From the back cover: Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity! Nanami … [Read more...] about Kamisama Kiss 2 by Julietta Suzuki
Manga
Alice in the Country of Hearts 6 (Japanese) by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino
When TOKYOPOP announced in April that they'd be shutting down, I was bummed that we wouldn't get the sixth and final volume of the surprisingly fun Alice in the Country of Hearts, which had been scheduled for July release. Happily, however, the volume is easily available in Japanese (I got mine from YesAsia.com). Unhappily, it’s a disappointing conclusion to the series. When … [Read more...] about Alice in the Country of Hearts 6 (Japanese) by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino
Cross Game 2-3 by Mitsuru Adachi
The first volume of Cross Game (well, the first collected volume from VIZ, which includes the first three volumes of the Japanese version) introduced the characters and established the motivation for average boy Ko Kitamura to devote himself to becoming a good enough pitcher to reach the Koshien tournament. It’s very good, but there’s little actual baseball. Volumes two and … [Read more...] about Cross Game 2-3 by Mitsuru Adachi
Arisa 1 by Natsumi Ando
From the back cover: Tsubasa thinks that her pretty and popular twin sister, Arisa, has the perfect life. Everyone at school loves Arisa—unlike the hot-tempered Tsubasa, whose nickname is "the Demon Princess." But when Arisa attempts suicide, Tsubasa learns that her seemingly perfect sister has been keeping some dark secrets. Now Tsubasa is going undercover at school—disguised … [Read more...] about Arisa 1 by Natsumi Ando
Shugo Chara! 1-9 by Peach-Pit
Shugo Chara! has all the basic requirements for a magical girl series: costume changes, loads of sparkles and hearts, and a focus on dreams, believing in one another, and protecting the people one cares about. And yet somehow, it doesn't feel generic at all! The main character is Amu Hinamori, a shy fourth grader who, because of her awkward communication skills, comes off as … [Read more...] about Shugo Chara! 1-9 by Peach-Pit