Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Pick of the Week: Gift-Giving Edition

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potw-12-23SEAN: ‘Tis Christmas, and a young child is looking under the tree for a manga that’s bigger than the average tome, one that has a gorgeous design and feel, and one that can amuse, delight, and possibly scare the pants off of them. Yes, that child is looking for Kitaro from Drawn and Quarterly, which is my pick for Christmas gift this holiday season. It’s a true classic whose influence is massive, it has Nezumi Otoko, one of manga’s truly great Dirty Cowards, and it’s just a giant pile of fun. Give your kid the gift of vintage manga! (And also a PS4, so they don’t whine.)

MICHELLE: At first I thought it would be very difficult to come up with the one gift I’d give a manga fan this Christmas, but then I remembered the one manga I simultaneously adored and was mightily impressed by—Taiyo Matsumoto’s Sunny! Sad, charming, uplifting, introspective, a page-turner… all of these adjectives apply. And if you were feeling really generous, you could pick up volume two as well!

ASH: For manga fans, or even general comics fans, a gift that I think will have broad appeal is Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga. Kodansha’s first deluxe hardcover release looks great on the shelf, too. The series has badass Vikings, exciting battles, great art, and fantastic characters. And lots of snow; that’s seasonal, right? Also, if you get them hooked, the second omnibus will be on its way soon!

ANNA: If you are all nestled snug in your bed with visions of giant robots dancing in your head, there is no other book I would recommend than Gundam: The Origin. Any volume in this series comes with Vertical’s always excellent production values, the hardcover design makes it extra special, and the revisited first story of the Gundam saga is both epic and human in scale, as the great action in the space battles is balanced by the human trials and tribulations the human pilots go through.

MJ: I personally love Christmas for the sake of two of its particular attributes: beauty and nostalgia. And what manga embodies these glorious concepts more completely than the works of Moto Hagio? My gift pick this year goes all the way back to January’s highly-anticipated release of Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas. Lovingly translated by Hagio aficionado Matt Thorn, and gorgeously produced by the folks at Fantagraphics, this luxurious hardcover edition is undoubtedly the loveliest jewel in my personal collection—and for a fan of classic shoujo, that’s saying quite a bit. It’s the kind of manga that’s so pretty, I’d content myself with simply gazing at its artwork, were that all it had to offer. Fortunately, there’s a lot to love all around. A year later, it’s still my favorite new release of 2013.

What are your manga gift picks for this holiday season?

Manga the Week of 12/25

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SEAN: For the most part, it’s a Merry Christmas and not a lot of manga, as most publishers take the holidays off. We do have a couple of titles trickling in, however…

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Kodansha has the 4th volume of Sankarea, which continues to walk the line between harem romance and horror movie. As you can see from the cover art seen here, Kodansha is gunning more for the latter.

ASH: Sankarea is such a strange manga. I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would, but some of the fanservice really detracts from the series’ quirky charms.

SEAN: And Seven Seas has the 3rd and final volume of Crimson Empire. I really like the heroine and basic premise of this series, but I admit I have not really enjoyed the manga as much as I have the author’s Alice series. Perhaps the otome game plays out better, or perhaps this volume will give us a big finish.

ANNA: I actually enjoyed the first volume of Crimson Empire quite a bit, and was planning on picking up subsequent volumes but hadn’t got around to it yet. Perhaps I’m just easily amused by the idea of an assassin maid in a reverse harem series.

SEAN: That’s it. Either of these under your stocking?

MICHELLE: Not for me, this time.

MJ: Sadly, I’m with Michelle, in that neither of these titles is for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not buying this week! So much to catch up on…

Pick of the Week: Pandora Hearts & More

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potw-12-16MJ: I know there’s a lot of manga on tap this week, but I can’t help it… my heart belongs to Pandora Hearts, and I fear it always will. Volume 18 hurt me as cruelly as it could, and as it turns out, that’s just the way I like it. More, more, more, please. I gotta have my fix.

MICHELLE: Ooh, how do you like your love? o/~ (I hope I’m not the only one who instantly got that song in my head!) Anyway, I’m definitely with MJ on this. The cliffhanger ending of volume 18 was too cruel to pass up on the 19th, though, now that I think about it, it’s all too likely that only more sorrow awaits.

SEAN: My pick this week is the 2nd and final volume of Summer Wars, which was a big surprise hit for me this fall. Combining rural love comedy with technopocalypse is not something you see every day, and it has some likeable, fallible lead characters. It’s also not afraid to go into dark places when it has to. If Vol. 2 is as good as Vol. 1, we’re in for a real treat.

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Gundam: The Origin Vol. 4. I love this series, and I love Vertical for bringing it out in a deluxe hardcover edition.

ASH: Gundam: The Origin has consistently been one of my favorite releases this year, but my pick of the week goes to the eleventh volume Q Hayashida’s delightfully weird and strange manga series Dorohedoro. With its dark humor and quirky characters, Dorohedoro somehow manages to be incredibly violent and incredibly charming all at the same time.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 12/18

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SEAN: Just before Christmas, we have a fairly big week with lots of stuff to give folks for the holidays (or request for your own present.)

First off, another “Sean missed this” entry. Since I go by Amazon now, I forgot that Right Stuf shipped Hetalia Axis Powers Vols. 4 and 5 and left them off last week’s list. I’ve already devoured my own copies, and can safely assure Hetalia fans these are well worth picking up. Non-Hetalia fans likely find the whole phenomenon baffling.

ASH: I’m hoping that Hetalia continues to do well (at least I think it’s doing well) so that Right Stuf will be able to expand it’s print-on-demand program.

MJ: I’ve never been able to muster interest in Hetalia, but hearing that you’re so hooked on it, Sean, makes me feel foolish. So. Hm.

SEAN: It’s definitely not for everyone… Hetalia requires a love of World War II-era history and at the same time an ability to completely disassociate the atrocities of that period from the characters that represent each country. It’s pure fluff, and just the idea that it’s pure fluff really bothers folks – and rightly so. That said, if you can bend your brain that way, there are a lot of fun stereotypes here that are all done with a kind, loving heart.

Dark Horse’s Evangelion spinoff, The Shinji Ikari Raising Project, is getting close to actually surpassing the main manga series in terms of volume count. Vol. 13 hits next week, and promises an actual plot!

The fourth volume of No. 6 comes out from Kodansha. Is the BL tease in this series the same as the yuri tease in series like Sunshine Sketch?

ASH: I haven’t read Sunshine Sketch to be able to compare, but I am enjoying the development of Rat and Shion’s relationship in No. 6.

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SEAN: One Peace has an omnibus collection of Smuggler, a seinen series that ran in Kodansha’s Afternoon back in 2000. Tokyopop apparently released this before, but I have no recollection of it at all. More seinen is always good, especially from a new-ish publisher.

ASH: One Peace tends to license some interesting manga. I’m particularly curious about this rescue since I missed Smuggler the first time around.

MJ: Ditto!

SEAN: Vertical has a new hardcover edition of Gundam The Origin, the 4th. It’s subtitled Jaburo, and I presume it will keep the stellar quality of the previous releases. Must buy.

ANNA: The world is a better place due to the existence of this glorious manga. And Char Aznable.

ASH: The Origin is definitely one of the highest quality releases of manga in English right now.

SEAN: There’s also the 2nd and final volume of Summer Wars. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the first one of this series – far more than I expected – and look forward to the 2nd with bated breath.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Viz has the 11th volume of one of my pet favorites, Dorohedoro. It can be hard to dip in and out of, but it’s a series that rewards close reading and re-reading. Plus it’s filled with awesome characters.

ASH: I’m always excited to see a new volume of Dorohedoro! It also makes me want to eat mushroom gyoza.

SEAN: And then there’s a giant pile of Yen. The 3rd volume of Are You Alice? continues the Alice trend we’ve seen all year, which looks to pile up even more titles in 2014.

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Bloody Cross is one of those series that cried out to be licensed. Vampires, demons, hot guys, hot girls… all this and it runs in Shonen Gangan, a magazine with a very good reputation to exciting series. This should be fun.

MJ: I’m cautiously optimistic.

SEAN: High School of the Dead is still popular enough to get those giant full-color omnibuses, and here is the 2nd.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya manga is wrapping up soon, mostly as the novel author hasn’t written new material. The final arc continues in this 17th manga volume.

Pandora Hearts 19. I think that says it all.

MICHELLE: Pandora (Will Break Your) Hearts!

MJ: Yes, it really will. In the best way possible. *heart*

SEAN: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica has its 3rd volume coming out. The movies have made this franchise even more popular, though I am also hearing talk of a backlash against the darkness. Will this manga make things even bigger?

The 10th Spice & Wolf novel continues to combine fantasy, moe, economics and confusing people who buy it thinking it’s the manga. This is the novel.

Sunshine Sketch not only has its 7th volume ship to stores, but it also has all 7 volumes available in ebook format next week! Great news. As for whether Sae and Hiro finally graduate and the title is forced to continue without them… I suspect that may get dragged out a bit longer.

Finally, Until Death Do Us Part has its 5th omnibus arrive. Mamoru has been having a rough time of it lately, and this volume is not likely to help him in any way.

MICHELLE: I really need to catch up on this one; I definitely liked the first omnibus more than I’d expected to.

SEAN: Deck the halls with volumes of manga! What’cha getting?

Harlequin Manga: Ordinary Girl in a Tiara and The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride

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I was excited when emanga.com announced that they were releasing a bunch of new Harlequin manga on their platform! I’m going to pretend that emanga wanted to give me an awesome holiday present, because I am always up for reading some Harlequin manga.

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Ordinary Girl in a Tiara by Jessica Hart and Yuki Shiomiya

available on emanga.com

Harlequin stories are plenty formulaic, so much so that pulling off a Harlequin romance that is both familiar and enjoyable can be somewhat tricky. Part of the fun for me when reading Harlequin manga is encountering plot elements that I’ve seen before, but executed in an interesting way. This is one of my favorite recent Harlequin manga reads. Ordinary Girl in a Tiara is, as one would surmise, about an ordinary girl who ends up accidentally taking up with royalty. Caro has an intense love of vintage fashion and an interesting past where she went to school with the elite of Europe on scholarship. Caro’s best friend Charlotte is a princess of a tiny European country who calls upon Caro to provide a diversion by dating her distant cousin and rumored fiance Prince Phillipe.

Phillipe shows up at Caro’s door to ask her to be his fake girlfriend, and he is suitably horrified by Caro’s devotion to horrible crochet vests from the 1970s. Clearly he is a man of great taste and refinement. Caro agrees to go along with the charade of dating him, and goes back to his tiny European country only to get caught up in court politics. Phillipe is struggling to establish himself as the future ruler, and the fake couple gradually become a real couple as they begin to spend more and more time together. All too often in Harlequin stories, the hero acts like a big jerk, but while Phillipe does have is standoffish moments he and Caro are a very sympathetic couple. There are elements of humor in Caro’s unending parade of vintage fashion choices, and while the art isn’t terribly detailed, it doesn’t suffer from the lack of fluidity and expression that sometimes plagues Harlequin adaptations. Highly recommended!

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The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride by Lynne Graham and Natsu Momose

available on emanga.com

Whenever I read Harlequin manga, I tend to go for the volumes that have the longest and most ridiculous titles involving Defiant Brides, Virgin Stable Girls, or Secret Agent Secretaries (I just found out that there is a romance with the title Secret Agent Secretary, I think I’m going to have to read it). This manga was exactly what you would expect from the title, as it does indeed feature a Defiant Bride of a Greek Tycoon!

Maribel is an ordinary girl (aren’t they always!) who is desperately in love with her deceased cousin Imogen’s ex-boyfriend Leonidas. Maribel sees Leonidas at a memorial service after running away from him years before, but she returns to her life as a single mother, confident that romance will not find her again (OR WILL IT!?). Leonidas shows up at Maribel’s house and is immediately suspicious when he discovers that she has a toddler with the name of his grandfather. The narrative structure of this manga was interesting, because it kept switching between the flashbacks where Maribel and Leonidas are just getting to know each other, and the present day where Maribel is desperately trying to get away from him in order to live an ordinary life. The relationship unfolds in both the present and the past, leading to a time when Maribel will perhaps not be quite so defiant about being in a relationship with Leonidas. I enjoyed the art in this volume. The paneling was a bit more varied and interesting than I tend to expect from a Harlequin manga, and Momose frequently cuts in detailed close-ups of the characters when they are in the grips of a dramatic emotion.

Bookshelf Briefs 12/9/13

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This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas and Viz Media.

alicelovefablesAlice Love Fables: Toy Box | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – This is pretty much what it sounded like, a series of short stories, all romance-themed, on QuinRose’s 3 properties. Arabians Lost is the first (and dullest), Alice in the Country of (blank) gets the majority, and Crimson Empire rounds it out. I’m most familiar with Alice, so those were the most enjoyable, even if they lack the twisted core I like in my Wonderland. She gets stories with Peter and Grey as love interest, something we haven’t gotten books for yet. And the Blood story is really adorable and sweet. As for Sheila, she’s the most interesting of the three heroines, but is rarely served as well by her male leads, so her stories don’t really gel as much. Still, nothing here truly bothered me, and it’s a good stocking stuffer for Alice fans. – Sean Gaffney

dengekidaisy13Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 13 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – By now everyone knows that this is one of the best shoujo manga coming out today, with laughs, thrills, excitement, and frustratingly unconsummated romance that gets even more tantalizing here. Heck, even Akira, who’s been a horrible thorn in the side of our heroes, looks like he may get a bit of redemption after all, once we hear of his tragic past. (You know, the one every character in this series has.) What I really noticed in this volume was the way the art has matured. There’s a scene with Riko receiving something belatedly from Soichiro, and it’s made even more intimate by our never seeing what it is (even though we know). It shows a lovely subtlety that contrasts with the wacky “what color are Teru’s favorite panties” schtick that’s going on next door. I will be so sad when this ends. – Sean Gaffney

kiminitodoke18Kimi Ni Todoke, Vol. 18 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – This volume, set during Christmas, is the perfect manga to read while curled up by a fire and enjoying some hot chocolate. Lack of communication has caused some issues with Sawako and Kazehaya’s budding relationship. They have a breakthrough around Christmastime, and finally acknowledge how much they care about each other. Sawako and her friends Ayane and Chizu get together for some post-date gossip, as each girl has new romantic developments to report. The whole gang gets together at Sawako’s house for a party, and even Sakako’s overprotective father begins to acknowledge how good Kazehaya is for his sheltered daughter. This slice of life manga works through plenty of emotional developments in a warm and cozy manner, making it the perfect volume for some winter relaxation. – Anna N

midnight3Midnight Secretary, Vol. 3 | By Tohmu Ohmi | Viz Media – Things continue to be hot and heavy in the 3rd volume of this josei paranormal romance series. Kaya’s extreme competence as a secretary allows her to work for a subsidiary office by day and then return to her lover/ex-boss and vampire Kyohei at night to serve his secretarial, carnal, and blood bank needs, but her double life begins to take a toll on her. Kaya collapses, and it results in Kyohei trying to rearrange his life to accommodate their new unusual lifestyle. Along the way he begins to realize that he might actually care for Kaya, even though she is a human woman. This series is top notch paranormal romance for those who enjoy that kind of thing, which I certainly do! – Anna N

skipbeat32Skip Beat!, Vol. 32 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – For those who love the love triangle between Ren, Kyoko and Sho, you will revel in this volume and all its glorious horribleness. Sho in particular is in fine form, showing off both his consummate skill at reading Kyoko and his complete and total immaturity when it comes to what she wants or needs. (I could do without Shoko starting to fall for him, though.) He tries the same mental manipulation on Ren, and while it may not work while Sho is there in person, Ren’s distrust of himself is enough to make it niggle regardless. This all comes to a head in the hotel room, where a phone call from Sho causes Ren and Kyoko to both fall out of character… or maybe, given the incestuous subtext between Cain and Setsu, the character and the self may be bleeding together. I warn you, the cliffhanger will drive you nuts. Can’t put this down. -Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 32 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – What a dramatic volume! It definitely feels like the beginning of the end here, with Kyoko getting an inkling of what might’ve happened in Ren’s past, Sho pushing her buttons expertly and getting her to declare that she’ll never fall for Ren (lest she lose herself even more than she did with Sho), and then Sho promptly informing Ren of this fact. Poor Ren’s barely hanging on by a thread (a thread named Kyoko) and with two guys out to possibly snag her affections, he snaps and breaks character when they’re supposed to be on assignment as the Heel siblings, scaring her with the darkness he’s desperately trying to hide. It’s not that I want this series to end, but these developments definitely have me excited for a grand finale to come! – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Men, Magi, & Mecha

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potw-12-9ASH: It’s a somewhat quieter week for manga releases, but there’s still some good stuff coming out. I’m tempted to select the most recent volume of Tsutomu Nihei’s Knight’s of Sidonia as my pick of the week; the series has turned out to be great mix of sci-fi, horror, and romance. But I’ll have to admit, the manga that I’m probably most excited about this week is SuBLime’s rerelease of Ayano Yamane’s Crimson Spell. Occasionally I just really want to read some nicely drawn, smutty fantasy goodness.

ANNA: I’ll have to go with Knights of Sidionia, as I feel obligated to support awesome manga about mecha fighting aliens in space.

SEAN: I’ll go with Magi, the latest Shonen Sunday hit from Viz. It’s looking good so far, with this Arabian Nights adventure being exciting, heartwarming and funny.

MICHELLE: Since Knights of Sidonia has been safely covered, I’m also going to pick Magi. I enjoyed it from the beginning, but the interesting developments at the end of volume two sealed the deal. This could turn out to be a real favorite.

MJ: And I’ll circle partway back, at least. Though I’m interested in both Magi and Crimson Spell, I’m joining Anna this week in her support for volume six of Knights of Sidonia. I’ve never been a major fan of mecha, but this series has blown me away with its intense poignance and gorgeous artwork. I’m more than hooked.


What looks good to you this week?

Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 & Demon Love Spell, Vol. 5

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Happy Marriage Volume 3

I continue to enjoy Maki Enjoji’s series about an office lady who abruptly finds herself married to a seemingly cold and domineering company president. Chiwa and Hokuto have gradually grown closer over the first two volumes of this series, and the relationship continues to develop further in the third volume. Chiwa finally deals with Hokuto when he’s in a vulnerable position when he suddenly becomes ill, and she has to tend to him at home. One thing I enjoy is the way Enjoji slips into showing action without words or thought balloons in order to show events with more emotional impact. When Hokuto wakes up in the middle of the night and sees Chiwa sleeping by the side of his bed, he looks absolutely shocked, then silently pulls her over so she can sleep more comfortably beside him. There are still some slice of life humorous moments in the manga, like when Chiwa deals with Hokuto’s hidden slovenly habits at home and her tendency to become an “Octopus Woman” when she sleeps.

The big emotional breakthrough in the volume occurs when Chiwa and Hokuto have to go visit his family, and Chiwa sees how poorly he’s treated by his relatives. This explains a great deal about his personality and motivations, and Chiwa gets so angry she is more emotionally honest about her feelings for her husband as she’s sticking up for him than she’s ever been when talking to Hokuto directly. I’m looking forward to what happens next! It is a bit odd to root for a married couple to get together, but Enjoji manages to pull this situation off with an engaging story and sympathetic characters.

Demon Love Spell Volume 5

This volume will be particularly fun for any fans of Mayu Shinjo’s series Sensual Phrase. Demon Love Spell can be depended upon to serve up plenty of humor and paranormal romance hijinks, and this volume picks things up with a funny plot device. Incubus Kagura and priestess Miko decide that they’re going to move out of Miko’s family home/shrine and her father promptly agrees! But before they go Miko’s father uses his priestly powers and puts a curse on Kagura so that he will be utterly incapable of romancing Miko in any capacity. The young teenager and incredibly old incubus struggle with finding an apartment. Miko starts working a part-time job to support them. They barely ever see each other, and it seems like their new apartment may also be haunted!

In any romance manga, misunderstandings get in the way of true love, and when Kagura decides to go into showbiz in order to make some money to support Miko, she promptly becomes jealous and concerned that he’s getting “powered up” from other women. Kagura’s demonic hotness ensures overnight success as a male model, and he soon becomes a pop sensation as well. Much is made of Kagura’s resemblance to the hero Sakuya from Sensual Phrase, and I found it hilarious that Shinjo’s habit of drawing her male heroes in a very similar fashion was acknowledged in this manner. All in all, this was another fun volume of this series. I’m definitely enjoying Demon Love Spell much more than Ai Ore, and I hope that more of Shinjo’s series get translated over here.

Harlequin manga special on emanga.com

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I don’t usually run press releases, unless I think the press release is INCREDIBLY AWESOME! I am very excited to see new Harlequin manga coming to emanga.com!

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Come celebrate with us!!

It’s a Harlequin Holiday on eManga.com!

Gardena, CA. (December 5, 2013) Digital Manga Publishing Inc., one of the industry’s most unconventional and innovative publishers is proud to announce the latest news with partner SB Creative Corp., distributors of the Harlequin romance manga series of books. Harlequin is one of the world’s leading publishers of books for women and since 2011, eManga.com, Digital Manga’s own online ebookstore, has digitally distributed over a hundred Harlequin manga titles from SB Creative Corp.’s digital library.

Now, for this holiday season, eManga.com brings to all avid fans of manga romance, 30 BRAND NEW Harlequin romance stories. Starting from December 5th, we will be releasing 10 new titles each week on eManga for online streaming at the amazing price of $4.99. Some of the new titles include The Most Coveted Prize, a narrative about an aristocratic young lady who is wooed by a devilishly handsome billionaire, not knowing his ulterior motives of revenged. Along with Raintree: Haunted Vol. 1, the thriller romance about detective Malory, her shady but handsome partner Gideon Raintree, and the homicide they have to investigate. With the holidays are just around the corner, what better way to spread the joy and manga love than by gifting one of our newest titles? They’re sure to be a great stocking stuffer for devoted fans and for new fans alike.

Harlequin K.K. is based in Canada and started off in 1988 by translating hundreds of their romance novels for the Japanese young and hopeless. Later on, their titles were recreated with the magical imagery of manga art. Then through their collaboration with SB Creative Corp., Harlequin started translating their manga titles into English and other languages, so that readers everywhere could enjoy their stories.

Some of their classic titles include Amber by Night, the story of a woman living a double life as librarian by day and seductive waitress by night. As well as The Apartment, the story of a young flute player who is trying to survive on her own without her wealthy inheritance or her overbearing mother. She thinks she’s found her dream apartment until she wakes up the next day to find another renter in her home sweet home! You can find these titles and more from Harlequin on eManga.com.

eManga.com is Digital Manga, Inc.’s own one stop online ebook shop for manga and comics since 2008. They provide a variety of manga and comics to read online and download at the convenience of our customers. Together with our partners and published creators, the platform is an ever growing establishment centered on continuously offering customers with the best electronic manga experience. With a collection of over 2000 eBook titles that is still growing, releases in all genres coming to you every day, and with an updated online eManga Reader equipped with features to make your reading experience that much more enjoyable, eManga is the answer to fill your holiday shopping needs—You can send ebook gifts from eManga to your holiday recipients too! Send a Harlequin title as a gift and be sure to write a review for your favorite Harlequin titles too!

Manga the Week of 12/11

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SEAN: A fairly quiet Week 2 for this last month of 2013, with just a few tasty morsels of manga to take in while you drink eggnog.

MICHELLE: Mmm, eggnog.

MJ: Gimme.

ANNA: Woo hoo!

SEAN: If you like all the wacky misunderstandings, school romance, and tsunderes of shoujo manga, but would like it with BL flavoring, well, here’s Vol. 4 of Awkward Silence, whose cover resembles Ouran High School Host Club if they ditched Haruhi.

crimson1Meanwhile, if you want a fantasy sword and sorcery title with demons who insatiable lust for young men knows no bounds, well, SubLime has you covered there as well, with Vol. 1 of Crimson Spell, from the author of Finder.

ASH: Crimson Spell is actually my favorite manga by Ayano Yamane. Only two volumes were released by Media Blasters back in the day, so I’m very excited that SuBLime rescued the series.

MJ: i am really looking forward to reading this. I missed it originally, and it’s so well-loved.

ANNA: Hmm, I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys think about this!

SEAN: Fairy Tail 33 was actually out 12/4, but I forgot about it, possibly as 32 only came out two weeks ago. There’s speedup and then there’s ridiculous.

I will admit, the body horror scene in the last volume of Knights of Sidonia still freaks me out. That said, I’m totally on board with this series now, which hopefully will try not to kill off its entire cast by the time it finishes. Vol. 6 is coming out this week.

ASH: Body horror, mecha battles, and romantic comedy all in one convenient package!

MICHELLE: Not to mention Tsutomu Nihei’s atmospheric art. I still prefer BLAME! for sheer landscape awesomeness, but Sidonia comes close and is far more accessible.

MJ: Yes! I can’t wait to read this!

ANNA: Such a great series, I need to get caught up.

SEAN: Arata the Legend is up to Vol. 16, which means only 2 more volumes and it’s as long as Fushigi Yuugi, which is the series everyone remembers its author for. At least for now. Arata’s day in the sun is coming!

magi3MICHELLE: This is a fun series. I’ll be catching up soon!

Itsuwaribito has wrapped up in Japan recently, but we have a long way to go here in North America. But at least Vol. 10 gets us into double digits. Wikipedia links to some pretty brutal reviews, to be honest. Perhaps a reassessment is needed?

Magi 3 will send us into the manga’s second story arc, and I have been very pleased with what I’ve read so far. I don’t expect that to change.

MICHELLE: Same here! I really like the direction the plot seems to be heading at the end of volume two, and am looking forward to seeing how the story develops from here.

MJ: I’m late beginning this, but it sounds like this is a good time to start.

SEAN: Lastly, the Tiger & Bunny series, like Code Geass, has led to an ongoing series of doujinshi anthologies, which likely lends itself more towards the deep male bonding most fans of this series want to see. (Still clean, though – c’mon, this is being put out by Viz.) We get the 2nd anthology this week.

What appeals to you in this list?

Giveaway Winner!

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The winner of my 5 Volume 1 Giveaway is Justin, commenter #4. Congrats!

I asked what people would most like to give or get for the holidays and a variety of series were mentioned, just in case you want some additional ideas for manga related gifts:

Alice in the Country of Clover
Drunken Dream
Heart of Thomas
Black Jack
Nausicaa
Sunny
Thermae Romae
Chihayafuru
Bunny Drop
Soulless
A Bride’s Story

Pick of the Week: Stack o’ Viz

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potw-viz-12-2SEAN: There are a large number of things to pick from (even larger if you realize I forgot to add Fairy Tail 33 to that list – whoops) – and I think I will make my choice Volume 32 of Skip Beat!. It’s quite impressive how invested the author has kept her readers in Kyoko’s success, given that this is well over the average length of a shoujo series, and we’re still only slowly edging towards romance. And yet it’s addicting. Once you start reading, it’s very hard to stop. So I’ll keep reading.

MICHELLE: My passionate love for Skip Beat! is thoroughly well documented by now, so instead of seconding Sean this time I will take my final chance to recommend Slam Dunk, whose 31st and final volume comes out on Tuesday. This is the quintessential sports manga, with an uncouth hero who finds the place he belongs, a place to be needed, and eventually becomes a real asset to his teammates. I’m going to be sad when this one is over.

ANNA: I love Skip Beat! too, but I’m going to have to join Michelle with picking the final volume of Slam Dunk. This is a special series, and I’m grateful I got to read it in English despite the fact that sports manga generally don’t sell all that well.

ASH: Skip Beat! and Slam Dunk are both fantastic choices that I could easily get behind, but I’ll think I’ll mix it up a bit by picking Dengeki Daisy this week. The series is a peculiar amalgam of romance, comedy, and cyber espionage, but I’ve become rather fond of it and look forward to the release of each new volume.

MJ: I’m going to add to the Vizfest we have here this week, with a rather surprising pick. I thought initially I’d be putting my hat in for Mayu Shinjo’s delightful Demon Love Spell, which has been a favorite for me since its launch. Instead, I find myself gravitating towards an unlikely choice—volume two of Maki Minami’s Voice Over! Seiyu Academy. After having registered my dread of its second volume just last week, I picked up my early copy and read it. As it turns out, the end of volume two features a shift in premise that suddenly commands my interest. It’s nothing new—just another well-worn shoujo trope—but one that is executed with the style and panache of, say, an addictive K-drama. Count me in!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga Gift Guide 2013

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Since Hanukkah is well underway and Christmas looms on the horizon, I thought I’d put together a list of what I’d likely buy manga loving friends, as well as what I’d like to get for the holidays!

Sweet Rein

I wrote when I reviewed it first that Sweet Rein was a great feel-good manga for the holiday season, and I still think that several weeks later! Sakura Tsukuba is an old favorite from the CMX days, so being able to read another series of hers was a real treat. Sweet Rein might be a little TOO sweet, but this is a shoujo manga about a high school girl Santa Claus falling in love with her mystical reindeer boy, so what would you expect? This is a perfect stocking stuffer for a shoujo manga fan.

Vinland Saga

I loved this manga. Sometimes you just need a narratively complex, exquisitely drawn manga about Vikings being Vikings. The deluxe hardcover makes an ideal gift, and the combination of innovative action scenes mixed with great character development makes this manga appealing to anyone who likes things that are good. I feel like this would be a great crossover manga series as well, as Yukimura’s art isn’t too manga-ish, so it might make a great gift for someone who is mainly into western comics but who wants to give manga a try. Plus, if you are starting to feel frustrated by all the holiday good cheer, there’s nothing like a few viking beheadings to serve as a stress release.

Gundam: The Origin

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You know what another good Christmas gift is!? Char Aznable! Just picture him at your family gatherings smirking in Machiavellian glee, sowing the seeds of destruction wherever he goes! OK, maybe that wouldn’t be so great for your continued health in 2014. But I feel like Vertical gave a wonderful gift to manga fans everywhere by publishing these deluxe editions of Gundam: The Origin. If you enjoy drama and giant robots fighting in space, you can’t go wrong with this series.

Sailor Moon Box Sets

Sailor Moon! In box set formats! If you don’t have them already, buy them in boxes! Actually, I’m thinking of picking up the second box set to finish up my collection.

The box sets have STICKERS! SAILOR MOON STICKERS! By the Power of the Moon, I will decorate your laptop!!!!

Manga by Kyoko Okazaki

I haven’t read Pink yet, but I’m putting it on this list because it would be a great present for me!!! I want to read it! Helter Skelter was so cynical and bonkers, I’m looking forward to reading any of Okazaki’s work.

I think you could induce whiplash in someone by giving them both Sweet Rein and Helter Skelter, but why not? Reading this jarringly cynical take on the fashion world was entertaining, even if I did sometimes feel like I needed to bleach my brain a tiny bit afterwards.

Josei Disguised as Shoujo from Viz Media

I’m pretty stoked that Viz is releasing Happy Marriage and Midnight Secretary under their Shojo Beat line. And really, what could be more festive than vampire bosses who are harsh and demanding feeding on their secretaries and falling in love with them due to their awesome blood or secretaries forced into a marriage of convenience with their strict and stuck-up but secretly caring bosses? There might be a bit of a repetitive theme here, but I love it!

Manga the Week of 12/4

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SEAN: First week of the month. You know what that means. Let’s go.

Dark Horse has the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s volume on Manga Challenges And Best Practices, which, given its authorship, I will merely leave here to let you all know it’s available. :)

ASH: Well, if you’re not going to say anything, then I will! I got my hands on an early copy a few months ago and thought it was great resource.

MJ: Thanks, Ash!

SEAN: Alice Love Fables: Toy Box is a Seven Seas anthology with stories from a) Alice in the Country of Hearts, as released (in part) by Seven Seas; b) Crimson Empire, as released by Seven Seas; and c) Arabians Lost, as not released by Seven Seas, mostly as it’s the only one of these otome game adaptations not to get an actual series.

ANNA: I have a fairly high tolerance of Alice in the Country of series, but stretching it to an anthology series might be a bit too much for me.

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SEAN: Dance In The Vampire Bund has another new spinoff, this one called The Memories of Sledge Hammer. It does not feature David Rasche at all, so I am profoundly disinterested.

ASH: I…actually haven’t read any of the Dance in the Vampire Bund manga, yet.

MJ: I feel certain I never will.

ANNA: I doubt I will either.

SEAN: And Kanokon has an omnibus collecting two new volumes of this supernatural harem comedy (not to be confused with Seven Seas’ other supernatural harem comedies).

There’s also Vol. 3 of The Sacred Blacksmith, which hasn’t knocked me out, but has proven to be better than expected.

On the Viz front, there’s Vol. 5 of Demon Love Spell, which is a hell of a lot of fun and also sexy to boot.

MJ: I kinda can’t wait for this. I’m definitely hooked on this series.

ANNA: It is hilarious. I do wish more of Mayu Shinjo’s angsty series were published over here.

SEAN: Dengeki Daisy is coming to an end, but that end is not out here yet. Instead, we get lucky Vol. 13. If you like shoujo at all, you should be reading this.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen behind with Dengeki Daisy but will be catching up soon!

ASH: I used consider Dengeki Daisy a guilty pleasure, but I’ve gotten over that and just enjoy the series.

MJ: I dropped Dengeki Daisy early on (not for any profound reason, just time) and I’ve begun to regret it.

ANNA: I always enjoy a new volume of Dengeki Daisy.

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SEAN: The penultimate volume of A Devil and Her Love Song really needs to cut back on the angst and trauma and start wrapping things up happily. Do I expect this to happen here? No.

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: That being said, it is somehow weirdly refreshing along with all the angst and trauma, just because the heroine’s personality is so distinctive.

SEAN: The 3rd Dragon Ball omnibus, because there are always new generations of fans.

ASH: I’m glad that Viz is finding ways to keep this series in print–I’m one of those people who somehow missed it the first few times around.

SEAN: Vol. 3 of Happy Marriage?! will no doubt feature more fretting, worrying, and self-doubt, hopefully mixed with some nice romance and comedy.

MJ: No doubt. And no doubt I’ll read it.

ANNA: I’ve read it and it continues to be great!

SEAN: Hunter x Hunter 31 is out. The manga’s back on hiatus in Japan, so I’m not sure when it will dribble to a halt here. Again.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan started a new arc last time, and I expect things will be quite exciting and supernatural in a “this is pretty good, but not great” way.

One Piece Vol. 69. (cough) You’d think Nami and Robin would be on the cov–(whack) Ow!

Skip Beat! is up to Vol. 32. Easily Hana to Yume’s longest running ongoing series, it may be wrapping up soon, but not yet. Still great.

MICHELLE: I’m very excited about this one!

ASH: Me, too!

ANNA: Probably my most favorite insanely long shoujo manga series.

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SEAN: Slam Dunk ends with Vol. 31. A terrific sports manga, and hopefully it has whetted fans’ appetite in case Viz wants to, say, license another ongoing Jump basketball series. Hint, hint.

MICHELLE: And this one! I’ve been saving up the last five volumes to read in one big chunk. It’s gonna be awesome.

ASH: I’m behind in Slam Dunk, but it really is a great series.

ANNA: Slam Dunk is wonderful.

SEAN: Toriko is in the Meteor Garlic arc, and this is Volume 19. I like the series a lot, but it’s hard to really comment on when it comes out.

Lastly, Voice Over: Seiyuu Academy has its second volume drop. It’s classic workaday Hakusensha shoujo, with a fun if dense lead.

MJ: I’m eyeing this with a little bit of dread, but it’ll probably reel me in.

MICHELLE: It might. I definitely liked the first volume more than I expected to.

ANNA:I enjoyed the first volume much more than I expected to.

SEAN: That’s a big pile. Any choices?

Pick of the Week: Pink, Titans

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potw-11-25ASH: There are a few interesting things being released this week, but there is one volume that especially stands out for me: Kyoko Okazaki’s Pink. Originally published in 1989, the manga is of the earliest successes from one of the most influential mangaka in josei. I was greatly impressed by Okazaki’s Helter Skelter, also released by Vertical this year, so I’m particularly looking forward to reading Pink.

MICHELLE: Pink is definitely the one I’m looking forward to the most. I am also amused by how innocuous its cover looks, given the plot synopsis!

SEAN: I am looking forward to Pink, which sounds great. My Pick, though, is for the 9th volume of Attack on Titan. It really is quite a pivotal volume, with all the various plot bits that have been dropped over the last several books coming together and making sense. Plus we get a great cliffhanger into what looks like an even more pivotal Volume 10. This is not the runaway breakout hit of 2013 for nothing.

ANNA: I am also very much looking forward to Pink. I’m so glad Vertical has decided to bring out some quality josei titles!

MJ: Well, I pretty much already declared Pink as my pick of the week, and I have no good reason to contradict myself, so my choice this week is clear. I really enjoyed Helter Skelter, and I’m thrilled that we’re seeing more Okazaki this quickly. Thanks, Vertical!

What looks good to you this week?