Merupuri: The Marchen Prince

Merupuri

Story and Art by: Matsuri Hino

Published by: Hakusensha

Adapted into an anime: no

Movies: none

Live-action: none

OAVs: none

Genre: comedy, fantasy, romance, drama, shojo

Number of tankoubon: 4

ANN's Plot Summary: "Airi Hoshina, a regular highschool girl who wants nothing but the perfect future husband, family and life, has some pretty high ideals. But, those ideals flipped upside down as she comes across a young boy named Aram, who returns her small mirror, that has been passed on through Airi's family through generations. Airi soon finds that Aram is a prince that came through that very mirror from his world to seek refuge from his half-brother, Jeile, who has cast a horrible spell on him. Airi soon takes in Aram, and finds the next morning that Aram has turned from a child inot a young man. Aram's servant [R]ei, explains that the spell Jeile cast was supposed to turn Aram into an old man when he entered darkness (night, a dark closet, etc.) and deny him the use of his magic. But the spell only half worked. Now, Airi must help Aram get back to his normal self, and try to keep up with finding that perfect man at the same time. But perhaps Airi is closer to that man than she thinks."

My Ranking: 3 hoshi

My Rating: PG-13

this series isn't too bad but it does have adult themes so I added the 13 to the PG. Surprisingly there isn't much partial nudity and very little swearing. but still its the concept that makes it not for younger audiences.

My Review: Being that Matsuri Hino is the author of one of my fav manga, Vampire Knight, I figured I should try another series of hers. Of course it can't match VK, but merupuri does have its own...charm. I admit that I liked the series but its easier to see the cons than the pros on this one. Don't get me wrong it does have some strong good points, but it also has some probing not so fun characteristics.

I am a big fan of Matsuri Hino's art work. It really captures the theme of every manga she does. This one being the royal-esque theme. That aside, the plot on the other hand leaves a little something to be desired. It tends to be a little inconsistent in quality. In my opinion it starts off one way then as the story progresses some concepts are completely forgotten and the style takes a different direction. It then goes strong for a while and then the end ends up being kinda weak. Also it sometimes gives the feeling that the author finished one idea then had to think for a while to think up a new one because the event transition is quite choppy.

I personally think that the series could have very easily and maybe should have been only three volumes. Because quite honestly the fourth volume is mostly fluff. There is really only one chapter that maybe would have been good to have but other that there is a lot of info and side story that isn't needed. For being only four volumes the series dragged on a little too long.

All that being said its not to say Merupuri is not worth reading. It can be really sweet. Though quite a bit you might catch yourself with the remembrance that it is a little weird, Aram being a little kid and all. But in between those moments you can't help but be swept away a little in the cute romance of the story. It really is quite sweet and gives you that happy feeling inside that we all love.

So although not the best executed manga, Merupuri is a cute fairy tale like story and has its share of laughs and sighs. If you want a good fluff manga, I'd recommend this series. It will sweep you away someplace else.

Info: this manga is on onemanga.com and mangafox.com. It is done by 3 scan groups. Sweet Lunacy did most of the series but the last chapters were don by a compilation of TTexts and VK.

This series is licensed in the U.S. by Viz Media. I don't mind the english trans that much but still there are a few things that bug me about it. But then again the scan groups though we applaud them for their effort didn't do the best on sentence structure and so left me struggling a bit.

Vid: okay this vid is an awesome mmv in my opinion. IT DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS! so don't watch it until you're done with the manga or don't care. but even if you don't want to read the series you should watch it cause its good. watch in HQ please.

Kamichama Karin (anime review/comparison)

Kamichama Karin (anime)

Production: Satelight

Adapted from a manga: see here

sequal: coming soon

OAVs: none

Movies: none

Live-action: none

Genre: comedy, romance, magical girl/henshin, shojo(?)

Number of episodes: 26

ANNs Plot summary: "Karin Hanazono is an orphan, living with her relatives. Her life has never been easy, her studies are not well, she is not the best in sports and technically she is miserable. Left with only a ring as a memento from her departed mother, she suddenly finds her life changed, as she was mourning her pet cat, Shii-chan. On that she met a strange boy, Kazune Kujyou. After that event, she experiences several mysterious incidences that soon led her to find out that she is a little goddess. Finding others like her she soon sets out to understand herself better as her mysterious powers grow and she becomes beset by opponents."

My Ranking: 5 hoshi

My Rating: same as manga

My Review/Comparison: okay so the anime followes pretty accurately to the manga. On the contrary though the atmosphere is a little different. The anime plays up the comedy a lot more than the manga. Don't get me wrong. The manga is funny enough on its own. but the anime had me laughing so hard I was almost crying. The anime includes the bonus chapters from the special edition manga. I did not have the pleasure of reading these bonus chapters but I have the suspicion that there are even more bonus episodes. Filler eps if you would. For this reason I kinda see the anime as mostly fanservice. good fanservice but still.

One other thing is that I discovered that the manga is meant to be read first, the anime second, then the sequel. Unfortunately I had watched the anime first so I wasn't able to enjoy the manga with fresh perspective. The reason for this is because the anime begins in a part of Chu, the sequel, and then flashes back to the original series. Also there are two or three eps that have a merge effect where suzune, a character from chu appears and leads into an in between ep. So, the kamichama karn anime is a kind of bridge between the original and chu.

One other thing the anime does differently is that they change the end around a little. I guess you could say they soften it. Yuuki has no part in the main plot, there is no weird girl with a notebook, and karasuma is more stupid than evil. meh.

Anyway, the anime is good to watch if you've read and liked the manga. Its good for something extra and gets you ready for the sequel. Even though I liked it a lot before I read the manga, I still like it now that I have. It's all good.

Info: okay finding the subs for this anime was a pain in the ass. eps 1-17 were subbed by kedex. Unfortunately they completely stalled. Luckily a few months later a wonderful little group called sunflower was willing to pick it up out of impatience. They finished up eps 18-26. I personally thank these peeps because I think we all were getting pretty frustrated.

This series is not licensed in the U.S.

Kamichama Karin

Kamichama Karin

Story and Art by: Koge Donbo

Published by: Kodansha

Adapted into an anime: yes

Movie: no

Lived-action: no

Sequal: one - Kamichama Karin Chu

Genre: comedy, romance, magical girl/henshin

Number of Tankoubon: 7

ANN's Plot summary: "Orphan Hanazono Karin is a below-average girl who just lost another person dear to her; her best friend and loyal cat, Shi-chan. While visiting Shi-chan's grave, she meets Kujyou Kazune, a smart prettyboy who insults her right

after meeting her. She runs away from him, hoping to never see his face again, but fate seems to have other ideas -- the girl she bumps into the very next day is none other than Himeka, Kazune's cousin. During her second meeting with Kazune, something strange happens to her ring, the last thing she has to remember her mother by. Afterwards, strange events happen all around her, with no explanation. The fourth meeting with Kazune explains quite a bit; her ring has the power to turn her into a goddess. With Himeka's support and Kazune's guidance, Karin begins her training to become one of the divine."

My Ranking: 5 hoshi.

My Rating: PG

there is nothing really objectionable about this series in the least. there is some rare mild swearing and a moment or two but again, very very mild.

My Review: Once again I am reviewing a series that literally has captured my heart. Not only is it beautiful in art style and content, but its laugh out loud funny. Its not another mahou shojo nor a dn angel. Its a really cute butterfly feel good series. Though the concept isn't quite original, the story is still a lot of fun. The one thing I really noticed about this series is that it doesn't spend a lot of time on the exposition. Its leaves you to contemplate for yourself as you read and doesn't explain anything until the climax at the end. In any series this can be good or bad. To do this correctly it has to give you enough so that you'll keep reading. Luckily, Kamichama has a lot of qualities that make it worth the read.

For one thing, its hilarious. Just when its about to get kinda mushy or teary (and believe me it does. in a good way) one of the characters pops in as a chibi and says something ridiculous. It also helps that Karin is a little reactive and Kazune just can't help pushing her buttons. And also who can't forget the Brit who needs a lesson in proper etiquette of other cultures. Its definitely

packed full of fun. It certainly made me laugh.

Above everything else though, this series is adorably beautiful. Okay so the romance factor might not seem very strong at first but it definitely adds to the series' appeal. Its incredibly cute and you just can't help but go "aww". (I know. I'm such a girl) The art style seemed kinda wispy to me at first but either my opinion of it improved or the artist did because by the end I was in love with it. It definitely gives that "divine" quality the series calls for.

So, all this being said, I can conclude that I did not waste my time with this series. I found it just by freak chance and ended up really really liking it. Its cute but not overbearingly so. Its a well balanced series and really enjoyable.

Comparison: having watched the anime I'm giving a separate comparison/review here.

This series is on onemanga.com and was scanned by Syuura. I give a personal shout out of thanks to these guys both for doing the entire series and for putting it back up.

This manga is licensed by TOKYOPOP.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strickers

Mahou Shoujo Lyrial Nanoha Strikers

Original Creator: Masaki Tsuzuki

Production by: Seven Arcs

Sequel of: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's

OAVs: none

Movies: none

Live-Action: none

Extra: there are two sequel manga

Genre: Action, Magical Girl, technology/sci-fi, Drama

Number of Episodes: 26

ANN's Plot Summary: "Set 10 years after the events in Lyrical Nanoha A's, now three Rank S mages, Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate are working for the Time-Space Administration Bureau. Following Hayate's Dream to make her own division that helps into all kind of disasters, including the Lost Logia cases, Fate and Nanoha including their own trainees, create Riot Force 6. Unfortunately not all can go as planned, because uncontrolled Lost Logia will get in the way of Riot Force 6 and is up to Nanoha, Fate and Hayate to deal with them while training their new trainees and helping with other tasks that arise along the way."

My Ranking: 3 1/2

My Rating: R

okay so the characters are grown up so you know what that means....boobs! yeah. lots of revealing stuff in this one. including nudity and some disturbing circumstances.

My Review:Our little girls are all grown up, and so is the series. While I feel I could safely classify A's as simply a continuation of the original, Strikers definitely has that sequel factor. After all, we know Nanoha and Fate as the little kickass magical girls with style bigger than life. and quite frankly the fact that they were young gave MGLN some of its charm. So, now that they are all grown up the series can give a person mixed feelings. At times I found myself wondering who this Nanoha was. Was she the same little girl I knew from before. It can be a little heartbreaking to see your characters older but all you can do is hang on and try to accept them for what they are now even though you are so missing those little pigtails.

For starters, the series, taking place ten years after A's, throws you without much warning. Different setting, different situation, different politics. Yeah. It gets quite confusing so it can feel like you're expected to know who all these people are and what's going on right away. Also during the series you can tell that the only reason this character asked this question was for the viewers own benefit. While the first two give a lot in a little package, the strikers package is poorly wrapped and quite frankly spewing out the edges.

Another factor about this series is that it has a serious case of TMCS. (too many characters syndrome) There are so many characters, a lot of who you feel you're expected to know, and they all have to have their moment in the plot. So sometimes you find yourself asking 'wait who is that guy again?' also the constant switch between locations where each character is doing their own thing can get a little tiresome.

On the other hand, there is actually a reason this series gets 3 1/2 stars. The plot is really clever. As the saga progressed it got closer and closer to sci-fi until this series reached the peak. Becoming a politically involved battle against bio-technological revolutionists and the Magical system of government support......it gave me a wonderful headache. Genius! and a bit freaky at times. Okay we've always had magic and technology but add in artificial human genetics and other means of inhumane acts and you've got one surprising freak show which luckily makes a lot more sense than this attempt of a review. oy. but again this series expects a little too much of its audience at times.

Being full of action, strikers gives plenty of wow and boom. Of course we'd expect nothing less. Also I have to admit though this series was quite heart wrenching and emotional at times. But then that leads to the most important point I must make about strikers. Though it does take a while to get into things and the leading eps may feel awkward and dragging, the last episodes make it all worth while. Even if them being older is a total turnoff, even if you are really confused and overloaded. Stick with it long enough to watch the last episodes. They are amazing.

And so that's my review for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strikers. It was difficult to put into words but this is the best conclusion of the series I could come to. And I think it works.

Comparison: same as predecessor.

For the best quality subs get the DVD rips by Coldlight. was also subbed by Teadium. this series is not licensed.

Sample Vid: Again. Along with A's sample vid this amv got me into the saga. Truly awesome!