Mini Manga Review: Fruits Basket Another

I might be a little bit biased, but I love Fruits Basket so much! So I really enjoyed Fruits Basket Another. Also, I was super excited to hear about the new adaptation coming out!

Mini Manga Review: Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess vol. 3 & 4

     I really enjoyed reading these volumes and I think they are a strong addition to the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess content. Listen in for more!

Mini Manga Review! - Twilight Princess

     As mentioned, in the Summer 2017 Book Haul video I am now the proud owner of the first two volumes of the Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess manga. As this take on Legend of Zelda is a bit different from the ones found in the boxed set (feel free to read our review of that manga here) I decided to do a short video about it. Enjoy!

Manga Review: Wild Ones

Note for a video version of this review visit our YouTube channel!

Manga: Wild Ones/Arakure
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Shojo, romance, comedy, drama

General Set-up: After 15 year old Sachi Wakamura is orphaned her grandfather offers to take care of her. Not only is she surprised to discover that her grandfather is alive, but he is also a yakuza boss. Add in a cute body guard and you have a recipe for a standard shojo anime, with a twist.

Characters: Sachie wasn't anything spectacular as a character. I felt like she was a standard shojo heroine with few outstanding qualities that made her unique. Then again, the world has enough pink-haired flamboyant anime characters, so having one that stayed within the lines might be nice for a change. I did like how Sachie is very good at intimidating people and puts on her 'yakuza face' when she is mad. Just being honest here, Rakuto reminds me of Yuki from Fruits Basket. For one thing, he is the most popular guy of the school, as well as the student council president. Also, his personality is a bit similar to Yuki's at the end of the manga - like he will smile while saying something threatening.

Plot: I enjoyed reading this manga, I really did. It's just that a lot of it seemed like things I had read before - a lot of the plot events seemed cliche, like stuff that you would expect to find (and have found) in every highschool-based shojo manga. Like the love triangle, Valentines Day, and the school festival. Thankfully, the yakuza element felt fresh and original, and it added a welcome twist.

Ending: I think this manga ended the way we all expected it to from page one. Yup, no surprises here. That being said, I would have liked to have had a few more details regarding the future of the characters, but we can't all have our cake and eat it too, I suppose.

Things to Watch Out For: As you have probably figured out by now, there is gang-related material in this manga. It never gets violent, but it is something you should know. Also, there are a few instances where characters are shown in states of undress for humor. Nothing crude is shown, but it might lead to an awkward conversation if someone looks over your shoulder while you are reading the particular panel. Incase you were wondering, the rating for this manga is T for ages 13 and up.

Humor: This is going to be a small side note, but most of the humor is based off of Japanese culture/yakuza traditions. I really enjoyed that aspect of the manga, but it can be a little confusing if you don't know the background information necessary to get the jokes. So, if you have little to no knowledge of either subject I would suggest you refer to the back of the volume for the handy-dandy cultural side-notes. I even learned some things!

Visuals: Maybe it's just Rakuto, but the artist's art style did remind me of Fruits Basket. Also, another of the characters looks significantly like Shigure. I enjoyed the way the mangaka portrayed the yakuza members. They look sufficiently frightening and simultaneously endearing.

Assorted notes: Wild Ones is a completed manga containing 10 volumes. Also, it is licensed in English, so look for it at your local libraries and bookstores!

Manga Review: Legend of Zelda

Note: This was SUPPOSED to be posted last Sunday, but it got lost in the time space continuum. I hope you enjoy!

Legend of Zelda in manga format - what could be better? I am referring to the Legend of Zelda Manga Box set, of which I am the proud owner (okay, co-owner - my brother helped pay for half).

This is a series that is put out by Viz and licensed by Nintendo. Akira Himekawa provides the story and art for this 10 volume set of manga, based on the popular video games. And I say based, because the manga are not a strict adaptation of the video games. For the most part, they stick pretty close. The beginning of the story is usually fairly accurate, with a few embellishments that enhance the plot (for example: Link can talk!). After the first dungeon or so less detail is paid as the author focuses on advancing the plot (let’s admit it - frustrating block puzzles are not that entertaining to read about). On occasion, new characters or plot events are added, but the stories mostly portray the original material.

The 10 volume set covers the story of eight Legend of Zelda games (If the internet is to be believed, other manga adaptations have come out for some of the more recent Legend of Zelda games. However, I did not feature them in this review because I have not read them. If you have read them, please let me know what you thought!):

• The Minish Cap*
• A Link to the Past
• Oracle of Seasons
• Oracle of Ages
• Ocarina of Time (2 parts)*
• Majora’s Mask *
• Four Swords (2 parts)
• Phantom Hourglass

The titles marked are games either I or someone close to me (aka my brother) have experience playing. I will comment on these titles specifically, as I have first-hand experience with the original material, and tell you some details you may want to know.

The Minish Cap

The beginning of the manga for The Minish Cap is pretty close to the content displayed in the game. The only differences are that Link isn’t the one who takes the sword to the festival and that he meets Vaati beforehand. In a way, the plot of the story is simplified, but it is also extended. The dungeons are glossed over (sometimes they are almost non-existent), while more focus is placed on character development (oh the wondrous things that happen when you can actually talk!). Also, a few events are edited. For example, Link doesn’t visit the Elemental Sanctuary until the end of the book and Vaati returns to being Ezlos’ apprentice in the end.

Ocarina of Time

This title has been adapted into a 2 volume story. It adds some backstories and character development to the plot that you don’t get in the game. Some of it fits nicely, but a few additions stick out. Also, not every aspect of the story is covered, so there are a few time skips. However, the author gives adequate ‘page time’ to the main events even though some of the later dungeons are abbreviated to a few pages (but let’s be honest: there are a ton of dungeons in this game). I really liked how they integrated Sheik more into the story. Also, there are a couple bonus stories at the end that are enjoyable.

Majora’s Mask

Again, a little bit of backstory was added at the beginning, like how the mask was stolen and some of Link’s activities before traveling to Termina. Because of the vast amounts of dungeons and (especially) side quests in the game, most are shortened, while some (like the later dungeons and minor side-quests) had to be left out. The only side story that really gets focused on is the one with Anju and Kafei. However, the author allows time to tell the stories behind the main three masks.

All in all, this boxed set was a really fun read! I enjoyed re-living the games I had experience with and learning about the ones I was unfamiliar with. While they don’t follow the story-line of the games to a T, they still provide a fair representation of the Zelda franchise. If you like Legend of Zelda, I would definitely recommend reading this series. Look for these titles at your local library, or buy your own copy for repeated enjoyment!

Manga Review: Reimei no Arcana

This is my first review of a manga, so we’ll see how this goes. :)

Title: Reimei no Arcana (or Dawn of the Arcana)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Shounen, fantasy, romance, drama

General Setup: In an attempt to keep the peace between two neighboring countries Princess Nakaba is marrying Prince Caesar as an act of good faith. Caesar acts cruel and demeaning towards Nakaba. Her only friend is her attendant Loki. Suddenly Nakaba starts to get visions. Some of them are of Caesar getting mortally hurt. What is going on? Will she try and protect him or leave him to his own measures?

Characters: Nakaba had few friends as a child. Because of her red hair she was locked away as an outcast of the court. Despite being rejected and mistreated she has a strong spirit and is willing to stand up for what she believes in. Nakaba has a kind heart toward others and wants to help them in anyway she can. She doesn’t care for material belongings, instead she treasures her relationships with people. Caesar acts cruelly towards Nakaba, but soon he comes to care for her. Behind a rough exterior he hides a heart that cares. He is a natural leader, but never had the chance to use his talent because he is not the Crown Prince. Loki is an Ajin (a species with both human and animal characteristics - they reminded me of the Faunus from RWBY). He is compassionate, but is also willing to hurt others in order to obtain his goal.

Plot: The plot for Reimei no Arcana  is actually very intricate. There are multiple plot twists lying in wait for readers. Get excited - you won’t be bored! The story has some deep themes, one of them being the discrimination of the Ajin, who are considered sub-human. Also, the story gets a little dark in some places. While I may not always like the actions the characters take they move the plot forward and are sometimes the only thing they could have done to improve their situations.

Ending: I feel like this story has two endings: the one you think is the ending and then the actual ending. Both of my reactions to them were, “What?!” and then, “Oh.” Disregarding my vague comments that are an attempt to avoid spoilers, I enjoyed the way this manga ended. The [actual] ending, while a surprise, ends on a bittersweet note. I almost cried (and I am not a big crier), but it was mostly happy.

Things to Watch For: Nakaba and Caesar are married, so there are some adult themes. Not to worry, nothing overt happens. Also, as I mentioned, the story can be a little dark. I’ll put it this way: Stuff gets real.

Humor: This manga has a more serious feel, but humor is still present.

Visuals: Manga doesn’t really have sound, so I changed the heading for this. I personally enjoyed the art style. It was cool to see the characters change as time went on (ex. Hair growth). The only thing that bothered me about the art was how Nakaba’s braid is so thin. Like, I think you have more hair than that!

Other media: Reimei no Arcana is just a manga. But it’s a good manga, so you should read it!

Length: This manga is composed of 13 volumes.

Where to Read: Reimei no Arcana is licensed in English, so look for it in libraries and bookstores. It is also available to read online. However, I am not convinced of the legality of that particular method.