From the back cover: By necessity Amane Kamori lives a life of secrecy. The only ones who know the truth about her powers and Hyoue's true form are her best friend Takako and her cousin Hayato. But when Amane's desire to help others exposes her powers to a stranger, the high school shaman finds herself at the mercy of a manipulative and egotistical classmate. If Amane is the … [Read more...] about Her Majesty’s Dog 3 by Mick Takeuchi: B-
Manga
Her Majesty’s Dog 2 by Mick Takeuchi: B+
From the back cover: Hyoue Inugami is a lot older than he looks—500 years older, to be exact. Long before he became Amane's loyal guardian, this demon dog served another master. He wasn't alone in his duties, however. The sorcerer Kaiso kept two guardians—Hyoue and Zakuro. Now, after centuries of separation, Zakuro is back. The sprightly demon child says he'd like nothing more … [Read more...] about Her Majesty’s Dog 2 by Mick Takeuchi: B+
A, A’ by Moto Hagio: B+
Back in the late ’90s, Viz dabbled in this weird thing called “shojo manga” and released a few one-shot volumes. A, A’ (A, A Prime), a collection of science fiction stories, was among these, and (lamentably) represents the largest chunk of material from Moto Hagio available in this country. Hagio, along with many other women who were pioneers of shojo manga, was born in 1949. … [Read more...] about A, A’ by Moto Hagio: B+
Lovers and Souls by Kano Miyamoto: B-
Lovers and Souls is comprised of the 100-page title story, two additional shorter stories relating to it, and two stories about a different couple. “Lovers and Souls” was my favorite of the bunch. It’s the story of Shinomiya, a beautiful art student with a fondness for cash and an ambivalent attitude about what happens to his body, and Matsuoka, an openly gay photographer who … [Read more...] about Lovers and Souls by Kano Miyamoto: B-
We Were There 2 by Yuki Obata: A-
Nanami Takahashi has fallen in love with her classmate, Yano, and confessed her feelings, but he said he didn’t know whether he liked her or not. They continue on as friends, and have some sweet moments now and then, but Yano remains aloof. It seems like every time they momentarily get closer, he slips away again, occasionally saying mean things to her. Yano is still … [Read more...] about We Were There 2 by Yuki Obata: A-