VIZ Media 5 Star Mangas: Tegami Bachi V15 and Sunny V2

412. To the Little People by Hiroyuki Asada
Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Vol. 15

Rating: (5/5)

(Kindle) - (US) - (Canada) - (UK)

Nov 5 2013, VIZ Media, 200 pgs

Age: (13+)

"Searching for the truth about Amberground, Lag heads home to the little town of Campbell. There, a woman named Sabrina Mary holds the secrets he seeks. But can he handle what he learns about his world, his government…and his own mother?"

Received a review copy from Simon & Schuster Canada.

Wow! Wow!  Finally, a major turn of events here!  Something has happened!  We get to know the major secret of Amberground, learn the story of Lag's birth and of Roda's past.  Absolutely major book in the series.  The plot is going to change from this point on as Lag now has a quest to embark upon.  Fascinating. Didn't expect this turn of events at all. Loved this volume!

**********

438.  Sunny, Volume 2 by Taiyo Matsumoto.
Sunny, Vol. 2

Rating: (5/5)

(Kindle) - (US) - (Canada) - (UK)

Nov. 19 2013, VIZ Media, 216 pgs

Age: (13+) (but more interesting to 18+)

"What is Sunny? Sunny is a car. Sunny is a car you take on a drive with your mind. It takes you to the place of your dreams. Sunny is the story of beating the odds, in the ways that count. It’s the brand-new masterwork from Eisner Award-winner Taiyo Matsumoto, one of Japan’s most innovative and acclaimed manga artists.."

Received a review copy from Simon & Schuster Canada.

This sienen manga (aimed at men over 18) continues on with six more chapters which are more like vignettes than any sort of continuous story.  Each chapter, like the first volume concentrates on one foster child and we, the reader, are getting to know the personalities and deeper heartaches of these children.  A few of the children are beginning to stand out as main characters but still new ones manage to be featured as well.  Each story hits upon a sad theme: realization of abandonment is a strong one in this book, others are also explored but while the stories are heavy, and bittersweet; they are never depressing.  They show children's resilience and in this volume we also get a good inside take on one of the men who runs the foster home.  These are poignant tales, a bit rough, and not with much of a plot or any action.  It is all pure character driven and I'm becoming genuinely fond of all these lost children.  The book itself is also handsome; being a quality hardcover with the first few pages of each chapter being full colour.  Really looking forward to the next volume.