The addiction I worried about developing after reading book 1 may not be as big a problem after all, because the manic energy and emotion of that volume is missing from volume 2. Without her mother and her demented family situation to play off of, the story becomes just another “girl tries to become a star” tale. And it’s a darned repetitive one. Yura has a crisis — her costume’s been damaged by a jealous co-star! her family secret is […]

The more I read this series by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki, the more I enjoy it. I just have to learn not to read it when I’m hungry, because I start craving food that I can’t find! Oh, some types of ramen (noodle soup) and gyoza (dumplings) are available in my area, but I never dreamed of the possible variations covered here. And it’s not just about the food: The first two stories in Oishinbo a la Carte 3: […]

A journalist is given the task of finding the Ultimate Menu, the best of all his country’s food, for his newspaper’s 100th anniversary. The series that catalogs his quest has been running for over 25 years and 100 books in its native Japan, and highlights have been collected in the Viz manga series Oishinbo a la Carte. The first volume, Japanese Cuisine, focuses on several key meal ingredients, starting with dashi (stock/broth). Additional chapters cover rice and miso soup; sashimi; […]

The continuing story from the first volume by Aya Kanno here turns into episodic comedy chapters, becoming rather sitcom-like. When I started reading the first story in Otomen volume 2, about a younger, feminine-looking boy who idolizes the macho-seeming Asuka, I thought I’d forgotten too much of the previous book, since I obviously had overlooked Yamato’s introduction. I dug it out only to see that no, he’s just a new character introduced abruptly. Now that Ryo and Juta accept Asuka’s […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

After an introductory volume on general Japanese cuisine, Oishinbo volume 2 starts specializing by covering Japan’s best-known alcoholic drink and other wines. As part of his planning for his newspaper’s Ultimate Menu, journalist Yamaoka explores drinks to go with the food. Lots of preconceptions are corrected, starting with the idea that sake can’t be as good as the best French wines. An argument is made that if well-made sake with no additives is handled as well as wine, kept from […]