Blood+ Adagio

Name: Blood+ Adagio
AKA: Blood+ A, ブラッド・プラス　アダージョ
Author: Suekane Kumiko
Status: Completed
No. Of Volumes: 2
Genres: Horror, Action, Mystery, Supernatural, Romance

The Plot

From Illuminati-Manga The year is 1916. Saya and Hagi are entrusted with their first mission in Russia at the turn of the 20th century. The grand battle between Men and Chiropterans ensues in the Romanov Imperial court on the night before the Revolution!

Note: Read the parent story- Blood+ 1st to understand


Review Section



The Story

I thought the story was great.It was interesting & continued to carry the dark serious theme from the original Blood+. There was not much humour in the story.Its bloody but pleasing to read.The twists were alright as in it wasn't very predictable nor was it like a rollercoaster ride.

The characters

The portrayal of Saya in Blood+ Adagio differs from the original Blood+ manga. Saya actually seemed more vulnerable in Blood+ Adagio. I don't think a lot of characters got enough screentime in Blood+ Adagio either.They were easily killed off somehow.Since its like a side story from the original work, don't expect a lot of character development but you will see a lot of Hagi & Saya interaction. This showed more about their bonds.

The Art

I love the art.Especially Volume 2's cover (the image above). It striked my intrest due to the nice usage of blue. The art is not very shoujo like as in it wasn't filled with bishounens & bishoujos.The art seemed different, no one seemed outstandingly handsome or beautiful. Even so the art was nice & expresses the story well.


You may enjoy Blood+ Adagio if you:

• Liked Blood+ Manga or anime
• Enjoyed the novel adaptation Blood+: Russian Rose

Note: Blood+ Adagio contains violence

Double Arts

Name: Double Arts
Original Name: ダブルアーツ
Author: Komi Naoshi
Status: Completed
No. Of Volumes: 3
Genres: Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Comedy

The Plot
A boy and a girl are forced to join hands for all eternity!? In a land ravaged by an epidemic known as "Troy", the only people with healing arts capable of stopping the seizures caused by the disease are the Sisters. Although they have a high resistance to the disease, they are searching for a person who is truly immune, if they exist, so that they can find a cure. The main character is Sister Elraine, one of the Sisters who becomes infected with Troy. But, when she touches Kiri, a seemingly ordinary boy, her seizures stop. Could he be the one!? (Source: Mangaupdates)

Review Section

The Story

The story was very creative, very unique.In most shounen mangas we see the main guy go through training & that he has a lot of potential. When you add the element of "Unable to let go of your hand" it gets a whole lot more interesting.The story was very interestng & quite addictive. It goes on pretty smooth & there is a good amount of comedy that really makes you laugh (some mangas have cold jokes). The training sessions that Kiri had to go through was really unique from other shounen mangas.The only bad point though is that the ending was practically cut short.It was left with a cliffhanger with an ending that did not cover up much questions & leaves you confused.
The Characters

The character cast is the one that enchants you.The characters are all lovable & quirky. Serious characters have their cute & funny sides.Personally I like Sui in the story.Seeming like a classic tsundere, she is what I call unexpected personality change.Kiri's parents are so unique & funny anyone would love them.

The Art

The art of Double Arts was great especially those exaggerated "serious" face of shock. The art is not sketchy & complicated.Its simple & very nicely done.The backgrounds were good & wasn't confusing. The cover volumes look lively & attractive.Its art is more of a light hearted feel & is never too serious.

Enjoyment

I enjoyed the manga greatly but was really disappointed in the ending.Although that was most likely due to the stop of serialization of Double Arts.Its very entertaining to read though if you like a good shounen manga.After reading Double Arts I became a fan of the author.His other works are equally good.

You may like this if you:

• Do not mind the cliffhanger ending
• Enjoy shounen mangas
• Like a colourful cast of characters
• Like funny comedy mangas
• Like Kingdom Hearts (Kiri reminds me of Sora)
  

Blood+

Name: Blood+
AKA: Blood Plus
Author: Katsura Asuka
Status: Completed
No. Of Volumes: 5
Genre: Romance, Horror, Action, Supernatural, Mystery
Related Manga: Blood+ Adagio, Blood+ Yakou Joushi
Adaptations: Blood+ (anime), Blood+ (Novel)


The Plot

Saya, the main character, lost her memory and has been living with her adopted family. Her everyday life seems quite normal, except that she eats a lot more than she actually needs. Then one day she meets a guy named Hagi in a park. She is told that he has been searching for her, for a long time. Since then, her normal life has changed completely.

from MAL

Review Section


The Story

Blood+ has drak themed storyline which is filled mostly of seriousness & emotional parts.
It delivers the main point which is about Saya but there are 2 other parts which are the Vietnam arc & Diva arc are still closely tied to the main point of the manga: Saya's past. The story flowed quite smoothly & was thrilling.The story is creative & does not seem to be the type that is frequently used in other mangas (cough!: shoujo mangas) All together its thrilling & with heart warming parts.Comedy is used in the story but it is not as strong to maintain the seriousness of the plot.

The Characters

Blood+ 's characters are have their own characteristics. Saya's development is the best but Kai & the others have do have their developments.Sadly not much in depth development could be done like the anime as the manga may have to be shorter.Some characters just did not get enough screentime. Diva & Saya are potrayed as opposite personalities as seen in Diva's childish actions & Saya who is more mature & serious. Character portrayals are well done such as the nobility factor in one of the characters (Charles).

The Art

Blood+ cover volumes remind me of oil paintings. The effect is great as I rarely see this in other mangas.I love the covers. The chiropterans look scary & very monster like.The gore was done well, it doesn't look fake.Scary faces look terrifying.It made me feel a little stomach upset though so its sucessful.Despite the gore the art is still beautifully done.Explosions were not messy & looked like what it was meant to be.Yes I'm mentioning the blood splattered walls & faces.It is very hard to draw as it takes skills. ^^


Anime Vs Manga

The anime has more time for character developments compared to the manga.The anime also greatly differs from the manga interms of ending & character personalities.In the manga Kai is more mature & there is a change of characters.Charles is the manga's character while the anime has another version of him named Carl. Situations are different & the manga is equally interesting to read.

You may enjoy this if you:

• Do not mind gore
• Enjoyed Blood+ (anime) or Blood:The last vampire (anime movie)
• Like Horror mangas
• Like super-powered heroines

Note:

Blood+ contains a strong amount of violence & gore

After School Nightmare

Name: After School Nightmare
AKA: Houkago Hokenshitsu, 放課後保健室
Author: Mizushiro Setona
Status: Completed
No. Of Volumes: 10
Genres: Psychological, Romance, Gender Bender

The Plot

Like most teenagers, Mashiro Ichijo has a secret. But Mashiro’s secret is that he’s neither fully male nor female! So far, Mashiro’s been able to live his life as a boy, but all this changes when he’s informed of a new class he must take in order to graduate from his elite prep school. To pass, he must find the “Key”…and the only way to find it is to enter into a nightmare world where his body and soul are put at the mercy of the worst kind of enemies: his classmates! (Source: Go! Comi)


Review Section


The Story

The whole storyline got me addicted.Its exciting & thrilling like what nightmares are meant to be (in a good way). Its psychological theme here requires some in depth thinking as you connect the ending with the whole mysterious graduation in the story.What I like is also the straight to the point of the whole gender problems Mashiro has all the way from the 1st page.
The thrilling parts in the nightmare are interesting as each character in the nightmare has their motives & ways of getting the "key". I have read that some people did not understand the ending as it makes you think & wonder about what really happen but if you give it some thought, the story connects & you will enjoy it.


The Characters

In my opinion the characters are the ones that stood out in the manga.Each character has their have their own set of problems & nightmares to overcome.The development of Mashiro is main focus here.As he deals with the dilema of his gender, he grows stronger & firmer in what he believes in.The characters relationship with each other seem to change & develop as well.The 3 main characters overcome their fears while building a friendship.Their thinking & actions make sense to what they do.


The Art

Afterschool nightmare's coloured covers are mostly in pastel colours.This makes it shoujo-ish & fairytale like but what lies behind the covers lie a story of dark contents.Since its dark, the art isn't sparkly like most shoujo mangas.Even so, the art is clean & not messy.Scenes can be interpreted easily without squinting your eyes to figure out what is happening.Its also a wonder how Mashiro can look good as a guy & the same time look pretty in a dress XD

You may enjoy this if you:

• Like Psychological stories
• Are looking for a refreshing & unique shoujo manga
• Like gender bender
• Want something dark
• Do not mind the shounen-ai feel in mangas
  

Note:

After School Nightmare contains mature themes like sexual references & violence.Don't say I never warned you :p.Age rating may be more suitable for those 16+ as recommended by Go Comic!

Aqua

Name: Aqua
AKA: アクア
Author: Amano Kozue
Status: Completed
No.Of Volumes: 2
Related manga: Aria (Sequel), Aria Special Navigations (Side Story)


The Plot:

After 150 years of Terraforming, Aqua, the formerly planet known as Mars, now has more than 90 percent of its surface covered in water. A young girl named Akari Mizunashi arrives at the city of Neo-Venezia, an exact replica of the old Italian city of Venice, hoping to become an Undine, the most coveted job on Aqua. (Source: Tokyopop)

Review Section

Story

Story wise Aqua does not actually have a large story arc but several short ones.Mostly 1 in each chapter.It is slow paced & readers who love action-packed mangas may be not like this but if you are looking for something that will warm your heart or leave you with a fuzzy feeling, this manga is for you.
Covering the story of Akari's life as training to be an undine, stories are sweet & peaceful.Nothing exciting happens but somehow the stories won't leave you bored. The relaxing feel just meaks you eager to read more.In fact its therapeutic.Aqua though covers only a few stories & those seeking more should try Aria which is their sequel. :)


Characters

Aqua's characters are unique with their own pleasant likable personalities. Oh did I mention that majority of the cast is female. A colourful cast of Akari as the cute clutz, Alicia the almost goddess like undine & many other characters.They are not irritating nor do they seem boring.They just give such a pleasant feel that you wished you knew them in real life.

Art

If there is one thing you are sure to never miss out here is the art.Its is just stunning.Oh how I wish I can draw like this.The whole art theme here is on water & the antique like buildings of Venice.After reading this it made fall in love with Venice.Water in the manga is drawn so beautifully, the art is mainly themed in blue & white for the covers.The girls are drawn sweetly with expressions of joy done well.

You may like this if you:

• Love Slice of Life
• Love great art
• Enjoyed the Aria series (anime)
• Just want a relaxing read