Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Pick of the Week: Requiem of the Rose King

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rrk1ASH: Although it’s a smaller shipping list this week there are still plenty of great manga being released. But if I’m going to be honest, I only have eyes for the debut of Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King, one of the manga I’m most looking forward to this year. Shakespearian-inspired drama and appealing artwork? Yes, please!

MICHELLE: As much as I love Knights of Sidonia and am happy that another volume is coming out, I am also going to pick Requiem of the Rose King because I have more than a passing fancy for Richard III and am intrigued to see how Kanno will handle his story.

ANNA: I have to go with Ash and Michelle in picking Requiem of the Rose King. It is certainly one of the most interesting shoujo releases I’ve heard about in quite some time.

SEAN: What they said.

MJ: What he said they said.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 3/11

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SEAN: A small second week of the month, but with a lot of variety.

For comedy fans, we have the 4th volume of D-Frag! from Seven Seas.

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And they’re also giving us the 2nd and final volume of Girls Und Panzer prequel Little Army.

Sublime has been fairly quiet lately. Are they playing hide and seek? Or just publishing Hide and Seek? Vol. 3 ships next week.

ASH: I reviewed the first volume just last week; I’ll be very happy to have the complete series on my shelves.

SEAN: I remain surprised, but not at all disappointed, that Knights of Sidonia is as long as it is. 13 volumes and counting from Vertical Comics!

ANNA: Ugh, I need to get caught up on this series! I do really like it!

MICHELLE: Yay, more Sidonia!

ASH: Should be a good time!

MJ: Add my voice to the chorus of “Yay!”

SEAN: We’re nearly at the end of 07-Ghost, but not quite. There is a 15th volume, though.

ANNA: Maybe I will read all of it in a marathon session when it is done.

MICHELLE: Yeah, despite good intentions I have not managed to resume this one.

SEAN: And a 21st of Arata the Legend, which surely has erased Fushigi Yuugi from everyone’s heads by now.

ANNA: Not to diss Arata, but I am super excited about the new Fushigi Yuugi series that was recently announced.

MICHELLE: Eh?!?!?! I missed it! Please tell me it’s Byakko Kaiden.

ANNA: It is!!! EEEE!!!!!!!

MICHELLE: !!!! I am all asquee!

MJ: WOOT!

SEAN: Ranma 1/2 is always at its best when Takahashi allows herself to stretch with a longer storyline, and the “Ranma Gets Weak” one stretches out over half this seventh omnibus. I review it here.

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I also reviewed Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King, a new Shojo Beat series that is nothing like Otomen except its art is gorgeous. It’s her take on Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Richard III.

ANNA: I have this, haven’t read it yet, but it sounds great!

MICHELLE: Oooh. I’m kind of a Richard III fangirl.

ASH: This is actually one of the series I’m most looking forward to this year.

MJ: I’m definitely on board with this!

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 17th volume of Rin-Ne, which is also at its best when Takahashi allows a longer storyline, but sadly we see that far less often.

MICHELLE: RIN-NE is pleasant. I have a few volumes here that I haven’t been dying to read, though.

SEAN: Oh manga’s heart wrapped in an obi’s hide! What are you getting next week? (Also, ten points to whoever gets that without googling it.)

Meteor Prince, Vol 1

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Meteor Prince Volume 1 by Meca Tanaka

Meteor Prince is a super cute shoujo series that is ideal to read if you need a break from the winter blahs. It is in some ways like a kinder, less manic version of Urusei Yatsura, because the heroine of the story Hako is cursed with an incredible run of bad luck. The latest incident occurs when a naked alien prince suddenly appears and announces that she’s his soulmate. The alien prince Io is a bit of a benign horndog, as he is constantly asking Hako if she is ready to mate, but at the same time he is always in the right place at the right time to protect her from all the accidents that seem to constantly happen in her vicinity. When Hako protests that she can’t have a relationship with someone she’s not in love with, Io promptly yells “Let’s fall in love!” and their courtship begins.

Hako has a supporting cast of friends in the form of the paranormal research club, who stick close to her despite her bad luck because they are so interested in exploring unexplained phenomena. They are also fascinated by the sudden appearance of the alien, but also want to look out for Hako. Despite Io’s initial approach of dropping out of the sky naked and asking teenage girls to be the mother of his children, he’s actually incredibly enthusiastic about the new environment he’s exposed to on Earth, and his devotion to Hako is absolute. Hako and Io actually end up striking a bit of a friendship, through the usual high school milestones that a reader would usually expect in a shoujo manga. There are plenty of funny hijinks, but what I enjoyed most about this title was the genuine warmth and caring shown in the unlikely romance between Hako and Io.

Tanaka’s art switches between slapstick humor and exaggerated emotions as Hako tries to dodge her bad luck with more contemplative moments like when Io sits and communes with birds for the first time. Her art is engaging, with Hako inspiring feelings of sympathy and Io managing to look both regal and occasionally bizarre, which is exactly what a reader might expect from an alien prince.

This is only a two volume series, and sometimes I’m a little hesitant to recommend such short series because often they seem a bit unfinished or partially developed. I felt satisfied as a reader after reading the first volume of Meteor Prince. I’d be happy if it had gone on for several volumes, but the core of the story was just delightful and entertaining. I expect that this is going to be one of the rare two volume series that gets a permanent place on my bookshelves. I’ve been hoarding Tanaka’s four volume series for Tokyopop, Pearl Pink, and now I’m much more motivated to read that too, since Meteor Prince seems so charming.

Pick of the Week: VIZ-o-rama!

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potwSEAN: Usually people can guess my pick of the week from the Manga the Week of column, and this week is no exception. It has to be the new volume of Oresama Teacher. Always hilarious, I’ve also been following its shonen manga-esque plot, as each villain tries and fails to break apart our heroes. Clearly Hayasaka’s past is endgame – will we be seeing it soon?

MICHELLE: I’m equally predictable, because of course I’m going to advocate for Skip Beat!, one of my favorite ongoing series. Of course, I am still totally going to read Oresama Teacher and Kamisama Kiss, too!

ASH: Skip Beat! is what I’d go for this week, too. It’s a great series that I’ll admit to being behind on, but the omnibus releases make it easier than ever to catch up.

ANNA: There are so many great series coming out this week! I’m going to have to go for Kamisama Kiss just because no one else has picked it yet and it is a series that always makes me smile.

MJ: I’m rushing around in a bit of a frenzy, but I must take a moment to shout “Claymore!” Claymore, Claymore, Claymore!

Claymore!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 3/4

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SEAN: It feels like a smaller first week than usual, even with 15 titles. Viz has recently wrapped up a number of series, so it could just be I’m not getting as much stuff personally.

Before we get to Viz, Dark Horse has the 4th New Lone Wolf and Cub.

ASH: Confession: I still haven’t finished reading the Old Lone Wolf and Cub. But I still plan on picking up the New.

SEAN: Kodansha gives us its 5th xxxHOLIC omnibus. Here be dragons. And Syaorans. Honestly, I’d have preferred the dragons.

MJ: I’m good with both. :D

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SEAN: Speaking of things I dislike but am in a minority as they are really, really popular, there’s a new Monster Musume due out from Seven Seas.

Seven Seas also has a 7th volume of The Sacred Blacksmith, which has just been confirmed to be ending soon.

D.Gray-Man may have its regular series coming out at a crawl these days, but the 6th 3-in-1 shows it’s still going strong omnibus-wise.

Another long-running series is coming to an end – but not just yet. This is the 2nd to last volume of Claymore. Is a happy ending in the cards?

MICHELLE: Someday, I need to read this. I own quite a large chunk of it.

MJ: I love this series, and I’m certainly anticipating this volume with much eagerness!

SEAN: Another 3-in-1 as we get the 8th Dragonball omnibus (not to be confused with the other omnibus release it’s had).

Kamisama Kiss may have finally ended its long time-travel arc, but the series is still trucking along at Vol. 17. (Did it end yet? We’ve caught up with Japan, so it’s been a while since 16…)

I keep waffling back and forth on Kiss of the Rose Princess, so we’ll see if a 3rd volume sways me one way or another.

ANNA: I ended up liking it more after the second volume. I don’t LOVE it, but I enjoy reading it.

MICHELLE: I’m not sure about this one either, since the second volume as so different than the first. But I *am* planning to check out volume three.

SEAN: Naruto is over, but the volumes still have more to go, so here’s the 69th.

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I keep being surprised at how much I’m enjoying Nisekoi, a high school harem comedy with added yakuza. But I am enjoying it a whole lot. Vol. 8 is out in print next week.

It’s no surprise how much I love Oresama Teacher – in fact, the only surprise is that an even more popular series by the same author, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, hasn’t been licensed by Yen Press yet. But I still have Oresama 18.

ANNA: I have a deep and profound love for this series. Consistently hilarious.

ASH: I really need to get around to reading this.

SEAN: Seraph of the End has a 4th volume. Does it still have vampires?

ANNA: I feel like this is a safe assumption! I’m also happy to see that Vertical licensed the light novel series!

SEAN: Another 3-in-1 series, but I think with this 10th volume Skip Beat! may be caught up for the most part.

ANNA: Skip Beat! is great.

MICHELLE: Super great! They could do an eleventh omnibus, since 33 volumes of Skip Beat! have come out so far. This spurred me to look up when the next one comes out, and we’ve only to wait until April 7th for volume 34. This was met with much rejoicing!

SEAN: Lastly, there’s Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds 7, another series that for the life of me I can’t think of anything clever to say about it except “Welp – there it is.”

So what are you getting next week?

Pick of the Week: All JoJo, all the time

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jojopart1MICHELLE: I’m sorry to say I’m not interested in much from this week’s list of releases. However, I am quite interested in the deluxe hardcover edition of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, with new color art and stuff! I haven’t read this classic series (for shame!) so this is a good place to start.

ASH: JooooooJoooooo!

ANNA: JoJo is the clear pick of the week for me!

SEAN: It’s absolutely a JoJo’s week, yes. I never did read the volumes Viz published years ago as it didn’t start at the beginning and I was that sort of person. Now I can rejoice at seeing all the Dio memes for the first time in their proper context. Also, how can you not love a series with someone named Robert Edward O. Speedwagon?

MJ: I was sold even before the REO Speedwagon reference, but that obviously cemented it. JoJo all the way.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 2/25

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SEAN: A fairly sedate last week of the month. Not much from Yen this month, oddly. What will we have to talk about—

DIO: HA! You thought this would be Manga the Week of, but it is I, Dio!

SEAN: Oh right.

Before we get to that, Dark Horse has a very interesting new title coming out: Seraphim 266613336 Wings. A collaboration between Mamoru Oshii and Satoshi Kon, I can only imagine how strange this is going to be. But also highly anticipated.

ASH: I know I’m looking forward to it!

SEAN: Kodansha has a 33rd Air Gear, which continues to be the model all other fanservice-laden roller blade manga aspire to be.

There’s the debut of Maria the Virgin Witch, which would surely have gotten more attention from me if it weren’t surrounded by Kon and Dio. The plot does not interest me, the fact that this is by the author of Moyasimon does.

ASH: That’s what interests me most, too, though I have been hearing good things about the series.

SEAN: And one of my favorite lost causes, The Wallflower, has its 34th volume. I believe the ending is actually coming soon!

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This has been out digitally since September, when I think I featured it here, but man, it deserves to be featured again. One of the most influential, over the top manga of the 20th century, we’ve seen its 3rd arc here before, but now you can see it again for the first time, in deluxe hardcover edition. I refer, of course, to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and trust me, that title is not kidding around.

ASH: I am so excited for this!!

MICHELLE: I have to admit I have never read JoJo’s, even though I’ve had the first three volumes (or, rather, the first three volumes of whatever segment of the series VIZ released) for quite a while. Maybe I would love it.

ANNA: I liked it a ton. The hardcover release is very nice, and I enjoyed all the punching, blood, and references to Aztec sacrificial practices. Also, more punching!

MJ: This seems to be the only title on the list I’m really interested in this week, but I’m *really* interested.

SEAN: One of Yen On’s February releases had to be delayed, so the sole light novel this week is the 2nd A Certain Magical Index. I should mention… it has vampires! Well, sort of. Anti-vampires. Ish?

The 2nd Ani-Imo is out, and I suspect will continue to be as edgy as the first one was. A reminder: technically shoujo manga.

There’s also a 3rd Barakamon, which is also out digitally as of this volume, for those who love digital and were bummed it wasn’t available before.

I keep wishing BTOOOM! Added a new O for every volume it gets to, but to no avail, even at Vol. 9.

MICHELLE: Ugh. I didn’t set out wanting to say “ugh” about BTOOOM!, but now that is my reflexive reaction.

SEAN: The first volume of Gou-dere Sora Nagihara was so over the top in terms of its comedy, fanservice, and general attempts to offend that I’m almost tempted to read this second volume to see if it can keep up the pace. Almost. But not quite.

High School DxD has a 4th volume. I wonder if I’d enjoy it more if the light novel were licensed?

Lastly, we have the final volume of Judge, but don’t worry, more animal-headed survival games are coming soon.

Assuming you’re doing the obvious, what else are you buying besides JoJo’s this week?

ANNA: How could anyone want to NOT buy JoJo’s, is the question!

Bookshelf Briefs 2/16/15

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

centaur5A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 5 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – This volume does a god job of balancing out the slice-of-life and the worldbuilding. ON the one hand we have chapters like the one with Kyoko and her brother, which reassures us that despite both being goat/human hybrids they’re still a typical family with rivalries and brattiness. On the other you have the last chapter, showing the history of how the centaurs gained rights, with this world’s Napoleon promising them freedom if they fight under his command. And in the middle we see Suu and her childhood friend appear to talk about manga romances not being the same as real life (she seems a bit creeped out). This series is decidedly odd, and that’s what keeps it so readable. – Sean Gaffney

foodwars4Food Wars!, Vol. 4 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – With a minimum of fanservice, and a good heaping help of classic Shonen Jump tropes, this is the best volume of Food Wars! to date. Soma’s battle with Shinomiya is really Megumi’s battle, and she shows off once again why she’s an amazing chef if she can just learn to stop panicking. But for Soma, who knows they won on a technicality, the frustration of losing leads to self-harm (don’t worry, it’s just punching a wall). And while the last volume saw Megumi on the verge of expulsion as the cliffhanger, here we see Soma in the same situation, as his breakfast menu has not gained any support. There’s also the usual bevy of eccentric characters and amusing one-shot gags, and it may just be the lack of ‘this food is making me having an orgasm’ pages, but I’ve come to love this. – Sean Gaffney

happymarriage10Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 10 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – In our final volume, most everything gets resolved. What I appreciated most was the implicit realization that both Hokuto and Chiwa married too soon, and how to fix that without simply breaking up, as they do love each other dearly. That said, they just can’t stop getting on each other’s nerves, and it’s fitting that the final chapters show off how they’re always going to be fighting each other, and have simply come to accept it. The series has existed on that sort of tension, so doesn’t just want to get rid of it with an overly soppy ending. But they’re married – again – and Chiwa may be pregnant, so all is well. The marriage parts of this were, in the end, the victor over all the ‘Hokuto’s backstory’ parts. – Sean Gaffney

honeyblood0Honey Blood: Tale Zero | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – This volume collects the first chapters of Honey Blood, where we get a previous version of the story that is a bit more humorous and improbable, and the heroine has a slightly less strong personality. I think the changes in the version for the two volume manga were for the better, but it was interesting to get a peek into the creative process involved in reworking a story for longer serialization. The volume is rounded out with some additional short stories, one featuring a tomboyish girl with a crush on an aspiring male makeup artist, and a story between a boy and girl next door that doesn’t end well. This volume is probably best for completists only, the other two volumes of Honey Blood stand on their own. While I think this series didn’t completely come together, I’d like to check out other works by Mitsuki, because I did enjoy the art and aspects of the plot. – Anna N

roseprincess2Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 2 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – I was hoping the second volume of Kiss of the Rose Princess would help me decide what to make of this series, but it’s so different from the first—introducing a villain who attacks two knights and kidnaps a third, as well as a weakening seal on the demon lord that can only be repaired with a terrible sacrifice—that I remain kind of baffled. I appreciate the more serious moments, though there is still plenty of unfunny comedy, and it’s really jarring when what could’ve been an important moment is undermined by a stupid gag. Too, I suspect either Shouoto or her editor was a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because there are a couple of plot elements that are so similar they’ve got me wondering. Still, it’s an improvement overall, and I find myself willing to stick around a bit and see where this goes. – Michelle Smith

souleater24Soul Eater, Vol. 24 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – I appreciated the reminder midway through this volume of how terrifying the series can get, as Crona’s attack on the infiltrators is something that I will likely have nightmares about. That said, even Crona can’t stop Asura from being the final big bad, and it’s up to Maka, Black*Star and Death the Kid (who has a brief comedic detour back to Earth, the best joke in the volume) and their respective weapons to stop him. We’ve only got one more volume to go, and that sounds about right, as there’s time for one last battle, Shinigami-sama’s death (which is clearly lampshaded here), and a big celebration to end it all. Soul Eater has given us a bizarre skewed shonen manga, right to the end. – Sean Gaffney

toriko26Toriko, Vol. 26 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – It’s all battles again in this new Toriko, so I have less to talk about. It was interesting to see an actual death of a named character, as Tommyrod is finished off by Sunny in a battle of the disturbing. Meanwhile, Brunch’s battle against a supposed immortal invincible character shows off how little those attributes actually mean in a manga like this. The most troubling battle goes t Toriko, who is almost killed off before revived by the sound of Komatsu crying for him (in case you hadn’t figured out he’s the heroine by now). Is he actually ready to take on Starjun? And is this the real enemy, or is there now a 3rd party gumming up the works? Man, remember when this was all about food? More food, please. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Meh?

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potmSEAN: Given that most of this weeks’ titles fill me with apathy, even the ones I actually follow (I blame the endless winter here in the Northeast), I’ll give my pick of the week to the one I’m looking forward to the most: Lucifer & The Biscuit Hammer. The first omnibus was such a great combination of cynical nihilism and action-adventure, and while I hope our hero and heroine snap out of their ‘destroy the world’ motivation, I do also hope it takes them a while.

MICHELLE: The only manga release to excite me this week is the digital debut of Boys Over Flowers: Season Two, and even that is tinged with trepidation. But I see chapter one is up now, so I shall marshal my courage and forge ahead.

ASH: I think I’m with Sean this week. I didn’t really know what to expect from the first omnibus of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, but I liked its quirkiness and at times it could be surprisingly dark. If I’m going to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what to expect from the series, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

ANNA: I’m going to have to throw in with Michelle and go for Boys Over Flowers since that is for sure the thing I am most interested in this week. I hope we see more digital shoujo releases!

MJ: I… man, I got nothin’ this week. Nothing at all. So I will take this moment to point out that Sparkler Monthly has put Off*Beat and Gauntlet on sale for Valentine’s Day—20% off their deluxe paperback sets! Sale expires on Thursday! Other than that… I got nothin’. Any suggestions from our readership?

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 2/18

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SEAN: A fairly subdued third week, with a lot of recurring series and one decidedly odd debut.

On the Kodansha side, Cage of Eden has another fanservice-tastic cover for its 17th volume, but hopefully will work in some more giant extinct animals and brushes with death as well.

And we get the final volume of over-the-top manga comedy Manga Dogs with Vol. 3.

Seven Seas has a fourth volume of Black Butl—sorry, of Devils & Realist. (Their plots aren’t all that alike, but they seem to share the same aesthetic.)

And we get a 2nd volume of superhero manga Lucifer & The Biscuit Hammer, with vols. 3 & 4. The end of the first omnibus got dark pretty fast – will we get new heroes?

ASH: I had no idea what to expect from the first omnibus, and I’m not sure where the second one will be going, but I’m rather enjoying the series’ quirkiness.

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SEAN: Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary is a new Seven Seas series that looks to combine monsters from mythology and slapstick comedy. And given it runs in Comic Ryu, I expect a lot of fanservice as well.

Vertical has a 5th volume of shonen card-battle manga Cardfight!! Vanguard (the exclamation point placement is very important).

And a 3rd Witchcraft Works, with more witches and badass heroines.

ASH: Another delightfully quirky series that I’m enjoying. The artwork is quite nice, too.

SEAN: Lastly, Viz has a 5th volume of dystopian action series Gangsta.

ASH: I’m actually behind in reading Gangsta, but I’ll definitely be picking up the new volume.

ANNA: I think I missed the fourth volume! I do really enjoy this series and am looking forward to catching up.

SEAN: Are you watching out for something this week?

MICHELLE: I am sad to say that literally nothing on this list particularly appeals to me. But! All hope is not lost, for there is more Boys Over Flowers on the horizon and that makes me cautiously happy!

MJ: I am sad to say the same. And I’m probably more skeptical about the Boys Over Flowers than Michelle is, so even that fills me with “meh.”

SEAN: Boys Over Flowers… so much influence, so many volumes, so much “WHY?!?!”

MICHELLE: I admit it has many flaws, but I love it anyway. I’m afraid season two will really suck, but that won’t keep me from checking it out anyway.

ANNA: I am super excited for this!

Pick of the Week: Magi & more

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potwMICHELLE: While I really do enjoy Say I Love You. and look forward to its sixth volume, I’ve been in a more shounen-y mood lately, and so must pick (again, and probably not for the last time) volume ten of Magi, which is, like, an adventure saga with heart.

SEAN: As for me, I only get to do it twice a year, so I will pick the 25th Hayate the Combat Butler, which still makes me laugh an awful lot, thus fulfilling its function as a comedy, and also makes me like a girl that the hero is never going to end up with, thus fulfilling its function as a harem comedy.

ANNA: I will have to go with Say I Love You. I do enjoy this series, but I’m a few volumes behind. Time to stock up!

ASH: There are several manga being released this week that I’m interested in, all the way from A to Z. (Seriously, from Ajin to Ze.) But I’m actually going to go off list for my pick and choose Netcomics. Over the last few weeks, Netcomics has been releasing much its back catalog digitally for the Kindle–including Let Dai and Black-Winged Love, some of my personal favorites–making it even easier to get into Netcomics’ comics.

MJ: I will copy Ash this week, because really, Let Dai on Kindle? Be still my heart! Netcomics has started releasing some print volumes again recently, too. More about that here soon!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 2/11

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SEAN: It’s Velentine’s Day week at Manga the Week of, and I wonder how romantic these titles are?

Ze from 801 Media has hit double digits, and is still the most popular manga among titles with two letters in them. (Sorry, ES).

MICHELLE: Tezuka’s MW: *kicks a rock*.

SEAN: I feel ashamed for forgetting about MW. All right, sorry, Ze. I have no jokes to make about you at all. Hang your head.

ASH: I was actually just thinking about Eternal Sabbath the other day…

SEAN: Dark Horse gives us more manly manga with a 4th Samurai Executioner omnibus.

A 6th volume of Say “I Love You” from Kodansha gives us more shoujo angst.

MICHELLE: Woot!

ANNA: Yay!

SEAN: And there’s a 3rd Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle omnibus as well.

MJ: I think there’s a general feeling of “ho hum” regarding this omnibus release, but I’m really happy to see it. I read this series by way of library copies and volumes borrowed from friends, and I’ve been eyeing it as a way to finally collect it for myself. So, yay!

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SEAN: Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus & Liar’s Game has been my favorite Alice spinoff, and I am sad to see it come to an end with this 7th volume.

ASH: I recently finished reading Alice in the Country of Hearts and really enjoyed it; this might actually be the spinoff I tackle next.

ANNA: I liked the main series but have never been able to get more than a couple volumes into a spinoff.

MICHELLE: Same here.

SEAN: Dragonar Academy has a 5th volume.

And we get the final volume of I Am Alice: Bodyswap in Wonderland, making this a double-Alice week.

Vertical has the 3rd volume of Ajin, which has demi-humans (are there panhumans?).

ASH: Demi-humans, pan-humans, omni-humans, in-humans, etc., etc.

SEAN: And another gritty title from Vertical, the 2nd volume of Prophecy, which continues to not feature a giant mutated bear. I suppose that’s not technically a flaw.

ASH: No, no bears, but still one of the best manga series that I’ve read lately.

SEAN: Viz has a quartet of titles, beginning with the 7th volume of Deadman Wonderland.

I reviewed Hayate the Combat Butler 25 here. Can it follow up from its recent dramatic turn?

And Magi has Vol. 10 arrive, which I anticipate will be awesome. Just a guess.

MICHELLE: And woot again!

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 6th volume of the Tiger & Bunny manga, which likely has far more BL fans than actual BL titles like Ze.

ASH: And you didn’t think you had any jokes about Ze to make!

MJ: Ha!

SEAN: That’s actually not that much romance. What looks good to you?

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 Phantom Blood Vol 1

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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 Phantom Blood, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki

I read this volume without much background in this series other than knowing that it was a huge and long-running series in Japan, has a bit of a cult following in Japan, and the books that Viz had been releasing under the shonen jump line started midway through the series. This volume goes back to the earliest story arc in the series, kicking things off with the English nobility, bloodthirsty Aztec masks, and people beating the crap out of each other.

The story kicks off in old school shonen fashion, where a scantily clad woman is sacrificed to the wearer of a mysterious stone mask who proclaims that his accessory drinks the blood of the living. Bones from the mask pierce his skull, but he’s still alive and taking on even more blood sacrifices, not worried about staining his stylish leopard skin pelt cape because he has found the secret to eternal life!

The story then skips over to England, where an evil red-haired young man offers his dying father some medicine. Dio’s father tells him a story about how he accidentally saved the life of a nobleman named Joestar when he came across the wreckage of carriage he was intending to scavenge. Brando tells Dio to go to the Joestars when he becomes orphaned, and Dio does, thus starting the torture of poor young Jonathan Joestar. Dio is immediately adopted as a second son by the Joestar family, but since he is basically the spawn of Satan and Jonathan Joestar is like a friendly naive puppy, things do not go well with the new brothers.

Dio is basically a human form of a cancer, undermining the heir to the Joestar family whenever he gets a chance. It has been a long time since I’ve read a shonen manga this manly! There are speed lines and yelling on almost every page. Jonathan and Dio engage in fistfights and boxing matches, where one blow will end up knocking a half dozen teeth into the air. Towards the end of the book the legacy of the blood drinking Aztec mask is further explored, and Jonathan finally begins to get proof of Dio’s nefarious deeds. The art is really dynamic although the proportions are often a bit off. Often one of the muscular bodies of the main characters will look like it is supporting a shrunken head. If Rob Liebefeld and Tetsuo Hara of Fist of the North Star mashed up their styles you might end up with something like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, except Araki can actually draw feet. I’m sure the art gets much better in subsequent volumes, and even though it wasn’t always to my taste I couldn’t deny the effectiveness of the energy of the many battle scenes in the manga.

As a main character, Jonathan Joestar lets himself be taken advantage of for far too long, but he does manage to battle back as shonen heroes always do. The hardcover edition is really nicely designed, with color pages shifting to further tonal pages where the black and white art is enlivened by shades of orange. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, and I do want to know what happens next, as I assume it will involve more stone mask blood drinking and face punching. I can certainly see why this is such a long-running and popular series in Japan. Recommended for those who want a major dose of testosterone in their manly manga.

Black Rose Alice Vol 3

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Black Rose Alice Volume 3 by Setona Mizushiro

I’m glad that Viz is bringing out this series now, because I never collected beyond the first couple volumes of After School Nightmare, which I really regret now. So I’m happy to be able to read another Setona Mizushiro series, and so far my expectations for a manga that is both captivating and weird have easily been met.

In the third volume of the series Alice and her vampire suitors have established a daily life revolving around tasty desserts, with occasional vampire feedings and some light jealous bickering here and there. The stakes for who will procreate with Alice are much higher though, as Leo’s afterlife is about to run out. Leo and Alice always have had a bit more of a natural friendship compared to the other vampires in the house, and now Leo’s courtship of Alice is kicked into high gear by the knowledge of his impending death. Alice likes Leo very much, but she isn’t sure if he’s the one vampire she wants to choose.

In the meantime, Leo strikes up an acquaintance with a novelist who has a terminal disease, and offers her some vampire aid in order to help her finish her last novel. There are obvious parallels between their situations, as the novelist wants to finish one last work, and Leo has to procreate with Alice or he’ll disappear forever. Maximilian and the twins are concerned about Leo, but he forbids them to tell Alice of his impending death, because he doesn’t want to influence her decision.

Maximilian is devastated when Leo calmly faces his own death, but Leo says that he wouldn’t do anything differently and forbids Maximilian from telling Alice the truth. The tonal shifts of this series are really interesting. Each volume seems to be expressing a different main emotion, and the third is a shift away from the kooky slice of life vampire reverse harem scenario that was unfolding in the second volume. There’s sadness and regret in this volume, along with an increasing urgency on the part of the vampires to proceed with their campaign to get Alice to choose them. All along, Mizushiro’s clear and delicate artwork mixes with the elements of body horror that unfold in the manga to create a general feeling of unease and surreality as the story continues. This has got to be one of the oddest shoujo series currently coming out, and it is rapidly becoming my favorite!

Bookshelf Briefs 2/2/15

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This week, Sean, MJ, & Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media, Digital Manga Publishing, and Yen Press.

happymarriage10Happy Marriage?! Vol. 10 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – My favorite moments in this series always occurred when mismatched couple Hokuto and Chiwa had an “us against the world” attitude towards their various trials and tribulations, so I was happy to see that there were some great moments where they supported each other in the final volume of this series. Hokuto deals with the inexplicable violent attacks and family plots by temporarily divorcing Chiwa, saying that he wants to start over with a new marriage once his family situation gets sorted out. Chiwa marches in to confront the Mamiya clan, and Hokuto makes his family confront some unpleasant truths. The volume ends as happily as one would expect from a couple who makes a habit of fighting and making up all the time. I thought some of the later volumes in this series were a bit thin, but everything is now nicely wrapped up. Overall, I enjoyed this series and would be interested in checking out some of Enjoji’s other works. – Anna N.

hentaiprinceThe Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat, Vol. 3 | By Okomeken, Sou Sagara and Kantoku | Digital Manga Publishing – The resolution of the Tsukushi plotline is the weakest part of this volume – the buildup was great, showing Tsukushi trying to push her sister away despite her clearly loving her. We even get the classic ‘hero gets so angry at character he punched them’, only what with Yoto being who he is, that goes very badly indeed. It’s just the denouement that’s the problem, where Tsukushi reveals she wants to go to America so that she can legally marry her sister – seemingly unaware that lesbian incest would still be illegal. It’s played entirely for laughs, and didn’t work for me at all. Oh well, at least the relationship between Yoto and Tsukiko is cute and heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

inuxboku6Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 6 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – Reincarnation can be a pain in the ass to deal with, whether you remember your past life or not. Watanuki already had issues with being weak and not wanting to be protected before, but now that Carta, his crush, is 5 years older than him, as well as much taller and more mature, he simply can’t deal with it. Meanwhile, Carta thinks that he’s pushing her away as he hates her. Then there’s Ririchiyo, who DOESN’T remember her past yet, and everyone comments on how much pain this is causing Soushi. Honestly, Soushi is so good at hiding who he really is that this is debatable, but that’s partly the point. Ririchiyo can’t figure him out and neither can we. She does get her memory back, so we’ll see how things go next time. – Sean Gaffney

haruhi-chan9The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan, Vol. 9 | By Puyo, Nagaru Tanigawa and Noizi Ito | Yen Press – This being a gag manga, it’s difficult to move the story along as such, because there really isn’t one. But the plot does advance along with the original Haruhi LNs, and so Yasumi is now in the SOS Brigade, even if no attempt is made to show off the real aspect of her identity. It allows for another character to bounce off of, and Yasumi is fun. The more interesting development, though, may be Kyon finally seeing chibi-Asakura, and the two of them being strangely accepting of each other – indeed, only Kyon seems to understand her desire to be a shopkeeper. As that last sentence might suggests, Haruhi-chan’s strength remains its gags. Get it for those. – Sean Gaffney

pandorahearts22Pandora Hearts, Vol. 22 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – In a series as tense and tumultuous as Pandora Hearts, it can probably be assumed that the series’ penultimate volume would be particularly so. And, in fact, this is the case. Still, I’m not sure I was fully prepared for just how anxiety-inducing this volume would actually be for me, and those who know me well can probably guess that the source of this angst can be boiled down to two simple words: Xerxes Break. The volume opens with the most gloriously Break-y chapter a fan could wish for, and continues largely in this vein to the end (though there’s plenty of Ada, Vincent, and Echo awesomeness to be enjoyed as well). It’s an extra-long volume, which I dearly hope will be the case for the series’ finale, which has not yet been completed. Oh, Pandora Hearts, sweet Pandora Hearts, your promises are many. I desperately hope you’ll keep them. Eagerly awaiting this story’s conclusion. – MJ

spellofdesire3Spell of Desire, Vol. 3 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – It’s surprising, perhaps, that I’m still following Spell of Desire, after openly admitting how weary I’ve become of its timeworn premise and tropes. And this volume stays true to form. There’s some plot here, regarding heroine Kauruko’s official entry into the coven of black witches and the consequences of such for both her and her standard supernatural love interest, Kaname. But the truth is, this volume is mostly sex. Caught up in a desperate ritual, Kauruko loses her virginity to Kaname early in the volume, followed by much more of the same, accompanied by the familiar pattern of repeated declarations of devotion/ownership alternating with worry/guilt. It’s all in the spirit of trashy josei fun, of course, but there’s not quite enough plot in this volume to be engaging beyond basic smut value. Maybe next time? – MJ

voiceover9Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 9 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – You can tell we’re getting near to the end of this series. The romance is starting to return to the fore, both in Senri’s utter inability to see what Shiro is to him, his discovering Shiro is also a voice actor, and Mizuki stepping up his game to get Hime to see how he feels about her, even if that may mean sabotaging what she has with Senri as “Shiro”. I’ll be honest, we’ve been following Shiro’s adventures for so long that even I was startled to see Hime in her normal hair-down state. I suspect the next volume will be a giant pile of disasters, and though I’m sure it will all end well I do wonder if a scandal may intrude. That said, Minami’s strengths are shown here – her flair for comedy and her overly happy lead. – Sean Gaffney