Manga Review: Fruits Basket Another, Volume 2, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 3+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fan-favorite Fruits Basket is back with more Sohma-filled adventures! Except this time, it's set in the same world, years later. Find out more in this new volume!
School's no longer an endless pit of anxiety and solitary lunches for Sawa thanks to the Sohmas. She's joined the student council and made new friends who don't abandon her no matter how painfully awkward or useless she is-they don't even get angry when she screws up or starts blabbering gibberish! Though social interactions are still daunting, people don't seem to be as scary anymore-at least, until another Sohma appears?!

Review:

While I do like that Takaya has decided to visit this world again, I think this series is just not what people would like of a continuation. Because it's obvious that the characters are just a cheap imitation of the original cast. They're their kids, who all look very similar to their parents, and have the same kind of dynamic, and then we have an outside female protagonist with self-esteem issues. All of it is very familiar, and yet not as good.

We only get the ghost impressions of their parents, mentions and near-misses, but we never get to see them. And instead we're following their kids, and we get to see how the originals might have turned out, with a better upbringing. Which is the thing that makes these kids different—the original cast grew up and overcame things, and they learned how to be better people than their own parents. These kids have nice upbringings and an actually, healthily close family—for the most part, I believe.

We get to meet a few more characters in this volume—Ayame's kids, we get to see more of Momiji's kids and Hatori's, and then we meet Akira's son. There's an ominous shadow over everything, but I don't think it's leading to anything actually bad, this time.

This series is sweet, and I get it, but I honestly just want to see the original cast, all grown up and happy together. Thankfully this series is supposed to be short, at least.

Manga Review: Fruits Basket Another, Volume 1, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: July 2018

Volumes: 2+

Spoilers?: Very light.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sawa Mitoma, a shy and unconfident girl, has just started high school, and it's already not going well...until she makes friends meets the President and Vice-President of the student council. But little does she know, they're Sohmas!? It's Fruits Basket...again!

Review:

I was really wary of starting this book. On one hand, I was extremely excited to get more Fruits Basket. This is one of my absolute favorite series, and the idea of getting more makes me so very excited. But then I heard some iffy reviews of it, and I wasn't sure what to expect. As it started, I thought maybe she was just recreating the original story. But then it becomes apparent that this story is following the original cast's kids, and the ending of the original hasn't changed.

There's still some question of what happened in the Sohma household, and what everyone is up to now. It's unclear who all is together and how they're getting along, but it's also clear that they're happy.

Each kid looks very much like their parent, and whenever there's mention of them, it makes me unbelievably happy. We see Yuki's son Mutsuki and Kyo and Tohru's son Hajime, as they meet the protagonist Sawa. She has a lot of self-confidence issues, and the whole volumes starts very reminiscent of the original Fruits Basket beginning. Mutsuki and Hajime are extremely similar to Yuki and Kyo. I have mixed feelings about this, because they also seem a step ahead of where those two were at the beginning. These characters having a nice home background is a big change for them.

Reading this volume made me extremely happy. Even getting to hear about the original cast and that they're all doing good and doting parents now makes me giddy. At the end of the reprinted final volume, Takaya mentions that she intends for this series to be short, and to not show the parents. I really hope she does, though. Reading this only proved to me that I would rather have a continuation of the original. I want to see Yuki and Tohru and Momiji and everyone grown up and living their lives. Even a continuing 4-koma manga, where they're just going about their days, would delight me.

Manga Review: Liselotte & Witch's Forest, Volume 5, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: July 2017

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In her exile to the east of the east of the east, Liselotte's rambunctious house attempts to coexist with the witch's forest. Hoping to break down the seal Vergue has cast, Anna ventures out on her own to pay the witch a visit. Despite a being hurt by humans in the past, can Anna convince Vergue to give people another chance, and to live among them again? Meanwhile, Lise is shocked by a familiar looking visitor surveying the nearby village...

Review:

There's a tentative relationship between Engetsu and Liselotte. Lise is trying hard with her unrelenting optimism, but Engetsu doesn't know her anymore. It's fun to see them getting to know each other, though. Lise tries so hard, with so much enthusiasm. Engetsu doesn't understand it, but he's starting to tease her, which is fun.

Engetsu tries to treat Lise here, show her something she's always wanted to be a part of. It doesn't go quite as either of them planned, though.

We also get to see some progress made with Vergue. He's headstrong and stubborn, and showed up first to ruin and get his revenge. Lise is starting to grow on him, though, and her mixed with Anna's smart wiles is forcing him to man up a bit. I am very intrigued by this change in Anna—I like it.

Near the end we get some more hints for Lise's brother—and we meet a new character. We've heard a lot about this one, but it should be interesting to see if she throws in some trouble.

And of course now this series is on Hiatus. I'm quite fond of it so far, and I hope she continues it soon.

Manga Review: Liselotte & The Witch's Forest, Volume 4, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Liselotte's house has become even livelier with the additions of the witch Hilde and her familiar, Myrte. But one day, Vergue, a witch who hates all humans, attacks the household to drive Lise and the others away! Why is it so difficult to live a peaceful life?

Review:

We get a few new things here. We get some new information regarding Vergue, who has been bullying the other witch's in the house. Nothing is really resolved here, but I'm curious about where this will lead. He's a bit of a petty jerk, but it seems obvious that he has reasons that will be explored. I really like seeing how good-hearted Liselotte is during this—even though someone's awful to her, she still tries to see the good and convince them otherwise.

Aside from that, we also got a bit of insight into what happened with Liselotte before all this, and what her brother and his people are up to. It's only feeling like hints so far, and I'm curious but wary about it. I like Lise, and I don't want them to be awful to her. I still don't quite understand what they want or why yet, but seeing their confrontation before she was banished was quite emotional. It was powerful, and honestly only made me appreciate Lise more.

I'm really intrigued by this series. It's odd and captures me every time, and I don't really know where it's going, but I want more.

Manga Review: Songs to Make You Smile by Natsuki Takaya

 

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Tokyopop

Release Date: 2010

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

In these unforgettable tales from the creator of "Fruits Basket", a pop band vocalist meets the only woman who touched his heart; a girl wonders if her deceased father ever loved her; the son of a musical genius tries to find his own voice; an 18-year-old boy tries to learn to be a man; and, in a side story to "Tsubasa: Those with Wings", ultimate love thrives.

Review:

The first story in this volume kind of makes the rest of it worth it. It has the same art and setting style as Fruits Basket, about a boy who is quiet and misunderstood as rude when he’s really a nice guy. And he falls for his friends' sister, a girl similarly misunderstood, who was bullied. Their story is super adorable and sweet. I really enjoyed it.

After that, there are several one-shots, some clearly earlier works, some cuter than others. The last one is a fairy-tale like one-shot with the characters from Tsubasa, but I haven’t read that series yet. It was cute, though.

I’m glad that I picked this volume up, and enjoyed reading it. I look forward to picking up her other stuff, and I'm enjoying her newer releases.

Manga Review: Liselotte & Witch's Forest, Volume 3, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: January 2017

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Liselotte, the daughter of a feudal lord, has been exiled to the lands east of the east of the east and now lives with her servants (Anna and Alto), the mysterious Engetsu, and the impertinent familiar Yomi, at the edge of the witches' forest. Despite Alto's objections, Lise's new family somehow continues to grow. But her troublesome past has caught up with them, and Engetsu is gravely injured. Can Lise save him and also continue to live as optimistically as her heart desires...?

Review:

I love all of the colored pages in this series. They are just so pretty.

After that last volume, we see Liselotte pleading for the tree to save Engetsu. She makes a deal for him to be saved, only Liselotte doesn't know what she has to lose to get him back. It's a surprise for her, though it does make sense—given the tree spirit's personality. It's interesting to see how it affects them both—how uncaring Engetsu acts at first, and how Liselotte changes her view and becomes determined to start new. Liselotte is rather optimistic, and straightforward in her wishes. She's unbothered by how other people react.

I like seeing how Liselotte affects the people around her, like the step that Alto takes in getting closer to her. There's a glimpse of, I believe, her brother at the end of the volume. I'm intrigued to see what happens next there.

This is a rather good series so far. I'm intrigued by the story, what happened to Liselotte before all this and what's going to happen with Engetsu next.

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: Liselotte & Witch's Forest, Volume 1, by Natsuki Takaya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Despite being completely hopeless at endeavors like farming and cooking, Liselotte, a young lady of noble birth and guardian to twins Alto and Anna, picks up and moves to a remote land. At the easternmost reaches of her new home lies a forest where it's said witches roam. When Lise one day finds herself at the receiving end of an attack by one such witch, she's saved by the sudden appearance of a young man named Engetsu. Though they're strangers, Engetsu is remarkably similar to someone she already knows...?

Review:

This is a very intriguing start to a series.

Liselotte has been shipped out of her rich family's home, and now lives in a forest, with two kids as her caretakers. She's optimistically doing all she can to learn how to farm and scavenge, even when she's not particularly good at any of these things.

And then she learns of the witch myths regarding the forest they live in. And suddenly, there's a man named Engetsu there to help her, and Liselotte believes she knows him from before everything happened. It's clear, though, that he's up to something, and that he knows more than he's letting on.

We get a few hints, but this is definitely setting up for something more. Not giving any answers, but it's a good start. I love the artwork, and I'm happy to be reading a new Takaya book.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

Wishlist Thursday[169]: Liselotte and Witch’s Forest by Natsuki Takaya

Liselotte and Witch’s Forest 1 by Natsuki Takaya

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: July 26, 2016

Volumes: 5 (Hiatus)

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Despite being completely hopeless at endeavors like farming and cooking, Liselotte, a young lady of noble birth and guardian to twins Alto and Anna, picks up and moves to a remote land. At the easternmost reaches of her new home lies a forest where it's said witches roam. When Lise one day finds herself at the receiving end of an attack by one such witch, she's saved by the sudden appearance of a young man named Engetsu. Though they're strangers, Engetsu is remarkably similar to someone she already knows...?

Why?:

This is one of the newer series being released by the author of Fruits Basket, so of course I’m jumping on. It’s pricier than some others, but I’m still hoping to love it. I’m excited to see some of her new and old works being brought to print after so long, and in such nice editions, too.

Special Mention:

Sweetness and Lightning by Gido Amagakure out on July 26—This series is already being released on Crunchyroll, and I’ve read a few chapters there. While I didn’t love it immediately on there, I’m still hoping I’ll start liking it more, and I’m glad they’re releasing it in print. I hope they do that for more series on there.

What’s on your list?

Wishlist Thursday[165]: Fruits Basket: Collector’s Edition by Natsuki Takaya

Fruits Basket: Collector’s Edition 1 by Natsuki Takaya

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: June 28, 2016

Volumes: 23 Singles/12 Omnibus

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

Volume 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!
A perennial favorite of fans and librarians alike, Natsuki Takaya's beloved bestselling Fruits Basket series returns to print in gorgeous deluxe English-language omnibus editions with beautiful full-color illustrations that are not to be missed!

Why?:

I don’t know how to express how completely and utterly excited I am for this book. I have been waiting for this to happen, because I knew it was inevitable. Someone had to pick it back up at some point. And I’m even a little glad that Yen Press licensed it, since that means it’s going to be done especially well for fans.

Each book is a two-in-one, they’re collectors editions, and they’re going to be released monthly. The first two books released on the same day in June! I don’t even care about the money for this series. It’s going to be gorgeous and I want them on my shelves. I know that the books will be so much nicer than the Tokyopop editions, with better, full translations.

Seriously, I cannot wait. Just take my money already.

What’s on your list?