Michelle Smith

Fate/Zero, Vol. 3 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – I did say last time that the series was going to get darker, and boy howdy I was not wrong. No amount of cute shots of Rin as a child or amusing scenes of Irisviel driving like a maniac can really make up for the main thrust of the latter half of the book, which is that Caster is Bluebeard, an insane murderer (though historians now doubt this), and his master Ryunosuke is even worse. There are numerous scenes of women and children gleefully butchered, which I’m sure were quite lovingly described in the original novel but which the manga adds an extra dollop of horror to. Oh yes, and we also see what’s happening to Sakura, which if you’ve never played Heaven’s Feel may come as a shock. Horrifying but good. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 14 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – I was expecting Soma to level up and learn that he still had room to grow while working for Shinomiya, and I wasn’t wrong. The better part was seeing how far Shinomiya has come, given how much of an antagonist he was about ten volumes ago. He’s tough but never unfair, really knows his stuff, and I loved his backstory showing how his love for French food stemmed from his mother’s love of it. His staff were also fun, and it’s always wonderful to see Hinako again. But the arc is over, and there’s a nice montage of the main cast showing off their own growth aside from Soma. Now they earn the reward, which is a picnic with the top ten in the school. If you guessed they were all eccentric lunatics, congrats. Always great. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 4 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Given a team as raw as the one that stars in Haikyu!!, it would be a bit of a stretch to see them winning right off the bat against other teams. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are many opportunities to see Hinata and company show off their skills, and they keep things close all the time. But the thing I liked best about this volume was the fact that the rival team won as they simply work better as a team, not a brilliantly talented collection of individuals. And, as with all sports manga, you learn more and more about the ins and outs of volleyball as you go, though thankfully not to the point it gets boring. In the end, though, Kageyama makes the best point—if that had been a tournament, everything would have been over. Time to TRAIN HARDER. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 5 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – The last volume had me a little worried, but it does seem to have been a false alarm. Much of the beginning involves reactions to Miyamura’s new look, culminating in a fakeout where his supposed new admirer actually fancies Hori instead. I enjoyed that she seems to bring out his more irritable side, much like his middle-school friend Shindou does, as well as the latter mentioning that Miyamura is different with others. Miyamura insists it’s not an act, and it’s likely nothing will come of this, but it would be interesting if it did. We also get some excellent scenes with our main couple, including a kind of sexy one wherein Miyamura wonders whether it’s acceptable to try anything with her, and a cute reunion hug after he has to be out of town for a few days. I’m happy and relieved to continue to enjoy this series! – Michelle Smith

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 22 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – This has just ended in Japan, and it’s beginning to show—this is definitely feeling like the final endgame plot. Leaving aside the fact that Nanami is slowly dying (and no, I don’t expect that to stick), the whole volume relies on Nanami’s basic goodness meaning that they cannot try the most obvious solutions to their problems. They can’t kill Akura-oh’s host, they can’t have Nanami kill a human to gain life force. Oh yes, and Tomoe finds out Nanami’s little secret, which leads to him, impatient as ever, scarfing the (temporary?) cure to hug her and berate her from keeping things from him. I’m not sure exactly how fluffy this ending is going to be, but I’m enjoying the journey it’s taking to get there. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 4 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – This continues to be an excellent combination of hilarious mayhem and cute romance, in that order. Which means that if you want a payoff right away, be prepared to be frustrated. Asahi and Youka are adorable and clearly meant to be together, but they’re both such shy, awkward dorks that I think it will be at least ten more volumes. Luckily, there is the humor to tide us over, being the destruction of a brand new car, the all-in attempt to get a rare hamburger, and the least subtle UFO ever. There’s also new characters, be it Youko’s parents, who are pretty much exactly as you’d expect, and a granddaughter from the future, who is more of a cliffhanger. This makes me laugh a lot, especially the art. – Sean Gaffney

Say I Love You., Vol. 16 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – It’s been a long time since my husband and I were in a long-distance relationship, but this volume of Say I Love You. expertly evoked those memories. Mei and Yamato are pursing their individual dreams and attending different schools. They do their best to keep in touch, but their schedules make it difficult to find time to see each other, and each is meeting new people and having new experiences independently. When Takeshi seems on the verge of dumping Asami in favor of a college classmate, and Mei finds out Yamato was spotted out with a woman (when he’d only said he’d be with “a friend”), she is thrown into turmoil. It’s great to see a shoujo series acknowledge that high school romances don’t always work out, and that people change and grow apart. I still doubt that’ll happen here, but it’s nice to feel like it’s a real possibility! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 16 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Let’s face it, much as I find Asami fun, the relationship between her and Takeshi was the least developed one in this series, possibly as it was one of the first. And given that the theme of this first post-high school volume is about trying to sustain such relationships past school, it’s not a surprise that theirs might be the first one to head south. From our point of view, though, it’s Mei and Yamato that may be in more trouble, as Yamato has a new friend who is clearly going after him hard, even if he doesn’t quite want to admit it. Honestly, though, the best scene in the volume may be Megumi and Rin, as Megumi’s frustrations boil over and Rin offers some much-needed help. Will this all end well? – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 12 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – I’ve talked before about how much I enjoy Irina’s crush on Kurasuma, and his seeming obliviousness to same. Seeming being the word there, as here we see he’s deliberately not seeing it so she won’t lose her edge. Of course, this is because he sees her as an assassin and not a woman. And as with women scorned through history, it makes Irina vulnerable to others who want to use her skills and go after the real target—Koro-sensei. Luckily, the kids have learned their lesson from the last book and are better than ever. Unluckily, that means very little against this new assassin, whose killing presence is very reminiscent of Nagisa’s. Add this all up and you get another excellent volume. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 3 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – Still hugely enjoying this, despite its almost anti-originality. There are new powers discovered that call out only to the right one to wield them; huge battles where our hero is seemingly defeated only to power up at the last minute; saving the villain’s life because he’s not REALLY the villain, of course, just another guy like the rest of us; a dysfunctional bunch of arrogant heroes who will no doubt be hideously powerful and also learn humility. Oh, and look, some of them are Noelle’s siblings. And it all ends with the villain about to kill a defenseless child for the lulz, and our hero coming to the rescue. It would be horrible were it not well-drawn and plotted, with sympathetic heroes Classic Jump, really. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 6 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – After a pair of strong volumes, I was expecting more from this one, but ended up feeling a little disappointed. It isn’t bad, just not as good. Reeling from Aoi’s rejection, Himari meets a new teacher with a penchant for telling ghost stories and collecting magical objects, including a mirror that allows her to eventually accept the fact that, reciprocated or not, her feelings for Aoi won’t change. After an ultimately pointless visit from a demanding cat ayakashi, we do get some hints about the mysterious teacher that might prove interesting. Oddly enough, the best part is the baffling but intriguing bonus story. I don’t have absolute confidence in Shouoto-sensei’s ability to pull all of these threads together, but I’ll keep reading. – Michelle Smith

Golden Time, Vol. 5 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – I think this is the start of the adaptation of the second light novel, and it shows, as this is mostly all setup with very little payoff. Banri and Kouko are together now, but as his memories return more and more (not helped by more head injuries, which can’t be good for him), it becomes increasingly apparent that Linda was his true love before the accident. Linda is having a breakdown now that he is remembering things, and Kouko is as always a complete emotional whirlwind, which is fun when she’s mocking her ex or trying to set her up with the still underdeveloped Oka, but can be extremely aggravating when you need someone in this soap opera to be sensible. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 4 | By Amu Meguro | Viz Media – I’ve wanted to see more of Yashiro, the sharp and somewhat sarcastic best friend of the heroine, since the book began, and this volume allows me a whole pile of her. It shows off why she’s had so much trouble opening up—her family tends to ignore her, and the only real affection she’s gotten to date is from her much older tutor, who’s dating her but also cheating on her. This sort of character, in a shoujo manga, really is served best by a partner who wears their heart on their sleeve, and luckily Misaki is completely unable to hide any emotion whatsoever. Luckily, the tutor is wise enough to realize that she really is better off with someone other than him, and cheerfully breaks up with her. Fluffy angst is the best angst. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 4 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – One of the best things about The Prince of Tennis was the many memorable rival teams Seigaku faced. But I think Haikyu!! has them beat with Nekoma, a consistent team with an arsenal of attacks, memorable characters (including several analogues to Karasuno players), and appealing backstory. I actually found myself rooting for them, and would totally read a spinoff about them! But it’s also great that they forced Hinata to start consciously aiming his hits, rather than depending on Kageyama all the time, beginning the duo’s evolution from “a monster and his club” to “one monster and another monster.” Also, Karasuno losing the practice game at this point will make an eventual rematch on the tournament stage even more pivotal and exciting. I’m looking forward to it! – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 10 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – I love this series so, so, so much. Reading it makes me happy. I especially enjoyed this volume because it spends a lot of time on Takeo and Sunakawa’s friendship. First, Suna is there for Takeo when the latter is worrying about Ichinose the pastry chef confessing his feelings to Yamato, but then he starts feeling lonely when he realizes Takeo has gotten better at communicating his good intentions to others and might not need him anymore. He has a hard time admitting how he feels, and also later struggles to advise Takeo about his growing desire for Yamato. (Could this be further evidence of his asexuality?) Of course, there is plenty of romantic cuteness between our lead couple, but for getting to know Suna better, this volume is a standout. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 10 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – Last time I hoped Yamato would figure out what was going on and shut Ichinose down. Well, she didn’t really figure it out, but we do get a rejection. Being Yamato, of course, it’s as sweet as pie, assuring Ichinose that his skills as a pastry chef are amazing without her as a muse AND reaffirming she’s head over heels for Takeo. In fact, these two are such a solid couple it might be time to take things to the next level, something Takeo has been brooding over but can’t quite get out due partly to his shyness and partly I think due to having Yamato on a pedestal. Luckily the class trip is coming up, giving them lots of opportunity to go further, though I doubt anything major will happen. Still adorable. – Sean Gaffney

My Neighbor Seki, Vol. 8 | By Takuma Morishige | Vertical Comics – It’s been a while since we’ve had Seki’s antics, and I find that this was an even more enjoyable volume of Seki than usual. There’s another one of the “Godo misinterprets Seki and Yokoi as a hot sexy couple” chapter, even as Yokoi is merely trying to figure out what the hell Seki is planning now. There’s a lot of Seki’s games rebounding on him this time, as he gets lost in imaginary toys, has a hilarious disaster with natto, and sprays his crotch with water in the worst possible way. As for Yokoi, all she wants is a nice sweet story from Seki’s playthings, but more often than not his nihilistic side takes over, such as his post-apocalyptic Game of Life. Even the cover gag is great. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 4 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media – It’s hard to believe this charming series is already halfway over! Onise’s friend, Futami, makes good on his promise to confess to Nao, and after he’s rejected is surprised to find that Onise is still willing to be his friend. Awesomely, Onise had completely trusted Nao the whole time, and then he sings a song of friendship. No, really. After he and Nao achieve first-name status, the focus shifts to fleshing out their friends. I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Yashiro, who has been lonely her whole life and who clung to her ne’er-do-well boyfriend until she realized she deserved something more. I really appreciated that he wasn’t depicted as pure evil and did care enough about her to let her go. Whether she and Misaki will eventually become a couple is up in the air, but I suspect the answer is yes. – Michelle Smith

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 22 | By Julietta Suzuki | VIZ Media – Kamisama Kiss continues towards its conclusion and benefits from the increased focus. This volume finds everyone in the Land of the Dead, having followed Kirihito there as he searches for Akura-Oh’s body. Tomoe thinks he’s going to be able to kill him, but he can’t, and later helps the lost spirit of a little girl, which seem to be signs that his heart is softening towards humans and that he, therefore, will eventually succeed in becoming one. Meanwhile, Nanami has been hiding the fact that she’s only got six months to live, and we get a great (though lamentably brief) scene where Mizuki is prepared to sacrifice someone else just to save her. She stops him, of course, and finally tells Tomoe what’s going on. He’s upset that she didn’t rely on him, but claims there’s a way to save her. Three volumes to go! – Michelle Smith

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 3-4 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – Seirin has steadily progressed through the Inter-High qualifiers, but now they must play two tough opponents on the same day. First, they face off against Seiho, who took them out of contention the prior year, and it was great to see the second-year characters get the chance to shine as they got payback. Seirin next advances to the match against Shutoku, a team with one of the Miracle Generation players on it. It’s a super-exciting game, in which Kagami gets perilously close to the “I can win on my own” line until Kuroko snaps him out of it. One of the great things about these two-in-one editions is that one volume-ending cliffhanger is nullified, but the buzzer-beater cliffhanger at the end of volume four is inescapable. Argh! Now I am good and hooked. – Michelle Smith

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 4 | By nanao and HaccaWorks* | Yen Press – After an event-filled third volume, this new book seems to be spinning its wheels a bit, I’m afraid. This is always the difficulty with adapting visual novels, which fans buy knowing that there will be piles and piles of dialogue, only some of which may be relevant to the plot. Focusing on what interested me, then, the revelation that Tougo’s mother was abducted by a man in a fox mask right in front of him puts a chilling spin on current events. And I always enjoy seeing the two cute yet slightly insane yokai girls, who get a side-story cameo here and I wish did more. As for the main plot, I’m hoping things will pick up in the next book. – Sean Gaffney

The Prince in His Dark Days, Vol. 1 | By Hico Yamanaka | Kodansha Comics – I always do enjoy it when the first volume of a new series sets a mood, but it can be difficult when that mood is ‘horribly bleak and depressing.’ Atsuko is poor, her father is drunk, she’s doing compensated dating and it is suggested she’ll be doing prostitution soon. Luckily, she’s kidnapped by a group of rich young men, at first because the family heir wants to dress up in her clothing, and secondly when said heir disappears, and they ask her to dress up as him for a while. Most series with that premise would play it for laughs, but this is dead serious, and even the young hot bodyguards have tragic backstories and hidden secrets. A good start, but I’d hate to binge read something this heavy. – Sean Gaffney

The Boy and the Beast, Vol. 2 | By Mamoru Hosada and Renji Asai | Yen Press – I don’t think I ever reviewed the first volume of the manga adaptation of this, but it’s a very nice adaptation. It hits the high points of the book and shows how Kyuta and Kumatetsu both irritate and inspire each other. The journey to discover what strength is is more hilarious and less character building than the novel, but that’s fine—the jokes are excellent. We also get the timeskip here, meaning Kyuta now ends up back in modern-day Japan and meets Kaede, a high school girl with a troubled relationship with her parents. That said, the two worlds are separate for a reason, and the next volume will get deeper into that. My guess is this runs four volumes. It’s worth a look, and great for kids. – Sean Gaffney

Complex Age, Vol. 2 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Volume one ended with the cliffhanger of Nagisa being spotted at a cosplay event by her hardass coworker, Hayama. However, it turns out that Hayama is a cosplayer, too, and they become friends, only for Nagisa to watch helplessly as Hayama is driven to resign once someone at the office finds her sultry in-character photos and distributes them. Coworkers are not the only threat to Nagisa’s precious world, but the other one involves a big surprise that is the real reveal of this volume. Maybe other readers saw that coming, but I surely didn’t! I really want Nagisa to be able to triumph here, to be able to retain her sense of joy in a pursuit that isn’t hurting anyone, but in a series so capable of surprising me, I honestly have doubts that we will get a sunny, happy ending. And that’s a good thing! Don’t miss this one. – Michelle Smith

Don’t Be Cruel, Vols. 3-4 | By Yonezou Nekota | SuBLime – In order to evalate this double volume on its own merits, I decided to try to forget the horrible way the series began. Now, we find Maya and Nemugasa changed by their relationship, to the point where previously irresponsible Maya has begun to give serious consideration to his future. He starts studying like mad, and comes to appreciate how hard Nemugasa’s been working all this time. I liked that part, but of course, there is drama and misunderstanding aplenty, especially when a quick fast-forward takes the guys into college, where Nemugasa ends up prioritizing a friend who got dumped over a hot springs outing with Maya, and nearly gets dumped as a result. I don’t know; I still find both of these guys somewhat annoying, and the bonus chapter about a fellow student and a teacher was pretty icky, too. I may be done for good now. – Michelle Smith

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 14 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki – “Reinvigorating” is the word that comes to mind to describe this volume of Food Wars!. As part of the stagiaire program, Soma has been assigned to work in Shinomiya’s high-end French restaurant, which is his biggest challenge to date. He had been secure in his knowledge of how family restaurants operate, but this one is completely different. It is excellent to see him flounder and rebound, and his typical cockiness is tempered somewhat as a result. He’s still confident, but also respectful and eager to learn. By week’s end, he’s managed to incorporate elements of Shinomiya’s techniques into a traditional dish, putting him one step closer to finding his own specialty. Much like a shounen battle manga, we get glimpses of how the other students are getting stronger in their assignments, too. Then it’s time to meet the Council of Ten. I seriously love this series. – Michelle Smith

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 8 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – I’ve reached the point where I would drop this if I didn’t know that it was going to end soon. The relationship between Kana, Aki and Eriya is front and center in this volume, and Kana’s love for Aki really doesn’t enter into it at all. Each volume she’s gotten less and less to do, to the point where she’s literally a passive mind-controlled hostage by the end of this book, dressed up as Eve for no reason other than dramatic effect. Slightly more interesting is Eriya’s backstory, which manages to be quite grotesque, though suffers from the art being too pretty—imagine what this series would have been like had Kaori Yuki written it. (Imagine the body count, which would have tripled.) For diehards only. – Sean Gaffney

The Honor Student at Magic High School, Vol. 4 | By Tsutomu Sato and Yu Mori | Yen Press – This is the first volume of this series that I’ve read after reading the source novel it’s a spinoff of, and it’s amazing how much more sense it makes now. In fact, it’s becoming clearer why Yen licensed this spinoff but not the main manga series—the two must be mostly identical, as Honoka and Shizuku don’t get much to do here, so the majority of this is the events of the first volume, only from Miyuki’s perspective rather than Tatsuki’s. This isn’t a bad thing, as Miyuki’s thoughts, brother complex aside, are quite different from the stoic male lead viewpoint. It would appear that the next spinoff volume deals with the third novel’s plotline, so I am relieved the book will be out first. – Sean Gaffney

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