Masterpiece
*****
Excellent
**** 1/2
Very good
****
Good
**** 1/2
Just okay
***
Not for me
**
Definitely not for me
*

X-Kai- Vol. 2 by Asami Tohjoh

X-Kai- Vol. 2 by Asami Tohjoh is only the second manga I’ve read. The first was X-Kai- Vol. 1 last year, which I primarily read because it was an ‘X’ title, and because I wanted to expand my horizons by reading manga.  I liked the first volume quite a bit better.  This second volume does finish up Kaito’s story which is nice, but it also has some darker themes going on as well.

Kaito is an assassin who works in a flower shop by day and also takes care of a boy named Renge.  He doesn’t like his occupation but does it to help pay for his brother’s hospital care.  His brother is a severe burn victim.  There are four ’secrets’ in this volume, and the book includes both Renge and Kaito’s brother in the story.  As I said, interesting to read — but dark.

2000, English translation 2006; 200 pp.

2.5/5

X-Kai- Vol. 1 by Asami Tohjoh

I do confess that the only reason I read this was because it was an ‘X’ title that I needed for the A-Z Challenge. It was also my first manga, AND since it was originally in Japanese, I also counted it for the Japanese Literature Challenge. Reading a manga is interesting because you read the book from back to front and right to left. It wasn’t really that difficult to do, and I enjoyed reading this book just for the experience.

This book features Kaito, a skilled assassin who trained at a very young age.  His day job is at a flower shop, and a mysterious woman comes there to give him his assignments.  He then uses lilies as a guise to kill his victims.  Kaito does have a heart, though, and even takes in a homeless boy.  He also cares for his brother who is in a coma.

There are three mini-stories in this book, and some of the drawings are fairly graphic in nature so I would recommend this for adults only.  Kaito is drawn in such a way that at first I didn’t know if he was male or female.  However, he uses that as a disguise sometimes to lure his victims.

I would read the second volume, if only to fill the need for another ‘X’ title.  Mangas are a new and very different genre for me.  If you like manga and know of a series I might like, please let me know.

2006 for the English translation, 200 pp.
Rating: 3.5/5

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