Gatcha, Chef, and fantasy.
42. 7 volumes of Gatcha gacha (ガッチャガチャ - Love Me or Not). Spoilers.
wiki
Written and illustrated by Yutaka Tachibana
from Tokyopop website:
Vol 1: Hirao and Yabe were both members of the Kendo team years ago, when Yabe was the undisputed strongest. Then something happened and Yabe's life took a 180 degree turn. Hirao now resents Yabe's playful flirting with Yuri, and is doing his best to protect her. Meanwhile, the attention of all three is having lots of unwanted side effects for Yuri. Will the four ever get this mess straightened out? And what is the event that happened a year ago between Motoko, Yabe and Hirao that only Yuri seems unaware of? Only Time will tell...
Vol 2: It's summer, and Yuri and Motoko have decided to go to the annual summer fireworks festival. Along the way, both Yabe and Hirao join them. Casual conversation ends up bringing up touchy subjects like Motoko's heritage, Yabe's past, Hirao's growing feelings for Yuri, and how Hirao and Yabe first. What mischief does Motoko have planned when she finds out Hirao has budding feelings for Yuri?
Vol 3: The saga of the love "square" continues in this third volume of Gatcha Gacha. Yuri, Motoko, Yabe and Hirao are still trying to straighten out who should be with whom. Hirao resents Yabe's constant flirting with Yuri. But, whom does Motoko have her eyes set on, Yabe or Hirao? Yuri will be shocked when she finds out Motoko's love interest!
Vol 4: Yabe has finally asked Yuri out, and the two have officially begun dating. Although Yuri wants the world to know, not everyone is happy about it. Hirao doesn’t seem happy and finds an escape for his unhappiness. Yabe’s ex-girlfriend Aki challenges Yuri to a fight. And there’s Motoko spreading rumors about Yuri’s unhappiness. What else could ruin this relationship?
Vol 5: Yuri and Yabe's relationship is thrown for a curve when they encounter Kagami, a girl who looks exactly like Motoko's older sister Kanako-otherwise known as Yabe's dead crush. Kagami claims never to have met Yabe, but everyone senses that something is amiss. Yuri goes to search for answers...and for Motoko, who has been mysteriously absent since the Culture Festival...
Vol 6: With the reappearance of Kanako--who is alive and well--Yuri's relationship with Yabe comes to an abrupt end. And all that stress over her problems with Yabe has caused Yuri to develop an ever-growing bald spot on the back of her head! With Hirao always there to help her, will Yuri finally fall for him? Or does she still only have eyes for Yabe?
Vol 7: As Motoko and Yuri head to school, they bump into an odd girl named Sae, an acquaintance of Motoko's from junior high. What happened between these two and does it explain Motoko's current behavior? And as if one blast from the past wasn't enough, a young man shows up from England...claiming to be Motoko's brother! Revelations abound in this volume of Gatcha Gacha!
Some points:
I was recommended this one by one of Cathy at It can't be all about manga ... , but I was reluctant to get it after reading the premise on wiki (same thing with Skip beat!), then bookclosedouts had a 75% sale for all tokyopop books a couple months back. I saw #1 and #2 so I thought I tried them out - and I haven't looked back ;)
While impatiently waiting for 3-6, I reread these 2 books multiple time. I like the prez too much even though he's a pathetic character. I find his spinelessness endearing - I'm sick ;) I mean I like the admiring-from-afar (aka stalking) approach - not that I want to be stalked.
I really like the extra when author and characters recap and chart what's going to happen next. It's very entertaining. In one of the side column, the author said that she pretty much decided who ending up with whom in the middle of book 1 - yikes.
After reading #6, there seems to be hope for the prez; however, after reading #7, I had a sinking feeling that the author may throw a curve ball at us and make Yuri and Motoko a couple. Sob! At least, he grew up a bit. I can't say that I like #7, I wonder if there is a purpose for it or just a feeler. I also have to remind myself that Hirao is not a main character, but I root for him all the same.
Bottom line, this is who I root for: Hirao/Yuri, Sekine/Motoko, Yabe/Sanako. I'll try to get #8 in Japanese and find out the ending because if Hirao doesn't end up with Yuri, there is no point for me to continue, I'd rather not have the book.
43. 2 Volumes of Wild Ones (also known as Arakure アラクレ).
wiki
Written and illustrated by Kiyo Fujiwara
from Viz Media website:
Vol 1: Sachie Wakamura just lost her mother, and her estranged grandfather has shown up to take care of her. The only problem is that Grandpa is the head of a yakuza gang! Sachie tries to continue living her normal life, but she can't run far since Rakuto, one of the most popular guys in school, is part of her grandfather's gang and her new protector. Soon, Sachie finds herself falling for her bodyguard. But she's the granddaughter of Rakuto's boss, so he can never show his feelings for her. Can Sachie find a way to fit into her new family and seize her chance at romance?
Vol 2: Things start heating up with a holiday visit to the sunny beachside! Sachie catches the eye of handsome Azuma Inui, sparking a rivalry between Azuma and Rakuto. Will a little competition force Rakuto to reveal his feelings for Sachie?
Some points:
- 1 more chapter to go, and I ordered #2 from amazon and then after finishing this book, I reread it right away. I like Sachi - she and her mother remind me a bit of Tohru and hers but Sachi is much much more feisty. The relationship between Sachie and Rakuto is similar to that of Argent and the princess but it's more subtle in the other book.
- Rakuto teases Sachie too much :)
- Rakuto seems to be too possessive and jealous. Even though, he's the bodyguard and tries to hide his feelings but in more than one occasion, he just grabs Sachie and holds her like they have something more than the relationship between master and bodyguard. I just had a mental image of Kevin Cosner and Whitney Houston in "I'll always love you" movie - arrrgh :)
- - after finishing this book I have some questions:
- So, Rakuto and Sachi is like master-servant, so it's a no-no for Rakuto to show his feelings, but then he shows it all the time and confuses the hell out of Sachi. hm
- What is the grandfather's intention when he asked Rakuto to be the caretaker for Sachi? And what's the idea behind he fished the card out of the garbage can and mailed it for Rakuto? Does it mean he had chosen Rakuto to be Sachi's intended?
Bottom line, I had preordered #3, enough said :D
44. 3 volumes of Iron Wok Jan.
no wiki
Written and illustrated by Shinji Saijyo
I can't find ComicsOne website. But googling ComicsOne turned up this interesting article about it at Anime On DVD and on wiki
Some points:
- I saw this at a public library and grabbed it since I recalled reading about it in on of the blogs. Reading this reminds me of Iron Chef shows that I used to watch with my parents back on the late 90's early 2000's on saturday nights.
Bottom line, given the series has 20+ books and I don't like the art, I probably won't go out of my way to read it.
45. Be With You (manga and novel). First sentence: When Mio died, this was how I thought."
wiki
- Novel
Written by Takuji Ichikawa, Art by Ai Kawashima, Script by Yoko Iino
from Viz Media website:
When Mio suddenly returns home one rainy day, her husband and son can't believe their eyes. For a year they've been mourning her sad and untimely death. Now here she is again. How could such a thing be possible? Did love bring her back from the grave? And most importantly, is she here to stay? Together, the reunited family start looking for answers to these questions. What they discover is a secret buried deep in the past...and the future. - Manga
Written by Takuji Ichikawa and illustrated by
from Viz Media website:
When Takumi's wife suddenly returns from the grave, he can't believe his eyes. As he starts digging deeper and deeper into the mystery of her sudden reappearance, he discovers a secret that is somehow linked to the past...and the future. Is it possible to experience first love for a second time? Without question, the answer is yes!
Some points:
- I like the novel better than the manga probably because I read it first. There are some changes in the manga of course like any other adaptations.
Bottom line, both probably belong to the reread stack.
- Continuing series:
- Tsubasa 17
- Beyond the beyond 3
- Apothecarius Argentum 4