Manga Books

This graphic novel is still great, even though it's old and it's not available since it's out of print. If you have the opportunity of buying it in a cheap price, then do it. The story is great and it won the an award for best graphic novel!

Sailor Moon is a good manga for girls, I don't think boys should read it, or girls under the age of 10 (That's what I think, atleast). You should get it, it's worth it.

>>>>>WARNING TO BOYS<<<<<
THIS IS A VERY SHOJO (girls) MANGA, YOU MOST LIKELY WON'T LIKE IT. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW...
Okay, it starts out there's a 14-year-old girl named Usagi (aka "Bunny")(I think that's how you spell Usagi's name) and she's a real cry-baby and bad at school. But then she comes across this cat with a moon on it's head. The cat scratches her and runs away. After school the she sees the cat again and it comes home with her(You find out later that cat's names is Luna). That night it wakes her up and tells her she has powers and gives her this little thing that shows her friend, Molly being attacked by her mom (or what appears to be).
Usagi scared but Luna gets her in costume. They go to were Molly is and Usagi doesn't know what the heck to do, Luna tells her to do some attacks and she does(somehow). She eventually defetes the alien that was pretending to be Molly's mom. Then This guy (can't spell his super hero name, but his real name is Darain)comes up and Usagi's all lovy-dovy.
To know more you have to buy the book! It's really good. I left out some details, though. Didn't wanna spoil it all ;)!
I really enjoyed it, you should get the books!

How I first got into it was my sister got Sailor Moon "R" (an anime) when we watched it (I was seven, I think) I got crazy over it, I even dressed up as Sailor Venus! A couple years later I noticed some Sailor Moon books at the Libary and read them, and I really liked them!
Well, I hope you like it! ^_^

This was the first Sailor Moon book. There are five chapters. (I am going to write about exactly what happens in each chapter, so you might want to skip this part if you haven't read it yet.)
Chapter 1 - Bunny a.k.a. Sailor Moon - (That is the name of the chapter in the book, but I'm going to call her Usagi instead of Serena or Bunny because that is her real name.) Usagi is late for school but on the way there she finds a black cat with a bandage on its forehead. She takes the bandage off and sees a cresent moon symbol. She thinks it is a bald spot. After school Usagi and her friends go to a jewelry store. Molly's mom works there. But it's actually a monster in disguise as Molly's mom. Usagi goes home and dreams about being Sailor V, a superhero that her friends told her about. She wakes up and the black cat, Luna, comes to her house and talks to her! Luna tells Usagi that she is Sailor Moon and gives her a brooch. Usagi uses it to transform into Sailor Moon. She sees Molly being attacked by the monster that was pretending to be her mom. Usagi goes to the jewelry store and fights the monster. She uses her tiara to destroy it. Then she sees Tuxedo Mask and falls in love. The next day all Usagi's friends are talking about Sailor Moon and Usagi knows that it wasn't a dream.
Chapter Two - Amy a.k.a. Sailor Mercury - (Actually her Japanese name is Ami.) Luna tells Usagi that she thinks she found another Sailor Soldier. (In the book they are called Sailor Scouts, but that is sort of annoying and it should actually be Sailor Soldiers in the Japanese version.) Usagi sees Ami, and Luna jumps on Ami. Usagi goes and talks to Ami. Ami is really smart and Usagi actually wants help with her homework. Ami goes to the arcade with Usagi and wins a pen in the Sailor V game. Usagi kicks the machine until another pen comes out. Then Ami has to go to school but the teacher is really a monster. Ami left a disk she needs for school so Luna puts it in the computer but it is really a brainwashing program. Luna tells Usagi she can use the pen she got for disguises so Usagi turns into a doctor and goes to the school. She transforms into Sailor Moon and tries to fight the monster but the monster gets Ami. Ami uses the pen and she turns into Sailor Mercury! Usagi beats the monster and Ami is a Sailor Soldier.
Chapter Three - Raye (Rei) a.k.a. Sailor Mars - Lately people who rode a bus have been disappearing. Ami shows Usagi a priestess at a temple named Rei. Usagi tries to follow Rei but Rei thinks she is evil and attacks her. Luna thinks that Rei is the moon princess. Mamoru, a boy that Usagi keeps seeing, thinks that Usagi is Sailor Moon. Rei has a vision of a person attacking Usagi. Later she sees the same boy driving a bus. (He is really Jedite, Sailor Moon's enemy.) She gets on the bus but it goes through a portal. Usagi sees Rei on the bus and uses her disguise pen and jumps through the portal after the bus. Ami teleports to where Usagi is and they become Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury. Usagi traps Jedite but she can't defeat him. Earlier Luna gave Ami another pen so Ami throws it to Rei and Rei becomes Sailor Mars and destroys Jedite!
Chapter Four - Masquerade - Luna tells Ami, Rei, and Usagi more about the princess and the Silver Imperium Crystal that they have to find. Melvin shows them a picture of Princess D, who is having a party that night. Usagi sees her father getting dressed up for it but he says she can't go. Usagi uses her pen to morph into a princess and Ami and Rei go with her. She sees Tuxedo Mask at the party and they dance. A woman at the party is really a monster and she possesses Princess D to steal the treasure. Tuxedo Mask saves Usagi again and Usagi transforms. She gets a new tiara and destroys the monster. Usagi falls asleep and Tuxedo Mask kisses her.
Chapter Five - Lita (Makoto) a.k.a. Sailor Jupiter - Usagi accidentally walks in front of a car and a girl with rose earrings saves her. Usagi sees the same girl at lunch and they sit together. The girl is Makoto. Makoto comes to the arcade with Usagi and Ami. Usagi sees people talking about a ghost in the bridal shop. Thatr night Andrew, the boy who works at the arcade, sees the ghost and gets possessed. He finds Makoto. Mamoru, who is really Tuxedo Mask, sees it happen and turns into Tuxedo Mask. He tells Usagi and Usagi, Ami, and Rei go to save Makoto. Makoto gets mad at the ghost and Luna gives her a pen. Makoto becomes Sailor Jupiter. She destroys the ghost and Nephrite, another one of their enemies. Luna tells Usagi that she must become the leader of the Sailor Soldiers.

Usagi, Mamoru, Ami, Rei, and Makoto are the Japanese names. This book has the American names instead: Serena, Darien, Amy, Raye, and Lita. I used the Japanese names instead because Sailor Moon's full name is Usagi Tsukino. Tsukino Usagi means "rabbit of the moon" or something like that, which is why she has that name. They messed it up when they changed her name to Usagi.
There are three Sailor Moon series:
Sailor Moon (11 books)
Sailor Moon SuperS (4 books)
Sailor Moon StarS (3 books)
Most people saw Sailor Moon on TV first. There is also a TV show with five seasons:
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon R
Sailor Moon S
Sailor Moon SuperS
Sailor Moon Stars
Sailor Moon Stars was never shown on TV in America and there are no videos or DVDs either, unless they made them and I don't know about them. You can probably buy them in Japanese though.

Okay, what hasn't been said about sailor moon. It's wonderful and happy and gives little girls the fleeting hope that one day a magical cat will show up and tell them they're a super hero (yes, I secretly hoped this and when I finally passed my 14th year, the year sailor moon becomes sailor moon, I was noticeably dissappointed). Yes, it's pathetic. However, I'm not really here to review. See, I have owned the manga series since they first came out in the US and my first five or so have been read so much that they aren't in great shape. But #1 is by far the worst (the binding is shot), so I thought that I would get a new copy to read and cherish and protect my first copy. I did not know that it appears that it is out of print or something in the US. So I'm just writing about my incredulity at the prices it is going for now and feeling very proud of my ownership of one of the first prints in the US. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, and yes I'm over 13, I just hate to divulge the info they want for the adult form.

Ranma Saotome is a boy who fell into a Jusenkyo spring called "Spring of drowned girl." Because of that he turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. (Hot water reverses the change.) He's not the only one though. There's his father Genma (Panda), Ryoga Hibikami (Black pig called, P-Chan), Mousse (duck), Shampoo (Cat), and more. Since Ranma can be a boy or a girl, you could guess he has many fiance's. As a boy he has, Kodachi Kuno, Akane Tendo, Ukyo, Shampoo and a few others that like him. As a girl there's Tatewaki Kuno, and some boys who like him. (as a girl.) Read about how Ranma got his phobia of cats, and how he goes threw life as half girl half boy. There are 36 in the series. I've read them all! So can you! Read Ranma 1/2, By:Rumiko Takahashi. I could'nt put it down.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

Ranma ½ is about great martial artist boy named Ranma Saltome. Ranma find out that his father and a friend of his father made arrangements for him and one of the three Tendo Children to be married, but once they meat Ranma is not he really is but he is a girl. This is because Ranma and his father fell into a cursed pond and every time Ranma is touched with cold water, he turns into a GIRL!

Ranma is now forced to marry a 16-year-old girl named Akane Tendo but they do not really get along. (Ranma think Akane is a tomboy and Akane thinks Ranma is a jerk) Ranma and Akane try to get along but something always goes wrong. This is mostly because Akane has so many admirers, which always leads to a fight.

Most likely Ranma ½ is my favorite book ever. This is because of all the action, romance and comedy there is in this book. Also, I love to read this book because once you get to the end you will want to read the next one and the next and the next.

In the book Ranma 1/2 volume 1 there were many things I liked and only one thing that I didnt like.
One thing I liked about the book was the amount of humor. one example of this humor was when Ranma and the upperclassman were fighting and Ranma kept throwing food at him. Another funny part in the book was when the girls sister sold pictures of her to the upperclassman.
The only thing that I didnt like about the book was it was a little short, but there are like 37 of the books in the series so that makes it o.k.
In conclusion Ranma 1/2 is a great book and I would definetly recommend this book to anybody that likes humor and action because this book has both of them and then some.

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

I am surprised that USA people watch this comic series in addition to the same title movie.

As you know, Naushika's story don't finish to the movie. The truth story start from reading this comic. Even if Japanase read them, the story is a little difficult, but there are more wondeful things than the minus point.
For instance, the drawing ways. Generally comic(Japanese MANGA) is simple drawing. But the comic is very detailed drawing. They is like art rather than comic.

And in addition to the wonderful drawing,the expression of the character's face is very excellent, for instance joy, sarrow, longing, anger... Mr. Miyazaki can write their expressions very well. There are writers that can write comics very well in the world, but there will not are writers that can write their expressions of face very well.

If there are people that was moved when watched the movie, absolutely we recommend this comis..art series.

You will not waste your money by buying this arts series.

I am sorry for my poor English.

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!

I am so sad that Sailor moon products are out of print. This is an amazing story. I love the Manga and the Anime. 200 episodes wasnt enough!

This book was exitind and full of adventure. It was a greaat way for Naoko to start the new series.

This is probably my favorite part of the manga. The Solar Eclipse of the century has occurred, and with it came the Dead Moon Circus. A mysterious pegasus, new powers, new weapons, new enemies, new info about the Silver Millenium, new characters... Worth every penny. There are only two bad things about this book: It's over too fast, and you have to wait for _days_ that seem like _years_ for the next book. But don't take that the wrong way! It _is_ a good book! The only thing in the whole series I don't really get is Zircon, the snail lady's(Zirconia, the Soul Hermit) little eyeball with wings. But, hey, who cares?! You've got romance, action, some comedy, myths, magic, and extra short stories. Naoko Takeuchi, as far as I know, is the woman who created the timeless magical girl series. I may be biased, but if you haven't read this, and say it's too much like every other magical girl story, let me tell you this-the other people probably copied off of this story...

This book is great. In the book everything is changing,Darien is sick, Rini's leaving, and the girls are in highschool! The Dead moon circus is trying to take over the town and the scouts are having a hard time defeating them! Plus, the mysterious Helios is trying to help the scouts. (Is he a friend or Foe?) You'll have to read to find out! So, come on! Buy the book and read it!
~Chibiusa~

This is a wonderful volume. Bunny/Darien, Usagi/Mamoru, Serena/Darien are my favorite couple. I loved both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version is my favorite and the English version is great. I use both the Japanese names, Usagi and Mamoru and the English names Bunny and Darien. In this volume, Bunny is entering a new school life and so is Darien. Bunny and Darien are boyfriend and girlfriend. Bunny is very excited. Bunny plans to watch the solar eclipse with her boyfriend Darien and the others. As they are watching the eclipse, they notice something new. Their future daughter is going to be sent back to the future, but she wants to stay another day. Bunny asks Darien if she can stay over at his home. Darien tells Bunny he's not sure if they should do that. Bunny calls her mom and stays the night with Darien and their future daughter. When Bunny and Darien wake up after a dream, they soon notice something is different. When Bunny discovers that she's switched bodies, she comes back to the hospital. Darien notices what happened. Meanwhile, Darien is noticing a change. When he goes to the doctor, he finds out they found a shadow in his lungs. When Bunny visits him in her switched body, she stays the night with Darien. Darien tells Bunny he's sorry about burdening her. Bunny tells him that her dream is to be close to him, and Bunny kisses Darien. Darien cuddles Bunny in his arms. As new things are discovered, new things are found out and new paths await them all.

Honestly the first time I saw this anime on T.V., I was turned off by the whole crazy psychotic demon stuff. Then I decided to give this anime a chance, and after the first episode, I was hooked. The story is about a girl who falls into a well and she ends up in feudal Japan. Bizzare? Maybe at first, but after a while you'll say, wow that well gos great with the story.
So I decided to purchase the first volume of the manga, and now I will definately say, this is one of my most favorite series. The story involving and thrilling which also leaves for many unexpected events to happen where they end up fighting countless hordes of demons. All in all, this first volume of the manga will make you want to buy volume 2 of this great series.

I ordered the first two of the series.
I was pleased with the fact that they were a pretty good length, but I'm still reeling over the cost!
American dollars are bad. Very bad. Am so broke *droops*.
I love the story very much however, and Inuyasha makes a most adorable villian/good-guy. (confusing isn't it?)
I have shared it with a few of my friends. (Trusted ones mind you. Sooooo expensive to replace!)
They had a lot of reactions ranging from:
*yoink* "I'll see you after Japanese" *runs off clutching book muttering 'My preciousssss'*
To:
"Oh, they aren't very good quality drawings, are they?" *gets head bashed in by me*
And even!:
*Opens first page* "That girl looks really mad. Who is she?"
"Oh! He's a guy??? Are you sure???"
Yes. That really happened. That particular person also mistook Sesshoumaru for a female but I can forgive her for that.
I'd love to buy the rest of the series, but I'm pretty darn sure that I can live without it until the prices go down. One day.

Rumiko Takahashi is the writer of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.

Allison R.

"Inu-Yasha" has one of the best stories I've ever read. It starts off simply, maybe a bit generic. From there though, you get to know the characters, and you really do sympathize with them. The relationships between them are not rushed, and the romance is done very well. The story gets better in every volume, too.

Anyone who loves manga should try out Inu-Yasha. It's popular for a reason.

There is a little nudity, but it's not done in a sexual way. Still, it's not something for small children.

Violent, gruesome, nudity. Should be removed from the shelves. My 7 year old son told me he read one of these books that a friend in his second grade class brought in. I purchased a few books in the series and we reviewed one for content. I was horrified to see that it talked about murder, a person saves a bucket of human livers and has to move to another town because he has run out of victims. There were pictures of nude girls on a few of the pages. Although it says it is for Teen on the back cover- Young kids are reading these books. My nephews, who are teens, think these books are for young kids. Most teens are not interested in reading them. Which shows that these books although labeled for teens have a young child audience. I am bringing the books I purchased last night, back to the store this morning.

This book is about a girl (miaka)with an strict mother. She runs away to a library and is sucked into a magical book. She meets a male hero named xong giu-sui (Tamahome) She turns out to be the priestess of a mysterious land, and loves Tamahome as her hero. He, on the other hand, is destined to protect her, and loves her like a little sister. But when a mysterious and mean woman comes to the palace to help miaka with a royal quest, she falls for the emporer. The whole story is romantic, yet strange. :S It's not that great, but I read it twice.

-Mangafreak

Fushigi Yuugi is a wonderful series. I have read the entire manga series and love it. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple. They have a wonderful love story. Miaka and Tamahome's story is wonderful, romantic and touching. This series is very touching with lots of romance, wonderful characters, wonderful couples and a wonderful story. Miaka and Tamahome have lots of romantic kisses and lots of romantic scenes. This volume is one of the best volumes and has some of my favorite Miaka and Tamahome scenes. This volume is wonderful, romantic and touching and a great volume.

This book was very romantic and entertaining! I really liked the action parts, since there was usually a lot of romance mixed in with them. I do think that some parts were unnessecary and simply used to add some inappropriate content to the book. Being that I love romance, this was one of the best Japanese comics I've ever read! For me to truly enjoy romance manga (and I know I've said this before) the main boy has to be someone that I would like if I was a manga character. Tamahome reminded me of Darien from "Sailor Moon", risking his life to save the main girl! It was those parts that I enjoyed most.

Overall, if you love romance and Japanese comics, I recommend this to you! It is very absorbing and enjoyable! But keep in mind that there IS unnessecary content such as Tamahome walking in on Miaka when she's shirtless.

I got it for christmas and boy is it good! I like it just as much as Ceres! It's beautifully drawn, like anything by Yu Watase it's full of romance too-God I Love it.

Some friends at school recomended this manga, so i got it out from the library. I loved it!!! :) Once I started, I could'nt put it down. I read until I finished it, and then went straight to the library to get out the next book. About a month later, and I still love it (although I'm pacing myself now). In fact, its growing on me, I'm seriously considering buying the whole manga series (and thats saying somthing: I'm a picky buyer), and can't wait to get a hold of the anime.

However, there are few things to consider before you buy. Later in the series, the plot gets fairly serious, including family and friends turning on each other, murder, rape, and the like. I've found that almost any manga not geared towards 10-year-olds involves at least a slight bit of nudity etc, and Fushigi Yugi is no exeption. If that is something you can't stand to see, don't buy. But don't worry: Yu Watase does not dwell on this overly, it does not get too involved, and most are just romantic "awwwww! too cute!" situations.

By far the best part of this series (besides BEAUTIFUL illistrations) is the characters. Miaka and Tamahome, the main characters, can somtimes get boring or too predictable and their romantic moments can be drawn on too long. But the other characters more than make up for this, especialy (my personal favorites) Nuriko (who is absolutly HILARIOUS), Tasuki, Chichiri, and Mitsukake.

Fushigi Yugi has just the right amount of drama, romance, and comedy. The plot is great, the art is beautiful, the characters are amazing. What can I say? I'm addicted, and you will be too.

And if you already are addicted, I recomend Inuyasha, by Romiko Takahashi.

Sailor Moon is one of my favorite manga of all time. These books are so hard to get. If you can find one grab it !

I haven't read the manga(any of it) but I want to point something out. Who in this entire universe would want the name Bunny? I woundn't. Maybe that's why they changed it to Serena. Just a tiny clue, you know.

This is one of the best volumes. Usagi and Mamoru and Serena and Darien and Bunny and Darien are my favorite couple. This volume is so romantic and touching. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are my favorite couple. This volume is so romantic and wonderful. I loved it. I read every volume and loved it. I've been a huge fan since 1995 and still love this series- the anime, manga and lvie action version. Usagi/Mamoru Serena/Darien Bunny/Darien Sailor Moon/Tuxedo Mask are the best couple and the main couple and have the best love story.

This is one of my favorite Sailor Moon volumes. In it, my favorite couple, Bunny/Darien, Usagi/Mamoru, Serena/Darien have lots of romantic moments. I loved both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version is my favorite and the English version is great. I use both the Japanese names, Usagi and Mamoru and the English names Bunny and Darien. In this book, Usagi, known as Bunny and Mamoru, known as Darien begin to date. When Usagi (Bunny) wakes up in Mamoru (Darien)'s bed, they reveal their secrets to each other. Tuxedo Mask rescues Sailor Moon from a battle and kisses her. Darien reveals his identity as Tuxedo Mask. He tells Bunny the truth about his past. Although at first they'd enjoy teasing each other, when Darien reveals his identity to her, she admits that she has strong feelings for him and they begin to date. Darien tells her about his childhood. Bunny finds a pocket watch and takes it with her, while Darien saves Bunny's handerkerchief. He gies her a new nickname, in the Japanese version, Mamoru's nickname for her is Usako. Usagi then calls Mamoru Mamo-chan. In this version, Darien's nickname for Bunny is Buns. Bunny becomes very happy with Darien's new name for her. The next time they meet, Bunny sees her new boyfriend, Darien, reading about crystals. Darien playfully teases Bunny as they talk together. Bunny gets excited as they begin to talk. Bunny decides to keep his identity a secret, so the others will let her stay together with Darien. Darien apologizes about before and Bunny smiles and tells him it's alright. Bunny tells Darien that she wants to return his pocket watch. Darien tells her to keep it and he tells her he has something for her and they can trade next time. They reunite when Sailor Moon is about to fall and Tuxedo Mask saves her. Sailor Moon kisses Tuxedo Mask. Darien begins to think about the different sides to her. When Sailor Moon is about to be attacked, Tuxedo Mask saves her. Darien takes the shard for Bunny. Bunny is in shock. She calls out to Darien. Then their past is revealed. Usagi and Mamoru, Bunny and Darien, find out that in the past they were two lovers, Serenity and Endymion. They were in love and reincarnated in the future to meet in the present. Bunny finds out that Darien is her true love. When she sees him in her arms, he is taken away. Bunny is heartbroken and stays in her room for a week as she begins to remember the past. This volume is romantic, touching and will make you cry. It is truly one of the best volumes ever.

Well, this book is when sailor V first appears. She is totally cool. Darien and Bunny (Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon) figure out eachothers true identities. And they find the silver imperium crystal(which is very very important). If you have seen Sailor Moon on Cartoon Network, just a thing. This is much different. Sailor Moon isn't as...clumsy. And the whole crystal thing is done way differently. Still an amazing book, well written, good plot. Any real sailor moon fan will absolutely adore this book.

The entire series is an essential item in the library of any aspiring graphic artist or graphic novelist. This is my most important resource concerning the modern styles that predominate manga and anime today. Taking on the complete set, I expected to be blown to pieces but instead I found myself slow cooked in a pot, sliced into thin slivers over the course of a few weeks, and put back together again. If you can stand the pain, it turns out to be quite a ride. Perhaps because of their experience of being the only nation ever to suffer the effect of nuclear war, I suspect that the Japanese have mastered the depiction of post-apocalyptic dystopia. However, Japanese graphic art has a long history dating back hundreds of years. I am not surprised that this is an excellent example of visual elements taking charge of the storytelling where words provide the common ground on which you may stand with others in the audience. I suspect that even in its original language this work would captivate just the same. Perhaps not to the taste of many avid readers of graphic novels because of the sparse dialogue. Personally, I tend towards more graphic elements so this was a treat.

Akira is awesome. Even from a time when you would have just about had to commit a crime against the person of a Japanese tourist, or pay ridiculous amounts of money to get anime and manga and things like that, Akira was available.

It is no surprise that it was, as is an example of that artform at its finest.

Neo-Tokyo is a city recovering from devastation and world war.

When a young bikie gang leader rescues a young boy named Tetsuo, after almost running him down, Kaneda soon comes to realise this is no ordinary boy, because of the government interest in him.

I have heard many people say that the books are better than the movie, I don't think this is true. The movie version of Akira is much better than the books. I'm not insulting the books but the story of Akira is better in the movie. The books contain much more detail and character development but lots of the events I thought didn't move the story along; like Tetsuo taking over the clown gang and that society Tetsuo starts in Vol. 5. The movie moves along very quickly and all of the detail's are important. It moves along faster and the ending is better. The books are still much better than most I have read and Akira is the only anime I find really interesting but the movie version is better. I would recommend this after seeing the film.

One of the best comic/manga books in the history, with the original black and white artwork in a nice and decent package.

I only wish they released it in the japanese original reading, not the americanized left-to-right reading. At least they made a great job and didn't leave backwards texts and other mistakes like that. I'm curious to read the other volumes to see if they inverted Tetsuo's "mutated" arm.

For those interested in knowing a bit about this reviewer, "Akira", the film, was the first avenue that I traveled within the world of Japanese animation. It was bold, it was beautiful, and the enchantment of the music eventually pulled me deeper into this growing form of cinema. Since my first viewing nearly 10 years ago, I have found myself comparing all other films of the same nature to that eventful first viewing of "Akira". It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I found a used copy of Katsuhiro Otomo's graphic underground comic under the same title. Since I found that comic, I never read it. I was afraid. I was afraid that it would tarnish my youthful image of the film. I was afraid that it would not live up to the film, and while I am the first to argue that books are typically more genuine than films, I wasn't sure if the same could be said for Otomo's comic. As it seems to be a growing trend with graphic novels, I was completely wrong. Otomo's release of Akira through Dark Horse Comics could not be a better companion to the film, and vise-versa.

What immediately pulled me into this edition were the first few color images that create the story surrounding this "Neo-Tokyo". It delicately paints the birth of the third World War and how a nation full of loss attempts to recover. Like most stories with a similar structure, we then are brought abruptly into the world of teens. Friendships are announced, youthful indiscretions are demonstrated, and we read as gang lines are maliciously drawn. This is a fast-paced new world, but much is still unknown and unexplained. As our story progresses, we are inundated with all the great elements of a heroic sci-fi story such as Akira. Friends are torn against each other, government conspiracies are as common as the drugs on the street, and a bigger threat looms around the corner (which is only hinted in this first volume) named only "Akira". Almost better than the film, Otomo does a superb job of building the suspense, adhering to top-notch action, and building a world that seems too eerily familiar. While the use of motion lines sometimes becomes a bit tedious, what makes this reviewer smile is that the motion lines genuinely mean that action is taking place. Otomo does not let us down when it comes to the action sequences of this graphic novel. It felt, as I was reading this, like I was watching a very detailed film. You could feel the explosions, you could see the chaos during the gang fights, and (again, maybe it was just me) you could hear the Colonel yell through the frames and into your mind. It was like no other graphic novel I have read.

What compelled me about this story, as it did with the film, is that you have a majority of the action between teens, or the youth of this devastated country. While the science fiction element acts as strong middle story, what glued me to the page were the contrasts between adults and the teens. This is a story about rebellion. It is a story about those that disrespect authority (both on the governmental level as well as the within the society). Otomo has created this new world where we only see (at least so far), three levels of hierarchy. There is the government who conceals the truth, battles from within, and is not afraid to disrespect anyone's rights to get their result; then there is the teen gangs who have some loyalty from within, respect no predestined authority, and are not afraid to fight for their ideals. Finally, we have the middle men, the secret society that seemingly wants to play both sides. They do not trust the government, while the biker teens may be stronger than they anticipated. Mixed within this is our boy Tetsuo, a product of random chance.

Otomo, for this first collection, has created a great mixture of pop culture references/styles with chaos. Between the fighting and the sheer unknown he builds a force that is both frightening and surprising. I especially loved the torn friendship fight near the end of this collection between Tetsuo and Kaneda. I enjoyed the style Otomo chose to tell this story, instead of building the friendship from the beginning; it is learned through the actions of our two characters and through their dialogue. There are no flashbacks or long introductions, just the knowledge that these two friends are in the same gang and they are extremely loyal to each other. While I do find Kaneda's story developing a bit slower than the exciting Tetsuo confusion, they both provide strong point-counterpoint moments to grow into. Honestly, what more do you need.

Overall, I am extremely sorry that I did not start this series earlier. I cannot wait to begin the next book and see what shortcuts were made in the film that perhaps can be better explained in this series. The illustrations are fabulous and extremely addictive. Otomo creates such a strong world that you feel like you are right there next to Kaneda as he is going through the confusion. Akira: Volume 1 is a perfect start to a science fiction masterpiece. I strongly recommend this story to all those interested in strong characters, fantastic stories, and a creature so menacing that only Otomo could think of it! Go get this book now!

Grade: ***** out of *****

I bet there is a few people who are thinking about buying this for a younger relitive, thinking it's like the 4kids anime....you better back away unless you want your 7-10 year old pulling the perverted prank "panty tank". Yu-Gi-Oh! was originally intended for teens until 4kids messed it up so if your looking for some Yu-Gi-Oh! for your kids try "the pyrimid of light" ani-manga (its colored and has the same dialoge as the movie its self)

This is a good volume, of course it starts the series so don't expect anything too deep.The art is okay compared to takahashi's later style in duelist.The best story in this volume is duel 1:the puzzle of the gods cause that is where it starts.The others are fair but in my favorites includes duel 4 and 5.Note this is not for kids since it's too violent,doesn't feature the cards and the names and storyline are completely different from the edited tv show.

The first 7 volumes of the manga is pretty much what happened in the series that wasn't shown in the US. I recommend this to manga readers 11+ but be warned, there is violence and a lot of swears in this manga. I am 13 years old

Try, for a moment, to put aside all you think you know about Yu-Gi-Oh! and imagine something completely unexpected. Forget about the children's TV series. Don't give the card games another thought. And try to get past the tons of merchandise featuring Yugi's image. Let's begin to reconceptualize the character of Yugi.

That is, essentially, all that is needed in order to more fully enjoy Kazuki Tanahashi's creation, Yu-Gi-Oh! In the Manga, Yugi isn't the tough-talking little Goth boy you might expect. Instead, Yugi seems to be the polar opposite of this characterization - and deliberately so. A comparatively small teen with awkwardly-proportioned hands and feet, the slightly-effeminate Yugi struggles daily with schoolyard bullies, cruel adults, and even the doldrums which epitomize teenage life. While everything seems stacked against him from the get-go, Yugi finds himself optimistic, enjoying life whereas other similarly-affected kids would be beaten down by these oppressive forces.

And this is because he has a mind which is constantly stimulated by the games his grandfather provides him with. You see, Yugi loves puzzles more than anything, and can make a game out of anything. This is the quality that both alienates him from his peers, and gives him limitless courage to face each trial of the schoolyard. In this sense, there's some degree of all of us - after all, who doesn't love a good game? Who among us hasn't daydreamed about getting lost in some fancy labyrinth, or of solving a particularly challenging mind game?

As a result of his passion for puzzles, Yugi becomes someone different from time to time - a personality over which he has no conscious recollection or knowledge. This Yugi is a sadist, one who has no qualms over hurting those who tread upon the weak as a means of poetic justice. This Yugi plays games of a different sort, ones which torture the players unfortunate enough to lose ("Penalty Games," dished out to those who seemingly deserve such extreme punishments - blindness, insanity, death by fire, etc.), but only those who have manipulated others and exploited their helplessness. This Yugi later becomes known as "Yama Yugi" (or, "Dark Yugi").

In creating this series, creator Mr. Tanahashi explains that he had no concept of how popular his little character would become in the marketplace and in the media. Having met with no prior success, Mr. Tanahashi had no way of anticipating what would become of his little "strange story... that centered around 'The Mysterious' in everyday life." The first appearance of the ubiquitous card game based on the Manga does not even make an appearance in this first volume (a 7-issue series which spins off into Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist and nearly concurrently, Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World, and today's hot property Yu-Gi-Oh! GX).

While this book is - as one might expect - very popular with the kids, it certainly isn't the average American-written "kids' book." Inside these pages are tales of abuse, murder, torture... and, sometimes, even some bawdy humour ("Never play basketball in a skirt," says Anzu, the book's female protagnist). Certainly, it is filled with goofy stories light on the plot and occasionally, heavy on the characterizations - so it's a nice, light read. It's a children's title by way of Suzuki Koji, much the same way Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro was almost a grown-up movie disguised as kids' fare.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a fun ride, packed with calculated fear and excitement, and endowed heavily with humanizing imagery (especially poignant is the image of Yugi reaching into a box, having nearly completed the 3-D puzzle he had kept with him for eight years, his clumsy hand searching for the final puzzle piece... only to discover it was missing, for all his pains. After watching him get beaten and extorted by a much larger classmate, knowing that the puzzle was what gave poor Yugi the most enjoyment out of life... This painful little scene is almost too much for dry eyes to absorb). It may not be the best of the genre, but it does deserve the attention it has received.

It also deserves a little more respect as well, but with marketing ever the ceaseless beast, this probably isn't too likely.

Many American children, especially those in the 7-12 age bracket, watch Yu-Gi-Oh regularly. Kids love the action and strategy. Parents love the 'appropriate' factor. Teens, however, hate the kiddiness, and anime purists abhor the editing.

Guess what? It's a lucky day for teens and anime fans.

Threats, fist-fights, and disturbing games (with disturbing conclusions) run rampant in this first volume of Yu-Gi-Oh, and although most people will love it, parents need to be warned--this is not for children under the age of 12.

Also, you won't find the card game 'Duel Monsters' anywhere in this first volume--in fact, it doesn't become the main part of the story until later on in the Yu-Gi-Oh anthology. Instead, however, you'll find out the origins of Yugi and his friends (with their original, un-Americanized names). And while all of this was originally created for a Japanese TV show, when 4Kids brought YGO over to the US, they skipped over the first few story arcs, and got right to the card battles.

Also, it's important to note that as this is a manga (Japanese comics, for the uninitiated) graphic novel, it reads from right to left, in traditional Japanese fashion. Of course, this means that you read the panels and text bubbles from right side to left side, but the translated text is written from left to right. It's ok if you don't understand--VIZ (the publishing company) provides a key in the graphic novel to help you learn how to read it. After 30 or 40 pages, reading like this will become second nature, so don't fret about that.

VIZ translates the sound effects, which is nice. The artwork is very nice (though not amazing), consistent, and easy to look at. The translation is very well done, with footnotes explaining any Japanese pop-culture references you might miss.

Overall, I'd highly reccomend it--to anyone over 12, and especially to older Yu-Gi-Oh fans who want to see a little bit darker take on the story.

I am an avid manga collector and had been wanting to check out Mars for a long time since I saw a write up on it in Newtype magazine. It did not disappoint. The artwork is lovely and the storyline isn't skimpy or cheesy, it is a manga with substance and relatable charaters, I am 20 and love this manga. I currently own volumes 1-6 and am looking forward to number 7! :)

I thought this is a great romantic seires. Kira and Rei a weird couple yes. Shy and sweet quiet artist girl to Dangerous bad boy that does what he wants. But I loved how the started the first volume. It already showed so things that will come ahead to this couple. Some people look for the art in manga but it wasn't like that for me. I liked the art and this a old manga but has been proveing to this girl that many has loved this series for the beauty of it's story and art. For romance I recommend this book. They already get this couple in some very sweet moments :). I get lost in this series every time I read it. To know more about the series I so recommend buying the fullength series which is 15 books. I love reading them over and over. I hope you find yourself swept away as I was when I read the first book then I couldn't stop reading after that I had to the next one then the next one. You get so later yo.

GREAT MANGA!!!!
I'm in my twenties and this is one of the best mangas

this book rocked. Not gonna drone on like the rest of my reviews except to say read this. I loved how you could tell just how different these two were. Short book, but had me on the edge of my seat all the way. Finished in twenty minutes, but came back to read my favorite parts. And the picture when they kiss and they're sparkling! AWESOME ART MAN! Get this book.

This is Jumaane

If you dig love stories and like manga, this series is a MUST READ. The artwork is very good and the characters are expressed very well, the plot is insanely good, and its fifteen volumes long, meaning that there's a lot more to love! And, the main character drives a Ducati Monster, the awesomest bike in the universe. What more could you ask for???