Itsudatte My Santa by Ken Akamatsu

Merry Christmas a day early! I probably will not get to post a manga review next week since Christmas is proceeded by a sibling's birthday and then its family time for New Years eve and New Years day which leaves little time to actually sit down and read let alone the hour or so it takes to write a review and format it to my liking. So again I say,

but adding:

Itsudatte My Santa by Ken Akamatsu

Art and story (c) Ken Akamatsu

Genre: Shonen, Ecchi
Length: One Chapter – 47 Pages




           This is the same mangaka as Love Hina so, it looks just like Love Hina unsurprisingly. Roundish faces, dark eyes with out much detail and thick eyebrows are the basic look. The bodies are rather thin, and the women wear clothes that are expressly drawn to be revealing; you can bet your sweet bippy there are lots of panty shots that’s for sure. Otherwise,

the clothing is baggy and unremarkable along with the mostly empty backgrounds. There's a lot of blush lines, too, but nothing too distracting. Overall it is good, I'd categorize, but not really remarkable.
           Born on December 24, and named Santa by his parents, one boy sits alone on Christmas eve people watching instead of being with anyone even though its his birthday. That is when a strange girl appears, claiming to be a real Santa Claus and promising him she'll spend the whole night with him!
           I started this manga sure I had read this story before, but after a few pages, and a look through past posts, I think I was mistaken and I've only heard the name before. In any case, I haven't written a review of it so I went ahead and did so. First off let me begin with my usual triad against this type of ecchi manga. While this isn't as bad as Inaba Rabbits, because it isn't a harem manga, the fact that it's written by the mangaka who is the king of harem, the jokes and humor are the same and the “story telling” is similar. When I was in high school (ten years ago! Time sure does fly when you're reading manga) Love Hina was a very popular manga and anime, and I believe it is still fondly remembered and read by a lot of budding manga readers and old

school readers alike. I was never one of those, and while I did read the whole set because several of my friends did, I did not care what happened to any of the characters. Now, I'm not against ecchi manga, even if it seems like I am every time the subject comes up but the fact of the matter is typically if the manga is a comedic ecchi the funny and revealing jokes replace real character development and action ecchi usually just use nakedness gratuitously because (I have to assume) that men enjoy the extra sexuality. So, if there is one think I dislike it is the loss of story telling for gimmicks. CGI movies that are all flash and no story irk me to no end, starting with Avatar all the way up to the more recent Hobbit movies, and its a trend that continues. I know I've complained about it everytime I've reviewed a manga that I felt shortchanged itself by falling in that sort of development and just cruised along floating on the premise alone instead of delving into the actual development of story. So, to come back around to the actual review and you can stop here if you skimmed through all that long winded personal feelings, this manga not only being ecchi but also written by the same author as Love Hina brings up a lot of dislike from me before I even began reading it. Trying to say unbiased, the story is cute and fun, though it is very cliched. It also moves at a fast pace and crams lots of naked/panty shots in as often as it can. I suppose for a Christmas themed manga it was a quick seasonal read but its pretty forgettable. The jokes are pretty funny, such as the supposed Santa Claus being only able to pull fish out of her magic backpack, and the slap stick humor keeps the pace and story light as well. If you like Love Hina style manga you'll probably like it, its a good example of humorous ecchi and there are several nude shots for anyone looking for them. Its just not a genre I particularly like so its hard to for me to recommend it.



2.5/5 But there's a lot of bitter personal feelings mixed in.

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.

Folk Tail Tonakai by Tohko Mizuno

I'm happy with how my one-shot experiment turned out for this holiday season. I hope it doesn't seem cheap to just do a bunch of short reviews like this but its a crazy season and I'd hate to run out of time and not post anything at all. Thank you all for visiting my blog, and I hope to get one more review for the year of 2015 posted. Until then, I'd just like to say:

♪On the twelfth, and last day, of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪


Folk Tail Tonakai by Tohko Mizuno

Art and story (c) Tohko Mizuno

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 49 Pages

           The art of this manga is spectacular, and it'd have to be considering the premise. The faces are easy to understand and connect with. The body proportions are also well done, and the clothes add to the character of each person as well as fit on the body. The main character's hair is always dramatically flowing around her face, and the others, well, lets just skip to the description so you can understand fully what I mean about the art.
           Kokoro's mother and father have recently passed away in a car crash, and amid the rumors that it may not have been entirely accidental, her great uncle has decided she needs to announce a fiancee to settle the family business now that she is the only heir. Only, Kokoro seems to suddenly only see people with animal's faces! What could be causing this, and how can she pick a fiancee when she doesn't even recognize anyone among the monsters?
           I already gushed about it in the art and had to skip ahead just so I could gush some more, see, everyone but the main character starts out with an animal's head instead of a humans and the way the animal heads and the bodies go together is amazing. They are all in perfect proportion, and further the characters in fun as well as foreshadowing ways. The clothes and mannerisms also lend to the character's choice of animal as well. I wasn't so sure about this one, it has such a bizarre premise and I wasn't sure it was Christmasy enough for the season, either, but it quelled all my fears despite a being a little wordy at times. It is manga like this, with such an interesting hook that its amazing the mangaka can then pull off a story based on it, let alone make you like it, that makes me love manga so much. I mean, my favorite manga is based around a man who is literally made of rubber, and it works so wonderfully, but when you sit down to think about it, its rather strange. The range and imagination of manga has such a huge scope, its a wonder. Anyway, this manga was a delight to read, even though it is bogged down in mystery, and it has a happy ending. Perfect reading for the season.


5/5 Art and story were both interesting and well put together.

Mari to Santa by Keiko Nigushi

This is the nitty-gritty here folks, tomorrow's the big day! I find it really cute how, in Japan, Santa helpers are called Santa-san and are cute young men. Makes for good manga reading, imo.


♪On the ELEVENTH! day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪


Mari to Santa by Keiko Nigushi



Genre: Santa
Length: One Chapter – 16 Pages


           The art was adequate, and it was clear that it was ambitious as well. There wasn't anything really awkward in the art, but there felt like some type of detail was missing. I can't really put my finger on it. Now, the art wasn't bad, but it wasn't really interesting, either. It gets away with what it has.
           Newly appointed Santa-san can't quite help being nervous, he has a lot of weak points, including being bad with kids of all things. When his reindeer gets hurt and Santa is stranded before he even gets started on delivering presents, he'll have to rely on the kindness of one little girl.
           I think the premise of this story is super cute, and I think it was executed well in the small amount of pages it had. You get to know the characters well, and you get a nice, heartwarming Christmas moment, too. I enjoyed reading the exploits of the amateur Santa-san who is basically way out of his league and the little girl who befriends him purely by accident. Despite the rather ambiguous art, I'd read this again.



3/5 Heart warming but a little scattered.

Melonpan is not a good present, Santa.

Christmas No Sono Mae Ni by Chise Hano

♪On the tenth day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪


Christmas No Sono Mae Ni by Chise Hano


Genre: Santa
Length: One Chapter – 24 Pages


            The art isn't particularly unique or entirely professional, but it has heart. The faces are expressive enough, though several expressions get repeated quite a bit. The body movement isn't awkward and there is lost of action for how short this is. The backgrounds are there, and so are the tones. The clothes are little baggy and don't look like they fit all that well at times and they are fairly generic. On the whole, though, its pretty good.
           One Santa part timer plus three other love stories equals one mad dash to Christmas.
           I was worried when I saw that this one-shot claimed that there were several stories going to happen in only 24 pages, but, I wasn't disappointed. Some one-shots don't have time for the one story they have, but this one somehow manages four with out losing the heart of each. Its got a rush on it, of course, but since its a count down on Christmas eve, the dash is put to good use. It was cute, it was heart warming, and it was just about anything you could want from a shojo for this time of year. All of it compressed down to about five minutes of reading.


3.5/5 The art is a bit plain, but the breakneck story doesn't let you dwell on it.

Eat it Santa.

Christmas Shimasho by Nagisa Odagiri

Its time for cookies! My family makes, like, thirty different types of cookies and candies, it takes all the way up to the 25th to finish them. Fun fact: I eat more cookie dough than I do cookies once they are baked. I don't know what to tell you, they just don't taste as good once they aren't filled with raw egg.


♪On the ninth day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪



Christmas Shimasho by Nagisa Odagiri


Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 31 Pages

            The art and story were typical, even the Christmas theme couldn't help that. Let's start with the art, its the excessively large eyed type, but it was really well done all around. The hair is stylish and has good movement and the eyes are very expressive. The clothes aren't particularly interesting

but they fit well and look regular enough. The backgrounds are all there, though, in tones and actual background, but I can't say they were interesting either, but they are there. Overall, very good art that couldn't overcome the overly done themes of the story.
           Kyouko and Takuto are a new couple, and Kyouko is very excited because their first Christmas together will be special and magical. Takuto, though, seems a little hesitant to spend the couple's day together and starts to get more distant the closer the date gets. Will the love Kyouko worked for be over after just one holiday?
           All the cliches were in there, girl over excited for holiday, boyfriend not so much and giving excuses, part time job to pay for presents, boyfriend seen with other woman, etc. Its made worse by the fact that all these over-used shojo points are given at breakneck speed so that it will all fit into a one-shot manga that's only thirty-one pages long. Its just not possible to process that much drama so quickly and enjoy yourself or get to know the characters beyond tropes. I simply think the mangaka over thought it, this situation and the boyfriend’s family would have been better suited to a longer plot instead of just getting flashes of things that usually take much longer.


2/5 The art is really nice and everything, but the story is basic shojo derivatives.

Mmm, cake.

Christmas ni Omoi o Nosete by Yukari Hosobori

♪On the eighth day of Christmas is this gimmick annoying yet...?♪



Christmas ni Omoi o Nosete by Yukari Hosobori

Art and story (c) Yukari Hosobori

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 16 Pages


            There's something a little off in this art, its cute and has various angles, but it is a little amateur at times. Typically, it was just in the face where things were clumsy, like the three quarters view of a character looking skewed, otherwise, it was done well enough. The same goes for the body shapes, there were a couple of times things looked a little off, but it was less noticeable than the faces. I just think the artist was a little hesitant on the male character, because he's the most awkward one, while the girl looks perfectly fine. This is beginning to make it sound like the art was terrible, but that isn't the case, it was just a little bit here and there that was weird, overall the thing was cute and fun.
           Setsuna has a boy she likes, but they've been friends for so long its hard to break old habits. When Christmas comes around Setsuna decides to put a little more effort into changing things.
           I'm actually amazed that sixteen pages was able to have such a complete story like this one, it felt much longer. The story and art was cute, had a little drama, and things weren't just typical straight forward shojo cliches. Both Setsuna and her beau aren't typical for the genre, well, maybe a little, but the way the story is told isn't. The writing was funny, as well, endearing you to the two of them straight away. If this mangaka can do just as well in a longer format as they did in such a short one, I'd be willing to read more of their work.

4/5 A little art wonk, but the story is just so cute.

Ditto, Setsuna.

Otona to Kodomo no Merry Christmas by Mitabi Irohara

♪On the seventh day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪




Otona to Kodomo no Merry Christmas by Mitabi Irohara


Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 19 Pages

            The art of this manga is cute, and fluffy, but its also very confusing. Things always seem to be

happening outside of the panels so you aren't sure what happened at all. The eyes have a cross hatched look that made them seem unfocused instead of cute most times. I couldn't tell you about clothes or backgrounds because it seems like every shot is a cropped picture of someone's fat head. Cute hair only goes so far, after all.
            I don't even know, I'm just skipping to the story review.
            I can't really say I know what the plot of this manga really is. This is what I think happened: one friend still believes in Santa, and the other doesn't but tells her friend that so long as you believe, Santa will show himself to you. They both write a note to Santa, but only the one who really believes gets a response and a present. I think. It's not really clear, like I said, a lot of stuff seems to happen outside of what is shown and motivations aren't very clear either. This may be a doujin and I didn't know it, because it really feels like one (a doujin is short for a doujinshi, which is a fan made comic. More info here) but I can't find confirmation anywhere and I don't want to bother looking it up. I also have no idea how old these characters are, they could be high school age for all I know. In any case this wasn't very Christmas-y nor was it worth anyone one's time.



1/5 A confusing mess.

doge, my favorite meme

Christmas Romance by Saa Harada

Time to trim the tree today. I know I said it last year, but I always watch White Christmas while I decorate the tree; its a family tradition. Seeing the tree all lit up makes me feel like a kid again, so does going through our ornaments. I'm finally getting into the spirit of the holidays.




♪On the sixth day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪

Christmas Romance by Saa Harada

Art and story (c) Saa Harada

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 40 Pages


           This art has something interesting to it in the way the eyes are drawn that makes it individual. I found the art very engaging and visually endearing overall, too. The faces are expressive and the body movement is natural. In fact, the physicality of the main character is what brings out her personality the most. The clothes weren't all that interesting but they had that baggy-cute feel while also fitting the shapes well. The backgrounds are a little lacking at times but nothing distracting. It was a style that fit the fluffy story well.

           Ito loves to read all types of books, but when she finds out that the author of her favorite series is a student at her school, she immediately goes to get his signature. It turns out, though, that he's a weirdo, even though he is also handsome. Ito loves his books so much, despite several set backs, she's sure there has to be something she likes about him.
           One-shots are hit and miss, there is a science to them, and hitting things just right so that it makes a complete story and the pacing isn't too fast always impresses me. Christmas Romance is one of those one-shots. It does rush, its hard to linger in forty pages, but it takes the time to linger on the important parts. It feels almost like a full volume of manga. Ito is so cheerful and silly that she's instantly adorkable. Akira, the author, he does fall a little flat in the personality department, but it comes full circle and you understand him, too, at the end. They are a cute couple, too, and not at all cliché. I enjoyed this from beginning to I-wish-it-wouldn't end.





5/5 Well done, and heart warming.

Boku wa Kimi no Shiro by Mitsuo Shimokitazawa

Well, technically this is my 100th post, somehow, but as my Winter posts are all one-shots I'm just sort of acknowledging it but not celebrating it. I hope to get a good post for it on the week after Christmas, though. Until then, the Winter Wonderland continues with the last of the 'winter' themed one-shots.



♪On the fifth day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪

Boku wa Kimi no Shiro by Mitsuo Shimokitazawa

Art and story (c) Mitsuo Shimokitazawa

Genre: Snowy
Length: One Chapter – 59 pages


             The shojo art of this manga is gorgeous, with big eyes and long lashes and flowy, snow flecked hair. Its very excellent to look at for sure. The main character is a little typical looking, with his short hair cut, but the girl in this story isn't as typical and adds to the unique look. The backgrounds were very 'snowy' as well, and all the winter bundles of clothes were cute as well as looking natural on the body frames. All of the movement was natural as well.

            A lonely snow spirit who no one has been able to see his whole life meets a high school girl who comes to his shrine. Love blossoms between them, but is it possible that tragedy also follows?
            The story reminds very much of Rise of the Guardians' Jack Frost instead of the more traditional type of Japanese snow spirits (this is a good list of the major ones), but that type of character is quite sympathetic so the association doesn’t really ruin anything. The art is beautiful and well done, the story progresses at a nice pace and the bittersweet ending is perfect for this time of year. When all is said and done though, this story is quite predictable and sometimes there was a little too much thought dialog on a few pages, but its enjoyable. I may not have enjoyed it quite as much as I thought I would at the beginning, due to the rather foreseeable ending, the rather completely foreseeable ending. The characters though aren't all trope and there is a bit of a twist. I recommend reading it, still, despite all my nay saying.




3.5/5 Bundle up before you read this, it might leave you cold.

 Christmas is about to gear up around here, things are starting to feel a little like this gif....

Fairytale of Winter by Da Xia

♪On the fourth day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪



Fairytale of Winter by Da Xia


Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 24 Pages

            This manhua (making it my first Chinese comic review) has such pretty art, though it can be a little sparse. There isn't a lot of dialog to it, making the expressions and actions of the characters carry the brunt of the story. It holds up under that pressure. It has a very European look to the clothes and the characters in general. Its stylized and enjoyable to look at.
            The sad tale of a snow princess and the boy who created her.
            Instead of a heartwarming tale, this is a melancholy one, in typical fairy tale style. The art is beautiful, and it really does help tell the story. I think if there had been a few more pages, it would have been even better. I realize the author probably had no control over that, but its still my opinion. The 'cold' feeling of the story carries through out even when the seasons are changing. Just like the name says, its a winter tale true and true.



4/5 Perfect for the season, even though its a sad story. 

World End Garden by Dai Shina

♪On the third day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪


World End Garden by Dai Shina


Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 50 pages


             The art of this manga is angled and yet soft. The faces are nice and expressive and the bodies are lean and thin. Being set in snow, the clothes are layered and plump mostly, though some of it doesn't look particularly warm. There were a few blank backgrounds but mostly the pages looked full and brimming with details, to the point that a few are downright crowded. Very visually appealing. The snowy scenery of this manga is very pretty.
            The snow has been falling for two hundred years now and shows no sign of stopping. Some claim it is the result of a monster on the north mountain. When a young orphan goes out to die in the snow, she suddenly finds herself face to face with the mythical monster himself.
            A precious love story that isn't necessarily a romantic one, this snow-themed manga is an excellent read for the dark winter months. I found out after the fact that this manga is written by the same mangaka as Fushigi no Maria-kun, and both share the same sense of humor and lightheartedness. World End Garden has a cute moral and it even warms the heart just as the world warms in the story. My only problem with it is it feels a little disjointed at times. The time passing isn't countable so it just moves on to the next scene almost abruptly. The premise has a few often used tropes, but I think over all it is unique and very worth a read.




4/5 Cute and snowy.

His and Her Sleepless Winter by Nari Kusakawa

♪On the second day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪



His and Her Sleepless Winter by Nari Kusakawa

Art and story (c) Nari Kusakawa

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 39 Pages



           The art is a little plain, even with the period-style clothing. It is one of those manga where the eyes look, at times, too big and that tends to bother me. Putting that aside, the eyes have nice depth and the clothes have adequate detail. The faces themselves were a bit flat, emotionally, at times, but the silly chibi stuff was super cute and funny so I guess it gets an average overall. The tones were utilized well, but there were still a few blank panels. It's just not that original looking or attention getting.

            In a world where people hibernate like the animals do, two botanists have been battling to create the remedy to the condition. These two seem to get along like cats and dogs, but do deep feelings lie underneath all their boasting and posturing?
            This one-shot is cute and has and interesting premise, but it doesn't really rise above that. Looking up the mangaka, it seems interesting premises abound, I might have to take a look at another comic to see if, perhaps, this one shot just got lost in muddle. Its got no real feeling, in my opinion. The two of the main characters don't have as much personality as the other major side character and he's a bearded old man, far from cute protagonists a shojo normally has. I think there just are too many things the author is trying to convey all at once, and not in the typical rushing along way, either. It just comes off as stagnant, and a little cliché, and that's unfortunate considering the premise. This manga passes but only barely.


3/5 An okay winter-themed read.

A Winter Star by Yuki Suetsugu

Sorry for not posting last week, but I've been preparing for this year's winter wonderland manga. I decided to do something different this year. Most 'Christmas' manga are usually hidden in a longer serial or they are simply romantic one-shots because the holiday in Japan is mostly seen as a couple's day instead of the full blown business most westerners are used to. So, this year I decided to have a '12 Days of Christmas' posting schedule. I will be posting a winter or Christmas themed one-shot every day until Christmas. It'll be festive and this way I will still have time to enjoy my own Christmas.



 ♪So, on the first day of Christmas My Manga Malady gave to me...♪

A Winter Star by Yuki Suetsugu


Genre: Shojo
Length: One Chapter – 62 Pages


             The art is fairly typical shojo manga, and it has a nice, strong look. I really don't think there’s anything I can complain about, really. Its just one of those types of manga. The faces are fun and easy to read, and emotions show through them well. The clothes are well done, and even though most of the clothes are just school uniforms, they still have a stylish look to them. It may not be a manga I remember stylistically, but its all done well.
            A couple in their senior year of high school during their last winter in school. They've been together all along knowing that he is going to a college far away when they graduate. Now, in the deepest part of wintertime, the realization of him going away is beginning to sink in and the feelings of regret are piling up like the snow.
            I don't know if its just the mood I'm in or what, but, this manga tried to make me cry! Splitting up or going it long distance is a common theme in shojo manga, but the way the emotions were played out in this one felt vivid to me, of course I'm a shy person so maybe I could just relate to their awkwardness. All the same, the two of them desperately trying to remain normal despite the fact that feelings are being simply pushed down instead of taken care of makes for a good read. 'Escalate the relationship or not?' and 'break up or not?' just lets you know feelings are going to get hurt and that just makes it a more juicy read. I appreciated how the mangaka handled the whole relationship, too, such as having them be a well established couple instead of a brand new one, which is how many other one-shots are started, led to much higher stakes emotionally. I went and looked up more of this author's works and I'm hoping for a longer story to see if the potential of this story translates well across a longer story, I liked it that much. Anyway, the cold of winter feels strong in this story. It feels like a good start to this season.





4/5 Strong in art and story, just a little bit trope-y.

Chocolate Christmas by Takeuchi Naoko

Christmas is sneaking up on me, as usual. This manga had two chapters, a winter chapter and a summer chapter, since this is meant as a holiday post I will be largely ignoring the summer chapter in this review.



Chocolate Christmas by Takeuchi Naoko

Art and story (c) Takeuchi Naoko

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Volume – 2 Chapters



           This manga was written by the very famous Takeuchi Naoko, the creator of Sailor Moon. Now, this is several years older than Sailor Moon, so, especially if you've never read anything by Takeuchi before, it has several flaws that can bother the eye. The first chapter, the Christmas themed one, is more than a little messy (the second chapter is much better in character art and clothing) and has a few panel placement problems. Takeuchi's art has a particular style of lanky arms and legs with skinny bodies, and long faces. Hair is generally

poofy and fluffy that floats around the face, and eyes are large and set above dainty, pointed noses. I am a big fan of her dreamy style of art, but there were plenty of times the eyes were too close to each other or the body movement was stiff or awkward. One of my favorite things about Takeuchi's art is her interesting clothes but there isn't much of that in this manga, at least nothing particularly outstanding, though Wink Rain, the second chapter, is much improved in that regard. Backgrounds weren't impressive, mostly tones, nothing worth noting.
           Christmas eve 1986, Ryouko finds herself alone listening to a radio program with a DJ named 'Choco' daydreaming she could be like all the happy couples meeting up on such a romantic evening. After receiving a cake from her father who is away working, Ryouko decides to give her cake to Choco instead since he is alone on the holiday, too. Before she knows it, though, a year has passed and it looks like another Christmas eve alone is approaching. Being a lonely matchmaker is definitely no fun, especially one with unrequited love for a radio jockey.
           I gotta say that this manga, at first, is a bit of a jumble. With so many things being said at once that you aren't entirely sure where you stand plot wise. Then when you do get your bearings, nothing happens for a really long time. Its predicable and corny so when nothing happens its annoying because you already know how it is going to end yet can't see why it hasn't yet. The characters are a little underdeveloped besides the main one to the point that her friend, who is in the story a ton, just sort of confuses things by floating in and out. The relationships are very typical of Takeuchi comics though, with the male lead teasing the female. I just can't say I enjoyed trying to figure out exactly when things were happening. The time line is impossible to comprehend so exactly how long it is between things can get you confused, too. Its still cute, though I think it needs a couple of reads before you can actually enjoy the act of reading it. Its not really worth it though unless you're a Takeuchi Naoko fan already. The second chapter almost makes up for it, though, it is confusing at times, too, but the art is much improved in it. Still, I had hoped for better.


3/5 Disappointing if you're expecting a simple Christmas love story.

Noël la Neige and Holy Glory

Just put up my tree today, I always watch 'White Christmas' while I do so.




Noël la neige by Sichol=bell



Length: One Chapter - 42 Pages
Genre: Shonen


           Art has good detail, the fantasy type clothing is fun to look at and analyze. The eyes and

faces are typical for the young boys style but that didn't really detract from the read. Action wasn't entirely clear, mostly it is carried on off page.
           When a young boy in late 19th Century France is visited by an unconventional Santa and his reindeer, he chases them away claiming he wants nothing, but how can that be the end of the story?
           Cute and heart warming, and luckily given a longer run in the form of a prequel. So I'll go into more detail for that story about the manga in general. This story wasn't as cliched as I expected hearing the premise, but the monster was a fun one. Read on for my rating, since this should be read as a set anyhow and the score is the same for both.





 Holy Glory by Sichol=bell





Length: One Volume - 4 chapters
Genre: Shonen



           Art consists of boys with big hair and clothes that look like every Christmas Carol movie ever made. Joking aside, the body shapes are all of skinny young men and the clothes are bulky, layered winter clothes that have appropriate hang and movement. The faces are a little bland, and the eyes are a little flat but such a style is common, even if I don’t much like it, and the art is well done overall. I don't even remember backgrounds, looking back there is mostly

tones and brick walls. The art isn't the strong point but it isn't annoying or disappointing, either.
           Young Salt, an orphan on the streets of 19th century London, has taken up pick pocketing to support himself and his younger brother, though he has terrible luck at picking his targets. His most recent got him nearly caught for barely one coin, but when spotting a long haired man in strange clothes, Salt figures such a traveler has to have something of value...
           This is a very good Christmas read, as you expect from most manga it has everything to do with Santa and nothing to do with religion, but it also has some excellent action. Not as off camera, so to speak, as the one shot but it is still very tame about the whole thing. The story gives you just what you want (especially if you read the one shot that proceeds it) and though you can lament getting no more it's hardly a complaint. It's fairly humorous, too. I was very glad to have found this when my first choice of reading fell through. It's light and easy to jump into, though some would call its generic art and shonen tropes a quality to deter reading, I can over look stereotypes when you get an interesting hook and it has one. Sure it could have been a little more fleshy but its very enjoyable. The art is easy to look at, if not unique it's at least confident and traditional. The story is very original as an action story and reminds a bit of Jack Frost meets Santa Claus; with magic and monsters. Plus, Rudolph the reindeer is a bad ass, what more do you need?


5/5 A very enjoyable holiday read.

Art and story (c) Sichol=bell

For more Santa and Reindeer stories read my post about the manga Yoroshiku Master by Tsukuba Sakura, which I should have saved for Christmas time in the first place.

I-Revo (Ice Revolution) and Gin ni Naru

Its that time of year again, winter and holidays. Let's start the festivities with not one, but TWO ice skating manga! I'm not sure how many holiday manga I can find, but it will be at least a winter wonderland from now until Christmas. The following week, I'm not sure I'll get to post anything but I'll try and find some interesting things for the next two weeks to come. Happy Holidays.




I-Revo ~Ice Revolution~ Story by Tsutsumi Aya and Art by Takemura Youhei

Art (c) Takemura Youhei and Story (c) Tsutsumi Aya

Length: 3 Volumes - 11 Chapters
Genre: Shonen Sports


           Art, at first glance, reminds a bit of Eyeshield 21 meets D. Gray-Man, it has strong, expressive faces though the eyes lack a lot of definition and distinction among the characters. On the whole, the characters all are distinct from one another, even background people. Clothes are simple for the most part, but can be detailed if they need be. Hair ranges from
normal looking bobs and mops to super angled straight bangs. Backgrounds are pretty much forgettable. Its a little too ugly at times, especially in the beginning, but it evens out better after the first volume.
           Masaki is a tomboy of such a high caliber that most just assume that she is a boy straight off the bat. Its all thanks to her father, who runs a dojo and taught her karate ever since she was small, that Masaki only knows how to do things with a man's brute force, though her attitude doesn't help. Then, one day, in a twist of fate, a prince-like boy helps her up and the she desperately wants to be a girl for him. Following a classmate with a similar bag to what her 'prince' was carrying, Masaki finds out about the sport of ice skating and how beautiful one can look while doing it. Determined that skating will make her more of a woman Masaki steps onto the ice.
          Not a lot of romance in this one, perhaps I should have expected it since its a shonen, but I was fooled by the main point of the plot. Truthfully, its very much just a string of gags about her looking like a boy for a good part of the first volume. After that the silly parts don't go away but they become much less like the story hinges on them. So it can be a rough start on this manga if you think you've found a girly ice skating manga. In fact, its not that compelling, its interesting but not compelling. Masaki herself is really to blame for most of her problems so it doesn't much feel like she is improving herself at first and then her growth is shoved at you quickly. Her love interest is pretty much forgotten, too, until there is a need of him. There are some lengthy explanations for things, if you've read any sports manga you'll find that that is common occurrence, but that isn't what gets you bogged down. Story wise, it feels a little rushed. It seems like just when the story was getting into a groove, they had to end it so you only get a small fraction of her experiences. Its a good read but I'm not sure its good enough to re-read.



3.2/5 Its a fun story but it might be hard going.







Gin ni Naru by Mari Okazaki

Art and story (c) Mari Okazaki

Length: One Volume - 4 Chapters and 1 unrelated One-shot
Genre: Shojo




           The art of Gin ni Naru is a little sloppy, and from time to time, ugly. It has a charm in the eyes and the lines and it is very interesting to look at. All the same, its always hard to like a comic when the person or persons you are supposed to be attracted to is weird looking with a case of the crazy eyes. Describing this makes it sound worse than it is, it isn't offensive or generic but it is kind of strange. Clothes are unremarkable, and the backgrounds are

forgettable except for several times the blank space between panels, a couple of times in the panels as well, was flooded with angular bubbles. I am still confused about what they represent. Its generally cute, I guess, but its not typical.
           Ery is kind of strange girl who doesn't act like her friends, she looks to have no passion for anything in life. When walking home one day she catches glance of what seems like a lovers spat but when the man strikes a strange pose she instantly reacts and follows him to an ice skating rink, despite her friends ditching her. Once there she finds he's an ice skating instructor and asks him to teach her, but instead of saying yes he tells her he only cares about money and will teach her so long as she pays his high fees. Ery can't pay but she can't leave the man alone, either.
           An interesting love story that doesn't go anywhere. There's quite a bit of how much Ery instantly loves her teacher, it being a teacher-student romance, but you don't get much emotion through it. I'm not much for such cold guys (though I like grumpy and you do get some of that here) still, it feels more like the man has hardly any personality. It has its moments here and there, its an okay read really, but I found my mind wandering a few times. There is remarkably not a lot of explaining about ice skating in it, but that doesn't really help in any way. The love triangle doesn't have any heat, and it doesn't go anywhere after all the time you spend reading it. The one shot isn't too exciting either.



2/5 You might give it a glance but you might put it down after and never finish it.