Re:ZERO Vol. #01 Manga Review

"Starting life in another world"

Creative Staff:

Art: Daichi Matsuse

Original Story: Tappei Nagatsuki

Character Design: Shinichirou Otsuka

Translation: ZephyrRZ

Lettering: Bianca Pistillo

What They Say:

Subaru Natsuki has been summoned to another world. Now, instead of continuing his normal life as a high school truant, he must find a way to adapt to the parallel universe he's wound up in. While this may seem like every young man's dream, things suddenly turn sour when Subaru gets himself caught up in the dangerous life of a mysterious, silver-haired girl. On the plus side, he's been gifted with a remarkable superpower -- time travel. The only thing wrong with said superpower is that he has to die in order to use it. There's no possible way he would need to use that power more than just once, right?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

If you haven't caught wind of the Re:ZERO series by now, then you probably haven't visited any anime/manga forum in the past several months. Well, luckily for you, I've finally boarded the hype train and have no intentions on exchanging my ticket. Train jokes aside, Re:Zero has quickly become a bit of a phenomenon in the anime world. With a story that has been continuously breaking hearts week after week, it's no surprise that English manga giants, Yen Press, have acquired the title and simultaneously launched both the light novel and manga versions. The true question is, will the manga really be able to live up to the animated series? I mean, those are some big shoes to fill, right? 

There are couple things to note before we start this off. First, the Re:ZERO manga is an adaptation of the light novel. Okay, big deal; happens all the time. Whatever. Secondly, there are actually two separate Re:ZERO manga series as of right now. This is the first of those two. Remember how the pilot episode of the anime was divided into two separate parts? This first series, as far as I know, covers no more than that first episode, hence the extended title of the series, "Chapter 1: A Day in the Capital". Chapter two, which I assume will follow suit after the release of the second and final volume of chapter one, will cover everything after the first episode of Re:ZERO.

Being sucked into a parallel world is normally a cool thing, right? I mean, you've got elves and cute girls and cute girls who are also elves -- the whole nine yards. Well, for Subaru, it isn't exactly an ideal scenario. Shortly after being transported into the world of Re:ZERO, Subaru discovers that he isn't necessarily the protagonist of some medieval fantasy game. In fact, life in a parallel world is shaping out to be pretty tough. In just the first hour of his existence in Lugnica, he discovers that their entire written language and even the names of several objects (Like apples) have been changed from what he is used to. As if that wasn't enough, he gets mugged by two random dudes and their midget friend directly afterward. But just before the gangsters can kill Subaru, a beautiful girl shows up and, with the help of her magical cat, Puck, fends away the evildoers.

Now, despite how "anime" that last sentence may sound, Re:ZERO is far from your typical romantic fantasy. This entire series is so overwhelmingly bleak, and that all becomes apparent in the chapters that succeed this.

As it turns out, the girl (Who we know as Satella at this point in time) has had a very important badge stolen from her. In an effort to help her find it and repay her for ultimately saving his life, Subaru states that he will aid her in the search for it. As the two stumble upon a seemingly abandoned shack in the slums of the city, Subaru ventures inside only to find the ravaged corpse of an old man. Before he can escape, he is cut down by a shadowy figure. Hearing the ruckus, Satella peaks inside only to meet the same fate. As Subaru's vision starts to fade, he is filled with regret and the desire to seek vengeance on whoever has done something as terrible as this.

But then his eyes open and he's exactly where he just started -- talking to some merchant about apples. Not entirely grasping the situation yet, Subaru sprints back to where he had just been killed, only to find that the man who was dead just hours ago is now alive and well. Regardless, Subaru asks that the old man sell him the badge that his partner, Felt (Who we briefly got a glimpse of earlier), had delivered to him. Fortunately for Subaru, he's been transported back to before Felt had even dropped off the badge and winds up waiting for her to show up. When she does show up, however, Subaru isn't greeted with a simple transaction. Instead, he is forced to wait for Felt's client (Who had ordered the badge-theft to begin with) and must debate against said client in order to attain the badge.

Instead of going over the consequent actions and remainder of the final chapter in the manga, I'm going to talk about the quality of the content instead. While the artwork and story all remain above-average (And that isn't me just speaking as a fan of the series), the quality of this particular manga release is a bit below average -- especially considering the typical, high-grade product I've become accustomed to seeing from Yen Press. There are several panels strewn throughout this book that are cut off and unfinished. The text breaks away in the crease of some pages and ultimately ruins the underlying atmosphere the story has worked so hard to create. It's a bit depressing that, in moments of extreme despair, you can only see half of the protagonist's face and the cut-off, painful ramblings he's worked so hard to spew. Like I've said, the manga itself is definitely what I expected, but the way it was clumsily thrown together was relatively off-putting and definitely a step down from the quality of an average Yen Press release.

Regardless, I will definitely be continuing on with this series and am looking forward to any potential improvement the product itself may have in the future.

In Summary:

Re:ZERO's first manga volume does a solid job in laying down the building blocks for what is going to be a long, painful journey (And I mean painful in the best way possible). While the first few chapters are definitely a much lighter tone than the rest of the series, the way it slowly burns and becomes more and more dreadful as it progresses is nothing short of gratifying in the long run. If you can get past how several of the panels are cut off by the way the physical book is put together, you're in for a wild ride that I would actually deem a necessity if you aren't already watching the animated series. If you are watching the animated series, however, you are probably just going to pick this up anyway because it's almost physically impossible to not fall in love with the world of Re:ZERO and want to absorb every inch of content that it may have.

Content Grade: B+

Art Grade: A-

Packaging Grade: B

Text/Translation Grade: B-

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 26, 2016

MSRP: $12.99

Horimiya Vol. #04 Manga Review

You were awake, weren't you?

Creative Staff:

Art: Daisuke Hagiwara

Story: Hero

Translation: Taylor Engel

Lettering: Alexis Eckerman

What They Say:

At first glance, the ultra-popular Hori-san seems like a frivolous high school girl, but in reality, she's plain, pragmatic, and family-oriented. On the other hand, the bespectacled Miyamura-kun comes across as an average, gloomy high school fanboy, but he's actually an attractive young man who has a bad-boy streak and is covered in piercings and tattoos. When these two unexpectedly similar classmates have a random run-in outside of the classroom, a bubbly, sweet tale of school life begins!

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

It's about damn time this volume came around. After that whole out-of-the-blue confession in the last installment of Horimiya, waiting for this was like waiting for Christmas. Thankfully, Christmas has rolled around (Even if it's the beginning of August at the time of me writing this) and the wait is all but over. And what have we received? Another six chapters of some good, old-fashioned romantic comedy! Oh, and a new supporting character along with it. But before we get to him, we need to give Miyamura a few pages to cope with his sporadic confession to Hori in volume three.

When Miyamura wakes up the morning after the confession, he's greeted by none other than his old friend, Kouichi Shindou. Having sent Shindou a text beckoning his assistance, Shindou decides that the best possible time for him to show up at Miyamura's house is at the crack of dawn, scaring our long-haired protagonist half to death when he wakes up. Needless to say, Miyamura goes through the motions of, once again, claiming that he's not nearly good enough to land Hori. After a quick heart-to-heart with Shindou, however, his opinion seems to shift. Shindou essentially tells Miyamura that if anything is going to happen, he needs to quit running away and just make a damn move already. I guess all it took to wake Miyamura up was some sound advice from an old friend, considering that as soon as his conversation with Shindou wraps up, he sets out to smooth things over with Hori. Unfortunately for him, she's decided to avoid him.

As we know (But Miyamura is still unsure of), Hori was awake at the time of Miyamura's confession. Unable to figure out how she feels about the idea of her best friend falling in love with her, Hori instead decides to stay home from school an extra day. In the midst of her self-confinement, Souta decides to RUIN EVERYTHING and tell his older sister that he saw Miyamura walking arm-in-arm with some random girl he'd never seen before. The truth behind this, however, is that the girl was Shindou's girlfriend and he was just trying to help her walk after she'd hurt her ankle. Hori, being a teenage girl, overanalyzes this and goes to school the next day, still set on avoiding Miyamura. He isn't having that, though.

Eventually, Miyamura is able to track down Hori and ask her the question we've all been waiting for, "Were you awake?" Hori, still being a teenage girl, dodges the question and fires back one of her own, "Who is this girl you were walking arm-in-arm with?" Before being able to properly explain himself, Hori throws a textbook at Miyamura's face and storms off, leaving his question unanswered. Our Miyamura isn't someone who is going to be fought away with just a single textbook, though. Instead, he brings said textbook back to Hori's house in case, you know, she has to do homework or something. It is at this point where, after the two awkwardly apologize to each other, Hori admits that she heard Miyamura's confession loud and clear. Just as things are about to get interesting, our new character walks into the room -- Hori's father, Kyousuke.

Kyousuke, however, isn't your normal dad. The dude looks like a total badass. Mix that with his childish tendencies and playfully abusive behavior toward his daughter and you have the makings of a painfully awkward first meeting with your significant other's father. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Kyousuke isn't really the serious type by any means and actually takes to Miyamura rather quickly. Eventually, they all go out for ramen and, on the way back, HORI AND MIYAMURA HOLD HANDS AGAIN. WOOOOOO. As is the law of manga, this solidifies their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend and all is well in the world.

OR IS IT.

Soon after their marriage...err, handholding...Miyamura and Hori are spotted leaving her house together. Queue the rumors. As they arrive at school, the two are already being bombarded with an onslaught of, "Are you two actually dating?" Hori, being the ideal girlfriend of every manga protagonist's dreams, is all like, "Yeah...why?" but the series of questions really begins to take a toll on Miyamura's self-esteem. Unable to truly believe that he is worthy of his new girlfriend, Miyamura decides to change his image in an effort to have everyone see him in a new light. The gloomy, unapproachable Miyamura is gone, and the dreamy, super-approachable Miyamura is born. But what does this mean for Hori? Will Miyamura become a ladies' man now? Or will he dedicate his heart to the one and only Kyouko Hori?

In Summary:

The fourth installment of Horimiya expectedly follows the same pattern as the three prior volumes, making it yet another strong addition to the series. The addition of Kyousuke Hori adds a much-needed flare to the plot and amps up our opinion of the entire Hori family as a whole, making them even more likable and realistic. It's good to see Miyamura taking leaps and bounds forward, but his new image revealed in the last several pages may leave you eerily unsettled. Not in the, 'Oh my god, who even are you?' kind of way, but in the 'I sure hope no one tries to get with you and ruin everything' kind of way. Will Hori be able to take to Miyamura's new appearance? Or will she be mad at him for not confronting her about the situation beforehand? Regardless of the answer to these questions, volume four of Horimiya is just about as excellent as the other three in every possible aspect. The series, up to this point, is still one of the best I've read in quite some time. The next Christmas is scheduled to arrive on October 25, 2016.

Content Grade: A

Art Grade: A-

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 19, 2016

MSRP: $12.99

Rewrite Episode #05 Anime Review

There's no world that can accept people as filthy as we are.

What They Say:

Kazamatsuri, a modern, well-developed city renowned for its burgeoning greenery and rich Japanese culture, is home to Kotarou Tennouji, a high schooler least privy to the place's shared values. Content to fill his pockets with frivolity, the proud and nosy boy whiles away his time pestering the self-proclaimed delinquent Haruhiko and indulging in his amorous feelings toward the oddball Kotori.

Equipped with the superhuman ability to permanently rewrite any part of his body to multiply his strength or speed, Kotarou is naturally drawn to the supernatural. One special meeting with the lone member and president of the Occult Research Club, the "Witch" Akane Senri, leads to Kotarou reviving the Occult Club by recruiting Kotori and three other members: the clumsy transfer student Chihaya, the strict class representative Lucia, and the unassuming Shizuru. As Kotarou unveils hidden secrets of each member of the Occult Club through their shared adventures, he will inevitably encounter a fate that only he might be able to rewrite.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers).

Hooray for backstories! Last week, we got to see a glimpse or two into the past of our beloved Shizuru Nakatsu. With that out of the way, things can't possibly be as dark for our next backstory as well, right? Right? Guys? Wrong. Lucia Konohana is the focal point of this week's installment of Rewrite, and it's just as dark as what we've seen from Shizuru's route.

As it turns out, Lucia also has some weird, supernatural power in which she's sort of a reverse-King Midas and everything she touches withers and dies. The first minute or two shows us a scene in which a little girl (Presumably young Lucia) is all alone in a desolate, monochromatic corn field or something. As she reaches out to touch a leaf (Right after brutally murdering a ladybug), everything in said field turns black and rots away almost instantaneously. The scene then fades back to our beloved occult research club as they receive a letter from an anonymous student about the curse of 'Asahi Haruka'.

Lucia and Shizuru, still out of the picture following last week's altercation, are nowhere to be found at the time of this letter's discovery -- which is pretty lucky, considering the curse of Asahi Haruka is essentially the curse of Konohana Lucia. After some super-sleuth work from Kotarou, the two names are linked and it is revealed that Lucia only wears her gloves to avoid killing everything ever. Unfortunately for her, she winds up accidentally slapping Kotarou somewhere down the road, ultimately inflicting him with a slow-moving poison. Poor guy was just trying to help her out.

Once Lucia realizes that Kotarou has uncovered the secret of her affliction, she begins to distance herself from him, taking shelter in the abandoned orphanage that marks the beginning of Asahi Haruka's curse. However, just as he always does, Kotarou uncovers the site of the orphanage and winds up crossing paths with Lucia once again. Lucia spills the beans about how she can shatter glass and kill puppies and stuff, but Kotarou doesn't really care. Instead, he drops to his knees and pretends that there isn't a life-ending poison coursing through his veins. It is at this point where Lucia realizes she has messed up and starts apologizing profusely. Of course, Kotarou has a supernatural power of his own and reveals that Lucia before rewriting his body into one strong enough to cope with the poison. Then the HAZMAT team shows up, but don't worry, they're all friends with Lucia and everything is okay.

In the end, Kotarou ends up in the hospital alongside the class-rep and that one blue haired teacher that smiles way too much. Last week, it was revealed that said teacher works for some underground organization. This week, it is confirmed that Lucia also has ties to the same group. Obviously, Kotarou keeps getting entangled in this groups doings so sensei and Lucia begin to tell him more about it.

The organization goes by the name "Guardian." Their job -- saving the world.

In Summary:

Backed by a wonderful musical score, episode five or Rewrite flawlessly aids in steering the series away from the first several non-serious episodes. Lucia's character shines as brightly as possible in this episode thanks to some phenomenal voice acting from her seiyuu, Risa Asaki, and a series of excellent directorial choices from Motoki Tanaka. Impressively enough, Lucia's backstory is covered extremely well in just the twenty minute Rewrite was allotted to spend on it. I feel as if the past two weeks are exemplary in showcasing exactly what Rewrite is going to be capable of through the rest of its cours.

Grade: A-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll