From the back cover: On Valentine's Day, it's no surprise that playboy Atsu gets plenty of chocolates from fawning girls. But everyone's shocked when a heart-shaped box is found on Macharu's desk—especially since it's not from Haruna! Does Macharu have a secret admirer? Review: The trend of basing the chapters around relatively commonplace events continues—there's one taking … [Read more...] about Monkey High! 3 by Shouko Akira: B+
Manga
NANA 9 by Ai Yazawa: A
Spoilers beyond the cut. From the back cover Takumi and Hachi are getting married, but it's far from a joyous announcement. Nobu and Nana are devastated, and even Takumi's bandmates take the news hard. With paparazzi skulking around for a new scandal to exploit and tensions between Trapnest and Blast on high alert, will Hachi ever get her happily ever after? Review: I had … [Read more...] about NANA 9 by Ai Yazawa: A
Monkey High! 2 by Shouko Akira: A-
From the back cover: Haruna and Macharu head off to the amusement park for their official first date! But how romantic is the date going to turn out with scary roller coasters, guys hitting on Haruna, and even rowdy classmates popping up? Review: Considering that my two complaints about volume one were its clichéd events and annoying supporting characters, this back cover … [Read more...] about Monkey High! 2 by Shouko Akira: A-
Monkey High! 1 by Shouko Akira: A-
From the back cover: Haruna Aizawa thinks that school life is just like a monkey mountain—all the monkeys form cliques, get into fights, and get back together again. The school that she just transferred to is no exception. There's even a boy called Macharu Yamashita who reminds her of a baby monkey! It's hard enough fitting in at a new school while dealing with family … [Read more...] about Monkey High! 1 by Shouko Akira: A-
Papillon 2 by Miwa Ueda: B-
Shy Ageha has long dwelled in the shadow of her beautiful and popular twin sister, Hana. With help from her school’s new guidance counselor, however, she’s begun to transform herself. In this volume, she reconciles with her mother after years of feeling that her parents preferred Hana and even moves on romantically when she realizes that her feelings for Ryûsei might not … [Read more...] about Papillon 2 by Miwa Ueda: B-