feedingbrett's reviews
187 reviews

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Princess Jellyfish, Volume 9 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A satisfying conclusion in intention, but less so in execution. Everything seems to unpack like a whirlwind, with little time and space for physical moments to linger. The emphasis on sitting within the protagonist's reflective position gives its entirety a warranted warmth, but I wished the plotting and character dynamics were better drawn out as it builds towards a cathartic fulfilment. I admire what the series represents, with evidence of gratitude towards its influence, no matter what criticisms or expectations I brought to the reading, it was never going to get in the way of my general appreciation.
Music: The Definitive Visual History by D.K. Publishing

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Attractive in the breadth of its coverage, but the information is laid out so tediously that it sapped away all my curiosity to proceed.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 8 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I can't seem to formulate an abundance to express my feelings about this volume, but I would like to say that I am pleased that things began to fall back to familiarity by its end. With a conclusion just a volume away, I am eager for what is to come.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 7 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

For the last omnibus volume, the story endured through an excavation of the fashion industry, introduced a new character, and steer our leads into hard choices. It felt like a set-up for something significant, and lo and behold, a new complication is in the mix. With its romantic foundations potentially shaken, and our lead, once again, clueless and dizzy by this sudden development, Akiko Higashimura has foreshadowed a path towards reformation and teases potential catharsis. Volume 7 is a middle-of-the-road assembly of chapters that are only as fascinating when reviewed as a piece of an entirety rather than on its own two feet.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 6 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The struggles in breaking through the fashion industry continue for them. The series' recent shift in focus towards this complication has finally begun, by this volume's end, to converge and rupture onto the state of affairs between our key characters. Akiko Higashimura allows moments of pondering the significance and meaning behind her characters' decisions, giving reflective thought that fed our hunger for insight and development. Given the manner in which this omnibus volume concluded, I expect shake-ups to later occur that would challenge important relationships and reset the dramatic momentum, perhaps as it treads towards its finale.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 5 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Much like my feelings about the previous volume, we find Akiko Higashimura more settled into the story, characters, and the world she has created. Watching relationships blossom, principles challenged, and businesses thriving, the dramatic pulls here are far more calm, collected, and measured, and may I say that reading through has been a pleasurable ride. The stakes are more significantly established without resorting to an aggressive gradient curve of its plotting for the sake of generating interest. It is here at the series' median that I feel I have been made to swim in the same emotional waters as these characters.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 4 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

To some extent, I am happy with the direction that Akiko Higashimura has provided for Princess Jellyfish's story up to this point, but simultaneously the emotional sweep of this omnibus volume is less than its predecessors. Indeed, we are seeing growth from these characters and maturity in the story that will result in a payoff that I can potentially foresee, and my reservations towards these chapters merely stemmed from my curiosity and eagerness on how all would unfold, rather than being able to completely appreciate the present moment.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 3 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The series' progression has not just demonstrated a development between its principal characters, but also of its supporting cast, with even their residence now also conveying a weight of sentiment to its existence and potential loss. The gears are finally in place and we now see the methodology towards their goal, and I can't help but be down for the ride.
Princess Jellyfish, Volume 2 by Akiko Higashimura

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Kneading the romantic base of its story and sprinkling it with screwball toppings, this second omnibus volume of Princess Jellyfish is an example of a story coming into its own. While the slapstick and character reactions are extravagant, a clear boundary is placed on its story to only allow such influential energy to its actual plot to be minimal at best. Akiko Higashimura ensures that these characters are worthy of our attention and sympathy, earning our desire to go along for the ride.