NasuWorks

Gekkou/Moonlight (Over the lights ~ Under the moon)

Publisher: Hana to Yume

Dates: 1993-1996

Volumes: 5 (all out of print)

Volume 1: ISBN 4-592-12182-1

Volume 2: ISBN 4-592-12183-X

Volume 3: ISBN 4-592-12184-8

Volume 4: ISBN 4-592-12185-6

Volume 5: ISBN 4-592-12186

Imo-girl says: 4 stars

Takano Fujimi is a normal high school girl living in Tokyo. One night a
strange boy drops a mysterious pendant and Fujimi picks it up. The boy
has an uncanny resemblance to the lead singer of a new band called "Over
the Lights." Thinking the pendant is some sort of special invitation for her,
Fujimi goes to the Over the Lights debut concert. Imagine her surprise
when the band members use the concert-goers' energy to summon a dragon
and disappear into another dimension! As they disappear, the lead singer,
Kaito, sees Fujimi. He recognizes her necklace as his Maakaa (basically a
playing card-sized magical dog tag that gives the owner the power to fly
and cast energy beams). Needless to say, Kaito wants it back!

Unfortunately for Fujimi, Kaito isn't the only one who wants her necklace.
She's attacked by little monsters, but Kaito shows up in time to save her. It
turns out that Kaito and his friends aren't musicians after all, but Knights
from the Yuusu Dome who are slumming it on our world while they try to
find their Queen, who has gone AWOL on Earth. As the search goes on,
Fujimi and Kaito get to know each other. When the Queen is found and
Kaito realizes he has to return to his own world, he gives Fujimi his
Maakaa and promises to return to her.

Once back in the Yuusu Dome, things take a turn for the worse for the
Knights. Kaito is court-martialed for giving away his Maakaa. The
Queen, on whom the stability of the Yuusu Dome rests, dies. Saba,
another of the knights, is abducted by an evil magician from the Deisu
Dome, who proclaims himself the new ruler. A temporary rift opens
between the Yuusu Dome and Earth. Kaito and the now traitorous Saba go
through to recover Kaito's Maakaa. In the resulting running (flying!) fight
Fujimi gets transported to the Yuusu Dome. (Escaflowne-style, by being
sucked up into the sky -- but she takes a spiral staircase with her!) Can
Kaito, Fujimi and the rest of the knights find the true successor to the
Queen and restore order to her world?

The storyline will be familiar to fans of Fushigi Yuugi, El Hazard,
Escaflowne and so on. Compared to Greenwood, Gekkou is more serious
in tone. Certain people wind up *seriously* injured, and there isn't as
much playful humor. The plot is fairly complex, with lots of divided
loyalties to spice things up. The artwork is about on par with Greenwood,
and is actually more consistent. The best part of the series, though, is
definitely the characters. The relationship between Fujimi and Kaito is
sweet -- there's not much of the typical "bicker with the one you love" stuff
going on. They seem to really like and respect each other, which is
refreshing. (The scene where he asks her to marry him if it turns out she
can't go back to her own world is really touching.) Highly recommended.

Iruushon Fuudomasutaa/Illusion Foodmaster

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1997

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-592-12756-0 (out of print)

Imo-girl says: 3 stars

(I haven't done much more than glance at this manga, so this may not be the
most complete and accurate description -- gomen.) Three silly stories
centered around a young witch whose abilities appear to be limited to food.
A fantasy farce along the lines of Slayers. The artwork is a step below that
of Greenwood, but who cares? Live, angry dragons are summoned out of
giant magical sandwiches, sloshed gnomes spike the punch with special
mushrooms, and knights fight bandits with swords made of breadsticks.
This volume also contains two other stories by Nasu-sensei: "Sekai ga
Owaru Made wa" (Until the World Ends), a sci-fi farce in which a young
boy finds out he's actually an alien princess who was fostered on Earth, and
"Fumareta Tenshi no You ni" (Like a Fallen Angel), a bittersweet story in
which a girl coping with the recent death of her father is comforted by the
ghost of her middle-school classmate.

Tenshi to Diayamondo/Angels and Diamonds

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1993

Volumes: 3 tankoubon (out of print), 1 bunkoban (Don't know ISBN yet.)

Tankoubon volume 1: ISBN 4-592-12271-2

Tankoubon volume 2: ISBN 4-592-12272-0

Tankoubon volume 3: ISBN 4-592-12273-9

Imo-girl says: 5 stars!

I've written a page on this already, but I want to plug it some more. ^_^
Angels is the story of a small co-ed high school's baseball team. Oosawa
Kai's dream is to go to the National High School Baseball Championships
(which, in Japan, is a very big event similar to our World Series). To
further his goal, Kai and his twin sister, Nanami, recruit an unlikely group
of players and a much put-upon coach (who also happens to be their
cousin). Humorous, moving and extremely cute. The art is as good as, if
not *better* than (O.O!) that of Greenwood. Buy it!

Addendum: The last chapter of Angels is added to the end of Sore Kara
Doshitano? Koneko-chan.

Furawaa = Desutoroiyaa/Flower Destroyer

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1987

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-592-11847-2 (out of print)

Imo-girl says: 2 stars

(Again, I haven't read this in any depth, so there may be some errors.)

High school girl Takanishi Chie receives some mysterious flowers from a
sranger. The flowers give Chie the power of telekinesis. Recruited by
Future Man from the Time Patrol, she protects the citizens of Tokyo from
other telekinetic girls, giant Pterodactyls and. . . vampires? I'm not sure if
this title is serious or silly. Probably both. The artwork is somewhat
dated (similar to KOR and Maison Ikkoku) with big hair for all, but it's
not too distracting. Future Man is kinda cute in his black leather uniform
and fingerless gloves. Attached is a one-shot manga by Nasu-sensei,
called "Yuki Onna" (Snow Woman). Sonose-kun is a college student who
is haunted by memories of a beautiful and lonely snow spirit he was
rescued by as a child. Will he keep his promise to her now that he's
grown up? Of the two manga, I preferred Yuki Onna. It was more serious
with a sort of sad, yet ominous, tone that I liked. Though it has its points, I
wouldn't recommend buying this title unless you own everything else Nasu
Yukie has written and just *have to* have a complete set.

Youma Shuurai! Fukushuuki/Weird Attack! Revenge Demon[?]

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1990

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-592-12517-7 (out of print)

Imo-girl says: 3 stars

Six of Nasu-sensei's early manga. The title manga is the best. At the behest
of an evil dragon king, an ancient girl-demon rises from the lake she's been
inhabiting to take revenge on a Japanese family. She gets taken home by the
oldest son of the family and decides he's not so bad after all. Very cute and
funny. The main characters resemble Noriko, Yoshiki, and Fujikake. The
scene where the demon girl is raiding the family heirlooms to find the
magic item she's been sent to destroy is hilarious. Written in 1989.

Other titles in this volume:

"Koucha no Kishi" (Tea Knight) A high school girl's crush only has eyes
for the beautiful new teacher.

"U.F. Chansu" (U. F. Chance) A high school girl named Tomomi dreams the
boy she likes is an extraterrestrial being. Will she be able to tell him how
she feels before he disappears forever? Written in 1985. Verrry 80's.

"Himitsu Da Yo" (It's a Secret!) Set a few years before U.F. Chansu,
Tomomi finds out her childhood friend's family is from outer space. (At
one point they go see a horror movie called "Bacillus Natto-C type" where
people's faces melt off, just like natto!) Also written in 1985, but less 80's.

"BOY no Teema" (Boy's Theme) Tomomi's friends, Tetsu (the alien) and
Hiura-kun are on opposite baseball teams. Hiura makes an amazing catch.

"Fuyu no Hitomi" (Winter Eyes) An underclassman accidentally sees Tetsu
levitate some books and tells Hiura-kun. Written in 1986.

Tokyo Kaidan new/New Tokyo Ghost Story

Published in: Dear + (Dia Purasu Komikkusu/Shinshokan)

Year: 2000

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-403-66025-8

Imo-girl says: 2 stars

Doushima-kun's company is going to demolish an abandoned building
which is rumored to be haunted. While scouting the site, Doushima runs
into a 15-year-old boy who claims to live in the building. The boy's name
is Sorahiko, and he lives with his friends Nagako (a long-necked ghost
woman), Sakuzou (a tall, long haired male ghost who has the ability to
produce an *enormous* fetus-like monster from his stomach), Mokichi (a
cat with a human face) and "Oyaji" (who looks like a small tornado).
Sorahiko is injured when the building is demolished, and Doushima takes
him in to teach him how to be a "human being." (After having been raised
by monsters, Sorahiko is a bit of a wild child.) In episode 2, Doushima
and Sorahiko move into a new house. Why is Sorahiko acting so
strangely, and can Doushima ever convince him to sleep in his own bed?!
In episode 3, a young male demon falls for Doushima, as Doushima
reminds him of his lost love. Sorahiko and the demon's oni-boyfriend are
*not* pleased. In episode 4, a man claiming to be Sorahiko's father tries
to get custody of the boy. Will Doushima give Sorahiko up, or will he
realize his true feelings for the boy?

Tokyo Kaidan new is Nasu-sensei's first (openly) shounen-ai title. It is
not explicit, however. (There are two kisses and some mild innuendo that
Sorahiko has to be older before anything else can happen.) Sorahiko does
have a tendency to jump around in his pajamas and demand to sleep with
Doushima, but this is entirely innocent. Really.

I found that I had a hard time paying attention to this manga. The art is
simpler than that of Nasu-sensei's other titles, with plain grey or blank
backgrounds much of the time. The character designs are. . . rounder than
in her previous manga, with larger chins and noses. For whatever reason,
this manga didn't have the same playful warmth and exuberance as her
other titles, although it did have its moments.

Sore Kara Doshitano? Koneko-chan

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1994

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-592-12273-9 (out of print)

Imo-girl says: 4 stars based just on the Tenshi to Daiyamondo part

Sanae, Ryou and Reiko are students at a design school. During art class,
Sanae falls for the handsome nude model, Kudou-san. Shortly thereafter,
he moves into the apartment next door. Why is he always coming and
going at weird times and in different clothes every day? Will Sanae ever
experience love? Will Ryou survive going to the hospital? Who's the
pervert who gropes Sanae on the train?

Attached to Sore Kara Doshitano? Koneko-chan is the last installment of
Tenshi to Daiyamondo. The Misono High School baseball team is the
subject of a documentary as the baseball season comes too an end. Will
Kai's dream of going to the Championships become a reality?

I haven't read these manga in any depth, but they look promising. Tenshi
to Daiyamondo is wrapped up pretty quickly with an unexpected twist.
As in life, not everything is resolved neatly, but it comes to a satisfying
conclusion. Koneko-chan looks to be entertaining. Girl-pals Sanae, Ryou
and Reiko may not be Mitsuru, Shinobu and Hasukawa, but they're still
fun to watch, and Kudou-san is nice to look at. ^_^;

DAAKU EIJI/ Dark Age

Published in: Hana to Yume

Year: 1993

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-592-12614-9 (out of print)

Imo-girl says: I haven't really looked at it yet

An updated continuation of Nasu Yukie's previous manga, Flower
Destroyer. Telekinetic girl Takanishi Chie and Future Man are back.
Chie must save her classmate, Torii-san, from being encased in stone. We
also learn who Future Man really is. Attached is a short one-shot manga
called Bikei Irimasen Ka? which appears to be about a girl and her
clueless biseinen android, Sayoko 7. As I wasn't crazy about Flower
Destroyer I haven't paid much attention to this manga. The art style is
much easier to look at than the original, though.

Akatsuki ni Naku, Kaze ni Naku KORAARU

Chorale in the Moaning Wind at Dawn

Published in: Dear + (Dia Purasu Komikkusu/Shinshokan)

Year: 2001

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-403-66038-X

Imo-girl says: 2 stars

Nasu-sensei crosses over into YAOI for the first time in this volume. It's
all tastefully done and there isn't much of it, but I've realized that seeing
fingers disappearing into fuzzy glowing lights just isn't my thing. o_O;;

No cones of light this time, though. The first manga in this volume is called
"Mafuu no SHIIKURETTO" (Midwinter Secret). Grumpy manly man
Ahane-san becomes the personal bodyguard of a playful young foreign
prince, with predictable results. In the title manga, gay vampires duke it out
with their ex-lovers in America's Old West. It's nearly as weird as it
sounds. Not much humor in this volume that I could tell. This manga
seemed to push most of my aversion buttons: rape as a character-building
device, for example. I'm also not a big fan of vampires *or* westerns, so
take my rating with a grain of salt. The art was serviceable. Hmm. Dear
Plus Comics advertises itself as "sensational boys' love manga," so we
may be seeing more stories like this from N-sensei in the future.

Yoake Mae, Boku-ra wa. . ./Before Dawn We. . .

Published in: Dear + (Dia Purasu Komikkusu/Shinshokan)

Year: 2002

Volumes: 1

ISBN 4-403-66058-4

Imo-girl says: 3 stars for the title manga and 4 stars for Labyrinth

Nasu-sensei returns to the familiar themes of high school, brother
complexes and awkward adolescent love in this manga, with good results.
15-year-old Sekiguchi Takumi sees his beloved older brother, Katsumi,
being hugged by a strange man and suspects Katsumi may be gay. Takumi
confides in his best friend, Kensaku, but Kensaku is also acting strangely.
Takumi realizes he may not know his brother and his best friend as well as
he thought. . . Attached is a short one-shot manga called "Sayonara
RABIRINSU" (Farewell Labyrinth), in which a young mystery writer has
an unexpected houseguest: a childhood friend he hasn't seen in eight years.
This volume felt a little bit like a reunion after the previous two manga.
The art looked more familiar, the trademark humor and sensitivity were
present and the slight melancholy tone was very welcome. This title is
shounen-ai. There's some kissing and rolling around with clothes on, all of
which is pretty sweet. I could have done with fewer tears, but, hey, what's
shounen-ai without angst?