By Koji Kumeta | Volumes 1-8 published by Del Rey, Volumes 9-10 published by Kodansha Comics When I first set out to read Koji Kumeta's Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei, my goal was to finish the first eight volumes in time for Kodansha's June 2011 release of volume nine. You can see how well that worked out. The problem was that this series simply doesn't benefit from a … [Read more...] about Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking, Vols. 1-10
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
From the back cover: There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant—in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous … [Read more...] about Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
JManga Slashes Prices! (Well, Temporarily at Least)
Even though I grumbled a little at JManga's prices, I was mostly okay with paying the equivalent of $8.99 for a manga that would likely never get licensed for a North American print release. Still, because I wanted them to do well enough to stick around for a long time, I hoped they would reduce their prices, perhaps emulating VIZ's $4.99-per-volume pricing strategy. Well, … [Read more...] about JManga Slashes Prices! (Well, Temporarily at Least)
My Girlfriend’s a Geek, Vols. 1-3
By Rize Shinba (manga) and Pentabu (story) | Published by Yen Press The good news is that I liked My Girlfriend’s a Geek more than I expected to. The bad news is that I’m not sure if I should feel particularly good about that. Taiga Mutou is a penniless college student in need of a part-time job. When he spots Yuiko Ameya—who fits his ideal of the “big sis-type”—in the … [Read more...] about My Girlfriend’s a Geek, Vols. 1-3
Let’s Get Visual: Celebrating the Pretty
MICHELLE: The long-awaited return of Sailor Moon has inspired us to devote this month's column to classic shoujo art, focusing on a celebration of its sheer prettiness. Normally, we try to be astute in these columns—their whole purpose is to provide experience in seriously considering the artistic merits of manga—but it's possible that this time we'll be reduced to just sighing … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Celebrating the Pretty