Anonymous Noise, Vol. 3 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – I was wondering at some point reading this volume if we could simply make the series 200 pages per volume of Nino screaming into a mic. The scenes where she does so are so electrifying, they draw you in so much, that it makes the rest of the teen drama feel a bit less by comparison. Honestly, the series can also be exhausting, because Nino is just so MUCH—not just the singing, but everything she does is to the point of collapse and pain, and it makes you desperately want to tell her to slow down. I think the creator would do well to follow that advice as well—I could use a lull somewhere in here. But man, does this book ever succeed at showing the power of music. – Sean Gaffney
The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 4 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics – We’re making progress here—Hiramasa and Mikuri seem to be able to admit to themselves that they’re falling in love, and both want things to be a bit more physical. But oh my God, the communication problems here are enough to ruin a reader’s enamel. I appreciate the slow burn here, but it’s hard not to bang your head against a wall every time these two think about finally opening up and hashing everything out, and then deciding not to. I do like the fact that they’re both equally at fault, really—Mikuri may be the viewpoint character but she compartmentalizes so much of what’s happening that accessing real emotions is proving difficult. Even hugs may not help here. – Sean Gaffney
Ghost Diary, Vol. 2 | By Seiju Natsumegu| Seven Seas – This title still walks a fine line between pandering and creepy, and it still remains on the creepy side, which is good, given it’s meant to be a horror manga. The Kukuri and Tatsumi chapter was probably my favorite, giving some depth to those two, even as it revolved around some pretty strange shenanigans (and twins who reminded me of the Sonozakis). Less successful is Mayumi, who too frequently falls into the garden variety tsundere mode, which frankly just isn’t enough by itself anymore. The series is at its best when it’s wrong-footing us and making us not completely trust Chloe, but there’s less of that here, and therefore I’d say it’s not as intriguing as the first volume. But it’s still worth a read for horror fans. – Sean Gaffney
Hana & Hina After School, Vol. 2 | By Milk Morinaga | Seven Seas – Last time we saw how fast Hina fell for Hana, adn this time it’s Hana who, by the end of the volume, is questioning how she feels about her friend. Hana doesn’t not have the past experience Hina does, though, so it may take longer. Of course, the fact that Hina has experienced rejection in the past leads her to try to distance herself from Hana, and so much of the volume has them not working together (their new co-employees are, shall we say, not as good). Fortunately, it’s all resolved by the end, in time for a festival with fireworks. That said, where would a yuri title be without the return of the ex-girlfriend? She doesn’t make a full appearance in this book, but she’s on the fringes, so I’m sure volume three will be all about her. – Sean Gaffney
Horimiya, Vol. 8 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – There are some people who have complained that Horimiya isn’t as good as it was because it’s changed so much from its initial premise. I can sort of see what they mean, but I’m still really enjoying seeing these kids struggle through high school and try to have a relationship. Sex doesn’t come up again here, but we do get more of the weirdest BDSM relationship in all of manga, which is even weirder given it’s in public. The athletic festival is also amusing, if only as Hori does horribly as she’s so easily distracted. Bonus points for the ouendan costume as well. So yes, one could argue that the series is meandering a bit here, and needs real drama, but I also am happy just reading about these kinds being big doofs. – Sean Gaffney
Horimiya, Vol. 8 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – It’s Sports Festival time for Katagiri High! Even though Miyamura is a third-year student, it’s his first time truly participating, and he really gets into it, cheering for his teammates, competing against Hori, etc. In the end, he’s surprised by how much fun he had and I was surprised by how not tiresome yet another sports festival arc was. After this, we see the return of the relationship dynamic in which Hori wants Miyamura to be mean/rough with her. While I can appreciate seeing that sort of predilection depicted in a teen romance manga, what troubles me is that he’s clearly not enjoying it and only doing it for her sake. It’s also odd that none of their friends or classmates is showing concern, especially when Miyamura questions a love rival’s ability to hit her. I’m not sure where Horimiya is going with all this. – Michelle Smith
Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 5 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – Two-thirds of this volume is devoted to the same school antics as the previous ones, as we see the cast of friends getting closer, our succubus teacher continuing to fail to seduce Takahashi-sensei, and any number of monster girl trivia items. The last third moves to an apartment to show the adventures of a college girl who happens to live with a Zashiki-Warashi, and the complicated feelings this stirs up in her, especially as it’s not as easy to deal with as it sounds. This is cute but feels irrelevant compared to the main plot—I wonder if the author is running out of things to talk about. Still, ‘cute’ is pretty much the brief for this series, and as long as there’s plenty of that I don’t think the readers will complain. – Sean Gaffney
Oresama Teacher, Vol. 22 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – What a fantastic volume of Oresama Teacher! The Super Bun impostor is revealed, and though in retrospect I probably should have guessed who was responsible, it didn’t make the resulting story (and backstory) any less satisfying. Plus, the final chapters of the arc featured Mafuyu in a pig mask (Super Ham!) and the members of the Student Council working together to find the culprit. After that, there are a couple of bittersweet chapters about the third years graduating that are quite nice, but I really wasn’t prepared for that penultimate page. This series is frequently very silly, but a beaming Miyabi telling Mafuyu that she’s his hero made me tear up instantly. It’s a rare series that’s only getting better at volume twenty-two! – Michelle Smith