Michelle Smith

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

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 9 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – As this series has gone on, we’ve been introduced to more and more mental models, to the point where it can be hard to keep track of everyone. I have some bad news for you, but we get even more showing up here. My favorite was Ashigara, who is very much of the “I love combat and BEING LOUD!” sort of Japanese manga stereotype, and her battle goes about as well as you’d expect, which is to say not at all. Meanwhile, we find that not only can Iona do a good verbal impersonation of Gunzou, but she does a fair job of impersonating his captain skills as well. As we gain more cast and more subplots, it’s going to be important to be able to remember who they all are, and thankfully Arpeggio does its best. Solid. – Sean Gaffney

The Black Museum: The Ghost and the Lady, Vol. 2 | By Kazuhiro Fujita | Kodansha Comics – This story wraps up with this volume, though there is more Black Museum out in Japan (and not yet licensed). It’s actually rather interesting to see how well Florence Nightingale’s life works as an action manga and/or medical drama. There’s no shortage of villains, and I’m not even talking about D’Eon. We even get endnotes reminding us that these are based on real people. Still, the fun in this series is to see Florence’s never-say-die pluck, watch Gray be cool, and see the occasional swordfight or spirit battle. Oh yes, and the museum curator, who remains hilarious. Also watch for the cameo by characters from a manga by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Well worth the hardcover price. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 7 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – I never thought I’d say this about an Aya Shouoto title, but this was a great volume of manga. It was always fairly obvious that Himari’s school project researching a local ghost story with a group of classmates would tie in to what happened to Aoi when he was a kid, but the reveal of exactly why and how he ended up at Momochi House was handled with a creepy atmosphere and suspenseful, engrossing pacing that made for a highly enjoyable read. Plus, although some major, game-changing things happen, the essential threat to Aoi’s humanity remains. If you’re curious about Shouoto and wondering which of her series to try, let there be no doubt: it’s this one. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – As with the last volume, this is entirely about all volleyball, all the time. Unlike the last volume, there’s lots to talk about, as the series goes from good to great. The way that Sugawara works to bring out the best in his team, the way that Kageyama is showing he can learn and evolve, and the communication that develops between everyone—even cranky Tsukishima—are a joy to see, and really drive the series. We must also be getting near the end of the game, as we get tragic backstory for one of the opposing players. And of course there IS lots of volleyball lecturing and discussion, as well as cool action poses. This is one of the most Jump manga ever, and if you don’t read it you’re missing a treat. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I always love when characters who had previously been in the background get their turn to shine, and there is quite a lot of that in this volume of Haikyu!!. After Kageyama loses his cool and gets benched, Sugawara finally gets to play for the first time in the tournament. Although his skills are average, the way he communicates with his teammates brings them together and calms their nerves, showing Kageyama some ways in which he’s clearly lacking. When he returns to the game, he takes Sugawara’s advice, and finally starts interacting with prickly Tsukishima and figuring out how best to utilize him as a hitter. It means a lot to see that he’s actually willing to listen for the benefit of his team, and his later, awkward attempts at congratulatory high-fiving are fairly amusing. As ever, I eagerly await the next volume! – Michelle Smith

My Monster Secret, Vol. 5 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Still hilarious, still has touches of harem romance, but this volume also shows that My Monster Secret can be quite touching when it wants to be. Mikan is on the cover, and much of the latter half of the volume focuses on her, as she gradually realizes that she’s in a school of monsters. Luckily, not only does she have her own monster issue with her possessed glasses, but an accidental trip to the future allows her to confess to Asahi. Now, he loves Youko, so that’s not going anywhere, but it’s good to get off her chest, and maybe it helped him to finally confess to Youko? That’s the cliffhanger. There’s also plenty of hilarious gags—this is a funny manga. But it’s also got great characters. Best ‘monster girl’ manga right now. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 6 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – This is a more hit-and-miss volume of Nichijou than before, but the hits are hilarious. Nakamura-sensei trying to find out what makes Nano tick, and ending up at her house and meeting The Professor is just one great visual gag after another. Speaking of The Professor, she’s horrified to find Mai coming over “to play,” as she knows her as the girl with the vicious biting dogs. Luckily, Mai’s art skills are more valuable than Mai’s sense of what’s interesting or amusing, so she manages to mollify her. As for Mio, she gets a lot of dream sequences here, be they her own or Yukko’s, and they’re all hysterical, as is her “running away from reality” rampage across town, which the anime animated flawlessly. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

That Wolf-boy Is Mine!, Vol. 3 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – I’m usually dubious when a series gets compared to Fruits Basket, but here it’s more justified than most. Not only are there hot boys who transform into animals and a girl who knows their secret, but now we’ve got a figure filling the Akito role. Yata-sensei was the one who taught the boys to transform in the first place, and makes sure they are able to pass as humans, and when Komugi’s presence (and the tension it causes between Yu and Rin, who both have feelings for her) creates an unnecessary disturbance, he tries to get rid of her. First, he warns her off, suggesting she return to Tokyo to live with her mother, but by the end of the volume, he’s opted for more drastic measures. Exactly what those are, we’ll have to wait for the fourth and final volume to find out. I’m really enjoying this series! – Michelle Smith

Cells at Work!, Vol. 2 | By Akane Shimizu | Kodansha Comics – Given that this is about anthropomorphic blood cells, it can sometimes be a surprise when the series packs an emotional and weighty punch. But that is, after all, the purpose of the anthropomorphism—Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell are memorable because of their eccentricities and human foibles. Here we learn they’re apparently also forgotten childhood friends… sort of. There’s also discussion of Eosinophil, which is more specialized and therefore less powerful against things a normal White Blood Cell can do, and a surprisingly poignant treatment of a cancer cell, which is after all only trying to survive. A good second volume, and I like these cells. Are there ship wars yet? – Sean Gaffney

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 9 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – The pieces begin to fall into place in this, the penultimate volume of He’s My Only Vampire. Unfortunately, Kana is thrust almost entirely into the background, despite a couple of revelations about her past (well, one is not entirely confirmed, but the hinting is so heavy-handed, it might as well be), as the looming confrontation between Aki and Eriya means the hunt for stigma is ramping up. Aki currently has three with a fourth at his disposal, once Jin deems the time is right, but Eriya soon claims his second. The cliffhanger ending involves the manifestation of the final stigma as well as a diary of significance. So far, this is hanging together better than Kiss of the Rose Princess, even if it isn’t 100% coherent. I’ll definitely be reading the conclusion! – Michelle Smith

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 5 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media – There are no fewer than five great big beaming smiles in this volume. Nao and Taiga plan to have a solo date on Christmas, but their friends quickly co-opt the evening for a party. This, in turn, leads to Nao meeting Taiga’s mom, who doesn’t seem to like her much, and then sleeping over and forgetting to notify Sou, who is very upset. Even though there is much going on here that is sweet and sunny—my favorite moment is actually Yashiro giving Valentine’s Day chocolates to Misaki—I actually really liked seeing Nao get angry for once and vow to be rebellious, and then seeing Tai lose his patience with the whole situation and intervene to get Nao and Sou reconciled. Like they themselves conclude in the story, it makes you closer with someone when you can be honest how you feel. And I honestly adore this series. – Michelle Smith

The Honor Student at Magic High School, Vol. 5 | By Tsutomu Sato and Yu Mori | Yen Press – My relief at the novels having caught up to the spinoff didn’t last long, as this volume of Miyuki’s adventures breezed through the third book in only 70 pages or so, leaving the rest of the plot as part of book four, not out here until April. So I’m spoiled by the spinoff again. There’s some good stuff here, in amongst the setup for the next volume or two. Shizuku in particular benefits in this book, becoming more than Honoka’s fiend and deadpan support and gaining character and awesome moments in her own right. As for Miyuki herself, I suspect she’s damaged by the aforementioned setup, as she doesn’t do quite as much here. Still good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 5 | By HaccaWorks* and nanao | Yen Press – Well, the story is certainly moving swiftly along! So swiftly, in fact, that the final four volumes of this series are certain to be action-packed. In this particular installment, we learn a little more about the meal, as well as the fact that Yue’s small and cute fox companion, Kurogitsune, is due a meal of his own and potentially thinks that Yue seems pretty tasty. Yue, for his part, is feeling disinclined to partake of a meal if it means one of his friends will disappear and is seeking a way out of the obligation, but the head honcho of the shrine aims to take the decision out of his hands and kidnaps Tsubaki when he has the opportunity. All sorts of forces are at play now, and I can definitely see the potential for a straight-through reread once the ninth and final volume finally arrives. – Michelle Smith

One-Punch Man, Vol. 10 | By ONE and Yusuke Marata | Viz Media – Tornado of Terror is on the cover, and she gets a significant chunk of the book as well. And you can see why—more than any of the other female characters we’ve seen in the series, she’s a match for Saitama, possibly as she’s also a lot like Saitama—she gets a lot of simplified faces, emotionless stares, and superdeformed art just as he does. Her sister also gets a nice chapter showing how difficult it can be to not worry about others when you’re constantly striving to get stronger than your betters. Among all that, the further adventures of Garo don’t pack quite as much of a punch—indeed, Saitama takes him out handily as always. This continues to be top-tier shonen and top-tier shonen parody. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 4 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I was right that the second years were unable to beat out the first years, who are of course the protagonists so have the writer on their side. That said, I wasn’t expecting so nasty a finish, as they end up giving themselves significant injuries that will take them out of the action for some time. As for Onoda, he’s near his limits, and close to failing, but he gets another reward to give him even more speed—cleats—and that proves to be all the difference. So now we’re ready for the tournament itself, which promises to be grueling, and which features a flashback to the last one, which ended badly for all parties concerned. Is revenge in the offing? Excellent sports manga. – Sean Gaffney