SEAN: There’s about a dozen titles I could pick here, including any number of debuts from Yen, or final volumes from Vertical, or even fantastic shoujo from Kodansha and seinen from Viz. But my pick of the week will be Kizumonogatari, the novel by Nisioisin that is the introduction to the popular Monogatari universe, showing how our hero got to be what he is today. I’ve loved this author’s work ever since I read the first Zaregoto back in 2008, and can’t wait to bury myself in it.
ASH: Sean’s right, there are plenty of great releases to choose from this week, including some of my personal favorites like Dorohedoro. However, I’m especially excited for the debut of Yowamushi Pedal. I’m very happy to see sports manga being released in English again and I don’t at all mind the series’ BL undertones, whether they be real or imagined.
ANNA: I’m also going to throw my vote to Yowamushi Pedal. Sports manga comes out so rarely here, I feel like every new title should be celebrated.
MICHELLE: My pick goes to volume one of Of The Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi. The art and the emphasis on the supernatural remind me of Natsume’s Book of Friends, which is one of my favorite series, but there are quite a few active mysteries and questions in this new series that presumably relate to its visual novel origins. Check it out!
MJ: There’s a lot to be happy about this week, including all my colleagues’ picks, so I’ll do my duty here and keep banging the drum for my beloved Pandora Hearts! We’ve been waiting a long time for this volume, and there is so much hanging in the balance! You can be sure this is at the top of my list this week.
JRB says
December 14, 2015 at 8:33 pm“I’m very happy to see sports manga being released in English again and I don’t at all mind the series’ BL undertones, whether they be real or imagined.”
From what I’ve seen of the anime, 100% imagined, although there is plenty of the the “intense rivalry”/”guys bonding over sports” stuff that gets fujoshi going. I checked out of the anime because I’m not into sports stories and there was a little too much of the “kid with immense natural talent but no training up against the seasoned pros” thing going on, although the protagonist is a likable doofus rather than an arrogant jerk a la Food Wars, but if you are ok with that the anime was pretty decent and I assume the manga will be likewise.
James says
December 15, 2015 at 10:09 pmThanks.