Anonymous Noise, Vol. 10 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – Finally, the concerts are going well. Seeing the band actually being fantastic and getting the audiences going is a joy to watch. That said, though, this is still primarily a romance manga. Yuzu manages to confess, but Nino’s just not that into him—she still is in love with Momo. That said, she’s upset about hurting Yuzu, and (in the best scene in the book) opens up to Miou about it. This allows Miou to finally put aside her own demons and admit that she’s in love with Haruyoshi, though he admittedly connects a lot of the dots there in his own favor. That said, Black Kitty absolutely just tore it up. Can In No Hurry top them? This is still one of the better potboiler shoujo manga out there. – Sean Gaffney
As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 3 | By Matoba | Yen Press -The shotacon I grumped about last time is noticeably absent from this volume (it’s even lampshaded), and I’m not sure that’s the reason I liked it more, but it’ll do. Frankly, I want to see Beelzebub and Mullin get together. I know I will be very, very frustrated as this series goes on, but I’m sorry, they’re just too cute! I’m not quite as fond of the other romance in this book, mostly as I just don’t like Astaroth all that much, and I feel that Sargatanas could do better. There’s also some amusing humor here, including a swimsuit-buying chapter filled with a lot of jokes and fanservice. This series is never going to be anything but froth, but the froth is tasty, and I enjoy it way more than I expected. – Sean Gaffney
Astra: Lost in Space, Vol. 4 | By Kenta Shinohara | Viz Media – There’s a new character introduced at the start of this volume, who was in cryostasis from her own spaceship wreck. At first I thought she’d be a villain character, but it actually turns out that she’s there to be the viewpoint character, as the rest of our cast are getting further and further away from that as we learn their big secret. It certainly explains why they were all mysteriously in that accident—not so mysterious. I feel bad for Aries, who ends up being the only one with a parental figure who wasn’t awful. I’ve no idea where this will end up, but we do get another (amusing) pairing happening here, so my guess is it will wrap soon. – Sean Gaffney
Barakamon, Vol. 16 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – To my surprise, Handa actually seems to be getting legitimate students for his school, as well as taking inspiration from his father to do some awesome calligraphy and also worry about Naru. That said, this is Hiroshi’s book. He graduates, and despite Rina’s attempts to confess he goes off to Tokyo single as he’s a bit clueless, but also apparently not really all that into Rina, so it’s probably for the best. There’s lots of nice relaxing stuff about Hiroshi growing up and standing on his own, and it really does feel as if the manga is quietly coming to a close at this point. I’m not sure if it will have a “real” ending per se, but as long as it turns out nice, relaxing volumes like this I’m still reading happily. – Sean Gaffney
Escape Journey, Vol. 1 | By Ogeretsu Tanaka | SuBLime – Naoto Hisami and Taichi Hase dated in their first year of high school, but were better as friends than as a couple and eventually broke up after harsh words were exchanged. Now reunited in their first year of university, they try to be friends but eventually fall back into the same unhealthy pattern. At first, things are consensual, but Naoto wants there to be more to their relationship than just sex. He rents a DVD to watch together, but after Taichi sees a text from a girl on Naoto’s phone, he gets jealous and ends up sexually assaulting Naoto. Are there any kind of ramifications for his actions? No, reader, there are not. For some reason, Naoto takes part of the blame and then it’s all glossed over. I like broken characters, and their relationship dynamics are interesting, but I don’t think I can read any more of this. – Michelle Smith
The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, Vol. 5 | By Nagabe| Seven Seas – I hadn’t really thought that this series could get any creepier and darker, but way to prove me wrong, Girl from the Other Side. Shiva’s aunt may not be “dead” in a normal sense, but as a character she certainly is. I felt some empathy for her plot-related backstory, as she’s presented with a choice that has no good options. There’s also a brutal fight between Teacher and two guards who have been cursed, which would be quite nasty if the art weren’t so abstract. And so Teacher and Shiva are on the run, and hoping that a different village will make things slightly more relaxing. I’m pretty sure it won’t, but I am interested in seeing how this finally ends—is there any way it can end happily? – Sean Gaffney
Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 6 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – It’s been over a year since the last volume of this, and since then the anime has made its impression. This may be why all of a sudden the relationship (or rather lack thereof) between Tetsuo and Sakie really comes to the fore here, and there’s much less focus on the girls. Not that I’m complaining—the author is really good at writing sexual tension, and by the end of the volume you will be screaming for these two to just screw already. The other major focus of this book is Yoko, Tetsuo’s niece, and her zashiki-warashi, who turns out to possibly be in Yoko’s head all along? Or not? If I were to take one monster girl manga to a desert island, it would be this one. – Sean Gaffney
My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 2 | By Gengoroh Tagame | Pantheon Books – I am still thrilled that My Brother’s Husband was released in English. The second half or the series may be even better than the first, perhaps in part because it had such a strong foundation upon which to build. Yaichi remains the most well-developed character—understandably as his growth as a person is a major focus of the series—but more is revealed about Mike as well, and through him Yaichi’s brother Ryoji. The story is beautifully structured with ending scenes paralleling those from the beginning, showing how much Yaichi has matured in such a short period of time, confronting and overcoming the homophobia he hadn’t at first realized he had internalized. My Brother’s Husband is not a subtle manga, but it is a legitimately moving one. By realistically portraying how prejudice and discrimination directly impact the characters’ lives and deeply inform their relationships, Tagame’s message of love is made abundantly clear. – Ash Brown
My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 2 | By Gengoroh Tagame | Pantheon Books – Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just over here sniffling because one dude told another dude “You’re family, Mike” and then later they hugged. It’s true that at times the revelations Taichi has about homosexuality fall squarely in “no crap, dude” territory, but at least he’s having them. (It’s especially gratifying that he refuses to indulge the homophobia of Kana’s teacher, as well.) He gradually realizes that not only has he become completely comfortable in Mike’s presence, but Mike has become so important over the course of his three-week visit that Yaichi is starting to envision the Canadian being a real part of their lives going forward. I liked the implication that Yaichi and Kana will visit Canada someday and Yaichi will get the opportunity to be the tourist, learning about a part of Ryoji’s life he’s unfamiliar with. This was a really touching conclusion. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith