Manga Review: Missions of Love, Volume 16, by Ema Toyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 19.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 15. 17.

Goodreads Synopsis:

UNPREDICTABLE Yukina and Shigure are now finally on the same page when it comes to their feelings, but their first foray into true love is no easy feat! What adventures await them in their new relationship? Meanwhile, Hisame has had a crush on Mami for a long time, but when he works up the courage to confess to her, neither of them are prepared for what happens!

Review:

Just as I'm starting to fall out with this series, they throw in even more drama with Hisame, my least favorite character.

Yukina's secret is discovered, and this is apparently cause for Hisame to blackmail her. I have lots of issues with this. For one, this series does not need more drama or dark plots. For another, why is this such a huge deal? I don't see why Yukina can't just be honest about it. I understand maybe Shigure will be upset—but also, didn't the series start with her openly using him? So how is this surprising?

Before all of that, Yukina was finally going forward with Shigure. Even meeting his parents, and confronting them about how they treat their sons. I would have enjoyed this more, if it hadn't been quite so cheesy.

I think with the long time between the release dates, it has given me too much distance from the series. When you get such a long break, you come back and only see flaws, sometimes. And I'm having a very hard time dealing with the unnecessary drama of this series at this point.

Knowing that this series is ending soon, though, I might just binge the last few volumes when they're all out.

Novel Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1) by Jenny Han

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance, Drama

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: 2014

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lara Jeans love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling lovely, lighthearted romance SLJ from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series. What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them...all at once Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They arent love letters that anyone else wrote for her these are ones shes written. One for every boy shes ever loved-five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jeans love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

The Cover:

I think the original covers are super cute. They show the teen aspect, and even the dreamy, light personality of Lara Jean, really well. It's not too dramatic or too focused on the romance/boys. It's cute and light, and caught my interest before I picked it up. These were even the covers I wanted, not the one from the movie--plus, I love how all three of them go together, without being too similar.

 

Review:

Now that the movie is out, I've finally decided I want to read this series. I've heard a lot of good things about it, ever since it was released, but for some reason I still didn't think I'd love it. It just sounded like a cute, probably dramatic, teen series. I was actually rather surprised by it.

We meet Lara Jean, and she's sweet, a bit innocent, a dreamer with a positive outlook on life. I really enjoyed her voice from the beginning. She's optimistic and has a good imagination, and even though she lies a bit too often, she has good intentions in the beginning.

It took a while for the letters to come out, and we actually didn't get to read all of them. It wasn't as dramatic of an event as I expected, either. Not everyone at school knows about them, only the people who got them, really. It wasn't any cause for bullying or anything like I expected. It actually ended up being kind of sweet for both parties.

Aside from the romance aspect, there was also a really good family atmosphere, and very realistic sister relationships, as well. Lara Jean and her sisters fight and push at each other, but they're also there for each other when they're needed.

Now, the romance. I will admit that I much prefer Josh. It was a little conflicting, but he's such a sweetheart, and I love his and Lara Jean's relationship, even if it was hard since he dated her sister. Instead of Josh, this focused a lot more on Peter. And Peter was okay. He grew on me a bit more by the middle of the book, and I do think he had good intentions and didn't quite know what he was doing that hurt Lara Jean so much, but I think things ended how they needed to, maybe.

I really like the concept of this series. The idea that she decided to write letters, just for herself, to the guys that she loved in a way to let go of them, was done in such a positive light. She wasn't hating on them, was honest about what she liked even while trying to make herself feel better about why it wouldn't work.

That ending felt like a conclusion to one part of the story, and I'm really curious about where it goes after this. I'm hooked, and I had a hard time stopping this book, so I'm excited to read the next one.

Manga Review: Dreamin' Sun, Volume 4, by Ichigo Takano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: November 2017.

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

CRUSHED!

Zen’s finally confessed his feelings to Shimana! Unfortunately, while she wants to help him pursue his dreams, she doesn’t feel the same way about him. Shimana’s got her own unreturned feelings to deal with, because she’s crushing on the landlord, who treats her just like a child. Determined to get closer, Shimana gets a hold of his high school yearbook–and makes some surprising discoveries.

Review:

I was pretty much ready to be done with this series. And then it had to go and keep being interesting, ugh.

We discover some secrets regarding Taiga in this volume. He's been keeping a lot from the kids, and is very stubborn about not telling them anything. Only to discover that Ken thinks he should be honest, and Asahi already knows everything.

A main theme in this series seems to be ambitions and dreams, and going after them. We see that at the beginning of the volume with Ken, and again at the end as they push to discover Taiga's.

My favorite character in this series is still Zen. He's adorable, and so sweet, and he's there for Shimana even as she likes someone else. Shimana is really the main part of this series that bothers me. She's so focused on herself, and so dramatic. The way she blows up over little things and blurts things out and runs away drives me crazy. She makes me roll my eyes so many times, and she's the main reason that I'm hesitant to keep reading more. But then it has to get deep with Taiga, and interesting with the side characters. There was some surprising depth in this volume, and I liked it. There was also a side story of Taiga, Ken, and Rei when they were in high school, and it was adorable.

I really like Zen and Ken. If this series focused more on them, I would be hooked. As it is, I do and I don't want to keep going.

Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 5, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: November 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

COMING OF AGE
Still not fully healed from the wound of breaking up with Tsukushi and the shock of seeing Nobuta again, Serizawa starts an internship at a law firm. Through a mix-up over the phone, he becomes acquainted with a certain someone--a woman who otherwise wouldn't be in his reach! Will this chance encounter start Serizawa on the path to his first truly adult relationship?

Review:

In the first part of this volume, Serizawa is clearly floundering. He's recovering badly from the breakup, and when he tries to go out with friends and meet people, he ends up screwing that up quite badly. And so he turns to school, and starts studying seriously.

While interning, he meets an older woman, and she seems mature but is also just getting out of a bad relationship. She uses him, he uses her, and he ends up getting caught up in it more than he probably should. It seems to be going downhill, but then that cliffhanger gives mixed signals. Either way, I don't see this one lasting any more than the others.

This series is actually kind of hard to read at times. Serizawa makes some painfully bad decisions at times, and he's hard to take. He doesn't even mean to be hurtful or dumb about it, though, so at least he doesn't have bad intentions, most of the time.

I do want to see how this series end, and I want to see it wrap up. So I'm still reading.

Manga Review: Dreamin' Sun, Volume 3, by Ichigo Takano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From New York Times manga bestselling author Takano Ichigo.

Shimana Kameko lives in a home where she feels she doesn t belong. Her mother is dead, her father has remarried, and her six-month-old baby brother takes up everyone s attention. Kameko skips school and runs away to a nearby park where she literally stumbles over a mysterious man in a kimono.

The stranger, Fujiwara Taiga, offers Kameko a place to stay on three conditions. The first condition is that Kameko tell him why she ran away from home. The second is that she fetch the stranger s lost apartment key (he is locked out!). The third condition is ... to have a dream. Kameko meets the conditions, moves in, and begins a journey of romance and self-discovery.

Review:

I really want to like this series, and it has its good moments. But man, the way it uses these cliché plot lines... it's just not good.

We get to see Zen run after Shimana here, and I really like Zen. He's honestly my favorite part of this series, and I'm almost reading just to see more of him. He's adorable and quirky and awkward, and I'm all for it.

Anyway, he goes after Shimana. And Shimana is just being dumb in the first place, and should be able to get herself home, not to mention get over herself.

After that, we get some confessions, we meet Zen's older brother and get to see how Zen wants to help him and push him back into what he wants to do. It's a sweet plot line, and I'm interested to see how that all pans out.

On the other hand, we also have Shimana falling for their landlord, and I. Just. Ugh. I just hate that, honestly. He's not much older than them, and that usually doesn't even bother me. But here it's just so cliché, and so obvious that Shimana is only falling for whoever is there and paying attention to her. I just don't like her, I think, and I don't like how these basic storylines are being used. This plot in particular has me very close to giving in.

I'm going to give it at least one more volume, and we'll see. But I don't know if Zen is going to be enough to keep me here.

Manga Review: Dreamin' Sun, Volume 1, by Ichigo Takano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

While loitering in the park, Shimana Kameko, who intended to run away from home and skipped school, meets a suspicious man in a kimono. This man, who had been locked out of his house, offers Shimana a place to stay. However, he requests she fulfill three conditions in exchange for her tenancy?!

Review:

I really enjoyed Orange, so I was eager to pick this one up. I'm a little unsure now, though.

This felt very much like an older shojo series, with a teenage girl who ends up living with a group of boys. I haven't read a series like that in a while, but Shimana is not the best protagonist.

Shimana runs away from home, because her father has a new kid with his new wife and she doesn't feel like she fits in anymore. It honestly feels like she's throwing a fit. In her angst, she stumbles upon an older guy, who's hungover and locked out of his house. She gets roped into getting the key from one of her classmates, along with a few other conditions in order to live there with them for cheap.

Mostly, Shimana is whiny. She's an angsty, whiny teenager. Meh. She ends up living with Asahi, who's a smart, cute guy from her school, and Zen, who is more of a loud dork. I'm actually a fan of both of them so far; I'm leaning toward Zen, but Asahi is a good guy, too.

We also meet Miku, an older woman who's slightly crazy, but I think will be a good influence on Shimana. There's some hints of a deeper meaning behind their landlord's job and his connection to Shimana, but I'm not too worried.

This was an interesting first volume, and it got better by the end. The art style looked like an earlier kind from Orange. I'll probably keep reading.

Manga Review: Citrus, Volume 3, by Saburouta

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2015

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Yuzuko Aihara, a high school girl whose main interests are fashion, friends and having fun, is about to get a reality check. Due to her mom's remarriage, Yuzu has transfered to a new, all-girls school that is extemely strict. Her real education is about to begin.

From Day One, happy-go-lucky Yuzu makes enemies, namely the beautiful yet stern Student Council President Mei. So what happens when a dejected Yuzu returns home and discovers the shock of her life: that Mei is actually her new step-sister who has come to live with her? Even more surprising, when Mei catches Yuzu offguard and kisses her out of the blue, what does it all mean?

Review:

I want to love this series, but it kind of makes me uneasy.

Yuzu seems to be feeling completely one-sided love for Mei. Mei appears to be completely uninterested, and even just put-off by Yuzu’s feelings, though I do think that there’s something big she’s hiding still. A new character is introduced, an old friend of Yuzu’s, but she just feels pushy and harasses the two of them, then blackmails Mei.

This series makes me feel bad, uncomfortable. I want to like the relationship developing between Yuzu and Mei, but all the drama from other people, the blackmailing and using, makes me dislike it.

The cliffhanger makes me a little intrigued in the next one… But I just don’t know if I can read more.

Manga Review: Liselotte & Witch's Forest, Volume 2, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: October 2016

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Liselotte, the daughter of a feudal lord, has been exiled by her older brother to the land east of the east of the east. Despite the bitter past that put her in these straits, Lise enjoys her new life with her twin attendants, Alto and Anna, the familiar Yomi, and Eugetsu, a young man who not only harbors a secret but also bears a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance, Enrich. However, Lise's quaint idyll is shattered when none other than a witch comes calling...!

Review:

This is not what I expected.

So. We get to see more of Liselotte trying to be a normal girl, trying to correctly learn how to farm and clean and cook, trying to have a good relationship with the delivery men even though they know what she's done and can't acquaint themselves fully with her. She even goes in search of the witches, because she's determined to make nice and not have them haunting or terrorizing her.

We meet a couple witches here, and of course they're more fun than scary. One guy is a jerk, but the two girls seem very sweet, and they're really insecure about how scary they are. In the midst of all this, we get to see some of what Liselotte did. What her life was like before, and what she did to deserve being banished. I'm still curious about the whole story, of course.

And then... then we see what is really going on with Engetsu. And I must say that I was really not expecting this twist. It was not at all what I was guessing, and now I'm even more intrigued by it. I really can't wait to read the next one and see what happens with that cliffhanger.

Manga Review: Say I Love You, Volume 16, by Kanae Hazuki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: October 2016

Volumes: 17+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 15. 17.

Goodreads Synopsis:

COLLEGE CONUNDRUM After graduating high school, Mei and Yamato begin to venture towards their futures. For their careers, they have decided to go to different schools and come into new environments with new experiences and friends. But the excitement of college life also brings challenges into the relationships of Mei and her former schoolmates. And when a mutual friend strays from his high school love, the distance between Mei and Yamato starts to create uncertainty in their lives.

Review:

Of course now that they're in college, Yamato has to meet some woman who immediately starts getting in the way. Of course.

I really hate these kinds of stories. I really do.

So. Yamato and Mei are doing different things, and while they're talking on the phone, they're not really seeing each other much. Mei is trying to branch out, while Yamato is meeting people and has made a new friend in this girl who is clearly interested. Then Asami and Takeshi start having problems, so this leads to even more worries.

Near the end, it looks like Mei is going to speak with Asami about some things, and I hope that happens. She needs to be more open with her friends about these things.

Then there's Megumi. She's doing better as a person, I guess, but she's also struggling as a model. I still want her to get closer to Kai, as well. I'm not really sure where her character is going from here, though.

I love college stories, but I also hate all these relationships that end right after high school. Ugh. I hope the next one is better, and that Yamato and Mei actually get to talk. We'll see, though.

Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 4, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

LAST CHANCES, SECOND CHANCES
Serizawa started a relationship with Yamaguchi even though he was interested in Tsukushi. But after living in a confusing and vague love triangle, he can no longer suppress his feelings for his friend. Serizawa must now make a painful choice in order to truly face Tsukushi. Will he be able to start fresh, or will he lose both people he cares about?
As a young adult, Serizawa also struggles with memories of his childhood. And in a dark time, he meets someone from his past that he never thought he'd see again...

Review:

Finally, his messed up relationships with Yamaguchi and Tsukushi. He ends one and goes into the relationship he thought he wanted, only to find out it's not quite what he expected. He messes that up, too.

My favorite part of this volume, by far, was the strength that Yamaguchi showed when she yelled at him. That was a really strong scene, and I was impressed by it.

We get to see what Serizawa's parents were like in this volume, and what kind of influence that had on him. Seeing his mom devoted to a man who was never around, and eventually cheated. Some things make sense, after that.

In the last chapter, Serizawa is a mess. He's falling apart, and it's very obvious. We'll see what happens with that cliffhanger.

I'm really hooked on this series. It's very smart and realistic, the characters feel real and it's easy to grow attached even when you know things are going to end up bad. I'm interested to see where it goes next.

Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 3, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Just friends?
Still carrying the heartbreak of his high school years, Serizawa begins college life. Here, he befriends a quirky classmate named Makino and she sets him on the path to find his very first college girlfriend, Yamaguchi. Supported by Makino, a romance blossoms between Serizawa and Yamaguchi, but is Serizawa s heart really with her or does it belong to someone else?
The bittersweet tale of romance and regret that inspired the TV drama!"

Review:

This love triangle is apparently a significant story, because it continues through the entirety of this volume, with a cliffhanger.

It’s hard to watch how this relationship grows, because it hurts all of them. They’re all lying to themselves, trying to get through this, trying to deny their real feelings. And I really like both of the girls, too. I feel like I can relate to Yamaguchi, at least on some level, but I also really like Makino and would want to be her friend. So it’s hard to see how this situation is going.

This series is turning out so much more interesting than I expected. After each volume, I’m immediately ready to pick up the next one. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God, Volume 16, by Adachitoka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 17+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 15. 17.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Now that Bishamon has found the legendary blessed vessel, she has one objective: to destroy the crafter once and for all. But freeing such a dangerous shinki is an act of high treason against the Heavens. Can she accomplish her goal before the execution squad comes for her?

Review:

Bishamon is out on her mission, not letting anyone know of her plans, even though her shinki want to help her. It leaves them feeling helpless, and Kazuma can't stand it when the gods decide that she's committing treason.

Yatogami is doing what he can, in the mean time, and Hiyori is feeling left out and helpless on her own. And then there's the Stray and Yato's father, working in the background, trying to mess things up. The shinki that Bishamon has found has her own agenda, as well.

I've fallen a little behind in this series, but I'm still obsessed. I love everything about it, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

I love the little glimpses of humor, among all the major drama that's happening right now. Like Ebisu wanting money to rule all, and Kofuku getting drunk. The small moments of true caring are important, too; I like seeing how much Kazuma cares for Bishamon, and how even Hiyori wants to help her.

Manga Review: Forget Me Not, Volume 2, by Mag Hsu and Nao Emoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: May 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: Yes, with warning.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

AN EDUCATION IN LOVE

After helping his teacher Hermès overcome her stage fright, Serizawa has hope that love may someday blossom between them. But the dashing prince of the prep-school steps into the picture and may stand in the way of Serizawa’s relationship with Hermès. This prince-like boy says that he and Serizawa are two of a kind, but what does he mean by that and how does Hermès fit into everything?

Review:

I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this volume, and how badly I want more.

We see how things conclude with the tutor in this volume, and it’s messy. He’s got a huge crush, and she’s got a boyfriend, not to mention their age/maturity difference. Things end on an okay note, because while he’s upset, he does what he can not to ruin things for her.

(Spoiler!) The surprise here, though, is that the male friend he makes at the cram school, also has a crush on him. This is handled very well, with a respectful response, and a solid friendship built. I was very happy to see this. (End Spoiler!)

Next, we meet two girls. The first one is always on the run, needing to get from one place to the next. She has an accent, she’s clumsy, she’s busy but also a lot of fun. Then the second one, who has a crush on Serizawa, and wants to go out with him. He doesn’t quite realize that he has two girls liking him, though. He’s a bit oblivious.

I hope things wrap up okay here, though. I’m really looking forward to reading the next one.

Manga Review: LDK, Volume 2, by Ayu Watanabe

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 2015

Volumes: 19+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

LOVE RIVALS Aoi appears to finally be coming to terms with her feelings for Shusei. But before she can come to a conclusion, she witnesses a shocking scene between Shusei and a beautiful woman. However, it turns out that Shusei is not the only one who's popular with the opposite sex, as a younger rival enters the fray and vies for Aoi's attention. One boy is enough headache, but what will Aoi do with two gorgeous boys as love interests?

Review:

I really want to love this series. I really, really do. But it’s just not working for me.

I expect this kind of series to have a lot of drama, and romance, and maybe a little bad smut. I expect it to be a guilty pleasure drama, one so badly good you can’t stop watching. But this just isn’t doing it for me.

We meet Shusei’s sister in this volume, who forces Aoi to pretend to be Shusei’s girlfriend, to a ridiculous amount. Then there’s a school festival, where girls argue over who gets Shusei’s school shirt. We meet a rival for Aoi’s affections, a guy who actually likes her and is kind of sweet, even if he does push himself on her too much. He gives her more room and kindness than Shusei, at least. Which, of course, means that Aoi doesn’t like him like she does Shusei.

Shusei could be more a dick bad boy, but I actually think his personality is okay. He likes Aoi, and he’s not afraid of it, which I like. But mostly the drama and the emotions, and even the artwork, is very one-dimensional. Aoi’s freak-outs are over exaggerated, as is the drama. None of it is pulling me in, and none of it is making me want to read more.

I want this to get better, but I don’t really think it will, sadly.