Michelle Smith

Haikyu!, Vol. 3 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – So now that we’ve had the first practice match, it’s time for the training volume, and fleshing out the cast some more (series like these always end up with casts of thousands). So we meet the kid from the last cliffhanger, who is hot-blooded and earnest, and the team’s absent ace, who collapsed from pressure and needs to be coaxed back. Oh, and there’s the new coach, who looks more like a delinquent, but that’s what makes it fun. And then there’s our two heroes, who are still very talented and very raw—as the coach notes, no one on the team can receive at all. Luckily, we have another practice match coming up in the next volume. There’s no need to focus on classes or romance in this series—all volleyball all the time is fine. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 3 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – The first half of this volume is primarily about persuasion. Persuading the feisty pint-sized libero, Yu Nishinoya, to return to the team. Persuading the big, mild-mannered ace, Asahi Azumane, to do likewise. And persuading Keishin Ukai, grandson of the man who once made Karasuno great, to become their coach. Part of what fires everyone up is the upcoming practice game against Nekoma, a school that once had a friendly rivalry going with Karasuno before both faded into mediocrity. So, not only do we spend a lot more time with older members of the team this volume, watching as the rift caused by a dispiriting match is finally mended, but we also get a welcome bit of team history while we’re at it. It’s all very enjoyable and I’m eagerly anticipating the next volume! – Michelle Smith

Masamune-kun’s Revenge, Vol. 2 | By Hazuki Takeoka and Tiv | Seven Seas – A general rule of thumb: if you’re trying to learn life lessons from shoujo manga, you need to rethink things. Much of the first half of this book involves Masamune and Aki flailing around as they try not to be the socially inept losers they are—Aki is this naturally, and Masamune could function if he weren’t obsessed with Aki, but he is. Into this mix we add Neko, a rich young girl who claims to have met Masamune years ago—and fallen in love with him. The story is bogus, and the love may be as well. Of course, just in case I thought this would be something I could recommend to non-Seven Seas readers, the cliffhanger involves Neko not wearing any panties. Sigh. Fans of Haganai and other “Oh My God You Glorious Losers” titles will like this. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 4 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I really enjoyed this volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! I mean, I always like it, but this volume achieved a balance of humor, fresh scenarios, and actual potential romantic progress (maybe?) that was quite satisfying. Nozaki’s quest for inspiration for his manga leads him to go on a campaign to shock Chiyo, play a dating sim game from a female point of view (in which the girl literally ends up with Satan), have a sleepover with his buddies, and attend a festival. In between, all of the characters get a little more attention and appear in different combinations and settings. Oh, and we meet Nozaki’s little brother, too. Overall, Nozaki-kun feels a lot more like a cohesive story than a 4-koma gag manga, and I wholeheartedly approve! – Michelle Smith

One-Punch Man, Vol. 8 | By ONE and Yusuke Marata | Viz Media – After the epic battle of the last two volumes, we’re back to everyday life here, mostly, as we get a deep look into the mind of King, a superhero who’s really just this guy but who everyone THINKS has done heroic things. As a result, he’s scared stiff—even more so when a villain tries to take him out. Luckily, Saitama’s there with his one punch and his usual advice that applies and yet doesn’t—just get stronger is easier said than done. There’s also some nice setup for future volumes as we meet several villains who will not join the heroes to battle for the planet, and Genos’ forgotten revenge ends up being not so forgotten after all. Of course, One-Punch Man is still funny, but there’s deeper stuff going on here. A solid volume. – Sean Gaffney

Shomin Sample: I was Abducted by an Elite All-Girls School as a Sample Commoner, Vol. 2 | By Risumai and Takafumi Nanatsuki | Seven Seas – Cover: still reprehensible. Fanservice: still all over the title, with the addition of a loli who can’t stop stripping and placing Kimito in awkward situations. Oh, and there’s a Motoko Aoyama clone whose blade is better at stripping people than cutting them (and yes, even Kimito gets stripped naked with a convenient censor flower.) In among all of this is a somewhat standard harem comedy, as our hero tries to get the girls to act more social while learning more about them, datesim style. It’s still not horrible, but the constant service is wearing, and it doesn’t have the humor or depth that let me put up with it, like Haganai does. Skip this. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 37 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I was tempted to simply use my review of the last volume for this one as well. We’re still dealing with Kyoko’s mother, and I still worry the series will eventually excuse her abuse. Box R is still not doing well, and Kyoko still hasn’t really noticed. And she and Sho still have a great scene together. But really, this volume deserves more of a look, because it has double the emotional heft of the previous one. Nakamura’s art has gotten amazing, especially in Kyoko’s expressions—blank and hollow after seeing her mother on TV, then finally breaking down in front of Tsuruga (who she thinks is Corn—again). Skip Beat! is coming up on being the longest shoujo manga in North America, and this shows you why—its depth of feeling is AMAZING. – Sean Gaffney

Spoof on Titan, Vol. 1 | By Hounori, based on Hajime Isayama’s manga | Kodansha Comics – This is the second of the comedy spinoffs of Attack on Titan, and this one is more traditional, both in format and adaptation. This takes place within the series proper—more accurately, within the first couple of volumes showing everyone still living in the barracks and training. That said, it’s meant not be read by those who know everything—Reiner and Bertholt mention their real identities, Krista’s ‘royal’ qualities come up, etc. It’s also not as freely adapted as Titan High School. That said, if you enjoy Titan, particularly its fandom in-jokes—Sasha eating, Mikasa’s obsession with Eren, etc.—this is a lot of fun. And it’s just the right size for a 4-mkoma title. Short. – Sean Gaffney

Anne Happy, Vol. 2 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – This would appear to be one of those titles that is fun and cute provided you do not take it remotely seriously, because serious analysis of this sort of this can be horrifying. Hanako’s bad luck is really pretty terrible, Botan’s consecutive injuries would have her hospitalized or dead in any other title, and Hibari must be close to exhaustion from having to play the straight man all the time. In this volume the girls show they can’t even win a simple board game or cook a decent meal without disasters, though they do manage to achieve a scavenger hunt. I’m with the new, as yet unnamed teacher, though—even assuming this IS bad luck, is it really something to be cured with this class? Fun but frustrating. – Sean Gaffney

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 2 | By Bisco Hatori | Viz Media – I was hoping that the second volume of this series would focus more on the extended cast of the Art Squad, so I was happy to see chapters with Maasa and Izumi as a focus. The first part of this volume focuses on the Art Squad intervening in a romance gone wrong, where their abilities to make a girl’s room look filthy makes exactly the right kind of wrong impression. Maasa reveals that she’s interested in getting a college boyfriend, but her deep devotion to special effects make-up might be getting in the way. Izumi’s personality ends up having consequences for his health. Overall, this was another pleasantly diverting volume with a focus on people making things, I’m enjoying this series. – Anna N

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 6 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – If Kiss Him, Not Me hadn’t been that big a hit, or if the popularity was fading, this might have been the final volume, and indeed much of the first half seems to be leading up to Kae finally making a decision about which guy she likes (or which girl—it’s impressive that they really do have Shima’s confession be as earnest as the four guys). But Kae is not after romance, she is after BL, and thus in the end the choice is obvious—choosing nobody because she’s obsessed with a new TV series. The second half is more light-hearted, showing off the dangers of BL pairing wars and how just ‘who tops?’ can lead to hurt feelings and declarations of war. I shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as I am, but it’s just dumb, cute fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 1 | By Masume Yoshimoto | One Peace Books – Lately we’ve seen quite a bit of the ‘cute fluff that should be for kids, but is written for an adult audience’ type of manga, and Kuma Miko falls squarely into that category. Taking place in the middle of the country, most of the volume does indeed deal with the relationship between Machi, a young miko who’s easily flustered and overcompensates a lot of the time, and Natsu, a bear who sometimes enjoys messing with her but mostly acts like a sort of sempai. The manga had an anime recently, and was infamous for the history of the village involving human/bear sexual relations. It’s actually a bit more explicit here. If you enjoy bizarre manga, you’ll like this, but it’s no Chi’s Sweet Home, be warned. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 37 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – Skip Beat! is consistently good, but I found this volume to be especially so. Since the beginning, Kyoko’s inevitable reunion with her cold-hearted mother has been looming on the horizon, and now that it’s finally here, it does not disappoint. At first, Kyoko succeeds in telling herself that she isn’t hurt when she runs into her mother and is totally ignored, but when Saena Mogami later denies on national television that she even has a child, it’s a devastating blow. I love how worried everyone is for Kyoko—even Sho—and I really, really love the final scene where she “mistakes” Ren for Corn and hurls herself into his arms, finally allowing herself to cry. The expressions he makes are amazing. Way to keep us on tenterhooks ’til the next volume, Nakamura-sensei! – Michelle Smith

That Wolf-Boy Is Mine!, Vol. 1 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – Saying that your manga is perfect for fans of Fruits Basket is a somewhat high bar to clear, but Kodansha thinks that it’s on to a winner. And indeed, this fist volume is very enjoyable. Komugi transferred from Tokyo to Hokkaido after being bullied at school, and tries to start her life over, but immediately stumbles upon the secret of the school’s hottest guys—they’re all animals who live as humans. It’s sort of a reverse Furuba, where the animals can turn human but are really beasts. This may be why the budding feelings Komugi has for Yu, the wolf of the group, are expressly forbidden, and indeed somewhat awkward to think about if you go too deep. If you don’t, this is quite sweet and touching. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 3 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Many sports manga involve the same tropes. Training camps, prefectural tournaments, aiming for the inter-high championships… The fact that this volume of Yowamushi Pedal features all three of these things does not dim my enjoyment in the least, because it uses them to motivate its three primary characters while at the same time fleshing out some of the older members of Sohoku’s cycling team. I especially love that, unlike in some series, the talented rookies are not the team’s saviors. In fact, the third-year members are all amazing, and the second-years have been working hard, too. The gruelling training camp is the proving ground for who’s got what it takes to make it to the inter-high battle, and another standout moment is Onoda’s willingness to do whatever he can to see that his two best friends are able to make it. Once again, I was bummed when another hefty volume drew to a close. – Michelle Smith

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 11 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – This is a volume I’d been expecting for some time, and it’s a story that needed to be told. When you take a group of bullied, persecuted students, given them amazing skills and actual teaching and care, and then watch them succeed beyond their wildest dreams, you’re going to have something like this happen. Our heroes are getting too self-satisfied and too cocky. And so, naturally, they make a mistake, which is bad enough, and then try to weasel out of it, which is much worse. Koro-sensei’s punishment was much needed, and of course it also reassures us that they’re still good kids at heart. For a manga about a yellow blob in a classroom where everyone’s trying to kill the teacher, this is still top-drawer stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 2 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – This seems to be another one of those titles that I enjoy almost despite itself. It really is astounding how many other popular titles you can see it trying to emulate. I mentioned Fairy Tail last time, but there’s a lot of Naruto here as well, as well as The Seven Deadly Sins. But the big obvious one this time is Magi, which again fulfills the rule of being a title from another company that is now being given a Jump spin. Oh yes, and one of the bad guys, Lotus, reads like Shunsui from Bleach as well. But the kids are nice and likeable, the fights are fairly interesting, and there were one or two times I laughed. Black Clover is anti-original, but it’s not actively bad, and those who enjoy “a Jump manga” will enjoy it. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 2 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – As you’d expect, most of this volume deals with the first competition our heroes have, even if it’s just a practice match. This allows Hinata to deal with the hideous nerves he has due to finally being able to achieve his dream and worrying that he’ll screw it up. Kageyama’s response to this mid-game, by the way, is probably the funniest moment of the book. We also meet the stars of the other team, and a new player for Hinata’s team, whose amusing secret ends up being both a cliffhanger and a punchline. For the most part, though, this volume is about breaking down the volleyball game and why Kageyama and Hinata, when they’re finally in sync, are so dangerous together. It’s good shonen sports fun. – Sean Gaffney

Itazura Na Kiss, Vol. 11 | By Kaoru Tada | Published by DMP – It’s here, it’s here! A new installment of Itazura Na Kiss is so very welcome, it almost supersedes any irritation over Kotoko’s perpetual incompetence. As the volume begins, she and Naoki have been separated for a year while he interns at a hospital in Kobe. While her continued mistakes can be frustrating, they often lead to sweet scenes in which Naoki is remarkably patient and reassuring, so that’s a plus. I also really liked the scene in which he challenges her to assist him in an emergency surgery and, for the first time, they end up saving someone’s life together. Too, they also helped some other characters get together; Naoki advising Yuuki, who’s so like him and yet also his own person, about acknowledging his feelings for Konomi was another highlight. I don’t know how long it’ll be ’til the twelfth and final installment, but my enthusiasm has been rekindled. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 19 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I’ve talked before about the author’s constant need to undercut any awesome moment Alibaba has the potential to have with either abject defeat or an amusing gag. That happens here as well, but it seems to be part of a larger aspect of Magi: anyone, no matter how confident or powerful, is capable of failing miserably in the right circumstances. OK, maybe not Sinbad, but he’s not here right now, is he? (Nor is Morgiana, and I really want to see her soon.) But our heroes and villains fight on anyway, being driven by those who inspire them out of strength (Koha and Koen) or determination (Marga and Titus). That said, this is still a volume that’s mostly just fighting, which again means all I can say to sum it up is: huh, cool. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 5 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Yeah, I was not about to see Uraraka win as I’d hoped, but she put on an impressive showing against Bakugo, even if the audience didn’t quite seem to notice and thought he was bullying her. (He noticed, trust me.) More surprising, though, was seeing Midoriya losing in the semis, as the stage was clearly set for him to battle Bakugo in the finals. But there’s a more important lesson to be delivered here, about expectations and parents and doing what you want to do with all you’ve got, and Todoroki needed to learn it—though he had trouble applying it to the final, much to Bakugo’s frustration. In any case, we have the tournament arc out of the way early, so I suspect we’ll see a few more villains next time. – Sean Gaffney

One Piece, Vol. 79 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – Well, it’s not quite the end of the Dressrosa arc, but it’s close! Although Luffy’s “Gear Four” has dealt Doflamingo a blow, it’s not a state he can sustain, and he needs ten minutes before he can use it again. In the meantime, gladiators, citizens, and even the sympathetic Navy admiral Fujitora rally together to try to buy time by delaying the approach of Doflamingo’s razor-sharp birdcage. It’s pretty suspenseful, and we also get welcome flashbacks as to where Sabo’s been all this time, but my favorite part is how Luffy defeating Doflamingo (for, of course, he eventually does) earns him many new enemies, especially those who had yet to receive the shady products they had already paid for. The world is widening once again, but first, the Straw Hats must get off the island before the Navy nabs them. Stay tuned! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 15 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – I was surprised when the last few volumes focused more on the secondary cast than our hero and heroine (who had finally gotten together), but that’s nothing compared to my surprise at the end of this volume, where everyone graduates from high school and yet the manga does not end. This is so unexpected that the author feels the need to address it in her notes, stating this was what she planned on. I’m not quite sure I buy that, but it will hopefully lead to more interesting places. Much of the volume is spent reminding us how far Mei has come since the start, and she seems to have grown up beautifully. Can her relationship be sustained after “happily ever after,” though? – Sean Gaffney

Say I Love You., Vol. 15 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – All things considered, this is a pretty melancholy volume. The first few chapters focus on Ren, who finally confesses his feelings to Mei and then tries to convince himself that being rejected didn’t hurt. Kai and Megumi say some awful things to each other, though they eventually patch things up. And the gang graduates from high school, “splitting up to find new versions of ourselves,” with much wistfulness and a farewell tour for high school memories. The manga is continuing, which I think is good news, but I have absolutely no idea what it’s going to look like, or which characters we’re going to keep following. Have we seen the last of the Aoi siblings, for example? I guess I’ll have to wait until October to find out. – Michelle Smith

D-Frag!, Vol. 9 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – Games are serious business in this very silly manga, and when Kazama realizes he’s totally forgotten about the rematch he was supposed to have with Roka, she gets very upset. That’s what drives most of this volume, which is still mostly devoted to very funny comedy. I enjoyed seeing the awkwardness of Kazama trying to fit in with the real Game Development Club, and the revelation that the stupid medallion Kazama (and I) had totally forgotten about is actually relevant. But honestly, it’s all about the rematch itself, and Kazama’s strategy for winning is both ludicrous and brilliant. D-Frag! is a comedy first and foremost, and if you keep that in mind you’ll still enjoy yourself immensely. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 13 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – I was right, Soma did not in fact win this volume. Which is not unexpected in a battle manga like this—and yes, Food Wars! is a battle manga more than it is a cooking manga. That said, Soma gains a lot from this loss, in particular the desire to cook for a reason other than to beat his father. He hasn’t found that reason yet, but just working at it is enough. After that, we get a new mini-arc involving helping at restaurants in the area, where Soma can put his childhood skills to use, Hisako shows off why Erina relies on her, Erina is, of course, perfect, and even Megumi’s keen observational eye earns her appreciation. These are smart kids, and they’re good at what they do. Classic Jump stuff. – Sean Gaffney

The Heiress and the Chauffeur, Vol. 2 | By Keiko Ishihara | Viz Media – This is not as good as the first volume, mostly as it has to wrap everything up, and due to the time period it takes place in, things have to get a bit unrealistic in order for our hero and heroine to come together in the end. We see romantic rivals (this time the blond is outwardly evil but secretly sweet—an inversion of the shoujo cliche), and Sayaka’s tsundere, not-a-lesbian best friend screaming every single line she gets in frustration at what she has to watch. But yeah, in the end, the heiress realizes she loves her chauffeur, they defy their family and run off, they run back when they realize that that would lead to the tragic ending, and love conquers all. Cute, but only OK. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 24 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – It’s August, and that can only mean our annual volume of Kaze Hikaru is upon us! The opening chapters had me feeling somewhat frustrated, alas, as Sei did something impulsive that she only belatedly realized was a betrayal of the Shinsengumi. Oopsies. Happily, just as it seemed we were in for more drama, with carefree Kondo about to embark on a journey with the very man who would like to assassinate him, we take an abrupt turn towards the past for some very entertaining chapters that explain just why Hijikata values Kondo so much. As usual, though, just as I’m settling in and enjoying a good story, the volume ends and that’s it for another year. At least we’re getting something, though, so thanks as usual, VIZ! – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 9-10 | By Hiro Fujiwara | VIZ Media – Answers! We got actual answers about Usui’s background! And they even kind of address why he excels at everything! And before that, there were some very good scenes between them including smoochies and Misaki communicating (admittedly with too much violence) her annoyance and frustration with his terminal evasiveness. Even the fact that we are seemingly destined for a detour into Trope City in the next volume (hot springs trip, ugh) cannot extinguish my goodwill. Throughout this volume, it felt like some sort of tension was simmering, and I’m not sure if I imagined it, but if we actually do get something a little more serious and serialized to take us through the second half of the series, I will be very pleased indeed. – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 9-10 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – At last, we’re seeing new Maid-sama! chapters in North America, which if nothing else reveals to us who wins the election. Though honestly, that was more about making Kanou open up and be less introverted than anything else. More importantly, we finally begin to see some of Usui’s past, and why he keeps trying to hide it from Misaki. Seeing that he’s a quarter British is not particularly a surprise, and I suspect there’s more to it than this. More surprising is the introduction of new teacher Maria, who not only new Usui as a child but appears to be a genuine lesbian, albeit of the usual ‘predatory’ variety so beloved by manga authors everywhere. Frustrating but addicting. – Sean Gaffney

Sweetness & Lightning, Vol. 1 | By Gido Amagakure | Kodansha Comics – Melding genres can sometimes produce pleasant surprises, and pleasant is the word describing this manga, which takes the ‘single man raising rambunctious child’ genre and combines it with the ‘let’s cook a meal and describe how we do it’ genre to decent effect. The dad is Kouhei, a widower who’s still not quite over the death of his wife. The kid is Tsumugi, who’s not as hyper as Yotsuba but comes close. The wild card is Kotori, a student of his whose mother is always at work and who desperately needs to connect to someone, and has chosen Kouhei’s family. Provided we don’t go into the student/teacher romance genre, I think this could be a real winner. 50-50 odds we do, though. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 35 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – I can’t quite believe this is the same company that had to censor Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball at various points. Not only do we have the plotline with the monkey king almost explicitly say that they have to arouse him in order to make his testicles bigger and more tasty (which they do via interpretive dance, just in case you thought Toriko had gotten too predictable), but they then have to descend from the fighting arena on a literal pile of shit, and at the end of the volume they all turn into women. Luckily, as the cover might show off, all this leads to a good result, as Komatsu is alive again and reunited with our heroes. Toriko continues to be a bizarre Jump title, and the next arc could maybe be a bit more about food again? – Sean Gaffney