Michelle Smith

Bloom Into You, Vol. 7 | By Nakatani Nio | Seven Seas – The majority of this volume is devoted to Sayaka, who finally works up the resolve to confess to Touko, despite knowing that she’s in love with Yuu. It goes exactly as you’d expect, but that does not diminish how well told this is. (The second novel might go into more detail.) We also get some backstory for the teacher and her partner, explaining how they got together and reminding both Sayaka and the reader that being in love with another woman is something that does not have to be confined to high school. As for Yuu and Touko, well, they’re almost there (and I will admit the scene where Seiji bluntly tells Yuu that they’re not the same (meaning Yuu isn’t asexual) was very well done). This remains fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 11 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – I’ve pretty much resigned myself to reading this for the side couple, so I was delighted with their half of the manga, as Ayumi, after attempting to analyze love to death in an effort to run away from her own feelings gets a Big Damn Kiss and turns into a sop. It’s sweet, and god knows Takaya deserves it. Unfortunately, I’m still uninterested in Kagura and Tarou—she’s much better when she’s not being a weak drip, which she is here, and he’s so passive and understanding that it’s what’s actually preventing anything from happening. I suspect this story, despite a double convention, is not quite over, particularly given Tarou’s “huh? what’s love? can you eat it?” expression, but maybe twelve will give me more Ayumi. – Sean Gaffney

I Fell in Love After School, Vol. 2 | By Haruka Mitsui | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – While initially reluctant to become the manager of the boys’ volleyball team at her high school, Kao Hayama is now really putting her all into the role. That’s what makes I Fell in Love After School unique, when it otherwise would be a fairly straightforward shoujo romance. Often, when such a series involves a boy passionate about sports (like Waiting for Spring, for example) readers only see an occasional glimpse of games, which is never really enough to suit a sport manga enthusiast like me. Because Kao is the manager, however, much of the plot is sport-related, which I appreciate. On top of this, Kao’s burgeoning relationship with Nagisa Kuze is compelling. I appreciate that she is never a spaz, and that he’s not some cool prince type, but has flaws and vulnerabilities that Kao is adept at perceiving. I look forward to reading the rest of this series! – Michelle Smith

An Incurable Case of Love, Vol. 3 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – I seem to be surprised lately with shoujo or josei romances hooking up faster than I expected. I guess Moonlighting Syndrome is not what it once was. In any case, yes, our lead couple are now a couple, though they haven’t gotten very far and he still tends to be a bit of a jerk if prodded. I am also rather impressed with the book continuing to emphasize the aspects of being a nurse, and what Sakura does well and does badly at, showing how she can’t simply use her natural empathy to win the day all the time. This comes in handy when she deals with a new nurse who is VERY interested in Tendo, and is also a better nurse on the non-empathic side of things. As always with this author, a very well-written heroine carries the day. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 4 | By Kohei Horikoshi and Anri Yoshi | VIZ Media – This fourth installment of the My Hero Academia light novel series centers around the school festival. In “Prep,” Shinso takes out some trash and witnesses the other classes hard at work. (And thinks regarding Mineta, “He’s gotta get expelled for sexual harassment one of these days, right?” I SURE AS HELL HOPE SO, SHINSO!) The longest story depicts class 1-B’s play, and is pretty fun, but mostly just made me wish these characters got their own spinoff a la Vigilantes. My actual favorite was “Festival for All,” which takes a collage of panels from the manga and extrapolates scenes from them, like Shinsho hanging upside down in a haunted house, Midoriya making candy apples for Eri, et cetera. I will try very hard to forget the absolutely VILE thing Mineta says at the end of this otherwise very nice story. I think it was his grossest comment yet. – Michelle Smith

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Vol. 3 | By Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka | Seven Seas – The gag here, and it really is a great one, is that despite winning the hearts of literally everyone around her, Katarina STILL ends up in the exact same cutscene from Fortune Lover that her evil version did. Of course, the cast IS all in love with her, so the scene goes south rather quickly—with everyone noting the bullying plot is far too well thought out to be planned by our Bakarina. The rest of the volume is more serious, as Maria goes missing, and dark magic is suspected. The suspect is obvious, but that doesn’t make the danger to Katarina any less great, and she ends the book in a coma. Can she manage to charm her way out of things while asleep? Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

The Swamp | By Yoshiharu Tsuge | Drawn and Quarterly – As the first volume in Drawn & Quarterly’s series of Tsuge’s complete mature works, The Swamp brings together eleven of Tsuge’s short manga along with an essay by Mitsuhiro Asakawa which provides them with additional historical context. The stories collected in The Swamp were originally published between 1965 and 1966, most of them appearing as contributions to the influential alternative manga magazine Garo. Tsuge’s narratives are compelling, at times unsettling and at times humorous, but always offering insightful commentary on humanity. Even those that are more surreal have an underlying sense of truth. Most of the short manga featured in The Swamp have at least one twist to them to give the reader pause, whether in delight or in disquiet, or some combination of the two. Overall, it’s an immensely satisfying volume. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for Drawn & Quarterly’s second Tsuge collection, Red Flowers; this is not a series to miss. – Ash Brown

Takane & Hana, Vol. 14 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – I will admit, Hana falling off their cruise ship into the water took me by surprise—I had to read it three times to get what was happening. Naturally, Takane goes after her, and so we end up with, of all things, a “castaways on an island” plotline, though it goes in a very Love Hina direction when it turns out that civilization is across the island. On the brighter note, we get the main couple telling the immediate romantic rivals about their coupledom, which is honestly better handled on Hana’s end. And because the only thing better than one problematic age-difference couple is TWO, there’s more with Nicola and Mizuki, as she still has a crush on him, and he is… at least getting to know her better. Unbalanced, but good. – Sean Gaffney

What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Kobayashi | Dark Horse – What’s Michael? is a series I’d wanted to read for years, but quickly discovered is best enjoyed in small doses. The manga consists of six-page chapters that do not tell a cohesive narrative. Michael might live with a yakuza in one chapter and with a single lady in the next. Sometimes he has a mate and children. I liked best the chapters that employ nonverbal storytelling, like when Michael keeps laying on objects people need or when getting a ribbon stuck on his claw leads Michael to perform several pages of rhythmic gymnastics. As usual, I took some things too seriously, getting pissed off at an idiot who punches Michael for being disinterested in playing fetch and utterly failing to find anything funny in the plight of a poor, neglected dog. That said, the majority of this chunky omnibus was enjoyable, and I look forward to the second half. – Michelle Smith

The Dorm of Love and Secrets, Vol. 2 | By Nikki Asada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Five years ago, an elite and a laidback high school combined, resulting in a new school where relations between “high-class students” and “no-class students” are horrendous. Asahi Suzumori is a member of the normal class, and when her dorm catches on fire, she accepts an offer from Tsukigase, the capricious student council president, to masquerade as a high-class student and live in their dorm, where she meets and falls in love with Yokaze Takagi, a kind boy with a sad past. Volume two mostly consists of them growing closer, but with Yokaze holding back because of a deal he made with Tsukigase that will enable him to regain something precious if he follows certain rules. The leads are okay, if a trifle bland, but I do enjoy manipulative Tsukigase and Asahi’s protective friend, Sho. The series is complete in four volumes, which feels right. – Michelle Smith

Fire in His Fingertips, Vol. 1 | By Kawano Tanishi | Ghost Ship – There’s a subtitle as well, but this is only a brief. Ryo and Souma are childhood friends. Both are very bad at communicating. After rescuing her from an apartment fire, she goes to his place and, despite some reluctance/consent issues, they have sex. And indeed they do that the rest of the book as well—this is a josei title, but still firmly within the Ghost Ship mission statement. Ryo manages to be a strong enough character to make this work and show us her latent attraction to Souma. Souma is a little more annoying, as his refusal to admit his own, clearly deep, feelings for Ryo is what leads to all the consent issues in the first place. Cautiously recommended to those who like sex and firefighting. – Sean Gaffney

Gal Gohan, Vol. 2 | By Marii Taiyou | Seven Seas – I’m not sure why this series is not pinging my “be careful, teacher/student romance” radar. I mean, it clearly is going to be. There’s no way that this series is going to pair Miku off with anyone other than her reluctant cooking professor. If anything, the series is going in the opposite direction, seemingly adding at the end a third person to the club (and no doubt adding a new romantic rival). There’s plenty of busty fanservice, and suggestive teasing (both from and of Miku). But, as I noted in my review of the first book, the whole thing is written so wholesomely that you end up accepting all of it. It’s the sweetest title about a big-breasted gal who wants to date her teacher you’ll ever read. -Sean Gaffney

Given, Vol. 1 | By Natsuki Kizu | SuBLime Manga – Since I’m always looking for good music manga and I’m always looking for good BL manga, it really was a given that Given would appeal to me. Ritsuka is a self-taught guitarist who has lost touch with his passion for music, but that missing spark eventually reignites after a schoolmate asks him for lessons. While Mafuyu’s past and personality are both mysterious, he does seem serious about wanting to learn, ultimately winning Ritsuka and the rest of his band over. Although it’s Mafuyu’s presence that really drives the story at this point, it’s the thoughtfulness that Kizu has put into the characterization of the entire cast—both leads and supporting roles—that really makes the manga work for me. How the characters all relate to one another is beautifully expressed not only through words but through Kizu’s artwork. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Given. – Ash Brown

Guilty, Vol. 5 | By Ai Okaue | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Man, Guilty sure has evolved since its first volume! It initially seemed like a soap opera about unfaithful spouses, and it still is that to some degree, but has morphed into psychological suspense at this point, as Sayaka begins to put the pieces together about why Rui has been so intent on ruining her life and for how long she’s been manipulating events. Kazu is a target, as well, but his sins are far worse than Sayaka’s, and he finally seems to appreciate as much here. Sayaka exhibits grit in the face of devastation, Rui is an unhinged (yet not wholly unsympathetic) antagonist, and the main ship for readers is Sayaka’s relationship with her first love, Akiyama, who is seemingly happily married with an adorable child. Complicated! The plot might verge on melodramatic at times, but it never crosses over into ridiculous. Looking forward to the next installment! – Michelle Smith

Knight of the Ice, Vol. 1 | By Yayoi Ogawa | Kodansha Comics – I didn’t realize, before I read Knight of the Ice, how hungry I was for a manga about figure skating! Our two leads are a pair of childhood friends who are on the verge of becoming something more. Petite Chitose Igari works for a magazine while closet otaku Kokoro Kijinami is a world-class figure skater whose star is on the rise, but only if Chitose continues to cast a spell on him from his favorite magical girl anime. The tone is fun and I like the characters, both main and supporting, a lot. My one complaint so far is… I wish there were more skating! There’s a fabulous glossary that explains all about scoring and the various jumps, but I wish we would actually see that in the manga. Perhaps it’s yet to come. – Michelle Smith

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 8 | By Afro | Yen Press – It turns out we didn’t have to wait at all for the next camping trip, as the whole cast goes to Izu in this volume. Well, they get there about halfway in, and it will continue next time. We see Rin bonding with her family (and getting extra equipment for her scooter, which she chooses to drive rather than get in the big van with the others), pranking Nadeshiko into thinking she slept through the entire camping trip, getting caught in horrendous traffic jams, and, when they finally arrive, finding a site that is not closed because of the time of year after all. Basically, all the things that can go wrong or right on a camping trip. There’s also setup for some birthday parties, but we’ll have to wait for book nine for those. Peaceful and wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 1 | By Suu Morishita | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – As expected from this author, this is cute as a bug’s ear. Itsuomi is a student who speaks many foreign languages (and travels to many foreign countries—this may be the first manga I’ve seen where “I’m going to Laos” is a genuine apology and not a desperate excuse) and then he meets our heroine, Yuki, who is deaf. They hit it off immediately, and have some great chemistry, making him want to learn a new language so that he can talk to her better. There’s some romantic rivalry on both sides—Yuki has a childhood friend, clearly in love with her, that she’s oblivious to, and Itsuomi is surrounded by girls a lot because he’s hot. Despite that, I want to see these two grow closer. Excellent debut. – Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 19 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – This serves to give us even more pactios (Karin, Kirie at last, and even the two hangers-on, Shinobu and the other one), remind us that Tota is a deadpan playboy as opposed to Negi’s unwitting playboy (and also that Kirie is still one up on everyone else in that department), wrap up Karin’s backstory with most tsundere Judas Iscariot shenanigans, introduce a new Big Bad, and throw in some truly fantastic fights, reminding us that Akamatsu may love fanservice and tease, but he also really loves battle sequences. We also see who Karin was not around during the events of Negima. As such, the story seems prepared to move in a new direction, and I assume it will do so next time. Fans should be happy. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 12 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – I’m still really enjoying reading The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but there’s no denying that it’s become almost a totally different manga from where it started, even if it does bring back a few guilt-ridden special guests. Chise is all grown up and now has grown-up problems, albeit grown-up student problems. We continue to worry away at labels—what is a bride, what is a daughter, etc.—which makes sense given that this is a world of magic, where names and relationships carry far more importance than they otherwise might. And we even get to have an old-fashioned camping trip, though unfortunately that ends up going very badly for Lucy, who suffers the cliffhanger ending. Still top tier, but very different. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 20 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – This long arc STILL isn’t over, but we do get a few good highlights, as with any good Jump title. The start has “my dreams become reality” magic, which ends up leading to a fun confrontation between the real, possessed person and their fake, good other self. Gauche and Marie are still possessed by elves, and their relationship remains fascinating both despite and because of that. And, in the final chapter, we get a revelation about Charmy that makes sense and is also completely hilarious—let’s face it, we just assumed she was superdeformed because it was funny. But it looks like it’s her appetite more than her size that’s needed here. This is meat-and-potatoes Jump, never great but usually decent. – Sean Gaffney

Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 1 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical Comics – I wasn’t a fan of Oshimi-sensei’s Flowers of Evil, but the psychological suspense aspect of Blood on the Tracks appealed to me so much that I gave his work another try, and I’m glad I did! Seiichi Osabe is a meek thirteen-year-old who learns from his cousin Shigeru that other family members think his mother is overprotective. Throughout this first volume, Shigeru repeatedly draws Seiichi away from his mother’s side, culminating in a potentially deadly incident during a family hiking trip. The best part, though, is how expertly Oshimi cultivates an ominous atmosphere. From the first panel, Seiko’s control over her son is emphasized and a sense of foreboding pervades every scene, from her creepy facial caresses to a wordless pair of pages in which Seiichi blankly watches his mother vacuum. By the end, it’s finally obvious to Seiichi that something is very wrong. I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

Can an Otaku Like Me Really Be an Idol!? | By Wacoco Waco | KUMA – Takumi Suzuki is an otaku in his second year of high school who’s been crushing on his classmate, Misaki Hayakawa, ever since the entrance ceremony. After Suzuki discovers that Hayakawa is a fan of the same idol group he is, Hayakawa attempts to secure his silence by taking compromising photos of him cross-dressing as an idol. Turned on, Suzuki forces himself on Hayakawa and later agrees to try to become a real idol as a way of making up for his criminal deed. Obviously, the consent issue here is concerning, but I was gratified that Suzuki takes it seriously, and Hayakawa later says he would’ve been the aggressor if given the chance. Mostly, this is the story of two guys getting to pursue the thing they love with the person they love. Some parts are kinda wholesome. Some parts SUPER AREN’T. – Michelle Smith

The Conditions of Paradise | By Akiko Morishima | Seven Seas – This author has been long awaited in coming over here, and this is a collection of some of her stories from Comic Yuri Hime. The main story, which gets the cover, has a woman who has a structured life and her best friend and not-quite girlfriend, who is a freelancer in all senses of the word. They’ve known each other since school, and getting together feels both natural and right. The other stories also deal with relationships between adult women—the only high school seen is in a flashback—and that’s the selling point here. We’ve seen more of these manga lately with actual adults in yuri relationships. It hasn’t gotten old yet. This doesn’t feel as groundbreaking as it might have in Japan, but it’s still very good. – Sean Gaffney

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 1 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Love Me, Love Me Not is Io Sakisaka’s most recent series and features two co-heroines, something I don’t think I’ve seen since NANA. Yuna Ichihara is a shy, innocent girl who dreams of a destined, fairy tale love. Her new friend Akari Yamamoto thinks it’s possible to will yourself to fall in love with a boy who is available. They’ve just started high school and already they have romantic upheaval. Yuna has fallen in love with Akari’s princely brother Rio (which worries Akari since Rio is notoriously only interested in girls’ looks) and Akari’s been dumped by the boyfriend she thought loved her. She ends up confiding in Kazuomi Inui, Yuna’s childhood friend whom Akari hoped to set up with Yuna but who seems to have other ideas. Despite this synopsis, it’s not too melodramatic… until a reveal in the final pages. I’m already hooked. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 8 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – The start of this series had a lot of quintuplet-swapping antics, but it died down as Futaro got to know the others better. That changes here, as the majority of the book takes place on a trip to a hot spring he wins for his family… a hot spring that it turns out is run by the quintuplets’ grandfather, and they’re all there as well. What’s more, because of plot, they’re ALL dressed as Itsuki. What follows is mistaken identity shenanigans galore, showing off that Futaro still can’t guess which is the correct girl (which means he’s not ready to romance one) but also showing one of the quintuplets giving him a kiss… and we see in a flashforward it’s the bride. Who is the bride? Well, we have six volumes to go there. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 6 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Shirayuki and Yona may both have red hair, but it has to be said that Shirayuki is a more traditional heroine. Not that Yona doesn’t get captured as well from time to time, but the kidnapping here feels a lot more traditional. It also feels the prince riding to rescue her, which surprised me, as I thought we would continue the tradition of “he has to stay behind and be a prince.” We do get to see Kiki kicking ass, though I wish she’d finally get a storyline of her own. This series does a good job balancing its politics, romance and action sequences, and it actually does the commendable job of making me remember who the minor cast members are, always a danger. I’m still very happy this finally got picked up. – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 10 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Dr. STONE thrives on ridiculous ideas, of course, but that does not mean that it cannot briefly pause when bad things are happening. Tsukasa is saved from immediately dying, but he is still dying, and the only solution that Senku can come up with is to cryofreeze him. This is handled rather well, though Senku is not shown to the reader when he is being emotional about it. After that,things get ridiculous again, as we need to go searching other continents. This means ships, which means unstoning the world’s most ridiculous ship captain, who iss also an arrogant SOB. Fortunately they have Yuzuhira, who can transform into JoJo when she is doing anything with sewing, be it bodies or sails. A ton of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKare Mania, Vol. 3 | By Yukari Takinami | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – At 27, Yurika Namba is obsessed with “Makochi,” a guy she broke up with five years ago. When they meet again at her new job, she discovers that the real Makochi is not like her fantasy version. After initially trying to forget him by dating someone else, by volume three Yurika has told Makochi that she has feelings for him and is trying to project as much “cool girl” as possible so as not to scare him away from the prospect of a relationship. At first, I thought I might not like this series, as Yurika came off as unhinged and stalkery, but as it has gone on, I’ve come to enjoy it quite a bit, especially the fanciful sequences where various facets of Yurika’s brain (and sometimes Makochi’s!) debate and comment on what’s happening to their hosts. I’m intrigued to see where this goes next. – Michelle Smith

In/Spectre, Vol. 11 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – I had been joking about whether “Kotoko is terrible” was a running theme in this book (along with “Kotoko is thirsty”), but it looks like it may be the actual main plot, as Rikka’s machinations seem to be to get Kuro to realize what a horrible person she really is. This is a tall order, mostly as I think Kuro has realized this from the beginning. In the meantime, we get the end of the family murder mystery, which is done very well with lots of twists and turns and Kotoko being the perfect arrogant detective. I particularly liked the granddaughter, who is the one who comes off as the least self-serving (and the only one who didn’t plot to kill her grandmother). All this and a nyotaimori reference. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 13 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The festival starts but doesn’t end in this volume, and we have several interlocking plots. Kaguya wants to confess but doesn’t. Chika is busy being herself and trying to find a balloon thief. Ishigami manages, somehow, to accidentally confess to Tsubame, which is a problem as she wants to concentrate on gymnastics and not dating but also doesn’t want to hurt him. And then there’s Shirogane, of course, who finally, in the cliffhanger, tells Kaguya he’s leaving to go to Stanford. This is all done with the usual heaping helping of humor, of course, but it’s also heartwarming that the reader has come to prefer the emotional character moments to the gag moments. Will we finally get a confession in the next volume? – Sean Gaffney

Stravaganza: The Queen in the Iron Mask, Vols. 2-3 | By Akihito Tomi | Udon Entertainment – This is one of the more frustrating series I’ve read in a while. The art is absolutely gorgeous, with amazing backgrounds and scenery, and some good action sequences. There are some horrific moments that bring to mind Attack on Titan and its better moments. But then there’s the constant nudity and sadism that is also throughout the books—the author seems to love to put the queen in danger and have her menaced/stripped/flogged by various bad guys. Rape does not come up, thank goodness, but it’s still annoying, because I’d love to recommend this to a wider audience, but once again it’s a series for those who really like the nude female form. Shame. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – Finally, finally, Takane and Hana manage to honestly admit their feelings for each other and become a couple. I loved Takane’s silent fist-clench of relief and joy, as well as some of the dialogue that follows, like Hana telling her father “He means the world to me,” and Hana’s mother being concerned about her daughter’s future options being limited. (Takane awesomely tells Hana, “Do whatever you want to do. The only difference is that I’m at your side.”) The family trip to Okinawa gets a little silly, with Hana working herself up to ambush him with a kiss again, but there are nice moments as well, and I appreciated the reminder that Takane is really not going to try anything physical with her at this point in time. I had a few volumes to catch up on for this review, and now I’m bummed not to have any more. – Michelle Smith

What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Kobayashi | Dark Horse – When I was first introduced to What’s Michael?, it was after the series had already gone out of print in English and was difficult to find. I am thrilled that the manga is being released again, making it available to a wider audience. The first “fatcat” omnibus collect the first six volumes of Dark Horse’s previous edition with no real changes, as far as I can tell. It also includes a newly written essay by Zack Davisson which provides additional context for the series. What’s Michael? may simply be one of the best cat comics that I’ve read. Generally episodic in nature—although with some recurring characters and running jokes—Kobayashi perfectly captures not only the peculiarities and personalities of cats but also those of their human admirers. Some of the stories are more fantastic than realistic but What’s Michael? is a manga that is consistently funny and solidly entertaining. – Ash Brown