The Manga Critic’s Year in Review: 2023
At the beginning of 2023, I vowed to post one review or essay per month, a goal I met for the first half of the…
Innocent, Vol. 1
Innocent is hard to pin down. On the one hand, it’s a meticulously researched period drama starring real-life figures such as Charles-Henri Sanson, Casanova, Robert-François…
From the Vault: Mitsukazu Mihara’s The Embalmer
This month, I’m reaching into the PopCultureShock vault for a review of Mitsukazu Mihara’s The Embalmer, one of those offbeat titles that Tokyopop published back…
My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files, Vol. 1
Have you seen The Law According to Lidia Poët? It’s a period drama that’s loosely inspired by the career of Italy’s first woman lawyer. Though…
YashaHime: Princess Half-Demon, Vols. 1-2
YashaHime: Princess Half-Demon epitomizes what I dislike most about IP-driven entertainment. It’s a manga adaptation of an anime sequel to a popular series, made with…