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.

Manga Review: Limit, Volume 1, by Keiko Suenobu

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Vertical

Release Date: October, 2012

Volumes: 6

Spoilers?: No.

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

Next Volume.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mizuki Konno is your typical high school junior at Yanno Prefectural High School. Like many teens her age she is studying hard for college and when she has some down time she likes to fuss over fashion and make-up. While she may not be one of the class elites, Mizuki is fortunate to be on the right side of her class's idols. But that might not settle well with those who are in a similar academic status but not so lucky with their social lives.

Mizuki really isn't a bad person. However she understands that she is one of the haves. And even if she only has so a strand to hold on to, that's much more than the introverts or the socially inept.

On the day of the field trip, Mizuki's position with the cool kids cannot be better. But now a good portion of her class are now firmly against her. While this "lower" clique may not be united, their hatred is much stronger than their differences. Unfortunately tragedy strikes in the form of a traffic accident. And now the class is split into two new groups...the living and the dead!

Almost the entire class has been wiped out and the five remaining girls are injured and lost in the wilderness. They also hate each other, and in a mix of Lord of the Flies with Heathers these girls begin to assert their wills against each other to try to survive while enacting a new class structure where looks and style is no longer the definition of influence.

Review

I finally picked up this series, during the RightStuf! sale (ohmygod, you guys. That sale practically made me go broke) (kidding) (kind of). I’d heard both Kodansha and Vertical mention it, and it had never really caught my notice until they did. It fell completely under my radar, which is a shame.

I knew it would have darker themes, but I still didn’t know much about it until I decided to get it. I went into it knowing about the Lord of the Flies elements, and was looking forward to the psychological aspects, but was still a little unsure, but looking forward to it.

I wasn’t expecting much from the art, but it’s actually very pretty. I love the way the characters, particularly their faces and expressions, look. The details are really nice, very realistic, really graphic at times. It’s really pretty to look at. Also, the books are so tiny, similar to how Japan prints their manga, and I love it. It’s just kind of refreshing, and they’re so cute, I love looking at them.

I also wasn’t expecting to like the main character, Konno, as I was thinking she was going to be a bitch, and while she is rather selfish and always looking to be following the majority, I’m also really intrigued by her. She figured out when she was young that people will turn on you, and so has decided not to get close to anyone and just follow along and agree. And now she’s stranded with four other classmates after the school bus crashes and kills everyone else; she's not close with any of them, and she’s thrown completely out of her element.

There’s one girl, Kamiya, who’s smart and calm and getting a handle on things realistically. One girl’s hurt and doesn’t know what to do. Another was ‘friends’ with Konno but actually detests her. And the last was bullied and is kind of psychotic now, claiming power.

There are already the beginnings of betrayal and rage and violence, and I’m sure it’s only going to get worse from now until it gets better, if it gets better. Which I'm not even sure that it will, and that excites me. I’m really looking forward to it.

I love psychological books, and there are too little of them out there, in my opinion. I also don’t read a lot of straight-out violently psychological books where I don’t have any clue how it’s going to end, so I’m really looking forward to reading more of this series.