yellowbinge's reviews
312 reviews

emotional lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Iku falls in love with Mimori who is a ghost. 3 stars

Iku is able to see ghosts, and one day he bounces into one and let the ghost into his life. Now they are living as roommates. Iku wants to know more about the ghost and starts to research his life while developing feelings for him.

Our two characters here fall into the typical stereotype in these kinds of mangas. The shy guy and the sunshine extroverted guy. The trope didn't benefit or draw back from the story at all. Also Iku is a geek or an Otaku if you wish to call him that, and Mimori finds that interesting and starts to fall into the same hobby. This was fun to read. They do feel a little flat as characters doe.

The relationship, in my opinion, developed a little too quickly. It felt like they had no reason to fall in love, and that they didn't necessarily know each other well enough. Oh well, maybe the next volumes will expand upon it more.

The story had an interesting premise and executed it fine. I wanted a little more, maybe a lot more tension or mystery surrounding Mimori's death. The wrap or ending to the story came a little bit out of left field and was slightly disappointing to me. I get why it was done, but I wish it was saved for a later volume.

The art was simple, but pretty. Not too many details or the typical yaoi style.

But even with a pretty artstyle, it can't save the story. Fell a little flat for me.

If you haven't read much LGBTQ manga, this might be a fine point to start. Some may find it a little boring, especially those who have read a lot of them before. Young adult to adult readers.

I am giving this 3 stars, interesting premise, but fell a little flat. I don't think I will be reading any more volumes.

Content Warnings

Falling in Love with a Traveling Cat: Mofusand's 1st Illustration Book! by Juno, Mofusand

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Publishing date: 01.10.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Follow Mofusand cats during their travels to Japan. 4 stars

Mofusand cats have taken over in Japan, they are literally everywhere. Now the cats themselves get to travel to Japan. Follow them on their journey and experience Japan with them.

This may be the cutest book I have read so far this year. Adorable. Japan has also been on my bucket list for a long time, and now I got to semi-experience it.

Loved the food pages, it got me hungry. Also made me want to go to Japan even more and taste the foods myself. This was great advertising.

Such cute art. The style was very pleasing and captured the Mofusand cats perfectly.

I feel like this book would fit anyone. Adults, kids, teens, you name it. Cat lovers will adore this, people interested in Japan will enjoy it, and of course, fans of Mofusand will love it.

I am giving this 4 stars. It did exactly what it set out to do, and I was very pleased with my experience of it. I recommend it.

Veil, Vol. 2: Calming Noir by Kotteri

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Publishing date: 07.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
NOTE: Elements from this review are also used in the review for volume 1.

TLDR: A blind woman and a police officer have a chance encounter which a sweet friendship blooms from. Full of beautiful art. 4 stars

A blind woman bumps into a man. They get to know each other, and he offers her a job. They are now coworkers. Their relationship deepens, but they still keep a respectful distance.

These two are so sweet. They really have THE relationship with each other. They tease and comfort, push each other up, and protect each other. I really enjoyed reading about these two. Here in volume 2 we have different characters that I suspect will show up in later volumes. Relationship is hard to pinpoint, and might be a "rival" character. We will see how it pans out, if they even return again.

Story for volume 2 seems to have a centric and unexpected theme ... waking up and going to sleep? I found this surprisingly sweet and domestic. Something about more domestic themes hit my heart so nicely. So if you wish to read about characters waking up and falling asleep, this is the one.

The art in this manga is BANGER. I really loved it. In between chapters you get these beautiful prints of him and her. Separate, and together. Absolutely stunning. I might in part have picked this up because I admire the artist's work.

Audience is hard to pinpoint. It fits for any age from middle school and up. Exactly what kind of person, I am not sure. It fit for me because of the art, it might for you too. Maybe it is an "everyone should read this" kind of thing.

I am giving this 4 stars. Stunning art, sweet panels, and I know there is more to come. Still hold the opinion that if any of the other volumes get translated I will be reading them too. No questions asked. Can't wait! Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

Botanical Revolutions: How Plants Changed the Course of Art by Giovanni Aloi

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informative relaxing

4.0

Publishing date: 18.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Getty Publications for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A book full of art featuring plants in some way, shape, or form and their impact and importance in art throughout history. 4 stars

This book is absolutely stunning. The artworks featured are gorgeous and fascinating. I now have a few more "favorite" artists to attempt to get replica artworks from.

Featuring works and artists from all over the world and all throughout history. You get a lot of different works. For each piece you get a "note" explaining some important parts of the work or an interesting point or history attached to it. These were generally interesting, but in some cases they could feature repeating points. This is unavoidable as the themes were the same in the different chapters.

I was a big fan of how everything was explained, it felt like being back at art school. I definitely learned a few new things to use in my own works.

What I liked and didn't like

The intended audience here is both artists, art fans, and plant parents with an interest in the history of plants. I would like to say adults would enjoy it more as the language is a little more complex.

4 stars, gorgeous book. This is definitely a coffee table book that I might end up buying for my home. Would fit in well among my plants and artworks. Highly recommend.

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 1 by Midori Yuma

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Publishing date: 25.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Girl gets cursed, demon hunter meets her and "falls" for her after an incident. 2 stars, vibes were off.

A young girl (15 or younger at the start of the book????) is set to marry a young lord (age unknown). She gets tricked and cursed by a demon and the lord no longer wants her. One day she meets a demon hunter who sees her face after an incident and "falls" for her.

First of all, before I get into characters or story or anything else. The age here set off alarm bells in my head. Very early in it is mentioned that the main character is set to marry someone WHEN she turns 15. I was gagged. I do not care for your justifications for setting 15 instead of 18, I am not for reading that. Not a fan. Unnecessary age to set it at, up it to 18 and we can talk again. Also I know she is older during the events of the manga, but that setup has turned me off completely for my reading experience here.

Characters. fine. None of them felt really special, it was more of a setup and introduction kind of volume. Yes, relationships get a little flavor, but in general they are flat for now. Depth to come in later volumes.

Story was actually kind of interesting, I just wish it was a little more ... Yeah, just more. Also the fascinating choice to make smell such a central theme is creative. Liked that aspect, even if it felt a little silly.

The art is gorgeous though. Beautiful work.

Audience ... Young adult again. It doesn't have the right themes for a middle grade story even if it isn't that graphic in any way.

I am sadly giving this 2 stars. The initial age thing I mentioned set a sour tone for me. This is unfortunate, but maybe you won't mind as much and find a bunch to enjoy here.

Content Warnings

Manga Classics: Sherlock Holmes (A study in scarlet) by Arthur Conan Doyle

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Publishing date: 21.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A Sherlock Holmes mystery, but cartoonified. Artstyle was too cartoony, 2 stars.

In this cartoonification we see Sherlock and Watson meet up for the first time, and also get into their first murder mystery. Any longer summary would be spoilers.

The characters here were boiled down versions of their book-counterparts. Sherlock had his ego boosted, and anything else that made him compelling and "real" srtipped away. Watson has the sidekick role and "boost Sherlock's ego" role. Anyone else isn't worth talking about, they are all background characters. Well except the killer, but that would be a spoiler to talk about.

The relationship between Sherlock and Watson had no drive behind it. No chemistry, no proper bond. They were roommates ... That don't talk to each other except for complaining. That's the vibe I found here.

Story is all over the place. It felt so jumbled and directionless. Just my opinion. Pacing was fine though, pretty straightforward.

The art ... Not a fan. It was too cartoony. I expected something else from the cover. It felt a little soulless and flat. The art does carry weight in my ratings when it is a manga, so this docks a few points.

I am a little unsure about the audience .Young adults, maybe middle grade. More mature readers will find more joy from the original books.

Sadly giving this 2 stars. It fell flat for me. I wasn't much interested in finishing, and I was disappointed in the art.

Content Warnings

Love Languages by James Albon

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Publishing date: 06.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A woman moves to Paris for a job, meets a foreigner and becomes close friends. But it isn't easy making a stable life for yourself in a foreign country. 4 stars.

Sarah has moved to Paris because of a job, finding a boring and colorless everyday life. Soon she meets Ping. The two connect ove their difficulties with French and create their own amalgamation of three languages to understand each other.

I adored the relationship between Ping and Sarah. It felt very much akin to friendships I have had myself where we don't quite understand each other, but we keep on communicating anyways. The way they communicate is also so similar to me and my husband's way, a combo of multiple languages. How beautiful that we can bridge gaps with something so different but so alike all the same.

The story has the typical ups and downs of "person moves to another country" stories. The excitement, the boredom, the new relationship, a struggle brewing, chaos, and lastly sadness. I did enjoy the story greatly, but it felt like something I had read before.

The art here is stunning. Beautiful colors, flowing lines, and creative way of speech-bubbles. The way the colors conveyed emotion and excitement was a really nice touch. Whenever Sarah was with Ping the colors were vibrant and diverse. When she was alone, the colors were dull and few. Stunning.

Also, great and realistic LGBTQ+ rep here. I feel like this is the best portrayal I have seen so far. Lesbians for the win.

Audience is young adult to adult. Anyone with an interest in language will enjoy this. People who have moved to other countries might find it relatable. And if you are a girl-kisser with the need for some cozy romance this might hit the spot.

I am giving this 4 stars. Stunning art, cute story, lifted my mood. Highly recommend it.

Content Warnings

Veil, Vol. 1: Body Temperature of Orange by Kotteri

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

NOTE: Elements from this review are also used in the review for volume 2.

TLDR: A blind woman and a police officer have a chance encounter which a sweet friendship blooms from. Full of beautiful art. 4 stars

A blind woman bumps into a man. They get to know each other, and he offers her a job. They are now coworkers. Their relationship deepens, but they still keep a respectful distance.

These two are so sweet. They really have THE relationship with each other. They tease and comfort, push each other up, and protect each other. I really enjoyed reading about these two. There are basically no other characters here, so they get all the pages for themselves.

Story is ... not here? I would say this manga contains mostly snippets only. Daily life scenarios. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't expect a super fleshed out story.

The art in this manga is BANGER. I really loved it. In between chapters you get these beautiful prints of him and her. Separate, and together. Absolutely stunning. I might in part have picked this up because I admire the artist's work.

Audience is hard to pinpoint. It fits for any age from middle school and up. Exactly what kind of person, I am not sure. It fit for me because of the art, it might for you too. Maybe it is an "everyone should read this" kind of thing.

I am giving this 4 stars. Stunning art, sweet panels, and I know there is more to come. Definitely reading any other volume the author puts out. No questions asked. Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

Dead Rock 1 by Hiro Mashima

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adventurous funny fast-paced

4.0

Publishing date: 04.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A school for demons to gain access to the human world with absolutely no rules. 4 stars

In this manga we follow an aspiring student during his entrance exam to a high school for demons. We also get to meet a bunch of other characters that will be relevant (hopefully) in later entries for the manga. The school itself is a no-rules, dog eat dog kind of environment.

All of these characters got the same amount of depth in the first installment, none. You get introduced to them, name, what powers they have, and the "branch" of their powers. Hopefully they get explored further in the future.

Story wise has the same thing going for it, it is all introductory. We get to know the current happenings, our goal, and what needs to be done asap to do that. No more depth, just an introduction.

Pacing is a little all over the place, I am not sure how fast time is moving or when we were left off.

I really liked the artstyle of this manga. It is illustrated by the person who made "Fairy Tail", so if you like that style this will fit in. This manga also carries the same vibes, a lot of the same tropes, and the same hot-headed and "loud" characters. Really, if you like Hiro Mashima's work you will like this work too.

Audience could be anything between teen and adult. it isn't too graphic for teens, and it isn't too childish for adults either. Anyone who enjoys an action centric plot will like this.

I am giving this 4 stars. So far it has checked all my boxes for a manga I will enjoy, and I am looking forward to more. Will be reading the next installment ASAP.

Conversations With My Cat by Chuck McKenzie, Chuck McKenzie, Macready McKenzie

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Publishing date: 06.09.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Daft Notions for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: If your cat could converse with you, this is very likely what they would say to you. 3.5 stars

In this book we follow conversations between an owner and mostly his new orange cat, sometimes his other cat.

These characters are bare-bone, but I think that may be intentional so the reader can project their own cat-human relationship. I was personally imagining myself with my orange cat having these conversations.

There is no direct story, but it has a few plot points that get picked up and resolved on the way. Important note, this book is dialogue only. No descriptions, no third person view, this is dialogue only.

I really enjoyed the conversations. They felt relatively realistic. This is what I imagine my cats would say to me and demand of me. Very funny, as a cat owner. I also enjoyed the fact that it was dialogue only. This kind of format is rare, but very refreshing to see. Looped me out of a pretty rough reading slump.

Intended audience is naturally cat owners. Anyone with cats can relate to parts of or every single conversation. I would also like to say that it is directed at adults, as the humor feels a little more adult. Not explicit necessarily, but the tone is a little adult.

I am giving this 3.5 stars. Refreshing, quick read. Not groundbreaking, but did what it set out to do. I would recommend this to anyone with cats and a little time on their hands.

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yellowbinge's reviews 312 reviews

yellowbinge's reviews
312 reviews