SEAN: Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
ASH: Deep breaths!
SEAN: Kodansha starts things off with an 8th volume of Kiss Him, Not Me!
ASH: It has its problems, but I’m still enjoying this series.
SEAN: One Peace gives us a 2nd volume of Kuma Miko, which I hope is a bit more strange and cute and not strange and creepy.
ANNA: I have the first volume of this, I need to read it.
SEAN: Seven Seas has a 2nd volume of Lord Marksman and Vanadis, in which, hopefully, the village is saved? Or not, it could be a much darker sort of story.
At last, one year after the release of the chronological prequel Kizumonogatari comes the book that started it all. Bakemonogatari is being published by Vertical in 3 parts, fitting the Japanese re-release, and the first one contains Hitagi Crab and Mayoi Snail. If you love complicated prose, glorious dialogue, and the supernatural, you’ll love this.
MJ: I possibly should take a look at this.
SEAN: And Vertical also has the final Chi’s Sweet Home omnibus. Bye, Chi!
Viz has a 12th volume of Afterschool Charisma, reminding you that the SigIkki brand remains awesome.
MICHELLE: I believe this is the final volume, as well.
ASH: I really need to catch up!
ANNA: Me too! I need to wait for a sale or something and fill in my collection.
SEAN: Gangsta: Cursed is a prequel to the main series with the same writer but a different artist. It runs in the wonderfully named Go Go Bunch.
ASH: I’m looking forward to this.
ANNA: I am too, but I like the main series art so much!
SEAN: Viz also has a 4th omnibus of the cheerful and innocent fantasia Goodnight Punpun.
ASH: Very cheerful! Very innocent!
MICHELLE: *is not fooled*
SEAN: Master Keaton has a 9th volume, reminding me it was quite a long series.
ASH: I actually didn’t realize how long a series it was.
SEAN: And even though Amazon isn’t listing it for some odd reason, there’s a 10th Tokyo Ghoul.
The big Viz release, in more ways than one, is Tomie: The Complete Collection, a 750-page hardcover containing all of his classic horror story. If you love getting scared witless, try this book.
ASH: I love Viz’s Junji Ito releases, so I’m definitely picking this up (even though I also have the ancient Dark Horse edition).
MJ: I love getting scared witless!
SEAN: I always forget to mention Yo-kai Watch when it comes out, so this is me correcting that, as Viz has Vol. 6 of it.
And now it’s time for Yen, but stay comfortable, we’ll be here for a while. There are new digital volumes of Aoharu x Machinegun (7), Black Detective (7), Saki (7), and Corpse Princess (…8, goddamn you).
ASH: Saki!
MJ: Always love Saki!
SEAN: There are also old Yen Press releases from way in the past getting shiny new digital releases! With the Light, Yen Press’s first ever title. Dragon Girl, a fun shoujo omnibus. And Sundome, which was Flowers of Evil before it was cool. All are worth a look.
Yen On has a record number of novels out this month. Accel World’s 8th volume may finally finish this arc, perhaps? Will Takumu turn evil? Probably not.
The Asterisk War 2 continues to have magical school antics.
Baccano! Vol. 3 has the back half of the 1931 Flying Pussyfoot story, focusing on different characters as well as showing us where the heck Ladd went.
MICHELLE: Someday I really will try out this series, even though light novels are not usually my thing.
ASH: I’ve been meaning to try it out, too.
SEAN: Black Bullet 5 has the start of what I’ve heard called the “NTR” arc, a phrase that always makes me groan. We’ll see.
The Devil Is A Part-Timer! 6 apparently gets us back to the part-time work.
The debut this month is Goblin Slayer, which takes place in a fantasy world but strangely has no one come into it from another world. How weird.
The 3rd Irregular at Magic High School novel is the start of a 2-volume arc about the school Sports Festival, which uses magic. Don’t get it confused with November’s A Certain Magical Index, the start of a 2-volume arc about the school Sports Festival, which uses magic.
The 7th Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? novel is HUGE, much bigger than the other books. Set aside time for it.
After what seems like ages, the 5th No Game No Life volume is upon us. Can it live up to the wait?
Sword Art Online seemed to only two one to two arcs before this, but not anymore. The 9th book is the first in a 10-VOLUME arc. Are you prepared for this much Kirito?
And now we finally get to Yen’s manga deliveries. Akame Ga KILL! ZERO has a 4th volume, or should that be FOURTH! VOLUME.
Aoharu x Machinegun has a 2nd print volume. More fake gun battles, I assume?
The first of Yen’s debuts this month is Bungo Stray Dogs, which has supernatural powers, a detective agency, and I suspect a lot of pretty young men.
ASH: I’m actually really looking forward to this series! Supernatural, bishonen versions of some of Japan’s literary greats? Count me in.
MJ: Sounds great!
SEAN: We also have The Case Study of Vanitas, which has – you guessed it – vampires, and is by the author of Pandora Hearts.
MJ: Okay, so I know you’re all looking at me here. I checked out the first volume and wasn’t immediately drawn in as I had hoped, but I’ll give it some time to charm me.
SEAN: Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition 8 has the comedic highlight of the entire series.
MICHELLE: These volumes multiply so quickly!
MJ: Hurray, hurray!
SEAN: GA Art Design Class has its 7th and final volume. I know most fans here preferred Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, but I always loved this series’ focus on art and cute girls.
He’s My Only Vampire has a 9th volume.
MICHELLE: I’m a bit bummed this has gone downhill quality-wise, but I’ll probably still finish it.
SEAN: The Honor Student at Magic High School has caught up with the novels, meaning it too is starting the Sports Festival.
Just as GA Art Design Class ends, Kiniro Mosaic begins. It’s also got cute girls, and while it may lack art school, it makes up for in yuri tease. (Which GA Art Design Class also had, to be honest.)
The 3rd My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected manga still has a long title.
There’s more Of the Red, the Light and the Ayakashi with a 5th volume. Is it halfway through adapting the game yet?
MICHELLE: I’ll be reading this one.
SEAN: Overlord also has a 3rd volume of the manga adaptation.
And Strike the Blood has a 5th manga adaptation. Expect novels from those last two in January.
Ubel Blatt’s 7th omnibus takes us to the 15th volume of the Japanese release, in case you’ve gotten lost.
Lastly, there’s a 4th omnibus of cycling manga Yowamushi Pedal.
MICHELLE: Yay! Oh sports manga, how I adore you.
ASH: Yes, yes, yes!
ANNA: I have not read this yet! Someday!!!!
SEAN: And we’re done. At last. Good God. What’re you getting from this morass?
I wonder what is up with Viz slowing releases to a snail’s pace towards the end of a series, if it’s complete in Japan. There was a year between vol 11 and 12 for Afterschool Charisma. Is it some rul elite they get to keep the rights longer as long as they publish one physical vol a year or something? Is this how they keep holding onto Kaze Hikaru’s license (even though it’s longer than Skip Beat in Japan, but we only have 24 vols of Kaze Hikaru here)? Is this why they’ve been taking their sweet time on the last vol of Tegami Bachi and they clearly slowed down release on both Kamisama Kiss and My Love Story? Because even if you can argue that AFC and KH sell poorly, you can’t possibly argue the same of Kamisama or My Love Story.
Also, no one is even allowed to start naming volumes of a series starting at “0” ever again. Especially not omnibuses. This numbering system is just the biggest mess on the planet. Whenever a new Ubel Blatt comes out, I think “how many volumes are on my shelf? Is it 5 volumes or is “volume 5″ on there?” and then I get confused and half the time end up messing up buying it (to be safe, I don’t buy it then, I buy it later). At least this time I remember that I need vol 7, which is actually the 8th omnibus. Next time Yen or anything thinks of naming anything “volume 0”, just don’t. If it’s a prequel, you can put that on the cover or something, but never use “zero” ever again! From now on, it is only appropriate to put the term “zero” or number “0” on a spine if it is in the actual title of the manga! Or maybe if it runs in Comic Sum Zero.
At least they didn’t start Yowamushi Pedal at zero! Also, I am enjoying that series way more than I ever thought I would. I also need Fruits Basket (I’m behind a bit, the comic shop didn’t get in 7 somehow, sometimes they get two months worth of Yen at a time, so I’m not concerned), so I need 7 and 8. And I need Master Keaton 9, so plenty of omnibuses for me! But not Tomie, my comic shop did have that one in a bit early so I nabbed it last week. The sake making chapter in that is rather unsettling… And I also blind bought Aoharu x Machine Gun 1 and enjoyed it, so I will be planning to pick up vol 2. It kind of makes me want to take up paintball, but then I remember that I’m not very athletic or in shape and don’t like the outdoors or pain. I also need to pick up Gangsta Cursed (I am so behind on the main series itself though)
Bungo Stray Dogs – This. Yes, this. I think so. やっぱりこれ。