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Geekscape Reviews: ‘Vampire Knight Memories’ Vol.1 By Matsuri Hino

by Natalie KipperJuly 12, 2017

If you grew up on VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat magazine, odds are good that you read Matsuri Hino’s Vampire Knight. The manga continued long after the magazine ended its publication and fans will soon have the chance to read the sequel, Vampire Knight Memories.

Vampire Knight Memories © Matsuri Hino 2016/HAKUSENSHA, Inc.

The first volume switches between different periods in time frequently and changes up which main characters are in focus several times. The beginning of the book does not address the first series’ vampiric heroine, Yuki, as one might expect but her human friend, Sayori. We see snippets of her past relationship with Yuki but the main focus is on her blossoming love for the vampire Hanabusa. After that storyline, the spotlight is then granted to Yuki. I felt like hers was the shortest of the plots in this volume, which seemed a little odd given that she was on the cover. Yuki’s story then transitions to that of her children and Kaname, the vampire-now-turned-human.

Vampire Knight Memories does a good job of being true to its roots. It contains the haunting, melancholy tones that one might anticipate with a vampire-based series, interspersed with more energetic or emotionally-charged scenes (see the panel directly above for an example).

You need to finish the original series to have the full experience from Vampire Knight Memories. The beginning of the manga has a very quick summary of the important points but if that is all you have to go on, it will leave you feeling like you are missing something. However, I think it is fine that it is written this way. I doubt that people buying this book haven’t read through the Vampire Knight series cover-to-cover.

Vampire Knight Memories, Volume 1, is a little hard to grade because of its sequel status. In the situation in which you have read the previous series and know the backstory, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. Fans will love to learn more about their favorite characters and see what has been going on since that final page of Vampire Knight.

If you are diving into this volume with no background knowledge whatsoever (which I don’t recommend), I would have to grade it a 1 out of 5. There simply is too much backstory that is incorporated into the plot (as it should be) for a new reader to understand what is going on entirely. Just start with the original series first and you will be much happier when you get to this volume. Trust me.

[This review is based on a sample provided by VIZ Media. All opinions are my own.]

Geekscape Reviews: ‘The Heiress And The Chauffeur’ Vol. 1 By Keiko Ishihara

by Natalie KipperMay 27, 2016

[This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher.]

Keiko Ishihara’s The Heiress and the Chauffeur, one of the newest series for Viz Media’s Shojo Beat line, is a love story set in Japan’s Taisho Period. It is a time when “new money” families begin to emerge in Japan. For Sayaka Yoshimura of one such family, like others before her, acceptance by society does not come easily.

Of course, Sayaka doesn’t seem to care a whit. She is mainly absorbed in dealing with her chauffeur and childhood acquaintance, Shinobu Narutaki. The young man is clearly smitten with her but being of a lower class, such a relationship would be forbidden. It is obvious through her actions that Sayaka reciprocates Narutaki’s feelings but isn’t entirely aware of them herself.

The first volume of a two-part series, this half spends most of its time establishing relationships: Sayaka with her classmates, Narutaki with others of his rank, and of course, Sayaka with Narutaki. This is all well and good but there was not much progress in the story until chapter 3, the second to last chapter in the book (and my favorite, incidentally).

I hope things pick up in the second volume because it was still an enjoyable read. The art style is lovely and uses a lot of floral motifs in backgrounds and effects, which I somehow found fitting. The writing was also great. Each character felt like they had their own voice: Narutaki spoke more formally to members of higher stations; Sayaka spoke freely as you would expect from a young person of her social rank; and even side characters like Kazuko and Fumi had their own way of speaking.

Volume 1 also includes an adorable bonus story, “Luca and the Bandit.” I loved it! Not terribly long, the story follows a thief and two siblings. I can’t go into much detail without spoiling the ending but I will say the story’s inclusion added a great deal of value to the book in my eyes.

Fans of romantic manga or nonviolent period pieces should give The Heiress and the Chauffeur a look. With its excellent translation, pleasing visuals, and entertaining bonus story, I would give Volume 1 a rating of 4 out of 5.

Ojousama no Untenshu © Keiko Ishihara 2011/HAKUSENSHA, Inc.

VIZ Media Releases New 3-in-1 Manga Edition Of ‘High School Debut’!

by Kari LaneFebruary 12, 2014

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, High School Debut has been released as a new 3-in-1 omnibus edition (manga)! It is story of a girl’s “endearing and hilarious quest for love.”

The opening omnibus volume from the Shojo Beat imprint contains the first 3 volumes of the hit series by Kazune Kawahara, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. VIZ Media will release Vol. 2 of the 3-in-1 adaptations on May 6th. The final 3-in-1 volume (Vol. 5) will contain the series finale as well as 2 additional volumes of special side stories and collected new material that has never before been published in English.

Individual volumes of HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT are also available digitally for $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets as well as for the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

Read on to learn more about this adorable and romantic story!

Hapless Haruna needs help finding a boyfriend! After failing to win the eye of any guy in high school, Haruna enlists the help of cute upperclassman Yoh to coach her on how to make herself more appealing. Yoh agrees, but with one catch: Haruna better not fall for him! In the opening volumes, with Yoh’s help, Haruna starts to discover all sorts of dating tips – how to dress better, what guys to avoid, and what it feels like to fall in love for the first time. Haruna’s foray into love has its ups and downs, but nothing’s going to prepare her for when she actually lands herself a boyfriend!

“Whether you are a seasoned shojo fan or new to the genre of girls manga comics, this 3-in-1 edition of HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT is a wonderful way to revisit this funny and endearing story or enjoy it for the very first time,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “The series has been named one of the Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the Young Adult Library Services Association and remains a favorite with readers. Don’t miss this new release from Shojo Beat!”

For more information on High School Debut, or other popular shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.viz.com/manga/print/shojo-beat.

Kari’s Manga Corner: First Impressions Of ‘Black Bird’

by Kari LaneFebruary 6, 2014

Want passion, mythology and demons? Then you need to check out Black Bird by Kanoko Sakurakouji. There is a whole world of demons and spirits that intersects ours but only a few can see it. Young Misao Harada can, and not only that, she is the Senka Maiden! If a demon drinks her blood they will become more powerful, if they eat her flesh they will become immortal, and if they marry her their clan will thrive. Suddenly a handsome and mysterious man, Kyo, comes into Misao’s life and apparently they knew each other as children. Well, it turns out that Kyo is also a demon, and not just any demon, he is the head of the Tengu (bird demon) clan! Is Kyo the same as Misao remembers? Does he want her for his bride? Does he have sinister motives? Or does he really love Misao? What’s a sixteen year old girl to do?!

I have enjoyed reading this title. The art is a bit different than I have seen before. The characters have wider faces than typical anime/manga characters. Kyo especially has a wide face (narrow oval eyes that are wide and a wide mouth). It is like his face has been pulled to the sides, yet he is still good looking. Misao has HUGE round eyes that add to her childlike personality. Also, everyone’s pupils have this scribble/scratchy look that gives them all a dream-like quality. There are lots of detailed patterns on the clothing which gives artwork a sense of realism. Emotions are a big part of Shojo manga and they are expressed nicely in this series. They range from a sly smirk to over the top, but it all comes across as believable.

The story is engaging and the characters are likeable. However, it flickers across the line between sexy and slightly uncomfortable. For example: Misao is a typical teenager who falls madly in love with Kyo and there are jokes about his advances that are playful but it is clear Misao is not thrilled with his forwardness most of the time. Then the story redeems itself by having Kyo tell Misao he does not want to pressure her into sex and will wait until she is ready. Their cuddling and kissing is super romantic and you just want them to be together. Also, you should not be bothered by blood because there is a bit of violence and Misao is constantly tormented by smaller demons in the beginning. As the Senka Maiden, Misao is occasionally kidnapped and held prisoner which presents a sort of BDSM situation (one situation is particularly graphic). Be warned: Misao cries a lot! This makes most of the scenarios a lot less sexy or just awkward. Even with all of that, I thoroughly enjoy reading the intense romance between Kyo and Misao and I enjoy the series pushing the limits.

Currently I am almost done with volume 5 and plan to finish the series. One other thing the series has going for it is there is a lot of humor which helps lighten the mood. Black Bird captures the passion of young love and explores different kinds of relationships that make Shojo manga so enjoyable to read!