Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: No Backtalk This Week

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MICHELLE: A bittersweet novel featuring time travel sounds so appealing that this week I’ll choose Wait For Me Yesterday in Spring.

SEAN: There are some Vol. 2s I’m definitely interested in, such as Hiraeth and Hello Melancholic. That said, I’m also going to pick prose, as my pick is the 14th My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected. There’s an after story volume if Yen wants to nab it, but this final volume resolves everything and finishes Hachiman’s painful journey towards becoming someone who does not solve every problem by throwing himself on the grenade.

KATE: I’m not always excited about Serious Manga™, but Ash’s thoughtful review of Yamada Murasaki’s Talk to My Back convinced me that she’s the kind of historically important author whose work deserves a wider audience.

ASH: Thanks for the kind words, Kate! I’m glad to know that others are interested in Talk to My Back. It’s a great release of a great series and certainly my pick this week, too. Classic alternative manga is always something that intrigues me, but doubly so when the creator is a woman.

MJ: There’s a lot of interesting stuff in this week’s lineup, but I think I’m the most drawn to Moon & Sun, coming out from SuBLime. The cover and concept are very compelling to me, and though I could find myself disappointed, I think it’s worth the risk!

Bookshelf Briefs 7/7/22

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 4 | By Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe | Viz Media – I never briefed the second and third volume of this series, because while I continue to love it, I never really have much to say about it. It runs on a very odd mood of searching and melancholy, but is also not afraid to have dumb gags like “her breasts are literally blocking my view.” The more we learn about Frieren’s past, the more sad we get that she’s only just now realizing everything that she had. Also, surprisingly, we take the time to introduce a character who matches up with their party… and then he leaves a few chapters later, as their journeys don’t match. Since this is about the journey being everything, that only makes sense, I suppose. – Sean Gaffney

I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 1 | By Honami Shirono | Yen Press – Right from the start, we know the premise of this series. Gakurouta is gay and in love with his best friend (who is not gay). Yuriko is asexual and only likes BL, not understanding the feelings of loving someone romantically. Now they have a marriage of convenience. The flashbacks showing their pasts are relatively serious and can be quite painful. The present day, while not also without its pain, is a bit more cheery—Yuriko may be a BL fangirl but it’s not a hobby she wants to share with her husband, especially when he’s asking things like “what’s omegaverse?”. Gakurouta is well done, but I admit I’m more interested in Yuriko, mostly as it’s rare to see asexuality explored this explicitly. – Sean Gaffney

Links | By Natsuki Kizu | SuBLime – This BL one-shot from the creator of Given feels like an ensemble film. Everything connects back to a guy whose name we never learn, described as “charismatic trash,” who died in an accident ten years previously, leaving behind his boyfriend (Akiha) and his brother (Takaaki). Akiha struggles to move on while Takaaki, adrift, is eventually taken in by the family of the other party in the accident, a yakuza heir named Shinobu, whose life was spared thanks to the actions of the aforementioned “trash.” Takaaki and Shinobu are, I’d argue, the central pair here, as they have been in a relationship since high school and yet have never professed love for one another, but before Kizu delves into their story she gives it more context by first introducing several couples in their orbit, including a new love for Akiha. It’s quite masterfully done, and I enjoyed it very much. – Michelle Smith

Murcielago, Vol. 19 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – There is a bit more humor in this volume than the previous one—mostly concerning Kuroko staying behind to “comfort the widow” not once but twice—but for the most part it remains pretty dark. The man who’s kidnapped Noel turns out to be a lot more lucid than we had expected, but that’s not necessarily a good thing, and the police have to figure out what the man’s late daughter’s dream was AND interpret that to find out where he’s going to be before he murders Noel. There’s another arc that’s briefly introduced here, but for the most part this was another subdued, disturbing volume in a series that is always disturbing but not always subdued. – Sean Gaffney

Talk to My Back | By Yamada Murasaki | Drawn & Quarterly – While relatively few alternative manga by women have been translated into English, there are examples that can be found. Talk to My Back, however, is one of the most recent and notable releases. The volume collects a series of short manga by Yamada Murasaki originally published in the alternative manga magazine Garo in the early 1980s. Told from the perspective of a suburban Japanese housewife, Talk to My Back examines societal, familial, and self-imposed expectations of what it means to be a wife and mother. Throughout the manga, the protagonist’s roles and identities shift and evolve as the circumstances of her life change. The manga’s honesty is compelling and insightful, the story beautifully conveyed through Murasaki’s simple but expressive artwork and loose, elegant lines. Also included is an essay by the volume’s translator and comics historian Ryan Holmberg about Murasaki’s life and art, providing additional context for her wonderful work. – Ash Brown

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Vol. 1 | By Takashi Ikeda | Seven Seas – This is from the creator of Whispered Words, but there’s no agonizing angst about being in love with your best friend here. The series begins with our two leads, who are both adults, already a couple and living together. And while we do get a brief flashback to how they got together, for the most part the manga devotes itself to watching normal events from their life. Ellie is a scriptwriter, Wako a newbie voice actress, and they have a dream of doing a show together, but for the most part this volume is just a cozy one of them being around each other every day. They don’t buy a refrigerator together, but otherwise this is exactly what yuri fans have waited for for years. – Sean Gaffney

The Untouchable Midori-kun, Vol. 1 | By Toyo Toyota | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I really wanted to like The Untouchable Midori-kun, but I find myself conflicted. Misaki Suda is a porn actress with a forthright attitude toward her job that I appreciated. When her new neighbor turns out to be her childhood friend Midori Tachibana, now a popular idol, Misaki sets her sights on sleeping with him. The problem I have with this series is that Midori clearly establishes that he is determined to abstain from romance and sex so as not to upset his fans. Misaki tramples over his boundaries at every turn, and at one point even plots to “lure” him into having sex with her. I had initially thought this would be a positive portrayal of a sex worker, but is it actually positive when all Misaki thinks about is Midori and sex and comes across as borderline predatory? I will give this one more volume. – Michelle Smith

WITCH WATCH, Vol. 2 | By Kenta Shinohara | Viz Media (digital only) – Any good comedy needs a rival guy who’s more hot-headed and dumber than the main guy, and we see that here with Kanshi, a tengu and Nico’s friend from when she trained on the mountain. He’s jealous of Morihito partly as oni and tengu don’t get along, but also clearly due to jealousy—though really, any romance is going to be slow and tiny. The final chapters of this book show that off—Morihito may not be demonstrative, but Nico clearly is the most important person in his life. And we also get Nemu, Kanshi’s distaff counterpart, who can’t even interact with Morihito without turning into a cat first. WITCH WATCH loves taking aim at clichés and running them over, and remains great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 6 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – This final volume wraps things up for our three main couples, though some are wrapped up more than others. Naoya and Ko are finally a couple, thanks to the magic power of “forgetting a thing and accidentally overhearing the other party,” so everyone is happy, even those who still think Ko is a guy. Hanako and Taro are of course already married, but they are not without heartwarming moments here. As for Narumi and Hirotaka, we aren’t getting another wedding in the same series, but we do see them admitting both to a relationship and to Narumi’s hobbies. It’s a step forward towards maturity. So not a strong ending, but a realistic one, and I’m happy I read it. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 7/13/22

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SEAN: It’s July, and I am joyful for the many volumes of manga we are getting.

ASH: For sure!

SEAN: Airship debuts, in both print AND digital, Wait For Me Yesterday in Spring (Kinou no Haru de, Kimi wo Matsu), a novel by the creator of The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes. It’s time travel! It’s bittersweet! It’s not based on a film, but I suspect a film of it may come soon.

MICHELLE: Ooh, this looks up my street.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Sounds good!

SEAN: Also in print from Airship is Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 11.

And they have an early digital release of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 18.

Dark Horse has an 11th hardcover of Berserk Deluxe.

ASH: These continue to be massive, but I’m happy to be upgrading my series collection.

Drawn and Quarterly has Talk to My Back (Shin Kilali), a classic 80s Garo manga from classic Garo creator Murasaki Yamada, one of the major feminist manga creators. The story of a housewife who examines her own faults after her husband has an affair, it’s an unflinching look at marriage and womanhood.

ASH: I was fortunate to get my hands on an early copy of this and can confirm it is great.

ANNA: This sounds like the type of critically acclaimed manga that I should read, but I never get around to because I’m not sure if my psyche can stand an unflinching look at marriage and womanhood.

MICHELLE: A Discord server I’m on has a reaction emoji that says “this TBH.” Please imagine that I have just deployed it here.

SEAN: Fantagraphics gives us The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: Master of Gay Erotic Manga. This is a new edition of his first English language book, and is definitely not the sort of BL you’ll find next to the shoujo manga.

ASH: It most certainly is not! I reviewed the original edition of this collection back when it was first released; glad to see it in print again.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze 4 and SUPER HXEROS 8.

From J-Novel Club we get Doll-Kara 2, Fantasy Inbound 3, John Sinclair: Demon Hunter 7, Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World 5, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 9.

Kodansha Manga, print-wise, has Attack on Titan Omnibus 5, Blood on the Tracks 9, Ciguatera 3, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest 10, Fairy Tail Manga Box Set 6 (the final box set for the main series), Gleipnir 11, Perfect World 12, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse 4, Something’s Wrong With Us 9, To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts 13, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 6.

ASH: That’s a fair amount!

SEAN: Digitally the debut is My Maid, Miss Kishi (Maid no Kishi-san), a shonen romance from Magazine Pocket. A young man tries to make his maid happy. Sadly, he’s a klutz. And she’s stoic.

Also digital: Ace of the Diamond 38, The Fable 4, HIRAETH -The End of the Journey- 2, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 3, Police in a Pod 14, Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata 2, and WIND BREAKER 4. I haven’t even gotten to Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata 1 yet.

MICHELLE: I look forward to getting caught up on Ace of the Diamond! Which I realize I say every time.

ANNA: I haven’t gotten to Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata 1 yet either, but I intend to!

SEAN: One Peace has the 4th volume of I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School.

ASH: I enjoyed the start of this series; I should get around to reading more.

SEAN: Seven Seas, on the danmei end, has a 3rd volume of Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu.

MICHELLE: Huzzah!

ANNA: Woot!

SEAN: On the manga side, they have Berserk of Gluttony 6, Daily Report About My Witch Senpai 2, Hello, Melancholic! 2, The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 2, My Deer Friend Nokotan 2, and Time Stop Hero 5.

MICHELLE: Yay for more Hello, Melancholic!.

SEAN: Square Enix has The Apothecary Diaries 5, The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! 3, My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World! 2, and Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition 7.

SuBLime debuts Moon & Sun (Tsuki to Taiyou), a BL title from Dear + involving a badass (?) yakuza and the owner and proprietor of a drag club.

MICHELLE: I love the cover to this one!

ASH: I am intrigued!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: They’ve also got Caste Heaven 7, Don’t Be Cruel 10, and Scattering His Virgin Bloom 2.

Tokyopop brings us the 2nd and final volume of Alice in Kyoto Forest and Mame Coordinate 2.

Viz has a new artbook for the Ghibli film, The Art of the Tale of the Princess Kaguya. And we also get The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Picture Book.

ASH: Both lovely, I’m sure.

SEAN: And they have Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai 3, Kaiju No. 8 3, Mao 6, and Pokémon Journeys 3.

Yen On gives us Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 6, My Happy Marriage 2, and the 14th and final volume of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected.

And there’s a pile for Yen Press, including several debuts. Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle (Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka) is an adaptation of the light novel (also out by Yen), which runs in Square Enix’s Manga Up! This asks the question: what if high school manga starred the popular kid rather than the sullen loner?

Daughter of the Emperor (Koutei no Hitori Musume) is based off a Korean webtoon. A princess has memories of her previous life… and knows that the Emperor, her father, is trying to kill her!

ASH: Korean webtoon, you say?

ANNA: hmmmmm.

SEAN: Magical Explorer (Magical Explorer – Eroge no Yuujin Kyara ni Tensei Shita Kedo, Game Chishiki Tsukatte Jiyuu ni Ikiru) is from Kadokawa’s Young Ace Up, and the fact that the title had to have 85% of it removed for the English release tells you a lot. It’s also based on a light novel Yen releases.

Nights with a Cat (Yoru wa Neko to Issho) is a comedy from Kadokawa about a man and his observations about his pet cat.

MICHELLE: I’ll always be willing to check out kitty manga.

ASH: Me, too.

SEAN: Lastly we get Shadows House, from Weekly Young Jump, and is the story of two “living dolls” who are employed in the house of some very shady nobles. This had an anime recently, and is quite popular.

Yen also has The Detective Is Already Dead 2, the 3rd and final volume of Divine Raiment Magical Girl Howling Moon, Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin 4, Let This Grieving Soul Retire 3, Love of Kill 8, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun 13, A Witch’s Printing Office 6, and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 3.

MICHELLE: The other day I was pining for more Nozaki and checked Amazon and discovered the new volume was just about out. I’m very much looking forward to this!

ASH: Oh, yay!

SEAN: Ending with a new Nozaki-kun volume is delightful. What else delights you?

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

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The Hunger Games
Though I was, of course, aware of the fervor surrounding this series, I’d never read it until now, nor have I seen the movies. (I do own some nail polish inspired by it, though!) Still, I managed to absorb a few facts through cultural osmosis.

1) The heroine is named Katniss.
2) There is also a boy called Peeta.
3) There is an MC lady with pink hair.
4) A competition and various districts?

I came close to immediately casting the book aside when Katniss casually admits to having once attempted to drown a kitten in a bucket, but this turned out to be an effective way of showing how her impoverished, hardscrabble existence in “the Seam” of District 12 has forced Katniss (now 16) to become ruthlessly practical in order to keep her family alive after the death of her father five years previously in a mining accident.

Katniss lives in Panem, which we learn “rose from the ashes of a place that was once called North America.” There were originally thirteen districts, but when they rebelled against the Capitol, District 13 was obliterated and the Hunger Games were established to discourage future rebellion attempts. Each year, during a ceremony called “the Reaping,” a boy and girl from each District are selected to fight to the death in the games, which are televised across the nation. Watching them is mandatory. It’s the Capitol’s way of saying, “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do.” The person Katniss loves most in the world is her 12-year-old sister, Prim, so when it’s Prim’s name that gets drawn at the Reaping, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place. A boy who once showed kindness to Katniss when she was starving, Peeta Mellark, is chosen as the male “tribute.”

I’m extremely thankful I didn’t abandon this book at the outset, because what ensues is fascinating YA dystopia at its best. Katniss and Peeta are assigned a drunken mentor named Haymitch (a past victor from District 12) who advises them in various aspects of strategy, part of which is keeping Katniss’ archery prowess a secret from her competitors and part of which is creating a narrative that the two of them are actually in love. Katniss believes for a long time that Peeta is faking it every bit as much as she is, but that’s not the case.

Katniss is an extremely resourceful protagonist, and watching her brainstorm solutions to tricky problems reminded me a fair amount of Sarasa in Basara, which is quite a big compliment. There was a little more of the romance stuff than I really wanted, mostly Katniss being confused about what her real feelings for Peeta are and what that means for her relationship with her hunting buddy, Gale, back home. But most of the time, she’s extremely capable and badass and yet not emotionally closed off.

I loved learning about her world and am sufficiently worried that she’s now under increased scrutiny from the Capitol due to her actions in the games. I cannot possibly start book two soon enough.

Catching Fire
As Catching Fire begins, Katniss and Peeta—rich, famous, and hated by the Capitol—are about to embark upon their victory tour. After President Snow puts in a personal appearance to inform Katniss that she and Peeta must convince the nation that they defied the Capitol simply out of love for one another, they do their best but are unsuccessful. Unrest continues to foment. As Katniss debates whether to flee with her family or stay and fight, President Snow announces the rules of this year’s Quarter Quell, a special Hunger Games that occurs every 25 years. This time, the tributes will be chosen from past victors, which means Katniss and Peeta are going back in.

I found the first half of the book to be pretty slow. Katniss spends a lot of time being wishy-washy regarding her feelings for Gale and Peeta and it becomes tiresome. There’s literally a line that says, “I really can’t think about kissing when I’ve got a rebellion to incite.” “NO YOU CAN’T, KATNISS,” I wrote back in my notes. However, the action picks up considerably once the rules of the Quarter Quell are announced.

This time, Katniss has half a dozen allies in the arena, so doesn’t have quite as many opportunities to solve tricky problems entirely on her own. (Mostly, she’s focused on keeping Peeta alive and has extracted a promise from Haymitch that this time he will prioritize Peeta’s survival over her own.) Yet, she is the one who understands what brilliant Wiress, who struggles to communicate clearly, is trying to tell the group about the arena and, later, quickly grasps what inventive Beetee is really trying to achieve with his electrical trap.

I did not see the ending coming at all, and while I don’t think this book is quite as strong as the first, it still ends with our characters in an interesting place. Haymitch has broken his promise and saved Katniss because she is the one who’s the face of the rebellion and she’s absolutely furious with him, and yet is that something she can walk away from? Meanwhile, Peeta is in the grip of the Capitol. Onward to the final installment!

Mockingjay
Mockingjay is quite a bit different than the other two books in the trilogy, and wound up being my favorite. Katniss, Finnick, Beetee, and a small group of survivors from District 12 find themselves in District 13, which had not been destroyed as the Capitol claimed. Katniss blames herself for the destruction of District 12 and spends the opening chapters in misery, not knowing whether Peeta is alive or dead, hating everyone and herself most of all. Meanwhile, she’s being pressured by the rebels to take on the symbolic role of the Mockingjay to unite the districts against the Capitol. It’s only after Peeta appears on television, calling for a ceasefire, that Katniss agrees to the arrangement, forcing President Coin (leader of District 13) to agree that Peeta won’t be executed as a traitor and also hoping to negate his influence on the populace.

I loved that District 13 is not some utopia, and is almost as controlling as the Capitol. I loved that Katniss, a volatile teenager, isn’t actually leading the revolution, but is initially just a figurehead who features in propaganda videos designed to inspire the districts. I loved the scenes where the people of District 13 flee to caverns during an air raid, and the fun-starved citizens are entertained by the antics of Buttercup chasing a flashlight beam. I loved Prim’s growing skill and confidence as a healer. I loved Finnick and his revelations about how Snow abuses victors, particularly attractive ones, and how we see a totally new side to him when he’s able to finally marry the woman he loves. I loved that, after the districts are united against the Capitol, the rebels have no more use for Katniss and intend to leave her behind until she manages to complete a grueling training course and qualifies to go to the Capitol as part of a sharpshooting squad, led by Boggs. I really loved Boggs, who acts as a sort of father figure to Katniss and wants to protect her from President Coin’s machinations. I loved all the scenes of battle in the Capitol, especially the fact that Katniss doesn’t storm the president’s mansion and take Snow out single-handedly. The ending is great and very satisfying.

I didn’t love the romantic triangle stuff, though it’s obvious by now that it isn’t really a triangle anymore. Katniss loves Peeta, but she hasn’t realized it yet. Things are complicated when he is rescued from the Capitol and immediately tries to kill her, having had his memories altered as part of Snow’s torture. It takes a long time for glimmers of his real self to emerge, but once that happens they begin to grow back together. I did feel that some of this was rushed at the very end, which is a complaint I could also make about the deaths of some major characters. I realize that in the heat of battle there’s no time to stop and grieve, but it was still kind of a bummer.

All in all, this is an excellent trilogy. I regret that it took me so long to read it but am happy that I finally did!

Note: Ten years after Mockingjay was published, a prequel was released. Alas, reviews are not good and I’ve decided not to potentially sully my opinion of the series by reading it.

Pick of the Week: Pick It Again, Nakamura!!

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SEAN: July 4th is always rough for me, as I live next to neighbors who love to shoot off fireworks and I have dogs. So I need comfort manga. Thus I pick My Hero Academia 31, which… is not a comfortable volume in the series, but eh. We like what we like.

MICHELLE: I’m in much the same boat, but with kitties, so I agree that comfort manga sounds like just the thing. For me, I’ll pick the fourth volume of My Love Mix-Up!. I’m actually a little behind already, but I am positive that getting caught up will be nothing short of delightful.

ASH: This week I’m thrilled to be selected to pick Go For It Again, Nakamura!! I was absolutely delighted by the original manga, so I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel. I’m not sure if it counts as a comfort manga or not, but maybe!

ANNA: I’m picking the latest volume of A Sign of Affection, one of my absolute favorite currently running series.

KATE: I’m joining Ash on Team Nakamura this week; I also found Go For It, Nakamura!! delightful and am looking forward to reading the sequel.

MJ: Okay, I somehow missed Go For It Again, Nakamura!! on the list when we were going through the new releases, but now I realize that it’s a must-read! Count me in!

Manga the Week of 7/6/22

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SEAN: July, and the fireworks are here. Oh god. They’re everywhere. *whimper*

MICHELLE: Someone in my neighborhood actually set off fireworks for Father’s Day. My cat was not amused.

ASH: Goodness! And here I thought my neighborhood was overenthusiastic with explosives.

SEAN: Yen On gives us I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 3.

Two debuts for Yen Press. The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend (Chikan Saresou ni Natteiru S-kyuu Bishoujo wo Tasuketara Tonari no Seki no Osananajimi datta) already has the light novels from Yen On, and this is the manga adaptation that runs in Manga Up!. The plot is the title. The manga has to struggle with art not being by Fly.

The other debut is Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included (One Room, Hiatari Futsuu, Tenshitsuki), a harem fantasy from Shonen Gangan about a guy who wakes one morning to find an angel in his bed. Literally. This is by the author of As Miss Beelzebub Likes, which I really enjoyed, so I am inclined to cut it more slack than it probably deserves. Expect more cute than sexy knowing this author.

Yen Press also has new volumes of Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan! 2, Durarara!! RE;DOLLARS Arc 7, The Eminence in Shadow 4, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 4, Slasher Maidens 5, Sword Art Online: Project Alicization 5 (the final volume), and Val x Love 12.

Viz debuts a new Jump title, The Elusive Samurai (Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi). A former noble whose family was overthrown is on the run, his only power a truly superhuman ability to run away. This made it past the traditional 2-3 volumes death for most Jump series, so good for it.

ASH: Revenge, redemption, and by the creator of Assassination Classroom? Count me as officially curious.

ANNA: Me too!

MJ: Oh, interesting!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Dr. STONE 22, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible 2, My Hero Academia 31, My Love Mix-Up! 4, and Vampire Knight: Memories 7.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on both My Hero Academia and My Love Mix-Up!.

SEAN: Seven Seas debut is actually a one-shot sequel: Go For It Again, Nakamura!! (Motto Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!), the BL series that honestly may be better known for the memes parodying its cover art than its actual content. It ran in Akaneshinsha’s Opera.

MICHELLE: I really liked the original volume, and look forward to the sequel!

ASH: I’m really excited for this one, too! I unequivocally loved the first manga.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More 2, Non Non Biyori 16 (the final volume), The Savior’s Book Café Story in Another World 3, semelparous 3, and Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit 4

Kodansha has some print titles. Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle 8 (the final volume), EDENS ZERO 17, Fire Force 27, Noragami: Stray God 24, and Sensei’s Pious Lie 2.

ASH: Alas, I’m already behind and just finally got my hands on the first volume of Sensei’s Pious Lie.

SEAN: Digitally the first debut is Desert Eagle, a comedic gang title from the creator of Tokyo Revengers. it ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine.

We also get My Wonderful World (Boku no Subarashii Jinsei), a josei title from Be Love about a young man whose inability to read or write well is discovered to be dyslexia.

Also digitally: Changes of Heart 3, A Couple of Cuckoos 8, Drifting Dragons 11, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 25, My Master Has No Tail 7, Oh, Those Hanazono Twins 3, Saint Young Men 19, and A Sign of Affection 6. A Sign of Affection is awesome.

MICHELLE: One of these days I will actually read A Sign of Affection.

ASH: I really need to, too.

ANNA: It is so so so good!

MJ: I want to get excited over Saint Young Men but it’s been so long since I read any, I’m so far behind…

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a new digital light novel debut: D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared (D Genesis Dungeon ga Dekite 3 Nen). This is one of those “fantasy comes to Japan” works, about dungeons suddenly appearing everywhere.

Also digital: In Another World With My Smartphone 25, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! 7, The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes 4, Record of Wortenia War 15, and Tearmoon Empire 8.

Ghost Ship has Call Girl in Another World 4 and GUNBURED × SISTERS 2.

Cross Infinite World has The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up (Jimihime to Kuroneko no, Enman na Konyaku Haki), one in the fairly recent romance drama of “not a villainess, but breaking off the engagement anyway” titles. It looks fun.

ASH: It does! And I like the title.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has new volumes. Loner Life in Another World 2 and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 2.

The early digital debut is Vivy Prototype, a spinoff of the anime Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song- and written by the author of Re: Zero. The story of an AI who tries to prevent a war, any similarity to certain Macross franchises is purely coincidental.

ASH: I know nothing about Vivy, but stories about AI do appeal to me.

MJ: I loved this anime, so I’m here for it!

Any titles grab your eye here?

Bookshelf Briefs 6/30/22

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Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 5 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – I really like the fact that Sarasa is choosing the more difficult option. They’re doing auditions for a five-minute Romeo and Juliet, with singing, and Sarasa, who would make a much better Romeo, resolves to try for Tybalt again, as she wants to figure out the role and how she can make it not what the actress she emulated had done. This ends up impacting Ai, who’s going for Juliet, but realizes that she has absolutely no idea what being a girl who falls in love at first sight is like… until she starts thinking of Sarasa, and how they first met in a very romantically charged scene, and the bulb lights up. This may not be a yuri series, but as all good Takarazuka manga should, it’s not afraid to lean really hard into it. – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 11 | By Afro | Yen Press – It’s rare to see real character development in a slice-of-life fluff series, so it’s quite something to see Rin in this volume, who is almost unrecognizable from the Rin at the start of the series. Camping with others has really helped to open her up to the point where ‘the stoic, unemotional one’ doesn’t even fit anymore. It works in reverse as well, as Nadeshiko is able to go off on her own solo adventures without us worrying about her getting in too much trouble. As for the camping trip itself, it involves crossing a lot of suspension bridges, some of which are fantastic and scenic, and some of which are simply terrifying. I know I would never be able to do any of them. Laid-Back Camp is pure ambience. – Sean Gaffney

Lost Lad London, Vol. 1 | By Shima Shinya | Yen Press – I’ve learned to temper my expectations when it comes to “mystery” manga, so it pleases me greatly to announce that Lost Lad London is the real deal and I loved it wholeheartedly. Al Adley is a somewhat aloof university student who happened to be riding the Tube at the same time that the mayor of London was murdered in one of the train carriages. It just seems like an odd coincidence until Al discovers a bloody knife in his jacket pocket. Thankfully, when Inspector Lenny Ellis turns up, he believes in Al’s innocence and they start working together to uncover whether Al was just a convenient scapegoat or if he’s being intentionally framed. The art style is striking, full of large, uncluttered panels, and I love seeing people of color in main roles. The final scene is wonderfully cinematic and I can’t wait for volume two. – Michelle Smith

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 15 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – We finally get the actual backstory of the king, and it’s a pretty tragic one. It also helps explain why Set is so intent on destroying them like this. That said, most of this final volume is spent wrapping everything up in a neat bow. The allies arrive just in time, the people love their king regardless of whether he’s a human or a beast, and he and Seriphi can now be married. We even get to see a little of their life after, with kids running around being little terrors. This series felt a bit too much like “Fantasy Fruits Basket” sometimes, but I think it was quite underrated, and is a great one for shoujo fans. That said… man, why didn’t our favorite crocodile couple make it official? Slowpokes. – Sean Gaffney

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 4 | By Misaki Takamatsu |Seven Seas – I really appreciate the fact that Mitsumi is allowed to screw up here, realize it, and resolve to do better without the help of a magical love interest to resolve things. As I said in the previous volume, Shima still has his own issues which are taking priority, including a realization that not everyone hates him because of his actions. Maybe they’re just awkward! Maybe they’re a child whose motives you’re misreading! There’s also some nifty parallels with The Sound of Music, which Shima is forced to act in despite his not wanting to because… well, because he’s supposed to be the swell guy in class. I admit the series is starting to meander a bit from its premise, but I’m here for the Loafer half as well as the Skip. – Sean Gaffney

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 10 | By Maybe | Yen Press – After last volume having “when are they going to do it” absent from the plot, and being better for it, this volume returns to it with a vengeance. Hime is overtaken by evil, and Satou tries various things to stop her, including dealing with different aspects of her personality (the childhood friend, the child, the princess, etc.). But, in the end, it turns out she just needs a good rogering and her magical power overflows with evil-destroying light. In fact, they do it a good five or six times to be sure. One might argue that plot resolution is a bit much, but honestly this entire series has been driven by “when is he going to rid these girls of their virginity,” so it seems rather apt. Still, more battles, less sex next time. Maybe. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Dances and Houses

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MICHELLE: I’m torn between Wandance and Burn the House Down this week. Sports-adjacent manga versus josei suspense/mystery. I think in the end, Burn the House Down has the edge, because I definitely want to support more genuine manga mysteries making their way into the English-speaking market!

SEAN: I’d feel guilty for picking Kodansha josei THREE weeks in a row, so my pick this week is the 5th volume of Unnamed Memory. The volumes may be super long, but it’s always a relief reading a fantasy novel not filled with anime and gaming cliches.

ASH: Wandance is the debut I’m most likely to read first out of this week’s releases, but it’s not every day that a new imprint is launched, so Steamship is my official pick. (That’s allowable, right?)

ANNA: Count me in for Wandance this week! Also excited to see what else will be coming out from Steamship.

Manga the Week of 6/29/22

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SEAN: As June winds to an end, manga companies are watching closely, because July means the start of a new fiscal year. What manga will balance their books?

ASH: So many calendars to keep track of!

SEAN: Airship has some new print volumes. We see Adachi and Shimamura 9, Classroom of the Elite 11.5, Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 4, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 6.

Digitally, we see an early debut for The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Housekishou Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei), a mystery light novel series for women that has already gotten an anime. It is another of those series I say is “not BL, but BL-adjacent”.

MICHELLE: I was rather disappointed by the manga. Perhaps the light novel will be better.

ASH: I haven’t had the chance to read the manga adaptation yet, but I have hopes for the original novels.

SEAN: There’s also early digital for The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 5.

Cross Infinite World debuts Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes: The Spirit Hunters of Tomoe (Onmyouji to Tengugan: Tomoe Shiyakusho Mononoke Trouble Gakari), a title which asks “what if Felix Unger and Oscar Madison were both gorgeous men and fought the supernatural”?

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: There’s also Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends: The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest At Her Own Pace 4.

Ghost Ship gives us I’m Not Meat (Boku wa Oniku Janai), which ran in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Spirits. A man who works as a copywriter is terrified of women, seeing them as predators. Unfortunately, for his new ad campaign he really needs to understand dating. Can he overcome his instincts? This is very much a sex comedy in the old 80s use of the word.

They also debut Wicked Trapper: Hunter of Heroes (Magatsu Wanashi no Yuusha kari), an isekai about a game designer known for traps and sadistic games who arrives at a dungeon world… and the heroes are threatening him. What else to do but side with the villain and get revenge? This runs in Ultra Jump. Those with long memories may remember the author’s Tokyo Cycle Girls on the JManga site.

ASH: Oh, JManga is not a site I’ve thought about in a long while!

MJ: Oh, wow, same. Also… still sad about that.

SEAN: They’ve also got Into the Deepest, Most Unknowable Dungeon 3.

J-Novel Club has a digital debut. The Misfit of Demon King Academy (Maō Gakuin no Futekigōsha ~Shijō Saikyō no Maō no Shiso, Tensei Shite Shison-tachi no Gakkō e Kayou~) already has an anime out, and is one of the genre of “demon king wakes up after thousands of years and goes to magic school” books we’ve seen so much of lately.

Also out: Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower 6, Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers‘ 3rd manga volume, Fushi no Kami: Rebuilding Civilization Starts With a Village 6, The Tales of Marielle Clarac 9, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer’s 8th manga volume.

Kodansha, in print, debuts Wandance, which runs in Kodansha’s Afternoon. A young man has fallen in love with a woman, and for her he will do anything… even learn to dance! This combines romance and sports, and is more freestyle dancing compared to ballroom dancing.

MICHELLE: This looks fun to me!

ANNA: Nice!

ASH: Looks like it could be fun to me, too!

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: Also in print: APOSIMZ 9, Blue Period 7, A Sign of Affection 5, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime 19, and Welcome Back Alice 2. Oh yes, and Sayonara, Football 11, still not mentioned on their website.

The digital debut is Burn the House Down (Mitarai-ke, Enjou suru), a josei series from Kiss. A young housekeeper starts work at the house of a middle-aged housewife. But she has an ulterior motive, which is to investigate a past tragedy that ties them both together.

MICHELLE: Ooh, interesting!

ANNA: This does sound interesting.

MJ: Maybe, maybe…

SEAN: We also see Back When You Called Us Devils 14 (I’ve called this a final volume three times now, we’ll see if it sticks this time), Harem Marriage 18, Koigakubo-kun Stole My First Time 2, My Darling Next Door 5 (also a final volume), Tesla Note 5, That’s My Atypical Girl 5, and WIND BREAKER 3.

No debuts for Seven Seas this week (they’re all on their other imprints), but we do get Classmates 5, Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon 3, Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 5, The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace 2, Otaku Elf 4, Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General 8, and The Tale of the Outcasts 5.

MICHELLE: I should really read Classmates.

ASH: I’m a few volumes behind and need to catch up, but I do live the creator’s work.

SEAN: Seven Seas also debuts a new imprint: Steamship! This seems to be “Ghost Ship for Women”, i.e. a smuttier kind of shoujo/josei. Outbride: Beauty and the Beasts (Out Bride – Ikei Konin) is from Hakusensha’s Manga Park, and has a young woman who dies in a car accident isekai’d to another world… where she’s the only human woman! Now four gods all vie for the right to have her bear their child!

ANNA: OK!

ASH: Happy to see this imprint launch.

SEAN: SuBLime has a 4th volume of Black or White.

Tokyopop has the 4th volume of Double.

They also have the digital debut of Aria The Masterpiece – all 7 volumes will be out digitally next week.

Viz has Fist of the North Star 5, Fullmetal Alchemist: Under the Faraway Sky (another re-release of a novel they put out in 2007), and Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition 8.

ASH: Still thrilled we’re getting all of Fist of the North Star!

MJ: I am, too!

SEAN: There’s a pile of Yen On light novels. Bungo Stray Dogs 8, Date a Live 6, Demon Lord 2099 2, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 6, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World 9, Overlord 14, Unnamed Memory 5, Yokohama Station SF National, and You Call That Service? 6.

ASH: Yokohama Station SF National has most of my attention here.

SEAN: Yen Press’ debut is Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion (Kanojo ga Koushakutei ni Itta Riyuu), a reincarnated villainess story that’s actually a Korean webtoon. Yen is adapting it for print. As for the plot… I mean, it’s a reincarnated villainess story.

And we also see Catch These Hands! 2, Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana 3, and The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious 3.

Hi, I’m Sean Gaffney, and I’ll teach you how to BUY.MANGA.FAST.

Pick of the Week: Keep Smiling

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SEAN: If Kodansha thinks they can trick me into picking them every week just by putting out some really interesting josei titles… well, they’re probably right. The most interesting thing to me this week is A Nico-Colored Canvas. Again, great cover art.

MICHELLE: Who knew that we’d be really excited to see the sort of stuff people have been asking for for decades? 100% A Nico-Colored Canvas for me.

KATE: Add me to the chorus of folks who are excited about A Nico-Covered Canvas; there is always room for more josei on my shelf! I’m also curious about Yashahime: Demon Half-Princess, even though the anime was a hot mess. (I gave up after four episodes.) Here’s hoping the manga does more than just recreate each episode beat by beat.

ASH: I’m definitely interested in A Nico-Covered Canvas, but my pick this week goes to To Strip the Flesh. Transmasculine characters are such a rarity in comics, I can’t help but be intrigued. I’ve heard great things about this particular manga, so I’m going in with pretty high hopes and expectations.

ANNA: I’m likewise intrigued by A Nico-Covered Canvas, it sounds great. I’m also very excited to be getting the next volume of Witch Hat Atelier, which will rocket to the top of my stack of to-read manga. However, due to print sports manga being almost as rare as josei, I’m going to go ahead and highlight soccer manga Blue Lock as my pick.

Manga the Week of 6/22/22

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SEAN: When a manga meets a manga, coming through the rye…

ASH: None, they say, have I. (And they would be very wrong.)

SEAN: Yen On gives us So I’m a Spider, So What? 14 and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 5.

Yen Press debuts a new artbook highlighting its bestseller: Sword Art Online abec Artworks Wanderers.

They also have Bungo Stray Dogs 21, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc 3 (the final volume), and Spy Classroom 2.

Viz debuts To Strip the Flesh (Tooda Oto Tanpenshuu: Niku wo Hagu), a collection of stories about Chiaki Ogawa, whose mother, on her deathbed, says to be a good daughter. But… that’s not who he is. This LGBT series is apparently a very good read for transgender folks, ran in Shonen Jump +, and is complete in one volume.

ASH: Extraordinarily curious about this release; I’ve heard very good things.

ANNA: Sounds interesting.

SEAN: Viz also has an artbook highlighting a bestseller: The Promised Neverland: Art Book World.

ASH: I do like seeing all these artbooks being licensed.

SEAN: And they’re also debuting Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, the sequel to Inu Yasha written and drawn by the creator of Zettai Karen Children. It runs in Shonen Sunday S, and should appeal to Inu Yasha fans.

And we get Alice in Borderland 2, Assassin’s Creed: Blade of Shao Jun 4 (the final volume), Jujutsu Kaisen 16, Seraph of the End 24, and Twin Star Exorcists 25.

Tokyopop gives us Ossan Idol! 6.

Seven Seas has two (well, three) one-shot debuts. The Muscle Girl Next Door (Tonari no Kinniku Joshi) stars a guy who feels scrawny, and his crush on the incredibly buff woman who lives next door to him. It ran in Media Factory’s Gene Pixiv.

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: We also get both the novel and the manga of Until I Meet My Husband (Boku ga Otto ni Deau made), the story of a young gay activist and his search for love. It’s an autobiographical book, and I’ve heard is excellent. The manga ran on Bungei Shunjuu’s online manga site.

ASH: I have likewise heard these are excellent.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 5, Creepy Cat 3, GIGANT 8, I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! 4, The Ideal Sponger Life 11, Kageki Shojo!! 6, The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior 2, and Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 3.

One Peace has Farming Life in Another World 6 and The New Gate 10.

Kodansha has a print debut for soccer manga Blue Lock. We’ve already discussed its digital release, but look at that intense cover.

MICHELLE: I enjoy going from being far behind on the digital release to having the opportunity to be timely with the print release! I plan to finally check this one out.

ASH: Oh! New sports manga in print? I’m game!

ANNA: Woo!

SEAN: Also in print: If I Could Reach You 7 (the final volume), Perfect World 11, Saint Young Men Omnibus 9, The Seven Deadly Sins Omnibus 5, and Witch Hat Atelier 9, the most important of these.

MICHELLE: I liked the first volume of If I Could Reach You. I should go back and see how it resolves.

ASH: This is a great Kodansha week.

ANNA: Looking forward to more Witch Hat Atelier for sure.

SEAN: The first digital debut is A Nico-Colored Canvas (Nikoiro no Canvas), a josei series from Be Love about a free-spirited artist and her adventures at college in Osaka.

MICHELLE: This sounds so fun!

ANNA: So much digital josei, I can’t keep track of it!

SEAN: The other debut is A Serenade for Pretend Lovers (Renai Gokko Sayokyoku), the story of a worker at a TV station trying to make a documentary about a musician while dealing with the fact she just saw her boyfriend cheating on her. It ran in Comic Tint, and thus this is a double-josei debut week.

MICHELLE: So much josei these days!

ASH: Love to see it.

ANNA: Even more!!!!

SEAN: Also digital: Defying Kurosaki-kun 19 (the final volume), A Girl and Her Guard Dog 7, The Girl, the Shovel and the Evil Eye 3, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 8, I’ll Be with Them Again Today 3, Irresistible Mistakes 3, Piano Duo for the Left Hand 4, The Rokudo Rounds 2, and When a Cat Faces West 2.

MICHELLE: Still gotta check out When a Cat Faces West.

SEAN: Kaiten Books has Loner Life in Another World’s 5th manga volume in print, and The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting 4 digitally.

J-Novel Club’s digital debut is a manga, Sometimes Even Reality Is a Lie! (Real mo Tamaniwa wo Tsuku). A guy who games as a girl is finally meeting his gamer buddy… only it turns out she’s a girl who games as a guy! What’s worse, she told her overprotective parents she was bringing another girl over. Only cross-dressing can save us now. This was originally a webcomic on Pixiv, and was picked up by Kadokawa.

ASH: Okay, that has the potential to be fun (or really not so good).

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest 12, Black Summoner 9, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill’s 8th manga volume, and Holmes of Kyoto 10.

Ghost Ship gives us Does a Hot Elf Live Next Door to You? 4.

And Airship, in print, debuts Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash, which we discussed when its digital came out. They also have The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 4 and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 4.

In early digital, we get a debut. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut (Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu) is here to ask the important question: what if we shot vampires into space? This also got an anime last year.

ASH: I’ve seen space vampires before, but it’s certainly not a common combination.

SEAN: And we also see Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 6, which is more accurately Accomplishments of the Duke’s Wife, as it’s a prequel looking at Iris’ mother.

If a manga kiss a manga, need a manga cry? What manga are you making cry next week?

Bookshelf Briefs 6/10/22

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Boys of the Dead | By Tomita Douji | Kuma – Enticed by the cleverness of the “Zom-BL” portmanteau, I bought this volume without really knowing anything about it. Almost immediately, I experienced buyer’s remorse, for Boys of the Dead is unremittingly bleak. I don’t just mean all the gore and violence and cannibalism—that’s Zombie 101—but rather the depravity and desperation. None of the couples has anything like a healthy relationship. In the first story, a victim of kidnapping and rape grows sympathetic to his abuser. In the second pair of stories, a guy digs up his zombified boyfriend and then procures human flesh for him to eat. And in the final chapters, a journalist encounters a pair of brothers in an incestuous relationship that ends gruesomely. For all my reservations, though, I must admit that reading Boys of the Dead was a unique experience and not one I’m likely to forget anytime soon. – Michelle Smith

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 13 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – The twins are on the cover, and they do get a fun arc which shows us that they are settling in to being actual good wives while also not losing their chaotic energy. That said, it’s hard not to come out of this volume feeling extremely disappointed, as Smith and his fiancée are forced to abandon their return trip to see Amir and Karluk. The Russians are making headway into the area, bandits are everywhere, and in some instances poor and hungry villagers are taking to banditry to survive. It’s nowhere for an Englishman to take a young woman, no matter how good she is with horses, so they finally board a boat to India, presumably to return to England. And what of Amir? Well, that’s next time, I assume. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 10 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – The end of this volume seems to announce that the next book will be the final one in the series, so it’s no surprise that this one focuses on the two women who have gotten the most focus in the series: Machi and Sato. Machi’s plot does not involve her crush on her teacher—they all seem to have given up and are helping Sato get closer to him—but instead involves connecting her head with her body, if only for a day. She finds it an interesting experience, but ultimately is happy how she is. As for Takahashi and Sato, at long last, they both take that first step and admit they’ve fallen in love with each other. And with that, it really seems safe to wrap things up, which will be next time. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 18 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – The inevitable comedown after the awesomeness of the previous volume, mostly as Komi and Manbagi realize that just because they have vowed to both fight for Tadano’s love does not make them any better at actually confessing to Tadano. Komi comes closest near the end, but is stopped by the dreaded “random folks walking into the room.” Elsewhere, this volume reminds us just how large a cast this series now has, and that the author is pretty good at juggling it and still keeping us interested. Hell, even Yamai got to do something that did not immediately make me skip to a non-Yamai chapter, which may be a first. Unsurprisingly, it did not involve Komi. – Sean Gaffney

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 1 | By Nene Yukimori | Viz Media – This is an odd mix of Teasing Master Takagi-san with Komi Can’t Communicate. Our protagonist, Shiraishi, is one of those ‘kids with no presence’—even his teachers frequently mark him absent as they don’t notice he’s there. But he has one girl who notices—the titular Kubo, who keeps trying to get him to try new ways to stand out and actually attract attention. This also involves a lot of teasing, which is where Takagi comes into play. That said, these are high schoolers rather than middle schoolers, and Kubo is a lot thirstier than Takagi—the crush she has on Shiraishi is really obvious throughout the volume. If you’re looking for another volume in the “cute shonen romance” genre, this is a good choice. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vol. 4 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I always feel like John the Baptist with this series, so here we go again: this was a stellar volume of Medalist. The art was amazing in showing off the speed and artistry of the skating, our heroine got to have some big achievements, and the coach got to demonstrate to everyone that he’s not just some failure but a brilliant skater in his own right. We also get another rival for the series in a boy who can’t even bring himself to put down any goals for the future as he’s so overwhelmed by a legacy, but fortunately he is shown the correct way through the power of shonen sports manga. I realize that Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyu!! have more cool guys, but don’t sleep on Medalist; it’s a knockout. – Sean Gaffney

New Game!, Vol. 13 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – First off, answering my question from the previous brief, I do not think an “oh, they got married when the laws changed” in the afterward is QUITE what Kou and Rin fans were looking for. That said, in the end this isn’t a yuri series but a 4-koma about a game company, and it stays on that brand till the end. The book has one huge high point, which is Aoi winning her first “art competition” ever (this is even lampshaded), and forcing Hotaru to experience the agony of feeling second-best and envious for the first time. The rest is a series of wrapping up the game and moving offices pages. New Game! was a fun series, but like many 4-komas with all-female casts, I don’t think the author knew what to do with the yuri fanbase. – Sean Gaffney

Our Teachers Are Dating!, Vol. 4 | By Pikachi Ohi | Seven Seas – This is the final volume in the series, and there’s really only one way that it could have ended in these modern times, and that’s with a wedding. The proposal is cute. The wedding is lovely. The honeymoon is sexy. The conflict is minimal—Saki’s family is delighted with her choice, and the main worry there seems to be that her sister is one of those “interesting” cooks. Asuka’s is a bit more difficult—they want her to quit teaching and inherit the family business—not only is she staying a teacher but she’s marrying another woman! That said, there are no real long-term issues with them being a couple, because this is a series that runs on fluff. It may not be realistic, but who cares? – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 6/15/22

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SEAN: It’s Hurricane Season! Are you being rocked? Are you being racially profiled and imprisoned? Or are you reading manga?

Airship, in print, has the 5th Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter.

And in early digital they have Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 17 and Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 4.

Ghost Ship gives us DARLING in the FRANXX Vol. 3-4 and Do You Like Big Girls? 4.

J-Novel Club has new volumes. We get Ascendance of a Bookworm 19, Cooking with Wild Game 17, The Emperor’s Lady-in-Waiting Is Wanted as a Bride’s 4th manga volume, Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀ 5, and Slayers 14.

ASH: I am so far behind, but yay Bookworm.

SEAN: Kaiten Books has, this week, the 2nd Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant! manga digitally. I missed it. Sorry!

ASH: Keeping track of all these releases is no easy feat!

SEAN: Kodansha has print volumes for BAKEMONOGATARI 14, Peach Boy Riverside 7, Penguin & House 3 (the final volume), Rent-A-Girlfriend 13, and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku 6 (the final volume).

MICHELLE: I look forward to binging the conclusion of Wotakoi.

ASH: Same! I’ve really been enjoying the series.

SEAN: Debuting digitally is Golden Gold, a Morning Two series from the creator of Kokkoku: Moment by Moment. This is apparently a very weird supernatural horror-ish story that takes place on an island.

The other digital debut is Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata (Yo ni mo Fujitsu na Piano Sonata), a josei series from Be Love. A classical music manager has never really felt much for any men she’s dated… but then she sees a classical pianist and he arouses her interest… and other things. Can she guide his career and also find romance?

ASH: Music-related josei manga, you say?

ANNA: Hello!

SEAN: Also digital: The Fable 3, Giant Killing 31, Police in a Pod 13, This Vampire Won’t Give Up! 2, Tokyo Revengers 26, Watari-kun’s ****** Is about to Collapse 11, and Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad 6.

One Peace has the 18th manga volume of The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Seven Seas debuts the manga version of The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash (Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita), based on a light novel which is coming later this year from Seven Seas. It runs in Comic Corona, and is about a tamer who no one wants to associate with, so, well, she picks up trash. And a slime. Don’t get this confused with the very similar Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life.

The other debut is X-Gender (Seibetsu X), from Kodansha’s Young Magazine the 3rd. Our protagonist is in their thirties, and realizes they are attracted to women… but also that they’re non-binary. Can they find romance?

ASH: Very curious about this one.

SEAN: They also have How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 14, I Can’t Believe I Slept With You! 2, A Tale of the Secret Saint 3, and Yakuza Reincarnation 2.

Tokyopop has Puppy Love (Shippo no Koi), a BL one-shot from Gentosha’s snappily titled LOVE xxx BOYS pixiv. A corporate worker who is being exploited by his company finds happiness at a pet shop… and the worker there seems familiar. Could he have been a dog in his previous life?

MICHELLE: Ew.

SEAN: Udon has a sweet artbook for fans of the Fate franchise, Fate: Return to Avalon: Takashi Takeuchi Art Works.

ASH: Artbooks are nice.

SEAN: Viz’s debut is Marvel’s Secret Reverse, a team-up between Iron Man and Spider-Man, which I only mention here as it’s by the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

There’s also Call of the Night 8, Deadpool Samurai 2, Komi Can’t Communicate 19, Rosen Blood 3, Sakamoto Days 2, and Yakuza Lover 5.

Yen Press debuts The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring (Yubiwa no Eranda Kon’yakusha), from Flos Comic. A young woman who only goes to engagement parties to look at the embroidery suddenly finds a ring thrown at her – by a knight. How does she deal with this?

And they have I’m the Hero, but the Demon Lord’s Also Me 4 (the final volume) and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria 17.

Reading manga? Or still confused by my opening line? (don’t blame you…)

Pick of the Week: Alices, Gundams and Food

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SEAN: Given the recent kerfuffle regarding Seven Seas, it feels awkward to pick a title of theirs for Pick of the Week. But the union has said they are not asking readers to boycott at this time. So I will be picking The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, because I love the author, love the content, and it is one of my most anticipated titles this year.

MICHELLE: I really disliked The Flowers of Evil, but Blood on the Tracks has won me over to appreciating Shuzo Oshimi. So, this week I’ll pick Welcome Back, Alice and hope that it’ll be great.

KATE: I have a love/hate relationship with Shuzo Oshimi’s work: I think he’s a terrific artist, but I sometimes find his works just too… pervy, maybe?, so I’m going to pass on Welcome Back, Alice for now. The title I’m most excited about is The Men Who Created Gundam, which looks like a fun version of DMP’s old Project X series–think Cup Noodle with jokes and hijinks.

ASH: As far as debuts go, Seven Seas and Denpa seem to have the market cornered for me as I’m interested in most (but not all) of those releases. That being said, I’m probably most excited for the newest volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday? to come out.

ANNA: I’m not sure how I missed The Men Who Created Gundam because it sounds like a hoot. That being said I’m not going to pass up the chance to pick the latest volume of Yona of the Dawn.

Manga the Week of 6/8/22

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SEAN: As June continues, what varieties of manga do we see before us?

Yen On debuts Your Forma, a sci-fi detective story that asks the question: what if getting 5G wireless injected into you from a vaccine was actually real? and it spied on your every sense? This could be very good or very bad, and I suspect that depends entirely on the politics of the writer.

ASH: Hmmm. The genre certainly appeals to me, but I suspect you’re right.

ANNA: Yeah, going to skip this one and I’m generally in favor of sci-fi goofiness.

MJ: I feel a little “yikes” on this one.

SEAN: Also from Yen On: The Eminence in Shadow 4 and Sword Art Online Progressive 8.

Yen Press, meanwhile, has new manga volumes. Adachi and Shimamura 3, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 4, Goblin Slayer Side Story: Year One 7, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 13, and A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School! 11.

Viz debuts Ghost Reaper Girl, a Shonen Jump + series by the creator of Rosario + Vampire (though under a different pen name). Chloe wants to be an actress. But she’s 28, and her window is closing. Can she find fame as a ghost reaper, though? Note that this series is being published flipped at the request of its creator.

ASH: Interesting! Not much seems to be flipped these days, let alone at the creator’s request.

SEAN: Chainsaw Man is also ending with Vol. 11, though a sequel is in the works. We also see Black Clover 29, Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love 2, Snow White with the Red Hair 19, and Yona of the Dawn 36.

MICHELLE: I’m always here for VIZ shoujo.

ASH: For sure!

ANNA: Viz shoujo saving the week for me!

SEAN: Tokyopop has A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 5.

Hope you like debuts from Seven Seas, there are a ton of them.

I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl (Osananajimi(♂) wo Onnanoko ni Shiteshimatta Hanashi) is from Ichijinsha’s Comic Pool. A boy trying to practice his makeup technique has his best friend offer to be a guinea pig… but the results are more than either of them could have guessed. Despite the light-novel-ey title, this looks like fans of LGBT should enjoy it.

ASH: I’m definitely curious about this one.

SEAN: Namekawa-san Won’t Take a Licking! (Name Raretakunai Namekawa-san) is from Comic Yuri Hime, and features a bullied girl who decides, for her high school debut, to become a delinquent. Unfortunately, now she attracts the attention of the disciplinary officer. I am always wary of yuri series described as hilarious.

ASH: A different sort of delinquent manga than is often seen, it would seem.

SEAN: Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints (Yuuyake Trip) is from Houbunsha’s Comic Fuz. Two high school girls investigate supposedly haunted areas of their town and grow closer. The art is apparently the reason to get this.

ASH: I’ll admit, the premise intrigues me, too.

SEAN: This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! (Yoku Wakaranai Keredo Isekai ni Tensei Shiteita You Desu) is a manga from Kodansha’s Suiyoubi no Sirius, based off a novel (not yet licensed, I believe). I’ve been told it’s another one of those “this becomes fluffy slice-of-life isekai assuming you can get past all the sexual assault and threats of slavery at the start” series. Sigh.

ANNA: No thank you!

MJ: oh my god.

SEAN: Lastly, The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This (Futari wa Daitai Konna Kanji) is a yuri series from the creator of Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto). A 30-year-old writer and a 22-year-old actress are living together as a couple, and we see their everyday life. This is extremely comfy and fun. It ran in Gentosha’s Comic Boost.

MICHELLE: Well, at least one of these appeals to me.

ASH: I rather liked Whispered Words, if I recall correctly.

MJ: This sounds actually great.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Monologue Woven For You 2, the 13th and final volume of New Game!, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 5.

Kodansha has MORE Shuzo Oshimi in print next week, with Welcome Back, Alice (Okaeri Alice). This runs in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and got a digital release in February, but the print came fast. Three childhood friends have what seems like a standard love triangle… then one of them shows up dressed as a girl.

ASH: Somehow missed this being licensed!

MJ: I don’t know what to expect from this. Maybe great?

SEAN: Also in print: Cells at Work! Baby 4 (the final volume), Interviews with Monster Girls 10, Lovesick Ellie 4, Orient 9, Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collection 2, SHAMAN KING Omnibus 9, Sue & Tai-chan 4, Vampire Dormitory 5, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? 18.

MICHELLE: Hooray for more What Did You Eat Yesterday?!

ASH: Indeed!

MJ: YESSSSSSSSS

SEAN: The first digital debut is The Shadows of Who We Once Were (Nare no Hate no Bokura), a survival game manga from the creator of Until Your Bones Rot. It’s from Weekly Shonen Magazine, and… it’s a survival game manga.

The other digital debut from Kodansha is Joy, a BL manga from Kodansha’s Honey Milk. A shoujo manga artist is asked to write a BL work… and also discovers his assistant is gay. Maybe he can get inspiration for the BL by a fake relationship?

MJ: Oooo, this…

SEAN: Also digital: The Abandoned Reincarnation Sage 3, Changes of Heart 2, Chihayafuru 32, Girlfriend, Girlfriend 9, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 24, Love After World Domination 4, My Master Has No Tail 6, Oh, Those Hanazono Twins 2, and The Transcendent One-Sided Love of Yoshida the Catch 2.

MICHELLE: Insert habitual Chihayafuru squee.

ANNA: Gesticulates in celebration of the series, then transitions to despair at being so far behind.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has some print releases. We get Ascendance of a Bookworm’s 10th manga volume, By the Grace of the Gods 9, The Faraway Paladin 4, In Another World with My Smartphone 22, Marginal Operation 10, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! 10, Otherside Picnic Omnibus 3, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 6.

J-Novel Club’s digital debut is a manga, The Saga of Lioncourt (Lion Coeur Senki), which is from Takeshobo’s Kissca. Office worker reincarnated as a warrior in a middle-ages era setting.

And also Forget Being the Villainess, I Want to Be an Adventurer! 3 (the final volume), How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 16, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 3, Marginal Operation 13, and Otherside Picnic 7.

Ghost Ship debuts World’s End Harem: Fantasia Academy, a spinoff of a spinoff of the series that is for everyone who wants to bone 10,000 women who adore them. This is apparently a high school AU version.

Also from Ghost Ship: Ero Ninja Scrolls 3 and Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams! 3.

Denpa has two new releases. The Men Who Created Gundam (Gundam Sousei) ran, appropriately, in Gundam Ace. It’s a done-in-one omnibus about the creators of Gundam… but expect comedy.

Vampeerz: My Peer Vampires is a Sunday GX series about the love between a teenage girl and a vampire… I think. The description is vague, but I mean, title.

ASH: Count me curious.

MJ: Same.

SEAN: And Airship has two early digital titles, including a debut. 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuukimama na Hanayome (Hitojichi) Seikatsu wo Mankitsusuru) is, yes, a villainess novel. But this time our heroine has done this a lot. She’s lived full lives. She’s done different occupations. She keeps getting killed. Now, on her 7th try, why not marry her killer?

We also get the first volume of Classroom of the Elite: Year 2.

That turned out to be a whole lot. Thoughts?