Manga Mini Review: Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 and Pumpkin Scissors 1

Title: Attack on Titan, Vol. 1
Author: Hajime Isayama
Series: Attack on Titan #1
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 193
Format/Source: Paperback Manga/Library

Age Group/Genre: Adult/Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

In this post-apocalytpic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what’s left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.

Chapters list:
1. To You, 2000 Years From Now
2. That Day
3. Night Of The Disbanding Ceremony
4. First Battle
(Cover and synopsis from Goodreads)

I don’t have many notes for these mangas, so I’m just going to write a mini review for each of them, sharing things I did and didn’t like about each.

What I Liked:

Lots of creepy parts
Very cool plot
A fantastic cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 4 (But I think I may know where some of the story is going)

What I Didn’t Like So Much:

No page numbers (I know a lot of mangas are like this but I wish they weren’t!)
I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. I know they’ll be answered later but I STILL HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
The Titans are so weird looking. I love the rest of the artwork, but the Titans’ big heads and little eyes and tons of tiny teeth just kind of freak me out. I mean, yeah, I get it, they’re supposed to be scary looking but they’re just so weird.

My rating for Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 by Hajime Isayama:

5 huge stars. I put Volume 2 on hold at my library immediately after reading Volume 1 and I have debated just buying a whole bunch of them several times.

Title: Pumpkin Scissors 1
Author: Ryotaro Iwanaga
Series: Pumpkin Scissors #1
Publisher: Del Ray Books, an imprint of Random House
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 224
Format/Source: Paperback Manga/Library

Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy, Paranormal

The bitter war between the Empire and the Republic of Frost has ended, but three years after the cease-fire, the Empire is still ravaged by starvation and disease, and bandits terrorize the populace. Can the Imperial Army State Section III, aka Pumpkin Scissors, stop a renegade force with chemical weapons? And who is the mysterious stranger helping Pumpkin Scissors? (Cover and synopsis from Goodreads)

What I Liked:

Lt. Alice L. Malvin. She’s awesome.
Yay for page numbers!
One of the male characters says he’s a feminist! Yay!
Pretty cool twisty back stories for the two main characters.

What I Didn’t Like So Much:

Two female characters are called “Pip-Squeak”, one right after the other. That’s kind of a nickname for a kid, not an adult, right?
Some kind of weird sub-plots at times.
A couple of the male characters told Lt. Alice Malvin to calm down. NOT COOL.

My rating for Pumpkin Scissors 1 by Ryotaro Iwanaga: