Top 9 reads from Manga-Mania May.

Well, I'm done with the 31 reviews, but May is not over yet. So I will make a top nine over the mangas I read this month. But I will make the rule that a manga I read before MM May cant be on the list, it can solely be the once I read this month. And because I already reviewed them, I will only leave a short summary of the manga, along with a link to the review(the title is the link).
Number 9 Romeo X Juliet.

Neo-Verona was once peacefully ruled by the Capulet family, but the Montague-family destroyed them and took over. Fourteen years later, Lord Montague rules Neo-Verona with an iron fist. But one of the Capulets are still alive: Juliet. She is prepared to avenge her family, and stop the tyranny, but there is a problem: Juliet has fallen in love with Lord Monague's son, Romeo.

Number 8 Brand New School Day.

Shinjou has for the most of his young life been the bland and boring guy nobody wanted to hang out with. He has therefor decided that he will let his first day in high-school, where no one knows him, be a restart of his life. He transform himself to hunk, and ready to take the school with storm.
But oddly enough, a girl from his old school, named Kurai, has decided to do the exact same thing by turning herself from not to hot, also hoping to get a fresh start. Recognizing each other as former fellow social outcasts, they then make a bet about who can get a girlfriend/boyfriend first.

Number 7 Mahou No Iroha.

Naoki is pretty much your standard loser: He looks kinda plain, sucks at sport, and stay up late at night to play online-games.All that change when he meet Iroha, his daughter from the future. She has traveled back in time by the use of magic(witch has been invented in the future) in order to save her father from himself. Naoki is going to(20 years from now) become a tyrant duo to his unhappy youth, and will also be executed after being thrown of the throne. Iroha believes that she can save her father by making sure that he will grow up happy, and she is ready to use every single magical girl trick she has.

Number 6 Parasyte.

Shinichy wakes up one morning to find a snake-like creature trying to get into his body by digging into his right arm. Trying to get the creature out of his body, he manege to stop what apparently is a very intelligent parasite from taking over his whole body. But it's still inside of his right arm, and can control and shape it as it is pleased. Shinichy and the parasite(witch he has named Migi) must now try to coexist as best as possible.

Number 5 Snow In The Dark.

A collection of short stories, including a very dark take on the classic fairy-tale about  Snow White.

Number 4 Log Horizon.

Online game turned into nightmare, when thousand of players find themselves trapped inside the game. There is no way out, and even death cant get them out of this limbo of never-ending battle and the strong ones tyranny of the weak.

Number 3 Liar Game.

Nao Kanzaki is to honest for her own good. She has never told a lie in her life and instantly trust people on their word. So she of coarse panics when she gets 100 million yen by mail, and a note that tells her that she is now part of a contest called "Liar Game," and she must now use any means necessary to steal her opponents money, before he does. And she must make sure to pay back the 100 million yen she received, or else she will be in dept to the men behind the tournament.
Number 2 Monster.

Kenzo Tenma is a young but brilliant neurosurgeon. One day, a young boy is send to operation after being shot in the head. But when Tenma is about to start the very difficult operation, he is told to leave the child to someone else, since the mayor is in need of his amazing skills. But Tenma decides to not leave the boy, since he is probably the only person skilled enough to save him.

This is a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life...

Number 1 MxO

Taiga Kuzumi have failed the test to attend the Seinagi Private High School. Skulking around the school, he is mistaken for a student who ditch class, and is dragged into the school-ground by a teacher. Taiga now discover that the school is actually a school of magic.
Normally, Taiga's memory should have been erased, but he is instead offered to become a student at Seinagi. He will get the chance to obtain magical abilities, if he is lucky.
But until he learn to do so, he must act as if he actually have magical powers, so he wont be exposed and kicked out of the school. And the chances of keeping low profile is at the size at snowballs in hell, since he quickly gets a reputation as a genius student.

Manga-Mania May: Kagami No Kuni No Harisugawa.

Tetsu has for many years been in love with his best friend Mao, but he does not dare tell her, afraid that it would create an awkward atmosphere between them. But one day, after Mao has brought an old mirror, Tetsu manege to save her from being hit by a car. Tetsu survive, but only because he was trapped inside Mao's mirror, that apparently is cursed. After a talk with a local fortuneteller with expertise in magic mirrors, they learn that the mirror traps people who are in love, but haven't confessed their love yet. The only way to get out is by successfully confessing to whoever you are in love with, but if the answer is no, or fake for that matter of fact, the mirror's prisoner will die.

... Ever thought about how much love sucks in manga? It traps you inside mirrors, replace your right hand with girls, turn you into a sexy adult(it's not as great as it sounds), and if you actually manege to get a girlfriend without too much trouble, then she is either a gang-lord or a freaking monkey! (read the review of "Snow In The Dark" to get this reference) Seriously, what the hell, man?!

Kano is the writer of this series that had WAY to much potential for only three books. Apparently, Kano had to make it way shorter than planned because of it was canceled, witch is a shame. But even though it's nowhere near his masterpiece "MxO", it's still a enjoyable read. As always, Kano's artwork is great, and his story is full of cute and funny moments. But since it could have done allot more than it did, I cant give it B, even if the writer is not to blame. But I will give it C+.

And thus ends Manga-Mania May. I hoped you got some ideas for future reading, and I would like to say thanks for the recommendations, and sorry I couldn't review all of them. I think I will take a serious break from mangas now, since a whole month with them was kinda tiring, and I want to read some superhero-comics now. I also have to plan my 1 year anniversary and take care of my exams.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Parasyte.

I newer thought it would happen, but I have found a manga that is way to creepy for me.
Shinichy wakes up one morning to find a snake-like creature trying to get into his body by digging into his right arm. Trying to get the creature out of his body, he manege to stop what apparently is a very intelligent parasite from taking over his whole body. But it's still inside of his right arm, and can control and shape it as it is pleased. Shinichy and the parasite(witch he has named Migi) must now try to coexist as best as possible.
I dont like this manga. Not because it's bad, but because I'm not a splatter-fan. And believe me, there is ALLOT of splatter! The parasites that takes over human bodies eat other humans, and they are quite messy about it. The gory part is not the actual feasting, but what is left after they had their meal.
And I may be a huge fan of weird, but this manga actually weird me out, like when Migi takes the form of a penis. Seriously, too much for me. But it's very creative, the forms the parasites takes, and it's what makes the series so creepy.
What really makes the series interesting is this very surreal relationship between the young man Shinichy and his new right arm; Migi. Migi has no problem with being honest about that he would have preferred to take over the entire body, and the fact that the only reason to why he doesn't eat humans is that he doesn't have to eat that much with a body at the size of a arm.
And that is why I keep reading it. I need to take allot of breaks from it to get through, but it very interesting to read. I dont think i will be one of those I will read again, but I would like to know how it ends. But if you are going to read this series, it's better if you have a strong stomach.
That's all for today, only one more to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Log Horizon: Nishikaze no Ryodan.

This could have easily just have been another Hunger Game rip-of, but instead, it takes a whole new direction of being caught in a game-world.
Elder Tale is a very popular online game. The million of players are hyped hearing that there is a new expansion-pack, and all log in to check the upgrade. But they find themselves transported away from their room, toilet, or wherever they play, and find themselves inside the amazing world of Elder Tale. But what at first seams like a dream come true quickly reveals to be a nightmare.
Try to imagine this: You are inside a world where death doesn't really matter(in theory) since everyone will be revived, just like a ordinary online game. You are in a body you dont even know. The food taste like what it really is; fake. And you now live in a society ruled by whoever is stronger in raw power or numbers. Pretty much everything is allowed, as long as you dont kill inside the cities, witch means that you can actually rape someone and call it "showing affection."
It doesn't really sound like your nerd fantasy coming true, am I right?
As far as *I can understand, this is a spin-off of the main series simply named Log Horizon. I haven't read the main book yet, but this is good stuff. The story focus on Soujiro and his guild (made by girls and another man who I swear is gay) as we see them try to make their way in this cruel world that was once their Wonderland. This is yet again a pear of a manga that haven't been translated yet to the English marked, witch is a shame, because this is good stuff. Stop whatever you are doing and read this series. WAEZI2 DEMANDS IT!!!
That's all for now, 2 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Yu-Gi-Oh.

Yugi Muto is short, week and looks like a koala-bear. He is therefor often the target of bullies, and he sadly doesn't have many friends besides Anzu, a girl he has known since kinder-garden.
But Yugi has a great talent for anything game related. This is what is going to save his ass from his tormentors. You see, Yugi has a ancient puzzle from from Egypt, witch was a gift from his grandfather. He told Yugi that if he could solve the puzzle, he would be granted a wish. And since Yugi apparently doesn't have hormones, and therefor doesn't wish for Anzu's panties, he want to wish for a real friend(what the hell is Anzu then, you little dick?).
But he gets a whole lot more than that. After solving the puzzle, Yugi is granted magic from a dead pharaoh, and can now punish all his tormentors by the us of "Shadow Game" a dangerous game that is about humanity, where the loser will be granted a terrible penalty.
This manga is... not perfect. The art for one thing is not very good(it gets better, but still), and the characters can be pretty annoying from time to time. I do not have much hatred toward female manga charterers as much as everyone else, but there are two I honestly dont like. The first one is Sakura from Naruto, the other is Anzu from this series. It's not that she is awful, but she honestly doesn't have much to offer, and I think it would have been better if the manga had it's focus on only Yugi, Jounoshi and Honda. In fact, I saw a lot of potential in Honda, and I wish he would have more moments than the one were he showed of his awesome skills as sniper.
But there is a lot of great game-battles in this manga, and even some good ideas for games, such as Dungeon Dice Monsters, witch I wish would have been made into an actual game. I honestly think the card-game that was born from this series may be one of the weaker games, I wanted to play Monster Fighters ten times more.
Take my advice and read the first 7 books in the series, they are the actual good books. Or watch "season zero," a anime never shown outside of Japan, it's genius and way better than the manga. it has a lot of creepiness, and great ideas for sick party-games, like placing money on your hand and collect them  stabbing them with a knife.
That's all for now, 3 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Death Note.

Light Yagami is a young man who pretty much success in all he does. And dear god, is he bored! Being 17 years old, and therefor still stuck in school, Light miss a challenge for someone as gifted as him. And that he gets the day he finds the "Death Note".
After going through the pages of the little black book, Light comes to the conclusion that the book is most likely a prank, since it claims that whoever name is written in it will die. But after testing the book on a bicker-gang, Light realize that the "Death Note" is no joking matter at all. As long as he knows the name and face of whoever he wish to write into the book, they will die.
Light makes it his mission to clean the world for criminals, one by one, and thereby create a utopia were everyone will realize that crime really do not pay.
But there is a bump on the way toward utopia. A bum by the name L. He is the worlds greatest detective, and since no one knows his name nor seen his face, Light cannot kill him. This is the start of a duel between this two men duo to them having different concept of justice. Who is smart enough to expose the other, and thereby achieve victory?
This is probably one of the most famous mangas ever written. But I honestly think it's... okay...
Don't get me wrong, I do like reading manga-comics with a lot of talking(once in awhile), but it's, well, a little too much. As the manga goes on, there is a lot of "I knew that you knew" followed by "I knew that you knew that I knew," and so on. It can be a bit tiring.
And another thing: It gets less interesting once Light goes crazy. Look, I may not be the biggest Death Note fan, but I could see it's charm. Like Light's sick, but brilliant mind. He gets that you cant just write names carelessly in the book. He plans allot, and evolve the use of the book to it's fullest. But SPOILER after killing L, he wasn't the same. I get that the point was that he had won, and was therefor relieved, possibly even got lazy, but that's not the same as saying that it's good storytelling. I just kinda lost the interest after that.
Am I saying that it's a bad manga? HELL NO! It's very well written, has good art, and is one hell of a thriller. But I just dont like it, that's all. But that's just me, someone else with more patience than me will probably have a blast with this manga. Everyone should read Death Note at least once. I may try to reread it and see if the other half of the book still bores me, or if I will learn to appreciate it.
That's all for today, 4 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania may: Akkan Baby.

"Akkan Baby" is the story about the two teenagers Yuki and Shigeru. They are both young, very naive, and are just plain idiots. Seriously, they believe that condoms are some sort of candy. In other words, they are two people in the world who should NEVER have sex with anyone.
But unfortunately, the two morons do it with each other allot. Hell, they even compete when they have sex. They are not even dating, they are just two headbangers who are best friends because they are fan of the same band.
So because they are both boneheads, they are shocked realizing that Shigeru is pregnant. Yuki and Shigeru must now face the consequences of their actions, and decide to whatever keeping the child or getting a abortion.
First of all, I would like to comment the manga for telling us repetitively that pretty much EVERYTHING the two of them do is... well, WRONG, and that they are NOT role-models at all. But that is also what makes the manga kinda cute. The two of them does a lot of idiotic things, but they not have a bad bone in their body, and often act on pure intentions. It's basically the story about two very confused teens who get a very serious matter slammed into their face. And you bet your ass the manga let you understand how serious a matter it is. But it still doesnt answer the main question: is it a good manga?
Well, I liked it. I honestly think the situation seams pretty realistic, beside it having manga effects like extreme faces, overreactions and stuff like that. The pregnancy is by no means a cakewalk for Yuki and Shigeru. They must face their parent, and be denied access to school.
"Akkan Baby" has this odd combination of seriousness, silliness, sadness and comedy that only manga can give you. I laughed and cried reading it when I was 17 years old, and it still moves me. It may not be for everyone, but I would recommend it.
Oh, and if anyone reading this is under 18: PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD; DO NOT HAVE SEX! IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU USE PROTECTION, IT's STILL RISKY!!!
One down, 5 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Mahou no Iroha.

Naoki is pretty much your standard loser: He looks kinda plain, sucks at sport at a level that has made him a legend, and stay up late at night to play online-games.
All that change when he meet Iroha, his daughter from the future. She has traveled back in time by the use of magic(witch has been invented in the future) in order to save her father from himself. Naoki is going to(20 years from now) become a tyrant duo to his unhappy youth, and will also be executed after being thrown of the throne. Iroha believes that she can save her father by making sure that he will grow up happy, and she is ready to use every single magical girl trick she has.
Kazurou, you crazy son of a gun, you have done it again!!!
This is yet again a very weird, but also very well-working manga made by Inoue Kazurou, the creator of Midori Days and Ai Kora, and quite possibly his weirdest story so far. Unfortunately, it's also very short, witch is a shame, since I believe it had potential for way more story than 3 books. I love this very weird father/daughter relationship, where Naoki constantly has to remind himself that Iroha is his daughter from the future, even though she is a really cute girl around his age, but that is difficult when his daughter wants to sleep in his bed and take baths with him.
This is my first time with a "magical girls" series. We didn't have Sailor Moon in my country(or maybe I missed the memo, but I doubt it) and after being the kid who read D.N.Angel instead of Dragon Ball, I tried to compensate for this in my late teen-years with a "fuck that shit, I have BALLS" attitude toward it. But two of my female friend have told me that I should give the genre a chance, so I will do that(even though the one of them wont give Blood Lad a go).
The art-style, storytelling and humor is, as it always is in Kazurou's mangas, brilliant, but the shortness is rather irritating. I hope that one day, there will be a anime based on it, and that the story could be a little longer.
That's all for now, 6 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Electric Tale of Pikachu

Like the most people from my generation, I grew up with Pokemon. I collected the cards, played the game(my first game was Crystal) and, of coarse, watched the cartoon. I liked the cartoon a bunch, but not as much as this comic-series that was based on it.

 No disrespect to the classic show(my favorite season was the 2, the one with Orange Islands), but this comic is much better. In fact, this is the show on STEROIDS!!! If you love Pokemon(and of coarse you do) then this is a must-have.

Electric Tale Of Pikachu is not afraid of being different from the show. Besides being way more funnier, it has some even greater stories. The characters are a lot more interesting, and has a lot more dept. But it's still child-friendly, all considered, and it can be enjoyed no matter how old you are, as long as you have passion for Pokemon. One of my favorite changes is in the tournament, in Ash's final battle. He still lose, but I like the way he lose here allot better. In fact, the whole deal about him being part of a competition is handled much better than in the anime. And I cant understand why Brock and Misty didn't joint the tournament them self in the anime, that would have been a great idea.

But the story witch have been under most change is about Sabrina. In the anime, she was a cold, psychopathic telepath. Here... she is, weirdly enough, a very kind shrine-lady. Hell, not onlny is she not the villain, but also the victim, since her Pokemon was killed by a Haunter. Oh, BTW, the manga is a bit darker than the anime, but not so much that kids cant read it.

Bottom line is: Electric Tale Of Pikachu is one shocking great read, and highly recommended.

One down, 7 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Brand New School Day+Danshi Kinshitsu.

Today, we take two as one, since they are both one-shots. We will start with Brand New School Day.

Shinjou has for the most of his young life been the bland and boring guy nobody wanted to hang out with. He has therefor decided that he will let his first day in high-school, where no one knows him, be a restart of his life. He exercise,study hard, makes himself good-looking, and get a new attitude. He is now a hunk of a guy, and ready to take the school with storm.

But oddly enough, a girl from his old school, named Kurai, has decided to do the exact same thing by turning herself from not to hot, also hoping to get a fresh start. Recognizing each other as former fellow social outcasts, they then make a bet about who can get a girlfriend/boyfriend first.

...Gee, I wonder how THIS story will end.

Yet again, a fun and sweet little story with adorable artwork from Kano Yasuhiro, the creator of MxO(link to my review of MxO: HERE!!!). Sure, it's a cliche, but one done very well. I like that even though they have change physically, they are still socially weak. It's cute to see them try WAY to hard at keeping a conversation going. I highly recommend this nice little story about a young man and woman trying to put their past as plain behind them.

How come their are so many harem manga-comics with one guy surrounded by many girls, and not the opposite? Seriously, I wanna know!

Mao is a student on a all-girls school. Her greatest wish is to join the student counsel, so that she can spend time with the three most popular girls on the school, that she admire a great deal.

And her wish comes true... Sort of...

Well, she DOES become member of the counsel, but... her feminine idols are actually... guys!

The three young men have joined the school for each of their own reasons, and must now depend on Mao to not reveal their secret. Mao is heartbroken over having her vision of her feminine idols gunned down and drowned with a cat, but she finds that it may not be all that bad to hang out with three handsome boys.

I sense a lot of potential in this one-shot. I really would have liked if it had been longer. I once had a similar idea for a series, with a girl who had to live in a boy-college.

But the manga is still good. Not great, but good. Pretty funny, heartwarming ending, and a nice little romance. You should give it a go.

That's all for today, 8 to go.

I'm Waezi2 and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Aoi Destruction.

Tetsou's mother died when he was 7, so he's been living with his father Aoi for ten years. The upbringing has been... odd, since Tersou's father looks like(and also acts like) a little girl.

It's not that Tetsou doesn't love his father, he is just pissed over that pretty much all the boys in town has a crush on his "trap" of a dad, witch has made him the tough-guy of the town, so he can scare away all the guys from his father. Problem is, that his mother's karate-dojo is not doing very well, since no one wants to be beaten up by Tetou. And duo to Tetsou's reputation as the toughest guy in town, he is the target of all kinds of gangs who wants to beat him up. No wonder he is pissed over his father being so girly.

This is the story about a father and son relationship you have never seen before, as we see Tetsou and Aoi doing everything they can to keep life in the mother's karate-dojo, and live out her dream.

The story i three chapters long, but the manga also has 3 other stories in the form of one-shots.

First of all there is the story about Yakou, who run a book-shop, once owned by his dad. Yakou is pretty pissed over this, since he is not a great fan of books. But like many other manga-comics, this all change when a hot chick came by...

Then we have the story about Yoshizaka. He is the most popular guy on his school, and all the girls are crazy about him, But one day comes a new girl to his campus who knows his greatest secret: That he was once a master of wooden figure making.

And last, but not the least, we have the tale about a young samurai woman named Otone, who does all she can to defend her dead fathers dojo. She is armed with a sword, possessed by the spirit of a dead warrior, and the sword represent his... well, "sword," if you get me. Let me put it this way: it only works in the hand of a "good woman". This story about the young warrior woman and her perverted sword is my favorite of the bunch.

Aoi Destruction is written by the manga-genius Inoue Kazurou, and all the stories are just as great and just as weird as his other works, such as Midori Days, witch I reviewed two days ago(here is a link: Midori Days).

One down, 9 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: D.N.Angel.

Daisuki has been rejected by Risa Harada, so his birthday kinda sucks. But it doesn't get any better when he discovers that his family has through ages been the thieves of very valuable pieces of art, all of them under the identity of the legendary burglar known as Dark Mousy. Being a man of the Niwa family, Daisuke gets turned into Dark, due to a special kind of magical DNA thingy, and must carry on the tradition of stealing art.
And there is only one way to get rid of the curse(?): By finding true love.
... And I thought MY teen-years sucked...
THIS, ladies and gentle men(or the two guys who actually read this) was the first manga I actually read. There wasn't much to pick between, since manga was still a new hing in Denmark. So I of coarse have a lot of nostalgia to this series, witch I have all the mangas, as well as the anime based on it. It was also the series that made me pay attention to romance stories.
But the series itself is noting special. Sure, it's not bad, but not a masterpiece. It's cute, has a fair amount of humor, and there is some interesting ideas now and then, but it's nowhere close to my top 9 over manga comics. I still think you should read it, so you can have an opinion about the series. First book is okay, but it's in book 3 where both artwork and story is at it's highest.
Unfortunately, the series haven't ended yet, and it's been ages since the latest chapter was published, so chances are that it's not gonna happen. To bad.
One down, 10 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Midory Days.

Seiji can be described in one word: Feared. He is the most frightening guy in town, and is especially infamous for his "devil's right-hand." But what good does it Seiji, when all he really want is a cute girlfriend?

Do to his reputation as the toughest and scariest guy in his school, all the girls are scared of the poor guy, who therefor must settle with porn-magazines.

But then came the day where his 17-years life's dream comes true, and also becomes a nightmare.

Good news is that after waking up one morning, Seiji has now found a cute girl. Her name is Midori, and she totally in love with Seiji, and has been for a looooong time(3 years, to be specific).

Bad news: She is his right hand.

How come manga can pull of the weirdest and at first very creepy-sounding stories and make them work almost every time? Seriously, what is the secret?

This is a unique, heartwarming, and also very funny little series from the manga-genius; Kazurou Inoue, who also wrote Ai Kora and Aoi Destruction(that I will eventually review). It's not as sex-fixated as Ai Kora, but it has it's fair share of sex-jokes, but not about Seiji's hand being a girl. Guess Inoue knew that hammering it in wasn't necessary.

Besides the dity jokes and really weird moments that almost make the guy with the girl as a hand normal, it's just so gosh-darn adorable. Midori is simply to cute for words.

This manga is translated to English, so you should be capable of finding it in your local manga-shop. I highly recommend it. There is a anime too, but it's nowhere close as the manga. Not that it' not good, the manga is just longer, so you get more story.

One down, 11 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Danganronpa.

Naegi has been invited to join the very prestigious high school named Hopes Academy(subtle), a school that only allow students of the highest caliber to join. Naegi  has none of the talent required, but was invited to join because his name was randomly drawn in a raffle, and he therefor is considered to be talented at luck.
But when he and 15 other student arrive, they are locked inside the school, and is meet by a little bear-looking robot who claims that his name is Monokuma, and that he is their new headmaster for life.
They are all informed by Monokuma that they are no longer allowed to leave the school, and must live together in the school for the rest of their life. But if anyone wish to leave, all he/she has to do is... kill a student.
Try think Hunger Game as crime fiction. You see, it's not enough to just kill someone, you have to evade being caught. After a murder has been committed, the student must gather inside a courtroom and vote for who they believe is the murderer. If they vote for the real criminal, he/she will be executed by Monokuma. But if they are wrong, everyone else but the culprit will get axed, and he/she is free to go.
Sounds like a awesome concept, right? To bad the manga wont give you that.
This manga is based on a game, witch is pretty good. But the manga doesn't tell the story, its more like it a tie-in. It tells the stories not told in the game about the other student on Hopes Academy, but you wont get the actual story, unless you play the game, or watch the anime. So I cant recommend this series, unless you have seen or played it first.
That's all for today, 12 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Liar Game.

Nao Kanzaki is to honest for her own good. She has never told a lie in her life and instantly trust people on their word. So she of coarse panics when she gets 100 million yen by mail, and a note that tells her that she is now part of a contest called "Liar Game," and she must now use any means necessary to steal her opponents money, before he does. And she must make sure to pay back the 100 million yen she received, or else she will be in dept to the men behind the tournament.
Realizing that the chances for a naive young woman like herself to win the game are around the size of a snowball in hell, Nao gets "professional help" from the recently released from jail con-man Akiyama. But they both realize that the "Liar Game" is much bigger than they thought, and the committee who arrange it has no interest in letting anyone get out of their sick game of swindling.
Now THIS is the shit! Sure, the art is not perfect, but the story makes up for that. If you like stories about people being pushed to their limits in order of survival, you are going to get it from Liar Game. It's not a life and death contest like Hunger Game or Dangan Ronpa, but it might as well have been, since losing means that you will be in a ridiculously big dept to the arrangers of the Liar Game. And there is no way of knowing how they are going to make you pay that dept.
In other words; you will survive losing the game, but you might as well have been better served dead.
If you have enough patients, and if you are kind of a psychology buff, then you are going to LOVE Liar Game. This series deserves A+. Possibly the best read of MM May.
One down, 13 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Onidere.

Tadashi is not what many would consider a very masculine high-school student. He is the member of the schools handicraft club, and loves knitting more than anything else. That is, besides his girlfriend Saya.But Tadashi and Saya's relationship has a problem: Saya loves Tadashi very much, but she is a gang-leader, and is known as a very brutal young woman. She believes that her reputation would be destroyed if anyone found out about the two of them, and has sworn to commit harakiri, if they are exposed. So Tadashi and Saya must be discreet about their romance.
Easier said than done.
You thought Love Hina was weird? Wait till you get a load of this!
The humor is for the most slapstick, but it's well-working slapstick. Sure, sometimes it gets a little bit old, but for the most, it's pretty funny.The most of the characters are pretty two-dimensional, but since many of them are mainly used for slapstick, then this is understandable. That would be like demanding character development from Daffy Duck.
Tadashi and Saya are adorable together. Whenever they are alone, Saya put aside her killing-machine attitude, and melts as butter. She allows herself to be vulnerable with him, hell even shy. She sometimes even faint of happiness by just being with him(I think we can all understand why she want to keep this secret).This series can be a little boring if you read too much on just one day, so pick a chapter now and then, and that way keep having fun with it. I'm not gonna lie and say it's brilliant, but it's enjoyable.
One down, 14 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Ran To Haiiro No Sekai in 5 panels.

I will use this enchanted shoes to transform from a ten year old to a grown woman. I'm sure nothing bad will happen!

... Oh, poopie!

I'm the most powerful sorceress in the world.

But in theory, I'm a bug exterminator... huh...

Sango smells nice. I'm going to make her the mother of my children.

I'm about to die, but I can do it as a happy man, knowing I found true love in Ran, the most amazing woman I have ever met.

...Um, sorry dude. She's ten.

... Son of a bitch...

Manga-Mania May: Genkaku Picasso.

Hikari Haruma, also called Picasso by his classmates(much to his annoyance) is a loner in his school by choice. He has no interest in making friends, gets annoyed very quickly, and use the most of his time to draw pictures. The only friend he has is a girl named Chiaki(mostly because she insist on hanging out with him). One day, Picasso and Chiaki are the victims of a helicopter accident, with Picasso miraculously being the only survivor.

Picasso gets depressed over the lose of Chiaki, but one day he finds a tiny angel-Chiaki in his pocket. She explains that she saved Picasso by praying to God or Buddha for his life (remember kids: pray to as many gods as possible), and therefor he was spared. BUT there is a condition: Picasso must now help humanity.

Picasso, slightly confused, finds that he has the ability to see the aura of people in pain, then draw a picture that represent that pain, and travel into the persons soul by the painting to try and see if he can help that person.

This story mainly has it's focus on the pain you do not see. People who at first seems like they are doing fine, but actually just hides behind a facade to prevent others from seeing how hurt they actually are. So a lot of scary stuff is going on in this series, like when Picasso finds out by his new ability that one of his classmates named Sugiura wants to kill someone randomly.

This is serious dark stuff, very obscure, and possibly even disturbing, when Picasso and Chiaki travels into the soul of whoever has the aura of pain, but I can promise a happy ending at every story.

I have a problem with the artwork, though. Not that it's bad, it's just that the faces of pretty much everyone in the series kinda looks like girls. But this is a minor problem, if a problem at all.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this little story, that is, even among manga comics, pretty unusual.

One down, 15 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Ran To Haiiro No Sekai.

Ran To Haiiro No Sekai is the story about the Urumas a slightly dysfunctional family.

Shizuka cant stay home much, since her job keeps her busy elsewhere, witch means that she is often gone for months, and cant spend much time with her husband Zen and their two children. Zen takes care for the family, and works late, witch means that his son and oldest child Jin is responsible for getting dinner on the table, and looking after his little sister Rin. Rin misses her mother a great deal, and wish to grow up as fast as possible, so she can be just like her.

... Oh, did I mention that they are all sorcerers?

The series mainly has it focus on the little Rin, who doesn't have many, if none friend, not doing to well in school, and really just wants to grow up and be a powerful sorceress like her mom. Witch she(in theory) can, since she has a pair of magical shoes that allows her to become an adult, much to her brothers dismay.

Even though their is a lot of hocus-pokus in this series, it' mainly about these guys as a family and as individuals. They have a lot of the same problems as other families would have being in their place, and also some special once, like when Jin (who also has a wolf-form) is going into heat, or when Shizuka cover the entire city in cake.

As often with manga, their are some slightly... disturbing moments in the series. Such as this:

... It's out of contest, and needs a little explanation, but believe me, it's sad, kind of sweet, but at the same time... kinda disturbing.

In fact, has there ever been a manga without creepiness? I haven't found one, if that is the case!

The art is great, and the fantasy elements in the story are creative. Highly recommended, and one of the best requests I had for Manga-Mania Month so far.

That's one down, 17 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Durarara.

15 year old Mikado had quite a quiet life in his little hometown, witch he has never left. No vacations, no school-trips, no nothing. So moving into a big city would be a great shock for anyone in his shoes.
But this is not just a big city, no sir! It's one with a mysterious biker, a strong man dressed as bartender, and a head of great importance for many.
Mikado moved to Ikebukuro because he wanted a interesting life. He sure as hell got one!
This is a light-novel series, turned manga, turned anime. And I have to say that I prefer the anime(even though I haven't read the novel yet). Dose that mean that the manga isn't good? Of coarse not.
The manga just tells it's story in a different way. And there is a few hings I believe the manga did better than the anime. For example: In Durarara(or DRRR for short) there is a stalker, but it's in the manga we see how creepy she really is. It starts of with her being irritating as she keeps following the poor guy she has chosen as her target, but then she starts hammering on his door and we see THIS creepy face:

Can you believe that THIS was a kind of cute, but persistent girl a minute ago?
And that is one of the things DRRR does really well; build up the creepiness. There is this scene in the manga where three people are gathered in a room, and we realize, as the conversation goes on, that it's the start of a suicide pact taking form. And that is not even the creepiest part of the conversation.
The art is great too, that also helps building up the creepiness.
There is a lot of colorful characters, like Izaya, the probably most unpleasant manga character ever!
So go get the light novel/manga/anime, and get one very unique experience.
Did I mention that the anime's intro is awesome?

One down, 17 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Snow In The Dark.

Snow In The Dark is YET AGAIN a manga not translated for the English marked.
Snow In The Dark is a collection of one-shots by Yasuhiro Kano, the genius behind "MxO" and "Akazukin Eliza".
The first of the three stories is "MPO", the prototype to "MxO". The plot is pretty much the same, with a few things that was changed when it became "MxO", mostly character designs and names.
Secondly, we have the probably best story, that also happens to be probably the weirdest story I have ever read in a manga. YES, even weirder than "Akazukin Eliza"!
It's called "She Monkey," and is about a boy named Kunio, who takes to a desert island to visit his father, a scientist with expertise in genes. On the island, he meets a beautiful (and extremely strong) young woman, who he falls in love with. Her name is Monjo, and it is soon revealed that she is in fact NOT a woman.
She is a monkey. Yes, she has been gene-manipulated by Kunio's father so she looks and thinks like a human, but she is in fact a monkey.
... This little romance is sweet and sicking at the same time. Sweeckting, one could say(PS, I demand the patent for "Sweeckting"). And that's why it's so great! It's so bizarre, but also heartwarming at a really weird level. You have to read it to understand how great it is.
Finally, we have the main dish, witch is, sadly, also the weakest story of the three; "Snow In The Dark."
Remember when I said that the Japs apparently have this weird urge to take well known works of fiction, and give them a makeover? This is the case here. And it's Snow White this time. And it's DARK!
The story's main character is the knight Larry(seriously, Larry the knight?) who are the personal guard of the princess Snow White. Larry(no seriously, Sir Larry sounds stupid) will do anything for the princess who once saved his worthless life, but he soon discovers that he is now part of a bigger, and crueler game than he can handle.
The story is interesting enough, and also very original with it's take on the classic fairy-tale, but it kinda feels like it misses the magic touch from Kano.
As a said before, you cant buy it with English text, but it should be pretty easy to find online. Give it a go.
That's one down, 18 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Otomen.

Asuka Masamune is the most popular guy in his school. He is good-looking, has good grades, is the captain of his kendo team, popular among the girls, and pretty much everyone likes him.
..Yep, he hates his life.
You see, behind his "manly" image, Asuka is a otomen, witch means that he enjoys sewing, cooking, stuffed animals, shojo manga, and pretty much everything that can be seen as "girly." But since his mother is homophobic as hell(Asuka's father left the family, wishing he was a woman), Asuka does everything he can to stick to his mother's idea of what a man should be like.
But that all change, when Asuka falls in love with Ryo...
... Ryo is by the way a girl, not a guy.
Besides the romance, the story also has, like all good mangas, many great characters, such as Asuka's friend Juta who plays the role as matchmaker for Asuka and Ryo, so he can get material for his shojo series, witch Asuka, ironically, is a huge fan of. And my friend Arselan's favorite character is Kitora, who has a unhealthy interest in flowers(his girlfriend broke up with him, once he told her he loved flowers more than her).
Another great element is that in this little romance, the roles are reversed, so to say. Asuka is the stereotype shojo girl, girly as heck, and very timid. Ryo takes the role as the guy, tough and headstrong, but also REALLY slow at getting that Asuka loves him  her.
And then it's also the classic tale about the fear of being who you truly are. Sweet story and good art by Aya Kanno. My favorite shojo series at the marked right now, and I cant wait to get the final book that's on it's way.
That's one down, 19 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Romeo X Juliet.

Romeo X Juliet is a odd case: It's a manga based on a anime, not the other way around.

Are you a fan of the probably best known love story mankind has ever known?
Sucks to be you, there is almost no similarities.
First of all, there is a actual bad guy in this story(Romeo's father), and it's not two equally wealthy families who hates each-other for reasons unknown. And there is also a enchanted tree.
But that is not the same as saying it's a bad story.
I dont get the Japs apparently huge urge to take European works of fiction, and then rip it for everything that made it into THAT story, so it can be another one(like Red Riding Hood with worms) but it's fascinating to read, while you scratch your head.
And even though it's not Shakespeare's classic tale, then it's still a pretty good story about love. In fact, it's a BETTER love-story than the original. Not a better story, but better with the love-element, witch, let's be honest, wasn't really there in Shakespeare's famous tragedy. The original Romeo and Juliet are young, and the fact that they cant get each-other probably made them want to be together even more! In RXJ, it feels like an actual love affair.
What make the book have a weak spot, is actually what was suppose to make it good; the fantasy element. If there was no enchanted tree, then the story would have been much better than it already is.
The anime is alright, I guess, and that's rather odd, since manga based on anime is mostly worse than the anime it's based on, like Durarara, witch we will get to as fast as possible.
I just realized that I have been babbling about the story, without a resume.
... Na, just read it, then you will know what it is about.
That's one down, 20 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: A. I. Love You.

There are some things I will never understand. Like, how come Blood Lad aren't better known, or why MxO weren't translated to English, or why Ratman doesn't have a anime based on it.

But in this case what I dont understand is: how come Love Hina, and not THIS translated to Danish? It's WAY better!

A. I. Love You is the "older sister" to Ken Akamatsu's Love Hina. It follows the 16 years old Hitoshi Kobe, who pretty much suck at everything(gee, how original), except for computers. Having no girlfriend, Hitoshi creates a A. I. (artificial intelligence) to he girl of his dreams. But one night, a lightning-bolt strikes his computer, and the A. I. named Saati is brought to life. And she still loves Hitoshi.

... On many levels, that's kinda disturbing if you allow yourself to think about it...

They now live a weird life together, where Saati must help her understanding what it means to be human, and Saati teach Hitoshi how to be a man.

Now you may ask; why do you like this manga more than Love Hina?

First, and possibly most importantly, the cast in the series is much smaller. This gives plenty of room for the characters, and it is easier to care about them.

Secondly, it's not as chaotic as Love Hina. I know that it's part of it's charm, but it sometimes bugs me how out of control the story sometimes is. Sure, really, REALLY weird stuff happens in A. I Love You, but it's under control, or as much as you can expect considered that the female lead is a A. I.

There has been stories about non-living things getting life, such as the ever so classic tale about Pinocchio, but the fact that Saati is a program has been used to it's fullest, with every kind of plot-twist, and every kind of joke possible in this eight book series. I'm pretty sure that the "guy creates girlfriend" story is a considerably original idea (sucks to be you, Frankenstein). And even though Saati doesn't understand everything that happens around her, she is anything but a dumb bimbo.

If you want to see what else Ken Akamatsu wrote, check out A. I. Love You. It's defiantly on my top 5 over mangas.

One down, 21 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Fullmetal Alchemist

Today is a little rushed, since I had a busy day.

Science is dangerous. So the Elric brothers must learn the hard way.

After loosing their mother to sickness, Alphonse and Edward Elric decides to master the science of alchemy in order to bringing her back to life. But, like Icarus, they learn how dangerous it is to play God, and pay a huge price.

Now, left as crippling, and no mother, they have learned that man was not meant to play with life. But they also know that they will do whatever necessary to regain their humanity, including signing up for the military as state alchemists in order to have access to the most advanced resources. Because their is only one thing that can help them; The legendary Philosophers Stone.
I think it's needless to say that this manga, sadly, goes a little Dragon Ball in the end, but its actually a great tale about the horrors of science, and two young men trying to restore their humanity. I would like to add that you have to be prepared to a fair amount of gore in this horror-tale of science.
But i'ts also a lot of fun, too:) Its a manga after all.

Sorry that it was so short today.

22 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Hataraku Maou-sama!

The demon king Satan has declared war on all of the humans, and wish to dominate them. But after almost being slain by the humans champion, the hero Emilia, he has to retreat with his most loyal general; Alciel. They travel to our dimension by  the use of magic, but soon realize that this was a mistake. You see, magic does not exist in our world, so the demo king and his general are now powerless, and without magic, they turn into human-like creatures. They are now stuck in our world until they can find a way to restore their demonic powers and open a new portal home.

Until then, they must take the identity of humans, and try and fit into society as best as they can. Satan takes the name Sadao Mao, and becomes a part-time employee in a fast-food store (insert joke of own choice), while Alciel, who goes by the name Shiro, takes care of their very, VERY humble home.

After living as humans for a couple of months, they learn that they have two great problems: A) The demon king finds himself feeling pretty comfortable in this world, and like his new life as burger-flipper. And B) They are not the only visitors from their own world...

I normally dont do this, but I would HIGHLY recommend that you watch the anime instead. It just has a better flow, and the story is just told better as anime instead of manga. Not that the manga is bad, the anime just does a better job at telling the story.

This is a odd little combination of everyday life and magical adventure(even though it focus more on the first than the later) and I freaking loved it! It's surprising how lighthearted this story is, considered that SATAN is the main character.

And that is all I really have to say: This manga is good, but he anime is WAY better.

That's all for today, 23 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania-May: Ninja Girls.

You know what this mangas problem is? The title makes it sound as a porn-series.

And the cover ain't doing it any favors, either. Not that I complain;)

Ninja Girls is about the boy Raizou Katana. He lives alone outside a village, because all the villagers hates him for the horn witch he s born with.

But after saving a young lady from death, he learn that he is in fact the sole heir of the once very powerful Katana-family, and that the beautiful girl is a Kunoichi(female ninja) named Kagiri, who have sworn loyalty to the Katana clan. She will, with her fellow kunoichis, protect Raizou and do anything necessary to revive the clan's former glory, witch include marrying a princess.

Guess who's going on a adventure?
This is a harem series, so expect a lot of... skin. Seriously, what kind of warriors dress like that? Again, not that I complain.
This is a pretty lighthearted story. There is fighting from time to time, but nothing serious, and they are not to long, and also pretty unique. And even though there is a lot of talking about it, no sex-scenes(sorry, dudes) The artwork is great. The girls look stunning and the middle-age Japan is well drawn. Beside the fun writing and pretty artwork, I would like to compliment the series for not having way to over the top fight-scenes, and not as much as the resemblance of a Kamehameha.
My favorite character in the series must be Himemaru, the kunoichi with... extra equipment...
The one problem I do have with the series is that Kagiri's ninpou seams a tidy bit... sexistic. But hey, it's a harem series, what could you expect?
So go read Ninja Girls, have a great time with it, and see if you can stop yourself from giggling.
That's all for today, 24 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Ai Kora.

Hachibei is not like the most guys: he has little to no interest in girls, beside their body-parts. No matter how they look, he only lust after a specific kind of eyes, breast, legs or voice.  On his quest for perfect body-parts, he moves to Tokyo. He soon finds himself living in a dorm with five girls, and each of them possesses one of the ideal body-part that he desires: cat-like blue eyes, bullet-train breasts, a deep voice, straight legs, or a waistline shaped like fine Japanese pottery. The fetish-safari has begun!
You may think that this is a Love Hina ripoff, but you could not be more wrong. Hachibei is no Keitaro! Keitaro is constantly hit in the face by bad fortune, but everything that happens to Hachibei is pure karma! Sure, he's not a bad guy, but whatever happens to him, he had it coming.
It would of coarse be boring if it was just about Hachibei and his perverse lifestyle, so we have many other characters, with the main cast being Tsubame Ameyagi; the landlord of the dorm with a unhealthy life-style, Yukari; the ever so cute closet-otaku, Kirino; the obligatory warrior-girl, and of coarse Sakura; the obligatory "I-Hate-You-And-Dont-Love-You" girl.
The art is pretty simple and straight forward, if anything cartoony. But that would be expected from a series like this. I haven't had so much fun with many mangas as I had with Ai Kora!
There is of coarse a lot of subplots, where many of them are pretty good, with a few exceptions, so I cant give it to grade. I also weren't entirely satisfied with the ending(it was good, just not sure if that was the ending I wanted) so Ai Kora has to get a grade B+. I still think it's a better story than Love Hina, though.
That's one down, 25 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: MxO

Taiga Kuzumi have failed the test to attend the Seinagi Private High School. Skulking around the school, he is mistaken for a student who ditch class, and is dragged into the school-ground by a teacher. Taiga now discover that the school is actually not just a highly privileged private school, but also a school of magic.
The teacher is now in trouble. Since he brought a not-magical person into the school, and therefor revealed it's secret, he must now be fired, after Taiga's memory have been erased. None of the two wish this, so the principle have another solution that will benefit both of them: Taiga will become a student at Seinagi. The teacher will therefor not be fired, and Taiga will get the chance to obtain magical abilities, if he is lucky.
But until he learn to do so, he must act as if he actually have magical powers, so he wont be exposed and kicked out of the school. And the chances of keeping low profile is at the size at snowballs in hell, since he quickly gets a reputation as a genius student. This situation is around as easy as pretending to be good at playing Magic The Gathering in a room full of players, when all you have is a empty deck-box!
It's plot is centered around the classic "kids go to a magic school kept away from normal society" story, but with a fun twist with the poor, magic-less Taiga, who must live in constant fear of being exposed. It may seam a little slow to begin with, but as you read on, you notice how well the story develops due to the great supporting cast and uniqueness it brings to the "magic-school" genera.
A lot of manga has the problem that the growing cast eventually starts to strangle the story(such as "My Bride Is A Mermaid", witch we will get to eventually) but not here. I honestly dont remember a single character that felt forced, completely unnecessary or without any kind a charm(heh, charm). It doesn't feel like a bunch of stereotypes crammed into the series, but a well-balanced cast of great characters. But it can REALLY be a turn-of if you feel that there a simply to many characters to care about and who haven't been developed probably *coff coff Naruto coff*
The story and illustrations are both made by the awesome Yasuhiro Kano, whom I have become a fan of after his one-shot manga Akazukin Eliza, witch I recently wrote a review of (the one with Red Hood and worms). I find it very odd that this series haven't been translated, and must therefor inform you that it can therefor not be brought with English text. But it is available as many sites where you can read it for free, so give it a go, it's good stuff.

That's all for today, 26 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Blood Lad.

Today, we are going to take a look at what is my favorite manga series a the moment: Blood Lad!

Staz Blood is a vampire with a obsession for human made things, especially if they are from Japan. But being a demon, he cant leave the Demon World so easy.
But one day, a human girl named Fuyumi Yanagi enters the Demon World by accident. And she is not just human! She is JAPANESE! Staz instantly falls in love (or at least lust) at first sight. But not long after meeting her, Fuyumi gets eaten by a carnivores plant, and is transformed into a ghost. This is a bummer for the young otaku vampire, since she is no longer a creature of flesh, so all attraction toward her is gone.
However, Staz swears to Fuyumi that he will make it his lives goal to get her back to life (so he can suck her blood, and make her part of his collection, but he of coarse doesn't say this) and this is the start of a amazing journey for the two of them.
Try and imagine Dragon Ball when it was still fun to read, but with a goth-like atmosphere. THAT is Blood Lad!
The series is full of great characters, with my favorite being our main-character Staz Blood. He is lazy, snarky, and has little to no interest for anything else than what he wants for himself. Sure, he take on a little more responsibility as the series goes on(realizing that being asshole affects those around him), but for the most, he stays the same, witch is extremely enjoyable.
As you may have guessed by now, this is also a fighting manga, but the fights are not THAT long, and there are usually roam enough for them to have humor too, like when Staz, as the manga-nerd he is, attempts to make a Kamehameha. My favorite fight has to be between Staz and the dimension-traveling witch Bell Hydra.
I suppose that I could criticize it for letting Fuyumi be noting more than a damsel in distress, but that is the whole point with her. She is, as Staz best friend Wolf would say it; a small animal surrounded by beasts. Or to put it simple: completely helpless. But unlike SOME pink-haired ninjas, who I will not name, she grows on you almost instantly.
One thing though: I wish there would have been more with Staz in the Human World, but who knows? The series is still going on.
Bottom line is: read Blood Lad! There is also a 10 episode anime that is pretty good too. And the team-song ROCKS!!!
That's all for today, 27 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Monster.

I actually got a few suggestions for mangas that I should review. Here is one; Monster.

Kenzo Tenma is a young but brilliant neurosurgeon. One day, a young boy is send to operation after being shot in the head. But when Tenma is about to start the very difficult operation, he is told to leave the child to someone else, since the mayor is in need of his amazing skills. But Tenma decides to not leave the boy, since he is probably the only person skilled enough to save him.

This is a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life...

The writing is not completely flawless, but it's pretty damn close. We see this man with a guilt heavy as a mountain on his quest to atone for his fatal mistake, and it is glorious. The story is long, and it needs a lot of patience, but it is defiantly worth it.

One thing that I find odd is the art, that is not very manga-like. In fact, it doesn't feels like I'm reading a manga at all. No over the top reactions, no weird faces, no silliness, none of those things that comes to mind when we think manga. Not that this is a bad thing, since it would have felt wrong to ad any of those to a dark story. And belive me, it's dark alright!

Oh, and I think it is needless to say that their is a lot of gruesome things going on in this series, so it's not for the faint of heart. Tenma must many times look into the eyes of the evil of man on his quest for atonement.

I find it hard to call this a manga, but this is possibly one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. I plan on watching the anime as well.

That's all for today, 28 to go.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Akazukin Eliza + Bitter Virgin.

Today's review is kinda... weird.

This is a very, very, VERY alternative take on the world famous fairy-tale about Red Riding Hood. In fact, you may not have noticed that it were, unless you were told.

Eliza has a very overprotective grandmother, who also happens to be a very buffed up (wo)man-mountain of a old woman, and she scares away anyone who could be a possible suitor to the young, attractive girl. But then came the day were a young man named Wolf came to visit, and he changed everything with his giant worm.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!!

The story was written and drawn by Kano Yasuhiro, who also wrote/draw one of my favorite mangas named MxO (witch we will get to eventually) and even though the writing is NOWHERE near the standard of MxO, it's really cute! And also pretty innocent.

... For a story that involves a giant worm that looks like a penis, BUT STILL! I actually found it kinda interesting(and also head-scratching) how the story was changed completely. It's a one-shot manga, so it wont take to much of your time. Give it a try!
But that was a one-shot manga. Guess I have to review some more, so it would count for the manga of today...

This is a story of a very grave matter, so no jokes here.
Daisuke Suwa is the ladies man of his class, and he has a eye for all his female classmates, with the exception of one girl; Hinako Aikawa. He doesn't like her because he thinks she is pretending to be innocent and clean, witch he finds unattractive, since he prefer to "mess around" with girls.
But when he has cleaning duties in the local church, he overhear Hinako's dark secret... She was raped and impregnated by her stepfather. Twice.
I was unsure if I should tell you this, since it IS a spoiler, but I want you to be prepared for what kind of story this is, so you can decide if this is too much for you. I feel a little bad about writing about this right after the review of "Red Hood with weird worms", But I guess I did it to show how broad manga is, and how different they can be. Some can be over the top weird, others...
This is a sad story, but it is also beautiful told. The artwork is great, and the writing is very mature, or else this would have been horrible. I especially liked how Daisuke grew from being a jackass of a Casanova into a young man. If you are ready to get your heart broken, then read this little jewel of sadness.

That's all for today. 29 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Manga-Mania May: Ratman.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Manga-Mania May!!!
As you may have noticed on the 5-panels I have recently posted, then I have become quit found of manga lately. Sure, I liked manga before, but the interest for it has recently grown. I actually read more manga now than American comics. And since team-months apparently is a thing when you are a reviewer, then I shall have Manga-Mania May! That's right, I am going to review 31 mangas (one for each day) starting today. and we will start with one about the smallest hero; Ratman!

The story is about a boy named Shuto Katsuragi, who lives in a world with technology that makes superheroes a real thing (no offence, Phoenix Jones), and Shuto's greatest wish is to become a hero himself. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive to get the equipment necessary (most heroes have to find sponsors), and Shuto is also very short, just to make matters worse.
But one day, a hero tells him that he will give him his watch-like device called the Append Gear, so that he can rescue a young girl in trouble. Shuto can now transform into Ratman, who is super-strong, super-fast, and also very tall. BUT by signing the contract handed to him when he received the watch, he has now made himself a member of the evil organisation Jackal. He must now do their evil bidding, or they will destroy his entire collection of action figures.
...
Our hero, everybody! He commit crimes, so that he can keep his toys!
Seriously, I'm pretty sure that none of us would prefer to commit crime than loosing our nerd-stuff!
... Ah, who am I kidding? I would burn down a church before letting go of my collection of Connor Hawke comics!
Even though this is a action comic, it relies mostly on humor and philosophy. But that's not the same as saying that the action is bad, on the contrary! And it's nice to see a Japanese spin on what is considered a American type of story. There is of coarse a lot of great characters too, with my favorite one being Fat-Man, a overweight superhero who also works as the mascot and delivery-boy for his fathers pizzeria. The plot is pretty original, and it handle the concept of heroes being corrupted by being part of a industry well too. A fun and pretty interesting read witch I highly recommend!
That's one down, 30 to go.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.