Cherry is on an airplane watching a vampire movie. In the row across from him sits a girl who is exhibiting some strange behavior and gets up from her seat and heads for the restroom.
A bit later, everyone on the plane has fallen asleep including Charley and in comes one of my favorite characters, Rayflo who silently sits next to Charley. He starts messing around with Charley because he thinks Charley is asleep. He starts to fondle Charley a bit but to his surprise and disappointment Charley is awake and quickly stops Rayflo from sexually harassing him (his words not mines).
Meanwhile the girl is still in one of the restrooms and she’s messing around with bullets and drooling from the month. In a nearby restroom Charley and Rayflo are taking part in a little mile high action. Charley is sinking is teeth deep into Rayflo’s neck. Rayflo takes the opportunity to question Charley as to why they are taking this trip without Sacre (it’s obviously not a mission to hunt down vampires). Charley doesn’t reveal much to Johnny only that they are going to visit Cheryl. Rayflo has surmised that Charley is visiting Cheryl to question her about her ancestor Arnold Paole. VOLUME 1 NOTES: In the last volume, chapter 2 Cheryl had mentioned that she had inherited the blood and curse of Arnold Paole END NOTES. Rayflo then goes for Charley’s zipper and Charley starts to freak out. (more…)
So, I received my copy of Vassalord last week and finished it the following day. So, what can I say about it. Loved it!
Now with that being said let me clear up a few things. I love Vassalord because of the relationship between Charley and Rayflo but for me there wasn’t enough about them in this volume. I mean their in it and all but the story is starting to take another turn which I believe will tie back into the true identity of Johnny Rayflo but there wasn’t much interaction between Charley and Rayflo like it was in Vassalord Volume 1.
Volume 2 is basically a continuation of Volume 1, Chapter 2 Hierocles’ Delusion. Remember that chapter was about the slimy vampire priest Kazan, well that’s kind of where Volume 2 picks up but it’s now dealing with another character(s) and turning them into vampires.
We also have reoccurring characters: Cheryl is back along with a Rayfell. The small boy in the wheel church, Charley helped during the Neo Union Church gather is back (volume 1, chapter 2), and so is that rude cop (he a little less rude).
Then there is another story in the manga called Zoul Half which has nothing to do with Vassalord. It has different characters and a different story. I kind of wish more time had been spent on more Cherry and Rayflo stories but oh well.
I’ll try to get Chapter 4 up as quickly as I can. I had eye surgery last month so my eyes are still adjusting and I have to limit my time reading and staring at the computer screen for the time being (but I couldn’t let it stop me from reading this Volume. I know it was probably not in my best interest to do so but hey I couldn’t wait any longer to read it).
Well, until then
Take care!
Less than a week away for the release of Vassalord Volume 2. I can’t wait, can’t wait. In the meantime I’ve been finding it hard to pick another great manga to read. 
There are just so many to choose from. I’m up for any suggestions. What manga are you reading now or plan to read soon?
I’m always checking out Amazon’s best sellers list to get an idea of what’s hot but I haven’t been able to pull the trigger on purchasing any yet.
I’ve really enjoyed most of the ones I’ve read so far but I feel I have a way to go to be like other avid manga readers like Samantha and other readers whose sites I stumble up on, on the net.
I have thought about reading the volumes online instead of waiting until they become available in stores but it’s the waiting and anticipation of opening a new, fresh, crisp manga that gets me really excited and stops me from reading volumes online. It’s like a roller coast: finishing one volume is like climbing up the highest point of the ride but getting that newly release manga and reading it is like the thrilling ride down the hill. Ahh the butterflies and fun!
Oh well, that’s just me rambling . . . maybe I’ll give reading manga online a try someday, at least to see if I like a particular story or characters before making the actual purchase. Just a thought.
If you happen to have suggestions on entertaining relationship based manga that you’re currently reading, have read in the past or plan to read in the future post below. I’m always looking for the next entertaining story until my favs become available to buy.
Happy reading!
#15 The One I Love Is . . .
Everyone is back from summer break. The bond between Tomari and Hazumu has gotten stronger since that night at the training camp.
Hazumu meets Tomari at her house to walk to school. Outside Tomari’s home they plan to go to the aquarium amusement park after school. They both start to reach for each others hand but are interrupted by the others (Asuta, Ayuki, and Yasuna) arrival. They look totally embarrassed and everyone knows something is going on between the two of them (but they are not sure what). NOTE: It should be noted that Yasuna is feeling sick but refuses to go one day without seeing Hazumu.
They all arrive at school. Asuta reminds Hazumu about staying after school to take temperature readings for science class. Hazumu freaks out. She totally forgot about it. During class Hazumu is obviously feeling bummed out about staying after school. Yasuna comes up to Hazumu asking if she had other plans after school and Hazumu reveals to her the plan for the aquarium. Hazumu was totally out of it when she was talking that she hadn’t realized that she was revealing this information to Yasuna. When she finally notices that she had been talking to Yasuna she freaks out again. But Yasuna tells Hazumu to go ahead and go to the aquarium. She will handle her after school duties. Besides, it’s only fair that Tomari gets to spend a day with her alone (she got to after all). Hazumu accepts Yasuna’s offer. (more…)
Chapter 3 Fleeting Dark Abba is a memory sequence chapter: It begins with a young boy telling his feelings about darkness to a nun. He explains how he has never been afraid of the dark because explosions and bloody people can not see “you” in the dark. So, when he meets this strange man, he isn’t afraid of him because this man is obviously a person of darkness (the man looks like Johnny Rayflo).
He continues by telling the nun how nice this gentleman was to him but in actuality the first words that came out of this stranger’s mouth were “Get Lost” The man goes on to describe how the abandoned church is his feeding ground and if the little boy doesn’t get lost he’s going to eat him up. Unfortunately for the man, the little boy’s stomach starts to growl (it apparently liked the way the man was describing how he was going to “eat” him up). So, the man gives the little boy a piece of old bread to eat and their relationship begins.
Rayflo (that’s what I’ll call him because his true name is never revealed in this chapter) tries several times to get the boy to leave but the boy won’t leave his side. So, they stay together and Rayflo does his best to provide him with “human” food but there’s a war going on so there isn’t much food or people around. (more…)
This chapter, Hierocles’ Delusion, begins with a flashback – it’s of Johnny Rayflo getting dressed in an all white outfit and a little boy, whose name is Chris, remarks how pretty the man looks in white (is this Chris the Charley we all know and love? Me thinks, yes).
Back to present time – Charley is returning to his hotel room to find his master looking out the window at all the prepping commotion downstairs. They both plan to attend the Neo Union Church party being held across the street. As Charley leaves the room to get dress he orders his master not to wear white at the party. For Charley the color white should be worn by holymen (and we all know Rayflo is not a holyman).
At the church gathering Rayflo sneaks away from Charley and starts flirting with a group of young ladies. Charley enjoys the party the best he can but he starts to feel a little hungry. He has been on a fast for 5 days and the smell of all that blood is starting to get to him. Charley steps out into the hallway to gather himself. While there, he assists a young boy back into his wheelchair. The boy politely thanks him (he thinks Charley is a reverend) and leaves. As soon as the boy is around the corner Rayflo unexpectedly appears. He catches a glimpse of the boy around the corner and drags Charley to a confession room. While the reverend is speaking the holy word, Rayflo and Charley begin their routine of feeding and satisfying one another. Just as Charley is about to feast on Rayflo, a little nun comes alone and whacks Charley on the head. She believes the two of them are vampires (and she’s right!) but she quickly apologizes when she sees Charley’s cross (he does looks like a priest). (more…)
The Confined Elagabalus begins with Johnny Rayflo getting out of his pool (naked) while talking on his phone discussing business. In the background there is something emerging from the pool. It’s Charley (aka Cherry). He takes his sword and plunges it into Rayflo’s back. Johnny scatters into several bats leaving Charley to battle the fighting maids.
The maids and Charley battle for quiet a while. Charley finally disposes of the maids and goes looking for Rayflo. He finds Johnny and readies himself to stab him again but the maids return and bombard Charley with a series of daggers causing Charley to collapse to the floor. As Johnny bends to face Charley, Charley pushes forth a metal stake and stabs Rayflo who is now underneath Charley. (more…)
#8 Bride and Groom
After Tomari walks in on the kiss between Hazumu and Yasuna she tries her best to avoid them. She remembers a promised that Hazumu made to her as a child about being her groom but now with the kiss and Hazumu obviously not remembering she’s trying her best not to interfere.
During Hazumu’s bath time she tries to figure out what’s going on with Tomari. Why is Tomari avoiding her and not talking to her like she use to. And then an ideal occurs to Hazumu. She immediately jumps out of the tub and heads over to Tomari. Once there Hazumu explains that she now understands why Tomari has been behaving so strangely towards her. Hazumu tries to tell Tomari that she really likes her but Tomari instantaneously smacks Hazumu across the face. Tomari doesn’t want to hear such things, after all isn’t Hazumu in love with Yasuna?
Hazumu isn’t able to say she loves Yasuna because at this point she likes both girls equally. And with that information, Tomari tells Hazumu that if that is true then she’ll have to do the same thing to both of them. Hazumu starts to panic thinking she’ll have to kiss Tomari (more…)
I had another night of staying up late and reading manga. This time my late night reading pleasure was Vassalord.
It’s about a cyborg vampire, who works for the Catholic Church and his relationship with his master vampire Johnny Rayflo. I had originally read a snippet of the manga in an issue on Anime Insider and I was intrigued with what I read. However, I find now that the snippet I previewed and the summary on the back of the cover does not do the manga justice. I had originally thought it was this dark, bloody story about a vampire cyborg who is trying to destroy this other vampire who he is actually in love with.
It’s actually quite funny to begin with, they are vampires but the cyborg Charley isn’t trying to kill Johnny. They have a relationship and it’s the relationship between the two of them that I find really interesting and want to learn more about. Together the two of them, so far, solve these vampire related incidents. Their personal relationship is much more intriguing then the cases they solve together. It’s the kind of relationship where they suck blood and possible a few other things (I’m just assuming).
The issue I have with the manga is the drawing, particularly when it comes to the fighting/action scenes. They tend to be just a series of strokes and lines making it very difficult to see what is occurring in the panel (kind of messy and blurry). When there are no action scenes then I am able to get into the story but the minute a fight scene occurs I am completely confused as to who did what or how they did it. I have to read the next panel to piece it all together.
Overall, I really like Vassalord. I have to say I tend to have a bias opinion for manga with pretty, handsome guys but not always (for example Cain. I wasn’t feeling that one). I am looking forward to reading the next volume scheduled for release on November 11, 2008.
I am fascinated by vampires and relationships so the two come together nicely. Check out my Vassalord Volume 1 book summary coming up soon.
Book details:
Tokyopop
Age: 16+
Creator: Nanae Chrono
OMG! Have you read Loveless Volume 8, yet? Well, you better. My manga arrived Tuesday, September 16. I was really busy with work and other errands all day so by 3:00 am I was completely exhausted. But there, sitting on my bookshelf was volume 8. I couldn’t let it just sit there while I slept (it’s unthinkable!) I was only going to read a few chapters but of course it was too good to put down. I mean how could I. I was finally getting answers (I thought) but by the end of the manga I had more questions then answers.
I also had a huge dislike for Seimei. I mean the guy is so MEAN! How can he hurt Ritsuka and Soubi like that or anyone for that matter? What’s he really up to anyway? Questions like that and more kept playing over and over in my head as I turned one page after the next. It was sad, yet funny, yet great! I can’t say anything bad about it because I love the characters so much. Ritsuka has matured, I feel, in this volume. He’s starting to see things about Seimei and Soubi (whether he really understands it all remains to be seen but my love for him continues to grow). I honestly don’t understand it yet. So, I guess when he understands I’ll understand it.
In this volume we learn about Soubi and how he became a fighter unit, in particularly how he became Seimei’s fighter unit. Agh! That Seimei, he has some serious issues. Things are revealed and there are things that we only get a glimpse at and have to wait to see how it all develops but overall it’s another volume I just love!
I’ll have my “summary” of this volume 8 as soon as I can.
#1 The Day He Changed
Kashimashi (girl meets girl) begins with an introduction of the 17 year old male character Hazumu Osaragi. He has feelings for Yasuna Kamuzumi but when he goes to confess his love for her she turns him down.
In an effort to move on and forget about her Hazumu journeys into the Kashima Mountains while there he is struck by a spaceship. The alien, feeling just horrible about the incident, works on restoring Hazumu’s life and body. Unfortunately, during the process something irreversible happens.
The alien heads into town to reveal his identity to the townspeople (It’s part of the Interplanetary Life Preservation code). During his explanation he explains what has occurred on Kashima Mountains and how he was able to restore life into the earthling but he got the gender all wrong and now “he” is a “she” The alien then returns Hazumu to his parents and friends as a cute and busty girl.
Everyone is shocked by this startling information, even Yasuna (who apparently like girls and that was the reason why she turned Hazumu down). (more…)
Here is a rundown of the characters of the manga Kashimashi - Girl Meets Girl. The Kashimashi Volume 1 summary will be up soon. Until then, why not familiarize yourself with the cast of characters. Enjoy!
Hazumu Osaragi – once was a boy and is now a girl
Tomari Kurusu – childhood friend of Hazumu’s. She has feelings for Hazumu
Yasuna Kamiizumi – Hazumu’s crush and part of the love triangle. She can not see guys clearly
Asuta Soro – male friend of Hazumu. He finds himself being a little attracted Hazumu now that he is a she
Tsuki Namiko – students homeroom teacher. Has been single for 35 years
Toru and Kahoru Osaragi (dad/mom) – Hazumu’s parents. They are too thrilled to finally have a daughter to call their own
Sora Hitoshi – male alien who gets a job at Hazumu’s school to study Hazumu a bit closer
Jan-puu – the spaceship that crashes into Hazumu but takes on a human physical appearance similar to Hazumu
I was hanging out with Samantha checking out her manga collection (she has 2 walls, covered from top to bottom with bookshelves). I think she’s totally obsessed with manga but who can blame her!
Anyway, I was looking at her bookshelf and came across one entitled Cain. It sounded interesting so I grabbed it from the shelf. She told me it was a Yaoi. I told here “I know what a Yaoi is. It’s like a Shonen-Ai, right?”
“Well, not really.” she replies. Well, I was confused. I’ve look into both shonen-ai and yaoi and according to the net they seemed very similar.
But Samantha quickly helped me determined which manga books were shonen-ai and which manga were yaoi (and they are different).
Check out Sex, Violence and Pretty Men: All About Yaoi and learn what makes a Yaoi a Yaoi.
Also, read my summary of Cain (my first yaoi). There’s probably better yaoi to start with but I gotta start somewhere, right?
So, have you pre-ordered your manga, yet? Or are you one to race out the day it is release to purchase the book? Oh, it doesn’t matter which way you get a copy . . . . just be sure to get this manga. I’m totally looking forward to this volume. It’s been so long. I’m ready!
In the mean time I’ve been reading other manga. Some great, some not so great. I’ll have my summaries/reviews in the next coming months. A few of the books I have been reading are KashiMashi by Satoru Akahori and I just recently purchased Vassalord. I read a preview of it in the Anime Insider magazine I borrowed from Samantha. It seems really good so I went out that day and bought it.
I recently completed volume 6 but I couldn’t stop to write a review. I had to move on to volume 7 because it is so FREAKIN good! No, not good, great, outstanding! The more volumes I read the better the story gets. I just want to read more and more. But for now, Loveless volume 6 is finished and you can check out the summary on the left side. And Volume 7 of Loveless will also be up and available for reading later this week (that’s the goal anyway).
It was really difficult to find a nice place to stop so that I can get some sleep (I tend to read really late at night. No, it’s more like early morning). I don’t like things that are difficult or making decision “sleep vs staying up” so I had no choice but to read the manga all the way through. It was totally worth the lack of sleep the next day. Volume 6 is so captivating. There is no way you can take a break. It’s just not possible. It’s that good!
Oh, but then there is volume 7. The heat is very high in this volume. All these pieces are starting to fall into place but there’s still many more new pieces being discovered but not yet revealed. Ah, it’s the best kind of story. You just crave more and more until you burst with excitement!
Check out the two remaining volume summaries. You’ll love it just as much as I do.
So my friend Samantha said I must check out the manga Loveless. She went on and on about how great it is and how emotional and deep the characters are. On and on she went until I told her I would read the book. Who am I to turn down a friend’s request?
She did warn however that I should keep an open mind and to not get caught up in the age differences and how people/relationships appear on the outside. I was a little scared to pick up the manga (Samantha, is brave and can read anything with no problem. Me on the other hand . . . I get shocked pretty easily but I’m usually fine after the first initial shock).
I did purchase a copy of Loveless Volume 1 for myself. And to my surprise I LOVED IT! It’s just something enduring about these characters. I couldn’t put the book down (I didn’t). I instantly fell in love with the characters. How can I not?! Ritsuka is so adorable and Soubi is so cool and there is so much there within both of them. And then the whole thing about the cat ears and tails (funny stuff). I am looking forward to getting the next volume and seeing how the two and the storyline progress and get more involved.
Check out the review of Loveless 1. It may contain spoilers so beware!
Let’s take a look at the genre of graphic novels called Shonen-ai. I have seen several Shonen-ai anime series and have read a couple of manga in this category. And what can I say – I love this genre. Now, I am more of a shonen manga kind of girl but this genre is not far behind for me. The ones I have read so far have been so cute and adorable. I instantaneously fall in love with the characters. I know when I read these book I am always blushing because the characters do the cutest, most romantic things (they are subtle at times yet not subtle. Okay that probably made no sense at all but . . . oh well). It’s just a genre of love and I love it!
Learn more about this romantic genre. If you allow yourself to go with the storyline you will get wrapped up inside and won’t want to leave.
Yes, I have been away for some time now but all is not lost. During that time I was able to put together the next 2. That’s right 2 pages about manga genres. They will be up and ready for viewing in the coming days. I will also have some pages of one of the manga I have been reading posted as well.
My thing now is trying to read the manga and then write about them. I’m so use to reading a manga and then jumping to the next manga. I can’t really do that anymore because I have committed myself to writing summaries/reviews about the graphic novels I read so . . . .yeah.
Anyway, stay tune for the next post.
I’ve covered the genre aimed at boys, Shonen. Next up is the manga aimed at the girls, Shojo. Of course, these stories tend to be more emotional and less action-packed but that doesn’t mean they aren’t intense and won’t keep your attention.
Shojo manga grab the readers’ attention in a slightly different way and it is kind of nice to come down off the adrenaline rush of Shonen (in your face) stories to a compiling story that takes you on an emotional, yet exciting journey.
Grab a copy of a Shojo graphic novel and you’ll “read” what I mean. You won’t be disappointed.
There many different genres of manga. It’s like what my best friend says: picking a favorite manga genre is like picking a fav movie genre. Each genre has something different and unique about it that it’s unfair to have to pick only one as your favorite category. So, to help you and myself to decide which manga genre (I really mean genres) we like best I will try to explain the different types to choose from. Some will speak to you immediately and other may take you a while to warm up to and then there are some that, well, no matter how hard you try you just want get it (and that’s okay, trust me).
So the first manga genre I am going to discuss is one of my favorites. It may not be specially aimed at me but boy do I love this type of graphic novel. It’s the Shonen category. Find out why these types of books are the best and why you can’t help but to get caught-up in the thrilling storylines.
Sorry, I haven’t been writing as much as I originally had hoped. My job has kept me very busy and exhausted, unfortunately. I have a stack of manga I had purchase earlier this month that I have not had a chance to read. I am very upset but I can’t quit my job. If I did quit, I won’t have any money at all for my books. Seems like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I was told that things would slow do, a bit. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’m ready to start reading again. The latest manga that I just received is Loveless Volume 1. A friend of mine recommended it to me so, I bought it. I’m curious to see what it’s about.
Until then,
P.S. I’ll try to get over here to post more. I’ll find a rhythm to balancing work and reading my fav manga. (to bad I can’t read while at work but I can’t. Trust me, I tried and was severely warned. What meanies!)
I created this site as a tribute to Japanese manga. I am a huge fan who loves to read graphic novels. There are so many to choose from that it has become a challenge to decide which one to buy and read. It maybe sad to say but a large portion of my pay check goes to buying manga every week. I just can’t control myself. It’s like my little secret obsession. Okay, it’s not really a secret. I always have a book on me. (I guess you’ll say, I’m always packing . . ., graphic novel that is) Some people like shopping for games, shoes, clothes, etc I love shopping for that great manga. I’ve got quite a collection going and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
So, I hope you will join me on my exciting journey of Japanese manga review.
