Mini-reviews of: Soul Eater, Nabari No Ou, Sumomomo Momomo, Bamboo Blade, Higurashi When They Cry, Maximum Ride, Nightschool , Pig Bride, Sarasah, One Fine Day, and Jack Frost

Yen+, Vol. 1

Published by Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen

One thing I was looking forward to at San Diego (besides a color copy of Faust, which wasn’t ready yet) was the first issue of Yen+ magazine from Yen Press. The publisher was just giving them away, a palette load per day.

On the surface, there are a few major differences between Yen’s magazine and Shonen Jump or Shojo Beat. Unlike the colorful tints of Shojo Beat, the magazine uses entirely black inks, making it a little hard to find the chapters you’re looking for.

Second, there’s the price. $9.99 per issue with a year’s subscription clocking in at $49.95. Ouch! Shojo Beat sets me back just $34.99 per year (or $5.99 in stores), but then, it has about seven titles to the Yen+’s 11. I would almost sooner pick up Yen+ on the newsstand than shell out $50 at once… maybe if it was two easy payments of $25?

The third major departure is the inclusion of OEL and manhwa titles. The magazine reads left-to-right with English and Korean titles in the front and right-to-left with Japanese titles from the back. In the middle is a “Stop!” page with instructions. The table of contents is a little hard to find – I’d like to see the contents listed in both the “back” and the “front” if possible.

The fourth significant difference is that Yen’s magazine is rated “Older Teen”. Skewing older than Jump (Teen) but about the same age as Beat (Teen Plus), Yen+ is filled with panty shots, nipple-less breasts (Soul Eater) and at least one decapitation. I didn’t notice the age rating at first and was kinda surprised. I wonder how librarians will shelve this one…?

Yen+ includes translation notes pretty consistently after each chapter – Thumbs up!

The final great big difference between Yen+ and Shonen Jump is that heretofore Jump showcases licensed anime tie-in titles on the front cover. Yen+ features five manga titles which all have related anime series, but only one of those anime series is currently available on DVD in the U.S. The others (except Higurashi) have not had an announced solicitation by American companies, and are, as of this very moment, widely available from your usual gray-market fansub websites.

When Jump launched in the States (2002) this seemed like the natural order of the universe – first the anime gets imported, then the manga. Now, in 2008, the anime import market is collapsing awkwardly in on itself, and in this post-manga-boom universe the manga is more likely to be imported before the anime. In some cases (The Wallflower, S.A. Special A, Suzuka, and others) manga titles debut in the States just before the anime airs on TV in Japan, so properties appear on the market post-scanslation but pre-fansubbing.

Let’s take a look at the titles:

SOUL EATER By Atsushi Ohkubo

Currently airing on TV in Japan to the tune of a 51 episode show, 17 episodes have aired to date to the delight of anime bloggers around the world. At the Yen Press panel and at the booth fans asked the most about Soul Eater. According to Kurt Hassler the anime is in the middle of a vicious bidding war.

Chapter one introduces us to Hermione-look-alike Maka and her human/weapon named Soul, who can transform between human-form and the form of a scythe. Maka and Soul are attempting to eat their 100th soul – the soul of a witch, so Soul can become “The Death Scythe”.

One doesn’t really read or watch Soul Eater for the plot so much as the interesting design sense. For example, the ever-present crescent moon grins with a bleeding mouth. And by “art design” I might mean “fan service” – we get to see Hermione’s panties and the witch’s [huge, nipple-less] breasts a few times.

Soul Eater isn’t really for me, but I like to keep up with what the kids are into nowadays. I’m not watching the anime any time soon, but I’d read this if I subscribed.

NABARI NO OU By Yuhki Kamatani

What if there were ninjas, like, in real life?! Miharu Rokujo is aggressively recruited to join the school Ninpo club by a classmate and one of his teachers. Miharu has no interest in ninjitsu, but he just might have tons of secret awesome powers inside him that he’s not aware of yet. Plus, he might have to join, since people are out to kill him.

This title gets bonus Erin-points for having the protagonist’s family own an okonomiyaki shop. I super-love okonomiyaki (maybe I’d rather read food manga than ninja manga). Doe-eyed Miharu is cute enough – for your doujinshi!

Seventeen episodes of the 26-episode anime series have aired in Japan so far.

SUMOMOMO MOMOMO by Shinobu Ohtaka

Based on the pun “Sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi” – “Plums and peaches are part of the peach family,” all 22 episodes of the Sumomomo Momomo anime aired in 2006 and 2007.Momoko Kuzuryuu and Koushi Inuzuka are the heirs to two martial arts families. Momoko’s father tells her she can never master her family’s ultimate technique on account of being a girl – she must focus on giving birth to a strong offspring instead! Momoko takes this to heart and sets off to make love to Koushi, son of the rival martial art school. Koushi, however, is not interested in karate – he’s studying to be a lawyer.

I am extremely amused at the way Koushi quotes stalker laws to Momoko and quotes extortion laws at his bullies. However, we not amused by Momoko’s many panty shots, since she looks quite young. It’s clear from Momoko’s reading of sex ed text books (in the middle of a public street) that she’s not really sure what sex is.

So far I was more entertained by the first chapter of the manga than I was by the first episode of the anime series.

BAMBOO BLADE Story by Masahiro Totsuka, Art by Aguri Igarashi

I try to avoid netspeak in this forum, but seriously, “OMG GIRLS KENDO SPORTS SERIES!” The focus is on the coach, a starving teacher who makes a bet that if his girls’ team can beat a rival coach, he’ll win free sushi for a year.I badly want to read about girls sports teams – especially crazy sports like kendo. However, if this turns out to be some kind of moe harem thing I’m out. It better not be to kendo what Suzuka is to track and field!

The 26 episode anime series started airing in 2007 and wrapped up last March. This means one thing: The entire series is available as one convenient batch torrent.

HIGURASHI: WHEN THEY CRY story by Ryukishi07

Higurashi started off as a visual novel game and has since been spun-off into light novels, drama CDs, two anime TV series totaling 50 episodes plus a few OVAs, and a live-actiton film in Japan. The first of the two anime series, “When They Cry,” is available on DVD Stateside. Higurashi may not be the most hugely popular anime title, but it is the most recognizable title in Yen+.Transfer student Keiichi moves to a sleepy small town where he happily attends the equivalent of a one-room school house with a bunch of cute girls. In fact, the girls are a little too cute, all hardly more than moe-stereotypes, making Keiichi the heir apparent to what would be a harem series – that is, if the town wasn’t hiding a sinister secret!

It’s my understanding that Higurashi is some kind of ultra-violent murder mystery. If that’s the case, I would like more murder mystery and less harem antics.

Flipping the magazine over, let’s look at the other titles:

MAXIMUM RIDE Story by James Patterson, Art by NaRae Lee

Based on the best-selling young adult novels by James Patterson, Maximum Ride is about a group of science-experiment run-away teens who are 2% bird, meaning they have wings. The youngest of the group, Angel, gets kidnapped by wolf-human Erasers in this well-drawn adaptation.The characters are designed well, but I couldn’t get over the dialog or the character’s names. Angel? Fang? Seriously? Fang?

NIGHTSCHOOL By Svetlana Chmakova

When I heard about the premise of Dramacon author Sventlana’s next title, I was worried it sounded too much like Vampire Knight – both are about schools with a night class of vampires. I really don’t like Vampire Knight, although I know it has a ton of fans. Fortunately Nightschool appears to have a little more depth to it from the first chapter.Svetlana has not altered her style from Dramacon, and many of the characters are reminiscent of her previous serious.

Nightschool seems very ambitious and adventurous, with a huge cast. I wonder how many volumes it’s scheduled to run, and I wonder if Sventlana will be able to keep up with such an ambitious schedule.

PIG BRIDE By KookHwa Huh and SuJin Kim

When Si-Joon was a child, he wandered into the mountains where strange out-of-time characters in Korean dress force him to marry a little girl wearing a pig mask. The girl allows Si-Joon to escape but vows to return on his 16th birthday. Cut to present day, when Si-Joon is a hottie 16-year-old who believes his mountain adventures were just a dream – until the pig bride shows up!

I really like that Pig Bride centers around a [supposedly] traditional Korean folk tale. I was drawn to Dokebi Bride because of it’s Korean-ness, and Pig Bride delivers on the Korean front, except with better art and paneling, and it’s a comedy. I look forward to seeing where it’s going with this.

SARASAH By Ryan Ruy

Unannounced before SDCC, Sarasah is another Korean title. Ji-Hae has been stalking her crush Seung-Hyu for a year and a half, and things are getting out of hand when Seung-Hyu accidently shoves Ji-Hae down the school stairs, ending her life. The chapter leaves off with the death of the protagonist, but I learned at the Yen panel that after her untimely death Ji-Hae is given a second chance at life two years in thet past wherein she vows to make Seung-Hyu fall in love with her rather than kill her.

The art reminded me a little of the DramaQueen’s DVD or Boy Princess from Netcomics, with thick black eye lines and smudgy lips. I liked Ji-Hae as a crazy love-sick stalker, and I’m intrigued by the plot. The title seems like it’s a romance strictly for girls, which is a little weird in the same magazine as Soul Eater.

ONE FINE DAY By Sirial

From weird to weirder, One Fine Day is an incredibly cute yet abstract story about a wizard with a pet dog, cat, and mouse who often appear as children wearing animal-eared pajamas. I don’t think we learn the man is a wizard in this chapter – I’m quoting the Yen panel. Maybe he’s not a wizard. Look, the point is, they eat some cookies.

It’s hard to say what’s going on in One Fine Day because it’s a sledgehammer of cute to the face, knocking out all critical analysis skills and narrative comparison. I still haven’t really recovered.

JACK FROST By JinHo Ko

The polar opposite of the previous title, Jack Frost is a dark tale told primarily from the perspective of a girl’s severed head in this chapter. Transfer student Noh-A Joo thinks something is really wrong with her new very dimly lit school and creepy classmates at Amityville High, and as she is decapitated after introducing herself, she feels vindicated that she was right. Something is weird about this school!

The chapter wraps up with something about a vampire fight and a lot of panties. The severed head chick survives! I’m sure it’ll be a big hit with teenagers. There’s a Hellsing gun rip-off! I wouldn’t avoid the next chapter.

Volume one of Yen+ is available now.

Is a super-sized helping of Manga Minis an oxymoron? Or is it simply the equivalent of gorging yourself on Frosted Mini Wheats? Either way, this month’s column is jam-packed with reviews from Chloe Ferguson, Isaac Hale, Ken Haley, Michelle Smith, and me. The books run the gamut from shojo—volume eight of La Corda d’Oro (Viz) and volume three of Tears of a Lamb (CMX)—to shonen—volume 30 of Naruto (Viz)—seinen—volume seven of Kikaider Code 02 (CMX) and volume twelve of xXxholic (Del Rey)—yaoi—Ellie Mamahara’s Alley of First Love (BLU Manga)—OEL—volume one of Kasumi (Del Rey)—and manhua—The King of Fighters Art Book (DrMaster). And while there’s no explicit theme to this month’s column, its very eclectic nature is a statement in itself. So read, enjoy, and feel the sugar high from eating too many minis.

Ellie Mamahara: Alley of First Love

By Ellie Mamahara
BLU Manga, 186 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Despite its lurid title, Alley of First Love isn’t about cruising—it’s actually about two childhood friends whose relationship takes a sexy turn in adulthood. Shusuke, a dark-haired hottie, is an injured soccer star who’s marking time at the family liquor store; Atsushi, a fair-haired innocent, is a graduate student who spent nearly six years abroad. When they’re reunited, Shusuke contrives improbable schemes for spending time with his old pal (one involving a giant panda suit… don’t ask) to gauge Atsushi’s interest in him.

Not much actually happens; most of the book is devoted to flirtatious exchanges and earnest conversations about feelings. That uneventfulness is both a plus and a minus. On the one hand, it’s refreshing to see character development take center stage in a genre known primarily for steamy man-on-man action. On the other, Ellie Mamahara lacks Fumi Yoshinaga’s flair for dialogue, so the script is rather pedestrian. The artwork, too, is serviceable but not great. Like many manga-ka, Mamahara favors lean boys with bee-stung lips, sleepy eyes, and impossibly broad shoulders—in short, characters who read as sufficiently masculine, but have a certain softness and sensuality that’s more feminine. Her backgrounds are spare, with shojo-esque screentone patterns frequently standing in for actual detail. For readers who prefer yaoi that depicts healthy, consensual relationships, Alley of First Love offers a welcome respite from some of the more explicit offerings in the BLU, DMP, and Kitty Media catalogs. Hard-core fujoshi, however, are advised to seek thrills elsewhere, as Mamahara’s book is a strictly PG-13 affair.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Kasumi, Vol.1

Story by Surt Lim, Art by Hirofumi Sugimoto
Del Rey, 208 pp.
Rating: 13+

Born out of an east-west creative partnership and helmed by Del Rey, Kasumi gets effort points, a couple cute points, and not a whole lot else. The setup smacks of been-there, done-that, from cheery everygirl Kasumi’s strange new powers (which, of course, manifest themselves in socially humiliating circumstances) to her rich girl rival and mysterious ice block of a love interest. Friend making, school hijinks, and magic usage naturally ensues. A quirky set of extras provides a bit of air, but even a bit of weirdness can’t liven up a series that seems dead set on crafting Kasumi a few token magical friends to move the background action along.

The okay vibes extend even to the realms of art and toning, with Sugimoto’s serviceable closeups marred largely by the occasional anatomical iffyness and, more gravely, by serious tone abuse. Every character has been lovingly toned with a healthy plethora of grays and gradients, but the backgrounds have been left to languish in obscurity. Who needs shapes or distinguishable features when a splash of black gradient will do? The end result- very few well-drawn backgrounds, or, worse, extant backgrounds proves a serious detractor in the long run. Kasumi may be a step in the right direction for global manga, but also proves that there’s still much ground to be covered in closing the quality gap.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Kikaider Code 02, Vol. 7

Story by Ishinomori Shotaro, Art by Meimu
CMX, 178 pp.
Rating: Mature

The long awaited finale to the Kikaider Code 02 series is here! Unfortunately, I haven’t actually read any of the series prior to this, so it left me a bit lost. Still, it wasn’t too hard to grasp what was going on, though some of the plot twists were perhaps lost on me. Meimu’s artwork was lovely and the designs for Kikaider and the various other robots were fantastic. The story itself concludes the tangled web of intrigue involving Jiro (aka Kikaider), his pseudo-brother Saburo (aka Haikaider), the rest of their family, and a secret organization that was plotting to wipe out mankind. It’s a fast paced, action packed finale with an ending that might leave some scratching their heads. It’s open to interpretation, but seemed awfully grim to me. In addition there’s some nice sketchbook material included in the end, along with a short afterward by Meimu about the series. Interesting stuff that left me wanting to hunt down the rest of the series so I could better grasp this final chapter.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

The King of Fighters Art Book

Created by Wing Yan and King Tung
Published by DrMaster, 92 pages
Rating: Unrated

From artists Wing Yan and King Tung comes The King of Fighters Art Book, 92 pages of full-color oversized reproductions of the duo’s covers for three different King of Fighters comic series (2001, 2002 and 2003). Each cover takes up a single page with a little notation at the bottom indicating which series it’s from. The duo have done a good job at capturing the likenesses of the various characters, and fans of the comics or games will be pleased to see characters ranging from Kyo to Bill Kane making appearances in the various pieces. While the covers are certainly lovely, it’s a bit disappointing that that’s all the book contains. No sketchbook material, rough pencils, rejected covers or anything of that nature. It’s essentially a cover gallery, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it gives the book a really light feeling, especially since it comes with a $22 price tag. Still, fans of Wing Yan and King Tung’s art might want to give it a look, as might fans of the comics and video game series.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

La Corda d’Oro, Vol. 8

By Yuki Kure
Viz, 178 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Volume eight of La Corda d’Oro begins with every musician’s worst nightmare: in the middle of a performance, Kahoko loses her mojo. Her intonation wobbles; a string breaks; and worse still, the magic spell that allowed her violin to practically play itself wears off, forcing her to scratch and pick her way through the remainder of the piece. Though she’s demoted to last place in the school music competition, her fellow contestants (five of whom are cute, tousled-haired boys) praise her gutsy performance, squeaks and all.

This opening chapter has a certain intensity and honesty that’s generally lacking in La Corda d’Oro as a whole. Some of that is attributable to the beautiful artwork; many scenes are wordless, focusing instead on a facial expression or a hand poised to bow a phrase. Yuki Kure’s toning is superb, giving her characters and objects an unusually solid appearance—something that’s all too rare in shojo—while evoking Kahoko’s fragile, anxious state. The rest of the volume is conventional shojo fluff, as Kure introduces a potential rivalry between Kahoko and a button-cute girl from Ryotaro’s middle school, and sends Kahoko to an amusement park with the deadly serious—some might say pompous—Len. Volume eight also includes an utterly forgettable short story about a rich boy who behaves like a doormat in the presence of the girl he loves, despite the fact she’s a brusque pain the butt. From the rougher artwork and choppy narrative flow, I’d guess this story predates La Corda d’Oro, as it lacks the polish of Corda’s very best pages.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Naruto, Vol. 30

By Masashi Kishimoto
Viz, 178 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

I’d like to preface this review by saying I was a Narutard years before it was cool. I got into Naruto when Shonen Jump first hit newsstands in the US. Though admittedly, the series’ first fifty-ish chapters are unarguably Naruto’s heyday, this hasn’t stopped the ongoing series from still being a blast. Even though Naruto embraces pretty much every shonen meme and convention, it brings enough originality and sheer entertainment value to make up for it. Additionally, there’s just no getting over the fact that Naruto simply has terrific character designs. This series is a terrific balance of humor, action, and a healthy dash of manservice for the fangirls.

In this volume, Naruto and co. face off against various members of Akatsuki, this year’s super-secret evil badass hall of fame. Why is it that with each successive shonen story arc, the villains get less and less memorable? In my not-so-humble opinion, most shonen stories get stretched far beyond their natural life cycles and lose originality and fall back on conventions as a result. Naruto is no exception—this is volume 30 for Christ’s sake! The way the manga cuts from one fight to the next makes me consider going on Ritalin with every read. The way this manga really should be enjoyed is one chapter at a time (as you would if you were reading it in a magazine). With a week between each chapter, the extra-special scene shifts and fever-pitch action really work in Naruto’s favor. Regardless though, the graphic novels are quite a bargain at $8.00, and volume 30 should definitely be picked up if you’ve kept up with the series so far!

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

Tears of a Lamb, Vol. 3

By Banri Hidaka
CMX, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen (T)

The greatest strength of this series is the relationship between its two lead characters. After getting off to a rough start—with Kei badgering Kanzaki to allow her access to his apartment so she can search for a lost ring—it has developed into a solid friendship, with each able to confide in the other about their problems. I particularly like how Kanzaki’s consideration of Kei is shown through his actions rather than told in mere words. The best scenes are when they are engaged in heartfelt conversation. Unfortunately, such moments do not happen often in this third installment of the series. The standout chapter actually focuses on the school doctor and her own experiences in high school. A nice character piece, it also provides a glimpse of the mysterious Suwa, the older man upon whom Kei is fixated and the owner of the ring for which she is searching.

Hidaka’s art is cute (I love the fleecy lambs sprinkled throughout) but my enjoyment is marred by the continual reliance on violence as a source of humor. Poor Kanzaki takes a pounding on practically every page and it’s really beginning to disturb me. If you can get past that, however, Tears of a Lamb definitely has something unique to offer.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

xxxHolic, Vol. 12

By CLAMP
Del Rey, 208 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

I’ll be the first to admit that I love xxxHolic to death. I love the art, love the creativity, even love the quasi-spiritual pretentiousness. And to be sure, this latest volume of xxxHolic has all that. Unfortunately, this latest volume takes the self-important pontification to a really obscene level, with the dialogue ascending to a fever pitch of narcissism. During a particularly emo moment, for example, Sakura says: “The only thing I could do until the ‘time’ that I changed the future was to act through the part I saw in a dream.” Trust me, this makes no more sense in context. Frankly though, if CLAMP can get its obligatory emo monologues out in this single volume, it’s a-okay by me.

Despite my bitching, this volume is still a pleasure to read. xxxHolic is easily the best series CLAMP has whipped up since Card Captor Sakura, and it shows in the one-shot stories and the jaw-dropping artwork. Seeing the chapter title pages in their ornate and sexy awesomeness makes me yearn for an xxxHolic artbook like nobody’s business. Though this volume is not nearly as good as it could have been, it’s still the same old xxxHolic, and for that it still gets my purchasing recommendation.

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

In this installment of On the Shojo Beat, Isaac Hale proves once again he’s man enough to read shojo… and enjoy it. The series: Ai Yazawa’s addictive rock-n-roll soap opera NANA, a staff favorite here at PCS.–KD

NANA, Vols. 9-11

By Ai Yazawa
Published by Viz
Rating: Mature

If you look at the back of any book in Viz’s Shojo Beat line, you should see a funky little thought bubble stretching from the book’s title that says: “The Real Drama Begins in…”. This is a great marketing catchphrase, but it’s a little disconcerting seeing titles like Vampire Knight, Absolute Boyfriend, and NANA put on this same pedestal. That’s like comparing an apple to an orange to a Buick—or, as they used to say on Sesame Street, one of these things is not like the others.

Since the first issue of Shojo Beat magazine, NANA has been the label’s high point, setting a standard against which most other shojo releases seem pretty tame.. Despite NANA’s massive popularity in Europe as well as Asia (Japan’s bestselling shojo/josei manga ever), NANA has had a far rockier journey here in the US. Amid tepid sales and a slowing stateside release schedule, Viz decided to drop NANA from the magazine lineup and release it only in the graphic novel format.

Despite a release schedule that is agonizingly slow in comparison to its foreign counterparts, Viz has continued to put out regular and high quality releases. In volume nine for example, Viz opted to include a bonus story that Ai Yazawa drew about the humble high school origins of Trapnest and Blast. This extra is a real treat, and it warms my otaku heart to know that Viz is still giving NANA its full commitment despite sometimes disappointing sales. Additionally, each volume of NANA has included an extras section as well, which is always a treat.

Since the bombshell of volume eight where we find out that Hachi is pregnant, the drama and depth of NANA has ascended to a new tier. In volumes one through eight, Hachi and Nana unite and a seemingly solid social framework for the rest of the series unfolds. After volume eight though, it becomes increasingly clear that the first eight volumes were merely setup for the series’ true drama: the interaction of the members of Trapnest and Blast and the wild card in their midst, Hachi.

Throughout volumes nine, ten, and eleven, the reality of NANA as we’ve come to know it is turned on its head. Romantic realities are rattled; hopes and aspirations shattered and reformed overnight, and the lines of camaraderie and friendship are redrawn. With Hachi’s child on the way, Hachi becomes more and more consumed by her impending life as a mother and drifts away from her tried and true friends of Blast. Though Takumi treats her well for the most part, it is obvious that Hachi is making a very painful transition that could burn her bridges should her life with Takumi fall through.

The most rattling relationship change has been between the series namesakes, Nana Osaki and Nana “Hachi” Komatsu. Through the first eight volumes the two develop a bond that stretches beyond friendship and is absolutely paramount to the two women. As circumstances force them apart though, their bond is not broken. Nana Osaki pines for Hachi constantly, and they both weigh heavily on the other’s heart and mind. Even as it begins to appear that their paths are destined to be irreconcilable, the two women never forget for a moment that they are doing everything with the strength they garnered from each other.

Indeed, despite the Nanas’ separation, the series’ homoerotic tension only increases. Aside from a couple of jokes being made about Nobuo and Shin (yeah… no), Nana Osaki all but admits to having a romantic (or something even greater?) fixation with Hachi. She admits that Hachi fulfills her in a way that Ren does not. When Hachi leaves to live with Takumi, Nana descends into despair and begins having panic attacks. Despite her immense sense of loss, Nana does everything with Hachi, her new lease on life, in mind. With these ever-mounting homoerotic undertones and Ai Yazawa’s apparent infallibility in this series, I can only hope that these tensions can be resolved in a realistic and decisive fashion.

Despite all its laurels in the otaku community, NANA has yet to receive the attention it deserves in the American market. As it has done since its inception, NANA humanizes interpersonal relationships in a profound way that no other comic I’ve ever read has achieved. And with the first eight volumes being only the leaping off point for this already emotionally turbulent ride, we can be sure the best is yet to come. My hat is off to Ai Yazawa for creating the best shojo/josei title I have ever read. Accept no substitutes: the real drama begins in NANA.

Volumes nine, ten, and eleven of NANA are available now.

Tokko, Vol. 1

By Tohru Fujisawa
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Mature (18 +)

In the near future, a special branch of the Tokyo Police Department is formed to deal with mysterious rash of mass murders that have been plaguing Japan. The murders are of a grizzly and inhuman nature and, to make things even more interesting, are often accompanied by earthquakes and the sudden appearance of mysterious holes. Enter Ranmaru Shindo, a new member of the Tokyo Police Department who’s assigned to the unit that’s the public face of the investigations, and a survivor of one of the early mass murders. Will he be able uncover the mystery behind the murders, and the mystery of a secret group within the police department know only as Tokko?

Tokko is not high literature. It’s a simple, over-the-top, pulpy action/horror series. The very set up is one that almost defies logic: a mysterious rash of mass murders that have been occuring over the span of about five years with dozens, even hundreds, left brutally mutilated each time, yet life continues along as always despite the fact that the police can’t even begin to come up with a suspect? I don’t know, I’d imagine that Tokyo would be emptied out by the time of the third or fourth one. Can’t imagine anyone wanting to hang around a city where hundreds of people mysteriously die at random, especially since they indicate that this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. So, the premise is a bit of a stretch, but what about the rest of it?

Well, the characters are interesting enough I suppose. Ranmaru’s a fairly likeable guy with a weird sister who’s constantly trying to hook him up with her friends, and who’s fond of teasing him by walking around their apartment half naked. He also suffers from a recurring dream of the day his parents and everyone in the housing project where they lived were murdered in one of the mass killings. (Unlike the actual event however, in his dreams there’s a half naked woman with a sword.) The mystery of the murders have driven him to join the police force in an attempt to bring the killer of his parents to justice and, as he learns in this volume, the descision to join the police force is about to bring him face-to-face with the woman from his dreams as well. Aside from Ranmaru, everyone else is just kind of there. Sure, his friends are likeable enough, but they don’t do a whole lot beside provide a way to feed us information on the world, the murders, and Ranmaru’s life. The Tokko squad, at this point are just mysterious ciphers, while his sister is just comedy relief. Then again, this isn’t the kind of story you read for deep character development.

The art’s very good, but that seems to be the norm for a Fujisawa book. The characters are very detailed and it’s quite easy to tell the various characters apart from one another. The gore and violence are surprisingly in short supply for a horror series. Outside of one crime scene most of gore and blood is just depicted by massive gushers of black ink. It’s certainly not as gorey as many of the horror offerings currently available. The action scenes are also a bit lacking. They tend to be handled fairly quickly and usually consist of a character leaping forward and killing someone in one hit, usually accompanied by the before-mentioned gushers of black ink. Even when the Tokko guys show up the fights tend to last a few panels, most of which will depict a single attack and a character or demon being cut to shreds in the process.

All in all, Tokko is a fun B-movie on paper. Crazy monsters? Check. Giant weapons? Check. Copious blood splatters? Check. A simple and vaguely goofy plot? Definitely a check. It’s light, it’s entertaining, it’s a quick read. Still, it does manage to entertain in a cheesy way.

Volume 1 of Tokko is available now.

Vassalord, Vol.1

By Nanae Chrono
Tokyopop, 192pp.
Rating: 16+

One part cyborg, one part vampire, Charlie’s exceptionally good at his job as a vampire hunter in the service of the Vatican. His personal life is a bit more problematic, as resident vampire playboy Johnny Rayflo finds him infinitely amusing, and a complicated relationship between the two continually binds them together. The pair faces a host of supernaturally suspicious problems, from a childish vampire princess to a sinister branch of the Unitarian Church… but before they can fight evil, they’ll have to stop fighting each other!

Vassalord, the latest addition to that thoroughly oversaturated cyborg-vampire-BL market, is, simply put, a bit of a mess. The first installment is content mainly to float along through the usual gothic trappings, buoyed by character banter and, of course, plenty of gore. It’s not terrible per se, but the whole thing seems like a violence-laden piece of male eye candy with a healthy dose of comedic friction: come for the looks, stay for the snark. The first book is also largely anecdotal, although unresolved elements from this installment promise at least some semblance of overarching plot.

If the phrase “vampire playboy” doesn’t make you grimace, this is certainly the series for you. Character types are played mostly as archetypes: uptight, do-gooder Charlie is designed to clash with loose, suggestive Johnny, and the series’ comedic steam is derived mainly from the cracks they take at one another. This being BL, there’s obligatory romantic tension between the two, but Chrono chooses mainly to play the relationship as the occasional gratuitous panel rather than as actual relationship development. And as other manga on the market has taught us, who needs sex when you’ve got vampirism?

Chrono may have an eye for drawing a detailed scene, but paneling an action sequence seems a bit more of a challenge. There’s plenty of dodging, slashing and other staples, but figuring your way through the motions of just what, exactly, is going on proves difficult. Action sequences should flow, guiding the reader through the motions as they occur in relation to one another. If you have to backtrack to figure out who’s where, or worse, if you missed a panel because the next seems nonsensical, then something is direly wrong. Detailed character renderings and a good sense of space are admirable, but still not enough to atone for a glut of poorly done action sequences.

Vassalord may have several marks against it, but in not taking itself particularly seriously, the series gains traction against many of its Vatican-minded competitors. Gimmicky, clichéd, but not entirely a lost cause, the series still needs to rise above its tacked together storyline and poor action paneling before it can merit any kind of recommendation. For now, it remains best approached by those with a gothic bent and a forgiving attitude.

Volume one of Vassalord is available now.

Aoi House Omnibus Collection 1

By Adam Arnold and Shiei
Seven Seas
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Aoi House in Love!, Vol. 1

By Adam Arnold and Shiei
Seven Seas
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Aoi House is about two college dudes who end up living with a harem of yaoi-crazed fangirls. It’s accessible to both non-harem and non-yaoi readers, but if you’re an expert in those genres, you might enjoy this series even more.

Strangely enough, my closest exposure to harem manga has been Ouran High School Host Club, which is of the gender-reversed “male harem” sub-genre. There are similarities between the two series: through a contrivance of fate, the main characters find themselves surrounded by beautiful examples of the opposite sex, which run the gamut of character types; also, hints of romance tend to emerge between the protagonists and members of the harem.

Among the fangirls of Aoi House are an ice princess, spunky tomboy, athlete, and glasses-wearing introvert. One of the guys who drop into their world looks like a stereotypical otaku, but the girls – who range from reasonably attractive to drop-dead gorgeous – are themselves heavily into manga, video games, and cosplaying.

They’re also big fans of yaoi, and in case you were wondering about the title, it’s revealed the club was initially named “Yaoi House,” but the Y fell off. The two aforementioned college dudes, otaku Sandy and the more average-looking Alex aren’t aware of that when they join up; they assume it’s a mainstream anime club, while the harem assumes they’re gay.

When the truth is revealed, there’s one member of the harem who opposes heterosexual, non-yaoi-watching males in Aoi House. However, much of the Omnibus Collection has less to do with the battle of the sexes than the kind of sexually-charged wackiness that can only occur in a frat house-style environment: random nudity; a sexually-humiliating hazing process; even a scheme to affix a small camera to Echiboo, Sandy’s underwear-obsessed pet hamster, and sic him on the girls’ locker room.

But as the shyest of the harem says, “After he’s done…can we tune into the guys locker room also?” which illustrates what makes this series so much fun, the argument that no matter how anti-social we may think of fanboys being, they’re nowhere near as crazy and perverse as a group of their female counterparts. In the very first episode, the guys get kicked out of their dorms for watching, “videos of a pornographic nature involving tentacles,” as the dean puts it; however, they’re begging for mercy by the conclusion, bound up A Clockwork Orange-style and forced to view a yaoi entitled, My Sexual Harassment.

Alex and Sandy are also objectified quite a bit, which could be viewed as a clever inversion to the objectification of women in anime. (This is a point I am actually not an expert in, but the objectifying of women in similar art forms – e.g., American comic books – has been an enduring complaint.) They’re constantly being compared to the typical seme/uke pairing, making them self-conscious to the point where, following some news from home, their second-to-immediate reaction is: “We can’t let the girls find out. This would play right into one of their sick yaoi fantasies.”

Towards the end of the Omnibus Collection, the focus does shift towards preparing for a fictional convention, and Aoi House indulges in the kind of fan service true die-hards of comic books or video games will wish they had the resources to finance. It also acts as the necessary calm before Aoi House in Love!, which is packed full of the over-the-top drama and nuttiness readers would doubtlessly expect if their yaoi-crazed harem were to be multiplied a hundred-fold.

Aoi House Omnibus Collection and volume one of Aoi House in Love! are available now.

If you’re a faithful Manga Recon reader, you may have noticed that several new reviewers have joined the team. Helping me, Erin, Ken, Chloe, and Isaac sort the manga wheat from the chaff are Phil Guie, Sam Kusek, and Michelle Smith. Here’s what they had to say for themselves:

Phil Guie is a freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. A liberal arts graduate with a degree in English, he is doing surprisingly well, and even has time to focus on his hobbies, which include movies and American comic books. Phil’s favorite film is The Third Man, and he can talk about superhero comics until the cows come home.

Sam Kusek goes to Emerson College in Boston, has an awesome girlfriend, and enjoys taking late-night rides through the city on his baby blue bicycle, Gloria. He wears tight pants and buys cartons of Vitamin Water… and why don’t they have Vitamin Water vending machines?! He loves (and often quotes) Scrubs and Home Movies, and has a great appreciation of local music and, of course, manga.

Michelle Smith has been writing manga reviews on her blog Soliloquy in Blue since 2006 and has amassed a diverse and extensive manga collection. She’s a musician, a math person, a voracious reader, a competent cook, and a new homeowner. Basara tops her list of favorite manga, and she shamelessly exploits all opportunities to urge people to read it.

Welcome aboard!

As for this week’s new arrivals, you’ll find something to suit just about every taste, from fanservice spectaculars (Alice on Deadlines, Nephilim) to fantasy-adventures (Dorothea), shojo romances (I Hate You More Than Anyone, Tears of a Lamb), and angsty vampire intrigue (Vassalord). My top picks for the week are Silver Diamond (Tokyopop), a peculiar sci-fi series with gorgeous artwork, gorgeous male leads, and enough plants to populate the New York Botanical Garden (don’t ask, just read) and Real (Viz), Takehiko Inoue’s gritty, funny drama about paraplegic basketball players. Want a second opinion? Then check out Ken’s glowing yet perceptive review of this decidedly adult story.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Alice on Deadlines, Vol. 3 (Yen Press)
Bizenghast, Vol. 5 (Tokyopop)
Case Closed, Vol. 24 (Viz)
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 9 (Tokyopop)
Daemonium, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
The Dark Good-Bye, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Dorothea, Vol. 2 (CMX)
Elemental Gelade, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Ellie Mamahara: Alley of First Love (BLU Manga)
Ghost Talkers Daydream, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
I Hate You More Than Anyone, Vol. 5 (CMX)
Martin and John, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Nephilim, Vol. 2 (Aurora)
Oh My God, Vol. 1 (Aurora/Deux)
Plastic Chew (Tokyopop)
Psychic Power Nanki, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Real, Vol. 1 (Viz)
Rising Stars of Manga, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Rolling, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Rose Hip Rose, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Rurouni Kenshin VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 3 (Viz)
Samurai Deeper Kyo, Vol. 29 (Tokyopop)
A Seduction More Beautiful Than Love, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Silver Diamond, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
Star Trek: The Manga, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Suzunari, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Tears of a Lamb, Vol. 3 (CMX)
Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, Vol. 3 (Seven Seas)
Tokko, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Vassalord, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Your and My Secret, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)

I saw a lot of movies during Subway Cinema’s New York Asian Film Festival this year. This is the first of my coverage, which will be a bit delayed this year thanks to an Otaku USA deadline and San Diego Comic Con being back-to-back in next two weeks. (Be sure to pick up Otaku USA issue 7, on newstands now! I have a few reviews and a bio in it.)

I meant to see L: Change the World with anime bloggers the Reverse Thieves but I failed to communicate that the show had sold out long ago, and I was surprised I got tickets, and last year’s Death Note films were the most popular screenings in the festival (they predated the Viz theatrical release by an entire year). My friends showed up confused and ticketless, facing an enormous line with no hopes of getting a ticket. Sorry about that!

L: Change the World

North American Premiere
Running Time: 129 minutes

I think of myself as more of an L fan than a Death Note fan, so I was very excited to see this film. I had only one expectation: I wanted to see L eating sugary snacks. I was not disappointed; L consumes a lot of sugar in this film. I didn’t know anything about the plot, so I was in for a few surprises. Here is a short list:

Things I Did Not Expect to See in This Film

• Ebola
• Cute children
• Third World Jungles
• A Maid Cafe
• People bleeding from the eyes
• A Manga Cafe
• Vomiting of blood
• James Bond-style villains
• A Hot pink crepe truck with the word “Angel” on it

Ever see Andromeda Strain? How about that episode of the X-Files where people get exploding facial sores? Change the World is not that grotesque, but the ebola scenes are disgusting, and I did not go into a Death Note movie prepared for such a high level of gore. The film attempts to somehow balance the gross-out factor with two very cute (orphaned) children as key characters. Without the children, the film might be much darker. Without the ebola, the orphans would be totally unbearable and obnoxiously saccharine.

Director Hideo Nakata also handled Ringu, Ringu 2, and Hollywood’s The Ring Two – which might explain the gore factor. Kenichi Matsuyama is totally adorable as L, and delivers an even performance in this otherwise rocky road of a film. Matsuya also plays Shin in the live-action Nana movie and has rolls in Linda Linda Linda and The Taste of Tea, all of which are available from Viz Pictures. Matsuyama even plays Robo in the Sexy Voice and Robo drama – which I must watch, since it’s one of my favorite manga titles. Matsuyama’s English dialog in the film is not great, but he’s cute, so I’m willing let it slide.

Change the World takes place after the end of the previous two Death Note live-action movies, which have different continuity than the manga or anime series. In the films, L has written his own name in the Death Note at the end of his battle with Light, giving himself 30 days left to live, which renders Light’s attacks useless.

Light, Ryuk, and Misa only get brief cameos, but Ray’s wife Naomi makes a confusing appearance in a flashback to Los Angeles (covered in the light novel Death Note: Another Note), in a long scene irrelevant to the rest of the film.

Smash cut to the jungles of Thailand, where a deadly plague is wiping out a poor village with horrible ebola-esque facial sores. A group of American bio-suited men blow up the entire town, but agent K narrowly escapes in a truck, saving an orphan boy in the process. Agent K doesn’t survive, but he gives the (apparently) immune orphan child (who happens to be a math genius) a message for L.

A group of sharply dressed Japanese scientists (reminiscent of Andromeda Strain) get news of the village and analyze the virus – it’s a bio-weapon mix of ebola and the flu, 10 times more deadly than ebola. Wait, let me say that again: Ten times more deadly than ebola!!!

Meanwhile, a group of hyper-pro-environmental terrorist kill some rich dude and come after the cure for the virus so they can release it on the world and become rulers in the post-bio-apocalypse. This ragtag band of bioterrorists consist of a scarred man with one all-white eye, a super genius clean-cut female scientist, a crazy-eyed girl with a giant knife, and a frightened-looking young man with a machine gun who doesn’t seem all that evil. I really liked the crazy-knife-girl, who seemed to have wandered out of Kill Bill into this film. Her tone is totally inappropriate for Change the World, but I found her hilarious. The other villains are essentially James Bond rejects.

The only scientist with the cure for the virus kills himself in front of the bad guys as well as his own daughter in a gruesome twenty-minute death scene. I’ve seen several Japanese films in the last few years (most recently Dororo) where characters have extremely long death speeches… cut it out, Japan! You’re really trying my patience!

The scientist’s junior-high-aged daughter escapes, infected with the virus but displaying no symptoms, and finds L with a clue left by her dad (the clue is a math puzzle). Meanwhile, the unnamed math-genius orphan is delivered onto L’s doorstop. With just 15 days left to live, L must find a cure for the deadly virus while baby-sitting at the same time.

Knowledge of the Death Note franchise is a prerequisite for understanding the film, but if you didn’t know anything about L going in, it might add an enjoyable bizarreness level to the film.

I particularly liked a montage early in the film wherein L is going through his old case files, wrapping up unsolved mysteries in the time he has left to live. It’s strongly implied that Princess Diana’s death was an assassination instead of an accident. I wonder if a lot of Japanese people think of Diana’s death as a conspiracy, since there was a Golgo 13 manga story (volume 4 in the U.S.) wherein Golgo assassinates Diana (or possibly just her boyfriend, I haven’t actually read it yet). It would be hilarious if L was solving a Golgo 13 case, but I don’t think it was implied in the film.

Change the World is ridiculously uneven, with long science-y scenes punctuating cute orphan hijinks. It’s a lot more high-concept than the previous films, between the jungle locations and a huge airport scene at the end it must have had a fairly high budget. There are great comedic moments and a funny low-speed chase scene, but overall the movie is just weird. There are a number of wonderful scenes (like L riding the train), but the film just doesn’t hold up as a whole.

The film is only a must-see for L fans, but it’s exactly the kind of movie you want to watch with someone else so you can discuss it afterwards.

My early reviews of the previous two Death Note live action movies draw a lot of traffic to this site. Viz did a small theatrical release of the two films earlier this year (2008), and will certainly release the region one DVDs sometime soon. Logically speaking, Viz will most likely also release L: Change the World on DVD eventually, but probably not before 2009. Nothing has been announced as of this writing, but I’d put money on it. Please be sure to support Viz by purchasing the legitimate releases when they come out. (Hint: Legitimate release won’t have Cantonese subtitles, and are not region free.)

L: Change the World has no distributor at the time of this writing. Look forward to it in 2009 or 2010.

Demons who snack on dreams… vampires who suffer from split personalities… cougars who run major corporations. These are just a few of the characters you’ll encounter in this month’s column, as Chloe Ferguson and I post a fresh crop of shojo and seinen reviews that includes volume two of Metro Survive (DrMaster), volume two of Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun (Viz), volume one of Red Angel (DMP), volume one of Two Flowers for the Dragon (CMX), and volume one of Ultimate Venus (Go! Comi).

Metro Survive, Vol. 2

By Yuki Fujisawa
DrMaster, 208 pp.
Rating: 15+

The second volume of this balls-to-the-wall disaster drama pits Mishima and his ragtag band of fellow survivors against a posse of hooligans under the spell of two charismatic host club owners. And what a pimp-tastic pair they are: one sports a fur that would be the envy of Joe Namath, the other a white suit pilfered from the Superfly prop trailer. (Both look freshly pressed, despite the rivers of gasoline, sewage, and blood flooding the basement levels of Exopolis.) Artist Yuki Fujisawa doesn’t waste a panel as he steadily escalates the conflict between these two groups to a point of almost unbearable tension. Though Fujisawa attempts a few curveballs, the basic plot is fairly predictable, with expendables meeting gruesome ends while principals take turns demonstrating hidden reserves of selflessness and courage. Fujisawa wisely brings the story to a close at the end of volume two with a final act that will please—if not surprise—readers. As I noted in my review of volume one, the big drawback to Metro Survive is the art. Frankly, it’s ugly, with too many speedlines, too many muddy backgrounds, and too many characters drawn in a cartoonish manner. If you’re not a stickler for pretty pictures, however, you could do a lot worse than this brutally efficient two-volume thriller, which reads like a Quentin Tarantino remake of Earthquake.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 2

By Shin Mashiba
Viz, 184 pp.
Rating: 13+

Nightmare Inspector is an exceptionally good retread, filled with lush visuals. The premise—a tea house with a resident baku, or dream eater, that will attend to customers’ supernatural needs at a price—calls to mind obvious comparisons to xxxHolic, but the series’ artistic tone strikes a different note. Fans of the latter may identify similar story strengths and weaknesses with the former, namely in the dark, one-shot nature of each anecdote and the generally cynical take on human nature. The stories are small, deliciously well-done tales of human viciousness and supernatural personification, in which everyone from the dead to ordinary household objects may show up with a request. That said, Nightmare Inspector’s dogged adherence to single, thirty-page tales must ultimately diversify if the series wishes to sustain readers’ interest beyond a single volume.

Even if the plot setup doesn’t compel you to pick up a copy, the art alone should prove enticing. Striking an Art Nouveau balance between Far East and Victorian West, the swirling colors and dreamy screentones create an ambiguous world in which menace hides behind the fantastic. Manga-ka Shin Mashiba turns mediums and styles into key story elements, generally to impressive ends. A middle story in which charcoal drawings play a key role is one of most ingenious uses of art to further story seen in quite a long time. Nightmare Inspector’s formula may have been done before, but this stylish series still manages to prove its shelf-worthiness several times over.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Red Angel, Vol. 1

By Makoto Tateno
DMP, 176 pp.
Rating: YA (Young Adult, 16+)

Mika and Eru are twin vampires with an unusual arrangement: the two share a body, variously manifesting themselves as a comely girl (Mika) or an androgynously beautiful boy (Eru). The two use their good looks to lure victims into their web—or at least, that’s how the volume begins, with a suitably creepy, faintly erotic story told from the perspective of one of their conquests. None of the subsequent chapters live up to the promise of the first, however. Manga-ka Makoto Tateno reduces Mika and Eru from actual participants in the stories to passive observers of other vampires’ tortured (but not very interesting) relationships. The final chapter takes the cake for sheer absurdity, suggesting that Tateno should spend less time trawling New Age sites for angel lore and more time actually consulting a Bible for the low-down on Satan’s heavenly exile. Though some reviewers have praised the art, I found it paradoxically busy and plain, with too much attention lavished on costumes and hair and not enough on backgrounds, faces, or basic anatomy. (All of the characters have the kind of razor-sharp chins and beanstalk necks I associate with CLAMP’s debut work.) I give Tateno credit for trying to put her own stamp on the gothic vampire romance—her vamps have beautiful red wings, for example—but wish she’d spent more time developing Mika and Eru into genuine characters instead of allowing them to remain blood-sucking ciphers.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Two Flowers for the Dragon, Vol. 1

By Nari Kusakawa
CMX, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen

Shakuya, the plucky protagonist of Two Flowers for the Dragon, belongs to a powerful clan boasting both human and dragon bloodlines. As a child, her parents selected a fiancé for her. When he went AWOL, Shakuya cast her lot with a new suitor, only to have her original husband-to-be resurface with no memory of his past. You don’t need to be a folklorist to guess where this old-as-the-hills story is headed: Shakuya announces a contest to determine which of her two beaus will become her husband.

The plot mechanics are a little creaky, especially the contrast between Shakuya’s amnesiac fiancé—a dashing rogue with flowing locks and the kind of cocky demeanor that rankles and intrigues at the same time—and her new man—a Dudley Do-Right who can be as stiff as Al Gore on the 2000 campaign trail. The art, too, is so-so. Readers of The Recipe for Gertrude and The Palette of 12 Secret Colors will quickly discover that Nari Kusakawa has a limited repertoire of character designs in her arsenal. Yet Two Flowers of the Dragon leaves a fresh, vibrant impression. Part of the story’s appeal is attributable to Shakuya, who’s smarter and more self-possessed than most shojo heroines; one of the series’ running jokes is that she’s actually more powerful than either Lucien or Kuwan. (She can transform into a badass dragon, capable of smoking anyone in her path.) The series’ other great strength is the way Kusakawa uses slapstick and supernatural intrigue to reveal her characters’ true emotional states. Even a gambit as shameless as introducing two button-cute tiger cubs serves a genuine dramatic purpose, showing us how protective and solicitous Shakuya really is. The bottom line: Two Flowers for the Dragon surprises and delights, even when it follows shojo formula to the letter.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Ultimate Venus, Vol. 1

By Takako Shigematsu
Go! Comi, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Sometimes promotional copy can be misleading. After reading the back cover of Ultimate Venus, for example, I concluded that Takako Shigematsu had updated Pygmalion for the shojo set by making the Henry Higgins figure young and sexy, rather than fussy and middle-aged:

Poor Yuzu is an orphan who’s too clumsy to hold a job. She’s reduced to living in a playground—until a handsome stranger named Hassaku informs her that she’s the heir to a fortune, and whisks her into world of wealth, power, and more hot suitors than she can shake a scepter at! But there’s a catch: Hassaku must turn this klutz into a lady of refinement, or Yuzu will lose everything!

While the blurb is an accurate summary of the volume’s first thirty pages, the story takes an abrupt detour from the “Street Where You Live” to Knot’s Landing, as Yuzu discovers her extended family will stop at nothing to prevent her from inheriting her grandmother’s corporate empire. Hassaku morphs from etiquette coach to bodyguard, trailing Yuzu everywhere she goes to prevent an unscrupulous aunt or cousin from nabbing her. Making his task more difficult is Yuzu herself; earnest and naïve, she’s quick to judge and even quicker to fall in love, traits that guarantee she’ll need rescuing at the end of every chapter.

If the main story line is strictly paint-by-numbers, the subplot involving Yuzu’s grandmother is not. Shigematsu portrays her as a sexy business woman in her forties, the kind of sleek, powerful character that Barbara Stanwyck or Ellen Barkin was born to play. Throughout the volume, Shigematsu dangles the possibility that Hassaku and Yuzu’s grandmother have a more intimate bond than employee/employer—a pairing that’s supposed to make the target audience feel sympathy for Yuzu. For those of us entering cougar territory, however, the scenes with Yuzu’s grandmother are a blast of fresh air: funny, outrageous, and a potent reminder that confidence is much more sexy than fumbling, self-effacing naivete. If Shigematsu ever does a spin-off project featuring Yuzu’s grandmother, I’ll be the first to buy it.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Fancy a bit of the ultra-violence? If so, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Gantz (Dark Horse) arrives in stores this week, complete with shrink-wrap and parental warning sticker. This much-anticipated sci-fi series is really a video game in disguise, as it consists primarily of elaborately choreographed combat scenes (usually resulting in baroque bodily mutilations). Not exactly my cup of tea, but the art looks sharp. At the other end of the spectrum is the ultra-cute Kamichama Karin-Chu (Del Rey), yet another Koge-Donbo comedy starring a saucer-eyed moppet with hidden powers. I’m finding the middle ground a more congenial place to be this week, as stores stock up on new volumes of Cat-Eyed Boy (Viz), Nodame Cantabile (Del Rey), and Pumpkin Scissors (Del Rey). My top picks for Wednesday, related in haiku form for no particular reason other than my personal amusement:

Apple, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Korean comics
In glorious full color
Kind of like Robot.

Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Hyakkimaru
Is missing forty-eight parts
That has got to hurt.

xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)
Poor Watanuki
Should make out with Domeki
And give up on girls.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Alive: The Final Evolution, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Apple Anthology Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Cat-Eyed Boy, Vol. 2 (Viz)
Don’t Blame Me, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Flock of Angels, Vol. 3 (Aurora)
Gantz, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
Great Place High School (DMP)
Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Vol. 2 (DMP)
I Shall Never Return, Vol. 3 (Aurora/Deux)
Kamichama Karin-Chu, Vol. 1 (Del Rey)
Le Chevalier d’Eon, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Love Recipe, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Moon Child, Vol. 11 (CMX)
Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 14 (Del Rey)
Oh! My Goddess Authentic Edition, Vol. 9 (Dark Horse)
Pumpkin Scissors, Vol. 3 (Del Rey)
Suzuka, Vol. 8 (Del Rey)
Tomcats (DMP)
Tower of the Future, Vol. 11 (CMX)
xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)