By CLAMP | Published by Yen Press The plot of Kobato. sounds like a typical shoujo magical girl story. A dim-witted and clumsy heroine, who also happens to be guileless and compassionate, is tasked with filling a magic bottle with wounded hearts so that her dearest wish can be granted. But Kobato. isn't shoujo. If anything, it's seinen, as it ran for seven chapters in … [Read more...] about Kobato., Vols. 1-3
Let’s Get Visual: Fruits Basket
MICHELLE: So, we've been talking about Fruits Basket all week, but I'm certainly not yet weary of the topic. How about you, MJ? MJ: I suspect I could discuss Fruits Basket for weeks on end! MICHELLE: Me too. We've already discussed the general awesomeness of the story and characters this week, but one thing we haven't talked much about yet is the art. Takaya's style … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket 21-23 by Natsuki Takaya
As I recounted in this week’s Off the Shelf column, I have been a fan of Fruits Basket for nearly a decade now. I followed the end of the series in Japanese, and because I knew how it ended, I was able to postpone reading the final English volumes and delay the sad moment when the series really would be over. This week’s Manga Moveable Feast, however, prompted me to finally … [Read more...] about Fruits Basket 21-23 by Natsuki Takaya
Backstage Prince 1-2 as viewed on VIZmanga.com
One of the more exciting manga-related announcements to come out of San Diego Comic-Con was the debut of VIZ's new online manga portal, which syncs user accounts between the web browser and various supported devices. This is great news for me: since I don't own any of those supported devices, I've been hoping a site like this would come along. Of the assortment of shoujo, … [Read more...] about Backstage Prince 1-2 as viewed on VIZmanga.com
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
From the back cover: Meet Dwight, a sixth-grade oddball. Dwight does a lot of weird things, like wearing the same t-shirt for a month or telling people to call him "Captain Dwight." This is embarrassing, particularly for Tommy, who sits with him at lunch every day. But Dwight does one cool thing. He makes origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda. And … [Read more...] about The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger