Halloween Spectacular continues on with something called Tokage plus an extra shojo one-shot added in for fun.
Tokage by Yaku Haibara
Genre: Josei (though some sites have it set as a 'shojo' for some reason)
Length: 3 Volumes – 21 Chapters
I really love the art in this manga, though it can be a little sketchy and unfinished at times it has a really good personality to it. The facial expressions, clothes, and body movements are excellent, and though the main character's design could technically be called generic its the emotions of this man that make it well done, you can always tell what is going on even if there is no dialog. Its quite sexy and well done all around. Now, there are some monsters in this manga that I kind of wish you had a better look at because what you can see doesn't look very good, and I don't mean in a gross monster way but I can find no complaints beyond that.
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| Art and Story (c) Yaku Haibara |
The 'Tokage' is a creature of lore named after the lizard who can shed its tail and regenerate it, it is a monster who can die but resurrect its self again and again. For eight hundred years it has traversed this earth looking for the one person who can break it's curse of life, moving from body to body and place to place. Shinobu is a middle grades kid who hates to go to school and lives with his grandfather at an old shrine. His life is secluded and quiet, which happens to be just how he likes things. Suddenly one day, in a traffic accident, the girl that was like a sister to him dies and Shinobu just can't bring himself to think that the sudden death is real. Its too out of the ordinary for him to even admit. Then, on the night of her funeral he hears a noise in the viewing room and goes to investigate, finding that the one who should be dead is now very much back alive.
This is a really good read, things don't happen just like you might expect them to and at the end you get to be satisfied with how everything turns out. It has a nice pace, it's almost a 'slice of life' type of manga at times where you get to sit and see how the characters are getting along together, though those scenes are usually interrupted for a bloody battle. The cursed person explanation is also very unique, I don't think I've ever read a manga with a premise like this one and its always good to read a manga with out being constantly reminded of something else. The side characters, for the most part, are given all different personalities so they aren't just filler bad guys and you actually get time alone with them all, too. I know I said it at the beginning but it really bears repeating, the emotions and the way they press on you and the glimpses you get of whats underneath them really make this an enjoyable read. The people feel real. The art also really matches the tone of this manga, making it a full whole, it belongs to itself and isn't trying to be trendy or mainstream. As for negative comments... I guess there is a complexity here and there when talk of spiritual powers and the like comes up where the details aren't immediately given (as far as the terminology goes) and is a bit hard to understand. Perhaps its a smidge of an American perspective that makes it hard to interpret but its nothing that makes you pull away. The whole thing really makes me want to look for more manga by this artist (too bad they are mostly fan comics and yaoi, but hey, if you're into that).
5/5 Very Recommended story that is whole and complete at three volumes.
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| And the color pictures are even more amazing |
Ooma ga Toki by Nakamura Seiko
Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 50 Pages
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| Art and Story (c) Nakamura Seiko |
Typical shojo at a glance, and since its only fifty pages that’s about what you get of the art. The girl's eyes in this manga are HUGE, bigger than I'm used to and it bothered me some. I didn't dislike it but I found it a little bit distracting especially since the boy character had tiny eyes. This manga was also filled with silly chibis making it very adorable. The clothes were fairly simple with out much decoration, the first half is school uniforms, but you notice them since they match the characters well. There were plenty of tones embellishing everything, too, so its nice to look at.
Catching the sullen Ooma-kun one day with a wonderful expression on his face, Nanako of the Newspaper Club gets really interested in the boy and begins chasing him and researching him so she can write an article about him. Rumors say he suddenly acts like a completely different person at times before running away. Nanako finds it hard to believe but one day when she is chasing him down, just such a situation arises and the shy Ooma grabs her and boldly asks for a date!
Despite Nanako's often overly huge eyes, this manga is worth the short amount it takes to read it. Its a pushy girl and shy boy team up story where you know from the start what is going to happen but enjoy the ride. The only question I have is: is there more of this couple somewhere??????????
4.8/5 Very Recommended
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