Alphabetical Index of Viz Manga Reviews

Otomen Volume 3

After being disappointed by the sitcom-like mediocrity of the second book in this series, I was pleased to see that this latest installment went back to what I liked in the series opener: shojo school drama lightened with a humorous approach to gender expectations. There’s more in this volume about Love Chick, the manga Juta creates based on the adventures of his friends Asuka and Ryo. Since Asuka is the otomen of the title, a manly boy who nevertheless likes […]

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Oishinbo a la Carte 5: Vegetables

It’s something of a paradox to me: I enjoy the Oishinbo volumes even more if I like the food less. With something like Sushi or Gyoza, I suspect I’m distracted by the dishes. Here, with Vegetables, I found myself surprised by how appetizing some of these dishes sounded … especially the ones that would be most difficult to recreate, since they used unusual (for the U.S.) ingredients or techniques. Plus, there’s a bit more of a point of view here, […]

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20th Century Boys Volume 4

Review by Ed Sizemore **Warning: This review contains spoilers.** With this volume, the narrative jumps ahead three years to the summer of 2000. We finally discover what happened to Otcho since he disappeared twelve years ago in 1988. We also discover what happened to Professor Sikishima and his family. Remember, volume 1 opened with police investigating the Sikishima family’s disappearance. On a structural level, 20th Century Boys volume 4 is really about tying up some loose ends and reintroducing Otcho […]

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Hikaru no Go Volume 16

After the turning point of the last book, in volume 16, Hikaru has given up on go as a way of punishing himself. His former classmates and competition don’t want to let him leave, though, seeking him out to find out what’s going on, since he disappeared without giving anyone a reason. Meanwhile, Isumi is playing demonstration matches in China. Isumi previously left his go club after struggling and failing to pass the test to become a professional. His story […]

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Vampire Manga: Vampire Knight, Bloody Kiss

With so much interest in the upcoming Twilight manga and the general trend of vampires in popular culture, I thought I’d look at some manga that feature vampire characters and their forbidden loves. These books were provided by publishers for the purpose of review. Vampire Knight Volume 7 by Matsuri Hino, Viz, $8.99 US This popular series is set at the exclusive Cross Academy, a school with a Night Class full of beautiful vampires and a Day Class that must […]

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Kimi ni Todoke Volume 1

Sawako’s classmates are scared of her because she looks like a character from a horror movie, with her long black hair, heavy bangs, and pale skin. (Me, I thought she looked like a typical Japanese manga schoolgirl.) She copes by doing every good deed she can and volunteering for tasks at school, so that people will like her for being helpful. She’s making the best of her loneliness. If she can’t be liked, at least she can make herself useful. […]

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Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Volume 4

From the first color page of this volume, I’ve never seen pink look so menacing. The big-nosed Professor Ochanomizu is trying to spend his day off from the Ministry of Science at a park, but his mandatory security detail robot interrupts the respite. The professor finds a discarded dog-bot and tries to repair it, but the parts are too old and can’t be found anymore. This first chapter is astounding in its achievement. The reader thinks they know what’s going […]

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Oishinbo a la Carte 4: Fish, Sushi & Sashimi

A new volume of Oishinbo is an event at my house. I love tucking into the large, thick volume after making sure I’ve had a satisfying dinner — otherwise, I’d spend the whole time reading with my tummy rumbling. I expected Oishinbo a la Carte 4: Fish, Sushi & Sashimi by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki to cover the cuisine most identified with Japan in the Western world: sushi. The subjects of previous books, Sake and Ramen, are familiar to […]

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