Black Bird

Black Bird is a manga series that follows the life of schoolgirl Misao, who can see supernatural beings such as demons and such. After she turns sixteen, she is frightened to learn that now these beings are hunting her and seek to kill her.  A childhood friend Kyo, comes to rescue time and time again.  Surprisingly, Kyo is also a demon and Misao learns she is known and the Bride of Prophecy, a rare and coveted being.  Kyo is the one who needs to protect her from the blood-thirsty demons who wish to feast on her blood and become more powerful. 

This is a relatively shorter series, about 12 volumes I believe, but it reads rather quickly as I have found with most manga series.  The artwork in this is beautiful and I found myself wanting to cos-play as Misao.  The story follows the artwork in the beauty and fine crafted story-telling skills.  It held my attention throughout all the volumes and makes me want to watch the anime series/drama if there is one, I haven't looked.  I found the story and plot to be very interesting and wanted more when the series came to an end.  It was unique in that it wasn't vampires needed her blood or needing her blood to sustain themselves, but rather to gain power over one another.  Also in that it was only her blood that could do this rather than any person that they would come across.

If you enjoy manga series, or are looking for something a little different than novels, I would suggest checking out not only this series but other manga series.  This one particularly is great for those who enjoy the supernatural and demon type of stories.  I give this series as a whole a rating of 3 stars.



Record of the Fallen Vampire

This was an interesting manga series to say the least.  I had picked it up because the art work looked interesting and the idea of a vampire king looking for his queen seemed interesting to me.  What I got was something a little different.  What I got included half-vampires, an alien invasion and a vampire queen bent on revenge.  There seems to be a lot of stuff going on in this manga series.  A lot of weird things mixed together.  There were things that didn't make sense with the storyline, I don't think they needed the alien invasion part, but the author made it work with the storyline. 

I have always loved the art of different manga series' and this one is no different.  I love the art work of Fallen Vampire and fell in love with it from the first volume I read.  With 9 volumes, it doesn't seem like there is enough time for the author to appropriately tell the story.  There were times when things seemed to happen too quickly and other times when it seemed like nothing was happening.  Although the storyline felt flawed, I still fell in love with the story!  I was surprised at how much I simply loved this series I mean vampires fighting aliens, how bizarre is that?  But it still draws you in, maybe it is the artwork that sucks readers into the story like a succubus.

Overall it was an interesting idea, how well it would have been executed in a traditional novel, I am not sure.  I don't think it would have been as entertaining to read.  I would give this series a 3 out of 5 rating because it was captivating at times and you couldn't help loving the vampire king.

Sakura Hime by Arina Tanemura

This past weekend was Pittsburgh's anime convention: Tekkoshoken (Tekko for short).  It is a convention dedicated to the art and culture of Japan primarily anime and manga.  So in the spirit of the past weekend this post is one of my favorite manga series: Sakura Hime.  Sakura is the grandaughter of a moon princess who slayed demons with her blade: Blood Cherry Blossom.  The young woman has been forbidden from looking at the moon her entire life, one night she looks up and sees a demon attacking her thus beginning an epic battle for her life and those she loves.  There are 12 books in this series and each one is just as riveting as the last.  Each volume picks right back up where the last one left off, so it is easy to remember what happened in the previous volumes. 

Sakura is a strong female character as she develops into the person she is destined to be.  There is a lot of action packed into each short volume.  I would love to see this one in bigger volumes like I seen with Alice In The Country Hearts where each big volume has three smaller volumes inside. One it saves space on the book shelf and it curbs the anxiety while waiting for the next installment.  The artwork in this series is simply beautiful and well detailed.  No two characters look a like and they all have their own facial expressions which radiates their personalities.  I would love to see this series in an anime format and really see the characters come to life.

Since I began reading the series I fell instantly in love with Sakura.  I mean how can you not look at her beauty and grace that exudes from the page.  She is not a whiny character that complains about her destiny, but embraces it with dignity and grace of a true princess.  I unfortunately have not gotten the chance to complete the series, so I don't know what happens in the end, yet.  But I do know from my research on the series that it is heartbreaking and a series that evokes emotions from the readers.

I truly give this series a 5 out of 5, there isn't a thing I would change about Tanemura's work.  She created a beautiful character for girls to look up to and respect.  I would love to cosplay her at a convention one day, but that will come in time I guess.

Clover

Kazuhiko is a former solider who is now a private investigator.  Kazuhiko has been given specific orders to pick up and bring in a rare being with extraordinary gifts, a "four-leaf clover" named Suu.  While this task seems simple and easy enough, it is anything but that.  There is a deeper, larger plot happening within this story which includes a shady governmental agenda, long lost love, and a long standing feud.  Everything that makes a story interesting and compelling right?

CLAMP does a fantastic job with this manga.  They continue with the elements that CLAMP is most known for - being primarily considered a female manga because of their appeal to emotions over action.  They appeal to the elements females find well..appealing.  Although I know several men who have also enjoyed the story of not only Clover, but also other CLAMP authored manga series. 

The artwork is stunningly beautiful, I mean look at the cover art.  The lines are fluid, the details are intense and the expressions throughout the pages match the mood and emotions the characters are experiencing.  The women of CLAMP seem to be experimenting with blank space in this manga series.  Typically we see clean lines between each sell, but in Clover, we see unique angling of the cell and usage of blank areas.  All this is good because the manga is fill to the brim with images and words, there is a break for the eyes to focus on for a moment or two.

The characters themselves are interesting and make readers want to know more about them, see more of them.  CLAMP experiments with technology a little bit within this manga, the characters can look completely normal and then have robotic wings the next as we see with Suu.  Suu is a unique character in that she is something that should not exists, something rarer than a four leaf clover.  A character of experiences a deep sense of sadness and loneliness.  It was really easy to relate to her as often times, I have felt the longing to belong somewhere as she does.

I would recommend this manga for any who is looking for something unique and interesting.  I give this manga a 4 out of 5 rating.  I wish there was more to it.  To me, it seemed to end abruptly and left several questions unanswered. 

Alice 19th

Alice 19th is a manga series about a young woman named Alice who has a small run in with a white rabbit.  Thus the story begins and where the similarities between Carroll's work and Watase's work end.  Alice saves a little rabbit from the road one day on her way to school, only this is no ordinary rabbit.  The rabbit transforms into her "true form" and reveals to Alice that she is to become a Lotis Master.  These Masters use the power of words and communication to enter the inner hearts of others. Alice must learn to use these words in the proper manner.

During a dispute over a mutual love interest, Alice makes her sister disappear.  Now she must use her Lotis words to bring her sister back from the darkness.  She joins with Kyo (her love interest who also has the Lotis powers) and Frey (another Lotis Master).  The group soon discover that Alice's sister has been overtaken by Maram words, which is the dark equivalent of Lotis words.  Alice and Kyo now have the task of becoming Neo-Masters and discover the lost Lotis word that will bind Lotis and Maram words.  Only this will save her sister.

As with any story that reflects on Alice in Wonderland, I gobbled this manga up.  Yu happens to be one of my favorite manga writers.  She also wrote Fushigi Yuugi which happens to be my favorite anime.  She does a remarkable job developing her story.  She weaves various elements from the traditional story into her own and makes it new.  While the series has 7 volumes, I wanted more.  I wanted to see this as an anime and taken farther.  Yu has a great talent for creating her own world that is different from others created by other manga writers as well as herself.  I enjoyed the idea of words and communication having power over other people for either good or bad.  It is something we all intrinsically know, but to use it the basis of a story is a wonderful idea.  I mean during an argument Alice says something regretful and causes her sister to disappear into another realm of darkness.  How often has our words caused someone pain and sent them into their own world of darkness?

The artwork is also beautiful and well done.  The artist captures the emotions and feelings of the characters in a way that makes the reader feel they are a part of the story with the characters.  The minor love story between Alice and Kyo does not take away from the main plot, in fact it adds a different aspect to the main plot.  The idea that uttering words of love to one another could be deadly was another interesting aspect.  It shows that even the good words uttered in sincerity could have negative backlash.  The manga is written in the traditional style of right to left, so if you are unfamiliar with the style, it might be difficult to get the hang of which order to read the panels.  All together I finished this series in about 6-7 hours or so depending on how engrossed in the volume I had gotten. 

I would recommend this manga to females who love reading magical girl series, and even males if they enjoy that genre.  I would recommend this to anyone who is just starting to read manga, it is a great series to begin with.  I give this series as a whole a 4 out of 5.  I wanted/expected more from the series, but it still a fantastic read.

Bride Of The Water God

Bride of the Water God is a manga that focuses around the legend of a water god and a village sacrificing a young woman to become his bride.

Soah's village is suffering from a severe drought.  In order to appease the water god, the village needs to sacrifice the most beautiful woman; Soah.  Soah expects to die by his hand, but instead Habaek takes her to his Kingdom.  Now she must learn to live in a strange new world, but she gets caught up in the mystery that surrounds Habaek.  In the meantime she meets and falls in love with Mui, who is unknown to her, the true form of Habaek.

This series tells it's story through 23 volumes.  The artwork throughout the series is beautiful.  Each scene is detailed and intricate.  Readers can see the time and effort that went into these drawings.  They are breathtaking, I would want to use one as pictures throughout my home.  I was initially drawn to the artwork of this manga, and then drawn into the story.

It seems to be a simple story, but it is compelling at the same time.  We watch as Soah learns to adapt to her new surrounding and learns a new way of life.  Everyone else in the castle seem to do everything for her, so one wonders what is left for her to do.  I enjoyed the sense that this manga was steeped in folklore surround the water god and the possible curse upon him where he is weakened during the day.  I made me want to learn more about the Japanese legends and folklore.

I recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys reading this type of book.  It is a good story with beautiful artwork.  I give the manga a 4 out of 5 because at times it felt like the same picture was used multiple times and the story could have had a little more to it.

Alice in The Country Heart

Title: Alice in The Country of Hearts by QuinRose, Soumei

Media: Paperback: 3 volumes

 

Rating 4 out of 5

 

Recommendation:  I would recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys not only manga, but those who enjoy Alice in Wonderland.  Those who like a good storyline and a different look at a classic tale.

 

We all know the story of Alice's adventures in wonderland, this manga series is a different take on that tale.  In this rendition, Alice is dragged into Wonderland by the White Rabbit, who turns into a handsome man once the enter the rabbit hole.  Alice enters a world where men fawn all over her, and eventually fall in love with her.  Wonderland is split into different kingdoms; all of which are at war with each other.  Blood Dupre (Mad Hatter) basically runs the mafia and owns a third of the kingdom.  another third is controlled by Vivaldi (the red queen), and the last third is controlled by Mary Gowland's amusement park.  Right in the middle is a neutral zone which houses a watchtower where Julius; the clockmaker resides.   The characters are divided into two categories: those with duties and those without.  Those with duties have names and faces.  While the latter does not and when they perish, they turn into clocks.  This rendition of the classic tale has several darker undertones along with the high spirited fun of White Rabbit trying to pursue Alice.
 

 I have always loved Alice in Wonderland and all the renditions of the tale.  Alice In the Country of Hearts has become one of my favorite renditions.  It took the tale and made it into something new.  The only elements that are the same is Alice going down a rabbit hole and the characters.  After that, it becomes a whole new story.  Not much is revealed in the first volume, but after reading the whole series everything falls together.  The characters are more violent than the traditional characters, I mean Mad Hatter is a mafia boss.  Throughout the series we see the classic characters as well as some new ones like Nightmare, Ace, and the Julius the clockmaker.  Each character becomes their own personality and readers become to loving every one of them.

One interesting element is that Peter White (White Rabbit) speaks in rhymes through the series.  I wonder if it gives him a more Wonderland feel even though none of the other characters have a quirk like that.  The Tweedles consistently refer to Alice as "Lady,"  it seems a little odd and  I would assume they would refer to her as something other than "lady."  I believe it reflects the Japanese word of "one san,"  but it does not come across as intended if that is the case. 

The series is based off of a dating simulation game which is an interesting concept in itself.  Some say the series is confusing if you don't already know the background from the game, but I didn't find that to be the case.  I highly enjoyed this series and cannot wait to continue with Alice in the Country of Clover.  Lets see where this story takes us!