Wishlist Thursday[100]: The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) & The Angel of Elhamburg

The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) 1 by Satoshi Wagahara and Akio Hiiragi

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Volumes: 7+

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

After being soundly thrashed by the hero Emilia, the Devil King and his general beat a hasty retreat to a parallel universe...only to land plop in the middle of bustling, modern-day Tokyo! Lacking the magic necessary to return home, the two are forced to assume human identities and live average human lives until they can find a better solution. And to make ends meet, Satan finds gainful employment at a nearby fast food joint! With his devilish mind set on working his way up the management food chain, what will become of his thirst for conquest?!

Why?:

I’m intrigued in this series. The concept sounds like a lot of fun, and the artwork is definitely pretty. But I’ve watched most of the anime at this point, and am a little iffy. It’s good, but not amazing, so I’m a little wary. I do like the characters, though, and think I could really grow attached. I’ve already pre-ordered the first book (because it was such a good deal B&N, and how could I resist?), so I’ll just wait and see.

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The Angel of Elhamburg by Aki

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Volumes: 1

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

By all appearances, the ties that bind High King Madeth and the knight Lalvan, his childhood friend, are made of the sternest stuff. But in truth, their friendship has always struck a most delicate balance. With the arrival of Lady Prima and the birth of her son, Perseus, not long after, the precarious harmony between Madeth and Lalvan crumbles. And when the young Perseus, harboring questions about his lineage, seeks out Lalvan, will the repercussions be much greater than a friendship lost? A lone angel, its eyes replete with sadness, looks on as the tragedy unfolds...

Why?:

I read Aki’s previous book, Olympos, and mostly enjoyed it. In particular, the artwork was very pretty. It was a nicely done book. This looks like it’s going to be just as pretty and well put together, so I’m intrigued. But I didn’t love the story enough in Olympos, which makes me a little wary. But I’ll probably see it in stores anyway and think it’s gorgeous. Plus, apparently it's in hardcover, which means it's going to be that much prettier.

What are you looking forward to?

Manga Review: Olympos, Omnibus, by Aki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: June, 2012

Volumes: 2 (1 in omnibus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Desperate to make his dreams come true, a young man named Heinz appeals to the heavens for divine intervention. But he wasn't expecting a beautiful ginger-haired boy to appear before him in the midst of his prayer... Apollo, the god of the sun, brings Heinz to a realm beyond reality - an endless field of flowers beneath an infinite expanse of stars. There, Heinz meets Ganymede, prince of Troy, who has remained here for hundreds of years, bound by his own uncertainty and despair. At Apollo's bidding, Heinz attempts to convince Ganymede to leave with him in exchange for having his own wish granted, but can anyone free Ganymede from the trappings of his mind?

Quotes:

• "'You’re the only one here. Thus what you’re looking at is truly the one and only reality. To be insane in an insane world is to be sane. Do you understand?’” (Volume 1, Chapter 2)

Review

I mainly only picked this up because it’s just so pretty. The art is gorgeous, and there are these pretty colors pages, and it’s a nice big, one-volume edition. It just looks to nice and feels so nice in my hands. The story was not quite as good as I was hoping it would be, but it’s still so pretty.

I don’t know how accurate the story was to actual mythology (although I don’t think very, given the little blurb at the back of the first volume), but that isn’t too important to me. I don’t mind an author taking well-known characters and taking a different path with them. That isn’t to say that I would mind a remake of an old mythology story, though, because that would have been nice, too.

I enjoyed the stories in this book, and I felt for Ganymede several times, because the poor guy has been put in such a bad spot. The Gods are rather horrible to him. Apollo in particular, who I was rather interested in how his story progressed. The ending was rather open, not much of a conclusion, which bothers me a little.

It bothers me that several of the male characters look like girls. I did find the look of several of the Gods really intriguing, and liked what Aki did with them. As I’ve said, though, the art was really pretty. 

Overall this was a pretty good read. It was intriguing, short, not particularly intense or with a lot of character depth, but thoughtful and sweet. I enjoyed it, and am glad that I picked it up.