Manga in the Mail: 6

I've received three volumes in my mailbox back at the 10th of December. Here they are!

Blood Alone Volume 1, Full Metal Panic Volume 1 and Genshiken Volume 5

Review: Genshiken Volume 1

"I want to read a manga series that deals with manga, can you recommend one?" Why, yes! I'm glad you asked! Here's a favorite of mine:

You learned about how to get published, manga-wise, in Japan. This title tells the life of an otaku, the consumers of anime, manga, video games, cosplay and such. I'm writing a paper about this and I'm kinda occupied with anime right now.

Review: Nabari no Ou Volume 1

Here's a really nice shounen manga that you can follow quick. It took me more than 2 weeks to finish these 4 volumes I have of this title. It's not as exciting as any other shounen manga with a ninja theme (No, not Naruto. Just, not that type of ninja.)

Nabari no Ou Volume 1 (Japanese for "King of the Hidden [World]") is a shounen manga with a fantasy-esque kind of ninja story. It revolves around Miharu Rokujou who constantly tries to be indifferent as he does not want to burden people. He's a version of Shinji Ikari that can be a hero if need be and not just whine all the way.

Sweet little Asuka!

Review: Black Lagoon Volume 1

I want to review this so I can satisfy my OCD-ish part of me. I posted a Now Reading about this title but it was about the 2nd volume and because of that, I felt like I should do a proper review on the first one. Here goes!

Warning! This title contains graphic violence, gore and blood.

Black Lagoon Volume 1: (by Rei Hiroe) a tale of bullets, adrenaline, high-octane action, delivery of important packages and girls that can't contain their lady boners for action. Yes, that's right. That's just about the sum of it.

Maji?

Manga in the Mail: 5

I'm gonna finish this manga haul with a bang! Everything that's not been included in previous manga mails post (except for one.) So here we go!

Hino Horror Volume 3 and 4: Oninbo and the Bugs from Hell ; Hell Baby; School Zone Volume 1

All of these are horror manga. HORROR! I bought these because I'm craving for horror manga. I feel like I really need to read more from the horror genre since I have a ton of stuff about romance, action, fantasy and such.

Review: Bakuman Volume 1

So I just finished volume today, like, really early today. Early, as in 1AM early. I posted this volume in one of my Manga in the Mail days ago and I was too excited not to read it.

Bakuman Volume 1, a manga about making manga. It's all about the two main characters trying to reach their dreams of becoming the number 1 mangaka (manga artist/manga author) in all of Japan!

Manga in the Mail: 4

The third pair of volumes I got in the mail: 12-08-2013.

Black Jack Volume 4 and Ray Volume 1

Manga in the Mail: 3

The second pair of volumes in my recent manga haul: 12-09-2013

Countdown 7 Days Volume 1 and Lovephobia Volume 1

Now Reading: 5

I picked-up the first six volumes of this 11 volume series. Another horror series you ask? I love horror but sometimes if you can really get the right atmosphere, it loses it's "horror" element and that's exactly what happened when I read this.

WARNING! This title contains graphic violence, gore, mild nudity and a ton of blood.

Reiko The Zombie Shop Volume 1, a horror manga about Reiko, a spirit medium for hire. She's not just an ordinary spirit medium though, she calls out the spirits and puts them back into their bodies, decaying or freshly dead!

Each customer has their own purpose for hiring Reiko; wanting to learn about their deaths, finding out who killed them, cause of their suicide or just for miscellaneous tasks. The volume contains short stories that tell the details of Reiko's jobs. Fulfilling each of the jobs is Reiko's promise, but she doesn't want to be in the middle of it so she might let the dead exact their revenge or she might just save her own skin.

Art: Very shounen-esque. Its kiddy yet it makes sense. The anatomy is (besides the head) is 70% accurate so you can really feel the gore and the mutilation that the cold bodies have endured. I can say that it appeals to the shounen audience but it is a seinen manga.

Story: The story revolves around Reiko's jobs, with that said, it also takes the various stories relating to her job such as that of a serial killer. Each chapter is it's own story. People can easily pick a random chapter and still have the main gist of Reiko's powers. With that said, it feels repetitive at times because you already know what Reiko does and what her powers are used for.

Each chapter has a lesson behind it and you feel satisfied as a chapter can stand alone. It makes sure that you should not do harmful things to those you know and that you should think about the consequences of your own actions.

Bottomline: Read this as a back-up manga. It would bore you to death as it is feels repetitive at almost every chapter. I haven't read the other 5 I have so I do not know, but I am basing my judgement on this first volume.

Do not read this if you want some serious horror or if you're just a beginner in reading manga. I suggest something lighter like one of the big three: Naruto, Bleach or One Piece (I haven't read any chapters of both Bleach and One Piece so I can't guarantee your enjoyment.)

Manga in the Mail: 2

I received a big package today and it contains 11 volumes of manga! This isn't the biggest haul I've had but I'm really excited to read each of these titles! (Though I'm sad I didn't get the Higurashi Cotton Drifting Arc Volume 2 and Eden: It's an Endless World Volume 1, I'm still happy but really pissed.) Here are some!

Genkaku Picasso Volume 1 and Kannagi Volume 1

Review: Claymore Volume 1

I finished this volume 2 months ago maybe? I have the first 6 volumes and I flew past them. Are you wondering why?

WARNING! This title contains graphic violence, gore, mild nudity and a ton of blood.

Claymore Volume 1 is a dark fantasy manga focusing on the life of Clare; a "Claymore." (Humans who have consumed monsters called Youmu, to gain super human powers.) People named these humans based on their primary weapon; huge swords called Claymores.

Personal Collection

This is my whole collection as of today 12/08/2013 and if you would like a specific volume to be reviewed then please ask. Thanks!

I'm sorry for the image resolution. If you can, just please open it on a new tab so you can see the full image.

Again, sorry for the resolution.

Now Reading: 4

More now reading posts! This time, it's a horror manga!

Read this at school and I was feeling "I don't have anything to do, so I'm gonna read this even though I can't concentrate" while I was reading this. The perfect atmosphere to be reading this is in a closed room with only a lamp beside you. You need earplugs to silence any noise from the outside world. Then, prepare for a thrill ride!

Scary Book Volume 1: Reflections contains two stories; The Mirror and The Demon of Vengeance.

I have read 3/4 of "The Mirror" so this will be based off of that. The mirror is a story about Emi who is a really beautiful girl who is kind of a narcissist. She loves looking at herself in the mirror. In one stormy night, the mirror cracked and along with it, an evil presence comes to life. Emi is soon haunted by this presence, slowly destroying her life.

Art: The art is outdated but it doesn't lose it's eerie-ness. It looks like the early mangas published and it is. You can see the early Disney influence here.

This is such a good read if I had the right atmosphere at the time I began reading it. It's chilling to know that you might be just a mere reflection of a mirror. Who's the original? Who is the real YOU?!

Hopefully this story ends perfect. I'm expecting some insanity from Emi as she is now...

No. This is not Emi. Or is she?

Now Reading: 3

I admit, for the past 3-4 months, I have developed a sort of ADD for manga. I read more than 3 volumes simultaneously (as in reading another title while not finishing the other ones) nowadays. So I still have 5 or more volumes to put up.

This is my second yuri manga title so I might be a little hard on this one. Please do consider that I have not finished this volume yet and this is just a partial of what I think. Hope you keep reading.

Strawberry Panic: The Complete Manga Collection. I think this omnibus contains two regular volumes. It's about the Etoile (French for star, googled it) Competition and it's participants. It explores the relationships of the participants in this competition. This is a yuri manga (slang for female-to-female relationship) and it is totally weird for me.

I'm totally weirded out in manga, because girls are acting like boys but still retain the "maiden" part of their personality. I'm not against same-sex relationships but this is just awkward. The relationship of "seme to uke" (Japanese for "top and bottom") feels so forced that I people can call it sexual harassment.

This is a catholic school kind of environment and these girls are just sexually frustrated that you feel like the elephant in the room. I'm not a hater, I'm just saying that this is awkward. I love the art style, I like the plot, I just don't like how girls are treated here.

I would like to finish this as soon as I have the time so I can move on from the awkwardness.

Now Reading: 2

To continue my Now Reading spree, here is my second unfinished volume!

High School Girls Volume 1 is what it sounds like. It's about 3 new high school students who are trying their best to survive everyday difficulties. If you're a guy like me, reading this is kind of like an eye-opener (though I have an idea on the problems and gags they do) in the world of young women. It's funny enough to make you laugh but I can only read about 2 chapters at a time. It feels old because it still doesn't have stable ground for the plot to take place.

I hope I can get through the next half.

Oh yeah. BTW, I hope you're ready for period jokes if you pick this up.

Now Reading: 1

I haven't finished a volume yet because I have a lot of reading to do and the finals are this week so yeah.

This is just one of the many of volumes I am currently reading.

Black Lagoon Volume 2. I'm halfway through the first chapter and it's not so interesting yet because it takes you back in time where WWII is still happening. The Black Lagoon Company is going to dive in to get the treasure inside a sunken submarine. I'm not that far yet but I know what's going to happen as I have seen the anime adaptation of Black Lagoon first before I picked up the manga.

Anyway, I'm planning on reviewing Black Lagoon Volume 1 so people can catch up on the story. More Now Reading coming up!