So, I recently took some time off work, and part of relaxing was digging into my TBR pile. In that TBR pile was a crap ton of manga! Considering how quick most manga reads, I decided to take a chunk out of that portion of my TBR. Most of these series are new to me, so I was happy to finally get a chance to check some of them out. Out of the four I am going to be talking about, all of them were pretty solid four star reads.
First up was The Strange House vol. 1 by Uketsu and Kyo Ano. I was urning for some horror manga, and had kind of tapped out my supply of Junji Ito, so this one hit the spot. Very heavy on the atmosphere, this one sets up a pretty interesting mystery in the first volume. While there is definitely a lot more talk than action here, the well paced dialogue, and interesting art keep things interesting. While there was a bit of gore here and there, creeping dread was the name of the game in The Strange House. I flew through this one, and can't wait for book 2.
Second, I went back to a classic I have never read before, Dragon Ball vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama. While I always been curious about the series, the sheer volume of content just made it all feel impenetrable. Well, I got the hell over that and gave vol. 1 of the original series a try. I am going to be honest, I was not expecting... well, what I read. My experience with Dragon Ball as a franchise was mostly with Z, so the zany and immature jokes of the original series caught me a little off guard. I didn't mind, though. I thought it was actually pretty funny, and Toriyama knows how to tell a fun adventure. Also, his art... I mean, so expressive and fun. There is a reason he is a legend in the industry, even after his death. Obviously, I enjoyed my time with this one, as with The Strange House, I am looking forward to book 2.
Third title was Grand Blue Dreaming vol. 1 by Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka. Dragon Ball set me up for the insanely immature humor in this one. I had bought this one knowing it was funny. What I wasn't expecting was that I would actually laugh out loud while reading this one. The characters in this series really sell it. They run just up to that line of being obnoxious, but stay endearing enough to keep you hooked. I was also impressed by how well the humor avoided being cruel. This is honestly a series I knew nothing about, and probably walked away loving the most. This is another one that is going a volume 2 pick up for me. Oh, but just a heads up. There is SO MUCH MALE NUDITY! Most of it is censored, but still... so much man butt. Luckily the art is strong, and the man butts (and everything else) look very good. The character's faces are so damn expressive! I had no idea that I needed a series like this in my life, but obviously, I do.
The final title in this round up is Marmalade Boy vol. 4 by Wataru Yoshizumi. I do truly love this series, and am so glad I get the chance to experience it again. While Marmalade Boy is a soap opera, it manages to avoid going too far over the top, and the series keeps that steady tone through out. I am only one volume away from finishing the series, and I'm a little disappointed to see it end. It reminds me of a time when I was just getting into anime and manga, and was so excited to get the chance to read something that I had been told for years would never get an official translation. Marmalade Boy is a classic shoujo romance for a reason, and I cannot wait to read the final volume.
That wraps up all of the manga I got through during my binge. I still have a few titles left in my pile. Nana vol. 1 and The Rose of Versailles vol. 1 are up next (unless something else catches my eye), and I have Gravitation Collection 1 and Maison Ikkoku vol. 3 in my TBR cart just waiting to be read. So, who knows what I'll have in my next manga binge. Honestly, very happy with the group this weekend, and my Amazon cart is currently packed with volume 2's!
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