Manga Books

This book came with another one that I ordered. It's another great book to have.

Had good drawings of eyes, face, and etc. But is for more beginners than advanced drawers. It's kind of show steps you would take to get to the final product.

I must say, that looking at this cover is exactly what you will get throughout all of this book, well almost. Hart put his drawing in their as well, but it's not alot of it. Anyway, This book gives you examples of hair styles, facial expressions, clothes, and girl type. Although Hart's simple so called manga style is in some of the pages,the book is still very good. The contents of this book includes:
The details of the head
Character types
Bishoujo hair
The bishoujo body
Advanced poses
Bishoujo clothing
Drawing characters in costumes
Creating glamour
Creating chemistry (only very little images of this section.)
Magical girl effects. (Only a small portion of effects in this section)

This book is a good start to giving you the basic idea of giving your girl character a appealing standing pose, as well as attractive hair. I definitely recommend this book for those who are having a slight problem with giving their female characters sex appeal, and if this book isn't your cup of tea, then I would recommend "More how to draw manga Volume 1: The basics of character drawing." That is another great book. Other than that Hart picked some good artists' for this book, so it's definitely worth buying.

Manga Mania was actually not bad. Chris Hart's books are rather hit or miss for me, but this book was very comprehensive. It covers the female figure in great detail in Japanese style. The contributing artists were wonderful and did a good job of showing the female figure and face from various angles.

The sad thing about Chris Hart's books is that his own artistic style is so very poor. Frankly I could've done without his own illustrations, which is really too bad since he is the author.

I think the couples illustration at the end, and the drawings of the face from various angles were worth this book's price alone.

5 stars. A book I'll use again and again!

This book is adorable. The art is stunning (That's because Christopher Hart only drew about 22 illustrations out of the whole book.)Christopher was never a good artist in the style of manga. I'm was never a fan of his art and still isn't.
But this book is great to have for refrence, most of the book is not for beginners, But it might be useful for them to buy it anyway. It does has some simple steps for them in drawing the heads.
It starts you off drawing beautiful eyes. Then the many lips and mouths and their expressions.
Then drawing the head in different poses.
And then it goes to teaching you how to draw the Cheat between the Pretty Girl (only two pages though.)
It shows you 9 pages on hair, when wind is blowing, between short, long, medium, and wild hair. The many curves of hair and style. Also "When you change a hair style, you change a character" page. It gives you 12 pages on body expressions and poses and Body Language.
3 pages on the poses of hands and (2 pages)
on feet (note all feet pictures except one, is wearing some kind of shoe.) It also tells you between a Stylish Figure and a Seductive Figure,a Cool Figure, and Warrior Figure(4 pages.)
It also have Advance Action Poses (11 pages.)
It also has Bishoujo Clothing from Primitive to Techno Soldier to School to Professional Uniforms to Magical and non-Human costumes (11 pages.) They have Drawing Characters in Costume
(17 pages)(the following is in order); Futuristic fighter and in medieval Futuristic Fighter, Fantasy Elf Princess and Rich Elf Princess, Traditonal in Country and Tropical, Athlete in Gymnast and Runner, Villian is Fantasy and Sci-fi, Scientist in Pretty and Beautiful, School Girls and their many uniforms.
Glamouring up a Character (9 pages) shows you how you can make a character more glamourous by changing the hair, outfit, or pose. But afterwards it's Creating Chemistry (7 pages).
And last but not least "Magical Girl Special Effects" (on the last 7 pages.) <--That might be very useful if you creating a Magical Bishoujo Manga.
I'll give it 5 stars cause it was a very good book and most of the illustraions were amazing. It was worth the money.
A Super Good Book for Kids. Cause it contains no nudy at all.
But I think that this book is better than Christopher Hart's Shoujo Book.

Great Art, Superb story, I got hooked from the begining; and I will sure
read em all.

I'll keep this one short - you need to buy this to see how easy it is for a master to pull you in without even introducing characters or a plot! It's an incredible page-turner, even backwards and in black and white. Reader beware: there are only 4 or 5 volumes of the 18 or so available right now! If you start this you will be in for the long haul. If you get really addicted you can always torrent some fan subs of the extremely faithful anime production.

I'm extremely fond of MONSTER (from the anime) ... but does it occur to NO ONE that it's really only a very clever paraphrase of THE FUGITIVE? (THE FUGITIVE was, in turn, a present-day gloss on LES MISERABLES, but at least series creator Roy Huggins admitted so right up front.) Maybe one has to be old enough to remember the 1960s TV series to make the connection, but it's not a casual one ...

Check it out: The main character [Dr. Tenma/Dr. Kimble] is framed for (a) murder(s) he did not commit by an enigmatic villain [the one-armed man/Johan] and suddenly finds himself a fugitive. He travels hither and yon in pursuit of the bad guy, with a relentless, obsessive cop [Inspector Morse/Detective Lunge] on his trail. Elements of conspiracy and cover up from the genres of cold war thriller and psychological suspense are blended in, to be sure, adding layers and variations -- but it is THE FUGITIVE all the same. And I'd be flabbergasted if Urasawa Naoki (the creator of the source manga) didn't use the series or the Harrison Ford movie as conscious inspiration.

Unbelievable! You will be engrossed in the world created by Naoki Urasawa. The story is superb and the character development couldn't be more detailed. The pychoanalysis of each player is unmatched in other manga. You can't get better than this. The content is intelligent and accurate. The author did his homework on psychology, neurology, surgical procedures and the history of Germany around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's impressive. Not much on Japanese culture but that's also interesting. You have a Japanese protagonist and you have German culture. Morality and how far you can push someone until they loose their humanity is explored. The antagonist is facinating. In some novels he doesn't even make an appearance yet you feel his presence throght the elaborate descriptions of his character from the mouth of others. Nicely done. The action is non-stop, especially in volume four. The violence is very real and it will get to you. But you won't loose hope because the main character is so amazing.

I've read both volume 1 and 2 of Urasawa's Monster and find it excellent. Even if you are not a fan of manga, and you find a little odd reading "backwards", these books worth it.
Urasawa's art is (and is not, at the same time) the typical japanese manga art. Is good, clear and well paced. The story is interesting, intriguing and, even if you have the main elements of the story known from almost the beginning of volume 2, your "need" to go on and read the story, and to see how it develops until the end (and what will be the end) is great. An the "need" turns on to be more important while you turn the pages.
I don't know exactly how many volumes it will take to get to the end, but you can count on me to faithfully be there to read it. And I think if you give it a try you will surely be there too.

So we've come so far on this school trip. We've seen Nodoka finally confess her undying love for Negi-kun, had an unfortunate run-in with Kotaro and his spider onmyou, and had alot of fun along the way. The fun pretty much ends with volume 6, though, as this is the most serious of the three Kyoto/Nara volumes. Akamatsu's still at the top of his game, however, and this is most definitely a good thing.

Volume 6 begins as Asuna, Negi, and the others finally arrive at Konoka's home in Kyoto. A welcome party is in order, but not before Negi delivers the headmaster's letter to the leader of the Kansai magic district (who happens to be the headmaster's son-in-law). Things quickly get out of hand, though, as an ally of the Monkey Lady, known simply as Fate Averruncus, pays the temple a visit and turns most of the people there, including Nodoka and the rest of the girls, into stone. Miraculously, Yue escapes and calls Kaede and Fei Ku for help. Negi, at the same time, calls Asuna, who tells him that Konoka was kidnapped; he then calls the headmaster, who promises to send someone.

The second part of the novel details Konoka's rescue. Asuna and Setsuna end up having to face hundreds of golems- and she's still panty-less (from being turned into stone earlier)!!! They get aid, however, in the form of Kaede, Fei Ku, and Mana Tatsumiya, who shows she's no slouch when it comes to wielding a sniper rifle (actually her artifact in the anime version). Negi ends up pactio-ing with Setsuna, and then races off with Chamo in tow to save Konoka. What happens next is quite the surprise, but that I'll let you figure out on your own, but I will tell you this: Negi gets help from someone whom he least expects to show up.

Not as much fan service than the other novels, but with such a serious setting it would have been out of place anyways. There is one funny scene in particular when Fate's conjured water spirits don't exactly do to Asuna what he had intended them to do, leaving her screaming, "What is it with you wizards and your perverted attacks?!?!" The demon's always good for a startle or two, also. In all, one of the better volumes. Oh yeah... be on the lookout for Setsuna's little secret too... like you'll be able to miss it.

Enjoy!!

~andy~

this is real is a good manga as it continues throughout more chapters... so in this book negi and companions met up with unsuspected extra companions... the assocation that negi had to go for a mission is really the home of one of his lovely students... they celebrate and talked over things but only later to be attacked by one of the monkey girl's group... he single handedly took out mostly all of the associations people... leaving negi, asuna, set... to defend konoka... but she gets taken away anyways... as they trail to konoka only to find that they have to battle more than 100 summon monsters... believe it or not, they are actaully nice although they have to do what they are summoned for... soon mana, ninja girl, and fei helps them out... negi made it to konoka but was too late and the beginning great summon of a 2 faced summmon thingamajig... after negi tries to defeat it only to find out its too poweriful... an old enemy helps protect negi then defeats the giant thing after setun...rescues konoka... after the hard won battle negi was close to death. Konoka saves the day due to her healing powers and everyone is saved. later negi visits his fathers home and learned little but useful to negi. Then they were going back home after a long fun adventure.
later series gets really good hehe because u can really tell. turst me.

This is the Sixth installment on the Negima! manga series by Ken Akamatsu-san. In this volume, Akamatsu-san brings the Kyoto Field Trip Story arc to a close, in the only way it could be closed, an all out battle. Comdy takes a back seat in this volume that, suprising for Akamatsu-san. Negi, Asuna-san, and their friends face many dangers in this one and I don't want to be the one that spoils them. All I can really say this is by far the best book in this series yet.

Ten-year-old wiz kid Negi Springfield has been battling some nasty new enemies in the past couple of "Negima" collections, and the battle hits its high point in the sixth volume. Old enemies, new allies and an army of demons make this battle the most intense of Ken Akamatsu's new series.

The gang arrives at the Kansai Magic Temple, which also happens to be the home of Konoka and her dad, the Elder of the West. Negi and Co. are assured of their safety -- but then a strange white-haired boy petrifies everyone except Asuna (who merely loses her clothes and gets tickled almost to death). Konoka is kidnapped, so that her latent magical power can be manipulated.

To get her back, and keep the Monkey Woman from releasing a legendary demon, Negi enters a pactio with Setsuna, and she and Asuna take on an army of ancient demons. Negi sets off to rescue Konoka, but is stopped on the way by the white-haired boy, and by dog-boy Kotaro. But Negi will receive help from an unexpected source: vampire mage Evangeline, who is also his enemy...

This is perhaps the most intense volume of "Negima" so far, focusing on magic, battles, and the friendships that make them possible. The only flaw is that they switched translators somewhere, which means that some characters, like Fei Ku, sound EXTREMELY different. Suddenly she's speaking in pidgin English. Ah well...

And yes, there's still gratuitous nudity, but at least some of it is humorous, such as poor underwearless Asuna being pursued by an army of ogres, wailing, "Why do these things happen to me?" The focus is a lot more on Negi's burgeoning powers, and on the increasingly elaborate fights between characters. Yet Akamatsu still has a knack for humor, such as Evangeline's sick little sidekick doll. Freaky.

And some of the characters get new dimensions: the Elder reveals that Konoka might be even more powerful than Negi's dad, , and Setsuna reveals that she's not really human. And Tatsumiya (whom Akamatsu only noted for her "endowments" before) gets to show off her magical sharpshooting skills by defeating ogres.

Ken Akamatsu's new fantasy series hits its stride, with an epic fantasy battle and lots of new battle pals. Time for some downtime.

Fans of the previous volumes of this series should enjoy this one, also. However, there were a few things about it that bothered me, just a tiny bit. They have a new translator this time, who translates things differently, so characters have different speech patterns than they had in previous volumes. Also, a bit too much of the book is taken up by magical battles for my taste. Although the fights are well done, I would have preferred more comedy than we get this time around. But, that's just me. Other fans of the series may feel differently.

i love the whole series. this book ruled. but be warned, this is in the american style not manga..and a little bigger then manga.

Queen Sayoko was, like any OMG/AMG comic, full of comedy and charming. Still, it didn't deliver the punch to the funny bone or the romance I expect from the series. The fact also remains that the whole, very large, comic was made supporting a small, insignificant chapter from earlier in the series. Making such a big deal (book) out of so small a chapter seemed somewhat lame, to me.

Overall, Queen Sayoko is both funny and charming, with the slightest hint of romance. Thus, it gets 4 stars, but loses out on the 5th one because it lacked the comedy-romance-charming ratio I'd expect from such a series.

In this volume, Skuld gets her own angel, there's a completely smitten broom, and Sayoko becomes an "all powerful" queen. Although I haven't read all the Oh My Goddess books, I still had fun with this. I would like to find some of the other books, so I can find out how Skuld became a part of the group (that's a volume I missed). Belldandy is still the nicest character in the series, and I loved Skuld. Sayoko definitely shines in this book, as well. Very recommended. The art is gorgeous and the story should improve any bad mood.

I must say, the artwork in OMG is to most manga what Crossgen is to American comics. Everything else is a good deal worse (well, DC has Jim Lee now, but other than that...). As far as stories go, OMG is decent enough. It's not completely engrossing, but it keeps you amused. The character development is good, too. In Queen Sayoko, there is a bit of transformation in Skuld's and Urd's appearance (particularly the hair). Still a long way away from what it is "at this point," (the graphic novels are a good deal behind the monthlies) past the Rind arc.

Everyone knows Sayoko thinks she is a queen...well, through a deal with the demon Mara, she now is one for real! The campus of Nekomi Tech goes under a major transformation, and everyone is brainwashed into worshipping Sayoko like the royalty that she thinks she is. The goddesses and Keiichi must stop her, but the brainwashing can affect them too. And the loyal subjects of Sayoko are not going to let her go down without a fight..

As I'm sure we all know, the oldest of the Three Norns is half demon, half-god. Urd's father was God, and her mother was Hild, the queen of the Netherworld. Naturally, Urd is less than pleased with her half nature and struggles to forget the demon inside her. But her old pal/enemy Mara is determined to keep Urd's demonic heritage fresh in everyone's minds. So, she creates a clone of Urd and splits the divine demon's personality in half, filling the clone with the demon half and leaving the divine in Urd's original body. Thus, Urd becomes, well...schizophrenic. Her two halves battle, and all her sisters and Keiichi can do is watch.

Can Urd recombine her soul before her demon half does something she will regret?

There's nothing funnier than Japanese Bathhouse Humor. Keiichi and the Goddesses win a free trip to a traditional bathhouse (little do they know it was set up by their demonic nemesis, Mara).
Things go from bad to worse. First Urd decides to conduct her usual, "Big Sister Bust Size Check." Then Keiichi runs into Mara herself on the men's side of the bathhouse.
And then there's the Karaoke war!
And just when you thought it was safe, Mara has gone and made a demonic clone of everyone's favorite sake swilling Goddess, Urd.

Hilarious Hijinx and Hottub humor. You gotta love it.

This is the first Oh, My Goddess I've read. Urd is the new female with attitude along with Ryoko. If she wasn't there,the manga would lose something. Get this volume!

Urd gets split into her good and evil halves by her nemesis demon (whose name escapes me at the moment), an entertaining but also dramatic event.

I like it.....it's neat...but a little...well-unusual.....I'd recomend it for older people...who understand it.

I have seen the Ah! My Goddess anime, so naturally I wanted to read the manga as well. I just have one question.

Which first volume of the manga should I get? I see this one, "Oh My Goddess: Wrong Number", but I also see "Oh My Goddess tome 1", and "Oh My Goddess Volume 1". Is there a difference between them all? And if there is, which is the best one to get?

I'd heard of this before, but I didn't know any details. Keiichi Morisato dials a wrong number and ends up magically bound to the goddess Belldandy. The art in this book is lovely, and many of the stories are hilarious. Belldandy is probably the nicest person/celestial being I've ever seen in a comic, and the way people reacted to her was really funny. I can't wait to get my hands on more "Oh My Goddess" books.

Reading this visual novel by Kosuke Fujishima was a treat, indeed! Consider its beginning: Keiichi Morisato, a loser student phones for a pizza, but gets the goddess help line instead and is offered a single wish. His choice: for a goddess to stay with him always! He thus is paired with the goddess Belldandy, and experiences a series of hilarious misadventures beginning with their being kicked out of his dorm room. However, this allowed him to leave the company of his loutish housemates in preference for the company of a real goddess.

Belldandy and Keiichi encounter some surprising characters: an otaku (obsessive anime fan), a priest with an unusual mastery, a feckless, forlorn lover, a queen bee of a university scene, and the manipulative little sister! These episodes set the stage for explaining circumstances that were unclear in previously-published works. We find out more about our two main characters, including the abilities of Belldandy.

The motif of a girl or woman with preternatural or magical capacities is found in other Japanese manga works, notably the equally delightful Lum Urusei Yatsura. But Belldandy is unfailingly pleasant and serene: a true goddess in her patience with Keiichi and with the sometimes difficult ways of humans. This provides an effective device for critiquing the ways of humanity and for exploring philosophical questions.

While Fujishima did change his style in later episodes, I found that his style in these early stories was also engaging. Belldandy is beautiful, and sweet. The artwork is interesting and dynamic: worth the price of the book in itself. I recommend this book 100% and suspect that it might serve to lift up the spirits of someone who is having a bad day. It does for me!

If you have seen the 5 episode OAV series, then you will love this. As it starts of, Keichi Morisato is a college student who doesn't really have any luck with women, until one day he calls a beautiful goddess of the name Belldandy. She says she can grant him anything he desires and Keichi of course, thinks this is a joke by his mates wishes that a girl like her would be with him forever. Their life from then on continues through the series.

As you know, this is contains previous material from 1-555-GODDESS but also contains the lost stories which will answer many a question you might have.If you see this book for the first time and see it isn't as great as it looks on the OAV series, Dont Worry! Because at this time, Fujishima was just getting use to drawing the characters and throughout the series gets to look better and better.

If you are wondering if you should get this or not, the answer is obviously yes! The humour in this book is funny as but if you already own 1-555-GODDESS and are a bit worried if you should waste your money on this, you're not. Because 7 of the 8 chapters are lost and new.

1st Chapter: Wrong number
2nd Chapter: Into the lair of the Anime Otaki
3rd Chapter: A man's home is his....temple?
4th Chapter: College exchange Goddess
5th Chapter: Those whom goddess has jointed together, let not woman put asunder
6th Chapter: SLP Camera- Mission Accomplished!
7th Chapter: The lullaby of love
8th Chapter: The Megumi Problem

I Recommend this book for manga collectors, OMG! Fans and all newbies!

I saw the 5-part OAV (original animation video) "Oh My Goddess" DVD's and was very impressed. However, because the series was so short, I went online to see if there was a manga (Japanese comic book) series since most anime is from manga.

Enter "Wrong Number" done by Dark Horse Comics. This should replace the "555-Goddess" book previously done since this contains the chapters that were not included in that original book 1. People who've watched the OAV's will see the major elements from the first and second videos done in this book. However, there are notable differences such as a monk that lived in the temple that Belldandy and Keiichi end up living in. We are introduced to the following characters:

Keiichi (the guy with the wish), Belldandy (the goddess), Tamiya (large classmate), Aoyama (cool classmate), Sayoko (the girl jealous of Belldandy), and Megumi (Keiichi's sister).

One thing people who've seen the OAV will be surprised at is the art. Belldandy doesn't look like she does in the OAV. Much like many other comic strips or comic books, Fujuishima-san had not yet refined the artwork. Don't worry, the artwork gets better with each volume.

Story-wise, this volume mainly focuses on Keiichi and Belldandy getting to know each other and their life at college.

Bottom line: If you loved the "Oh My Goddess" DVD set, you will REALLY enjoy this manga and all of the manga's in this series. If you've never seen the OAV's but want wholesome, light reading material, get this book!

The story, set in 8th century Japan, follows two men: the one-armed, one-eyed, savage Gao and the handsome, considerate Akanemaru.

The story opens with Gao's birth and the accident that kills his father and costs Gao an arm and an eye. A remarkably strong adolescent, he wins a competition but when the jealous loser ruins Gao's prize, Gao kills him. Outcast, Gao kills and maims men and women and children remorselessly whenever they get in his way or when they have something he needs. Or just for the hell of it, as when he meets and maims his counterpart in the story, the gentle Akanemaru whose arm Gao maliciously slashes.

Taking different paths, Gao and Akanemaru each find a young woman and an old mentor. They meet once more by chance on a road. Akanemaru recognizes the man who had ruined his arm, but nevertheless wishes him well. They each become known as sculptors and artists to the powerful lords ruling Japan. They work tirelessly. Akanemaru is driven by vision and ambition while Gao is driven by rage and by his being baffled when faced with the unfairness of life, death, and suffering.

All this in a comic book... But if you've seen Princess Mononoke, you already know that Japanese manga and animé can offer surprisingly complex heroes and villains who are seldom completely good or completely evil.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

(SPOILERS means this review gives away the end of the story)

Akenemaru

Akanemaru, trained sculptor of wood,
You grew so full of your greatness
That your soul turned upon itself:
You had Gao's (only!) arm cut off
Because he was greater than you.
Why so surprised when the Phoenix told you,
As you lay dying,
That you would never again be born
A human?

Gao

Deprived of an arm, an eye, a father, almost at birth,
You grew up maddened,
Robbing, maiming, killing.
Then you discovered by accident your great gift
For carving.
Your (second!) arm taken from you,
You wandered away to the wilderness,
Lamenting. But there,
Your soul turned upon itself:
You grew to love the nature around you, and the men and beasts
That shared it with you,
Always carving,
A tiny chisel
Held between your teeth.

I've read some Astroboy, and Tezuka's Black Jack and both of these impressed me but it was only when I began reading his Phoenix series that I truly understood why he is known as "the god of manga" in Japan. I've read most volumes in this series (they are not all currently available) and each one is as wonderful as the last. Tezuka's beautiful artwork and his amazing and ground breaking use of frames and layout is worth buying any of the Phoenix series alone. But the stories will never let you down either - Philosophical, funny, fantastic, thoughtful, original, exciting. Karma is a particularly good volume in the series. For me my only regret in buying these books was that I couldn't put them down and got through them so quickly that before I knew it I'd bought and read everyone that was available. Now I have to be patient.

This is, basically, one of the best books I have ever read, and when a say books I mean every kind of books, including literature, history, religion, everything. I am still charmed somehow because of the incredible story of this Osamu Tezuka's book. I haven't read the other four Phoenix Saga books, but I am placing the order today: this book is eye opening, is one of the rare cultural products worth of ordering to Amazon, from my country. In my country you cannont buy it, so I have to pay the expensive shipping price, if you live in the States, don't hesitate once, but it at once! You will feel rewarded when you finish reading it.

Out of the three Phoenix volumes I've read I'd have to say that I think that this is the most effective. Karma follows the journey of two men, Gao and Akanemaru, on seperate but related journeys towards spiritual enlightenment and takes place during the early to mid 8th century, a period when Japanese society was apparently being reshaped to emulate China. Gao is born in a poor fishing village, and as a baby is dropped on his head from a great height when his father tries to take him to give thanks to the Mountain Spirit. The father dies and Gao is left missing an arm and an eye.

I'm realising that this kind of offhand brutality happens all the time in Tezuka's work. Babies getting dropped on their heads is just a start; Gao is ridiculed and maltreated as a child and eventually becomes a thief who kills his neighbours, accomplices in crime, lovers and strangers. He does it all without regret or compassion and with the complete confidence that is he is living in accordance with the nature: "Those that cannot survive are caught by the fisherman and eaten, leaving only a few. The people left alive are the winners." I didn't ever get the feeling that Tezuka was necessarily contradicting Gao's version of Social Darwinism. As those of you who have read The Future might agree, Tezuka's view of the Cosmos and man's role in it could be pretty bleak. Making sense of it may be outside of the scope of human imagination; although we grasp at the meaning, there's no reason that Gao's role in the cosmic scheme of things should easily fit into our system of morality.

"Society made me who I am!" declares Gao, but somehow I got the feeling from the sequence that even Gao didn't believe his own rationalisation. Aside from that, there's really not much hand wringing about his victim hood. Tezuka didn't strain to make the character sympathetic and in a lot of ways it's his very `badness' that gives him the opportunity to evolve spirituality. One of Tezuka's greatest skills was to make the reader identify and feel pathos for his complex characters, no matter how silly, weird, evil, or devious they may seem.

Akanemaru is the opposite of Gao in almost every way; from birth he is naturally gifted and spiritual, kind, loving and determined. But in Tezuka's view of existence, there is no guarantee that he will remain that way. His privileged incarnation seems to be one of the main obstacles on his journey enlightenment. That said, even Akanemaru has trials that he must surmount and at one point, after Gao slashes his arm, making it useless for sculpting, Akanemaru seems to have actually achieved the next level towards true enlightenment. The Cosmos has other plans.

This is the first volume that I've read that really deals with the role of the artist in the world. Akemaru is forced to sculpt the Phoenix within three years on on pain of death. He succeeds, and is used as a pawn in political and religious maneuvering. This is story with a very Buddhist outlook, but Tezuka seemed to realize that religion is a creation of man and as such, destined to be flawed and corrupt as well as beautiful and true. Gao's mentor, the Abbot Roben observes: "Buddhism is only a vehicle for the authorities to deceive people and make them obedient and willing to pay taxes." As a result of efforts to save his own life (a rationlisation not far removed from Gao's) Akanemaru becomes the puppet of the corrupt government. He is commissioned to create a huge Buddha statue, the greatest in the land, and sees in his task the promise of immortality through its renown.

Meanwhile, Gao has also become a sculptor motivated to create haunting figures from whatever materials he finds in his journeys with his Master, the Abbot Roben. He sculpts hundreds of tortured faces from clay and dead trees in attempt to exercise his personal demons. While Akemaru wishes to give to the world through his art, Gao's motivation is purely personal, but in spite of this his fame begins to outstrip Akenamaru, leading to their final confrontation as artistic rivals. Again, Tezuka was not making a simple one-sided argument that one motivation is superior to the other, that would be too simple.

In the Pheonix stories Tezuka was dealing with one of the central paradoxes of human existence; it is natural for beings to strive to survive, but when the self-awareness of man takes this drive to its logical conclusion it becomes the desire to achieve immortality. However, it's a shallow concept of immortality that man often pursues, and seems to represent a resistance to change, and a fear of death more than anything else. The Phoenix, endlessly pursued by man, symbolises an endless cycle of death and then rebirth. Death is still an essential part of the equation and denial of this is the flaw that unites the ancient citizens of Dawn to their counterparts in Karma and, unfortunately, The Future.

This manga trilogy contained in one volume chronicles relationships between humans and genetically engineered people called Unicorns. In the title story, Regg lost his great love Addy in a tragic avalanche on a distant planet, so when her replacement clone arrives on the research station, he is conflicted because this Addy does not have the memories of the woman he loved, and yet he still loves her. In "4/4 (Quatre-Quarts)", young Mori is flunking out of the ESP training program until he meets the mysterious Unicorn girl called Trill. He's drawn to her, but she affects his powers, making them erratic and dangerous. When Mori discovers the secret Trill's guardian is hiding, he finds himself at a crossroads that could destroy his relationship with Trill. "X + Y" takes place years after "4/4" and finds Mori much older and working as a scientist. He meets another Unicorn named Tacto, and is quickly attracted to the young man, but uncomfortable with the notion of same-sex relationships. As the two young men puzzle out their own relationship and find ways to work together as scientists, they also unravel Tacto's hidden history. "A, A¹" is a fantastic romance manga that explores some intriguing questions about love, gender, and sexuality.

This manga is the best I've read in a while! The stories are unforgettable, and I highly recommend this manga to everyone who loves love stories. This is not a waste of money, and this is coming from someone who is quite careful on what she buys. BUY THIS NOW!! =D!

While most manga, even if you buy a 500 page perfect collection, is read and tossed in about 10 minutes, this is quite different. Of course this doesn't take any longer to read, it's just that the stories within touch a nerve and stay in your head for quite some time. The art and the writing are both equally beautiful. So instead of throwing money away on the next volume of Inu Yasha and forgetting about it 5 minutes later, try this. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

Moto Hagio is one of the "HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI", literally, the "Magnificent Twenty-Four-Year Group". "Twenty-Four Year" refers to Showa 24--1949. These women revolutionized shoujo manga in Japan and raised it to the level of a literary genre. As such, it certainly is fair to call Moto Hagio one of the greatest shoujo manga artists of Japan ever to live.

A, A' is the sole work by one of the HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI to still be commerically available in English translation. It is a mature, insightful collection of 4 tales all unified by the presence of a member of a genetically-engineered race of variant human beings called "Unicorns", who all possess a sheaf of red hair and an inability to express the emotions that they feel. Even Unicorns can experience the love of another...but can they learn to love themselves...?

Hagio's storytelling is brilliant and beautiful, a masterpiece of rare intensity worthy of any reader's bookshelf. However, the reader should have an open mind. The HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI are also renowned for their treatment of sexual ambiguity and male-male romance. This proclivity is clear in A, A'; still, I firmly believe that it is in good taste and treated with appropriate delicacy and understanding. There is nothing graphic in A, A'...only four emotionally powerful and majestic stories that will surely enrich the hearts and minds of any who take the time to partake of them. A, A' will move it's readers to laughter and tears.

I cannot recommend Moto Hagio's work highly enough. Please, if you are a person who likes great literature or good manga, give A, A' a try.

A, A Prime is a trilogy of short stories that are sci-fi and yet shoujo in nature. This is not kiddie fare though as mature themes like homosexuality come into play. In the first story, "A, A Prime", a young woman named Addy is killed on duty as a researcher in outer space. A clone of herself is sent to take her place. Generated from Addy's own cells and implanted with her memories, is this Addy truly Addy? Addy's lover Regg wonders. The second story, "4/4 [Quatre-Quarts]", is about a teenage boy named Mori. Mori can't seem to control his psychic abilities. That is, until he meets a beautiful girl named Trill. With Trill, Mori's powers are not only controllable, but amplified beyond comprehension. But Trill is not even human. The third story, "X+Y", features a young man named Tacto. Tacto has always been a guy, until a medical examination reveals that he has pre-developed female reproductive organs inside his body. But that can't be, can it? After all, medical records from his childhood all say that he's male. Besides, he's already got a girl he's interested in...

Although the three stories are separate, the premises in which they take place are the same. It is the future, and traversing from one planet to another is as simple as going abroad. Ms. Moto Hagio places another common denominator -- the Unicorn race. Unicorns look like humans, but they have a distinctive strip of red hair (their mane) in the middle of their heads. Unicorns were originally developed to handle computers, thus they were created without emotions to prevent errors. But as you'll see in the trilogy, Unicorns aren't as unfeeling as they are widely perceived to be. A, A Prime is a unique manga experience -- a truly seamless union of sci-fi and shoujo elements. A good grasp of scientific principles is evident in the way the stories are written. At the same time, A, A Prime manages to be emotionally charged. Ms. Hagio pulls off quite a feat, and she pushes it to the limit. The art is good, albeit quite different from what most of us are used to. No cutesy stuff here. Be warned that A, A Prime contains some homosexual themes. Not to worry, it's all tackled in a very tasteful manner, which is another positive point.

I won't lie--Kodachi, Ranma-chan, and Shampoo are my favorite characters. Now, while Shampoo doesn't show up in this volume, the other two do. Seeing Ranma try to be both Romeo and Juliet is hilarious! And Akane and Ranma-kun (as well as Ranma-chan and Kuno) finally kiss, but there is a misconception...Finally, everyone's favorite martial arts rhythmic gymnast comes back, and she has a whole bunch of surprises just waiting for Ranma!

Don't miss this book! The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is cause I don't care for the Romeo and Juliet half of the book, but it might be your thing!

Yay!^^ A Romeo and Juliet play happens in Ranma! *thinks those seem to happen in every series*....But it is REALLY GOOD! Also, Gosunkugi is back in it, and so is Kodachi! Yup, this is another great Ranma 1/2 Volume! Ranma 1/2 Volume 7 rocks, and I highly reccomend it!

I think for all manga lovers this is an amazing book and is none stop funny. is a must read.
the story runs something like this.....ranma( the main character) when he gets splashed with water well POOF he's a girl big problem eh(yes i'm CANADIAN)and 2 make matters worse he needs to marry a girl that he absolutly hates.but thats all i'll tell you for now so if you want to find out what happeneds well your gonna need to go buy it .definitly worth it
Probably not recomended for younger childen( when ranma is a girl he runs around topless,and YES it does show)
DEFINITLY worth every penny you spend on it .
it'll keep you laughing throught he whole thing.
"hope this helped"
from a true fan mewme(yes it's my nick-name and yes it's strange.)

Martial-arts comedy "Ranma 1/2" is not something you really associate with Shakespeare. But that is just one of the problems that Rumiko Takahashi's sex-switching hero has to deal with in the seventh volume of "Ranma 1/2" -- there's also girl's locker rooms and some lethal cooking.

Ever since Akane was little, she has wanted to play Juliet in the school play (especially since she was always cast as Romeo). Now at last, she will. Problem is, there are too many Romeos: crazy Kuno, lecherous Happosai, stalkerlike Gosunkugi, and even Ranma himself.... once he learns that the prize is a trip to China. Even worse, Akane's father takes it upon himself to make sure that "Romeo and Juliet" finally kiss....

In the next story, Ranma learns that Ryoga has a map to a Japanese "spring of drowned man" -- which will make both of them normal again. Problem is, it's under the girls' locker room, which has been painstakingly booby-trapped in order to snare Happosai. And Ranma and Ryoga, being male, are not exactly welcome....

Finally, Kodachi decides to depart her exclusive girls' school so she can take some cookies to "darling Ranma." Unfortunately for Ranma, he gets photographed in a rather suggestive position with Kodachi -- and soon she's spreading the photographs far and wide. Now Ranma will have to get the negative, and try to avoid Akane's jealousy over Kodachi.

Poor Ranma has a tough time: he gets poisoned, blackmailed, drenched, drunk, punched and trampled, humiliated in an ultra-tight spandex thong, and (almost) kisses Kuno. In other words, it's more or less an ordinary week for poor Ranma, who seems to have a disproportionate number of nutty people around him.

And these three stories show the surreal scenarios that Takahashi can concoct -- especially the dueling Romeos and the Kuno estate, where Kodachi keeps her pet alligator. The middle story of the three is a bit stretched out, with Ranma's fruitless efforts to get into the locker room, but the first and third are pure gold.

And in this volume, despite their constant fighting, Ranma and Akane do demonstrate how they care for each other. Not only do they (almost) kiss, with Ranma being flustered and disgruntled that it wasn't the real thing, but he voluntarily eats Akane's cookies just to make her feel better. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is.

Romance, cookies and tiny pervs are only a few of the comic sources in the seventh "Ranma 1/2" volume. "You ashked for it, Romeo...."

It is a typical day at school, but Akanes being asked to be Juliet in the school play. Who will get the roll of Romeo? Kuno, Ranma, Happosi the perv, or Gosunkugi. Will any of them ever learn what the play really is about?

Ryoga gets a map of the lost Jusenkyo. Ranma & Ryoga have to work together in order to reach their goal under the girls locker room....

This is a great twisted manga story that left me laughing and gawking for hours 8D

Ahh, how I love Tokyo Babylon. Its probably my favorite work by CLAMP (and one of their oldest). The story, the characters, its all just so wonderful. A bit bittersweet though, and some of the stories will bring a tear to your eye while others will turn your stomach..or maybe both. =) I find it to be an endearing story.......but maybe I'm just an evil tokyo babylon fangirl.

....but it really isn't. Actually, that is the last thing I would call this master work from the four woman powerhouse with the awesome stories and the drool-worthy men that is CLAMP. "A save Tokyo City Story" denotes that this would be a story full of giant robots and superheroes, rather than delicate men with supernatural powers and the secrets they hide. I'll summarize for you: Subaru is a naive(ish) sixteen year old boy who follows his family's profession as the Onmyouji (literally yin-yang magician)for Tokyo, where he sorts out the spirits of the dead and their (often multiple) problems. Along the way he is accompanied by sometimes shallow twin sister Hokuto and his crush, the older, mysterious Seishirou. And that's all I'm gonna say! Heh heh. Buy it, rent it from the library, borrow it from a friend or read it in the store, you won't be dissapointed by the fabulous artwork and dark atmosphere of this "Save Tokyo City Story".

As the title says, this is my absolute favorite CLAMP manga, and i have the utmost faith that anyone who reads it will love at the very least one scene. me, i love it all....

From start to finish, this is an amazing and gripping manga. CLAMP does an amazing job with the illustrations, every character and scene thoroughly CLAMP. The story and characters are amazingly complex and human, making this very worth reading.

The summary on the back of Tokyopop's cover doesn't do it nearly justice. I love it thoroughly, but if I had just picked the first volume up and read the back cover, I probably wouldn't have read it. The back cover makes it seem slightly horror creepy-ish, and while that element is there, it is by no means the main focus of the manga. It's the story of Sumeragi Subaru, the 13th head of the Sumeragi clan, an onmyoji who does exorcise spirits, but it is his relationships with the rest of the characters that really make the story. These relationships range from sibling bonds, friendship, love, and everything inbetween. The manga is filled with almost every human emotion, especially CLAMP's early favorite, angst, which is very apparent in the last two volumes. *cries over vol. 7*

Tokyopop does an actually pretty good job with the translations. They leave in the oh-so-important honorifics, and leave the characters intact, with Subaru-kun's 16-year-old uber-cuteness, naivete, with all his blushing and stammering, and the adorable pull-the-hat-over-the-eyes trick *squee!!*, Hokuto-chan's "Ohohoho"'s, her attempts to set up Sei-chan and Subaru-kun, her outrageous outfits, and the ability to be goofy and seemingly shallow one scene and sweet and deeep the next, and Seishirou-san's seductions of Subaru-kun, the feeling that underneath the kind vetrinarian exterior, there's more....(*alter ego hits w/ fan to prevent spoilers*), and his speeches. All of the trio are as complex characters as to make them completely unforgettable, and all three of them have made a permananet spot in my heart. You really should go out and at the VERY least read the first volume.

It's an amazing series, and a lot of fun to read.

OH! and the sakura petals!!! ^_^ ...the sakurazukamori.....read and you'll find out...^_~

I absolutely loved this manga. It was the first time I'd read anything by Clamp, and I can't say that I was disappointed! Don't let the somewhat bland covers or common "Save Tokyo City" summary fool you - inside is an absolutely brilliant work of art.

You've read the summary already, so I won't bore you with the details on that. I will tell you, though, that it is definitely worth the read - and that shounen-ai, or boy love, plays a fairly large role in this. I would still recommend this to almost everyone, even if you're uncertain on whether to pick up a manga in which men love men.

Anyway.

The artwork is absolutely, positively beautiful - the characters are distinctive and wonderfully done, and the backgrounds and scenery are startlingly realistic. Some may not like the blacks, but I personally rather like the high contrast. It was quite a surprise to see that the twins were so similar in appearance but you could still tell them apart easily - something that can't be easy. And Subaru may be distinctly feminine, but Seishiro is definitely not - something that isn't extremely common in this type of manga. Panels with artwork in colour are on the inside of the front cover and are absolutely wonderful.

The plot is very nice. Subaru is an onmyoji who seeks to aid souls of the dead and the living. Doesn't seem too exciting yet? Throw in his overly exuberant twin sister, Hokuto, and his suitor, Seishiro (who happens to be the heir of the rival Sakurazuka Clan), and events in his past that he can't quite remember, and you've got quite an interesting story going on!

The characters are wonderful. Subaru is the innocent, almost naïve protagonist who is willing to do anything to help others; Hokuto is wonderfully different, loud and enthusiastic; and Seishiro is the one you can't be too certain about, for his family - for the Sakurazuka Clan is one of assassins - belies is kindly and amicable nature. When you take Seishiro's romantic advances, Hokuto's consistent attempts to get her brother and Seishiro together, and Subaru's embarrassment at the whole ordeal into consideration, you've got plenty of comic relief. And yet, the main plot - Subaru's attempts to ease wounded souls - overshadows a more serious and sinister secondary plot involving Subaru and Seishiro, their onmyoji powers, and that mysterious event that Subaru can't remember all too clearly and that is hinted at from volume to volume....

Left in its original, unflipped format, Tokyo Babylon is definitely quite a read. The translation doesn't seem to be all to bad, and suffixes and name order are left untouched, each of which is a definite plus. This series has, so far, gotten progressively darker, so be careful what you get into. The rating of 13+ is deserved, warranted by some violence, blood and gore, minor sexual references and dark themes, and while the first volume never gets too serious, these do show up in later volumes. You have been warned.

This is a manga that you definitely get into and can read over and over again; it's worth the money to buy it. Tokyo Babylon is definitely a manga to read.

A tale of good and evil, light and darkness, innocence and corruption, Tokyo Babylon is a powerful drama.

Subaru Sumeragi is a deeply compassionate sixteen year old medium/exorcist who uses his gift to aid lost spirits and the possessed. After a hard day or night's work, he comes home to his devoted, vivacious twin sister Hokuto, whose favorite hobby seems to be trying to hook Subaru up with their friend Seishirou - a veterinarian nine years their senior - in spite of reservations due to the fact that he belongs to a family with a reputation of being in the assassination business that they both choose to ignore.

The interaction between the three reaches it's climax in the final volume, with hints throughout the series about how things might ultimately turn out, but Subaru's interaction with the people he tries to help is interesting in itself. The series handles such topics as gang rape, child abuse, treatment of the elderly, and the ethics of organ transplantation - pretty heavy subject matter.

Subaru himself is a highly unique hero. Professional and competent but without a shred of conceit, he would prefer to lead a quiet life but cannot turn his back on the suffering. Not arrogant enough to believe he can change the world, all he knows how to do is unconditionally love everyone who comes his way, and he's one of those special people who make the world a better place just by being in it. But no one can fix everything, and the underlying question of the series is whether or not Subaru will break if and when he finally faces an evil that might be more than he can handle...

At a relatively short seven volumes, Tokyo Babylon is a manga any fan of either angst or the supernatural should have in their collection.