Tall Risa Koizumi and her short boyfriend, Atsushi Ôtani, have been dating for a while and have weathered various obstacles. Their latest opponent is Risa’s visiting grandpa, whose primary objection seems to be their difference in height. He feels so strongly about it that he hires a hostess to seduce Ôtani in order to sabotage their relationship. This leads to two chapters of … [Read more...] about Love*Com 14 by Aya Nakahara: B-
Shoujo
Love*Com 12-13 by Aya Nakahara: B
I used to be very fond of Love*Com but after a disappointing eleventh volume, my ardor cooled and the volumes have been piling up. For most of these two volumes, I was happy again, but when Risa's grandfather is introduced at the end of volume thirteen, it all goes rapidly downhill. Volume twelve begins with the gang awaiting Ôtani's exam results and Risa trying to decide … [Read more...] about Love*Com 12-13 by Aya Nakahara: B
Ghost Hunt 10 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B
Osashiburi, Ghost Hunt! When last we left off, Naru, the head of Shibuya Psychic Research, was hospitalized after revealing a glimpse of his mysterious and dangerous powers. As volume ten begins, Naru has checked himself out of the hospital and seems to be back to normal, but on the way home he begins acting strangely, setting up camp in a rural village and ordering divers to … [Read more...] about Ghost Hunt 10 by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada: B
Antique Bakery 1-4 by Fumi Yoshinaga: A
Last month, I debuted the Manga Marching Orders feature, in which I invite readers to help me decide what to read next. The results were very close, but, in the end, Antique Bakery came out on top. On the surface, Antique Bakery is the story of four men who work together at a bakery, providing delicious cakes for their customers. What that simplified summary fails to mention, … [Read more...] about Antique Bakery 1-4 by Fumi Yoshinaga: A
Millennium Prime Minister 1 by Eiki Eiki: C
The premise of Millennium Prime Minister is so ridiculous it almost sounds fun. Minori Nagashima, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and video game aficionado, ditches school one day and ends up at an arcade, where she takes on and defeats an opponent who’s been trouncing the other patrons. Initially angry, the young man changes his tune when he sees Minori, and declares, “You can … [Read more...] about Millennium Prime Minister 1 by Eiki Eiki: C