Review by I-hsiu Lin

Next stop is Minami-Kitazawa Station…please step away from the closing doors.

Fall has come to Minami-Kitazawa and Asahi Saruta has been there for some time working as a station staff along with his incredibly good looking senpais, dealing with crazy events that are all part of the schedule in that particular station (and some events that are not part of the schedule but are still crazy.) Their policy is ‘Service with a Smile’…and everything that it entails. But Asahi pops the question that might as well have echoed through everyone’s mind: “When did Minakita become the ‘Legendary Station Where Good-Looking Guys are Chose to work’…?

Actually, my question is…who are the guys on the cover?

Time for a flashback or two….

Volume 3 of Train Train reveals the back story of how the Minakita station changed from an ordinary train station to one with cute staff catering to hordes of fangirls. But as a back story, it doesn’t just reveal the legend, it also reveals more of the personalities of certain characters. As to the identity of those on the cover…it doesn’t take long to find out within a few pages of the story. (Or you can read the Japanese kanji on their nametags.) As fans and followers of this series, we have come to expect the out-of-the-norm antics that occur, but Eiki Eiki-sensei continues to surprise with plot devices that seem out of the blue. (But according to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ omake panels, they’re not so abnormal after all. I won’t mention what it is exactly since it will spoil such an entertaining storyline. We’ll just file it under things that happen ‘Only in Japan’. XD)

In the previous volume, we went into the back story of Hikari and Kaiji. Some of the flashbacks in this current volume reveals the relationship between Hokuto and Tsubasa. (Boys love fans relax, I’m not referring to that kind of relationship…but it’s not hard to imagine.) Tsubasa is usually very nonchalant about things around him and he really doesn’t take as much of an active role as the others. But circumstances have changed and he is taking center stage in the story. After being offered a movie role, his agent advises Tsubasa to devote his time fully to his acting career…which means leaving his job at Minakita. With that to consider and a the station event of ‘Station Master for a day’, we are thrown into a whirlwind of events that really wouldn’t make much sense…. But through it all, we learn more about the thoughts of the person hidden behind those clouded frames.

I mentioned about the season being Fall in the story…but Spring may have finally come for Asahi as his heart skips a beat over…a girl! She was caught in his eyes and memory for only a few moments, but he felt something there. A spark of love? As the old adage goes, the course of love never did run smooth, but our main character rises to the occasion…if only for only those few chapters.

Eiki Eiki pulls together another hilarious manga. It would be difficult indeed to NOT be able to make a story this entertaining with characters as diverse and unique as the Train Train cast. But it takes almost a type of artistry to place them in situations that almost seem real (and some cases are real…only in Japan XD) and with that believably to hook readers and have them accept this as a plausible story. Perhaps I speak too much as a fan, but apart from that, it is truly an entertaining read and even casual readers won’t get bored with something like this.

As it is repeatedly said, Train Train is not a BL manga though we have enough scenes in the story to keep fans of BL happy for the time being. (What doesn’t appear on the page can always appear in our imaginations. ^-^) Eiki Eiki-sensei understands that well enough being a BL mangaka…and being surrounded by her assistants who each have a pairing that they love. *points at omake* The omake also includes a behind-the-scenes look at the drama cd recording. (It occurred the same time as the Princess Princess drama cd recording, so Tsuda Mikiyo-sensei has the same omake in Princess Princess vol. 4.)

The story of Train Train is not over, although it seems that the hiatus will continue on for some time before Eiki Eiki-sensei decides to finish this story. Volume 3 came out in 2005…and being that it is already 2010 with no news of new chapters, we have quite a bit of wait. However, it shouldn’t deter anyone from picking up this series. As part of the slice-of-life genre, the episodic nature of the stories can be standalone chapters. With this volume, we conclude all the background stories of various characters. Now, we just have to wait and see if Asahi can overcome his obstacles and strive to be a train operator. Or submit to being a pet and fawned on by his senpais (with continued sexual harassment by Hokuto.)

We’re rooting for you, Asahi-kun! ^.^

Review by Kris

There is a somewhat strange tradition at the all-boys Fujimori Academy. Instead of having a more traditional style of mascot (you know something along the lines of Jaguars, Cougars, Spartans, Bees, etc.) they have the Princesses. A few of the prettiest boys are chosen to dress in drag and cheer on the various clubs on campus. Mikiyo Tsuda introduced us to the Princesses in her series Princess Princess and continues the concept in Princess Princess Plus.

Kiriya Matsuoka and Tomoe Izumi have been chosen to be this year’s Princesses. Both decide to take on the job but for various reasons. Being a Princess has a few perks but is also very hard work and the two new princesses will have to go through a crash course to learn the ins and outs of the job. And their new drill sergeants are none other than last year’s princesses Tohru Kouno, Yuujirou Shihoudani, and Mikoto Yutaka. Becoming a princess is hard work but Matsuoka and Izumi take it all in stride and work very hard together. But things change very quickly when Izumi invites himself over to Matsuoka’s house. Matsuoka and his siblings lost their parents when they were young and they live in a small apartment. Izumi on the other hand was born into a very rich family and wants for nothing, except a true friend. Izumi assumes that because he and Matsuoka are now princesses together the two should become close friends. But when Izumi tries to get to know Matsuoka better, his plan backfires and soon Matsuoka comes to despise Izumi. Things get so bad that even the previous princesses notice that something is wrong. Will Izumi and Matsuoka be able to set aside their differences and become friends, or will pride continue to get in the way?

Princess Princess Plus is one of the first books released by Digital Manga Publishing’s Doki Doki line. Doki Doki is a partnership with the Japanese publisher Shinshokan (in Japan Shinshokan publishes the manga magazines of Wings, a shojo mag, and Dear +, a boys love magazine). This line seems to focus on shojo and boys love titles aimed mainly at a young adult level (Juné and 801 Media titles are geared toward adult readers). For their first book Princess Princess Plus isn’t too bad of a choice.

Mikiyo Tsuda has created an entire universe that these characters inhabit. There are a couple of spin-offs that feature the Princess Princess characters (The Day of Revolution, Family Complex, and of course Princess Princess). The original Princess Princess series was published by DMP and contains five books (if you are interested in reading Ginger Mayerson’s review of this title click here). In the original series the story focuses mainly on the job of being a princess and stars Kouno, Shihoudani, and Yutaka. In Princess Princess Plus the princess responsibilities take a back seat to the personal story between Izumi and Matsuoka. Matsuoka has a huge complex because he lost his parents when he was young and his older brother works as a host to make ends meet. Izumi, on the other hand, is the only child born into a very wealthy family. Because of this wealth he is generally taken advantage of by his friends but he yearns to find a friend who will see him for him and not for the money his parents have. The point of this story is to watch the friendship between Matsuoka and Izumi blossom.

With this being one of Doki Doki’s first titles I was looking forward to how they were going to look production-wise. The books are the same size as 801 Media titles (sister company to Doki Doki) but have about the same quality and price point as a Juné title. Another nice feature is that instead of using a bar on the bottom of the book to brand it they used a nifty scroll pattern with the Doki Doki logo in the corner. One thing I did wonder about was how they were going to handle the under the cover comic. Mikiyo Tsuda is famous for throwing in a gag comic underneath the dust jacket. With this title there is no jacket but luckily it is printed at the end of the book.

Overall I did enjoy this title because the story focused on the interpersonal relationships between the characters whereas the original series seemed to be focused mainly on the princesses’ duties and costumes that they wore. The personal stories seemed to be secondary. It is assumed that you’ve already read the first five volumes of the original series so they figure that you know the basics of the story (like why they have princesses as mascots as opposed to anything else). This can be read as a stand alone title but it does make more sense if you’ve read the first series. It is also a one-shot because Tsuda-sensei mentions in her ending comments that she’s done all she can with it and it has been a very fulfilling project for her. This is one that Tsuda-sensei fans won’t want to miss. I will however make the comment that you may want to avoid this title if you don’t have a thing for cross-dressing in your manga. It can get tiring after a while. While I’m not a rabid Tsuda-sensei fan I found this to be a fun title that is a great distraction from everyday life!

For another point of view be sure to check out I-hsiu Lin’s review.

Review by Linda Yau

Mamiya is a magazine editor who has his first high profile feature on famous teen model Noeru Kisargi. He was quite enthused to get the job, but then he meets the model, and it goes down from there. Mamiya learns that Noeru lives a very irresponsible and tormented life with underage drinking or sleeping with random men. He is in other words a jerk.

Now this self-destructive cycle of Noeru stems from his childhood loss of a friend. Meeting Mamiya reminds him of his childhood friend. There is the establishment of a random relationship from Noeru’s point of view. But a probable significant one from Mamiya, and this assumption is from the reader. Now throw in another childhood friend of Noeru, Chidori and you have a jealous love triangle. The book boils down to the last few pages, and ends in a tormented Romeo and Juliet or Korean drama ending.

Reading this story, I was pretty dismayed at how the book went. Plot-wise everything was so cliché and expected of a bl-manga, that I didn’t feel it went anywhere to offer something new beyond a one horse trick bite. This story most probably would appeal to adolescent readers who would want everything to end in one story, would be tied along by the emo angle, but beyond that I was pretty disappointed by this story. I found Mamiya’s character as weak, and manipulated by Noeru, who has his own torments. Everything in the relationship was quite rushed and assuming of the readers. Their development is quite superficial, and I am afraid that one book won’t cover it. I recall the review I wrote of Brilliant Blue, and of Kris’s Future Lovers where I am agreeing with the review as well. These are examples and contrasts of possibilities of a two book series. Now if Boys Love had a chance, then the one book deal would probably will not be as weak as it is.

On the other hand, if the plot was mush, the art in Boys Love was drawn very well, soft and definitely eye candy, it would send bl-fan’s all a twitter, but I can’t help but bringing up the fact that the plot is pretty weak in aspects of wanting something beyond superficial development. Real life relationships shouldn’t be an aspect of just expectations, and petty development, otherwise it will be just a soap opera drama.

Review by Linda Yau

Brilliant Blue is the love affair between childhood friends, Shouzo and Nanami. There is closure, and a probable sigh of relief from the mangaka for the conclusion. At the end of the manga, it was translated and reproduced as a very small box of thanks. I was actually relieved that the book ended with an epilogue, because that means that the story is over and done with. In the first volume there was promise, as I wrote in my review, but I was disappointed with the second volume, for several reason, and these are possible attractions of the book for a potential reader.

What was I disappointed with? Mainly the pacing of the story was so maddeningly slow. I wasn’t even sure where this story was going to go, because I thought the pace dragged slightly. There was also another aspect of what annoyed me, the dumbness of the uke. Fortunately it makes him lovable in the majority of situation, but other times it can seem annoying.

Now, even if I slammed the book for its pacing, Brilliant Blue does show a realistic aspect of allowing love to be developed. Sure, every relationship whether it is heterosexual or homosexual would have problems, but what makes this realistic is the consistent realization that there is someone you love. In terms of affection, and love.

I also enjoy the pictures at the beginning of each chapter greatly, it would always depicts a cute scene of the couple. Shouzo and Nanami are pretty lovey dovey, but Vol 2 was still an uninspiring read in the physical department. Their relationship is still pretty chaste, lots of kissing and some naked backs scenes, but also what I forgot to mention in my last review, was the rating of this book being suitable for 16+ young adult.

Millennium Prime Minister vol. 1

Review by I-hsiu Lin

This week, it has been announced: Japan has a new prime minister. And so does Eiki Eiki’s latest Doki Doki release, Millennium Prime Minister. Minori Nagashima was your average high school girl, loves playing video games, cutting class and having fun. Getting engaged to the newest prime minister wasn’t in her plans. But Japan’s youngest politician and House Representative, Kanata Okazaki is determined and will definitely get his way! She can’t escape…Minori’s future, heart (and hair) are now in his capable hands.

The setup of the plot sounds kind of clichéd in the youngest prime minister, Kanata falling in love with the average school girl, Minori after losing to her in a video game. However, in true Eiki Eiki-fashion, many surprises await Minori and us as readers. I initially described Minori as ‘average’ (as do the story in her introduction,) but her personality is quite varied. She is tomboyish in her actions, though she does display some girly traits as well. She definitely does not fall for Kanata which makes the story even more interesting. Kanata himself is confident (as any politician should be) and can be overbearing at times. But he does have a sense of integrity, charm…and most likely a hair fetish. There is an array of characters surrounding Minori including Matsumoto, a political reporter and Ryoichi Makita of the Special Police (who is supposed to protect the prime minister.) And there is the enigmatic Sai who is the senior aide. They all have their strengths in supporting Kanata and definitely make their impression on Minori’s new life.

And Minori has lot to face especially since her becoming engaged with the prime minister forces her to move out of her house and moving in with Kanata. Her issues may not be sexual ones (as I did mention that he has integrity) but dealing with Kanata’s constant advances and seemingly random practical jokes, things are definitely not easy. Not to mention she still goes to school everyday!

Eiki Eiki creates what could possibly be another story in the world of Dear Myself…since she hinted at it in the author’s notes. However, this is definitely not a boys love story…not exactly anyway. Saying much more in that respect will spoil any surprises the story holds. *grins* But there is more to it than it being classified as a shoujo/girls manga than a BL one. Eiki Eiki always writes about relationships and bonds between people and Millennium Prime Minister is no different. The humor (and there is alot of it) comes from Minori acknowledging that she has a new life and mainly because of Kanata. (It’s all his fault!) Since it’s supposed to be a political manga, future volumes promise to be politics-heavy. Volume one just establishes the foundation of the story: Minori meeting everyone and learning more about them.

Something I never acknowledged in my reviews of Eiki Eiki’s work is the presence of parents. Unlike many romance manga, the parents of the main character is actually around. Albeit, their only presence is more of a comedic one in accepting the relationship between the two main characters no matter the situation. In Dear Myself, the parents of Hirofumi supported the fact that their son has a male lover without any objections. The same kind of innocent acceptance is seen in Millennium Prime Minister in Minori’s parents. Obviously, these situations take place in manga and not in reality. However, the fact that Eiki Eiki-sensei includes family members at all shows more of the relationships that she wants to establish. Having the support of family is something that doesn’t always happen in the real world, but lets the main characters know they are not alone in their struggling romance…even if parents are as naive as Minori’s. *laughs*

The comedy in Millennium Prime Minister is not the main focus as it was in her other works like Train Train. As the ending of the first volume shows, there will definitely be more drama in the story. And being a political manga, things may get pretty serious. However, the story promises more humor amidst the upcoming drama and knowing Eiki Eiki’s storytelling skills, it will be pieced together very nicely. The first volume is definitely an interesting start to the story and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Train Train vol. 2

Review by I-hsiu Lin

Pursuing his dream of becoming train operator, Asahi Saruta had joined the staff with four hot ‘guys’ at Minami Kitazawa Station. But things aren’t as simple as taking tickets, making announcements and reciting timetables. The cute but financially broke Asahi has to deal with the bills, his pet prairie dog (who is possibly going through mating season) and sexual harassment attention from his over affectionate senpais.

A life as a station staff at MK definitely isn’t easy at all. Deputy Akita can tell you that! Open volume two and perhaps you’ll discover the answer to the main question…just who is the station master?

Asahi gets into a whole other set of antics in this volume of Train Train which starts with him trying to live without utilities. His senpais at the station try to help…by having him change apartments with the fabulously rich Hokuto Matsumaru. Works in theory but might not work in this world…and especially not with Hokuto. I did mention he was fabulously rich? Sounds like a predictable start, but there is nothing predictable or mundane about what happens next. Asahi crawls out of this mostly unscathed only to deal with meeting the station master for the first time, stamp rallies and more. Of course, his senpais want to help as well. *grins*

While dealing with all of these issues, one wonders when they would actually get to do their work. (Actually, the deputy is wondering the same thing.)

Eiki Eiki pulls together another amazing volume of Train Train filled with comedic action and humorous characters. Actually, two new characters grace the pages with their own splash of personality and add even more color to the already diverse population at the station. (More color meaning more problems for Asahi.) The story doesn’t just surround the work at MK station (which probably makes Akita sad,) but centers around the characters themselves. We learn more about Hokuto’s lifestyle along with Hikari and Kaiji’s ‘relationship’. And being that this is Eiki Eiki-sensei’s work, we have several boy love hints to content with even if this isn’t a BL title. Should I even bother mentioning all the ‘attention’ that Asahi gets from everyone? That remains unchanged and even seems to escalate. He truly is like a little pet that you would want to take home and cuddle. However, I’m sure Hokuto wants to do more then that. *evil grin* It’s alot to put into one volume, but it definitely isn’t boring. Definitely an easy and enjoyable read.

One thing I always enjoy is the amount of personality that Eiki Eiki puts into her stories and artwork. Between the chapters, we find little notes and pictures that she adds about the characters. Also, if you look carefully, you can spot Eiki Eiki-bunny and her best friend, Tsuda Mikiyo-teddy in the chapters as well. Volume two has been one of the most anticipated volumes of Train Train for me since I read Princess Princess. As this manga explained, there was a collaboration between Tsuda and Eiki Eiki creating a crossover extra story with Asahi meeting two of the princesses. This volume finally completes that story. (To get the full of the humor, you probably need to read Princess Princess as well…as Eiki Eiki suggests.) Also, in the extras at the end, we learn a bit more of the creative process behind-the-scenes including Eiki Eiki’s conversation with her younger brother, singer and celebrity, Daigo Stardust. (She really likes to include him in alot of her works.)

As usual, Doki Doki has added the ‘Under-cover Masterpiece Theater’ to the end of the manga which are the short comics that are behind the dustjackets in the original Japanese versions. Those humorous shorts along with clear translations and unobtrusive notes made for a very satisfactory transition into English. Since these titles are the initial ones in DMP’s new style (no dustjackets, smaller sizes,) there is still some getting used to. As a whole though, another brilliant choice of license by Doki Doki and I’m definitely looking forward to volume 3 which should be out soon.

Brilliant Blue: Vol 1

Review by Linda Yau

Shouzo Mita never thought that he would end up running his father’s construction business even though he has the same job at Tokyo, but when his father’s back gave out, he headed back to the suburbs. At a welcoming party he bumps into Nanami, a childhood friend and this is the start of Saemi Yorita’s Brilliant Blue.

Shouzo couldn’t believe that his childhood naive friend chubby appearance actually transforms him into a bishonen character that if he was down in Harujuku or Shinjuku, his looks would be material for the entertainment industry. He did lose weight after his mother died, but apparently that wasn’t the only changes as Shouzo discovers behind the bishonen appearance is Nanami’s married lover Douwaki-san, who Nanami doesn’t like, but is impressionable enough to enter into a relationship with.

Brilliant Blue would actually have a continuation, so I would be interested in reading more of this tentative relationship between Shou-chan and Nanami. In the afterward of the book, Yorita-sensei called Nanami an interesting characters, but was a dumb uke never the less. This is the beginning of a long a meaningful relationship that is chaste enough, so that there would be a stronger relationship in the end. Quite sweet, and innocent really. Even the author couldn’t believe that the passion was so chaste in the end, funny.

Living For Tomorrow

Review by Linda Yau

This is the BL name for the same mangaka as Princes Princess… This is one of her favorite mangaka, so let’s just say that I finally learned of the reason why I-hisu likes this author so much.

While there wasn’t as much sex or yaoi as I am use to. I have to say Living for Tomorrow is a very good read! I definitely laugh my way through the book. There was so much funny parts, and expressions that were characteristically anime/manga, but the pacing was right on.

Tasuku Mizuochi is a high school student who has a secret. He has feelings for his childhood friend Ryouta Oono, but he doesn’t know how to say it, so guess what – he beats the crap out of him every time he feels frustrated. That’s a lot of times to beat up a person, but Ryouta take it as it is.

There are trials for this couple, and with Tasuku’s realization that his late mother may have been an “ageman” who is a person that can bring good fortune to their lovers. Let’s just say people come out of the wood work to try and sleep with him. What would happen to this couple, can they survive the mental anguishes of Tasuku

While the couple has there issues, Tasuku and Ryouta both have a mutual friend name Katsuyama, who they go to for advice. There was this panel where Taishi Zaou actually parodied Doraemon into the story line, and that was just plain funny.

Living For Tomorrow is one of Digital Manga’s Doki Doki Press releases, so with the original cover art in the Japanese release ending up translated as a part of the after comics, then I have no problems with this release at all!

Be sure to check this out, as a bl-fan, you won’t regret it!

Train Train

Review by I-hsiu Lin

A young man’s dream of becoming a train operator…is not as easy as it seems. Especially since he has been assigned to Minami Kitazawa station. With a premise like that, the story doesn’t seem to be very interesting. However, once you step through the doors of the station master’s office, you’re surrounded by four hot guys…along with a mob of fangirls. Dealing with the attention from his weird senpais, mobs of female fans and learning about his job all at once…for one young man with aspiring dreams, it may just be too much for him. But Asahi Saruta will never give up!

Eiki Eiki’s Train Train series is one with many surprises. I love her characters since they always have unique personalities and something distinctive to set them apart. The stories themselves are about the daily issues and details with working at a busy train station. Of course, with a cast as varied as this one, new problems always occur (some caused by the staff themselves) and Asahi is roped into something new. Asahi is kind of klutzy, but cute and resourceful at times. His charm is in his persistence to deal with the antics of his colleagues and his perseverance despite his short comings on the job. (Like getting squashed during rush hour.) To go into the personalities and backgrounds of Asahi and the rest of the staff at the station would be giving away too much. The hilarity comes from finding out about the characters themselves. The chapters are episodic with each one concentrating on something new at the station. Of course, through these issues, the other staff at the station draws closer to Asahi and a stronger bond is formed. What kind of bond exactly is left to our imaginations.

This particular title by Eiki Eiki is not a boys love manga but there is a bisexual character in it. However, that doesn’t mean that Eiki Eiki doesn’t step over the invisible line. In truth, there are many BL hints for those that want to look for it. Indeed, with someone as cute as Asahi, who wouldn’t want to hug him? For those that have no wish to read into this as a BL story can definitely enjoy this book as a simple comedy. It’s a light read with a steady plot and hilarious developments. The artwork is clean and the characters are quite distinguishable.

I’m especially happy that DMP licensed this since in the Princess Princess series by Mikiyo Tsuda, there was a special crossover story between the characters by Mikiyo Tsuda and Eiki Eiki. The two princesses of Princess Princess visit Minami Kitazawa station. The story continues in Train Train which at that time has not been published in English yet.

If you read my Princess Princess review, you’ll recall that I mentioned about DMP’s new covers which are basically the same as their novel covers with no dustjackets. Eiki Eiki is also known for ‘under-the-cover’ omake/extras so they have been reproduced at the end of the manga after the author’s notes. Again, since Eiki Eiki and Mikiyo Tsuda works so closely together, you’ll see references about Princess Princess which was published in Japan at the same time as Train Train.

Definitely looking forward to future volumes of this series!

Princess Princess Plus

Review by I-hsiu Lin

The Princess System. Guys dressing up as girls to bring up the morale of an all male school. It’s a system unique to this particular school. The three princesses have survived their freshmen year of jumping through various hoops that comes with their jobs and they are ready to step off their thrones. They have worked hard and deserved their peaceful years as normal students. However, they can’t rest yet because coming next is training the new princesses!

As soon as the story begins, we meet Tomoe Izumi and Kiriya Matsuoka who are accepting their new roles as princesses. Tohru, Yuujirou and Mikoto (ex-princesses from Princess Princess vol. 1-5) are training them. But princess training isn’t all they need to survive their year at their new jobs. Tomoe and Kiriya come from different backgrounds and their personalities don’t seem to mesh too well…of course, Kiriya will not accept that! Kiriya hopes to become Tomoe’s friend, but he just ends up rejecting him. Tomoe even quips, “I’ll be a ‘princess’ with you…but I won’t become your friend! Just a bit more then patience is needed to create friendships.

Tsuda Mikiyo writes a flawless sequel to her hilarious Princess Princess manga. The new main characters are interesting and individualistic. To characterize them simply, Tomoe and Kiriya are opposites in terms of social standing and personalities. However, Tomoe has reasons he is the way he is. Kiriya takes the initiative to reach out to him and is met with a brick wall. However, his persistence is admirable the friendship that is created even more special. In truth, even though this is about the introducing and training of the new princesses, Princess Princess Plus and the previous stories are also about relationships.

As a long time fan of this series, it is enjoyable to see the return of the main cast. I especially love Akira and his role as student council president…something he was clearly made for. Of course, I also love his interactions with vice president Mikata. Since their student council elections basically closed the previous series, there wasn’t that much room to go into their future interactions, so I enjoyed reading about the little things that occur between them here. Of course, as Tsuda mentions in her previous manga, since this is a ‘Tsuda Mikiyo’ series, there isn’t any boys love or yaoi in the story. But you can always find a few hints. *laughs* The continued teasing of Mikoto by Tohru and Yuujirou is also a hilarious read, especially with their unique comments during the princess trainings.

Tsuda has a distinctive drawing style that is similar to Eiki Eiki. (In truth, they work on many works together and are simply inseparable even in their individual series. Be prepared to see Eiki Eiki’s ‘appearance’ in the author’s comments.) The characters are clean, beautiful with a boyish charm. (For those that read the previous series, you’ll note that Yuujirou is sporting a short slightly shorter hair style. Only slightly since as the characters note, he is obsessed with his hair.) Concerning the story, it’s a refreshing read since the Princess Princess universe is a unique one even with much of the story taking place in school. The characters are satirical, funny and as mentioned before, the theme of relationships and how people interact has a major presence in the story. For those that have not been following the story, this book will still be enjoyable even without knowing everything in the previous volumes since the focus is on new characters. However, you might miss the humor in some of the convos between pre-established characters…like the ‘sexual harassment’ quip made by Tohru towards Mitaka.

Besides the extensive, behind-the-scenes, author’s comments/mini-comics at the end of the volume, there are ‘under-the-cover’ omake/extras that were found under the dustjackets in the Japanese versions. In previous Princess Princess series (under the June label,) there were dustjackets with these little surprises underneath. Under the Doki Doki label (and all manga currently under DMP,) there are no dustjackets. However, the omake can still be found after the author’s commentary. I was saddened by the new printing with no dustjackets since I felt they were DMP’s unique selling point in their books. The books are currently smaller and the covers are made of the same material as their novels: which is of harder and glossy paper. Although I’m disappointed at the change, I’m still very impressed with the translation, quality and am happy that they are able to reproduce the ‘under-the-cover’ extras in the manga themselves. (I just wish they kept Princess Princess Plus the same as the previous releases since they belonged together as a set…but I digress.) Those extras are found in practically all of Tsuda’s books and it’s something I look forward to. Under the cover is an alternate universe story, ‘Prince Prince’ with the main characters as girls in an all girls school needing to dress up as princes….

This is a light read and for certain, those following the Princess Princess series will want to pick this up. This story and art is in true Tsuda-style so for those that want a little intro to what exactly is her style can read this single volume to find out. If you wish to venture more into that world, you can read her other series with recurring characters in that universe in The Day of Revolution, Family Complex and of course, Princess Princess.