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

Moral Disorder

Fiction: Moral Disorder

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genres: Romance, Life, Psychological

Rating: 10/10

More than 20 years ago, Margaret Atwood wrote a short story called 'Happy Endings' that presented a series of possible plots that could follow the beginning of 'John and Mary meet'. Finally, the narrator steps in to announce that the only "authentic ending" is death, but that beginnings are much more "fun" and the "in between" is what connoisseurs prefer.

The blurb for this book anxiously declares that "Moral Disorder" is "almost a novel", but it turns out to be much better than just a novel. This is a book that, structurally as well as thematically, invites readers to experience the orderly and disorderly beginnings, endings, and in-betweens of a life.

The stories present incidents from the life of one person. She's the first-person narrator in some stories and 'Nell' in others, who is usually uncertain about what kind of girl or woman she wants to be. An intellectual with pimples on her bum? Or "practical and mundane" like her parents? And how can she determine which role is an impersonation and which is the reality? "A sister pretending to be a monster or a monster pretending to be a sister?" It's hard to tell.

Real time presents "a small window" between the frighteningly predictable plots of "not yet" and the well-worked tales of "back then". Many of the stories in "Moral Disorder" are about "back then" - about growing up. Nell's relationship with her sister and the consequences of falling in love are displayed in this book. Nell is clearly aware of the inevitable gap between how she felt then, how she remembers feeling, and of the temptation to change details to make the events sound more exciting. It is hard to admit that her sister was not a changeling who sucked up her mother's energy rather than simply the owner of a hamster from whom the mother caught a thyroid disease.

One day, Nell notices how beautiful the winter landscape is, but knows that she would never photograph it for her Christmas cards. It was, she says, "beautiful in real life, but too overdone for art." Atwood, too, works hard to circumvent cheap emotion or consolation. These stories are not simply unsentimental; they're rigorously anti-sentimental and, at their darkest, they're also at their funniest.

Atwood’s fierce determination to veer off the well worn romance track is a little bit like a slap on the face or a douse of water. It stings, but it refreshes. The words, as told by Nell, felt almost like she was detached from the stories - just retelling it the way she remembers. The rawness of the words are something that can’t be described out loud - there isn't any extra baggage, no filler words. I had to push through the pages like foliage, never knowing where it was going to take me next.

The book is full of wonderful details - the way in which the narrator, as a teenager, smeared her face with frozen Noxzema face cream before doing her homework (she had a theory that it would "stimulate the blood flow" to her brain); the way in which her sister argues with the drivers of other cars, all of whom she calls Fred; her recipe for "nuts and bolts", a vile-sounding hors d'oeuvre.

There is a total of 11 stories in the novel. When, in the final piece, it emerges that the mother's horse was called Nell, it feels as if we are being gently reminded that this is not a memoir but something made up. Asked in an interview if the book was autobiographical, Atwood replied, "There has to be some blood in the cookie to make the gingerbread person come alive." There's plenty of wit, compassion and grace present in "Moral Disorder."

After a long hiatus,
B.

Edited by: Joey

Manhwa Review: Totally Captivated

Yaoi: Totally Captivated
Author: Yoo Ha Jin
Genres: Action, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Yaoi, Psychological
Rating: 10/10





Summary [from baka-updates] :
The mafia threatens Ewon into working for a loan shark, where he's forced to run dangerous errands for no pay. The culprit who doomed Ewon to this life is none other than Jiho, Ewon's jealous ex who still burns at Ewon's infidelity. Their gang leader, Mookyul, who has movie-star good looks and the bizarre, drunken habit of biting people on the neck takes a keen interest in his attractive new errand boy. Will Ewon be able to survive the violent underworld (not to mention the constant sexual harassment he must endure) as an underling of Mookyul?
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You will sink yourself into the story and forget everything else around you.

There is a lot to say about this manga, but I'll keep it short.

Even though this is yaoi, it's a light read [doesn't contain strong situations], which mainly centers around romance and drama. The art is captivating. The author drew each expression and feeling in such a strong way with mesmerizing detail; it was amazing. The humor was present as well as drama. In unfortunate situations, the author still manages to add some comedy and somehow make it all work out. The story wasn't rushed - it had it's own pace. The storyline is superb and dramatic.

Everything becomes much more interesting during the middle of the story when their hidden pasts are revealed and the characters start to realize how strong their love is. The balance is right, a little of everything, plus fascinating artwork. I was entertained until the very end. It's one of those stories you fall in love with and never want to finish reading. It's one of those stories that make you want to read it over and over again. I will love this manhwa and the author (whose work I am looking forward to in the near future) forever.

There is an extra to this manhwa: Totally Captivated [contains strong situations]. The manga is impossible to find online since it's licensed, unfortunately. So Google it or buy it.

Eli
Edited by: Joey

Manga Review: Othello

Shoujo: Othello
Mangaka: Ikezawa Satomi
Genre: Comedy, Psychological, Romance, Shoujo
Rating: 9.5/10


A long time ago, I realized that some mangas are really rare and hard to find. Therefore; you had to cherish them. For instance, this little piece of work, which I completely adore and hate at the same time, Othello.

The main character suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder, where two or more distinct personalities exist within a single person. I've come across a few mangas with this type of psychological genre which are really hard to find, so I'm happy it came to my mind.

Yaya is a naive and incompetent girl who does what everybody tells her to do. But, she is too ignorant and gullible to even realize that others treat her like a dog. Then, in comes Nana, a girl who's hard-rocking and butt-kicking and doesn't let anybody tell her what to do - the complete the opposite of Yaya.

These two girls are quite the opposites, but they are, surprisingly, the same person. You will come to hate Yaya or pity her, since her stupidity is something out of this world. I didn't like her, because she was over-the-top ignorant and never did anything against her "friends." But that's what the mangaka was aiming for. She wanted the characters to be complete opposites, like fire and ice. Yaya being weak shows how Nana comes out and solve the problems that she faces.

The thing about this manga is that it made me hate Yaya and love Nana. Along with romance and comedy, this is a manga that you will surely like. The art is also pretty. Nana's superhuman strength is something to laugh about and her boastful personality is strong and independent - something that Yaya is lacking.

Overall, I give this manga a 9.5 out of 10. I don't know about you, but I hate main characters in mangas who are weak and aren't able to say no.


To check it out: Othello

By: Eli
Edited By: Joey