After yesterday’s amazing interview this will immediately pale into the obscurity it deserves, but it has to be done. ^_^

We have, through much hardship and effort, made our way through to the final, climactic volume of Alice on Deadlines and still, the title remains the best part of the story.

The final showdown is less of a showdown than a melee and characters are being stabbed through the gut left and right (with scythes. Seriously? Who uses a scythe to *stab*?!? I mean, yes – you can do it, but what a miserable misuse of a lovely weapon. My long-handled, edged-weapons-loving self protests.)

But in no way is this really anything to do with the story. The story, such as it is, is really about Alice and Lapan, each stuck in a body that is not theirs and only one of them happy about it.

So the final showdown with Regina comes and, instead of it being Lapan vs Regina, it’s everyone vs everyone, with really hard to follow art, but we’re able to parse a few key concepts. The big takeaway – personal loyalty trumps silly plot complication.

As we always suspected – everyone in the Tsurukame family, the heads of the company for which Lapan works, is a cross-dresser. Unlike the sex-obsessed male members of the family, the President and eldest sister seems to actually have business in mind. The severely competent, cross-dressing female business leader stereotype strikes again. Thankfully, she puts an end to the nonsense of destroying lots of lives just to let Lapan and Regina destroy each other.

Somuria remains completely Yuri for Alice, even after she regains her body…in fact, I’m never really sure Somuria realized that it was Lapan in there for most of the series. Because she was competent and hunky, I will also insist that President Tsurukame is gay. ;-) That’s about it for Yuri.

Way, way, waaaaaayyyyy down in what teeny, weeny little soul this manga had, it was a love story. And although we have been told many times that Shinigami and humans cannot be together, Lapan somehow manages to live happily ever after with Alice. No explanations will be given, so just move along, thank you, nothing to see here.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 3
Characters – 4
Yuri – 3
Service – 7

Overall – 4

Many, many sincere thanks to today’s Sponsor, Okazu Hero Ed S! All this needed was popcorn and it would have made a perfect rainy Sunday afternoon snark-a-thon. ^_^

In Volume 3 of Hitohira, the spotlight remains firmly on Mugi’s transformation from a pathologically shy girl to one capable of dealing with being in the public eye. But even Mugi’s new pair of wings doesn’t mean she’s always going to be able to fly.

Although they had their triumph, Nono’s renegade Theater Group does not get enough votes to survive and is formally, and tearfully, dissolved. But, what Nono could never get while it existed, she finally gains as it is disbanded, and the two theater groups celebrate Christmas as one. Nono and Mirei look forward to their own parting from their precious kouhai, knowing they did everything they could to have the best possible time during their high school years. Although they have not yet left the story, exeunt Nono and Mirei.

The spotlight shifts slightly now, allowing another character to enter from the wings. Mugi’s friend, benefactor and protector, Kayo, tells her something that will completely derail Mugi’s new-found freedom. She had hoped she could share it with her dear friend, but instead learns that Kayo is leaving to go to school overseas. Even after Kai intervenes, hoping to force a climactic confrontation, the denouement of this volume arrives with no resolution.

Now that Mugi is no longer a simpering whiner, I’m so much more able to enjoy this story. Of course, I wish it were really about Nono and Mirei, but it’s not. And this crisis with Kayo will be resolved with the usual last minute confession/forgiveness/farewell but, even as predictable as this plot complication is…it’s still pretty all right.

So, nothing new in this theater of the non-absurd, but nothing hideously absurd, either. From its birth where I felt it was an irksome manga about a annoying girl, it has left its chrysalis to become a nice manga about a nice girl who is only occasionally annoying as the plot requires. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 6
Characters – 8
Story – 7
Yuri – 1
Service – 1

Overall – 7

Once again it is Okazu Superhero Daniel P who has sponsored today’s review, so once again he is the recipient of my sincere thanks. Become an Okazu Hero yourself by sponsoring a review and join the Okazu Hero Roll!

Having sold her soul to the Ferryman, Michiru’s life went from miserable to chaotic. But, in Zombie Loan, Volume 3, it’s finally settling down into a pattern of hunting zombies with Shito and Chika in order to pay off the loan that keeps her alive. Of course, as with all things regarding credit, the late fees, renewal rates and interest are, in this case quite literally, a killer.

The first half of this volume ends the Butterfly arc, in which /massive spoiler/ serves to /spoiler/ /spoiler/.

Sorry, I’m just being silly. Chika’s best friend ever turns out to totally not be what Chika thinks and, as a result, Chika falls into a depression.

The Ferryman, in a uncharacteristic moment of noticing that his employees have feelings, decides to take them on a short getaway to build team spirit. (Oh, yes, pun intended.) As usual with this kind of chaos-comedy, it only partially works.

At the hot springs, Yomi comes on to Michiru pretty blatantly, but sadly Michiru doesn’t bite. Yomi’s reaction makes it obvious that, despite her apparent pervishness, she actually *likes* Michiru and is quite hurt by the rejection. (As we suspected, naturally.) We’ve never seen Yomi sexually harrass anyone else since Michiru arrived, I don’t think. So, it’s a confirmed siting – Yomi is a member of Team Lily. But that hardly helps her, since Michiru isn’t.

Shito is a freak, (why should today be any different?) and Michiru still can’t figure him out (ditto) but the end of the volume implies that the next character to be emotionally brutalized will be him. Yay.

I find myself staring in confusion at most of the funny omake comics. I’m not a “fan” of the series – there’s an engagement necessary to have the detail one needs to find these funny. I lack this engagement, so…. hah? Likewise the Dears/Rozen Maiden/Zombie Loan crossovers in the back. I know they are all Peach Pit stories, I’ve followed two of the three…I’m just not getting the jokes.

Other than this teeny little piece of “meh” I liked this volume best so far. The characters are starting to become – dare I say it? – human to me.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 6
Service – 3

Overall – 7

It is my pleasure to once again thank Okazu Superhero Dan P for his sponsorship of today’s review! You are truly a superhero to Okazu readers everywhere.

Also – let this story be a warning to those of you who never lived through the vast overplaying of Chris DeBurgh’s “Don’t Pay the Ferryman.” Take the message to heart, my young friends.

Crazy, wacky gender-bendy hijinks turn into slightly serious gender-bendy hijinks in Volume 4 of Your and My Secret.

Akira, still stuck in Nanako’s body, is being wooed by his best Senbongi, while Nanako, happily passing her days in Akira’s body, is still going out with her best friend Shiina.

The bulk of the volume follows Akira’s wavering feelings, as he is alternately attracted to Senbongi, repulsed by his own interest, and still – he insists – in love with Nanako. Senbongi says plain out that he doesn’t care that its Akira in there – he likes the Nanako he is. Akira gives in and they begin to date – which doesn’t actually make him any happier, except when it does.

We get a little glimpse back to their earlier years and see that Senbongi hasn’t changed much. He’s more sensitive in some ways and less in others, but overall he’s not a bad guy. And there’s no reason to doubt his affection for Akira.

Their date ends at a love hotel, but nothing happens on account of the unlikely appearance of Grandpa. Ah, ha. Ha.

Meanwhile, in the only dribble of Yuri in this book, Nanako is still dating Shiina and doing a damn good job of it too, by the looks of it. Ironically, upon seeing her best friend’s body in tears, Shiina, still out of the loop on the switch, admits that if she were a guy, she’d want to go out with Nanako…which, she is. Just not the way she thinks. If there’s anyone I sympathize with in this story, it’s Shiina, who is the sweetest, least manipulative character and the only one of the four who doesn’t know what’s up. I don’t see it being a good end for her.

The end chapter is a generic extra story about a boy who is clueless about girls.

I sincerely hope that the next book delves a bit into Nanako’s issues dating Shiina, because Akira’s reactions are kind of limited and I think we’ve run through his whole repertoire now.

It’s not a bad series for a forced gender switch comedy manga. Now that we’ve had a volume off of Nanako being a jerk, I’m ready to turn the spotlight back on her, though.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 6
Story – 6
Yuri – 1
Service – 5

Overall – 7

Many, many thanks to Okazu Superhero Ted the Awesome for sponsoring today’s review!