The Flustered Shabby Santa Claus by Kana Yamamoto

It is officially the eve of Christmas eve, I've got a short post for today and a slightly longer one for tomorrow. I'm not hopeful about finding winter reads next year though, but I hope this won't be the last year of Winter Wonderland posts. I found a new Santa gif though:

 

The Flustered Shabby Santa Claus by Kana Yamamoto


Genre: Josei
Length: One Chapter – 17 Pages


           The art has personality, but also seems a bit sketchy, especially the backgrounds that come and go, so it gets an okay score in the visual category. The faces have a lot of emotion, and the hair has good movement though the styling just looks rather trendy instead of stylized

to the mangaka. The clothes also fit well on the bodies and have enough detail to pass as regular clothing. Judging by such a short story is kind of hard but the look doesn't shift through out.
           When a man is caught sneaking out of an apartment in the middle of the night on Christmas eve by a girl on the adjacent balcony, he knows his luck has run out, but instead of calling foul she actually seems to think he's Santa Claus instead of a thief! Can he appease her well enough to get away?
           Awwww. That sums up this story completely, a cooing of cuteness, and considering the length that is a good outcome. I mean it takes all of five minutes to actually read it, so the story is very short and to the point but in a good way. The characters of both people are given, as well as how their motivations bring them together in the story. In fact it may not end just the way you think it will, and there is one panel in particular that really gives your heart strings a strum, so it has good originality along with the right holiday feeling. Its warm and its cute, a perfect short read for the season.


4/5 Its not amazing but its a nice short story.

God's Child by Kyoudai Nishioka

Me+ Muscle relaxers = Zzz. Which makes it hard to read manga, you kind of have to be awake to do it, after all. I found a really interesting one this time, though I can't say I truly liked it now that all is said and done. 




God's Child by Kyoudai Nishioka

Art and story (c) Kyoudai Nishioka

Genre: Horror, Josei, Mature
Length: One Volume - 11 Chapters



           The art style here is very reminiscent of Victorian woodcuts, and other similar dark and

gothic styles (mostly Edward Gorey, I think). It has a very chilling effect, overall.
Considering that there is hardly dialog in this manga, the art carries most of the weight of the plot and it holds up. The loose and stretched feeling of the body proportions, the fascinatingly pretty hair, the strangely repeating patterns, and the shadowed and skewed backgrounds, all of it really adds to the spooky atmosphere. The eyes convey just as well as the rest of it how strange this story is.
           Take a step inside someone's life, someone who is definitely not normal…
           This basically reads as a FBI profile of a serial killer, or a detached sociopath's rendition of one. Violence and desire all done in the name of simply doing it. As such, only adults should read this manga, and I've reviewed a few adult manga at this point so I'm beginning to wonder if I should put on the content warning for my blog? I try not to share any explicit pictures, or write anything explicit, but we when it comes to

Halloween and I read these spooky and horror mangas I get worried... As far as this particular manga was concerned, even I was a little thrown at the beginning and almost quit, but it was so strange that I went through with it anyway. Just to see what happened with this young man's life. I'm not sure what to rate it, either. It attracts and repells at the same time. What I can say is that as a long time reader of manga, this was interesting in its own, unique way. I didn't like it, per se, but it had a certain charm as well. So, if you would like to try reading a manga full of gore about a sociopath growing up into a cult leader, give it a try but I am warning you now. Its quite haunting.





??/5 If you like horror try it, I guess. It's pretty weird.

Olimpos by Aki

Olimpos by Aki 

Art and story (c) Aki

Genre: Josei, Fantasy
Length: 2 Volumes – 11 Chapters



           The art is really pretty, though the faces don't have much variability. The hair and clothes are very flowy and detailed to the point that you almost can't comprehend their

design. I count that as a bad thing, by the way. I'm not sure how the mangaka was able to draw it every time. Pretty boys abound, but there isn't really anything special about any of them. The backgrounds were okay. Its basically beautiful but with no substance, which I complain about a lot in the last paragraph.
           The god Apollo takes an interest in Ganymede, the prince of Troy, and takes him to a garden above the clouds where the ground is covered in flowers and the sky is forever full of stars. A place Ganymede cannot escape from ever. Is Apollo only teasing the mortal, or is there some plan by the god of gods, Zeus, at the root of it all?
           Somehow I ended up reading another manga by Aki and I have the same problem with it that I did with the other manga, Utahime. Mainly, it relies on the art instead of actually going somewhere. I mean, I realized it was pretty looking but the

plot seemed vaguely Greek god inspired, which I usually enjoy, and I didn't realize the mangaka was the same until I had already started it. I decided to go for it, which I regret. I was so tired of reading the dialog by half way through the second volume that my eyes kept unfocusing. I feel like I wasted my afternoon bothering to read this. There was far too much exposition in the form on pretty boys sitting around and thinking about things. If there was an actual plot to go along with all the dialog, maybe I wouldn't be complaining so much, but literally nothing happens but talking. Apollo is a whiny brat, and Zeus has no dialog at all. Ganymede is just a sulky do-nothing. The only character who is at all interesting, in my opinion, is Hades. The portrayal of Hades has an interesting slant and he is actually a lot of fun to see but he can not make up for the rest of the story, either. I'm pretty sure I said it about Utahime, too, but this story just feels hollow and could have stopped at the first chapter and had just the same amount of impact. Its a let down. If you like pretty boys I guess its worth a look but not much more than that.



2/5 The art is good but can't save the lack of plot.

You were the only good part of this, Hades. And you obviously know it.

Barairo My Honey by Tomu Oomi

 I just don't understand page views, I guess, that number just keeps going up and I can't figure out why! Thank you, everyone who has dropped by for every single one of my 2,000 page views. I realize it probably doesn't seem like a lot but for me it really is amazing, and I can't believe I even made it this far. Its been quite some time since I decided to go ahead and do that randomly chosen first post, and I really should go back and do a little editing (where the heck are all the pictures??), but I never thought I'd actually have readers come look, honestly. I just thought its intimidating picking manga, and I hope I can turn someone on to something good they didn't even know was out there, because I really enjoy it when someone does the same for me. 

Barairo My Honey by Tomu Oomi 

Art and story (c) Tomu Oomi

Genre: Supernatural, Josei
Length: 3 Volumes – 13 Chapters


           This is the third time I've reviewed an Tomu Oomi manga, and I've probably said it every time that I love the art style, that I fall in love with the male faces, and it just plain draws my eye, and here I said it again. I'll try to keep the gushing to a minimum, and I assure you it won't be near as bad as it was for Kindan. The faces are always easy to read and the body movements are natural, there were a few times the hands looked a little big. There is a distinct look to Oomi's work, with dark, thick lashed eyes and mouths with the upper lip darkened for emphasis. Actually, the leading man in this manga looks very much like the lead in Midnight Secretary, though much less cruel, which is a positive in my book. The clothes are a little less noticeable in this manga and I'll get into my thoughts on that in the last paragraph. There's really nothing I can complain about, except for the usual lack of backgrounds, but the page compositions really mask that well I think. I know, none of that was very nit picky, but what can you expect, I've praised Oomi every time I've reviewed her work, and even started this blog because I was mad at someone for dissing it so…
           Koume is a working girl at a very small printing press who tends to say whatever she's thinking once her mouth opens, ruining her doll-like appearance. When she's scolded on the street by a man in a suit, she fumes and goes back to work, but it turns out he's the recently returned Vice President of the company that owns her workplace and he's come to shut them down! Koume is convinced there is nothing she can like about him. Then, strangely, when he gets angry a tiger with red coloring (barairo literally means 'rose color') appears and wrecks the place until she calms it down, marking her as the Tiger-tamer to him, the Tiger-master. Now they will have to be together.
           My brother walked by and asked me what the manga I was reading was about and I found it kind of hard to explain it to him. “Well, uh, there's a tiger because its the man's emotions in physical form but only she can see it, so not really completely physical and…” Truthfully, I really enjoy this manga but it's nowhere near Kindan and it's not quite as endearing, either, though the end is very 'aw' inducing. As I alluded in the first paragraph, just as the clothes aren't eye-catching, the story doesn't catch the interest quite as fiercely as the other two manga of Oomi's I've reviewed. The premise is original and the tiger is a fun addition to the mix, it just doesn't force you to see what happens next. The tiger is the best part of this story, actually, and

I mean, seriously, lookit that tiger face.

there just simply isn't enough of him (notice he is in every single picture I chose)! Koume is a good lead, she's mouthy and temperamental, much different than the moony Hisako of Kindan, and her ways of speaking up when Mikage won't make them a perfect couple. The emotions are solid, but there really isn't a lot of conflict to keep up a totally keen interest in the story, really. Some people tend to find Oomi's works boring and this one just may fall on that half of the intensity scale, but this mangaka's way of telling stories full of reality doesn't hit me that way. In fact, sometimes shojo and josei tend to get so overly dramatic that they just wear on the nerves, but Oomi's easy going way really adds to the depth of the romance. Still, Barairo is not the best representation of Oomi's work, even if its still very enjoyable. There's not a lot to overly praise or overly criticize, due to the pacing. The way it is presented is a bit rushed, though you don't really question it as you're going, but at the end it just feels over with far too quickly. Especially after Kindan's long and amorous relationship Barairo feels rather flat. By itself its a really good manga, a complete story, but it isn't Tomu Oomi's best. If there had been copious amounts of that awesome tiger, that would have been a completely different story, as it is its a little generic in plot line with a supernatural tiger thrown in. I still love it, though, and, because Koume is the antique repairer from Kindan's granddaughter, its fun to think about the two couples meeting some day.


4/5 Really enjoyable but a little too quick and shallow for full marks. 

More of that rose-colored tiger love.

Ashita no Ousama by Emiko Yachi

Since I spoke of books vs. movie adaptations in my last post, I started thinking about movies that were actually better than the books they were based off of. I only really had a few on the list, actually. How To Train Your Dragon is a good example, and I enjoy Fight Club the movie much more than I did the book. Of course this is limited to my own experience and a lot of my favorite books are never made into movies. I better not start rambling though, I did that enough in this review. I'd just like to say Clue is the best movie based off a board game- wait,  Mars Attacks was a game first...?!


Ashita no Ousama by Emiko Yachi

Art and story (c) Emiko Yachi

Genre: Josei, Show Business
Length: 6 Volumes (Bunkoban*) - 53 Chapters

Screams fish lips, that pout.

            When I looked at the art I somehow thought it was a Korean manhwa instead of a Japanese manga but I think its just the simplified look of the faces that really fooled me. In any case I was game and found the art strangely alluring. There is, in fact, a lot I can complain about but having clean and tidy art doesn't always make a comic good. First off, it is an older style, and sometimes those can be a little hard to get into at times; the faces are simple and typically so is the hair. The face shapes are varying and its easy to pick out different characters based on that alone, not to mention the different face types as well. Here we hit one of the problem points of the art, the lips. At times, the odd way the mouths are drawn and positioned on the faces were comedic and showed lots of emotion and at other times they looked odd, they were either too large or strangely positioned, typically. The main love interest, for example, was hard to love at times because instead of looking all handsome and lead role-ish, he had serious fish lips. Then there were the times I couldn't tell what the mouth was even doing it was so wiggly. To an extent, that becomes less relied on as the manga continues but its very much to the mangaka's style and it may just make you laugh when you aren't supposed to. The eyes have a very soft look, bordering on sketchy, but they really work along with the very expressive eyebrows. The clothes are very 'of the time' by which I mean manga/anime clothes of the 90's by which I mean mostly baggy shirts and pants with graphic tones layered on top. They aren't interesting in anyway. The poses and actions of the bodies that inhabit them on the other hand work really well. The hair, too, has a lot of movement, but it is fairly generic, and in the main character's case was usually braids andto mix it up, other types of braids. The backgrounds are basically nonexistent, and sometimes the strokes that were there, as well as in blocking in the hair and clothes, were very thick and out of place. In short, the art is off putting at times but the feelings of the characters come through so well that it really grows on you in the end.
            Ashita no Ousama means “Kings of Tomorrow” and the story follows a young, college woman named Yuu Sasaya who just happens to be invited to a stage play by an acquaintance one night. Suddenly, its all she can think of, that world of putting everything on the line one night at a time, of a story being told through so many different people and capturing the hearts of the audience. So, Yuu goes and finds a way to join a theater troupe, even though she's never acted before or seen how a play is really made. Can she keep up with such a bustling world, and what of that one actor that sparked the fire in the first place…?
            Show business manga are not a new thing, Skip Beat is really popular (and just so happens to be one of my favorite manga…) and I've personally read lots of stories about it. So Ashita no Ousama, especially at the beginning, has a lot of the same types of plots that have been seen before. All the same, it has a charm that just pulls you along as you go. As you saw, I wrote a whole huge paragraph about the art because it was complex and I had a love/hate relationship with it that won over to love, and the way the story is written is no different. The character herself is a bit cliche but also very lovable through out. Her being a country side bumpkin allows for her to follow things wholeheartedly and lets the reader share in her learning experience. The plot arcs almost seamlessly move from one

Ol' squinty eyes, very Eastwood.

to the next, too. But it doesn't really linger sometimes, and other times, though the plot is moving, the characters aren't really changing with them. There also could have been a little more romance, it just sort of is thrown in at the end even though its in the background most of the time. Its nice to have a story were all the dramatics really have nothing to do with people falling in and out of love and instead focuses on things happening as the main character tries to cope, but the characters literally do not say one word about it (except as a bit of comic relief in the middle) until the end and the main couple happens and others are hinted at. Every character is their own person, though, besides Yuu, her love interest is a character that isn't the cruel type but he isn't really warm, either, but he understands her so well you can imagine a good coupling there. There is also a whole cast of characters that are unique, too, like her colleagues and rivals that always come up with a way to get her running about in a panic again to prove herself. The leader of the troupe she joins, he seems like a starting catalyst type who would then fade, but he stays through out and became my secret favorite due to his attitude and characteristics. A few tricks were used a little too much, though, like Yuu always speaking to her grandmother. Sometimes every other page was Yuu's internal dialog and it always began with 'dear granny.' It started to feel like it was the only way the author could think to move the plot along. There was also the mean girl trope who would only get in the way when things mattered the most. Very typical, and no one ever really confronts her about it. Just as conflicting as the art, the story though wins out with a 'love' instead of a 'hate' and I found it very compelling to finish it. The characters are so interesting that you want to know what they are up to next. Would I say its amazing? No, but it is a really fun read and there is enough drama to make things good.



4/5 Really good but has some serious flaws; if you can over look them, highly enjoyable.

Well, I thought it was cute.

* Bunkoban comic releases are a slightly larger format for manga, usually put out when the manga is several years old with new covers and sometimes new extras. Much like English three-in-one books that get published for manga with long runs. The usual format of manga releases are called tankobon and range around 175 – 200 pages but bunkoban releases are typically longer in the 300+ range. (More info here).

Kindan No Koi... by Tomu Oomi

In commemoration of having 1000 pages views, I decided to read one of my very favorite manga. I believe I have mentioned it before, as it is written by one of my favorite romance magnaka, Tomu Oomi, and I've been saving it for a good occasion. This seemed like the time. Truthfully, I'm a little amazed I have kept up so well on this blog, as I am more than a little bit lazy. I'd just like to say that I appreciate everyone who stops by my blog and looks at my reviews. Thank you so much!

Now, I'm going to add a little extra paragraph here before I get started. For one, even though this story is technically three different sets of manga, to me they are all under the blanket of 'Kindan' so I will review it as such instead of typing up three different reviews; just to make it easier because this is a monster post as it is. Also, and you will hear this several times after this I'm sure, but this is one of my most favorite and cherished manga so I will ramble more than usual and I will be fawning and fan-girling over it. I've also included way more pictures than I should have, but I guess I'm making up for Midnight Secretary that only had, like, two(well, before I just had to change it). Last note, the last few sentences of the first and last paragraph are quick summaries, too, to try and accommodate anyone who doesn't want to read the whole thing. So, on with the review...

Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou, Zoku Kindan No Koi Wo Shiyou, and Kindan no Koi de Ikou by Tomu Oomi

Art and story (c) Tomu Oomi (Boy, those three names together sure are a mouthful *phew*)

Genre: Josei, Smut
Length: 12 Volumes – 48 Chapters and a few extras
Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou (Let's Make Forbidden Love) One Volume – 4 Chapters and one Extra one-shot
Zoku Kindan No Koi Wo Shiyou (Let's Make Forbidden Love, Continued) One Volume – 4 Chapters 
Kindan no Koi de Ikou (Let's go with Forbidden Love) 10 Volumes – 40 Chapters



           Oomi's art has captivated me from the first time I've read any of her works, Kindan is actually the first one I did read, and I find this mangaka to not only have a strong, unique look to her art, but

Just lookit that face! I love it!

her male characters are, visually, my type. Yato, the male lead of Kindan, in fact, is exactly my type in so many ways I could gush all day. Seriously, he's tall and dark with droopy eyes! I don't know what it is about droopy eyes, but I love 'em! *Ahem* Moving on to actual reviewing... Right from the beginning, you get the full degree of the art, expressive eyes, paired with equally expressive eyebrows and faces, lips drawn and shaded in a very attractive way, structured and yet flowing, fluffy hair, as well as natural yet exaggerated body shapes. There are several ways the eyes are drawn according to the level of detail, but even the most cartoonish style shows the feelings so well it doesn’t matter which you are getting. Added to that is all the different face details to make each character his or her own person, I already mentioned the eyebrows and they are a big part of that but they are very natural in shape with out being too outlandish. Then there is the mouths and the shape and form given to them also. Sometimes, yes, the mouths are open a little too much, but the way the upper lip gets that little bit of shade is so very attractive. Oomi also draws the best hair, its always changing and flowing this way and that. I believe I mentioned in my review of Midnight Secretary how much I loved the hair, and Kindan is no different. Yato has a wonderful mane of dark hair that is always shadowing his face in the most handsome of ways, of course, but all the other characters also have hair that match them to a T.

Hisako, the main character, she has cute, wavy, hair that she wears in tons of different styles but it always comes loose to make a wonderful spray across the page whenever things grow heated. Besides the face and hair, the bodies are given equal detail. The clothes always hang just perfect on the lean body shapes, which also look quite good with out any clothes at all. At the beginning there is a little awkwardness here and there, nothing obvious, but things like arms being a little too long and the like but I think you really have to go looking for it. The clothes actually have a timeless look, typically, and don't date the manga, despite the fact that there are quite a few anime sweaters thrown around and it came out fifteen years ago. The clothes match the characters as well, and are layered and detailed enough to warrant a look or two. Patterned and toned, they make up for the next part of the art I will discuss. I do know that it is a manga that is far from perfect, of course, and one of the downfalls is the backgrounds. There just are a little too many blank panels and spaces not to be noticeable. I hate to say it but its a very obvious thing as you go, though the details in other places do distract from it. This is the one thing I really will concede to on Oomi's art and I only really notice it because I've made a point to during reviews. This is also a long manga, so the art improves as it goes, too, even though there isn't much to complain about from the start. Mostly the way the wolf is drawn is what changes, but all the animal drawings are fun and accurate. Wow, that was longer than necessary just to say, it's really pretty and unique and only lacking in backgrounds.

           Hisako is one of those types of girls that men just can't leave alone, much to her dismay. No

matter where she goes or how she dresses, she gets hit on and harassed. One night on the way home from work, a drunkard corners her and won't leave her alone. Just as things look desperate, a huge dog comes to her rescue, chasing the man away. To repay the dog's kindness, Hisako shelters the dog from the police. Once at home, though, another troublesome man shows up, this one a customer from work who seems determined to woo Hisako even though she isn't interested. Suddenly, where there was only a large dog before, a man appears to shoo away Hisako's unwanted male interest. This large man has the same golden eyes as the dog, as impossible as it seems, they happen to be one in the same!?
           Okay, laying it out here, Kindan is basically a romance novel, it happens to not just have my favorite male lead, be my favorite Oomi manga, but it also happens to be the most graphic of all the ones I have read. Midnight Secretary is steamy, but Kindan has a lot of sex in it. Reader beware, its not porn but it's as close as you can get with out being so for a couple of panels. Very high smut content. All the same, even though I don't like romance novels typically any other romance manga of this caliber, Kindan is still my go-to for mushy love scenes. The art, the humor and the heartfelt love between the two main characters is just a perfect cocktail for my maiden's heart. What else can I say? A whole lot more, actually, so prepare yourself. For starters, there is Hisako, the beautiful lead with the dynamite body. Hisako, individually, isn't my favorite female lead type. She's cute and clumsy, but she's also a worry wart and can't say no. In fact most of the chapters revolve around the last two character traits, and it can be a little annoying some times, to the point that you wonder why she worries about the same things over and over again. Then again, Yato is the perfect match to her personality and it wouldn't be any fun if there wasn't any drama and making up for said drama. Still, even though the weak girl trope typically annoys me I don't hate Hisako, she has her strong moments and her funny ones, too. Yato on the other hand (and

have I mentioned this yet?) is my favorite Oomi male, his hoodlum looks not withstanding, he's also sarcastic and lazy but clearly cherishes the ones he loves. He comes to Hisako's aid whenever she needs him, and I know I've mentioned how much I like the prince type, but he also allows Hisako to be her own self instead of constantly being the maiden in distress. They make a wonderful pair to read about, so long as you don't mind them having sex every other page. I thought I would have a problem with that, I usually do, but they are so sweet that I find it hard to complain. Besides the intercourse overload, though, I find it hard to really pick at the plot of the manga. It's like watching this couple's life in real time, they fight and they learn more about one another. The main points are usually about the two of them coming to terms with the fact that Yato's not technically human and therefore spends most of his time as a wolf playing pet dog. Still, its not all fluttering eyes and kisses, either, there is humor through out and a set of secondary characters who are always intruding and getting the main couple into trouble that they have to work hard to escape from. A few chapters could be a little redundant, like I said before, one or the other getting jealous or, just as often, the two of them reaffirming their love despite their differences. But the repeated themes are variations and there are other plot lines through out, in fact, learning bit by bit about the life Yato has lived up until he met Hisako is one of the joys of the manga, and the supernatual parts are handled in an interesting way. The ending isn't abrubt, either, instead you get, luckily, three or so years of this couple through many ups and downs and though the conclusion may make you cry the first time

around (at least it did for me) it has a very hopeful feeling. I know I haven't nitpicked nearly as much as I should have, so I guess I better find some complaints to add here at the end. It does seem like some things were sacrificed to show the two of them in bed (or other places) together. There simply wasn't enough of the two of them sitting around at home, though I know that wouldn't be all that interesting to read about, it would have grounded their relationship a little more. They do talk as though they do so, and since Yato would be in his beastly form it is understandable that it isn't shown that often but I always found it fun when they were just relaxing together like a real couple, too. Also, the action wasn't always very clear, either, but I find it hard to really expect a manga artist to be good at everything romance and an expert at fight scenes. Does this really count as complaining since I’m justifying every thing I point out? Well, I better just put a summary here at the end because I do not blame anyone if they just skimmed this long, gushing, fan girl review. Hisako and Yato are a perfect pair, though their differences do tend to lean a little over dramatic at times, the story following the pair is funny, cute, overflowingly loving, and filled with supernatural and typical human struggles. Finding a manga like this and wanting to tell as many people as I can about it is why I keep reading manga and why I decided to blog about what I do read, actually. When I heard that Midnight Secretary was being published in English the biggest reason I got excited was because I was optimistic that I would one day be able to put this manga on my shelf. Its not possible yet but I haven't given up hope!

Extra color page cuz, pretty.

5/5 I admit it's just my type of everything, but this manga is well done from most angles anyway. 

My response: ...I'm... YOURS!

Sugiru Juunana no Haru story by Fuyumi Ono and art by Kotetsuko Yamamoto

I need a break from specific themed manga searching for a while... I think this last spooky manga was actually really good, but it was a bit of a grind this Halloween to find a suitable one (come to think of it, I think last year was the same). If I wasn't so lazy I'd try to stockpile manga a little earlier in the year. At least I don't have to worry about Thanksgiving themed manga, that's something to give thanks for in my book. I hope you all had a Happy Halloween, in any case.



Sugiru Juunana no Haru story by Fuyumi Ono and art by Kotetsuko Yamamoto

This picture is kind of awkward, isn't it?

Genre: Horror Josei
Length: 2 Volumes – 14 Chapters



          The art is satisfactory, at times its a bit sketchy, with most of the effort put into the emotions the characters are going through. The expressions vary and give a lot to the story, actually. The character designs are a little generic, but its not overbearingly cliché or anything like that. The hair

has a nice, soft look and the eyes have a realistic and energetic look. The clothes aren't overly interesting but they fit the bodies well. The backgrounds were a little lacking, often a darker tone would have made the manga that more spooky, otherwise it was typical. I don't really think there was anything special about this art but it was well done overall.
           Naoki and Nori go every summer to visit their aunt and cousin in the countryside, and this year is no different than any other. Naoki and his cousin, Takashi, are very close in age, only half a month apart, and both are soon to be seventeen. Everyone gets along so well, the first few days are an excellent vacation for the city kids. Then, overnight, Takashi changes completely, becoming surly and mistreating his mother and cousins. Can this have something to do with what he was telling Naoki the night before, though the older boy didn't believe it, that Takashi saw a ghost?
           This ghost story, though incorporating many well known Japanese ghost story tropes, was something I'd never wholly seen before. Not just in the way it was told but the conclusion of it. The start is long and slow so that you have plenty of time to contemplate what might be going on before anything actually does. It takes a lot to pull one over on

me, and this story half-way got me, but that twist isn't the end of the story either. Unlike some tales, you get the whole plot, no questions unanswered with out the story running at breakneck speed or the ending being only half there. This low and slow pacing also kept me wondering just what would happen next. Its a ghost story with out all the jump scares or over used tropes. I really enjoyed it, and there were only a few minor things that bothered me. The biggest was the art, in case you couldn't tell by my lackluster description at the beginning. I think I've read a lot of manga that look just like this one, but, considering the art and story are done by different people I think the gap between how well the story is done and how generic the art is is easily dismissed. By which I mean, its understandable that it could happen, even though I'm not very happy about it. The second thing that bothered me was that the narrative sometimes changed to another person, or it starts up and its a little unclear immediately who is supplying it. Still, the strength of the story and how it creeped along are what shine and I liked the atypical way it was presented.




4/5 The story is interestingly spooky with out being gory.

Indeed.

China Girl and Handmade no Oujisama

Its like the weather is playing tricks. It finally started to get cooler, but suddenly this week it's getting up to 110 degrees. I do not understand! 

In any case, here are some manga reviews! I ended up with two thanks to feeling guilty about how short just one was, they don't really match in anyway but I enjoyed each quite a bit for its own reasons.


China Girl Art by Kei Aoyama and Story by Rei Hanagata

Art (c) Kei Aoyama Story (c) Rei Hanagata

Genre: Senien
Length: 1 Volume – 9 Chapters

Like so...

           Art is well practiced, and though the eyes are plain, the expressions well make up for it. The great diversity of the people is excellent, though. Backgrounds were typical, and well drawn, especially inside of restaurants and the like. Clothes are pretty plain, mostly suits, ties, and other work clothes, and they don't have a lot of detail. The clothes fit the body frames well, just aren't anything to look at. There is one thing that bothers the eye, the way the nose is shaded between the eyes is a bit strange looking. It gives good definition of the shape of the bridge of the nose, but, in full on and in profile, it also gives a sinister look to the face, and if not sinister, a cluttered look. Even after nine chapters, it distracted me.
          Kamijou is very competent in his job, and his looks are nothing
to sneeze at, all the same, he hasn't had a girlfriend in over five years. That is because Kamijou believes that in all of the world, there is only one woman for him, his, literally, one in three billion. Near his house there is a Chinese restaurant that has the best fried rice he has ever tasted, because it was made by the woman he thinks is the one for him. But, though he is good at talking at work, Kamijou can't find the courage to tell her how he feels, let alone make her understand because of the language barrier. Will he succeed in love, or fail, heart broken?

           The worst part of this manga is the ending, or more appropriately, its lack of one, where it ends before you get any sense of closure. The ending can be frustrating, but since the artist died suddenly, it unfortunately can't be helped. In fact, at least there is some closure beforehand. To rewind back to the beginning, this manga has a simple premise, an almost boring one, its very much a slice of life story, and its refreshing to read a manga like this every once in a while. Especially one done as well as China Girl. The characters feel real, and the world around them is so easy to understand, that living with them as you do is a pleasure. Kamijou, though he is very good at his job, is so at a loss on how to deal with a girl he likes that its almost like an 180, and he is so sure in his thoughts that everyone has only one soul mate that he sounds very naive. He is very flawed, in other words, and his faltering speech and blunders make him even more disliked by Xianlan so he has to keep starting over with her every time they meet. It makes it quite cute, actually. Though there are some very silly jokes, as well, like when he's arguing with himself in the bathroom on whether he should make a move or not (his libido wins out, of course). There is just something entirely human about the two of them. It really is too bad about the ending, the two of them could have had some interesting times together.



4/5 A nice, simple story of misunderstanding and believing in love.




And the second review:





Handmade no Oujisama by Sayo Koito

Art and story (c) Sayo Koito

Genre: Josei
Length: One Volume – 5 Chapters


           The art is really cute, the eyes are the highlight, they have really good depth and range of expression with minimal (looking) effort. The eyes are enormous though, even the guy's eyes, but only once or twice was it really obvious, and its usually because the main character also has heavy lashes to accent it. There were many times the backgrounds were pretty empty, panel composition
sort of hides it, but it was often the same tones used again and again, as well. The clothes, while not overly detailed, were all cute and styled, and make up for the lack of backgrounds from time to time, too. The hair is kind of generic, though well drawn and natural looking. I found the art, overall, unique and fun to look at.
           Michiru Asaba is a woman with it all, a good job at a magazine company where everyone looks up to her work, and a handsome boyfriend. That is, until she's dumped because she isn't 'girly' enough, unable to properly do housework, or even sew a button back on. Since what his says is true, all Michiru can do is let him go. During her
depression, she meets a bright man who loves to sew and who convinces her to join his sewing class. Of course why exactly she decides to stay is the real mystery, does she really care to improve herself? Or is it the cute 'Handmade Prince' teacher that brings her back to class?
            This manga, based on making cute things and loving cute things, is actually really cute. Big surprise, huh? Its really too bad, though, that his manga is only two chapters long, and the other three chapters are unrelated one-shots, because I want to know more about the sewing couple. The other stories are cute, too, but not nearly as much. Michiru is a nice strong woman, who is so suddenly dumped, but doesn’t do the typical manga moping, instead she tries to improve herself with out the premise of winning her ex back. Mr. Handmade Prince, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of what this type of woman usually gets. He's more than just cute and good at sewing, he's straight forward and hardworking. Seeing these two personalities interact is fun. You get a few heartwarming chuckles and they end up together, what more could you ask for?



4/5 I just really wish there was more...

Yes, yes I do.

Udon no Hito by Est Em

This last Thursday I made my annual trip over to San Fransisco to visit the Japantown there, long story short I bought way too many snacks and had some lovely Katsu Donburi for lunch, but didn't buy much beyond that. I was looking for a specific character's figure but they didn't have one I wanted, but that's what eBay is for anyway. Its a lovely place for a day visit, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Japanese culture near the California bay area, its definitely more than just anime and manga, in fact my favorite store is the dollar-fifty store, Daiso, where just about everything costs a dollar-fifty and is super cute. Of course, if there is one of the few Mitsuwa Marketplaces anywhere near you, you should visit it, also. Anyway, I chose a food-themed manga since it was already on my mind.


Udon no Hito (The Lady of Udon) by Est Em

Art and story (c) Est Em

Genre: Josei
Length: One Volume – 8 Chapters and one extra


          Udon no Hito has a fairly simplistic art style, there were only backgrounds once in a long while, but, I'm only noting it from a review standpoint because I hardly noticed it as I was reading. This type of manga is the hardest to describe, actually, the word simplistic makes it seem plain and, technically, that is true but there is much more to the art than that general description. Despite the lack of detail or tones, it has a very appealing aesthetic and the facial expressions are very well done. The engaging way the faces make it clear what is going on is all you need, anyway. I really enjoyed the way the characters looked, personally. Its that art style though that has the shadow lines on the inside of the eye socket that can sometimes look awkward but once you've read one like it you get used to the visual. The udon (Japanese noodles in broth, wiki link) looks really delicious, I'd like to add.
            A college student and the school's cafeteria lady in charge of serving udon meet daily when the young man chooses to eat udon every day. Their relationship begins to evolve from that point, bu is it only fantasy, crushes, or will love blossom amid the thick, steamy bowls of noodles served between them every day?
           Want a cute love story? This'll do ya. This'll do ya in spades. It just flows seamlessly along as you see both sides of this relationship grow... over bowls of udon. Its not as simple as it initially appears, either, some drama is hidden amidst the silly jokes and will-they-won't-they. The main characters are clearly meant for one another, both a little clumsy and prone to flights of imagination, they're both very real feeling. This mangaka seems to have a good knack for writing believable and fun characters, and finding the humor in getting to know someone. Such as not knowing their name, and meeting them awkwardly outside of your usual meeting place and learning your fantasies are far from the truth. There's not any action or sweepingly romantic scenes in this manga, nor is there really anything outside of mundane life, but sometimes a slice of life manga can be just as good as any other type of story. This happens to one of those manga. Its effortless to read, adorable, fun, and memorable, perfect for the hour it takes to read it. I like fluffy shojo as much as the next manga fan, but, as a woman in the josei age group I always appreciate finding a josei manga that is so enjoyable. It also made me hungry for udon.


5/5 Just some light and humorous romance for an older audience.

Not enthusiastic enough son, try: YES PLEASE!!!

Dusk Story - Tasogare Monogatari and Roe by TONO

Dusk Story - Tasogare Monogatari by TONO

Genre: Supernatural Josei

Length: 2 Volumes – 13 Chapters

Art and story (c) TONO

Art has a floating and ephemeral quality that I found so intriguing I looked up the author to find a manga to read. Its a bit of an older style of art, but I highly enjoy this particular type of esthetic. The color illustrations were very beautiful to look at, and the art is very unique. Faces are wide eyed and closed lipped, and the bodies are thin limbed. The hair is very expressive, floating along with the clothes to make very beautiful art. The backgrounds were extremely sparse, but not really distractingly so. Clothes weren't very detailed, either, actually the lack of detail is a bit of draw for the flowing art but it can easily pass into looking amateur. Faces could be a little hard to read, though, which happens to be the one thing I took offense to in this sketchy type of art.

Takt can see ghosts, illusions, and memories of people when they are strong enough and though he tries to stay out of the way of many of them its hard to ignore things that pull at him so tightly. Living a life filled with other people's tragedies, come into his world and have a taste...

When I found a random cover of manga by this mangaka, I had to look her up and read something by her, though I deliberately picked the oldest one I could find so that I could see the core of her art before looking at newer manga and I don't think the art disappointed me at all. I did wish though, that the chapters of this manga hadn't been so choppy, they were only nineteen pages each (typical length for weekly published manga) but each one is it's own contained story so there were a few bits that aren't really explained. Still, I found it highly enjoyable and I would definitely find another manga by this mangaka to read just on the art alone. The plots where interesting, too, and varied even though they all revolve around a person who can see ghosts which is an old, OLD plot hook, but Dusk Story still managed some interesting new takes on the trope. Takt is mysterious even to the reader until you get further into the story, slowly developing as your understanding of his world does. Though this also adds to the tragedies of the manga, and it can be down right depressing at times. The ending is abrupt though, just like the rest of the story. I also think that the 'josei' genre is purely just because of the magazine it was originally published in because there's no romance in it to label it so. The format of the chapters is really the only reason I did not fully savor this.

4/5 I could see reading this again and enjoying it just as much.

And, because I was curious about this author:

Roe by TONO

Genre: Josei Comedy

Length: One Chapter – 10 Pages

Art is much more polished from the previous (no surprise, it being something like fifteen years after Dusk Story) the facial expressions and body movements are clear and easy to understand, and the clothes are detailed much better and contour to the bodies they hang from. It has that same floaty and fantasy feel but in a much more polished setting. The backgrounds are still lacking, though.

A tale of two friends. One friend is always eating piles of food and able to afford everything she wants, while the other is broke and, despite always being on a diet, fat. So when the poor friend is invited to work like the other so she, too, can be skinny and rich, she goes to her friends house to see exactly what is up.

Silliness, TONO clearly likes to be very silly. Its a wonder these two women are friends but it makes for a tale of jealousy and comedy that you probably won't see coming. Definitely not a waste of my time, I'll remember it forever.

5/5 The art is even better than before!