Mikansei No. 1 Volume 2

March 18, 2010 — Zack Davisson

 
4.0 out of 5 stars Play that funky music, Future Girl
 
It is only with the release of volume 2 that I realize I got the title of this series wrong. I had thought it was called “Mikansei,” and that the “No. 1″ was the volume number. Now I am shown to be wrong as I am holding a copy of the second volume of “Mikansei No. 1″

The second volume also happens to be the last of this short but enjoyable little series. All of the lose ends are wrapped up, and the story concludes in a dramatic but not unexpected fashion.

Neo and Saya have been given the challenge of filling up the park during a free concert, or disband forever. Their band, “Clap = *,” has been rehearsing steadily in preparation, but if they don’t pull it off then their dream is over. The music company president Ebisu isn’t supporting them at all, and may even be going out of their way to trash the gig. The free concert is not the only thing standing in Neo and Saya’s way. The secret behind the popstar Nanato is uncovered, and his connection to Neo adds some complications. Meanwhile Neo has been told that she has once chance and one chance only to return to her own time period, and she must chose between taking the leap into the time tunnel or being stranded in the twentieth century forever.

“Mikansei No. 1″ isn’t a groundbreaking or deep series, but just a short bit of fast-paced and amusing diversion. There are a lot of ideas and concepts that are just flashed quickly, like Neo’s future society, the sudden appearance of her mother who seems to know more about the situation than she lets on, and Neo’s modifying the past by becoming a pop star. None of these are given much exploration, and it makes me wonder if series author Majiko! had to cut the series short, or if he just intended them to be background decoration and nothing more.

Neo herself is a great character, a spunky kind of “lovable loser” who has far more confidence than talent. Her relationship with Saya develops upon a somewhat predictable storyline, but even then the romance angle takes a back-seat to the hijinks. A new character, Tsubame, adds even more hijinks to the mix. Ebisu’s younger brother, both are outrageously gay with Tsubame changing into women’s clothing every chance he gets, and wearing a two-piece bikini to the swimming pool so he can add some “feminine charm.”

I like Majiko!’s art quite a bit, and a lot of positive energy is put into every scene. The character designs are great, from the cute Neo to the bishonen-type Saya to the utterly bizarre ever-changing afro-headed Ebisu. With the appearance of Tsubame all of Majiko!’s costume skills get to shine, and new outfits are constantly created.

All in all, if you are in the mood for some mindless pop music-themed fun, “Mikansei No.1″ might hit the right notes for you. At only two volumes, it isn’t too much of an investment in time or money, and is definitely worth both.
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Maid’s Secret

February 12, 2010 — Zack Davisson

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Maid vs. Dominatrix

Maid’s Secret

“Maid’s Secret” (A direct translation of Japanese title “Maido no Himitsu”) is another in ADV Films’ line of Japanese V-Cinema softcore pink films. And if you know enough about the genre to know what “V-Cinema softcore pink film” means than you pretty much know what to expect.

Is there a story? Of course there is! Two girls, Harumi and Misuzu, are after the same boy Keita. He is of the indecisive nature, but promises to make his decision after he returns from grad school in a year. The two girls have a year to prepare themselves and to become the type of girl they think Keita would want. Harumi decides to become the ultimate submissive, saving herself sexually and learning how to serve men while working at a maid café. Misuzu decides that Keita would prefer an experienced gal, and works as a professional dominatrix and building her skills as a dominator. Before the year is up, Misuzu discovers that Harumi has secretly met with Keita, and gets her revenge by having her slaves kidnap and rape Harumi while videotaping it, thus ruining Harumi’s plans of presenting herself to Keita as a pure and innocent virgin.

All and all it isn’t much of a story, but stories aren’t why you would buy a film called “Maid’s Secret” in the first place.

The two leads, Harumi (Momose Emiru) and Misuzu (Hirasawa Rinako) spend just as much of their time undressed as dressed, and when they are in clothes it is usually in something interesting. The contrast between the innocent maid and the experienced dominatrix is nice, with a little something for everyone. Hirasawa Rinako is a veteran of the pink film industry, and is definitely the more attractive of the two. Momose Emiru is a bit on the homely side, to be perfectly honest. Not really to my tastes.

The action here is all strictly softcore, and tame even for a pink film. All tops and no bottoms. Shirts get unbuttoned by the underwear never comes off, although hands do go inside the underwear which is always a nice treat. The sex scenes are a bit boring to be honest, except for Misuzu’s turn with a modified, oversized teddy bear that is a stand-in for her fantasies about Keita. Only the two main girls get naked, which is disappointing as some of the supporting cast at the maid café where quite cute.

The production values are what you would for this kind of V-Cinema release. Shot on digital video with about two sets and three costumes, there wasn’t a lot of money put into making this film look nice. “Maid’s Secret” is seventy-eight minutes long, and in Japanese with English subtitles.

If you are into the maid look then there might be something in “Maid’s Secret” for you. I can’t say I was disappointed, because my expectations were pretty low to begin with and this film just about met them. Another star added for Hirasawa Rinako’s teddy bear scene, although I would personally just rather watch The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai again than this film.

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Remember

February 8, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful raw talent but with disappointing storytelling

A lot of teenage angst and some beautiful art. That’s mainly what you get in this manhua (which is just a fanish was of saying “Chinese comic book”) by the superbly talented and yet flawed Benjamin (real name Bin Zhang) (Orange).The stories of “Remember” are pure auto-biographical meta-fiction. There are actually two pieces, which share a somewhat similar theme; that of unappreciated artistic genius.

The first and longest story features a brilliant young comic artist who is a paragon of artistic integrity which means that his creations will never see print. Time and again he takes his stories to comic publishers, only to be told that he needs to stop being so original and provocative. Good comics, he is told, imitate the popular Japanese-style adjusting only for the more conservative morals of the Chinese people. Into the life of this melancholy but steadfast genius comes a beautiful young girl who was once a successful comic artist but who gave it up in order to pursue the more mundane course of college and career. She falls instantly in love with Mr. Moody Brilliance (who also happens to be super-cool and despite his protestations of poverty rides a pretty sweet bike), and dedicates herself to becoming his number one fan/stalker. The artist is cold and cruel to the sweet girl, chiding her for giving up her dreams and wantonly parading other women in front of her. The two bring each other nothing but tears, until finally a crisis point is reached.

The second story is much shorter, and tells of two schoolmates, one of which was a social misfit but talented artists. The misfit perseveres in his art, even at the bullying of other students, while the other student admires the artist but cannot bring himself to see past the social stigmatism of befriending the misfit.

With so many pages dedicated to the concept of the “brilliant but unappreciated artist” Benjamin is clearly doing a little self ego-stroking here. The autobiographical nature of the comic is something rarely seen out of the “indy” comics scene, and it is a somewhat precarious path to tread. Few have pulled off the necessary balance of being honest while still wanting to present yourself in a certain way, and also create a satisfying piece of entertainment.

Benjamin’s art is undeniably brilliant, with some of the prettiest pages I have see in a manga-style comic. Unlike most other Tokyo Pop releases, “Remember” is full-color and the size of an American comic. The larger size and glossy pages really show off Benjamin’s art, and he may be one of the biggest discoveries since Alex Ross. The faces of his women are heart-breakingly beautiful, and his use of color schemes and images show a Fine Art background.

The real problem lies in his ability as a storyteller. The story is too abstract and unfocused, without a solid anchor or plot. At one time I though the artist character wasn’t real, but only a symbol of “the world of art” that the girl had at one time allowed herself to be seduced by, but then pages later it is clear that they are both intended to be real-life characters.

Ultimately the strength of the artwork outweighs the flaws in the storytelling, and “Remember” is worth picking up. But for future books I would love to see Benjamin paired with a writer, or with an editor who can bring more focus to his stories.

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Karakuri Odette Volume 2

January 27, 2010 — Zack Davisson

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventures at the Shopping Mall
 
I like “Karakuri Odette” far more than logic says I should. Yet another manga about an android in search of a soul…you would think that the genre would be totally played out by now. Apparently not, because author Julietta Suzuki has managed to put together a charming story on that very theme, one that actually has me flipping the pages in enjoyment rather than rolling my eyes at the clichés.

If anything volume two is actually an improvement over volume 1. It took awhile for Suzuki to hit her stride and find her voice for the series, but now it is all coming together. The art is still pretty minimalists, not a lot of backgrounds and an emphasis on facial expressions, but that is becoming a strength rather than a weakness.

In volume two, the assassin-droid Chris has been re-programmed by Professor Yoshizawa to be peaceful. Odette takes Chris under her wing, attempting to teach him what she has learned about emotions and desires. For a test of the re-programmed Chris, the Professor takes him shopping for new clothes, but Chris is unable to express a preference for any item, not understanding the terms of “like” or “dislike.” At the shopping mall, the Professor runs into an old schoolmate, Gabriel. Gabriel looks innocuous enough, but it soon becomes clear that Gabriel is tied up with Chris’s original inventor, the person who is still intent on killing the Professor for whatever reason.

Fearing danger, the Professor sends Chris and Odette to live with their classmate, the school bully Asao. Asao is one of the few people who know Odette’s true nature, and while the robot girl frustrates him, he also treats her with more kindness than he shows most human beings. Odette and Asao gradually grow closer, and Odette wishes to please Asao by making him a bento lunch box. Unfortunately, she has a difficult time distinguishing between food that is colorful and food that is “tasty,” and Asao is not one to lie about the results.

“Karakuri Odette” is at face-value a simple comic with a basic plot, and really it is all Julietta Suzuki’s stylistic approaches to the story that make it worthwhile. There is a dry wit to the series that is so different from the usual over-the-top antics one finds in this kind of series.

This addition of Chris to the cast works really well, positioning Odette as in the middle ground between human and robot. She has been “aware” longer and so has a bit more of a grasp on things than Chris. There are hints of a love story at work, although unlike most manga it is difficult to see where the finish line is. In volume one, Asao seemed to have a thing for Odette’s friend Yoko, but here he is moving closer to Odette. Chris also has imprinted on Odette, but isn’t able to comprehend his own motives in his actions towards her.

The only real complaint I have about the series is that Julietta Suzuki’s art style makes it almost impossible to tell the boys from the girls. When the Professor’s old classmate Gabriel appeared on the scene, I would have sworn it was a girl until the character profile listed Gabriel as a “he.” Many of her characters are similar facially, and it is only the hairstyles that set them apart.
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Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi Volume 2

January 14, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars Underwear assassins

Misplaced samurai Yoichi gets his first real challenge with the arrival of Tsubame Tsubasa and Takatsukasa Angela, heirs to the Tsubameben Tenryuu -style ninja school. Like Yoichi, Tsubasa and Angela have spent their lives removed from the modern world, training in their archaic martial arts style. As the last two practitioners, they worry that their heritage and traditions will fade away. A mysterious stranger makes them a tempting offer: He will fully fund and support the Tsubameben Tenryuu -style of martial arts, so long as they perform a single task for him. Kill Yoichi.

This second volume of “Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi” continues in the same “lighthearted and naughty” -style of the first volume. The rivalry of the Ikaruga girls for Yoichi’s affections is put aside as the four sisters step off the stage to allow Yoichi to clash with the greater threat. Tsubasa, the actual inheritor of the school, is a shy girl who just wants to lead the normal life of a high school girl. Her servant, Angela, is fiercely determined to advance the ancient martial arts style, and won’t allow Tsubasa to lax in her duty to her ancestors. Angela soon uncovers Yoichi’s single weakness; his inability to concentrate when confronted with a female body. Angela decides the best way to take him down is to take it off, and both Tsubasa and Angela are soon stripped down to their underwear to take him on.

The fan-service is pretty heavy in “Samurai Harem,” much more so than in books like KimiKiss although you would think the opposite by looking at their covers. Yoichi seems to project some magical aura that causes any girl who gets near him to trip on something and land in a compromising pose with her skirt flipped up and custard dripping suggestively from her face. Everything is perfectly innocent, of course, except that for all his gallant veneer Yoichi can have some pretty interesting thought balloons which are only given away by the sudden geyser of blood from his nose.

Even with this aspect, “Samurai Harem” tells a good “harem” story, with all the girls being equal matches for Yoichi’s affections while Yoichi himself remains oblivious to the contest. Artist Minamoto Yu has this certain “innocent face” that she draws on Yoichi every time he is in a particularly compromising position to let us all know that he is actually a sincere and good person.

With that said, while I am a fan of fan-service in general (Hey, I like Sundome), there was one scene in “Samurai Harem volume 2″ that made even me cringe. When Yoichi’s aura works its magic and the busty Ikaruga Ibuki winds up face-down with her skirt in the air, her panties actually speak with the sound-effect “Bow Chika Wow Wow.” That might of been some creative translation going on, but either way you still have a speech balloon coming directly from a girl’s underpants, and that’s something you would usually find in an entirely different type of comic!

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Maria Holic Volume 2

January 13, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars Don’t judge this manga by its cover

I think one of the problems with “Maria Holic” is that it is hard to determine what genre the book is in. The title and covers make it look like some sort of gothic story, maybe even related to Clamp series xxxHOLiC (It’s not. The only slightly gothic character is the sarcastic maid Matsurika who appears here on the cover.), the premise makes it sound like some sort of sexy all-girl nunsploitation comic (It’s not. There is no fan service to speak of, actually.). Screwball comedy? Serious drama? Romance?

Maybe it is this refusal to commit to a particular genre that keeps the series from reaching its potential. It is like a dish where the flavors don’t blend just right, or a pizza with too many disparate toppings. You might still enjoy it but something just isn’t right.

There are elements of “Maria Holic” that I absolutely love. The initial premise, of a lesbian who decides to attend an all-girls Catholic high school in order to find her true love, is packed with potential. The discovery that her first potential love-interest is actually a boy masquerading as a girl in the school has even more potential. But the author seems stuck with which direction to take the story in.

This second volume in the four-volume series fixes some issues from the first volume. Mariya Shido, the cross-dressing roommate, loses a little bit of that malevolent edge in this issue when it is revealed exactly why he is at the school. Mariya gets a bit of a heart in this volume, although he still behaves in a bizarre manner such as dousing Kanako with gasoline in the morning, then following her around with a lighter threatening to light her on fire if she doesn’t do what he says. That goes a bit above-and-beyond the usual wacky hijinks one sees in a comedy manga and ventures into true cruelty.

Kanako, on the other hands, gets a chance to shine as a true comedy foil when it is announced that she will help out with the girl’s health checks this year. A chance to see every student in their bra and underpants gets Kanako so excited she is a veritable geyser of nosebleeds. These scenes had me cracking up.

Some of the other scenarios worked for me as well, such as when Kanako is asked to help out with the Virgin Mary parade, and while her mind is filled with visions of cosplaying angels the school’s student council leader, who is also Mariya’s cousin, gets serious talking about the lack of belief in Christianity even though it is a Catholic school, and what goes on in all the girl’s heads during mandatory prayer. This was a good bit of dramatic relief after all the wackiness that went on before.

I like “Maria Holic” in spite of its faults. In some ways, it reminds me of School Rumble, which is one of my all-time favorite mangas. Author Minari Endou doesn’t quite have the same flair for surrealistic comedy, but there are moments in “Maria Holic” that approach the same heights.

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Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi Volume 1

December 22, 2009 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the modern world, Yoichi

The word “harem” in the title should clue you into what you can expect from “Samurai Harem” (Japanese title “Asu no Yoichi” meaning “Tomorrow’s Yoichi.”) Yes, it is that kind of manga.

The set-up has 17-year old Yoichi Karasuma, who has spent his entire life deep in the mountains training to be a bushi warrior, being sent into the city by his father. His father feels he has nothing more to teach Yoichi, who must now test his skills and resolve in a different manner. With a letter of introduction, Yoichi arrives at the home of the Ikaruga dojo, ancient allies of the Karasuma family. Almost entirely abandoned, the dojo is now the home of the four Ikaruga sisters, only one of whom maintains the family’s martial traditions. Hijinks ensue.

The conflict and comedy of “Samurai Harem” comes from Yoichi’s naivety and old-fashioned ways conflicting with the girls and the modern world. Yoichi still dresses and lives like a old-style samurai, and has never spoken to a girl before or lived with electricity or gone to school. Even though he is a master of the blade, he is pretty much a clumsy oaf with everything else, and about twenty pages into the book he finds himself with panties on his head and his hands in places they shouldn’t be, all while trying to explain to the eldest sister Ibuki that it isn’t what it looks like.

It is a familiar situation, crossing Love Hina with Ranma 1/2although Yoichi is a much more earnest character than Ranma or Keitaro. Yoichi is conflicted between his desire to walk the true path of the bushi, and the sudden desires for something softer and sweeter that he had never had to deal with before isolated in the mountains. His supposed rival, a local tough guy named Washizu, isn’t quite sure how to deal with Yoichi. Yoichi beats Washizu soundly every time they brawl, but Yoichi seems to treat the encounters as fun rather than the beat-down Washizu wants to deliver.

The four Ikaruga sisters all have distinct personalities and their own way of reacting to Yoichi. Eldest sister Ibuki (the main target for Yoichi’s affections) is large-chested and good-natured, but prone to excessive fits of violence that leave everyone feeling the smack down. Next sister Ayame is a sarcastic modern girl addicted to her cellphone, although some of her harshness is a screen for her deep shame at being so flat-chested and always second-best when compared to Ibuki. Sister number three Chihaya is a glasses-wearing bookworm who aspires to be a manga artist. She comes off as one of the most interesting characters, as she realizes that she has found herself in the middle of a typical manga storyline and decides to manipulate circumstances to the most outrageous effects, so that she can use it for her artwork. Last up is the typical sweet and shy youngest sister, Kagome, who is a dead-ringer for Shinobu from Love Hina and also can’t seem to keep her underpants off of Yoichi’s head.

Formulaic? Totally. But you either like the formula or you don’t. I like it, and thought that “Samurai Harem” delivered a good variation on a favorite theme. Cute girls in compromising positions, some samurai action (but not too much), decent characters and a fun storyline…”Samurai Harem” isn’t going to go down as one of the greatest manga of all time, but it is definitely worth the read if you like the genre.

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KimiKiss Volume 2

December 16, 2009 — Zack Davisson

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Soccer Girl in Love
 
The second volume in the “KimiKiss” series (Japanese title: “KimiKiss: Various Heroines”). Based on a dating sim for the PS2, “KimiKiss” is an anthology format manga with each volume telling the story of a different boy/girl combination, and their blossoming romance.

In this volume we get the story of Asuka Sakino, a sporty girl into soccer but who is anything but a tomboy. Long-haired and athletic, she dreams of being able to compete on the same level as the boy’s team, and is secretly practicing every day after school to build her skills. She accidentally bumps into Kouichi Aihara (not the same Kouichi from Volume 1, so don’t worry. That Kouichi is still faithful to his true love Mao). Kouichi is a somewhat shy boy who has some soccer skills of his own, and Asuka asks Kouichi if he will be her secret soccer coach and help her practice after school in preparation for a big game she hopes to participate in.

Because this is the “KimiKiss” series, we know Asuka and Kouichi aren’t going to stop at soccer, and soon Asuka asks Kouichi to be her “love coach” as well, pretending to be a couple so that they can practice what it is like to be boyfriend and girlfriend, should the real chance come along. Kouichi isn’t sure just how into the role Asuka wants to get, but well…the series isn’t titled “KimiKiss” for nothing!

Because this is an anthology series, with no continuing characters, it is hard to get too involved in the “KimiKiss” world. Basically this series plays on a typical Japanese male fantasy of shy boy meets beautiful, exuberant girl who then falls in love with him and takes the lead in romance. It is fun, harmless fluff with a sweet romantic twinge.

Volume 2 focuses more on the romance than the fan-service than Volume 1 did, although there are enough scenes of Asuka in her bathing suit to satisfy. I liked the characters, and this Kouichi isn’t quite the wimp that you find in other series of this genre, which was good. The art and story are solid, and the artist pulls off the one-volume story really well.

If you like the first volume, chances are you are going to like this one too!
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KimiKiss Volume 1

December 2, 2009 — Zack Davisson

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Kiss the girl
 
Take a look at the cover of “KimiKiss” and it should tell you everything you need to know. A cute girl in her school uniform with blushing red cheeks, posed to receive her first kiss…

Based on a dating sim for the PS2, there are actual several different series in the “KimiKiss” franchise. This five-volume series was released in Japan as “KimiKiss: Various Heroines” and is anthology style, telling the story of a different girl in each volume, sometimes with a back-up story featuring other characters from the story. Most of the stories are straight-up love stories, rather than the usual mixed-up love triangle.

This first volume features Kouichi, a shy high school student who doesn’t know how to talk to girls. Kouichi is followed around by his little sister Nana, who seems to have more than a sisterly affection for her big brother. Into the picture comes Mao, a beautiful high school student with the face of an angel and the body of a model. Kouchi, Nana and Mao used to play together when they were little, but drifted apart in High School when Mao blossomed and Kouchi became too shy to talk to her. Mao never gave up on Kouichi however, and offers to give him “boyfriend lessons” in order to give him confidence and to learn how to be popular with girls. Included in these “boyfriend lessons” is teaching Kouchi how to kiss, and it seems that Mao might have some other plans on her mind.

The back-up story for volume one continues with Nana, the little sister, who starts to feel left behind by all the kissing going on and decides to do something about it. After asking Mao what a kiss feels like, she decides she needs to know more and goes with her friend Narumi to do some research. After checking out books in the library, the two girls decide the best way to learn about kissing might just be to practice with each other.

Obviously, the lure of a series like “KimiKiss” is the girls, and artist Shinonome Taro has definitely delivered. There is plenty of fan service, although it is more of the “innocent” kind than that of books like Sundome. Don’t worry, Kouichi and Mao definitely head to the beach, and Mao seems to spend a lot of time in the shower even hopping in with Nana once.

But for all the fan service the emphasis of the story is on the romance rather than the body parts. There is much more sweetness here than spice. “KimiKiss” is that of that particular genre of Japanese comic, of the shy young boy who falls head-over-heels in love with the girl of his dreams, and finds out that she might just like him back. The best thing about “KimiKiss” is that the girl of Kouchi’s dreams also likes to parade around in a bikini and doesn’t mind sneaking up to the rooftop of the school in order to get kissed.
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.hack//Alcor

November 25, 2009 — Zack Davisson

3.0 out of 5 stars Nanase loves Silabus

.hack//Alcor

After the spectacular .hack//Legend of the Twilight: The Complete Collection I went in search of more goodness from the .hack world. Unfortunately, I found, not all .hack is created equal.

“.hack//Alcor” is a minor entry in the .hack universe, being a one-shot story of a shy girl named Nanase. It was originally serialized in 2007 the “.hack//G.U.: The World” magazine, a publication which allowed for stories set in The World which didn’t really touch on any of the major storylines. Think of it as the stories of characters running around in the background.

This story focuses on Nanase, whose name means “Seven Stars” and comes from a Japanese reading of the constellation The Big Dipper. Author Izumibara Rena chose the name to symbolize Nanase’s personality as one of the fainter stars in the background on the constellation that you never notice when looking at the brightness of the whole.

Nanase is a twin-blade member of the Canard guild, and is always in the shadow of fellow guild member and Emperor of The Arena Alkaid. Nanase admires Alkaid so much that she even uses the same character model in The World, but is jealous of all of the attention that Alkaid gets, especially from guild-member Silabus whom Nanase secretly loves. When Nanase confronts Alkaid about this, Alkaid is harshly truthful with Nanase, saying “Have you ever done anything worth being admired for?” This starts Nanase on her quest for change, and an attempt to contribute to the guild rather than just standing in everyone’s shadows and felling bad for herself.

As you can see, “.hack//Alcor” doesn’t have much to do with the .hack universe and the same story could be told in almost any setting. About the only directly .hack-related element is the hunting PKs (Player Killers) who have it in for Alkaid and her friends, especially Silabus who has been targeted by a PK named Bordeaux. The character designs and art are good enough, although artist Izumibara Rena is not really on the same level as “Legend of the Twilight” artist Idumi Rei.

All in all, “.hack//Alcor” is not a bad series, but nothing overwhelming either. If you are a .hack fan it is a pleasant little read; a pretty standard shojo “shy girl with a crush on the popular guy” -type of story that just happens to take place in The World.

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