Manga Monday #4 |Magic Kaito Vol. 1 by Gosho Aoyama

Magic Kaito Vol. 1 by Gōshō Aoyama

Original Title | Majikku Kaito (まじっく 快斗)

First published in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 1987

Genre | Shōnen, Comedy, Drama, Crime

Yesasia

After an 8 year long disappearance. the mysterious Phantom Thief Kid makes a sudden return with a new heist–his target, the magnificent Century Gem.  Meanwhile Kaito Kuroba, a normal teenage boy, discovers the truth about his late father’s death as well as a shocking family secret.

Review | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I’ve been really failing this month’s Tadoku Contest, but I did manage to finish reading the first volume of Magic Kaito! If you have ever read Gosho Aoyama’s more well-known manga, Detective Conan/Case Closed , the charming Phantom Thief Kid makes numerous appearances in a lot of Conan’s cases.  Magic Kaito was made before Detective Conan and is kind of like the origin story for the infamous phantom thief.

This manga was so much fun to read! Every page was filled with so much action and comedy, that I really enjoyed reading it. However, there wasn’t really much plot progression in this volume and I felt like I was reading mostly about the misadventures of Phantom Thief Kid.

The main character, Kaito Kuroba, is absolutely adorable and I adore him to pieces. He’s charming, goofy, a bit of a pervert, but you can tell he’s a good kid. Kaito is a magician just like his father, and uses his magic for pranks–pranks his childhood friend, Aoko Nakamura doesn’t put up with ;). He and Aoko have a bickering relationship, the kind where they can trade insults and where it’s perfectly acceptable for one of them to try to hit the other with a mop during class.

By the end of the first chapter, Kaito inherits his family’s secret and adapts to it pretty well. He really shows his  resourcefulness and cleverness at moments when he really needs to. I just wish there was more information or motive given about Kaito’s family secret since it’s such a crucial part of the plot. Hopefully this would be explained further in the series.

All in all, Magic Kaito is a very fun light-hearted read. I will most definitely be reading the next volume.

Would I recommend this?

For now I only recommend this manga for those who can read Japanese because sadly this series is not licensed in English. (;_;) But, if you like crime stories and light humor this is the manga for you!

Manga Monday #3| Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch vol. 1 by Ryukishi07

Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch

Story by Ryukishi07, Art by Kei Nastumi

Original Title | Umineko no Naku Koro ni (うみねこのなく頃に)

Published in America on November 2012 by Yen Press

Genre | Seinen, Mystery, Horror, Thriller

WARNING EXTREME GORE 

Goodreads | Amazon | Yen Press

Each year, the Ushiromiya family gathers at the secluded mansion of its patriarch, the elderly Kinzo. It has been six years since Battler joined his cousins at the annual event, but their happy reunion is overshadowed by worsening weather and an eerie premonition from his youngest cousin—not to mention their parents’ feud over the inheritance. Battler doesn’t hold much stock in dark omens, nor does he believe the tales of the witch rumored to have given his grandfather a fortune in gold…and who walks the halls of the mansion to this day… But when the eighteen family members and servants are trapped on the island by the raging typhoon, the grisly events that follow leave Battler shaken to his core. Is one of his relatives desperate enough to kill for the family fortune? Or is this the work of the Golden Witch? (Courtesy of Yen Press)

Review | ★ ★ ★ ★

Packaging 

I was absolutely ecstatic when Yen Press decided to license Umineko WHEN THEY CRY series into English! I’ve seen both the Japanese anime and read a few scenes from the original sound novel game and really loved the story and its characters. So when I went to place my order for this manga, much to my surprise I was greeted with a MONSTER of a book. This manga is probably twice the size of the average American published manga and three times the width. But there is a reason for this…Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch is actually an omnibus bind up of two manga volumes. So really, you’re getting two for the price of one bind up.

While publishing this manga as an omnibus is probably a better business move for Yen Press and more economical for the consumer, in my opinion it’s a pain to lug around in my bag if I want to take it with me to read. I would have preferred to have this series published in the smaller standard size, even though it would cost me more to complete the series. However, it is nice to have most of the story in one convenient bind up.

Besides, as a die-hard Umineko WHEN THEY CRY fan I would still buy this series no matter what.

Plot

On October 4th, 1986  the esteemed Ushiromiya family gathers to the island of Rokkenjima for their yearly family conference. What starts off as a happy family gathering quickly escalates to a battle over the family inheritance and the legendary Ushiromiya gold. And if a feud within the family isn’t bad enough, a raging typhoon is expected to come bringing misfortune along with it…

If you have ever read Agatha Christie’s famous mystery classic And Then There Were None,  the plot to Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch is very similar. You have a family stranded on an island cut off from the rest of the world due to a terrible typhoon…but there’s a twist. A witch is supposedly living on the island as well, and she’s there to wreck havoc.

This manga does an excellent job in mixing mystery with fantasy and horror. What makes the story so unusual is that is makes you question whether it is a mystery or a fantasy. By the end you’ll wonder if the culprit human or if the witch real?

Artwork

I like that Kei Natsumi’s style can really capture a character’s emotions really well. If a character is feeling extreme frustration or sorrow, that emotion is clearly displayed and adds to the storytelling. Also, his depiction of horror and gore are definitely not for the squeamish. My only issue with his art style is the odd figure proportions he draws for his characters.

Would I recommend it?

I recommend this series for those who like mysteries and thrillers, as long as you don’t mind the blood and over-exaggerated breasts.

Manga Monday #2| Skip Beat! vol. 1 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Skip Beat! vol. 1 by Yoshiki Nakamura

First published on February 2002 in Hana to Yume 

Published in America on July 2006 by Viz Media

Genre | Shōjo, Romantic Comedy

Goodreads | Amazon | Rightstuf | Viz Media

Kyoko knows she’s not plain and uninteresting, no matter what Sho says. With the help of a little makeover, Kyoko’s ready to exact her revenge. But first she needs to land an audition, and she sets her sights on the agency where Sho’s lead rival works. Her persistence pays off, but her broken heart turns out to be a disadvantage. Kyoko has lost the will to love anybody, let alone fans she’s never met. Can the agency see past this problem to Kyoko’s true star potential? (Courtesy of Viz Media)

Review| ★ ★ ★ ★

Plot

The plot is simple and straight forward. Kyoko Mogami is a young girl out of junior high school who has devoted herself to her “prince” and childhood best friend, Sho, only to be left and abandoned. This serves as Kyoko’s driving motivation to enter into a world she really had no prior interest in–show business.

The steps Kyoko takes to trying to get into show business is very interesting to read about, especially when things get a little absurd. I can’t help but root for her throughout the entire manga.

Characters

Ah Kyoko…I would have probably turn a blind eye to this series if it wasn’t for her. She starts off as the typical shōjo heroine–innocent, good natured, earnest for the sake of love–but once Sho’s true nature is revealed the shock unlocks Kyoko’s Pandora Box releasing her darkside. Kyoko is a very determined girl from the start–running away from home, working two jobs to pay rent–and once her focus shifts from being subservient to getting to her revenge, we get to see how far she is willing to go for her goal. Despite how fierce Kyoko can be, her heartbreak and vulnerability brings out a quality that readers may relate with. In short, she’s a very unique character yet very relatable. I just love reading about her.

Sho Fuwa, Kyoko’s childhood friends. He’s a jerk and I hope he burns in fire.

Ren Tsuruga is the currently most popular actor in show business and Sho’s make believe rival. He’s a pretty smooth operator, but not really on Kyoko’s list of favorite people. He’ s not that predominant in this volume, but I get the feeling that he will be an important character later on.

Mr. Sawara and Lori Takarada both work at LME, the company that Kyoko is trying to work for. Mr. Sawara is basically Kyoko’s first obstacle into getting into show business. I found it hilarious how he puts up with Kyoko’s crazy antics (She was basically stalking him. I would just call the cops at that point). Lori Takarada, on the other hand, is the eccentric LME president. I love him because everything he does is so outlandish (his introduction came with exotic dancers. How cool is that?).

Kanae “Moko” Kotonami introduction in the manga just screams out “Kyoko’s rival”. She’s a talented actress looking to work for the LME just like Kyoko. She comes off as a bit snobbish, but then again most rivals in shōjo manga are. It’s interesting how Kyoko’s nickname for her, “Moko”, stems from how she says “mō” after everything she says. “Mō” was used as an interjection in the original Japanese and the “ko” (子) at the end is what is commonly used to make names feminine.

Artwork

Yoshiki Nakamura’s art style in Skip Beat! is basically her take on the shōjo genre. What makes her style unique from the rest are the dewy eyes she makes for her characters. She also mixes up her drawing style by switching from very expressive faces to chibi style.

Would I recommend it?

I would recommend this to shōjo manga fans looking for a funny Rom-Com with a strong female protagonist.

READ MORE OR DIE! Tadoku Challenge! (多読コンテスト)

Do you have a twitter account? Are you learning a different language and looking for fun ways to motivate you? If you said yes to any of those questions, then the Tadoku Contest 2013 may be for you! 🙂

What is Tadoku (多読)?

Tadoku (多読) literally means extensive reading. The Tadoku Contest is a contest held on Twitter to challenge you to read more in the designated language(s) you are learning. You can set yourself a target goal and try to accomplish that by the end of the month.The great thing about this contest is that you’re not just limited to reading only books. Reading text from games, newspapers, manga, etc are acceptable as well. As long as you’re reading, you’re doing fine.

The Tadoku 2013 Round 2 register has just opened, so if you’re interested I suggest reading over the manual and join in the fun!

Goals

I’ve set myself a goal of 1000 pages by the end of the month. This might be a little ambitious for me, but it’s worth a shot. I’ll be mostly reading the Japanese manga I own and possibly some light novels as well.

If you’re participating, come chat with me on my Twitter account. I’ll be happy to reply 🙂

Happy reading everyone!

Waiting On Wednesday #1

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted bu Jill over on Breaking the Spine

What I’m waiting on…

 The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

 Expected Release Date |  July 11, 2013

 Publisher | Philomel Books

One part Libba Bray’s GOING BOVINE, two parts String Theory, and three parts love story equals a whimsical novel that will change the way you think about the world.

Sophie Sophia is obsessed with music from the late eighties. She also has an eccentric physicist father who sometimes vanishes for days and sees things other people don’t see. But when he disappears for good and Sophie’s mom moves them from Brooklyn, New York, to Havencrest, Illinois, for a fresh start, things take a turn for the weird. Sophie starts seeing things, like marching band pandas, just like her dad.

Guided by Walt, her shaman panda, and her new (human) friend named Finny, Sophie is determined to find her father and figure out her visions, once and for all. So she travels back to where it began—New York City and NYU’s physics department. As she discovers more about her dad’s research on M-theory and her father himself, Sophie opens her eyes to the world’s infinite possibilities—and her heart to love.

Perfect for fans of Going Bovine,The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and The Probability of Miracles. (Courtesy of Amazon)

Why I want it?

I first heard about this from a booktuber’s video (it was a long time ago so I forgot where the original video is) and it sounded like a very fun and quirky read. The synopsis intrigued me and the cover was so adorable that I immediately pre-ordered it on Amazon. I’ve been waiting for this book for months! I don’t think I can quietly wait for another whole month.

Manga Monday #1| A Bride’s Story vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori

A Bride’s Story vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori

Original Title | Otoyomegatari (乙嫁語り)

First Published by Enterbrain in fellows!

Published in America on May 2011 by Yen Press 

Genre | Seinen, Historical, Romance, Slice of Life

WARNING MILD NUDITY

Goodreads | Amazon | Yen Press

Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori (Emma, Shirley) brings the nineteenth-century Silk Road to lavish life, chronicling the story of Amir Halgal, a young woman from a nomadic tribe betrothed to a twelve-year-old boy eight years her junior. Coping with cultural differences, blossoming feelings for her new husband, and expectations from both her adoptive and birth families, Amir strives to find her role as she settles into a new life and a new home in a society quick to define that role for her.

Crafted in painstaking detail, Ms. Mori’s pen breathes life into the scenery and architecture of the period in this heartwarming slice-of-life tale that is at once both wholly exotic, yet familiar and accessible through the everyday lives of the rich characters she has created. (Courtesy of Yen Press)

Review | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Packaging 

Before I go on talking about the actual story of A Bride’s Story I want to mention the amazing packaging Yen Press did for this manga series. Yen Press went all out and actually published this series in hardback, including a dustcover with Kaoru Mori’s amazing artwork. I’ve never seen a hardback manga before and this gorgeous, sturdy edition is a wonderful collection to my shelves.

Plot  

In terms of plot there is at least one overarching story line, but that is not the main focus, rather each chapter can be read as a mini story of its own. In the first chapter of A Bride’s Story the new bride, Amir Hagal age 20, is first introduced to her new young husband, Karluk Eihon age 12, and his family. The story centralizes on a melding of culture as we are lead into the lives of Amir, Karluk and their families. Each chapter has its own endearing story. By just exploring the daily lives of the many different characters, I am constantly learning more and more of the kind of society that exists in 19th century Central Asia as well as the characters themselves.

Characters

To me every single character in A Bride’s Story is fascinating and enjoyable to read about. Amir is such an adorable character. Despite being the much-too-old bride in her culture, she is depicted as a very youthful, vibrant and maybe slightly naive young woman. Amir is very much a humble, caring, quiet spoken woman, but her cool side shows in her skills with hunting with a bow and arrow. In my opinion Amir as the very cool older sister type, but still childish at the same time.

Moving on to the young husband, Karluk is very mature for his age. It is very clear that he has settled into his role as a fully realized man, yet his boyish nature still comes out every now and then. His chemistry with Amir is very cute and they definitely give off the vibe of shy newly weds. They are such an adorable couple! I would love to see how their relationship progresses in further volumes.

In this volume we are also introduced to both Karluk’s family and Amir’s familiy. Both of different cultures and both with very distinct characteristics. Towards the end there is some drama between these two families, but what’s a historical manga without some good drama?

Artwork

Kaoru Mori’s art style is absolutely stunning. She pays an enormous amount of attention to detail creating diverse characters, intricate clothing designs, patterns and breathtaking landscape. The moments in A Bride’s Story that standout for me are the pages without any text because they are are drawn in a way that is so expressive. These are the pages that to come to life without any use of words or sounds. In these instances, I can just look at the page and envision movement, imagine the sounds thumping of hooves on rough gravel or smell the incense right off the page. Kaoru Mori’s talent is just that great.

Since this manga is set in 19th century Central Asia, a lot of attention was given to the cultural influences. Embroidery and craftsmanship are a big part of Amir and Karluk’s heritage and culture and this is very evident in Kaoru’s drawings. The way she draws landscape, animals, architecture, textiles and facial expressions are breathtaking. Really my review of Kaoru Mori’s art style doesn’t do her any justice. You just have to see what I’m talking about by reading her manga. 😉

Would I recommend it?

Most definitely! Fans of Kaoru Mori’s previous work, Emma, might also enjoy this series. I recommend this to people who like reading about new cultures, history, and romance.

Manga Monday Meme Coming Soon!

Manga Monday is a weekly meme originally created by Alison @ Alison Can Read in order to explore the world of manga (Japanese comic books). Every Monday I will make a post dedicated to manga (reviews, discussions, etc). One of the great things about manga is that there is a plethora of genres–ranging from humor to romance to action/adventure to horror and so much more. Manga contains such a broad spectrum that not only can kids enjoy reading it but so can adults.

There are 5 categories of manga aimed towards different age groups of people:

• Shōjo Manga is aimed towards young girls. Often involving romance, and coming of age elements.
• Shōnen Manga are primarily written for young boys. Often containing hero adventure elements, action, and slap-stick comedy.
• Josei Manga are written for young adult women, ages 18-30. These have a more realistic romance than shōjo manga. Also contains more mature, sexual themes.
• Seinen Manga are mainly for the young adult male crowd, ages 18-30. These emphasize story line and character development rather than action. Also contains more mature, sexual themes.
• Seijin Manga contains sexually explicit content. Also known as hentai.

American Manga Publishers

When I do manga reviews it will be primarily manga translated from the original Japanese into English. Some American manga publishers include:

• Tokyo Pop | Originally founded as MixxMedia in 1997
• Viz Media | Publishing manga in America since 1987
• Yen Press | A division of Hachette Book Group; founded in 2006
• Kodansha Comics | A subsidiary of Kodansha, Japan’s largest publisher established in 2008
• Dark Horse Manga | A division of Dark Horse Comics; publishing manga since 1987

Cinder by Marrisa Meyer

Cinder by Marrisa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Published in 2012 by Feiwel And Friends

Genre| YA, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale, Romance

Goodreads|Amazon

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future (Courtesy of Goodreads).

Review | ★ ★ ★ ★

Characters

The characters in Cinder were definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. I absolutely adore Cinder for being such a strong-willed and determined protagonist. She’s a character that doesn’t expect things to be handed to her and works hard even in the worst conditions. No matter what life throws at her Cinder is a fighter to the end and that is what makes me love her so much.

Next to Cinder, Prince Kai is definitely a second favorite. He has all the charm a Prince Charming should have, but also very playful and childish in his own way–in my opinion,he’s an absolute cutie. Other than being just charming, it is clear in that Prince Kai bordering on adolescence and adulthood. He shows signs of still being that playful young prince, but because of circumstances he is in a position where he really has not choice but to mature.

Queen Levana. Seriously, she is the epitome of evil queen and a character I just love to hate. The concept of Lunar people itself really is interesting to me. Moon people that can use magic, a.k.a manipulating bioelectricity, to brainwash people and glamour themselves to look like whatever they want? That’s really cool. When you add this sort of “magic” to the Lunar Queen she really becomes that classic fairy-tale villian.

While I only mentioned the 3 main characters, Cinder has an amazing cast of characters with their own unique personalities that I really enjoyed reading about.

Plot

Despite being a Cinderella retelling, this book adds such a unique and fresh twist on the classic fairy-tale. I like how the focus of the story is not on fairy-tale retelling, but on the actual plot itself. Of course there classic Cinderella elements sprinkled throughout the story–we have a Prince Charming, the ball and the not-so-nice step-mother–but Cinder is not so concerned about going to the ball, but instead dreams of ending her servitude lifestyle while having to deal with the Letumosis plague and threat of a Lunar invasion.

As enjoyable as the story was, I do feel that it was predictable in some respects. After reading the blurb that the author liked Sailor Moon on the inside cover, it was really obvious on where the story would turn. So most of the shocking moments in this book didn’t leave me the least bit surprised.

World Building

The futuristic society of New Beijing is definitely not where I would imagine Cinderella living, but for Cinder it works. The Sci-Fi elements really make this book standout–there’s androids, netscreens and hovers–making it unlike any other fairy-tale retelling I’ve ever read. I’m converted now, Sci-Fi and fairy-tales are one of the best genre combinations ever! Despite being primarily set in New Beijing in this futuristic Asian empire, I like how there was some mentioning to other nations as well giving us a glimpse of what’s become of Earth after the devastating end of World War IV; in fact there was a festival held in celebration of it.

In terms of  of politics, the biggest political strife is between Earth and the Lunar Queen. Mainly it’s between Prince Kai and Queen Levana. Queen Levana rather using her invincible power and army to take over Earth, she wants to marry the prince in order to become Empress of the Common Wealth Empire and then take over the Earth. With the incurable Letumosis plague running about and the threat of a Lunar takeover, Prince Kai and the rest of the Earth nations really have something to worry about.

One thing I really wished to see was more cultural influences in the book. Other than the mention of a pagoda-like palace in New Beijing, some Asian sounding names and the use of Chinese suffixes there really isn’t much point in setting the story in a placed called New Beijing. The story could have been set anywhere else and still would’ve made sense. In fact, I kind of just assume the Commonwealth Empire was all of Asian combined because of the use of different Asian ethnic names (e.g. Linh being a Vietnamese surname and Kaito being a Japanese name).

Would I recommend it?

I would definitely recommend Cinder by Marrisa Meyer to young adult Sci-Fi readers and fairy-tale retelling lovers. The book does have some flaws, but the characters and unique plot really makes this book stand out and enjoyable. I look forward to reading the second book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Bout of Books 7.0 Wrap-Up Conclusion!

Book Count: 2

Total Pages Read: 493

Book Goals & Finished Books (crossed out)

1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
2. A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
3. Who Done It? conducted by Jon Scieszka
4. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin (84 pages read)
5. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

Final Thoughts

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

I’ll be honest and say I really don’t know how I feel about Norwegian Wood. The book itself is set in Tokyo, Japan during the late 1960s–a period I’m not familiar with at all–and centers on a college boy named Toru Wantanabe. We are lead through Toru’s life and his story of love and love loss. I’m only 84 pages in and I can already tell that this book is very introspective, bittersweet contemporary read.

This really is a genre that is out of my comfort zone, and while it’s not a bad read so far, it’s really taking a while for me to really grasp the beauty of this story. However, after I finish this book I’m really looking forward to watching the movie adaption and see how it compares to the book.

All in all, I think this read-a-thon just fell on a really bad week for me. In addition to this read-a-thon, I had to deal with final class lectures and studying for final exams. The good news is that I finished at least one unread book on my shelf and found this exciting book event to participate in the next time around (hopefully I won’t be as busy at that time).

Happy reading everyone! I hope this read-a-thon is as fun for you as it was for me.

BoB Wednesday & Thursday Update!

Updates

• Finished And Then There None by Agatha Christie
• Read up to page 37 of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

Book Count: 2

Goals For Tomorrow

• Read during any spare time I can get

Final Thoughts

And Then There None by Agatha Christie

One thing I can tell you is that I will never quit my day job in order to be a detective. The ending of And Then There None completely took me by surprise and I was not expecting the outcome at all. After finishing the book I immediately looked back to the previous pages to see what I missed and and remain amazed at how Agatha Christie handled the mystery.

As much as I enjoyed the story I really wish I could have gained a better connection with the characters. While I knew the characters felt terrified and weighted by their past in the story, I couldn’t really empathize with them. Rather I just felt that I wanted to finish the book as fast as I could to get to the outcome instead of enjoying the suspense of the story. For what it’s worth, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5.

 Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

I picked up this book because I really wanted to get a feel of Haruki Murakami’s writing, especially with his recent release of 1Q84. I decided to go read this book first because it seemed like a sweet coming-of-age romance, and I like romance.

I’m only a few pages in and my impression of this book is that it’s a very slice-of-life, contemporary story. This is not a genre I’m familiar with nor enjoy that much, but my feelings could change as I read further along.

…

With the semester ending and final exams looming over my shoulder I didn’t get much accomplished in terms of reading so for the next few days it’s really up in the air on how many books I can finish in this week. If anything, I may move on to reading graphic novels or manga since they are much quicker reads.

I hope everyone is having a good bout of books read-a-thon week! And if your not doing this read-a-thon, I still hope you have a pleasant week!

Till next time!