Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Pick of the Week: Keaton vs. Fourteen

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fourteenSEAN: There are a bevy of choices this week. I’m tempted by an English edition of Master Keaton at last, or the new yuri title Citrus. But I will go with Love at Fourteen as my pick of the week. It’s the story of two childhood friends, both mature for their age, who are dealing with love and everything that comes from it. The magazine it runs in, Rakuen Le Paradis, is one of Hakusensha’s best new titles, technically being shoujo/josei but really more ‘sui generis’. I cannot wait to read this.

MJ: I am decidedly with Sean this week. Though there are a number of titles on my radar, the one that intrigues me most by far is Love at Fourteen. Everything about this title sounds like exactly what I like best in a manga, and I am a bit ashamed that I didn’t even realize it was on the way until this week. Now I can’t wait to read it!

masterkeaton1MICHELLE: I’m in the opposite camp! I did know Love at Fourteen was coming, so the one I wasn’t aware of until recently was Master Keaton. I really love Naoki Urasawa, so I am super excited to read this one!

ASH: I’m with Michelle this week. While I’m interested in Love at Fourteen, my pick absolutely goes to Master Keaton. Urasawa is one of the reasons I developed such a healthy obsession with manga, so I’m very happy to see more of his work being released in English.

ANNA: I’m also with Ash and Michelle! A newly translated Urasawa series takes precedence over everything in my mind!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 12/17

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SEAN: Merry Christmas! Have some manga. Since the publishers usually go quiet around Christmas and New Year’s, almost everything is frontloaded to next week. So be prepared to be completely buried.

The Shinji Ikari Raising Project has now officially passed its parent in volume count. It’s coming to an end soon, though. In the meantime, Dark Horse brings us Vol. 15.

Manga Dogs 2 will help us to ask the question, “can the three male leads get any stupider?”. I’m betting on yes.

ASH: I’m sure that’s probably the case, though they’re pretty stupid to begin with.

SEAN: Kodansha also has its 4th xxxHOLIC omnibus. The series was at its high point here, in my opinion.

MJ: Even if I don’t think it had a *low* point, exactly, I agree that this was a great period in the series.

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SEAN: Seven Seas debuts a new yuri series with Citrus, which is from Comic Yuri Hime – nice to see a title from that magazine over here again. Expect melodramatic schoolgirls.

ASH: I’m always interested in more yuri in English, so I’ll be checking this one out.

SEAN: There’s the third volume of D-Frag!, one of the funnier series I’ve read this past year.

You thought Dance in the Vampire Bund was over? You thought all we had left was spinoffs starring David Rasche? You were wrong! Here’s Dance in the Vampire Bund II: Vamp Harder… erm, Scarlet Order.

Girls Und Panzer isn’t over, but there’s always room for one more spinoff series. Little Army follows Miho, the “hardened battle commander” of the original series, as she does tank battles in elementary school.

And Haganai has a second collection of side story comedy for those who feel the main series has too much plot, this one called Club Minutes.

Lastly (from Seven Seas – we’re a long way from the end), there’s a new Witch Buster omnibus, with Vols. 13 and 14.

Vertical has a new Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin, and I think Vol. 8 means we’re 2/3 of the way through. Is the cast still alive? (I’m so far behind on this.)

ASH: As far as we know the cast is still alive; the last few volumes have been an extended flashback, so who knows what will happen from here?

ANNA: I’m behind too, but I keep buying it!

SEAN: Vertical is also debuting two old favorites digitally, as next week sees Vol. 1 and 2 of Black Jack, as well as Apollo’s Song. Mmmmm, digital Tezuka…

ASH: Since so many of Vertical’s Tezuka title have gone or are going out of print, I’m very happy that the publisher found a way to give them some new life.

ANNA: I have much fondness for Black Jack.

MJ: I do, too. I’m so happy to see this coming out digitally.

SEAN: Viz has a 10th volume of Afterschool Charisma, one of the SigIkki survivors.

ANNA: Another one of those series I read three volumes of and mean to get caught up on one day.

SEAN: It’s December, so it’s time for the annual release of Dogs: Bullets and Carnage, with Vol. 9 dropping.

The other SigIkki survivor also has a new volume, as Dorohedoro reached its 14th. Ikki in Japan may be no more, but Dorohedoro will be moving to its replacement, so don’t expect it to end right away.

MICHELLE: Someday I really will read these last three.

ASH: Dorohedoro! Such a delightfully charmingly bizarre series.

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SEAN: It’s been a while since we’ve been able to get excited about an Urasawa release. Now we see an omnibus edition of Master Keaton, which will feature incredibly dramatic insurance investigations. No, really, it’s excellent. Check this out even if you’re not a fan of insurance.

MICHELLE: I am so excited about this!!

ASH: I’m definitely interested in seeing more from Urasawa.

ANNA: I’m curious about this title for sure.

MJ: I’m in!

SEAN: Think we’re done? HAH! It’s Yen time. We’ll start with the Yen On line. We get the debut of a new series whose title screams “I am a light novel franchise”. It’s called Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? I’m going to guess the answer overall will prove to be “no”, this sounds pretty harem-ey.

ASH: I don’t know much about the series, but the title amuses me, so I might actually give this one a try.

MJ: Heh. Agreed.

SEAN: Spice & Wolf’s novels have been running since long before Yen On began, and as such, we get lucky Vol. 13 here. That’s the light novel, not the manga, which also ships next week, but is Vol. 10.

And Sword Art Online’s novels start everyone’s favorite arc, Fairy Dance. This is a 2-parter, FYI, the second ships in April. This is the novel, not the manga, which already began the Fairy Dance arc in August, but had Vol. 2 ship last month, which is not Vol. 2 of the light novels, though it adapts part of it.

MJ: I don’t hate Fairy Dance, so I’m happy to see this.

SEAN: On the manga front, we have the 2nd of the adaptation of Accel World, having had the 2nd light novel one month ago, which this manga volume does not adapt, as it’s still adapting the first one. Clear? Wait till next spring, when it will get REALLY confusing. Also, hooray for new math.

Alice is really hard to get a lead on, as Are You Alice? has hit Vol. 7 and still doesn’t know.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Barakamon seems like a countrified Yotsuba&!, which suits me just fine. The 2nd volume is out next week.

MICHELLE: I still need to check this one out.

MJ: I’m happy to see more of this!

SEAN: Bloody Cross has its 5th volume ship. I admit I finally moved on from this, but if you like supernatural action, it certainly fills that need.

Yen has 3 debuts this month! The first is a familiar author to many, Kaori Yuki. She’d been with Hakusensha for years, but recently moved to Kodansha and their eccentric Aria magazine. This was her debut there, Demon From Afar. That said, if you like the sort of thing she usually writes, this is more of that. But in hardcover!

MICHELLE: Huh. Interesting.

MJ: I’m definitely looking forward to this!

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SEAN: The second debut is another author familiar to us, but that’s because of a recent release from Viz. Aya Shouoto had Kiss of the Rose Princess come out via Shojo Beat, and now we see Yen releasing He’s My Only Vampire, which, yes, runs in Aria as well. This combines vampires AND childhood friends.

MICHELLE: Huh. Well, more shoujo is a good thing!

ANNA: I agree!

MJ: I’ll give it a try, for sure.

SEAN: There’s a spinoff of harem manga High School DxD, focusing on two of the lead females: Asia and Koneko’s Secret Contract. My guess is this is similar to Haganai’s Club Minutes, aka plotless comedy.

Kingdom Hearts II Vol. 3 is really not helping Yen escape my mocking of their volume numbers.

The last debut is the one I’m most excited about: Love at Fourteen. The plot sounds familiar, with two childhood friends finding love in school. But it runs in Hakusensha’s Rakuen Le Paradis, a magazine I’d kill to see more licenses from, and is apparently very well written.

MICHELLE: I’m really excited about this one, too!

ANNA: This was totally not on my radar before, but it sounds interesting.

MJ: My response is *both* of Michelle & Anna’s responses put together.

SEAN: Spice & Wolf has its 10th volume ship this week! That’s the manga, not the light novel. The light novel ships Vol. 13 this week, as I said earlier. Be aware that in 2015, Yen will begin calculating Manga and Light Novel volume numbers in Base 8, as they worry readers may get confused. (I am old enough to know what Base 8 is, yes.)

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Lastly (at LONG last!), we get the 6th volume of Tena on S-String, a mere 4 years after the 5th. The series is out digitally if you want to jog your memory.

Is this enough Christmas manga? Do you want more? Clap your hands if you want more!

MJ: *clap*? No?

Bookshelf Briefs 12/8/14

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

happymarriage9Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 9 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – We’re starting to wrap everything up here, and it shows. There’s a brief ‘I must not confess my horrible secret’ plotline here, but it’s resolved without much fuss. Hokuto can still be difficult to read, and Chiwa gets emotional, but that’s them, and we’re not doubting their Happy Marriage here. That leaves us with Hokuto’s father, whose death is not a surprise but does allow for some closure. And of course the attacks on Chiwa continue. I had already guessed that Hokuto’s ex was a red herring, but the author has done a good job at concealing the real culprit – I have my suspicions, but am still unsure. In any case, a nasty cliffhanger here, but I expect everything should work out well in the end. – Sean Gaffney

honeyblood2Honey Blood, Vol. 2 | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – I didn’t have high hopes for volume two of Honey Blood, since I’d initially found the characters generic and their romance unconvincing, but it turned out to be quite an improvement! It helps that one can just accept that teenage Hinata and immortal vampire Junya are now a couple, and go on from there. What I really liked was that a rosy future for these two seemed downright unlikely. Hinata opines frequently about their current happiness not lasting, and a character from Junya’s past instills further doubts when he reveals that Hinata is the spitting image (and probably the descendant) of Junya’s former love, whom he admits he can never forget. And the best, most bittersweet, twist comes at the very end. Mitsuki-sensei writes that she’d hoped for a longer serialization and wasn’t able to wrap everything up to her satisfaction, but ultimately, this series turned out to be much better than I’d originally thought. – Michelle Smith

foodwars3Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Man, sometimes shounen manga just hits the spot! I really enjoyed this third volume of Food Wars!, in which all 980 members of Soma’s class at the Totsuki Institute go off to cooking camp, where distinguished alumni of the school set challenges in which failure means immediate expulsion. Every good shounen hero needs a worthy rival, and Soma gets his own Akira Touya in this volume in the form of Takumi Aldini, a boy his age who also grew up in a humble family restaurant and has experience cooking for actual customers. I look forward to them challenging and inspiring each other for a long time to come. Soma’s friend and class partner, Megumi, makes some welcome progress, too, and the volume ends on a cliffhanger regarding her future. Realistically, I know that she’s probably not genuinely in peril, but I still wish I had volume four here already! – Michelle Smith

monster5My Little Monster, Vol. 5 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – The romance and comedy in My Little Monster are both pretty good, but let’s face it: we read this series for the deeply broken characters, right? Haru’s violence continues to disturb me, and something has to give soon there – I simply don’t trust him enough. Natsume is dealing with feelings she’s not ready to handle, particularly given her past. Shizuku wonders if she’s bothering to do enough in her relationship, and Yamaken is easily the most self-aware and savvy character in the cast, but that’s not helping him at all. It all comes to a head in a disastrous ski trip, with lots of misunderstandings. This is one of the better train wrecks I’ve read, and I mean that in the best possible way. – Sean Gaffney

jeanne5Phantom Thief Jeanne Vol. 5 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – One of the main reasons for my enduring fondness for this series is the absolutely crazy ending, where Maron goes to heaven, explores the complexities and secrets of the tale of Genesis with a magical girl twist, and finally dukes it out with the source of all darkness in the world. Maron ends up in a much better emotional place, and is able to resolve the issues causing the theme of loss and abandonment that was explored throughout the series. There’s plenty of romance as the obstacles keeping many couples apart are finally dealt with, and the profusion of ribbons and flower petals sprinkled over all the panels will be enough to make any shoujo fan happy. There are bonus side stories in this volume as well, giving the reader the opportunity to visit with favorite characters one last time. Hands down, this is my favorite Tanemura series. Highly recommended! – Anna N

souleater23Soul Eater, Vol. 23 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – The major event in this volume is Kid’s journey to ask the witches for help, assisted by allies such as Kim as well as prisoners like Erika. As you can imagine, it doesn’t go well at first, but Kid’s willingness to put pride aside when it comes to the safety of the world is important, and a major development for him. He even stops being OCD about symmetry briefly! Meanwhile, Maka and Black*Star join the battle on the moon, and it’s noted that they’re not merely very powerful students, but “freaks”, the sort of soldiers you hold back toill the last minute. Which has now come, as Crona seems to have woken Asura, who is finalyl making his terifying appearance. Can’t wait for the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

sao-fairydance2Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance, Vol. 2 | By Reki Kawahara, abec, and Tsubasa Haduki | Yen Press – There’s a few brief moments in the real world here that are intriguing, with Kazuto finding it hard to reconnect with a non-fantasy life, and his love for Asuna being driven home to Suguha. The majority, however, takes place in Alfheim, with Kirito showing off his mad gaming skills in large battles, and Asuna attempting to escape and find out exactly why she and the others are trapped there. I knew she would end up recaptured, so wasn’t bothered by that – but framing it as slug-like tentacle things capturing her, along with the coarse breast size discussion in the author afterword, left a bad taste in my mouth. I may stick to the light novels in the future. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Massive & More

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potwASH: It’s a somewhat smaller batch of manga shipping this week, but there’s still a nice variety from which to choose. But I’ll admit, the release I’m most excited about is the Massive anthology of gay manga from Fantagraphics which technically came out last week. Featuring interviews, essays, and the work of nine of some of the most well-know creators of gay manga, it’s a groundbreaking collection that shouldn’t be missed for anyone interested in this underrepresented genre in English.

MICHELLE: I’m all for the publication of Massive, but if I’m honest with myself, the release I’m most looking forward to is volume 9 of Shinobu Ohtaka’s Magi. This has quickly become one of my favorite shounen manga being released currently, and I’ve been quite impressed by it so far.

ANNA: There isn’t really anything shipping this week that appeals to me, so just I’m going to go with my latest purchases from Viz Media’s digital manga store. One Punch Man volumes 4 and 5! This series is so hilarious, I am perplexed as to why it is available only in digital format.

SEAN: Massive is the worthy title, but I’m picking Magi as well. We’re starting a new arc, which generally means an increase in comedy. Can’t wait.

MJ: I’ll bring things full circle here by going back to Massive. I’ve been really pleased with Fantagraphics’ commitment to bringing us types of manga that are underrepresented in the English-language market, and Massive falls decidedly into that category. It isn’t the first volume of gay manga we’ve seen over here, but it’s the first volume (to my knowledge) dedicated to bringing us work from a variety of creators, which is something I’m certainly looking forward to. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this. It’s definitely my pick this week.

What looks good to you this week?

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Vol 3

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Seraph of the End Volume 3 by Takaya Kagami, Yamato Yamamoto, and Daisuke Furuya

One of the reasons why I like this shonen vampire dystopian series so much is that each volume propels the hero forward to a different stage of development and a different setting. In the third volume, brash yet unexpectedly capable hero Yuichiro has his demon possessed weapon, and now he’s about to become an official vampire hunter when he heads out with his squad to aid other soldiers in Shinjuku. Yuichiro’s new squad consists of the sarcastic and subversive Shinoa, earnest Yoichi, and his cranky new friend Shiho. The balance in the group is upset a bit with the arrival of Mitsuba, an abrasive girl who doesn’t understand why she’s been saddled with a rookie unit.

Yuichiro’s habit of rushing into battle causes tension with the group, since he doesn’t respect the standard tactical formations they are supposed to hold in order to make sure that the entire team is protected. They have a few skirmishes with vampires and survive more due to individual luck than coordinated effort. I have to say, I enjoy Shinoa’s leadership style because she makes pronouncements like “Let us be off on another fun-filled, vampire-slaughtering excursion!” While Yuichiro might be reckless, he’s also just as likely to risk himself to save one of his teammates as he is to charge ahead to fulfill his desire for revenge against vampires.

The reader gets a further glimpse into the life of Yuichiro’s adopted brother turned vampire Mikaela, and it seems like he will be meeting Yuichiro very soon. The combination of good world building, dynamic action scenes, and sarcastic quips makes me confident that Seraph of the End will continue to be very entertaining.

Manga the Week of 12/10

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SEAN: The second week in December brings us a wide variety of manga for perusing, but is already dominated by something that Fantagraphics released THIS week and I am therefore behind on.

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Massive is an anthology of gay manga that, from what I hear, can be judged very well by its cover: if the idea of large, muscley men having sex with each other intrigues you, then this is an absolute must buy. It’s always great to see this sort of manga over here.

ASH: The release date kept moving around for this one, so don’t feel too bad. I’m thrilled that it’s finally here, though! Massive is one of my most anticipated releases for 2015. It includes manga, interviews, essays, and more. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

MJ: Same here.

ANNA: I probably won’t be reading this, but I think it is very cool that it is being published.

SEAN: Kodansha has a third volume of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall. This is the manga, not the novel, for those who may be confused.

There’s also a fifth Battle Angel Alita: Last Order omnibus.

Seven Seas hopes you still like Wonderland (not to be confused with the Country of Hearts) with the 2nd volume of I Am Alice: Bodyswap in Wonderland.

Vertical gives us two types of supernatural action manga. The 2nd volume of Ajin possibly has less romantic comedy than I expect Witch Craft Works 2 will have, though I’ve been wrong about that sort of thing before.

ASH: I think you’re probably right this time.

SEAN: Arata the Legend has reached 20 volumes, which means if it weren’t licensed already, it would be totally unlicensable by now. But it is! Rejoice, Arata fans.

MICHELLE: I do like Arata, but I kind of can’t believe it’s gone on longer than Fushigi Yuugi. I guess that’s what happens when it’s shounen.

ANNA: I do have a deep and unwavering affection for Fushigi Yuugi. Sorry Arata!

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SEAN: Deadman Wonderland has its sixth volume next week as well.

ASH: Tokyopop only made it to five volumes; Viz is starting to get into new material, now.

MICHELLE: Yep! I always think of this series in the same thought as the other final straggly releases TOKYOPOP managed to get out, including a volume of The Stellar Six of Gingacho. Probably no one will ever rescue that one, so I has a sad.

MJ: I’ve been kinda iffy on this series, but I am pretty happy that TP series’ are getting picked back up, so I consider it a win.

ANNA: I will pause to evoke the late, lamented series Demon Sacred and Sky Blue Shore

And there’s a 13th Itsuwaribito, and I begin to despair about this long string of worthy Viz shonen I don’t really follow.

And I am rewarded with a 9th volume of Magi, which I do follow, and which is excellent.

MICHELLE: It is. We need to start a campaign to get MJto read it.

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: I am hoarding stray volumes of this and do mean to read it one day.

SEAN: Are you getting a massive amount of manga next week? Or just Massive?

Sweet Rein 1-3 Giveaway

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I’m getting rid of some of my manga! I have a bunch listed on ebay right now, but I thought I would also do a giveaway as well. So appropriately for the start of the holiday season, I’m going to give away Sweet Rein Volumes 1-3. Just leave a comment on this post and I’ll select a random winner in a week.

Bookshelf Briefs 12/1/14

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

titanjunior2Attack on Titan Junior High, Vol. 2 | By Saki Nakagawa | Kodansha Comics – A word of warning: as with the first volume, if you think that accurate translation is the most important thing in a North American release, this volume may make you catch fire just by touching it. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for an adaptation bursting with ridiculous humor, you’ve come to the right place. Even when the manga tries briefly to run with a serious plotline, it’s not only filled with multiple gags per page, but it undercuts the serious by talking about how crappy the Naruto manga’s become as it’s ending. There’s Eren being racist, Hange being hyper, Ymir loving (and insulting) Krista, and the introduction of Erwin and Hannes to the series. This is tremendously stupid, in all the best ways. – Sean Gaffney

blackrosealice2Black Rose Alice, Vol. 2 | By Setona Mizushiro | Viz Media – I really was not prepared for Black Rose Alice to get more awesome, but that’s exactly what it does in its second volume. The transplanted soul of 28-year-old teacher Azusa Kikukawa awakes in the 16-year-old body that once belonged to a Viennese aristocrat whom vampire Dimitri once loved and learns exactly what’s expected of her in exchange for Dimitri saving her lover’s life. What is expected is pretty dark, but Mizushiro-sensei sort of half-buries this with cuteness, resulting in a volume with a really interesting and inescapable undercurrent. Honestly, reading this manga feels somewhat like reading a novel, so sure-footed is the storytelling and characterization, but with the added benefit of some terrific non-verbal reaction shots, especially from Dimitri and Kai, one of the vampires vying for the chance to propagate with Azusa (now renamed Alice). This is fascinating stuff. Get on board! – Michelle Smith

bride6A Bride’s Story, Vol. 6 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – I think I’m finally starting to be won over in regards to Amir. I had trouble getting a handle on her in the first few volumes, finding her a bit too detached for my tastes. But we return to her after a few volumes’ absence now, and she has a lot to be emotional about – her family has now come to take her back by force, even though some of her brothers may disagree with this; said family is allying with treacherous Russian gun-runners; and Karluk is growing up, and chafing at still being considered a child. This culminates in a magnificent battle, drawn with verve and attention to detail. It looks like we’ll be following a new bride in the next volume, so I appreciate that we saw Amir and company here again – and I like her a lot more now. – Sean Gaffney

foowars3Food Wars, Vol. 3 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki – This series is slowly winning me over. I enjoyed the third volume of Food Wars much more than previous volumes. The elite cooking academy goes to a resort, not for a relaxing vacation but for grueling tests with the harshest taskmasters possible – successful graduates of their school. Soma finally meets a rival worthy of his attention when the half-Japanese half-Italian Takumi Aldini shows up and promptly challenges him. Takumi has a tendency to make aggressive pronouncements that then turn out to be very anti-climatic, but his approach to food is similar to Soma’s. Seeing the students of cuisine being pitted against the quirky graduates of their program was amusing, and I’m looking forward to the next volume. – Anna N

gangsta4Gangsta, Vol. 4 | By Kohske | Viz Media – Between Gangsta and Dorohedoro, it may be that the most violent titles on the manga market at the moment are both being drawn by women, which is awesome. There’s also more of the complex plot, as we find one of the new villains is an old childhood friend of Worick and Nicholas, and that there’s a group – supported it seems by the general populace – who simply want all Twilights wiped out entirely. There’s also Alex, who not only can’t escape her past – she’s still being told prostitute is her best and possibly only option – but also recalls she is searching for her brother, whose appearance at the end of this volume is one of the least shocking plot twists ever. Complex, but also fun to read. – Sean Gaffney

kokoro2Kokoro Connect, Vol. 2 | By Sadanatsu Anda and CUTEG | Seven Seas – After a first volume establishing the mind-swapping premise, things settle down here into more prosaic matters – a love triangle and teenage angst. In fact, the teenage angst is a particularly good spotlight. as Inaba stresses herself into being sick over worries that, once revealed, turn out to be fairly ordinary. This manga seems to be about secrets that can’t help but be revealed, so it’s nice to see that some of what folks think is a huge secret turns out to be no big deal. (Also, it’s refreshing to see a female character admit they masturbate in a non-porn title.) I suspect Iori’s worries are more complicated and harder to magically fix, and also that Taichi is not the best one to do it. We’ll see what happens. – Sean Gaffney

jeanne5Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 5 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – Phantom Thief Jeanne comes to an end with this volume, wrapping up in a thoroughly shoujotastic yet satisfying fashion. After resolving the cliffhanger from the end of the last volume, things begin moving quickly. Maron ends up meeting God (depicted as a glowing ball of light), who drafts her to participate in one final fight against the Demon Lord. I wondered how this would work, since Jeanne basically has no powers aside from sealing demons located in paintings, but I should’ve known it would play out in the most magical girl way possible. So, maybe the resolution was a little too easy, but I really can’t argue about any aspect of it. I particularly enjoyed seeing the eventual fate of a couple of supporting characters who are finally able to find happiness together. Definitely recommended. – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Torn Between Two Manga

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Feeling like a fool.

potwSEAN: There’s a really obvious pick for me this week, as I already mentioned in my Manga the Week of. I’m a sucker for stories where groups of delinquents and misfits are given reasons to fight back and find worth in themselves, and if it’s an alien smiley-face teacher who’s also a bit of a pervert, so much the better. Assassination Classroom is a long awaited addition to the Jump line, and I can’t wait to dig into it.

MICHELLE: I was all set to pick Yukarism here, and I really do look forward to that one, but Sean, you really got me with the description of delinquents/misfits finding worth in themselves. I love stories where kids like that find somewhere they belong, or a passion that they can excel in. It’s a huge reason that I love Slam Dunk so much. And so, I guess I’m picking Assassination Classroom, too!

ASH: Assasination Classroom is one of the manga I’m most curious about this week, too, but since it already has such strong support, I’m going to go ahead and pick the debut of Yukarism. I haven’t read any of the mangaka’s previous works, but the art looks beautiful and I’m intrigued by the story’s premise.

ANNA: I join with Ash in also being intrigued by Assasination Classroom, but as someone who has read all of Chika Shiomi’s other works, I have to pick Yukarism as the manga I am most looking forward to this week.

MJ: Oh dear, oh dear. Well. Though I am feeling the same torment as everyone else here, I will also side with Yukarism in the end. My love for Rasetsu coupled with the rather adorable nature of the title compels me. Yes, indeed it does. Yukarism FTW!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 12/3

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SEAN: December begins, and that can only mean one thing: More piles of manga.

Dark Horse has the 3rd volume of the New Lone Wolf and Cub, with whitewall tires and everything.

Who said DC Comics doesn’t release manga anymore? The Jiro Kuwata Bat-Manga is 350 pages of 60s shonen Bat-goodness, and looks to be amazing.

ASH: This is a really interesting bit of manga history. I was really surprised (and happy) to see DC pick it up!

MJ: Oh, wow, I had no idea this was in the works. Count me in!

ANNA: This sounds great. Really looking forward to it.

SEAN: Sankarea is almost finished, with the penultimate volume shipping next week. Will more main cast members die before this zombie romantic comedy staggers to its conclusion?

We get the 2nd volume of the Nightmare Trilogy from the Alice in the… series.

Is the harem complete in Knights of Sidonia 12? Or are more women waiting in the wings? Oh yes, and science fiction mecha battle horror manga as well.

MICHELLE: I am ashamed to admit that I have failed to catch up on Sidonia. I’m still buying it, though. That counts for something!

ASH: I like saving up a few volumes to read at a time; I’m about ready for another binge.

MJ: More Sidonia is always welcome!

ANNA: My Thanksgiving plans include a bit of a marathon read of Sidonia to get more caught up.

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SEAN: On the Viz side, we have the manga they said couldn’t be released! No, the Jump editors had literally said this could not be released in North America. But times have changed, there’s an anime on the way, and here we are. Assassination Classroom may have a scary name, but at heart it’s a classic ‘teacher gets class full of misfits and teaches them how to band together’ sort of title. Kind of like GTO, if Onizuka were an alien with a smiley face for a head. I cannot wait for this.

MICHELLE: Huh, interesting! I am intrigued.

ASH: Looking forward to it!

MJ: Same!

ANNA: Really, I would buy the first volume for the title alone. I want to check this out.

SEAN: Dragon Ball gets its 7th 3-in-1 omnibus.

I enjoyed the second volume of Food Wars! and I think have gotten over its appalling first few pages. So let’s have more exciting shonen foodie manga with Vol. 3.

MICHELLE: I really am enjoying this one.

ASH: As am I.

ANNA: I’m a bit more on the fence about this title, but it does have an interesting premise and storyline to balance out the fanservice.

SEAN: Another penultimate volume (look, I just like saying penultimate, OK?), as Happy Marriage?! 9 inches closer to answering the question mark in its title.

ASH: Penultimate is a great word. I… like saying it, too.

ANNA: I feel like this series has fallen off in quality a bit, but I still enjoy reading it.

SEAN: The second Honey Blood is apparently the last of the main series, though there’s a side volume due out in February. Short shoujo supernatural goodness.

MICHELLE: Or not-so-goodness, as the case may be.

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: Aww, that’s too bad. I usually do enjoy shoujo supernatural titles. I think I will check it out though.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke… I feel kind of churlish for saying this, but does it feel we’re dragging our feet a little as the series hits Vol. 20? I do still like it, but wish the end was in sight.

MICHELLE: There is always something very satisfying when long, beloved manga series end. I still love Kimi ni Todoke, but I know what you mean, too.

ANNA: Nothing wrong with a consistently good long running shoujo title.

SEAN: Millennium Snow comes to an end with its 4th volume, and will hopefully manage to resolve the whole “impending death” thing once and for all.

ANNA: I want to go back and reread the first two volumes, then read the new releases. I did enjoy it when it first came out.

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SEAN: Naruto may have finished in chapter format, but the collected volumes live on! Here’s the 68th.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is still marching towards its ending with the 24th volume.

There is also the 3rd Seraph of the End.

ANNA: I like this series! Not only due to the vampires, but because the light novel origins of the series ensures that there will actually be a decent amount of worldbuilding and backstory for the characters.

SEAN: If Food Wars! seems to mild and sedate for you, Toriko is always ready to take it one level higher, and its 25th volume drops next week.

In case you already miss Vampire Knight, Fleeting Dreams is a short story collection based on the series.

Voice Over! has come to the 8th volume, and is romance finally starting to stroll leisurely towards the reader?

MICHELLE: I find that I would kind of love for that to happen.

MJ: Sometimes the stroll is a bit too leisurely.

ANNA: I liked the first volume of this more than I expected to, but I don’t think I’ll be investing in reading more of the series. I think it might be good for younger teens though, and series like that are always welcome.

SEAN: Three volumes of World Trigger means I’m 3 volumes behind. Need to check this series out.

ANNA: I was lukewarm about the first couple volumes, but I can certainly see how someone else might enjoy the series.

SEAN: And a new shoujo series from Betsuhana, as we get the first volume of Yukarism. If you enjoyed Yurara, this is by the same creator.

MICHELLE: I’m really curious about this one! I haven’t read nearly as much Chika Shiomi as I should’ve. (But I bought all her stuff! That counts for something, right?)

ASH: I’m actually very excited for this one! Gender-bending, time travel, historical romance… this should be good.

MJ: I am so on board for this. I actually never read Yurara, but I loved Rasetsu, which stood better on its own than I ever expected.

ANNA: I REALLY like Chika Shiomi series. The art is great, and often there are some darker themes in her paranormal romance series that are quite intriguing. My favorite of her series so far is Night of the Beasts that was released by Go!Comi back in the day.

SEAN: What appeals to you in this rather large list?

Black Rose Alice Vol 2

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Black Rose Alice Volume 2 by Setona Mizushiro

If you had asked me where Black Rose Alice was headed after reading the first volume, I would not have replied “slice of life reverse harem story about vampires running a cafe” and yet that was what ended up happening in the second volume. I thought that after establishing Dimitri’s past and the troubled present lives of the teacher Azusa and her doomed relationship with her student Koya, I was expecting a bit more fallout after Azusa agreed to trade her soul to Dimitri in exchange for Koya’s life. There are a few hints of Azusa’s past feelings in the second volume, but the bulk of the story is spent establishing her new existence inhabiting Agnieszka’s body and what exactly happens when she wakes up as the object of affection for four vampires that all want to continue their species. Azusa takes on the name Alice in her new incarnation.

Dimitri has surrounded himself with vampire companions. There’s the twins Reiji and Kai, who are a bit young (for vampires) and naive. Leo, who is more sophisticated dedicates himself to waging a calculated campaign for Alice’s affections. In an interesting twist on the reverse harem scenario, Alice is going to be the only way for the young vampires to extend the life of their line, but it is up to her to make a choice about who she wants to end up with. Dimitri is determined to hold himself aloof from the new soul inhabiting Agnieeszka’s body, but he finds himself drawn to Alice despite himself.

While the first volume had more of a tumult of emotions, this second volume was much more even in tone and had some vampire-centric slice of life moments as Alice slowly gets used to her new identity. Alice has an imperious streak that comes out from her former habits of managing a classroom. There are still a few moments of the surreal body horror that made the first volume more distinctive, but not nearly as many random tarantulas spewing from a given vampire’s mouth. It isn’t often that I put down the second volume of manga feeling genuinely surprised about the direction and tone, but I finished up this volume feeling more intrigued than I did after reading the first. This series seems to be shaping up to be quite quirky and unique, which is just the type of thing that I’m currently most interested in reading.

Manga the Week of 11/26

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SEAN: The last week of the month is usually a nice breather after the deluge of the previous three weeks, giving us a chance to catch up on the piles of manga still out there. But there are still a few tasty bits of manga for (American) Thanksgiving.

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We’ll start with the tastiest, the long-awaited release from Dark Horse of Satoshi Kon’s Opus. It’s an omnibus of the original 2-volume Japanese release, and also apparently fairly metatextual. It’s also by Satoshi Kon, which is reason enough to buy it.

ASH: Oh! I knew this one was in the works, but hadn’t realized it was being released so soon!

MJ: Wow, this snuck up on me!

ANNA: This does sound interesting.

SEAN: From the sublime to the ridiculous, as Kodansha has the 2nd omnibus release of Attack on Titan Junior High. A lot of fans of the regular Titan series I think found this humor a bit too broad for their tastes, but I loved it, and appreciated the focus it gave to some of the minor characters from the main series. For anyone who likes comedy gag manga.

ASH: I agree. The first omnibus was surprisingly entertaining.

SEAN: Fairy Tail has its 44th volume, and we’re only 4 months behind Japan now!

There’s also the 2nd volume of xxxHOLIC Rei, where I keep hoping they’ll ignore that something is clearly wrong with this universe and keep giving me wonderful short unconnected supernatural stories.

MJ: I’m totally on board with whatever is wrong with this universe, and definitely looking forward to this volume! Hurray!

SEAN: If Syaoran shows up, I’m blaming you.

ANNA: I never thought the day would come when I would be very ambivalent about a CLAMP book, but here we are.

MICHELLE: I’m not exactly ambivalent about it, but I never finished the first xxxHOLiC, so Rei is sort of putting the cart before the horse for me.

SEAN: Cardfight!! Vanguard has its fourth volume come out from Vertical Comics. I hear the manga and anime are quite different.

Lastly, we have a digital only release (the physical volume is out in February), but it’s one we have been waiting almost 20 years for. The final volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion drops next week, and fans keep wondering if its finale will be slightly less apocalyptic and bleak than the anime or movies. We’ll find out soon.

Anything whet your appetite as you wait for all that turkey?

Pick of the Week: So Many Books, So Little Time

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potwSEAN: This may be the last chance I get to do it, so I apologize to all the other worthy series out this week. But my pick of the week is Higurashi: When They Cry: Dice-Killing Arc. An epilogue that delves further into the psychology of Rika Furude, it’s a lot darker than you’d expect, and while some of its motivations don’t make sense to me, it’s a fitting conclusion to the series (barring other side-stories that might get licensed in future). Also, Rika’s mom!

ASH: So many great manga are being released this week that it’s difficult to pick just one. But then I realized that the most recent volume of Takehiko Inoue’s Real was an option and that I couldn’t choose anything else. Real is a fantastic series and, in my opinion, one of the best comics currently being released in English.

MICHELLE: It is no exaggeration to say that I literally make a noise of delight upon realizing that another volume of Real is due for release, so I am going to have to go with Ash on this one.

ANNA: I knew there would be a lot of love for Real this week, which it certainly deserves. I’m going to make my pick the fourth volume of Gangsta though. This stylish seinen manga alternates between being gritty and heartwarming, and I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Worick and Nik as they navigate issues with the local mafia, the city of Ergastulum, and their own traumatic pasts.

MJ: Okay, wow, there are so many things here for me to choose from, I honestly do not know what to do. I’m always thrilled to see new volumes of Ooku and Real. They accumulate so slowly, I feel that I must carefully savor each new volume. And with both a new volume of Pandora Hearts *and* the art book Pandora Hearts Odds & Ends, I’m running the risk of fangirl overload this week. But the cover art alone has persuaded me to go with Yen Press’ new manhwa series, Milkyway Hitchhiking. I had a lot of love for the author’s earlier series One Fine Day (and I still maintain that if people aren’t actively ‘shipping No-Ah/Aileru, I don’t know what they’ve been doing with their time). The more I think about a new series from Sirial, the giddier I become. Gimme, gimme. Like. Now.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 11/19

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SEAN: So. Many. Books.

ASH: Woo!

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SEAN: Kodansha has the 5th volume of shoujo romance My Little Monster, which is still dealing with social ineptness in the best way.

MJ: I feel like I’m really missing out by not reading this. I probably have to fix that.

MICHELLE: I do honestly think that you would like it.

ASH: You should!

ANNA: Now I feel like I should be reading this! But I have far far too much manga to get caught up on.

SEAN: And the 2nd volume of Noragami, which I’m hoping kicks things into gear now that we have a 3rd cast member.

ASH: By the end, I rather enjoyed the first volume. Looking forward to seeing how the series develops.

SEAN: Seven Seas has another Devils and Realist, which I’m hoping keeps the denial in addition to all its handsome devils.

ASH: This series has actually really started to grow on me.

ANNA: I liked the first volume well enough but haven’t picked up the others for whatever reason.

SEAN: Dragonar Academy 4 has dragons and fanservice, possibly not in that order.

Kokoro Connect was surprisingly serious about its body swapping, even if at times the exposition felt a bit stilted. I look forward to seeing where the second volume goes.

Monster Musume 5 has monsters and fanservice, possibly not in that order.

ASH: Since both things are fairly constant, I’m not sure there can be much of an order…

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SEAN: Prophecy is our first new title, a seinen title involving a masked man who predicts crimes… which then happen. This looks pretty grim, but is supposed to be a real page-turner.

MJ: Oooo, I like the sound of that.

MICHELLE: Me, too! Something just got added to my shopping list!

ASH: I’ll be checking it out!

ANNA: I’m intrigued but am reserving judgement until you guys check it out.

SEAN: Viz, as always in the 3rd week of the month, has its ‘Signature’ series titles. We have another volume of Gangsta, which I’m starting to like even more than Black Lagoon, its spiritual predecessor.

ASH: I think I do, too, actually.

SEAN: Ooku hasn’t come out in ages, so a 10th volume is very welcome.

MJ: Yay, yay, yay! And more yay!

MICHELLE: What she said.

ASH: And another yay for good measure!

ANNA: Yet another yay for Ooku!

SEAN: And I know the Manga Bookshelf crew will be ecstatic with a 13th volume of Real.

MJ: Truth.

MICHELLE: I am performing the Baby Groot dance as we speak.

ASH: Real is a phenomenal series. If you’re not already reading it, give it a try!

ANNA: It is really great.

SEAN: I’ve never played the games, but one can’t deny the overwhelming popularity of the Resident Evil franchise, and here we have the first volume of a manga adaptation called The Marwha Desire, which ran in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shonen Champion.

Terra Formars 3 is also coming out.

Yen On has a 2nd volume of the light novel Accel World, whose first volume I enjoyed, and whose protagonist is intriguing, so I will see where it goes from here.

MJ: I’m on board for this, definitely!

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SEAN: The big light novel out next week, though, is even more well-known in the anime and manga fandom. A Certain Magical Index has become a giant franchise, whose anime is already out over here, and whose manga spinoff, A Certain Scientific Railgun, has sold quite well indeed. Now see where it all began, with this first volume.

Ani-Imo is a shoujo title from Aria, a magazine known for odd shoujo titles. Do you like bodyswapping? Do you like suggestions of incest? Then you’ll love this title, whose creator has been doing ‘saucy’ shoujo for years.

MJ: I was right there… until “incest.” Just. No.

MICHELLE: That’s an odd shoujo title for sure. Even the cover art looks like it’s meant for some other demographic.

ANNA: Yeah, I don’t think so.

SEAN: Anything I could have said about BTOOOM! I got out with the previous 7 volumes, so… 8.

Durarara!! continues adapting the third novel with the 2nd volume of the Yellow Scarves arc. (That can be confusing. Welcome to light novel adaptations, here’s your accordion.)

Another debut with Gou-dere Sora Nagihara, which ran in Hakusensha’s Young Animal Arashi. It’s pretty ecchi, and involves an otaku’s 2D fantasy girl coming to life and not being quite the shy, demure girl he was expecting.

Speaking of ecchi, another volume of High School DxD is here.

Higurashi: When They Cry ended last year, and Rika finally got her happy ending, provided she doesn’t do anything foolish like bike in front of a truck. (cough) Please enjoy Higurashi’s “epilogue”, the Dice-Killing Arc.

Jack Frost has reached its final, 11th volume! No more head-raising antics!

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya also has its 20th and final volume, though the spinoffs are still running. Forever doomed to be in the shadow of the novels and anime, it’s probably for the best it ends here as it runs out of novel to adapt.

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Milkyway Hitchhiking is a new manwha from the creator of One Fine Day, and is also in full color. It seems to be episodic tales connected by a time-space cat.

MJ: Wahoo! I loved One Fine Day, so I am very enthusiastic about this.

MICHELLE: Oh! I forgot this was coming out. It looks like very much my sort of thing.

ASH: Space-time kitty!

ANNA: This does sound quite appealing.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts 22… MJ?

MJ: You know me so well. I will be eating this up with a spoon.

SEAN: As well as the Pandora Hearts artbook, Odds & Ends… MJ?

MJ: It’s beautiful! Truly. Really, truly. And I offer proof (thanks to Sean).

SEAN: Soul Eater’s covers are still nearly black, which tells me things are still not looking good for our heroes as we head towards the story’s climax.

And there’s also the 4th volume of Soul Eater NOT!, which I believe is also a final volume. Who will Tsugumi choose as her girlfr… um, partner?

Everyone’s least favorite arc of Sword Art Online, Fairy Dance, has its 2nd manga volume ship.

MJ: Heh, I haven’t enjoyed the manga as much as the novels (or the anime), but I’ll take it.

SEAN: Lastly, Triage X marches on, with its 8th volume out next week.

That’s not too much. Surely you can buy all of that in one week, right?

Pick of the Week: FMA, Showa, & More

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potwMJ: There are a number of really great choices coming our way this week, but since I’m guessing the juiciest of them will be chosen by others, I’ll allow myself the pleasure of picking the final omnibus volume of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist. This is not only one of my favorite shounen series of all time, but also one of my favorite manga series, full stop. I’m thrilled that new readers may finally just be getting to the series’ glorious final chapters. I’m reliving my own experience vicariously through them—in my imagination at least.

ASH: Technically, the All You Need Is Kill omnibus was released last week, but because we initially forgot to mention it I’ll make a special point to pick it this week. I really enjoyed Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s original novel and I’ve been looking forward to reading the manga adaptation ever since I first learned that Takeshi Obata would be working on it.

ANNA: I know the fact that I’m so behind on 07-Ghost is a running joke, but I am really interested in finishing the series! So the latest volume is my pick of the week.

MICHELLE: I’m actually going to side with MJ on this one—Fullmetal Alchemist should be read by all manga fans!

SEAN: I kind of gave this away in my Manga the Week of post, but my pick is absolutely Showa: 1944-1953, Shigeru Mizuki’s story of WWII and its aftermath, how it impacted Japan, and how it impacted his own life. Go read this volume.

What looks good to you this week?