About Heroes

Bastard!! Vol. 16
Story & Art: Kazushi Hagiwara
Translation: Kaori Kawakubo Inoue
Adaptation: Sean McCoy
Publisher: Viz

All hell broke loose literally with the release of the last volume. This volume doesn’t back down from all that intense action either. Hagiwara has finally found an art style that he is comfortable with and the action sequences have never looked better. Dark Schneider is still roaming in hell chatting with Satan while Lars, Zakk, and the others continue to fight the Seraphs. Lucien attempts to convince the Angels that human beings are worth saving but his calls for mercy go unheard. Meanwhile, Yoko comes to the realization that she is the one who has been protecting Lucien the whole time, not the other way around. Nei, Gara, and Kall-Su continue hacking into an ancient computer and find out the cause of the Great Destruction that lay waste to the earth years ago was not the work of demons, but of angels! They also come to realize the God they had been worshiping was in fact the real evil destructive force on the planet. And finally the angel Michael emerges, but what exactly does that mean for our heroes? Dear God, this book is so full of adrenaline, every time I’m done reading it I want to go to the gym and work out for hours. The heroes have never looked better and the women are bouncier than ever. I have loved this book from the beginning and continue to push people into buying it. My only gripe is the time the books are released every 3 to 4 months is just not fast enough and instead of putting explicit content stickers on the front of the book, now they are just part of the cover. Like I said small gripes and nothing really to complain about a great book. A

Fairy Tail vols. 1 & 2
Story & Art: Hiro Mashima
Translation & Adaptation: William Flanagan
Publisher: Del Rey

When I looked at the cover for some reason I thought this was going to be a great manga. The artwork reminded me a lot of One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda and I loved the use of colors and placement of the characters. Then I looked at the creator of Fairy Tail and noticed it was Mashima, the same guy that brought us Rave Master, a manga I have been following since volume 1(I had no clue it has been over in Japan for three years now). Now I got really excited about reading the book. It seems that using magical schools have become a common theme since Harry Potter made it big, the way I see it as long as the characters are interesting and there is a well told story, count me in! Del Rey has decided to release both volumes 1 and 2 simultaneously. In the world of Fairy Tail some people have the power to wield various kinds of magic skills. These mages can take on special jobs for very good pay, but only if they are part of a guild. That is the sole purpose of a guild to join so you can take on job; Fairy Tail, being the most popular guild. We are introduced to Lucy Heartphilia, who is a Stellar Spirit Mage or a mage who summons spirits from other dimensions to do tasks for them such as Aquarius. Natsu Dragonil, who is on a quest to find the mage who raised him, Igneel and has the ability to swallow fire and produce it. Happy is a cat and right now I think he is a mage talking cat who is a full member of the Fairy Tail guild. I love how Natsu is not your stereotypical hero; the guy gets motion sickness and doesn’t look remotely cool when he is saving a damsel in distress. Without giving too much away about the plot I have to say that Fairy Tail is a very good series that I would recommend to any manga fan. It is highly enjoyable and the plot has a few twists in it that I didn’t see coming. Think of a mix between Harry Potter, One Piece, and of course Rave if you are thinking about picking this book up and you won’t be disappointed. A-

Fever vol. 1
Story & Art: Hee Jung Park
Translation: Hye Young Im
Adaptation: Ailen Lujo
Publisher: Tokyopop

What a clever way to spell fever I thought to myself and in a way that is the way the entire book is set up. It is very misleading and what I thought was going to be another long and boring love story really took me by surprised. I had never read Hotel Africa so I really had no idea what to expect. The story is about High school student Hyung-in and the way she has dealt with life since her friend committed suicide. She has had it with school, family’s expectations, and a dull life; all she wants is out. But when she meets an orphan and a strange country-boy Ji-Jiun and Kang-Dae on the bus, she begins an unexpected journey into the unknown, at a mysterious place called, yeah you guessed it; Fever. All the characters are unique in their own way. Ji-Jun seems like a trouble maker, but is just misunderstood and has rotten luck. Hyung-in is still trying to figure out how to go on with her life. Kang-Dae just seems to bring the trio together along with Bong-nam. I really love the inner monologue. The translation is above average and if the quality continues then I too will be picking this book up. Park’s art style is very clean and crisp when it comes to the characters and the backgrounds are very detailed. I really love the attention to detail Park gives Bong-nam, I always find it very difficult to draw dogs and Park just makes it seem easy. A-

Mushishi vols. 2 & 3
Story & Art: Yuki Urushibara
Translation: William Flanagan
Publisher: Del Rey

I can’t remember if I mentioned this in my review of the first volume of Mushishi or not, but I love those covers. For some reason they have an aged look to them and the paper the art is printed on really makes those water colors stand out. Genki is still trying to find and get rid of the Mushi for the world to be a safer place. But as we see in these volumes the stories are now more about living in peace with the Mushi. The short stories range from Mushi that have kidnapped a fellow Mushishi (a Mushi expert) to an orphaned boy in the forest that has befriended the Mushi. The writing is excellent even though I preferred some of the translation seems a bit odd at times. What else can I say about the art? Other than its rich and detailed. Although the episodic nature of the series prevents extended supporting character development, the reader does get to know Ginko and a limited cast of repeating characters quite well. Mushishi is a wonderful collage of Japanese folklore and fantasy coming together in an elegant and hauntingly beautiful title. I love how it introduces so many fascinating elements of the Japanese culture. The fantastic notes by Del Rey in the afterword really help the reader get to know some of these cultural references, so I applaud Del Rey for taking the time to make something more enjoyable. A Must Have for any manga fan and a brilliant introduction to the genre for newcomers, I highly recommend this series, you won’t be disappointed. A+

Your & My Secret
Story & Art: Ai Morinaga
Translations: Yuya Otake
Adaptation: Jay Antani
Publisher: Tokyopop

There was something about that cover that cracked me up when I looked at it the first time….ohh I don’t know, perhaps the girl that has a tear drop running down her face holding the guy in her arms. So, along with great works of fiction like Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, Like Father Like Son, and Switch comes Your and My Secret. The premise of the book is one we have seen almost run into the ground in manga and anime, but it does have a twist. Nanako is the most beautiful, fragile, and adorable girl at her high school, that is until she opens her mouth and reveals her true self. Once she shows her true self, guys' dreams are shattered because she is a tomboy. Akira Uehara, sensitive and demure by nature he has the looks and brains, but his personality is so dull he is overlooked by all his peers. But one day Nanako's grandfather comes up with crazy, life-altering invention and Nanako and Akira are forced to keep a very big secret. Akira is sent to Nanako’s house to take her homework from school, when he accidently walks into her grandfather’s lab. They end up switching bodies with each other. The art is typical shojo, but for some reason turns really ridiculous when the characters do something stupid. I find it funny that Akira makes a better girl and Nanako a better guy, which is almost scary and I really want to find out if they get their bodies back, so it does have my interest with that twist. B-