Michelle Smith

Barakamon, Vol. 10 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – This is without a doubt the best volume of Barakamon to date, coming full circle to show off what began the title: Handa’s troubled relationship with his father, and his inability to stop overthinking his calligraphy. He can’t avoid the topic this time, though, as his parents are in town to visit, and we begin to see that Handa’s father is not the heartless strict man that previous chapters may have made him out to be. It all culminates in a father/son battle at Naru’s school, showing off how good his father REALLY is, but also that when Handa isn’t trying, he can have moments of genius that make his father realize that he has a true rival on his hands. A brilliant volume, and I didn’t even get to Kirie, a trans character who’s very well-handled. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 3 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – Being best friends can be very comforting, whereas being in love can be terrifying. So it’s no surprise that much of this third volume of Horimiya sees Hori and Miyamura desperately trying to avoid their relationship changing, even if it means simply sticking their fingers in their ears and going la la la. In the meantime, we meet a couple of new cast members, one of whom seems to have a thing for Ishikawa, in case you wondered if we weren’t going to have more love triangles. It’s all relaxed and heartwarming rather than angsty or wacky, though, and so it just feels good to read. I especially liked the simple presence that Miyamura gives Hori when she’s sick, possibly the sweetest moment in a sweet volume. – Sean Gaffney

Maid-sama!, Vols. 7-8 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – This was better than the previous volume, I will grant you. Admittedly, I found both side-stories fairly tedious, even if it gave us a chance to see Misaki as a delinquent. Misaki still spends most of the volume flushing in embarrassment, but is beginning to admit her feelings, even if it’s like pulling teeth. Usui’s perfection may be put to the test soon, as we see his jealousy and longing observing the wacky-yet-loving antics of Misaki’s family. (We also meet her younger sister, one of my favorite characters.) And we get set up for what I suspect will be the next major plot arc, the student council elections. Will Misaki get re-elected, or will the guys manage to get their Dark Horse in? Also, we’re now caught up with Tokyopop. – Sean Gaffney

Maid-sama!, Vols. 7-8 | By Hiro Fujiawara | VIZ Media – As I’ve been rereading Maid-sama! in VIZ’s new editions, I’ve had cause to wonder why I’d been so eager for a license rescue of this series. Now, at last, I remember. After several volumes of harassment, bickering, and episodic filler, Misaki and Usui are finally honest with each other about their feelings. Although I could argue that the smooch they share to the accompaniment of fireworks is somewhat cliché, this welcome development still makes me interested to find out how much the series might improve going forward. I do hope, however, that we’re not expected to take dull-as-dishwater Hinata seriously as a romantic rival, though I do sadistically enjoy it when Usui torments him. Aoi can also feel free to fall off the face of the Earth. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 12 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Well, there was no way that Hisame was going to be able to keep up being irredeemably evil for the rest of the series, particularly given that the rest of the cast aren’t exactly wonderful people. And so over the course of this volume it becomes apparently that he’s really just a petulant child who enjoys breaking his toys and hates it when they’re taken away from him. Mami is his old favorite, and the idea that she might actually be falling for Akira infuriates him. And his new toy, Yukina, is having trouble coping herself, especially with Shigure MIA for most of the book. Her novel is being affected by the fact that true love is not running at all smoothly. Still 100% trash, and 100% addictive. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou, Vol. 2 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – The ensemble is an important part of Nichijou, and we get to see more of them here, including Nakanojou’s non-mohawk personality traits, the amusing (and possibly romantic) antics of the Go/Soccer Club, and Misato becoming such a tsundere that aliens literally suck her up into the sky out of embarrassment. At its heart, though, the series knows that it stars Yuuko, whose puns are too lame to react to, whose tsukkomi reactions are simply unstoppable (though at least in the end she manages to get Mai to show something other than her poker face), and whose daydreams involve time cubes destroying the world (possibly as they have more or less than four). Nichijou remains strange and wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 10 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – I just want to sigh contentedly after finishing a volume of this much-beloved series. Not only does so much of the food look delicious—things that made me salivate this volume include croquettes and pancakes!—but I genuinely adore Shiro and Kenji, and find myself identifying with them a lot, especially in relation to their aging woes. Parents having surgery, middle-aged partners who lament the loss of their youthful physique… definitely some universal rites of passage. No, there’s no big drama here, unless you count a new hairstyle for one of the protagonists or future career prospects for Shiro, but it’s so all so comforting and lovely that I am not complaining one little bit. My love for What Did You Eat Yesterday? knows no bounds! – Michelle Smith

D-Frag!, Vol. 8 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – I fear that this volume of D-Frag! is still on the island beach adventure, and it drags it out a bit too long, in my opinion. There are still some great gags—one of the all-girls’ school classmates being a clone of Oscar from Rose of Versailles led to some hilarious situations—but I am happy to be back at school in the end. As for the plot, we are reminded that this is still a group of kids who will compete in any competitive game, no matter how stupid or how embarrassing the consequences. (Well, except for poor Funabori, who’s simply an innocent bystander.) Even if they have to rewrite the rules as they go along, they will win. As for the supposed harem aspect, well, that’s mocked as much as everything else. Subpar, but still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Vol. 3 | By Nami Sano | Seven Seas – It was inevitable for someone who can draw people into his orbit as much as Sakamoto that he would invariably meet up against a real villain, and we’re introduced to one here: Fukase, a repeat offender who enjoys “erasing” popular kids from the school, and is now out to ruin Sakamoto as much as he can. Of course, Sakamoto is not defeated so easily, and that’s where most of the comedy comes in, as we see him taking on the typical athletic and cultural festivals and coming out on top. Fukase seems made of sterner stuff, though, and I suspect the fourth and final volume will amount to a big confrontation. Or maybe not; after all, this is a gag manga first and foremost. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 3 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I genuinely anticipate and enjoy each new volume of this series. Miyamura and Hori are both incredibly likable, and I especially liked getting to see a different side of Miyamura in this installment, as he is reunited with a friend from middle school. Spending time with this crowd is lovely. But… I can’t help wanting the two leads to get together, already! I mean, they’re in that stage where they both kind of know that their feelings are mutual but they’re afraid to ruin their friendship and… argh! Why does it bother me when, say, Skip Beat!, still dragging things out for 30+ volumes, doesn’t? Perhaps it’s that their relationship is pretty much the sole focus of the thing. Maybe next volume they’ll either get together or find some career goals and I will be appeased. – Michelle Smith

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 15 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical Comics – The final volume of Sidonia spends 3/4 of its time locked in a deadly final battle with the Gauna. Sacrifices are made, stuff blows up, and there is much shouting of orders and cool mecha things. As for our hero and surprise heroine, both try their hardest to sacrifice their lives for each other. But in the end, Nihei makes good on his promise that this was a bit less bleak and more hopeful than his other works, and we get what’s fairly close to a happy ending. I’ll admit I was somewhat confused at where we ended up, as the characters get even more genderfluid and speciesfluid than we’d seen before, but the ending—with Izana going to explore space, and Tanikaze staying behind to raise a family, is very sweet. -Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 15 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I was pretty concerned when I learned Knights of Sidonia would end with the fifteenth volume. It just seemed like there wasn’t enough time to wrap things up in a satisfying way. However, I’m happy to report that, although it’s true some things feel rushed—man, would I have loved more time with the character who changes genders off-camera!—Nihei-sensei is able to impart sufficient epic scope to humanity’s final battle with the Gauna that I found the result downright cinematic. I especially appreciated that, because of what’s happened in the story up to this point, I didn’t feel as though a happy ending was guaranteed. I couldn’t recommend this series more highly. And if you’ve enjoyed it, don’t forget Vertical is releasing BLAME! starting in September! – Michelle Smith

Log Horizon: The West Wind Brigade, Vol. 2 | By Koyuki and Mamare Touno | Yen Press – There are still elements of a harem comedy to this, and the cover promises lots of T&A, but covers lie as always. What we get instead is a surprisingly dark examination of the emotions of those trapped in the game during the first book. This takes place in the middle of Shiroe and company’s trek to rescue Serara, and is adept at showing both the chaos that was going on in Akiba while they were away, and also the leadup to what’s going to happen with Hamelin in the second novel. As for Soujiro Seta, it’s not just his looks that keep the female guild members enamored of him—he can be quite scary when he wants to be, while also keeping an optimism that contrasts with the series’ new villain, Magus. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, Vol. 4 | By Shirow Masamune and Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas – I had assumed that the Kabapu cameo would be just that, but no, he’s got a much larger role in this new volume, even if he is now mysteriously a black man. Even more surprising is the appearance of Momochi, who is once again Kabapu’s capable secretary, but shows more emotion in two chapters than she did in 27 volumes of Excel Saga—perhaps working for a man like him has finally started to push her over the edge. So it’s not a must read for Excel Saga fans, but I think they’ll find it of more interest than the previous three. As for Vlind, she continues to have Excel’s personality and Elgala’s luck. If this sounds like I’m ignoring the rest of the manga, you are correct. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 2 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Oh, sports manga. Why do you make me get all verklempt when the underdog surprises those who have underestimated him with a new technique? This second volume is comprised entirely of the first years’ welcome race, and it’s so fast-paced and addictive that I plowed through this chunky two-in-one omnibus in record time (which is fitting, I suppose). It’s too early for Onoda to win, of course, but he shows tremendous potential and impresses the older members of the bicycle racing club, whom it was great to get to know. I am extremely happy this series is 44 volumes and climbing in Japan, so I can continue to devour it for years to come. – Michelle Smith

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 2 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media- The vast majority of this volume is definitely super, super sweet. Nao sorts out who she truly has romantic feelings for, and her subsequent rain-soaked confession scene to Onise is one for the shoujo hall of fame. Reader, he cries and it is adorable. I also loved the scene where her uncle Sou warms to Onise, seeing in him the same desire to make Nao happy that he himself possesses. Also, there is an incredibly cute turtle. I can’t help, however, feeling apprehensive about this new friend Onise has made. Perhaps Ayaha is completely straightforward, but does he have ulterior motives? He makes me nervous. I will definitely be following this series ’til the end. – Michelle Smith

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 4 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – I did say last time that this is not a title one reads for the depth. In many ways, it’s like The Wallflower, in that four hot guys are forced to deal with the antics of an eccentric girl. Unlike The Wallflower, though, they all have feelings for her… or, to be more accurate, desires. Shinomiya is the focus of the last half, and being “the other blonde” in the group, he desperately needs it. But let’s face it, I think BL fans read this series more than typical romance fans, so the soccer backstory and rivalry between Igarashi and Nanashima will be far more interesting. As for Kae, she proves once more to be nice, sweet, batshit about BL, and utterly unaware that there’s a three-way battle for her going on (does Mutsumi count?). Mildly recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 17 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I’ll admit, this volume went in a direction that I was not expecting, as the evil Dumbledore tries, in his classroom, to explain to Aladdin and company why they are using the human underclass as magic livestock and letting them suffer. It turns out to be a cyclical abuse story, with magic users once being worked to death by uncaring humanity, including killing the daughter of the headmaster. That said, I’m fairly certain that this explanation is not going to fly with Aladdin, no matter how many cute little girls we see on the cover you save. Even worse, we see two warring countries trying to use the magic city for their own ends… and one side as Alibaba on it. I expect a lot of battling next time. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 2 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Having set up last time that this series consisted mostly of girls who are secretly “monsters” in some way, shape or form, and that it was going to be dedicated to gags rather than a serious romantic or thrilling plot, we can expect the second volume to expand the cast accordingly. And so we see Shiho, who seems to be a werewolf guy but is in reality a sex-changing werewolf with a lusty side… and by side I mean all of her. And there’s Akane, the school principal, who’s a demon that’s MUCH younger than she looks and whose great-granddaughter is their seemingly normal teacher. Not a lot happens to push the plot forward here, but there’s lots of great laughs, and that’s really all that matters. – Sean Gaffney

School Judgment: Gakkyu Hotei, Vol. 2 | By Nobuaki Enoki and Takeshi Obata | VIZ Media – I may not be the target audience for this series—someone out there must’ve really appreciated all of the emphasis on sixth-grade boobies, but it wasn’t me!—but I am a big fan of mysteries, so hoped I could at least enjoy that aspect of it. Sadly, I found the whodunits in this volume to be deeply boring, particularly the interminable plagiarism case. I’m not sure what it is that makes reading this such a slog for me. My interest did perk up when we got more information about the deadly classroom arbitration in Inugami’s past, for which he and two other surviving classmates were initially held responsible until they studied law and proved their innocence. The real perpetrator and motive are still unknown, and something tells me the third and final volume will deal with solving that case. I hope so, at any rate. – Michelle Smith

School Judgment: Gakkyu Hotei, Vol. 2 | By Nobuaki Enoki and Takeshi Obata | Viz Media – Shonen Jump is supposedly for young Japanese boys, around he ages of 8-12. In reality, of course, it tends to skew towards kids of all ages, and adults of all ages as well. So, for the kids, we have the story itself, which continues to deal with wrongful accusations, this time also extending outside the classroom environment, and introducing a second attorney to be a slightly better rival than Pine—though he ends up losing just the same. On the down side, we have lots of sexual shots of grade-schoolers in bikini swimsuits, as if they’re meant to be the same age as Nami or Orihime. Thankfully, this ends in one volume, where we’ll presumably meet the third wrongfully jailed contemporary of Abaku’s. – Sean Gaffney

A Silent Voice, Vol. 6 | By Yoshitoki Oima | Kodansha Comics – The entirety of this volume deals with what happens in the first few pages, where Shoya is able to rescue Shoko from leaping off of her apartment balcony, but ends up falling himself and going into a coma. What follows is an explosion of emotions from everyone, and I hope you don’t shy away from people being hit, because there’s a whole lot of that going on. Shoya’s friends have to examine their own actions, and wonder if they’re really done enough to reach out and heal wounds, or have they just gone with the flow? I liked Miyoko’s plot, and Naoka’s is fascinatingly realistic, but this volume is mostly all about Shoko and her suffering, which I hope lessens by the finale. – Sean Gaffney

Brace yourself for a briefy onslaught!

Akuma no Riddle, Vol. 3 | By Yun Kouga and Sunao Minakata | Seven Seas – Sadly, this series is proving to have diminishing returns, and I wonder if it’s being written for a set number of volumes, as I feel it’s not really taking the time to develop each assassin before we get their tragic backstory and they’re summarily removed from the story. As I predicted, the Takarazuka pair are one of the main focuses here, and turn out to be somewhat star-crossed themselves, so it’s appropriate that they kill each other. (Or do they? There’s some “recovering in hospital” talk here.) As for Azuma, I think she’s realized that there’s something deeper going on with Haru, but doesn’t really seem to care. I’m still following this, but do wonder what it will do when it runs out of girls .– Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 4 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – Given how this series is trying to develop Chise as a bride, and Elias is very much a paternal mentor character, at some point the author was going to have to, if not walk things back, at least even things out a bit. On Chise’s end, this comes by letting her grow into more power, as she gets a staff of her own, and now finds she can recall happy memories of her past in Japan, not just nightmares. For Elias, it shows us that in many ways he is just as innocent as she, and that much of what we assumed was a guiding hand was simply his total inability to ‘get’ human emotions. Now that Chise understands this as well, will they get closer? I don’t really care, so long as we get more pretty fantasy, to be honest. – Sean Gaffney

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 8 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – I begged for more focus last time, and unfortunately that’s not what I get. I suppose that’s one of the selling points of the series, you never know what you’ll get in any chapter. At its best, you get discussion on the true nature of modern art and discussion on how siblings can be very different even if they’re from the same family. At its worst, you get that cover, and a fantasy sequence where half the cast are menaced by sentient clothing-dissolving goo. And at its most problematic, we see this series’ fantasy version of Nazi Germany, which tries to show that racism is something we should overcome, while at the same time noting that it’s ubiquitous in human nature no matter if the species aren’t human. I can’t decide who would enjoy this. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 11 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – As I expected, the villain who specializes in imitation finds that he’s weak to last-minute improvisation on Soma’s part. Also as expected, he has a somewhat sad backstory, though honestly it’s only average compared to some folks here. The best part was Soma convincing him not to leave the school but keep striving to do better as a chef. Meanwhile, Ryo and Akira prove to be almost equally matched—in fact, so equally matched that it ends up being a tie, meaning that the next volume will have a three-way final. I expect Soma will lose, as it’s far too early in a Shonen Jump series to have him win a competition like this. The joy will be in seeing how he responds to that adversity. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 11 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – Man, there were a lot of fanservice-y reaction shots in this volume! I guess that’s to be expected, given that we’re in the semi-final round of the Fall Classic, but it does still bug me that in one moment, female chefs are lauded as “culinary monsters” and in the next, everything is all about their boobs. Sigh. Anyway, the actual cooking in this volume is pretty great, especially the beef stew battle between Soma and copycat Mimasaka. Also, as a Southerner, I was amused by the crowd’s reaction to the foreign notion of mesquite. I was less captivated by the matchup between the other two semifinalists (eel and prunes?! UGH!) but am looking forward to the finals! – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 8 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – This is perhaps the first volume of My Love Story!! that I wasn’t 100% happy with. Oh, don’t get me wrong; there’s still lots of wonderfulness here, particularly between our main couple. But if you are going to have a guy forcibly kiss someone, and then have Takeo whack him and tell him that this was the wrong thing to do, don’t then reward him anyway 20 or so pages later. It sends the wrong message. I’m also not too pleased with the guy introduced towards the end, though we don’t get to see too much of him. Most of the obstacles to Takeo and Yamato have been subtly handled, but this looks like it may be as subtle as a brick. That said, despite these faults, this remains essential reading. – Sean Gaffney

Shuriken and Pleats, Vol. 1 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media – I suppose the good news is that I ended up liking Shuriken and Pleats more than I expected to. Mikage has been raised as a ninja, and while that imbues her with admirable characteristics like level-headedness and competence, it also means that she hasn’t been encouraged to feel emotion or consider her future goals. After her master is killed, she attempts to heed his wishes for her happiness by moving to Japan and becoming a regular schoolgirl, but gets embroiled in more trouble. Honestly, all the stuff about rival ninjas and seeds and poisons and antidotes is incredibly boring, but I liked Mikage’s journey towards becoming a regular girl in mourning for someone she loved very much. I’ll definitely read the second and final volume! – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 33 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Well, I only have myself to blame. After ending my last review worried that Komatsu was going to be kidnapped or killed off, we get a bit of both, as he’s now in a coma with a void where his heart should be. As a result, Toriko and friends have to head to a kingdom of giant plant life, ruled by a monkey king that we don’t see much of but I suspect will prove to be difficult. We also get some disturbing post-fight images, as several monkeys that face off against Toriko are later shown to have killed themselves in order to make amends. Toriko, thankfully, finds one who hasn’t yet and explains why it’s the wrong thing to do. Still not as much food love here, but there’s typical Jump battles to make up for it. – Sean Gaffney

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 7 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – We actually get a lot of new information here. First of all, witches can have their powers removed—which comes as a relief to Maria, whose future-vision is a pain in the ass. The guy who can do it turns out to also be running for student council president. We meet Miyamura’s sister, who was close to finding the seventh witch before something completely broke her. But perhaps most importantly, Yamada has finally realized that his feelings for Shiraishi are love. Naturally, this leads to more problems, but I am pleased with how things are progressing, and at this rate I suspect the series should be done in four or five more volumes. (Looks at current volume count.) Oh. – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 9 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – There’s a lot packed into this volume, ranging from showing how much more Class E is actually learning from Koro-sensei, to kicking off some romantic ship tease between Irina and Karasuma (good to see his the typical romantically clueless male). But the most important part of the volume discusses what it actually means to be an assassin, and how it’s different from being a soldier, or being a fighter. Koro-sensei is teaching the class the skills they need at assassination, but do any of the kids really have the desire to kill someone? (Or even the tragic background that we see Irina has here.) But, most importantly, will Kayano ever get to do anything ever? We may at least find that out next time. – Sean Gaffney

Golden Time, Vol. 3 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – Any chance at romantic moves forward is shut down in the first few pages—Kaga rejects Banri’s confession, but hopes they can be friends. Honestly, it’s for the best for both of them. Banri is still dealing with his amnesia—and judging by the flashback we see, was quite different back then from his present self. Kaga, meanwhile, is still a hot mess of issues, which she handles in the most extroverted, aggravating way possible. Then there’s the added issue of Linda, who clearly knew Banri in the past—and he is aware of this—but is keeping it from him for some unknown reason. Essentially, we continue barrelling along far too fast, and the ensuing car crash, when it comes, will be awful in the best way. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 2 | By Amu Meguro | Viz Media – Now that we have resolved the whole “he’s really mean” plot that kicked this off, and Nao is able to realize that she does not, in fact, have romantic feelings for her uncle after all, the series can go on to do what it does very well, which is be sweet and charming. When you have two very awkward leads (and their awkward friend—Yashiro is really the odd one out here), there’s usually a lot of cute blushing, awkward almost missed dates, and apologies. Of course, as we find near the end, Taiga can’t quite get away from the fact that everyone still views him as a thug. And there’s also the dreaded new guy who enters the picture at the end of the volume. Enemy? New love interest? Ah well, at least it will be sweet. – Sean Gaffney

The Honor Student at Magic High School, Vol. 2 | By Tsutomu Sato and Yu Mori | Yen Press – I don’t think I even reviewed the first volume of this. When the Irregular volume was delayed from November to April, its spinoff manga was left in place, sadly. As a result, we see an alternate telling of a story I haven’t read yet, told from the perspective of the sister of the main novel character. On the plus side, the world is well-formed, and should please those who like ‘magic academy’ series in general. On the minus side, the heroine seems to be flawless with the exception of her massive brother complex, and anyone reading this had better have a very high tolerance for incestuous feelings of yearning. I suspect this series will work better after the novel comes out next month. – Sean Gaffney

My Little Monster, Vol. 13 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – The thirteenth and final volume of My Little Monster includes assorted goodies for the die-hard fan. There are a few chapters from the point of view of characters whose perspectives we don’t generally see, a lovely wedding ceremony (with Nagoya the chicken included!), quite a lot of 4-koma, some character profiles, fanbook excerpts, even a maze. I’d say we did learn a few new things about some characters, and even though I wish for more detail about Natsume and Sasayan’s future, the glimpse we get here will sustain me. It says a lot about this series that Robico’s joke sequel announcement at the end of the volume made me go, “I’d read that!” Any chance to spend a little more time with these characters was and will always be welcome. – Michelle Smith

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 24 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – One of these days, I’ll have to read Pandora Hearts straight through because I am still forgetting things in between volumes. As a result, some of what happens in this final volume is rather confusing. The basic gist, however, is that the world the characters inhabit is crumbling, and our heroes must find a way to stabilize their existence without changing the past. The characters are well-served here—I was happy to see the living draw upon their memories of the departed when deciding which side they were on and the ending also delivers major feels. Happy, sad, lovely and bittersweet, it’s everything I could’ve wanted the conclusion of this story to be. Well done, Mochizuki-sensei. – Michelle Smith