Manga Review: Limit, Volume 6, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: July, 2013

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 5.

RightStuf Synopsis:

Cliques and circles tear a class of high school teens apart, so when a traffic accident in the mountains wipes out much of the class, five teens must resort to threats and peer pressure to ensure their survival.
Story and art by Keiko Suenobu.

What Will I Miss?:

• I'll miss the characters, particularly Konno.
• I really enjoyed the look on human nature, and how people react in situations like this one. The view of it all, and how that changed. The psychological aspect.
• I'll miss the art, because it was surprisingly really pretty. Also, I kind of enjoyed the size of the book, which I wasn't expecting.

Review:

This was a really, really good series, and I’m really, really glad that I picked it up. It wasn’t what I expected, in several ways.

Everything gets pushed to a head in this book, and we get the ending. I really liked the characters in this series. I liked Konno most; I like being in her head, I understood her, and I liked how strong she stayed through all of it. I liked Kamiya, and liked where she was by the end. I was okay with Morishige by the end, was happy with how she ended up. I’m happy with what happened to Haru. I was really upset with what happened with Hinata, especially since nothing happened to the other kids, and some of them did bad things as well. I was mostly sad for him, though, because of how much I liked him.

I think my biggest problem with the series is that I wanted more. I don’t want anyone to think that was a fault with the series, because we did get enough of the characters and storyline, definitely, but I wanted to get to know them more. I wanted to get in the head of all of them, find out more about their family lives, meet their families. I wanted to see more of what happened after they got home. I just generally wanted to know more of each of them, which I think is because I liked them so much.

I’m really happy with everything that happened, and the ending was really good, but I wish that it was longer just so I could get more of their stories.

Still, I’m really glad that I picked this up, and would definitely suggest reading it. This series got skipped over a lot, which is sad, because I would have liked Vertical to publish more, similar books.

Manga Review: Limit, Volume 5, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: May, 2013

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

As a search-and-rescue party is now deep into the hunt for survivors, another young life has fallen seemingly from the hands of another. Tensions are high, but Mizuki feels she may have found brief solace in old acquaintance Haruaki. But her trust may soon be betrayed once again, when he reveals who may be behind murders since the bus crash, potentially driving the pair further into darkness.

Review:

Oh my god, this is just so good! I’m loving every bit of it. The next book is the last and I’m so excited, but I also can’t believe that it went by so fast (as I read most of them in one night).

It’s so violent and dark. We’re seeing so much more of these people, such darker sides, than I thought we would. It’s so intense! I love it!

I can’t believe Hinata. It’s horrible and I’m so upset, and I’m dreading what’ll happen to him in the next volume. All of these characters are just making bad, hurried, terrified decision after decision, and it’s horrible. It makes me frustrated and sad, and I kind of want to cry for them.

I suppose I don’t have a lot to say, because I don’t want to spoil everything, since talking about pretty much any of it will spoil everything.

The next volume is going to be so good, and possibly really horrible, and I’m dreading it and so excited at the same time. I’m sad for it, because I know bad things are coming. But at the same time, hopefully something good will come of it?

I don’t know. I’m mostly excited, though.

Manga Review: Limit, Volume 4, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: March, 2013

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After experiencing countless tragedies, the remaining survivors have settled into their roles hoping to make it out of their ordeal alive. Nevertheless, tensions held over from the classroom still linger, especially when death strikes once again taking the life of the remaining six. Now with an actual murderer in their midst will these teens cling on to any thread of faith in one another, or will they ultimately succumb to their collective fears?

Review:

Ohmygod this is getting so good. I should have picked this up forever ago.

There is serious drama, seriously dark stuff happening right now. Not that I wasn’t expecting it but… I kind of wasn’t expecting it? I didn’t think it would get this dark, I guess. Maybe I read too many happy-ending books, because this is definitely not one.

I don’t want to get into detail, but some really bad stuff happens in this volume. Character wise, violence wise, just in every way pretty much. I kind of can’t believe it. And I really badly want to read the next one.

I like Konno a lot, I like Kamiya. I really don’t like Morishige, but I’m hoping she gets better. I really want to like Hinata, but that ending… God, that ending just makes me so upset. And so eager for the next book. 

I am really impressed with this series. It’s really pretty, the characters are great even when they’re horrible. I’m loving the psychological stuff, the outlook and change in look on humans and friendship and survival and materialism. It’s so well done. And it gets even better, even more exciting, the more I read.

Manga Review: Limit, Volume 3, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: January, 2013

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: One with warning.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the third volume of The Limit the survivors' worst fears have come true. One of their members has fallen. And this death amongst them will test the limits of their unity. New fears will be born from this tragedy and instead of using their combined strength to search for a way home, their lack of trust will force them all to retreat into their own micro-cliques. The balance of power is now undone, and a new face-another survivor-will eventually turn things upside down!

Review:

You know, I almost didn’t pick up this series, because I was already getting so many others. Now I’m really glad that I did. Because this is really good.

Morishige is just dwindling farther and farther down the rabbit hole of her emotions. I really dislike her, and she’s seriously psychotic right now, but I’m being optimistic in that she’ll get better. We got a really good hint at what happened with her in the last volume, but we got a full picture this time, and it was as expected. Meaning really bad, and I feel for her, and I hope she tries to see reason soon.

Something bad is happening with Usui, but I won’t spoil that, because it’s rather major. Haru seems to be getting better, but is still a little iffy. Kamiya seems to be getting better as well. We got more info about what the school knows, and I really liked seeing the parents, and hope to meet more of them in the next volume. And I really like getting that other perspective.

Then (Spoiler!) we met a new character, another survivor, Hinata. And I love him. He’s adorable and sweet and cheerful. I love him. But I’m also wary that something’s going to happen with him, because I really want to keep loving him. 

This series is intense. I’m loving it. I really want to find out more about each character, like their back-story and family life, as only some of them have been explored and I want more. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Manga Review: Limit, Volume 2, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: November, 2012

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf!

Volume 1. Next Volume.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the second volume of The Limit, Mizuki has found herself in a position where her not only her social life is at risk, but her survival rests in the hands of the young women she was so desperately attempting to avoid. In the wild the strong survive, and while Alisa may not be smart or cute, she is physically strong. So she immediately takes command by gathering anything that may be used as a weapon to threaten the lives of anyone who may attempt to usurp her new found authority.

Mizuki will have to win over the trust of three people who truly despise her. Whether that means doing all the most dangerous tasks to survive or she must endure bullying, right now she understands that unity will be their only way home. Keeping that unity may be improbable, though.

Review:

At this point, I’m really glad that I picked this up. Because this is a pleasantly surprisingly good read so far.

This series is really showing the darker sides of humans, the brutal, hidden sides that only come out in extreme situations. Like this one, where a group is stranded, alone, with no way to contact the outside world, most of their classmates dead. This is definitely an extreme situation, and this is a group mixed of very different, clashing people.

I am starting to really like Konno, which I am surprised by. She notices what’s right and wrong, she has a good sense of it, and since she’s been thrown so out of her follower routine, she’s starting to use that judgment actively. And I like that. I like watching her struggle with it and come to a conclusion, and I like being in her head as she reflects on what others are doing, why they’re doing it, and why she thinks they’re wrong.

Then there’s everyone else. Kamiya is showing other sides of herself, and I’m not sure what I think of her quite yet. I suspect a big confrontation will happen with her soon, and I look forward to that. Haru and Konno seemed to have made up, and I’m intrigued by what will happen with her next. I don’t like Morishige, the violent, power-hungry one, but I look forward to finding out more about her. Usui, the one who’s hurt, got some reflection time, and we’re seeing a much darker, hurt part of her that isn’t very good.

We got a glimpse of what the school and bus company are doing, whether they know if the bus crashed or not, and I hope there’s more of that in the next volume. I like seeing the other side of things, knowing what’s going on with everyone, no matter how horrible it is. There was also an exciting cliffhanger at the end of this volume, and I really look forward to seeing where it goes next. 

I love the psychological aspects to this series so far, the darker parts of humans, even though it’s so horrible sometimes. I love the art, too. It’s so pretty, and detailed, and well done. The violence and the hurt and the graphic details are portrayed so well. It’s really nice to look at, and I am really happy that I picked this up.