Welcome this evening to a new video feature here at Manga Bookshelf! It’s called “My Week in Manga,” and in it, I’ll talk briefly about what I’ve read this week and what I plan to read before the week is out, including a short review of Mayu Shinjo’s Demon Love Spell, volume one.
This is my first experiment with any kind of video feature. I hope to improve with experience. Feel free to let me know what you’d like to see in a video feature!
Travis Anderson says
December 6, 2012 at 12:10 amThis was fun to watch. :)
Are Demon Love Spell and Ai Ore! the only things you’ve read by Shinjou Mayu? If you haven’t read Kaikan Phrase, I’d recommend checking it out. I know it’s older, so I don’t know how easy it is to get ahold of these days (plus it’s a pretty long one), but I did enjoy it.
Melinda Beasi says
December 6, 2012 at 8:49 amOh, whew! As I was making this I had serious doubts about whether it would be enjoyable or interesting for anyone. I’m grateful that you had fun!
I haven’t read Sensual Phrase, and it was only shakily on my list after Ai Ore!, but now I’m thinking I really should track it down!
Sara K. says
December 7, 2012 at 7:09 pmWhile I would not say that Sensual Phrase is one of my favorites, I do think it is worth a read.
I can say this … in its way, Sensual Phrase IS the most surprising/shocking manga I have ever read. And I am relatively shock-proof when it comes to fiction. Put the characters through super-duper torment? Not shocked. Everybody dies? Not shocked. All kinds of weird sexual kinkiness? I grew up in San Francisco, so pretty much anything sexual which can be put forth to a mainstream Japanese audience is not going to faze me. Big plot twist? I’m sufficiently well-read that it’s really difficult to completely surprise me on that front.
Sensual Phrase … that one got me.
Yerocha says
December 6, 2012 at 4:26 amI got the chance to see the artwork in Thermae Romae recently. It was surprisingly well done for what is primarily supposed to be a gag series. I might have to give that series another look, since the anime didn’t quite impress me as far as design goes.
And yes, I’ve been looking forward to Aoi Hana too. Glad to see it get some love over here.
Melinda Beasi says
December 6, 2012 at 8:55 amI’d say it doesn’t really read as a gag series either, and the art is quite lovely.
I might try to manage Aoi Hana for this week’s Off the Shelf, so perhaps I’ll be talking about both of these then!