Monday, January 7, 2013

Manga Mondays #126: 2012 Manga in Review

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 2 and a half years ago. It's always been a personal feature, but now I'm going to try turning it into a meme. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme would be a good way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

2012 in Manga

It's been a great year for Manga Mondays. I've discovered new series that I loved (and some I didn't love) and continued with old favorites. I'm excited to see what 2012 holds.

Here is a review of the manga series I read this year:

Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura

Kyoko always thought that Sho, whose family took her in when she was small, was her prince charming. However, when Sho heads for Tokyo to make it big as a musician, Kyoko goes with him and has to quit high school to support his dream. But soon, being in the big city makes Kyoko realize that she has show business ambitions of her own! (courtesy of Goodreads)

Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Afterschool Charisma by Kumiko Suekane

History repeats itself... Or does it? St. Kleio Academy is a very exclusive school: all of the students are clones of famous historical figures such as Beethoven, Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Mozart, and Freud. All of them, that is, except for Shiro Kamiya. As Shiro struggles to adapt to this unusual campus, St. Kleio's first graduate, the clone of John F. Kennedy, is killed. Are the clones doomed to repeat the fate of their genetic progenitors, or can they create their own destinies? And how does a normal boy like Shiro fit in? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Hissing by HaNa Lee

Da-Eh, an aspiring manhwa artist who lives with her father an little brother, comes across Sun-Nam, a softie whose ultimate goal is simply to become a "tough guy." Whenever these two meet, trouble follows. Meanwhile, Ta-Jun, the hottest guy in town, finds himself drawn to the one girl that his killer smile doesn't work on - Da-Eh. With their complicated family history weighing heavily on their shoulders, watch how these three teenagers find their way out into the world! (courtesy of Goodreads)

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You by Karuho Shiina

Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine...for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for Sadako, the haunting character from Ringu. Unbeknownst to but a few, behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager. Shy and pure of heart, she just wants to make friends. But when Kazehaya, the most popular boy in class, befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too! (courtesy of Goodreads)

Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motomi

After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the messages she exchanges with DAISY, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. Meanwhile, mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help. Could DAISY be a lot closer than Teru thinks? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino

Cross Adademy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! (courtesy of Goodreads)

What series did you read this year?


13 comments:

  1. Manga is huge in my school so I've been recommending books you're reading to our librarians. I love the artistry, even if the storylines don't always appeal to me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just finished watching the second season of Kimi ni Todoke. And I cry every time. Because mah bebe boy Kazehaya is so perfect but he's not real. *tears* I want my own honest to goodness guy whose blushing face is to die for. :""">

    What great reads!

    @A Discombobulated Balladry

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved Nana for all its craziness. Really hoping the mangaka picks it up again as it is a stand still. I've started "Boys Over Flowers" which is shojo/slice of life and continuing Afterschool Charisma, Black Butler, Library Wars. I thought about starting Kimi no Todoke too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't heard of some of these, I'll have to check them out because they sound really interesting. Skip Beat I am probably going to read next (after Fruits Basket) and Death Note and I am a little leery about. I'm not sure if it is something I would enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have been keeping up with Skip Beat and I love it! Sadly I can't say the same for Dengeki Daisy and Kimi ni Todoke. After the second season it got kinda boring, so I stopped following them.

    I only watched the animes for Death Note and Vampire Knights, but I have been meaning to read Vampire Knights cause she actually kisses Zero in it :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've finally started on my Manga Mondays. Of course, my first one is on Skip Beat. I've been loving it even more with the latest chapters.

    Kimi No Todoke and Vampire Knight i dropped a while ago to wait for the few next releases. I'm seeing Afterschool Charisma around a lot now. I think i should check it out, it sounds like a great read.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I did my first Manga Mondays today(: I started with a series I just picked up called Hot Gimmick.

    - I love Dengeki Daisy and I will have to review on my site soon(:

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love all these series with the exception of Death Note and After School Charisma which I have never read. I didn't read as much as I might have eanted to in 2012, but the reverse side of that is that I read more novels. The other 5 series are some of my favorites with Skip Beat being very near the top.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've totally negelected my manga loving side last year...oops. I really want to read After School Charisma. Death Note was really good-have you seen any of the films? And Vampire Knight? I just couldn't stick with it. In my opinion, it was good until volume 5, then the art got better and the story got wrose and worse and worse. You read some great manga!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ooh, loving the sound of Afterschool Charisma and Dengeki Daisy! Checking them out soon!

    ReplyDelete
  11. They are now so popular. I am now bookmarked to this site. I am happy to be one of their community.
    http://www.laromitaschoolofart.org |

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pretty portion of content. I just stumbled upon your weblog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Any way I will be subscribing on your augment or even I achievement you get admission to constantly quickly.
    http://www.bestof-denver.com |

    ReplyDelete
  13. It was wondering if I could use this write-up on my other website, I will link it back to your website though.Great Thanks.
    italianfoodquiz |

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. I appreciate every one! Thank you in advance.

This blog is now an award free zone. I just don't have time to pass on the awards as they deserve.