Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Manga the Week of 6/13/18

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SEAN: Did you know there is manga coming out next week? It’s true!

MICHELLE: Shokku!

ASH: You wa shock!

ANNA: Madness and insanity!

SEAN: Dark Horse has the first volume of Gantz G, the sequel series that serves all your lycra fetish needs. (I still want HEN, dammit.)

J-Novel Club has new digital novels for us. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 9, The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind! 3, and My Little Sister Can Read Kanji 4.

Kodansha has new print titles! We have the 3rd Again!!, the 7th Aho-Girl, a 5th To Your Eternity, and the 2nd omnibus of Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku. Most looking forward to that last one.

MICHELLE: I am horrible and haven’t read the first Wotakoi yet. Perhaps I’ll remedy that this week.

ASH: You should! This is definitely another Kodansha week for me–I’m picking up most of these.

SEAN: Digitally we have another debut, this one is Kamikamikaeshi is a Nakayoshi shoujo series (we haven’t seen anything from them lately). It involves gods, hair, and reverse harems, and is by Ema Toyama of Missions of Love fame.

ANNA: Did someone say reverse harems??????

SEAN: There’s also a 3rd Boarding School Juliet, a 9th GTO Paradise Lost, a 3rd Living Room Matsunaga-san, and a 4th Starving Anonymous.

Seven Seas has another big blast from the past with the first Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection. First serialized in the 1970s in Akita Shoten’s Play Comic, this hardcover is filled with piracy and brooding.

ASH: Should be great.

ANNA: Wooo!!!!

SEAN: There’s a light novel debut in print, as we get the first volume of light-hearted overpowered heroine comedy Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!. In digital, meanwhile, we get the 2nd volume of the same series.

The other debut may actually be familiar to those who tried the MangaBox digital app back in the day. High-Rise Invasion (Tenkuu Shinpan) is a shonen series that started there, then moved to Weekly Shonen Magazine. Beware, beyond this point survival game manga lies.

SuBLime has a 7th Deluxe Edition of Finder.

Vertical has the 2nd volume of CITY, the spiritual successor to Nichijou.

Viz debuts a new series, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Maou-jou de Oyasumi), which is, believe it or not, a new Shonen Sunday debut. Yes, the magazine still exists. The demon king has kidnapped our heroine… who just wants a nice rest. I look forward to this.

MICHELLE: I miss Shonen Sunday titles!

ASH: Indeed! And I’ve heard good things about this particular one, too.

ANNA: Looks cute!

SEAN: We also get a 2nd volume of After Hours, a 13th Loveless… oh, wait, here’s MJ.

MJ: THIS THIS THIS THIS THISY THIS THIS. Hi. There’s a new volume of Loveless. Obviously I will be devouring it.

MICHELLE: So excite.

ASH: I adored the first volume of After Hours and, yes, I’m still reading Loveless as well.

SEAN: …and there’s also a 30th Magi and a 3rd Splatoon. I’m impressed Magi has made it to 30+ volumes.

ANNA: So many volumes I am hopelessly behind on.

SEAN: Lastly, after a few delays, we finally get the 11th light novel for Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, seeing if Bell can bounce back after the disastrous events of the last book.

See? I told you there was manga. Anything for you?

ASH: Always, and then some!

Yona of the Dawn Vols 11 and 12

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Yona of the Dawn Volumes 11 and 12 by Mizuho Kusanagi

It is an indication of how busy I am that I read two volumes of Yona of the Dawn together, because usually a volume of Yona of the Dawn does not linger unread for very long in my house. Reading volumes 11 and 12 back to back enabled me to appreciate Kusanagi’s storytelling skills even more as she shifts into a new storyline for Yona and her now complete band of mystical dragon protectors. Volume 11 was a little more light-hearted and character-driven, with the opening chapter flashing back to when Yona, Hak, and Su-Won were children, with Yona reacting against the restrictions of her role as a princess and the older boys watching over her as protectors.

A very important moment occurs in the next chapter, when Hak declares his undying devotion to Yona by…kissing her on the forehead. Yona spends most of her time being perplexed. Jaeha turns into a bit of an odd cheerleader for the relationship, by acting continuing to act obnoxious and needling Hak at any opportunity. The team heads into the Kai empire in search of more sustainable food for Yona’s people, and some hilarious scenes ensure as the village maidens who are starved for the sight of handsome men swarm Yona’s companions. Yona has a key moment where she wins over the villagers, demonstrating that she has the unique diplomatic skills of a potential queen. Kusanagi handles moments of Hak’s internal turmoil, Yona’s perplexed emotions, and over the top fangirl squeeing with ease, and I’m always intrigued to see how she chooses to illustrate these important emotional moments.

In contrast, volume 12 shifts into exploring geopolitical issues as generals and lords hatch an elaborate plot to start a rebellion in Kohka. One of my favorite things in this series is seeing Yona become more self-assured and confident with each volume. Once she realizes what is happening she’s determined to return, not for any military or personal ambition of her own, but because she wants to do something to help out the people who might be crushed in a confrontation of opposing armies. At twelve volumes in, one of the great things about this series is that Kusanagi has built up the characters so much that an abrupt shift to multiple scenes of old general dudes hatching evil plots while discussing tea is not alarming at all, because the reader has full confidence that it will all come together in the end, and it totally does. I thoroughly enjoy the pacing of Yona of the Dawn, as the characters and the challenges they face continue to evolve in fascinating ways. Overall, as someone who has read a ton of shoujo fantasy, I think this series is one of the best examples of the genre.

Pick of the Week: We Want Everything

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SEAN: My pick this week is My Solo Exchange Diary, if only as I really want to find out what happens to our author next, painful as that may be. Also The Promised Neverland, Eclair, etcetcetc…

KATE: This is one of those weeks where I’m inclined to pick seven or eight titles. I second Sean’s recommendation of My Solo Exchange Diary, but I’m also excited for new installments of Princess Jellyfish, The Promised Neverland, and Descending Stories, three of my favorite ongoing series. I’d be remiss in my manga-critic duties if I didn’t also mention Yen Press’ yuri anthology Eclair, which has been on my radar since Erica Friedman reviewed it last year.

MICHELLE: I also have lots of things I’m looking forward to. Some ongoing shounen and shoujo faves from VIZ, Those Summer Days from Kodansha, Eclair from Yen Press, etc. But since it’s my final chance to choose quirky, unique, and addictive Princess Jellyfish, I’ve gotta go with that.

ASH: Absolutely sign me up for everything that’s already been mentioned and be sure to add on Vinland Saga, too. It’s such a tremendous series that somehow manages to only get better with each new volume that’s released.

ANNA: There’s a lot that’s great coming out, but I need to join with Ash in picking Vinland Saga for sure!

Manga the Week of 6/6/18

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SEAN: June arrives this Friday, and with it comes even more manga. Here’s what’s out next week.

Bookwalker has a 4th volume of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress light novel, reminding me that I’m behind on it.

J-Novel Club has a large number of releases out next week: Demon King Daimaou 5, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 13, I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse 8, and Me, a Genius? I Was Reborn into Another World and I Think They’ve Got the Wrong Idea! 2. That’s a lot of light novel title damage.

Kodansha has a nice number of print titles coming out. The biggie for Manga Bookshelf peeps is the final omnibus of Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 9. There’s also a 3rd Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, a 7th Descending Stories, and a 10th Vinland Saga.

MICHELLE: I am really, really looking forward to Princess Jellyfish, though I can’t believe it’ll actually be over.

ASH: Yes! Princess Jellyfish has been wonderful; I’m so glad that it was released in print. I’m looking forward to continuing Descending Stories, too, and am thrilled for more Vinland Saga! (This is a good Kodansha week for me.)

ANNA: Also very happy about Princess Jellyfish and Vinland Saga!

MJ: I’m embarrassed to admit that I never even started Princess Jellyfish. Maybe the release of the final omnibus is what I need to spur me on.

SEAN: Digitally we have the debut of Those Summer Days (Ano Natsu), an Aria shoujo title about time travel and bittersweet romance.

MICHELLE: I’m in for bittersweet romance. The cover’s very pretty, too.

SEAN: We also have a 2nd You Got Me, Sempai!, and a 2nd Beware the Kamiki Brothers.

Seven Seas has two debuts. My Solo Exchange Diary is the sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, and I am really looking forward to it.

ASH: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness was tremendous, so the sequel is very high on my list.

MJ: This!

SEAN: Satan’s Secretary (Maou no Hisho) is a bit more typical manga title, about how well a demon invasion would actually go if the Demon King had a really capable secretary at his side. It’s from Earth Star Entertainment, and runs in their Comic Earth Star magazine.

Vertical gives us a 6th volume of Flying Witch.

Viz, as you’d expect, has a large pile. No debuts this time, so let’s divide into Jump and Beat titles. For Jump, we see Astra: Lost in Space 3, Blue Exorcist 19, Food Wars! 24, Haikyu!! 24, the 12th Kuroko’s Basketball 2-in-1, My Hero Academia 13, One Piece’s 24th 3-in-1, and The Promised Neverland 4. MHA and TPN are my choice from there.

MICHELLE: Forsooth, though there are a few other faves in that mix for me, too.

SEAN: On the shoujo end, we have Queen’s Quality 4, Takane & Hana 3, Yona of the Dawn 12, and The Young Master’s Revenge 2. Yona always jumps to the top of my pile whenever it comes out.

MICHELLE: I’ll be getting all of these!

ASH: So much Viz! (And so many that I’m following!)

ANNA: Yay for Viz shoujo!!!!!!

SEAN: And Yen Press has some stragglers. On the novel side we have Napping Princess, an adaptation of the movie of the same name.

Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart is what it sounds like, a collection of short stories that deal with romance between girls. I’d expect a lot of school settings. The authors of Kiss & White Lily, Gosick, and Bloom into You make contributions.

ASH: I’m really looking forward to this anthology.

MJ: This sounds great.

SEAN: After being delayed for over a year, we now finally have the continuation of the Durarara!! manga, with the start of the Re;Dollars arc, weird punctuation and all.

There’s also a 3rd ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department, a 7th Akame Ga Kill! ZERO, a 3rd Angels of Death, a 6th Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl (so a double dose of Canno next week), and the 2nd Laid-Back Camp.

ASH: ACCA may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for me.

ANNA: I still need to read the first volume, for some reason I have not been in an ACCA frame of mind. Glad it is being translated!

SEAN: Bare your soul! What manga are you buying?

Pick of the Week: Still Fighting It

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MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be picking up the latest Waiting for Spring, and I’m somewhat curious about A Kiss, for Real, but the release that really makes me squee this week is the third volume of Shojo FIGHT!. The first two volumes hooked me good and I’m extremely happy to get to read more about Neri, the girl who sometimes turns into a jerk when she lets herself play volleyball without restraint and who wants to change. It’s good stuff!

SEAN: I’m a sucker for a good Guide Book, given how few of them are actually translated over here. So my pick goes to The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Merkmal. That said, I also want to read the new Shojo FIGHT!, and Kabukimonogatari is definitely near the top of my list too.

KATE: I was mourning the demise of Crimson Hero for years… that is, until Kodansha started publishing Shojo FIGHT!!, the best sports manga you’re not reading. It’s got great characters, great volleyball matches, and real-life conflicts that remind us how hard it can be for competitive female athletes. So I’m joining Michelle and Sean and bumping this one to the top of my list. (Sorry… not sorry.)

ASH: Alas! If only Shojo FIGHT!! was being released in print, I’m sure it would be my pick, too. And so instead, this week have my eyes on The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Merkmal.

ANNA: I have to join everyone else in picking Shojo Fight!! Good sports manga with female protagonists is hard to find in translation, so a new volume is a treat for sure.

Pick of the Week: Sacrifices and Troublemakers

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SEAN: There’s several things I’m interested in. I already reviewed Golosseum, and the Devilman hardcover is a must-have. That said, both are a bit too violent for me to pick, so I will go with The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts from Yen Press, as I will come running for a Hana to Yume series. It may also be violent, but I highly doubt it’s as violent as those two.

MICHELLE: I’m intrigued by Devilman, I love Ace of the Diamond, and I’m sure I’ll love Delicious in Dungeon. That said, I’m also picking The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts this week. Shoujo fantasy romance just seems so appealing at this moment.

ANNA: I know I’m predictable in my love for shoujo, so I’m sure it will be no surprise that The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is my pick as well.

KATE: And I’m equally predictable in my love of Historically Important Manga, so it’s no surprise that my vote goes to Baron Yoshimoto’s The Troublemakers. Manly manga for the win!

ASH: Like Kate, my pick this week goes to The Troublemakers, though I’m certainly interested in The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts and am looking forward to another helping of Delicious in Dungeon, too. And of course there’s the debut of the original Devilman to consider as well!

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol 8

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Everyone’s Getting Married, Volume 8 by Izumi Miyazono

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about this series is the way Miyazono has weaved in a strong sense of impending doom as Askuka and Ryu get closer. Their ultimate goals are so opposed, there’s no way a long-term relationship will work out without one of them significantly changing. This adds an additional level of emotional complexity to this josei romance manga.

While Asuka and Ryu have moved in together, he then decides to accept a news posting in the United States. They embark on a long distance relationship where they occasionally see each other for a weekend, but keep spending more time on their careers. It is almost like the universe is conspiring to keep them separate. Asuka ends up suffering a pretty big career setback when someone hears her breezily discussing her ultimate goal of becoming a wife and homemaker, and Ryu continues to become more and more busy as a news reporter. As Asuka keeps getting disappointed by her relationship and her career, Kamiya is there to offer up some companionship while Ryu is overseas. Towards the end of the volume though, it is Asuka who finally gets herself together to start making some changes in a somewhat roundabout way. Everyone’s Getting Married is a josei series with a surprising amount of emotional depth. If a happy ending does happen for this couple, it will not be an easy path, and that’s why this series continues to be so interesting.

Manga the Week of 5/23/18

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SEAN: Stuff. A lot. Just… a lot of stuff.

J-Novel Club has new volumes for Arifureta and Infinite Dendrogram, and they’re both Vol. 6s.

Kodansha print has Golosseum, a very manly manga from the magazine Nemesis, which will appeal to fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Crying Freeman, or just people who like really muscular guys killing people gorily.

ANNA: This may be relevant to my interests.

ASH: Also for people interested in spectacularly outrageous political satire.

MJ: I can sometimes get into spectacularly outrageous political satire. Hm.

SEAN: On the digital front, the debut is Can You Just Die, My Darling? (Konya wa Tsuki ga Kirei Desu ga, Toriaezu Shine), a horror romance from Shonen Magazine R that should also appeal to fans of gore.

There’s also new digital titles for Ace of the Diamond (11), Ayanashi (3), Domestic Girlfriend (17), Elegant Yokai Apartment Life (7), Kounodori: Dr. Stork (9), Liar x Liar (2), and My Brother the Shut-In (5).

MICHELLE: I can’t believe I’m so far behind on Elegant Yokai Apartment Life and My Brother the Shut-In already!

SEAN: Retrofit Comics is releasing The Troublemakers, a collection of stories by Baron Yoshimoto. It looks to be rated M for Manly.

Seven Seas has a ton of debuts next week, so let’s also mention they have a 6th Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, a 2nd Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho, and a 3rd Yokai Rental Shop.

MICHELLE: I’ve been reading the first two volumes of Yokai Rental Shop. I’m not yet sure what I make of it, but it’s evidently only four volumes long, so I will probably be getting volume three, too.

ASH: The series hasn’t captivated me nearly as much as Nightmare Inspector, but there’s enough for me to keep reading, too.

SEAN: Devilman: The Classic Collection is a hardcover deluxe edition of the original 70s manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine about 46 years ago. If you liked the modern anime, you’ll love the original. Just… don’t get too attached to anyone.

ANNA: Woah.

ASH: I’m excited for this! It’s a beast of a volume, too, from the pictures I’ve seen.

SEAN: The Dungeon of Black Company seems to be a take on the isekai genre, and… oh, everyone left. In any case, it runs in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Himouto! Umaru-chan is a comedic series that runs in Weekly Young Jump, and there’s also an anime. The premise sounds like Kare Kano – the perfect student at school is a total slob at home.

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal (Watashi to Sensei no Genjuu Shinryouroku) is a Comic Blade fantasy title, and looks to be more for Ancient Magus’ Bride fans.

ASH: In that case, I should make sure to give it a look.

SEAN: Vertical Comics has a 3rd omnibus for Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Viz has a digital only 8th volume of Boys Over Flowers Season 2.

ANNA: Need to get caught up on this series. I keep misplacing my iPad!

SEAN: And there is a pile of Yen. On the Yen On front we have a debut this time around. A Sister’s All You Need (Imouto sae Ireba ii) is from the creator of Haganai, and best known for having the most polarizing first episode of an anime ever. I may hate this, but what the hey.

Yen On also has a 15th A Certain Magical Index, a 5th Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, a 5th My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, a 7th Overlord, an a 9th Strike the Blood.

Yen Press has one debut next week, The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (Niehime to Kemono no Ou). It’s a Hana to Yume title, meaning Anna will be interested, as will I. It looks sort of fantasy, sort of romance, and has a sweetie-pie as the heroine.

ANNA: I am for sure interested!!!!! More Hana to Yume please!

MICHELLE: Hm. I might be interested, too.

ASH: Same!

MJ: I might too!

SEAN: Yen Press ongoing titles. Let’s run through the gauntlet. Baccano! has its 3rd manga volume (it’s the final one). Delicious in Dungeon with Vol. 5. The Devil Is a Part-Timer! has its 11th manga volume. Dimension W is up to Vol. 10, Forbidden Scrollery gets a 3rd volume, Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has its 9th manga volume, KonoSuba has its 6th manga volume…

(pauses, breathes a bit)

…The Royal Tutor is up to Vol. 7, The Saga of Tanya the Evil gives us a 2nd manga volume, Scum’s Wish has its 7th book (I will read it and feel terrible), Tales of Wedding Rings is at Book 2, Triage X has somehow hit Volume 15 (is it the breasts? It’s probably the breasts), and Trinity Seven is at lucky 13.

MICHELLE: So far behind on Delicious in Dungeon!

ASH: You’re in for a treat! I’m enjoying the series immensely.

SEAN: As I said, stuff. Are you buying manga? Or clearing tree debris from the latest nightmarish storm?

Pick of the Week: Heart vs. Head

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MICHELLE: I’m most excited about Kodansha’s digital josei offerings this week. Since I’ve already advocated for Chihayafuru several times in this space, this week I’ll go with the second volume of Perfect World. I look forward to catching up on this series, as I hear it’s fab.

ASH: I feel like I should officially pick Okinawa–and I certainly plan on getting my hands on a copy–but if I’m honest, my heart this week belongs to Dorohedoro. The series is drawing near its end, I think, and I still love it just as much as I did in beginning.

SEAN: Same. I loves me some Dorohedoro.

KATE: The part of me that eats kale and recycles is recommending Okinawa, as it’s undoubtedly an Important Manga, but the juvie delinquent part of me is more excited about the sixth volume of I Am a Hero. So my keepin’ it real pick for the week is ZOMBIES.

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Chihayafuru even though I’m far behind with this series. I am still so happy it is being translated!

Manga the Week of 5/16/18

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SEAN: If all goes well, I will be posting this Manga the Week of from a hotel room in Toronto! The wonders of modern all-leather technology! But let’s see what’s out next week.

Dark Horse gives us a 6th omnibus of I Am A Hero.

ASH: I thought I was over zombies, but I Am A Hero continues to be a great read.

SEAN: Fantagraphics has Okinawa, a title that explores the history of the island and its military occupation. It’s likely to be fairly grim, but absolutely worth your time. It’s also about 550 pages, so good value for money.

ASH: I’m always ready for more manga from Fantagraphics! I also find the history of Okinawa to be particularly interesting.

ANNA: Interesting, I might look into this for my library.

SEAN: Ghost Ship has a 4th 2-in-1 omnibus of To-Love-Ru.

J-Novel Club has put The Magic in This Other World is Too Far Behind! on the same once a month schedule as Rokujouma, meaning we get the 2nd volume next week.

Kodansha, print-wise, has a 2nd volume of the Attack on Titan Choose Your Own Adventure book, a 5th Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, and a 4th Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty. More superdeformed shoujo that I seem to like more than other folks!

MICHELLE: I’ve read a couple volumes of Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight so far and I get why someone might find the superdeformity amusing, but to me it’s just so uncute! I’ve never been a big SD fan, though. I vividly remember watching Fushigi Yuugi for the first time and being, like, “What is this crap?!” :)

SEAN: Kodansha digital debuts The Wizard and His Fairy, an Aria series whose plot is basically its title, and is also pretty short, this being the first of two volumes.

MICHELLE: It looks pretty!

ANNA: Sounds cute!

SEAN: Kodansha digital also has new Altair: A Record of Battles (8), Chihayafuru (11), Kasane (12), Love’s Reach (8), and Perfect World (2). I’m definitely looking forward to more Perfect World, the first volume was very good.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on Perfect World. Also happy about more Chihayafuru, of course!

ANNA: I so need to catch up on Chihayafuru!

SEAN: One Peace has an 8th manga volume of The Rise of the Shield Hero.

Seven Seas has two debuts next week. The first is Crisis Girls, a shonen title from Kodansha’s Shonen Magazine Edge. Like The Wizard and the Fairy, this one’s just two volumes, and this is the first. It seems to involve monsters and girls, though apparently not monster girls.

ASH: Okay, I’ll admit, a necromancer dressing in bright pink is kind of delightful.

SEAN: Hungry for You: Endo Yasuko Stalks the Night is the other debut, and it’s about (as you may have gathered) a vampire attending high school and her glasses-wearing emergency food (who is sadly not named Menchi). It’s very silly for the most part, and runs in Shonen Gahosha’s Young Comic, where it may be the one title in the magazine that’s not porn. It does have fanservice, though.

MICHELLE: Now I’m going to have Menchi’s mournful song in my head.

SEAN: Other Seven Seas releases include a print version of the 2nd Arifureta novel, a print version of the 6th Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash novel (both digital J-Novel titles), a 2nd Juana and the Dragonewt’s Seven Kingdoms, and the 6th (shudders in loathing) Magical Girl Site.

Vertical has a 6th volume of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.

And Viz rounds out our list. They debut the RWBY Manga Anthology, a collection of shorts by various artists about the “western anime” show.

We also have a 4th Children of the Whales, a 22nd Dorohedoro, a 7th Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, and a 10th Ultraman. I am still so happy that Dorohedoro has run as long as it has.

ASH: Yes! Dorohedoro is the best!

Are you getting these in print? Digitally? Or via the new manga headjack, now on sale at all good stores?

Kenka Bancho Otome, Vol 1

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Kenka Bancho Otome by Chie Shimada

Kenka Bancho Otome has many elements that I like present in a single manga. There is a reverse harem scenario in which a girl has to dress as a boy! It is an adaptation of an otome game, and I enjoy the occasional otome game (still playing Ninja Shadow). Also, there is punching and juvenile delinquency involved, and I do greatly appreciate shoujo manga heroines with the ability to perform acts of physical strength.

One thing I found absolutely hilarious was the way the set-up for the whole manga was taken care of in about 5 panels. Hinako, an orphan, is about to start her high school career at an all girls school, when she brushes against a boy who fakes a violent fall. The mysterious boy’s manservant tells her that he has broken his arm, and Hinako is forced to attend his school entrance ceremony in his place. Conveniently, the “injured” boy is Hinako’s doppleganger. She finds herself dressed as a boy, attending an all boys school for juvenile delinquents. Hinako is cosplaying as Hikaru Onigashima, the son of a yakuza boss, whose family obligations require him to become the boss of the school by beating up everyone around him. I sort of wish the rest of the manga took place at such a breakneck speed, but I’m sure that would not be practical to execute.

This being an adaptation of an otome game, handsome boys of different types are introduced in short succession. There’s the mysterious dark-haired uppperclassman with a secret shared past with Hinako, a sporty exuberant boy who blushes all the time, a silent boy with hidden depths, and a flamboyant rock star. I can’t remember their names because the characters are not really all that memorable, but that’s not really the point! Kenka Bancho Otome steps through many standard shoujo plot points with a breezy charm and attractive character designs. It did make me wish that the game was available on android, because I totally would have played it after reading the manga. On that level, I think the manga is a success. It was fun to read, mainly because I’m always up for punching and reverse harem manga. On the other hand, any otome game adaptation isn’t going to have the emotional depth of a manga like Hana Kimi or the hilarity of a series like Oresama Teacher. So Kenka Bancho Otome is nice and diverting, when someone might be in the need of a pleasant distraction, which is a mood I find myself in most of the time.

Pick of the Week: Brides, Kings and Tigers

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SEAN: While I’d argue that The Bride Was a Boy is the most important title this week, and Requiem of the Rose King probably the continuing series of the week, I have been waiting for the Toradora! novels for so long that there’s no question that it is my pick of the week. Put a Taiga in your tank!

KATE: I agree with Sean: The Bride Was a Boy should be on everyone’s reading list, and it’s my top pick for the week. For continuing series, though, I gotta rep for Shuzo Oshimi’s Happiness, one of the most compelling horror series I’ve read in ages. The sixth volume was a masterclass in when to tell the story just through pictures, and when a few words really add value. The sixth ended on a hell of a cliffhanger, so I’m glad volume seven arrives this week.

MICHELLE: Definitely put me down for The Bride Was a Boy, as well. However, what my heart most wants just now is another serving of Sweetness & Lightning .

ASH: As previously mentioned, The Bride Was a Boy is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so it’s the obvious pick of the week for me! But as everyone else has pointed out, there are some really great ongoing series being released this week, too.

ANNA: The Bride Was a Boy sounds like the standout release this week, but I can’t pass up an opportunity to mention Requiem of the Rose King which can always be relied upon for plenty of surreal kingmaking drama.

MJ: I gotta join in with Anna here. I love Requiem of the Rose King too much to pass up the chance to speak its name loudly to the universe. It’s my pick by default.

Pick of the Week: Sweet and Bizarre Adventures

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KATE: There’s plenty of product this week, from long-running shojo favorites like Kimi ni Todoke to new light novel series. My vote, however, goes to Chi’s Sweet Adventure, a spin-off of the Chi’s Sweet Home anime. I’m not expecting anything too ground-breaking here, just some cute kitty antics. What looks good to you?

SEAN: It feels odd to be picking nonfiction as my pick of the week (and prose for the second week running), but the Mari Okada autobiography, From Truant to Anime Screenwriter. I am looking forward to a lot of Viz stuff as well, but Mari Okada is definitely my pick this week.

MICHELLE: I’ll go with the 29th and penultimate volume of Kimi ni Todoke, even though I fully intend to hoard my copy and read it along with the final volume, since we have to wait until December for that one (sniff)!

ANNA: There’s a ton of great manga coming out this week! I’m going to have to go with the latest volume of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Chronicles. I might be hopelessly far behind in my reading of this series, but I love that it is getting the deluxe hardcover treatment.

ASH: I’ll join Anna this week in declaring JoJo my pick! I’m actually double-dipping for Stardust Crusaders because the deluxe edition is so handsome. There’s plenty of other manga coming out that I plan on giving a read, too, though!

Manga the Week of 5/2/18

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SEAN: There’s a lot of manga out in May, but mercifully slightly less than March or April. What do we have next week?

Cross Infinite World has another Japanese webnovel for us. Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report stars a girl determined to help the sick, and her adventures in a fantasy-tinged land.

Ghost Ship has a 4th To-Love-Ru Darkness.

J-Novel Club has a couple of debuts, one of which is very interesting indeed. Mari Okada is a prolific anime screenwriter who has won awards, and From Truant to Anime Screenwriter: My Path to “Anohana” and “The Anthem of the Heart” is her autobiography. A truly unique license that sounds fantastic.

ASH: That does sound interesting! Okada worked on the anime adaptation of Wandering Son and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine among many other great series.

ANNA: Huh, that does sound interesting!

SEAN: The other debut is more typical. The Unwanted Undead Adventurer starts off in a fantasy world, so not an isekai. Unfortunately, our plucky young adventurer was eaten, and now exists as a skeleton. Can he conquer dungeons anyway? What do you think?

There’s also a 2nd New Life + and a 12th Invaders of the Rokujouma!?.

Kodansha is mostly taking a break from digital next week, but they are debuting even more new series, so we get the debut of Beware the Kamiki Brothers! (Kamiki Kyoudai Okotowari), a 6-volume Betsufure series. I tend to be very wary of shoujo covers with a pensive female lead and smug male lead. We shall see.

Seven Seas has the 7th Lord Marskman and Vanadis, and a 2nd Nameless Asterism. They’re also putting out a 2nd digital volume of the Strawberry Panic light novel.

ASH: I liked the first volume of Nameless Asterism well enough to see how the Gordian Knot of unrequited love continues to develop in the second.

SEAN: We have a new publisher, though they’ve done work on visual novels in the past. Sol Press debuts two new light novels titles digitally, with print apparently coming out later on. We have Battle Divas: The Incorruptible Battle Blossom Princess, as well as Strongest Gamer: Let’s Play in Another World. Go check them out!

ASH: Oh, a new challenger has entered the arena! I was previously unaware.

MJ: Oh, interesting! I’m not sure I mean these particular books, but always happy to see a new publisher in the game.

SEAN: Vertical has the debut of Chi’s Sweet Adventures, the spinoff of beloved cat manga Chi’s Sweet Home.

And the rest is Viz. There are no debuts this time around. The Jump imprint has new volumes of Black Clover (11), Bleach’s 23rd 3-in-1, Haikyu!! (23), the 7th hardcover re-release of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 2 (technically Seinen Jump), Naruto: Chibi Sasuke’s Sharingan Legend (3), One Piece (86), the penultimate Toriko (42), and Twin Star Exorcists (12).

ASH: Haikyu!! and JoJo for me, please!

ANNA: So behind with JoJo but I love it.

On the Shojo Beat end, we see Anonymous Noise 8, Everyone’s Getting Married 8, Kimi ni Todoke 29 (also a penultimate volume), and Oresama Teacher 24.

ASH: I’ll take some more Oresama Teacher, too.

SEAN: That’s actually quite a bit. Do you see favorites in this list?

MICHELLE: My favorites are all in the VIZ camp today, specifically One Piece, Haikyu!!, and Kimi ni Todoke. Hard to believe the last is finally drawing to a close.

Pick of the Week: An Embarrassment of Riches

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SEAN: My pick this week is tricky, especially with so much good manga. There’s Nozaki-kun, Silver Spoon, Murcielago… that said, as you’d expect, my eye is drawn to light novels. No, not Vending Machine, though I am morbidly curious. My pick is I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, which not only has a female protagonist but seems to be dedicated to “relaxing and taking it easy” despite the max level. I like the idea of an isekai with the mood of, say, Flying Witch.

MICHELLE: Because I am confident at least one other person will pick Silver Spoon, I’m going with the eighth Yowamushi Pedal omnibus. I rejoice every time there’s a new volume of this series.

KATE: I like To Your Eternity, but jeez — it’s a downer. My vote goes for volume two of Silver Spoon, the only manga series in English that features at least three udder-ly wonderful jokes about cows per volume. (Yeah, I went there.) (No, I’m not sorry.)

ANNA: I’m so far behind, I haven’t read the first volumes of To Your Eternity and Silver Spoon, but out of everything coming out this week, those are the titles that I’m sure I’d like.

ASH: There are so many great releases again this week, it’s difficult to pick just one! Many of my favorites have already been mentioned–Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Silver Spoon, Yowamushi Pedal, To Your Eternity–and I’m not even going to try to choose among them. And so, even though it’s not manga, I would like to take the opportunity to call attention to Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream.

MJ: Probably predictably, I’m Silver Spoon all the way this week. I absolutely loved the first volume, and I’m anxious for more. Also, I deeply appreciate Kate for the cow pun.