Animanga Nation

Review by: Sophie Stevens

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat Manga)
Author: Chica Umino
Genre: Shojo (Graphic Novel)
MSRP: $8.99 US
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Available Now

When love triangles start falling apart.

Chica Umino … you have no idea how your Honey and Clover series has a hold on the people in this rather spacious office. Since the first volume arrived, it not only became something of an office favorite with the ladies but it also has a hold on the lads as well (especially Clive who is the first to take it from my desk Shinobu Morita-style). Oh yes, Honey and Clover is just one of many of our favorite manga series and with good reason.

While the first two volumes set up the two sets of love triangles, this third volume takes one triangle further while the other seems to calm down. Takemoto had always had a feeling in the back of his mind that maybe the mad-yet-brilliant Morita has feeling for Hagu who is starting to cope with the fact that her uncle Hanamoto is out on assignment in Mongolia. However, as graduation and final semester projects loom ever so closely, Hagu is finding it hard to come up with something worthy of her artistic talents. Thankfully, the pressure of turning out something brilliant is diminished thanks to her friends Yamada, Takemoto, Mayama and (in his own way) Morita. Morita even makes her a birdie broach to cheer Hagu up.

The five of them have become closer than ever and share everything from a late night supper that was Mayama’s treat (thanks to the fact that he is now working for an architectural firm) to a little field trip to Odaiba. The trip, Takemoto feels, is something special seeing as they were complete strangers a few years ago and now so close that he can’t imagine not seeing them again. On the other hand, as Takemoto is now a senior in school, it might be the last chance the five of them would get together like this again. Of course, when they reach one of Odaiba’s attractions, a giant Ferris wheel, it becomes a bit awkward when they attempt to pair up. Pushing Mayama and Yamada together in one gondola, Morita sticks with Takemoto and Hagu were tension is certainly felt by the trio.

Takemoto has always had an inkling that Mayama might like Hagu the same way he does and in this volume his hunch becomes truth. It’s Mayama (of all people) who picks up on this right away and tells Takemoto that giving up before he even steps into the ring is a good way to not only lose the fight but lose all the progress he made with Hagu. It’s pretty amazing how a talented yet introverted girl like Hagu was able to be comfortable around him as well as branch out to become more social to the point of accepting Yamada’s offer of working over the holiday selling cake and roasted chicken. As the small street vendors attempt to compete against a Wal-Mart-like franchise, it is Hagu who saves the day by encouraging the vendors to gussy up their shops and even helps create a giant bear made of balloons.

Yet when Hanamoto-sensei does return, Hagu once again falls back to relying on him. In one chapter, she asks Hanamoto to accompany him to an art store only to have Morita offer to take her instead. The result is a very awkward outing Hagu doesn’t enjoy whatsoever. It’s clear that she’s interested in Morita and appreciated the birdie broach he made for her but it’s uncomfortable being with him to the point that she hides from him during a cherry blossom viewing festival. It is in that same festival that the local street vendors begin to wonder how a guy like Mayama still has a hold over Yamada’s heart.

Oh, but the best part comes in the final chapter when Morita encounters Hagu alone outside campus. I won’t spoil things by telling you what happened but it’s an event that changes everything to the point that Hagu becomes physically ill as a result of it. Sensing that something had happened between the two, Takemoto races to find Morita by hoping into the car of the young man who is somehow connected to the reason that Morita always disappears for several weeks. This is also the first time we see Takemoto show anger towards Morita

This is, personally speaking, one of my favorite volumes of Honey and Clover so far. Yes, it’s a bit on the moody side but I genuinely love how Takemoto waxes philosophically and Chica Umino’s sense of humor is fun and (as we see in the extra short chapter in the end of the volume called Pukkun and Milky Tea) actually cute without being too over sweetened. Plus, there’s just something about her art that just does it for me.

Volume 3 of Honey and Clover is the volume that stands out so far and it will surprise you towards the end of it. Wonderfully written and still filled with the pleasant humor that made the first two volumes fun to read, it is clear that Honey and Clover isn’t your garden variety shojo fare but rather a series that truly deserves its faithful following.

REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A
As graduation and end-of-term projects draw ever closer, Hagu finds that she just can’t get Morita out of her mind despite the fact that it’s uncomfortable being around him. Meanwhile, Takemoto feels like he’s losing everything. This volume also includes a short chapter that was featured in an issue of Bessatsu Young You. Also, is it me or is Morita getting nuttier with every volume?

ART: A
I said it before and I’ll say it again. Chica Umino’s art is uniquely her own and – for my money – it works wonderfully. There are panels where the art really stands out and the covers are always my favorite.

OVERALL: A
Honey and Clover, Volume 3, is a more meaningful and highly-enjoyable volume in the series thanks to the fact that the love triangle that is Hagu, Morita and Takemoto becomes a tad more complex. How good is it, you might ask? Let’s just say that everyone in this office is waiting to get their hands on it … again.

Review by: Edward Zacharias

Publisher: VIZ Media (SJ Advanced Collector’s Edition)
Author: Tsugumi Ohba
Artist: Takeshi Obata
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hardcover)
MSRP: $19.99 US
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Available Now

Righteous judgment or mass murder … it’s Kira versus L.

What if you were suddenly given a chance to change the world for the better but the only way of doing it isn’t exactly morally correct or legal? This is a question that comes up in the first volume of Death Note and thus sparking a smart and original cat-and-mouse game between a bored genius, an equally bored Death God and a mysterious figure known throughout law enforcement officials around the world as a brilliant detective.

The collaboration between manga author Tsugumi Ohba and talented artist Takeshi Obata was like pairing Lennon with McCartney and the result was a 12-volume series that captivated readers in a global scale. It also inspired a great anime and two live-action feature films. In short, it’s worthy of VIZ Media’s hardcover Collector’s Edition treatment of the first volume. Featuring a sturdy hardcover of the first edition cover with a dust jacket featuring the image of the Shinigami (or Death God) named Ryuk. Even if you already own a copy of the first edition (like me), this Collector’s Edition is definitely what you’ll want to have displayed in your bookcase.

The series’ strength has always been the battle of wits between the main protagonist and the genius that is L and in the first volume the battle between the two unfolds rather quickly. We meet 17-year old High school student Light Yagami who is the picture of scholastic excellence. He’s a straight-A student who breezes through class without much effort and is thusly bored out of his mind because of it. Deep in the depths of the Shinigami realm is Ryuk who finds his existence rather boring as well. To quell his boredom, he drops his most deadly possession – a simple notebook he dubs the Death Note – in the realm of the humans. As fate would have it, though, Light sees it fall from the sky and land on his school’s quad.

Out of mere curiosity, Light picks it up only to discover that the notebook contains blank pages and a page filled with guidelines on how to use it. What catches his eye is the fact that the Death Note claims that the name of the person you write in the blank pages of said notebook would ultimately die within 40 seconds. Dismissing it, at first, Light decides to write the name of a criminal who, at that moment, was holding eight hostages in a nursery school. It’s a shock to Light that the criminal actually DOES drop dead of a heart attack just like the Death Note promised it would.

Light begins testing the Death Note to make sure it wasn’t some kind of weird fluke or coincidence and surely enough the people whose names he wrote in the pages of the notebook suddenly die of heart attacks. Just as he’s convinced that the Death Note works, Ryuk pays Light a visit and discovers that Light was the right person to possess the deadly supernatural notebook. Both Ryuk and Light are no longer bored and so begins the strange relationship between Death God and human who sees this as an opportunity to change the world for the better. As executioner of the wicked, Light feels like he can turn the world into a crime-free utopia. The evildoer will die by the hand of Light who passes judgment on them from an unknown location and without revealing his identity.

Of course, the local Japanese authorities as well as law enforcement officials all over the world don’t see the sudden and mysterious deaths of criminals as a blessing. Murder is murder no matter what but how do you catch a culprit who kills quickly, efficiently and without even making an appearance? As Light continues he quest to rid the world of criminals, the media quickly picks up on his deeds and calls him Kira. The Japanese NPA as well as the American CIA and Interpol gather together to try to figure out who or what is behind this but can only come to the conclusion that this hard-to-solve case can benefit from the talented mind of a detective simply known as L. As it turns out, L already has a few ideas on Kira’s location as well as his method of killing.

In the first volume’s biggest highlight, L and Light do face off … well, sort of. L lays a trap via a television broadcast that gets Light angry enough to write the name of a man claiming to be the famous detective himself. I won’t reveal what happens (in case this is your first time picking up Death Note) but let’s just say that what transpires during the broadcast shows Light that his opponent is a formidable one indeed. Of course, Light feels he has a slight advantage being the son of the Inspector in charge of the Kira case in Japan!

Of course, Light soon finds out that he has a shadow that’s been following him. He sets up a trap aboard a bus to reveal the identity of the man following him only to be surprised that the man in question is an FBI agent named Raye Penber. In the end, Light tests another perk of owning the Death Note and that is owner of the Death Note can also write a cause and time of death.

Death Note has always been a very chatty series as you’ll know from the first volume and thankfully it rich with Ohba’s solid writing. It’s also one of the most eye-catching series as well thanks to the great art from Obata who has an incredible eye for detail. The Collector’s Edition includes a number of color pages that make the first few pages even more gorgeous and also includes the four-panel comics in the end of the volume much like the original.

If you have some extra money in your pocket, I highly suggest you pick up the Collector’s Edition of Death Note. If you’re new to the series, I recommend picking this edition over the first printing edition because you will most definitely be picking it up again and again. It’s one of those works that is ripe with all the things a good book should have and that’s definitely a rare thing.

MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A+
Tsugumi Ohba weaves an intricate and supernaturally charged tale that is not only intelligent but downright entertaining enough that you can only look forward to the next volume and the next one after that. Yes, Death Note was that brilliant and this first volume proves this point.

ART: A+
Anyone who has ever picked up a volume of Hikaru no Go will go on about what a brilliant artist Takeshi Obata is and – you know something? – they’re one hundred percent right. Obata’s work in Death Note is not only eye-catching put also one of the many things I looked forward to throughout the course of the series. The Collector’s Edition sports some great color pages and the black and white Ryuk cover is downright awesome.

OVERALL: A+
Befitting of a hardcover Collector’s Edition, Death Note’s first volume is one of those rare gems that require more than one reading. It not only sets up a lengthy and smartly original cat-and-mouse game but it also proves that gripping work like this can be just as compelling – if not more so – than your average mystery novel. Buying this one is a must even if you already own it.

Review by: Faith McAdams

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat Manga)
Author: Kazune Kawahara
Genre: Shojo (Graphic Novel)
MSRP: $8.99 US
Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: Now Available

Friends, foes and everything in-between.

Christmas was like a vivid dream to Haruna. All the things she wished Yoh would say to her were said and everything she planned for that date went down smoothly until they reached the restaurant where Yoh’s friend Asaoka worked. After that night, Haruna found she couldn’t talk to Yoh and this, of course, was a major problem.

Somehow, Haruna mustered all her courage and ran after Yoh and she told him that she loves him. It was a moment fans of the series just couldn’t help but cheer … but the question remained. Will Haruna ever get to talk to Yoh normally again?

The answer is yes and in Volume 5 we find the couple just as we had seen them before the Christmas date disaster. Yoh even planned a weekend of snowboarding with Haruna to make up for the long days of “therapy” that took up their winter break. It’s a prospect that has Haruna so excited that she doesn’t really pay much attention in class until her teacher introduces a new transfer student named Leona Matsuzaka. As beautiful (and somewhat buff) Leona is about to take a seat, her jaw drops and her eyes widen at the sight of Haruna.

Wondering why this new girl keeps staring at her and following her around, Yoh jokingly suggests that maybe Leona admires Haruna. Yet somewhere deep in Haruna’s mind she feels that she has seen Leona before somewhere. It isn’t until one day when Leona actually confronts Haruna that she finds out that the girl was in a rival softball team in junior high that played against Haruna and Mami’s team. Back then, Leona had a great batting average and a bright future in softball until she went up against Haruna who can pitch like nobody’s business. As a result, Leona feels cheated of her once-impeccable record and seeing our clueless gal makes her determined to ruin Haruna’s happiness and relationship with Yoh.

So, once again, Haruna is on a mission to protect her boyfriend … a fact that has Yoh feeling like he is the girl in the relationship. It’s hilarious to watch Haruna jump to strange conclusions and thinking that maybe Leona is deranged enough to poison Yoh’s juice box. Leona does, however, carry out a trap quite successfully … although the outcome isn’t what she expects. Leona manages to trick the couple and then lock Haruna and Yoh in a custodian’s closet in school. Fearing they might freeze to death, both Yoh and Haruna don’t freak out about their dilemma but rather grow even closer because of it. It isn’t until Mami and Asa come along to save them that Yoh realizes that he wouldn’t have minded staying locked in there with Haruna a bit longer.

Leona’s threats to Haruna’s happiness don’t last very long, though, thanks to an impromptu rematch out in the park. Later in the chapter she even focuses her need for revenge on somebody else in Haruna’s pack of friends so she doesn’t remain a constant threat to Haruna nor does she become a continuing rival. Still, it comes to Yoh’s close friend Asaoka that Yoh doesn’t fully appreciate Haruna and the great lengths she goes to make him happy. He’s quick to point out that Yoh hardly even compliments her.

What does threat their relationship in this volume is Haruna’s determination to set up her friend Mami with Asaoka seeing as Mami was always there for her when Haruna has a problem. Reluctantly, Yoh helps out but it’s clear that neither one wants to be hooked up at all. With Yoh no longer wanting to step in and help with the matchmaking, a disagreement soon has the two not talking to each another. Up until now, Haruna has never raised her voice to Yoh and this being their first real fight it would have felt out of place in their series if it wasn’t for Kawahara’s natural gift for balancing drama with her brand of comedy.

The real drama occurs in the last chapter when Asaoka tells Yoh that he’s going to ask Haruna out. Knowing his friend probably has good intentions, he lets him do it and so the two go on a date. As always, Haruna isn’t quick to pick out what exactly is going on but she trusts Asaoka and knows this is probably a trick to get Yoh jealous enough to apologize and express how much she means to him. It isn’t until towards the end of their “date” that Asaoka tells Haruna something that actually stuns her. Yoh does finally show up but it’s Haruna that feels like maybe there was some truth to what Asaoka told her.

The conflict that arises in Volume 5 of High School Debut mixes things up a little and Kawahara does a marvelous job maintaining the familiar vibe that makes this series such a pleasure to read. Watching the relationship between Haruna and Yoh develop was fun but watching it become strong enough to survive two crisis in one volume is pure gold. With the series ending with the twelfth volume, it’s surprising to see how well this series continues to develop.

REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A-
After the Christmas fiasco, Haruna is finally able to speak to Yoh but now that they can a person from Haruna’s past threatens their happiness. Oh, aside from that there’s yet another character who feels that Haruna deserves somebody better. Yep, Volume 5 has it all.

ART: A
Kawahara’s art does the trick nicely and her characters really stand out. I don’t want to say she’s gotten sloppy in the final chapter of this volume but Haruna’s facial expressions towards the end are a bit, well, sloppy.

OVERALL: A-
Haruna and Yoh relationship is put to a test in this fifth volume and line is crossed by a familiar face you would never expect. In short, Volume 5 is a surprisingly compelling read that keeps up the same pleasant humor intact despite the rivalry that threatens a relationship we’ve been rooting for since Day One. Missing this one is not an option.

Review by: Kiki Van De Kamp

Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing
Author: Minoru Murao
Genre: Graphic Novel
MSRP: $9.95 US
Rating: YA (Young Adult 16+)
Release Date: Now available

Mist isn’t your average manga hero and it’s not because he’s a young squire that happens to be a young man of color but because he’s a character that is very capable with a sword but doesn’t brag about it. He doesn’t cop an attitude to be cool nor does he become easily annoyed. Young Mist is first a knight on a duty to protect the innocent from false accusation brought on by the holy and, secondly, a brave knight worthy of the handle the “Hammer of Holy Men.” In other words, Mist is cool without having to prove it.

Unfortunately, Mist lives in a time when the color of his dark skin was considered a sign that people of color were in league with demons. This, however, doesn’t stop Mist from performing his duties as a champion to save the falsely accused women from priests that deemed them to be witches. With the aid of a mostly naked young girl named Euphemia, Mist manages to infiltrate the European-influenced city of Excludo where they are about to burn at the stake a pretty young girl accused of witchery. Of course, Mist (who wears a mask in battle), manages to save this girl named Nina from a corrupt priest. He also manages to best a talented young knight named Leonardo.

And so begins the first chapters of Knights, a story that brings Mist and Euphemia closer to their duty to finally put an end to the witch hysteria that has overtaken the land. Of course, this isn’t a simple feat seeing as deep-rooted religious belief is engrained into the minds of devoted followers. Even Nina’s own loving father finds it hard to question the church and believe his daughter is not a witch and places Mist in a cell. Interestingly enough, Nina manages to escape her confinement and not only express her gratitude to Mist but also show genuine affection for him. Even Mist taken aback by Nina’s smile – an act the young man hasn’t experienced in his young life.

Yet it is the mysterious Euphemia that breaks Mist out of his prison. They escape only to find out that the same priest that was about to burn Nina at the stake has her locked up in a tower chained to a medieval torture device. It’s Mist that comes to the rescue to face off against the priest. He also makes an interesting revelation about witch trials and what priests have to gain from them. A brutal battle ensues and by the end we are introduced to a powerful threat that disposes of what is left of the priest.

As Nina’s growing interest in Mist leans towards the romantic side (which is wonderfully refreshing to see in a manga), she finds that Mist and Euphemia has left her father’s castle to pursue another case of false accusation. This time, however, the rescue proves to be more trouble than usual seeing as the girl in question finds it hard to question religious belief. How do you rescue somebody who believes she is who the church says she is and wants to be judged? When they face off against the accusing priest, the girl comes to realize the startling truth about witch accusations.

In the later chapter, we discover a secret about Euphemia as she battles the same threat that dispatched the priest that sentenced Nina to death in the first chapter. The fantasy take is a nice touch that keeps the story from leaning to heavily on the historical. Meanwhile, Mist and a fellow knight of the same order named Sir Wilhelm battle against a sort of mystically mutated priest named Odo. It seems like these beings called “saints” gain a power that makes them monstrous yet powerful. Perhaps it’s love or genuine gratitude, but in the end Nina attempts to find Mist. She is joined by Leonardo, the young knight Mist defeated and the same “saint” that Euphemia fought by the lake. Each have their own reasons for finding the pair but you can bet that their journey will be just as interesting.

In the end, Knights has a refreshingly unique yet familiar appeal that make this the start of a really good series worthy of attention. It’s not so much the fact that the main character isn’t your usual surly, pompous young hero with an attitude that caught my interest (although it’s definitely a plus) but the fact that the story is intelligent and rings true in a century when a hero like this was certainly needed. It’s also a fun read that doesn’t fail to entertain manga readers.

MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A-
It’s great to see a hero of color take center stage and the historical yet fantasy feel is a wonderful change of pace that works well with the theme. Even though little is revealed about Mist, he doesn’t come off as your typical manga hero and the witch hunt theme is handled with a touch of realism.

ART: A+
Simply put, Knights has gorgeously detailed art that makes every character really stand out. You can never accuse Murao of laziness or skimping on the background or character art.

OVERALL: A-
Wonderfully original and thoroughly exciting from start to finish, Knights is a series that starts off strongly and doesn’t fail to hook you into its world. Minoru Murao manages to shed a light on a period in history with his own interpretation yet doesn’t sacrifice the entertaining fantasy twist that makes this a series manga fans should keep an eye on.