From the back cover: Back in junior high, Haruna Nagashima was only interested in two things: softball and manga. Now that she's starting high school, Haruna's focus has changed—she wants to snag a boyfriend and have the romance of her dreams! After blindly following the advice of fashion magazines and the like, Haruna fails to win the eye of any guy. Convinced that a coach … [Read more...] about High School Debut 1 by Kazune Kawahara: A-
Comics
Sand Chronicles 3 by Hinako Ashihara: B+
From the back cover: Sweet 16-year-old Ann returns to rural Shimane from Tokyo for the summer, eager to reconnect with her boyfriend Daigo. But will the allure of their close friends—wealthy brother and sister Fuji and Shika—sunder the romantic ties that have bound Ann and Daigo since they were 12? Review: I didn't like this volume quite as much as the first two because it … [Read more...] about Sand Chronicles 3 by Hinako Ashihara: B+
Skip Beat! 14 by Yoshiki Nakamura: A-
From the back cover: Vie Ghoul is the new band burning up the charts by stealing Sho's moves, and Kyoko's hopping mad on his behalf. Kyoko's confrontation with Sho about his lack of action doesn't go as well as she hoped—Sho gets violent, and the frontman for Vie Ghoul gets a good look at Kyoko's demons. And both men seem a little more interested in Kyoko than Ren would … [Read more...] about Skip Beat! 14 by Yoshiki Nakamura: A-
Dororo 3 by Osamu Tezuka: B
Book description: Hyakkimaru and Dororo search for the treasure hidden by Dororo's parents, but are thwarted in their search by a traitorous bandit, man-eating sharks, and greedy samurai. Afterwards, they continue to encounter demons and tales of the misdeeds of Hyakkimaru's powerful father. Review: This final volume of Dororo was a disappointment on a few fronts. At the end … [Read more...] about Dororo 3 by Osamu Tezuka: B
Fairy Tail 3 by Hiro Mashima: B
From the back cover: The evil members of the Dark Guild Eisenwald have found a cursed flute that can murder anyone who hears its music—and now they've taken over a midtown train station with a very loud public address system. Only Natsu and his crazy friends (including a flying cat) can stop them! Review: Fairy Tail has finally won me over. I think it was the fact that … [Read more...] about Fairy Tail 3 by Hiro Mashima: B