The story revolves around our main character Ichigo, who is on her first ‘date’. When Ichigo and four other girls become involved in an odd DNA incident, they merge with the DNA of extinct animals. It’s apparent that they’re part of a much bigger plan. The people in charge have selected Ichigo and her newfound friend to take part in a secret project. Their mission: To protect the planet from aliens who are using the planet’s animals to attack humans.
It’s the most strange shojo manga I’ve ever read. Most strange shojo manga I've ever read leaves me with conflicting feelings of liking and hating it. The entire reason for the girls' sudden transformation into animals was nothing short of ridiculous. Despite their reluctance, someone forces the girls to take part in this experiment, and the responsible individuals continue to kidnap and manipulate them.
This series aims at young girls …
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ink-impressions rated Just Another Missing Person: 1 star
ink-impressions rated My Dress-Up Darling 02: 3 stars
ink-impressions reviewed Tokyo mew mew by Mia Ikumi
Review of 'Tokyo mew mew' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The story revolves around our main character Ichigo, who is on her first ‘date’. When Ichigo and four other girls become involved in an odd DNA incident, they merge with the DNA of extinct animals. It’s apparent that they’re part of a much bigger plan. The people in charge have selected Ichigo and her newfound friend to take part in a secret project. Their mission: To protect the planet from aliens who are using the planet’s animals to attack humans.
It’s the most strange shojo manga I’ve ever read. Most strange shojo manga I've ever read leaves me with conflicting feelings of liking and hating it. The entire reason for the girls' sudden transformation into animals was nothing short of ridiculous. Despite their reluctance, someone forces the girls to take part in this experiment, and the responsible individuals continue to kidnap and manipulate them.
This series aims at young girls and heavily draws on archetypes like magical girl and animals resembling their owners. Sadly, this lacks an engaging plot. It has beautiful art, however.
Although it’s only the first volume, that someone performed the experiment without consent adds a touch of darkness to a light story. I hope the author will delve into this darker aspect in future volumes. While Tokyo Mew Mew is fun for elementary school students, older readers will need a little more depth. I worry that without addressing consent in future volumes, I'll be uncomfortable with everyone's nonchalant attitude towards it.
This could lead to readers feeling disconnected from the story and the characters. I believe we should explore this important topic in the later volumes. Tokyo Mew Mew's potential as a greater story rests on the writers' abilities.
If the library has the next volume, I may read it. I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters develop and how the story progresses. I’m excited to see what happens next.
ink-impressions reviewed In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
Review of 'In the Lives of Puppets' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
The forest is home to three robots: Father figure Giovanni Lawson, sadistic nurse robot, and a vacuum robot looking for love. It is also home to Victor Lawson, a human. It’s a family, hidden and safe.
When Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android called “HAP,” he discovers that Hap and Gio share a dark past filled with human predation.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their location, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Vic's family must travel across an unforgiving, otherworldly country to save Gio from decommissioning or reprogramming.
Despite conflicting feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: is conditional love possible for him?
Perhaps this is the fastest book I have DNF’d. As hard as it is for me to do, I can’t avoid it. It took me six chapters to realize I wasn’t able to finish... …
The forest is home to three robots: Father figure Giovanni Lawson, sadistic nurse robot, and a vacuum robot looking for love. It is also home to Victor Lawson, a human. It’s a family, hidden and safe.
When Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android called “HAP,” he discovers that Hap and Gio share a dark past filled with human predation.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their location, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Vic's family must travel across an unforgiving, otherworldly country to save Gio from decommissioning or reprogramming.
Despite conflicting feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: is conditional love possible for him?
Perhaps this is the fastest book I have DNF’d. As hard as it is for me to do, I can’t avoid it. It took me six chapters to realize I wasn’t able to finish... When the book introduced Rambo and Nurse Ratched, it was fun at first, but repetitive and predictable. FAST. I shouldn’t be able to predict dialogue within the first few chapters. I felt nothing for any of the characters.
When I hedged on DNF’ing, I thought I was overthinking. I gave it a few more chapters, but the story never picked up. The characters were one-dimensional, and the plot was stale. I had to admit defeat and move on to another book.
Based on the reviews, I think I’m the odd one out here, but that’s fine), and I’m pleased to hear that it brings some people's joy. It just won’t work for me today.
Despite not reading the entire book (obviously), even in the beginning, I could tell there was something missing. I don’t know what it is. I wanted to develop a liking for it, but it was beyond my ability. I suppose it's just not my cup of tea.
ink-impressions rated My Dress-Up Darling 01: 3 stars
ink-impressions reviewed Wedding Peach. by Nao Yazawa (Viz graphic novel)
Review of 'Wedding Peach.' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Young Momoko Hanasaki, who dreams of getting married like her mother. In one moment, she is mooning over the captain of her soccer team. In the next scene, she is fighting evil as a magical girl. She enlists the help of her friends Angel Light and Angel Daisy to complete the mission. Will they be able to defeat Rain Devilla and her accomplices?
Can love triumph over evil? Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, knows for certain!
This manga is an outdated magical girl story. I enjoyed reading this story. This book is just what you would expect if you crossed Sailor Moon with weddings! Featuring pretty dresses, girl power and a lot of love. This cute manga will delight you!
There is one part of the story where I felt the story was weak: the selection of Momoko as a magical girl. Here, one villain witnessed her before …
Young Momoko Hanasaki, who dreams of getting married like her mother. In one moment, she is mooning over the captain of her soccer team. In the next scene, she is fighting evil as a magical girl. She enlists the help of her friends Angel Light and Angel Daisy to complete the mission. Will they be able to defeat Rain Devilla and her accomplices?
Can love triumph over evil? Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, knows for certain!
This manga is an outdated magical girl story. I enjoyed reading this story. This book is just what you would expect if you crossed Sailor Moon with weddings! Featuring pretty dresses, girl power and a lot of love. This cute manga will delight you!
There is one part of the story where I felt the story was weak: the selection of Momoko as a magical girl. Here, one villain witnessed her before the goddess Aphrodite chose her. There is another problem with this story: Aphrodite herself.
As I understand it, she is a goddess of love and everything else. How does she relate to the Christian theme? An angel is more of a christian concept than a Greek concept, like a white wedding and being called an angel. Story-wise, it makes little sense.
Wedding Peach really appealed to me. The love Momoko had for her friend and the dream of getting married were the reasons for her choice. As her mother did, she wants to have a happy ending with her true love. It is Momoko’s desire to save her friends’ lives that makes her a magical girl, although she does not want to be a magical girl.
Because of the heroine’s love for her friend, I believe people will enjoy wedding peach. Momoko’s journey to save her friends is a heartwarming story that is sure to bring joy to readers. The story emphasizes the importance of friendship and the power of love. Wedding Peach is a captivating story that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
It’s fun and an enjoyable read despite these small tropes. You’ll enjoy it as long as you understand it is almost like a simplified version of Sailor Moon.
ink-impressions reviewed Bookworm by Robin Yeatman
Review of 'Bookworm' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
Victoria is unhappily married to a career-driven, ambitious lawyer. As she struggles with overbearing in-laws, a dead-end job she cannot seem to leave, and a best friend who doesn’t understand her, Victoria escapes into her beloved books and imaginary tales. In a favorite cafe, she notices an attractive man reading a similar novel to hers. As a woman seeking a happy ending, Victoria believes it is. He must be her soul mate, the handsome book lover.
I have many reasons for DNF this book. Throughout the entire book, Victoria made me hate her. I did not feel any sympathy for the main character’s situation because she was so overly negative and judgemental.
Hers is a voluntary relationship, one that she entered and stayed in because she’d rather lie, cheat, and even murder than get another job or make a living on her own. If she's unhappy in their relationship, there's …
Victoria is unhappily married to a career-driven, ambitious lawyer. As she struggles with overbearing in-laws, a dead-end job she cannot seem to leave, and a best friend who doesn’t understand her, Victoria escapes into her beloved books and imaginary tales. In a favorite cafe, she notices an attractive man reading a similar novel to hers. As a woman seeking a happy ending, Victoria believes it is. He must be her soul mate, the handsome book lover.
I have many reasons for DNF this book. Throughout the entire book, Victoria made me hate her. I did not feel any sympathy for the main character’s situation because she was so overly negative and judgemental.
Hers is a voluntary relationship, one that she entered and stayed in because she’d rather lie, cheat, and even murder than get another job or make a living on her own. If she's unhappy in their relationship, there's no reason for her to be married to him.
I honestly thought there would be an outstanding plot twist where Victoria would accidentally kill herself, or fall victim to one of the accidental deaths she had imagined Eric would suffer. At the very least, Luke would dump her.
Maybe I’m too stupid to understand this book. The problem is that’s the answer. I really dislike this book. My personal taste doesn’t include dark humor; it’s just a pathetic look at a pathetic woman’s pathetic life.
Do not read this book.
ink-impressions reviewed Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Review of 'Mama Ruby' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw knows what she wants and how to get it. By fifteen, Ruby craves fast men and cheap liquor, and even her preacher daddy can’t steer her in the right direction. Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands Ruby’s true nature only.
When Ruby discovers she's pregnant, fear overwhelms her for the first time in her life. As Ruby hides her growing belly, she gives birth secretly at Othella’s house. After Ruby gives away the child, Othella convinces her to run away with her to New Orleans—with the help of a shocking revelation.
Regret over giving up on her baby and following Othella’s advice. Ruby’s only motivation is revenge against her friend Othella, who betrayed her.
I read this book because a co-worker recommended it to me. I will enjoy this book, she said. Reading this book was a mistake for …
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw knows what she wants and how to get it. By fifteen, Ruby craves fast men and cheap liquor, and even her preacher daddy can’t steer her in the right direction. Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands Ruby’s true nature only.
When Ruby discovers she's pregnant, fear overwhelms her for the first time in her life. As Ruby hides her growing belly, she gives birth secretly at Othella’s house. After Ruby gives away the child, Othella convinces her to run away with her to New Orleans—with the help of a shocking revelation.
Regret over giving up on her baby and following Othella’s advice. Ruby’s only motivation is revenge against her friend Othella, who betrayed her.
I read this book because a co-worker recommended it to me. I will enjoy this book, she said. Reading this book was a mistake for me.
The book contains so many problems. The author fears readers forgetting the plot after chapter foreshadowing. The violence is graphic, with detailed descriptions of bodily fluids and people engaging in physical altercations. Whenever characters speak, they declare, holler, scream, or mutter while rolling their eyes.
It’s an unbelievable story: Ruby is a teen who hides her pregnancy and gives up the baby, then becomes a prostitute, then murders her bootlegging husband, and then steals another baby to make up for the one she lost.
However, the situation changed... The story just ends. Many issues remain unresolved and require attention. Perhaps Monroe got tired, or she hit a deadline.As a whole, Mama Ruby reads like a half-finished rough draft. The book took me only a few hours to read, and I admit it’s a quick read.
Review of 'The Fault in Our Stars' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
It is my first time reading a John Green novel. I really wanted to love it, especially after hearing such rave and heartrending reviews. I was eager and ready. After a disappointing experience, I am not likely to read more books by this author.
The book had many problems for me. I found it to be very insincere and constantly distracted by the obvious intention to tug on the reader’s heartstrings rather than just allowing things to unfold that were beautiful despite the sadness.
The biggest problem I had was that I simply didn’t believe the character of Augustus or his connection to the main character Hazel. The plot completely disregards everything else, centering only on these concepts.
Augustus came across as completely pretentious and obnoxious. His entire character felt contrived, and I never felt connected to him. But it wasn’t just Augustus. Hazel’s character was likable, but her relationship …
It is my first time reading a John Green novel. I really wanted to love it, especially after hearing such rave and heartrending reviews. I was eager and ready. After a disappointing experience, I am not likely to read more books by this author.
The book had many problems for me. I found it to be very insincere and constantly distracted by the obvious intention to tug on the reader’s heartstrings rather than just allowing things to unfold that were beautiful despite the sadness.
The biggest problem I had was that I simply didn’t believe the character of Augustus or his connection to the main character Hazel. The plot completely disregards everything else, centering only on these concepts.
Augustus came across as completely pretentious and obnoxious. His entire character felt contrived, and I never felt connected to him. But it wasn’t just Augustus. Hazel’s character was likable, but her relationship with Augustus felt forced and unnatural. It never made sense for them to fall in love with one another, and that’s dangerously close to Twilight. Hazel found him so convenient and effortless. I wondered, was it him or because he was there to help? They failed to explore many facets of their characters and storylines.
All I felt reading this book was being manipulated. I find it pretentious and gimmicky. The author’s attempt to force a connection between the two characters was unconvincing and artificial. The characters and their motivations felt contrived and one-dimensional. Overall, this book was a disappointment.
Review of 'Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 1' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
There is no death for Manji, an immortal samurai. His ability to do so is literally non-existent. To accomplish this (either by poison or by decapitating his head), he vowed to kill a thousand men. He has remained immortal for years, but he is uncertain of the exact duration. An unknown person took the life of his only sister, leaving him without a clear sense of purpose. In the quest for revenge to kill Kagehisa Anotsu and his Itto-Ryu clan, Rin hired Manji to be her bodyguard.
The story lacks substance, but the excessive dialogue can be overwhelming. It is ambiguous, so you need to figure out what it means. Don't expect an epic action event, but I understand the reasoning behind the slow storytelling. Throughout the story, the layers of characters unravel slowly, and I can’t help but wonder whether there might be side-stories that will kill the story …
There is no death for Manji, an immortal samurai. His ability to do so is literally non-existent. To accomplish this (either by poison or by decapitating his head), he vowed to kill a thousand men. He has remained immortal for years, but he is uncertain of the exact duration. An unknown person took the life of his only sister, leaving him without a clear sense of purpose. In the quest for revenge to kill Kagehisa Anotsu and his Itto-Ryu clan, Rin hired Manji to be her bodyguard.
The story lacks substance, but the excessive dialogue can be overwhelming. It is ambiguous, so you need to figure out what it means. Don't expect an epic action event, but I understand the reasoning behind the slow storytelling. Throughout the story, the layers of characters unravel slowly, and I can’t help but wonder whether there might be side-stories that will kill the story midway.
Blade of the Immortal has no bad readings or art. Unfortunately, the story did not captivate me enough to continue reading.
ink-impressions reviewed Wish by CLAMP
Review of 'Wish' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
During a mission, an angel gets trapped in a tree after an attack. A guy who finds her rescues from the tree behind her. She is very grateful and grants him a wish (hence the title). There’s just one problem: he doesn’t have a wish.
There is also a devil trying to spy on an angel. To solve the problem, he entrusted his friends with the task.
The story is very cute. That’s basically it.
The idea had potential, but it lacked proper development. Untapped potential went unused. There was a lack of development between the two main characters. There was a slight sense that Kohaku loved Shuichiro. Although I saw little evidence of Shuichiro being in love, he was always stoic and showed basic kindness.
Because of the undeveloped nature of this manga, it is hard to explain. There was a sense of having read a manga in the …
During a mission, an angel gets trapped in a tree after an attack. A guy who finds her rescues from the tree behind her. She is very grateful and grants him a wish (hence the title). There’s just one problem: he doesn’t have a wish.
There is also a devil trying to spy on an angel. To solve the problem, he entrusted his friends with the task.
The story is very cute. That’s basically it.
The idea had potential, but it lacked proper development. Untapped potential went unused. There was a lack of development between the two main characters. There was a slight sense that Kohaku loved Shuichiro. Although I saw little evidence of Shuichiro being in love, he was always stoic and showed basic kindness.
Because of the undeveloped nature of this manga, it is hard to explain. There was a sense of having read a manga in the past that slipped my mind. There were similarities in the plot and characters, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I’m sure I’ll remember it eventually, but for now, I’m left with a nagging feeling that something is missing.
ink-impressions reviewed Shugo chara! by Peach-Pit.
Review of 'Shugo chara!' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
A Shugo Chara is a guardian character that hatches from an egg to help people become what they want. Because of her wish, Amu has three such eggs, each containing a different Shugo Chara. With the help of her guardian characters, Amu's life changes from one stroke to the next. Amu becomes friends with the school’s most popular students, but also attracts many unwanted guests.
My feelings towards this manga are mixed.
It’s supposed to focus on a group of elementary school students (4th grade) but they seem much older, and the sexy encounters and crushes seem out of place at that age. I believe the target audience for this book is middle-grade readers, around 12-13 years old, regardless of the school grade it focuses on. The protagonist, Amu, is an introverted new student at school who everyone thinks is cool because she seems aloof and weird.
One morning, the …
A Shugo Chara is a guardian character that hatches from an egg to help people become what they want. Because of her wish, Amu has three such eggs, each containing a different Shugo Chara. With the help of her guardian characters, Amu's life changes from one stroke to the next. Amu becomes friends with the school’s most popular students, but also attracts many unwanted guests.
My feelings towards this manga are mixed.
It’s supposed to focus on a group of elementary school students (4th grade) but they seem much older, and the sexy encounters and crushes seem out of place at that age. I believe the target audience for this book is middle-grade readers, around 12-13 years old, regardless of the school grade it focuses on. The protagonist, Amu, is an introverted new student at school who everyone thinks is cool because she seems aloof and weird.
One morning, the heroine finds eggs in her bed. The eggs contain tiny magical people that can give her a different “character.” It’s unclear how it works. Suddenly, she transforms into a completely different person and does something completely out of character after wishing something. In school assemblies, she shouts out her love for her crush, or she becomes an artist, athlete, or cook abruptly.
Among the school students, there are some kids who have their own characters, including antagonists. As part of her job, Amu hunts X eggs, which are eggs that have gone wrong. It felt like a video game with temporary powers and missions, reminiscent of Mario's ability to grow or fly after eating the correct mushroom. Egg creatures are a metaphor for growing up and forming your adult personality; they appear only in young children and disappear as the child grows.
With most Shojo manga, the characters follow a formula. The first volume introduces the heroine, the popular girl ally, and the two love interests who create a standard love triangle (the good prince and the bad boy with a cat-like appearance and behavior, similar to Fruits Basket). The plot is hard to follow because of the layout, but it's simple enough to not be a big problem.
The idea of altering a character's personality is intriguing, but it felt arbitrary when done. By giving the heroine instant temporary powers, the story loses drive. Perhaps this series will improve in subsequent volumes, but I wasn’t engaged enough to read the other volumes. Obviously, I’m not the target audience, and another reader may feel differently, but I’ve read the stronger shojo manga series in the past. The creators seemed to have designed this intending to turn it into an anime.
ink-impressions reviewed There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer
Review of "There's No Way I'd Die First" on 'Goodreads'
1 star
There are no words to describe how much I dislike this book. I read it a few days ago.
Because I am clearly not the target age for YA novels anymore, I try to be lenient with the characters, but I can’t help but roll my eyes at these spoiled rich kids no matter how lenient I am.
Although we are supposed to empathize with and enjoy the narrator’s character, she is so trapped in her own bubble that she is literally running around pondering how to ensure the best possible alibi for herself and the guilt she will feel if she ends up shoving her new love into the killer’s arms.
As for the killer, I could elaborate extensively. Yet, that would involve spoiler-marking the entire review, which I don't relish. Rather, I will just say that I saw his motive coming a mile away and hoped I was …
There are no words to describe how much I dislike this book. I read it a few days ago.
Because I am clearly not the target age for YA novels anymore, I try to be lenient with the characters, but I can’t help but roll my eyes at these spoiled rich kids no matter how lenient I am.
Although we are supposed to empathize with and enjoy the narrator’s character, she is so trapped in her own bubble that she is literally running around pondering how to ensure the best possible alibi for herself and the guilt she will feel if she ends up shoving her new love into the killer’s arms.
As for the killer, I could elaborate extensively. Yet, that would involve spoiler-marking the entire review, which I don't relish. Rather, I will just say that I saw his motive coming a mile away and hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t.
Also, the author should not have included the romance in this book. The story was fast-paced, which I liked, but unfortunately that left no room for building up the characters or making me care about them, which made the romance subplot feel needless and forced. Adding this much romance to a horror novel requires an initial investment in the relationship’s development, which isn’t done here.
The characters' interaction highlighted the lack of character development. There was no chemistry or connection between them. Overall, the romance was an unnecessary addition that detracted from the story.
Last, I must rant about the endless pop culture references. I appreciate well-placed references in a book, but the author crammed in a lot of them without fitting. Eventually, it becomes less of a way to connect with the reader than it is to show off how many popular horror movies and YA books I can mention in one book.
To sum up, this book isn’t worth your time.
Review of 'Sakura Hime : the legend of Princess Sakura. 1' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
There are no words to describe how much I dislike this manga.
My only regret is that I wasn’t able to rate this book higher since the art was pretty good and it sounded like a good plot. Sadly, the plot lacked coherence for me, likely because of my search for deeper meaning. The author lacked coherence and substance.
The story does not explain Sakura's powers, except for her sword. The story introduced Sakura's powers in the first chapter, but it wasn't until chapter 2 that she activated them. I wish someone could give me some information, without overwhelming me with too much explanation. How do they work? What is her method of activating them? Does she require the moon? Why does she wear such a modern dress (and it’s ugly)? The author seems to rely on the magical girl genre to explain things to her instead of developing her …
There are no words to describe how much I dislike this manga.
My only regret is that I wasn’t able to rate this book higher since the art was pretty good and it sounded like a good plot. Sadly, the plot lacked coherence for me, likely because of my search for deeper meaning. The author lacked coherence and substance.
The story does not explain Sakura's powers, except for her sword. The story introduced Sakura's powers in the first chapter, but it wasn't until chapter 2 that she activated them. I wish someone could give me some information, without overwhelming me with too much explanation. How do they work? What is her method of activating them? Does she require the moon? Why does she wear such a modern dress (and it’s ugly)? The author seems to rely on the magical girl genre to explain things to her instead of developing her own unique perspective.
Her fighting technique remains unexplained. The author cannot depict her fighting skills, and in fact, suggests the opposite, yet she excels at fighting demons. Obviously, her powers give her speed and strength, but do they also give her technique and knowledge? If not, how is she able to defeat powerful demons? Is she naturally skilled in fighting, or does she possess specialized training? It’s important to understand how she fights in order to fully appreciate her character.
Last but not least, I hated the characters. Every one of them. Sakura is so generic, good for no reason, totally lacking in personality, and inconsistent. All the side characters are cardboard cutouts with no personality or development. The plot is also predictable and clichéd, with nothing surprising or unique about it. This manga is completely pointless.