http://commanga.com/all_reviews Reviews of Comic and Manga series by Crazy Choco On the one hand, Anima seems to be mainly aimed at a younger audience. On the other hand the material here is quite sophisticated and this definitely isn’t something that will appeal just to children. http://commanga.com/anima http://commanga.com/anima Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 If you follow Video games, Anime or Manga than you may have heard of .hack. It seems to be a series without a fixed platform, more the mixture of a story idea and some marketing than anything solid. http://commanga.com/dot_hack_legend_of_the_twilight http://commanga.com/dot_hack_legend_of_the_twilight Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Basically, this is Japanese. By that, I don’t mean that it’s from Japan - although obviously it is. I mean it’s... Japanese. Suffice to say that this book is full of little girls with short skirts and super powers, said little girls beating up men twice their age with said super powers, oh and gratuitous shower scenes. http://commanga.com/a_certain_scientific_railgun http://commanga.com/a_certain_scientific_railgun Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 While on the surface this all looks quite cheery, some of the topics covered - such as the rights of a cloned individual, self-harm and suicide - can actually be quite shocking. http://commanga.com/afterschool-charisma http://commanga.com/afterschool-charisma Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000 Alice and her love interest Kyo have the ability to use emotion-based magic words, and are prophesied to save the world from a great evil. Together with the help of several guides, who gradually turn up as the plot goes on, they [spoiler warning] do eventually save the world in volume 7. http://commanga.com/alice_19th http://commanga.com/alice_19th Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 Now, this is an interesting idea. Take something popular - in this case, Alice in Wonderland - then move it completely into a different genre - in this case shojo manga. It has taken a bit of skill and the willingness to completely change a few of the original characters to pull this off in a new format, but amazingly this series has turned out really well. http://commanga.com/alice_in_the_country_of_hearts http://commanga.com/alice_in_the_country_of_hearts Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 A psychological thriller with hints of mystery and horror. Souji returns to his hometown after a long absence to find that there have recently been three unexplained murders there... http://commanga.com/amnesia_labyrinth http://commanga.com/amnesia_labyrinth Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000 If you’ve read Demon Diary, which is a series by the same authors, you probably know roughly what you’re in for here: a bunch of fantasy characters hang out together, then there’s lots of politics, then they all live happily every after. http://commanga.com/angel_diary http://commanga.com/angel_diary Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 If you’ve never read anything from Korea then this series might come as a bit of a shock to you. Not only are a lot of the usual Korean cliches in place, but the author just assumes that the cliches are a given and uses them without explanation. http://commanga.com/ark_angels http://commanga.com/ark_angels Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 The main plot involves the deepening emotions between a vampire named Karin (who is the titular character in the original Japanese version which was named after her) and Kenta, a normal human. http://commanga.com/chibi_vampire http://commanga.com/chibi_vampire Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Japan has a bit of a reputation of being the home of various craziness, and if any country is ripe for a good bit of social commentary then it's probably Japan. http://commanga.com/chobits http://commanga.com/chobits Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 It's probably too soon for a series featuring pope John Paul II leading a holy order of priests and nuns to fight evil demons and save the world. But set it back in time a little bit and suddenly it's acceptable! http://commanga.com/chrono_crusade http://commanga.com/chrono_crusade Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Most of the main characters in this story are very silly. Their goofy and provocative actions are constantly flying in the face of the dangerous and serious setting, and yet they always get away with it. http://commanga.com/demon_diary http://commanga.com/demon_diary Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000 When you first hear about it, the concept of a ninja-doctor will probably make no sense whatsoever. That and most of the plot. What does a ninja-doctor actually do? Well, action comedy of course! http://commanga.com/dr_mcninja http://commanga.com/dr_mcninja Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Eve features things from a long list of sci-fi standards, such as: Artifacts and machines left from a long-dead alien race; warp-gates that teleport ships long distances across the universe; a large parliament made up of embassies from different systems; and an ancient evil trying to destroy the universe. http://commanga.com/ev http://commanga.com/ev Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 You would think that covering something that has been done to death would not be a good idea, but paradoxically for a comedy it works quite well. http://commanga.com/evil_inc http://commanga.com/evil_inc Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Faeries' Landing strikes me as some kind of a weird experiment, or possibly an author just wanted to try out a few different genres in the same series. Oh My Goddess! is a strong influence though. http://commanga.com/faeries_landing http://commanga.com/faeries_landing Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000 We're not talking about the most original Manga in the world here, but what Gamerz Heaven lacks in originality it makes up for in execution. http://commanga.com/gamerz_heaven http://commanga.com/gamerz_heaven Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Imagine a small kitten. No, wait, let's make it a puppy. A really small and really, really cute puppy. Let's say it's found a cardboard box, about three times its size, and it's poking it with it's nose. It's trying to get into the box, but it... http://commanga.com/hibikis_magic http://commanga.com/hibikis_magic Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Rumiko Takahash is a famous name in Manga, both in the Western world and in Japan - mostly for the Ranma ½ and InuYasha Manga series. Not everyone in the West knows about some of her older works, however. http://commanga.com/lum http://commanga.com/lum Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 There really hasn't been much thought put into making Maburaho different than anything that has come before, so I can classify it by slotting it neatly into the “Harem” pigeon-hole. http://commanga.com/maburaho http://commanga.com/maburaho Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Murder Princess is mostly an action story, but the action is generally well paced and mixes in quite well with character development and plot progression. The characters are all slightly unrealistic and very slightly crazy. http://commanga.com/murder_princess http://commanga.com/murder_princess Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Apart from the whole fantasy, “I‘m imagining that my cat can talk” thing there is a very normal story being the Manga. There are no aliens invading the planet, there are no people with superpowers, it’s just an artist and his relationships with people, plus his journey to overcome his emotional withdraw. http://commanga.com/my_cat_loki http://commanga.com/my_cat_loki Sat, 07 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 The standard Harem Manga format: The (male) lead character, though some unlikely course of events, winds up rooming with several girls, who are always attractive, and usually supernatural. Cue romantic comedy. http://commanga.com/oh_my_goddess http://commanga.com/oh_my_goddess Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Peach Fuzz tells the story of Amanda, a little girl who's mother buys her a pet ferret to try and keep her happy, and Peach, a ferret princess who is kidnapped from her kingdom and imprisoned in the room of an evil nine-year-old girl. http://commanga.com/peach_fuzz http://commanga.com/peach_fuzz Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Imagine my joy as I discovered that there was going to be an Ace Attorney Manga. But unfortunately both me and all the other Phoenix Wright fans have a big disappointment coming up. http://commanga.com/phoenix_wright_ace_attorney http://commanga.com/phoenix_wright_ace_attorney Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 The titular character, Ai, is a Princess from a fantasy Kingdom. Chased by demons and suffering from amnesia she has come to Earth, and must recover her memories, discover who she is and work out what she is doing before she can return home. http://commanga.com/princess_ai http://commanga.com/princess_ai Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Revolutionary Girl Utena features a tomboy as its titular character. Utena has a strong personality, hates anything she sees as an injustice, is always quick to stand up for people and doesn't like the thought of being dependent on someone else. http://commanga.com/revolutionary_girl_utena http://commanga.com/revolutionary_girl_utena Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000 S.S. Astro is 4 panel strip staring the teachers of the titular Japanese school. It’s set out like a newspaper strip, though I’m not sure I could imagine a newspaper that would actually carry it. http://commanga.com/ss_astro http://commanga.com/ss_astro Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:19:32 +0000 Put simply, Saiyuki is a typical Action Manga. The four main protagonists could loosely be called “heroes”, and face off against another group of what look like “villains”, until another group betray the first group and become the “real” villains. http://commanga.com/saiyuki http://commanga.com/saiyuki Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 The title of this Manga seems an odd contrast: A coffin is a dark and somber object, but to carry one around is a bit silly. But in a way this does do the series some justice; Shoulder a Coffin Kuro frequently switches between lighthearted and dark stories. http://commanga.com/shoulder_a_coffin_kuro http://commanga.com/shoulder_a_coffin_kuro Sun, 05 Dec 2010 13:21:44 +0000 Sluggy stars Torg, a goofy young man who is often between jobs, Riff, an inventor whose inventions tend to drive or at least trigger most of the plot-lines, and Bun Bun, a violent, slightly misanthropic, badass anti-hero who just happens to be a small lop rabbit. http://commanga.com/sluggy http://commanga.com/sluggy Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Put simply, Suzunari! is one nice long double-act. Suzu is a totally OTT character; Kaede is the “straight man” - um, I mean, “straight woman”. Suzu is kind of an “odd person out” in the Manga; the main humour comes from Suzu’s reactions to everything, and Kaede’s reaction to Suzu’s antics. http://commanga.com/suzunari http://commanga.com/suzunari Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 The Dreaming takes place in a haunted mansion, alone in the middle a large Australian forest. A good place to set a horror comic, you'd think. http://commanga.com/the_dreaming http://commanga.com/the_dreaming Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 In The Girl Who Leapt Through Time the protagonist can leap through time at will, and can uses this to start playing around. For example, she does things like cheat on a test, by traveling back in time and using her knowledge of the answers to get a perfect score. http://commanga.com/the_girl_who_leapt_through_time http://commanga.com/the_girl_who_leapt_through_time Sun, 08 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 The Girl who Runs Through Time isn't aiming to be overly complex or clever. It's just aiming to be a charming little story, and it succeeds brilliantly. http://commanga.com/the_girl_who_runs_through_time http://commanga.com/the_girl_who_runs_through_time Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 If you've ever read the Petshop of Horrors Manga, then I'd say that each chapter in Time Guardian plays out a bit like that; only of course without the horror. http://commanga.com/time_guardian http://commanga.com/time_guardian Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Vampire Doll  goes everywhere. There are action stories, comedy stories, feel-good stories, sad stories, romance stories, and probably a few more I've missed listing. http://commanga.com/vampire_doll http://commanga.com/vampire_doll Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Well, there’s Vampire this and Vampire that. Just like television, Manga seems to have gone through a phase where Vampires are in fashion. We seem to be starting to come out of it now, however as I’m not making any attempt to do... http://commanga.com/vampire_game http://commanga.com/vampire_game Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 The titular character, Van himself, has a mission in life. He hunts down evil... stuff. If that description sounds a bit silly and vague, then it suits both the character and the style of the book. http://commanga.com/van_von_hunter http://commanga.com/van_von_hunter Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 Venus Versus Virus really seems to be about cliches. The series has a few very good ideas, surrounded by a layer of cliches.   http://commanga.com/venus_vs_virus http://commanga.com/venus_vs_virus Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:21:31 +0000 We Shadows is an Original English Manga, but one so twisted it leaves most of Japan's offerings in the dust. Prepare to meet talking horses, characters talking entirely in rhyme and talking mushrooms. http://commanga.com/we_shadows http://commanga.com/we_shadows Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000 The basic staple of Zatch Bell is action. If someone were to flip open any book in the series, then they'd find that it's mostly action. If you don't like action, then don't even bother with this series, it's that simple. http://commanga.com/zatch_bell http://commanga.com/zatch_bell Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000