drama ↘↖
Manga Review: Usagi Drop
Upon the death of his grandfather, Daikichi Kawachi returns to his hometown. At the family gathering he meets a little girl who he had never seen before, Rin Kaga. As it turns out Rin is, supposedly, the illegitimate daughter of Daikichi’s grandfather. As the rest of the family falls into a petty argument over who takes Rin, Daikichi decides that Rin deserves better and takes Rin under his wing. Daikichi, who is single and 30-years old, now has the life of an innocent six year old on his hands. Usagi Drop is the tale of Daikishi, as he learn the joys of parenthood— albeit awkward at first, and Rin, as she learns to love and be a normal girl.
Usagi Drop was a candidate for the 2011 Eisner Award in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia Category.
Manhwa Review: Ciel: The Last Autumn Story
In the world of Ciel: The Last Autumn Story Arc Dragons are linked to the forces of nature. They are, in essence, nature personified. The Fire Dragon gave humans language and magic. Now some of the dragons regret this decision as they now fear for the planet’s future. Upon his birth, the Sky Dragon, who can predict the future, predicted that the world would become a barren waste land. The dragons can’t help but think that this will be due to humans. With the turmoil between dragons and the political turbulence linked with having magic power Yvienne, her partner Lariatte, and their friends Daughter and January must do more than just study in the Lockwood Institute, a school for wizards and witches. They must battle demons, monsters, and other fowl creatures while being socially and politically active.
Manga Review: Parasyte
Even in real life, humans are slowly destroying the planet. However, in Parasyte Earth may have a chance due to alien invaders. These aliens are parasitic, sometimes symbiotic, creatures that attempted to take over human bodies when they first invaded. Most Parasites succeeded and took control over human brains. Others failed to take over humans but succeed in controlling other animals, although this is considered a failure by the Parasite population. These Parasites develop a need to eat others of the same species as their host. Thus Parasites in human hosts eat other humans. Another failure is when a Parasite fails in taking over a human’s brain and instead controls a different part of their body. This is the case of Shinichi Izumi who has a Parasite in his right hand.
Manga Review: Karakuri Odette
Odette Yoshizawa can be best described by her classmate’s reaction, “She looks like a doll.” In one sense of the meaning Odette is very beautiful. However, in the other sense of the meaning she looks like a doll, this is because she is an android. Created by the renown Professor Yoshizawa, Odette is the closest thing machines have ever become to humans. She can express all human behaviors and movements, is intelligent, and has great physical prowess. To an untrained eye she is the perfect human. But there is something that Odette is missing. To find out what is different between her and human girls she convinces the Professor to let her go to school. In school she makes friends, develops a sense of right and wrong, learns about human society, and slowly becomes more like a human.
Manga Review: Natsume Yuujinchou
Great spiritual power is required to see spirits but it takes even greater power to bind spirits to your will. Natsume’s grandmother, Reiko, had enough power to beat spirits in games and bind their souls to their names which she collected. The names she collected she put in the book she which she called her “Book of Friends”. Perhaps she referred to the spirits as her friends because she didn’t have any human friends. Regardless of who she though of the spirits they now want their names back. However, Reiko is long dead and it is now up to Natsume to return the names taken out of loneliness with kindness.
MangaLog: Hotel
From the same mangaka that brought us Sun-ken Rock, Boichi, comes a collection of five oneshots.
In general these oneshots have amazingly detailed drawings. Seeing how most of these oneshots have a sci-fi theme to them pictures can become quite grand, to have such images as detailed, crisp, and clear as these is quite the accomplishment. The facial expressions on the people here are of the most expressive I have ever seen in a manga. Boichi-sensei also shows off his ability as a writer. Together, the drawing and the writing act as an efficient conductor of emotion. The emotion Boichi-sensei put in is the emotion you receive, no less but everything more.
Click the break to read a summery of each oneshot and my thoughts on them.
I started making a post about every chapter of manga chapter I read. I called it MangaLog and I started off strong with a collection of oneshots.
Manga Review: Otoyomegatari
Set in pre-modern days, in the time of the silk road, Otoyomegatari follows the married lives of Amira and Karluk. Amira was sent by her village to marry Karluk, a boy eight years younger than her, in an arranged marriage. In this new village, the culture is different and at times strange for Amira. Among this village filled with the decedents of nomadic herders Amira’s upbringing in semi-nomadic tribe shows, however she is not alone and she has all the support she could wish for. Amira now has a family based on a marriage based on love, respect, and trust. What more could anyone want?
Manga Review: Mushishi
What is like a plant and like an animal but neither? What is a mirage but also physical? The answer is mushi. Mushi are a third type of being. They are not plants they are not animals but a little of both. Few people can see these creatures and even fewer of these become mushishi, wanderers who protect the balance between Mushi and humans. It is best to think of them as wandering healers who are both in tune with humans and mushi. The mangaka often bases the mushi after folk lore and superstitions. By borrowing from such lore we get creatures who have evolved and ripened for countless generations before being used in this work.
Manga Review: Defense Devil
Available here
“Adapted from the oneshot Akuma Bengoshi Kukabara, Mephisto Bart Kucabara is a devil lawyer. In order to return to the demon world that he was exiled from he needs to collect enough Dark Matter. To do so he creates a plan to claim the Dark Matter from the souls of sinners sentenced to hell. Prove the soul’s innocence and the Dark Matter becomes his.
But how can he gather enough Dark Matter when his kind personality causes him to continually use it up in order to defend the soul from the Shinigami that has come to take them to hell?” - Mangafox.com
