Sleep Is For the Weak

PG-13 for hijinks and physical humor including getting hit by a car; official series website

I love Ai Morinaga, and I think she’s woefully underappreciated in the West (as most manga satirists other than Moyoco Anno are, and even her popularity is debatable). The English-language licenses on Duck Prince and Your and My Secret both died quite some time ago, and although the latter is going to be re-released by Tokyopop, I’m not sure Duck Prince will ever grace our shores again. At any rate, My Heavenly Hockey Club, which has had a decent amount of press because of its place on the Del Ray publishing list, is, ironically, the worst of the three series. It’s still funny as hell, but it’s basically just the wacky hijinks of a high school hockey team filled with lazy, beautiful boys who joined the club for the away games–which they always have to forfeit because they don’t actually know how to play hockey. There’s a cute little love story in there, and many of the individual jokes are funny enough to make you pee your pants, but there’s no real substance or point. I know Morinaga is a good enough mangaka to do more than nice art and funny jokes. It’s a cute enough comedy on its own, but it’s weak by her standards.

Initial impression: Not her best work, but pretty funny…if pointless and a little muddled. (Lianne)

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