Your & My Secret vol. 1

Ok, the premise of this series caught and drew me in quickly: A girl who acts much too "boyish" and a boy much too shy that has a huge crush on her accidentally swap bodies! Crazy! Gonna be funny. Recipe for a cute romance.

Not sure that's what I am getting.

I liked the first volume well enough, although I wasn't thrilled with it. Nanako, the female lead, is not my favorite person and I'm not sure that can be changed with her attitude toward Akira, the male lead.

I'm going to give the series a chance, read a few more, and see how I feel about it then. I'll post another review with my later feelings and opinion.

If you've read the series before, let me know what you think. Is it worth finishing? I'd love to know what others thought of it!

Attack On Titan vol. 23

So this post is not going to really be a review of the newest edition in the Attack On Titan series. I want to say that the story is getting much more in-depth, the characters are becoming more complex, and well, whose side am I supposed to be on exactly?! Because it is all a convoluted mess. And isn't that exactly what WAR is? Amazing job with the series Hajime Isayama. I am thoroughly entrenched in it and loving every minute.
But that is all I can say about this one without ruining bits of the series from before this. So go pick up the manga if you have not already, and then we can talk more about it.

Instead I want to take a minute to use this post to point out that I finished a book! Ok, so maybe it is already a week into February and my first finished book is actually a manga, and none of that is saying much. But, you know what? We went to the library and I gave up the two books that seemed so darn interesting but I haven't had the commitment to actually read them and instead picked up the next in a series I have been reading for a while and two other books that have caught my eye off and on recently. This is my jumping on the wagon! I'mma read me some books!

A Silent Voice vol. 7

This is it. This is the final volume in the series. Oh all the feels. Let me try and capture how awesome this series was.

So, if you saw my first review of volume 1 (only posted days ago because I couldn't put these manga down!) then you got the bare bones of how the story starts. Let me give you a little more of a recap. Shoya was the middle school daredevil, the kid that jumped off bridges to prove his worth to the other boys he considered his friends. He hated boredom. So when they get a transfer student who happens to be deaf, Shoya makes it his purpose in life to torment Shoko and pit the other classmates against her. Even though it works, all the other students, even the teacher, bully poor Shoko, it all backfires terribly when Shoko's mother demands recompense for the numerous hearing aides Shoya has destroyed. Suddenly Shoya finds himself on the other end of the stick as the others in his class begin bullying him. Unable to take it, Skoya lashes out at Shoko one final time that causes her to finally leave the school.

The meat of the tale begins when Shoya, having had enough of the loneliness he has had to endure over the years since his actions, decides to take his own life. Getting his affairs in order, Shoya realizes there is one last thing he must do before he ends it all: apologize to Shoko for what he did. But when he goes to confront her she is understandably upset, and when he "speaks" to her (because he actually learned sign language to get his message across) he realizes that he wasn't the only one just done. Deciding to try and right the wrongs he caused this girl, Shoya resolves to push on, resulting in one of the most incredible pictures in manga that I fell in love with.

The rest of the series is about their growing friendship. That's not to say everything is rainbows and unicorns from there on out, oh no! Shoko and Shoya both have a lot of pain that lies just beneath the surface, and sometimes it rises up and people get hurt. They also have a lot of people they have effected over the course of time they have known each other, and not everyone is as forgiving as Shoko or as determined to make amends as Shoya. The ride is bumpy and incredible.

To say I loved this series would be an understatement! The story was so real, from the bullying to the difficulty in making things right; the characters were real, from Shoya's complicated feelings about Shoko to the mothers who are trying to raise difficult children alone; the plot was real, and all of it came together to form a story that will stick with me for some time. This is a series I plan on buying to reread in the future and recommend to everyone who reads manga. This one was just amazing! So if you haven't read it yet, go find it, now! And if you have, tell me what you think. I would love to talk about this one all day!

A Silent Voice vol. 1

Last year I saw a trailer for an anime that looked really interesting, but I have been unable to find it. So imagine my surprise and excitement when I stumbled upon the manga at the library! I am so eager to read this series!

A Silent Voice is the story of Shoya, a middle school boy that hates to be bored. So when the new transfer student turns out to be just another girl, he is disappointed because girls never want to have fun like the boys do. Only, Shoko, the new student, is deaf! This leads to Shoya deciding that the newest way he is going to keep himself entertained is by tormenting Shoko. Until karma strikes and Shoya looses everything.

In this first volume we hate Shoya, that's exactly how the creator wanted it. You need someone just horrible to suffer for what he has done, otherwise it seems unnecessary. But in this story we cheer karma on after Shoya becomes the target for all the bullying in the school in retaliation for all he put young Shoko through. Yet, I still feel a bit of sympathy for Shoya at the end of this one, and can't wait to see where the story takes him and Shoko!

Seriously, this is a great story already, and I encourage all my manga fans to pick this one up! And if you have seen the anime, please, tell me where I can find it!

I Am Here! Omnibus 2

Hikage's story continues in this second volume right where the first I Am Here! book ends. So in this one we find out who Black Rabbit really is along with a new twist in Hikage's growing world. We also get to see more of Hinata and Teru outside of Hikage, like a flashback to when they first became friends.

This story is a very short one, only spanning the two books containing a total of 19 chapters. But everything I needed was in those 19 little tales! Hikage grows just enough over the course of this story to make it real and give us hope for her future, even becoming a voice of encouragement to others as Hinata and Black Rabbit did for her. And even though there was no real settling of things between Hikage and her two suitors, there was enough of a decision that it gives the reader hope for what her future is going to hold.

I really enjoyed this one! I think I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Toyama's other stories! And encouraging all my other manga lovers to pick this one up.

I Am Here! Omnibus 1

This is the story of Hikage Sumino, an eighth-grader with incredibly low self-esteem because she has spent her whole life never being noticed. Outside of the two strangers that constantly comment on her blog, she never talks to anyone other than to hear them say they hadn't noticed her there, right after they get her name wrong. But one day, one of the most popular boys in her class takes notice, speaks to her, helps her out, and turns her whole world upside down.

Ok, so I stumbled onto this one because I just finished the newest Attack On Titan and Bunny Drop and you guys know I can't go very long without picking up a new manga! This one is combined into 2 omnibuses so it will be a short read, which I am sure I will regret when I want so much more to the story at the end. However, it might be perfect, because in this first volume alone so much of the story was covered, Hikage grew just like the sunflower she wanted to be and the story is looking so hopeful!

And let me point out right now, this was only partially because of Hinata, the boy that paid attention to her. This isn't a story where the female lead starts dating the popular guy and suddenly gets friends. No, Hikage goes through her share of bullying, by herself. She resolves to be someone worthy of even being friends with a guy like HInata, who is so outgoing. And she makes it a point to work on her people skills and stand up for herself alone. That's why I like this story. Hikage is a very stubborn protagonist who refuses to give up on finding the sunlight, and I love her for that!

As the author notes, there are no really humorous scenes in this one. It is meant to be a more serious story, and I think that not only does it manage to do that with beautiful skill, Toyama does an excellent job of making it real without it being too sad without comedic relief. I really enjoyed this one! If you like manga, don't overlook this one!

Bunny Drop vol. 9

Ok guys, I'll be honest, I was not happy with the ending to this story. At the end of the last volume we were handed a very weird and surprising twist to Rin and Diakichi's story that was followed up and "resolved" with this final set of chapters. I don't like the twist and I really don't like the conclusion.

Not only was the ending to this story a bit unsettling, but these final chapters had the feeling of being too convenient, like Unita had and ending they wanted, had very little time to actually plot it out properly, and so they threw together the barest of details. It was too quick, too simple, too unlike the rest of the story for me. It did nothing to help convince me that the way things ended was right.

With that said I do plan on reading the final volume, a collection of chapters "missing" over the years from Rin and Diakichi's story. I already have the volume, it's not much to read these, I might as well.

Guys, the rest of this story is so much better, and I would love for others to read it and tell me what they think of the ending. But I won't push this one on anyone since I know the disappointment this ending put on me and I don't want others to deal with that. But if you happen to read the series, please, tell me what you think!

Bunny Drop vol. 5

This is just a short update on the series as I had originally planned on waiting until I had finished the series and could give a final thought on what the series was like and where it went. But with this volume we see a major leap in the time line as it starts ten years after the end of  the last chapter, and I would like to make a note of that.

In this volume we see Rin in high school, preparing for the possibility of college, while trying to figure out the relationships in her life. Most notable is her friendship with Kouki which might or might not be going further. With both of them unsure of things, however, this is a bit slow going but makes for some good moments that have me rooting for Kouki in the long run.

Along this same plot line, the final chapter in this one deals with a little flashback to when Kouki and Rin were in middle school and Diakichi had a moment with Nitani that might hint at the future between these two supporting characters.

I love that we are getting to see more into the growth of these characters, something that was not possible with the anime, and I am really looking forward to what we may get to see in the final volumes of the series. Making it this far, I am of course going to encourage every manga fan to give this one a try. It is such a touching story! If you make it this far, please, let me know what you think!

Attack On Titan v. 21

So this one finally arrived at the library and as soon as I saw it there was no question that I was going to grab it up. I am so involved in this story, guys, I am not sure how I am going to wait another month before the next volume is even published!

Ok, nearly a year ago I started reading this series after having watched season one of the anime and wanting to know how things turned out. At volume 9, we had begun to cover new territory that has now been covered in season 2 recently released. Unfortunately I have been unable to watch the second season thus far, but I have been keeping up with the manga. Here in volume 21 we are finally able to get some more answers! At the risk of getting yelled at about spoilers, I think I can almost safely admit that Eren and the gang has finally! reached his old basement, a scene that had one of the most impressive two page, word-less spread that will probably go down as my favorite art in the whole series. So the second half of this volume was for taking a giant leap backward in time to begin telling the history of the world, the titans, the walls, the people!

While I think some may moan about the lack of forward movement in the plot, as not too much happened in this one truthfully, I firmly believe the event of getting to the basement and the history we are given more than makes up for it. I am really happy with this volume!

So, have you read this far? Have you seen the second season? Let me know what you think!

Noragami: Stray God

After reading the second volume in the Noragami series, I discovered that there was actually an anime made from it. Having had trouble getting into the series via the manga, I decided to watch the anime instead. This is one of those few times that I am going to admit that the show was better than the book. I think it was just easier to follow in the anime format. That being said, after season 2, it leaves off at a cliffhanger and there doesn't seem to be any more being made. So if I want to know how things end, I am going to have to continue with the manga. I just don't think that is going to happen right now. I will be putting this series on my "To Be Read" shelf and coming back to it at a later time when I can sit down, get into it, and read through it with all my attention.

So, if I can make a suggestion to you, fellow reader, check out the anime first. Watch it and see if the story interests you. Then give the manga a chance. It really is an interesting story line. I look forward to coming back to it in the future and hopefully finding out how everything turns out.

Bunny Drop

Yes, another new manga series for me to get caught up in! I just can't help myself, there are so many with such interesting story lines!

Daikichi returns home for his grandfather's funeral only to find a mysterious little girl that no one knows what to do with. It turns out that the 76 year old man was having an romantic affair with a much younger woman and the child was his. Now, with Gramps gone, no one wants to take in the illegitimate girl that never talks. Upset at everyone's reluctance and cruelty toward the little girl, Daikichi makes the rash decision to take in the girl himself. The 30 year old bachelor working long nights as a business man must now change everything about his lifestyle to accommodate this new little person and make her feel like part of a family.

Ok, the plot sold me fast! It's just a little crazy and a lot hopeful and has so much possibility. Then my husband and I discovered that there were 11 episodes of the anime and we watched all those. Afterward there was no doubt in my mind that I would love the mangas because I absolutely love Daikichi and Rin's story already!

Seriously, it's such a cute story with plenty of humor and serious moments balanced wonderfully to paint a real picture of settling into parenthood. My biggest worry is that the manga will leave off at the same time as the anime, because I want so much more of the story!

If you've read it or have recommendations for others like it, let me know! I love hearing your thoughts!

Noragami: Stray God vol. 2

So, I went ahead and picked up the next book in this series, even though I was not thrilled with the first one, simply because I really wanted to give this series a chance. The premise still seems interesting and I know that the annoying character is not always what he seems.

I am glad that I choose to continue. The disjointed story line present int he first volume is nowhere in this one. Yato has now found a new shinki whom he names Yukine and the young girl Hiyori is still following them in hopes of figuring out a way to stop what has been happening to her. With this volume we see more into Yato's serious side and a lot more into the character of Yukine, his new weapon. We even get a teaser at Yato's back story, making me hope that we will see much more about it in future installments.

This is a series that you are going to need to stick with beyond the first manga if  the story sounds interesting. Because I fully think it will be worth it in the end.

Noragami: Stray God vol. 1

This was the other new manga I picked up on my last trip to the library. The name sounded familiar but I have not looked to see if it is an anime that I had glimpsed or not. I should look that up.

In this story Yato is a homeless god looking to make a name for himself. But he is doing it by promising to help anyone in need, by posting his number everywhere, hoping for calls, and charging a mere 5 yen until he can save up to buy a shrine for himself and hopefully bring worshipers to him.

So in this volume we have 3 short stories mostly. The first a little introduction to Yato via a tale of him helping a young girl being bullied. The second his meeting Hiyori when she tries to save him from getting hit by a bus. The third is a continuation of the second that better fits the style of "chapters" but it still feels a bit disjointed.

I am not as impressed by this story as I thought I would be when I read the description. I don't know if it is just the way the first chapter seems separate from the other two (which is more annoying when you know that what feels like the narrative voice is no one in the chapter) or just the subject matter or Yato being kind of a jerk. Whatever it is, I am going to try and give the story a second chance by picking up the next volume. If I remain unimpressed than I am giving up. I really hope the story picks up! Either way, I'll let you know what I think!

The Demon Prince of Momochi House vol. 1

I know it has been too long since I picked up a book and finished it, I am so sorry no new reviews have been posted! Once more I pulled myself out of a reading slump via a new manga series. So here, have a look at the series I will now be hunting down!

The story is centered around Himari Momochi, an orphan recently turned 16 who has been willed a large house that belonged to her family. Only, when she gets there she discovers that squatters are already living there! One of them is Aoi, the handsome boy who accidentally broke the seal on the house before Himari could and has now been possessed with the magic to protect the house, which lies on the border between the spirit world and the real one.

One manga in, only 3 chapters, and I am kinda already hooked on both Himari and Aoi! I knew as soon as I read the description of the book that it was right up my alley with the spirit world, girl alone in the world, and a possible love story. Add to that the beautiful artwork that Aya Shouoto gives and I was instantly loving the story!

So far there are 11 books listed over on Goodreads, so I will be looking for them all at the library. Depending on the status of the story when I get to volume 11, I'll try to post again when I get there to let you know how I feel about the story after I have read more of it. If you have read it before, let me know what you thought of it!

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Another manga! So, this one was a random grab on my way out of the library without any other mangas. It caught my eye, I enjoy the game, so I thought why not. The problem: I have been reading more adult manga lately and this is most definitely a kid's story. Despite being a rather thick book with a very twisted story line, it didn't entertain me as I had hoped. Bigger fans of the games would probably enjoy it more than I.

Sorry the review is short. So I am going to ask for anyone that had played all of the games or read all of the manga to please explain it to me! There were just too many things left unsaid and this story picks up after the first big story line as far as I can tell, which added to my confusion. It was fun, don't misunderstand me on that point. It just wasn't something I will be continuing.

Happy Marriage?!

I found this when looking for something new to read a few weeks back, but put it on hold to finish the Library Wars that I was able to get my hands on. Now, after reading Warrior Song, I thought this was kind of perfect for reading next. It keeps to the theme of an unwanted marriage.

In this story a young woman, Chiwa, is faced with the very heavy debts of her father who is not the most business savy man, Then one day she is called into the offices of the president of the company she works for only to find out that her grandmother is one of the reasons why the company is what it is. And because of that the Chairman of the company has a proposal: he will cover her father's debts if Chiwa agrees to marry his grandson, the president whose office they are in. While not happy with the idea, Chiwa feels like she has no other choice but to agree. And things get rocky.

It's a bit of an overused theme, I will say that. But then, it is overused because there is so much that can be done with it, so many paths things can take, so many things that can go wrong in this type of story. And being in a manga gives the story a more entertaining aspect that I thought would be fun.

So far, I was right! It's not as simple as marrying a guy and pretending to be happy for this young woman. First, she has to play the part because grandpa is watching! Then she has to deal with her insecurities which have her thinking that there is no way this man could want to be married to her. And she also has her own drama to deal with, like an idiot father and nosey friends.  In just one volume the story is fun, bright, sweet, and crazy! I am loving it already! Give it a shot!

Library Wars: Love & War vol. 9

This series has been amazing so far! Along with a love story that has me squealing and mumbling under my breath on every other page, this manga tells the story of the library. As Iku, now a Defense Force Member, works her job and figures things out, the library is put through some serious trials. From the threat of a pervert targeting patrons to rumors of one of their own burning books, Iku and her friends deal with a lot in the year and half that is covered in volumes 1 through 9.

My primary reason for writing the post is to talk about how awesome these books have been. Yumi is an incredible writer and artist as she turns the story into a manga that is both exciting and sweet. I even loved the little skit panels at the start of every new chapter.

But I also wanted to note that this is as far as I can go with the help of my local library. I know there have been at least 6 others published, but the library does not have any copies at this time. That leaves me to buy them myself or find an alternative method of reading the series. So, for now I have to put it down, which just breaks my heart because I am so enthralled by this story. If I manage to get my hands on more I will let everyone know. Otherwise I am currently moving on to a new series and book.

So, if you haven't read these yet, please do, the story is incredible. And if you have, let me know what you think of it. Especially if you know where I can find more of them! Until next time!

Library Wars: Love & War vol. 1

Ok, so looking through the teen manga section at the library led me to this new discovery. Which, thank goodness because I just found out that Sword Art Online: Progressive only has three books in the series. So I have read as much of that as I can. So here we have another series that doesn't go very far as of yet, but I am still enjoying it.

The story is that censorship of books got out of hand. So, governments got together with libraries to start an army to protect their collections from those trying to get rid of books they find wrong in some way. When Iku was younger she had to wait 10 years for a book of fairy tales that she wanted to read. And when it finally came in it was going to be taken from her. Instead, an agent from the Library Defense Force showed up and stopped the confiscation and gave Iku back her book. Since then she has been determined to join the DF and save books for other young readers. This is about her journey starting with training, trying to make proud a man she barely remembers while dealing with a commanding officer that is a bit too hard on her.

I love this story. Not only is the concept of a nerd army going out to protect books just awesome, but I am really loving the characters Iku and Dojo who seem to have the face they show the world and then the part of themselves they are slowly showing to each other. In this first installment alone Iku learns some important things about being in the forces and pushing herself to new heights.

I am really looking forward to reading more in this series. Even though I went in knowing that there are only 9 books available to me right now. This will be a new series for me to follow as it come out. You should check it out!

Sword Art Online: Progressive vol. 1

So, during my long wait for whoever else is reading the Attack on Titan series to finally return it, I started looking among the other mangas. And look what I found! I absolutely love the anime series with all my little heart (ask me about a cross over fanfic I wrote) and was so excited to see this on the shelf.

So, this is kind of a retelling of the story we love. Except it goes back to the beginning and gives Asuna's side of the story. In this first one we have just a taste at why she started to play the game, when she first met Kitito, and even a couple of mildly inappropriate drawings of her taste in undergarments. But hey, the story is rated Teen for a reason.

I love that we get the chance to see Asuna more. In the show she takes a little while to show up and a little longer to be someone awesome. This is her half of things. I hope. Only one book in isn't going to give me much. But I am excited for the series anyway.

As with other graphic novels I will let you know more about what I think when I reach a pivotal point in the story, or when I finish. Until then, let me know what you thought about SAO! Or the manga. Or if you have any recommendations for new manga/anime inspired by this title!

Attack on Titan v. 9

I have been reading the series since I started it two months ago, reading on the mangas between other books and when I was out of the house (yes, this was my purse book). Finally I have reached the point at which the anime stopped with volume 8. Here in volume 9 is what comes next in the story! And wow, in just one manga, a total of 4 chapters, so much more of the story has been revealed, only leaving me with a ton more questions! It is nonstop action for our characters as they are not given a moments rest before the next attack occurs. And we get to see more of the 104th training corp Eren was a part of as they are watched closely and backstories are revealed. Because there are more secrets among these new recruits than anyone could have guessed!

If you are looking to pick up where the anime left off this is the book to pick up. Although,  would recommend reading volume 8 because there was a single scene in it that may prove to be important as we move forward.  Or, you can wait until 2017 when, rumor has it, season 2 will finally be released!

Let me know if you do, did, or will read the manga, I love finding fellow fans of this incredible series!