Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Manga the Week of 4/6

by , , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: This is it, folks. We’ve hit peak manga boom. Every week of next month has at least 15 titles out. All you can do is whimper, really. What’s out next week? Well…

Kodansha gives us an 18th volume of Attack on Titan, which is such an obscure title with very few readers. To try to pump up that readership, there’s also a limited edition with a DVD!

And there’s a 4th volume of oddball shoujo romance Kiss Him, Not Me!.

ASH: I’ve already fallen behind, but I do enjoy oddball shoujo!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a third volume of Ten Little Lesbians sitting down to dine, aka Akuma No Riddle.

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends has an unlucky 13th volume. We left off with Kadota and Sena engaged. I suspect that won’t last.

zombie1

Seven Seas is debuting a zombie title, Hour of the Zombie. This runs in Comic Ryu, and is apparently a pure horror series.

Udon has a 2nd volume of clothes and fanservice battle manga Kill La Kill.

And Vertical gives us a 4th omnibus of Tokyo ESP.

MICHELLE: Yay! I enjoyed part one of the series quite a lot and am looking forward to more of the story.

SEAN: Viz, believe it or not, has no debut titles this month. But that doesn’t stop them from giving us many, many volumes of its ongoing series, like the 9th Assassination Classroom.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House gives you more Aya Shouoto with a 4th volume.

ANNA: I enjoy this series, as you might expect.

SEAN: And Food Wars! is still having intense food competitions in Vol. 11.

MICHELLE: I delayed on reading volume 10 just so I could enjoy a two-volume binge. Looking forward to it!

SEAN: Honey So Sweet has a 2nd volume. How sweet is it? You’ll just have to read.

ANNA: Pretty darn sweet!

SEAN: The 15th volume of Library Wars: Love & War wraps up the story, despite hints of some side-story volumes that don’t appear to have materialized. Luckily, the final volume is immensely satisfying, and will make fans very happy.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this, too!

ASH: As am I!

ANNA: Me too, although I have an odd habit of postponing reading the final volumes of series I really like, so I can lie to myself that the series hasn’t actually ended.

mls8

SEAN: Speaking of immensely satisfying, that’s how you can describe every volume of My Love Story!! really, and I suspect the 8th is no different.

ANNA: Yes! I always read this right away when a new volume shows up at my house.

ASH: My Love Story!! is the best.

MJ: Yes!!

SEAN: Naruto has a 14th 3-in-1, meaning it’s still nowhere near done.

Nisekoi Vol. 14 does what ever fan of harem manga hates – introduces a new main candidate late in the series.

School Judgment has a 2nd volume of chibi-Ace Attorney antics, and hopefully will continue to be slightly ridiculous.

And I have no doubts as to the ridiculousness of So Cute It Hurts!! 6, though I fear I must give up my vow of adding exclamation points with each book.

Toriko is up to Vol. 33, and I am starting to hear mutterings of people who wish it would be more about food and less about battles, to which I remind them this runs in Shonen Jump, concurrently with Food Wars!, which IS more about food than battles.

Twin Star Exorcists is getting an anime very soon, so it’s a perfect time for its 4th volume.

Lastly, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s 9 continues to look like some sort of World War II secret code.

Are you prepared for SO MUCH MANGA? No? Well, tough.

MICHELLE: No. However, I must say it’s lovely to see all of this activity in a once-troubled publishing sector.

ASH: True that!

Bookshelf Briefs 3/28/16

by , and Leave a Comment

bloody2Bloody Mary, Vol. 2 | By Akaza Samamiya | Viz Media – Bloody Mary continues to be a tad incoherent in its narrative, but it does it with an almost unending line of extremely pretty anguished male characters, while being so gothic I almost don’t care very much about the finer points of the plot. This volume starts filling in a tiny bit more backstory about Maria’s ancestors (one of whom is suspiciously immortal) and Mary’s past. A flashback gives a glimpse of Maria as a boy, and starts showing the reader just how messed up his family is. In the meantime, student council president Takumi continues to be up to no good. This manga might be mainly for vampire manga fans, but there are plenty of those out there! – Anna N

disappearance9The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Vol. 9 | By Puyo and Nagaru Tanigawa | Yen Press – Kyon and Yuki got together in the last volume, and this one is sort of a victory lap, as Puyo begins to wrap things up and resolve some plot and character points. And so Haruhi accepts that she and Kyon are not going to happen, Tsuruya and Mikuru actually graduate and leave the school, and Kyon and Yuki go out on a very normal, fun and heartwarming date—despite an overenthusiastic Kimidori and trying to avoid Taniguchi and Kuyou. The most intriguing loose end as we head into what I suspect is the final volume is Ryouko, who is realizing that she needs to break away from Yuki for her own good, even if that means—in-joke incoming—moving to Canada. Sweet as always. – Sean Gaffney

honeysweet2Honey So Sweet, Vol. 2 | by Amu Meguro | Viz Media – This slice-of-life romance about a traumatized girl and her secretly sweet juvenile delinquent boyfriend strikes the right balance between sincerity and humor. As Nao and Taiga become closer, she has to learn to recognize her own feelings for the first time. They’re supported by friends at school, and Taiga begins to come out of his shell a little bit. However, I feel slightly suspicious of his new friend Futami, and I hope it doesn’t mean a convoluted plot that keeps Nao and Taiga apart is coming up in the next volume. Meguro’s delicate art is as cute as the sentiments in Honey So Sweet. This series is well worth picking up for shoujo fans. – Anna N

libwars15Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 15 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arakawa| Viz Media – This is an almost perfect final volume. We see Iku’s growth as a Library Force soldier, we see some truly ridiculous solutions to the problem of how to create a distraction, and of course we see the resolution of the main pairing. My favorite beta pairing is unresolved, but given the personalities of the two people involved, that’s not a surprise. Best of all, the whole cast is shown to have made a difference—the Library Forces in the future don’t need to use weapons, and censorship is gradually weakening its hold. Despite occasionally feeling a bit ludicrous in terms of its plotting, I have loved most of this shoujo manga to bits, and wish Iku and Dojo all the best. Also, license the side-story volumes, Viz? – Sean Gaffney

pj1Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 1 | By Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha Comics – As excited as I was to read this, I also avoided reading too much about it beforehand. I knew it would involve otaku women living together, but I didn’t anticipate the dilemma the jellyfish-loving protagonist, Tsukimi, would find herself in. With the help of style expert Kuranosuke, Tsukimi periodically transforms into a cute girl, and in that guise strikes up a sweet attraction to Kuranosuke’s virginal older brother, Shu. Opening herself up to the possibility of love brings excitement as well as pain, and I wonder whether Tsukimi will stick it out or retreat to the cozy familiarity of her fujoshi lifestyle. But how long will that even last, with the boarding house scheduled to be demolished? Though this version collects the first two volume of the Japanese release, I still wanted more. I’m relieved to report Princess Jellyfish is every bit as great as I hoped it would be! – Michelle Smith

real14Real, Vol. 14 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – Reading Real as it is released has its drawbacks—since it only comes out once a year and the last volume was mostly about a wrestler, I haven’t seen some of the characters at the forefront of volume fourteen for over two years! Consequently, it was a little hard to get back into their lives, but as always, Inoue made me care very deeply indeed by the end of the volume. While Nomiya’s search for direction after his dream of turning pro doesn’t work out is certainly compelling, it’s the promise of a matchup between the Tigers and the Dreams (and our respective protagonists working hard on both teams) in a forthcoming tournament that makes me the most excited. Add in some encouragement by Yama, and I’m seriously verklempt (and waiting desperately for the next volume, naturally.) – Michelle Smith

shuriken1Shuriken and Pleats, Vol. 1 | By Matsuri Hino | Viz Media – I was unaware that this was only a two-volume series ’til I finished it, but looking back, it should not come as a surprise. Things move much faster than I’d expect from a LaLa manga, particularly towards the second half. Hino describes Mikage as “quirky,” but those who read Vampire Knight won’t be surprised to see she’s mostly calm, action-driven, and tortured by her horrible past, some of which we actually get to see. I enjoyed this while I was reading it, but it feels even slighter than her last series, and that’s saying something. If you wish that there were more shoujo ninja manga, or are a huge Hino fan, I’d give it a shot. And even if you’re meh about it, hey, it’s only two volumes long. – Sean Gaffney

saoprogressive4Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 4 | By Kiseki Himura and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The last volume of the manga diverged from the novel it was adapting, showing a fight between our heroes that separated them right before the big battle. This allows Asuna to get a little more cool things to do, allowed Argo’s tiny subplot to be slightly expanded, and of course gave us a bit more ship tease and amusing faces. Of course, most of this is the same as the novel in the end, and I do believe that the original is better. But this is quite nice as well, and it will be interesting to see how it handles the second floor and the introduction of the elves. Also, it should keep Argo around, as it’s been doing. More Argo hijinks are always welcome. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: A Broad Choice

by , , , and Leave a Comment

mlm13SEAN: The Pick of the Week is obviously the title I’ve been anticipating the longest – Nichijou. While most slice-of-life comedies use weirdness in order to advance the humor of the situation, Nichijou at times does the opposite, sometimes not even bothering to have a proper punchline but just reveling in being strange. Loved the anime, can’t wait for the original.

MICHELLE: I definitely intend to check out Nichijou, but since it’s my last opportunity to pick My Little Monster, I can’t let it go to waste, especially since volume 13 hopefully features more glimpses of these beloved characters as adults. I can definitely see myself rereading this series in the future!

ASH: Likewise, I’m very interested in reading Nichijou, but my pick lies elsewhere: The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame is definitely not something for everyone, though. However, I am glad to see this important collection return to print. The original release was by PictureBox back in 2013 (which I reviewed), but Bruno Gmünder’s revised and expanded hardcover edition includes additional material, so I’ll be happily picking up the volume again.

ANNA: There’s a ton coming out this week, but as a die-hard shoujo fan, I could only pick Boys Over Flowers Season Two. When I read the first few chapters I was a little worried it would be a bad sequel, but Yoko Kamio’s great storytelling skills totally drew me in.

MJ: I don’t have a strong pick this week, but I do intend to check out Nichijou, so I’ll bring things full circle here and join Sean on that.

Shuriken and Pleats Vol. 1

by

Shuriken and Pleats Volume 1 by Matsuri Hino

Matsuri Hino is one of those shoujo authors who I like, but I haven’t been pulled into the time of deep admiration that I feel towards an Arina Tanemura or a Chika Shiomi. One of the main reasons for this is that I never really connected with Hino’s major series Vampire Knight. I have some volumes stockpiled and I intend to give that series another chance one day. I do enjoy Hino’s delicate art. I was curious about a non-vampire series from Hino.

Shuriken and Pleats is a short two-volume series about a ninja girl in the modern age, with all of the angst one might expect from a Matsuri Hino title with the added bonus of some fish out of water humor. The tragedy is introduced in the first chapter, as Mikage Kirio is assigned to protect an idealistic man whose wife and daughter have passed away, possibly as the result of some of his research into a way to end world hunger. Mikage’s master James goes out of the way to exhibit a personal interest in the young ninja, wanting her to have a normal life. When James dies, his will sets Mikage up with an option for an independent life for the first time, and he requests that she take the time to go to school like a regular girl. Mikage moves back to Japan and makes an attempt to fit in as a schoolgirl, while being haunted by her past. She also finds a final person to protect along the way.

“Girl who doesn’t understand her feelings” is almost as much of a shoujo cliche as the inexplicably alluring klutzy heroine, but Mikage is a more interesting than usual example of this particular type of heroine. Being part of a secret ninja clan in the modern world is a legitimate reason to have a closed-off personality, and while she fails sometimes she does have some serious ninja skills. One thing that does make Shuriken and Pleats stand out are some fine points of character development that manage to be both humorous and tragic at the same time, like Mikage’s shrine of cute erasers that her former master gave her. Mikage’s reaction to having papers passed to her at school from behind her back is a dramatic flip and the stern command for her classmate to “State your intention.”

Mikage’s ninja nature is signaled by the flowing black scarf she wears at all times, even when in her school uniform. Hino’s art has her trademark extremely pretty character designs mixed with dynamic ninja action scenes. I found myself intrigued by Mikage’s journey as she gradually loosens up on her ninja training and starts dealing with her emotions for the first time. I was less interested in some of the aspects of the plot, like the conspiracy at work that Mikage has to unravel. There’s a great deal of plot development packed into just one volume, which perhaps speaks to the benefit of planned short manga series as opposed to short series that are the result of an abrupt cancellation. I enjoyed this manga, and I’ll look forward to the concluding volume. Shuriken and Pleats seems like it will be an entertaining diversion if someone is looking for a short series to enjoy.

sp1

Pick of the Week: Jellyfish Princesses

by , , , and Leave a Comment

pj1MICHELLE: It’s almost here! It’s almost here! How could I be anything but asquee about Princess Jellyfish being almost here?!

MJ: This! This! So much this! And yet… I just have to be the one person here who will give my pick to the final (final, I said, FINAL) volume of my beloved Pandora Hearts. I’m sorry, I just gotta. Sweet Pandora Hearts, I will miss you.

SEAN: There is far too much coming out this week, and normally I’d be picking Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro easily. But yeah, the need to pick Princess Jellyfish cannot be denied – it’s such an obvious Pick this week. So I will pick it.

ANNA: I feel like we’ve been waiting for Princess Jellyfish forever! I am so excited it is finally coming out. If I could double or triple pick one title for pick of the week, this would be it!

ASH: I’m not at all sorry to say that Princess Jellyfish is my pick, too! I really enjoyed the anime adaptation and am looking forward to reading the original manga series a great deal.

Manga the Week of 3/23

by , , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: It is somewhat sad that with the huge number of manga out towards the end of every month, I can be relieved that there are “only” 33 titles out next week. Let’s plow through them.

Dark Horse has a 3rd Astro Boy omnibus.

Kodansha has an awful lot of stuff. There’s a 4th volume of that pesky Devil Survivor.

And Noragami is still sped up with its 12th release.

If you prefer 4 to 3, then the debut of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Side P4 will delight you. I’ll be in the corner looking baffled.

pj1

At long last, North America sees the debut of possibly the most anticipated josei title ever: Princess Jellyfish, which runs in Kiss magazine, gets an omnibus release, and it is fantastic. The Manga Bookshelf team would normally all pick it as Pick of the Week automatically, but see below. (FYI: PJ’s creator, Akiko Higashimura, has a younger brother, who happens to draw My Neighbor Seki.)

MICHELLE: I feel like I have been waiting for this for ages and ages. So excited!

ASH: Same here! (Also, I had no idea Akiko Higashimura and Takuma Morishige were related!)

MJ: So ready for this!

ANNA: I feel like I’ve been waiting for this FOREVER! Very much looking forward to reading this.

SEAN: Also debuting is Real Account, which is a survival game manga, and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzsnooooore – sorry, fell asleep there. Moving on.

MICHELLE: It can’t be worse than BTOOOM!, can it?

MJ: We shouldn’t underestimate it, Michelle. We should give it a chance to prove that it’s worse. It’s only fair.

SEAN: And a 7th volume of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches. One volume per witch!

Seven Seas gives us a 5th volume of Servamp, which I believe still has vampires.

And Vertical has a 7th volume of Ajin, a series I know many people are excited about.

ASH: Especially now that there’s an anime series.

SEAN: Viz finally debuts the new shoujo title from the Vampire Knight creator, who has switched from Vampires to Ninjas with Shuriken and Pleats.

MICHELLE: I didn’t love Vampire Knight, but I’m still looking forward to checking this out.

MJ: Same.

ANNA: I will read this!

SEAN: And now it’s Yen time, starting with the Yen On light novel imprint. Accel World gets a 6th volume, as we try to figure out if our hero is going to turn possessed and evil or not.

The third Durarara!!, meanwhile, focuses on Masaomi, the third member of our high school power trio.

Log Horizon has a 4th volume, resolving the cliffhanger from the third, and possibly featuring Shiroe pushing his glasses up his face a few more times.

And there’s a 4th No Game No Life, which I wasn’t as pleased with as usual. I reviewed it here.

agkz1

Akame Ga KILL! ZERO is the new spinoff series of the week, a prequel taking place a few years before the main series and focusing, appropriately enough, on Akame.

There’s a third Black Bullet manga, with plenty of disturbing yet well choreographed loli assassin action for you.

Bloody Cross nears its end, but isn’t there yet, even as we hit double digits with Volume 10.

And we get the 2nd to last volume of Chaika the Coffin Princess as well, which is sadly far below the most important coffin carrying manga this week. More later.

Demon from Afar must have run out of cast members, as the 6th volume is its last.

So The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan has resolved its main romance, and has finished promoting its anime. It has to wrap up soon. Right? Right?

He’s My Only Vampire is only half finished, but I’m enjoying it more than Shouoto’s other titles, and so I look forward to Vol. 6.

MICHELLE: Same here, though Demon Prince of Momochi House is pretty pleasant, too.

SEAN: The second The Honor Student at Magic High School continues to tell an alternate viewpoint of the novel we haven’t quite gotten to yet.

There’s also a 4th omnibus of Karneval’s circus mysteries.

And if you enjoy seeing a girl attempt to do life correctly and fail constantly, you no doubt are already aware that No Matter How You Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault That I’m Not Popular!! has an 8th volume next week.

And if you enjoy pretty supernatural people, have a 2nd Of The Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi.

MICHELLE: Yay! Volume one was a surprise delight!

ASH: I actually just finished reading the first volume; I’m intrigued and look forward to more.

MJ: Hm, I guess I should check out that first volume!

ph24

SEAN: Poor Princess Jellyfish! An obvious Pick of the Week… except oh look, here’s the final Pandora Hearts volume! Michelle, MJ, you aren’t allowed to pick both this time. (evil grin)

MICHELLE: Oh, man. Well, I’m pretty sure where MJ’s heart lies, but I am less committed.

MJ: Oh, the final one. Oh. Oh.

SEAN: And a third Prison School volume, which I think will give readers all the excess bodily fluids they could possibly want.

ASH: And then some, most likely.

SEAN: Rose Guns Days has a third volume of its Season 1 arc.

The only coffin manga that matters next week, we finally see a 5th volume of Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro. Yay!

Spice & Wolf has a 12th manga volume, and for those who want to catch up with the series, 1-12 will also now be available digitally starting next week.

Sword Art Online begins the Mother’s Rosary arc, despite having just started the Phantom Bullet arc as well. The series ran at the same time in Japan, and will do so here as well.

Lastly, there’s a 4th volume of Sword Art Online Progressive’s manga, featuring Argo!, and also those other two I guess.

Even if you don’t get a lot of manga, there’s STILL a lot to get next week. Can you keep up?

MICHELLE: Not really, no!

Skip Beat! Vol. 36

by

Skip Beat Volume 36 by Yoshiki Nakamura

I feel like most reviews of Skip Beat could just be summed up as, “Skip Beat, long-running shoujo series, continues to be relentlessly excellent,” but as I was reading the latest volume there were several specific things that struck me about it. I absolutely loved the Heel siblings plot, and while the manga has to move on from Ren and Kyoko being forced to be in close proximity to each other as they pretend to be gothic semi-incestual siblings in order to further Ren’s acting career as he acts in a drama while pretending to be an entirely different actor than “Ren” which is itself a totally different persona from his genuine personality, I’m glad that this volume eases out of the story line gently, with Kyoko getting one last big scene as Setsu.

Early in this volume I was reminded at how good Nakamura is at drawing Kyoko in freak-out mode, as she suffers agony in telling Ren that she kissed her long-lost fairy prince Corn (who is also Ren). Ren is pushing Kyoko a bit to get an emotional reaction from her, but he also is genuinely grateful for her help as they part and she heads back to Japan to resume her own acting career. Kyoko has matured so much as an actress and a person, and while she’s handling a crisis on her new show, things get complicated fast when Sho visits her home.

A settled and stable shoujo heroine doesn’t make for much drama, and now in addition to Sho’s reappearance, Kyoko is confronted with the specter of her long-absent horrible mother. Just when she starts to get a bit of emotional equilibrium, something happens to throw things off!

Lettering Skip Beat! must be a fun and challenging job, as there are different fonts used for Kyoko when she’s beset by the angry demon side of her personality, when she’s yelling at Sho, and when she’s calmly giving advice to a fellow actress. All in all, this was a very entertaining volume helping Skip Beat! transition away from one story line into a new direction, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

sb36

Pick of the Week: Real or Surreal?

by , , , and 3 Comments

real14SEAN: Though I sometimes regard reading Inio Asano as being like that required 19th century literature book in 8th grade – you know it’s worthy, but you’d rather something slightly less bleak – I have to admit that Goodnight Punpun has me intrigued, as even for Asano fans this one has more buzz than usual. And it’s a big omnibus, so good value for money.

MICHELLE: It’ll be a while before I am ready for more Asano — which is a compliment, really, given the impact A Girl on the Shore left with me, so I’m looking elsewhere. I’ll be picking up Paradise Residence, I think, but probably it’s no surprise that my real squee lies with volume 14 of Takehiko Inoue’s Real.

ASH: One way or another, it’s Viz that’s getting my pick this week. Like Sean, I am intrigued by the debut of Goodnight Punpun, and like Michelle, I am very excited for the most recent volume of Real. I don’t think I can bring myself to pick just one!

MJ: I’m pretty much where everyone else is this week! I can’t possibly turn down more Asano, so I’m definitely going for Goodnight Punpun, but a new volume of Real? That’s such a gift! I gotta get both.

ANNA: Goodnight Punpun and Real coming out in the same week is an embarrassment of riches. I can’t pick just one either!

Manga the Week of 3/16

by , , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Third weeks are usually the most diverse manga weeks. And that’s the case here, with lots of new titles debuting. Let’s see what we’ve got.

dangan1

Dark Horse gives us the first volume of Dangan Ronpa: The Animation, which contrary to its name is indeed a manga. It’s based on a game and has had tons of adaptations – this is the Shonen Ace one. A lot of folks I know like it, but it is set in a school where people die one by one, so be warned.

And there’s a 3rd Oh My Goddess! omnibus as well.

Kodansha has a couple of debuts next week. Forget Me Not (aka Soredemo Boku wa Kimi ga Suki) is a somewhat ecchi romance from the Shonen Magazine group (it’s been in both Weekly and Betsu), and should appeal to fans of Suzuka and other titles where you just scream in rage and bafflement at the male lead for months on end.

MICHELLE: Heh.

SEAN: There’s a second volume of supernatural mystery series Livingstone.

Kosuke Fujishima, author of Oh My Goddess!, actually finished that series, and so needed something to draw. That something is Paradise Residence, whose first omnibus volume is due out next week. It runs in Afternoon. I’m not sure if this collects Vol. 0 and 1 or 1 and 2 – it’s that kind of series. It also has a female lead at an all girls’ school, because Fujishima knows no one reads his series for the men.

MICHELLE: I’m kind of interested in this one, though I know virtually nothing about it.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 4th omnibus of Freezing, with lots of girls fighting and being busty.

And the fourth and final volume of Evergreen, the bittersweet not-quite-romance from the author of Toradora!.

Vertical has the 7th My Neighbor Seki, which I think catches us up with Japan, so it may be a while till Seki 8.

ASH: My Neighbor Seki is still an utterly delightful series.

MJ: This, yes.

SEAN: They also debut a quirky romance called Mysterious Girlfriend X, which also ran in Afternoon. It’s an omnibus of the first two volumes, and should be fun to read provided you’re OK with drool. If you aren’t, this is probably not the title for you.

MICHELLE: Ew.

ASH: I actually know quite a few people who are excited about this series; I may need to check it out, drool and all.

ANNA: I know I am not ok with drool and will be skipping this.

MJ: I… wow, drool?

punpun1

SEAN: The big debut this week for bloggers, who never met a depressing artsy manga they didn’t love, is Goodnight Punpun, a series by Inio Asano, author of Solanin, Nijigihara Holograph, etc. This is his longest series, I believe, and ran in Young Sunday (then Big Comic Spirits when YS folded). It’s extremely weird, extremely cruel, and extremely heartwarming. It too is an omnibus with 2 volumes inside.

MICHELLE: I am still not recovered from A Girl on the Shore, honestly. I don’t know if I can take more Asano right now.

ASH: Asano can be rough, but I’m looking forward to this one.

ANNA: I own but have not read A Girl on the Shore because I haven’t felt up to it, but I’m going to get this and I think that more Asano is always a good thing.

MJ: I am always ready for more depressing artsy manga, as long as it’s from Asano.

SEAN: There’s also a 6th volume of insurance madness with Master Keaton.

ANNA: Yay!

SEAN: And Manga Bookshelf peeps will be delighted to hear we’re getting a 14th volume of Real as well.

MICHELLE: Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!

ASH: Excellent.

ANNA: Extra Yay!!!!!

MJ: Hurray!!

SEAN: Lastly, Terra Formars has Volume 11 coming out.

A whole bunch of new series next week. Which ones are you getting?

Idol Dreams, Vol. 2

by

Idol Dreams Volume 2 by Arina Tanemura

I liked the first volume of Idol Dreams, with a few reservations so I was eager to check out the second volume to see how the story would develop. I was pretty convinced after seeing how the story was set up that the body-switching heroine Chikage is going to end up with the supplier of her youth idol pills, Tokita. The second volume starts out with a flashback of high school days told firmly from his point of view, showing how genuinely nice and popular Chikage was when she is a teenager. Her current repressed personality and the somewhat forced teen idol disguise really stand in contrast to Chikage’s natural charm back in the day. After reading the flashback, I’m more convinced than ever that Chikage is going to end up in an adult relationship, despite her newfound habit of hanging out with various teen boy band members.

We see some painful reminders of how socially awkward it is to be a repressed over 30 office lady, but Chikage’s idol adventures as Akari are not without peril as (say it with me!) A RIVAL APPEARS in the form of polished teen idol Yuko, who is nursing a mad crush on Hibiki. Akari learns some interesting facts about Hibiki’s home life that put his hustle, drive, and habit of appropriating boxed lunches into perspective. Truly, not since Tamahome have I seen a shoujo hero this dedicated to frugality. Akari and Yuko have to duke it out for the honor of singing Hibiki’s next single, and Akari needs plenty of extra training because she’s never performed for a studio audience before.

id2

There are quite a few funny moments along the way, but one of the things I liked is how much support Chikage is getting to change her life. Tokita comes along on an extended teen idol outfit shopping trip, and when the outfit accidentally gets ruined, Akari’s fellow teen idols leap at the opportunity to help her out, instantly offering up their own clothing to save the day. Idol Dreams is fun and frothy, but I’m much more invested in the few scenes between Chikage and Tokita than any of the other men in her life. Tanemura is always good at shifting between more introspective moments and comedic effect freakouts from the characters, and that was definitely on display in this volume.

Pick of the Week: Legend of the Galactic Heroes

by , , , and Leave a Comment

logh1MICHELLE: Is there really any doubt? Legend of the Galactic Heroes!

ASH: No doubt here! It may not be manga, but it’s Legend of the Galactic Heroes for me this week, too.

SEAN: It is absolutely Legend of the Galactic Heroes, as I have said before. Cannot wait for this epic classic novel series, so influential on so many other anime and manga.

MJ: See above, re: Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

ANNA: What’s happening? Could it be a unanimous pick for Legend of the Galactic Heroes? I think it is!

Manga the Week of 3/9

by , , , and 1 Comment

SEAN: I love quiet weeks. I love them so much more given we’re in a new manga boom where the first and fourth weeks of the month can be crippling on the wallet. But don’t worry, there’s still big things afoot next week.

logh1

The big release, and I will warn in advance this is absolutely my Pick of the Week, is the debut of the space opera novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Viz’s SF imprint Haikasoru has picked up the first 3 volumes, with promises of more if it sells well. Old-school anime fans will recall its adaptation being a gateway series in the 1990s, trading fansubs and joking about “That man, Yang Wen-Li”. It is also filled with very handsome young men, so has a large female fanbase as well. This isn’t space opera like the Irresponsible Captain Tylor – it takes itself Very Seriously Indeed. But don’t let that stop you getting this, it is an absolute Must Buy.

MJ: Okay, you’ve sold me. Which is good, because nothing else here really does.

ASH: I am so incredibly excited for this!

ANNA: I am also incredibly excited for this! Space Opera for the win!!!!

MICHELLE: What is that I spy, sitting in my Amazon cart? Why, it’s the first volume of Legend of the Galactic Heroes!! Hi there, little guy!

SEAN: Dance in the Vampire Bund’s spinoff, Scarlet Order, ends with its 4th volume from Seven Seas.

Seven Seas also has a 3rd volume of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto. I’ve heard it’s selling poorly, which is a shame, as I’m very fond of it. Go get this! It’s weird and funny! It has an anime coming soon!

ASH: Oh, that is a shame; I really enjoy the series. Hopefully the anime will help sales.

SEAN: After a few false starts, I believe that we do have the 4th World’s Greatest First Love volume from SubLime.

ASH: I actually just started reading this series. Guess I’ll have to add the fourth volume to the pile!

SEAN: Ranma 1/2 omnibus 13 contains two of the more beloved arcs of the franchise, as it wraps up the Herb story and also has Shinnosuke’s arc, which highlights Ranma and Akane’s awkward love story. Oh yes, and we meet Hinako-sensei as well.

Lastly, there’s a 20th Rin-Ne volume, and I admit I waved a little white flag last time around at the extreme lack of anything happening in the series.

Aside from IMPERIAL SPACE OPERA, what interests you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 3/1/16

by , and Leave a Comment

Briefs: they’re what’s for columns.

fuku1FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 1 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical, Inc. – Did you love Chi’s Sweet Home? Then you’re the target audience for Vertical’s latest Konami Kanata release, FukuFuku: Kitten Tales. The basic premise is very similar—FukuFuku’s owner reminisces about the days when her pet was a kitten and reacted to new discoveries in adorable ways—and will feel very familiar to Chi fans. There are some differences, though, the most significant being that FukuFuku’s thoughts are not translated for the reader, instead relying on some very eloquent expressions to get her feelings across. Also, there’s no attempt at drama here. No potential jobs out of the country or former owners who might be searching for FukuFuku. Instead, it’s just short 6-8 page vignettes in which a kitty does cute things, and sometimes, that’s all I’m looking for. Thanks for licensing this, Vertical! – Michelle Smith

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 1 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical Comics – Some titles are simply hard to review, and I think this new manga from the author of Chi’s Sweet Home qualifies. It’s the story of a cute cat and her owner doing cute things. The cat gets messy, the cat gets cold, the cat meets a puppy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s really adorable. If you love adorable kitten manga, this is a total win. But I’d argue that you should really only read this after first having read Chi, and possibly What’s Michael? as well. But Kanata is a master at drawing cute cats doing not a hell of a lot. That’s what this is. It may also make an excellent gift for someone who is not a manga fan but enjoys kitties. – Sean Gaffney

inubokuss10Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 10 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – A lot of this is setup for the climax that’s happening in the final volume this spring. So we see our heroes split apart, as their families take them back to “protect them” from the Night Parade. Of course, in most cases this protection ranges from imprisonment to emotional abuse to “you must get pregnant and carry on the family line.” So it’s no surprise that by the end, most everyone is back at the apartment and ready to make a final stand. We also get some romantic ship tease, as you’d expect—Ririchiyo and Miketsukami seem to have finally gotten over their inner demons (and it’s great to see Ririchiyo be colossally rude again after so long. Time for the finale; I look forward to it. – Sean Gaffney

komomo3Komomo Confiserie, Vol 3 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – The third volume of this series wasn’t gelling with me as much as I was hoping it would. Perhaps because there wasn’t as much dessert preparation in this volume, it fell a little flat. Komomo is continuing her journey to tender-hearted personhood, as she comes up with a plan to ensure the happiness of her first love, Seto. In the meantime, Natsu continues to repress his feelings for her under his harsh facade. I still like the idea of this series very much, even though I wasn’t as drawn in to this volume. I hope that there’s some more personality and character development with Natsu coming up soon, or at least much more food! – Anna N

loveatfourteen5Love at Fourteen, Vol. 5 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – I remain charmed by this title, mostly as the teenagers going through their first romantic stirrings feel very real to me, complete with real screw-ups. We discover that just because you’re thought of as “the mature one” doesn’t mean you magically get good grades, and Kazuki finds it easier to choose being “cool” in front of his girl to asking for help. There’s also Shiki, who tries to sabotage his relationship with Kanata even as she realizes that he’s a decent person, so she feels horrible doing it. And of course there’s everyone’s favorite delinquent Nagai, who’s possibly the best character in the series, even if he continues to have a crush on his teacher. This coming of age title is worth the occasional discomfort. – Sean Gaffney

saki2Saki, Vol. 2 | By Ritz Kobayashi | Yen Press (digital only) – I worry that the pace of Saki is going to be too swift to really satisfy me as a sports manga fan, since it’s only volume two and we’re already at the prefectural qualifier stage. Plus, not only does round one go by quickly, round two happens completely off-camera! I don’t begrudge the time spent introducing Kiyosumi’s chief rivals in the competition; I just wish there were more time for the mahjong itself. Too, the fanservice is bothering me now, as it has started to encroach upon the characters’ accomplishments. Like, no one can seemingly talk about talented Kiyosumi player Nodoka Haramura without commenting on her large boobs and Yuuki can’t strike a triumphant pose without simultaneously flashing a bit of butt cheek. That sort of thing is more insidious than just showing someone taking a bath! The tournament compels me to continue on, but I’m somewhat less enthusiastic than before. – Michelle Smith

sily12Say “I Love You,” Vol. 12 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Now that its main romance is resolved, Say “I Love You” continues to delve into more adult concerns, such as a career. Mei finds that being a teacher of young kids is far more difficult than she expected, and Yamato discovers that he can’t quite recapture the feeling he had photographing Mei and the others taking pictures of trees and landscapes. My favorite scene in the volume had a professional photographer discuss why Yamato was having issues, and the difference between an introvert and the extrovert that Yamato is. As for our new love triangle, I admit I’m still not loving the brother and sister, who I feel are stealing the main cast’s thunder. But that’s possibly as I just ship Megumi and Kai. – Sean Gaffney

tokyoesp3Tokyo ESP, Vol. 3 | By Hajime Segawa | Vertical, Inc. – Every now and then, a property gets likened to Buffy simply because its teenage female protagonist interacts with supernatural beings. Tokyo ESP is more like Buffy than any of them, because of how Rinka’s heroic journey takes shape. Like Buffy, she didn’t ask for her powers, but once she had them, she felt compelled to use them to help people. And even now that she’s lost them, she has only become more focused on defeating the superhuman terrorists. This two-volume omnibus sees the end of the first part of the series, and it’s a very satisfying ride, packed with exciting action sequences. There are some great character moments, too, like Rinka’s friends regretting their past treatment of her and the verklempt-making crowd cheering our heroine as she helps bring about a daring rescue. This series has been a surprise delight and I look forward to part two! – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Kyoko vs. Saitama

by , , , and Leave a Comment

skipbeat36SEAN: There’s a lot of good titles out this week, but only one that has me waving my arms around and going “AT LAST!” So the pick, as you may have guessed, is the 36th volume of Skip Beat!.

MICHELLE: I am solidly in Skip Beat!‘s corner, as well. It’s telling when a series as long as this still makes me excited to get the next installment.

ANNA: I have to join in the group picking Skip Beat!. Having a new volume to read is a great excuse for celebration!

ASH: I’m shockingly far behind in my reading of Skip Beat! so I’m not quite ready for this week’s volume even though I’m looking forward to it. However, I’m not nearly as far behind in One-Punch Man, another series I’m thoroughly enjoying, so this time I’ll be making that one my pick.

MJ: I’m going to surprise everyone, I guess, by joining Ash here on picking One-Punch Man! I somehow actually missed it in this week’s releases, but now that I realize it’s there, I’m psyched. Count me in!

Manga the Week of 3/2

by , , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Honestly, it’s a very light week for the first of the month, helped out by Viz’s big shoujo debut getting pushed back a couple weeks for some reason. But there’s still a lot left here. (Of note, for reasons unknown to me, Diamond is not shipping any Viz next week, so I am not getting any of this.)

MICHELLE: Huh. Maybe they wanted it to stand out from the pack?

newlone

SEAN: New Lone Wolf and Cub isn’t so new anymore now that it’s on its 8th volume from Dark Horse.

ASH: Heh.

SEAN: On the Seven Seas front, there’s an 8th volume of Science vs. Fantasy manga Devils and Realist.

And a 2nd omnibus of otaku favorite Mayo Chiki.

And now for the rest of Viz, which has not been delayed but is coming out as usual (except via Diamond). Starting with the 66th volume of Bleach, now 2/3 of the way to 100 volumes. (Please do not let Bleach hit 100 volumes.)

MJ: Lord, no.

SEAN: Bloody Mary has a 2nd volume, and continues to feature vampires.

MICHELLE: I didn’t love the first volume of this, but I’m not ready to give up on it yet, so I will be checking this out.

MJ: I will follow Michelle down this road.

ANNA: I liked it ok! It is a bit different from all the other vampire manga out there, which I found refreshing.

SEAN: Dragon Ball has still not run out of 3-in-1s with its 12th, but it may be close.

I was quite fond of the first volume of Idol Dreams, but I acknowledge that it has potential to be what I cheerily refer to as “problematic”, which tends to be a code word for “they’re only xx years old!”. Gender reversed in this case. In any case, Volume 2 is next week.

MICHELLE: This is another I didn’t love, but I’m totally going to read volume two.

MJ: I will probably read this.

ANNA: I liked it well enough despite the “problematic” aspect. I’m weirdly all in for all Tanemura manga.

roseprin9

SEAN: Final volume! Kiss of the Rose Princess wraps up with Volume 9.

MICHELLE: And this is why I keep reading sometimes underwhelming things, as I ended up kind of liking this after a while. Enough to keep going ’til the conclusion, anyway.

ANNA: I am a couple volumes behind but will get caught up!

SEAN: And Komomo Confiserie reaches its halfway mark with Vol. 3.

MJ: This has not landed for me, sadly.

ANNA: It isn’t as great as other shoujo manga, but I like the combo of food and wacky heroine.

One Piece has not remotely reached a final volume, but here’s a 15th 3-in-1 to tide you over.

There can never be enough PUNCHING! Thank goodness for a 5th volume of One-Punch Man.

ASH: Woohoo!

SEAN: Seraph of the End has an 8th volume, and also continues to feature vampires.

ANNA: It does! I enjoy all the angst and action scenes.

SEAN: Shuriken and Pleats is… delayed 3 weeks, not sure why. Moving on…

ANNA: Boo!

SEAN: Skip Beat! Yay! I miss the days when we gorged on new volumes all the time, but it just makes the wait for some nice sweet Corn all the more satisfying. (I’m so sorry.)

MICHELLE: IT HAS BEEN SIX WHOLE MONTHS!!!!

ANNA: HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? IT IS INHUMANE!

SEAN: World Trigger is up to Vol. 9, which in Jump terms means that it can be called a definite success.

ASH: I’m behind in reading the series myself, but I do have a giveaway for the first two volumes going on right now.

SEAN: Lastly, what Viz manga list would not be complete without a Yu-Gi-Oh somewhere in it – this one the 8th volume of Zexal.

Manga is coming in like a lion next week! What are you getting?