Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 11/13

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SEAN: This week isn’t quite as bad as the previous two, but there’s still a chunky bit of stuff coming onto the shops.

Dark Horse has the 3rd of their Lone Wolf & Cub omnibuses. That’s a chunky item hitting the shops all by itself, and very good value for money it is too.

ASH: I’m happy to see Lone Wolf & Cub being re-released. The larger format means I have a better chance of actually being able to read the text, too.

MJ: I’ve been so happy to have a fresh opportunity to fall in love with this series. And fall in love, I have!

ANNA: Nice! I need to check this out again, I think I only read the first five or so volumes of the original series but I did enjoy it.

SEAN: We have a trio of releases from DMP. Lies Are A Gentleman’s Manners certainly wins the title of the week award, but I know nothing else about it. The description seems to involve LSD and blackmail.

ASH: I don’t know much about this one, either. But, megane alert!

MJ: Thanks to David Welsh, I’m thrilled to see anything from Opera, so count me in!

Moon and Blood 4 is still doing its mini-manga thing.

And Triton of the Sea finishes up with its 2nd omnibus. Are we getting near the end of print Tezuka releases, headed for a digital-only future?

ASH: I think we’re getting close. There are only two forthcoming Tezuka print releases that I’m currently aware of: The Mysterious Undergound Men and The Crater.

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SEAN: Drawn & Quarterly has been putting out a lot of Shigueru Mizuki lately, and this is one of his big magnum opus projects. Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan seems to actually be half history book and half yokai (come on, can we really expect no yokai in a Mizuki book?), as we switch between his childhood and the events that shaped Japan. I can’t wait for this one. There’s a sequel, covering World War II, out in the spring.

MICHELLE: Oh, that *does* sound interesting.

ASH: I’m very much looking forward to this series. If the first two omnibuses do well, we should see two more.

MJ: Ditto!

ANNA: This looks cool.

SEAN: Kodansha has Cage of Eden 12, with more extinct animals, action sequences, and naked teenage girls bathing in rivers.

Another intriguing debut is Black Bard, which One Peace Books is putting out as a done-in-one omnibus. From Media Factory’s oddball shoujo magazine Comic Gene, and the plot sort of sounds like Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro, only less depressing.

ASH: I’m definitely checking this one out. I just can’t pass up the music and magic combo.

MJ: Again, what Ash said!

ANNA: I am reserving judgement until the first reviews get posted, but it does sound interesting.

SEAN: One Peace also has the 4th of the reissue volumes of Crayon Shin-chan, which has been their main manga product to date, though with Black Bard they’re starting to expand. Shin-chan is pure kiddie fun, though be aware it’s a kid’s idea of fun, not a parent’s.

Picturebox has been known for having some old-school seinen, and this week is no different with the release of Gold Pollen and Other Stories. Actually, instead of seinen, it’s more pure alternative, and sounds quite interesting in an “indie comix” way.

ASH: I’ve already got my copy of this one! Picturebox has been doing some really interesting manga releases this year and the production quality has been top-notch. Gold Pollen is the first volume in its Masters of Alternative Manga series; I’m very curious to see what else will be picked up.

MJ: I’m pretty anxious to see this!

SEAN: SubLime has the 3rd volume of Blue Morning, which I understand has garnered some praise from other corners of the Manga Bookshelf. Anyone want to chime in?

MICHELLE: I described it as “more like a genuine period drama than BL romance with some token period frills.” The characters are well developed and complex, too, and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly.

MJ: I’m really enjoying this series, and Michelle’s recent review has made me anxious to dig into this volume!

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SEAN: “I am hot.” “I am also hot.” “And naked.” “I too am naked.” “We fight crime.” “In an erotic way.” “We are… Spiritual Police.” “From SubLime Manga, November 6.” “Revel in our hot bods.” “And sultry gazes.”

MICHELLE: Bwa-ha-ha!

MJ: <3

SEAN: Vertical dips into the world of post-apocalyptic sci-fi with From the New World Vol. 1. I really didn’t like the first volume, but others may disagree with me.

ASH: I’ve been told the manga follows the novels more closely than the anime adaptation, but I’m really not sure what to think about this series yet.

SEAN: 07-Ghost Vol. 7 comes as close as it ever will to being symmetrical.

MICHELLE: Sigh. Somehow I am now really, really far behind on this.

MJ: I’m mesmerized by the near-symmetry.

ANNA: I need to get caught up! I enjoy this series.

SEAN: Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 6 introduces Olivier Armstrong, which is the best possible reason to buy it, as she is amazing.

MJ: Yes. Yes she is.

Speaking of omnibuses, Inu Yasha’s VizBIG Edition is up to Vol. 17, which I’m sure is also an exciting and thrilling part of the story, probably.

MICHELLE: I have actually never finished InuYasha. I have the last ten volumes hanging around, ready for me to read them, but I have been delaying it for years now. Kind of like how I never watched that one episode of TNG and thus it is not actually finished for me.

SEAN: Lastly, Rin-Ne ambles slowly along with lucky Vol. 13. Perhaps Sakura will show an emotion this time around… nah, never gonna happen. Still, it’s enjoyable spirit comedy.

MICHELLE: I have a warm spot in my heart for RIN-NE despite its lack of forward momentum of any kind.

SEAN: Any favorites?

BL Bookrack: Simply SuBLime

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Welcome to the latest installment of BL Bookrack! This time, MJand Michelle take a look at two titles from SuBLime Manga, The Man of Tango and Sleeping Moon. In Brief: Blue Morning, Vol. 3, Off*Beat, Ch. 14, and Tableau Numéro 20.


themanoftangoThe Man of Tango | By Tetuzoh Okadaya | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – So distant are the days when I found SuBLime’s selection of titles mostly unimpressive, that it’s a bit of a struggle to recall them. And, in face of a book like The Man of Tango, it’s hard to believe that I ever distrusted this imprint.

Though tango dancer Angie is irresistible on the dance floor (and in the bedroom), he’s never experienced any love approaching his passion for the dance until he meets Hiro, a biracial salaryman who finds himself unexpectedly drawn into Angie’s tango-focused world. Hiro is initially reluctant to become sexually involved with a man, but his growing passion for both Angie and the tango eventually wins him over, introducing him to a kind of warmth and happiness he’s never known.

On the face of it, this sounds like any average BL premise, even down to the reluctant “straight” man, but The Man of Tango is anything but average. Even its looks defy the norm, as the manga features bulky, muscular characters who skew more bara than BL, but given that the artist was influenced by bara legend Gengoroh Tagame, that’s no surprise. More unusual, perhaps, is the story’s fantastic female costar, Bene, whose dream of returning to Buenos Aires is ultimately left for Angie and Hiro to pursue. The self-made family created by the three of them is really at the heart of the story—perhaps even more than its romance—and this isn’t a negative thing by any means. Bene’s presence somehow brings more meaning to everything, including Angie and Hiro’s relationship.

That said, friendship and romance are hardly the volume’s only draw, which is to say that it’s pretty much teeming with sex—passionate, graphic, manly sex—the likes of which are seldom seen in BL, at least on these shores. You’ll find no grimacing, helpless uke here, which dramatically affects my perception of the story’s initial sex scene, in which Hiro is clearly too intoxicated to give consent. It’s a rare BL manga that can overcome my distaste for rape fantasy, but this is one of the rare few. Furthermore, I often complain that sex scenes get in the way of stories rather than genuinely enhancing them, but this could not be less the case with The Man of Tango. Not only do Okadaya’s sex scenes advance the story and the characters’ relationship, but they’re genuinely sexy, which is also surprisingly rare for BL manga.

In short, The Man of Tango is well-crafted, emotionally compelling, and downright hot. Recommended.

– Review by MJ


sleepingmoon2Sleeping Moon, Vols. 1-2 | By Kano Miyamoto | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – I’ve read my share of Barbara Michaels novels, quite a few of which feature the heroine returning to her ancestral home to unearth family secrets. Sleeping Moon evokes that same feeling by sending its protagonist, 27-year-old graduate student Akihiko Odagawa, into the countryside to the home in which his father grew up, searching for the origins of a family curse that dooms the male descendents to die young. There, he reconnects with his younger cousin, Ren, but also takes dream journeys into the past, where he meets a scholar named Eitarou, for whom he soon develops feelings.

Sleeping Moon is complete in two volumes, which is a little bit of a disappointment, because it definitely seemed at first that there was enough meat to the premise for it to go on a little longer. That’s not to say the resolution is unsatisfying, though I do admit to being more interested in the origins of the curse itself than in Akihito and Ren’s rather rushed romance. Miyamoto-sensei sustains a nicely creepy atmosphere, and I definitely could’ve read lots more about the fox spirit attempting to protect the family.

I also really liked how Miyamoto depicted the home’s resident kitty. He just kind of wanders through scenes, stepping on people who are in the midst of having a conversation, etc. I hate, though, that his whereabouts are not accounted for at the end, and that no one, in fact, seems to care at all about whether he’s okay, given what happens. (How’s that for vague?) Do not introduce us to a cute kitty then not show him all safe and happy on the last page!
Anyway, Sleeping Moon is a solidly enjoyable supernatural yarn. The romance aspect is somewhat lacking, and it’s not exactly the most original story ever, but it’s still definitely worth reading.

– Review by Michelle Smith

In Brief:


bluemorning3Blue Morning, Vol. 3 | By Shoko Hidaka | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – When I reviewed volume one, I wrote “Complex, dark, and a bit twisted, Blue Morning is the best BL I’ve read so far this year.” Happily, subsequent volumes of the series have only further cemented this impression. By volume three, Akihito and Katsuragi’s relationship has evolved as Akihito himself has matured and Katsuragi has begun to change in ways Akihito has yet to notice. Complications abound, however, and because so many of these arise due to the status-conscious society of the day, Hidaka-sensei spends a lot of time on this aspect of the story, with the result that Blue Morning feels more like a genuine period drama than BL romance with some token period frills. With characters this compelling and storytelling this nuanced and sure, there’s potential for much more riveting story to come, and I couldn’t be happier about that. This one is a keeper, for sure. – Michelle Smith


offbeat14Off*Beat, Ch. 14 | By Jen Lee Quick | Chromatic Press | Rated YA – Because this series is American, it gets out of having to label itself “BL” (or not), but if there’s ever been a more gorgeously written love story between two teenaged boys, I certainly don’t know what it is. Part of what makes it work so well, of course, is that it reads as both YA and supernatural (or fringe science) mystery more than it reads as genre romance, and somehow that’s the magic formula for actual romance, at least in the hands of Jen Lee Quick. Her ability to capture her teens’ smart dialogue and awkward body language is, frankly, astounding, and volume 14 is absolutely fraught with these things, along with considerable romantic tension. Then she follows it up with a scene between Tory and his mother that had me nearly in tears. If you’re still holding out on this series… well, stop it. Dive in now. Highly recommended. – MJ


tableauTableau Numéro 20 | By est em | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – Let’s be honest, this title pretty much had me at “est em,” but even among her rather generous English-translated catalogue, it ranks among my favorites, and that’s saying quite a bit. Her style here favors short manga, as is generally expected. The book’s title story, a wistful love story between a long-dead painter and his subject, is more fanciful than the author’s norm, but no less moving. Even so, it may not actually be the strongest of the bunch. I was especially fond of “Rasgueado,” a story about a young zapateado dancer who is pulled out of a rut by an older guitarist, but each of the volume’s five short stories is a splendid work of art. Like most of est em’s work, I would consider this book appropriate for any adult manga fan, regardless of his or her preferred genres. Absolutely recommended. – MJ

Other recent BL reviews from MJ & Michelle: Sleeping Moon, Vol. 2 (SuBLime), Off*Beat, Ch. 13 (Chromatic Press)

Pick of the Week: Addictive Shoujo

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shoujopotwMICHELLE: I’m caught between two equally compelling options. On the one hand, there’s Skip Beat!‘s sixth 3-in-1 omnibus, but I’ve literally been telling people to read this for years, so even though it’s terrific, perhaps I should instead go for option number two, Strobe Edge. It’s more of an unknown quantity for me, but I’ve personally been enjoying it a lot. So… my official pick is… Strobe Edge (but also Skip Beat!).

MJ: As I’m having trouble choosing something this week, I’ll also go with Strobe Edge! I was unimpressed by this series at first, but it had me hooked by the end of the first volume, and that has only intensified over time. It’s become a book I gobble up immediately upon the arrival of each new volume. Nothing quite beats addictive shoujo.

ANNA: I also adore both Strobe Edge and Skip Beat, but I’ll go ahead and make Skip Beat my pick, simply because I’m a big fan of omnibus editions for these long-running series. Skip Beat is the rare long series that manages to keep everything compelling and fresh.

ASH: I haven’t read any of Strobe Edge yet, but I have read and adored Skip Beat!. Great comedy, great characters, and a the omnibuses are a great way of getting into the series. So, despite some of the other intriguing titles being released this week, my vote goes to Skip Beat!, too.

SEAN: And instead of breaking the tie I will choose Oresama Teacher, which not only is that rare series about teenage delinquents that’s licensed in North America, and not only has an entire *cast* that can rival Special A for being dense and not understanding any nuance, and not only manages to have a reverse harem love quadrangle without making me actually take any sides about who will win, but is simply funny as hell. Will always love this.

What looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 11/4/13

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This week, Sean, MJ, Michelle, & Anna look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, Yen Press, and 6 Degree Works, Inc.

burninglove2Burning Love on the Aegean Sea | By Harumo Sanazaki | 6 Degree Works, Inc – This is a somewhat random Ohzora manga that I bought on impulse for my Kindle. It is a basic mishmash of Harlequin story tropes, without the elements of humor or lush art that makes romance manga more enjoyable to read. Christian is a man with anger issues and lush, long dark hair who comes back to a Greek island after being expelled with tons of money and revenge in his heart. Leda is the innocent heroine with a trampy older sister and ethically challenged father who is forced to stay on the island when her ex-lover appears, all while raising her sister’s son. Everything is very dramatic, and the illustrations of windswept hair and turbulent seas combine to underscore the tortured relationship of the two leads as they grow closer. Still, something this manga makes it feel more like it is going through the motions as opposed to telling an interesting story, and there’s plenty of other romance manga out there that will be more satisfying for most readers. Anna N

haganai4Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 4 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – The majority of this volume continues the basic theme of the entire series, which is this group of misfits and outcasts having fun as friends without realizing that’s what they’re actually doing. They write a round-robin fanfic which basically involves torturing each others’ self-inserts, they play the world’s most ridiculous RPG, and they fail mightily at karaoke. There’s nothing particularly earth-shattering here, though the cliffhanger promises that next volume may ramp that up, as Kodaka is invited to meet Sena’s father. As it is, though, romance continues to sit on the back burner here, as the title is more concerned with seeing these broken people insult each other, mock each other, and likely form bonds they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives. -Sean Gaffney

midnight2Midnight Secretary, Vol. 2 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – As heroine Kaya becomes further dependent upon her vampire boss’ sexual attention (to the point of attempting to free herself by leaving his employ) and boss Kyohei is slowly driven mad by his feelings for a “mere human,” I’m aware that I should be fleeing the scene as quickly as possible. After all, it’s these tormented, controlling love interests I despise the most, isn’t it? Isn’t it?? Alas, I can’t deny that I’m enjoying Midnight Secretary, despite myself. I’m captivated by Tomu Ohmi’s tortured love story, her occasional humor, her clean artwork, but most of all, her competent, serious heroine, whose devotion to her work still trumps all, even sexy vampire bosses. Even for this grumpy old lady, sometimes trashy, over-the-top romance really hits the spot. Midnight Secretary is just that kind of romance. Recommended. – MJ

Mochizuki_Pandora18_FINALPandora Hearts, Vol. 18 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – I had wondered how volume 18 could top 17, with its many answers and “um… whut?” ending, but I think it does, largely because Mochizuki manages to provide still more answers to long-standing questions in a way that’s unexpected but absolutely fits with what’s gone before. (Well, what I can remember of what’s gone before. At some point, I’d love to start over from the beginning and see how it all hangs together.) I love how everything is tilted on its head in ways that remind me a little of Loveless, actually. I know this is more fangirl gushing than a legitimate review, but hopefully that just goes to show how much I enjoyed it and how eagerly I await the next volume. “Where do we go from here?” indeed. – Michelle Smith

real12Real, Vol. 12 | By Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – Oh, Real. I seriously love you so much. Why you come out so seldom? Anyway, this volume finds Togawa in pursuit of change—he’s not entirely sure what it is he’s lacking, but he’s banking on finding it at basketball camp. It doesn’t entirely turned out as planned, but some insights from Azumi on his rush-ahead attitude are very welcome. Meanwhile, Hisanobu continues to give rehabilitation his all, and once his formerly estranged father learns about his son’s goal of participating in wheelchair basketball, Inoue-sensei crafts a thoroughly lovely non-verbal sequence wherein the dad learns all about the game and then silently prays for his son’s dream to come true. Sniff. Okay, yes, this volume is full of unabashedly feel-good stuff, but it’s not cloying about it. There’s plenty of sweat, tears, and frustration, and everything is drawn beautifully. Even if you don’t like sports manga, you should make an exception for this one. – Michelle Smith

sankarea3Sankarea, Vol. 3 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Kodansha Comics – The cover to Vol. 3 continues to show how this is being marketed to a very different sort of fan than you’d expect. Yes, there are still elements of harem comedy here, though Wanko is perhaps starting to realize that “I see you like a sister” is a hole that’s usually too big to crawl out of for the typical harem girl. Where the manga really succeeds is in the drama and horror, with the addition of the annoying but informative Darin, and the realization that being dead is not something that Rea can simply deal with and live the rest of her life as normal. The cover art shows this off, as she stares at the stump where her arm used to be. It’s put back, but it’s a sign of a more dangerous trend, which is that she really is a zombie, therefore happily ever after may not be an option here at all. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 11/6

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SEAN: Let’s just roll out, far too much to deal with this first week of November.

801 Media’s dates change on Amazon so often that I’m never quite sure whether I’ll say something is due out and then it’s changed again. But they do list Vol. 7 of Ze for this week. For those who like a bit of epic with your smut.

MICHELLE: I didn’t realize Ze was still coming out. Huh.

ASH: It is indeed! Although it has been a long while since we’ve seen a new volume in English.

MJ: I gave up this series a while back, as it had stopped intriguing me and started just making me uncomfortable (and a little bored). Did I give up too soon?

SEAN: In Kodansha land, the 2nd Air Gear omnibus catches you up a little more with this roller skating, fanservice, and gang violence manga.

Seven Seas has been expanding their reach lately, and it shows in the number of titles they’re doing per month now. We start with another Alice in the Country of Etc. spinoff, The Mad Hatter’s Late Night Tea Party. This looks more romance-oriented than mystery-oriented, and should be filled with innuendo give it’s Dupre, but I’ll give it a shot.

ANNA: I need to get caught up on some of these spinoffs. I do still like this franchise.

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SEAN: Usually with Seven Seas licenses, particularly in their new fanservice-heavy phase, I tend to bat 1 out of every 3 in terms of “things Sean likes”. I have good hopes for A Centaur’s Life, though, which I hear actually tries to imagine what the world would be like in such a situations (monster high school, basically), and tones down after an ecchi first couple chapters. We’ll see how it compares to Monster Musume.

ASH: I don’t read many manga from Seven Seas outside of its yuri titles, but I’m really looking forward to giving A Centaur’s Life a try.

MJ: I can’t exactly say I’m looking forward to it, but I might give it a try anyway.

SEAN: If you’re still catching up on Seven Seas’ breakout title, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Vol. 4 covers Vols. 10-12 of the original.

There’s also Vol. 4 of Mayo Chiki.

Senran Kagura: Skirting Shadows is a manga based on a video game franchise, and apparently is about a Ninja High School, but with no input from Ben Dunn at all. It is apparently littered with fanservice. We shall see.

World War Blue continues to meld generic shonen fantasy with a history of 80s video game wars, which at least is not a commonly used plot device.

I’m not sure who Akiko Shimojima is, but she and Sean Michael Wilson are collaborating on a graphic novel about The 47 Ronin, which Shambhala Press is putting out next week. The cover makes it look like the style is Lone Wolf and Cub-by, which makes sense.

ASH: The Forty-seven Ronin are making quite a showing in the West this year with manga, comics, and film versions of the story all being released.

MJ: I could potentially get interested in this.

SEAN: Another omnibus catchup, Viz gives us the 2nd volume of D.Gray-Man, which collects Vols. 4-6.

midnight2

Midnight Secretary was the more intriguing of Viz’s two new josei licenses, and I am highly looking forward to Vol. 2.

ANNA: Second volume was as good as the first, I am really enjoying this series.

MJ: What she said!

SEAN: I am about 58 volumes behind on Naruto, and given it’s at Vol. 63, unlikely to catch up anytime soon.

Speaking of catching up, if for some reason you haven’t read One Piece and want to buy 23 volumes at once, this box set takes you through to the end of the Alabasta arc.

Oresama Teacher 15 will make me very, very happy and I will laugh a whole lot. As should you all.

ANNA: Oresama Teacher is a hilarious gem of hilarity.

SEAN: Psyren 13. We should be getting near the endgame soon.

Skip Beat!’s 6th 3-in-1 is a great buy for this who missed this top-notch shoujo comedy first time.

MICHELLE: Buy eet!

ASH: Yes, do!

ANNA: Can’t go wrong with Skip Beat!

SEAN: Strobe Edge 7. Angst! Angst! We just can’t get enough! Get more here.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen a couple of volumes behind with Strobe Edge and am really looking forward to getting caught up.

ANNA: This is one of those series that took a couple volumes to get solid, but is now consistently great.

MJ: Yeah, I’m wholeheartedly on board with this title. Bring it on!

sweetrein1

I need some cute manga about reindeer. Sweet Rein seems like the perfect solution. Plus it’s from the author of Penguin Revolution and Land of the Blindfolded, the classic CMX titles (which need license rescuing digitally *cough*).

MICHELLE: It really is quite cute. And a good length (3 volumes) for its premise.

ANNA: It is mega adorable. Great manga for a feel-good pick me up.

MJ: Okay, I read an advance copy, like the rest of you, and I admit it lost me at “the power of Santa cures cancer” (roughly speaking). But maybe it’ll win me back over at some point?

SEAN: Tegami Bachi has reached Vol. 15, and is ‘Ant And Bee Deliver Letters’ gone horribly wrong. Or something.

Ultimo has hit Vol. 9, speaking of Jump Square titles. It’s by the creator of Shaman King, in case you’d forgotten. Oh, and Stan Lee.

Vampire Knight has now ended in Japan, so we’re ready for a big climax in the next couple of volumes. Here’s 17.

Lastly, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s 3. R U 3C 4 2 UGZ?

Are you going to buy any of this, or just stack it in a pile and die when it falls on you?

MICHELLE: I literally lol’d.

MJ: Same.

Pick of the Week: Old Favorites & New

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potw-10-28SEAN: There’s far too much stuff coming out this week, so something is bound to get lost in the shuffle. With that in mind, I will once again bang the gong for one of my addictive series. Higurashi: When They Cry continues to answer things, as we see the aftermath of Satoko and her parents, see how Rika lost her parents, and watch Miyo almost lose everything. The parallels between Miyo and Rika are emphasized even more. Definitely will be devouring this.

MICHELLE: And I’ll bang the gong for one of mine, Pandora Hearts. I’m not sure how much answering it’s going to do, but I’m sure it’ll be as riveting as it is occasionally baffling.

ANNA: I’m going to venture off-list and pick Vinland Saga again. Because today I’m finally going to head out to a physical bookstore to buy it as it seems to still be unorderable on Amazon.

ASH: Wow, there really is a lot of manga coming out this week! I’m particularly looking forward to the second volume of Mitsuhisa Kuji’s Wolfsmund which I would recommend for fans of dark and intriguing historically-inspired manga.

MJ: It’s an abundant shipping week, for sure, though for such a full week, there’s surprisingly little in it that appeals particularly to me. I’m planning to take a look at new Yen titles Another and No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, and I’m always happy to see a new volume of the visually stunning Bride of the Water God. But there’s only one book in this week’s batch that I absolutely can’t wait to read, and that’s volume 18 of Pandora Hearts. I’m a long-time fan of the series, as you know, and at NYCC I was reminded again of just how few of us there are in critical circles when a fellow journalist at the con asked me, “Who writes about Pandora Hearts?” I could think of very few. So, with that in mind, I’m happy to join Michelle this week in making it my pick!

What looks good to you this week?

Off the Shelf: Two from Vertical

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MICHELLE: One of us is sad and one of us is sick, but we’re still putting our woes aside to talk about some new manga this morning. I guess that makes us troopers, huh?

MJ: Or masochists, one of the two.

MICHELLE: I… had not thought about that possible interpretation.

MJ: That’s what I’m here for!

MICHELLE: MJ, dispensing disturbing interpretations since the 1970s!

MJ: You know it!

tropic-220x300We’ve been away from this column for a while, for various reasons, and to crank things back up again, we thought we’d take a look at a couple of recent releases from one of our favorite publishers, Vertical, Inc. First on the docket is a rare classic from the late Satoshi Kon, Tropic of the Sea, written while Kon was still a college student, and first published in Japan over twenty years ago.

Yosuke is the teenaged son of a village priest, whose family has long guarded the secret of a mermaid’s egg, which was reportedly entrusted to his forebears in return for the continuing safety and bounty of their small fishing community. According to legend, the egg must be protected and watered regularly for sixty years, at which point it is returned to its home and replaced by a new one. As the next in line to care for the egg, Yosuke is charged with bringing fresh seawater up to the shrine in which it is kept, which he does both out of duty and a lingering fondness for the legend he believed as a child.

When Yosuke discovers that his father has sold out their family secret to land developers seeking to transform the village into a sprawling resort, he is mildly appalled, but not nearly so much as his grandfather, who, enraged by his son’s hubris, risks his life in an attempt to return the egg to the mermaids as promised. Meanwhile, the villagers wage their own battle with the land developers whose promises of luxury and prosperity threaten their way of life. As the volume continues, Yosuke must decide what he believes and what is really important as he watches his community and his family being torn apart over their land and the mysterious egg.

MICHELLE: Usually, stories about families who stop honoring their contracts with supernatural beings never end well, but I was pleased that this story took a slightly different route. That said, I often times found the pacing disjointed. Perhaps Kon was trying to cram as much story as possible into a limited number of chapters, but there were a few transitions that puzzled me. And in the end, it all just seems to zip by so quickly, and I got a much firmer sense of the awesomeness of Yosuke’s dog (Fujimaru) than many of the human characters.

MJ: I realize that it might be the decongestants slowing me down, I didn’t have quite the same experience. While some sections did feel a bit zippy—particularly the final confrontation and chase with the land developers, I appreciated way Kon slowly and quietly revealed his characters’ truths, particularly Yosuke’s. For instance, while it’s clear early on that Yosuke has some kind of painful past association with the water that makes him reluctant to swim, Kon avoids the sort of carefully manipulated drama that would normally accompany a hero’s childhood trauma. There’s obviously an issue—one that his close friends are distractedly aware of—but it results in none of the kind of drama I’d expect from most stories.

First of all, Yosuke is uncomfortable with swimming, but he still *does* it when he needs to, without any tortured posturing. Then, later, when we finally figure out what it’s all about, the drama of the reveal is overshadowed by the larger problems at hand. I found this somehow refreshing.

MICHELLE: I’m glad that it read a bit differently for you. I wonder if part of the problem for me is that I am usually a slow reader, but the art style (which I loved) and paneling and everything made it possible for me to read this much more quickly than usual. Whereas you’re used to reading stuff quickly. I dunno.

But I absolutely agree about the low-key approach to Yosuke’s trauma. I also really loved the final page of the volume, which would be an absolutely ordinary image to anyone who hadn’t read the story to learn its full significance.

MJ: I love the subtlety of that final image, too, and the way Kon consistently lets his artwork do the storytelling. And while I think that this strong instinct to “show, not tell” is probably part of what made it read so quickly for you, it’s also his greatest strength here. I’m not saying that I think this is a perfect work, by any means, and even as much as I enjoyed it, it very much feels like an artist’s early work. But I found a lot to appreciate in it.

So, would you like to introduce our second selection?

helterskelterMICHELLE: Alrighty!

Helter Skelter is another one-shot from Vertical, and another sort of cautionary tale, as well. Currently popular model Liliko is much talked about but also, as we soon see, a wretched person. She’s obligated to her agency’s president, whom she calls “Mama,” who helped to transform her from an unattractive and overweight girl into a celebrity with a perfect, but nearly entirely fake, body. Liliko sought fame and adulation and made this choice herself, but is soon disillusioned with the life and dissatisfied with the work and yet terrified of the moment that it all ends. “What happens when I stop being sellable?” she wonders. “Everyone who pampers me now will leave me.”

Meanwhile, a prosecutor named Asada and his assistant are investigating the clinic where Liliko’s procedures were performed as well as a string of suicides committed by former patients.

MJ: Liliko makes for a troublesome heroine, as her disillusionment and fear has created in her a level of cynicism and raw desire that would ruin even the purest soul (which she is decidedly not). In a frantic bid to keep control of someone, even as she’s (literally) falling to pieces, she calls upon her remaining allure in order to emotionally enslave both an eager assistant and the assistant’s boyfriend. She’s cruel, manipulative, and every bit as terrifying as the technology that led her there. Yet, even as we witness her careful destruction of those around her, it’s impossible not to understand her. And perhaps that’s the most terrifying thing of all.

MICHELLE: I thought Okazaki did a great job at making Liliko sympathetic and understandable even while she’s doing utterly horrible things, like ensnaring/tainting Hada (the assistant) and Okumura (her boyfriend). She interrupts them together right after she learns that “Mama” has never sent money back home to her family as promised, and the narration makes it clear that there’s a direct correlation between the discovery and her subsequent actions. And later, after she has “punished” Hada for wanting to quit, she thinks, “I just want to play with bodies. And have fun wrecking others. How can I help it? Aren’t others making a wreck of me?”

And, of course, her jealousy of newcomer teen model Kozue is completely understandable, especially considering that Kozue has come by all of her beauty naturally and is able to be herself in public in a way that Liliko can never be. (One of the things that intrigues the prosecutor about her, after all, is that her responses in interviews are completely devoid of any hint of her actual personality or upbringing.) We can even understand why she might lash out at the woman who ended up marrying the rich guy Liliko had pegged for her safety net, though it’s less easy to understand why Hada and Okumura might do her bidding in actually carrying out an attack on the woman.

MJ: I admit I found them understandable as well, though identifying at all with them may actually be more disturbing than understanding Liliko. Their own relationship is so dysfunctional and lacking, I think harboring mutual shame becomes a sort of sick bonding experience for them. They’ll continue down their road with Liliko, because any attempt to go back only forces them to confront what their relationship has become, which is somehow more uncomfortable than just doing what they’re told. The deeper in they get, the less they resemble themselves, and this is actually a plus for them. That’s my interpretation, anyway.

You know, I was thinking as I read this… I’m always anxious for more josei manga, but I’ll admit that there’s a part of me that bristles at the notion that good stories for adult women must be those that prove that the world is a horrible place filled with horrible people. It’s an ugly, cynical view that doesn’t generally resonate with me at all. But though Helter Skelter is exactly that kind of manga, there’s an honest fury to it that makes me somehow thrilled that it exists. As disillusioned and cynical as Liliko is, Okazaki’s take on her circumstances reads to me as just plain angry. To her, Liliko matters, and as awful as she’s become, Okazaki is still furious on her behalf. Is that a strange thing to say? And my feelings about this were reinforced a million-fold by the way she ends the story.

MICHELLE: No, I think you’re spot-on with that. This isn’t an indictment of Liliko; it’s an indictment of the culture of disposable, commodified celebrity that helped create and destroy her. One of my very favorite pages is quite near the end, where the babble of fans/consumers is now obsessed with obtaining “That.” This just reinforces the idea that Liliko was never a person to them; just a thing to be interested in for a while until the next thing comes along.

And wow, that ending was so unexpected! I wonder whether we’re to take the “to be continued” literally, as in that Okazaki really will pick up the story again later, or if we’re only to take that as a sign that Liliko’s “curious journey of adventure” will continue.

MJ: I selfishly hope for the former, but my hopes may be in vain!

MICHELLE: I don’t know whether I want a sequel or not; I kind of like the ambiguous ending as it is. We will, at least, be getting more Okazaki in English soon, as Vertical will be releasing Pink next month!

MJ: I’m certainly looking forward to it!

Manga the Week of 10/30

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SEAN: Oh. My. God. Sooooooooo much stuff. Let’s break it down.

watergod14

Because the Manga Bookshelf Team demanded it, Dark Horse is bringing you Vol. 14 of Bride of the Water God. I should probably read it at some point – I wonder if there are digital plans.

ASH: I have yet to actually read this, but the artwork is lovely.

MJ: The artwork is certainly the highlight of this series, which can be a bit of a mess at times, otherwise, but I’m very happy to see that Dark Horse continues to put it out. It would, indeed, be a great candidate for digital release, especially as it’s gotten so long! I’ll be picking this up for sure.

SEAN: Also from Dark Horse is Vol. 29 of Gantz, which I’ve run out of things to say about, but apparently it sells really well to the direct market. (stares at cast in latex rubber-style combat suits) For some reason.

Speaking of things I’ve run out of words for – and indeed speaking of Volume 29s – we have Air Gear from Kodansha.

Attack on Titan 8 is where those who have only seen the anime should start off, as towards the end of the volume we start treading into unanimated waters. Also, the first spoiler that everyone knows gets revealed here. I’ve discussed it here.

ASH: I’m glad that Kodansha was able to speed up the release for this series.

MJ: After NYCC, I’m even more torn over having left this series behind after the first volume. I feel like I’ve missed hopping on the greatest bandwagon of all time.

SEAN: Fairy Tail 31 shows how much of a pain in the ass a time skip can be, and starts a tournament arc.

MICHELLE: All this stuff, and so far there’s a bunch of series I haven’t read and one that I am terribly, terribly far behind on.

SEAN: In case, for some bizarre reason, you did not buy Sailor Moon Vol. 7-12 the moment it hit bookstores and devoured every single page with your eyes, there is now a box set for you to crack open and engulf.

ASH: It also comes with stickers!

MJ: Ooooo… stickers…

SEAN: Sankarea Vol. 3 continues to walk a fine line between servicey romantic comedy and disturbing zombie manga, and to my surprise doesn’t do that bad a balancing job.

ASH: I’ve actually been pretty surprised by Sankarea as well.

I may not have really been tempted to get Wolfsmund from Vertical, but buzz from the not-mes has been excellent. They’ll appreciate that Vol. 2 is due out this week.

MICHELLE: I have volume one; I just need to find the time to actually read it.

ASH: I really enjoyed the first volume. I think it’s definitely worth checking out for people who enjoy historically inspired manga like Vinland Saga.

MJ: I never picked up the first volume, but I guess I should!

Kiyohara_Another_TP

SEAN: Another of those giant done-in-one omnibuses that Yen has favored lately, here’s the complete Another manga, based on the light novels that Yen released digitally this summer. Creepy high school horror catch your eye? This is for you. Also, as a bonus, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any survival games.

MJ: Heh. I suppose I’ll read it, then.

SEAN: Yen has licensed some interesting stuff lately, probably thanks to the success of Black Butler, which has Vol. 15 drop this week. Is the entire cast damned yet?

Higurashi is in its final arc, but it’s the longest one yet. Vol. 2 of Festival Accompanying Arc contains Vols. 3 and 4 of the Japanese release, and also has my vote for the most horrifying scene in the entire series (it involves Rika’s mother).

Inu x Boku SS is the first of two Yen debuts this week, and has yokai demons and bodyguards, thus allowing me to add another series to my ‘look how popular yokai are in North America now’ list.

ASH: Yokai are the best!

SEAN: Is This A Zombie? 6 is coming out. So there’s that.

K-On! finally wraps up with its High School manga, hoping that fans are as interested in Azusa trying to keep the light music club alive as they were in the original cast’s college adventures.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s manga adaptation finally gets to one of the most interesting novels, as Sasaki and company debut here.

MICHELLE: Another whole mess of stuff I have nothing to say about. Bad manga reviewer! Bad!

MJ: Hmmm… perhaps this is the time for me to pick this adaptation back up again.

SEAN: Oh god, don’t read the mediocre adaptation, read the original novels! Books 9-11 are this arc. 10 and 11 come out here next month.

watamote1

As featured on a giant banner at New York Comic Con, Yen’s other big release this week is No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Vol. 1. Just call it WataMote like everyone else. I discussed Vol. 1 here.

ASH: I’m looking forward to giving this series a try, even though I can never seem to remember the title.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts 18. MJ?

MICHELLE: Finally, something to go “woo” over!

MJ: Oh, Pandora Hearts, dear, heart-stomping Pandora Hearts. It just won’t be satisfied until I’ve been utterly destroyed. This, of course, is awesome.

SEAN: Puella Magi Oriko Magica wraps up, I believe, with this second volume. But don’t fear, I’m sure there are other Madoka Magica spinoffs out there to have cute girls suffering for your enjoyment.

Lastly, there is Vol. 4 of Triage X. I used up my lack of enthusiasm with Is This A Zombie?, so this can’t even get that much.

Surely with all this, there must be something you want. What is it? (And be warned, it gets no better the week after.)

Pick of the Week: Juicy Cider, No. 6, Summer Wars

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potw-10-21MICHELLE: There’s not a lot to choose from this week, but I think I’m going to go with Juicy Cider. Yes, the plot sounds generic, but I have enjoyed other BL works by Rize Shinba (most notably Intriguing Secrets), so I suspect it will be better than it seems.

ASH: I think I’m going to have to go with No. 6 this week. I would describe the manga as a “traditional” dystopia and there doesn’t seem to be very many examples of these in English. Plus, I’m really enjoying watching the relationship between Rat and Shion develop.

SEAN: Summer Wars for me. The characters look cute, the premise is intriguing, and I haven’t seen the movie it’s based on, so am relatively unspoiled. For once.

MJ: I’m rather torn this week, though not from an abundance of choices, but rather from a lack of them. Still, I feel pretty confident going with Summer Wars. I greatly enjoyed the filmmakers’ earlier work, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, as well as Vertical’s demonstrated taste in manga adaptations, namely 5 Centimeters Per Second, so I’m optimistic, for sure. This book is definitely on my list.

What looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 10/21/13

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This week, Sean, Michelle, & Anna look at recent and upcoming releases from Seven Seas, Vertical, Inc., and Viz Media.

clover-cheshire-6Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 6 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – Despite the fact that once again this is half the main story and half a side story, it feels like a complete book because the side story also features Alice and Boris, rather than Crimson Empire. As for the main story, as always Ace steals every scene that he’s in. Ace and Boris contrast very well here, given that Boris, despite his jealousy, just wants Alice to be happy and at peace. Whereas, as Ace says flat out, he finds Alice most interesting when she’s stressed, vacillating, and indecisive. If you recall that this manga is sourced from a visual novel, this works quite well: Boris (and some of the others) want Alice to finish the game and find an ending, Ace wants anything but that. We’ll see how this resolves in 7, the final volume. – Sean Gaffney

devil11A Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 11 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – I had thought that the issues with Maria’s voice would be easily solved at the start of this volume, but nope. This volume turns out to be the one where most of the plot ends regarding Maria’s past are tied up, as we see that the tragedy in her past that has caused her such pain has also effected everyone else connected to that tragedy – her father, her grandparents, everyone. I found the way the last name “Cross” was tied into the plot to be a bit mind-numbingly coincidental, but hey, it’s a shoujo manga. So with Maria’s issues now mostly resolved, and Shin finally realizing that he can’t keep using his hand with it injured like that, we wrap up here, right? Wrong. Two volumes to go, and the cliffhanger for this one, with Maria saying “nothing can possibly go wrong now”, is very ominous. – Sean Gaffney

happymarriage2Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 2 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – The line between miscommunication being a necessary tool to tell the plot of your shoujo manga and miscommunication being the last straw that makes your reader give up and drop the title can be very fine indeed, and the fact that I’m only 2 volumes into a 10-volume series and already vacillating on it doesn’t bode well. Not that I don’t understand the characters. Despite being husband and wife, it’s a paper marriage, so there’s that sense of ‘I should give her some space’ on Hokuto’s part – which is easy for him anyway, as he’s the sort to be very subtle and oblique. Meanwhile, Chiwa’s idea of working for another company isn’t bad, but one run by a former flame? That’s bad. This is the volume where Happy Marriage?! had to make its plot longer, and sometimes you can see the stretching. – Sean Gaffney

midnight2Midnight Secretary, Vol. 2 | by Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – I’m still enjoying this supernatural romance about Kaya, an unusually dedicated secretary and her developing feelings for her vampire boss Kyohei. This volume centers around Kaya acknowledging her feelings for her boss and deciding to pull away, because there’s probably not much future for a woman with extra tasty blood and a man who regards human women largely as snacks. This doesn’t go well, as Kyohei likes to have Kaya around for more reasons than he is willing to admit to himself. The woman brimming with emotions and her emotionally withholding target of affection is a fairly common romance scenario, but the moody art, emotional turmoil, and paranormal elements combine to make this manga very enjoyable. – Anna N.

sickness2Sickness Unto Death, Vol. 2 | By Hikaru Asada and Takahiro Seguchi | Vertical, Inc. – Well, that didn’t go the way I expected at all. Which was, of course, the point. One of the best things about this serieds is the way it sets up situations and then pulls the rug out from under you. There’s also some really terrific analysis of coping with trauma, and I like how it shows Kazuma trying to help as a therapist but still being far too close to the situation (there’s really an awful lot of sex in this book, probably to attract Young Animal readers). As for the ending, I found it rather disquieting, and it made me ask lots of questions I’m not sure I wanted the answers to. Which I’m pretty sure is absolutely 100% intentional. I’m not sure this is a series that can be easily loved, but I think it has a high reread quality, and I’m very pleased Vertical put it out. – Sean Gaffney

strobeedge7Strobe Edge, Vol. 7 | by Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – This is really one of my favorite currently running shoujo series, with sympathetic characters and an engaging supporting cast that helps divert me from noticing that the relationship between naive Ninako and super-popular and enigmatic Ren is developing very slowly. Now that Ren is no longer in his previous relationship and Ninako, Ren, and Ando are all in the same classroom at school the potential for love triangle developments is high. This volume focuses a bit more on Sayuri and her old boyfriend, who it turns out was Yutaro, Much of the volume deals with Ninako’s struggles with continuing to relate to Ren as a friend only, while Sayuri and Yutaro finally achieve a bit of unexpected but welcome closure. – Anna N

sweetreinSweet Rein, Vol. 1 | By Sakura Tsukuba | Viz Media – If the name Sakura Tsukuba looks familiar, that’s because CMX published two of her series (Land of the Blindfolded and Penguin Revolution) back in the day. And that probably explains why Sweet Rein feels kind of like CMX shoujo to me. It’s a short series (complete in three volumes, it looks like) that works for all ages and has some fluffy fantasy elements, but which is still a little off the beaten path. For example, the leads in this series are a bonded Santa/reindeer pair. Yup. So far, drama comes from sad little kids with cancer in need of miracles and bishounen grandpa ghosts warning the reindeer boy that what he feels for his master isn’t genuine love. It may inspire mockery, but the overall feel so far is kind of cozy and old-school and the chibi reindeer are insanely cute. I think that’s enough to sustain me for three volumes. – Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 10/23

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SEAN: Be thankful for the small amount of manga coming out this week. The three weeks after this are absolutely brutal, with over 15-20 titles each week from various companies. But this week — lull!

juicyciderWe welcome back Digital Manga Publishing with some new BL fare. Unfortunately, Juicy Cider’s synopsis sounds so mind-numbingly generic that I can barely stay away to get through its four lines. There’s childhood friends, unrequited crushes, and from the looks of the cover one quiet and serious boy in glasses and one happy go lucky boy. Which sounds nothing like any other BL title ever.

Priceless Honey is the other DMP offering, being a collection of short stories that are “steamy”, and where the happy go lucky boy has been replaced by a smirking, slightly older guy.

MICHELLE: I wish I had something to say about either of these two, but alas, I do not.

MJ: I admit they don’t look promising to me. Not promising at all.

ASH: Like Juicy Cider, it would appear that Priceless Honey has a megane danshi as well. Shiuko Kano has had a lot of her manga released in English by multiple publishers, so I assume that she has at least a small following.

SEAN: I probably should not mock DMP’s yaoi given that I’m still enjoying Kodansha’s Missions of Love. It’s such a guilty pleasure – Volume 5’s cover looks more like softcore porn than any of the previous ones, making me continue to boggle that this runs in Nakayoshi. But as long as the cast continues to be unlikeable, I’ll continue to be fascinated. It’s like the opposite of everything else I enjoy.

No. 6, Vol.3 continues to confuse numerologists and bookstore shelvers everywhere. It’s also Kodansha. Between this title and Disgaea 3, my ability to make World Cup jokes will live on forever.

summerwars1MICHELLE: I didn’t hate the first volume, but I somehow never managed to buy/read volume two.

ASH: I’m actually rather fond of No. 6 and its leads. I found the second volume to be better than the first, so I hope the trend continues with the third!

SEAN: Lastly, Vertical debuts another manga based on a movie, with the first volume of Summer Wars, from the creators of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Vertical had a lot of success with 5 Centimeters Per Second, so it’s no surprise they’d get this. I personally hope it’s less melancholy.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this for sure. I loved The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and though I wasn’t necessarily crazy about the manga adaptations of the same story, the fact that I haven’t actually seen this movie may help me on that front. And y’know, I trust Vertical. I really enjoyed the manga adaptation of 5 Centimeters Per Second, so I’m counting on their good taste to bring us a winner.

SEAN: Taking a week off before the deluge? Or trying out something new?

Pick of the Week: Spheres & Spirals

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real-12ASH: There are plenty of great manga releases to choose from this week. But as happy as I am to see Junji Ito’s Uzumaki receiving the deluxe treatment, my pick unquestionably goes to Takehiko Inoue’s Real. I honestly consider it to be one of the best series currently being released in English.

MICHELLE: Yep, I’m going to have to award my pick to Real, too. I love Knights of Sidonia, but I’ll have several more chances to pick it in the coming months whereas Real seems to be yearly these days. If you thought sports manga was goofy and formulaic, Real will change your mind.

uzumakiSEAN: I’ll go with Uzumaki, then. A terrific re-release, showing people who may have missed it the first time what a completely creepy and fascinating story it is. Another “I don’t normally like horror, but…” title.

MJ: And I actually do like horror, at least some of the time, so despite my own deep love for Real (and that love is pretty deep), I’ll also go with Uzumaki as my pick for this week. I am one of those people who missed it the first time around, and it’s been raved about by readers and my fellow bloggers alike. I simply can’t miss it again! Plus… I like spirals. I just do. I’m all in for Uzumaki.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 10/16

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SEAN: Things are getting busy here with NYCC happening this week, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you about all the manga coming in once it’s over.

Kodansha has the 8th volume of Animal Land. I dropped this quickly due to its somewhat juvenile mood, but I’ve heard tell that I was wrong to do so as it matures later on. I should try to catch up.

ASH: Animal Land is such a quirky series. It took a volume or two for it to really grow on me, but I ended up quite liking it. Animal Land is cute, but it can also be very, very dark.

MJ: I tried getting into this and initially failed. Given Ash’s reaction, I wonder if I should give it another shot?

SEAN: By now Negima’s omnibuses have caught up with the translator changes, so the best reason to get this 8th volume is if you missed the series the first time around.

Seven Seas has its October titles coming out this week. First off, Alice in the Country of Joker has the 3rd volume of Circus and Liar’s Game, one of the more interesting spinoffs it puts out.

MICHELLE: I’ve reached my Alice saturation point, methinks.

ANNA: I still mean to get caught up on a couple of these series.

SEAN: Speaking of franchises, we have Dive in the Vampire Bund, a side story to Dance. Both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are out this week.

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends is the title I’ve called the best by default of last fall’s otaku-oriented licenses, and I still enjoy it despite it still pandering much of the time. The 4th volume is already out digitally, but print waits a week.

loveinhell1Speaking of which, it’s fall again, so it’s time for a new series of Seven Seas licenses that make me raise an eyebrow. First of all, gotta love that cover for Love In Hell, with a demon in scanty leathers looking like she’d rather be anywhere but on the cover of this book. The synopsis notes it stars a regular guy who meets a whole bunch of crazy girls. What can I possibly say to top such originality?

And there’s also the first volume of Monster Musume, which is about a hapless regular guy and all the crazy sexy supernatural women who make his life… wait, did I get this mixed up with Love in Hell? No? Right, moving on…

MICHELLE: *snerk*

ASH: With Love in Hell, Monster Musume, and A Centaur’s Life I think Seven Seas has a corner on cute monster girl manga.

SEAN: I have occasionally been taken to task for forgetting that manwha exists, so best to note that there’s a new Jack The Ripper: Hell Blade (Vol. 5) from Seven Seas, as well as a new Omnibus of the Witch Buster, containing Books 5 and 6.

MJ: I only wish we were seeing more manhwa releases! (Or perhaps I should say, more manhwa releases I like.)

SEAN: Flowers of Evil has reached Volume 7, which means the cover design is all new. Not so sure if the content is less dark and seedy. I doubt it.

ASH: I think we get a time skip to go along with the new covers this time, too!

MJ: I’m looking forward to it!

SEAN: Knights of Sidonia 5 is out as well. I keep waiting for this to be the volume where I drop it for being too depressing, but it’s keeping me hooked.

MICHELLE: Yay for Sidonia!

ASH: I’m hooked on Sidonia, too.

MJ: What they said!

ANNA: Indeed!

SEAN: I’ve long since lost track of Afterschool Charisma, but it’s quietly reached Vol. 8, and is an Ikki title, so I automatically respect it. Has it run out of celebrity clones yet?

MICHELLE: I sincerely mean to catch up on this, but haven’t done so yet.

ANNA: Me too. I enjoyed the first few volumes.

uzumakiSEAN: It’s also time for Vol. 12 of Real, the basketball title for those who think Slam Dunk is too cute and girly.

MICHELLE: Super yay!

ASH: Real! One of my favorite series and I’m not even all that into basketball.

MJ: Mine, too! I’m so happy that it’s time for a new volume!

ANNA: You can never go wrong with Inoue.

SEAN: Lastly, the big re-release this week is an omnibus containing all three volumes of Uzumaki, by horror manga author Junji Ito. You’ll read it, you’ll love it, and the spiraling shape will make you go insane.

MICHELLE: Go on, give it a whirl!

ASH: Yes, do!

MJ: Indeed!

SEAN: That’s a lot of manga! Getting any of it?

Bookshelf Briefs 10/7/13

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This week, Sean, Anna, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, SubBLime Manga, and Vertical, Inc.

bride5A Bride’s Story, Vol. 5 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – The first half of this volume wraps up the wedding of the twins, who are adorable as they vacillate between wanting food, rest, and time to relax and wanting their wedding to be perfect and everyone to approve of them. The best part was probably the point when they leave, as it finally hits them that they’re leaving their family and have a minor breakdown. Luckily, their spouses are awesome. After this, we leave Mr. Smith on his way to Turkey and head back to see what’s going on with Amir, whose husband is still not quite grown up enough, despite her growing feelings for him. There’s a darker aspect to this plot that we’ve seen before with Amir’s family, but I also like the basic fact that she wants to be with her husband now as she really loves him, and the frustration is palpable. Nice volume, and Amir is finally growing on me. – Sean Gaffney

sidonia3Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 3 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I remember being surprised by Sean’s reviews as he was reading this series because he referenced some wacky sex comedy antics, and I could not picture how that would fit in with the more serious tone with all the giant mecha fighting disturbing blobby alien shape shifters. Sure enough, there are enough bathhouse scenes in this volume to make up for any perceived lack of them earlier on in the series. What I enjoyed most in this volume though was learning more about how hero Nagate Tanikaze was born and why he was raised in isolation from the rest of the ship. This series still manages to be very intriguing, and the combination of space fights and the horror elements invoked by the squishy and possibly sentient aliens still make for a unique reading experience. – Anna N

magi2Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 2 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – It’s funny how things happen sometimes. A little over two months ago, I knew nothing about Magi. Now, I wish the whole series was out already so that I could binge-read it (though it’s still ongoing in Japan, so I’d be left hanging either way). The promise evident in volume one is developed nicely in volume two, with all sorts of fun adventure and shounen friendships and everything that still manage to feel fresh and unique. To top it off, the story heads off in a new direction and some new layers of complexity are introduced that I find really intriguing. The characters are endearing, but not bereft of mystery, and even the villains can be sympathized with in the end. I think I might have found a new shounen favorite. Thank you, VIZ, for giving me something I didn’t know I needed! – Michelle Smith

nura17Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 17 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – In amongst all the shonen back and forth of the last few volumes, it’s been tricky to remember that these are all yokai tales, and that they can be quite scary. It’s a good thing we get this volume, then, which not only serves to set up our next villainous group, but also has some terrifying things going down. The conclusion of the Ripper storyline has schoolgirls with no faces… except the faces are also there, separate, crying out in pain and anguish. Then Rikuo’s friend Torii is captured, which is nothing new, but giving a yokai her form puts a nice creepy spin on things. In between we have the Keikain family investigating a haunted village, which is less interesting, but still has its shares of scares. Nura is at its best when it evokes mood rather than plot, which this volume does very well. – Sean Gaffney

toriko18Toriko, Vol. 18 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As the manga has gone on, it’s gotten much better at giving Komatsu something to do besides look shocked at Toriko’s actions and cook yummy food. He’s finding foods that are the best kind for him to prepare, such as the Shining Gourami. He’s also not losing his moral sense, unlike his childhood friend who has become an even more popular chef through bribery and pandering. As for Toriko himself, we’re off to get a new food – this time it’s Meteor Garlic, which of course is much, much better than your ordinary variety. Naturally, this means we need more insane places to gawp at, insane food to drool over, and insane fights that Toriko and Coco (now back in the story after he placed 2nd in a poll and the author brought him back) can get into and look cool doing so. Not the smartest manga out there, but a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

sleepingmoon2Sleeping Moon, Vol. 2 | By Kano Miyamoto | SuBLime Manga – As volume one of this series brought to mind a favorite novel from my teens, volume two reminds me just how much I wish that BL series were regularly given the page count necessary to play themselves out as satisfyingly as novels can. This volume is just as compelling as the first, and the tension in its mystery and its relationships are everything a supernatural romance fan could hope for. But there’s also an unavoidable sense that we’re missing a few chapters that might have given the story’s climax more power. Don’t get me wrong—the story does come to a real conclusion, and overall this release is not to be missed. I just can’t help but think about what could have been. That said, I’ll be picking up anything I can find from this author from now on. Definitely recommended. – MJ

Pick of the Week: Vinland Saga & More!

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potw10-7-13MICHELLE: Confident that someone else will pick the Nordic (is it Nordic?) elephant in the room, I’m going to kick things off by picking the second volume of Magi: Labyrinth of Magic. I liked the first volume, but the second is even better. It’s sort of a textbook example of balancing interesting and likeable characters with an intriguing setting with bits of humor and adventure and yet making it not feel like a balancing act or textbook in any way. In fact, it feels pretty refreshing and unique. I may have a new shounen favorite!

SEAN: My pick of the week is Vinland Saga. As for why, see here: Vinland Saga, Vol. 1

ASH: I’m finding it very difficult to limit myself to only one manga this week (I’m very excited to see more of est em’s work being released in print), but ultimately I think I will also have to choose the first omnibus of Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga. I have literally been wanting this series to be licensed in English for years and it is finally here!

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Vinland Saga as well. I’m very excited to read this.

MJ: Since Vinland Saga already has a strong showing, I’ll pay a bit of attention to SuBLime Manga and the second (and final) volume of Kano Miyamoto’s Sleeping Moon. This series’ first volume put me in mind of a favorite novel from my teens, Mary Stewart’s Touch Not the Cat, with its mix of supernatural mystery and cousinly romance, and that’s always a plus for me. Though I wish this story had more time to play out, it’s enjoyable to the end.

What looks good to you this week?