Reviews (5)

Wow - I was amazed!
I have been a fan of Tezuka's since I watched the Metropolis re-make a couple of years ago. I had previously tried to get into reading Atom Boy, but it just never clicked with me.

Recently, I got the manga bug and started looking around for stuff to read. Unfortunately, most of the stuff out there is for girls or teenage boys. I did, however, stumble across Tezuka's Buddha, and I'm really glad that I did.

I just finished it this morning at lunch. The artwork is impressive, and the way that Tezuka can convey so much story mainly through the use of pictures is amazing. This book is both light-hearted and dead serious at the same time. The ending is a pretty big surprise and I'm really looking forward to reading the next volume.

Well done!
Sweet without descending into schmaltzy sentimentalism, Tezuka's Buddha series is a treasure for our time. The plot weaves together the stories of many characters, just as Tezuka weaves together the old mythology with some modern philosophical concerns, the serious ancient philosophy with occasional modern jokes and gags.

The book would have been perfect for readers of all ages were it not for the occasional use of profanity (as magnifiers) and minor cartoon nudity (nothing obscene), to which some parents won't want to expose their young children. Parents should be mindful and prudent.

I hope that other religious traditions will be inspired to produce comics and graphic novels of similar quality.

Osamu Tezuka tells a spellbinding tale
As a practising buddhist as well as a manga fanatic I was thrilled to see this volume from the grand master of japanese manga, Mr Tezuka.

The book's quality is impressive and stands out from other mangas, probably due to the weighty subject matter. The 1/4 dust jacket isn't really meant to be a dust jacket, most japanese manga and cds come with it I guess to splash some contrast as the cover is black and white.

Overall all I can say about the story is that Tezuka has taken the well-publicised and documented life of the buddha and made it his own. He is, above all a story teller and relating the life of the buddha as it really happened is a task for a historian, not a comic-book artist. Like Peter Jackson and his Lord of the Rings, Tezuka has done his research extensively, but added his own scenes and subtracted others to fit his vision.

In my opinion it shouldn't really be used as the definitive on the Buddha's life, but rather as an artist's interpretation, and a masterful one at that. A must for any Buddhist or anyone interested in Buddhism or anyone who just wants another point of view about life in feudal India.

Our family read it non-stop, cover to cover
Our family read this book and it's companion, The Four Encounters, cover-to-cover, just about non-stop. They were both totally engaging.

As a Buddhist, I was wondering what this treatment of the Buddha's life would be like. This is my first exposure to manga style. My only reference point is comic books. I had enjoyed another "comic book," illustrated treatment of the life of a Buddhist saint, Milarepa. That was well done. I very much wanted a book that would capture the interest of my two children, 10 and 14 years old. It did. My 14 year old read the book in two days. My 10 year old and I read it aloud together.

What is facinating is the way the author creates the historical context using a mixture of historical figures and people of his own imagination. We are given an insight to the caste system of ancient India and the stage is set for the Buddha's questions about suffering, it's origins, and his strong desire to put an end to suffering.

I'd say that this is appropriate for 9 year olds and up. For adults: my wife and I kept reading ahead. It is captivating. It has the air of an adventure story. I also enjoyed explaining and discussing the context of the story with my children.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

My two cents...
PRESENTATION: Top notch, the single most gorgeous manga I currently own. I paid the same price for this that I did for Viz's release of Phoenix: Future, and this is by far a better deal. The cover is durable and is likely to last many years. The paper is heavy stock, meaning it doesn't tear easily and isn't nearly as transparent. The inks are also the darkest I've ever seen in an American manga, making it much closer to what you'd expect from Japanese manga. It's left-to-right reading order, but I don't mind. This book was obviously intended for people who are new to manga, and probably will have no interest in pursuing the genre any deeper.
The only thing that I'm less than thrilled with is the 1/4-sized dust-jacket. I mean, what the heck is that for? A way to make it look colorful on the store shelves?

WRITING: I can't say anything about the translation, as I haven't
even seen an issue of the original, much less read it. However, the writing, in terms of construction, word-choice and grammar, is superb.
Whoever this unnamed translator is, they're my new favorite, replacing Gerard Jones. The writing, as in story, character, pacing, et cetera, is superb. Although part of the plot reminds me a bit too much of Hinotori: Dawn. A few issues later are we going to have one of the character decide they want to be the best sculptor in the world? :)
Also, the story is split up into chapters (I assume linked to how they were originally published), something which was sorely missed in the Hinotori series, which made each volume one long story.
Some people are going to have trouble with the humor, and are
naturally going to assume the translator inserted them, never having read any Tezuka before. It also occurred to me that only the really great writers are the ones who even attempt to play with anachronism like this. The only other people besides Tezuka I can think of who do this sort of thing well are Shakespeare and Chaucer. (Well, aside from Disney animated features as of late).
Buddha only manages to get himself born in this volume, so the plot centers around characters whose overall relevance we have to wonder about. Some character I thought were going to be very important to the story didn't survive the first volume. (Speaking of Buddha, I thought his pre-Enlightenment name was Gautama?)

ART: The usual Tezuka mixed bag. A bizarre mixture of natural artwork which wouldn't look out of place in the Louvre, and then you have something which looks like the work out of Carl Barks or Walt Disney (though, I might point out, having a far greater "freedom of space" than any western comic artist has yet managed to achieve).
There's quite a bit of nudity, as could be expected. Combined with the "Eastern spiritualism", it's enough to give the people at Focus On The Family a heart attack. Expect to see this book burned in the Bible Belt soon.

OVERALL: I'm not lying when I say this is the best single manga I've ever read. As much as I like Hinotori, it's always a big spotty for me, since I don't think I agree with what Tezuka is ultimately trying to say. This being an historical account and not the Buddhist equivalent of the Left Behind novels, I'm more apt to accept it on its own terms. Highly recommended for everyone, even and especially those who aren't fans of manga. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Definitely hated the brat, but overall, not bad
I enjoyed vol. 4 twenty times more than this, but it wasn't bad. That bratty little girl had me wanting to eat her ("Do it, Eclipse, DO IT!!"), but she left. She made a brief (I mean the corner of one panel brief) cameo in the 4th, but only to show that Meruhesae is, in fact, not the only woman in Demon Diary (though she may be the most feminine, and no, the brat doesn't count). However, it did present a brief (but always sweet)chance for Raenef/Eclipseness. I hated Chris SSSSOOOOOO fawkin much before, but to tell the truth, his story really got to me. It touched me somewhere, and I really enjoyed it. It gives him a lot more depth and potential as a character (He was so intriguing as a child!), and I have a feeling that when the time comes for him to remember all this, he'll become far less annoying than he is now. Erutis just kicks ass, as per usual. Eclipse is just DAMN FAWKIN SEXAY, as per usual. Raenef is always a cutie-pie. I never put down these books once I pick 'em up, so don't you dare give up on Eclipseypoo and Rae-chan just coz the bratty girl annoyed you (I hate her, too.)

And never forget.... ERUTIS REIGNS OVER YOUR PAIN!!!

P.S. The vermin line strikes back in book four!! Hurrah!

Hilarious!!
This vol. is the #1 vol. from all 3 of the demon diary books, in this one, this village is having a very haed summer and of course the demons play with the weather, how who knows but this hasn't happend in like 50 years, well inorder for this to end they have to offer a brideto the demon, well the leader of the village or one of the top rank man is with his daughter and oh boy is she bratty, she wants to go with him ,but her father can't let her go, she gets mad and goes to sleep, 2 maids are cleaning the mess she made and were talking about this sacrifice well the girl by the name of leeche hears about it, gets dressed and goes to where the bride or sacrifice is drugs her to make her go to sleep for about a day, and then goes through this portal, well in the other side, they are all waiting and of course the 3 not including eclipse know that that this girl is going to be raenefs bride they are shocked, they wait not even a minute and here she comes, wel it isn't what they expected and she points out to eclipse thinking he was the demon lord and then erutis starts laughing her head off becasue no one was able to figure out that he wasn't the demon lord it was raenef well she doesn't care becasue she wants to kill him...
She is like I have these bombs, she throwa one and nothing happens, chris starts to laugh at her, well you were mistaken a big explosion led behing them and all of them are like how is this little girl able to do a bomb like that, so they were think ing of taking her back but they never brought anything back, so they decided to keep her until someone came looking for her, menawhile her and chris are fighting, which was stopped, then you see raenef with leeche talking to her, about being afraid of the dark and she says she isn't, and he says well you have to be afraid of the dark even I get afraid of the dark,then they are talking about her being a young lady when she grows up! that was the cute part, so later on her father comes to get her and she gets a beating form him, now here comes the cute part she bids him farewell and then goes close to him and then.....ypu she kisses him, I mean sahe is like 9 or 10 and he is like 15....every body had their mouth open.... eclpise caught raenef really quick so did leeche's father, she told him you better wait for me, becasue when I come back I'll be back as a young lady, shes like you have to wait10 years then I'll be your bride.....(so cute), she is liek if I come back and you are taken I wil beat oyu yp, she smiles and then leaves, of course chris in the back round laughing about the whole thing, and eclipse does something to him to make his mouth burn and he is like hot hot...and the reast is about chris when he was a child and howe he isn't a human and how he is a god, but I recommend this if you like demon diary, if you don't then don't get it!!

Hehehehehe
I liked this book a lot, but I only gave it fout stars because there was that rather boring section about Chris's background in the center.

It's still a must have if you like Demon Diary.

No where near as good as the first two
When I first got my copy of Demon Diary #3, I jumped for joy, stopped my homework to read it, and had finished within the hour. To my disapointment, it did not measure up to the first two. It begins by finishing off the flashback at the end of manga #2, and then goes to another futile effort at teaching Raenef how to be a demon lord. A failed attempt at a weather control spell leaves a nearby town sending Raenef an offering to fix the weather. This offering is, can you guess? A BRIDE!!! However, before they could send the offering, the daughter of the lord of this town drugs the offering and goes herself in an attempt to kill the demon lord. To my horror, the 7 year old menace falls in love with Raenef (Poor Eclipse!). Fortunatly, her dad shows up to take her back and give them the real offering. Eclipse says that they would be happy if he would take the kid off their hands, but to please keep their offering. (They can't afford any more free-loaders!) The little brat does something despicable here (But I won't tell you what she does! Read it yerself!) and leaves us in peace, hopefully never to return again. Then the book goes all down hill from this point till the last few pages. It's basically a big flashback kinda thing where Chris' past is revealed. The story ends with the appearance of a powerful demon lord, who looks kinda like a girl, but will probably turn out to be a guy. There are two short stories with our beloved characters that are unrelated to the above story at the end, which will have you gasping for air from too much laughing. Erutis shall from now on be known as "THE BONDAGE QUEEN WHO REIGNS OVER YOUR PAIN". Let's leave it at that. On a side note, what happened to "How dare YOU admonish ME, vermin?!?!?" That line was gold! At least it seems to have been replaced by fire, so I guess it's not so bad.

Third verse... different from the first...
Let me first say that I love this series, all three books, before going on to say that I was somewhat disappointed by the third book. It started out very strong, with the conclusion of the flashback started at the end of the second book.

However, then the mangaka chose for some heavens unknown reason to spend a good third of the book on a new character who seriously irritated ... me. I don't have much tolerance for bratty, whiny, temper-tantrum throwing little princessy girls in the first place; the way she just waltzed into the story and tried to throw her weight around had me cheering for Eclipse to eat her, nobleman's daughter or no. I suppose it didn't help that her (pathetic) attempt to win Raenef's affections, thus hypothetically threatening the Eclipse/Raenef dynamic, raised my shounen-ai hackles. (But I seriously doubt that even those readers who prefer het pairings -- though why you'd be reading THIS series is beyond me -- would be cheering for her.) Fortunately, she went away and hopefully won't come back.

The rest of the book focused on one of the secondary characters, Chris; while there was some gorgeous art involved, I must admit that Chris doesn't really interest me as a person, so I wasn't drawn in by his story. But other readers might enjoy it much more than I did.


The two short omakes at the end of the book, however, made it quite worth the price of the cover. Hee hee. Kitchen wench Eclipse. ... Read more

Book Description

In the year 2030, the dazzling Neo-Tokyo has risen from Tokyo's ashes, but the power that once levelled Tokyo and sent the world to the brink of Armageddon -- a being of monstrous telekinetic power known only as Akira -- lives on in absolute-zero frozen stasis far below the city. Those who stand guard will stop at nothing to keep Akira from awakening, but Tetsuo, an angry young man with immense -- and rapidly growing -- psychic abilities becomes obsessed with confronting Akira face-to-face. In time, Akira will surely awaken, and Tetsuo may be the only being potentially capable of controlling him, but Tetsuo is becoming increasingly unstable and violent, and a group including his former friend Kaneda sets out to destroy Tetsuo before he can release Akira -- or before Tetsuo himself becomes so powerful that no force on Earth can stop him! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

All thanks to my brother...
When my brother came bouncing in with this book, my first thought was 'you paid 23 pounds for that? are you mad?' I felt no interest in it, but after a bit of persuasion/arm-twisting, I was persuaded to read it. It didn't seem anything special...but somehow I couldn't stop reading. Now I'm on a quest to find Book 1, and nothing will stop me...
This book is a good story, well-drawn, and has this strange power to make you keep going back to it to spot more details. The other Akira book I've read is Book 6, and this one isn't as hard-hitting or powerful, but it's still a good read. If you've read Book 1, by all means buy this and keep going with the story. If you haven't, check it out anyway - you might be pleasantly surprised!

The Epic Continues.....
Katsuhiro Otoma's epic of post World-War III Japan continues in this full-throttle, non-stop-action chapter.

Akira Book 2 starts out with Kei and Kaneda in the clutches of the mysterious Colonel, while Tetsuo continues to test the limits (If there are any...)of his newly discovered powers. Meanwhile, under the crater at ground zero, Akira begins to awaken...

Akira is the Comic-Book equivalent of an epic action movie. The art is clear and crisp, and the amout of detail in every panel is staggering. I've never been a fan of "Manga" (Japanese Comics), but the work of Katsuhiro Otomo (The Akira books, and the amazing Domu) are winning me over. The opening of the book has an in-depth recap for new readers, and the first few pages are in color.The black-and-white art really looks great, and the book is a great value at 288 pages. Try it...you'll be hooked!

The Saga Continues
If you know of the Akira Anime this Manga should be of no surprise; however, there are some definite differences that will become evident upon reading. 1st off the anime is way way shorter and edited to such an extent that most casual watchers are left feelin confused. These books will clear up any problems you may have had with the movie and expand upon the foundation the movie laid out. Be aware these books not in color.

Better than the first!
I rated the first 4 stars, it was a great start but a bit sluggish in parts that I found myself struggling to stay with the story till it got good again.

This book did no such thing to me, it may have gone a lot faster but this book is so well done and exciting. I loved it! If you have the first one and liked it, buy this one, you'll like it more.

P.S. people say black and white loses some of the story as apposed to color, this book was originially black and white and I think it makes it better, though not as much definition, the details become more obvious. :-P

Interesting, creative, and easy on the eyes (to some degree)
Something is definitely lost in the black and white drawings, which are nonetheless still quite impressive. The beauty and complexity of the city that we see in the film is stifled by the format. However, people turned off by the usual kid-like anime style will find a refreshing change here.

The story really starts to pick up in this volume, so much so that I scoured local bookstores hoping to find the next volume (luckily I found it). Fans of the film will start seeing more and more differences in this and the next volume. I eagerly await the fourth. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Normal Day for Love HIna
This was an overall "ok" book. IT starts slow and sotr of picks in the end. It keeps going back to the Promise to get into Tokyo U. One story the girls think Keitaro failed his first exam and try to cheer him up (Ie. they take a bath with him)only after they find out he passed. He gets a sick nad has a weird dream. In the end we kind of get a hint that Naru may be the girl Keitaro made the promise too. No great plot movements but a good book nonetheless, but it could be easily skipped and you wouldn't lose a sense of the plot.

LIGHT AS CHAMPAGNE, OR WATER
Well, here we are, the second momentous manga of Love Hina. Keitaro Urashima, the new landlord of Hinata House, even though he has a 0% chance of passing the Tokyo University entrance exam, decides to press on anyway. Keitaro will have to sublimate his lust for the girls in his dorm and their frankly destructive tendencies to distract him from studying. He still hasn't figured out whether Naru is the girl he promised to attend Tokyo U with and vowed to marry. If that isn't enough, he's physically ill, and also finds out that he will be competing against Naru for a place in the University.

To me, the novelty of this series is already wearing thin. Just writing this review reveals the shallowness and pointlessness of Love Hina. Writing about such stuff as if it really mattered. This book is at its best when it utilizes its characters, but they are all underused in this second volume. I don't know if I'll continue reading them or not.

Excellent!
I'm a huge fan of manga. Sailor Moon being my first series. This is my second. I just fell in love with this book and all the ones in this series. It is about a guy who is trying to get into Tokyo University to fulfill a promise to a girl he knew a long time ago. They promised eachother that they would go to Tokyo University so they could live happily ever after as the legend states. The only problem with this is that he can't remember the girl's name or anything else about her for that matter. After failing the entrance exams his parents kick him out of the house so he goes to live at his grandmother's inn. There he runs into another problem. It is no longer an inn. It's a girls dormitory! Upon arriving he runs into a lot of problems with the residents. His aunt then stops by with some surprising news! His grandmother has given him Hinata House! He then becomes the new landlord but the ladies aren't too excepting of him and give him a lot of problems. His problems continue into this volume of Love HIna but now the most violent resdent at Hinata house may very well be that girl he made a promise to so many years ago. He's developed a crush on her but does she really like him underneath all the abuse? Very funny comic! I highly reccomend!

Fun, but ultimately still filler
If you're a big Love Hina fan like I am, you'll probably end up buying every book anyway, and there's nothing wrong with that - all of them are hilariously written (translated), drawn, and feature the same great characters that you love.

However, in the grand scheme of the series, nothing of real importance happens in book 2. Naru and Keitaro take the Tokyu U exam, and Keitaro begins to believe Naru might be his promised girl, but all of this is pretty much negated at the beginning of book 3 (hey, the series lasts another 12 volumes! these things take time). What book 2 does end up being is a collection of "day in the life of" stories. If the job of book 1 was to introduce the characters, book 2 further fleshes them out and shows us a typical day, so that Ken Akamatsu can shake up the formula later (trip to Kyoto, introduction of Seta, etc). It also allows him to rehash jokes later on, after Keitaro has gotten more familiar with the Love Hina gang (the Guri-Choco). All of this is fine, but it's not very memorable - I'd have trouble telling friends what book 2 was mainly about if they asked.

Those wishing to read Love Hina in order may wish to purchase book 3 at the same time, which introduces the fan-favourite Mutsumi and is better at developing the overall plot. Those who are short on money or have seen the anime may wish to come back to book 2 after reading the later, more relevant installments.

Hilairity Continues!
In this second volume of the Love Hina manga, Keitaro and Naru try out for the official test to enter Tokyo university. Wierd and wonderful antics of all kinds take place as fate causes all sorts of misfortunes to befall them - even before they get there! This is wonderful reading and is highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THE BEST YET
THIS IS THE BEST MANGA I HAVE READ I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN I BOUGHT ALL 7 VOLUMES AND EVERY ONE OF THEM GOT SO SO EMOTIONAL SOSO I DONT KNOW I CANT PUT IT IN WORD IM DESPERATE FOR VOLUME 8 TO COME OUT I CANT WAIT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MANGA BELIVE ME YOU WONT BE DISAPOINTED AND THATS SAYING SOMETHING CAUSE IM A WOMAN OF 36 YEARS AND MY DAUGTHER IS 16 I WE FOUGHT TO READ THIS SENSUAL PHRASE MANGA ITS LIKED I SAID BEFORE THE BOMB. I ALSO RECOMMEND: ALICE 19TH,IMADOKI,HANA-KIMI,W JULIET,SNOW DROP AMONGS OTHER THAT I CANT WRITE HERE CAUSE I HAVE NO MORE SPACE. ... Read more

Book Description

In Italy, select teenage girls have been transformed into cyborgs and subjected to a brainwashing process known as "Conditioning." These girls are then paired with fully human supervisors, called Handlers, and are made to carry out assassinations on behalf of a shadowy government agency. The girls are fiercely loyal to their Handlers and would do anything to protect them. ... Read more

Book Description

Boxed set containing the 100% Authentic release of Peach Girl volumes 1-4. ... Read more

Book Description

The crime-fighting crew is back once and for all to save Tokyo from utter destruction! Find out in this last exciting volume if the gutsy girls can reclaim their beloved city. When super villain Deep Blue reveals a shocking secret, will Ichigo give up her life to save her one and only true love? Don't miss out on the party of the century when the Mew Mews throw a big bash to celebrate Masaya and Ichigo's pledge of eternal love! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!
OK THIS BOOK WAS GREAT!!!I THINK IS ONE OF THE BEST TOKYO MEW MEW BOOKS THERE IS!I HAVE THE WHOLE COLLECTION AND THIS BOOKS ROCK!IAM A BIG MANGA PERSON SO DONT MIND ME!ALSO I LOVE THE COVER OF THIS BOOK(BECAUSE ZAKURO IS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER).IF I WERE YOU I WOULD BUY THIS BOOK!ITS WORTH YOUR MONEY! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Uber-cute....
Alright--it doesn't get any cuter or sweeter than this. Characters are named after sweets, and their base is a pastry cafe built to look like a tiered wedding cake. They attack with bells and batons, and their enemies are mice, sparrows, and other everyday animals that aliens have injected with something to make them big. And the preteen love story is there in its entirety.

This is a cute series, but don't read it if you have an allergy to cute.

Kawaii! ^_^
This is my first shoujo-y manga series I own... Its very cute, 5 girls get implanted with animal DNA by acident and they transform... the gain ears, tails, wings, ect. ect. when they do transform. They also have to keep their little secret quite, though its kind of hard for the main character, Ichigo. I don't wanna tell everything about whats happened so far, so I'll stop this review right here ^_^; Now, I'm just waiting to save up enough money to buy volume 5! ... Read more

Book Description

The third volume of Masamune Shirow's best-selling art book series features spectacular full-color illustrations featuring high-caliber treatments. Often a sci-fi military theme is evoked, with special emphasis on detailed weaponry, but there is also a healthy batch of fantasy themes and outer space action. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Must have for Masamune Fans
This is the best Intron Depot in my collection.
We, in the USA, don't get enough of Mr Shirows work, so if
you're a big fan, this is one to collect.
If you had his past Intron Depot, you will clearly see
how he has progressed with his incorporation of digital
graphics, with eith Photoshop or Corel Bryce. He has
taken his cyberpunk anime to another level.
The presentations of his art is outstanding. His details,
colors, depth, and his thoughts are well included in his work.
M only wish is that they included some of his works in CD-ROM, so I could display them on my PC the way he saw on his PC.
Many ppl scan his works but it only ruins the colors.
I hope in his next project they would include this CD-ROM like many graphic books are doing nowadays. ... Read more

Book Description

It's not manga, it's Azumanga (and it's smart, fun and totally addictive)! Created by the iconoclastic Kiyohiko Azuma (hence the name), Azumanga Daioh is strongly character driven, telling the story of a group of high-school girls and their hilarious daily tribulations. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Wai! So cute!
This is adorable and totally hilarious! I love this book, and have already preordered the second volume. Chiyo-chan is so cute, Tomo is so funny, Sakaki is so not the block of ice everyone thinks she is, and the teachers are so weird! Yumi is the most normal of the bunch, but she's sarcastically funny. And Osaka is lacking a clue most of the time.

The strips are very cute, and quite a few are outrageously funny. The thunderstorm series, Miss Yukari's driving, working at Magnetron Burger, and the sports festival are guaranteed to make me laugh no matter how many times I read them. Even thinking about those strips is making me giggle now!

Buy this! You won't regret it!

Like a drug
I picked up the first volume out of curiosity, because I'd heard about it somewhere. I thought I might read it when I went away to Baltimore for a couple of weeks. Of course, walking out of the store, I started reading the first few pages...By the end of the week, I had bought and read _all four volumes_, and then went through a period of severe withdrawal.

Azumanga is almost supernaturally cute, funny and human; the characters are sharply drawn but avoid obvious stereotypes; the art is crisp and perfectly evocative. Surely Osaka is among the finest characters ever inked or written.

The one things which seems strange, though, and sort of funny, is the suspicious lack of any romantic involvement on the part of any character through four years of high school.

Very funny. Not just for girls.
This is a pretty funny book, full of great characters. First is the super smart ten year old, Chiyo-Chan. Then there is Osaka a slightly weird girl from Osaka. Then there is Tomo-Chan, the very loud girl who wants to beat Chiyo at, well, anything, and Sakaki, the cool, well developed, girl who happens to like animals. There's also Yomi, the smart girl with glasses, and Kaorin, who has dreams about Chiyo's ponytails and seems to have a crush on Sakaki. Then there are the teachers, none of which are normal. With over 160 pages you get A LOT of stuff. There are two four-panel scenes on EACH page and, whether they are part of a story or a stand alone scene, they are funny without getting heavy or too emotional. They're cute. The cats seem to have issues, but most of the book is VERY cute.
The book's cover says it's for 13 and up, which is true. At one point the girls are talking about their bodies, so it is really for young adults. The cover also says it is an "Action/Comedy" manga but as there is very little in the way of car chases and gun battles I would ignore the "Action" and just take it as a "Comedy".

Funny and cute!
Very funny and cute! I loved Osaka's dreams about the false ponytails!

Good Stuff
I've heard Azumanga Daioh described as a Japanese Calvin & Hobbes, a very analogy. Some of the most hysterical fun can be found in the most ordinary events. Buy it. Now.

I can't quite give this book five stars due to the Americanization. (The Brooklyn accent for Osaka is appropriate, but most of the other changes were not.) Fortunately, It doesn't affect too many strips. Further, there's less of it in book two, and by volumes three and four, any alterations are carefully explained in the copious translator notes. So at least ADV figured out what the fans want eventually. ... Read more

Book Description

Rin has spent countless days chasing the murderer of her parents, and now she has Anotsu Kagehisa where she wants him, but the deathly ill Anotsu is too sick for the honor-bound Rin to strike down. But such is not the case for the students of the Shingyötö-ryü, who are out to avenge the death of their sword master, and they have Rin captured and Anotsu cornered. The spirit of revenge is thick in the air - and about to get thicker as Manji, Rin's immortal bodyguard, finally reunites with his charge as this pot of retribution prepares to boil over. And so Manji's faced with a strange irony - to save Rin, he must cut down the men who are out to kill Anotsu, Manji's sworn enemy! ... Read more

Book Description

Meet Ryo and Dee, two New York City cops with an attraction for action-- and each other! In this, the final volume of the series, events heat up on the streets...and between the sheets! The two cops are assigned to serve as bodyguards for a mob-boss's daughter...who is married to the man that killed Ryo's parents! As tensions mount, will Ryo and Dee finally admit their love and devotion to each other? Or will they forever sing the NYPD blues? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

it over
the content and drawing improve from vol 1 and 2. The romantic continuation is interesting. I am happy with the ending, however, there is no more volumn. The side story in this book like all others are not that interesting, it alright. There are two events in here that would horified homophobic (sex sences). I like this series, but it not the best (so I give it 4 stars).

Incredible
If there is one aspect about this manga that should grab your attention from the start, it's definitely got to be the art. (no rhyme intended).

FAKE is a shonen-ai (boy love) story focusing on the lives of Ryo and Dee, two NYPD cops. With intriguing story lines and colorful characters, this innocently funny series is a must-have for any fan of Gravitation.

A MUST HAVE
This is a wonderful conclusion to the fake series and is a must have for all true Fake fans! It only gets 4 stars for the absent Carol/Bikky story line

Great Job Sanami-sama!
This book is one of the best in the series. It's story is line is fairly simple in this book, Ryo and Dee are to protect the wife of Ryo's parents murderer. This book has some fairly graphic content hence the M rating. If you don't like Yaoi, which is in this book unlike the previous which delt with shonen-ai, I suggest you look elsewhere. This book recieves 4 stars out of 5 for the graphic content and lack of some main characters.

Great ending to a great series
In the final volume of Fake, we finally get to see what happens to our beloved couple, Dee and Ryo. Keep in mind, if you're not ready for it, there are some yaoi scences in this volume -^_^- Not only do we get the love story between Dee and Ryo, we also get another crime story to go out on. We get to find out what happens in regards to the murderer of Ryo's parents in a story with an ending I would never have imagined! For Bikky and Carol fans, they are unfortunatly not present in the final volume (except for on a chapter title page) but we have all the stories about them from the previous volumes to read ^_^
The only problem with this volume is, that it is the last one! No more Fake *sob* But, all good things come to an end, not to be cliche, lol! A great ending to a great series, Fake vol. 7 is a must buy for Fake fans! ... Read more

Book Description

Mitsuo Shiozu is put in an awkward position when his mind and body are taken over by the two young women, in that he's a young man, who winds up acting like the women. Hasunuma and Ichi, two of his fellow male high school students, find themselves attracted to Mitsuo, which places him in an even stranger position. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Wonderful Read! Hilarious, Beautiful, Loveable Characters
OMGosh!!! Man, this book is wonderful! Even if you don't like books with shonen-ai/yaoi content this one is worth reading just for the humor. In fact, i had 2 completely straight male friends of mine read this book and they said it cracked them up too! Well, i don't really know if it's fair to classify Eerie Queerie as shonen ai since it's not really Mitsuo's fault that he gets possessed by female spirits with unfinished business (telling a boy they had a crush on, for example). It's the guys around him that start to question their sexuality, but Mitsuo is just so adorably cute and naieve. He's so sweet!!! He's always been a loner, so when he finally gets a friend, Hasunuma, he doesn't know how a friend acts. So Hasunuma is able to get with some very intimate stuff by saying it's normal for friends to...oh, for instance...glomp/kiss their friend and take their shirt off or give them a *ahem*sponge bath*ahem*.
Anyway, Eerie Queeries is very funny and entertaining to read. I know i'm hooked and can't wait for the next volume!
Kudos to Shuri Shiozu on her first graphic novel. I hope it becomes a mini-series anime!!! ^_^

eerie? not quite,but terribly addictive!
If you like shounen-ai/yaoi, you'll love this book! Mitsuo, the main character, is a loner who can see & communicate w/ ghosts. Of course, these spirits take advantage of him & use his body without so much as a by-your-leave. The catch? The spirits are FEMALE! -- which, as you can imagine, puts our hero in veeery awkward situations! The art is simple but cute (if you like Fruitsbasket's charcter designs, you'll probably like this as well). This volume is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and touching moments as well. The relationship that develops between Mitsuo & Hasunuma is really sweet and worth checking out.

One annoying little error.
This BL manga is fantastic, flirty, funny, & about to go yaoi. This story goes beyond a love triangle into a larger polygon. An annoyance is the minor character Murasaki. In Japanese they don't use "he" or "she", but the translator refurred to "him" as a "her." But Murasaki is wearing a traditional mens costume & looks nothing like a woman to boot (he actually looks like that guy from Hikaru no Go) Becides, the mangaka stated in an extra that becide the need to draw maids there were no women in book 3.

Definately good!
I give this book the highest rating I possibly can! The only warning I have is homophobics shouldn't read this, Eerie Queerie! Is funny and romantic at the same time! I love both books and can't wait for the 3rd, if you don't mind Yaoi (guy/guy) then you'll probably like this book.

Though if you don't like a lot of comedy with you're romance you might not like this much. It's not that serious but at least you'll get some laughs. Why are you waiting? Go buy it!

horrible shonen ai release?...
... not at all.

having more "hardcore" tastes, i don't usually go for the shonen ai, especially when hearing that the sexualities of the charcaters aren't too clear. but overjoyed that there was another shonen ai release in *english* i brushed my worries aside and found that eerie queerie is a fun, interesting series that without a doubt has yaoi undertones. the character designs are lovely and the bishounen qualities are not put to waste on characters that barely interact. what makes eerie queerie a good read for yaoi/shonen-ai fans is the definate sexual tension between the main characters, that only heightens with a certain dream. the *possibility* that the series could get expilicit is very nice and it builds when vol.2 introduces a wayward priest (what do you you mean, you kept me warm?). the plot never lags and gets dramatic and ridiculous to a point that only entertains. the stories behind the ghosts add to the strength to the plot. the ghosts themselves add another comedic element (the other one being the main predicament itself) eventhough they may have tragic stories.

funny, a mix of naughty and nice, eerie queerie is excellent. ... Read more

Book Description

The second in a surprise hit series.A host of techniques are introduced, including the motion lines and structure lines that always appear in manga, along with shading techniques and how to express texture.You won't find another instructional guide as easy to follow or as awesome. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good,but not the best
This is good book, but really expensive and short.This is about backgrounds in manga,and this book teaches how to make background , what shows mangahumans feelings.This book has about 4 pages whit naked mangahumans, so this is up 13 aged.Im 13 and i like this series ... Read more

Book Description

What's the result when the Nazis hiding in South America engineer an army of vampires and mount an all-out campaign of deathly dominance? Well, one thing you get is a little unity - seems the Protestant Hellsing Organization and the Catholic Iscariot agency might just have to think about teaming up. Looks like the First World War of the undead is about to erupt in history's biggest battle of blood and fangs. Things are just beginning to heat up in the fourth volume of Hellsing! ... Read more