Foreign Friday: Cactus’s Secret

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Cactus’s Secret by Nana Haruta.

The Story

Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn’t get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her “Cactus” for being prickly when he’s around. Will Kyohei ever figure out Cactus’s secret?

The Characters

Miku really is your average girl, determined to tell the boy of her dreams how she feels. She’s intelligent, determined, and at her wit’s end. Kyohei is a boy who is generally mellow, unacademic, kind, and obtuse. How could any girl resist him?

What I Thought

Cactus’s Secret has charm in that it’s a story that could really happen (and probably has). Its easy to relate with a girl who’s affection keeps getting bounced back with a smile and an oblivious joke. It’s not a particularly complex story, but the emotions get through, and the art is very enjoyable. It is a shorter series, complete at 4 volumes, all here in English in the U.S.

Foreign Friday: Legal Drug

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Legal Drug by CLAMP.

The Story

By day, Kazahaya and Rikuou are two ordinary pharmacists; by night, their boss has them filling special prescriptions for clients with ailments that can’t be cured using ordinary elixirs. This CLAMP series is a perfect dose of mystery, psychic powers, and those ornately drawn characters the femme-four creators are famous for.

The Characters

Kazahaya has an amazing ability of seeing the memories of those he touches, but this leaves him vulnerable and surprisingly naive. Rikuou is hard, tough, but has inner pockets of emotion that aren’t easily tapped. The two make an interesting, complex pair full of secrets.

What I Thought

This is an incomplete series. Yes, even CLAMP has some incomplete series. Legal Drug runs in a similar tone to Tokyo Babylon if it were crossed with xxxHolic. Unfortunately for the unwary, CLAMP only begins to insert their complexities and mysteries before the series ends. I’m not sure if I would have finished it anyway (although the plot was just getting interesting) because it was hinting at a homosexual relationship, which isn’t my style. Still, if you enjoy CLAMP, or want to emulate their talent, take a look at it. The two main characters, and the drugstore they work at, appear as a cameo in xxxHolic, and Kazahaya and Rikuou are very similar in character to Watanuki and Domeki. There were 3 volumes released in English in the U.S.

Foreign Friday: MeruPuri

This week’s Foreign Friday title is MeruPuri by Matsuri Hino.

The Story

On the way to school one morning, Airi loses her mirror – one that had been passed down to her through generations – and suddenly finds herself in a bizarre situation. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Aram, a little boy from a magical kingdom, to have emerged from the mirror in the short time it took her to track it down!

The Characters

Airi may come off as your average high school girl in love with the idea of true love, but her naivete and old fashioned ideas of romance make her stand out from others. She’s kind, but only really sparkles when she’s  is with Aram. Aram is a true prince; arrogant, proud, handsome, talented, and incapable of handling the daily tasks of living. The fact that he’s several years younger than Airi make them a very interesting couple…

What I Thought

I love fantasy romance, and MeruPuri spins an enchanting tale of magic, dual words, and love that transcends them all. Okay, so the male character is eight throughout most of the series, but true love has no age, right? It’s a clever story that probes love at different levels, with magic adding an oftentimes very entertaining stumbling block. The story is well paced until the end, where it feels a little rushed, but it concludes very well. Matsuri Hino’s art style plays up the fantasy feel beautifully. A very enjoyable read, complete in 4 volumes (all in English in the U.S.)

Foreign Friday: List of Destinations

There has been a goodly number of Foreign Fridays, and today I decided to provide a quick reference to the best (and worst) of what I have read. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Best Action

Fullmetal Alchemist

Naruto

Bleach

Best Romance

Fruits Basket

Wild Ones

Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross

Best Comedy

Skip Beat

Rin-Ne

Ranma 1/2

Most Thought Provoking

xxxHolic

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Nightmare Inspector

Most Heart Warming

Fruits Basket

Natsume’s Book of Friends

Kobato

Most Dark/Depressing/Creepy

Tokyo Babylon

Nightmare Inspector

Clover

Most Irritating Plot

Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning

Bleach

Fushigi Yugi The Mysterious Play

Most Confusing Plot

D. Gray-man

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Bride of the Water God

Most Yearned-For Ending Due To Author Hiatus

D.N. Angel

Foreign Friday: Wild Ones

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Wild Ones  by Kiyo Fujiwara.

The Story

Sachie Wakamura just lost her mother, and her estranged grandfather has shown up to take care of her. The only problem is that Grandpa is the head of a yakuza gang! Sachie tries to continue living her normal life, but she can’t run far since Rakuto, one of the most popular guys in school, is part of her grandfather’s gang and her new protector. Soon, Sachie finds herself falling for her bodyguard. But she’s the granddaughter of Rakuto’s boss, so he can never show his feelings for her. Can Sachie find a way to fit into her new family and seize the chance at romance?

The Characters

Sachie would be a normal girl if it wasn’t for her temper. Fortunately, it only shows itself when food has gone to waste! Rakuto is your cool, handsome hero, although his human side shines through every now and then. They are a very enjoyable couple.

What I Thought

Wild Ones is a story about a girl finding a family amongst a group of tough and rowdy gangsters. Despite the potential for a dark and serious plot, it’s fun and lighthearted. While there are some story arcs that touch on the deeper sides of life, the overarching story is one of love and acceptance. And for those of us Americans, it’s an interesting survey of stereotypical Japanese yakuza actions and accessories! The series is 10 volumes long, all available in English in the U.S.

Foreign Friday: Kobato

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Kobato by CLAMP.

The Story

Meet Kobato Hanato, a sweet and rather simple young girl on a quest to have her single, dearest wish granted. But first, she must learn the ways of the world from Ioryogi-san, a gruff blue dog whose bark is just as bad as his bite! Under his ‘tutelage’ (read: constant verbal abuse), Kobato puts her efforts into passing various trials of common sense so that she may obtain the key to getting her wish– a magic bottle which must be filled with the suffering of wounded hearts that Kobato herself has healed. But with Kobato’s common sense sorely lacking, she keeps flunking Ioryogi-san’s trials left and right! It looks like the road that lies ahead of Kobato will be a long one indeed!

The Characters

Kobato is a classic CLAMP heroine; she kind, she’s clueless, and you’re never exactly sure just who or what she is until the very end. Ioryogi is not your average living plushie-series-mascot, he’s rude, he’s short tempered, and he’s got power. They make for an enjoyable duo throughout the series.

What I Thought

Kobato is one of CLAMP’s shorter series, and because of it I think they jumped to the main plot more quickly than they would have in a different series. It was lighter-hearted than most of CLAMP’s usual works, but there was certainly a serious undertone, and in the end, a crazy plot twist and a surprisingly happy ending (with CLAMP you can never be sure). This series starts out a little confusing, putting you in medias res with no background, forcing you to put the pieces together yourself. Still, I feel it was very enjoyable. Like in Tsubasa, they have a lot of cameos of characters from their previous series, especially from Wish, which is closely connected with Kobato. The series is complete in 6 volumes, all available in English.

Foreign Friday: The Legend of Zelda

This week’s Foreign Friday title is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Akira Himekawa.

The Story

In the mysterious land of Hyrule, three spiritual stones hold the key to the Triforce, and whoever holds them will control the world! A boy named Link sets out on a quest to deliver the Emerald, the spiritual stone of the forest, to Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. The journey will be long and perilous, and Link will need all his skill and courage to defeat evil. The battle for Hyrule and the Sacred Realm has begun!

The Characters

Link is young, feeling a little different, but most certainly corageous. The makings of a true hero. And you can’t help but adore the pointy ears! Zelda is less prominent in the series, but she’s more of the knowledgeable, give-the-hero-the-quest type. She has strength as well, but all people see is the “princess”.

What I Thought

If you are thinking, “Isn’t this a video game by Nintendo?” you’d be perfectly right. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time impressed my brothers and I so much it was the leading reason we bought (or convinced our dad to buy) an N64, back when the N64 was new. So, a while ago. I rarely play video games, because I get too caught up in the struggle against evil and am sadly uncoordinated with a controller, but I loved this game. Why? The story was cool! And the graphics were awesome for their time. There was a point in my Zelda obsession where I considered writing out the story as a novel. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to enjoy the adventures of the Hero of Time without having to play the game.

The artwork is a little more cartoonish than the video game, but seeing expressions on Link’s face (and actually listening to him have lines) is fun. I enjoyed this translation of a video game into a manga, as it kept the integrity of the plot without skimming or leaving too much of the actually puzzle solving in the story. There are 2 volumes in the series, available in English in the U.S.

Foreign Friday: Ceres Celestial Legend

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Ceres Celestial Legend by Yuu Watase.

The Story

Aya and her twin brother Aki thought they were going to a celebration of their sixteenth birthday at their grandfather’s home, but the funeral-like atmosphere tips them off that something’s not right. Their “birthday present” turns out to be a mummified hand–the power of which forces an awakening within Aya, and painful wounds all over Aki’s body! Grandfather Mikage announces that Aki will be heir to the Mikage fortune, and Aya must die! But Aya has allies in the athletic cook and martial artist Yûhi, and the attractive, mysterious Tôya. But can even two handsome and resourceful guys save Aya when it’s her own power that’s out of control?

The Characters

Everyone’s full of secrets, especially from themselves. Aya appears the most normal – with sudden, unhappy powers spitting out of her body. As for everyone else, even Aki, you just have to wonder what their angle is…

What I Thought

Honestly, this isn’t my type of series. In fact, I didn’t even manage to finish it, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I just don’t enjoy stories that thrive on suffering like this. This has less romance than Watase’s more famous series, Fushigi Yugi, and less balance and humor than Alice 19th. I’ve heard it heralded as a horror title,  it is dark, unsettling, and occasionally gross, I got a vibe at the very beginning that told me it wasn’t going to end well, so that’s probably true. I mean, after the shock of the ending of CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon, I wasn’t going to risk a week of depression over it. It had some promising features, but it just wasn’t enough to keep me reading. There are 14 volumes in the U.S….I believe.

Anyone have a more informed opinion?

Foreign Friday: Alice in the Country of Hearts

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino.

 

The Story

Kidnapped by a handsome man with rabbit ears, Alice Liddell finds herself abandoned in an odd place called Wonderland and thrust into a “game,” the rules of which she has yet to learn. Alice, ever the plucky tomboy, sets off to explore and get the lay of this strange land, intent on finding her rude kidnapper and giving him a piece of her mind (and her fist). But little does she know that she’s wandered right into the middle of a dangerous power struggle involving just about all of Wonderland’s attractive, weapon-happy denizens. And the only way for Alice to return home is to get acquainted with the lot of them?! How in the world will she manage that and still manage to stay alive?!

The Characters

Most of the characters are based off of Lewis Carroll’s famous cast. Alice, however, shows a lot more common sense than Carroll’s depiction, even going so far as to question the things that occur around her. Apart from her and Julius Monrey, the clock fixer, the inhabitants of Wonderland generally come across as violent sociopaths…until you get to know them…mostly.

What I Thought

An Alice with sense! Ah, bliss! (okay, so Carroll and I don’t see eye-to-eye on his most famous character). I found the characters in Alice in the Country of Hearts to be interesting, but it was the mystery of the plot that really had be flipping the pages. Why is Alice in Wonderland? What is wrong with Wonderland itself? I enjoyed the way the two authors spun the personalities and visual characteristics of such characters and the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat. It’s funny, and violent, and mysterious, and violent, and has an interesting romance spin….and violence. There are 5 volumes currently available in English in the U.S.

Foreign Friday: Gin Tama

This week’s Foreign Friday title is Gin Tama by Hideaki Sorachi.

The Story

Following an alien invasion of Japan, ex-samurai Sakata “Gin” Gintoki does whatever necessary to make ends meet. Sleazy alien moneylenders, monsters on the rampage, and a ticking time bomb may be all in a day’s work for him.

The Characters

Gin is a man who’s motivation only seems to be enough cash to buy sweets. He comes off as a very monotone character, which allows his humor to stand in the foreground. Shinpachi, his friend/employee, is the man of average intelligence, average looks, and an average expectation out of life, while Kagura, Gin’s friend/employee/roommate, is a strong Amanto (alien) who really only cares about food.

What I Thought

Gin Tama is a comedy, the premise of which is the question: if aliens had invaded Edo period Japan, what would life be like? Throughout the series, Hideaki Sorachi shows his opinion that life…is still life. The world is an interesting mixture of futuristic  space-stuff and the fading remnants of traditional Japanese culture. There are many characters based loosely on real historic people (including whole groups, such as the Shisengumi). That said, the plot is very episodic, although it has a lot of returning characters, and the humor often slips into “crude humor,” which really isn’t my style. If you want something light, entertaining, and (if you don’t mind that sort of humor) funny, then this is a good title. There are 20 volumes currently available in English in the U.S.