ThePatches

Story 7/10
My best friend frequently complains when great writers shun editing. He argues that by stripping your message down to its juciest part, it becomes inherently better. With Miyazaki, the jury is out. Most western audiences know him for sumptuously animated movies with simple fairy tale plots that say so much by attempting so little in a narrative sense. But when reading the source manga for Nausicaa, you have to wonder how much of his great vision and ambition he leaves on the cutting-room floor when he makes a movie. Epic in scope, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind quickly... See full review

Story 8/10Completely entranced by Paradise Kiss, I sought out the work's prequel manga, Gokinjo Monogatari because I was so interested in Happy Berry designer Mikako Kouda. Why was her last name different from Miwako? How did Happy Berry come to be? Fortunately, the mangaka's earlier work proved that, even in a more traditional shoujo setting, she can bring a novel look at romance and high school awash with delightful characters.Though it takes place in the same setting as its sequel, Yazawa Arts Academy, it kicks off with a more straightforward and less surreal arc that focuses on the relationship between... See full review