Spy x Family (Manga)

Mangaka: Tatsuya Endo

Status: Ongoing (currently 3 volumes)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Renowned spy Twilight has just been given what may be the most challenging undercover job of his career–get a wife and child in order to infiltrate a highly prestigious school and get close to someone working there. He manages to pull it off, somehow, becoming “psychologist” Loid Forger, adopting an adorable daughter, Anya, and marrying a nice office worker, Yor. Little does he know that Anya is a telepath and Yor is an assassin!

Spy x Family is a charmingly funny manga. At first glance, it resembles a Cold War spy novel, all secret identities and intrigue. But then you throw in Anya and Yor, and suddenly you’ve got this adorable family comedy. At first, everyone’s just using each other to advance their own purposes, which leads to some pretty amusing moments in its own right. As these people live together longer, though, you begin to see them grow closer, becoming something more like a real family, and it’s just too super cute. The art is good, and the story is a great balance of drama, intrigue, and humor. Highly recommended!

Ghost Cat (Picture Book)

Author/Illustrator: Kevan Atteberry

My rating: 4 of 5

The boy knows there’s a ghost in his house, and he’s pretty sure it’s a cat–just like the cat he used to have. One day, he follows a trail of catly chaos through the house, all the way to the front door, where he finally sees the ghost cat properly . . . only for it to lead him straight to a tiny kitten in need of a home.

Ghost Cat is a really cute little story. The premise is simple, but cute, especially the sweet ending with the boy, the ghost cat, and the kitten all curled up happily together. Adorable! It’s pretty clear that the author knows cats, considering how on the nose some of the ghost cat’s behaviors are, so that’s pretty amusing. The art is cute, too. And the text is simple enough to be easy for younger children to follow along with–or for beginning readers to pick up pretty easily. I read this one with my nieces (ages 2 and 6) and found the reading level to be well suited for both of them.

Fourteen Days of Valentine (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

FFNet ID: 12343354

Status: Complete (15 Chapters)

My rating: 3.5 of 5

Having discovered Ladybug’s civilian identity, Chat Noir has determined to woo her–in truly typical fashion for him. He’s determined to imitate the classic Christmas song over the fourteen days leading up to Valentine’s Day, with a new gift for each day. As one could expect, Marinette’s a touch overwhelmed and flustered, as well as confused, since she still harbors a deep crush on her friend Adrien (if only she knew!). Will our unlucky kitty’s extravagant and heartfelt gifts be enough to win his lady’s heart?

Fourteen Days of Valentine is exactly what I love and want in a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic. It’s sweet and silly and entirely fluffy. There aren’t any real surprises, although the last chapter/epilogue was a bit unexpected in a refreshing way. But mostly, this story is just our two adorable dorks being cute and romantic and going through the uncertainties of youth. It’s also a reveal fic, although I don’t think of that as being the primary focus . . . but yeah, these two kids finally figure out each other’s identity, which is nice. Even if they do play up parts of the love square first. Recommended if you’re looking for something both adorable and funny.

Happy Bird (Manga)

Mangaka: Emi Fukasaku

My rating: 4 of 5

Believe it or not, Masato’s friend and classmate, Koto, is actually an android–she just looks like a cute girl. Around exams, it’s easy to get frustrated with how easily she can load the information she needs to know, while he’s busy trying to study. But it’s also all too easy to forget how utterly dopey and forgetful she can be about taking care of herself–getting to school on time, taking in the water that is necessary to fuel her functions and protect her operating system. Her (irresponsible) creator has asked Masato to look after her for just that reason . . . but with all the studying he’s trying to do, he hadn’t realized just how much she needs him until it’s almost too late.

Happy Bird is another super-short oneshot manga from the author of Alpha Minus, and it’s also extremely adorable. The art is just too cute–again, somewhat reminiscent of Kiyohiko Azuma’s work. While reading this story, I was also reminded a lot of Keiichi Arawi’s manga, particularly Nichijou. The blend of a cute slice-of-life school story with just a touch of the surreal, especially with the whole android thing, is what really brings that flavor out. It’s enjoyable and sweet, and the characters are interesting to read. Recommended.

Alpha Minus (Manga)

Mangaka: Emi Fukasaku

Status: Complete (1 volume)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Because she’s an alien and weird things happen to any texts she sends, Sasamori has just decided not to send text messages at all . . . which is a problem when shy Arimura in her class wants to message her, since it’s the only mode of communication he’s comfortable with. Meanwhile, poor Nishida has extreme trouble with time management, always seeming to have the worst timing for absolutely everything . . . except for the timing that brought her friend Taketoshi into her life.

Alpha Minus is a random little indie two-shot manga that I discovered completely by accident–and I couldn’t be more happy to have found it. It’s cute and fluffy and quirky in the best way. The art is just adorable; it kind of reminds me of Kiyohiko Azuma’s work. The stories themselves are short and simple, but also super cute. Plus, they manage to avoid being too stereotypical and boring–like, they’re both cute school romances, but one’s about an alien (?!) and the other deals with time management. Basically, the characters are actually developed and interesting enough to really carry the story in both of these shorts. Recommended. I’ll definitely be checking out more of this author’s work.

No Guard Wife (Manga)

Author: Toshinori Yano

Status: Ongoing (currently 2 volumes)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Juri has just recently married, and she adores the faces her husband makes when he gets flustered. Cue all sorts of plans to be super romantic and make him blush. Only trouble is, he all to frequently beats her to the punch, being even more romantic and leaving her a blushing disaster . . . which he finds adorable.

No Guard Wife is a doujinshi, in the sense that it’s a self-published manga, not that it’s a fanfic manga based on a popular series. As such, it’s pretty short, with volumes running just over 20 pages each. The upside of this sort of publishing is that it’s a labor of love–without the restrictions of editors requiring certain things in the story, the author’s free to create what they want. In this case, the result is adorable and wholesome and sweet. We get multiple instances of this newlywed couple being sweet to each other and getting embarrassed, because they love each other and they’re in that just-married phase. It’s episodic, slice-of-life romance that would be kind of fanservice-y in other contexts, but seems remarkably wholesome in this particular context. Granted, this sort of manga isn’t for everyone, but most readers rate it 4-5 stars, so it’s generally well received. The story and art are both very cute, and the price is low enough that it doesn’t feel like too much to pay for such a short volume. Recommended.

These Unfinished Creatures (TAZ: Balance Fanfic)

Author: marywhale

AO3 ID: 12434553

Status: Complete (6 Chapters)

My rating: 5 of 5

Rated T; Mature Audience, because please, consider the source material, okay?

VICTORIAN GOTHIC AU. The Raven Queen has sent Kravitz to Neverwinter to track down who keeps stealing souls from the astral plane . . . undercover as a living human, which is crazy weird considering he hasn’t been alive in centuries. At first, even remembering to breathe is a chore, but he soon manages to blend in, taking a job as an assistant at Hecuba’s funeral parlor. It’s a good cover, even though he’s still not making much (any) progress in his investigation. When Hecuba’s ex and his friends hold a funeral for their friend, Taako, things get weird. No one’s mourning properly, the militia comes to confirm Taako’s really dead–something about being wanted for poisoning a bunch of people? And this Justin person who shows up and deals with the militia for the family is really distracting. Not to mention, this group of friends seem to be investigating something on their own that closely ties in to Kravitz’ own investigations. . . . Might be an opportunity to crack the case and get to know this Justin person better at the same time.

First off, I have to say that I adore marywhale’s The Adventure Zone fanfic just in general. The writing is great, the ideas are creative, and the characterizations are excellent and in character–appealing but not shying away from the characters’ faults. These Unfinished Creatures  is one of my favorites. I love the whole Victorian Gothic atmosphere, for one; it works surprisingly well with these characters and especially in a story focusing on Krav and the Raven Queen so much. I enjoyed how their relationship is portrayed as well, including how different Krav’s perspective on it is from that of Taako when he sees them together. The relationship/romance between Krav and Taako (because, of course, “Justin” is Taako and the funeral was fake, naturally) is sweet–and just as bumpy and messy as these two goofs can possibly make it. The mystery is well plotted and interesting, although the culprit is kind of obvious if you think about it; however, said culprit makes a good villain (I already hate him in canon), so it works. The other supporting characters are also excellently done, particularly Lup and Barry (yay!), and it’s really fun to look in on this group from what’s essentially an outsider’s POV. Plus, I just love the development that goes into Krav’s character here; he’s such an adorable nerd and I love marywhale’s interpretation of his character. Seriously, just read this fanfic, then go read all her other stories. They’re fabulous.

Note: You can find These Unfinished Creatures at https://archiveofourown.org/works/12434553/chapters/28300203.

A Man and His Cat (Manga)

Mangaka: Umi Sakurai

Status: Ongoing (Currently 1 Volume)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

In a petshop cubicle, an ugly-cute cat watches as cuter, younger kittens go to happy homes all around him, day after day. That is, until one day, when a sharp, middle-aged man comes in and asks for him specifically! He’s finally found the home he’s longed for . . . and perhaps he’s exactly what his human needs, too.

A Man & His Cat is a super-cute and funny manga that will appeal to cat owners in its insightfulness. Fukumaru the cat is utterly catlike, complete with all the weird, hilarious things cats do that only a cat owner can truly appreciate. It’s definitely amusing, and Sakurai captures this in a way that’s adorable and relatable as well as funny. But while this manga fits well in the ranks of “cute cat manga” like Chi’s Sweet Home and the like, there are aspects of this particular manga that elevate it to something more. There’s a poignance and wistfulness developed here as Kanda deals with his loneliness after his wife’s death that makes this story relatable on a more universal level. I think Kanda’s an interesting character–older gentleman, music teacher, lonely widower, newly-discovered cat lover–and I’m intrigued to see how his character develops over future volumes. This is a really cute, sweet seinen slice-of-life story that I would definitely recommend.

A Piglet Named Mercy (Picture Book)

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen

My rating: 3 of 5

Mr. and Mrs. Watson live a very ordinary, quiet life. Some might even say boring. But all that begins to change when a tiny piglet shows up on their doorstep and wiggles her way into their hearts.

A Piglet Named Mercy is, to my understanding, a picture-book prequel to DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series (which I believe are written for a slightly older demographic, although I haven’t read them yet). As such, a certain amount of the story’s appeal is directly linked to its relation to the other books–which, again, I haven’t read. So do please take that bias into consideration while reading this review. The story itself is cute, although extremely simple. I honestly expect more from DiCamillo’s writing, though, even just for a picture book. She typically makes so much magic, regardless of the story or the reading level. Still, though, a cute story about a lonely couple, a couple nosy neighbors, and an adorably spunky piglet. I would expect this to be popular with preschoolers, perhaps even into kindergarten or first grade. And yes, it’s a nice set-up that leaves the reader expecting great things of the actual series; we’ll see how well those expectations are fulfilled. The other aspect of this book that I haven’t really addressed yet–but which plays a significant role, since this is a picture book–is the art. I don’t love it. Yes, it has a fitting country-kitchen sort of feel that works with the story . . . but the edges are too sharp, the colors too brash, the facial expressions too odd. It just doesn’t work for me. Yet for all the negatives mentioned above, I do still rate this a 3/5 (which is a positive rating for me); the story is sweet and funny enough that I would recommend it for younger readers.

 

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea (Graphic Novel)

Author/Illustrator: Ben Clanton

Narwhal and Jelly, vol. 1

My rating: 3.5 of 5

Narwhal wanders into unknown waters and meets Jelly–who may or may not be imaginary, but who is definitely a good friend. Together, they do cool stuff like eat waffles (yum!) and make a pod of friends. And even though misunderstandings may sometimes lead to conflict between them, they’re the sort of friends who work things out together and still have lots of fun.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea is an weird but adorable graphic novel for younger readers (I would say early elementary, primarily) featuring two super-cute sea pals. It is extremely random and whimsical at times (okay, most all the time), but in a way that’s fun and relatable . . . although it’s still a bit too random for me to be wholly on board with it. I can see it being a really fun read for kids, though. Plus, it includes some fun sea-animal facts and features some helpful conflict-resolution skills–something kids in the primary intended readership definitely need to be exposed to. The art is appealingly simple, although the random (again) photographs of waffles and strawberries throw off the vibe a bit . . . or maybe they make the vibe. I don’t know. A bit weird for my taste, but cute and fun. Recommended for early elementary readers.