Review: LUPIN III

 It's time once more for Old-School Month here on the Manga Test Drive (even if it's a little later than usual), and we're starting with one of the most iconic manga to come out of the 1960s.

LUPIN III (Rupan Sansei), by Monkey Punch.  First published in 1967 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

Lupin the Third is a legendary thief, always able to sneak his way into the most secure locations.  With his right-hand man Jigen at his side, Lupin travels the world while stealing treasure and the hearts of beautiful women, all the while evading the ever-vigilant Inspector Zenigata.

Review: MAID WAR CHRONICLE

I wanted to end this month on a tidy and hopeful note.  I don't know if I entirely succeeded with this choice of manga, but it's probably as good as anything I was likely to find in my boxes of books to review. 

MAID WAR CHRONICLE (Maid Senki), by RAN.  First published in 2007 and first published in North America in 2009.

PLOT:

The kingdom of Arbansbool has been without a king for years, waiting for the crown prince Alex to come of age.  On the verge of his coronation, the royal castle is attacked and young Alex must flee for his life with only a squad of royal maids to protect him.  Gifted with holy weapons from a hidden shrine, they must learn how to fight like knights to protect not just themselves but the future of the kingdom itself.

Review: THE FOOD DIARY OF MISS MAID

We could stand to read something more pleasant after that last review...perhaps a nice, soothing food manga?  With a maid?

THE FOOD DIARY OF MISS MAID (Maid-San wa Taberu Dake), by Susumu Maeya.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Suzume Tachibana was perfectly content working as a maid for her unnamed English master...at least, until his home was destroyed while she was away.  It's going to take a year to rebuild, so now she's stuck in Japan for a year with nothing to do but take care of herself.  There's only so many times she can tidy her tiny little apartment, so she spends most of her time wandering around and eating whatever tasty delicacies she comes across.

Review: STEEL ANGEL KURUMI

We go from isekai maids to robot maids as I dig up this forgotten bit of nonsense from ADV's manga division.

STEEL ANGEL KURUMI (Kotetsu Tenshi Kurumi), by Kaishaku.  First published in 1997 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

In an alternate version of the Taisho era, Dr. Ayanokoji is on the run.  The army wants to seize his plans for his "Automated Dolls," and he's willing to do anything to protect them.  Nakahito is a cowardly young orphan who happens to stumble upon Dr. Ayanokoji's hideout in the middle of a dare.  He awakens one of his Dolls with an (accidental) kiss, and she pledges her eternal devotion to him.  Now Nakahito has a robot maid who will protect him from anything, including her mechanical 'sisters' and those who would wield them as super soldiers.

Review: HEROINE? SAINT? NO, I'M AN ALL-WORKS MAID (AND PROUD OF IT)!

Alright, time to tidy things up after that long, unplanned summer absence, and that means it's time to cover another round of maid manga.

HEROINE? SAINT? NO, I'M AN ALL-WORKS MAID (AND PROUD OF IT)! (Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (Horoki)!, based on the light novels by Atekichi and character designs by Yukiko with art by Keiko.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Ritsuko was once a bright young Japanese girl who became so fascinated with maids that she wanted to be one.  Now she is Melody, a poor young orphan eager to begin her career as a maid of all work for the Rudleberg family.  It'll take a lot of hard work and powerful magic to bring the family's decrepit estate and rough-around-the-edges daughter up to to the standards of nobility, but Melody is more than up to the challenge!

Melody's life is about to get a lot more challenging as she follows her young mistress Luciana to school.  There are multiple people trying to find her, whether it's because of the secret of her parentage or those with ties to her past life.

Review: MAYO CHIKI!

 Of course, I can't talk about shonen manga without some sort of horny nonsense, and boy does this one live up to both parts of that phrase.

MAYO CHIKI!, based on the light novels by Hajime Asano and illustrations by Seiji Kikuchi, with art by NEET.  First published in 2010 and first published in North America in 2012.

PLOT:

Sakamachi Kinjiro is a teen boy with a serious problem.  He's got a terrible fear of women which tends to manifest as sudden, involuntary nosebleeds.  Through a series of accidents, he discovers that the butler serving the resident rich girl Kanade Suzutsuki is secretly a girl.  Said butler, Subaru Konoe, is all too ready to kill Kinjiro for uncovering her secret but Kanade has a better idea.  In return for keeping Subaru's secret, Kinjiro will go on dates with Suburu to cure his gynophobia.  Misadventures ensue, and Kinjiro is going to need to man up fast if he (and his blood pressure) are going to survive.

Review: RAVE MASTER

During Tokyopop's prime, they struggled to get their hands on big-name shonen manga titles.  They really only managed to do so twice.  One of those was Love Hina.  The other was this.

RAVE MASTER (Rave: The Groove Adventure), by Hiro Mashima.  First published in 1999 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

Haru Glory has spent sixteen idyllic years on Garage Island alongside his sister.  Then he fishes a strange, snowman-like creature out of a pond, inadvertantly setting into motion the renewal of a battle between the forces of darkness and light, of Dark and Rave.  An ancient warrior stumbles into their village proclaiming that only Haru can wield the powers of the Rave, so now Haru must master his new weapon against the the forces of Demon Card while searching for the four remaining Rave Stones that can bring this battle to an end.

Review: AIR GEAR

This month we're looking at nothing but shonen manga.  The focus has been on Viz's offerings for the better part of two decades, but I'm going to start with a somewhat forgotten title from Kodansha.

AIR GEAR (Ea Gia), by Oh! Great.  First published in 2002 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Itsuki Minami is the talk of his junior high class.  He's the leader of the Eastside gang, has incredible strength, and lives with the tough but beautiful Noyamano sisters.  One day, the violent and vindictive Skullsaiders gang take their violent revenge upon Itsuki's gang, which plunges him into despair.  That's when the sisters reveal that they are members of a secret gang of their own.  They bring Itsuki into their fold, gifting him a pair of special motorized in-line skates called Air Treks.  These combined with his natural strength and agility give Itsuki the ability to do all sorts of fantastic feats.  Now Itsuki has the tools he needs to rebuild his gang, take back his turf, and spread his wings.

Review: YAKUZA FIANCE

 Perhaps the hardest thing about this month is finding romance manga that are messed-up enough to fit the theme but aren't awful.  

This year, I managed to find one.

YAKUZA FIANCE (Raise wa tanin ga Ii), by Asuka Konishi.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Yoshino is the granddaughter of an Osaka-area yakuza clan, but all she wants is a normal life.  That's why she's so frustrated when she learns from the local tabloids that she's being engaged against her will to Kirishima, the grandson of a Tokyo clan.  

At first, Kirishima seems too good to be true: handsome, polite, and attentive.  Then the mask slips and the real Kirishima is revealed, a cold, cruel, sadomasochistic enforcer.  At first Yoshino is frightened, but then resolves to scare him off with a stunt of her own.  Who could have guessed that it would backfire and that Kirishima would end up genuinely smitten with her as a result?

Review: RIZELMINE

Don't think we're ignoring shonen romance, as here's a wretched little one-shot example from the creator of D.N. Angel.

RIZELMINE (Rizerumain), by Yukiru Sugisaki.  First published in 2001 and first published in North America in 2005.

PLOT:

Tomonori Iwaki is having a very bad day.  It began when he learned that the teacher he's been crushing on is getting married.  It only got worse when he came home, only to find a tiny, obnoxious little girl named Rizel claiming to be his wife.  Rizel is a secret government experiment, a being who needs to learn about love to further her development, and her "dads" (who are totally not government spooks) easily bribe convince his parents to go along with it.  Rizel loves her new husband, but Tomonori wants nothing to do with her and his rejections come with explosive results.  Things only get more chaotic from there, as some of Tomonori's classmates, an American-made knockoff of Rizel, and a coma threaten to part the unwitting couple.

Review: DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO

 It was inevitable that I would have to grapple with the series that gave us the go-to user icon/Favorite Anime Girl of online chuds everywhere.

DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO (Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san), by Nanashi.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2019.

PLOT:

It began in the library, when Naoto accidentally dropped the manga he had been drawing in his spare time in front of a bunch of gyarus.  They all mocked it for a bit and then left...except for Hayase Nagatoro.

Despite being a year younger than him, she knows weakness when she sees it.  She needles him for ages, until he's on the verge of tears.  After that, it seems like she goes out of her way every day to tease him as he blushes and freezes.  Is it mere bullying, or something more complicated between them?  Naoto isn't sure, but neither can he quite gather up enough courage to make her stop.

Review: I WANT TO ESCAPE FROM PRINCESS LESSONS

 It's time for another Bad Romance Month, where we cover a selection of some of the worst and weirdest romances to grace manga.  We're starting with a fairly recent title that's in the same vein as all those villainess stories, but no sausage-curled ojou-sama could devise a torment as bad as the one this story's heroine receives.

I WANT TO ESCAPE FROM PRINCESS LESSONS (Kisaki Kyoiku kara Nigetai Watashi), based on the light novels by Izumi Sawano and illustrations by Miru Yamasaki, with art by Uri Sugata.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2023.

PLOT:

When Leticia was seven years old, she was engaged to the crown prince Clarke.  This meant she was torn from her family home and forced to undergo a decade's worth of lessons in deportment, etiquette, history, dancing, and more, all for the sake of a boy she barely knew and a role she never asked for.

One day she finds another woman on his arm and presumes she is free at last from her unwanted engagement.  She immediately runs off the countryside to play, roam, and do all the un-ladylike things she's been forbidden from doing for years.  Unfortunately, Clarke does not want their engagement will end and he will do anything to keep Leticia by his side, including stopping her many attempted escapes.

Review: FUTABA-KUN CHANGE

Considering we're still in the midst of a Ranma 1/2 reboot, now's a good time to talk about its pervy weirdo cousin of a manga.

FUTABA-KUN CHANGE (Futaba-kun Chenji), by Hiroshi Aro.  First published in 1991 and first published in North America in 1998.

PLOT:

Futaba Shimeru thought he was just another ordinary high school guy.  He went to classes, hung out with his wrestling team, and pined for the pretty Misaki from afar.  Then something strange happens when he thinks of Misaki during a private session with a porno magazine: he turns into a woman! It turns out everyone in Futuba's family can change sex whenever they are excited, and can only change back when their thoughts calm down.  That's a hard thing for Futuba to do when his teammates are searching for the cute girl with the sweet wrestling moves, his sister keeps getting horny over him, and he's forced to enroll in school as his female self.

Review: I WANT TO BE A RECEPTIONIST IN THIS MAGICAL WORLD

I cannot be the first person to observe the vast difference in ambition when it comes to light novel adaptations targeted at men versus those targeted at women.  The men become (or aim to become) rulers and adventurers.  Even those who want an easy life become farmers and shop owners.  Meanwhile, their feminine counterparts only seem to aspire to be potion-makers, healers or this.

I WANT TO BE A RECEPTIONIST IN THIS MAGICAL WORLD (Maho Sekai no Uketsukejo ni Naratai Desu), based on the original light novels by MAKO and character designs by Maro, with art by Yone.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2023.

PLOT:

Ever since she was a little girl, Nunnally wanted to be a receptionist at Harre, the adventuring guild of her world.  Only the most capable, elegant, and talented young ladies are hired, so that means young Nunnally must go to the best magic academy in the land to qualify.  Unfortunately she's a commoner in a class of nothing but stuck-up noble children, including a particularly snotty boy named Alweiss.  She's going to have to work hard to rise above them, find and refine her own magical talent, and show the world just how capable she can be.

STORY:

My first response to a title like I Want To Be a Receptionist In This Magical World is a sarcastic "aim high, sister!"  I don't want to denigrate the very notion of being a receptionist, speaking as someone who's worked as one more than once in my life.  I just find it very hard to believe anyone would aspire to such a role.  I can understand why a child like Nunnally would be dazzled by a fancy uniform and classy manner.  It's not that far off from the impulse that drives little kids to want to become vets because they like animals or to become a firefighter because fire trucks are bright and loud and fascinating.  It's the fact that Nunnally sticks with that into her teens that I find harder to believe.  

It's almost as hard to believe as the qualifications necessary for such a low-ranking role.  To demand the highest ranking students from the highest ranking magical schools for what is basically a glorified customer service role is like demanding a Master's degree for an ordinary office manager job.  That's not even getting into the unspoken gender bias, because I sure as hell don't see any dudes doing this job.  It's almost like they are unthinkingly replicating the shitty gender politics of office workers in Japan!

Of course, these complaints ultimately amount to very little because that's not what this story is actually about.  No, mostly it's just the same old boring wannabe Harry Potter magic school bullshit you've seen in a million other light novels.  That means Nunnally is an underdog surrounded by snobby nobles with only a couple of roommates to serve as friends and secondary shipping fodder.  That snotty rival boy of course turns out to be her snotty love interest, as their boring bickering is meant to be a substitute for actual flirting or sexual tension.  In true light novel protagonist fashion, Nunnally turns out to possess a rare form of ice magic, which has the added side effect of giving her bright blue hair and eyes (not that you can really tell outside of the front cover).  Unless you are absolutely brand new to this sort of manga, you will have absolutely seen these sorts of characters, these sorts of relationships, and this sort of plot before.  Hell, you can probably recite it in your sleep.  It seems that Nunnally's lack of ambition is exceeded only by that of the author, who has absolutely no ambition or originality to speak of.

ART:

There's not a great deal of difference stylistically between the art for the light novels (which have been licensed here under the the title "The Sorcerer's Receptionist") and this manga adaptation.  At most, the manga artwork has been somewhat simplified.  It's not unpleasant to look at but it's not particularly distinct either.  That same level of run-of-the-mill competence can be found in every nook and corner of the visual production.  At worst the pages are a little cluttered, but otherwise it's no different from any other workmanlike light novel adaptation you can find at the bookstores.

RATING:

The concept behind the title is bad, but the real issue with I Want To Be a Receptionist In This Magical World is that it's stultifying dull and derivative.  It can't even commit to that premise, as flawed as it is, because even that was too original for the original author.  You've seen countless other iterations of this story and you'd do better to read literally any of them.

This manga is published by Yen Press.  This series is ongoing in Japan with 7 volumes available.  6 volumes have been released and are currently in print.

Review: MY HAPPY MARRIAGE

It's January again, which means once more it's Dealer's Choice Month.  That means there's no theme tying together this month's review beyond the fact that I want to talk about them...or in this case, that the second season of the anime adaptation of this work is currently airing. 

MY HAPPY MARRIAGE (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon), based on the light novels by Akumi Agitogi and illustrations by Tsukiho Tsukioka, with art by Rito Kohsaka.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

For almost as long as Miyo Saimori can remember, her life has been nothing but misery.  She was the product of a loveless arranged marriage, lacking in the hereditary magical powers that noble families like hers are supposed to possess.  When her mother died and her father remarried, her life became nothing but an endless wave of drudgery, abuse, neglect, and depression.  Miyo has no reason to believe her life could be anything different, even when her father sends her off to be married to the notoriously icy Lord Kiyoka Kudo.

With the help of Kiyoka's kindly housekeeper Yumie, Miyo slowly begins to open up to others and piece together her sense of self-worth.  In turn, Kiyoka finds himself drawn to this strange, sad, lonely young woman, even as outside forces conspire to sabotage their romance before it can properly begin.

Holiday Review #25: LAST QUARTER

This marks the second year in a row that I've ended our holiday reviews with a Ai Yazawa manga.  It's almost like it took Viz way too long to figure out that there was a majorly pent-up desire for more works of hers beyond Nana!

Regardless, I'm always ready to celebrate when we get more older shojo titles on the shelves and what is Christmas if not a celebration?

LAST QUARTER (Kagen no Tsuki), by Ai Yazawa.  First published in 1998 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Mizuki was frustrated with everything: her dead mom, her dad's infidelity and remarriage, her new step-sister, her cheating boyfriend.  She's willing to throw everything away to be with the handsome, troubled musician Adam...until it ends up costing her life.

Young Hotaru had an encounter with Mizuki while she was in a coma.  Now she finds herself drawn to the house where Mizuki and Adam once lived, where Mizuki's spirt now dwells, unable to remember who she was and why she is there.  Thus it's up to Hotaru and her classmates to solve the mystery of the ghost they dub "Eve."

Holiday Review #24: WHOEVER STEALS THIS BOOK

 I was struggling to figure out what to put in this spot so close to the end of our review marathon, but then I stumbled upon this curious little story that's all about the power of books.  What could be more perfect for this site?

WHOEVER STEALS THIS BOOK (Kono Hon o Nusumu-mono wa), based on the light novels by Nowaki Fukamidori with art by Kakeru Sora.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Mifuyu lives in a town that lives for books.  Her ancestors were avid collectors who created their own private library, one that has been locked away from the public for generations after a number of them were stolen.  She's come to hate her family's legacy almost as much as she hates how much the town around revolves around books.  Things only get worse when her dad ends up in the hospital, forcing her to enter her family's library to keep an eye on its keeper, her reclusive aunt Hirune.  During her visit, Mifuyu finds a strange talisman and an even stranger white-haired girl name Mashiro.  The talisman turns out to be a curse, one that forces Mifuyu and Mashiro to enter the stories of the missing books to recover them.

Holiday Review #23: CAPTAIN MOMO'S SECRET BASE

Another year, another opportunity for Dark Horse to release a new Kenji Tsurita manga.  What can this one offer that Emanon and Wandering Island could not?

CAPTAIN MOMO'S SECRET BASE (Momo Kancho no Himitsu Kicho), by Kenji Tsurita.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

In the far future, interstellar cargo deliveries are an everyday thing.  The companies that run them operate on tight margins, employing only a single pilot, basic amenities, and just enough battery power to get to the delivery site.  Moshi-Moshi Momo is one of these pilots, but she's not one to follow the rules.  She sneaks on her cat Grandpa John, hangs around stark naked, fills every space possible with physical books, and is always scheming new ways to tweak the ship's systems so she can get a little extra power to replicate better food, even if every instance means she is that much closer to running out of power before she gets to her destination.

Holiday Review #22: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE ORIGIN MSD: CUCURUZ DOAN'S ISLAND

 You think I would be excited to read not just a new Gundam manga this year, but a spinoff to site favorite Gundam: The Origin.  Alas, things always seem to end up a little cursed whenever Cucuruz Doan is involved.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE ORIGIN MSD: CUCURUZ DOAN'S ISLAND (Kido Senshi Gundam: Cucuruz Doan no Shima), based on the original concept by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, the original manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, mechanical designs by Hajime Katoki, and character designs by Tsukasa Kotobuki, with story and art by Junji Ohno.  First published in 2016 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Once, Cucuruz Doan was the commander of the Y-02 Platoon, there to test some of Zeon's latest prototypes in their efforts to win the One Year War.  He was known for his ruthlessness and ferocity in battle...until the day he defected.

Months later, the former members of his squad have been scattered across the battlefields of Earth, thinking back on their commander and wondering how things all went wrong as one by one they confront the dreadful Gundam.

Holiday Review #21: TRILLION GAME

What happens when you combine the writer of Dr. Stone and the artist of Crying Freeman?  You get this, although I'd have to ask why anyone wanted this in the first place.

TRILLION GAME (Toririon Gemu), written by Riichiro Inagaki with art by Ryoichi Ikegami.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Haru is a fast talker with charisma to spare and a big dream: making a trillion dollars.  Gaku is talented with computers, but can't seem to catch a break otherwise.  Haru convinces Gaku to join him and make all their dreams come true, even if that means bullshitting their way into a start-up loan from a banking executive's daughter and competing in an international hacking contest.