Michelle Smith

Sean and Michelle are back with a bevy of briefs!

Attack on Titan Junior High, Vol. 4 | By Saki Nakagawa | Kodansha Comics – It continues to be difficult to tell the players without a scorecard in this spinoff that parodies every other spinoff as well. So we see Kuklo and Sharle having their own very silly adventures, and the canonically dead parents of Eren, as well as the “long-lost” sister of Krista/Historia, both show up and are as silly as the rest. That said, the series is not content to coast on running gags and repetition, and we see several types of humor I would not otherwise have expected—the most startling being a sequence where Sasha has to play the straight man to three people even more idiotic than she is. Attack on Titan is a giant goof, and the translation is as loose as ever, but it’s still fun. – Sean Gaffney

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 2 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamachi| Seven Seas – We’re still in the ‘let’s set up a bunch of chaos’ point in this manga’s story, so there’s lots of things introduced to hang a plot on. Estelle manages to revive the corpse of one victim to serve as a familiar and bodyguard, which is probably just as well as Accelerator is learning that after getting shot by Amai Ao there’s a limit to his own endurance. And one of the Misaka clones gets involved as well, though sadly it looks as though she is there purely to be in peril (you can tell as she’s not 10032, whose peril is limited to the Index series). Oh yes, and there’s a secret organization of thugs whose secrets are now coming out… far too easily. It’s chaotic, but Kamachi fans will find much to enjoy. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 3 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – Even though I generally like bittersweet, episodic supernatural tales, something about this volume seems unfocussed. First, we get the conclusion to the story about a ghostly classmate visiting Momochi House, which leads into a couple of chapters about an entity named Kasha. No one will really tell Himari much about him, so I don’t know if we’re being set up with a series antagonist or what. And then there’s a banquet in which Aoi/Nue is required to seal away a powerful demon. I liked this last story the best, even though Himari was eyerollingly impetuous, probably because it evoked a Natsume’s Book of Friends sort of tone. In the end, though this series isn’t great and the characters are still too shallow for my liking, I still enjoy reading it and plan to continue. – Michelle Smith

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 1 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media – I can’t really put into words what quality in a shoujo series makes me suspect it ran in Margaret or one of its offshoots, but Honey So Sweet definitely has it. Nao Kogure only agrees to go out with seeming delinquent Taiga Onise to avoid making him angry, but soon discovers the many sweet and thoughtful sides to him. That rumor about him starting a fight with upperclassmen, for instance? It was because they were tormenting a turtle, whom Onise has now made his adorable pet. It’s not overly cutesy, though, and though Onise seems like a real catch, Nao first has to get over her belief that she’s actually in love with her uncle. (Yeah, long story.) In the end, I enjoyed this very much and look forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 7 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – I’ve often speculated during this series that Sunakawa might be asexual. Not that I expect a shoujo romantic comedy to actually make that choice, but his complete lack of romantic interest is featured here in this seventh volume, where we meet a girl who’s spent almost her entire life admiring him from afar. Notably this is extremely well handled—she’s not really called out for it, just shown how there are better ways, such as actually interacting with Sunakawa. In the end, though, he likes her but is not interested. Is it that he really likes Takeo? Or doesn’t like anyone right now? All this is interspersed with the usual adorableness of our lead couple, the main reason that folks read this series. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 19 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – Natsume and his grandmother usually get contrasted in this series, and we see more of that here, as the interactions he has include not just close friendships like Tanuma and casual school friends he used to have like Shibata, but also reluctant working relationships with creepy yet effective Matoba. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Reiko is his polar opposite, but we do see in a flashback story how difficult she finds basic interaction, be it human or yokai. Even as she does good deeds, she insists that it’s for her own selfishness. You’d never catch our Natsume doing that. And of course, there are lots more wonderful and terrifying yokai sprinkled throughout. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 4 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – We continue to expand our superhero-filled world in this volume, and see it’s just as political and selfish as you’d expect—a lot of glory hounds. Saitama, of course, doesn’t care about any of that, which is a good thing, as even when he’s saving the city from being devastated by a meteor he still causes a huge ton of damage. Still, he’s getting noticed. Meanwhile, we see a few other minor heroes, and I realize that this is likely going to be one of those shonen series with a huge cast that I can’t possibly tell apart. The fact that it’s still only the fourth volume worries me. Still, as long as they keep the action scenes cool and Saitama funny enough, I’ll keep following along while scratching my head. – Sean Gaffney

Rose Guns Days Season One, Vol. 2 | By Ryukishi07 and Soichiro | Yen Press – I am again reminded that this is not at all a series that would have been picked up were it not for the name of Ryukishi07 attached to it. He’s not having to worry about mysteries here, or even all that much horror. Instead we get to see a bunch of scenes devoted to showing off the difference between an idealist and a cynic. The narrative, as well as the majority of the characters, is as cynical as they come in this Japan gone wrong. But the meta-narrative expects us to side with Rose and her desperate shiny hopefulness that everyone would be really swell if we all just helped each other. I am hoping that future volumes will give Rose depth to help us respect her position. – Sean Gaffney

Happy new briefs!

D-Frag!, Vol. 7 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – The setting may have changed to an island beach, but that doesn’t mean that the cast are taking it easy in this new D-Frag! And no, I don’t mean they’re amping up their harem qualities or having thrilling adventures. I mean they’re all being the best bokes ever, to the point where Kenji and his sister spend half the volume collapsed in exhaustion from the constant tsukkomis that are needed. Plot and characterization are mostly irrelevant here. We do get another girl added to the pile, this one from a different school. She seems to be able to eat people’s unhappiness. If you can put up with near-constant gags and comebacks, D-Frag! remains terrific. It can be a bit exhausting, though, and I recommend taking a break after each chapter. – Sean Gaffney

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan, Vol. 10 | By Puyo and Nagaru Tanigawa | Yen Press – This gag manga has always tried to handle the actual canon with care, particularly when it comes to the later books. As an example, we have Yasumi present and correct in the club, as in books 9-11, but she doesn’t speak or do much of anything that might reveal what she really is. Mostly as that would detract from what this series is, a bunch of comedic riffs using the Haruhi cast and its own built-up silliness as a springboard for anything. In fact, its world is getting increasingly flexible—Asakura is big-size again for the sake of one storyline, because Kuyou is playing the ‘SD mode’ foil. Anything goes when it comes to this series, and if you enjoy Haruhi and don’t care much about canon, it’s still great fun. – Sean Gaffney

My Love Story!! Vol 7 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – I was looking forward to a Sunakawa-focused volume, and this fulfilled my expectations, with a bit of a plot twist. Takeo discovers that a girl named Yukika Amani has been in love with Sunakawa for years, sending him chocolate every year for Valentine’s day and observing him from afar. Determined to help the course of true love, Takeo and Yamato join forces to help Amani. While things don’t turn out in a typical shoujo manga fashion, Sunakawa’s quiet kindness is highlighted throughout this volume. My Love Story!! continues to be one of the best currently running shoujo series. – Anna N

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 23 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – It had been a while since I’d read a volume of Pandora Hearts, and after enjoying a small binge to get caught up, I can say that the series certainly reads better in chunks. Unfortunately, after the significant losses sustained at the end of recent volumes, I just can’t feel as deeply about the character who breathes their last in this volume, no matter how much it affects Oz. Otherwise, most of this volume seems to be devoted to convincing Vincent to stick around while neither Glen nor Oz makes much progress. At least we have a few scenes of Reim being great, though. I’m pleasantly surprised by the important role he’s playing here at the end. In any case, given how not devastating this particular volume was, I have a feeling I should keep tissues handy for the big finale. Gilbert had better make it out alive! – Michelle Smith

The Secret Sakura Shares | By Akira Hagio | Yen Press – I will say one thing about this one-and-done omnibus shoujo series—for once we have a ‘you will become my pet’ relationship that doesn’t end up being physically abusive, as Kei really does spoil Aoi as you would a pet. That said, I’d still call it abusive, as it causes her a lot of emotional turmoil due to feeling ‘useless’ and unable to do anything productive. Rich-kids-school shoujo generally features either an imported poor heroine or a former rich girl down on her luck, and this is the latter. Sadly, there simply isn’t all that much to say about it—I normally like short LaLa DX series, but I was ready for this to end before it was even halfway done. There’s better manga about imbalanced power relationships out there. – Sean Gaffney

Saki, Vol. 1 | By Ritz Kobayashi | Yen Press (digital only) – Bookworm Saki Miyanaga has perfected the art of neither winning nor losing mahjong with no idea of how difficult that is. Once she gets dragged to a club meeting and encouraged to win, she becomes eager to improve and progress to nationals, where she might be able to (I am not making this up) get her feelings across to her estranged sister (also a talented player) through mahjong. The volume starts a bit slow, but eventually terms like “prefectural qualifier” and “training camp” ignited my sports manga squee and I was eager for more. Unfortunately, Yen doesn’t have release dates for any more volumes listed yet! Also, I was a bit worried about fanservice in this title, but there’s hardly any. There’s a keen attention to boob size, which is a bit creepy, but I’ve seen much worse. Heartily recommended! – Michelle Smith

Say I Love You., Vol. 11 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Hazuki-sensei has a special knack for taking shoujo scenarios we’ve all seen before and turning them into something that feels fresh. Heck, she even repeats the “use new school year to introduce romantic rival” trick she employed to introduce Kai to bring in siblings Len and Rin Aoi. And with Mei and friends starting their third year of high school, they’re soon absorbed in career decision angst. It’s certainly very far from a bad volume, but it is mainly occupied with introducing new characters and worries, so doesn’t delve very much into Mei and Yamato’s relationship. I do love that Hazuki resisted ending the series right after her leads had sex for the first time, as if that were the culmination of Mei’s growth and development, and also appreciate that she seems to be drawing Mei’s kitty more often. I always look forward to new volumes most eagerly. – 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