Anna N

Manga the Week of 9/30

September 24, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: It’s a somewhat busy 5th week this time around, with a lot of stuff from Kodansha.

After a brief delay, I believe we now are getting the final volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s epic biography/history Showa next week from Drawn & Quarterly, covering 1953-1989.

ASH: I am so glad this series was translated.

SEAN: Speaking of giant omnibuses, the second COLOSSAL EDITION of Attack on Titan comes out next week. Use it to beat titans to death!

My Little Monster is now in double digits with the 10th volume. I think it’s actually near an ending as well, so things might be slowly trudging towards resolution.

ASH: I still love that there’s a pet chicken. Nagoya should get a series.

MICHELLE: I would read it! But yes, this series sadly only has twelve volumes.

SEAN: The Seven Deadly Sins, which I admit I lost track of, has also reached double digits.

And there’s a third volume of A Silent Voice, which I think could go in any number of directions right now, all interesting.

ASH: A Silent Voice has been very well written so far. I’m curious to see where it goes.

SEAN: Vinland Saga puts out its 6th omnibus, and they have openly said that this is sales-dependent in order to continue. Go buy it.

ASH: Yes, please do! Vinland Saga is such a great series!

ANNA: I am going to buy it, and if I could clone myself and buy it again I would!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a 2nd omnibus of Freezing, which is a very very VERY Seven Seas title, for what it’s worth. Fans of those other Seven Seas titles should go buy it right now.

Vertical has another Attack on Titan light novel, with the 2nd volume of Harsh Mistress in the City.

And lastly, Vertical Comics has the 14th volume of Knights of Sidonia. It’s announced it’s ending in Japan soon, will we get a happy ending? Is that even possible for a title like this?

MICHELLE: *makes grabbyhands* Also, it’s ending?! Granted, I’ve not read anything since volume 12, but it didn’t seem like it was winding down at all. Now I am very fretful that everyone is suddenly going to die.

ANNA: That seems like a reasonable fear.

MJ: Oh, this series, this series… seconding Michelle’s grabbyhands.

SEAN: So what appeals to you as the leaves turn to brown?

Pick of the Week: Digital Love

September 21, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: This week’s pick for me is the new Ryukishi07 adaptation, Rose Guns Days Season 1. This is *not* a When They Cry release, so there’s less emphasis on death and horror. It takes place in an AU 1947 Japan, where various disasters have led to most of Japan being occupied by America and China, with Japanese as second-class citizens. It’s also an excuse for a lot of punching and some fun dialogue.

MICHELLE: I think I’ll go for Chocolate Cosmos this time. It’s not that Cactus’s Secret was crazy amazing, but I don’t recall it being awful either. Plus, I’m generally up for new shoujo debuts!

ASH: The newest volume of My Neighbor Seki gets my pick this week, which seems appropriate as it’s school season here in the US. My Neighbor Seki is just such a delightful and charming manga. I’m glad that Vertical ultimately decided to release the entire series.

MJ: I don’t have an extremely solid pick this week, but I’ll tentatively join Michelle in looking towards Chocolate Cosmos. I’m always interested in new shoujo, and chocolate, even simply as a *word* holds magical power over my soul. So there you are.

ANNA: I’m going to join with MJand Michelle in picking Chocolate Cosmos. I’m always curious to check out a new shoujo series.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 9/23

September 18, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: Did I mention Yen’s digital rollout makes next week even longer? 30 titles. 30. Let that roll around your head for a while.

Before we get to Yen, let’s talk Devil Survivor, a new Kodansha series based off of an RPG that’s apparently quite popular. Lots of demons here.

Seven Seas has a 12th volume of Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, whose fandom I’ve heard has completely imploded with the latest LN revelations. Luckily, this is the manga, and we’re a number of volumes from that.

Vertical Comics has the penultimate 11th volume of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. So happy this series came out over here.

ANNA: Yay for Gundam: The Origin! I need to go on a reading binge and get caught up on this series.

SEAN: And Vertical also has My Neighbor Seki 4, which is nothing like Gundam but also delights me.

ASH: As it should! My Neighbor Seki is wonderful.

SEAN: Viz Digital has a debut that I believe is another JManga rescue, though I’m not sure about that. Chocolate Cosmos is a Ribon series about a young girl looking for love, so it’s definitely for Beat fans. I think there was a translation competition that centered around it.

MICHELLE: Ooh, I didn’t know about this one! It’s by Nana Haruta, mangaka of Cactus’s Secret, which came out a few years ago.

ANNA: That sounds really interesting, I will have to check it out!

MJ: Same here!

SEAN: And now on to Yen Press. We’ll start with the Yen On line. Kagerou Daze’s first novel was rather diffuse and obtuse – somewhat deliberately – and I am both interested in the 2nd volume and hoping I get more of a handle on it.

Kingdom Hearts has a new novel as well, Chain of Memories. Are Mickey Mouse and company still in this series?

I don’t know if MJhas had the time to read Pandora Hearts: Caucus Race yet, but if not, she’s now even more behind, as the 2nd novel is out next week.

MJ: MJhas not, and she’s a little bit wary of a Pandora Hearts novel series, but she’ll most likely succumb.

SEAN: The debut novel this month is Strike the Blood, which is an action fantasy series with vampires, and thus perfect for Yen, really.

Yen Digital rolls out more debuts, most comedic. Demon King Ena-sama Goes to a Manga School seems a bit self-explanatory.

If the creepy humiliation vibe of Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler didn’t put you off, a 3rd volume is here for you.

My Monster Girl’s Too Cool For You seeks to hit on a popular recent trend, and for once seems to begin with a rejection rather than a sudden love confession.

The Royal Tutor was slighter than I was expecting, but decent enough, and a 3rd volume of that is here as well.

ASH: Wow, I’m behind. I didn’t realize we were already up to volume three!

SEAN: And we get complete in 3 separate volumes a series called Shut-in Shoutarou Koninami Takes On The World, whose name alone makes one think of Scott Pilgrim.

Finally, we get Yen’s copious print volumes. A 2nd Big Hero 6, based on the American movie. (I always love seeing Japanese adaptations of Western media.)

Black Bullet gets a manga series to go with the light novel we saw last month. I expect the lolicon tendencies I saw in the novel would bother me more in the manga.

Bloody Cross has an 8th volume.

And there’s a 2nd volume of possibly too cliched for its own good fantasy series Chaika the Coffin Princess.

Demon From Afar is up to Volume 4, which means by now the entire cast must have all died at least three times, right?

After a couple of Final Fantasy Type-0 side stories, we now have the Type-0 manga proper.

Surprise hit (at least with me) He’s My Only Vampire gets a 4th volume.

And a 4th Love at Fourteen will continue to alternate between “they’re so adorable!” and “…are you really going there?”

MICHELLE: I’m going to be catching up on this series soon!

ASH: I need to catch up, too, but I did enjoy the first couple of volumes.

SEAN: Not everything is about Madoka Magica, but the new spinoff certainly is: Suzuna Magica begins next week.

After the relative popularity of Higurashi and Umineko, it’s time for another Ryukishi07 sound novel getting an adaptation, this one somewhat lighter in tone – at least at first. Rose Guns Days is an alternate universe action thriller with lots of fistfights and “ladies of the evening”, and should be a ton of fun.

Spice & Wolf gives us an 11th manga volume. Don’t get it mixed up with the light novels.

Sword Art Online Progressive’s manga also has a third volume, though it’s still adapting the first light novel. Expect underwear. Lots of underwear.

MJ: I wish I liked these manga adaptations better. Alas.

SEAN: Triage X has hit double digits, a feat that makes me want to cry blood, but hey.

And a third (fourth) omnibus of Ubel Blatt, whose Volume Zero still haunts the list-obsessed.

Umineko: When They Cry has a 2nd omnibus for its 5th arc. Dlanor A. Knox is on the cover. I love Dlanor. So much better than Erika, whose presence sadly continues to permeate this arc, infecting it with her detective skills.

Lastly (at long last), a 10th omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part. Still not quite caught up with Japan, in case you were wondering.

Does anything in this huge pile appeal to your inner soul?

Maid-sama! Vols 1 and 2

September 15, 2015 by Anna N

Maid-sama! Volumes 1 and 2 by Hiro Fujiwara

It has been some time since I’ve read this series. I think I read around 4 or 5 volumes or so of the Tokyopop release, so the new omnibus from Viz provided a good excuse to give the series a second try. I totally understand why Maid-sama! would be a strong title to re-release since it has an anime adaptation too. However, a tiny part of me will still hope in vain for some reissues of some of the other less commercial series that got cut off when Toykopop went under.

<br />

The maid in this title is Misaki Ayuzawa, a high achieving girl who has become president of a school that has only recently gone co-ed. She’s uncomfortable around boys and has made it her mission to clean up the school and abolish delinquent behaviors in order to protect the small female population. She’s super stern and has great physical prowess when it comes to beating up her fellow students. While she’s a perfect student at school, Misaki has to make ends meet by working as a waitress at a maid cafe as her part-time job. In the first few pages of the manga, Misaki’s secret is discovered by Takumi Usui, a popular and somewhat cynical boy who attends her school. He promptly decides to hold Misaki’s secret over her head and begins to pop up now and then whenever something might go wrong.

Misaki navigates issues with student-council relations, dealing with a rival school, and navigating random cross-dressing events at her part-time job. Aside from the relationship between Misaki and Usui, the manga is pretty entertaining, as Misaki’s outsize reactions to everything gradually begin to mellow out a bit as she begins to relate to all the students at her school as human beings, not just the girls. I had also totally forgotten about the idiot trio, a group of background characters that also discover Misaki’s secret identity as a maid and mostly function to gaze at her adoringly and act occasionally like a slapstick Greek chorus. Fujiwara’s art is clear and easy to follow, and very dynamic when Misaki is leaping into action to defend womanhood or juggling a ton of customers at her part-time job.

The part of this manga that bugs me and I think contributed to my decision to stop reading it before, is that Usui is utterly unappealing as a shoujo male lead to me. His general mode of interaction is to randomly show up, invade Misaki’s space, and make her feel confused and flustered. He also keeps forcing physical affection on Misaki when she’s not a willing participant, as some sort of power game. Also, Fujiwara goes to great length to demonstrate Misaki’s physical prowess when her being strong is funny or over the top, but Misaki suddenly becomes weak and incapable when it serves the purpose of the plot to have Usui rescue her from herself. He’s also constantly reminding Misaki that she’s a girl who needs help, and it only serves to make it appear like the main message of this manga is that a girl with strong type A tendencies needs a man to help her out. For folks who aren’t put off by this relationship dynamic, I do think that Maid-sama! is plenty entertaining. I just find series like Oresama Teacher or My Love Story! much more amusing if I’m looking for something fun to read in the shoujo comedy genre.

Pick of the Week: Astro-nomical!

September 14, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: While I’m really looking forward to getting caught up on Naoki Urasawa’s Master Keaton, I must cast my vote this week to the new Astro Boy omnibus, which includes the story “The Greatest Robot on Earth,” which is pretty much required reading and which gives its robot a surprisingly touching character arc.

SEAN: Absolutely Astro Boy for me as well. Some of the finest Tezuka.

ASH: I almost feel like picking something else just to be contrary, but the new edition of Astro Boy is probably the most alluring release for me this week, too.

MJ: I am a sheep. Astro Boy it is.

ANNA: I’m not going to be the one to break this trend. Astro Boy for everybody!!!!

MICHELLE: Baaaa. :)

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 9/16

September 10, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: If you like tiny weeks where you can take a break from reading all the manga in the world, this is the week for you.

ASH: No, no, Sean. It’s not a week for taking a break, it’s a week for catching up!

MJ: In fact, from the looks of things, that’s my task for the week as well!

SEAN: Dark Horse is re-releasing the Astro Boy volumes in giant 700-page omnibuses, not only larger in size and page count (this is 700 pages), but with added extras and gewgaws. The first is out next week (if you get it from Diamond).

MICHELLE: The original volume three (possibly included in this omnibus) has the story that inspired Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto. It’s really good!

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 2nd volume of quiet country life gag manga Non Non Biyori.

And a 3rd volume of action/thriller/comedy vampire manga Servamp.

Viz has a 4th volume of Master Keaton, which I am very fond of despite some problematic areas.

MICHELLE: And speaking of Urasawa! I am determined to get caught up on this title.

MJ: Hey, I should buy this so that I no longer have any excuse not to return the little volume Michelle loaned me! :D

ASH: I’ve been collecting since I’m an Urasawa completist, but I need to get caught up, too!

ANNA: Me too! I have the third volume stashed somewhere.

SEAN: And an 8th volume of Terra Formars, where there is far less fondness.

Anything here catch your eye?

Pick of the Week: Rose King & Butler

September 7, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: There’s some interesting stuff going on this week, which I’m sure the rest of the team will talk about, so my pick is a title only I care about: the 26th Hayate the Combat Butler. It’s been pretty serious and plot-oriented the last three volumes or so – expect that to change back to its usual goofy fourth-wall breaking humor.

MICHELLE: It’s kind of odd that a VIZ shoujo title is coming out the second week of the month rather than the first, but I don’t mind, since that makes volume two of the versatile Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King an easy choice!

ASH: I’m with Michelle, Requiem of the Rose King is absolutely my pick this week. Although the first volume was a bit chaotic in places, I loved its drama and theatrics. The stage has been set, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

MJ: I’m also going to give my vote to Requiem of the Rose King. I haven’t caught up with the first volume yet, but this is easily the most enticing title on the list for me this week. I have a feeling I may even be happy in the end that I can read this two at a time!

ANNA: I’m also going to pick Requiem of the Rose King too. I loved the combination of history, anguish, and surreal visions in the first volume, and I’m excited to see where the story goes.

SEAN: Requiem of the Rose King is awesome, I will admit. But totally sticking with Hayate. Someone has to.

What looks good to you this week?

Komomo Confiserie Vol 1

September 7, 2015 by Anna N

Komomo Confiserie, Volume 1 by Maki Minami

So far, Maki Minami’s shoujo series haven’t totally connected with me as a reader. I didn’t care for Special A very much, and while I liked the first couple volumes of Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, I haven’t gone on to read the entire series. Maybe Komomo Confiserie will finally be the Minami series that I actually finish!

<br />

The series starts out with a flashback, as the incredibly spoiled and rich little girl Komomo picks on a young boy named Natsu. He’s the son of her family’s chef, and Komomo only likes the sweets that Natsu prepares for her. Komomo is ungracious and bossy, but she has an emotional connection to Natsu’s food, it serving as a substitute for companionship as she lives in a huge mansion abandoned by her parents. In just a few panels, this rich yet emotionally empty life is overturned, as Komomo’s father announces that he’s lost their fortune, and Komomo has to work to support herself with a part time job. Life as a rich heiress hasn’t prepared Komomo with the social graces or work ethic to be able to handle any type of employment and she keeps getting fired over and over again.

It wouldn’t be a shoujo manga if Natsu wasn’t about to return to Japan a triumphant celebrity from studying pastry abroad, determined to seek out his old “friend” to exact revenge, only to find that their positions have been reversed in an ironic twist of fate! Natsu has an exceedingly charming pastry shop to run, and he runs in to Komomo just as she is tossed out into the street from her latest misadventure in employment.

If Komomo was absolutely unrepentant and spoiled, this manga wouldn’t work very well, but what I enjoyed most about this series were the cracks in the facades for both Natsu and Komomo. Komomo gradually begins to realize how superficial her previous life was, when none of her old friends come to her aid. While Natsu initially appears to be slightly psychotic in his pursuit of revenge, he is actually moved a few times when seeing Komomo eat his food and try to adjust to her new life. Komomo’s rich girl attitudes come in handy when she’s faced with a new high school. Mean girl bullying just slides off of her, and she sails through unaffected. Komomo is gradually learning to be a real human being, and as her personality changes, Natsu begins to find her more and more adorable.

Minami is a solid shoujo artist, and I particularly appreciated her being able to dramatize facial expressions that are a bit off, for example when Natsu’s kindness is a facade for his evil plans. I’m hoping that Komomo will become more and more adept with dealing with the real world, changing the power dynamic between her and Natsu more in the next few volumes.

Manga the Week of 9/9

September 3, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

SEAN: The second week of the month is always the oddest, in my opinion. Not drenched in Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat or Yen titles, it tends towards Viz’s Shonen Sunday, Seven Seas, and a few oddities. Let’s see what’s out next week.

xxxHOLIC gets its 7th and final omnibus, as the series grinds to a halt, crushing the reader within its mandibles and slowly killing them over the course of a hundred years time. I think MJfeels differently.

ASH: This will be my first time reading the ending, so I’m not sure exactly how I’ll feel about it yet.

MJ: MJfeels differently, indeed.

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a 6th volume of comedy and not-quite-harem series D-Frag!, which will continue to make fun of bald heads, large breasts, and its supposed hero.

There’s also an omnibus of the series Dictatorial Grimoire, containing all three volumes. I remember enjoying it more than it possibly merited, mostly due to a side character I really liked.

ASH: Dictatorial Grimoire was a mess, albeit an entertaining one.

SEAN: A third volume of Love Stage!! tells us that in the future, sunglasses will be edible.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Viz has a 23rd volume of Arata the Legend, which is turning into Shogakukan’s answer to Hunter x Hunter in Japan, as it’s on another hiatus.

Yay, it’s time for the twice-a-year release of Hayate the Combat Butler! Vol. 26 is back to all comedy all the time, but it also deals with the fallout from the End of the World arc, namely Nagi not being able to live in the mansion anymore.

The 10th Ranma 1/2 omnibus does not advance the plot (nothing does, really), but it has Ryouga’s depression and Ranma’s confidence finally meet head on and become legitimate attacks, which should not surprise anyone.

Lastly, we get a 2nd volume of Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King, where Richard III and Henry VI meet and are both really pretty at each other. (It’s much better than that sounds, I’m sorry, I just can’t help it.) The 3rd volume should involve less of a wait than this one did.

ASH: Kanno does pretty so well. And oh, the drama! Really looking forward to more of this series.

MICHELLE: Volume one was really interesting and I’ve been looking forward to continuing!

ANNA: I enjoyed the first volume greatly, and this is by far what I’m most looking forward too this week.

MJ: i really need to get into this!

So what’s appealing to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 9/1/15

September 1, 2015 by Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

Michelle and Anna are holding down the fort this week and, surprisingly, it’s not all shoujo!

Black Rose Alice, Vol. 5 | By Setona Mizushiro | VIZ Media – I’m usually a bit hesitant to recommend series that are on hiatus, but Black Rose Alice is the rare exception, just because it is so quirky, unsettling, and well-executed. The emotional stakes go even higher as Alice meets up with Koya, the student who Azuza saved when she gave up her life and joined the vampires. Mizushiro never goes for tidy resolution, and the encounter between Alice and Koya will continue to affect the rest of the group. I’m sad that there’s only one more volume left, but I’ll take whatever I can get of this fascinating series. – Anna N

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 7 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – Sometimes, Food Wars! makes me feel bad for liking it. In this volume, the preliminary round of the Fall Classic gets underway, and I appreciate that quite a few female students—including unassuming Megumi, from whom the audience does not expect much—make an impression. One of these girls, Miyoko Hojo, is driven by the desire to achieve culinary prestige that the sexist all-male kitchen staff at her family restaurant will have to respect when she returns to lead them one day. Again, I appreciate that! What I don’t appreciate is that Hojo’s introduction features an extreme boob closeup and “bwoing” and “jiggle” sound effects. Siiiiiigh. I thought I had become inured to the fanservice in this series, but I guess not. Otherwise, it’s an enjoyable volume and features some tasty-looking curries. I look forward to seeing what Soma has come up with. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 13 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – By Magi standards, volume thirteen is merely pretty good, but that certainly doesn’t mean that it is bad. Rather, it’s transitional. Aladdin, Morgiana, and Hakuryu (the latter of whom gets to be significantly useful on several occasions!) all have individual quests they want to pursue, so they set sail from Sindria, ostensibly leaving a sulky Alibaba behind. Only, he has stowed away and has seemingly abandoned his petulance in favor of a goal of his own. And, indeed, when the group encounters some pirates who are abducting children, it’s a return to the clear-eyed, doing-the-right-thing Alibaba of the past as he declares he and his friends will save the day. And that’s great to see! It’s just all so introductory. I’m sure the next volume will be much more satisfying. – Michelle Smith

Say I Love You., Vol. 9 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – It’s a rare thing that I feel bad for a romantic rival in a shoujo manga, particularly one with a track record of nastiness like Megumi’s, but when her contest-winning “date” with Yamato makes inescapably clear there’s no room for her in his heart, she earns my sympathies. Despite trading on her cute looks, she wants someone who looks past her appearance to really see her, and that’s something the Kurosawa boys seem genetically disposed to do, as the rest of the volume tells the story of Yamato’s brother, Daichi, and the love he once had, then lost, and is now struggling to move on from. In a way, this reminds me of Hatori’s story in Fruits Basket, and I wonder if we’ll check in with him from time to time, as he lets down his walls and achieves happiness once more. I really enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

Skip Beat!, Vol. 35 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – Much as I love Skip Beat!, I have mixed feelings about this volume. On the one hand, Ren talking to Kyoko in the guise of Corn the fairy allows him to admit his feelings freely and also to make progress toward accepting that his terrible past experiences were necessary to get him where he is today, where he was able to meet Kyoko. On the other, Ren is tricking Kyoko, using her unquestioning belief in fairies to explain away his appearance and manufacturing a story about a curse in order to manipulate her into kissing him. When she is exceedingly reluctant, this grown man literally says to a teenage girl, “Liar. You said you’d do anything to help me but you didn’t mean it.” Of course, he instantly feels bad about it, but ugh. I hope she is righteously pissed off when she eventually learns the truth. – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Pastries and Punching

August 31, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney and Anna N Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: There’s a new volume of Skip Beat! out this week, which I of course adore, but that makes it even more significant when I say my pick of the week is actually the first volume of Maki Minami’s Komomo Confiserie. I actually know nothing about this series, but I do know that Minami’s Voice Over! ended up being a surprise favorite, so I am really glad to have another new series from its creator now that it has finished.

ASH: It seems like I’ve been waiting to read One-Punch Man forever, but I enjoyed the first volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride so much that there could be no other pick for me this week.

SEAN: I’m fairly sure that One-Punch Man takes the prize for my pick of the week. Never has invincibility been so funny.

ANNA: I’m very excited that One-Punch Man is coming out in print form, but I’ve aleady been buying the digital volumes!. I’m going to pick the shoujo series Komomo Confiserie because a shoujo series involving food just sounds incredibly entertaining.

Manga the Week of 9/2

August 26, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, MJ and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: School’s back in session. Do you have all your manga supplies? The old favorites? The new series? The zipatone? Let’s see what you might want to pick up.

Dark Horse still knows we like our samurai manga with the 6th New Lone Wolf & Cub.

ASH: I’m still catching up with the old school Lone Wolf & Cub, but I’m picking up this series, too.

SEAN: Kodansha debuts a new series called Ninja Slayer Kills, based off of a concept by two Americans who I suspect are imaginary. It also has a novel series later this year from Vertical, and seems to be very much in the ‘flashy action sequences’ genre.

ASH: Actually, I think Vertical has one of the other manga adaptations. But, yes, lots of action.

SEAN: Kodansha also has the fourth volume of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches. We’re still running a few witches short.

ASH: This series has been a lot of fun so far.

SEAN: Slightly creepy power imbalance aside, I really enjoyed the first volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride from Seven Seas, so the 2nd volume coming out pleases me greatly.

ANNA: I enjoyed the first one too. I like these low-key fantasy series, they remind me of the type of thing CMX used to put out (RIP).

ASH: The first volume was one of my favorite debuts this year, so I’m definitely looking forward to the second!

MJ: I will have to catch up with this one for sure!

SEAN: And a 6th omnibus of Dance in the Vampire Bund, which combines lolis and vampires to devastating effect, or so I hear.

Now it’s time for our slate of Viz. There’s new 3-in-1s of Dragon Ball (the 10th), Naruto (the 12th, and One Piece (the 13th). Good buys if you want to save shelf space.

Kimi ni Todoke has a 22nd volume, and I really hope that a plot point suggested by the cliffhanger happens, for the sake of my own sanity.

MICHELLE: Volume 21 was great, if painful, so I am very much looking forward to another installment.

ANNA: I have around 3 volumes now I need to read to catch up. I think I was staying away from the emotional trauma. I do love this series.

MJ: I live for this kind of pain.

SEAN: Kiss of the Rose Princess 6… I admit I’ve lost track of this series. Anna?

ANNA: What’s going to happen with the Junk Rose Princess and her Four Fake Rose Knights? Now that some of Anise’s Rose Knights are powered up even more, will this throw off the dynamics in this fun and frothy reverse harem manga? Is Anise’s father really as evil as he seems? How does one engineer Rose people? How many cards can Anise collect? I don’t know but I want to find out!!!!!

SEAN: Komomo Confiserie is the new series from Maki Minami, author of Special A and Voice Over. Given that title, I’d expect food to be involved. Always love stuff from this author.

MICHELLE: I loved Voice Over! way more an I expected to, and am looking forward to Komomo Confiserie quite a lot!

ANNA: I liked Voice Over, but not enough to complete the series. On the other hand I love food manga so I will be checking this out.

ASH: Food! Pastries! Cakes!

SEAN: Nisekoi barrels along with an 11th volume, being the rare Jump romantic comedy that doesn’t die in North America (see Strawberry 100% for the fate of prior comedies of that sort).

After getting a few volumes out digital-only, print readers are now able to experience the gloriousness that is One-Punch Man, with its first two volumes coming out together.

ANNA: One-Punch Man is the best. It totally deserves the print edition and I hope more readers discover it because it is hilarious.

ASH: I’ve been holding out for the print edition; can’t wait to finally read it!

MJ: Same here!

SEAN: Seraph of the End gets a 6th volume. Vampires? Still? Dunno.

ANNA: Not surprisingly, I enjoy this a bunch. It has more world building than most vampire manga. Looking forward to this volume.

SEAN: Skip Beat! has a 35th volume, edging closer to the longest shoujo series in North America (Boys Over Flowers still tops it right now, I think).

MICHELLE: You are right; if you include Jewelry Box, Boys Over Flowers has 37 volumes. Also, yay Skip Beat!.

ANNA: Skip Beat! is so great. May it go on for 35 volumes more!

MICHELLE: Hear, hear!

SEAN: There’s also an 18th volume of Tegami Bachi.

Lastly, you thought there would be no Yu-Gi-Oh? Foolish mortal! Here’s Vol. 7 of Zexal.

What manga makes you want to learn logarithm tables? (None of them, I imagine, unless you have the old Math Girls manga volume.)

ASH: I in fact DO have the old Math Girls volume!

MJ: Same! :D

Pick of the Week: Mostly Kodansha

August 24, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: There’s a surprising amount of stuff out this week for manga fans, including a new Alice that looks more plot-oriented than most, a new Attack on Titan as well as two spinoffs of same, and a new series from the creator of Gantz. I’ll give my pick to the manga tie-in of the Bodacious Space Pirates movie, Abyss of Hyperspace. It’s not very friendly to casual readers who don’t know the franchise, but for those who do, it’s pirate-riffic.

MICHELLE: I pretty much always pick this series when given the chance, but I am definitely going to be picking up the ninth volume of Say I Love You., which always thwarts traditional shoujo expectations in interesting ways.

ASH: Lots of good stuff coming out this week, and I’ll be picking up quite a few of them, but the manga I’m most curious about is the debut of Inuyashiki.

ANNA: Say I Love You is my pick as well, but I can’t believe we’re up to volume 9 already! More to get caught up on!

SEAN: I just want to add that the Say “I Love You” heroine continues to be so unhappy on these covers. She really does not want to be posing for this shot.

Cosplay Basics

August 23, 2015 by Anna N

Cosplay Basics by by Yuki Takasou, Rumine, and Kashiko Kurobuchi

<br />

This is an English translation of a Japanese book that provides an introduction to cosplay with chapters on tips, shopping, and costume construction, interspersed with short manga chapters showing a seasoned cosplayer showing a newbie the ropes. A magical girl character is used as the focus for the whole book, so this will be most useful for folks who are interested in feminine cosplay.

I don’t think anyone would really be able to construct a costume from start to finish with only the information given in this book, as there’s not enough detailed information given about measuring yourself, making patterns, adjusting fit, etc. There are several sections with step-by-step instructions, but I think someone making pattern pieces based on the information in the book would need to do a bit of experimenting on their own to come up with something usable. But like the title suggests, it does provide a basic overview of the topic, and a reader would be able to take the terminology in the book and then look up a more detailed youtube tutorial about placing darts, for example. There are sections dedicated to cosplay specific topics like wig styling, photographing etiquette, posing like your character, and now to retouch your own photos of your cosplay before you post them online.

Cosplay Basics would be a good addition to library collections for libraries that have active anime clubs or other similar programming like ToshoCons. If I had a young teen newbie cosplayer to hand a book to, I would probably combine this volume with another book that had more of a general focus on sewing and construction principles. The short chapters combined with manga make it easy to dip in and out of the book while exploring different aspects of cosplay.

Manga the Week of 8/26

August 21, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: For a last week of the month, there’s a lot of stuff due out, particularly from Kodansha Comics.

The 16th Attack on Titan comes in a regular edition, and also a Special Edition with a set of AoT-themed playing cards.

ASH: It’ll be interesting to see how the special edition does for Kodansha.

SEAN: And there’s a 5th volume of the prequel Attack on Titan: Before the Fall.

Fairy Tail also has a spinoff, with the first volume of Blue Mistral, which I believe focuses on Wendy.

Inuyashiki is the new series running in Evening magazine from the author of Gantz. Its protagonist being an old man is unusual, its science fiction with horror/gore plot is not, at least not for this author.

ASH: Although I didn’t follow Gantz to the end, I am rather curious about Inuyashiki.

ANNA: Huh, I’m cautiously curious about this. Will wait for Ash’s review though!

SEAN: Let’s Dance a Waltz comes to an end with the third and final volume. Less fat-shaming in your next series, please.

MICHELLE: I second that request.

ASH: Yup. Also, I didn’t realize the series was so short!

ANNA: So glad I didn’t read this.

SEAN: Maria the Virgin Witch has an epilogue with Exhibition.

ASH: Maria the Virgin witch was such a quirky little series.

SEAN: Say “I Love You” has volume 9 coming out, and it’s become one of my favorite “shosei” series.

MICHELLE: Mine, too! Looking forward to this one.

ANNA: I need to get caught up! It is very good.

SEAN: And Your Lie in April has a 3rd volume. Lies indeed; it’s August, not April. You can’t trick me, manga!

ASH: Wait, it’s not April?

SEAN: There are a few titles coming out that are not Kodansha. Seven Seas has an Alice book, with White Rabbit and Some Afternoon Tea. After being an antagonist for so long in these books, Peter White finally gets his chance to be the love interest.

ANNA: Is it extra traumatic?

SEAN: I realize the title might put some people off, but Bodacious Space Pirates was a fantastic novel/anime series, and Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace is a manga adaptation of the feature film they made. I’m greatly looking forward to it.

ASH: Should hopefully be fun!

ANNA: If nothing else, that title is fabulous.

SEAN: Also greatly looking forward to the 4th omnibus of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer. Buy this please. Make Sean proud of you.

ASH: I will make you proud, Sean!

SEAN: Vertical has a 6th volume of Supernatural thriller Ajin. Be warned, it’s caught up with Japan.

And Vertical also has a novel spinoff of Attack on Titan. Harsh Mistress of the City is another one that takes place before the main manga, I believe.

ASH: It’s also illustrated by Range Murata which will be of particular interest to a few people I know.

ANNA: I didn’t know that! Interesting!

SEAN: So what are you getting next week?