The Volume Rating Thread
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Went back to this while I contemplate the moral dilemma of whether I want to pay twice the cover price for the next volume of Maison Ikkoku or just read the scanlations...
Video Girl Ai vol 3-5
The first part of the series to show a clear break from the story as it was in the anime. I'm actually kind of surprised to see how closely the anime followed the manga until this point. The end of the anime may not have tied it all up, but it felt like a perfectly good conclusion and I wasn't sure how exactly the story could continue.
The manga's version of events is slightly different, however, and introduces a new love-interest for the hero, Youta. The series then deals with his divided affections quite effectively; unlike the typical harem-series milquetoast, Youta frequently pays the price for his own dithering and is clearly hurting the people he cares about. He isn't so blind as to ignore his own crappy behaviour, but he isn't strong enough to do anything about it either.
While it was downplayed in the anime, the manga's oft-hidden streak of psycho-sexual horror also seems to be rearing its head more frequently, especially when one of Ai's siblings appears to a classmate, bringing disastrous results. This adds a very strange dimension to the series, as it often seems at odds with the rather sentimental tone of the plot in general and I do sometimes wonder if it might have been less apparent had someone in the editor's office not felt the shonen jump readership wanted more action.
I'm going to take a break from it for a little while, but I think I'd like to see this one through. It may not have the sophistication of a seinen series, but I think Video Girl Ai is still a decent read and a strong example of a romance story aimed at the shonen-reading audience.
Video Girl Ai vol 3-5
The first part of the series to show a clear break from the story as it was in the anime. I'm actually kind of surprised to see how closely the anime followed the manga until this point. The end of the anime may not have tied it all up, but it felt like a perfectly good conclusion and I wasn't sure how exactly the story could continue.
The manga's version of events is slightly different, however, and introduces a new love-interest for the hero, Youta. The series then deals with his divided affections quite effectively; unlike the typical harem-series milquetoast, Youta frequently pays the price for his own dithering and is clearly hurting the people he cares about. He isn't so blind as to ignore his own crappy behaviour, but he isn't strong enough to do anything about it either.
While it was downplayed in the anime, the manga's oft-hidden streak of psycho-sexual horror also seems to be rearing its head more frequently, especially when one of Ai's siblings appears to a classmate, bringing disastrous results. This adds a very strange dimension to the series, as it often seems at odds with the rather sentimental tone of the plot in general and I do sometimes wonder if it might have been less apparent had someone in the editor's office not felt the shonen jump readership wanted more action.
I'm going to take a break from it for a little while, but I think I'd like to see this one through. It may not have the sophistication of a seinen series, but I think Video Girl Ai is still a decent read and a strong example of a romance story aimed at the shonen-reading audience.
Appleseed: The Promethean Challenge (1985)
The first volume of Shirow's other big hit actually holds up far better than I remember. In the aftermath of World War Three, ex-SWAT cops Deunan and Briareos are plucked from the ruins to join the police force of apparently utopian new city, Olympus. Needless to say, however, there are more than a few skeletons waiting in the closet, as our intrepid twosome quickly find themselves unwitting pawns in a struggle for control of this technological wonderland.
Although rather short on action compared to the anime adaptations, the seven chapters collected here do a pretty good job of introducing Appleseed's world and whetting the appetite for what might follow. The underlying conspiracy plot doesn't feel hugely groundbreaking, but it holds your interest and allows for a few interesting observations regarding Olympus's inhabitants.
The art is less refined than Shirow's later work, but his typically obsessive attention to detail is already apparent in the mechanical objects and the wonderful cityscape backgrounds. Shirow's whimsical sense of humour is also very much in play. Anyone expecting a deathly serious piece of sci-fi may be thrown by this as the tone is far lighter than you might expect for such subject matter and the timing of some gag-sequences seems a little questionable. Immediately after one character witnesses a shooting, for example, she shouts across to her neighbour's balcony for help and winds up in an exchange straight out of Airplane! Nevertheless, I felt it made Appleseed a far easier read than the nearest thing I could think to compare it to – the gloomy, bloated Ballard-wannabe, Eden.
Used copies of the book can be had online for next to nothing, so I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone with even a passing interest in Shirow and his work.
The first volume of Shirow's other big hit actually holds up far better than I remember. In the aftermath of World War Three, ex-SWAT cops Deunan and Briareos are plucked from the ruins to join the police force of apparently utopian new city, Olympus. Needless to say, however, there are more than a few skeletons waiting in the closet, as our intrepid twosome quickly find themselves unwitting pawns in a struggle for control of this technological wonderland.
Although rather short on action compared to the anime adaptations, the seven chapters collected here do a pretty good job of introducing Appleseed's world and whetting the appetite for what might follow. The underlying conspiracy plot doesn't feel hugely groundbreaking, but it holds your interest and allows for a few interesting observations regarding Olympus's inhabitants.
The art is less refined than Shirow's later work, but his typically obsessive attention to detail is already apparent in the mechanical objects and the wonderful cityscape backgrounds. Shirow's whimsical sense of humour is also very much in play. Anyone expecting a deathly serious piece of sci-fi may be thrown by this as the tone is far lighter than you might expect for such subject matter and the timing of some gag-sequences seems a little questionable. Immediately after one character witnesses a shooting, for example, she shouts across to her neighbour's balcony for help and winds up in an exchange straight out of Airplane! Nevertheless, I felt it made Appleseed a far easier read than the nearest thing I could think to compare it to – the gloomy, bloated Ballard-wannabe, Eden.
Used copies of the book can be had online for next to nothing, so I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone with even a passing interest in Shirow and his work.
More old-school sci-fi for the win.
A.D. Police (1989?)
Taking place well before the much-loved Knight Sabers entered the fray, A.D. Police is actually the first of two manga series about the titular anti-boomer squad from the Bubblegum Crisis universe. After a brief introduction involving an investigative journalist, the manga switches to follow rookie trooper Leon McNichol, and his hardcase partner, Jeena Malso, as they ride out to do battle with the rogue androids of Mega Tokyo.
The sleazy, vice-riddled world the characters inhabit is a perpetually-darkened metropolis straight out of Blade Runner, but, bleak though it may be, the manga is still lighter in tone than its (better known) anime adaptation. The story is most definitely pulp sci-fi, acknowledging plenty of cyberpunk elements without really exploring them in any depth, but it's still fairly well executed and manages a few nice moments of pathos amongst the carnage. It is, surprisingly, Jeena rather than Leon who takes the centre stage for most of the book, but with her gung-ho attitude, she makes for quite a fun heroine, even if her unexpectedly brutal approach to dealing with the human perps seems a little dubious by today's standards.
Tony Takezaki's artwork for the book is a particular highlight, his style being reminiscent of Katsuhiro Otomo's highly-detailed work on Akira (which the manga even manages a pastiche of at one point), but with a lighter, more delicate line that makes his characters seem more expressive. His approach to anatomy is slightly curious (despite the realistic proportions, everyone seems to have a very narrow waist) and his action scenes are occasionally hard to follow, but the overall look is still pleasing to the eye. I also really liked Jeena's character design; her flowing black hair and headband make her look like Streets of Rage 1-era Blaze Fielding with a robotic arm.
I don't think it's deep enough to make it worth paying a huge amount of money for, but good copies can be had through the usual channels for under £3 and, at that price, I think it's well worth a look.
A.D. Police (1989?)
Taking place well before the much-loved Knight Sabers entered the fray, A.D. Police is actually the first of two manga series about the titular anti-boomer squad from the Bubblegum Crisis universe. After a brief introduction involving an investigative journalist, the manga switches to follow rookie trooper Leon McNichol, and his hardcase partner, Jeena Malso, as they ride out to do battle with the rogue androids of Mega Tokyo.
The sleazy, vice-riddled world the characters inhabit is a perpetually-darkened metropolis straight out of Blade Runner, but, bleak though it may be, the manga is still lighter in tone than its (better known) anime adaptation. The story is most definitely pulp sci-fi, acknowledging plenty of cyberpunk elements without really exploring them in any depth, but it's still fairly well executed and manages a few nice moments of pathos amongst the carnage. It is, surprisingly, Jeena rather than Leon who takes the centre stage for most of the book, but with her gung-ho attitude, she makes for quite a fun heroine, even if her unexpectedly brutal approach to dealing with the human perps seems a little dubious by today's standards.
Tony Takezaki's artwork for the book is a particular highlight, his style being reminiscent of Katsuhiro Otomo's highly-detailed work on Akira (which the manga even manages a pastiche of at one point), but with a lighter, more delicate line that makes his characters seem more expressive. His approach to anatomy is slightly curious (despite the realistic proportions, everyone seems to have a very narrow waist) and his action scenes are occasionally hard to follow, but the overall look is still pleasing to the eye. I also really liked Jeena's character design; her flowing black hair and headband make her look like Streets of Rage 1-era Blaze Fielding with a robotic arm.
I don't think it's deep enough to make it worth paying a huge amount of money for, but good copies can be had through the usual channels for under £3 and, at that price, I think it's well worth a look.
VivisQueen
Adventurer
Domu: A Child's Dream
I will admit, I could never get sick of Otomo's gory, violent stuff. When something explodes in his manga or bodies get mangled, they do so in spectacular detail. I will nonetheless admit to a certain amount of disappointment, which follows the fact that this rarity cost me 25 quid and that I held off on watching it out of a fear-hope that it might be too good and something this expensive that could quite possibly blow my mind required a level of mental preparedness.
Turns out this is basically an excuse for Otomo to, well, make things explode and mangle bodies. The reed-thin 'plot' is barely more than a scenario (old man terrorises apartment complex with psychic powers, girl with psychic powers fights him, gory violent stuff ensues), the token characters require and in fact get no development, and somehow I come away feeling like I just read Akira-lite.
One volume shorts aren't meant to deliver complexity, which is why they're harder. A great short will elicit powerful feelings in a story that spans merely a few pages. Domu only inspires 'Woah. LOOK AT THAT RUBBLE! HAHA OMG THE BLOOD!' It's not awful - it's just shallow.
6/10
I will admit, I could never get sick of Otomo's gory, violent stuff. When something explodes in his manga or bodies get mangled, they do so in spectacular detail. I will nonetheless admit to a certain amount of disappointment, which follows the fact that this rarity cost me 25 quid and that I held off on watching it out of a fear-hope that it might be too good and something this expensive that could quite possibly blow my mind required a level of mental preparedness.
Turns out this is basically an excuse for Otomo to, well, make things explode and mangle bodies. The reed-thin 'plot' is barely more than a scenario (old man terrorises apartment complex with psychic powers, girl with psychic powers fights him, gory violent stuff ensues), the token characters require and in fact get no development, and somehow I come away feeling like I just read Akira-lite.
One volume shorts aren't meant to deliver complexity, which is why they're harder. A great short will elicit powerful feelings in a story that spans merely a few pages. Domu only inspires 'Woah. LOOK AT THAT RUBBLE! HAHA OMG THE BLOOD!' It's not awful - it's just shallow.
6/10
Jeez, that's kinda gutting. I guess when the yardstick for all Otomo's other work is Akira, everything else is invariably going to seem tame, but I did hold out more hope for Domu. It sounded like a dry run for the same kind of themes that we'd get in Akira with the psychic kids and such like.
Maybe it's time to give Eden another shot
Maybe it's time to give Eden another shot
VivisQueen
Adventurer
I think context is important to enjoyment of this manga. If you're bored on a weekend afternoon and just want something to burn a couple of hours, Domu is great! The art is excellent and the action kicks ****. Really palpable, you know?
But if you're wanting to embark on a journey of powerful themes and complex emotions, this will deliver not even a modicum of either. We don't even get to know why the antagonist does the bad things he does or any more insight into the little girl protag's life as someone with such incredible abilities. There isn't even a twist! Just bad old man against good little girl and the whole thing builds up to a long action sequence of utter chaos.
I don't quite want my money back but I do wish very much it had been cheaper.
PS. Do you mean Hiroki Endo's 'Eden'? I've read a few volumes. It's good. Kinda meandering? But has one or two powerful moments.
But if you're wanting to embark on a journey of powerful themes and complex emotions, this will deliver not even a modicum of either. We don't even get to know why the antagonist does the bad things he does or any more insight into the little girl protag's life as someone with such incredible abilities. There isn't even a twist! Just bad old man against good little girl and the whole thing builds up to a long action sequence of utter chaos.
I don't quite want my money back but I do wish very much it had been cheaper.
PS. Do you mean Hiroki Endo's 'Eden'? I've read a few volumes. It's good. Kinda meandering? But has one or two powerful moments.
VivisQueen said:
That's the one. I tend to think of it as being the closest latter-day manga equivalent to what the likes of Otomo and Shirow were doing in the '80s.
Some people seem to really rate it, but, while I thought the art was excellent, what I read of the story just didn't grab me. The general setup made me think Endo was trying reference some of JG Ballard's sci-fi novels (especially as one of the characters was even named "Ballard"), but the first part of the story just played out like a lifeless parody of them with added robots. Admittedly, I didn't get very far beyond the lengthy prologue section, so I might give it another try.
ilmaestro
State Alchemist
I was much the same with Eden, I liked what the setting and world situation could potentially do for the series, but he didn't seem to be executing anything as ambitious as I was looking for.
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Berserk v.(up to 20) - 9/10. Farnese and Serpico are really fun additions to the cast, if somewhat caricatural at times. I am probably a bigger fan of Farnese than Casca now, tbh. Hopefully Ishidoro hangs around to provide a comic relief alternative to Puck, too.
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Berserk v.(up to 20) - 9/10. Farnese and Serpico are really fun additions to the cast, if somewhat caricatural at times. I am probably a bigger fan of Farnese than Casca now, tbh. Hopefully Ishidoro hangs around to provide a comic relief alternative to Puck, too.
The Drops of God: Volume 1
This is quite a hefty book - it seems to be a combination of the first two volumes that were printed in Japan. It sounds like an interesting story, but having read the first volume it hasn't really got going yet. It makes clear what the contest between Kanzaki and Tomine is all about, what it consists of and what is at stake, but the book as of this moment they have not even started the actual contest yet after 18 chapters.
Also, because it talks about the costs of the wine in yen, you're constantly having to calculate how much it costs in pounds. Although in a way, yen does sound better because the figures as so much bigger (for example, 1,000,000 Yen sounds more dramatic than £8,200).
However, the art in the book is very good. Given the fact that wine buffs always describe the tastes in smells in such odd ways, it is nice to picture the description as well.
Score: 6-7 out of 10
This is quite a hefty book - it seems to be a combination of the first two volumes that were printed in Japan. It sounds like an interesting story, but having read the first volume it hasn't really got going yet. It makes clear what the contest between Kanzaki and Tomine is all about, what it consists of and what is at stake, but the book as of this moment they have not even started the actual contest yet after 18 chapters.
Also, because it talks about the costs of the wine in yen, you're constantly having to calculate how much it costs in pounds. Although in a way, yen does sound better because the figures as so much bigger (for example, 1,000,000 Yen sounds more dramatic than £8,200).
However, the art in the book is very good. Given the fact that wine buffs always describe the tastes in smells in such odd ways, it is nice to picture the description as well.
Score: 6-7 out of 10
Ressentiment v1-4
The first serial from Kengo Hanazawa (I am a Hero), offers an amusingly dark spin on the familiar "robot girlfriend" story. Rather than the usual heart-of-gold milquetoast, our hero, Takuro, is a grotesque, 30ish loser working a menial job at a printing firm. After a chance encounter with an old friend, he cashes in his savings for the chance to immerse himself in a virtual world where he might engineer a new life with an expensive AI girlfriend.
Although the influences on the story are plain to see (particularly Chobits and Video Girl Ai), Ressentiment very nearly carries off a probably far truer interpretation of the scenario. It recalls nothing so much as Welcome to the NHK, as Takuro's grasp on reality quickly unravelss and we end up watching him and his buddy, VR helmets glued to their faces, as they prance around a grotty apartment, tripping over the furniture, while their lionised virtual selves drink wine in a medieval fantasy world.
The warning flags come up pretty early on, however, as it's hinted in no uncertain terms that Takuro's virtual love is "special" and the story does lapse into more conventional fantasy towards the end.
Nevertheless, it's an amusing break from the usual nerdy wish fulfillment fare and a timely caution about a form of cyber-escapism that is doubtlessly not far off.
The first serial from Kengo Hanazawa (I am a Hero), offers an amusingly dark spin on the familiar "robot girlfriend" story. Rather than the usual heart-of-gold milquetoast, our hero, Takuro, is a grotesque, 30ish loser working a menial job at a printing firm. After a chance encounter with an old friend, he cashes in his savings for the chance to immerse himself in a virtual world where he might engineer a new life with an expensive AI girlfriend.
Although the influences on the story are plain to see (particularly Chobits and Video Girl Ai), Ressentiment very nearly carries off a probably far truer interpretation of the scenario. It recalls nothing so much as Welcome to the NHK, as Takuro's grasp on reality quickly unravelss and we end up watching him and his buddy, VR helmets glued to their faces, as they prance around a grotty apartment, tripping over the furniture, while their lionised virtual selves drink wine in a medieval fantasy world.
The warning flags come up pretty early on, however, as it's hinted in no uncertain terms that Takuro's virtual love is "special" and the story does lapse into more conventional fantasy towards the end.
Nevertheless, it's an amusing break from the usual nerdy wish fulfillment fare and a timely caution about a form of cyber-escapism that is doubtlessly not far off.
Ah, I must have missed that one - didn't realise they'd covered it on the AWO.
But yeah, it's often a pretty uncomfortable read. Between it, I am a Hero and Boys on the Run, Hanazawa really seems to be cornering the market in "uncomfortable tragi-comedy about a 30ish loser"...
But yeah, it's often a pretty uncomfortable read. Between it, I am a Hero and Boys on the Run, Hanazawa really seems to be cornering the market in "uncomfortable tragi-comedy about a 30ish loser"...
Karakuri Dôji Ultimo 6
To be honest, this series has always been one that for the last five volumes has struck me as "Good, but not great". However, I have to say, the series has greatly improved in this volume.
I have some niggles, like how Désir looks a [/i]lot[/i] like Ultimo when not doing the pretty boy act and how aside from Eco, Takei has a habit of drawing characters as being too thin. However, Service is an awesome character and the whole thing with Sumoko was definitely the highlight of this volume for me, with the whole moral of love vs lust.
Then we have Mizho, who easily has one of the coolest character designs in the series.
I feel that the characters introduced in this volume have a lot more personality than those we've seen previously.
8/10
EDIT:
Toradora! 3
Got Toradora volume 3 today...ROFL.
Taiga made Ami dance, sing and do impressions of all original 150 Pokémon in order, taking photos of each for five to six hours, just to get back at her....I'm still in hysterics xD...Taiga's too amazing xD
Toradora! has to be my favourite manga right now. It's absolute comedy genius in my opinion - I was cracking up while reading, which is something that very rarely happens. It's not something like a 4-koma where what is meant to be funny is abundantly clear; a lot of the humour comes from the way the characters interact with each other and react to different situations.
That's another point - the characters. Ryuji, Taiga, Minorin, Kitamura and Ami all have such distinguishable personalities that honestly makes me a bit jealous. Taiga and Ryuji's relationship is obviously the most important of the series (or "lack of" as they would insist); seeing the two together is really hilarious and adorable at the same time, as it's so obvious that they have affections for each other, but don't want to admit it due to the reason of their partnership in the first place.
9/10
The only annoying thing is...the long wait for volume 4. Looking at Wikipedia, it seems that a new volume is only released in Japan once a year. Volume 4 isn't due out until July and I can imagine there will be a looooooooong wait before volume 5. Might as well check out the anime then.
To be honest, this series has always been one that for the last five volumes has struck me as "Good, but not great". However, I have to say, the series has greatly improved in this volume.
I have some niggles, like how Désir looks a [/i]lot[/i] like Ultimo when not doing the pretty boy act and how aside from Eco, Takei has a habit of drawing characters as being too thin. However, Service is an awesome character and the whole thing with Sumoko was definitely the highlight of this volume for me, with the whole moral of love vs lust.
Then we have Mizho, who easily has one of the coolest character designs in the series.
I feel that the characters introduced in this volume have a lot more personality than those we've seen previously.
8/10
EDIT:
Toradora! 3
Got Toradora volume 3 today...ROFL.
Taiga made Ami dance, sing and do impressions of all original 150 Pokémon in order, taking photos of each for five to six hours, just to get back at her....I'm still in hysterics xD...Taiga's too amazing xD
Toradora! has to be my favourite manga right now. It's absolute comedy genius in my opinion - I was cracking up while reading, which is something that very rarely happens. It's not something like a 4-koma where what is meant to be funny is abundantly clear; a lot of the humour comes from the way the characters interact with each other and react to different situations.
That's another point - the characters. Ryuji, Taiga, Minorin, Kitamura and Ami all have such distinguishable personalities that honestly makes me a bit jealous. Taiga and Ryuji's relationship is obviously the most important of the series (or "lack of" as they would insist
); seeing the two together is really hilarious and adorable at the same time, as it's so obvious that they have affections for each other, but don't want to admit it due to the reason of their partnership in the first place.9/10
The only annoying thing is...the long wait for volume 4. Looking at Wikipedia, it seems that a new volume is only released in Japan once a year. Volume 4 isn't due out until July and I can imagine there will be a looooooooong wait before volume 5. Might as well check out the anime then.
fabio de lunatico
Claymore
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan v1 - 8/10
Taking place part-way through the original series, 14 Days in Shonan sees Onizuka getting away from the school and his dysfunctional kids by going back to his home town... where he ends up staying at a foster home with a bunch of dysfunctional kids (and, of course, a hot young female carer or two)! It's more of the same; that is, Onizuka being a pervert but never actually getting any and somehow surviving multiple attempts on his life from homicidal teenagers. Fun.
We Were There v1-3 - 9/10
A beautiful and poignant tale of young love and loss. The lead characters are believable, their feelings and experiences coming across as strikingly real, and their relationship actually goes somewhere in the first three volumes. It's very sweet yet there's a distinctly ominous feel to proceedings because the male lead is carrying some serious baggage. You get the impression that the characters will be put through the emotional wringer, and I'm definitely along for the ride. Top tier stuff.
Taking place part-way through the original series, 14 Days in Shonan sees Onizuka getting away from the school and his dysfunctional kids by going back to his home town... where he ends up staying at a foster home with a bunch of dysfunctional kids (and, of course, a hot young female carer or two)! It's more of the same; that is, Onizuka being a pervert but never actually getting any and somehow surviving multiple attempts on his life from homicidal teenagers. Fun.
We Were There v1-3 - 9/10
A beautiful and poignant tale of young love and loss. The lead characters are believable, their feelings and experiences coming across as strikingly real, and their relationship actually goes somewhere in the first three volumes. It's very sweet yet there's a distinctly ominous feel to proceedings because the male lead is carrying some serious baggage. You get the impression that the characters will be put through the emotional wringer, and I'm definitely along for the ride. Top tier stuff.
Max Takeshi
Great Teacher
Finished The Drifting Classroom: Volume 2 - 4/5
Really excellent stuff now. The tension between everybody (despite only being kids) is building nice. You also feel real lose for Sho's mother and her desperate measures to help him.
Really looking forward as to where this is going to go.
Really excellent stuff now. The tension between everybody (despite only being kids) is building nice. You also feel real lose for Sho's mother and her desperate measures to help him.
Really looking forward as to where this is going to go.
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A Certain Scientific Railgun (Volume 1)
> "Academy City's technology is 30 years ahead of the rest of the world."
> "Hey is that one of those new walkmans? The kind that plays digital music?"
*pokerface*
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. My only complaint is that I found it a bit hard to follow who some of the characters were in the first few chapters (they look so alike), but I easily found Misaka to be incredibly likeable.
I did enjoy reading this volume and I will be buying more when I get the chance, but aside from Misaka, not much really stood out for me in this volume.
7.5/10
> "Academy City's technology is 30 years ahead of the rest of the world."
> "Hey is that one of those new walkmans? The kind that plays digital music?"
*pokerface*
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. My only complaint is that I found it a bit hard to follow who some of the characters were in the first few chapters (they look so alike), but I easily found Misaka to be incredibly likeable.
I did enjoy reading this volume and I will be buying more when I get the chance, but aside from Misaka, not much really stood out for me in this volume.
7.5/10
20thCenturyBoy
Thousand Master
Gantz: Volume 10 The shorty alien mission ends and I'm happy enough with it. When this mission first began it was the first time i thought that the missions really needed to change up (Go after alien, doesn't seem strong, turns out there's more that are stronger). So this mission was a nice change of pace, but we move on form that to an even bigger change: longer development building up future characters.
We're introduced to Sakurai and Daizaemon (who looks like he's walked straight out of a Tekken game). I liked that Daizaemon had an accent, always makes it more fun to read when there's an accent. The new plot point involving Sakurai was very interesting.
Single favourite moment: Kei goes from going to end things with Kojima on one page, the next he's ******* her. Glorious! I actually quite like them as a couple, the gradual change of Kei in the photos together was good and I was originally disheartened when they teased the "it was all a dream" bit. Glad it's not.
3.5 out of 5*
We're introduced to Sakurai and Daizaemon (who looks like he's walked straight out of a Tekken game). I liked that Daizaemon had an accent, always makes it more fun to read when there's an accent. The new plot point involving Sakurai was very interesting.
Single favourite moment: Kei goes from going to end things with Kojima on one page, the next he's ******* her. Glorious! I actually quite like them as a couple, the gradual change of Kei in the photos together was good and I was originally disheartened when they teased the "it was all a dream" bit. Glad it's not.
3.5 out of 5*
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20thCenturyBoy
Thousand Master
Blood Alone 1-in-3 Omnibus (vol.1-3)
I just picked this up not knowing a thing about it, had never even heard of it, I read the back of it seemed interesting and so bought it. It's turned out to be a good decision.
This is a really sweet and charming series, with plenty of funny moments. It does mainly slice of life stuff, but with vampires, which is good but is able to throw in a bit of crime too. I imagine later on they get more into a serious vampire story, bits of which are only hinted at here with the clans, etc. Misaki is super cute and her relationship with Kuroe is just lovely, it's so adorable when she gets jealous or flustered over him.
I'm definetly going to pick up more of this series later on.
7 out of 10
I just picked this up not knowing a thing about it, had never even heard of it, I read the back of it seemed interesting and so bought it. It's turned out to be a good decision.
This is a really sweet and charming series, with plenty of funny moments. It does mainly slice of life stuff, but with vampires, which is good but is able to throw in a bit of crime too. I imagine later on they get more into a serious vampire story, bits of which are only hinted at here with the clans, etc. Misaki is super cute and her relationship with Kuroe is just lovely, it's so adorable when she gets jealous or flustered over him.
I'm definetly going to pick up more of this series later on.
7 out of 10
20thCenturyBoy
Thousand Master
Attack On Titan Vol.1
I've been really looking forward ot this and it didn't disappoint. A really intriguing story with some very strong moments early on, it's totally brutal too which is great.
The art feels a bit rough at times though, and I was very shocked that the guy we think is going to be the main protaganist ends up dying.
I eagerly await the next volume.
8 out of 10
I've been really looking forward ot this and it didn't disappoint. A really intriguing story with some very strong moments early on, it's totally brutal too which is great.
The art feels a bit rough at times though, and I was very shocked that the guy we think is going to be the main protaganist ends up dying.
I eagerly await the next volume.
8 out of 10
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