Michelle Smith

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

Happy new briefs!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 6 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – This is a book of two halves. The first deals with Christmas, as Chise meets with Alice so they can buy their respective mentors a present, which is mostly light and fluffy (with the exception of Alice’s drug-riddled backstory), and the second half is more supernatural, showing how kids say things they don’t mean, and how in the border between human and faerie that can be incredibly dangerous. Both halves show off Elias’ burgeoning (read: teenage) emotions, as well as Chise’s growing stockpile of good friends. On an ominous note, she’s also now got a pelt that lets her transform, which she feels she shouldn’t overuse, and promptly does. A fantastic new volume in this richly fantastical series. – Sean Gaffney

Cells at Work!, Vol. 2 | By Akane Shimizu | Kodansha Comics – In this volume, food poisoning, heat stress, and cancer must all be fought off (with over-the-top carnage) by the brave members of the immune system brigade. This series is educational as well as entertaining, because now I can tell you that while eosinophil cells are not especially good at fending off bacteria, they kick butt at defeating parasites! I also adored the visual of baby cells on a conveyor belt, waiting to be sorted out by stem cells in nurse uniforms, and I am certainly not going to forget that any time soon. Though it’s true that not even a white blood cell and red blood cell can escape the manga trope of having met previously as children, this series consistently offers things I never expected to see or feel (such as sympathy for a cancer cell), which is much appreciated! – Michelle Smith

Complex Age, Vol. 3 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Complex Age continues to get better and better, as it digs deep into the nuances and complications of Nagisa’s dedication to cosplay, even as her ideals and her reality are moving farther and farther apart. The fact that her mother offers the same reason as her motivation for giving up her Lolita fashions gives Nagisa much to consider. When she attends a class reunion and unexpectedly connects with a male former classmate, Senda, I was at first happy for her, as it’s her first relationship in a long time. Because he shares her love for Magi-Ruri, it seemed that perhaps he could appreciate her hobby. Not so, alas. This is a fascinating series that takes fandom seriously, and I am pretty anxious to see how it all plays out. – Michelle Smith

Complex Age, Vol. 3 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Again, this volume not only examines the wisdom of enjoying your hobbies from a fan perspective—once again Nagisa is the belle of the ball until Aya appears—but also how it can impact your adult life. Last time it was the workplace, this time it’s relationships, as Nagisa hooks up with a classmate she met again at a reunion. The hookup is quite fast, probably too fast, and therefore it’s not a surprise to see things going south fairly quickly as well, mostly revolving around how the guy is OK with Nagisa cosplaying until he realizes she’s showing off her sexy body to guys who aren’t him. This series doesn’t pull any punches, and I’m genuinely intrigued to see what stand it eventually takes. – Sean Gaffney

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 2 | By Masume Yoshimoto | One Peace Books – Thankfully, there are little to no explicit sexual references in this volume of Kuma Miko, and it is content to do what I expect most people want it to—it’s a goofy manga about an over-earnest young miko who has no idea how a lot of modern Japan does, and a talking bear who knows more than she does, but not much. Of course, Kumamura may be leveling up a bit in this second volume, as she reveals her deep knowledge of the local clothing store, which reveals that she probably could end up eventually making it on her own if she can get past her panic and nerves. The bear, meanwhile, makes gags, and mostly does them well. This is sort of cute, if not enthralling. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, Vol. 6 | By Shirow Masamune and Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas – I debated simply copying and pasting my review of volume five to see if anyone noticed. It’s almost the exact same thing, only this time Clarion gets taken out by a superior enemy, and Nene, in going down after her, shows off once again how she’s not just your average girl with a full-body prosthetic. There’s lots of technobabble here, and a few amusing jokes. We again see that Nene’s obsession with Clarion verges on yuri even if it didn’t have the ‘activation’ fanservice. And there is a bit of Excel Saga mockery, as the main villain this time around talks about this world rotting, no doubt channeling his inner Il Palazzo. Pandora continues to be itself. – Sean Gaffney

Aoharu x Machinegun, Vol. 2 | By Naoe | Yen Press – For the most part, this series has two things that it does, and it does them both well. There’s lots of talk about the survival game tournaments, and we see how even the nicest person can turn into an absolute demon in competition. We also get good advice for Tachibana, who has brilliant instincts, but this isn’t the sort of event where you can just rely on those to get you through. And what makes it worse, she’s still hiding the fact that she’s a girl, and you know it’s going to get outed at the worst possible time, especially as it’s now connected to Matsuoka’s troubled past experiences. This continues to be a surprisingly addicting action manga with a genderbend twist. – Sean Gaffney

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 1 | Story by Kafka Asagiri, Art by Sango Harukawa | Yen Press – After penniless Atsushi Nakajima is cast out of an orphanage he stops a man named Osamu Dazai from committing suicide and is introduced to the “armed detective agency,” whose members all possess a supernatural skill. When it turns out that Atsushi is the “man-tiger” that they’ve been hired to capture, he ends up receiving a job offer. One of the central gimmicks of the series is that each detective is based on a real Japanese writer or poet, and although Wikipedia helped in this regard, I really wish Yen’s edition had included some explanatory notes. It was also a bit jarring that the story jumped into conflict with the main villain so quickly; I’m used to these supernatural team-up stories spending at least the first few volumes on episodic jobs. In any case, this turned out to be an intriguing story and I plan to continue. – Michelle Smith

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 8 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – After a very funny volume, this one is a bit more dramatic, as we have the aftershock from Nanashima’s kiss, which is possibly the highlight of the volume, as Kae’s emotions and fears aren’t downplayed just because Nanashima had a cold and apologized—and he understands that. Less successful is the sequence with Shinomiya finding that his parents are moving away from Japan, and he’s being asked to go with them, which leads to both an emotional breakdown and a long iguana sequence. And while there is comedy here, the ‘overprotective to a creepy degree dad’ storyline has been done better in other shoujo works, and I’m glad he promptly leaves again. But an excellent first half. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 21 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – “A new story arc’s starting!” proclaims the first page and, indeed, after a fast-forward through the aftermath of the Magnoshutatt arc, we find our heroes on their way back to Sindria, where Sinbad is preparing for a conference with Koen Ren on the future of the world. After the latter requests an attendant, Alibaba ends up returning to Balbadd and seeing how drastically it has changed in his absence. All of this is interesting, as is Aladdin’s worry about Sinbad being dangerous, but I confess my favorite part was Alibaba and Morgiana finally making a little bit of progress on the romantic front. I particularly like that even with Alibaba’s moments of heroism and bravery, he’s also shown to be a vulnerable and occasionally angsty adolescent. Perennially recommended. – Michelle Smith

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 5 | By nanao and HaccaWorks* | Yen Press – Ask and you shall receive. I wanted the main plot to come back in this volume, and it does with a vengeance. The shrine denizens want Yue to “eat” someone of their choosing. Kurogitsune helps him to escape, but we find that he too wants Yue to “eat” someone, but he wants it to be one of the two he’s closest with. Yue, meanwhile, knows what the act means, and doesn’t want to eat anyone, but given who he is, is that even a choice that can be made? As for Akashi, I think he just wants to destroy things. There’s a few more volumes to go before this finishes, but it’s nice to see what we at least appear to be driving forward rather than running in place. – Sean Gaffney

Spoof on Titan, Vol. 2 | By Hounori, based on Hajime Isayama’s manga | Kodansha Comics – Two volumes seems about right for this comedic take on the Titan series to not wear out its welcome. We get a big focus on the rest of the cast this time around, with Hitch and Annie shenanigans, and Levi’s doomed squad (all alive here, of course, as this is a parody manga). We do once again get some shout outs to future events—everyone’s saying Historia rather than Krista, and there’s a cute section about the difference between the two. I also liked when it made fun of fan stereotypes—Sasha talks about a dream that isn’t food, but everyone’s bored till she gives in and acts her “role.” This was cute, and I’m glad it was brought over. Though I’m also glad it wrapped up here. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 4| By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I am not a fast reader, but the pace of Yowamushi Pedal is so exhilarating that I flew through this 400-page edition. The first half depicts the tense battle for the remaining spots on the Inter-High team, with displays of determination (even from those who don’t make the cut) and friendship (cue sniffles when Naruko and Imaizumi work together to keep an exhausted Onoda upright) from all involved. Then, just before the tournament begins, we begin a lovely long flashback to what happened last year, where Captain Kinjou was in serious contention to win it all when a rival’s incredulity at being passed cost him the race. Each time I finish one of these volumes, I’m desperate for the next. – Michelle Smith