From the back cover: As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the fruit of the Gum-Gum Tree and gained the power to stretch like rubber... at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, … [Read more...] about One Piece 1 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
Comics
Cat Street 1 (Japanese) by Yoko Kamio: B+
Book description: Keito Aoyama was a child star until the age of nine, when she froze up on stage in front of a live audience. The incident ended her career, and she's spent the past seven years a recluse, spending most of the time in her room and socializing with no one. An encounter with an eccentric principal leads her to El Liston, a school for kids who haven't fit in at … [Read more...] about Cat Street 1 (Japanese) by Yoko Kamio: B+
Very! Very! Sweet 2 by JiSang Shin and Geo: B
Tsuyoshi, sent from Japan to Korea by his grandfather in order to discover his roots, has begun attending school with his neighbor, the tomboyish Be-Ri. When Tsuyoshi’s uncle asks Be-Ri to look after him, she finds herself doing things like showing him the way home after school and abandoning her own lunch when it occurs to her that he might be eating his in the classroom all … [Read more...] about Very! Very! Sweet 2 by JiSang Shin and Geo: B
Jade of Bango 1 by Ae-Ju Yim and Jin-Ju Yim: C-
Let’s play Spot the Cliché! Lin Seonu is a clumsy and ditzy high school girl with the ability to see and communicate with spirits. One day, when she’s under attack by an evil creature, a handsome yet stoic guy—whose outfit features many unnecessary buckles—appears and helps her to unleash her hidden powers. This fellow claims to be her guardian and fiancé and, of course, must … [Read more...] about Jade of Bango 1 by Ae-Ju Yim and Jin-Ju Yim: C-
Maison Ikkoku 9 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+
From the back cover: Godai finally gets serious about finding a job. Unfortunately, Kyoko is the only one who takes him seriously—a little too seriously—when he talks about his "future." For the immediate future, he gets a position waiting tables at a resort, and an eyeful when Kyoko loses her top in the pool. Once he finally lands a gig student-teaching at Kyoko's old high … [Read more...] about Maison Ikkoku 9 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+