The Dreaming Collection by Queenie Chan

Two teenage twin sisters get accepted to an exclusive private boarding school. Of course, it turns out they're not at just any ordinary boarding school. This one is located in the remote Australian bushlands (you should see the drawing. It is acceptably ominous). And not only is it remote, but students have been going missing since the 1920s. The first batch disappeared in a group of 12 and then another girl disappears which makes 11 (OMG who will be the 12th?). Cue scary music.

This was a super fun read. Sort of brainless. But with some really nice touches. There are these super freaky paintings hanging all around the school that no one really notices (like, hello, they're chasing a girl into the woods. With knives. And there is that faceless girl. In. Every. Single. One.) Anyhoo, those paintings are awesome. I wish there had been more of them.

The characters were a little slow on the uptake for my taste. I couldn't help but think they could have solved the mystery a little faster if they had, you know, thought about it for more than two seconds at a time (or read the damn book on the paintings that they had the entire time). The ending was a little weak. I would have liked it a lot more had it ended like a horror movie with a sequel on the way (like if on the last page...there was a new painting...only this time with an ax!)

Regardless there was more than enough atmosphere and drama for me. I read it in one sitting and had a great time burning through it.

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Book Source = Library Copy

Free Comic Book Day Approaches

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 7.

Here's the webiste - go and find a participating store -or library- near you and celebrate one of the best days of the year!

Our Library's huge Manga and Anime Convention for Teens

For our second year, we held Yomicon, our manga and anime convention for teens. We had almost 750 people, the vast majority of them teens, a few kiddos, and about 100 parents. It was about double from last year. I wasn't one of the people who planned Yomicon, that honor goes to some of my insanely talented colleagues, but I helped to work the event and I wanted to brag about it, because it was pretty much the most incredible library program I have ever been a part of. It took the committee almost a year to plan this, and I know they've already started thinking about next year.

We had a huge manga and anime library (sent over to the host branch from the other 20 libraries in our system) that was available for check out. And check out it did. The kids would check out entire series of graphic novels. It was so cool. I think we checked out over 1000 volumes in that one evening.


We had screenings, an artist panel, a cosplay contest, tons of food, Dance Dance Revolution, and other video games, an art contest, crafts (including button making and steampunk jewelry), a canned food drive, a live band, and a whole bunch more that I am forgetting. We basically took over an entire library branch for an entire evening.

Everyone who entered got YomiYen, our currency for the evening. With that they could buy themselves refreshments and prizes. If they participated in various events they could earn more YomiYen, which meant more food and bigger better prizes. We had so many prizes and it wasn't nearly enough. We're going to have to start making them earlier this year.

Here are some of the prizes that were made by our incredibly talented staff:



Some food:


And you can check out our Yomicon Blog for more information.

Manga Minis

Manga book club is bad for me. I can't just start the series for that month's club; I have to read every bit of it I can get my hands on. So, yeah, manga seems to have taken over my life. Really, though, I am trying to read novels, too....


xxxHolic by CLAMP

In honor of the month of April, APL's manga book club is reading both xxxHolic and Tsubasa, intertwining, world-shattering, self-referencial comic series by the manga-ka group that brought you Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Angelic Layer.

In xxxHolic Watanuki is a very unusual high school boy--he's an orphan, somewhat of a loner, very high-strung, oh, and he can see ghosts and spirits. And they really like him. To the point where he is flailing in the street and screaming at what appears to be nothing. Then he finds a mysterious shop and meets the equally mysterious Yuuko. In this shop the merchandise is wish-fulfillment and the currency is your most valued possessions. Yuko can grant almost any wish, but are you sure you want her to?

The things that really makes xxxHolic work are characters and the mood. While mysterious, Yuuko is also very down to earth, loving to drink alcohol, lounge around, and play all day. She is the voice of wisdom but also of insanity. Watanuki appears to be all energy, comedy, and simplicity; and yet, as we learn more about his life and his wishes, we realize that he is much more than a clown. And often, what he says isn't really what he means. Doumeki, Himawari, and Mokona are more than they first appear, also. Their parts extend beyond just foils and side characters. As the story continues, they become vital to understanding what is truly going on at Yuuko's shop.

The shop itself creates much of the eldritch atmosphere. It only appears to those who need it; if you don't see it today, you might tomorrow. Together with Yuuko's cryptic proclamations and Watanuki's strange visions, all of these things conspire to create a strange and beautiful world--the butterfly's dream.


Tsubasa by CLAMP

In the second volume of xxxHolic, the characters of Tsubasa visit and request wishes from Yuuko. This is the first instance of intertwining but not nearly the last. Sakura is the princess of the Clow Kingdom, a simple desert land with sweet and secret magics. Syaoran is her childhood friend and love interest; he is an orphan who was raised as an archeologist working on the ancient ruins of the Clow. When Sakura visits the dig, something happens to her and her memories are scattered throughout multiple dimensions in the form of feathers; if Syaoran can collect them and return them to her, she will live; if not she will die.

His two companions have opposite but mutually grantable wishes. Kurogane is a ninja from a feudal version of Japan, whose princess has banished him to another dimension to teach him that having great strength does not necessitate killing. He wishes to return to his home. Fai (pronounced like eye) is a magician who has imprisioned his king and wishes to travel dimensions and never return to his own.

Yuuko grants all of there wishes by giving them a small, white creature called Mokona Modoki. Mokona is one of only two creatures, one of which stays with Yuuko. The black Mokona is for communication; the white, for dimension travel.

And so the travelers begin their journey....

Yurei Yokai to Kyuketsuki, desu ne?! (Ghosts, Demons, and Vampires, oh my!)

Recently I seem to be obsessed with ghost stories and Japanese monsters. Been reading things like Bleach, Tactics, and Yokai Attack! Been watching Ghost Hunt, Saiyuki, and mainstream Japanese horror. So, here are two of the paranormal stories that caught my eye.

The Waking Book 1: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall

I was a bit worried when I started this one. It is a Japanese style paranormal mystery written by an American. It had all the chances of just becoming a manga and anime-influenced rehash of Japanese culture with no real ideas of how modern Japan functions or grasp of Japanese culture. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Kara is a 16-year-old girl from Boston who moves to Kyoto prefecture with her father, an English teacher at a prestiguous Japanese high school. They have both always wanted to live in Japan and, after the death of Kara's mother, the move is both wanted and needed. Along with worries about fitting in, Kara faces the trauma and stangeness of several suspicous student deaths that appear to be caused by the murder of a student in the Fall. Is it supernatural? Or is it only the victim's sister trying to get revenge?

The strongest parts of this story are Randall's ability to evoke the beauty of Miyazu City, his well-drawn characters, and his obvious grasp of Japanese folklore and love of horror. Kara details her love of the city and the people who live there in simple but striking language. She references both anime and American cultural standards (Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz) but doesn't only see the world through pop culture eyes. She is also a good judge of character and a normal teen; she doesn't like everybody and she questions here choices in friends, fashion, and behavior, especially in a country where propriety is everything. I love that Randall refuses to use both the American and Japanese stereotype characters and instead creates characters that are foremost teenagers and secondarily Japanese.

The folklore, of course, was one of the main draws for me as well. Was it a ghost? A monster? and if so, what kind? Japanese monsters are very different from American ones. I was genuinely surprised by what the outcome was. The plot was well thought out and masterly crafted. The bullying was important, but not simple. The monsters were both supernatural and human.

I look forward to the next installment in this trilogy, Spirits of the Noh.

Ghost Hunt by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada

Now for a manga with similar topics.....

Mai Taniyama is a typical teen in high school. When Shibuya Psychic Research comes to her school to investigate a possible haunting, she becomes an assistant on the team after causing the usual assistant (Lin) to be injured and destroying an expensive camera. The school also hires a Buddhist monk (Takigawa), a Shinto miko (Ayako), a Catholic priest (John) and a psychic medium (Masako). This becomes their first case together and the series continues with multiple cases of varying creepiness and validity.

Mai discovers that she has her own paranormal power (dream prognostication) and has an unhealthy crush on the head of the company, 17-year-old Kazuya Shibuya (Naru the narcissicist, for short). After the case, she is also hired as an office assistant. This mainly involves making tea....

In any case, the cases are fascinating and some of them are quite scary. Japanes folklore and paranormal science intertwine in every case, as the team uses whatever is available to them to help their clients. Occasionally, the plot is a bit formulaic, but that is to be expected in an episodic manga such as this.

Originally, this story was a series of "light" novels in Japan. That is what they call their YA. It was highly popular and was later adapted into manga and anime form. The manga is still being written and is supposed to follow through to the end of the novel series. The anime is complete and ended before the end of the current manga volume.

So, a creepy time had by all? These two are a great pick for your horror lovers out there, especially if they would like something a little different. And they both promise to serve up plenty of yurei, yokai, and kyuketsuki!!!

Manga MIni Reviews

With the craziness of the summer season, my reading habits have been really erratic. Honestly, I haven't been able to finish many novels--I just keep losing my focus. However, my appetite and attention for manga is as high as ever, and I have read some good stuff lately. So, here are a few small reviews for the manga lovers out there.


Night of the Beasts by Chika Shiomi

Aria is a strong girl with a no-nonsense attitude. When strange killings begin to take place in her town, apparently by wild dogs, she soon discovers that they have something to do with her family and with the handsome guy she just met, Sakura. Can her ability to calm the beasts prevent the murder of 4,000 people? And save the man she is falling in love with?


This one is by the same manga-ka as Canon and the artwork is very much her style, kind of retro 80s with sharp chins and impossibly wide shoulders. Night of the Beasts is a lot darker, though. Aria and Sakura are much more likeable, too. After just one volume, you are so rooting for them to succeed and get together. I can't wait to see what happens!

Absolute Boyfriend by Yuu Watase

The author of Fushigi Yuugi and Ceres: Celestial Legend once again brings us an intriguing and hilarious love triangle. Riiko has been repeatedly rejected by the boys she likes when she meets a strange salesman who gives her a card for "Kronos Heaven," an online specialty shop for lovers. Curious, Riiko designs her perfect boyfriend; shockingly he arrives that very night boxed in a crate and waiting for he kiss to awaken him! .

This one is just plain fun. Night and Riiko are a cute couple, especially when Riiko is trying to teach Night about the real world. However, Soshi is such a good guy, you can't help but root for him, too. And Riiko's debt and her constant attempts to pay it off are so funny! In the end, Riiko learns a lot about romantic relationships and Night learns a lot about the world; Soshi learns to share his emotions. The ending is bittersweet, but perfect.

Monkey High by Shouko Akira

Haruna Aizawa transfers to a new school after a highly publicized scandel involving her politician dad. She is determined to lay low and just observe the "monkey mountain" that is high school. But, her crazy classmates have other ideas, dragging her into their silly antics. Not only that, but she finds herself drawn to the most unexpected boy--Masaru (or Macharu, as his friends call him), a short, funny monkey of a boy who is a strange mismatch to Haruna's good looks and serious nature.

The things I love about this manga are the supporting cast, the great match-up of two unexpected leads, and the tension, oh the tension. Haruna and Macharu's friends are varied, loyal, and hilarious; anytime the group is together you know they are going to have a good time! And Atsu--it is so easy to both love and hate this boy at the same time! He is perfect--beautiful, fun, friendly but at the same time kind of narcissitic and manipulative. You really want to just hate him, but every time you think you can, you learn more about his past, his life, and his motivations that just make you still love him.

I really do love that Haruna and Macharu don't match. And, that for once in shojo, it is not the girl who is strange, silly, and funny. While Macharu may seem kind of one-dimensional at the beginning of the story, slowly you begin to realize that he is human and complex, even if he smiles all the time. He gets angry, despressed, and confused like all teens do. And he wants Haruna to see him as a man....

And thus, the tension. While Haruna obviously loves Macharu, she has a lot of trouble seeing him as a man. She loves his childish nature, but he isn't going to stay a child; he is already becoming a man. The biggest angst moments come when Haruan and Macharu get into misunderstandings or when Macharu wants to move their relationship on to the next logical level. Will they ever move beyond kissing? Do we want them to?

Sand Chronicles by Hinako Ashihara

Hmm, more love triangles. I'm beginning to see a theme in my current reading...

Ann and her mother move to the small village of Shimane from Tokyo after her parents divorce. At first, Ann hates it, but slowly she makes friends with Daigo, Fuji, and Shika. When her mother commits suicide, Daigo and her friends are the only thing that keep Ann together. But when Ann decides to move back to Tokyo to live with her Dad, will Daigo's and her relationship survive? Oh, and Fuji will be in Tokyo too, and he obviously has a thing for Ann...

This one is sweet and sappy with moments of darkness and comedy. I love the whole cast and want them all to be happy. But the interlacing relationships can make things very difficult, especially when you add in the emotional family baggage that everyone (except Daigo) seems to carry as well.

Sand Chronicles has won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shojo manga in Japan and ALA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009 list.

Tail of the Moon by Rinko Ueda

Usagi is a training to be a kunoichi (female ninja) in her family's ninja clan, but she is hopelessly inept. Finally, her great-grandfather, head of the clan, gives her one final chance--to become a full ninja she must travel to Segachi and become the wife of the great ninja Hattori Hanzo, and bear him a child. But Hanzo has sworn never to marry, so Usagi has her work cut out for her!

This manga is so much fun! It is populated with famous Japanese figures from the Tensho era, but is pure ninja romantic situational comedy! The boys are beautiful; the girls are gorgeous and strong; and Usagi is a complete mess. I laugh on nearly every page...

Well, I guess that's all for today. I'll keep you posted on the newest manga and graphic novels I get my hands on!

Book(s) source: Public library

The End of Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Well, I finished it last week, but it has taken me a while to fully digest and accept that it is over.

I loved the ending! The breaking of the curse was so simple but I didn't even guess how it would happen. This series made me laugh, made me cry, and made me so angry. I felt like I knew these people. And I am going to miss them all, even Akito.

Also, I like that Takaya-san didn't seem forced to make sure that everyone ends up with someone. While the ending is happy, it is not pat or forced. It fits the lives of the people in the story.

I really fell in love with the side characters, especially Tohru's mom and dad and Shishou. It was great in a story with so many broken homes to see some responsible and loving parents. Oh, and Hiro's mom was loving and hilarious.

I forced myself to reread the rest of the series before reading the ending, and I noticed something. If you read it with some knowledge of future events, you notice that there is a ton of foreshadowing. Not to mention lyrical prose, consistent themes, and beautifully imagery, both drawn and written. This series could stand up against some classic literature for its use of the true literary elements!

So, go, reread the whole thing, and enjoy it on an entirely different level.....

Dinosaur Hour! by Hitoshi Shioya

This is one of a new crop of GNs for the younger crowd, and it has already acheived some recognition, including listing in SLJ's Good Comics for Kids Summer 2009 Reading List (www.schoolibraryjournal.com/blog/540000654/post/750045675.html)

Short skits introduce various dinos from the Permian to the Cretaceous periods, and while educational, this is by no means meant to be a learning experience! It is pure comedy.

For example, "The Mystery of the Feathered Dinos" features two protoceratops (feature players in many of the skits) discussing what velociraptors look like. One points out that "recent studies" show that raptors had feathers. So they begin to draw the scary, meat-eating dinos in the sand, adding feathers here and there. They finally collapse in giggle fits. And when one of them venture to an area known for raptors, the "truth" is even funnier than their imaginings.

The artwork must also be discussed in this manga. As a comedy, there are of course exaggerations and comic versions of many dinosaurs, but what is surprising is the accuracy and detail of them when they are not comedic. In places, Shioya acheives a realism that is rarily seen in comedy of this kind and the detail on the dinos shows just how much he adores them.

So, if you know a young dino lover with a great funny bone, here is the perfect book for him/her. And this is just volume 1!

Other reviews:

Comics Village

Graphic Novel Reporter

Delicious Seasons by Rainbow Buddy

I read this short GN a week or two back, but I just kept forgetting to review it. Picked it up because of the nice cover and the interesting name of the author/mangaka.

Xiao Qiu is a young college student who loves to cook and decides to take a well-paying job as personal chef for a guy with some serious stomach issues. Unfortunately, he happens to be one of her more obnoxious classmates; it doesn't help that he is very picky and often forgets to eat. Things get even more complicated when her best friend asks her to help make a fabulous birthday dinner for her new boyfriend.

The storyline catches the interest and could probably keep a few readers involved; there are even short recipes for Chinese dishes spread throughout the book. Sadly, the editing is awful. At places you can't even figure out what the text is supposed to be saying. It appears to have been translated by a non-native English speaker and, while on those merits it is quite well done, for anyone who is a native speaker, this book falls flat and constantly trips one up. I was really disappointed, since I genuinely liked the premise and the art style. However, I just won't be able to recommend this graphic novel for purchase or check out.

That being said, definitely pick it up just to flip to the short story in the back.....who exactly is male and who is female here? I am usually pretty good at this game, but I still don't have a clue!

Jenn H.'s Vacation Reads: Part Three

Okay, this is the end of my vacation reads. Just a few GNs left....

First, Beauty Pop by Kioko Arai tells the story of a girl, Kiri, who is truly a fabulous hair stylist, yet uses her powers to secretly makeover desperate girls. In complete opposition, the Scissors Project consists of three boys who publicly makeover a chosen girl on a regular basis. Their hairstylist, Narumi, plans to be the greatest beautician in all Japan; in fact, he has only once been defeated in a competition, by a mysterious girl when he was in the fourth grade. Hmmm, who might that be? I didn't think I would like this one very much, but the characters kind of won me over. I really like Kiri and her friend Kanako and the SP group is fairly intriguing. Plus, there is no way a group could exist in the US like this and not only not be presumed gay, but also have a swooning following of girls. I have to warn you that vol. 1 ends in a cliffhanger, so if you plan to read it, you might want to pick up more than one.

Next, I finished the last 3 volumes of Crescent Moon by Haruko Iida. Mahiru is a normal high school girl who happens to give other people good luck if they need it; sadly the good luck does not reach herself. This all changes when a group of strange older boys reveal that they are part of the "Lunar Race" and she is the reincarnation of the long lost human princess who can help them save their people. What I really liked about this story is that it combined the Western and Eastern "monsters" very well. We have a vampire and a werewolf, but we also have oni, tengu, fox demons, and gender shifters. It is pretty well done and the story actually keeps you interested. There is even a love story embedded (but not overwhelming).

Finally, a Vertigo book, My Faith in Frankie by Mike Carey and Sonny Liew relates the tale of Frankie and her own personal god, Jerivan. Since she was a small child, Frankie has relied on Jerivan to protect her, help her win all games, and do well in school. This has always worked (with one important exception) until Frankie becomes interested in boys. Now, with her jealous god constantly interfering, Frankie finds it impossible to date or even just make out. Jerivan's distractions are hilarious; one poor boy finds himself surrounded by rabbits while trying to kiss (and do other things to....) Frankie. Instant performance anxiety.

What really makes this GN is the side characters and the sharp wit. Her best friend, Kay, has always benefitted from Frankie's god, but in many ways has stayed in the background. She even does this literally by retelling Frankie's childhood at relevant points in the story. Jerivan is also quite fascinating, as are Godtown and his parents. Even Dean Baxter, childhood friend and new love interest, has surprising depths and secret plans for Frankie.

My only issue with this GN is that it might come back to bite the librarian. Unlike Carey's Minx offerings, Frankie contains more language, nudity, and adult situations. Most older teens, and some younger ones, will be fine with it, but their parents might not.

Jenn H.'s Vacation Reads: Part 2

Well, this continuation is mostly manga. But those who know me won't be too surprised.

Click is the story of a boy, who awakens one morning to discover a terrible secret about his family: when they reach puberty, they change gender! Joonha has always been a chauvanistic and proud boy, but when he finds himself suddenly female, he must move far away and cut off contact with his new girlfriend and his lifelong best friend. Now Joonha is a tough girl in a new high school, just trying to make it through without attracting too much attention. Unfortunately, neither her own nature nor her former friends are willing to let that happen.

Next was the newest volume of The Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa. I have been reading this one for awhile and it has recently been made into a anime, which I am looking forward to watching. Four beautiful boys have made a deal with their landlady: they can live in her fabulous mansion rent-free if they can turn her neice, Sunako, into a lady. Simple, right? Wrong! Sunako loves nothing better than horror/slash movies and hiding in the darkness. She is often mistaken for a ghost (or the girl from The Ring of the same name). She is dark, socially awkward, and not pretty, and that is exactly the way she likes it. Can a cutie pie, a brain, a ladies man, and a dangerous boy change Sunako? Or will she change them?

This is a really funny manga, strangely drawn in a style I don't normally like. But you can't help but root for Sunako and start to realize that the boys are more than just a pretty face. I was addicted after volume 1.

Now two new ones for me: The Day I Become a Butterfly and Seduction More Beautiful Than Love. Both of these are more adult books, but might make a good addition to an adult GN collection.

The Day I Become a Butterfly by Sumomo Yumeka is a collections of short love stories. These stories vary from typical sappy romances to quirky homosexual relationships. Don't get me wrong, there is no nudity or anything truely offensive. This book was definitely written for romantics, with kissing and handholding as the main goals. It just covers a wide spectrum of relationships. I really enjoyed the title story, about a boy (actually even I had trouble telling this one was a boy) who is dying, but also happens to be falling in love with another boy who is rumored to be able to sense death. The art style for all of the stories is soft and quite beautiful. It adds to the sentimental nature without being overly saccharine.

Seduction More Beautiful Than Love by Lee Hyeon-Sook appears to also be a love story, if an unconventional one. Daoun is a young first-year high school teacher, trying hard to reach her students. Ryumin is the local "prince charming" with a bad attitude and a crush on his teacher, Daoun. Enter Hyuwoo, a new teacher who went to school with Daoun and has always had a crush on her, too, and we have a love triangle of the most scandalous sort. Which handsome man will win over Daoun? And will her choice destroy her?

Okay, I admit, I did pick this up for the scandal. But the story is pretty intricate and could be good. I've only read vol. 1, so we'll have to see. But it can definitely be a guilty pleasure!

Speaking of which, I also picked up the new Anita Blake book with my birthday money. Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton focuses on Jason the werewolf, one of my favorite characters. Jason's abusive father is dying and he needs to bring a girlfriend home to prove he is not gay. Unfortunately, he just broke up with his girlfriend; so, Anita offers to fill the position for a weekend visit. To Asheville, NC!!!! I am thrilled that one of my favorite LKH characters is from a place on two hours away from where I grew up.

Anyway, sounds fairly simple for Anita's world, right? Well.....throw in a wedding where the bridegroom just happens to be a ringer for Jason, staying in the same hotel, and the confusion abounds. Oh, and the bridegroom's father is the governor of the state and a presidential hopeful. And someone wants to kill him. So, now Anita is not only dealing with emotional baggage, but also the very real threat of someone trying to kill her best friend. It was fun and very much an Anita Blake story. So if you are an LKH addict, enjoy!!

Well, I am still not done. But these are the most adult things I read over my vacation. I will continue will the rest later. Sorry, I seem to be hogging the blog. Just read a lot of new stuff and feel like sharing.

Bleach, vol 1: Strawberry and the Soul Reapers by Tite Kubo

Bleach is a manga serialized in Shonen Jump so you know it has boy appeal. It’s also on adult swim, which is how a staff person at my library came to recommend it for purchase. I like manga well enough, but one problem I do have with the format is that I don’t have the patience to read 20+ volumes. Although this isn’t a particularly strong argument seeing as that for 2 years I collected individual issues of Fables. But back to the review.

Ichigo “Strawberry” Kurosaki is 15 years old and he’s sees dead people. He usually helps them out with a task, like beating up vandals who wrecked their memorial flowers. Ichigo’s dad runs a local health clinic. His mom is deceased and he lives with his crazy dad and two younger sisters. He is surprised with a visit from a (cute, 300+ year old) Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki. Her job is to help souls move on by way of a Konsô, or soul funeral. I’m not certain but this seems to mean giving them a loving whack with her sword. But there are 2 types of souls! Dilemma! Good spirit ghosts and bad spirit Hollows, who attack the living and the dead to devour souls. Soul Reapers also have the job of vaporizing Hollows via spells and a aforementioned big old sword.

In their first meet up, Rukia tries to transfer some power to Ichigo, but ends up transferring all her power/Dark Force to him. And there is the drama and the comedy. Ichigo, who’s a little cocky but has a heart, has to learn from Rukia and together they have to fight THE EVIL. There’s more drama about what will happen to Rukia if she doesn’t get her power. I believe it’s that she may become “human” forever. The scene where she tries to open a juice box is hilarious. So far I really like this manga. I have read vol 2 and there’s a scene, with Chad, that brought tears to my eyes. It surprised me, too!

I’m going to leave it to Jenn H & maybe Laura to clarify anything I missed here. Bleach, it’s not anything special since it has its own TV show, but I am enjoying it.