Manga Review: Case Closed (Detective Conan)

Manga Review: Case Closed (Detective Conan) by Gosho Aoyama Shin’ichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo) is a teen genius detective, well known for solving cases that baffle the police.  One day while visiting an amusement park with his female friend Ran Mouri (Rachel Moore), he witnesses a murder by two men in black.   They catch him,… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed (Detective Conan)

Anime Review: Humanity Has Declined

Anime Review: Humanity Has Declined In the indefinite future, homo sapiens as we know it is slowly going extinct.  Not to worry, though, our successors have already appeared, the New Humans, also commonly referred to as “fairies.”  The Mediator is a young woman who works for what’s left of the UN, acting as an intermediary between… Continue reading Anime Review: Humanity Has Declined

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3 by Yoshiki Nakamura Kyouko Mogami and Shoutaro “Shou” Fuwa grew up together after Kyouko’s mother largely abandoned her.  The Fuwa family runs a chain of traditional Japanese inns, but Shou didn’t want to go into that business, partially because it is the proprietress that is the face of the inn,… Continue reading Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad original story by Reki Kawahara, art by Tamako Nakamura Disclaimer:  I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. It is the year 2022, and commercially viable virtual reality equipment is now on the market.   Of course, one of the first… Continue reading Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad

Comic Book Review: Kill All Monsters! Volume One: Ruins of Paris

Comic Book Review: Kill All Monsters!  Volume One: Ruins of Paris written by Michael May; illustrated by Jason Copland The kaiju (giant monsters) subgenre is a pretty good fit for comic books.  With an unlimited “special effects budget”  they can pack monsters and mayhem into a story that would be prohibitively expensive to shoot on film. This… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Kill All Monsters! Volume One: Ruins of Paris

Anime Review: Tsuritama

Anime Review: Tsuritama Yuki Sanada is a high school student who has no friends and limited social skills.  Whenever he’s in an uncomfortable social situation, Yuki  freezes up with anxiety, depicted as him drowning.  From the outside, his anxiety face makes him look wrathful and unapproachable.  It doesn’t help that his grandmother’s job requires them… Continue reading Anime Review: Tsuritama

Book Review: The Case of the Tiffany Killer

Book Review: The Case of the Tiffany Killer by A. R. Rampa Disclosure:  I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. Peggy Hart is the best-dressed and most curious teenage girl in Pinewood, a lovely small town that’s probably in Ohio.  She’s put her curiosity to good… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Tiffany Killer

Book Review: The Invisible Chimes

Book Review: The Invisible Chimes by Margaret Sutton This is a simple mystery story aimed at young teen-aged girls, ala Nancy Drew. Judy Bolton is a girl with a forceful personality and boundless curiosity, plus she’s good at details, all of which serve her well in dealing with the mysteries she runs into. Her primary… Continue reading Book Review: The Invisible Chimes

Comic Book Review: Boxers & Saints

Comic Book Review: Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang Disclaimer:  I received this boxed set as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. Little Bao is a farm boy who loves the Chinese operas performed at the spring festivals every year.  But one year a foreign devil, a missionary, appears… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Boxers & Saints

Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA)

Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA) It’s the first anniversary of my blog!  To celebrate, I thought it would be nice to update the very first review that appeared here.  http://www.skjam.com/2012/12/09/manga-review-shonen-jump-alpha/ Shounen Jump is still Japan’s number one best-selling manga anthology title.  Although the primary market is still middle-school through high school boys, people of… Continue reading Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA)