David Welsh

This week, Kate, David, Sean, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Kodansha Comics, and Viz Media.

Black Bird, Vol. 11 | By Kanoko Sakurakoji | VIZ Media – Reading the newest installment of Black Bird, I can see why the series has been a perennial bestseller: the cast is comprised of achingly beautiful young men in yukatas, all of whom are captivated by the heroine. The story, too, has crack potential, as it involves demon clan warfare, fragile political alliances, age-old prophecies, and sex. What’s missing is a compelling heroine. Eleven volumes into Black Bird, Misao remains as helpless as she did in the very first chapters, enduring Kyo’s grouchy, possessive behavior, an enemy’s memory-erasing spells, and other demons’ violent attempts to drink her blood. Adding insult to injury is the author’s insistence that Kyo is really a good, soulful person underneath his brusque exterior, a side of his personality that only Misao can see. As someone who’s old enough to have dated a few jerks, I find that kind of relationship as tedious on paper as it is in real life, even if the lead character is a handsome male tengu. – Katherine Dacey

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 2 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – I had argued that I found the first volume of A Bride’s Story very well-done, but a bit cold, like looking at a piece of art in a museum. I’m pleased to say that Volume 2 draws me in a lot more. Amir still tends to be a cipher at times, but the author compensates for that by pairing her with more emotional characters – the hotheaded and perpetually frustrated Pariya, or her youthful husband Karluk, with whom she gets probably the best two scenes in the book. But there’s more action here as well, as Amir’s family come to take her back so they can forge a better relationship with less savory neighbors. Seeing the townspeople riding up to protect her is awesome – indeed, Amir has trouble taking it all in. Even Dr. Smith, who seemed to be the comedy Westerner in Volume 1, gets some excellent depth here, and I do wonder if we’ll be seeing more of him in future volumes. Indeed, the author’s notes hint we might see the focus change to other brides? I hope not – Amir’s story still needs closure.– Sean Gaffney

Fairy Tail, Vol. 15 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – As with many shonen mangas of its type, this volume of Fairy Tail is taken up with a lot of battles, as the Laxus fights come to their natural conclusion. This gives Erza another chance to be awesome, of course, and shows that Fairy Tail’s camaraderie and willingness to work together will always trump a quest for sheer power like Laxus has gone through. But I expect, despite the fact that the fights are of decent quality and the characterization decent, everyone will be discussing the Ass Pull of a character return we get with Mystogan’s real identity. If it were deconstructed, such as with Cross Game, it might be decent, but we get the reveal and then the character simply walks away – the whole scene reads like a ratings grabber for sweeps time, and sucks the soul out of much of the book. Oh well, the rest of it is fairly solid. I hope the arc wraps up in the next volume, though. – Sean Gaffney

Grand Guignol Orchestra, Vol. 5 | By Kaori Yuki | VIZ Media – The fifth and final volume of Grand Guignol Orchestra is a gorgeous mess. Though Kaori Yuki’s artwork remains as attractive as ever, she still hasn’t mastered the art of bringing her stories to a satisfying conclusion. The series’ penultimate scene is a long, confusing sequence of double-crosses, overwrought speeches, and bolt-from-the-blue revelations that make little sense even within the parameters of the Grand Guignol universe. A more sedate epilogue ties up the loose ends, hinting of what Yuki is capable of doing when she dials down the histrionics. The volume is rounded out with a lengthy story, “Camelot Garden,” which quotes liberally from Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shallot,” to diminishing returns. – Katherine Dacey

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 10 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – The latest volume of Natsume’s Book of Friends features two longer stories. In the first, “False Friend,” a bully from Natsume’s past returns when he suspects that he’s had an encounter with the supernatural, while in the second, “The Harvest Festival,” Natsume must rescue a guardian spirit who’s been sealed inside a rock. Both stories are well-executed, with crack pacing, memorable demons, and just enough ambiguity to keep the reading guessing at the outcome, even though Natsume’s fundamental decency is never in doubt. As an added bonus, Yuki Midorikawa’s artwork is improving steadily with each volume, yielding some simple but astonishing images. Recommended. – Katherine Dacey

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 7 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – After a seemingly random detour to Lutwidge Academy (the school attended by Oz’s sister) provides information about “the tragedy of Sablier,” Pandora Hearts resumes its original mission, with Oz determined to learn the truth about why he was sent to the Abyss and his companion, Alice, renewing her search for her missing memories, even though they may be too traumatic to bear. Sometimes this series is hard to follow—this volume certainly contains a few abrupt segues—but it continues to deliver on character arcs. Sure, Oz’s desire to grow stronger pretty generic, but I quite like the plight of his childhood friend, Gilbert, who faces a future where his aid is less useful to Oz, and newish character Elliot has some intriguing potential as well. Add in a bit of background for enigmatic and eccentric Break, and this is quite a satisfying volume! – Michelle Smith

Soul Eater, Vol. 7 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – This volume is less exciting than the previous ones, mostly as the last arc has ended and the author is taking his time setting up the new one. This is not to say there is nothing of interest, though. Soul Eater continues to appeal to me for its artistic design, which manages to combine funny and creepy better than anyone else – even Franken Fran should take lessons from Ohkubo. After Medusa, Arachnae seems underwhelming so far, but she’s only just established herself. Not to mention that Medusa – or at least hallucinations of her – isn’t far away, and I wonder what Stein will do. The biggest surprise of the series to date, though, is seeing Crona join the side of the good guys – despite remaining a twitching mess, and still having that double personality of a weapon inside him/her. It’s a testament to Maka’s friendship building skills that Crona’s trying at all. And it wouldn’t be Soul Eater without at least one drop-dead funny scene – Marie’s introduction, and her decision to marry a toilet, immediately tells us that she is a Christmas Cake of the finest kind, and I hope she gets more to do later. Great fun, even if this volume is ‘shifting gears’ more than ‘constant thrills’. – Sean Gaffney

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 5 | By Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino | VIZ Media – Much as I love this series, this volume is kind of a mess in terms of storytelling. It starts with a pleasant-enough but forgettable sequence with its heroine, Shurei, suffering from a cold and her devoted circle of men trying to make her feel better while dealing with their own rivalries. It’s cute, but it feels like a side story in a series where volumes usually launch strongly. The main story introduces a heap of plot elements too quickly, from the impending civil service exam to the nation’s criminal underworld to an admittedly awesome courtesan of Shurei’s acquaintance. The characters still shine through all of the clutter, but I missed the focused clarity of previous story arcs. It felt less like a complete reading experience than previous volumes. On the bright side, Yura does maintain the admirable level of prettiness she’s always brought to her illustrations. – David Welsh

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 10 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – The tag line of this series, “Enjoy everything,” pretty much says it all. Readers get the opportunity to follow an energetic, quirky kid through the average moments of her life. She hangs out with friends, family, and neighbors. She invents games, makes pancakes, goes shopping, and occasionally misbehaves. Azuma’s grasp of kid logic elevates the material from being simply identifiable to hitting some wonderful comic highs. When she gets a picture book with animal stickers in it, her delight manifests itself very specifically: “Ohhh… this is a lifesaver.” That’s funny, because it isn’t something you’d expect a kid to say, but it’s extra funny, because you can absolutely see a kid saying it. That’s Azuma’s specialty: a grounded approach that finds the little bits of weirdness in everyday life, going easy on the outright sentiment while still investing everything with a heartfelt quality. It’s kind of magical. – David Welsh

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 10 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – It’s hard to know how to review a volume of Yotsuba&!. I mean, it’s just sweet, y’know? There’s just lots of moments in this volume that are simply worth reading. Jumbo’s reaction to seeing photos of Asagi and Koiwai at the balloon fair; Asagi’s casual cruelty towards Fuuka when she lends Yotsuba the medicine ball; Fuuka showing that she may actually be the most eccentric one in the cast, rather than Yotsuba; Yotsuba’s frustration over not making perfect pancakes, and Miura’s frustration later on knowing that she may have to play Danbo FOREVER. The best chapter, though, is the one where Yotsuba panicked after breaking some dishes, lies about how it happened. What follows is pure beauty, with Yotsuba digging herself deeper and deeper and her father managing to brilliantly resolve things without yelling at her – in fact, his passive terrifying may be the best deterrent there is. Heck, even Yanda is tolerable here (though he’s still a jerk). Great series.– Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 10 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – It’s been nearly a year since I last read a volume of Yotsuba&!, and that was definitely way too long. I dove into this volume with relish and happily found that the first chapter, “Yotsuba & Playtime,” is quintessential Yotsuba&!, showing the title character at her most imaginative and her father at his most patient, even when her behavior borders on obnoxious. And, indeed, the fact that Yotsuba is capable of sulking and lying actually makes her adventures all the more wonderful because, in addition to ringing true, these moments give her father a chance to shine as he makes sure she learns the right lessons. He’s an intriguing guy and a terrific dad and I hope that whenever this series comes to an end we’ll get a glimpse of the kind of grown-up Yotsuba turned out to be thanks to his loving guidance. – Michelle Smith

With several important limbs of the battle robot immobilized by snow, David and Michelle bravely forge on with a look at recent releases with a Halloween or costume party sort of vibe!

Animal Land, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Raiku | Kodansha Comics – The most striking thing about Animal Land is that it actually manages to convey the physical sensation of shrillness without actually creating any sounds. I swear my ears were ringing by the time I was done with this comic, and if it had been an animated cartoon, I would have clicked away from its high-pitched shrieking within seconds. It’s too bad, because Raiku has created a clever plot featuring a human baby winding up in a functioning society of tanuki. The baby, who can understand and communicate with all species, shakes up the inter-animal dynamic by helping them understand what everyone else is saying. That’s a really interesting starting point, but the hyperactive characters always seem to have their volume set at shônen 10, which is about 4 levels higher than I can tolerate. Some of Raiku’s anthropomorphic character designs for the tanuki end up being unintentionally creepy rather than cute, too. – David Welsh

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4 | By Kazue Kato | Viz – There’s a pretty big reveal in this volume and, as is sometimes the case in stories by relatively inexperienced creators from weeklies, it seems a bit rushed. Kato does a great job in a lot of departments. Her art is attractive and stylized, but it keeps the action clear. The character types are certainly familiar, but they’re likeable and distinct in spite of the recognizable functions they fulfill. (I find myself surprisingly fond of hard-ass mentor Shura in spite of her fan-service-friendly wardrobe.) And Kato thinks about the small things in terms of the ways her characters interact and react to events, which is always welcome. As far as the long-term storytelling goes, though, Blue Exorcist seems a little lumpy. While Kato gets good follow-up mileage out of big events, the overall structure doesn’t seem as tight as it could or should be. There’s tons to like here, but it lacks the seamlessness of something like Fullmetal Alchemist. – David Welsh

Gate 7, Vol. 1 | By CLAMP | Dark Horse – Gate 7 is so extraordinarily pretty. From the handsomely detailed settings to the finely carved faces and gorgeous costumes, it’s a feast for the eyes. The glamour of it all almost – almost – excuses the fact that it has very little else working in its favor at this point. The plot reads like a CLAMP Mad Lib. A dorky but good-natured guy falls in with a pack of weird but incredibly attractive people with magical powers and lots of secrets, and he learns that he has some semblance of supernatural ability. In spite of the reams of exposition CLAMP has provided, I still feel like I know very little about most of the cast or what their function is in the grand scheme of things. But I really, really like looking at them, and I think I will be content to do so for at least a few more volumes. – David Welsh

Raiders, Vol. 7 | By JinJun Park | Yen Press – Raiders is such an odd series. It’s somewhat incoherent—the super-swift cuts between scenes don’t help one make sense of what is going on—but there’s enough intriguing about it that I keep reading. And now that I’ve read seven of the nine volumes, might as well keep going to the end! This volume features a pair of guys breaking into Area 51 in order to obtain data on the military’s research into weaponizing the undead. I’ve no idea how they learned about this, or who one of these guys even is, but with Raiders I’ve learned to set aside such concerns and just focus on the action, which is usually pretty cool. Also, the fanservice is not gratuitous—okay, yes, there’s one inexplicably nude moment for Lamia (the sexy zombie!) and copious bra flashes in a fight between two blade-wielding women, but these moments never subtract from the characters’ overall badassery, which I appreciate. – Michelle Smith

Vampire Knight, Vol. 13 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media –So much of Vampire Knight is comprised of angst-ridden scenes and moody grey screentones that important revelations kind of sneak up on the reader. You’re reading along, lulled by the pretty art as you watch Zero mope about his plight as a vampire again (“Inside me… is there anything human left?”) and Kaname wrestle with conflicting impulses concerning Yuki, and then suddenly Kaname’s revealing the truth about his origins to Yuki, which explains how he could be both the progenitor of the Kuran clan and her sibling and also tangentially covers the formation of the vampire hunter society. I wouldn’t say it’s riveting stuff—it’s all a bit too languid to qualify—but it ought to have some interesting consequences. One thing I will say for Vampire Knight—it’s compulsively readable, and even though I’m not a fervent fan, I see myself sticking around for the long haul to see how things turn out. – Michelle Smith