Month: January 2023

Manga Monday: Lightning and Romance, Vol. 1

Series: Lightning and Romance
Author/Artist: Rin Mikimoto
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: February 1, 2022
Received: NetGalley

Has anybody else been searching for a sweet new romantic manga to dive into? My latest search brought me to Lightning and Romance, Vol. 1, written and illustrated by Rin Mikimoto (the creator who brought readers Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight and Kira-Kun Today).

Like many high-school students, Sumire can’t stop thinking about romance. More specifically, she wants to find herself in the center of a romantic story. Yet she’s never had the chance, and her latest seatmate seems to have made this possibility even less likely if that is possible.

Leo Ninomiya is currently back in high school. A fact that shouldn’t seem all that out of the ordinary, except that he’s twenty years old and rumored to be connected to a criminal organization. The scar doesn’t help.

Um. Hrm. Okay, so we have a budding romance between a high-school teen and a twenty-year-old guy? The age difference isn’t huge, but it is still pretty uncomfortable. I just couldn’t shake that feeling, even though I did try really hard to enjoy Lightning and Romance, Vol. 1.

Part of the problem is that Leo’s arc felt so moody and serious, while Sumire’s story arc felt so light and fluffy, very much following a traditional high-school girl story. The two don’t mesh, so seeing them as romantic partners was challenging.

Perhaps Lightning and Romance, Vol. 1 would have been a bit more enjoyable had half the story not been intentionally obfuscated from the reader’s view. I know it was meant to build drama, but all it did was distance us from the characters.

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Manga Monday: With You and the Rain Vol. 1

Series: With You and the Rain
Author/Artist: Ko Kidaido
Publisher: Kodansha
Released: November 23, 2021
Received: NetGalley

I was immediately drawn to With You and the Rain Vol. 1, as the art style, subject, and title all seemed endearing and cute. You guys know how much of a sucker I am for emotional manga reads!

How does the saying go? “If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck.” Well, that may be true now and then, but sometimes that duck is a goose. Err… we should probably take a few steps back here.

A woman comes across a strange little creature and decides it is a stray dog that needs rescuing. Despite all signs to the contrary, she continues to believe that this cutie is a dog. What follows is a strange and humorous series of events.

Okay, so the core concept for With You and the Rain Vol. 1 is actually really cute and funny. An oblivious woman owning a pet that is very much not a dog – hilarious, right? And for the most part, it is.

With You and the Rain Vol. 1 is mostly a collection of short stories based on this foundation. There are lots of little vignettes and interactions, none of which are really connected to each other. While entertaining, it made for a rather shallow read. There was so much potential here, and we barely scraped the surface.

I still think With You and the Rain Vol. 1 is worth reading, especially if you enjoy the art style or sense of humor.

Thanks to Kodansha and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Manga Monday: The Dawn of the Witch Vol. 1

Series: The Dawn of the Witch
Artist: Tatsuwo
Creator: Kakeru Kobashiri
Character Design: Takashi Iwasaki
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: March 23, 2021
Received: NetGalley

It’s that time again! My latest read for Manga Monday is The Dawn of the Witch Vol. 1, another comic from Kodansha. The thing I love about Kodansha Comics is that there is a wide variety of stories and plots to choose from. Sometimes they work out – other times they don’t.

Saybil may not have any memories of his past, but he does have magic, and that’s got to count for something, right? He travels the world with his teacher, Loux, Holt, and Kudo. They’re an odd group, given one of them is beastfallen. It’s not quite your ordinary field trip!

Eh, I’ve got to say that The Dawn of the Witch Vol. 1 was not my cup of tea. It had the markings of an interesting or fun series, but there were just too many elements that I didn’t enjoy. It made it impossible to get comfortable and enjoy the plot.

There’s a lot in this manga, and I don’t necessarily know if that’s a good thing. We’re thrown into the deep end, with lots of dense plots. But there’s no character development and even less reason to care about any of the characters.

Throw in a butt ton of fan service (pun intended, sorry), and it just failed to catch or hold my attention. Maybe the next series will do better!

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Manga Monday: My Master Has No Tail, Vol. 1

Series: My Mast Has No Tail
Author/Artist: T N S K
Translator: M. Fulcrum
Publisher: Kodansha
Released: December 7, 2021
Received: NetGalley

Time to try another manga series! This time I’m going to give My Master Has No Tail, Vol. 1. I’ve been feeling like I need something more humorous, and I’m really hoping My Master Has No Tail hits the spot.

Mameda is a tanuki, which basically means she’s a little raccoon dog that enjoys playing tricks on people. Unfortunately, she was born a few centuries too late, and humans have caught onto the usual tanuki tricks by this point.

Not that this stopped Mameda from trying. All this did was get her in trouble – and bring her to the feet of Bunko, a rakugo master whom Mameda is determined to learn from. Perhaps this is how she’ll find a new way to mess with people.

It’s very easy to get into the story of My Master Has No Tail, Vol. 1. It’s light, funny, and more than a little bit quirky. Mameda is not what I would call the brightest bulb in the bunch, but you’ve got to give her points for determination.

Overall, I would have to say that this was an interesting and entertaining read, though not one that I think I would pursue. I’m happy to have read the first volume, but I don’t feel like I need to keep reading to guess how the story continues.

Thanks to Kodansha and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Manga Monday: What Did You Eat Yesterday? Volume 1

Series: What Did You Eat Yesterday? #1
Author/Artist: Fumi Yoshinaga
Publisher: Vertical
Released: March 25, 2014
Received: NetGalley

Are you looking for a series that is original and yet utterly endearing? Consider trying What Did You Eat Yesterday?

Shiro Kakei and Kenji Yabuki are possibly the world’s sweetest couple. Shiro spends his days as a lawyer, looking forward to when he can get home to be with his boyfriend. Kenji is a salon stylist, perhaps the best fed stylist around.

You see, Shiro loves to cook and tests all his new recipes out on Kenji, who loves every minute of it.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? It is a complex and fascinating read. It has romance, food (naturally), and more. What I love about it is that it was realistic – tackling the real situations for an LGBT couple, including how the world might react to them.

It certainly made the story hit a little harder. I can see why it won an award (Manga Taisho Award). If you’re a foodie and want to see a story that blends this with romance, then you’ve got to check out What Did You Eat Yesterday?

Thanks to Vertical and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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