Mmm Mmm good     Jun 11, 2007     reviewed by Tuttle    

Really good shojo. The characters are cute and pretty good. The fact that Yurara has a spirit insider her is interesting. The two male characters Mei and Yako play off eachother very well and the romance is just perfect. There is, of course, the antagonistic female that bugs the crap out of Yurara but I forget her name. You'll just love to hate her.

Tuttle also recommended: Skip Beat!,
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Wow...so they ALL see Dead People.     Aug 28, 2007     reviewed by DamageCtrl    

It says something about a person when they see dead people, but rather than be afraid, they feel sympathetic and wish to help them. Even the ‘bad’ ones. In “Yurara”, the title character has been seeing spirits since she was a child and feels their pain. She wishes she could do something to help them, but finds that she can’t. Instead, she bursts into tears with her empathy. As a high school student, Yurara still hasn’t been able to get over the seemingly spontaneous tears or the ability to see dead people. That’s why some classmates think she’s weird.

And as in most shoujo manga, the female lead stands out somehow and is different from the other girls, but she finds herself in the company of two good looking and popular boys in her class: the athletic, loud, and somewhat lecherous flirt Mei and the stoic, ghost story telling Yako. Both also have special spirit powers: Mei controls demon fire and Yako has water barriers. The two boys protect Yurara when the spirit haunting her desk attacks her.

Apparently, they’re not the only ones protecting her. With the attack, Yurara’s spirit guardian - a tall, dark haired spirit with a bigger bust - is awakened and released. Feeling the same sympathy normal Yurara has for the ghosts; spirit guardian Yurara makes the ghosts ‘see the light’ and leave the mortal world peacefully. The main premise of the story is seeing two sides of a ghost story rather than just vanquish them without question.

So far, “Yurara” seems like a promising manga. The chapters are a quick read and little character quirks are exposed with each one. The main character is a good hearted, friendly girl, and the male protagonists are generally entertaining. The characters are interesting and their relationships with each other fun to watch. The plot is decent; it doesn’t drag on and on or is needlessly complicated. The first book is easy to follow, light hearted, and relaxed.

It isn’t scary, despite having ghosts. Most of the action takes place during the day time and is laced with bits of humor. I would recommend this manga for those who want a quick, entertaining read with a supernatural flare. Nothing too deep so far, but you do start to wonder about the character’s back stories and where their relationships with each other will lead. That’s what makes it interesting. I’d give it a 4.5 star rating.

DamageCtrl also recommended: Wallflower,
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A funny little shojo horror     Jul 07, 2007     reviewed by Wolfy    

This manga has an interesting horror aspect as well as the hint of a romance plot. One side of which is just plain funny, the other not quite clear as of yet. There are aspects of the main character that some might find annoying but that's made up for by the other characters personalities because they all balance eachother out well. This series has potential and it seems almost to be a mix of her majesties dog and Ceres.

It's definately worth a read and would, like as not, be a good starter to give someone if you're trying to get them into shojo manga. ^___^ If anything flip through it in a book store first to see if you'll like it. p.s. The art's not bad either!

Wolfy also recommended: Her Majesties Dog, Ceres,
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Who Doesn't Like a Good Ghost Story?     Jun 09, 2009     reviewed by Keru    

I was a little wary when I started reading Volume 1. I mean, I didn't want to spend an entire series reading about a weak, timid, scared little girl, even if she could see ghosts. Then I met her aggressive guardian spirit and the two guys who try to help with ghost problems, generally making her life more difficult in the process.

The comedic element presented by the ghostbuster boys made serious situations laughable, and even at it's most angst-ridden, despair-soaked moments, I read on knowing that laughter was only a page or two away.

Every character had intriguing depth, and watching Yurara develop throughout the story was entertaining. Overall, this is a very enjoyable, easy-on-the-wallet supernatural comedy/drama.

Um, content junk: does contain some language and some of the comedy strays into older teen territory.

My only issue with the series was how soon it ended, but fortunately, if you find you like Yurara's dark side, Viz is publishing the sequel starring a familiar face with an overwhelming sweet tooth.

Hope you find this review helpful and happy reading! n.n

Keru also recommended: Rasetsu, Bound Beauty, Her Majesty's Dog,
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