RJ isn’t cut out for a farmer’s life. Despite the urgings of his sister and pregnant wife to give up his dreams of becoming a bluesman, he still finds himself drawn to the local juke joint, where folks of ill repute gather to listen to the blues. His own efforts to master the guitar aren’t going well, though, and after a particularly poor reception to his playing, one of the … [Read more...] about Me and the Devil Blues 1 by Akira Hiramoto: A-
Seinen
Azumanga Daioh 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma: B
From the back cover: Miss Yukari is not your typical teacher; in fact, she acts more like an air-headed student! But this works well in keeping up with the odd group of girls that attend her class such as Chiyo, the precocious 10-year-old high-school girl; Sakaki, the tall and admirable (who also has an unusual problem with animals); Tomo, the ultimate spaz; Osaka, the girl … [Read more...] about Azumanga Daioh 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma: B
xxxHOLiC 12 by CLAMP: B+
From the back cover: Lately Kimihiro Watanuki's dreams have been pleasant escapes that have given him the chance to talk to his new friend Haruki Doumeki. But now he's falling asleep a lot—and starting to think his entire life with the witch Yuuko might be taking place in some kind of dreamworld. Then one night his dream is visited by a pretty princess named … [Read more...] about xxxHOLiC 12 by CLAMP: B+
Maison Ikkoku 8 by Rumiko Takahashi: B
From the back cover: Godai's eavesdropping causes him to misunderstand Kyoko's words—again. This time, it's during Kyoko's visit to her former husband's graveside. A new wide-eyed tenant, Nozomu Nikaido, moves into room No. 2 and quickly causes trouble for the other Maison Ikkoku residents, especially Godai in his pursuit of Kyoko. Review: I was looking forward to Nozomu's … [Read more...] about Maison Ikkoku 8 by Rumiko Takahashi: B
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 1 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki: B+
From the back cover: Five young students at a Buddhist university find that there's little call for their job skills in today's Tokyo... among the living, that is! But their studies give them a direct line to the dead—the dead who are still trapped in their corpses, and can't move on to their next reincarnation! Whether you died from suicide, murder, sickness, or madness, … [Read more...] about The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 1 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki: B+