This week, Sean, MJ, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from VIZ Media, Seven Seas, Yen Press, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.!
Ai Ore!, Vol. 7 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – I’m starting to get the feeling that Shinjo is beginning to lose interest in her own series, and am somewhat relieved that the next volume will be the last. Once again we see how well-adjusted Mizuki is when not thinking about Akira, and how thinking about him makes her a nervous wreck. The same applies, of course, to Akira in reverse – and it’s lampshaded by the other characters that this has been going on a bit too long. The main plot here involves Akira starting a solo career, seemingly in a bid to gain Mizuki’s attention. Of course, he has to sing as a girl, which leads to his photographer/manager (who doesn’t seem to care about his true gender) hitting on him and forcing him to question why he does all this cross-dressing. It’s sad that this series has gone from appalling to funny to sweet and now to boring. – Sean Gaffney
Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 3 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – I’m going to have to come out and say it—I found Peter White the most interesting part of this volume. And given that I don’t like Peter at all, that’s saying something. But of course, that’s the point. Peter’s constant war between “I want Alice to be mine” and “I want Alice to be happy” seems to have finally swung in the “happy” direction, and so he has to stay away from her for the sake of her memories. It’s nice to see the main plotline of AitCoH get brought up again, reminding us that despite all the fluffy romance with Boris, everyone here is working with one goal in mind, which is to prevent Alice from recalling some psychological trauma involving her sister. And yes, Boris is doing that too. Will this threaten their relationship? Read on! – Sean Gaffney
Cage of Eden, Vol. 8 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – It’s a shame the fanservice is so blatant and sexist, because this really is quite a fun adventure/thriller manga. There’s young men fighting twenty-foot-tall horse/bear hybrids by kicking them in the face, there’s intriguing plot revelations that force you to rethink everything about the premise (the view from the mountain), and there’s mystery elements that unfortunately seem to reinforce one of the manga’s main themes, “almost all adults are evil,” But really, Cage of Eden 8 can be defined by its cover, featuring Yarai looking grim and cool while carrying his teacher in a way that displays her ass to the reader in the most blatant way possible. Jump may try to quietly cater to both male and female readers – Magazine never bothers. But, getting past the boobs, butts and more boobs, it’s genuinely intriguing. – Sean Gaffney
Limit, Vol. 2 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – After the first volume’s wild drama, things remain tense and messy in volume two, as the girls figure out their own strategies for survival in a scenario where they are forced to depend on those they most certainly can’t trust. Though some of the character development may seem obvious, there are a few genuine surprises in the mix, and all the girls’ stories are well-told in Keiko Suenobu’s deft hands. Though capable Kamiya, with her well-honed survival skills and calm focus, is the most objectively impressive character in this volume, it’s popular girl Konno who experiences the greatest (and most surprising) personal growth. This series continues to maintain a delicate balance between its scathing commentary on teen social politics and its expressive shoujo artwork, cementing it as one of my favorite debut series of the year. Highly recommended. – MJ
Oresama Teacher, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media -Oresama Teacher is a bit predictable, and I am growing a little tired of the parade of cute young men with severe psychological issues that end up causing chaos in ex-delinquent Mafuyu’s new life. But it also consistently makes me laugh every time I pick up a volume due to the lunacy of the situations and visual gags. In this volume, Mafuyu deals with Aya’s past and gets some unwelcome attention from a new transfer student at her school. I was also happy to see the return of the school’s former Bancho, and his reaction to seeing Mafuyu and Aya talking together was priceless. I hope that the series swings back to the larger plotline about Takaomi and the redemption of the school, but as long as Oresama Teacher continues to reliably deliver funny moments I’m going to keep reading. – Anna N
Paradise Kiss, Vol. 2 | By Ai Yazawa | Vertical, Inc. – Each time I re-read this series, I am surprised all over again by how complex Yukari’s feelings for George are and how seriously cruel he can be, but this time, there’s more. Vertical’s gorgeous reprint of this series also brings into focus just how damned alluring George is, and how genuinely sexy and romantic Yukari’s relationship is with him at times, which really only complicates things more. Emotional complication is nearly always a very good thing, and that’s certainly the case here, especially in this volume, where Yukari is struggling so desperately with first love along with understanding the power (and terror) of exercising her own free will. My earlier reservations about this version’s English adaptations were smoothed over by this volume, which neatly swept me away without distraction. Highly recommended. – MJ
Real, Vol. 11 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – Nomiya takes center stage in this volume, as the time has finally come for him to try out for the Tokyo Lightnings, a pro team. As a devotee of sports manga, I found the whole process undeniably riveting, and even somewhat verklempt-inducing since Nomiya, though lacking in various skills and experience, is nonetheless able to display his best qualities on the court and as a person. (Spoiler: we’re going to have to wait another year for volume twelve to learn whether he’s made the team or not.) Meanwhile, Togawa’s wheelchair basketball team, the Tigers, acquires a feisty new coach and Takahashi, still doing rehabilitation in the hospital, takes a competition wheelchair for a spin. Real is full of struggle and effort, and we’ve seen these protagonists dispirited before. But now, when they’re on the cusp of achieving something so meaningful, the payoff is immensely sweet. Very strongly recommended. – Michelle Smith
Slam Dunk, Vol. 25 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – I always put down a volume of an Inoue manga feeling like I’ve witnessed a very entertaining masterclass in storytelling. Slam Dunk always balances the psychological aspects of playing sports with incredibly well-executed action scenes. The Shohoku team is about to play the tournament favorites Sannoh, and the early part of the volume deals with team strategy on both sides. We see the cipher-like coach of Shohoku knowing just what to say to each of his players to ensure that they won’t be intimidated by their opposing team, and the formation of a new cohesive team identity. There are always a few moments from Slam Dunk that stand out in my mind after I close each volume, and in this case it is the identical looks of disbelief on Sakuragi and Miyagi’s faces when Sakuragi actually manages to do something cool in a competitive game after Miyagi feeds him the ball. – Anna N
Vampire Knight, Vol. 15 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media – For all that it features really hot and sexy vampires being hot, this volume of Vampire Knight excels because it focuses on what Matsuri Hino writes best—politics. Kaname is physically absent from this volume except in a couple of flashbacks, but the aftermath of his actions at the end of the last volume reverberate throughout. Yuki is trying to hold everything together, and in fact given the lack of faith many have in her what she achieves is surprising, but I can’t help but feel, like Zero, that it’s not going to hold up for very long. It’s especially not helped by the presence of Sara, who is such an obvious villain that she gets to simply walk around being villainous and wait for anyone to bother to prove it. And yes, if you do like vampires, there’s even some interesting vampire stuff here. Still addicting soap opera. – Sean Gaffney