When TOKYOPOP announced in April that they'd be shutting down, I was bummed that we wouldn't get the sixth and final volume of the surprisingly fun Alice in the Country of Hearts, which had been scheduled for July release. Happily, however, the volume is easily available in Japanese (I got mine from YesAsia.com). Unhappily, it’s a disappointing conclusion to the series. When … [Read more...] about Alice in the Country of Hearts 6 (Japanese) by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino
Shoujo
Arisa 1 by Natsumi Ando
From the back cover: Tsubasa thinks that her pretty and popular twin sister, Arisa, has the perfect life. Everyone at school loves Arisa—unlike the hot-tempered Tsubasa, whose nickname is "the Demon Princess." But when Arisa attempts suicide, Tsubasa learns that her seemingly perfect sister has been keeping some dark secrets. Now Tsubasa is going undercover at school—disguised … [Read more...] about Arisa 1 by Natsumi Ando
Shugo Chara! 1-9 by Peach-Pit
Shugo Chara! has all the basic requirements for a magical girl series: costume changes, loads of sparkles and hearts, and a focus on dreams, believing in one another, and protecting the people one cares about. And yet somehow, it doesn't feel generic at all! The main character is Amu Hinamori, a shy fourth grader who, because of her awkward communication skills, comes off as … [Read more...] about Shugo Chara! 1-9 by Peach-Pit
The Story of Saiunkoku 2 by Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino: B+
From the back cover: Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne'er-do-well ruler to … [Read more...] about The Story of Saiunkoku 2 by Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino: B+
Tidbits: A TOKYOPOP Assortment
TOKYOPOP released a slew of books towards the end of 2010 and quite a few among them are from series I'm either reading or buying and hoarding (as is my wont). In a desperate effort to stay current, I'm tackling some of them in Tidbits format! Alice in the Country of Hearts is up first, with my take on volumes four and five, followed by volumes four through six of Happy Cafe, … [Read more...] about Tidbits: A TOKYOPOP Assortment