Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World, Volume 5, by Aki Irie

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2019

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

 

A young sorceress transforms into an adult and sets out on magical adventures full of charm and wonder!

Ran Uruma can’t wait to grow up and become a sorceress like her mother, so with the help of a magical pair of sneakers, she transforms into an adult and sets off! Her father and older brother Jin try to keep her home safe, but Ran is determined to advance her powers and have adventures of her own!

With the Door destroyed, bugs are an even greater danger than before. The sorceresses build a glass fortress, but it’s only a matter of time before the bugs break through. Meanwhile, Ran tries to protect Otaro from being hunted down, but will she end up jeopardizing the battle against the bugs?

 

Review:

 

There's a lot of people hiding out in the Uruma house, so thankfully they're all magic. There's some debating and hunting, and an impending doom lingering over everyone. About halfway through the volume, though, Ran discovers that Otaru is behind all this, which means that something is wrong with him, and so she has to fight against the clock to find him and get him safe while everyone is out to kill him.

This volume actually got a bit exciting near the end. Ran has been holding a lot of magic inside her up to this point, while still being a kid. It's been a struggle for her to deal with both, and finally some of that starts to come out and she has to face it.

The characters and the story lines are all very odd, but in a unique and interesting way to me. Same as the art—it's unique, but so pretty.

We're left at a pretty good point in this volume, thankfully. But there's still some questions left. While this is my last review volume, I might pick up the rest of the series at some point. This is just such a neat series, I would like to see how it ends.

 

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

Manga Review: RWBY Official Manga Anthology, Volume 2: Mirror, Mirror

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2018

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Straight from Rooster Teeth’s hit animation series, a new four-volume anthology series featuring stories from various manga creators, each focusing on a different member of Team RWBY!

The world of Remnant is filled with horrific monsters bent on the destruction of humanity. Fortunately, the kingdoms of the world have risen to combat these forces by training powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses at academies around the planet. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long are four such Huntresses in training.

All new short stories set in the world of RWBY from no less than twenty different manga creators in one single volume!

Includes a full color four-page story and four full-color illustrations. This volume focuses on Weiss Schnee from TEAM RWBY.

Plus, bonus messages from the illustrators and creators included in this volume, with longer notes from RWBY character designer Ein Lee and actress Kate Eberle, the voice of Weiss Schnee!

Review:

The second RWBY anthology, featuring all stories about Weiss, the ice queen of the team. While I haven't watched the anime, she seemed like the character I might like the most, so I was curious.

This is a lot of one-shot stories featuring Weiss. A lot of them focus on how alone she's been until now, some star her relationship with Ruby and others focus more on her relationship with her older sister Winter. There were a lot of odd artstyles, and I'll admit I didn't love a lot of them, but they were okay. There were a couple of really cute ones, though. Aside form Umiya's art, in the last story; I really don't understand the appeal or what's happening in those panel comics.

I can't help but wonder if a lot of these authors are mostly from webcomics? The author names sound more web comic than real mangaka names, but I might just be unfamiliar with them.

There were some cute stories, there were some meh stories. If you're a RWBY fan, I'm sure you'll love it more than I did, though.

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

Manga Review: Black Lagoon, Volume 11, by Rei Hiroe

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2020

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four hardcore heroes. One high-speed torpedo boat. Ten thousand bullets!

Lock n' load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it's hard to know who to trust. But if you've got a delivery to make, and you don't mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!

Disavowed by the Chinese government and now hunted as a traitor, Feng Yifei has turned to Rock and Revy for help. While dodging the PRC’s four hired guns from one side of Roanapur to the other, Feng presses Rock to make an important decision. Things get even more complicated when Eda shows an interest in the situation, and if she’s involved, it means the CIA isn’t far behind…

Review:

Having not read or watched any of this series, I wasn't quite sure what I was starting. It's more Cowboy Bebop than I had expected.

Feng and Rock are attempting to save some hard drive and de-encrypt some kind of information, and since Feng has a price on her head, there's a lot of shooting happening because of it. That's fine with Revy, who's all for having a gun fight, up until she gets arrested.

There's a lot of shooting up in this volume, and a lot more deaths than I expected. I didn't realize this was such a bloody series. There's also quite a bit of politics, which I was surprised by, and found interesting, actually.

I didn't mind some of the characters, and even find the idea of the story interesting, but I don't think I'd be all that interested this far in depth into the political matters. I didn't mind Revy's character. I think that Eda might have been the most interesting of the characters to me, honestly, and we only saw her briefly a couple of times. But I liked her. I can get behind some badass females.

I don't think this is a series I'd really search out, so I'm not sure if I'll be watching the anime any time soon, but I didn't mind this.

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

Manga Review: Goodnight Punpun, Volume 7, by Inio Asano

Rating (Out of 5): ~1.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: 2017

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A dark coming-of-age tale where slice-of-life slices back.

This is Punpun Onodera s coming-of-age story. His parents marriage is falling apart. His dad goes to jail and his mom goes to the hospital. He has to live with his loser uncle. He has a crush on a girl who lives in a weird cult. Punpun tries talking with God about his problems, but God is a jerk. Punpun keeps hoping things will get better, but they really, really don't.

This is the end, Punpun.

Review:

I missed the previous volume, and I could tell as I started this one, that I had missed some important scenes. We find Punpun in a very different place as this volume starts, and it only goes downhill from there.

Punpun seems to be struggling with his identity, with what his purpose is and what has been happening in his life. The story follows him and Aiko for a while, but then it also skips over to his old friends and what they're doing.

During all of this, we're also getting snippet of information regarding the politics happening and whether the world is ending and there are stars falling at one point.

This series definitely feels like a book I'd be given in college to analyze to death. I'm sure there's a lot of deeper meaning to everything that's happening in this series. (I'm sure not reading the whole series doesn't help, either.) There's definitely a lot of underlying messages, psychological reasons for why we're seeing Punpun in the image he is, how he talks differing from how other people talk, and everything to do with that ending and what led up to the conclusion of Punpun and Aiko's relationship.

There's a lot here, but honestly I think I just hated all of it. It's all deeply disturbing and depressing, and there aren't any even slightly good endings here. It's also kind of a mess to follow, and I don't know what's supposed to be real or metaphorical or what any more.

While I have found some of Asano's manga interesting, this was not one that I enjoyed in any way. It was not for me, at the least.

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

Manga Review: The Way of the HouseHusband, Volume 2, by Kousuke Oono

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2020

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s a day in the life of your average househusband—if your average househusband is the legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon”!

A former yakuza legend leaves it all behind to become your everyday househusband. But it’s not easy to walk away from the gangster life, and what should be mundane household tasks are anything but!

The legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon” has washed his hands of the gangster life for something far more dangerous—becoming a househusband! Cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking... These days he’s doing everything he can to succeed as man of the house, if it doesn’t kill him first! The cozy yakuza comedy continues!

Review:

I'm happy to say that this volume got to me a lot more than the first one did.

Tatsu is just trying to live as a good house husband. He starts worrying about his figure, and so joins an aerobics class, which might be my favorite chapter thus far. He teaches his protege how to get out a stain. We meet his in-laws, who are a little odd, unsurprisingly. There's a lot more of his wife in this one, which I quite like. They're kind of cute together.

This volume was still a bit odd, but it was also really quite fun. I'm definitely going to read more.

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

Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World, Volume 4, by Aki Irie

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A young sorceress transforms into an adult and sets out on magical adventures full of charm and wonder!

Ran Uruma can’t wait to grow up and become a sorceress like her mother, so with the help of a magical pair of sneakers, she transforms into an adult and sets off! Her father and older brother Jin try to keep her home safe, but Ran is determined to advance her powers and have adventures of her own!

Knowing that Makoto Hibi witnessed her magical transformation, Ran is now desperate to erase his memory. But if she gets her way, she might lose a friend in the process. Later, a powerful sorceress in training named Nio Gekkoin shows up and challenges Ran to a duel! Which novice will emerge the victor in this supernatural showdown?

Review:

Starting this volume, it felt like I'd missed something.

We find Sango is staying at some kind of inn, with her sisters and helping out. Ran is still dealing with the boy from her class who discovered her witchcraft. This leads to her acknowledging she only has one friends, and she would like more, but doesn't know how to approach that.

Ran meets another little witch in this volume, and she's competing with Ran for their mentors attention. She's jealous before even meeting Ran, and while she might seem to have a better hang on her witchcraft than Ran, it quickly becomes clear that they're basically equal, but Ran might have more natural luck with magic whereas she has more knowledge.

When we see Otaro next, we discover that he's under some kind of spell that is doing serious harm to himself and causing some real deadly chaos in the world. It's intriguing to see how this is affecting Otaro, physically and mentally. It also leads to an interesting change in plot, which I'm intrigued by.

There are some major issues with this series—mainly that it stars a middle-schooler, and yet it's very sexualized. But also the artwork is so, so pretty, and I'm actually interested in some of the relationships. I really don't mind reading this one.

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

Manga Review: Gangsta., Volume 8, by Kohske

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Got a problem? The Handymen can fix it —for a price.

Years ago, Marco turned against the Hunters, submitting to the “curse” Constance set on him to live and atone for his sins. But the bonds of the past aren’t so easily severed, and now Striker has tracked them down, still enraged by Marco’s betrayal and hellbent on making him pay. Meanwhile, with their partnership in pieces, Worick and Nic struggle to cope with the shifting boundaries of loyalty, faith and duty.

Review:

I've only read most of the prequel series, so it was a little weird jumping into this.

This is still very violent and brutal. It's also still following the same group of childhood twilight-haters, only now there's a lot of more people involved, and there's a lot more history and anger built up to amp up the need to fight and kill, and protect.

There are a couple of interesting characters, or at least character that I think I would like. There's some police and some underground politics happening, and a lot of built-up fights with revenge and past-hurts in mind.

This isn't really my kind of series. I don't go for the brutal kind of series, or mafia or prejudice-based series. I can kind of see the appeal, and how it would be fun to get wrapped up in all of it, though. (It also might be a little too close to real life at this moment.) It's well-written, and has an interesting art-style, though.

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

Manga Review: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Volume 7, by Inio Asano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s just an everyday apocalypse.

Three years ago the aliens invaded Tokyo. Nothing was ever the same again. But after a while, even impending doom starts to feel ordinary.

International relations are crumbling as the hotheaded American president demands that the Japanese government share what they know about Invader technology. But the Japanese prime minister has more important things to think about than diplomacy—he wants to make sure his favorite idol is in the bunker with him when the mother ship blows. Meanwhile, the Occult Club is taking a trip to the seashore to meet with someone who claims to have had an extraterrestrial experience! The silly lark ends up revealing something shocking about Oran’s past, but at least the scenery is lovely!

Review:

In this volume, we get some insight on the US's stance on what is happening in Japan. The president has some statements regarding it, and some gamers we meet are also somewhat opinionated. I can definitely say I didn't really appreciate this part, but I can't refute it.

Throughout this volume, everyone is aware that there's a countdown bearing down on them all. Something big is going to happen, any time now really. The group goes on a little summer trip, there's some romantic attention; Oba definitely knows more than he's saying, but he's also reflecting on his changing feelings.

And then we're thrown an off-the-wall reveal as the volume is ending, new information regarding Oran. (At least, new information to me. I missed the first couple of volumes, it's possible we were told something then?)

This series is crazy and disturbing, while also being controversially thought-provoking and off-putting. It feels like it has a specific audience in mind, but also it's very easy to get sucked in and curious about where it's going.

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

Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World, Volume 3, by Aki Irie

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A young sorceress transforms into an adult and sets out on magical adventures full of charm and wonder!

Ran Uruma can’t wait to grow up and become a sorceress like her mother, so with the help of a magical pair of sneakers, she transforms into an adult and sets off! Her father and older brother Jin try to keep her home safe, but Ran is determined to advance her powers and have adventures of her own!

Even as Otaro recovers from his injury, bugs continue to attack him in his dreams. Ran decides to use her powers to save him, but she might not be strong enough to eradicate the bugs… Meanwhile, Jin’s animal instincts take over and send him on the hunt for the right mate. Who will turn out to be his chosen one?

Review:

I didn't pick up the first two volumes of this series, and I was a little wary starting this one. The artwork looks gorgeous, but I've heard some questionable things about the contents, so I was worried.

Jumping into this volume, it took me a minute to figure out who the characters were and how it all worked. In the first chapter, we're thrown into a crazy nightmare in Otaro's head, which Ran invades to try to wake him up, and ends with her being rather naked.

Realizing just how young Ran really is, I was rather put off by this turn of events. From what I can tell, Otaro doesn't know how old Ran really is, but even at her fake age, she's still much younger than him, from what I can tell. Which means their real age difference is a bit horrific.

Aside from that potentially icky relationship, Jin the werewolf brother goes into heat, and thus discovers his attraction to Sango. The start to that chapter is also a bit off, but aside from that, I'm into their relationship. I've got a big weak spot for werewolf/beauty and the beast kind of stories, plus Sango is kind of like a housewife already. I'm sure some people don't like it, but I'm into it. I kind of just want more of their story over Ran's.

I was surprised by how childish and comedic this story was. Given just how magical and detailed and gorgeous the artwork is, I expected it to be more serious. I'm so far iffy on some points and into others, so I'm not sure how I feel overall. I'm curious to read more, though.

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

Manga Review: Beastars, Volume 3, by Paru Itagaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2019

Volumes: 18+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

At this high school, instead of jocks and nerds, the students are divided into predators and prey.

At a high school where the students are literally divided into predators and prey, it’s personal relationships that maintain the fragile peace. Who among them is a Beastar—an academic and social role model destined to become a leader in a society naturally rife with mistrust?

It’s time for the Festival of the Meteor, a time when the animals honor their extinct dinosaur ancestors. Wolf Legoshi is still inexorably attracted to dwarf rabbit Haru. Is it a crush or bloodlust? Is it her or any small animal? Relationships are complicated for carnivores. Their bird friends lay and sell the eggs they eat, and some desperate herbivores even sell their body parts on the black market. Tiger Bill is tempted to buy a piece and invites Legoshi to indulge with him. But eating meat is highly addictive...

Review:

Not only do we learn about the upcoming festival celebrating their dinosaur ancestors, but we also discover that their city has a scary black market.

Legoshi is still struggling with his possibly romantic feelings mixed with his predatory desire to eat Haru, just as the drama club gets to go into town to work on the props for the festival. This leads to a mishap upon them discovering the black market in person, where some truly terrible things happen, and we meet a scarred panda.

This volume took a drastically dark turn that surprised me. It made me realize that I'm really not sure where this series is going just yet. I feel like we're still just touching the surface of where this story might be taking us.

I'm intrigued by the relationships and characters we've met, and the new ones in this volume. Even Legoshi is starting to discover that he actually does have friends who will stick by him, and agree with him, despite all the ones who won't, or just don't know him.

This volume was a lot, and I'm curious where it'll lead next.

Manga Review: Goodnight Punpun, Volume 5, by Inio Asano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 13 / 7 Omnibus.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A dark coming-of-age tale where slice-of-life slices back.

This is Punpun Onodera’s coming-of-age story. His parents’ marriage is falling apart. His dad goes to jail and his mom goes to the hospital. He has to live with his loser uncle. He has a crush on a girl who lives in a weird cult. Punpun tries talking with God about his problems, but God is a jerk. Punpun keeps hoping things will get better, but they really, really don’t.

Punpun finally has a plan. But it gets shattered. He wants the world to shatter too. And it does. How can he live with himself? Maybe you just need to find a different life, Punpun.

Review:

I have only read a few things by Inio Asano. I've definitely been warned about their books, but the few volumes I've read haven't been quite as disturbing as I expected. I think I can safely say that changed with this volume. It was a bit of a ride more than I expected.

With zero knowledge of this series, I had different expectations. I thought Punpun was just an odd character in a normal world, but there's a lot of plot with normal humans. And what Punpun does is disturbing, his presence is odd, but it also feels like his image might just be symbolic of something more. He might just be representing a more psychological thing, possibly not so literal. But then again, it's hard to tell with this author. He might also be an alien taking over different people's lives?

This volume was disturbing in a few different ways. Firstly, there's some very graphic detail, some weirdly crude and sexual language and scenes that I didn't expect. There's definite political undertones, and even clear preaching from some crazy guy on the sidelines a few times. What takes the forefront of the story, though, is the drama regarding Punpun's friends and, as they attempt to publish a manga, the relationships changing around that.

This was an odd volume, to say the least. I don't know if I would ever go out and read Asano's stories on their own, but I definitely understand why people do, and must admit that sometimes the subject feels important and is being done in a very weirdly purposeful way.

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

Manga Review: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Volume 5, by Inio Asano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2019

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s just an everyday apocalypse.

Three years ago the aliens invaded Tokyo. Nothing was ever the same again. But after a while, even impending doom starts to feel ordinary.

Private companies have been rushing to prove their worth in the Invader containment efforts, and their confirmed kill rates are starting to rival those of the SDF! But there are signs of trouble with the mother ship, and perhaps the Invaders are getting tired of this one-sided slaughter. Meanwhile, Ontan has found an Invader in a human suit and is keeping him at Kadode’s apartment. He’s a bit strange as housemates go, but at least things between Kadode and Mr. Watarase seem to be heating up!

Review:

Prejudices and dangers to the invaders are getting real. While the girls have their own alien friend, the military is out there killing them all, and people are warring on both sides of their rights about it. It all seems to be counting down to something, a time drawing closer to some inevitable doom.

Getting to see the aliens talking really sets a different mood for this series. From the aliens' perspective, the humans are the aliens. At times, we get to see them trying to hide and live in their sectioned off area, talking and not understanding the human language. All while the humans technology is getting smarter about hunting them out, and the humans are murdering them on sight.

Relationships are getting more intense just as the political danger is, too.

This series is off-setting, honestly; it feels disturbing in a very real way. I'm honestly enjoying it, though; it's interesting, even though I don't care for any of the characters very much.

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