Title: 電撃大王 (Dengeki Daioh) September '04
Issue Date: 9/1/2004
Publisher: メディアワックス (Media Works)
Pages: 560

Dengeki Daioh is the other magazine I've started subscribing to after stopping my Young Magazine subscription. Since it'll take some time for me to synchronize with many of the series in here, I'll only outline the ones that I can actually write about, either they're the first chapter or chapters in series I've already been reading. As I read more, I'll add more in later editions.

This week's highlight is Muv-Luv Unlimited which is just starting based on that story arc of the game (sigh, will I ever get around to playing it. I'm holding the DVD-ROM in my hand, but don't want to start it as I've got too much on my plate already). The comic is in a separate booklet with highlights of all of Age's works including Kiminozo and Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu. There's also a bonus poster with the artwork from the cover.

Next month's new manga is Uta Kata.

Muv-Luv: 1: Takeru wakes up to Sumika's incessant banging at the door and finds Meiya sleeping in his bed. He looks out the window and sees a large pieces of twisted metal and turns around to find that Meiya has disappeared. He goes outside and finds that his house is in the middle of a wasteland and he gets take in by the UN. At the military facility where he's held, he sees Yuuko-sensei, who apparently doesn't recognize him and then sees Meiya and Sakaki, who also don't know him. Yuuko explains that he's from a parallel universe. Yuuko has him enter Meiya's and Sakaki's unit (much to their objection) and explains that in this world, they're having a battle with aliens.

KuraKURA: 1: 月島流奈 (Runa Tsukishima) is young high school girl who apparently has the power to defend the world. However, she tells her mom that she's not going to do that today as she has something more important -- confessing to her crush and fellow co-class leader, 早川 (Hayakawa) at school. However, she chickens out at the last minute. After class as they're cleaning the hallways, she and and friend, 時雨 (Shigure), talk it over where Runa is told that she won't go anywhere if she doesn't work at it. Runa then looks outside to see a large beast, one that only she can see. She phones her mom and the mother explains that the beast was what she was trying to do. She reluctantly transforms and heads outside to defeat the beast, but comes back tired and exhausted.

Yotsubato: 19よつばとぞう (Yotsuba and the Elephant): Yotsuba and her dad go to the zoo. They feed the goats (Yotsuba punches the older goat who bites the carrot she was going to feed the younger goat, hilarious), see the guinea pigs, stare at the owls, and observe the elephants. Yotsuba remarks that it's larger than Jumbo.

Ichigo Marshmallow: ??: Matsui needs to go back to the school to get her recorder, so she has Nobue accompany her. Miu and Chika decide to get there first and scare them using the ghost tales of the school, but end up scaring themselves.

Kashimashi: 2(?): After a failed confession to his crush やす菜 (Yasuna), はずむ (Hazumu) encountered aliens who turned him into a girl and now has to deal with living as a female. Being late for class, Hazumu runs out to meet his friends, but the male friend notices he doesn't have a bra. She asks female friend, 来栖とまり (Tomari Kurusu) to accompany him to the lingerie shop, where it just so happens that Yasuna is a sales attendant. He gets his measurements from the girl who rejected him and as they're walking home, he thinks how strange the situation is.

Siren: 2: The Sirens are a special women who can suit up in "Psi" suits to combat terror. However, 波好めるな (Meruna Namiyoshi)'s Psi levels have been down recently. It stems to an event 5 days ago where she dropped some ice cream on some guy, 水凪総一郎 (Soichiro Minagi) and felt really sorry for being such a klutz. She has a talk with the directory, 天城 (Dr. Amagi) who tells her that she's still more than competent as a Siren. Meruna and her partner,　北斗 (Hokuto) get called to do a patrol for some strange activity in a neighborhood. There, Meruna encounters Soichiro again, who quickly avoids her by running in a building nearby. Suddenly, a monster/alien appears and attacks, bringing down that building to rubbles. Meruna sees this and runs to the site looking for Soichiro. What she doesn't know is that Soichiro is working for the enemy and has a camera pointed at her as she talks to a "doctor." He comes to realize that she may be a Siren.

Title: 少年マガジン (Shonen Magazine) Vol. 40
Issue Date: 9/15/2004
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 506

New series starting this week, titled 覇王の剣 (King's Sword) which looks like an adventure story. It's based in China near 100A.D. and is alternate story to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (?). At the end of the 68 page chapter is a little history lesson, although I'm still clueless. The story looks interesting though. My only gripe is that for the first 10-15 pages, the main character looks about 5 years old, and afterwards, he looks 15.

Tsubasa is off again this week. A little footnote says that they're taking some sick leave. Negima has another incredible chapter.

There's also going to be a series of bonus comics detailing the various authors of manga currently running. This week is the author of Hajime no Ippo.

King's Sword: １張飛と関羽 (Chohi and Kanu): Being the village scout, the young Ahi spots the oncoming army. The villagers scramble to pack up and leave since they know the army will raze everything in sight. The the mad scramble, Ahi gets left behind and her mom tells him to stay put as they'll come back for him. After the army passes, he realizes he's alone. He kills a boar (he looks 15 now), and gets accosted by a strange who asks him to share and offers some salt. The stranger tests his trustworthiness by having him keep some money while he walks off. Surprised by the fact that Ahi didn't run away, he tells him that people will betray and proceeds to introduce himself as Kanu. Ahi introduces himself as Chohi and tells him that Ahi is a nickname. They go into the next city trying to sell their meat. Chohi, with his kind heart, gives a piece for free to a scrawny young boy. The young boy soon gets killed for that piece. Chohi and Kanu get mugged with Chohi being held at knifepoint at which time he remembers Kanu's words about betrayal. He fights back and is about to deal the death blow when an official appears asking to men to go fight. The two boys decide to participate.

Negima: ６６時間目　雪の日の真実 (The Truth About That Snowy Day): Negi runs off as his dad fights off the monster with his tremendous powers. He soon runs into another monster who is about to cast the stone spell on him when and old wizard, Stan, and his sister step in and receive the curse. Stan tells Negi to take his sister to safety as she still has a chance. Now alone with an unconcious sister, Negi's dad comes and apologizes for being too late. He gives Negi his staff and leaves telling him to grow up and lead a life a happy life. Later in school, Negi wraps himself in studies from fear of that Snowy Night and has always wondered if his dad was just visiting (and not helping out because he was in trouble). Asuna agrees to cooperate and the other girls, who were moved by his story, also agree to help him find is father. Back at the school, Kotaro seems to have befriended Natsumi and Chizuru. No Negima next week.

Hamanaka Ai: ０５１贈る予定の言葉 (The Words of the Planned Giving): Ai has dug up her old elementary school time capsule since the school is closing. After talking with Masahiko and Misaki, they decide to bury another time capsule at the house. In the yard, Nakamura and Rin ask what they're doing and the two students respond that they're digging a hole. Just then, Ai stumbles and the shovel lands right between her legs which Nakamura remarks as "digging a hole."

Suzuka: ＃２７勝負 (Competition): Arima and Yamato start the race with Arima looking like he's going to win. Midrace though, Suzuka yells out that Yamato is an idiot, which gives him an extra boost. The chapter ends with the race still going on.

Changing Now: ＃１８復讐！！ 怪人の恨み (Revenge!! Monster's Grudge): Dog Fighter is so engrossed in his baby's first words that he lets his partner Sigma get a beating from baddies (whom he's defeated before).

Title: まぶらほ (Maburaho) Vol. 7 LE
Volume: 7/12
Catalog No.: BIBA-4207
Release Date: 7/23/04
Rating: 3/4

Two more good episodes, nothing too new, but not boring either. On the drama CD, I love Yuuna's voice as she explains why she was late to the cafe. Dragon Magazine September arrived at the bookstore last week with Yuuna on the cover. So tempted to buy it, but since I have no plans on reading it, it would just be a waste of money.

The bonus drama CD is a 10 minute drama where the girls talk at a cafe about how they're going to get Kazuki back. Kuriko suggests that they sell their souls to the devil, but that plan doesn't pan out.

Item bonus in this volume is another keyholder (Shino), drama CD, cards, and sleeves, which this time comes packaged in a bag so they don't all fall out. The drama CD has an insert with artwork this time. Video bonus is a non-text version of the second ending (Shina is part of the collage now).

13. もどちゃった (I've Returned): Kazuki is now a ghost because he's used up all his magical powers, but regardless, Yuuna says that he's still Kazuki. In his depression, he encounters a mysterious woman, Shino, who invites him to be a part of her collection of ghosts and promises he'll be happier in captivity. He almost falls for it until the 3 girls break in and interrupt the process. Yuuna's particularly angry that he's with another woman. He gets lured a second time, and again, they come to his rescue.

14. はまちゃった (Suckered In): Yuuna tries to cheer Kazuki up by giving him some cotton candy as she's heard from Elizabeth that ghosts love it. Kazuki meets Shino again, but Yuuna interrupts them again. However, she catches Kazuki holding a cotton candy that he's picked up from Shino's place. As she's leaving, Shino tells them that she was about to tell them how a ghost can be happy. At home, Shino visits again telling him that she knows how he can return to being a human. She tells him to meet her later, and ends up just trying to convince him that being human isn't what he wants. The 3 girls follow, and after a series of traps, finally find the two. But then Akai-sensei shows up and revelas that Shino is his younger sister.

Title: 美少女戦士セーラームーン (Pretty Guardian Sailormoon)　Vol. 6
Artist/Author: 武内直子 (Naoko Takeuchi)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 235pp., w/furigana
Volume: 6/12
Original Serialization: Monthly Nakayoshi 3/94-6/94
First Printing: 1/24/04
Rating: 4/4

These long chapters! You could fit 3-4 Shonen chapters into any one of the chapters in this volume. But I liked this volume as it returned back to the normal life of the 5 girls. It could be also that I loved this whole arc in the anime series.

There's a bunch of color pages and the sticker sheet as always.

27. 無限１　予感 (Eternity 1, Premonition): The girls are back at home, but Rei and Mamoru have a dream where they envision the destruction coming. The sailors meet two new characters, Haruka and Michiru, both students at the Mugen Private School and talented in their own respects. Haruka is a star driver and Michiru a violinist. Some students from that school become monsters and the Sailor Scouts eliminate them. At that point, we find out that there's a new enemy, Calinite who has the Witches 5 helping her eliminate the scouts. After Chibiusa comes back from the amusement park, she sees a young girl in a private school uniform, apparently in pain with a dark cloud approaching. She and Moon transform.

28. 無限２ 波紋 (Eternity 2, Ripple): It turns out to just be a cat, but as they're fighting, Moon sense some other scouts and has a glimpse of one. The girl introduces herself as 土萌ほたる (Hotaru Tomoe). The message that Calinite gets and Mamoru sense is that when the 3 talisman are gathered, the destruction will begin. Some more enemies appear, and the mysterious new Sailor Scouts appear too.

29. 無限３ ２人 NEW SOLDIER: Michiru is to have a concert, but on the same night, the school idol (one of the Witches 5) is also having a show to get some souls. Chibiusa goes to Hotaru's house to return the the handkerchief, or rather, a new one in its place. Hotaru explains her dark personality and they talk about Chibiusa being a scout. Outside, the new scouts watch. Afterwards, Haruka and Michiru give Chibiusa a lift back to her house on a helicopter. At the idol show, Venus and Moon try to stop the enemy, but aren't strong enough. Just then, Sailor Neptune and Uranus appear [cue the violin theme].

30. 無限４ SAILOR URANUS 天王はるか (Haruka Tenou) SAILOR NEPTUNE 海王みちる (Michiru Kaiou): The outer Sailors say that they're not friends and are immediately recognized as Haruka and Michiru. Afterwards, Mamoru and Usagi have a talk about their respective encounters with Michiru and Haruka. At school, Ami has a rival who turns out to be another Witches 5. Neptune and Uranus help out again. Meanwhile, Pluto comes as a transfer student with the alias, 冥王せつな (Setsuna Meiou).

Title: フルーツバスケット (Fruits Basket) Vol. 5
Artist/Author: 高屋奈月 (Natsuki Takaya)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 191pp., w/furigana
Original Serialization: Hana to Yume Vol 20, '99 - Vol 1, '00
First Printing: 4/25/00
Rating: 3/4

I'm only on volume 5!? Maybe it's because I've been reading too much Karekano as it has the same Hana to Yume cover design that I think I should be further in the series.

There's a summary of the primary characters in the first few pages.

25. Kyo and Yuki have not talked to each other visiting Tohru's mother's grave. To break the tension and to escape his editor, Shigure suggests that they take a vacation at the Souma vacation house. They have Hattori drive them there. As Kyou, Yuki, and Tohru are walking in the woods, she apologizes for anything she's done to make them angry. They spot a large footprint, Kyou thinks it's Jason, Tohru faints and have the two boys catch her but turn into animals. The cat and rat argument, which makes Tohru happy as they're back to their normal personalities.

26. Ayano shows up at the vacation house after being told by the family servant. Yuki and Kyou take Tohru to the lake while the three older fellows, Ayano, Shigure, and Hattori talk. Ayano mentions that he attended Hattori's previous love's wedding and met Shigure's ex there too. They chat about their curse and Shigure tells Hattori that they'll get some new girls together.

27. At the end of their Golden Week vacation, Hatsuharu brings back another member of the Souma family, 草摩杞紗 (Kisa Souma), the Tiger. It was her first day of school and she was picked on, so she turned into her Tiger form and won't talk to anyone. In fact, he doesn't even like Hatsuharu telling everyone that reason. Tohru tells Kisa her own experiences and with some empathy, gets Kisa to return to her normal self.

28. Despite transforming back to a regular girl, she's still silent. Momiji explains that she's this way because of her strange looks, especially her eyes and her colored hair. Kisa receives a letter and with some more TLC from the family, she gets the courage to go back to class.

29. The members of Yuki's fan club want to get rid of Tohru as she's spending too much time with Yuki lately, so they concoct a plan to befriend Hanajima and have her interfere with the friendship. They pretend to be doing a special report on "vibes" and to interview Hanajima at her house. However, Hanajima finds out about their plans and scares them off telling them that her little brother specializes in curses. Although she admits that she's a little affected by Tohru's new friends.

30. Tohru received a bad grade and feels like she has failed her mother, but she realizes that she has a large support group, the Souma's, supporting her.