Twelve-year-old Ciel Phantomhive is, through as-yet-unexplained circumstances, the head of his aristocratic family. He lives in a beautiful manor house near London with his servants, led by the impressively capable Sebastian, and runs a company that manufactures confections and toys. In the first chapter, we witness Sebastian’s skill as he whips up dinner for a guest (hindered … [Read more...] about Black Butler 1 by Yana Toboso: B-
Yen Press
Yotsuba&! 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma: A
From the back cover: Hello! This is Koiwai Yotsuba, Yotsuba Koiwai... um, YOTSUBA! Yotsuba moved with Daddy to a new house from our old house waaaaaaay over there! And moving's fun 'cos people wave! (Ohhhh!!) And Yotsuba met these nice people next door and made friends to play with. I hope we get to play a lot. And eat ice cream! And-and-and... oh yeah! You should come play … [Read more...] about Yotsuba&! 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma: A
Pandora Hearts 1 by Jun Mochizuki: B
From the back cover: The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessalius's coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he knows nothing. Thrown into the Abyss—an eternal prison from which there is no escape—Oz meets a young girl named Alice, who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to … [Read more...] about Pandora Hearts 1 by Jun Mochizuki: B
Welcome to Wakaba-soh 2 by Chaco Abeno: D
Just in case you were uncertain about what kind of manga this is, the volume opens with five color pages containing about a dozen bra and panty shots and one profile view of bountiful, nude bosoms. The main storyline involves a not-too-bright boy called Kentarou Sawai who lives in a building with a bunch of girls of varying character types. He’s in love with Karen, the pretty … [Read more...] about Welcome to Wakaba-soh 2 by Chaco Abeno: D
Sunshine Sketch 4 by Ume Aoki: C
I’m not a particular fan of moe, but Sunshine Sketch, a 4-koma series about a group of girls living in an apartment building across from the art high school they all attend, is actually better than I thought it would be. It wasn’t a good sign when the character introduction page summed up each girl in three sentences, including facts like “She is always on a budget and … [Read more...] about Sunshine Sketch 4 by Ume Aoki: C