Home Archives for Akimi Yoshida
6 November 2011 Leave a Comment

Library Love, Part 7

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Akira, Volumes 1-2 by Katsuhiro Otomo. Several years ago I watched the anime of Akira and enjoyed it. I think I like the manga it’s based on even better. I find it to be a marvelous, page-turning, science fiction romp. And because it’s an entire series, Otomo is able to explore aspects of the story that he wasn’t able to include in the two hour film; I feel like I can connect with the characters more and understand them and their actions better. There’s plenty of action and violence with all of the delinquent youths, bike gangs, military forces, and resistance organizations, but the manga also has a fair amount of humor to it too that prevents things from getting too dark.

Banana Fish, Volumes 18-19 by Akimi Yoshida. I had a feeling that things weren’t going to turn out well, but damn this is still heartbreaking. The ending is appropriate and the two side stories included in the final volume were a very nice touch. Yoshida ties up everything by the end, sometimes in surprising ways, but the result is very satisfying. The relationships, good and bad, are what this manga is all about and they are intense. Ash is an extremely charismatic character who profoundly affects those around him. Although the plot developments felt a bit repetitive at times, overall Banana Fish is a great series and I’m really glad that I read it.

Godchild, Volume 6-8 by Kaori Yuki. I think that these last three volumes of this manga are also the best in the series. The plot has gotten very dark, and very cruel, but things are starting to make some sense and are pulled together nicely by the end. Cain’s father and his family history are more thoroughly explained although I still don’t understand everything that’s going on. There are some characters that seem to be introduced out of nowhere to force the plot along, and there are still some developments that I’m not entirely convinced by, but for the most part I liked how things ended and how references to earlier volumes were incorporated.

Hana-Kimi: For You in Full Blossom, Volumes 20-23 by Hisaya Nakajo. While I am satisfied for the most part with the ending of Hana-Kimi, the series is definitely a fantasy and not at all how things would have really turned out. The manga seemed to go on a bit too long with a bit too much filler, and the climax was a bit anti-climatic, but it did make me happy to some extent in the long run. However, I will be the first to admit that how Ashiya is finally discovered and outed to be posing as a guy at an all boys school is really, really stupid. I don’t need to read the series again, and a lot of things frustrated me about the manga, but it was kinda fun while it lasted.

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24 December 2010 Leave a Comment

Library Love, Part 6

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Banana Fish, Volumes 14-17 by Akimi Yoshida. Yoshida has really ratcheted up the action and plot with these four volumes. There are only two left in the series and I have no idea how she’s going to wrap everything up! I’ve really been enjoying Banana Fish; the deepening relationship between Ash and Eiji is simply fantastic. Things are getting really dangerous for them and their allies and it’s hard to see how they’re going to pull through. Eiji in particular is a very changed person, although he has had a significant influence on Ash as well. I want to see the both of them happy but it’s going to be difficult with multiple crime syndicates and mercenaries gunning for Ash.

Hikaru No Go, Volumes 4-7 written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. I really didn’t expect Hikaru to become as serious as his is now about Go. It’s fascinating to see him grow as both a person and a player. Sai is as adorable and earnest about the game as ever and is happy to see Hikaru take more interest. Although, it does mean he doesn’t get to play as much as he would like. More and more characters are being introduced as Hikaru moves on from his school’s Go club to being accepted as an insei, hoping one day to become a professional Go player. Even though it’s heading in a different direction than I originally thought, I’m loving this series and can’t wait to read more.

Real, Volumes 4-6 by Takehiko Inoue. Damn this series is good! It can be a little emotionally exhausting and intense at times. We get a bit more of Togawa’s back story, Nomiya’s struggle to find his direction in life, and Takahashi’s discord with his family. These are real people dealing with real issues that aren’t always pretty. The attention given to the un-idealized portrayal of disability, physical therapy, recovery and the effects they have on people is stunning. I highly recommend this series even if you’re not into sports manga because it really is about so much more than basketball. Real amazes me.

Yotsuba&!, Volumes 2-3 by Kiyohiko Azuma. Jumbo is still my favorite character and I love seeing the trio of him, Yotsuba, and her father hanging out together. Yotsuba still manages to be adorable without being annoying, completely confounding her friends and neighbors. I’m actually surprised by how much she manages to get away with; the others put up with her antics with amazing tolerance. Perhaps it’s just that she’s such a good-hearted kid even when she’s getting herself into trouble. It’s really a delight to watch as she experiences and enjoys things in life for the first time.

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8 October 2010 Leave a Comment

Library Love, Part 3

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Banana Fish, Volumes 12-13 by Akimi Yoshida. I am really enjoying watching Eiji and Ash’s relationship develop and deepen. By this point it’s fairly well established, but these volumes show just how far they are willing to go for each other. Particularly interesting is Eiji, whose innocence and naiveté finally seems to have been tainted by the chaos and violence around him. In some ways it does seem like variations of the same thing keep happening over and over and there are still six more volumes to go. There are a lot of open plot lines right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how everything ties together.

Hikaru no Go, Volumes 2-3 written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. I had a feeling this was going to happen, but now I really want to learn to play Go. Fortunately for me, these early volumes actually cover the basics of the game both in the context of and apart from the story. Sai consistently makes me smile over how obsessed he is with the game and it’s nice to see Hikaru becoming more serious about playing. I’m really liking this series so far and will definitely be reading more.

Real, Volume 3 by Takehiko Inoue. Typically, I’m not into sports manga, but Real is fantastic. I picked up the series because I wanted to read something by Inoue (his art is wonderful) and Real was the only manga of his currently available at my library. It’s about wheelchair basketball and tough guys having to deal with tough issues in a very realistic way. Much of the third volume focuses on Takahashi who is struggling to accept the fact that he will never walk again. He’s always been a bit of an asshole, but I still care about him. The emotions, from anger to despair, are intense.

Vampire Knight, Volume 8 by Matsuri Hino. I waited too long between reading the seventh volume and the eighth. Fortunately this volume is mostly a huge reveal of up till now missing back story. There’s some crazy stuff introduced—some of which didn’t really make much sense or just wasn’t thoroughly explained. I will admit didn’t get all of what was going on. Still, there were some interesting plot developments and it’s nice to have some questions answered. The series has definitely taken a very serious turn and it’s missing some of the humor that could be found in the earlier volumes.

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