Retrospective, 1/8/19: This probably needs a re-read, but I remember that it was nothing special but overall inoffensive.

The protagonist had an inhuman ability to ascertain scents, and there were several unbelievable plot twists, but I was certainly left guessing

It was a relatively satisfying conclusion to the mystery, but the progression of panels was a bit jarring at times

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A masterful tale only tarnished because of its necessity of a sequel. It felt a bit dragged out, but the development of even seemingly unimportant characters was thoroughly appreciated.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: The culmination of a great series with a thankfully satisfying conclusion. Wonderful cast, and despite several random occurrences, a great mystery with a beautiful scope.

This was a lot better than I expected. Despite some confusing panel layouts and sometimes obtuse storytelling, it was a satisfying blend of psychological thriller, cosmic horror, and thalassophobia. The cast was fairly stock and didn't have much development, but they propelled the plot forward well.

An emotional and philosophical undertaking that I quickly binged through. Each chapter had a lesson learned for either the characters or the reader (many times both) and I was profoundly moved.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: Needs a re-read, but apparently about strong friendship.

A short read with some poignant thoughts on regrets, shame and facing the future

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I liked this but don't remember much other than thinking the relationship was sweet, and I appreciated the growth of the protagonist.

This was the definition of "okay". I'm a sucker for romance resolved years later, but all of the story notes were a bit cliche for me to grant it a higher score

Surprised to see this one the top one-shots list. It somehow dragged on towards the end despite its short length; some of the gags were mildly amusing but nothing too hilarious.

A thoroughly enjoyable read about the conflict between wanting to dream while also being aware of the burdensome realities placed upon people by society. An emotional read with great characters and a gripping plot

Retrospective, 1/8/19: For how once overhyped the anime adaptation was, I was thoroughly unenthused with the manga. Nonsensical plot developments and one-dimensional characters

While this had several cliche moments, my expectations were surprisingly subverted in nearly every case shortly thereafter (namely in the confrontation). I liked the two leads and feel like this could be suited for a longer form series at some point.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I remember wishing the fire stuff had been developed more, but it built an intriguing world in a short amount of time.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I only read this as preparation for Shonan Junai Gumi and GTO, but I still haven't gotten around to either of those. A nice introduction to the biker scene of the main series I'm assuming

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A genuinely creepy tale with a satisfying reveal.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: An interesting story that dealt with greed, corruption and exploitation. Morbid premise but a satisfying read.

While I had expected this to be overhyped, I am always a sucker for a time-travelling "save everyone" ending. Great mystery, great cast (Kenya was my favorite, but great villain as well), big feels. One of my more enjoyable reads in recent months, especially considering I have not read a mystery in quite some time. There were some unexplained portions that are fairly simple to interpret for oneself, but the lack of reasoning for Revival was my only qualm with the series.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A mediocre short sequel.

A touching story told from the perspective of a sparrow nursed back to health. I was impressed with the amount of depth given to his character, and while the two human leads were archetypal, the overall innocent vibe of the one-shot made it a treat to read.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: An enthralling tale based on a series of 4chan threads. Because it was supposedly based on actual events, I found myself actively rooting against the protagonist while I was in an interesting mindset concerning sex, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable read. Also leads to unexpected twists.

A bittersweet tale of friendship and loneliness brought down by several cliche story beats late in the oneshot. This had an interesting relationship between its two leads but didn't have time to develop some of the deeper possiibilties of the plot

A tense, thrilling read that shows the lengths to which people will go when confronted with an impossible situation and a confession. Gripping throughout, and the only drawback for me would be the lack of characterization for other characters (though the story ultimately wasn't about them, to be fair)

I enjoyed the abstract art style used in many scenes, but the oppressing bleak nature of the story and abundance of sex scenes seemed ultimately gratuitous. I was confused on several points of the ending (how the ringmaster became almost a heroic character, Leo's fate, Michel's freedom), but it was overall an interesting read.

While I enjoyed the artwork throughout this title, the plot was very underwhelming and seemed to advance through abstract sequences only explained in part or after the fact. The Gothic style and 1800s French callbacks are nice but I wouldn't recommend

Retrospective, 1/8/19: While I am grateful for the translation I read on Wattpad, it seemed too over-the-top and action-oriented for Danganronpa (though this trend again appeared in the Danganronpa 3 anime series). Unenjoyable for the most part.

Reread 1/8/19, see Review for comments

A sweet couple and touching twist made this quick read a treat. The protagonist's feelings of inferiority against an older sibling were done tastefully. My main qualms were with the unlikelihood of the twist (even though I liked it) and the love interest's too-perfect personality.

I apparently missed the oneshot before this, but I think it stood well enough on its own. It was an interesting premise (selling the Death Note) with a decent (albeit nigh invisible) protagonist. I thought the ending was a bit underwhelming but I still enjoyed this and continue to find the idea of a Death Note frightening and intriguing

A tale with twists and turns but ultimately too short to develop anything super meaningful. Yuki rushed it and apologized for it as well

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Retrospective, 1/8/19: I enjoyed this and didn't expect the twist but don't remember much other than that.

The ending was unsatsifactory due to the manga's cancellation, but I appreciated that it attempted to give some sort of closure. I enjoyed the premise and thought the relationship between Hyakkimaru and Dororo was compelling

Retrospective, 1/8/19: When I was really into survival game stuff, this was a treat. The ending irked me but I enjoyed the series other than that. Not sure it would hold up today though.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A sweet tale about a naturally growing romance between two teens. Too short for to develop much but enjoyable.

Retrospective, 1/18/19: This serves as a satisfying continuation of the original series, but again, it was too short to develop anything that left a lasting impression on me.

LONG hiatus, resumed reading 7/13/19

While I did this relatively enjoyable to binge read without paying much attention, this series had massive issues. The gratuitous torture porn (especially prevalent in later chapters), the complete lack of coherency in actually defeating villains, the lack of consequences for any character (I think 95% that died were revived by the end), and the open admissions that the author had not planned out much of the story make this a mystery why Fairy Tail even got popular to begin with. My favorite arcs were Grand Magic Games Tournament and Tartaros, and even those had issues. I am glad to finally check this off of my list of impactful shounen, but it certainly wouldn't be one I would recommend

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I liked the focus on shinigami and idol culture. I can't remember specifics about this, but it was genuinely enjoyable.

I would argue this was a stronger first chapter than the actual first chapter (which I tried to read and ended up dropping halfway through to watch Brotherhood instead). It established much of the important lore succinctly and was nicely paced

Retrospective, 1/8/19; One of the first mahou shoujo manga from what I understand. Interesting from that perspective but not my cup of tea necessarily.

Somewhat novel premise with touching but cliche execution. There were some amusing gags using the skeleton as a humor catalyst and it was a short and sweet oneshot worth the read

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Really not my thing. An emotoinally abusive relationship (infidelity to spur a partner into action) and an unnecessary supernatural element,

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This wasn't so much bad per se as painfully generic. The only somewhat unique character was the little brother, and he was barely given enough time to characterize himself. Two high school boys that don't want to admit their feelings for each other suddenly falling in love during a night of sexual frustration. Skip this

Retrospective, 1/8/19: Serves as a prequel to a much larger story that I never got around to reading. Enjoyable, but obviously no enough to spark my interest in the longer material.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A confusing read that didn't offer much substance from what little I remember.

I would certainly read a full series of this. Engaging characters and an interesting blend of beastmen and humans, all dealing with the seedy underbelly of a population district. I was very impressed with this and hope more people read it

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A tale centered around death. Though a bit morbid, I enjoyed this nonetheless.

There was some cool art here but the plot was fairly nonsensical to me (though it may have been the translation I read). It seemed like more could have been developed in a longer story, but much of the plot was reliant on unspoken art panels with little true explanation.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: This developed the aftermath of the invasion well and explored the scientific ramifications. The circus and several other plotlines seemed a bit bizarre, but there were some great gross-out art pieces here.

A sweet tale of young romance. It didn't really do anything groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the premise and liked the cast

Short, sweet and actually manages to develop the two leads pretty well despite its short length.

I don't think this was a fantastic entry point to the series, as it spent a lot of time moving the plot forward without really exploring any of its characters beyond their introductions. I will likely watch the anime instead of reading the manga if/when I do get around to the full series, but we'll see.

This surprised me in that it was a genuinely amusing read with actual promise for a full series. Unfortunately, this has not come to fruition, but I still found it a great way to spend ten minutes or so

Retrospective, 1/8/19: The idea of second chances is always intriguing, and I remember thoroughly enjoying this, despite not remembering the resolution of his middle school romance.

An interesting look into the harmful effects of impossible beauty standards, the obsession society has for the next "big thing", and the sensationalism of the media. I would have appreciated some of the trippier sequences being explained in more detail, and I'm curious where the story would have gone from here, but it was nonetheless a fascinating read that tackles poignant issues relevant arguably more so today, two decades after its original release.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: Impressive scope, each volume was enjoyable in its own way. Its sheer length made this read take a good while but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Probably my favorite thing by Tezuka as of yet.

A few predictable twists but an enjoyable read throughout. Stellar art. I only wish there had been some additional explanation of the mother and child's relationship

Retrospective, 1/8/19: Mostly underwhelmed but an interesting take on Snow White.

Favorite Chapter: "It Was All for the Tuna"

An interesting and unfortunately topical read discussing the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and possible ways the world may develop afterwards

Retrospective, 1/8/19: My first manhwa, I liked the supernatural and focus on changing perceptions/constancy in hometowns. Deserves a re-read

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I only read this for the Ito Junji one-shot, but it was okay. The zombie sex one sticks out in my mind for its absurdity.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I remember thinking this should have been classified as mahou shoujo, but it was a mediocre read nonetheless.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: An interesting survival sci-fi tale, but the characters were fairly bland and I was underwhelmed by the ending.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: Genuinely creepy and has some great moments of gore, but the characters were so flat that it tanked my enjoyment.

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Retrospective, 1/8/19: An interesting mystery and nice cast of recurring characters. The resolution was rather weak, but the volume was enjoyable.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: A faithful retelling of Shelley's story in manga form, this was a treat to read.

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Retrospective, 1/8/19: Markedly weaker than most other collections, I didn't enjoy these but "Blood Bubbles" stands out in my mind for no particular reason.

Retrospective, 1/8/19: I didn't much like the Sleuth Kids, so this was a weaker volume for me.

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Retrospective, 1/8/19: A nice introduction to Ito Junji one-shots, I liked this a fair bit.

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Retrospective, 1/8/19: I didn't like this much, given its distinct lack of horror, but it was nice to see a bit of Ito Junji's home life.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: This ended up becoming a sci-fi thriller filled with nice gross-out pieces. Entertaining but a bit shallow plotwise

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I liked this enough to buy the volumes once they were officially translated, but it didn't really hold up years after my initial read. Entertaining but ultimately unfulfilling

Great premise but fairly middling execution. I liked the art style and thought this was pretty solid despite the bleakness. The majority of the story is rather depressing and makes one wonder if only a few days of fulfilling life is all one needs. I think that idea in itself is rather depressing (rather than trying to turn things around for the long-term), but I suppose there is a sort of beauty in it

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I read this to continue from the anime and really enjoyed it, but it definitely deserves a re-read eventually.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I don't remember much about this, but it was short and sweet.

This didn't really serve as a gripping introduction to the series (as I had expected), but I suppose the "alternate telling" of its nature will be a good basis for starting

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Despite the rather cliche beginning, this ended up having an amusing resolution and had several cute moments throughout. I don't anticipate picking up the full title but perhaps after it's finished.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: It took me a while to get through this, and it was a bit weeb for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Nice emotional payoff in the end

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I read this to expand my taste for reverse harems but was ultimately underwhelmed.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I don't remember much about this other than it being a touching read. Probably needs to be re-examined.

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Retrospective, 1/9/19: I really enjoyed this and learned a lot about taiko drumming, but I remember feeling that the cast was underdeveloped despite its two-volume length. Still a touching read that I would probably recommend

The twist was actually unexpected, though that may just be due to the gap in time since I've read a horror title. The gore shots were sufficiently grotesque and though overall not particularly noteworthy, it was a fun read

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Even though the anime ended up becoming a bit generic harem, this one-shot set up a nice world and was enjoyable.

While the premise of wanting to stay a child has been done more eloquently in other works, I thought this did a fairly nice job at tugging on the heartstrings with its main premise of a god that everyone grows up to forget. Solid read.

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A touching story about long-lasting love

A very entertaining read that rejuvenated my interest in longer manga and cerebral games. I appreciated that most characters ended up recurring (though many lacked depth and nuance), and the resolution of the story was satisfying until quite literally the last panel of the manga (though I don't think the story could've been able to continue regardless). Very fun read, highly recommended

Akiyama's backstory was a little underwhelming but it offered an interesting insight into his motivations and criminal obsessions.
The one-shots were nice. The fortune-teller double feature was probably my favorite, but @lovers was a cheesy and enjoyable romance.

A fairly random conclusion to the story but a good lesson that would end up pervading into the main "Liar Game" story.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Read because of a link on Beatnik's profile, the ending felt a bit rushed, but the build-up of the mystery and resolution were satisfying.

A very basic collection of random scenes from The Lighthouse (2019) with Junji Ito's art. This really didn't add to my enjoyment of the film or serve as a satisfying "oneshot" given its disjointed nature and lack of spoilers.

This was fairly cliche but had some tender moments and decent art. Nice way to pass some time.

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Retrospective, 1/9/19: This was marginally entertaining but didn't adequately explain the world for the reader.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I only remember "Black Bird" off the top of my head, so I guess that's my favorite. A classic one-shot collection.

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This was a quick and touching read. It blended the supernatural elements of old alchemy well with a fairy tale-esque romance

A romance of raising a boy and then falling in love with him, all with a 340-year-old loli demon. Blatant baiting and not a compelling romance

I greatly enjoyed the world-building and art style in this. The ending seemed a bit random to me but I appreciate the themes, and it seemed unfortunately poignant that the manga ended only a day after the September 11th attacks.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A believable romantic progression and beautiful story. Some of Masao's actions were a bit farfetched, but the story as a whole was nice

I was initially disgruntled because the manga completely abandoned its early focus on comedy and solving tasks around the school. Then it became a battle manga and developed a pseudo-intellectual "I'm funny because I'm acknowledging this is a manga" type of parody that fell absolutely flat. 80% of the cast was abandoned in the later story and random new characters were introduce in an attempt to inject freshness to the wholly stale story. I haven't disliked something so much in years and came very close to breaking my "no drop" rule. An absolute waste of time

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Certainly not Tezuka's best. The random Mickey Mouse cameo, the not-so-subtle jabs at rising Communism ("the Red Party"), and overall sheer chaos happening on each page made this a chore to finish.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I don't remember this much, but if it got a 7 during my Ito Junji binge, it must have been decent.

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Isolation, regret, fear, sadness, happiness. All themes captured in the main characters of this manga in some form or another. The premise was fantastic, delving into Tenma's self-doubts and conflicted emotions over saving a boy that went on to perform a variety of heinous acts. The rest of the cast was similarly complex and intriguing (Johan and Nina, Lunge, Gillen, Eva, Grimmer, Franz). This explored some deep moral and philosphical themes about duty, revenge, redemption, human emotions, the importance (or lack thereof) of a name, and the sanctity of life. It was an enthralling read that lived up to its praise.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I think the rape in this was handled relatively tastefully, but I remember the male character ended up not being wholly repentful and it soured me.

A short, touching read but without a well-explained resolution; it's slightly forgivable given that it is a one-shot, but it didn't blow me away.

This was fine. It followed some painfully generic cliches (brooding loner with bubbly but sad girl to snap him out of his funk, a looming surgery for the girl, etc.), but it was an okay read. I wouldn't read a full series of this though

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Took me forever to get through, but it was popular for a reason. The supporting cast grew too large to have any meaningful development after a certain point, but this was still entertaining.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A short epilogue that crowned Naruto as Hokage. Short and okay.

Interesting to see some backstory for Naruto's parents, even if I don't remember much about the original story at this point. Quick read with a dash of basic romance.

Really good food art and a nice romance despite some insanely cliche tearjerker moments. Decent development/characterization for both main characters despite being a oneshot.

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This was a sweet read with an interesting premise. The story beats were fairly predictable and cliche but I had a decent time regardless, given its short length

This was an intriguing but ultimately frustrating read. I appreciated the interconnected plotlines and abstract storytelling but the dense metaphors/symbolism and lack of a definitive conclusion were not my favorite method of conveying this story. This is a piece to be analyzed critically and likely open to multiple interpretations, but I am nonetheless frustrated.

Told in several shorter story arcs, the overarching plot was fairly nonexistent but rather focused on strong world-building and interesting side stories for the protagonists, Yuta and Mana, to go through. The structue of the stories was a bit formulaic but it was overall a rather enjoyable read
Favorite Arc: "Mermaid's Forest"; Least Favorite Arc: "Mermaid's Mask"

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I got this for free from Humble, and while I liked the art, I was underwhelmed with the plot.

The scope of this volume was very interesting, and I thought the afterword illuminated some poignant themes, notably "fleeting memories", "of having someone occupy a significant portion of your mind but never seeing them again". I think that's a beautiful thought, and it enhanced my enjoyment of the story. There were many scenery shots with a nice attention to detail, but that left less time for the actual story; nonetheless, a pleasant and thought-provoking read

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I was shocked that this had emotional punches despite its vulgar premise. The definition of "not judging a book by its cover"

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A short, entertaining epilogue.

This was good backstory for Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates. There is some stellar artwork here as well.

I wasn't particularly fond of the half-chibi/half-borderline hentai art here, and it didn't really contain any information that would help readers remember circumstances around this fight at its original point in the story. Not very strong material for One Piece

Another fine Bocchi rendition of the Dracule Mihawk confrontation in a chapter I don't remember much at this point. I think this is generally stronger overall for avoiding the overt sexualzation and quasi-chibi style used in Bocchi's female-focused one shots.

This was fine. It is a prologue to the One Piece film Strong World, which I haven't watched at the time of this writing. I'd imagine I would be underwhelmed with it given its non-canon status and the general lack of explanation for Shiki's actions in this oneshot (threatening Roger, cutting off his own legs, etc.) Certainly not my favorite One Piece material

One of my favorite sections of the manga, redrawn with nice art. It was good but lacked much of the backstory that made the moment more powerful in the original chapters

An extremely generic one-shot covering the budding romance of an ultra-nice girl and a gruff but lovable boy. It was a quick read and passed the time well, but I didn't think the focus on dogs really made much sense outside of the play on the name Ookami

A sweet read with a rather complicated love "parasol" of twins. Good leads and nice art

It ended up feeling fairly pointless; I don't think any characters learned anything aside from MAYBE Ai learning "how to love". I was unsatisfied with her emulation of Tomo as a devotion of her love

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I really liked the characters and build-up, but the ending seemed extremely abrupt. A title I think would have benefited from being longer.

This set up a lot of interesting ideas about how a half-dragon would operate in the real world, but then it didn't explain anything (how Ruri was created, how dragons exist in secrecy if they can breed with humans, etc.) and seemed just like a way to gauge interest for a full manga.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A peaceful look of life after the main story.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I liked this much more in its darker and dramatic moments, but the evolution of Kenshin was appreciated.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: A cool epilogue focusing on Yahiko.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: An interesting tale of virginity, homosexuality and general inexperience at a late stage in life.

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Solid meta-story blending between human drama, a narrative about making a movie told through self-filming sequences, and the intriguing idea of a "pinch of fantasy".

Includes one-shots "Snake" and "The Phantom Butterfly"
Dark and demented. I had wanted to read an Umezu piece since he was in many ways the predecessor to Ito Junji, but this story in particular was overtly bleak with threatened genital mutilation, gaslighting, pedophilia, you name it. The ending really did not make sense and abandoned many of the main plot points for an attempt at a happy ending

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Retrospective, 1/9/19: I remember nothing about this, other than it being my first shounen ai title. It was sweet from what I remember

A genuinely gruesome read with little levity. This describes the brutality of samurai, the oppressiveness of a strict class system and the lengths some will go to to satisfy their lord or their own beliefs. The imagined fates were interesting and the artwork was impeccable for showing off dreamlike sequences. My major qualm would be that some plot points (Irako's blindness, for example) are shown primarily in symbolic recollection and are thus a bit difficult to comprehend. In addition, several characters that received substantial screentime (and were revealed as tournament contestants) ended up mattering little to the overall plot, though I suppose it may be to show that all participants lived complex lives. I liked the overall theme that major culminations of emotions may appear to simply be a quick deal for unknowing onlookers. In any case, a good, bingeable read with thought-provoking material

A fairly mediocre retelling of Treasure Island with a nonsensical conclusion and rather bland characters. It was a quick read, though.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I don't remember any of these other than "Splatter Film", so that's my default favorite I guess. A classic Ito Junji volume

While I had this previously rated an 8 for the stellar premise, generally solid characters and entertaining story arcs (even most of post-timeskip), the ending was extremely confusing and ultimately led to a disappointing finish. Eren's actions seemed very extreme (killing 80% of humanity) compared to his motivations to free Ymir and set his friends up as heroes. I can bump the score because I still enjoyed the early chapters, but this is another Game of Thrones TV ending in my book

Retrospective, 1/9/19: An inferior Full Moon wo Sagashite as far as I remember

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I wished the characters were a bit more developed, but the journey was entertaining and I liked the ending

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Essentially a recounting of scary stories with a creepy narrator, it was enjoyable.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: This was underwhelming from start to finish. I don't remember much else.

A surprisingly compelling backstory for Sanji (non-canon?) that had a refreshing take on the Shokugeki no Soma formula. This focused primarily on various dishes made during Sanji's time on the Baratie and featured some great food art and "reaction" pages.

I found this infinitely more engaging than Kill Bill (which is how I had first heard of the title). I liked the usage of vignettes to describe Syura Yuki's journey and the ultimate culmination of the revenge. Overall pretty solid

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Genuinely enjoyable, and I sill remember most of the cast. The romance was unnecessary, and the ending was abrupt, but the character development throughout was fantastic.

A poignant tale and reflection on what it means to mature, the different paths in life and finding happiness even in the mundane. A touching read.

Surprisingly wholesome romance with a satisfying conclusion and good protagonists. The conflict presented was extremely cliche but I enjoyed this otherwise.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: My first manga other than Pokemon Special, this was again important in my experience. I preferred their treatment of several characters (Justin Law in particular) and the darker plot developments in the manga compared to the show. Definitely deserves a re-read.

A very entertaining story with a grand scope. Theramifications of reincarnation and what it truly means to be alive were great, and I liked finding the supporting cast make cameos in other timelines, whether their characters were major or not. I liked the "Vann" arc the most, but the overall story was satisfying and had a nice conclusion

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I enjoyed the intertwining paths of the seemingly random strangers, but don't remember much about the story as a whole.

This really needs an Erotica tag and a RAPE trigger warning. Absolutely appalling story that almost has an interesting premise in "meeting someone under less-than-ideal circumstances", but then reveals that the protagonist was (statutory) raped by a 21-year-old that is a serial killer and rapist. This serial killer finds her, has sex with her, and during her reflections on how lonely she is, she realizes that somehow she loves this man literally raping her? If there is supposed to be some deeper meaning to this, it's lost on me. As it stands, I was completely unprepared for this (I had searched for "Christmas" in manga and this is one of the only ones available in English) and am genuinely appalled at the seeming glorification of rape.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I remember wishing this was longer. Entertaining and a short but fun read.

A wholly unsatisfying ending but I liked the games (especially Emperor) and thought the cast was decent. Hyodo is a very hateable villain and it's easy to root for Kaiji.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: By the author of Nisekoi, a short but sweet title.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Read in preparation for X, but I was mostly underwhelmed and didn't like the cast much.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Tomie as a character is generally creepy, and the chapters included in this are all fairly unsettling.

A quick read with a chilling conclusion, more Tomie goodness.

This has been praised in manga circles since it started and I finally got around to reading it this year. This is the first 4-koma I've read, and while I am a bit conflicted on the simple set pieces, I think the character development was surprisingly strong. The friendship between Tomo, Carol and Misuzu was actually my favorite aspect of the entire manga, but the romantic portions were also good, and I enjoyed the supporting cast as well. Great comedy and supporting cast (the parents and karate club, etc.)

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This was a tender tale with two characters finding solace in each other. I appreciated that the minor characters also felt fleshed out, and, despite the title's short length, felt complete. Outside of a bit of (believable) melodrama, this was thoroughly enjoyable.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Each volume was great and I genuinely enjoyed the cast. I read it extremely quickly and need to re-read it, but the plotlines and mysteries established enraptured me at the time

Retrospective, 1/9/19: My first exposure to horror manga (and Ito Junji), and probably the best. Deeply unsettling feeling throughout and a relatively satisfying conclusion. Great art throughout.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: The romance was top-tier in this, and I appreciated the setting in France, as it tied in to my studies at the time.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: Another sad tale. I liked it but don't remember much.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I rated this more highly than I should have (a 9 initially), because it was one of the top-rated manga at the time. It was thought-provoking and interesting to see a prison relationship though

Retrospective, 1/9/19: This was a pain to track down, but it was an okay collection of ghost stories/spooky mountain shenanigans.

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I don't remember most of these, but "Glyceride" is by far the grossest work Ito Junji has ever done. Not my favorite chapter but certainly the most memorable

The build-up of the mystery was cool, but the characters were overall fairly flat and the ending was rather abrupt.

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This was an interesting take on a dungeon crawling story, and though I was confused by the ending, that may have been due to the translation I read. Overall a decent read

Retrospective, 1/9/19: I remember absolutely nothing about this other than its fairly generic amnesia premise.