I used to like Love*Com very much, but as I read these two volumes the main thought going through my mind was, “Just end, already!” End it eventually does, as volume sixteen sees the conclusion of the main story line (the seventeenth and final volume is comprised of short stories) , but before that can happen we must endure more chapters focusing on the supporting cast. … [Read more...] about Love*Com 15-16 by Aya Nakahara: B-
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Banana Fish 2 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
From the back cover: When Dino arranges Ash's frame-up for the murder of a man he had motive to kill twenty times over, an "accident" behind bars is on the agenda. But in the same prison is Max Lobo, a journalist himself on the trail of the enigma code-named Banana Fish... Review: After reading more of Banana Fish, I wonder why I ever thought it was slow. The second volume is … [Read more...] about Banana Fish 2 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
If there remains anyone who doubts that One Piece is something special in the world of shounen manga, they need only read these three volumes to be convinced. Volume sixteen begins with Luffy and Sanji on their way up a treacherous, snowy mountain to deliver a feverish Nami to the only doctor (Kureha) left on Drum Island. They're waylaid by some giant killer bunnies, but an … [Read more...] about One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
Adolf 2: An Exile in Japan by Osamu Tezuka: A
From the back cover: Japanese reporter Sohei Toge returns to his homeland, where he finally learns the secret that led to his brother's brutal murder at the hands of the Gestapo. But now the Japanese secret police are on his tail, and the SS officer who tortured him in Germany has followed him to Japan to hush him up—permanently! As fate would have it, Yukie Kaufmann, the … [Read more...] about Adolf 2: An Exile in Japan by Osamu Tezuka: A
Cheeky Angel 11-13 by Hiroyuki Nishimori: C+
In my review of volumes 1-10 of Cheeky Angel, I wrote, "Sometimes I’m not a fan of episodic storylines, but Cheeky Angel pulls it off because Nishimori-sensei never loses sight of the most important aspect of the story: Megumi’s struggle to choose between accepting her current femininity and finding a way to return to what she once was." Unfortunately, this no longer holds … [Read more...] about Cheeky Angel 11-13 by Hiroyuki Nishimori: C+