D-Frag!, Vol. 8 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – I fear that this volume of D-Frag! is still on the island beach adventure, and it drags it out a bit too long, in my opinion. There are still some great gags—one of the all-girls’ school classmates being a clone of Oscar from Rose of Versailles led to some hilarious situations—but I am happy to be back at school in the end. As for the plot, we are reminded that this is still a group of kids who will compete in any competitive game, no matter how stupid or how embarrassing the consequences. (Well, except for poor Funabori, who’s simply an innocent bystander.) Even if they have to rewrite the rules as they go along, they will win. As for the supposed harem aspect, well, that’s mocked as much as everything else. Subpar, but still fun. – Sean Gaffney
Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Vol. 3 | By Nami Sano | Seven Seas – It was inevitable for someone who can draw people into his orbit as much as Sakamoto that he would invariably meet up against a real villain, and we’re introduced to one here: Fukase, a repeat offender who enjoys “erasing” popular kids from the school, and is now out to ruin Sakamoto as much as he can. Of course, Sakamoto is not defeated so easily, and that’s where most of the comedy comes in, as we see him taking on the typical athletic and cultural festivals and coming out on top. Fukase seems made of sterner stuff, though, and I suspect the fourth and final volume will amount to a big confrontation. Or maybe not; after all, this is a gag manga first and foremost. – Sean Gaffney
Horimiya, Vol. 3 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I genuinely anticipate and enjoy each new volume of this series. Miyamura and Hori are both incredibly likable, and I especially liked getting to see a different side of Miyamura in this installment, as he is reunited with a friend from middle school. Spending time with this crowd is lovely. But… I can’t help wanting the two leads to get together, already! I mean, they’re in that stage where they both kind of know that their feelings are mutual but they’re afraid to ruin their friendship and… argh! Why does it bother me when, say, Skip Beat!, still dragging things out for 30+ volumes, doesn’t? Perhaps it’s that their relationship is pretty much the sole focus of the thing. Maybe next volume they’ll either get together or find some career goals and I will be appeased. – Michelle Smith
Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 15 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical Comics – The final volume of Sidonia spends 3/4 of its time locked in a deadly final battle with the Gauna. Sacrifices are made, stuff blows up, and there is much shouting of orders and cool mecha things. As for our hero and surprise heroine, both try their hardest to sacrifice their lives for each other. But in the end, Nihei makes good on his promise that this was a bit less bleak and more hopeful than his other works, and we get what’s fairly close to a happy ending. I’ll admit I was somewhat confused at where we ended up, as the characters get even more genderfluid and speciesfluid than we’d seen before, but the ending—with Izana going to explore space, and Tanikaze staying behind to raise a family, is very sweet. -Sean Gaffney
Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 15 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I was pretty concerned when I learned Knights of Sidonia would end with the fifteenth volume. It just seemed like there wasn’t enough time to wrap things up in a satisfying way. However, I’m happy to report that, although it’s true some things feel rushed—man, would I have loved more time with the character who changes genders off-camera!—Nihei-sensei is able to impart sufficient epic scope to humanity’s final battle with the Gauna that I found the result downright cinematic. I especially appreciated that, because of what’s happened in the story up to this point, I didn’t feel as though a happy ending was guaranteed. I couldn’t recommend this series more highly. And if you’ve enjoyed it, don’t forget Vertical is releasing BLAME! starting in September! – Michelle Smith
Log Horizon: The West Wind Brigade, Vol. 2 | By Koyuki and Mamare Touno | Yen Press – There are still elements of a harem comedy to this, and the cover promises lots of T&A, but covers lie as always. What we get instead is a surprisingly dark examination of the emotions of those trapped in the game during the first book. This takes place in the middle of Shiroe and company’s trek to rescue Serara, and is adept at showing both the chaos that was going on in Akiba while they were away, and also the leadup to what’s going to happen with Hamelin in the second novel. As for Soujiro Seta, it’s not just his looks that keep the female guild members enamored of him—he can be quite scary when he wants to be, while also keeping an optimism that contrasts with the series’ new villain, Magus. – Sean Gaffney
Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, Vol. 4 | By Shirow Masamune and Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas – I had assumed that the Kabapu cameo would be just that, but no, he’s got a much larger role in this new volume, even if he is now mysteriously a black man. Even more surprising is the appearance of Momochi, who is once again Kabapu’s capable secretary, but shows more emotion in two chapters than she did in 27 volumes of Excel Saga—perhaps working for a man like him has finally started to push her over the edge. So it’s not a must read for Excel Saga fans, but I think they’ll find it of more interest than the previous three. As for Vlind, she continues to have Excel’s personality and Elgala’s luck. If this sounds like I’m ignoring the rest of the manga, you are correct. – Sean Gaffney
Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 2 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Oh, sports manga. Why do you make me get all verklempt when the underdog surprises those who have underestimated him with a new technique? This second volume is comprised entirely of the first years’ welcome race, and it’s so fast-paced and addictive that I plowed through this chunky two-in-one omnibus in record time (which is fitting, I suppose). It’s too early for Onoda to win, of course, but he shows tremendous potential and impresses the older members of the bicycle racing club, whom it was great to get to know. I am extremely happy this series is 44 volumes and climbing in Japan, so I can continue to devour it for years to come. – Michelle Smith