Kung Fu Klutz and Karate Cool: Volume 1 Book

I'm not usually a fan of Clamp, because they're histrionic and overdramatic--but this series, for all its drama, was handled with a deft touch. I particularly loved the character of Subaru, who is the sort of Good Person you very rarely see--easily willing to die for what he believed to be right, unafraid of pain or death to save you either, but if you're bad, God help you, because he'll dispatch you without a warning. Because that's how good guys work, when they're warriors; no need for last words, no space for posturing. A mad dog is a sad thing, but still needs to die, and so better to end it quickly.

His counter, Seishiro, is equally fascinating for his utter amorality, which is also something not often encountered in fiction. Never a cackling pantovillain, never even raising his voice, smiling quietly but sweetly--he buys groceries, makes dinner, cares for ailing puppies, with a sincere heart. You'd think he's a nice guy right up until the point where he opened your ribs with his bare hands and bled you out under a cherry tree.