One could easily expend five hundred words or more relaying all the ups and downs contained in this double-sized volume of Itazura Na Kiss, but the most important facts are these: Kotoko and Naoki graduate from high school and move on to attend the same college, where Kotoko’s attempts to fit into Naoki’s world generally meet with embarrassing results. They also share a single, … [Read more...] about Itazura Na Kiss 2 by Kaoru Tada: B+
Manga
Cute Devil by Hiro Madarame: C
Girly-looking Fuuta Naruse has many male devotees at school, but the only guy he has eyes for is Tohru Akiyoshi, the aloof class president who has not joined his throng of admirers. Fuuta exerts all his wiles in a confession to Akiyoshi, but when that doesn’t work, he sheds the cute persona and declares, “I’ll just have to take you by force.” And so it goes. Akiyoshi is … [Read more...] about Cute Devil by Hiro Madarame: C
Mushishi 1 by Yuki Urushibara: A-
From the back cover: Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. Shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze, these deadly creatures, mushi, came into terrifying being. And they still exist and wreak havoc in the world today. Ginko, a young man with a sardonic smile, has the knowledge and … [Read more...] about Mushishi 1 by Yuki Urushibara: A-
Butterflies, Flowers 2 by Yuki Yoshihara: B-
Choko Kuze continues to work as an underling of the man she loves, Masayuki Domoto, who used to be her servant but is now her superior. She confessed her feelings for him in the previous volume, but is still uncertain how he feels about her and must watch as various other women in the office make a play for him, including the niece of the company president. Of course, Masayuki … [Read more...] about Butterflies, Flowers 2 by Yuki Yoshihara: B-
Honey Hunt 4 by Miki Aihara: B
Despite having no prior interest in acting, Yura Onozuka, the relatively normal daughter of celebrity parents, discovers a talent for it when she resolves to surpass her mother in the dramatic sphere. She has achieved some moderate success pretty quickly, including a spot in a commercial and a supporting role on a new TV drama. Yura’s career is less the focus in this volume … [Read more...] about Honey Hunt 4 by Miki Aihara: B