Name of the Flower Volume 2 by Ken Saito (amazon)
I enjoyed the first volume of Name of the
Flower, and I was happy to see that the second volume was just as good as the first. As the second volume opens Kei has barricaded himself in his room with the terse note “Writing” on the door. [...]

Moon Child by Reiko Shimizu Volume 1
Moon Child is one of the most unique manga that I’ve read in a long time. My reading habits tend to lean towards series that are filled with shoujo cliches, so it is nice to encounter a series that manages to be genuinely surprising. Moon Child is a wonderful [...]

Cy-Believers Volume 1 by Shioko Mizuki
Jacket Copy: Rui has just transferred to a new school, and hopes to make friends quickly. What better way to do that than by joining a few clubs? Unfortunately, it seems that most of the social groups around campus have been recently shut down — by the boy who [...]

I’m always a little intrigued when I hear about one of the manga series that I follow being made into a live action TV show.Otomen is going to be adapted for television, starting in August. So far there’s not much on the web other than various short announcements. One of the reasons why I’m interested [...]

Takeru: Opera Susanoh Sword of the Devil Volume 1 by Nakashima Kazuki and Karakarakemuri
I’ve always been a little wary of manga with overly long titles. Most of the manga I’ve enjoyed does not suffer from an excess of nouns in the title, and a title as long as this one makes me wonder if [...]

Gakuen Heaven Nakajima by You Higuri and Spray
The Gakuen Heaven manga series is based on a dating sim and as a result the characterizations are rather shallow. You Higuri does the art, so if you’re looking for something pretty to look at this manga may fit the bill. The first volume focused on Keita (untalented [...]

Venus Capriccio Volume 1 by Mai Nishikata (amazon)
Jacket Copy: Takami is tall, attractive and funny. Akira’s a quiet, musical prodigy who seems much more effeminate than Takami, even though he’s a guy. Best friends since childhood, Takami turns to Akira when yet another would-be boyfriend dumps her. Now will their longtime connection finally turn into [...]

Well, this is interesting. Viz has created an online magazine to promote their signature line called Ikki. With Shojo Beat folding and online serialization of Rin-Ne and Children of the Sea I’m wondering if we’ll eventually see some shojo or josei content available for free online? That would be nifty.

Planet Ladder Volumes 1-7 by Yuri Narushima
This fantasy series is bogged down by an excess of exposition, but after a slow start it gets much better as the series develops. Kaguya is an ordinary high school girl, living with her adopted family. She’s remarkably passive, allowing her mother to dress her up like a doll [...]

Animal Academy: Hakobune Hakusho Volume 1 by Moyamu Fujino
Jacket Copy: Can you pledge secrecy when you are… a human being? When Fukada Neko finds herself enrolled in the mysterious Morimori Academy–a secret school for animal-human shape shifters–she soon realizes she must pretend to be a magical cat and not allow any of the other [...]