The magical realism of anime meets the enchanting wonder of Disney in Academy Award nominated director Mamoru Hosoda’s (The Girl Who Leapt through Time, Mirai) mesmerizing virtual world fantasy that echoes Beauty and the Beast. The tagline of this fantasy thriller states, “You can’t start over in reality, but you can start over in U,” prepping viewers to delve into this alternate reality where the inhabitants adopt identities that mask their true personas, yet draws out their hidden strengths.
Suzu, a reclusive and socially awkward lone wolf of a schoolgirl, leads a melancholy life. At a young age, she lost her mother to a drowning accident, and since then, has been holding onto a fractured relationship with her father. With the aid of her savvy social media classmate Hiro, they enter “U,” an immersive virtual world populated by avatars of every imaginable size, style, and variation. Before long, she rises to stardom as a sensational global pop star, captivating fans with uplifting songs that inspire and heal. In this world, however, lurks a brooding figure known as the Dragon, a monstrous beast who hides in the shadows, isolated and sheltered away from everyone else. Who is this mysterious beast? What secrets does he harbor? In her persona as Belle, Suzu seeks to penetrate the depths of the Dragon in hopes of uncovering his identity to redeem him.
A brilliantly executed rendition of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Hosoda’s fantasy, supported by the creative character designs of Jin Kim (Frozen, Moana, Encanto), orchestrates a story that intersects elements of mystery, romance, and fantasy while touching upon issues of self-identity, trust, loneliness, courage, and hope. Vibrant CGI set designs along with exquisitely hand-drawn scenic backgrounds complement a surrealistic world reminiscent of the dazzling dreamlike sequences in Satoshi Kon’s Paprika. In addition to the vibrant fluency and synergy of colors, strategic camera angles capture majestic and iconic shots in homage to Disney’s original animated film. The songs enrich the film’s charming enchantment, transforming it into a semi-musical piece that resonates with warmth and heart.
While not initially apparent, each character plays a significant role that culminates in a riveting climax that propels Suzu to embrace her true identity and purpose, empowering her to uncover the mystery behind the beast’s predicament. Bonus extras include character and set design galleries, insightful interviews with Hosoda, scene breakdowns, and more.
A fine achievement to the ever-expanding films of GKIDS (a division of Studio Ghibli) for family and adult audiences, Belle radiates with heartwarming passion and makes a welcome addition to anime collections .
Belle By Mamoru Hosoda Art by Jin Kim GKIDS/Shout! Factory, 2022
Publisher Age Rating: PG
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and his buddy Pikachu are back! This time they are joined by a friend called Goh and his Pokémon partners for adventures that have them traveling all over the Pokémon world.
At the start of this series, Ash and Goh meet and are invited to become “research fellows” by Professor Cerise, who runs a lab studying Pokémon. They accept the position, and Cerise Laboratory becomes their home base in between trips that are theoretically about research but also involve lots of Pokémon battles. While most Pokémon manga are set in a particular “region” of the world—that is, the setting of one of the Pokémon video games—this series sees its protagonists traveling between several regions, sometimes in the same volume. In particular, they spend a lot of time in the Galar region, the setting of the games Pokémon: Sword and Pokémon: Shield.
Each volume of the Pokémon Journeys manga is essentially a collection of short stories. While theoretically these stories are sequential, many of them can easily stand alone. The stakes vary from “save the realm from an unstable, overpowered Pokémon with the aid of legendary heroes” to “we found a mischievous little Pokémon, does it belong to someone?” A couple of plotlines come up repeatedly: Ash is competing in a battle tournament called the World Coronation Series, and the goofy Team Rocket villains Jesse, James, and Meowth periodically show up to try and steal Pikachu or otherwise meddle. Neither of these is likely to leave readers confused if they start reading in the middle of the series.
Like most Pokémon manga, this series features optimistic, good-hearted young heroes and lots of creatures with different personalities and powers. There are frequent Pokémon battles, some friendly (like when Ash and Goh’s Pokémon train against each other), some competitive (like the ones to move up the ranks in the World Coronation Series), and some serious (like to defeat villains or control a rampaging Pokémon). There is also silly humor and some character development, as when Goh learns that he has to pay attention to what his Scorbunny wants in order for them to battle effectively as a team.
The visual style will be familiar to readers of other Pokémon manga series. The art is black and white, the book reads from right to left, and there is tons of action—much of it the over-the-top superpowered action of Pokémon battles, which can involve things like lightning, fire, and significant damage to buildings.
There is not much explanation here of how things work in the world of Pokémon. Battles, Pokéballs, and Pokémon evolution, for instance, may confuse readers who are brand-new to the franchise. For those who know the basics, however, this is an accessible entry point to the Pokémon manga universe, not requiring readers to know the events of many other volumes to understand what is happening. The “journeys” aspect may particularly appeal to fans of the games, who will recognize the different regions but may not be used to seeing characters travel between them.
Hakaba is just a student, but when his linguistics professor is injured on his way to field work, he gets pulled in to take over. There’s just one catch: The professor researches the languages and communication styles of the inhabitants of the Netherworld and there’s a lot more to communicating with werewolves, harpies, lizardfolk, and other cultures than Hakaba ever imagined!
His first surprise comes when he meets his guide, half-werewolf Susuki, and the challenges come on quickly as he begins to travel with Susuki and a varying group of Netherworld peoples. Just when he thinks he’s gotten things figured out, there’s always a new language, creature, or cultural practice waiting to surprise him and remind him to put away his human biases and conventions and explore with an open mind.
Seno’s fine-lined art style reminded me of the art of Ryoko Kui, creator of Delicious in Dungeon, and there are several similarities between the two series. Like Kiu’s adventurer Laios, Hakaba is not your typical traveler, a fair-haired young man who is more eager to learn and experience than he is to fight or conquer, spending most of his time observing with wide-eyed interest all he sees around him and keeping copious notes in his journals. Susuki is adorably fluffy, both childlike and puppy-like at the same time. Hakaba’s sometimes abrupt introduction to the different habits and communication styles of the Netherworld peoples often leave him sweating with nerves and bewildered and hurt by what appears to be indifference or anger, but once he’s managed to relax and investigate, he discovers that most of the creatures he meets are simply not that interested in him, or in humans in general. Although Seno focuses on a few specific persons from each group, they’re often difficult to distinguish from the others of their species, letting the reader look through Hakaba’s eyes, trying to see the differences between various lizardfolk, a minotaur, or dragons.
While this is a narrative, with Hakaba traveling towards a definite point, it is much more in the nature of fieldwork than a quest. Each new creature is introduced with an exposition of their communication styles and carefully drawn sketches of things like kilns, food production, and various shelters, make it clear that this is an academic journal. Like Kui’s analysis of dungeon creatures as food sources, Seno delves deeply into the complex communication styles which may include scent, various movements, or even ranges of color that humans cannot comprehend, often shown simply as sketchy shadows on the page, or blurred movements. A little spice of romance and humor is added by the inclusion of notes from the professor’s journal at the end of each volume.
This is a rather dry narrative, with little action and much repetition of Hakaba’s efforts to view other cultures objectively, rather than through the lens of his own human experience and cultural mores. The introduction of different species and explanation of their language and cultures may be of interest to readers who like detailed fantasies and I personally found this a peaceful and interesting fantasy of linguistics, but it’s unlikely to appeal to the teens for whom it is rated. It’s most likely to appeal to adult readers or those who are more academically inclined, as well as serious fantasy fans who like to invent and play with languages.
Heterogenia Linguistico: An introduction to interspecies linguistics Vol. 1-3 By Salt Seno Yen Press, 2020 ISBN: 9781975318079
Volume
ISBN
1
9781975318079
2
9781975318093
3
9781975324254
Publisher Age Rating: T
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese,
Welcome to Borderland. You’ll be dying to stick around.
In volume 1 of Haro Aso’s Alice in Borderland, life is simple, if a bit of a letdown, for eighteen-year-old Arisu and his friend Chota. Obsessed with girls and unconcerned with school, the boys spend their time skipping class and hanging out with older dropout Karube at his bar. Weighed down with family and social pressure as well as dwindling hope for the future, the trio have accepted their lot in life. All that changes with a visit to a fireworks show and a flash of blinding light.
They wake up in their own town—now rundown and absent of any people. Unsure whether they’ve been transported to the future or some alternate dimension, the three embrace their new adventure until they meet a woman named Shibuki—a woman who calls this strange landscape Borderland and reveals that it is not the grand opportunity they first believed. Borderland is an arena. Every night features games where the stakes are life and death—and the only way to stay alive is to keep playing. With no idea who controls Borderland, the four survivors must work together to face the challenges and uncover any way to get home. There are many players in Borderland, but not all of them are friendly. And many will not be going home alive.
Written and drawn by Haro Aso, the story takes its time establishing the characters before charging headlong into the tension of their new predicament. The manga is weakest at its opening, in part because neither Arisu or Chota is particularly likeable when we first encounter them. As the story continues, Aso weaves in flashbacks alongside the main action, giving the reader insight into the struggles each faces and deepening our investment in their survival. It is these secret motivations, in part, that helped bring them to Borderland for this twisted version of a chance to change their fates. Each of the four central characters brings a key strength to the group’s survival, and with each new player introduced, Aso lays the groundwork for future plotlines. Volume 1 is an exciting read on its own, and its promise of future stories makes it a strong introduction to the series.
The art has comfortably familiar manga stylings. There are some strange flourishes—particularly in characters’ expressions—but Aso largely captures the events and emotions of both quiet moments and action sequences in clear detail. In particular, the visuals shine during some of the most sinister moments of the second game, keeping the unfolding action clear while also building tension and drawing the reader into the nail-biting efforts of the characters just to see another sunrise.
The publisher rates Alice in Borderland Mature for depictions of violence and death. Along with some language and suggestive content, it’s certainly a manga aimed at more mature readers. While the themes and violence are intense at times, the content is not so extreme as to be unsuitable for older teens. With a mix of teenage and adult characters, mature teens and adults alike will certainly find something to appreciate here—especially for fans of Battle Royale and The Hunger Games as well as the more recent Squid Game on Netflix. A strong first volume with lots of thematic and action promise for future chapters, Alice in Borderland is a worthy addition to any collection with older manga readers. And with the 2020 live-action adaptation of this manga available on Netflix as well, having this series on the shelf carries the added benefit of drawing in any reader curious about the source material.
Mystery, action, and high-stakes survival—Alice in Borderland, Volume 1 is bold enough to pull you in and has enough layers to keep you thinking about it even after the last body has hit the floor.
Alice in Borderland Vol. 1 By Haro Aso VIZ, 2022 ISBN: 9781974728374
Publisher Age Rating: M Related media: Comic to Movie
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
Supernatural intrigue laced with magical realism and punctuated by moments of humor permeate the short stories in Rumiko Takahashi’s latest collection Came the Mirror and Other Tales. This volume introduces five selections and an autobiographic bonus that highlights her early years as an aspiring manga storyteller.
Came the Mirror opens the collection with two teenagers who grapple with a dilemma through the time tested adage that with great power comes great responsibility. Whether by chance or by fate, Nana and Eito cross paths with each other and acquire magic mirrors that mysteriously materialize in the palms of their hands. They are gifted with the ability to see the dark side of people—an inner darkness manifesting as grotesque monsters to which the people themselves are oblivious. Together, the two must join forces to stop this insidious evil from spreading amongst the inhabitants of the town.
Obsession runs deep in “Revenge Doll” when Sentaro Yuda, a struggling manga artist past his prime grows jealous of a young budding artist who makes impressive strides with the chief editor of a popular manga magazine. One day, Sentaro receives an odd looking doll that grants him the power to place curses on others. How far will he go to fuel his jealousy? Will he resort to wishing death upon his competition? Ailurophobia runs rampant in “With Cat” when cat-fearing Shuta attempts to reunite with his childhood crush Miya, only to discover that he may be developing feline urges—literally. In addition to these tales of magical and comical intrigue, “My Sweet Sunday” offers a glimpse into a young Takahashi who indulges in manga novels, takes a sequential art course in college, mimics the artwork of classic manga creator Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), and follows the career of manga creator Mitsuru Adachi in her dream to becoming a manga artist herself.
Whether combating deadly monsters lurking inside the psyches of people, dabbling with a curse inducing doll, or entertaining pesky cat games, Takahashi’s stories run the gamut of magical realism and humor. As in her other popular series Ranma ½ and Inuyasha, ordinary and innocent characters are often thrust into extraordinarily bizarre and amusing situations. Her careful attention to conveying character emotions range from pensive curiosity and fearful anxiety to frustrated annoyance and anger. Climactic scenes unfold as striking medium close-up shots imbued with swift action and sound effects. The stories cover a diversity of genres including horror, drama, romance, mystery, and comedy. Although some characters aren’t fully fleshed out, this collection offers a cross-sectional sampling of Takahashi’s standalone works that make an entertaining addition alongside her usual episodic series.
Came the Mirror & Other Tales By Rumiko Takahashi VIZ, 2022 ISBN: 9781974725847
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
Satomi Mizusawa is a first-year high school student, and normally on the bashful side. But when a mystery boy saves her from a handsy stranger on the subway, she throws shyness out the window in her quest to meet her rescuer properly. She still regrets failing to act on a past crush and is determined not to make the same mistake again. So when she discovers that the boy, Yagyu, attends her school, Mizusawa makes a point of telling him that she wants to get to know him better. He agrees, and suddenly, they’re dating!
Unlike the common “will they or won’t they” romantic storyline, this manga settles the question immediately, following it with “and now what?” Mizusawa has never dated before, and she isn’t sure what the norms and expectations are. Can you ask for attention without seeming needy? What do you do when one of his friends seems not to like you? How do you tell your boyfriend that your birthday is coming up without sounding like you’re fishing for presents? Fortunately, Mizusawa has her supportive friend Nimo to help her figure it all out.
The central romance of this story is sweet, with Mizusawa and Yagyu each standing up for and taking care of the other. They’re clearly both still figuring out how to date, and each seems willing to give the other the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, Nimo’s tell-it-like-it-is attitude adds some humor, as does the shock that Mizusawa’s older brother, Saichi, feels about his sister starting to date.
While the two main characters start dating abruptly, the relationship moves slowly in other ways. By the end of this volume, they have confessed to liking each other and have shared a couple of brief kisses. There is no more sexual content than this, aside from the stranger on the bus groping Mizusawa in one panel early on. There are a few moments of very mild danger, as when Mizusawa yells at a stranger for being rude to Yagyu and the stranger seems like he might possibly hit her before Yagyu intervenes. No one is hurt at any point in this gentle story.
The art of this manga is mostly straightforward and down-to-earth, with few visual exaggerations. Occasionally, a character appears in a chibi or stylized form for a single panel, and there are a couple of instances of floating hearts or fanciful screentones, but mostly, the art is consistent and realistic, by manga standards. Backgrounds are often minimal, composed mostly of screentones, keeping the focus on the characters and their emotions. When settings are illustrated, they are everyday places like school, Mizusawa’s home, or the mall.
This sweet, earnest romance will appeal to readers of romantic shojo manga, especially those who like a realistic contemporary setting. Unlike many series, it does not have a flashy hook—no sports stars, teen singing sensations, or characters hiding dramatic secrets (as far as we know). The most unusual part of the premise is the fact that Mizusawa and Yagyu start dating early on, eliminating the question of whether and how they will get together. Some readers may find this comforting, and might be intrigued by the new questions of how two high schoolers new to romance can build a relationship together.
Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, vol. 1 By Ayuko Hatta VIZ, 2022 ISBN: 9781974728954 Publisher Age Rating: Teen (13+)
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
This uncanny story begins at the base of Mount Sengoku, where a woman named Kyoko Byakuya, whether by fate or chance, stumbles upon a secluded village covered by gold-colored “angel hair.” These fine threads of hair—known as divine Amagami—somehow possess a mystical ability that enables the villagers to commune with each other through the power of clairvoyance. But why do they believe this woman to be their messianic savior, and what unearthly forces have been unleashed by her sudden arrival?
Thus launches horror master Junji Ito’s Sensor, a cosmological tale of apocalyptic proportions. Whereas Ito usually spins tales of the macabre in short, self-contained stories with morbid shock endings, this graphic novel unfolds through episodic chapters, each one ratcheting up the suspense as side characters and incidents enter the plot. Among the intriguing elements are Wataru Tsuchiyado, a “no name” reporter who investigates the mysterious appearance of a woman with long, flowing golden hair, allegedly the sole survivor of a volcanic eruption from Mount Sengoku. During his investigation, an underground group of cult believers begin mobilizing their forces, seeking to summon forth their lord of destruction known as “The Black Hair.” Amidst these warring factions of good and evil, Ito injects his signature brand of horror including a hypnotherapy session that nearly spirals out of control; an onslaught of “suicide bugs” shaped like spiders with bulging sacs as they deliberately place themselves in harm’s way to be stomped upon; and a sinister woman in black who materializes in mirrors and stalks unsuspecting victims around the streets of Tokyo, causing traffic mayhem.
Ito serves up a flurry of horrific treats interspersed throughout an extensive storyline. From a pair of forlorn women with flowing, wispy hair to a dark, shadowy entity lurking in the hidden reaches of outer space, Ito infuses suspense with chilling effect. Swift action scenes punctuated by gradual close-upshots accentuate the mounting tension across his meticulously orchestrated panels.
Although fans accustomed to Ito’s self-contained tales of the macabre may prefer his concise narrative style, Sensor packs a unique dose of horror into an epic story that unfurls through episodic chapters, similar to the intense momentum of Remina. Furthermore, he conjures forth a cosmic tale that blends mystery, horror, fantasy, and even mythic elements that will diversify library collections in this obscure corner of the science fiction universe.
Sensor By Junji Ito VIZ, 2021 ISBN: 9781974718900 Publisher Age Rating: 16+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
No. 5 exists in media res (Latin for “in the midst of things”), demanding that readers navigate a series of interpersonal relationships and backstories from a perpetual step behind. Whether this is an exciting or bewildering perspective (or both!) is up to the reader. The basic premise is that a Rainbow Council of numbered, super-powered beings is hunting down a rogue member named No. 5. The prelude is about one of the Council hunting a supposed deity elk with a pair of children. The first proper chapter has No. 9 chase down No. 5 in a desert (the Earth, in this tale of the future, is mostly desert), with other Rainbow Council members making appearances. The second chapter gives a somewhat more formal introduction to the numbered members, while chapter four provides a “summary in brief” page that may lead to more questions than answers. Chapter five opens in the style of a retro 60s anime that portrays the Rainbow Council like the heroes of Shotaro Ishinomori’s Cyborg 009. These descriptions should give you some idea of the density of the plot, which is tied in knots that become rewarding the more thought is put into understanding how they came to be. Lines of exposition such as “One is as feared by the Rainbow Brigade as Snerferu was in the royal palace of Memphis” pass like puzzle pieces spaced miles apart.
No. 5 has absconded with a woman named Matryoshka, who is often shown eating or relaxing. This is not unique to her character: the richness of No. 5 as a manga largely comes from how these larger-than-life characters exist in their own bubbles. A few are devoted to fighting and destruction, but others wish to lead peaceful or caring lives. A map of the world shown early on helps ground each chapter in a geographic region, but each Rainbow member’s bizarre citadel fortress, combined with Taiyo Matsumoto’s unique art style, makes this manga’s Earth a world unlike any other.
Truly, Matsumoto’s art is the biggest draw here. Any dozen shonen artists could take the premise and make a decent fight manga out of it; Matsumoto is too observant and inquisitive to settle. His use of shading, paneling, juxtaposition, and dimension is endlessly playful. A panel of a battle-livened No. 6 leaping from an aircraft on horseback and declaring, “A view only the gods have!!” is immediately followed by a view of a cup being poured out in another scene. In several cases, if a character shouts or yawns or makes a personal observation, you can bet the paneling will tighten on that mouth or face. If a panel here or there looks sketchy by comparison, the reader must forgive Matsumoto, because another jaw-dropper is right around the corner. There are dozens of wide panels in which a character stands against a landscape or building among multiple happy animals. No. 7, who has dark skin and an afro large enough to support a resting cat, resists orders to fight No. 5, preferring to fish in peace among some islanders. For Matsumoto and the more empathetic characters, superpowers are no excuse for losing sight of the natural world.
Why is so much of this future Earth composed of desert, anyway? The Rainbow Council seems to be in the employ of a global military force, who spend a significant portion of their budget maintaining the Council’s presence. A public television show host says, “It seems clear that most of the laws governing our world exist only to please the military.” In another scene, among the wreckage of an old city, a character declares, “Those old-timers broke their backs building all this. It’s all ruins now. That’s a pattern that will repeat over and over again, forever.” The Rainbow Council’s presence is meant to inspire, but they seem more like puppets of an established order. A brilliant scientist who goes by Papa invents hybrid creatures for fun while dressed in a full-body rabbit suit.
This all sounds wacky, right? It totally is! Through the first volume, readers only get glimpses of No. 5 as a character. Matsumoto has a design for it all, though. Readers expecting a straightforward jaunt through a tournament arc of power creep will be sorely disappointed. Patient readers who pick up the separate vibes of each character and chapter will piece together the bigger picture and savor what is a truly unique comic. Starting with one of Matsumoto’s more accessible but no less stylized works, like Ping Pong, Sunny, or Cats of the Louvre, will help readers calibrate their expectations. I predict teens with an appreciation for the strange will pick up No. 5’s frequencies quicker than most. Some gun violence is the only content consideration, plus a panel of a smoking child. The first few pages plus a fold-out poster are in color, otherwise the other pages originally published in color are in black and white.
No. 5, Vol. 01 By Taiyo Matsumoto VIZ Signature, 2021 ISBN: 9781974720767
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese
For those seeking to indulge in the spooky imagination of Junji Ito, the renowned “Stephen King” of Japan, his collection Lovesickness serves up an extra delectable treat that will whet voracious appetites for past and present fans. Marketed as a collection of ten stories, two of them are actually segmented into multiple chapters and drawn out as mini-novellas that occupy more than half the book.
The titular “Lovesickness” centers on a young boy named Ryusuke who returns to his hometown of Nazumi to discover a series of suicides among girls. What could possibly drive them to take their own lives? They wander through an ancient folkway in hopes of receiving an auspicious “crossroads fortune” from a mysterious handsome young man. Those who receive an ill-fated pronouncement on their love life kill themselves. This rash series of incidents propels Ryusuke to investigate these mysterious deaths. Combining the allurement of mystery, folklore, superstition, and urban legends, Ito unpacks a tale that crosses the realms of unrequited love and relentless passion, ultimately unleashing the deadly effects of human obsession.
In another twisted story, dark humor runs rampant in the dysfunctional family of orphaned brothers and sisters in “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings.” The grotesquely drawn siblings include an overweight, gluttonous brother, a fiendish, pigtailed young daughter, and a morbid young boy who may harbor a deadly secret behind his diffident facade. Their activities are equally outlandish: Their elder sister Narumi is driven to emotional distress when her siblings accuse her of indulging in a secret love affair; a dinner of conversations revolves around inventive methods to punish Narumi’s secret lover; and the family conducts a séance to conjure up their deceased parents with riotous effects.
Rounding out these protracted stories are shorter self-contained one-shots. “The Mansion of Phantom Pain” features a sickly, incapacitated boy confined to a mansion, whose pains are strangely connected to remote areas of the house. A woman considers undergoing surgery to remove her ribs in exchange for a beautiful physique in “The Rib Woman,” but at what cost? The one story that doesn’t quite hit the mark is “Memories of Real Poop,” though some readers may still enjoy this lighter slice of edgy humor. Human obsessions with love, beauty, vanity, and greed permeate these gruesome stories—their plots often rising to a hyperbolic and feverish pitch.
From fog sketched panels and haunting sound effects to characters driven mad with desperation, Ito’s visual narrative images produce an eerie atmospheric mood and tone in “Lovesickness,” signifying the intoxicating spell under which the young girls have been bewitched. The abnormally drawn Hikizuri siblings wearing exaggerated facial expressions in the second story present a bizarre spectacle akin to the Addams Family.
Although not as prolific as previous collections, Lovesickness compensates by offering two extensive stories that afford more time for character development and will complement manga collections for readers with a penchant for the macabre tinged with black comedy.
Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection By Junji Ito VIZ, 2021 ISBN: 9781974719846
Publisher Age Rating: 16+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
A young girl named Flora has just inherited a house in Cotton Valent’s Creepy Cat. What she doesn’t know is what other inhabitants she has inherited with it. There is a ghost cat which she refers to as the “creepy cat” that is intrigued by her and pops up everywhere she goes. At first, she is weirded out and scared by the cat and spends a lot of time trying to trap him. Eventually, she gives up and becomes used to his presence. Ghostly figures are not the only things attracted to Flora. A policeman by the name of Oscar is also interested in her. Just like the creepy cat, he shows up in unexpected places, but he’s more helpful than spooky. Comical adventures then ensue with the main characters.
The story continues with many vignettes of Creepy Cat being a goofball. These sequences went on a little too long for my taste. I was expecting more plot and some explanation for the multiple cats and specters that abound. In one scene, she looks like she will be attacked by a vampire but Creepy Cat charms him. In another scene, a boogeyman-type character is about to break into the house, but Creepy Cat sneaks up on him and scares him away. One scene puzzled me and that was when Flora and Creepy Cat are enjoying a candlelight dinner together. She remarks about not feeling alone because they have each other, while behind her are seven specters with blacked-out eyes. We have no idea how these specters are a part of this story, and it added to my frustration of mysteries being teased with no hints to what it might mean. Alas, it is the final moments of the graphic novel where we get a hint of where the story might go. I was also disappointed in the love interest, Oscar, as he never gets developed as a real love interest. He comes across more like a stalker than a dreamy police officer.
The one thing that I found impressive about the graphic novel was the artwork. You can tell what the artist drew their inspiration from. The story is drawn in gothic tones and looks very Tim Burtonesque. The lead character, Flora, has a vampire princess look with long flowing black hair, big oval eyes that are highlighted by a dark eyeliner. Oscar looked more like a butler or a chauffeur to me than a police officer in his suit and tie. He has a cone-shaped face with a pointy chin. Another influence for Cotton appears to be the anime My Neighbor Totoro. Creepy Cat looks a bit like a marshmallow with an elongated body and short limbs. He earns his name “creepy” due to his red eyes that glow.
In the end, Creepy Cat will probably find fans with a tween audience who will giggle at Creepy Cat’s antics. This graphic novel won’t find the same admiration with a mature teen or adult audience. It’s hard to judge by a first volume if a series is worth collecting. You need to read about three volumes to get a sense of where the story is going. The end of this volume hints at something intriguing, but it is hard to tell if it will lead to a satisfying storyline.
Creepy Cat, Vol. 1 By Cotton Valent Seven Seas, 2019 ISBN: 9781648277870 Publisher Age Rating: 10+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Japanese
The magical realism of anime meets the enchanting wonder of Disney in Academy Award nominated director Mamoru Hosoda’s (The Girl Who Leapt through Time, Mirai) mesmerizing virtual world fantasy that echoes Beauty and the Beast. The tagline of this fantasy thriller states, “You can’t start over in reality, but you can start over in U,” prepping viewers to delve into this alternate reality where the inhabitants adopt identities that mask their true personas, yet draws out their hidden strengths.
Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and his buddy Pikachu are back! This time they are joined by a friend called Goh and his Pokémon partners for adventures that have them traveling all over the Pokémon world.
Hakaba is just a student, but when his linguistics professor is injured on his way to field work, he gets pulled in to take over. There’s just one catch: The professor researches the languages and communication styles of the inhabitants of the Netherworld and there’s a lot more to communicating with werewolves, harpies, lizardfolk, and other cultures than Hakaba ever imagined!
Welcome to Borderland. You’ll be dying to stick around.
Supernatural intrigue laced with magical realism and punctuated by moments of humor permeate the short stories in Rumiko Takahashi’s latest collection Came the Mirror and Other Tales. This volume introduces five selections and an autobiographic bonus that highlights her early years as an aspiring manga storyteller.
Satomi Mizusawa is a first-year high school student, and normally on the bashful side. But when a mystery boy saves her from a handsy stranger on the subway, she throws shyness out the window in her quest to meet her rescuer properly. She still regrets failing to act on a past crush and is determined not to make the same mistake again. So when she discovers that the boy, Yagyu, attends her school, Mizusawa makes a point of telling him that she wants to get to know him better. He agrees, and suddenly, they’re dating!
This uncanny story begins at the base of Mount Sengoku, where a woman named Kyoko Byakuya, whether by fate or chance, stumbles upon a secluded village covered by gold-colored “angel hair.” These fine threads of hair—known as divine Amagami—somehow possess a mystical ability that enables the villagers to commune with each other through the power of clairvoyance. But why do they believe this woman to be their messianic savior, and what unearthly forces have been unleashed by her sudden arrival?
No. 5
For those seeking to indulge in the spooky imagination of Junji Ito, the renowned “Stephen King” of Japan, his collection Lovesickness serves up an extra delectable treat that will whet voracious appetites for past and present fans. Marketed as a collection of ten stories, two of them are actually segmented into multiple chapters and drawn out as mini-novellas that occupy more than half the book.
A young girl named Flora has just inherited a house in Cotton Valent’s Creepy Cat. What she doesn’t know is what other inhabitants she has inherited with it. There is a ghost cat which she refers to as the “creepy cat” that is intrigued by her and pops up everywhere she goes. At first, she is weirded out and scared by the cat and spends a lot of time trying to trap him. Eventually, she gives up and becomes used to his presence. Ghostly figures are not the only things attracted to Flora. A policeman by the name of Oscar is also interested in her. Just like the creepy cat, he shows up in unexpected places, but he’s more helpful than spooky. Comical adventures then ensue with the main characters.
