Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 7, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Serizawa is a twentysomething working at a divorce attorney's office. Walking home from work one day, he gets into an accident, and a woman carries him to an ambulance. Later, at the hospital, still bleary, he receives a phone call from the woman who saved his life. This person knows intimate details about him... but he's not sure who it is. Serizawa's gentle personality has drawn lots of girls to him since his childhood, but he's far from perfect. Was it someone he loved and lost? Or perhaps someone he wronged, to whom he failed to make amends?

Review:

 I think the reason I wasn't a big fan of the ending at first was because I held so little regard for each relationship we followed. I knew they all ended badly, and I wanted to know who the girl was from the beginning. I didn't care too much for his relationship with Sam-Soon, in particular.

A large portion of this volume concludes the Nana's plot line, and I really don't care for it. Serizawa learns from it, I suppose, but it's also a mess. It's not a good situation in any form.

Then we finally discover who the girl was who started all of this. And I think it's fitting, who it turns out to be and how it turns out. It has an effect on Serizawa that he needs to get closure on certain parts of his life, and on his decision to finally make a decision and do something about it. He's spent so much time letting conflicts build and miscommunication fester and letting moments pass where he should have said something. It is good to see him finally grow past that.

I suppose it makes sense which girl he ends up with in the end, as they did seem to have the more meaningful relationship, for both of them. And looking back on it, after some time to think, I don't mind that. It fits.

This was a messy series, but I did enjoy it, for the most part.

Manga Review: Red Riding Hood and the Big Sad Wolf!, Volume 1, by Hachoujou Arata

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2017

Volumes: 2.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A kind-hearted wolf's life is turned upside down when he encounters Red Riding Hood, a gleeful pyromaniac who burns his house down and then falls in love with him.

Review:

I had rather big hopes for this series. It sounded so good. And it had such potential.

We meet the sad wolf first, as red riding hood is burning down his house. This was awful of her, and then we learn that she's a cruel sadist. She's pissed off some hunters, who are mimics of each other, and quite awful at their one job. We also meet a crow and rabbit later in the volume.

I really like the idea of this, the role reversal of little red and the wolf. And even learning that she was a sadist didn't bother me. But then the volume just turned into stupid jokes, and picking on the wolf for the fun of it. It's just random harassment, and episodic chapters, when I expected something completely different.

By the end of the volume, I just wasn't really caring anymore. I'm disappointed.

Manga Review: Sweet Blue Flowers, Volume 1, by Takako Shimura

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 8/4 Omnibus.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Akira Okudaira is starting high school and is ready for exciting new experiences. And on the first day of school, she runs into her best friend from kindergarten at the train station! Now Akira and Fumi have the chance to rekindle their friendship, but life has gotten a lot more complicated since they were kids…

Fumi is glad Akira is back in her life. Even in kindergarten, Akira knew how to stand up for herself, and she was always willing to stand up for Fumi too. But Fumi’s first love recently got married, and Fumi is grappling with a broken heart and the fact that her sweetheart was another woman… Can Akira’s open heart help dispel the gloom Fumi has been caught up in?

Review:

I'm actually upset it took me so long to get to this book. Because it was so good.

We meet Akira and Fumi, who knew each other when they were kids, and they run into each other by coincidence. Fumi is a crybaby, and Akira was always there to help her.

Just recently Fumi's crush got engaged to a guy, and she's still coming to terms with that happening, let alone that she might like girls. And then Fumi meets Sugimoto at her new school, and they suddenly start dating.

As Akira learns to accept that Fumi likes girls, Fumi and Sugimoto are attempting to grow closer, but they're both hiding something from each other. Rather similar secrets about their broken hearts, in fact.

The way all of this is told is so sweet, and light, and thoughtful. It's not dramatic and big and angsty. It's very heartfelt and realistically so. Akira tries to help where she can, as Fumi deals with her relationship issues. There are also a lot of unrequited crushes in this series, and most of them don't go away without a confession of some kind. There's struggle, but there's also an openness about it. They say what they need to.

This was a really sweet, easy volume to read, and I really enjoyed it. Quite a bit happened in this omnibus, too. I want to find out what happens next.

This does have me interested to read her other series. I'd never really looked at Wandering Son before, despite hearing good things, and now I really want to pick it up, too. This volume seemed to handle things so well, I want to read that one, too.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Flying Witch, Volume 1, by Chihiro Ishizuka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Prepare to be Bewitched!

Makoto Kowata, a novice witch, packs up her belongings (including a black cat familiar) and moves in with her distant cousins in rural Aomori to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch.

Review:

This took me a while to get around to. Mostly because, despite that I've heard good things, I was worried it wouldn't be that good. A slice-of-life series about a witch with a black cat—right there it sounds right up my alley.

And I shouldn't have waited so long, because it's great. I'm already eager for more.

Makoto moves out to live with some distant cousins, because as a witch at 15 she's supposed to move out on her own, but in modern times that's not very realistic, especially when she's still supposed to be in school.

Everyone can tell that there's something a little off about her, but she's not very good at hiding that she's a witch. We meet Kei and Chinatsu, her cousins; then there's Kei's friend Nao. Chinatsu has the hardest time getting used to Makoto, but mostly because of the weird people that come around for her.

Everyone is rather blasé about everything, and the humor is dry, but drops very well. It's very relaxed and casual, with little surprises. It reminds me a bit of Yotsuba&!, in the best way.

I'm already hooked, honestly, and can't wait to read more.

Review: Feral King (The Dominant Bastard Duology, #1) by Sparrow Beckett

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Genre: Erotica/Adult Contemporary Romance; BDSM, Dark, MMF

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: June 2017

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Minnow Korsgaard works a dead end job to make ends meet. When she’s hired to take care of a wealthy old man with no social skills, she’s excited to have found work in her field.

The new boss isn’t at all what she expected.

Severin Leduc is only thirty. He’s also a dominant, tattooed brute who’s needs someone to break through the walls he’s built. The exiled son of a wealthy family, he’s unapologetically rude and eccentric. Raised by servants, he doesn’t want extra people in his life, let alone a pretty girl who refuses to leave him in peace.

Minnow’s submissive nature sparks against Severin’s dominance. Torrid sexual attraction flares between them. Sharing her with his best friend, Rodrigo, only strengthens their growing bond, and Severin’s life is scattered into chaos. Will he learn to trust her, or will he live the rest of his life forgotten?


Warning: BDSM, dark themes. Character's memories of prior abuse may trigger some readers.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It's a bit intense, but not a stereotypical romance cover. I think the font and placement of the cover works really well, as do all the tattoos and pose of the model.

 

Review:

I did not expect this book to be quite so dark, or so addicting.

Minnow ends up being Severin's new housekeeper/babysitter. She thinks she's going to be helping some old man, only to find out that he's a dominant thirty-year-old with no social skills. He wants nothing to do with anyone, doesn't believe anyone will stick around. He's constantly pushing Minnow, testing her and pushing her away. But Minnow is steady and she believes in him, and she's attracted despite the threat that he might actually hurt her.

I was surprised by how dark some of the sex gets. It's violent at times, physically scarring and rough and mean. I found it seriously hot, but I'm sure some people won't. I also rather understood why Minnow stayed and kept pushing him by being a steady presence, even if it seemed like he'd gone too far at times. I'm intrigued by the MM/MMF (or is it just MFM?) undertones that were present, and am hoping they'll become more serious in the next book. That makes me hopeful.

Severin has been through some awful things, and it's dark when he's finally honest with Minnow about it. I'm intrigued to see where that cliffhanger will go in the next one.

This book gave me a serious book hangover and it took me a while to get over it. I'm still a little obsessed, and am extremely excited for the next one to be released. I can't wait for it to arrive on my Kindle.

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland, Volume 1, by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The children of the Grace Field House orphanage have their happy lives upended when they find out they’re being raised to be fed to demons. Can they escape their fate before it’s too late?

Life at Grace Field House has been good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious foods and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing. The children of the orphanage are being raised as food for monsters, and their loving caretaker is behind it all! Emma and the others plan their escape, but can they make it out before it’s too late…?

Review:

The volume starts with everything looking good and happy, but there's a sense of ominous pervading. The narrator is hinting, but it takes a chapter to see why. Aside from the overbearing testing they do, for who know what reason (at first).

And then Emma and Norman stumble upon the reason for the orphanage, for what the kids are being prepared for. We find out that Emma, Norman, and Ray are the oldest, and possibly the smartest of the kids at the moment. Emma is active and not street smart; Norman is happy on the surface but always thinking ahead and calculating; and Ray is the quiet one, who's always reading and staying in the back. But all of them help around the house and care for everyone else.

Even from the beginning, the Mother of the house has an eerie feel—that placid smile on her face is clearly hiding something, which we discover later in the volume.

One they find out the secret, they start watching and calculating and planning, but they have to keep pretenses up or they'll be discovered.

I was hoping that they would get to discover the outside world faster, but it looks like they have quite a bit of obstacles to overcome first, plus they have high goals for getting out.

This volume was really good. It was rather unsettling, but done very well, and I want to know what happens next. I want to see what's beyond the orphanage, and what happened to their world.

Manga Review: Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Volume 1, by Rin Mikimoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A sardonic rom-com manga, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight is perfect for fans of shojo like My Little Monster and Kare Kano.
Hinana prizes her reputation as a serious high school student, too focused on getting into college to pay attention to boys. But she's a secret fairytale romance freak, sneaking away from her studies to see A Roman Holiday and tucking pop idol magazines into her textbooks. When her celebrity crush comes to her school to film a TV episode, she has to pretend to be totally uninterested even as she desperately tries to get close to him. However, she's not the only one who's not what she appears... her dreamboat isn't just a pretty face either!

Review:

I don't know how I feel about this series.

One day, while Kaede is filming at Hinana's school, she accidentally sees a side of him that no one else has seen. It turns out that Kaede has a panty fetish. After discovering this, they end up bumping into each other a few more times. And Kaede equally discovers that Hinana is secretly a romantic, something she hides from her friends/classmates.

There's some drama regarding some borrowed shoes, and Kaede's manager. The humor is dramatic and exaggerated, and the humorous reactions are a bit annoying. I'm iffy on whether I like that or not. But at the same time, I do appreciate that they don't push off their attraction, and that they decide to try dating, even given their differences and him being famous.

I liked parts, I was iffy on others. I'm a little intrigued by the ending. And I am intrigued by the premise. I think I'm going to give it a few more tries, see if it grows on me.

Manga Review: I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: One Peace Books

Release Date: August 2017

Volumes: 3+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Because of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. That is until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi. He tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi's words cut through Kohei's usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.

Review:

Kohei has a hearing disability, and so a lot of people think he's rude and antisocial. Taichi accidentally bumps into him, and thus forms a friendship. Taichi starts taking notes for Kohei in class, and Kohei gives him food.

I liked Taichi from the beginning. He's a poor college student, and he loves food. It's rather relatable, actually. Kohei wasn't born deaf, and he can still hear somewhat, and he doesn't even know sign language. It was a really interesting take on being deaf, and I appreciated it.

The yaoi element is rather slow, and takes quite a lot of the volume to even become apparent to the characters. It's definitely felt from early on, though, and I loved seeing their struggles with their feelings, especially Kohei's. It's hard and painful. The ending is somewhat open, but still in a nice place. I'm so glad that there's a sequel, because I need there to be more to their story.

I'm really glad that I picked this up, and I cannot wait to read the next one.

Manga Review: Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Volume 1, by Megumi Morino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 6.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

This funny and heartrending romantic manga set in modern Tokyo is not the fairy tale you remember! This time, Prince Charming is a teenage janitor, and Sleeping Beauty's curse is a supernatural, gender-bending dream that threatens to pull them both into a deeper and deeper slumber...

THE AWAKENING

High schooler Tetsu Misato is hardworking, frugal, and easily scared, but he commits to a part-time job at the mansion on the hill—the one that’s rumored to be haunted. As he toils away, he notices a building separate from the estate, and the mysterious girl who lives within it: Shizu Karasawa. Tetsu slowly becomes enchanted by Shizu’s lonely smile, but by their second encounter, he quickly finds himself in over his head. There’s an unsettling feeling he can’t quite shake, but there’s love there, too.

Review:

In the first half of this volume, I was a little iffy, and wasn't even sure if I would read more. But by the end of the volume, I was intrigued and wanted the next one.

Tetsu starts working at this mansion where his father works, as a deal instead of going to school. He's doing his best, but he knows the rules about no one going to the house in the back. But then he stumbles upon Shizu on accident, and it starts up an interesting friendship. The Shizu we first see is fun and energetic. But later, Tetsu meets Shizu, and she's a completely different person.

We get some scenes from Shizu's point of view, so we get to see her interacting with the other people inside her. It's a very interesting dynamic, and it's done really well so far. It's a little unclear how it works exactly, but I believe that's intentional. I like the different personalities we've met so far, but it's hinted there's another. And then, when Shizu goes out with Tetsu, something else happens.

Each personality is very different, shown differently, and the atmosphere can completely change. Tetsu struggled with his own feelings on it, and he's not sure how to handle it or whether he wants to deal with it.

I'm so intrigued by this, and I really want to read more and see what happens next.

Manga Review: Love Stage!!, Volume 7, by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The next stage of boys’ love!

Izumi Sena is an average guy born into a family of famous celebrities. A college student and total otaku, he works hard every day with the goal of someday becoming a manga creator.

Read the sexy conclusion to Ryoma and Izumi's showbiz romance!

Review:

Izumi is getting stalked in this volume, and thus has to stay with Ryoma. No hardship for either of them, clearly. Though this does push Izumi to want to try being the top again, which causes Ryoma some terror.

Izumi is so very energetic. His friend sees him and Ryoma kissing, and instead of worrying even a little, he gets excited to finally tell someone about it. He's like a puppy as he tries to be the top with Ryoma, excited to be the “man”. Though, to be fair, Ryoma is also excited about their relationship, and doesn't worry at all what other people might think. It's rather nice, honestly.

This was actually quite a nice end to the series. This was an unabashedly fun series for me, even if it had some theme issues. It was fun. I do quite love Rei and Shogo, and would honestly love to see their story. It also seems like Kuroi might be starting something? I kind of just want more. I want to know their stories as well.

Manga Review: Maid-sama!, Volume 17 & 18, by Hiro Fujiwara

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2017

Volumes: 18.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1&2. 15&16.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A 2-in-1 edition of the romantic-comedy series where a student council president secretly works at a maid café!

As if being student council president of a predominantly male high school isn’t hard enough, Misaki Ayuzawa has a major secret—she works at a maid café after school! How is she supposed to keep her image of being ultra smart, strong and overachieving intact once school heartthrob Takumi Usui discovers her double life?!

Misaki undergoes strict training on how to become a lady before visiting Usui in England! Later, she decides to apply to a highly selective university… With everyone heading down different paths toward the future, will Misaki and Usui be able to find happiness together?

Review:

In the first half, we get to see the conclusion to all of Misaki's practice. She's still working up to being on par with Usui's family, and then she finally gets to go see him. It's a bit of a mess, and an embarrassment for some, and rather dramatic. Misaki and Usui have to make a statement, and still struggle to be accepted. Because they don't really fit in with Usui's family, and it's a bit questionable whether they want to.

In the second half, we get back to normal, and get to draw everything to a close. Usui deals with his family how he wants. Misaki is studying hard for school, and finally has to deal with her maid secret. I actually kind of forgot about that being a big secret, up until it's pointed out again. There's a lot of super hotness between Misa and Usui. Thankfully, there's also some scenes between Suzuna and Hinata, because I would have been upset if that was left open. I quite like Suzuna, and wish there had been more shown between them. (Sadly, nothing between Kanou and Yukimura, though the hints are hilarious. Seriously, I'd be all over a yaoi spin-off of them, and I usually don't care for that. We do get to see Aoi all grown up, though, and he's a hottie.)

This was a very satisfying ending to this series. I'm so glad we finally got to see it, and I'm happy with it, overall. It would be nice to see another of her series.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss, Volume 25, by Julietta Suzuki

Limited Edition

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Nanami inherits a shrine, it comes with divine powers and a hot fox spirit!

Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity!

This limited edition includes the dramatic conclusion of Kamisama Kiss in a volume with new cover art as well as an exclusive art book with 16 pages of color illustrations, a character chart, bonus epilogue chapter , pencils for the final chapter and an interview with the author.

 

Regular Edition cover

Review:

Nanami is almost at graduation, and it's drawing close to time for them to become fully human. She's finishing up some things, and we get to see some old friends again. Ami and Kurama have had a flirtation going for a while, but haven't done anything about it, and it's very obvious Kurama is trying to avoid it. It's nice to see this at least be hinted at a conclusion for them, because I do actually quite like them as a couple.

We also get a concluding wedding. Nanami tries not to push it on Tomoe, because she doesn't think he wants it, but it ends up being super cute. While I don't normally care for wedding endings, I think it fits for this series, and that it is done really well here. Given that Tomoe is giving up being a yokai for Nanami, I don't think marriage is too far out of reality for them.

While the romance is in a nice place, it's still a sad ending, because they have to say goodbye to everyone. I won't spoil the ending, but I really liked how it ended, it was sweet. I got the limited edition one, so the extra story and artbook were very pretty.

This was a really fun series, and I am really happy with the ending. I hope that more of her stuff gets picked up over here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Golden Kamuy, Volume 2, by Satoru Noda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A tale of high adventure and survival on the Japanese frontier!
In the early 20th century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi Sugimoto searches the wilderness of the Japanese frontier of Hokkaido for a hoard of hidden gold. With only a cryptic map and a native Ainu girl to help him, Saichi must also deal with every murderous cutthroat, bandit and rogue who knows about the treasure!

Review:

I missed the first volume, so I really had no idea what I was getting into in this volume.

Sugimoto and Asirpa are in wilderness, hiding. Sugimoto is running from someone, and it appears that Asirpa is helping him, until they get attacked at least. It's a bit violent, but smart in character and in information regarding the area and the people.

We meet Asirpa's village, and we also get to see the people Sugimoto is hiding from, and there's some messy stuff regarding that. There's also a surprising use of cooking and information regarding the land and the animals, I thought. But maybe that's only because I wasn't really expecting it, nor is it much of my interest.

While this isn't usually something I would read, I found this volume quite interesting. It was dark at times, funny at others, and smart in all ways, and the artwork is very nice. I'm a bit intrigued, actually.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!