Anna N

Manga the Week of 7/1

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

SEAN: Since next week is a light week (despite being July 1st, it doesn’t count as a first week of July), I thought I’d do the manga in reverse order. And hey, coincidentally, that makes the image line up properly, too! Funny, that.

So we start with Vertical, who have the 5th volume of fanservice and ladies being awesome fantasy Witchcraft Works.

ASH: I’m a bit behind in this series, but I did enjoy the first few volumes.

SEAN: Seven Seas finally have a 7th volume of Toradora! for us (blame Japan, the series comes out very slowly over there), which resolves the horrible cliffhanger from… February 2014. Ah, the joys of monthly series that are caught up. I’ve reviewed it here.

The Seven Seas debut this week is Non Non Biyori, a sweet city-girl meets countryside story that I’ve heard described as Higurashi without all the murder and conspiracy, and seemingly light on fanservice. I’m looking forward to this a great deal.

MICHELLE: Hmm.

ASH: I know quite a few people looking forward to this manga.

ANNA: I don’t know. I will wait and see what the early reviewers say about this one.

MJ: Also “Hmm.”

SEAN: And there can’t be a month going by without an Alice in the Country of Hearts, this one a short story collection called Junk Box.

ANNA: I really liked the first Alice series and have just resigned myself to the fact that the spin-offs are not going to be as good as the main series.

SEAN: Attack on Titan is such a big seller for Kodansha that even the non-fiction books are getting licensed (almost unheard of after a few character guides bombed over here). This one is The Science of Attack on Titan. The author apparently specializes in looking at fantasy worlds and figuring out how they would work. Also, vampi—I mean, Titans!

ASH: Attack on Titan is the only series that has been able to convince Kodansha to break its “manga only” rule.

SEAN: And we have the third and final volume of Maria the Virgin Witch. There’s a one-shot collection of side stories in Japan, but I’m not sure Kodansha has picked that up.

ASH: Kodansha has! Exhibition is currently scheduled to be released in August.

SEAN: Finally, there’s the 9th Lone Wolf & Cub omnibus from Dark Horse, who curse the fact that I’m not starting with them as always.

Did reversing this make something stand out more for you?

MICHELLE: Alas, no. Just one thing to anticipate your review of!

ASH: Reversing the order made me realize that there was an actual order…

ANNA: I’m happy that this week is so light, because maybe I can catch up on my stacks and stacks of unread manga.

MJ: I can do nothing but be miffed on Lone Wolf and Cub’s behalf.

Pick of the Week: Vampires, Corpses, Gundam oh my!

June 23, 2015 by Anna N, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: There’s so much coming out this week that I’m sure I won’t be able to easily choose what I’ll be… yeah, OK, it’s Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. I hate being predictable, but come on, of COURSE it is.

MICHELLE: Aya Shouoto’s He’s My Only Vampire was a pleasant surprise for me, as it’s quite a lot better than her other title currently being released (Kiss of the Rose Princess). I look forward to seeing what volume three brings.

ASH: Hmmm, there really are quite a few manga that I’m interested in that are being released this week, but I’m with Sean in picking Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. It’s a great series, and who knows when we’ll actually be able to pick it again?

ANNA: I feel like any appearance of Gundam: The Origin deserves a celebration, so that is my pick!

Which manga featuring Char Aznable is your favorite for the week?

Manga the Week of 6/24

June 18, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: The end of the month always brings a deluge from Yen, and if you add on the other publishers doing stuff it can get rather expensive. Let’s see what might be worth your hard-earned cash.

Ze, from 801 Media, has finally hit Volume 10, despite a particularly irregular release schedule.

ASH: I just recently caught up with Ze and am ready for more, even if some of the characters are jerks.

MICHELLE: I read the first few volumes of Ze and then drifted away when there was a lull between volumes. I seem to recall some plot I wasn’t wild about, also, but the details escape me now.

MJ: I *do* remember pretty clearly why I drifted away from Ze, but I’m fairly impressed that it has gone on this long. Long BL series seem so rare.

SEAN: If it seems like it’s been forever since the last Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, that’s because it has been – Vol. 13 was out in December 2012. But things are looking up, as not only do we get Vol. 14 next week, but there’s an omnibus re-release in the fall.

ASH: They may not come out very frequently, but I’m always glad to see another volume of this series.

MICHELLE: Oh, that’s a pleasant surprise!

SEAN: Let’s Dance a Waltz hit all the right buttons except one – but it was a big wrong button. Now that our heroine has magically lost weight and become cute through the power of dance, can Vol. 2 hold on to an audience that all groaned when that happened?

MICHELLE: I am avoiding this one just on general principle. It makes me really wish The Stellar Six of Gingacho could’ve continued, because I ended up buying the final volume in Japanese and let’s just say this particular trope is avoided quite satisfactorily.

MJ: Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh. Ugh. Also, ugh.

ANNA: The Stellar Six of Gingacho was really good!

SEAN: Noragami is a series that just didn’t catch on with me, but others from the Manga Bookshelf team can tell you about its 5th volume.

Your Lie in April’s first volume didn’t completely wow me, but had a lot of promise. Vol. 2 should build on that.

ASH: Music manga! I’m looking forward to reading more.

MICHELLE: As a pianist, I should want to read this but somehow I feel kind of “meh” about it.

MJ: I’m behind, here, but still interested!

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts a new manwha with an omnibus of Freezing 1 and 2. This has been highly anticipated by many readers, despite not having any monster girls that I know of. The blurb calls it “Ultra violent and sexy”, so the usual Seven Seas warnings apply.

No monster girls is not a problem with the 2nd volume of goofy comedy Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary.

Vertical has the 10th volume of mechstravaganza Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. (I give permission for Vertical to use ‘mechstravaganza’ in their blurbs, if they’d like.)

ASH: Still one of the best looking manga being released in English right now.

SEAN: Given the huge popularity of Sword Art Online, and the slightly less huge but still pretty good popularity of Accel World, Yen On licensing a new Reki Kawahara novel series seems obvious. This one’s even in hardcover, so is getting the deluxe treatment. It’s called The Isolator, and seems a bit more sci-fi/aliens than his other series.

Pandora Hearts has some light novels as well, and we get the first in the Caucus Race series next week. MJ?

MJ: Honestly, I had no idea about these! Well, count me in!

SEAN: As for Sword Art Online itself, Vol. 2 of the Progressive novel series takes us into uncharted waters: this hasn’t been adapted in anime or manga form yet. It apparently has elves!

On Yen Press’s manga front, we have the first volume of Alice in Murderland. Given it’s Kaori Yuki, I’m sure the pile of corpses that will no doubt stack up as the series goes on will be exquisite.

ANNA: This title sounds amusing.

SEAN: And continuing with Alices, Are You Alice? has hit nine volumes and still doesn’t know.

Barakamon has its 5th volume of small town life and occasional calligraphy.

ASH: Barakamon has really started to grow on me.

SEAN: Bloody Cross just announced it’s ending in Japan, but I think we still have a few volumes to go here. This is the 7th.

From the author of Scrapped Princess comes another kind, Chaika the Coffin Princess, a fantasy series about a young girl who carries a coffin on her back. No relation to Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, though one has to be side-eyeing Yen a bit here.

A double shot of Kaoru Yuki this month, with the 3rd Demon from Afar.

And a 3rd He’s My Only Vampire, a series I’ve become quite fond of.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading this one.

MJ: Same.

SEAN: Love at Fourteen’s third volume will have adorable and heartwarming 14-year-old romance, I imagine.

ASH: I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed the first two volumes. Definitely plan on reading more.

MICHELLE: And this one, too!

MJ: I really enjoy this series, so I’m definitely on board here!

SEAN: Secret has a 2nd volume, no doubt filled with survival games and animal masks. I wish the artist would go back to drawing Higurashi spinoffs, honestly.

Lastly, there’s a long-awaited 2nd volume of Void’s Enigmatic Mansion, which will hopefully become a bit more opaque this time around.

Are you feeling excited? Or merely buried in stuff?

Manga the Week of 6/17

June 12, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: A second small week in a row! This is getting creepy. Where’s that manga boom?

Fans of Eden: It’s an Endless World will be more disappointed than ever see see that a new manga called Eden is not what they think. Fans of Gen Manga’s alternative stuff, though, will be delighted with Eden Vol. 1.

xxxHOLIC Omnibus 6 is a bit smaller than previous ones, as they had 4 volumes to go so had to divide it 2 and 2. Also, we’re at peak Syaoran levels. This is not a drill. Please protect yourself from further Syoaoran outbreaks.

MICHELLE: *snerk* Someday I really will finish this series and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.

ASH: And thanks to the omnibuses, you can! (I’m on the same reading program)

ANNA: I enjoy Clamp, but I gave up on xxxHOLIC and Tsubasa. Also I am still bitter that X/1999 is unfinished.

MJ: Sean, you hurt me. Also. You people. What.

SEAN: Not only does the cast of Haganai still not have many friends as of Vol. 11, but the cover shows that Yozora is looking more sullen than ever.

And Servamp’s protagonist is probably looking sleepy in this 2nd volume, if Vol. 1 was any indication.

Viz has Dogs reaching double-digits with Vol. 10. Man, remember when this was the new Black Lagoon, as opposed to Gangsta? Also, is it me or is this out before its traditional one-per-year release?

MICHELLE: I think it is.

ANNA: Just wanted to mention how much I like Gangsta!

SEAN: Junji Ito time, with Fragments of Horror, a short story collection that will no doubt scare the bejabbers out of everyone. It’s in hardcover, too.

ASH: Very much looking forward to seeing more of Junji Ito’s work in English!

SEAN: Master Keaton’s 3rd volume will continue to show why Keaton is a brilliant investigator and a less-than-brilliant husband and father.

MICHELLE: I am terrible because I haven’t managed to find time to read 1-2 yet!

ANNA: I agree that you are being terrible to yourself for not reading these books already!

SEAN: Lastly, there is the much anticipated Tokyo Ghoul, which seems to be making fans of the anime very happy, but is not as pleasing to the manga blogger crowd. We shall see.

ANNA: I am going to check this out.

MJ: What she said.

SEAN: Are you getting something, or saving your money for the following week’s deluge of Yen?

Bookshelf Briefs 6/9/15

June 9, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and Anna N Leave a Comment

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

D-Frag!, Vol. 5 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – I must admit we got off to a slow start with this volume, as the lunchbox plot was dull, and yet another Momotaro parody never took off. But once we introduced our new adversary, Tama, D-Frag! goes back to doing what it does best – humiliating its entire cast for the sake of comedy, while at the same time allowing them to be completely awesome. Tama fits right into the manga, and shows off a surprising childhood side of the seemingly indomitable Chitose (and Roka being an adorable yet incredibly weird baby). Actually, it’s Sakura who now gets the role of the indomitable fighter. Add in a few jokes about Takao’s chest (because without those, how would you know you were reading D-Frag!?), and it adds up to a strong finish. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 6 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – It’s time for a new arc, and Totsuki Institute’s Fall Classic, a “grand stage for fierce cooking battles,” seems poised to offer some tremendous shounen tournament fun featuring quite a few new characters. Before it kicks off, though, Soma’s dad stops by to encourage his son by trouncing him in an invigorating breakfast challenge (it’s nice to see Soma lose for a change!) and Soma realizes his scent-fu is not up to par when confronted with a master of spices. I’d forgotten how much this series reminds me of The Prince of Tennis, but volume six evoked those feels once again. It also, alas, evoked some ews with ickier-than-usual fanservice, though even Soma had his clothes blown off by some potent curry, so I guess that evens things out a bit. The volume ends just as the classic begins, so I am definitely looking forward to volume seven! – Michelle Smith

Girls Und Panzer, Vol. 4 | By Girls Und Panzer Projekt and Ryohichi Saitaniya | Seven Seas – This is a franchise, of course, and most of those who are buying the manga will already be familiar with the anime, which ends in the same way. (I imagine the light novel, which focuses on Saori, ends the same – don’t expect it licensed anytime soon.) So the manga, unlikely to show off more thrilling action scenes (though they are done very well indeed) shows us instead more of its focus character, Yukari, and her love of tankery. It can sometimes feel a bit odd – the emotional core of the story is Niho’s, and seeing it viewed through Yukari’s prism feels off. But overall, I think this was an excellent adaptation, and I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Sweet and fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 18 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – It almost felt like this series could end at the conclusion of the time-traveling arc, what with Nanami and Tomoe officially becoming a couple, but I’m glad it didn’t. It’s actually refreshing for her to get back to her old life, studying for finals so that she can go on the class trip to Okinawa. While I don’t love that Nanami is another in the long line of scholastically challenged shoujo heroines, I did like her being motivated by Tomoe’s resolve to absorb human knowledge, since he intends to be a more permanent part of her world. Too, the class trip brings greater definition to Nanami’s closest school friends and affords Nanami the opportunity to be very brave in attempting to save one of them from an aggrieved yokai. I admit to being a little lost about this whole Kirihito storyline, but was nonetheless thoroughly entertained. – Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 21 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Sometimes, narratives I am consuming for entertainment purposes portray the agonies of youth so acutely that said consumption becomes a bit stressful. Such is the case with Kimi ni Todoke’s 21st volume, in which the cast enters their final year of high school and must decide what to do about their futures. I absolutely love that Sawako is nudged into pursuing her own goals more aggressively—it’s great to see her feeling energized about something—and the idea of Ayane going off alone to see new things and become the confident person she knows she isn’t, even though others think differently, is great. (We can has spinoff?!) But there are some hints that at least one relationship might end (and if it doesn’t, that’s probably worse) and many exciting yet bittersweet days are to come. It’s great, but it hurts. It’s great because it hurts. – Michelle Smith

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 5 | By Takaya Kagami and Yamato Yamamoto – I continue to enjoy the worldbuilding in this manga. The past two volumes were mostly concerned with training and fighting, so I was interested to see some of the backstory of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army get filled in when Yuichiro is called before some members of the high-ranking Hiragi family and subjected to an interrogation. The leader learns why Shinoa is disaffected from her family and also why despite his rank, Gurren is a target of suspicion. Yuichiro is determined to master his demonic weapons, hold on to his new found family, and try to turn his long-lost friend Mika into a human again. We’ll see if he can pull that off in the next few volumes. Seraph of the End is still an engaging series five volumes in. – Anna N

Manga the Week of 6/10

June 5, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Thank you for all those who bought manga to bring rain to the Northeast. You can stop now (keep buying manga, I just mean no more flash flood warnings). Meanwhile, what have we in this small week?

Kodansha gives us an 8th volume of shosei (I just coined it, whaddya think?) romance Say “I Love You”.

MICHELLE: Yay!

ASH: Shosei. I like it.

ANNA: I’m behind on this series, but I do enjoy it!

SEAN: Something that could not remotely be mistaken for an angsty teen romance is the 5th volume of D-Frag! from Seven Seas. Betcha it’ll be funnier, though.

Barring any further spinoff licensing (unlikely, I suspect), we also get the 4th and final volume of sweeter than I expected tank manga Girls Und Panzer.

Sublime is still Starting with a Kiss, but it’s Vol. 3, so perhaps they’ve gone further.

ASH: Perhaps, perhaps…

SEAN: (Amazon lists The World’s Greatest First Love 2 as well, but I understand from a Viz press release that this has been delayed to late July.)

Viz proper, meanwhile, has the 22nd Arata the Legend volume. Man. So many more volumes than Fushigi Yuugi.

MICHELLE: Yeah, that is really hard to believe. I like Arata, but it’ll never approach Fushigi Yuugi‘s iconic status.

ANNA: I feel bad constantly comparing Arata to Fushigi Yuugi, but I can’t help it.

SEAN: And a 9th volume of slice-of-life prison comedy Deadman Wonderland. (Spoiler: it is not a slice-of-life prison comedy).

MICHELLE: Heh.

MJ: Wow, I have fallen behind!

SEAN: Lastly, Magi hits a dozen volumes. And hasn’t slowed down its release schedule, a major accomplishment for Shonen Sunday titles.

MICHELLE: Yay, Magi! This one is already in my Amazon cart!

ANNA: Nice! I enjoyed the first few volumes of this series a bunch.

SEAN: Do you have a favorite here?

So Cute it Hurts! Vol. 1

June 2, 2015 by Anna N

So Cute it Hurts! Volume 1 by Go Ikeyamada

There has been a gap in cross-dressing shoujo series in the current shoujo beat line up recently, so I was intrigued by this series, which features both cross-dressing twins and juvenile delinquents.

The twins in this series are a pair of fraternal twins named Megumu and Mitsuru. Megumu is devoted to history simulation games featuring historical figures with eye patches, and has found a small group of kindred otaku spirits at her all-girls school. Mitsuru has a much more casual approach to studies, a bit of a womanizing personality, and a penchant for fighting thanks to his attendance at an all-male school crawling with juvenile delinquents. Megumu and Mitsuru are an odd kind of opposite gender fraternal twins that might only exist in manga or k-dramas due to their identical appearance that allows them to swap identities. Mitsuru is struggling with make up work in history and proposes a week long switch to Megumu so she can take his tests for him. Megumu is not thrilled with this idea, but she finds herself going along with it when she wakes up one day to find that Mitsuru has stolen her uniform and left his clothes behind.

This volume focuses a bit more on Mitsuru’s undercover operation at Megumu’s school. He is taken aback when he realizes that the girls he usually relates to in superficial ways actually have personalities, and is particularly surprised when he sees the most beautiful girl in the school bullying a deaf student. He has a blunt way of relating to girlish clique problems, and promptly develops a crush on Shino Takenaka, actually deciding to study sign language on his own so he can communicate with her. The bullying plot is a bit standard for a shoujo manga, but it was nice to see Mitsuru deal with mean girl antics with refreshing directness, and when his enemy attempts to shun him, all the otaku girls band together and are not particularly concerned at any loss of social status.

Megumu’s storyline is a bit less dynamic, and more reliant on shoujo plot cliches where she accidentally stumbles into the embrace of Aoi Sanada, the eyepatch-wearing top delinquent at her brother’s school. Aoi is a bit annoyed and bemused at the sudden appearance of an underclassman who seems to not follow the usual social conventions at their school. Her habit of tripping does actually come in handy when she finds herself in the middle of a schoolyard brawl. So far, Megumu and Aoi aren’t given as much page time or character development as Mitsuru and his new friends, and I hope this gets balanced out a little bit in future volumes.

I found it amusing that towards the end of the chapters, there were over-the-top summations of love standing in stark contrast to the gender-bending comedic hijinks in the rest of the manga. Ikeyamada’s art is attractive, if a bit generic, but she portrays the action scenes and the highs and lows of teenage emotions with ease. I found this volume amusing, and there were some interesting hints of a love quadrangle developing that I’m guessing will be explored more in the next volume. So Cute it Hurts! might not have very much depth so far, but the first volume seems like a nice comedic addition to a summer manga reading list.

Pick of the Week: Natsume, So Cute It Hurts

June 2, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: So many of my favorites have new volumes coming out this week! I will definitely be devouring the latest Food Wars! and Voice Over! as quickly as possible, for example. But, as ever, my heart ultimately belongs to Natsume’s Book of Friends, whose eighteenth volume comes out this week, just as I was seriously starting to pine for a new one. I will try not to think about the fact that the next volume isn’t due ’til November.

SEAN: I’m going to go with So Cute It Hurts!. Because twins. Because cross-dressing twins. Because I wanted to see Suki Desu Suzuki-kun!! by the same author licensed, so this is the next best thing. Because cute!

ASH: I’ll admit, cross-dressing twins has me intrigued. Also, juvenile delinquents. So Cute It Hurts! it is!

ANNA: I also agree that the combination of cross dressing and juvenile delinquents has me looking forward to So Cute It Hurts! the most!

MJ: I’m going to have to go with the majority vote here. So Cute It Hurts! looks potentially awesome in a delightfully goofy sort of way, and I’m nothing if not an optimist when it comes to new shoujo manga. Also, I fell off the Natsume wagon a while back (perhaps prematurely). Sorry, Michelle for leaving you all alone this week!

What looks good to you this week?

Spell of Desire Vol. 4

May 29, 2015 by Anna N

Spell of Desire Volume 4 by Tomu Ohmi

This volume does feel very much like the next to the last volume in a series, which it is. Kaoruko continues to struggle with lessons and integration into witch society, and while her relationship with Kaname continues to develop, they are still held back by his position as her mother’s knight.

The first story (and the reason why this volume is rated mature and shrink-wrapped) shows Kaoruko investigating the sensual based powers of the black witch, by helping out the black witch Isandra. One of the more hilarious aspects of this book is the fact that one has to wear revealing clothing to channel black witch powers. Kaname decides to foil anyone else’s plans for inappropriate attire for Kaoruko by ensuring that her skin has tiny marks in strategic places. Isandra the Black Witch is (no surprise!) evil, and she attempts to steal away the power of the Witch Queen from Kaoruko. Kaoruko and Kaname manage to fend off the attack, and the coven decides that it is better for Kaoruko to return home and train quietly, since it doesn’t seem to be safe for her to train among the other witches. Kaoruko and Kaname have a few days of almost normalcy back at home, and they grow more closer emotionally. Kaoruko makes Kaname a special charm to keep him safe, knowing that he’s often placed in danger due to all the issues with her powers.

As I was reading this series, I expected Kaoruko’s mother to show up as a complicating factor before the final volume, but I guess that’s being saved for the final volume. I have to say, I enjoyed the first couple volumes a little more than the middle ones, just because I was more amused by the premise of the series. After settling in to the middle volumes Spell of Desire started to remind me a bit too much of Midnight Secretary, in that both series tend to use supernatural societal issues as complicating factors in their heroine’s paranormal romance. Ohmi’s art makes up for any quibbles I have with the plot in a large way though, as her fluid and detailed style continues to deftly portray Kaoruko’s magical problems. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the series, and it is still a fun josei title.

Manga the Week of 6/3

May 28, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: It has been hot here recently, so I am hoping that this Manga the Week of can serve as a rain dance. Doesn’t make much sense, but the heat has addled my brain.

Fairy Tail 48 seems like a lot, till you remember it’s nowhere near One Piece. Which honestly applies to Fairy Tail in general.

MICHELLE: *ba-dum ching*

SEAN: Also from Kodansha, My Little Monster 8 features actual plot progression, slow and incremental though it may be. Progress!

MICHELLE: I recently procured volumes 5-7, so I am ready to get current with this series again!

ASH: Enjoy! I think it’ll probably read better in a larger chunk.

SEAN: The rest is our standard Giant Pile O’ Viz (TM). Assassination Classroom gives us a 4th volume of heartwarming comedic antics about training young children to be trained killers.

ANNA: I still need to read volume 2! I do like heartwarming assassination.

MJ: Agreed.

SEAN: Now that we’re caught up with Blue Exorcist, waiting for the next volume can be frustrating, especially when there’s as much going on as there in in this series. However, here is Vol. 13, hooray!

If you aren’t caught up with Dragon Ball via its original releases or the three or four re-releases we’ve seen, here’s another one, with the 9th 3-in-1.

ASH: (I still haven’t actually read most of Dragon Ball.)

SEAN: I now feel kind of bad for my initial review of Food Wars!, given I’ve been enjoying it so much. Here’s a 6th volume, and I will try to ignore the orgasm faces.

MICHELLE: I unabashedly love this series now.

ASH: I’ve… actually always kind of liked it…

ANNA: I like it, although it took some time to win me over due to the orgasm faces.

MJ: I have avoided it, and now I feel like I’m missing out.

SEAN: Kamisama Kiss has finally come back to the present, but I suspect that new problems will arise in this 18th volume, as, well, otherwise the series would be over, and it isn’t.

ANNA: This series can go on as long as possible, as every volume is mega-charming.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke 21 will have, I suspect, four more chapters filled with adorable, though I do wonder if the drama quotient might be upped on the Ayano front.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading both of these as well.

ANNA: I need to get caught up on this. It is such a well-executed shoujo series.

SEAN: Is Naruto done yet? (checks) No, not quite yet. But here’s Vol. 70.

I have resigned myself to very few Natsume’s Book of Friends volumes having my OT3 involved in the plot, but this does not reduce my love of this series at all.

MICHELLE: Somehow, I had not realized there was a new Natsume coming and I had just been wishing for one!

SEAN: One Piece’s 12th 3-in-1 is the Water Seven arc, I think. I love that arc.

As for Seraph of the End 5… um… vampires? (shrugs)

It’s very rare to see a long-running Sho-Comi series over here that isn’t drama and questionable consent. But I have high hopes for So Cute It Hurts!! (Kobayashi ga Kawaisugite Tsurai!!), which debuts next week. The author’s been on my ‘keep an eye on them’ list for a while now.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is intriguing! Seems like a while since we’ve had a new Shojo Beat series, but that’s probably not true.

ANNA: Looking forward to reading this.

MJ: Same!

SEAN: Toriko continues to feature more fighting and less weird food. I hope that changes, but I suspect it won’t be changing for Vol. 28.

Lastly, I was wrong about it being last. Voice Over! Seiyu Academy apparently has one more to go after this 11th volume. I should be used to this with Hakusensha series, to be honest, which tend to have 80 epilogues.

MICHELLE: I think I am going to hoard volume eleven ’til twelve comes out so I can read them back-to-back.

SEAN: Did it work? Is it raining yet? (checks) No! You must BUY MORE MANGA!

Bookshelf Briefs 5/26/15

May 26, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

This week, we play catch-up, as Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at a slew of recent titles from Seven Seas, One Peace Books, Kodansha Comics, Yen Press, Dark Horse Comics, Vertical Comics, and Viz Media.

Alice in the Country of Clover: The March Hare’s Revolution | By QuinRose and Ryo Kazuki | Seven Seas – As you’d expect for a franchise with this many side-manga, there is a certain sameness that’s starting to crop up here. We see Alice realizing she’s falling in love yet reluctant to accept it, trying to come to terms with the violent ways of the Hatter Family, and occasionally yearning to go home and having nightmares about her sister Lorina, yet in the end she chooses to stay and accepts her love. The only difference here is in the male lead, so if you like Elliot, this book might interest you. But even then, I think My Fanatic Rabbit is a better book. At least it’s complete in one volume, and not padded out with extra stories. For completists only. – Sean Gaffney

Aquarion Evol Vol. 1 | By Aogiri and Shoji Kawamori | One Peace Books – I watched the first episode of the Aquarion anime a long time ago, and didn’t particularly care for it, although I suppose with all the ecstatic expressions the pilots of combining robots were displaying, the franchise should get credit for making subtext text. This manga opens with Amata Sora, a boy with air elemental powers meeting Mikono Suzushiro, a girl whose previous response to growing up in a world filled with robot battles, elemental powers, and random kidnappings was to become a shut-in. Sora and Mikono end up in being caught up in a battle, and Sora forces the male and female Aquaria to merge to find their ultimate Aquarion form. Sora and Mikono end up in a gender segregated pilot training academy. The art for this volume was solid and the character designs were attractive, and the production values for the manga were also good. I think fans of the Aquarion franchise will enjoy this book, but at only 150 pages, this is a fairly slim volume. – Anna N

Attack on Titan: Junior High, Vol. 3 | By Saki Nakagawa | Kodansha Comics – As we reach the third omnibus of this gag comic, both Saki Nakagawa and Ben Applegate are beginning to relax and stretch out a little. The author not only uses some of the later characters such as Kenny for humor value, but also adds references to the spinoffs, as Isabel and Furlan have major roles here. Meanwhile, the adaptation gets even broader, with nothing really sacred (there are a few lines here that don’t just border on filthy, they scamper right over it) and lots of insults to the entire main cast, particularly Eren. If you like Attack on Titan and worry this title may not take it seriously enough, stay far away. If you like a good belly laugh, pick it up. – Sean Gaffney

Barakamon, Vol. 4 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – Despite the fact that over half of this volume is ‘let’s watch Handa deal with small town life and get intensely frustrated or screw up’, he really is getting a lot better at this. Going computerless might be a good thing for him, as it allows him to focus more on his calligraphy – a focus he’s going to need, as he’s already starting to overthink things for the next competition. As for the rest of the cast, Naru is actually growing a bit as well, and is slightly less Yotsuba-like. And Tama continues to be the most awkward fujoshi ever. This is a nice, leisurely, relaxing read. It’s never the next thing out in the months it comes out, but it’s always worth picking up. Also, Handa not knowing how to use a rotary phone made me feel so, so old. – Sean Gaffney

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 1 | By Satoshi Wagahara, Akio Hiiragi, and 029 (Oniku) | Yen Press – Let it never be said that I’m unwilling to occasionally wander outside of my comfort zone! The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is a thoroughly shounen comedy (think scenes of the female lead in the shower, boobs with “sproing” sound effects, etc.) with a fun premise: while fleeing a losing battle, the devil king lands in modern-day Tokyo. Now he’s working part-time at MgRonald’s, aiming to conquer the world by becoming a full-time employee. (“Before long, I will wield enormous powers, forcing massive armies to grovel before me!”) It’s not a bad start, and there are some mysteries to be explained going forward, but it’s just really not my thing. If only I could’ve found it funny—like I do the not-entirely-dissimilar Blood Lad—then maybe I’d be willing to continue, but as it is, I just can’t summon the desire. – Michelle Smith

My Little Monster, Vol. 8 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – At long last, 7 volumes after a confession, Haru and Shizuku finally manage to deal with their own emotional issues and start to be an official couple. Of course, this doesn’t solve everything – for one, Yamaken confesses as well, and Shizuku has no idea how to deal with someone she doesn’t have romantic feelings for locing her. There’s also the start of a new year, which means the arrival of a new girl – Iyo, Yamaken’s little sister. Kodansha actually goes the extra mile by translating her third person speaking, which shows off her affected cuteness and also self-centeredness. She’s hilarious, though, so I welcome her. I don’t welcome Haru’s brother, whose appearance on the final pages makes Vol. 9 a scary place to be. – Sean Gaffney

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt | By Gainax and TAGRO | Dark Horse Comics – I’ve never seen the anime that this manga is based on, but after reading this manga I suspect that it’s likely very close to its source material. This means, of course, that it’s filthy, and I’d give it an M for Mature rating. The basic premise involves two fallen angels who theoretically team up to fight evil, but spend most of their time having sex (Panty), eating (Stocking), or screaming vituperative insults (both of them). The result is comedy that works quite well for me, being disgustingly funny without actually getting creepy or disturbing. It helps that the chapters are also pretty short, as is the manga itself, which is done in this fairly short volume. Very amusing, but not for the kids. – Sean Gaffney

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 7 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – That strange expression you see on Mei’s face on the cover of this volume is a smile. It’s taken a while for her to not look like she’d rather be anywhere else, but I’m glad to see it. As for the volume itself, we continue to get fallout regarding Megumi and the backlash against her passive-aggressive bullying. It will surprise no one that she had a troubled childhood, but it was nice seeing her friend Momo as well as Kai and Yamato standing by her even as she fell apart. We even get to see an Important Haircut at the end. Of course, this doesn’t mean Megumi has gone away, and I suspect things will continue to be difficult for Mei. Also, the festival chapter was completely adorable. – Sean Gaffney

Trinity Seven, Vol. 1 | By Kenji Saito and Akinari Nao | Yen Press – In general, I am against judging books by their covers, but I will admit that if you see the cover of Trinity Seven and are put off, then the content will not give you any cause for hope. It’s a pretty perverse fantasy manga, with lots of talk of breasts, pseudo-incestual feelings, and walking in on girls naked, as well as a scene where no less than three heroines are trapped in a sealed room and need to pee. Despite this, the actual premise looks fun and interesting, and the overconfidence and bluntness of the hero is refreshing in an era of modest overpowered guys. I don’t recommend this to anyone but its general target audience, but said audience should absolutely love it. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 8 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – It seems like this series is becoming more and more about the healing power of food. When Kenji grows jealous of Shiro’s awestruck reaction to meeting an actress, Shiro proves his devotion by spending money and time making an elaborate oden stew. And when Shiro is dismayed by a client’s miserable marriage, he consoles himself by making a meal of all his favorites. Even in happier times, food plays a starring role in Shiro’s attempts to provide Kenji the romantic moments he knows his partner dreams of. Every chapter is a show-don’t-tell masterclass in depicting the love between these men. I want to give special praise to the chapter in which they visit Kyoto, especially the scene when some public handholding in the dark shocks Kenji so much he thinks Shiro must secretly be dying. It’s a laugh-out-loud moment, but also sad commentary. Really, just all-around brilliant. – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 2 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – Still no witches yet, in case anyone was wondering. Instead, we focus on the actual body transfer power, and the pluses and minuses that come with it. In the tradition of “when all you have is a hammer”, Yamada and to a lesser extent the others are starting to use the swap as a way to solve any problem, and it starts to bite them back here. It helps that with the exception of Shiraishi, the cast is very much of the ‘think first, realize how dumb this is later’ school of thought. As for Miyabi, she didn’t really make much of a villain, quickly becoming part of the main group. I have a feeling the new girl introdced here, Nene, will be a much tougher nut to crack. Slow, but still worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

Yukarism, Vol. 2 | By Chika Shiomi | Viz Media – I’m happy to report that all of the mild reservations I voiced about volume one of Yukarism have disappeared in volume two! Furthermore, I begin to suspect all those so-called “flaws” were intentional on Shiomi’s part. We didn’t get a strong feel for characters besides Yukari because Yukari had never before tried to get to know and understand another person. But now he’s interested in Mahoro, so we get a healthy dose of background information for her. And Mahoro’s puzzling differences from her former self turn out to have a fascinating explanation. And “low-key”? I called the mystery low-key?! The story is moving briskly now, and I am deeply invested in learning what exactly transpired in the characters’ past lives. I’m very sorry I doubted you, Yukarism. I can has volume three? – Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 5/27

May 25, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 2 Comments

(This is late. Very late. I’m so sorry.)

SEAN: The final week of May brings us a manageable and tasty selection. If this week is too much manga, next week is juuuuuust right.

When the Evangelion Comic Tribute came out, one of the more popular contributing authors was Tony Takezaki, who long-time manga fans may recall from a manga called Genocyber. His take on Evangelion, though, which Dark Horse puts out next week, is pure gag format.

Technically this is out this week rather than next, but as always I never know when a Fantagraphics title comes out till I get a shipping notice. But who cares if it means an 8th volume of Wandering Son, woo hoo!

MICHELLE: I feel like a poseur for saying “Woo!” when I am so far behind, but “Woo!” nonetheless.

ASH: I just got my copy! It makes me so happy that this series is being translated.

ANNA: I will join Michelle in also saying “Woo!” and being behind in reading this very worthwhile series.

SEAN: Kodansha keeps putting out Air Gear omnibuses, here is the 5th.

And there is also an 8th volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

The big debut from Kodansha, though, is the first volume of coming of age story A Silent Voice. I reviewed the first volume here, and will definitely be reading the whole thing.

MICHELLE: Interesting. I wasn’t aware of this one, at all. Not sure I could stomach that many hard-to-like characters, though.

ASH: I’ve heard very good things about this series.

SEAN: One Peace has a 2nd Aquarion Evol, which is spelled correctly and also not a villain after all.

ANNA: The first one for sure seemed like it would appeal to fans of the anime, but the volumes are a bit slim on the page count.

SEAN: Meanwhile, Ponent Mon has another Jiro Tanaguchi volume, this one set in the Edo period, called Furari. Every Tanaguchi release should be greeted with joy. (I could swear this has come out before in some way, shape or form. Am I wrong? Ponent Mon does tend to re-release…)

MICHELLE: I’m not sure. I know it’s been sitting in my Amazon cart for ages, but possibly that was because it was supposed to come out a while back, but never actually showed as “In stock.” In any case, yay for more Taniguchi!

ASH: I believe it was initially planned to be released last year or the year before and that we’re only now just seeing it after a significant delay. Should be good, though!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us another Alice volume, this one with the Twins as the boyfriend du jour. I hated the last volume focusing on them; hopefully this will be an improvement.

They also have an 8th volume of gaming fantasy World War Blue.

Vertical has a new Attack on Titan novel, Kuklo Unbound. This one will seem more familiar to those reading the Before the Fall manga.

ASH: Yeah, I’ll probably be reading this one.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 6th volume of Cardfight!! Vanguard, still filled with teenage youth and exclamation marks.

What leaps out at you from this list?

Harlequin Manga: His Virgin Mistress and Night of Love

May 23, 2015 by Anna N

I recently read several Harlequin manga, and there was not a single kidnapping, secret baby, or case of amnesia in any of the titles! Despite my disappointment, there were a few manga in this batch that were entertaining. I’ll have another Harlequin manga post soon!

His Virgin Mistress by Anne Mather and Kazuko Fujita

This title seems very logistically complicated, or perhaps not very useful, because it seems like having a virgin mistress would be counter to the purpose of having a mistress in the first place. In this case, Joanna has agreed to pretend to be the mistress of a Greek tycoon who is struggling with a horrible illness. He’s returning home for his daughter’s wedding and doesn’t want his family distracted with the knowledge that he’s suffering from an incurable disease, so he decides to distract them with a beautiful young fake English mistress instead. Does he have a handsome son? If you have to ask you have never read a Harlequin romance! Demitri is incredibly perplexed when he meets Joanna, because she seems far too serious and intelligent to be a mistress. He’s instantly attracted to her, and horribly conflicted because he doesn’t approve of his father having a mistress.

The art in this title was a few steps above what I come to expect from a Harlequin manga. The character designs are attractive and distinctive, and Fujita illustrates the interactions between the characters with great fluidity. Demitri stomps around in the throws of angst, and Johanna is much more disposed to dealing with her turmoil inwardly. I’d recommend this title if you enjoy romances with a Mediterranean setting or virgin mistresses.

Night of Love by Diana Palmer and Harumo Sanazaki

I bought this title because the cover made me think that it would be a good example of the 80s manga style Harlequin manga adaption that I find particularly delightful. However, when I started reading I was a bit distracted because all the male characters were strongly afflicted with a case of triangle face. Most of the illustrations of men in this book basically gave them the facial structure of a guitar pick, with insect-like eyebrows. I did find this title entertaining because the heroine Meg was a prima ballerina with an injury who is forced to return home to recuperate. She’s spunky and still carries a torch for Steven, a businessman who she used to be engaged to. Their families conspired to break off the engagement for both of them. There is much emotional trauma when Meg and Steven meet again and their attraction to each other is immediately rekindled. There are many panels of sad people with flowing hair with roses in the background, which always adds that special touch to any Harlequin manga adaptation. There’s a lot of “I hate you but I love you!” in the relationship between Meg and Steven, and they gradually realize that they’ve both been making incorrect assumptions about each other’s feelings. There’s a random prince from the Middle East and a spy-related subplot to add additional suspense to the story. I have to say that I found the ending of this book a bit disappointing, because Meg demonstrates plenty of spunkiness throughout the book, yet towards the end of the book she just decides to give up so many of the things she’s been invested of for so long. This isn’t uncommon in Harlequin titles, but it is a little too old fashioned for my taste.

Pick of the Week: Three By Yen

May 20, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 6 Comments

SEAN: Let’s see… Goong, Emma, Emma, Goong… so I’m the tiebreaker, huh? Good thing I pick first! Won’t be breaking the tie, though, because it’s time for Sean to highlight another of his pet series. Umineko: When They Cry is technically halfway done, at least in terms of arcs – in terms of actual volume count we have a bit more to go. I’m particularly excited for End of the Golden Witch, as most Umineko fans agree that it’s the best of all the manga adaptations.

MICHELLE: Predictably, I pick Goong, especially since it’s my final chance to do so. I’m in the midst of a reread of this series, and it’s pretty much the quintessential manhwa, with plenty of arguments, true feelings concealed, and true feelings revealed, along with its own special blend of “sweet moments interrupted by really unfunny comedic bits with ugly art.” Really, it can’t be missed.

ASH: No question about it, my pick this week is Emma. Ever since Yen Press started releasing Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story in a gorgeous hardcover edition, I’ve been hoping for a rescue of Emma. And now it’s here! My local library had a run of most of the old CMX volumes, so I’ve read the series before, but I’m thrilled that I’ll finally be able to own it. And in a beautiful deluxe omnibus release, no less!

ANNA: I have to agree with Ash, it is time to celebrate the rerelease of Emma. I’m thrilled for the folks who weren’t able to collect the series before, especially since Yen does such a great job on their deluxe editions.

SEAN: MJhas been busy moving into a new home, but trust me, if she were here to pick she would agonize between Emma and Goong but pick Goong. We all know this.

What looks good to you this week?

Kiss of the Rose Princess Vol. 4

May 19, 2015 by Anna N

Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 4 by Aya Shouto

This series continues to be a ridiculous fantasy reverse harem manga, and I enjoyed this volume mostly because it features evil idol singers.

The first half of this story delved more into the very Cardcaptor Sakura-like plot where Anise and her Rose Knights have to capture Arcana cards in order to reinforce the seal to the underworld and defeat the demon lord, as you do. Of course, the only way to do this is to enter an all boys idol competition at school, where Anise ends up cross-dressing as a boy, because the arcana card is second prize and their group is in danger of winning it all if the cutest Rose Knight Seiran enters the contest. In keeping with the long-cherished shoujo tradition of male models or idols being secretly evil, the duo Rhodecia are revealed to be artificial Rose Knights created by Anise’s evil (but HOW evil?) father. The battle for school supremacy involves magic tricks, even more cross dressing, and a horribly awkward comedy act.

While all of this is going on, the Black Rose Mutsuki is struggling with some dark emotions stirred up by a mysterious outside influence. Anise makes a new acquaintance at school named Mikage who asks Anise to set up a date between her and Kaede, which Anise does because she is an idiot who is absolutely unaware that Kaede is in love with her. The date ends up taking place at a Gothic carnival, where Anise and the other Rose Knights tag along in order to sleuth out the location of another arcana card.

Kiss of the Rose Princess is a super silly shoujo manga, but it is really just the thing if you happen to be in the mood for light entertainment. The art continues to be attractive, with all the cool poses one would expect from a reverse harem manga. I’m intrigued by the hints of psychological struggle that Mutsuki is starting to exhibit, which does create a bit more interest than the more typical “gotta catch them all” arcana card collecting plot that is currently developing.