Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

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

Pick of the Week: Variety

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potwSEAN: It’s a last volume, so what the heck: I’ll make Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan my pick for this week. When it started, it was all about ‘how can this quarter yokai boy who’s heir to the night parade of demons possibly hide his identity at school?’. That got thrown out after about half a volume, and progressed, as most Jump series to, to bigger and bigger battles. Still, it was surprisingly entertaining, I really loved watching Tsurara try to get her man (and mostly fail). I’ll miss it.

MICHELLE: My pick of the week, the fifth 3-in-1 omnibus of High School Debut is essentially my manga BFF. Cue internal montage of the two of us going on a shopping spree, trying on fancy hats at some snooty boutique, and then later laughing together over our salads. Possibly some frozen yogurt would figure in, as well.

ANNA: There is a ton of good manga coming out this week! I think I’m going to have to go with the second volume of Assassination Classroom. I wonder what murderous jokes about alien tentacles the second volume will serve up!

ASH: Okay, so I know Sean tried to convince us that we weren’t allowed to choose Black Rose Alice two weeks in a row, but I didn’t pick it last week and it really is the manga that I’m most excited for. So far the series has been marvelously creepy and disconcerting; I’m very curious to see where it goes.

MJ: I admit I don’t really have a real pick this week, so I’ll go off list and highlight a digital offering that is currently free to read online. That would be Kaiju’s The Ring of Saturn, which I reviewed here over the weekend. Intertwining the reality of emotional growing pains with the music of Gustav Holst, it’s a quick but satisfying read that leaves readers with a lot to think about. If you’re stuck home in the snow like a bunch of us are today, why not check out this digital goodness?

What looks good to you this week?

Spell of Desire Vol 3

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Spell of Desire Volume 3 by Tomu Ohmi

Well, there have been plenty of suggestive scenes in the first couple volumes of Spell of Desire, but finally in the third volume accidental witch Kaoruko and her mother’s favored protector Kaname get it on, due to witchy aphrodisiacs, necessary spell casting, and their growing yet not fully acknowledged feelings for each other! What more would a reader want in a josei paranormal romance?

Kaoruko has been delivered to the coven, and they decide it is necessary for her to fully become a black witch in order for her to gain some control over her powers. Black witches can’t be virgins, so they’ve decided to set Kaoruko up with an incubus in order for her to start down the path towards black magic. Kaoruko is drugged into compliance, but she’s still not cool with the idea of being with anyone but Kaname, and fortunately her knight protector decides to intervene in the ritual deflowering, breaking several rules in the process.

Kaname and Kaoruko end up seeking refuge in a house in the woods owned by an impressive looking white wolf (this is a crossover appearance with a character from a series that hasn’t been translated into English yet), and Kaoruko learns a bit more about Kaname’s background and why he’s so devoted to her mother. As always in this series, Kaname’s commitment to the Witch Queen causes Kaoruko to have doubts about their future. When the couple return to the coven, Kaoruko meets more of her mother’s knights, and Kaname is punished horribly. Kaoruko is determined to learn more about witchcraft so she can protect him.

A bunch of new characters get introduced in this volume, and the plot grows more complex as Kaoruko starts to learn more about the differences between white and black magic. It’ll be interesting to see what she can accomplish once she’s fully in command of her powers. I continue to enjoy Ohmi’s art, and I enjoy the way Kaoruko’s power still manifests as vine-like tendrils that curve around the panels of the manga. This series is only 5 volumes long, and this volume served as an effective middle volume, showing Kaoruko about to start gathering more knowledge and power. I recommend this series for any fans of paranormal romance manga!

Manga the Week of 2/4

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SEAN: Did you enjoy your quiet month? Good, cause February is back to business as usual, and every week has some chunky bites of manga. Let’s look at next week. FYI, Diamond Comics has every Viz title coming out 1-2 weeks earlier than usual, for some reason – I’m ignoring that. And JoJo’s was delayed.

ASH: Oh, no! JoJoooooo!

ANNA: I do not approve of this.

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SEAN: Dark Horse has the 7th Blood Blockade Battlefront, which I understand has an anime coming out soon.

Seven Seas gives us a 5th volume of oddball slice-of-A Centaur’s Life.

And the 10th volume of Haganai, whose cast still doesn’t have many friends.

The rest is all Viz. We have a new Assassination Classroom, filled with attempted death and heartwarming lessons.

ANNA: Bring it on!

SEAN: We have a 3rd volume of Black Rose Alice, and I’d like to remind the Manga Bookshelf team that they can’t pick it two weeks in a row. :)

MICHELLE: I won’t, but I am still super happy to see it!

ASH: I’m happy to see it, too!

ANNA: I might pick it again! You can’t stop me!

MJ: Heh. I didn’t pick it last time, so it’s up for grabs!

SEAN: Bleach 63 features, I’m guessing, fights.

Food Wars 4 also features fights, but of a culinary kind. Save the Megumi!

MICHELLE: I have developed a serious fondness for Food Wars.

ANNA: I do not yet have a serious fondness, but I like it much more than I expected to.

SEAN: The 10th and final volume of Happy Marriage?! wraps up next week. It’s been a very up and down series, but overall I’ve enjoyed it.

MICHELLE: It’s not something I can picture myself rereading, but it has been entertaining.

ANNA: Me too. I’m glad to have read it, but I don’t think I’ll be rereading it.

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SEAN: High School Debut has its 5th and final omnibus. The big news is that it has lots of material that never came out in print before – I believe Vols. 14 and 15 are unique to this volume! It’s also print-only, so go get it.

MICHELLE: !!!!!!!!!!!!1 (Heh, I swear that typing that 1 was legitimately an accident, but I’m leavin’ it!)

ANNA: Woah! I’ve got to pick this up!

MJ: Ooooooooooh.

SEAN: If you thought Honey Blood was over last time, well… it was. But Tale Zero is an epilogue, or prologue, or pilot. Or something? In any case, this is the last Honey Blood-related product.

MICHELLE: I have a vague memory of one of the author’s note sections during the series proper mentioning that this would contain the original oneshot. Not sure about that, though.

ANNA: I’d like to see more from this author eventually.

SEAN: We have the 25th and final volume of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. I enjoyed this a lot more than I’d expected, and probably more than it really deserved, but way to go, mid-range Shonen Jump title. You were licensed when many other 20-30 volume Jump series were not.

One Piece has its 11th omnibus. It’s in Water Seven now, one of its best arcs.

Spell of Desire hits Vol. 3, and I hope manages to resolve the rather icky cliffhanger Vol. 2 left us with.

Voice Over has its 9th volume, and seems to be slowly, very slowly, meandering towards its climax.

MICHELLE: Here’s another title I’ve grown to love unexpectedly.

MJ: I need to check back in with this series.

SEAN: World Trigger has Vol. 4, and is another on the list of ‘series I should know more about’.

Did you miss Yu-Gi-Oh! the first time around? Here’s an omnibus to catch up on.

And Yu-Go-Oh Zexal 6 gives you more Yu-Gi-Oh than human nature can possibly stand.

There’s a lot of ‘meat and potatoes’ shonen and shoujo here. What suits your fancy?

Pick of the Week: Third Volumes

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potwMJ: Okay, I’ll admit there’s not a lot calling to me this week, but I can express genuine enthusiasm for the third omnibus of Whispered Words, apparently shipping this week from One Peace. This is a really charming story, and I’m so happy to see it—and specifically happy to see it coming from One Peace, who tend to fly under the radar of a lot of fans. I’m hoping this release has made a decent splash for them. It certainly should have. This is a title that should not be missed.

MICHELLE: Since MJhas campaigned so ably for Whispered Words and because I already know what my pick is going to be next week (I’ve only been waiting for it for years!), I thought I would instead highlight something else coming out next week, which would be the third volume of Black Rose Alice. Combining a unique spin on vampires with adept storytelling and compelling characters, this series really isn’t to be missed!

ASH: I’m right there with MJthis week. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of Whispered Words and am very glad that the series was released in English! (And that the editing seems to have improved since the first omnibus.)

ANNA: I’ll have to go for the third volume of Black Rose Alice too. It really is one of the more unique shoujo titles currently coming out.

SEAN: Whispered Words all the way for me.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 1/28

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SEAN: The final week of January, and a quiet, peaceful time for books. After last week, that’s a relief.

(Note: Diamond Comics is shipping some Viz stuff to me 1-2 weeks early; I’m assuming that’s them and going with the official release dates, so they’ll be in upcoming posts. I’m also getting Soul Eater late. Diamond gonna Diamond.)

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Dark Horse has the 34th volume of Gantz, which despite my occasional mockery has done very well for them, as can be seen by their license of another series by the same author. Still no HEN, though. Or even Hen.

Kodansha has a new Fairy Tail, the 46th. After this one, we go from monthly to bimonthly, so the Fairy Tail catchup seems to have finally slowed down. Kudos to all who stayed caught up.

MICHELLE: Which wasn’t me!

SEAN: I didn’t think Whispered Words’ 3rd omnibus was coming out from One Peace books till late March, but it was shipped to me last week, so yay for early bird releases. I’ve already reviewed it here.

ASH: My copy arrived early, too! I’m looking forward to finishing the series.

MJ: This is definitely something to look forward to!

MICHELLE: I haven’t checked back in with this title since the first omnibus, so an early conclusion is definitely an incentive.

SEAN: One Peace also has the 3rd through 5th volumes of Raqiya also coming out, which I believe completes the series.

ASH: It does indeed.

SEAN: Lastly, Diamond Comics has started shipping print copies of the final volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion, so even though I highlighted in in November when it came out digitally I will mention it again here.

Do you see something here you want? Or are you taking the week off?

ANNA: I’m taking the week off! More of an opportunity to make some headway with all the stacks of unread manga piled up in my house.

Master Keaton Volume 1 Giveaway!

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I have an extra copy of Master Keaton, so I’m going to give it away!

Leave a comment with the profession you would use as your back-up job while spending most of your time globetrotting on action-packed insurance investigations!

Professor? Etsy Crafter? Bike messenger? Foghat roadie??

Contest will be open for one week!

US residents only please.

Commenter #5, Angel won the giveaway! Stay tuned for another giveaway soon!

Master Keaton Vol 1

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Master Keaton Volume 1 by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, and Hokusei Katsushika

I don’t have the best track record of finishing Naoki Urasawa series. I own all of 20th Century Boys and mean to read it all the way through again. I’ve checked out a couple volumes of Pluto and the first few volumes of Monster. One of these days I will finish an Urasawa series! This failing on my part didn’t stop me from trying out Master Keaton, and I enjoyed the first volume, even though there were a few aspects of the manga that didn’t quite come together for me.

Taichi Hiraga Keaton is a half Japanese half British archaeologist, apathetic professor, and insurance investigator with a unique set of survival skills due to his background in the SAS. He bounces between giving lectures and handling cases for Lloyd’s of London. Many reviewers have referred to Keaton as a mash-up between Indiana Jones and Macgyver, and that’s a good way to sum up the series. Keaton seems to have a bit more inner turmoil than a action hero though, and that’s what makes this series entertaining. We’re introduced to Keaton when a man named Leon Pappas with a substantial life insurance policy dies in Greece. Keaton is dispatched to investigate the murder, but he only has a certain number of days he can allocate to the task, since he has to get back into the classroom the following week.

Keaton’s sensitivity towards antiquities and his excellence in creating weapons out of random kitchen implements are showcased in this story, as he uncovers more facts about the subject of his investigation when he meets Pappa’s girlfriend and manages to fend off some unscrupulous and armed business associates. The rest of the volume is a bit meandering, as different chapters have Keaton explore new mysteries, deal with his teenage daughter, and confront a significant figure from his own past. Aspects of the story here and there are a bit didactic, as the reader is informed about illegal weapons trade, aspects of art forgery, desert survival tactics, and the opium trade. I enjoyed the way the manga skipped around from topic to topic, but I generally enjoy manga with infodumps more when there is some genuine enthusiasm behind conveying all the information. I would happily read chapters upon chapters of a Fumi Yoshinaga where the characters discuss nuances of vegetable chopping, but in Master Keaton I have to admit I found my attention wandering at times.

Keaton’s personality is so reserved and unaffected for the most part. He tends to create a random gadget that saves the day very casually, which is amusing, but it is difficult to see how his adventures are having any impact on him personally. I was glad when his daughter showed up and drew him into an adventure protecting an archeological site, and Keaton’s odd reflexive anxiety about his ex-wife getting married again hints at some deeper emotions. While Urasawa’s art isn’t as polished as his later works, the character designs are all unique and enjoyable and the action scenes are all capably handled. Early Urasawa art is way above the quality of what most artists could aspire to. The over ized deluxe signature edition is really nice, with color pages and a sound effects glossary in the back. I’m curious to see what the next volume of this series is like. In some ways, I liked the shift in focus from unraveling a mystery to family, back to a thriller type story dealing with the drug trade, but at the same time I’m wondering how well that will pan out if the plot continues to skip around like that too much in subsequent volumes.

I’m giving away a copy of this volume, so you can check it out yourself!

Pick of the Week: Mostly Manhwa

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potwSEAN: I am aware that I will be in the minority this week, as the rest of the Manga Bookshelf team has Korean product on its mind, be it Goong or Milkyway Hitchhiking. I am also aware that it is a bit wearying for me to continue being fascinated with Sword Art Online. But I find the premise of this new manga, Sword Art Online: Progressive to be fascinating: go back to your most famous product years later and rewrite it to be better and have more detail and depth. I’m excited.

MICHELLE: Well, you certainly have me pegged. Goong all the way!

MJ: Goong is a long-time favorite, no doubt about it. And I’m actually interested in more Sword Art Online! But there’s no getting around the fact that my heart has been irretrievably captured by the odd and adorable Milkyway Hitchhiking. Its first volume was as whimsical and beautifully drawn as One Fine Day, plus full color and a time-traveling cat. What’s not to love? Milkyway Hitchhiking owns my soul. Must have more. Like. Now.

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Goong, even though I’m really curious about Milkyway Hitchhiking now!

ASH: I was tempted to choose something else just to be contrary, but my heart is with Milkyway Hitchhiking. The first volume was lovely, with gorgeous artwork and almost poetic storytelling; I’m looking forward to the next installment a great deal.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 1/21

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SEAN: Remember how I said that January was quiet? That does not apply to next week, which is simply a ton of stuff.

It’s even bigger as I missed some titles last week. Basically, I get street dates from Amazon, mostly. The exceptions are Dark Horse and DMP (and sometimes One Peace or Gen), which ship to comic shops 2 weeks before bookstores, so I use Diamond Comics’ street dates then. I forgot to check last week, and there was a pile of DMP stuff. So here it is:

There’s a sequel to Apple & Honey called His Rose-Colored Life.

Does the Flower Blossom? has its first volume. It seems to involve an ad man trying to get past a broken heart.

ASH: This series is from Blue Morning‘s Shoko Hidaka, so I’ll definitely be checking it out.

MJ: Oh, yes!

SEAN: In non-BL news, we have the 3rd volume of the quirky Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat.

Lastly, we have Murmur of the Heart, whose… sequel came out two weeks ago? In any case, it’s by the author of Blue Sheep Reverie.

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Now, on to the giant pile actually out NEXT week. Kodansha has the 10th volume of addictive and frustrating shoujo potboiler Missions of Love.

ASH: So, so addictive.

SEAN: My Little Monster’s cast is equally screwed-up, but I scream at them a little less in the 6th volume. Only a little, though.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

SEAN: And there’s a third volume of fantasy series Noragami.

ASH: I’ve been rather enjoying Noragami thus far.

SEAN: From Seven Seas, we have a third volume of Arpeggio of Blue Steel, whose gritty SF-ness has helped to overcome its ‘cute girls are battleships’-ness.

There’s a 4th omnibus of wacky pseudo-incest comedy I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!!.

And a 2nd of the straight up horror of Magical Girl Apocalypse.

And the final volume of Zero’s Familiar Chevalier, which I suspect may be the last in the franchise given the death of its creator.

Speaking of final volumes, From the New World ends for Vertical with its 7th volume next week.

Viz has the 3rd omnibus of Urasawa’s Monster, which does not star either Godzilla OR Gamera. Human monsters are enough here.

ASH: Still very happy this series is getting a re-release.

ANNA: Me too! I need to finally read it.

SEAN: There’s a 2nd volume of the Resident Evil tie-in manga.

And a 4th Terra Formars.

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A new series debuts from Yen, and if you’re tired of the ‘dark fantasy’ genre, well, you’re in a very small minority. Akame Ga Kill! isn’t a title I know much about, but it had a popular anime, and has a striking young woman with a sword on its cover. I look forward to checking it out.

ASH: I have yet to tire of dark fantasy, which means I’ll be giving Akame Ga Kill! a look.

We’ve mostly caught up with Black Butler in Japan, so a new release isn’t as common as it once was. Here’s the 19th volume.

MICHELLE: I always seem to read these, even if I’m not terribly enthusiastic about the series.

SEAN: Who likes Goong? Who wants a 17th omnibus? Is it you? It is!

MICHELLE: It’s meeeeeeeee!

ANNA: I WANT IT!

MJ: And me! Me! Me!

SEAN: Inu x Boku SS spent much of its last volume reinventing itself, and I’m hoping things start moving a bit faster with this 6th one.

I keep forgetting Kingdom Hearts exists – Amazon doesn’t code it with the other manga. They’re up to the 5th volume of 358 / 2 Days, which is not 179 for reasons that I’m sure would make sense if I read it.

I’m not sure how much longer The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan can keep toddling along, especially now that it’s gotten to Sasaki, but I’m always happy to see a new volume, as it’s simply funny – and better characterized than the main manga, oddly enough.

Milkyway Hitchhiking was a popular title when the first volume came out, so I suspect the Manga Bookshelf team is looking forward to Vol. 2 twice as much!

MICHELLE: I may actually (gasp) write a long review of volumes one and two!

ASH: The first volume was lovely!

ANNA: This was not on my radar too, but if it is good enough to get Michelle to write a long review, I want to read it!

MJ: I will be talking about this a lot, soon! I finally have my first volume and I’m already in love.

SEAN: Watamote hits its 6th volume, and I still really hate typing out its full title. Even Diamond just solicits it as ‘I’m Not Popular’.

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Did you like Doubt? And Judge? Or do you just like people in animal masks? Well, you’re in luck! Secret will give you as much survival game as you want. It’d been coming out digitally in chapter form for some time, now here’s the first collected volume.

I can’t believe this 24th volume is the second to last Soul Eater. It’s been a fun ride. And hey, the covers are still pitch black.

Sword Art Online’s Aincrad was an awesome world, which makes it a shame that its plot was resolved in one book. That’s why we now have Sword Art Online Progressive, which goes back and retells the story at a more relaxed, in-depth pace. It also places far more emphasis on Asuna. This is Vol. 1 of the manga; the novel’s Vol. 1 ships in March.

Ubel Blatt Vol. 1, the 2nd omnibus of Ubel Blatt put out by Yen, collects the Japanese Vol. 2 and 3. I originally tried to make that more confusing for humor value, but really, it speaks for itself.

ASH: That it does.

SEAN: Omnibus #2 is the 3rd and last one for Umineko When They Cry: Alliance of the Golden Witch. Will Ange manage to save her brother in 1986 even though she’s in 1998? Don’t get your hopes up. After this, we’ll be halfway through the eight arcs!

And lastly, Omnibus #3 gives us another volume of Until Death Do Us Part.

MICHELLE: I liked the first omnibus more than I expected to, and I keep meaning to get back to it. One of these days!

SEAN: Surely there is something here for everyone. What’s for you?