Manga Review: Parasyte

Seinen: Parasyte
Mangaka: Iwaaki Hitoshi
Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, Mature, Psychological, Romance, Sci-fi, Seinen
Rating: 10/10

Summary [from mangaupdates.com]: They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade - and take control of - a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret - except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?

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There are perhaps only 2 or 3 horror mangas I've read since I started my obsession with manga, and I never finished them because I'm not a big fan of horror mangas. However, this one is something everybody should read. The art wasn't thrilling at first, but I got used to it as I read into the deep plot and interesting turn of events. The art is suitable for the story itself - it's not all that perfect nor realistic in some scenes, but it gets better during the really horrific scenes where the action and killings happen.

The character development is pretty amazing, and the relationship between the two main characters progresses as the story goes on. The pace is quick, it gets right to the point. The parasite idea is something I've encountered in books and such, so it's not surprisingly creative. But the author does take the suspense and character expression to the next level. Even thought it's really all about the horror and tragedy, it gets really comedic at parts and opens your mind to how you view things.

The way the parasites transform is kind of disgusting, then again, you'll encounter a lot of disgusting and pretty awful things as you read on, but you won't be able to put it down for some reason. I really like this manga.

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Fiction: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genres: Science Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Action, everything
Rating: 8/10

24 Kids.

1 Winner.

How to be the winner? Be the last one alive.

~

In the country of Panem, there are 12 slave districts surrounding an authoritarian city called the Capitol. Each year, a boy and girl from every district is selected by random lottery for the Hunger Games.

~

The Hunger Games are a grim reminder to all those living in the 12 districts of the consequences of rebellion and the power that the Capitol holds. This control mechanism pits all the contestants against each other in a desolate and hostile environment, where the only method of action is “to kill or be killed”. The winner gets a life of ease, along with special treatments to his or her district. The losers can only lose in one way – by dying.

~
We follow this gripping tale by listening to the narrative of Katniss Everdeen, a girl who takes her sister’s place as District 12’s female representative in the 74th Games. Along with her comes Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son who once saved her family by providing them with some loaves of bread. With these two competing against those who’ve trained their whole lives for a chance at the Games, hope seems slim. And what happens when the two are forced to turn on each other in a place where the “only unspoken” rule is you can’t eat the dead contestants?
~
But this isn’t even the fun part yet. Every moment of the games is televised to the entire nation, and all the citizens are required to watch the gruesome display of supreme power by the Capitol. Sizzling right underneath the subplot of political intrigue is a love story that holds the readers (and the residents of Panem) in complete fascination.
~
Reading about this post-apocalyptic world is grisly, terrifying, and at the same time, exhilarating. The Games are not simply tests of strength or agility, but of both intelligence and the instinct to survive. Suspense and action are keywords that provide the readers with a fast-paced journey through a world where the next page seems too far away. It will be inevitable that in a few years, you’ll be watching Hunger Games, the movie.

"Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. Let the games begin…"

By: Annie

Manga Review: Absolute Boyfriend

Okay, so I seriously hate this manga to the bottom of my heart, yet i love it and can't help liking it despite what happened...

Shoujo: Absolute Boyfriend
Mangaka: Watase Yuu
Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Rating: The art and the story line were pretty original, but 2 points deducted for its abrupt surprise (and inability to fulfill my hopes).

Summary from onemanga.com:

Rejected way too many times by good-looking (and unattainable) guys, shy Riiko Izawa goes online and signs up for a free trial of a mysterious Nightly Lover "figure." The very next day a cute naked guy is delivered to her door, and he wants to be her boyfriend! Has Riiko died and gone to heaven? The cute guy turns out to be sweet, smart, a great cook, and lots more. And he looks like a million bucks, which is what he's going to cost Riiko if she doesn't return him in time...

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At first I thought this was a light hearted manga because it was really funny at some points - like the fact he acts really innocent and doesn't know the ulterior motives of the people around Riiko.

The perfect boyfriend was delivered to Riiko and now she has to pay a really big amount of money since she added things like "must speak many different languages, smart, strong.." and every other thing a girl dreams in her perfect man.

Yet this was a trial and so they didn't know for how long he was going to last. The big disappointment in this manga is that there was a sad and unexpected surprise at the end.

There was a drama made for this, though I haven't checked it out yet. It might be good, so go for it drama lovers.

Note by Annie: This manga has one of the most original plotlines I've ever come across. Though I've never been a fan of Watase Yuu's drawings (art-wise), I really loved the creative aspect of this series. Not only is Absolute Boyfriend super popular among readers, a Japanese drama has been made based on the manga (like Eli mentioned). By the way, does anyone else have something against pointy chins (in manga drawings), or is it just me?

To Read: Absolute Boyfriend

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie