jasper_a's reviews
203 reviews

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 1 by Sumiko Arai

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

very cute story.
i wouldn't have picked this up except that i noticed the pages had a lime green detailing throughout the whole book so i need to see if there was a significance to it or just a gimmick..
i think it lands at like an 80-20 split..
the art is really cute -- very shojou~
and funnily enough, the music taste aligns with mine? or at the very least, my generation. so that was especially fun.

Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

delightful~

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

my first Barbara Kingsolver novel..
exceptional book -- it was well-written, and seemingly well-researched. i think the characters, for all their faults and shortcomings, etc. were full and real. the things that happen over the course of the novel were heartbreaking. which brings me to the less-than-stellar rating.
i don't see myself recommending this book to anyone. i have no doubts in my mind that Demon Copperhead is a book that touched a lot of people and made them feel seen -- i am not one of them.
again, objectively this was a great book but i am not the target demographic. perhaps my bookclub discussion will change my stance.

Sakamoto Days, Vol. 1 by Yuto Suzuki

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

i heard good things about Sakamoto Days but i did not expect to be blown away by the first volume 😲
i think i laughed out loud four times in six chapters 🤭

Gachiakuta, Vol. 03 by Kei Urana

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this volume was okay. i thought the main fight with the dreadlocks+claws guy was drawn out and sloppy and derivative of battle shonen that's come before it.. the end of the fight was strong enough but the charm thing broke? so there goes that.
--> i have a personal issue with battle shonen that purposefully withhold information about the power/magic system until it's convenient to the story and/or plot. going hard in the paint with a deep and complex power system is great -- i prefer this. what i dislike greatly is when an author goes from 0 to 60 with character abilities and fails to ground their powers in the reality of the world.. i believe cutting that particular corner is a cardinal sin of worldbuilding. if anything is possible then the conversation of power scaling goes out the window.

Dandadan, Vol. 10 by Yukinobu Tatsu

dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

another banger~
the twist at the end of the volume was nice. Jiji is such a goose. i'm consistently surprised by the writing.

Dandadan, Vol. 9 by Yukinobu Tatsu

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

super enjoyable! my favorite volume yet~

Dandadan, Vol.8 by Yukinobu Tatsu

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

a bit of a slower volume, a setup volume if you will. i hope the anime will knock the (classical musicians) section out of the park. 

Dandadan Vol. 7 by Yukinobu Tatsu

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

the back half of this volume made up for the slower first half

Dandadan, Vol. 6 by Yukinobu Tatsu

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

amazing 🤩 absurd 🥴 dark 👿 funny 😈
the action was turned up to 11 and was very entertained. given the chaotic nature of the story, i'm surprised this arc went for more than a volume. so much was going on that i completely forgot about Aira until she showed up right at the end of the book. this manga is so good 😊