Book Description

Reviews (2)

The Sociological Aspects of Commercial Imagery...
Murakami's latest curatorial effort has gained nearly universal acclaim amongst the art world.His "Little Boy" exhibition attempts to understand the origins of contemporary Japanese art's affinity for both the horrifically violent and the frightfully cute (kawaii).Ultimately, Murakami argues that these images are spawned from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined with postwar US domination.Violent imagery becomes a sign for a fascination with the kind of power that postwar Japan lacked.Kawaii imagery is then seen as stemming from Japan's status as a protectorate of the US.This relationship was not unlike that of a parent and child (the child/adolecent becomes a prevalent theme in Japanese art from postwar era forward.)
This effort is faithfully documented in this beautiful catalogue which includes works by contemporary Japanese artists, artists of Murakami's Kaikai Kiki, and popular anime and manga such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Doraemon.A must for anyone interested in the origin of Japan's unique hyper-contemporary aesthetic.

Murakami comes out for the fraud he is!!
hello kittyis better and more interesting. waste of space it all comes off as mark kostabi again his sweatshopand its members. Aya Tanaka is no EXPERT just a fan. another misleading catalogue ... Read more

Book Description

Doing a Literature Review offers students from across the social sciences and humanities a practical and comprehensive guide to writing a literature review. It takes the reader through the initial states of an undergraduate dissertation or postgraduate thesis. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

More than Just Doing the Lit Review
When I purchased this book, I was looking for a potential text for a short-course on writing the disseration I'm teaching. I really expected the standard "here's how to search through the library and databases." This is simply much more that that. It's less about how to do the review itself and more about how to think about your topic. In fact, Hart raises the questions I should have been asking myself--if only I had known--and my advisor wasn't. How much better my work would have been if I'd had an understanding of how to analyze a text from various perspectives. Many texts offer advice on how to write but few talk about how to think about your question and how to fit it within the context of work in your discipline. Hart does this.

Magnificent book on literature review in research
Hart, Chris. 1998. Doing a literature review. Releasing the social science imagination. London: Sage Publications.

Chris Hart's guide to doing a literature review presents a comprehensive perspective on the literature review as a research tool. While it is addressed to scholars in the social sciences, this book is useful in most areas of design research. Hart discusses the role of literature in research. He explains how reviewing earlier work releases the imagination rather than constraining it. He shows how to classify and read research literature, how to analyze arguments, and how to organize and express ideas. He also teaches the reader useful ways to map and analyze the ideas that each body of literature reveals. Finally, he demonstrates in careful, clear stages how to develop and write the literature review. At each point, Hart develops a serious, well-reasoned explanation that helps the scholar to understand why each step is important and how to do it well.

Book review published in Design Research News, Volume 6, Number 5, May 2001 ISSN 1473-3862.

Probably the only book of its kind
I have read several books on doing literature reviews. Except for this one, they were all about the quantitative style of review called meta-analysis.

This is a well-written and informative text, though it is a little too wordy for me to rate it excellent. It is the only book I could find that describes exactly how to produce the lit review section of a thesis. This is something that even books on dissertation writing tend to leave to your imagination. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is aimed at the advancement of manga and prepared by a group of assistants to popular manga artist Yu Kinutani. It begins with the use of drawing utensils and covers character faces, full bodies, arms, legs, hair and so on. The instructions are presented in easy-to-understand "blocks". A great way to begin a hobby or career in the field of Japanese manga. English Language. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good general information.
Well, when I bought this book, I wasn't disappointed. It gives you very good information on figure-drawing, how to render expressions, proportioning for different types of characters (i.e. children, men, young women, older women, etc.). There are also sections on how to render character and plot which are useful if you're a beginner, although you would want to find additional material at a later date as they do not go into depth. There was also information that would be quite useful if you wanted to be a professional manga artist, covering tone, the types of brushes and pens you need, etc.

Some of the side drawings (NOT what is used to instruct) are ecchi (a little perverted), but not over the top. Also, the translation is lacking. Some people might find that this book is not in-depth enough for them--there are other books in this series that go more into depth on the desired subject.

Another book to try would be "How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1". It would be useful for anyone, because it shows commonly made mistakes and how to fix them.

However, do not expect that this book will automatically make you better (this goes for any "How to Draw" book)! There's something important required... it's called PRACTICE. It seems like too many people buy "How to Draw" books and immediately expect to be better. Umm... not if you don't draw until you never want to draw again, and then some. If you draw with technique and practice, you'll improve.

This is a good addition to any collection.

Fantastic! Except....
This book is a wonderful start-to-finish guide for drawing manga. (What this book is *not* is a step-by-step guide for drawing anime/manga characters -- for that, get the related Drawing Anime and Game Characters series.) It goes over the processes of professional mangakas getting published, usings pens and tones, planning a story, designing characters, drawing faces and bodies, creating a manga-type mood, drawing dynamic scenes, all with the aid of a mini-manga of "Mr. Mangaka" and all his assistants acting everything out for your personal enjoyment. I have never, ever encountered any book, online or in print, that covers so professionally such a wide range of topics. (Someone noted correctly that this book requires a little bit of talent and practice on your part -- after all, it's a "how to draw manga" book, not a "how to draw halfway decent" book, so supposedly you already have some interest in drawing and anime to even take a second look at this book.)

The rest of the How to Draw Manga series is specilization; this book was all-encompassing. If you get no others from this series, get this book, if you seriously want to draw pro manga right away.

However, this book has one weakness, and, unfortunately, it's huge: the translation. I happen to have access to the Japanese version and all I can say is... dang, the English version hurts. The diction is off on every page, the grammar has shadows of Japanese syntax, the fonts (Chicago and Arial, everything!) and the spacing are horrendous, and most rules of layout and white space management are thrown out the window -- making that aspect of the book look amateurish. They didn't even doctor the SFX correctly -- in some places they are whited out with no attempt to clone the background, leaving ugly white holes, and the English SFX they replace them with (if any) are bizarre and stilted, and usually in a stupid font like Chicago.... In other places the SFX are left completely untouched -- left in Japanese, so those who can't read katakana can scratch their heads in confusion. (As stated in the book, SFX contribute heavily to the mood. In this case, they fracture it .)

Conclusion: Would have been a 5 star if the translation was done better...even slightly so. However, the content is sooo good that it's still completely worth getting the book -- unless you know Japanese and can easily get the Japanese version, in which case, go for the original by all means.

(Warning: there is some mild H (perverted) content on less than half a dozen pages -- nothing much, PG+ or PG-13 tops, and nothing at all compared to the nudity and more offensive poses that can appear in the other books of this series.... In any case, just a heads up.)

A great addition to "How to Draw Maga: getting startted"
While "Getting Started" deals with the very basic aspects of How to Draw Manga, This book in the series seems to extend beyond the very basics and gets more in depth with the aspects of Drawing, character creation, and the elements of making a Manga comic.

Though as an afterthought, this book, "How to Draw manga: Compiling Characters" could probably replace "Getting Started", as it does cover just about the same topics, in fuller detail. So if you don't feel like spending the $20 some odd dollars on "Getting Started", this one can easily take its place. but it certainly doesn't hurt to get both

You need a little talent first
After searching for this book for SO long I finnaly found it. I was so excited that I could finnaly sharpen my techniques. But... It was kinda disapointing...
I mean they use terms like, "3 point perspective" and "vanishing point" without telling you what they are. I mean I know now, but it was confusing! And really, I just didn't like there models, they weren't my style. But the face section was great!
But sadly, when it comes to drawing, it's not a matter of learning how to do it. To make something look the way you want it to, you have to draw with your heart and mind, and work very hard at it. Unfortunately it's not something that's easy to teach.
All in all, the books give you some ideas. But really it depends on how much skill you have and what technique you like. ...

Great Book
Excellent book, shows how to draw using blocks and lines.
Mostly very easy to understand, with cute little characters showing you what to do ^_^
Also showed some Japanese words and there meanings.
This book had 2 or 3 wrong translations but was overall a really good book ^^ ... Read more

Book Description

Set in the same rich universe as Blizzard's upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcraft, Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy is a fresh take on the Warcraft universe using original characters and storylines. The three manga volumes follow the adventures of Kalec, a blue dragon who has taken human form to escape the forces that seek to destroy his race, and Anveena, a maiden with secrets of her own. What starts as a flight for survival turns into a quest to save the entire High Elven Kingdom from the forces of the Undead Scourge.

- From the artist of the best-selling King of Hell, cover art by Charles Park (Street Fighter, Robotech, X-men)
- Written by Richard Knaak, the New York Times best-selling author of Warcraft, Diablo, Dragonlance and English adaptor of Ragnarok
- Since the debut of Warcraft in 1994, it has sold more than 14 million copies of various iterations of the popular PC game
- Check-out the World of Warcraft game and Blizzard's website, battle.net ... Read more

Reviews (4)

STRONG START TO THE TRILOGY
Based upon the enormously popular PC, video, and role-playing games comes this first part in the Warcraft graphic novel "Sunwell Trilogy" from TokyoPop."Dragonhunt" opens with a prologue detailing the rich history of the Warcraft universe in which the Titans go about creating worlds and breathing life into them throughout the universe.They create the Well of Eternity upon the world of Azeroth, leaving flights of dragons to protect their creation.Azeroth soon becomes a battle ground as the Titans former champion, the Dark Titan Sargeras, corrupted by evil and with hordes of orcs led by the Lich King, seeks the Well for his own.The cataclysmic battle sunders the world into fragmented landmasses.The story begins as the Lich King, Arthas seeks to rebuild his citadel and humans and orcs enter join in an uneasy alliance to battle Arthas' undead Scourge.

An injured blue dragon, Kalec, now in human form is assisted by a young girl Anveena to escape those who are hunting him.Kalec explains that the dragons are seeking a great source of power and he was sent by Malygos, the Lord of the Blue Dragons, to find this power.But he's not the only one searching for it.An evil elf, Dar'khan, servant of the Lich King is also seeking the power which he reveals as the Sunwell, source of elven power, created out of the destruction of the Well of Eternity.Dar'khan captures Kalec and Anveena and only the intervention of another blue dragon, Kalec's mate Tyrygosa, allows them to escape.They soon learn that Anveena's home houses a secret...an egg which a tiny dragon hatches from.Could this be the source of the power that everyone is searching for?Where will their journey lead them from here?

Dragonhunt was an outstanding start to this trilogy.Having not been overly familiar with the Warcraft Universe, I found the history rich, colorful and detailed.There certainly seems to be some Tolkien influence, particularly in the prologue, but it still cuts a nice, unique world, all its own.A lot of action was tossed at you very fast and there wasn't a great deal of character development so hopefully we will delve into these various characters in the succeeding volumes.It's interesting to see the blend of heroic fantasy done with a Manga style.Since Warcraft is a known commodity with legions of fans, people may be predisposed of how it should look, but I thought the art of Jae-Hwan Kim was superb and fit very well.Kim is one of the best artists in Manga today, having worked on the terrific "King of Hell" series, also from TokyoPop.He's got a clean, yet very detailed style and handles action sequences deftly.

The story was written by Richard Knaak, one of the tops in the heroic fantasy genre.Knaak has written such huge hits as "The Legend of Huma" and The Minotaur Wars, set in the Dragonlance world, as well as Warcraft novels "Day of the Dragon" and "The Well of Eternity." In addition to Warcraft, Knaak has also written novels based on the "Diablo" PC game so he has a strong background in adapting gaming environments to novels.Knaak and Kim have succeeded in creating not only a gorgeous graphic novel, but a marvelous heroic fantasy story, with lively characters and an intriguing plotline.A must for fans of Manga, Warcraft, or heroic fantasy!

BRILLIANT
I finished reading the Warcraft Vol. 1 manga only last night, and I cannot wait for volume 2 to come out.First of all, the story is a classic, and an original.Esentially what you need to know to understand the story is that there is a well of energy called the Sunwell, which was destroyed during a war.Dragons, the most supreme and powerful beings on the planet, are drawn to the energy, although the exact location of it is unknown.Kalec, a blue dragon, is seeking to discover more on the sunwell, and reveal some of its secrets.However, he is being pursued, by others after the exact same thing.He meets two beautiful women along the way, one of them a fellow blue dragon, and the other frees him from a trap in the beginning of the story.I won't tell any more about the story- I'm afraid I may have revealed too much already!The artwork is magnificent.It is, by far, the best drawing of ANY manga or graphic novel I've ever read- the details draw you into the situation as a reader.This comes from the same animator as 'King of Hell', another superb series.Richard Knaak, a New York Times Bestselling author, wrote the introduction, which initially engulfs you into the story, as well as the dialogue.It's worth WAY more than ten bucks of your money.If you love fantasy or have an obsession with dragons, this is a must-have.I'm already addicted beyond hope.

Just set-up, no resolution
While the story in Dragon Hunt held my interest for the twenty minutes it took me to read the manga I can't help but feel that the story falls a bit on the simplistic end of the stick, which is disappointing coming from Richard Knaak who was so successful with Day of the Dragon, the first of the WarCraft novels, in providing a twisty, multi-layered mystery that kept the reader engaged through the book’s near four hundred pages. In terms of story, Dragon Hunt provides no pay-off–that will come, no doubt, in the final volume of the trilogy. In terms of characterization, our main characters--Kalec the Blue-Dragon and Anveena the maiden--aren't well drawn and have little discernable personality beyond the cardboard. As far as Jae-Hwan Kim's artwork is concerned, Dragon Hunt doesn't strike me as having a manga feel and instead reminds me of Prince Valiant which, given the subject matter of a fantasy-drawn world, seems entirely appropriate.

What Dragon Hunt feels like is 150 pages of set-up for the next three hundred--to introduce the characters, provide some challenges, and throw the characters together to set them on their way. There's nothing wrong with this, but it means that Dragon Hunt isn't a complete read in and of itself--if you start this you'll need to read the next two volumes to make any semblence out what you read here.

Intense but Good
I picked up this manga because it has dragons in it and it sounded interesting. It did not disappoint!

Set in the online world of Warcraft, the story follows a young blue dragon named Kalec who was sent to seek out the source of a strange power. When he is wounded on the way and forced to take a human form, he is found and helped by a human woman named Anveena. Tied together by fate and force, the two and their fellow companions journey to find the Sunwell, a powerful magic force that will help to rid them of the evil that rules their lands.

I was surprised with the way the manga was drawn: the characters look much more life-like in this manga than in others. The drawings are really detailed and the dragons are drawn really well! The only thing I dont like is that its only going to be a trilogy, wish there was going to be more. I cant wait for vol 2! ... Read more

Book Description

Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Truly amazing. Needent I say more. :P
Fruits Basket (or Furuba as it's known to many fans) is a truly amazing manga.

From the title of it, you would expect it to be very hentai-ish, but it's not. In my opinion it has to be the cleanest manga that one can possibly stand. (IE it's not so clean and happy go lucky as Hamtaro *shudders* Hamataro is evil, pure evil). Well I got off track. This review has spoilers abound so beware if you haven't read the manga (or seen the anime).

Fruits Basket is about a girl name Tohru Honda a girl with a heart of gold and truly a wonderful person, whoes father died when she was very young. She is now 16, her mother had just died in a car wreck, and she went to live with her grandpa on her fathers side. (Because her mother and she were not exactly on speaking terms with her mothers side of the family). Her grandfather has to get his house remoldeld for some distant relatives on his side of the family so Tohru has to move out for a while. He told her to find some friends to stay with.

Not wanting to be a burden to any of her friends Tohru decides to rough it, and she finds a tent and campsout for about a week, on the Sohma familys property (not knowing of course). One day while walking to school she comes across the Sohma family household. She looks around in it for a while and comes across some stones with the Chinese Zodiac on it. Than she run's into Shigura (who is the year of the dog) and Yuki (her high-schools "Prince" He is the year of the rat) Later on in the story we are introduced to Kyou (the year of the cat, who is not in the zodiac because he was betrayed by rat). And this is where the trouble starts.

The Sohma family is cursed and therefore whenever they are touced or huged by a member of the opiset sex of someone NOT in there family, they turn into the animal that they are the year of. Tohru finds out this secret, and therefore she might have to have her memories erased from her. What will become of our poor Tohru? Find out when you read the manga! And belive me, you will. It is a must read.

Now I odviously left out a lot of details from this manga, but I didn't want to give away the whole storyline, that would be quite dumb wouldn't it?

Also this manga is printed in the original left to right reading format, therfore preserving the original artwork and sound-effects. It makes it even more enjoyable. All in all this manga is a must read. It's kinda of a comedy/romance, kind of. And it's shojo, so it's more or less going to be apealing to the femail gender a little bit more. That's not to say that a guy wouldn't like it. It has quite a bit of action in it (not like Trigun action) more martial arts action. But it is a must read. And I really hope my review helped. Do you believe it was written by a 16 year old? The reveiw I mean.

Just thought I'd mention this
I was depressed for several days, then I went to Border's and bought some manga, one of them Fruits Basket #3. I swear, I felt so... happy afterwards! I'm serious, every time I read Fruits Basket, it just puts me in such a good mood... it's full of hope and compassion without seeming forced or sappy. Natsuki Takaya really has a talent for this! In this volume, after Momiji was talking about "The Most Foolish Traveler in the World" story in the "funny" stories book, and how he related it to Tohru, I actually cried, and I rarely cry over manga! XD Most of my favorite mangas are the more serious or sinister kind for older audiences, such as Confidential Confessions, Petshop of Horrors, Uzumaki, etc. and I'd never thought I'd enjoy a series like this. But I love it and it's one of my favorites... even though it sounds a little rediculous in its description (turning into animals when hugging the opposite sex ^^;) when you actually read it, it's really enjoyable, touching, and funny, and the characters all have deep personalities. I highly reccommend Fruits Basket!!

Great!!!!!!
I love this manga!!!!

Clean and sweet, without being sappy, Fruits Basket is a really cute story about a sixteen year old orphan named Honda Tohru. One day when walking through the woods, she discovers a strange house. Under further investigation, she finds that the house happens to be the home of none other than the prince of her school, Sohma Yuki. When Yuki and his cousin Shigure find out that Tohru had been living in a tent, they immediately take her in. However, Tohru soon discovers their family secret. The Sohmas are the bearers of the "juunishi" (zodiac) curse. When their bodies grow weak, or when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into their designated animal of the Chinese zodiac, or in Kyo's case the outcast aka the cat.

I have only read two volumes of the manga, but I own all four anime dvds and love them. It starts out sweet and gentle, but the end, of the anime at least, is dark, depressing and to use a word I hate a real "tear-jerker." I cried. A lot. Even so, it was wonderful. Don't not buy it now because you think it to be dark and full of pain and misery. It's not. Every {good} story needs some dark pasts, mental scars, and evils. Otherwise, how did the villian become a villian, why is the good guy good? There would be no motivation. GO buy the manga. NOW.

Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket in general is a touching series that really makes you look at yourself--when you see what these people go through, and see that they can still smile, you'll wonder if crying was/is ever worth it in the first place.(But of course, we all don't have a cute little bordering house-maid to give us the wisdom we need in those times.)

Anyways.

The book can be described in a few words; really sweet. In this book we meet a new character, Hatsuharu Sohma(though you may have seen a little of him in number 2), who has a 2 sided personality. That's all I know--I have yet to buy the book.

But if *I* like it so much without even having seen it, then who says YOU won't like it either?

Fruits Basket just have something special about it. It's like a parasite--it weasels into you and embeds itself into your heart. I think everyone can find something they like about it, even male otakus(otaku=anime fans, though not all are pale-faced doughballs)...

Now. Go. Now. Grab all the money you have and waste it(heh) on Furuba(Fruits Basket) stuff. OR YOU SHALL DIE WITH THE HAUNTING KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING GREAT. Heh-heh-heh. Bye. ^^;

fRUITS bASKET
The book starts out with a young girl,Tohru, who with the death of her mother is living alone in a tent. She then meets the Sohma family who is suprised to hear that she lives near by, because all the land in the area is owned by them.
She goes to school with her new found friend Yuki who is the popular handsome guy of the school. Later you find that for some reason Yuki hates cats as they walk together. Yuki and Tohru go their seperate ways, but later that night Yuki finds Tohru living in a tent and he takes her in because she dosn't look well.
In return Tohru cleans the house to earn her keep. Then a boy named kyo challenges Yuki to a fight. As they fight Tohru falls and keeps her balance by hugging Kyo. Kyo then transforms into a cat.
Thoru freaks out and then everyone else in the family transforms into a different animal.
They explain that their family is cursed wwith the spirts of the Chinese Zodiac. Each family member is possesed by a different animal spirit and when under great stress or embraced by a member of the oppisit sex they transform.
This first book takes you through the events of the first 5 episodes of the anime.
This first book is awsome and is followed up by more just as good! ... Read more

Book Description

March 6, 2035. Motoko Aramaki is a hyper-advanced cyborg, a counter-terrorist net security expert heading the investigative department of the giant multi-national, Poseidon Industrial. Partly transcending the physical world and existing in a virtual world of networks, Motoko is a fusion of multiple entities and identities, deploying remotely controlled prosthetic humanoid surrogates around the globe to solve a series of bizarre crimes. Meanwhile, Tamaki Tamai, a psychic investigator from the Channeling Agency, has been commissioned to investigate strange changes in the temporal universe,brought about by two forces, one represented by the teachings of a professor named Rahampol, and the other by the complex, evolving Motoko entity. What unfolds will be all in a day's work...a day that will change everything, forever. ... Read more

Book Description

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science.When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them has lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron.Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill.But their powers aren't unique.The world crawls with evil alchemists.And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This is the best manga series in my opinion
Don't automatically assume that the manga is based on the anime because you've seen it on Adult Swim first. The anime "Fullmetal Alchemist" is based on the manga, which was later released in the United States. Now that that's out of the way...

This is truly a great manga. Each character is unique. They all have distinct personalities, different talents, beliefs, everything. This is a good thing, the storyline is more engaging that way. Speaking of the storyline, it's great. It is the same as the anime with a few differences, but remember that the ANIME is based on the MANGA. The artwork is really well done.

If you're thinking about getting this manga, take my advice. Stop thinking, and get the manga. Don't listen to people who haven't even gotten the facts straight. This manga series is the best, in my opinion, and it IS great. It will leave you wanting more.

People Listen to what you are saying!!
Lately I have been thinking about buying this first volume of Full Metal Alchemist, but the more I look at it the more dismayed I get. The reason for this is not because I think that the plot needs any work, nor do I think that the book is too pricey. The reason I am dismayed is that everywhere I look I see contradictions. I look at the product descriptions and they say the manga came first,(by first I mean if when they were first coming up with the idea in Japan, did they print the manga, or air the anime originally) but if I read on it always reads something like "...from the anime to the manga." As a customer I am confused, because I want to have the original format in my hands, but with quotes like the one above I can't make any sense of what I am going to buy. As a manga fan however I am outraged, and for one reason only: If the manga came first then SAY THAT!! As I have said before I want the original format in my hands, but the way I'm looking at it it seems as though the anime came first. In conclusion I will say to the people who have written reviews on this product that you have to look at what you are saying, and look at what the facts are, and again I don't think I can stress my point enough; If the manga came first then don't have anything saying otherwise, and vice versa.

Great book to add to your collection
Being a huge fan of the anime series, I had to get a hold of this book. The artwork is very good, being able to see the story flow from one panel to the next. The translation is good, but there were some discrepancies. For example, how the silver pocket that all the state alchemist possess in the anime are in fact gold and how Fuhrer King Bradley in the anime is referred to as the President in the manga. Not really a big deal and doesn't really change the overall quality of the story. The story tends to be slightly more comical than the actual anime and Edward seems more sadistic in this version. Overall, I would still highly recommend this to all FMA fans and anyone who's willing to get into anime for the first time.

The first transmutation
~F1Rst REV1EW~

"Fullmetal Alchemist" has already made a huge success on the [Adult_Swim] program.Because of that, fans of the series, or for those who couldn't stay up to watch the anime or pay $30 for the DVDs, can now enjoy the adventures of the odd Elric brothers from the format that started the franchise: manga.If you'd hope for more of the same drama/comedy hybrid with a unique premise that made "Fullmetal Alchemist" such a hit, you'd be both wrong and right.I say that, because some of the changes here can alter the satisfaction of an anime fan.

You would be right, because conceptually, FMA: The Manga remains the same (come on, it's a book...that was made into a show).Ed is still Ed, Al is still the bodiless metal knight wearing an apron, both are still young alchemists in an alchemy-fad world and on the search to find the philosopher's stone, which will enhance their transmutated abilities to recover their original bodies back after their failed and ill-consequential attempt of reviving a dead human: their mom.The manga also looks as amazing as the anime.This first volume covers up episodes 1, 2, 5 and 8 of the anime series (not in order), with the Elric Brothers stopping a false prophet, train hijackers, and saving a mine town.You'd probably know all this if you've seen the anime.Viz Media does an above-average on the translation, and as always, the company does not believe in japanese sound effects, so they translated those as well.

You would also be wrong, because despite being the same FMA by its essence, the situations and character developements have been altered in the manga, possibly drastic enough to make it look like a whole new FMA.First off, the manga took place in the present, and anything that happened during the past after the tried human transmutation from the anime happened in the current; the whole past scenario doesn't even happen until a MUCH later volume.Second, it's the characters in the manga: Ed is more aggravated over his image, Al is more gullible, and while she isn't in the first volume, metalphiliac Winry became the dominatrix of constant abuse that many shonen babes have before her.Oh, and the flame alchemist Roy Mustang worries less about what he can do for having female soldiers wear skirts and worries more of what he can do for himself.

Some of the characters have changed for the better, leaving the angst and brutality of the characters from the anime in exchange for giving them more, dare I say it, "realistic" feelings that make them act more human, even if act ridiculous.Most characters, however, changed themselves to make them spiteful to the reader, and not in a good way.The villians are the real culprit on this subject, like Cornello, who in the anime is very demeaning and prideful over his ambiguous schemes, but here, he's too loose and when he blows some steam, I couldn't take him seriously.Also (again, not in the first volume), Barry the Chopper is the equivalent of the Killer Klown from Outer Space in the manga, while in the anime, he's the equivalent of Hannibal Lechter, expect more heartless and evil (I say that as a bad thing).At worst, the villians are pathetic.

Also in comparision to the anime, characters like the other elric brothers, and the sexy thief Jeanne, don't exist here.And for the other homunculi (Sloth, Wrath, and Pride), they exist, but they'll look different then what you see in the anime, so for those lusting on anime Sloth should be prepared for the shock.

The story also goes through some changes from the anime, and personally, it's a mixed bag.The mood here seems less on drama and more on comedy.There are also moments where scenes in the manga are just not as acceptable as the anime: death scenes, tragic scenarios and such just doesn't hit me hard like it did in the anime.The manga doesn't take itself too seriously, so for certain moments, it's humorous, light-hearted, and easy to get into, but at the same time, it lacks the impact and confliction that made the anime so heartbreakingly enjoyable.

How would I know some of these facts and comparisons if I only read the first volume?I manage to check out some FMA scanlated chapters before buying this volume.

F1Rst REACTION: somewhat positive

In an estimate scale, I would give this first volume 3.5 stars.Heck, the first five volumes I'd give them 3.5 stars.As I said, this manga is not as serious as the anime, so this and later volumes might be too easy and rushed to be completely satisfied.Don't be discouraged of what I just said.This manga DOES get better after volume 7, because THAT is where the manga is truly a worthwhile read.Trust me, I have to go through the first two boring volumes of "Berserk" before I got to the meat of that title afterwards."Fullmetal Alchemist" will reach its prime, manga readers...just not right now.

Amazing
Being an avid watcher of the Anime, the manga is either just as good or better than the show. Amazing graphics and story. ... Read more

Book Description

The war between three armies of vampires, humans, and those in between is in full swing. The Hellsing organization is embattled as London is falling to Nazi vampire forces, turning the city's citizens into rivers of blood and a population of ghouls. It looks like it might be the end of Sir Integral Wingates Hellsing and her henchman, Walter. But what's this? The Vatican? But that means the Vatican is unprotected. If you haven't figured it out yet, Earth is in chaos of a World War like no other. New forces will rise up, surprises of undead power will surge forth, guns will blaze, and blades will sing. There's no telling how this will end, as Hellsing clamors forward with a seething wit and a frantic pace, and style that passes beyond gothic grace. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Has its own merits
Granted, there was a lot of setup going on in this volume, but I also thought that it had quite a bit in it that made it good on its own. There were several parts that I thought were absolutely hilarous, as well as parts that were awesome and others that were downright disturbing. There was some great action going on. I was sad that Alucard wasn't really in it much, but at the same time I think this allowed some space to develop the other characters. Alucard kicks some serious butt, but some of the other characters can be cool in their own ways, and Volume 6 really shows that. You have to keep in mind that this is part of a SERIES and that Volume Seven will undoubtedly continue what was begun in Volumes 5 and 6.

hopefully volume 7 will be better.
let me just get this out of the way, this volume was pretty much (at least, i sincerely hope), created just to set up volume 7. it doesn't really get interesting until the last couple chapters. the rest is just kind of meh. also, alucard is in this for about 5 pages. not even in a row, just spread out because he is still on the ship that he destroyed in volume 5. so overall, this book is merely ok. not the best, not the worst. i suggest this only to people who are fans of the series and want to know what happens to the hellsing crew. otherwise, this book won't interest you a whole lot. now, to count down the days until volume 7 arrives. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Chris Hart Does It Again!
Without a doubt, Christopher Hart is one of the most prolific and talented cartoonist around. Having worked with companies such as Disney, his cartoon style is entertaining and stylic as well. It's got personality and it will make you want to engross yourself in the book. If you've not read any book by Chris Hart, this is one of his best. However, it is a wonderful book with lots of helpful ideas on becoming a cartoonist yourself.

It covers everything from how to place the features to costumes to animals. It would definitely be a useful starting (and ending) ground for anyone interested in this art.

Excellent find!
This book is great! There are a ton of helpful tips and techniques that range from how to draw facial expressions and body types to how to draw ice cubes and water... and even how to convey wind or rain. The author, Christopher Hart, even explains why cartoon characters have only three fingers.

This book is very clear, very informative and very funny! I highly recommend this book!

Great Stuff Here!
Christopher Hart has brought many hours of both fun drawing and thoughtful learning in my atristic journey. Not only does he explain everything you need to know for beginners, but some fresh stuff for the experienced artist as well. I'm sure anyone of all ages will enjoy learning form this and all of his great books.

Good book
I have had this book for a few years now and I love it. Hart gives lots of examples of a character in different situations. He also shows how to lay out your comic and gives advice on colors and such. This book /would/ have gotten the full 5 stars, but I felt that the section on animals could have either been expanded to include a basic rundown on construction for beginners, or left out entirely. The section is mainly about the relative height of animals to others and, above that, an intermediate construction of the animal itself, plus a brief written guideline. I should be getting Hart's book on cartooning animals today, so hopefully that will be more of a help to me in the animal area. All in all, this book is great for those who are just starting out or need a refresher.

really fun book
This book will help you transit from doodling to drawing cartoons. It is great for distracting your collegues during long meetings, delighting younger children who should be concentrating on other things, and annoying your spouse who is trying to pay attention.
Get it. ... Read more

Book Description

At Wataru Fujii's high school, it's all the rage to wear paired rings with the girl you love. Wataru wears one though he is single, and one day inadvertently discovers that his ring pairs up with that of tall, handsome, and smart Yuichi Kazuki, the senior classman idolized by the entire school. Though Kazuki has a reputation for being kind to all, when dealing with Wataru, he is strangely harsh. Their paired rings somehow draw them together and the two alternately clash and attract, as they must sort out their budding feelings for each other. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story of the Demon Zabuza and Haku
"Naruto vol. 4" continues the fierce battle begun in vol. 3, against the ninja-hunting Demon Zabuza and his deadly assistant Haku. The stage is set with Sasuke slain, Kakashi literally mystified and Sakura learning her own limitations.As everyone knows, when things look darkest for a band of heroes...it is time for a little payback.

Payback is what you get in vol. 4, but not exactly in the way expected.Naruto, full of rage over his friends death, unleashes the power of the Nine-tailed Fox demon.Kakashi shows that he is more than the Sharingan Eye, using an innovative attack to overcome the loss of vision.Sasuke lies on the ground dead, and there is lots of weeping.

The real story, however, is the love and loyalty between Zabuza and Haku.Compared to this, the trials of the four heroes are trivial.Haku sees himself as a weapon to be wielded by Zabuza, and the true test of his loyalty comes when Zabuza's feelings are made clear.Its some powerful, emotional stuff.

Along with the conclusion of this story arc, vol. 4 also sets up the next adventure for the Naruto gang. This time, they head home to face the challenge of the examinations for chunin, the next level of Ninja. Several groups of older kids come into town to face the examinations, and run foul with Naruto and friends.Cue the music and start the fights!

Insert Title for Review (haha)
When I read this one, I can't say anything surprised me at all. But that's only because I've seen the anime already. I have to say, this manga impressed me even after already seeing the anime. Sure I didn't cry my eyes out like I did in the anime but the shounen-ai scene with sasuke and naruto about sasuke 'dying'... Well lets move onto the blood. The blood was alot cooler than it was in the anime. In the anime, the blood was stupid and purple. In the manga, it was all over the place and dark. Really Dark. Just like blood is supposed to be. And it wasn't drawn out annoyingly like it was in the anime.
The best thing about the manga is you don't have to listen to the annoying music. That made this book so much more intresting, and out of the four I own, I like this one most.
The best thing about this volume is the cover art. If you've seen the cover art on other three, you'll notice SOMEONE is making a stupid face, pose or it just looks weird. The cover art for this volume is beautiful.
Only thing I can complain about is... some of the anime characters are scarey when they're first introduced. The once adorable Shikamaru is now scarey. Very scarey. He looks like evil Betty from Kung Pow. And Temari, once pretty, now ugly. I hope they fix that...

don't write it off just yet...
Ok, so maybe this was a bit of an anticlimax following the huge cliff hanger at the end of volume three.However, loads of new characters are introduced in this volume which give rise to a whole new level of story telling and character development.There are currently 22 volumes of naruto waiting to be translated into English and this volume sets the stage for what is to come.It's a really good read, and if you can't wait for the next volume, there are plently that have been scanlated available on the net, so go check it out...it's definately worth it!

doggies? get out.
Death of a friend, breaking of a seal, final confrontation...here it comes, the final showdown!!!! Dogs? Ninja Dogs? Come on. After all that build up, you give us ninja dogs? It's like listening to a joke you know that's going to be good. You are sitting there waiting for the punchline, and you are ready to clutch your stomach because it's going to be a belly laugh. Then suddenly a clown in a cheap custom jumps out from behind the curtain and starts juggling balls; while the comedian takes a break. By the time he comes back and finish telling the joke, you can't get that cheap clown out of your mind. The joke fizzles, and you felt you got robbed.
Am I going too far? Maybe. Masashi Kishimoto did an awesome job of setting up the story in Volumes 2 and 3. Volume 4 was going to be the climax, the punchline that makes you gasp for air. Enters the clown.

Contains spoilers (if you haven't read Vol. 3)
This volume is awesome.
It picks up where Vol. 3 left off, with Sasuke dead, mid-battle with Zabuza and Haku.

This whole volume is just...great. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Book Description

It’s Valentine’s Day and you know what that means—lots of chocolates for the cutest boys at school! In this case it’s a pretty close tie between hot-headed Kyo Sohma and "Prince Charming" Yuki Sohma. Of course the kind-hearted Tohru, guest of the Sohma family, has chocolates for everyone! But when White Day comes around, what will the Sohma family give her in return? ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Truly amazing. Needent I say more. :P
Fruits Basket (or Furuba as it's known to many fans) is a truly amazing manga.

From the title of it, you would expect it to be very hentai-ish, but it's not. In my opinion it has to be the cleanest manga that one can possibly stand. (IE it's not so clean and happy go lucky as Hamtaro *shudders* Hamataro is evil, pure evil). Well I got off track. This review has spoilers abound so beware if you haven't read the manga (or seen the anime).

Fruits Basket is about a girl name Tohru Honda a girl with a heart of gold and truly a wonderful person, whoes father died when she was very young. She is now 16, her mother had just died in a car wreck, and she went to live with her grandpa on her fathers side. (Because her mother and she were not exactly on speaking terms with her mothers side of the family). Her grandfather has to get his house remoldeld for some distant relatives on his side of the family so Tohru has to move out for a while. He told her to find some friends to stay with.

Not wanting to be a burden to any of her friends Tohru decides to rough it, and she finds a tent and campsout for about a week, on the Sohma familys property (not knowing of course). One day while walking to school she comes across the Sohma family household. She looks around in it for a while and comes across some stones with the Chinese Zodiac on it. Than she run's into Shigura (who is the year of the dog) and Yuki (her high-schools "Prince" He is the year of the rat) Later on in the story we are introduced to Kyou (the year of the cat, who is not in the zodiac because he was betrayed by rat). And this is where the trouble starts.

The Sohma family is cursed and therefore whenever they are touced or huged by a member of the opiset sex of someone NOT in there family, they turn into the animal that they are the year of. Tohru finds out this secret, and therefore she might have to have her memories erased from her. What will become of our poor Tohru? Find out when you read the manga! And belive me, you will. It is a must read.

Now I odviously left out a lot of details from this manga, but I didn't want to give away the whole storyline, that would be quite dumb wouldn't it?

Also this manga is printed in the original left to right reading format, therfore preserving the original artwork and sound-effects. It makes it even more enjoyable. All in all this manga is a must read. It's kinda of a comedy/romance, kind of. And it's shojo, so it's more or less going to be apealing to the femail gender a little bit more. That's not to say that a guy wouldn't like it. It has quite a bit of action in it (not like Trigun action) more martial arts action. But it is a must read. And I really hope my review helped. Do you believe it was written by a 16 year old? The reveiw I mean.

Just thought I'd mention this
I was depressed for several days, then I went to Border's and bought some manga, one of them Fruits Basket #3. I swear, I felt so... happy afterwards! I'm serious, every time I read Fruits Basket, it just puts me in such a good mood... it's full of hope and compassion without seeming forced or sappy. Natsuki Takaya really has a talent for this! In this volume, after Momiji was talking about "The Most Foolish Traveler in the World" story in the "funny" stories book, and how he related it to Tohru, I actually cried, and I rarely cry over manga! XD Most of my favorite mangas are the more serious or sinister kind for older audiences, such as Confidential Confessions, Petshop of Horrors, Uzumaki, etc. and I'd never thought I'd enjoy a series like this. But I love it and it's one of my favorites... even though it sounds a little rediculous in its description (turning into animals when hugging the opposite sex ^^;) when you actually read it, it's really enjoyable, touching, and funny, and the characters all have deep personalities. I highly reccommend Fruits Basket!!

Great!!!!!!
I love this manga!!!!

Clean and sweet, without being sappy, Fruits Basket is a really cute story about a sixteen year old orphan named Honda Tohru. One day when walking through the woods, she discovers a strange house. Under further investigation, she finds that the house happens to be the home of none other than the prince of her school, Sohma Yuki. When Yuki and his cousin Shigure find out that Tohru had been living in a tent, they immediately take her in. However, Tohru soon discovers their family secret. The Sohmas are the bearers of the "juunishi" (zodiac) curse. When their bodies grow weak, or when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into their designated animal of the Chinese zodiac, or in Kyo's case the outcast aka the cat.

I have only read two volumes of the manga, but I own all four anime dvds and love them. It starts out sweet and gentle, but the end, of the anime at least, is dark, depressing and to use a word I hate a real "tear-jerker." I cried. A lot. Even so, it was wonderful. Don't not buy it now because you think it to be dark and full of pain and misery. It's not. Every {good} story needs some dark pasts, mental scars, and evils. Otherwise, how did the villian become a villian, why is the good guy good? There would be no motivation. GO buy the manga. NOW.

Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket in general is a touching series that really makes you look at yourself--when you see what these people go through, and see that they can still smile, you'll wonder if crying was/is ever worth it in the first place.(But of course, we all don't have a cute little bordering house-maid to give us the wisdom we need in those times.)

Anyways.

The book can be described in a few words; really sweet. In this book we meet a new character, Hatsuharu Sohma(though you may have seen a little of him in number 2), who has a 2 sided personality. That's all I know--I have yet to buy the book.

But if *I* like it so much without even having seen it, then who says YOU won't like it either?

Fruits Basket just have something special about it. It's like a parasite--it weasels into you and embeds itself into your heart. I think everyone can find something they like about it, even male otakus(otaku=anime fans, though not all are pale-faced doughballs)...

Now. Go. Now. Grab all the money you have and waste it(heh) on Furuba(Fruits Basket) stuff. OR YOU SHALL DIE WITH THE HAUNTING KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING GREAT. Heh-heh-heh. Bye. ^^;

fRUITS bASKET
The book starts out with a young girl,Tohru, who with the death of her mother is living alone in a tent. She then meets the Sohma family who is suprised to hear that she lives near by, because all the land in the area is owned by them.
She goes to school with her new found friend Yuki who is the popular handsome guy of the school. Later you find that for some reason Yuki hates cats as they walk together. Yuki and Tohru go their seperate ways, but later that night Yuki finds Tohru living in a tent and he takes her in because she dosn't look well.
In return Tohru cleans the house to earn her keep. Then a boy named kyo challenges Yuki to a fight. As they fight Tohru falls and keeps her balance by hugging Kyo. Kyo then transforms into a cat.
Thoru freaks out and then everyone else in the family transforms into a different animal.
They explain that their family is cursed wwith the spirts of the Chinese Zodiac. Each family member is possesed by a different animal spirit and when under great stress or embraced by a member of the oppisit sex they transform.
This first book takes you through the events of the first 5 episodes of the anime.
This first book is awsome and is followed up by more just as good! ... Read more

Book Description

This is a whimsical guide to drawing faeries from best-selling art instruction author Christopher Hart. Included are all the popular ingredients of the faerie kingdom-faerie personalities, faeries at work, faeries at play, faerie expressions, faeries in flight, faerie magic, faeries facing predatory household pets, and the secret faerie rituals of birth, courtship, and marriage. Step-by-step instructions for drawing faeries are revealed through a captivating story of a man-now grown up-who as a youth gained secret knowledge of where the faeries live and play, and having done so, was able to capture on paper the elusive creatures in their unguarded moments. The overall design and presentation of the book will enchant and envelop artists in a magical world of faeries. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Inspiring
Marvelous. It's in the name: - a believers guide. If you were not a believer prior, you become a believer once you dive into this book and let your imagination bring to life the characters you create using the simple, strait forward logical steps. Guiding the reader thru various faerie characters, their life, emotions, movement, clothing as well as their friends to create your own faerie world. Thanks to this book, the population of faeries in this universe will grow tremendously.

How to draw faeries
This is a good book that shows you the basics for drawing for drawing these creatures. They have step by step procedures, emotions, clothing, and information about each picture.
The only bad thing about it is that there is only one picture of a winged fairy(the picture is also on the front cover)all other faeries are wingless in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Fruits Basket Vol. 1: Did it live up to my expectations?
Fruits Basket or Furuba as it is known to fans, is something that many fans of manga have been anticipating for a long time. But I myself, had only just heard of it last December. I really had no idea what it was about even though I read about the anime and such. I expected it to be quite different from what it is.

Fruits Basket, if you don't know, is about a girl named Tohru Honda whom is an orphan, and is currently living in a tent because her grandfather is fixing up his house so other relatives can live in it as well. She doesn't want to trouble anyone, so she decides to rough for those couple months in a tent. She ends up camping on the property of the Sohma family. A group of young men whom find her and decide to take her in for the night, but she soon finds out that they are a cursed family. Each of them represents a member of the Zodiac and one of them is the cat, the one who didn't get to go the banquet. :( Tohru has always been fascinated with the Zodiac and especially with the cat, she always wished that her sign could be the cat. She soon finds out about their curse and that when they are hugged by a member of the oppositte sex they turn into the Zodiac animal they represent. They decide not to erase her memory and let her stay with them, she does chores for them and cooks for them, and begins to feel quite at home. In fact, she feels so at home, she feels like it is her home.

Needless to say, this is NOT what I had thought Fruits Basket was, but I found it very intriguing and fun to learn about the Chinese Zodiac. And the plot is pretty fluffy, but its all in good fun, and the characters are well developed and have their own personalities. The drawing style is nice too.

All-in-all, I would say Fruits Basket is a quality Shojo manga, and lived up to my expectations by being something I completely did not expect and still turning out to be very good. I will continue to follow the series. :D

God Bless ~Amy

Just thought I'd mention this
I was depressed for several days, then I went to Border's and bought some manga, one of them Fruits Basket #3. I swear, I felt so... happy afterwards! I'm serious, every time I read Fruits Basket, it just puts me in such a good mood... it's full of hope and compassion without seeming forced or sappy. Natsuki Takaya really has a talent for this! In this volume, after Momiji was talking about "The Most Foolish Traveler in the World" story in the "funny" stories book, and how he related it to Tohru, I actually cried, and I rarely cry over manga! XD Most of my favorite mangas are the more serious or sinister kind for older audiences, such as Confidential Confessions, Petshop of Horrors, Uzumaki, etc. and I'd never thought I'd enjoy a series like this. But I love it and it's one of my favorites... even though it sounds a little rediculous in its description (turning into animals when hugging the opposite sex ^^;) when you actually read it, it's really enjoyable, touching, and funny, and the characters all have deep personalities. I highly reccommend Fruits Basket!!

Great!!!!!!
I love this manga!!!!

Clean and sweet, without being sappy, Fruits Basket is a really cute story about a sixteen year old orphan named Honda Tohru. One day when walking through the woods, she discovers a strange house. Under further investigation, she finds that the house happens to be the home of none other than the prince of her school, Sohma Yuki. When Yuki and his cousin Shigure find out that Tohru had been living in a tent, they immediately take her in. However, Tohru soon discovers their family secret. The Sohmas are the bearers of the "juunishi" (zodiac) curse. When their bodies grow weak, or when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into their designated animal of the Chinese zodiac, or in Kyo's case the outcast aka the cat.

I have only read two volumes of the manga, but I own all four anime dvds and love them. It starts out sweet and gentle, but the end, of the anime at least, is dark, depressing and to use a word I hate a real "tear-jerker." I cried. A lot. Even so, it was wonderful. Don't not buy it now because you think it to be dark and full of pain and misery. It's not. Every {good} story needs some dark pasts, mental scars, and evils. Otherwise, how did the villian become a villian, why is the good guy good? There would be no motivation. GO buy the manga. NOW.

Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket in general is a touching series that really makes you look at yourself--when you see what these people go through, and see that they can still smile, you'll wonder if crying was/is ever worth it in the first place.(But of course, we all don't have a cute little bordering house-maid to give us the wisdom we need in those times.)

Anyways.

The book can be described in a few words; really sweet. In this book we meet a new character, Hatsuharu Sohma(though you may have seen a little of him in number 2), who has a 2 sided personality. That's all I know--I have yet to buy the book.

But if *I* like it so much without even having seen it, then who says YOU won't like it either?

Fruits Basket just have something special about it. It's like a parasite--it weasels into you and embeds itself into your heart. I think everyone can find something they like about it, even male otakus(otaku=anime fans, though not all are pale-faced doughballs)...

Now. Go. Now. Grab all the money you have and waste it(heh) on Furuba(Fruits Basket) stuff. OR YOU SHALL DIE WITH THE HAUNTING KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING GREAT. Heh-heh-heh. Bye. ^^;

fRUITS bASKET
The book starts out with a young girl,Tohru, who with the death of her mother is living alone in a tent. She then meets the Sohma family who is suprised to hear that she lives near by, because all the land in the area is owned by them.
She goes to school with her new found friend Yuki who is the popular handsome guy of the school. Later you find that for some reason Yuki hates cats as they walk together. Yuki and Tohru go their seperate ways, but later that night Yuki finds Tohru living in a tent and he takes her in because she dosn't look well.
In return Tohru cleans the house to earn her keep. Then a boy named kyo challenges Yuki to a fight. As they fight Tohru falls and keeps her balance by hugging Kyo. Kyo then transforms into a cat.
Thoru freaks out and then everyone else in the family transforms into a different animal.
They explain that their family is cursed wwith the spirts of the Chinese Zodiac. Each family member is possesed by a different animal spirit and when under great stress or embraced by a member of the oppisit sex they transform.
This first book takes you through the events of the first 5 episodes of the anime.
This first book is awsome and is followed up by more just as good! ... Read more