The Stellar Six of Gingacho by Yuuki Fujimoto, a story of deep kid friendship, provides different appeal to different age groups. For the young, it’s a gang of buddies they want to be part of having fun; for the older, it’s a nostalgic reminder of days when all that mattered was loyalty and time spent together, before difficult decisions and hard emotional choices interfered. As the opening statement reads, “Back then… we weren’t afraid of anything.” Volume 1 introduces the […]

It’s always a pleasure when you hear someone recommend a book, you try it, and you like it, perhaps even more than they did. But thankfully, that’s what happened when I tried The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko. Kanoko is adorable, to start, with a rounded bob haircut, glasses, and an extreme dislike of her age group. Each chapter features her indulging in her favorite pastime: watching her classmates and recording their feelings and actions. She treats them as her […]