Michelle Smith

Sean and Michelle weigh in on some recent releases from Seven Seas and VIZ Media.

Black Rose Alice, Vol. 5 | By Setona Mizushiro | VIZ Media – I’m an unabashed shoujo fanatic, but even I must admit that, when it comes to romance, one can usually predict how a story is going to end. Not that Black Rose Alice would exactly fall under the “romance” genre, but it does center around Alice making a choice between suitors and with some surprising arrivals, departures, and developments, the story has taken a fascinating turn and I genuinely have no clue what will happen next! Alice is a mess of guilt, confusion, and indecision and Dimitri continues to be an enigmatic character whose professions of love fail to ring true, but what I liked most was getting to know one of the twins better (Kai) and seeing how his growing connection with Alice spurs jealousy and flashbacks in his brother (Reiji). I’m already sad that volume six will be the last we see for a long while. – Michelle Smith

Citrus, Vol. 3 | By Saburouta | Seven Seas – The thing that makes Citrus still readable is that Yuzu, despite being the cliched flakey girl, is the only one in the entire series with an ounce of sense and maturity. Her worries about her relationship are sensible and founded on the lack of communication she has with Mei, and the lack of communication makes sense give everything that happens here. Sadly, everything that happens includes Matsuri, a former childhood friend of Yuzu’s who spends the entire volume being so petty and evil that I found myself just wanting to put the book down. Her final conversation with Mei is well done, but was it worth all the aggravation that came before it? It’s nice to see more yuri over here, but Citrus remains highly variable. – Sean Gaffney

Evergreen, Vol. 2 | By Yuyiko Takemiya and Akira Caskabe | Seven Seas – Teenagers have chronic misunderstandings. It’s part of being a teenager, and there’s just as much media attention on it in Western media as there is in Japanese animation. There’s also a sense in Evergreen that our two leads have a darker, more dangerous snse of low self-worth than has already been suggested, due to tragic pasts and health concerns. That said, this volume of Evergreen is basically “hope you like miscommunication,” both in its main pairing (if it is one—I’m still not sure about that) and the best friend x playboy side pairing that actually takes up equal time in this volume. I may actually find their relationship more interesting than the main one—not uncommon in many romance manga. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 7 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki| Viz Media – This is a tournament arc in a shonen manga, and even though we’re talking about food rather than fights the basic setup is the same. Lots of last-minute moves, astonished gasps from the gallery, the judges and announcers frantically talking about what they’ve just seen or eaten, and amazing poses of either a) the chef looking cool and awesome or b) annoying fanservice eating shots. The authors made a good choice saving Megumi for last, though—given we’ve been with her story since the beginning, it’s heartwarming to see her newly developed skills catapult her to the next round here, not sacrificing what makes her cooking best. Good stuff, skip the orgasms faces. – Sean Gaffney

One Piece, Vol. 75 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – I always enjoy reading One Piece, but I found this particular volume to be bloody fantastic. Masterful, even. What could’ve easily been pure chaos—the Straw Hats once again splitting up to help free an island’s local populace from a cruel ruler, with battles raging on multiple fronts—is instead easy to follow and riveting, to boot. Going against Doflamingo is the most significant thing Luffy has done yet, for in addition to being a fearsome opponent with a loyal family of officers on his side, defeating him will bring down the wrath of one of the four emperors upon Luffy and his current ally, Trafalgar Law, and that future faceoff will bring Luffy one step closer to his goal. And if all this weren’t enough, we also get great scenes for other members of the crew and meet the worthy successor to Ace’s flame-flame fruit! Go read it! – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 29 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As I expected, one of the major mentor characters in this series is brought down here. That, combined with losing his major battle and Komatsu being kidnapped, leads to a mental breakdown for Toriko that takes ages to snap out of (credit to Rin for figuring out what might do it—she’s come a long way from the comedy girl in love with oblivious guy). As for Komatsu, he may be an enemy prisoner, but he’s still able to make the most amazing food he can using only the weak ingredients provided. In a manga filled with superheroes with amazing powers, Komatsu actually ends up seeming like the author’s favorite who can do no wrong. And I’m 100% OK with that. – Sean Gaffney

Sean and Michelle review print and digital manga from Kodansha Comics, VIZ, and Yen Press.

Handa-kun, Vols. 1-2 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – This was going to be Yen’s first digital-only release, but I guess the demand was high enough that it’s getting print in January, so it’s just digital first. This is a prequel to Barakamon, showing the adventures of Handa in high school. If Barakamon is Yotsuba&!, Handa-kun is Azumanga Daioh, being a gag manga that’s sort of the dark mirror of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto. Rather than being perfect and having everyone stand in awe, Handa is an unsociable wretch who worries constantly about everyone hating him… except everyone stands in awe. There’s some hilarious comedy here, and you’ll appreciate how far Handa has come by Barakamon. It’s pretty slight, though; don’t expect much plot. – Sean Gaffney

So Cute It Hurts!!, Vol. 2 | By Go Ikeyamada | VIZ Media – Twin siblings Megumu and Mitsuru Kobayashi have traded places for a week so Megumu can help her academically challenged brother. They both end up falling in love and things move swiftly in this second volume, with the nature of the relationship between the twins’ love interests, Aoi and Takenaka, turning out to be what most readers probably expected, and with the masquerade seemingly coming to an end after some ridiculous shenanigans involving a not-really-that-deep hole and an inadequate grip on a towel. I’m still feeling quite “meh” about this series even though this volume is a little better than the first. Not even Aoi’s too-brief questioning of his sexual preferences can add any real depth, and I can’t believe this series is at twelve volumes and still ongoing! It’s so slight, I would’ve pegged it for four, tops. – Michelle Smith

Today’s Cerberus, Vols. 1-2 | By Ato Sakurai | Yen Press – This is digital-only, and is fluffy enough that you can see why—there’s not much here you haven’t seen in other comedy manga with a supernatural bent. That said, there’s relatively minimal service compared to other titles in this genre, and the male lead’s dilemma is actually rather interesting, as he’s missing the part of his soul that causes him to feel joy. Cerberus is, as you’d expect, a girl who can switch between three heads (with three personalities), each of whom have a crush on her new master. Add the standard human girl who’s loved him from afar, and a few enemies (including a major one for the second cliffhanger), and you have a series I recommend to those who like Monster Musume and the like. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 12 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – I suspect reactions to the final volume of Voice Over! will vary depending on each reader’s tolerance for important moments being left to the imagination. Although we do see Hime’s last performance as Shiro as a rousing success that even affects her cold-hearted mother, we get only the merest glimpse of her subsequent path to stardom as herself. And though we see Senri not only discover that Hime is Shiro, but also understand her motivation and recognize that never once has his interaction with either of her identities been anything less than genuine, we never see them talk about it. There is no confession, no kiss. And yet, it’s still a satisfying ending that stresses that falling in love is not going to derail Hime from pursuing her dream. I can’t really quibble with a message like that! – Michelle Smith

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 12 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Well, that was sweet and heartwarming and… really easy. All the conflicts seemed to resolve by simply not conflicting at all. Senri finds out Shiro is Hime… and is OK with it. Sakura’s mom starts to put Shiro under her spell… but is undone by Shiro’s essential shininess. Hime’s mother, who has destroyed her daughter’s sense of self-worth, sees her voice acting and suddenly realizes how wrong she’s been. It’s a bit pat, isn’t it? Couldn’t someone have gotten mad beyond half a page? That said, aside from that, everyone is cute and funny and I thought Shiro taking his glasses off there was a brilliant move that shows how Hime has grown as an actress. I just kinda wish more had actually gotten in her way. – Sean Gaffney

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 3 | By Maki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – At last, after what seems like waiting forever, witches have now been mentioned in this title. And the implication is that there are more to come, but most of this is devoted to fallout from Nene trying to blackmail Ryu… which naturally blows up in her face, as it was obvious fairly immediately that she was the arrogant girl who thought too much of herself, so was guaranteed to be taken down a peg. More interesting to me is that the series still seems to love fluid sexuality (an excuse for lots of kissing), and the revelation of Ryu’s real powers added to Nene and Urara’s only helps add to that. I suspect everything will end hetero ever after, but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. – Sean Gaffney

Sean, Michelle, and Anna check out recent releases from VIZ, Yen Press, and Vertical.

Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 8 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – The timeskip that happened after volume four has always felt a bit awkward, with several characters just feeling wrong, even with the reincarnation aspect. Now we begin to see that maybe this has been the point all along, as in order to stop our villain from screwing up the past, our heroes have to return to stop him. This naturally leads to an almost humorous scene where they all fall over themselves to be the one to sacrifice themselves to a time loop. In the end, though, a time capsule letter seems to be the better option, but we will see—the series still has a few volumes to go. There’s also a lot of side-stories here, in order to get the page count right, which are mostly cute but slight. -Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 23 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – Every August, avid fans of Kaze Hikaru like me receive a single volume to savor, and though I am exceedingly grateful that VIZ continues to publish this series, the slow pace is especially painful this time around. Not because Okita has finally acknowledged (to himself) both his love for Sei as well as her maturation as a bushi, but because times are becoming increasingly fraught for the Shinsengumi. Captain Kondo has witnessed first hand the indolence and corruption of the Bakufu, and there’s plenty of ominous hinting about “a dark cloud rolling over” them all. Though I do enjoy the central romance, when Kaze Hikaru focuses on humanizing historical events, its potential to be something truly epic shines. Now to sigh and pine away for another year until the next installment. – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 1-2 | By Hiro Fujiwara | VIZ Media – I am so conflicted about Maid-sama! On the one hand, I like the smart and strong heroine, Misaki Ayuzawa, who is determined to whip the 80% male population of her high school into shape. It’s her love interest, Takumi Usui, who is the problem. When he’s not taking it upon himself to teach Misaki valuable lessons—including that she shouldn’t try so hard at the sports festival because “You’re a girl, remember?”—he’s saving the day with random prowess in things like cooking and playing chess. He is, frankly, insufferable. What’s worse is that I suspect we’re meant to think he’s cool and dreamy! I did read the eight volumes of this series that TOKYOPOP managed to publish, but I can’t remember whether Usui grew on me or not. Right now that’s seeming highly unlikely, but I’m not willing to give up on this series just yet. – Michelle Smith

My Neighbor Seki, Vol. 3 | By Takuma Morishige | Vertical Comics – Yokoi seems to get in more trouble than usual in this third volume of Seki, or at least more personal humiliation. In addition to the teacher calling her out on several occasions (though she at least manages to inconvenience Seki too in one of these), she is unable to explain Seki’s weirdness to her friends, gets her skirt caught under his seat leg, risks life and limb to save a snow bunny, and even belches in the middle of class after drinking Seki’s fresh tea. This is Yokoi’s manga more than Seki’s—when absent, even her angry spectral presence stops him, and meeting his little sister (who’s an adorable carbon copy of him) doesn’t make things any better. Fight on, Yokoi!. -Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi, Vol. 10 | By Naoshi Komi | VIZ Media – Nisekoi is generally at its best when it’s doing a longer plot or taking itself more seriously. With that in mind, the plotline featuring Shu was definitely the best in this volume, as his laid-back easy-going personality gets a kick in the head on learning that the class teacher is leaving to get married. (This is far more common in Japan than it is here.) It allows Raku to be the one to dispense the good advice—even if it’s just a kick in the pants—and doesn’t descend to the usual teacher/student creepiness. Other than that, cliches abound here, with a ‘must avoid being seen in the baths’ chapter and a cliffhanger with Raku getting amnesia and forgetting everything about his life—including his family business. Always great fun. -Sean Gaffney

Yukarism, Vol. 3 | By Chika Shiomi | VIZ Media- I was surprised that this was only the third volume of this series because Shiomi just manages to pack so much story into each chapter. The characters are all fully fleshed out, and now the reader is able to learn even more about Yukari, Mahoro, and Katsuhiko’s past lives. There are some ominous hints about the eventual fate of Yumurasaki’s eventual fate as she grows sicker and sicker in the past. Abilities and feelings from past lives keep popping up in the present, causing even more complicated emotions in the young trio. I enjoy the way Shiomi switches back and forth with a more ornate style in the past compared to the cleaner brighter panels in the present. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite current Shojo Beat series. – AN

Michelle and Sean tackle a stack of manga from VIZ, Vertical, Kodansha, and Seven Seas.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 5 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Last volume had a few flaws in it, but this one is nearly perfect, thanks to focusing on Haruna, who has rapidly become my favorite mental model. Stoic destroyer of worlds learning to deal with emotions and love is a classic trope because it always comes off so well, particularly if there’s also a lot of great scenes of things blowing up. The main plot also gets some fleshing out, with the Army and Navy battling for supremacy, and the old commanders who know what’s really going on trying to control them. and is there another, SECRET mental model who’s able to control the others (and apparently likes to sit in the middle of fields)? We’ll have to wait a while to find out, but as always, this is no average ‘girls are weapons’ series. -Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media –Sometimes it can be very difficult, with series with similar premises, to be able to separate the more familiar one from the new one in your mind. That’s particularly true for this new Aya Shouoto series, her third in North America, which has the spectre of Kamisama Kiss hovering over most of its first few pages. That said, Aoi seems more of the nice boy with tragedy in his life sort than the asshole with a heart of gold Tomoe is. I suspect that this series may get better after it’s got a few volumes under its belt, but right now it suffers from what many Vol. 1s suffer from: it’s not really grabbing me much. Actually, I had a similar issue with Kiss of the Rose Princess as well. -Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media –When sixteen-year-old orphan Himari Momochi receives a document informing her that she’s inherited an ancestral estate, she doesn’t question it. The house is the only tie she has to her parents, so she moves right in, whereupon she discovers a trio of bishounen squatters who are insistent that she leave as soon as possible. Himari is resolute, and eventually witnesses demonic activity aplenty culminating in the revelation that two-thirds of her house guests aren’t human and the one who is has taken on a terrible duty that might pass to her if she should linger overlong. This is the newest of the Aya Shouoto series currently being released in English, and is a more confident and accomplished work . I was reminded quite a bit of other series, and overall wish for a darker atmosphere, but I’m definitely intrigued and will check out volume two. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 12 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – This was a really cool and somewhat darker volume of Magi than we’ve seen in a while, and I loved quite a lot of it. The gang has returned from successfully vanquishing another dungeon, but an ambush by the evil Al-Thamen organization results in several of the good guys being cursed. This, in turn, leads to revelations not only about the extent and nature of Sinbad’s power, but also what he’s willing to do to cultivate allies in the fight to come. Aladdin senses his pawn status and decides to go off on his own, leaving a forlorn Alibaba behind, which is probably exactly what his friend needs in order to decide upon and commit to his own path. I’m really looking forward to what’s to come, even if it is a bit hard seeing an endearing character like Alibaba so sad and mystified by Aladdin’s actions. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 5 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – There is, no surprise, much to like in the fifth volume of this charming shoujo romance. I loved how the would-be romantic rival (Saijo) is handled, with Yamato befriending the girl due to her excellent taste and Takeo immediately telling Yamato about the girl’s confession. I loved ever-observant Sunakawa being the first to catch on to and sympathize with Saijo’s plight. But I possibly most loved the chapter in which Takeo and Yamato attempt to make two of their friends into a couple as happy as they are, an endeavor which keeps getting bungled because the boy is a doofy and inept adolescent who says the wrong thing during crucial moments. Frustrating, sure, but more realistic than 99% of anything else we see in shoujo manga! Each new volume of this series makes me genuinely happy and I hope it continues for a long time to come! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 8 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – While Say “I Love You” may be a bit more sexually explicit than its fellow shoujo manga out in North America, it’s still not quite ready yet to have its leads go all the way—and given Mei’s introvertedness and confidence issues, that may be for the best. Particularly as Megumi may be dealing with her own personal issues, but she isn’t going away now that we’ve had a cathartic crisis. A beauty contest involving many of the women in the series ends up being close, but does not give us the obvious come from behind victory we may have expected. All for the good, as I suspect this will lead to high drama when the next volume comes around. Oh, and Mei is back to frowning on the covers. -Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 28 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As you might gather from the cover, we’re seeing tragic backstory here, giving us our elder heroes—including a young and ridiculously permed Jiro, heavy-browed Ichiryu, and head villain Midora as a bratty kid who almost starved to death before being taken in by mother figure Froese. (You’ll note Setsuno isn’t on the cover—I think her appearance as a cute twin-tailed sexy thing was left out to make the joke work better). It being tragic backstory, tragedy ensues—and we may get more to come, as I have a feeling a mentor or two may die soon to give our heroes resolve. Still lots of fighting, but I miss the food—will this epic battle be over soon? -Sean Gaffney

Twin Star Exorcists, Vol. 1 | By Yoshiaki Sukeno | Viz Media – This is in some ways the polar opposite of The Demon Prince of Momochi House, even if I came away with the same ‘meh’ feeling. In this case, I really like the premise, and the backgrounds of both leads are very well handled—particularly Rokuro. That said, the execution is somewhat lacking. The action scenes are well-handled, and probably a good reason to keep picking it up for those who like that—but the humor consistently falls flat, with our battle couple’s engagement being a hoary old cliche thrown into the mix. I suspect this will be the usual ‘they’re meant to be but can’t stop snapping at each other’ romance. Fans of Blue Exorcist might give this a shot, but it’s not as good as that series. -Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 5 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – Fans of Negima may find this new volume even more familiar than usual, as the new assignment for our heroes takes them back to Mahora Academy, not looking a day older, even though it is many decades older. The boy you see screaming at us on the cover has the unfortunate name of Santa, and may be responsible for a series of horrible murders… or may not even be alive… but given his prominence on the cover and the cliffhanger I suspect he’ll end up being an ally before too long. Oh yes, there’s also Fate, explaining why he’s seemingly turned evil, and why he wants Tota to help him—which also leads to the best gag in the volume, courtesy ‘shipper’ Karin. If you like Akamatsu, you’ll like this. -Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 11 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – The biggest loose ends are still out there for Vol. 12, but one of the major ones wraps up here, as Hime answers Mizuki’s confession. It’s a pretty fine set of scenes, as she stresses out over how her obliviousness around him must have hurt him, and he responds very maturely, mostly as he knew she was already in love with Senri. This just leaves her secret identity and her own confession of love, which should drop like a bomb at the start of the next volume, if Sakura’s reappearance is anything to go by. Even Haruka is finally allowed to stop being the bullying mentor and show real affection. We wrap up next time, and I can’t wait—it should be sweet and funny. -Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 9 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. –One of the things I love best about What Did You Eat Yesterday? is how Yoshinaga shows us how Shiro’s cooking choices tell us about his feelings. In one chapter, Shiro’s going out for dinner with some lawyerly acquaintances, so the night before prepares a meal whose leftovers will taste even better the next day, when Kenji will be reheating it. In another, he recreates some of his mother’s recipes for a bento he and Kenji share for an evening hanami picnic, choosing that venue to confide to Kenji that she has cancer. This menu, and the preparation thereof, prompts Shiro to recognize the care his mother always put into preparing his school lunches and to voice his appreciation of her. Not everything is meaningful and deep, of course. The food was especially delicious-looking in this volume, especially those soy garlic chicken drumettes. Yes, please! – Michelle Smith

Yukarism, Vol. 3 | By Chika Shiomi | Viz Media – There’s only one new revelation in this third volume, but it’s a doozy, and likely sets up the climax for next time as past and present begin to collide, with potentially fatal results. In the meantime, the main reason to read Yukarism continues to be mood—the author has a way of painting both the Edo period and modern times so that you want to keep turning the pages even faster. In addition, Yumurasaki’s past and her emotional detachment are proving annoying to Yukari’s present, as he hurts Mahoro more than he realizes. Add into this the sometimes hilarious confrontations between Mahoro and Satomi, and you have an excellent Shojo Beat title. -Sean Gaffney

Yukarism, Vol. 3 | By Chika Shiomi | VIZ Media – I am enjoying Yukarism more and more with each volume and can scarcely believe I was ever on the fence about this series! Yukari becomes a much more vivid character when he decides to proactively seek information about his present-day companions, Satomi and Mahoro, as well as the figures from his past. In so doing, he makes some discoveries that the readers had already surmised, but that doesn’t make them any less affecting—the moment when Yukari works out with certainty who Satomi is gave me goosebumps! And that shows what’s really the key ingredient here—Shiomi is handling this series wonderfully, pacing out revelations at satisfying intervals, and leaving readers with a surprise cliffhanger that makes me even more desperate for the final volume than before. – Michelle Smith