Synopsis: More blood, death, and gore for Subaru and his spunky twin sister Hokuto. There's got to be something wrong in these kids' lives if they can't even go to karaoke without placating the soul of an office lady who committed suicide in the karaoke bar. It's really all just fun and games...until somebody loses an eye. Literally.

Pro: Subaru is at his most sympathetic in this volume. It was weird that we learn the most about his nature from his twin, as he's too reserved to ever say it outright himself. There's not as many goofy antics from Sei-chan and Hokuto-chan either, which would be understandable as the series seems to be building up for something just gawdawful.

Con: Really, somebody should burn Hokuto's outfits.

Synopsis: Kazahaya and Rikou continue to do more of the odd jobs for Kakei. Lately, Kazahaya has been beginning to notice that his memories of his past are becoming clearer to him -- most especially in his dreams of Kei, a beautiful and mysterious woman that he may have cared for deeply. Rikou's own search for a girl from his past is moving towards some sort of climax.

Pro: CLAMP are such teases! This volume is the prime example of just how far they'll go to prod and poke...only to draw back just as quickly. The relationship between the two boys is so packed with sexual innuendo that half the time I was reading this book I literally wanted to yell out, "OH FOR THE LOVE OF!!! GO GET A ROOM!" And yes, that's why I love them. If you're a CLAMP fan, watch out for a couple of cute crossovers from Angelic Layer and Suki.

Con: That this book ended so quickly and I'll have to wait several months for the next volume.

Synopsis: Elle, a poor aspiring screenwriter, is happily living in Full House, the home her famous architect father created. One day, she gets kicked to the curb by men who claim that the famous actor Ryder Baye has bought the mansion and she must vacate immediately. Elle doesn't leave without a fight. She steps out of the house, and guess who should just drive by in her convertible and practically run her over? Yes, the new owner, Ryder. (Violent) sparks soon fly between the two as they battle out who should live in Full House.

Pro: All the makings of the romantic-comedy cliche, but oddly enough, there have been very few good adult romantic-comedy manga available in the U.S. market that this one is a welcome addition. Elle is a neurotic firecracker with a short fuse, and Ryder is a suave gigolo but sharp enough not to let this chick step all over him.

Con: Translation gets a bit bogged down by the wordiness. Plus, art leaves a little bit to be desired. But this is Korean manhwa and it could just be that I'm not used to their style.

Synopsis: In return for pay and lodging, Kazahaya works at a drug store managed by Kakei. Once in a while, he is asked to run odd errands that make use of his "special" ability. Trouble is, he's often asked to fulfill these odd jobs with the person he hates, his co-worker/roommate Rikou.

Pro: Kazahaya and Rikou have fun chemistry. It's the usual "I hate you but maybe I really love you" dynamic. Yes, my friends, this is BL (boy love). Nothing explicit, but it's definitely there. The plot's very much like the other newish CLAMP work, xxxHolic. Chapters are little finite stories, but throughout the series there's a binding mystery why Kakei's asking them to do it, and more importantly, why the boys agree so readily to take on those jobs.

Con: Kazahaya = Subaru :: Rikou = Seishirou. CLAMP was never really known for their originality.

Synopsis: Winter is over in Mars, and Akari is enjoying the anniversary of her first year as a gondolier. In between cherry blossom viewing, treasure-hunting, and feasts of roses, two new friends are introduced: Alice and Akira.

Pro: I'm glad that Akari's actually "growing up" with each subsequent volume. She was absolutely clueless in volume 1, but less so in v2, and less so in v3. She still has a lot of charm and big-eyed wonder that made her so loveable, but it really seems that she's feeling more in her element the longer she's in Mars.

Con: Really would've liked to see more of Alicia. She's such a mysterious character -- one of those types that smiles on the outside, but is plotting inside -- as the scenes with her and Akira were just a tease.

Pro: Ryoki, Ryoki, and Ryoki. I think Aihara Miki's biggest strength is how she can draw the most subtle and minisucle of expressions and make them stand out. Viz's translation and adaptation is excellent, as always, and I'm glad they're moving away from making Hatsumi sound so "valley-ish."

Con: Since I actually own the JP volume to make an expert comparison, I'd have to say that I prefer the taupe/gray color of the original cover much more than the dark brown of the Viz edition. Granted, Ryoki does stand out a lot more in the English edition, but the color just overwhelms the art too much for my liking.

Pro: Awesome translation. Found one typo in the book, but otherwise, this title made it through safely Viz's production line. I often feel sorry for these sorts of shoujo titles (i.e. ones not made by Watase) since they often get shafted by sloppy workers -- but hopefully all subsequent volumes of KFL will get the same TLC it (and rightfully all shoujo titles under Viz) deserves.

Con: I've always thought this story went so-o-o-o slowly, and re-reading it this morning, I was brutally reminded of that fact. Karin has a lot of teenage angst to deal through, which is accentuated by the fact that she's a doormat and all -- and instead of feeling sympathetic for her, all I wanted to do was slap her silly.

Pro: Del Rey continues to impress with their superior translation and presentation. As for the story, well, this is actually one of my favorite arcs, especially since Sorata & Arashi appear in it -- so yeah, I liked this volume. A lot.

Con: Unlike the 1st volume, Del Rey didn't include the colored page (which is the splash page for ch11) this time around. I'm not complaining, since I have the colored pages from the Japanese hardcovers, but this is worth keeping in mind if you're a stickler for such things.

Pro: Did I mention how cute Chrono is? Plus, Rosette becomes a lot more lovable and sympathetic on the page.

Con: Not enough of akuma!Chrono. I can't believe I have to wait for August for the next volume.

Pro: Lovely art. And heck, considering I now know how Venice actually looks like, a good bunch of the references actually make sense!

Con: This manga's pacing is superslow. In short, nothing happens. NADA. It's all atmosphere and mood. The main character reminds me of a more complacent and happier version of Honda Tohru from Fruits Basket.

Pro: Ryoki, doing that mathematical calculation! He's such a dork! Yet I still love him to pieces. Actually, the bit about Akane and Subaru is pretty 'awww' too.

Con: Shinogu! I thought I hated Asuza the most, but congratulations, you managed to bump him off.

Pro: Kaori Ozaki's art is so so so beautiful. I love how her boys look like boys, and how her girls look like girls. Plus, she lets Eury loose in this volume, and he's one of my fave characters -- well, after Rain, of course. This volume has definitely made me into a fan of the manga-ka and the series.

Con: The interaction between Rain and Machika tends to become overwrought and dramatic at points, but otherwise, its liveable.

Pro: ADV's production is top-notch. I forgot to mention this about Chrono Crusade and Aria, but I love how all of their manga come with colored pages. Their presentation is very similar to Del Rey with regards to SFX (translated on the side of the original kana) and with cultural notes at the end of the volume.

Con: I've already bitched about this before... I'm hoping somebody could elucidate me about the backstory of this particular series because I am totally lost. There's too much going on and there are characters who I think I should know, but don't. It's like walking in during the middle of a movie: I sorta know what's going on, but I'm still confused.

Pro: This series has pretty top-notch art, imho. In addition, the story's shaping up to be one of those epic fantasy/adventure tales.

Cons: It's really just a pale imitation of Basara; Shuri's ambitions to unite the kingdom are more convincing than Diamond's paltry dreams. And I don't know... I'm getting just a bit tired of the love/hate ambivalence of Lapis. Do you love him or not? Make up your mind already!

Pro: This is the best volume in the series. Why? Because Lapis is barely in it. It's all about Pyrope and Silica and their tale of tragic love.

Cons: Pyrope's fate. Gah, why'd they have to kill off the only decent and sympathetic male character in this series?? After this volume, this whole series just went downhill.