Keep in mind not all letters may be represented.
I- J- K- L-M-N- O- P- Q- R-S- T- U- V-W- X- Y- ZI-Z
Imadoki, rating: 3 1/2 soot of 5
To the top
This is by the artist Watase Yuu who is famous for her Fushigi Yuugi work. The drawing/ style is very similar to her other work and the story is really great. I feel in love with the familiar feel and the good story. A total of 5 volumes, worth picking up.
Kare Kano, rating: 4 1/2 of 5To the top
Elegant, intelligent, and picture perfect would be the top three things to describe Miyazawa Yukino. However, this is all an act of hers to mask her stubborn show off ways. Assured that she would place top in the high school entrance exam of her choice, she is completely and utterly shot down to second standing by one Arima Souichiro. Frustrated and infuriated that she cannot make her perfect debut into high school, she swears revenge against Arima, the one who took it away. Unfortunately for her, Arima has taken quite a liking to Yukino and tries to befriend her. Yukino, going with the friendly act for now, determines to stab him in the back when she places top in the rank exams for school and watch his downfall of being second in contrast to her. However, this scene never happens, and to top it off, he finds out about her deception of modesty and intends to blackmail her with it, exposing her horrid self if she doesn’t comply. As she puts up with the blackmail, she discovers that he only blackmails her to spend more time with her, Arima likes her. Thus begins, His and Her Circumstances or Kare Kano.
Though the main storyline contains Arima and Yukino, the series later delves into other relationships pertaining to Arima and Yukino’s friends. The art of the series is very linear and Masami has a great love of pen techniques. This series is very well written and played out, though it was directed at teenage girl audience, it can be read by a male audience as well. Masuda explores the depth of the types of bonds in relationships, whether it be friendship, familial, or, in most cases in the series, love. Discovering the secrets that everyone holds in their hearts and why they turn away or confide in others, Masuda makes Kare Kano on a level that is adolescent, not in any way childish, but a lesson of slow growth and coming of age.
I would recommend this series to anyone who would appreciate a good laugh, the awe of romance, and just a general rollercoaster of feelings. Each volume can turn into a page a second read as the story progresses and you get involved with all the characters and each unique story. Kare Kano is an overall good read for a person interested more about life. Good for ages 14+. Review done by Sharon.
Mars, rating: 2.5 of 5 To the top
Kira Aso a loner in the classroom. Being reserved and always making sure she lies low, Kira only method to express herself is in her art. As she sketches in the park, a boy stops to ask her for directions to the hospital. Glancing from her work, she identifies this man as Rei Kashino, the local troublemaker and womanizer of her school. She quickly draws him a map to the hospital and scuffles out of his sight. A new semester begins and Kira is seated right next to…Rei. Convenience charge, anyone? After a series of events that turn Kira’s thoughts around, Kira “shyly” asks him to model for her next painting. But with this somewhat unexpected favor, come more challenges to the awkward pairing. Will their opposite attracting pairing triumph?
Mars’ art style is more composed. Fuyumi uses a style that doesn’t have flair to it, but it compliments the story and characters. The series itself is the stereotypical good girl and bad boy combo with one too many plot twists making the series seem unmistakingably surreal. With each bit of trouble comes a sigh wondering if the author will just let the two be together. With two troubled pasts resurfacing, the series becomes a soap opera. Mars definitely will get a person hooked; reading all the way to the end of the series. But it’s probably something that won’t be read for second round. Topping off at 15 volumes, it would be best to borrow it from a friend or read it at the local B&N, snuggly reading in one of their chairs. A decent read, but not a top notch bang for your buck. For ages 14+. Review done by Sharon.
Neck and Neck, rating: 4 of 5To the top
Another Korean manga!!! The daughter of a mafia leader and the son of an opposing mafia leader find themselves in the same school together and make it their personal missions to annoy and gang up on each other. The only issue is they start falling in love with each other. This is a great comedy and I die of laughter every time I read this one, worthy of picking up and owning your own copy. Good for Ages 13 and up.
Orthello, rating: 4 of 5To the top
The main character has a split personality complex because of her inability to handle sticky situation. Her normal personality is unaware of the powerful, headstrong alter ego that she becomes. She's in love with her classmate who tries to help her out when he realizes what’s going on. This is a really neat anime and the drawing style is beautiful. Good for ages 13 and up.
Soul to Seoul, rating: 3 ½ of 5To the top
Yet another one of my Korean mangas! You guys getting the idea I like this type of art work? This is about a Korean boy (half) who lives in America and goes to the bad side of town for kicks and ends up getting into some serious trouble that is in a vicious loop. Good for ages 16 and up due to violence and graphics.
Snow Drops, rating: 5 of 5To the top
You guess it, it’s another Korean manga!!! I adore this one like candy. It’s a really good love story about a girl who was kidnapped a few years back and has problems with everything around her, the story is intricate and everything is twisted together extremely well. Very good art work and good characters. Good for ages 16 and up due to violence. Wow… apparently Korean mangas are violent…
Victorian Romance Emma, rating: 5 of 5 To the top
Late in the 19th century, on an ever cloudy London day, gentry man William Jones goes to visit his old governess, Kelly Stowner. Knocking on the front door, he awaits hesitantly for an answer. Inside, Emma, Kelly’s maid, proceeds to the door, and promptly hits William as the door moves forward to open. Startled by the accident, Emma assesses the situation and quickly attends to the bruised nose. William looking up at his attacker sees quite a lovely face staring back at him asking him if he is alright. As Emma calms from her panicked overlook, she becomes quite flushed as she recognizes William’s intent stare focused directly at her. Could this be “Love at first sight”? However, the times are weary of the budding relationship of this young pair’s love, a maid and a gentry man?
The art style is somewhat difficult to adjust to for a typical manga reader who prefers a cute and flowery art style. Mori’s fastidious art of crosshatched pen and pencil style combines with slow flowing imagery to give a movie storyboard feel to each page of the comic. Her work gives an air of maturity in the seemingly adolescent sector that manga is usually taken for. What also enhances the manga’s quality is the historical accuracy of place and time setting in every volume. Kaoru Mori’s depiction of this drama slowly lures the reader, tugging at the heartstrings that want to know if this love will ever bear fruit. This manga also has an anime version that was uncompleted due to the production company’s painstaking reproduction of Victorian accuracy leading to a shortage of funds for the 30+ anime to be reduced to 12 episodes that cover only two of the seven volumes of the manga.
As can be seen, I would completely and utterly recommend this manga. However, I do not think it is for an immature reader seeing that there is a bit of nudity in the later volumes. This piece is not only a love story but demonstrates the adversity of a cross class relationship of aristocracy and the working class. Though the manga ends in only 7 volumes, the relationship goes through much hardship and toil of society and family relations. The manga truly enraptures the reader into reading one chapter after the other for a conclusion. Audience ages:16+, Review done by Sharon.
Wallflower, rating: 4 of 5To the top
Four handsome men take up rent in a huge house and can stay for free if they turn the beautiful landlady's over Goth and into blood and gore niece into a lady! The manga goes into the several ways of how they attempt this and fool the landlady when she comes to check up on them and their "progress". One of the young men starts to fall in love with her but will anything come of it? Careful she packs a vicious punch. Good for ages 13 and up.
Yakitate!! Japan (Freshly Baked Japan), rating: 4 of 5To the top
Compared in the world, Japan isn’t likely to reach out in anyone’s mind when being asked about great breads. Therefore Azuma Kazuma is determined to make a bread that will make the world recognize Japan’s bread making. Ja”pan”! (“pan” as in the Japanese word for “bread”) Discovering the wonders of bread with the help of his sister and a local bread shop owner in town when he was little, Azuma first decides to make breads that would be accepted by the rice loving Japanese. This mission is aided by Azuma’s unusual powers, Solar Hands, which reduces the time of dough rising and improves the overall texture and taste of the bread. As Kazuma becomes older, he decides to try his hand in joining the ranks of the professional bakers by joining Pantasia, one of the leading bread chains in Japan. With his skills, will he be able to make a bread loving Japan?
The art of Yakitate!! Japan is a bit typical of a standard Shounen Jump manga title, not overtly intricate, but nice to look at. Hashiguchi creates a real winner by making a plot that seems so bizarre…work. A manga about bread making seems pretty darn dull, but once you see the outcome of what bread Azuma makes, you wonder about how he did it; and thus, the elaborate but plausible explanations of what happen begin. Sometimes, you even get a nice recipe or two (I haven’t tried them yet, but I plan to sometime…rice cooker bread sounds so interesting!). Along with the shape and explanations of the bread come the taste judging, which are hilarious. There are so many puns on the buns (=P) in this manga that sometimes it’s a bit hard to keep up. Hashiguchi really takes time out to find different ingredients he can include in his manga, you can tell he puts a good amount of research time in, or someone that’s working for him is. =P This manga is a definite read. The slapstick humor, competition based plot line, and amazing looking bread are just some of the things waiting for you. Good for all ages. Review done by Sharon.
Your and My Secret, rating: 2 of 5To the top
This seems to be a pretty cute and decent anime about a boy and a girl switching bodies and the like and having to deal with problems and situations as they come... Unfortunately, they have only come out with 1 volume and its been a very long time since they released it with no word on when they will release the rest.