Young, cheerful Nanao can’t wait to marry her betrothed, Reito, the young lord of the Byakurenji family. But that changes one night when she is attacked by a vengeful yokai spirit-an ayakashi-leaving her scarred with the mark of a demonic curse. Her cousin Akemi seizes the chance to steal away her fiance, but it doesn’t matter. Reito now finds her repulsive, and Nanao is forced to wear a monkey mask to hide her scar and live the life of an outcast. Years later, she meets Yako, the willful young scion of another noble family. When Nanao’s mask shatters after an accident, Yako sees her face and is drawn to her beauty and great spiritual power. But there’s more to the handsome young lord than meets the eye, and when Yako offers Nanao a way out of her torturous life, the new life that awaits her is filled with more mystery and intrigue that she could ever imagine…

One thing I thought this manga did really well was balance not only world building and the rules of society, but also character building. Nanao is a very compelling character, from how her personality has been shaped after years of neglect and mistreatment, to how she starts to flourish little by little after Yako starts interacting with her. She definitely has the most character building and foundation, but you can definitely see how further volumes have paths to build up other characters and relationships. I really enjoyed the emotional depth of the story as well as the little tastes we get of how the different clans and society operates. This is definitely a series I would continue with to see how not only Nanao and Yako’s relationship develops, but also how each character progresses.

Happy reading!

At the end of a difficult day, the haughty but purehearted rich kid Arisu found his only solace in the voice of another girl his age, who hosted a livestream under the pseudonym “Apollo.” Then, one day, the broadcasts stopped. Arisu has dedicated the years since then to finding Apollo’s true identity, and he’s narrowed it down to one particular high school. He transfers in as a student and figures it’ll be a cinch-but then discovers it could be any of the girls in the broadcasting club! And the real Apollo isn’t talking for reasons of her own! These four girls have no use for Arisu’s personality, but they each harbor dreams of using their voices to build a career, and they sure could use his money… Can the blunt and blustering Arisu buy his way into the club’s good graces, and find the real girl attached to his dream voice?

I found this start to a manga series really cute, but a bit too over the top for me. I like the overall premise with Arisu trying to locate Apollo and found his reminiscing about their conversations really heartfelt, but then his reasoning for wanting to locate her kind of ruins that. His attitude towards life and his place in his family is just a bit much, but I do like the setup so far of his interactions with the girls in the broadcasting club and getting to know who they actually are a good progression and very authentic. It’s cute and a bit goofy and I hope as it continues it gets a little deeper into the more heartfelt matter as their relationships develop.

Happy reading!

Welcome to the Menagerie!

With both a cat and a dog, there’s double the antics, double the fun (and double the kibble!) but while Inu and Neko coexist peacefully, they have their own distinct personalities, which play out in unexpected, charming ways during these short-form stories.

Whether you’re a dog-person or a cat-person, there’s plenty to love about these homegrown sketches of daily life shared with four-legged friends!

This collection was super cute, with short manga comics detailing the behaviors and daily escapades of the author and their cat and dog. The two animals had two very different personalities, which is very evident in each little story. These were great vignettes into the every day life of pet owner’s, especially when there are multiple pets in one home.

I do wish some of the stories had been more connected or expanded upon, but I understand that these were meant to be short often single page glimpses. Still, it was fun to read and great for anyone who deals with cats or dogs on a daily basis.

Happy reading!

When a new student from Japan shows up at Bibi Blocksberg’s school, she fits in immediately. But Bibi’s suspicious; she knows Miyu’s hiding something, and she’s determined to find out what! Bibi’s journey takes her all the way to Japan, and while learning about all the new rules and magic in this foreign land, she realizes that maybe she and Miyu can be friends after all!

I loved the sound of this manga and it instantly gave me Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes so I wanted to pick it up. The art style is vibrant and fun while still having that classic manga style. I did feel that the story moved along really quickly as it was really more vignettes of Bibi and Miyu’s adventures together.

I would definitely be interested in seeing where this series go and what other situations they get themselves into.

Happy reading!