Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 5 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – I really like the fact that Sarasa is choosing the more difficult option. They’re doing auditions for a five-minute Romeo and Juliet, with singing, and Sarasa, who would make a much better Romeo, resolves to try for Tybalt again, as she wants to figure out the role and how she can make it not what the actress she emulated had done. This ends up impacting Ai, who’s going for Juliet, but realizes that she has absolutely no idea what being a girl who falls in love at first sight is like… until she starts thinking of Sarasa, and how they first met in a very romantically charged scene, and the bulb lights up. This may not be a yuri series, but as all good Takarazuka manga should, it’s not afraid to lean really hard into it. – Sean Gaffney
Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 11 | By Afro | Yen Press – It’s rare to see real character development in a slice-of-life fluff series, so it’s quite something to see Rin in this volume, who is almost unrecognizable from the Rin at the start of the series. Camping with others has really helped to open her up to the point where ‘the stoic, unemotional one’ doesn’t even fit anymore. It works in reverse as well, as Nadeshiko is able to go off on her own solo adventures without us worrying about her getting in too much trouble. As for the camping trip itself, it involves crossing a lot of suspension bridges, some of which are fantastic and scenic, and some of which are simply terrifying. I know I would never be able to do any of them. Laid-Back Camp is pure ambience. – Sean Gaffney
Lost Lad London, Vol. 1 | By Shima Shinya | Yen Press – I’ve learned to temper my expectations when it comes to “mystery” manga, so it pleases me greatly to announce that Lost Lad London is the real deal and I loved it wholeheartedly. Al Adley is a somewhat aloof university student who happened to be riding the Tube at the same time that the mayor of London was murdered in one of the train carriages. It just seems like an odd coincidence until Al discovers a bloody knife in his jacket pocket. Thankfully, when Inspector Lenny Ellis turns up, he believes in Al’s innocence and they start working together to uncover whether Al was just a convenient scapegoat or if he’s being intentionally framed. The art style is striking, full of large, uncluttered panels, and I love seeing people of color in main roles. The final scene is wonderfully cinematic and I can’t wait for volume two. – Michelle Smith
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 15 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – We finally get the actual backstory of the king, and it’s a pretty tragic one. It also helps explain why Set is so intent on destroying them like this. That said, most of this final volume is spent wrapping everything up in a neat bow. The allies arrive just in time, the people love their king regardless of whether he’s a human or a beast, and he and Seriphi can now be married. We even get to see a little of their life after, with kids running around being little terrors. This series felt a bit too much like “Fantasy Fruits Basket” sometimes, but I think it was quite underrated, and is a great one for shoujo fans. That said… man, why didn’t our favorite crocodile couple make it official? Slowpokes. – Sean Gaffney
Skip and Loafer, Vol. 4 | By Misaki Takamatsu |Seven Seas – I really appreciate the fact that Mitsumi is allowed to screw up here, realize it, and resolve to do better without the help of a magical love interest to resolve things. As I said in the previous volume, Shima still has his own issues which are taking priority, including a realization that not everyone hates him because of his actions. Maybe they’re just awkward! Maybe they’re a child whose motives you’re misreading! There’s also some nifty parallels with The Sound of Music, which Shima is forced to act in despite his not wanting to because… well, because he’s supposed to be the swell guy in class. I admit the series is starting to meander a bit from its premise, but I’m here for the Loafer half as well as the Skip. – Sean Gaffney
Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 10 | By Maybe | Yen Press – After last volume having “when are they going to do it” absent from the plot, and being better for it, this volume returns to it with a vengeance. Hime is overtaken by evil, and Satou tries various things to stop her, including dealing with different aspects of her personality (the childhood friend, the child, the princess, etc.). But, in the end, it turns out she just needs a good rogering and her magical power overflows with evil-destroying light. In fact, they do it a good five or six times to be sure. One might argue that plot resolution is a bit much, but honestly this entire series has been driven by “when is he going to rid these girls of their virginity,” so it seems rather apt. Still, more battles, less sex next time. Maybe. – Sean Gaffney