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More manga I've been reading lately
Here are a few short reviews of manga series that I've recently started reading (Alice & Zoroku, The Isolator, Flying Witch, She and Her Cat):
Alice & Zoroku: A mysterious young girl named Sana (not Alice, although she possesses a power called "Alice's dream") has the power to make her dreams into reality. She escapes from the lab where she has been confined for her entire life because she wants to see the outside world. Naturally, the people from the lab are trying to get her back, and meanwhile she's unintentionally wreaking havoc on the local town because she has no clue about how the real world works or how to interact with normal people. Fortunately, she runs into Zoroku, a grumpy old florist with a heart of gold who hates people "who don't do the right thing," and always does the right thing himself. This includes protecting a little girl from ruthless government agents and other Alice's dreamers, even though that little girl could destroy him and the town (and maybe even the world?) with her powers. And from Zoroku and his granddaughter, Sana learns about kindness, compassion, and doing the right thing--and also eating lots of yummy food!
This series is funny and filled with action (and a touch of poignant angst in vol. 2), and it really hits my love for the found family trope.
The Isolator: This is the manga version of the light novel by Reki Kawahara (the guy who wrote the Sword Art Online series). Unlike SAO's hero Kirito, who always remains determined to save himself and the people he cares about, Isolator's protagonist Minoru merely wants to be left alone and is afraid of getting to close to anyone after his entire family was murdered. However, a pesky girl at school keeps trying to befriend him, and a mysterious black sphere has embedded itself in his chest, making him a "Jet Eye" and giving him a special power. Despite his desire to remain isolated, he ends up having to use his powers to protect the people that he cares about in spite of himself.
This series has a darker feel than SAO--Minoru's greatest wish is not only to be left alone, but to erase himself from the memories of everyone who knows him. I have a feeling he'll find healing and redemption by the end of the series--or at least I hope so, because it would be a huge bummer if he actually did succeed in isolating himself completely. I don't like it as much as SAO or Accel World (also by Kawahara), but I'm still invested enough to continue with the series.
Flying Witch: About a teenage witch who leaves her home to live with cousins in the countryside in order to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch. Sort of like Kiki's Delivery Service if Kiki was a teenager and a bit of a ditz--Makoto is a nice girl, but a little flaky. For example, she's supposed to hide the fact that she's a witch from normal people, but she forgets and starts using magic around her cousins right off the bat. Still, neither her cousins nor the other witches are much bothered by it, and the series is mainly slice-of-life little stories about Makoto adapting to country life and encountering magical creatures and other witches while her cousins react with bemusement but mostly take things in stride. Not very exciting, but sweet and amusing.
She and Her Cat: Sweet and beautifully drawn, but a little melancholy. Chobi, a stray cat, narrates the story about his mistress Miyu, who rescued and adopted him. She's a young office worker who seems to be socially awkward, worrying about problems at work and how to make small talk while out drinking (we see her looking up tips on the web). She's worried about being single while other people around her are getting married, and just seems to be a little discontented with her life in general, though she also does have happy moments cooking dinner and petting Chobi. Naturally, Chobi adores her, and he worries about her when she's sad, although he doesn't really understand why she's unhappy. Even so, he does his best to comfort her, and in a way, perhaps he saves her as much she as she saved him.
It's a really beautiful story. I had thought it was a series, but apparently is a stand-alone volume, which is too bad because I'd like to read more about Chobi and Miyu. Still, it ended in a hopeful and satisfying way, so I don't feel cheated by the lack of sequels.
Alice & Zoroku: A mysterious young girl named Sana (not Alice, although she possesses a power called "Alice's dream") has the power to make her dreams into reality. She escapes from the lab where she has been confined for her entire life because she wants to see the outside world. Naturally, the people from the lab are trying to get her back, and meanwhile she's unintentionally wreaking havoc on the local town because she has no clue about how the real world works or how to interact with normal people. Fortunately, she runs into Zoroku, a grumpy old florist with a heart of gold who hates people "who don't do the right thing," and always does the right thing himself. This includes protecting a little girl from ruthless government agents and other Alice's dreamers, even though that little girl could destroy him and the town (and maybe even the world?) with her powers. And from Zoroku and his granddaughter, Sana learns about kindness, compassion, and doing the right thing--and also eating lots of yummy food!
This series is funny and filled with action (and a touch of poignant angst in vol. 2), and it really hits my love for the found family trope.
The Isolator: This is the manga version of the light novel by Reki Kawahara (the guy who wrote the Sword Art Online series). Unlike SAO's hero Kirito, who always remains determined to save himself and the people he cares about, Isolator's protagonist Minoru merely wants to be left alone and is afraid of getting to close to anyone after his entire family was murdered. However, a pesky girl at school keeps trying to befriend him, and a mysterious black sphere has embedded itself in his chest, making him a "Jet Eye" and giving him a special power. Despite his desire to remain isolated, he ends up having to use his powers to protect the people that he cares about in spite of himself.
This series has a darker feel than SAO--Minoru's greatest wish is not only to be left alone, but to erase himself from the memories of everyone who knows him. I have a feeling he'll find healing and redemption by the end of the series--or at least I hope so, because it would be a huge bummer if he actually did succeed in isolating himself completely. I don't like it as much as SAO or Accel World (also by Kawahara), but I'm still invested enough to continue with the series.
Flying Witch: About a teenage witch who leaves her home to live with cousins in the countryside in order to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch. Sort of like Kiki's Delivery Service if Kiki was a teenager and a bit of a ditz--Makoto is a nice girl, but a little flaky. For example, she's supposed to hide the fact that she's a witch from normal people, but she forgets and starts using magic around her cousins right off the bat. Still, neither her cousins nor the other witches are much bothered by it, and the series is mainly slice-of-life little stories about Makoto adapting to country life and encountering magical creatures and other witches while her cousins react with bemusement but mostly take things in stride. Not very exciting, but sweet and amusing.
She and Her Cat: Sweet and beautifully drawn, but a little melancholy. Chobi, a stray cat, narrates the story about his mistress Miyu, who rescued and adopted him. She's a young office worker who seems to be socially awkward, worrying about problems at work and how to make small talk while out drinking (we see her looking up tips on the web). She's worried about being single while other people around her are getting married, and just seems to be a little discontented with her life in general, though she also does have happy moments cooking dinner and petting Chobi. Naturally, Chobi adores her, and he worries about her when she's sad, although he doesn't really understand why she's unhappy. Even so, he does his best to comfort her, and in a way, perhaps he saves her as much she as she saved him.
It's a really beautiful story. I had thought it was a series, but apparently is a stand-alone volume, which is too bad because I'd like to read more about Chobi and Miyu. Still, it ended in a hopeful and satisfying way, so I don't feel cheated by the lack of sequels.