Mix – 16

August 21, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Mix, reviews

“I’m Not Trusted at All” A pretty quiet chapter this time, clearly intended to be a mood piece. The stage is being set for the jump to the future with some not-so-subtle reminders about the past. The first of these reminders is a callback to the “other” glorious memory for […] Read more

Mix – 15

August 14, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Mix, reviews

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“Are You Worried?” So, there ends the prologue, seemingly, and now begins the real story of Mix. But will the big question on everyone’s minds be answered anytime soon? I think more than with any other mangaka, familiarity is a vital component of Adachi Mitsuru’s appeal. Frankly I’m not sure […] Read more

Otoyomegatari – 31

August 13, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Otoyomegatari, Series Reviews

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“Barrage” This is certainly uncharted territory for Mori Kaoru in Otoyomegatari, and maybe ever. Our sweet little domestic period piece has become an action thriller, and in far more serious terms than the little skirmish when Amir’s family came to wrest her back from her child groom. We knew this […] Read more

Hourou Musuko – 122/123 (End)

July 24, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedHourou Musuko, Manga, reviews, Series Reviews

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“My Rose-Colored Life/For You” “There were two children. One of them wanted to be a boy. One of them wanted to be a girl. One of them stopped wanting to be a boy. That’s all there is to it.” Since Takako-sensei has chosen to sum up Hourou Musuko herself in […] Read more

Otoyomegatari – 30

June 22, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Otoyomegatari, reviews

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“Meeting the Batan” Normally the most adorable couple in the universe arm-wrestling would be the headline, but that’s not the case here. For my money, Otoyomegatari is the best manga running (though with hundreds of them out there, that’s obviously narrowed down to the ones I read). In terms of […] Read more

Mix – 14

June 15, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Mix, reviews

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“When Spring Comes” Mix may be a linear sequel to Touch, but in some ways it’s playing more like a pastiche of several of Adachi’s earlier series. I see elements of Cross Game, Miyuki and especially H2 here, among others, and he’s even included a few names that are puns […] Read more

Hourou Musuko – 120/121

June 13, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedHourou Musuko, Manga, reviews

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“First Voice/Love” If you’ve been reading my posts on Hourou Musuko, you know that I’ve commented a few times that it felt to me as if Takako-sensei were getting ready to bring the manga to a close. Well, it’s confirmed – the August issue of Comic Beam is going to […] Read more

Otoyomegatari – 29

June 3, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Otoyomegatari, reviews

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“Pasture” Well, that was certainly an Otoyomegatari chapter unlike any other so far. But never let it be said that Mori-sensei is a conservative mangaka – she tests the rules and follows her own path when it comes to format more than most others in the field, and this series […] Read more

Mix – 13

May 22, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Mix, reviews

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“Of Course it Does” 13 chapters in, we have our first major timeskip (an Adachi specialty) in Mix. With the Nikaidou business settled and done with, it’s seems as if the third year of middle school is going to be breezed through pretty quickly, and Meisei High School is where […] Read more

Mix – 11/12

May 16, 2013Guardian EnzoUncategorizedManga, Mix, reviews

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“You’re a Pitcher, Right?”/”I’m Glad” It appears as if Adachi-sensei is getting soft in his middle age. We finally got our tragedy, but the patient lived. Anyone who’s read enough Adachi manga knew that Mix was a ticking time bomb – something bad was bound to happen (or already be […] Read more