Zig Zag

Zig Zag 1-2

# of volumes: 9

Author: Yuki Nakaji

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Category: Shoujo
Years of Publication: 2004-2008
Original Price: $9.99

Synopsis:

In a private school only recently open to girls, flower-lovin' Takaaki is a breath of fresh (and gender-blurred) air! Having to room with the stone cold Sonoh Takahara has certainly caused him some angst, but don't fear. Sonoh's twin is his complete opposite, making for a whole mess of fun filled with cute boys and silly misunderstandings.

My Review:

This lackadaisical story and its flower-obsessed hero make for a fun and comical read. This series contains pleasant artwork and a strange cornucopia of character's. The romance in the comic is confusing. There seems to be far more intimacy occurring between  Takaaki and his roommate than the potential female lead.

My Grade: B+

Suggestions:

None

Clover

Clover 1-3

# of volumes: 4

Author: Clamp

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Catagory: Shoujo

Years of Publication: 2001-2002

Original Price: $14.95

Synopsis:

Like Sue, Ran was imprisoned for the good of society but Ran yearned to live a life that was more like a human and less like a lab rat. However, once Ran finally breakes--- Gingetsu is ordered to track him down and bring him back to the laboratory. It's a mission he doesn't want to take on, but as everyone knows, the Wizards never give anyone the option to refuse. From the imaginative CLAMP team, responsible for Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and Magic Knight Rayearth, Clover is a cyber-romance that will be hard to forget.

My Review: Pending

My Grade: Pending

Suggestions:

Chobits
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Nana

Nana 1-13

# of volumes: 22 (ongoing)
Author: Ai Yazawa

Publisher: VIZ

Rating: 18+

Category: Josei

Years of Publication: 2000-present

Original Price: $8.99

Synopsis:

Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.

 

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.

My Review:

The two heroines may have the same name but their personalities juxtapose one another in a sensational manner! A very engrossing read which will tug your heart strings! The artwork is really good. In fact, the character's facial expressions sometimes almost feel real. A dynamic plot which focuses heavily on the personalities of the two heroines and their companions.

My Grade: A

Recommendations:

Paradise Kiss

Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star

Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star 1-2 Complete

# of volumes: 2

Author: Cain Kuga

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Catagory: Shoujo

Year of Publication: 2003
Original Price: $9.99

Synopsis:

Nearly twenty years ago the Earth was devastated in a catastrophic accident that left the solar system politically unstable.The wealthy moved to other planets, the poor stayed on a desolate Earth, and crime in its myriad forms spread everywhere.In the wake of this, the professional bounty hunter became a staple in the interplanetary terrain, snatching elusive criminals for wads of cash.However, such a lucrative trade calls many into its folds, thus the field became over crowded, much to the chagrin of hapless Spike Spiegel and Jet Black, high class bounty hunters with low class luck.When a child genius computer hacker and a femme fatale amnesiac join the team things begin to look up for them. But how good can things get when you live in the shadow of a mafia past.

Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star is an alternate telling of the famous television show that contains all the same intrigue, adventure, action and gritty noir ambiance of it's screen counterpart

My Review: Pending

My Grade: Pending

Recommendations:

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop 1-3 Complete

# of volumes: 3

Author: Hajime Yatate

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Catagory: Shoujo
Years of Publication: 2002-2003
Original Price: $9.99

Synopsis:

What's money between friends? But, wait who said they were friends?The lone wolf - the wizened vet - the femme fatale - the smart-mouth kid when Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed get together; it can mean only one thing: carnage is about to ensue. In keeping with the popular but off-beat anime, the manga begins a series of original stories that take the action to a whole new level. Spike, Jet and Faye all end up after the same bounty, Spike goes after a convict who's already in prison, and Faye (the con-artist she is) ends up the victim of a con not once, but twice.

My Review: Pending

My Grade: Pending

Recommendations:

Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star

Someday Dreamers: Spellbound

Someday Dreamers: Spellbound 1-5 Complete

 

# of volumes: 5

Author: Norie Yamada

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+
Catagory: Shoujo, Magical Girl
Years of Publication: 2006-2008
Original Price: $9.99

Synopsis:

Sometimes true love can't wait forever...Eighteen-year-old Nami is a magic user with a keen interest in helping everyone...but herself. Ryutaro is the new boy in school--he's rough around the edges and has a mysterious past, but beneath his rough exterior is a gentle soul. When these two meet, they leave each other spellbound! It's new love in the world of Someday's Dreamers!
 My Review: Pending

My Grade: Pending

Recommednations:

Someday Dreamers
Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow

Someday Dreamers

Someday Dreamers 1-2 Complete

# of volumes: 2

Author: Norie Yamada

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Catagory: Shoujo, Magical Girl

Year(s) of Publication: 2006

Original Price: $9.99
Out of Print

Synopsis:

Yume desperately wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a magic user in the worst way! She innocently practices using magic to help the people she encounters: struggling soccer players, the wrongly incarcerated, and a student who wants to show his moon-loving teacher a lunar eclipse on a cloudy evening. On this coming-of-age journey filled with genuine imagination and a passionate sense of awe, follow Yume as she learns that the true magic in life can take place right inside her own heart.For the first time in the U.S., TOKYOPOP presents the manga series that influenced the popular anime, which Amazon.com describes as, "A cross between Harry Potter and Sailor Moon!" --backcover
My Review:

This morose serious contains a main character with magical abilities, but does not remind me of either Harry Potter or Sailor Moon. The artwork is decent. The heroine is a plain, kind-hearted, and clumsy. She posesses an atypical allure which is reinforced by the supporting characters.

My Grade: B

Recommendations:

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow

Princess Ai

Princess Ai 1-3 Complete

# of volumes: 3

Author: Misaho Kujiradou

Publisher:  Tokyopop

Rating: 13+

Category: Shojo
Years of Publication: 2007
Original Price: $19.99

Synopsis:

Relive the amazing journey of Ai-Land's most outrageous princess--collected here as one complete volumeA Diva torn from Chaos...a Savior doomed to Love...Ai finds herself lost on the cold, hard streets of Tokyo, where she must piece together clues about who she is, why she's on Earth, and the secret of the Heart-Shaped Box she carries. As the story unfolds, the burgeoning music star struggles against assassins from Ai-Land, conspirators from her record company, and her own conflicted emotions...all as she searches for a way to bring peace to her troubled homeland.

My Review:

 Star-crossed love and alien fashion! An interesting plot line with great artwork. The heroine is stubborn but cool!

My Grade: A+

Recommendations:
Angel Sanctuary

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow 1-6 ( Complete)

# of volumes: 6

Author: Clamp

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: All Ages

Catagory: Shojo, Magical Girl
Years of Publication: 2000-2003
Original Price: $9.99

Out of Print

Synopsis:

A NEW MAGIC IN TOWN

Master of the Clow is the sequel to the original 6-part Cardcaptor Sakura manga. Sakura has collected all of the cards and has even beaten and subjugated the other guardian, Yue, to prove that she was worthy of being the "Master of the Clow". Perhaps, after that, Sakura believed that she would be able to go back to a normal life. But in a vision in the last volume of the first series, Clow Reed, who is believed to be dead, appeared to her and told her that he "might cause her some trouble". Now, what this means is anyone's guess. But soon after some unnatural occurences begin to happen and Sakura steps in to stop them, she finds her card magic is useless! Sakura is going to have to step it up a notch to face this new threat. And do two mysterious transfer students have a hand in this magical test? --editorial review

My Review:

An adorable manga about an ordinary girl named Sakura who is given supernatural powers and accompanied by a fanatical friend who designs elaborate costumes for her to defeat the bad guys in! Sakura is a young, pure-hearted heroine who is oddly confronted with situations your average grade-schooler would not face. A touching series about friendship, justice, and love with good artwork and storyline!

My Category: A

Recommendations:

Witch Class

Zodiac P.I.

11th Cat

MeruPuri

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Paradise Kiss

Paradise Kiss 1-5 Complete

# of volumes: 5

Author:  Ai Yazawa

Publisher: Tokyopop

Rating: 16+

Category: Josei

Years of Publication: 1999-2003

Original Price: $9.99

Synopsis:

Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-proclaimed fashion mavens calling themselves "Paradise Kiss." Yukari suddenly finds herself in the roller coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, art-snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends’ own exclusive clothing model.

My Review:
The artwork in this series is slightly different from typical artwork found in manga's. The artwork is neither plain nor flowery. There are plenty of details in each panel but not an overabundance of sparkly background images which can be found in most shoujo manga. The storyline is a serious one which deals with a highschool senior struggling with making her own choices in life. The manga series is more reflective of reality than normal and deals with issues of  conformity, education, peer pressure, and teenage rebellion.

My Grade: A+

Recommendations:

Sensual Phrase
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