Michelle Smith

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 13 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Well, that escalated quickly. The end of this volume notes that this is the end of “Chapter One” of this series, and it’s certainly taking things in a different direction. It helps when you write out the main character, to be fair: Gunzou isn’t quite killed, but it seems pretty clear that he’s at least being written off the stage for a while. In his place we have Iona, who is forced to abandon him in order to save everyone else. And so now the entire cast seems to be shifting over to… I can’t believe I’m writing this… a school series, complete with cute school uniforms. It actually seems to be a Naval Academy, but I dunno. Are we really exchanging epic naval battles for this? I’m not really sure where this is going from here. – Sean Gaffney

In/Spectre, Vol. 8 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – This is a second volume of short stories for this series, though it’s implied we’ll get a longer arc next time. The first story takes up most of it, and serves up a nice balance of mystery and horror, which is what we’ve come to expect from In/Spectre. Well, that and Kotoko going on and on about getting into Kuro’s pants. This time instead of the third wheel being Kuro’s ex-girlfriend, it’s a Cool Old Lady (TM),who helps the two of them deal with a wooden doll that is killing all the fish at a local seaport. The second story is lighter in tone, being about a tofu yokai who’s trying to get Kotoko to praise his tofu—this was actually interesting more for the discussion of taste than any mystery. Still enjoying this. Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 31 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – Aladdin and Alibaba haven’t had their reunion yet, but the day is drawing near. First, though, Aladdin must evade the clutches of Gyokuen, who isn’t dead and who is working along with Sinbad to try to take control of the world. Sinbad has convinced himself that only he can see the flow of fate and create a peaceful world, which of course Aladdin disagrees with. Meanwhile, Alibaba is hustling on behalf of the Kou Empire, making headway in their new business ventures before being torpedoed by Sinbad and coming back even stronger. It was hinted pretty heavily along the way that Sinbad would turn out to be the big bad of the series, and we’re starting to see that play out, even though neither Aladdin nor Alibaba thinks he’s a wholly terrible person. Six volumes left in this impressive shounen series! – Michelle Smith

Species Domain, Vol. 5 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – I’m wondering if the series is wrapping up soon, as we get a lot more emphasis on who is going to pair up with whom in this volume. The most interesting, even if it goes nowhere for the moment, is Hanei and Mikasagi, which ends up being a very shonen sort of relationship—I love him and can admit it to myself, but want to wait till he knows he loves me too. As for Dowa and Tanaka, they may be insisting they aren’t a couple but Dowa’s family and the narrative is sure treating them as one, jokes about Tanaka dying aside. Still, the closest relationship may be between Kazamori and Ohki—sadly, this time around it’s the girl who’s oblivious. This is still an excellent “monster girl” series that’s not perverse and deft with the comedy. – Sean Gaffney

A Strange & Mystifying Story, Vol. 4 | By Tsuta Suzuki | SuBLime – A year has passed since Master Kurayori agreed to accept Tsumugi as his bride. In this time, Tsumugi has fallen in love with Kurayori, and his teenaged boy hormones lead him to plant a kiss on Kurayori when the latter doesn’t seem to understand his feelings, though at least Tsumugi is immediately mortified about what he did. In some ways, despite the fact that one of these characters is a supernatural being who was a sixty-year-old human spellcaster before becoming said supernatural being, this is basically your standard burgeoning romance boys’ love story. It’s got a pleasant atmosphere, and I enjoyed seeing a favorite couple from the previous volume. Perhaps the best part, though, was a very brief appearance by a mysterious couple in a bookstore. Could there be a darker subplot on the horizon? – Michelle Smith

That Blue Sky Feeling, Vol. 1 | By Okura and Coma Hashii | Viz Media – Very few manga by openly gay creators have made their way into English translation. Most recently is That Blue Sky Feeling, an ongoing manga series illustrated by Coma Hashii based on a webcomic by Okura. Outgoing, earnest, and kindhearted by nature, high school transfer student Noshiro can’t stand by when he notices that his classmate Sanada generally keeps to himself and that most of the other students avoid him. The reason for that is a rumor going around that Sanada is gay–a rumor that turns out to be true. The characterization and personal development of both Sanada and Noshiro are highlights of That Blue Sky Feeling. There are some discomforting elements as well (such as the age difference between Sanada and his ex-boyfriend, who essentially becomes the manga’s adult role model), but overall it’s a sweet, thoughtful, and charming if somewhat subdued series about friendship and first love. – Ash Brown

UQ Holder, Vol. 14 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – A lot of UQ Holder is about history repeating itself from Negima, and so therefore it comes as no surprise that the Nodoka-alike gets shoved aside for Kuromaru, Setsuna’s expy, and then Kuromaru gets set aside for Kirie, who looks and acts like the loli-Chisame from the first series. Well, that’s not quite true—Chisame was never quite this over-the-top in terms of trying to deny her feelings. Kirie has to deal with being stuck in a body that’s too young for her mental state, as well as, well, being a massive tsundere. It is Ken Akamatsu after all. The first half of this series works better, because Ken has always been better at action than he has been at harem antics. But when will the series start using its new Japanese subtitle: Negima 2? – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 13 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – There’s hardly any drama in this volume, and what there is is decidedly adjacent to Shiro and Kenji. The boss of Kenji’s salon is oblivious to the fact that his wife is planning to divorce him, Shiro’s college classmate dies and he realizes that he’s old enough to have grandchildren, etc. Even seeing Mr. Kohinata again after he made a pass at Shiro goes smoothly. As ever, the best part here is the tasty food. Shiro seems to be getting a little more adventurous, incorporating more international dishes and modern ingredients into his cooking, while also making traditional hot pot and spring rolls, the latter of which look exceedingly tasty. This series will always be an immediate read for me whenever a new volume comes out. – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 12 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – Boy, that wrapped up fast, didn’t it? This is very much a breather volume of Black Clover, and some of the conflict resolution is laughable–the Queen of Witches basically just walks away, and there’s even time to cure Kahono and Kiato (which is good, as Kahono works 100% better as a teasing (and talking)) girl who ships Asta/Noelle. More importantly, the Black Bulls are now the second-most-powerful guild. This… displeases some of the other guilds, and leads to a hot spring on top of a mountain of lava–something that only those with magic can climb. Sucks to be Asta, but guess what? He finds a way anyway. Black Clover is highly enjoyable given its negative originality, and I’m glad I still read it. – Sean Gaffney

Bloom Into You, Vol. 5 | By Nakatani Nio | Seven Seas – I love it when series get better with each volume, as Bloom Into You is doing. The cover image shows the adorable aquarium date that Yuu and Touko go on towards the start of the book, and it’s pure cute and adorable. But Yuu’s also trying to change the ending of the play so that Touko stops seeing herself in it, and Touko doesn’t like that. What’s worse, she’s lost her biggest ally in Sayaka, who agrees with Yuu (and is not petty enough to stop it merely to torpedo Yuu’s relationship with Touko). This all culminates in a big confrontation on the roof, when Yuu says that she doesn’t want Touko to kiss her “to prove she exists.” The cliffhanger is the debut of the play–how will it go? I absolutely can’t wait. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 25 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – There’s two matches that take up the entirety of this volume, and they’re both excellent. The soba battle between Soma and Nene is something where you learn the difference between doing what you’re taught and thinking on the fly, as they’re in a fairly cold stadium and need to take ambient temperature into account. Meanwhile, Isshiki’s opponent is an arrogant Italian specialist (sort of an evil Takumi) who makes the mistake of insulting not just Isshiki (he doesn’t care about that) but the rest of the Polaris dorm. And so Isshiki absolutely destroys him, using things the rest of the dorm residents were experimenting with. This reads better in volumes than as weekly chapters. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 26 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – The majority of this latest installment of Kaze Hikaru revolves around Kondo’s proud new mistress, Miyuki, and the schemes she employs to avoid sleeping with him after her freedom has been bought. She’s actually got a rather interesting backstory, and her arrangement with Kondo comes to an end in a bittersweet way, so it made for diverting, light reading. I can’t say nobody died in this volume, but nobody we cared about, at least. Also, Sei didn’t do anything stupid, and Okita came a little closer to admitting that he thinks she’s cute. I suppose if they were all this slice-of-lifey, the annual releases would get old fast, but in terms of a pleasant visit with some likeable characters, this was a good one. See ya next year, Shinsengumi! – Michelle Smith

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vol. 25-26 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – The flashback ends, and it’s as depressing as you’d expect. The “miracle generation” are so good that it’s actually damaging them–and what’s more, Akashi levels up so hard that it turns him into a completely different person. Kuroko can’t play in the final game, loses his friend because of the rest of his team, and even brushes off Momoi. That said, I enjoyed seeing that the rest of the team brushed this off and reminded Kuroko of what he has now. That said, Kuroko winning the last game may actually have done some damage, as Akashi points out–he’s no longer standing in the shadows. Can he still play his kind of basketball if he gets noticed? We’ve got two more omnibuses to find out. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 5 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – The Promised Neverland never ceases to surprise me. That said, if you want to be surprised, skip ahead now because there will be some spoilers. I won’t go into specifics, but the escape happens and it’s as riveting as you’d expect. I did not expect my heart to be broken by a brave four-year-old or for Mom’s backstory to render her, if not sympathetic exactly, then at least more nuanced. My favorite aspect going forward is how much emphasis there is on how this would’ve been impossible without Emma. She actually feels a bit like a shoujo heroine, in the Sarasa or Yona vein, and the terrain the kids now find themselves in makes me think of 7SEEDS. It was exciting before and now it’s even more so. What a great series. – Michelle Smith

Vinland Saga, Vol. 10 | By Makoto Yukimura | Kodansha Comics – With its engrossing story, compelling characters, and superb artwork, Vinland Saga somehow impresses me more and more with every passing volume. The manga is easily one of my favorite series currently being released in English. Thorfinn wants nothing more than to leave his violent past behind–not to forget it, but to atone for it–which is proving to be increasingly difficult. Numerous people want him dead or to enter into battle for a variety of reasons, some thinking nothing at all of using hostages to try to force Thorfinn’s hand. Yukimura continues to up the ante in this volume by introducing new characters, in particular Garm, an exceptionally skilled spearman who is determined to fight Thorfinn. Vinland Saga can be an incredibly violent series, but Yukimura skillfully balances that intensity with humor. The seriousness of the story isn’t diminished, but the comedic moments help keep the manga from becoming overwhelmingly oppressive. – Ash Brown

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1 | By Koyoharu Gotouge | Viz Media – Well, that escalated quickly! Tanjiro, an earnest young man helping to support his loving but struggling family, returns home one day to a gruesome scene of blood and death wreaked by demons. One of his sisters survived, though she is now destined to become a demon herself. Desperate to save and protect what remains of his family, Tanjiro turns to the life of a demon slayer. The more I read of Demon Slayer the more I had the feeling that I had encountered parts of the story somewhere else before (except perhaps for Tanjiro’s superior sense of smell). But even so, it was an engaging first volume. Even if a series seems to be relying heavily on well-established tropes and familiar training montages, done well it can still be a great read. Demon Slayer might be one of those manga, but it also has the potential to be more. – Ash Brown

Devilman VS. Hades, Vol. 1 | By Go Nagai and Team Moon | Seven Seas – In addition to being a sequel to Nagai’s original Devilman story, Devilman VS. Hades is a crossover with the Mazinger franchise. To some extent, Devilman VS. Hades can be read as a standalone work—the most critical information needed to follow what’s going on is included within the series itself—but some basic familiarity with Devilman and/or Mazinger doesn’t hurt. (Fortunately, several incarnations of both franchises are readily available in English.) In Devilman VS. Hades, Devilman has literally fought his way through Hell to free the souls of those he holds most dear, unleashing a horrifying new apocalypse in the process. Devilman, Akira Fudo in his human form, must now face enemies old and new while navigating the grotesque and hellish landscape. Devilman VS. Hades is only three volumes long so the first understandably moves along at a fairly quick pace, but at the same time it can seem bizarrely unfocused. – Ash Brown

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – So, yeah, the prodigal lawyer dating the high school girl was never going to be a popular decision, and when you throw in the house basically being used as a dormitory for troubled souls, it’s not hard to see why Fujiwara’s father has decided to come in and bust it all up, since Shimana did not listen to his wise counsel an go away forever. That said, he’s an obstacle rather than a dad, and so we’re not thinking about how to appeal to his better nature, but how to surmount him. As for Shimana and Fujiwara, well, if nothing else his emotions are getting more immature when he’s with her—which may not be a bad thing. This is no orange, but it’s still good enough to keep reading. – Sean Gaffney

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – I can’t make up my mind whether I want Shimane and Fujiwara to succeed as a couple or not. Complicating this is the fact that neither of them can seemingly make up their minds, either. It’s totally reasonable that there’d be a lot of fluctuation and vacillation in a teen romance, but coupled with the swift pacing of this series, I just end up with a serious case of shoujo whiplash. As it stands, Fujiwara’s father seems determined to split them up, and Fujiwara is attempting to fall for Shimane and is sure that he will, given time. Meanwhile, I thought it was kind of interesting to see why Fujiwara’s friend, Miura, might’ve agreed to interfere on Fujiwara’s father’s behalf. I don’t really believe the series will end with Shimane heartbroken, but I’m not convinced this relationship will bring her happiness, either. We shall see. – Michelle Smith

Durarara!! re: Dollars Arc, Vol. 2 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Aogiri | Yen Press – I will note the biggest disappointment in this volume right off the bat: because it’s compressing events so much, it cut the bit with Shizuo using a car as cover by kicking it along in front of him, a highlight of the anime. Other than that, this is a decent adaptation, though I think I’d give the anime adaptation the higher marks. I did like seeing how just because the runaway Akane has been “retrieved” by her father does not mean that the problem is solved—Narita is good at showing that childhood trauma can stay with you forever and is not easily fixed. Especially in DRRR!!, where everyone is sort of broken. This moved way too fast, but is otherwise good. – Sean Gaffney

Fate/Zero, Vol. 6 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – I’m not sure why we had a year’s delay between the last volume of Fate/Zero and this one, but I’m glad we’re back with it, even if it continues to be a very bleak war. That said, nothing is too depressing as long as Alexander the Great is in it, and going from the discovery and destruction of the room filled with dead and tortured children to a three-way drinking discussion between him, Saber and Gilgamesh is mood dissonance of the finest kind. It was an excellent discussion, and reminds readers who are familiar with the original Fate series just how messed up Saber’s vision really is. As for the cliffhanger, will Tokiomi actually do something? GASP! Not for the squeamish, but excellent. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 6 | By Rin Mikimoto | Kodansha Comics – This is a relatively serious volume of KMatSoM, which means we get very few SD-faces and no discussions of butts. It makes sense, given we’re up against some things that could spell trouble for this burgeoning relationship. No, not Shu; she’s taken care of fairly quickly by the classic shoujo tradition of the heroine just being far too nice and sweet to be horrible to. No, the main issue is Funny Bone and their past with Kaede, and the apparently death of someone in Kaede’s past—which he starts to tell Hinana about as we close this book out. I expect we may be entering whole volume flashback territory next time, but we’ll see how it goes. Does this mean no butts in volume seven either? – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 31 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – To no one’s surprise, Alibaba’s financial renaissance is running into serious trouble after a strong start, as Sinbad is not about to let him get the Kou Empire back to its former strength. Alibaba can try to avoid the rumors and come up with new and more fascinating items, but it’s more interesting seeing him meeting up with old friends, some of whom have gotten married and had children. Of course, the two most important friends of his have been missing for a while… and we finally catch up with them, and see that Aladdin has finally grown up all the way. He’s got his hands full trying to deal with Arba and her ability to possess people and take them over. Will we finally see them reunite next book? Signs point to yes. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 7 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – We’re taking a break from serial killers to deal with terrorist organizations long thought dead, but the output is the same—lots of gore, lots of dead people, this time mostly in the Diet and the police, along with a few innocent bystanders. Kuroko is trying to deal with this, but she’s a bit upset—yes, it looks like she’s actually worried—that Chiyo is finally moving on from her. She’s probably right to worry, and I’d say she should try to better herself except this is Murcielago. The main reason to read this series remains the gratuitous violence and the action sequences, and yes, there’s also a sex scene near the end, featuring Kuroko and the girl from the very first volume’s extra chapter stealing an escort girl and having their way with her. Sleazy and it wears it proudly. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 14 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I really like how Bakugo’s rage issues are shown to be a major issue that he needs to resolve, but they’re also not something that makes him a villain or means he can’t have hopes and dreams. He gets frustrated at Izuku’s drive as much as Izuku was chasing after his strength, and so the two are now even more “fated rivals.” They’re also given confinement for a few days, meaning, oh no, Izuku is behind in classwork. He also gets introduced to a few third years, whose powers are fun and also strong, and the school explains that due to the villains growing in power (indeed, we meet the next Big Bad here as well), it’s time for internships! Can Midoriya and his still-learning quirk make the grade and get him work?. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 2 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – I continue to be quite entertained by this series, though its lack of any real plot or characterization makes it a bit harder to review. The reader needs to accept that the Princess’ various antics to get a good night’s sleep are going to verge on the cruel and awful every single time, but given that most of the demons that she abuses for their functions can resurrect, it’s clearly meant for humor. We branch out a bit from pure sleep this time, as she enters an athletic competition (being in shape leads to better sleep) and suffers from—horror of horrors—dry skin! I shudder to imagine anyone taking this seriously, but as a giant goofy “what horrors will she commit next” series, it’s fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 2 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – If the sight of Oran’s drooling face on the cover of this volume doesn’t inform you that this is one of those weird manga titles, nothing will. That said, for a manga about aliens infiltrating the Earth, and the Earth’s rather violent response to this, there’s a lot that’s grounded in reality here. The gang’s friend Kiho is dating a guy, which puts her on the outs with the rest of her (single) friends, and also causes friction when her boyfriend turns out to be a bit fond of conspiracy theories. Possibly my favorite scene in the volume is when the girls all go to their friend Ai’s house and met her four identical siblings… and one goth guy who calls himself the Black Knight, which meets Oran’s immediate approval. A lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 3 | By Afro | Yen Press – We’re still working on the characterization of anyone not named Nadeshiko or Rin, but for the most part the third volume will please readers who enjoyed the first two, as it combines chatter about camping with the camping itself—though honestly, Rin’s driving to get to the camp ends up occupying most of the time. Sadly, a trip with Nadeshiko is turned into a solo trip because she gets a cold, but on the bright side we may finally be luring Rin’s eccentric friend Ena to go along on the next trip. The long-term plotline seems to be to get Rin to be interested in camping with other people… but it’s certainly a long term project, as we’re three volumes in and we haven’t seen a group effort yet. Next time? – Sean Gaffney

My Boy, Vol. 2 | By Hitomi Takano | Vertical Comics – As with the previous volume, I recommend skipping the afterword. If you do, then My Boy continues to be a touching story of a young woman who’s got a newfound family in a young neglected boy. The problem here is that Mashuu already HAS a father and brother, and her hanging around with him all the time is inevitably going to be seen as creepy at best. One scene, where Mashuu can’t contact his brother, has Satoko going into his home and the entire scene has you holding your breath waiting for something horrible to happen. It still, may, in fact, especially now that her coworker is noticing the attention she’s giving Mashuu. I don’t like him. The manga is very good, though, and so far is avoiding obvious pitfalls. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 2 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – We return to the adventures of the most earnest sacrificial princess ever. Last time I mentioned that I felt the author might have grown up reading Fruits Basket, and that feeling hasn’t gone away—Sariphi isn’t quite as shiny as Tohru, but she still tends to try to overdo it in order to avoid disappointing anyone. In this case, though, it almost leads to her death. Fortunately, she’s gaining more allies in this book, as we meet her friend Amit, an alligator woman with a big heart, and the phoenix she summons, which is both adorable and hilarious—he needs to be animated so that I can hear his accent. Shoujo fans will enjoy this cute fantasy romance. – Sean Gaffney

School of Horns, Vol. 1 | By Mito Aoi | Yen Press – We’ve seen an endless amount of magical academies in the last few years, but there’s always room for more. This one has students divided up based on the horns they have on their heads—each type determines the magic. Our hero is half-human, so his horns are smaller than the other students (does this remind you of anything?), but in addition his powers seem to mess with others, meaning he’s a strange fifth type of magic user. Yes, it’s the old “bullied kid ends up being the really special one” story, but the main reason to read this is the slowly developing relationship between Eru and Rihito, who are sort of Deku and Todoroki-esque. This didn’t reach out and grab me, but it’s certainly pleasant enough. – Sean Gaffney

Shojo FIGHT!, Vol. 4 | By Yoko Nihonbashi | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The fallout from the Kokuyodani team’s participation in volleybetting is going to be long-lasting, it seems. Part of their punishment involves living at the school for a month and undergoing intense training (including fasting, which supposedly “cures any illness”) and practice games against teams that believe the worst rumors. After one of these, Neri has a major attack of the angst and runs off, but after a good talk (and more!) with Shigeru, she seems finally on the verge of overcoming her past trauma, and actually tells Inugami and Odagiri what happened with her old teammates and lets herself enjoy volleyball again. And now that she seems to be on the road to better mental health, there’s enough time to give several other characters a bit more fleshing out in this volume, which is very welcome. I really enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

Takane & Hana, Vol. 4 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – There’s a lot less snarking in this book, but maybe I’m getting used to the fact that this is never going to match the hilarity of its start. What it does do is develop both the plot and characters—Hana is not quite ready to admit she has romantic feelings for Takane, but she’s getting there. Meanwhile there’s a new secretary at Takane’s business whose job it is to try to break them up—unfortunately, he’s a nice guy at heart, and his heart isn’t really into this, especially when Hana does not back down immediately. And lest you forget that Hana is in high school (and believe me, that is the premise), there’s a culture festival! Maids! Butlers! Cross-dressing! And Takane, being a giant ass. Which is what I’m here for. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 43 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Toriko has finished, and it goes out the same way it’s always been—the food love is so much more interesting than the fighting. The first half of the book wraps up the fighting, including even giving the hapless Zongeh a part to play, but honestly I was ready to skip to the back half, where Toriko and his friends indulge in his Full-Course Meal, all prepared by Komatsu and HIS friends. There is also Toriko and Rin’s wedding, but again, I wonder if that was suggested by editorial fiat to avoid having the series seem too gay—the manga is all about the relationship between Toriko and Komatsu, and everything else is secondary. In the final pages, they even go off on a sort of honeymoon together. In space. – Sean Gaffney

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 5 | By Megumi Morino | Kodansha Comics – Having whisked Shizu away from the hospital, Tetsu heads for his grandfather’s place by the beach, whereupon many revelations ensue. There’s a lot here that I didn’t expect to learn until the next (and final) volume, including the truth of what happened to Tetsu’s mom and why he’s been so desperate to earn money. What’s even better is that not only do readers learn these things, but so do Tetsu’s father and sisters, and everyone resolves to work harder as a family so that no one member feels the need to sacrifice everything for the sake of the others. There is one thing they don’t know, though, and it was such a great surprise that it makes me want to reread earlier volumes for hints. I’ll miss this series once it’s gone, but I bet the conclusion will be great. – Michelle Smith

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Vol. 3 | By Tadahiro Miura | Seven Seas – This continues to be a title that you should only read if you are a teenage boy in search of something to get you horny. That said, I’m not that market at all, and I’m still reading it. I think it’s simply that compared to other series in this genre, I find it more tolerable—especially its lead, who continues to not be the standard Keitaro clone who plagues this sort of title. In fact, most of the girls spend more time fondling each other than they do the lead—and no, that doesn’t mean there’s any hints of yuri. These girls all want Kogarashi. But as with my last review, I will admit that Yuuna is a good series for those who want harmless comedic fun and like huge breasts. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – The tour begins, but it’s already on the verge of falling apart. Nino simply isn’t playing very well, and Yuzu is falling apart because of his love for Nino, something that he is trying desperately to hide from her. Indeed, he ends up getting in such a swivet he loses his voice, prompting a trip to the doctor that may lead to him missing the start of the concert. And then there is Momo, dealing with his own career, and irritated as he waits for In No Hurry to reach the level they sho0uld be able to achieve. I was frequently frustrated by this volume, but the book’s last chapter works exactly like a great song, pushing closer and closer to a climax until it finally hits the last chorus in triumph. And then there’s a cliffhanger. End of song next book! – Sean Gaffney

The Bride & the Exorcist Knight, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | Seven Seas – I wasn’t too sure about this premise. Anne is a young woman destined to be the bride of a demon. Instead, she’s saved by Haru, who is a male exorcist. He’s also twelve, and he says he’s going to marry her instead. The book, fortunately, emphasizes over and over not only that he’s too young to be talking about marriage but also that he really is an immature kid, despite being an amazing exorcist. Anne too is a good character, not content to be a helpless damsel but fighting in her own way to change fate. We don’t see much of Mephisto, her intended groom—though the cliffhanger suggests that will change. But provided you don’t mind the age issue too much, this is a cute and action-filled debut. – Sean Gaffney

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 4 | By Ukami |Yen Press – the majority of this volume involves our four leads returning to heaven/hell (delete where applicable) in order to report on their time down in the world of humans. The gags are predictable but still fun—Gabriel is unable to bring her games to heaven, which proves rather dull, but at least she can bullshit her way past an easily suckered God. Meanwhile, Vignette is dealing with her adorable little pet being a lot bigger than she remembers (I was reminded of Gintama here), and Satanya has to deal with being herself—she tries to break into heaven and fails. Fortunately, we find out that the rest of her family (bar the “normal” younger brother) are just like her. This remains a very silly but amusing series. – Sean Gaffney

Go For It, Nakamura! | By Syundei | Seven Seas – Although there have already been several BL-adjacent manga released by Seven Seas, Go for It, Nakamura! is the publisher’s first real foray into the genre. The volume is an absolute delight. Nakamura is a gay high school student who has developed a crush on his classmate Hirose, but Nakamura’s introverted nature and general awkwardness mean that the two of them have barely even talked to each other. Go for It, Nakamura! is the perfect title for this manga–I couldn’t help but root for Nakamura as his friendship with Hirose slowly develops. The story is funny and charming and the characters immensely likeable. A bigger deal is made out of Nakamura being a fan of octupi than out of him being gay, a refreshing twist that is also resolved sweetly. Nakamura does occasionally have a dirty daydream, but overall, Go for It, Nakamura! is rather chaste and wholesome. I loved it. – Ash Brown

Haikyu!!, Vol. 25 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Last time I commented on how delighted I was with Hinata’s character development and growth. That continues here, but as the training camps end and we resume practice it’s Kageyama who’s given a volume to really show off. In this case it’s not just that he’s grown, but the series also looks at the attitude that got him in trouble in middle school—the whole arrogant “King” thing—and wonders if it was the attitude or the rest of the team? After all, the Haikyu!! kids are unlikely to be cowed by Kageyama at this point. Particularly Tsukishima, who may need enough people being jerks towards him in order to really take off. Good stuff, though I suspect we may be getting more tournament games soon. – Sean Gaffney

Little Devils, Vol. 1 | By Uuumi | Seven Seas – This is supposed to be more than one volume, though I do wonder where it’s going to go from here. The premise is that the hero has defeated the demon king… which is now split into eleven adorable and bratty children (and one egg). Each chapter of this first volume introduces one of the children, shows off their eccentricities, and moves on. Some of the cast make reappearances (Asuka is clearly the “star” of the children), but for the most part this reads very much like an anthology. Fortunately, the kids’ eccentricities are enough to disguise the fact that the hero is super boring. The said, this really feels like it could have ended with the first volume, after the egg hatches and we get our twelfth devil. Can it keep up being sort of cute? – Sean Gaffney

Log Horizon: The West Wind Brigade, Vol. 9 | By Koyuki and Mamare Touno | Yen Press – We continue to deal with the odd golem creation that was introduced in the last book here—turns out Kuroe is part of a pair, and is not all that excited to join up with her other half, which is filled with hatred and despair, now that she’s gotten kindness from Soujiro and company. The evil golem creature is a pretty nasty opponent, eating Isaac’s black sword among other things, and the fact that it sort of looks like Soujiro with cat ears doesn’t help. I suspect this may be the final arc of this spin-off title, so I’m pleased it’s emphasizing the family aspect of the series rather than the comedy. Also, really nice fights. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 1 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media –I was a little wary of this My Hero Academia offshoot, but it turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. Nineteen-year-old Koichi Haimawari has a modest quirk—the ability to glide along surfaces—and has been spicing up his boring life by doing good deeds. One night, he runs into a grizzled old vigilante who calls himself Knuckleduster and becomes his apprentice. Knuckleduster is on a mission to track down the source of a drug called Trigger, which causes users to spontaneously undergo monstrous transformations. I didn’t expect this much plot, and Betten Court really nails Horikoshi’s art style. My only complaint is the fanservicey costume for the female vigilante, Pop-Step, who ends up in villainous clutches more than once, but I definitely like the family vibe the trio have going by volume’s end. I will surely be checking out volume two. – Michelle Smith

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 | By Nagata Kabi | Seven Seas – One of the most critically acclaimed manga released last year was Kabi’s My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. The sequel series My Solo Exchange Diary was therefore a welcome and perhaps obvious addition to Seven Seas’ catalog. Like its predecessor, My Solo Exchange Diary is an autobiographical work that will resonate strongly with many readers. Through the short essay manga collected in the series, Kabi continues to explore her experiences with anxiety, depression, and intense feelings of loneliness and how they impact her relationships and day-to-day life. Each chapter is framed as a diary entry written to her past self, at times offering advice and encouragement while at other times seeming to despair that she couldn’t have done some things differently. My Solo Exchange Diary can be brutally honest as Kabi struggles to find love, happiness, and self-worth, but it’s that honesty and authenticity that makes the series so compelling. – Ash Brown

Spirit Circle, Vol. 4 | By Satoshi Mizukami | Seven Seas – Spirit Circle has an overarching plot, but the way it’s being told also makes it feel like an excuse to do a series of short anthologies with a wraparound. Once again, the majority of this book is devoted to another of Fuuta’s past lives… and this one seems to be a future life, as he’s now Lafalle, a young man in charge of cleaning the chambers in a giant monolithic tower that house the brains of those that were killed but may one day be revived. As he gets older we see him interact with Kouko’s other self Lapis, and the two of them continue to have an odd bond that seems to lack any romantic feeling whatsoever—they even get married here, but it’s never consummated. This is well-written, but where is it going? – Sean Gaffney