As per usual with Tokyo Ghoul, this volume managed to be in parts devastating, bittersweet, ominous and exhilarating. TheShirazu my beloved...........
As per usual with Tokyo Ghoul, this volume managed to be in parts devastating, bittersweet, ominous and exhilarating. There's no shortage of emotional highs and lows with such a large and well fleshed out cast. Ishida isn't afraid to axe any of the big players, and when he does it certainly won't be pretty (especially with the Aogori tree running rampant).
My only issue with this volume was some mild confusion during certain fight scenes; certain faces bled together from time to time, making it hard to follow what was going on. This wasn't the case for all the action, though! A good amount of one-on-one combat was gorgeously drawn, especially scenes involving Kaneki and the Shu family.
The character design shone through even more so than usual in this volume. I loved the subtle changes to some characters' appearances like Urie's undercut and Kaneki's glasses. Ishida's art style will always be one of my all time favourites....more
Jord deserves the world; I loved getting a glimpse into his earlier, happier days in training as a guard as Laurent took special notice of his talent.Jord deserves the world; I loved getting a glimpse into his earlier, happier days in training as a guard as Laurent took special notice of his talent. This novella being set during Prince's Gambit worried me, since the pain of Aimeric's betrayal was still fresh, and I'm actually happy that things wrapped up before things turned sour between them.
I love pretending bad things never happened!!!...more
Erasmus was so sweet in book 1, it was interesting to glimpse some of his backstory and find out why he got sent to Vere in the first place. I’m so haErasmus was so sweet in book 1, it was interesting to glimpse some of his backstory and find out why he got sent to Vere in the first place. I’m so happy Damen tried to free him in Captive Prince, because watching him be manipulated—conditioned to serve without complaint from such a young age—broke my heart. I hop Erasmus gets the happiness he deserves in the next books!...more
Shirazu buzzcut era!!! (I'm deflecting the pain of Haise having a breakdown over being *this* close to finding out who he used to be...)Shirazu buzzcut era!!! (I'm deflecting the pain of Haise having a breakdown over being *this* close to finding out who he used to be...)...more
TSUKIYAMA IS BACK!!!! I didn't realize how much I missed that crazy eccentric french(?) man until he was back in the flesh. It's been a while, so I foTSUKIYAMA IS BACK!!!! I didn't realize how much I missed that crazy eccentric french(?) man until he was back in the flesh. It's been a while, so I forgot what happened to him in the main series; thar means when Kanae opened a curtain to a mummy corpse looking thing that was allegedly Tsukiyama.... I was lost. The family plan to get him back to his normal self is actually really funny simply because of how Tsuki reacts to the photos ...more
Tokyo Ghoul will forever be one of my favourite mangas. I look up to Ishida's art style more than any other mangaka (even did a giant painting of KaneTokyo Ghoul will forever be one of my favourite mangas. I look up to Ishida's art style more than any other mangaka (even did a giant painting of Kaneki last summer); the maturity in his storytelling and character development outshines that of most other seinens I've read over the years. I really don't know why it's taken me so long to get through :re when I hold such fondness for the original series, but after a long break since reading vol 2, I'm finally motivated to complete them all!
My favourite characters have pretty much solidified themselves. Urie has my whole heart despite going a little crazy for recognition in the last few chapters... I suspect my willingness to forgive his faults is because I'm already so fond of the typically strange characters like my boy Suzuya! It's also really lovely that Ishida has included a transgender character—Mutsuki—so seamlessly into this story; most other popular shonen and seinen manga tend to treat LGBTQ characters as comedic relief, with any substance to them being replaced with jokes or flamboyance. Mutsuki on the other hand is such a well-layered and integral character to the plot, holding a leading role in the CCG ghoul investigations, while their gender identity is almost never brought up other than to build up their backstory. I love him and the entire Mado squad so much!
My only complaint with this volume is one that's consistent with a lot of other manga I read. The action scenes were a little hard to follow in the first half of things, though I wasn't too bothered by that since the separate sequences started becoming more and more distinct each time we panned back to them. It's so difficult to portray large-scale battles in such a condensed media form like manga without things getting a little murky. Otherwise, I highly enjoyed this volume. The new ghoul on this cover is so creepy, I'm worried about how big of a problem he'll become for the CCG, and what his connections to Haise/Kaneki may be after the subtle reveal we got......more
I was so sad after Tokio's sudden decision…. but after that ending? Oh I can’t wait for his reappearance.
It was so cute seeing Azuma and Ely bond for I was so sad after Tokio's sudden decision…. but after that ending? Oh I can’t wait for his reappearance.
It was so cute seeing Azuma and Ely bond for a little as they tried to reconcile Tokio’s absense; I loved the stylistic choice to depict several pages-worth of their mundane friendship without any words. I didn’t expect so many choujin to get involved in the fight with Zora—at least not this early. The outcome feels like a bandaid on an otherwise massive wound, one that will reopen very soon with even more anger. Incredible art as always. Anything Ishida touches is gold....more
I love this strange brand of horror that Sui Ishida had mastered; it echoes some of my other artistic favourites like Chainsaw Man and Berserk. There I love this strange brand of horror that Sui Ishida had mastered; it echoes some of my other artistic favourites like Chainsaw Man and Berserk. There were so many creepy choujin that made appearances in this volume, and Tokio’s (+ the other main leads’) encounters with them made for some incredible battles, even just visually. The scope of this world has been expanding exponentially for some time now, and the strange Tower of Mourning Tokyo was dragged into to meet Zora, the mother angel type choujin, was so atmospheric. The plot is ramping up to have disastrous consequences should our main squad fail… I’m so curious to find out how they’ll get out of this....more
Renji’s Bankai!! It was bittersweet to see him challenge Byakuya to save Rukia, even though he knew deep down that he couldn’t beat such an insanely sRenji’s Bankai!! It was bittersweet to see him challenge Byakuya to save Rukia, even though he knew deep down that he couldn’t beat such an insanely strong captain. Their fight was so well drawn; I’m always in awe of Kubo’s art, and the sickly beauty in things like Byakuya’s attacks turning from flower petals to blades that cut deep. Tosen’s fight against Kenpachi is also gearing up to be a fantastic matchup. Pretty much any scene involving Kenpachi steals my attention, so I’m eager to see how this will end. I didn’t expect to get backstory on Tosen, though I’m also curious about him now that we got a flashback. Awesome volume!...more
I’ve been seeing this anime everywhere lately; over the past month or two I kept getting YouTube ads for it, and my twitter feed was full of people poI’ve been seeing this anime everywhere lately; over the past month or two I kept getting YouTube ads for it, and my twitter feed was full of people posting clips of the main characters. With how great the animation looked, it was inevitable that I’d check out the source material!
It’s only the beginning, but A Sign of Affection is already proving to be incredibly sweet. The premise of a deaf girl teaching one of her travel/language-obsessed college classmates to sign entailed major levels of wholesomeness, which are definitely being delivered. The art is clean and refined—a style I tend to prefer in manga—and the romance seems like it’s going to be really cute.
My only complaint is the pacing. Things seem to be going just a little fast in terms of Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship, considering they only just met and are already borderline about to confess. On Yuki’s side, she’s even acknowledging her feelings as love. I know there are a decent amount of volumes to go, so I’m curious how this will be stretched out. Will they get together early, spending most of the series as a couple? Or is there plenty more pining to come? We’ll see!...more
This was so much better than Icebreaker. Russ has got to be one of the most green flag men to walk contemporary romance, and the sleepaway summer campThis was so much better than Icebreaker. Russ has got to be one of the most green flag men to walk contemporary romance, and the sleepaway summer camp setting made the atmosphere of this book just perfect for this time of year. It was great watching Russ and Aurora fall in love without outside influence; their coming-together was all very secluded and borderline peaceful, making it even better when the two let themselves open up and bond over the things they hesitated to share with anyone else.
I liked Russ a lot more than Nate, since he's more of the shy sweetheart to Nate's confident jock type. There's something about lovesick guys who worship the ground a woman walks on that's just the best. Especially when said guy is too nervous to make a move, and has to wait for the girl to give him a sign or initiate something first. Trope reversal at its finest! I couldn't wait for Russ to overcome his fear of opening up to people, and the payoff was great once it finally happened.
I also liked following Aurora a lot more than Stassie, who came off as annoying to me in the beginning of Icebreaker. I'm so used to the opposites attract trope, so while Aurora was outgoing and Russ was reserved, it was really rewarding to watch them realize they were actually more similar to each other than they realized. They're a borderline perfect match, and I loved reading about their mutual pining to eventual romance.
While I enjoyed these characters, their chemistry, and the setting more in Wildfire, objectively I don't think Hannah Grace's writing has changed much since Icebreaker. The dialogue hit a lot of similar beats, though it was entertaining nonetheless. One main positive was the less cringey smut scenes (considering I borderline skimmed most of the ones in Icebreaker). I don't know what it is about smut in contemporary romance, but I almost never find it enjoyable. Fantasy authors have my heart in that realm, so i was kind of suprised when this time, they were actually sort of good? Maybe it's because of how much I liked Russ and Aurora together. Anyways! This was such a cute little summer romance....more
Not Pacat trying to convince me there will be a Harvard-centric love triangle with that cliffhanger. We all know he has eyes only for one person (evenNot Pacat trying to convince me there will be a Harvard-centric love triangle with that cliffhanger. We all know he has eyes only for one person (even if he's much less aware of it than Aiden). Thank goodness I've already read the accompanying novels and know our ship is in safe hands ...more
Starting off summer break by sitting in my backyard reading the Fence comics brings back so much nostalgia, since I first started reading these 5 or 6Starting off summer break by sitting in my backyard reading the Fence comics brings back so much nostalgia, since I first started reading these 5 or 6 summers ago. I love these characters so much, & can't wait to binge the rest of the Redemption arc!...more
Will I continue to enjoy retellings without reading the original? Well yes!
Most Ardently is (apparently) a Pride & Prejudice retelling. While I can't Will I continue to enjoy retellings without reading the original? Well yes!
Most Ardently is (apparently) a Pride & Prejudice retelling. While I can't speak on its uniqueness or faithfulness to the original, I know I loved its characters so much that it makes me interested in the original story when I never before was. Here, Novoa portrays Elizabeth as Oliver, a transgender man secretly hoping to dress the way he feels inside. It is through one of his nightly escapades—sneaking away from the Bennetts and shedding his dresses for a suit and trousers—that he begins to feel a connection with Darcy, who doesn't realize Oliver is the same 'lady' he seemed to hate at the ball.
This was a delightfully binge-worthy and heartfelt book. Most Ardently brought me back to my love of reading after a month of reading nothing (i blame university). I shed a few tears, felt pain and joy alongside Oliver, and kind of fell for Darcy alongside him. There was an underlying sweetness to each of their interactions, yearning and all, which I adored. I fear I need to know what the original Mr. Darcy is like...
I loved Jane and Mr. Bennett serving as a continuous support system for Oliver. Even though things weren't sunshine and roses for him all the time, things never got too heavy because of their reassurances. My only complaint about this book is the slightly rushed ending; I wanted more of Oliver and Darcy and their relationship before everything was wrapped up! Ah, what a sweet book....more
Seeing a childhood friendship on the verge of breaking will always break me. I knew Tokio and Azuma’s bond was stroThis one has a little kick to it….
Seeing a childhood friendship on the verge of breaking will always break me. I knew Tokio and Azuma’s bond was strong, but seeing it in action while Azuma rushed in to save him, while having no idea the scope of what he was getting into?? It hurt. I need Tokio and (especially) Azuma to pull through this next volume ...more
This was so cute oh my god??? Clumsy witch girlfriend and himbo vampire boyfriend whom she accidentally turns into a cat. What’s not to love? The art This was so cute oh my god??? Clumsy witch girlfriend and himbo vampire boyfriend whom she accidentally turns into a cat. What’s not to love? The art style is bubbly and sweet, and the story is pretty lighthearted aside from some witch vs vampire clan feuding. Morgana can do no wrong, and seeing Oz slowly fall for her is adorable. Can’t wait to read the rest of this webtoon!!!...more
A cliche yet wholesome high school romance! Anything involving childhood friends to lovers immediately has my interest, so I’m not surprised to have lA cliche yet wholesome high school romance! Anything involving childhood friends to lovers immediately has my interest, so I’m not surprised to have liked this. Ren and Kai were so considerate of each other in a way only best friends are; any miscommunication between them was short lived, and their brief confession + romance was really sweet. For a one shot, this was pretty good!...more