Michelle Smith

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 8 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Last time I asked if Yamato would get involved, and sure enough that’s what happens here, as we get several new revelations that answer many questions we’ve had since the first volume. Some are less surprising than others (Amana Kotono’s identity has been something I’ve expected for ages). There’s also some lovely heartwarming stuff here between Haruna and Makie, both of whom are desperate to see the other happy even if it means sacrificing everything. Luckily, it all works out, at least for now. As we get further into the series, the mystery behind these “mental models”—i.e., why the battleships are cute girls—deepens and deepens. That said, I’ll betcha next time we get more sea battles. – Sean Gaffney

Complex Age, Vol. 2 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Many years ago, I wrote fanfiction under my own name, because I was young and stupid. One of my worst nightmares is that my workplace finds some of the stuff I wrote, which was also young and stupid. As such, I identified a bit too much with Hayama, who Nagisa found was also a secret cosplayer, but who is discovered at work and, while not fired, is basically embarrassed to the point that she quits. It’s depressing and highly realistic. As for Nagisa, she’s having more trouble at home, where her mother is furious that she’s still doing this at her age—mostly as her mother seemed to do the same thing back in the day and has lingering regrets. This series is well-written and intensely painful at the same time. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 2 | By Izumi Miyazono | Viz Media – After a first volume where the issue was the differing relationship goals of the lead couple, this second volume’s plot is more prosaic, although equally relatable—how to find time to do couple things when you’re in a state of constant busyness. This is something especially prevalent in the entertainment industry, as Ryu finds himself taking on more and more work and having less and less time for Asuka. Luckily, they finally manage to get together by the end of this book. As for Asuka, she’s stopped worrying so much about marrying Ryu and has started to accept their relationship as it is, though has been told to think about why he’s so adamant. A nicely mature romance, in the best sense of the word. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 2 | By Izumi Miyazono | VIZ Media – Asuka Takanashi, a successful career woman who really wants to get married, and Ryu Nanami, a popular newscaster who’d rather die than tie the knot, have fallen in love and started a relationship. We soon learn that Asuka believes she is going to be able to persuade Nanami to see things her way. How I wish the story would not end with her succeeding, but I suspect that it will. For now, we get a bunch of interrupted sexy times, busy schedules leading to canceled dates and hurt feelings, a tiny glimpse of Asuka being competent at work and a whole chapter on Nanami doing the same, and, finally, consummation of their relationship. I might sound critical, but I really do enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

Idol Dreams, Vol. 3 | By Arina Tanemura | VIZ Media – When Idol Dreams revolves around adult Chikage, it can be almost interesting. For the first half of this volume, we focus on her attempts to get some kind of relationship going with Haru and she finally is able to confess that she has loved him all this time. Only, Haru has noticed how Chikage lights up when she talks about Tokita, and how the latter looks at her, and concludes that Chikage actually has no idea what love really is. As he backs off, Chikage takes her pills and transforms into Akari, whereupon two different guys (these being teenagers) are competing for her affections. This mousy dingbat has four love interests?! Anyway, she decides the best way to learn about relationships is to start dating a fifteen-year-old she doesn’t love, because that couldn’t possibly screw him up or anything. Still frustrating and creepy. – Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 25 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – Much like Skip Beat!, Kimi ni Todoke is another long-running shoujo title that is just consistently good. I love everything to do with Chizu and Ryu here, and when she finally decides to support his baseball dreams (even if it means him leaving her behind for a few years) and begins to cheer at his game and pray for victory, I got all verklempt. And then the sweet scene between them afterwards made me full on bawl. You did it again, Shiina-sensei. As if this volume weren’t good enough, it ends with a pretty powerful fight between Sawako and Kazehara. We’ve never seen her be so honest and straightforward about her feelings and complaints, and it’s pretty exhilarating to feel, even if briefly, that their relationship might really be in jeopardy. It’ll be a long wait for the next volume. – Michelle Smith

NTR: Netsuzou Trap, Vol. 1 | By Kodama Naoko | Seven Seas – Let’s face it, most yuri titles out there are not meant to appeal to lesbians, or even to women at all. They are there for young men (or, if we’re being honest, older boys) who think that girl-on-girl is hot. Netsuzou Trap is definitely for the latter—the prefix, NTR, is the Japanese abbreviation for “cheating,” and tends to be used to humiliate or shame the woman. And that is, to a degree, what happens here, as a girl is trying to go further with her boyfriend but keeps getting interrupted by her best friend, who is apparently trying to both help and seduce her. The melodrama is obvious, the yuri is non-consensual for the most part, and I can’t recommend this to anyone but 18-21 year old guys. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 4 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – First of all, it has to be said: my favorite character is barely in this, as Mai gets only one panel in the entire volume. (It does show her trolling, if that helps.) Instead, we have three types of storylines here: Yukko and Mio being silly and hyperactive, Nano and the Professor being cute and immature, and the rest of the cast, which expands to include a young teacher who has an obsession with finding out how Nano ticks, but also has the worst luck in the world. (She’s female, by the way—the artist has drawn her very androgynously). Even without Mai, though, Nichijou has it where it counts—the humor is still excellent, and the plots are still weird, as the author starts to use repeated gags to great effect. Tremendous fun. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 4 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – Last time I wrote that I was having doubts about Nichijou, and would give it one more try. I’m glad I did, because there was a lot to like this time around. My favorite parts involved Sakamoto, the talking cat who lives with Nano and the professor, especially his adorable proficiency at karuta. There were a few other amusing visual gags, flights of fancy, and funny punchlines, along with not-so-amusing gags, punchlines, etc. Still, it all balanced out into something enjoyable. I still loathe the professor, which I feel weird saying since she’s a little kid, but since all of her scenes this time involved Sakamoto, it was okay. More Sakamoto! – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 10 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – This is the longest arc we’ve had to date, and as a result we’re allowed to do things like not resolve the cliffhanger ending at all, mostly as Shiraishi is promptly removed from the board, causing Yamada and company to have to try to think of something else. That something involves Leona, still refusing to go to school but apparently far more connected to the Student Council President than was once thought—in fact, it’s a sweet and depressing story. There’s also some sweet and depressing in Odagiri’s subplot, as she’s offered Yamada on a silver platter but won’t sell him out as she knows he loves someone else. An excellent combination of romantic comedy and fantasy thriller. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Morning, Vol. 6 | By Shoko Hidaka | SuBLime – Volume six is somewhat of a fresh start for this complicated BL series. Akihito Kuze is the reluctant viscount who has been scheming to retire from his position in favor of his lover, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who also has a claim to the title. Meanwhile, Katsuragi has been scheming in Akihito’s favor. Now we’re in the aftermath of Akihito refusing to play along with Katsuragi’s plans for the first time, which has left Katsuragi feeling adrift. Akihito is able to navigate the changing world with ease, but Katsuragi is unable to see that he too could flourish as an individual—the way he revitalizes a struggling spinning business is proof of that—if he could get over his loyalty to the peerage system. Pretty atypical BL fare, eh? I don’t think I’ve ever read a BL series this complex before, and it really should not be missed. – Michelle Smith

Idol Dreams, Vol. 3 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – We spend more time with the adult Chikage this time around, and as a result the problems feel deeper. Haru clearly still has feelings for her, as they both realize that his rejection wasn’t a rejection but in fact her simply being too stunned to answer. As for Tokita, he couldn’t be more obvious about is feelings if he wore a neon sign. I’m not sure if Haru is meant to be a villain here or not—but he’s certainly being more forceful than Tokita. Meanwhile, in the fifteen-year-old part of this, “Akari” gains Ru as a boyfriend, despite telling him that she doesn’t think of him that way. Add to that that she’s getting sloppy in her taking of the youth medicine, and this could go south very quickly. Problematic but readable as ever. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vols. 25 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Last time I asked for forward progression and I got it, but alas, not all dreams come true, and the forward progression we see here is Ryu’s team losing their game. That said, what’s important from a character perspective is Chizu accepting that they’re going to be apart, and that she feels it’s OK to wait for him. (There’s implication they have their first time after the game, but as it would involve telling Pin, implication is all there is.) As for Sawako and Kazehaya, they’re both so protective of each other’s feelings that they end up backing into a fight about her desire to go to the educational university. Of course, it’s really about the fact that they haven’t opened up completely to each other, particularly Kazehaya. Excellent as always. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – My guess is that the audience let the author know they enjoyed raging, fired-up Komomo, as that’s what we get here as well, and once again it’s the best part of the book. Unfortunately, the rest of the book seems to be trying to drag out “they get together” till the required length, and I admit I was startled to see Komomo’s family regain their fortune—it seems very pat, even if she chooses to stay with Natsu. The whle thing was even a private wager between the two families. Still, it was pretty sweet, and at five volumes it ends at just about the right time. I’m just not sure I enjoyed how much Komomo was manipulated through the entire series—she’s best when she’s righteously furious. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – There have been times when I was sufficiently entertained by Komomo Confiserie, but I have to say I found this final volume both boring and frustrating. First of all, it’s entirely obvious who is going to end up together, so the random introduction of Natsu’s friend as Komomo’s last-minute fiancé fails to deliver any dramatic impact whatsoever. Then Natsu is an ass, kicking Komomo out of the one place she wants to be, and then he has the gall to chase after her when she’s justifiably upset about being replaced. Although this does lead to the one great moment, when she calls him out for his crap, we are soon swept up in sudden love confessions and blah blah. I find myself agreeing with Natsu—Komomo is too good for you. I’m glad this series is over before it completely trampled on my residual Voice Over! goodwill. – Michelle Smith

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 17 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – The best way to keep your harem series balanced is not necessarily to show that the lead has good chemistry with all the girls, or to show off how cute and different in personality they are. It’s to show that no matter what girl he chooses, it will make sense within the plot we’ve read. It’s really obvious that Chitoge is the lead because that’s what this genre does in Japan, but Onodera winning makes perfect sense. And as we see in an extended arc here, so does Yui, despite the fact that she was introduced late. Aside from romance, there’s some funny bits (the best is Raku and Onodera desperately trying to get to the field trip site), and some heartwarming sweetness that doesn’t even involve romance. Highly enjoyable. – Sean Gaffney

Paradise Residence, Vol. 3 | By Kosuke Fujishima | Kodansha Comics – This is the final volume, and it reads very much like a “you’re cancelled” sort of ending, which is a shame after the long-runner that was Oh My Goddess!. Still, there wasn’t much further this could really have gone, unless he wanted to do more than merely tease that our two heroines have amazing chemistry with each other. In fact, when Suzuna meets Hatsune’s family (who are, of course, bike mechanics, because this is Fujishima), they all profess they want to marry her. The latter half of the book gives us a genuine villain in the daughter of the school chairwoman, taking over for her ill mother and determined to do away with the titular dorm, which is old and out of date. Spoiler: the dorm stays. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 3 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I don’t mind volumes that are all setup if the setup is entertaining, and that’s exactly what this omnibus is. We go to training camp, where the new first years all have to deal with their weaknesses. We meet the driven second-years, who are the stars of their own story and determined that they will be the ones going to the Interhigh. (There’s a cliffhanger, but I doubt these guys are going to beat basic narrative.) And we start to get introduced to other schools, who no doubt will prove to be thorns in the side of our new kids. Oh yes, and a new sempai, the one of the cover, who proves to be quite nice despite grinning like a villain and twisting his body in half. Excellent sports manga. – Sean Gaffney

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