Gravel Kingdom Manga Review

Manga Cover

I love Kaori Yuki's art style, so of course I had to e read Gravel Kingdom. I really did not know what to expect from this manga, but I felt like I had heard the names before. Her character names in Gravel Kingdom are really similar to Angel Sanctuary. This really didn't bother me though. She always has great art and a great plot to make up for anything that may not seem right.

Gravel Kingdom Plot

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The Kingdom of Time is placed in an ever growing desert. Within this desert is a cursed people called Sand Biters. They lure humans into the desert and kill them. A young prince, Kirameki, is about to be given the throne against his wishes. He only wants to be like his guard and best friend Kanai. His childhood friend, Worry, is about to become the reincarnation of the water goddess, Serifita. To save her and to be able to see her again, Kirameki must take the throne. The only problem is, Saga. He is his half brother and true heir to the throne. Saga comes from no where and has his own plans to take over the throne and take vengeance on the kingdom.

Gravel Kingdom Characters

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Kirameki is the main character of Gravel Kingdom. He is the young prince and a bit rebellious towards his fate. He is hard headed and protective of his loved ones. Kanai is Kirameki's servant and best friend. He vows everlasting protection to Kirameki. Worry is a childhood friend of Kirameki and was sold by her parent to the holy place as a priestess. Saga is Kirameki's half brother and has a lot of animosity towards the kingdom. He takes revenge for his dead mother.

Gravel Kingdom was a good short story to read. The story could have gone on for longer but I understand why it was short. Kaori Yuki always gives a great manga to read, even if it a short one. He short stories always seem to be lacking a good thick plot. They mainly only stick to one story and that is all. I would recommend reading Gravel Kingdom if you are a Kaori Yuki fan.

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Overall Grade 8/10

Rustblaster Manga Review

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I had no idea what Rustblaster was about when I started to read it. I only wanted to read it because it was by Toboso Yana (Black Butler). I just love the artwork that Yana produces. The main plot is really not about them being vampires at all. It seems to be another manga about working together to achieve  goal. I feel as though I have read a lot of those here lately.

Rustblaster Plot

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Rustblaster about a vampire academy called 1000 Year Academy. Vampires go here to train and become real vampires, but they do not drink blood. They try to assimilate into the human culture. Each Vampire has their own Lineage Weapons. The only one who does not is a vampire named Aldred. He actually has a special weapon unlike any other. He has a human as a weapon. A spear was created a long time ago and sealed in a body to protect it. The vampire that can control the weapon can not have a Lineage Weapon. The true vampires threaten the academy's existence by breaking the gates to their world. Al must stop the true vampires from coming into the real world and destroying all he holds dear.

Rusbtlaster Characters

Rustblaster Characters

Aldred is the main character of Rustblaster. He is a very hyper young adult and only wants to protect his friends. He is also the leader of Team 6. His followers are Kodachi, Lydi, Faye, and Rengokuin. Kodachi is a female vampire who can incinerate her foes. Lydi is young female vampire with the power to use force fields. Faye is a male vampire with high regards to his leader Al. Rengokuin is not only the comedic relief but also the tech of the group. Kei is the only human in which is in the manga. He is the key to the spear that Al uses. Six and Seven are actual vampires that try to break down the gates. They are very powerful and have weapon similar to Al's.

Rustblaster Vampire Wars

Vampires

So what is the whole deal with real and half vampires in Rustblaster? A long time ago vampires entered into the human world though the gates that the academy protects. Of course they came to feed off of the humans. When humans started to notice this, they began to kill vampires without hesitation on whether it was a child or woman or man. They fought them back and sealed the gates. Only the half lings were left. The ones who live side by side with the humans. They protect the gate.

The story was good and honestly Rustblaster should have been a longer manga. I feel as though the story would have not been rushed at that point. The plot is quick and not filled with a lot of details at first. The battles are short and some of the characters seem pointless at times. When the end of the manga arrives, though, everything comes together.

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Overall Grade 8/10

Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion Manga Review

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Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion was just another short manga I read out of boredom. It was really good though. The story was sort of a mystery/romance genre. The main story was about a girl named Erina and her brother Takashi. Someone gets killed and th emystery must be solved. I was sort of reminded of Scooby-Doo when I read Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion.

Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion Plot

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Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion is about a brother and sister who have no one else but each other. Takashi leaves behind his high school sister to travel to Turkey. His sister, Erina is left behind with foster parents. The only living relative she has is Takashi. When she hears that her brother is involved in a murder, she can not believe it. She travels to Turkey in an attempt to find him and get his side of the story. The only clues she has is a random letter and a necklace she acquired from her brother. She follows the clues to find a terrible secret and even drugs.

Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion Characters

Erina and Alp

Since Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion is a short manga, the character list is a bit slim. The main character is a female high school student named Erina. She is a quiet, but driven girl who only wishes to clear her brothers name. Sinclair represents the NPO "Hurriyet" in Turkey. Serifemika was Takashi's girlfriend and also works for the same organization. She seems sweet at first, but watch out. Alp is a mysterious man whom Erina actually relies on in the end. He has a secret of his own though.

Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion was a really good short manga to read. It honestly was a good story. It was a bit sad towards the end, but it was needed in order to end properly. I would recommend anyone who likes a good romance story to read Akatsuki ni Tatsu Lion.

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Overall Grade 8/10

Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah Manga Review

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Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah is another short manga. It is a great read though. At first it seems like it would be a futuristic coming to manhood story. It really threw me off though. The art was another throw off. It seemed a little childish at first, but it was really just how the characters were.

Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah Plot

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Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah is about a young boy trying to become his childhood hero, Cristo. Cristo was an SS class Sweeper, the best there was as well. Towa, the young boy, immediately went to the lower zones to kill Adyss' after passing the sweeper exams. There he meets Cristo, not knowing at first, and asked for him to train him. After realizing who Cristo is, Towa becomes involved in a fight. The fight is between Cristo and Kamura. The fight goes back to their very 'birth'. Another secret also lies deeply hidden in Cristo's mind.

Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah Characters

Bottom Left - Kamura, Middle Left - Aoki, Middle - Cristo (Kei), and Middle Right - Towa

Towa is the main character of Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah. He is a hard headed child following a dream. Cristo (Kei) is a quiet person, but an excellent fighter. Kamura is equal to Cristo and has a very different personality. And the final major character is Aoki. He is a very messy person and a doctor as well. Each character plays their role in story somehow. They each have a demon they are having and must overcome.

Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah Adyss and Sweepers

AN Adyss

The Adyss are creatures that have been showing up in the lower regions. People are trained to kill these creatures, they are called Sweepers. When an Adyss is killed they have nucleus that hardens and remains. Sweepers sell these to guilds to make a living. There is a deeper darker secret to the Adyss though.

Cristo - Orange-Eyed Messiah was a great short story to read. The characters are easily likable. The story itself has the right amount of information for you to know what is going on. There really is no fluff in this manga.

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Overall Grade 6/10

Blank Slate Manga Review

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Blank Slate starts out with a man pointing a gun at another man. It captivates you from the beginning. There are a total of eight chapters in this short manga series. If you feel like reading a good quick story, Blank Slate is the manga to pick up.

Blank Slate Plot

Zen

A man called Zen has lost all his memories. There is only one instinct he follows and that is to kill. He assassinates people for the fun of it, not the money. The first few chapters are just and introduction to the characters that are involved in the final chapter. Not much can be said without giving away a few good twist plots. Zen will find the answer to his past, but it may not be the one he is looking for. 

Blank Slate Characters

Zen and Hakka

Zen is the main character of Blank Slate. He is very cold and distant to any human. The only partner he wishes to take with him ends up being a doctor named Hakka. Hakka is a very peaceful man and lives in a small village helping anyone. Zen meets other characters along the way, but only Hakka and Zen are mainly in the manga. 

Blank Slate The War

Chapter End

Basically everything is revolved around a war between two different people. It is a war of race basically between the Galay and Amata. Many people died and the Amata suffered a lot of losses. The Galay used a super human weapon during the war that was made up of from Yama. Many people are wanting revenge for what happened during the war.

Blank Slate was a great assassin manga. Anyone who likes guns and deep plots, this is the manga to read. It is short and easy to get through too.

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Overall Grade 7/10

Byakuya Zaushi Manga Review

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Byakuya Zaushi consists of five different stories. The first four, Greeting, Burial, Fallen, and Invitation are more of the suspense genre. The final and longest story, The East of the Sun The West of the Moon, is a story of betrayal and forgiveness. Tooko Miyagi knows how to captivate a reader. He lures them in with tales and shows the true monster. Byakuya Zaushi is a great set of stories to read.

Byakuya Zaushi Suspense Stories

There are four suspense stories in Byakuya Zaushi. Each one is creepy in its own way.

The first story is called Greeting. A young boy comes to live in a village near a Forrest with his grandmother. He is the only child in the village due to an Oni. An Oni is a spirit that takes girls to create a doll. Regardless of his grandmothers wishes, he goes in the Forrest. The Oni lures the boy to her house. She compliments his legs and starts to second guess what is going on. The only problem is, the young female Oni isn't the one looking for his legs.

Greeting and Burial

Burial is the scone story. It begins with three children killing animals in an abandoned warehouse. Years later two of the boys are killed while doing something that had to do with the warehouse. The last one reveals what is going on to an old friend, but it is to late for their childhood friend that only wanted to participate.

The third story, Fallen, begins with a high school band girl walking in the Forrest. A pack of foxes come and greet her, but they are not the usual pack. They are spirit gods looking for an offering. She attempts to give them food and tries to escape several times to get to band practice. Somehow she always ends back up with the confusing pack of fox spirits. They have a mission to complete an it involves her. Slowly she comes to realize the truth of the situation.

Fallen and Invitation

The final suspense story involved is called Invitation. A young boy witnesses his older sister being drowned in a lake. The tale goes that a young girl was killed there because she was poor. Her spirit lures others to the lake and drowns them. He comes back home as a young adult years later. He can never escape the dream of his sisters death. His younger sister has researched more deeply into the story by this time. Some one they love pushes the person into the lake. The one that pushes the person in is later pushed in by some they love. His sister knows who pushed their older sister in and soon some one else ends up in the lake as well.

Byakuya Zaushi The East and The West

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The final story in the Byakuya Zaushi is about a place called Menola and Tiberia. A tribe called Remulus is wiped out by the Tiberian army. The sister and survivor of the king goes to Tiberia to find the traitor. She is looking for a man with dark skin and light hair, like herself. She is in a time of racial controversy. She has to be careful so she is not killed. She takes up a temporary residence in a church. The bishop is very kind to her. Another member calls out the bishop and calls him a traitor. As another story unfolds, the Remulus princes remembers of an albino Remulus.

Byakuya Zaushi was a great manga to read. It was short and right to the point. The people's names are not even really worth mentioning at times it seems. Each story has a great twist and a great ending. Some may be sad but that is why it is suspenseful.

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Overall Grade 7/10

Kamui Manga Review

Manga Volume One

The only reason I picked Kamui up to read was because the main character looked like Clamps character Kamui from X/1999. The story is actually a little (a little) similar. The only thing I hated was that it seemed the climax of the story hit a little early and it just declines very slowly from that point. It just seems as if they couldn't wait to get the secret out there. I will try my best to give a review while giving very little away.

Kamui Plot

Atsuma

The has been through a few shocks and monsters called Atanan attack cities often. NOA was an organization created a little before this devastation. There they experimented on humans attempting to reach the goal of a sorcery user. Now these humans use their ability to protect the people of the city. At the top if General Shiki and below him is Lady Sumire and Lord Hyde. They each have their own objective in the organization. Shiki is the only one who gets orders from the true boss.

Atsuma is a boy from the north. He traveled to NOA to find the okikurumi. The okikurumi is a god spirit that was stolen from his village. He is infused with another god called Kojomaru. He gets into NOA and becomes a student there. Lady Sumire was the one who insisted he joined. There he meets several people and becomes friends with a few of them. He soons finds himself fighting fot a new purpose.

Kamui Characters

Shiki, Atsuma, Aika, and Sumeri

There are alot of characters involved in Kamuu. I am only going to name the main characters from the story. Atsuma is obviously the main character. He is a very isolated and has an abusive past. He is only in a contract with Kojomaru to become free. He meets Lady Sumire in a fight with an Atanan. She is a wind master and is very fierce. She  uses men and does not consider the consequences at times. She is really only in love with one man though. Shui is a fire user in the NOA organization. He is a subordinate under Lady Sumeri and sees Atsuma as a younger brother. He watches over him and takes care of him. Aika is Lady Sumeri's assistant. She is very attached to her because she took her in when Aika was nothing. General Shiki is at the top of NOA. He is in love with Sumeri and keeps her as a caged butterfly in the building. Lord Hyde is a very evil character but he is short lived. His underling Yanagi brings him back to life. Yanagi is actually the puppeteer in the relationship.

Kamui NOA

NOA from afar

The NOA organization in the manga Kamui, was once a National Biological Research Center.NOA protected the city from the earthquake. Now it is under control of a new leader,. There they do research on guinea pigs. They test out power users and create them as well. NOA stands for Noble Offensive Academy. They protect the people from Atanan attacks. Here there are hundreds of students who are power users and are ranked by their ability. The supreme leaders are again, Shiki, Hyde and Sumeri.

The basic plot of Kamui is actually very simple. Everyone needs a person to lean on at times. Every character has been abandoned by a loved one or just by everyone. Every character comes to terms with the loss and handle it in a different. way. By the end of the manga, some end up happy while others end up empty handed. The power of a relationship goes a long way to anyone.

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Overall Grade 7/10

Saiyuki Reloaded (Manga) Review

Saiyuki Reload Manga Review

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Sayuki Reload is a continuation of The Sanzo's Party through Shangri-La. It starts off right where Saiyuki leaves off. There are of course new characters and new bad guys involved in the story. Koukaiji and there group rarely show up in this series.

Saiyuki Reload Plot

Hakkai and Goku

Like I said, Saiyuki Reload picks up from the end of Saiyuki. Sanzo, Goyjo, Hakkai, and Goku are traveling in Shangri-La to stop Gyumaohs awakening. This will bring peace to the Shangri-La area and to humans and Youkai alike. This series mainly focuses on Sanzo and a past enemy Ukoku.

A man named Hazel and his body guard Gat, go around to towns and clean up the youkai and the mess they make. He brings people back to life. These people will have yellow eyes and have a strong dislike of youkais. This causes a problem with Sanzo's three friends. When they find out who is behind it they challenge Hazel and Gat. Soon they travel the same paths but generally not together.

Ukoku is actually a friend of Hazel. He tells Hazel that Goku is a very strong being, not youkai or human. Ukoku tries to stir things up by attacking Goku. He is sending a message to Sanzo. Sanzo leaves his party and travels with Hazel and Gat for a while trying to find Ukoku. The two parties are always close together but never meet until the end of the manga. They all face Ukoku for a final battle and revenge.

Saiyuki Reload Characters

Hakkai, Hazel, Sanzo, Goku, Goyjo, and Gat

Saiyuki Reload contains basically every main character from Saiyuki. The main group consists of Genjo Sanzo, Goyjo, Hakkai, and Goku. Sanzo is a Buddhist high priest, Goyjo is a brash ladies man, Hakkai is a thinker, and Goku is a money god. They are all really different but work together well.

The characters of Saiyuki Reload is Hazel, Gat, and Ukoku. Hazel is a western priest. He has the ability to bring people back to life by using youkai souls. Gat is Hazels body guard. He is the only human killed by Hazel and therefore Hazel feels responsible for him. He constantly brings him back to life. Ukoku was given the Muten scripture but never the name of Sanzo. He feels resentment for this and thus he is a very cold character. He has a good personality surprisingly enough and can talk his way into anything.

Saiyuki Reload Scriptures

Muten Scripture at Work

In Saiyuki Reload there are scriptures that were given to different priests of the buddhist religion. These scriptures are very powerful together but not so destructive apart. These priests are called Sanzos, the scriptures are called Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon. There are a total of five sutras. They are called the Maten, Seiten, Muten, Uten, and Kouten. The Maten is the scripture over evil and yin and is held by Genjo Sanzo. Genjos Sanzo also carries the Seiten scripture which is over holiness and yang. The Kouten is held by Sharak Sanzo and has the power over the unkown and infinite. The Uten scripture has the power over life and existence and is held by the Gyumaoh side. The Muten is held by Ukoku and has the power over death and nothingness.

Saiyuki Reload is a great travels tale. The story only gets better with each series for sure. I would recommend reading this manga if you are a fan of any Samurai or Buddhist manga.

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Overall Grade 8/10