So, it's on sale on Viz for CyberMonday as an online manga volume for $4.99.
Thoughts on the first oneshot (The Rabbit & Me):
- Kazue really really really likes the Self-made Orphan trope. Snicker.
- She likes the name Toudou. (The character also had bushy eyebrows. Hehe.)
- Okay, that name is officially poisoned to me. Each time I see it I'm like "TOUDOU D:!"
- One of her characters looks like a chubby younger version of Shiro.
- I didn't think I needed that in my life, but I was wrong.
- Kazue, I knew there was a reason I liked you. She is so good at dilemmas over killing.
- But the "I don't need friends" bitchfests are a wee bit overdone.
- She's always had a gift for ramping up tension.
- Eh, quick wrap-up. That's something Kazue's still working on.
Reading through next Time Killer chapter:
- Kazue trope #5: Food food food.
- All I know is they love tomatoes
- Kazue trope #4: Hired help through mysterious organizations. Need a bodyguard? Go to the Bodyguard (tm). Need an exorcist? Go to the Order (tm).
- Kazue loves her some rabbits.
- Kazue trope #6: Fantasical racism, choo choo!
- Heehee “Monthly Bodyguard”
- I admit, I kinda miss Kazue’s old environmental allegories. I wonder if they’ll come back? The Illuminati represents give-no-shit-mine-it-out mentality, but the Order also has that.
- Aw the little chickens
- Kazue trope #1: Brotastic relationships.
Warrior born of the Red Earth: That… was surprisingly good for a five page oneshot. The colors, the old American west… darn I haven’t seen something like this for a while. Also, all Native American cast. I almost wish this was a separate series, because things like this are rare.
Usaboy: I wonder if the blue-zappy eyes stuff was originally inspired by Superman.
A guide to princess clothes: So I needed a knight having a nosebleed in my life. Kazue’s gotten better at skin shading.
Highway of life: Eh, kinda disconnected, relationship between old man and girl is disturbing, but wow Kazue does “beaten to death” very well.
Nirai: This one is gorgeous, one of the best takes on mermaid stories, although the drowning scene is verrrry familiar.
Master and I: It’s a talking bowl. A TALKING BOWL. Granted, this is a glorious oneshot. It’s like, dedicated to all those loser guys in life who go crazy with greed. Y’know, we need an antagonist that’s plainly a greedy bastard in AoEx…
A Maiden’s Prayer: Kinda a Scandinavian fairy tale. Really cute.
Hoshiota:
- Great, now that I’m very invested in Yukio’s character arc, seeing his doppelganger is rather offputting.
- But it’s more offputting that I find myself yet again identifying way too fricking much with him. As a massive nerd and someone who’s done astronomy since I was… 6?
- Although, how fucking dickish is it to harass a guy for looking at stars? What douchecanoes!
- “Boy nerds freak me out! I wanna break their glasses!” 0_0 WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. THAT IS SO AWFUL AND MEAN.
- THOSE. ARE. THE. CUTEST ALIENS I HAVE EVER SEEN
- SPACE PICTURE BOOK BUREAU.
- “Fairly and randomly select” BGHTTT
- THE SPACE CODE.
- THE FUCKING SPACE CODE.
- Obligatory NASA mention.
- …
- kazue.
- METEORS AND COMETS ARE NOT THE SAME CLASS.
- A METEOR SWARM DOES NOT INCLUDE COMETS.
- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
- Hello again, humans-fuck-up-everything trope!
- GAHAHA OH THE METEOR TARGETING
- NGPHHHH.
- “He’s making a pinhole camera to observe the eclipse.” *”cries softly into pillow*
- HEY IT’S KONEKO’S SPEECH FROM CHAPTER 60-SOMETHING
- Anyone who does answer why you were born will get a medal of honor? Snicker
- This has a bit of a Douglas Adams feel.
- GO GO SUPER GEEK
- “Fools don’t change unless they die” *screams into pillow with flashbacks of chapter 73*
- This is so delightfully over the top I LOVE IT.
- “Let’s start the astroclub again” AAAWWWWWWWWWWW
- I’m certain Comet Freeman is a reference to Half Life.
- “Fools don’t change”. And so the groundwork was laid for the highstrung selfloathing guy we know today.
Kazue’s author notes are very revealing. Admittedly, I really would like her to bring some of her originality to the current manga. Although she seems to have figured out that she finally has a chance to write stuff she likes, such as public bath scenes and visiting the Grand Canyon.
