Comics Books

This is my second favorite yaoi after Yamane's Finder series. Katou and Iwaki are rival porn stars auditioning for the same part in a more mainstream film. However, the producer decides that to earn the part, they have to have sex, with each other. Iwaki wins the part, and also Katou's heart - if he can only convince Iwaki! A fabulous romance with good character development and lots of hot, explicit sex.

Nitta draws beautifully, and the story is original. Highly recommended.

This is actually my first yaoi and one of my first manga so my review will possibly be marred by inexperience about this very specific genre.

I find a lot to complain about this comic:

first of all, a simple remark: how about these blond Japanese with light eyes and very fair skins?

second, I do not really like this effeminate, skinny men with impossibly wide eyes, though I know this a rather western attitude.

third, what is all this obsession about roles in a gay couple? I know nothing, unfortunately, about Japanese culture but, are they really that obsessed with being active or passive, sexually speaking? Must the passive guy perforce be womanish, ethereal? Do they never switch roles?

fourth, I bought this specific yaoi because the reviewers agreed about its having very explicit drawings. Well, there are some, but rather confused, dimmed so to say: situations are much more rousing than the actual drawings.

fifth, the layout of the strips is sometimes confusing: I am not speaking about the specific Japanese paging style, which is illustrated in a forword, I am saying that in several pages the sequence of drawings and dialogue is unclear.

sixth, one third of the book has little or nothing to do with the main story, which is irritating.

Why buy it then? And giving three stars?
Because this manga is quite pleasing to read: the story is good, the drawing professional, the characters bigger than life but interesting, the passion between the two main ones rousing. All the above mentioned flaws are there but they do not overcome what is good in it

Iwaki and Katou are both porno star. But Katou is at the beginning of his career and Iwaki instead is on a turn: quit or pass on more mainstream film. To both is asked to auction for a leading role in a film about a gay relationship and they have to make love together. Iwaki gets the role but Katou's success seems not to have problems. An year after, Iwaki and Katou has the chance to work together in the television adaptation of the movie, and they start a strange relationship where Katou pushes to have a real affair where Iwaki tries to quit everything.

Embracing Love is a continuing series arrived to 6 volumes till now. It's really good. Both Iwaki and Katou are adult, not young teens, so the relationship between the two is more serious and complex than the normal yaoi. Seme and uke are not net characteritation here. Iwaki is serious and not easy to reveal his feeling. Katou is passionate and open, he brings the rein of the relationship and forces Iwaki to "accept" his presence in his life. Sex between the two is very hot and the plot is preatty realistic. Reading this yaoi I have really had the feeling to read a complete work and till 5 to 6 volumes I have still the desire to read more and I'm waiting for the six volume to arrive.

this is about two adult film actor who are rivals. they compete for a role in a movie by making love to each other. From there it only gets better. Iwaki wins the role but he doesn't like the fact that people think he is gay and that he is playing the part of the female. He invites katou over for a challange for the male part and sparks start to fly. katou makes love to him and now he's hooked. when they are caught kissing and it is in all the papers he is mortifide and trys to avoid Katou but still gets caught up in his web. At the author's house he admits only to himself that he doesn't like seeing Katou making love with anyone else. At the same time Katou admits to himself that he has feelings for Iwaki.
when they are wrapping up the end of the series Katou makes love to him for real without anyone knowing but the two of them. It is to funny. I would go on but this is just some of the highlights of the book this book just keeps geting better and better. The only problem is the dates for new vol keep changing. I just can't wait that long to buy the book it is a must read. love it, love it, love it

This is one you MUST read. By now it's been around for quite a while, and if this is your first time hearing about it, get it. A surprisingly realistic theme set behind Nitta's beautiful artwork makes for an amazing read. Don't let the description scare you. Although the story revolves around two porn stars, you'll be amazed at how Nitta is able to draw the audience away from that fact and into the true feelings of the characters. Of course, not enough can be said about the erotica in this book. It is perhaps more explicit than almost any other yaoi manga -- leaving little to the imagination. But even so, every such scene serves only to draw the readers deeper into the emotional bond between the two characters. A hint of comedy and a sprinkle of "fan service" make this a classic. So don't hesitate. Just get it. Trust me...you'll love it.

Takes place during and after Episode III, action, suspense, mixed in with some tear-jerker moments. The Jedi are on the ropes and the knock-out punch is about to be delivered. Also includes the "Purge," excellent early Vader story!

If you are a life long fan of Star Wars and comics you have to read this Clone Wars saga to really understand and appreciate the gap between the last two movies Star Wars II (Clone Wars) and Star Wars III. It is amazing how differently you will look at the last chapter and especially the last 30 minutes of Star Wars III the movie after the buildup in this Clone Wars comic series. One of the most well written movie tie-ins I have ever read and I read tons of comics. Must have.

This is a great series! Absolutely worth to begin an excellent Star Wars series! The art is great and there are a lot of details and things to watch in these magazines.

This was a great ending to the whole clone wars comic series.

The book is a good collection of stories on how the fall of the Old Republic and the fall of the jedi order after Episode 3 of the movies. I will admit that most of the stories are a bit short for my taste and a bit open-ended to boot, but overall not to bad. Great artwork and compelling stories.

You have to be a computer geek to understand the humor. If you are, and especially if you have a unix/linux background and/or have worked with internet or other computer support you will find this one of the most hysterical comics around.

"Three steps to completing your initiation as an Evil Genius:
1. Adopt ominous accent."
"Checkski."
"2. Never, ever smile."
"Checkski."
"3. Bring a wealthy, monopolistic multinational corporation that sells crappy operating systems to its knees."
"Am thinkink there is no way of doink number 2 and 3 at same time."
- Pitr, reading EVIL GENIUSES FOR DUMMIES

The comic strip USER FRIENDLY maintains a continuous storyline, so EVIL GENIUSES IN A NUTSHELL picks up where the first collection, USER FRIENDLY, left off. The main characters - the staff of Columbia Internet - were introduced in the first book.

Written and set during 1999, the year that THE MATRIX and STAR WARS I: THE PHANTOM MENACE were released, there are lots of then-topical references (such as the completely empty offices of Columbia Internet on May 19 and the ultimate possible evil release date for Quake III).

For instance, during one of Stef the marketing guy's dust-ups with Erwin the AI, Erwin is temporarily loaded into a Furby's toy body. (Gentle readers might remember the talking stuffed toys after a little thought.) After Stef destroys it and Erwin retaliates, Stef finds himself in big trouble with the NSA. :) At one point, Erwin ends up talking like Yoda after being stuffed into a reverse-Polish-notation calculator.

And there are plenty of fantasy elements (at least, if you're in management, you can tell yourself that's all they are). Crud the demonic entity, saying that Microsoft is passé, changes over to AOL. The techies have a holy war over which of the various flavours of Linux is The One (TM). Erwin tries to nuke a spammer, with Russia and China joining in. Pitr tries to solve some budget problems by seeking refunds for all the copies of 5 different versions of Windows Columbia Internet has acquired with their hardware. When Microsoft's anti-Linux team arrives, the coders do the logical thing: they sic the thugs onto Stef. Erwin messes with Stef's head when they get him back, almost turning him into a techie ("I'm thinking I should've taken the blue pill"), but Delilah from MS sales re-education changes him back. In between, the techs play with Half-Life, Alpha Centauri, and Rainbow Six. (When a Terminator-like engineer's brain is replaced by a Pentium III chip, our heroes only notice him because his shotgun is a cool Quake weapon.)

*No* real life techies would try to shop a colleague onto the graveyard tech support shift, would they? No sleazy marketing guy would order sleek new computer gear just to impress a good-looking female techie would he? Just fantasy elements.

Right.

Not many Y2K strips, although the techies do prepare, because while Columbia Internet is compliant they're betting that Windows isn't, and that their clients will blame them. (The next collection, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, deals with the post-Y2K letdown.)

New characters:
- Artur the possessed engineer, who talks like Ahnold
- Matt the sea urchin, a new friend of Dust Puppy's rescued from a sushi bar

If you enjoyed User Friendly, you'll want this sequel. If you
haven't read User Friendly, then you'll want to look at that one
first, since this one follows it. Or go to userfriendly.org and
sample a few of the strips there -- but it's hard to take the
website to the bathroom with you or leave it on the coffee table
for family or friends to discover. Hence, the printed book.

This book picks up where User Friendly left off, and it's more
of the same. The quality of the strips has not dropped off; if
anything, these strips are better than the first ones. I quite
thoroughly enjoyed it. See also Root of all Evil.

Follow the guys from Columbia Internet as they work through the day to day tasks of tech support with really stupid customers, deciding which Linux distro to install, and tips on fragging the enemy. As you read you will find that there really is such a thing as a stupid question.

This book holds a little entertainment for anyone that is interested in computers. Admittedly, there is a certain level of Linux understanding to enjoy the Microsoft jokes. I would not buy this book for the technophobe in your life.

The book is dated now (who really remembers what happened on May 19th 1999?). But that is part of the fun, trying to figure out what the world events were at the time of writing.

There is something for all you computer geeks. A parody of Lord of the Rings and quite a few references to the Phantom Menace will keep you in stitches. There is even a romance that buds at the end of the book. I think it is all fake though, or at least cannot be long lived. Have you ever heard of geeks and romance going together?

This is one funny book. It truly captures the the world of IT, but puts a humorous slant to it. I read it almost from cover to cover and now frequently pick it up when I am in need of a laugh. I also like to post some of the topics on the door of my office. That bugs the heck out of our NT server folks, the jibes are a little too close to home for them.

I just read the second volume in the Fake series and I'm just as thrilled by it as I was by the first volume. As I'm anxious about reading the third book in the series, this will only be a short review. ;)

In the first story Ryo and Dee are on holiday in England, but a mysterious series of murders threatens their well-deserved vacation. In the second story we learn about Dee's youth as an orphan. And the last story is again a short story with Bikky and Carol.

Again Dee tries to get cozy with Ryo and again succeedes only a little bit more. ;)

Book Description:
Our two favorite cops, Ryo and Dee finally get a long deserved vacation in a nice country setting. Ryo wants rest and relaxation and Dee is on the hunt for Ryo's heart. The plot takes a turn when it looks like one of our heroes is the next target in a chain of grisly murders. Ryo glimpses a side of Dee he did not know existed when Dee introduces him to his Mother. Can our heroes stop a land hungry corporation from destroying his childhood home with the current occupants in it? Add in the introduction of a new boss (Berkley Rose) with an agenda of his own and a old flame of Dees (JJ) and it all adds up to a fast paced fun fill read.
My Review:
This book is a must for yaoi lovers. What more can you ask for 2 cops; one with a heart of gold and the other with a heart of passion for his partner. The story line is full of plots each chapter ties in well with the next. As the pages turn, the storyline grows-a nice variety of supporting characters are added in the mix to spice things up. And a wonderful selection of antagonists and triangle love interests (new and old) pop up. All which cause the main boys woes and worries, misunderstanding abound which lead to those wonderful kissing scenes we all love. The art work is good and the imagery is detailed. Ryo's mixed personality of innocent vs. seriousness charms you right off and Dee's devilish side enthralls while the sideline commentary makes you giggle.

Other Great Series/Manga by Sanami Matoh
By the Sword
Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle
Until the Full Moon
RA-I
TRASH

For those who like this series I recommend checking out "Yellow" by Makoto Tateno

This is my all time favorite series - even though it's only Shonen Ai it is the greatest Manga Series out there. The art is great and the story is funny and sweet in a lot of places, especially when it reveals how much the two main characters care for one another. It focuses on Dee Laytner and his persistence to get into the pants of his new partner Ryo Maclean, your average uke not knowing what to make of Dee's advances and Dee isn't the only one after Ryo, their new boss Berkley Rose is and Dee has his own admirers including one hyperactive jealous JJ, who hates Ryo. This is a must have series for any Yaoi or Shonen Ai Fan!

The first time I read this manga was way back when in highschool when my Japanese language teacher gave us manga for us to practice reading with.It was actually in Japanese and it really got me hooked on Japanese manga, especially the Shounen Ai genre. It wasn't really smart for her to bring in some yaoi manga books, but hey, it was awesome. Though the translation really varies...and Tokyopop has a reputation for screwing up some mangas. All in all, the second book is awesome. There's mystery, action, adventure (...). The characters aren't that bad looking either. Sanami Matoh's art is awesome, though her child characters look mighty freaky with weird glass like eyes. There's a lot of humor and Sanami Matoh portrayed NY people perfectly! Although in the second book it goes on to the supernatural realm...ghosts and such, Matoh-san didn't overdo it. I strongly urge any Shounen Ai manga fans to buy this book. It's one of the most popular shounen Ai mangas out there.

Dear god, I love this series! It looks like Sanami Matoh refined her drawing style between the first and second books. A big improvement, if you ask me. The only thing I tend to not like about this volume is that it tended to get riciculous at times, but that's more than made up for by great kissing scenes. ;D

Just wait 'til volume 7... *snicker*

Thus far I liked this book best compared to the other volumes in the series, even though they're alle terrific. The first story is quite long, Dee and Ryo have to investigate the case of a bomber. After the bomber has planted a bomb in a house near Bikky's school and even one in the police station, where Ryo and Dee work, he plans to detonate one in the school itself. When Dee tries to prevent the detonation, he finds his own life in grave danger.

The second story is one with Bikky and Carol. Bikky wants to buy Carol a gift for her birthday and works overtime to get together enough money for it. And the third story with Dee and Ryo in which Dee get's ill and Ryo cares for him.

If you love the series, you'll love this book. The story flows right along, and in this volume you'll love the "explosive" scene right before the middle. Can you say "KAAABOOOOOOOM!!!" But it get's touching right after that, Ryo-style. *tear* But JJ sure is a character that'll lift the mood right back up... and cause it to errupt in humor of course!!! Now before I ruin it, Later. Oh and pick up the book, you'll love it. ^_^

I kinda stumble onto this series, and man, I fell in love with it! I used to stay away from so-called "boys love" (yes, that's how it's called in Japan) stuff because many times those Japanese men were depicted in such a feminine way. But this series is totally refreshing for they are just "regular" men who are in love with another "regular" men, know what I mean? This is the Must Own series, not to just read at bookstore and leave 'em there. And, just because I am fluent in Japanese, I ordered the original version of the series and am to pick 'em up when I get to Japan, hehehe. I can't wait to read their original dialogues. I wish they make more videos/DVD's based on the stories, not only one :( But, take it! There are some CD's out, too, yay!

This is my all time favorite series - even though it's only Shonen Ai it is the greatest Manga Series out there. The art is great and the story is funny and sweet in a lot of places, especially when it reveals how much the two main characters care for one another. It focuses on Dee Laytner and his persistence to get into the pants of his new partner Ryo Maclean, your average uke not knowing what to make of Dee's advances and Dee isn't the only one after Ryo, their new boss Berkley Rose is and Dee has his own admirers including one hyperactive jealous JJ, who hates Ryo. This is a must have series for any Yaoi or Shonen Ai Fan!

Yes, that's right, genius work! A lot of people would completely disagree with me on this series (specifically friends) but I completely adore it. FAKE is freaking awesome and the fourth book is so cool. It's very touching and sweet and wow, there's a plot, how amazing is that? The action is absolutely amazing and I completely love how Matoh depicts New York city life, although she's way off on the kinds of people who live here and how the buildings look and such, but she completely gets the perfect NY attitude. The fourth book deals with a mad bomber destroying Dee and Ryo's precinct...and the rest, you'll have to find out for yourselves. I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone if I could, but I suggest whoever reads it not be offended by boy on boy relationships or cursing. There's a lot of both. There's an OT rating on the book so that means there are certain scenes not suitable for anyone under the age of 16.

Far Side really doesn't need a review. It's hilarious and anyone who has ever read it will agree with me. It's a classic! My favorite one from this book is the fear that no matter where you are, a duck a watching you. Too funny!

Gary Larson has created the funniest cartoons in the history of mankind. Unlike other comics you do not need to read them in a series as each individual cartoon tells its own hilarious story in a stand alone fashion. Therefore you do not need to have read the previous volumes to enjoy this edition to its fullest.

Fourth in the series of Far Side collections, the 1994 originally released Gallery 4's cartoons come from the smaller books Wildlife Preserves, Wiener Dog Art and Unnatural Selections. This volume is forwarded by Robin Williams who gives a four paragraph opinion on Larson and his work. Far Side Gallery 4 also have a unique cover where the lenses of the woman's glasses have been cut out, meaning when you open the cover, still viewing the exact same drawing, the glasses are on their own on the next page. This however does mean Gallery 4 has the most fragile cover of all the galleries.

A mixture of four comics to a page and full page comics make up this volume, most are black and white but with the occasional coloured pages every now and then. Classic Far Sides in this volume include aliens with the moon landing astronauts in a jar about to shake the jar to see if they'll fight, the hospital for mothers whose children stepped on sidewalk cracks, the famous Mr Ed verse Francis the talking mule debates, punk accountants and many more hilarious cartoons such a chicken reading a sign on the other side of the road saying Why Do You Need a Reason?

This like all Larson's work is a must own!

Gary Larson in this includes some great ones like theres a dog with like 50 people following him he says, "I can't smell a damn thing." Plus there's a foreward by king of comedy from mrs. Doughtfire Robin Williams. Here's somhing he says in it. "I really like the way he draws humans. Maybe someday scientists will dig up his cartoons and think that the 20ith century man has a rarely big nose and buck teeth."

This book is a real HOOT!

I guess the thing that makes Larson's cartoons so different is that his mind is just a little further off in space than where most of ours dwell.
Reading a whole book of these cartoons is a very different thing from looking at individual cartoons over an extended period.After 10-15 pages your mind tends to get climatized to this thought process and his cartoons almost start to feel like the normal ,rather than perverse, way to look at things.
We all need this exercise in mind-stretching and it is great to do it with humor.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who is not already a fan of Larso;myself for instance,at least until now.
If there are a few cartoons in the book that you did not "get";it simply means your mind is not totally warped yet.Just keep at it,you'll make it!
Enjoy !

Gary Larson is by far the most genius, the most innovative cartoonest ever to hit the world. This gallery has a forward by Robin Williams and tons of Larson's best work. You can't not love his sense of humor (and definitely check out the Prehistory of the Far Side).

From the remarkably eloquent foreword to the beautifully drawn and written stories, each page of this graphic novel shines. The narratives are subtle and Chekhovian in their ability to evoke emotion and mood. They're also just plain funny. A must-read, especially for anyone who's spent time out of U.S.

The humour in this intimately-written graphic novel hits home with its baldly honest, personal stories. Like others, I didn't want the book to end, and found myself slowing the read by spending extra time with the expressive and fabulously rendered comic panels. Very entertaining & excellent to pass on to friends.

What a lovely book! The title conveys the sense perfectly. These finely drawn stories capture the moments any traveller will recognize, when throwing yourself at the mercy of the world leaves you exposed not only to things mind-blowingly new but also to your own template--sensory memories, childhood perceptions, early hurts and wonderings. Any reader who is interested in travel will appreciate this book, whether or not she usually likes comics. A FEW PERFECT HOURS works on so many levels, I've found myself leaving it out and turning to it again and again.

"A Few Perfect Hours" isn't the kind of work you can easily peg: A graphic novel, it's also the kind of compelling travel writing that takes you on a journey both inside and beyond yourself, to off-the-beaten-path adventures in countries that no longer exist precisely the way they did when Josh & his wife Sari once traveled the globe. The result is a journey in time as well as one between borders. With pieces ranging from humorous to thought-provoking, Neufeld shows he is as capable of fascinating us with his writing as he is with his illustrations. Both bear up to several visits. In fact, it might be worth reading the whole book through once for the stories, again for the visuals, and at least once more to explore how the two interact.

A tip-off to the care he took inside, Neufeld packaged his work in an impressive form (paper, ink, and front and back matter) that makes "A Few Perfect Hours" a beautiful book that stands apart on the shelf. The result is a very readable, rewarding graphic novel that would be equally perfect tucked in a backpack or lying on a coffeetable.

Much will be (and has already been) said about Josh Neufeld's journey -- spiritual, emotional, physical, and otherwise -- as he depicts it in this insightful compilation (and indeed it is highly satisfying for a reader to observe -- as a voyeur safely removed from the frequent moral quandaries one faces when travelling abroad -- Josh's struggles while schlepping his American-bred presumptions around the globe). But as gratifying as these anecdotes might be, what really stikes me the most is his journey as an artist. Here is not simply the chronicles of a young man and his adventures in a comic book format, it's also the chronicles of an artist: years of experimentation, study, and refining a singular vision and style. This book did not happen overnight. Look closely, and you'll recognize the Life of The Comic Book Artist -- hidden behind the stories, Josh has provided us with a glimpse of how much art and an artist can change over time, even if ever so subtly. Having read much of his other works, I can now appreciate even more the times he has discussed his stylistic choices, because this book contains it all -- the whole kit and caboodle at my fingertips. So, keeping in mind Josh's own self-analyses from earlier years, I can now smile and laugh even harder when I see Josh in a tight bodysuit or Sari's tiny little feet (p. 61, "How to Star in a Singaporean Soap Opera"). Hergé would be proud...

I have read this book and it is the best book I have ever read. But i'm sure that the next one is gonna be better.

***** Freeglader
Written by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Reviewed by Brandon Baker
Undertown is demolished! It has been wiped out by a giant maelstrom that was created by Vox Verlix, the most high academe. All who lived in Undertown are now homeless and seek new life in the Freeglades. Rook Barkwater, a young librarian knight, guides them to his fellow 900 librarian knights. However, to make it to the Freeglades, they will need to cross the cursed Edgelands and journey into the treacherous Deepwoods. Will they be able to make it through the masses of shrykes and predators? Find out yourself in Freeglader, the amazing seventh book in The Edge Chronicles.

It is fantasy world you can't turn away from, magical and funny. Makes you want to be in it.

The Edge Chronicles is the best series I have ever read. They are full of adventure. I liked #3 the best. That's the one where Twig tries to find his lost crew mates. I have read all the way up to seven. I am reading number eight right now. Great series!

This book is one of the best of the seires. It, like it's brothers is writen well and paced well. The book combines war of the goblins and freegladers makes you want to read on even if your extreamly tierd. It will make you want to read it again even if you've only just finished it!!!!!

The best part is when the goblin armies are sent to war beacuse you meet new charcters.

By Sam age12

Does that make me an addict? These books are wonderful and always put a smile on my face. They are definitely laugh out loud material.
This is the book where Tohru meets Akito, who at first appears to be nice, but is actually very controlling, in my opinion. He tried to brainwash Yuki! wtf??

Having introduced us to the rabbit, dragon (seahorse), rat, cat, dog, boar and cow of the zodiac, it's time to meet a few new people.

Specifically, it's time to meet the sinister head of the family, and the heretofore unknown snake of the zodiac. And while the fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" is extremely funny and kooky, Natsuki Takaya introduces us to some of the darker, more tragic dimensions of her characters.

Momiji and Haru have just entered high school with Tohru, Kyo and Yuki. The class president makes trouble for a gender-bending Momiji -- and almost gets throttled by "black" Haru -- but otherwise things are going well. Then Akito suddenly shows up, and while he initially seems friendly to Tohru ("You really are cute!"), his cruel streak is revealed when he sees Yuki.

Later on, Yuki and Tohru are gardening when a snake slithers into Tohru's clothes -- and it turns out to be Ayame, Yuki's flamboyant, flirtatious older brother. Problem is, Yuki can't stand the sight of him, and the more Ayame talks about himself the worse the rift between them grows.

When the anniversary of Tohru's mother's death rolls around, the Sohmas become involved in the lighthearted ritual at her graveside -- even having a raucous meal on it. But Hana hints at a dark connection between Tohru's mother and Kyo. And when Tohru is hanging out with Momiji, she finds out the saddening story about his own mother, and why she doesn't remember her own son.

The fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" is when Natsuki Takaya really starts balancing out her comedy with angst, rather than more straightforward romantic comedy. She doesn't lay on the dark stuff too heavily just yet -- a scene here, a line there -- but you can tell that things are getting less fluffy.

Most of it is still very fun and light -- Haru showing the class president that the, um, carpet matches the drapes, as well as generally abusing him ("That's incredible! Say something, GOD!"), the grave visit, Yuki's woes with new girls, and virtually any scene with Ayame. The flashbacks to Ayame and Shigure's teen years are especially funny ("Now please, lust after me!").

But Takaya shows her darker dimensions, hinting at Yuki's abusive past, and Kyo's possible involvement in Kyoko Honda's death. These are no more than glimpses, but her elegant artwork makes them chilling. And she ups the tragedy exponentially with Momiji's backstory. Despite his chirpy, sunny personality, we find out that he has a story even sadder than Tohru's. Good luck not crying during that chapter.

This volume also introduces us to Akito (well, up close) and Ayame, and Akito is about as nasty and creepy as you'd expect. But Ayame steals whatever scenes he's in -- flamboyant, flirtatious, socially inept, an astounding liar, and very arrogant ("Direct your passions at me!"). But we do get to see his more sedate side, and his real (though confused) desire to bond with his younger brother.

The fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" delves into darker territory without losing its comic edge, and introduces us to two important characters. And it only promises to get better.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

it was wonderful sweet and momiji was positive cute.loved all the carters. got to read more. the best there is

I purchased this book and two others in the series for my 12 year-old daughter after she received the first volume as a Christmas present. She absolutely loves them all.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

I love Fruits Basket. It is really awesome, and I love Yuki! Anyway, I have something to say to Mew Pretear. If you had the smallest inkling about Fruits Basket you would know that its nickname is Furuba. Guess what? It was made up by the creator. She says so in either book one or two. So I suggest that you actually think before you try contradicting a fact.

I though this book was very good in this one it starts out with them at the summmer home place that Shigure brings Toharu, Yuki,and Kyo and since no of them can drive Hatori drives them there. When they get back they later find another member of the Zodiac, this time it's Kisa the one cursed by the tiger.
Trough out the book there was a lot of funny parts...but I was reading this in school so every time I can to a funny part I had to restrain my self from giggling in the middle of class(do you know how weird that would seem...). But I thought it was an Awsome book I rate it 2 thumbs up err... I mean 5 stars ^.^' .

I don't know why, but I love this volume! I think because it has so much of Hatori in it- actually so much of all the Mabudachi trio! They're most definitely my favorite characters- especially Shigure and Hatori (Ayame's growing on me...)
Anyway, the Sohma's lakehouse is beautiful! (I always wonder what they did to get so fantastically wealthy...) There are some very adorable Tohru Yuki Kyo moments. We meet Kisa, the tiger. (Who's about as un-tiger-like as it is possible to be...) Kisa's adorable, and Hatsuharu makes a wonderful big brother to her. (Proving that you don't have to be Tohru to be nurturing and loving...)

Shigure decides to go to the Sohma family lake house for a much needed vacation, and to torment his editor. He invites Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo.. And persuades Hatari to come along as well (because he's the only one with a drivers liscence. This episode deals largely with Yuki and Kyo's changing relationship, and how Tohru deals with. At the Lake house Ayami Sohma shows up out of the blue. The rift between him and his younger brother, Yuki, is tested once again. He also reveals to Hatari that his former fiancee, Kana, has gotten married.

While out on a walk together Yuki and Tohru encounter Hatsuharu Soma carrying a small tiger. This turns out to be another member of the Sohma family, Kisa, also a member of the Chinese zodiac. When Kisa's mother comes to retrieve her it is obvious that she needs a much needed reprieve from her daughter's curse, so Shigure allows Kisa to stay with them for a few days. Kisa soon bonds with Tohru.

Kisa's mute behaviour causes some concern for the Sohma family, and for Tohru as well. Momitchi Sohma reveals the root of Kisa's silence and a letter from Kisa's instructor proves to be too much for Yuki. Then Hanajima suddenly invites the Prince Yuki fan club to her home after they ask to write a newspaper column about Denpa waves. President of the fan club, Motoko Minagawa has ulterior motives, and Hanajima doubts it not. Hanajima's little brother and his ability to curse people is awaiting for them at the house.

Much to Tohru's shame and dismay she fails one of her mid term exams and has to attend a make up test day. Under this stress her body becomes susceptible to a cold and the Sohma family becomes concerned that she is pushing herself too hard and force her to spend her illness in bed convalescing. Kyo proves to be an apt nurse when he makes her a cure all he loathes, and listens to Tohru reveal her anxieties about graduating high school and why it is so important to her.

Again...I am hopelessly addicted. I'm going to stop telling people to read this anymore. If you have read all of my other reviews of the manga so far, you already know how much I love it. Go read it for yourself. It's wonderful.