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カノン (Kanon) Vol. 1
Another manga based on a video game. I think there's also an anthology comics based on this, but the Dengeki version is a full length story rather than a compilation of various short comics. There aren't any bonuses in the manga besides a color first page. The stories in here, two of them plus a small intro, do require that the reader have some background into the characters (which I do not). It would be helpful since I have no sense of why the main character, 祐一 (Yuichi) is back living with his childhood friend, 名雪 (Nayuki), and what their promise was about. But even without that, the two stories were filling just by themselves. 1. PROLOGE (Prologue): 7 years ago, Yuichi made a promise with Nayuki but he doesn't remember what. Now, he's returning and is going to live with Nayuki and her sister (I think). They meet and walk home when they're bumped into by あゆ (Ayu) who is running away from a Taiyaki cook and tells them to run with her. As they are running away, Yuichi bumps into a girl, but keeps on running. She explains that she stole because she was hungry and had no money. Back home, 秋子 (Akiko), has dinner waiting for the two of them and the story begins. 2. Shiori Misaka: There's a mysterious girl waiting outside of the school yard, the same girl who Yuichi bumped into the day before. The girl introduces herself as 美坂栞 (Shiori Misaka). She's a student of the school but has been sick so she hasn't been coming. However, it's peculiar that she's waiting for someone. At school, one of Nayuki's friends also shares the same last name, Misaka, 香里 (Kaori) Misaka. Misaka denies that she has a kid sister, but Nayuki and Yuichi put the pieces together and Kaori comes clean. She's going through extreme hardships knowing that her sister has a terminal illness that even Shiori herself doesn't know about. However, because Shiori has been having a great time with Yuichi and Nayuki, she regains some inner strength. 3. Makoto Sawatari: A girl suddenly starts yelling and screaming at Yuichi on the street and collapses of exhaustion. Had this been in private, Yuichi would have just let her be, but everyone was looking, so he had to take her in to Akiko's house. Akiko is reminded about the time when Yuichi was a kid and brought in a baby fox for care. The girls name is 真琴 (Makoto) and apparently she has lost of memory, so she doesn't have anywhere to go. They let her stay, but tensions mount when Yuichi asks her if she could help out around the house. She runs out, but then comes back with a kitten. Yuichi and her make amends and they adopt a new kitten. |
Title: カノン (Kanon) Vol. 1 |
まほらば (Mahoraba) Vol. 4
As with the other books, there are mini-comics on the covers under the dust covers. In addition, there's a bonus half chapter at the end featuring a few 4 panel comics and a one page comics with Dr. Pink (Megumi) and Burabura (Tamami). This volume includes more filler stories, all of which are entertaining. The only disappointment is that Kozue's other personalities didn't show up in this volume except for 1 chapter. Give me some more Sakaki! 18. みんなの一日 (Everyone's Day): This chapter has a few pages dedicated to each character as they spend a day. Sayoko gets lost, Asami spends a day at school, Megumi putz around, Haibara does the same, Kozue and Tamami go to school, and Ryuushi goes to his academy. While each story is separate, they all tie in at the end as they all encounter the same people. 19. いろいろ (Various): Kozue turns into the 6-year-old Nanako and wants to play with Ryuushi. Since Ryuushi has homework, he tries to stick Nanako with the other residents, but each one of them has their own reason for not want to play with Nanako. In the end, Ryuushi forsakes his homework to spend time with Nanako. 20. 広い世界の中で (In This Big World): The gang goes to the beach in Megumi's rented car. They have various strange events at the beach and Kozue tells them that she's glad that she has them as friends. 21. こわい？はなし (Scary? Story): It's a very hot day, so Tamami recommends that they have a round of ghost stories. Megumi's story is suspenseful, but not scary. Haibara doesn't get a chance to tell his, Asami's is a story about something strange, but not scary. Sayoko's story is just whacked, and Tamami's is the only one that's scary, but everyone writes it off as hackneyed. 22. 青華祭にて (The Fair at Seika): There's a fair at Kozue and Tamami's school and the gang goes. They enjoy all the attractions at a Japanese high school fair. There's an emergency where the music club has injured musicians so Megumi and Sayoko fill in as the pianist and the violinist. They pull off a perfect concert. |
Title: まほらば (Mahoraba) Vol. 4 |
美少女戦士セーラームーン (Sailormoon) Vol. 3
I feel like I'm not a true manga fan as I've yet finished the epitome of girls manga, Sailormoon. But I do have an excuse! You see, I wanted to, but they they discontinued the books until these re-releases. Plus, I didn't know Japanese back then. Bonuses in this volume are a page of stickers and a few gag comics with the author reflecting upon what she originally wanted each of the scouts to be. Overall impressions of the manga is that, geez, things happen so fast! I'm a book three, and it seems like it's jumping into season 3 of the anime already. I enjoyed all the filler episodes in the anime, so I kinda miss them in the comics. It's also pretty gruesome in the books too. I think I prefer the anime to this, just because of the pacing (actually, anime was kinda slow with *all* the fillers, but I definitely need a break between all the drama). Act 12. 敵 Queen Metaria (Enemy, Queen Metaria): The scouts manage to kill Queen Beril (sp?) so their final showdown is with Queen Metaria and Evil Tuxedo Mask. Being torn between killing Evil Tuxedo Mask and Mamoru, she decides to not have to live with the choice and defeats him. Act 13. 決戦 Reincarnation (Final Battle, Reincarnation): With Tuxedo Mask and Sailormoon out of the way, the other scouts try to defeat Metaria, but they fail. Queen Metaria's power starts engulfing the world in darkness. Some flashbacks to the time of the Silver Millenium and in present time, Sailormoon wakes up and so does Tuxedo Mask, and both receive new powers from their respective crystals. WIth that they Queen Metaria. Act 14. 終結そして始まり (Petit Étranger): Sailormoon's new powers revives the castle on the moon and Sailormoon defeats the Metaria. All is well until a little girls "drops" between Usagi and Mamoru. The girl points a gun at Usagi asking if she has the crystal. Act 15. 侵入 Sailor Mars (Invasion, Sailor Mars): The little girl, Chibiusa, hypnotizes everything making them think that she's Usagi's baby sister. Meanwhile, a new evil power has formed, the faction of the Black Moon. Rei can feel it and she tries to find out what it is. She eventually discovers them and is abducted. Act 16. 誘拐 Sailor Mercury (Abduction, Sailor Mercury): We find out that Chibiusa is looking for Sailormoon to save her mom. Ami is aso trying to find out who the Black Moon people are and she herself gets abducted. |
Title: 美少女戦士セーラームーン (Pretty Guardian Sailormoon) Vol. 3 |
くろみちゃん2 (Kuromi-chan 2)
I watched this the day after I saw the first one and have to say that it didn't disappoint. Like the first one, this DVD is also aroudn 40 minutes, region 0, and has English subs and includes a postcard. However, it also includes one of the best bonuses on DVD. So the story continues with Kuromi's boss giving her team 3 different anime shows to draw and not giving her any extra help. So along the way, her boss hires another supervisor to teach her how to cut corners on anime in order to make it meet the deadline, but she learns that that's not the way to animate cartoons. The story has more of an emotional factor that the previous one, but for the most part, it's still upbeat and funny. Now for the bonus. The producers (I guess) got the voice actor and voice actress for the boss and Kuromi to go around and actually do the job of an "Animation Runner" for a day. So they go around to various artists's house and do their collecting. The biggest twist is when they visit the director himself, who it turns out didn't know about this little stunt. Good stuff. Oh, there's also an interview with the director where he talks about the basis for the show, but having seen the other bonus first, I couldn't pay attention to the monologue. Maybe some other time. Anyhow, another winner here. |
Title: アニメージョン制作進行くろみちゃん 日本のアニメ私が作る！２ (Animation Runner Kuromi-chan, I Will Create Japanese Anime 2) |
くろみちゃん (Kuromi-chan)
A short OVA (~40 minutes) but a very funny one at that. I knew about this title a while ago, but never acted until I found out that the second one was going to be released. Of course, I can't watch the second part without knowing the first, so I got this DVD along with the second OVA. The DVD comes with the stadard inserts and also two postcards. The bonus material is a quick slideshow like movie about the making of the show. As a bonus, the DVD is a region 0 title with English subs. I didn't know what to expect when I popped in this disc. The only thing I knew about it was that it was a comedy based on the anime making process. But after watching, I think it's become one of my favorites. The show is about 大黒みき子 (Mikiko Ooguro), nicknamed Kuromi, who starts work at an animation company and only has one week to gather all the drawings for her particular project which is already way behind. The only complain I have about it is that on my setup, the background music was a little strong in that I couldn't hear what the characters were saying very clearly (I had to re-calibrate my speakers just to make sure). But besides that, everything was perfect. The character design was great, the amount of humor was just right, and given the short episode, the story covered enough of the personal history to understand the characters. The music, done by the same person who did Ai yori Aoshi, among many others, stands out in that if I ever hear that tune again, I will automatically know it's Kuromi. Title is highly recommended, and given that it's a region 0 disc and also has english subs, there's really no reason not to buy it. |
Title: アニメージョン制作進行くろみちゃん (Animation Runner Kuromi-chan)
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