And seeing how long this is (and only being part 1) should show you how easy it was for me to basically bankrupt myself on manga. xD

English covers were used if they could be found; if not the Japanese covers were used. They are arranged by release month and then alphabetically. If the Japanese name is commonly used in fandom, I put it in parentheses next to the official English title to help. I also used official summaries if I could find them, if not I used ANN, after that I went to myanimelist.net, and in some cases I had to go to mangaupdates.com.

I will gladly update this list if I’m missing something you think is going to be a good shojo manga find in the next year! :]

Happy Cafe (Shiawase Kissa Sanchome) by: Kou Matsuzuki
Complete at 15 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
Volume 1 January 2010, Volume 2 April 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: Welcome to the Happy Café, where romance and happiness are the specials of the day! Meet Uru: She’s a little short, a bit disorganized, often is mistaken for an elementary school kid, and lives by herself after her mother gets remarried. When she decides to pay the bills by working part time at the Happy Café, she meets Ichirou and Shindou, two of the most unsociable guys she’s ever met! And to make matters worse, it turns out that Uru is not exactly meant for the waitress world, as she’s a HUGE klutz. But as this hilarious shojo tale unfolds, 1 happiness–and even true love–might be lurking just around the corner…
My ramblings: This series just looks adorable, and looks like one that has a whole lot of potential, though I’m a little leery about the length, since 15 volumes can be a little tedious in some series. To be honest, I don’t know a lot about the story, but from the little that I do know, it should be fairly interesting.

Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yujincho) by: Yuki Midorikawa
Ongoing with 8+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 January 2010, Volume 2 April 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.
My ramblings: I watched the anime on Crunchyroll, and it’s a fantastic series. The art in the original manga seems to be a little bit different from the art from the anime art based on the cover of the first volume, but it still looks great. I can’t wait to read the source material. And who doesn’t love Nyanko-sensei?!?

Crown of Love (Renai Crown) by: Yun Kouga
Complete at 4 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 February 2010, Volume 2 May 2010, Volume 3 August 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: After a chance encounter, Hisayoshi ”Kumi” Tajima falls madly in love with teen idol Rima Fujio. Bewitched by her beauty, he only wants to get closer to her. As a fan, he lives in a separate world. But if he becomes a fellow idol…
My ramblings: Crown of Love is, from what I’ve heard, a fairly early work from Yun Kouga, this time a part of the Shojo Beat line from Viz. This isn’t a title I know much about, but Yun Kouga’s work is sure to be pretty at least. Hopefully it will live up to what little of Kouga’s works I’ve read (I think only a oneshot in FAUST, but it was absolutely fantastic!).

Panic × Panic by: Mika Kawamura
Complete at 2 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 February 2010, Volume 2 August 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher:  Mitsuki grew up as an only child at a Shinto shrine and works as a priestess after school. Kakeru, her childhood friend, is the son of a priest and lives across the street from her. Even though Mitsuki and Kakeru grew up together, they seem to never get along. After an encounter with a demon, Mitsuki and Kakeru discover that they are descendents of priests who sealed away demons that disrupted the natural order of life. The demons have become a problem again, but can Mitsuki and Kakeru overcome their differences to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors and seal away the demons?
My ramblings: I’m a little leery about adding this one, since I don’t see much about it online (it took a lot of searching to find a summary), but it looks cute, and I’ll try to check it out.  I don’t think this is going to necessarily going to be a series that will be a major hit, unless it’s one of those series that’s a sleeper hit. It does sound rather cliché though, which is a little off-putting, but that could be a plus if you know you like stories like it. And ok, after seeing the English cover, I’m almost definitely getting it, cuz it’s freaking adorable. xD

Portrait of M and N by: Higuchi Tachibana
Complete at 6 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
Volume 1 February 2010, Volume 2 June 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: February brings us PORTRAIT OF M & N, starring two students in high school with something to hide. Created by the bestselling manga-ka of GAKUEN ALICE, Tachibana Higuchi, M and N refer to Mitsuru and Natsuhiko: she’s masochistic; he’s narcissistic. All they want is to be normal high school students!
My ramblings: I believe this is for slightly older audiences, as the M and N refer to masochist and narcissist, but it looks promising. I’ve read some good reviews of this series so far, so I think it should be fairly good, but I’m not entirely sure, since it’s not one you hear of much. The synopsis does seem rather interesting though, so I think I’ll check it out.

Bunny Drop (Usagi Drop) by: Yumi Unita
Ongoing with 6+ volumes
US publisher: Yen Press
Volume 1 March 2010, Volume 2 September 2010
Price: US $12.99
From the publisher: Returning to his family’s estate for his grandfather’s funeral, thirty-something bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a much younger lover! Needless to say, the rest of the family is shocked and embarrassed by this turn of events, and not one of them wants anything to do with the little girl, who refuses to say a word. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to adopt her! But is living with an overgrown teenager who can barely take care of himself the key to making Rin come out of her shell?
My ramblings: This is definitely josei, and it looks like one of those stories that would just break your heart. Of course, it could go the other way and just be terrible, but I think this looks incredibly promising. From what I’ve read online it’s a very slow slice-of-life that is none-the-less fantastic.

Cactus’s Secret (Saboten no Himitsu) by: Nana Haruta
Complete at 4 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 March 2010, Volume 2 June 2010, Volume 3 September 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn’t get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her “Cactus” for being prickly when he’s around. Will Kyohei ever figure out Cactus’s secret?
My ramblings: This is Nana Haruta’s first manga to be published in the states, and I want everyone to get it, so that the chances of getting more of the adorable goodness that is Nana Haruta are better! I don’t really know much about this series itself, but I’m sure it’s great, from what I know of her other works. And how can you pass up that adorable cover?

Haru Hana The Complete Collection by: Yuana Kazumi
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
March 2010
Price: US $16.99
From the publisher: Hana Yamada was all set for her big Tokyo debut–She’d just moved from Osaka, and finally thought she had her rather unusual “condition” under control. As long as she’s got her beloved green tea by her side, she can totally cure the hives she gets whenever she bumps into a cute boy! No problem. But the day starts off disastrous and only gets worse, culminating in Hana’s sister bartering her into indentured servitude at a local relaxation room run by two particularly good-looking young men. Can Hana keep her cool around the flamboyant Shinnosuke, and, even worse, the hot but prickly Haru? Hana may be charmed by Haru’s amazing skill at his work and his ability to heal people’s hearts, but his personality is undeniably difficult, especially towards her. How to you reach out to someone when you can never actually touch?
My ramblings: Looks like another omnibus edition from Tokyopop, and the art looks adorable, so I think I’ll be checking out this 3-in-1. Apparently the “breaks out in hives from touching the other sex” is a much more common them than I though. I’ve seen it in Beauty Pop, Zodiac P.I., and MariaHolic and now this series. I didn’t realize it was so common. It’s kind of a strange theme to be so common. The series still looks cute, and since it’s just an omnibus, there’s not much to lose by picking it all up at one time. EDIT: I REALLY LIKE THE TOKYOPOP COVER!!! :D It’s pretty!!!!

Pink Innocent by: Kotori Momoyuki
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 March 2010, Volume 2 August 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: Hello, Kokona here. So I just started dating my first boyfriend. His name is Renji-kun, and he’s handsome and talented and super smart. But now that we’re going out, what are we supposed to actually do? Can someone please give me some advice? I’m totally clueless about love!
My ramblings: I looked around the internet and heard good and bad things about this series, but it looks adorable (though that hairstyle is crazy!), so I’ll try and check it out. I think the biggest problem people seemed to have with the series is that the main character is apparently a huge ditz, but I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, so hopefully it’ll turn out better than some people think it is.

Stepping on Roses (Hadashi de Bara wo Fume) by: Rinko Ueda
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 April 2010, Volume 2 July 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: A rags-to-riches romance from the creator of Tail of the Moon! Poor Sumi Kitamura… Her irresponsible older brother Eisuke keeps bringing home orphans for her to take care of even though they can barely afford their own basic needs! Just when Sumi’s financial problems become dire, wealthy Soichiro Ashida enters her life with a bizarre proposition–he’ll provide her with the money she so desperately needs if she agrees to marry him. But can Sumi pull off fooling high society into thinking she’s a proper lady? Moreover, is it worth it to give everything up for this sham of a marriage?
My ramblings: I can’t emphasize enough just how good this series is. It definitely needs to be read by anyone who likes shojo manga! Sumi is a great heroine, and just look at Rinko Ueda’s art, it’s absolutely gorgeous! I’m so glad that Viz picked this up, and will definitely be buying it right when it comes out, job or no.

Flower in a Storm by: Shigeyoshi Takagi
Complete at 2 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 May 2010, Volume 2 August 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Love is like a storm. Riko Sassoku is trying to lead a normal high school life when Ran Tachibana bursts into her classroom carrying a gun and telling her that her life is now his. Ran, the richest, most powerful 17-year-old in Japan wants her as his wife, and he’s not taking no for an answer! If Ran can’t capture her by five o’clock the next day, he’ll give up on her, but he has all that money can buy at his disposal. However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve–she has superpowers!
My ramblings: This is only a two-volume series, and it looks interesting. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested until I saw the cover for the first volume, and the art is just so nice, that I really hope the story is just as nice. The fact that the heroine has super powers is kind of interesting, but I’m not sure how it’s going to play out in only 2 volumes, and I have a feeling it might be kind of rushed.

Songs and Laughter (Boku ga Utau to Kimi wa Warau kara) by: Natsuki Takaya
My Song, Your Smile, Just Because is listed as the title in this Press Release and says title subject to change and Amazon first listed it as Songs and Laughter but now as Songs to Make You Smile, so I’m not sure what the official title is yet. EDIT: Tokyopop said they’re still working on the title.
Complete at 1 volume
US publisher: Tokyopop
May 2010
Price: US $12.99
From the publisher: TOKYOPOP presents MY SONG, YOUR SMILE, JUST BECAUSE: STORIES FROM THE CREATOR OF FRUITS BASKET, filled with unforgettable tales from Takaya-sensei, including a side story to TSUBASA: THOSE WITH WINGS.
My ramblings: Another of Tokyopop’s Natsuki Takaya offerings trying to ride on the coat-tails of Fruits Basket, this time it’s a collection of one-shots. I know there’s a Tsubasa: Those With Wings side story, but past that I’m not sure what is included in this volume. I’m not really a huge fan of earlier Takaya art (her new/Hoshi wa Utau art is so much nicer), so I’m not sure if I’ll pick this up, though the Tsubasa: Those With Wings side story is rather tempting.

Fairy Navigator Runa (Yokai Navi Runa) by: Miyoko Ikeda and Michiyo Kikuta
Ongoing with 3+ volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 May 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: As a baby, Runa Rindô was left in front of a school for foster children, wearing a mysterious pendant. Now she’s in fourth grade and strange things are starting to happen around her. It’s only a matter of time before she discovers her secret powers—and her quest as the Legendary Fairy Child begins!
My ramblings: I have an old issue of Nakayoshi with this in it somewhere and I have some furoku for the series as well, which makes me want to try it out (a silly reason I know), but I haven’t really heard much about the series. The summary sounds rather all over the place, but I’m hoping that it’s not as crazy as it sounds. I’d like to try it, but I’m not completely sure yet. EDIT: Amazon is now listing the title as Fairy Navigator Runa, which is also the title on the cover Del Rey put up on their site.

Library Wars: Love and War (Toshokan Sensou: Love and War) by: Hiro Arakawa and Kiiro Yumi
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 June 2010, Volume 2 September 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From mangaupdates.com: During the 31st year of Seika, the battle between the Library Force and the Media Improvement Committee reached a new level of violence. Each group has armed itself for either the freedom of expression or the “protection” of society from the bad influences of media. Kasahara Iku joins the Library Force with the intent of finding her “Prince” who helped her during a censorship exercise by the Media Improvement Committee and with her strong will of protecting books.
My ramblings: I am a huge fan of the Library Wars series, and the fact that even just the shojo version of the manga has been licensed is a huge plus (and heck, it’s the shojo manga version!)! The only thing that would make this better is if the novels were licensed too (here’s looking at you, Viz/Haikasoru). This is a definite purchase for me, but I have an unfortunate feeling it will only do well with people who are already familiar with the series.

Here I Am! (Koko ni Iru Yo!) by: Ema Toyama
Complete at 5 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 August 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $10.99) EDIT: amazon is now listing this as US $16.99, with 496 pages, which would make it an omnibus with an unknown number of volumes included.
From the publisher: Hikage Sumino is shy and insecure about herself. Due to her introverted personality, she has a tough time making friends and spends most of her time alone. The only place Hikage feels comfortable expressing herself is on her blog. She has two friends online who support her emotionally. One day a popular male student, Hinata confesses his romantic interest to Hikage. As she grows closer to Hinata, Hikage starts to gain confidence. Will Hinata help Hikage overcome her insecurities and blossom into the person she always wanted to be?
My ramblings: From what I know of the premise of this series, it’s somewhat like Kimi ni Todoke. Hopefully it will be like Kimi ni Todoke in a good way, and be one of those series that just pulls at your heartstrings (again, in a good way). This is another series I haven’t heard too much about, but it looks like something I’d really enjoy and I’m hoping it’s as good as I expect it to be.

ARISA by: Natsumi Ando
Ongoing with 3+ volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 October 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: Next fall, we’ll have another new title from the author of Kitchen Princess! Twin sisters Arisa and Tsubasa are separated by their parent’s divorce. The twins secretly exchange letters with each other during their separation. They are finally united after three years and Arisa asks Tsubasa to pretend to be her and spend a day in her school just for fun. At school everyone seems very nice to Tsubasa (who is pretending to be Arisa) and everything seems normal… until she finds a strange note in her sister’s shoe locker. When Tsubasa hands over the letter to Arisa, Arisa tries to kill herself by jumping out of a window. Arisa survives but remains in a coma. The letter read, “Arisa is a traitor.” After her sister’s suicide attempt Tsubasa is determined to unravel the mystery behind the letter and her sister’s suicide attempt so she continues to go to school as Arisa. Will she find out who sent the note and why it had such an effect on Arisa?
My ramblings: Natsumi Ando has a great record with manga, and I know this will be another big hit for her here in North America. This is certainly not a series I would give to a child, but it’s one that I don’t think shojo fans should miss. It’s one of the hot series in Nakayoshi right now, and there is certainly a reason for that (well, apart from the fact that it’s sort of riding on Kitchen Princess‘s coat-tails), it’s really a great intriguing series!

Grand Guignol Orchestra (Guignol Kyuutei Gakudan) by: Kaori Yuki
Ongoing with 3+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 October 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From myanimelist.net: The beautiful singer Lucille and his orchestra invite you to the city of fear where puppets hunt down humans. The puppets are playing an oratorio of magic and illusions!
My ramblings: This is Kaori Yuki’s newest series (it’s only up to 3 volumes in Japan right now), and I think it will be a definite buy for any fans of either her or just gothic manga in general. Her art is always so gorgeous and detailed and her stories are usually fairly complex. From what I’ve seen of this particular series, it’s just as grotesquely beautiful as her previous series, and there’s actually a little bit of gender bending if I remember correctly. Again, a great asset to the Shojo Beat family.

Wild @ Heart (Wild Damon) by: Natsumi Ando
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Omnibus October 2010
Price:  US $21.99
From myanimelist.net: A girl’s life s going to change because of her father who is an explorer. He always bring her presents and this time he brought a boy that he found living in a jungle and took him home. Now she has to take care of him and guide him as he tries to adapt to the city life.
My ramblings: I’m a little worried about this early work by Kitchen Princess and Zodiac P.I. author Natsumi Ando, since Amazon originally had it listed as just the first volume, but now lists it as Wild @ Heart 1/2/3 (though I certainly don’t mind omnibus versions, it’s a little strange) and it isn’t available for pre-order (though it is a little early) It’s now available for pre-order on Amazon (here). But hopefully Del Rey pulls through (I expect them too, since Kitchen Princess seems to be a big seller for them and they picked up ARISA just recently also; and now that I think about it, they may be releasing this later to go with the release of ARISA, which is not a bad idea.) and we’ll get this early Ando work sometime next year.

Nice to Meet You, Kamisama (Kami-sama Hajimemashita) by: Julietta Suzuki
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 November 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From ANN: Nanao Momozono suddenly becomes homeless after her dad disappeared and left a huge debt behind, which forced her to leave the apartment. On the street Nanao rescues a strange man from a dog. To thank her, he gives her his house, which proves to be a run-down shrine, inhabited by a hostile fox-eared young man. Confused and tired with no other place to go to, she decides to stay, but this proves to be more difficult than expected…
My ramblings: If the press surrounding Karakuri Odette is any indication, Viz’s decision to pick this title up from the same artist was a fantastic one (bet they’re kicking themselves over not getting Karakuri Odette too). The premise behind this series looks rather interesting to me, and I can’t wait to read it. If this is half as good as Karakuri Odette is (I’ve only read the preview on Tokyopop’s site, but it was really good), then this series should be another hit.

Now, we’re supposed to pack a lunch, but I still haven’t gotten to that.  No, in fact the question that kept me awake last night was, “What books should I bring?” 

Books.  as in plural.  for a day trip.  LOL.

So, after much deliberation, here’s what I think I’ve settled on:

The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle Chestnut by Paul Nowak ~ This is an ARC-alanche pile resident, and about 100 pages, so I should be able to get through it today.

Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle by Nan Marino ~ I’ve been dying to get to this book but haven’t been able to because I was being “responsible” and reading books for blog tours.  Yay for beach days! (also and ARC-alanche resident)

Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon ~ This one is another ARC-alanche resident, and it’s a book of short stories about crazy talking animals living together in a city of their own the jungle.  Sounds fun!

Home Repair by Liz Rosenberg ~ another ARC-alanche book, I’m on page 60 and getting ready to meet Jonah.

Fruits Basket, volume 3 by Natsuki Takaya ~ Yes, Maggie’s MAKING ME TAKE IT!  lol…

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Books that almost made it in my bag were The Rapture by Liz Jensen (thought it’d make me look good with church people.. ) and Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper (I really, REALLY want to read it!)

I’ll blog if I was overly optimistic when I get home, but now I must hurry and make my lunch!

No, not that kind

Q: So Matt, word on the street is you read Fruits Basket volume one. How was it?

A: The streets don’t lie Matt. It was enjoyable. It follows the adventures of a high school girl named Tohru Honda as she adjusts to life after her mom dies.

Q: Oooooo that sounds sad. Was it sad?

A: Not really actually. She’s really cheerful and optimistic all the time. She also moves in with the Sohma family and they are all quirky.They get into all kinds of trouble together.

Q: So it’s more of a comedy series?

A: Yes. It’s more of a makes you smile with their whacky antics, as opposed to laughing out loud funny. It’s silly and fun.

Q: Do you plan on reading the next volume?

A: I’ve already started the second. One of my friends lent me twenty or so of them. Expect to see a lot more of Fruits Basket on the site.

Q: Boy, that sure was nice of her to lend you all of those.

A: Hey! How did you know it was a her?

Q: …

A: Well, until next time manga fans, may the spirit of the Great Lincoln watch over you.

Ramblings:
As I’m guessing some of you can tell, the cover for this volume is very new Natsuki Takaya (more like the end of Furuba, Hoshi wa Utau than her earlier works). But what’s inside is most definitely an older work (seriously, you could cut yourself on some of the noses when you see a person’s profile and not head-on). I honestly adore the cover, I kind of wish she had redrawn the whole series, even though I know that’s completely impossible. xD

Most, though not all, of the problems I have with this volume are things Tokyopop did (as usual). There were multiple copy editing errors that just pissed me off. It’s really, really not that hard to copy edit (some of my friends and I did it for our high school newspaper staff and we generally had less errors than this volume had), so it just pisses me off that they would do something so easily fixed.

There were also a few cases where random things were left untranslated (not like sound effects, I honestly don’t care about them), but like little maps and things that weren’t really terribly important, but for some reason they just decided to not translate. :/ Along with that there were a few places where I noticed text in the wrong spot (like there was a place cleared where it was obviously supposed to be, but that’s not where it was) and also a few places where you could see the original Japanese text under the English, which is just lazyness. Seriously I have seen way better scanlations than some of this volume.

Last non-art/story-related thing, (that I’m almost positive was a printer error and not necessarily Tokyopop’s fault) there was a random page in the volume that was too small for the rest of the book. I don’t really know how to explain it (and I can’t take a picture right now), but it was really, really super weird. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered this problem with any book before…

Ok, I realize that I’ve made this book sound terrible, but I promise it really was not that bad! xD The story did get off to a slow start and I put it down a few times which doesn’t normally happen (granted it’s like 400 pages and technically two volumes in one). Once I picked it back up though, I was pretty much completely engrossed in it. :] By the end of the  volume I was so upset that it was over and I have to wait until August the get the next volume. Like I said earlier, it’s really obvious that this is an earlier work for Takaya; but it’s still nowhere the worst art I’ve ever seen.

Overall I really did like this volume and will absolutely get the next volume (and as long as Tokyopop doesn’t go under before then the last one too). Other than the art, and slow beginning to the story, the only problems I had with the whole thing were things that could be fixed by the editiorial staff (which isn’t going to happen at Tokyopop, but that’s not exactly the point). As bad as I probably made the book sound, I really would suggest this to people. At $14.99 for what is technically the first two volumes of the series in one (for some reason Tokyopop is releasing the newer bunko version of the series so there are 3 and not 6 volumes total coming out), it really is a great deal.

Norma Editorial ha licenciado este manga de la autora Natsuki Takaya, conocida por sus trabajos en Fruits Baskets y Tsubasa (no RC sino a secas). Se llamará la melodia de las estrellas y en Japón lleva un total de 4 tomos, estando el 5 próximamente a la venta.

Sakuya fue abandonada por sus padres y se va a vivir con su primo Kanade. El día de su cumpleaños, Sakuya regresa a casa, donde Kanade le había preparado una pequeña fiesta. Pero Kanade no estaba solo.. entonces Saku conoce a un chico. ¿Quién será este misterioso chico?

El manga ya puedes encontrarlo fansubeado por Menudo Fansub, del cuál os hablaré un dia, y que, en lo personal me encanta.

Me he enterado via http://www.misiontokyo.com

Walentynki – chyba najbardziej irytujące mnie święto. Do tego jeszcze ta pogoda…

Ech, nie wiem co mnie naszło ostatnio. Jestem jakaś taka dziwnie zdołowana ;( Chyba ten śnieg wyciąga ze mnie resztki energii do życia. Coraz częściej siadam do gitary i gram jakieś smęty… Proszę! Potrzebuję słońca, a zamiast wiosny, za oknem robi się jeszcze większa zima :/

Dla poprawy humoru stwierdziłam, że sobie poczytam. Zważając jednak na moją małą dostępność do wolnego czasu, postanowiła, że większość mang, o które zahaczę będzie oneshotami :)

Oto mała prezentacja z czym miałam ostatnio styczność – naprawdę większość jest prawdziwie godna polecenia ^^ Zapraszam!

Brilliant Magic skończyłam już jakiś czas temu, ale pomyślałam, że może warto by o niej wspomnieć. Jest to historia o licealistce, która wygląda bardzo dziecinnie (co ją oczywiście denerwuje), ale z pomocą makijażu wykonanego przez jej szkolnego kolegę Atsukiego, przemienia się w śliczną kobietę ^^ Następnie pojawia się super przystojny model Kyo i nie pozostaje nam nic innego jak gładko przejść przez 3 tomy tej serii, aby przekonać się jak to wszystko się skończy. Seria jest naprawdę ładnie narysowana (śliczne oczy ^^), a historia rzeczywiście jest romantyczna i potrafi wciągnąć. W skali na MALu dałam jej 6/10, ponieważ działałam pod wpływem wrednego impulsu jako, że główna bohaterka nie wybrała tego chłopaka jakiego sobie życzyłam. Teraz myślę, że mogłabym podciągnąć ocenę o oczko wyżej bo zdenerwowanie mi przeszło i patrzę na całość już bardziej na trzeźwo ;)

Niezły, typowy romansik – zasługuje na uwagę ^^

Dogimagi! to przeuroczy i zabawny oneshot, którego czytanie sprawiło mi ogromną radochę! xD Jak się nie zakochać w historyjce, gdzie dziwna dziewczyna spada z nieba wprost na rozmarzonego Yamato i oznajmia, że zgubiła swojego zwierzaczka? Chłopak postanawia jej pomóc w odszukaniu pociechy, ale największym problemem tej dwójki jest to, że nie mają pojęcia jakim typem zwierzęcia jest tajemniczy Sanpei :) Zakończenie jest bardzo zaskakujące, a cała opowieść śliczna i słodka!

Zdecydowanie polecam!

Hitomi kara Destiny to kolejny z zaliczonej przeze mnie serii oneshotów. Główna bohaterka, Umi, była kiedyś bardzo chorowitą osóbką. Kiedy pewnego razu z powodu przeciągłej gorączki znalazła się w krytycznym stanie i wszyscy pogodzili się już z jej śmiercią, okazało się, że mała cudownie wyzdrowiała, a na jej czole pojawiło się wyglądające jak gwiazdka znamię. Teraz ma 16 lat i marzy o spotkaniu swojej miłości. Czy uda jej się zdobyć swojego ukochanego, a najważniejsze to jak zareaguje kiedy się dowie co stało za jej nagłym ozdrowieniem? ;) Bardzo, bardzo dobry romansik z tchnieniem magii. Neo-sama jest prze fajnym charakterkiem, Umi łatwo polubić i nie brakuje zabawnych momentów :]

Trzeba przeczytać ^^

Holiday, czyli kolejna jedno rozdziałowa historia ^^ Yuki, nasza bohaterka, uważa, że nie jest słodką osoba. Często chodzi do salonów piękności bo w końcu chce się podobać innym, ale jedyne co osiąga to śmiech Koudaia – jej przyjaciela z dzieciństwa. Czy uda się tej dwójce w końcu dojść do porozumienia? Nie podobała mi się za bardzo kreska tej mangi – jest jakaś taka dziwna. Co do reszty to nie zachwyca. W moich oczach seria ta jest takim sobie, zwykłym, romansowym przeciętniaczkiem.

Nie skłaniam do czytania.

Kaze no Yubiwa to Hikari no Udewa – główna bohaterka tego oneshotu, to dziewczyna, która posiada magiczną moc, ale nie może z niej sama korzystać, a jedynie przekazać innej osobie obdarzonej talentem magicznym. Moc ta zostaje zapieczętowana przez jej nauczyciela, a ona wyrusza w podróż żeby zdjąć bransoletę i pierścień, które blokują jej siłę. Po drodze spotyka dwóch chętnych do pomocy czarodziejów, jednakże będą musieli sobie oni zasłużyć na zaufanie nowo poznanej dziewczyny, która nienawidzi osób z magicznym darem. Zabawna i dynamiczna historia skutecznie trzyma nas przy ekranie, a lekkie romansowe dodatki dopełniają obraz :) Bohaterów zaś są po prostu świetni!

Baaardzo polecam – ja byłam zachwycona ^^

Mamotte! Lollipop jak i druga część Modette! Mamotte! Lollipop to historia o Ninie, która zwierzyła się kiedyś swoim koleżankom ze swego ideału faceta – ma być przystojny, miły i musi potrafić ją obronić. Traf sprawia, że połyka tego dnia dziwną kuleczkę będącą w rzeczywistością głównym elementem testu magicznego. Zaczynają ją ścigać przeróżni czarodzieje chcąc zdobyć magiczny artefakt, a dwóch z nich Zero i Ichi przysięgają, że będą ją bronić nawet za cenę życia. Tym sposobem znalazła swój ideał chłopaka… tylko którego wybrać??? xD Jestem pod wielkim urokiem tej pozycji. Jest okropnie słodka, przeurocza i jako jedna z niewielu w ostatnim czasie potrafiła naprawdę mnie zainteresować swoim wątkiem romantycznym :)

Jeżeli słodkość Ci nie przeszkadza to śmiało bierz się za tą serię ^^

Pita-Ten – chłopiec Kotarou Higuchi właśnie zdobył nową sąsiadkę, co więcej przyrzeka ona, że będzie go za wszelką cenę chronić. Okazuje się, że jest ona aniołem, który dopiero od niedawna przebywa na Ziemi, a co za tym idzie – przysparza więcej kłopotów niż ich rozwiązuje ^^ Większa cześć tej mangi wydaje się jakby nie miała ze sobą zbyt wiele wspólnego oprócz bohaterów. Z postaci to tak naprawdę polubiłam tylko Ayanokoujiego – reszta wydawała mi się zwyczajnie dziwna. Całość narysowana jest ładną, ale specyficzną kreską.

Można po nią sięgnąć, ale szczerze mówiąc dopiero od ok. 30 rozdziału poczułam prawdziwą chęć poznania co będzie dalej bo wcześniej czytało mi się bardzo opornie.

Shoujo Eve Ringo Jikake no 24 jii jest oneshotem od mojej ulubionej Ariny Tanemury, więc nie mogłam go sobie oczywiście odpuścić ^^ Opowiada on o Eve, której życie zostało zrujnowane przez jej urodę. Jest piękna, ale jednocześnie inni ludzie się od niej odsuwają – osądzają książkę po okładce. Dziewczyna także pragnie zdobyć miłość i ma nadzieję, że jej klasowy kolega odwzajemni jej uczucia. Czy jednak tak się stanie, skoro ciągle kręci się koło niej najprzystojniejszy chłopak w szkole, Kashii, prosząc by w końcu zgodziła się z nim chodzić bo trudno o bardziej dobraną i piękną parę? ;) To było śliczne! Prawdziwie śliczne ^^ Arinacchi ma niesamowity talent to tworzenia przepięknych historii! Kreska ładna jak zawsze, a losy Eve urocze ^^

Must read dla wszystkich fanów Pani Tanemury… dla innych zresztą też xD

Hoshi wa Utau – przyznaję, że za tą serię zabrałam się tylko dlatego, że jest dziełem Natsuki Takayi – autorki mojego ukochanego Fruits Basket ^^ Sakuya to nieśmiała, opuszczona przez rodziców dziewczyna, mieszkająca u swojego dalekiego krewnego, lubiąca patrzeć w gwiazdy. Razem z dwójką swoich przyjaciół prowadzi szkolny klub, podczas którego uczestniczy obserwują niebo. W swoje urodziny spotyka tajemniczego chłopaka Chihiro, który wzbudza w niej ogromne zainteresowanie z powodu otaczającej go aury tajemniczości. Wydaje się on świetnie rozumieć jej problemy, ale znika wkrótce po dziwnym spotkaniu… Moim zdaniem seria ta jest bardzo podobna (a jednocześnie sporo się różni ;]) do Furuby – można nawet zauważyć pewne analogie pomiędzy poszczególnymi bohaterami tych dwóch mang. Kreska jak zwykle nie zawodzi, a postacie potrafią wzbudzić w nas współczucie i sympatię równie dobrze jak znana nam już rodzinka Souma ^^

Dla maniakalnych fanów Furuby (jak ja ;P) pozycja obowiązkowa, zaś reszta może mieć okazję zakochać się w dziełach Pani Takayi właśnie poprzez tą opowieść o dziewczynie szukającej pociechy w gwiazdach ^^

Koko ni Iru yo! to tytuł, który wzbudził we mnie spore poruszenie ze względu na swoją tematykę. Opowiada on o niezauważanej przez nikogo, niepozornej Sumino, która potrafi się otworzyć tylko przed swoimi przyjaciółmi poznanymi poprzez blog, który dziewczyna prowadzi. Jednak pewnego dnia słyszy z ust jednego z dwójki najpopularniejszych chłopaków w szkole, że wcale nie jest taka niewidzialna jak jej się wydaje. Spokojny i uprzejmy Hinata i sprawiający wrażenie “cool” Teru, wywrą spory wpływ na jej życie, ale kto okaże się tym, który od dawna wspierał ją poprzez komentarze na jej stronie? Odkąd przed wczoraj przeczytałam wszystkie dostępne rozdziały jestem zakochana – sama prowadzę blog i wiem jakie to uczucie, kiedy nieznające Cie osoby piszę, że wykonuje się naprawdę dobrą robotę, dlatego potrafię zrozumieć Sumino. Okrutnie wciągnęłam się w historię, a czekanie na kolejny rozdział to katorga! Pośród wszystkich plusów jakie widzę w tej serii jest tylko jeden minus, mianowicie jest za mało Teru! Jest on moją ulubioną postacią, a pojawia się tak rzadko ;(

Teoretycznie typowa historia miłosna, a jednak z bardzo niekonwencjonalnym podejściem do tematu. Potrafi niezwykle oczarować ^^

Tonari no Inuyama-kun to już ostatnia na dziś pozycja. Mówi ona o Kokoro, która będąc małą dziewczynką była zamieszana w tragiczny wypadek. Uratował ją pewien nieznajomy chłopak jednak nie może mu ona podziękować, ponieważ po tym wszystkim jedyne co pamiętała to jego plecy ze szramą przez nie biegnącą . Aktualnie do jej klasy przeniesiono pewnego nowego ucznia, który wydaje się dość dziwny, a co gorsza to ona ma się nim “zaopiekować”. Przypomina on jej trochę swojego bohatera z dzieciństwa, ale dziewczynie nie chce się w to wierzyć, co więcej ostatnio Shun – idol wszystkich dziewczyn w szkole, zaczął okazywać jej niezwykłe zainteresowanie… Kreska wpadła mi w oko, ale na całości się niestety zawiodłam. Okazało się, że wszystko było jakby zbyt nieprzemyślane, a wątki zostały pochopnie rozwiązane.

Do przeczytania, ale pośpieszne zakończenie może trochę wkurzyć.

I to by było na tyle – mam nadzieję, że pomogłam wam wybrać coś, co może stanie się waszym krótkim acz skutecznym lekarstwem na zimową chandrę równie dobrze jak podziałało na mnie ^^

Cheers! :*

Here’s a small peek at what new series the future holds.  Follow this format guide:

Title by Author – Publisher (Specific date)

Anything unknown is omitted. Purple indicates yaoi titles.

January

Phantom Dream (vol.1) by Natsuki Takaya – TOKYOPOP (Jan 1)

Desire:  Dangerous Feelings – June (Jan 13)

Momo Tama (vol.1) by Chrono Nanae – TOKYOPOP (Jan 13)

Tricky Prince by Yukari Hashida – June (Jan 13)

Togainu no Chi (vol.1) by Chayamachi Suguro – TOKYOPOP

February

The Way to Heaven by Yamimaru Enjin – June (Feb 11)

March

Utahime the Songstress by Aki – DMP (Mar 25

May

Nabari no Ou (vol.1) by Yuhki Kamatani – Yen Press

I think Natsuki Takaya sensei draws this manga so that we get a real deep comprehension of hard work. Every little thing we do deserve compliment. And on the contrary, everyone should give compliment to other. It makes them feel better.
In this story, the compliment comes from a stranger. It’s amazing how a stranger understand us so much. He’s been giving something that even family can’t do.

Please visit divine sanctuary for download.

My Rating:

The Shoma family has a cruse that transform into an animal from the Chinese Zodiac when a member of the opposite gender touched or when they are under a lot of stressed. Little do they know that a young girl Tohru Honda is about it enter Shoma family live and change them in one way or another. Tohru Honda, dad and mom had passed away leavening her lone with her two friend and her grandpa from her dad side of the family to care for. One day Tohru grandpa tells her that the house will be made to fixed to fit his daughter family and them as well. So what is a girl to do with the house is benign work on. Tohru go’s live in the woods in a tent for a month. But little do’s Tohru know that she living on Shoma land. Then Tohru see a house were she meet Prince Yuki, his cousin Shugray. Yuki and Tohru walk to school trouble happen for the fan of Prince Yuki give Tohru a hard time from that point on. Tohru fine that she get to live in the same house as them one the consigns that she keep their secrete witch she do’s. More Shoma pop up, and they also are Chinese Zodiac boys and girl to make a story short, is that there is more to this curse that they haven’t tell Tohru yet. This anime has a lot of comedy I just couldn‘t stop laughing, Tohru has no idea what she got into. But their more to her then she then meets the eye.

Fruits Basket Characters List

Now, Tohru understand why Yuki Sohma, her classmates is so secretive and closed. Yuki is possesed by rat spirit.He lives in very tense surrounding, thanks to Akito Sohma, the family head. Tohru also make good friends with Kyo Sohma, who’s been possesed by cat. Soon, love grows between the 3 of them.

Fruit basket ends in volume 23.You can find it in youth scanlation

My rating:

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya is my all-time favorite manga series. It is an excellent example of a Shoujo series (comics marketed towards females) and it is rated T (age 13+.) Tohru Honda is a high school girl with a serious case of optimism. This is actually quite a good thing, as it gets her through all of the trials she encounters. Well, her extreme friendliness helps, too. After her mother dies and she is left on her own, Tohru encounters the mysterious Sohma family who have a strange connection with the Chinese zodiac. The Sohmas offer Tohru a place to stay in exchange for household chores (which they are terrible at, and she is really good at.) How exactly are their fates intertwined? Only time will tell, but there seems to be a romantic triangle developing already in book one.

The quality and style of art can vary from manga artist to manga artist. Natsuki Takaya’s art is just the kind that I love to see. It can go from being incredibly detailed in one panel to much simpler for fight scenes, and it still looks great. The storyline is already full of magic, mystery, and a bit of romance here in book one. I have read most of the series before, but having just re-read book 1, I’m thinking that I should go back and read the rest. In case you are interested, this very popular series has also been made into an anime. I’ve seen several episodes of that anime, and I really enjoyed it. One of these days, I’ll actually get around to buying the whole thing.

So, have you read Fruits Basket? Do you like it as much as I do?

Haven’t read this manga? Why not place a hold on a copy?

Author/Artist: Natsuki Takaya

Publisher: Chuang Yi

Date Published: 1999

Volumes: 23

Fruits Basket is the story of Tohru Honda, a high school girl who’s mother has recently died. Through a series of events she comes to live in the house of her classmate, the mysterious Yuki Sohma. Inevitably she accidentally finds out the Sohma’s family secret – the Sohma’s are cursed by the Zodiac. 12 members of the family at any given time are possessed by the Zodiac animal spirits and transform when hugged by the opposite gender…

A quirky premise for a quirkily named series (yes the spelling is correct). I bought the first volume when I was on holiday and I needed something to read.

Fruits Basket starts out pretty bad. The drawing is just passable, the cover art is substandard, the layout is hard to understand at times and the author feels the need to tell us what games she is currently playing in the a side column. It is full of manga cliches – the boys are feminine and pretty, everyone has massive eyes and abstract hairstyles, and not a single person looks Japanese let alone remotely asian despite being set in modern Japan. At one point I was considering not continuing the series. But having read the entire story I am very grateful I pressed on.

Its not just because Natsuki Takaya fixes the majority of the issues stated above as the story progresses (by the end of the series the drawings are acute and beautiful). Its because Fruits Basket is a rare, rough diamond. It may not be perfect, but it has something invaluable that so many authors fail to achieve - you cannot help but care about the characters. It digs its little hooks in and they don’t let you go until you finish reading the story about Tohru Honda. It’s an almost baffling experience being manipulated into caring so much.

Takaya has a wonderful ability to tell a story with a main cast of at least 12 characters without repeating story lines, trivialising issues, losing her plot lines or making characters similar. Every character has detailed histories, traits and psychological issues. She also has the ability to make you hate a character so badly, then while slowly unravelling their story, make you suddenly understand and care about them. In contrast to that, Takaya also creates a main character that is near perfect  – she is forgiving, loving and compassionate. The modern audience generally dislikes good characters or characters who are not ‘realistic’ (aka selfish). Yet it was impossible for me to dislike Tohru, Takaya convinces her audience that Tohru just is that way. Given all the antiheroes and flawed characters lately, Tohru is a breath of fresh air.

Though the storyline does get heavy on the angst and drama sometimes (I would not suggest reading the entire series at once) there is a lot of humour, silliness, randomness and ‘what the hell’ moments (for instance they don’t seem to care that some of the zodiacs have sexual relationships even though they are blood related). While reading the series I have laughed and even teared up a little at times. Though I am not usually a fan of the drama genre, it was a joy to read the way everything built up yet unravelled at the same time.

I would definitely suggest that those experienced with Manga read this series if they haven’t already. It may be a little ‘hardcore’ for those who are new to Manga though. Yet the issues and messages in Fruits Basket are universal, regardless of the experience of the reader – in that sense it has the chance to be enjoyed even by those who are dismissive of Manga and Graphic Novels. In the end Fruits Basket succeeds because it is heartfelt and honest which is a beautiful and rare accomplishment.

♥♥♥♥ - 4/5

Fruits Basket also known as Furuba to fans is an awesome manga in my opinion. The story and art is done by a female mangaka, under the pen name, Natsuki Takaya. And somehow she even manages to keep her real name a secret from the public in in this day and age. I mean wiki doesn’t even know.

The title of the manga comes from a game that Japanese children play. In the book the main character Honda Tohru plays the game in kindergarten. She was named the onigiri (rice ball) while all the other kids were types of fruit. A rice ball does not belong in a basket of fruit. This theme of not belonging continues throughout the manga.

At the beginning of the manga, Tohru’s mother has just died and she’s living in a tent (of all places). Eventually she comes to live with members of the Sohma family who are under a curse that makes them turn into animals when hugged, or at least very close contact, by the opposite sex. Of course this causes difficulty and hilarious scenes.

Its not the art or even the storyline that makes it one of the best manga. Its the emotion that the characters feel and the emotion that it makes the reader feel. The characters undergo so much change and slowly grow into better people in a way that the reader can understand. The reader can watch the characters grow up. The readers see some of the characters over their entire life spans while others are seen from middle school through high school and everyone knows how much people change during this time. Often the What causes them pain would cause the reader pain as well. We can all understand not fitting in. We can feel for characters that lose parents, fall in love, and who don’t fit in at home or with peers. These are some of the things we go through ourselves and we like to know its okay to feel that way. This manga was one of the most touching I’ve ever read and I’ve read quite a few. I recommend this manga for anyone who wants to read a romantic- comedy with the hardships of life that is a bit fantastical. I mean no one really turns into the animals of the zodiac when hugged or do they?

Fruits Basket is both funny and sad, and painful and enjoyable just like life. What is one of your favorite manga? How does it make you feel?

Kagehime

Moving rapidly onwards, I’ve recently got into manga. For those peeps who don’t know, manga is a kind of Japanese cartoon that is popular in England and America too. Terri recently gave me a birthday present (my birthday was in July but never mind!), a manga book called Fruits Basket, by Natsuki Takaya, since we both like drawing manga but haven’t really read much. I really liked it and bought the second one which I finished about four hours ago. After Googling the writer (Natsuki Takaya) I found out that we are very similar and our birthdays are both 7th July!

 Sorry, but I have to go now. Seeya later alligator!

Ele

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