The Ideal Woman competition proposed by Megumi’s self-appointed rival, Keiko, continues into volume fourteen. Megumi and Genzo, who have been partnered up for the contest, begin the volume by finishing off a random thug who’d threatened them, and successfully make it to the inn that serves as their goal for the day. After a random chapter in which Keiko and Megumi attempt to … [Read more...] about Cheeky Angel 14-15 by Hiroyuki Nishimori: B-
Shounen
Black Cat 9-11 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
I'm at somewhat of a loss to explain how Black Cat manages to be so incredibly appealing, but these three volumes were a real pleasure to read and left me wanting to devour more of the series as soon as possible. Volume nine begins in the middle of a confrontation between Cerberus, a trio of elite members of the Chronos Numbers, and Creed, the villain of the piece who is … [Read more...] about Black Cat 9-11 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
From the back cover: When goofy inventor Senbei Norimaki creates a precocious robot named Arale, his masterpiece turns out to be more than he bargained for! Basking in the glow of his scientific achievement, Senbei scrambles to get Arale in working order so the rest of Penguin Village won't have reason to suspect she's not really a girl. But first Senbei needs to find her a … [Read more...] about Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
If there remains anyone who doubts that One Piece is something special in the world of shounen manga, they need only read these three volumes to be convinced. Volume sixteen begins with Luffy and Sanji on their way up a treacherous, snowy mountain to deliver a feverish Nami to the only doctor (Kureha) left on Drum Island. They're waylaid by some giant killer bunnies, but an … [Read more...] about One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
Cheeky Angel 11-13 by Hiroyuki Nishimori: C+
In my review of volumes 1-10 of Cheeky Angel, I wrote, "Sometimes I’m not a fan of episodic storylines, but Cheeky Angel pulls it off because Nishimori-sensei never loses sight of the most important aspect of the story: Megumi’s struggle to choose between accepting her current femininity and finding a way to return to what she once was." Unfortunately, this no longer holds … [Read more...] about Cheeky Angel 11-13 by Hiroyuki Nishimori: C+