Reviewing the Mail (Manga Edition): Week of 5/24

This week's "Reviewing the Mail" has been bisected, since my mail divided neatly into manga and SFF this week. This, for those who didn't read the label on the tin, is the manga half.

And first this week is something that isn't manga at all: it's the Japanese live-action movie Honey & Clover, which was based on a manga of the same name. It sounds like a coming-of-age story, with maybe a hint of romantic comedy; Viz calls it "the story of five students and their growth while attending art school facing the challenges of school, work, love while moving from adolescence into adulthood." It was released May 13th on DVD.

The rest of this week's manga selections are the product of one large package from Yen Press, the manga-publishing imprint of Hachette in the US. Starting with the things I actually know a little about, Zombie-Loan, Vol. 3 is on top, which continues the undead-teens-working-
for-a-repo-firm story that I reviewed in March. This third volume is publishing in June, and it's created by the manga collective that calls itself Peach-Pit.

Coming in May -- which means it's already out -- is Sundome, Vol. 2, the second part of a Mature-rated series about sexual frustration and teasing in high school. I enjoyed the first volume probably more than I should have -- it's quite broad, very politically incorrect, and about horny teenagers -- so I'm looking forward to this one. It's by Kazuto Okada.

Black God, Vol. 3 is by Dall-Young Lim and Sung-Woo Park, and it's coming in June. I reviewed volume two, so I vaguely understand the set-up -- it's yet another story about a jerky guy with a connection to a young woman who is gorgeous, has amazing powers, but also seems to know nothing about the world.

And now we move into things I'm unfamiliar with -- first of those is Freak, Vol. 3: Legend of the Nonblonds. It's by Yi DongEun and Yu Chung, and it reads left-to-right. Other than that, it seems to be some kind of futuristic/supernatural story with a lot of fighting in it. It's also coming in June.

Then there's Croquis Pop, Vol. 1, by KwangHyun Seo and JinHo Ko. It's about a young man who's an assistant to a manwha creator -- and also has to get rid of ghosts on the side. It's yet another June book.

Heavenly Executioner Chiwoo, Vol. 4 is by Park KangHo and Lee HaNa, was published in May, and it's yet another story about people yelling at each other and then fighting with special techniques.

One Thousand and One Nights, Vol. 4 is by Han SeungLee and Jeon JinSeok, also came out in May, and looks like a very emotional historical story. (Someone is called a "Sultan," so I think it's set in some part of the Arab world, even though the characters mostly wear Asian robes and have manga-boy hair.)

The last volume of Bring It On! is volume 5, which is what I have here. It's by Baek HyeKyung, and is a June publication. I think it's a romance of some kind, with lots and lots of intensely emotional scenes -- streaming tears, smouldering looks or sullen lips, and so on.

Kim MiKyung created something called 11th Cat Special, which was published in May. This is a collection of short stories, but it might also be related to an 11th Cat series (if there is such a thing).

Legend , Vol. 2 is by Kara and Woo SooJung, from May, and looks like a historical girls' comic with some romantic elements.

And last this week is Chocolat , Vol. 5, which I doubt has anything to do with the movie of the same name. It's by Shin JiSang and Geo, and will be published in June. Let me just quote the first line of the back-cover copy and leave it at that: "Kum-Ji may have started following Yo-I to get close to her favorite boy band, DDL, but it's E-Wan of Yo-I that she can't get out of her head!" Add a lightsaber or two, and that could almost be the cast of the Clone Wars...