Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi
This romantic comedy somehow reminds me of that old, awful show Three’s Company . . . although it isn’t exactly the same situation. Yusaku, a student with no motivation, no plans, and no life, develops a crush – very quickly – on the new manager of his house, Kyoko, the daughter-in-law of the homeowner. The other inhabitants hassle Yusaku because he is supposed to be studying for his college entrance exams but spends most of his time failing to impress Kyoko or playing Peeping Tom to housemate Akemi, who calls him “Mr. Flunk Out.” Kyoko has an adorable dog called Mr. Soichiro who captures the attention of Kentaro, a skateboarding little boy who also lives there. Kentaro’s affection for Kyoko is obvious and encouraged because he is, after all, just a child, and Kyoko is touched by his devotion to her. Yusaku is jealous and decides to shape up in order to turn Kyoko’s head and show her that is a responsible, intelligent man worthy of her attention, but no one takes him seriously, which makes his attempts more difficult. The other neighbors in the house are noisy and nosy and just can’t find enough to do without annoying Yusaku. He finds another contender for Kyoko’s affection in Kyoko’s tennis teacher, who is suave and smart but is terrified of dogs, including Mr. Soichiro. Yusaku tries to find a way to tell Kyoko that he has feelings for her, but the time is never right and something , or someone, always gets in the way. In a chapter appropriately titled “Alcohol Love Call,” he gets drop-dead drunk and stands outside loudly proclaiming his love for her. As if the residents of Maison Ikkoku don’t have enough ammunition against him. . . .
Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
Slimy alien slugs that creep into your ear and take over your brain. Really, the only bad thing about this series is the lack of color. The head-splitting, blood-spurting violence would make such a beautiful brilliant red splash across the pages, but, alas, we are in no such luck. Sixteen-year-old Shinichi is lucky, though, because the parasite that sneaked into his body as he slept is stuck in his hand, which it ate. He doesn’t feel very fortunate, though, because of his encounters with the vicious, formerly human creatures that try to kill him because he isn’t a complete host. Maybe he would be better off as one of them than as a hunted freak. His parasite, Migi, talks to him - it is a quick learner – and asks all sorts of embarrassing questions about how his body works, including his natural responses to attractive girls at his high school, even taking the shape of a huge erect penis to represent that same response, and Shinichi just barely conceals him. The story moves from this sort of hilarity to the disgusting and thrilling murder of random people at the hands of these creatures in the most wicked of ways. One unravels the head of its host as if cut by a potato peeler, creating razor sharp edges that slice out maniacally to brutalize its victim; another splits the host head into octopi-like portions of savagery and uses them to chomp the head from a surprised woman – surprised because she happens to be the host’s wife. The public is frightened at the cult-like nature of the killings that continue, unexplained, while Shinichi shifts between disbelief at his condition and determination to discover a way to resolve the crisis without exposing himself, so to speak. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely for those of us who squeal happily at creative carnage.
Neko Ramen by Sonishi Kenji
There is no carnage in this feline fun fest, except for the results of Taisho’s biting sarcasm. Taisho is an attractive white cat who is rebelling against his supermodel father by running a ramen shop, with really awful food and even worse service. Tanaka, a non-descript salesman and a regular customer, visits the shop o’abuse for unexplained reasons, including, perhaps, a fascination with a talking, ramen-cooking cat. Taisho offers a variety of poorly made noodle soups and somehow makes enough money to indulge in his favorite hobby, online and television shopping. He attempts to branch out and add some variety to his menu, but the cats he employs are not only lazy but also get fur all over the rice balls. His quick temper and self-centeredness betray a kindness displayed when he helps a hurt mother cat brought to his attention by an upset kitten, and his interest in helping Tanaka with his love life –or lack thereof – is sweet, although Tanaka would rather Taisho minded his own business. A famous food critic pays a visit and is delighted by the unique ramen dish offered, praising the cleverness of the cat chef who has, unbeknownst to the critic, laced the noodles with wet cat food. Yes, this is cute and well worthy of a children’s read, but there is enough adult humor to keep us older folks interested, especially if you like cats. Or ramen. Or sarcasm.
