Demon, Angels, Couples, and Butterflies
108. 5 volumes of Demon Diary (마왕일기 mawang ilgi, "Diary of a Demon King").
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Written by Lee Chi-hyong (1) and Lee Yun-hee (2-7) and illustrated by Kara
from TokyoPop
Vol 1: Raenef is the black sheep of the demon court, with minimal knowledge of magic and courtly etiquette. In order to help him claim his birthright as a demon lord, the demon masters send him the wise and noble teacher Eclipse to be his tutor. As Raenef and Eclipse begin their journey of discovery, they find that the bonds of friendship are stronger than the teacher/student relationship. This volume also includes two bonus stories: Crystal Heart and Terra.
Vol 2: Gods and demons wage a neverending battle with the mortal realm as their battlefield. As with most longstanding feuds, the reasons are no longer important- hatred is a way of life. But it is foretold that one would arise who can restore harmony between gods and demons. Enter Raenef, heir to a set of demon royalty, he is hardly courtly material. The demon king assigns Eclipse to be his tutor, to mold Raenef into proper demon shape. The two begin a journey of discovery and are soon joined by a human knight and a god-blessed priest.
Vol 3: Eclipse recalls the first time he met Raenef and realizes that the life of a demon lord is fraught with peril. Demons are feared and hated by most of humanity due to their arrogance and willingness to use their powers for personal gain. Although Raenef is not your typical Demon Lord, his heritage and his good-natured demeanor make him an easy target for an assassin.
Vol 4: The powerful and imposing Krayon, one of the five oldest demons, appears in the Demon Lord's castle with a dangerous challenge; he wants to see if young Raenef truly is a worthy heir to demon royalty. When Chris senses tremendous power coming from Krayon, who has a long, mysterious history with Eclipse, it is apparent that Krayon's real motives might not be entirely genuine. When Eclipse is confronted with the question of loyalty, which master will he choose to serve? And will Raenef, Erutis, and Chris be able to fight the good fight?
Vol 5 The powerful and imposing Krayon, one of the five oldest demons, appears in the Demon Lord's castle with a dangerous challenge; he wants to see if young Raenef truly is a worthy heir to demon royalty. When Chris senses tremendous power coming from Krayon, who has a long, mysterious history with Eclipse, it is apparent that Krayon's real motives might not be entirely genuine. When Eclipse is confronted with the question of loyalty, which master will he choose to serve? And will Raenef, Erutis, and Chris be able to fight the good fight?
Vol 6: Years ago, an insane demon horde attacked and destroyed a human village, killing all of its inhabitants ... except one. A human boy, Chris, called out to the god Rased during the attack and, as a result, was spared. As an act of mercy, Rased buried Chris's memories of the devastation but, though the memories were gone, Chris's feelings of hatred toward demons remained ... and grew stronger with time. With all of this in mind, you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to get Chris to attack a Demon Lord ... and you'd be right! The one exception to that rule is Demon Lord Raenef V, the cuddliest, most lovable and, subsequently, most laughable Demon Lord in existence. Though Chris and Raenef first met as adversaries, they actually managed to develop a close friendship ... until now. Raenef has recently developed a frightening and terrible personality typical of a Demon Lord and, in the process, has managed to turn his friends, his tutor, and even his dead predecessor against him. Questions are answered and secrets are revealed while the evil Raenef V dukes it out with Chris, successor to the High Cleric of the Temple of Rased, in a no-spells-barred magical melee!
Vol 7: All Bad Things Must Come To An End ... As a Demon Lord-in-training, young Raenef has had many incredible experiences. He's fought knights, clerics, Demon Lords, and even his own evil self. He's made friends, cast spells, and developed a deep emotional bond with his tutor/servant Eclipse. Despite his ditzy nature, Raenef learned a lot and matured a great deal ... and it's all gone now. After a climactic battle with his predecessor, Raenef lost his memory and returned to the city where he was born. Though Rae doesn't remember the events of the past year, the other people in his hometown haven't forgotten a thing ... including the fact that the addled young man is still wanted by the authorities! In this, the series' final volume, Raenef finds himself back on the street with holes in his memory, his wallet, and his heart. Could this really be the final fate of the world's most lovable Demon Lord?!
Some points:
- I got 1-5 at a local half price bookstore since I read meganbmoore's review on the series and was curious. The price was right, so ...
- I found out from Book 2 that Lee Chi-hyong abandoned the series after written only the first volume because he was busy to study for high school entrance exam. I was both amused and shocked. The tone seemed to switch to a bit goofy starting #2, I'm not sure the change of tone was because of the author change or the series was intended that way. And we never know, will we?
- I can't help but comparing the relationship between Raenef V and Eclipse with that of Ashura and Yasha in RG Veda - admittedly the latter is much more bloody and darker.
- Unfortunately for me, #5 ends with a cliffhanger so I had to get 6 and 7 even though that wasn't the plan. Anyway, the series continues to be a big goofy but I like it.
- The side characters are interesting, too, the priest in training and the knight (a girl).
- I like the art very much. So pretty :) so much so that I'm going to check out the other 2 series: Angel Diary and Legend.
Bottom line, I'll keep the series and reread for sure.
109. 3 volumes of Flock of Angels (天使の群れ, Tenshi no Mure).
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Written and illustrated by Shoko Hamada
from Aurora
Except for his wings...he's like any other person.
Vol 1: The members of the number one pop band Angelaid wear wings on their backs when they perform. This inspires their multitudes of fans to wear wings each day in public. But among the people with costume wings, people with real wings secretly exist! One hundred years ago, a meteor carrying the angelosis virus hit the Earth. This mysterious disease causes wings to grow on humans. Typical teenager Shea suddenly grows wings, goes public, and becomes a celebrity. Can Shea adjust to being a new kind of human? Except for his wings...he's like any other person.
Vol 2: The secrets of the angelosis virus continue to unravel in the second volume. As Shea delves deeper into the existence of "angels," he learns of horrific murders, persecutions, and cruel genetic experimentations conducted against those like himself. The sudden mysterious appearance of a beautiful girl with black wings further adds to the drama as Shea begins to discover that he is not the only one so different from "normal" human beings. In volume 2 of Flock of Angels, readers will find themselves trapped in a world of mystery, drama, and even love.
Vol 3: A gift from the gods? After learning the shocking truth about the community of black-winged angels, Shea decides to leave the village and his true love, Aema. As Shea returns to the human world, he must juggle his feelings of longing for Aema and his search for the meaning of the Angelosis virus. Just what is the secret behind Shea’s decision to willingly leave his blissful relationship with Aema? Get tangled in Shea’s web of unexpected answers about life and love in the concluding volume of Shoko Hamada’s sci-fi fantasy.
Some points:
- I got this through Aurora Sale after reading the preview.
- I don't really like the art.
- The story is so so. I don't have strong feelings for any of the characters, neither hate them nore like them. I think the art is a factor for me to keep a series. However, even though the art of Love Roma is cartoonish and there is no bishie, I like the series very much because of their characters.
- Many things were jammed into the 3 volumes so it feels rush but I'm glad it's only 3 volumes. I don't think I have the patience if the series is longer.
- I don't understand why Amea had to die. I don't feel the story changes either way.
- I wonder if it's a bad thing if I gave this series to our public library.
- Things fall into place too easy. The struggles or obstacles are overcome a bit too easy, I think.
- I do like the fact that Shea's brother and sister are supportive of him.
Bottom line, not a keeper for me.
109b. 2 volumes of Couple.
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Written and illustrated by Jae Sung Park
from Amazon product descriptions:
Except for his wings...he's like any other person.
Vol 1: After being evicted, college freshman Yu Mi must find a place to stay or she'll be forced to return to her home in the country. Can she convince shallow senior Young Ho to allow her to stay at his grimy place until she finishes college? Get a glimpse into the outrageous lives of the most unlikely couple ever!
Vol 2: No matter what Young Ho does he ends up in hot water with his roommate, the petite farm girl Yu Mi. Sure, they're supposed to "just be friends," but things don't always go as planned. For example, there's Young Ho's infatuation with the blonde girl down the hall that's making Yu Mi jealous, not to mention Yu Mi's unbelievably hunky date who makes Young Ho squid-chomping mad. These developments (and others!) lead to a sexual tension that you could cut with a chainsaw!
Some points:
- I remember reading a favorable review on this series so ...
- The art is probably old manhwa style and I prefer that over the newly big sparkling eyes of Bring it on
- It's almost a *harem*
- Young Ho was much too nice and tried to help all the girls (total of 3 so far) and got in trouble with his roommate (whom he also helped).
- I do think this series has hearts.
- There are some crude jokes and sexual situations similar to those in Love Hina
Bottom line, it's an ok read. I wonder if the library would accept it since it's probably for older teens, after all the characters are in their 20's.
110. 1 volume of Butterflies, Flower (蝶よ花よ Chiyou yo Hana yo).
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Written and illustrated by Yuki Yoshihara
from Viz
Choko Kuze is the sensible daughter of a venerable family who went bankrupt. She joins a real estate company as an entry-level office worker, but her eccentric boss is harder on her than anyone else in the company! After hearing him inadvertently call her "milady," she realizes he was the young servant boy she knew as a child. At work he's a tyrant, but after hours he insists on treating her like a lady of the nobility. Is romance even possible for a couple locked in such a crazy role reversal?
Some points:
- I read this after Honey and Clover 8 and I thought H&C could also be josei and I prefer that kind of josei.
- The interview question was definitely unprofessional and other people on the panel looked pale, I wonder how he got away with that and didn't get fired.
- Choko can stand up for herself. Her brother is definitely funny. Sou is darling ;)
- I wondered why Domoto should still think of himself as a servant of the family after his parents being dismissed due to Choko's family's circumstances, after all, his parents seemed to have moved on. Or maybe he's a bit too attached to Choko.
- It seems to be a tango between Choko's and Domoto's roles - when Choko is in "milady" mode, Domoto's in docile servant; when Domoto's in bossy mode, Choko is in office lady mode.
- I do like the art. Yuki Yoshihara currently has a series called " Venus" about a struggling model and a sculptor - in which the model seems to be a better role model regarding protecting herself.
Bottom line, I reserve my judgment until #2.
- Continuing series:
- Manga
- Emma 10 - The End
- Mixed Vegetables 6
- Honey and Clover 8
- Monkey High 8 - The End
- Baby & me 17
- The Name of the Flower 3
- Rurouni Kenshin 8
- Dorothea 5-6 - The End
Happy New Year 2010!