Manga: The Water Dragon's Bride by Rei Toma

One of ShojoBeat's newest titles, The Water Dragon's Bride by Toma Rei is a cute little historical fiction, fantasy, shoujo manga about a girl sent back in time/another world. Arisa Asahi is spirited away when she was young into the pond in her backyard. She wakes up underwater in the presence of a strange man, so ethereal looking he doesn’t even seem human, which is reasonable considering he isn’t! 

Manga: Crimson Hero by Mitsuba Takahashi

As the first review of the new year, I thought a throwback was in order! This is one of Shoujo Beat's older series, Crimson Hero by Takahashi Mitsuba. It's one of Shoujo Beat's only manga series to have been left discontinued, with only localizing fourteen volumes out of the full twenty. This is in desperate need of a pick-me-up. 

Manga: Red River by Chie Shinohara

One of my absolute favorite series makes its debut on my blog, Red River by Shinohara Chie! I cannot stress enough how much I love this manga. The series had a long run, ending with 28 volumes. It is a historical fiction manga dating back to the B.C. era in the Hittite Empire during King Suppiluliuma’s rule, really near the end of his rule. Many of the events that happen within the manga are actual events that was recorded in history, which I personally think is amazing. This manga, I believe, is the first of its kind. I have never see another manga to use this time period in this location, most mangaka write about Japanese history due to the fact that it’s what they know. You don’t normally get to read western history in manga unless it’s about Egypt, but this is not a story centered around Egypt, it is about the Hittite Empire during the peak of its reign.

Manga: Tail of the Moon by Rinko Ueda

Tail of the Moon by Ueda Rinko is a series I could not put down! I had originally read this manga way back in either middle school or high school and loved it enough to reread in recent months. This is a charming manga, depicted in the Tensho era of Japan, is about ninjas. Momochi Usagi is the great-granddaughter of the head of the Momochi clan, an elite family of ninja, but despite this fact, she’s still doesn’t have her qualification to be a ninja. Her great-grandfather, Momochi Tanba, sends her off on her first assignment, to marry Hattori Hanzo, one of the highest ranking ninjas in Iga and the handsomest man as well, and bear his children!