...continued from previous page TUXEDO GIN by Matsuura Tokihiko TUXEDO GIN featured a young man named Kusanagi Ginji, who, due to a motorcycle "accident," was forced to transmogrify into a penguin. In love with a girl named Minako, "Gin-chan" acted as her friend, pet, and protector even while in aquatic avian form. In recent issues, Minako becomes the target of Kurosaki, the man who had killed Ginji's human self. Ginji, however, refuses to give up on his beloved, and he sacrifices his life to rescue the kidnapped Minako, even though it means he cannot return in human form. Minako herself suffers amnesia; she does not remember Gin-chan's sacrifice, and believes him on his way to the Antarctic with his other penguin friends. But the little Buddhist monk angel with halo and wings, the one who long ago had given Ginji the option to turn into a penguin, also witnessed Ginji's sacrifice. Deeply moved, and seeing Minako's double loss of her best friend penguin and the man who loves her, he offers up his own life energy to give Ginji back his human life. Now doomed to an unconscious state while Ginji lives out his life, the angel gives Ginji his final farewell. Soon thereafter, Minako receives a simple message on her pager from Ginji—"I'm home, Ginji." Ginji has returned at last. In Issue 7, Ginji and Minako have already been going out for four months but still have never even held hands. All is going well for them and their friends; in fact, Ginji even runs into once-avian Misako, now back to being human, just like Ginji. Feeling awkward being called "Ginji-san" by Minako, he suggests she now call him "Gin-chan," his childhood nickname. Minako momentarily sees her beloved penguin's face alongside Ginji's. And just as they're about to get romantic, the giant screen TV near them blares out "PENGUINS!! Countless penguins are resting their wings!!" A reporter has found a big cluster of penguins on an ice floe, and whom else does the camera focus on but penguin Mike, rejoicing in his new-found penguin paradise? INUYASHA by Takahashi Rumiko Overview: Kagome is a modern student teamed up with the strange boy Inuyasha in 15th or 16th century Japan, seeking to retrieve the fragments of the magical Shikon No Tama, and trying to stay one step ahead of the evil Naraku. This Issue: A weakened Kagome has shot an arrow at Naraku and his child-creation Kanna, the child who holds the mirror that captures souls. The arrow is swallowed by the mirror, which once again tries to steal Kagome's soul, but her soul proves too strong for it. Kanna is forced to let go of the stolen souls, lest Kagome destroy the mirror. Naraku, Kagura and Kanna escape, leaving Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kagome to tend to the badly injured Inuyasha. They discuss how Naraku has an almost complete Shikon No Tama, which they now know is the source of power that created Kanna and Kagura, and which, more disturbingly, they also know was given to him by Kikyou. But why did Kikyou give her hated nemesis the jewel? Meanwhile, Kikyou is in a far village, tending the sick. But Naraku comes to her, telling her that Inuyasha now despises her.... JAJAUMA GROOMING UP! by Yuki Masami Overview: Although originally a city boy, young Kuze Shunpei has taken to working as a farm hand at the Watarai racing horse breeding farm; he also has taken to Watarai Hibiki, one of the Watarai daughters. This Issue: Hibiki's twin brother, professional jockey Yuuki, has unexpectedly arrived back at the farm before Shunpei and Hibiki. With supreme arrogance, he interrogates them about their relationship. His shock about their plans to marry is matched only by his surprise about the lack of family opposition. His last great shock comes when he finds out Hibiki is pregnant. He indignantly yells at Shunpei, demanding to know who gave him permission to mess around with Hibiki, but Hibiki puts him back in his place by informing him that she did. After that, the conversation is skillfully shifted to Yuuki's own personal life. The next day, Yuuki is prevented from riding the race horse that Shunpei is working with, and, apparently realizing that he has no authority at the Watarai farm, he at last bids a rude but resigned farewell to Shunpei. MAJOR by Mitsuda Takuya Overview: Honda (Shigeno) Goro, from his early years in grade school, has been striving to become a professional baseball player like his deceased father. Now, in Kaidou high school, he is facing new challenges. This Issue: Shizuka, the current director, has been beaten: Goro and Satou have successfully brought their team to victory, and are now no longer threatened with being kicked out (at least for now). She calls her father to cancel the day's meeting. In the locker room the boys meet the other students, who remind them they're now all part of the same team, but that they are also competitors for the coveted starting slots. Shizuka meanwhile speaks with the ace pitcher, who at the end let Satou have his home run; she is just beginning to realize that Goro and Satou are players to be reckoned with. Finally, Goro, at Satou's suggestion, heads off to find icing supplies for his shoulder. As he digs around in the empty trainer's room, he is stopped by a remarkably frightening man(?) who looks sort of like a woman(?)....