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Tag Archives: manga reviews

Lenni Reviews: “To Your Eternity” by Yoshitoki Oima

10 Saturday Mar 2018

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Gugu is a young boy with terrible scars on his face who comes upon Fushi when he enters the shop where Gugu works. As the two grow closer due to the fact they are both “monsters,” Fushi finds he would like to stay instead of moving along as he normally does. Unfortunately, Fushi must face the fact that such happiness is fleeting.

The best parts of this volume for me were the scene with Gugu and Fushi. Watching them grow together is adorable but there is still the lingering shade of the hooded figure skulking after Fushi. I get the sad feeling Gugu and his friends won’t come out ok when he comes to claim whatever he wants from Fushi.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Strange and Mystifying Story” vol 2 by Tsuta Suzuki

05 Monday Mar 2018

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Even after his illness is cured, Akio still has Setsu living with him as Akio wished for the demon to stay. Now Akio struggles with his own feelings and doubts Setsu’s feelings as he knows so little about the demon’s past.

We do learn about Setsu’s past and his previous charges. I enjoy this insight into his background and how he came to be what he is. Akio’s barriers come down a bit as well so we get our characters actually talking about what they feel and what they want… Sorta… While they’re boning, of course, making this just as 18+ as the previous volume. But it is a fun story still. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Happiness” vol 6 by Shuzo Oshimi

09 Friday Feb 2018

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Yukiko Gosho has been trying to move on with her life and in the years since her injury from Makoto, she has grown up, gotten a decent job, and even a possible romance with a coworker. But the ghosts of her past resurface and she risks losing her stability to find answers.

While I enjoyed this volume, the ending makes it feel like filler. Fun filler, but filler. The abrupt ending felt less like a cliffhanger and more of a puttering out since once Gosho makes up her mind, all you can think about is what the fallout will be once it’s revealed what has been happening to the vampires in captivity all these years; if they are even still in captivity. Either way, I’m betting Makoto hasn’t been chillin at a hot spring in the years that have passed. 3.7 out of 5 for this one.

Lenni Reviews: “Smokin’ Parade” vol 3 by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

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Unbeknowest to the Jackalopes, the Shikagura have been watching every move they make. So when the Jackalopes play to strike when they believe the Shikagura are undergoing maintenance, they fall into a trap.

Shiba-san is my new sempai. As I am now the ripe old age of 37, I resolve to be like him and age with style.

The art in this series continues to empress; especially when it comes to creature design. I had to flip through the volume a few times to really take in and enjoy all the details. It still takes a lot for my suspension of disbelief to take that giant boobed drama queen Amenotori seriously but I’m starting to think that much blatant fanservice is the point. You’re too busy staring at her chest to notice that she’s chopped you to bits.

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Lenni Reviews: “Devils’ Line” vol 9 by Ryo Hanada

06 Tuesday Feb 2018

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After all the fighting and revelations of the previous volume, all our characters are taking some time to heal up and regroup. Anzai is searching for more answers about his past, Hans Lee is using his time to save persecuted devils, Eleven is dealing with her family while Makimura heals from his wounds. All the while, the general climate towards devils is increasingly hostile, making it harder for Anzai and his group to do their jobs.

I have to say my favorite bits of this were Eleven, or Mayu rather, and her family. I’m not so sure about whatever romance between her and Makimura since he seems smarmy but I like how Mayu’s character is developing. She’s more than that dolled up, flat, bitchy character from the beginning and her progression is realistic and fun for me to read.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Strange and Mystifying Story” by Tsuta Suzuki

07 Thursday Dec 2017

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

After the unfortunate death of his grandfather, Akio Yamane has no family left and believes he will soon join them. The Yamane family is cursed and Akio is indeed terminally ill. Delirious with fever, Akio desperately prays to a talisman his grandfather said would protect him and summons a demon he names Setsu. Akio begs Setsu to cure his illness and never dreamed how intimate Setsu’s “treatments” would be.

Setsu is a straightforward character and he’s written in a way that his brusque nature doesn’t come off assholeish like Eiri Yuki from Gravitation. You can tell he cares for Akio yet since he isn’t human he doesn’t bother with the niceties or waste time yet remains likable. Setsu and Akio play off each other well and the story doesn’t waste too much time on the typical slapstick. The sex scenes are mildly censored; naughty bits kept in shadow or vague outline and strategically placed word bubbles abound. But it’s still hot and the story is cute. 3.5 out of 5.

Note: There are also two side stories: Nylon Vinyl and The God’s Don’t Exist. The first is a contemporary teacher/student relationship and the second is a historical romance. They are pretty short so there isn’t much time for development but they were amusing sides to the main story. It would have been interesting to have them tie into Setsu somehow; as he has been bound to Akio’s family for many years. But they’re still cool.

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Lenni Reviews: “To Your Eternity” vol 1 Yoshitoki Oima

06 Wednesday Dec 2017

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In this beautiful manga, we follow a mysterious orb after it falls to Earth. The orb has the power to transform into whatever it touches. As it encounters increasingly more complicates forms, the orb happens upon a young girl named March while in the form of a teenage boy.

This is a great book! I found out after I read this first volume that Oima also authored A Silent Voice (which I did read but went through it too fast to review for the blog). While a completely different genre, To Your Eternity also has the contrast of cute character design with serirous and harsh situations. It is lovely to look at and bittersweet, aside for the last page of the story with (spoilers) the talking dog. Something about that final image fails to be cute – as one would expect a talking dog to be – but instead is nightmare fuel. Other that that, I won’t give much more of the plot away as I feel it should be experienced by the reader. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Devils’ Line” vol 7 by Ryo Hanada

31 Thursday Aug 2017

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Anzai and his group collect Zero Eleven into their group and all of them seem to have suspicions about their Ishimaru’s real loyalties now that he’s the new leader. But, they keep going with their raids on the CCC. However, the CCC is one step ahead of them.

Watching this group in action despite how the CCC always ups them is amazing. Anzai and Ishimaru kick major ass when they need to. There needs to be more of that and less of the lingering glances between Tsukasa and Anzai. And Zero Eleven is annoying but I think her character is designed to be annoying. When the plot is moving, this series is good. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tokyo Ghoul” vol 16

29 Tuesday Aug 2017

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Ken’s faceoff with Kisho Arima – the undefeated ghoul investigator – and the one eyed ghoul cuts a bloody swath through the other CCG fighters.

This was a strange ending which I will do my best not to spoil. The battle is bloody and exciting but I didn’t feel I got closure with a lot of the plot threads. Theyju st got left dangling as if more story is on the way but this is the final volume. I’m left with this feeling of needing more and an overall meh. This series was ok but the ending feels too rushed. I’m disappointed. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Smokin Parade” vol 2 by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

19 Saturday Aug 2017

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A group of spiders calling themselves the Shikagura directly target the Jackalopes; leaving them battered and inured in body and mind. The only remaining three who are able to combat these spiders are Youkou and his rival Kotoharu and the cook, Shiba; who is secretly a total badass.

Of course there are connections between the members of the Jackalopes and the members of the Shikagura; and this is aside for Youkou and his sister. It will be intriguing to see how this plays out considering the wild personalities of the other Jackalopes. You can tell Youkou will go though an arc where he will try to save his sister but end up having to kill her. That’s fairly predictable. I’ll give this series a ton of credit if it does something different. 3.7 out of 5.

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