Michelle Smith

It’s all Viz all the time this week, as Sean and Michelle check out some recent releases.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 2 | Story by Yuto Tsukuda, Art by Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Unwillingly sent to the prestigious Totsuki Culinary Institute by his father, cocky protagonist and aspiring chef Soma Yukihira learns more about the school in this volume, including meeting his eccentric dormmates, checking out the after-school research societies, and having his first experience with a shokugeki, which is a public, school-sanctioned challenge with another student. And, of course, he triumphs over expensive ingredients with his simple but delicious food. Really, this is your typical shounen battle manga model just with cooking, but I can’t help it—I am kind of loving it. All of the food prep is really fun to watch, and even though the fanservice is prevalent, because it chiefly occurs when characters (including guys) get their clothes blown off by Soma’s food, it really reads more as silly than salacious, as when one particularly buxom gal is depicted covered with strategically placed minced onions. I look forward to volume three! – Michelle Smith

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 8 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – As you read this volume, you get the sense that we’re in the book’s endgame, and that things are finally starting to be wrapped up. This is not to say we don’t get our usual lack of communication leads to anger leads to misunderstandings, but the two are finally trying to understand how their partner thinks. Even if, for Chiwa, this also comes with very little in the way of goals. Hokuto here makes up with his father as much as he’s ever going to, so we’re left with one last bit of melodrama, which is Chiwa having her life threatened through a series of ‘accidents’. This is never going to be my favorite josei title from Shojo Beat, but this one has less aggravation than usual. – Sean Gaffney

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 23 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – More fighting, as you’d expect, leaving not a lot to talk about. If you enjoy shonen fights, you’ll enjoy this. It was fun seeing Yura teaming up with Tsuchigumo, though her tsundere antics have grown a little old. Most of what I enjoyed in this volume was little things, such as Nura’s mother teasing Tsurara about her crush on him, or the parody comics on the cover flaps where Kana confesses to being a magical girl.As for the plot, well, more mid-range bosses defeated, more unlikely groups who hate each other decide to work together to defeat a greater evil, and it looks like it’ll all end up at a big castle in the sky. No one is buying Nura 23 casually, but if you like supernatural fighting stuff, this should whet your appetite. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 17 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – The first half of this volume wraps up the Yui storyline, retelling events from the previous chapters from his own perspective, and forcing him to confront his own feelings, something he naturally avoids. After this things lighten up considerably, as Mafuyu goes home for summer break, and attempts to paint her new school life in a girly way, which succeeds not at all, and frustrates her to the point that she has to spar with Kangawa at a festival. I like how Mafuyu is presented as being a badass gang leader in a positive way, with the narrative not trying to judge her at all. Of course it helps that this is a comedy, and I suspect Hayasaka’s past will be the next big arc, unless it’s being saved for the finale. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 24 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Komatsu gets the cover here, and with good reason, as much of the volume is devoted to a tournament arc in which he features. He’s now famous enough to be on the list of 100 best chefs in the world, so he gets an automatic invite to the world famous cooking competition. This serves as a jumping point for something that Toriko does very well: ludicrous people that do ludicrous things with food. The introductions alone take up an enormous amount of space, as we’re introduced to dozens of people who I hope we don’t have to remember. Komatsu may not be as fast or strong, but food loves him, and that’s enough to get him into the quarterfinals. Can’t wait to see what happens next. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 7 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Hime is marking time at this point, with her male alter ego getting lots of minor roles in an effort to build up a CV, and unintentionally getting Mizuki to fall for her even more (even though Senri Kudo is clearly the endgame in this romantic comedy with almost no romance). I was more interested in the second half, Tsukino, Hime’s shy friend from school. As you might have guessed, her quiet, meek voice is due to a bullying she suffered in her previous school, and though the message of the chapters does seem to be “I have to be stronger”, it is at least framed in a positive way, and ties into the roles that one has to accept as a voice actor. This volume was slighter than the others, but still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 7 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – While I certainly cannot argue that Voice Over! breaks any new shoujo ground, the fact remains that I honestly find it an enjoyable read, even though in this volume we’re treated to the old “locked in a storage room with my love interest” cliché. In large part that’s due to Hime’s dedication to her career, and the fact that before and after this brief trip into tropeland, she’s worrying about whether she’s made any progress during a summer in which she got a lot of work experience. On top of this, I can actually see why Male Lead #2 might fancy her, and Minami actually succeeds in making me verklempt at the cheesiest of things, and, you know, I think I’m done being ashamed about that. That’s right. I like Voice Over! and I don’t care who knows it! – Michelle Smith

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

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 13 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Dawn of the Arcana comes to an end with this thirteenth volume, and though I could still argue that some plot elements are a bit rushed, that seems a conscious decision to allow more room for characters’ emotional responses to events, and so I must ultimately approve. Case in point: after Loki’s surprise usurpation of Senan, ample time is devoted to Nakaba’s overwhelming sorrow and grief, and it’s very well done. Then, a single panel references her off-camera remarriage to Caesar and years seemingly pass. And then we bring it back ’round to Loki and his backstory for an affecting conclusion. In fact, it seems that Nakaba’s relationship with her former attendant, and their love for each other despite all that transpired, is actually more important than her romance with Caesar here at the end, and I kind of love that. I really enjoyed this series, and hope we see more from Rei Toma in the future! – Michelle Smith

Honey Blood, Vol. 1 | By Miko Mitsuki | Viz Media – When a series of attacks in her neighborhood is rumored to be the work of a vampire, Hinata Sorazono is dubious. That is, until her new next-door neighbor, Junya Tokinaga (author of vampire romance novels), piques her interest. Could he be a vampire? In a flash, they are in love and angsting about whether to seal their relationship with a kiss that will bind them in a contract wherein Junya can only feed on Hinata’s blood and will therefore finally be able to die when she passes away. While there’s nothing outright objectionable about Honey Blood, I found it difficult to connect with the story. It felt like the author was going for some epic romance, but the characters are so flat that it just wound up generic. Interestingly, in the bonus material Mitsuki-sensei admits that the series was not popular when serialized, so it concludes in the next volume. – Michelle Smith

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 16 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – Nanami continues to dwell within Tomoe’s past, trying to make contact with the fallen kami responsible for the curse affecting Tomoe in the present. In reality, there’s not a great deal of plot here—Akura-Oh, Tomoe’s erstwhile companion in mayhem, has decided to kidnap Yukiji on the way to her wedding. Nanami, trying to protect the woman Tomoe loved, takes her place, and then ends up rescued by Tomoe, who wants her to stay by his side. I am pretty sure we’re going to a “Nanami was the one he loved all along” place, but I don’t even mind if my prediction comes true because it’s worth it just to see a lovestruck Tomoe say the words, “I’ve been desperately in love with you.” Even if it doesn’t translate to the present, just seeing these two be open about their feelings is truly gratifying. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 2 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – You might think that a super sweet love story involving pure-hearted characters being nice to each other and never getting bent out of shape would be boring, but that is not the least bit true about My Love Story!!. Nothing can get Takeo and Yamato down, be it her friends initially making fun of them until Takeo proves his coolness by saving them from a burning building, or the Judo tournament that takes up Takeo’s free time, or birthday plans gone awry when Takeo decides that he has to be at his best friend’s side during a difficult time. I basically smiled throughout the volume like an utter goofball. Two particular things I love are the depiction of Takeo and Sunakawa’s friendship and the subtle way Takeo’s good deeds are overlooked because of his appearance, while Sunakawa gets credit instead merely for being handsome. See, it’s cute and it has depth! – Michelle Smith

Say I Love You, Vol. 3 by Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Hazuki continues to develop the growing relationship between Mei and Yamato while fitting in plenty of time for her supporting cast. Aiko continues to struggle with seeing Yamato acting so developed to Mei. She’s unhappy about her own relationships and the rumors that are spreading about her. Yamato acknowledges her feelings but lets her know that a relationship with him isn’t ever going to be a possibility. Mei and Aiko also talk, and Mei’s usual forthright manner. There’s a cute chapter showing what happens the first time Yamato takes Mei to his house after school, where Mei meets Yamato’s very jealous and slightly maladjusted younger sister. There are the inevitable struggles with Valeintine’s day too, but at this point I’m so invested in the characters I don’t even mind the standard shoujo plot devices. Looking forward to the next volume! – Anna N

Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 4 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – I’m enjoying being able to experience this series all over again in a new edition and new translation. Here Maron is shocked when she learns about the true motivations of her angelic sidekick Finn, and she even manages to take a trip into the past to visit her past self, Joan of Arc. Maron’s resilience in the face of overwhelming odds is endearing and while she might be full of courage when it comes to fighting the Dark Lord, she still needs to get her personal life together and actually admit to Chiaki how she feels about him. The balance between a cosmic struggle between good and evil and the pain of high school romance has seldom been done better than this series. Even though this is an early work by Tanemura, her signature style is well in place. Highly recommended. – Anna N

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

Accel World, Vol. 1 | By Reki Kawahara, HIMA, and Hiroyuki Aigamo | Yen Press – When I reviewed the Sword Art Online manga, I was fortunate that I had not read the initial light novel first, so I was able to enjoy it for what it was, then read the novel and see additional depth. With Accel World the novel came out first, an the manga can’t help but suffer next to it. Not that there’s anything particularly bad about this adaptation; I dislike Haruyuki’s character design, but that’s on the original author and designer. It gives visuals to a static light novel. But nothing is really added to make this essential, so if you’re a fan of the Accel World light novels, I’d recommend just sticking to them. This is OK, but it doesn’t grab you and say “read me too!”. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars, Vol. 2 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – I felt a bit ambivalent about this series after reading the first volume, because I enjoy manga about food battles a bunch, but I’m just less of a fan of random nakedness and upskirt shots. The second volume of this series shows Soma, the brash hero and champion of neighborhood Japanese cooking move into a rundown dorm with a ragtag band of roommates, challenge a top student to a Donburi cook-off, and continue to make people’s cooking fall off with the power of his cooking. Soma is set up for additional challenges in upcoming volumes. I found myself still on the fence about this title, because while I do enjoy the cooking bits, I also find myself really distracted and wondering how these culinary students will function in the real world if their knowledge of basic food safety is so lacking that they think cooking beef in a bikini is a good idea. – Anna N

Goong, Vol. 16 | By Park SoHee | Yen Press – There are few slow releases I look forward to with as much verve as Goong, and this volume reminds me very much why. Relentlessly (and unapologetically) soapy as this series may be, it still manages to be refreshing in its own way, time after time. Volume sixteen seems particularly so, as its characters aggressively push through the layers of misunderstanding that have served as the backbone of the series’ plot for… well, pretty much forever, in order to finally get at some real truth. Even cowardly Yul gets in on some of this truth-seeking, setting up the story’s teen royals to eventually (hopefully) blow apart their family’s messed up legacy for good. As always, I’m grateful for this series’ omnibus-sized chunks of soapy goodness, and I eagerly wait for more. – MJ

My Little Monster, Vol. 4 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – A good 80% of all shoujo manga licensed for the North American market is about kids in high school, but for the most part it’s rare that I see a cast who are hampered by immaturity, puberty, and a desperate need for life experience as the cast of My Little Monster. I’d said in the first volume that I felt Haru was too dangerous, and that feeling hasn’t gone away, as his jealousy is starting to lead to subtle death threats. Shizuku’s inability to communicate properly is shown to be a family trait, and Natsume just has massive trust issues as well as a big crush that may or may not be love. This is the sort of cast that makes a long-running series not repeat itself, even if they can frustrate. – Sean Gaffney

My Little Monster, Vol. 4 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – I’ve praised My Little Monster before for its characterization, but I really do think it can’t be mentioned enough. Even though the previous volume featured the school festival and this one covers Christmas and New Year’s—overused shoujo tropes all—because the characters are well developed, it feels fresh and interesting. Shizuku has confessed again to Haru, but his inability to accept her refusal to give up studying (and cram classes with a guy who likes her) manifests in some potentially disturbing ways. Shizuku is largely ignorant of these for the most part, but I wonder if we’ll be moving into darker territory soon. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this volume, particularly Yamaken (the guy who likes Shizuku despite himself) and Natsume (who’s struggling with romantic feelings of her own). This was probably the best volume of the series yet! – Michelle Smith

Soul Eater, Vol. 22 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – This volume consists of a big old melee fight, so I don’t quite have enough to say about it to warrant a full review. Not that this isn’t excellent; the villains may be mooks, but they’re infinite mooks, so eventually our heroes will wear down and die. Stein is allowing his madness to drive him to a certain extent, which makes him formidable but also dangerous and worrying. But most of all, there’s Maka confronting Crona, and Crona’s admitting that after killing Medusa, there’s no turning back. Maka still plans to beat the tar out of Crona, but I think this volume tells us there will not be any easy redemption here, and that we may see more sacrifices soon. Dark yet endlessly fascinating. – Sean Gaffney

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

Alice in the Country of Clover: Knight’s Knowledge, Vol. 2 | By QuinRose and Sai Asai | Seven Seas – I will say this for the creators they rarely take the easy way out and have Alice come to terms with everything and accept that she is loved. She’s a tough nut to crack for a reason – she’s a mess of repressed traumas and griefs, and her low self-image will not let her accept what the others are offering. On the down side, as a long-running manga series where each volume is “who will she end up with and how”, this can be frustrating for the reader, as they really would like Alice to get past her self-esteem issues and choose a man. And of course, in this particular series Ace only loves Alice when she *is* screwed up. This makes for fun times, mostly. – Sean Gaffney

Arata: The Legend, Vol. 19 | By Yuu Watase | Viz Media – Why has it taken me this long to figure out that Kadowaki and Arata are rather like Yui and Miaki from Fushigi Yuugi, in that they are former friends with a history of betrayal who are now foes in a fantasy land? In any case, this volume features the battle against Isora, a sho who fights with runes, basically. After Arata cannot answer whether he considers Kadowaki to be his friend or his enemy, Kadowaki himself suddenly shows up to rescue Arata, who later returns the favor, and it’s all kind of great. Kadowaki is able to understand Isora’s villainous motivations, but Arata seems to realize he really needs to tell Kadowaki that he doesn’t hate him, despite all the torment he suffered at his hands. I’m a sucker for a good redemption story, so found this to be quite a good and satisfying volume. – Michelle Smith

D-Frag!, Vol. 2 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – This manga is dedicated to wringing maximum humor from every single character it can. Kazama may be the straight man, but even he’s not above a gag or two, even if it’s just about his being a tsukkomi. As for Takao, her tsundere tendencies are surpassed only by her ability to be physically, mentally and emotionally abused by the rest of the cast. The big surprise here may be Sakura, one of the more forgettable girls in Volume 1; here we see her happy, smiling nature never goes away, even when it should; her takedown of Kazama’s willingness to coast and a brutal and shocking swerve in an otherwise silly and goofball series. But make no mistake about it; darker moments or no, D-Frag! is still all about the humor. – Sean Gaffney

Girls Und Panzer, Vol. 2 | By Girls Und Panzer Project and Ryohichi Saitaniya | Seven Seas – I have to assume that the audience for this series is going to be drawn to the “cute girls at school doing stuff” premise, rather than the tank battles. It’s still meant to be moe. That said, hope you like tank battles; this manga is devoting as much time as possible to the battlefield and seeing our heroes under fire. Akiyama, the star of the manga series and hyperactive tank fan, is given a command of her own as the new tank hasn’t had time to get a crew yet. She does a commendable job, as her otaku tank knowledge allows her to stay calm in battle. And, of course, everyone learns a valuable lesson about friendship. This manga remains light-hearted and fun, and lovingly filled with tanks. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol 16 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – I am really enjoying this storyline, where human turned shrine goddess Nanami has to go back in time to save her fox spirit Tomoe from a terrible curse. The Tomoe she encounters in the past is violent and selfish, but even in his unenlightened state, he finds himself drawn to the human girl despite his better judgement. This volume focuses on the way Nanami’s life becomes further entwined with Yukiji, the human who previously captured Tomoe’s heart. Suzuki’s manga seem to often be at bit more episodic than intricately plotted, but it is interesting to see how both Tomoe’s past and future are bound up in Nanami’s actions. While Nanami tries to fulfill her quest, Akura-oh is stirring up even more trouble. I’m looking forward to seeing if Nanami and Tomoe’s relationship progresses even more when they next meet in the future. – Anna N

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 12 | Original Concept by Hiro Arikawa, Story and Art by Kiiro Yumi | Viz Media – Iku and Dojo go for their chamomile tea date and are adorable. Then they have to pretend to be a normal couple out shopping in order to procure some items for a disguise for an author whose novel was used as the inspiration for terrorist attacks (and now his freedom to write is in jeopardy). And they are adorable. And then Tezuka and Shibazaki foil an attempt to kidnap the author and share some adorable moments of their own. All in all, there were quite a few scenes of proto-couple-y goodness, which I appreciated. At one point, Iku talks of reading the imperiled author’s works for the characters rather than the plot, and I realized… that’s exactly how I feel about Library Wars. The plots always feel flimsy and silly, but they put together characters that I like in a gentle shoujo way, and I can’t really complain about that. – Michelle Smith

Midnight Secretary, Vol. 7 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – When the first volume of Midnight Secretary failed to fully win me over, I procastinated on continuing it. However, I’m glad I didn’t let that first impression prevail indefinitely, because it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable series, and Kaya’s professional competence and dedication to her job were a highlight throughout. In this final volume, Kyohei has been expelled from the vampire clan for refusing to give up on his relationship with Kaya, but the clan isn’t quite done meddling, and is indirectly responsible for Kaya’s mother realizing that her daughter is in love with a vampire. That angst doesn’t last too long, and soon wedding plans are underway and there is talk of a baby that is, like, destined to be vampire Jesus or something. All in all, it was a better-than-expected supernatural romance! – Michelle Smith

The Seven Deadly Sins, Vol. 4 | By Nakaba Suzuki | Kodansha Comics – There’s really a ton of backstory being dished out in this series, and at times it feels it’s coming a bit too fast – here we get an explanation of why King is so angry at Ban, a demonstration of his “other form”, Elaine’s tragic backstory, and adding King to the chain of ‘loves someone else’ that’s been building up. What with Elizabeth now finding her sister working for the other side, there’s precious little time for the comedy or fanservice that was present in previous volumes. And I find that’s a good thing – Melodias is far more likeable as a dark and mysterious hero than he is when he’s trying to feel Elizabeth up. Odd as it seems for me to say, more serious stuff in the future, please!. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas and Viz Media.

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 4 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – A Centaur’s Life is starting to find its footing, and this volume is a definite step up from the previous ones. There’s less emphasis on odd lolicon-esque scenes, and more genuine interaction with the world itself, as we are introduced to Sasasui, a snakefolk from Antarctica who forces Hime to deal with her old fears and possible prejudices, and who also gets to be the newbie that allows certain things to be explained to her. This can get a bit lecture-y (watch out whenever the characters point to a chart), but for the most part the series avoids that pitfall and remains a very odd slice-of-life series with a nice market in moral lessons, and Sasasui is a great introduction to the cast, with a reserved personality that fits in well. – Sean Gaffney

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 7 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – For some reason Diamond never shipped this to me, so I ended up getting it a month late. I wasn’t really all that bothered, to be honest. This is a series that excels at what it does, but what it does is variations on the same plot – our two leads experience jealousy, uncertainty, and self-confidence crises which they both think they must deal with on their own without working it out together. And all seems to be resolved (or at least reset to zero) by a healthy sex life, which Chiwa still tends to find embarrassing. We do now see that others are stepping in to seed discord rather than the two doing it of their own accord, but I’d really like to get rid of the question mark in the title and have some resolution here. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 7 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I can honestly say it was a delight to get caught up on Magi after having fallen several volumes behind. Here’s a series full of compelling characters with interesting backstories moving within a world in turmoil that we’re gradually learning more about. It’s like the focus began on Aladdin and his friendship with Alibaba and slowly spread outwards until now the former is finally learning about the purpose of his existence and the heretofore unmentioned enemy while the latter is endeavoring to be as brave as Aladdin thinks he is by leading his broken homeland into democracy. I might miss the promised adventuring that gets postponed by these weightier responsibilities, but the storytelling—and character development—is so good that it’s hard to complain. Still, if only it could pass the Bechdel test… – Michelle Smith

Midnight Secretary, Vol. 7 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – It’s no coincidence that a new Tomu Ohmi series was licensed almost immediately after Midnight Secretary, while Maki Enjoji only had the one – Ohmi’s is simply the better of the two “competing” josei titles, with a more likeable hero and heroine who are far more clued into each others’ moods and their own issues. Kaya struggles with jealousy, but it’s a far more mature inner monologue, and I found it much easier to take. The supernatural content also reaches a climax here, as the couple find a way to deal with Kyohei’s banishment while staying true to themselves – and indeed making sure the clan is tied to them in the future. This is probably my favorite of Viz’s Petit Comic licenses, and josei fans shouldn’t miss its final volume. – Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi, Vol. 5 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – I’m still surprised at how much I’m enjoying Nisekoi, given its straight up harem comedy plot, with no supernatural events or other things to distract from things. This is all about ‘who will Raku end up with’, and readers are aware that it will be resolved, if it ever is, only after a long, long number of volumes. Still, it’s compulsive reading – everyone is likeable, people do dumb things but they aren’t out of character or so stupid you want to kill them, the cliffhangers are still A+ (particularly the one at the end of this volume), and even the antagonist introduced last time, Marika, is softened a bit and given a sympathetic backstory – her accent slipping was hilarious. Misekoi is top-notch harem comedy, and hard to put down. – Sean Gaffney