After a break last week, the PCS crew is back with eight terrific minis! Michelle starts things off with a look at volume ten of Angel Diary (Yen Press) and also contributes a review of the second volume of Millennium Prime Minister (DMP); Connie reviews the second and final volume of Bloody Kiss (TOKYOPOP); Sam looks at volume three of Detroit Metal City as well as the thirteenth installment of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (both VIZ); Jennifer likewise pulls double VIZ duty with her reviews of volume sixteen of Gin Tama and volume two of Ooku: The Inner Chambers; and Phil contributes his take on the second volume of KimiKiss (TOKYOPOP).

Angel Diary, Vol. 10

By Lee YunHee and Kara
Yen Press, 176 pp.
Rating: Teen

It’s been two years since the Princess of Heaven fled an arranged marriage with the King of Hell to live in disguise as a human schoolboy called Dong-Young. In the meantime, four Guardians have assembled themselves around her and Dong-Young has fallen in love with her classmate, Bi-Wal, who, you guessed it, just so happens to be the King of Hell.

Volume ten begins with one of the guardians killing a demon who threatens Dong-Young, which, in turn, prompts the demon’s extraordinarily powerful friend, Ryung, to seek vengeance. Ryung is Bi-Wal’s older brother, and the majority of the volume focuses on the two siblings as they attempt to work out their childhood issues of mistrust and misunderstanding while exchanging magical attacks and sword blows.

The end result of airing all of this angst is a confrontation that’s somewhat silly and yet somehow kind of appealing. The idea of a villain whose actions are inspired by pain is nothing new, and the story skates along so swiftly that an opportunity to make this conversation truly poignant is missed. Kara’s lovely art, which tends to focus on the characters’ expressive eyes, helps greatly in this regard, however.

In the end, although I’ve got no desire to catch up on this series from the beginning, I find that I’m actually rather interested in what will happen next.

Volume ten of Angel Diary is available now.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Bloody Kiss, Vol. 2

By Kazuko Furumiya
Tokyopop, 200 pp.
Rating: T (13+)

Kuroboshi and Alshu suddenly decide they’d like to attend Kiyo’s school with her, and what first seems like a major headache makes Kiyo realize that she genuinely enjoys the company of both vampires. In this volume, Kiyo and Kuroboshi grow closer and closer together through sports competitions and school performances of Romeo and Juliet. But before the story concludes, Kiyo has to decide if becoming Kuroboshi’s bride is worth turning into a vampire herself.

My impression from volume one hasn’t changed much, which is just fine. It’s an okay story that manages to be a light and enjoyable read, if nothing spectacular. I was a little disappointed that such common plot devices were used in this volume (the transfer student, the sports competition with a rival, and especially Romeo and Juliet), but I really didn’t expect too much from the series otherwise. The main draw is the adorable (if shallow) romance between Kiyo and Kuroboshi. Neither really stand out as terribly developed or original characters, but the chemistry between them is believable. In a short work like this, that is often the most important part.

I actually liked the relatively mild and suprisingly un-sexualized nature of their relationship as well. While the vampire kisses are as loaded as you imagine, and Kuroboshi makes a vague try towards the end (that is promptly rejected), the tame nature makes it good for a younger teen audience, and I think teenage girls will enjoy this much more than I did. Series like this that don’t come off as completely juvenile while still being appropriate for a young teen are uncommon.

Nothing spectacular, but a cute story that’s complete in two volumes, and one that’s appropriate for younger teens.

Volume two of Bloody Kiss is available now.

–Reviewed by Connie C.

Detroit Metal City, Vol. 3

By Kiminori Wakasugi
VIZ, 192 pp.
Rating: Mature (18+)

Negishi continues his never-ending battle with his other self, Johannes Krauser II, as he confronts some sex-crazed groupies, a dog with conditional love issues, the daughter of the former “Emperor of Death Metal” and an all-out brawl between the hardest metal bands from around the world! Overall, they each stand as great individual stories; the humor could not be more spot-on and I feel as though the art has gotten better overall or at least more grotesque. Negishi’s facial expressions will speak for themselves.

The aspect that I really like about this volume is that is it not just episodic oneshots; the first and last few chapters of the book push the entire plot of the series into a great story arc! The “Satanic Emperor” really amalgamates everything that is good about this book: the eccentric side characters, Negishi’s fall into his pit of despair (sometimes literally) and the great supporting cast! We’re finally getting to see DMC start its world takeover as the greatest metal band ever, so keep reading it and go to DMC!

Volume three of Detriot Metal City is available now.

–Reviewed by Sam Kusek

Gin Tama, Vol. 16

By Hideaki Sorachi
Viz, 192 pp.
Rating: T+

One of the things that always strikes me about Gin Tama is how it can turn around from being outright parody and bring a story that actually holds emotional weight. I’ll admit that it’s not always done in the most delicate of manners, but that doesn’t stop it from being good. Volume sixteen begins on one of those emotional punches, bringing the story of Okita’s sister Mitsuba to its inevitable end. I’ve always wondered about this universe, actually, how they seem to be so technologically advanced and yet still have characters die from what looks to be tuberculosis. I guess it’s just space tuberculosis. (I know, I know, it’s just a gag manga, I should really just relax.)

The other stories in the volume are much more along the gag side of Gin Tama, and are of varying efficacy at getting me to laugh. The zombie movie parody in which residents of Kabukicho are taken over by unibrows that turn them into old men was pretty funny, especially Otae’s contribution to the story. The noir parody, however, fell flat for me, and I was ready for it to be over about five pages into the narrative. It proceeded to drag on for three chapters. Not that there weren’t hilarious parts… the conveyor belt scene in particular had me cackling aloud.

The last arc concerns Kyube. Her servant, Ayumu, has found an advertisement for a plastic surgery clinic in her room, and is afraid that she’s considering surgery to make her more masculine. While Kyube’s father and grandfather don’t care what she does, just wanting their heir to be happy, Ayumu wants none of it. He hires the Yorozuya three to arrange a group date to help bring out Kyube’s feminine side. Events do not go smoothly, but they are funny.

Volume sixteen of Gin Tama will be available on January 5, 2010.

–Reviewed by Jennifer Dunbar

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Vol. 13

By Hirohiko Araki
VIZ, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

It’s all coming down to the wire or, rather, a few wires, as Jojo, Joseph and Kakyoin battle it out with Terrence T. D’Arby, the supposed “better” brother of Daniel J. D’Arby. The battlefield is not one of fists and fury, though, but of wit and vigor as Terrence brings out a different kind of contest…video games. The guys have their work cut out for them, as Jotaro quickly reveals that he has no idea how to play video games! Luckily, Kakyoin steps up to the plate but will it be enough to face the terror that is Terrence T. D’Arby and his auto-electronic stand, Atum?

As you know from my previous review, I am a big fan of the series but I wasn’t entirely enthralled by this book, like I have been by other volumes. The overall plot seems so close to the end that it feels like all these extra villains are just filler, making them more annoying than memorable. In addition, I was let down by Atum’s ability (I won’t reveal it); it wasn’t as devious as a lot of others and I feel like the whole video game angle could’ve been explored further. Maybe it was another instance of incorporating popular culture into his manga, but Hirohiko kind of dropped the ball here. Although this wasn’t the best of the best, the volume should still be read if you want the whole story.

Volume thirteen of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is available now.

–Reviewed by Sam Kusek

KimiKiss, Vol. 2

By Taro Shinonome
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen 16+

KimiKiss could best be described as a simple boy-meets-girl tale. High school student Kouichi is strolling across campus one day, feeling a little down that he doesn’t have a girlfriend, when opportunity—in the form of a wayward soccer ball kicked by a beauty named Asuka—strikes him. From that point on, he and Asuka start hanging out: first as practice foils and study buddies, then something more. But can the average boy admit his infatuation to the cute athletic girl, and can their love last when she’s destined for stardom?

If you’re looking for a manga that makes you think about relationships, and how complicated they are, you may want to look elsewhere. As far as I can tell, KimiKiss seems intent on making its protagonists’ inevitable hook-up as convenient as possible: half the time, Kouichi is standing around clueless, while Asuka practically gives him a road map to her heart. Of the two, she is clearly the more aggressive, and maybe that’s one of the series’ selling points. Ultimately, I can see this story appealing to two different demographics: teenage males who fantasize about being helpfully coaxed through the various rituals and pangs of love and female readers who’d like to be the more assertive partner in a relationship.

Either way, or neither, volume two of KimiKiss is mostly clean fun. There’s some fan service, and a few scenes in which the characters do what young lovers might, but it’s more sensual than sexual. In addition, the story itself is accessible; I know nothing of soccer, and it wasn’t necessary to my understanding what happens. The greater potential stumbling block might be such lines as, “Do you mean… that you’re willing to be my love coach?” delivered straightforwardly.

Volume two of KimiKiss is available now.

–Reviewed by Phil Guie

Millennium Prime Minister, Vol. 2

By Eiki Eiki
Digital Manga Publishing, 200 pp.
Rating: 16+

The tenor of Millennium Prime Minister is best summed up by a line on the back cover that reads, “A confused love triangle is messing up the politics of Japan!”

High school student Minori Nagashima is living with Japan’s young Prime Minister, Kanata Okazaki, who wants her to be his bride. Everyone’s in a tizzy because Sai, Kanata’s 18-year-old senior aide who happens to be in love with his boss, is missing. A menacing foe of Kanata’s gets wind of Sai’s absence, and after a tense confrontation, Kanata returns home drunk and attempts to force himself on Minori. Rather than be outraged like any reasonable person, Minori realizes that she has fallen in love with Kanata and later pledges to become the family he so desperately craves. He’s only controlling because he’s lonely, you see.

Meanwhile, Sai is staying with a reporter buddy and being the crappiest houseguest imaginable. This includes bursting into whiny tears when the eggs his host prepares are not to his liking. Upon finally returning to the minister’s residence, he overhears Minori’s promise and loses it. Because Kanata is everything to him, Sai plans to stay by his side forever and can’t understand why he’s not sufficient to quell Kanata’s loneliness. Kanata gets a taste of his own medicine when Sai uses force to make his feelings clear.

Eiki Eiki’s art continues to be expressive and the pace of the story ensures a quick read. Unfortunately, the ridiculous elements overshadow these positive qualities. I grant this series some slack because it’s a comedy, but that doesn’t excuse the unconvincing central romance or the characters who act like idiots. I have a smidgen of sympathy for Sai and his plight, but his bratty behavior makes it difficult to truly like him. Similarly, though I don’t hate Millennium Prime Minister, I definitely can’t recommend it.

Volume two of Millennium Prime Minister is available now.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 2

By Fumi Yoshinaga
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: M

In some ways, volume two of Ooku picks up where the first left off. Instead of picking up on the characters from the first volume, however, volume two delves into the history that volume one’s new shogun Yoshimune had gone to investigate. Here we see the ramifications of the early onset of the redface pox amongst the seats of power, beginning with the unexpected death of the male shogun, Iemitsu. His death is silenced. Several years later, the new abbot of Keiko-in travels from Kyoto to Edo to present himself to Iemitsu. A young, handsome man, the abbot is coerced into giving up his religious post and pressed into service in the Inner Chambers. The former abbot, named Arikoto, is stunned to discover that instead of a 37-year-old man, the shogun he’s presented to is a teenage girl. To say that the relationship between Iemitsu and Arikoto is rocky is an understatement, but it follows a definite path. All the while, the story backfills—how the original Iemitsu came to have a daughter at all is awful, but more awful and heartbreaking still is the origin of the tradition of decapitation that nearly cost volume one’s Mizuno his head.

Ooku is not a casual read. It’s very verbal for a manga, and while I understand the choice to use formal English to represent the more formal Japanese that would have been spoken, I question some of the word choice. The term catamite is used, and I’ll be completely honest here and admit that I had to look it up. Is this just a hole in my vocabulary? If not, wouldn’t it have been just as efficacious to romanize the original Japanese term, not translate it, and give the definition in the end notes?

Volume two of Ooku: The Inner Chambers is available now.

–Reviewed by Jennifer Dunbar

Review copies provided by the publishers.