Well, it's October, so Halloween approaches, and all I can say is that you really should...
Okay, so i couldn't find any image worth using. [Don't] sue me!
Oh yes, and the error in my Shaman King review last month has led me to be more attentive to detail. So the reviews are now going to be very carefully constructed. With an official release date of the 30th of each month (excl. December and February will release on Valentine’s Day). If anyone else spots errors, please e-mail me at flipthepage@liveactionanime.org
Welcome to the best flip the page yet! Why? 'Cause I imagine this will only have the best reviews yet! LET'S GO!
Kamichama Karin vol. 5
Why Cosplay the Page?: Kamichama Karin is officially one of the best shojo manga in the world, purely on the basis of the art. And if you throw in the comedy it's impossibly fun. The catchphrase of the main character, Karin, is priceless every time she utters it ("I AM GOD!"), mainly due to the heightened position she gives her unknown capabilities. I suppose if you were to put Kamichama karin in any subcategory it would be Femme Superhero (E.g. sailor moon), but that would be like calling Britney Spears fat; it's an understatement. Kamichama Karin carries pieces of Shonen, Shojo romance, Femme Superhero, and many others, all veiled by an alluring art style and mindless comedy. The plot can loosely be explained as 'magic rings give people power to fight each other, something to do with other halves and a girl who dresses as a boy', but the plot is easier to grasp if you actually read the manga. This volume carries more revelations and power, and a mysterious romantic moment; the factors that can really draw you into the wonderful manga.
Why Slam the Book on Otakus?: It may not be your thing, the art style may be too unique, or perhaps the fact that this is book 5 of 7 could put you off. Look at volume 1 and then decide if you want to pick up the whole series. The rather shoddy tankobon extras can put you off it if you read online scanlations or import from the land of the rising sun.
CTP Rating: 90%
KINGDOM HEARTS 1 COMPLETE
Why Cosplay the Page?: Kingdom Hearts is a computer game, and as such tie-ins will be made. This specific one is of course a manga. One aimed at kids. And as such it lacks a lot of the fun that the computer game carried by removing all fighting (pretty much). If you want a left to right manga (English style) that is inoffensive and game based, this is for you. If not, then avoid this box set like the plague. My favorite thing about this? The simple ability to get all four volumes packaged together in a fancy box. It makes the whole thing more worthwhile.
Why Slam the Book Down on Otakus?: It lacks violence, and is shonen. It lack fun for those above 12, and it has an age rating to prove it. The fact is that Kingdom hearts is another poor quality manga of a game that fails to deliver anything meaningful to the main manga audience of the 13+ range. But to get kids into the franchise it's a good start. Oh yes, and it's flipped, a feature I hate. Hold out for the superior Kingdom Hearts 2 manga.
CTP Rating: 50%
Beet the Vandel Buster vol. 10
Why Cosplay the Page?: I'm going to be honest off the bat: I picked up Beet last year thinking it would be a terrible manga, along the lines of many other manga tame enough for the All Ages rating. Oh how i was proved wrong. Beet the Vandel Buster is perhaps one of the best 10 mangas of all time, and no amount of hype can make it seem good enough. Beet is the tale of Beet (DUH!) and his team, the Beet Warriors (DUH!). They are out to defeat the Vandels of the world (DUH!) and end the century of darkness! In this volume, my favourite character officially joins in with Beet's journey, the mysterious Slade. After his reappearance, the troupe head off to fight Garonewt, who has held hostage someone who saved Beet's life as a boy (and subsequently lost his memory). If any of that made sense to you, you have common sense. If it didn't, then just go pick up the series and see the action packed epicness for your self! And don't worry about it getting too far ahead. the release schedule is painfully slow. TWO A YEAR! Buy Beet, prove to yourself that shonen manga can be better than the stereotypes!
Why Slam the Book Down on Otakus?: Two. a. year. Feel the pain of that statement. Beet has a tendency to end on cliffhangers, and this release schedule, mainly due to catching up with the japanese edition, just makes the mind lose interest. Other than this, it's all a matter of taste, and if you want over-the-top violence, then back away, cause this has perfected the frantic fight with little gore.
The volume being action heavy can be dissuading for those who need a lot of plot too. And, of course, it's volume 10. But it being from monthly jump Japan remedies that.
CTP Rating: 95%
Buso Renkin vol.2
Why Cosplay the Page?: I gave BR a great injustice last time i reviewed it (see August) by giving it a basic rating. After gazing upon volume 2 (which i received early, alongside Beet) I can honestly say that Buso Renkin is a series deserving of high praise. The combination of action packed fights and semi-comedy talky sections make for an impressive formula, beating the Manga-ka's previous works outta the water. This is the culmination of intense manga ability, aided by brilliant motion-filled artwork, and the sort of jokes that make you wonder about whether a butterfly mask is a fashionable item. If you were to pick up this volume and say that you do not find that moment incredibly funny, then you have no discernible soul.
Why Slam the Book Down on Otakus?: Buso Renkin still isn't perfect. As the Manga-ka states in his own chapter summaries, the 'Washio fight' turned out highly disappointing in what was put into each chapter (little content), and that sort of thing can be frowned upon by those who want constant substance in their mangas. But, aside from this, I can still not discern any particular negative qualities, as they still hide from me. One day i will discover them. Hopefully soon.
CTP Rating: 90%
Claymore vol. 4
Why Cosplay the Page?: Claymore's flashback continues, achieving the same brilliance that the entire series carries, and improves slightly on it. Slowly, but surely, this manga is gaining higher quality (and if you consider that the art is already beyond perfect, that's saying something!) with each release, and it can only be assumed that this could well become the next breakthrough in the future. In the sense of British manga readers, it’s a popular import, and that speaks volumes about the quality here.
Why Slam the Book Down on Otakus?: The same reasons as the last volume's review. In fact, the reasons are so samey that I may as well just paste it in as a quote:
QUOTE |
Claymore will not appeal to everyone, and the art style can be distracting to those used to the conventional shonen style, which can ruin an experience if you are affected like that. Other issues can be that the chapters are larger than most other shonen jump titles (excluding other 'monthly jump Japan' titles of course), and can be harder for beginners to read. Although it being on the Shonen Jump Advanced label does mean that the beginners would already be 16 upwards, which would be to their advantage. |
See? It's all very simple like that.
CTP Rating: 93%
Eyeshield 21 vol. 10
Why Cosplay the Page?: This is the third time I've had the pleasure of reviewing Eyeshield, and the quality keeps coming. Sure, there's little in the way of American Football here, but it’s still the warm-feeling coming of age story full of comedy that it always was and will be. This volume continues the emotional hell march, which will lead to some amazing developments in the Devil Bats. If you were to pick this up out of the blue, it would certainly make you want to check out the earlier volumes to understand it. That's just how powerful this volume is.
Why Slam the Book Down on Otakus?: It's volume 10. If you were to ignore what I just said about it peaking curiosity, no one in their right mind would buy a volume this far in without the previous nine. But you knew that already, as I've told you already. Like, say, in the last review (see September).
CTP Rating: 89%
Reborn! vol. 1
Why Cosplay the Page?: Reborn! (known better as Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) is the last of the three new releases from Shonen Jump US, and boy, were they saving something special for us! Reborn is the tale of timid, completely useless schoolboy Tsuna, who ends up getting tutored and groomed for a future life as head of the Italian mafia by the gun-toting toddler known as REBORN! The comedy antics achieved by these two characters alone would be enough to sell the whole series, and It only gets enhanced by the arrival of Hayato, an absolutely ballistic explosive loving freak, who fits in the cast far too well. But the main humor comes from the humorously named 'Deathperation Shot', which when shot into certain places grants powers. The main one of these is the Shot to the head, which allows anyone who regrets something to come back to life and deal with their regret with new found determination (in their underpants no less)! The instances that this is used in, and the aftereffects, just make the manga all the more brilliant.
Why Slam the Book Down: I suppose it could carry the same issue as the Bobobo standalone manga; it's just plain freaking' weird, and people don't always like weird. The plot can also seem a bit too different to draw people into it, especially if they're groomed on the average mainstreamers (see Naruto).
CTP Rating: 94%
That's all for this month, but tune in next time for a review of One Piece volume 12, and of course, it'll be the last of the year!
