This was great and even dug deep on some parts. This book tackled childhood trauma and depression and a, at the time, forbidden

lesbian

romance in a way that was palatable for children. I’m seriously pleasantly surprised with this book! 

Cici’s just turned twelve and is maturing in a lot of ways. She and her friends are in middle school and everything is changing. Even though Cici and her mom have better communication these days, she still can’t help wanting to solve everyone’s problems—while ignoring her own. 

I don’t know if there will be more to this series, but it ended very well here, in my opinion. 

I don’t have any experience with the Animal Crossing games/franchise (though I’ve played Rune Factory 4 which has similar mechanics), but I thought this was cute.

Here, four basically dumb humans (dummy, rich girl, sleepy, and scholar) arrive at a deserted island and are chaperoned by a raccoon named Tom Nook who acts as a straight man (comedywise). The humans get into wacky situations and always comedically miss the point of taking care of themselves on the island (making a house out of trash, eating uncooked fish, etc). 

I’m sure the gags will be more fun to a fan of the series, especially the character jokes, but it still works as a standalone. Of course, the illustrations are just adorable! Gulliver, the eagle always in distress, was making me laugh! But I don’t know if I would want to read more. Maybe if my library buys another volume.

 I really enjoy these Bigby Bear strips. They are so relaxing, perfect for reading at home on a rainy day or in a busy café. Although the appeal is wide, and I think adults will appreciate the chill, slow pace and humor (a lot of space/alien, biology, and artist jokes this time) more than some kids. 

 Quirky and fast-paced. I liked the premise of a weird house that leads to all types of worlds, and the foolhardy treasure-hunters running amok in there. I'll definitely read the next book to see where this leads. 

 This manga as a whole is so utterly dumb. I think at one point it genuinely tried to be suspenseful and dramatic, but everything is too ridiculous to take seriously. This is trashy reality TV, greasy fast food, and the most erratic telenovela you’ve seen. And yet I enjoyed it! I love this hot-behind mess. I think I’ve read it at least 4 times throughout the years since I first read it in Dec 2016.

The male lead, Soichiro, starts out mean and borderline abusive (he’s also terribly and inappropriately hand-grabby in the beginning chapters), but he has some SERIOUS growth. The female lead, Sumi, is beyond stupid, but I loved her determination to take care of her siblings. And the older brother you will want to dropkick in the throat. Nozumu was a. lot. And he never stopped being a lot.

So yeah, with no spoilers, read this one. It’s entertaining. The sibling relationships will wreck you all with tender hearts. Stepping on Roses does get tropey at times, but it’s worth it for the pure foolery it pulls out of its nose.

SN: I adore the way the mangaka draws babies and little kids. They always look so precious with their little bobble-heads. Also, men are always drawn startling handsome as well. 

I think it was interesting for a story to play with the constructs of purity in a fantasy world. As usual, only girls’ purity is called into question and the "purest" girls are the most covered with mask adorned with gold or cheaper metals. We see Deka run herself ragged trying to meet her society's standards. She tries to be as devout as she can. 

 

Unfortunately, and understandably, Deka felt like such a sad sack the entire time. She's tortured in brutal ways and abandoned. I wasn't aware that this was a multiracial (why are there so many blonde and blue-eyed ppl? At least make it interesting, blonde and red-eyed?) fantasy world, so I was surprised at Deka being basically a magical biracial girl. On top of the impurity bs, she's isolated from her mom's side of the family and further alienated. With that being said, I fully understand that Deka’s dejectedness is a purposeful progression. 

 

The storytelling felt very slow-moving, and some readers may drop before they see Deka come to terms with herself. But my heart was gladdened once Deka did. I didn’t care about any of side characters, the allies Deka makes, though White Hands immediately piqued my interest. The conversations between Deka and Britta just never hit for me. Very ‘we’re friends because we sit next to each other in class’ vibes. I was indifferent to Keita. But I enjoyed the lady army, the commanders and the soldiers were ruthless.

the final fight scene felt so technical. The emperor was acting so hammy.

 

 

Because I wasn’t endeared to any of the character, the reading experience was lackluster. I wonder if the author’s screenwriting experience played a part in the execution. Still, creating a fantasy story is no joke! 

 The artwork is snazzy (it’s giving me Webtoon energy lol), but in the first few pages there’s a lot going on story-wise. Grace feels alienated due to her mixed ancestry (Chinese dad, white mom), and her dad tries to cheer her up with surfing. Jump forward three years later, Grace’s going to an international school in Hong Kong. There are some cliché beats, a la wise, old person gifts MC with a magical item/creature, but it works. Tropes aren’t inherently bad, but it’s how you use them. 

As always, I love dragons (Eastern or Western), and I think kids will probably enjoy this one. 

This was fun, and I loved the artwork. But it felt way too short! Maybe it would've been better to collect the first 4 issues. Still, I loved the theme of family.

But I wish Jonna had more reactions.

i think it's implied being away from Rainbow and dad hardened her to Tarzan ways.