Merry Month of Manga Review: ALL MY DARLING DAUGHTERS

As much as I appreciate all the great shonen and shoujo Viz has brought us over the years, what I truly appreciate are the times they take a chance on thoughtful stories for older audiences like today's selection.

ALL MY DARLING DAUGHTERS (Ai Subeki Musume-tachi), by Fumi Yoshinaga.  First published in 2003 and first published in North America in 2010.

PLOT:  

This anthology weaves together five stories from five different women and their various relationships: with their mothers, their sisters, their friends, their lovers, even their coworkers.  This anthology covers all the joys, the difficulties, the hang-ups and the heartbreak that they endure.

Merry Month of Manga Review: KING OF THE LAMP

I know that if I had a wish, then I would have wished that I would have never stumbled upon today's offering, an obscure little title from the Go!Comi library.

KING OF THE LAMP (Lamp no Ou-sama), by Takako Shigematsu.  First published in 2004 and first published in North America in 2007.

PLOT:

Long ago, a raunchy king stole 1000 women to fill out his harem.  As punishment for his crimes, he was turned into a genie who must fulfill the wishes of 1000 women before he can be freed.  Thus, we watch him work his magic with a shy girl who wants her sempai to notice her, an older sister crushing on her baby brother's kindergarten teacher, and an awkward girl in love with her older sister's blind boyfriend.  Also included are stories about a young woman with a pair of mysterious guardians and a medium and their guardian spirit trying to shake off an otaku with an eye for the supernatural.

Merry Month of Manga Review: RA*I

It's been too long since we've looked at a manga by Sanami Matoh.  Let's fix that, shall we?

RA*I, by Sanami Matoh.  First published in 1995 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Al Foster was just another no-name private detective until the day Rai Spencer came through his door.  Rai is a 13-year-old genius from a wealthy family with ESP, and he and his older sister Rei are concerned that their elder brother is trying to kill them.  Al helps them solve their case, but what will happen when they decide to stick around and start solving crimes with him?

Merry Month of Manga Review: DARKSIDE BLUES

Some people only have one good idea inside them, no matter how many times they try to create something new.  If history has taught us anything, then this is most certainly true for Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi.

DARKSIDE BLUES (Dakusaido Burusu), written by Hideyuki Kikuchi with art by Yuho Ashibe.  First published in 1988 and first published in 2004.

PLOT:

In the not too distant future, the Persona Corporation owns most of the world's land and controls every faction of life with an iron fist.  Their rule is reinforced not only by the director's sadistic children, but also by their small army of biologically modified assassins.  The only opposition to them is a group of anti-Persona guerillas led by a woman called Messiah.  Into this struggle comes a strange man calling himself Darkside, bringing with him his own supernatural brand of justice...

Merry Month of Manga: TIME KILLERS

Today's review is a rare short-story collection from a noted Weekly Shonen Jump creator.  What can we learn from this glimpse into their early career?

TIME KILLERS (Time Killers - Kato Kazue Tanpenshu), by Kazue Kato.  First published in 2011 and first published in North America in 2014.

PLOT:

This short-story collection from Blue Exorcist creator Kazue Kato covers everything from assassins to demon killers, along with Native Americans, rabbit people, street kids, aliens and astronerds.