Beware the Ides of Briefs!
Barakamon, Vol. 9 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – As this volume of Barakamon was going on, Yoshino was also beginning the Handa-kun spinoff series (also available from Yen), so it’s not surprising that we start to see the two blend together, as a former high school classmate with a grudge shows up for the annual intervillage athletic event. Handa being Handa, he doesn’t actually remember any of this, and is more concerned with prosaic matters, such as sleeping off the all-nighter he put in. That said, we see his true nature at the very end: he doesn’t actually care about personal victories if the overall victory is lost. That’s why people like him, and why folks like Hiroshi and Tama use him as an example even as they go through their own failures. – Sean Gaffney
Evergreen, Vol. 4 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Akira Gaskabe | Seven Seas – Since this is the final volume of Evergreen, we need to pack all the plot revelations and angst into one volume, and it can get kind of exhausting after a while. To give the manga credit, though, unlike many other “you’re brother and sister, oh wait no you aren’t after all” manga I could name (Marmalade Boy), this one does not pull back that punch, and as a result, the heartwarming romance we’ve seen developed this whole time falls apart appropriately. Which is good, but does leave you a bit dissatisfied—On-chan and Sora’s epiphany on a bus just isn’t quite the same. So in thie end, this was filled with many good ideas, but I don’t think worked as well as the author’s novels. – Sean Gaffney
Idol Dreams, Vol. 2 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – The problem with Idol Dreams is that the things that I think make the series more interesting—the disturbing romance between a 31-year-old in a 15-year-old’s body and her fellow idols, the adult male lead clearly showing he’s still desperately in love with her despite having a girlfriend, the unfortunate return of the guy who set this all up in the first place—are all things that I have no confidence that the author is actually going to handle properly, particularly given the interview at the back. That said, I always enjoy reading it in the moment, and I think, like Love at Fourteen, I’ll continue to enjoy it and call it problematic at the same time every review. – Sean Gaffney
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 2 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press –A rather strange thing happens while I read Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Although I never laugh at any of the 4-panel punchlines—and, indeed, sometimes find them deeply unfunny—positive feelings gradually build up as I read to the point where I end up enjoying the volume overall anyway. I do wonder if I like the wrong things, though. For example, my favorite aspect of this volume is the firm guidance Nozaki’s new editor gives him, spurring Nozaki to try to put himself into the shoes of his characters. Could this series actually incorporate his growth as a mangaka without changing his oddball personality? I rather doubt it. Even if that never happens, though, I will probably keep reading. – Michelle Smith
One-Punch Man, Vol. 5 | By ONE and Yusuke Marata | Viz Media – One of the many good things about One-Punch Man is showing off the variety of character types we get in the super-powered folks. We see the overdramatic drama queens, the shirkers who use it to further their other career, and the painfully earnest ones who want to help and save people but really don’t have enough power to fight the ridiculous monsters this series can throw at you. Saitama notices, though, and he continues to take the bullet for the greater good, pretending that he’s selfish and evil to make the other heroes stand out as that much more noble. I think this is eventually going to come back and haunt him, but for now all is well, and things continue to be wiped out in one punch. – Sean Gaffney
Say I Love You., Vol. 12 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics –After an eventful day volunteering at a kindergarten, Mei reflects that what she most wants is to be needed. Whether she knows it or not, she fulfills this role twice in this volume, first by arranging a meeting with a photographer who helps Yamato figure out why his recent photos haven’t been making him happy, and secondly by giving some good advice to Len, whose preference for online friends (who don’t know about his famous sister) backfires due to his own enigmatic fame in the world of online gaming. I wasn’t entirely sold on the Aoi siblings last volume, but for some reason, Len’s plight in particular really earned my sympathy this time. Mopey otaku or not, he’s a captivating character and I appreciate the chance to see how much Mei has grown in the way she deals with him. As always, I’m looking forward to the next volume! – Michelle Smith
Skip Beat!, Vol. 36 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – We were always going to end up here, right from the very first chapter. There was simply no way that Kyoko’s mother was not going to end up in the middle of her life, no matter how much either of them deny it. And so while I’m relieved to see that it’s time for that particular gun to be fired, I worry intensely that it is going to excuse her mother’s abuse—as so many other Japanese series have done in the name of showing off how good parents are really. Meanwhile, Box R has debuted, and unfortunately it’s not the success that Dark Moon was. Can Kyoko’s career take a failure this early? Ironically, though, the best scene in the volume is between her and Sho, two people who simply can’t accept how well they know each other. – Sean Gaffney
Skip Beat!, Vol. 36 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – After a heartfelt thank-you from Ren, the Heel siblings arc comes to a close. Kyoko returns to work in Tokyo, where Box R has debuted to lackluster ratings. While she helps mentor a costar with rage issues of her own, a far more interesting plot is brewing: Kyoko’s mother now knows where she is and is making inroads into her world. She’s serving as a consultant on Moko’s new show, and has been in contact with Sho’s parents, too. This leads to the volume’s best scene, in which Sho is not only legitimately worried about Kyoko, but also encourages her not to let her mother sway her from her goals. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed their scenes, and seeing Sho recognizing her talent and respecting her ambition shows some real growth. I never thought I’d clamor for more Sho, but now I kind of am! – Michelle Smith
So Cute It Hurts!!, Vol. 5 | By Go Ikeyamada | VIZ Media –While I still think this series is painfully unfunny and unashamedly generic, the fact remains that I don’t hate it as much as I used to. In fact, I even kind of like that Mitsuru had his heart broken, and instead of ending up with the girl he feels compelled to protect, it’s looking like romance is in the air with a fearless girl he sees as his equal. That was unexpected. I’m also a sucker for retrospective narration, so when some turned up at the end of volume four, hinting ominously about Aoi’s past, I was doomed. Oh, I have very little faith that the big reveal will be worth the investment of time or resolved in any way that doesn’t rely heavily on Shoujo Heroine Optimism, but I’ll still read at least far enough to find out what the big secret is. Grumble grumble. – Michelle Smith