Welcome to another installment of Tidbits! This time I turn my attention to sports manga, a genre for which I nurture an inexplicable adoration. First up is Crimson Hero, a shoujo tale that attempts to balance volleyball and romance, followed by six early volumes of Eyeshield 21 and four later ones from The Prince of Tennis, in which the Seishun Academy tennis team finally … [Read more...] about Tidbits: Sports Manga for the Win!
VIZ
Kamisama Kiss 1 by Julietta Suzuki: B
From the back cover: Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity! Nanami has … [Read more...] about Kamisama Kiss 1 by Julietta Suzuki: B
Genkaku Picasso 1 by Usamaru Furuya: B-
From the back cover: Having cheated death, Hikari Hamura must save himself by using his artistic abilities to help others. Hikari Hamura, nicknamed Picasso because of his natural artistic abilities, survived a horrible accident, but his friend Chiaki wasn't so lucky. Suddenly, Chiaki appears in front of him and tells him in order to keep living he must help the people around … [Read more...] about Genkaku Picasso 1 by Usamaru Furuya: B-
The Return of the NANA Project
I've reached a point with NANA where, instead of wanting to write a review all by my lonesome, I save all my thoughts for the always-enjoyable roundtable discussion with Danielle Leigh and MJ. Their perceptions of the work cause me to look at it in new ways, and it's a testament to the depth of the story that we're on our eighth column and still haven't run out of things to … [Read more...] about The Return of the NANA Project
Let’s Get Visual: Of Sakura and the Sea
MICHELLE: Welcome to the November edition of Let's Get Visual, a monthly column in which Manga Bookshelf's MJ and I attempt to improve our understanding of manga art! We don't have any particular theme this month, but that hasn't stopped us from assembling some interesting pages to talk about! MJ has chosen a two-page spread from the fourth volume of Children of the Sea, … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Of Sakura and the Sea