Hello, there! Happy Wednesday š We managed to reach the middle of the week, yay!
Todayās Manga of the Week chosen one ugh, Iāll always remember Simon and Baz with chosen ones mentioned now is slightly different from the other manga titles that I have been presenting you. Princess Ai is a manga created by no one less than Courtney Love! =O
Ai is the only royal princess of Ai-Land, a magical kingdom caught in the midst of a horrific revolution. When Princess Ai makes a hasty escape from her war-torn land, she finds herself in modern-day Tokyo. Confused and in shock, Ai wanders the streets in this strange new land to unravel the secrets that could tear her and her kingdom apart … The first volume of Princess Ai is a journey to the heights of fame and fortune found in this world and beyond!
Why I think itās a worth-reading manga: Princess Ai has a very unique story, mixing romance with aliens, music and fashion. I had my reservations when I started the series, but soon enough Courtney Love proved that she could write a manga worth of attention just like the original Japanese ones. Besides, Ai herself is a very loveable character and one of the strongest main female characters that I know. Just read it, lol.
Hello, good Wednesday for you! Over here, Wednesdays mean Manga of the Week days and the chosen one this week rocks hard: Sailor Moon, from Naoko Takeuchi! š
One of the most-beloved of all Japanese manga titles, Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon has enthralled millions of readers worldwide since its debut in book form in early 1992. When Usagi Tsukino adopts a stray cat, she gets more than she bargains for The talking cat, Luna, informs Usagi that she is actually Sailor Moon, a magical princess from the future and protector of the Solar System. With the help of her new friends, the Sailor Scouts, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon embarks on a quest to save us all from the evil powers of the Negaverse.
So helpful, right? LOL
Why I think itās a worth-reading manga: itās Sailor Moon. There are some manga titles that every human being should read at least once on their lives and Sailor Moon is one of those. I mean, come on! The series is twenty fucking years and everyday new people find out about it and start to love it. It is a big hit ā¤ So, if you havenāt already read it, please do so! It will worth your while š
Thank you for reading! In some moments, big news shall break over the blog. Stay tuned o/
Hi, there! Hope your Saturday ended š Following my goal of one manga review per day until I catch up with myself, today I present you a review for a title with a peculiar background with me: Calling, from Miu Otsuki. Yes, we are back to yaoi mangas.
Before introducing you formally to this title, Iād like to share our story. Last week, I was at a street bookshop and saw this title. I hated the art on the spot, itās not my style at all. I didnāt want to buy it, but there are only three manga publishers on Brazil. Two very large and a medium one; the last was responsible for The Calling publishing and the other two publishers pretend that gay, pornographic and horror titles donāt exist. So, when I saw the smaller publisher bringing to us a gay title, I knew I had to get it to support them and show them that people would buy different titles, despite all the prejudice that they suffer on my country.
So, with a heavy heart, I went home and decided that, as I had already purchased the volume, it wouldnāt hurt to read it. Boy, Iām so glad I did. You shall find out why on the following lines of the review, but I really felt rewarded for helping out this particular publisher, haha!
The Story
Kazuaki is a regular salary man without a drop of excitement on his existence. That is, until one day when he literally stumbles on a porn recording session in the park that he always passed on his way home from work.
Kira is a porn star and leads a very carefree life. That is, until Kazuaki literally stumbles on him and his co-worker after a shooting at a park. On that moment, something shifted inside Kira; he had fallen for the clumsy and scared boy of the park and would do everything to see him again.
At first, Kazuaki is very eerie of Kira, as Kira was pushy and obviously too skilled, if you get my drift, but as they see each other and spend time together, Kazuaki starts to believe that maybe this is what he has been missing on his life: true love.
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader š
As I said, I had a lovely surprise with this title. Despite the ugly art, the story blew my mind! It was so different and original! Not even the insta-love on Kiraās part bothered me. It was all too natural, too cute and, behold, innocent. Yes, there are some mature scenes, but without any hint of vulgarity to them ā¤ I wish the art wasnāt so bothersome, as it made the title lose two stars š¦
Anyway, the narrative pace is steady and we follow the story mostly from Kazuakiās point of view. There are some pieces from Kira in the end, but not knowing what he is really thinking is part of the fun on The Calling, haha!
The plot is pretty simple, full filed with human complexes. Kazuaki is an insecure guy, socially awkward, never knows what to do or to say around people. He doesnāt care about his job and highly admires that Kira is so in love with his profession. You saw what I did, didnāt you?
All the while, Kira intends to conquer Kazuakiās heart, but Kazuaki himself understands that he needs to trust Kira in order to be his true friend, never mind the amorous relationship that comes tagging along. Serious, it is beautiful.
The characters were a blast in personality and I laughed a lot with Kira. He is that goofy type of male, but without being clumsy. That was Kazuaki, haha! They really matched as a couple and I caught myself awing for them more than I should, oops!
As it is typical of yaoi titles, we arenāt introduced to many other characters in the story and, as always, Iām fine with that. Kiraās work colleague, this very beautiful girl whose name I canāt remember to save my life, was the perfect side kick for their situation: light and funny, spilling a secret or two about Kira to Kazuaki ā¤ Kazuakiās work colleagues also were cool.
Now, the art. Omg, the art. Iāve read several reviews highlighting the beauty of Otsuki-senseiās work, but I canāt bring myself to agree. It was totally not my type, sorry.
from left to right: Kira and Kazuaki š
Just no. I simply canāt bring myself to like this*.
Overall, I still think that it was a worth buy and a pleasant surprise. Otsuki-sensei knows her way very well in plot and character construction š If you like daily life stories, a touch of drama, romance and laughs, this title may be what youāre looking for!
Thank you for reading! Sorry for the lateness of this review, I had a full day packing up for my trip tomorrow morning, haha!
Hi, there! You will never believe this: todayās manga review is NOT a yaoi one! I repeat, this is not a gay manga review!
I know, it is so exciting, right?!
Eh, no, not really, as I really didnāt like todayās title. Iām talking about Sword Art Online ā Fairy Dance, from Reki Kawahara and Tsubasa Haduki.
I donāt believe on bad mouthing a book or manga (or anything at all) just because I donāt like it, as all of us have a distinct opinion, so Iāll keep my review short and sweet š
The narrative pace is fast, as this series is like a season two for the original SAO series. This doesnāt impact on the readerās understanding of happenings, which is good. This was my first attempt at reading SAO and worked out almost just fine. We have shared points of view during the volume, shared by Kirito, Asuna and Suguha.
I was bored to my bones to see that every character, without exceptions, was a typically archetype of shoujo (a.k.a. sugaed romance) mangas. There is the hero, the heroin, a girl to form the amorous triangle, the guy that always helps the hero, cheesy dialogues, and a soul deep love that no one understands why it is there. Add all that to sword fights and over power characters, plus a damsel in distress. Yeah. Nice.
As I said, the art was pleasant, but also didnāt hold my attention. One thing that did bothered me was the size of Suguhaās boobs, as she is twelve ā from what I have gathered. Honestly, teen girls on this age have not those boobs. I wonder if this becomes a hentai (a.k.a. pornographic) title, as the traces are on that style. Or maybe Iām too much of a bore, haha!
Overall, if you like semi-dystopian and adventure mangas, or shoujos, I think you should give SAO a try. Maybe it is your type š
Thank you for reading! Tomorrowās review shall come back to my default style of reading, if you get my drift. Yaoi.
*ps: I do not own the illustration, it was found on Google, belong to Tsubasa Haduki-sensei and were used with illustrative purposes only š
Hello, good morning! You made to the middle of the week successfully, congrats! Now grab a mug of fresh coffee, a nice snack and dive with me on this Wednesdayās Manga of the Week ā¤
The chosen one was a rare case of binge watching the anime before realizing that there was a manga series as well, to my utter shame: Chrno Crusade, from Daisuke Moriyama-sensei š
America in the Roaring 20s. On the surface, it’s a positive, peaceful time after the violence of the Great War. But lurking in the shadows is a dark element ready to snatch that peace away. Sister Rosette Christopher, an exorcist working as a part of the Magdala Order, has a duty to fight the demons which appear and cause destruction. But along with her companion Chrono, she usually ends up causing more destruction than the demons themselves! On one particular mission, they meet a young girl with a beautiful voice named Azmaria, who is being targeted by her own stepfather. As Rosette and Chrno work to save her, more is revealed about the relationship between them. There is more to these two than meets the eye.
Why I think itās a worth-reading manga: this is a title that lives in my heart. I bounded so deeply with the characters and their world that I never wanted it to end. Besides, it was my first manga hangover and massive heart breaking. I cried like a baby on the end and to this day, Iām gathering my courage to read and watch it again, as it was oh-so good. If you like drama, historical settings, demons, magic and platonic loves, just give this series a go ā with a tissue box next to you when you reach the end, okay?
Thatās it, haha! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a lovely day! It will be a busy day here on the blog, so stay tuned ;D
Cinderella, a childrenās book edition (shortest book and Purple)
Gifted Thief, from Helen Harper (purple and new author to me)
Calling, from Mio Otsuki (new author to me and pink)
Miwaku Shikake Amai Wana, from Yonezou Nekota (new author to me and pink)
Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance vol. 1, from Reki Kawahara and Hazuki Tsubasa (new author to me, green and yellow)
I didnāt get to my Wonder Woman comic book or to finish Emma again, but I managed to read a rainbow š ā¤ To see the available reviews, click on the titleās links.
Iām still learning, but overall, I think I did a way better job than last time, haha!
Thatās it, thanks for reading! Do you like readathons?
Hello, there! Welcome to a giant post, oops! I went crazy with book buying this month, jeez. The February TBR list is already done in other post, here š
those are my new babies ā¤
Book Haul
My money went to 13 books and 7 mangas in January, haha!
Shy high school student Riko Izawa aches for a boyfriend but guys just won’t look her way. Then one day she signs up for a three-day trial of a mysterious “lover figurine,” and the next thing she knows, a cute naked guy is delivered to her doorstep–and he wants to be her boyfriend!
Has Riko died and gone to heaven? The cute naked guy turns out to be smart, super nice, stylish and a gourmet chef. Plus, he looks like a million bucks…. Trouble is, that’s about what he’s going to cost Riko because she didn’t return him in time!
Why I think itās a worth-reading manga: this manga, besides being awesomely funny, also makes us wonder if it is possible to achieve happiness with a āperfectā mate. Riko builds her own boyfriend to be the perfect guy in every way possible, but is it enough? Really, it is a kick-ass shoujo one! Just read, haha!
Thatās it! Thanks for reading š Hope youāre having a nice day!
Hi, good morning! First of all I have to say that Iām very pleased with life, as Iām going home on Sunday ā¤ I miss my dog and my books, despite all the fun Iām having at my uncleās. Nothing like home, right? š
Anyway, todayās post is from my Authors of my Heart ā¤ section and itās another manga author, as I got confused with my own posting schedule and did two book authors in a roll. Next week, its book author again and everything will fall back into place, haha!
The chosen one? Yuu Watase-sensei!
I didnāt found a larger picture, Iām sorry D:
We met after Fushigi Yugi was published in Brazil. The series was published in 2002, but I believe that I only started to read it somewhere between 2003 and 2004, as I read my first manga in 2003. Regardless of the accuracy on my chronological history, it was love at first sight. Also, as you may recall from this post, Yuu Watase is the author of the manga series that originated my first anime in Japanese with subtitles: Ayashi no Ceres š
Without anymore gibber jabber, letās go to the list:
When best friends Miaka and Yui open the pages of an ancient Chinese book, they are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods, a parallel world to ancient China. Now, to escape schoolwork and family problems, Miaka flees to the parallel world, only to find a lot more danger and romance than she bargained for.
This manga has the perfect balance between romance, mystery, adventure, dystopian, drama and comedy, besides awesome characters and handsome villains. There is no way you wonāt love it too!
Aya and her twin brother Aki thought they were going to a celebration of their sixteenth birthday at their grandfatherās home, but the funeral-like atmosphere tips them off that somethingās not right. Their ābirthday presentā turns out to be a mummified handāthe power of which forces an awakening within Aya, and painful wounds all over Akiās body! Grandfather Mikage announces that Aki will be heir to the Mikage fortune, and Aya must die! But Aya has allies in the athletic cook and martial artist YĆ»hi, and the attractive, mysterious TĆ“ya. But can even two handsome and resourceful guys save Aya when itās her own power thatās out of control?
I already talked a lot about this series, so letās just do a quick recap with the main message behind my compliments: if you like shoujo (a.k.a. romance) and drama, just read it!
Shy high school student Riko Izawa aches for a boyfriend but guys just won’t look her way. Then one day she signs up for a three-day trial of a mysterious “lover figurine,” and the next thing she knows, a cute naked guy is delivered to her doorstep–and he wants to be her boyfriend!
Has Riko died and gone to heaven? The cute naked guy turns out to be smart, super nice, stylish and a gourmet chef. Plus, he looks like a million bucks…. Trouble is, that’s about what he’s going to cost Riko because she didn’t return him in time!
This series is so funny! It made me wish I was rich to have a boyfriend of my own built for me, literally, haha! Also, it awakens big reflections about society and human behavior, plus made me cry several times in the end, despite it being somewhat happy. Another good combination of shoujo, drama, comedy and a touch of sci-fi.
yup, the cover is on the vertical for some weird reason
In a mythical world where humans and gods co-exist, Arata has the unfortunate honor of being the successor to the matriarchal Hime Clan. This means he has to pretend to be a girl or face death if his true gender is discovered! On the day of his inauguration, an assassination plot forces him to fleeāand he somehow winds up in modern-day Japan! Meanwhile, a boy named Arata Hinohara gets sucked into the first Arataās world and finds himself dealing with people after his life!
This was my last series from her, I read it last year and only volume one ā Iāve had it for quite a while sitting on my shelf, so I decided to give it a go and discover if I was going to continue the collection. For the record, I WILL! It was amazing! This one is a shonen (a.k.a. adventure/action) title, very different from what I had read from Watase-sensei so far. I loved the start, canāt wait to read more ā¤
Thatās it! Thanks for reading ā¤ Now I have to figure out who shall be my next book author, haha!
Hi, there! Good Wednesday to you š Itās Manga of the Week day and, as I know you guys havenāt been having enough yaoi (a.k.a. gay mangas) in your lives coming from my blog *sarcasm*, I have chosen No Touching At All, from Kou Yoneda, to show off today š
On his very first day at a brand-new job, shy Shima is trapped in the elevator with a hungover mess of a guyā¦who turns out to be his boss! Togawaās prickly exterior definitely puts the rookie recruit on-edge, but it doesnāt take long before Shimaās every waking thought is invaded by his overbearing yet totally thoughtful superior. Will Shima put aside a history of disappointment in order to take a chance on a complicated relationship?
Why I think itās a worth-reading manga: this story is so real. So human and so boys-next-door. I have won the paperback manga from a dear friend that is now living on Canada and she picked it up randomly to bring to me, so I had no idea what is was about besides the genre. Sometimes, itās wonderful to walk into a book or a manga without any previous knowledge, haha! Anyway, I loved Shima and Togawaās relationship. If you like mangas that follow the daily life of people with a touch of drama and romance, you canāt miss No Touching At All! ā¤
Thatās it, thanks for reading š I wish I could promise that now Iāll stop with the yaoi thing, but it kind of runs into my fangirl veins, sorry lol
The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange 