Back to rollercoasting's Profile rollercoasting's Profile

I'm writing this from the perspective of a high schooler, and one who entered 9th grade this year. I bought this manga after hearing about it on this very site. Inio Asano is a highly acclaimed author, and it is extremely easy to see why.

First off, this manga is super easy to recommend to general comic book fan. The plot is down to earth, relatable, and most of all, engaging. Considering that this story came from Asano's mind during a period when he himself was in this very age bracket, just starting as a mangaka and making his mark in the underground market, this ... series comes off as a heartfelt calling to this very period of life. It is really hard to explain what makes this story really work...it just...does. Something about these struggles, a relationship, jobs, and just in general tragedy, that make this manga great.

On a final note, I particularly like how Asano handles the character Meiko. It takes a lot of effort and consideration to write from a different gender/perspective, and Asano can do it seamlessly, transitioning from character to character effortlessly. Oftentimes, writers put characters into blatant stereotypes, with masculine men and feminine women. Moe otaku and yaoi fujoshi. Meiko as a character has goals...and her relationship with Tanada is very authentic, and not overly forced. This series truly has multi-demographic appeal, as males and females can both enjoy this, something not many mangas can do without pulling out a certain audience.

Overall, this manga is near perfect. I don't mean to bandwagon but will do it anyways. Read this series!

One of the things I like about manga is the ability to read a wide variety of stories, as well as experience different perspectives and views. Unfortunately, I sometimes come across stuff that should just never have been made, and I then regret why I even bothered to read it.

Kedamono Damono is absolute crap. Seriously, avoid this dumb shoujo like the plague. It has a unique premise, a gender-bender comedy about a guy who becomes a girl at night...and that's it. The romance is a horrible will-they-won't they, and the series art reeks of unoriginality. I know I'm not the first, or last, to ... say this, but thank god most shoujo manga nowadays have characters that DON'T look like living dolls out of an acid dream. Bottom line: This sucks.

Neo Parasyte F is mediocre. Simply mediocre. Nothing about it is really unique, and it just comes off as a simple cash grab by Kodansha to cash in on the popularity of the anime. Of course, I'm not saying that this anthology is bad...just rather...lacking.

Now, why is it really...okay? How could you screw up a simple anthology comic?. Well, this series ran in ARIA, a shoujo magazine that is really underground and not popular anyways, so the authors could've done whatever they wanted. Considering all things, using shoujo authors to portray Parasyte is a horrible idea. Half of these stories are just stupid declarations ... of love, and the other half are legitimately good. The tone is incredibly botched, ranging from serious to silly, to just dumb, all with no consistency. Really, why would you throw in Ema Tooyama, known for romcoms, and Kaori Yuki, known for incredibly dark gothic horror, into the same magazine? The styles are incredibly different and don't mesh well at all.

And, that is really what kills this series. It is just not very consistent. Some stories are horrible, and others are really good. Overall, I would recommend this for hardcore fans, and shoujo fans. Overall, the good stories are the only thing that really saves this incredibly shallow tribute to one of the best seinen of all time.

Nirvana is a shoujo manga that attempts to recreate a typical shounen manga feel. Does it work? Sorta...Well, first, let me explain the plot. Young girl dies on a plane crash, gets reincarnated in another world...typical isekai stuff. The catch is that the enemies of this world use transformations to terrorize the people. So our main heroine must stop it. The story is fast, fun, and energetic. The heroes travel to foreign lands, and the art is gorgeous, with a good look. It is certainly reminiscent of Magi, with a world based off a foreign culture and with tons of adventure. A solid read if ... you like the shounen action genre.

{Read most of Volume 1.}

A shoujo manga getting an anime adaptation? Beyond the fact that shoujo anime are incredibly rare these days, {and not very popular in the general community}, I was inspired me to read the manga, and I wasn't impressed.

Art: The art is gorgeous. A pastel water-color like vibe, it is gorgeous on the eyes. Super abstract and beautiful.

Story: Unique, but really slow. It just sorta meanders at the early points, introducing us to the world. Once it kicks up, it slows down again, taking its time to do things. Really, a lot of stuff is just dumped on us, and it doesn't really explain anything. The ... characters are generic. Main male lead is a typical shoujo protagonist, he is a guy who has some girl-like mannerisms/is cute at times and kind. Main female is enigmatic at best. Secondary male lead is "bad boy."

Overall: Okay, but not that clever. At least it is abstract in the art.

You know, for a manga by Kore Yamazaki, this isn't well know, like at all. I didn't even know it existed until I came upon it on a reviewer section of a manga magazine, and even then, the premise was...odd. Anyways, I read the first two chapters and here's my opinion.

Art: GORGEOUS. Yamazaki is an amazing artist, and it shows. All the panels are well illustrated and give off a fairy-tail vibe. The characters are distinct, and pop out on the page.

Story: Sorta like Mochizuki crossed with Kaori Yuki. Lots of twists, and some mild horror.

Characters: Generic but enjoyable. Joanna is a fun, enigmatic lead. ... The main male lead is our gaze into her world and her identity.

Overall: Good, give it a read if you like Magus, or Pandora Hearts or those type of series.