Idol Dreams, Vol. 2 | By Arina Tanemura | VIZ Media – There are still certain aspects of Idol Dreams that strike me as incredibly creepy, given that the main character is 31 on the inside even if she’s temporarily in the body of her 15-year-old self. In this volume, for example, Chikage finds out that 15-year-old idol Hibiki might have a girlfriend, so she stalks him and ends up following him home to find out what the deal is. Lame! On the other hand, I enjoyed getting a look of her and Tokita together as middle-school students, and am now a bit more curious to see how she ended up becoming such a restrained and clueless adult. So, I guess I care a little bit now and that’s gotta count as progress. – Michelle Smith
Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 9 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – I wish I could say that Kiss of the Rose Princess has a strong ending that really rewards those who stuck with it, but, alas, I cannot do so. Great swaths of it made no sense to me whatsoever, and I can’t tell if that’s because the writing is genuinely incoherent or if I just never paid enough attention to details along the way. If one overlooks one’s puzzlement, it’s kind of a paint-by-numbers shoujo conclusion in which bad guys are revealed to be sympathetic, the power of shoujo heroine optimism keeps someone from doing something they’ll regret, and the big bad (another secret evil society—Shouoto’s got one of those in He’s My Only Vampire too, I believe) is defeated with ease. I mean, it’s not a horrible series, but it remains my least favorite of the three Shouoto series currently in print in English. – Michelle Smith
Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 3 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – In general, I tend to like Maki Minami titles more than most bloggers—Special A is still a favorite of mine—but I’m just not feeling the love for this new series, possibly as the heroine, Komomo herself, is just too different from her previous titles. There’s still the core of denseness and not understand what this thing called love is, but there doesn’t seem to be much else. And Natsu, the obvious love interest, is not nearly as well characterized as either Kei or Senri. The food still looks delicious, though, and I like the best friend who has very little idea how to behave properly. But, especially as this is a relatively short series, I sort of want a little more from it than I’m getting. – Sean Gaffney
Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 3 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – Komomo’s been blushing up a storm and having heart palpitations whenever she’s around handsome cobbler Seto, but she can’t figure out what’s up. Her utter obliviousness is pretty dumb, and though the entire premise of this manga is unrealistic, it’s this that bothers me most of all. Still, I did like how Komomo instantly sets her own feelings aside when it comes to ensuring Seto’s happiness with his girlfriend, realizing that she’s not the one who can bring out the best in him. Plus, Rise trying to cheer her up by singing (terribly) was kind of amusing, too. In the end, my heart has warmed to this series a little, but I still don’t love it like I did Voice Over!. Maybe it needs some cats. – Michelle Smith
My Neighbor Seki, Vol. 7 | By Takuma Morishige | Vertical Comics – For all that this manga is still at its best when it’s showing us Yokoi’s reactions to whatever Seki happens to be doing, it can’t be denied that Seki’s faces are getting just as good, especially now that Yokoi is able to stand up to him more often. We also have enough continuity now that we can see the return of old favorites, such as the robot family, now cursed with an Aibo that’s far too big compared to them, and the phantom art thief, who’s moved on to Western works as well. And Yokoi also joins in, of course, which works for good and ill—she just doesn’t have Seki’s sense of imagination. Luckily, Seki makes up for it on his own, which is good, as I think Vol. 8 is a few months away. – Sean Gaffney
Nisekoi, Vol. 14 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – I can only imagine that Nisekoi‘s Western fans were not delighted with this new volume. Late additions to a harem manga always tend to get a hard time, even more so given that Yui is not only ANOTHER childhood friend, but also a prodigy, which means she’s completed enough schooling to be teaching Raku and company’s class. Oh yes, and she’s also the head of a Chinese Mafia family, complete with her own loyal bodyguard. One could be forgiven for assuming she’s there by editorial fiat to keep the story running as it’s still popular. That said, she’s amusing and intelligent, and enjoys teasing Raku without going too far with it, so we’ll see how long she sticks around. – Sean Gaffney
Persona 4, Vols. 1 & 2 | By Shuji Sogabe and ATLUS | Udon Entertainment – This is a manga based on a game I haven’t played, and there’s apparently an anime as well. The hero in the game has the player’s name, so here one is invented. The story itself is half horror, half psychological action series, as our nameless hero and his three friends get sucked into another world where they must battle the negative sides they try to hide from others—battles which have killed other people. I found the second volume more interesting than the first, possibly due to the heavy yuri tease that I suspect will go nowhere. Oh, and which annoying bear pun creature came first, this or Dangan Ronpa? Recommended for Persona 4 fans, others won’t miss much. – Sean Gaffney