Toru Fujisawa does not let readers down in Volume 4 of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan. Previously, readers were left with a cliffhanger as Onizuka discovered Seiya’s plan to get revenge on his mother’s violent and lazy boyfriend who forced him to get a tattoo when he was just a kid. Volume 4 jumps straight into the frantic scene of Seiya dealing with yakuza gang members, and debating whether or not to accept Onizuka’s help to get him out of the situation at the expense of losing his revenge.

Even when Seiya seems to have solved the feelings he has for the man in his mother’s life, with the help of Onizuka, he cannot get away from him. A pair of sisters that Seiya grew up with and made a promise with to never let the parents that caused them such great pain forget what they had done, arrives on the scene. These two girls are not your typical teenagers.

Their foster father is a member of the yakuza and aids their violent tendencies by providing them with weapons, money, and people to do whatever they need. The two girls are best known for stabbing their father when he came to visit them after being away for years and now they are determined to make Seiya keep his promise.

There is something about Seiya that has changed. He may still have those strong feelings of revenge that drew him to create relationships with the wrong crowd, but he has also gained a network of adults that care deeply for him. They consider themselves his family and are not about to let him fall into the voids of his past. The two sisters say that this network of foster caretakers are nothing but paid babysitters, but Onizuka, as well as the rest of the staff, work to prove that money has nothing to do with the feelings they have for Seiya.

As they work to help Seiya from ruining his life, each character faces obstacles they never expected. Onizuka is even forced to face his greatest weakness; scantily clad women. This virgin teacher with street cred must find a way to get past two sexy, mostly naked women assassins in order to get to save Seiya. Readers will not be able to stop laughing when Onizuka struggles to keep the women at bay.

The action continues with even more drama than the last installment and the humor is placed at just the right moments. Even though this volume is heavy with lessons of revenge and defining an individual who cares about another, this volume is better than the last.

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Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto’s third installment of The Drops of God will have readers even more addicted to the series than the previous volumes.

After the death of his father, Kanzaki Shizuku is still in search of the wines that his father called the Apostles. Up against Kanzaki in this race to find the twelve wines to see who inherits his father’s billion dollar wine collection is Issei Tomine. Tomine has what many would see as an advantage in the competition: knowledge of wine, wine tasting, and the business that runs behind it all, but Kanzaki will prove to be anything but a novice in his ability to taste the Apostles.

The third volume of The Drops of God finally brings readers to the action of the plot. One of the Apostles may have been found, but Agi and Okimoto only slowly reveal to the reader who found it and how that one, out of countless types of wines from various years, could be the first Apostle.

If wine is a topic readers have never touched upon they will not find themselves in the dark. Although, at first, it may seem a bit confusing with all the foreign names of wine and the lingo that goes along with this subject, readers will be so enraptured by the illustration and description of the act of drinking wine that they will wish they had a bottle of wine to taste along with the characters.

While some characters drink wine to an excess of drunkenness, in general wine is seen as a means to restore memories and thus heal the characters mental distress. The past, no matter how painful, is presented in this manga as something that everyone must come face to face with. It is not something that one can just hide or forget because it is “where a person’s present is rooted.” Without the past, the individual cannot become or hold on to the person they are or wish to be. Wine is able to take characters on a journey that refreshes their mind and aids them in repairing both themselves and those intimately involved in their lives.

Just the smell of the wine can lead a character on a magical, otherworldly journey into a realm beautifully realistic or refreshingly mysterious. By reading The Drops of God and letting the eyes peruse over the alluring illustrations that are partnered with every word and every scent, sip, and swallow of wine, the reader is taken on a journey of his or her own.

A journey that is put on pause as the last of the book’s pages passes through the reader’s hands will be continued in the next volume.

Image Courtesy of  Drops of God

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Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo series, previously printed in three separate volumes, has been collected and released as an omnibus edition. Although cheaper, this edition is a beast to carry around. The content, however is well worth the weight of this colossus volume. At first, the main character is highly unbelievable.

Going by the name of Hyakkimaru, readers are told that he cannot hear or see, yet it is obvious by his actions that he acts as if he is a normal human. Then, he takes off his arms and in their place are swords. At once confusing and awestruck the reader will question whether the author will be able to back up this type of character to make the story enjoyable and just plausible enough to quench the questioning readers protests.

It is interesting to notice that this manga is entitled Dororo, not Hyakkimaru. Dororo is not the main character, but is eventually introduced and becomes a sidekick to Hyakkimaru’s demon killing spree. Ever in awe of Hyakkimaru’s sword, Dororo tags along using the excuse that he wants to steal one of the swords in Hyakkimaru’s arms as his reason for following him.

It becomes clear that Dororo’s reason goes beyond his petty thievery and that he actually becomes quite attached to Hyakkimaru, even calling him “bro”. Dororo soon proves himself to be the backbone to Hyakkimaru’s adventures and is worthy of being the subject of the title.

Hyakkimaru tries to scare of Dororo by popping his eyes out into his hands and showing him that they are fake. Dororo appears shocked and then immediately thinks it is the coolest thing ever. He turns out to be one of the few people that looks beyond Hyakkimaru’s monstrous body which is missing 48 various organs because his father made a pact with 48 demons to take parts of his son so he could rule the country.

Even when Hyakkimaru and Dororo save various villages from demons they are immediately kicked out once the villagers see that Hyakkimaru has what they fear are inhuman qualities. In each and every case Dororo sticks up for his “brother” and is surprised by Hyakkimaru’s acceptance of the villagers’ prejudice.

It is ironic that the villagers kick Hyakkimaru out because they think he is a monster in disguise, but they are easily tricked by real demons who disguise themselves as beautiful women. Hyakkimaru even explains and shows them how they were tricked, but they still throw him out, despite his lack of hiding his disfigurements from them.

Other parts of the manga that are a bit annoying are the inserts of phrases that would not be used in the samurai period the story takes place in. Aliens are referred to, walkie-talkie speech is used, gymnastic terminology is used by Dororo, and many other somewhat distracting instances.

These places in the story add a comical flare to the events, but they also draw the reader out of the story if they are paying too much attention to details. As the story draws on the comedic elements increase and it is both entertaining and distancing. By the end of the story, readers will wonder why it ends and may not even realize that the end is coming, perhaps because of the added distance caused by the humor.

Overall this over-sized edition of Osuma Tezuka’s Dororo manga was amusing, but towards the end seemed to go downhill. Changes in the amount of comedy were not the only things to be seen. The relationship between demons and humans also changes and it is not clear why. Instead of seeing humans tricked by demons, readers will see a human attached to a demon and give his life for it, as well as individuals (human and animal) who try to get vengeance in death and turn into demons.

What does remain constant throughout Dororo is the author/artist’s art style. Most of the characters appear quite simplistic when compared to  the demons and scenery that are far more detailed than the main characters. This serves to draw the reader into the atmosphere of the story, but the mood almost always seems to be a dark one because of the intricate demons, night scenes, and awe striking landmarks.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

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Crystal Jayme’s first volume of Freakshow is not for the feint hearted. Violence and gore are commonplace in this traveling show of misfits. At first the violence seems to come out of nowhere and this unexpected event is what will either inspire readers to continue eagerly flipping pages to get to the bottom of the mystery or will turn them away in disgust.

Jayme wastes no time in introducing characters and putting them smack dab in the middle of the spree of murders. Numerous questions are raised as each chapter comes to an end and the mystery deepens. Even when readers are told of the history behind the start of the killings, how the bodies are disposed of and why the killings continue, they have only been given one step towards the conclusion of an extremely long journey.

The first thing that comes to mind when seeing the seemingly random killings and the disposal of the bodies is Sweeney Todd but Jayme’s Freakshow is not a ripoff of this demon barber’s tale. It does, however, have a few slight similarities such as human disposal coupled with profit and the overall horrific and dangerous aura that surrounds Christophe, the man who started the murders.

The characters of Freakshow are complex and as soon as readers think they know how they will react in certain circumstances, they are forced to review their first judgements.

Remember that this is a freak show and the individuals in it must put on a performance for their audience. They may appear to look like a freak on the outside, but their personality may prove to be completely unrelated to their appearance. Readers may be able to predict that someone is going to be killed, but they will enjoy the thrill of the unexpected turns characters take them on through their emotions and reactions to dealing with the violence the freak show has taken on.

The individuals were not always so repulsive in their behavior, however Christophe, who is also a knife-thrower, is no one to be messed with. Even the leader of the freak show cannot handle him and has the other knife-thrower, Adolphe be put in charge of babysitting him.

The scars Adolphe wears are proof of his arguments with Christophe about the murders and although he disagrees with them, he too does not know how to stop them. As new individuals are introduced into the show they must be introduced to the notorious workings behind the acts they put on for the audience. It can only be guessed what will happen to them if they cannot become accustomed to the violence.

Overall, this first installment was horrifying and intriguing. So many mysteries have been raised, aside from the main plot of the murders, that readers will be waiting eagerly to gobble up the next volume. Jayme is also the artist behind Freakshow and she does an amazing job of presenting characters’ complexity in their looks and creating the uneasy aura surrounding the story in her choice of background.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

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The art of Koi Moon’s Moonlight will astound readers, but the story has room to improve. Although the characters are alluring in their appearance and the magic they possess is displayed in imagery almost perfect, the journey they are a part of does not do them justice.

This first volume serves mainly as the background to the action readers will anticipate to see, which perhaps may appear in future volumes. At under 100 pages for its first volume, Moonlight gives only a brief taste of its characters’ potential to capture the hearts of readers.

Moonlight, the heroine of this manga, is both naive and adaptable. Her shyness around royalty leads her to respond like a fangirl upon first meeting the prince. Once she finds out his motive for bringing her and her father to his palace, it is almost as if she becomes a completely different person.

The prince, however, does not seem to have Moonlight’s adaptability. Despite being able to trick his peers into believing he is a down to earth prince, he remains a selfish and childish individual, who is obsessed with being the sole owner of rare objects. Moonlight is one of those objects and even when enemies come to overtake his castle, he would rather have her killed than let anyone else own her or set her free.

The prince’s interest in Moonlight is apparent in her beauty, but could there be something more to her than her appearance? Welding fire is a gift of the prince’s, but he is the only one who seems to have magical powers at this point, making readers wonder if Moonlight has any similar abilities.

Beauty seems to be her only gift so far and it has served to bring her into the gravest danger, yet also helps her gain another chance at life when a young man brings her away from the castle and the prince’s clutches.

Overall, Moonlight could move more slowly through the action and give readers more time to get accustomed or even attached to the characters. The way they are pictorially displayed already has readers interested, but their emotions and back stories seem rushed. There is a sense throughout the manga that there are great things to come and that perhaps the development of the story has been pushed off for a purpose.

As a preview of a volume, this installment would be an excellent taste of Moonlight’s story but as an entire volume on its own, it is lacking. It does, however, draw readers to expect more in upcoming installments and presents enough questions to keep fans wanting more of these alluring characters.

Overall Rating: 3/5

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Mayumi Azuma’s fifth installment of ‘Erementar Gerade’ is a huge disappointment. While it is always a joy to see the designs of incumbent characters, this volume just does not add up. It raises questions that readers would have thought had been answered in previous volumes, and overall, it is a bit predictable.

Lilia and Rosati, the “sister” pair that gained their freedom from an evil, rich man in the last volume have decided to tag along on the ship that the main entourage (Ren, Cou, and the Arc Aile team) have boarded to take them closer to Edel Garden.

Lilia and Rosati’s destination is their parents house, which brings up the first problem in this volume: their parents are dead, and readers will remember the two characters shown when just children, standing before the grave of their parents in the previous volume. Another problem that arises from seeing these two when they are children is the process of aging in relation to Edel Raids.

Lilia, Rosati’s Edel Raid and “sister”, is shown as a tiny baby swaddled in a basket, and we see her age up to the point of how she is in the manga now. If she can age, can the other Edel Raids?  If so, Ren should look like a corpse since it has been alluded to numerous times that she is hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. One solution that comes to mind is that perhaps the binding spell that had been placed on Ren before Cou found her temporarily stopped the aging process.

Aside from these problems, this volume allows readers to see the loyal and gentlemanly qualities of Rowen, a member of the Arc Aile team following Cou and Ren. As the rest of the members enjoy their cruise, Rowen is approached by a strange man who believes him to be Cou.

This man is an absolute drama queen, who is obsessed with his appearance and voice, not to mention a ditz (he mistook Rosati as Cou earlier). Rowen calls to his Edel Raid, Kuea, to aid him in his battle with this new musical enemy. She wants to tell him that he has got the wrong guy and take him out, but Rowen insists on going along with his mistake to get more information about why he wants to kill Cou in particular.

The fight escalates, and Rowen asks to take the fight to another part of the ship, so as not to harm any of the other passengers. The stranger agrees, and the battle continues. From an observer’s point of view, Rowen appears to be losing, but he is, in fact, doing just fine. Cisqua, the leader of the Arc Aile team and Rowen’s partner, sees his struggles and comes to his aid, or so she thinks.

Ever overly zealous, Cisqua pulls out her guns and releases a barrage that not only targets the enemy, but causes great damage to the ship itself and poses a great danger to the other passengers.

While Rowen tries to deal with the escalating situation above deck, Cou is below, trying to protect Viro, a girl who had watched him fight in an underground fighting ring in the previous volume. At first, she appears to be just a devoted fan of Cou, but she nearly pushed him overboard with her “excitement” on seeing him and sneaks into his room in the middle of the night.

The only reason that excursion came to naught is because she did not account for Rowen, who had been rooming with Cou. She continues to act like a fan-girl while Cou is around and trying to protect her, but her jealousy of Ren and Cou’s relationship is a trigger to her anger and suspicious behavior. The volume ends before readers can find out what she will do when Cou asks her to help protect Ren.

Overall, this volume was an okay read, aside from the discrepancy of a few situations in relation to the events in previous volumes. Perhaps the next installments will clear them up, but if not, it will be a disappointment. Also, Rowen seems to be proving himself more and more, and readers can see more of his development in this novel, especially his loyalty to his friends, which was delightful.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

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Mayumi Azuma’s third installment of Erementar Gerade is all about observation and learning. From the scrutinizing eye of Cisqua, the leader of the Arc Aile team who follows the hero and his Edel Raid, to the mysterious onlooking of a dark, cloaked figure ready to buy the captured human weapons, the Edel Raids, there is no lack of new knowledge throughout this volume.

In the last volume of Erementar Gerade, readers were left in suspense after the kidnapping of Kuea and Challo, a couple of Arc Aile’s Edel Raids. Volume 3 drops readers right back in to the scene of the of the crime.

Just as the kidnapper and Edel Raid hunter Wolx, is about to sell his catch to his most valued buyer, Cisqua comes out of nowhere and delivers a speech disallowing the buying and selling of stolen Edel Raids. Wolx is dismayed, but chooses to fight Cisqua, thinking he is at an advantage since this spirited young female does not have an Edel Raid at her disposal. Cisqua proves that intellect is far more reliable than the brutality of a weapon.

Unfortunately, Cou, who has snuck behind the backs of the fighting trio to save the kidnapped Edel Raids, does not poses this intellect. He does, however, have determination and although he doesn’t know how to properly use his Edel Raid, Ren, he never gives up. Fortunately for him, the mysterious buyer calls her minion, another Edel Raid, away from Cou, declaring that winning is not the goal.

Upon first glance these human weapons look just like humans but through further scrutiny, their true nature is evident. Ren, in particular, is recognized by her fighting style. The quickness of her movements and the coloring of her gem, which every Edel Raid has and hides from public view, remind observers of a legendary type of Edel Raid that has been lost to the world for over 400 years.

The mysterious buyer leaves without buying the Edel Raids, believing that the information she was able to gain about Ren will be payment enough. Just who this information will benefit is not yet certain, but ultimately Ren has, yet again, proved herself worthy of the attention and intense observation of an outsider.

After the defeat of Wolx, the team makes its way to the next town. In the process, Ren overhears Cisqua’s plan to take her back to Arc Aile Headquarters. This is not good news for Ren, whose mission is to go to Edel Garden. When alone with Cisqua, she confronts her about the plan. Cisqua, at first, is defensive, but then admits that Wolx was right, that she may be a protector or Edel Raids, but that she is doing it for the money and glory.

At first, she too saw Edel Raids as just tools, but her opinion has changed through experience. Ren confides in her that she used to hate humans until she met Cou but now realizes that humans and Edel Raids are more similar than she initially believed. However, a seed of doubt is planted in readers’ minds when a particular thought passes through Cisqua’s mind. She says regretfully that perhaps if Ren were human, they could be friends.

Cisqua proves that she is more than a money hungry, overzealous lady when she promises to take Ren to Edel Garden before she turns her in to headquarters. Multiple sides of Cisqua are shown in this volume, proving the complexity of her character.

It is hard to tell at what turn she will be the nitty gritty, passionate fighter, the money-loving, selfish individual, or the more emotional girl, longing for a relationship with those around her. She plays the dominant role in this installment, but it is not disappointing to see less of the other characters.

Cisqua’s character development sees her struggle with how others see her and strives to fulfill the mission assigned to her by Arc Aile, while also keeping the promises she makes to Ren. Despite her struggles, she never seems to stay down for long, mainly because of the antics Cou, the main hero, gets himself into.

Once she has circled her way around the demands of Headquarters, the team moves on in their journey to Edel Garden, which lands them in an underground fighting and gambling ring.

Since Cou destroyed the last villain’s motorcycle and Arc Aile’s money had to go to its repairs, this fighting and gambling ring that allows Edel Raids to be used as weapons is the perfect cash opportunity.

Cou is the only one ready to fight, but proves unworthy of the opponents when he loses in the lowest ranking available. That’s not the only problem Cou is faced with. As their funds for the match entrance fee dwindles, the opponents continue to get tougher and more skilled.

Overall Rating: 4/5

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