A Bride’s Story, Vol. 14 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – Actual main couple at last! And Karluk is thirteen, so is presumably getting closer to being able to consummate his marriage, though I fear for now cuddling naked against the cold is the best the two can do. The highlight of this book is trying to unite the village tribes and nomad tribes so they can both fight the Russians, which will (of course) involve marriages. But to get those, we need a giant, near deadly horse race in order to make sure that the men are good enough for their brides. The brides themselves come in three varieties: proud and stoic, divorced and scarred, and “bundle of fun,” but all three seem quite happy with their husbands… one of whom is Amir’s brother. Probably another year till volume fifteen, and I hope the series does not end with everyone being killed. – Sean Gaffney
It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too, Vol. 1 | By Suzuyuki | One Peace Books – Yuya and Rio move in together after dating for a little over a year, It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too beginning soon after this significant evolution in their relationship. As one might expect, it takes a bit of time to get used to sharing a home with someone else. There are certainly misunderstandings and makeups, but instead of presenting opportunities for melodrama, Suzuyuki portrays their lives in realistic, natural ways. Rio and Yuya are a wonderful couple, the care and consideration they show for each other is heartwarming and refreshing. The supporting cast is likewise endearing, whether it be their coworkers, friends, or family. It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too is a genuinely sweet and funny series, never becoming overly saccharine or relying on meanness as a source of humor. It’s the sort of series that soothes the soul and sometimes that’s just what one needs; I look forward to reading more. – Ash Brown
Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 9 | By Nene Yukimori | Viz Media – I enjoy the Kubo manga, but it is not exactly the most original title in the world, nor is it trying to be. It’s in the “teasing the boy she likes” genre, but it’s also a fairly standard school not-yet-romance. As such we get a lot of beats that seem familiar, like going out for her birthday/agonizing over a gift, or the summer festival and getting separated right before the fireworks. The good thing about this title is it can tie things into Shiraishi’s past, as getting lost for him was super traumatic as no one ever sees him. The moment in this volume, then, when Kubo does find him after all, is so triumphant you can almost hear the swelling music behind the panel. These are cute kids, I hope they confess soon. – Sean Gaffney
Medalist, Vol. 8 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – There are other skaters in this volume aside from Inori and Hikaru, and they get some very good artwork showing off their stellar skating. So it feels bad to talk about how Hikaru completely blew all of them away with her routine, reminding everyone that she is the only rival worth paying attention to, and getting a score so high no one could possibly beat it. Inori had originally been sent off and told not to watch the other routines, as she was looking anxious. But she came back to see Hikaru’s skating as it means that much to her, and it did not depress her or make her feel like it was an insurmountable performance. It fired her up. The book ends with Inori about to go out on the ice, and I cannot wait to see it. – Sean Gaffney
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 14 | By Sorata Akiduki | Yen Press – I did ask in my last review of Nozaki-kun… from August 2022… (this series being caught up with Japan hurts my soul) for a couple to hook up, and I… almost get my wish? One person communicates his feelings, and the other party actually understands them. Now, a) it’s not clear if this will lead to anything just yet, and b) given it’s Ryousuke and Miyako, I worry that this will end in tanukis somehow. But it’s a start! And honestly, Hori and Kashima are getting there as well, as we are slowly trying to get the both of them to think… which is tough. Especially Hori, as he’s not a traditional baka like Kashima can be. As for Chiyo… she’s terrifying. Her love is pure, but it’s pure like a stalker’s love kind of pure. Hilarious as always. – Sean Gaffney
The Moon on a Rainy Night, Vol. 1 | By Kuzushiro | Kodansha Manga – There have been quite a few stellar manga series—A Sign of Affection, A Silent Voice—featuring characters who are deaf. This is along those lines, but Kanon is not deaf, just hard-of-hearing. This gives her a very different vibe from the other heroines that we’ve seen with hearing issues, and in a way makes her harder to approach—she has not bothered to learn sign language, for instance. That said, this is also a yuri manga, so we’re also going to meet the bright, somewhat pushy girl who worms her way into her heart via the power of Kanon’s mother’s brutal piano lessons. We even get the standard older girl “first yuri crush” who announces that she’s getting married to a guy. The combination of these elements is well handled, and I want to read more. – Sean Gaffney