Michelle Smith

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

Arata: The Legend, Vol. 18 | By Yuu Watase | Viz Media – The central premise of Arata is that a Japanese high school student, Arata Hinohara, has switched places with the Arata of a world called Amawakuni. In this volume, we learn that five of the “six sho,” the most powerful hayagami-wielders whom Hinohara is tasked with defeating, are actually from our world, as well. Not only that, the whole reason they attempted to assassinate the princess in the first place was to fully open the passageways so they can return with their swanky powers “to conquer or destroy.” That’s a pretty intriguing development. Unfortunately, when one of these guys confronts members of Arata’s entourage whom he could easily kill and put this story to an end, he inexplicably decides to turn them into kids instead. Because I guess we needed some hijinks. This lapse in logic dampens my enjoyment of an otherwise possibly significant volume. – Michelle Smith

Bloody Cross, Vol. 3 | By Shiwo Komeyama | Yen Press – Honestly, the plot in this series seems almost irrelevant, which is a good thing as so little actually happens here. But the manga gives its readers what they really want: shots of cool-looking battles, cool-looking heroes, and our heroine snarking at each other. Hinata is absent for most of this volume, so we bring in a new cursed character who fulfills many of the same functions but gets to be a bit goofier. This is a pretty fun, tasty manga when you read it, but it’s light as air – it performs its function and nothing more. That said, hot demons and angels, the occasional cutaway sex scene, and lots of pseudo-religious fantasy… if this sounds good to you, definitely pick this up. – Sean Gaffney

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 3 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – To a certain degree, much of A Centaur’s Life could have been written with normal humans as a normal 4-koma. We’d see a bunch of rambunctious kids trying to amuse themselves without getting in trouble, a kindergartener enduring bullying and helping her nursery school schoolmates, etc. But they’d be much duller, as it’s the frisson of oddness that makes this series readable. Seeing all the centaur/dragon girl/sheep girl etc. days in the life, watching what television programs are like in a world like this, that sort of thing. The manga still feels awkward a lot, but it’s beginning to improve. And the cliffhanger, involving a new transfer student, promises a lot of change for the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 6 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – What does it mean to be a ruler – and does everyone have what it takes? From the moment Sinbad appeared in this manga, it was clear that he was a natural-born leader, confident in his abilities and there to lend support to those who need it. This is why he is NOT the main character of this manga. Instead we have Alibaba, taking the spotlight with Aladdin unconscious for most of the volume, who spends much of his time wrestling with doubts and fears. Even Sinbad isn’t sure Alibaba can be what’s needed right now. But Morgiana believes in him, and we slowly start to see his love of the people and desire to fight injustice come to the fore. Development of characters like Alibaba is why Magi is still a riveting read. – Sean Gaffney

Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 2 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – In this volume of Phantom Thief Jeanne the reader gets a bit more of Maron and Chiaki’s tumultuous relationship issues, as well as a bit of back story as Maron deals with her abandonment by her parents, a plot device that will never really make sense to me. Chiaki’s father is next on the demon possession hit list, and Jeane manages to rescue him despite the danger of being transformed into a life-sized creepy doll. Everything calms down a little bit, but Maron next has to deal with all of the girls who are showering Chiaki with chocolate on Valentine’s Day! Towards the end of the volume Jeanne gets even more power, so it will be interesting to see if the demons she battles will be even more menacing. There’s a nice side story featuring Miyako that examines why she is so obsessed with catching Jeanne, and shows how much importance she places on her friendship with Maron. Overall, a great second volume for this series, I’m really enjoying having an excuse to read it again in this new edition! – Anna N

Say I Love You., Vol. 2 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – My verdict for volume one of Say I Love You. was “It’s kind of great,” and I’m happy to report that it applies to volume two, as well. The main strength of the series is in the characterization. “Prickly loner” Mei Tachibana is falling more in love with her popular boyfriend, Yamato Kurosawa—gradually allowing herself to trust him and feeling like a woman for the first time. And Yamato isn’t as idealized as many shoujo love interests (though he does rescue a litter of abandoned kittens). Contrasted against them are Hayakawa, a guy from an unhappy family background who pursues warmth in a series of fleeting physical encounters while avoiding acknowledging the feelings of the one girl who actually loves him, and Aiko, whose image issues and history with Yamato render her much more complex than your typical antagonist. I’m really enjoying watching this story unfold. Definitely recommended! – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 22 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Another transitional volume, as we finish the end of the fight with Chiyo and then transition to a threat to the entire human world, as the Four Basts have awoken and love to eat humans. (How apropos in a series like Toriko,) The cover features more of the top Gourmet Hunters in the world, who get shown off to us in one huge scene and who I hope we’re not supposed to actually remember in the future. Mostly, though, this is fighting, eating, ans shonen idiocy, as Zebra deliberately turns off the message to our heroes about the Four Beasts right as it was going to tell them vital information. I therefore expect the fights they’re all having to have a nasty twist come the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Given how much of Special A was devoted to love and romance, and the frustrations thereof, it’s actually quite refreshing to see that the heart takes a back seat to the career here, as Senri is almost entirely absent here. Instead, we deal with the trials of voice acting, as Hime is still not doing particularly well, but is also now dealing with two stars’ rivalry – both over their star qualities and over Hime, who they both have crushes on (despite her pretending to be a boy – I didn’t say romance was ENTIRELY absent). As with Special A, though, and indeed many other shoujo series, our heroine gets by by being extra shiny, nice, earnest and all around great. Now, can we bring the male lead back into the story? – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean and Michelle take a quick look at recent releases from Viz Media, Digital Manga Publishing, and Vertical, Inc.

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 14 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – Much of the discussion of this volume will likely center around Teru and Kurosaki finally kissing, and it’s just as sweet and adorable as you’d expect. But they can’t really move forward till the main plot is solved, and for all that it’s a romance manga, Dengeki Daisy is intrinsically tied to its thriller plotline driving everything. Be it adding backstory to Akira in order to make the reader better understand him and contrast him with Teru; having the enemy use Teru’s own darker impulses to drive a wedge between her and Kurosaki; or just plain kidnapping her to give us our cliffhanger. Without the thriller, we wouldn’t have this sweet romance. Let’s hope they can work everything out. – Sean Gaffney

Itazura Na Kiss, Vol. 10 | By Kaoru Tada | Digital Manga Publishing – Hooray! A new volume of Itazura Na Kiss! And it’s actually less frustrating than most! Kotoko will probably never stop being incredibly dense and Naoki will probably never stop saying unnecessarily hurtful things, but there are still plenty of good moments for them as a couple nowadays. I especially liked the chapter where he asks to accompany Kotoko and her dad on their annual trip to pay their respects to her mother’s grave. There’s also some fun stuff here with Yuuki and the stupid yet good-hearted girl who loves him. It’s been fun seeing him grow up on the sidelines, and I especially like that although he is very similar to Naoki, he’s still his own person, and is ultimately more free with his emotions. I do have to wonder now: will we see Kotoko become a competent nurse at last before the series is ultimately cut short? I have my doubts… – Michelle Smith

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 9 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – Say what you will about Sidonia, it’s never dull. The battle scenes are tense and gripping, but that’s not really what I mean. I mean more the bizarre not quite porn between Tanizake and the Hawk Moth *during* the battle. I mean the constant wacky comedy between Tanizake, Tsumugi, and Izana (Tanizake walks in on Izana again, reaching Keitaro Urashima levels here). And I mean acknowledging that Izana’s love for Tanizake is not just a crush – her body is adapting itself to be more like what he’s attracted to (i.e., female). While giving her two cliffhangers in a row seems a little unbalanced, I’m greatly enjoying her development, contrasting itself with Tanizake’s harder-to-read hero. – Sean Gaffney

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 21 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – There’s a lot of shonen battle in this volume, but I was trying to focus on the little things. Like seeing Wakana, Rikuo’s mother, put in danger – I’d honestly forgotten she existed, particularly as she looks as young as Rikuo and his friends. Speaking of which, as I said last time, I love seeing that the ‘normal’ high schoolers aren’t getting left out of the final battle, and how they try to find a way to be useful throughout. I also liked that Tsurara, even if she still tends towards constant jealousy, manages to recognize that Rikuo needs Kana in his life, and seeing them bond over his stubbornness. I think the arc after this one will be the last, but I’m ready for it. Let’s see what more yokai madness the author can bring. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 16 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – And speaking of yokai, after the plot-heavy stuff going on in the previous volume, we take a break here for smaller, quieter stories. Tani deals with a yokai that she gave directions to but hasn’t left her house, and we see the inherent issues with yokai affection for humans. Then Natsume and Tanuma go to an inn and deal with a piece of Tanuma’s past and a mystery. Through both of these stories, we get echoes of one of the main threads of this series: whether the worlds of yokai and humans can ever come together, and if they do, will it be a bad thing on both sides? Even the angst seems pretty light in this one, making it a good choice for those who enjoy Natsume, his friends, and an earned peace. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Digital Manga Publishing, and Viz Media.

Cage of Eden, Vol. 14 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – We’ve moved past the ‘everyone is fighting against horrible prehistoric animals’ stage of the manga, and the ‘everyone is bathing naked in rivers so you can see their breasts’ stage has at least lessened (the biggest fanservice moment in this volume is for the ladies, as Yarai shows off his manly naked body). So now we seem to be at the ‘actually trying to figure out what’s going on’ stage, as Sengoku and company explore the depths of a pyramid filled with death traps, surprisingly Japanese-made machinery, and even more giant stuff that makes no sense – plants this time. I’m not sure there’s any explanation that justifies all the buildup, but this is still a lot of good shonen fun. -Sean Gaffney

Gangsta, Vol. 2 | By Kohske | Viz Media – This volume develops a bit on the first, teasing us with a little more backstory regarding Nic and Worick and their respective backgrounds. There’s also a lot more worldbuilding, as we meet some rival families and groups who will no doubt continue to influence events. Mostly, though, it’s a volume that shows us just how terrible and knife-edge everyone’s lives are at the moment – violence runs rampant throughout, there’s tons of casualties, Nic goes into a drug-induced berzerker rampage, and even Ally, who spends almost the entire volume staying at the office, is having drug-induced hallucinations leading to psychotic breaks. If you like Black Lagoon but thought it was too cheery, Gangsta is right up your alley. – Sean Gaffney

Itazura Na Kiss, Vol. 10 | By Kaoru Tada | Digital Manga Publishing – This volume is an excellent one for showing us how far we’ve come since the first. Yes, Kotoko can still be shallow and aggravating, and Naoki can be heartless and insensitive. But it’s almost in the minority by now, as they deal with fresh new crises; the birth of her friend Satomi’s child, visiting her mother’s embarrassing family (who all have so many stories to tell her new husband), and dealing with Naoki deciding he has to intern in Kobe in order to better specialize (in pediatrics, god help those children). I’ve described Itazura Na Kiss as a bitter coffee of a manga, but the coffee now has milk and sugar in it, and the bitterness is mostly knowing it’s about to be cut short by the author’s death. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi Ni Todoke, Vol. 19 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – I was a little grumpy about a third of the way through this volume, as Kento really is being a little too perfect to be realistic. But then, so is the rest of the cast, if I want to be honest. And it dawned on me that there’s nothing particularly wrong with that. This is a manga filled with nice people having quiet, gentle moments with each other. The only real conflict comes at the end, when Kazehaya’s controlling father shows up to provide a cliffhanger. Everything else is just heartwarming, sweet, and adorable moments. Even Pin, who does get to be goofily obnoxious, gets a sweet, heartwarming backstory here. I should stop trying to make this title more than what it is – just the nicest manga you’ll ever read. – Sean Gaffney

Millennium Snow, Vol. 3 | By Bisco Hatori | Viz Media – Perhaps the best and worst thing I could say about the continuation of Millennium Snow (after a ten-year hiatus) is that it reminds me of Hatori’s much more famous series, Ouran High School Host Club. Remember those episodic chapters in Ouran where the gang would try to help a schoolmate with their problems? That’s basically what’s going on in this volume, as a seemingly cold-hearted nurse turns out to be nurturing guilt over the death of her child and a bullied girl befriends an injured supernatural beastie that feeds on the power of words. It’s kind of dull. However! Ouran also had a sense of humor that appealed to me, and I found myself giggling a couple of times in this volume, namely at the image of an immortal vampire’s hesitant first encounter with a stapler and the notion of his bat servant hastening to the supermarket because “Eggs is on sale!” So, in the end, not the best ever, but I’ll read the fourth and final volume anyway. – Michelle Smith

My Little Monster, Vol. 2 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – It’s not that the plot of My Little Monster is new and original—it is, after all, a romance manga—but I think the characterization of the protagonist, Shizuku Mizutani, is nicely done. As we begin the volume, she’s been rejected by former wild child Haru but has declared she’ll make him fall for her. Unfortunately, she has no idea how to do this, and proceeds to be her usual prickly self even while helping him out of various troublesome situations. Eventually a new character, Oshima, falls for Haru too, and Shizuku is so distracted by this that her schoolwork begins to suffer. She decides that anything that detracts from securing a stable future is unnecessary, which of course coincides with Haru seemingly realizing that he does fancy her after all. It’s a lot better than this synopsis makes it sound, and Oshima is intriguing in her own right. Plus, there is a chicken! – Michelle Smith

Sweet Rein, Vol 3 | By Sakura Tsukuba | Viz Media – If Sweet Rein has a fault, it is that it can sometimes be a tiny bit too sweet at times, but anyone who enjoyed the first two volumes of this series about a teen girl Santa and her handsome bonded transforming boy/reindeer will enjoy the third volume. The volumes follow a fairly predictable pattern of going through the seasons as the characters stubbornly refuse to age. Kurumi has to deal with Kaito during the spring, when all the reindeer have spring fever and become even more irresistible. A reindeer whose master has left him behind fixates on Kurumi in an unhealthy matter, and Kaito finally is driven to actually express a preference in a way that influences Kurumi’s behavior. This is a fun vacation read, as it isn’t terribly demanding on the reader! There’s also a bonus story from Tsukuba’s CMX series Penguin Revolution included in this volume, and I enjoyed being able to dip back into that series as well. This is light romance shoujo at its fluffiest. – Anna N.

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 5 |By Mizuki Sakakibara, et al. | Viz Media – I haven’t exactly been complimentary in my previous reviews of Tiger & Bunny, citing an inability to connect with the lead duo, but something has really clicked for me in these past few volumes. True, the story still flows swiftly, but it also does so with admirable clarity, focusing mostly on action but without forgetting to flesh out the characters. Not only does Barnabas come to trust Kotetsu more as his partner, which is nice to see and handled in a “show don’t tell” kind of way, but we also learn more about several of the supporting Heroes and how they feel about their responsibilities and each other. The plot, involving a villainous organization responsible for killing Barnabas’ parents, may not be the most riveting thing ever, but seeing this proud guy accept help in figuring things out is enough to keep me interested. I am finally on board! – Michelle Smith

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

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 15 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – Nanami has gone back in time to try to find the source of a curse that’s affecting Tomoe in the present. She’s pretty vigilant about not interfering in the bond between Tomoe and Yukiji, the human woman he once loved, with the timey-wimey result that she ends up being the reason such a bond exists in the first place. My favorite part of the volume, though, is when she meets up with Akura-Oh, a yokai who knows Tomoe and has a fondness for canned peaches. Akura-Oh is blunt and honest, and it seems like maybe she can get through to him a bit, until the stark truth of his yokai nature reveals itself and Nanami is forced to flee. A couple of side stories—about underwear and Tomoe becoming a feel-copping drunk—round out the volume, and though they be fluffy, they’re also pretty fun. I continue to enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

Kimi Ni Todoke, Vol. 19 | By Kahruo Shiina | Viz Media – One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about this series is the way it takes standard shoujo plot elements and makes them seem fresh and adorable just due to the strength of characterization Shiina has built up in her ensemble cast. Sawako and her friends celebrate the new year in a slightly different way, as everyone has paired off into couples. Everyone is starting to think about their plans for what to do after graduation, and Sawako and Shota have some decisions to make that will likely affect their future. This is one of those shoujo series that is a perfect comfort read. – Anna N

My Little Monster, Vol. 2 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – In general I’m used to shoujo romances with one relatively normal person and one eccentric/broken/inaccessible type, so it’s refreshing to see My Little Monster focus equally on how screwed up both halves of our main couple are. Haru right now seems more easily rehabilitated – he still has a hair-trigger temper, but just smiling goes a long way for him. Shizuku, however, is likely going to take a lot longer, and flashbacks to her rather depressing childhood set things up for a cliffhanger that’s almost a mirror reverse of the last one. Add to this a well-thought out rival arriving, and a healthy dose of humor (mostly provided by Asako), and you have a second volume that builds nicely on the first. -Sean Gaffney

One Piece, Vol. 71 | By Eiichiro Oda | Viz Media – Luffy’s alliance with fellow pirate Trafalgar Law has opened up some really interesting directions for the story! In the long term, Law and Luffy are planning to take down one of the Four Emperors, which is the first time Luffy’s gone after a specific target in his bid to become King of the Pirates. Suddenly it all feels a bit more serious! In the short term, Law has brokered a deal with one of the warlords of the sea, which involves a prisoner exchange… more new territory for the Straw Hats. And while that’s going down, various members of the crew get swept up in various local goings on, which is pretty typical, but somehow the ideas Oda’s come up with feel fresh and new. Fresh and new on volume 71?! Yes, indeed. This is why One Piece is simply not to be missed! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 2 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Unlike My Little Monster, which is basically pure shoujo, there’s no mistake that Say “I Love You” skews to an older audience. There’s a lot of sex happening here, mostly casual one-nighters to satisfy teenage urges. Of course, it’s there to contrast with the innocence of our heroine – both of the characters who are seeing doing this are noted to be quite unhappy or hollow inside, and Yamato regrets what he once did. In fact, the focus on playboy Kakeru and bitter rival Aiko are the best parts of this volume, with neither one being reduced to a cardboard cutout. Now we just need to work on Mei – look at that cover, that is not someone who’s a happy camper. Recommended for older teens and josei smut fans. – Sean Gaffney

The Wallflower, Vol. 32 | By Tomoko Hayakawa | Kodansha Comics – Given that nothing has really progressed in the last twenty volumes or so, it’s not a surprise to hear that this volume reads a lot like a Greatest Hits LP. There’s a chapter where Sunako backslides and hides in her room with her horror stuff; one where Ranmaru’s playboy antics are contrasted with the pure love of Tamao; Sunako helping a ballet club as their ancient disaster of a club room is haunted; and Kyohei undergoing his own Sunako-esque transformation, becoming an innocent scholar who hates violence. This is fun, with lots of humor and some amusing visuals. But there is no one reading this for anything but the humor or the pretty boys anymore – romance fans have abandoned ship. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 2 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – Given I was getting into the world and characters in volume one, I hadn’t paid as much attention to all the food preparation. I certainly did more with this volume, as every single chapter features extended cooking with recipes read aloud, which takes up over half the book. It may not quite be a foodie manga, but it’s as near as dammit. As for the characters, Shiro was somewhat less aggravating this time around – he’s more fun to read when he’s suffering, as the author has realized – and I liked the intro of ‘older than she looks’ coworker Shino. Mostly, though, this title is for two types of readers; those who love food, and those who love Yoshinaga’s works. Both will find it satisfying. – Sean Gaffney