From the back cover: Working part-time as a telephone-dating operator, Nico Hayashi has plenty of clients eager to engage her in titillating conversation. But what her customers don't know is this: the person they're flirting with is really a fourteen-year-old junior high school girl with a secret agenda. On the phone she's known as Sexy Voice. But, really, she's more than a … [Read more...] about Sexy Voice and Robo by Iou Kuroda: A-
Manga
Welcome to Wakaba-soh 2 by Chaco Abeno: D
Just in case you were uncertain about what kind of manga this is, the volume opens with five color pages containing about a dozen bra and panty shots and one profile view of bountiful, nude bosoms. The main storyline involves a not-too-bright boy called Kentarou Sawai who lives in a building with a bunch of girls of varying character types. He’s in love with Karen, the pretty … [Read more...] about Welcome to Wakaba-soh 2 by Chaco Abeno: D
Physical Attraction by Tatsumi Kaiya: B
Physical Attraction is a collection of BL stories about adult men—either college students or professionals—and is bookended by two tales about the same couple. In “Physical Attraction,” Kurata and Narusawa have been having a sexual relationship for some time, but when Kurata belatedly realizes that he loves Narusawa, he wonders whether it’s too late to try to steer things in … [Read more...] about Physical Attraction by Tatsumi Kaiya: B
Slam Dunk 8 by Takehiko Inoue: B+
After an admirable performance in an exhibition game against a tough rival, the Shohoku High basketball team is ready to get back to practice, but a gang of thugs with a grudge against team member Ryota Miyagi makes that impossible. They invade the court with the intent of starting a brawl that’ll get the Shohoku team disqualified from competition. Just when the thugs have been … [Read more...] about Slam Dunk 8 by Takehiko Inoue: B+
Slam Dunk 3-7 by Takehiko Inoue: B
How did I let myself get a whole year behind on Slam Dunk?! Of course, the upside to such a monumental lapse is having half a dozen volumes to gobble up back-to-back! At the end of the second volume, hot-headed protagonist Hanamichi Sakuragi impressed team captain Akagi by declaring himself “a basketball man” in answer to pressure to join the judo team. As a reward, Akagi … [Read more...] about Slam Dunk 3-7 by Takehiko Inoue: B