Bookshelf Briefs

Michelle and Sean tackle a stack of manga from VIZ, Vertical, Kodansha, and Seven Seas.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 5 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Last volume had a few flaws in it, but this one is nearly perfect, thanks to focusing on Haruna, who has rapidly become my favorite mental model. Stoic destroyer of worlds learning to deal with emotions and love is a classic trope because it always comes off so well, particularly if there’s also a lot of great scenes of things blowing up. The main plot also gets some fleshing out, with the Army and Navy battling for supremacy, and the old commanders who know what’s really going on trying to control them. and is there another, SECRET mental model who’s able to control the others (and apparently likes to sit in the middle of fields)? We’ll have to wait a while to find out, but as always, this is no average ‘girls are weapons’ series. -Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media –Sometimes it can be very difficult, with series with similar premises, to be able to separate the more familiar one from the new one in your mind. That’s particularly true for this new Aya Shouoto series, her third in North America, which has the spectre of Kamisama Kiss hovering over most of its first few pages. That said, Aoi seems more of the nice boy with tragedy in his life sort than the asshole with a heart of gold Tomoe is. I suspect that this series may get better after it’s got a few volumes under its belt, but right now it suffers from what many Vol. 1s suffer from: it’s not really grabbing me much. Actually, I had a similar issue with Kiss of the Rose Princess as well. -Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media –When sixteen-year-old orphan Himari Momochi receives a document informing her that she’s inherited an ancestral estate, she doesn’t question it. The house is the only tie she has to her parents, so she moves right in, whereupon she discovers a trio of bishounen squatters who are insistent that she leave as soon as possible. Himari is resolute, and eventually witnesses demonic activity aplenty culminating in the revelation that two-thirds of her house guests aren’t human and the one who is has taken on a terrible duty that might pass to her if she should linger overlong. This is the newest of the Aya Shouoto series currently being released in English, and is a more confident and accomplished work . I was reminded quite a bit of other series, and overall wish for a darker atmosphere, but I’m definitely intrigued and will check out volume two. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 12 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – This was a really cool and somewhat darker volume of Magi than we’ve seen in a while, and I loved quite a lot of it. The gang has returned from successfully vanquishing another dungeon, but an ambush by the evil Al-Thamen organization results in several of the good guys being cursed. This, in turn, leads to revelations not only about the extent and nature of Sinbad’s power, but also what he’s willing to do to cultivate allies in the fight to come. Aladdin senses his pawn status and decides to go off on his own, leaving a forlorn Alibaba behind, which is probably exactly what his friend needs in order to decide upon and commit to his own path. I’m really looking forward to what’s to come, even if it is a bit hard seeing an endearing character like Alibaba so sad and mystified by Aladdin’s actions. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 5 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – There is, no surprise, much to like in the fifth volume of this charming shoujo romance. I loved how the would-be romantic rival (Saijo) is handled, with Yamato befriending the girl due to her excellent taste and Takeo immediately telling Yamato about the girl’s confession. I loved ever-observant Sunakawa being the first to catch on to and sympathize with Saijo’s plight. But I possibly most loved the chapter in which Takeo and Yamato attempt to make two of their friends into a couple as happy as they are, an endeavor which keeps getting bungled because the boy is a doofy and inept adolescent who says the wrong thing during crucial moments. Frustrating, sure, but more realistic than 99% of anything else we see in shoujo manga! Each new volume of this series makes me genuinely happy and I hope it continues for a long time to come! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 8 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – While Say “I Love You” may be a bit more sexually explicit than its fellow shoujo manga out in North America, it’s still not quite ready yet to have its leads go all the way—and given Mei’s introvertedness and confidence issues, that may be for the best. Particularly as Megumi may be dealing with her own personal issues, but she isn’t going away now that we’ve had a cathartic crisis. A beauty contest involving many of the women in the series ends up being close, but does not give us the obvious come from behind victory we may have expected. All for the good, as I suspect this will lead to high drama when the next volume comes around. Oh, and Mei is back to frowning on the covers. -Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 28 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As you might gather from the cover, we’re seeing tragic backstory here, giving us our elder heroes—including a young and ridiculously permed Jiro, heavy-browed Ichiryu, and head villain Midora as a bratty kid who almost starved to death before being taken in by mother figure Froese. (You’ll note Setsuno isn’t on the cover—I think her appearance as a cute twin-tailed sexy thing was left out to make the joke work better). It being tragic backstory, tragedy ensues—and we may get more to come, as I have a feeling a mentor or two may die soon to give our heroes resolve. Still lots of fighting, but I miss the food—will this epic battle be over soon? -Sean Gaffney

Twin Star Exorcists, Vol. 1 | By Yoshiaki Sukeno | Viz Media – This is in some ways the polar opposite of The Demon Prince of Momochi House, even if I came away with the same ‘meh’ feeling. In this case, I really like the premise, and the backgrounds of both leads are very well handled—particularly Rokuro. That said, the execution is somewhat lacking. The action scenes are well-handled, and probably a good reason to keep picking it up for those who like that—but the humor consistently falls flat, with our battle couple’s engagement being a hoary old cliche thrown into the mix. I suspect this will be the usual ‘they’re meant to be but can’t stop snapping at each other’ romance. Fans of Blue Exorcist might give this a shot, but it’s not as good as that series. -Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 5 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – Fans of Negima may find this new volume even more familiar than usual, as the new assignment for our heroes takes them back to Mahora Academy, not looking a day older, even though it is many decades older. The boy you see screaming at us on the cover has the unfortunate name of Santa, and may be responsible for a series of horrible murders… or may not even be alive… but given his prominence on the cover and the cliffhanger I suspect he’ll end up being an ally before too long. Oh yes, there’s also Fate, explaining why he’s seemingly turned evil, and why he wants Tota to help him—which also leads to the best gag in the volume, courtesy ‘shipper’ Karin. If you like Akamatsu, you’ll like this. -Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 11 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – The biggest loose ends are still out there for Vol. 12, but one of the major ones wraps up here, as Hime answers Mizuki’s confession. It’s a pretty fine set of scenes, as she stresses out over how her obliviousness around him must have hurt him, and he responds very maturely, mostly as he knew she was already in love with Senri. This just leaves her secret identity and her own confession of love, which should drop like a bomb at the start of the next volume, if Sakura’s reappearance is anything to go by. Even Haruka is finally allowed to stop being the bullying mentor and show real affection. We wrap up next time, and I can’t wait—it should be sweet and funny. -Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 9 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. –One of the things I love best about What Did You Eat Yesterday? is how Yoshinaga shows us how Shiro’s cooking choices tell us about his feelings. In one chapter, Shiro’s going out for dinner with some lawyerly acquaintances, so the night before prepares a meal whose leftovers will taste even better the next day, when Kenji will be reheating it. In another, he recreates some of his mother’s recipes for a bento he and Kenji share for an evening hanami picnic, choosing that venue to confide to Kenji that she has cancer. This menu, and the preparation thereof, prompts Shiro to recognize the care his mother always put into preparing his school lunches and to voice his appreciation of her. Not everything is meaningful and deep, of course. The food was especially delicious-looking in this volume, especially those soy garlic chicken drumettes. Yes, please! – Michelle Smith

Yukarism, Vol. 3 | By Chika Shiomi | Viz Media – There’s only one new revelation in this third volume, but it’s a doozy, and likely sets up the climax for next time as past and present begin to collide, with potentially fatal results. In the meantime, the main reason to read Yukarism continues to be mood—the author has a way of painting both the Edo period and modern times so that you want to keep turning the pages even faster. In addition, Yumurasaki’s past and her emotional detachment are proving annoying to Yukari’s present, as he hurts Mahoro more than he realizes. Add into this the sometimes hilarious confrontations between Mahoro and Satomi, and you have an excellent Shojo Beat title. -Sean Gaffney

Yukarism, Vol. 3 | By Chika Shiomi | VIZ Media – I am enjoying Yukarism more and more with each volume and can scarcely believe I was ever on the fence about this series! Yukari becomes a much more vivid character when he decides to proactively seek information about his present-day companions, Satomi and Mahoro, as well as the figures from his past. In so doing, he makes some discoveries that the readers had already surmised, but that doesn’t make them any less affecting—the moment when Yukari works out with certainty who Satomi is gave me goosebumps! And that shows what’s really the key ingredient here—Shiomi is handling this series wonderfully, pacing out revelations at satisfying intervals, and leaving readers with a surprise cliffhanger that makes me even more desperate for the final volume than before. – Michelle Smith

After a bit of a break, Sean, Michelle, and Anna offer up a hefty serving of briefs, including recent releases from Seven Seas, Viz Media, Yen Press, and Kodansha Comics.

Alice in the Country of Hearts: Junk Box Stories | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – In general, the stories done by Fujimaru, the ‘default’ Alice artist, have a higher quality to them than the other spinoffs, even in a grab bag collection of short stories like this. There’s a little bit for everyone here (except Julius, my own favorite – sigh), and if you don’t like the Twins as an Alice pairing – which I don’t – wait 10 minutes and we’ll have moved on. The best story in the collection involves Gray, Nightmare’s right-hand man, attempting to get Alice to realize he likes her despite his maturity and her own self-image issues. I feel like I know Gray better now than I did with the Lizard series. Alice fans who want more content should enjoy this. – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 4 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – To defeat a culture of bullying – and let’s face it, the entire school in Assassination Classroom is based around “Bullying is good for you” – requires that the class develop strong bonds between each other and with their teacher. They need to learn to take pride in themselves – which they do at the end of one arc here, insisting that they won’t let an outsider kill Koro-sensei, they have to be the ones to do it. And of course they gain skills through assassination training, which by its very nature also teaches you about everything under the sun. Even Irina is becoming part of the group. This must be worrying the school principal – the cliffhanger seems to say he’s going to make sure this class Knows Their Place. Fantastic as always. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 13 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – right from the beginning, this manga has reminded us that it’s darker than the usual Jump fare and that people are going to die. Right at the start of this volume we see one of the bad guys, moved by Izumo’s plight, try to help her escape… and she’s horribly murdered for her trouble. Our heroes have arrived at last, but are split up and attacked by ghouls – or is it zombies? Far too many of those coming out from Viz Media this month in any case. And of course there’s Renzo, our double-triple-quadruple agent, who we still aren’t sure about. Killing off Izumo’s familiars is not going to win him friends, though. If there’s one big drawback to this series, it’s that it comes out far too slowly. It should move to Weekly Jump. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!, Vol. 6 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – In case anyone was wondering how Soma got the drive to always succeed that we’ve seen in these first few volumes, we’re introduced to his father, the top chef of his own class (though he never did graduate), who promptly creams Soma in a breakfast competition.. and it’s revealed has creamed Soma almost 500 times over the course of his life. Suddenly a schoolwide curry competition seems less taxing. Even though ‘curry’ is pretty broad a topic. I could have done without another teacher who looks like a teenager but is really far older, but in any case most of this is clearly setup for what’s likely to be an amazing set of cooking shonen drama in the next volume. Yum. – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 11 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – She may be very hard to like, but there’s no denying that Yozora remains the most fascinating part of Haganai, and the best reason to keep reading. Most of the Friends Club are at least occasionally making the effort to reach out to each other, but Yozora created this club for her and Kodaka, and is still incredibly resentful that it’s hijacked. She’s also trapped in the past, something Sena rightfully calls her out on here, and later on Kodaka does the same thing. This is a shame, as she’s already shown when she applies herself she can do great things – her play here impresses everyone, even Sena. But of all the cast struggling to move forward, I think Yozora will be the last to do so, and the final part of this still ongoing series. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 18 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – This series is now three times as long as Karakuri Odette – remember that? – and after a long and intense arc in Tomoe’s past, is trying to get back to basics with Nanami dealing with school, and the fact that her grades are absolutely awful. But after all this time, she just can’t quite get away from life-threatening crises, or indeed sacrificing herself in order to save even her enemies, which has always been Nanami’s greatest strength and greatest weakness. And rescuing her friends, even if they’ve been turned into dolphins at the behest of a cruel and noble mermaid. I do wonder if Aimi will remember what happens to her, or if we’ll get a convenient memory erasure soon. In any case, still good. – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 3 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – The title is important in this series. We’ve gotten so used to shoujo romance involving young teenage students that the fact that the leads are fourteen-year-olds is more likely to have a reader say “Yes, and?”. But they’re all still maturing, and insecure, and at a very impressionable period in their lives. So we see Kanata and Kazuki deal with their first fight, which starts indirectly and continues simply as they misunderstand each other’s absences. We see Nagai, seemingly betrayed by Hinohara, lashing out in pain and regret, even as he tries to protect her from any consequences. As for Hinohara herself, she’s still the one aspect of this manga that makes me worry. We’ll see what happens next time. – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 12 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – The core trio of Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana is fun to watch and heartwarming to see develop, but it’s become increasingly clear that Alibaba relies on it more than the other two. So the latter half of this volume, where both Aladdin and Morgiana realize they need to go on their own journeys in order to become stronger, devastates him. Sadly, his acting like a whiny, pathetic young teenager is also very in character, and I hope that he learns a valuable lesson soon. Elsewhere, Sinbad shows off why he’s not the hero of this tale, as his character development has mostly already happened. He easily takes out the volume’s villain, and his seduction techniques are so good they’re made fun of in the extras. Magi is a ton of fun. – Sean Gaffney

My Little Monster, Vol. 8 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – This series is an interesting blend of familiar shoujo scenarios—like the start of the gang’s second year bringing with it a quirky new first-year character who immediately falls in love with Haru—and a distinctly different vibe that actually makes it seem possible that the two leads will not actually end up together. Granted, Haru and Shizuku do finally become an official couple in this volume, and there are plenty of sweet, significant moments between them, but there are also some missed connections, and the occasional insight into just how broken Haru is that makes their long-term prognosis as a couple less assured than many others I could name. It was lovely to have a small stockpile of volumes to consume over a weekend, and now I’m kind of bummed that volume nine is a whole cruel month away. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 5 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – I hope at some point we get a Suna-centric side story, because in this volume he’s at his watchful and sympathetic best as he observes Saijo developing a crush on Takeo, despite the fact that Takeo and Yamato have such a strong relationship. Saijo eventually confesses her feelings, and Suna helps her deal with the aftermath, as Takeo nicely turns her down and reaffirms his commitment to his girlfriend. Takeo and Yamato also celebrate a birthday and learn some important lessons about matchmaking. This manga continues to be unusual in the refreshing lack of drama in each volume, and the smaller more heartwarming moments that continue to drive the love story forwards. Always a great read. – Anna N

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 18 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – The first story in this volume is cute and fun, and the last one is sweet but melancholy. But it’s the met of this book that most folks will be talking about, as Natori ends up overhearing about the Book of Friends, something that Natsume has been trying to keep a secret from him for a long, long time. Like most subplots in this series, we’re unlikely to see the consequences of this play out immediately. But it continues the motif of Natsume learning to open up and trust people even as the yokai that he deals with every day show the dark side of trusting humans. There’s a very good reasons that yokai and humans are of two worlds, and Natsume’s precarious balance between them is what makes this manga so addictive. – Sean Gaffney

Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary, Vol. 2 | By Shake-O | Seven Seas – There are some more students with teenage problems introduced here – a winged girl who.hates rules and confinement, a boy who finds growing breasts shows him how women deal with things, and a girl who will eat absolutely anything. But honestly, I suspect most of the audience for this title will only be interested in Kaminaga-sensei, who is the prettiest teacher in school, can control and manipulate her extremely long hair, and is, as one student puts it, “a great big lesbo!” This falls directly in ‘comedy lesbian’ territory, complete with lots of sexual assault of Hitomi, her object of affection. Still, this is a light fluffy comedy series, so that only makes sense. Enjoyable if you don’t take it remotely seriously. – Sean Gaffney

Say I Love You., Vol. 8 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – After a couple of intensely character-driven volumes—particularly focusing on teen model Megumi—we come to a slightly lighter (though not insignificant) story about a school idol contest that Mei ends up entering in an attempt to prevent anyone else from winning the grand prize of a date with the male winner, who is sure to be Yamato. I suppose it was predictable that Mei would end up surprising the audience with a stunning transformation, but the way the contest ultimately plays out should have some interesting repercussions for Mei and Yamato’s relationship. I also quite like that Mei is definitely thinking about going all the way with Yamato, but doesn’t want to do it for the wrong reasons. I’m starting to believe we’ll actually see them take this next step, which is pretty rare for a high school romance manga. – Michelle Smith

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

D-Frag!, Vol. 5 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – I must admit we got off to a slow start with this volume, as the lunchbox plot was dull, and yet another Momotaro parody never took off. But once we introduced our new adversary, Tama, D-Frag! goes back to doing what it does best – humiliating its entire cast for the sake of comedy, while at the same time allowing them to be completely awesome. Tama fits right into the manga, and shows off a surprising childhood side of the seemingly indomitable Chitose (and Roka being an adorable yet incredibly weird baby). Actually, it’s Sakura who now gets the role of the indomitable fighter. Add in a few jokes about Takao’s chest (because without those, how would you know you were reading D-Frag!?), and it adds up to a strong finish. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 6 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – It’s time for a new arc, and Totsuki Institute’s Fall Classic, a “grand stage for fierce cooking battles,” seems poised to offer some tremendous shounen tournament fun featuring quite a few new characters. Before it kicks off, though, Soma’s dad stops by to encourage his son by trouncing him in an invigorating breakfast challenge (it’s nice to see Soma lose for a change!) and Soma realizes his scent-fu is not up to par when confronted with a master of spices. I’d forgotten how much this series reminds me of The Prince of Tennis, but volume six evoked those feels once again. It also, alas, evoked some ews with ickier-than-usual fanservice, though even Soma had his clothes blown off by some potent curry, so I guess that evens things out a bit. The volume ends just as the classic begins, so I am definitely looking forward to volume seven! – Michelle Smith

Girls Und Panzer, Vol. 4 | By Girls Und Panzer Projekt and Ryohichi Saitaniya | Seven Seas – This is a franchise, of course, and most of those who are buying the manga will already be familiar with the anime, which ends in the same way. (I imagine the light novel, which focuses on Saori, ends the same – don’t expect it licensed anytime soon.) So the manga, unlikely to show off more thrilling action scenes (though they are done very well indeed) shows us instead more of its focus character, Yukari, and her love of tankery. It can sometimes feel a bit odd – the emotional core of the story is Niho’s, and seeing it viewed through Yukari’s prism feels off. But overall, I think this was an excellent adaptation, and I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Sweet and fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 18 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – It almost felt like this series could end at the conclusion of the time-traveling arc, what with Nanami and Tomoe officially becoming a couple, but I’m glad it didn’t. It’s actually refreshing for her to get back to her old life, studying for finals so that she can go on the class trip to Okinawa. While I don’t love that Nanami is another in the long line of scholastically challenged shoujo heroines, I did like her being motivated by Tomoe’s resolve to absorb human knowledge, since he intends to be a more permanent part of her world. Too, the class trip brings greater definition to Nanami’s closest school friends and affords Nanami the opportunity to be very brave in attempting to save one of them from an aggrieved yokai. I admit to being a little lost about this whole Kirihito storyline, but was nonetheless thoroughly entertained. – Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 21 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Sometimes, narratives I am consuming for entertainment purposes portray the agonies of youth so acutely that said consumption becomes a bit stressful. Such is the case with Kimi ni Todoke’s 21st volume, in which the cast enters their final year of high school and must decide what to do about their futures. I absolutely love that Sawako is nudged into pursuing her own goals more aggressively—it’s great to see her feeling energized about something—and the idea of Ayane going off alone to see new things and become the confident person she knows she isn’t, even though others think differently, is great. (We can has spinoff?!) But there are some hints that at least one relationship might end (and if it doesn’t, that’s probably worse) and many exciting yet bittersweet days are to come. It’s great, but it hurts. It’s great because it hurts. – Michelle Smith

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 5 | By Takaya Kagami and Yamato Yamamoto – I continue to enjoy the worldbuilding in this manga. The past two volumes were mostly concerned with training and fighting, so I was interested to see some of the backstory of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army get filled in when Yuichiro is called before some members of the high-ranking Hiragi family and subjected to an interrogation. The leader learns why Shinoa is disaffected from her family and also why despite his rank, Gurren is a target of suspicion. Yuichiro is determined to master his demonic weapons, hold on to his new found family, and try to turn his long-lost friend Mika into a human again. We’ll see if he can pull that off in the next few volumes. Seraph of the End is still an engaging series five volumes in. – Anna N

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Dark Horse Comics, SuBLime, Viz Media, and Yen Press.

Alice in the Country of Clover: Twin Lovers | By QuinRose and Kei Shichiri | Seven Seas – Well, it’s better than the Bloody Twins volume, but I think I’m going to have to accept that I just don’t like the twins enough to enjoy a book where they’re the focus. Not uncommon in a series based off a datesim. But I tend to agree with Blood about their immaturity (he can be just as bad, but isn’t in this volume), and a plotline about Alice trying to choose between them is less ‘we need to see how they differ’ and more ‘they are a package deal’, as they don’t differ – I still can’t tell the two apart. Add to that some toned-down threesome jokes, which are still bothersome as half the time they’re kids, and you have another Alice spinoff that didn’t wow me. – Sean Gaffney

Drug & Drop, Vol. 2 | By CLAMP | Dark Horse Comics – It’s been hinted for some time, but this volume at last gives us the Wish crossover we knew was coming, and flat out tells us that Kakei and Saiga, our two leads’ erstwhile benefactors, are in fact Hisui and Kokuyo from Wish. I’m not sure how much enjoyment is lost if a casual reader is getting this dumped on them – not much, I’d expect – but it’s a nice bonus for fans, just like the Suki and xxxHOLIC cameos were. (Has Miyuki-chan shown up?) As for the manga proper, we get a lot of backstory dump, and ponder whether Kazahaya’s sister Kei was driven mad after being kidnapped, or if she was halfway there already. I’m still not sure where this is really going, but it looks pretty, and will appeal to CLAMP fans. – Sean Gaffney

Love Stage!!, Vol. 1 | By Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou | SuBLime – It has been ages since I’ve read any BL, especially an over-the-top comedic series like this one. Male Izumi Sena, a shy, frumpy otaku from a family of celebrities, was once drafted to play a flower girl in a commercial ten years ago and now has been bribed (with otaku merchandise) to participate in an anniversary sequel. Meanwhile, his lovestruck costar, Ryoma Ichijo, reels to discover the object of his decade-long affection is actually a guy (though it doesn’t take long for him to decide this isn’t much of an impediment). This is a frivolous, unrealistic series, but I do like Izumi’s character design and some inklings that he might have acting talent after all. I don’t know for how long this series will be capable of sustaining my interest, but I would at least check out volume two. – Michelle Smith

So Cute It Hurts!!, Vol. 1 | By Go Ikeyamada | Viz Media – Normally I am all about manga with exclamatory titles, but must regretfully say that So Cute It Hurts!! really didn’t do much for me. It’s the story of the Kobayashi twins, female Megumu and male Mitsuru, who end up switching places because Mitsuru’s busy schedule of Sunday dates is threatened by remedial history classes unless his history otaku sister aces some makeup tests in his stead. Whilst attending the other’s school, they each experience their first love. There are some interesting aspects, like the fact that both love interests have a physical impairment and also seem to know each other, but the two leads just don’t interest me at all. I’m used to cute and fluffy shoujo, but this feels more superficial than most. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 1 | By Neko Nekobyou, Reki Kawahara, and abec | Yen Press – Let’s be honest: aside from one short story in Vol. 8, we’re not really going to see Lisbeth, Silica or Leafa as more than cameos in the SAO novels anymore. So it’s nice to see them get their own series, as they participate in a side-quest in ALO and meet a young woman who was also trapped in SAO, and is still dealing with the PTSD that comes from that. (Lisbeth casually notes that they’re the weird ones, and that most SAO players are never going near another MMO). In real life, Hiyori looks eerily like Mugi from K-On! (let’s hope her friend she lost in SAO wasn’t Ritsu). I’m not sure when the next volume will be coming out, but it should be fun for fans of these characters. – Sean Gaffney

Tony Takezaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion | By Tony Takezaki and khara | Dark Horse Comics – It’s almost impossible to review something like this, a title that has a very, very specific audience. Do you love Evangelion? Are you OK with the characters behaving in a stupid way for the sake of bad jokes? If not, avoid this volume. But if you are, there’s a lot to love here. As with most gag manga, the jokes are hit and miss, but I think there are more hits than misses. There is a certain “I am seven years old” quality to many of these jokes, but again, this is what you get for buying a gag manga. I will simply enjoy Gendo and Fuyutsuki fighting a sentai battle in cheap costumes, Asuka being so horrified her sound effects turn German, and far too many “congratulations!”.-Sean Gaffney

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

Genshiken: Second Season, Vol. 6 | By Shimoku Kio | Kodansha Comics – I’m still not quite sure which direction Kio is taking this manga – something that I’m sure is quite deliberate on his part. After resolving the long-running Saki plot last time, she hints that Madarame is gathering a harem of his own, and this volume is happily content to riff on that for all it’s worth (as well as fracturing his wrist, possibly for daring to be a harem protagonist). But it doesn’t shy away from Hato’s gender identity issues either, with him trying to distance himself from both Madarame and BL while feeling completely miserable about everything. There’s plenty of humor here as well, as you’d expect given it takes place mostly during Comiket. Solid, but a bit too diffuse – impossible as that is. – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 11 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – It can be very difficult to deal with the fact that the world can sometimes be a cruel, unjust place – we see this every day of our lives. And in this volume of Magi, we see how it can turn an adorable young princess into a power-crazed villain. And just because you’ve been getting more powerful every day does not mean you’re going to waltz in and save the day – after winning the dungeon, our heroes get the crap kicked out of them by some powerful villains, and require a rescue by the cavalry from Sinbad’s country. In fact, this may be the most graphic, violent volume of Magi that we’ve seen to date. It’s a harsh but powerful read, and reminds you why we want people like our heroes to triumph over injustice. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 34 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – A lot of this volume focuses on Kyoko’s view of how love makes her a terrible person, for not only does she become an idiot, but she also hates herself for taking comfort in the fact that Ren’s belief that he doesn’t deserve love means that she won’t have to worry about someone else snagging him. The President tries to help adjust her thinking on this, and gives her a break from her role as Setsu, but soon enough she and Ren are back on location in Guam for a shoot, only Kyoko has arrived early and encountered Ren looking like Kuon. And then there’s a super-cruel cliffhanger that we have to wait until September to see resolved. Argh! As much as I look forward to these rare treats of Skip Beat!, they really do keep the agony of waiting for the next dollop of story fresh. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 2 | By Reki Kawahara and Kiseki Himura | Yen Press – I usually don’t pick up the manga adaptation after I start reading the light novel, but this was a very good example of how adaptations change the source to fit better within the manga genre. There’s more goofy humor here, Asuna’s POV is given a lot more workout than Kirito’s, and the plot is streamlined. That can also work against it, as we miss Kirito and Argo’s side story, and the loss of seeing the blacksmith working on a sword before Asuna’s makes the cliffhanger ending more of a surprise than it was in the book. Also, Kirito is a lot more into Asuna here than he is in the novel. Still, if folks want to pass up the novel for the manga, this is still very good, with likeable art. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 10 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – I was sure that this would be the volume where Shiro’s secret finally came out, along with the inevitable fallout. But no, we’re keeping things going right until the end, even as Senri is getting more and more suspicious that SOMETHING is going on, and Hime is finding it harder and harder to keep the two sides separate. On the acting front, there’s some great discussion of how an actor should try their best not to listen to what the fans want or recommend when performing – in particular, don’t go to forums! The rest of the cast take a back seat to Senri and Hime here, but that’s what you’d expect – next volume is the last, and they’re the main couple, so let’s keep them hanging for one last cliffhanger. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 10 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Hime, in her guise of Shiro, has a role in a new anime but fans of the character are so far displeased by her performance. While she works hard to figure out what she’s doing wrong, Mizuki—coming off as creepily controlling—suggests Shiro’s friendship with Senri will jeopardize Hime’s dream of becoming a top voice actor, so she abruptly pulls away from Senri. Lots of great moments of professional and personal growth ensue, with one particular scene making me go all sniffly. True, Hime does continue to be awfully careless at protecting her secret when Senri is around, but the scene in which he appears to maybe figure it out is done about as well as it could be. With only two volumes left, I find myself hoping for a romance-free ending. None of these characters is ready for that, anyhow! – Michelle Smith

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

Gakuen Polizi, Vol. 2 | By Milk Morinaga | Seven Seas – I had wanted Gakuen Polizi to get a bit less insubstantial, but I’m not sure this is what I meant. After fairly swiftly dealing with the evil rival who showed up for last volume’s cliffhanger, and who’s not all that evil after all, the final arc delves into the world of racy photos for money and spirals into teen prostitution. This includes a teacher whose talk about artistry of innocent half-nude schoolgirls trumping petty legality does not sound far off from some yuri fans. Oh yes, and there is a bit of yuri in here after all, though due to Aoba’s denseness we get a confession and kiss AND it doesn’t go anywhere. Fans of yuri will likely still enjoy this, but the last volume was far too moodswingey for me. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars, Vol 5 | By Yuto Tsukuda, Shun Saeki, and Yuki Morisaki | Viz Media – Volume five of this series is a bit of a transitional one, as the big storyline centered around the competition at the Totsuki Resort gets wrapped up and Soma finds himself with a chance to go home for a little break. Unfortunately, there’s a culinary crisis at the street market near Soma’s family restaurant, with a new corporate fried chicken chain threatening all the businesses. Soma digs in and comes up with a solution with his childhood friend Mayumi and he even imports meat expert Nikumi from school for extra help. This made for an entertaining interlude right before the next competition at cooking school starts. Food Wars has grown on me a bit with each volume and now I’m finding it consistently entertaining. – Anna N

Meteor Prince, Vol. 2 | By Meca Tanaka | Viz Media – Meteor Prince comes to a close in this volume, though not before a couple more aliens (Tania, Io’s rather obnoxious and clingy “true mate,” and Yuro, his ruthless younger brother) show up to erect obstacles to our lead couple’s happiness. I was a little disappointed that the origin of Hako’s spectacularly bad luck was never revealed, but there were other good things, like her awesome parents and protective little brother, and an ending that had just the right smidge of a drama for a two-volume series but rectified it all pretty swiftly and sweetly while still showing us Hako determined to take more control of her own destiny. If you miss the breed of shoujo that CMX used to release, you really ought to check out Meteor Prince; I have a feeling it’ll be on your wavelength. – Michelle Smith

Meteor Prince, Vol. 2 | By Meca Tanaka | Viz Media – Despite taking place after the main couple gets together, I thought this was the stronger of the two volumes of Meteor Prince, as we see all the various fallout that comes from this decision, and Io’s insistence that in the end he doesn’t care. Given this is a manga that began with predestined soulmates connected by wavelengths, the decision to show how in the end it’s people’s own choices that are important is an excellent one. Of course it’s not very original – there’s a comedic fiancee, a jealous little brother, and the choice between duty as a prince and romance. But for a series that is only two volumes long, Meteor Prince wraps everything up nicely, and the size feels just right. – Sean Gaffney

My Love Story!!, Vol. 4 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – I have to admit, we finally hit something in this manga that I was less than satisfied with. I did not like Hayato, and felt his behavior, which involved getting his crush to resolve her feelings for Takeo so she can move on to him, was creepy and far too sympathetically told. That said, it’s hard for even that to penetrate the fuzzy adorable feeling anyone gets reading this. We get more here of Takeo thinking over and over again that people just don’t like him in ‘that way’, and seeing time and time again that it isn’t true. Which is cliched, yes, but also helps to point out how negative reinforcement as a child or teen can have major self-worth consequences down the road. Thank goodness he has Suna and Rinko. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – I have now sampled three series by Aya Kanno, and they’re so different from one another that I am quite impressed! Based on Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Richard III, Kanno’s latest retells the story of The War of the Roses—with plenty of bishounen in significant roles—but instead of perpetuating the “hunchback” version of Richard, gives him a different body image problem (and quite a nifty character design!) that should affect the familiar tale in fascinating ways. My main complaint is that I don’t remember my history well enough to know if some actions attributed to Richard here, like the almost seductive way he cajoles his father into not giving up the fight for the crown, actually happened, or if Kanno is writing him somewhat inconsistently. In either case, I am definitely on board for volume two! – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 27 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – The power of positive thinking is what drives the first half of this volume, which is still devoted to a serious of battles at the shattered remains of the Cooking Festival. It takes Toriko a long way, to the point where we think that he’s going to be able to take out Starjun, but… in the end, all of our current heroes may not be enough, and not even Setsuno and company can turn the tide. Luckily, there’s a few more old-timers who’ve yet to arrive that may help out. There’s been a lot of fighting and very little food lately, and I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of this battle, even if things aren’t looking all that good for Toriko or Komatsu right now. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Michelle, & Anna look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Yen Press, and Viz Media.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 4 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – A step down from the previous volumes, mostly as we take a brief break from the thrilling action scenes to focus on a) a naval captain having erotic dreams about a 17-year-old girl, and b) the fetishization of Takao, who’s even using phrases like “I’ll let you see my engine’. Thankfully, the majority of the volume remains excellent. In particular, the odd friendship between Haruna and Makie, as the former realizes that they have far more in common than you’d expect. Meanwhile, we see something happen to Gunzou that we hadn’t expected – he’s defeated, and it doesn’t sit well with him at all. Oh, yes, and is his childhood friend not quite dead? Despite the fanservice, still very recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 5 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Tempted as I am to have this review simply say ‘Note: Food Wars! is a cooking manga’, I will add that this is quite a strong volume. We see Soma learn the value of TPO (Time, Place, Occasion) in his cooking and survive the hotel contest. We see him return to his old restaurant and get help from his childhood friend (remember her? from Chapter 1?) and Ikumi to take down a fast-food chain. And perhaps most importantly, we see Megumi Tadoroko: Ping Pong Goddess. It does sound as if we’re going to head into a longer arc starting with the next volume, though, complete with a new arrogant jerk for Soma to take down. All this, and Erina was in it as well. Remember her? The supposed heroine? – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 5 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – It’s perhaps the highest compliment I can give a series to say, “I could happily marathon fifty volumes of this series,” and that is precisely how I am feeling about Food Wars!. While I liked the chapters in which Soma helped his hometown neighborhood market compete with a fried-chicken chain, what I liked best was the conclusion to the intense cooking camp, which saw timid Megumi achieving greater confidence, and actually performing better than Soma in a grueling challenge. Yes, we saw him rise to the occasion and pull out an impressive win, but I liked that he easily admitted that he’d made a mistake and was determined to learn from it. And then he reflected that he was glad he’d come to culinary school after all. You guys, the cock protagonist is evolving! This is hitting my sports manga buttons, big time, and I love it. – Michelle Smith

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 2 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press- As this series is coming out concurrently with Shouoto’s Kiss of the Rose Princess, I am unable to resist comparing them. I’d have to say that, despite my vampire fatigue, this one is far superior. It’s a later effort from Shouoto—a bit darker (though the tone veers a bit lighter in this second volume), more mature (earning an OT rating), and better plotted, with several story threads in play from the start. It does still seem to be shaping up to be a male harem sort of series, but the introductions of new guys are better paced. Too, Shouoto seems to have developed a better sense for comedy, and I encountered no jarring goofy gags disrupting dramatic moments. Okay, yes, there are some standard shoujo tropes, and Aki’s possessiveness of Kana is plenty creepy, but there’s enough about this series to recommend it. Consider me pleasantly surprised. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!Vol. 4 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko – Every time I pick up this manga, I’m reminded that intense soap opera plots and meanness aren’t necessary ingredients for a captivating shoujo manga. Ai comes back home with Hayato, a friend from school who is determined to learn the identity of the Takeo Goda that she has a crush on. Hayato then encourages her to confess her feelings to Takeo, so she will get some closure. Takeo and Yamato’s relationship is too strong for any attempts at breaking them up, and they are both too naive to pick up on the undercurrents of emotion surrounding them. Later, there are more problems when Takeo’s assumption that he’s unpopular turn out not to be true. There’s something that is just so sweet about the unlikely love story portrayed in this manga, and the humor contrasted with the bits of drama that only serve to make Takeo and Yamato more and more in love with each other ensures that My Love Story!! makes me smile whenever I read a volume. – Anna N

Skip Beat!, Vol. 34 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – Lory’s Love Me group isn’t there to help his wannabe actresses find true love, it’s there to help them realize that they can’t simply shut off that part of themselves and expect their acting to reach the next level. As a result, his confrontation with Kyoko about her love for Ren feels more like a catharsis than anything else, and it’s beautifully done. Of course, his plotting and scheming is about to be taken down by one thing he is unaware of, which is the past that Kyoko has with “Corn”. While I have some issues with Ren taking advantage of her naivete about fairies to keep his identity a secret, this can’t help but be utterly adorable – or should I say corny? Still top-tier shoujo. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Michelle, & Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media & Kodansha Comics.

Arata: The Legend, Vol. 21 | By Yuu Watase | Viz Media – Arata and company have entered the territory of Ikisu, a gender-indeterminate member of the Six Sho who wields scent-based powers. Ikisu uses these to amplify the inferiority complex Kanate feels towards Arata. They fight, but right after Arata resolves their confrontation with an accepting hug, Kanate submits to Kadowaki. I’m still a little unclear as to why. Is it because, in order to succeed in his mission, Arate’s going to have to harden his heart to Kadowaki and force him to submit? And, therefore, Kanate is sacrificing himself to give Arata a reason to give up on Kadowaki being redeemed? In any case, seeing Arata in prolonged, heightened demon mode—only dispelled when he accidentally injures Kotoha—is pretty cool, and his newfound conviction regarding Kadowaki makes me hopeful that we’re heading towards an ending. I like this series well enough, but would welcome it wrapping up sometime soon. – Michelle Smith

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 3 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – Much of this volume is meant refining its core plot and building its world. We resolve the kidnapping from the class trip, where we see that Koro-sensei is indeed prepared for ANY eventuality. We get another new transfer student sent to kill the teacher, and see Koro-sensei not criticize her for killing him, but criticizing her for doing it in a way that disrupts the others. And we see that Class 3-E is still the scapegoat for anyone else at the school, and if they try to change that they are brutally put down, so they take their little revenges where they can. It’s all very well-written, funny and enjoyable, and I continue to be amused at the avoidance of “Bitch-sensei”, even when the art itself uses it. Highly recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 16 | By Kyousuke Motomi| Viz Media – This final volume of Dengeki Daisy is a very good example of what you do when you wrap up your series but still have to fill 150 more pages for the last tankobon. So we get the resolution of last volume’s cliffhanger, followed by several side-stories and epilogues, which are equally great, followed by the author’s debut work, which isn’t as great but that’s not unexpected. We do not get a flash-forward to marriage or children, but oddly do get to see them taking care of a baby due to one last ridiculous plot contrivance in a series full of them. Motomi will be back in the fall with her new series, already licensed, but I’ll miss Daisy, which if nothing else presented a “teacher”/ student romance that no one objected to, really. Funny, heartwarming, and charming. – Sean Gaffney

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 16 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – I was getting pretty seriously weary of the cyberespionage plotline that has dominated recent volumes of Dengeki Daisy, so it’s a relief that it wraps up quickly in this final volume, leaving more time for happy-ever-after character goodness. The official ending is satisfying on its own, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by the bonus chapters. True, there’s a shoujo-tastic episode in which a group trip to a resort is delayed by one of Kurosaki’s neighbors abandoning a baby on his doorstep, but this actually allows us to imagine him and Teru as a married couple. Plus, we get to see more of Soichiro’s past, Akira’s hopeful present, and top student Teru looking toward an ambitious future career with Kurosaki’s full support. I may not always have loved this series, but I’m glad I kept reading until the end. It was definitely a worthwhile endeavor. – Michelle Smith

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 13 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arakawa| Viz Media – This was actually a lot more plot-heavy than I expected, continuing to develop the story of Toma’s struggles against censorship and the Library Forces’ attempts to keep him safe. The story here may sometimes require some suspension of disbelief, but I always love that a shoujo manga in LaLa is willing to spend so much time devoting itself to a study of the politics of censorship, the media, and what’s best for Japan. Also, they’re right – Iku’s idea was fantastic, even if it was inadvertent. For those who want romance, it’s mostly low-key here, though Komaki and Marie fans will be happy, as the cover gives away. One of Shojo Beat’s low-key gems, I always look forward to a new volume. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol 34 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Heel Siblings arc, but this volume shows signs that Kyoko and Ren may be moving on. Lory decides to pull Kyoko out of her masquerade due to her fragile emotional state, and as Kyoko attempts to talk to the boss of LME without revealing the depth of her feelings to Ren, Nakamura offers up some great examples of lettering, as the tiny speech balloons and short phrases Kyoko uses make it clear just how painful it is to talk about her emotions. Later, Kyoko encounters Ren in as his real self, and her recognition of her childhood friend Kuon/Corn provokes even more emotional catharsis. My only compalaint about this series is that the volumes don’t come out often enough! – Anna N

UQ Holder!, Vol. 4 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – This is not Akamatsu’s first arc involving time travel and paradoxes, as readers of Negima well know. That said, it seems a lot more intense and dangerous here Possibly it’s because there’s none of the cliched Akamatsu ‘let’s have some fanservice here to satisfy the readers’ pages. But I think it may be due more to the return of one of Negima’s most memorable villains, who makes life next to impossible for our heroes. (There’s also a minor villain who seems to have returned as a cyborg, but I’m not sure – she seems far too sane.) You can read this without having read Negima, but it’s building on that world, and showing that Negi and Asuna’s actions at the end of that series have far-reaching consequences. – Sean Gaffney

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

Black Rose Alice, Vol. 3 | By Setona Mizushiro | Viz Media – Perhaps the most fitting adjective to describe this third volume of Black Rose Alice would be “immersive.” One of Alice’s four potential propagation partners doesn’t have long to live, and so urges Alice to choose him without actually telling her the truth, lest she pick him out of mere sympathy. In the end, this leads to her seeing a side of closed-off Dimitri that she hasn’t seen before. The experience of reading this series is a special one, and I must conclude this is actually partly due to Mizushiro’s art—it seems to me she uses more establishing “shots” and detailed interior backgrounds than other shojo manga, which gives one a palpable sense of being in this house with these people. She gets an A+ in Atmosphere, for sure. Even if you think you’re weary of vampires, you really owe it to yourself to check this one out. – Michelle Smith

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Vol. 7 | By Puyo and Nagaru Tanigawa | Yen Press – It’s hard sometimes to review these slice-of-life series, even if they are spinoffs, as there really isn’t much to say beyond ‘it’s adorable’. Much of the volume is devoted to Yuki going over to Kyon’s house and playing games with him and his sister, and it’s adorable. The two of them are getting closer and closer to admitting their feelings for each other, leading up to an absolutely adorable cliffhanger. Even stressed-out Ryouko beating Haruhi up is adorable in its own way. I’m not sure how much longer this series is going to go on – I had thought 8 was the finale, but apparently not – but no matter how long it goes on, I’m fairly certain ‘adorable’ will be the watchword. – Sean Gaffney

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 2 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – Both of Shouoto’s current NA series balance out supernatural action with some very amusing comedy, and nothing quite defines that like the start of this volume, which defuses the cliffhanger from the first in the most amusing way possible. Then we’re back to school, showing off where the plot is going from here: our three leads form a club devoted to ‘curious events’, i.e. events the mysterious Student Council President does not want to get directly involved in. There’s also, fair warning, an attempted rape in here as well, something I wish manga in general would drop but it never does. Despite that, this is another very good volume, and I do prefer this series to Kiss of the Rose Princess. – Sean Gaffney

Love At Fourteen Vol. 2 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – See my Nagato Yuki review for discussing adorable slice-of-life series, and almost everything from it applies here as well. The two leads are just too cute. As for the rest of the cast, we meet a shy girl here with a massive crush on one of our heroes, but the surprise is which one. She also is a budding writer, who narrates her own life in the third person, which is both cute and also a clever way of doing a narrative voice. Meanwhile, Hinohara-sensei is still enjoying teasing Nagai as well as trying to acclimate him, but I will warn you, it does look like we might be edging towards a teacher/student romance here, something which I know bothers folks. Despite that, this volume is still highly recommended to anyone who loves relaxed, cute love stories. – Sean Gaffney

Sankarea, Vol. 11 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Kodansha Comics – This series has tried its best to balance its comedy, romance, and horror aspects and I wondered how it would wrap everything up. It’s… OK, but it’s only a single rather than a home run. The return of Rea’s sociopath father bothered me, particularly since it appeared to be ignoring his past actions. Chihiro’s return was also a massive deus ex machina, though I suppose it’s better than simply ending it in a horribly depressing way. The best part of the volume is Rea and Chihiro’s date, with trips to the zoo, long walks to park benches, and confessions… leading to an amazingly horrible reveal. In the end, I think Sankarea did horror better than it did romantic comedy, leading to an imperfect end to a very good series. – Sean Gaffney

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 6 | Mizuki Sakakibara, Sunrise, Masafumi Nishida, and Masakazu Katsura | Viz Media – In a move reminiscent of the villains on CW’s Arrow, NEXT supremacist leader Jake Martinez has barged in on the mayor and declared his intention to take over. Naturally, our heroes rally to prevent this, infiltrating the ranks of Martinez’s faithful, a move culminating with Barnaby in a televised standoff against the man who killed his parents. Ordinarily, a three-month wait for the resolution to a cliffhanger would provoke at least a little whining, but luckily, Tiger & Bunny is not a manga that I think about in between volumes. Still, I do have fun while I’m reading it. I guess sometimes I just want something fast-paced and not too deep, and this story certainly fits the bill! I’ll keep following it, though alas not fervently. – Michelle Smith

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Vertical Comics, Kodansha Comics, and Viz Media.

Alice in the Country of Joker: Nightmare Trilogy, Vol. 3 | By QuinRose and Job | Seven Seas – I’ve criticized this particular spinoff before, for what I consider subpar art and for its tendency to meander. But this volume steps up the danger for Alice, and utilizes the Joker setting almost as well as Circus & Liar’s Game. The fact that Joker’s many lethal weapons all deal with perception and memory fits very well into the Alice universe at large, and Julius fans will be pleased (maybe) to see he’s joined Ace as two of the Joker’s henchmen. As for Alice and Nightmare, the waffling is the point – both of them are dealing with scary feelings, and overcoming those brings this trilogy to a close. Overall, not as strong as many of the other spinoffs, but it stuck the landing. – Sean Gaffney

Girls & Panzer: Little Army, Vol. 2 | By Girls Und Panzer Projekt and Tsuchii | Seven Seas – The action-filled climax to this volume happens about halfway through, as Miho and Maho’s teams take to their tanks for a one-on-one battle. If you know this series and how old these girls currently are, the outcome won’t surprise you. What this volume does do is flesh out Maho a bit and make it more clear that she’s obeying her mother in all things partly to shield Miho from such a harsh upbringing. Unfortunately, this does not really help Miho as much as she’s like, since her mother is still a horrible parent. Luckily, things resolve as well as they can with a few well-placed cheer up speeches. A cute prequel to the main series, but I prefer that one. – Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 13 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical Comics – Well, the harem wraps itself up here, and in a way that I really did not expect, though it was signposted very heavily in retrospect. This leaves us with most of the volume once again devoted to the war against the Gauna, and more opportunities for Tanikaze to show off how amazing he is in combat. Indeed, it’s actually leading to negatives as well, as the new recruits are so frustrated by their inability to do much in battle that they’re getting reckless. There’s also another chilling cliffhanger, made even worse by the fact that we’ve caught up with Japan, and will have to wait till the fall to find out what happens. Still one of my most surprising manga hits. – Sean Gaffney

My Little Monster, Vol. 7 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – Two of the three main romantic plotlines are seemingly wrapped up in this volume. Mitchan realizes he actually has be be meaner than he’d like to get Natsume to give up, and it’s realistically told and uncomfortable to read. Meanwhile, Oshima finally gives a direct confession to Haru, and (eventually) gets an equally direct rejection. That just leaves Yamaken and Shizuku, which is the only one that survives the volume and also the most annoying. It survives as Shizuku doesn’t get he likes her, and he’s too frazzled and scared to actually admit it to her. Add to this the arrival of a servant of Haru’s father who is HIGHLY irritating, and you have another up and down volume of this up and down series. – Sean Gaffney

Spell of Desire, Vol. 3 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – It’s not that Spell of Desire is awful, exactly, because it isn’t. It’s just that the characterization is lacking to the point that events don’t really impact me one way or another. In this volume, Kaoruko learns that in order to access her abilities as a witch, she must first lose her virginity. (In other words—can’t become a powerful female character without relying on a man!) So, she and Kaname finally admit and consummate their love, and then Kaname becomes an outcast for breaking his vow to the witch queen, and there is punishment and angst and resolve to become powerful enough to protect him. About the only slightly interesting thing going on is the conflict between Kaoruko’s black witch lessons and her white witch upbringing, and that might just be enough to get me to finish out the final two volumes of this blessedly short series. – Michelle Smith

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

D-Frag!, Vol. 4 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – This volume introduces the little sister of the protagonist, but fear not, for once we have no incest subtext. Instead we get some more excellent comedy, mostly as Noe turns out to be almost a carbon copy of Kazama – she too is a tsukkomi to all these bokes around her. Her presence also revitalizes Sakura, who shows off more of her magnificent troll personality here (probably to the surprise of anime fans, as the anime cut most of her out). There’s also a lot of opportunity for physical comedy, a small amount of romance (as always, kept on the back burner), and more gags about the size of Takao’s chest. Comedy is the first and most important mission with this series, and it keeps delivering. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – Kiss of the Rose Princess seems to change direction with every volume. The first one seemed more like a goofy fantasy manga, the second took a detour into darker themes, and the third volume seems to be launching into some sort of odd Cardcaptor Sakura retread. Anise and her rose knights say what I’m guessing is a temporary farewell to the yellow rose of jealousy, but things get more complicated at school when Anise’s mysteriously possibly evil father installs himself as the new school doctor. Anise has to go on a quest to collect more cards to level up her powers, and the sudden presence of young male celebrities at school is certain to complicate things even further. I am finding myself more bemused then amused by this manga, but at the same time it is plenty diverting if I don’t think about it too hard. – Anna N

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – While Kiss of the Rose Princess is still far from the best or most original series I’ve ever read, I do have to admit that it’s growing on me a little. In this volume, Anise makes a “true contract” with her knights without knowing what it entails. Turns out, she will need to romance one of them so that he will achieve his ultimate power-up as a knight. Meanwhile, her Watcher dude announces that it’s her responsibility to collect some “Arcana Cards” that are the manifestations of shards of the seal. Enemies—who apparently politely waited for Anise to learn about the cards’ existence—are going to be after them, too. So, it’s like a dating sim crossed with Cardcaptor Sakura? That’s not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose, and I am intrigued by the block on Mutsuki’s memories, so I’ll probably stick around a little while longer. – Michelle Smith

Library Wars, Vol 13 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa | Viz Media – Having built up plenty of anti-censorship principles and budding romances in the first few volumes, reading a new volume of this series feels a bit like catching up with old friends. Iku and Dojo continue to be a wonderful example of an awkwardly adorable couple. Chief Genda is back and semi-recovered from his injuries, and the reader gets a chance to check in on Komaki and Marie. The Library Forces are defending an embattled author, and Iku actually manages to come up with a brilliant strategy for ensuring his freedom of expression amidst all the odd warring censorship battles raging in Japan. This volume is on the light side, with plenty of victories to celebrate with some humorous bits of character interaction along the way. I think we’re pretty close to getting caught up with the Japanese releases, and I’m not looking forward to a long wait for the next volume. – Anna N

Nisekoi, Vol. 8 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – I’ve talked often about Nisekoi’s amazing skill at preserving the ‘balanced harem’. This doesn’t mean we don’t know how it will end – we know Chitoge will win – but that a mostly equal amount of time is set off to show every girl’s viewpoint and thoughts. Last volume was overbalanced toward Chitoge for plot reasons, so this one skews the other way, with Valentine’s Day providing an excuse for Onodera, Marika and Tsugumi to show off their skills (or lack thereof) and quest to try to get Raku to make a choice. Even a highly comedic character like Marika and her life-sized chocolate statues don’t get devalued – she pauses to seriously note how real her love for Raku is. This remains one of my favorite romantic comedy manga. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 18 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – After a couple of comedic chapters in which Mafuyu participates in summer vacation standards like a test of courage and a trip to the beach (I love that most of the guys are oblivious to her bikini), a new semester starts and plot things actually happen! After abducting their enemy, student council president Hanabusa, at his urging, Mafuyu begins to suspect that he’s not actually working on his father’s side in the bet against Takaomi, but perhaps has a wager of his own. Could it involve rehabilitating the misfits he drafted onto the council? The most interesting stuff, though, involves Hayasaka, as Hanabusa suggests he would’ve picked him for the council had Mafuyu not come along, while Momochi seems to be systematically erasing his happy memories with the Public Morals Club. Things are getting interesting and I’m looking forward to volume 19 to see how they develop! – Michelle Smith

Rin-Ne, Vol. 17 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – You know things are bad when not only can you not figure out what to say about a book to fill up a 500-word review, but it’s even hard to come up with enough for one of these briefs. Rin-Ne excels when it ties back into its main plot, but sadly, none of Vol. 17 bothers to do that. Yes, Rinne’s dad shows up, and we get the shyster brother and sister, but for the most part Rin-Ne has a very Urusei Yatsura feel to it – what’s the supernatural disaster of the chapter that will cause humorous chaos? Which is fine when Ataru and Lum are the leads, but Rinne and Sakura simply don’t have the charisma to carry it off. More plot, please!. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Viz Media and Kodansha Comics.

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 10 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – After being stabbed protecting Hokuto from an assailant, Chiwa drags her feet on showing her husband the letter his late father had delivered to her after his funeral. Eventually, the truth comes out and, to protect Chiwa from family machinations, Hokuto proposes a divorce, after which he promptly disappears. It was a foregone conclusion that this series would end with a happily ever after, so though there is angst here, there is no sense of urgency. Even the revelation of who was behind the attempt on Hokuto’s life (and the death of his mother) is completely ho-hum, though I guess I appreciate that the guilty party’s motivations made sense. Plot isn’t the point of a series like this, anyway. If you enjoyed previous volumes of Happy Marriage?!, this conclusion (however inevitable) is still worth checking out. – Michelle Smith

Honey Blood: Tale 0 | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – Even though I am so over stories in which immortal men fall in love with teenage girls, I did like the bittersweet aspect of Honey Blood‘s ending, so I appreciate the opportunity to read the three one-shot stories that preceded the serialized version. The things that bugged me are still present, but so too is the acknowledgment that the couple is basically doomed for a dark future. Two unrelated stories round out the volume: one about a pair of childhood friends who wait too long to confess their feelings, and the other about a tomboy who feels like she needs to completely transform herself (physically and behaviorally) in order to attract the boy she likes. That’s a horrible message, obviously, but it was kind of cute, too. In the end, Mitsuki did some intriguing things with some stock concepts, and I hope we see more from her in the future. – Michelle Smith

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 17 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – We’ve finally cone to the end of the ‘past’ storyline, and Nanami has done most everything she needs to do. As a result, much of this volume is simply seeing the results of her past meddling, as it affects the important players: Tomoe, Yukiji, and Akura-Oh. After that, we finally get to see the fruits of her labors, even if it requires a brief detour to 20 years ago so that Mikage knows that she’s the one who is able to save Tomoe where he can’t. And the payoff is beautiful, something that fans of this series have been waiting for since it began. I’d be happy if it ended here, but there’s plenty more to go in Japan (Vol. 21 is due out next month), so instead let’s go out on both Nanami and Yukiji’s ecstatic faces for now. – Sean Gaffney

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 4 | by Takaya Kagami, Yamato Yamamoto, and Daisuke Furuya | Viz Media – I continue to be impressed with the amount of worldbuilding and character development on display in this action packed manga about the last dregs of humanity turning to demonically infused weapons to fight off vampires in a futuristic dystopia. After the adopted brothers Yu and Mika found their paths diverging, with one joining a group of vampire hunters and the other becoming a vampire, the inevitable confrontation occurred in this volume, and the results were so intriguing. Mika sees Yu being used by vampire hunters and Yu vows to save Mika from his new vampire family. The opposing groups are neither good or bad, and with some interesting facts being divulged about Yu’s chosen side, I’m very interested to see where this story is heading next. – Anna N

The Wallflower, Vol. 34 | By Tomoko Hayakawa | Kodansha Comics – Even after 34 volumes, the core message of The Wallflower has been fairly consistent, albeit occasionally abused for the sake of comedy. ‘Don’t make yourself into something you’re not because of anyone’s opinion’ drives this series, and Sunako’s consistent inability to become ‘the lady’ her aunt wants is due to this. In this volume, we see the tomboyish Machiko get told her relationship with Yuki isn’t romantic enough, and a lonely spoiled brat learning that it is possible to have fun like a normal child and that her grandfather really does love her. As for Kyohei and Sunako, that takes a back seat here, but given the manga is wrapping up soon, I imagine that the next volume will take care of that. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics and Viz Media.

Cage of Eden, Vol. 17 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – In this volume, we see a welcome return of massive killer beats, this one a genetic monstrosity that seems to be an attempted chimera. It allows this manga to do what it does best. No, not the fanservice and commentary on the fanservice, though there’s that too. Seeing the cast inspire each other to use their abilities to their fullest in order to survive is something both Sengoku and Yarai to a lesser degree have been doing, and there’s lots of impressive fighting attempts, even if some of them don’t work. Sadly, this can also lead to OVERconfidence, as we see with fake Miina, who tries to take out the beast and gets eaten. Hard to come back from getting eaten. Or is it? – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 10 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – This volume reminds us how far our heroes have cme since the start of this book, and how closely they work as a team. So when you add a new element to that team, Hakuryu, he can find himself quickly falling behind – something that makes him insane with envy and self-hatred. It takes Alibaba to remind him that they’ve all made mistakes because they tried to take too much on their own, and his mistakes cost people their lives. In among this, we get Morgiana stepping up to new levels of awesome as she learns to use her vessel, a sneering villain who does his best t drive the group onward and will likely prove to be testing them, and some new arrogant bad guys to provide a cliffhanger. What more culd you want? – Sean Gaffney

Meteor Prince, Vol. 1 | By Meca Tanaka | Viz Media – The premise of Meteor Prince—“a naked alien prince falls from the sky to tell [our heroine] that out of all the girls in the universe, he’s come to Earth to mate with her”—is virtually guaranteed to make one dubious. However, I’m glad I overcame my initial doubts because the series won me over in the end. Io, said prince, is an innocent horndog with alien abilities who easily overcomes the horrible luck that has forced heroine Hako Natsuno to keep her distance from all but a few good friends. As a result, there’s a nice balance of comedy and romance, and Tanaka even finds time to hint at feelings between a couple of the secondary characters. Two volumes seems just the right length for this series, which ultimately reminded me of the type of shoujo once offered by CMX. Surprisingly recommended! – Michelle Smith

One Piece, Vol. 73 | By Eiichiro Oda | Viz Media – No volume of One Piece is ever bad, but some are more emotionally affecting than others. Volume 73 is a good balance of sympathetic islanders—a much-loved king forced to betray his people by a villain, swept-under-the-carpet undesirables plotting rebellion, Franky crying his eyes out over their story…—and action, as the storylines converge and our heroes make ready to help out. I like how the alliance with Trafalgar Law has affected the crew, and how Nami is the one to really recognize the merits of his strategy, and I really liked the arrival of a certain (presumed) character and the effect this had on Luffy. Did any of this make me personally verklempt? Well, no, but it’s still pretty great. – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 6 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Well, it didn’t take long for Megumi’s plans to come crumbling down around her, did it? It helps that Mei has her first major rival/villain on her side now, one that can see through all the garbage. Given that we also see a sizeable chunk of Megumi’s past here, I suspect she may also end up becoming more likeable to the reader, though I suspect it will take longer. What’s more interesting is the cliffhanger, which makes you wonder if Mei and Yamato will have their first time together. I’m inclined to guess they won’t, but we’ve seen quite a bit of sexual activity in the book already, so you never know. In any case, this is still one of those mangas I always try to read as soon as it arrives. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Yen Press, and Viz Media.

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 5 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – This volume does a god job of balancing out the slice-of-life and the worldbuilding. ON the one hand we have chapters like the one with Kyoko and her brother, which reassures us that despite both being goat/human hybrids they’re still a typical family with rivalries and brattiness. On the other you have the last chapter, showing the history of how the centaurs gained rights, with this world’s Napoleon promising them freedom if they fight under his command. And in the middle we see Suu and her childhood friend appear to talk about manga romances not being the same as real life (she seems a bit creeped out). This series is decidedly odd, and that’s what keeps it so readable. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!, Vol. 4 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – With a minimum of fanservice, and a good heaping help of classic Shonen Jump tropes, this is the best volume of Food Wars! to date. Soma’s battle with Shinomiya is really Megumi’s battle, and she shows off once again why she’s an amazing chef if she can just learn to stop panicking. But for Soma, who knows they won on a technicality, the frustration of losing leads to self-harm (don’t worry, it’s just punching a wall). And while the last volume saw Megumi on the verge of expulsion as the cliffhanger, here we see Soma in the same situation, as his breakfast menu has not gained any support. There’s also the usual bevy of eccentric characters and amusing one-shot gags, and it may just be the lack of ‘this food is making me having an orgasm’ pages, but I’ve come to love this. – Sean Gaffney

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 10 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – In our final volume, most everything gets resolved. What I appreciated most was the implicit realization that both Hokuto and Chiwa married too soon, and how to fix that without simply breaking up, as they do love each other dearly. That said, they just can’t stop getting on each other’s nerves, and it’s fitting that the final chapters show off how they’re always going to be fighting each other, and have simply come to accept it. The series has existed on that sort of tension, so doesn’t just want to get rid of it with an overly soppy ending. But they’re married – again – and Chiwa may be pregnant, so all is well. The marriage parts of this were, in the end, the victor over all the ‘Hokuto’s backstory’ parts. – Sean Gaffney

Honey Blood: Tale Zero | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – This volume collects the first chapters of Honey Blood, where we get a previous version of the story that is a bit more humorous and improbable, and the heroine has a slightly less strong personality. I think the changes in the version for the two volume manga were for the better, but it was interesting to get a peek into the creative process involved in reworking a story for longer serialization. The volume is rounded out with some additional short stories, one featuring a tomboyish girl with a crush on an aspiring male makeup artist, and a story between a boy and girl next door that doesn’t end well. This volume is probably best for completists only, the other two volumes of Honey Blood stand on their own. While I think this series didn’t completely come together, I’d like to check out other works by Mitsuki, because I did enjoy the art and aspects of the plot. – Anna N

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 2 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – I was hoping the second volume of Kiss of the Rose Princess would help me decide what to make of this series, but it’s so different from the first—introducing a villain who attacks two knights and kidnaps a third, as well as a weakening seal on the demon lord that can only be repaired with a terrible sacrifice—that I remain kind of baffled. I appreciate the more serious moments, though there is still plenty of unfunny comedy, and it’s really jarring when what could’ve been an important moment is undermined by a stupid gag. Too, I suspect either Shouoto or her editor was a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because there are a couple of plot elements that are so similar they’ve got me wondering. Still, it’s an improvement overall, and I find myself willing to stick around a bit and see where this goes. – Michelle Smith

Soul Eater, Vol. 24 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – I appreciated the reminder midway through this volume of how terrifying the series can get, as Crona’s attack on the infiltrators is something that I will likely have nightmares about. That said, even Crona can’t stop Asura from being the final big bad, and it’s up to Maka, Black*Star and Death the Kid (who has a brief comedic detour back to Earth, the best joke in the volume) and their respective weapons to stop him. We’ve only got one more volume to go, and that sounds about right, as there’s time for one last battle, Shinigami-sama’s death (which is clearly lampshaded here), and a big celebration to end it all. Soul Eater has given us a bizarre skewed shonen manga, right to the end. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 26 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – It’s all battles again in this new Toriko, so I have less to talk about. It was interesting to see an actual death of a named character, as Tommyrod is finished off by Sunny in a battle of the disturbing. Meanwhile, Brunch’s battle against a supposed immortal invincible character shows off how little those attributes actually mean in a manga like this. The most troubling battle goes t Toriko, who is almost killed off before revived by the sound of Komatsu crying for him (in case you hadn’t figured out he’s the heroine by now). Is he actually ready to take on Starjun? And is this the real enemy, or is there now a 3rd party gumming up the works? Man, remember when this was all about food? More food, please. – Sean Gaffney