Fifteen kids—most of them, except for one boy’s kid sister, in 7th grade—are taking part in a summer program called “Seaside Friendship and Nature School.” Chafing at the instruction to go out and observe nature, the kids decide to explore a nearby cave, where they inexplicably discover a computer lab and a strange guy who calls himself Kokopelli. Kokopelli tells the kids … [Read more...] about Bokurano: Ours 1-2 by Mohiro Kitoh: B
Manga
Stay Close to Me by Yaya Sakuragi: B
Wow, a BL comedy I actually liked! I reviewed Stay Close to Me for this month's BL Bookrack and thought it achieved a nice balance of silliness and genuine emotion. Now I need to find the time to read Yaya Sakuragi's Hey, Sensei? and Tea for Two! You can find that review here. Review copy provided by the publisher. … [Read more...] about Stay Close to Me by Yaya Sakuragi: B
Endless Comfort by Sakuya Sakura: B-
I reviewed this one-volume boys' love title for the latest BL Bookrack column at Manga Bookshelf. It's essentially the story of how the love of a good man helps a good-natured dog trainer get over his past trauma. Unfortunately, it's pretty dull, but I did like the ending. You can find that review here. Review copy provided by the publisher. … [Read more...] about Endless Comfort by Sakuya Sakura: B-
BLAME! 1-10 by Tsutomu Nihei: B+
While I do my best to appreciate manga art, I generally do not choose to read a particular series solely because of it. The exception to this is BLAME!, a ten-volume series by Tsutomu Nihei that boasts “an endless labyrinth of cyberdungeons filled with concrete and steel.” Thinking that sounded pretty durn awesome, and prepared to encounter an occasionally incomprehensible … [Read more...] about BLAME! 1-10 by Tsutomu Nihei: B+
K-ON! 1 by Kakifly: C-
From the back cover: When their high school's pop-music club is about to be disbanded due to lack of interest, four girls step up to fill the membership quota. Unfortunately, lead guitarist Yui Hirasawa has never played an instrument in her life. Ever. And although she likes the idea of being in a band, standing in front of the mirror posing with her guitar is a lot easier than … [Read more...] about K-ON! 1 by Kakifly: C-