Gakuen Prince Volume 1

I don’t know whether to be amused or appalled by this “opposites attract” rape comedy. The back cover blurb is generic, describing an all-girl elite high school that’s only recently started admitting boys, so there are still many more girls attending. It continues: So begins a wild, no-holds-barred competition for the boys of the school. Which smart and independent-minded girl will rise above the fray? Sounds like a lot of girls want one of the few available young men for […]

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20th Century Boys Volume 2

Review by Ed Sizemore Kenji is still investigating the mysterious symbol from his childhood in Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys volume 2. However, things aren’t going well at the family convenience store. The franchise’s district manager is threatening to end Kenji’s contract if sales don’t pick up. He’s also unhappy with the way Kenji runs the store and demands that baby girl Kanna be put into daycare instead of being carted around on Kenji’s back. A law firm, hired by […]

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Venus Capriccio Volume 1

by Mai Nishikata Takami’s something of a tomboy. Although tall and pretty, guys dump her because she’s not traditionally feminine. Her best friend is Akira, a boy two years younger who’s also a gifted pianist. Akira’s music is Takami’s comfort; no matter the problem, listening to him play makes her feel better. Now that he’s (barely) in his teens, Akira wants to go out with Takami. She’s used to thinking of him as a friend, not a lover. The more […]

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Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Volume 2

Guest review by Ed Sizemore ** This review contains spoilers. ** Gesicht is in Japan to warn Atom that the boy robot is one of the targets of the mysterious robot killer. Also, Gesicht has decided to ask Atom’s opinion on the case so far. Atom downloads Gesicht’s memories and agrees to help as he can. Gesicht moves on to Greece where he warns Hercules that he is also a target. Hercules, like Brando, is a fighting robot. However, unlike […]

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Wolverine: Prodigal Son

Wolverine, the Marvel Comics superhero with the mysterious past and the magical healing factor, has been reinvented as a lonely teen martial artist in Wolverine: Prodigal Son. This manga-style adaptation has story by Antony Johnston and art by Wilson Tortosa. Logan is the best in his class at the remote Canadian school where he trains, beating even Tamara, the teacher’s daughter and a talent in her own right. He’s an unusually fast-healing “freak”, but he’s also quite attractive, with tousled […]

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Deux Yaoi: A Sampling — Kiss All the Boys, Take Me to Heaven, Two of Hearts

Two of Hearts by Kano Miyamoto Haruya, a formerly acclaimed novelist, is in a slump. He lives by the coast and pays the bills by writing magazine articles. He and his editor are also sleeping together. One day, he spies a teenager trying to wash his clothes in the ocean. He takes pity on him and invites him in for a meal and a shower. This is a typical adoption-style storyline common to yaoi. It’s obvious from early on that […]

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Honey Hunt Volume 1

Oh, Miki Aihara, do I dare trust you again? Hot Gimmick started with such promise — and then ended with crashing disappointment. Tokyo Boys & Girls, an earlier project, didn’t even end. Now, Honey Hunt features yet another young woman put under pressure by circumstances beyond her control. Will Yura break the pattern of Aihara’s heroines and become more than a dishrag? Will she actually learn to make her own decisions and stand on her own? Yura’s parents are a […]

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Maid Sama! Volume 1

Misaki is an attending a former all-boys’ school that’s now co-ed but still mostly male. She’s president of the student council and something of a disciplinarian when it comes to school rules. She also works in a maid cafe after school. Popular boy Takumi has plenty of girls in love with him. He finds out about Misaki’s maid job secret but surprisingly, keeps this juicy gossip to himself, which confuses her. There’s a lot you have to accept to enjoy […]

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