentle giant, but he isn't the most attractive fellow.  He also has a giant heart, but girls won't have anything to do with him.  Then he meets Rinko Yamato, after saving her from a harasser on the train.  Yamato falls in love with Takeo and his life changes.

As My Love Story!!, Vol. 2 (Chapters 4 to 7) opens, Takeo is enjoying life with a girlfriend.  Now, that Takeo has a girlfriend, his friends also want to meet girls, so Yamato plans a mixer.  Everything is going well when some of the friends decide to start saying bad things.  Also, Takeo agrees to help out the Shuei High judo team, but that means time away from Yamato.  Will this relationship, which is still in its “honeymoon stage,” survive gossipy friends and sports tournaments?

[This volume contains an interview with series creators, Kazune Kawahara and Aruko.]

The My Love Story!! manga is a sweet high school shojo love story.  Reading it tickles my imagination; it's dessert for my brain.  That's all I can say about it for now.  I have to admit that I cannot help but love a volume of manga that includes four recipes for Japanese treats, sweet and savory.  Manga plus foodie culture – that's nice.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: HONEY BLOOD Volume 1

HONEY BLOOD, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Miko Mitsuki
TRANSLATION: pinkie-chan
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7337-3; paperback (October 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

There is a new vampire shojo manga from VIZ Media.  Entitled Honey Blood, it is created by Miko Mitsuki.  The series follows a high school girl and the mysterious writer of vampire romance novels who might also have a taste for blood.

Honey Blood, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens as a female high school student becomes the latest victim in a string of attacks.  In fact, all the victims are young women, and all have suffered massive blood loss, although none of the attacks, as of yet, have been fatal.  The victim is from the same school as  Hinata Sorazono, and everyone is on edge.

Everyone seems to think that the attacker is a vampire, but Hinata refuses to believe that vampires exist.  She even refuses to read the popular vampire romance novel, Until the Ends of the Earth, that is so popular with her best friend and with fellow students.  However, she discovers that her new neighbor is the novel's author, Junya Tokinaga.  She reluctantly becomes interested in this author with an old-world air about him, but as the attacks on young women continue, Hinata begins to wonder if Junya is somehow involved.

The Honey Blood manga is no Vampire Knight.  Honey Blood has some novel ideas about vampires, but it is as much about innuendo and heavy panting and sighing as it is about vampires – if not more.  Vampire Knight is edgy, dark, brutal, and tragic.  Honey Blood is about a high school girl getting mixed up with an older man, who is conflicted about being chivalrous.

This is not supernatural puppy love, but Honey Blood is closer to Twilight than to any other vampire manga recently released in North America (such as the dark, morbid, and weird Black Rose Alice).  Right now, I am not really impressed with it, but I suspect that once adversarial characters are introduced (such as a rival vampire and a rival love interest), Honey Blood will be like hotter blood.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Dawn of the Arcana: The Final Volume

I read Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 13

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

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 3, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

JUL140482     EGOS TP VOL 01 QUINTESSENCE     $9.99
APR140568     ELEPHANTMEN #59 (MR)     $3.99
JUL140440     GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #1 CVR A BROWNE (MR)     $3.50
JUL140441     GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #1 CVR B DARROW (MR)     $3.50
JUL140548     HACK SLASH SON OF SAMHAIN #3 (MR)     $3.50
JUL140556     MADAME FRANKENSTEIN #5     $2.99
JUL140501     MERCENARY SEA TP VOL 01     $9.99
JUL140564     NAILBITER #5 (MR)     $2.99
JUL140565     NIGHTWORLD #2     $3.99
APR140598     SIDEKICK #8 (MR)     $3.99
MAY140731     SOUTHERN BASTARDS #4 (MR)     $3.50
JUL140582     TECH JACKET #3     $2.99
MAY140680     WALKING DEAD GRAVEDIGGER HOODIE LG     $44.99
MAY140679     WALKING DEAD GRAVEDIGGER HOODIE MED     $44.99
MAY140678     WALKING DEAD GRAVEDIGGER HOODIE SM     $44.99
MAY140681     WALKING DEAD GRAVEDIGGER HOODIE XL     $44.99
MAY140682     WALKING DEAD GRAVEDIGGER HOODIE XXL     $46.99
JUL140520     WALKING DEAD HC VOL 10 (MR)     $34.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

APR140621     WALKING DEAD COMIC SER 3 ANDREA AF     PI
APR140623     WALKING DEAD COMIC SER 3 DWIGHT AF     PI
APR140622     WALKING DEAD COMIC SER 3 PUNK ROCK ZOMBIE AF     PI
APR140620     WALKING DEAD COMIC SER 3 RICK GRIMES AF     PI
APR140619     WALKING DEAD COMIC SERIES 3 AF     PI

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.

Manga Review: STROBE EDGE Volume 10

 

STROBE EDGE, VOL. 10
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Io Sakisaka
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet MacFarlane
LETTERS: John Hunt
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6448-7; paperback (May 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Strobe Edge is a shojo manga (comics for teen girls) from Io Sakisaka (the creator of Ao Haru Ride).  VIZ Media sent me a copy of Strobe Edge Volume 2 for review in late 2012, which was my first experience with the series.  Now, with the release of tenth volume, the series’ North American publication comes to an end.  I can say that in terms of graphic style and tone, Strobe Edge never changed.

Strobe Edge focuses on Ninako Kinoshita, a 16-year-old who falls crazy in love with fellow high school student, Ren Ichinose.  Just before summer vacation begins, Ninako first tells Ren how she feels about him, and that begins a complicated romance.  Things get even more complicated, but Ren changes Ninako’s world.

As Strobe Edge, Vol. 10 (Chapters 35-36 – the Final Chapter) begins, Ren wants answers from Ninako.  She’s not ready to give them.  Now, she fears that Ren is out of her life.  Is that what she wants?  That can’t be what she wants.  Takumi Ando, a boy who also loves Ninako, decides that now is the time to make his move.

[This volume includes a side story, “Strobe Edge ˜Manabu Miyoshi˜;” a “Strobe Edge Bonus Chapter;” and a bonus story.]

The North American version of the Strobe Edge manga comes to an end.  It is a typical high school shojo romantic manga, and Strobe Edge Volume 10 offers a typical happy shojo ending.  Creator Io Sakisaka ties up loose ends, but she offers a lot of extras for readers as she ends the story.  I am guessing that I am as satisfied with the resolution as anyone who has followed this series since the beginning.

Strobe Edge takes the easy way out to satisfy readers, but the lead characters go through enough, even in the end, to make readers earn that sweet happy ending.  I think that fans of Shojo Beat high school romance will want to try the Shojo Beat title, Strobe Edge.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Dawn of the Arcana: Guran and Sara

I read Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 12

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics with an Indiegogo campaign), and you can follow me on Twitter.

Strobe Edge: Ren is Ready

I read Strobe Edge, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

A Devil and Her Love Song: Closing Numbers

I read Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 13 (A Devil and Her Love Song)

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

Strobe Edge: Ninako the Cheerleader?

I read Strobe Edge, Vol. 8

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

A Devil and Her Love Song: Shin's leaving...

I read Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 12 (A Devil and Her Love Song)

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Strobe Edge: The "Just Friends" School Trip

I read Strobe Edge, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

A Devil and Her Love Song: Back to Yokosuka

I read Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 11 (A Devil and Her Love Song)

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

X: Karen and Nataku

I read X, Vol. 6: 3-in-1 (X (3-in-1))

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

Dawn of the Arcana: A Game of Thones

I read Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 11

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

Strobe Edge: I Want Jessie's Girl

I read Strobe Edge, Vol. 6

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

A Devil and Her Love Song: Birth of a Devil

I read A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 10

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

A Devil and Her Love Song: New Love Triangle

I read A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 9

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

Strobe Edge: ...but you say he's just a friend

I read Strobe Edge, Vol. 5

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

Dawn of the Arcana: Overuse the Arcana?

I read Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 10

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.