“A Princess In Time” – Time Stranger Kyoko (Manga) - 8/10 Sugar Cubes

Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back. ~ Harvey MacKay

Genre: Mahou Shoujo/ Fantasy/ Romance

Review Status: Full (3 Volumes/ 3 Volumes)

Art: Very pretty, very detailed, very pleasing to look at. Overall, excellent quality.

Summary: Suomi Kyoko is the first princess of the 30th century Earth Nation... though she doesn't seem to like that title at all. Kyoko wants to live a normal life without responsibilities. As her desire to be completely free grew stronger, she discovered that there could be one possibility for her: if her twin sister Ui, asleep from the very day of her birth, could be awakened, she could take Kyoko's place as the future queen of the Earth. Unfortunately, the only way to wake Ui is finding the twelve God Stones, as well as the twelve Strangers, the persons who can control them. With her two loyal bodyguards, Sakataki and Hizuki, Kyoko sets off on a journey to stop her sister's enchanted sleep. (From ANN.com)

Review: I’m always wary of short manga, as they have a tendency to fall flat both in story and characterization. Through the first few chapters of this, I thought it would be the same as most other short manga I’ve read. Thankfully, the story quickly developed into something that made me smile and feel for the characters.

While Kyoko originally seemed a tad whiny, she still was overall a very happy character that really cares for her friends and has issues of her own way beyond needing to wake up her sister. Her bodyguards at their worst were merely amusing. Unfortunately, due to the constrained length of this manga, you don’t get too much of most of the other side characters other than two of the first Strangers that she encounters. This is darned shame, because they all looked like they had interesting stories/encounters behind them…. But thinking back on it, going through each one may have become slightly repetitive after a while. And going through them in one blow let the story get to the good parts faster ^.^

So the story? More original than most that get churned out these days! Finding the God Stones takes more thought than “I really need to wake up my sister so please give it to me!”, and at the same time, she has to deal with the problems her friends have. It’s also not like she gets her powers straight off- even she has to prove she’s good enough to have them. Since a major part of the story is the romance, there is the obligatory love triangle (or should I call it a square?), but even so it works itself out in a nice, touching way.

Overall, this is a great story, and nice if you just want a quick read. While the story does suffer a bit from its compression, the mangaka had enough skill to pull out and emphasize what was important to make this one a classic.

Recommended: Sure. I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through magic-land, and I think you would too. It’s also kid-friendly, so don’t be afraid of leaving it out where they can reach 

Other series you might like: Kamikaze Kaito Jean (done by the same author, and the main heroines have similar personalities- you can choose between the anime and the manga), Card Captor Sakura (anime version, of course!), Shugo Chara! (since the anime goes on for over 100 episodes, I recommend the 11-volume manga), and Gakuen Alice (aka Alice Academy- slightly darker and more mature, even though it stars a young child, so this would be geared more for you than family).

“Just Because I Don’t Have A Face, Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Have A Soul…” – Hotel (Manga) - 10/10 Sugar Cubes

When the robot mind is mastered, undisciplined thinking ceases and is replaced by awareness. Awareness can know love. ~ Barry Long

Genre: Sci-fi/ Drama

Review Status: Full (1 Chapter/ 1 Chapter)

Art: Excellent. More of an American comic style than manga, but it works in favor of the realism in this story.

Summary: In the year 2272 A.D. Mankind is extinct. A computer continues to live on in order to complete a mission in a world where all life has gone extinct. This is a record of those 27 million years of its heroic struggle.

Review: Sometimes a story hits you so deeply it’s hard to find the words to express yourself. For me, this is it. This is a story in the vein of, and perhaps influenced by, many of Isaac Asimov’s stories, from Bicentennial Man to I, Robot (and yes, those were books long before they were movies).

It isn’t long- it doesn’t need to be. The narration has a flow that is very tight. Nothing more than necessary is said, and what is said is more than enough to convey what has happened, what is happening. The art is also clear, concise, breathtaking in some places, adding depth to what is said.

There are many layers of feeling in this story, from the ironic to melancholy, to hope that has lasted far longer than it had any right to.

Overall, it is the story of a robot and his duty, at times an honor, at times a burden, but surviving beyond the end of time until a new beginning.

Recommended: Read it.

Other series you might like: Pluto and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. Both mangas star robots in sci-fi settings. Pluto has similar themes of the relationship robots have with humans, while Yokohama also takes place in a post-apocalyptic world.

“It’s Alive!... Well, Sorta….” - Zombie Powder (Manga)- 6/10 Sugar Cubes

Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it. ~ W. Somerset Maugham

Genre: Action/ Supernatural/ Comedy/ Teen

Review Status: Full (27 Chapters/ 27 Chapters or 4 Volumes/ 4 Volumes)

Art: Up-to-date, very clear and pleasant to look at. Good flow between the panels. Character designs are fairly standard.

Summary: Somewhere in the desert lies the world's greatest treasure: the 12 Rings of the Dead, the only source of the mysterious substance Zombie Powder, which can raise the dead and grant eternal life. Into this world stalks Gamma Akutabi, a man with a metal arm and a six-foot chainsaw, cybernetically enhanced master of the legendary martial arts. But it takes more than one man to find the ultimate prize. You need a team: super-gunman C.T. Smith, knife-slinging teenager Elwood, and brilliant (and impossibly big-breasted) journalist Wolfgangina. Against an army of crooks and killers, against runaway trains and superpowered madmen, they'll need all their skills... but the most dangerous thing in the west might be the Rings themselves... (Source: Viz)

Review: I have a friend with a very special skill- picking out manga that have been cut short by their authors in order to work on others that have become immensely popular. In this case, the author went on to write one of the most famous mangas on earth: Bleach. Because this series wasn’t nearly as popular, it was cut short. However, what I did read was pretty good, and could have been a really good manga if given half a chance.

The characters, unfortunately, all seem to be one-note. Gamma is laid-back, at first acting like he doesn’t care but really does (which is how he gains his followers), and really good at fighting. Not much background to him- hinted at, since he’s searching for the Zombie Powder, but nothing’s ever confirmed. Wolfgangia (and what a name that is!) is a large-boobed gal who’s determined to get her scoop. She’s rather annoying, as she’ll follow her leads straight into the jaws of danger- unfortunately, she seems rather stupid oblivious to the danger. But she does have a good heart, since she’s doing it to help out her fellow townspeople. Elwood is the star of the series, since you not only get his story right away, but you can sympathize with him and watch as he grows as a character.

The story itself is your typical action story- they travel around, fight bad guys, try to get the Rings of Power… I mean, Rings of the Dead. Since the story is so short, there really isn’t much else to it, unfortunately. But what is there is fairly exciting. Of course, I’m pleased by anything that doesn’t resort to ki-blast after ki-blast, so I might not be the best person to judge that.

I’m sorry that this manga didn’t get a chance to go on. Even though I didn’t find it the most thrilling out there, I think it could have grown on me given the chance.

Recommended: Why not? As long as you don’t mind the story being cut short when it’s just getting to the good part. Teens and up.

Other series you might like: Fullmetal Alchemist, Black Cat, and Bleach are all classics and have similar stories/ themes/ characters.

Kel's Guide to Common Manga Terms

I figure before I should go any further that I clarify a few common terms that you will hear often when talking about anime or manga.

Most importantly, I should define Manga and Anime:
Manga- Japanese comics. Usually aimed at a wider audience than American comics, that do not go on and on and on like American comics and comic book heroes seem to do. Very often end in under 150 chapters, with variable lengths in chapter lengths (I have read chapters that were 20 pages long, and ones that were 80 pages long. Lengths are usually consistent from chapter to chapter, but differ from series to series). Also don't often have coalescing stories within themselves like in the Marvel Universe, but there are exceptions (See "CLAMP-verse").

Anime- Stories that have been animated. Often these have a basis in manga or light novels, but there are just as many that are original stories. These can be aimed at any age group, but is most well-known for having far more mature and in-depth stories than American television companies are willing to animate. In fact, many US companies will license shows that originally aired in Japan, dub them into English, and market them to American youth. See (and these are the American titles) Naruto, Cardcaptors, Mew Mew Power, Zatch Bell, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and a few others)

First off, there are terms referring to what age group/gender an anime or manga is aimed at (please do not take this as a definitive guide as to what you should be reading- manga aimed at males or children can also attract a fair number of female or adult readers, so go by the review and whatever your personal tastes run towards):

Shounen- These anime and manga are aimed at boys, somewhere from the age 16 and under.
Shoujo- These anime and manga are aimed at girls, from around the age 16 and under.
Seinen- Aimed at men over the age of 16.
Josei- Mainly aimed towards women over the age of 16.

Then, of course, you have those aimed at the genre of the series:
Mahou Shoujo- Magical Girl, involving girls that have magical/supernatural powers, usually using them to fight evil.
Manhua- Manga from China
Manhwa- Manga from Korea
Mecha- Involves machines, usually in the form of giant fighting robots
Shoujo-ai- Literally translates as "Girl's Love", is a light romance between two girls.
Shounen-ai- Literally translates as "Boy's Love", is a light romance between two boys
Yuri- Involves love between two women
Yaoi- Involves love between two men
Ecchi- Perverted. Some breast-grabbing or something similar, but nothing graphic and no overt sex.
Hentai- Porn. Overt sex. Graphic views of naked bodies. WILL NOT BE REVIEWED BY ME.

And the term "chibi" refers to a small, deformed- though usually not in a bad way- version of a character. Or, when in the text, literally translates to "small".

You'll also hear me refer to the artist/writer of a manga as a "Magaka".

I believe this covers all the bases. I'll update as I come across other terms, or as people ask about them. I think that's all!

“I’m Gonna Be A… Wait for it…..” - Yu Yu Hakusho (Manga) – 4/10 Sugar Cubes

I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter. ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Genre: Supernatural/ Action/ Shounen

Review Status: Pretty Close to Full (Chapters 1-45, then 80 –end)

Art: Dated. Decent for when it was made, but this is one series that needs a serious makeover. Also, sometimes the panels have flow problems that can be distracting/ confusing as to what’s going on.

Summary: One day, 14 year old Yusuke Urameshi suddenly finds himself dead, having died pushing a child out of the way of oncoming traffic. Since he has such a bad personality, even the Spirit World was caught by surprise that he would sacrifice himself. Yusuke soon finds out he wasn't supposed to die and has a chance for resurrection and bringing his body back to life. After being resurrected, Yusuke becomes a Spirit Detective, along with his comrades, and one adventure after another happens, whether it be an investigation or a fighting tournament. (From ANN.com)

Review: Man, oh man. This has to be one of the biggest letdowns I’ve ever read in my life. The story idea? Original, good. The first couple of arcs? Decent, good. And about a quarter of the way through the series comes the biggest mindfuck I have ever read- instead of this being a story about a boy’s salvation, it becomes a DBZ-style intergalactic fighting tournament.

I can assure you, the moment that it was brought into the storyline, I had a big WTF? over my head.

No longer was I reading about a boy growing and learning as a person, I was instead watching him battle creatures from other planets. Every chapter there would be perhaps two pages of characters talking/ walking around, and no character development whatsoever. Everything that had happened before pretty much goes right out the window, leaving you with the remnants of all the hopes that you had pinned to this series bleeding out in your hands.

To top it all off, even after the tournament is over, it’s as if the first part of the series NEVER HAPPENED! There is no ‘grand conclusion’, no ‘figuring everything out’, no NOTHING! And that is why I hate it with all my soul.

Recommended: Only the first 30 or so chapters- then put it down and let your imagine fill in the rest. Trust me, it’s better that way.

“Release!” - Card Captor Sakura (Manga) – 7/10 Sugar Cubes

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Genre: Mahou Shoujo (Magical Girl)/ Comedy/ Drama

Review Status- Full (50 Chapters/ 50 Chapters or 12 Volumes/ 12 Volumes)

Summary- Sakura Kinomoto was an ordinary 4th grader until the day she opened a strange book and let dozens of powerful magic cards loose on the world. Keroberos, the Guardian of the Clow Cards, informs Sakura that it is now her responsibility to find and capture the freed cards. However, much to the reluctant Sakura's dismay, things aren't going to be easy for her; simply saying magic words and waving her wand around isn't good enough. Each card is a living, thinking, extremely powerful being. She'll have to learn to cope with her new responsibilities, as well as ordinary troubles involving love, school, family, and friends. With the support of her friend Tomoyo and a young boy with powers of his own, she must learn how to use her newly awakened magical abilities to collect each card and prevent the disaster that will befall the world if she doesn't. (From ANN.com)

Art- It’s CLAMP- always gorgeous!

Review- Well, here’s one of the titles from the well-known CLAMP-verse. For those who don’t know, CLAMP is a group of four Mangaka (Manga artists) famous (or infamous, as the case may be) for having interweaving stories and/or characters from all of their series. That’s why you have a grown-up Sakura and Syaoran in Tsubasa Chronicles, who interact with Yuuko in xxxHolic, who etc. etc. etc. Fortunately, as this is one of their earlier works, they have little to no references to other series within this one.

Which leaves us with a fairly clean-cut story, no different from the description above. Sakura herself is a wonderful character. She’s energetic, friendly, and while not stupid, maybe not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. It’s shown early on that, while she does have the guts to take action and do stuff, she is a fallible character- she has her own issues to deal with, such as liking her older brother’s best friend, having no mom, and being deathly afraid of ghosts. Her friends are just as rounded- out characters as she is, with Tomoyo being an awesomely fangirlish best friend (I wish my friends would make custom clothes for me!), and Syaoran dealing with the pressures of an ancient family legacy while having to compete with Sakura to gain control of the cards.

Then there’s the story itself- while capturing the cards is a large part of it, the story seems like more of a catalyst for the growth and development of the characters instead of the main focus of the series.

The only problem that I can see (and why this isn’t earning a ten) is that I have seen the anime, which is far superior in almost every respect. The characters and their families are fleshed out far more, the problems they encounter take more thought to overcome, they even add a member to the cast that, while annoying in the beginning, soon became one of my favorites. Because I know how lacking in scope this is to the anime, I can only give it a 7/10.

Recommended: Yes, but only as an addition (or supplement to) the anime. Watch that instead. This is also friendly to those of all ages- they ran an American version of this on Saturday morning TV a few years ago called Cardcaptors. Cardcaptors is crap. Watch the original, preferably with your little sister beside you.

Others you might also like: Chobits if you’re a bit older, Magic Knight Rayearth, Shugo Chara! for a slightly younger crowd.

“I Have A Bad Feeling About This” – Rensou no Aria (Manga) – 3/10 Sugar Cubes

Genre: Shoujo, Romance, Drama

Review Status: Full (5 Chapters/ 5 Chapters or 1 Volume/ 1 Volume)

Summary: Aria’s parents have been gone since she was very young. Thus, she’s had to grow up in a “foster home” of sorts, and was raised by nuns. On her 16th birthday, Aria receives a present in the mail– a ring from her “Daddy-long-legs” (a man who protects someone from afar while they’re growing up)! All of a sudden Aria’s life is thrown into chaos. Men try to run her over with cars, shoot her, and kidnap her. Relief comes in the form of Canon, who claims he’s her bodyguard. But can he keep Aria safe forever? (From Naberoshi Manga)

Review: First off, the pros of this manga- The art is fairly well done- even if the characters seem to have oddly large eyes, it’s short, and…. It’s short. Yeah, not a whole lot to commend it, is it? However, in this manga, you can tell where the story had been compressed into something that closely resembles a ball of fluff. We in the know refer to this “Akira Compression Syndrome”- where a long, complex story is condensed into a short amount of time, such as when Akira the manga was compressed into a one-and-a-half hour movie.

In this case, a story of a girl and her bodyguard has become a love-at-first sight story- something that CAN be done well, with finesse and time, but instead within a day or two (or a few pages, as the case is) not only realize their love for each other but confess it and get their happily-ever-after.

And of course, the bodyguard and the girl have a “past history” together, which she doesn’t remember but is the reason he loves her.

Of course, the man who threatens to tear them apart instantly regrets what he’s done after his best friend is injured protecting the girl (and you get a gold star if you can guess who his best friend is!). Ooops, did I spoil that for you?

I’m not sorry. This was a pathetic attempt to fit all sorts of shoujo clichés into a story that was too short and made it obvious, lame, and a waste of time. It’s great if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands to read more involved stories, but for everyone else, stay far, far away.

Recommended: No. Well, maybe if you’re about 10 or so, which is about the age group that would enjoy this insipid story.

Other ones you'd like instead: Full Metal Panic (the anime is way better than the manga), Full Moon wo Sagashite (aka Searching for the Full Moon and both the anime and manga are recommended)

“Meet me at the Crystal Palace”- Emma: A Victorian Romance (Seasons 1 and 2) (anime) - 10/10 Sugar Cubes

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

Genre: Historical romance, drama

Summary: (Off the box covers for Season 1) In 19th century London, class lines are sharply drawn, and the social standing to which people are born dictates the path their lives will follow. Emma, an honest and hardworking young maid, never felt her place in life to be a burden. But then she met William, a member of the gentry and eldest son of a wealthy family. His warm smile and earnest affection threaten to capture her heart… but can love truly conquer all?

Art/animation: Excellent. Maybe not movie quality, but way above par for a TV series. And the detail that goes into clothing and mannerisms is exquisite.

Review: Some stories are classic. That’s why they sell so well in the “Romance” section of your local bookstore. Seriously, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I bought this series- and yet, it was so much more. Maid and aristocrat fall in love? Yeah, it’s been done before, in a hundred stories since that era began. But to have it done well….. Well, that’s a rare treat.

No hooks, no gimmicks, no otherworldly creatures attacking London. This anime is exactly what it markets itself to be: A story about two people who fall in love during a time when your reputation and station in life were all you had to make a decent life for yourself. And it is as clean a story as could ever grace the screen! Except for two brief moments where Emma’s second employer is dressing (and you will get full-on nudity in those shots), there’s no sex, no dirty language, nada. Everything is held to Victorian standards of modesty, and the love between Emma and William is kept passionate and true, but innocent in the no-fanservice way I wish more anime were made.

The characters are excellent- the story holds true to Victorian attitudes, so there’s no instant acceptance or happy welcoming into the family (otherwise where would the story be?). Instead, there’s drama, betrayal, and a wild ride though the streets of London-town that had me cracking up! The story is relatively simple, but well told. It never deviates into pointless storyline or extra episodes- not that there’d be room for filler in this story anyway. And the romance? As good as it can get.

Overall: I can watch this over and over again. Great characters, art, animation, and a storyline that can pull your heartstrings make this an investment of time that I do not regret.

Recommended: If you like Elfen Lied, this anime may not be for you. Unless you already know that your tastes run both sides of the spectrum. To everyone else- watch it.

Review Status: Full (24/24)

Me? You wanna know about me?

Well, here's the basics on why I'm on here blogging instead of... well... anything else!

I'm Kelly (as you've probably noticed! lolz). I'm 21, have studied Japanese, have studied overseas, and am still in the middle of getting my degree. I love reading (history and fantasy are high on my list of fave's). listening to rock/pop music, baking, and watching Asian dramas. And anime and manga, of course!

My favorite games tend to be freestyle RPGs- you know, like Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fallout. DDR makes me happy. Though I also enjoy Sims, merely because it appeases my occasional need to feel like God.

As you've noticed, my main focus is anime and manga- my gaming skills, sadly, aren't that great- we weren't allowed a system into our house until I was 14, and at that point I couldn't afford any games for it. But I can find anime online for free, so that's the main reason it's become my hobby. It doesn't help that I can always pinch it off my friends, as the majority of them are into graphic design and anime geeks themselves!

What do I hope to get out of all this? A bigger connection to gals who like similar stuff- finding friends who have an interest in gaming/anime is hard! But this site should make it easier to connect with people who are close by and enjoy the same stuff I do. Here's to gaming and anime, and a good new year for them both!