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
11 Comments
November 12, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I read Reader’s Digest back to front.
I’m reading an X title right now, Xibalba Murders. We really leave these tough letters to the end of the year. I don’t think I’ll do A-Z next year. Still struggling for a U author. And D title was amazingly difficult to find, at least one I wanted to read.
November 12, 2008 at 6:27 pm
*laughs* I read some magazines that way too sometimes. I wonder why that is…
Petropolis by Anya Ulinich is supposed to be really good. Don’t know if you would have that at the library or not, but I’ve read the first little bit of it and enjoyed it.
I think I and N authors are difficult as well.
November 12, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Having born at the other part of the world, I read mangas since I was small. The title that’s IN recently is “Death Note”. Highly recommended!
November 12, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Thanks for the rec!
November 14, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I read three manga books this summer, and I must say it took me a bit more effort than it seemed to take you. I could go from left to right, it was the up and down in the “comic strips” that got to me. Still, it’s very fun, and it even made me feel a teensy, weensy Japanese. I understand it’s such a craze there to read manga books (and play Pachinko)!
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