Durarara!!

Title:  Durarara!!
Mangaka: Ryohgo Narita (author), Akiyo Satorigi (artist)
Length:  4 Volumes (Completed)
English Translation?  Yes, 1 volume so far by Yen Press.
Demo/Genre:  Shounen/Fantasy/Action

How did I hear about it?  The anime began airing on Adult Swim last summer.

After a little convincing from his childhood best friend, Mikado Ryugamine decides to move to Tokyo for his high school career.  Upon his arrival, his friend Misaomi gives him the rundown of the city, introducing him to his friends, telling him about the people that you "absolutely never piss off," warning him about the gangs that are about, and most importantly telling him about the legend of Ikebukuro, the Black Rider, which Mikado happens to see in the flesh on his first very day about the town.  As we get the story from Mikado's perspective, we also see things from the point of view of the Black Rider herself.  Her name is Celty, and she is an Irish Dullahan, a type of Death figure.  Twenty years ago, her head was stolen, and she has followed the sense of her head all the way to Tokyo, but is still unable to find it, even after all these years of searching.  As these seemingly unrelated stories unfold, the lives of many who live in the Ikebukuro district become interwoven.

It was difficult to write a description of Durarara (often typset as DRRR!!) without giving everything away.  Though I've only experienced tiny pieces of this manga/anime, I really, really like it, and it makes me sad that I will probably never have the whole story.  It is based on a series of light novels, which are currently at ten volumes and still ongoing.  The anime spans only one season, and I believe it covers volumes 1 - 3 of the novels, and the manga stops after only 4 volumes, which if I am not mistaken, tell a condensed, rushed story of the same length.  Since there's no market for the publishing of light novels in the US (except for yaoi, of course) and little hope of a continuation of either the anime or the manga, this story will most likely remain unfinished in North America.  I realize that that's not a very good argument for trying to convince anyone to read/watch this series.  Still, it's well worth the look.

There is a rather large cast on hand, and while each one's story seems separate and unrelated to the other characters, we slowly watch their paths cross throughout the series.  We see many of the same events through the eyes of the different characters that witness them, and view many strange friendships and alliances that form as the lives of the characters intersect.  I really loved that aspect.  Even within the tiny portion of the story we get, it's great seeing the web connecting all of the characters.  I particularly loved Celty.  Without a head, she can only communicate by typing into her cell phone or a computer (though her thoughts and dialogue are voiced in the anime).  I took a particular interest in the romance that develops between her and the doctor she lives with.  Yes, I know it sounds a little strange, but just trust me, it's well done.  Another favorite character is that of Izaya (voiced by the talented Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub).  He's not really a villain, but not really a good guy either.  He's an information broker who knows everything about everyone in Ikebukuro and greatly enjoys pulling people's strings just to watch their reactions.

Another aspect I loved about this manga was the presence of technology.  Many of the conversations take place on an online chatroom, and it's some time until the owners of the usernames are revealed.  I like how the anonymity of the internet is used as a story-telling device.  They show how rumors start, spread, and grow, and how you really never know exactly to whom you may be talking when you're on the web.

Yes, this was a difficult manga to describe.  Its only a portion of the big picture, but it tells such a unique and fascinating story with such an interesting cast that I can't help but like it.  It has only recently been licensed here in America, and I've gotten everything released so far (a whopping one volume!).  I would also love to have the anime, but it's not very common, which gives it a rather expensive flavor... I really hope that its run on Adult Swim leads them to release a box set of the whole series at a reasonable price.

Dengeki Daisy

Title:  Dengeki Daisy
Mangaka:  Kyousuke Motomi
Length:  10 volumes (Ongoing)
English Translation?  Yes, 9 volumes so far by Viz Media.
Demo/Genre:  Shoujo/Romantic Comedy

How did I hear about it?  It came highly recommended by my otaku buds.

Teru Kurebayashi was raised by her much older brother.  When his illness brought him to his deathbed, he left her with a cell phone with a single contact already programmed in.  He told her that Daisy was a trusted friend of his who would look after her in his place.  Whenever she needs any help, is feeling sad or lonely, or just wants to say "hello" to someone, she should turn to Daisy.  A year passes, and though Teru has never met Daisy nor heard his voice, his messages have given her the strength to live on her own, and she has come to love him like a brother.  One day at school, she accidentally breaks a window.  Since she doesn't have the money to pay for the repairs, the school's 24-year-old janitor forces her to work for him to pay off her debt.  What Teru doesn't realize is that the janitor, Tasuku Kurosaki, is her beloved Daisy.

I love Motomi-sensei's artwork.  Her characters are really beautiful.  She draws humor really well, too.  Teru makes some of the most ridiculous faces, and I love it!  I will admit that sometimes her profiles are a little too angular, but that doesn't stop me from really appreciating her art.

This series begins as a more or less typical rom-com.  The first few volumes focus on the developing relationship between Teru and Kurosaki (with lots of funny moments scattered throughout).  However, as the story progresses, the true plot comes to the surface.  We learn early on that Teru's older brother was a genius computer engineer, and it seems that his team was involved in something rather serious, and there are those who believe that he may have left something more than just a cell phone behind with Teru.  I don't mind manga that place romance at the center of everything, but I really love it when a mangaka can balance character relationships with an external plot.

I loved both Teru and Kurosaki.  The age difference between the characters may be a little disturbing when you first hear about it (they are 16 and 24, respectively), but really the situation is handled very well.  Romances usually either involve the couple getting together early on, then having to stay together throughout the series, or the series draws out the romance, only allowing the couple to finally get together in the end (sorry for the split infinitive there).  This is the latter, and I think that really helps with the age difference.  The series takes its time building up a sweet romance between Teru and Kurosaki, rather than having them get together in the beginning and having him paw at her for the whole series.  As I've said before, I'm not a prude, but I find a romance involving those ages to be very unrealistic.  That being said, I applaud Motomi-sensei for creating a story where I didn't give a damn about a little detail like that.

Something I loved about Teru is that she's so funny and quirky.  She cares about others, but she's not ridiculously nice.  She's blunt when she has to be.  While she does frequently find herself in trouble and needing rescued, she never falls into the role of "damsel in distress."  Instead of bemoaning her situation and waiting for her prince to come, she tries to keep her wits and defend herself, which is very refreshing to see.  Kurosaki is classic tsundere.  I absolutely love tsundere characters.  What's a tsundere character?  They're like pineapples:  spiney on the outside, soft on the inside.  He teases Teru and gives her a hard time sometimes, but he's completely in love with her and would do anything for her.  While he does tease her, he never antagonizes her, and he's always there for her when she needs him to be.

I absolutely loved this manga.  It has so much going for it.  Great romance, great characters, great plot... it's just too good!  If you're a shoujo fan and you haven't read it, then what are waiting for?  Am I collecting this one?  Hell yes, I am!  I have all volumes that have been released in North America so far (well, the 9th volume just came out yesterday, and I haven't gotten it in yet, but it's coming!).

Death Note

Title:  Death Note
Mangaka:  Tsugumi Ohba (author), Takeshi Obata (artist)
Length:  12 Volumes (Completed)
English Translation?  Yes, all have been released by Viz Media.
Demo/Genre:  Shounen/Fantasy/Thriller

How did I find out about it?  It was recommended by an otaku friend.

The deaths of everyone in the world are carried out by shinigami.  Ryuk, one of said shinigami, is bored with his life.  To entertain himself, he decides to leave his Death Note on Earth for a human to find.  The one who happens to pick up Ryuk's Death Note is 17-year-old genius, Light Yagami.  When Light learns that anyone whose name is written in the Death Note dies, he decides to pick up the slack where the law fails and execute criminals in order to build a better, more peaceful world.  However, the suspicious heart attacks of criminals catches the eye of L, a computer genius who is convinced that someone is behind all the murders.  A game of cat and mouse begins between the two of them.

As usual, I'll start with a comment on the artwork.  It's great.  Obata has a very clean style that is more realistic than is typical for manga.  DN was very pleasing to look at.  And so was Light. ;)

While I really liked this series, and the plot as a whole, I have to admit that it could get a little tedious at times.  I loved that Light and L were always trying to stay three moves ahead of each other.   It's almost ridiculous the lengths Light goes to in order to conceal his identity.  Even without much action, this series was still exciting.  I loved how you're always kept on your toes.  Once it seems Light or L is backed into a corner, they've thought up a way out, and most interestingly, they thought up this backdoor plan long before the situation itself actually played out.  While this was great, it did have its pitfalls.  There were times when it reminded me of the battle of wits in The Princess Bride ("so I clearly can't choose the wine in front of me!").  If you haven't seen the movie and don't know what I'm talking about...go see it!  It's an 80s classic!  Back to the point, it was during these times that their logic seemed to travel in circles and never actually lead anywhere.  It's like Light would examine all of his available choices, determine what actions L would take to counter, then go through what he could do to counter the counter, and then 15 minutes later, he's still thinking and hasn't found a suitable course of action.  Don't let that bog you down though.  Those slower periods really were few and far between.  For the most part, it was a really great ride.

I loved both Light and L.  Light walks the thin line between good and evil.  He truly believes that what he is doing will make the world a better place, but at the same time, he's willing to spend a few lives if it means covering for himself and keeping L at bay.  One minute, he'll have the countenance of a perfect, well-mannered student, then when no one's looking, he's the cold-blooded "Kira" (what the media has named the mysterious serial killer).  Light's two-facedness (is that a word?) was very fun to watch.  L was simply great.  He was a very eccentric individual.  Everything about him, from the way he sits, the way he eats, his manner of speech, was unique.  I loved his speech style.  It was always as if he was talking to himself, half in a daze, even if the room was filled with people listening to his every word.  I loved L.

The best thing about the two of them for me wasn't even the real life game of chess they were playing, but the actual relationship between the two.  When Light becomes involved in the investigation to hunt for...well, himself..., he actually gets to meet L, spend time with him, and form a strange friendship with him.  L is almost positive that Light is Kira, but that tiniest bit of doubt allows him to entertain the possibility that he is wrong and that Light is the first friend he's ever had (I think the page I selected for this post even references that very notion).  On Light's side of things, even though he's desperately trying to find a way to kill L, you can sense that he almost needs L.  Somehow, this frustrating game and strange new "friend" has given him new zeal in life.  I loved the interaction between the two of them.

If I have to mention something bad about this manga, it would be one thing:  Misa effin' Amane.  She easily wins the award for "Most Annoying Character Ever Created."  I'll spare you the details, but she's an idiot.  An immature, childish twit that Light probably should have killed from the get-go.  Yeah...not a fan.

This is a great manga.  I'm gonna bump its stars down though, mostly because there is an event that happens that changed the pacing of the story a bit.  If I did half-stars, then it would probably land a four-and-a-half.  This is well-worth the read, and I wouldn't mind collecting it someday, although it will probably be a while before I get around to it.  I do own the two live-action films (I passed on the third film, which had nothing to do with the manga).  They're pretty good.  The shinigami were added in exactly as they were in the manga, which I loved.  The actor who portrays L nails his mannerisms PERFECTLY.  I don't think I would mind having the anime either.  I've heard that the English voice-acting received a lot of praise.  They used the same VAs for the dub of the films, so I watched a few scenes in English to hear what all the fuss was about.  Excellent.  Very impressed.  It made me really want to try out the anime.

Chrono Crusade

Title:  Chrono Crusade
Mangaka:  Daisuke Moriyama
Length:  8 Volumes (Completed)
English Translation?  Yes, all have been released by ADV Manga.
Demo/Genre:  Shounen/Fantasy/Historical/Action

How did I find out about it?  My college otaku buddy recommended it to me.

The scene is America in the 1920s.  Rosette Christopher is an exorcist nun in the Magdalan Order.  She and her partner Chrono (who happens to be a demon himself) travel across New York City, beating down the demons that are stirring up trouble, usually racking up an impressive amount of property damage in the process.  We learn that Rosette has her own personal reasons for joining the Order:  she's looking for her lost younger brother, who was taken by a demon four years ago, a demon who also seems to share a past with Chrono...

The artwork is nice, if a little busy.  I really liked Rosette (gun-toting nun?  Yes, please!), but I loved Chrono.  The bond between the two of them was great.  There were several side characters, and I felt that they were nicely done as well, which is rather rare for such a short series.  I can't really complain.

I feel like a distinct line can be drawn between the first and second halves of the series.  During the first half, we meet our cast and learn their goals.  The series is pretty funny, and the action is nicely executed.  During this exposition, we learn about the world of CC and, most importantly, establish the bond between Rosette and Chrono.  While not overtly romantic, their relationship is deeper than mere comrades.  Long story short, Chrono derives his power directly from Rosette's soul, which shortens her lifespan.  This not only serves to set up the how the world of CC works, but also gives us a launching point from which to see their care and devotion to one another.  When Chrono is in danger, Rosette doesn't hesitate to open the seal that gives power to Chrono, her own lifespan be damned.  On the other side of things, Chrono is extremely hesitant to use his power and often outright refuses because he doesn't want to shorten her life any further.  It's a very basic concept, but it works excellently for setting a foundation for the reader to understand the air between the two of them.

The second half of the series plunges you headfirst into the plot.  We learn the plight of Rosette's brother and the shades are finally lifted on Chrono's past.  I liked the first half of the series, but I loved the second half.  With brilliant character development and a well-crafted villain, the series plows forward to its beautiful and bittersweet ending that brought tears to my eyes.  I guess I can't go into much more detail without giving something away, can I?

Even if you're not a fan of shounen, I have to recommend CC.  The story and characters are great, and the ending is very memorable and will stick with you for a long time.  Is this one I want to collect?  Yep, and I already have.

Chobits

Title:  Chobits
Mangaka:  CLAMP
Length:  8 Volumes (Completed)
English Translation?  Yes, all have been released by Tokyopop AND Dark Horse Comics.
Demo/Genre:  Seinen/Sci-Fi/Romantic Comedy

How did I find out about it?  It caught my eye on the store shelves, and I decided to give it a try.  This was the first manga I ever collected in full!

In the future, everyone has their very own persocom (a walking, talking, humanoid computer).  Everyone except for Hideki, that is.  Hideki is 19 years old and barely scraping by.  He works seven days a week to pay his bills and attends cram school by night in hopes of getting into a college some day.  He knows there's no way he'll ever be able to get with the times and buy himself a persocom.  Luckily for him, he catches a break one night and finds one lying in a garbage heap.  Once he gets her home and boots her up, it seems that she's not fully functioning.  As all that she can say is "Chi," that's what he decides to call her.  After taking her to a 12-year-old computer whiz kid, he learns that she just might be one of the legendary Chobits, a super-advanced persocom that never made it to market.  While his friend does more investigating, Hideki must teach Chi all about the world.  As his feelings for Chi grow, he talks with the people in his life and learns about the different kinds of relationships people have had with their persocoms.  But is it okay to fall for a machine?

I've read a few different series by CLAMP (none of their long ones yet), and so far, this is my favorite.  The art style is precise and cute.  Actually, the whole thing is cute.  And charming.  Yeah.  "Cute and charming" are the words that best describe Chobits, methinks.  Hideki is your all-around nice guy, and Chi is sweet and innocent (fortunately, not obnoxiously so).  The exchanges between them as Hideki teaches her about everyday things are often quite funny.  In general, all of the characters are nicely done.  I enjoyed hearing each person's tale involving the persocoms in their lives.  It really breathed some life into them that each of them had such interesting pasts.

I knew I would like Chobits because I tend to go for these types of stories.  I don't care what the critics say, I loved the films Bicentennial Man, A.I., The Matrix (whole trilogy, mind you!), and I, Robot.  Notice what all of those have in common?  They're all about robots that exhibit their own emotion and/or logic, and the consequences that come with that.  I've always found that to be a very intriguing concept.  While two of those (Matrix and I, Robot) explore what happens when we create artificial beings that realize they are superior to us, the other two are more closely related to Chobits.  Do robots feel love?  Is it wrong to love them?  I love that those films (and Chobits, of course) explore the moral and emotional implications of creating humanoid robots.  Chobits doesn't ever really get deep or anything.  It's more playful with the concept, but it presents an interesting argument, nevertheless.

Chobits is a nice, fun romp that might not be significant enough to stick to you forever, but it really is a delightful read.  As I mentioned before, I own all eight volumes.

Ceres, Celestial Legend

Title:  Ceres, Celestial Legend
Japanese Title:  Ayashi no Ceres
Mangaka:  Yuu Watase
Length: 14 Volumes (Completed)
English Translation?  Yes, all have been released by Viz Media.
Demo/Genre:  Shoujo/Fantasy/Romance/Horror

How did I find out about it?  It caught my eye on the store shelves, and I gave it a try.  It was one of the first series I started collecting when I first got into manga.

For their sixteenth birthday, Aya Mikage and her twin brother Aki are taken to a meeting before their extended family.  There, they are presented with a mummified human hand that causes them both to exhibit strange and powerful reactions.  The patriarch of the family announces that Aki will be taken away and protected as the heir to the family, and Aya will be killed.  Unconsciously using her new powers, Aya escapes and is rescued by the Aogiri family, who explains to her that the Mikages are descendants of celestial maidens.  Aya learns that long ago, a celestial maiden named Ceres was bathing on Earth when her robes were stolen, thus preventing her from returning to Heaven.  The man who took them then forced her to be his wife and bear his children, establishing the Mikage clan.  Ceres swore to keep coming back until she had destroyed the family.  As the reincarnation of Ceres, Aya is now on the run from her family as she struggles to find a way to appease Ceres so she can reunite with her brother.  Along the way she finds herself caught in a love triangle between two men:  Toya, the mysterious man hired by the Mikage to capture her, and Yuhi, the young man assigned to protect her.  Meanwhile, there is one Mikage who has plans of his own for the celestial descendants... (dum dum DUUUUUUUM).

I loved this manga.  Oh, how I loved this manga.  It had it all.  Yes, it has its flaws.  It's not perfect.  But still, there are so many things done right that I find it pretty easy to look past its shortcomings.  I'll begin with the art.  This was the series that saw Watase-sensei transition from one art style to another.  I'm not very fond of the style used in the beginning, but I absolutely loved her style by the end (and in subsequent titles).  For a shoujo writer, she's very good at drawing the strange and grotesque, and there are many opportunities for that here.

The story!  The characters!  It's all so good!  I love that this series is so dark.  I love that we watch Aya develop from a bratty teenager to a mature young woman in the series.  She's forced from her simple and shallow world into one where she has to survive, and this change is not instantaneous.  She grows and develops steadily throughout the series, occasionally backsliding, which I felt made her incredibly human.  I've said before that I'm not usually fond of Watase-sensei's female characters, but I really liked Aya.  Still, the highlight of the series goes to the males.  Aki was a very tragic figure.  Pulled from his sister and told that he is the future of his family, he only wants to do everything he can to bring the two of them together again.  However, while Aya struggles to balance with the one inside her, Aki is slowly being completely taken over by the personality of the one inside him, the progenitor of the family, the man who originally claimed Ceres for himself and still wants nothing but her.  This leads to some dark and disturbing (in a good way) plot elements, as now Aya must now deal with someone who looks, sounds, and feels like her twin brother, but who harbors ferocious desires for her.

The love triangle is particularly engrossing and very prevalent throughout the series.  Toya is the mysterious and incredibly handsome man hired to capture, but not kill, Aya/Ceres.  He remembers nothing of his past before coming to work for the Mikages, but he is inexplicably drawn to Aya.  Because he knows so little about himself, he's hesitant to give a name to his feelings for her or to give himself over to her.   Then there's Yuhi, pure and unsullied.  He's probably the only character in the whole series who never waivers.  He's always sure and steady on his feet (fyi, I was a Yuhi fan, through and through!).  Really, I could talk for days about these characters, but I don't want to move into Spoiler Land.  I guess I'll stop myself there.

Something else I loved was the strength of the villains.  For me, villains need to be either A) a mix of good and bad, humanized with good intentions or just plain misunderstood, or B) so epically evil that they're just plain awesome (see Bleach or Fullmetal Alchemist for that business).  This one falls into the former category.  I absolutely love it when villains are made into three dimensional characters that have more than just "take over and/or destroy the world" on their minds.  Kagami Mikage delivered very well as a villain.

As I mentioned before, this story wasn't perfect.  While the main cast is very solid, there were definitely some missed opportunities.  Some supporting characters introduced in the first half of the series are soon shuffled to the side.  Also, an array of bad guys introduced later on are never properly given a time to shine.  I bet if this series had been just three of four volumes longer, the additions being more chapters of character development for these neglected cast members, this manga would be beyond words.  As it is though, I still bloody loved every page.

If you're a shoujo fan, I think you absolutely have to read this manga.  It's a shame that this one often gets passed over in favor of Watase-sensei's most popular manga, Fushigi Yugi (which, in my mind, is far inferior).  Ceres, Celestial Legend has style, flare, scares, romance, action, comedy, twists, turns, and more romance!  What more could you ask for?  I'll also add that it's one of the incredibly few manga that have brought tears to my eyes.  Needless to say, I have collected all 14 volumes of Ceres.

Cage of Eden

Title:  Cage of Eden
Japanese Title:  Eden no Ori
Mangaka:  Yoshinobu Yamada
Length:  15 Volumes (Ongoing)
English Translation?  Yes, 4 volumes so far by Kodansha USA.
Demo/Genre:  Shounen/Horror/Action/Comedy

How did I find out about it?  It was on mangareader's Most Popular list for a while.  I think it has since dropped off...

A group of third-year middle school students took a class trip to Guam.  While flying back to Japan, their plane crashes, landing them on a strange island.  As the passengers explore the island, they learn that it is home to many large and dangerous extinct animal species.  Charismatic Akira Sengoku becomes the unofficial leader of a group of survivors as they struggle to find a way back home.

I chose this manga because it had several awesome words in its genre description on mangareader: horror, fantasy, action, psychological, romance, comedy, ecchi...ok, so "ecchi" wasn't one of the words that made me say "SWEET," but the other words (especially in combo) sounded pretty nice.  PLUS, the fact that I had only just recently finished watching all of Lost for the first time, I thought that this would be a great read.  Yeah, I was kinda wrong about that.

First, the art wasn't anything spectacular.  Not to mention that most of the art is spent on panty shots and cleavage.  I'm no prude, but the ecchi here was pretty distracting.  There were often frames that made me think, "Wow.  He REALLY wanted to draw that camel toe."

The story and characters are both lacking.  While the premise is interesting, it plays out in a very repetitive manner.  Sengoku's group encounters a new animal species and nearly die.  They escape.  They encounter a new animal species.  They nearly die.  They escape.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  This isn't helped by the fact that the characters are cookie-cutter characters that aren't interesting to read about at all.  Charismatic leader?  Check.  Nerdy megane?  Check.  Optimistic love interest? Check.  Strong, silent rebel?  Check.  And the list goes on.  I've said before that I don't mind cliches in manga, just do them well.  This manga failed that.  These characters might have worked if they were given unique histories and personalities, but they weren't.  We know very little about the characters' lives before landing on the island, and their personalities do not deviate from their given roles.

I was very disappointed by Cage of Eden.  I still read the new chapters, mostly because the plot is finally starting to leave the aforementioned cycle and unravel a bit.  I am a little curious about what's up with the island, but I'm not giddy with excitement when a new chapter is released, and I don't have any plans to collect this manga.  I highly doubt I will ever have the urge to reread it even once.