Shojo Beat

Reading Blush-DC for the Plot [NSFW]

April 6, 2018

Reading Blush-DC is like watching a train wreck: you just can’t look away. If you’ve got a hankering for some good ‘ole schadenfreude, then this is the manga for you.
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Exploring Russian History through Harukaze no Snegurochka

April 5, 2018

Harukaze no Snegurochka is a single-volume manga that highlights the tempestuous atmosphere of the 1930s Soviet Union. It follows the story of a young woman named Belka and her servant, Shchenok, as they evade the OGPU, the Soviet secret police.
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My Manga Wishlist: Kyou no Kira-kun

April 4, 2018

At face value, Kyou no Kira-kun looks like just another shoujo manga, with staples like the unpopular girl, a charismatic boy, a cute animal sidekick, and endless high school drama. But this manga’s charm lies in how it handles all these cliches.
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What Went Wrong With Usagi Drop?

April 3, 2018

Usagi Drop could have been a fantastic josei manga that dealt with real-world issues in a lighthearted, fun way. But its ending had many readers, myself included, asking some uncomfortable questions and wondering just where things took a controversial turn.
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On Chobits: From Technophobes to Technophiles

April 2, 2018

At first blush, Chobits seems like your run-of-the-mill ecchi manga. But beyond the provocative illustrations and suggestive dialog lies a poignant story that taps into a classic sci-fi conundrum: can man love machine?
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We All Start Somewhere: Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode

April 1, 2018

Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode follows the formulaic pattern of most magical girl narratives: ordinary schoolgirl gains extraordinary powers, fights a slew of bad guys, and falls in love.
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One-Shot Spotlight: Hatsukoi Rhapsody

February 14, 2018

Hatsukoi Rhapsody by Aoyama Haruno follows Abe, a charming high school girl who can’t seem to forget her first love, Fujiwara.
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