This volume begins with Sebastian, butler extraordinaire, whipping together impressive preparations for a charity function with very little notice while simultaneously dealing with disasters caused by the other (incompetent) members of the household staff. From there, Ciel’s investigatory skills are called upon by Queen Victoria and the action relocates to London, where Jack … [Read more...] about Black Butler 2 by Yana Toboso: B-
Shounen
Neko Ramen 1 by Kenji Sonishi: A-
Book description: Taisho was a former kitten model who ran away from home and had a hard life on the streets until the day he was saved by a kind ramen shop owner who later served as his mentor. Now Taisho takes pride in his noodles... and is easily angered when customers are dissatisfied! So step aside, Soup Nazi—there's a new cat in town! Review: I readily admit that I … [Read more...] about Neko Ramen 1 by Kenji Sonishi: A-
Black Cat 12-14 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
Black Cat may not have the most innovative or sophisticated plot ever conceived—our hero and his friends face off against a mentally unbalanced bad guy and his lackeys—but it's executed so well and the characters are so likable that I can't help but be thoroughly entertained each time I consume another chunk of the story. In volume twelve, Train and friends meet with Dr. … [Read more...] about Black Cat 12-14 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
Bleach 30 by Tite Kubo: C+
From the back cover: Ichigo and his friends are moving ever closer to the center of Hueco Mundo and rescuing Orihime. But their battles against the Arrancars are testing them in ways they never thought possible. Can they keep their honor in a world where it doesn't exist, or will Hueco Mundo leave an indelible mark on their souls?! Review: Ichigo (who actually appears very, … [Read more...] about Bleach 30 by Tite Kubo: C+
One Piece 19-21 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
I had originally checked out about a dozen volumes of One Piece from my local library with high hopes of reading them all in the allotted time, but life intervened and I sadly ended up turning most of them back in. I did, however, manage to read these three volumes, in which the Straw Hats attempt to prevent civil war from erupting in Princess Vivi’s kingdom (Alabasta) due to … [Read more...] about One Piece 19-21 by Eiichiro Oda: B+