[Manga][KC Dessert] House of the Sun by Taamo - Shoujo I’m following this not very typical shoujo manga. It is a little more complicated than high school romance stories and the characters have depth. The story’s protagonist is a girl named mao who has a troubled family life. her mother left when she was young and then her dad remarried later. Regardless of what has happened she has no place in her own home. She is taken in by a neighbor Hiiro whose family has broken apart since their parents died.  unlike most shoujo plots, mao has many conflicts besides romance to consider: the relationship with her estranged father, her future living conditions, Hiiro’s family circumstances, her school social life and her novel series. Hiro’s character is also just as developed as mao. You can see how his parent’s death has affected him and the relationship of his siblings. It is rare to find manga these days that can illustrate a character’s values well, and why & how it dictates choices and worries that came up. the story has sweet and sour moments but is not over the top. Different conflicts pop up in each chapter really shows the depth of the characters. Right from the start, I knew that this would be one of my favourites.
[Web comic][Naver] The devil King is bored by Kim Sang min - comedy This series is full of laghs and parodies RPGs and korean memes. The story revolves around the devil king and what he does for fun. each chapter is episodic and entertaining!! Did I mention he looks nice? don’t worry, there is also fanservice for guys too.
[Web comic][Naver] Welcome to Room 305 by Wanan - Slice of life, drama, comedy This Korean Web comic is an interesting story about a homophobic college student who ends up living in an apartment with a roommate who is gay. There are many sensitive topics that are discussed about homophobia, and relationship issues of  homosexuals. I found it interesting that in this series it shows that there are still many misconceptions, prejudice and fear about homosexuality today. As the story develops, the main character struggles to live with this situation and he tries to understand his roommate despite his homophobia. His relationship with his roommate does grow one step at a time with one obstacle after another. This development is very realistic and natural which I liked.
[Manga][hakusensha] 14 Sai no Koi by Mizutani Fuka - josei This is a new series that I’m picking up. It definitely has a josei feel to it even though the story is set in high school. The story is not dramatic and does not have an unbelievable/outrageous love story but it highlights a relationship issue for each chapter and is resolved with the characters reaching out to understand each other. A girl and a boy who are friends put on an act at school to seem mature for their age even though they are not. They do not talk to each other in class but outside of class they act their age with each other in private. The little moments in their relationship juxtaposed to their act is the focus of the story. I find each chapter is very relaxing to read and the little moments of interests make me think of the little moments in my life as well.
[Manga][Kodansha] Tonari no Kaibutsu by Robico - Shoujo I have been currently following this series and I really like how it was written. There is good character development, and complicated feelings/moods come across very well. The story is about a girl named Mizutani Shizuku who’s number one priority in life is studying and getting good grades. She ends up having to look after a student that is skipping school named Yoshida Haru. Haru is a misunderstood guy who at first glance seems menacing (not always apparent) and was rumoured to be very violent. These two eventually become friends and the series develops their relationship and the relations with other students. I thought this series is very character driven and there is a lot of character development for most of the characters. unlike other shoujo there aren’t many stereotypical plot elements or other cliche elements. Shizuku for example has an obsession for studying and getting good grades. When you read, you get a good understanding of what it means to her, why she is who she is and how she prioritizes decisions. The story develops how her values change after meeting Haru (it’s an amazing process). These changes in turn affects how other characters view her (ex. haru feeling insecure watching Shizuku change thinking he will be left behind).  Haru is still a mysterious character (that’s because he is not the main character) but you learn a lot by his interactions with shizuku and other characters. In the beginning he is a simplistic type of character (bad boy with the heart of gold) but he develops into a more complex character because his values are at odds with shizuku sometimes. Moods and complicated feelings are conveyed really well when shizuku and haru’s values clash and their relationship hits a wall. Sometimes this manifests in an argument or action but also in a more subtle way in mood (depression/frustration/sadness). The author does this through monologue, flashbacks and conversations with other characters. I felt I could relate well to what the characters were going through because the development of the characters were done so well. I would recommend giving this series a read!

[Manga] Katekyo Hitman Reborn ch355 - Amano Akira (Shounen)

I thought when Byakuran was defeated, he disappeared across all dimensions… yet here he is?
[Manga] Katekyo Hitman Reborn ch352 - Amano Akira (Shounen) Such an important discussion but where’s Luce, the 7th female arcobaleno?
[Novel] Seirei no Moribito series - Nahoko Uehashi (Martial arts, Fantasy, slice of Life) I’ve watched this series twice and now found that I can get a copy of the first two books in english. This is so awesome!!! It is a part of a 11 book series so I wonder if all will be translated into english. I will finally know what comes after the series!
[Novel] Howl’s Moving Castle Trilogy - Dianna Wynne Jones (Fantasy, Adventure) I recently finished watching Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle and I found that it was actually based on a book! That explained a lot of the movie. Right now, I’m thinking of buying the paperback trilogy: Howl’s moving Castle, House of Many Ways, and Castle in the Air I can’t wait to get reaquainted with the characters again!!
[Novel] 12 Kingdom Series - Fuyumi Ono- (Fantasy) I was a fan of the anime series and have up to volume 3 of the novel. Now that the publisher Tokyopop closed down, the license is handed back to Kodansha. Kodansha USA has been established yet no news about this series. This novel series has now become really rare and the 4th book is only available in hardcover. If Kodansha ever republishes this series, I also hope they release the paperback of volume 4 at least and keep a consistent cover art.