Michelle Smith

Bookshelf Briefs 6/2/15

June 2, 2015 by Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Dark Horse Comics, SuBLime, Viz Media, and Yen Press.

Alice in the Country of Clover: Twin Lovers | By QuinRose and Kei Shichiri | Seven Seas – Well, it’s better than the Bloody Twins volume, but I think I’m going to have to accept that I just don’t like the twins enough to enjoy a book where they’re the focus. Not uncommon in a series based off a datesim. But I tend to agree with Blood about their immaturity (he can be just as bad, but isn’t in this volume), and a plotline about Alice trying to choose between them is less ‘we need to see how they differ’ and more ‘they are a package deal’, as they don’t differ – I still can’t tell the two apart. Add to that some toned-down threesome jokes, which are still bothersome as half the time they’re kids, and you have another Alice spinoff that didn’t wow me. – Sean Gaffney

Drug & Drop, Vol. 2 | By CLAMP | Dark Horse Comics – It’s been hinted for some time, but this volume at last gives us the Wish crossover we knew was coming, and flat out tells us that Kakei and Saiga, our two leads’ erstwhile benefactors, are in fact Hisui and Kokuyo from Wish. I’m not sure how much enjoyment is lost if a casual reader is getting this dumped on them – not much, I’d expect – but it’s a nice bonus for fans, just like the Suki and xxxHOLIC cameos were. (Has Miyuki-chan shown up?) As for the manga proper, we get a lot of backstory dump, and ponder whether Kazahaya’s sister Kei was driven mad after being kidnapped, or if she was halfway there already. I’m still not sure where this is really going, but it looks pretty, and will appeal to CLAMP fans. – Sean Gaffney

Love Stage!!, Vol. 1 | By Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou | SuBLime – It has been ages since I’ve read any BL, especially an over-the-top comedic series like this one. Male Izumi Sena, a shy, frumpy otaku from a family of celebrities, was once drafted to play a flower girl in a commercial ten years ago and now has been bribed (with otaku merchandise) to participate in an anniversary sequel. Meanwhile, his lovestruck costar, Ryoma Ichijo, reels to discover the object of his decade-long affection is actually a guy (though it doesn’t take long for him to decide this isn’t much of an impediment). This is a frivolous, unrealistic series, but I do like Izumi’s character design and some inklings that he might have acting talent after all. I don’t know for how long this series will be capable of sustaining my interest, but I would at least check out volume two. – Michelle Smith

So Cute It Hurts!!, Vol. 1 | By Go Ikeyamada | Viz Media – Normally I am all about manga with exclamatory titles, but must regretfully say that So Cute It Hurts!! really didn’t do much for me. It’s the story of the Kobayashi twins, female Megumu and male Mitsuru, who end up switching places because Mitsuru’s busy schedule of Sunday dates is threatened by remedial history classes unless his history otaku sister aces some makeup tests in his stead. Whilst attending the other’s school, they each experience their first love. There are some interesting aspects, like the fact that both love interests have a physical impairment and also seem to know each other, but the two leads just don’t interest me at all. I’m used to cute and fluffy shoujo, but this feels more superficial than most. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 1 | By Neko Nekobyou, Reki Kawahara, and abec | Yen Press – Let’s be honest: aside from one short story in Vol. 8, we’re not really going to see Lisbeth, Silica or Leafa as more than cameos in the SAO novels anymore. So it’s nice to see them get their own series, as they participate in a side-quest in ALO and meet a young woman who was also trapped in SAO, and is still dealing with the PTSD that comes from that. (Lisbeth casually notes that they’re the weird ones, and that most SAO players are never going near another MMO). In real life, Hiyori looks eerily like Mugi from K-On! (let’s hope her friend she lost in SAO wasn’t Ritsu). I’m not sure when the next volume will be coming out, but it should be fun for fans of these characters. – Sean Gaffney

Tony Takezaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion | By Tony Takezaki and khara | Dark Horse Comics – It’s almost impossible to review something like this, a title that has a very, very specific audience. Do you love Evangelion? Are you OK with the characters behaving in a stupid way for the sake of bad jokes? If not, avoid this volume. But if you are, there’s a lot to love here. As with most gag manga, the jokes are hit and miss, but I think there are more hits than misses. There is a certain “I am seven years old” quality to many of these jokes, but again, this is what you get for buying a gag manga. I will simply enjoy Gendo and Fuyutsuki fighting a sentai battle in cheap costumes, Asuka being so horrified her sound effects turn German, and far too many “congratulations!”.-Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Natsume, So Cute It Hurts

June 2, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: So many of my favorites have new volumes coming out this week! I will definitely be devouring the latest Food Wars! and Voice Over! as quickly as possible, for example. But, as ever, my heart ultimately belongs to Natsume’s Book of Friends, whose eighteenth volume comes out this week, just as I was seriously starting to pine for a new one. I will try not to think about the fact that the next volume isn’t due ’til November.

SEAN: I’m going to go with So Cute It Hurts!. Because twins. Because cross-dressing twins. Because I wanted to see Suki Desu Suzuki-kun!! by the same author licensed, so this is the next best thing. Because cute!

ASH: I’ll admit, cross-dressing twins has me intrigued. Also, juvenile delinquents. So Cute It Hurts! it is!

ANNA: I also agree that the combination of cross dressing and juvenile delinquents has me looking forward to So Cute It Hurts! the most!

MJ: I’m going to have to go with the majority vote here. So Cute It Hurts! looks potentially awesome in a delightfully goofy sort of way, and I’m nothing if not an optimist when it comes to new shoujo manga. Also, I fell off the Natsume wagon a while back (perhaps prematurely). Sorry, Michelle for leaving you all alone this week!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 6/3

May 28, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: It has been hot here recently, so I am hoping that this Manga the Week of can serve as a rain dance. Doesn’t make much sense, but the heat has addled my brain.

Fairy Tail 48 seems like a lot, till you remember it’s nowhere near One Piece. Which honestly applies to Fairy Tail in general.

MICHELLE: *ba-dum ching*

SEAN: Also from Kodansha, My Little Monster 8 features actual plot progression, slow and incremental though it may be. Progress!

MICHELLE: I recently procured volumes 5-7, so I am ready to get current with this series again!

ASH: Enjoy! I think it’ll probably read better in a larger chunk.

SEAN: The rest is our standard Giant Pile O’ Viz (TM). Assassination Classroom gives us a 4th volume of heartwarming comedic antics about training young children to be trained killers.

ANNA: I still need to read volume 2! I do like heartwarming assassination.

MJ: Agreed.

SEAN: Now that we’re caught up with Blue Exorcist, waiting for the next volume can be frustrating, especially when there’s as much going on as there in in this series. However, here is Vol. 13, hooray!

If you aren’t caught up with Dragon Ball via its original releases or the three or four re-releases we’ve seen, here’s another one, with the 9th 3-in-1.

ASH: (I still haven’t actually read most of Dragon Ball.)

SEAN: I now feel kind of bad for my initial review of Food Wars!, given I’ve been enjoying it so much. Here’s a 6th volume, and I will try to ignore the orgasm faces.

MICHELLE: I unabashedly love this series now.

ASH: I’ve… actually always kind of liked it…

ANNA: I like it, although it took some time to win me over due to the orgasm faces.

MJ: I have avoided it, and now I feel like I’m missing out.

SEAN: Kamisama Kiss has finally come back to the present, but I suspect that new problems will arise in this 18th volume, as, well, otherwise the series would be over, and it isn’t.

ANNA: This series can go on as long as possible, as every volume is mega-charming.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke 21 will have, I suspect, four more chapters filled with adorable, though I do wonder if the drama quotient might be upped on the Ayano front.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading both of these as well.

ANNA: I need to get caught up on this. It is such a well-executed shoujo series.

SEAN: Is Naruto done yet? (checks) No, not quite yet. But here’s Vol. 70.

I have resigned myself to very few Natsume’s Book of Friends volumes having my OT3 involved in the plot, but this does not reduce my love of this series at all.

MICHELLE: Somehow, I had not realized there was a new Natsume coming and I had just been wishing for one!

SEAN: One Piece’s 12th 3-in-1 is the Water Seven arc, I think. I love that arc.

As for Seraph of the End 5… um… vampires? (shrugs)

It’s very rare to see a long-running Sho-Comi series over here that isn’t drama and questionable consent. But I have high hopes for So Cute It Hurts!! (Kobayashi ga Kawaisugite Tsurai!!), which debuts next week. The author’s been on my ‘keep an eye on them’ list for a while now.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is intriguing! Seems like a while since we’ve had a new Shojo Beat series, but that’s probably not true.

ANNA: Looking forward to reading this.

MJ: Same!

SEAN: Toriko continues to feature more fighting and less weird food. I hope that changes, but I suspect it won’t be changing for Vol. 28.

Lastly, I was wrong about it being last. Voice Over! Seiyu Academy apparently has one more to go after this 11th volume. I should be used to this with Hakusensha series, to be honest, which tend to have 80 epilogues.

MICHELLE: I think I am going to hoard volume eleven ’til twelve comes out so I can read them back-to-back.

SEAN: Did it work? Is it raining yet? (checks) No! You must BUY MORE MANGA!

Bookshelf Briefs 5/26/15

May 26, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

This week, we play catch-up, as Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at a slew of recent titles from Seven Seas, One Peace Books, Kodansha Comics, Yen Press, Dark Horse Comics, Vertical Comics, and Viz Media.

Alice in the Country of Clover: The March Hare’s Revolution | By QuinRose and Ryo Kazuki | Seven Seas – As you’d expect for a franchise with this many side-manga, there is a certain sameness that’s starting to crop up here. We see Alice realizing she’s falling in love yet reluctant to accept it, trying to come to terms with the violent ways of the Hatter Family, and occasionally yearning to go home and having nightmares about her sister Lorina, yet in the end she chooses to stay and accepts her love. The only difference here is in the male lead, so if you like Elliot, this book might interest you. But even then, I think My Fanatic Rabbit is a better book. At least it’s complete in one volume, and not padded out with extra stories. For completists only. – Sean Gaffney

Aquarion Evol Vol. 1 | By Aogiri and Shoji Kawamori | One Peace Books – I watched the first episode of the Aquarion anime a long time ago, and didn’t particularly care for it, although I suppose with all the ecstatic expressions the pilots of combining robots were displaying, the franchise should get credit for making subtext text. This manga opens with Amata Sora, a boy with air elemental powers meeting Mikono Suzushiro, a girl whose previous response to growing up in a world filled with robot battles, elemental powers, and random kidnappings was to become a shut-in. Sora and Mikono end up in being caught up in a battle, and Sora forces the male and female Aquaria to merge to find their ultimate Aquarion form. Sora and Mikono end up in a gender segregated pilot training academy. The art for this volume was solid and the character designs were attractive, and the production values for the manga were also good. I think fans of the Aquarion franchise will enjoy this book, but at only 150 pages, this is a fairly slim volume. – Anna N

Attack on Titan: Junior High, Vol. 3 | By Saki Nakagawa | Kodansha Comics – As we reach the third omnibus of this gag comic, both Saki Nakagawa and Ben Applegate are beginning to relax and stretch out a little. The author not only uses some of the later characters such as Kenny for humor value, but also adds references to the spinoffs, as Isabel and Furlan have major roles here. Meanwhile, the adaptation gets even broader, with nothing really sacred (there are a few lines here that don’t just border on filthy, they scamper right over it) and lots of insults to the entire main cast, particularly Eren. If you like Attack on Titan and worry this title may not take it seriously enough, stay far away. If you like a good belly laugh, pick it up. – Sean Gaffney

Barakamon, Vol. 4 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – Despite the fact that over half of this volume is ‘let’s watch Handa deal with small town life and get intensely frustrated or screw up’, he really is getting a lot better at this. Going computerless might be a good thing for him, as it allows him to focus more on his calligraphy – a focus he’s going to need, as he’s already starting to overthink things for the next competition. As for the rest of the cast, Naru is actually growing a bit as well, and is slightly less Yotsuba-like. And Tama continues to be the most awkward fujoshi ever. This is a nice, leisurely, relaxing read. It’s never the next thing out in the months it comes out, but it’s always worth picking up. Also, Handa not knowing how to use a rotary phone made me feel so, so old. – Sean Gaffney

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 1 | By Satoshi Wagahara, Akio Hiiragi, and 029 (Oniku) | Yen Press – Let it never be said that I’m unwilling to occasionally wander outside of my comfort zone! The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is a thoroughly shounen comedy (think scenes of the female lead in the shower, boobs with “sproing” sound effects, etc.) with a fun premise: while fleeing a losing battle, the devil king lands in modern-day Tokyo. Now he’s working part-time at MgRonald’s, aiming to conquer the world by becoming a full-time employee. (“Before long, I will wield enormous powers, forcing massive armies to grovel before me!”) It’s not a bad start, and there are some mysteries to be explained going forward, but it’s just really not my thing. If only I could’ve found it funny—like I do the not-entirely-dissimilar Blood Lad—then maybe I’d be willing to continue, but as it is, I just can’t summon the desire. – Michelle Smith

My Little Monster, Vol. 8 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – At long last, 7 volumes after a confession, Haru and Shizuku finally manage to deal with their own emotional issues and start to be an official couple. Of course, this doesn’t solve everything – for one, Yamaken confesses as well, and Shizuku has no idea how to deal with someone she doesn’t have romantic feelings for locing her. There’s also the start of a new year, which means the arrival of a new girl – Iyo, Yamaken’s little sister. Kodansha actually goes the extra mile by translating her third person speaking, which shows off her affected cuteness and also self-centeredness. She’s hilarious, though, so I welcome her. I don’t welcome Haru’s brother, whose appearance on the final pages makes Vol. 9 a scary place to be. – Sean Gaffney

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt | By Gainax and TAGRO | Dark Horse Comics – I’ve never seen the anime that this manga is based on, but after reading this manga I suspect that it’s likely very close to its source material. This means, of course, that it’s filthy, and I’d give it an M for Mature rating. The basic premise involves two fallen angels who theoretically team up to fight evil, but spend most of their time having sex (Panty), eating (Stocking), or screaming vituperative insults (both of them). The result is comedy that works quite well for me, being disgustingly funny without actually getting creepy or disturbing. It helps that the chapters are also pretty short, as is the manga itself, which is done in this fairly short volume. Very amusing, but not for the kids. – Sean Gaffney

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 7 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – That strange expression you see on Mei’s face on the cover of this volume is a smile. It’s taken a while for her to not look like she’d rather be anywhere else, but I’m glad to see it. As for the volume itself, we continue to get fallout regarding Megumi and the backlash against her passive-aggressive bullying. It will surprise no one that she had a troubled childhood, but it was nice seeing her friend Momo as well as Kai and Yamato standing by her even as she fell apart. We even get to see an Important Haircut at the end. Of course, this doesn’t mean Megumi has gone away, and I suspect things will continue to be difficult for Mei. Also, the festival chapter was completely adorable. – Sean Gaffney

Trinity Seven, Vol. 1 | By Kenji Saito and Akinari Nao | Yen Press – In general, I am against judging books by their covers, but I will admit that if you see the cover of Trinity Seven and are put off, then the content will not give you any cause for hope. It’s a pretty perverse fantasy manga, with lots of talk of breasts, pseudo-incestual feelings, and walking in on girls naked, as well as a scene where no less than three heroines are trapped in a sealed room and need to pee. Despite this, the actual premise looks fun and interesting, and the overconfidence and bluntness of the hero is refreshing in an era of modest overpowered guys. I don’t recommend this to anyone but its general target audience, but said audience should absolutely love it. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 8 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – It seems like this series is becoming more and more about the healing power of food. When Kenji grows jealous of Shiro’s awestruck reaction to meeting an actress, Shiro proves his devotion by spending money and time making an elaborate oden stew. And when Shiro is dismayed by a client’s miserable marriage, he consoles himself by making a meal of all his favorites. Even in happier times, food plays a starring role in Shiro’s attempts to provide Kenji the romantic moments he knows his partner dreams of. Every chapter is a show-don’t-tell masterclass in depicting the love between these men. I want to give special praise to the chapter in which they visit Kyoto, especially the scene when some public handholding in the dark shocks Kenji so much he thinks Shiro must secretly be dying. It’s a laugh-out-loud moment, but also sad commentary. Really, just all-around brilliant. – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 2 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – Still no witches yet, in case anyone was wondering. Instead, we focus on the actual body transfer power, and the pluses and minuses that come with it. In the tradition of “when all you have is a hammer”, Yamada and to a lesser extent the others are starting to use the swap as a way to solve any problem, and it starts to bite them back here. It helps that with the exception of Shiraishi, the cast is very much of the ‘think first, realize how dumb this is later’ school of thought. As for Miyabi, she didn’t really make much of a villain, quickly becoming part of the main group. I have a feeling the new girl introdced here, Nene, will be a much tougher nut to crack. Slow, but still worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

Yukarism, Vol. 2 | By Chika Shiomi | Viz Media – I’m happy to report that all of the mild reservations I voiced about volume one of Yukarism have disappeared in volume two! Furthermore, I begin to suspect all those so-called “flaws” were intentional on Shiomi’s part. We didn’t get a strong feel for characters besides Yukari because Yukari had never before tried to get to know and understand another person. But now he’s interested in Mahoro, so we get a healthy dose of background information for her. And Mahoro’s puzzling differences from her former self turn out to have a fascinating explanation. And “low-key”? I called the mystery low-key?! The story is moving briskly now, and I am deeply invested in learning what exactly transpired in the characters’ past lives. I’m very sorry I doubted you, Yukarism. I can has volume three? – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Taniguchi & More

May 26, 2015 by Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and MJ Leave a Comment

ASH: Although there are some great manga being released this week, I’m actually (and probably unsurprisingly) going to pick the most recent volume of Wandering Son. I suppose it was technically released last week since it suddenly appeared without notice, but I’m always happy to see a new volume whenever it arrives. And I’m still thrilled that this series is even being released in English at all!

MICHELLE: Speaking of wandering, I reckon I’ll go for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari this week. I tend to like Taniguchi’s works a lot, though it’s been a long time since I read one, and having a stroll through Edo with someone equipped with an “inexhaustible capacity for wonder” sounds pretty wonderful!

SEAN: I’m going to go with A Silent Voice this week. Yes, I may have disliked most of the cast, but that was the point for a series like this, where the entire plot is about how difficult it can be to redeem yourself after doing something truly loathsome, and if it’s even possible. It’s also a good look at disabilities that shows how difficult it can be for a child with hearing loss to fit into a peer group.

MJ: I’m very happy to see the latest volume of Wandering Son and I’m definitely interested in A Silent Voice, but I’ll throw my vote in with Michelle’s this week for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari. These treats from Fanfare-Ponent Mon are so rare and wonderful, it’s hard to let one slip by without making a fuss. So consider this my fuss. Gimme, gimme.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 5/27

May 25, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 2 Comments

(This is late. Very late. I’m so sorry.)

SEAN: The final week of May brings us a manageable and tasty selection. If this week is too much manga, next week is juuuuuust right.

When the Evangelion Comic Tribute came out, one of the more popular contributing authors was Tony Takezaki, who long-time manga fans may recall from a manga called Genocyber. His take on Evangelion, though, which Dark Horse puts out next week, is pure gag format.

Technically this is out this week rather than next, but as always I never know when a Fantagraphics title comes out till I get a shipping notice. But who cares if it means an 8th volume of Wandering Son, woo hoo!

MICHELLE: I feel like a poseur for saying “Woo!” when I am so far behind, but “Woo!” nonetheless.

ASH: I just got my copy! It makes me so happy that this series is being translated.

ANNA: I will join Michelle in also saying “Woo!” and being behind in reading this very worthwhile series.

SEAN: Kodansha keeps putting out Air Gear omnibuses, here is the 5th.

And there is also an 8th volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

The big debut from Kodansha, though, is the first volume of coming of age story A Silent Voice. I reviewed the first volume here, and will definitely be reading the whole thing.

MICHELLE: Interesting. I wasn’t aware of this one, at all. Not sure I could stomach that many hard-to-like characters, though.

ASH: I’ve heard very good things about this series.

SEAN: One Peace has a 2nd Aquarion Evol, which is spelled correctly and also not a villain after all.

ANNA: The first one for sure seemed like it would appeal to fans of the anime, but the volumes are a bit slim on the page count.

SEAN: Meanwhile, Ponent Mon has another Jiro Tanaguchi volume, this one set in the Edo period, called Furari. Every Tanaguchi release should be greeted with joy. (I could swear this has come out before in some way, shape or form. Am I wrong? Ponent Mon does tend to re-release…)

MICHELLE: I’m not sure. I know it’s been sitting in my Amazon cart for ages, but possibly that was because it was supposed to come out a while back, but never actually showed as “In stock.” In any case, yay for more Taniguchi!

ASH: I believe it was initially planned to be released last year or the year before and that we’re only now just seeing it after a significant delay. Should be good, though!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us another Alice volume, this one with the Twins as the boyfriend du jour. I hated the last volume focusing on them; hopefully this will be an improvement.

They also have an 8th volume of gaming fantasy World War Blue.

Vertical has a new Attack on Titan novel, Kuklo Unbound. This one will seem more familiar to those reading the Before the Fall manga.

ASH: Yeah, I’ll probably be reading this one.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 6th volume of Cardfight!! Vanguard, still filled with teenage youth and exclamation marks.

What leaps out at you from this list?

Pick of the Week: Three By Yen

May 20, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 6 Comments

SEAN: Let’s see… Goong, Emma, Emma, Goong… so I’m the tiebreaker, huh? Good thing I pick first! Won’t be breaking the tie, though, because it’s time for Sean to highlight another of his pet series. Umineko: When They Cry is technically halfway done, at least in terms of arcs – in terms of actual volume count we have a bit more to go. I’m particularly excited for End of the Golden Witch, as most Umineko fans agree that it’s the best of all the manga adaptations.

MICHELLE: Predictably, I pick Goong, especially since it’s my final chance to do so. I’m in the midst of a reread of this series, and it’s pretty much the quintessential manhwa, with plenty of arguments, true feelings concealed, and true feelings revealed, along with its own special blend of “sweet moments interrupted by really unfunny comedic bits with ugly art.” Really, it can’t be missed.

ASH: No question about it, my pick this week is Emma. Ever since Yen Press started releasing Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story in a gorgeous hardcover edition, I’ve been hoping for a rescue of Emma. And now it’s here! My local library had a run of most of the old CMX volumes, so I’ve read the series before, but I’m thrilled that I’ll finally be able to own it. And in a beautiful deluxe omnibus release, no less!

ANNA: I have to agree with Ash, it is time to celebrate the rerelease of Emma. I’m thrilled for the folks who weren’t able to collect the series before, especially since Yen does such a great job on their deluxe editions.

SEAN: MJhas been busy moving into a new home, but trust me, if she were here to pick she would agonize between Emma and Goong but pick Goong. We all know this.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 5/20

May 14, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: Did you enjoy this week’s small week? Good. That isn’t next week.

Dance in the Vampire Bund’s Scarlet Order may have ended (somewhat surprisingly) in Japan, but Seven Seas still has more of it to bring you here, with Vol. 2 arriving next week.

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer’s third omnibus takes us over halfway through this highly underrated superheroes story.

ASH: I’ve largely been enjoying this rather peculiar series.

SEAN: Satoshi Kon gets a collection of his short stories from Vertical Comics, called Dream Fossil.

ASH: This should be good. (And unlike Dark Horse’s Kon releases, aren’t unfinished works.)

ANNA: Good to know! I hadn’t realized that the Dark Horse releases were unfinished works.

SEAN: Dorohedoro has reached Volume 15, and things are continuing to get darker and darker in this already dark manga.

ASH: Always happy to see more Dorohedoro!

SEAN: In fact, it’s a depress-o-rama from Viz this week! We also get a 6th volume of Gangsta, a 4th Resident Evil, and a 6th volume of Terra Formars. If you like action and people dying and having bits of them cut off, you should be very happy indeed.

ASH: Oh, more Gangsta, too? Excellent.

ANNA: Gangsta is great. So stylish, so violent, so seinen.

SEAN: Well, I was wrong, it was a short wee—oh right, Yen Press. I knew I was missing 17 or so titles. First off, we have the third A Certain Magical Index light novel, and the one most everyone agrees is one of the best in the entire series.

The other novel is a debut. Kagerou Daze began life as a series of Vocaloid songs about a group of friends with powers, and has now become a fairly large franchise, of which the light novel is one part.

Back to manga, we have the third volume of Ani-Imo, which is shoujo in that odd way that only Aria titles can be shoujo.

A 6th Blood Lad omnibus. I’ve become really fond of this series, and always enjoy seeing more of it.

MICHELLE: I was pleasantly surprised that the sixth omnibus is out so soon, given that we’re essentially caught up to Japan.

SEAN: And a 10th volume of BTOOOM!, a series of which I am far less fond. Honestly, once you do the bomb bouncing off the breast thing, where else is there to take a story? It’s the pinnacle.

If you’d rather have a manga version of the Magical Index novels, then Yen Press is here to help you, as here’s the first manga volume.

One of the most exciting license rescues ever, Yen is releasing the seinen classic Emma in omnibus hardcover format. It will be read by everyone. (glare) I said, everyone.

ASH: I’m absolutely thrilled; I’ll actually be able to buy the series this time around!

MJ: Same here! This is honestly thrilling!

MICHELLE: I am clutching my CMX editions tightly!

ANNA: Nice. This is a series that deserves to be in print, and the deluxe Yen editions are always a treat. I might buy it again!

SEAN: Well, everyone except the Manga Bookshelf team, who may be distracted by the 18th Goong omnibus.

MJ: Also, THIS.

MICHELLE: Not only is it new Goong, it’s also the end, as this omnibus contains the final volumes (27-28 by the original Korean numbering) of the series!

ANNA: I need to get caught up on Goong, it is such a great soap opera.

SEAN: The Manga Bookshelf team is unlikely to be distracted at all by the 3rd Gou-dere Sora Nagihara volume.

If you’d rather have a manga version of the Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? novels, then Yen Press is here to help you, as here’s the first manga volume. (Have I typed this before?)

After seven volumes of No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, I’m beginning to think she needs to take some responsibility here.

ASH: Heh.

MICHELLE: Srsly.

SEAN: It has been a common complaint that Sword Art Online features Kirito, occasionally Asuna, and not much else. So those readers should enjoy the spinoff Girls’ Ops, which focuses on the rest of the female cast getting involved in new MMORPG adventures.

Another debut for the more action-oriented crowd, we have the first volume of fantasy series Trinity Seven, which is also a harem series if the cover art and blurb don’t deceive me. I admit I know little about it.

On the darker fantasy side, there’s a 3rd Ubel Blatt omnibus, helpfully called Vol. 2.

ASH: Very helpful.

SEAN: Umineko: When They Cry’s new omnibus, End of the Golden Witch, sees the series shaken up with a new detective, who arrives on the island. Will things continue to be horribly tragic as we continue the adventures of manga’s most toxic family? Even this level of reasoning is possible for Furudo Erika. (Please note: Furudo Erika, Frederica Bernkastel, and Furude Rika are totally different people. Honest.)

Lastly, we get a 9th omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, another series I’ve fallen incredibly behind on.

Is this too much manga? Or just right?

Pick of the Week: Ancient Love

May 13, 2015 by Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Sean Gaffney and MJ Leave a Comment

ASH: This may be one of the smallest shipping weeks for manga that we’ve seen this year, but there are still some interesting releases coming out. In particular, I’m curious about the debut of the award-winning series The Ancient Magus’ Bride which, if nothing else, has beautiful artwork.

MICHELLE: I suppose I’ll go for Love Stage! this week, as it’s been ages since I’ve read anything by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou.

ANNA: There isn’t a ton to choose from, I will also pick The Ancient Magus’ Bride as the most interesting release this week.

SEAN: Yeah, of all the titles, Ancient Magus’ Bride is the one that leaps out at me.

MJ: I’m definitely interested in The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but for the sake of balance here, I’ll join Michelle in anticipation of Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou’s Love Stage!. I was a big fan of their collaboration Color when it came out here in 2009, so I’ll certainly give Love Stage! a try!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 5/13

May 6, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Anna N, Ash Brown and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: I haven’t seen a week this small since Christmas. It’s sort of creepy.

First of all, right after I posted Manga the Week of last week, Dark Horse did a classic date slip, so Drug & Drop 2 is here again. Dark Horse is famous for release date slips, though they’re better than they used to be. If nothing else, it gives the MB team an opportunity to pick it two weeks in a row.

MJ: And since I flaked last week, it gives me the opportunity to get excited about it this week!

SEAN: The other Dark Horse release is of a very different nature. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt was a manic anime series from a couple years back, and like many anime had a tie-in manga as well, this one running in Kadokawa’s Young Ace. It’s complete in one volume.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan has its third volume – the series has slowed somewhat (as has Silver Spoon by the same author) due to family emergencies, apparently. Still should be good high fantasy.

ANNA: I keep meaning to check this out! One day!

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts two new series. The Ancient Magus’ Bride is from Mag Garden’s Comic Blade, which we haven’t seen stuff from in years. It’s also a Taisho award winner with gorgeous art. The genre, as you can likely guess, is fantasy/romance, like half the titles licensed recently.

ASH: I’m intrigued by this series and look forward to giving it a try.

ANNA: I am always interested in fantasy/romance. This does sound intriguing.

SEAN: Evergreen is from the author of Toradora!, and from what I hear is something of a similar series, starting out as a sweet romance but introducing darker themes as it goes on. It runs in Dengeki Daioh.

Another debut, this one from SubLime, Viz’s BL imprint. Love Stage! runs in Asuka Ciel, which is what Asuka readers turn to when they’re looking for the harder stuff. It’s also by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou, who I assume most BL fans have already heard of.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this, I admit.

MICHELLE: I haven’t read anything by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou in ages! I might have to check this out, too.

SEAN: Lastly, 07-GHOST inches ever closer to completion with its 16th volume.

ANNA: One day I will read it all! ONE DAY!

MICHELLE: Me, too. Every time there’s a new volume, I think, “Oh, I am terribly remiss!” but then I just get waylaid by other things.

SEAN: Anything exciting you for next week?

Pick of the Week: Late again?

May 6, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: There’s a lot of good stuff out this week, but I have to go with the continuation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, giving us its retro 80s over the top ridiculousness. Now with added immortality.

MICHELLE: I’m very intrigued by Drug & Drop, though I confess I haven’t read volume one yet. But, as ever, my heart belongs to What Did You Eat Yesterday?. I just can’t help it.

ANNA: There’s a ton of great manga coming out this week, and if Sean hadn’t picked JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure I would probably have gone with that. But instead I will pick Spell of Desire, hooray for weird witchy romance!

ASH: Wow, this is a tough week to choose! Lots of great manga are being released that I’ll definitely be picking up. But since JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and What Did You Eat Yesterday? have already been mentioned, I’ll take the opportunity to highlight The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It’s a rare, full-color manga and it’s by Shotaro Ishinomori. Even if you’re not interested in video games, this should be worth a look.

MJ: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is obviously a no-brainer. I’m also pretty well enamored of Drug & Drop. But since there’s plenty of support for the former, and I happen to know that I have another chance at the latter coming up soon, I’ll throw my vote alongside Michelle’s and go for my beloved What Did You Eat Yesterday?. This series remains a touchstone for me, and I’m always simultaneously thrilled and comforted to see a new volume cross my threshold. Definitely my pick of the week!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 5/6

April 30, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: May, and the manga volumes coming out are not letting up in any way. Let’s see what we have in next week’s pile.

I’m not entirely sure if Dr. Makumakuran And Other Stories is coming out this first week – Amazon’s site says “May 2015” in an unhelpful way. But it’s from Bruno Gmunder Verlag, so you know what that means. Fans of Massive should check this out.

ASH: Definitely! Especially as Takeshi Matsu was one of the artists who was featured in Massive. This will be his second collection of manga released in English. I rather enjoyed his first, More and More of You and Other Stories, so I’m looking forward to it.

SEAN: Dark Horse brings out a 17th volume of popular manwha title Bride of the Water God.

And a second volume of Legal Drug continuation Drug & Drop, now with added plot and deeper characterization!

ASH: Woo!

MICHELLE: Huzzah!

ANNA: I haven’t checked out the first volume of this yet, but I intend to!

SEAN: Kodansha has a fourth omnibus of Tsubasa, still in its excellent period before its plot brambles became too strong.

Hopefully the 2nd volume of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches will give us some actual witches.

ASH: And more kissing.

SEAN: I admit I rarely talk Perfect Square books here, but the Legend of Zelda manga they have coming out next week looks awesome. Called A Link to the Past, it’s in full color and should appear to all LoZ fans.

ASH: This should be great.

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a new Devils and Realist (Vol. 5) and a new Dragonar Academy (Vol. 6), both of which will interest their prospective audiences, which sadly are not me.

And Vertical has an 8th volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, which has lost me, but still enchants the rest of Manga Bookshelf.

ASH: It’s true!

MICHELLE: I’ve been so pleased with the speed with which this series has been coming out, but I’m already sad that we’ll soon be caught up with Japan.

SEAN: Viz, as always, has most of its releases this week. There’s a 4th volume of Black Rose Alice, the story of a touching romance between a body and the spiders within it.

ASH: Actually, that’s not entirely inaccurate.

MICHELLE: Heh. Here’s another series where I’m already dreading being caught up to Japan.

ANNA: I enjoy this series a bunch. Each volume is a bit of a surprise. Also, spiders.

SEAN: The 11th Bleach 3-in-1 omnibus finds the cast in the middle of the Hueco Mundo arc, one of the most beloved and uncontroversial arcs in all of Bleach.

If you thought that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure had reached peak ridiculousness with the first hardcover, be advised it only gets weirder from here. The 2nd hardcover ships next week.

ASH: Dioooooo!

ANNA: YAY!

SEAN: I haven’t enjoyed Kiss of the Rose Princess as much as He’s My Only Vampire, but it’s good enough, and a 4th volume should be decent reading.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I’ll keep reading the former but actually keep the latter. There’s the distinction for me.

ANNA: I enjoy it for what it is.

SEAN: If you were waiting for the 2nd Millennium Snow omnibus to keep your shelves neat and tidy, here it is.

ANNA: I’ve been meaning to do a complete reread of this after only reading the first early volumes.

SEAN: Nisekoi’s ninth volume. The subtitle is still False Love, reminding those of us who enjoy the balanced harem aspect of it that there’s still one main heroine.

Ranma 1/2’s eighth omnibus gives us two of the series’ most memorable (and silliest) one-shot villains, The Gambling King and Picolette Chardin II.

Rosario + Vampire Season II Volume 14 still has too much punctuation and numbers in its title.

Spell of Desire continues to be edgy in ways I don’t like, as opposed to edgy in ways I like (which Midnight Secretary was).

MICHELLE: I had high hopes for Spell of Desire, possibly chiefly because the male lead was kind to a kitty, but now I find that I don’t like it as much as Midnight Secretary after all. I kind of can’t explain how that happened.

ANNA: I like it just as much, but I’m not a very critical paranormal romance manga reader.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a second Yu-Gi-Oh! 3-in-1 omnibus. It’s based on a card game. Many people don’t know that bit of trivia.

ANNA: My kids have now moved on from Pokemon cards to Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and let me tell you how thrilled I am that there is yet another card game that they want to collect.

SEAN: Something for everyone? What’s for you?

Bookshelf Briefs 4/28/15

April 28, 2015 by Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Viz Media, and Yen Press.

Genshiken: Second Season, Vol. 6 | By Shimoku Kio | Kodansha Comics – I’m still not quite sure which direction Kio is taking this manga – something that I’m sure is quite deliberate on his part. After resolving the long-running Saki plot last time, she hints that Madarame is gathering a harem of his own, and this volume is happily content to riff on that for all it’s worth (as well as fracturing his wrist, possibly for daring to be a harem protagonist). But it doesn’t shy away from Hato’s gender identity issues either, with him trying to distance himself from both Madarame and BL while feeling completely miserable about everything. There’s plenty of humor here as well, as you’d expect given it takes place mostly during Comiket. Solid, but a bit too diffuse – impossible as that is. – Sean Gaffney

Magi, Vol. 11 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – It can be very difficult to deal with the fact that the world can sometimes be a cruel, unjust place – we see this every day of our lives. And in this volume of Magi, we see how it can turn an adorable young princess into a power-crazed villain. And just because you’ve been getting more powerful every day does not mean you’re going to waltz in and save the day – after winning the dungeon, our heroes get the crap kicked out of them by some powerful villains, and require a rescue by the cavalry from Sinbad’s country. In fact, this may be the most graphic, violent volume of Magi that we’ve seen to date. It’s a harsh but powerful read, and reminds you why we want people like our heroes to triumph over injustice. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 34 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – A lot of this volume focuses on Kyoko’s view of how love makes her a terrible person, for not only does she become an idiot, but she also hates herself for taking comfort in the fact that Ren’s belief that he doesn’t deserve love means that she won’t have to worry about someone else snagging him. The President tries to help adjust her thinking on this, and gives her a break from her role as Setsu, but soon enough she and Ren are back on location in Guam for a shoot, only Kyoko has arrived early and encountered Ren looking like Kuon. And then there’s a super-cruel cliffhanger that we have to wait until September to see resolved. Argh! As much as I look forward to these rare treats of Skip Beat!, they really do keep the agony of waiting for the next dollop of story fresh. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 2 | By Reki Kawahara and Kiseki Himura | Yen Press – I usually don’t pick up the manga adaptation after I start reading the light novel, but this was a very good example of how adaptations change the source to fit better within the manga genre. There’s more goofy humor here, Asuna’s POV is given a lot more workout than Kirito’s, and the plot is streamlined. That can also work against it, as we miss Kirito and Argo’s side story, and the loss of seeing the blacksmith working on a sword before Asuna’s makes the cliffhanger ending more of a surprise than it was in the book. Also, Kirito is a lot more into Asuna here than he is in the novel. Still, if folks want to pass up the novel for the manga, this is still very good, with likeable art. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 10 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – I was sure that this would be the volume where Shiro’s secret finally came out, along with the inevitable fallout. But no, we’re keeping things going right until the end, even as Senri is getting more and more suspicious that SOMETHING is going on, and Hime is finding it harder and harder to keep the two sides separate. On the acting front, there’s some great discussion of how an actor should try their best not to listen to what the fans want or recommend when performing – in particular, don’t go to forums! The rest of the cast take a back seat to Senri and Hime here, but that’s what you’d expect – next volume is the last, and they’re the main couple, so let’s keep them hanging for one last cliffhanger. – Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 10 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Hime, in her guise of Shiro, has a role in a new anime but fans of the character are so far displeased by her performance. While she works hard to figure out what she’s doing wrong, Mizuki—coming off as creepily controlling—suggests Shiro’s friendship with Senri will jeopardize Hime’s dream of becoming a top voice actor, so she abruptly pulls away from Senri. Lots of great moments of professional and personal growth ensue, with one particular scene making me go all sniffly. True, Hime does continue to be awfully careless at protecting her secret when Senri is around, but the scene in which he appears to maybe figure it out is done about as well as it could be. With only two volumes left, I find myself hoping for a romance-free ending. None of these characters is ready for that, anyhow! – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: So much Kodansha!

April 28, 2015 by Anna N, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney and MJ 1 Comment

ANNA: Kodansha! So many things coming out from Kodansha this week! What Kodansha or non-Kodansha title do you have your eye on? Personally, I am going to go for the latest volume of Gundam: the Origin from Vertical.

MICHELLE: I really need to get caught up again on Say I Love You., so that is definitely my pick of the week!

ASH: I’m actually really curious to see how Maria the Virgin Witch continues to develop. There were a few things about the first volume that bothered me, but overall it was a very intriguing, and occasionally endearing, start to the series.

SEAN: I’ll go with the new Attack on Titan Junior High, because it will be hilarious.

MJ: I suspect my pick is a little bit obvious. You all should know by now that I can’t get enough of xxxHolic, and that includes the recent sequel/reboot/whatever-the-hell-it-is xxxHOLIC Rei. The truth is, CLAMP could continue to put stories about Watanuki in front of me for the rest of my life and I’d probably never get tired of him. That’s just the way things are. So, yeah. xxxHOLIC Rei. Bring it on.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 4/29

April 23, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 1 Comment

SEAN: The last week of April is pretty much KODANSHA WEEK, with only two exceptions.

There’s a 3rd Attack on Titan Junior High omnibus, which is highly recommended for those who enjoy seeing how far an adaptation can go, those who enjoy seeing their favorite characters being very silly indeed, and those who like to quote one-liners on Tumblr.

Maria the Virgin Witch is a title I was very conflicted about after reading the first volume, but I’ve heard that it improves, and it’s a short series, so I will give Vol. 2 a try.

ASH: The series has a lot of potential, so I’m curious to see how it develops.

SEAN: There’s a 4th volume of supernatural comedy Noragami.

And a 7th of addictive shoujo potboiler Say “I Love You”. (I will never let go of those quote marks. It would be like leaving the ! out of Skip Beat!.)

MICHELLE: I have fallen behind on this one. Must rectify!

SEAN: Lastly, a 3rd volume of xxxHOLIC Rei, which I will continue to read as long as there’s a possibility of more Himawari/Doumeki/Watanuki OT3 shenanigans.

MICHELLE: I still have not managed to finish the original xxxHOLiC. Bad manga fan!

ASH: I was glad to see it recently announced that CLAMP is resuming work on this series after its hiatus.

MJ: This! I will be reading this.

ANNA: When will they finish X/1999? WHEN?

SEAN: In non-Kodansha news, there’s a new Alice in the Country of Clover from Seven Seas, this time focusing on Elliot: The March Hare’s Revolution.

And Vertical Comics gives us a 9th deluxe hardcover edition of Gundam The Origin.

ASH: There was a delay on this volume’s release to address some printing errors, so I’ll be happy to see it finally arrive!

ANNA: Need to get caught up on this!

SEAN: Still catching up from last week? Or does something here leap out at you?