Anime Books

Fun and frothy, a great guilty pleasure. Yes, the books are a little repetitive, and no, it's not War and Peace but it's funny and entertaining and the characters are very likable. It's a little on the racy side as well. Love Hina is a good time and lots of fun. I heart Tama-chan!

Imagine yourself as a 20-year old who just can't seem to pass the college entrance exams. You've already failed them twice (but as some consolance, you're trying to get into the toughest college in all Japan, Todai [Tokyo U]) and don't know what to do next. Well then, you must be Keitaro Urashima, the hero of Love Hina. Love Hina, by manga maestro Ken Akamatsu, is as silly as it is heart-warming, and fan-service addicts will find Love Hina quite to their liking.

Main character Keitaro Urashima, as stated above, has been trying to get into Tokyo U for two years now, but hasn't had much luck. His parents finally get tired of him mooching off them and send him off to work at his grandmothers inn, until he can pass the Todai entrance exams. What Keitaro doesn't know, however, is that when his grandmother left on a year-long trip around the world, she left the inn in the care of Keitaro's aunt, who turned it into an all-girls' dorm!!! Keitaro ends up walking in on Shinobu as she's taking a bath, and proceeds to peek in on all the other inhabitants of the dorm, albeit accidentally!! Keitaro's saved by his aunt Haruka, and when Haruka says that he would be staying at the dorm, there's outrage from all the inhabitants. Thing is, though, even though Shinobu hates Keitaro's guts at the beginning of the volume, by the middle she's (inexplicably) head over heels in love with him!!!

Keitaro soon realizes he has to deal with MUCH more than he bargained for in terms of the dorm tenants. There's Naru Narusegawa, a bookish student who's also trying to get into Tokyo U- and she's got the highest grades in the nation on the practice entrance exam!!! There's Shinobu Maehara, the youngest, quiet but sweet- and a very good cook. Then you have Mitsune Konno (nickname Kitsune, a combination of her first and last names), the resident alcoholic and an uncontrollable flirt- especially when it comes to Keitaro!!! The remaining two tenants are Motoko Aoyama, a swordswoman who's a bit lacking when it comes down to what a girl should be doing (i.e. a SEVERE tomboy), and Kaolla Su, a foreign exchange student with a sweet tooth that can't be satisfied, especially when it comes to bananas!!!

After a brief incident where Keitaro lies and says that he actually did get into Tokyo U (and everyone finding out and unanimously kicking him out of the dorm), they wise up after Shinobu runs out to find him. Keitaro redeems himself in their eyes by (somehow) finding out that that day was Shinobu's 13th birthday (which everyone else seemed to have forgotten) and planning a surprise party for her... but he still manages to mess it up for Shinobu by sliding in a pair of her panties (that Keitaro accidentally picked up as he got the laundry to fold) under his gift to her, sending her running in tears and causing Naru to punch him into the air... again... Seems like poor Keitaro's in a bit over his head!!

Love Hina is one of many in a long line of harem mangas/animes (i.e. a geeky or otherwise socially awkward guy gets put into a situation where he's surrounded by a bunch of really good-looking girls), and yet Love Hina just seems to work out alot better than many of the others that I've read. Maybe it's cause Keitaro's just so likable, I don't know. I do know this, though: there is a LOT of fan service in this and the proceeding volumes, mainly through naked shots in the dorm's bathing area, although there's a good number of panels with Keitaro accidentally tripping and falling... and grabbing places that shouldn't be grabbed.

Which brings me to my next and final point. One scene in particular you'll see throughout Love Hina is Naru punching Keitaro high into the air whenever he does or says something pervy (which, believe me, is quite alot of times, as Keitaro has a VERY dirty mind and is not afraid in the least bit to show it)- and one can only wonder just how she does it. I end with this: Love Hina is one of the greatest mangas ever made, actually my second all-time fav. It has something in it for everyone. And did I mention it's funny? Cause it is.

Enjoy!!

Most twenty something men wouldn't mind living with a houseful of attractive manga babes. But how many would also like getting beaten and humiliated by them on a regular basis? Ok, don't answer that. Anyway, Keitaro Urashima finds himself in this very predicament in "Love Hina." He has flunked the entrance exam for Tokyo University two years in a row, qualifying him for the title "Ronin." The future looks bleak. Even his parents threw him out. This trail of desperation leads to the Hinata House, a hotel owned by Keitaro's grandmother. Or so he remembers. After finding the place abandoned, and a few moments of self-abuse, he enters a hot spring bath to collect his thoughts. Suddenly, the very naked and very shapely Naru enters the bath with him. Keitaro hasn't had a girlfriend since his childhood. This mystery girl from long ago, whoever she was, promised that they would meet someday at Tokyo University. Keitaro then made it his life's ambition to enter that prestigious institution. With no female interaction since, he finds himself woefully unprepared as Naru approaches him through the steam. The subsequent scenes can only be described as "mature." But, as luck would have it, Naru has taken off her glasses and takes Keitaro for another woman. Once she puts them on, she cries "pervert!" and the first of many chases and beatings begins for Keitaro. Everywhere he turns he runs smack into another woman and another instance of inappropriate touch. He finds out that he's in fact smack in the middle of a girl's dormitory. In total panic he pleads with the girls that he's just there to visit his Grandmother and mumbles something about Tokyo University. Somehow they take this to mean that he's enrolled there and the maladriot soon becomes a prestigious hot item. Thus begins the first big lie. Shonen Manga often challenges the male mind with such predicaments. If a room full of gorgeous young women found you irresistable based on a lie, would you fess up? Keitaro doesn't. He earns their trust and respect, which sets up the huge fall later on.

Keitaro keeps trying to get into Tokyo University, but he never succeeds in this volume. He does team up with Naru as a reluctant study partner, even though she's top in the nation and he's somewhere in the second lowest percentile. The two have some rather erotic encounters on the train and in her room, and some hints arise that she's Keitaro's mystery girl from long ago. When Keitaro's grandmother, who's off seeing the world, signs ownership of Hinata house over to him, the girls rebel and make him do backbreaking housework. "It's the landlord's job," they claim. The abuse just piles up. That he makes Shinobu, a 7th grader, cry often doesn't help. At one point he runs across her underwear. He tries to make it up to her by throwing her a birthday party, but the elusive panties spoil everything. In the final section of this volume Motoko Aoyama challenges Keitaro to a Kendo duel. Motoko's unexpected weakness makes her think she's falling in love with the man she hates the most, namely, the detested landlord. Or maybe she just has a cold?

"Love Hina" epitomizes the Shonen Manga genre. Packed with pretty girls, compromising situations, and exaggerated drawings, the action never lets up. The popular series ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine from 1998 to 2001 in Japan, and encompasses 14 volumes. An anime series also appeared as well as a recent sequel, "Love Hina Again." The series that begins with this book ends with the 14th volume, with everything apparently resolved.

If you like comedy with little romance and a little ecchi then you should give this a try.
The artwork is excellent, the characters are very expresive but not that realistic, the architecture and the clothes are really nice.
Most of the characters are likeable, not so much at the beggining, but when you get to know them you'll find that most characters grow trough the entire series.
I haven't seen the entire anime, but most people says that the manga is better.

When Keitaro was five he made a promise to a girl that one day, they would attend Tokyo-U (the Japanese version of Harvard) together. As time past, he has forgotten the girls name but remembers the promise. Now, as a 20-year-old ronin, Keitaro is struggling to get into Tokyo-U but just doesn't have the smarts to even come close to passing the entrance exams. One day, by surprise, he becomes the manager of an all girls dormitory. One would think that this would be any guy's fantasy. He is suddenly surrounded by pretty girls who regularly bath in a hot springs found in the back. Unfortunately, his dream quickly turns into a nightmare, as a series of fortunate events leads all of the girls in the dorm to think that Keitaro is some creepy pervert. Can Keitaro survive life in house Hinata? Will he ever get into Tokyo-U?

Love Hina is a great manga because of its quick and effective humor. The characters are all quirky and likable. Buried under all of the PG-13 humor is a scrap of true heart and emotions, that make this manga much better than most shonen series. The artwork is fun and easy to follow, filled with plenty of action and humor. Still, Love Hina is not a manga for everyone. The story line, although endearing, is far from original, and some readers might find them turned off by the humor, which relies almost completely on slapstick. On top of that, most of the characters prove to be more caricatures than real people. But for those looking for a great comedy with something more underneath, you couldn't find a better read. I found myself giggling and laughing out loud in some of the scenes, and feeling so sorry for poor Keitaro the next.

Think this series might be for you? Give it a try! Chances are, you'll really enjoy it.

This book is great, i've gotten several books on how to draw anime and this is the best i've seen. The level of detail and the well explained text and example is just the best buy i've done on this matter.

I bought this book because, obviously, I wanted to learn how to draw anime character. Instead of going straight into it, this book has you draw basic pictures first(i.e. boxes, connect the dots, faces.) which is what a person needs to draw well. After gradually building in difficulty, amatuer drawings are displayed and critiqued for the learners benefit. All in all, everything is layed out well and the mission is accomplished.

This is helpful in understanding the actual process of drawing and how its done is explained well.

this book was not helpful at all!!!i had just recently got into manga and anime drawing so i thought that this book would be helpful to me you know with the title being "basics for beginners" and all. all it did was show me useless information.all it does is show you characters made out of these weird rectangle type things only and then the finished project (but thats all no hair no clothes no nothing), instead of step-by-step directions on everything. if you are a beginner i would highly reccomend NOT, i repeat NOT getting this book!!! it confused me and didn't actually show me how to draw anything!!!if your a beginner and don't know where to start, your not alone!!! although this is the first book i ever got on the whole anime subject i would suggest some other how to draw manga books but definately not this one. try how to draw manga ultimate manga lessons volumes 1-6 and more how to draw manga volumes 1-4. believe me if you want, if you think diferently and want to try it any way be my guest but in my oppinion it's a total waste of money!!! hope this helped!!!

I would say pick this book up, because i am not a beginner but i still got alot out of it. If you want to get into drawing anime or game characters or you want to be pick this one up. This book really helped me brush up on my basics.I also fully intend to follow up with all the rest of the books in this sereies.

This is not death note quality but if you like Rave master or db, etc., it is one worth collecting. Funny and still some noteworthy fights, it is good.

This is pretty bad and all over the place. Young demon lord has to learn how to be a demon lord to stop some god-demon conflict that barely rates a mention.

Has a servant type that is a tall, pale slim hipped pillow who wears black, you get the idea. Some other goofy little magic things to have stupid express, and throw in some random magic technobabble at times.

This manga is a must have for all if you Shonen-ai lovers out there. As the story goes along, you will discover secrets of gods and demon.

this book is aiight....but
THIS BOOK IS NOT MADE BY A JAPANESE PERSON!!!!
it's korean, look at the name, and the way that u have to read it. it's read like american format..same with
SOUL TO SEOUL, KING OF HELL, DRAGON HUNTER, FAERIE'S LANDING, RAGNAROK, LIGHTS OUT(ONE DAY SOMETHING WONDERFUL MAY HAPPEN), EVIL'S RETURN, and more!!!
i'm tired of japanese taking credit 4 everything......

The basic plotline of this story is that Raneaf is an orphan who discoveres that he is actually a "Demon Lord" and that Eclipse, who found him, will be his teacher and mentor, teaching him how to become an evil demon rampaging human villages and the like. The only problem is that Raneaf is the cutest sweetest boy ever and that he becomes a laughingstock of the demon world as well as Eclipse who is a very highly ranked demon. However instead of hating Raneaf and that fact that's he's lost status by being his teacher, Eclipse becomes incredibly fond of him and this wonderful relationship ensues. I really like this manga; though I am bothered at times at how feminine the characters are drawn. I would stare at new characters for minutes trying to decide if they were male or female. Raneaf is so cute and funny and of course Eclipse is mysterious, forbidding and alluring. The two of them together is pure magic; the kind of relationship that is so captivating in manga.

Like thousands of manga series, this story romantisizes stalking, only it's the uke chasing after the seme, so it HAS to be comedy, ne? & the doujinshi's made by the mangaka herself romantisize even more taboo things. But yaoi girls love & thrive on taboo! Picture Queer As Folk's Justing & Saiyuki's Goku as one person; Shuichi, & Queer as Folk's Brian & Saiyuki's Sanzo as one person; Yuki. (Yuki & Sanzo are so similar it's scary! Right down to the tragic past!) The akward thing about this series, is that it seems like a normal everyday setting, but in the latter half, you get drowned with unealistic sci-fi out of nowhere, also in the 2ed half of the saga, there's so much stuff happening at once like an addrenaline rush while the first half was slow & easy.

I recently loaned all twelve volumes of this exceptional series (plus the two novels and "Gravitation EX Vol 1"), to a friend of mine. He had no real experience with manga. He liked these, though. Liked them enough that he bought the DVD of the series (not as good). I remember one of his first questions after reading it for a while was, "Does it always maintain this level of energy?"

"Gravitation" is a love story/comedy/drama/weird series centering around a budding pop-star Suichi (who I love so very, very much), and the object of his affection, a writer named Eri Yuki. Eri constantly rebuffs Suichi at, and here's the important part, ALMOST all turns, and Suichi keeps coming back to him.

That paragraph doesn't do any real justice to the series, though, which is, as my friend noted, incredibly energetic. It's wild, funny, enjoyable, light-hearted (most of the time), etc, etc, read the headline of my review, ad nasuem.

It's also the only series where I've seen a panda-shaped battlemech stomp through New York City and someone shoot someone else in the face as a way of waking them up.

Yeah, I know. All this sounds odd. It is. But it's also great. Strongly recommended.

Gravitation was the first manga series I've read and I really liked it. There were a few translation issues, such as the addition of pop-culture references and obviously American slang, but it was still worth reading. Since I don't read or speak Japanese, I'll have to stick with the English version.

Besides the obvious romance in this manga, there is actually a plot, so it's not just fluff. Not to mention this story is very funny. I've read this book more than twice and I still laugh. I liked the artwork for the most part, but I like Naoko Takeuchi's artwork more. Fortunately, this book is in right to left format, unlike Sailor Moon, where they flipped all of the drawings so that the book could be from left to right.

I've read the entire series, which is really good. However, I think it would be better if someone besides TokyoPop did the translations.

i love this, i tend to find it sweet. It's a wonderful and romantic story that will have you screaming at the characters!! *Turns to First volume* Damn you Yuki!!! Quit teasing Shuichi!!!!

GRAVITATION is the story of Shuichi Shindou, high school senior and aspiring musician, whose talent and self-worth become completely hung up on his infatuation with the mean-and-nasty romance novelist who insulted his lyrics. The plot follows Schuichi's pursuit of the novelist, his insane musical career, and the way the two affect each other; veering from side-spitting comedy to gut-wrenching drama and back again without batting an eyelash. There are dozens of characters, a confusing array of interlocking subplots, the author admits she is making it up as she goes along, and the story always seems on the verge of running completely out of control. Yet somehow it all ties together triumphantly in the final volume. Despite being extremely funny/silly/insane, it is also a story with substance, strong characters, and a meaningful payoff.

There are a few difficulties I should warn you about. Many of the characters are frustratingly hard to tell apart, and Shuichi keeps changing his darn hair, which can make it hard to find him in the mega-cast. The art often makes it hard to decipher what is going on, or who is doing what. The musical industry machinations are particularly hard to keep track off without a scorecard. MEANING that if you are so eager to find out what happens next that you barrel through the story (like I did) you will miss half the plot. So do yourself a favor and buy the books two or three at a time, and pace yourself. Or at least make note of everyone's names: The character list at the beginning of each volume just covers a few of the major players, and is completely inadequate to the task of helping you figure out what is going on. The art improves greatly as the series progresses, so re-reading Book 1 immediately after putting down Book 12 (which I did three times consecutively) requires a brief period of adjustment.

It is a series that takes a little effort, but in the long run I found this to be a part of its charm, and it is definitely worth it. The series earns its 16+ rating mostly through serious adult themes, frank (but not graphic) sexual content, violence, irresponsible use of firearms, and the potty mouths of youth.

Imagine a postapocalyptic wasteland, where technology is slowly sliding into a new medieval age... and vampire Nobles have ruled for ten thousand years.

Hideyuki Kikuchi left the rules of vampire novels behind when he crafted "Vampire Hunter D," mingling dark science fiction with ancient mythical creatures -- werewolves, vampires, and so on. Though his style is rather distant, the result is sort of a futuristic western by way of Bram Stoker.

Farmgirl Doris Lang stops a sword-carrying youth on a cyborg horse, and finds that he is a Vampire Hunter. Good thing, because Doris has been bitten by the vampire Magnus Lee, and needs this young man -- who calls himself "D" -- to save her and her brother from the vampire. Haughty vampire ladies, werewolves and feuding villagers all visit Doris' farm -- only to be repulsed by D.

But to deal with Lee, D must venture into a disgusting, labyrinthine castle, dealing with demonic serpent-women, lethal mutants, and the Count himself. Outside, Lee's servants and daughter Larmica grapple with various villagers, intending to capture or kill Doris -- but none of them realize what D, a dhampir, is hiding in his distant past...

The world Kikichi concocts is a pretty fascinating one -- it's over ten thousand years in the future, in the waning days of a vampire empire that ran the whole planet, and Earth is overrun with vampires, werewolves, fairies, mutants and cyborgs. He's invented a gloriously rough, wild kind of world, sort of a postapocalyptic Wild West.

However, his writing is anything but -- detailed, atmospheric, and full of creepy scenes (including D's, uh, left hand reviving him when he's "killed"). If there's an overhanging problem, it's that he has to infodump his audience at times, so they know about stuff like Gargantua grapes.

Kikuchi relies on a formal, distant style reminiscent of 19th-century novels, though more spare and stripped down. But sometimes he bursts into outright pulpy prose ("The people saw the crimson glean of his eyes in the darkness -- the eyes of a vampire!"). And he spins up some pretty intense suspense about D's true nature, and his hidden identity.

D is a rather elusive, haunted character -- Kikuchi rarely shows us what he thinks or feels, but gradually hints at his inner struggles. And he's backed by a pretty solid cast of characters -- feisty Doris, the despicable rich boy Greco, haughty vampiress Larmica, and the downright creepy mutant Rei-Ginsu, who is able to warp space inside his body.

While it has a few rough spots, "Vampire Hunter D" is a haunting, futuristic tale of vampires and the mysterious Hunter who pursues them. An excellent beginning to the series.

Wow. When I bought the book, I was expecting a novelization of the movie, but this book is so much more. The movie was about Vampire Hunter D, this book IS Vampire Hunter D.

Compared to the book, the 1985 movie was a run through of all the important plot points and leaves out a huge chunk of the events only seen in the book. Battles, scenes, and background information that you never see in the movie is explained in full in the novel.

Most of the characters are the same, except for some changes. However Rei-gensei is a complete rework between his novel and movie counterparts. In comparison, the movie Rei-gensei is a nice guy next to his novel counterpart. The same goes for the Mayor's son, Greco. And Lamika is considerably nastier in her novel role too.

Doris is given more depth and her brother Dan is given a change to grow up in a vivid world where the number 1 rule is survival at all costs.

The only con about the novel is sometimes the wording is a bit off or seems strange, but bear in mind that it's been translated from Japanese, but that did not keep me from enjoying the novel one bit.

My only problem with this book is that the translation seems rushed. In Movie to book, you have the image of a hack writer watching the DVD copy and just going along with the action. There's a parody of "Movie to Novel" of the Lord of the Ring movies that does this and makes Tolkien fans shriek like they are Lovecraft characters seeing Great Cthulhu.

Well, foreign translations, especially great culturally different ones, risk the "All your base are now belonging to us" speech. And I note a little of this, not so much as in the dialogged but in the descriptions of the characters and their motivations. There is a bit too much on how this character, despite being a weird "Post Apocalypse" mutant/vampire/whatever is "Special" in some way...

So, you've got to be a bit forgiving here. For all I know the translation author had no time and a super strict contract protecting the contents. And, if you read such a fiction as "Vampire Hunter D" you need to turn up your "Suspension of Disbelief" to the level of a child or a fursuit lifestyler.

But, do not let this scare you away. I got the novel eagerly and loved it. Vampire hunter D is an experiment in style as much as any 'fantastic' story. I'm sure, if it was translated perfectly, it would be up there with some of Clark Ashton Smith's best works.

I really, REALLY wish Dark Horse would re-write this. I don't really have a problem with who they used, except that this story deserves the ultimate hack; Harlan Ellison. Serious. He's worked for/with Dark Horse before. Just lock him in a room with endless coffee, the movies, the "All your base" literal translation and the english hack's attempt, and the promise of a few quick thousand plus royalties if he follows the "Just make a good novel out of that story" instructions properly.

Most net users only know the "King of Cranks" Harlan Ellison who sued AOL over online trading of his works. Grow up, it's the guys who bought obscure patents and sued for blackmail purpouses, or the person who tried to patent the "Hyperlink" who threatened the net, and he had far more reason than the RIAA for the unpopular line he went down.

Anyone who's read his stories knows he'd be the best for the job. I'd suggest "Quicktime", "Repent Harlequin said the ticktock man", "Deathbird", "Friend of the Enemy" and so on. And if you need any further convincing, look up his "Chocolate Alphabet" underground comic. Yeah, he's old, but that's ok. "The Glass Teat" is another one.

He'd have a field day with this. He'd probably go "Gaaaaahhhhhh!!!! They want to KILL ME!!!!" the first few days, then get really, really drunk and churn out an incredible novel. He'd do what Adam Warren did with the Dirty Pair; Make the American Version so good, it is illegally imported into Japan because the fans like it better!

Vampire Hunter D Volume 1 tells the tale of a young girl being bitten by the nobel Vampire Count Magnus Lee, a vampire at least 5,000 years old. She looks for a way to defeat this vampire before he takes her for his wife, as the Count hasn't tasted blood as sweet as hers in ages. She hires D to defend her and her young brother and destroy the Count. It is hinted that D might be the descendent of the greatest vampire of them all, Dracula.

Their have been two movies created based off the books, both animated. But the book goes much more in depth about the strength and weaknesses of the vampire. D struggles since he is a Dhampir, half vampire, half human. You get a real feel for each character and the battle scenes are well drawn out. It is a pretty easy read and great read if you enjoy the whole vampire legend.

First book of a long series and I plan to read the rest.

While this could have been an entertaining read, the writing makes this novel impossible to enjoy. This novel is severely lacking in character development...I didn't care at all about any of the characters. The plot is predicatable, and slow paced. Basically, I found this book a chore to read.

Warriors of Legend is a great book for Sailor Moon fans, and even for people who are curious about the series but never really wanted to get too deep in the manga or the anime. I never knew the scenes were based in real life Japan like Crown arcade and it even explains stuff like why Tuxedo mask drives an expensive sports car. If you read all the manga, anime and visited a bunch of websites to satisfy your knowledge of Sailor Moon but need more. This book will fill that void *LOL*

I've been a fan of the Japanese version of Sailormoon since I was a little girl, so when I saw this book I wanted to buy it. It goes into detail about specific places used in the series that actually exist (or are based on) in Japan! It also goes in depth on characters and their backgrounds of Japanese mythology, religion, etc. An example: the three talismans that belong to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are based on the talismans related to the myth pertaining to the birth of the first Japanese emperor. It all ties in together and shows you how much Naoko Takeuchi put into her story.

This book has a lot of background info on the Sailor Moon universe. It helped to better understand the society in which the Sailor Scouts lived. I also loved all the myths, legends and facts that went into creating Sailor Moon. Awesome read!!

"Warriors of Legend" is an unbalanced, incoherent attempt to describe how Sailor Moon comments on Japanese society. Space is wasted, there is little organization, and the conclusion does not naturally follow from the information presented. Though it is a valiant analytical attempt (from what I understand, the first of its kind regarding this particular series), it falls short in many places. One hopes that future analysis will use a more balanced, organized, intellectual approach.

According to the back flap, "Warriors of Legend" purports to be an intellectual view of "Japanese society through the lens of Sailor Moon." Authored by a masters degree holder in Regional Eastern Asian studies, as well as a doctor in political science, the reader is given the impression that there is a good deal of analysis of the societal impact of Sailor Moon.

Unfortunately, there is very little actual analysis in this book. Following a 20 page summary of the characters and story (completely irrelevant to fans of the series), 42 pages are devoted to "exploring the Sailor Moon Universe." We are given a tour, essentially, of all the sites in the Minato district of Tokyo where this series is based. Time and time again, the authors make the point that Naoko Takeuchi set the story in the world she lived in. Young Japanese fans of the show could identify directly with the background they saw, "building the notion that the sailor soldiers could have easily walked alongside them in their travels through Tokyo." This is an interesting and valid point, but is made tediously, time and time again, for a third of the book. This book, at times, reads more like a tour guide for fans of the series than an actual scientific analysis.

The rest of the book is a potpourri of underdeveloped analytical points, none of which flow well together. The structure of Sailor Moon families is addressed briefly, after which the text rushes immediately into the cultural aspects of the show. There is a section on the poetics employed by Sailor Moon before fighting takes place, one on how expensive Mamoru Chiba's lifestyle (in the anime) is in Japan, one on education, religion and so on. All of this is interspersed with seemingly random specific commentary on each of the Sailor Senshi. None of these points is adequately developed (the longest being the section on poetics, which doesn't run 10 pages), and there seems to be no cohesion at all, no gradual progressing toward a broad, general point.

The conclusion is equally flawed. A good deal of the conclusion describes how Japanese children were shocked to see their characters die at the end of the first anime season of Sailor Moon. This is an interesting point, but probably would have fit the introduction better than the conclusion, and is entirely undeveloped besides the "Japanese children viewed the characters as their friends" idea. Nothing, not even a reference, is made to the underdeveloped ideas presented earlier in the book. The reader is left wondering what the preceding 130 pages were all about.

Any future authors of an analysis of Sailor Moon would do well to focus their claims on a single argument, make sure that the argument is generalizable (i.e. can be applied to other shows, or elements of pop culture) and at least include some comparison with other elements of pop culture to give the reader proper context. Additionally, many elements of this book were utterly fantastic. Whatever relationship Sailor Venus has with the Babylonian Goddess Ishtar is still lost on me, and comparisons between Sailor Moon's jikoshoukai and those in Japanese history seem awkward, especially without mention of other anime.

Only a hardcore fan could appreciate this book, but an intellectual hardcore fan would find little more than what can already be found online.

This book is an interesting read... it show the emotion and pain into working on sailor moon. If Sailor Moon is your favorite anime like me and if you enjoy to learn about more, new, and crazy stuff about sailor moon then here you go a perfect example of pure sailor moon. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ALL SAILOR MOON FANS, ITS KINDA LIKE A BIBLE FOR SAILOR MOON FANS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO BIBLE FOR SAILOR MOON FANS. So ya this is a very good book it goes through the places and themes of sailor moon and like I said before THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ALL SAILOR MOON FANS!!!!!

Thank You.

I watched the anime version of this story several times. It is my favorite anime. The book is great too. After reading the book I understood the story line much better because it is in some situations quite distinct from the anime and in my opinion much clearer. I recommend this book for all twelve kingdoms fans. Unfortunately they just publish one volume in a year. And in this volume you don't know how Youko will act as an empress just how she becomes the empress. I have to wait another year or two.

This volume had some editing errors here and there, but otherwise well-written and not hard to read either.

For people who did not watch the anime (Japanese animation) of this series, this book is an introduction to a completely new world created by a Japanese author who studied Buddhism. The main character in this particular volume is a Japanese high school girl that is used to shutting up, fading into the background, and/or letting others walk all over her. She gets misunderstood a lot because of this, even by her own parents. The action starts when she meets this guy Keiki, who has her come with him (without adequate explanation) to what turns out to be a completely different world! The girl gets separated from her "abductor," who gives her some items for defense, and she ends up making a long, arduous journey to where he instructed her to go. I know, I'm not being so specific, but it's been a while since i read this book and I don't remember all the details that come in at this point. Anyhow, her journey, for me, dragged on like crazy, but I knew the basic story from the anime already and wanted to get on with it. However, you learn a lot more about the girl and what is going through her head as she journeys through an unknown land, trying to figure out who she can trust and who she can't, finding out what the customs of the land are and adhering to them, learning how to be a warrior, getting used to the sight/smell/feel of blood. At the end of her journey, things seem to speed-up plot-wise. My explanation does not do justice to the fantasy involved, nor the inner turmoil that the main character goes through. The descriptions in the book are much more in-depth.

For people who watched the anime like me, it was great to see that there were no annoying classmates in the main story of this novel, as opposed to the anime, which had two that accompanied her on her journey (sort of - watch the anime for details). Yoko is traveling on her own and you learn about her hardships, physically and mentally. The details, while unnecessary if you watched the anime, are just interesting to learn about, like about how Yoko met and got to know Rakushun and Shoryu. In a way that is also why it was a bit tedious to read through, in my opinion. I watched the anime and knew the general story, but Yoko's traveling in this volume seemed to go on forever! I just wanted to get to the part about En! Unfortunately, that is towards the end of the volume.

I picked up this book as a fan of the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres, and had heard this claimed as the Lord of the Rings of Japan. It is apparently very popular in Japan, and the reviews on this site are so glowing (check them out for plot summaries), I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed.

First of all, this novel is definitely geared towards young adults. There is a lack of depth in all the characters (despite considerable time spent on Yoko's internal struggles) and the history/politics of the Twelve Kingdoms. It just seemed superficial to me, only extending as far as the scope of the book and not like an actual alternate world. It's nowhere near the level of the Lord of the Rings. But I would say the book is unique enough, with all the Japanese and Chinese mythology, to entertain younger readers.

Secondly, compared to other uber-popular young adult fantasy novels like The Golden Compass and Harry Potter, not much happens in the book. The beginning is very good, but the middle section is quite repetitive (wander in forest, fight demons, get screwed by humans, talk to blue monkey, etc.). Then by the end, we get an invasion of another country, but the entire invasion is skipped over! We simply see the aftermath. At least it is enjoyable to see Yoko come into her own over the course of the book and become a character the reader can actually root for.

I think this is a good book, and probably worth reading, but my expectations were too high, and I was somewhat disappointed. If it adds anything, I have not seen the anime version, and after reading this book, I don't plan to.

I couldn't put this book down. I stayed up all night to finish it, and went to work the next morning like a zombie. The story is extremely well-written and the translation is handled perfectly. I did not expect the character development to be so in-depth--this book is a must-read for both children and adults. I can't wait for Book 2 to come out!

I enjoyed the anime series and since it's based on novels instead of manga I figured I'd read them. The book takes you deep into the world of the twelve kingdoms, and also into the mind of the heroine, Yoko, who is dealing with her own faults while trying to survive in an unfamiliar and hostile world. The author's descriptions give a vivid account of what it's like to be Yoko by mentioning "other senses" type of details, by which I mean senses other than sight. We hear about sounds, smells, and most importantly how things feel. The story is rich and complicated, but not so much that one can't put things together. I enjoyed this book, and anyone who is a fan of anime or manga would probably like it as well.

Having missed most of the tv show, i decided to read the Dragonball manga.
I had a very claer understanding of the story, but it contained some rather explicit sexual humor. I wasn't surprised that... wait gotta go. Lupin III is on...

Dragonball is a great manga!It's about a monkey tailed mountain boy named Goku who meets a girl by the name of Bulma who is searching for the the seven mystical "Dragonballs" which when all gathered together,will grant the posseser any wish.Seeing how strong Goku is,she convinces him to join him.The art is very humorous and so are the characters(especially Goku).A word of caution however.I do not recomend this to young children seeing as how there is some nudity and potty humor in it.Still though,it has great humor and art and I reccomend it to anyone,espcially to those who like adventure.

Having missed most of the tv show, i decided to read the Dragonball manga.
I had a very claer understanding of the story, but it contained some rather explicit sexual humor. I wasn't surprised that... wait gotta go. Lupin III is on...

what a cool comic its so cool but this i for ages 18+ it contains blood strong vilonce languge strong sexuly content sex sceans nudity and a little boy pulls of a women underwhare and its shocking it also contains lots of boob seceans but its cool but it contains adult content it says on back of comic so get ready for sex vilonce and nudty with dragon ball uncensord

I'm going to start it off by saying this: Don't buy this because you watched and liked the Dragonball/DBZ episodes you saw on Cartoon Network. Instead buy it because Toriyama's art and writing are great. It's a solid retelling of the myth of the monkey king, Goku, and his journey to please the great dragon Shenlong, with some changes and comedy thrown in. The fluid art keeps one reading, despite the unfamiliarity with the format (the book and its panels all go from right to left).

I suggest picking this up. Get this manga, then get the others. They blow the anime out of the water if you can read, and if you can't, then just look at the pictures, because those are good too.

This book was so cute and fun!!!! I loved it!!!! Marron is such a sweetie!!! This book starts out with the Sorcerer Hunters on a mission, and it ends in the same fasion. The book has a bit of nudity, but it's not completely hentai or anything. The characters Tira and Chocolat are a bit sexy by it's cute.

This is really good story about a group of people trying to rid the world of evil sorcerers. Carrot, Tira, Marron, Gateau, and Chocolat are the sorcerer hunters. It's funny in an adult sorta way.........but the characters are cool and so is the story line....a must read

This is one great joke after another. Carot, one of the men of the group does let his title down, he's always hitting on some girl. And Marron is just a hottie! Tira is the coolest out of the lot, not even the other girls will ever compare to her. I say let everyone read this and enjoy the humor of it!!!!!!! buy it today!!!!

Having watched the entire anime series, i was excited when my friend picked up this manga, since the anime is supposed to be more..um..tame. ^^; Several people have commented on the generic plot, but i would like to point out that this is done on purpose. This is anime/manga making fun of itself. And done really well. It takes all the usual stuff--from a young man and friends saving the world to the more taboo hentai/shounenai themes--and tosses them all together in a wonderfully ridiculous way. You can't help but fall in love with the characters and their eccentricities! It's so funny. Marron and Milfy are my faves. Marron is smart and sweet (and gorgeous!) but dangerous if you mess with his brother. Milfy, whom I won't tell you about because you're in for a big, hilarious surprise, might not be in this volume, maybe the next. can't remember... But no worries. If you read this one, you'll definitely read the next one! I love Bakuretsu (Sorcerer) Hunters!

Ok, ok ... It's obvious I'm a Marron fan. (Hee-hee ... It's hard NOT to be one!) But that fact proves that I liked this manga! So let me tell you why.

It's funny! I'm an upperclassman in High School and I made the regrettable mistake of bringing this book to class ... Ahem, let's just say I'll be the only one remembered for laughing during a lecture on Maslow's hierarchy of needs ... But ah, I digress. Back to the review! It was so hilarious (in a a PG-15 rated kind of way) that it was a really hard task to stop laughing! (Poor Carrot ... Always getting wacked by Tira's mallet ...)

The story itself is amusing. The plot revolves around three main characters, namely Carrot, Marron, and Tira. These three are the Sorcerer Hunters, employed by various Parsoners (people with no magic) to liberate them from sorcerers (people with magic and upside-down triangles on their foreheads ... hurh?). Anyway, their boss, Big Mama (yes, that's her name) is the one to send them on their missions. The first volume is divided into six "chapters," if you will. In "Enter the Sorcerer Hunters," Carrot Glase, a skirt-chasing zoanthropist (zoanthropy is his power), Marron Glase (his GORGEOUS younger brother), and Tira Misu (the Carrot-tamer) are on their first mission, helping out a girl named Leila Barton and attempting the figure out the mystery behind where the "noble" Count Regnasis has sent the Parsoners' daughters and why they haven't contacted their families. (Can't tell you the end.) In "The Magic Flower Rod," they are trying to discover who is behind the many Parsoner deaths in Colintos City. There, they also try to help the cowardly Brinks Kerny, who allowed his girlfriend to play detective and spy on a suspect. In "Dark Water," Parts 1 and 2, they try to stop a crazy guy who's trying to "rescue" his sister, Rin (who ironically asked for the Sorcerer Hunters' help to rescue her brother). Carrot is lured away by a hot babe in "Pretty Flowers Also have Thorns," a chapter where Tira faces another whip-wielding lady like herself. "The Terror of the Crystal Magicians" is about Sorcerers that capture Parsoners into magical crystals by using their fears against them. In this chapter, our three main characters are joined by two other sorcerer hunters, Gateau Mocha and Chocolat Misu (Tira's sister, a little too nude for her own good--but, a girl that Carrot DOESN'T want to sleep with?!) But it's only Part 1, so you have to get the second volume to see how that story ends!

The translation was really good (Mixx, I applaude you!) and there were no spelling errors I could find, so if grammar is THAT important to you, you have nothing to worry about with this manga.

Ok, if you're not bored out of your mind by my weird, repetitive summaries, let me finally tell you that not only is the this manga funny and interesting, but it's also skillfully and beautifully illustrated by Satoru Akahori and Ray Omishi. If you don't buy for its humorous story, at least get it for the artwork! If you buy this manga, you won't be unsatisfied. (However, mind that there is adult humor and some nudity, so if you're under 15, maybe you should wait awhile before getting it ...) Just learn something from my experience and don't bring it to class!

P.S. When you buy this book, you'll have to agree: Marron RULES!!!

If your really wish to learn how to draw anime and manga this is the book you are looking for. The vol 2 of the series "How to Draw Anime & Game characters" is all about emotions and expressions, some of the most important characteristics of Manga. Who doesn't love those cute faces, goofy expressions and unique gestures of some Manga characters? Great product,hard to find.

This will keep you drawing at a professional level and will give beginners further understanding and methods of drawing

excellent! i was very pleazed w/ the first volume, and couldnt wait to get the second...and now i cant wait to get the last 3, this set is just plain awesome!
it starts off simple, like the previous, showing just smiley face expressions...then he shows u a varity of MALE and FEMALE characters using just their heads and faces to portray emotion. continue on, and he will explain how each individual character uses his/her body to express emotion. he even shows u a couple of "do's and dont's", depending on which character ur drawing...
an example would be the male game character...when sad, he doesnt cry, but when angry he forms fists and is shouting...for another male character, anger is portrayed more as protest, and when upset he actually shows it...
he gives u a small but helpful section on how to put ur new characters into a comic too, giving helpful tips on where the "camera" should be in a particular scene, and who should or shouldnt be in the shot, etc...neat.
its a great book, and can be used by beginners who have the basic idea of the body down, and experts, of course!
happy sketching! :-D

This is a great book that provides drawing instructions on expressing emotion in anime and game characters. Helpful illustrations.

I took a chance on this book because its title, "Expressing Emotions", promised to reveal the content I've been seeking for so long: a book that shows how to create facial expressions for a range of emotions. And this book really does that, and does it well.

Another book by the same artist, Tadashi Ozawa, offered a similar promise, but failed to deliver. Let's Draw Manga: Bodies And Emotions doesn't focus on faces at all; it focuses only on expressing emotion by posing the body in certain ways. Indeed, half the drawings don't have faces at all. Another book, Manga Moods, shows a huge range of emotions, but with only a single picture for each emotion and no advice on drawing.

Half this book is dedicated to facial expressions, and the other half gives corresponding full-body versions of some of these expressions. Everything is very well-annotated, with a number of notes on each drawing explaining exactly what was done to achieve the emotive effect. The drawings are clean and well-done, and the text is very clear.

But what could be a strength for this book turns out to be a weakness as well. Fourteen characters are used, a broad range of male and female characters typical of various styles of anime and games. Each character is shown with 14 facial expressions, then later with eight full-body poses. But pretty much the same 14 expressions are used for all the characters, and it just doesn't feel like it's enough to express the full range of emotions. Consider that Manga Moods has 40 expressions, and very few of them are redundant.

It's a nice touch to see the differences between how the emotion of anger is expressed by the young male detective and by the catgirl, or how smugness is expressed by the schoolgirl and the male giant-robot pilot. But I really rather would have seen more emotions reflected in this book, even at the expense of showing fewer characters.

This is still the best book I've found for learning how to draw emotions, and I'm sure I'll use it for reference quite often. I only wish there was more focus on a wider range of emotions -- how to differentiate between gloom and discomfort rather than just "unease", or defiance and confidence rather than just "smugness", for example.