Behold: briefs!
Akuma no Riddle, Vol. 2 | By Yun Kouga and Sunao Minakata | Seven Seas – Now that we’ve set up the And Then There Were None-style premise, it’s time to start firing off the assassins one by one to see how they will fail at taking out Haru. This volume comes in both evil and good flavors; the evil is a truly insane modern-day Jack the Ripper girl who simply loves killing; she’s actually taken out pretty easily by Haru, who is a lot better at avoiding death than Tokaku had expected. The other is more skilled, and has grown up being a scapegoat, but fails just the same. Given that next volume involves a production of Romeo and Juliet, I expect the Takarazuka assassins will get taken out then. Not as good as the first volume, but still readable. – Sean Gaffney
Golden Time, Vol. 2 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – Say what you will about Taiga in Toradora!, but she proved to be very likable and understandable right off the bat, despite her anger issues. Kouko is a much tougher nut to crack, and a lot of Golden Time‘s second volume might be spent with the reader wondering why we’re supposed to root for this couple in the first place. Luckily Banri is a far more fascinating protagonist, with his amnesia and honest attempts to show Kouko where she’s going wrong. I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s going to regain those memories before long, and it won’t be good for anyone involved. In the meantime, enjoy Kouko’s desperate flailing attempts to hold onto the past, and how it all crumbles around her. – Sean Gaffney
Horimiya, Vol. 2 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I suspect the resemblance to Kare Kano is not going to be going away anytime soon, so accepting that, this is another cute and likable volume of romantic goodness. Hori deals with being ‘the capable one,’ meaning everything is foisted onto her, as well as a new somewhat immature rival. Miyamura is simply having difficulty understanding the concept of friendship at all. As a result, while the two have clearly fallen for each other hard, neither one is in a position to actually admit it, even to themselves. As for Yoshikawa and Ishikawa, they make the cover, and Ishikawa gets a lot to do, but I suspect their subplot hasn’t really started yet. I am really enjoying this series. – Sean Gaffney
Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 8 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – Series-ending battles don’t get much more shoujo than this! Kaede gets not one but two “awakenings” due to his feelings for Anise, which she rather awesomely does not have time to deal with right now, then two villains are dealt with through the power of love and general shoujo empathy. Anise’s knights fight their hardest on her behalf, while she hurries on to the solo showdown with her villainous dad that we’ll have to wait until the final volume for. Anyone want to bet she wins him over with love and understanding? This is far from the best series I’ve ever read, and I doubt I’ll read it again, but I’m at least looking forward to seeing it through to its conclusion. – Michelle Smith
My Neighbor Seki, Vol. 6 | By Takuma Morishige | Vertical Comics – There’s never going to be much plot progression in a series like this—the closest this volume gets is a chapter where, due to various circumstances, Seki’s sister sits in with that day’s class. That said, the draw of this manga is as always Seki’s flights of fancy and Yokoi’s reactions to them, and there are some excellent ones here. Some might be funnier with knowledge of Japanese period art, I admit, but others are universal, like the foosball table, or the paper airplanes. Yokoi is less invested in studying than ever, and I fear for her future, but it can’t be denied that her reactions are what makes everyone want to come back to this series. – Sean Gaffney
Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 3 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – If we’re still reasonably sticking to the basic plot of Shakespeare, then it makes sense that there’s so much of Henry and Richard in this volume; it may be the last of it that we ever see. It’s good, showing off both characters’ good and weak points, as well as the bond that they both feel (a bond that immensely frustrates Henry’s son, who is losing both in regal and romantic power). Meanwhile, the political part of this manga still excites, with Margaret’s rage knowing no bounds, and Elizabeth raising the stakes with several lovely insane grins. It may be turning into a bit of a bizarre harem manga, but make no mistake about it, tragedy is never going to be very far away from Richard. – Sean Gaffney
Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 3 | By Aya Kanno | VIZ Media – I think this is my favorite volume of the series yet! Richard has been trying to convince himself that he needs neither love nor light in his life, seeking the clarity of the battlefield, but when he miraculously meets up with Henry once more, he begins to think “perhaps with him.” And, indeed, there are several tantalizing near-kisses here. Alas, their time together is short, and Richard tries to forget it when back at court, where Edward’s impromptu marriage has alienated his most ardent supporter and ticked off France, to boot. The blend of history and emotion is nicely balanced in this volume, and there’s a heck of a cliffhanger. Oh so ardently recommended! – Michelle Smith
Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 2 | By Neko Nekobyou and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – Having tried to balance action, fanservice, and some touching analysis of post-Sword Art Online syndrome, the second volume leans a bit harder towards the comedy and fanservice, with a beach setting providing lots of opportunities for bikinis, and the monster that needs to be vanquished being of the tentacle variety. Much of the interesting parts of this otherwise slight volume involve the new original character, Lux, and her self-esteem issues, something the other three girls mostly have no issue with. The last chapter brings Sinon into the group, which makes sense, as the main books still stick to Kirito, sometimes Asuna, and not much else. Forgotten heroines welcome here. – Sean Gaffney