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Manga Mayhem: A Small Batch

 This is going to be a much smaller manga batch, as I have been juggling a little more this week so I haven't been able to read as much.  

I did read The Strange House vol. 2, and I am fricken loving this series so far. I'm kind of sad that I can't find the movie in English anywhere, but that also means I won't have the story spoiled for me. The first volume was a lot of the characters speculating about what could have happened. The second volume starts to introduce some solid facts into the story. This is a pretty small story, with really only three main characters, and the books just fly by. I cannot recommend this one enough for someone looking for a decent horror manga! 

I also revisited a series I haven't read in years. I checked out Case Closed vol. 23. I binged the first 22 volumes one summer probably ten years ago. Reading that much Case Closed back to back was a bad idea, as the series can start to feel repetitive. After a long break, though, I was able to jump right back in with Jimmy Kudo and the gang. I actually got inspired to check out the manga again after watching one of the movies. The series is VERY fun, even if it does commit one of the greatest mystery sins in my book. Case Closed rarely sets up the mystery so that the reader could figure it out on their own. For most mysteries I would care, but for this one? I don't mind at all. I have more fun just spending time with the characters, and getting caught up in all the intrigue. 

Finally, and I haven't finished this one yet, I am reading Gravitation Collector's Edition vol. 1. I adored the Gravitation anime series back when I was in my early 20's. It was my first real taste of a BL series, and it was everything I had hoped for. I never managed to get into the manga, though. I couldn't tell you why. I just think I was having issues because I already knew the broad strokes of the story from the anime. Now that almost twenty years have passed I have forgotten enough of the story where I can dive in and enjoy the manga without the anime hanging over it. I am really enjoying it so far, and it reads very well. Some shoujo manga from that time can be overly wordy, and lead to a confusing panel layout. Angel Sanctuary was probably the biggest offender of this. Gravitation uses its words well, letting the imagery carry the story without bogging the page down with unneeded writing. I also appreciate that the romance kicks off pretty early on, with the main couple sharing a kiss pretty quickly. Overall it is a fun romcom. 

I have plenty more manga to read in the pile, and I am making my way through Nora Robert's Birthright, but I should have more updates after this weekend. Gotta do whatever I can to keep from reading the news obsessively... 

Well, until next time!  

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