Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 | By Keito Gaku | Kodansha Comics – This was well-acclaimed when it was first licensed, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a great look at transgender and genderqueer characters, showing both the difficulties and triumphs that they experience. The art is also terrific, popping off the page, particularly in the art that Ryo creates. I also enjoyed how Ryo and Jin became fast friends, and despite a few misunderstandings (mostly as their classmates see them in a different way) stay that way, especially as they’re both outsiders in a way. Oh yes, and the title itself, as well as its derivation towards the end of this volume, is brilliant in its layered meanings. I absolutely can’t wait to see what happens next, and hope that the fashion they’ve designed takes off. – Sean Gaffney
Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – I had read this when it first came out last year, but forgot to review it. Which is dumb, as it’s fantastic, and also it has not only an anime that debuted last week, but also a manga “sequel” that starts this week. The story of an all-girls school aiming to be the top stars in their not-Takarazuka-because-of-legal-reasons troupe, we meet Ai, a girl with a troubled and abusive past who is small and doesn’t trust easily, as well as Sarasa, a girl who also has a troubled past (that we don’t see as much of in this omnibus) but who is very tall and trusts very easily. Yes, it’s shiny peppy girl meets dark grumpy girl, and we all love that type of relationship to bits. The supporting cast are also very good, and this volume ends openly, which is good, as the story continues. – Sean Gaffney
Let’s Not Talk Anymore | By Weng Pixin | Drawn & Quarterly – Having enjoyed Weng Pixin’s collection Sweet Time, I was happy to discover that another volume of her work had recently been released. Let’s Not Talk Anymore is a beautifully painted, captivating comic that explores five generations of matrilineal family history, both real and imagined. The narrative is cyclical in nature, repeatedly shifting from 1908 to 1947 to 1972 to 1998 to 2032 and back again while following the lives of Weng’s great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, the creator herself, and her imaginary daughter as fifteen-year-olds. While not always readily apparent to the young women themselves, readers soon begin to see patterns and parallels emerge from the telling of their stories. The similarities and differences between their generational traumas and personal experiences inform who they are as individuals as well as in relationship to one another. Let’s Not Talk Anymore deftly and elegantly captures the complexities of the inherited realities connecting mothers and daughters through multiple generations. – Ash Brown
My Hero Academia, Vol. 28 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Things continue to be absolutely terrible for the heroes, and we’re starting to get an actual body count on their side, though it’s not any of the major characters… so far. Unfortunately, the big plan to stop the resurrection of Shigaraki is a disaster of epic proportions, though it’s nice to see that he seems to know the narrative tropes of this sort of thing and is headed right towards Deku. Fortunately, Gran Torino, also familiar with these narrative tropes, is there to stop Deku rushing in and killing himself. There’s not really a lot to talk about here as it’s just a massive, city-destroying chaotic battle, but it’s rare that you see a Jump title like this go so far in having its good guys lose over and over again. It’s chilling. – Sean Gaffney
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I tried something a little different with this twelfth volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Instead of reading it straight through, I read a chapter a day. I think that helped a lot in terms of appreciating the wacky episodic humor, which in this installment involves things like Nozaki trying to help Seo figure out her feelings for Wakamatsu by loaning her shoujo manga and later making a Wakamatsu doll, Nozaki owning in a competition amongst classmates to see who can write the best love confession, and Sakura’s ill-fated attempts to embody a cool girl to help Nozaki with a story. As ever, though, my favorite parts involve Hori and Kashima, whose relationship has evolved a little since his confession, though they’re still far away from becoming an official couple. Nothing here made me laugh out loud, but plenty made me smile. I look forward to the next one! – Michelle Smith
Species Domain, Vol. 10 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – Ohki is the big focus of this volume, and not in a good way. After a fun, cute date with the girl who’s crushing hard on him, he shuts her down, saying that he’s “in love with science.” It’s not clear if this is meant to be a sign of asexuality or simply narrow focus, but it’s clearly rude to the girl, as everyone else notes. Then we get another elf showing up as a transfer student, only this one is a full-blown elf with magic out the wazoo, which he demonstrates in class. Now Ohta’s interested, having seen actual magic in action, which deals a devastating blow to Kazanori. Elsewhere, we probably get FAR more information about icaruses and how they get pregnant than we’d really like, much to Hanei’s horror and embarrassment. This is ending soon, but is still fun. – Sean Gaffney
Sweat and Soap, Vol. 6 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Our sweet couple finally moves in together, will all the issues that you tend to see when that happens. It means we get their first fight, as Kotaro is trying to do everything himself so that Asako doesn’t have to, which annoys her as they’re supposed to have a partnership. She also badly handles a guy blatantly hitting on her while Kotaro is away, taking his business card even though she’s clearly not interested. That said, these things are fairly easily resolved, and the majority of the time we get to see what these two do best, as we watch them working, eating, making soap, and making love. (Even the fight is adorable, as passersby whisper that he’s getting dumped, which she angrily—and loudly—denies.) Read this; you won’t regret it. – Sean Gaffney
