Tag: Net Galley

Review: Hella Chill Monsters, Vol. 1

Series: Hella Chill Monsters, Vol. 1
Author/Artist: Shuji Takeya
Publisher: Kodansha
Released: July 19, 2022
Received: NetGalley

Summary:

We’ve heard hundreds of variations of what the afterlife can bring us. Now it’s time to see a new take on Limbo, aka Limbo City. To some, it’s a perfectly fine way to spend eternity. For others, like Bonzo Scalobania, it can get quite dull.

Bonzo wants to become a famous skeleton detective, which is rather hard in a place where no murders can occur. Not much of anything happens around here, and it’s starting to get to Bonzo. But he’s determined to find a case (and some thrills) no matter what!

Review:

I’ll confess, I picked up Hella Chill Monsters, Vol. 1 because I loved the cover. The colors and characters looked so cute; I couldn’t resist! However, the story inside really does hold up. It’s fun and a bit chaotic but in the best way possible.

Bonzo’s character steals the show, as to be expected. However, several other delightful characters help to flesh out this world (pun not intended, but very much appreciated). Without them, I don’t think the overall message would have been nearly so heartwarming.

If you get the chance to pick up and read Hella Chill Monsters, Vol. 1, I would strongly recommend doing so. It is cute, endearing, and heartwarming, with a side of paranormal chaos. In short, it’s pretty perfect.

Highlights:

  • Chill monsters
  • Humor
  • Paranormal
  • Fantastic character names
  • Undead
  • Heartwarming

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

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

Review: Super Trash Cash

Author/Artist: Edgar Camacho
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Released: December 6, 2022
Received: NetGalley

Super Trash Cash is the perfect graphic novel for anybody who loves video game nostalgia. This series has many other core elements, such as friendship, familial bonds, and why we hold so tightly to the things we cherish as children.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this graphic novel. Mostly, the artwork caught my attention, but the plot quickly became the show’s star. Interestingly, this story ends up hitting hard emotionally. I feel like this is the tone many coming-of-age or reflective stories try to nail but miss. However, Super Trash Cash did it perfectly, with the side of a hilarious title to boot.

Overall, I enjoyed this relatively quick and emotional read, and I highly recommend it to anyone else.

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

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

Review: Skull Cat: Skull Cat and the Curious Castle

Author/Artist: Norman Shurtliff
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Released: February 14, 2023
Received: NetGalley

Throw cats into a graphic novel, and you know I will read it. Just sayin’. Skull Cat: Skull Cat and the Curious Castle is a short and sweet graphic novel created by Norman Shurtliff. It’s set in a fantastical world where vampires, monsters, and ghosts exist – as do talking cats. Naturally.

Scully the Cat is a sweet little boy (cat) trying to take care of his family. If he comes across an adventure worth bragging about, that’s all the better. He wants to become a hero someday, but for now, he’ll settle for being a gardener.

Why a gardener? That’s the job currently available to him, though the garden in question is set around a creepy castle that may or may not have a dark sorcerer trapped somewhere in the depths. Or so the legend goes.

The best part about Skull Cat: Skull Cat and the Curious Castle (other than our kitty protagonist) is that this story is perfect for any age. It’s not so spooky as to frighten young ones, but it is also not childish, making it a fun read for teens and adults. Basically, if you like magic, cats, and adventures, you’ll probably enjoy Skull Cat.

The artwork is another highlight of this graphic novel. Shurtliff uses purples and blues to provide shadow without eliminating a sense of color. And the characters are so stinking cute! Even the ones that have no right to be. I’m in love.

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

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

Review: Ashes

Artist/Author: Alvaro Ortiz
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Released: February 7, 2023
Received: NetGalley

Book Summary:

Who hasn’t dreamed of taking an epic road trip with their best friends? We’ve been told repeatedly that the right road trip can change our lives and forge new bonds of friendship. Well, can it reconnect old friendships? One group is about to find out.

Polly, Moho, and Piter used to be great friends. Now, not so much. Time and distance have changed all of that. But perhaps one epic road trip can help them come back together, even if there is a bit of drama.

My Review:

I’ll be honest with you here; I really didn’t know what to expect from Ashes. It looked like it would be such a fun read, and I’ve been trying to be better about reading translated works lately (there are SO many gems out there!).

Naturally, my lack of expectations meant I was pretty blindsided by how intense and emotional this read it. Think about any faded friendship you’ve had – there are a lot of complex emotions wrapped up in those memories, right? Consider that emotional mess the foundation of a graphic novel, and you’ll have a better idea of where Ashes starts.

From there, it turns into so much more as these three friends tackle death, the nature of forgiveness and understand what friendship means to them. I love that each of the characters gets a chance to show their backstory – including the monkey! That was a cute surprise, if I may say so.

Highlights

  • Spanish comic
  • Friendship
  • Emotional
  • Road trip
  • Surprise monkey

Trigger Warnings

  • Car accident

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

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

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.

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

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.

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

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.

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

0

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.

0

Manga Monday: Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1

Series: Lovesick Ellie #1
Author/Artist: Fujimomo
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: November 28, 2017
Received: NetGalley

Apparently, I’ve been on a bit of a romance binge with manga, and I’m okay with that. Next on my list is Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1. It’s one part romance and one part comedy, making it the perfect balance, as far as I’m concerned.

Nearly everyone has a high school crush that they look back on and feel a little embarrassed about – mostly because of how we behaved. Eriko Ichimura is the latest to join these ranks. She has a major crush on Akira Ohmi (aka Omi-kun), but rather than approach him; she quietly stays on the sidelines.

Or, more accurately, she runs a Twitter account dedicated to her daydreams and fantasy interactions between her and Omi-kun. Her username is Lovesick Ellie, and it was all fine until a series of unfortunate events led to Omi-kun finding her account – and discovering how she feels about him.

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m charmed. Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1 isn’t quite what I expected, but boy, did it have fun with the premise. This is a series that knows better than to take itself too seriously. Yet it doesn’t make the fatal mistake of diving into the realm of goofy. It toes the line, creating something both interesting and funny.

It helps that Eriko is an extremely charming character. From the start, it’s easy to sympathize with her, making readers willing to root for her. Omi-kun takes a little longer to open up, but that’s to be expected in this story of the tale. Once he does, it’s like we’re reading about a new character, and I loved their interactions.

Long story short, Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1 was a lot of fun to read. I’ll probably pick up the next in this series, as I’m curious to see where it goes.

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

0

Manga Monday: My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1

Series: My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! #1
Author: Tetsu Tsutsui
Artist: Koyubi Sugawara
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: January 4, 2022
Received: NetGalley

What would you do if your idol transferred to your school, but nobody seemed to recognize her? This is the question that My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1 decided to tackle.

Sakiko Manaka is obsessed with Chiro-chan. Not in an unhealthy way; she just thinks that Chiro-chan is the best idol out there and that the world will someday see this and agree with her. So imagine Sakiko’s surprise (and delight) when her favorite idol walked into her classroom one day.

Only nobody else seems to know that it’s Chiro-chan. She seems to be trying to fly under the radar, likely hoping to get a good education. As a fan, it is Sakiko’s duty to keep this secret.

Oh my, goodness, did this series have potential! I love the premise of My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1. For the first few chapters, I was hooked. The plot was strong enough on its own before they decided to go and throw in another complication.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really like that complication. Her name is Maaya Tozawa, and this girl should probably come with her own trigger warnings. She’s a stalker and cyberbully and is pretty willing to do whatever it takes to get closer to her idol, including indulging in abusive behavior.

It adds a sour tone to what was otherwise an endearing and charming series. I didn’t like how lightly the whole Maaya plot was addressed. Heck (spoiler warning), at one point, Sakiko invites Maaya into the friend group, knowing full well that she’s a cyberbully. Not only was this pretty naive, but it was unkind to Chiro-chan, whom she didn’t bother to warn (side note: if you know somebody is stalking your friend, TELL THEM).

Long story short, I had high hopes for My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1, but they kinda fell flat thanks to a couple (read: one) unnecessary plot points.

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

0

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑