Feb 20, 2013
Okusan no Mousouteki Nichijou
(Manga)
add
I like Takatsuki’s art, but the stories are usually middle of the road for me. Oku-san’s, in particular, was one that felt like a chore to get through. I’m not saying that it’s bad (I did like most of the closing chapters), but the daily fantasy format—chapters lasting only 10 or so pages and making the same point each time—grates on my nerves. I can probably name on one hand the number of half-hour sitcoms/dramas I was a fan of. I have a strong bias towards continuous, novel-like, stories. I said that to say, don’t be swayed by my score for this title; if you
...
Feb 20, 2013
Oyaji! Arisawa-san'chi no Hanashi
(Manga)
add
At the beginning they were just yuckin’ it up and I didn’t think I could make it through a whole volume of that type of comedy. Fortunately she toned it down a bit and I was able to enjoy it. I even got a little teary-eyed at one part.
Feb 20, 2013
Vampire no Shouzou
(Manga)
add
YaY! Vampires! And it almost ends there. The story wasn’t bad, but some of the transitions from scene to scene made me turn back a few pages to double check if I missed something… something like 3 or 4 pages. Volume one just kind of ended and, if you notice, volume 2 has the newer Juné Manga banner, so just consider how long it was before volume 2 was released. In the mean time you either wait uncomfortably for the continuation because even though it could have been cliffhanger material, it was more like it ended in the middle of a sentence; or you end
...
Feb 20, 2013
NON Tea Room
(Manga)
add
I've read this plenty of times, but it’s one of those books that I feel compelled to flip through every time I come across it. I liked that there was more to each character than just their brooding or their obliviousness. In the main story, I loved that the character you thought you would feel pity for turned out to be the strongest one. It wasn't in the “I love you, so I’ll let you go” kind of way or in the “after all I've been through, I can finally stand up to you” kind of way, either; they were strong all along. In the
...
Feb 20, 2013
Tsurukusa no Niwa
(Manga)
add
I liked the first story and the second one was alright, but I could have done without the third story. The uncle was either not pathetic enough or too pathetic—I can’t call it—for me too care about him. So, since his apathy/hopelessness/ennui/whatever was supposed to be the catalyst for the nephew’s actions, his shenanigans didn’t have any weight either. Also, it bugs me when people allow themselves to be convinced uncontested to do something they don’t particularly want to do. I’d rather have seen more of the cousins or the siren from the first story. The last story was alright as well.
Feb 20, 2013
Dekiru Otoko
(Manga)
add
I spent most of my time reading this in a state of, “this is ridiculous; why am I still reading it?” I guess, at one point I was struck numb by how terribly the story was playing out and just had to wait it out; it was like a special case of catatonia. The main issue for me was that jerks are jerky-jerks and it’s hard for me to buy their apologies and the—meaning to be heartrending—motives behind their jerky-jerk actions. The secondary issue is how—rape aside—the victim falls in love with someone who’s never there or that he barely has any interactions with. How
...
Feb 20, 2013
Konna Koi mo Warukunai
(Manga)
add
This is a collection of stories that made me chuckle and smile. I have to say, this is the first time I’ve ever used the word chuckle by choice, but it really does describe the kind of laughter the stories in this volume provoked. The characters are not particularly multi-dimensional, actually, to start, they’re rather cookie cutter. However, it’s the interaction between them and how that interaction exposes the types of people they are and the kind of relationships they want and have that make them more than just another [fill in the blank].
Feb 20, 2013
Ouji to Kotori
(Manga)
add
I shed a few tears. It took a while before I read it because I like to steer clear of the “Prince of the Desert” stories, but I’m glad I finally did. I enjoyed it a great deal more than I thought I would.
Feb 20, 2013
Netsujou no Virtuoso
(Manga)
add
There were some good moments, but most of the time the story and dialogue seemed to be just a vehicle in which to arrive at those moments. I think I need to blame half my discontent on the translation; some lines were stilted and felt like they were chosen from a list of “acceptable translations of X_concept.” On the other hand, since there were so many subplots–and this would be the mangaka’s transgression–the moments seemed to butt up against each other, squeezing all the air out of the breathing room. That isn’t to say that the story didn’t flow, but it was tightly packed. And
...
Feb 20, 2013
Black Sun Doreiou
(Manga)
add
While some details like the heres and wheres are vague, others are built up enough to impart to the reader a solid understanding of the character’s histories and motives as well as the cultural protocols and the schemes under which they operate. For example, the information that is given about Leonard’s youth helps us recognize the cultivated need to honor his family yet to also defy or disassociate himself with them. In turn, we understand his desire to see the world and consequently support his choice to embark upon knighthood. There’s also Jamal’s parade through the city, his acceptance of it and the cheers and
...
|
