Title:  I Shall Never Return Vol 2

Author:  Kazuna Uchida

Publisher:  Deux

ISBN:  9781934496107

May Contain Spoilers

My goodness, the characters in this series lead the most angst ridden, tortured lives, ever!  With the exception of Ritsuro, the males are selfish and unstable, looking only to find happiness while awash in their pain.  Ken and Iwasaki are really just reflections of each other, striking out because of unresolved loneliness and pent up bitterness due to unresolved issues with parental figures - in Ken’s case, he just wants his mother’s affection, while Iwasaki is simmering with resentment for his father.  In an effort to garner attention from their parents, they betray their friends and journey down a dark road of self-destruction.

I can’t really say that I am enjoying this series, but I find myself fascinated by the actions of the characters.  It’s like when driving by an accident, and not being able to stop from rubbernecking.   Ken is really very difficult to like, as he’s sunk into a lifestyle that’s abhorrent and contemptible.  However, he’s decided to turn over a new leaf in this volume, after being overcome with guilt and regret over the suicide of a friend.  Of course events conspire against his new resolve, and his dark past catches up with him in a nasty way.  One of the things I dislike about I Shall Never Return is how sex is used as a weapon, to humiliate and intimidate.  I don’t find all of the rapes and attempted rapes titillating - I find them reprehensible, and a story element that I just don’t like.

Throughout the train wreck of Ken’s life,  Ritsuro is there for him, steadfast in his love for his troubled friend.  His devotion, however, isn’t totally unreserved - he thinks that through the power of his affection, Ken will change for him, transforming into a decent guy.  So that makes me wonder - does Ritsuro love Ken as he is, or Ken as he wishes he would become?  Either way, I think he’s in for a rocky relationship with his unpredictable lover.

Grade:  B-

Rated for Mature

Review copy provided by Deux

Title:  Crimson Hero Vol 5

Author:  Mitsuba Takanashi

Publisher:  VIZ

ISBN:  9781421510125

May Contain Spoilers

I enjoyed this volume better than the last, partly because volleyball took a backseat to all of the drama.  Walking home in the rain with Yushin one day, he and Nobara see Satomi kissing a stranger. Oops!  Busted cheating on him, Satomi confesses to Nobara that she felt like she was second fiddle to Yushin’s love of volleyball.  Nobara is bewildered that Satomi didn’t share her feelings with Yushin instead of being unfaithful to him.  She’s alarmed when Yushin sinks into the depths of despair after discovering Satomi’s indiscretions.  When Nobara confronts him about his self-destructive behavior, she’s overcome with emotion and bursts into tears.  Here’s the guy that she loves, and he’s totally withdrawn from everything, refusing even to eat.  This was a powerful scene, as Nobara becomes so frustrated with Yushin that she starts punching him, trying to jolt him out of his despondency, angry with him for letting this stop him in his tracks.

Haibuki is starting to take on a sinister air, and he’s getting a little creepy.  He knows that Nobara has a major crush on Yushin, but he doesn’t care.  He’s determined to win her over, and refuses to give up on her.  He even starts scheming about how to spend time with her, whether she wants his company or not.  He’s walking a fine line here between loving her and hating her, between wanting to be with her and wanting to see her have her feelings crushed.  Yup, that’s a little creepy.

Nobara has a rival introduced in this volume, by the name of Kanako Noda.  Tall and lanky like Nobara, she’s a track star with the hots for Yushin.  To get closer to him, she tries out for the volleyball team, which is desperately short members and may be demoted to a recreational group.  Nobara is thrilled with their new teammate, until Kanako starts making a nuisance of herself by chasing after Yushin.  Kanako is goofy and rambunctious, open with her attraction to Yushin and lacking a shy bone in her body.  She’s quite the contrast to the reserved Nobara, and the two clash over Kanako’s less than dedicated approach to volleyball.     

Yup, as long as Crimson Hero stays off the volleyball court, I find the story a fun, though overly dramatic, read. 

Grade:  B

Rated for Teen

Title:  NANA Vol 10

Author:  Ai Yazawa

Publisher:  VIZ

ISBN:  9781421517469

May Contain Spoilers

When Ren and Nana become front page news,  their relationship gets put on hold.  Ren is rushed off to the UK for a promo shoot, and Nana is trapped in her apartment by a pack of blood thirsty reporters.  It’s Yasu to the rescue, and then Nana finds herself bundled off to the mountains to work on BLAST’s album.  Meanwhile, Hachi is learning that being engaged to a hot rock star like Takumi isn’t all fun and games.

In a moment of carelessness, Ren and Nana are captured on film, feeding the frenzied news outlets with the revelation of their relationship. Meeting this new challenge head on, Nana is determined to make it big, for no other reason than to steal Hachi back from Takumi.  Hachi’s become like a favorite toy, and the kids at the day care aren’t willing to share her.  Nana is the most selfish, wanting to keep her friend only for herself.  Sure, she was willing to share her with Nobu, but everybody else had better keep their hands off.  Takumi is just as bad, settling his fiance in a super posh apartment, and then leaving instructions at the reception desk to deny that they live there.  Sorry Hachi, you’re in isolation!

Nana’s got another problem, and I’m wondering if her pride will allow her to continue along her current path. With news about her and Ren the talk of the town, the record label is suddenly interested in releasing some of BLAST’s material.  It looks like they might even be in on some of leaks to the media.  Why wouldn’t they want to cash in on all of this free publicity for their up and coming band?  But how will it sit with Nana, now that the public perception is that she’s just riding on Ren’s coattails for her shot at some time in the spotlight?  All of the news is slanted to put her in a bad light, so she’s got an uphill battle to be a well-liked celebrity.  Ren, the handsome devil, is a fan favorite, and now that he’s got a girlfriend, his fans aren’t too happy - with Nana - Ren, they still think can do no wrong.

My favorite aspect of NANA is how all of the characters’ relationships are interwoven.  They all have pasts that haunt them, or irrational feelings that dictate their actions.  They spin their wheels, struggling to pursue their goals, even though more often than not, succeeding doesn’t make them any happier. And just when things seem suffocatingly unbearable, Ai Yazawa manages to inject a sparkling gem of humor amidst all of the dramatic angst. 

Grade:  B+

Rated for Mature

Review copy provided by VIZ

Title:  I Hate You More Than Anyone Vol 4

Author:  Banri Hidaka

Publisher:  CMX

ISBN:  9781401214029

May Contain Spoilers

Banri Hidaka has a very muddled and rambling storytelling style than can sometimes be exasperating.  Her characters often beat around the bush, dancing around issues instead of getting them out in the open and clearing the air.  I have to be in a certain frame of mind to read her works, or I begin to become impatient with the pacing and the stuttering dialog.  When the characters finally get to the point, though, there is dynamite interaction and fast-paced dialog.  It just sometimes takes a while to get there.

This volume has Kazuha finally confide to Sugimoto about her plan to become a hair stylist.  He warns her that it’s hard work, and then sets her up with a job at Honjo’s salon so she can get some valuable on the job training.  While discovering that working in a salon is hard work, even though she’s really only a gopher, she also discovers that getting along with co-workers isn’t always a piece of cake.  Will she survive her first job?

I enjoyed the brewing relationship between Senko and Honjo, and think they make a charismatic couple.  There’s a simmering tension between them, and even Senko’s insults can’t hide it.  Despite being sarcastic and a pain in the butt, Honjo was there when Senko needed a shoulder to cry on.  Right now, their relationship is more interesting than Kazuha’s and Sugimoto’s.  Sob!  Sugimoto!  You are being neglected again in this volume!  Why do you have to work so much?

The art is the other reason that I keep coming back for more.  Everyone is so attractive, with perfect hair and exquisite taste in clothing.  Well, maybe not Honjo, who looks like he has wings on his head, but pretty much everyone else.  Kazuha, I want your clothes!  I’m much too short to do them justice, but they look so elegant.  Much more appealing than my crumbled jeans and thermals.

Grade: B

Rated for Teen

Title:  I-Doll Vol 1

Author:  Mi-Ae Choi

Publisher:  TOKYOPOP

ISBN:  9781427805867

May Contain Spoilers

When four troublemakers are hauled off by the police and their antics make the newspapers the next day, the administrative staff of their school has had enough of their bad behavior.  In an effort to make them see the error of their ways, the principal comes up with an unusual punishment - they must form a rock band, or perform exceedingly nasty community service.  When they choose to form the band, mayhem is sure to follow!

Ugh! Give me back the half hour I wasted sloughing through this book! Please! For a comedy, it wasn’t funny.  At all.  There are also too many characters thrown together, muddling the plot.  There is zero character development, and the only fact gleaned about any of the main characters is that they like to fight. A lot.  Ji-Yoo is a genius, but bored with mundane studies - he’s been busted gambling.  Na-Rae is also known as Princess Pick-A-Fight, and while attending a concert, she lives up to her name, getting into a battle with another girl over possession of a stuffed toy.  Yung-Goo is a gang leader, and he’s been dragged off by the police for beating up defenseless passers-by.  To round out the pack of misfits is Woong Jung, Yung-Goo’s mortal enemy and the leader of a rival gang. 

Several other characters clutter the plot, serving no other purpose than to fight with the main offenders.  Nothing made much sense, especially the entire screwy idea to force the delinquents bringing down the school’s reputation to form a band.  Has the principal been watching too many episodes of American Idol?  There was so much random fighting and bickering that it all became very boring and confusing. 

The illustrations aren’t so bad, though several of the characters looked too much alike.  Still, the art was the most interesting aspect of the book, though, like the plot, it suffered from unevenness and was often cluttered.  It wasn’t always easy trying to figure out what was going on and the cramped panels soon gave me a headache.

Grade:  D

Rated for Teen

Review copy provided by TOKYOPOP

Title:  Love*Com Vol 6

Author:  Aya Nakahara

Publisher:  VIZ

ISBN:  9781421517391

May Contain Spoilers

Once again, I was overcome with impatience while reading this volume, wanting to alternately strangle Risa or Ôtani.  How many times can they go back and forth, in Risa’s case remaining loyal like a puppy, and in Ôtani’s, remaining clueless like a rock?  Like Risa, I was ready to chuck it all away, until Maitake joined the cast, and Risa decided that enough was enough.  It’s time to give up on Ôtani and move along with her life.  Yay!  You tell off that little twerp, Risa!

I think the thing that bothers me the most about Love*Com is how blindly devoted Risa is to Ôtani.  She doesn’t know why she loves him, or even when she fell for him, but she’s convinced, with an unswerving resolution, that he’s the one for her.  When her friends get on her case because of her less than romantic idea of true love, she’s a little bewildered by all the fuss.  Short-sighted, she hasn’t given much thought to what will happen if they ever do start dating; hand holding and kissing take a back seat to hanging out and going to Umibozu concerts.  Don’t they?  Or is she just so embarrassed about her height that she chooses not to think about it?

When it finally dawns on Risa that Ôtani just doesn’t consider her girlfriend material, and he isn’t the slightest bit attracted to her, she starts to see the writing on the wall.  All of this pining after the little shrimp won’t ever get him to love her back, and that’s when I started to get sucked into the plot again.  Now it’s not Risa that chasing relentlessly after Ôtani, oh, no.  Needing an outlet for her energies, she’s turned her broken heart in the direction of new teacher Maitake, becoming the president of his fan club for him and leading cheers for him at basketball practice, where he’s taken over as the team’s coach.  It’s all silly and far-fetched, but you know something?  It’s fun watching Ôtani squirm, now that Risa’s officially turned in her resignation letter for her unappreciated position of his number one fan.  As clueless as he is, will Ôtani realize that Risa is the only girl for him before it’s too late?  And before he totally destroys her self-esteem?  Poor Risa.  I think everyone would be happier if we all just stapled Ôtani’s lips shut.

Grade: B

Rated for Teen

I am a little underwhelmed by this month’s Previews.  Sure, there are plenty of on-going series that I enjoy, like Boys Over Flowers, Kekkaishi, and The Palette of 12 Secret Colors, but there’s not a lot of new stuff to grab my interest.  That’s probably for the best, though, since some of my to-be-read piles are starting to get a scary lean to them.  I wonder how long it would be before someone found me if they ever tipped over…

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol 7 by Eiji Otsuka & Housui Yamazaki - Dark Horse - Buy this one so that Dark Horse doesn’t cancel the title.  Please!  Besides, it’s clever and morbidly funny.

Ruff Love by Tamaki Kirishima - Aurora - It’s got a cute puppy-boy!  It’s about time canines received some attention, instead of letting the cat-boys have all of the fun.

Knights Vol 1 by Minoru Murao - Digital Manga - It’s a love story, and it’s not with two guys!  A girl who is going to be burned as a witch, and a knight has to decide whether or not to save her. 

Jyu-Oh-Sei Vol 1by  Natsumi Itsuki - TOKYOPOP - I watched a couple episodes of the anime and thought it was pretty intriguing, so I’ll give this new series from TP a shot.  Murder, kidnapping, and carnivorous plants can’t be all that bad, right?

Sugar Princess: Skating To Win Vol 1 by Hisaya Nakajo - VIZ - I’m not exactly a skating fan, but Hisaya Nakajo’s illustrations are pretty, so I’ll check out at least the first volume of this series. 

Los Angeles, CA, April 5 2008 – Manga publisher Go! Comi announced today that they will be publishing one of the most hotly-anticipated new manga series, 07-Ghost.

Set in a gothic fantasy world, 07-Ghost tells the story of Teito, a former slave who is now pursued by the forces of the Barsburg Empire because of his exceptional ability to use a form of magic called Zaiphon. Teito’s discovery of his true nature and his subsequent quest for revenge involve him in the affairs of the Gods themselves, as he finds himself at the center of the conflict between Verloren, the God of Death, and the mysterious “beings of light” sent by Heaven to oppose him: the Seven Ghosts.

“We’re thrilled to be presenting this incredible series in the U.S.,” said Go! Comi Creative Director Audry Taylor. “With its amazing artwork, exciting characters, and engrossing story, 07-Ghost is truly a cut above. It appeals to all types of manga fans across the board.” Taylor added, “We’ve actually had many fans request that we license this series. They know we’ll give 07-Ghost the same level of excellence that got us nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Presentation of Japanese Material last year, with the finest translation and the highest production values.”

07-Ghost was originally published by Ichijinsha in Zero Sum Magazine. There are currently six volumes, and the series is still running. A drama CD based on the series was recently released in Japan. Go! Comi’s edition of Volume One will be published in January.

ABOUT GO! COMI:  Go! Comi is known for its exciting manga series and top-notch production values. Among its publications are the Bookscan best-sellers Tenshi Ja Nai!! and Her Majesty’s Dog, and the Eisner Award-nominated After School Nightmare, which was named one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens of 2008 by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Two other Go! Series, Train + Train and Cantarella, have also been cited by the YALSA Great Graphic Novels list.

I just posted a review of Tsuta Suzuki’s A Strange and Mystifying Story Vol 1 over at MangaCast.  Please drop in if time permits.  Please click here for the review.