Graphics Books

Enjoyed this book a lot. Great photos and stories from the folks who were there - focusing on mid to late eighties boards and companies. Interesting read about the industry at that time, when, for folks far removed in the midwest or other areas of the US that weren't Southern California or Florida, these boards simply seemed to appear by magic. Now, we see what was happening behind the scenes at that time.

Great book! My wife surprised me with this for Christmas last year, she was out of town on business and found a skateboard shop and asked them for advice, they sold her this. There are photos of old decks that go way back, it really brought back some memories. Best coffee table book ever.

Since ive loved skateboarding and art for many years, i was really glad to get my hands on this book. Sean Cliver outdid himself. I loved reading so many artists and skateboarders own views on the evolution of art in the skateboard industry. Definitely a must have.

I gave this book to my brother, an avid skateboarder, for Christmas and he loved it. He's not much of a reader, so the majority of it being pictures really appealed to him. If you're looking for a gift for the skateboarder in your family, I would recommend this.

This book is jammed packed with great board graphics and interesting stories about the images on the decks and the skaters themselves. LOVE THIS BOOK!

This book was great. Good story line and char. I would recomend this book to friends and will read it again.

Well I just got done reading this book and must issue the following warning to those who read this.DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE: a)trying to go to sleep. This book will upset your sleep patterns and you will regret this.b)lacking any form of a sense of Humor. If you don't got it, you won't get it.c)under any way shape or form driving.It could kill you and that's not good.d)taking any medication or suffering from recent surgery in the abdominal area. Too much laghfter could split stiches or cause a reaction with medication. If your not suffering from any of the afor mentioned things then read on.
One prepare for many puns.Lots of puns. Some like to hide in wait and ambush you, while others stir themselves over a long period of time. Prepare for a massive assault on anything and everything. Nothing is safe from being used. Even Fed Ex gets hit at one point. Enjoy this book and have much fun for several hours/days/weeks or however long it takes to fininsh.

At first I was daunted by the task of reading this brick that deforested half of Equador, but as soon as I started reading the book I could not put it down. I knew I would enjoy it from the moment I saw those first three quotes: two from Shakespeare - The Tempest and Hamlet - and one from Monty Python's flying circus: "And now for something completely different." This was my type of humor. And as for humor this is probably the best book to read for that. That is if you like puns. Wm. Simmons knows how to use the right amount of puns, and doesn't go overboard, though I am sure that is tempting. As I read I was drawn into the world of the game and of the story. Part of the reason I loved it was because of the characters who were believeable and lovable... and in some cases not so loveable. I wanted to know what would happen to them. I almost cried when... well, that would give some stuff away. The story was the best part. I lost myself in those books (though in the middle of math that might not be a good thing) and read them constantly. After I finished each book, it would seem like I was waking up from a dream, or another world. And then I fell right back into the dream in the next book. Wm. Simmons is a wonderful story teller, and those who read this book will not be disappointed if they are looking for a book that has a serious plot with lotsa laughs.

I bought a first printing (only Printing) of "In a Net of Dreams" at an airport magazine stand. Little did I suspect it would be my all-time favorite book. Only tape holds my poor battered copy together.

So when I discovered this compilation, I had to have it. And it was worth it.

Sc-fi, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, pop-culture references, and bad puns, this series has it all. And wraps it up with engaging, well developed characters.

Why are you still reading this? Order this book now. And pray with me that there will be another sequel.

Wm. Mark Simmons, the fastest pun in the West, is back, and he's done it again! "Woman of His Dreams" crowns the Dreamland Chronicles trilogy after a long wait by his fans. I have loved and laughed through all of the adventures of Ripley and his cohorts, and this latest installment is the best yet. Simmons' trademarks are strong characters, thought-provoking philosophical twists of plot, lots of action, and truck-loads of wit. Even though familiar with his style, I still was not prepared for the finale. I found myself watery-eyed at the last page, and sad to see it end. This is a book I have given to friends and had them call me in the middle of, just to tell me it's the first time in years they've laughed out loud while reading a book. Simmons may or may not have screenplay experience, but his novels read like movies, extremely visual. Now...if only Spielberg would read them...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Cut Express has a bit of a learning curve to work through. I'm only half-way through this book, and its worth is already more that I paid for it. I'd already been through most of the online help, and also another FCE4 book that I had purchased, when I bought this one. It has provided many valuable insights that have made it possible for me to actually become productive with Final Cut Express.

This is a very useful book for anyone learning the program. Video editing, particularly titling and animation, can be detailed and laborious. The writer--an experienced editor--takes you through the process step-by-step in contrast to manuals that merely describe a program's functions.

The accompanying CD has hands-on lessons for every chapter, so the reader can actually experience what the writer describes. Invaluable. Final Cut, even the express version, offers many video capabilities for both amateur and professional. This book shortens the learning process and brings you up-to-speed quickly.

I purchased three books on editing Final Cut Express 4. This is the most helpful of the three. It was the only one that was helpful in setting up my iMac to work effectively with Final Cut Express 4.

Everything I needed to improve and speed up my learning curve on FCE. Highly recommended.

I've gotten each new edition of this book, even though there aren't a huge number of changes. It's just nice to see the updates he's made and draw from his rich knowledge and experience with Final Cut Pro/Final Cut Express/iMovie, and the new nuances he throws in with each edition.

You can already learn some key points to keep in mind about the latest version of FCE in the Excerpt from the front of the book available for viewing on Amazon. It's worth the price of the book right there!

Tom works so hard providing lucid and practical support on the Apple Support page for FCE, and no doubt uses that to enhance the next edition. You're going to be getting his free advice sooner or later, so you might as well throw a few bucks his way and give him some credit for all that you will benefit from his wisdom. I've bought several of the other FCE books over the years, but Tom is the best.

Ron Carlson

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Sam age12

I love Matsumoto's work. Maetel is one of my all-time favorite characters, as is her friend (and in the movie "Maetel Legend", her sister) Emeraldas. Harlock is...interesting, but kinda cool. Tetsuro, well...he's okay.

The plots are incredible! They really make you think (and I'm not just talking about the blurbs at the end of each segment!). There are very few manga that can do that.

I reccomend this series to any and every anime/manga fan!

In the distant fututre, ayoung boy named Tetsuro steals a boarding pass to a train called the Three-Nine. After emabarking, he meets a woman named Maetel, who bares a striking resembelance to his deceased mother. A grand journey begins that will take Tetsuro to the edge of the universe and back. He will meet many friends and enemies in his journey of wonder.

Despite the artwork which will turn off fans of superhero-style comic books, Galaxy Express has a style unto its own that needs to be appreciated by a more mature reader. The story is excellent, the social commentary is superb, my only problem is the SLOW release schedule. This book easily ranks equally alongside the other great (translated) mangas of our times, including Nausicaa, Lone Wolf and Cub, Dominion, and Adolf... Buy this book!

Here's a summery of the 18 volumes, NO spoilers^_~

"You think Tetsuro Hoshino has seen the last of the Gallaxy Express? Starting where the 2 part movie left off, Maetel sets Tetsuro back on the path to Manhood (NOTE, he is VERY young) & the trail of goals, making new friends & discovering the ones he'd thought gone, learning the harsh lessons of reality in the endless sea of stars. Mysteries come to light, only to be darkened by a new challenge or question or an old memory, & the entire gallaxy asks only of Tetsuro to survive & NEVER to forget.

Leiji Matsumoto, the creator, is second in popularity only to Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki, Totoro, Laputa, Lupin), & has one many awards for his interconnecting series.

This is one the whole family should watch because it's sincere, complex, inovative, provocative, dramatic, & contemplative above everything else. It's a helluva good story/plot that makes you think about the facts of life & its challenges. It has nothing corny or cliche, a literary masterpiece(despite the craappy artwork). It teaches about achieving goals, following hopes & dreams & beliefs, finding ones purpose in life, & keeping promises.

Personally, I wouldn't trade MY collection if you offered me 3 times what the whole set is worth^o^

His writings are like.......Pringles. "Once you pop, you can't stop."

I have liked GE 999 ever since I started readng it in Animerica magazine. So, I got this book, but discovered that this is actually the *sequel* to the *first* adventure of Maetel and Tetsuro. I got this information from the biographies of the characters and the clues in the story. As a result of not havign read the first series, I am a tad bit lost. Can someone tell me WHY they chose to publish the sequel in English before they translated the first series? It doesn't make any sense!

Anyway, the characters are fun and I enjoy their adventures. But the blurb at the end of every chapter is too deep and confusing for me to understand.

I like this, and I will look up the first series--right after I find out who started this translating mess in the first place.

Gamerz Heaven was the most awesome Manga I ever read! The characters were interesting and as passionate as Gravitation. This series seemed a little more in depth and a little better written. I also loved the intensity of the story and the mysteries within it! I wish ADV would continue to publish this series. Maybe TOKYO POP will take up the publishing of this book if enough people give them a reason to. Tokyo Pop listens to their consumers and will with enough persuading publish the manga you want! :)

While it isn't Maki Murakami's usual genre, it's just as good as Gravitation. It isn't yaoi, but like Gravitation had it's remixes, Gamerz Heaven has it's Doujinshi by Maki that is yaoi. :p So if you don't like yaoi, the manga is great for you, but if you like yaoi there are doujinshis at JPQueen under Maki's name.

Gamerz Heaven sort of attracted my attention earlier in the year, but I was short on money, so I didn't buy it. Go buy it. Now. This is a really good story that's not as popular as it should be. The story's neat, the art's nice, and it's engrossing.

Note: As everyone else says, this isn't what I'd classify as yaoi manga. The affection between Nata and Kaito isn't really what's considered yaoi... In fact, I sort of consider it a big brother, little brother thing. However, Amazon'll give me yaoi manga reccomendations for a while after viewing this though...

Gamerz Heaven truly is a creation of Maki Murakami, the creator of Gravitation. It takes on the art style of the last few manga's of Gravitation, and alot of the Gamerz Heaven characters look like those of Gravitation. (Such as Rage who looks like Yuki) The storyline is exciting, which feature the main character getting sucked into the world of his video game and being forced to save Nata, a character with the power to transport individuals from the game to the realworld. Only problem, if something gets destroyed in this world the real world is affected, and if he dies, he truly does die.
The character designs are nice, as I said, they look like the characters from Gravitation toward the end of the manga series. In any case the characters are really beautiful, especially the child Nata and Lost Soul, who become the cutest things in the book.
The humor is still there, with random drawings of over-the-top scenes. And, for non-yaoi fans out there, its a perfect manga.

Rating: A+

I'm reviewing this manga book on the basis of its appropriateness for use in a classroom. Being a middle school teacher, I find it hard to interest my students in reading. However, many of my students are interested in manga. I purchased this book since many of my students are also very interested in video games. The premise of Gamerz Heaven is that a young high schooler named Kaito receives a beta version of a game called Gamerz Heaven. The game sucks Kaito in on a mission to save the Navigator, a young boy, from monsters in the video game world. However, the video game world has repercussions in reality-if you die in the video game, you disappear from the real world, etc. The story is moderately interesting. Being a fan of video games, I like the stereotypicalness of Kaito as a high schooler who lives for his video games. This book is rated age 13+, which is appropriate for violence and some mild language/name calling. Since I teach younger students, I just went through the book and whited out the offending language and replaced it with non-offensive language (yes, I know, that's censorship, but you try telling that to concerned parents!). I'm not a great judge of artwork, but Gamerz Heaven is drawn well and the story is intruiging enough for me to consider buying volume two. For parents of younger children, though, I would highly recommend reading it first before allowing a child younger than 13 read it. For parents of video-gaming children, this could be a way to interest your child in reading rather than gaming 24/7. If you do plan on using this in a classroom, just make sure that you have a good book check out system so that it does not disappear.

When I first saw the cover of Genshiken, I didn't know what to expect. I assumed that it would be another male-oriented manga where the main male character would fall for a girl who fit neatly into one of the manga stereotypes while everything revolves around fanservice & typical cliches. Boy was I wrong!

Genshiken surrounds a whole cast of characters, most specifically that of Sasuke, a freshman in a local college. He decides that he's finally going to join a group devoted to anime, manga, or both. He almost loses his nerve until he discovers Genshiken and becomes immersed in everything otaku. Along for the ride are a lovable cast of characters that are all distinct and never cliche. Everyone has a set personality that the reader can relate to, and the storylines are actually true to life. There's no magic moves, no love triangles (not really, anyway), and no transforming... even though the characters would probably love it if it actually happened. For the most part everyone's a realtively well adjusted person.

Would I recommend this series? Yes, but some may not get all of the jokes. Luckily Del Ray is faithful about putting explanations in the back of the manga. Fledglings will need them, but die-hard otaku probably won't. ^.^'

Kanji Sasahara decides to join Genshiken, which is a club that deals with anima, manga, cosplay and video games. It happens to be his long standing dream to join a otaku club.
Saki Kasukabe's long standing dream is to get her boyfriend to act normal. But he joins the same club also.
Saki now has to chase Makoto around, from various activities to comic conventions, from video gaming to collecting figures.
I have volumes one to three and plan to collect any more that come out. There is tons of humor, but also lots of serious themes about art, relationships, S&M, porn, and what a otaku really is. Very much only for adults. Frankly, Age 16 seems too low a rating to me. Bonus material in each book.

There are no flying robots, fiery dragons, or space aliens in this one, rather Genshiken is about a select group of boring people with boring stories to tell. So why five stars? It is only that these boring stories are brought to us in the most kind and personable way, like a meal of white bread, served on a silver platter by the quirkiest waitress you ever did see. In the end, it was a fabulous dinner. Genshiken uses slight humor, slight romance, and a lot of good art. Highly recommended!

This is the funniest thing I think I've ever read!
There's no cheesy sci-fi/fantasy stuff or day dreaming girls trying to get married. The situations are realistic, which makes them even funnier. If you've every dated a super dorky guy or find that you're spending your free time watching anime (almost exclusively), you'll really enjoy this manga.

I seriously don't understand why more of you haven't read this book. It features one of the best and most memorable cast of characters in a manga that I have ever read. If you yourself are an otaku, this manga has at least one character you will find yourself saying,"Hey! Thats me!"

We start with a student, Kanji Sasahara, who is a shy young otaku, off at college. While searching through potential clubs to join, he finds the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, aka, Genshiken. It takes some prodding from a member of the club, but he eventually joins this club after feeling a sort of bond with the other members.

Through out this manga, we are introduced to several different characters, Tanaka, a cosplayer. Madarame, a military sort of otaku, Kousaka, definately doesn't fit the traditional "look," of an otaku, but his interests are in the right place. Finally, his girlfriend, Saki, who absolutely hates his okatu-ism, but you see her becoming more and more sympathetic towards it as time goes by.

All in all, I would have to say this is one of the best purchases I have made, and I eagerly antcipate the fourth volume.