Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 9 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – As this series has gone on, we’ve been introduced to more and more mental models, to the point where it can be hard to keep track of everyone. I have some bad news for you, but we get even more showing up here. My favorite was Ashigara, who is very much of the “I love combat and BEING LOUD!” sort of Japanese manga stereotype, and her battle goes about as well as you’d expect, which is to say not at all. Meanwhile, we find that not only can Iona do a good verbal impersonation of Gunzou, but she does a fair job of impersonating his captain skills as well. As we gain more cast and more subplots, it’s going to be important to be able to remember who they all are, and thankfully Arpeggio does its best. Solid. – Sean Gaffney
The Black Museum: The Ghost and the Lady, Vol. 2 | By Kazuhiro Fujita | Kodansha Comics – This story wraps up with this volume, though there is more Black Museum out in Japan (and not yet licensed). It’s actually rather interesting to see how well Florence Nightingale’s life works as an action manga and/or medical drama. There’s no shortage of villains, and I’m not even talking about D’Eon. We even get endnotes reminding us that these are based on real people. Still, the fun in this series is to see Florence’s never-say-die pluck, watch Gray be cool, and see the occasional swordfight or spirit battle. Oh yes, and the museum curator, who remains hilarious. Also watch for the cameo by characters from a manga by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Well worth the hardcover price. – Sean Gaffney
The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 7 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – I never thought I’d say this about an Aya Shouoto title, but this was a great volume of manga. It was always fairly obvious that Himari’s school project researching a local ghost story with a group of classmates would tie in to what happened to Aoi when he was a kid, but the reveal of exactly why and how he ended up at Momochi House was handled with a creepy atmosphere and suspenseful, engrossing pacing that made for a highly enjoyable read. Plus, although some major, game-changing things happen, the essential threat to Aoi’s humanity remains. If you’re curious about Shouoto and wondering which of her series to try, let there be no doubt: it’s this one. – Michelle Smith
Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – As with the last volume, this is entirely about all volleyball, all the time. Unlike the last volume, there’s lots to talk about, as the series goes from good to great. The way that Sugawara works to bring out the best in his team, the way that Kageyama is showing he can learn and evolve, and the communication that develops between everyone—even cranky Tsukishima—are a joy to see, and really drive the series. We must also be getting near the end of the game, as we get tragic backstory for one of the opposing players. And of course there IS lots of volleyball lecturing and discussion, as well as cool action poses. This is one of the most Jump manga ever, and if you don’t read it you’re missing a treat. – Sean Gaffney
Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I always love when characters who had previously been in the background get their turn to shine, and there is quite a lot of that in this volume of Haikyu!!. After Kageyama loses his cool and gets benched, Sugawara finally gets to play for the first time in the tournament. Although his skills are average, the way he communicates with his teammates brings them together and calms their nerves, showing Kageyama some ways in which he’s clearly lacking. When he returns to the game, he takes Sugawara’s advice, and finally starts interacting with prickly Tsukishima and figuring out how best to utilize him as a hitter. It means a lot to see that he’s actually willing to listen for the benefit of his team, and his later, awkward attempts at congratulatory high-fiving are fairly amusing. As ever, I eagerly await the next volume! – Michelle Smith
My Monster Secret, Vol. 5 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Still hilarious, still has touches of harem romance, but this volume also shows that My Monster Secret can be quite touching when it wants to be. Mikan is on the cover, and much of the latter half of the volume focuses on her, as she gradually realizes that she’s in a school of monsters. Luckily, not only does she have her own monster issue with her possessed glasses, but an accidental trip to the future allows her to confess to Asahi. Now, he loves Youko, so that’s not going anywhere, but it’s good to get off her chest, and maybe it helped him to finally confess to Youko? That’s the cliffhanger. There’s also plenty of hilarious gags—this is a funny manga. But it’s also got great characters. Best ‘monster girl’ manga right now. – Sean Gaffney
Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 6 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – This is a more hit-and-miss volume of Nichijou than before, but the hits are hilarious. Nakamura-sensei trying to find out what makes Nano tick, and ending up at her house and meeting The Professor is just one great visual gag after another. Speaking of The Professor, she’s horrified to find Mai coming over “to play,” as she knows her as the girl with the vicious biting dogs. Luckily, Mai’s art skills are more valuable than Mai’s sense of what’s interesting or amusing, so she manages to mollify her. As for Mio, she gets a lot of dream sequences here, be they her own or Yukko’s, and they’re all hysterical, as is her “running away from reality” rampage across town, which the anime animated flawlessly. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney
That Wolf-boy Is Mine!, Vol. 3 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – I’m usually dubious when a series gets compared to Fruits Basket, but here it’s more justified than most. Not only are there hot boys who transform into animals and a girl who knows their secret, but now we’ve got a figure filling the Akito role. Yata-sensei was the one who taught the boys to transform in the first place, and makes sure they are able to pass as humans, and when Komugi’s presence (and the tension it causes between Yu and Rin, who both have feelings for her) creates an unnecessary disturbance, he tries to get rid of her. First, he warns her off, suggesting she return to Tokyo to live with her mother, but by the end of the volume, he’s opted for more drastic measures. Exactly what those are, we’ll have to wait for the fourth and final volume to find out. I’m really enjoying this series! – Michelle Smith