Anna N

Black Rose Alice, Vol 6

December 13, 2015 by Anna N

Black Rose Alice Volume 6 by Setona Mizushiro

I was disappointed when I realized a couple volumes in to this series that it was on hiatus in Japan. But by that time I was thoroughly won over by Mizushiro’s surreal and unique take on vampires and the tragic tone of the manga in general. It turns out that I shouldn’t have been worried too much, because while this volume doesn’t wrap up all the possible loose ends in the series, it does provide a satisfying conclusion.

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Dimitri is away, and Alice and the twins are living in the house, dealing with the aftermath of Leo’s death. The twins’ backstory is told through flashbacks, and it is just as dark as one might expect from this series. Neither twin seemed like particularly great humans, but Kai’s actions are particularly despicable, making his current more winning personalty stand out in contrast to his past actions. There’s a moment of levity injected into the household when Dimitri returns home with a human woman who he once saved from a horrible assault, promising to make her his vampire bride. Now Akari is all grown up, and determined to experience the most cliched date possible with Dimitri by her side. This prompts feelings of jealousy in Alice, and an emotional confrontation.

As far as endings go, this volume concludes with one that is about as happy as it is possible to get, considering that everyone is doomed. Black Rose Alice is such a delightfully odd series, one that doesn’t turn aside from the darkness in human (or vampire) nature. It is a more mature, and quirky addition to the Shojo Beat family. I highly recommend it. This is one of those series that I’ll take down from the bookshelf and reread every few years.

Manga the Week of 12/16

December 10, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: There are 39 titles due out next week. Thirty-nine. Let’s take a look. Try not to get lost in the deluge.

Attack on Titan’s 17th volume has a Special Edition with a DVD of Ilse’s Notebook, the side story from the 5th volume.

ASH: It’s really interesting to see special editions like this starting to come out!

SEAN: Fairy Tail has a 51st volume.

Kiss Him, Not Me! and L♥DK both have their second volumes which may interest shoujo fans.

MICHELLE: I suppose I will check out the second volume of L♥DK just to see whether it improves, but I don’t have high hopes.

SEAN: And Say “I Love You” has an 11th volume that is a must for shoujo fans.

MICHELLE: A definite must.

ANNA: I am way behind on this series! Maybe I will binge read during an upcoming vacation.

SEAN: Tsubasa has finally climbed out of its Reservoir and is ready to take on the world with the debut of Tsubasa World Chronicle 1. I am trying to contain my enthusiasm. See? :|

MICHELLE: I didn’t even know this existed!

ANNA: You know, I used to be a major CLAMP fan, and now I have CLAMP fatigue.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I think that has afflicted me, too. I never finished xxxHOLiC or the first Tsubasa series, despite owning them all, and now they both have sequels I haven’t touched. And then there’s that Gate 7 series, which utterly failed to make an impression with me.

ANNA: Most of my remaining feelings of affection for CLAMP are tied up in nostalgia for X/1999. So much angst and feathers!

MICHELLE: I have an enduring fondness for CLAMP Campus Detectives, but more so the anime than the manga. Oh, and Cardcaptor Sakura!

SEAN: It is rather sad that Man of Many Faces is still in my top 5 CLAMP works, given it was their first. (It’s out digitally next week as well, by the way! Rescued by Viz.)

ANNA: Cardcaptor Sakura is also great! Actually, I’m interested in reading Man of Many Faces, and I didn’t realize that it was out digitally.

MJ: I’m probably the only person here unlikely to succumb to CLAMP fatigue, I suppose, and while a Tsubasa sequel is not high on the list of what I’d really like to see most from them, I’ll surely check it out. Their artwork will always be a draw for me, and they have a knack for creating characters I can’t get enough of. Even when they write themselves into a hole (as they’ve occasionally done), I’ll stick around to the end.

SEAN: One Peace has a 5th (final?) volume of Aquarion Evol.

ANNA: I have some volumes of Aquarion I need to read.

SEAN: If you’ve somehow not read the brilliant and evocative A Distant Neighborhood books from Ponent Mon, they’ve got a Complete Edition out next week to correct that.

MICHELLE: I really liked A Distant Neighborhood.

ASH: Very glad to see this coming back into print!

ANNA: I haven’t read this, but I know it is wonderful, and I am also glad it is coming back into print.

MJ: It really *is* wonderful, and I’m so glad to see it coming back!

SEAN: And Seven Seas also has an omnibus of Mayo Chiki starting next week, whose audience is possibly a bit different from that of A Distant Neighborhood.

Vertical debuts a novel that will be of great interest to anime fans: Kizumonogatari: Wound Tale, the first (chronologically) of the popular Monogatari series from Nisioisin (author of Medaka Box and Zaregoto). I am VERY excited for its release, even though it has vampires – possibly that only adds to the excitement!

ANNA: Vampires are always exciting!

MEILNDA: I’m always willing to try something from Vertical, even if vampires are involved.

SEAN: Vertical also has the 12th and final volume of Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin. It’s a labor of love, and I’m sure that the Manga Bookshelf team, particularly Ash, are ready to congratulate them on its completion.

ASH: It’s true! This has been a fantastic release. Congrats, Vertical!

ANNA: Vertical deserves some sort of award for this lovely edition.

SEAN: And if Gundam is too realistic for you, try the second Ninja Slayer, also from Vertical.

Afterschool Charisma is a series I keep forgetting is still running, but here’s the 11th volume.

ANNA: I’m way behind on this, but I like it!

SEAN: And here is the 17th Dorohedoro, which I could never forget. Are these two the last remnants of SigIKKI?

MICHELLE: I believe so.

ASH: I love Dorohedoro so much.

SEAN: Master Keaton has a 5th volume already. I’ve fallen behind on this series.

MICHELLE: Me, too. I did start, but got bogged down somewhere in volume two.

ANNA: I am happy to report that this is one series I am not behind on! I enjoy Master Keaton.

SEAN: And a 4th volume of the insanely popular Tokyo Ghoul, which will war with Attack on Titan 17 for the top of the bestseller charts.

Yen On has five light novels out for the holidays. The 2nd Black Bullet will, I suspect, be as grim as the debut was.

The Devil Is A Part-Timer! has proven to be very likeable, and I hope the third volume continues the trend.

I remain surprised at how addictive Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon? has become, particularly with that title. The 4th volume is also highly anticipated.

We’ve nearly come to the end of the long running Spice & Wolf novel series, with Vol. 16 being the 2nd to last.

And Sword Art Online’s 6th novel wraps up another arc, as Kirito and Sinon try to figure out the secret behind the Gun Gale Online game and those using it to kill players in real life.

MJ: I think I’m one of the few folks here who is pretty into SAO… how did that happen? In any case, I’m always ready for more!

SEAN: Yen Press has a number of debuts next week, beginning with Aldnoah Zero, which (like Rose Guns Days) gets a Season One appended to it. It runs in Manga Time Kirara Forward, but don’t expect it to be a 4-koma: this is a serious sci-fi title based on an anime created at the same time.

ASH: I haven’t seen the anime yet, but I am rather curious about the Aldnoah Zero manga.

MJ: I’m interested as well.

SEAN: There’s an 8th Barakamon, which I do recommend if you’re missing Yotsuba&!, even though the two titles have a somewhat different feel.

MICHELLE: I have a big stack of Barakamon that I really need to get around to reading.

MJ: I haven’t given this title its due, but I really should pay more attention to it!

SEAN: For those who don’t like prose, there’s the 2nd volume of the Black Bullet manga.

A ninth volume of Bloody Cross no doubt sees the series headed towards its endgame.

And there’s a third volume of eccentric fantasy Chaika the Coffin Princess.

Demon from Afar is up to Vol. 5, and no doubt continues to look very pretty and destroy all our hopes and dreams.

The third Emma omnibus also will look very pretty, but likely has 100% fewer corpses.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

MJ: I’m still excited every time one of these shows up, since I missed this series the first time around!

SEAN: And we get a 5th volume of He’s My Only Vampire. One of a large number of vampire manga out there, it’s trying to be our steady and doing a pretty good job.

MICHELLE: Definitely my favorite of the vampire gang.

ANNA: Is it odd that I haven’t read this yet? Probably.

MJ: I think that’s very odd indeed!

SEAN: Maximum Ride is not technically a manga, but it certainly sells well enough, so let’s mention the 9th volume here.

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan is now at double digits, and I suspect will run till the author (Puyo, not the author of the original source) decides it is over.

Of the Red, the Light and the Ayakashi is based on a visual novel, and runs in Media Factory’s sorta-kinda-shoujo magazine Comic Gene. Expect prettiness.

MICHELLE: I’ve started reading this and it’s giving me some Natsume’s Book of Friends vibes, which is definitely a compliment.

ASH: Oooh, that’s good to hear! And the cover art is pretty, too!

ANNA: I’m always up for pretty sorta-kinda-shoujo.

MJ: I’m up for this, definitely, especially after reading Michelle’s comment above.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts has a 23rd volume, and it’s the first to come out in over a year, so I’ll let Michelle and MJtake over from here.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen somewhat behind, so I am going to have a nice big marathon and it’ll be awesome. And then I’ll wait in desperation for the 24th and final volume to come out.

MJ: I have *not* fallen behind, as you might imagine, and have been anticipating this rather anxiously! My love for this series has not waned!

SEAN: Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie has a first volume, and is sure to appeal to fans of Homura who couldn’t get enough of the movie—ow, I think I cut myself on my sarcasm there.

MJ: I haven’t been able to maintain any interest in this series beyond the original anime. So many books. So little interest.

SEAN: There’s also a 2nd volume of Puella Magi Suzune Magica.

Rose Guns Days Season One gets a 2nd volume, as we learn more about this strange occupied Japan and the eccentrics populating it.

The Secret Sakura Shares is a done-in-1 omnibus that ran in Hakusensha’s LaLa and LaLa DX magazines, and I love that we’re seeing Hakusensha titles get additional publisher availability. That said, I suspect many readers will have trouble getting past the premise.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I don’t know about this one, but I’m gonna read it anyway.

ANNA: Hmmmmmm.

MJ: I just read the premise, and I agree I may have trouble getting past it. I guess we’ll see.

SEAN: Sunshine Sketch 8 finally bids farewell to its two gayest… sorry, oldest characters, as Sae and Hiro are graduating. But the series continues, and we gain some new students in the process.

Lastly, we have the first Yowamushi Pedal omnibus, as an incredibly popular shonen cycling series finally gets a chance in the West, despite a huge number of volumes extant. There are, I hear, one or two male fans. Somewhere. But for the most part, YowaPeda is known for its BL fandom, though the manga itself is not BL.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one a lot. Not for the BL but for its presumed sports manga-y aspects.

ASH: I’m certainly excited to see publishers giving sports manga another chance!

ANNA: I am always wishing for more sports manga, so I’m glad this is coming out.

MJ: Yay sports manga! Yay BL fandom! I’m ready for it all!

SEAN: That’s it. Finally. What are you getting?

Pick of the Week: Two Titles

December 8, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: Secure in the knowledge that someone else is going to pick Planetes, and despite genuinely looking forward to the second volume of Tokyo ESP, I am going to have to go with my squeeing fangirl heart this week and pick the digital-only debut of Crown of Thorns, a Yoko Kamio manga that was totally not on my radar before but which I now desperately need to read.

SEAN: It’s definitely Planetes for me. If you told someone to read a manga about space garbagemen, they’d likely ignore you. But they’d be very, very wrong.

ASH: It’s Planetes for me, too. I already have the entire series sitting on my shelf from when Tokyopop released it, but I’m sorely tempted to upgrade to Dark Horse’s edition.

ANNA: Usually with Pick of the Week, my choice is clear, but I’m genuinely torn between celebrating the return of a series I loved or the lure of the new. Since other folks have picked Planetes, I’m going to give in to the side of me that greets new shoujo series with glee and cast my vote for Crown of Thorns.

MJ: I’m going to join the majority of the pack here and go with Planetes. I missed this the first time around, and I am so thrilled to have another chance at it. This is something I’ve been eagerly anticipating for quite a while, so there’s really no other choice for me.

Bookshelf Briefs 12/7/15

December 7, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

Anna, Sean, and Michelle review a smattering of new releases.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 3 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – I love it when I find a Seven Seas title I can wholeheartedly support, and this is one of the best. We continue to develop the questionable relationship between Elias and Chise, and the supporting characters notice how codependent it’s starting to be. Chise, of course, is not in a headspace where she can accept this now, but she is growing by leaps and bounds, to the point where I worry she will seriously overextend herself in a volume or two. The rest of the book allows us to wander around British fantasy settings, complete with the Wandering Jew as one of the more terrifying pretty-boy villains I’ve seen in some time. Anyone who enjoys fantasy with a strong plot and characterization should be following this series. – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 7 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – Koro-sensei may be a barrel of laughs (and I am very fond of the fact that even in the most serious situations the author still finds time for a panel or two of hilarity), but as a teacher, he’s first rate, be it assassinations or civics. Class 3-E may still be in the doghouse, but their performance in the exams this semester makes you want to punch your fist in the air. Even the headmaster’s “just as planned” seems rather hollow. The class is also getting more skilled at planning assassinations, and their attempt towards the end of the volume was the closest they’ve been yet. Of course, now we get a new crisis and cliffhanger. Sounds like it’s Nagisa and Kayano to the rescue. Always grateful to Viz for licensing this. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 9 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – The Fall Classic has reached the quarter-final stage! After Soma pulls off a bento victory against amazingly talented Alicie Nakiri, it’s Megumi’s turn to shine in a ramen battle. It’s great to see her holding her own, exhibiting confidence, determination, and talent, and I appreciate that female chefs are treated as worthy adversaries in this series. There’s not too much fanservice in this volume, either, as it’s mostly the (older, male) judges reacting in silly ways to the foods they are tasting. Actually, the only icky moment comes in the form of live-turtle butchery, but even that is somewhat redeemed when it leads to an Ultraman versus Gamera sort of homage. Food Wars! is great fun and always leaves me wishing I had more volumes to devour. – Michelle Smith

Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 9 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – A timeskip, even one involving reincarnation, has been seen in manga before, but I don’t recall too many that have then returned again, as we start the climax of Inu x Boku SS by returning to the characters as we knew them at the start of the series. This allows for a few attempts at humor, (mostly in the first half, as there are three side-stories before the continuation proper), but for the most part it’s down to business as our heroes read the letters from their future selves and decide what to do. We also get some insight into Zange’s past, and he seems a lot less goofy and annoying than he was before. Now, however, everyone’s about to be split up. How are things going to go from here? Still a good supernatural thriller. – Sean Gaffney

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – We’ve seen quite a few power-hungry schemers throughout this series, but none has been as odious as Tokugawa Harusada, who holds the reins of government while her son, good-hearted but timid Ienari, serves as an ornamental shogun whose only responsibility is to beget heirs. In comparison to someone like Hisamichi, who did bad things out of love of Yoshimune, Harusada comes off as just plain evil. It’s a bit hard to take, honestly, but balancing out her reign of terror is a hopeful storyline in which Aonuma’s former disciples not only find happiness outside the palace, but work towards fulfilling the dream of creating a vaccine to stop the redface pox once and for all. I absolutely love that Yoshinaga shows how strongly Aonuma and Gennai live on in the memories of those who worked alongside them; it gets me right in the feels. – Michelle Smith

So Cute it Hurts!!, Vol. 4 | By Go Ikeyamada | Viz Media – This series continues to be relentlessly adorable, as twins Megumu and Mitsuru go on some unconventional datas. Megumu and Aoi go out, even though he can’t be any closer to her than two feet. This complication doesn’t hinder the blushing couple. Mitsuru gets into his kendo gear to answer a challenge from Azusa. He assumes that they are going to fight, but they take their combat to the closest video arcade. This volume was extremely light and fluffy, but there are hints of complications ahead. This is fun to read, even though it is a bit superficial. – Anna N

Bloody Mary, Vol 1

December 6, 2015 by Anna N

Bloody Mary Volume 1 by Akaza Samamiya

Vampires! There have been plenty of options available for the manga fan who enjoys vampires, and these series are obviously popular, because it seems like most publishers have at least one or two current series featuring those who walk the night. How is Bloody Mary different from all the other shoujo vampire series out there?

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Bloody Mary is a bit different because there are no clumsy high school girls who unwittingly find themselves the target of a vampire’s affections. Instead in this series the reader gets a cranky and mysterious priest and a vampire with a death wish. Mary is a vampire who has been on a quest to find a priest who can actually kill him. Maria is a priest who is the target of vampires due to his family’s position as prominent exorcists. Maria knows how to brandish a mystical cross, but he doesn’t yet have the ability to combat vampires the same way his ancestors did.

Mary rescues Maria from a vampire attack and brings him home to the church. Maria promptly kicks him out, because he’s tired of vampires constantly showing up and demanding his delicious blood. Mary explains that he only wants Maria to kill him. Eventually the duo strike up an uneasy truce – Maria will give Mary blood, in return for protection against vampire attacks. When Maria is able to gain his true powers as an exorcist, he promises to put Mary out of his misery. While Mary is over 400 years old, he’s drawn as a mischievous teenager, skulking around in a cat-head hoodie. Maria is tall, blond, imposing, and has attitude issues. There are plenty of opportunities for odd couple shenanigans ahead.

There’s also plenty of mystery to explore. Mary has amnesia issues. He’s probably the vampire boogieman known as Bloody Mary, but he seems to have patchy memories of his past. He doesn’t have the same vulnerabilities that other vampires do. On Maria’s side, his lack of access to his family’s traditional power, and the knowledge that his hidden from him hint that he has the potential to become a destructive force in his own right as well.

This first volume packs a bunch of story elements in to just a few chapters, as Mary and Maria’s relationship is established, hints of everyone’s secret past are alluded to, and Maria also has to deal with a handsome student council president who knows more about exorcism than he initially lets on. The character designs are attractive, and the fatalistic humor combined with plenty of vampire angst makes Bloody Mary a solid addition to the Shojo Beat lineup.

Manga the Week of 12/9

December 3, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: A relatively quiet week, possibly as everyone’s saving up for the week after this, which may be the biggest week I’ve seen in manga ever. But for now, things are peaceful.

Dark Horse has the first Planetes Omnibus, and if you have not read this series before (Tokyopop released it a while back), get it. Even if you have, get it. It’s supposed to be spiffed up. Planetes is one of the really good ones that every manga owner should have.

MICHELLE: Ooh, I forgot this was being rereleased. I never actually finished the TOKYOPOP volumes. Bad me.

ASH: I love this series! (The anime was well done, as well.) I’m very happy to see the manga coming back bigger and better than ever.

ANNA: I also love this series, and have saved the old Tokyopop volumes. I’m glad that more people will get a chance to read this manga, it really is something special.

MJ: I’m so excited about this. I missed out on the original release, and this is something I’ve wanted to read for a long, long time.

SEAN: I do note that I use Diamond Comics release dates for Dark Horse titles in this list, as that’s their primary distributor. Same with Udon. Other retailers may get in in a week or two later.

Seven Seas has a 3rd omnibus for Freezing, a very Seven Seas-ey title.

And a 4th volume of Servamp, which is not quite as Seven Seas-ey, but it does try hard.

Vertical has a 2nd omnibus for Tokyo ESP, whose first volume I enjoyed more than I expected to.

MICHELLE: Same here. I’m looking forward to volume two.

ANNA: I haven’t tried this yet but it sounds like I should look into it!

MJ: I’m in!

SEAN: And an 8th volume of Witchcraft Works, which I think is almost caught up with Japan?

ASH: If so, that’ll give me time to get caught up, too; I’m behind.

SEAN: Viz has a digital-only debut released next week, Crown of Thorns. This is a Betsuma series by Youko Kamio, creator of Boys Over Flowers. That alone should be enough to make people check it out.

MICHELLE: !!!!!!!! I had no idea! I am so there.

ANNA: EEEEEEEEE! I am excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MJ: Mostly I’m just excited because they are. Who can resist such squee?

SEAN: We’re almost at the end of Deadman Wonderland, with Vol. 12. Are they still in prison?

Whereas even at volume 16, Itsuwaribito still has a ways to go.

Lastly, there’s a 15th volume of Magi, which, being a Shonen Sunday title, no doubt needs more love. Certainly I love it.

MICHELLE: Me, too!

ASH: One of these days I’ll actually follow through and give the series a try. And probably my love.

MICHELLE: Do eet.

ANNA: I just ordered some volumes to fill in my collection, and am going to start getting caught up. I enjoyed the first few volumes of the series very much. It also has my love!

SEAN: Are you picking any of these up next week?

Bookshelf Briefs 11/30/15

November 30, 2015 by Sean Gaffney and Anna N Leave a Comment

Shake off the food coma and partake of some briefs!

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Vol. 2 | By Nami Sano | Seven Seas – It’s always a battle each chapter to see who’s more interesting, Sakamoto or the people reacting to him. Because, while Sakamoto is the star and the catalyst, the plot is driven by those other people, those who find themselves changed by Sakamoto’s eccentric yet ultra-cool behavior. A teacher frustrated and determined to catch Sakamoto doing something against the rules ends up two chapters later yelling “don’t make me worry, dammit” in the best tsundere way. A gang leader finally finds a way to make Sakamoto angry, but the battle which follows still is nothing like he expects. For all that everyone wants to be near, love, or impress Sakamoto, at the end of the day they’re all marching to his beat. – Sean Gaffney

My Neighbor Seki, Vol. 5 | By Takuma Morishige | Vertical Comics – Unlike Sakamoto-kun in the above review, Seki still struggles with controlling the narrative of his own title, mostly as he has to deal with the main heroine, Yokoi, who’s long since given up pretending she doesn’t want to be entertained and get involved, even if she keeps telling herself it’s to punish him and make him pay attention. Sometimes this still backfires on her, such as during parents’ day (when we meet Seki’s non-speaking but frustrated mother), but more often than not, Yokoi is starting to gain the upper hand. Even if this means that other people view their relationship as something more than it is. Seki-kun will never be deep, or even pretend to, but it’s a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 35 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – As this series progresses, Nakamura is able to dial up the emotional stakes for her characters more and more. At first I thought that the enforced closeness of the Heel Siblings storyline was about as intense as it was going to get, but when Kyoko encounters Ren as Corn, her long-lost childhood fairy, the reader sees some vulnerability and uncertainty from Ren/Kuon/Corn that is absolutely disarming. The mental gymnastics that Kyoto goes through to justify her friendship with Corn while she’s thinking of Ren are quite amazing, and Ren dealing with jealousy towards his own alter ego is hilarious. Yet another great volume of Skip Beat!, one of my shoujo favorites. – Anna N

UQ Holder, Vol. 6 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – This volume seems packed with things that are designed to make any Shonen Magazine reader happy. A genuine zombie invasion, with many, many people killed off—luckily we have a supporting character who can reverse time. An onsen scene that allows readers to get their fill of Akamatsi’s nude bodies, still popular after all these years, and also lets him further develop Kuromaru’s anxiety about gender identity—not helped by everyone else saying “you’re acting like a girl, so be one.” And the presence of Mana at the end, which reminds us that this is still a sequel to Negima, whose cast was filled with students who were half-demon, supernatural, or just robots, so are still around 100 years later. We’ll see what happens with her in the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 5 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – For the most part this volume is content to spin its wheels a bit—the fire subplot with Sarushima is stopped with a minimum of fuss and a lot of comedy (including some panty flashing and boob showing, as this is a Magazine title). We also get a new club member, who sadly seems totally uninteresting. Luckily Yamada and Shiraishi are still the best part of this title, and their kind of sort of love story is heartwarming when used properly. The next arc combines witch-hunting with that old shonen favorite, “your club will be used to do the Student Council’s dirty work,” and it will be interesting to see how this develops, though I suspect it will again involve a lot of comedy and panty flashing. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Vampires, Brides, or Curry?

November 30, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: I suspect many of the rest of our team will be looking towards vampires, but I’m going with magic instead, as The Ancient Magus’ Bride’s third volume is my pick. Wife husbandry aside, this is a sweet and gentle supernatural manga that is just what I need to relax before the holidays.

MICHELLE: No vampires for me! I am all about the Food Wars!!

ANNA: I feel like I have to be utterly predictable and go with shoujo vampires, so Bloody Mary for me!

ASH: I’ll be tagging along with Sean this week and picking The Ancient Magus’ Bride. I’ve really been enjoying the series and look forward to reading more.

MJ: Okay, I’m at a bit of a loss here this week, but I’ll throw caution to the wind and nervously try Bloody Mary. I’m past the point of being saturated on vampires—so far past that they almost seem okay again. What’s that about? Hm. Anyway, I’ll give it a shot!

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 1

November 29, 2015 by Anna N

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 1 by Izumi Tsubaki

This was by far one of my most anticipated new manga titles of the year. I generally don’t get into 4-koma manga all that much, but Oresama Teacher is one of my favorite shoujo comedy titles, so I was looking forward to reading this.

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Poor Chiyo has a crush on the handsome yet mysterious Nozaki. When she confesses her affection to him, he assumes that she’s a rabid fan and hands her an autograph – as it turns out he’s secretly a successful shoujo manga-ka. Chiyo soon finds herself serving as his assistant, along with a quirky supporting cast. Nozaki is incredibily odd, as the main thing that he’s an expert in are shoujo manga tropes, which causes plenty of real-life confusion. He also finds inspiration from his classmates, turning one awkward boy nicknamed Mikorin into his shoujo heroine and making a tomboyish girl his inspiration for a new male character. Shoujo and manga conventions are constantly lampooned, for example Nozaki has a habit of always drawing his favorite face, making his characters indistinguishable from each other. Also, his relationship with his deadpan editor is hilarious, as Nozaki is always determined to believe the best of his editor, even when his drawings get a lukewarm or negative response.

One of the things I like about Tsubaki’s work is that she’s able to quickly assemble a large and exceedingly quirky supporting cast, providing plenty of fodder for humor. That she’s able to go from two characters to over half a dozen within the constraints of a 4-koma strip in one volume is impressive. This is a genuinely funny manga, and the perfect thing to get for a manga fan for the holidays if they haven’t snagged it already. I will never think about tanuki the same way again after reading this volume!

Rising of the Shield Hero Vol 1

November 27, 2015 by Anna N

Rising of the Shield Hero Volume 1 by Aneko Yusagi

It has been some time since I’ve read a light novel, and so when One Peace sent me Rising of the Shield Hero, I decided to give it a try. The plot centers around Naofumi Iwatani, a disaffected otaku who abruptly finds himself transported into an alternate universe where he suddenly has to take on the role of the Shield Hero, on a quest that closely resembles a Japanese RPG.

I found the first couple chapters of the book a bit difficult to get into, partially because Naofumi is such an unsympathetic character who narrates his daily existence with flat declarative sentences. He soon finds himself in possession of an odd book which promptly transports him to another world, along with 3 other young men. They are the heroes of the sword, spear, bow, and shield respectively. Naofumi gets the shield, and finds himself scorned and mistreated partially due to his attitude and partially due to his only having a defensive weapon. The heroes all are assigned companions, and have to go out and get more experience to improve their abilities, just like one would have to grind in a typical game. Naofumi gets a female sidekick named Myne, but she promptly betrays him and leaves him penniless and alone.

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The events centering around Myne’s betrayal of Naofumi were my least favorite part of the book, because she claims that he attempted to rape her. A woman making a false rape claim is not a plot point I enjoy reading, and shortly after his betrayal, Naofumi gets yet another female sidekick in the form of a slave tanuki girl named Raphtalia. He decides that he might enjoy owning a female slave because he now hates all women. Naofumi and Raphtalia embark on leveling up in their world by killing a number of low level demons that resemble orange balloons. Each time Naofumi defeats a different monster, his shield gains additional abilities. This was the part of the book I enjoyed the most, because Naofumi can’t use weapons due to his status as a shield hero. So he has to have a companion around to actually stab at things in order to get points and loot, and he manages to be fairly clever about coming up with ways to make money to get better equipment. Since he’s the shield hero, Naofumi has a great deal of personal defense. He decides to carry around orange balloon monsters underneath his cloak, and if people give him a hard time, he sets them loose. Naofumi’s bartering and blackmailing of the townspeople in order to get better equipment were one of the more amusing aspects of the book

Naofumi has an incredibly selfish way of thinking about things, but his actions often turn out to be less self-serving than I was expecting. Despite his dark thoughts, he actually treats Raphtalia more like a younger sister or companion. However, as she levels up, she grows up, so there is undoubtedly a romance ahead between the two main characters, which seems skeevy to me, since Naofumi met her when she was 10 years old.

The book needed a good solid pass from a copy editor, there were quite a few punctuation and spelling errors. The illustration included in the book were quite nice. Overall, this was a mixed read for me. I enjoyed aspects of the world building and Naofumi’s ingenuity. His general crankiness is also a nice contrast from the type of character that gets caught up in an adventure in another world. The flat, non-descriptive writing style made The Rising of the Shield Hero a bit of a slog in the earlier chapters, and I find myself creeped out by the prospect of romance developing in the later volumes.

Manga the Week of 12/2

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

SEAN: The last month of the year is upon us next week, and manga companies are here to make sure it’s filled with STUFF. What have we got this time around?

Dark Horse gives us a 7th volume of not-so-new-anymore New Lone Wolf & Cub.

Kodansha figures we like Noragami so much that we’ll pick up a volume of Stray Stories. They’re probably right.

ASH: They probably are.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 3rd volume of the sweet fantasy series The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

ASH: I’m greatly enjoying this series; looking forward to more!

SEAN: And also a 3rd volume of Clay Lord: Master of Golems.

Udon has a 2nd volume of punctuationally challenged Stein;s Gate.

Viz has a slightly smaller giant pile for this December. We get a 7th volume of Assassination Classroom, the most heartwarming kill-your-teacher manga out there.

ANNA: I’m so far behind with this series, but I do enjoy it!

SEAN: Bloody Mary is the debut this month, from the Shojo Beat line, and with a title like that, I’ll give you two guesses what supernatural element it features. Give up? Vampires! ZOMG!

MICHELLE: *snerk* Still, I will probably check this one out.

ANNA: Woo hoo!

ASH: And not just vampires, but beautiful vampires with a hint of BL!

MJ: Well, of course.

SEAN: Dragon Ball must be running out of omnibuses soon, but not yet with this 11th 3-in-1.

Do you like curry? Then read Food Wars! 9.

MICHELLE: Yay! I have been holding onto volume eight so I could have a little mini-marathon.

ANNA: I enjoy both Food Wars! and curry!

ASH: Same!

SEAN: Komomo Confiserie has a 2nd volume of twisted personalities and delicious desserts.

MICHELLE: Somehow it seems like it has taken forever for volume two to come out.

ANNA: I liked the first volume, looking forward to reading this.

SEAN: One Piece has a 14th 3-in-1, containing possibly my favorite volume in the entire series.

Seraph of the End is up to Volume 7.

ANNA: Shonen vampires! Tortured orphans! Weapons possessed by demons! Evil machinations!

SEAN: And So Cute It Hurts!! has two more volumes than it does exclamation marks.

ANNA: One of those super cute but not very deep shoujo series. Still fun to read.

SEAN: Toriko’s Vol. 31 starts a new story arc, I believe.

And lastly, an 11th volume of Stan Lee’s collaboration with Japan, Ultimo.

Are you picking up anything next week?

Manga the Week of 11/25

November 19, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

SEAN: Dark Horse are starting to irritate me with sliding release dates lately. Kodansha do it too, but at least they give a week’s notice or so. In any case, Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service’s second omnibus is NOT coming out this week, sorry. (And let’s not even talk about what’s happening with Diamond Comics.) As for next week, let’s take a look.

Theoretically, the 2nd Oh My Goddess! omnibus is hitting comic shops next week. But see above.

Kodansha has a giant pile of stuff out next week (well, comparatively, we’re not talking Viz or Yen piles here). The 2nd Inuyashiki seems to feature our young villain on the cover.

The Seven Deadly Sins is doing really really well in Japan, so you know will not be ending with next week’s Volume 11.

A Silent Voice has another volume, and I wonder if our leads will get closer or if events will conspire to destroy their lives again. Or both!

ASH: So far, I’ve been pretty impressed with this series.

SEAN: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle reaches its 6th omnibus, and I think we’re nearing peak crossover here.

UQ Holder also has a 6th volume coming out. I enjoy it, but can’t find much to say about it.

The final omnibus of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer is out, with the 9th and 10th volumes. It’s such a great series, and it has a great ending as well. Buy it.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is next week’s debut from Seven Seas. A NEET with a somewhat aimless life dies saving someone from a speeding car, and ends up reincarnated in a world of sword and sorcery, determined to make his life better. I know very little about this.

MJ: I’d be completely intrigued if “Seven Seas” didn’t make me suspicious about the content being… not for me.

SEAN: And there’s the penultimate volume of The Sacred Blacksmith.

And a new Witch Buster omnibus, with Vol. 15-16.

Vertical has a 5th volume of adorable comedy My Neighbor Seki. (Well, adorable unless you’re Yokoi.)

ASH: I continue to be utterly delighted by My Neighbor Seki.

MJ: Yes.

SEAN: Yen has moved their digital releases to a week after their print ones, possibly to save our Manga the Week of column the aggravation. I appreciate it. A lot of debuts, starting with Aphorism, which is a survival manga, meaning I don’t care. It’s a long-running series, though…

Crimson Prince is also a long-running series, and is a comedic supernatural fantasy, which means it definitely has an audience here.

ANNA: Is this shojo or shonen? Inquiring minds want to know!

SEAN: It runs in Shonen Gangan, but remember Square Enix doesn’t have a shoujo magazine. Many readers call it shoujo.

ANNA: Yay!

MJ: Ooooooh.

SEAN: There’s a second volume of Demon King Ena-sama Goes to a Manga School, which let’s face it is not the sort of title you’d see licensed here 15 years ago.

ANNA: Probably not!!!!

SEAN: Renaissance Eve’s description also makes it sound a bit like a survival manga, but it also says “blood” a lot, so maybe it has vampires as well?

Scarlet Empire gets two volumes released, and seems to be a sort of Edo period samurai manga with time travel. Which sounds awesome, frankly.

ANNA: This does sound awesome! I am officially intrigued.

SEAN: This runs in GFantasy, so you can definitely assume it’s as close to shoujo as they get.

ANNA: Double yay!!!!

ASH: Well, now. That does sound intriguing!

MJ: I will basically try anything from GFantasy. In case you didn’t know that already.

MICHELLE: It’s always nice when things that weren’t on one’s radar before suddenly attain “must investigate” status.

SEAN: Sekirei is a harem manga with piles and piles of fanservice, and here is Vol. 1. At least with a digital release you can read it on a bus without showing everyone the cover art.

ASH: Heh.

SEAN: Lastly is Servant x Service, a comedic office worker comedy which has its first two volumes out digitally this month, and gets a print omnibus in April. It’s from the creator of Working!.

Does this list make you give thanks?

Bookshelf Briefs 11/16/15

November 16, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

The Bookshelf brigade brings you beaucoup des briefs!

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace, Vol. 2 | By Chibimaru | Seven Seas – This is definitely one of those movie adaptations where they assume you know everything about the source, and having not seen the BSP anime yet, I did feel at times like I was missing something. It also feels a bit cut short, but that’s not uncommon for movie adaptations. The humor is very well done, though, with Chiaki’s horrible day, and Grunhilde’s play script to allow for dramatics. In the end, though, it’s the story of a young boy and his feelings for his father, as well as that father’s legacy. It shows space is cool, computer viruses and conglomerations are bad, and that goodness and rightness will always win in the end. This was fluff, but pretty fun. -Sean Gaffney

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 7 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – I’m quite fond of manga that transcend genre and surprise you, but I think A Centaur’s Life may be taking it a bit too far. Some of the chapters are terrifying, such as the alien invasion story taking place in this world’s equivalent of the deep south (complete with casual racism by the father figure), and a land-grabbing story which seems to show that the snake people are literally infiltrating in order to gain some sort of political advantage? But then there’s more scenes of toddler centaurs using the toilet, and I just throw my hands in the air. Some of the cute stuff is quite cute, mostly involving the teenager monster kids—I liked seeing Nozomi’s rival/twin—but honestly, this series needs focus desperately. -Sean Gaffney

Evergreen, Vol. 3 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Akira Caskabe | Seven Seas – The angst is dialed back a bit in this volume (though there’s still a fair amount) in favor of heartwarming first-love type scenes, with Hotaka and Niki finally together and being self-conscious, blushing and adorable, as most teens are. More surprising to me was that On-chan wasn’t a nickname, but her real last name—and that she is at least able to admit to herself, and Soga, that she likes him. Which comes as a surprise to Soga, and possibly the reader. The trouble is he’s the sort to push people away, and he does so beautifully here. The bigger trouble is that next volume is the last, and I think it has a bit too much plot left to wrap up smoothly. We shall see. -Sean Gaffney

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 7 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – It’s hard to believe this series is nearly over! Time surely flies. It’s also impressive just how much it has improved over the course of its run. Now I actually kind of care who Anise ends up with romantically, and was completely surprised by a plot twist that, had I been inclined to think critically, I might have seen coming. There’s a nice dramatic atmosphere to this volume, too, with much emphasis on this being their “last day,” so it seems as though the story will barrel on through to its conclusion, leaving behind the unfunny comedic gags that bothered me about early volumes. I’m pleasantly surprised to be looking forward to the finale. – Michelle Smith

Library Wars: Love and War, Vol. 14 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa | Viz Media – This volume contains all the thing I love about Library Wars: romance, action, convoluted statements about censorship, and evil being foiled. The Library Forces continue to advocate for an author who is being censored by trying to smuggle him out of the country. In the process Dojo gets wounded and Kasahara is left to deal with the situation on her own. As a librarian, the reference to IFLA amused me greatly. This series is might not be the flashiest shoujo series but it is consistently good, and I put down each volume with a smile. – Anna N

Maid-sama!, Vols. 3-4 | By Hiro Fujiwara | VIZ Media –Although I lost count of how many times Usui put his hands on Misaki without her consent, these two volumes seemed to tone down his obnoxiousness level to some extent. Oh, he still attempts to be controlling, but the emphasis is more on Misaki being capable in her own right, and there were even a couple of moments between them that I liked. (I liked the “girls are not weak and delicate” message, too.) Still, I can’t help but feel that a character as great as Misaki really deserves to be in a different manga with a better love interest. I would be super happy if she were completely unaffected by his overtures and just called him out for being a tremendous ass, but alas, that is not how shoujo manga works. I hope my respect for Misaki can make it through this series intact. – Michelle Smith

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 1 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I’ve been looking forward to Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun for a long time, and it didn’t disappoint. Talented artist Chiyo Sakura has a crush on brawny Umetarou Nozaki, but when she attempts to confess her feelings, he thinks she’s a fan of his manga and recruits her to be his assistant. This is a 4-koma manga, so what follows are strips about Nozaki coming up with ideas, being inspired by kooky classmates, trying to grasp the logic of dating sim games, and accidentally drawing BL doujinshi. The layout and sensibility are 4-koma—thus far, most characters have a single personality trait—but it also is basically telling a chronological story, which I like. While it might not have made me laugh outright, I did smirk and snerk often, and I will definitely be continuing with this one. – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: The Unanimous Choice

November 16, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. That was easy.

ANNA: You know what? I think I’m going to pick Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

MICHELLE: I am feeling the strangest compulsion to pick Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

ASH: There are so many great manga being released this week that I couldn’t possibly choose! Ah, who am I kidding? Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

MJ: I’m hearing a voice in my head… what’s that it’s saying? “No… zaki…kun…. No… saki… kun…” Why, I do believe it’s suggesting that I spend my money this week on Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! Huh.

Manga the Week of 11/18

November 11, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: Next week sees the release of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun from Yen Press. And some other books, I guess.

ASH: Woo!

SEAN: We’ll start with the 2nd omnibus of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service from Dark Horse, which if you haven’t read the series yet, and aren’t already getting Nozaki-kun, is well worth your time.

ASH: Definitely. Kurosagi is a delightfully quirky horror manga.

SEAN: Shigeru Mizuki’s examination of the Showa years was fascinating but a bit low on actual Hitler himself, so now we get a one-volume manga from Drawn & Quarterly tackling that exact subject, Shigeru Mizuki’s Hitler.

Cage of Eden 19 from Kodansha is close to the end, and hasn’t had anyone die horribly in a while, so may get a bit serious here, possibly.

My Little Monster 11 will also likely be series as it deals with fallout from the last volume.

MICHELLE: Painful, yet wonderful. I love this series.

SEAN: Noragami has its 8th volume, and has gotten quite popular, the sort of popularity that Nozaki-kun will soon have.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches has a 5th volume of comedy, supernatural abilities, and teasing of bisexuality that is unlikely to ever deliver.

ASH: But one can hope!

SEAN: From One Peace, we have the first volume of the manga adaptation Rise of the Shield Hero, whose novel OP released earlier. It runs in Comic Flapper, always a good thing in my book.

MJ: I need to give this a look.

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a 7th volume of Devils and Realist, which is I assume still battling over hell.

Evergreen gives us a 3rd volume of angst, teens with wasting illnesses, and “are they siblings or lovers?” back and forth.

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto gives us a 2nd volume of Sakamoto being awesome. If you like this sort of series, go get Nozaki-kun as well.

ASH: Yes and yes.

SEAN: I am very angry at Viz for releasing the 11th volume of Ooku next week, as it means that I likely won’t have a unanimous Pick of the Week for Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun.

MICHELLE: And this is the final volume of Ooku, as well, I believe.

MJ: I’m pretty psyched about this.

ASH: I think it might still be ongoing! (Or at least I hope.)

MICHELLE: Well, I’ll be! You’re right! Volume 12 just came out in Japan last week.

SEAN: Luckily, the 9th Terra Formars will not have that problem.

And a 2nd Ultraman volume is out as well.

ASH: The first volume ended with a pretty great hook; the series has definite potential.

SEAN: Yen On has 4 novels (Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is not based on a light novel, in case you were wondering). Accel World 5 will hopefully be a bit lighter in tine after the first few leaning heavily on teen drama.

A Certain Magical Index’s 5th volume gives us an attempt to rehabilitate its previous horrible villain, as well as an adorable loli. But don’t worry, Touma and Misaka are in it as well.

Durarara!! has a 2nd volume, which focuses on a serial slasher who is making life chaotic in Ikebukuro… so situation normal for this series.

Log Horizon gives us a 3rd volume, which is I think the first of a two-parter. Will it continue to lean on politics, or will we get more battles?

You’d think Yen Press would release Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by itself this week, but no, they also have 19 other releases. To start off, a 5th volume of creepy shoujo manga Ani-Imo.

Are You Alice? is up to double digits and has perhaps answered that by now. It’s headed for an ending, but not there yet.

Black Butler gives us Vol. 21. You can also now enjoy the individual chapters if you want instant gratification.

It’s time for our annual release of A Bride’s Story with Vol. 7. It will no doubt be excellent no matter what, but who will it focus on?

MICHELLE: I really need to get caught up on this but now I’m so far behind it’s daunting.

MJ: This is always a treat!

ASH: I love A Bride’s Story so much!

SEAN: BTOOOM! is at Volume 12 and shows no sign of stopping. I would say this proves there is no God, but the existence of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun makes me reconsider that.

MICHELLE: Meanwhile, I have no desire to get caught up on this.

SEAN: I wasn’t impressed with The Devil Is A Part-Timer! High School!!, but perhaps a 2nd volume will try to do more with the high school AU premise.

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan looks like it might wrap up its love story in this volume, and the cover certainly looks like a final one. It is final? Nope.

A new series from Yen. No, not Nozaki-kun, that will be coming. Instead it is Dragons Rioting, a series that features a boy with an illness that kills him if he gets aroused, lots of big-breasted fighting women in high school, and runs in Dragon Age. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

MICHELLE: Ugh.

MJ: Just reading the premise makes me want to die.

SEAN: Final Fantasy Type-0 Side Story Vol. 2 is the sort of series that exhausts me just typing it out.

High School DxD has a 7th volume, in case BTOOOM! and Dragons Rioting weren’t enough for you.

The Honor Student at Magic High School is a spinoff of a novel Yen licensed but had to delay, so once again we get the spinoff first. Hopefully I won’t get too spoiled.

Inu x Boku SS is rapidly heading to a climax with its 9th volume.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? has its 3rd manga volume, for those who avoid novels.

And there’s a 3rd omnibus of Karneval, which reminds me I still need to read the 2nd.

At last! the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The debut of Izumi Tsubaki’s Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll grow as a person. Well, no, you’ll only laugh. but that’s enough. BUY THIS.

ANNA: I am excited about this! I am going to buy it! Have I mentioned that I’m excited about this? I really really am!!!!

MICHELLE: Me, too! Especially after volume 19 of Oresama Teacher was so good! I’m in a Tsubaki state of mind!

MJ: After all the hype, how can I possible turn away?

ASH: You can’t! You must become one of us!

SEAN: It feels like an anticlimax to discuss books after Nozaki-kun, but here they are. A 2nd Prison School omnibus will continue to be the Prison School-iest manga ever.

ASH: Definitely not a series for everyone, but I’ll be reading more of it.

SEAN: Puella Magi Tart Magica is not over with Vol. 2, I hear, but still stars Jeanne D’Arc, so I can’t expect happy things.

School-Live! just had an anime air this past summer (Gakkou Gurashi in case you wondered), and this is the manga source, from Manga Time Kirara Forward. It’s supposedly a cute Kirara school club series… but let’s just say, expect zombies.

Secret has a 3rd volume, and yes, they’re still wearing animal masks.

Lastly, I could say something about the third Trinity Seven volume, but I will instead remind you to pick up Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun.

Besides that, what else are you getting next week?