In the past few volumes, it’s begun to feel like the final confrontation between Inuyasha and the evil Naraku is drawing nigh. First, however, Inuyasha and friends must defeat Moryomaru, a living demonic armor constructed by and to protect the scheming infant that houses Naraku’s heart. Unless the heart is destroyed, Naraku will never truly die. Naraku, for his part, wants … [Read more...] about InuYasha 41 by Rumiko Takahashi: B
Manga
InuYasha 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi: B
Fans of InuYasha have long been resigned to the fact that nothing much seems to happen to further the main plot of the series along. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when several very major things happen in the 38th volume of the series. Afterwards, alas, we plunge back into more episodic fare, but it's definitely starting to feel like the beginning of the end. Volume 38 is a … [Read more...] about InuYasha 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi: B
Kaze Hikaru 3-5 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Tominaga Sei, a teenaged girl who has assumed the male identity of Kamiya Seizaburo in order to join the Mibu-Roshi and avenge the deaths of her brother and father, has achieved her revenge. As volume three begins, her mentor and unrequited love, Okita Soji, is urging her to leave because she has accomplished her task, but Sei doesn't want to go and demands acceptance as a man. … [Read more...] about Kaze Hikaru 3-5 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
One Piece 13-15 by Eiichiro Oda: B
Ah, shounen. It's always somewhat of a relief to take a break with some shounen because things tend to be blissfully uncomplicated. Encounter a bad guy? Fight him. When he whips out a backstory that suddenly makes him your ally? Befriend him. That’s the central idea behind these three volumes. We begin on Cactus Island in a town called Whiskey Peak, where the residents—who, … [Read more...] about One Piece 13-15 by Eiichiro Oda: B
RIN-NE 1 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+
From the back cover: As a child, Sakura Mamiya mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind her grandma's home. She returned whole and healthy, but since then she has had the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! At school, the desk next to Sakura's has been empty since the start of the school year. Then one day her always-absent … [Read more...] about RIN-NE 1 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+