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Ash Brown

Manga the Week of 12/8/21

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SEAN: Busy busy busy! Almost forgot to type this up this week! What do we see?

ASH: Oh, do I know the feeling!

SEAN: Yen On has the 3rd volume of The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten as well as Reign of the Seven Spellblades 4.

Yen Press debuts an artbook: AidaIro Illustrations: Toilet-bound Hanako-kun. This does exactly what it says on the tin.

ASH: I quite like the art in Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, so I’m looking forward to this collection.

Also out from Yen’s manga imprint: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 2, The Eminence in Shadow 2, Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger 6, For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 7, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil 15.

MICHELLE: As with much else, I do mean to get around to reading For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams someday.

ASH: I read the first few volumes and have the next few on hand, though I haven’t actually gotten around to reading them yet.

SEAN: Three debuts from Viz. Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theater is a massive, 625-page hardcover featuring a ton of short stories from the legendary Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball creator.

ANNA: That sounds like a great holiday present!

MICHELLE: I didn’t love Dr. Slump but really adored Toriyama’s COWA! oneshot, so might check this out.

ASH: Wow, that’s a lot of manga packed into one volume! Should hopefully be pretty good.

MELINDA: This is pretty cool!

SEAN: Kaiju No. 8 is a Shonen Jump + release that already is getting simulpubbed, and has HUGE buzz. A man who works on cleaning up after Japanese Godzilla monsters suddenly finds himself with new powers. Can he now achieve his dream of fighting them?

ANNA: Also intriguing.

ASH: Indeed! I’ve heard good things.

MELINDA: Okay, I’m ready.

SEAN: Rosen Blood is from Akita Shoten’s Princess, and if I said reverse harem vampire story would that get your attention?

ANNA: This fully has my attention, surprising no one.

We also get the final volume of Takane & Hana, the 18th, which is out in both a regular edition and a special edition which has a variant cover and an extra chapter. I’ll miss these goofballs.

ANNA: I’m behind on this series, but I am fond of it!

MICHELLE: I will miss them too!

SEAN: There’s also Chainsaw Man 8, Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition 15, Jujutsu Kaisen 13, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 21, One Piece 98, Queen’s Quality 13, We Never Learn 19, Yakuza Lover 3, and Yona of the Dawn 33.

ANNA: Stoked for the excellence of Yona of the Dawn and the insanity of Yakuza Lover.

ASH: Always glad to see Yona on the list. I’ve been enjoying Queen’s Quality, too.

SEAN: Tokyopop has a 5th volume of Laughing Under the Clouds.

Square Enix has the 8th Hi Score Girl.

Seven Seas debuts Robo Sapiens: Tales of Tomorrow (Robo Sapiens Zenshi), a done-in-one omnibus from Kodansha’s Morning Two. This is a multi-award winning manga about robots and humans, and how far apart and close to each other they are.

MICHELLE: Sounds intriguing.

ASH: I’m here for it!

MELINDA: Same!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: CALL TO ADVENTURE! Defeating Dungeons with a Skill Board 3, DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level 2, Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers 2, and Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games 2.

Kodansha’s first print debut screams “this is actually Vertical”: Emma Dreams of Stars (Emma wa Hoshi no Yume wo Miru). A one-shot from Kodansha’s Morning, but it was originally published in France, and is about the first woman Michelin Guide Inspector.

ANNA: Ooh!

MICHELLE: I second that “Ooh!”

ASH: And thirded!

MELINDA: And I’ll just repeat, “Ooh!”

SEAN: Also debuting is Hitorijime Boyfriend, a one-shot from Ichijinsha’s Gateau and prequel to Hitorijime My Hero.

Kodansha also has a lot of print titles whose ebooks came out a week or two (or more) ago. We see Bakemonogatari 11, Blood on the Tracks 7, Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro 9, Orient 6, Shaman King Omnibus 6, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 7, UQ Holder 24, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 2.

Digitally our debut is My Master Has No Tail (Uchi no Shishou wa Shippo ga nai), a good! Afternoon series that has the unlikely teamup of a tanuki and a rakugo master.

ASH: Sounds like my kind of team!

SEAN: And there’s Chihayafuru 29, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 18, Love After World Domination 3, My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought 11 (the final volume), Saint Young Men 14, Smile Down the Runway 21, With the Sheikh in His Harem 8 (also a final volume), and Ya Boy Kongming! 6.

MICHELLE: Insert obligatory Chihayafuru rejoicing.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a few series in print which, well, are mostly already out, but Amazon lists them as next week, so… anyway, it’s Ascendance of a Bookworm 10, I Shall Survive Using Potions! (manga) 5, Infinite Dendrogram 14, A Lily Blooms in Another World, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It in for Me! 1, Tearmoon Empire 2, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (manga) 2.

ASH: I am so far behind on my light novel reading, but there are some good ones here.

SEAN: Digitally we have two light novels debuting. Goodbye Otherworld, See You Tomorrow (Sayonara Isekai, Mata Kite Ashita), a post-apocalyptic journey series that looks a bit more serious than most recent isekai titles.

There’s also Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter (Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi), the story of a commoner who was trying to become a court magician… but failed. Now his only recourse to avoid debt is a suspicious tutoring job.

We also see Lazy Dungeon Master 15 and the 7th Unwanted Undead Adventurer (manga version).

Ghost Ship has Call Girl in Another World 3 and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 16.

Denpa Books gives us The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes 3.

And Dark Horse has the 3rd volume of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!.

Cross Infinite World gives us Reset! The Imprisoned Princess Dreams of Another Chance! 2 digitally.

Lastly, Airship has two digital-early titles: The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 2 and Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 3.

Too much, too marvelous, too marvelous for words. What titles make you dance?

Bookshelf Briefs 11/30/21

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Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 10 | By Ukami | Yen Press – Possibly the best chapters in this volume of Gabriel Dropout are the ones dealing with hypnosis, as (to no one’s surprise) Satanya is very vulnerable to it. That said, what happens is more like the Looney Tune where Elmer is hypnotized by Bugs Bunny—all of a sudden it’s Raphael who has to be the boke in order to get her back to normal, and the results are hilarious mostly as it’s so rare to see her as the victim in all of this. In fact, Raphael has a bad volume in general, as we also meet her butler back in heaven, who is, well, a bit of a perverted stalker. hat said, Satanya does not escape being the buttmonkey all volume… though, as we see in the back half, her parents are not really that much better. Still funny. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 9 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – Sorry, everyone, still no major focus on the teachers and why they are not banging each other like drums, though at least we get the date. Instead the focus is on Hikari and her sister Himari, as we finally get their backstory here and it’s a lot more serious than you’d expect. Indeed, Hikari is out of character the whole book, being in a depressive funk as she tries to (somewhat) fight against her vampire heritage, not really accepting that drinking blood is gonna have to be like other people taking a daily pill—something she can’t get away from. As always, the writing is sensitive and caring, with the monster girl as metaphor coming across strongly. I just hope we don’t wait another sixteen months for the next book. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 15 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is devoted to Isagi, a girl running for student council president despite the fact that (like most of the cast in this series) she has terrible communication skills, and comes off as brusque and rude. Fortunately, Komi needs friends, dammit, and she’s not going to let rejection get in her way. She also has Ase, her closest friend, who gives the best anti-campaign speech ever, and (as with a lot in this manga) it turns really heartwarming. And of course we continue to crawl towards drama as Manbagi gets closer to admitting she likes Tadano. If you saw the anime and thought twice about buying the manga, Yamai’s barely in the series anymore. Give it another shot. – Sean Gaffney

Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy | By Ken Niimura | Yen Press – Having greatly enjoyed Niimura’s previous work, including but not limited to Henshin, I was thrilled to find out about Never Open It. The volume collects three distinct stories of varying lengths, Niimura retelling and reimagining three traditional Japanese folk tales: “Urashima Taro,” “Ikkyu-san,” and “The Crane Wife.” While the tales are independent from one another, they do all share a central plot element in which the characters are instructed to never open something—a chest, a pot, a door. Niimura’s artwork and narratives meld European, American, and Japanese influences in beautifully expressive ways. The illustrations are primarily black and white, but Niimura uses red as a spot color to spectacular effect. Red is the color of blood and fate in these comics, heightening the drama and impact of Niimura’s visual storytelling. Never Open It is a marvelous collection; Niimura’s talent for creating engaging and striking comics is clear. – Ash Brown

No Matter What You Say, Furi-san Is Scary!, Vol. 1 | By Seiichi Kinoue | Seven Seas – If you like Komi Can’t Communicate, this has a very similar premise, though the personalities are not the same. Furi-san has a harsh, “yanki girl” face but is really a sweet girl who has to take care of her siblings a lot. She has a crush on her seatmate… but all he sees is her looking terrifying! “Misunderstandings happen” is literally the entire plot, but it’s cute enough, and it opens up a bit more when Furi actually makes a friend who realizes that she isn’t really as scary as all that. There’s a plethora of this sort of manga around lately, so only read it if you like the genre, but it’s good if you do. Plus, who can resist those blushing faces? – Sean Gaffney

Sex Ed 120%, Vol. 2 | By Kikiki Tataki and Hotomura | Yen Press – This continues to be much better than expected, and gives some excellent advice throughout. This is not only advice that reminds you that real life is not like porn fanfics, but also how to deal with pick-up artists (and define them) and long discussion of how to negotiate consent and how it’s not as easy as yes or no. The main cast continues to be small but varied, with a teen lesbian couple (who get a chapter to themselves explaining how they got together), an adult lesbian tease couple (the two teachers, who also get a chapter to themselves, though it’s just one-sided for now), an asexual student, and… well, and the BL fan, who seems to be the default goofy one. Give it a try, much better than you’d expect. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 9 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – There’s a clever resolution to the cliffhanger from last time, as it turns out that everyone is right and everyone is wrong—Ikuma’s coworker is ready for a more serious relationship, but he’s NOT ready for cohabitation. It’s handled quite well. Other than that, we get more of what we read this series for—these two being absolutely syrupy sweet. There’s a costume party where Ikuma is easily able to identify his wife despite their best attempts to disguise it, and memories of holidays past, with Sumika being somewhat envious of Ikuma’s loud and boisterous yet loving family. We’ve caught up to this series so it’s not out as often, but it’s still a great read. – Sean Gaffney

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, Vol. 1 | By Eri Ejima | Seven Seas – The school and uniforms reminded me a lot of Maria-sama Ga Miteru, and that’s not by accident—this is definitely a yuri manga. The gorgeous queen of the school turns out to be a game addict, and the commoner girl trying to start over and be an “upright young lady” discovers this… but she’s a former game addict herself. The trouble is, games are very, very banned at this boarding school. As the two of them try to find a way to play each other while also hiding from THE LAW (aka house mothers), will they also realize that they’re also really attracted to each other? Another one of those “better than it sounds” yuri titles, this one relies on excellent pacing and two great leads. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Cats, Brats and Flowers

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SEAN: I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with it, given it’s over 20 volumes in Japan, but this week the appeal of Cheeky Brat really hits home to me. Hoping for something along the lines of Power!! or Girl Got Game. Wait, those were the same manga. Anyway, cheeky brats are my pick this week.

MICHELLE: I admit there is something appealing about Cheeky Brat, but I’ve gotta go with josei cat manga I Am a Cat Barista. I’m not sure if it’ll be quite my thing, but I want to experience at least one volume.

KATE: Given how gregarious our male cat is, I can easily picture Buster pouring drinks and listening to patrons’ sob stories. Count me in for I Am a Cat Barista.

ANNA: I Am a Cat Barista sounds pretty adorable, it is my pick too.

ASH: As much as I’m looking forward to giving I Am a Cat Barista a try, my pick this week simply has to be Red Flowers. My brief doesn’t really do it justice, but both the volume and its series are excellent. Some of the stories collected leave quite an impression.

Pick of the Week: Niiiiii-cola! Niiiii-cola!

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MICHELLE: There are several BL/LGBT titles out this week, which is great! Although I definitely look forward to reading I Think Our Son Is Gay, I just love the cover of Restart After Coming Back Home so much, I’ve gotta pick that one.

ASH: Both of those titles interest me, for sure, but since this will be the last time that I can pick Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World, I’m going to have to go with that. It’s been such a lovely and charming series; I’m looking forward to reading the final volume, but am a little sad to see it end, too.

ANNA: I’ve been stockpiling Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World, but haven’t read it yet. It is still my pick, I’m looking forward to it!

SEAN: Yeah, Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World has been a surprise hit, and four volumes is just about the right length. I’ll pick that as well.

KATE: I heartily agree with all the folks praising Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World: it’s an imaginative, beautifully illustrated series that never condescends to younger readers even as it imparts lessons about kindness, generosity, and courage. Equally important, the heroine’s can-do spirit and occasional setbacks prevent the story from becoming too saccharine or predictable. Highly recommended!

Manga the Week of 11/24/21

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SEAN: No time to lose! What manga is out next week?

ASH: Only a few titles, I’m sure.

SEAN: Yen On has one title, a debut. Orc Eroica is a new light novel series about an orc who, after doing nothing but fight and win battles for years, finally realizes he’s still a virgin! He needs to find a wife and lose his V-card! I’ve been told this is much better than it sounds, which frankly would not be hard to achieve given the bar is lying on the ground.

MICHELLE: Hee (at the bar, not the concept).

MELINDA: I guess, on the upside, virgin orc shenanigans are a unique, new niche?

SEAN: Yen Press debuts two new manga titles. The Eminence in Shadow (Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute) is an adaptation of the light novel and runs in Comp Ace. It’s not as good as I think fans think it is, but it’s still fun.

And it’s back. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc (Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica – Majuu Hen) is a spinoff, this time in the original continuity, which takes place between the TV series and the movie.

Yen Press also has the third and final volume of After School Bitchcraft, Bungo Stray Dogs: Beast 2, the third and final volume of ID:Invaded #Brake-Broken, Love of Kill 5, Mieruko-chan 4, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 2, and Trinity Seven 24.

ASH: I’ve been meaning to give Mieruko-chan a try—better get on that before I get too far behind!

SEAN: Square Enix gives us I Think Our Son Is Gay 2 and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 6.

MICHELLE: Hooray for the former. Not that I ever managed to read volume one.

ASH: The first volume of I Think Our Son Is Gay was truly wonderful.

ANNA: This makes me want to check it out!

MELINDA: Ah! Looking forward to another volume of I Think Our Son Is Gay!

SEAN: Two debuts from Seven Seas. My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer (Haikei… Koroshiya-san to Kekkon Shimashita) is a Comic Cune title about a killer assassin who also happens to be a loving wife. The emphasis is on the comedy here.

ASH: Are assassins the new trend? I think assassins may be the new trend.

ANNA: I enjoy assassins!

SEAN: The other debut, complete in one volume, is Restart After Coming Back Home (Restart wa Tadaima no Ato de), a BL title about a man forced to move back home after losing his job, and how he meets another young man who was adopted by the community while he was away.

MICHELLE: I’m very much looking forward to this one!

ASH: Oh! I do like the sound of this one.

ANNA: Me too.

MELINDA: Here for it!

SEAN: Seven Seas also has Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 2, Dungeon Toilet 2, the 16th and final volume of Magical Girl Site (did it kill them all off at last?), The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today 2, My Androgynous Boyfriend 3, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! 6, My Room Is a Dungeon Rest Stop 5, the 4th and final volume of Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World, School Zone Girls 3, and Skip and Loafer 2.

ASH: Lots of interesting things in that mix, but Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World is the one that has most of my attention.

ANNA: I have the first two volumes on my to read pile.

SEAN: Kodansha has a treat for anyone who didn’t get Vertical’s original release: nichijou 15th anniversary box set! (Capitalization deliberate.)

Kodansha, in print, gives us Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost 2, Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition 9, Interviews with Monster Girls 9, Living-Room Matsunaga-san 8, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Trinity in Tempest 4, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? 17.

MICHELLE: Insert obligatory What Did You Eat Yesterday? squee.

ASH: Indeed!

MELINDA: Same.

SEAN: Digitally we have three debuts. His Extra-Large, Ever-So-Lovely… (Itoshi no XL Size) is a BL title from Ichijinsha’s Gateau about two men who meet at a college club. One confesses to the other that he’s still a virgin because his dick is simply too big. Well, we’ll soon see about that! (No, I’m not making this up. Is AO3 outsourcing to manga creators now?)

MICHELLE: …

MELINDA: Is he an ORC, though?

SEAN: Also on the BL tip (and also in Gateau) is Sugar Dog Life, about a short baby-faced guy and the tall manly police officer he meets.

MICHELLE: Okay, this is more my speed.

SEAN: The final debut is With You and the Rain (Ame to Kimi to), about a girl who adopts a…dog? Sure, we’ll go with dog. Not a tanuki at all. This runs in Young Magazine.

MELINDA: There are a lot of tanuki in the game I’m playing, which makes me interested in this for no good reason.

SEAN: We also get Back When You Called Us Devils 7, Chihiro-kun Only Has Eyes for Me 4, Harem Marriage 11, and Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence 6.

It’s a small week for J-Novel Club, as we see My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer 2, Record of Wortenia War 13, and Slayers 11.

Lastly, Airship has several print titles. We see Drugstore in Another World 3, Reborn as a Space Mercenary 2, Reincarnated As a Dragon Hatchling 2, and The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent 4.

And in early digital we get Mushoku Tensei 14 and The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent 5.

What are you going to get? Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Pick of the Week: Reluctant Picks

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SEAN: Hrm, I could choose any number of interesting new and continuing new manga titles, or I could pick another Villainess light novel to add on to my teetering pile. What to do… Yup, my pick this week is Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte.

MICHELLE: Although technically it came out last week, I would be remiss if I didn’t choose the final volume of The Girl from the Other Side for my pick of the week. I recently realized I haven’t read this series since volume seven (two years ago) because I am legitimately that worried about the fate of these characters. I reckon it’s time to take the plunge and hope for the best.

ASH: I’ll be joining Michelle in selecting The Girl from the Other Side as my pick this week. Though I am likewise a few volumes behind in my reading, it is such a wondrous series. Hard-hitting, too, but truly special.

MELINDA: Okay, so I’m recovering from getting my COVID booster, and running a fever for a few days means I’m not really up for much that takes any concentration, so the idea of buying anything to READ is not the most compelling thought in the world. I’d love to hear what our readers are picking up this week, though! Let us know in comments!

ANNA: It is The Girl from the Other Side for me too, one of these days I’ll get back to it.

KATE: I freely admit that I gave up on The Girl from the Other Side. The artwork is gorgeous–truly, Nagabe is a major talent–but the story was just too grim for me, and I bailed at volume seven. That said, I hope that folks who are enjoying this fairy tale know it’s available this week, since this is the final volume.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/14/21

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Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 10 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – The end of this volume states in big, bold letters that there’s twelve hours till the end of humanity, and nothing we see in this volume contradicts that at all. Even seeming antagonists like TV reporters in it for the ratings come to tragic, heartfelt ends here. The plot is expanding so much, in fact, that it’s hard to keep it focused entirely on our main cast, though Oran continues to essentially take over the heroine title from Kadode. It makes sense that the teens all have a final day on the beach with fireworks at the end… this is it, there’s no magic wand. That said, the series goes on hiatus at the drop of a hat, so the final end may be a bit. Still worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

If You Could See Love, Vol. 1 | By Teren Mikami and Yuuki Nanaji | Yen Press (digital only) – A good gimmick is always good when you’re starting a manga. This series stars Mei, who can see little pink arrows (they’re colored throughout the entire volume, which is probably why this is digital only) showing who people love. After a disastrous middle school life where she tried to use this power to help others and just ended up hated, she is now at an all-girls’ school… but now two girls are in love with HER. This works well because Mei has a lot to her backstory that makes her more than a standard romance protagonist. She was ill a lot as a child and also has bad experiences with love, meaning she can see love but can’t read it very well. Looking forward to more of this. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 2 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – After the cliffhanger from the last volume, this one takes place mostly over break, where Sarasa invites Ai to come home with her and meet her family and friends… and also find out, obliquely, why she is who she is. The answer, unsurprisingly, is in kabuki, which Sarasa is fantastic at but which is an all-male profession, despite her being drafted in as a young child to fill in in the chorus. It also shows why she’s struggling with her acting in the troupe—kabuki depends on precise imitation of someone else, whereas the acting required where she is now requires a new interpretation for each actress. Given Sarasa’s drive and innate talent, I think she’ll pick it up fast. This is excellent, even if you’ve already seen the anime. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – The first guidebook for the series to come out in North America, this is actually the second one to be released in Japan. That said, no worries, this one covers all the chapters up through about volume 23. It’s got introductions to the cast framed as tradable cards, so you know some cast members are more important than others—they’re SR, others are N. It also goes over most of the highlights of each arc, and gives little tidbits of information that might otherwise never come out. It’s particularly useful for Class 1-B (and also Yui Kodai gets the best gag in the volume with her “quotable lines” section). If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason not to pick this up. – Sean Gaffney

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 1 | By Aruko and Wataru Hinekure | VIZ Media – Aoki discovers that his crush, Hashimoto, likes another boy, Ida. After pledging to protect her secret (and intending to root for her happiness), he ends up confessing to Ida in her stead. He expects a swift rejection, but Ida says he wants to get to know Aoki better before giving him an answer. I was worried for a minute there that Ida was going to fall in love with Aoki and end up feeling like an idiot when the truth was revealed. Happily, the story doesn’t go that route, as Ida is continually such a wonderful person that by the end of the volume, Aoki begins to think he actually may like him after all! It’s definitely silly and has already trotted out some tropes like the cultural festival performance of Cinderella, but these really are good kids that I already care about. Looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

When Pink Rain Falls | By Yoiyu | Star Fruit Books – As the first print release from Star Fruit Books, a new small publisher generally focusing on indie manga, When Pink Rain Falls immediately caught my attention. Also notable is the fact that the story was originally created for J.GARDEN, a BL doujinshi festival—it is very uncommon for self-published manga to be licensed in English, so I was thrilled to see this translation. When Pink Rain Falls is a short, quickly paced manga just under forty pages. However, it still manages to convey a heartfelt story with satisfying emotional arcs. Yoiyu describes the manga as a “bromance,” but the BL tensions are real. The opening sequence alone shows Hanao, a budding florist, fleeing with the bouquet he was asked to make for the wedding of a male friend for whom he obviously has feelings. Throughout the manga humor balances the bittersweet, silliness the seriousness; When Pink Rain Falls is delightfully charming. – Ash Brown

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – The nature of witches, and how much they can and cannot do to help others, comes up quite a bit in this book. Things may be very tough for our heroes, but they are still witches, meaning they have options other people don’t. At the same time, the danger of creation is also shown—if you make a spell that creates a fake flame and give it to a child, will they end up not realizing you should not touch flames? We’re also introduced to a new witch, who exudes ‘ominous’ from every pore, but might also be able to help Coco with her most pressing issue. Oh, and did I mention the artwork is amazing? We’ve caught up with Japan, so these don’t come out as often, but that makes them all the sweeter. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 5 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – I never reviewed the fourth omnibus of this series—I think Kodansha had an issue getting it on the platform I read their titles on—but it’s not because I dropped it or anything. This volume is not a great one if you love the two “main” leads, as they get less to do, but it’s wonderful if you like the other main characters. (I will say I am grumpy that we did not get the cover art with the wedding couple as the ‘main’ cover for the omnibus.) Hanako and Taro are getting married, and we learn about the difference between compromising and spoiling—and why it’s not that bad to do either. Meanwhile, Ko and Naoya are still shy and fumbling and running away from each other… well, OK, it’s one-sided running. Great stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 11/17/21

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SEAN: Hey, remember when I totally screwed up? And did all of Seven Seas’s release dates wrong? No? Well. So everything you saw in LAST week’s Manga the Week of should have been on THIS list. Go look at the post for 11/10 for those. I will backtrack and do stuff that should have been on that list for this one. Apologies to Seven Seas.

Airship, in print, has My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s and Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Lily’s Miracle.

Digitally we see Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 3.

Cross Infinite World has the 2nd volume of Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin.

Ghost Ship already has out Double Your Pleasure – A Twin Yuri Anthology. Twincest: the manga. Yaaaaaay.

ASH: Goodness!

MELINDA: Oh dear.

SEAN: As well as the 8th and final volume of Destiny Lovers.

J-Novel Club debut a new title, Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte (Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endo-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san). Two guys playing a game with a villainess suddenly realize that her fiance can actually HEAR their commentary on the game! Can they change the outcome?

Also coming out next week: Are You Okay With a Slightly Older Girlfriend? 6, Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 2, Demon Lord, Retry! 7, Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World 2, the 2nd manga volume of My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ—, Otherside Picnic 6, and the 2nd manga volume of Villainess: Reloaded! Blowing Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons.

ASH: I’m certainly behind, but hooray for more Bookworm fun!

SEAN: Kodansha, in print, has Drifting Dragons 10 and Sweat & Soap 10.

ASH: I’m reading both those series right now, so this is a good Kodansha week for me.

SEAN: Digitally, the debut is Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You. (Dose Koi Shite Shimaunda), a Nakayoshi title. From the author of I Fell in Love After School, this is straight-up reverse harem fun.

MICHELLE: I am easy to please and this cover is cute so I will check it out.

ANNA: I do enjoy reverse harem fun.

MELINDA: As do I.

SEAN: Also debuting is Arakawa Under the Bridge. It had come out print-only years ago, now enjoy the digital.

ASH: I enjoyed this series, so am glad that it’ll be more accessible to even more people now.

SEAN: And we get Blue Lock 9, Cells at Work: Platelets! 4 (the final volume), Medalist 3, Mr. Bride 4, and Quality Assurance in Another World 4.

One Peace has a 3rd volume of Farming Life in Another World.

Seven Seas has some debuts. That are already out, please see above.

THE EXO-DRIVE REINCARNATION GAMES: All-Japan Isekai Battle Tournament! (Chou Sekai Tensei Exo Drive: Gekito! Isekai Zen Nihon Taikaihen) is from Mag Garden’s MAGCOMI, and is a parody of the genre, as isekais have become bread and circus tournaments for spectators.

A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic (You to Bakemono ni naru Chichi ga tsurai) is an autobiographical essay manga from Champion Cross. It’s complete in one volume.

ASH: That’s certainly a tough subject, but I’ve heard good things about the manga.

MELINDA: I suspect this is an important story to tell.

SEAN: And there’s Bite Maker: The King’s Omega 3, The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún 11 (the final volume), Karate Survivor in Another World 2, Species Domain 11, The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary’s 2nd manga volume, and Time Stop Hero 2.

MICHELLE: I am several volumes behind on The Girl from the Other Side, but that just means I have a nice little chunk to read up until the end. I hope it’s happy but it’s hard to see how just now.

ANNA: I really liked the first few volumes but stalled out on this series. I’m curious to see what you think of the ending.

ASH: I’m a few volumes behind, too, but I really do love this series.

SEAN: Back to things actually coming out in the future, Square Enix has Wandering Witch’s 3rd manga.

SuBLime has a surprise non-2nd week of the month release with Sayonara Game. A one-shot from Shinshokan’s Dear+, it’s a baseball BL story?

MELINDA: I’m listening…

SEAN: Tokyopop has Ossan Idol! 5.

Udon has the 2nd omnibus of Steins;Gate 0.

Viz gives us BEASTARS 15, Children of the Whales 18, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku 11, Urusei Yatsura 12, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 4.

ASH: Whoops! BEASTARS has gotten away from me; I didn’t realize how much catching up I have to do!

SEAN: Yen On has Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 15 and The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody Side Story: The Wonderful Life of a Typical Nobody.

Yen Press debuts the manga version of Reign of the Seven Spellblades (Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru), which runs in Shonen Ace. I love the novels, so the manga should also be great.

ANNA: I’m a little curious about this!

Also debuting… sort of… is Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II, the sequel to the first manga, but let’s face it, it’s just a continuation with a different artist.

We also have Solo Leveling 3, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 11, and A Witch’s Printing Office 5.

ASH: I still need to read Solo Leveling, but I’m ready for more Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun!

So, as I try to forget this list and the previous one ever happened, what are you buying?

Pick of the Week: Frieren vs. Ciguatera

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KATE: I’m intrigued by the cover of Cigureta, so that’s on my must-buy list, but I’ll also be adding the second volume of Mao. The first volume was uneven, but there were some weird and intriguing ideas that made me hopeful that this series is more like InuYasha than Rin-ne.

SEAN: Despite the presence of my beloved Tearmoon Empire, I am going to give the pick this week to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. I’m always happy to see a new Shonen Sunday series, and this one has a lot of hype as being a sort of “after the world is saved, what next?” story.

MICHELLE: I am intimidated by the comparison to Inio Asano, but it’s definitely Ciguatera for me!

ANNA: I’m always curious about Shonen Sunday titles, so it is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End for me.

ASH: While I am likewise intrigued by Ciguatera, I think I may be even more curious to see how Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End plays out. That being said, I finally got around to reading the first volume of I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School and I’m looking forward to reading more of that series’ ridiculousness, too.

Manga the Week of 11/10/21

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SEAN: It’s so hard to hold a manga in the cold November rain…

We start with Yen On, which has a new light novel debut: I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top (Ichiokunen Button o Rendashita Ore wa, Kidzuitara Saikyou ni Natteita ~Rakudai Kenshi no Gakuin Musou~). The story of a failure of a swordsman who gets one of the cheatiest cheats ever, though he comes to regret it.

There’s also new releases from many of Yen On’s biggest titles. We see Accel World 25, Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 17, Sword Art Online 23, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 10, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 12.

Yen Press’s debut is a spinoff: So I’m a Spider, So What? The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters, a gag manga spinoff that runs in Young Ace UP!, featuring the four parallel minds of our spider heroine.

Yen also has Cirque du Freak Omnibus 4, The Elder Sister-Like One 5, the 10th and final volume of Happy Sugar Life, Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin 2, I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet 3, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 12, Sasaki and Miyano 4, and Sex Ed 120% 2.

MICHELLE: Out of all of this, only Sasaki and Miyano is my sort of thing.

ASH: I think I’m likely of a similar mind, though I do vaguely remember Cirque du Freak being something I meant to check out way back when it was first being released.

SEAN: Viz has two new debuts. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren) is a Shonen Sunday title. Our hero’s party has defeated the demon king. Now what? This is something the near immortal elf of the party, who is going to watch the other members age and die, wants to find out. This one is award winning and everyone seems to love it. Can’t wait.

MICHELLE: Interesting!

ANNA: This sounds intriguing. I’m always curious about Shonen Sunday titles.

ASH: I am likewise intrigued! And I do like a good story about (near) immortals.

SEAN: The other debut is Pokémon Journeys, which is, well, a Pokemon manga. For fans of the genre.

And if you missed Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba when it came out, we have the Demon Slayer Complete Box Set for you.

ASH: That’ll be nice to see!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Fly Me to the Moon 8, Mao 2, and Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show 5.

MICHELLE: I still need to check out Mao.

ASH: I have the first volume! But haven’t actually read it yet…

SEAN: SuBLime has Birds of Shangri-La 2.

ASH: The artwork in this series is appealing, but I’m not completely sold on the story, yet.

SEAN: No debuts for Seven Seas proper (but see later on). We do get: Classmates 4, The Dangers in My Heart 3, Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 3, Gal Gohan 9, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 4, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? 8, I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! 2, The Invincible Shovel 2, and My Wife Has No Emotion 2.

MICHELLE: I really will get caught up on Classmates this time.

ASH: It’s good; I’m really glad we got to see this series in English.

SEAN: One Peace has I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School 2.

ASH: I finally got my hands on the first volume and am looking forward to giving it a read.

SEAN: Kodansha debuts Ciguatera, a manga by the legendary Minoru Furuya, author of Ping Pong Club. This ran in Young Magazine, and is about the pain and struggle (and tiny joys) of high school life. For fans of Inio Asano.

MICHELLE: Well, that last sentence is foreboding, but I’ll still probably check this out!

ANNA: I’m not sure how much I feel like being super depressed but I’m sure this is very good and critically acclaimed.

SEAN: And we get a spinoff debut, Rent-A-(Really Shy!)-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Hitomishirimasu), a Magazine Pocket title that focuses on Sumi.

There’s also the 2nd and final volume of Codename Sailor V: Eternal Edition, a rerelease of Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu in a Collector’s Edition, and the 5th Shaman King omnibus.

ASH: I greatly enjoyed (and enjoy) Cat Diary.

SEAN: Digitally, get ready for ANOTHER Cells at Work spinoff. Cells at Work! White Brigade (Hataraku Saibou White) is from Shonen Sirius, and, well, focuses on the White Blood Cells.

ASH: I’ve lost track of all of the spinoffs, but I do like franchise.

SEAN: There’s also Ace of the Diamond 35, Police in a Pod 6, Shangri-La Frontier 4, Tokyo Revengers 23, The Witch and the Beast 7, and Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad 4.

MICHELLE: I will never fail to be happy about sports manga!

ANNA: Wish there was more in print!

SEAN: J-Novel Club graces us with By the Grace of the Gods 9, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 2, The Ideal Sponger Life 5, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 38, Jessica Bannister 3, and Tearmoon Empire 6, the most important of these.

Ghost Ship debuts Cat in a Hot Girls’ Dorm (Joshi Ryou Neko no Tama-san) from Manga Goraku. A women’s dorm adopts a cat, and the cat has a cat’s eye view of all their sexy goings-on!

MICHELLE: …

ANNA: No thank you!

SEAN: Also from Ghost Ship: Booty Royale: Never Go Down Without a Fight! Vol. 3-4, Parallel Paradise 7, and Welcome to Succubus High! 3.

Dark Horse has the 9th deluxe hardcover for Berserk.

ASH: That one’s for me!

Airship has a bunch of print titles. We get Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 3, Adachi and Shimamura 7, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 13, and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 2.

And in early digital we get Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 3.

What manga are you sobbing over in the rain?

Pick of the Week: Scary Classmates and King’s Beasts

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SEAN: A lot of Viz, as usual for the first week of the month, and my eye is drawn to the My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis book, because I am a nerd. But I think I will go with No Matter What You Say, Furi-san Is Scary!, which is a genre (misunderstood girl everyone thinks is scary but isn’t) I really like.

MICHELLE: There’s not really one particular title screaming out to me this week. Moreso, it’s the prospect of catching up on some Shojo Beat series I’ve fallen woefully behind on. For the sake of choosing something, I’ll go with volume four of The King’s Beast. I really enjoyed Dawn of the Arcana and The Water Dragon’s Bride by this mangaka, and I have no doubt that trend will continue.

KATE: Not much caught my eye this week, so I’m going off-list to remind everyone that there’s a new installment of Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s awesome Beasts of Burden series arriving in stores this week. If you ever thought that Stranger Things would be more entertaining if its protagonists were house pets, this is the series for you! It’s funny, unnerving, and proof that talking animals aren’t just for kids.

ASH: This week I’m going to join Sean in picking No Matter What You Say, Furi-san Is Scary! since it’s the debut that I’m most interested in. But as for ongoing manga, the new edition of Blade of the Immortal is probably the best way to experience the series.

ANNA: I’m with Michelle this week, I think The King’s Beast is the most intriguing thing coming out this week.

MELINDA: I’m not enormously drawn to anything this week, but if I must make a choice, I’ll go along with Sean and Ash. I think No Matter What You Say, Furi-san Is Scary! sounds potentially fun, and sometimes that’s enough!

Bookshelf Briefs 10/28/21

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BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 5 | By Kaori Tsurutani | Seven Seas – The bonds that Urara made with Ichinoi don’t have to end here, but they are going to be a bit stretched, as Ichinoi comes to the realization that living alone at her age in a house like hers is just not a smart thing to do. It helps that she and her daughter are more on the same page now. So she’s off to America, leaving Urara behind. That said, they can still text or email each other, Urara is still able to go to her old house and send things (manga) to her, and they still enjoy the series that first introduced them to each other. I also like that we saw the doujinshi that they sold at the Comiket at the end of this volume. It felt very real. As for Urara herself, she got into the college she wanted, and that’s a big plus. This was great. – Sean Gaffney

Bloom into You Anthology, Vol. 1 | By Various Artists | Seven Seas – An anthology series is always going to be hard to review, as it’s basically just a bunch of vignettes. There were a few here I quite liked. My favorite for the sheer mood of it was probably “Fleeting Cherry Blossoms,” which is by the Cocoon Entwined author and seemed to show off their ongoing obsession with hair. Some of the stories here take place after the end of the series, but for the most part they’re during its run. “Bitter Coffee Time” was also a very good story, showing the relationship between Riko and Miyako, showing the balance between cute teasing and pointed jabs. I think this is a good buy for anyone who enjoyed the original series, but there’s nothing here that’s truly essential. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 45 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – This is the final volume of Haikyu!! and I cried, like, four times. Furudate-sensei is so good at showing the significance of things, and in this volume that takes the form of acknowledging the importance of high school volleyball and trusted teammates in all of the characters’ lives, even those who didn’t pursue volleyball after graduation. And what a smart decision it was not to end the series with a spring tournament victory, because in addition to getting to see how Hinata has become undeniably great, the best possible happy ending for Kageyama and Hinata is to keep playing lots of volleyball together, whether that be as opponents or occasional teammates. Even as we look away, these guys will never quit striving. I’ll miss this series so much. – Michelle Smith

Red Flowers | By Yoshiharu Tsuge | Drawn & Quarterly – Red Flowers is the second volume in Drawn & Quarterly’s series collecting the complete mature work of Yoshiharu Tsuge. The volume compiles twelve short manga originally released between 1967 and 1968, all but one previously published in the prominent avant-garde anthology magazine Garo. Accompanying these stories is an essay co-authored by Mitsuhiro Asakawa and the series’ translator Ryan Holmberg which examines the historical context of Tsuge’s work as well as the influences of both literature and life experiences on his manga, including his connections to Shigeru Mizuki. (As a fan of Mizuki’s work, this essay and volume were therefore doubly interesting to me.) Many of the manga collected in Red Flowers are travelogues, although the people are just as important as the places in the stories as Tsuge explores humanity’s compassion as well as its darkness. Only two volumes in and it’s easy to declare that this series, and Tsuge’s work, is fantastic. – Ash Brown

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 15 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Last time I mentioned that I appreciated the attention this series pays to medical research. This volume ends up being almost entirely medical research, and a lot of trial and error. It remains a great series to give a young kid who wants to get into the sciences. That said, there is SOME romance here, and I was amused at the rest of the cast pondering the possibility that Zen and Shirayuki might actually have done something in the bedroom together. (They slept—this series is very pure.) But really, it’s about trying to come up with a way to make better things, which mostly involves making bad things and things that are broken until you figure it out. It’s a very refreshing shoujo series, a change of pace from the typical. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 6 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – I did appreciate the fact that we saw that Loid and Fiona work very well together and are totally sympatico—as spies. That does not necessarily apply to being a fake wife, especially given Fiona has a massive crush on Loid to begin with. Best to leave it to someone like Yor, who worries a lot about whether she’s doing a good job as a spouse and parent and also has the strength to literally cut a tennis ball to shreds with her racket. That’s a bit terrifying, and I can see why Fiona ran off to undergo more training. I’m sure she’ll be back. As for the main mission, it may actually be coming together faster than planned, as we see Loid meeting his target. That said, this is too insanely popular to end just yet—and with good reason. – Sean Gaffney

Sunshine Sketch, Vol. 10 | By Ume Aoki | Yen Press – It’s been three years since the last volume, and you get the sense the author is trying to avoid bringing the manga to a close. I’m not sure why—it can’t be the money; they did character designs for Madoka Magica; they must have gotten something for that. In any case, this is more of Yuno and Miyako’s senior year. There’s some art advice, as the girls are still learning—yes, even Miyako gets some advice, despite being a ‘natural.’ There’s a school festival, which involves Sae and Hiro coming back, possibly as no one would really want to read this series without its iconic “are they gay or not?” couple. Still, while it’s still cute and fun, I do think it’s about time to let these two graduate and put a lid on it. – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 9 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – I knew we would not be able to get to the end of the series without SOME conflict. For the most part, any arguments these two had have been brief, and we’ve focused more on the sweet end of things. But we now get a reminder of where the series began—even as Asako is pondering motherhood (and thus marriage), an old schoolmate of hers comes along and presses all her “you sweat too much and stink” buttons. The scene is very hard to read, but also quite realistic—her other friend doesn’t really do anything to stop this torrent of nastiness, nor does Asako; it’s just a beatdown, even if it’s “unintentional.” Hopefully Kotaro will be able to get through to her again soon. – Sean Gaffney

Yakuza Lover, Vol. 2 | By Nozomi Mino | Viz Media – This volume opens with an intense debate between Yuri and Oya about sexual stamina and it gets a little weirder from there. I do find this type of series intrinsically entertaining because of how over-the-top it is. The main focus of this volume is Yuri’s kidnapping by a rival mob boss named Semilio, who seems more than a little deranged as well as obsessed with Oya. Yuri manages to endure her captivity, and her rescue by Oya isn’t a surprise, although his method of exacting his vengeance is a bit prolonged. Post-kidnapping, the couple has to deal with the aftermath of all their emotions. Fortunately they always have sex as the tool to make everything better, although I wonder if most psychologists would agree with this method of therapy. Will the next volume involve drug addiction or amnesia? Is Yuri actually going to attend any of her college classes or is she a full-time mob girlfriend now? These are the questions that kept me diverted for at least five minutes after finishing this volume. – Anna N

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 15 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – For all that this series now comes out about three times a decade, it is slowly moving forward, and the last part of this volume suggests that it’s moving forward faster than Yotsuba’s dad would really like. Buying a school backpack, even though school is not for several months yet, shows that Yotsuba is going to grow up, and causes her father to reflect on how much he really DOES feel like a father now, as opposed to “hey, here’s this abandoned kid I found” feelings he had to start with. It was also nice to see Fuuka again, and be reminded that she’s easily the smartest and most together of the cast while at the same time mocking her mercilessly. This series will always be a joy. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 11/3/21

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SEAN: November is approaching, and the manga are falling like leaves.

Airship has three debuts in print. There’s I’m the Evil Lord of an intergalactic Empire!, Planet of the Orcs, and A Tale of the Secret Saint.

Also out in print is Berserk of Gluttony 4.

Digitally we see an early release of Vol. 2 of Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!.

Dark Horse has a 4th Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Edition.

ASH: I’m very happily upgrading my collection of the series to these beautiful volumes.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Ero Ninja Scrolls (Ara Kusa Ninpo Cho), a Hakusensha title from their magazine Harem. (Yes, that is a real magazine by the same company that publishes Hana to Yume.) It’s ninjas and smut.

ASH: That doesn’t seem to be too uncommon of a combination.

SEAN: They also have a 2nd volume of Does a Hot Elf Girl Live Next Door to You? and a 2nd volume of Sundome!! Milky Way.

J-Novel Club has some digital releases. We see Altina the Sword Princess 11, Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On?! 7, The Great Cleric 5, Marginal Operation’s 10th manga volume, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 7, and Perry Rhodan NEO 4.

Some print for Kodansha. We see the 6th Attack on Titan Colossal Edition and the 5th and final box set of Fairy Tail. There’s also Battle Angel Alita 3, Peach Boy Riverside 3 and Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 6.

ASH: I’m still vaguely interested in Peach Boy Riverside, but haven’t actually gotten around to reading it…

SEAN: Digitally we get a new Cells At Work spinoff, Neo Bacteria! This is from the same author as the main Bacteria spinoff, and also ran in Nakayoshi. It’s done in one, and features the cells trying to help a girl confess to the one she likes. What even is this franchise anymore?

Also digitally, we get Fate/Grand Order -Epic of Remnant- Pseudo-Singularity III: The Stage of Carnage, Shimousa – Seven Duels of Swordmasters 4, Girlfriend, Girlfriend 6, Love After World Domination 2, My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought 10, and With the Sheikh in His Harem 7.

KUMA has a new BL title, You Are My Happiness (Kimiarite Kouhuku), a Comic Marginal title about a food stall vendor and his tailed, winged customer.

MELINDA: Maybe interesting?

SEAN: Seven Seas has three debuts. No Matter What You Say, Furi-san Is Scary! (Tonari no Furi-san ga Tonikaku Kowai) is an Ichijinsha title from the awkwardly named magazine Manga 4-koma Kings Palette. Girl looks and sounds like a delinquent… but she’s really a cute innocent girl in love with our hero.

ASH: I’m intrigued! This sounds like it could be fun.

MELINDA: It does.

ANNA: I enjoy delinquent manga.

SEAN: Reborn As a Barrier Master (Kekkaishi e no Tensei) comes from Gentosha’s Denshi Birz, and features a recently isekai’s salaryman who’s in the body of a 6-year-old. Almost sold into slavery, almost killed, he’s actually taken in by a local lord. Time to train his awesome power!

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games (Tai Ari Deshita. ~Ojou-sama wa Kakutou Game Nante Shinai~) is a yuri-ish title from Media Factory’s Comic Flapper. Imagine Maria-sama Ga Miteru if Sachiko were a hardcore gamer and you come close to what this is.

Seven Seas also has CALL TO ADVENTURE! Defeating Dungeons with a Skill Board 2, A Centaur’s Life 20, Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 2, Dance in the Vampire Bund: Age of Scarlet Order 4, Machimaho: I Messed Up and Made the Wrong Person Into a Magical Girl! 8, Made in Abyss Official Anthology – Layer 3: White Whistle Melancholy, Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary 13, and Pompo: The Cinéphile 2.

Tentai Books has a new light novel out digitally, with print to follow. Turning the Tables on the Seatmate Killer (Tonari no Seki ni Natta Bishoujo ga Horesaseyou to Karakattekuru ga Itsunomanika Kaeriuchi ni Shiteita), a high school romcom about a nebbish guy who ends up next to the seemingly untouchable girl.

No debuts for Viz, but we do see My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis—The Official Character Guide, nearly 300 pages of facts, trivia, hero analysis, and interviews.

We also get Black Clover 27, Dr. STONE 19, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 5–Golden Wind 2, Love Me Love Me Not 11, Mashle: Magic & Muscles 3, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes 11, Snow White with the Red Hair 16, The King’s Beast 4, and Undead Unluck 4.

MICHELLE: I vow to get caught up with these three Shojo Beat titles! And MHA: Vigilantes, as well.

ASH: Shojo Beat’s on my radar, too! As is the latest JoJo.

ANNA: I need to get caught up too!

SEAN: Yen On has two titles, as we get High School DxD 5 and Spice & Wolf 22.

Lastly, Yen Press has Bestia 3 and Uncle from Another World 3.

Stay gold, manga lovers. What are you picking up?

Pick of the Week: Manga for Halloween

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MICHELLE: Despite not one but two volumes of kitty manga coming out next week, I am most intrigued by Boy Meets Maria. LGBT, “powerful,” “dark,” and done in one volume? Yes, please!

ANNA: There’s not a ton coming out that really appeals to me this week, but I’m most interested in Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy, just because we don’t get a ton of short story collections of manga.

KATE: Against my better judgment, I’m going to pick The Walking Cat, partly on the strength of the cover art, and partly for it cats vs. zombies premise. Who knows? Maybe this done-in-one omnibus will have something new and interesting to contribute to the undead genre.

SEAN: It’s been a bit stressful lately, and I could use a good laugh, so I will go with a known comedy favorite, Gabriel Dropout.

ASH: I’m interested in everything that’s been mentioned thus far, but find myself echoing Anna for my pick this week: I pre-ordered Never Open It as soon as I discovered that Ken Niimura was going to have a new book out—one of his previous works, Henshin, is a particular favorite of mine.

Manga the Week of 10/27/21

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SEAN: BOO!

ASH: Aaah!

MICHELLE: Ack!

ANNA: EEK!

MELINDA: … erk?

SEAN: We start with Yen On, which has The Detective Is Already Dead 2, the 15th KonoSuba, and Solo Leveling 3.

ASH: I really ought to give Solo Leveling a try before I get too far behind.

Two new series from Yen Press. The first is the manga version of I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, whose light novel came out earlier this month.

The other is Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy, a short story collection by famed creator Ken Niimura.

ASH: I am so excited for this one! I really enjoy Niimura’s work.

ANNA: This looks interesting.

SEAN: Also from Yen: Gabriel Dropout 10, Mint Chocolate 4, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected 16, and Wolf and Parchment 2.

Udon Entertainment has the 8th Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu.

Seven Seas doesn’t have much, but what it has are mostly debuts. Boy Meets Maria is an LGBT title from Printemps Shuppan’s Canna, and I hear it’s quite powerful, but also quite dark. It’s finished in one volume.

ASH: I’ll be giving it a read, for sure.

MICHELLE: Same here.

MELINDA: Oh, interesting!

SEAN: Necromance is a shonen title from Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket. A hero becomes an undead to save the world… but now he can’t even touch the girl he loves! Can he find a way to return himself to life?

ASH: I don’t know about the manga, but that title is great.

MELINDA: Agreed.

SEAN: Sarazanmai: The Official Manga Anthology is what it says – a collection by many artists based around the popular series.

ASH: I like seeing these types of anthologies released.

SEAN: The Walking Cat: A Cat’s-Eye View of the Zombie Apocalypse is a Futabasha title from Manga Action. Zombie apocalypse meets cat manga. It’s a 550-page omnibus with all 3 volumes in 1.

ASH: That’s quite the tome! Count me curious.

MICHELLE: Huh.

ANNA: Hmm.

SEAN: One Peace has The Rising of the Shield Hero 21.

Kodansha has a debut in print… well, a spinoff. The Seven Deadly Sins: Original Sins Short Story Collection is what it sounds like. It also includes the original “pilot” for the series.

Also in print: Grand Blue Dreaming 14, To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts 12, Whisper Me a Love Song 4, and With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun 5.

MICHELLE: I really liked the first volume of With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day Is Fun. I should read more of it.

SEAN: Digitally Kodansha debuts Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest (Fuguushoku [Kanteishi] ga Jitsu wa Saikyou Datta – Naraku de Kitaeta Saikyou no [Shingan] de Musou Suru), which runs in Magazine Pocket. It is what it is.

Also out digitally: Back When You Called Us Devils 6, Chihiro-kun Only Has Eyes for Me 3, DAYS 26, Farewell My Dear Cramer 6, The Girl, the Shovel and the Evil Eye 2, Harem Marriage 10, Mr. Bride 3, and Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence 5.

Remember all those print titles from J-Novel Club I talked about last week? They got bumped. Insert them here.

ASH: I’ll be on the lookout.

SEAN: Their digital light novel debut is A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life (Deokure Tamer no Sonohigurashi). A gamer is excited to start a new VRMMORPG… but quickly finds the class he chose is not really suited to being awesome, but to slow life.

Also out digitally next week: Ascendance of a Bookworm 15, Campfire Cooking in Another World 5 (manga version), The Greatest Magicmaster’s Retirement Plan 11, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 14, Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party 7, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! 4, Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! 3, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey 14.

Dark Horse gives us a 7th Mob Psycho 100.

Cross Infinite World has the 3rd volume of Reincarnated as the Last of My Kind.

Lastly, Airship has The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan in print.

And in early digital versions they have Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 2 and The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 4.

What manga are you trapped inside, face pressed against the pages, unable to escape?