In the world of Blood+, a girl named Saya and her trusty servant Hagi battle against chiropterans, a race of blood-sucking creatures. This one-volume prequel focuses on Hagi’s 1993 stay in Hong Kong, during which he teams up with a hot-headed cop named Nishi to put down a man-made pack of chiropterans that’s been leaving corpses in a certain area of town. Unlike the other … [Read more...] about Blood+: Kowloon Nights by Hirotaka Kisaragi: B-
Shoujo
Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
The action ramps up in these two volumes of Banana Fish as Ash and his allies follow the trail of the drug known as “Banana Fish” from New York to Los Angeles and more details about its nature, as well as Ash’s background, come to light. There’s a lot going on here, including prison power struggles, an incredibly badass assassination attempt in a Chinatown fish market, a … [Read more...] about Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 4 by Karuho Shiina: A-
When Sawako Kuronuma was ostracised by her class due to her gloomy disposition and resemblance to a character from a horror movie, she never would have guessed that there are so many nuances to interactions with other people. Because of her inexperience in this area, she hasn’t learned to be distrustful, and so accepts as genuine the friendly advances of Kurumi, a girl who … [Read more...] about Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 4 by Karuho Shiina: A-
Flower in a Storm 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi: B
After being rejected by her first love because of her superhuman strength, Riko is trying to live as unremarkable a life as possible. She believes that the only way she’s going to fall in love is to be “normal,” but this point of view is challenged by the dramatic arrival (with gun and menacing retinue) of rich boy Ran Tachibana, who barges into her classroom one day and … [Read more...] about Flower in a Storm 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi: B
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 3 by Karuho Shiina: A
From the back cover: Sadako finally becomes friends with her classmates, instead of scaring them off. Even Kurumi, the cutest girl in school, wants to be her friend. But will this new friendship make Sadako realize that her feelings for Kazehaya might be more than just friendly? Review: I was bowled over by the surfeit of cute in this volume of Kimi ni Todoke. Let us count the … [Read more...] about Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 3 by Karuho Shiina: A