Manga Worth Reading

This manga, a romance in a magical fantasy setting, has enough humor to make it an enjoyable read for the young and young-thinking.

The Lizard Prince Book 1
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As explained in the author’s notes, this book is Asuka Izumi’s first collection, so it follows a typical pattern: The first chapter works as a stand-alone story establishing the premise. That’s so if the concept isn’t popular or picked up, then there’s still a satisfactory ending. But this series was popular enough to get four more chapters (and a second book, which concludes the short series). There’s also an early, different story by the same author included in this volume. (The author later created Ballad of a Shinigami, already published in the US.)

The premise here is daffy. Tomboy Princess Canary has an arranged marriage with neighboring Prince Heath, who’s an indulged dolt of a playboy. Heath has a talking lizard who magically switches bodies with him to meet Canary, after which the two fall in love. Turns out, after various twists and turns, that the lizard is really Heath’s long-lost brother Sienna. (All the characters are named after colors, with eyes the same shade as their names. And I hate to spoil the twist, except I can’t talk about the rest of the book without doing so, and it’s revealed on the back cover.)

The characters are classically attractive, except for the lizard, who is little more than a doodle, a Pac-Man head on a tail. The rest of the cast is beautifully drawn for denizens of some faraway kingdom who act surprisingly modern. And I like Canary’s personality, even if her name is dippy. She’s strong, she does what she thinks is right regardless of what other think, and she’s observant and insightful — a true princess. Sienna, on the other hand, is a bit more goofy and insecure, which is part of his charm. Together, they’re a great pair.

In the following stories, the author takes on several different genres, so there’s always something new to explore. Chapter 2 is a slapstick comedy, with Sienna’s lizard form sending people screaming as he tries to do good deeds. It also extends the lizard-boy concept into something that works for a series.

The third chapter is a mistaken identity mystery, with an impostor pretending to be Prince Sienna who has to be investigated and unmasked. Next, the two go to a South Seas island where they visit a haunted house and resolve a ghost’s trauma. Of course, there’s the mandatory “possession that reveals emotion” scene as well. The last chapter is the weirdest of all — the two characters are given a baby to take care of for five days as a way to practice parenting. The baby’s adorable to watch, though.

The variety may seem scattered to some, but I liked the way the characters worked together in different situations. It became more like a supernatural TV series, with a different premise every episode, than a fantasy romance. What really won me over was the opening to chapter four. Like every chapter, the premise is briefly explained, but this time, the captions get a little snarky, to which the lizard responds, “oh, leave me alone.” Poor little guy.

(The publisher provided a review copy.)

The complex setup for this series is mostly wasted in its episodic chapters, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you enjoy the stand-alone stories that result.

Detective Toyama is sent to pretend to teach a fifth-grade class because their former teacher mysteriously killed herself. He’s supposed to find out what happened while protecting the children. That’s the part that gets forgotten, until the very last few pages. Presumably, it will be followed up in the next book, due out in March.

Deka Kyoshi Book 1
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Bullied student Makoto sees what are first thought to be demons. Toyama is the only person who believes in and helps him, and Makoto’s the only one who knows Toyama’s a cop, so the two bond. Makoto’s visions later turn out to be symbols of the conflict to be resolved; he sees other people’s stress as visual metaphors.

While he’s supposed to be the authority figure, in practice, Toyama winds up being a goofy, oversized plot device, since Makoto is the one who drives resolution but he can’t take certain actions because of his age. The stories are really about how mean kids can be to each other. The results are simple morality tales, correcting injustice and resetting order in predictable, comforting ways. It’s like a much kinder, gentler Hell Girl.

One girl is made fun of for her height and early development, for example, so she appears as a rag doll (symbolizing her still-young mind and desire to return to a simpler time) bursting at the seams (representing her discomfort and pain at her growth). Other stories teach a kid not to shoplift manga and help a wristcutter stop injuring herself and repair her broken family. The final one is a school ghost story, running around campus after hours. That one takes a slightly different tack, turning Makoto’s disadvantages into strengths in a setting where the normal students are discomfited.

The characters are alternately cute or creepy, as needed. The style is old-fashioned (for manga), clean and with distinctive character designs. I was confused by the rating — it’s marked “Teen Plus”, which is suggested for 16 and up, but they’re likely to be bored by the lack of real drama. Perhaps the rating is due to the creepy demonic images, combined with the story about wrist-cutting.

An online preview is available at the publisher’s website. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Book 4

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Book 4
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by Koji Kumeta, Del Rey Manga, $10.99 US, due out November 24

I have given up trying to make sense of all the Japanese references in this series. Although there are plenty of endnotes, I’d rather just focus on the clean graphic design of the art and the humor based around stupid things people do. I don’t need to know the name of a Tokyo baseball player to find, for example, an over-organization fetish funny, especially when it makes a house wind up looking like a 3-D game of Tetris.

I’m pleasantly surprised that Kumeta can make humor out of the pain one feels at being left out of a party, while the misery of holidays is a familiar subject given a very different twist with an unusual reason for the suffering. Cutting students slack no matter what they do is a tendency shared between cultures, and the virtue and benefit of silence is thought-provoking. There is one story that makes no sense without the explanation, which is based on manzai comedy, but I just considered it an exercise in surreality, so it fit right in with the rest of the book. Other chapters focus on concepts already familiar to Americans, like cooling-off contract periods or getting a second opinion.

I’m still enjoying reading this odd series, enough to continue.

Gakuen Prince Book 3
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Gakuen Prince Book 3

by Jun Yuzuki, Del Rey Manga, $10.99 US

This series, on the other hand, I quit with no regrets. I wasn’t appalled by the concept, as shown in the first book, as others were (with justification). I just didn’t care enough to continue, and flipping through this third book didn’t show me anything to change my mind. I’d also clearly missed something important in the second volume, since this entry opens with everyone talking about whatever it was, but I wasn’t interested enough to puzzle it out.

One sample was slightly amusing, but continuing this bit of perversion just seems tawdry. I have more entertaining things to read. This now feels like a waste of time.

Kitchen Princess:
Search for the Angel Cake
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Kitchen Princess: Search for the Angel Cake

by Miyuki Kobayashi, art by Natsumi Ando, Del Rey, $9.99 US

This new story is a novel using characters from the manga series by the same creators. Each of the four sections of the book ends with a new recipe, and each section has about four illustrations. I don’t think the characters and situation — recreating a cake beloved in memory — are strong enough to support the story without more art, myself, but perhaps that’s my preference for manga over prose text. Others may find the flipped responsibility, having the writing partner carry more of the work, a valuable comparison to the other way around they’re already familiar with.

(The publisher provided review copies.)

Sachiro has just declared her love for an upperclassman, because she thinks he’s adorable in his glasses, but he turns her down flat. Then she moves in with her mother, whom she’s never met [1], Mom’s new husband, and her new stepbrother … who turns out to be the same guy who just rejected her. But wait! That’s not the only weird element of the premise: The guy, Akihiko, has a bartending job where he doesn’t wear his glasses and is worshipped by all the girls who see him. Sachiro is rescued by him but doesn’t recognize him.

Four-Eyed Prince Book 1
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[1] This sounds more complicated than it is. Sachiko’s mother bailed when she was an infant. She was raised by her dad, who recently passed away. This is explained in only two panels.

This story is full of “only in fantasy stories” elements, and none of these concepts are explored in any depth, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it’s not a bad read. Light and silly, true, but full of good-hearted escapism. The characters keep getting thrown together through suspicious plot devices: a couples contest, a prize vacation trip to a hot spring, etc.

The idea that someone looks completely different without their glasses, so much so that they’re unrecognizable, is unbelievable but a staple of romance fiction. The book is full of teen girl fantasies like that: What would it be like to live under the same roof as the guy I have a crush on? What if that shy guy at school had a “secret life” as a stud who would single me out from the crowd for his attention and take care of me? And so on.

Given the focus of the premise, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that the art is full of huge glistening eyes. Sachiko is the typical “find the optimism in anything!” manga young lady, inspiring those around her to love and protect her. Akihiko puts up with her because she’s the only one who sees the real him under his two personas. For a first manga romance, perhaps for a young teen reader graduating up to love stories, I don’t think this is that bad a choice.

There’s an unrelated backup story in which a girl has to clean a rich boy’s house, which leads to her getting a makeover and him giving up his player ways for her. See? Total female fantasy. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Review by Ed Sizemore

Maria Holic Book 1

Maria Holic Book 1
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by Minari Endou; adapted by Clint Brickham; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Kanako Miyamae is a high school sophomore transferring to Ame No Kisaki, an all-girl missionary school. Kanako is a lesbian, but she isn’t comfortable enough with her sexuality to be tell others her orientation. She transferred with romantic visions of meeting her soulmate. While there is no shortage of attractive girls, Kanako is discovering that a pretty face doesn’t mean a beautiful soul.

Maria Holic is meant to be a farce, a broad stroke comedy that satirizes the tropes found in shojo and yuri manga. However, it reads like a bigot openly mocking people who aren’t ‘normal’. Lesbians, transvestites, tomboys, and such are all targets of ridicule.

Not surprisingly, all the characters in this book are one-dimensional. When you’re mocking someone, there’s no need to understand them or cast them in a sympathetic light. Kanako walks around ogling her classmates and falling in love based on the most superficial reasons. Her classmates don’t figure out she’s a lesbian simply because it’s not convenient to the plot. It’s certainly not from a lack of clues.

The artwork is the only likable part of the book. It’s competent. The character designs are nice. The page layouts are well-done. It does have a feature that I don’t think I’ve seen before in manga: panels of just word balloons. There aren’t many, but it’s still unusual.

Maria Holic is odious. I had to force myself to finish the last quarter of the book. Turning each page seemed to become more of a chore the closer I got to the end. Avoid this book and its condescension. Comedy shouldn’t make the reader feel tainted and disgusted. Comedy is meant to uplift us.

Samurai Harem: Asu No Yoichi Book 2

Samurai Harem: Asu No Yoichi Book 2
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by Yu Minamoto; adapted by Hope Donovan; Tokyopop, $12.99 US

Yoichi Karasuma spent the first seventeen years of his life in a remote mountain dojo learning swordsmanship from his father. Now he is living with the Ikaruga sisters at their family dojo, where he is learning how to be a member of modern society. The hardest part is behaving properly around women. Two attractive female assassins show up to kill Yoichi. Yet another obstacle as he’s trying to just fit in.

The setup is derivative of Ranma ½ and Love Hina, which is indicative of the general lack of imagination found in Samurai Harem. The series is a harem comedy that focuses on the creepy aspects of the genre without any attempts to include the charming counterbalancing elements.

The best example of the disturbing nature of Samurai Harem is how the fan service specializes in crotch shots. Not panty shots, but in between the legs, focusing on the pubic region of girls and women. Just when you think the book might be showing some character development or emotional warmth, there is a crotch shot with a sound effect coming from the girl’s genitalia. The series is shameless in its tastelessness.

The artwork is very well-done. Minamoto is a master of cheesecake drawings. The loving details given to the female character designs and fashions only make the series that much more lecherous. Such talent should be used to illustrate a good romantic comedy, not banal fan service.

Only fans of unapologetic T&A manga will enjoy this series. The plot is rice paper thin. The characters are one-dimensional. Readers are advised to steer clear of Samurai Harem.

Zone-00 Book 1

Zone-00 Book 1
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by Kiyo Qjo; adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Ango Shima is an exorcist who has just moved to Tokyo. He is aided by his two assistants: Sharaku, also his butler, and Hanabusa, his maid. It turns out his very odd classmate, Saburo Kujo, is a leader of the Tokyo creatures (demons). Ango has come to destroy all the creatures but discovers he must team up with them to hunt down a common enemy. Someone has created Zone-00, a drug that turns humans into mock creatures.

Zone-00 is a mess, starting with the artwork. The panels are busy and often crowded. Qjo is trying to make the art feel energetic, but instead it’s chaotic. The page layouts suffer the same clutter problems. All the characters have unruly hair that like kudzu appears everywhere. The book is eye-straining to read.

Unfortunately, neither the characters nor plot are any improvement over the art. None of the cast is interesting. Everyone seems to spend a lot of time in inane conversation. They all want to prove how cool and sophisticated they are. However, it all comes across as silly and pretentious.

The plot moves at a glacial pace. They spend more time at bath houses and beaches then actually tracking down the drug dealers and manufacturers. For someone committed to the destruction of all creatures, Ango gets chummy quickly with his sworn enemy.

Zone-00 is victim to its own excesses. The art and storytelling need to be streamlined. Lost in all the muddle appears to be the makings of an interesting story. However, potential for a better story isn’t sufficient reason to recommend this series. Readers should skip Zone-00 in favor of a manga that is more focused.

Momogumi Plus Senki Book 1

Momogumi Plus Senki Book 1
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by Eri Sakondo; adapted by Rachel Brown; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Yuuki Momozono is cursed with Disaster Attraction Disorder. This means that calamity haunts everything he does. He has just found out that he is the reincarnation of Momotaro (Peach Boy) from the famous Japanese folktale and inherited a demon curse from his previous life. He must break the curse causing his misfortunes before his eighteenth birthday or he will die. The school he has begun to attend is filled with students who are also reincarnations of various folk figures. There among his schoolmates is the chance to free himself of the curse.

Momogumi Plus Senki is an enjoyable light read. Sakondo has created a likable cast of central characters with Yuuki and his three companions: Sawa, Masahiko, and Yukishiro. Yuuki’s friends are all good-natured and readily accept their past lives without any conflict. Yuuki himself starts out as a depressed person, but the warmth and optimism of his new companions quickly win him over.

Part of the charm of this series is its sense of humor. Sakondo doesn’t allow any of the characters to take themselves too seriously. Sankondo also has fun with the personality of the cast. Masahiko is the reincarnation of Momotaro’s dog. He has the loyalty and affection of a puppy. He can let his canine enthusiasm get the better of him sometimes.

I also like how amenable the other students are to Yuuki’s bad luck. They know when he gets called on to answer questions, baseballs are bound to come soaring through the windows. So all the students sitting next to the windows have umbrellas to protect themselves from flying glass.

The art is well-done in this series. Sankondo does a good job conveying emotion. The action sequences are quick and lively. The humor has a nice subtle quality to it. The art complements the storytelling perfectly.

Momogumi Plus Senki is not a must read by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is a pleasant, upbeat series. It can serve as a break from heavier fare or just a good distraction. The way Sakondo plays with Japanese folktales makes me want to go read the originals. Readers already familiar with the folktales might enjoy seeing Sakondo’s fun twist on them.

(The publisher provided review copies of all books.)

In case you’re looking for something appropriate, these three manga are rated as suitable for all ages and recommended as good reads.

Choco Mimi Book 2

Choco Mimi Book 2
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by Konami Sonoda
Viz, $7.99 US

The fun of the first volume continues with more four-panel comic strips about fashion, friendship, and young love. There are also album and scrapbook pages featuring “pictures” of the characters and their pets that are very realistic in feel, as though a 14-year-old really put them together, plus longer stories with the same characters. An early one is surprisingly thought-provoking, with a flower symbolizing love and the characters discussing their different approaches to the subject.

Others are silly takes on topics like going to the beach or working in a cafe or putting on costumes to scare each other. School activities and holiday celebrations also feature. It’s a light read, but the cute kids and darling art style are appealing, and I enjoy being part of their world for a while, where there aren’t many things to worry about beyond looking good and the attention of the boy you like. It’s also got a surprising amount of content — I spent longer reading this than I do many other shojo volumes, both due to the page structure and wanting to notice the details of the characters’ outfits. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

The Lapis Lazuli Crown Book 2

The Lapis Lazuli Crown Book 2
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by Natsuna Kawase
CMX Manga, $9.99 US

Miel Violette found her impulse to study magic and improve her skills in the first book: befriending an undercover prince. Here, in the second (and final) book of the series, we first see her back at school, working toward that goal. She aims to improve enough to work at the palace and thus get closer to Prince Radian.

Unfortunately, the prince is missing from the opening chapter, which has turned into a school story, following Miel and two of her friends as they study magic. I’m glad to see him back in the following chapter, where she’s met her goal, since his interaction with Miel is the best part of the book for me. I’m just not as interested in her classmates and their struggles with (for example) succeeding on merit instead of due to their family name.

The changes in direction and approach may be related to the short length of the series. It looks like the author was casting around for a successful path to follow and never quite got there. She alludes frequently in the many author’s notes about wanting to do more with various characters but running out of space to do so before the series end. There are also what look like the beginning of subplots that don’t have room to go anywhere. Perhaps the best way to describe this is “valiant but failed experiment”.

If this book sounds interesting to you, the core premise is explained early on, and the new setting is different enough that a reader who couldn’t find book one could start here with little trouble, although I found the first volume much more interesting. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Yotsuba&! Book 6

Yotsuba&! Book 6
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by Kiyohiko Azuma
Yen Press, $10.99 US

The beloved series returns from a new publisher (who thankfully has also brought the previous volumes back into print) with all its charm intact.

The stories here fall into the category of “what it’s like to live with a young child” — they see the world differently. Everything’s new to them, yet they also start forming their own conclusions about the way things work. The result is creative comedy that rings adorably true. In this volume, Yotsuba discovers recycling, bicycling, office work (which consists of her labeling everything in the house), and playing milkman.

Sound effects (of which there are many) aren’t translated here; instead, the English sound and meaning are both written into the panel next to the Japanese symbol. I found this cluttered the page and distracted my eye from following the characters. Add in the translation notes put in the gutters between panels, and sometimes, there was just too much to look at. Especially when they kept reprinting the same note every time a labeled object appears, which I found unnecessary. I was also distracted by how often Yotsuba’s speech is bolded — I know she’s supposed to be frequently excited, but I soon lost that awareness in annoyance at the technique.

But those are minor points. The artist’s sense of motion and movement is wonderful. Yotsuba feels right, in all her actions and expressions. I appreciate her dad’s patience with her, even though you can tell it can be a struggle (as when, for example, she’s doing gymnastics on top of him). It’s her lack of self-censorship that makes her such a joy to read. The neighbor girl egging her on helps with the comedy, too.

I don’t know that I would have handed her a power tool, as Dad does when they build a bookcase, but that I was concerned for her welfare indicates how much I was lost in her world.

Here’s another review by Brigid at MangaBlog. If you’re interested in differences between the two publisher versions, here’s a visual comparison, criticism of the translation decisions, and an interview with Yen about their choices.