Fruits Basket

Tea of the Day ~ Genmai-cha

Fruits Basket....It is practically impossible to summarize this manga. There is just so much to it. I know, you wouldn't think it with a name like "Fruits Basket," would you? But if you can get past the fluffy-seeming tittle and how ditzy the heroine looks, you will find a true gem.

Each and every one of the characters has depth, and even the dead get their stories told. The psychological aspect of this manga is huge. You'll get pulled into the characters' lives, their pasts, and of course, have a few twists and turns along the way. But you'll have to be patient. After all, it's not fun if everything is revealed in the first few chapters, right?

Compared to your average shoujo manga, Fruits Basket's twenty-three volumes is admittedly long. The mangaka is Takaya Natsuki, and after reading this manga I have decided she is brilliant. One of the best things about this series is the way she ends it. It's not a rushed ending where everything magically falls into place in the final chapter. No, the "ending" starts several chapters before the manga actually ends, so that everything wraps up nicely, leaving the sweetest glimpse of the future for the last moment.

Penguin Revolution

Tea of the Day ~ Mangosteen Green


Now for some longer reading. Let's start with Penguin Revolution for the simple reason that my profile picture (which may change in the future) is from it.

Penguin Revolution is a 7 volume-long story about cross-dressing and show biz. While it is not up in my top favourites with the previous two, it was still a cute and enjoyable read.

One thing that's different about this manga compared to most gender-benders, is that the cross-dresser is not just one of the leads. It's both. Yep, the male lead (Ryou) is an actor who disguises himself as a girl to keep his identity secret, and the female lead (Yukari) becomes his "male" manager. To make things even more interesting, Yukari becomes suddenly homeless and therefore must move in with Ryou and his roommate.
 
So if you're a fan of sweet friendship romance, gender-bending shenanigans, forced living-together situations, and...wings...this is worth checking out.

                                                                          

Beast Master

Tea of the Day ~ African Red Bush

Another favorite two-volume series of mine is Beast Master by my favorite mangaka, Motomi Kyousuke. Motomi-sensei's characters are never quite "typical." They always have some quirk that makes them unique and lovable.

The heroine of this story, Yuiko, is a 17 year-old high school girl who couldn't care less about chasing after boys or getting a boyfriend. As her friends say, she's in love with the wrong species. Yuiko LOVES animals, but her forceful displays of affection terrify the poor creatures!                                         

              Example of Yuiko's Love~ 

 

 

Then she meets Leo.

Leo is a beast-like boy who is adored by animals. Most people are frightened by his wild eyes, but Yuiko is merely intrigued.

That's one of the things I love most about this manga. The chemistry and friendship between the main characters is beautiful. There's an almost child-like innocence in the way they bond. They look out for each other. They protect each other.  ...

                         ....

                                                       I'M SO JEALOUS!!!!!

 Reeeeeaaaaad this manga!!! READ IT!!

Bloody Kiss

Tea of the Day ~ Rosehip


To catch onto the vampire craze before it vanishes, the first manga I'll talk about is Bloody Kiss by Furumiya Kazuko.

This is a title I'm always afraid to say out loud as it tends to turn heads and raise eyebrows. No, it is not a horror story. And despite its misleading title this is one of the sweetest manga I've ever read.

For me, it's actually a comfort manga...you know, like comfort food? It's something to read when I'm feeling sick, depressed, happy, melancholy, sappy, rainy-day romantic..oh heck, I read it all the time. It's only 2 volumes so it's perfect for a quick, feel-good read.

So you're probably wanting to know what the story is about now, huh? Well a brief intro is this: the protagonist, Katsuragi Kiyo, inherits a mansion from her grandmother. It's creepy, overgrown, crumbling, and, as an added bonus, inhabited by two vampires. One of them, Kuroboshi, claims her as his bride and is excessively clingy and possessive. The question is, what is he really after? Kiyo...or her blood?

Intrigued?