Manga Review: Kitaro’s Yokai Battles

Manga Review: Kitaro’s Yokai Battles by Shigeru Mizuki Oh hey, I was missing one of the volumes of the Drawn & Quarterly Kitaro reprints! This one has an introduction that covers from 1966 to 1971. While the Hakaba no Kitaro series seemed like a good choice for animated adaptation, network executives thought it was too… Continue reading Manga Review: Kitaro’s Yokai Battles

Manga Review: Thunder 3 Volume 1

Manga Review: Thunder 3 Volume 1 by Yuki Ikeda Disclaimer: I received an Uncorrected Proof Copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of reviewing it. No other compensation was offered or requested. Some aspects of the book may change between now and the actual publication. Thanks to Vertical for the opportunity! Pyontaro Tezuka… Continue reading Manga Review: Thunder 3 Volume 1

Manga Review: Oshi no Ko #2

Manga Review: Oshi no Ko #2 by Aka Akasaka & Mengo Yokoyari Note: This review will contain major SPOILERS for the first volume. If you haven’t read that, you may want to check out my review of that one first. A decade after the death of idol singer Ai Hoshino, her secret twins Aquamarine (usually… Continue reading Manga Review: Oshi no Ko #2

Manga Review: To Love Ru Vol. 1-2

Manga Review: To Love Ru Vol. 1-2 story by Saki Hasemi, art by Kentaro Yabuki Rito Yuuki is a typical Japanese high school boy who has a crush on his childhood friend and classmate Haruna Sairenji. And typically, he is so bashful about actually telling her about it that he just freezes up or boils… Continue reading Manga Review: To Love Ru Vol. 1-2

Manga Review: Cat-Eyed Boy The Perfect Edition 1

Manga Review: Cat-Eyed Boy The Perfect Edition 1 by Kazuo Umezz The “Cat-Eyed Boy” is the son of a nekomata cat monster who for reasons unknown but probably involving infidelity, was born far more humanoid in appearance than his parents. His mother died in childbirth and his putative father abandoned him some months later at… Continue reading Manga Review: Cat-Eyed Boy The Perfect Edition 1

Manga Review: Tezucomi Vol. 1 & 2

Manga Review: Tezucomi Vol. 1 & 2 by Various Creators 2023 would have been Osamu Tezuka’s 95th birthday year, and in commemoration of the great manga and anime creator, this series was commissioned to show other artists’ take on his famous (and not so famous) works. For reasons, most of these were French and Spanish… Continue reading Manga Review: Tezucomi Vol. 1 & 2

Anime Review: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan

Why is one of Japan's most successful manga creators broke?

Anime Review: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Kishibe Rohan is one of the truly great manga creators. He’s known for his superhuman drawing and inking speed (when he’s motivated), weird plotlines, and being eccentric and egotistical. What is not known to the general public is that he’s actually superhuman, possessing a Stand Power named “Heaven’s Door”… Continue reading Anime Review: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan

Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02

Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02 by Akiko Higashimura Quick recap:  Amamizu-kan is a women-only apartment building inhabited by the Amars, a group of socially awkward women who fear socially-skilled people, who they call “the stylish.”  Jellyfish-obsessed artist Tsukimi accidentally befriends the “princess” Kuranosuke, who turns out to be a young man with a penchant… Continue reading Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02

Book Review: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics

Book Review: Manga!  Manga!  The World of Japanese Comics by Frederik L. Schodt Back in the early 1980s, manga and anime fandom was tiny, with almost no material being available in English save dubs heavily edited for American children’s television and expunged as much as possible of their Japanese roots.   It required a certain amount… Continue reading Book Review: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics

Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Josuke Higashikata (the kanji for his name can also be read as “Jojo”) has lived all his life in the northeastern coast city of Morioh with his single mother and his police officer grandfather.   When he was a small child, he became deathly ill for several weeks,… Continue reading Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable