I have an extra copy of My Love Story, so I thought I would do a giveaway! Just leave a comment here telling me what your favorite love story is, and I’ll randomly pick a winner next Sunday. US residents only please.
Manga the Week of 8/13
SEAN: If there was a quiet week in August, next week would be it, with a mere nine titles.
Dark Horse has the 2nd of its Samurai Executioner omnibii, for those who can’t get enough of samurai, manliness, and manly samurai.
ASH: Surprisingly enough, I haven’t actually read any of Samurai Executioner. This would probably be a good time to change that.
SEAN: Kodansha gives us a double shot of Hiro Mashima, with the 41st volume of Fairy Tail (which starts a new arc) and the 2nd volume of Monster Soul (which wraps up).
SubLime has an entry, as the 5th volume of Crimson Spell is out. Listen to them. Crimson. Pff. It’s f**king Red. (Sorry, got caught up in the meme there.)
ASH: Speaking of getting caught up, I believe the fifth volume means we’ve caught up with Japan, too.
SEAN: Vertical has the 5th volume of Wolfsmund, whose cover may not be red but whose contents I expect will at least have a bit of blood.
ASH: I suspect that you’re right.
SEAN: Viz has recently said that Deadman Wonderland is its breakout hit of the last year, so it will please people no end that Vol. 4 is out. Also, clearly this means we need more license rescues. (Kidding, kidding…)
MICHELLE: I never kid about license rescues! Of course, whatever momentum the TOKYOPOP series that I most love(d) had is probably long-dissipated by now, but I can continue to hope that one day, I’ll get to read Silver Diamond in English in its entirety.
ANNA: I am pausing a moment to contemplate the lack of an ending in English for Shinobi Life, Demon Sacred, and Sky Blue Shore.
SEAN: We also have the 12th volume of Itsuwaribito, which I still haven’t really read. Anyone?
The 12th volume of Loveless will no doubt generate a bit more excitement from my other Manga Bookshelf colleagues.
ASH: I’m looking forward to it!
MICHELLE: I am positively asquee!
MJ: Okay, yeah, I’m in the middle of production week, but I have to take at least a moment here to say: LOVELESS!!! <3 Oh, happy day.
SEAN: Lastly, we get a 7th volume of the Arabian Nights series Magi, which I enjoy quite a bit.
MICHELLE: I vow that I will finally get caught back up with Magi!
SEAN: Getting something here? Or catching up with the week before?
Food Wars, Vol 1
Food Wars Volume 1 by Yuto Tsukudo and Shun Saeki
This is a potentially engaging battle style foodie manga that I found myself having a difficult time getting into due to the copious amounts of fan service. I do realize that in shonen manga, one has to expect some boobs and miniskirts, just as one might expect scenes of shirtless vampires chained to the wall in supernatural shoujo manga, but I thought the sexual elements in Food Wars didn’t really enhance what might otherwise be a fun food battle manga.
Soma has grown up cooking for his father’s neighborhood restaurant. He’s trying to battle his father for supremacy but still falling short of the mark. The third page of the manga contains a reference to tentacle rape, as Soma pops a bite of a squid food experiment into a girls mouth, only for her to feel horrifically molested by the terrible combination of flavors. The first chapter in the book is a prolog, as representatives of a hostile corporation try to move in on the restaurant, Soma’s father decides to take off and cook in America, and Soma is promptly sent to try out for an elite cooking school called the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute.
The female antagonist of Food Wars is Erina Nakiri, a student with an incredibly refined palette, and a gift for metaphor, as she likens an unsatisfactory dish to the sensation of visiting a hot springs only to find out that there is a gorilla staring at her. Full visuals for this scene are of course provided, and it is actually much more funny than some of the other fanservicey scenes that just seem to involve food blowing away peoples’ clothes. Erina judges Soma’s dish and finds it extraordinary despite the fact that he’s making everyday Japanese food instead of something more fancy. She fails him, but he’s let into the school after all when a school administrator tears up the test results after tasting the dish.
I do enjoy food manga, and ordinarily I’d be totally up for reading a few volumes of food battling set in an elite high school. I also liked the theme of contrasting Soma’s expertise in making everyday food with the snobby pretensions of his fellow students. The fan service elements were just a bit too much for me, and there are certainly other examples of food manga that manage to show the transformative experience of eating an excellent dish without resorting to upskirt shots. So for funny food manga, I’d probably recommend that someone with similar tastes as me go with Yakitate Japan or the ridiculous Toriko.
Pick of the Week: Black Rose Alice & more!
ASH: As is often the case with the first week of the month, there are a good many manga releases hitting the shelves. But, there is one manga that I’m particularly curious about: the debut of Setona Mizushiro’s Black Rose Alice. It’s shoujo horror from the creator of After School Nightmare and I’ve been assured it’s not your typical vampire story.
MICHELLE: I’m really looking forward to Black Rose Alice, and Spell of Desire was enjoyable, too, but I can’t pass up my yearly opportunity to plug Kaze Hikaru. It’s really good, I swear! Thank you, VIZ, for continuing to release it.
ANNA: I was preparing myself for some mental anguish because I love Black Rose Alice, Spell of Desire, and Kaze Hikaru all so much! So I’m glad that Ash and Michelle have picked 2 of my favorites so I can highlight the frothy witchy fun of Spell of Desire. Since Demon Love Spell just concluded and Midnight Secretary is also about to wrap up, I am very happy I have another fun josei supernatural romance to read.
SEAN: Given what everyone’s already picked out, I’ll spotlight the 46th volume of Oh My Goddess!. We now know that the series will end with Vol. 48, and so Fujishima is allowed to pull out all the stops and do the things he had put off doing for twenty years, like plot and character development. I kid, but this volume is touching and heartwarming, as the entire arc has been, really.
MJ: I probably should choose something like Knights of Sidonia, since everyone else has avoided repeats here, but I can’t possibly pick anything this week other than Setona Mizushiro’s Black Rose Alice. I absolutely adore After School Nightmare, and after losing her glorious BL epic Dousei Ai to JManga’s demise, I’m pretty thrilled to finally see something else from her on the shelves. This is my must-buy item for the week!
What looks good to you this week?
Manga the Week of 8/6
SEAN: There is so much manga out in August it beggars belief. Over 50 different titles in the month. And the first week is the biggest. So buckle up.
ANNA: I can see myself undergoing some major psychological trauma trying to choose between titles for Pick of the Week.
SEAN: Dark Horse has nearly wrapped up Oh My Goddess, but it’s not there yet, so here’s Vol. 46.
There’s also the 4th Trigun Maximum omnibus, for those who want to be confused by the artwork over longer periods of time.
Seven Seas has the July title I discussed earlier, D-Frag! On the August end, so far so good, as we have a couple titles there as well. Alice in the Country of Joker: Nightmare Trilogy intrigues me, mostly as I wonder if we’ll see Joker, who hasn’t ventured much outside his one book.
There’s the third Dragonar Academy, which is a thing that exists.
There’s also a new series debuting, Kokoro Connect. As with D-Frag!, I’ve heard this is better than it sounds, and look forward to seeing how it stretches its basic high school comedy with the twist that is at the heart of its plot.
ASH: I’m actually rather curious about this one.
SEAN: And there’s another Witch Buster omnibus, for the manwha inclined.
Speaking of Manga-ish things, Udon Entertainment have out the first of their “Manga Classics” adaptations, in this case Pride & Prejudice and Les Miserables. The artists seem to be Chinese (I think?), but the style is certainly pure shoujo. I’ll be interested to see how compressed these adaptations are.
Vertical hits double digits with the 10th volume of Knights of Sidonia, which hopefully will not end with a third straight cliffhanger putting Izana in danger.
MICHELLE: I really will catch up with Knights of Sidonia, I swear!
ASH: Poor, poor Izana. Hang in there, you’re my favorite!
ANNA: I need to catch up too, it is a great series!
MJ: Yay! That’s all I have to say.
SEAN: Hope you like Viz! Let’s start with the first of three debuts this week, the shoujo horror title Black Rose Alice. I understand it has vampires!
MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one! It’s by the creator of After School Nightmare.
ASH: Me, too! I’m a little burned out on vampires, but I’m making an exception for Black Rose Alice.
ANNA: I have read this and the vampires in Black Rose Alice are very different from the vampires people may be used to. As much as I love goofy vampire romance manga, I really enjoyed the surreal and odd elements of this title.
MJ: I’m very much looking forward to this, mainly on the strength of After School Nightmare, which is a long-time favorite of mine.
SEAN: Bleach hits Vol. 61, and I don’t think has had real vampires yet, though I’m sure we’ve seen the equivalent somewhere in its Rogue’s Gallery.
It was 2012 when we saw the last D.Gray-Man that wasn’t an omnibus. Rejoice! Vol. 24 is here!
I reviewed the first volume of Food Wars! when it came out digitally, noting the fanservice was appalling but the basic plot as quite fun. The print volume releases this week.
ASH: I’ve been waiting for the print release to give this one a try.
SEAN: The 7th Happy Marriage?! continues to test the validity of that title.
ANNA: Yay, more josei!
SEAN: And the third High School Debut 3-in-1 omnibus is more pure shoujo fun in a bargain package.
MICHELLE: Read it, y’all!
ANNA: I love this series, especially the fact that the hero Yoh always looks chronically sleep deprived.
SEAN: The Excel Saga of shoujo, Kaze Hikaru, has its annual volume release! This is an awesome series that deserves more love, so I hope everyone goes out and buys it, if only so we can see it more than once a year.
MICHELLE: I concur 3,000%.
ASH: Kaze Hikaru is a great series.
ANNA: In a perfect world it would come out quarterly and dominate the manga best sellers list. It is wonderful.
SEAN: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan gets ready for its final arc as Vol. 22 arrives.
Yet another series that’s been a long while since a volume, Rosario x Vampire II gets lucky Vol. 13.
The last of our debuts this week is Spell of Desire. Midnight Secretary ends next month, so I suppose it’s a perfect time to bring in a new josei series by the same author (heavily disguised as shoujo).
MICHELLE: I liked the first volume of Spell of Desire more than I expected to. Maybe because the hunky guy is kind to kittens.
ANNA: I am delighted by this series, and the hilarious contrivance that results in the male lead having to make out with an innocent witch in order to control her magic.
SEAN: Toriko’s Vol. 23 continues to see our four young heroes pitted against deadly, world-destroying monsters. Also, there’s food.
Lastly, the 6th Voice Over: Seiyu Academy makes us wonder if we’ll ever get back to the supposed hero of the series.
Is this too much manga? Or not enough?
ASH: Never enough! (Also, never enough money…)
Bookshelf Briefs 7/29/14
This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Harlequin, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, & Vertical, Inc.
Alice in the Country of Clover: Knight’s Knowledge, Vol. 1 | By QuinRose and Sai Asai | Seven Seas – This is an Alice book, and you all know the drill by now. Reasons to check this out: 1) A better look at Alice’s feelings about moving to Clover than Cheshire Cat Waltz had; 2) Despite being an Ace book, showing everyone in love with Alice and trying their damnedest to win her, rather than just giving up when they see who the protagonist of the series is; Ace and Alice’s feelings for each other being unhealthy as hell, something both of them know but only Alice regrets. Other than that, it’s business as usual, with a new artist but the same basic shape, and lots of running around and getting stressed out from our heroine. Buy if you like the Alice series. -Sean Gaffney
The Amalfi Bride | Marito Ai and Ann Major | Harlequin – The strongest thing about this Harlequin manga is the price tag at only 99 cents! It is a passable middle of the road Harlequin title, but I found myself distracted by the very poor quality of the lettering. Regina is a uptight woman on vacation when she spots a devastatingly handsome man embracing an older woman. She assumes that the handsome man is a gigolo and proceeds to engage his services, while he assumes that they’re on a whirlwind date. It will not surprise regular Harlequin readers that Nico is secretly a Prince trying to run away from an arranged marriage. The character designs are attractive, but the illustrations aren’t very detailed. Still, for only a dollar, this is a decent Harlequin manga to try even though it ends up being somewhat forgettable. – Anna N
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1 | Story by Yuto Tsukuda, Art by Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Fifteen-year-old Soma Yukihira is a talented chef who’s serious about improving his skills and exploring new flavors. But when his father learns Soma plans to do so at their family restaurant, he decides to close up shop and sends his son off to Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, the most elite culinary school in Japan. While a Shonen Jump-style cooking manga definitely has appeal, what I noticed most about Food Wars! was how much it reminded me of other things. We’ve got a cocky protagonist with a rivalry with his potentially super-famous dad (The Prince of Tennis), over-the-top reaction shots to food-tasting (Yakitate!! Japan), and a character with a palate so sophisticated she sees visions when she tastes things (Drops of God). Plus, there’s fanservice. Still, it was entertaining enough that I’ll continue reading it and hope it evolves more of its own voice. – Michelle Smith
Rin-Ne, Vol. 15 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – The danger of a series like Rin-Ne, where nothing really changes, nothing ever advances, and all is sacrificed to appease the great god Comedy, is that when a serious plot *does* show up, you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, knowing that it’s going to end with some anticlimax that will have people face-faulting with their fingers in the air. It’s just how Takahashi rolls. Despite this, the final story in this volume, which shows Renge’s fall from grace (one guess who’s to blame, and the first one doesn’t count) and her tortured crush on Kain is briefly rather heartbreaking, and you wonder if, not being the two leads, they might actually work something out. Alas, status quo. Such is the way when you worship the god of Comedy. – Sean Gaffney
The Seven Deadly Sins, Vol. 3 | By Nakaba Suzuki | Kodansha Comics – We’ve already seen that the look of the Sins don’t necessarily match the sketch on their wanted poster, but the introduction of King in this volume goes one step further; he genuinely is different, to the point where Ban, who he has a new, deadly grudge against, doesn’t even recognize him. The battle between the two of them is the highlight of the volume, showing off both personalities and teasing a backstory while not quite spelling it all out. The lowlight of the volume is the non-death of Sennett’s father, killed off in the last volume and back to life for no good reason except it would be too sad. Don’t pull your punches, Suzuki. Other than that, we’re still setting up the plot. Not bad. – Sean Gaffney
Spell of Desire, Vol. 1 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – Kaoruko Mochizuki leads a quiet life running an herb shop in a small port town. This all changes when black-clad Kaname Hibiki shows up and announces, “I serve your mother and I am here to protect you.” As it turns out, the mother who abandoned Kaoruko as an infant went off to become the leader of a worldwide coven of black witches, and she has now transferred her powers to her daughter. Kaoruko has trouble controlling them, but never fear, Kaname can get her to calm down with his magical powers of smooching! Actually, though, I liked Spell of Desire more than I thought I would. Kaoruko is a likable protagonist, and although Kaname is clearly interested in bedding her, he’s not one of those creepy, domineering types. Plus, he carefully tends to sick kittens! In the end, this is rather unexpectedly recommended. – Michelle Smith
What Did You eat Yesterday?, Vol. 2 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc.– The second volume of this manga focuses a bit more on the food preparation than the character development, but there are still the great slice of life moments that I love, like Shiro’s quiet exhilaration about perfectly planning his menu so he doesn’t waste any food and some quick glimpses into how Shiro and Kenji first started dating and living together. The meals and dishes describe give me the vicarious pleasure of reading a cookbook and learning about recipes I will likely never prepare. Am I the only one who sometimes reads cookbooks even if I’m not going to actually cook? Recommended as always. – Anna N
What Did You eat Yesterday?, Vol. 3 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – Most of the plot of this cooking manga tends to revolve around Shiro, who has more flaws and less maturity than his partner Kenji. In particular, he still can’t quite deal with his parents, particularly now that they seem more accepting of his relationship than they were previously. It’s even spilling over into his workplace, where he’s usually level-headed and together, but dealing with a cute young intern (who his co-workers, knowing he’s single but not that he’s gay, thinks he’ll score with) proves beyond him. Luckily, he’s still master of grocery shopping and cooking in general, otherwise most of this volume would have been me shouting “You big loser!” over and over again. – Sean Gaffney
Pick of the Week: Kodansha-fest
SEAN: It’s still hot and muggy, and I now have poison ivy on top of it. I don’t need quality. I need manga pixie sticks. Ergo, there’s one obvious choice for my pick of the week: Missions of Love. Betcha can’t read just one. And feel good about yourself the next day.
MICHELLE: It’s true; even I read the first two volumes. My pick of the week goes to the third volume of My Little Monster, which has impressed me with the characterization of its lead and by making the traditional romance beats feel refreshed. I’ve really been enjoying it so far.
ASH: I’ll stick with the Kodansha theme and pick the fourth omnibus of Vinland Saga, one of my favorite series being released right now. I liked the first omnibus but loved the next two, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the characters and story continute to develop.
ANNA: I have to agree with Ash! Vinland Saga is easily the standout title for me this week too.
Manga the Week of 7/30
SEAN: A 5th week of the month is usually sparse, but we do have a few interesting things due out at the tail end of July.
Gen Manga offers you a choice of Indie Manga. Either you will think that One Is Enough, or perhaps you’d rather be with an Anomal. Choose wisely. (They do both look intriguing.)
ASH: You’re making me choose between boys’ love and yokai?! Sean, now that’s just mean.
MICHELLE: Wow, it occurs to me I haven’t read any boys’ love in ages.
MJ: Same here, and this needs to be rectified.
SEAN: If you prefer your manga a little more insane soap opera-ish, Kodansha gives you the 8th Missions of Love volume.
ASH: I’ll admit to actually enjoying Missions of Love. So much drama!
SEAN: They also have the third My Little Monster manga, where the heroine will no doubt stick to her promise to herself not to get involved with love. Aheh.
MICHELLE: This is the one thing from this week that I’ll definitely be picking up.
SEAN: And there’s also the 4th volume of Vinland Saga, which I suspect may get a lot of people excited, because Vikings make everything better.
ASH: I’m excited!! Vinland Saga is easily my favorite series being released by Kodansha at the moment.
ANNA: Vinland Saga is great. This reminds me that I need to read the copy of volume 3 that I’ve been saving for a day when I need to read about violence and Vikings.
SEAN: Seven Seas has been having a bad July in terms of ship dates. I mentioned Devils and Realist 2 earlier this month, it’s actually been moved back to next week.
ANNA: The first volume was pretty good. I’m curious to see if the main joke in the book gets a bit repetitive in the second volume.
SEAN: Lastly, Vertical has the 5th volume of sci-fi thriller From the New World.
What manga goes best with hot dogs and sauerkraut?
Two Harlequin Manga
I do enjoy a Harlequin manga now and then! Here are a couple random titles I bought for my kindle recently.
The Venetian’s Midnight Mistress by Carole Mortimer and Yuko Ichiju
This was an enjoyable Harlequin manga, but I expected something a tiny bit more dramatic and angst-ridden from a story called “The Venetian’s Midnight Mistress.” Dani is a driven interior designer with the type of complicated family situation that seems to drive Harlequin heroines into the arms of a tall, dark, and handsome man. Dani’s grandfather is a jerk. He’s unhappy that his only heir is a woman, and he treats Dani’s father horribly for only producing a female grandchild. He’s arranged his will with a penalty – if Dani doesn’t produce a son the family will get nothing. Dani’s worried about her reproductive choices robbing her parents of the fortune that they’re entitled to, but she’s already had a disastrous first marriage and doesn’t want to enter into a relationship again. Dani’s best friend Eleni has a tall, dark, handsome, and arrogant older brother named Niccolo, who says seductive things to Dani like “When I think about kissing you, it makes me kinda sick.”
Sure enough, Eleni throws a masquerade ball and Dani and Niccolo are overwhelmingly attracted to each other when they are both wearing masks. They hook up, and Dani is horrified to realize that she’s slept with Niccolo. She escapes, but Niccolo soon figures out who his mystery woman was and heads after her. Dani soon finds out that she’s pregnant and Niccolo promptly proposes, but her psychological issues with commitment are going to prevent her from being happy with her new fiance.
The art for this title was fine – a bit middle of the road and generic, but that’s what I tend to expect from most Harlequin manga. I wish there had been some slightly more exciting plot elements like amnesia, a terminal illness, or a kidnapping, but for a nice predictable read featuring a masked ball, this volume delivers.
The Italian Prince’s Proposal by Susan Stephens and Kaishi Sakuya
This volume focuses on a marriage of convenience. Emily is substitute singing for her ill sister in a club where she’s spotted by Prince Alessandro. He decides that she’s the perfect fake bride for him. He arranges a meeting and feeds her chocolate from his home country. She slaps him. Clearly they are perfect for each other! Alessandro needs a bride so his father can abdicate the throne and officially retire. Emily needs money to help out her ailing sister. As in most Harlequin volumes focusing on a marriage of convenience, the couple soon develop feelings for each other, but a terrible misunderstanding threatens to tear them apart!!
The character designs for this volume were attractive, and the art was clear and easy to follow, if not very detailed. I appreciated that Emily enjoyed the chocolate festivals and wine making rituals of Alessandro’s home country. Really, with abundant chocolate and wine, I feel like most women wouldn’t mind the whole marriage of convenience thing. This wasn’t a standout title for me, but it was still fun for me to read. I think I need to be a bit more careful to pick titles that are a bit goofier, because I tend to enjoy Harlequins when there are more outlandish plot points than I found in these two volumes.
Pick of the Week: Almost Unanimous
ASH: Every once in a while a week comes along that, despite there being plenty of manga to choose from, there’s one particular title that stands out for me. Any other week that might have been the most recent volume of MPD-Psycho since it’s been three years since the last one was released, but no. Without question, this week my pick goes to Moyoco Anno’s In Clothes Called Fat. Anno is an incredible creator; I’m thrilled that Vertical has been releasing more of her work in English. After seeing some previews, I have high expectations for this one.
SEAN: Tempted as I am by Accel World and the start of a new Umineko arc, I will instead go with: What Ash said.
MICHELLE: I’ll undoubtedly read this important work, but, if I’m honest, my heart belongs to the latest volume of Blood Lad, which has shown up unexpectedly soon. I never would’ve guessed that I’d enjoy this series as much as I do.
ANNA: I will also have to throw my support towards Moyoco Anno’s In Clothes Called Fat. Anno’s works always end up surprising me, and I’m happy that Vertical is bringing out such a great variety of her titles now.
MJ: I’d love to back Michelle up here, since I do love Blood Lad, or at least throw some page time to my beloved Pandora Hearts, but I really can’t choose anything but In Clothes Called Fat. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this release since it was first announced, and I’m thrilled to see it hitting the shelves this week. I can’t possibly pick anything else.
Manga the Week of 7/23
SEAN: There’s so much stuff coming out next week you’d think it was a first week of the month. Remember when Yen Press was just three or so titles a month?
We’ll start off with Dark Horse, who are still releasing Gantz, even as it’s up to Vol. 32 and surely running out of rubber bodysuits by now.
And look, it’s an old friend, MPD-Psycho, who have Vol. 11 out next week as well. This doesn’t quite have the cult following of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (it lacks a lot of the humor), but is still very good for horror thrills.
ASH: It’s been what… almost three years now since the last volume was released? Glad to see that Dark Horse didn’t completely drop it.
MICHELLE: I have a couple of volumes of MPD-Psycho, but I haven’t been able to muster the courage to actually read them. Still, I’m also glad it’s still coming out!
SEAN: And Battle Angel Alita has its fourth omnibus. I will assume they’re still in the tournament arc, which I think went over 10 volumes eventually, right?
Vertical gives us another Moyoco Anno title with the one-shot In Clothes Called Fat. From what I gather, it’s a sharp look at body image pressure, low self-esteem and eating disorders. I expect it will be amazing.
ASH: I’m a huge fan of Moyoco Anno’s work, so I’m really looking forward to this release.
ANNA: This is really the only thing I’m wanting to pick up this week. Thanks again to Vertical for translating more Moyoco Anno!!!!!
MJ: This is a huge draw for me as well!
SEAN: Yen’s new light novel imprint, Yen On, gives us the first volume of Accel World. Apparently this takes place in the same world as Sword Art Online, just 20 years later, but it’s not really a sequel as such. It’s also famous for having a chubby male hero.
MJ: I’m interested in this, for sure.
SEAN: Black Butler must be feeling very jealous. Time was when it was the series with all the volumes in the NYT bestseller list. Now Attack on Titan has stolen all its thunder. Still, it’s up to Vol. 17. Can’t be bad.
MICHELLE: It’s pleasant. :)
SEAN: I’m surprised the Blood Lad omnibuses have been coming out so fast, given it’s a fairly recent series in Japan. I suspect this may be the ‘we’re caught up now’ volume, though. Always a treat in any format, though.
MICHELLE: Wow, this came sooner than I thought it would! Still, it does mean that the wait for the next one will probably be quite long, indeed.
MJ: This is always a favorite for me!
SEAN: Inu x Boku SS has been surprisingly serious, and I understand this volume will not change that one iota.
Is This A Zombie? Ends with its 8th volume. I presume we can say “yes” at last and move on.
We also have the 4th No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! (aka WataMote). It’s hard to read, but even harder to type out the full title.
ASH: It can be rather painful to read. The series has some incredibly dark humor.
SEAN: Speaking of titles that have caught up with Japan, here’s Vol. 12 of Omamori Himari, which has every single plotline a male otaku could possibly want in one handy series.
And Vol. 21 of Pandora Hearts, which has also caught up with Japan, and has every single plotline a female otaku could possibly want in one handy series.
MICHELLE: And *cuffs*. Right, MJ? :)
MJ: YES, CUFFS. Also, everything else. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell anyone I’ll be gobbling this up as soon as it hits my doorstep.
SEAN: Soul Eater begins its final arc in Vol. 21, and I am here to tell you that it will be AMAZING.
And for those who want a kinder, gentler Soul Eater, here is the 3rd Soul Eater NOT!, compiling chapters that have been available digitally for a few months now.
Lastly, Umineko: When They Cry starts its 4th arc, Alliance of the Golden Witch. While Battler will still be around, his younger sister Ange is the focus here, now all grown up and trying to figure out what happened 12 years earlier. As you can see, she’s also a source of fanservice for manga artists. Maria’s tragic upbringing also gets a lot of attention here.
Is this enough? Or do you want even more manga next week?
Spell of Desire, Vol. 1
Spell of Desire Volume 1 by Tomu Ohmi
I am unapologetically enthusiastic about Shojo Beat’s new habit of releasing slightly smutty josei manga under the Shojo Beat imprint. More josei is a good thing! I was happy to see that after a few volumes of Tohmu Ohmi’s Midnight Secretary, another series of hers was licensed by Viz. Spell of Desire is that series, and I might even like it more than I like Midnight Secretary, as impossible as that might seem.
As you might guess from the title, with Spell of Desire, Ohmi has turned her attention to witches! Kaoruko Mochizuki is a herbalist in a small village, but one day a mysterious man named Kaname Hibiki shows up at her store and announces that she’s a witch, descended from a long line of women with mystical power. It turns out that Kaoruko’s long lost mother is a Witch Queen, and she’s sealed her power within Kaoruko. As the power begins to activate, Kaoruko will need help controlling it, and Kaname just happens to be the Knight dedicated to her protection.
I loved the contrast between Kaoruko and Kaname. She’s drawn as an earthy, hippie type, with flowing layers of clothing with botanical prints that reflect her connection to her profession. Kaoruko is a bit naive, but committed to the customers at her shop and the simple way of life that she enjoys. Kaname’s severe, with an all-black wardrobe and glasses that make him look stern. He also has a bit of a snarky and cynical personality. Kaname comes with two animal companions named Dragon and Unicorn, that appear to be a fluffy white cat and dog, but actually possess mystical powers themselves. When Kaoruko accidentally activates her mystical powers, they manifest as black vine tendrils winding across the panels in the manga, becoming more tangled as her powers become more out of control. Of course, there is a fail-safe mechanism to calm Kaoruko down – kisses from Kaname.
The first volume deals with the conflict between Kaoruko and Kaname as he insinuates himself into her life in order to protect her from her runaway witch powers. It is terrible, but Kaname and Kaoruko have to kiss very often because her powers are starting to really get out of control. While at first Kaoruko is resistant to the idea that she’s a witch, she decides to accept her situation calmly and deal with it even if there are things that she doesn’t understand. Kaname comments in response, “You’re such a decent person it’s almost ludicrous.” Kaoruko is left wondering about Kaname’s real relationship with her mother the Witch Queen, and I can see how there will be plenty to explore in future volumes as Kaoruko has to deal with her new reality as a witch and Kaname’s place in her life. Fans of Midnight Secretary or paranormal romance manga in general should snap this up!
Bookshelf Briefs 7/14/14
This week, Sean and Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media and Seven Seas.
Midnight Secretary, Vol. 6 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – There’s still a little bit of “but I’m just his secretary” here, but that ends up being overshadowed by all the fallout from Kaya thinking she’s pregnant. It turns out she isn’t, but the idea that she might be is not entirely unappealing to her. That said, the vampire world is unhappy with it, so much so that they send the clan leader over to threaten and disturb Kaya, implying that her feelings are being artificially induced. And when Kyohei is able to convince her otherwise, even stronger measures look to be taken. The links between vampires and humans have been bubbling over this whole series, and given the next volume is the last one I expect it will all end in tears… no wait, this is josei romance. It should be fine. – Sean Gaffney
Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 4 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – There is a story and character development happening here, but I am finding myself drawn more to the technical aspects of this manga, which are exceptional. I’ve mentioned before that Komi is very good at keeping his harem “balanced”, and his excellent ability at drawing goofy faces. Now here we see that he can do devastatingly good cliffhangers as well. Three of these chapters have cliffhangers that make you desperate to come back next week for more, which is all you can ask of a serialized story. We also get a new girl introduced, Marika, who is immediately set up to be an obvious villain, showing herself off as Raku’s “fiancee” and demanding he break up with Chitoge. This succeeds where other modern harem manga fail. – Sean Gaffney
One-Punch Man, Vol. 2 | by ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – Sometimes I forget about manga I read digitally unless I get nagging e-mail reminders. I hadn’t realized that there were now three volumes of One-Punch Man now available. I am delighted that the second volume was just as ridiculous as the first. One-Punch Man goes up against an evil mad scientist who has built an underground lair called the “House of Evolution”. One-Punch Man is accompanied by his new trusty cyborg diciple Genos. The unlikely duo face off against an army of clone scientists and a monster genetically engineered assassin. There’s a great joke later on in the book featuring a superhero bicyclist, and One-Punch Man is showing signs of finally wanting some superhero notoriety for himself. Highly recommended if you enjoy dumb humor and people punching things! – Anna N
The Sacred Blacksmith, Vol. 5 | By Isao Miura and Kotaro Yamada | Seven Seas – Given there’s no hint of it on the back cover or in the first half, I feel obliged to say that this volume has a rather traumatic rape scene in it, featuring Cecily and a new villain. We do see Cecily trying to recover from the resultant fugue state she goes into, and she does to a degree, but her final confrontation with said villain is then undercut by the entrance of Luke, who fights in her place to protect her. It left a very bad taste in my mouth, and I think I’m going to be dropping this. There are still a lot of fantasy underpinnings here, and everyone has at least two motivations for everything they do. But the rape and its aftermath have made me very apathetic towards reading more of it. – Sean Gaffney
Sweet Rein, Vol. 3 | By Sakura Tsubasa | Viz Media – There’s no “Final Volume” on the back cover, and the series does not end so much as stop, but I’m pretty sure this *is* the last Sweet Rein, unless Hakusensha restarts it again a la Millennium Snow. It’s light but sweet, giving us more human/reindeer antics and the occasional not-quite romance (the two leads have still only kissed on the cheek). The Santas seem to function as shinigami a lot of the time, bringing closure to a rich boy and his butler as well as a reindeer whose master was killed, leaving him behind. This adds an element of darkness, but even then the series can’t help but resolve things with a sugar coating. There’s also an extra story dealing with Penguin Revolution, for old CMX fans – Sean Gaffney
Pick of the Week: The Anti-pick?
SEAN: Well… I was going to pick Terra Formars here, but after my Manga the Week of column, there has been a torrent of “Wait, wait, haven’t you heard about it?” that has made me reconsider. I shall see how it plays in my review, but am now reluctant to grant it a pick of the week. As such, I’ll grant my pick to a Seven Seas title, D-Frag!. I like goofy club comedies, and this one promises not to lean too heavily on the harem antics. Goofy girls being weird is pretty much just what I need in these hot months.
MICHELLE: I am totally in the same boat, Sean. I was completely unaware of the title’s unsavory reputation when I wrote of my interest in the title. So, instead I’ll recommend some more seinen from VIZ in the form of Naoki Urasawa’s Monster. This is a series that’s really at its best when consumed in large chunks, so I’m pleased to see it coming out in omnibus format. If you missed it the first time, now’s your chance!
ASH: I’m still interested in reading at least the first volume of Terra Formars to see what everyone is talking about for myself, but I’ll take an easy out and choose the third volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday? for my pick this week. I like the series best when it focuses on the characters and their stories, but the food is pretty tasty, too.
ANNA: I was unaware of the issues with Terra Formars too, so I’m going to highlight Alice in the Country of Clover: Knight’s Knowledge, because I’m guessing that this reverse harem title featuring a murderous knight with no sense of direction will be much much much classier.
SEAN: Pick of the Week: We’re Not Running Away, We’re Advancing In Reverse!
MJ: I might sort of be running away. I’ll take a look at Terra Formars, but I admit I’m pretty wary now. Instead, I’ll join Ash in picking the latest volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, which I will undoubtedly love. Fumi Yoshinaga has never truly failed me, and this series has charmed me to bits so far. Fortunately, I have pretty much equal parts love for the characterization and the food, so I’m happy no matter what.
What looks good to you this week?
My Love Story! Vol. 1
My Love Story! Vol 1 by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko
It is fairly rare for a shoujo manga to manage being both hilarious and heartwarming, but My Love Story! delivers. I was looking forward to this title because I absolutely adore Kazune Kawahara’s previously translated series High School Debut, and this new manga more than lived up to my expectations.
My Love Story! is extremely refreshing because in a dramatic shift from most shoujo series, it focuses on a boy as the main character. And the boy that it focuses on is Takeo, a hulking giant who is drawn exactly like the manga stereotype of a local gang leader, with a hulking body, thick eyebrows, and overabundant sideburns. Takeo is looked up to by everyone who plays sports with him, but his true friend is Suna, conventionally attractive in exactly the way a shoujo reader would expect, with windswept hair and a habit of rejecting all the girls who have crushes on him. Takeo has a habit of falling for girls who are crushing on Shun, who are then promptly turned down when they confess their feelings. On a fateful day Takeo saves a girl from being groped on a train, and she shows up the next day at his house with a cake to thank him. Rinko is an incredibly sweet and cute girl who enjoys baking and shyly blushing whenever she comes up with an excuse to be around Takeo. Unfortunately Takeo is so used to being passed over for Shun, he tries to set up Shun and Rinko, while being utterly unaware the the cute girl that he loves actually loves him back.
There’s plenty of caricature and humorous reactions as Takeo goes through extreme emotions. While it would be easy for Takeo to be the target of jokes, Shun genuinely cares for his best friend. While much is made of Takeo being an unlikely shoujo hero, he’s actually surrounded by supporters. It turns out that Shun is rejecting any girl who speaks badly about Takeo, because he has no interest in dating anyone who shows themselves as a mean person. Shun manages to get Rinko and Takeo together, and it is nice to see a manga series centered around people who just simply care about each other. My Love Story doesn’t suffer from second volume syndrome at all, by the end of the first two chapters I was utterly won over by the combination of characters, humor, and random feats of strength exhibited by Takeo as he goes about his day. The art maybe relies a bit too much on the contrast between Takeo being a blundering thug in a sparkly shoujo world, but there’s plenty of plot driven and situational humor to balance out this aspect of the manga.
As Rinko and Takeo start going out, Shun learns that his older sister has also been nursing a crush on Takeo that she has never expressed, because she was waiting to tell him her feelings when she was older. She immediately concludes that Rinko must be no good, and heads off to intervene, but Rinko and Ai quickly bond over their shared feelings. The end of the first volume of My Love Story! is too funny to spoil, but I’ll be looking forward to the second volume for this winning combination of laugh out loud moments and quirky romance.