Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 5

Today's manga post is on Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 5 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi and Hikaru Miyoshi (Illustrator). It is 208 pages long and is published by Viz Media. The cover has Albert Moriarty on it pouring a glass of wine. As it is the fifth in the series, you need to have read the first four volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes Sherlock Holmes and re-telling's of classic stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- William James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes meet again on a train back to London, and a dead body is discovered in a locked passenger cabin. With John Watson named as the prime suspect, Sherlock challenges Moriarty to a contest of who can solve the murder first. Will Sherlock be able to clear Watson’s name? Back in London, a state secret that only the royal family is privy to has been stolen and MI6 is tasked with retrieving it, lest the whole empire fall into ruin! Meanwhile, Sherlock is visited by the king of Bohemia, who asks him to cover up a recent scandal…

Review- The volume starts with a locked room mystery and Watson is the one blamed for the murder. Sherlock and James both know that he is innocent and they make a bet about who can prove it first. Then we jump into the re-telling of Scandal in Bohemia and Irene Alder. She is wonderful and unsettles Sherlock so well. I like spending half time with Moriarty and half with Sherlock. It's fun to see how Moriarty's plans influence what cases Sherlock has and how Sherlock solves the cases, impresses Moriarty. Good manga and I look forward to the next volume. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 4

Today's manga post is on Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 4 by Yū Tomofuji. It is 192 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Sariphi and the King on the cover. As it is the fourth in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy re-tellings of Beauty and the Beast with politics. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Sariphi. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Confronted with yet another challenge to prove she is worthy to become queen, Sariphi must now entertain the mysterious Duke Galois upon his visit to the palace. But will learning niceties and dance steps be enough to win over the duke, who is rumored to be a fearsome warrior with a burning hatred for all things human? Or has Sariphi been set up to fail her way out of the palace and the beast realm for good?

Review- Sariphi continues to face her challenges head-on. She has to impress a powerful Duke and he is known for his hatred of humans. Sariphi has to learn all about the palace, a special dance solo, and a special partnered dance. The King is not happy about anyone testing her but Sariphi isn't afraid and the King trusts her. Sariphi never changes who she is, even when it would be to be benefit. That's how she is heal the wounds between humans and beasts. Even when she falls, she gets back up with a smile and tries again. That is what saves this interaction and will continue to do so. A very volume and series. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 6

Today's manga post is on A Man and His Cat, Vol. 6 by Umi Sakurai. It is 180 pages long and is published by Square Eniz Manga. The cover has Kanda, Moriyama, and thier two cats on it. As it is the sixth volume in the series, you need to have read the first five volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes slice of life manga about living with pets. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters, including the cats. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Mr. Kanda has come a long way with a little help from his friends—furry and otherwise. So of course he wants to return the favor when Yoshiharu Moriyama, his music school colleague and Fukumaru fanboy, is abandoned by his bandmates onstage! But to help his friend, can Mr. Kanda summon the courage and determination necessary to overcome his own crippling stage fright?!

Review- Moriyama has been set-up by his band, as they don't want to change the direction for the band and he does. But Kanda and the other teachers step in to help him. Kanda is also cat-sitting Fukumaru's sister for his friend, as the friend is traveling. So lots of cute cat playing and sleeping together. It's very sweet. Kanda is growing and changing as he learning to love life and music again. As he regains his love for life, he is helping others handle the hard things in life too. I love this manga, it's just so sweet and moving. I look forward to the next volume. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 9

Today's manga post is on Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 9 by Mika Yamamori. It is 198 pages and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Suzume and Mamura on it. As it is the ninth volume in the series, you need to have read the first eight volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes coming of ages stories and high school drama. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Suzume. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Suzume has moved to Tokyo and is living with her uncle. Spring arrives, and Suzume and her classmates are now second-year students. There’s just one problem—all the first-year girls are obsessed with Mamura. Suzume and her friends come up with a plan to make Suzume his fake girlfriend, but Mamura is conflicted.

Review- Mamura is being chased by new girls and they are really annoying him and Yuyuka. So Yuyuka has the brilliant idea of Suzume being his fake girlfriend, to make them back off. It does work but it also makes Mamura think about having Suzume as his real girlfriend. Suzume is still getting over Mr. Shishio but she is in a different class now so more Mamura and less of Mr. Shishio. I like how Mamura is growing and being more open with his thoughts and feelings. But Suzume still hasn't noticed how he feels about her. That comes to a head and I can't want to see how she is going to react to that. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 25

Today's manga post is on Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 25 by Mizuho Kusanagi. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Yona and So-Won on it. As it is the twenty-fifth volume, you need to have read the first twenty-four volumes to understand the plot. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy stories with political plots and interesting characters. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the manga- Yona comes face-to-face with Su-won and tells him that waging war against the nation of Xing would be disastrous. Later, she rushes back to Princess Kouren, but assassins and more dangers await in Xing! Will the Four Dragons be able to protect Yona from all who threaten her life?

Review- Yona has learned more about ruling in her time travelling and should not be underestimated. She maneuvers Su-Won into meeting with Princess Kouren but there are forces at work within Xing that don't want a peace talk to happen. I love seeing Yona being the ruler that she was born to be and how she will bend others to her will. Yona is walking more and more like the queen and those around her are starting to react to that. That is driving fear into Su-Won's advisors, especially the ones who talked him into the murder. I want to see Yona out play them all and win back her place. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Perfect World, Vol. 3

Today's manga post is on Perfect World, Vol. 3 by Rie Aruga. It is 176 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. As it is the third volume in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. The cover has the two main characters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes adult, realistic love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- The Weight of Love
After reuniting at a work party, Tsugumi begins dating Itsuki, her first crush from high school who now uses a wheelchair after having sustained a spinal cord injury. While the two couldn't be more dedicated to one other, they soon find themselves met with adversity from their friends and family. Amidst her parents' disapproval of her relationship with Itsuki, Tsugumi becomes overwhelmed by stress and collapses, fracturing her leg. While her injury leads her to understand more about the challenges o Itsuki's disability firsthand, Itsuki can't help but feel that being with Tsugumi is only doing more harm to her than good. And when complication send Itsuki to the hospital yet again, the two will have to look deep inside themselves to confront what this means for the future of their relationship...

Review- Tsugumi is in the hospital with a broken leg and she gets great insight into the world that Itsuki sees and interacts with. It gives her more empathy for him and they have some great conversations about using a wheelchair. But Itsuki is worried about the future and what Tsugumi may want. Her parents are pushing her to break up with him, his nurse wants her to break up with him, and Itsuki is having doubts about their future. Tsugumi is trying her best but a relationship needs two people to work and Itsuki is stopping. This volume ends with a cliffhanger and I would like more real conversations between them about their needs and wants. But all the drama for the story makes it more interesting. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Prince Freya, Vol. 4

Today's manga post is on Prince Freya, Vol. 4 by Keiko Ishihara. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Freya and Julian on it. As it is the fourth volume in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and action violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes political manga with a strong female lead. The story is told from third person following the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- The unexpected arrival of horned warriors at Fort Leren is all that saves the Tyrish troops from the Sigurdian seige. But the Kelds have no interest in joining forces with Tyr—they only intervened to cause pain to their old foe. While it is a disappointing decision, it opens Freya’s eyes to other paths of resistance. Tyr might have no allies, but Sigurd has many enemies!

Review- This volume picks up where the last left off with Freya pulling her men together and they withstand the siege. But the cost was high and not just to Freya but to her friend, Alex. He was saved by a god and made a pact with it. Then Freya meets the king and while he knows that she is not his son, the king gives her his blessing. The politics is starting to get thick now with the villains getting more time on page. But their true motives are still unknown. Freya has a long road in front of her and I am pulling for her and her soldiers. 

I give this manga a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.