Michelle Smith

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 14 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – Japan enjoys using abusive parents for the sake of drama, but they sometimes have difficulty following through on this, and a lot of the time the parent is easily forgiven and it’s shown that the right thing to do is really to respect your parents after all. This shouldn’t be surprising, particularly in a Jump title, but Western fans might find Nagisa’s mother’s quick turn to the good fairly unrealistic. And judging by the cliffhanger we see here, we may be about to get the tragic flashback that shows how the school principal ended up being the sort who will literally destroy lives in order to better educate. I betcha two to one he’s easily forgiven as well. Despite this, still very recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 5 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – After gradual improvements from volume to volume, this one is a bit of a step back, as we resolve one plot a little too easily before moving on to the next. Asta’s kidnapping is taken care of in a perfunctory “I needed a cliffhanger” way, and the villains get away to live to fight another day. The best of them is Sally, a sort of Evil Hange Zoe who is perfectly happy to drain magic permanently from a bunch of kids FOR SCIENCE! Things pick up in the second half, when said young kids are kidnapped in a very pied piper sort of way. Unfortunately, Gauche, another Black Clover member, has a sister complex which is explained and deconstructed, but that doesn’t make him any less irritating. A wildly variable volume. – Sean Gaffney

Fire Force, Vol. 2 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Kodansha Comics – I’m still somewhat torn about this series. The characters are fun and the premise is good, and any manga series about firefighters is always welcome, even if we need to make them cool supernatural firefighters. That said, the move to Kodansha has overall been a very mixed bag, as this is simply visually less arresting than Soul Eater, though you can see him trying. The fanservice is also greatly amped up, not a surprise given that it’s Shonen Magazine, but something of a surprise after a series that ended with a giant boob joke. I guess he still had more to do. Overall, this is pretty good, and worth investigating further, but I’m not sure Soul Eater fans will be enjoying it as much. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 16 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – The running gag of the series was that the main heroine was barely in it, but we’re finally starting to see that change with this new volume. Erina was always going to be Best Girl, much to the frustration of some fans, and it was therefore surprising how little she did over the course of the series. Now Daddy Dearest has come home to roost, hijacking the school and impressing his cooking theology on the student body, who I expect will get winnowed down very soon. He’s also shown to have been abusing Erina since she was a child, and his return is very much unwelcome by the now former head of the school, who begs Soma to save his granddaughter. I expect a far more serious arc next. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 7-8 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – What does any character in a sports manga do after suffering crushing defeat? Try to get stronger, of course. Everyone’s got their own wall to surmount, and Kuroko and Kagami realize they must get stronger independently before they’re able to rely on each other again. Kuroko, in particular, lacks any other skills aside from passing, so it takes him a while to figure out what he needs to do. But, because this is sports manga, he does figure it out. Also figuring things out is Kise, whom we spend a great deal of time with in the second half of the book, as Seirin wraps up their training camp with a trip to watch Kise and Aomine duke it out in the tournament. It’s definitely entertaining, though I can’t help but note some members of the Seirin team get a lot less attention than other guys on other teams. – Michelle Smith

One Piece, Vol. 81 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – Man, it is such a relief to finally be done with the Dressrosa arc! In this volume, the two halves of the Straw Hat crew reunite on the island of Zou, populated by talking animal people called minks. I liked the way the story of the conflict there was related after the fact to the new arrivals, including the departure of Sanji, who has taken off on his own to take care of a problem related to his hitherto-unknown past as the son of the leader of an evil army. The problem is, he might end up making an enemy of one emperor of the sea while the Straw Hats have been gearing up for conflict with another. Luffy is far more concerned about losing Sanji as a crewmate, but I really loved the scene of the whole gang back again, debating what to do. And hey, it wasn’t Dressrosa! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 17 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – All right, Asami’s relationship troubles ended a lot more positively tan I expected, and Mei and Yamato are able to patch things up as well. And we’re even getting the next generation, as the grumpiest cast member, Aiko, is also the first to get pregnant. Given the series ends in the next volume, this is unsurprising. It does mean that the bulk of the dramatic lift is done by Megumi, who remains the one cast member whose life is still unresolved. It’s getting resolution now, but not really in the way that she wants. She and her French boyfriend break up (good, I never liked him), but this means she’s now getting almost no work at all. I doubt the series is going to end darkly, but given the last volume is months away, I worry. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 37 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – This is Toriko‘s final arc, and it’s the first time that I’ve ended a volume thinking “Thank God this is almost over.” The manga has become tedious, as it’s come to suffer from massive cast expansion at the expense of the regulars (Bleach Syndrome), and we’re getting a bunch of fights which feel like recapitulations of fights we’ve seen done better before. I did enjoy seeing Komatsu bond with a young poor kid who lives with his (as it turn out, missing) mom, but then he disappears so that we can move to another locale for more shonen battle rage. This eventually happens to all Jump series (even One Piece lately with Dressrosa), but it’s a shame to see it happen to Toriko. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 4 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – Once again, Yona of the Dawn reminds me of various different shoujo manga, but in a good way. Yona, along with her three male companions, is searching for the other legendary dragon warriors in a very Fushigi Yuugi way, even while she insists (in a very Basara way) that she’s not the incarnation of the Crimson Dragon King. When they do finally track down the Blue Dragon, he’s shunned by the villagers and forced to wear a mask to hide his powerful eyes, and given a sad backstory with an atmosphere that reminded me a bit of Natsume’s Book of Friends. I suppose all these comparisons show that Yona is not exactly the most original story ever conceived, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t extremely enjoyable, and I will always appreciate Yona’s insistence on being able to protect herself. – Michelle Smith

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 16 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – The Moon Festival continues, as does Yukihira’s attempt to outsell Terunori Kuga, a member of the Council of Ten with a popular Chinese food booth. There are a few chapters about Yukihira’s latest concoction being amazing, and at least one day where he comes out ahead, thanks to help from half a dozen friends, and then… the whole idea just kind of fizzles. Instead, we’re introduced to Erina’s uber-controlling dad who has managed to convince six members of the Council to appoint him the new dean of the school. He’s the one who taught Erina to have such a refined palette, but his techniques were akin to brainwashing, so the now-former dean enlists Yukihira’s help to save his granddaughter. It’s not that this isn’t interesting, but it was a really awkward segue. Didn’t he have something major on the line with that challenge? – Michelle Smith

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 2 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical Comics – In these turbulent times, it’s nice to take a mental break and just read about a kitten doing kittenish things. In this volume, FukuFuku opens doors with her face, gets brushed, tries to avoid getting wet, goes outside on a windy day, chases bugs, drinks from a drippy faucet, jumps on the counter, and gets irritated at her owner on a regular basis, particularly when she’s thwarted from attacking things that, frankly, the owner should’ve known better than to wave in her face. In fact, that’s the one frustrating thing about this series—owner, if you have a cat, why on earth do you expected the sliced fish you leave on your kotatsu to still be there after you leave the room?! But FukuFuku’s expressive reactions are definitely amusing enough to compensate, and an unexpected event at the end of the volume is welcome, too. I’m on board for volume three! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 8 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – The third set of the match against Aoba Johsai continues, and it’s a real nail-biter. Perennial bench-warmer Tadashi Yamaguchi finally gets a chance to step in as a pinch-hitter, but regrettably botches his chance. Still, Karasuno manages to tie up the game at 24 points each, and then tense and exhausting back-and-forth scoring ensues until, finally, Aoba Johsai takes the win. I’m reminded of Kuroko’s Basketball, which just did something similar, but this is the way to ensure growth in our heroes, and they’re all determined to work hard, even the third years, who have decided to stay on the team with the goal of participating in the spring tournament together. Individually, Kageyama has changed, too, throwing off his kingly mantle seemingly for good, and I’m pretty excited to see where the team goes from here. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 11 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – We begin with Takeo and Yamato each on their school trip to Hokkaido, and the anticipation of finally getting to spend some free time together. When they do see each other, Takeo thinks he’s able to hide his lustful impulses from Yamato, but she not only knows all along, but purposefully gets close to him because she enjoys making him feel the same way she does. They finally communicate about their feelings and… share a single, chaste smooch in an unoccupied train station. Which I suppose is progress for them. As the volume ends, Sunakawa has evidently made a new friend, which makes Takeo a bit lonely, though the guy seems to be a creep and one wonders why Sunakawa is hanging out with him, when in the past he’d diss girls who insulted his large, good-hearted friend. Only two volumes left! Sad face! – Michelle Smith

My Pathetic Vampire Life, Vol. 2 | By Ishikawa Rose | Seven Seas – I was a bit underwhelmed with the first volume, and that feeling has not changed. To be fair, this may be another case of “I am disappointed as this was not what I expected,” but I still feel that there could be a lot more done with this sort of plot. Instead, it’s a relaxed, slice-of-life comedy manga with a few vampires in it. The odd joke manages to land, and there’s some good backstory for Koide as he talks about visiting his sister, which excites his classmates till they realize he means her grave. I also liked his analysis of cultural festivals and how they work, especially as it’s almost immediately subverted. Still, in this end, this title is merely OK. Fans of comedy supernatural manga may want to read it. – Sean Gaffney

Alice in Matchaland | By Mosoko Miyatsuki | Manga University – This slim volume is both picture and cook book, offering readers a playful riff on Lewis Carroll’s most famous work as well as recipes for matcha-infused snacks. For tween manga lovers, the button-cute character designs, Technicolor palette, and gentle pokes at manga cliche may be enough to justify purchasing Alice in Matchaland. Anyone intent on making Matcha Energy Bites, however, will need a conversion table handy, as the recipes freely mix teaspoons with grams and milliliters. The book doesn’t offer any tips for procuring matcha powder, either—a curious omission, since many Americans won’t find it on the shelves of their local grocery stores. A little more attention to the recipes would have made this book less of a stocking stuffer and more of a must-buy for tea-drinking manga enthusiasts. (The publisher provided a review copy.) -Kate Dacey

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 3 | By Bisco Hatori | VIZ Media – It’s not that Behind the Scenes!! is awful, but that every chapter is essentially filler. In this volume, there’s the one about the bratty child actor whom the team helps emote, the one about protecting a group filming in a park, the one about fundraising through shrinky dinks (yes, really), and the one about creating a haunted house. At times, attempts are made to flesh out the other members of the art squad, but it’s never building on character traits previously established and then paying off in a satisfying way. It’s always Ranmaru noticing on one page that Ruka gives in too easily and then on the next page encouraging her not to give in because shrinky dinks (yes, really). Probably it’s time to accept that this series is just not for me and move on. – Michelle Smith

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 3 | By Bisco Hatori | Viz Media – There isn’t a ton of plot or character development in Behind the Scenes!!, but it does reliably deliver a pleasant escape in the adventures of a college art club that supports various film projects. The first story line in this volume deals with the redemption of a child actor who at first seems spoiled, then there is detour into the value of crafts as the gentle rich girl Ruka stands up for herself. The gang also has to fine tune a haunted house, when they make it dangerously realistic. Even if this series isn’t the most memorable thing Hatori has created, it still is diverting in the moment. I enjoy the interactions between all the characters, and this volume also featured several bonus one page manga at end. – Anna N

Horimiya, Vol. 6 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I said last time that Hori and Miyamura hadn’t quite taken the next step in their relationship yet. They do that here, but blink sand you’ll miss it—unlike most manga of this type, their first time—while sweet—is not earth-shattering and does not really change either of them. Indeed, Miyamura is far more concerned about the required swimming event, mostly as it could get him expelled. We also see Hori being jealous again, but she’s at least cognizant of how annoying it is, and it’s funnier when she uses her anger against other people, like Miyamura’s old teasing classmates from junior high. This is not particularly going anywhere, even with the sex, but it’s still a well-written leisurely ride. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 2 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – This is sort of a harem series—there’s certainly enough students and one teacher in love with Takahashi-sensei. But it feels so laid-back and leisurely, and he’s so non-sexual in general, that I can’t really define it as a classic harem comedy. At heart, it’s about the girls and their monster issues—though the best chapter in the volume has the teacher pointing out that you can’t just think of them as monsters OR girls, but you have to balance both sides. Much of the volume deals with a yuki-onna who worries she may live up to her stereotype, and she’s just as sweet and cute (and somewhat boring) as the other girls. This is a nice series, and monster girl fans will like it. It is, however, not a book that will get your pulse racing. Leisurely. – Sean Gaffney

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest, Vol. 3 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press – At last, a volume of Liselotte I can honestly say was excellent throughout. The bargain that she has to strike to save Engetsu’s life essentially resets things to square one, but that’s really for the best, as I think the baggage was crushing them both a bit. We also get more flashes to what Lise was like before the rebellion, and it’s rather sad and also a bit eerie. There’s also still some comedy, mostly coming from Alto and Anna, though the return of a witch from the previous volume also helps. I suspect things may not stay comedic for long, though, as it appears that Lise is not going to be allowed to be merely exiled for much longer. The less fluffy this gets the more I like it, though the fluff is still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest, Vol. 3 | By Natsuki Takaya | VIZ Media – Man, I can already tell that it’s going to be pretty painful when Liselotte goes on hiatus after two more volumes. Although some of what happens in this installment feels like things I’ve seen before—the heroine who unhesitatingly hacks off her own long hair, the love interest who loses his memories of the heroine, the determined optimism and welcoming spirit—there are some unique things about this story, chief among them the reveal in the final pages that someone has been watching Liselotte and reporting back to her brother, who is being pressured to do something about her. It’d be an interesting development if her world were to get a bit darker; the Akito vibes I got from the tree spirit in this volume were pretty fantastic. – Michelle Smith

Scum’s Wish, Vol. 2 | By Mengo Yokoyari | Yen Press – I have to say, so far this is currently at the top of my “most surprising new series” list, as the second volume is just as strong as the first was. Even as it appears that Mugi and Hanabi may have deeper feelings for each other than they expected, it is shown over and over again how bad this relationship really is, and how much they’re hurting from it. Of course, not having the relationship would not ease the source of the hurt. Meanwhile, we also meet Ebato, Hanabi’s friend who turns out to be in love with her, something that gets revealed a lot more than she’d like at a sleepover, and ends just as ambiguously as you’d expect. This is a fantastic car crash of a romance manga, where even the omake extra is tragic and sad. Well-written and brutal. – Sean Gaffney

Scum’s Wish, Vol. 2 | By Mengo Yokoyari | Yen Press – After making a brief appearance in volume one, a lot of this volume focuses on Hanabi’s only female friend, Ecchan, who has been in love with her ever since the day they took the entrance exam. When she’s invited to a sleepover, she’s unable to contain her feelings anymore and confesses, but more importantly gets Hanabi to confirm that she doesn’t love Mugi. Ecchan offers to be the surrogate herself, but by volume’s end, Hanabi’s in bed with Mugi, seemingly ready to have sex with him. One thing I particularly liked about this volume is though her relationship with Mugi might seem twisted and strange, in a way she’s more pure than other classmates, because she’s acting out of love and not merely juggling two guys, trying to decide who has more to offer her. Looking forward to volume three! – Michelle Smith

Golden Time, Vol. 6 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – Getting past the fanservice of the volume—and not necessarily for guys, that’s Banri in the maid outfit on the cover—Golden Time always works best when it focuses on developing its leads, and it does a very good job. Banri is terrified the “old him” will take over again, Kouko is trying to change her old obsessive ways but it’s really hard, especially when she sees Bari and Linda pocky-kissing, and as for Linda, she’s trying to let go of her love for Banri without actually telling him about it, and just like Kouko, this is proving to be really hard. As you’d expect from this author, the manga does a really good job of providing depth to its romantic triangle. Recommended for romantic dramedy fans. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 5 | By Amu Meguro | Viz Media – I talked last time about how much I enjoyed the fluffy angst, and I do, but I feel that it doesn’t work as well when it’s obviously manufactured by the writer to create conflict that shouldn’t be there. Taiga’s mother pretending to be “a mean person” so that Nao could show her resolve was entirely unnecessary, especially since it only lasted about three pages. The rest of the volume fares better, especially with Nao’s fight with her brother, which spins its conflict very well indeed. And as with so many shoujo manga, we get to see the seasons pass, so get ready for Christmas dates and Valentine’s chocolate. Always good, but sometimes tries a bit too hard. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 6 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – We’ve reached the stage where the lead couple is reasonably happy, so it’s time to focus on their friends’ romantic prospects. I was unexpectedly entertained by spending more time with Sengoku, who is every bit as scrawny and weak as Miyamura is, which doesn’t bother the girl who likes him one bit. Speaking of Miyamura, I think he and Hori manage to sleep together in this volume, but the fade-to-black is so demure that I’m not 100% sure. While I do celebrate how naturally the moment occurred, it does still trouble me that by the end of the volume he’s wearing a bandage because Hori went berserk when she thought a girl had called him. At least their friends are both telling Hori she’s to blame and Miyamura not to just let it go, but I wish her violent tendencies would be treated a little more seriously. – Michelle Smith

In/Spectre, Vol. 2 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – There is a mystery here, and it’s a decent one, delving into the sordid business world of gravure idols and showing us how hard things can be for a practical girl who wants to get ahead in the business starting with “spunk” (and large breasts). But as with the first volume, the reader is likely more inclined to follow the hilarious back and forth between Kuro’s ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend. As with the last volume, Kotoko is so comical in her arrogance and jealousy it’s actually hilarious, and Saki’s not much better. Kuro, being (mostly) a stoic, is the weak link. There’s also some cool fighting and amusing monsters. It’s a greatly enjoyable yokai series. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 6 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – In between volumes of Nichijou, I forget how passionately I hate the professor. And then I read chapters where she whines and throws a trantrum over getting an undeserved treat and Nano tries to stand firm, but eventually gives in and rewards her awful behavior. Or a chapter in which Sakamoto objects to, say, being put in the washing machine, but she won’t listen and eventually falls asleep and he just gives up on talking to her. I mean, she’s just a little kid. Why do I want to see a violent fate befall her?! It feels so wrong. There are a few other surreal and/or vaguely amusing stories this volume, but I honestly don’t think I even smiled. Perhaps it’s time to give up on Nichijou. – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 12 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – Now that it’s clear that the series is trundling along with a whole set of new witches, new powers, but the same old Yamada-kun, I will try to get over my annoyance and find things to enjoy. I liked the first new Witch we meet, a basketball jock who finds that power corrupts. We don’t see much of Shiraishi, but what little we do see shows how much she’s struggling with Yamada-kun having to go around kissing all these girls, and unfortunately her stoicism is not helping. And the two new Student Council members are amusingly dumb. But again, this really seems like it’s spinning through the same old tricks, and it’s not as good as the first time around. – Sean Gaffney