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You won't find sparkles or flowers petals here, but you know, after reading BL for so long, it's nice to find something that avoids all the usual clichés of the genre. What I especially like about Kikka Furutsuji's stories is that they don't take place in a world that is 100% open to the idea of homosexuality. That's pretty rare for BLs that take place in contemporary settings, so it's refreshing to see characters aware of the world around them.

The story is a pretty typical love triangle. It's not remarkable, but it has its moments of drama that keep it interesting. ... The art is clean (so don't be tricked by the sketchy cover image) and simple and matches the feel of the story quite well. There are sex scenes as well, of course, so be aware of that. While they're not too explicit, they do go pretty far. Finally, the characters are neither over the top or underwhelming. They're perfectly balanced and normal, although jaded in their own ways.

I'd recommend this to BL fans who are ready for a more mature kind of storytelling. It doesn't follow the "laws" of the genre and it is a pretty fast read. Pick it up if you have an hour or two to kill. I'm not fond of overly used phrases, but Orutana is a hidden gem and worth checking out.

I once read that all anime (and manga by extension) is derivative. This shouldn't be shocking for most anime fans, as often times they will see the same plot points and character types get recycled and re-interpreted again and again. So, it should come as no surprise that K: Stray Dog Story is a derivative work. Yet, I'll go even further to say that K:SDS is a derivative of a derivative of a derivative- there is a lot you have to understand about the world of K and the world of anime and manga before you can fully enjoy this manga. ...

Likewise, this manga doesn't function as a stand-alone story very well. Even though it acts as a prequel to the anime series K, it doesn't provide much information on the world of K, so readers new to the series will probably be very lost. However, it makes up for this with a very straightforward plot. The story centers around a wandering, modern samurai named Kuroh who embarks on a journey to carry out his late master's final wish. Throughout the story, he rescues people in distress, occasionally using a weird hand power that's never really explained. There's really no feeling of distress in any of the situations he's in because Kuroh seems to possess a set of elite skills far beyond that of any of his adversaries. While the plot is easy to follow, the simplicity of it drags this manga down into mediocrity. Even high speed chases and cooking battles can't hide the fact that the story is bland at best.

However, if you interpret K as a derivative work, you're in for a few surprises. In a way, this is a parody of the samurai genre as well as the fujoshi genre. There are a handful of action genre clichés it makes look over the top (and thus pokes fun at) and there's even a thinly veiled allusion to a certain voice actor's previous work. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the K series functions brilliantly as a derivative work because it's so obviously a conglomeration of popular archetypes and tropes that have come before it, and this manga is no exception. This is why people new to anime and manga will not quite enjoy this story, or get all the references it makes, the same way as people familiar to the anime/manga scene of the late 00's will.

Yet, those wanting more from the world of K will likely be disappointed with this story as well. First of all, the drawings do not have the same crisp and stylish quality that one has come to expect from the series. The art is subpar at best, though not terrible. As well, the world of the manga seems less technologically advanced than the one in the show, almost as if the two take place in different universes (which probably was not the intention). Still, perhaps the only way this manga does expand K's world is by giving Kuroh his time in the limelight. While he is not the most complex of characters, he is charming and this story serves to flesh him out a bit more.

Reading K: Stray Dog Story straight or at face value will probably leave a vast majority disappointed. The real joy about this manga comes from knowing the genres surrounding it. If you enjoy K because of the fact that it seems aware of the demographic its catering to, then you'll probably enjoy this. If not, then this is a manga probably not worth picking up.

Litchi Hikari Club is like Superjail. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with Superjail, it is a cartoon set in a surreal jail run by a megalomaniac. In other words, if you liked Litchi Hikari Club, you would probably like the first season of Superjail and its three to five minute long violent brawls. But that was the first season. The second season of Superjail broke away from its gorefest template and focused on character development. Make no mistake, however, the show was still violent as ever.

Now, Bokura no Hikari Club (BnHC), the prequel to ... Litchi Hikari Club (LHC), is also a break away from its predecessor. Set before the events of Litchi Hikari Club (which is, itself, based on a theatrical play), BnHC gives more background and reveals certain character motivations that LHC lacked. How did Zera become emperor of the Hikari Club? Why does Jaibo have such extensive medical knowledge? Why does Nico only have one eye? BHnC depicts the answers to those questions, as well as the original inception of the Hikari Club.

Now, even if you haven't read LHC, you've probably guessed by now that violence and gore play a huge role in it. The first impression you get is that these fourteen year old boys are depraved. And that's what makes it fun to read.

In simple terms, Bokura no Hikari Club attempts to humanize the ultraviolent middle schoolers of Litchi Hikari Club.

Make no mistake, the characters are pretty much the same as they were before, with the same mannerisms, alliances and delusions of grandeur. But where LHC doesn't have a clear protagonist at the beginning, BnHC does. Bokura no Hikari Club is told from Tamiya Hiroshi's perspective, who is, arguably, the most relatable character of the Hikari Club. In elementary school, he and his friends Dafu and Kaneda found the Hikari Club, which is little more than a hang out filled with trash and other undesirables. As time goes on, more members are initiated into the ranks of the Hikari Club and not all for the better.

The art style is still intact from the previous one, with the stark character design and detailed, industrial backgrounds that give the pages an eerie feel.

Those expecting disemboweling and lynching of the original won't find that in the first chapters of BnHC. Instead, the story sets the foundations for the craziness to come. It explains how the characters met and fills in certain gaps that LHC whizzed past. On a related note, reading it before or after LHC shouldn't matter. Bokura no Hikari Club is its own story and leads right up the events of Litchi Hikari Club, overlapping at times and portraying scenes from a different character's perspective. In fact, this story is really about the characters and how they became capable of the events of the Litchi Hikari Club.

Sometimes the time skips seemed like a far way to skip, however. The characters are ten, and then suddenly they're in middle school. On a related note, Zera and Tamiya are fleshed out far more than the rest of the Hikari Club. It would have been nice to see more development from the others. Indeed, even some of the characters' introductions seem rushed over, like they just came out of the woodwork and joined the club for some unexplained reason.

As well, this manga is Adults Only for multiple reasons, probably more than I feel like reiterating. Just know it's not for kids or the faint of heart. Even the humor is often of a violent or sexual nature and animal lovers may wince while suppressing a giggle.

BnHC will certainly satisfy those LHC fans reeling for MORE! and is a good starting point for those who haven't read Litchi Hikari Club yet. However, that being said, the ending of BnHC might not be what some expect. To get right down to it, if you were attracted to this series by the violence, amorality and blatant disregard for human life, you might be disappointed. Some the most violent acts in BnHC are just retellings from the original and most dishearteningly of all, some of the characters are even apologetic towards those acts. Ultimately, however, Litchi Hikari Club might just make a little more sense after BnHC. Emphasis on the 'little.'

Bokura no Hikari Club is a dark comedy, a bizarre love story and maybe, just maybe, a sympathetic embarkment into the minds of sex obsessed, manipulative and vicious fourteen year olds. It's like middle school all over again, but there's a high chance you'll enjoy it this time.

This manhwa doesn't lie. Love is painful. Love leaves you with a scar- a tragic but beautiful reminder, which is pretty much the very essence of Let Dai.

At first I thought this was just a story of a gang leader who picks up some random guy and makes him his lover to psyche him out. I was so wrong. It is SO MUCH more than that.

When Jaehee first meets Dai he is the leader of the infamous Furies gang and a terrifying yet charismatic monster. But that is the very thing that attracts Jaehee: his ... unpredictable attitude and because Dai is everything that he isn't. Their attraction grows more powerful until it eclipses everyone around them. Eventually everything from the most shallow of characters to the most steadfast of relationships is tested because of their undying love.

You won't find any gimmicks here. No cheap conclusions where everything comes together happily and easily. Even plot lines that you thought would have been concluded long in the past come back and rear their ugly head. Nothing is really surprising in the story, there's no OH SNAP plot twists that fly at you like a deus ex machina climax. And, while there are a few moments that you might not see coming, you usually find yourself hitting your head because you didn't realize what was happening sooner. In other words, this story manages to pull off its stunning and emotional quality with its own strength and doesn't rely too heavily on anything that could distract from that.

Likewise, the characters are all true to life. So much so that its painful to see them hurt sometimes. Their interactions are perfectly understandable and, given the context, believable. Every character is enthralling and the manhwa does a perfect job of providing even the most mundane and loathsome characters with development. However, where the characters really shine is in their relationships to one another. We are introduced to so many different types of relationships, cementing the statement that love comes in many forms: from the family structures which are pushed to their brink by rebellious children, to the inexplicable love of Dai and Jaehee, and even the comic yet tragic love of Eunhyung and her would-be lovers. We also have the friendships of Naru and Gohee who bond through tragedy and Yooneun supposed rebound with Dai's older brother. Every one of these relationships is tested somehow and not all of them get desirable conclusions. Keep a tissue box handy.

The art only enhances these characters. Although a little rough in the beginning, it soon evolves to the point that, with just one glance, you can tell the character's deepest emotions. Also impressive is that the characters have unique styles and often change that style based on their moods. Their clothes, their hairstyle are all a representation of who they are and the manhwa really pulls this off expertly by having the characters reinvent themselves in body and soul. This effect may seem jarring, but it only strengthens the characters' believability and shows the versatility of the artist.

Also versatile is the feel of the manga. Themes of suicide, homophobia, rape and its aftermath all get the spotlight. There are brutal scenes of violence as well as quiet moments between lovers. There are explosive family confrontations and heartwarming coincidences that bring friends together. Where there's tragedy there's also hope and where there's hope there's also love. Especially pertinent are the philosophical musings throughout the narrative, which serve to give more insight into the characters and their state of mind.

When it boils down to it, this is a love story, where love is examined as both the greatest source of joy and the deepest sense of pain. The manhwa illustrates this realistically, where even the reader feels the pain and ennui of separated lovers and the ecstasy and satisfaction of reunited ones. It is very hard to get bored of a story like this one and even someone like me, who hates the inner ramblings of romantic monologue, found myself hanging on every line.

There isn't any manga or manhwaa that has left me with the same impression as Let Dai. It drew me into the character's and their stories so that it felt like I knew the characters on the most intimate of levels, yet still left their actions unpredictable and stimulating. Dai and Jaehee's relationship is the most convincing of its kind that I've ever seen in a work of art, and I truly lack the words to describe a love as true as their's. I knew from the moment I got hooked to this story that I had found something very rare- a piece of art that doesn't candy coat love but shows it as the raw, destructive and lasting form that it is. That's why I liken this story to a scar. It just sticks with you as a tragic yet beautiful testament to the trials of love and of life.

Vampires and Werewolves and Yaoi, oh my!

There is a fair amount of bloodsucking which really comes second to the hilarity of the idea of a cowardly vampire.

I don't know why the summary doesn't mention that this a collection of BL short stories. The ones not mentioned in the summary are a story of a teacher student relationship, a story where a relationship is on the rocks and a relationship where one guy has mysophobia.

Basically all of them are about two guys living together or interacting with each other and the different speedbumps they have to go over to better understand ... the other. All of the stories have a rather quiet or cute mood about them, plus there's also a bit of a comedic element about most of them. The only one this doesn't apply to is Yukito's story, which has a darker mood than than the rest. However, the most memorable part of this collection (besides a cowardly vampire) is the artwork, which has a sketchy but clean quality to it.

Although the stories aren't particularly unique, if you like vampires, shounen-ai and are interested in something short but sweet I'd suggest this.

This review is for End of the World.

Like a work by Andy Warhol, End of the World failed to leave much of an impression on me, playing too much on modernism than anything of substance. Maybe if I was in some deluded state, not as quick, not as sharp, insightful or judging, it would have kicked me off my rocker and taken me to la-la land. But, presently, I'm not.

If you've ever watched American 90s cartoons, End of the World has the same feel and animation as those (or at least its closer to cartoons than most anime). Bright colors and a ... whole lot of wtf? Really, it's like Racko's Modern Life on more crack than usual. The sound also made me want to grind my teeth.

Though there is quite a bit of symbolism to be intriguing, its warped to the point of being too cryptic for the average anime watcher. The execution of the elements is underplayed, as much of the more interesting stuff in the atmosphere is never used. The characters are also forgettable, with their interactions and motives being something too 'forced' to be entirely beleivable.

But this anime doesn't want to be believable does it? It wants to bring you into a wonderland, "The end of the world" as it calls it. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), this 'world' isn't a place you'd ever want to go to. If that was the point of this short animation, then I applaud it for convincing me to never to want to go to that wonderland again- in other words I never want to watch this again

Perhaps it was all some of kind of parody or metaphor for society- there are multiple ways of looking at this piece. However, like anything, it cannot stand, or stand well, without substance- of which it has little of. It can almost be said that it lacks a certain 'beauty' that makes anime so enjoyable to watch.

I can see how you might enjoy this if you are intoxicated or something to that measure, but if you don't prefer to be airy or 'glazed over' stay far away from this. If you came here looking for something surreal, there are better anime that would give you more foundation (and be more memorable) than this. And there are plenty of other anime more enjoyable than this one.

If this show were a video game it would be terrible. Thank your Wii's it's not. Basically the story revolves around a typical guy, Akira, as he and his friends try to stop the onslaught of "Kokuchi" or shadow monsters from invading Japan and ultimately the world. As you can guess, it can get pretty repetitive. That's not to say, however, that you won't enjoy it, as humor seems to substitute for plot most of the time, which, in this case was a good thing.

Story- 4

Let me first say the pacing of this anime was awful. As a ... common rule enemies are supposed to get stronger as the show goes on, but halfway through it I realized that nothing was going to change- thus my video game analogy. Sure, there's plenty of action to go around if you're okay with transformation sequences longer than the actual battle. There were a few interesting battles scenes though the enemies were very, very generic.

Like I said humor plays a very big role. Expect to laugh even when Akira is slicing and dicing some Kokuchi. Unfortunately, the humor does nothing to further the plot of the anime, though it does make up for it. You would hardly guess that it was time for the finale to come around because of an utterly humorous go-lucky ending from the episode before it, which again is due to horrible pacing. Luckily, the story, when it finally did pick up, was pretty satisfying and DIDN'T have me thinking "I waited twenty-somethn' episodes for this?"

Art- 6

Nothing special. Kind of generic. There isn't a lot of blood and the effects are mostly an embellished digital. I found some of the transformations laughable, but for the most part the art is consistent and mostly simple. The character designs are okay, though you really have to decide for yourself if some characters are really that beautiful or if you're okay with Akira's mullet (IMO- I just wanted to chop it off!).

Sound- 6

Hits and misses. Some pieces seemed like they belonged in the 90s while others conveyed the scene very well through piano.

Characters- 7

A very enjoyable bunch of character, albeit, shallow. The basic characters are here: the bossy girl, the dumb blond, the ambiguous guy, the badass, the genius kid, the guy who can do everything, I could go on. If you're annoyed by ditzy horny and/or violent women with high pitched voices you shouldn't watch this- but then again you're an anime fan so it's like you practically signed up for that kind of stuff anyway. Still, the characters try their hardest with chibi scenes to put a smile on your face, so you can live with them.

The series is also very ambiguous with relationships. They had it all almost- shounen-ai, shoujo-ai and even shota. Though none of them were expounded upon a great deal most of them had something to do with the plot, which can't be said for many other anime with these types of relationships.

Enjoyment- 9

Chances are you'll either be bothered by the pace or the character's antics, but that's exactly what makes this show fun to watch. It's a fun little ride for fans of the actions genre (and doubly fun for those who squee at shounen-ai). I found myself fully enjoying it and in the end humor won over the weak story. That can't really be done for most action anime which take themselves too seriously, so consider this a rare treat- at least where enjoyment is concerned. Overall, it's a fair 6 for me.

One of the cutest manga I've ever read.

Story

Though it's a bit cliched (the whole unrequited childhood friend high school love aspect) there's plenty else to enjoy. It's a comedy after all. I think the story serves to bring out the characters more, which makes more sense in this kind of manga, as it's more of a romantic story than anything ground breaking.

It also seems like a harem manga, yet I have mixed thoughts about this. On one hand there are a ton of female characters, but on the other they aren't exploited too much to much to make ... things uncomfortable and the story's mostly told from a female's perspective.

Art

Everything is drawn so cute. Really. It doesn't seem like the characters are in high school based on the art style, yet even this is a appropriate for the manga. No complaints about their childish looks though!

Characters

All of the characters have little idiosyncrasies which makes them even more endearing. Most of them have their own story attached to them, which serves to make each of them a little more dynamic than first expected. There's the ditzy girls and the mysterious girls and the instigator, your typical high school bunch.

Overall

The best word to describe this manga would be "cute". Everything from the characters to the art are drawn out in a very endearing way. It's quite simply a comedy with a ton of ditzy characters and awkward situations and very enjoyable because of these qualities.