B. Ichi, Volume 2 Book

Shotaro continues his search for Emine in the I.C. Prefecture. But a careless comment sends him on the run from an angry kappa. Meanwhile, Mana is eager to enter the Robot Fight Tournament - sponsored by the "Happy Factory" - and get another commendation, but Yohei senses there's something far more sinister than the tournament going on at the Fear Factory . . . That doesn't stop him from building a powerful battle robot that's guaranteed to take home the prize. Just when Mana is confident of her victory, the Fear Robot itself steps into the arena - with NoFix the King of Spin at the helm!

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up—B.ichi aka "B.one" aka "Bone" is what gives Shotaro special kyokotsu powers, but in order to keep them he must do one good deed a day. He needs the help of his other Dokeshi friends, humans with advanced brain power, who must do one bad deed a day, and Mana Migo, a human girl who likes martial arts and fortune-telling. Together they must find Emine aka "Baize" aka "Eminem," who is in the I.C. Prefecture. Yohei Nanami, a normal boy with mechanical skills, joins the group on their journey, which becomes complicated when Tool, a Japanese water imp who lives in a garbage dump, takes offense and goes crazy, and the Dokeshi hunt, a secret government plan to wipe out the Dokeshi, is underway. Fans of Japanese adventure manga will like B.ichi. The black-and-white illustrations are dynamic but can seem unrelated to the text. Still, manga fans should enjoy it.—Lisa Gieskes, CA Johnson Preparatory Academy, Columbia, SC