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| « August 21, 2004 | Main | August 24, 2004 » |
ちびまる子ちゃん (Chibimaruko-chan) Vol. 2
While I like fantasy and adventures stories, there's always room for some clever real-life humor. Like the previous volume, this volume took me a while to finish, but also had me cracking up for most of the time as there events that I could personally relate to growing up. The print and paper quality is excellent, but on a few pages, it looks like the text and artwork aren't as sharp as the regular pages. Maybe it's a printing error or whatnot. It's noticeable, but doesn't inhibit my reading. Bonus includes a postcard and a mini-comic in the back. Some of the chapters I liked in this volume are where she goes to visit a grandmother with the sole intention of getting some money from her, but then getting lost on the way there. Her attempt to get pet birds and then having it fly away just as her friends are coming over to see them. And the time she received an award and during the presentation, had to go to the bathroom. She did the math of counting how many students would come after her and figured that she'd have to hold it for another 10 minutes. Punchline comes as she realized she brought her certificate into the bathroom with her. |
Title: ちびまる子ちゃん (Chibimaruko-chan) Vol. 2 |
せんせいのお時間 (Doki Doki School Hours) Vol. 4
I've stop regarding this as a consecutive story as it seems like they're in high school forever. After 4 books, I feel like I'm finally coming to know each of the characters and their individual quirks. Being a 4 panel comic without a continuous plot, it's a bit difficult but I've seen so many of their gags that I'm finally remembering the characters. There are a few more bonus comic strips at the end of the book and like before, a quick on the inside cover. As I can't do a plot summary, here are some highlights from the volume that I thought were hilarious. Watanabe's doodles on his tests seem to get better and better. Mika gazes at the stars, enthusiastic like a little child, but gets a neck cramp like an old lady. Mika's problems when she tries to swim and the problems she has with the backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. On a snowy day, Mika takes care to look at her feet so that she doesn't slip but runs into a tree branch (I can attest to that). And finally, Mika having impressive dribbling skills, but not being able to walk at the same time. |
Title: せんせいのお時間 (Doki Doki School Hours) Vol. 4 |
彼氏彼女の事情 (His and Her Circumstances) Vol. 16
Yet another volume with a lot of talk. When pages turn into these long winded chatters, my mind blanks out and I end up just skimming through the story rather than actually paying attention. However, the chapter where the other characters get involved in helping Arima escape school was pretty clever and I had a good laugh with that one. Bonus is a Tsuda diary where she talks about a novel, actors, and clothing. 74. ACT74 夢の日々 (The Days in Dreams): In his dreams, Arima remembers to when he first moved in with his current parents. At first he was still afraid of them and was wary about any signs of generosity. As he got used to it though, he still had a longing for his biological mother and on the street, mistakenly comes up to someone who looks like her. He ends up sealing his feelings and only now, does he want to let it all out. He starts telling Yukino. 75. ACT75 回帰 (Regression): Arima tells Yukino his story. Later, he tells his parents the whole truth. Arima tells Yukino that he doesn't want to be a doctor anymore, but his new pursuit is a secret. 76. ACT76 光の道 (Roads of Light): Arima and Yukino spot his biological mother waiting outside and ask their friends for some help in avoiding her. 77. ACT77 MOTHER: They hatch up plans like having a group of students run in front of the mother, having a lot of students dress up like Arima, and having Rika and Tsubasa accompany him and scaring her off with their innocence. Eventually Ryoko gets a clue and doesn't come to the school anymore. She instead waits for him outside his house. They get in an argument and just as Ryoko is about to slap Arima again, his (surrogate) mom comes to his aid and slaps her back. 78. ACT78 闇を切って飛ぶ鳥 (The Bird That Zips Through the Darkness): Yukino has a talk with Asaba what he has known about Arima being his best friend and all. She thanks him for protecting her boyfriend through his troubles. |
Title: 彼氏彼女の事情 (His and Her Circumstances) Vol. 16 |
Gunslinger Girl Vol. 2
After a lukewarm first volume, I'm starting to like the story. The artwork still has that aura surrounding it, perfectly compatible with the plot. There's a lot of underlying meanings on humanity in each of the chapters dealing with the half-human child assassins. The bonus is only a colored first page with Toriella and Henrietta. 6. A kitchen garden: Claes gets paired up with Robaro, an ex-military person the company has recruited back. As Claes is training, he pulls her out and talks to her about books and planting a garden. He also takes her out fishing. While he's strict and doesn't talk to her while training, they jabber when they take these fishing trips. After a failed live-training accident and almost having Claes kill Henrietta, he decides to quit. As he's leaving, he gives her the keys to his hut saying that she can borrow books anytime. Later, she learns that Robaro has been killed. While it's contemplated on, the company decides to keep her despite not having a master for her. 7. Ice cream in the Spanish open space: Joze and Henrietta listen in on Enrico, their next target who is involved in a revolt against the government. Like before, Henrietta walks around innocently with her violin case. The next day, with the help of Toriella and Rico, they capture Enrico. As they're walking away from the crime scene, one of Enrico's rivals in his organization (I think) sees Henrietta with the violin case and says that's what the revolution is about, protecting kids like her. 8. 歓びの歌 (Pleasurable Song): Toriella visits Angelica in the hospital ward and brings her a gun so she can play around with it and remember it's feel [that's messed up]. She then invites her to go watch the shooting stars with the other girls, but she can't leave. The other girls go atop a hill and watch the meteorites and start singing to Beethoven's 9th. 9. How beautiful my Florence is!: Joze and Henrietta meet Fililpo, an accountant on vacation and enjoying the arts around the city. They present themselves as normal people at first, but in fact, they're trying to protect him from the anarchists. When Filipo gets surrounded by the bad guys, Henrietta and Joze reveal themselves and scurry off with him. Unfortunately, he and Henrietta get shot. He won't make it, but Henrietta tells him that it's a shame for him to die as he would have been a good painter. 10. パスタの国の王子様（前編） (The Prince of Pasta Country, First Part): The girls are checking up with Dr. Bianki. First Henrietta, and then Angelica. With Angelica, the doctor tests who she remembers with a photo album. Then, he recites a story about the Prince in Pasta Country to see if she remembers. She doesn't. Afterwards, she asks her master, Marco whether they have any jobs to do. He tells her she's not ready and then makes her run laps around the campus. 11. パスタの国の王子様（後編） (The Prince of Pasta Country, Last Part): A flashback to when Angelica and Marco first met. Angelica was murdered by her own dad for insurance money. Marco started taking care of her in the hospital and made up a story about Prince Pasta and Pizza Princess. It is this story that she has now forgotten. |
Title: Gunslinger Girl Vol. 2 |
鋼鉄天使くるみ (Steel Angel Kurumi) Vol. 8
Nothing in particular stood out in this volume for me. The story is progressing, but nothing too spectacular. There are some good action sequences here though. There are two bonus chapters included. One is a one-shot "Dreaming Angel Saki" and the other has the main characters visiting the studio where the live action Kurumi is being filmed. The back of the dust jacket bonus is the page from the comic Kurumi was reading in vol. 7. 41. 愛のエプロン (Love's Apron): Steel Angel Sela arrives wanting to be a cook at Reiko's cafe. Her master wants to know a bit more about Nakahito so he has her infiltrate by becoming the cook. Sela challenges Kurumi to a cook-off, which Sela wins easily. However, Reiko can't afford another worker. Kurumi and the girls think they're going to be fired, but Reiko says that this is a cafe and a cook can't just displace a waitress. 42. ３人目のエンゼル・オブ・エンゼル (3 Person Angel of Angels): 4 Angels try to gang up on Steel Angel Aoi whose mediating in a remote temple, but quickly get defeated. After Aoi's victory, she realizes that it's that time again for the Steel Angel fight. 43. 卒業事変（前編） (Graduation Incident, First Part): Nakahito with Kurumi get called into the shrine deep inside the school where he meets Jinkuji-sensei and Amato. Amato explains to him about the dispersal of the Angels after graduation and how they're going to be transformed with their memories erased. Meanwhile, outside the school a group of Steel Angels are preparing to attack the school, protesting the custom of graduation. 44. 卒業事変（中編） (Graduation Incident, Middle Part): As the two teachers and Nakahito are performing the ritual to rid him of the curse, fighting goes on outside. When the infiltrators close in on the shrine, Excelia is called to fight them. She unleashes the power of her two Angel Hearts and gets a little carried away before Karinka jumps in. 45. 卒業事変（後編） (Graduation Incident, Last Part): As Excelia and Karinka are scrapping it out, the exorcism unleashes powers that blow the roof off of the shrine. Nakahito is suffering and Kurumi wants to stop the procedure, but she's told not to interfere. The other Angels see the evil that been unleashed and give up their little revolt. Things settle down again, but Nakahito isn't cured. 46. １００年の終焉 (100 Year's End): Amato reveals to an international council of Nakahito's true self, that he's a Kagura. Back at the restuarant, Reiko gives Nakahito some words of encouragement. The 3 Angels try to find Jinkuji to get some help into defeating the devil, but as they're running to the school, they miss Jinkuji who arrives at the restuarant and talks to Nakahito. The last page gives an foreboding warning that the peace is about to end. |
Title: 鋼鉄天使くるみ (Steel Angel Kurumi) Vol. 8
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