Monday, September 28, 2015

Nana Volume 3, by Ai Yazawa

The wacky adventures of the two Nanas finally starts as they settle in their cheap little place and tighten up any way they can to save a few bucks here and there. Considering their personalities from two different worlds, their unlikely friendship becomes more funny and bonding. Both Nanas peek a little more deeper onto the other one’s lives and discover more about each other. While doing so, they try to give a helping hand in any way possible. Nana Osaki is finally in contact with her former band Blast while Nana Komatsu begins to fall in boyfriend trouble.

Finally things are heating up in room 707 with Demon Lords of the bad luck. It is much better to see some action going on after the lackluster volume two. Both Nanas arrange a decision which can either elevate themselves to a better position or knock them down because of their stubborn pride. I think the best part of the manga series Nana Volume 3, by Ai Yazawa,  was seeing these two energetic and hopeful young ladies deal with a realistic struggle and how they manage to cope with it all the way with each other and with their friends.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library

Monday, September 21, 2015

Nana Volume 2, by Ai Yazawa

Relived by being able to finally get to Tokyo, after all the long waiting days, the two Nana packed up their bags and left their homes in a jiffy. Surprisingly they happen to be in the same train headed to the same destination and fate makes them bump into each other during their ride. Things aren’t so warm and welcoming when both Nanas struggle to find a real home for themselves to stay in. At least on the plus side of all the troubles the two girls faces, their responsible friends are willing to help them settle their lives in Tokyo.

I was waiting very eagerly to reach a point where the two Nanas finally step into the city of their dreams. This second volume of the series was fine as we watched the two young girls try their best to settle in. But I did feel that there were a lot of extra scenes which were too detailed and took up too much of the readers time. This could’ve been all avoided by cutting many of the unnecessary parts but still balancing the comedy and interesting occurrences. Also, Nana Volume 2, by Ai Yazawa, did not have a climactic moment and was rather a same straight line all the way.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library

Monday, September 14, 2015

Great Teacher Onizuka, by Tohru Fujisawa


Surely Onizuka has stumbled through his teaching training but that all means nothing if he doesn’t actually become successful at landing a teaching degree. In the book Great Teacher Onizuka, by Tohru Fujisawa,  things get even more messy and sloppy and just all over the place as Onizuka merely begins his journey on this noble goal of his. But along the way his foolishness doesn’t skip a beat and his brazen lust towards girls never seems to improve either. But under the influence of all the pressure Onizuka is tested from all sorts of direction to test this goal of his.

Things couldn’t be any more hilarious until volume two rolled in. The pile of amusing entertaining is overflowed as Onizuka does all sorts of hilarious acts to run towards his dream. But I was glad by seeing the microscopic speck of respect in Oniuka’s act after he gets to know Ms. Fuyutsuki who might just be his colleague in the future. I enjoyed the angle Onizuka was drawn from because in this volume his facial features really reveal how slick and cool of a guy he is. Once again, I am looking forward to the next volume which will tell us if Onizuka succeeds as a teacher or if it all goes down the drain.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library

Monday, September 7, 2015

Vampire Knight Volume 1, by Matsuri Hiro

Yuki Cross is the adopted daughter of the headmaster of the Cross Academy where both vampires and humans attend on a different schedule. Along with the studies, Yuki’s duty is to make sure that all humans stay at their department of dorms and the vampires remain in their own. However, Yuki believes that both humans and vampires can coexist and yet remain living their lives peacefully. What she doesn’t know is that the world is a whole lot different and cruel than what her innocent expectations and hopes are.

The summary of Vampire Knight Volume 1, by Matsuri Hirowas the only counterargument I had to read this book since I do not enjoy the fantasy of vampires. But so far in this volume my of affection toward this series remained in a mediocrity level with nothing extraordinary nor blunt to present. The art however was not something that I found normal but rather bizarre. The deeply thick lines around the characters' eyes, especially the vampire, are rather a strange essence. But I am looking forward to reading the next volume in hopes of finding something more intriguing.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library