I think I must be a Momoko Tenzen fan, because this is the second time I’ve been impressed by her ability to create compelling characters in a short story format (the first being Unsophisticated and Rude). Not only that, she’s able to write stories about romance between middle schoolers and teachers that aren’t completely icky (only mildly icky). There are five stories in this … [Read more...] about Ciao Ciao Bambino by Momoko Tenzen: B
Manga
not simple by Natsume Ono: A
From the back cover: A story within a story, A book within a book, A tale about the search for family, For an emotional home. Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven … [Read more...] about not simple by Natsume Ono: A
Black-Winged Love by Tomoko Yamashita: A
As in her excellent Dining Bar Akira, Tomoko Yamashita has created in Black-Winged Love a set of boys’ love stories focusing more on a universal aspect of human relationships rather than what goes on between guys in the bedroom. Each story relates in some way to the difficulties of communication, be it the crippling fear that keeps gay men from confessing their orientation or … [Read more...] about Black-Winged Love by Tomoko Yamashita: A
Happy Cafe 1 by Kou Matsuzuki: B
From the back cover: Meet Uru: she's a little short, a bit disorganized, often is mistaken for an elementary school kid, and lives by herself after her mother gets remarried. When she decides to pay the bills by working part-time at the Happy Cafe, she meets Ichiro and Shindo, two of the most unsociable guys she's ever had to contend with! And to make matters worse, it turns … [Read more...] about Happy Cafe 1 by Kou Matsuzuki: B
Itazura Na Kiss 1 by Kaoru Tada: B+
Kotoko Aihara has loved the brilliant and handsome Naoki Irie from afar ever since she saw him give a speech at their high school entrance ceremony two years ago. Because their school groups students by academic performance, however, the not-so-bright Kotoko has never had the opportunity to actually talk to Naoki. Even though she realizes it’s probably a lost cause, she … [Read more...] about Itazura Na Kiss 1 by Kaoru Tada: B+