Review: HAPPINESS

I thought that reading a vampire manga by a more modern horror mangaka would be a good plan, but after reading this one I'm not entirely sure...

HAPPINESS (Hapinesu), by Shuzo Oshimi.  First published in 2015 and first published in North America in 2016.

PLOT:

Makoto Okazaki is just another quiet, bullied, sexually frustrated high school boy.  Then he's attacked by a strange girl who bites him, drinks his blood, and asks if he wants to die or be like her.  When he wakes up, he finds himself changed.  He's stronger than before, able to break his bully's nose in a single punch, but can't tolerate bright light.  He's can't tolerate food, but the mere whiff of blood sends his mind reeling, inadvertently bringing closer to girls than ever.  Makoto doesn't understand what's happening to him or just what he's becoming...

Review: BLOOD ALONE

 Ok, so that last one wasn't quite what I was looking for.  Maybe I could try a manga combining vampires and crime fiction?

BLOOD ALONE, by Masayuki Takano.  First published in 2005 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Misaki seems like a sweet, polite girl.  Her partner, Kuroe, is much the same.  You'd never guess that sweet little girl was a vampire or that Kuroe is the survivor of a vampire attack.  You'd certainly never expect these two to be part-time investigators who use their connections and powers to solve the crimes that are beyond the capability of the police.

Review: CHIBI VAMPIRE

 October is a time to face one's fears, and I think this October is a good time to face one of my own: my fear of lousy vampire manga.  I've come across far too many in my decade of manga blogging.  Can today's review hope to break that curse?

CHIBI VAMPIRE (Karin), by Yuna Kagesaki.  First published in 2003 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Karin Maaka is a little different from the rest of her family.  She's a cheerful girl who sleeps by night and attends work and school during the day.  That might not sound strange to you, but that's very strange when you come from a family of vampires like Karin does.

Honestly, aside from the fangs and a bit of discomfort every month, Karin is pretty much like any other girl (much to her family's despair).  Then Kenta Usui walks into her life and everything changes.  Her family's form of vampirism is triggered by strong human emotion, with each member triggered by one particular form.  In Karin's case it is unhappiness, and Usui has it in spades.  Her power causes her not to suck blood but spew it from her nose unless she can inject it into a human through biting.  Karin could solve her problem and allieviate her crush's troubles, but she's genuinely smitten with him and doesn't want to reveal her secret or turn him into a thrall.  What's a reverse vampire to do in a situation like this?

Review: ORESAMA TEACHER

 Look, a gang is kind of like a club, right?  It totally counts for this purpose!

ORESAMA TEACHER (Ore-sama Ticha!), by Izumi Tsubaki.  First published in 2007 and first published in North America in 2011.

PLOT:

Mafuyu was the no-nonsense leader of her gang...at least, until they got in a big fight that led to her getting expelled from school.  Her mother is fed-up with Mafuyu's nonsense, so she sends her to Midorigaoka, a school that will take anyone willing to pay.  Mafuyu is willing to try to settle down and turn her life around but ends up getting into a fight on her first night there.  Worse still, she's discovered by Taokomi Saeka, a teacher at the school who himself is a former punk and a long-lost figure from Mafuyu's childhood.  She's not willing to give up her right to fight for justice, even if she has to wear a bunny mask to do it and urges her opponents to go straight afterwards.

Review: IMADOKI! NOWADAYS

School clubs as a venue for friendship and romance are just as common in shojo manga as they are in shonen, but this one brings at least one welcome twist to the formula.

 IMADOKI! NOWADAYS (Imadoki!), by Yuu Watase.  First published in 2000 and first published in North America in 2004.

PLOT:

Tanpopo Yamazaki came all the way from Hokkaido to attend the prestigious Meio Academy in Tokyo.  On her first day there, she encounters a young boy tending to a flower as if it were a friend.  She couldn't have possibly expected that same boy to be Koki Kugyo, the heir to the school itself.  Neither did she expect the entire student body to turn on her for daring to talk to Kuyo while not being rich.  Tanpopo won't let that get her down, though.  She's determined to get to know the real Kuyo, even if she's got to strongarm him into the newly created gardening committee!