Manga Review: Behind the Scenes!! Volume 1 by Bisco Hattori Ranmaru Karisu is a couple of months into his freshman year at Shichikoku University, but he still doesn’t know anyone. A shy, sensitive boy, he’s had bad luck with social relationships in the past and shrinks from the crowd. Until the zombies attack! It turns… Continue reading Manga Review: Behind the Scenes!! Volume 1
Tag: shoujo
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! Volume 3
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! Volume 3 by Go Ikeyamada Quick recap: Megumu and Mitsuru Kobayashi are fraternal twins who have been dressing as each other at their schools as part of a wacky scheme to bring up Mitsuru’s history grades. Each of them has fallen in love while in disguise as the opposite… Continue reading Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! Volume 3
Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz by Natsumi Ando Tango Minami’s mother runs a ballroom dance school, where he helps out as a dance instructor (he’s tall for a junior high student.) But due to a disastrous mistake in his childhood, Tango has decided never to take another full-time partner, and thus not qualify for… Continue reading Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts Volume 2
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts Volume 2 by Go Ikeyamada Recapping from Volume 1: Megumu and Mitsuru Kobayashi, fraternal twins, have been impersonating each other at their respective schools in an effort to get Mitsuru to not fail history. As a side effect, each of the twins has fallen in love with someone at… Continue reading Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts Volume 2
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! #1
Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! #1 by Go Ikeyamada When the Kobayashi twins, Megumu and Mitsuru, were born, their parents named them after people important in the life of feudal warlord Date Masamune. It seems that their family was descended from retainers of that Warring States era general. When they grew to adolesence, Mitsuru became… Continue reading Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!! #1
Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)
Once again this year I participated in the “Anime and Manga for Speculative Fiction Fans” panel at Minicon. As promised at the panel, here’s a list of the items mentioned–I make no representations regarding the quality of the ones I have not seen. .hack: A series of interlocking video games, anime, manga and light novels… Continue reading Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)
Manga Review: Yukarism
Manga Review: Yukarism by Chika Shiomi Teen author Yukari Kobayakawa was born with a birthmark that resembles a sword wound. His books set in the Edo period of Japan are best-sellers; but curiously he never does any research for them. It’s as though that knowledge is his birthright. Yukari’s life goes from odd but… Continue reading Manga Review: Yukarism
Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3
Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3 by Yoshiki Nakamura Kyouko Mogami and Shoutaro “Shou” Fuwa grew up together after Kyouko’s mother largely abandoned her. The Fuwa family runs a chain of traditional Japanese inns, but Shou didn’t want to go into that business, partially because it is the proprietress that is the face of the inn,… Continue reading Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3
Open Thread: She’s Back!
Back in the early 1990s, Naoko Takeuchi created a character named “Sailor V.” While mahou shoujo (magical girls) had been around for decades in manga and anime, ever since Bewitched was imported from America, Sailor V was a unique blend of stereotypical girly interests and action heroine. This attracted the notice of Toei Animation, who… Continue reading Open Thread: She’s Back!
Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1
Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1 by Maki Minami Hime Kino isn’t much like her name would imply (“Hime” means “Princess.”) She’s clumsy and tomboyish, and none too bright. Plus, she’s got a voice like a gravel pit, that only gets worse when she tries to sound cute. But she’s a huge fan of… Continue reading Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1