Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Manga the Week of 3/25

by , , , and 4 Comments

SEAN: Oh dear.

First off, it may not be in stores yet, but Kickstarter backers have gotten their two volumes of Tezuka’s Captain Ken from DMP. One of his early 60s shonen series (though, as with most of his series for kids, there are darker undertones), it’s complete in 2 volumes.

Kodansha stuff next. Air Gear 33. Roller blading! Pretty girls! Um…

Genshiken 2nd Season has its 6th volume out. The old cast has been slowly infiltrating the new series, even after graduation. Will this continue to be the Madarame Harem Show?

ASH: I’m a bit behind in this series, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

sankarea11

SEAN: Sankarea comes to an end with its 11th volume. Will all end well, like a good romantic comedy? Or will everything go horribly wrong, like a good horror manga?

And Ken Akamatsu gives us a 4th volume of Negima sorta-sequel UQ Holder.

Ponent Mon has the 5th and final volume of Summit of the Gods, for those who enjoy manly seinen mountain climbing manga. As everyone should.

ASH: I am absolutely thrilled to have this entire series in English.

MJ: This, yes, this!

SEAN: Alice in the Country of Joker’s Nightmare Trilogy comes to an end with, appropriately, Vol. 3. Will Alice and Nightmare find happiness? Can they overcome obstacles? Can they overcome the poor artwork? Will this have half a volume of short stories and Crimson Empire at the end of it? Is Alice in the Country of Hearts the new vampires? Can Heironymus Merkin ever forget Mercy Humppe and find true happiness?

MICHELLE: I would be very proud of myself if I caught this reference, but alas.

SEAN: The rest of this list is Yen, despite us being nowhere near the end. Let’s start with the Yen On imprint, as they have the 3rd Accel World light novel.

MJ: I’ve fallen behind on this, but I’m looking forward to catching up.

SEAN: I tend to forget about all of Yen’s Kingdom Hearts manga releases, but they’re big hits, and now Yen On has Kingdom Hearts: The Novel.

Sword Art Online: Progressive is not just a reboot of the series with an added focus on the world of Aincrad and more POV for heroine Asuna, it’s also huge – this first volume is much longer than Yen On’s other SAO books.

MJ: Yes!

SEAN: Not only do we have the 3rd Accel World novel, but also the 3rd Accel World manga.

elhamburg

Did you like Olympos? Or at least think it was really pretty? The same author’s Angel of Elhamburg is out next week. I do enjoy josei, especially from Shodensha, but I have a feeling this will be a Depressing-O-Rama.

ASH: Pretty and depressing? I’m in.

MJ: Sounds like my cup of tea.

SEAN: Given we’ve had eight volumes of Are You Alice? and it’s still not over, I fear we’re asking the wrong question. Perhaps Why Is Alice? Or How Is Alice? Does Alice Live Here Anymore?

Big Hero 6 is not only an Oscar-winning film, it’s also a manga, with Kodansha putting out the first (only?) volume next week.

Bloody Cross has a 6th volume out as well.

MICHELLE: Already?! Man, time flies.

SEAN: I made fun of Demon From Afar’s first volume for pretending to be something other than a Kaori Yuki manga till the blood-filled cliffhanger when we see no, it is a Kaori Yuki manga. I anticipate Vol. 2 will be darker.

MJ: Aaaaah, hm.

SEAN: Finally… no, just kidding, we’re still nowhere near finally. Next, we have the debut of another light novel/manga combo license, with the manga coming first. The Devil Is A Part-Timer! has Satan working in a fast-food joint,so I suspect ‘lighthearted’ is the order of the day.

ASH: The anime adaptation was actually pretty entertaining; I’m looking forward to checking out the original novels.

SEAN: Just in time for the anime adaptation that starts in April, here’s a 7th volume of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan. Hope you like heartwarming!

I’ve been mocking the glut of vampire manga lately, so it’s only fair to say I quite enjoyed He’s My Only Vampire, and am looking forward to this 2nd volume.

karneval1

Karneval is the omnibus release of the week for Yen, covering the first two volumes. It came out from Ichijinsha’s Zero-Sum, which is sort of the GFantasy of their company, i.e. a shonen/shoujo/josei/fantasy blend. It also features circus folks! Ha, bet you thought I’d say vampires.

MJ: You had me at “Zero-Sum.”

ANNA: Oh! This wasn’t on my radar before, but I am interested now!

SEAN: Another light novel/manga license where the manga comes a month early, Log Horizon features a group of MMORPG players startled to find themselves inside the game they’re playing. I would say it sounds like it’s for fans of Sword Art Online, but from what I hear the fandoms actually have a rivalry going on.

MJ: Heh, interesting.

SEAN: A second volume of Love at Fourteen is right up my alley after this influx of fantasy and supernatural titles we’re seeing.

MICHELLE: This is literally the one thing on this list that makes me personally go “Ooh!”

MJ: Yes, yes!

SEAN: If you wanted more from the spinoff Puella Magi Oriko Magica, then Yen has an Extra Story for you.

The end! The final volume of Soul Eater, one of my favorite recent shonen titles. I will miss your surreal art and exciting battles.

Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance has its manga reach its exciting conclusion, but, spoiler, still has the stupid birdcage.

Lastly (really this time), there’s a 9th volume of Triage X, which (checks cover art) is still Triage X.

Does something here excite you? Or are you seeing this pile, throwing up your hands, and going back to bed instead?

Bookshelf Briefs 3/18/15

by , and Leave a Comment

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

d-frag4D-Frag!, Vol. 4 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – This volume introduces the little sister of the protagonist, but fear not, for once we have no incest subtext. Instead we get some more excellent comedy, mostly as Noe turns out to be almost a carbon copy of Kazama – she too is a tsukkomi to all these bokes around her. Her presence also revitalizes Sakura, who shows off more of her magnificent troll personality here (probably to the surprise of anime fans, as the anime cut most of her out). There’s also a lot of opportunity for physical comedy, a small amount of romance (as always, kept on the back burner), and more gags about the size of Takao’s chest. Comedy is the first and most important mission with this series, and it keeps delivering. – Sean Gaffney

kiss3Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – Kiss of the Rose Princess seems to change direction with every volume. The first one seemed more like a goofy fantasy manga, the second took a detour into darker themes, and the third volume seems to be launching into some sort of odd Cardcaptor Sakura retread. Anise and her rose knights say what I’m guessing is a temporary farewell to the yellow rose of jealousy, but things get more complicated at school when Anise’s mysteriously possibly evil father installs himself as the new school doctor. Anise has to go on a quest to collect more cards to level up her powers, and the sudden presence of young male celebrities at school is certain to complicate things even further. I am finding myself more bemused then amused by this manga, but at the same time it is plenty diverting if I don’t think about it too hard. – Anna N

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – While Kiss of the Rose Princess is still far from the best or most original series I’ve ever read, I do have to admit that it’s growing on me a little. In this volume, Anise makes a “true contract” with her knights without knowing what it entails. Turns out, she will need to romance one of them so that he will achieve his ultimate power-up as a knight. Meanwhile, her Watcher dude announces that it’s her responsibility to collect some “Arcana Cards” that are the manifestations of shards of the seal. Enemies—who apparently politely waited for Anise to learn about the cards’ existence—are going to be after them, too. So, it’s like a dating sim crossed with Cardcaptor Sakura? That’s not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose, and I am intrigued by the block on Mutsuki’s memories, so I’ll probably stick around a little while longer. – Michelle Smith

librarywars13Library Wars, Vol 13 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa | Viz Media – Having built up plenty of anti-censorship principles and budding romances in the first few volumes, reading a new volume of this series feels a bit like catching up with old friends. Iku and Dojo continue to be a wonderful example of an awkwardly adorable couple. Chief Genda is back and semi-recovered from his injuries, and the reader gets a chance to check in on Komaki and Marie. The Library Forces are defending an embattled author, and Iku actually manages to come up with a brilliant strategy for ensuring his freedom of expression amidst all the odd warring censorship battles raging in Japan. This volume is on the light side, with plenty of victories to celebrate with some humorous bits of character interaction along the way. I think we’re pretty close to getting caught up with the Japanese releases, and I’m not looking forward to a long wait for the next volume. – Anna N

Nisekoi8Nisekoi, Vol. 8 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – I’ve talked often about Nisekoi’s amazing skill at preserving the ‘balanced harem’. This doesn’t mean we don’t know how it will end – we know Chitoge will win – but that a mostly equal amount of time is set off to show every girl’s viewpoint and thoughts. Last volume was overbalanced toward Chitoge for plot reasons, so this one skews the other way, with Valentine’s Day providing an excuse for Onodera, Marika and Tsugumi to show off their skills (or lack thereof) and quest to try to get Raku to make a choice. Even a highly comedic character like Marika and her life-sized chocolate statues don’t get devalued – she pauses to seriously note how real her love for Raku is. This remains one of my favorite romantic comedy manga. – Sean Gaffney

oresama18Oresama Teacher, Vol. 18 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – After a couple of comedic chapters in which Mafuyu participates in summer vacation standards like a test of courage and a trip to the beach (I love that most of the guys are oblivious to her bikini), a new semester starts and plot things actually happen! After abducting their enemy, student council president Hanabusa, at his urging, Mafuyu begins to suspect that he’s not actually working on his father’s side in the bet against Takaomi, but perhaps has a wager of his own. Could it involve rehabilitating the misfits he drafted onto the council? The most interesting stuff, though, involves Hayasaka, as Hanabusa suggests he would’ve picked him for the council had Mafuyu not come along, while Momochi seems to be systematically erasing his happy memories with the Public Morals Club. Things are getting interesting and I’m looking forward to volume 19 to see how they develop! – Michelle Smith

rin-ne17Rin-Ne, Vol. 17 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – You know things are bad when not only can you not figure out what to say about a book to fill up a 500-word review, but it’s even hard to come up with enough for one of these briefs. Rin-Ne excels when it ties back into its main plot, but sadly, none of Vol. 17 bothers to do that. Yes, Rinne’s dad shows up, and we get the shyster brother and sister, but for the most part Rin-Ne has a very Urusei Yatsura feel to it – what’s the supernatural disaster of the chapter that will cause humorous chaos? Which is fine when Ataru and Lum are the leads, but Rinne and Sakura simply don’t have the charisma to carry it off. More plot, please!. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Late. Late.

by , , , and Leave a Comment

potwMICHELLE: Even though I must admit that I haven’t gotten around to reading volume one of Master Keaton yet, I’m still gonna pick volume two this week, because Naoki Urasawa is involved and I like his stuff.

ASH: Another week, another batch of interesting manga. But I’ll admit, the release that I’m most curious about technically isn’t manga. Fumio Obata is an artist who was born and raised in Japan but who currently lives and works in the United Kingdom. I believe Just So Happens may be his first North American release, but the pages I’ve seen of it are beautiful.

SEAN: I’m fairly uninspired for this week, but will go for the third volume of Kokoro Connect from Seven Seas. The first two volumes impressed me in their realistic look at teenage hangups and worries, but the third takes a decidedly darker turn, and I was really surprised. Manga that surprise the reader these days should be cherished.

ANNA: I’ll also have to pick the second volume of Master Keaton. I’m hoping to dig into it this week!

MJ: I’m on board for Master Keaton and I admit a little curiosity regarding Servamp, but I think I’m with Ash this week. Just so Happens sounds pretty terrific.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 3/18

by , , , and 3 Comments

SEAN: Enjoy this last mild week of manga, before March 25’s apocalyptic deluge.

justsohappens

Starting off, we have not a manga per se, but something that deserves attention nonetheless. Just So Happens is coming out from Abrams as a graphic novel, and details a Japanese woman who lives in London but has to return to Japan for a funeral. Early reviews are excellent.

ASH: Oh, I’m glad you mentioned this! The previews I’ve seen look great.

MJ: Wow, this does look interesting.

SEAN: We’re at the 2nd to last volume of Oh My Goddess! from Dark Horse, and I still can’t quite believe I’m typing that.

Attack on Titan has its 15th volume come out from Kodansha, even as the first volume remains in the NYT bestseller lists.

And My Little Monster hits Vol. 7, even as it seems to have hit a sort of angst holding pattern.

ASH: I do like the quirky cast of characters, but I hope to see a bit more story development with this volume.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen a few volumes behind on this one, I’m afraid.

SEAN: There’s also a 7th volume of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Kokoro Connect has rapidly developed into an excellent title for me, and I’m pleased to see Seven Seas has the third one out next week.

servamp1

Servamp is the debut volume of the week. It runs in Media Factory’s oddball shoujo magazine Comic Gene and, obviously, has vampires – a whole pile of them. The artist is known for BL, but there’s not much tease in the first volume, which I reviewed here.

ASH: I know quite a few people who are excited for Servamp; I may have to give it a look despite being a little tired of vampires.

MICHELLE: I definitely have vampire fatigue. Especially vampires who fall in love with teenagers.

ANNA: Even I have a touch of vampire fatigue.

SEAN: And another Strike Witches spinoff comes to an end with the 2nd One-Winged Witches.

Viz has its second Master Keaton volume, with more exciting insurance action and inept interpersonal relations.

ASH: Hooray for more Urasawa (et al.)!

MICHELLE: Definitely looking forward to this one!

MJ: Same!

ANNA: I liked some chapters of the first volume better than others, but you really can’t go wrong with Urasawa.

SEAN: A 3rd Resident Evil will give you all your horror needs.

Unless your horror needs are filled by a 5th Terra Formars.

ASH: Still not a fan of the roach design, but the over-the-top fight sequences are pretty great.

SEAN: Any choice purchases next week?

Tempted by Viz Digital Bundles

by

The bundles Viz has been running recently for digital manga are great deals! In many cases previously I’ve already had the print manga for the featured bundles, so I haven’t taken advantage of them. I forgot to get in on the One Piece bundle that was available before, but there are some great bundles currently available that I’m about to buy.

Cross Manage – I haven’t heard much of Cross Manage before, but $10 for a sports manga seems like a great bargain to me!

Claymore Vols 1-10 – I have a few scattered print volumes of Claymore, and I enjoyed reading the first three volumes of this series. $20 for a solid shonen fantasy manga is a great deal, and I’m probably going to buy this for myself.

10 volumes of Nana is a crazy deal for some great manga! I would totally be buying this if I hadn’t collected all the print volumes as they were coming out.

I also own all of Biomega already, but this is a wonderfully illustrated series that features a talking bear with a machine gun. Lovely art and action sequences. If you have to buy only one manga that features a talking bear with a machine gun, buy this one!

There are some other great sampler bundles for you to check out a variety of first volumes.

Bookshelf Briefs 3/10/15

by , and Leave a Comment

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

happymarriage10Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 10 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – After being stabbed protecting Hokuto from an assailant, Chiwa drags her feet on showing her husband the letter his late father had delivered to her after his funeral. Eventually, the truth comes out and, to protect Chiwa from family machinations, Hokuto proposes a divorce, after which he promptly disappears. It was a foregone conclusion that this series would end with a happily ever after, so though there is angst here, there is no sense of urgency. Even the revelation of who was behind the attempt on Hokuto’s life (and the death of his mother) is completely ho-hum, though I guess I appreciate that the guilty party’s motivations made sense. Plot isn’t the point of a series like this, anyway. If you enjoyed previous volumes of Happy Marriage?!, this conclusion (however inevitable) is still worth checking out. – Michelle Smith

honeyblood0Honey Blood: Tale 0 | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – Even though I am so over stories in which immortal men fall in love with teenage girls, I did like the bittersweet aspect of Honey Blood‘s ending, so I appreciate the opportunity to read the three one-shot stories that preceded the serialized version. The things that bugged me are still present, but so too is the acknowledgment that the couple is basically doomed for a dark future. Two unrelated stories round out the volume: one about a pair of childhood friends who wait too long to confess their feelings, and the other about a tomboy who feels like she needs to completely transform herself (physically and behaviorally) in order to attract the boy she likes. That’s a horrible message, obviously, but it was kind of cute, too. In the end, Mitsuki did some intriguing things with some stock concepts, and I hope we see more from her in the future. – Michelle Smith

kamisama17Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 17 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – We’ve finally cone to the end of the ‘past’ storyline, and Nanami has done most everything she needs to do. As a result, much of this volume is simply seeing the results of her past meddling, as it affects the important players: Tomoe, Yukiji, and Akura-Oh. After that, we finally get to see the fruits of her labors, even if it requires a brief detour to 20 years ago so that Mikage knows that she’s the one who is able to save Tomoe where he can’t. And the payoff is beautiful, something that fans of this series have been waiting for since it began. I’d be happy if it ended here, but there’s plenty more to go in Japan (Vol. 21 is due out next month), so instead let’s go out on both Nanami and Yukiji’s ecstatic faces for now. – Sean Gaffney

seraph-4Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 4 | by Takaya Kagami, Yamato Yamamoto, and Daisuke Furuya | Viz Media – I continue to be impressed with the amount of worldbuilding and character development on display in this action packed manga about the last dregs of humanity turning to demonically infused weapons to fight off vampires in a futuristic dystopia. After the adopted brothers Yu and Mika found their paths diverging, with one joining a group of vampire hunters and the other becoming a vampire, the inevitable confrontation occurred in this volume, and the results were so intriguing. Mika sees Yu being used by vampire hunters and Yu vows to save Mika from his new vampire family. The opposing groups are neither good or bad, and with some interesting facts being divulged about Yu’s chosen side, I’m very interested to see where this story is heading next. – Anna N

wallflower34The Wallflower, Vol. 34 | By Tomoko Hayakawa | Kodansha Comics – Even after 34 volumes, the core message of The Wallflower has been fairly consistent, albeit occasionally abused for the sake of comedy. ‘Don’t make yourself into something you’re not because of anyone’s opinion’ drives this series, and Sunako’s consistent inability to become ‘the lady’ her aunt wants is due to this. In this volume, we see the tomboyish Machiko get told her relationship with Yuki isn’t romantic enough, and a lonely spoiled brat learning that it is possible to have fun like a normal child and that her grandfather really does love her. As for Kyohei and Sunako, that takes a back seat here, but given the manga is wrapping up soon, I imagine that the next volume will take care of that. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Requiem of the Rose King

by , , , and 1 Comment

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

by , , , and Leave a Comment

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.

d-frag4

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.

rrk1

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

by

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!

by , , , and Leave a Comment

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

by , , , and 1 Comment

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

mm6

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.

nisekoi8

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

by , , , and 1 Comment

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

by , , , and 1 Comment

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!

jojo1

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

by , and Leave a Comment

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?

by , , , and 6 Comments

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?