Manga Books

Sadamoto-sensei has produced yet another great volume in this amazing story. It seems to have finally delved into the Psychological aspects of the original storyline, and is beginning to become more deep. I now realize that the 10th volume is finally being developed, and will be released soon. I can't wait!

The evangelion story makes a turn.As Kaworu Nagisa[Tabris]greets Shinji in the ruins of buildings.Kaworu is the 5th child,chosen by SEELE who knows him as Tabris the angel of free will.I reccommend this book to all ANIME fans!!!

This is a review for the evangelion manga, vol 9. Because it appears as if Borders is being a little lax about including pictures or information, I'm going to add a little extra information before getting on with the review.

The cover features Kaworu in the foreground, and Asuka in the background. For you who don't know whose those characters are or what they look like, Kaworu is a pretty boy with albino-like features (like Rei.) Asuka is a redheaded teeange girl with blue eyes. In the picture, Asuka appears to be floating upside down with the head of Evanglion unit 02 behind her. She has somewhat of a dazed/hypnotized expression, and is in her plugsuit. Kaworu in sitting with his elbow propped up on his knee, wearing the school uniform, and smiling out at the viewer For those familiar with the anime, he looks somewhat thinner and larger eyed.The main color is red.

This is the blurb that was on the back:
Pride in being an Evangelion pilot-that is the essence of the second Child, Soryu Asuka Langley. But the day she was chosen to be so was the most horrible of her life-and as that truth rises to consume her, Shinji finds a new comrade in the strange, beautiful, and distrubing Kaworu Nagisa. Born on the day of the Second Impact, he has been sent directly for SEELE, which alone knows him by his real name-Tabris, the Angel of Free Will.

This is the volume of Evangelion where the differences between the manga and animation really shines through. Saying too much would ruin the plot, but expect major differences in events- mostly due to the differences in personality that everyone already underwent in earlier books. which is better relies entirely on individual preference- I was displeased, but only because Kaworu is my favorite character and I feel he is no longer anything like the character in the anime. The alternate scenarios used, however, are surprising and enjoyable, and for those who are jadedly anticipating a simple repeat of the anime story, prepare to be stunned. Some huge key changes lie in Kowaru and Shinji's meeting, Asuka's past, and the level of devastation after a certain Angel Attack. An afterword by Carl Gustav Horn does a good job of summarizing and analyzing the what and why of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto changing what he did, as well as drawing connections to a mark twain novella, "The Mysterious stranger.

There is one major annoyance that has nothing to do with the quality of book, but with the author and publisher; reaching deadlines. I bought my manga from another seller because Viz, for some reason, had problems with reliable distribution until more than a month after the initial release date. Borders sold out quickly and could not restock for the longest time. At the same time, the next volume of a manga usually takes around a month to 3 months to be released. I think the time between 8 and 9 was about 5 months. And now according to the book itself, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto hasn't worked on the manga in japan for 8 months. That means it may take as long as a year to two years for the next book to be translated into english. But I guess most diehard Evangelion fans will endure the wait...

I admit, I've never seen any of the Oh My Goddess anime, and I haven't been reading these books in order, but that doesn't make reading them any less fun. For those of you, like me, who can't manage to get all of these volumes in order, you're in luck. Although this volume (I'm not sure about the others) doesn't have a "the story thus far" section or a section summing up the characters, it's all still easy to follow. This book has the first appearance (I think) of Urd, Belldandy's mischievous sister. Once again, the artwork is gorgeous, and the stories themselves are fun. Very recommended.

This is the 2nd volume of the "Oh My Goddess" manga English translation. We continue where the first volume left off with Belldandy and Keiichi growing closer as their life together continues.

This book is a smaller one and only contains small tales. The first deals with Keiichi's sister Megumi's attempt to find a nice but cheap place to live near Nekomi Tech. The second tale is about Belldandy's self-appointed human rival Sayoko and her attempt to embarrass Belldandy conning her and Keiichi to pose nude for Sayoko's art club.

The third tale is the best as this shows Belldandy's and Keiichi's first date. Very sweet (and a glimps of this is seen in the OAV's opening animation)! The fourth tale centers around a motorcycle race Nekomi Tech Motor Club is in with Keiichi as the racer. The fifth tale has the Motor Club and Art Club joining forces to share a large beach house where Sayoko again attempts to score a victory against Belldandy.

Finally, the last tale has the introduction of Belldandy's elder sister Urd. Urd has been watching the couple for a long time and feels it is time for things to heat up between Belldandy and Keiichi.

Bottom line: The artwork is still in its early stages so it doesn't have the "kawaii" (cute) factor of the OAV series or the "Ah! My Goddess" movie. However, the stories are nicely written and it is an enjoyable read.

I'm a huge fan of the OMG! series, so I look really forward to the release of every graphic novel. When Studio Proteus announced that they were going to release the "lost chapters" of the series I was quite excited, so when the _Wrong Number_ graphic novel was released I snatched it up as quickly as possible. I figured that not too many chapters had been skipped, but boy was I wrong. There was only one chapter in the collection from 1-555-Goddess. It was a nice surprise. When _Leader of the Pack_ was released I figured that it would have a few more of the stories from _1-555-Goddess_, but I was wrong; it only had the second story from 1-555 when Urd arrives into the series. So much of the story was skipped. I guess Studio Proteus wanted to introduce Urd as soon as possible, but it skipped the intrpoductory chapters for Megumi Morisato and my personal favorite Sayoko Mishima. The stories in this collection follow the pattern for many of the otherr episodes. Belldandy and Keiichi's love for one another is trying to blossom, but everyone seems to get in their way; Megumi, Sayoko, the motor club, Urd, etc. We have another race for Belldandy, another plot by Sayoko to embarrass Belldandy, and another Belldandy/Keiichi date where Keiichi tries to further their relationship. Quite standard, but Fujishima works his special magic to make them something special. A nice book for OMG! fans and newcomers alike. Also we find out where that Earth spirit in Megumi's apartment comes from.

I find this to be a very good series,
where with one clue at a time, our protagonist, Goto, tries to discover why he was imprisoned for ten years.
So far, "Old Boy" is calm with a sense of sincerity, yet also keeps the reader at the edge of their seat, wanting to to know more in such suspense.
The art design is simple, yet so vivid and detailed. It's breath taking and different (although some readers may think of the "What's Michael" cat comics when turning the pages). And wow... a lot people eat out in these books (ha ha... of course this shows of slice of life).

In volume 4, more questions are answered, but the mystery is not over yet. Goto learns from the woman in volume 3 that his imprisonment involved someone from his childhood. He even meets the man at his best friend's bar, but he can't recognize his voice or face (readers find out why by the end of the volume).

This is an excellent story, and I am very happy to come across this title.

This is a good manga that pulls you farther and farther into it as the volume ends. The only sad thing is that you can't keep reading til the end. You must wait for the next volume. I recommend reading the manga instead of seeing the movie first. I am reserving the movie until after I finish untangling this mystery with Goto.

I was a bit disappointed with the previous two old boy volumes, but this one is just great. It's still not as great as the first book was, but it almost is. Finally, this book has the 'mistery' feeling, which the movie had, and now our protagonist meets with his tormentor, and they have a 'deep conversation'. Old boy is a real crime-noir manga classic, which sholudn't be missed by anyone.

Ouran is always guaranteed to make me laugh out loud. I literally find myself counting the days until the next installment is released. And now finally it's getting to the good stuff...how will this love triangle play itself out? Well, maybe it's more like a love square...maybe more polygonal than that... Overall, awesome as always!

I just love all the characters in this series and Hatori is so skilled at adding a tiny quirk to someone's expression to make me laugh out loud. Kanazuki is explaining about her curse on Hunny, and the sketch of Nekozawa has those O O eyes like Tamaki's "upset lord" expression usually has...it's just so funny to see the imperturbable Nekozawa (whose eyes are rarely even seen) reacting like the crazy and emotional Tamaki. There's more, but these tiny details just reinforce for me what's the most amusing manga out there. I'd still like to see more Nekozawa and Bossa Nova and less of the obnoxious twins, but...we can't have everything, can we? I'm eagerly looking forward to volume 11 so I can find out how Kasanoda and Nekozawa do in a sports tournament!!

Another great volume from Bisco Hatori! Fans of this series will love reading this volume over and over again.

First, we get another more indepth look at the Black Magic Club! Plenty of fun scenes for Nekozawa fans. We meet another Black Magic Club member, Kanazuki, who is in love with Hunny. You'll enjoy every scene of 'black magic' she does in her quest for Hunny's soul.

In the next episode, we meet Mei Yasumura, Misuzu's daughter. For the next few episodes, we get to see more of Haruhi outside of the Host Club as she interacts with Mei and helps Mei in her crush on Tamaki. In episode 44, we get to travel back to Misuzu's pension and meet Dark Lord #3 (#1 being Kyoya and #2 Bossa Nova). Episode 45 brings us to the Twin's mansion and we get to see a bit more into the world of them and us. Somebody also finally admits out loud that they also like Haruhi.

All in all, it's a very good volume, any and every Host Club fan should jump on the chance to buy it! Contains Episode 41 through 46 and ends with a great cliffhanger. I'm already awaiting volume 11 in november!

This volume begins with a Hunny-centric episode, as Black Magic Club member Kanzuki is convinced that Hunny "stole her soul" since she can't stop thinking about him. Since she can only relate to people in terms of curses, she decides to steal his soul back (even though her curses turn out to really just be elementary school love charms).

Most of the rest of the volume involves a new character, Mei, the daughter of Misuzu (the transvestite pension owner from volume 5). Mei wears too much make-up, has a very fake tan and is a bit rough around the edges, but also brings a nice new dynamic to the manga. Misuzu enlists Haruhi to be Mei's friend and the other Host Club members of course decide to get involved as well, especially Tamaki, who decides to secretly help heal the estranged relationship between Mei and her father.

The last episode sets up the Sports Festival arc that is going to play a large part in Volume 11. After a confrontation between Kyoya and Takeshi Kuze (the football club president), Tamaki decides that a sports festival is needed to resolve the issue and the host club members get divided up between the red and white teams (Kyoya, Hunni & Kaoru on white, and Mori, Hikaru, Tamaki and Haruhi on red).

Every time that I think Ouran can't get any better, it does. Not only is this volume hilariously funny, but the romantic entanglements and character development continues, with Haruhi and Tamaki getting closer to figuring out they like each other (although they're still both very dense) and another host club member realizing he also has feelings for Haruhi. In terms of character development, Kaoru in particular has some nice moments, both with Haruhi and with Hikaru. There are also appearances by Nekozawa and Kasanoda (who is now my favorite minor character) and greater insight into the relationship between the twins and their parents.

Also, check out Mori's love of baby chicks. It's never really mentioned, but you can see him looking (and apparently purchasing) a baby chick at the summer festival and the baby chick is sitting on Mori's head when they are eating cake at the twins' house. In the last episode, he's reading a book on how to raise a chicken. Since Mori doesn't really talk much, I think it's cute that he's getting a silent subplot.

I have been a fan of this series from the beginning, and volume 8 just added to my love. In the later chapters, you could say that 'the plot thickens', though not in a way that I expected!

The book description listed above is slightly inaccurate. The correct preview as shown on the back cover of Volume 8 reads:

The first-years in Class 1-A are taking part in a test of courage, where the loser will receive the dubious honor of being dubbed "Best of Cowards." Kazukiyo Souga, the class president and a fraidy-cat at heart, is happy to be on a team with the levelheaded Haruhi, but will he be able to stomach the antics of his other teammates - the twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin?

That only describes the first of 5 episodes featured in the eighth volume of Bisco Hatori's series, Ouran High School Host Club. You can expect the same amount of hi-jinks and antics in this volume as in the previous episodes. However, this volume also involves the self-examination of the "family" that Tamaki Suoh, the self-proclaimed host king, has created within the Host Club. Certain characters in the club will come to certain revelations concerning the existing relationships within the host club, most of them revolving around Haruhi Fujioka.

There is also another flashback episode to the beginnings of Kyoya and Tamaki's first meeting and how they came to be friends.

Most of the fun comes in the latter chapters when a kind but fierce-looking 1-D student seeks out the aid of Mori - and consequently the Host Club. It becomes typical Ouran comedy when the interfering members of the club try to re-make the image of Kasanoda-kun, mistakenly/jokingly referred to as Bossa-nova by the male host club members and Casanova by Haruhi. However, Kasanoda threatens to destroy the "family" dynamic when he discovers the Host Club's most highly protected-secret.

Just purchase Volume 8 to find out more about what happens next, it's pure comedic gold.

Other recommendations if you like this series:
Hana-Kimi, Volume 1: For You In Full Blossom (Hana-Kimi)
Ouran High School Host Club, Volume 9

I truly love this series. It makes me laugh out loud. The characters are entertaining and the author just keeps adding layers to their personalities. I find it difficult to wait for the next volume.

I've been a long time collecter or almost everything that Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima have done, even some books and novels that were never released in the USA or translated into English. Their creative story lines and tradtional style of graphics are just outstanding!

Just as the LONE WOLF & CUB "Baby Cart" films hooked me into getting the entire 14 trade paperback manga series in Japanese before its 28 digest volume release in English, watching KAGE NO GUINDAN on TV a decade or so back [as well as his recent appearance in KILL BILL] got me hooked on Hattori Hanzo. PATH OF THE ASSASSIN is the tale of the original Hattori Hanzo at the birth of the Tokagawa Shoginate that gives both depth and the historical perspective on his descendants ablely acted by Chiba Shinichi. Kazuo Koike gives his readers insight on Japanese character by giving them the role models of LONE WOLF & CUB, SAMURAI EXECUTIONER, and now PATH OF THE ASSASSIN all from Dark Horse and available on Amazon. This series is a must for mature manga fans as is all of the Kazuo Koike's historical work.

"Path of the Assassin" ("Hanzo no Mon") was originally published in 1972 but it was not until last year that Dark Horse Manga published the first of what will be 15 volumes reprinted in English but also in the original right-to-left format. Writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goeski Kojima, well known for their epic saga "Lone Wolf and Cub" ("Kozure Okami," 1970-76) and the related manga "Samurai Executioner" ("Kubikiri Asa," 1972-76), continue the story of two famous figures from the history of Japan. Set in the 16th-century, "Path of the Assassin" is about the fabled ninja Hattori Hanzo and his master Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who would unite Japan as shogun. Consequently this is the most historical work by Koike and Kojima to date, and in some ways the most ambitious for dealing with real people and events. That being send, Volume 5 is the least historical of the volumes to date. As always, the Parental Advisory label warning of explicit content in these stories should be taken seriously.

At this point in the saga we are continuing the "Chapter on Relinquishing Paths." The death of Imagawa Yoshimoto has created a power vacuum and it is clear that each of Ieyasu's steps towards power are becoming more and more fraught with danger. Previously Hanzo had pulled off a hostage exchange scheme to rescue Ieyasu's wife Tsukiyama and their children. However, having seen Tsukiyama having sex with Ujizane, Hanzo has compelled Tsukiyama not to sleep with Ieyasu for ten months, to insure that she is not carrying Ujizan's child. In exchange, Hazno has agreed to stay away from his master during that time. "Volume 5: Battle of One Hundred and Eight Days" contains only parts, with the first setting up the 244-page story that gives this volume its title.

"No. 6: "Departing Sleep and the Logic of Sleep" is set in the Takeda territory of Kofuchu, where Kansuke, father of Hanzo's wife Tsukumo, is attacked in his sleep by the ninja Kite Danzo, known as Kite Kato. Kansuke is mortally wounded, but is able to get Kato to flee because he has planned for this moment in quite an unusual way (reading this story the day after seeing "Planet Terror" is one of those coincidences that convinces me irony is the master trope of the universe). Hanzo and Tsukumo come to Kansuke's side, at which doing the dying man argues that his son-in-law must support Oyakatsama in the coming struggle to seize control of the nation and establish a new reign and not Nobunga, despite his success in defeating and killing Imagawa. Then, as a dowry for the groom who took his daughter as a bride, Kansuke explains what the title of the story calls "the Logic of Sleep."

"No. 7: Battle of One Hundred and Eight Days" begins with the funeral of Kansuke, and then with Hanzo bringing his father-in-law's bones to Oyakatsama and set up a favor for his master down the road. But what this story is really about is the epic battle between the two ninjas when Hanzo goes after Kite Kato. Tsukumo helps her husband by using special techniques to sharpen her sense of smell while Kite Kato does his own purification ritual, thereby raising the curtain for the battle that would last over one hundred and eight days. However, despite that title, it is more of a psychological battle than a physical contest as Kite Kato is confounded by the way Hanzo and Tsukumo are "one flesh" (and, yes, there is a significance to the number of days). Hanzo also has the radical ideal that as a samurai his death is not the greatest gift he can give his master. Meanwhile, the Baldy Rat visits Ieyasu with a proposal of marriage to consider and gives Hanzo's master an explanation for why his right hand has gone away without permission. What you will take away from this volume is the sense that this is the end of an interlude before Hanzo returns to the side of Ieyasu as they take the next step on the road to power. Still, I round up on this volume because of the depth Koike and Kojima provide to the deadly battle pitting youth against wisdom.

If you haven't picked up this series yet, START! ...but don't start here. Go back to volume 1. Forget what you think about Japanese manga, and put aside comparisons to Koike's more famous work, "Lone Wolf and Cub" (written before this series) Path of the Assassin is a rare balance of action and insight into Japanese history, politics and samurai culture typical for Koike, but unique to "action" manga. Dont' get me wrong, nothing dazzles like a good super ninja story, and Koike keeps it rolling, but this ninja tale precedes a lot of later ninja tales (this one written in the 1970's) and has no direct successors except Koike himself. Later action manga might be splashier and depend on stereotypes and over top violence, but early Koike and Kojima cannot be beat for believable, human stories that are profound intellectually and emotionally, and always visually compelling. It is amazing to me that this complex story of medieval Japan is made comprehensible to Western readers simply by its great characterization. I know I don't truly understand Japanese culture, but Koike makes me think I do. Highly recommended.

I've been a long time collecter or almost everything that Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima have done, even some books and novels that were never released in the USA or translated into English. Their creative story lines and tradtional style of graphics are just outstanding!

"Path of the Assassin, Volume 6: Life's Greatest Difficulty" consists mostly of the single epic story that gives the volume its title. Things are going well for Ieyasu, who it should be remembered is only 22-years-old at this point in his journey towards becoming Shogun and only now beginning to mull over taking the name Tokugawa. Meanwhile, Hatori Hanzo and Tsukumo have been away from their master, battling the ninja Kite Kato. Then Ieyasu comes to the event that he would speak of later as being the greatst difficulty of his life. Ieyasu had a fort built in Sasaki by Yahgi River, and now that it is completed he sets out to get some rice to stockpile at the fort, unaware that this simple act will stir up insurrections all over Mikawa, threatening not only his power but also his very life.

This classic samurai series from writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goecki Kojima, originally published in Japan under the title "Hanzo no Mon," is being published in 15 volumes by Dark Horse. Because of its focus on Ieyasu and Hanzo, this magna is more historical in nature than either "Lone Wolf & Cub" or "Samurai Executioner." At this point we are in the early 1560s, as Ieyasu battles the military forces of the Mikawa Monto, a group of warrior monks, who refused to obey his orders. Again the relationship between master and servant is defined as the difference between strategy and tactics: as the insurrections begin, Ieyasu sees the big picture, and knows it is up to Hanzo to do something to make the clogged river flow again (Remember, the magna is described as being about "Lifelong friends, with the same dreams, striving to grow into a rising river"). But this time, when the stakes are the highest they have been so far, Hanzo finds his efforts backfiring. In addition to the main plotline, Iyesau's wife sends her husband a strange message and Hanzo meets up again with Toma Eno, another suppa, who makes a strange request. Both of these sequences remind us that this story is far from over, although since Iyesau was 60 when he was named Shogun by the Emperor, I have to assume this magna will end decades short of that pivotal moment in Japanese history.

The second story here, "Changing Countenance," either constitutes an epilogue to this "Chapter on Shogyo Mujo," or is an interlude before the next story. It is not until Path of the Assassin Volume 7, Center of the World comes out in a couple of months that we will learn if the chapter continues or if Koike and Kojima are beginning the next one. A young girl wants to plead upon her death for Ieyasu to come and visit her dying father, a nameless, small "ashigaru" (foot solider of medieval Japan), who has a lesson to teach his master regarding the truth that can be read in the faces of men. The title comes from a series of masks the dying man has carved, to illustrate his point. Whether this presages specific events to come or is just a philosophical point raised in general, remains to be seen.

This pocket-sized magna format is oriented in the right-to-left reading format used by the creators, and you should have no problem with this approach by the time you are this far into the series. However, I wish I knew more about how these stories were originally published in Japan. A 282 page story in an American comic is going to run pretty much for a year divided into issues containing the same number of pages, unless it is published as a graphic novel. But "Life's Greatest Difficulty" is presented as just one giant story, even though there are clearly "episodes" within the framework of the larger narrative. When a particular "chapter" is broken into two parts in these Dark Horse volumes, ending one volume and beginning the next, I have assumed that these were artificial breaks, but I really do not know. Dark Horse could just be following what Koike and Kojima did for all I know. I am not complaining, because without the strictures of usual comic books, each of these stories is as long as Koike and Kojima need them to be, a fact amply demonstrated by the two stories in this particular volume.

This is the last Peach Girl book ever, :(. But we all knew it had to end sometime, right? This was a very emotional book that ended beautifully. It is a very easy read that is perfect for a lazy evening in a comfy chair. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that loves romance.

I've been reading Peach girl for a couple years, ever since I picked up one of the volumes in borders and was impressed by the gorgeous artwork. After six years, the last volume has finally arrived.

What I like about this story is that it's sweet, honest, at times rather funny and completely without that anime demon-hunter alternate identity stuff that so many other mangas are loaded with. It is basically the story of a young girl named Momo (Peach in Japanese) who is on the swim team, tans very easily and is caught in a sort of love triangle with two very realistic, very sweet and honest boys who care deeply about her.

After I finished volume 9, I thought I had it all figured out. I was sure that Momo would end up with Toji, Sae would end up with Ryo and Kiley would end up with Misao. I was so sure of this that I picked up the last book confident with this ending. But Miwa Ueda still has some surprises left for us, as this volume demonstrates. I was impressed with the fast moving story, the well-drawn motivations of the characters and the less than candy-coated "happy ending".

In her interview at the end of the book, she talks briefly about what her next manga will be about. She mentions tackling a bad "more Sae-like" main character. I hope this will be translated as well, because I look forward to reading it.

I was sorry to see the Peach Girl books end, but it was nice to have some closure.

Momo has done the unexpected, she has chosen Toji over Kiley. Now Kiley does the unexpected by refusing to give her up. He grabs her arm and takes her away from Toji, where Momo tells him once and for all that it is over. After things settle down Toji suggests that they go on a trip to reward themselves to which Momo has mixed feelings. She knows that Toji will want to make love to her, but with her turbulent attitude towards Kiley looming over her she feels unable to reciprocate his feelings.

Kiley lapses into a serious depression. The only person who stays by his side during this time is Sae, who has gotten over the fact that her "pregnancy" was all in her mind. While Kiley is sinking further Sae thinks it's high time that Momo knew about the fact that he followed her to Shiranami the day of the typhoon, when she thought he ditched her. This further confuses Momo who cries on Misao's shoulder about the whole thing. Momo realizes she's late for her meeting with Toji so she goes to meet him and heads to their destination. Kiley also decides to take a trip, to Shiranami, where he tries to bury his feelings for Momo and nearly drowns in the process... but at the last moment there is a tough decision that saves his life and his heart...and ends the series on a very high note.

Joy...utter joy the ending of this series was. I am so happy over the outcome I could jump up and down. Momo finally knows who and what she wants and has grabbed it with both eyes opened. I do feel bad for the loser, who was a nice guy...but I am overjoyed at her choice. And the method in which she found her way back to him was so splendid to read. I admit, I'm saddened that this is the end, but I'm happy at the ending, it wound up just as I wanted it, so I have nothing to complain about.

This was a wonderful series. Do try it. You won't regret it.

Momo and Kiley have just prevented Sae from engaging in prostitution with an elder client. When she tries to sell Momo a skin whitening product afterwards the suspicions are raised as to what exactly Ryo has her doing for him. Toji discovers via the internet that Ryo is involved with a serious pyramid scheme and has basically enlisted Sae to make the money for him, no matter what she has to do.

Momo's relationship has it's stops and starts too... on the one hand she wants to allow him his space so that he can mourn the loss of his true love, Nurse Misao, but on the other hand she wants him to only desire her... even if she is still not quite ready to give into his sexual desires. When he asks her to work with him at a convenience store so that they can raise the money for their special trip she resigns herself to it, but halfheartedly.

Then things spice up again as Sae gets involved in a porno video that she is blissfully ignorant of, and the only reason Momo knows what it is because Kiley has seen the people involved in porno movies. They must stop her from making a terrible mistake, even if Sae has never been the nicest person to Momo.

I can't stop reading this series. It's wonderful, and just the right kind of drama without being overblown that really makes a manga series wonderful. Pick it up... but beware, this series causes dire addictions...you won't be able to wait to find out what is happening next.

Once again, it is up to Momo to save Sae. But this book is different, it ends in an actually quite surprising way. If you were getting sick of Sae's thoughtless, evil antics then this book is the antidote. It offers some new, surprising twists and is definetly worth the read if you've been following the series.

Peach Girl is my favorite manga. The characters seem so real and so do the situations. Even though this one seems to be centered around Sae the ending is a real cliffhanger. I couldn't believe what Kiley did! I can't wait till the next one!

Planet Ladder is my all-time favorite manga, and I don't say this lightly. The art is beautiful, and the plot is refreshingly complex. Sure, those summaries on the back may make Planet Ladder look simple, or even dopey, but once you start reading it's another story. All the characters are complicated and unique.

Simply put, if you want a beautiful shoujo manga with some real substance, try Planet Ladder. Two thumbs up!

Wow! I think this book definately shows character, and the art is absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully more of the series will be coming out!

Idou fills in Bambi & Meshie fills in Kaguya, finally giving us a large amount of the story. We finally find out Kagami's connection to Kaguya & Seeu & their connection to the whole end of the universe thing. Bambi meets her sister, takes up Living Weapon Pyro, & embarks on her first campaign destroying a collapser for Emperor Kura in 7 minutes. Quite a bit happens in this Volume--we discover Bambi isn't quite human as we learn more about her father & Kaguya appears to all the worlds with the help of Gaviela, sage forbidden of Meteor, to announce her plans to save not a world, but someone who will help save the most people of all the worlds.
The 4 pg mini-comic at the end of a day in the life of Mad Prince Seeu is cute.
This is not a magical girl series like Rayearth. More sci-fi/fantasy than swords & sorcery since everything appears more science-based except the sages & their powers(which could be explained as psychic later) & the Living Weapons(which also could wind up having a tech rather than magical origin.) There are some very good-looking characters in this series--my fav is Mad Prince Seeu with straight red hair down to about his knees, owner of scythe-like Living Weapon Lunato Mercury.