Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Third Volumes

January 26, 2015 by MJ, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

MJ: Okay, I’ll admit there’s not a lot calling to me this week, but I can express genuine enthusiasm for the third omnibus of Whispered Words, apparently shipping this week from One Peace. This is a really charming story, and I’m so happy to see it—and specifically happy to see it coming from One Peace, who tend to fly under the radar of a lot of fans. I’m hoping this release has made a decent splash for them. It certainly should have. This is a title that should not be missed.

MICHELLE: Since MJhas campaigned so ably for Whispered Words and because I already know what my pick is going to be next week (I’ve only been waiting for it for years!), I thought I would instead highlight something else coming out next week, which would be the third volume of Black Rose Alice. Combining a unique spin on vampires with adept storytelling and compelling characters, this series really isn’t to be missed!

ASH: I’m right there with MJthis week. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of Whispered Words and am very glad that the series was released in English! (And that the editing seems to have improved since the first omnibus.)

ANNA: I’ll have to go for the third volume of Black Rose Alice too. It really is one of the more unique shoujo titles currently coming out.

SEAN: Whispered Words all the way for me.

What looks good to you this week?

Off the Shelf: Food & Fantasy

January 22, 2015 by MJ and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

MICHELLE: Hey, check it out! It hasn’t been a whole year and we’re totally back again!

MJ: It’s a Christmas miracle! Or something.

MICHELLE: It must be! This week there’s one debut that we both read—shall we start with that one? Would you like to do the summarizing honors, or shall I?

MJ: I’ll give it a try!

This week, we both dug into the first volume of Yukarism, the latest from Chika Shiomi, author of Yurara and Rasetsu. The story centers around Yukari, a seventeen-year-old boy who, according to a fortune-teller, was born without forgetting his previous life. The fortune-teller seems to have been on to something, as Yukari has such a strong sense of Japan’s Edo period that he’s been able to write numerous historical novels set in that period without any research at all. But though Yukari is keenly aware that he has this uncanny sense for the past, the details only begin to come together for him when he meets a classmate named Mahoro, whose chance presence in his life awakens his full memories, sending him back in a dreamlike state to his previous life as an oiran in the pleasure district, and even to the scene of his death.

MICHELLE: Nicely done!

As this is a short series—complete in four volumes—we ought to get resolution to the low-key mystery of that death in a fairly straightforward fashion. Already there is a suspect in Takamura, one of Yumurasaki’s (the oiran) customers, who is pretty creepy and known to wield his curse-making talents as an assassin. As the volume concludes, it seems likely we have met his present-day incarnation as well, though I don’t get much sense of our present-day characters in peril.

Initially, I would’ve said I didn’t get much sense of our present-day characters at all, but once the reincarnation of Hitoha, Yumurasaki’s attendant, showed up, Mahoro did start acting a little more lively. It does seem, though, that in this first volume at least, the priority was on establishing the concept.

MJ: I’m find that I’m both distressed and pleased to hear that this series is complete in four volumes. On one hand, I applaud succinct storytelling when done well, and I do have a lot of faith in this artist. On the other, if it indeed is done well, I’ll be very sad to see it go. So far, I’m feeling optimistic, though I’ll agree that the present-day characters are less distinct at this point than their past-life counterparts, but as you say, that begins to ramp up a bit near the end of the volume. One exception on that front, however, is Yukari, at least in my opinion. His character is fairly well-established (and nicely linked) in both the past and present, and I do appreciate the way he so easily falls into his former self. He and Yumurasaki are so clearly the same person at the core, and this is only enhanced by Shiomi’s efficient yet expressive art style.

While this volume is mainly setup, it does set things up pretty clearly, at least. I suspect we’ll discover soon just why these people have been brought back together in this time period, and perhaps even why they’re so easily able to reconnect with their past selves. I’m quite looking forward to it.

MICHELLE: I absolutely agree about Yukari and Yumurasaki clearly being the same. It’s Mahoro who seems so different from her past self that it’s puzzling. Maybe Yukari’s wrong about who she really is? That’s an intriguing possibility. In any case, I am definitely on board for the rest of the series!

MJ: I suspect there’s a lot more to Mahoro (and her past self) than we yet know! And yes, I’m definitely on board for finding out!

So what else have you been reading lately?

MICHELLE: I actually checked out another Shojo Beat debut from VIZ, Kiss of the Rose Princess by Aya Shouoto!

This nine-volume series is about a girl called Anise Yamamoto who was given a choker by her father with the warning, “If you ever remove it, a truly terrifying punishment will befall you.” She duly wears it until one day a bat-like creature flies into her. The choker disappears, but in its place is a card. By kissing it, she can summon Kaede, her hot-headed classmate. Turns out she’s some sort of sovereign that has knights at her disposal. Instead of Anise going around collecting the rest of the cards, the bat (Ninufa) just gives them to her, so now she has four bishounen at her beck and call. Anise wisely wonders, “This isn’t punishment, is it?”

In addition to Kaede, there’s the princely student body president, a grumpy goth dude (who is apparently not quite human), and a frail and delicate boy. Supposedly, the power of the cards was sealed until a demon lord resurfaces, only he hasn’t yet, so… What is this story going to be? Is it a comedy? The reveal of the president’s masochistic predilections is played for laughs. Will the demon lord ever show up, or are we in for more stories with plots like “we’ll work together as a team to create a new main gate for the school festival”? I honestly don’t know what to make of this one.

Ultimately, I suppose I will read more in the hope that this will possibly turn out not to be something generic.

MJ: Right now, I feel like I’m reading some kind of alternate universe reboot of Cardcaptor Sakura. Am I wrong?

MICHELLE: I can see how you’d think that, and it is true that each knight supposedly has a different specialty (attacks, discovery, alchemy…), but because she isn’t compelled to collect more cards or go up against an enemy, Anise isn’t actually using these cards the same way Sakura does, and it’s much less compelling so far. That said, volume two has just come out, so perhaps that’ll give me a better idea of the direction in which the series is heading.

What else have you been reading?

MJ: I’ve finally now caught up on the latest volumes of one of my favorite series, Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday?, specifically volumes five and six. I suppose it’s a testament to my harried life that I would have let more than one volume of this series linger in my to-read pile, but it’s also telling that when I have real time to sit down and read, this is the series I choose first.

Something I’m always struck by when I read this manga is just how well Fumi Yoshinaga’s style works with this foodie/slice-of-life mix. Her sense of humor and ability to infuse casual anecdotes with real relationship-building makes the storytelling feel substantial even when so much page time goes to food preparation. With that in mind, there’s quite a bit going on over the course of these two volumes, but perhaps the most significant bits of the storyline have to do with Shiro and Kenji’s new acquaintance with another couple, Mr. Kohinata and his younger boyfriend, Wataru.

Shiro is originally introduced to Mr. Kohinata by Mr. Tominaga, the husband of the woman with whom Shiro often splits groceries. Though both Shiro and Mr. Kohinata recognize the absurdity of the introduction (Mr. Tominaga seems to believe they’ll naturally have lots in common simply because they are both gay), they actually do strike up a friendly acquaintance, and soon the two couples are having dinner together and meeting up to watch Mr. Kohinata’s company baseball game. There’s a lot of humor involved, but the real significance of this new friendship is in the way it influences Shiro to begin feeling more comfortable as part of a gay couple in public. By the end of volume six, he’s even invited Kenji to go grocery shopping with him in their own neighborhood, which may seem like a small thing, but is a pretty big deal for Shiro—a fact that does not elude Kenji in the slightest.

I often see comments here from readers who dislike Shiro, and I admit that I really don’t understand it at all. Yes, he’s emotionally reticent, and yes, his professional life is a complication in terms of how open he feels he can be in his personal life. But he expresses his caring for Kenji in so many ways—and vice-versa. I am pretty deeply in love with their relationship and the ways in which they continuously learn to work around each other’s fears and insecurities in order to continue to support each other, emotionally and otherwise.

Also, the food. THE FOOD. I get so hungry when I read this manga. It’s a good thing I have a cooking-savvy husband of my own. How do I relate to Kenji? Let me count the ways.

MICHELLE: I am with you on being baffled that anyone would dislike Shiro! I would challenge those folks to read through the end of volume six, which not only includes the public grocery-shopping invitation but the real reason for Shiro’s intense frugality, and see how they feel about him then. He may not be demonstrative, but he really does care, and is thinking of Kenji’s long-term health and happiness.

It’s interesting how my reaction to the food works, because if it’s something unfamiliar, I kind of go, “Oh, that looks tasty,” but if it’s something known and delicious, then I will become a slavering craving-beast. Latest trigger? Gyoza!

MJ: Yum! Though of course that seems to be my reaction to everything they eat in this series. Now… time for some lunch!

MICHELLE: Suddenly, this Stouffer’s frozen entrée is not looking up to par.

MJ: I feel that.

Manga the Week of 1/28

January 21, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: The final week of January, and a quiet, peaceful time for books. After last week, that’s a relief.

(Note: Diamond Comics is shipping some Viz stuff to me 1-2 weeks early; I’m assuming that’s them and going with the official release dates, so they’ll be in upcoming posts. I’m also getting Soul Eater late. Diamond gonna Diamond.)

Dark Horse has the 34th volume of Gantz, which despite my occasional mockery has done very well for them, as can be seen by their license of another series by the same author. Still no HEN, though. Or even Hen.

Kodansha has a new Fairy Tail, the 46th. After this one, we go from monthly to bimonthly, so the Fairy Tail catchup seems to have finally slowed down. Kudos to all who stayed caught up.

MICHELLE: Which wasn’t me!

SEAN: I didn’t think Whispered Words’ 3rd omnibus was coming out from One Peace books till late March, but it was shipped to me last week, so yay for early bird releases. I’ve already reviewed it here.

ASH: My copy arrived early, too! I’m looking forward to finishing the series.

MJ: This is definitely something to look forward to!

MICHELLE: I haven’t checked back in with this title since the first omnibus, so an early conclusion is definitely an incentive.

SEAN: One Peace also has the 3rd through 5th volumes of Raqiya also coming out, which I believe completes the series.

ASH: It does indeed.

SEAN: Lastly, Diamond Comics has started shipping print copies of the final volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion, so even though I highlighted in in November when it came out digitally I will mention it again here.

Do you see something here you want? Or are you taking the week off?

ANNA: I’m taking the week off! More of an opportunity to make some headway with all the stacks of unread manga piled up in my house.

Pick of the Week: Mostly Manhwa

January 19, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ, Anna N and Ash Brown 1 Comment

SEAN: I am aware that I will be in the minority this week, as the rest of the Manga Bookshelf team has Korean product on its mind, be it Goong or Milkyway Hitchhiking. I am also aware that it is a bit wearying for me to continue being fascinated with Sword Art Online. But I find the premise of this new manga, Sword Art Online: Progressive to be fascinating: go back to your most famous product years later and rewrite it to be better and have more detail and depth. I’m excited.

MICHELLE: Well, you certainly have me pegged. Goong all the way!

MJ: Goong is a long-time favorite, no doubt about it. And I’m actually interested in more Sword Art Online! But there’s no getting around the fact that my heart has been irretrievably captured by the odd and adorable Milkyway Hitchhiking. Its first volume was as whimsical and beautifully drawn as One Fine Day, plus full color and a time-traveling cat. What’s not to love? Milkyway Hitchhiking owns my soul. Must have more. Like. Now.

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Goong, even though I’m really curious about Milkyway Hitchhiking now!

ASH: I was tempted to choose something else just to be contrary, but my heart is with Milkyway Hitchhiking. The first volume was lovely, with gorgeous artwork and almost poetic storytelling; I’m looking forward to the next installment a great deal.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 1/21

January 15, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: Remember how I said that January was quiet? That does not apply to next week, which is simply a ton of stuff.

It’s even bigger as I missed some titles last week. Basically, I get street dates from Amazon, mostly. The exceptions are Dark Horse and DMP (and sometimes One Peace or Gen), which ship to comic shops 2 weeks before bookstores, so I use Diamond Comics’ street dates then. I forgot to check last week, and there was a pile of DMP stuff. So here it is:

There’s a sequel to Apple & Honey called His Rose-Colored Life.

Does the Flower Blossom? has its first volume. It seems to involve an ad man trying to get past a broken heart.

ASH: This series is from Blue Morning‘s Shoko Hidaka, so I’ll definitely be checking it out.

MJ: Oh, yes!

SEAN: In non-BL news, we have the 3rd volume of the quirky Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat.

Lastly, we have Murmur of the Heart, whose… sequel came out two weeks ago? In any case, it’s by the author of Blue Sheep Reverie.

Now, on to the giant pile actually out NEXT week. Kodansha has the 10th volume of addictive and frustrating shoujo potboiler Missions of Love.

ASH: So, so addictive.

SEAN: My Little Monster’s cast is equally screwed-up, but I scream at them a little less in the 6th volume. Only a little, though.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

SEAN: And there’s a third volume of fantasy series Noragami.

ASH: I’ve been rather enjoying Noragami thus far.

SEAN: From Seven Seas, we have a third volume of Arpeggio of Blue Steel, whose gritty SF-ness has helped to overcome its ‘cute girls are battleships’-ness.

There’s a 4th omnibus of wacky pseudo-incest comedy I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!!.

And a 2nd of the straight up horror of Magical Girl Apocalypse.

And the final volume of Zero’s Familiar Chevalier, which I suspect may be the last in the franchise given the death of its creator.

Speaking of final volumes, From the New World ends for Vertical with its 7th volume next week.

Viz has the 3rd omnibus of Urasawa’s Monster, which does not star either Godzilla OR Gamera. Human monsters are enough here.

ASH: Still very happy this series is getting a re-release.

ANNA: Me too! I need to finally read it.

SEAN: There’s a 2nd volume of the Resident Evil tie-in manga.

And a 4th Terra Formars.

A new series debuts from Yen, and if you’re tired of the ‘dark fantasy’ genre, well, you’re in a very small minority. Akame Ga Kill! isn’t a title I know much about, but it had a popular anime, and has a striking young woman with a sword on its cover. I look forward to checking it out.

ASH: I have yet to tire of dark fantasy, which means I’ll be giving Akame Ga Kill! a look.

We’ve mostly caught up with Black Butler in Japan, so a new release isn’t as common as it once was. Here’s the 19th volume.

MICHELLE: I always seem to read these, even if I’m not terribly enthusiastic about the series.

SEAN: Who likes Goong? Who wants a 17th omnibus? Is it you? It is!

MICHELLE: It’s meeeeeeeee!

ANNA: I WANT IT!

MJ: And me! Me! Me!

SEAN: Inu x Boku SS spent much of its last volume reinventing itself, and I’m hoping things start moving a bit faster with this 6th one.

I keep forgetting Kingdom Hearts exists – Amazon doesn’t code it with the other manga. They’re up to the 5th volume of 358 / 2 Days, which is not 179 for reasons that I’m sure would make sense if I read it.

I’m not sure how much longer The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan can keep toddling along, especially now that it’s gotten to Sasaki, but I’m always happy to see a new volume, as it’s simply funny – and better characterized than the main manga, oddly enough.

Milkyway Hitchhiking was a popular title when the first volume came out, so I suspect the Manga Bookshelf team is looking forward to Vol. 2 twice as much!

MICHELLE: I may actually (gasp) write a long review of volumes one and two!

ASH: The first volume was lovely!

ANNA: This was not on my radar too, but if it is good enough to get Michelle to write a long review, I want to read it!

MJ: I will be talking about this a lot, soon! I finally have my first volume and I’m already in love.

SEAN: Watamote hits its 6th volume, and I still really hate typing out its full title. Even Diamond just solicits it as ‘I’m Not Popular’.

Did you like Doubt? And Judge? Or do you just like people in animal masks? Well, you’re in luck! Secret will give you as much survival game as you want. It’d been coming out digitally in chapter form for some time, now here’s the first collected volume.

I can’t believe this 24th volume is the second to last Soul Eater. It’s been a fun ride. And hey, the covers are still pitch black.

Sword Art Online’s Aincrad was an awesome world, which makes it a shame that its plot was resolved in one book. That’s why we now have Sword Art Online Progressive, which goes back and retells the story at a more relaxed, in-depth pace. It also places far more emphasis on Asuna. This is Vol. 1 of the manga; the novel’s Vol. 1 ships in March.

Ubel Blatt Vol. 1, the 2nd omnibus of Ubel Blatt put out by Yen, collects the Japanese Vol. 2 and 3. I originally tried to make that more confusing for humor value, but really, it speaks for itself.

ASH: That it does.

SEAN: Omnibus #2 is the 3rd and last one for Umineko When They Cry: Alliance of the Golden Witch. Will Ange manage to save her brother in 1986 even though she’s in 1998? Don’t get your hopes up. After this, we’ll be halfway through the eight arcs!

And lastly, Omnibus #3 gives us another volume of Until Death Do Us Part.

MICHELLE: I liked the first omnibus more than I expected to, and I keep meaning to get back to it. One of these days!

SEAN: Surely there is something here for everyone. What’s for you?

Bookshelf Briefs 1/12/15

January 12, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

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

My Little Monster, Vol. 6 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – Two things stood out the most for me in this volume of My Little Monster. The first was Sasayan, who has been filling the ‘Haru’s male friend’ role since the start, and has had a mild interest in Asako, but whose status as an ‘insider’ – a normal outgoing guy who gets along with everyone – puts him on the wrong footing among this screwed up cast. The second is Shizuku’s mother, whose absence is more telling than her eventual presence. She seems to be a lot like Shizuku, but that’s led to her daughter being starved for affection, and she’s not resented in a good light here. It does allow her to bond more with Haru, though, and as always it’s the character interaction that keeps you coming back to this series.-Sean Gaffney

My Love Story!!, Vol. 3 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – This series continues to be charming, episodic fun. Some of the more amusing highlights of the volume include Takeo and Yamato trying to make sure Sunakawa has a fun birthday, group ice skating (Takeo is a natural), and studying for a mock entrance exam. Takeo’s over-the-top reactions are always great, and I’m really growing fond of Yamato, too. My favorite parts of the series, though, are the more introspective ones. Yamato is painfully yanked out of her blissful reverie with Takeo when she learns that she isn’t his first love, and though he vows to devote himself only to her, he can’t help but help other people (or kitties stuck in traffic) when they are in need. Too, I love that even though Sunakawa sometimes cracks up at his friend’s blunders, he nonetheless respects him deeply. Man, I love this manga. – Michelle Smith

Nisekoi, Vol. 7 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – Speaking of mothers that are just like their daughters, this volume of Nisekoi shows off Chitoge’s workaholic mother, whose fierce, take no prisoners attitude leads everyone to be terrified of her – including her daughter, who calls her “Mother Dearest”, in a nice translation joke by Viz. Luckily, Raku is there to beat some sense into both mother and daughter. The other new character, Paula, a fellow assassin friend of Tsumugi’s, makes less of an impression, possibly as she doesn’t fall for Raku. And Ruri’s growing feelings of… something for Shu are getting more and more obvious. Nisekoi continues to handle its standard harem comedy elements very well, though the ‘balance’ definitely swings towards Chitoge here.-Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 3 | By One and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – This volume shows loner superhero Saitama and his pupil the cyborg Genos becoming official after taking the Hero Certification Exam. Genos gets a perfect score and is assigned class S while Saitama aces the physical exam and tanks the written portion, getting a minimum qualification of class C. One-Punch Man’s casual attitude towards the superhero business get him in a bit of trouble with his new colleagues. I’m happy to see a bit more world building in this volume, as the reader gets a flashback to the days when Saitama still had hair and was yet to assume his superhero identities. Seeing new hilarious heroes like Spring Mustachio and a training session between Saitama and Genos brings jokes and rampant descruction that are trademarks of this manga. – Anna N

Say I Love You., Vol. 5 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – It occurs to me that Say I Love You. features many stock shoujo scenarios—Valentine’s Day, the male lead enjoying a brief career as a popular model, a scheming rival, and the new first year with a thing for the heroine—but deploys and develops them in a more genuine way than is usually the case. I especially like seeing Yamato’s insecurities come to the fore when it turns out that Mei is able to talk to his old middle school friend, Kai, about some things that she hasn’t yet discussed with him. True, I could entirely due without Megumi and her mean-girl antics, but at least her reign of tyranny was short-lived as Kai’s advice helped Mei to stop falling victim to Megumi’s machinations. I’m looking forward to volume six! – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: My Neighbor Seki

January 12, 2015 by Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 1 Comment

ASH: There may not be many manga shipping out this week, but one of those volumes just so happens to be the debut of a series that I’m particularly looking forwad to–My Neighbor Seki. If I recall correctly, Vertical was initially planning on releasing “best of” collections, but happily plans changed and we should get to see the entire series. The anime adaptation was marvelous, so I’m very glad to get a chance to read the original manga.

SEAN: SekiSekiSekiSekiSekiSekiSeki…

MICHELLE: Couldn’t have said it better myself, Sean.

MJ: I’m in complete agreement with everyone here. Seki all the way.

ANNA: I have to agree with everyone! Seki sounds like the most interesting title by far shipping this week.

What looks good to you this week?

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

January 9, 2015 by Michelle Smith

From the front flap:
Zoe has an unconventional pen pal—Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe’s letters, but at least somebody will know her story—somebody who knows what it’s like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Review:
When a complicated love triangle results in the death of one of the parties involved, British teenager “Zoe” is wracked with guilt, especially since no one realizes the part she played in all of it. Unable to keep it in anymore, Zoe ends up writing anonymously to Stuart Harris, an inmate on death row in Texas for killing his wife, figuring he will understand how she feels. As her letters, written at night in the backyard shed, proceed chronologically through the events leading to the fateful night, Harris’ execution inexorably nears.

The whole concept of this novel put me in mind of John Marsden (a compliment). Initially, I thought of Letters from the Inside, though really the similarities are few between those works. More, this resembles something like So Much to Tell You or Winter, in which a teenage heroine attempts to get over a tragedy in her past that is gradually revealed to the audience.

Pitcher does a good job maintaining the suspense, and at varying times I desperately wanted either to peek or not to peek at the ending. Better still, and like Marsden, the true focus here is on forgiveness and healing. I found Zoe a very appealing character, the funny and creative sort I would’ve liked to be friends with in high school. (Bonus points for owning a fountain pen!) True, she makes mistakes, but never does anything outright dumb. And I liked her family, too, particularly the bond between the sisters and the way in which Zoe realizes she’s got someone closer to home who can relate to what she’s going through.

Another thing I really appreciated was how Zoe behaved around the two boys in her life, brothers Max and Aaron. She was never not herself, never downplayed her own interests and enthusiasms, and it was shown to be this quality that made her most attractive. The love triangle also didn’t resolve quite in the way I was expecting to, and while I mostly really like the ending, I will always be annoyed when a guy makes a decision on a girl’s behalf.

Ultimately, I liked Ketchup Clouds a lot. This was Pitcher’s second novel, and at some point I intend to check out her first, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Manga the Week of 1/14

January 8, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: In between two fairly hefty weeks, we have a low number of titles out this week. Let’s take them one by one.

Kodansha has a 6th volume of its shonen fantasy The Seven Deadly Sins.

Vertical has a debut I’ve been waiting for ever since it was announced: My Neighbor Seki, from Media Factory’s Comic Flapper. The story of a girl who is constantly distracted in class by her next-desk neighbor’s attempts to… well, revealing more would spoil the surprise. It’s been nominated for awards, it’s had an anime, and it is really, really funny. Absolutely one to watch out for.

ASH: I’ve been really looking forward to this debut! The anime adaptation was absolutely delightful.

MICHELLE: I didn’t have this on my radar at all and then Vertical kindly sent me a copy. Researching it yielded cautious optimism and now I’m downright eager.

MJ: I am so ready for this.

ANNA: I also didn’t have this on my radar before, but it sounds interesting!

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 53rd volume of Case Closed, and Shinichi… sorry, Jimmy… is still a kid.

MICHELLE: I have occasionally dabbled in Case Closed and found it entertaining enough, but I just can’t get excited about it.

SEAN: What (Seki) will you be buying (Seki) next week? (hint: Seki.)

Bookshelf Briefs 1/5/15

January 5, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and Anna N Leave a Comment

This week, Michelle, Sean, & Anna look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical Comics.

D-Frag!, Vol. 3 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – That’s a new character on the cover, and she has potential to be a new harem member, but I think that may end up, as always, taking a back seat to the comedy. Funabori liking Kazama is not as important as Funabori dressing up in a nurse outfit with wings just because she was asked. Likewise, Takao may also have a crush on Kazama, but the jokes still stem from her inability to speak her mind and her large chest, which becomes weaponized here. As for Kazama, he’s made it clear what kind of girls he likes – strong girls who win fights. This is why the tournament arc ends with Kazama vs. Shibasaki – it leads to the most drama AND the most comedy. D-Frag! continues to be hilarious, and a great read.-Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 12 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical Comics – By the end of volume eleven, Knights of Sidonia was starting to feel a bit like “Love Hina in space,” but happily, the focus shifts in this installment from all the females (not necessarily human) who fancy Nagate to a mission to test the capabilities of Sidonia’s new defense cruiser, “Mizuki.” One of the things I really love about this series is the way in which some of said females are proving themselves to be awesome—Izana’s bravery and quick thinking recently resulted in a promotion, and here it’s Yuhata’s turn, as she impressively pilots the cruiser and takes out a cluster ship. I still fear for these characters’ lives constantly—I confess that before I even began the volume I flipped to the end to make sure Tsumugi was okay—so it is wonderful to see them make a bit of headway against their enemy. Ever so highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 9 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – Six months have passed since the battle in Balbadd and Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana are recuperating and training on the island nation of Sindria, where Sinbad is king. And, really, that’s kind of all this volume is—training and learning more about magic and Sindria—and yet it’s still interesting and entertaining. Aladdin and Alibaba each acquire a teacher to help hone their abilities, and while Morgiana does as well, she’s also in a position to augment her already impressive strength courtesy of Alibaba’s djinn, which shares its power with members of his household. For that, she needs a vessel, and for that, she chooses her old slave shackles, choosing to see them now as “a proud symbol of my gratitude.” Next, they’re off to a dungeon to activate her vessel. So, essentially this arc is, like, “Let’s help the badass girl get even more awesome.” I’m down with that! – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!, Vol. 3 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – My Love Story! continues to be consistently heartwarming and hilarious. Takeo’s unconventional romance with Yamato hits some additional milestones in this book as they get lost while hiking and endure an extremely shy trip to the beach with classmates.Takeo and Yamato also take Sunakawa out for his birthday, where they fall over each other in making sure that their friend is having a good time. Sunakawa’s stoic responses contrast with the over to top eager to please mannerisms of the unlikely couple. When Yamato and Takeo study together at his house, his mom reacts in classic fashion to meeting her son’s girlfriend for the first time, as her careful deadpan expression doesn’t hide her enthusiasm in the slightest. I always look forward to this quirky shoujo manga. – Anna N

Say “I Love You”, Vol. 5 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Poor communication isn’t fixed overnight, and Mei is lucky that in this volume she gains an ally as well as a strong enemy. Megumi started to show her true colors in the prior volume, but here she goes into full-on evil mode, intent on removing Mei not just from Yamato’s orbit but everyone else she’s now friends with. That said, just like the rest of the cast, Megumi’s backstory seems to hint greater depth is coming besides “I’m the standard evil rival”. This manga’s strength is in showing off the way that its characters think and how they got to be the way they were – and in turn, how it leads to stronger bonds. This has rapidly become one of my favorite shoujo manga. Absolutely recommended. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday, Vol. 6 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical Comics – As tasty as the food looks in this volume (at one point inspiring a serious case of gyoza envy), I most love how Yoshinaga-sensei uses meals and shopping to convey how Shiro and Kenji feel about each other. Both guys cook to cheer the other up, whether it’s Shiro trying to get Kenji to quit apologizing for his jealousy or Kenji trying to help Shiro get over a disappointing verdict at trial, but it’s also revealed that Shiro is so intensely frugal because Kenji isn’t, and he wants to have enough saved for the both of them. And then, once he sees how much Kenji loves having bento in the park, he relaxes his stance on being seen together in public. Never before has two guys going out grocery shopping been so significant! Can I end a review with a <3? – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Drug & Drop & more

January 5, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: Meteor Prince looks fun, and there’s lots of my favorites out. That said, I suspect this week will be a landslide, and who am I to get in its way? Drug & Drop is the continuations of fan favorite Legal Drug after a 10-year absence. The characters look prettier, the plot looks heavier, the crossovers to other CLAMP works are stronger, and the BL tease is, of course, off the charts. Also, Legal Drug was very well-written. If you liked xxxHOLIC but wish Watanuki and Doumeki were gayer, this is the title for you!

MICHELLE: I still love My Love Story!! with all my being, but even so, I am going to have to pick Drug & Drop, too. It’s just been so long in coming, and at least something that was left hanging is getting continued.

ASH: While I’ll definitely be reading Drug & Drop, my love for My Love Story!! will not be denied. One of my favorite shoujo series to debut last year, I’m looking forward to reading even more of it if for no other reason than the manga simply makes me incredibly happy.

ANNA: There are so many great manga out that I want to pick! But I am forever distracted by the lure of the new, so I’m going to have to go with Meteor Prince just because the premise is so ridiculous.

MJ: I’m sure there are plenty of perfectly lovely titles coming out this week, but the truth is, I can’t see anything but Drug & Drop. I was a fan of Legal Drug, but even more than that, I’m a fan of abandoned CLAMP titles coming back to life. Drug & Drop stands not only as an exiting title in its own right, but also as a beacon of hope for fans of X, or really any abandoned series from anyone, in my view. My point is, IT CAN BE DONE. With the right publisher, it can be done. So let’s hear it for Drug & Drop! PS: For the record, if you didn’t think Watanuki and Doumeki were gay, I don’t know what series you were reading. ;)

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 1/7

January 1, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 4 Comments

SEAN: January is a relatively quiet month for manga, usually, and this is a quieter first week of the month, though you might not guess it by the large number of titles coming out way. It’s COMPARATIVELY smaller.

CLAMP fans have been waiting for this one forever, and it’s finally here. The first volume of Drug & Drop comes out next week. The sequel to Legal Drug, which ran in the shoujo magazine Asuka, this runs in Young Ace, a seinen title. Despite that, I suspect the audience is still the same: CLAMP fans. Expect crossovers.

MICHELLE: *Kermit flailing*

ASH: Looking forward to seeing where things go!

ANNA: Yay!

MJ: This, this, this, this, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ME. Yes.

SEAN: There’s also a 7th omnibus of Lone Wolf & Cub.

ASH: I’m really enjoying the omnibus edition of this series.

SEAN: Digital Manga Publishing has a pile of new titles. KinokoInu – Mushroom Pup looks adorable, and its 2nd volume ships next week.

ASH: I was pleasantly surprised by the first volume of Mushroom Pup, but then I like quirky manga.

SEAN: The third volume of Lovephobia is not something I’d call adorable based on its cover, but hey, the inside might prove me wrong. (For the record, the series runs in ‘Comic B’s Log Kyun!’. I’m always wary of magazines with onomatopoeic sounds in their name.)

And A Waltz in the Clinic, which is the sequel to A Murmur of the Heart, seems to have sensuous hand-licking, judging by the cover.

Alice in the Country of Clover gives us The Lizard Aide, which I believe is the first volume in this series to have Gray as the love interest. So, Gray fans, this is for you! Sadly, the artist is the same one as the Nightmare Trilogy, so don’t read it for the prettiness.

Girls Und Panzer has taken its tankery games to much higher stakes with Volume 3, as Miho now faces expulsion from her family if she loses. How will she fare? And what will Yukari do, given she’s the ‘star’ of the manga series?

Strike Witches begins a new tie-in series with the first volume of One-Winged Witches. I’m trying not to be critical, but even its FANS say this 2-volume manga series is for lovers of panties and that’s about it.

Viz has a smaller but robust set of shonen and shoujo for us. 07-GHOST trundles along with Volume 14. There seems to be a woman on the cover! Wait, 07-GHOST has women in the cast? :)

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Bleach and Naruto both have their 10th 3-in-1 omnibuses out next week.

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman is a one-shot manga from the creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump! I’m not sure if it was always meant to be this short, but in any case, more Toriyama is always nice to see, especially when he’s funny, as he seems to be here.

MICHELLE: I have yet to read Dragon Ball, and Dr. Slump! wasn’t my thing, but I have quite enjoyed Toriyama’s one-shots (especially COWA!), so I’m looking forward to this one a lot!

ASH: Oh, COWA! That was a delightful manga.

SEAN: Kiss of the Rose Princess has a 2nd volume. I thought the first was goofy fun, but a bit slight. Can it grab me further with this one?

MICHELLE: I am wondering that myself.

ANNA: It is fun, but I agree about the first volume being on the slight side. Still, nothing wrong with shoujo brain candy!

SEAN: Viz’s new shoujo debut is Meteor Prince, by Meca Tanaka. it’s another short one, only two volumes, and is likely far more acceptable than the student/teacher romance of her more famous series Faster Than A Kiss. Old-school fans will also recognize her as the author of Omukae Desu and Pearl Pink.

MICHELLE: Wow, what a premise on this one. “It’s hardly surprising then that a naked alien prince falls from the sky to tell her that out of all the girls in the universe, he’s come to Earth to mate with her.”

ANNA: OK, that sounds hilarious.

MJ: Agreed. Like, Moon Child hilarious.

SEAN: My Love Story!! was one of the most exciting releases of 2014, and the start of 2015 sees its 3rd volume. Will our lead couple progress in their romance, or is shyness the order of the day? (I can take an educated guess…)

MICHELLE: <3 <3 <3

ASH: Love this series so much!!

ANNA: Agreed!

SEAN: Nisekoi continues to be one of the better harem series I’ve seen in ages, and I am greatly looking forward to the 7th volume (which, yes, has been out digitally since March of last year).

And there’s One Piece, with its 73rd (!) volume. The last cliffhanger promised Rebecca would have a moment of awesome, but I admit I’m skeptical. Perhaps more important to its Western fans, will Doflamingo and Law square off?

MICHELLE: In the most recent volume of Magi, there’s a scene of happy islanders feasting on a giant sea monster and man, that made me crave more One Piece like whoa. I’m glad I won’t have to wait too long.

SEAN: I tend to skip the endless Pokemon releases when I talk about manga here, so I will guiltily note that we see the 26th Pokemon Adventures ship next week, along with the 6th Black and White volume.

Lastly, there’s a 6th Ranma 1/2 omnibus, and a new semi-regular, as Kuno and Kodachi’s father returns from an extended vacation, and he’s just as bad if not worse than his offspring.

What are you starting off the year with?

A Bevy of Buffy

January 1, 2015 by Michelle Smith

Because I am a great big geek, one of my personal goals is to read all of the novels inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is the first in what will be a series of posts collecting reviews of these books in a somewhat shorter-than-usual format. In this installment: Afterimage, Bad Bargain, Blooded, Carnival of Souls, One Thing or Your Mother, and Portal Through Time. All are set during the show’s second season.

Afterimage by Pierce Askegren
I’m pretty sure Afterimage is set between “What’s My Line” and “Ted”—the former is a definite, despite the season being referred to as early autumn even though “What’s My Line” takes place after Halloween, but the latter is a guess based on a couple of thoughts Joyce has about needing to get out more, which the author (writing in 2006) might’ve intended as a lead-in to “Ted.”

The book gets off to a slow start and, in fact, not much seems to happen for the first sixty pages. Our heroes encounter some strange folks about town, and it’s pretty obvious to the reader that “Hey, these are characters from the movies being shown at the new drive-in!” but it takes quite a while for the characters to catch up. That said, around page 100 things begin to improve, which is right about where Jonathan appears. I knew he was in this, and was hoping for more of an active role. Sadly, all he does is go to the movies with Xander and then get afflicted by a mysterious sleeping sickness, along with 29 other Sunnydale residents.

Speaking of the drive-in, it occurred to me that this is totally a Sailor Moon plot. Creepy yet charismatic bad guy comes into town and advertises a free drive-in. The local residents swarm the place and then creepy guy feeds on their energy. Our heroine destroys the evil projector with her ~~tiara~~ machete, and the bad guy dissolves. He does not, alas, proclaim “Refresh!”

Still, this was a pretty enjoyable outing, and had some nice touches, like a glimpse at Xander’s bickering parents, a spot-on depiction of petulant Harmony, and Cordelia demonstrating her intelligence and leadership skills. In fact, while Buffy is important, I think Xander comes across more like the protagonist of this one, which is a nice change.

Bad Bargain by Diana G. Gallagher
Bad Bargain is set in season two (between “What’s My Line?” and “Ted” would be my guess) but written in 2006, three years after the end of the series, which allows author Diana G. Gallagher to use her knowledge of later events to color what would otherwise be a fairly dull tale of demonic critters infesting a rummage sale.

In another of her attempts to recapture a normal teen life, Buffy is volunteering at the school rummage sale to benefit the marching band. She’s roped Willow and Xander into participating, too, and this scintillating event has even come to the attention of Spike and Dru, who head to Sunnydale High for a spot of shoplifting. All goes awry when a spell to locate one kid’s missing amulet ends up inviting a host of microscopic Hellmouth beasties, who proceed to infect most of those present. The day is ultimately, of course, saved, though Willow theoretically suffers trauma from being parted from the cute-looking critter who beguiled her into becoming its protector. That part is kind of dumb (and I didn’t think Gallagher captured Drusilla’s mode of speech well, either).

What’s interesting, though, is that Andrew is in this. In fact, he and Jonathan have fairly prominent roles, which I thought was quite fun. In a nice bit of dramatic irony, Jonathan has become possessed by some demonic whip thing and subsequently angsts when he realizes that he nearly killed his best friend. In addition, Gallagher includes a few comments that suggest that these events spurred actions by the characters as seen in the show. For example, Oz muses about painting his van and, after the pests have been sent back where they belong, Princpal Snyder remarks, “Next year’s fund-raiser for the marching band will be something simple, like selling candy.” Hee!

Blooded by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
It’s difficult to pinpoint the timeline for this one. Angel’s stint as Angelus is mentioned, as is the death of Jenny Calendar, but he was apparently able to regain his soul in a way that did not involve Willow. (This book was published in August 1998, and I have to wonder if Whedon wasn’t willing to give away the plot details for the season two finale, so Golden and Holder had to be super vague about it.) I do think this is the end of season two—despite what Wikipedia claims—because Oz and Willow’s relationship is still new, her hair is still long, etc.

Anyway, the gang goes to a museum for a field trip and Willow ends up freeing and being possessed by the spirit of an ancient Chinese vampire-sorcerer. She gathers minions, attacks Xander, and causes her friends to fret. Eventually, Xander gets possessed by a Japanese mountain god and there’s a big battle and spells and Giles wears a headband with a kanji on it. In the end the day is saved through teamwork (yes, really).

On the whole, this book is pretty boring. However, there are a few things to recommend it. For every two or three bits of clunky dialogue, there is occasionally one that is at least slightly amusing or which I can easily hear in the actor’s voice. It was also prescient about a few things. Cordelia’s lack of skill as an actress is mentioned, which will come into play on Angel, and she makes the comment, “I’ll never admit it if you tell her I said it, but I’d hate to think about what Sunnydale would be like if we didn’t have a Slayer in town.” This is interesting, because she is the one who allows us to see exactly that in season three’s “The Wish.” There’s also some good stuff here with Willow’s desire for power and strength, and how that made her vulnerable to the vampire-sorcerer dude. Most of the resulting darkness is played as his fault, but it dovetails nicely with her eventual character arc on the show.

In the end, there are far better Buffy tie-in books, but this wasn’t too bad.

Carnival of Souls by Nancy Holder
Carnival of Souls turned out to be a lot better than I was expecting. Wedged snugly between “Ted” and “Surprise,” the story is set around the episode “Bad Eggs,” which is a great place to put it because, hey, if the book’s at least moderately good, it’ll still be on par with that notoriously rather lame episode.

The premise is that a carnival has come to town, and its proprietor is some kind of devil demon thing that uses prisms to hypnotize visitors into giving in to the temptation of the seven deadly sins so that it might feed off of their souls. Our heroes are not immune, so Buffy becomes proud, Cordelia greedy, Xander gluttonous, Willow envious, Giles angry, Angel lustful, and Joyce slothful.

Really, the specifics of the carnival itself are not very interesting. What I most liked were the many scenes of the group all together, doing their investigation thing, and how good a lot of the dialogue was. Some of Xander’s lines are especially easy to hear in the actor’s voice, and I actually laughed at one of Buffy’s mid-slaying puns. Plus, I liked that they gave Jenny Calendar something significant to contribute.

All in all, I’d recommend it wholeheartedly if not for the matter of the kittens.

Early on, Giles acquires a pair of kittens with the intent to use them as payment to Clem in exchange for information, fully cognizant they’ll be used as currency in a demonic poker game. And as if that weren’t bad enough, when Angry!Giles summons a demon that destroys his apartment, no one asks what happened to the kitties, including Buffy and Willow, who were loving on them in a previous scene! Still worse, if you interpret the text in a certain way, you might conclude that Giles sacrificed them as part of the ritual. Ugh! Why?! It was absolutely not necessary to include them and taint this otherwise decent book.

One Thing or Your Mother by Kirsten Beyer
One Thing or Your Mother is the best Buffy tie-in novel that I have ever read. Well done, Kirsten Beyer! I’m sorry that, as this is also the last Buffy tie-in novel to be published, you never got to write another one.

Set between “I Only Have Eyes for You” and “Go Fish,” One Thing or Your Mother finds Buffy contending with several different problems. Aside from the recurring menace of Angelus, there’s the fact that Joyce has been contacted by the school about her daughter’s poor grades (with the end result that Buffy acquires a tutor), the disappearance of a young girl followed by sightings of a child vampire, and the strange behavior exhibited by Principal Snyder that ultimately imperils the whole town. True, none of these elements is particularly exciting, but each is competently executed, and done in a way that has bearing on what’s going to happen next in the series.

Where Beyer really shines is in capturing the characters—not just in dialogue, at which she admittedly excels, but in thought as well. Too many times to count, the thoughts attributed to Buffy and the others in these books have been downright insipid, but not this time. In addition, the scenes with the Scooby Gang together in the library are so spot-on they’re just about episode quality. Granted, this doesn’t match up to the very best of Buffy—a lot of which can be found in season two—but with a little reworking and simplifying, this could’ve made a solid episode better than the worst of Buffy—some of which can also be found in season two. I also thought Beyer did a great job with Spike.

Perhaps once I’ve completed this project I’ll have to come up with the Top Ten Buffy Novels for those who only want to read the cream of the crop. One Thing or Your Mother has definitely secured itself a spot on that list.

Portal Through Time by Alice Henderson
Set between “Bad Eggs” and “Surprise,” Alice Henderson’s Portal Through Time evidently takes place very early in 1998, because Buffy is still sixteen (she turns seventeen on January 19th) and Angel has not yet lost his soul. A vampire called Lucien has done a lot of research into time-traveling magic and recruits some assistants to help him with his plan: go back in time and kill four very famous Slayers so as to disrupt the line and allow the Master (of whom he is a devotee) to rise unimpeded. Angel gets wind of the plan, so Buffy and pals end up traveling to Wales in 60 C.E., to Sumeria in the time of Gilgamesh, to Tennessee during the Battle of Shiloh, and to Paris during the French Revolution.

Sometimes being a reviewer (or at least being one who sets geeky goals) means reading things so that others don’t have to. Such is the case with Portal Through Time. Although there are some things Henderson does well—I like her attempts to recapture the feel of the show by employing quick cuts between scenes to humorous effect, for example—the overall concept of a magical means to travel back in time is just not very well thought out.

For one, if such magic did exist, you can bet that Willow would’ve used it to wipe out Warren before he could do harm to anyone she cared about. And two, even within this book there are complications and possibilities that are not pursued. Near the end, for example, Buffy stakes Angelus and then reuses the incantation to go back in time to the same spot and keep that from happening. So why does everyone seem so secure that once they’ve thwarted the vamps in a given time period the Slayer is now safe? The vamps could just go back and try again!

On top of this, Henderson’s writing is frequently redundant, like when she reiterates several times that if the vampires arrive at their destination during the day they will have to wait until nightfall to take action, and sometimes just plain bad. During an interminable passage in which Buffy is creeping through the woods around the perimeter of Shiloh, she ends up getting shot in the leg and suddenly develops a fondness for deer. Behold:

She forced herself to focus on the grand trees and shadowed valleys, golden fields in which the deer gathered at dusk… She imagined the fields and groves of trees without the thousands of bleeding and broken soldiers, but instead full of foraging deer and black bear.

I should not be snickering when there are thousands of bleeding and broken soldiers in a scene. And maybe you see nothing wrong with that quote, but to me it sounds nothing like Buffy and is just the author clumsily inserting an anti-war message.

Sometimes it can be fun to read a lousy book, but in the end this one is just too long and boring for me to recommend doing even that.

Bookshelf Briefs 12/29/14

December 29, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

This week, Sean, Michelle, and Anna check out recent releases from Yen Press, Seven Seas, Viz Media, and Kodansha Comics.

Barakamon, Vol. 2 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – I was a bit surprised at how fast this series went straight to ‘slice-of-life’ – while Handa’s devotion to calligraphy is present throughout, there aren’t as many scenes directly dealing with his struggles as before – r at least they’re more subtle. Riding the two middle schoolers about their own penmanship till they drop certainly speaks volumes. But mostly what we have here is ‘city boy learns life lessons’, in turns heartwarming and humorous. There’s also some otaku humor here, notably Tama’s repressed fujoshi fantasies, which Handa accidentally keeps inspiring. This is still enjoyable, but don’t read it for the plot – though that may change with the arrival of two new people from Handa’s past at the end. – Sean Gaffney

Girls Und Panzer: Little Army, Vol. 1 | By Girls Und Panzer Projekt and Tsuchii | Seven Seas – While Yukari is the star of the main manga adaptation, Miho is the star of the FRANCHISE, so it’s no surprise that she gets a spinoff here. This 2-volume series shows her as a more innocent elementary schooler, loving her tanks and her sister but already feeling a lot of family pressure, and not being helped by the new girl being a classic tsundere with a grudge against her family. Much of this is cute slice-of-life with tanks, as with the main series, but it’s refreshing to see an unbroken Miho here, even if the author promises the 2nd volume will be more serious. If you enjoy the main manga, and want to see more girls and tanks, this is a good choice – it’s not the fluff you’d expect. – Sean Gaffney

Happy Marriage, Vol. 9 | by Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – I’ve been feeling a little lukewarm about the past couple volumes of Happy Marriage because there were far too many contrived external events that were thwarting the happiness of Chiwa and Hokuto, but I enjoyed this volume so much more because it turned back to focusing on their developing relationship. Chiwa is being menaced and she suspects an ex-girlfriend of Hokuto’s. She and Hokuto end up confronting the woman together and in the process articulate their feelings for each other. A crisis in Hokuto’s family also brings them closer together as they finally deal with the issue of Hokuto’s succession to the family business. When I was reading this volume I was struck again by how much I like Enjoji’s art. She does a great job at portraying the nuanced meanings behind Chiwa and Hokuto’s exchanges as they slowly become a stronger couple. – Anna N

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 20 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – I have yet to encounter a bad volume of Kimi ni Todoke, but this is an especially good one. The story feels evenly spread across the characters, especially the three main girls, as they contend first with contemplating their future plans and next with the implications of giving home-made chocolates on Valentine’s Day. I love that Sawako has found her calling (and the great conversation in which she tells Kazehaya about it), but Chizuru and Ayane are even more fascinating to watch, as both are encouraged by their teacher to aim higher. Ayane, especially, has never had something to put her all into, and later wonders if she’s even capable of caring for her boyfriend Kento as much as she should. For the first time, I saw this as more of a coming-of-age manga than a sweet high school romance. Maybe it really could follow them into adulthood without sacrificing quality! – Michelle Smith

Sankarea, Vol. 10 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Kodansha Comics – As we head for the final volume, we’re getting lots of answers here, all being presented by Jogoro’s second wife, whose exposition dump is livened up somewhat by revealing she was sort of an eccentric when she was alive. Zombies finally dying is the order of the day, though – Otoki’s life ends after she’s helped Chizuru refresh his memories, and we learn that his mother crucified her zombie self so as not to risk her children. That leaves us with Rea, and honestly things aren’t looking good there – she’s gone on a rampage and even Chihiro may not be able to save her now. Can this series, which has had a lot to say about life going past the point it should, possibly have a happy ending? – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Say “I Love You” & More

December 29, 2014 by Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: I’m tempted to highlight some of the digital releases this week, but honestly, the volume I’m most excited about is volume five of Say “I Love You.” I’ve been fully won over by this series and it’s a guaranteed automatic buy every time a new volume is available.

ASH: The fifth volume of Say I Love You is definitely on my list of manga to be read, but since Michelle already picked it I’ll actually go with Stones of Power this week. It’s been a while since I read the serialization of first few chapters, but I do remember liking them. I’m curious to see if the completed volume lives up to my memory.

SEAN: Definitely Say “I Love You” for me as well. I’m hoping that 2015 might bring over a couple more licenses from Dessert Magazine.

ANNA: I’ll have to pick Say “I Love You” as well. It is certainly the most interesting manga coming out this week.

MJ: Okay, I think I need to go with one of the digital releases this week. Although I have considerable interest in Gen Manga’s Stones of Power, it’s pretty hard to resist Yen’s digital release of Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, after Sean described its genre as “MJ.” I mean, how can I ignore an insight such as that? I can’t. So I’m buying.

What looks good to you this week?