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I Am Here! Omnibus Vol. 1 (Manga)

Publisher: Del Rey Manga

Release Date: November 2010

Price: $16.99

Creator: Ema Toyama

Format: 416 pgs.; B&W; Trade Paperback

Age Rating: Teen+

Hikage Sumino is invisible at her middle school.  Her only friends are two people who she met through her blog.  With their encouragement and with the unexpected friendliness of Hinata, one of the most popular boys in school, Hikage tries to find the courage to change her life for the better.

“The Radius”

.hach//link volume 3

Story by: Cyberconnect2

Art by: Megane Kikuya

U. S. Distributor: TokyoPop

U.S. Release Date: Feb. 8th, 2011

Format: Manga / 212 pages

Genre: Shonen, Sci-fi, action/ adventure

Age Rating: T for Teen (13+)

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Now that Tokio has begun to realize his true power, can he step up and defeat Haseo, breaking the evil spell that the Schicksal Origination has cast on him?

Synopsis:

“The Radius”:

Title: Hana-Kimi 3 in 1 Manga

Artist/Author: Hisaya Nakajo

Distributor: Viz Media

American release date: March 6, 2012

Format and length: 584 shojo beat manga

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: T+

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar series or titles to check out: Kaze Hikaru, Oresama Teacher 

How far would you go to meet your idol? Mizuki Ashiya has traveled across the world and taken on a new role in order to meet hers.

Synopsis: 

Volume 1:

“The Radius”:

Title: Hanako and The Terror of Allegory Vol. 2

Author: Sakae Esuno

Distributor: TokyoPOP

American Release Date: August 13, 2010

Format: Manga

Genre: Supernatural, Folklore, Mystery

Publisher Age Rating: OT (Older Teen)

Overall Review Rating: C

Similar Series: xxxHolic, Ghost Hunt, Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit

Kanae has worked off her client fee, but she’s decided not to quit.  However, Aso has a plan to either make her quit, or if it comes to it, he’ll fire her.  Why? They seemed to happy together…

Synopsis:

Happy Boys, Volume 1  

Author: Makoto Tateno

Distributor: Digital Manga Publishing

American release date: October 2009

Format/Genre: Emanga/Comedy/Drama

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Young Adults/16+

Overall Personal Rating:  A-

The Lady Braganza is a butler cafe.  It is a place for men and  women to go for tea and refreshments, but even more than that, it is a home away from home, where they are treated with especial courtesy by the all male staff who wait upon them, granting their every wish.  As we begin Happy Boys, Volume 1, a young girl arrives at the cafe, greeted at the door by the butler, Katano.  She is then taken over by footman Shiva, who will wait upon his princess, as she is ushered to a table of her very own.

“The Radius”:

Title: Happy Cafe Volume 2

Author: Kou Matsuzuki

Distributor: TokyoPop

Format, Genre: Shojo Comedy Manga

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: T   Teen age 13+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar series or titles to check out: Happy Cafe Volume 1, Love* Com

A food challenge has been set, and the bubbly waitress, Uru Takamura can’t resist, and she can’t keep quiet.  She personifies bubbles and Sunshine. But bubbles are unstable. Is she going to froth up into foam, or just burst?

Synopsis:

“The Radius”:

Title: Happy Cafe Volume 4

Author: Kou Matsuzuki

Distributor: Tokyopop

American release date: available  7/9/10

Format, Genre and length: Comedy Shojo Manga, 192 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: T for teen age 13+

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Similar series or titles to check out: Happy Cafe Volumes 1, 2, 3.  Love*Com, Itazura na Kiss

Uru  Takamura bubbles like usual, and it seems almost every guy around her is taking notice.  Are those  little hearts we see beaming from Shindo?

Synopsis:

Happy Cafe Volume 1

Author: Kou Matsuzuki

Publisher: Tokyopop

American release date: Dec 29, 2009

Format/ Genre: Shojo comedy manga

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Teen age 13+

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Just taking a look at the cover really depicts the characters and gives you a good sense on how fun this shojo is going to be.  In this case, you really can judge a book by its cover.  Can you get more expressive than those eyes?

Synopsis:

“The Radius”

Hayate the Combat Butler

Manga Author: Kenjiro Hata (Shogakukan)

American Publisher: Viz Media

American Release Date: September 13, 2011

Age Rating: T+

Format and length: Manga, 11 chapters

Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Titles in the Radius: Sayonara, Zetsubo Sensei; School Rumble and Yakitate!! Japan

Title: Hayate the Combat Butler
Manga Author: Kenjiro Hata (Shogakukan)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: September 14, 2010
Age Rating:
Format and length: Manga,  chapters
Genres: Action, Comedy (Absurdism, Paraody, Satire), Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
Overall Personal Rating: A
Titles in the Radius: Sayonara, Zetsubo Sensei, School Rumble and Yakitate!! Japan

Ever find a friend’s cellphone that they lost and go over to return it only to get sidetracked and embroiled in a deadly battle over a pit of lava?  No?  Well, unfortunately for Hayate, that’s not the case.

“The Radius”

Hayate the Combat Butler – Volume 17

Manga Author: Kenjiro Hata (Shogakukan)

American Publisher: Viz Media

American Release Date: March 8, 2011

Age Rating: T+

Format and length: Manga, 11 chapters

Genres: Action, Comedy (Absurdism, Paraody, Satire), Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Titles in the Radius: Sayonara, Zetsubo Sensei; School Rumble and Yakitate!! Japan

The flashback has become standard fair to the point it is now expected for character development unless the title is episodic. It seems that every long running series, and many shorter ones, use it. 

Hero Tales: volume 1  

Author: Hiromu Arakawa

Publisher: Yen Press

American release date: October 27th 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Manga/Fantasy/192 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Older Teen

Overall Personal Rating: C-

Similar series/titles to check out: Gensomaiden Saiyuki, Desert Coral, RG Veda

Popular manga-ka, Hiromu Arakawa, tells a tale of action and adventure in ancient China, but not even magic swords and kung-fu fighting can keep this opening volume from falling into the mediocre.

Synopsis:

“The Radius”:

Title: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vol. 1

Author: Hidekaz Himaruya

Distributor: TokyoPop

American Release Date: October 12, 2010

Format: Manga

Genre: War, Comedy, Historical

Publisher Age Rating: OT (Older Teen, 16+)

Personal Review Rating: A

Similar Series: Kyo kara Maoh!, Porco Rosso

It’s World War 1, and Germany has entered in enemy territory, or so he thought.  At first, Germany finds it strange that there are no soldiers, and if he did find one, they would run.  Then, right in front of Germany, is a crate of tomatoes.  This must mean he’s in Italy!

“The Radius”:

Title: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vol. 2

Author: Hidekaz Himaruya

Distributor: TokyoPop

American Release Date: December 28, 2010

Format: Manga

Genre: War, Comedy, Historical

Publisher Age Rating: OT (Older Teen, 16+, Mild Language, Nudity)

Personal Review Rating: A

Similar Series: Kyo kara Maoh!, Porco Rosso

It’s a G8 (the “Group of 8″) meeting and somethings not right… 1, 2, 3… wait, there’s only 7, who could be missing?

Synopsis:

Previously in Vol. 1

Volume 2

Honey and Clover, Volume 10

Author: Chica Umino

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: June 1 2010

Format/Genre/Length: Manga/Shojo/208 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Older Teen

Overall Personal Rating: A .

Similar series or titles to check out: Haru Hana

Hagu and Morita, hugging ‘neath the moonlight; he’s taken her from the hospital where she’s been recuperating ever since her hand was cut in a freak accident at the Festival.  He holds her close and tells her that he wants to be with her, whether she ever paints again or not, for always, as we enter the final volume of Honey and Clover.

Title: Honey Hunt Volume 6

Artist/Author: Miki Aihara

Distributor: Viz Media

American release date: December 7, 2010

Format and Genre: Shojo Manga

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: T+ Older Teen

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar series or titles to check out: B.O.D.Y. , Crown of Love, Hot Gimmick

Yura is a shy, young, naive high school aged woman. She is the daughter of celebrity parents.   She is resentful of their  divorce.  In a twist of fate, she is becoming a successful actress.  As her celebrity increases, her private life will be invaded by the media, including friendships and romances. Her boyfriend is Q-ta, a talented musician. His brother, Haruka, feels that he would be better for Yura and that Q-ta is just using her to further his career.

“The Radius”

Hoshin Engi: Volume 19

Tsutoma AnoMangaka: Ryu Fujisaki

Publisher: Viz Media

Release date: June 1, 2010

Genre(s): Historical fantasy, Sci-fi, Comedy

Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar titles:Gin Tama, Excel Saga, Irresponsible Captain Tylor

Hoshin Engi is an unusual tale of sci-fi meeting historical fantasy. The manga tells the story of the fall of the Yin dynasty to the Zhou and combines alien technology, mysticism and superhuman power with loosely linked historical events in a great comedic re-imagining by mangaka Ryu Fujisaki.

The Radius

Title: House of Five Leaves Vol 4

“The Radius”:

Author::Artist Natsume Ono

Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: September 20, 2010

Format: Manga

Genre: Historical, Drama

Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teens

Overall Personal Rating: A+

“The Radius”:

Title: House of Five Leaves, Volume 2

Artist/Author: Natsume Ono

Distributor: Viz Media

American release date: 12/21/10

Format: Manga

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: T+ Older Teen

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar series or titles to check out: By the same author/artist Natsume Ono

Ristorante Paradiso

Sometimes people know where they belong, other times that search may lead to strange and uncomfortable places. Is where you belong defined by your skills or your character, and what will you do to keep that place? Does the past matter?

Synopsis: