don't be dull, be fannish

"Bleach Vol. 14" by Tite Kubo

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My favorite part was the confrontation between Ichigo and Zangetsu. Ichigo's soulscape - or whatever it's called - is so unique. And I wonder who the monster was with whom he fought, the guy who then talked to Zangetsu about devouring Ichigo. Cannot wait for more!

"Black Lagoon, Vol. 7" by Rei Hiroe

Rating: ♥ ♥

And Roberta's revenge arc continues. And it goes on and on and on while the Black Lagoon crew plays second fiddle once more. I'm really tired of them being guest stars in their own manga. I can't remember the last time the series actually focused on them. I miss the good old days when it was Rock, Revy, Benny and Dutch against the world. These days, it's like Benny and Dutch almost don't even exist anymore. I get that the author is doing some world building but it's at the expense of the main characters. I freely admit that I don't like it. In this book, I liked only two or three scenes, those that focused on Rock and Revy. The rest was all about politicking, gangsters sitting around tables and talking about other gangsters. Not my cuppa.

I do own volume 8 - I bought this manga in bulk long time ago - but I don't think I will continue it after that. I fell in love with the manga because I was smitten with the Black Lagoon crew. But the series has been less and less about them and more and more about Roanapur in general with each volume. And that's not what I signed up for.

"Black Sun Vol. 1" by Uki Ogasawara

Rating: ♣ ♣ ♣

The story is a bit thin. Okay, really thin: in a semi-historical setting, an Ottoman general takes a young crusader prisoner and makes him his bed slave only for the two of them to be separated by the plotting, jealous lover of the old sultan. At least the drawings are really beautiful. And also very, very graphic, the sex scenes, I mean.

Still, despite the paper thinness of the story and the three stars I gave it, I want to know where it's headed, how/if Jemal and Leonard will find a way to be together. So, I will continue the series, for at least a book or two more.

"Black Lagoon Vol. 6" by Rei Hiroe

Rating: ♣ ♣ ♣

Great fight sequences but too much talking. I do like it when a manga has a story, but the story and the conversations have to be interesting. Pages after pages of politicking and/or a very detailed description of counterfeiting? That's rather boring. Also, there was very little interaction between the characters of the Black Lagoon. I love Revy and Rock's bickering of which there was a severe lack in this volume. Revy and Eda were hilarious, though. And the twist with Eda? I so didn't expect that!

"Border 3" by Kazuma Kodaka

4 stars out of 5

Kippei's backstory. I loved the part that took place in the orphanage many years back best. Yamato, Tamaki, Kippei... what an amazing family. And Kippei's nutty mentor too. Though, I still have to wonder who will get together with whom - if anybody, that is. So far, Yamato and Sohgo look like they might be "it". But who knows...

"Border Vol. 1" by Kazuma Kodaka

4 stars out of 5

Kazuma Kodaka proves once more that she knows how to build interesting, deep, three-dimensional characters. Yamato, Tamaki, Kippei, Sohgo... I want to learn more about every one of them! Yamato as the main character is front and center, of course, but for me, the most intriguing character is Tamaki. But I did love the flashback that told us how Yamato fell in love with Will and then lost him...

There were some things that I didn't understand, like what did Yamato, a Japanese, do in the US special forces. Or I didn't really feel Will's reasons for sleeping with Yamato, at least his initial reasons.

Definitely looking forward to volume 2!

"Black Lagoon Vol. 4" by Rei Hiroe

I didn't like this volume as much as the previous ones, mostly because the Black Lagoon crew was side-lined and the story was pretty much told from the POV of Balalaika and her soldiers on the one side and Yukio and her bodyguard on the other.

"Goat, Jihad and Rock'n Roll Pt. 6" - I loved the part where Revy got Rock high. And when she yelled at him that next time, she would not come to his rescue. Ha! Right ;)

"Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise Pt. 1-8" - This story is definitely not for faint-hearted people. From the beginning, you know it just can't end well for the Washimine family and especially for Yukio and her bodyguard. Not with a man like Chaka nearby. And especially not with Balalaika after them. Balalaika proved to be a really cruel woman in this volume - she doesn't care about anything but money and power... and maybe her soldiers, well, as much as a general can care about foot soldiers in the field. I felt especially sorry for Rock, caught in the middle with no way out. Revy didn't care one way or the other, but he did - and I think that's what Revy admires about him and why she's so protective of him. I loved the scene where she swore to Rock that she would kill Chaka before they left Japan for what he did to Rock.

This manga is really fascinating, full of action and suspense - but also senseless cruelty. It's definitely not a feel-good stuff.

"Black Lagoon Vol. 3" by Rei Hiroe

In this volume, the story of the murdering twins concludes and the Black Lagoon company is hired to deliver secret documents and to protect them from Islamic terrorists.

"Bloodsport Fairy Tale" - even though the twins were crazy sociopaths and mass murderers, I still got all teary eyed when they died. Maybe because Rock showed them compassion, because he was the only one who ever treated them well and didn't try to abuse them. He was so heartbroken on their behalf. Yet I still admired Balalaika for killing the kids, that she had the guts - and the determination - to avenge her men. My favorite part? How protective Levi was of Rock on the boat.

"Goat, Jihad and Rock'N Roll" - Wow, that was some bloodbath. Levi and that other female Chinese killer, they went along fabulously, their "hate-hate yet fight side-by-side" relationship reminded me of Levi's... erm, friendship - if you can call it that - with Eda, that gun smuggling nun. They really reveled in killing those terrorists. Levi's totally nuts - yet she always comes to Rock's rescue. What a weird friendship. On the other hand, I sometimes feel that Rock is the only normal person there.

Another great volume. Rei Hiroe really knows how to write female heroines. They are just as gun-toting and bloodthirsty as men, maybe even more.

Review: This manga is silly. And funny. And so, so over the top. Not just the fights, but also the characters, their traits. Like Rukia's love for anything cute, the fact she sucks at drawing and that she lives in Ichigo's bedroom closet. And that's just one character! But in the middle of all the crazy, something dark and serious usually pops up - like the fate of the "modified souls" - and it feels even darker compared to all the funny stuff going around. I quite like the manga.

The anime was quite true to the manga when it started so I pretty much know what will happen. Still, it's fun to read the story in a manga format. But I'm glad that I've seen the anime first because I can now imagine the Hollows' terrible, chilling scream. This manga is definitely a nice mix of humor, horror and action.