Josei - Page 316

The Zero-Sum Original Anthology Series features themed oneshots from various mangaka that publish in Ichijinsha's Zero-Sum and Ward magazines. Volume 10 theme: Conflict and Secret Societies. 1. Ranpo-sensei Laughs Like This by Takayama Shinobu 2. Secret Mission by Saeki Yashiro 3. Fang by Kawazoe Mariko & Nakamura Sachiko 4. Black Swastika Army by Katagiri Ikumi 5. Mushroom and Kappa - A Fierce Conflict of Honourable Men by Magami Guriko 6. Boys’ Cavalry by Kayase Shiki 7. Rindou by Asada Yasuka 8. Hideout by Sekka 9. Un Orso by Mizuhara Kenta 10. Be Enthusiastic, Father! by Inui Miku 11. A Promise by Seno Tatsune & Takamiya Aya 12. Let’s Meet at the Secret Society by Kinoshita Sakura 13. Will O' the Wisp by Kouzuki Leo 14. The Village of the Secret Agreement by Ueda Shinshu 15. At the End of an Endless Desire by Akai Higasa 16. Demon King Time by Kanou Ruri 17. Messenger of Justice ★ Moonlight Organisation by Usaki Hitomi

[from FantasticFiction] Princess Marie-Therese and her brother elude their escorts to spend seven carefree days in Paris before she becomes engaged to an English Duke. In the glittering world of gaiety that marked the Second Empire, the Princess pretends to be Zena, her brother's mistress. This farce brings unexpected problems, especially when she falls in love with the Comte de Graumont. Can love triumph over a royal decree and her father's anger?

From Baka-Updates: Kuragehime follows Tsukimi Kurashita, an 18-year-old who moved from Kagoshima to Tokyo to become an illustrator. Tsukimi is a jellyfish otaku who comes to live in a shared bath and toilet, women-only apartment, Amamizukan. Other tenants include fujoshi, NEETs and others who consider fashion their natural enemy, calling themselves "Amars". One day, Tsukimi meets a fashionable and beautiful girl, Kuranosuke Koibuchi, who saves a jellyfish that is about to die at a pet shop. She later discovers that Kuranosuke is merely cross-dressing in order to evade inheritance of his father's occupation as a politician. Features the stories Eiyuu (Heroes) Retsuden. Winner of the Kodansha Award for best Shojo in 2010. Nominated for Manga Taisho Award in 2010.

From Stiletto Heels: In a small provincial town filled with a spirit of preservation for a traditional performance art called, "Owara," arrives Hotaruko, a transfer student from Tokyo. When a local boy named Hikaru catches her in an awkward stance in - what was supposed to be - an empty classroom, they form a strange bond. What's more, their bond makes way for an unexpected development...?!

The piano prodigy Shinbi and the genius boy soprano Taeui had played together and been friends for a long time. One day, Taeui suddenly went abroad for study, leaving Shinbi, once a piano prodigy, to return to an ordinary student life. Five years later, the dramatic reunion of these two high school students marks the beginning of their challenge in a competition.

IS (Pronounced Aiesu in Japanese) is not your everyday manga. This manga strictly deals with cases of intersexuality. IS stands for Inter Sexuality. This manga deals with very serious issues concerning intersexual people. The pain they go through, the troubles they confront, and ultimately their inability to reproduce and even find a partner who will accept them as they are - It's all there in a form of manga. The series is consisted of cases, each dealing with different people - although some cases are much longer and more dramatic than others. The first volume is about the case of Hiromi and the case of Ryoma. The third case is of Haru and characters related to him. If you don’t know what intersexuality is, refer to the Wikipedia on Intersex.

After causing the destruction of his parents, the protagonist only lives for the sake of his younger sister and avoids other people. But one day, a mysterious stranger appears and calls him 'master'...thus his life is forever changed.

From Lililicious: Rutsu, a novelist, finds herself caught between her boyfriend and another woman.

Through round after round of extensive plastic surgery and vigorous maintenance, Ririko has become the absolute manifestation of beauty, and becomes a wildly successful model, actress and singer. However, soon her body, unable to withstand the burdens of surgery, begins to crumble, and along with it so does her mind, as she plummets towards a frightening and inevitable end. A story about a woman's vanity, greed, hatred and despair, by the author of River's Edge. Helter Skelter won the 2003 excellence prize at the Japanese Media Arts Festival, and the 2004 Osamu Tezuka Culture Prize.

A story packed with the yet unnoticed charms of Kyoto, brought to you by a society of her public servants.

Asuka is a twenty four years old successful career woman who dreams of marriage so she can become a full time housewife and someone who can create a warm home where in her husband would always be fond of returning. Nanami Ryuu is the complete opposite; although he is someone sincere in his job and a gentleman to women, for him, marriage is nothing but a hindrance. To Asuka, Nanami is a person who belongs to a different world and will never connect with her own, a matter which is insignificant, because right now she expects that her dreams of married life will soon be realized since she feels her boyfriend of five years will propose to her soon…

This is a story of a woman whose husband turns into a bear. When they go to the doctor he tells them it’s stress related and that he will turn back to normal soon. But how can you define normal when your husband looks like a wild animal? A story about love and the hardships of keeping it.