Samurai Flamenco Episodes 1-6 review

Samurai Flamenco Episodes 1-6 Directed by Takahiro Omori, Produced by Manglobe Review

By day, Hazama is a male model but by night he becomes Samurai flamenco. With a reward out for his identity, Hazama must fight criminals while avoiding being discovered. As time goes one, he meets other people who share in his vision for justice. One question remains: just what does the future hold for Samurai Flamenco?

Samurai Flamenco manages to establish itself as a distinct series with a neat sense of humour early on. The series is a little sobering at first but develops into a more exciting series later on. The series takes it’s time developing and expanding its cast of characters. The pacing for Samurai Flamenco may be a touch too slow for some.

That being said, the writing and acting all are well done and the series is nice to look at though the color palette can be dull at times. In conclusion, Samurai Flamenco is a well-produced series worth the viewer’s time especially if they are seeking a departure from the usual fare.

Rating: 8/10

Samurai Flamenco is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Limit Vol. 5 & 6 review

Limit Vol. 5 & 6 Story & Art by Keiko Suenobu Review

The series barrels towards its page turning conclusion in these volumes. The series concludes quite well and the title is different from most shojo (girl’s) comics I’ve seen to date. The title is a quick read so it is not a huge time investment.

Suennobu’s artwork is also gorgeous to behold and is a large part of what makes this such an excellent read. That being said, the series becomes quite dark so it is mostly for an older audience despite the protagonist’s age. In conclusion, Limit is well worth the reader’s time and is a real gem of  shojo comics.

Rating: 8/10

Limit is available in  print from Vertical.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Wolfsmund vol. 1 review

Wolfsmund Vol. 1 Story & Art by Mitsuhisa Kuji Review

For those who attempt to illegally cross the blockade death is inevitable. Just what are these people’s motives? And just how ruthless is the man who blocks their path? Thus commences a chain of tragic tales.

Serialized in the seinen (men’s) comic anthology Fellows!  Wolfsmund is a dark and brutal series of interconnected tales all revolving around the titular Wolfsmund blockade. The story is an absolute page turner yet is not a safe for work type of book.

The first volume excellently portrays the brutality of the time period. For those seeking a different setting for their manga it is refreshingly set in Europe. Wolfsmund also boasts terrific artwork which gives a real feel of the setting. In conclusion Wolfsmund is highly recommended though only for an older audience. 

Rating: 9/10

Wolfsmund is available in print from Vertical.

Review copy provided by the publisher. 

Nagi no Asukara Episodes 1-4 review

Nagi no Asukara Episodes 1-4 Directed by Toshiya Shinohara, Produced by P.A. Works Review

                When Manaka and his friends must go to the surface for school once their old school closes changes are abound. How will Manaka and his friends adapt to life on the surface and who is this boy who tries to befriend them…?

               

                Nagi no Asukara is both poignant and tragic. The drama mainly comes from the chain of one-sided romances and it is done quite effectively. The series also boasts gorgeous animation thus far which has come to be expected from P.A. Works.

               

                While the series features younger characters it still feels very much geared towards an older audience. The world and mythology itself is also fascinating and well developed. In conclusion, nagi no Asukara has been a must watch series so far. I eagerly await future episodes.

Rating: 8/10

Nagi no Asukara is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Yu-gi-oh! Zexal Chapters 1-35 review

Yu-gi-oh! Zexal Chapters 1-35 Story by Kazuki Takahashi and Shin Yoshida, Art by Naoto Miyoshi Review

Yuma used to be a bad duelist. That is until the day a mysterious alien who only he can see is unlocked during a duel. Will Yuma be able to find all the number cards and help the alien cure his amnesia?

Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, Zexal is a mess in terms of both plot and art. The panel layout is confusing at times and the plot becomes increasingly nonsensical. To be fair it is a quick read, though that may be the series one positive point. The artwork Is nothing to write home about either occasionally feeling awkward.

The characters lack any real depth thus far and are standard clichés for Japanese comics geared towards boys.  The franchise has always basically a marketing vehicle and a shameless one at that that being said previous incarnations were at the very least decent. Although as with this one, they suffered from dragging the story out with needlessly complicated battles designed for no other excuse than to showcase the different cards for the readers to buy. In conclusion, Zexal fails in almost every way.

Rating: 3/10

Yu-gi-oh! Zexal is available on Viz Manga and in print from Viz Media. 

Void’s Enigmatic Mansion Chapter 1 review

Void’s Enigmatic Mansion Chapter 1 Story by JiEun Ha, Art by HeeEun Kim Review

Void’s mansion holds a secret and it’s tenants ought to be more careful what wishes they make. For you see, these desires may just come true…. Just what does the future hold for the tenants of this mysterious place?

Serialized in Party magazine in South Korea, Void’s Enigmatic is (if nothing else) gorgeously drawn. The story is somewhat contrived but the execution is done well enough. The characters are decent and the first chapter is nice enough to read.

If there is one thing some individuals might not enjoy it is the decompressed pacing. Little actually transpires on the pages. The artwork is where this title truly shines.  It is also worth noting that this is the rare occasion that the work is entirely in colour. In conclusion, the first chapter of Void’s Enigmatic Mansion is a decent if a touch forgettable title which is makes for a pleasant reding experience.

Rating: 7/10

Void’s Enigmatic Mansion is available on Kindle. 

Monster Galaxy Chapters 1 & 2 review

Monster Galaxy Chapters 1 & 2 Story by Paul Morrissey & Gaia Online, Art by Melissa Dejesus Review

Avery is a Moga tamer though his mom does not know. As life goes on he embarks on his adventures capturing more and more Moga. There’s even a tournament coming up! Will he be able to save up enough money for the tournament?

               

Monster Galaxy has got to be the most generic series I’ve read in ages. The monster designs are uninspired and the series just screams “breaking copyright infringement.” To be fair both chapters are nice enough to look at but that’s really all the series has going for it.

There is just nothing about this series that stands out from the many, many other monster battling series out there. In conclusion, this is a bland and forgettable title really not worth anyone’s time.

Rating: 3/10

Monster Galaxy is available on Kindle.