Manga of the week: Rurouni Kenshin

Good night, everyone! We have another edition of manga of the week here! The chosen one is Rurouni Kenshin, by Nobuhiro Watsuki <3

Goodreads’ description:

Packed with action, romance and historical intrigue, Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most beloved and popular manga series worldwide. Set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, it tells the saga of Himura Kenshin, once an assassin of ferocious power, now a humble rurouni, a wandering swordsman fighting to protect the honor of those in need.

A hundred and fifty years ago in Kyoto, amid the flames of revolution, there arose a warrior, an assassin of such ferocious power he was given the title Hitokiri: Manslayer. With his bloodstained blade, Hitokiri Battosai helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu period and end the reign of the shoguns, slashing open the way toward the progressive Meiji Era.  Then he vanished, and with the flow of years became legend.

In the 11th year of Meiji, in the middle of Tokyo, the tale begins. Himura Kenshin, a humble rurouni, or wandering swordsman, comes to the aid of Kamiya Kaoru, a young woman struggling to defend her father's school of swordsmanship against attacks by the infamous Hitokiri Battosai. But neither Kenshin nor Battosai are quite what they seem...

Why I think it’s a worth-reading: the history behind this manga saga is very accurate. It’s a very fun and nice way of understanding a bit how things were in Japan at that time, with so many changes going on in the country. I also read this title for the first time when I was a kid (I miss those times that I didn’t have anything to do besides playing and reading .-.) and a lot of other times since then. But I have to warn the more lazy ones: the series has 28 volumes, plus some especial ones :)

That’s it! Thanks for reading! Have you read Rurouni Kenshin? :D

Manga of the Week: Angel Sanctuary

Today’s choice for Manga of the Week is a very dear title from Kaori Yuki: Angel Sanctuary.

Goodreads’ description:

The angel Alexiel loved God, but she rebelled against Heaven when she saw how disgracefully the other angels were behaving. She was finally captured, and as punishment sent to Earth to live an endless series of tragic lives. She now inhabits the body of Setsuna Mudo, a troubled teen in love with his sister Sara. Setsuna's misery mirrors the chaos among the angels, and their combined passions threaten to destroy both Heaven and Earth.

Why is Setsuna so mixed up? Despite his attempts to be noble, he'll fight anyone anytime; he ignores all authority; and he harbors feelings for his sister that can only be described as "incestuous." Why is he such a mess? The reason may be found with two demons from the underworld and their enemy, an insane angel who is distributing an insidious computer game called Angel Santuary.

Why I think it’s a worth-reading: this is a funny story, actually. In Brazil, Panini published it in 2005. The manga is rated 16+ and I started reading it as soon as it was released because Kaori Yuki’s draws are just perfection. Nothing wrong, right? Wrong. In 2005, I was only 10, LOL. I read the series again with 15 and it was a life changer; there was so many things that I understood without understanding at 10 (did I make sense?).

Anyway, the plot is amazing, the art is perfect and the characters are so passionately, so human… I’m lost on this one, lol. It’s drama, action, romance and religious conflicts all tangled up together, with touches of laughter and adventure. They’re 20 volumes, but in Brazil, Panini split the volumes in half, so we have 40 volumes. I prefer it this way; we have more covers. But I think 20 would be easier to keep – I’m that kind of person who has the entire collection of the manga and also wants the same manga in other languagues, like Japanese and English, as mine are all in Portuguese.

That’s it! Have you already read Angel Sanctuary or heard about Kaori Yuki? :D