Hirotaka Kisaragi

Vol 2 was my first foray into Kisaragi’s Hanger series. Hangers are high-drug users who have agreed to work with authorities to apprehend other users. The high-drugs grant the user enhanced physical and mental abilities. They are potent and addictive. This volume follows Hajime, a new Keeper recruit, who has been partnered with the Hanger Zeroichi. After a kerfuffle at the beginning, where Hajime puts himself in danger and gets chewed out by Zeroichi, he decides to shadow another Hanger/Keeper pair to learn more about how the partnership should ideally work. He tags along with Byakuran and Zemu. Things don't quite go as Hajime expects. A bloody fight reveals some fascinating facets to both Hajime- who's not as defenceless against druggers as Zeroichi believes- and Byakuran, whose nano-infused blood can either heal or kill as they wish. As the story goes on, Squad 4 prepares to tackle the terrorist group Nine-tails. Can the anti-social Hangers learn to cooperate to bring Nine-tails down without killing each other?

The first few pages of the manga give a little bit of background about Hangers and Keepers, and a few of the major players from the previous volume, kinda like a refresher. I had an egalley of the first volume but the file was bad and I wasn't able to read it, so I found that definitely useful! I really want to read the first one! I'll have to order a paperback. I found the concept rather interesting, and I loved the artwork. OMC! The (literally) gender-fluid Byakuran is priceless! I love their flirty personality. And Hajime is absolutely precious and adorable, especially with how awkward he is around his Hanger. Learning about the relationships between the various Keeper/Hanger pairs, and learning their individual personalities was fun. They are each so very different and it's well-written. If you love manga , be sure to check out the Hanger series!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors/Tokyopop for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (meer)

Gate is an ADV release by author Hirotaka Kisaragi. The art is absolutely gorgeous. I think Gate is aimed at a teenaged audience, along the lines of Juvenile Orion, but it is a fun read for any age-group.

Essentially, four teen boys get hit with 'lightning'. They wake up in the hospital, uninjured but each branded with a different mark. One of the four fabeled Saint Beasts has taken up a kind of spiritual residence inside each boy. I won't spoil the how, why, or what next. It's a solid story, worth reading for yourself.… (meer)