Input: [Read all▲▼] Our Kingdom (manga) [Comment▲▼] I was disappointed in this. I seem to remember enjoying Naduki Koujima's work in the past, but I think as I've become more familiar with the genre, I can honestly say hers is not good. For one, her art is not to my tastes at all. She draws young looking characters which almost border on shota-ish. They always have these huge shiny eyes which kinda give them the look of a small woodland creature. When she draws older characters this is not as apparent, but unfortunately she tends to stick to the standard, cliche school boys. And the plot, it was your typical schoolboy story. It was dull and repetitive the characterization was pretty one note. Akira seemed to get kidnapped every volume, Rei saves him every volume. Ho Hum. Why did this drag on for 6 volumes? Why did I read all of it? (Ok, I admit to being a completeist.) [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Our Everlasting (manga) [Comment▲▼] This two volume series is romance of a more sappy variety, something that on the whole, is not my favorite thing. The conflict in this story is a very real one: finding out whats more important, the one you love or your dreams. However, I felt like I was going to see one of the "You're Shmoopy. No, you're Shmoopy!" a la Seinfeld scenes any moment. It was just too lovey dovey. I was entertained by Our Everlasting, but it just wasn't my thing. I prefer more conflict and tension. I think it makes for a better story. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Otogizoushi (manga) [Comment▲▼] I enjoyed this very much. It's short at only two volumes, but the story never feels rushed or crammed together. After having read this, I really want to check out the anime. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Othello (manga by S. Ikezawa) [Comment▲▼] I started out really liking this manga. The main character Yaya is a shy and quiet girl who has another opposite personality called Nana. The brash and brave Nana looks after Yaya because she's too timid to stand up for herself and others. This got old after awhile. The jokes while funny at first, also became repetitive. Yaya was just so useless, the typical shoujo heroine, that I couldn't really empathise with her. Nana was also similarly a one-note character. I did get some enjoyment out of this manga, but it's not one of my favorites. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Othello (manga by Toui Hasumi) [Comment▲▼] Yawn. Another boring yaoi anthology. With the shallow plot, the shallow characters, and the uninspiring art, it had nothing new to offer. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Ordinary Crush (manga) [Comment▲▼] I went on a Hyouta Fujiyama binge today, starting with "Ordinary Crush" as it's the first of her interconnected stories. Fujiyama's style is very mainstream I guess one could say. She writes your everyday schoolboy/salaryman romance, without any objectionable content that I could see; no weird fetishy stuff, no noncon, not too explicit, and her art is pretty without making the guys look feminine. Despite the very vanilla aspect of her stories, they are far from boring, as the characters are well developed and she takes time to explore the emotional aspect of a new romance. I thought it was very well done and I really enjoyed "Ordinary Crush" and the sequels: "Freefall Romance" and "Sunflower". [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Only the Ring Finger Knows (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a very chaste school boy romance. I found it to be light entertainment but not the sort of thing that sticks with you for very long. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Only Serious About You (manga) [Comment▲▼] I wasn't expecting much from this two volume series by Kai Asou (Cool/Uncool), having been underwhelmed by her previous release, but I was pleasantly surprised. The story is about a single dad who works in a restaurant and befriends a regular customer who is gay. The relationship is allowed to develop naturally, and both characters are given enough fleshing out that their behavior and choices make sense and are not just convenient for the "plot". Asou's art is just a shade more competent than average, as the characters were easily distinguishable and enough background was drawn that I didn't have trouble establishing a setting. All in all, this series was unexpectedly good. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] One thousand and one nights (manhwa) [Comment▲▼] This manhwa is the boy's love version of 1001 Nights. In this story, a man disguises himself as a woman to take the place of his sister who is to be brought to the kings harem. Upon discovery, he is thrown in prison. In order to keep his head, he tells stories. Most of these are quite good and blend seamlessly with the main story, except for one in volume 7, which is set in modern times. It felt a bit jarring to be hearing a modern story from an ancient storyteller who had been telling even older stories up to that point. Other than that, the series is fast paced and doesn't get stale and I was satisfied with the ending. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] One Night Lesson (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a short story collection. The longest story is about a couple of schoolboys. Characters are of the cardboard variety. Art is super generic with minimal backgrounds and samey faces with changing hairstyles. The "plot" is also of the paint by numbers variety. In fact, this is the second time I've read this dreck and I'm already forgetting it again. So, on the discard pile it goes. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) One I Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was a very thin little volume of shorts by CLAMP. Of course the art is lovely, however, it could not save this manga from being a waste of time. The short stories were all very very short and as a result, very very shallow. There was nothing there to care about really, the stories were all so forgettable. I really wouldn't bother with this. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] On Bended Knee (manga) [Comment▲▼] Here we have yet another BL anthology filled with forgettable cookie cutter stories. There are five stories crammed in here, all well worn tropes. We have: yakuza X bodyguard, two doctors, student X teacher, model X manager, and chef X waiter. In each story, the couple wants to get together, there's some stupid misunderstanding, they confess, have sex, the end. I'm so sick of reading this generic crap and I wonder why companies keep licensing it. Surely they realize BL readers have standards too right? It's not that I hate antholgies, it's that so many are sub-par. The good ones are few and far between. This book is so not one of the good ones. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Olympos (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a short series about Greek gods toying with mortals which had the promise to be interesting but actually is dead boring as it doesn't really go anywhere. The art is absolutely beautiful though. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Oku-san's Daily Fantasies (manga) [Comment▲▼] I found this book to be very funny. Oku-san has a crush on his delivery guy, so he's always ordering crap off the internet for an excuse to see him. Some of the scenarios he comes up with in his head are hilarious. The art is very good also, containing more detail than I typically see in a BL book, where not just the characters, but objects and backgrounds are given equal attention. The ending is very good too, and the story plays out not like one would expect, which is a nice surprise. This book is currently only available digitally from SuBLime, Viz's BL imprint. It's a good book and I would buy it again in a heartbeat if it ever saw print. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Ohikkoshi (manga) [Comment▲▼] This manga, a romantic comedy, is a complete 180 from Samura's well known title "Blade of the Immortal". It's interesting to see his amazing art in a more mundane setting, this time depicting a bunch of college kids. I quite liked the title story, which takes up most of the book. The second story which stars a female mangaka who falls on hard times is absurdly amusing, but not as strong. Overall, the book is entertaining and the stories well written and i enjoyed it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Object of My Affection (manga) [Comment▲▼] This BL manga contains three short stories centered around a college basketball team. The basketball is only window dressing however, just an excuse for these guys to spend a lot of time together. The romance is of the low key sort, no over the top drama. The stories themselves were a bit too shallow for my taste. Characterization was flimsy as well. Overall, the book was just another mediocre BL. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Object of Desire (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an anthology of short erotic romance stories. Most are mildly entertaining. The standout is the two parter about the two classmates. It's an "opposites attract" kind of story. The characters were memorable and had good chemistry together. The title story is fairly good as well, about a girl who is tired of guys pretending to be interested in her just so they can sleep with her. The only story that really hit a nerve was the second story. The POV was a douchebag cheater who does nothing but complain about his chatty girlfriend. At the end he realizes that he does love her, but he seems more worried that she'll find out about his latest fling more than anything. In a romance anthology, this story does not work. I could not suspend my disbelief enough to think that this couple would ever be happy together. She, with her head in the sand about his true nature, and he with his selfishness and lack of caring or respect for his chosen partner. I mean if you don't like her, just dump and find someone who doesn't make you complain to all of your friends. So yeah, I hated that second story. If I ignore that one though, the rest of the book was fairly good. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Not Simple (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a tragic story about a young man with a hard life who dies in an unlucky way. It almost feels emotionally manipulative as Ian catches no breaks whatsoever, it's a downer from beginning to end. The first time I read this a couple of years ago I cried, but I'm not feeling it much on the reread. I imagine that this sort of story loses its impact if you know whats coming. As far as far as Natsume Ono works go, this is one of her better ones in my opinion. I far prefer it over her short story collections. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Not Enough Time (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a short story collection by Shoko Hidaka. This might have even been her first manga.the stories feature wishy-washy sort of characters who have trouble admitting to their feelings. There are glimmers of promise here and there but overall it's pretty meh and forgettable. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Noise (manga) [Comment▲▼] I'm trying to decide if I rated this so highly due to my love for Blame! or not. I was highly entertained by it and loved revisiting the Blame! world. The premise was very interesting. However, at one volume, Noise is painfully short and I would have loved to see it expanded into it's own series. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] No Touching At All (manga) [Comment▲▼] Here's a rarity: an understated and believable romance between adults who actually look like adults ( +1 for Yoneda's art style). In this, Shima has just started a new job and develops a crush on his boss. The story itself is predictable, and it sometimes veers towards too melodramtic, but it plays out in a most uncliche way with a more realistic approach to a relationship between two men. I apreciate a story that doesn't rely on tropes as plot and characterization. This book was like a breath of fresh air. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] No One Loves Me (manga) [Comment▲▼] Yugi Yamada has become one of my favorite boys love mangaka. All of her books are good, and this one is no exception. She usually bases her stories around working adults, which is super refreshing among a sea of school set romances. The emotions expressed in the book felt genuine and not overblown and melodramatic. All in all, it a well written romance with adult characters, my favorite kind. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] NightS (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is the second book I've read by Kou Yoneda and it cements her in my opinion as a quality mangaka. There are three stories here. The first is about a drug runner and the one I most wanted to see expanded as I really felt there was more to tell. The second was a typical schoolboy crush story, but it was a very well written example. The last was about a pair of guys who worked at a car dealership. This was a four part story and I felt the relationship here was particularly well done and natural feeling. What I like about the stories in this is that none of the characters or feelings expressed within feel contrived at all. It's some of the best written BL I've encountered. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Night of the Beasts (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was a fun little action/paranormal shoujo featuring a little demon battling, a little romance, and a family curse. It's short at only 6 volumes long, but the story wraps up nicely. Because it's so short, there isn't a whole lot of detail to the characters and the plot is very simple, but for all that, it's still enjoyable. I really like Shiomi's art. She doesn't draw "flowers and sparkles" style shoujo. Backgrounds are present and characters are drawn in a more mature style with somewhat normal sized eyes. I like that. It suits her work as well, which is usually more action based. After reading this and Canon, which I also liked, I'm definitely going to pick up her other work published in English. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] New Beginnings (manga) [Comment▲▼] At first glance, this appears to be one of those run of the mill school boy romances. I didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did. Chichiro's childhood friend Keigo moves in with him to attend high school while his parents work overseas. Keigo confesses feelings for Chichiro, who doesn't know how to handle it. For one, he likes girls, and it turns out, the girl he likes also likes girls. This causes him to be more accepting of Keigo's feelings, even if he can't return them (yet). I liked natural way in which the characters and their feelings were portrayed. Usually manga of this type fall into the cutesy fanservicey realm. This one went for a more realistic take on first love. I quite liked it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Nephilim (manga by A. Hanamaki) [Comment▲▼] This manga reminds me a lot of old school romance novels. You know, the ones with the shirtless guy on the cover holding a chick whose dress is falling off. The hero and heroine in Nephilim embody those stereotypes to a tee. Abel is beautiful and fiesty, and also always in need of rescue. Honestly, this story was just good campy fun. The mangaka put it on hiatus after two volumes, but I'd read it if it ever continued. It's certainly not fine literature, but it's at least entertaining. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Necratoholic (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was just an OK manga. It's basically a lighthearted (mostly) romance between a vampire and a vampire hunter. The vampire aspect bumped it up a notch, but the shallow plot and the flimsy characterization brought it back down. It was a mildly entertaining way to spend an hour, but it wasn't particularly memorable. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Neck and Neck (manhwa) [Comment▲▼] Neck and Neck is another run of the mill high school set romantic comedy. I thought it was cute and it got a couple of chuckles from me, but overall it was pretty mediocre. The plot was pretty predictable. It goes like this: Our heroine Dabin convinces her crime boss dad to let her transfer schools in order to closer to her crush, Eugene. On her first day, she has a run in with the son of her dad's rival. See where this is going? If you guessed the standard love triangle with the predicatable outcome, you were right. Despite it's paint by numbers plot, it was mildly entertaining. The characters were fun and the humor scored more hits than misses. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Name of the Flower (manga) [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] My Paranoid Next Door Neighbor (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is another "schoolboys in love" yaoi. A dime a dozen, I know. The plot is pretty straightforward. Yukito's friend Hokuto is rooming at his house in order to attend highchool. After they figure out that they're gay, they get to it. The End. I was entertained, but this title isn't particularly memorable. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] My Only King (manga) [Comment▲▼] Yet again, another lackluster anthology. The only story of note is the title story, a fantasy yarn about an ordinary high school boy receiving a magical crest proclaiming him King and the girlish looking sorcerer who was searching for him. I really like Lily Hoshino's distinctive clean lined character designs. but I wish her uke characters didn't look like young girls. I pretty much pulls me completely out of the story. I wish she'd either stick to straight shoujo or just make both of her leads look masculine. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] My Girlfriend's a Geek (manga) [Comment▲▼] In this manga based on a novel, a college student starts dating his girlfriend and finds out she's a secret otaku. The story is told from Taiga's perspective as an outsider who is introduced to the culture. He knows nothing, so even the most basic of things is explained to him, such as the meaning of the acronym BL. I found reading this a little tedious at time because of that, since so much of the this is known to me, I didn't find it that funny. Granted, I did get a giggle or two out of it, but much of the humor is centered around Taiga as the straight man and his girlfriend as the weirdo. The characters themselves seemed a little one dimentional as well. By volume five, the series had completely played out it schtick. I was mildly entertaind but that's it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] My Bad! (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an anthology by Rize Shinba (Mister Mistress, My Girlfriend is a Geek). The stories were nothing special, the only thing somewhat memorable is the title story about the stalker kid who steals underwear. In fact almost all of these stories had a mild stalking element. My least favorite was the last story, a silly "Romeo and Juliet" comedy about two rich kids form rival political families trying to hide their relationship. The humor in that one left me cold. All in all, I found the book only mildly entertaining. My favorite by Shinba is still Mister Mistress. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mushishi (manga) [Comment▲▼] I've seen the anime first, so the stories through volume 5 were already familiar to me. Even still this manga is excellent. Mushi are otherworldly-like beings that inhabit the world along with everyday life. Ginko is a "mushishi" which is kinda like a traveling medicine man and he travels the land encountering mushi related problems. The stories are episodic for the most part, although there are a few that flesh out Ginko's past. The art is amazing, with its depiction of nature and the countryside and the strange bug-like mushi. The setting is a sort of rural Japan that kinda looks likes something out of the past, yet Ginko is wearing modern clothes. The whole thing has a sort of magical feel that I can't quite describe. I loved it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mr. Tiger and Mr. Wolf (manga) [Comment▲▼] I'm generally not really a fan of "furry" stories. Instead of humans with animal parts, this one is about animals that have human shape. The characters are very simple in the way of animals and are portrayed in their habitat living in caves and hunting buffalo (guys with horns roaming the fields). The book clearly doesn't take itself seriously. However, I was a little bored. The characters are one dimentional, the art is weak looking, and there is no real plot. The draw here must be the furries, of which I am not one, so this book didn't do anything for me. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mr. Mini Mart (manga) [Comment▲▼] Endo is a shut in who quit school because he was bullied for being gay. In order to get out of the house, he takes a job in his family's convenience store, where he falls in love with his coworker. Unlike his first crush this one has a happy ending. i really liked this story, as the romance was heartfelt and believable. It's a positive story, as Endo eventually comes to terms with his feelings and that there is nothing wrong with him. I only wish that the story were not so short. It felt a bit condensed and I felt there was more room for growth/elaboration. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mr. Flower Groom (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is the seguel to Mr. Flower Bride. While I think it sometimes comes across awkwardly in a yaoi story, I really love Hoshino's art. It's really delicate and feminine looking, which is a problem when depicting men, but would look great in a standard shojo. (Has Hoshino written any of those? I'd love to read a non-yaoi by her.) It's a really distinctive style and I really like it. I get bored by the "sameness" of art in certain genres sometimes, so it's refressing to find somethig that breaks the mold a bit. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mr. Flower Bride (manga) [Comment▲▼] I found this and it's sequel, Mr. Flower Groom, to be fun little romance stories. To be fair, I liked Groom a touch better because I felt the relationship was better developed. I regard these more like a two volume series than two stand alone stories. The first book spent time setting up the whys and hows of situation, while the second book spent more time on the romance. Even so, I quite liked both. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mr. Convenience (manga by Nase Yamato) [Comment▲▼] I know Nase Yamato is a popular BL mangaka, but I'm not a fan. Her art is not to my tastes at all. She draws very feminine to the point that her uke characters are virtually indistinquishable from any other shoujo heroine. When one is supposed to be a salaryman with the face and body of a 14 year old girl, my suspension of disbelief is broken. On the other hand, I do see why she has a following. Her art is clean and faces and bodies (even the super girly ones) are well proportioned. Disregarding the art, this book was just ok. It contains two stories about handy men. Neither manage to break the mold and both are pretty forgettable. I've read a few Nase Yamato books now and I've not been impressed by the writing on a single one. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Moonlit Promises (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an anthology containing three stories. The first story, about the lab created animal boy "pets" sold to old pedoes, was creepy as hell. I'm not easily offended by yaoi premises, but this one actively disgusted me. The second story was a tame affair in comparison, about two orphan boys living together. The last story was a genie in the bottle affair (no pun intended). All the stories were super vague as to setting, and the lack of drawn backgrounds weren't helping. If it weren't for that first story, I'd say that this is just another mediocre, forgettable BL anthology, but the inclusion of furry boy prostitution puts it into actively avoid territory. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Bad

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Moon and the Sandals (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a slice-of-lifeish style romance following two couples. What's interesting about it is that it keeps going even after the couples get together (where most romance manga seems to end), and shows their relationships develop in a realistic way, problems and all. No over the top drama here. Fumi Yoshinaga's art is growing on me. I'm still slightly put off by the way she draws chibis though. There's something alienlike about them. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading more of Yoshinaga's work. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Monster Collection (manga) [Comment▲▼] This sword and sorcery style fantasy was a lot of fun. The plot is fast paced and is liberally sprinkled with humor throughout. This is a manga that doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters are fun, and while characterization is not really present, they aren't shallow archetypes either. The art is quite nice. The monsters and creatures as well as the characters and world are very well drawn and detailed. The small amount of fanservice present wasn't offputting, possibly because Kasche was a capable heroine and didn't exist as wholly as an object of titillation whose clothes inexplicably shred at the lightest touch. There was always an explanation for the nakedness in the story and I appreciated that small concession to taste. In short this manga was a good read. I enjoyed it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Monster (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is something very different from the usual manga fare, a fast paced action thriller. I couldn't put it down and blew through the whole thing in a couple of days. It's very densely plotted, with a large and varied cast of characters. I've never read another manga like it. Truely a masterpiece. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Masterpiece

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Model (manhwa) [Comment▲▼] The first volume of "Model" was very promising. The story set up was interesting, and I liked the art and character designs. I thought the androgynous looking male characters sort of fit the whole gothic, vampirey vibe the story was going for. Unfortunately, I found myself losing interest as the series wore on, waiting for something to happen. I'm glad it was only 7 volumes. I think this story could've been concluded in 4 or 5. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mister Mistress (manga) [Comment▲▼] This one is silly and humorous. There's a tenticle monster and "little Fujimaru" talks! I got a few laughs out of it. The art is nice also. It was pretty open ended so I assume there will eventually be more than two volumes (I hope). [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Missing Road (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a rare boys' love manga without the love. It's a futuristic sci-fi story and I thought it was interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good. There were several volumes worth of plot here crammed into one volume. Without enough eleboration, some things made very little sense. Because of the condensed feel, it also lacked depth. I really wish Sakurai had made this into a series and developed everything a bit more, as it had potential to be really good. As it is, it feels a bit like a barebones outline of a story, with a couple of sex scenes thrown in because it's BL. On the positve side, I do like Sakurai's art and I liked seeing a more ambitious story in a BL manga, even though it failed. I'm also happy that Dramaqueen is still releasing books, and I look forward to reading more by Sakurai in the future. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mirai no Kioku: Kaze no Yukue (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is the sequel to Future Lovers. This second volume is just as good as the first. I especially got a kick out of the future depictions of Kento and Akira as old fogies. Since this is a yaoi manga, I know many people will write it off and that's a shame, as this is a really well written romantic comedy. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Millennium Snow (manga) [Comment▲▼] I read in an Ouran volume that the author does eventually plan to continue this story. As of now, it's on hiatus after two volumes. In my opinion, it's a bit rougher than Ouran in the art department and it has a "made up as he/she went along" feel to the plot. The characters make up for this though. Overall, it was a fairly enjoyable read. I would like to see it continue. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Millenium Darling 2006 (manga) [Comment▲▼] Too many characters, nonexistant plot, lame humor. I didn't like it and I won't read the sequels. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Midnight Secretary (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is basically a manga harlequin romance. In this one, Kaya is a secretary and discovers her handsome womanizing boss is a vampire. It's pretty shallow in plot and characterization. The boss is your standard controlling jerk type and Kaya is a "do anything for her man" doormat. These tropes are so old fashioned and well worn that they're not even really used in romance fiction anymore (at least not in anything considered good). As far as this series goes, it was an ok distraction for a couple of hours. it wasn't great, but I found it a somewhat entertaining smutfest. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Midare Somenishi (manga) [Comment▲▼] I picked this up because I am a fan of the mangaka's other work, Kizuna. I found this one to be very dark, violent, and disturbing and also somewhat of a rape-fest. I can't say I enjoyed Midare Somenishi, but it wasn't a bad manga, it was actually fairly good. The characters were well written and the story itself was decent, if a bit rushed. I like Kazuma Kodaka's art as well. I'd be interested to see more of her work licensed and translated. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Metro Survive (manga) [Comment▲▼] Metro Survive is a short 2 volume survival drama series. A massive earthquake hit Tokyo, trapping a group of people in a subway station. Plotwise, I thought it was great. It moved at a brisk pace and told a complete story. The characterization was a bit flimsy, but at only 2 volumes, it's to be expected. The art was servicable if not spectacular. It managed to convey a sense of desperation, which fit the story well, so it got the job done at least. Overall, I thought the series was good and entertaining. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] MeruPuri - The Marchen Prince (manga) [Comment▲▼] Meru Puri is a silly, fanservicey manga. In short, it's mindless fun. The character designs are absolutely beautiful, with really elaborate costumes and detailed hair. The backgrounds are your standard shojo sparkle though. The characters are so well drawn, one hardly notices. The plot is of your standard fairytale variety. However, at only four volumes, it works. I didn't expect anything great out of Meru Puri, therefore I was able to enjoy it for what it was: a couple hours of light entertainment. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Merry Family Plan (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an anthology by a new-to-me mangaka. The art style took some getting used to. It's drawn in a quirky, cartoony, highly stylized fashion. The characters have really round heads and crudely drawn bodies. I must admit that I really didn't like the look of it. However, the stories them selves were more on the realistic side, with minimal cliche usage, which is refreshing in the BL genre. Unfortunately, being an anthology, they were far too short. I am curious to read a longer story from this mangaka, because despite the art, I think her writing is fairly good. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Menkui! (manga by S. Tanaka) [Comment▲▼] Meh. A Menkui is a shallow person and that describes the main character. One character quirk does not characterization make. This three volume manga was the very picture of mediocre. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Melted Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] I found this antology to be an uneven mix. I thought the second to last story about the tattoo artist was quite good. On the other hand, the story with the torture loving dentist was just bad. The rest were a pretty forgettable bunch. I had a problem with the art. The odd sort of "flat" way the mangaka draws faces just about pulled me out of the story. The proportions are just strange, making everything look off. Needless to say, I didn't really care for the book, with the exception of that one story. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Meeting You (manga) [Comment▲▼] I haven't been impressed by anything I've read by Mio Tennouji thus far. This book is no different. It's yet another yaoi anthology with shallow forgettable stories and cardboard characters. The first story is yet anther BL in an all boys school. Yawn. "Stale" pretty much sums up this collection. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Maybe I'm Your Steppin' Stone (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a spinoff of I'm Not Your Steppin Stone. If you've read the first, you know what to expect: manly men in porny situations. I've become a real fan of Shiuko Kano's art. No girly looking anime dudes here! [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mars Gaiden (manga) [Comment▲▼] The title of this is a little misleading. It's actually a compilation of three short stories of which only one has anything to do with Mars. The stories were just ok, but I'm not really a fan of short stories. I prefer longer and more detailed plots. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mars (manga) [Comment▲▼] I couldn't put this one down. As soon as I finished one volume, I found myself reaching for the next. This is what I look for in a shojo love story; likeable, interesting lead characters that are fun to root for and good, believable motivations for their actions. The story itself was engrossing and while drama as present, it didn't feel contrived or too over the top. The art in this series was excellent as well. Sometimes I would stop reading and just take a moment to look at the pretty pictures. I definitely plan on re-reading this series someday. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Masterpiece

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Marmalade Boy (manga) [Comment▲▼] Overall, I enjoyed this story. I felt at 8 volumes, it was the perfect length; it didn't drag on too long. I can appreciate that this is a classic in the shojo genre. I recognize a lot of the story elements from more modern manga. It does feel a little dated, so I prefer the more modern stories to this one. This is definitely worth a read though. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mardock Scramble (manga) [Comment▲▼] The first volume had an interesting set up: a young girl is murdered and then revived in a new cyborg body to help take down her killer. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be very good. After the first volume, it starts to get weird, and not in a good way. Weird villains with grafted body parts, weird names like "Boiled" and "Shell", and other shit thrown in seemingly "just because". The casino arc in volumes 5 and 6 was very tedious as well. As for it's good points, it's fast paced, somewhat entertaining, and the series isn't long, so I didn't feel like I wasted my time at least. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] March on Earth (manga) [Comment▲▼] March On Earth is a two volume series about a high school girl raising her 2 year old nephew after her sister passes away in a car accident. It was handled in a very straightforward and realistic manner, showing all of the things Yuzu has to give up and the sacrifices she has to make as essentially a teenage mother. Since it's a manga, it all seems to work out in the end, but just seeing the situation portrayed in an unglorified way was a breath of fresh air. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Maoh: Juvenile Remix (manga) [Comment▲▼] I read this manga as each volume came out, so the finer details were a little hazy with each new book. However, I had no problems diving back into it as the characters and the story were so memorable. This is the story of Ando, who witnesses the rise of a popular and sinister organisation called "Grasshopper" and doesn't like what he sees. The manga has interesting things to say about mob mentality and going against popular opinion. There is a big twist in volume seven that I didn't see coming, that's for sure. This is based on a prose novel, and it shows, as it is fast paced and tightly plotted, without that "made up as it goes along" feel of a lot of shounen manga. I was satisfied with the ending as well. Overall, the series was an enjoyable, memorable read. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Manic Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is the prequel to Fake Fur, in which Maki is the main character. While I did like this one, I didn't like it as much as Fake Fur only because I didn't "get' Maki. I encounted the same feeling of realism in the plot, but because Maki isn't as sypathetic as the characters in Fake Fur, I didn't enjoy it as much. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Maniac Shorts Shot (manga) [Comment▲▼] There are four short stories in this book. The title story, about a couple of guys who find a box of novelty underwear, is plotless porn. The second story, about a couple of guys meeting at the class reunion, was the high point. The third story featuring the bike shop was a typical "rape is love" plot, ugh. The last story, about the hair fetishist, stood out as being one of the most completely twisted scenarios I've read. To say any more would spoil it. All stories were about adults which for me is a big plus. This book is also memorable, but more for the weirdness of it's stories than anything. The stories aren't long enough to have interesting characterization or much of a plot. It was certainly entertaining, but all in all, the collection was just decent. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Man's Best Friend (manga) [Comment▲▼] Creepy premise alert! *Whoo Whoo (sirens) The dog man story was pretty icky. The art was great but I couldn't get past the dog-man part. Thankfully, that story only takes up half of the book. The other half is a story of two childhood friends reconnecting. I really liked that one. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Man Who Doesn't Take Off His Clothes (novel) [Comment▲▼] Here we have a two volume yaoi light novel series from DMP/June. This one is a salaryman romance falling firmly on the romance end of the scale rather than porn. The lead character, Kaitani is kind of a screw up and despises his prissy uptight boss, Fujiwara. Watching these two grow from dislike to love was highly entertaining. Since this is a two volume series, the relationship is developed a lot more than I've come to expect from these yaoi novels. There is also quite a bit paid attention to Kaitani's job and the workplace environment. I wasn't jarred out of the story by awkward prose, so I found it passable to read. Overall, this is one of my favorite releases from June's light novel line. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Man of Tango (manga) [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Man I Picked Up (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a collection of related short stories featuring employees and customers of a gay bar. They're all pretty short, so there's not much development, bu they still managed to entertain me in a shallow way. Michalski's writing is lighthearted and comedic, which is a good fit for short and sweet stories like this. I'm also a fan of her art, even though it adheres to the seme/uke tropes a bit too much, it's clean and attractive. Overall, this isn't a particularly memorable book, but it was a pleasant enough read. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mamiya Doll House (manga) [Comment▲▼] Kazuhiko Mishima is a mid-tier mangaka for me. I buy her books because they are entertaining fluff reads, but they don't tend to leave much of an impression. This book is no different. The title story about a shady "real doll" store that specializes in making dolls indistinquishable from humans, is kind of creepy. The very last story is about a man buying a body pillow, except its an actual human pillow...thing. Are these stories a playful poke at weird otaku? Could be, as their tone is not entirely serious. My favorite stories were the trio of schoolboy stories padding out the rest of the book. Especially the one with the bishounen fearing future baldness and going overboard to prevent it. I did laugh out loud reading that. Mishima's pointy, spiky haired art style seems more suited to drawing schoolboy stories as well. In the end, I was mildly entertained by this book, although I'm sure I will forget most of it by tomorrow. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Make Love & Peace (manga) [Comment▲▼] This manga is about a girl and her cop boyfriend and their relationship. That's it. I found it and the sequel "Make More Love and peace" to be really bland. The characters felt very one note and the plot was flimsy as hell. There was quite a bit of sex in this manga, but even that managed to be boring, not hot. I kept waiting for something to happen for me to care about the characters, but it never did. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Maid in Heaven (manga) [Comment▲▼] Eh. It wasn't very good. The plot was extremely shallow and the characterization was flimsy as hell. Also the art wasn't to my liking either (really girly looking main character). It was entertaining in a brain dead way. I've read good yaoi that was not only entertaining but also not mind numbingly stupid, Maid in Heaven is not one of those titles. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mai the Psychic Girl (manga) [Comment▲▼] The set up for this story was really interesting. Unfortunately, it falters a bit in the middle and the ending was blah. The art was excellent, no complaints there. I think my problem stemmed from the lack of character development for pretty much everybody except Mai. The plot was interesting, as were the characters, but it felt like the author could have done so much more with it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Madness (manga) [Comment▲▼] I have to commend a BL manga that focuses on plot instead of the same ol' same 'ol romance. Unfortunately, the plot of Madness was kind of a hot mess. Izaya is a priest who keeps a prisoner underneath his church. The prisoner is Kyo, a mass murder and the leader of a gang called Madness. One of Kyo's old cronies shows up, they fight, and Kyo is set free. He decides to be a bounty hunter and hunt down members of Madness. Izaya tags along. Along the way they team up with more of Kyo's old aquaintances and are hunted by a church assassination group. It sound convoluted, and it is. I had a difficult time establishing the setting. The messy art made following all the action sometimes difficult. Also, Izaya was clearly "the girl", a useless, crying, protesting stereotypical BL "uke". That's even more apparent when contrasted with Miyabi, the series' sole female character. She's capable, and not a crying, useless, submissive mess. I guess that why she's not the heroine. This series is clearly very flawed, but in the end I was at tleast entertained. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Mad Love Chase (manga) [Comment▲▼] I quite enjoyed this little five volume shoujo comedy. Yamoto is the demon prince who escapes to the human world in order to escape his life and arranged marriage. On Earth, he is an average high school boy. However, soon his father's minions as well as his fiancee come to earth in order to find the demon prince. This is a silly plot well beftting the slapstick style humor. I usually don't like slapstick, but in this instance, it works. Takashima's characters are fun and memorable, and their interactions make up for most of the humor. All of the minions end up at Yamato's school in one way or another, and watching them all try to accomplish their goal while pretending to be normal is highly amusing. The story also manages to balance the silliness with a few emotional moments. All in all it was a pretty entertaining series, not great literature by any means, just solid fun. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lychee Light Club (manga) [Comment▲▼] WTF did I just read? I don't even know where to start. Let's just say that it was "interesting". It's about a group of really wacked out kids who form a club (more like a cult) in an abandoned factory. They build a robot and order it to catch a beautiful girl. The gimmick here is that the robot ends up being more human than the boys who are all psychotic. The violence in this is over the top. I couldn't stop reading, but only because of the sheer what the fuckery of this thing. Is all of Furuya's work like this? This one is definitely not a fave, but I'm interested in reading more of his work. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Ludwig II (manga) [Comment▲▼] I'm always interested in historical manga, and this one doesn't disappoint. Using German history as a framwork for this story made for some interesing plot and characterization. It's almost fool proof really, the bones are already there, all the mangaka has to do is flesh it out. You Higuri is obviously up to it, as is her art, which compliments a story of this style beautifully. I quite enjoyed it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lovers in the Night (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is another one of Yoshinaga's European historical manga. I liked this a little less than Gerard and Jaques because it lacked a little depth in comparison. Of course, it was only one volume long, so what do you expect? Even a mediocre manga by Fumi Yoshinaga is better than 90% of the other crap that foisted upon us in the yaoi genre. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lovers and Souls (manga) [Comment▲▼] This one was a tearjerker. I admit it, I cried. It's not often that a manga can do that to me (anime does much more frequently). It's a great accomplishment if a mangaka can set up the characters and make me care in only one volume. This is one of the best tragic romances I have ever encountered in manga. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lover's Pledge (manga) [Comment▲▼] Here we have a BL anthology with three stories. The title story is the weakest. Overall, it was a mediocre book so I don't have much to say about it. I found it to be mildly entertaining. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lover's Flat (manga) [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lovely Sick (manga) [Comment▲▼] This manga can be summed up in one word: Creepy! The relationship between the doctor/guardian and his patient/ward was not "cute" or "romantic", instead it was all kinds of wrong. Just. Ick. This one wins the "honor" of being the grossest manga I've ever read. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Bad

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Loveholic (manga) [Comment▲▼] Toko Kawai's manga run from the pretty serious to the silly sappy sort. Loveholic falls somewhere in between. It's a pretty traditional romance between two guys who work together, complete with a happy ending. I'm not a fan of Kawai's sappy stuff, so fortunately the silly parts of Loveholic didn't overpower the more serious apects. Although, the lighthearted bits did work out, the characters played off each other well. Overall, I did enjoy the series, as it is entertaining if not particularly original. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love/Knot (manga by H. Ishimaru) [Comment▲▼] This one shot BL story makes an attempt at a plot, when Keigo discovers a runaway and takes him in. Turns out his runaway has psychic powers and escaped from a government research facility. Unfortunately, the story is very bare bones and the characters are as flimsy as cardboard. The art is pretty rough also. The book could have been good, but suffered from poor execution. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love+Alpha (manga) [Comment▲▼] I haven't really been impressed with anything I've read by Takashi Kanzaki. I do like her art, but her plots tend to run along the silly and ridiculous line. This one is no exception. The story goes like this: Yuuya is being persued by his childhood friend and another friend who is also a ghost. What really happens is they take turns molesting him while he makes a wishy washy token protest. This manages to work for me since Yuuya isn't portrayed in a girly way, just in denial about his gayness. The book is entertaining in a tillitating way, but that's it. It is pretty stupid and it's not something that I'm going to have out on my bookshelf and readily admit to reading. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love*Com (manga) [Comment▲▼] While high school set romantic comedies are a dime a dozen in shoujo manga, Love Com is a step above the rest. This one centers on a romance between a short boy and a tall girl. The lead couple is funny and has genuine chemistry, making them fun to read about. Aya Nakahara has a knack for conveying comedic expressions as well. The story follows the couple through all 4 years of high school and ends with graduation. My only complaint with the series is that it appeared to jump the shark around the time Grampa showed up. By that time, all the major problems with the relationship had been smoothed out and it seemed like the mangaka had run out story and so invented new problems in order to keep it going. I also had a slight complaint with Otani's character. He was so prickly at times that sometimes I had a hard time seeing why Risa liked him so much. As a story though, it did generate a lot of the comedy, as Otani and Risa's reactions to each other were what made this series funny in the first place. Love Com is a shining example of shoujo romantic comedy and I enjoyed it very much. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love!! (manga) [Comment▲▼] Yawn. Another all boys school where everyone happens to be gay. This time it's a lighthearted romance between a perverted transfer student and the uptight student council prez. It was pretty shallow and forgettable and the awkward art doesn' t help. The book is not offensively bad, but not recommend either. It's a time waster. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Training (manga) [Comment▲▼] This collection of shorts took place at a school (so common) and featured a group of students all relating to each other in some way, so the whole thing felt more cohesive than your average volume of short stories. The art was ok, I wasn't blown away by it but I wasn't offended by it either, and it was fairly expressive and overall pleasing to the eye. The stories were your standard romance short stories, nothing groundbreaking there either. Overall, I found the collection to be entertaining. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Syndrome (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is yet another boy's love anthology from June. It completely failed to make any impression on me what-so-ever; the absolute height of mediocre forgettable boys love manga. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] A Love Song for the Miserable (manga) [Comment▲▼] I actually got in to this one. I expected another bland June offering, but A Love Song for the Miserable proved me wrong. The art was nice and the romance worked for me [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Share (manga) [Comment▲▼] Eh. Typical BL manga. I didn't really "get" the characters or all of their angst. This manga-ka just isn't for me. I just read this again as I'm weeding out the duds from my collections and I can better explain whats wrong with the book now: pretty much everything. The characterization is so sparse that they may as well have been stick figures. Nothing is elaborated on, so I had no baseline for the characters: how they met, what they were to each other, nothing. Some of these things are explained at the very end, but by then the book is over and it's too little too late. Even the art is the same face with different hair and blank backgrounds. Basically this is as bare-bones and generic as it gets. Avoid. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Quest (manga) [Comment▲▼] I was fully prepared not to like this as I have heard not so good things about Lily Hoshino's manga (especially about her style of depicting really girly looking boys-not my thing). After reading it, I can call myself a fan. The story was a silly fantasy romp. I thought it was great fun. Hoshino's art is pretty, with clean lines and a distinctive, recognizable style. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Mode (manga) [Comment▲▼] Love Mode has a large cast of loosely related characters and tells their stories as they pair up and fall in love. As such, it is light on plot and focuses more on characterization. There is a ton of feel good romance to be found in this series, as well as some high drama. (It seemed like there was a hospital scene in every volume LOL). The art started a little shaky, I'm not a fan of the really angular faces and some of the anatomy looked really awkward, but I felt it improved with each volume (or maybe it just grew on me). Since this series was 11 volumes long, there was plenty of room to introduce and flesh out the characters and their stories, which made a pretty satisfying read (I hate cliffhangers and unresolved endings). Overall, I found it to be a highly entertaining series for romance fans. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Machine (manga) [Comment▲▼] Meh. The andriod thing has been done to death in pretty much all genres. Chobits, Absolute Boyfriend, the list goes on. Even still, those works were still enjoyable, and this one is not. I do not like shota; it creeps me out. Even when they're robots. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Lesson (manga) [Comment▲▼] I found this short story collection to be pretty hit-or-miss, with mostly misses. Let's start with the art, which in my opinion, was pretty bad. The faces were really awkward and alien looking. The stories themselves weren't enough to carry the amaturish art. The first one, a teacher-student story, was more creepy than romantic. Most of the middle ones were mediocre and forgettable. The only story I sort of liked was the last one. I wasn't really into this collection and I'm not planning on picking up this manga-ka's work in the future. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Knot (manga by L. Ichijo) [Comment▲▼] This is a rather run of the mill yaoi anthology. Nothing groundbreaking or original, yet nothing too offensive either. I was mildly entertained. I also appreciated that the mangaka wasn't afraid to draw a penis. I think it's a bit weird when some BL manga opt to go for the "Ken doll" look when drawing naked dudes. These are supposed to be boys after all, not androgynous genderless creatures of BL land. Anyway, the book was decent, nothing more. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love is Like a Hurricane (manga) [Comment▲▼] This series is the epitome of boring cliche schoolboy yaoi. Seriously, if there's a stereotype of what kind of manga a "yaoi manga" is, this fits. You've got a bunch of genericly drawn young looking pretty boys at an all boys school. Of course the really pretty smaller ones are "bottoms" and of course they dress up as waitresses/maids for the school festival. If the characters weren't getting it on so frequently in the story, I would've fallen asleep. That's all this series has to recommend it though. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Hurts (manga) [Comment▲▼] Published under the Blu label, this book skirts the edge beween regular shoujo and boy's love. In fact, the last story was purely shoujo, about a girl who can see aliens. The first couple of stories were very strange and features a man who kills his boyfriend, and two guys who are always duking it out. I think these were supposed to be some sort of dark comedy? Whatever, I didn't laugh. The third sotry was about guys with superpowers who fight crime, but we never learn what those powers are and there's no actual crime being fought. All of the stories were pathetically flimsy with cardboard characters and little development. I didn't like the book, nor did I like the mangaka's other series, Menkui. I'll be steering clear of her work from now on. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Full of Scars (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is another one that brushes off those yaoi conventions with a dismissive wave. For one, the artist actually drew some body hair. More importantly, the standard male/female stereotypes yaoi characters adhere to are totally turned on their head. And despite the angsty sounding title, the manga is genuinely funny as well. I laughed out loud several times. It's definitely one of the better entries in the genre and I enjoyed it immensely. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love for Dessert (manga) [Comment▲▼] Of the few book published by Luv Luv, this is one of the better ones. It's an anthology with several stories. I didn't notice anything particularly offensive in this book that bothered me with other Luv Luv books, such as girls falling for jerky douchebags and attempting to portray such a thing as romantic. The stories were all interesting. It's nice to be able to read about the love lives of adult women for a change. My only complaint is with the brevity of the stories. They're just too short to be particularly memorable. This is actually the second time I've read this and I completely forgot about half of the stories. Even rereading did not jog my memory. On the other hand, I read it twice and enjoyed it both times, so that must count for something. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Control (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a salaryman romance. Kei is hired to do the interior design on a bar. The owner is a player and flirts heavily with him. Kei falls for him against his better judgement. The characterization here was pretty cardboard. The character designs themselves were well drawn, pretty in a masculine way. I found the series entertaining enough I guess, but lacking any sort of substance that would compel me to revisit it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Love Bus Stop (manga) [Comment▲▼] This collection of short stories actually proved to be fairly good (I'm usually not a fan of shorts). Perhaps it's because all of the stories featured adults after being inundated with tons of high school settings and characters. Even though I liked Love Bus Stop, I would have prefered the stories be longer and more in depth. I thought most of them showed potential but were cut far too short. It's a common occurence with short stories and one reason why I generally don't like them. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Loudest Whisper: Uwasa no Futari (manga) [Comment▲▼] More cliche schoolboy boys' love. Yay. Seriously, reading this title was like going down a checklist of boys' love tropes. It was mostly short stories with the title story carrying over to the next volume. None of the stories had any depth whatsoever. They basically served as mindless fluff to pass the time. Matsumoto's art isn't the best either. It was messy (not in a good way) and I sometimes had trouble telling characters apart. They all looked alike. Despite not being impressed with this offering, I still want to try Kyou Kara Maoh!, also by Matsumoto. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Lizard Prince (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was obviously supposed to be a one shot story that got expanded in this two volume series. The main conflict was pretty much solved in the first chapter, so the rest kinda ends up being a plotless mess that goes nowhere. I will say the second volume pulled itself together a little better than the first in offering some sort of plot, but it's nowhere near as interesting as the first chapter. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Living for Tomorrow (manga) [Comment▲▼] Tasuku's mother was an "ageman", a woman who brought men good luck, so everyone wants to date him and hopes he has the same power, but he's in love with his best friend. This is a pretty simple school boy romance. Its sweet without being saccarine, but its short and lacks depth. I like Taishi Zaou's character designs, as they have a "bright and shiny" appeal. Overall, I was mildly amused by this book, although it's not my favorite by her. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Live For Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] In the end, it was the art that did this one in for me. Small, short noses, with pointed chins and tiny mouths made the characters look distinctively mouse-like. If being jarred out of the story by extremely ugly character designs wasn't bad enough, the plot was undercooked as well. It's about a pair of private detectives. One is adopted and agrees to go to a marriage meeting at his family's behest. The other one objects, then there is a rape and a love confession. The end. This book is just terrible. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Bad

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Little Crybaby (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is yet another ho hum boys' love anthology. Little Crybaby features, you guessed it, a whole lot of man crying. I guess we are supposed to find this cute? Not me. The stories were very short and shallow as hell. I have a hard time even recalling them a mere hour after I read the book. The only thing I found somewhat palatable is Keiko Kinoshita's art. She uses very light delicate lines which give the whole thing an "airy" look. Occasionally, faces were a little off proportion, but her style overall is very pleasing to me. It's a very recognizable, non-cookie cutter style which stands out and it's the only thing that made this book readable, although I hear her other work is much better, so I won't write her off just yet. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Little Butterfly (manga) [Comment▲▼] Little Butterfly is a touching and emotional high school romance. Kojima befriends Nakahara, an outcast with a difficult homelife. Nakahara has a lot of problems, but his relationship with Kojima manages to keep him grounded. Little Butterfly gave off a realistic vibe, and I really enjoyed reading a plausible school boy romance for once. The characters were well written and more importantly, their romance made sense. After reading a bunch of June titles, I count Little Butterfly as one of their better offerings. Too bad volume 1 is already out of print. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lies Are A Gentleman's Manners (manga) [Comment▲▼] Here's a more mature josei BL book about a closeted gay man. Despite his preference for men, he ends up marrying to please his family and in the end he truely loves his wife and daughter. It was quite sad actually, as he was never able to pursue a relationship with either of the men he loved. I appreciated the much more realistic tone of this book. After so many trope filled BL with samey stories and stock characters, this book reads like a breath of fresh air. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Lies & Kisses (manga) [Comment▲▼] In this one volume story, our main character picks up some guy in a bar who turns out to be his long estranged half brother. Yes, there is drama in this story. The art is quite nice also. I liked it, but only because I didn't allow myself to think too deeply about the incest part. I realize it's not for everyone, but since I was able to enjoy something like Koi Kaze, the plot doesn't unnerve me as much as it would others. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Liberty Liberty! (manga) [Comment▲▼] I really have a hard time connecting with Hinako Takanaga's work due to her penchant for drawing young looking blushing girly boys. The lead character here was supposed to be a college drop out that is found drunk and laying in the middle of the street in his own vomit, yet he looked like a skinny 12 year old girl, with blushing cheeks and huge eyes. The guy who picks him up is drawn in a normal masculine way, so I know she can draw men looking normal. I guess she adheres a little too much to the formula, i.e. small looking girly one =bottom and taller manly looking one =top. I would rather see this disappear in favor of well rounded charcters instead of the stereotypical boy's love tropes used as chaacterization shorthand. It's lazy and I'm sick of it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] A Liar in Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a one shot by Kiyo Ueda (The Color of Love). It was about a lying using playboy type who finally falls in love. It was decent in that the was some character development for the playboy lead, but the love interest was a cardboard cutout. The art was generic with nonexistent backgrounds as well. The book was just a small step above "meh" overall. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Level-C (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is pretty much plotless porn. The art isn't that great, it's very '90's. There's not much to say about it, other than at least it's better than the OVA, which is extra bad. Either way, even as porn, it's mediocre. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Let Dai (manhwa) [Comment▲▼] It's been a long time since I've read a wonderfully emotional drama such as Let Dai. It's the fully three dimentional nuanced characters that make stories such as this succeed so well. Seeyeon Won's art really adds to this story, as she depicts people and emotions with skill. Let Dai pretty much worked on every level for me. I went through the full range of emotions while reading it: I cried, I got pissed off, and I felt happy, al signs of a great drama. I will read this one again someday (I just have to brace myself for the emotional onslaught). [Rating▲▼]

Output: Masterpiece

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Laugh Under the Sun (manga) [Comment▲▼] I quite liked this one shot about a shiftless, loser ex-boxer and his two friends. The characters felt very 3 dimensional and their actions were believable. I like Yamada's sense of comedy too. Her works tend to be more sarcastic funny than over-the-top silly, which is more my style. After reading several of her manga by now, I can say that her art does grow on you as well. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Last Portrait (manga) [Comment▲▼] There are two stories contained in this volume. In the first, a man is in love with his sister's fiance. This was a very well crafted short story, not just for a yaoi, but for any genre. I wish it had been longer with more time to delve into the character's backstories. I found that whole family facinating and thought it really could have been expanded into a series with some more development. The second story was a bit weaker, dealing with FBI agents. I didn't think the setting and plot felt authentic in this one. I wonder if the manga-ka had ever even met an FBI agent, much less been in their offices. It didn't feel like it, which is why I couldn't get into this story as much. On the plus side, it wasn't a total waste, as I did get into the characters. Both of these stories were pretty non explict, with mostly implied sex. So, those looking for porn yaoi, look elsewhere. For the rest of us, Last Portrait offers an interesting read. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Lapis Lazuli Crown (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was about as bland and mediocre as shoujo gets. There's very little plot or characterization here. It's short, at only two volumes, possibly because even the mangaka knew she had nothing. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Land of the Blindfolded (manga) [Comment▲▼] I found Land of the Blindfolded to be rather bland and vanilla. The premise was interesting and it's fun in a sweet, innocent undemanding sort of way. There just isn't really any real conflict in the story, which makes for a bland read. The characters were very pleasant but shallow. It was just a bit too saccarine for me. The art was standard shoujo. Overall it was a forgettable experience. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kodocha - Sana's Stage (manga) [Comment▲▼] I was introduced to Kodocha first through the anime (of which I've only seen the first 52 episodes). After reading up to volume four, I was only mildly interested, as I already knew what was going to happen and the story up until then still focused mostly on silliness. Starting volume five, the story became more serious and I found myself becoming more engrossed. Sana and Akito's story is very charming and I found myself staying up late to finish it. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kizuna - Bonds of Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] I'm not very well read in yaoi manga. My initial impressions (before actually reading any of it hehe) of the genre were not so good; I mostly thought that it was shallow gay romance. Kizuna is pretty good though. Combining one part yakuza story, one part sports manga, and two parts romance, Kizuna manages to rise above my low expectations of the genre to tell a good story. The characters were interesting and nuanced, and I actually cared what happened to them. Unfortunately, this manga was never finished in the US. I've only read up to volume 5, and volumes 6 and 7 are astronomically priced on the used market. It's not likely that I'll ever get to read the rest of the story and that's a shame, as this is one title that deserved to be rereleased. It's been several years since I first picked up Kizuna and wrote the above. After all this time, the characters and story have remained with me. The cast is memorable and they and their relationships are well developed. Instead of following a formula with generic characters who fall in love, then bed, the end, all in a single book, Kazuma Kodaka has created an actual story about these people that feels real and genuine. If I have to criticize, I'd say the series biggest issue is the choppy narrative, especially in the beginning volumes. The timeline jumps all over the place from chapter to chapter before finally settling in. The series has other flaws as well, like using a couple of hoary old romance cliches here and there, and perhaps the dated art style (which I love). Despite not being perfect, I feel lucky in having picked this series as my introduction to BL, because it's one of the best. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kitchen Princess (manga) [Comment▲▼] I've come to notice that in shoujo manga, the larger the eyes, the younger the target demographic. This proved to be true of Kitchen Princess as well. It's basically a cliche ridden high school romance with the main character being an underdog sort with dreams of being a pastry chef. Typical school romance tropes pop up constantly, with the mean girl rival, the love triangle, and the way Najika seems to solve all problems by "doing her best" (which mostly involves baking a dessert). For the target audience, this isn't a bad choice, it's cute and inoffensive. For me, it's a little bland. I think I'm too old for the super sparkly shoujo. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kissing (manga) [Comment▲▼] More "school boys in love". This time it's a couple of college students who start out as friends until one of them wants more. It was ok, but nothing particularly memorable. I've read this scenario before, and the author didn't manage to make her story stand out in any way from all the rest. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kiss Blue (manga) [Comment▲▼] Among all of the English translated BL, Kiss Blue is somewhat of a rarity: an understated, rape and fanservice free tale of two adults finding love. The plot is a super simple, but realistic and well executed take on best friends falling in love. While it's not my favorite style, Kinoshita's sketchy, expressive art fits the story well. I'm so glad that the second volume of this two volume series was finailly published (years after vol. 1). This is by far the best of Kinoshita's works available in English. The other two I've read by her, Little Crybaby and You & Harujion were not impressive, which probably acounts for her poor sales here. That's unfortunate, because Kiss Blue is a quality title and should be recognized as such. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kiss All The Boys (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was a quick and entertaining read. The characters were interesting and their "issues" were believable. The humor worked for me and Shiuko Kano's art is another plus. On the other hand, the end is just a little too neat and tidy. Some of these characters really get the shaft (no pun intended) and to have everyone end up happy after all that goes down seems a little hard to believe. I also wasn't a fan of the pairings; seeing middle aged dudes paired with high school boys slightly creeped me out. Despite these problems , Kiss All the Boys is still a fun read and I was able to enjoy the story. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] A King's Lesson (manga) [Comment▲▼] What a terrible book this was! This book regurgitates every negative stereotype people have of boys love manga, starting with the ridiculous "rape is love" plot, which takes place in an all boys school, and features a girly looking young man. The art is terrible too, with simplistic badly proportioned faces and overuse of screentone. This is just a bad book and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Bad

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] King of Thorn (manga) [Comment▲▼] I thoroughly enjoyed this action/horror manga. The plot was fun and imaginative, if not terribly original, as the manga-ka himself admits that he swiped the ideas from movies he's seen (Jurassic Park would be an obvious one). Even so, The story is faced paced with plenty of action and feels fresh despite the obvious influences. I thought it was pretty cool and I tore through all 6 volumes in a few short hours. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] King of the Lamp (manga) [Comment▲▼] Here is a collection of shorts. The first few are about a genie that grants girls' wishes, making this a wish fulfillment manga for girls, literally. The last story was about an orphan girl and a pair of womanizing incubi who take her in. All of the stories are super shallow love-confession-happy ending things. The book in entertaining enough, but it very thin on plot and not the sort of thing that sticks with you. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) King of Debt (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a BL antholgy and I have a hard time coming up with anything to say about it because it was so painfully mediocre. This is the second time I have read it actually, because I had the book, yet I had completely forgotten its contents. I expect to forget again within an hour or so. The art was the same way, sorta generic, and the anatomy (especially the naked parts) was laughable. On the other hand the book wasn't bad, just extremely bland and seriously lacked depth. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] King of Cards (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a shoujo about a girl who gets into a fictional card game called "Chaos" by accidentally aquiring a rare card. You'd expect a manga about a fake card game to be cheesy and boring, but this wasn't the case. Tateno manages to make it interesting and creative, explaining the rules and tournaments in such a way that it sounds like fun. If it were a real game, I'd play. The heroine, Minami, is kinda your typical shoujo crybaby, but strangely, for this story it works. She gradually builds confidence as she gets better at the game. The love triangle was also well done, since the final choice wasn't clear to me until the very end. I was pleasantly suprised by how much I enjoyed this series. since I've been lukewarm on most of Tateno's work except for Yellow and Hero Heel. It seems I enjoy her longer series more than her more numerous one shots and short little 2-volumers. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kimi Shiruya - Dost Thou Know? (manga) [Comment▲▼] This one shot is about a pair of brothers who do kendo. It is saved from being your typical "schoolboys in love" story by having kendo and the rivalry between the two older brothers figure largely in the plot. I liked that the mangaka didn't just use the sport as "window dressing" but really integrated it in the story. The story itself was decent, but nothing special. I like this mangaka, but I don't think her work is very popular here. All that's been published thus far is this and one volume of "God of Dogs". [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kill Me, Kiss Me (manhwa) [Comment▲▼] The first volume of this is an amusing genderbender, in which a pair of cousins swich genders in order to attend each other's schools. if it had continued in that direction, I would have liked the series much more, as those characters were interesting. However, from volume 2 onwards, we follow a different set of charaters and it's only loosely related to the first volume. Basically it's like two different series. Unfortunately, the rest of the series is not nearly as interesting as volume one. In fact, months later now, I barely remember it while I do have some recall of the first volume. Not a good sign. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Key to the Kingdom (manga) [Comment▲▼] "Meh" pretty much summed up my reaction to this one. I have no real objections to it though. It was decently plotted and the characters were interesting enough, but it just didn't grab me. I read a lot of fantasy fiction back in the day, and this read a lot like that. It was basically just your run of the mill dragon fantasy. I think I'm burnt out on such things. If it doesn't bring anything new to the table, I have a hard time getting into it and unfortunately Key to the Kingdom isn't anything new. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kaze no Hana (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was a really disappointing manga. It's like one big ball of dangling plot threads. The plot went absolutely nowhere and the ending was one of the worst non-endings I've ever read. I went searching to see if there was a follow up series and I found nothing, which is really sad, as the story started out with some promise. [Rating▲▼]

Output: So-so

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kare Kano (manga) [Comment▲▼] I wanted to like this story more than I did. The anime is one of my favorites, despite's it's non ending. Unfortunately, I was only mildly entertained by Kare Kano the manga. While the main story itself kept my interest, I felt the volumes in the middle that focus on the side characters were pretty boring and unneccessary. I also felt the story began to drag around volumes 17-20 where the focus shifts to Soichiro's dad and an extented flashback to his childhood. I did find the ending to be very satisfying though. There are no loose ends or plot threads left dangling (I'm looking at you Kare Kano anime). The art is standard shoujo, nothing spectactular. I did notice that it seemed to improve withthe later volumes. The manga was written over a period of 9 years, plenty of time for Tsuda to improve her art. Finally, I'm going to be honest and say that sweet high school romance stories such as Kare Kano aren't really my thing. I'm an adult so a lot of the character's actions I find it hard to relate to (i.e. Oh! He touched my hand! *dies from embarassment*). Although, I did rate Mars highly, but I wonder if it would hold up as well if I read it again today. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kare First Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] This series started out entertaining and sort of fizzled out at the halfway point. It's nothing one hasn't seen before in a million romance stories, glasses wearing shy girl somehow hooks the cute guy. After they start going out, Karin deals with normal teen romance things, like disapproving parents and Aoi pressuring her to have sex when she's not ready. After they clear these hurdles however, the story focused on Aoi's personal problems with his family and truthfully, it became a little dull. Have no fear though, this one ends in standard romance fashion with a wedding! So overall, as a fluffy teen romance it was decent but not notewothy. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Karakuri Odette (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an excellent series! It's about a young girl, who happens to be an android and is virtually indistinquishable from a human. She decides to go to school and must learn all about fitting in and getting along in the human world. Odette doesn't know or understand a lot of things, so she questions a lot. It was an interesting look at human behavior through Odette's impartial eyes. At only six volumes, the series is the perfect length, long enough to build a story but not so long that it drags on. The plot is paced well and it wraps up nicely at the end. My strongest impression of the series is an overwhelming feeling of cuteness. Watching Odette deal with developing feelings and having them explained to her was just super adorable. I loved this series. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Excellent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a hodgepodge of short stories and illustrations by Kaoru Mori (Emma). Mori's art is top notch, but the book itself is rather shallow. None of the stories are longer than a few pages, and I was a bit unprepared for the fanservice. This stuff definitely ran in men's mags, male gaze was evident with all of the ass shots and such. Mori likes her maids as well, since a few stories have them too. This book is a must for a Mori superfan, but I only really liked Emma, so it's on my purge pile. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Ka Shin Fu (manga) [Comment▲▼] This was pretty mediocre. I like Tateno's art style, but the plot on this one was underdeveloped with shallow one-note characters. Its about a couple of long lost heirs to some family dynasty who discover a family secret (not that interesting). They fall in love, the end. I realize they can't all be a "Kizuna" or a "Love Mode", but is it too much to ask for some well written characters? Aside from my ranting, I found Ka Shin Fu mildy entertaining but ultimately forgettable. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] K-ON! (manga) [Comment▲▼] I'm going to state up front that I'm generally not a fan of 4-koma style manga. With the execption of Azumanga Diaoh, they've all failed to capture my interest. K-ON isn't too bad, but it didn't exactly change my mind. It's cute and the characters are memorable, but it lacks substance. It is literally "cute girls doing nothing". I am so not the target audience, because "cute girls" just leave me cold. While I occasionally got a chuckle out of their antics, a lot of the time I was just bored. I have a feeling that I will like the anime a bit better, as this really could use some livening up with sound and acting. Overall though, K-ON the manga was mildly entertaining for me. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Jyu-Oh-Sei (manga) [Comment▲▼] Jyu Oh Sei is a science fiction story about a pair of twins condemned to a prison planet and forced to learn how to survive. The place is a very hostile environment, with carnivorous palnts and brutal winters. I found the setting pretty cool and imaginative. The story was fast paced and well written. I really like sci-fi stories, so this was right up my alley. I enjoyed it quite a bit. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Very good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Just My Luck (manga) [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Just Around the Corner (manga) [Comment▲▼] Student/teacher romances are a dime a dozen in yaoi-land. This is by far one of the best written though. The characters don't fall into cliche stereotypes and the drama is present in small doses. I found it to be a more understated romance. While Toko Kawai's art is not my fav, I do like that she avoids the blushing girly-boy style. While the characters *are* pretty, they still look masculine. Overall, this is one of my favorite by her. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Junior Escort (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is an anothlogy of the blandest and most forgettable sort, featuring cardboard characters with only the merest sketch of a plot. The art is also similarly bare bones, consisting of a few lines for the characters and very sparse backgrounds. Faces are oddly proportioned and character's faces and clothes have no detail whatsoever. The eyes are empty of expression and really the only thing differentiating the characters were their hairstyles. The whole thing is pretty amateurish looking. The title story spins off into sequels. I've read them and they are just as bad. Or, more acurately to say, I don't remember a thing about them. I'll probably forget this one again too (even though I've now read it twice). [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] (The) Judged (manga) [Comment▲▼] I picked this up after reading Akira Honma's other work published by Dramaqueen, the very good Last Portrait. While not quite up to the standard of Last Portrait, The Judged is still pretty decent. The characters in this all have serious issues and plenty of angst. I've really appreciate Honma's art as well. I really wish DQ hadn't disappeared so that we could see more of Honma's work in English. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Jihai (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a 3 volume futuristic fantasy series about clones with predetermined lifespans. Aoi is such a clone, and his time is almost up. He has some sort of special ability, so people are after him. He's taken in by a mysterious dude who runs a diner. The plot had some interesting elements, but none of them are really explored in detail. I enjoyed reading it but felt it was a little too shallow. I did like the art thuogh. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Jazz (manga) [Comment▲▼] Jazz is supposed to be a about romance between a doctor and a patient, but I didn't feel the love. In fact, it reminded me of one of those awful bodice rippers from the 80's, with the abusive cavemanlike hero. The doctor had pretty much no personality at all, and the patient was a crazy obsessed stalker type. Instead of jumping into a relationship with this psycho, the doctor should have gotten a restraining order. Needless to say, I didn't like this manga. As a romance, I felt that it failed. It's been several years since I first read this, so I had to reread it just to see if it was as terrible as I remembered. It was. In the very first volume, the patient, a high school boy, drugs and rapes the doctor, and we're supposed to buy into this relationship? I'm seeing creepy obsession but no real love here. If it were standard shoujo, it would read like a training manual for abusive relationships. This series is absolute trash. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Isle of Forbidden Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] This story had an interesting premise, in which an isolated island of the coast of Japan exist in which people live unaware of the outside world and are frozen in time. There's a bunch of murders there and a task force from Tokyo (modern day) is sent to infiltrate the island and investigate. The problem was that all this was written in the most cursory and bare bones manner, nothing is elaborated on. The characters are similarly bare bones, so their love relationship came off shallow as hell. The art is nice, but it's not enough to drag this from being barely mediocre. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Invisible Love (manga) [Comment▲▼] A yaoi anthology; typically mediocre, and this one is no exception. The title story about a couple of friends with secret crushes on each other is the longest and best of the bunch. The rest are not worth mentioning as they were the barest of the bare in terms of any kind of detail or development. Honjoh's characters all look alike as well, just with different hairstyles (something she admits to in her notes). This seriously makes it even harder to distinguish these cardboard slabs from each other. This is not a terrible book, just utterly forgettable and I wish I had done something more productive with my 30 minutes. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Not really good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Intriguing Secrets (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is standard school boy boys' love. Two boys become friends after sharing in some afterschool punishment. They develop crushes on each other and after some silly misunderstandings, confess their feelings. The end. This was a light fluffy sort of story and I didn't find anything objectionable about it. Both boys were drawn in the same manner, there was no forced seduction, it was all pretty straightforward. For me, it was a little too cutesy. I vastly prefer stories about adults, but this would be fine for the teenage fangirl set, as it is very vanilla. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Decent

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Intense Rain (manga) [Comment▲▼] This is a very formulaic BL one shot containing two stories. The first is about a pair of reunited lovers and the second, well I forget that one already. Characters are the cardboardiest of cardboard, backgrounds are nonexistent, art is generic as is the writing. I really don't have anything to recommend about this book. At least it wasn't offensive, just painfully dull. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Weak

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network


Input: [Read all▲▼] Innocent Bird (manga) [Comment▲▼] Innocent Bird is essential a romance story tossed into a mildly interesting plot about a war between angels and demons. The art was really lovely, with elaborate clothing, flowing hair, and really detailed wings. I also appreciated that the men looked masculine and not like little boys (or girls). Overall, I enjoyed the stroy. [Rating▲▼]

Output: Good

PrettyKitty20034's Manga [Read all] - Anime News Network