Michelle Smith

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

Alice in the Country of Hearts: Love Labyrinth of Thorns | By QuinRose and Aoi Kurihara | Seven Seas – This is a standard Alice volume in many ways, but it also seems a bit… dialed down? Like it was supposed to run in Ichijinsha’s magazine for 7-year-olds, so they made it more kid-friendly? The at seems slightly more ‘cute’, there’s no sex like we’ve seen in several of the other series, Ace is being relatively nice and considerate (for Ace… he does almost kill Alice here, but we can’t have everything). Even Nightmare is acting in pure mentor mode, allowing Alice and Julius to recognize their feelings by way of manipulation and tricks. It’s Alice Lite, but in its own way it wouldn’t be a bad one-shot to get a newbie to the series. Even with the implied Julius/Ace shipping. – Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi, Vol. 3 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – Most of this volume is, to be honest, harem-by-numbers. But it’s a decently written harem-by-numbers. There’s fanservice, but it’s not to the point that it gets disturbing. Our hero gets trapped in a women’s bath, but manages to avoid the comedy beating I was expecting. Tsugumi is having trouble dealing with both her gender and her unrecognized crush on Raku, but it’s mostly pretty cute. Where Nisekoi excels is in the way that it draws faces. A harem comedy tends to live and die by its expressions of embarrassment, terror and arousal, and all three of these get shown off here, particularly in the card game scene. All this plus Chitoge may be advancing the plot… next time around. This is fluffy fun. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 16 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – I admit upfront that I am positively besotted by this series. It’s rare that an episodic series charms me so thoroughly, but I really do love everything about this one. The chapters in this volume find Natsume acting as an intermediary between his friends and yokai—in the first story, yokai are lost in his classmate’s home, and in the second, an sweet old lady in one’s friend’s past turns out to have been a yokai all along—and being asked to keep the yokai’s secret when full disclosure is feared to lead only to pain and rejection. As ever, the yokai are endearing, and I admire how the series can be consistently sweet but never sappy. With another series, I might be annoyed by the lack of purposeful plot direction, but I never tire of Natsume’s Book of Friends. – Michelle Smith

Otomen, Vol. 18 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – Oh, Otomen. Even to the end, you alternate delighting and frustrating me. The first hanfl of this is a wonderful conclusion to the series (I loved how Ryo’s face was hidden till the dramatic climax) and everyone got to be awesome. Then suddenly the publisher realized they had 100 more pages to go till the volume ended, so we insert a ridiculous amnesia arc that almost had me throw the book across the room, complete with derailing of the main villain of the series, Asuka’s mother. Sigh. Oh well, at least I got a nice wedding finale out of it. And they actually waited 10 years till they were both settled into their chosen careers. Despite aggravations, I did enjoy Otomen, Ryo especially. More of Ryo as the best cop ever. – Sean Gaffney

Psyren, Vol. 16 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – I understand that Psyren ended suddenly, as many series in Shonen Jump are wont to do, and it does show a bit, as this volume seems a bit crammed and rushed. At the same time, I was just about ready for this series to end, so this is still a good stopping place, and no gaping plot holes seem to be unaddressed. I did wonder if they were going to torch that ‘fourth future’, as they seemed to imply they would, but in the end even that gets a happy ending. Things are good. Bad guys are defeated, many superpowers are shown off, our hero didn’t die of brain damage, and he gets the girl. To be continued in the Psyren novel, which I suspect will only come out in Japan, but this is a good stopping place anyway. – Sean Gaffney

Say I Love You., Vol. 1 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – So, imagine a plot kind of like Kimi ni Todoke, except that the lead girl is pricklier and the lead guy more experienced with the ladies. Mei Tachibana has sworn off having friends after being betrayed, but ends up capturing the interest of Yamato Kurosawa, the most popular boy in school. She’s resistent to his overtures of friendship at first, but when he actually comes through for her in a scary situation, she decides that maybe it’s okay to trust him a little. The story moves swiftly from there, and not only have she and Yamato become a couple by the end of the volume, but she’s also made a good female friend and they independently challenge those who talk trash about the other. It’s kind of great. I do wonder how this concept has thus far been sustained over twelve volumes, but I am definitely curious to see where this goes. – Michelle Smith

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 4 | by Maki Minami | Viz Media – I thought the first volume of the series was more enjoyable than I expected, although it didn’t totally win me over. The fourth volume continues to be amusing, even if it isn’t laugh out loud funny. Hime, the cute girl with the “Princely” voice struggles with her first big professional gig, with even more to battle against as the entire cast and the director absolutely resents her. While she can now produce a lovely voice when she has a certain pair of spectacles as a prop, her next challenge is to combine her voice with building a character. She continues to drop in on the aloof Senri Kudo, and seeing his wordless and gruff overtures to her was quite entertaining. Reccomended if you need some light and fluffy shoujo. – Anna N

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and One Peace Books.

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 12 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Things are happening quickly in this penultimate volume of Dawn of the Arcana, and when I say “quickly” I mean I was often left going, “Wait, what?” Last volume, Nakaba suddenly became quene of Senan, and here, without much preamble, she intercepts Caesar’s invading force (he was sent by his father) and, again without much preamble, they begin a revolution that swiftly ends with Caesar killing his father and becoming king of Belquat, just in time for a rather perplexing cliffhanger moment to ensue. I’m not saying that this isn’t good or interesting, because it is, but I can’t help but think how much better it would be if we were seeing some serious effort involved in these momentous undertakings. It could really have been something wonderfully epic, but in its current state it’s like Basara Lite. Still recommended, though. – Michelle Smith

Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 3 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – There’s a lot of emphasis in this volume on both the wacky antics of the main cast and the heartwarming relationships between them. Ririchiyo is opening up more than ever, and starting to admit her feelings, though dealing with them is tough. And Carta is just adorable. And yet the entire volume feels ominous, as there are also several hints that this isn’t going to last, and in fact that we may lose some of the cast soon. The discussion about reincarnation in particular reads as a ‘let me tell you about this now as it will be important later.’ Complete with the ominous text at the end of the book, it would seem that all of the wacky and heartwarming moments in this volume may taste very bitter soon.-Sean Gaffney

No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Vol. 3 | By Nico Tanigawa | Yen Press – There’s both hope and despair in this volume of WatMote, which I enjoyed more than Volume 2. We meet a girl (seems to be a class president type) who actually seems to be looking out for Tomoko’s well-being, and we also see her genuinely enjoying the school festival with Yuu-chan. The despair comes from things like Tomoko’s teacher forcing attention onto her (which makes her cry she’s so upset) and the tragic fantasy of starting a ‘do nothing club’ with fellow loners, only to realize that even that isn’t real. There’s lots of funny stuff in this manga, but I think most people reading it are doing so with a bit of wincing sympathy and no small amount of worry.-Sean Gaffney

Sankarea: Undying Love, Vol. 6 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Kodansha Comics – Sankarea continues to be a balancing act between wacky harem comedy, heartwarming family romance, and pure undiluted horror. We get all three of those in this volume, as Chihiro deals with his zombified cat, Bub, causing havoc in a way he’s determined to fix (partly as he loves his cat, but partly as he worries it could happen to Rea). Meanwhile, Rea is determined to get Darin to act more like a normal 14-year-old girl. The big thing in this volume, though, is that Rea is different from the other zombies, as she did things out of order. How much of a difference this will make in the end I’m not sure, but given Rea and Darin are going to EvilCorp, I suspect next volume will be more serious.-Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 10 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – There never really was any uncertainty about how Strobe Edge would end, so in that respect it feels like it’s taken a long time to get here, especially with Ninako’s recent hesitancy to go for it with Ren because of how it might damage his friendship with Ando. And yet, because the series officially concludes halfway through this volume, it somehow manages to feel a little too quick, too. Weird how that happens. Happily, a bonus chapter at the end of the volume reinforces the ending, and gives us another glimpse of how well suited Ren and Ninako are for each other. There’s also a bonus chapter focusing on Ren’s small, enthusiastic friend Manabu, which would’ve been nice to see earlier in the series. All in all, not a surprising conclusion, but a satisfying one all the same. – Michelle Smith

Whispered Words, Vol. 1 | By Takashi Ikeda | One Peace Books – Kazama Ushio loves girly girls and is initially oblivious to the fact that her tall, athletic, and uncute best friend, Sumika Murasame, is in love with her. The moments focusing on the incremental progression of the central romance are the highlight of this 3-in-1 omnibus, but there’s also a lot of episodic randomness and unsuccessful attempts at comedy. I would’ve been disappointed had not Sean mentioned that the series is due to take a more serious turn; I predict that will suit me better. I’m also hoping for improved editing in volume two, because it was truly awful here. I lost count of how many times the wrong word was used (“through” instead of “throw,” “choose” instead of “choice”) or text was strangely formatted, but what really bothered me most were the numerous instances of untranslated dialogue. Get it together, One Peace! – Michelle Smith

This week, Michelle, Sean, and MJcheck out recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, and Seven Seas.

Bunny Drop, Vol. 10 | By Yumi Unita | Yen Press – This final volume of Bunny Drop (comprised of short stories) does nothing to clarify the mixed feelings I have about the series. I appreciate having more time with Rin and Kouki as kids, especially seeing how Kouki reacted to having a father figure like Daikichi in his life, or how he ended up on a delinquent trajectory in middle school. There’s also a fun chapter about how Rin’s mangaka mother met her assistant/husband. If the whole volume had been set in the past, that might have been ideal, but the final story, “And Then,” affords readers a glimpse of Rin and Daikichi’s married life, which basically looks just like their pre-marriage life. Their dynamic seems exactly the same to me, and though I suppose I prefer that to scenes of them making out, it’s also kind of depressing that Rin never really got out and experienced life on her own. – Michelle Smith

Magi, Vol. 5 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – Inequity is a sad reality in most worlds, fictional or no, and Magi is no exception, as Alibaba’s flashback shows us his origins and reveals how much of the ‘villainous gang’ presented her are simply fighting for basic needs. The current ruler, of course, is a typical ‘they deserve to starve to death’ type King, but at least the good guys now have Sinbad on their side. That said, the real highlight of this volume is the debut of Judar, who has a real over the top villainy to him that appalls the senses. Naturally, he’s a magi as well, meaning he’ll have to fight with Aladdin – a fight that is evenly matched even with Ugo’s help. In fact, Ugo seems to be almost enraged. A nice solid volume of Magi. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 20 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – While it may seem a bit unbelievable that I’ve waited this long to delve into the newest volume of Pandora Hearts, I’ll admit that the fact that we’re nearly caught up with Japan (and are therefore now experiencing longer wait times between volumes) has me feeling a bit anxious. How can I survive without my regular dosage? How? And volume twenty does nothing to relieve my condition, what with its increasingly tense plot, relationship building, joyous reunions (welcome back, Alice!), and dramatic (if not wholly unexpected) ending. Sean recently joked that the site might have to shut down in mourning when this series ends, and I suspect he’s on to something. Oh, Pandora Hearts, how I love the way you hurt me. Still recommended. Y’know. Just in case you wondered. – MJ

Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky, Vol. 2 | By Humikane Shimada, Projekt Kagonish and Yuuki Tanaka | Seven Seas – I had my issues with the first volume of this series, but it did in fact make sense and have an actual story that introduced the main heroes. This second volume, unfortunately, drops that in favor of pandering to those who have seen the anime, dropping in at least 10 different characters who apparently starred in that version of the story. Which is nice for those who wanted to see them, but for me it’s just a parade of names and quirks. Between that, the ‘look, panties!’ art, and the fact that our heroine is incompetent except when people’s lives are at stake, I’m afraid that I found Strike Witches intensely frustrating overall. – Sean Gaffney

Sweet Rein, Vol. 2 | By Sakura Tsubasa | Viz Media. – The lead relationship in this manga is a bit fuzzy to me (Kaito, in particular, needs more to do besides be the perfect reindeer boyfriend), so I am pleased to see that we had a lot of focus on Kaito’s brother, Rihito, and his much more grumpy and standoffish relationship with his newfound Santa, who is a young man working extra jobs in order to support his younger sister after their parents died. There’s a bit of BL tease here, but mostly it draws on the reindeer/Santa relationship, and how it manages to draw out Rihito’s nicer side almost despite itself. On the whole, though, and not helped by a very weak unrelated one-shot at the end, this isn’t as strong as its first volume. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 4 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – One thing I really like about this manga is that the romance barely exists. This series is about Hime’s acting career, and even if she does bond with Senri, there’s no sense that it’s going to resolve anytime soon, nor should it. Right now this is about Hime learning how far she has to go (I loved her realization that all her lines sounded the same), and dealing with a highly competitive and biased acting world that may be out to get her before she even begins. As with Minami’s previous series, Special A, the reader has to accept the fact that Hime’s shininess is one of the things that will never go away. The key is finding out how to use that shininess for good… and by good, I mean good acting. – Sean Gaffney

This week, MJ, Sean, and Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Seven Seas, Viz Media, and Vertical, Inc.

Bunny Drop, Vol. 10 | By Yumi Unita | Yen Press – For many fans, Bunny Drop was a tricky series (for reasons documented by nearly everyone), and though I found the final volumes more palatable than I expected, I was never able to buy the supposed attraction between Rin and her much older guardian, Daikichi. For me, like most fans, I suspect, volume ten provides a single-volume capsule of exactly what I loved most and least about Bunny Drop. On one hand, this collection of side stories offers a welcome return to the series’ early charm. Most of the volume is devoted to tales from Rin’s childhood (along with a Masako side story that is surprisingly delightful). Unfortunately, its final chapter, depicting Rin and Daikichi’s married life, further illustrates the complete lack of romantic chemistry between them. Still, as a huge fan of the early series, I consider this volume a win. Thanks, Yen Press! – MJ

Dictatorial Grimoire: Red Riding Hood | By Ayumi Kanou | Seven Seas – The dramatic arc behind this final volume is not really Red Riding Hood – who’s also the wolf, in an excellent plot twist – but rather the relationship between Otogi and Cinderella, who turns out to be not quite what he seemed. But then given that this is based around Grimm’s Fairy Tales, it makes sense that things would get darker towards the end. Luckily, Otogi is better than his father and uncle, and is able to save the day and come to terms with Cinderella’s past. I wish that the volume had more of Hatsushiba kicking ass (she literally gets locked in a birdcage towards the end), but won’t carp too much. This has been a fun little series, with lots of amusing characters. – Sean Gaffney

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 5 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – Anytime we see Chiwa interacting with Hokuto’s family I get fascinated, which is a good thing, as Chiwa and Hokuto’s struggles to communicate with each other are really starting to frustrate me otherwise. It’s a decent example of people who fall in love but barely know how the other person works, but man, is it teeth-grinding to read. Much better are the machinations behind the scenes of Hokuto’s family, and Chiwa trying to be supportive and yet learn more at the same time. (There is also a gag showing how ignorant Hokuto is about things like foreplay that made me laugh out loud.) It’s not a happy marriage yet, but we’re only halfway through the series, and it’s been worse. But please, take the time to speak with each other! – Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 8 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – This volume focuses primarily on the relationship between Tanikaze, Izana, and Tsumugi, and their bonding into a family unit – they even find an apartment off in the far reaches of the ship and move in together. This is awkward not just because Tsumugi is a gauna hybrid who looks like a snake-worm thing (if I’m being charitable… please don’t sneak into Tanikaze’s bed looking like that, Tsumugi, it leads to filthy thoughts), but also because Izana’s love for Tanikaze is starting to reach a breaking point, especially as he still seems oblivious to Izana. Is it just because Izana is a hermaphrodite? Is it because Tanikaze still can’t get over the death of Hoshijiro? And does it even matter given that Izana may not live to see the next volume? Dang, this manga is addicting. – Sean Gaffney

Sweet Rein, Vol. 2 | By Sakura Tsukuba | Viz Media – I’m hard-pressed to think of how this manga could possibly be more frothy and insubstantial. Kurumi (a Santa Claus) and Kaito (her reindeer) spend their second Christmas together bringing joy to a bunch of orphans, then it’s summer and their bond is tested by a “Dark Santa,” and then it’s Christmas again, but they’re still 17. Meanwhile, Kaito’s brother finds his Santa and they somehow get into an argument with another beach hut noodle vendor (yeah, it’s summer again) that can only be settled by… a beach volleyball tournament. Ye gods. And yet, despite it giving me multiple things to roll my eyes over, I don’t dislike Sweet Rein. It probably helps that the way Tsukuba draws reindeer is so darn cute. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s only three volumes long; I’ll probably be completing the series as a result. – Michelle Smith

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 1 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – I was campaigning for this series to be licensed when there was only one volume of it out in Japan, so it’s a relief to find that something I lobbied for sight unseen has turned out to be so good. (I mean, it’s by Fumi Yoshinaga, so the odds really were in its favor.) Shiro Kakei (lawyer) and his boyfriend Kenji Yabuki (salon stylist) have been together for a few years. Budget-conscious Shiro shops the sales and every evening prepares a multi-dish meal for them to share. The food segments are fun, no doubt, but what’s even better is when the food serves as a springboard for gay life topics, like their conflicting opinions regarding how open to be about their relationship or Shiro’s profound relief that he never got married to make others happy. It’s great stuff, and I’m so grateful that it’s here at last! – Michelle Smith