Manga-ka: Setona Mizushiro
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: August 2008

Synopsis: “A shocking confession clears the way for a mountain of new problems! Mashiro is finally willing to give Sou a chance, but can either of them forget Sou’s relationship with Ai? And when Kureha returns from vacation, her form in the dream world reflects an astonishing change…”

A dramatic love confession from Mashiro leaves Sou conflicted but eager to pursue, as more emotional problems work their way to the surface. While their battles of gender and forgiveness rage on, fellow student and often Mashiro-confidant, Kurosaki, deals with problems of his own as he wages a losing battle against his family’s wishes and his own sense of identity.

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Manga-ka: You Higuri
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: March 2008

Synopsis: “Cesare is well on his way to fulfilling his dark destiny, with the help of his newfound power. Seizing control of the French army, he begins the murderous rampage that could be his downfall… unless his loyal friend Chiaro can hear the last remaining vestige of Cesare’s soul crying out for release.”

Things don’t take as many climactic turns in volume ten of Cantarella as they did in volume nine but  none the less the clock is still ticking for the lives of those trapped in Cesare’s ever-tightening web.

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Manga-ka: You Higuri
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: December 2007

Synopsis: “Driven apart despite their desperate efforts to stay together, Chiaro and Lucrezia continue to love each other from afar. Balancing Cesare’s dark scheming and Lucrezia’s second forced marriage are a deep secret, a surprising ally and the faintest glimmer of hope for the future. Will Chiaro return to Italy to save his love – even if it means killing Cesare?”

Quite a bit happens here in volume nine of Cantarella. Having escaped from his torments, Chiaro roams injured through the woods seeking salvation while Lucrezia carries his child within her, but is told by her brother, Cesare, that Chiaro is dead. That’s only the tip of the iceberg in this event-filled volume.

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Manga-ka: Setona Mizushiro
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: April 2008

Synopsis: “This dream draws blood… Alliances form as friendships fade, and soon the nightmarish dream-world becomes preferable to the turmoil in Mashiro’s everyday life. With Kureha spurning him and Sou ignoring him, Mashiro has no coice but to seek the answers he needs from a most unlikely source…”

Mashiro’s struggle between acceptance over his male and female selves continues to take centre stage here in volume seven of After School Nightmare. Fed up with the roundabout emotional mess that they feel Mashiro has led them on, Sou and Kureha seek to have Mashiro out of their lives. However the time they’ve spent together has rumours swirling around the school about them dating and Mashiro’s emotions resume spiralling out of his (or her) control.

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Manga-ka: Tomo Maeda
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: April 2008

Synopsis:
“As Taki finds out about Shikimi’a past, secrets of his own family come to light… leading him to actually strike a deal with Grey! How long can Taki keep his pact with Grey a secret from Shikimi, eve thought it’s for the priest’s own good?”

It’s back to the full cast in volume five of Black Sun Silver Moon. While previous volumes took readers into Shikimi’s past, this one returns us to present with Taki taking the spotlight with some revelations of his own.

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Manga-ka: Setona Mizushiro
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2007

Synopsis: “This dream draws blood… Things are heating up in both worlds! Determined to prove himself as a guy, Mashiro goes the distance to win Kureha. But will the new power of their bond survive the most shocking revelation so far – the true identity of the malevolent knight?”

In this volume, Mashiro continues his internal struggle over his physical body, one both male and female. Tormented by his own indecisiveness, fuelled in part by the mysterious after school dream classes he attends, Mashiro decides it’s time for his relationship with Kureha to reach the next level, seeking self-acceptance for his decision to live as a man. Sou continues his advances on Mashiro, while he himself is tormented by an even more sinister shadow in the form of his sister, and Kureha begins realizing that she wants more from Mashiro than he’s aware he’s giving her. Characters take some big steps in volume five of this psychological series. Some minor spoilers in remaining review.

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Author/Artist: Aimee Major Steinberger
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: December 2007
Price: $16.99 (US)

Synopsis: “Join Aimee Major Steinberger (a professional animator with a passion for all things cute) on the ultimate otaku vacation! Visit fantasy restaurants, maid cafes, and the world’s most exclusive doll store! Cosplay on the infamous Harajuku Street! Attend an outrageous all-female Takarazuka musical! See beautiful shrines, hot springs, stores full of manga, and so much more! Aimee captures it all in a manga journal that is both adorable and breathtaking!”

The moment you open the pages of Japan Ai you know you’ve got something unique in your hands; the cover alone is a perfect introduction to the adorable and colourful world you’re about to enter. A collection of simple sketches and corresponding commentary make up this journal of Aimee Major Steinberger’s trip to Japan. It’s an entertaining romp through Japan along with “a tall girl” and her friends.

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