Yuki Kaori - The Cain Saga, vol. 03 (Eng. trans.)

Oh Yuki Kaori, I love you SO MUCH! And I get not just one, but two doses today!

I have to say, I found the editor's note in the beginning to be a wee bit on crack. Despite being subtitled "Kafka," this volume doesn't feel Kafkaesque in the least. In fact, the overblown gothicness of it feels almost like the anti-Kafka. Yuki's protagonists aren't alienated like K; oh no. They're really something else entirely. What else, I can't quite pinpoint, but I'm sure there's a heavy sprinkling of bat wings, blood and black capes swirling in the London fog in the mix.

Because it is absolutely useless for me to sum up the plots of these, largely because I am immediately incapacitated by laughter, I'll give you my favorite line.

The volume opens with the classic: "At last we will have the calamity child! The embryo of the cursed bloodline rises to the heavens dripping blood and flapping its black wings."

I was bad and broke my vow to never read these in public, and I nearly died inhaling my sandwich. This alone was totally worth pestering a Borders employee to scan all the shelves for me and then dig things out from the back room. Words cannot express how much love I have for this series!!

I also loved: ( Spoilery )

In less cracktastic news, the art is finally looking like Angel Sanctuary. The little story tacked on at the end isn't particularly interesting, as Yuki Kaori has clearly not yet learned how to unleash her mighty and powerful id upon us all.

Yuki Kaori - Godchild, vol. 04 (Eng. trans.)

First of all, the copyediting on this was awful. I spotted a ton of typos, the worst probably being "prom rose" instead of "primrose." I was very confused and started wondering when Victorian England had started having American high school rituals. There's also "Never play with a woman's feeling!" because she only has one, and if you do, what will she have left?

Best excuse for skipping out on a party ever: "Tell him that my poison collection has affected my brain."

( Spoilers, sort of )

And of course, throughout all this madness is the pure true love of a boy and his valet Combat Butler butler.

*dies and is dead*