Michelle Smith

Sean, Anna, and Michelle present the final briefs column of 2015!

Aldnoah Zero, Vol. 1 | By Olympus Knights and Pinakes | Yen Press – A manga tie-in based on a popular mecha anime, Aldnoah Zero seems designed to give the fans what they want. There’s really not much here in terms of innovation, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if the manga called itself Gendom. We meet a bunch of high school kids training to be mecha pilots, an idealistic princess who avoids getting killed off in this first volume but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, several cynical soldiers whose desire is war and conquest, and even a snotty, arrogant pilot who kills off supposed allies and mercilessly tries to crush young children for the lulz. It reads smoothly, and the action sequences are fine, but if you want a manga like this, read Gundam. It’s better. – Sean Gaffney

Barakamon, Vol. 8 | By Satsuki Yoshino| Yen Press – This volume seems to be divided into two halves. The first half is the more lighthearted, showing Miwa and Tama’s class going on a class trip, and proving to the reader that it’s not just Handa they act up around. We also see Handa attempting to deal with the village some more, and as you’d expect he gets run ragged. Things quiet down for the second half, when a sudden passing means we get a wake and funeral, and Handa tries to awkwardly help as best he can, proving that despite his awkwardness he’s really a nice, kind person. We again get a suggestion, but no confirmation, that Naru is an orphan, but she seems content with that, and admits the reason she doesn’t like funerals is everyone cries. This is a really sweet series. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | Viz Media – The action and stakes pick up a bit in volume three. The first story centers on a mystery, as Himari learns that one of her new friends that she’s invited back to Momochi House is dead. A new antagonist suddenly appears, as Kasha, a ayakashi with the power of black flames decides to stir things up. A longer, more involved story shows Aoi as the Nue taking Himari to an annual ritual, showing the difficult cost of Aoi serving as the guardian of Momochi House. Overall, this volume had a good mix of action, backstory, and a little bit of character development. I think the series is getting better as it progresses. – Anna N

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 5 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – After giving us a lot of backstory in the first volume, this series seemed content to coast for a bit. Well, enjoyable as that was, it ends here, as we amp up the plotline with lots of new characters, troubling revelations, and threats against our heroine. Sadly, the last one means we get the least Kana we’ve had to date, as she’s kidnapped—again—but this is made up for with her childhood flashback self, who has the standard tragic and horribly friendless backstory. I was less impressed with the main fight/confrontation, mostly as it can sometimes be hard to keep track of all the pretty boys, and things got a bit chaotic. Still, this is the halfway point of the series, and I’m still keeping up and ready for the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 5 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – The first half of this volume is deceptive. It starts off feeling very much like a stock shoujo episode wherein the heroine and her bishounen pals go to a hot spring and hey, everyone they know is there! It’s not amusing, despite a few gags (including a cliffhanger where Jin mistakenly climbs into Kana’s futon), and just when I was beginning to grumble about the series spinning its wheels, suddenly the revelations start pouring out. Kana initially has only fragmented memories of her past, but once she gets spirited away by the head of the Tsubakiin family, the details begin to emerge. Not all of these details make sense yet, especially what will happen to Aki once he finishes collecting the scattered stigma, but this series got darker and more interesting in a hurry. I’m definitely in ’til the end with this one. – Michelle Smith

Komomo Confiserie , Vol. 2 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – So far, this seems like the Maki Minami series that I’m going to stick with. I’m enjoying the combination of psychotic pastry chef protectiveness in Natsu and Komomo’s odd approach to friendship and slowly becoming a real girl. Komomo goes on an ill-fated double date with new friend Rise, but Komomo is able to quickly perceive when Rise’s boyfriend is actually using her for her money. Another suitor appears in the form of an apprentice shoemaker from a rich family, and it will be interesting to see now Natstu deals with a potential rival for Komomo’s friendship. Looking forward to the next volume. – Anna N

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 11 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – The author says that lots of people thought she would end the series after Yamato and Mei made love at the end of the last volume, and she’s pushing back against that a bit. Which is fine, as there’s more to a shoujo manga than just who ends up with who, but you can hear the wheels screeching a bit as they turn in this volume. We see Mei beginning to worry a bit about her future, as she’s still not quite sure what to do with her life. We also see her worrying about her weight, not uncommon for a young girl just starting a sexual relationship. This introduces us to two new characters, who I suspect will take over on plot contrivances for a little longer. Still, if there’s a series I’m happy to see dragged out, it’s this one. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 1 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Sakamichi Onoda is a friendless, fervent otaku whose desire for capsule toys has compelled him to make weekly 90 km round trips (by bicycle) to Akihabara since the third grade. He doesn’t realize that this is exceptional until he enrolls at at high school with a skilled bicycle racing club and makes friends who recognize his natural ability and get him fired up for the world of racing. Some of the early art is a bit wonky—especially faces—but it improves over the course of the volume, and the race sequences are absorbing. Yowamushi Pedal also has a few attributes that remind me of Slam Dunk, including a brash redhead clashing against a calmer rival and a girl whose love of bicycles is inspired by her older brother. That not a complaint, though. Just an observation. I’m really looking forward to the next volume! – Michelle Smith

Sean and Michelle give the gift of briefs!

Bloody Mary, Vol. 1 | By Akaza Samamiya | VIZ Media – I’m not really sure how I feel about this one. The basic premise is that “Bloody” Mary is a vampire who can’t be killed by normal means, so he seeks out Maria (also male) who supposedly possesses a power that could kill him. Only Maria doesn’t—we later find out some other family is devoted to making sure he doesn’t learn about it—and, tired of fending off ravenous vampires out for his delicious blood, Maria conscripts Mary as a bodyguard until he can learn how to kill him. This might sound kind of interesting, and it kind of is, but it’s also repetitive as heck! About 90% of Bloody’s dialogue consists of entreaties to Maria to kill him, and the other 10% is him resisting consuming Maria’s blood. Both characters have missing memories, too, which are hinted at a few times. I’ll keep reading for now, but I’m underwhelmed so far. – Michelle Smith

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 2 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – This is a bit less over-the-top and silly than the first volume, and therefore it makes me slightly more uncomfortable. The four leads (well, more accurately the 3 leads and Mutsumi, who seems to be the only person concerned with Kae’s boundaries) are all still very much trying to show to Kae that they really like and want to date her, and she’s not only still having none of it, but is freaking out a bit at all the attention, to the point of having a nervous breakdown. It’s framed as her disliking reality over fantasy, but more accurately it could simply be sheer overload of new feelings. The best chapter was likely the last, where the gang goes to Comiket and we see Kae rescued by a new character. Problematic fun, let’s keep it silly. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 2 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – I enjoyed the second volume of Komomo Confiserie more than the first, largely because Komomo herself has become a better person. She’s made a friend in classmate Rise, and proves to be very reliable when it comes to helping Rise confess her feelings to a guy who, unfortunately, turns out to be a creep. Somehow, this experience convinces Komomo that she wants to be in love, and though a pretend romance with Natsu quickly fizzles, it seems she might have met a contender by the end of the volume. I appreciate how Komomo’s commanding presence helps her friends in times of need, and how she’s still content with the life that she’s living even if she’s now poor, but must confess that, overall, this series has so far failed to live up to Voice Over! in my esteem. Oh well. Can’t win ’em all. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 15 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – After getting a lot to do last time, Aladdin is confined to the final pages in the new volume. And Morgiana gets to show off her awesomeness, but it’s all too brief. So it’s up to Alibaba to provide the bulk of the shonen awesome here, as he enters gladiator school and immediately has to deal with a hideous monster, who in true shonen tradition he not only beats but befriends. I love that Cassim and his influence have not faded into backstory. That said, what everyone will be talking about here is the political turmoil and civil war in the Kou Empire, and Kogyoku may prove to be the one sympathetic character in the entire family, as we meet the Empress Consort, and she’s pretty evil. Magi is addictive. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 15 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – There is quite a lot to like in this volume. We begin with Alibaba seeking to join gladiator training school and, in the process, achieving clarity of purpose by incorporating Cassim’s strength into his own and realizing what he must do for his country. Meanwhile, Hakuryu shows a similar determination regarding the Kou Empire’s destiny, ruled now by his messed-up yet extremely powerful mother, while Aladdin becomes top student at the magic school and Morgiana takes a literal leap of faith on her own journey. On top of the satisfying shounen rite of our heroes becoming stronger, we also get a healthy dose of the expanding world and introductions to several women in positions of leadership. Magi is a skillfully crafted series and I recommend it most highly. – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 31 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As with most books starting a new arc, much of this volume is dedicated to worldbuilding, which in Toriko means new monsters and new foods. This can be terrifying (the leech heel), hilarious (the travel frogs), or both (the Soylent Mean, which I suspect was a different but equally horrible pun in Japanese). Toriko and company show off their new awesome skills, and Komatsu shows he’s not just being dragged around and can literally cook anything at all as well as having amazing ‘food luck.’ We also get the return of Brunch the Tengu, which leads to more goofiness just by his very presence. Nothing earthshaking happens here, but if you follow Toriko, this volume is not going to change your mind—it’s solid. – Sean Gaffney

Sean and Michelle are at it again.

Bloody Mary, Vol. 1 | By Akaza Samamiya | Viz Media – Given the glut of vampire titles on the market these days, I usually try to find something different about a debut that helps it to stand out from the pack. Sadly, I’m not sure I got anything from Bloody Mary, which has just gotten started but didn’t really leave me with a desire to continue. While not a BL title, the author has done a lot of BL, and the subtext is certainly there—the two leads are a somewhat puppyish uke and a somewhat sadistic seme. And there’s lots of secrets, and traditions, and amnesia, and a somewhat smug female vampire who I suspect will be dead in 2-3 more volumes. Honestly, while not a BL title, that may be its best audience—there’s something for them here. Vampire fans might want to look elsewhere. – Sean Gaffney

Chocolate Cosmos, Vol. 3 | By Nana Haruta | VIZ Media (digital only) – There’s no escaping the fact that Chocolate Cosmos is a stereotypical shoujo manga. In this volume, for example, Valentine’s Day has arrived and Sayuki Sakurai is determined to confess her love to baby-faced teacher Katsuya Hagiwara, oblivious to the fact that her childhood friend has feelings for her. That said, I applaud Hagiwara for shutting down her fantasies, and must say that I really do have no idea who Sayuki is going to end up with (though this is partly due to having zero insight into Hagiwara’s thoughts and feelings). Probably if this series were any longer, I would not feel so charitably towards it, but it’s short (concluding in the next volume) and pleasant, and sometimes those attributes are enough to induce me to see a series through to the end. – Michelle Smith

Crown of Thorns, Vol. 1 | By Yoko Kamio | VIZ Media (digital only) – Prickly loner Nobara Fukami has no patience for her fake and manipulative classmates. She’s also been hearing an eerie voice in her head since the age of five, and when she turns sixteen, the demon finally manifests corporeally and tasks her with creating orbs of human negativity that he’ll consume to gain rank in the demon hierarchy. There are reasons why Nobara is obliged to comply, but she’s a strong heroine and resists being cast in the servant role. After demanding to be treated as an equal partner, she ultimately finds that the demon (whom she dubs Lucio) understands her better than anyone else ever has. I really enjoyed this debut volume and am kind of bummed that the series is complete in two volumes. I hope we get Cat Street next! – Michelle Smith

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 9 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Soma may be the star of the show, but as a Jump manga we also get to see the supporting cast develop and grow. Megumi’s arc was my favorite in this particular volume—she lost, yes, that was expected given the genre and the fact that it’s a tournament arc. But her excitement and drive to test herself further is what’s really important here. Likewise, Alice’s defeat is a humbling lesson on needing to see the entire picture when making a meal. I’m not sure if Soma’s going to win this thing—given the clichés of the genre, he should be defeated before the finals—but whatever happens, he’ll get something important out of it as well. Also, as always, completely hungry after reading this, this time for hamburgers. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 2 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Komomo was a bit of a spoiled brat in the first volume, but having been appropriately humbled, she may be shifting a bit too much to the other direction, as she’s almost a saint in this book. Admittedly this is something that Maki Minami does in all her titles, as the men in them stand agog at the perfection of their respective love interests. This one’s not as long as Special A or Voice Over!, so we’ll see if it wears out its welcome before the end. ‘Til then, this isn’t deep, but is fun and light. Also, if you believe that “arranged marriage is likely void” line, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Don’t be surprised if this is a future plot twist—indeed, we may have met the other party already. – Sean Gaffney

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 1 | Story by HaccaWorks*, Art by nanao | Yen Press – I didn’t know anything about this series before I started reading it. Literally, I judged it by its cover (“Ooh, pretty!”) and was intrigued enough to flip through it. The charmingly wispy-looking artwork convinced me that it was indeed my sort of manga, and now that I’ve read it I’m happy I took the chance. In look and feel, Of the Red… reminds me of Natsume’s Book of Friends, one of my favorite series, but it’s more plot-driven (thanks to its visual novel origins, I presume), as it takes place in a town whose station passing trains never seem to notice and whose inhabitants have a way of disappearing. Yue and his two new friends resolve to find out who’s responsible, but he hasn’t told them that he’s supposed to choose one of them for his next meal. I’m really looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

A Silent Voice, Vol. 4 | By Yoshitoki Oima | Kodansha Comics – As predicted, things continue to get complex for our lead couple… well, not really a couple. Shoko may have realized she loves Shoya, but she can’t communicate this to him. And given Shoya is having trouble understanding the concept of basic friendship, I’m fairly certain he’s not remotely ready for love. Meanwhile, Naoka proves to be even more appalling than I was anticipating, trying to get us to understand that her victim blaming is just as valid. And worst of all, a tragedy leaves Shoko and her sister without one of the few good things in their life. A Silent Voice may not be a romance, but it’s certainly a dramatic potboiler, and I worry things will get even worse before they get better, but I’m there reading it anyway. – Sean Gaffney

Anna, Sean, and Michelle review a smattering of new releases.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 3 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – I love it when I find a Seven Seas title I can wholeheartedly support, and this is one of the best. We continue to develop the questionable relationship between Elias and Chise, and the supporting characters notice how codependent it’s starting to be. Chise, of course, is not in a headspace where she can accept this now, but she is growing by leaps and bounds, to the point where I worry she will seriously overextend herself in a volume or two. The rest of the book allows us to wander around British fantasy settings, complete with the Wandering Jew as one of the more terrifying pretty-boy villains I’ve seen in some time. Anyone who enjoys fantasy with a strong plot and characterization should be following this series. – Sean Gaffney

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 7 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – Koro-sensei may be a barrel of laughs (and I am very fond of the fact that even in the most serious situations the author still finds time for a panel or two of hilarity), but as a teacher, he’s first rate, be it assassinations or civics. Class 3-E may still be in the doghouse, but their performance in the exams this semester makes you want to punch your fist in the air. Even the headmaster’s “just as planned” seems rather hollow. The class is also getting more skilled at planning assassinations, and their attempt towards the end of the volume was the closest they’ve been yet. Of course, now we get a new crisis and cliffhanger. Sounds like it’s Nagisa and Kayano to the rescue. Always grateful to Viz for licensing this. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 9 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – The Fall Classic has reached the quarter-final stage! After Soma pulls off a bento victory against amazingly talented Alicie Nakiri, it’s Megumi’s turn to shine in a ramen battle. It’s great to see her holding her own, exhibiting confidence, determination, and talent, and I appreciate that female chefs are treated as worthy adversaries in this series. There’s not too much fanservice in this volume, either, as it’s mostly the (older, male) judges reacting in silly ways to the foods they are tasting. Actually, the only icky moment comes in the form of live-turtle butchery, but even that is somewhat redeemed when it leads to an Ultraman versus Gamera sort of homage. Food Wars! is great fun and always leaves me wishing I had more volumes to devour. – Michelle Smith

Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 9 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – A timeskip, even one involving reincarnation, has been seen in manga before, but I don’t recall too many that have then returned again, as we start the climax of Inu x Boku SS by returning to the characters as we knew them at the start of the series. This allows for a few attempts at humor, (mostly in the first half, as there are three side-stories before the continuation proper), but for the most part it’s down to business as our heroes read the letters from their future selves and decide what to do. We also get some insight into Zange’s past, and he seems a lot less goofy and annoying than he was before. Now, however, everyone’s about to be split up. How are things going to go from here? Still a good supernatural thriller. – Sean Gaffney

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – We’ve seen quite a few power-hungry schemers throughout this series, but none has been as odious as Tokugawa Harusada, who holds the reins of government while her son, good-hearted but timid Ienari, serves as an ornamental shogun whose only responsibility is to beget heirs. In comparison to someone like Hisamichi, who did bad things out of love of Yoshimune, Harusada comes off as just plain evil. It’s a bit hard to take, honestly, but balancing out her reign of terror is a hopeful storyline in which Aonuma’s former disciples not only find happiness outside the palace, but work towards fulfilling the dream of creating a vaccine to stop the redface pox once and for all. I absolutely love that Yoshinaga shows how strongly Aonuma and Gennai live on in the memories of those who worked alongside them; it gets me right in the feels. – Michelle Smith

So Cute it Hurts!!, Vol. 4 | By Go Ikeyamada | Viz Media – This series continues to be relentlessly adorable, as twins Megumu and Mitsuru go on some unconventional datas. Megumu and Aoi go out, even though he can’t be any closer to her than two feet. This complication doesn’t hinder the blushing couple. Mitsuru gets into his kendo gear to answer a challenge from Azusa. He assumes that they are going to fight, but they take their combat to the closest video arcade. This volume was extremely light and fluffy, but there are hints of complications ahead. This is fun to read, even though it is a bit superficial. – Anna N