Manga Books

I swear... Clamp has really done it this time. I have read this book over and over and over but I never tire of it. It is so funny. And it is really what happens when a serious, good student suddenly is put on a super hero fighting team to protect a school where all they do is party with a complete absolute doofus. Their enemies are almost funnier. They want to dominate the earth and they summon some really weird creatures. But none the less the series is funny and so is the whole cast of characters. But saddly the story plunges into a melodrama. But hey all I can say about this series is "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" I highly recommend it.

This series is SO funny! I mean, Kentaro wants to marry Takeshi, and they always end up with Takeshi chasing Kentaro. And Eri, how she always whacks them with her mallet. And, in the second book, there's a play, and the Kentaro and Takeshi are cast as Duklyon, the real Man with 20 Faces is cast as himself, and the evil people crash it. I love this series SO much! I wish it was longer, though. Two books isn't enough!

This is a great addition to the clamp world. Cool story, with romantic entanglements, evil villains(kind of), truth, justice, and superhero parodies. And as always great drawings. Even though this series is only 2 volumes long it has a great setup. There are lots of cameos from other series. (If you liked Clamp school detectives or the man with 20 faces get this).

All 8 volumes great reading of fictional account of Buddha's life and philosophy.

Recommended purchase for manga lovers.

I am Buddhist, so I may have a biased opinion about this series. I honestly am not a big comic book/manga fan, but this series caught my interest. I ended up buying the whole 8 book series and very much enjoyed reading them. These books are not for young children, as there is definitely adult themes, language and drawings of violence and sex in them. These books are not for people looking for serious Buddhist dialogue either, but they are fun and a new and interesting way to view the life of the Buddha. I originally got them for myself and will keep them to share with my children when they get in the mid to late teens. They are worth a read and I recommend them to all interested in the Buddha's life, but from a fresh and not so serious point of view.

I am by no means a manga expert, which is probably just the kind of person this book would appeal to. This series was written in the seventies and is now reintroduced to the English-speaking public with a new translation. This is an example of exactly the kind of story that lends itsself so well to "comics". It's amazing how much meaning and emotion can be captured through these beautifully simplified drawings. You can read this as an adult and enjoy it, but teenagers, even little children can understand it (unless you're offended by cartoon boobies) This fourth book is a must have if you have any of the others. It culminates with a very important part of Siddhartha's life, and makes me all the more excited to read the 5th and 6th book!

This manga was action and romance packed. It was the best series I could ever hope to fantatize about, and Ms. Hikawa wrote it.

In the last and final volume we see a mixture of romance with alot of action.

I recommend it with all my heart.
If you do buy it enjoy, It has a great ending that reduced me to tears.

This is a great book because it is the last one in the series and the ending is sooo perfect. I hope you like this book as much as I did.

I absolutely adore this series and the ending is just so hopeful and perfect. Izark and Noriko both grow in their love for each other and their acceptance of their role and destiny in the alternate world. Though this manga is not the most popular, it will still contain my absolute favorite heroine Noriko, who is so simply ordinary and human that you cannot help but love her. She is not a Mary Sue either because Noriko knows she has limitations, but she pushes on despite those limitations. I am almost sad that the series has ended but the journey was so good and the conclusion is so wonderful, you just can't help but be happy about this series' excellent closing.

Now with summer vacation here the Sohma house is relaxed and the occupants are free to do whatever they want...all except for Yuki, who must spend his days with the student council. He meets two other members of the council one early summer day. Later Arisa Uotani meets an older gentleman at her work who begins to occupy her thoughts. Little does she know the connection this enigmatic man has to some very close friends of hers.

Hanajima's past and true powers are revealed further, plus the connection that she shares with Uotani and Tohru. Also a lunch date at Kyo's Master's house unearths surprises as the host suddenly has to depart for a meeting with Kyo's real father. Some of the plans for Kyo's future are revealed.

Momitchi Sohma invites everyone to a vacation retreat. A baseball cap, one of Tohru's prized possessions, comes into question from Yuki. Apparently, when she was a child, Tohru met a young boy who helped her and left behind his hat. What connection does this have to the Sohma family? And at the end, a surprise guest shows up, another Sohma, but who is this mysterious young woman, and why is she being so affectionate with Shigure?

Hmmm... prediction, naturally it's obvious but what the heck, I'll say it. Does anyone else think that Arisa's older gentleman friend is involved with the Sohmas? Yeah, no one can be that mysterious and not be. Still hopelessly addicted, as my mad reviewing is proving, I just love this series so much, it's completely sucked me in.

I think this is one of the best if not the best books in the Fruits Basket series so far. You definetly have to check this volume out...
Fruits Basket 9 has chapters 49-53, with new charecters introduced! (Finally!)
Chapter 49 (Machi and Kakeru)- It's summer vacation and Yuki is hard at work. He goes to school to do some work as the upcoming student body president. We meet two of the four student council memebers, Machi Kuragi and Kakeru Manabe. That was the main theme in the chapter, but I think something of importance is shown in Tohru, who actually YELLS at Yuki and Kyo to stop fighting! (swinging around a hot iron no less) This is the first time she truly has used some force to stop the two from fighting. I found it significant myself.
Chapter 50 (Arisa and Kureno)- Wow! 3 new charecters within 2 chapters! Awesome isn't it? In the ever so special chapter 50, we meet Kureno, Arisas now love interest. I don't want to give too much away about him. There is a lot of stuff you have to learn about this guy. It becomes clear if you read spoilers too much. I'll just tell you that he is the Tohru-like person Arisa was talking about before in volume 8. She met him at the convienience store where she works and couldn't stop thinking about him. And when she saw him again she grabbed (literally) at the chance to talk to him again. They went on a little date for lunch. But what was Kureno doing with Akito at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 51 (Saki Hanajimas past)- We finally find out about Sakis sad past. Apparently, people at school treated her as a witch. She started to wear black after nearly killing a classmate that made her life miserable. The torture only got worse. It got so bad, her family moved and she transfered to another school, where she met Tohru and Arisa. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but befriend the two. But then some students find out about her past. Hanajima tries to break off the friendship, but can't resist Tohru. Of course we know she did get control of her power, and is still the best of friends with Tohru. :D
Chapter 52 (Kazuma and Kyos dad)-
Kyo and Tohru visit Kazuma at his home. There are many Kyoru moments here. But there are three major things of significance could be seen in this chapter. 1) Kyos maturity. He looks as if he is a whole foot (if not more) taller than Tohru! He is also becoming kinder to Tohru and others. This is a huge difference from the angry Kyo we saw at the start of the series. 2) Kyos dad. Of course this is a big thing. We learn that he hates Kyo, calls him an it, a monster, and that Kazuma is truly the only fatherly figure out there for tohru. We also learn from this part about Kyo bieng locked away after graduation. That is huge. HUGE! 3) Kazumas flashback. Kazumas flashback only helps confirm a theory that Kyo killed Kyoko. If you think about the circumstances, and the timeline, it seems almost obvious.
Chapter 53 (Rin and the Red Cap)-
Yuki starts talking to Tohru about the red cap she says is precious to her. She tells her part of the story/ He is about to tell her his part of the story, and more importantly, who the red cap boy is. But then, right when Yuki is getting to the good part, the wind breaks the window in the room. Scene change to Shigure downstairs, where he meets Rin outside. Rin is there for an obvious reason, that only becomes obvious later on ;) this situation is resolved in first chapter of the next book. We end the book with the red cap boys identity bieng revealed, and Rin seducing Shigure. (Don't worry, like I said it will be resolved)

And that's it! There is also this cute bonus chapter at the end. Everyone beware the Rain Shelter of Terror!

This is one of the best volumes of Fruits Basket ever!
A brief list of why I love this volume:
1. New Characters! Yuki meets the irresistably funny Kakeru Manabe, vice president of the new student council, and Machi Kuragi, his step-sister, the secretary, who becomes quite important later in the series...
2. A little bit of romance... for Arisa! She has one fateful meeting with a young man at the grocery store...and then we find out he's a Sohma! (But why is he so close to Akito?...)
3. A little bit of mystery... So what does the mysterious Rin Sohma want, anyway? And what's going on between her and Shigure?
4. A little bit of fun-ness... Tohruyukikyo and momijiharu visit a haunted house... Haru tells an extremely strange story about the relationship between one of the ghosts and it's mother in order to calm Tohru down. (I love him! Where does he come up with all this stuff?)
5. A little bit of not fun-ness... we get to meet Kyo's biological dad (I'm pretty sure it's in this volume) He's a lot like Kyo- only without any of the redeeming qualities. It made me cringe to see how much hatred he has for his son- uck... :-(
6. A LOT of Hanajima... We learn the story of how Hana-chan becomes friends with Arisa and Tohru. (The only thing I have to say about this story is, I didn't think that there were any supportive, functional families in Fruits Basket- glad to know that Hana-chan's got one!)
Anyway, if you are a FB fan, please buy this! If you're not a FB fan, read volumes 1-8 and then buy this! ;-P

The manga is waaaay better than the anime. Don't even bother watching the anime. It's only half as good. Read the books! They will make you smile all the time and you really connect with the characters. Plus the story is fantastic!

In spite of an amusing coda to the Yuki/Ayame story in which Yuki (gasp! shock!) voluntarily pays a visit to Ayame's apartment, this volume of Fruits Basket - in which Kyo's fate and Kyoko Honda's ghost loom large and one of the series most forshadowed and anticipated moments arrives - is rather somber in tone.

As it begins, we find Tohru reeling in guilt as she realizes that her beloved mother is no longer the most important person in her life. It's not an easy episode for Kakeru either, as he realizes that he can no longer put off telling Yuki about his uncomfortable connection to Tohru considering the likelihood that he'll be seeing more of her in light of her place in Yuki's life and the fact that Yuki and Machi are inching closer towards dating.

The part of the volume that will probably have the longest effect on the characters, however, is the middle. With Yuki having gracefully bowed out of the picture and Tohru having virtually confessed her feelings for Kyo as the last volume ended, it would seem that a difficult situation has been averted. But as readers who have followed the subtext of the series will have realized, Tohru has three princes - and it's now that prince number three becomes an issue.

As school begins again, the girls are gossiping about a mysterious drop-dead gorgeous boy with non-Japanese features who's caught their attention. When one girl confirms that he's a Sohma our suspicions are heightened, and when he heads for Tohru and her face lights up at the sight of him as they walk off hand in hand, we know it can only be one person.

Momiji Sohma has finally caught up with his other three cousins - and big time.

Although we've known for a long time what Momiji would eventually look like via the infamous flash forward frame of him on his first day of high school, his first official appearance as an older teen - endearingly confused by the new female attention he's getting until Tohru gives him the newsflash that he's stunningly handsome - is worth the price of the volume alone. It is also, however, a very bittersweet moment.

Momiji wears his heart on his sleeve and has always been completely open regarding how he feels about Tohru. Although those feelings undoubtedly started out having alot to do with her filling the void of his unrequieted love for his mother and sister, Tohru has also clearly been his first crush. Had Kyo made a move at any earlier point, that would have been the end of that. But Kyo has finally waited too long, the flood dam finally breaks, and Momiji can no longer deny what's been written all over his face, actions and body language for a long time now.

Ever the child of an unlucky star, Momiji Sohma has fallen in love with his best friend - a girl who everyone, including himself, knows is meant for his ostracized cousin.

While this is going on, a dark cloud forms over all the younger Zodiac members as Kyo's impending confinement begins to loom close enough that it can no longer be ignored; and they become increasingly anxious as they realize they will all be complicit in a terrible crime if the unthinkable happens. It is ultimately Momiji who kindles the flame and goes to Kyo to try to shock him into offering resistance. It is Momiji as well who becomes the first Zodiac member in the history of the curse to commit the grand heresy of openly declaring for the Cat and stating outright that he doesn't intend to let his cousin be taken without a fight.

All of which makes what must inevitably happen all the more painful, as we realize with saddened spirits that for Tohru and Kyo to end up together Tohru will have to break the heart of a boy she adores who has been with her through thick and thin and deserves much better; and in a cruel case of irony Kyo will have to trample not his lifelong rival, but the saintly cousin who is his greatest ally and source of strength among the Zodiac.

After this volume, a completely happy ending all around no longer seems possible.

Recently Natsuki Takaya has dealt with the relationships of some of the supporting characters... and now it's back to the main trio.

And the nineteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" focuses on Tohru's growing feelings for Kyo, even as she struggles to free him from his curse -- and the scorn of the other zodiac members. Though there are some funny moments (mostly from the wonderfully wacky Ayame) growing romantic feelings and past regrets are littered all through these chapters.

Heartfelt talks take up a lot of space -- when Shigure tells Tohru about the approaching "last banquet" and the cat's place, she is left struggling with her torn feelings. Kyo has a chat with her kindly grandfather about Tohru, and remembers his own talk with her dead mother. And Shigure has a soul-baring talk with Hatori about the increasingly reclusive Akito, and just what he wants from her.

But the romantic tension growing between Kyo and Tohru are stifling Yuki, so he goes shopping out on the town, and eventually ends up visiting his brother. While the brothers talk, Yuki stirs up memories of the first time Ayame realized that his careless words could hurt people. But he isn't the only one -- amid the usual school council hijinks, Yuki finds out about a past conflict between Kakeru and Tohru...

In the grand scheme of things, not much actually happens in this volume -- it's mostly about the characters and their feelings.

Don't worry. It's not boring, especially since Takaya continues to weave in some darker threads about Kyo's bleak past and future, and his half-hidden regrets about Kyoko. And she lets readers have a look at how the characters are changing as they approach adulthood (Momiji has become the new "prince"). There's a bittersweet flavour even to the lighter chapters, since everything around them is changing so quickly.

But don't worry -- despite the darker moments, we still get lots of comic relief like Kyo bashing his head against the wall in exaggerated shame. And there are some deeply romantic moments, like a beautiful flashback to the start of Ayame's relationship with Mine. These moments are exquisitely beautiful without having to be too obvious, and Takaya's delicate artwork only adds to the feeling.

But the biggest romantic moments come for Tohru and Kyo. Tohru's inner struggles are further revealed, since she turns out to have some conflicting feelings about her parents and Kyo. And Kyo shows that he's grown out of the angry, self-loathing cat-boy he used to be, while Yuki has become more patient with his brother, and very sweet and loving toward his new girlfriend.

And Takaya doesn't neglect the other characters -- Kakeru turns out to be a romantic, Ayame definitely isn't gay, and Momiji has some secret romantic feelings. And Shigure's darker side casts a shadow over the first half of this manga.

The nineteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" explores the changing feelings of the characters, even as it inches toward the end. A really stellar, polished little manga.

This one had both I and my husband laughing hard enough to pop a blood vessel. It does pretty much require that you either be a fangirl or know one in order to get the "vibe" that drives most of the humor, but if so you'll find plenty of yourself in Rumi, Abe, Matsuri, or Chiba. Media Blasters handily provides a glossary in the back of various anime/manga and cultural references in case a few slip by you, but otherwise it's just too funny! I'm highly anticipating the second volume!

I just picked up this manga today, and I'm so glad I did it is one of the funniest manga I've read in a while. It's all about a guy who falls in love with a yoai fangirl. She gets nosebleeds from imagining that he's in love with his best friend. He wants her to like him, and spends most of the volume trying to tell her that he's strait and he likes her. It's a very funny manga for anybody that knows or is a yoai fangirl. It's worth the bucks you shell out for it, and you can't say that about just any manga.

This was an excellent parody of the sterotypical yaoi fangirl. A normal, well-adjusted young man (Abe) falls in love with the art nerd (Asai) in class. The only problem is, she's a huge fan of man-on-man comic stories (yaoi), and prefers to think that he's in love with his best friend. Shenanigans ensue from there. Asai's having a little trouble with the fantasy/reality dividing line, and it causes Abe no end of frustration.

The only criticism I have is that our girl Asai has three suitors, which breaks my "Mary Sue" law. (If a character in a book has more than two unrequited love interests, she might be a Mary Sue.) But it actually added to the story, so I let go of that nitpick fairly quickly.

Anyone involved in the yaoi or slash subcultures will get a laugh out of this, as it skewers those interests in a very telling way. Actually, any manga/comic fans looking for a sweet, light story should give this one a shot.

This book follows a great manga tradition of weaving together intense action, character development, advanced technology, and a bleak future world to create an ultimately philosphical exploration of humanity and its direction. And through it all the main character, Grey Death, manages to take on and take out what seems like 5 or 6 armies. He just absolutely refuses to let anyone kill him.

All manga/anime fans will genuinely enjoy the art and story of this graphic novel. It tells the story of the downfall of humanity and machines in the typical manga setting, the future. This 296 page collection will keep any manga fan busy with it's great art alone. If you are a fan of good mangas or animes check this one out.

In this gritty science fiction Manga (japanese comic), Grey Death is fighting for citizenship. In a world where the common people have no rights (remincent of Heinlein's Starship Troopers), the only way to gain prestege is to fight against the rebels who threaten the computed controled society. Can any of them stand to Grey, who fights with no regard for his own life?

The plot draws you in and the fights are amazing-Tagami's use of lines is wonderful. Be forewarned, there is a bit of nudity, innuendos, and, of course, violence here is second nature.

The great thing about the Grosse brothers is that they're not just all about the farts. They're intrepid problem-solvers, they face all the travails of kids their age (sibling rivalry, school competition) with courage and integrity, and they support and encourage each other. Who knew that a story about intestinal gas could have a moral backbone? But to the grouchy reviewer who didn't get it: it's not Proust, dude. It's a whimsical story set in a slapstick fantastical world, geared towards beginning readers (the comic book panel inserts are especially good). That the author manages to compress so much exciting plot and unusual characters into a short number of pages is a testament to her ability and vision. The Grosse brothers are not just a one-fart pony!

This is my son's favorite book! He wants to read it almost every night, which is terrific, since he isn't much of a reader. We both really enjoy the funny situations those guys get into and the creative way they solve problems (use your strength - farting!). I can't wait for the next one to come out. Go Grosse!

It rings true for normal kids, and adults, since grossing people out is pretty much what guys do - it is a art form for some, especially Stan, our hero. I am glad we found a book and an author that can make us laugh.

I don't understand not liking this book. It's a fun little tale about two brothers working together to defeat the snotty girl at school. Yeah, there's farting, but it's done in a funny way I hadn't seen before. It even teaches a little science (not that the average boy would realize it).

I bought this for my video-game-addicted nephew and he loves it. Reads it over and over. Can't wait for the next book to come out. Mixing in comics with text helps a lot, I think. His mom's thrilled - anything that gets him reading is gold to her.

I did a little research on the author, Annie Auerbach. Turns out she's written dozens of books and has been on the New York Times bestseller list.

I taught school for 30 years and I would loved to have had these Gross-E books available for my reluctant boy (and girl) readers. They are well written, clever, organized, outrageous and FUN! Parents and teachers will need to get over the use of the word 'fart', buy the books and watch your boys read and read! This second in the series is even better than the first.

My sons and I are delighted with the 2nd in the Stinky & Stan seires. Not only are they fun and fast paced, but there are great pictures that are fun, too. I can't wait for the next adventure. My kids even dubbed one of the stuffed Rhinos they have the Grosse Rhino and he farts (noise gleefully provided by the boys).

Lots of fun. I read this with my nephew an he loved it. A good book for boys!

The manga is just too good. I have continued to enjoy this manga ever since the first volume. Anyone who hasn't already bought this should.

After reading this for this many volumes, I cannot believe that it is still soo good. I recommend this for anyone who hasn't already read this.

the manga is so much more better than the anime. seriously i wouldnt care if 20 pages were upside down...its still an EFFING good book....now if i could only get my hands on the rest of the series(17-25)....