Lenni Reviews: “Champion of the Rose” Vol. 1, by Cat Aquino & Dominique Duran

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Rosa’s brother tragically dies, making her hair to the throne of the Empire of Sagrada. As the largest kingdom in the Known World, Rosa looks forward to serving her people and the Dying God they all worship but instead, her father holds a tournament where the prize is her hand in marriage. Desperate to become queen and make real change, she enlists Rey as her champion. Rey is a swordsman from one of the kingdom’s colonies and only wants to earn enough money to return to his native lands.

It’s interesting that Rosa is a mixed-race princess of a kingdom fueled by colonizing others. She has to come to terms with what her kingdom has done to people who look just like her. She may have been relatively sheltered as a princess, but that doesn’t stop the whispers and judgment. Rey is a transman and a fucking badass, who literally and figuratively is infected by the evils done by those who’ve conquered his people. The combat is fantastically done. It’s ruthless and dark. It reminds me of Centuria, making this a damn good dark fantasy. 4.5 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “Lynx” Vol. 1, by Samuel Sattin & Tokitokoro

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After a climate disaster known as The Regression, humanity is stuck in a perpetual winter. Detective Lynx Takuma and her enhanced cat partner Skua, have investigating a series of deaths where strange feathers were found at the scene.

While this throws a lot of lore and abilities and backstories at you, it feels a bit flat. I think it’s because a lot of the backgrounds are solid whites. But it is a winter dystopia so I can’t judge it too hard for that. I do love a hard boiled lesbian detective with cool powers and a weird mystery brewing in a complicated world. I think it’s pretty cool so far! 3.5 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “Kagurabachi” Vol. 2, by Takeru Hokazono

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The Hishaku, who are the ones who killed Chihiro’s father, have captured Char and Chihiro goes to rescue her before they can use her unique abilities for evil.

This volume focuses on defeating Genichi Sojo, who possesses the Cloud Gouger blade. They have one heck of a battle and it’s fantastically done. They fit in a lot of lore about the weapons while the actions takes place. There isn’t a chunk of exposition when it comes to back story or the sword’s powers. I’m also glad we get to see more of Chihiro’s father in the flashbacks. He’s got a fun personality and balances out his very stoic son. 4 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “Books, Iced Coffee & a Side of Dragons” by Amanda Lovelace & Raquel Travé

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Lucinda owns Little Lighthouse Books, a struggling book store. She deals daily with the antics of her dragon and her crush on Aster, the owner of the coffee shop next door.

This does have “Tea Dragon Society” vibes in that this book has the coziest vibes and beautiful colors. The drama is very low stakes and grounded. This has great representation and while it’s not subtle, it doesn’t need to be. It’s a cute little sapphic romance and a slice of magical joy that’s sorely needed. 4.5 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: "Spacewalking With You" Vol. 1, by Inuhiko Doronoda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Kobayashi is an underachiever, completely apathetic towards school, and can't seem to focus. When a new student, Uno, arrives, Uno is overly enthusiastic and on the spectrum, opening Kobayashi's eyes to different ways of thinking and doing things.

After so much yaoi and romance, I can't express how refreshing this beautiful friendship is. I know what I pick to read, and I'm not ashamed of it, but I will say this is a breath of fresh air. I admit to tearing up. So far, the whole cast is fantastic and positive. Uno has his breakdowns, and the art represents this as well as a neurotypical person like me can say they do. Those are the most intense parts. It's as if you took the romance (and possible death omens) out of Insomniacs After School and replaced it with mismatched friends. I love it! 4 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “Kagurabachi” Vol. 1, by Takeru Hokazono

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Chihiro Rokuhira, son of the most famous swordsmith in the land, Kunishige . When Kunishige is killed and six of his enchanted swords stolen, Chihiro goes on a mission to recover the lost blades and avenge his father’s murder.

Not gonna lie, I was expecting a period piece like Steel of Celestial Shadows but the clothes are more modern and there are flip phones. This kicks off with some great battles and lore. A lot was unexpected and fresh; Kunishige is kind of a goof instead of a grumpy, vengeance driven sword master and I really like it. The art style give us some beautiful fights and abilities and in general has a fast pace with a wide variety of characters. I look forward to more. 4 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance” Vol. 1, by Shinnosuke Kanazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Sotaro Amata is popular in the office where he works, but in his off hours, he dresses up in Lolita fashion in beautiful lace and ruffles. Akira Hanku is less popular in the office, but in her off hours, she’s a punk girl in leather and spikes. They may butt heads at work, but when they run into each other off hours without recognizing each other, their relationship is entirely different.

This first volume is just setting up the vast differences between our main leads and getting them to meet up. They seem like two people who have been lonely, keeping up this mask at work, but can enjoy each other’s company once those masks are gone. In fact, Akira outright dislikes Sotaro at work but is smitten with him when he’s in the Lolita clothes. I made it a point to link to what I mean here since Lolita has an entirely different context in this case. I do wonder if this will get super dramatic and angsty once Akira finds out who she’s hanging out with, but I really hope it stays light and fun. 4 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “My Name Is Shingo: The Perfect Edition” Vol. 1, by Kazuo Umezz

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*This  book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Satoru’s father works at a factory and when he hears from his dad that there will be a new robot there, he can’t help but what to investigate, learning how to use it and even adding some instructions of his own.

Until Satoru gets into tinkering with Marilyn (the name of the robot) he’s absolutely insufferable. I was concerned I would have to deal with this brat the entire volume but once he’s into programming and has something to focus on, he’s so much better. It’s interesting and a bit foreboding that the story infers this is the machine reflecting on past events; which makes me wonder what will happen once it becomes known that Satoru is messing with the machine. 3 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: “Levius/est” Vol. 3 by Haruhisa Nakata

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

As Levius prepares for his fight with the current champion, his trainer Zack wonders if Levius could ever be prepared for a fight on this level. Meanwhile, Amethyst returns (from way back in volume one) with an unbeatable new fighter named Balthus; the brother of A.J. who claims she no longer remembers him.

I was wondering if and how Amethyst would make his return and manipulating A.J.’s brother after all she did to protect him was just the type of messed up thing I’d expect from Amethyst. This volume is a real page-turner with some interesting character development and again, the fighting is drawn incredibly well. I am super pumped for the final showdown with Amethyst! 5 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: "Komi Can’t Communicate" Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda

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Hitohito Tadano has started at an elite high school and just wants to blend in until he can graduate. That's until he ends up seated next to the prettiest girl in the school, Shoko Komi. After a while, he can't help but notice Shoko never speaks and asks her if she has trouble talking to people. While Shoko may appear to be the perfect aloof princess, turns out she gets so terrified to say the wrong thing, she ends up saying nothing. Having opened up to him by writing on the chalkboard, Hitohito decides to help Shoko with her dream: to make 100 friends.

I kinda love this manga. I adore how Shoko doesn't have any sort of disorder or anything, she's just SUPER awkward. Watching the kids around her fumble to figure out what the heck she's doing is funny and it's genuinely sweet that Hitohito wants to help her out. I'm betting there will be some really interesting personalities Shoko will encounter on her quest for 100 friends and the story makes it really easy to root for her. So unless this takes some sort of horrible dark turn, I'm on board with this series and look forward to more! 4 out of 5!

Lenni Reviews: "Beastars" vol 1 by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this comic, the high school is divided into predators and prey and one student among them is selected to be a 'Beastar' - essentially their version of valedictorian as they exemplify the best of both predator and prey. But when a prey student is found dead, tensions are high and loner wolf, Legoshi - a friend of the murdered student - is struggling with his control with so much fear around him.

As I was reading this very sketchy drawn book, I didn't think I would like it. I was concerned it would be to "on the nose" with the predator/prey aspect only to find it more nuanced than I'd assumed. This is one of the more original manga outings I've read in a long time. While the art style may feel strange at first, the characters draw you in. An impressive first volume and I do hope to continue this series.

And yup, totally got the Bella Legosi reference.

4 out of 5.

Lenni Reviews: "Saint Young Men" by Hikaru Nakamura

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this answer to the question "What if Jesus and Buddha went on vacation" we have a thoroughly enjoyable and hilarious set of stories about these two powerhouses of the heavens living a normal(ish) life in Japan. If you're not into 'slice of life' stories, this will bore you but I found it endearing and fun! Both religions are treated with respect and the translation notes are exceedingly helpful for some of the side humor. It wanders a little but that comes with slice of life stories. I had a lot of fun reading this volume but it's hard to see where this would keep going for multiple volumes without getting repetitive. 4.8 out of 5. 

Lenni Reviews: “Ten Count” volume 2 by Rihito Takarai

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*This volume was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is intended for 18+.

Even after agreeing to keep his distance, Kurose still has feelings for Shirotani. Shirotani however, has virtually shut down after Kurose insisted on not seeing him anymore. With the help of his co-worker, Mikami, Shirotani finally agrees to meet up with Kurose; who confesses he wanted to stay away because it was not appropriate for a counselor to be in love with his patient. Not only that but Kurose wants to touch Shirotani; whose condition makes him sick at the thought of being contaminated. Shirotani finds that while his germaphobia still affects him, Kurose's touch also makes him excited.

And WHOA does it ever make him excited! Remember in the last review when I said there was no smut but a good build with the characters? This volume earns its M rating. Kurose and Shirotani go from tentative interaction to touching naughty bits. But as sensual as they get, there is still something traumatic in Shirotani's past that's only being hinted at in quick flashbacks. Shirotani "endures" very intimate touches but something simple like Kurose ruffling his hair sets him off. We'll have to wait to find out what happened but I give this volume a 4 out of 5.

This volume will be released November 8th, 2016.

For more of Lenni's writing and reviews, head over to Haunting Hypatia.

Lenni Reviews: "Ten Count" volume 1 by Rihito Takarai

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*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tadaomi Shirotani works as a secretary for a CEO while suffering from germophobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day, his boss is nearly hit by a truck and a young man named Riku Kurose; who is a therapist, saves the man from being killed. Kurose notices Shirotani's condition and offers to help him work through it. Kurose has Shirotani make a list of 10 things to get over in order of discomfort from least to most. Shirotani is only able to come up with 9. They make a deal to meet regularly to work through the list then Shirotani will come up with that 10th item, but he finds he develops more than just a friendly attraction to Kurose.

Unlike a lot of yaoi manga with an M rating, this first volume is very innocent. Our two main characters meet, get to know each other, and slowly build what will likely be a deeper relationship. There's an author's note in the back expressing concern that readers will be disappointed with the leisurely pace but I like it. The art is beautiful, the writing on point, and I think I would like to see Shirotani and Kurose take their time so I can enjoy their story. 4.5 out of 5.

For more of Lenni's writing and reviews, head over to Haunting Hypatia.

Lenni Reviews: Kiss of the Rose Princes vol 2 by Aya Shouoto

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If you recall my last review, I mentioned this manga is pretty standard shojo fare unless there's a curve ball thrown in later volumes. Boy, were my words ever prophetic...

This volume begins with Anise still searching for her lost choker. She orders her knights to locate it but can only let them look for so long as their magic is powered by her blood. But things get interesting when a new transfer student, Haruto Kisugi, is added to the mix, Anise's father sends her a message that he's coming home, and a seal holding in a demon is cracking, which will require a sacrifice to repair.

By the end of this volume, I was shocked and had a new respect for Anise. Most shojo heroines are plucky by design and want to change the sad fate presented in the plot. But (as a mild spoiler) when Anise says "Bring on my punishment" (referencing the punishment for losing the choker) I found that pretty ballsy. Things went so bad so quickly and Anise really showed her bravery. She went right on without hesitation. And she's brave and strong without being overbearing or too cliche. And I have read a LOT of shojo manga. Of course that could change but we shall see in volume three!

I can't give much more detail without spoiling all of the plot twists in this volume but to sum up, things get real and it was awesome.

Lenni Reviews: Kiss of the Rose Princess Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto

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High school girl Anise Yamamoto gets chased through the school gates every morning. But not by rabid suitors or aliens, but by the dress code enforcer who takes issue with a rose choker Anise wears every day without fail. She is willing to endure this daily nonsense because her father told her when she was little if Anise were to ever remove the choker, a terrifying punishment will befall her. In true magical girl fashion, a small magical creature manages to knock it off and suddenly, Anise is the new owner of four magical cards she can use to summon attractive knights with a kiss.

This volume is a good start to what I can see being a very cute series. I was left wondering if the terrible fate that befalls Anise is to have the hottest bodyguards around (can we all share that "horrible fate," please?) but by the end of this volume it does seem like something is brewing behind the scenes.

However, if you've read any other magical girl, high school manga, you get the rhythm of everything. Hot guys, magical charms and kisses, wacky high school hi-jinks, and a cute, mischievous talking animal. Just another normal day in manga-land. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but unless some sort of curve ball comes in later volumes, shojo fans will know exactly what to expect here. The art is lovely and all the characters are interesting so far. I look forward to seeing what happens next.