How did I let myself get a whole year behind on Slam Dunk?! Of course, the upside to such a monumental lapse is having half a dozen volumes to gobble up back-to-back! At the end of the second volume, hot-headed protagonist Hanamichi Sakuragi impressed team captain Akagi by declaring himself “a basketball man” in answer to pressure to join the judo team. As a reward, Akagi … [Read more...] about Slam Dunk 3-7 by Takehiko Inoue: B
Reviews
Alice in the Country of Hearts 1 by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino: B-
From the back cover: Wonderland is officially at war! And Alice is trapped in the middle of it all. Will she make it out alive? A little arrogant, stubborn, and determined to get back home, Alice isn't fazed by these challenges... until she discovers that every man is gun crazy and weirdly in love with her. What's going on in Wonderland?! Review: Based on a “female-oriented … [Read more...] about Alice in the Country of Hearts 1 by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino: B-
Stolen Hearts 1 by Miku Sakamoto: B+
The basic plot of Stolen Hearts is summed up succinctly on its back cover: “a mismatched pair finds romance through a kimono shop.” Though the premise has some things in common with other shojo series—a significant difference in height between the two protagonists (Love*Com), a girl who attempts to familiarize her classmates with the finer qualities of her scary-looking love … [Read more...] about Stolen Hearts 1 by Miku Sakamoto: B+
Sunshine Sketch 4 by Ume Aoki: C
I’m not a particular fan of moe, but Sunshine Sketch, a 4-koma series about a group of girls living in an apartment building across from the art high school they all attend, is actually better than I thought it would be. It wasn’t a good sign when the character introduction page summed up each girl in three sentences, including facts like “She is always on a budget and … [Read more...] about Sunshine Sketch 4 by Ume Aoki: C
La Satanica by Momoko Tenzen: B+
When Shoji Mashita spots his classmate Motoki Matsushima lovingly caressing his (Mashita’s) desk, he abruptly realizes that Matsuhima has feelings for him. He narrates that he’s okay with this, since he respects Matsushima as a friend, but he can’t resist tormenting him since his reactions are so violent. Eventually, Mashita realizes that he has feelings for Matsushima, too, … [Read more...] about La Satanica by Momoko Tenzen: B+