Clover

In a futuristic world, the government has conducted secret research called the 'Clover Project'. Each Clover is tattooed with a power level by the Five Elders Council. Sue is a Four Leaf Clover, the only one in existence. Ran is a Three Leaf, one of two. Gingetsu is Two Leaf and Oruha is One Leaf. Each book tells a different tale of these tragic children, backtracking from when Kazuhiko takes Sue to Fairy Park to when Ran becomes Gingetsu's ward. Kazuhiko is a former soldier turned private eye who is giving the mission of picking up and delivering Sue to Fairy Park. Sue is part of a race of children called Clovers who are children with special powers, and in this futuristic world, the government is out to control them.

The story to me started out pretty confusing and it wasn't till after a couple pages that I fully came into concept of what this world is like. I liked the idea behind it but did not feel this was explored enough. Again, this story had so much potential to carry on the plot that came to a anti-climatic halt. I picked this series from the picture on the cover since I like this style of artwork and I wasn't disappointed. But it was annoying on just how many pages were dedicated to song lyrics and little sayings that were repeated again, and again, and again, etc. I started skipping over those annoying fillers.

Stars: 2/5
Mangaka: Nanase Ohkawa - Story, Apapa Mokona - Art
Categories: romance, science-fiction, shoujo
Volumes: 4

Family Complex

Akira Sakamoto is an average looking, ordinary high school student who lives an upper, middle-class lifestyle. His father looks young enough to be his brother, his mother is drop-dead gorgeous, his sisters have every guy in town iterested in them, and his older brother is pro model handsome. With everyone in town saying that there's NO way that he belongs in a family with such beautiful people he has developed a deep-seated sense of inferiority.

This manga opens up with how inferior Akira feels amongst the supermodels in his family. Each chapter is dedicated to a different family member and their stories show just how much of a curse their appearances are at times.

I really liked the characters and the shoujo style artwork but there really wasn't so much of a plot. More of a moral story about how looks aren't everything. This could definietly have lead into more of a storyline. Possible Akira finding someone that does like his looks and they fall in love with each other. Ahhhh, I'm a romantic at heart.... *goes and murders a teddy bear*. There much better. J/K

Stars: 3/5
Mangaka: Mikiyo Tsuda
Categories: slice of life, comedy, shoujo
Volumes: 1

Love Luck

Suzuki Nero has had her eye on Kurokawa Yamato, and according to her love horoscope it was the perfect time to confess! She and Yamato were hitting it off well, although she still had the mean Kurokawa Dan who tries to get her attention in all the wrong ways in the back of her mind. She was ready to confess, but suddenly her chance was ruined! Strangely enough, Kurokawa Yamato and Kurokawa Dan got into a car crash together and when Nero goes to visit Yamato, she finally confesses to him. He kisses her and starts laughing, only to reveal that he's actually "Dan"!! Nero would have never guessed that the ruthless Dan and the sweet Yamato had switched after the car crash! What's Nero to do when the personality she likes is Yamato's, but the real Yamato is pretending to be Dan...!?

The manga summary works well so I'm not going to go on about what the books is about. I did like the whole freaky friday storyline but I think it went too quick. Granted there aren't many ways you can keep twisting a story like that but I felt it could have been explored more. Still, it was predictable. Brought a smile to my face, but predictable.

Artwork is well done in shoujo style again though with a little more harshness than fantasy. Much like the manga Five if anyone has read that. There is quite a bit of swearing done at the beginning but not so much at the end. And yeah. That's all I got to say about this one.

Stars: 3/5
Mangaka: Asahina Yuuya
Categories: romance, school-life, shoujo
Volumes: 6

Bitter Virgin

Suwa Daisuke is the ladies man of his small town high school, and he has his eye on most every girl, except for one. Aikawa Hinako isn't his type, but when he overhears a deep dark secret of hers, he finds himself thinking of her more and more.

Daisuke's ambitions involve getting into a good University so he won't have to take over the restaurant his mom runs. Uni means alot of girls too. At the beginning, Daisuke says the only female classmate of his he would pass on is Aikawa. Aikawa is a transfer student you is living by herself. She is very shy and seems to be afraid of every male around her. Even the teacher. While Daisuke thinks this is pretty weird, he brushes it off. One day though, he overhears a confession that changes his world from then on. Now Aikawa is constantly on his mind for reasons unknown to him.

Complicating matters even worse, Kazuki is obsessed with Daisuke. I mean stalker obsessed. Even the innocent friendship that springs between Daisuke and Aikawa is competition to her. On Daisuke's side though, he has Yuzu. His childhood friend and next door neighbor. She's in the background most of the time, watching the drama unfold, but always there to lend a helping hand or advice when it gets to be too much. Then Izumi appears from Tokyo. She is Daisuke's older sister and the surprise she has sets a whirlwind of emotions through the group.

This is the first (lots of first lately lol) seinin manga of mine. I'll admit it. I had to google what that meant. However what I was expecting wasn't what I got. Granted I still agree that this is "18+", it wasn't as pornographic as I was expecting. If anything too, I would say this is closer to josei. This just seems it would be more appealing to women than men. But, hey. Just my opinion. I also found the artwork beautiful and close to shoujo.

Stars: 4/5
Mangaka: Kei Kusunoki
Categories: drama, mature, romance, seinin/josei
Volumes: 32

Seinin/Josei are for mature audiences only. Specificly 18+. This stories are geared towards adults. May contain adult content and themes.

Gravitation

Finally watched the anime Gravitation though I know it's been around for a while now. It is about a boy named Shuichi Shindou. Very hyper and playful with a little kid personality. He and his best friend, Hiro (Hiroshi Nakano) forms a band named Bad Luck. Hiro acts as a guardian over Shuichi throughtout the series. Despereately trying to finish the lyrics to their first song before the Record Company's deadline, Shuichi is lost for inspiration until an encounter one night. In steps Eiri Yuki. Eiri says a rather few harsh words over the lyrics Shuichi has written and walks off.

Obsessed now, Shuichi confronts Eiri about his lyrics and wants him to come to Bad Luck's first perfomance as the opening act for ASK. A somewhat romance blooms between the two but Shuichi's loud and carefree nature doesn't always works well with Eiri's deep and brooding style. Complicating matters more, ASK is going for low blows to knock away Bad Luck as competition. Bad Luck though gets a new, gun-happy manager and the support of Nittle Grasper, a popular iconic band. Ryuichi Sakuma is their singer with an uncanny personality much like Shuichi's and offer's his own advice about singing.

I will admit that this is the first Shounen-Ai (that I can recall) for me. Anime or Manga. And I actually kind of liked it. While at first I didn't really get into it, I eventually got hooked and just had to know what would happen. Plenty of comedy mixed in kept me hooked and the romance wasn't nauseating lovey-dovey either. Overall, a good addition to the shelf.

Stars: 4/5
Creator: Maki Murakami
USA Company: RightStuf
Categories: Shounen-Ai, Drama, Comedy

Free Rice

I would like to direct some attention to a website. Yes it is one of those "you can help" ones. Stay with me here. http://www.freerice.com The UN World Food Program is giving out rice to hungry countries. All you have to do is play a little game. No really. They are several subjects to choose from such as math and foreign language development. It's a vocabulary test more or less. For the english subject, less than common english words are displayed. Four options are given but only one of them is actually what that obscure word means. Sounds boring but just try it. It's ADDICTING. Every question right awards 20 grains of rice in you bowl. That is actual rice that will be shipped and flown to needy countries.

http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=148&Key=193 Here is a video of a shippment of rice reaching Blangledash on March 10, 2008

As of this date, Freerice.com users have "played" to over 55 billion grains of rice.

Random, Noisy, Rant

I was planning on having a couple more manga reviews up so it actually looks like I'm doing stuff but my computer decided to have a major heart attack. Through process of elimination and having to install windows many, many times, I believe the culprit is my motherboard. Granted I am surprised that it lasted this long and it was used to begin with so I guess I can't scream at it. Too much. Anywhose, if it doesn't completely commit suicide I'll have some more stuff posted in the next couple of weeks or so.