Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Megan V.

Could you become the very object you hate, without knowing how it really feels to be this kind of person?

Kaneki Ken is a college aged book loving student, and ghouls, the ones who eat human flesh both for necessity and fun, are just stories put up by the media, and he and his friend try to guess what a ghoul really looks like, not really caring. After all, ghouls aren’t human.

That was before he fell for Rize, a ghoul who tries to eat him right before finding himself falling to a lethal accident. At the the hospital, Kaneki needs an organ replacement… and the doctors use Rize because she was near him at the scene. Thus Kaneki turns into a one-eyed ghoul. And because of this, he meets a variety of characters that he both loves and hates. Kaneki also realizes that he needs to eat human flesh because human food tastes disgusting. But at times, he wishes he died when Rize attacked him.

This manga, as readers find out in chapter one, is a tragedy. There is no happy ending–so far. The characters one roots for either die, get tortured, or both. On a happier note, there is a lot of unexpected humor throughout the peaceful times. Also, it is interesting on how the author shows the sides of both the ghouls and the human investigators who want to hunt them down. Finally, Tokyo Ghoul has an excellent plot with twists and turns that one won’t expect. Any reader who likes a good plot and cares for gruesome tragedies would like this manga.

-Megan V., 10th Grade

Owari no Serafu (Seraph of the End) by Takaya Kagami and Yamoto Yamamoto

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Megan V.

Modern Japan (and the rest of the world) has been ravaged by a virus, leaving almost everyone above the age of twelve dead.

Monsters called the Four Horsemen of John have come into the world, eating humans they cross. Vampires, afraid that their food supply would be lost, have come out and made human children as their livestock.

Yu, Mika, and the rest of the children of the Hyakuya orphanage are livestock to vampires. This has been the case for four years: living in a city made by vampires that they can’t get out of. Yu hates it, but the person that he feels like is his brother, Mika, feels that by giving his blood, his family (the orphanage) can escape. Something goes terribly wrong in the plan, and Yu is the only one who escapes, vowing to get revenge.

Four years later, at the age of sixteen, Yu trains to be in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, made up with Japan’s last humanity that fights the Vampires. But what if he meets new friends who can become his “family”, knowing that he is haunted by his past? And what happens when he gets a demon to wield, who tells him that he is not totally human?

This manga is wrapped in chaos, fear, and mystery, making it a very good plot to follow and keep readers on the edges of their seats. Additionally, there is a lot of unexpected comic relief, so this is not a serious manga like Attack on Titan usually is. The characters in this dystopia world seem very real, as though they were people the reader would know. Finally, the drawings are amazing; both action scenes and scenes of down time (school, suspenseful scenes, etc.) are well done and very thorough.

If anyone is looking for an action manga that is not too serious, this is one to read. However, although it can be found in Barnes & Noble, it can not be found in the Mission Viejo Library.

-Megan V., 10th grade

Nanatsu no Taizai (The Seven Deadly Sins) by Nakaba Suzuki

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Megan V.

In a far off land modeled after early England, humans coexist with fairies and giants. One of the kingdoms of this land is called Lioness where really powerful humans called holy knights protect the land and everyone in it.

Elizabeth is the third princess of this kingdom. She has run away because the holy knights secretly rebelled and took over the kingdom, putting the king and the rest of the royal family in prison. Her only hope are the Seven Deadly Sins: a group of seven very powerful people rumored to defeat holy knights. Problem is, they’re supposedly wanted criminals who haven’t been seen in public for ten years.

That’s when Elizabeth runs into a bartender who looks like a kid and a talking pig named Hawk. It turns out that the bartender is Meliodas, the dragon’s sin of wrath and the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, who is also looking for the other Sins after they got split up ten years ago. He offers to help her, and the journey starts a change in the country. But the biggest mystery is why Meliodas or any of the Seven Deadly Sins haven’t aged for the past ten years.

I really liked this series! It’s a still continuing manga of about 120 chapters and still has a long way to go, but I’m sure anyone would stay for the ride since it’s very good. Seven Deadly Sins is very comical with its humorous cast of characters and funny behavior. For example, there is a fairy who smells like flowers, a guy whose food looks good but tastes absolutely horrible, and a talking pig who is the chief of leftovers.

This series also has a very good plot. Plots twists and cliffhangers are always guaranteed and they put you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. For those who like romance, there are many heartfelt/comical couples in the series that many would totally support for. And finally, there is the understanding and compassion for the Sins when they are put down by others through the misunderstandings that are dramatic irony to us.

I encourage you to read this series!

-Megan V.

Manga Introduction: Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Sarah J.

“There’s no such thing as a painless lesson-they just don’t exist. Sacrifices are necessary. You can’t gain anything without losing something first. Although if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you’ll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah… a heart made Fullmetal.”- Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa.

Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse are in search of the sorcerer’s stone in order to restore their bodies after a fail human transmutation. Human transmutation is one of the forms of alchemy, but the brothers are determined to have their full bodies back . They might seem like a odd pair with the elder at 4’8″ with a automail arm and leg and the younger twice the height trapped in a suit of armor yet even with these odd fact, the brothers fight to gain what they want.

Here are some fact about Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa:

It was published in July of 2001 and ended 9 years later in July of 2010
There are 27 tankobon volumes (manga books) with 4-5 chapters in each.
It was published monthly by Square Enix in the magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan
The Fullmetal Alchemist manga has sold approximately 61 million volumes as of 2013.
The English release of the manga’s first volume was the top-selling graphic novel during 2005.
In two TV Asahi web polls, the anime was voted the most popular anime of all time in Japan. At the American Anime Awards in February 2007, it was eligible for eight awards, nominated for six, and won five
There is an ongoing light novel series.
It has two anime series. The first one is called Fullmetal Alchemist and does not follow the original plot of the manga. The second series is called Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and follows most of the manga’s plot. Each series has a full-length anime film, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa and Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos respectively, to complete the series.

This is such an amazing series that I could go on with the facts but instead I will write about what I think of this manga. This is truly one of the best I have seen or read. It has a near perfect mix of characters and themes to spin a wonderful tale of adventure and excitement. One of my favorite things about this manga is that each characters each have their own quirks. Such as the main character, Edward Elric, sensitivity about his height and his habit of exploding and uttering comical lines of frustration.

“Shorty?! Could a shorty do this?! What else you want to call me: a half-pint bean-sprout midget?! I’m still growing you backwater desert idiots!” – An example of Edward Elric “short rants”

Another thing to admire about this manga is the many important themes it brings. Yes, this is set in another universe but there are many themes that could be applied to daily life. Such as the importance of a family and how they can make a difference in someone. There are many quotes in the manga that are worth memorizing. This is a very complex manga to explain in words. It easier to just read it and decide what you think. So why don’t you?

– Sarah J., 10th grade

Manga Introduction: Black Butler, by Yana Toboso

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Sarah J.

Black Butler (aka Kuroshitsuji in the original Japanese) is a tale of a contract between a demon butler and a child in Victorian-era London…

After a dangerous happening in his childhood, Ciel Phantomhive is left an orphan with a demon contracted to him as a butler. The demon, named Sebastian Michaelis by Ciel, will take Ciel’s soul when Ciel’s goal is reached. Known as the “Queen’s Watchdog,” 12-year-old Ciel Phantomhive solves crimes at the Queens orders from mysterious deaths to insane nobles, while trying to reach is goal of avenging his family murder.

Black Butler is an simply amazing manga with wonderful drawings. Here are a few facts about this manga:

Published in September of 2006, it rose in popularity and is still popular today. It is also still being produced.
There are 19 tankobon volumes (manga books) with 4-5 chapters each. All of which are titled: “That Butler,_______”
The title Black Butler is used for the America, Germany, France, Italy and Spain releases while the original Japanese title Kuroshitsuji is used in the Japan, Poland, and Finland releases.
Published once a month by Square Enix in a magazine called Monthly GFantasy.
Has two seasons of animes as well as a OVA (original video animation). A live action movie was also produced and released this year. It also has had three two musical productions and a third run as a reprise of the second musical.

This is one of my favorites among the many mangas around. For one, this has simply incredible drawings. The main character’s development during helps to bring much of the story together with a mix of trying to solve mysteries and the emotions and feeling that come with being a human.

This does contain demons, shinigami (death reapers), as well as many other mystical elements. It also contains many deaths and some other more gruesome happening due to some of the more insane characters included in the story. It also has a lot that deals with how human being act and why, which many be hard to understand. This is best for a slightly more mature audience.

I can’t decide everything so read it yourself and find the adventure waiting for you.

-Sarah J, 9th grade

Manga Review: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 1, by Hiroshi Shiibashi

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Linna C.

Rikuo Nura is an ordinary eight-year old, except for one thing. His grandfather is Nurarihyon, the supreme commander of all yokai (a Japanese kind of monster). So, he’s an average kid until night falls, and then he transforms and leads an army of yokai.

Since he’s the supreme commander’s grandson, many of the yokai in his clan expect him to take up the title of third supreme commander. However, there are others in the clan that aren’t so happy about him possibly becoming “the third,” especially Gagoze, a child-eating yokai.

The one day Rikuo doesn’t take the bus to school, Gagoze tries and fails to kill Rikuo by causing rocks to fall onto the school bus that normally took Rikuo to school. When Rikuo learns that his bus was hit by rocks, he transforms, and leads the main house of the Nura clan to rescue his friends. Once he gets there, and Gagoze realizes that he had failed to kill him, Gagoze decides just to kill all of Rikuo’s friends. However, Rikuo succeeds in rescuing his friends and defeating Gagoze. Then he declares that he will become the third.

Unfortunately, the daytime or human Rikuo has no intentions of becoming the third, and has no memories of when he transforms into his yokai form. Four years later, the Nura clan still cannot make the decision of naming twelve-year old Rikuo as the third, because he continues to live a human life. And all of this happened in just the first chapter!

I loved this manga series from the moment I picked it up and started reading. It contains two of my favorite things in a book: comedy and action. One part that I think is really funny is that one of the minor characters in the story is named Natto-Kozo, and for those that don’t know, “natto” means fermented soybeans. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give it a ten. Great storyline, fantastic art, everything about this series is awesome. I can’t wait until I get my hands on the rest of the books.

-Linna C., 7th grade

Manga Review: Fairy Tail, by Hiro Mashima

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Megan V.

Hey, have you heard yet?
Of what?
Of Fairy Tail.
Of course I’ve heard of them. You’ve got to living under a rock in order to have not heard of the top magic guild.
Well, guess what. They’re making the Council angry at them. Again.
What did they do this time?
Well, I heard about this one guy. I don’t know his real name, but he’s nicknamed Salamander. Anyways, he supposedly blew up a whole town. Fortunately, the town was abandoned.
What a monster!
I guess that you could call him a monster. However, he is very comical.
Well, I prefer Titania, the Fairy Queen. I forgot her real name, too, but she is so hot and powerful!
Salamander isn’t my favorite; I personally like the exhibitionist.
Who?
I don’t remember his name, but he’s very funny because he takes off his clothes off a lot.
Fairy Tail’s weird.
I know, but that’s what makes them special. They may be crazy and weird, yet they are the one guild that I feel is the only one that develops a friendship within the guild and treats their other guild mates as if they are best friends…

That conversation you just heard was one from Fiore, a country where magic exists and wizards can perform jobs involving magic in guilds where bonds are formed. Wizard Lucy Heartfilla has been hearing rumors about Fairy Tail for a long time; about how crazy they are, how popular they are, and how devoted they are to one another. When she finally gets the chance to join Fairy Tail by a man with a scarf and his talking blue cat, Lucy unknowingly embarks on a journey that can not only change her life, but others as well. Not that she knows it either, but evil wizards are a-lurking.

I found this manga series very comical, since every part of the above conversation actually happened in Fairy Tail. There’s magic and action, but I personally was blown away by the plot twists. If you like magic, Hiro Mashima makes every wizard have a different magic, which is anything from fire magic to the ability to summon magical weapons and armor. And did I mention that there are dragons?If you don’t like long stories, then I won’t recommend Fairy Tail unless you like stories where there are a lot of plot twists. So far, there are at least 41 volumes with over 378 chapters (not including side chapters listed as “.5”), and it will continue on for quite some time.

The recommended age is for teenagers, but some 12 years might be able to read this series, too. A warning is suitable to kids under the age of 13: there are a few bad words said every once in a while, one guy is usually walking around in his underwear, and some of the girls wear revealing outfits (no private parts shown).The evil characters always seem to play with the character’s minds, some bad words are said, and since there is action, there is a bit of blood and screaming.

Overall, I really like this series. It’s super hilarious, I started even rooting for some of the romantic couples to confess their love, and Hiro Mashima is very good at the plot, as in he makes you think one thing is going to happen, but something else entirely different happens. In conclusion, the part I like most about this series is the devotion Fairy Tail members have to others, even ones not from their guild. The thing they’ll mostly likely do could be anything, from willing to sell their soul to save someone or attacking a whole group of over 50 people just to get one apology.

-Megan V., 8th grade

Manga Review: Ultra Maniac, vol. 1, by Wataru Yoshizumi

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Linna C.

Cool Ayu Tateishi is a popular girl who everybody wants to be like. But all that is about to change when she meets Nina Sakura. This seemingly normal girl isn’t all she looks to be. She’s a witch. Or rather, a witch that got flunked out of magic school and came to Earth to study abroad.

Nina decides to reveal her secret to Ayu, and decides to help Ayu with her magic as much as she can. Unfortunately, this results in disaster for poor Ayu.

This series follows Nina and friends on their countless misadventures. Other characters include Tetsushi Kaji, Ayu’s boyfriend, and Hiroki Tsujiai, who soon finds out Nina’s secret. There is also an anime for the series, and there are some manga-exclusive characters and some anime-exclusive characters. The plot and storyline are probably slightly different in the anime as to the manga.

I really think that this series is flat-out great. It seems a bit childish at times, but when those times pass, the story is great. Even though it is a shojo manga, there are some action-packed tidbits. This series is yet another one of those books that is there to make you laugh. Even though the title sounds a little stupid (I thought that at first too), take a look inside. As they say, don’t judge a book by its cover!

-Linna C., 7th grade

Manga Review: Naruto, By Masashi Kishimoto; Land of Waves Arc

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Sarah J.

This is the third part of my review about Naruto. Please read the first and second parts if you missed them.

After the Instruction Arc is the Land of Waves Arc.The Land of the Waves Arc is the first major arc in the series. This arc is covered in between chapter nine to thirty three. These chapters were later complied together in the second to fourth tankobon volumes.

In the previous arc, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha were placed in a squad together with Kakashi Hatake-sensei (sensei meaning teacher) after graduating the Ninja Academy. They pass is test and officially become genin, which is the lowest ninja rank. After being officially placed together Kakashi’s Squad, which is also known as Squad 7, they are given missions to complete in order to build their teamwork and give them experience that they will have to use when they are older.

This arc starts with Squad 7 receiving a new mission. Naruto, who complains about receiving a d-ranked missions, demands to have a c-ranked mission. Typically genin are only give d-rank missions because they are the safest and easiest to do. C, B, A- Ranked missions are only given to ninjas that are a higher rank. The Hokage, who is the leader or commander of the ninjas, reluctantly gives in. The Hokage gives Squad 7 a c-ranked escort mission. They have to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, back to his home in the Land of Waves. At first this seams like a simple, easy escort mission. Then they start to get attacked by ninjas on the road to the Land of Waves. They learn that there is something much more to the mission that Tazuna did not tell them about. Squad 7 also meets Zabuza Momochi, who is a dangerous ninja that is out to stop them, and Haku, a mysterious boy that no one knows anything about.Will they ever reach the Land of Waves and come back alive?

This is one of my favorite of the many arcs of the Naruto series. This is were you see the first major developments of the main characters. This is when Naruto, the main character, faces his first major adversary. You start to learn more the stories of the main characters. The story also starts to become more serious compared to the earlier chapters.

This is only my view of the manga. I would recommend this for 8-years-old and up due to the fact there is violence. This is also very good for anyone who loves adventure and action. I don’t know how you would like it, so read it to find out.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Manga Review: Kitchen Princess, by Natsumi Ando

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Megan V.

Fans of food and want to cooks: here is the perfect book series for you! Kitchen Princess is a comical manga (Japanese comic book) that will warm peoples’ hearts for generations to come.Imagine that there’s a recipe for a realistic fiction book. The main ingredient in the recipe calls for a really famous private school in Japan that has a special class full of talented people. Some really important side ingredients are two cute brothers, one named Daichi who keeps trying to ignore his relationship with the school, and the other named Sora, who is loathed by his brother and loved by most of the girls in the school. The next ingredient is a model named Akane, who is jealous of the main girl because of all the attention she gets. Finally, there is a special ingredient that changes all of the other ingredients. Its description is of a middle school orphan from Hokkaido named Najika, who is the best cook ever, loves to eat, tries to make new friends and find the “flan prince who saved her life, gave her some flan and a spoon with a certain symbol on it.

At the end of each book of the ten book series, Najika gives a recipe of each dish that was mentioned in each current book. However, despite the title, boys might actually like this series because it can teach them for future references what girls like and hate.
Readers should note that in Kitchen Princess, there is bullying, one scene where the guy has his shirt off, a kiss on the lips twice, a time where two people die near the middle of the series, and depression. Because of all those reasons, I would recommend this series to people 13 and up.

Although the hardships are tough, Najika and her friends learn some lessons and also teach them to others, such as when Najika tells everyone in the school that they shouldn’t make fun of someone when they do something weird for an unreasonable reason.