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katharine_opal's reviews
485 reviews
Mirka Andolfo's Sweet Paprika #2 by Mirka Andolfo
4.0
This volume picks up right where we left off. This volume is a bit more interesting because it introduces the fathers of our two main characters. Being shown the father figures of our main characters gives a bit of information about why the main characters behave how they do. They also introduce the mothers of the main characters, but since they aren't the issue, the introductions are much briefer. Also, they introduce Paprika's shitty ex. I hated this guy the second I saw him, so the author did an excellent job, haha. Excited for the next volume!
Mirka Andolfo's Sweet Paprika #3 by Mirka Andolfo
4.0
Volume three kicks the story off with some juicy plot points! Paprika struggles with dealing with her ex while also finding a possible new suitor, while also trying to meet her boss's expectations. I also really appreciate the small moral thing that Dill has during a certain scene. He's still a guy with good morals, in spite of expectations. The volume ends in a plot twist cliffhanger, and oh my god I can feel Paprika's fury. I hope she rips you know how a new one!
Mirka Andolfo's Sweet Paprika #4 by Mirka Andolfo
4.0
This volume was pretty damn good! Paprika goes on a short introspective journey and decides how she wants her romantic life to be moving forward. She also concocts a plan with Dill and how to boost her "experience". I don't want to say any more for fear of spoiling. Looking forward to the next volume!
A Galaxy Next Door, Volume 1 by Gido Amagakure
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Ichiro Kuga has struggled to support his two younger siblings on nothing but a small inheritance and his passion for drawing manga. His last two assistants quit, in order to pursue their own dreams of creating their own mangas. Just as he’s nearing his breaking point, the beautiful and scarily competent Shiori Goshiki applies to become his new assistant. But after a small accident after a manga drawing all-nighter together, Goshiki announces that they're now engaged and that she's a Princess?!
I really like this manga! The style of the art is simpler than usually for its genre, but it adds a lot of charm to it. The rest of the characters being drawn in a simpler style makes Goshiki stand out a bit more with her being drawn a bit more detailed. The plot is also very fun! The main character, Kuga, is a hard-working older brother who is doing his best to take care of his younger siblings on his own. I really loved his honest attitude, and his awkward moments with Goshiki were so cute. Goshiki is also a treat of a character. Watching her navigate her new life and freedoms is so fun. Her love for manga is also so fun to see! The story is very much a fun slice of life, with comedy and romance elements to it. There were some hints in their first chapter that there might be a slightly dramatic (or just plain sad) backstory to Kuga, which I'm sure will be touched on in the future. There was also a small line, that I'm sure was just an off-hand line, that smacked me in the heart. "Of course, as much as I love manga, it may not love me so much." Ouch. That feeling of being passionate about a career only to have it be something you can in no way survive working in is a punch to the gut. Kuga also mentions to one of his siblings that he wants them to follow their passion; basically to follow their dreams. It's kind of nice seeing a main character who is both practical and also an optimist. I'll enjoy seeing how Kuga and Goshiki's relationship evolves as the story progresses! The sweet moments they have had so far in this first volume hint that they will have a lovely romance! <3
Ichiro Kuga has struggled to support his two younger siblings on nothing but a small inheritance and his passion for drawing manga. His last two assistants quit, in order to pursue their own dreams of creating their own mangas. Just as he’s nearing his breaking point, the beautiful and scarily competent Shiori Goshiki applies to become his new assistant. But after a small accident after a manga drawing all-nighter together, Goshiki announces that they're now engaged and that she's a Princess?!
I really like this manga! The style of the art is simpler than usually for its genre, but it adds a lot of charm to it. The rest of the characters being drawn in a simpler style makes Goshiki stand out a bit more with her being drawn a bit more detailed. The plot is also very fun! The main character, Kuga, is a hard-working older brother who is doing his best to take care of his younger siblings on his own. I really loved his honest attitude, and his awkward moments with Goshiki were so cute. Goshiki is also a treat of a character. Watching her navigate her new life and freedoms is so fun. Her love for manga is also so fun to see! The story is very much a fun slice of life, with comedy and romance elements to it. There were some hints in their first chapter that there might be a slightly dramatic (or just plain sad) backstory to Kuga, which I'm sure will be touched on in the future. There was also a small line, that I'm sure was just an off-hand line, that smacked me in the heart. "Of course, as much as I love manga, it may not love me so much." Ouch. That feeling of being passionate about a career only to have it be something you can in no way survive working in is a punch to the gut. Kuga also mentions to one of his siblings that he wants them to follow their passion; basically to follow their dreams. It's kind of nice seeing a main character who is both practical and also an optimist. I'll enjoy seeing how Kuga and Goshiki's relationship evolves as the story progresses! The sweet moments they have had so far in this first volume hint that they will have a lovely romance! <3
When a Cat Faces West, Volume 1 by Yuki Urushibara
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
When a Cat Faces West, a new series from Yuki Urushibara, the author of Mushishi, follows the employees of Hirota Flow Inc. Chima Kondo becomes a Flow Disposal contractor and begins working with Hirota and Shacho of Hirota Flow Inc. after an incident where Flow changes her from a thirty-five-year-old woman to a twelve-year-old girl. The entire world of this manga is affected by a phenomenon called Flow, which occurs when matter falls out of balance and changes form. Flow creates oddities big and small that can be disruptive or delightful in equal measure, and it's up to Flow Disposal departments and independent contractors to shepherd the Flow back to its natural form.
This manga is completely a slice-of-life story, with a slow and relaxed plot. The way chapters are broken up makes each chapter feel like it's an episode of an anime. One of our main characters, Chima, is very interesting. Prior to her flow accident, she was a businesswoman. But due to the incident changing her into a twelve-year-old, her clients and coworkers stopped respecting her or trusting her, even though mentally she is still very much a thirty-five-year-old adult. The first volume didn't dive too deep into this plot point, though hopefully, it will in later volumes. The small parts I did see, of Chima having to try to balance the fact that she's got a thirty-five-year-old mind in a twelve-year-old body is an interesting struggle. Hirota, the owner of Hirota Flow Inc, is an incredibly laid-back guy. Seeing the way that he handles Flow incidents, and his way of correcting Flow errors, all done in a completely relaxed manner, was interesting. I do love the small plot point of cats being able to sense Flow. It reminds me of a bit of myths about cats in real life, where it's commonly believed that cats can sense or "see" the supernatural. This story is a lovely blend of slice of life, with supernatural and fantasy elements. Also, the author's note where she mentions that "it's the kind of manga that features a lot of evocative scenery...like traffic mirrors, rusty guardrails, narrow alleys, and dirty concrete." was so charming. I also personally love that type of style in manga, so I completely understand where she is coming from! The art style itself is also really nice. Simple but charming, and the scenery is just so good to look at. Looking forward to volume two when it releases!
When a Cat Faces West, a new series from Yuki Urushibara, the author of Mushishi, follows the employees of Hirota Flow Inc. Chima Kondo becomes a Flow Disposal contractor and begins working with Hirota and Shacho of Hirota Flow Inc. after an incident where Flow changes her from a thirty-five-year-old woman to a twelve-year-old girl. The entire world of this manga is affected by a phenomenon called Flow, which occurs when matter falls out of balance and changes form. Flow creates oddities big and small that can be disruptive or delightful in equal measure, and it's up to Flow Disposal departments and independent contractors to shepherd the Flow back to its natural form.
This manga is completely a slice-of-life story, with a slow and relaxed plot. The way chapters are broken up makes each chapter feel like it's an episode of an anime. One of our main characters, Chima, is very interesting. Prior to her flow accident, she was a businesswoman. But due to the incident changing her into a twelve-year-old, her clients and coworkers stopped respecting her or trusting her, even though mentally she is still very much a thirty-five-year-old adult. The first volume didn't dive too deep into this plot point, though hopefully, it will in later volumes. The small parts I did see, of Chima having to try to balance the fact that she's got a thirty-five-year-old mind in a twelve-year-old body is an interesting struggle. Hirota, the owner of Hirota Flow Inc, is an incredibly laid-back guy. Seeing the way that he handles Flow incidents, and his way of correcting Flow errors, all done in a completely relaxed manner, was interesting. I do love the small plot point of cats being able to sense Flow. It reminds me of a bit of myths about cats in real life, where it's commonly believed that cats can sense or "see" the supernatural. This story is a lovely blend of slice of life, with supernatural and fantasy elements. Also, the author's note where she mentions that "it's the kind of manga that features a lot of evocative scenery...like traffic mirrors, rusty guardrails, narrow alleys, and dirty concrete." was so charming. I also personally love that type of style in manga, so I completely understand where she is coming from! The art style itself is also really nice. Simple but charming, and the scenery is just so good to look at. Looking forward to volume two when it releases!
I Want to be a Wall, Vol. 1 by Honami Shirono
4.0
I was super excited when I read the description for this book. I don't think I have ever read a manga where one of the main characters is asexual! I do have one minor issue with the character however; I think the author combined the definitions of asexual and aromantic under a single umbrella of asexual. It threw me off a little because some of the things Yuriko mentions are how is it for aromantics, not so much for asexuals. Still, some representation that is mostly right is better than none at all! This is just the first book, so there isn't much going on plot-wise. It's mostly all set up before they go into the plot in later volumes. The concept of an asexual woman marrying a gay man so they can be beards for each other is an interesting one. The one-sided crush Gakurouta has for his straight best friend is a common BL trope, and seeing as there is the additional plot point of Yuriko being a fujoshi, that makes sense that kind of trope would be present. Someone mentioned they thought Yuriko was being a bit fetishistic towards the relationship Gakurouta has with his best friend, but I don't fully see it. It's also mentioned offhand her fujoshi ways aren't just toward MLM couples, she doesn't care about the genders of couples she reads in her romance books. I think we just automatically assume the only definition of fujoshi is "addicted to BL content". The definition is a little broader than that, fujoshi is akin to a female otaku in Japan. Both are considered derogatory terms in Japan, but the definitions of those words are a bit different depending on the country they are being used in. Anyways, this first volume is a good start to what I hope will be an excellent series. I will be on the hunt for the second volume when it releases!
Dark Theory by Wick Welker
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
An accidental DNF at 50 percent! This book is LONG. It's 1,600 pages long, and as you read, you can start to feel just how long the book is. I was getting fatigued by the length of the novel even at the 20 percent mark. If I had had the time needed to slowly read it over a period, I may have enjoyed it more. From the half I did read, I did enjoy it. At first, the swapping between characters' points of view annoyed me slightly, but it smoothed out as the book went on and no longer was annoying. I think the very beginning just has those constant changes because it's setting up the story. I really was interested in the mystery of Beetro and his journey to find out his past. Beetro's origin gets ever so slowly unwound and revealed as the story progressed. It was very compelling. It was also interesting to see how Beetro, without any prior knowledge of himself, tries to slowly figure out his place in this world. Miree I also liked her as a character; it was interesting to see her reflect on her life and her past actions. There are other characters I liked, but Ribcage annoyed me. She reminds me too much of Tiny Tina from Borderlands, but instead of being hilarious like Tina is, Ribcage is just grating. There is also a mystery to Ribcage and their origin, but I guess I'll find out if I ever manage to pick this book up again somewhere. The only thing that startled me and honestly upset me a little is some of the gore. I wasn't expecting it honestly, though I suppose that's a little my fault for not checking for content warnings. I was getting a little aggravated that all this violence is being done upon only ONE of the characters, for reasons I failed to understand. There's plenty of violence in this book, I think it's considered "Grimdark" at certain parts, but why was so much brutality happening only to THIS character? Maybe it's explained in the latter half, but my God, why is only one character getting singled out?! This book is a very good hard sci-fi, and it was written very well. Its drawback is the length of it, but if you like very long books, this is a good one. I will be seeking it out in the future.
An accidental DNF at 50 percent! This book is LONG. It's 1,600 pages long, and as you read, you can start to feel just how long the book is. I was getting fatigued by the length of the novel even at the 20 percent mark. If I had had the time needed to slowly read it over a period, I may have enjoyed it more. From the half I did read, I did enjoy it. At first, the swapping between characters' points of view annoyed me slightly, but it smoothed out as the book went on and no longer was annoying. I think the very beginning just has those constant changes because it's setting up the story. I really was interested in the mystery of Beetro and his journey to find out his past. Beetro's origin gets ever so slowly unwound and revealed as the story progressed. It was very compelling. It was also interesting to see how Beetro, without any prior knowledge of himself, tries to slowly figure out his place in this world. Miree I also liked her as a character; it was interesting to see her reflect on her life and her past actions. There are other characters I liked, but Ribcage annoyed me. She reminds me too much of Tiny Tina from Borderlands, but instead of being hilarious like Tina is, Ribcage is just grating. There is also a mystery to Ribcage and their origin, but I guess I'll find out if I ever manage to pick this book up again somewhere. The only thing that startled me and honestly upset me a little is some of the gore. I wasn't expecting it honestly, though I suppose that's a little my fault for not checking for content warnings. I was getting a little aggravated that all this violence is being done upon only ONE of the characters, for reasons I failed to understand. There's plenty of violence in this book, I think it's considered "Grimdark" at certain parts, but why was so much brutality happening only to THIS character? Maybe it's explained in the latter half, but my God, why is only one character getting singled out?! This book is a very good hard sci-fi, and it was written very well. Its drawback is the length of it, but if you like very long books, this is a good one. I will be seeking it out in the future.
Anahera by Vianne Max
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Ended up putting it on the DNF list at 21 percent. I just...struggled trying to get through this one. The third-person writing style put me off, mostly because it made the storytelling feel almost stilted. It just made it harder to understand what was going on most of the time. I'd have to go back and reread passages to try and recenter myself because I keep getting confused about who was speaking. The jumps between different characters' mental dialogue were tiring because I was constantly getting confused about who exactly was thinking what. The plot that I managed to drag myself through has a lot of "yikes" moments. Including the main character almost getting sexually assaulted right at the beginning of the book, constantly describing POC character with food adjectives, and other things. Minor spoilers, but Bannerman's first impression of Isabella, directly after getting kicked in the nuts by her is, "She is not unpleasant to look at - passable breast and an agreeably fertile curve to her hips, although her attitude is decidedly feral." Like, seriously my guy? You just injected a mysterious substance into her, and from her point of view, you're holding her down just like the guy who almost sexually assaulted her earlier. But you still have a moment to stop and ogle her? Near the 20 percent mark, there's a part of a scene that baffled me. “She has laughed with the man, struggled with him, made some kind of connection.” Except...she didn’t… I don’t feel any connection between our two main characters in the slightest. Just because they were nice to each other during a meal or two does not make them “connected”. The struggle of him trying to keep her alive wasn’t out of some desire to keep her safe, he literally only did it because it was his job. His job is to protect an Anahera and that’s what he did. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, he’s treated her the same most people would treat an acquaintance. The book is also trying its damndest to pair Bannerman and Isabella off together. I assume they get into a romantic relationship later in the book, but in the first part, it just feels forced. One minor side thing that bothered me is the accents of the Shetland villagers in the very beginning. Shetland is an island off the coast of Scotland, so my assumption is that they would have a similar accent to the Scottish. Yet, when I first read the villager's accents, they were written in a way that I thought they were Jamaican until the book clearly stated they were in Shetland. Also, if the portals opened around the world, what was the point of Isabella coming to Shetland instead of going through a portal in New Zealand where she is from? She even meets someone who came through a New Zealand portal! Everyone being described with certain scents slightly annoyed me at first, but I remembered the plot description does say "a world of scented magic". (Side note, I used to handcraft custom perfume oils for a job, so I know my way around scent blending. Cardamom and cigar smoke does NOT smell good together. It smells like spicy musky dust and makes you want to sneeze. I've made that exact blend before, so I know!) The Maori culture references in the book were cool to see. You rarely ever see Maori culture used in fantasy novels, so it was a nice change from the usually referenced cultures. I will give the book that. I really didn't like Anahera. Maybe if it wasn't written in the third person style, it would be a little easier to digest. But as it stands, it's going to be staying on my DNF shelf permanately.
Ended up putting it on the DNF list at 21 percent. I just...struggled trying to get through this one. The third-person writing style put me off, mostly because it made the storytelling feel almost stilted. It just made it harder to understand what was going on most of the time. I'd have to go back and reread passages to try and recenter myself because I keep getting confused about who was speaking. The jumps between different characters' mental dialogue were tiring because I was constantly getting confused about who exactly was thinking what. The plot that I managed to drag myself through has a lot of "yikes" moments. Including the main character almost getting sexually assaulted right at the beginning of the book, constantly describing POC character with food adjectives, and other things. Minor spoilers, but Bannerman's first impression of Isabella, directly after getting kicked in the nuts by her is, "She is not unpleasant to look at - passable breast and an agreeably fertile curve to her hips, although her attitude is decidedly feral." Like, seriously my guy? You just injected a mysterious substance into her, and from her point of view, you're holding her down just like the guy who almost sexually assaulted her earlier. But you still have a moment to stop and ogle her? Near the 20 percent mark, there's a part of a scene that baffled me. “She has laughed with the man, struggled with him, made some kind of connection.” Except...she didn’t… I don’t feel any connection between our two main characters in the slightest. Just because they were nice to each other during a meal or two does not make them “connected”. The struggle of him trying to keep her alive wasn’t out of some desire to keep her safe, he literally only did it because it was his job. His job is to protect an Anahera and that’s what he did. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, he’s treated her the same most people would treat an acquaintance. The book is also trying its damndest to pair Bannerman and Isabella off together. I assume they get into a romantic relationship later in the book, but in the first part, it just feels forced. One minor side thing that bothered me is the accents of the Shetland villagers in the very beginning. Shetland is an island off the coast of Scotland, so my assumption is that they would have a similar accent to the Scottish. Yet, when I first read the villager's accents, they were written in a way that I thought they were Jamaican until the book clearly stated they were in Shetland. Also, if the portals opened around the world, what was the point of Isabella coming to Shetland instead of going through a portal in New Zealand where she is from? She even meets someone who came through a New Zealand portal! Everyone being described with certain scents slightly annoyed me at first, but I remembered the plot description does say "a world of scented magic". (Side note, I used to handcraft custom perfume oils for a job, so I know my way around scent blending. Cardamom and cigar smoke does NOT smell good together. It smells like spicy musky dust and makes you want to sneeze. I've made that exact blend before, so I know!) The Maori culture references in the book were cool to see. You rarely ever see Maori culture used in fantasy novels, so it was a nice change from the usually referenced cultures. I will give the book that. I really didn't like Anahera. Maybe if it wasn't written in the third person style, it would be a little easier to digest. But as it stands, it's going to be staying on my DNF shelf permanately.
A Nico-Colored Canvas, Vol. 1 by Nao Shikita
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Unfortunately, "A Nico-Colored Canvas" was a complete miss for me. I really didn't connect with any of the characters. Nico was just a bit too ditzy for me and her entire demeanor was mildly annoying. Her backstory is an incredibly common trope for this type of story, which annoyed me more. Togo I had an instant dislike of from his very first appearance. His pompous attitude was aggravating instead of charming, he's also written to feel like a manipulator who doesn't care about other people. I know that's probably the point, but the entire thing of him very obviously manipulating "stupid" Nico wasn't charming, it was annoying. Nisshimo is a little bit interesting, even if his character is fairly stereotypical. The way things are being set up, it's fairly obvious that Nisshimo and Togo will get into a love triangle with both of them having romantic feelings for Nico. Who will most likely not notice or pretend to not notice? I do not know why Kageiwa-sensei is mentioned in the plot blurb for this manga, he only shows up a few times, and all of those scenes are brief. Mitsuki is the generic "classmate who cheers the female lead on" type of character. The plot felt flat and generic and even just a bit rushed. The art style is fine for the most part, but some of the panels looked like they were rushed sketches instead of the final art. I'm unsure if the mangaka just has a "scribbly" art style in general, but the jumps and falls in quality are very noticeable. Even with the cliffhanger at the end of the volume, I won't be looking for the next one.
Unfortunately, "A Nico-Colored Canvas" was a complete miss for me. I really didn't connect with any of the characters. Nico was just a bit too ditzy for me and her entire demeanor was mildly annoying. Her backstory is an incredibly common trope for this type of story, which annoyed me more. Togo I had an instant dislike of from his very first appearance. His pompous attitude was aggravating instead of charming, he's also written to feel like a manipulator who doesn't care about other people. I know that's probably the point, but the entire thing of him very obviously manipulating "stupid" Nico wasn't charming, it was annoying. Nisshimo is a little bit interesting, even if his character is fairly stereotypical. The way things are being set up, it's fairly obvious that Nisshimo and Togo will get into a love triangle with both of them having romantic feelings for Nico. Who will most likely not notice or pretend to not notice? I do not know why Kageiwa-sensei is mentioned in the plot blurb for this manga, he only shows up a few times, and all of those scenes are brief. Mitsuki is the generic "classmate who cheers the female lead on" type of character. The plot felt flat and generic and even just a bit rushed. The art style is fine for the most part, but some of the panels looked like they were rushed sketches instead of the final art. I'm unsure if the mangaka just has a "scribbly" art style in general, but the jumps and falls in quality are very noticeable. Even with the cliffhanger at the end of the volume, I won't be looking for the next one.