If asked for a one-word description of Rei Hiroe's seinen action series, Black Lagoon, my response would be “kick-ass.” I'd quickly follow that up, however, with “and a lot more intelligent than one might assume.” Black Lagoon is the story of the Lagoon Traders, a group of seafaring couriers based out of the fictional city of Roanapur, Thailand. African-American Dutch, an … [Read more...] about Black Lagoon 1-3 by Rei Hiroe: A-
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Afterschool Charisma 1 by Kumiko Suekane: B-
Sigmund Freud. Florence Nightingale. Napoleon Bonaparte. These are not merely the names of eminent historical figures. They are also the names of students at a certain high school. These children are the fruit of leading-edge genetic engineering technology. In other words… they are clones. It’s the year 2XXX A.D. and St. Kleio Academy is home to many students, all clones of … [Read more...] about Afterschool Charisma 1 by Kumiko Suekane: B-
Saturn Apartments 1 by Hisae Iwaoka: B+
In this low-key, dystopic sci-fi story, a boy named Mitsu takes up his missing father’s occupation as a window washer in the hopes that it will yield answers about his disappearance, or maybe just life in general. Humanity has vacated Earth. They were not, however, willing to move too far away from their former home, now declared a vast nature preserve, and have instead … [Read more...] about Saturn Apartments 1 by Hisae Iwaoka: B+
Ristorante Paradiso by Natsume Ono: B+
Twenty-one-year-old Nicoletta arrives in Rome with the intention of confronting her absentee mother, Olga, and revealing the fact of her existence to Olga’s husband, Lorenzo, who had believed his wife to be childless. Instead, she becomes entranced by her mother’s world and ultimately finds a place in it. Olga and Lorenzo run a restaurant, and though the food is excellent, … [Read more...] about Ristorante Paradiso by Natsume Ono: B+
Kingyo Used Books 1 by Seimu Yoshizaki: B
Book description: Every bookstore has a thousand stories to tell. An art student finds inspiration. An archer hits a bull's-eye. A homemaker rediscovers romance. A teenager discovers his true self in the pages of a manga magazine. All this and more at Kingyo Used Books, a place that helps people find their dreams. We have the manga you're looking for. Review: No matter what … [Read more...] about Kingyo Used Books 1 by Seimu Yoshizaki: B