Book description: Junior High life continues for the Uesugi twins and their childhood friend, Minami Asakura. Minami volunteers Tatsuya to run the final leg of the mixed relay for their class in the inter-school athletic meet, Tatsuya gets (falsely) accused of reading Minami's diary, Kazuya begins dating a cute girl named Kaori and ends up seeing a movie with her that he'd … [Read more...] about Touch 2 (Japanese) by Mitsuru Adachi: B+
Manga
Love for Dessert by Hana Aoi: C+
Published under Aurora’s LuvLuv imprint, Love for Dessert is a compilation of six stories, each of which culminates in a steamy situation. The stories range widely in terms of quality, though nearly all start out decently enough. Some even try to incorporate plot elements other than sex, like parental relationship problems or learning not to change oneself just to suit a guy. … [Read more...] about Love for Dessert by Hana Aoi: C+
Ghost Hunt 9 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B
From the back cover: The ghost hunters' new case has turned deadly. Naru, the leader of Shibuya Psychic Research, is under a dark spell. When Naru awakens, he foolishly decides to take on an evil spirit alone. Now he faces a life-or-death struggle! Review: Thankfully, this volume was an improvement over the last one, and has convinced me that I can buy the volumes I'm … [Read more...] about Ghost Hunt 9 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B
The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton and Jun Asuga: C
When first I spotted this slim volume in the manga section of a chain bookstore in town, I assumed it was an OEL media tie-in from TOKYOPOP, like Legends of the Dark Crystal or Return to Labyrinth. Closer inspection, however, reveals that it actually is Japanese, published by Kodansha in 2004. I’m a little surprised to see that Disney Press did not flip the art or translate … [Read more...] about The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton and Jun Asuga: C
Ghost Hunt 8 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B-
From the back cover: Inside a beautiful restaurant overlooking a serene cove lurks a deadly secret that makes people go crazy... literally! Mysterious deaths are not uncommon in this evil eatery. The ghost hunters from Shibuya Psychic Research decide to tackle the case, even though past mediums have never survived their own investigations. To make matters worse, Naru becomes … [Read more...] about Ghost Hunt 8 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B-