We get more Pantyhose Taro who plans to douse Happosai with water from the spring of Drowned Pious Man, but actually has Drowned Twins water & no one wants 2 Happosais, except Happosai who envisions greater panty raids. We also get a crimp in Ranma's plan to find the spring of Drowned Man as Pantyhose has added tentacles to his beast by diving into spring of drowned octopus(It would appear the springs don't cancel each other out).
Female Ranma has yet another suitor as she washes up on the private beach of a man searching for the girl of his dreams who stomped on his head, but there's no water on the island to turn Ranma back into a boy.
Just as Kasumi falls ill, Ramna's mom shows up looking for her spouse & her son & offers to help teach Akane to cook, but she also drags Ranka into it. A contest naturally happens as Akane has to prove she's a better cook than Ranka with obvious results.
Ryoga happens upon a magic fishing pole which promises reel in one's lover, only it's not Akane who gets caught & as the mark turns into a fish-shape & grows larger, Ranma's love for Ryoga grows. This one gets squishy--luckily Ranma doesn't remember what s/he was doing when it's all over(kinda felt sorry for him....)
The Gosunkugi chapter at the end is very similar to B-Ko's robo tricks in Project A-Ko.
We see more of Ranma's mature side as he feels sorry for beating Akane at cooking & tries to save the hot springs suitor from learning he's really a guy. InuYasha's still my fav by this author, but I expected a lot less from Ranma having seen a couple early eps from the anime.

Rumiko Takahashi shows once again that except for a few rules of the series, you never know what will happen next. You know Akanke always blames Ranma for everything. You know Ranma will take advantage of his curse as long as he has to live with it. You know what happens when someone visits Jusenkyo.

Happosai defeated? Ranma-chan caught in tentacles? Water from the wrong acursed spring? Ranma caught on an island with no water? Ranma's mom pops in. Ryoga appears with another plan to get Akane. Even Gosunkugi has a duel with Ranma. This volume tops the current monthlies featuring Prince Herb. Now when does Volume 22 come out?

'One or Double' is the second collection of short tales that don't fit into any of Rumiko Takahashi's ongoing series. Unlike the first volume, which contained mostly recent stories, this one seems to cover a range of years, judging from the art styles. They're not all winners, but over all this book is yet more solid evidence that Takahashi is a master of the graphic story telling medium. Whether you're a fan of "manga" or not, there's no denying that she's a skilled artist and writer who deserves the accolades and success she has enjoyed.

Most of the standout stories in the book are, sports-themed. 'Excuse Me for Being a Dog!,' (a young boxer turns into a dog whenever he gets a bloody nose) 'Winged Victory,' (the tale of a rugby team that's lost 999 games in a row and the ghost who watches over it), 'The Grandfather of All Baseball Games' (a young man plays hardball with his obnoxious grandfather), and the title story (in which a kendo instructor is put in the body of the club's pretty manager) all use sports either as the backdrop or motivation for the story and its characters. The characters in these stories are Takahashi at her most charming.

'The Diet Goddess' (about a girl who buys a dress with the intention of losing enough weight to look good in it) and 'Happy Talk' (about an adoptee who embarks on a search for her biological mother) are two slice-of-life stories ala the majority of the shorts from the first 'Rumic Theater' volume, and the 'Maison Ikkoku' series. Again, Takahashi presents us with charming characters the reader can't help but care about, in stories both funny and touching.

Dissapoints in the book include 'To Grandmother's House We Go' (about a pair of hardluck cases who try to collect the large birthright of a deceased friend for themselves) and 'Reserved Seat' (a curious tale about a rock singer who is haunted by his grandmother and Tarakazuka). The first story is simply too short and it feels rushed on every level--the ending feels particularly unsatifactory--while the second is the only Takahashi story I've read where I felt no sympathy or good will toward any of the characters present in it.

Finally, there's 'Shake Your Bhudda,' a tale that appears to be early Takahashi, both based on the art style and the story's pacing. It's clear she was still mastering her craft, and there's very little to recommend this tale. In fact, I feel the book might have been better served if it had been left out all together.

So many stories! This book has many good stories, but I think my favorite is "Excuse me for being a dog." Very very funny, about a boy who turns into a dog. Ranma comes to mind.

This is an excellent book on at least two different levels. First of all, it is an easy and fascinating read about a rapid development effort accomplished with virtually unlimited resources. Secondly, the author provides a view of the dynamics of Microsoft's motivation and behavior in moving against a well entrenched competitor in an interesting new market, namely games. The tactics perfected in unhorsing Apple, WordPerfect, Novell, and Netscape from their dominant market positions are well demonstrated in the Xbox effort detailed in this book. The only missing piece for me was a careful examination of the hardware, software and developer support trade-offs between the Sony PlayStation2 and the Microsoft Xbox in contrast to earlier Microsoft predations. However, such a detailed examination would have bored most readers so I can't complain. Anyway, those insights are available elsewhere.

On the whole, I was well rewarded with the book because of its "view-from-the-inside" as opposed to the externally obvious facts. I think this is a "must" read for anyone expecting to participate in the games market either as a consumer or provider, and for that matter, anyone who expects to provide services or products to Microsoft, sell or use their products or compete against them. Clearly, Microsoft is a tenacious competitor with virtually unlimited resources. Beware Nokia!

One only has to read Dean Takahashi's excellent work between the covers of Red Herring to know that he's plugged into the game industry in a way very few journalists are. He puts his considerable industry knowledge to good use in Opening the Xbox.
Microsoft receives more than its fair share of analysis and it's refreshing to read something about the workings of the company that isn't mere speculation. From "The Valentine's Day Massacre" to absinthe laced parties with game developers - it's all here. Mr. Takahashi was granted access to the people and the process and shares it with us in a way that keeps you turning pages.
The Xbox may very well be the biggest boondoggle in Microsoft's history and Opening the Xbox continues to show it's relevance in light of Microsoft's recently announced plans for "Freon." Read the book as an excellent case study in technology management or as a tell all featuring many of Microsoft's biggest players. Its well worth your time.

This is a great book! Author Dean Takahashi gives a detailed insight as to the development and marketing of the XBOX from its early conception right up to its high profile launch!

Being an XBOX fan, this was just the book to read to help dispel some of the myths that were floating around when the XBOX was being developed. You also get a good idea of how the Microsoft corporation thinks and operates not just in the video game market, but throughout all of their business ventures. Interesting theories as to why Microsoft entered the console market in the first place are discussed (one theory is that the XBOX is Microsoft's act of "revenge" against Sony when it looked elsewhere for it's PS2 development systems!).

I highly recommend "Opening the XBOX" to anyone who enjoys video games in general or for someone who is looking for a book that's different than all the other business books currently in stores. Well worth the price and a very insightful look into the strategy and culture that is the Microsoft Corporation.

I bought the first volume of this in a musty old book store, picking it up because I'm a big Takahashi fan. She seems to me to be the queen of creating what I like to call "loveable yet clueless jerks." Her male leads are usally vartiations on this. They mean well, but don't seem to pay very much attention. Kosaku is not exception. He's a goof, a guy who lets his stomach rule his mind, yet belives that everything will turn out ok in the end. This isn't ground breaking stuff- just more of Takahashi doing what she does best. Interesting characters, and a solid tradmark style- this is worth a look.

Nice original plot, the art was all right. Kinda predictable

Excellent! If you like Ranma 1/2 , Maison Ikkoku and other works by Rumiko Takahashi, then you'll love this one!

Takahasi's cookbook is great, tasty, and the food is to die for. If you've the means, that is. The sad thing about this cookbook is that there's alot of tasty stuff, and all the ingredients are hard to come by. Plus, if you've never made sushi before, you're in for a wild ride.
I only wish it came with a bamboo roll mat. My kitchen would be much cleaner that way.

For 3+ years I have endavored to learn the finer
points of eating and making sushi, and to date my
skills have been derived from 3 books (Sushi Made
Easy, Tsuda; Quick & Easy Sushi Cook Book, Tohyama;
The Book of Japanese Cooking, Kazuko), eating at
many sushi restaurants, and trial and error by making
sushi at home weekly to monthly.

I am now convinced that there is no single source for
all the things one would like to know about eating and/or
making sushi, but the book 'The Great Sushi and Sashimi
Cookbook' comes very close.

Written by two sushi chefs trained in Japan, what impresses
me most about the book is the authors ability to cover the
topics of history, etiquette, ingredients, cuts and cutting,
techniques and types of sushi and sashimi in a minimal number
of pages, and yet achieve a depth and breadth of discussion
that I have not seen in other books. Next most impressive
is the quality of the photographs and paper upon which the
book is printed; coffee table book quality.

I would score 'Sushi Made Easy' and 'Quick & Easy Sushi
Cook Book' as 4s, but give this book a 5 for hitting all
the key points.

Geez, I hate to say this, folks...but I kinda get the notion that almost all of our most favorite manga artists think rather alike regardless of their gender and great talents at art and storytelling. Either that, or they all rely on the same old formula: a pubescent young boy winds up into a very bizarre fantasy, becomes hero, gets pelted against a whole line of colorful opponents, chases a pretty girl, and being chased by a saucy young slut who insists on moving right into with him, sharing his bed, and cooking up horrid dinners for him. At least, that's what the whole plot is like for this one particular sequence from the whole series about a kid who's into boxing and his wistful infatuation for a dewy-eyed young nun in her flowing white robes and high-heeled laced boots. As usual, Kosaku is being forced to starve himself (oh, good grief...he isn't EVEN allowed a single drop of water!) and going through a very rigorous training program where he is being whipped half to death by a ruthless coach so he would become a victorious boxer someday. (What a great example to teach the innocent young Japanese children!) This time, Kosaku has to face about three very scary villains in the ring: a spoiled young boxer-wannabe who tries to thrawt Kosaku's self-discpline by tempting him with all sorts of rich food his money could buy, a gutsy Mexican choir-boy who uses a secret weapon to put a very tricky handicap on Kosaku, and a dangerous-looking truck driver whose busty girlfriend (moll?) had ran away from his very dominating behavior (he wanted the girl to retain her perfect figure) to coyly drape her manipulative little self upon the poor boy's anoxeric shoulders. Caught up in all those very baffling conflicts, innocent young Sister Angela watches and worries and frets and prays and nevertheless cheers Kosaku on. While keeping her real feelings at bay, of course.

Rumiko Takahashi writes the sweetest stories, I swear. The main character, Kosaku continues his battles with weight training and the battles going on in his heart about Sister Angela (The nun in training who he loves). In part one of the story, Kosaku gets a new challenger, a high schooler who wants to knock him out. Nothing much really happens in the first part, but keep reading, Takahashi's wit and flair will win you over in no time.

In part two of this story, Kosaku fights a new opponent from Mexico who is undefeated where he comes from. And what's with his strage tattoo that seems to prevent Kosaku from winning? This is the chapter where you can look for the most humour.

In part three, a vivacious new woman appears. Kosaku sees her as a friend, but she wants more with him to get back at her boyfriend! Sister Angela shouldn't mind, since she's given herself to god, but is it that she's . . . jealous? Part three was my favorite part of the book, because of its underlying romantic themes.

This book was much better than those before it, in my opinion, and it really gets you right in the heart. Myself, being an emotional person, almost cried. Don't worry, there's nothing sad, it's just so sweet. I recommend this book to all anime fans, especially fans of Sailor Moon or Ranma. Completley a worth-while read.

One's first impression upon reading the author bio that describes her studying Creative Writing and winning awards is that this is going to be one dull book. The first chapter with its fluid prose and oh-so-precise language doesn't dissuade you from it, nor does the fact that the author constantly switches between first person and third person narrative. These all seem like neat tricks rather than the stuff of literature.

But somewhere around page 50 this book turns into a very well-crafted novel of obsession and relationships and how some relationships may have an effect years later, no matter how much of the relationship was grounded in reality and how much was fantasy. Two sisters -- Jean and Colette -- share an obsession with their neighbor, a world renown pianist. So obsessed are they that they learn Japanese and try imitating everything about him. Set in this past and in the present where Jean suspects Colette of actually sleeping with Yoshi, the pianist, the reader gets a vivid depiction of sisterhood and failed love affairs as well as thwarted ambitions. Colette is married to an idiot (although I'm not sure if it is the writer's purpose to portray that character so shabbily) while Jean is losing faith in music.

There are some definite problems with the book. It feels too autobiographical (her second book is also about a woman getting over an older lover/obsession) and there are parts that seem like cop-outs and the characters tend to be those boring upper middle class people who are fashionable but just a little too well-scrubbed to make much of an impression. Despite those flaws, this book is an intriguing puzzlebox opening up the challenges of the human psyche on par wtih the works of Jean Rhys.

A step by step pharmacology textbook for the nursing student and the seasoned nurse. Excellent source of up-to-date information on the latest drugs, the action of the drugs, the effectives of a drug. It's a who, what, where, how and when pharmacology textbook for the nurse.

The only reason why I gave this book 3 stars was because I am in love with the anime series "Inuyasha". It would have been way better if it came in English instead of Japanese.

The only reason that I gave this book 3 stars was because I love the anime series "Inuyasha". It would be way better if it was written in english instead of japanese.

Hiya. For me, this book was great! It helped me with a lot of cosplay. I'd be lost on the Miroku costume without it. ^_^ This book is great, even if you can't read Japanese (I can! Haha!). If you haven't been keeping up with the Japanese manga or newly release episodes, this may spoil a bit for you. It has great unreleased art and color manga srips. I stongly recommend you buy this.
I gave it a 4 because it's not in English. This IS an english site and I doubt you can all read kanji. Also, the skip throughout the manga skips some important facts, but other than that, this your guide to Inuyasha!