Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Ash Brown

Manga the Week of 7/28/21

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SEAN: The end of July should be quiet, right? Everyone’s on vacation, right? Right?

ASH: I actually will be on (a very much needed) vacation!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Airship has the print edition of Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 1, and an early digital for Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 2.

Cross Infinite World has the 2nd volume of Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report.

Denpa Books has a 2nd volume of Heavenly Delusion.

ASH: Nice to see this one finally coming out; it encountered some delays.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Booty Royale: Never Go Down Without a Fight! (Hagure Idol Jigokuhen), which is coming out in 2-volume omnibuses and runs in Nihon Bungeisha’s Bessatsu Manga Goraku. A wannabe idol and karate expert is tricked into the adult entertainment industry, and forced to fight the sex equivalent of a death match game.

MICHELLE: …

ASH: Huh.

ANNA: Erm.

SEAN: J-Novel Club gives us The Faraway Paladin’s 5th manga volume, John Sinclair: Demon Hunter 3, Monster Tamer 5, Perry Rhodan NEO 2, and the 4th Sweet Reincarnation manga.

Kodansha’s print titles include the debut of Pretty Boy Detective Club (Bishounen Tanteidan). They’ve released the first three novels for this already, now we’re getting the manga, which has run in Aria, Palcy, AND Shonen Magazine Edge, so is sui generis. It’s about a middle schooler who gets caught up in a very strange club.

MICHELLE: The first novel didn’t thrill me, but that was largely because of the narrative style. Could be that I would enjoy it more as manga.

ASH: I’ve found that to be true of some of NISIOISIN’s other work as well; at times the stories seem better suited for manga (or anime) rather than prose.

SEAN: Also in print: Boys Run the Riot 2, CITY 12, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 10, Sweat and Soap 7, and Yuzu the Pet Vet 6.

ASH: Boys Run the Riot is high on my list. And this is a good reminder for me to give Sweat and Soap a try.

SEAN: Digitally we see two debuts. My Darling Next Door (Tonari no Otona-kun) is a Betsufure series about a high school girl who falls for an older salaryman who’s just moved next door. Hrm…

ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister! (Onii-chan wa Oshimai) runs in Ichijinsha’s Comic Rex, and is about a young man who is turned into a woman due to his mad scientist Little Sister. No comment.

We also see And Yet, You Are So Sweet 4, Back When You Called Us Devils 3, Harem Marriage 7, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 11 (print has nearly caught up), Quality Assurance in Another World 2, Saint Cecelia and Pastor Lawrence 2, Saint Young Men 12, She’s My Knight 2, The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 5, and the 10th volume of When We’re in Love, which is not a final volume but the series has gone on hiatus after this.

MICHELLE: Cue lamentations about being so far behind on everything.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a few debuts. I’m in Love with the Villainess is based on the light novel, and the digital version has been out for some time, but the print edition of the manga is now released.

ASH: Excellent.

SEAN: Seaside Stranger (Umibe no Étranger) is a BL story from Shodensha’s On Blue, about two men who bond with each other at a seaside town… only one of them isn’t staying long. Can they reconnect?

MICHELLE: I’m definitely looking forward to this one!

ASH: Same! I’ve heard good things.

ANNA: Sounds good.

SEAN: The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary (Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan) runs in Hobby Japan’s Comic Fire, and is based on the light novel that Airship is releasing. A cynical merc finds it hard to change careers and become an adventurer.

Also from Seven Seas, Berserk of Gluttony 3, Blue Giant 5-6, My Senpai Is Annoying 5, the 5th and final volume of the PENGUINDRUM manga, and The Demon Girl Next Door 3.

ASH: For the most part, I’ve been enjoying what I’ve read of Blue Giant.

ANNA: I have yet to read the first volume, but I have it!

SEAN: Square Enix debuts The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! (Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai!), the story of a demon lord whose mana crystal is shattered and who ends up powerless in the human world. Can she regain her power despite being small, weak and somewhat pathetic? This has an anime coming out this summer, and is, sigh, from the same writer as Breasts Are My Favorite Things in the World! and The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious.

They’ve also got The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 4.

Tentai Books gives us How to Melt the Ice Queen’s Heart (Koori no Reijou no Tokashi Kata), a light novel which seems to be a sweet high-school romance series.

Tokyopop has a 4th volume of Ossan Idol!.

Viz has a formerly print-only release now released to digital – all 19 omnibuses of it! If you haven’t heard of Ranma 1/2, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you.

ASH: Ha!

ANNA: What an obscure title!

SEAN: They’ve also got a digital release of Jump title Ayakashi Triangle, a series so ecchi it can’t appear on the normal Jump app. It’s from the To-Love-Ru creator, natch.

Yen On gives us Combatants Will Be Dispatched! 6, The Executioner and Her Way of Life 2, Goblin Slayer 12, In the Land of Leadale 3, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 16, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone (the 5th in the series), and Reign of the Seven Spellblades 3.

Yen Press debut? We’ve got it. Captivated, by You (Muchuu sa, Kimi ni) is a one-shot short story collection from Enterbrain’s Comic Beam about strange high school kids, and has won some awards. It’s also a hardcover release. Anyone seeing the words “Comic Beam” should have already added this to their buy list.

ASH: Ooooh, this does look good.

ANNA: Sign me up!

SEAN: Yen also has Cirque Du Freak: The Manga’s 3rd Omnibus re-release, Cocoon Entwined 3 (hair), IM: Great Priest Imhotep 10, Karneval 12, and RaW Hero 5.

Hey, that’s not quiet at all! What suits your tastes?

Pick of the Week: Five Alive

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KATE: If you’d told me five years ago that VIZ would be re-issuing Taiyo Matsumoto’s No. 5, I’d have chuckled and thought, “Boy, is this person naïve! VIZ couldn’t *give* copies of this series away back in 2001! It’s weird! It’s surreal! American readers aren’t ready for it!” I’m happy to say that I’m wrong, and that VIZ is about to release a gorgeous new edition of No. 5 that will give everyone a chance to luxuriate in Matsumoto’s spooky, slithery, beautiful artwork again. If you liked Tekkonkinkreet or Ping Pong, call your local comic shop NOW and ask them to pull a copy of No. 5 for you.

ANNA: I agree, No. 5 is the clear pick of the week for me as well.

MICHELLE: Now that I’ve gotten over my panic at the sheer influx of manga, I must concur—No. 5 is the standout here.

SEAN: Clearly it’s No. 5, yes, but I know the way I read manga, and I know Matsumoto and I have struggled before. As such, I’m going to actually pick the 5th volume of Tearmoon Empire, a hilarious “villainess makes good when she goes back in time” novel with a heaping helping of social conscience to it as well. Now with a stage show!

ASH: As soon as Tearmoon Empire is released in print, I suspect that I’ll wholeheartedly be onboard with that series. But, yeah, No. 5 is where it’s at for me this week, too. I think the time is finally right for the the manga to hit its mark in English, and I’m glad for it.

MELINDA: I hate to be a sheep, but it’s gotta be No. 5 for me, too! Weird and surreal feels exactly right when we’re living in a reality like the one we have now. Count me in!

Pick of the Week: One Cool Cat

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SEAN: Gee, what could it be? Moto Hagio? Cute smug-looking cats standing on their back paws? Sign me up for L’il Leo!

KATE: I’ve developed a reputation for being the most predictable member of the MB Battle Robot, and I won’t disappoint anyone by picking, say, The Hero Is Overpowered But Cautiously Optimistic or I’m Deeply Skeptical of the New Power I Just Manifested. OF COURSE Lil’ Leo is my first choice this week, for all the reasons Sean listed. But I’m also intrigued by Hello World, which is giving me serious orange vibes–and that’s never a bad thing.

MICHELLE: Any time there’s Moto Hagio, my pick is spoken for. That said, I am also looking forward to getting caught up on Ace of the Diamond and Giant Killing, both of which have new volumes out this week. The latter, being seinen sports manga about a professional team rather than high schoolers aiming for nationals, is particularly good.

ANNA: The idea of not picking Moto Hagio is inconceivable!

ASH: S’truth! If Moto Hagio is an option, that is the pick. And a cat manga, too? There really is no other choice. Lil’ Leo it is!

MELINDA: Moto Hagio and cats is an obvious and irresistible choice. My pick can only be Lil’ Leo!

Manga the Week of 7/14/21

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SEAN: Now that July 4th has come and gone and terrified all our dogs, what manga do we have to soothe us?

MICHELLE: My big tabby is also not a fan.

MELINDA: My cats are fine, but I’m traumatized.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has Hello World, a sci-fi one shot with a “fix your past to stop a tragic death” plot. Given Seven Seas also published orange, there’s a lot of this going around.

ASH: I did like orange, so I’m far from opposed to this particular premise.

ANNA: Somewhere I have the first volume of orange, unread.

SEAN: Also in print, Airship has Berserk of Gluttony 3.

Digitally, we get the 12th volume of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

Denpa lists a debut on its website for next week: Lil’ Leo (Reo-kun). This one-shot cat manga is by Moto Hagio, famous for They Were Eleven, The Poe Clan, Otherworld Barbara, etc. This is about a cat who decides to go to school one day like the neighbor kid, then subsequently finds there’s nothing he can’t do. It ran in Flowers.

MICHELLE: Oooh.

ASH: I’m really looking forward to this one.

ANNA: Cool.

MELINDA: Moto Hagio and cats. What’s not to love?

SEAN: It’s a quiet week for J-Novel Club, as we have only Black Summoner 5 and Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 15.

In print, Kodansha has Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 9, Heaven’s Design Team 5, Toppu GP 5, and Yuri Is My Job! 7.

The digital debut is In the Clear Moonlit Dusk (Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki), a Dessert series from the creator of Daytime Shooting Star. The cover reminds me a bit of I Hate You More than Anyone!, and is about a “school prince” – female – meeting the other “school prince” – male.

MICHELLE: Looks fun!

ASH: It really could be!

ANNA: I really liked Daytime Shooting Star. so I’m curious about this.

MELINDA: Interested…

SEAN: We also get Ace of the Diamond 33, ASHIDAKA – The Iron Hero 3, Cells at Work: Baby! 3, The Dawn of the Witch 3, Giant Killing 24, Police in a Pod 2, Shaman King: Marcos 2, The Springtime of My Life Began with You 3, Tokyo Revengers 21, and the 6th and final volume of Vampire Dormitory.

MICHELLE: I really have to get caught up on Ace of the Diamond and Giant Killing. I like both a lot.

SEAN: Two debuts for Seven Seas. The Invincible Shovel (Scoop Musou: “Scoop Hadouhou!” (｀・ω・´)♂〓〓〓〓★(゜Д゜ ;;) .:∴DOGOoo) is the manga adaptation of the comedy light novel, and features shovels. So many shovels.

ASH: That title is kind of amazing.

ANNA: I don’t know what to think about anything anymore.

SEAN: The other is Mars Red, a manga from Comic Garden that had an anime recently, about a young reporter who meets a friend of hers who a) died years ago, and b) is now part of a vampire A-Team.

Also from Seven Seas: Gal Gohan 8 and The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 3.

Square Enix has a 4th volume of Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition.

SuBLime has a debut. Bad Boys, Happy Home (Dousei Yankee Akamatsu Seven) ran in Akita Shoten’s Kachi Comi, and features a high school punk who regularly picks fights with a homeless man… then, when the homeless man is kicked from where he normally sleeps, the punk offers up his own home!

ASH: I’ll admit, I’m curious.

SEAN: Viz Media gives us, at long last, the final 40th volume of RIN-NE. I admit I long since stopped reading this, but I hope everything works out for the dumb guy and the somewhat stoic girl who (presumably) loves him.

MICHELLE: I didn’t hate RIN-NE, but it’s true that nothing of consequence ever seems to happen.

SEAN: Viz also has Case Closed 79, Fly Me to the Moon 6, and Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show 4.

Yen On has Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana 2. They’ve also got a paperback reissue of The Miracles of the Namiya General Store.

ASH: I’m still happy that The Miracles of the Namiya General Store was translated.

SEAN: Yen Press debuts The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious (Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii), a Gangan Joker title about a maid that teases the young boy who is her charge. Gonna be honest, this is by the author of Breasts Are My Favorite Things in the World!, and I hated that, so…

MELINDA: Yen Press staying on brand, I see.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press next week: Bungo Stray Dogs 19, Days on Fes 2, The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious 3, Horimiya 15, In Another World with My Smartphone 2, Interspecies Reviewers 5, Love and Heart 2, No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! 18, Slasher Maidens 3, A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School 10, To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 3, and The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions 3.

What manga makes you calm and tranquil?

Bookshelf Briefs 7/5/21

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Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 | By Keito Gaku | Kodansha Comics – This was well-acclaimed when it was first licensed, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a great look at transgender and genderqueer characters, showing both the difficulties and triumphs that they experience. The art is also terrific, popping off the page, particularly in the art that Ryo creates. I also enjoyed how Ryo and Jin became fast friends, and despite a few misunderstandings (mostly as their classmates see them in a different way) stay that way, especially as they’re both outsiders in a way. Oh yes, and the title itself, as well as its derivation towards the end of this volume, is brilliant in its layered meanings. I absolutely can’t wait to see what happens next, and hope that the fashion they’ve designed takes off. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – I had read this when it first came out last year, but forgot to review it. Which is dumb, as it’s fantastic, and also it has not only an anime that debuted last week, but also a manga “sequel” that starts this week. The story of an all-girls school aiming to be the top stars in their not-Takarazuka-because-of-legal-reasons troupe, we meet Ai, a girl with a troubled and abusive past who is small and doesn’t trust easily, as well as Sarasa, a girl who also has a troubled past (that we don’t see as much of in this omnibus) but who is very tall and trusts very easily. Yes, it’s shiny peppy girl meets dark grumpy girl, and we all love that type of relationship to bits. The supporting cast are also very good, and this volume ends openly, which is good, as the story continues. – Sean Gaffney

Let’s Not Talk Anymore | By Weng Pixin | Drawn & Quarterly – Having enjoyed Weng Pixin’s collection Sweet Time, I was happy to discover that another volume of her work had recently been released. Let’s Not Talk Anymore is a beautifully painted, captivating comic that explores five generations of matrilineal family history, both real and imagined. The narrative is cyclical in nature, repeatedly shifting from 1908 to 1947 to 1972 to 1998 to 2032 and back again while following the lives of Weng’s great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, the creator herself, and her imaginary daughter as fifteen-year-olds. While not always readily apparent to the young women themselves, readers soon begin to see patterns and parallels emerge from the telling of their stories. The similarities and differences between their generational traumas and personal experiences inform who they are as individuals as well as in relationship to one another. Let’s Not Talk Anymore deftly and elegantly captures the complexities of the inherited realities connecting mothers and daughters through multiple generations. – Ash Brown

My Hero Academia, Vol. 28 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Things continue to be absolutely terrible for the heroes, and we’re starting to get an actual body count on their side, though it’s not any of the major characters… so far. Unfortunately, the big plan to stop the resurrection of Shigaraki is a disaster of epic proportions, though it’s nice to see that he seems to know the narrative tropes of this sort of thing and is headed right towards Deku. Fortunately, Gran Torino, also familiar with these narrative tropes, is there to stop Deku rushing in and killing himself. There’s not really a lot to talk about here as it’s just a massive, city-destroying chaotic battle, but it’s rare that you see a Jump title like this go so far in having its good guys lose over and over again. It’s chilling. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I tried something a little different with this twelfth volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Instead of reading it straight through, I read a chapter a day. I think that helped a lot in terms of appreciating the wacky episodic humor, which in this installment involves things like Nozaki trying to help Seo figure out her feelings for Wakamatsu by loaning her shoujo manga and later making a Wakamatsu doll, Nozaki owning in a competition amongst classmates to see who can write the best love confession, and Sakura’s ill-fated attempts to embody a cool girl to help Nozaki with a story. As ever, though, my favorite parts involve Hori and Kashima, whose relationship has evolved a little since his confession, though they’re still far away from becoming an official couple. Nothing here made me laugh out loud, but plenty made me smile. I look forward to the next one! – Michelle Smith

Species Domain, Vol. 10 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – Ohki is the big focus of this volume, and not in a good way. After a fun, cute date with the girl who’s crushing hard on him, he shuts her down, saying that he’s “in love with science.” It’s not clear if this is meant to be a sign of asexuality or simply narrow focus, but it’s clearly rude to the girl, as everyone else notes. Then we get another elf showing up as a transfer student, only this one is a full-blown elf with magic out the wazoo, which he demonstrates in class. Now Ohta’s interested, having seen actual magic in action, which deals a devastating blow to Kazanori. Elsewhere, we probably get FAR more information about icaruses and how they get pregnant than we’d really like, much to Hanei’s horror and embarrassment. This is ending soon, but is still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 6 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Our sweet couple finally moves in together, will all the issues that you tend to see when that happens. It means we get their first fight, as Kotaro is trying to do everything himself so that Asako doesn’t have to, which annoys her as they’re supposed to have a partnership. She also badly handles a guy blatantly hitting on her while Kotaro is away, taking his business card even though she’s clearly not interested. That said, these things are fairly easily resolved, and the majority of the time we get to see what these two do best, as we watch them working, eating, making soap, and making love. (Even the fight is adorable, as passersby whisper that he’s getting dumped, which she angrily—and loudly—denies.) Read this; you won’t regret it. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Tall Orders

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MICHELLE: I don’t know much about Kageki Shojo!!, hence my surprise and delight upon discovering there’s a lot more of it to come. I don’t see how I could possibly resist picking Takarazuka-adjacent josei this week!

SEAN: The first episode of the anime reminded me why I love this series so much, so yes, absolutely Kageki Shojo!! for me as well.

KATE: Add me to the Kageki Shojo!! fan club; who doesn’t love a good backstage drama?

ANNA: I’m all in for Kageki Shojo!! too!

ASH: Kageki Shojo!! is likewise my pick! I greatly enjoyed the first omnibus and am definitely looking forward to reading more of the series; I’ll take all the Takarazuka-adjacent manga that I can get!

MELINDA: Count me in for Kageki Shojo!! as well!

Manga the Week of 7/7/21

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SEAN: July! Manga! Too hot to be glib!

ASH: So, so hot in so, so many places.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has the debut of Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter. There’s also the 3rd volume of I’m in Love with the Villainess.

MICHELLE: I managed to read the first volume of I’m in Love with the Villainess recently! Definitely the best light novel I’ve tried so far.

ASH: I really need to get around to finally reading it myself; I’ve heard nothing but good things.

SEAN: Airship also has an early digital debut of a title we’ve seen the manga for already: My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s. Take a wild guess at the premise. They’ve also got Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs in early digital.

Ghost Ship debuts Devilish Darlings Portal Fantasy (Isekai Seikatsu no Susume), which ran in Takeshobo’s Kissca and is a one-shot. It’s basically an isekai with more nudity, though I hear it’s cuter than it sounds.

In print, J-Novel Club gives us Slayers, Vol. 1-3, a nice hardcover omnibus of the first three volumes of the classic series.

ASH: I know quite a few people who are looking forward to this release.

MELINDA: I didn’t know this was coming, but now I’m excited!

SEAN: They’ve also got Ascendance of a Bookworm’s 6th manga volume, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 13, I Shall Survive Using Potions!‘s 4th manga volume, Infinite Dendrogram 13, My Next Life As a Villainess 8, and a 2nd omnibus of Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles.

Digitally, we get not only Ascendance of a Bookworm’s 8th manga, but also the first volume of the Ascendance of a Bookworm fanbook. See illustrations, Q&A from the author, and a new short story! We also see Altina the Sword Princess 9, Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower 2, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 17, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! 3, and Record of Wortenia War 11.

ASH: It makes me happy that Ascendance of a Bookworm is doing well enough that we’re getting material beyond the main series.

SEAN: Kodansha, for print releases, has the 7th APOSIMZ, Fire Force 23, Orient 3, and Shaman King’s 3rd omnibus.

Digitally we get 2 debuts. Fate/Grand Order -Epic of Remnant- Pseudo-Singularity III: The Stage of Carnage, Shimousa – Seven Duels of Swordmasters exhausts me just to type out. It runs in Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket. The plot… is FGO.

ASH: That is quite the title.

SEAN: That’s My Atypical Girl (Asper Kanojo) is a seinen manga from Comic Days, and thanks for avoiding that Japanese title, I approve. A manga artist gets a visit from a fan who’s just a bit different.

Also out digitally: The final 7th volume of 1122: For a Happy Marriage, Bakemonogatari 9 (the print came out two weeks ago), Girlfriend, Girlfriend 4, Guilty 8, Living-Room Matsunaga-san 9, My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought 6, Shaman King: The Super Star 5, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 5, Smile Down the Runway 19, Those Snow-White Notes 8, With the Sheikh in His Harem 3, and Ya Boy Kongming! 2.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading several of these digital releases.

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts. Great Pretender is a manga based on the Netflix anime, and runs in MAGCOMI. It’s not quite Leverage: The Manga but close.

The other debut we’ve technically seen before. Kageki Shoujo! ran for two years with Shueisha, and we saw that omnibus come out last year. Then it jumped ship to Hakusensha, where it runs in their josei magazine Melody. And this is the start of that run! Takarazuka fans will love this.

MICHELLE: Oh! I didn’t realize there was more coming. Nice.

ASH: Looking forward to reading more of this series!

MELINDA: Oh, hello!

ANNA: I need to read it!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Dai Dark 2, Muscles Are Better Than Magic 2, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 13, The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent 3, and SUPER HxEROS 3.

ASH: I somehow actually haven’t managed to read the first volume yet, but hooray for more Dai Dark!

SEAN: Tokyopop has three titles: Her Royal Highness Seems to be Angry (Oujo Denka wa Oikari no You Desu) is the debut. The digital version came out a while back, and it runs in Overlap’s Comic Gardo. It’s sort of a reincarnation story AND a villainess story.

We also get Laughing Under the Clouds 2 and Futaribeya: A Room for Two 8.

No debuts for Viz, but we do get the final volume of Oresama Teacher. I know Nozaki-kun gets all the love, and rightly so, but this is also awesome, and I will miss it, even if it does end up going the teacher/childhood friend/sadist route.

MICHELLE: I admit I prefer Nozaki-kun, but I do intend to finish Oresama Teacher, too.

ASH: I need to catch up on Oresama Teacher, but I’ve greatly enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

ANNA: I also need to get caught up, but I have many stockpiled volumes.

SEAN: Also from Viz: D.Gray-Man 27, Dr. STONE 17, Idol Dreams 7, Love Me, Love Me Not 9, Moriarty the Patriot 4, My Hero Academia Vigilantes 10, Platinum End 13, Queen’s Quality 12, and Undead Unluck 2.

ASH: I’m behind but I’ve got my eyes on a few of these, too!

ANNA: I’m stoked for my very occasional volume of Idol Dreams especially!

SEAN: That’s it! Seems like less than usual? Have I gotten used to it?

Manga the Week of 6/30/21

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SEAN: The end of the fiscal year! What books are just barely part of their publisher’s 20-21 financials?

Airship has an early digital title: Loner Life in Another World (Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku ~ Cheat Skill wa Urikiredatta ~), a title that may sound familiar as Kaiten Books has been putting out the manga. The premise is exactly what you’d expect, but I am actually giving this one a try, as I’ve heard the original Japanese is so impenetrable that even hardcore readers have trouble figuring it out. I want to see how the translators do.

ASH: It does sound as though they may be doing some heavy lifting!

SEAN: Airship also has Drugstore in Another World 2 (early digital) and Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 15 (print).

Cross Infinite World has Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin (Isekai Mokushiroku Mynoghra: Hametsu no Bunmei de Hajimeru Sekai Seifuku), a title that… does not sound like their usual sort of book. Our hero is an ill young man who ends up reincarnated… as an evil God. Overlord fans might enjoy this.

Two digital debuts for J-Novel Club. Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀ (Eiyu-oh, Bu wo Kiwameru tame Tensei su. Soshite, Sekai Saikyou no Minarai Kisi ♀) is the story of a hero-king who wants to live his next life as a warrior. He’s reincarnated… but as a noble daughter who’s ineligible to be a knight. What now?

ASH: Hmmm, that might have some potential?

MELINDA: This might be interesting.

SEAN: The other title is The Sidekick Never Gets the Girl, Let Alone the Protag’s Sister! (Shinyuu Mob no Ore ni Shujinkou no Imouto ga Horeru Wake ga Nai), the story of a former hero in a fantasy world reincarnated as a normal Japanese high school kid. He wants to be dull and normal, and let his handsome popular friend be the protagonist… then he meets said friend’s little sister.

Also out next week: Ascendance of a Bookworm 13, The Great Cleric 3, My Next Life As a Villainess 9, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 5.

ASH: Hooray, Bookworm!

A print debut for Kodansha with Peach Boy Riverside, which we’ve seen in digital-only format. A retelling of the Momotaro legend in fantasy world format.

ASH: A reimagining of Momotaro, you say? That completely slipped by me when it was released digitally.

SEAN: Also out in print: That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime 16 and UQ Holder 22.

Debuting digitally is Quality Assurance in Another World (Kono Sekai wa Fukanzen Sugiru), a Comic Days title about a young girl who meets a “Seeker”, someone who tries to fix problems in their world. But… just what *is* their world, anyway?

Also out is the 6th and final volume of Atsumori-kun’s Bride to Be, A Couple of Cuckoos 4, Heaven’s Design Team 6, I Fell in Love After School 8 (also a final volume), Seven Shakespeares 16, and Shojo FIGHT! 17.

MICHELLE: I have really enjoyed Atsumori-kun’s Bride to Be, and look forward to completing it. I liked I Fell in Love After School too, but haven’t read as much of that one.

SEAN: Seven Seas has If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord 6 (this is the manga), Magical Girl Site 15 and the 8th and final volume of Merman in My Tub.

ASH: Wow, it’s been a long time (a few years) since we last saw a new volume Merman in My Tub!

SEAN: Sol Press has the 4th and final volume of Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?!.

Yen On debuts The Detective Is Already Dead (Tantei wa Mou, Shinde Iru), the story of the sidekick to a famous detective. After said detective died, he theoretically returns to normal life… but then a girl shows up who looks an awful lot like the dead detective. This is supposedly excellent.

MICHELLE: Hm. I’m intrigued.

ANNA: I am as well!

ASH: Same!

MELINDA: And I!

SEAN: There’s also Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt So I’ll Max Out My Defense 2, A Sister’s All You Need 10, and Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 6.

The debut for Yen Press is Farewell to My Alter: Nio Nakatani Short Story Collection, which is what it says. By the creator of Bloom Into You.

Yen also gives us After School Bitchcraft 2, A Certain Magical Index 23, the 2nd and final Dear NOMAN, Heterogenia Linguistico 3, High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 10, the 11th and final The Honor Student at Magic High School, I Cannot Reach You 2, Kakegurui Twin 10, Love at Fourteen 10, Mieruko-chan 3, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected 15, Play It Cool, Guys 2, Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts 13, the 3rd and final Strawberry Fields Once Again, Sword Art Online: Project Alicization 3, and Trinity Seven 23.

ASH: That’s quite the list!

SEAN: To balance your books, you need to buy more manga! What are you getting?

Pick of the Week: Summer of Sadako

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ASH: One interesting trend of late has been the release of manga inspired by the Ring franchise. Granted, there have been new film installments produced relatively recently, so maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that there have been manga additions, too. Either way, Sadako-san and Sadako-chan is the volume I’m most curious about this week!

MICHELLE: There isn’t one particular volume that I’m most looking forward to, but there are several Kodansha digital offerings that appeal to me, so I’ll just sort of pick them all generally.

ANNA: My pick is Those Snow White Note. One day I will read it!

SEAN: I’ll throw my pick this week to a long running title that always makes me laugh, the 15th volume of D-Frag!.

KATE: Behind the scenes, Sean was speculating that the delay of Blood on the Tracks would give me an excuse to make Shuzo Oshimi’s latest series my pick of the week, and… well, he’s right. It’s a gripping, creepy psychological thriller, and about the only thing on this week’s new arrival list that I’m truly jazzed about. So yeah, that’s my choice. Sorry/not sorry for being so predictable!

MELINDA: There isn’t a lot I’m excited about this week, but though Sean suggested the new Sword Art Online short stories to me, I think I have to go with Sadako-san and Sadako-chan as my pick. I mean. Just look at it. Sounds like it might be hilarious and fun.

Manga the Week of 6/23/21

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SEAN: June staggers on, despite all efforts to stop it.

ASH: That it does.

SEAN: Airship has print releases of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 6 and Classroom of the Elite 8. They’ve also got early digital releases for Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA 5 (the final volume) and ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! 4.

J-Novel Club has some manga volumes out digitally, including the debut of Der Werwolf (Jinrou e no Tensei, Maou no Fukkan: Hajimari no Shou), based on the light novel. It runs in Comic Earth Star.

Also debuting in manga form is Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! (Nihon e Youkoso Elf-san), again based on the light novel. It runs in Comic Fire.

The light novel debut next week is Villainess: Reloaded! Blowing Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons (Doushitemo Hametsu Shitakunai Akuyaku Reijou ga Gendai Heiki wo Tenishita Kekka ga Kore desu). Yes, a girl is reincarnated into the world of an otome game where she’s the villainess. Except… she was a huge military nut in her past life. Therefore, screw becoming a better person, she just needs MORE DAKKA. This is from the author of Her Majesty’s Swarm, and hopefully will interest me more than that one did.

ASH: It’s fascinating to see how these sub-sub-subgenres evolve.

SEAN: And there’s a J-Novel Pulp series debuting as well: Jessica Bannister and the Midnight Séance. Supernatural reporter!

Also out next week: the 12th and final volume of Full Metal Panic! and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 8.

Kodansha has some print. There’s Bakemonogatari’s 9th manga volume, Blood on the Tracks 6 (yes, I know), Boarding School Juliet 15, Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition 8, Cells at Work: Baby! 2, The Daily Lives of High School Boys 6, Gleipnir 9, Grand Blue Dreaming 13, Love and Lies 10, Whisper Me a Love Song 3, and The Witch and the Beast 5. That’s a LOT, so don’t be surprised if you see some of these on the list for manga the week of July 7 with me saying “yes, I know” next to them.

ASH: That is a larger batch of print! (I’m not going to complain much about that, certainly.)

SEAN: Debuting digitally is Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence (Shiro Seijo to Kuro Bokushi), a 4-koma series about a somewhat useless Saint and the Pastor who has to take care of her. It runs in Shonen Magazine R.

Also, we see Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 6, And Yet, You Are So Sweet 3, Back When You Called Us Devils 2, DAYS 24, Harem Marriage 6, Those Snow White Notes 7, and When We’re in Love 9.

MICHELLE: I’ll be checking out a couple of these, at least.

SEAN: Debuting for Seven Seas is Sadako-san and Sadako-chan, a one-shot about the girl from the Ring getting introduced to the modern world – can you crawl out of a Youtube video? This ran in Comic Walker.

ASH: I’m curious about this one.

SEAN: Also out from Seven Seas: D-Frag! 15, Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 2, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka 11, and Sorry for My Familiar 8.

Square Enix gives us a 4th volume of Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town.

The debut for Yen On got bumped, but there’s still some new light novels out next week from them. We get Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 14, The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody 6, Haruhi Suzumiya 11 in print, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 14, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 16, Solo Leveling 2, Sword Art Online 22, Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online 9, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 11.

Yen Press has two debuts. The first is the manga version of a light novel we’re getting in July. If the RPG World Had Social Media… (Moshi Role Playing Game no Sekai ni SNS ga Attara) runs in Dengeki Daioh “g”, and the premise is the title, as has been the norm lately.

The other is your name. The Official Visual Guide, which contains art, storyboards, character designs and interviews.

ASH: That should be a visual treat, if nothing else!

SEAN: Lastly, Yen also gives us I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 6, The Royal Tutor 15, and Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 9.

ASH: I need to catch up with Toilet-bound Hanako-kun; I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve read of it so far.

SEAN: What manga is steamrolling over you without stopping?

Pick of the Week: You Are Already Picked

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SEAN: Barring an unforeseen crossover between Fist of the North Star and Ooku, I suspect Manga Bookshelf is going to be leaning one way or the other this week. I’m going to go with FotNS, even though I’m not sure I can stay with it for too long, simply because of the sheer influence it had on so many later series.

MICHELLE: I’m in the same boat. That cover art for the first volume basically says, “Michelle, I am not for you,” but I’m just so grateful that VIZ is releasing this that I have to at least check it out. A little trepidatious about those exploding limbs, though. Not gonna lie.

ANNA: “….you’re already dead!!!”

KATE: My inner historian is thrilled to see Fist of the North Star back in print, but my inner reader is more excited about the latest volumes of Maison Ikkoku and Even Though We’re Adults, two series I’m actively enjoying and collecting at the moment. I’ll probably pick up FotNS to satisfy my curiosity, but I won’t lie: I share Michelle’s general reservations about exploding limbs.

ASH: Out of everyone here, I may be the person for whom Fist of the North Star most fully aligns both interest-wise and reading habits-wise. It’s admittedly been a while since I’ve read the incomplete older English edition/s, but I loved those volumes; I am so incredibly excited that this series is finally getting another chance in print in English.

MELINDA: Okay, I know I usually say that Fumi Yoshinaga always wins, but I can’t deny that I’m excited by the prospect of actually reading Fist of the North Star after all this time. It’s gotta be my pick this week.

Manga the Week of 6/16/21

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SEAN: We’re having a heat wave! A manga heat wave!

ASH: I certainly much prefer one of those things over the other.

SEAN: Airship has two debuts. The first we’ve talked about before: I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again! is now out in print. I really enjoyed this look at a villainess who suffers depression.

ASH: Oh, that could be interesting. (I’m paying more attention know that it’s available in print.)

SEAN: The other debut is digital first: Reincarnated As a Dragon Hatchling (Tensei Shitara Dragon no Tamago Datta ~ Saikyou Igai Mezasenee ~). He’s a baby dragon, but he’ll grow up to be… (deep breath) the strongest ever!

Also out next week: Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! 13 (early digital), The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 4 (print) and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 11 (print).

Dark Horse has a 3rd Deluxe Edition of Hellsing.

Ghost Ship gives us World’s End Harem 11.

J-Novel Club has two digital debuts. Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend: Roomies and Romance (Dousei kara Hajimaru Otaku Kanojo no Tsukurikata) has a description that makes it sound like Grooming: The Light Novel, but I suspect is probably pretty tame.

The other debut is Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! (Buta Koushaku ni Tensei Shitakara, Kondo wa Kimi ni Suki to Iitai). We all know light novel authors love to make their petty noble villains short, ugly, etc. What if he was an anime character, and now our hero was trapped reincarnated as him? Well, maybe he can actually shape up and stop being a villain. Again, this comes highly recommended.

ASH: This one has slipped under my radar up until now.

SEAN: We also see Are You Okay With a Slightly Older Girlfriend? 3, Fushi no Kami: Rebuilding Civilization Starts With a Village 4, The Ideal Sponger Life 3, Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party 5, and the 18th and final volume of Outbreak Company.

Kaiten Books has a 3rd print volume of Loner Life in Another World.

In print, Kodansha has Chobits 20th Anniversary Edition 4, Knight of the Ice 6, Perfect World 6, A School Frozen in Time 2, Star⇄Crossed!! 2, and Those Not-So-Sweet Boys 3.

MICHELLE: Lots of good stuff, there!

ANNA: I’m very excited for Knight of the Ice, I’m thoroughly enjoying that series.

ASH: This is a good week for Kodansha in print!

Digitally our debut is Undead Girl Murder Farce, involving a supernatural detective with a very creepy cage. It’s from Shonen Sirius.

Also: Blue Lock 4, A Girl and Her Guard Dog 5, The Honey-Blood Beauty & Her Vampire 3, Medalist 2, We’re New at This 7, and Will It Be the World or Her? 6.

One Piece has the manga edition of The Reprise of the Spear Hero – Vol. 4, to be precise.

Seven Seas has Even Though We’re Adults 2 and Made in Abyss Official Anthology – Layer 2: A Dangerous Hole.

ASH: Somehow, I actually haven’t read the first volume of Even Though We’re Adults yet, but that’s not going to stop me from picking up the second.

SEAN: I don’t even know where to begin with Viz. They’re finally doing a nice, non-Gutsoon version (if you don’t know what Gutsoon was, ask your father) of Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken). If Shonen Jump in the early 1980s was defined by Dragon Ball, this was its other half – an ultra-serious, ultra-violent apocalypse adventure with more exploding limbs than anyone can really handle. It’s in 2-volume omnibuses. It’ll be a treat.

MICHELLE: I’m grateful I finally get the opportunity to check this out!

ANNA: I’m so old, I have a few of the early Viz translated American comic sized issues from way back in the day.

ASH: I cannot adequately express how incredibly excited I am that this series is finally getting a proper English-language print release.

SEAN: There’s also a ton of final volumes. We get 20th Century Boys Perfect Edition 1… erm, 12 (not sure what’s going on there), Blue Flag 8, and RWBY The Official Manga 3.

MICHELLE: I believe this is the final volume of Blue Flag, also.

SEAN: Yes, that’s why I said “ton of final volumes”. :)

MICHELLE: I am inobservant!

ANNA: I need to get caught up on Blue Flag, it is very good.

ASH: That it is.

SEAN: Also coming out: Golden Kamuy 22, Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition 4, and Ooku the Inner Chambers 18.

MICHELLE: Ooku!

ANNA: Ooku too!

ASH: Yes, Ooku!

SEAN: Lastly, a trio of titles from Yen Press: The Case Study of Vanitas 8, Dead Mount Death Play 5, and Triage X 21.

Feeling hot hot hot? What manga are you reading?

Pick of the Week: Swooning in June

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MICHELLE: Though I have thus far failed to read Barakamon, I pounced on the debut volume of Yoshi no Zuikara and ended up really liking it. Now, the final volume of the short series is coming out and you can bet that I’ll be pouncing on that too.

SEAN: I’ve heard very good things about Uncle in Another World, but picking isekai right now seems sort of eh. There’s also new Komi and Spy x Family. But it’s been almost a year, so I’m gonna pick the next volume of A Certain Scientific Railgun, because overpowered middle school girls kicking ass.

ASH: I was surprised and delighted by how good the first volume of How Do We Relationship was. And so, I’m looking forward to catching up with the second and now the third volumes of that series!

ANNA: Out of everything coming out this week, I’m probably most excited by Spy x Family, one day I will catch up!

KATE: I’m on Team Kodansha this week, since they’re releasing new installments of two great series: Blood on the Tracks and Blue Period. I’ll also put in a pitch for Those Snow White Notes, both for its educational value and its sudsy drama. Hot guys playing the shamisen? Sign me up!!!!

Manga the Week of 6/9/21

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SEAN: 2nd June 2nd Furious.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

SEAN: Airship has an early digital debut. Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! (Mezametara Saikyou Soubi to Uchuusen Mochidattanode, Ikkodate Mezashite Youhei to Shite Jiyu ni Ikitai) and seems to be a standard isekai harem title, only in space rather than in fantasyland.

ASH: That’s a newer variation, I think!

SEAN: Also, in print, we get the 2nd volume of Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells and, in early digital, we get Berserk of Gluttony 3.

Dark Horse has the 2nd volume of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!.

ASH: I still need to check out the first.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has two digital debuts, neither one in their main imprint. On the J-Novel Heart end, we get The Emperor’s Lady-in-Waiting Is Wanted as a Bride (Kouteitsuki Nyokan wa Hanayome Toshite Nozomare Naka), a story of a knight who lost her life protecting the crown prince. She then somehow finds herself in the future with all her memories… and now she’s ENGAGED to a prince? This seems fun.

ASH: It does!

SEAN: Also out next week is the first volume of Perry Rhodan NEO, from the J-Novel Pulp imprint. The adventures of Perry Rhodan have been around forever, and this is the 2011 reboot of the storyline. Space adventures, only probably without the isekai and harem like Reborn as a Space Mercenary.

They’ve also got Black Summoner 2 (manga version), Campfire Cooking in Another World 3 (manga version), the 6th and final volume of I Refuse to Be Your Enemy!, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen 12.

In print, Kodansha Manga has Blood on the Tracks 6, Blue Period 4, Real Account 12-14 (I assume… I had it on my Manga the Week of July 1, 2020 list as well…), Shaman King’s 2nd omnibus (Vol. 4-6), and Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 4.

MICHELLE: Blood on the Tracks is riveting, but I need to be in the right mindset for it.

ASH: It’s true. A fair number of Oshimi’s works tend that direction, actually.

SEAN: The digital debut is Police in a Pod (Hakozume: Koban Joshi no Gyakushuu), a seinen title from Weekly Morning. A disheartened officer who is about to turn in her resignation is stunned at the new woman director who arrives at the station. This has been made into a live-action drama.

And we have The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! 6, Nina the Starry Bride 3, Peach Boy Riverside 8, The Springtime of My Life Began with You 2, and Those Snow White Notes 6.

MICHELLE: Six volumes behind on Those Snow White Notes now.

ANNA: Me too.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts the manga version of I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!, whose light novel I have discussed. I found the light novel fantastic, but I’ve heard the manga tells the story quite differently. It runs in Gentosha’s Denshi Birz.

We also get Arpeggio of Blue Steel 18, A Certain Scientific Accelerator 12, and A Certain Scientific Railgun 16.

Square Enix has a 4th volume of My Dress-Up Darling.

ASH: I’m a volume or so behind, but I really liked the first couple.

SEAN: SuBLime has a 6th Caste Heaven.

Viz has two debuts. The first is Kirby Manga Mania, a collection of manga starring the game character. The other is World Piece, a Viz Original graphic novel about a boy who accidentally shrinks Earth to the size of a basketball.

ASH: Oh! I had forgotten about the Viz Original line!

SEAN: Other titles include Call of the Night 2, How Do We Relationship? 3, Komi Can’t Communicate 13, One Piece Omnibus 31, Pokemon Adventures Collector’s Edition 8, and Spy x Family 5.

MICHELLE: I need to check back in with How Do We Relationship?. I enjoyed the first volume.

ANNA: I need to check back in on Spy x Family.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying what I’ve read of both of those series!

SEAN: Yen On has the 19th The Devil Is a Part-Timer!.

Yen Press debuts Uncle from Another World (Isekai Ojisan), the story of a man who’s been in a coma for 17 years… then wakes to tell his nephew he’s been in another world! Despite the isekai, I’ve heard this is better than it sounds.

Yen also has For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 6, Hinowa Ga CRUSH! 5, Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler 13, Phantom Tales of the Night 7, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 14, Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops 7, Tales of Wedding Rings 9, and the 3rd and final volume of Yoshi no Zuikara.

MICHELLE: I really liked the first volume of Yoshi no Zuikara. I’m excited for the conclusion.

SEAN: What manga gets you racing?

Bookshelf Briefs 6/2/21

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Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 1 | By Satomi U | Square Enix Manga – I was worried this would turn romantic, and it still may, but for the moment my fears are unfounded, as this is mostly sweet and devoted to food. A young widow who loved to cook for her late husband rediscovers its joys by cooking for her neighbor, a baseball-playing teen with a bottomless stomach. He’s earnest and doesn’t talk much, she’s earnest and a bit older-sister type… the manga would risk being dull except we also have his childhood friend, who’s clearly in love with him and upset that he has not realized this at all. (His lack of drive is a plot point; the coach sees it too.) The food also looks very tasty, and makes me curious about those really huge rice cookers. Sweet. – Sean Gaffney

I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 1 | By Okura | Square Enix Manga – Having enjoyed That Blue Sky Feeling, I was happy to have the chance to read another work by Okura. The first volume of I Think Our Son Is Gay is an absolute delight. The story unfolds in a series of short, largely humorous vignettes told from the perspective of a loving mother who has some very good reasons to believe her oldest son is gay. Hiroki hasn’t explicitly said as much, but he’s very easy to read and becomes adorably flustered, so the fact that he likes boys becomes obvious to both his mother and younger brother. However his father, who isn’t home much, unfortunately hasn’t come to realize it yet—his unthinking expression of casual homophobia is unintentionally hurtful. I Think Our Son Is Gay doesn’t ignore this sort of tension and pain, but as a whole the work comes across as overwhelmingly supportive and accepting of the endearing Hiroki. – Ash Brown

In/Spectre, Vol. 13 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – In/Spectre tends to work best when it invests the reader in the solution to the mystery, so I can see why some people might be annoyed with the resolution of the plot from the previous volume, which is very much “I asked my ghost friends, and they said the character you’ve totally forgotten about did it.” That said, this is more of a “whodinnadunnit” and how to avoid getting framed. After that we get a one-shot whose point is “other yokai find Kuro terrifying” (the previous story touched on that as well), and then the start of a new arc, which looks fascinating as Kotoko is forced to have Rikka as her Watson rather than Kuro. So, good volume, but I want to read fourteen more. – Sean Gaffney

Our Teachers Are Dating!, Vol. 3 | By Pikachi Ohi | Seven Seas – If you think that good stories rely on conflict and discord, you probably didn’t even bother to try reading this in the first place, but it’s definitely time to get off the train now. This series is built on “aaawwwwwww,” and it’s not letting up. Hayama and Terano are still hideously in love, to the point where they can barely stand to be apart from each other—so why not move in together? There’s a skiing holiday (oh no, we are trapped in the lodge and must make love!), bathing together (as the cover demonstrates)… heck, the series even manages to make a quickie in the back of a car seem adorable. It will never be deep, but it does what its readers want very well. – Sean Gaffney

Sex Ed 120%, Vol. 1 | By Kikiki Tataki and Hotomura | Yen Press – The title and concept don’t really inspire confidence, but this turned out to be really good. Part of it is a sex ed manual of sorts—if you don’t know what a dental dam is, you will by the end of this book—but it’s also the story of a very curious teacher who wants her students to be informed and the students themselves who take in her lessons. One is into BL, one is seemingly asexual but very much loves animals (non-sexually), and the third is a lesbian trying to hide her relationship, though everyone knows by the end of the volume. It’s also an all-girls’ school, so a lot of plots I was worried about don’t apply here. I also like the other teacher, aka the Voice of Reason, a lot. Give this a try, you’ll be surprised. – Sean Gaffney

Species Domain, Vol. 9 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – In this volume, we see the growth of Kazamori’s character in many ways, showing off her maturity and the fact that she’s now a major part of the school—it’s no surprise she joins the new Big Four. Ohki is more of a surprise, especially as he has to be added as a secret “fifth” member. He’s always been difficult to get a handle on, and Kazamori almost seems to have stopped bothering, but her disinterest in his latest inventions seems to be hitting him a lot harder than we’d expect. Meanwhile, Tanaka is still trying to get himself to appreciate Dowa’s full beard, trying to start small and work his way up. It’s dorkily awkward. I’m far behind on this series, so expect my review of volume ten a little sooner. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 6 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This is not quite the cishet version of Our Teachers Are Dating!, but it comes close, as this newlywed couple continue to run on sweet schmoopy moments and bouts of really good sex. Even discussing a friend who’s getting a divorce, Sumika ends up turning it into a romantic moment for the two of them. Here we see more of their childhood, where it’s clear the two have loved each other since elementary school, and also get more insight into Sumika’s father, who thankfully is less abusive than I feared, and more “communicates badly with his communication-challenged daughter.” There is SOME conflict here, but it’s easily resolved, and there’s less of the dumb humor we saw in Ao-chan Can’t Study. Fun. – Sean Gaffney