manga reviews

Team Medical Dragon

2005-02-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

「医龍」
Mangaka: Nogizaka Taro & Nagai Akira
Genre: seinen

Synopsis: Modern Japanese doctors are more concerned about status and prestige than saving lives. Most of them are fly-by-the-book, doctors who would rather overlook the mistakes of senior doctors at the expense of the patient instead of speaking up and losing their position by getting on the bad side of their superiors. Dr. Asada Ryutaro, with his unorthodox methods, is a genius surgeon rebelling against this "illness of Japanese medicine."

Comments: Team Medical Dragon is a more mature and dramatic version of Godhand Teru.

Warning: graphic surgery scenes, nudity in the first chapter

Scanlator: NexGear

Kirara

2005-02-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Mangaka: Yui Toshiki
Genre: shounen, romantic comedy

Synopsis: Kirara, who got in an accident and died on the way to church on her wedding day, begs God to let her return to earth to her beloved Konpei. Her wish is granted but the problem is she returns as a ghost eight years too early: Konpei is still a high school student, and he has yet to meet the young Kirara of that time.

Comments: The story is cute, with the love triangle between Konpei and the future and present Kirara. The two Kiraras are the exact opposite of each other: the older one is seductive and perverted while the younger one is rough, boyish and refuses to have anything to do with Konpei because she knows that she'll die in the future if they end up together. I thought Kirara could have done without the gratuitous nudity though, but without that, this would have been a shoujo manga instead.

Warning: nudity

Scanlator: Solaris-SVU

Wild Life

2005-02-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

「ワイルドライフ」
Mangaka: Masato Fujisaki
Genre: shounen

Synopsis: Iwashiro Tetsushou-kun is your typical high school delinquent, a bum with no direction in life. He has one gift though, and that is he has a perfect sense of hearing. Inspired by a veterinarian he meets on a park, Tetsushou -- with his keen hearing (he can detect irregularities in heartbeat, respiration rate, etc.) and strong desire to save lives -- decides to become a vet himself.

Comments: As of this review, I've only read three chapters so far and I like what I'm seeing. The manga is funny and although the premise of a genius doctor isn't exactly new, the added twist of Tetsushou's perfect hearing is an interesting concept.

Scanlators: Boku-tachi, Manga City

Nana

2005-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Mangaka: Yazawa Ai
Genre: shoujo, romance

Synopsis: Two girls with the same first name meet on a train and later on become roommates. Although they have completely opposite personalities -- Nana Komatsu is bubbly, boy-crazy, and naive while Nana Oosaki is a punk rocker chick -- the two become close friends.

Comments: I love love love Nana! Yazawa-san's masterful storytelling is unpredictable, and cliffhangers and surprises abound every chapter. Each character has his/her own quirks and is lovable in his/her own right. Since this is a romantic manga though, it can get really mushy at times but it's not your typical shoujo mush. Nana is in a class of its own.

Scanlators: started by Mangascreener then continued by Lavendar Tinted and Sugar-Oasis

Edit: Nana has been licensed by Viz.

Hot Milk

2004-12-31T19:01:00.000-08:00

Mangaka: Kenji Nagatomo
Genre: shounen, comedy

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Meruo Kitajima owns Hot Milk Convenience Store, a service-oriented business in which she does chores, runs errands, and anything else it takes to help other people. Kind-hearted as she is, her fearlessness and naiveté often gets her in dangerous situations, much to the dismay of her bodyguard Fumioshi Saruno. Apparently, Meruo is the sole grandchild of one of the richest and most powerful men in Japan and Saruno must keep her safe at all costs, lest he suffer the wrath of Meruo's grandpa.

Comments: Hot Milk has a mildy humorous and interesting storyline, although I felt that the ending was rushed and too abrupt.

Warning: may get a little perverted at times

Scanlator: all 2 volumes have been scanlated by Anime Waves

Hamster Research Report

2004-12-30T01:39:00.000-08:00

「ハムスターの研究レポート」
Mangaka: Ohyuki Shiwasu
Genre: whimsical, comedy

Synopsis: Hamster Research Report is a manual for hamster owners. By using his own personal experiences with his pet Chibisuke, the author covers topics such as anatomy, physiology, and behavior.

Comments: Don't expect to see a solid story since the manga is simply a how-to guide, nothing more. HRR reeks of cuteness so if you're not particularly into adorable furry creatures or if you're not exactly an animal person, HRR might not interest you. But if you do happen to own a hamster, or any other pet for that matter, this informative manga might teach you a thing or two about keeping your pet happy.

Scanlator: Random Manga Trans

Monster

2004-12-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Mangaka: Naoki Urasawa
Genre: seinen, murder/mystery

Synopsis: Dr. Kenzou Tenma is the genius Japanese chief neurosurgeon at Eisler Memorial at Dusseldorf, Germany. The hospital's director's daughter, Eva Heinemann, is his fiancee. But one day, against the Director's wishes, instead of tending to the City Mayor, he operates on a little boy who needed his help more, having a gunshot wound to the head. With this transgression, he loses his position and his girlfriend. When the Director and two other doctors die, investigators turn their eyes on him. Dr. Tenma must prove his innocence but where does he start looking for clues? Could it be that the little boy he operated on, the one life he wan't supposed to save, had a hand in all these?

Comments: Monster is gripping, suspenseful; it's difficult to put down once you start. The hunt drags on and on across Germany to the Czech Republic and back for all 18 volumes though, and that may be tiring for some. Touching on eugenics, neo-Nazism, criminal psychology, politics, et cetera, this dark story is rich and complex and has so many turns, be careful not to get lost.

Monster has an anime version, too.

Warnings: a little nudity, lots of violence

Scanlator: all 18 volumes have been scanlated by Mangascreener

YAWARA!

2004-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Naoki Urasawa
Genre: shoujo, sports, comedy

"Lovely and cute Miss Yawara Inokuma is a fashionable judo girl!"

Synopsis: Inokuma Yawara is the only granddaughter of judo master Inokuma Jigoro. While Jigoro is hellbent on training his grandchild to be an Olympic judo champion, Yawara has other plans of her own. She just wants to be a normal high school girl, interested in clothes, make-up, and boys.

Comments: Yawara's about a contest of wills as much as it's about a contest of strength. Jigoro's a crazy judo freak. His world revolves around judo and refuses to see anything else. Yawara is undoubtedly talented and strong but although she isn't the least bit interested in judo, she does it for her grandfather. Although the story is a bit old (it's from the 80's and she's training for the '92 Barcelona Olympics), Yawara and grandfather still crack me up.

If you like Yawara, you might also like Jigoro which is a one-shot about the grandfather when he was a young judo champion himself.

Yawara has an anime version, too.

Scanlator: Tama-Chan Scans

Godhand Teru

2004-10-18T23:49:00.000-07:00

「ゴッドハンド輝」
Mangaka: Kazuki Yamamoto
Genre: shounen

Synopsis: It's difficult to believe that Dr. Mahigashi Teru is the newest surgeon at the Yasuda Memorial Hospital, being really clumsy and all. Inspite of this, his utmost dedication to his patients and respect for life makes him determined not to let any of his patients die. When faced with an insurmountable challenge, he changes personality in the OR. Unbeknown to many, Dr. Teru has inherited his father's so-called "godhands" which enables him to perform the most difficult of surgeries successfully and gives him amazing insight into his patients' condition more accurately than any medical equipment can.

Comments: How come Dr. Teru looks like an elementary school kid? And how come this manga doesn't seem to have any female doctors? But other than that, it's heart-warming and funny as hell. Lots of medical jargon, too, but the scanlators try to explain everything in laymen's terms and even if you don't understand the terms, you'll still get the story so don't worry about that. Inspite of the medical theme, this manga is leaning towards comedy and mythology more than heavy drama, so if you're looking for something ER-like, you won't find that here.

Scanlators: Manga-Daisuki and Tama-Chan Scans

Nodame Cantabile

2004-09-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

「のだめカンタービレ」
Mangaka: Tomoko Ninomiya
Genre: shoujo

Synopsis: Chiaki Shinichi is a virtuoso pianist. Being the son of a famous musician, he's been playing since he was young. However, what he really wants to do is be an orchestral conductor like his old mentor, Sebastiano Viera. Unfortunately, Viera-sensei is in Vienna and since Chiaki is afraid of flying, he's left dejected and grumbling about being stuck in Japan. Until one day, he meets a loony high-spirited girl named Noda Megumi (Nodame for short) who, inspite of being a slob, is an extremely talented pianist herself and somehow reminds him of the Viera-sensei he longs for.

Comments: Witty dialogue, unique storyline, lovable characters... I'm hooked. Plus you don't need a musical background to understand the story. Props to the scanlator for explaining the Italian musical terms used throughout the story.

Scanlator: Snoopy Cool

Edit: Nodame Cantabile has been licensed by Del Rey.

Announcement

2004-09-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

This site can now be accessed using http://www.mangareviews.info!

(Well, until September 2005 that is.)

Exciting News

2004-08-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

(This isn't really a review but it's still manga-related so anyways...)

They're making an anime for Beck (my review) and Yakitate!! Japan (review)! Can't wait :)

Edit: Both animes are now being subbed by Anime-Empire.

Ghost Logic

2004-08-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Hamanaka Akira and Nemoto Setsu
Genre: shounen, one-shot, comedy, mystery

Synopsis: A boy who doesn't believe in ghosts becomes a ghost.

Comments: Inspite of the title, this isn't a horror manga.

Scanlator: Snoopy Cool

Glass Mask

2004-07-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Japanese Title: Garasu no Kamen 「ガラスの仮面」
Mangaka: Miuchi Suzue
Genre: shoujo, drama

Synopsis: Kitajima Maya looks just like any other girl. But when she acts on stage, she captivates the the audience with her acting prowess. The story begins when she she runs away from home against her mother's wishes to pursue her love for acting. She joins the Tsukikage Theater under the tutelage of one Tsukikage Chigusa. Tsukikage-sensei used to be a famous actress herself. During her heyday, her greatest achievement was playing the lead in the critically-acclaimed The Crimson Goddess. However, a freak accident disfigured her face which caused her early retirement. Now, she is looking for a capable actress worthy of reviving the role of the crimson goddess and she has her eyes on Maya. Will Maya deliver?

Other Characters: Masumi, the director of Daito Corporation, is hell-bent on getting the rights to The Crimson Goddess for his own theater. Maya hates him for trying to force Tsukikage-sensei to hand over the rights for the play. Masumi is a great fan of Maya but because of the conflict between their theatres, he is unable to express his feelings directly. Instead, he becomes her anonymous ~~sugar daddy~~ benefactor and sends her purple flowers after every performance.

Himekawa Ayumi, a talent of Daito, is a celebrated young actress from a family of entertainers. No one was able to match her skill until Maya showed up. She, too, is after the role of the crimson goddess.

Comments: This is the stuff soap operas are made of. It's got rivalry, intrigue, love triangles, the works. It's also amazing how this series is still running after more 30 (?) years. May I just add that Masumi, Maya's love interest, is dangerously close to becoming a pedophile -- come on, Maya was 14 and he was 24 at the beginning of the story. Maya's performances are always fun to watch, even if they're just drawn pictures.

Scanlator: Mangasync (I think they also distribute subtitled copies of the anime version)

Tengoku no Honya

2004-07-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

「天国の本屋」
Other Title: Heaven's Bookstore
Mangaka: Matsuhisa Atsushi, Tanaka Wataru, and Kirihata Ayumi
Genre: one-shot

Synopsis: A young man desperate for a job suddenly finds himself working for heaven's bookstore. He feels disgruntled at first but the people he meets soon changes his perspective on life.

Comments: This light, feel-good story is a short 40-page 7.5MB download. Look! It has a movie, too.

Scanlator: Snoopy Cool

Jisatsu Circle

2004-07-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

「自殺サークル」
Other Title: Suicide Club
Mangaka: Furuya Usa-maru
Genre: horror, one-shot

Synopsis: Jisatsu Circle is a dark, disturbing manga about troubled high school girls getting involved in a cult-like suicide club. The club's esteemed leader, Mitsuko-san, is fanatically followed with reckless, thoughtless, and religious fervor. Each teenager is desperate, burdened with her own set of problems, and Mitsuko-san helps each girl ease her pain. Through Mitsuko-san's guidance, they realize that death is a better, happier alternative to their miserable lives. They hold self-mutilation sessions before finally committing mass suicide.

Kyoko is concerned about her childhood friend Saya, who was the lone survivor of the most recent mass suicide. Saya is more devastated than ever: about her life, and about not being able to die with the rest of the club. Worse, Saya seems to be involved in a new suicide club; this time, she is taking a more active role by filling in Mitsuko-san's place as the new leader. Will Kyoko be able to save her friend?

Comments: Jisatsu Circle is just bizarre. The gore is comparable to Battle Royale, but while the latter was trying to be funny with its acerbic, sarcastic, dark humor, Jisatsu Circle is sheer drama. All the talk about wanting to die is unsettling but it does make one think. If Jisatsu Circle is supposed to be a spat at how wordly, immoral, and uncaring modern society has become, it does so in the creepiest, most extreme of ways.

The manga is based on the movie Suicide Club although I've heard the plots are slightly different.

Warnings: really graphic images of death; nudity

Scanlator: Omanga has scanlated all 6 chapters.

DNA²

2004-07-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Katsura Masakazu
Genre: shounen, romantic comedy, sci-fi

Synopsis: Karin Aoi, a DNA operator, is sent from the future to alter the genetic sequence of one Momonari Junta who has the "Mega-Playboy" gene. Because of this gene, he has sired hundreds of children, and his children have sired hundreds more, and their children, and so on, thus causing a serious overpopulation problem. But when Karin sees Junta, she meets a pathetic man who's allergic to women -- he faints and throws up whenever women get too close. How can this loser be the rumored playboy?

Comments: Junta looks like someone who came from Dragon Ball Z -- big hair, super powers, and all. The fight scenes may also seem Dragon Ball-ish. The manga is mostly geared towards prepubescent boys but it does have its funny moments that the rest of us can appreciate, too. DNA² also has an anime version but it has been licensed by some company so I doubt if you can still find copies lying around the internet.

Scanlator: Manga Project

Sexy Voice and Robo

2004-07-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

「セクシーボイスアンドロボ」
Mangaka: Kuroda Iou
Genre: shounen

Synopsis: Niko Hayashi, a.k.a. Sexy Voice, has a knack for voice analysis. She can determine someone's personality, feelings, temperament, appearance, etc. just by listening to the person's voice. She uses to this talent to solve cases for her big shot gangster boss.

Comments: Kinda interesting. If you're wondering about the Robo part of the title, it's the alias of Niko's lackey who doesn't do much so he's not even worth mentioning.

Scanlator: Mangascreener has completed all 2 volumes.

Aishiteruze Baby

2004-07-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

「愛してるぜベイベ★★」
Mangaka: Maki Yoko
Genre: shoujo, comedy

Synopsis: When Yuzuyu's mom left her, the five-year-old was taken in by her aunt's family, and her older cousin Kippei was given the task of taking care of her. But Kippei is a known playboy and delinquent at school so how will he handle this new responsibility?

Comments: Ai Baby's feel-good story is pure sugar. Yuzuyu is such a cute and precocious child, and anybody would be crazy to desert such an affectionate little girl. Kippei turns out to be the archetypal onii-chan; who knows he had it in him?

Related Links: Official Manga Site; Official Anime Site; Anime Fansubs

Scanlator: Dragon Voice

Pretty Face

2004-07-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

「プリチイフエイス」
Mangaka: Kano Yasuhiro
Genre: shounen, romantic comedy

Synopsis: When Randoh woke up from a one-year coma because of a bus accident, he was shocked to see that he had a new face. Since his old face was scarred beyond recognition, his doctor recreated the face from a picture found in Randoh's wallet. However, the picture was of Rina, the girl Randoh secretly likes. How will he get out of this mess?

Comments: Pretty Face's comedy lies in the awkward situations Randoh is subjected to as a boy pretending to be a girl. Its funniest moments include guys getting beaten up because they hit on Randoh, bathroom mix-ups, and girl-talk.

Why they won't flirt with boys.

Warnings: may get a little perverted at times but nothing hentai. PG-13 unless you're really touchy.

Scanlator: Akatsuki Manga does the scanlation but you could read it online at Anime-Source.

GANTZ

2004-07-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Hiroya Oku
Genre: seinen, action/adventure, sci-fi

Synopsis: Kei Kurono knows he's dead; he recalls being hit by the express train. So what the hell is he doing in a strange room, in the middle of Tokyo, surrounded by a bunch of people who are supposedly dead, too? Suddenly, the giant ball in the middle of the room starts playing music, hands out weird-looking black suits, gives them weapons, and tells them to beat the crap out of space aliens. What's going on?

Comments: As Omanga said, Gantz defies explanation. It's unlike anything you've seen before. You may want to see its anime version, too.

Warnings: expect to see nudity and violence EVERY chapter. The anime is a bit milder when it comes to sex.

Scanlators: I don't know why everybody is scrambling to scanlate Gantz. Omanga and Band of the Hawks were the first. Then came Shocwave followed by Evil Genius and now we have Kaizoku-ou. The last 3 scanlators seem to be involved in a catfight or something hehe.

Perfect Girl Evolution

2004-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

Japanese Title: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge 「ヤマトナデシコ七変化♥」
Other Titles: The Wallflower, Sunako of Many Forms
Mangaka: Tomoko Hayakawa
Genre: shoujo, romantic comedy

Synopsis: Four good-looking guys are given free rent by their landlady, on the stipulation that the boys turn her niece Sunako into a real lady. Being popular with the girls, they agree, but when they meet Sunako -- all gothic and messy, living in her own dark world -- they realize the task is going to be next to impossible.

Comments: Sunako's stewards are self-centered brats and I really don't get why she ends up taking care of them, doing their cooking, cleaning, etc. WTF? Her aunt owns the house, dammit! Nevertheless, PGE is a cute story, and Sunako is a beautiful girl, inside and out. Nobody realizes it just yet.

Scanlator: Anime Waves

Edit: PGE has been licensed by Del Rey :). The scanlator probably won't finish the series anymore. But try to get this when it comes out of stores hehe.

Route 20

2004-07-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Genre: shounen, one-shot

Synopsis: In the future, everybody lives inside a giant dome where temperature, the weather, humidity, etc. are controlled. No one is allowed to get out lest the polluted air of the outside world kill you. For Utsuo, his only thrill is riding on his scooter, and feeling the wind blow on his face.

Comments: Route 20, with its existentialist philosophy, is a pretty serious story. There's also a bit of action (wheee! a motorcycle chase) and a hint of romance in it but for the most part, we get a glimpse of the main character's introspection.

Scanlator: Mangascreener (all 5 chapters are done)

Café Kichijoji

2004-07-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

「Café 吉祥寺」
Mangaka: Kyoko Negishi and Yuki Miyamoto
Genre: shoujo, comedy

Synopsis: Cafe Kichijoji is about five men who work for a cafe. Each one's personality contrasts with the others' -- Tarou is an obsessive cleaner; Jun, although he looks like a girl, is incredibly strong; Maki is a womanizing slob; Tokumi is a klutz; and Minagawa is the weird one specializing in the occult. Each chapter tells of their misadventures as they try their manager's (and each other's) patience.

Comments: There seems to be no strong, solid plot as each chapter is unrelated to the next one but if you like male bickering, bishounen, and silly chibi chapters you might find this cute.

Scanlators: Mangascreener, Hemuloki, and Cabbit

Inviting Darkness

2004-07-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Mangaka: Yoko Matsumoto
Genre: horror

Synopsis: Inviting Darkness is composed of 5 short ghost stories. Tody is about a little boy who hates eating carrots and how he finally learns to like them at the expense of his mom. The Last Bus is about a treacherous bitch who messes with the wrong girl. Family is about Yuka who wonders how come she and the rest of her family never gets sick, never grows old, and never gets hurt inspite of falling down from the sixth floor. Evil Spirit is about seven people trapped in an elevator. One is a clairvoyant who claims that an evil spirit is among them. Then they start dying one by one. Which of them is it? Inviting Darkness is about a group of kids who goes into the mountains in search of UFO's and ends up finding more than what they should.

Comments: I liked the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stories more than I did the 1st and 5th but they're all freaky so if you're looking for a scare, give this manga a shot.

Scanlator: Mangasync