Recent Read: Alice 19th

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So, back in January when I said I would clean up my act for 2017, I should have known that I’d hit a lot of walls face first. That’s just what I do. That’s what I do every year. Which is why I haven’t written a blog post in TWO MONTHS.

Okay, Em, you’re being hard on yourself again. Let’s focus on something positive.

Well, I suppose I have been exercising (Goal #4). I do a mile a day, and it’s done wonders for my knees.

I also totally smashed Goal #5 which was my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge (read 20 books). So, I upped it to 30 books. To be hard on myself again, most of the books I read were manga, so I get a lot of pictures with the narrative.

Anyway, I finished a series called Alice 19th. It’s about Alice Seno, a shy high school girl who has a crush on Kyo, the boy her perfect, older sister Mayura loves.

If you’re familiar with any of Yuu Watase’s work, you already know how the whole thing plays out. The shy girl who is full of love and hope will win the day and the boy. There are usually several young men who fall for our heroine as it’s impossible to resist her sugary sweet attitude and positivity. The boy is always super handsome and perfect, and chances are there are at least two girls who will fight over him. He, of course, only has his heart set on one and never waivers.

I can’t help myself. I love it.

Actually, I love it to an extent. Alice 19th wasn’t that great. In the story, Alice’s sister Mayura falls prey to her own inner darkness and ends up terrorizing the entire city because she finds out Kyo and Alice are in love. Alice and Kyo turn out to be “chosen ones” who must learn the magic power behind the secret Lotis words in order to overcome their own demons and save Mayura from herself. They engage in battle within the “inner heart,” and the cheesiness seems to know no bounds. I kind of need bounds, and even though the message is “save your sister because you love her more than anything,” it doesn’t convey quite as well as I hoped it would. That said, I rated the series 3/5 stars because I was entertained and because Kyo was nice to look at. (teehee.)

The really awesome part is that I bought the entire series of 7 books at my library’s bi-annual book sale for about $5 total, which is AMAZING if you’re going to read manga. You don’t invest too much money on a series you may not like, but if you do like it, and you’re lucky enough to get every book in the series—well, it’s akin to winning the lottery. (Granted, a 7-book series is not very long in the manga world.)

I also picked up Faeries Landing for less than $1.00 at the book sale. It’s supposed to be funny, but I didn’t care for it. There were lots of tiny, tiny words, and I’m just too old. Also, the bigger words weren’t entertaining me, so I saw no reason to strain my eyes with the impossibly small type.

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As far as other Yuu Watase titles, I enjoyed the Absolute Boyfriend series more than Alice 19th. In Absolute Boyfriend, shy high school student (naturally) Riko Izawa really wants a boyfriend, but can’t get one. So, she orders a trial of the “mysterious lover” figurine, and this naked guy gets delivered to her door. It’s pretty hilarious. There’s also the Imadoki! Nowadays series which I haven’t read yet, but it’s on my TBR.

My two favorite Yuu Watase titles are Fushigi Yûgi: the Mysterious Play and Ceres, Celestial Legend. I actually haven’t read these. HAHA...I watched the anime series for both, and love them so much I have the DVD collections. I will also occasionally call out to Mark: “TAMAHOME!” And because he loves me, he will yell back, “MIAKA!” And we will do this for several minutes. If you’re wondering what true love is all about it, there it is, my friends.

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Ayashi No Ceres holds a special place in my heart. It’s a more tragic story, and the artwork is beautiful. The Japanese myth of the swan maiden is highlighted in this anime/ manga, and expanded my love of mythology. (The Greek and Roman stories are just the gateway drug to other cultures and the whole of the mythological universe.)

Next on my manga list, sitting in room: Deathnote and All You Need is Kill.

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Have any recommendations for me? Please comment below! Until next time, friends!