Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six by Miyoshi Tomori on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

At the beginning of the series, Maria Kawaii transferred into Totsuka High School after being expelled from St. Katria for beating up a teacher. During the first four volumes of the series, Maria was misunderstood and bullied by many of her classmates; however, she did manage to make friends with three of her peers: Yusuke Kanda, Shin Meguro, and Tomoyo Kousaka.

In Volume Five, Maria realizes that she’s fallen in love with Shin. Unfortunately, the situation becomes complicated with Maria’s old friend from St. Katria, Anna Mouri, enters the story. Anna meets Shin at the music school they both attend, and Anna develops feelings for Shin.

There’s a lot of emotional tension that takes place over the course of Volume Six. There’s also a big revelation about Maria that Anna shares with Shin, but as a reader, I’m left wondering if what she shared is really true or something she’s trying to use to keep Maria and Shin from getting together. It will be interesting to see how Tomori moves forward with this particular plot point.

As a reader, I felt really bad for Shin. We know that he’s in love with Maria, but it’s obvious that’s he being torn in several different directions due to Anna’s actions. I’m really rooting for Shin and Maria to be able to work through this setback and find a way to become a couple. While Anna may not make me quite as angry as the girls who were bullying Maria in the first four volumes of A Devil and Her Love Song, I still find myself frustrated with Anna and her meddling.

Overall, I found Volume Six of A Devil and Her Love Song to be as riveting of a read as the previous five volumes. I was so interested in what was happening in the story that I found myself not wanting to put this manga volume down.

Just like in the previous volumes of the series, Tomori included several effective close-up panels of the characters during very pivotal and emotional scenes. Tomori definitely seems to have a talent and knack for knowing how to use these close-ups and when to use these close-ups. These close-up panels also utilize some of Tomori’s best use of detail.

If you’re a fan of the A Devil and Her Love Song manga series, then I think you will be satisfied with how Volume Six continues the story.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Skip Beat!” Volume Two

Article first published as Manga Review: Skip Beat! Volume Two by Yoshiki Nakamura on Blogcritics.

Skip Beat! Volume Two is a manga by Yoshiki Nakamura, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2006. The series is rated “T” for teens; after reading this volume, I would agree with this rating.

A teenage girl named Kyoko Mogami is the main character of Skip Beat! At the beginning of the series, she was living in an expensive apartment in Tokyo with childhood friend, Sho Fuwa, in order to support him as he becomes an idol; she agrees to do this because she is in love with him. Kyoko isn’t going to school, and is working two jobs to make ends meet. In Volume One, Kyoko learns that Sho doesn’t have romantic feelings for her, and that he only brought her along to Tokyo so she could take care of him. Kyoko vows to get her revenge by becoming an idol herself.

She moves out of the apartment and moves in with a couple who are the bosses at one of her jobs. Kyoko also changes her look, and she goes on a quest to try to get her break at a talent agency. She also has run-ins with Ren Tsuruga, Sho’s rival in the idol business.

At the beginning of Volume Two, Kyoko is dealing with the fact that she didn’t make the initial cut at the talent agency. However, her disappointment is short-lived when she decides to go back to the talent agency to try and find another way to get a break. The president of the talent agency believes in her, but think she’s missing something; however, he launches a new program for potential talent called the “Love Me Section.” Kyoko is the first person for the program, and she is expected to do work requested of her at the agency, and she is rated by each person she does work for.

After I read the first volume of Skip Beat!, I really wasn’t in any rush to read future volumes of the series. However, since my 15-year-old daughter checked it out from the library and it was around the house, I decided to read this volume to see if perhaps there was any improvement between the two volumes of the series.

Unfortunately, I still have to use some “willing suspension of disbelief” for this story. While the idea of the “Love Me Section” is a little far-fetched, I think that Nakamura’s execution of the concept is somewhat believable. Kyoko’s definitely not having an easy time of it, and there are those she does work for who want her to fail and give her a hard time in the hopes that she’ll give up and quit.

While I’m not much of a fan of Skip Beat!, I think that the teenage girls that this series is aimed at will probably get some enjoyment out of reading this manga. If you’ve read Volume One and enjoyed it, I think you’ll also enjoy reading Volume Two.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Skip Beat! Volume Two that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Beauty Pop” Volume Three

Article first published as Manga Review: Beauty Pop Volume Three by Kiyoko Arai on Blogcritics.

Beauty Pop Volume Three is a manga by Kiyoko Arai, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2007. The series is rated “T” for teens, and after reading this volume, I would agree with this rating.

High school freshman Kiri Koshiba has a talent for being a beautician and giving makeovers, thanks to having parents who work in hairstyling and makeup. However, Kiri tries to hide the fact that she can give makeovers. Three popular boys at school (Shogo Narumi, Kei Minami, and Kazuhiko Ochiai) are part of a group known as the “Scissors Project,” and they randomly give makeovers to the girls at school who they feel have potential.

Due to various incidents that took place in Volume One, Kiri begins giving makeovers as “X”. By the end of the Volume Two, the “Scissors Project” figured out the true identity of “X,” but only they and Kiri’s friends know the truth. Her lift is also complicated by the arrival of Iori Minomoto, a boy whose family has worked with Kiri’s family and has a crush on Kiri’s mother. Of all the characters in the series that I’ve met up to this point, I find Iori to be the most annoying of the bunch.

In this volume, Shogo receives a challenge from Tsuyoshi Niida, a boy who is always coming in second place to Shogo at the Salon De Narumi Beauty College. Tsuyoshi insists on having it be a five versus five competition to be held at the beauty college. Since the “Scissors Project” only has three members, Ochiai insists on trying to get Kiri and Iori to help out. Kiri isn’t interested, and Shogo wants nothing to do with Kiri. However, Ochiai plots schemes to get them onto the team in time for the competition. While the competition begins in this volume, it is not concluded. If you really want to know how the competition turns out, you have to continue on to Volume Four.

Personally, I was rather unimpressed by the story in this volume. Tsuyoshi is an annoying character; while he’s not as annoying as Iori, he comes in a close second. The whole five versus five competition was just as silly, if not more silly, than competitions that appeared in earlier volumes of the series.

There are also three bonus stories included in Volume Three. The first one is the longest, and has a friend of Kiri’s having a chance encounter with the “Scissors Project” while she’s at work, and falling instantly in love with Shogo. The other two bonus stories also are tied into Beauty Pop, but they are comedic in nature. Personally, I didn’t care for most of the bonus stories.

I admit that I’m still not entirely sold on Beauty Pop. In fact, the only reason I picked up this volume is due to the fact that my 15-year-old daughter had checked it out from the library and it was around the house. While I may not personally care much for this series, I think it will have the potential to appeal to the teenage girls that make up the target audience for this series.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Beauty Pop Volume Three that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Eight

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who becomes homeless after her father skips out of town in order to avoid paying his gambling debts. One night, Nanami meets a man who turns out to be the land god; he gives her a kiss on the forehead and gives her the power of a kami. With this kiss, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. Nanami has two familiars serving her: Tomoe the fox demon and a snake incarnation named Mizuki.

This volume finds Nanami in the land of the dead after falling down a hole at the end of Volume Seven after being assigned to protect the entrance during the kami conference. A human named Kirihito fell into the land of the dead with her. While she’s in the land of the dead, Nanami learns that Kirihito isn’t what he seems to be, and also manages to raise the ire of Yomotsuokami, the kami of the land of the dead.

Tomoe also gets to play a major role later in Volume Eight, and a character the reader hasn’t seen for quite a while also makes a return. At the same time this character returns, the reader also learns a little something about Tomoe as well.

I apologize for the vagueness of some of this plot synopsis, but if I go any farther, I run the risk of going into “spoiler” territory even more than I already have. I don’t want to give too much away, because then no one would have a reason to read Volume Eight after reading this review.

I ended up really enjoying Volume Eight. In fact, I got so wrapped up in what I was reading that I didn’t want to put it down. I think that this was due not only to the actual story itself, but it was also due to Suzuki’s art style. Her art style complements this story very well, which makes the manga just as enjoyable to look at as it is to read it.

If you’ve the previous seven volumes of Kamisama Kiss, then I think you’ll find that Volume Eight is also an enjoyable and satisfying read.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Strobe Edge” Volume Three

Article first published as Manga Review: Strobe Edge Volume Three by Io Sakisaka on Blogcritics.

Strobe Edge Volume Three is a manga by Io Sakisaka, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2013. The series is rated “T” for teens; from the three volumes that I’ve read of this series, I would agree with this rating.

Ninako Kinoshita is a high school freshman who is in the middle of a love triangle. She is in love with a guy named Ren, while Ninako’s friend Daiki has confessed that he likes Ninako. Unfortunately for Ninako, it turns out that Ren already has a girlfriend: Daiki’s older sister. Ninako’s friend, Sayuri, has confessed to Daiki that she likes him. Another potential love interest for Ninako was introduced in Volume Two: Ren’s classmate, Ando.

Several major developments take place for the characters over the course of Volume Three. The biggest is that Daiki and Sayuri become a couple, so he is taken out of Ninako’s tangled love web. Ando also gets a better idea about how he feels for Ninako, and we also get a little bit of backstory for him that explains why he was acting like such a player back in Volume Two.

Another big development is that Ren’s friend, Manabu, gets jobs for some of the characters at a café that his cousin is opening up. Manabu ends up bringing in Ninako, Ren, and Ando to help fill those part-time jobs, which provides for some interesting character interactions later in Volume Three. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, and it will be interesting to see how the story progresses in Volume Four.

I have to admit that Daiki and Sayuri becoming a couple completely caught me by surprise. For the short term, at least, I think this is a good plot development; it allows the character web around Ninako become a little less tangled than it was at the end of Volume Two. It will be interesting to see if Daiki and Sayuri can make this work in the long run, or if Daiki will end up back in the line of potential suitors for Ninako. Personally, while I like Daiki’s character, I think it’s probably best for him to be out of the situation that he had been in during the first two volumes of the series.

I also liked getting the backstory for Ando, because it helped me to better appreciate him as a character. Unfortunately, I can’t really root for him and Ninako to end up together at this point, because I question his motivations at this point in the story.

When I finished Volume Three, both the character development that took place in this volume, as well as the cliffhanger ending, made me want to read the next volume of the series. If you’ve read the first two volumes of Strobe Edge and enjoyed what you read, I think you’ll be pleased with how Volume Three progresses the story.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Strobe Edge Volume Three that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Mixed Vegetables” Volume One

Article first published as Manga Review: Mixed Vegetables Volume One by Ayumi Komura on Blogcritics.

Mixed Vegetables Volume One is a manga written and illustrated by Ayumi Komura. It was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2008. Mixed Vegetables is rated “T” for teens; after reading this volume, I would agree with this rating.

Hanayu Ashitaba comes from a family that owns a pastry shop, but her dream is to become a sushi chef. She’s in the cooking department at Oikawa High School, and it is there that she meets Hayato Hyuga, the son of a family that owns a prestigious sushi restaurant. It turns out that Hayato really wants to be a pastry chef.

Hanayu has a plot to make Hayato fall in love with her, so she can marry into a sushi family. Hayato is a popular boy in the cooking department, so it almost seems to be an impossible dream. Hanayu decides she will try to impress him with her cooking skills, but things don’t entirely turn out as she expects. A lot of the first volume focuses on the relationship that develops between Hanayu and Hayato.

By the time I finished reading the first volume of Mixed Vegetables, it basically felt like a “typical” shojo story that happens to have a cooking element in it. And to be honest, I’m not entirely convinced that the pastry shop/sushi restaurant angle really adds a whole lot to this story. While it does provide the motivation for Hanayu to pursue Hayato in the first place, that motivation could have easily been changed and the story could have still come to the same place that it does at the end of the volume. It’s a relatively straightforward shojo romance story.

When it comes to the art in Mixed Vegetables, it relies heavily on the look and tropes that are associated with “typical” shojo manga series. In other words, there’s really not a lot in the art of this series to make it stand out from a lot of the other shojo manga titles that I’ve read.

In the end, Mixed Vegetables will hold the strongest appeal to the teenage girls that are in the series’ target market. This series may also hold some appeal to readers who just want a quick read that is relatively mindless and light-hearted. However, for readers who want a little more substance to their shojo manga probably wouldn’t find a lot of enjoyment in Mixed Vegetables.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Mixed Vegetables Volume One that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Five

Article first published as Manga Review: A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Five by Miyoshi Tomori on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Five is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

When I finished Volume Four, I was very curious as to where the story would go, since the bullying story that made up the first four volumes of the series had essentially been resolved. It turns out that Volume Five makes a very natural progression in the story from where Volume Four left off.

Maria has come to realize that she’s in love with Shin, but just doesn’t know how to express this to him. Shin, meanwhile, has started taking classes at a nearby music school in order to improve his skills at playing the piano.

In the earlier volumes of A Devil and Her Love Song, Maria has mentioned a friend she had hurt at St. Katria, her former school. Her friend, Anna Mouri, actually makes an appearance in Volume Five. The reader first meets her when she encounters Shin at the music school. After Anna learns that Shin and Maria know each other, she begins coming to their school at lunchtime and spends time with Maria, Shin, and their friends.

Of course, this wouldn’t be A Devil and Her Love Song without some kind of conflict. It turns out that while Anna is trying to make it seem she’s trying to rekindle her friendship with Maria, she actually has an ulterior motive. This ulterior motive is revealed near the end of Volume Five, and the layers this has the potential to add to the story makes me want to read Volume Six in order to see if this potential is utilized by Tomori.

While the bullying aspect that defined the first four volumes is essentially gone in Volume Five, new drama and tension has entered the story. The drama and tension in this volume make it just as riveting of a read as the previous four volumes.

Volume Five has quite a few panels that utilize close-ups of characters. However, these close-ups are necessary, due to the drama and tension that is prevalent in this volume. Tomori’s art style continues to complement the story she’s telling, and it’s very effective in conveying the drama and tension in the story.

If you’ve read the previous volumes of A Devil and Her Love Song, I think you’ll also enjoy reading Volume Five.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Five that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Four

Article first published as Manga Review: A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Four by Miyoshi Tomori on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Four is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; after reading this volume, I would agree with this rating.

Maria Kawaii, a new transfer student at Totsuka High School, has a tendency to be blunt. After she admitted to being expelled from St. Katria for beating up a teacher, some of the girls in her new class begin to bully and humiliate her. If they’re not doing that, then they’re encouraging other class members to not acknowledge Maria’s presence. However, Maria has managed to make three friends in the class: Yusuke Kanda, Shin Meguro, and Tomoyo Kousaka.

The focus of Volume Four is on the choral competition. The story in this volume is even more intense than it had been in the previous three volumes; this is really saying something, because I thought the story leading up to Volume Four had been rather intense. Over the course of this volume, several truths are revealed, and some of these truths create awkward situations for Maria.

The bullying storyline that had made up quite a bit of the story in the first four volumes of this series is resolved at the end of this volume. While it’s not necessarily a perfect ending to Maria’s bullying, she sees it as a start. As a reader, I’m really wondering where the story will go from here since the bullying storyline seems to have come to an end. I can only guess that Tomori will be shifting the focus of the story from the bullying to a blossoming relationship between Maria and one of the male characters, and how this development could potentially affect their friendship.

When it comes to the art, I noticed that Tomori relied very heavily on character close-ups in the panels. Perhaps these close-ups, in addition to the story that was told in this volume, contributed to the really intense feel I was sensing as I read Volume Four. Tomori’s art style really complements the story she’s telling, and I believe it’s one of the defining characteristics of this manga series.

If you’ve read the previous three volumes of A Devil and Her Love Song and enjoyed them, I think you’ll also enjoy Volume Four. I especially think you will enjoy how Volume Four ends.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Four that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who becomes homeless after her father leaves in order to avoid paying his gambling debts. One night in the park, Nanami meets a man who turns out to be the land god; he kisses her on the forehead and gives her the power of a kami. With this kiss, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. At this point in the series, Nanami has two familiars serving her: the fox demon Tomoe and a snake incarnation named Mizuki.

This volume has a strong focus on Nanami and Mizuki. Mizuki tries going out among humans on his own, but finds out that he’s not ready. Nanami, meanwhile, tries to take Tomoe out on a “date” at an amusement park. The “date” doesn’t go anywhere near what Nanami had expected.

After these stories, the focus of the volume is on the kami conference that Nanami was chosen to attend at the end of Volume Six. When there’s only enough money for one of Nanami’s familiars to accompany her, it has to be decided whether Tomoe or Mizuki will be going. Once Nanami gets to the conference, she is treated with disdain by some of the other kami. To add to this, she is assigned to go to the entrance to the land of the dead to protect it from being destroyed.

I have to admit that when I first started reading this volume, I was a little disappointed that it didn’t launch immediately into the storyline about the kami conference. However, the first two stories that appear in here are important character development pieces, and the first story also explains why there isn’t enough money for both of Nanami’s familiars to accompany her to the conference. This volume also ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so now I want to read Volume Eight to see what happens to Nanami at the entrance to the land of the dead.

Overall, I found Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven to be a good read. For Kamisama Kiss fans who enjoy the Nanami and Tomoe pairing, there’s development for this pairing that should satisfy them. Even if you’re not a fan of the particular pairing, there’s still plenty to enjoy when reading Volume Seven.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Strobe Edge” Volume Two

Article first published as Manga Review: Strobe Edge Volume Two by Io Sakisaka on Blogcritics.

Strobe Edge Volume Two is a manga by Io Sakisaka, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2013. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read so far, I would agree with this rating.

Ninako Kinoshita is a high school freshman who is in the middle of a love triangle. Ninako is in love with a guy named Ren, and Ninako’s friend Daiki is in love with her. To make things worse, it turns out that Ren already has a girlfriend, and that his girlfriend is Daiki’s older sister, Mayuka. Ninako’s friend, Sayuri, is in love with Daiki.

And if that isn’t complicated enough, another potential love interest for Ninako enters into this already tangled web. Ando is a classmate of Ren’s, and he’s shown as being a bit of a player. During Volume Two, Ninako, Ren, and Ando all end up being on the planning committee for the culture festival. Ando appears to be interested in Ninako, but she doesn’t appear to reciprocate his feelings because she’s still in love with Ren. Unfortunately, the situation isn’t helped when Ninako ends up in a situation where she has to be around Ren and Mayuka. In addition to all of that, Ninako has encounters with the group of girls who came together after being rejected by Ren.

By the end of Volume Two, it’s become rather clear that Strobe Edge is a story that will be more than just a “typical” shojo manga series. I have really enjoyed the drama and tension that is created through the tangled love web with some of the interrelationships that exist between the characters, such as Daiki and his sister.

Volume Two also includes a bonus story called, “Another Light.” This story takes place two years before the start of the story in Strobe Edge, and it shows how Ren and Mayuka became a couple in the first place. I thought this was a really good backstory, and I can see why this was done as a bonus chapter rather than being incorporated into the main story as a flashback. There’s enough going on in “Another Light” that it wouldn’t have been as strong if it had been distilled down to a flashback sequence.

The one thing I find interesting is the fact that Sakisaka designed Ninako and Mayuka to have a similar look, especially in the face. As a reader, it makes me wonder if Ren initially started becoming friends with Ninako because of this resemblance to Mayuka.

By the time I finished Volume Two, I found myself interested enough in the characters and story of Strobe Edge that I really want to read the next volume after it comes out.

If you’ve read the first volume of Strobe Edge and enjoyed it, I would recommend reading Volume Two.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Strobe Edge Volume Two that I checked out through the King County Library System.