Aoharu x Machinegun, Vol. 2 | By Naoe | Yen Press – For the most part, this series has two things that it does, and it does them both well. There’s lots of talk about the survival game tournaments, and we see how even the nicest person can turn into an absolute demon in competition. We also get good advice for Tachibana, who has brilliant instincts, but this isn’t the sort of event where you can just rely on those to get you through. And what makes it worse, she’s still hiding the fact that she’s a girl, and you know it’s going to get outed at the worst possible time, especially as it’s now connected to Matsuoka’s troubled past experiences. This continues to be a surprisingly addicting action manga with a genderbend twist. – Sean Gaffney
Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 1 | Story by Kafka Asagiri, Art by Sango Harukawa | Yen Press – After penniless Atsushi Nakajima is cast out of an orphanage he stops a man named Osamu Dazai from committing suicide and is introduced to the “armed detective agency,” whose members all possess a supernatural skill. When it turns out that Atsushi is the “man-tiger” that they’ve been hired to capture, he ends up receiving a job offer. One of the central gimmicks of the series is that each detective is based on a real Japanese writer or poet, and although Wikipedia helped in this regard, I really wish Yen’s edition had included some explanatory notes. It was also a bit jarring that the story jumped into conflict with the main villain so quickly; I’m used to these supernatural team-up stories spending at least the first few volumes on episodic jobs. In any case, this turned out to be an intriguing story and I plan to continue. – Michelle Smith
Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 8 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – After a very funny volume, this one is a bit more dramatic, as we have the aftershock from Nanashima’s kiss, which is possibly the highlight of the volume, as Kae’s emotions and fears aren’t downplayed just because Nanashima had a cold and apologized—and he understands that. Less successful is the sequence with Shinomiya finding that his parents are moving away from Japan, and he’s being asked to go with them, which leads to both an emotional breakdown and a long iguana sequence. And while there is comedy here, the ‘overprotective to a creepy degree dad’ storyline has been done better in other shoujo works, and I’m glad he promptly leaves again. But an excellent first half. – Sean Gaffney
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 21 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – “A new story arc’s starting!” proclaims the first page and, indeed, after a fast-forward through the aftermath of the Magnoshutatt arc, we find our heroes on their way back to Sindria, where Sinbad is preparing for a conference with Koen Ren on the future of the world. After the latter requests an attendant, Alibaba ends up returning to Balbadd and seeing how drastically it has changed in his absence. All of this is interesting, as is Aladdin’s worry about Sinbad being dangerous, but I confess my favorite part was Alibaba and Morgiana finally making a little bit of progress on the romantic front. I particularly like that even with Alibaba’s moments of heroism and bravery, he’s also shown to be a vulnerable and occasionally angsty adolescent. Perennially recommended. – Michelle Smith
Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 5 | By nanao and HaccaWorks* | Yen Press – Ask and you shall receive. I wanted the main plot to come back in this volume, and it does with a vengeance. The shrine denizens want Yue to “eat” someone of their choosing. Kurogitsune helps him to escape, but we find that he too wants Yue to “eat” someone, but he wants it to be one of the two he’s closest with. Yue, meanwhile, knows what the act means, and doesn’t want to eat anyone, but given who he is, is that even a choice that can be made? As for Akashi, I think he just wants to destroy things. There’s a few more volumes to go before this finishes, but it’s nice to see what we at least appear to be driving forward rather than running in place. – Sean Gaffney
Spoof on Titan, Vol. 2 | By Hounori, based on Hajime Isayama’s manga | Kodansha Comics – Two volumes seems about right for this comedic take on the Titan series to not wear out its welcome. We get a big focus on the rest of the cast this time around, with Hitch and Annie shenanigans, and Levi’s doomed squad (all alive here, of course, as this is a parody manga). We do once again get some shout outs to future events—everyone’s saying Historia rather than Krista, and there’s a cute section about the difference between the two. I also liked when it made fun of fan stereotypes—Sasha talks about a dream that isn’t food, but everyone’s bored till she gives in and acts her “role.” This was cute, and I’m glad it was brought over. Though I’m also glad it wrapped up here. – Sean Gaffney
Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 4| By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I am not a fast reader, but the pace of Yowamushi Pedal is so exhilarating that I flew through this 400-page edition. The first half depicts the tense battle for the remaining spots on the Inter-High team, with displays of determination (even from those who don’t make the cut) and friendship (cue sniffles when Naruko and Imaizumi work together to keep an exhausted Onoda upright) from all involved. Then, just before the tournament begins, we begin a lovely long flashback to what happened last year, where Captain Kinjou was in serious contention to win it all when a rival’s incredulity at being passed cost him the race. Each time I finish one of these volumes, I’m desperate for the next. – Michelle Smith