graphic novel review

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Lenni Reviews: “Kagurabachi” Vol. 7, by Takeru Hokazono

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Chihiro and Haruki face Hirukiko, who has an obsession with Chihiro. Samura decides that the root of the problem is the swordbearers, not the enchanted swords themselves.

With Samura making that decision, the bulk of this volume is protecting his daughter, Iori. There’s a sprinkle of Chihiro working on becoming a better swordsman so he can use regular swords proficiently, which will eventually help him become even better with the magic ones. I’m sure we’ll see more of that later, but this volume is getting Iori. I can see how we got here, and I like the direction this is going. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance” Vol. 3, by Shinnosuke Kanazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Amata knows he should reveal the truth, that he’s the Lolita Aki has been hanging out with, but he doesn’t want to lose this budding friendship.

Since this is a light-hearted slice of life, I doubt the outcome of this confession will be a shock to you if you’re familiar with the genre at all. I do, however, wish to spoil the fact that Mitsu, the local stray cat, is adorable, and I am totally okay with her not only having her dedicated moments but playing a role in Amata and Aki’s friendship, especially now that everything is out in the open. It’s just cute, wholesome, and fun to read. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man Who Defies the World of BL” Vol. 4, by Konkichi

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this volume, our protagonist dodges age gap trope, the lost pet trope, and the supernatural/Halloween trope.

It appears the main character is still figuring out the rules.

Whenever the MC breaks the fourth wall, I have to wonder… What is the point? And not in a mean way, I mean will this mean we’re going to keep racing through these tropes, or is there a bigger story around the fact he knows this isn’t real? Especially since he gets his own confession, unable to avoid it. We’ll see, since I can’t seem to give up on this series. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 6, by Miyu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tsumiki and Yutaka start their student council duties, where they meet Student Council President: Raizen, a lightning dragon with a strict temperament. They prepare for the last event of the year – the Sports Festival – and then they head into the Christmas season.

We still get tiny glimpses of how lonely Yutaka’s past was, and while it does show how far he’s come, I feel like I need more. I’m so ready for a long flashback session where maybe Tsumiki meets more old classmates of his? Eh, even if we never get that, the slice of life with mythical creatures is still entertaining and heartwarming at times. I enjoy wondering what they’ll get up to next. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Witchcraft” by Sole Otero & Andrea Rosenberg

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The María sisters wield powerful magic, and as they live through the ages, they have a profound effect on the people around them. 

First off, I adore the art style. It’s beautiful and takes full advantage of the page layouts to evoke this mystical feeling. It can be confusing sometimes, but overall, it’s cool. Since it’s not told in chronological order, it didn’t feel like some of these stories ended; they just stopped. As if a scene was cut. It’s still worthwhile to check out if you like enigmatic witch stories. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Brittle Joints” by Maria Sweeney

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

As a child, Maria Sweeney was diagnosed with Bruck Syndrome. This memoir reflects on growing up with it.

A good chunk of this novel deals with trying to get any relief in a system that isn’t very helpful or empathetic. These stories are so important, and it’s imperative for the people with conditions like this to tell their stories themselves. Since this is a graphic novel, it can show things a regular biography could struggle to convey, since the use of color can augment the author’s words in a graphic novel. I love opening my mind up to more experiences and understanding things I’d never thought about before. Highly recommended. 4.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Bug Ego” Vol. 1, by ONE & Kiyoto Shitara

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Hich schoolers Kokudo and Hitsujiya find a book of life hacks. As they try out the increasingly strange tips, the results of using it or failure to follow the rules result in some world-bending consequences.

Okay so…. I don’t have a read on this yet. I’m not sure if this is trying to be weird for weird’s sake or is building up into something bigger and more profound/intricate. There are some cosmic horror moments that are interesting and have some cool potential, but my confusion is outweighing my interest at this point. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “May I Have a Taste?” Vol 1. by Amidamuku

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is for mature readers only.

Minoru Sato is a 40-year-old virgin salaryman who was turned into a vampire. His coworker, Yamadera, finds out Minoru’s secret and wants to be a vampire, too.

If this didn’t end on a cliffhanger, I’m not sure I would want to continue, since this is the second comic I’ve read in a row where the dynamic makes me uncomfortable. Yamadera is really creepy. He’s not like Ko from Call of the Night, who had this innocent charm. Yamadera is clearly not someone who should have any power, let alone be a vampire. He’s a manipulative twatwaffle who will use Minoru to get what he wants and Minoru doesn’t deserve that. 1.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen” Vol. 1, by mmk

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is intended for mature audiences.

High school student Ikezawa makes a salacious comment to his classmate, Eguchi, expecting to offend her. Instead, she makes one right back, resulting in a flirtatious rivalry he was not prepared for.

As much as I can respect the “You’re being weird, then I’ll get weirder” behavior, this comes off as… Inappropriate. I ended up skimming this because it made me uncomfortable. I can see a young high school me thinking this was hilarious, but at 45, I don’t even wanna know more about these children, root for them, or want to continue reading kids making all these sexual jokes. 2 out of 5 because it’s just not for me.

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Lenni Reviews: “Rainbows After Storms” Vol. 9, by Luka Kobachi

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Final exams are over and with Winter Break in full swing, the friend group decides to have a Christmas party. Nanoha searches for a goal to work towards for after graduation. 

What Nanoha will decide to do seems to be a ball that just keeps getting kicked down the line in favor of more slice-of-life events like New Year’s or Valentine’s Day. Those scenes are fine, but the way things are going, it’s just gonna be a bigger problem later on. Also, the way it’s just tucked in between Christmas parties and cookie baking makes me wonder if this will actually be a thing or if it just fizzle out. Guess we’ll see. 3 out of 5.

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