This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Viz Media, Yen Press, Seven Seas, and Kodansha Comics.
Arata: The Legend, Vol. 18 | By Yuu Watase | Viz Media – The central premise of Arata is that a Japanese high school student, Arata Hinohara, has switched places with the Arata of a world called Amawakuni. In this volume, we learn that five of the “six sho,” the most powerful hayagami-wielders whom Hinohara is tasked with defeating, are actually from our world, as well. Not only that, the whole reason they attempted to assassinate the princess in the first place was to fully open the passageways so they can return with their swanky powers “to conquer or destroy.” That’s a pretty intriguing development. Unfortunately, when one of these guys confronts members of Arata’s entourage whom he could easily kill and put this story to an end, he inexplicably decides to turn them into kids instead. Because I guess we needed some hijinks. This lapse in logic dampens my enjoyment of an otherwise possibly significant volume. – Michelle Smith
Bloody Cross, Vol. 3 | By Shiwo Komeyama | Yen Press – Honestly, the plot in this series seems almost irrelevant, which is a good thing as so little actually happens here. But the manga gives its readers what they really want: shots of cool-looking battles, cool-looking heroes, and our heroine snarking at each other. Hinata is absent for most of this volume, so we bring in a new cursed character who fulfills many of the same functions but gets to be a bit goofier. This is a pretty fun, tasty manga when you read it, but it’s light as air – it performs its function and nothing more. That said, hot demons and angels, the occasional cutaway sex scene, and lots of pseudo-religious fantasy… if this sounds good to you, definitely pick this up. – Sean Gaffney
A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 3 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – To a certain degree, much of A Centaur’s Life could have been written with normal humans as a normal 4-koma. We’d see a bunch of rambunctious kids trying to amuse themselves without getting in trouble, a kindergartener enduring bullying and helping her nursery school schoolmates, etc. But they’d be much duller, as it’s the frisson of oddness that makes this series readable. Seeing all the centaur/dragon girl/sheep girl etc. days in the life, watching what television programs are like in a world like this, that sort of thing. The manga still feels awkward a lot, but it’s beginning to improve. And the cliffhanger, involving a new transfer student, promises a lot of change for the next volume. – Sean Gaffney
Magi, Vol. 6 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – What does it mean to be a ruler – and does everyone have what it takes? From the moment Sinbad appeared in this manga, it was clear that he was a natural-born leader, confident in his abilities and there to lend support to those who need it. This is why he is NOT the main character of this manga. Instead we have Alibaba, taking the spotlight with Aladdin unconscious for most of the volume, who spends much of his time wrestling with doubts and fears. Even Sinbad isn’t sure Alibaba can be what’s needed right now. But Morgiana believes in him, and we slowly start to see his love of the people and desire to fight injustice come to the fore. Development of characters like Alibaba is why Magi is still a riveting read. – Sean Gaffney
Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 2 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – In this volume of Phantom Thief Jeanne the reader gets a bit more of Maron and Chiaki’s tumultuous relationship issues, as well as a bit of back story as Maron deals with her abandonment by her parents, a plot device that will never really make sense to me. Chiaki’s father is next on the demon possession hit list, and Jeane manages to rescue him despite the danger of being transformed into a life-sized creepy doll. Everything calms down a little bit, but Maron next has to deal with all of the girls who are showering Chiaki with chocolate on Valentine’s Day! Towards the end of the volume Jeanne gets even more power, so it will be interesting to see if the demons she battles will be even more menacing. There’s a nice side story featuring Miyako that examines why she is so obsessed with catching Jeanne, and shows how much importance she places on her friendship with Maron. Overall, a great second volume for this series, I’m really enjoying having an excuse to read it again in this new edition! – Anna N
Say I Love You., Vol. 2 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – My verdict for volume one of Say I Love You. was “It’s kind of great,” and I’m happy to report that it applies to volume two, as well. The main strength of the series is in the characterization. “Prickly loner” Mei Tachibana is falling more in love with her popular boyfriend, Yamato Kurosawa—gradually allowing herself to trust him and feeling like a woman for the first time. And Yamato isn’t as idealized as many shoujo love interests (though he does rescue a litter of abandoned kittens). Contrasted against them are Hayakawa, a guy from an unhappy family background who pursues warmth in a series of fleeting physical encounters while avoiding acknowledging the feelings of the one girl who actually loves him, and Aiko, whose image issues and history with Yamato render her much more complex than your typical antagonist. I’m really enjoying watching this story unfold. Definitely recommended! – Michelle Smith
Toriko, Vol. 22 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Another transitional volume, as we finish the end of the fight with Chiyo and then transition to a threat to the entire human world, as the Four Basts have awoken and love to eat humans. (How apropos in a series like Toriko,) The cover features more of the top Gourmet Hunters in the world, who get shown off to us in one huge scene and who I hope we’re not supposed to actually remember in the future. Mostly, though, this is fighting, eating, ans shonen idiocy, as Zebra deliberately turns off the message to our heroes about the Four Beasts right as it was going to tell them vital information. I therefore expect the fights they’re all having to have a nasty twist come the next volume. – Sean Gaffney
Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Given how much of Special A was devoted to love and romance, and the frustrations thereof, it’s actually quite refreshing to see that the heart takes a back seat to the career here, as Senri is almost entirely absent here. Instead, we deal with the trials of voice acting, as Hime is still not doing particularly well, but is also now dealing with two stars’ rivalry – both over their star qualities and over Hime, who they both have crushes on (despite her pretending to be a boy – I didn’t say romance was ENTIRELY absent). As with Special A, though, and indeed many other shoujo series, our heroine gets by by being extra shiny, nice, earnest and all around great. Now, can we bring the male lead back into the story? – Sean Gaffney
Say I Love You is shaping up to be great, and I’m very happy that we’re getting some more of the older-targeted shoujo that is a little more up-front about physical relationships. May it be successful and inspire publishers to bring over more along those lines. But I’ve got to say, I’ve never liked the phrase “feel[ing] like a woman”; what the heck is that supposed to mean anyway? I assume it’s referring to Mei realizing that she’s romantically and/or erotically interested in Yamato, but you don’t have to have romantic or erotic impulses to be a woman or to “feel like” one (or a girl, rather, considering Mei’s age), and conversely, you don’t have to be made aware of your own female-ness in order to have romantic or erotic impulses. Silly phrase is silly. *grump*