Manga Bookshelf

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Sean Gaffney

Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/19

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Animeta!, Vol. 1 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Nineteen-year-old Miyuki Sanada never had anything to be passionate about until she encountered a certain magical girl anime. Now, she’s managed to get hired at the studio that created it, but training is grueling and the pay is abysmal (and her fellow new hires are jerks). Her skills aren’t great, but Miyuki’s a heroine with enthusiasm to spare and already makes some progress in this first volume. I really know very little about how anime is made—particularly nowadays, where digital technology plays a part—so all of that information and the handy flowcharts were fascinating. Miyuki is somewhat of a cipher as a character, but for now I’m okay with that. I look forward to seeing her skills develop and learning along with her. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 16 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – This always seems to end up on the end of my list of Viz when it comes out, but it’s a credit to the title that it still remains riveting regardless. Yuzu dominates this volume, finishing the concert by leaping into the audience (giving their handlers a heart attack), and then asking the band to go on hiatus for a year so that he can sort out his family issues. We also hear about the fate of his father in greater detail, and see that he and his mother have essentially been pushing at each other without listening. That said, when a band takes a year’s hiatus—especially one not that famous yet—it’s the kiss of death. The solution? Get the new single to number one. This is ending soon, and it’ll be a race to the finish. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 22 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is a flashback, as the cover might indicate. Still, we also write out Shiemi in this volume, at least for now, and as she’s realized that maybe she does like Rin romantically after all. I’m not sure I trust her in the hands of her family, however. Meanwhile, Rin and Mephisto are going back into the past to see about Father Fujimoto’s past, as well as that of his mother, Yuri. It’s the classic combination of “asshole” and “plucky,” and is quite interesting, despite Mephisto continuing to point out that, being a tragic backstory, there’s only tragedy ahead. I’ve heard this flashback lasts a number of chapters, so next volume should delve deeper into Fujimoto and Yuri’s story. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 1 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – Years ago, my husband and I were watching Freaks and Geeks when we had a realization: it was undeniably excellent, but it was simply too effective at portraying the shitty things kids do to each other to be fun. The Golden Sheep is like that. Tsugu Miikura has returned to her hometown after six years away to find her former friends much changed. Yuushin has become a delinquent who regularly beats up Sora, who feels like he deserves it for abandoning Yuushin during a time of family crisis. Asari acts on her spiteful jealousy when Yuushin pays attention to Tsugu, leading Tsugu to be ostracized by the rest of the class. It’s painful for readers and characters alike, but mercifully there’s a surprise change of venue at the end of the first volume. I hope everyone’s able to move past their adolescent trauma in the two volumes that remain. – Michelle Smith

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 7 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – It appears “once a year” is the new schedule for this title, so it’s probably both good and bad that it ends on such a cliffhanger. Before that, though, we get the introduction of a new character (she’s on the cover): Kaoru, a kijimunaa who allegedly can read people’s minds. She’s had standoffish relationships with her prior classmates, which she thinks is because of this but also may be due to her misreading them entirely. No matter, there’s no way she’s not going to be accepted by this group. Meanwhile, she can also see that Tetsuo and Sakie are very much into each other, and this nudges the dullahan girl into a confession that he pretends not to hear—at first. Excellent title, but man, long wait to get here. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 27 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – For the most part, I quite enjoyed this volume of Kaze Hikaru. It mostly centers around Kamiya serving as Hijikata’s attendant and following his orders to pretend they are in a relationship in order to discourage Councillor Ito, who has gone into full-on predatory homosexual mode. While I’m not fond of this characterization, I do like that the situation forces Kamiya to get to know Hijikata better. As she witnesses some of his vulnerabilities and moments of surprising humility, her hatred of him begins to fade. I’m glad of it, as this mindset has led her to make too many impulsively foolish decisions in the past. Alas, Ito turns out to have something more substantial on his mind than bedding Hijikata, and we’re reminded that the collapse of the Bakufu is just around the corner. Too bad it’ll be another year before we get the next piece of the story. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 18 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Perhaps being told that it’s time to wrap this up, Toyama finally comes through after a couple of substandard volumes and gives us an excellent one, mainly driven by Yukina finally getting up the nerve to a) tell Hisame to get bent, and b) tell Shigure that she’s written her book using their own romance as the basis. This stuns him, naturally (his mother collapsing during the filming does not help), but I suspect he’s going to take it pretty well, especially after he reads it. Hisame, meanwhile, is acting like an immature brat, as literally pointed out by Mami, and Yukina’s actions end up driving him to his own writer’s block. I’m, actually looking forward to the nineteenth and final volume. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – A new arc begins in this volume, and because various things are set into motion, it feels a little disjointed at times. Emma and the others make contact with a supporter in the human world and wait for further contact, but it never comes. Meanwhile, they continue their search for the Seven Walls and suddenly, a year and seven months have passed since the destruction of Goldy Pond. I liked getting a glimpse of what’s been going on with Phil and it was neat seeing some human antagonists, too. I also like that Lucas and Yugo have come to care about the kids so much that they’re willing to sacrifice themselves so the children can get away when the enemy finds them. I guess I’m just a little bummed about the time jump and all the clever strategizing we didn’t get to see. Still, this remains a really good read. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 5 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Given that she’s had probably the least development of the heroines to date, it’s no surprise that this volume leans heavily on Yotsuba, who also gets the cover. She shows off a few sides that should be surprising but aren’t really, notably a tendency to put the needs and desires of others ahead of her own needs—does this include her feelings for Futaro? And then there’s the girl from his past, who is clearly a Quintuplet but the hair and false name make us wonder which one. (Honestly, she reminded me of Teasing Master Takagi-san, and it distracted me). Compared to other shonen romcoms like, say, the one I’m reviewing further down, this fires on all cylinders. Well done. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The resolution of the kiss on the nose actually ends up being the lightest part of the book, as we introduce what amounts to the series’ first serious villain. Takane’s cousin Yakumo is back in town, and determined to ruin Takane’s life. Oddly, merely exposing he’s engaged to a high school girl never seems to occur to him. Instead we end up with kidnapping, blackmail, and attempted rape. This left something of a sour taste in my mouth, though the sheer ridiculousness of the helicopter did end up distracting me so that I forgot about it. Sadly, I doubt we’re finished with this guy, and I want to get rid of him and get back to Takane and Hana snarking at each other. It’s what the series does best. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 6 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Reading this at the same time as Quintessential Quintuplets is probably a bit of a mistake. Magazine has always done better romantic comedy/dramas than Jump anyway, and this is definitely a weaker volume for We Never Learn, as it has no drama to speak of. Instead there are gags about confusing Rizu’s test score with her cup size, a “whoops we’re all naked in the same bathhouse” chapter, and an introduction to Kirisu’s sister whose highlight is that she doesn’t seem to fall in love with Nariyuki—yet. Again, I have heard that the teacher is by far the most popular character in this manga, which worries me—teacher/student romance is not how I want this to end. Maybe a figure skating ending instead? A weak entry. – Sean Gaffney

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – Out of all of the manga series currently being released in English, The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe is consistently one of the most striking in both storytelling and illustration. I was therefore very excited to see more of Nagabe’s work licensed. The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms is a collection of eight short BL stories featuring anthropomorphic animals who either attend or teach at an academy for wizards. The stories are largely independent from one another, although they do share the same setting and there are a few recurring characters and events as well. Tonally, Nagabe has achieved a remarkably effective balance between lightness and darkness with these tales. There are moments of levity and endearment, but the narratives frequently also have unsettling undercurrents to them. The result is a collection that can be both delightfully charming and subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) ominous. – Ash Brown

Manga the Week of 10/16/19

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SEAN: A fairly packed middle of the month, let’s get right to it.

The debut from J-Novel Club features another contender for the “most ridiculous title” award, with There Was No Secret Evil-Fighting Organization (srsly?!), So I Made One MYSELF! (Sekai no Yami to Tatakau Himitsu Kessha ga Nai kara Tsukutta (Hangire)). The story of a young man who gets telekinetic powers and then discovers he’s NOT approached by anyone else is clearly meant to fall on the “funny” end of the spectrum.

They’ve also got the 13th and final volume of Demon King Daimaou, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 10 (which I believe finally has the wedding), and Kokoro Connect 7.

No print debuts for Kodansha, but they do have Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 6, Gleipnir 4, Hitorijime My Hero 5, O Maidens in Your Savage Season 4, Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 5 (maybe, its date has slid before), That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 11, and Tokyo Tarareba Girls 9.

ASH: Both O Maidens in Your Savage Season and Tokyo Tarareba Girls are very, but painfully, good.

SEAN: Digitally we debut My Boss’s Kitten (Buchou no Nyanko), an Ane Friend series about an abandoned bride and her sadistic boss. Recommended for shoujo fans who like sadistic guys who no doubt turn out to be sweet deep down.

MICHELLE: No, thanks.

MJ: What Michelle said.

SEAN: There’s also The Great Cleric 3, Mikami-sensei’s Way of Love 7, Peach Girl NEXT 6, Saint Young Men 3, Shojo FIGHT! 7, and Yozakura Quartet 24.

MICHELLE: This time, I really will get caught up on Saint Young Men!

ASH: I’m holding out for the print which is actually happening for real!

MJ: Yes, so excited for print!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: One Peace has a 5th Hinamatsuri, as well as the 14th Rising of the Shield Hero, now popular enough to be brought into Isekai Quartet.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying Hinamatsuri‘s goofiness.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the final volume of Dreamin’ Sun, a series that made me want to re-read orange instead. They’ve also got Himouto Umaru-chan 7, the 2nd and final Mythical Beast Investigator, and a 3rd print volume for Skeleton Knight in Another World.

MICHELLE: I will finish out Dreamin’ Sun, but I agree that orange was the better series.

ASH: It’s a tough series to beat.

SEAN: Tokyopop gives us a 6th Konohana Kitan.

And Udon has the 11th Persona 3, also a final volume.

This is actually this week, but Vertical snuck out 9 digital releases of the Monogatari novels, which catches them up to the print releases.

Viz debuts The Drifting Classroom: Perfect Edition, a massive 750-page hardcover that takes in this seminal horror series.

ASH: I am very excited for this release! Drifting Classroom is a tremendous series, so I’m glad to see it being brought back in print.

SEAN: And they have Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction 7, Fire Punch 8 (this time yes, it really is the final volume), Golden Kamuy 12, and Tokyo Ghoul: re 13.

ASH: Here for Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction and Golden Kamuy!

ANNA: I need to get caught up on Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction.

And we’ve got the last of the September runoff from Yen Press. On the Yen On end, we debut The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life (Ikinokori Renkinjutsushi wa Machi de Shizuka ni Kurashitai), the story of a lowly alchemist who goes into stasis to hide from the enemy and comes out to find she’s suddenly the LAST alchemist. Sounds like a slow life series to me.

MJ: I don’t generally read light novels, but there’s something about this one that appeals to me, so I guess we’ll see.

Also from Yen On is The Asterisk War 11, The Irregular at Magic High School 13, A Sister’s All You Need 5, and Strike the Blood 13.

And there’s two manga out as well, as we get the 7th Hakumei & Mikochi and the 14th No Matter How You Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault That I’m Not Popular!.

ASH: Oh! It’s been a while since the last one, hasn’t it?

SEAN: So yeah, that’s a lot. Anything catch your eye?

Middle-Aged Businessman, Arise in Another World!, Vol. 2

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By Sai Sumimori and Ichijirushi. Released in Japan as “Around 40 Eigyou-man, Isekai ni Tatsu!” by Kodansha. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Taishi.

The trouble with a series starring an overpowered family is there’s very few ways that it can be taken forward. We already have a guy who’s brilliant at sales and marketing, hella strong, charismatic, etc. His goddess wife is busty, gorgeous, can stop her rambunctious kids with magic spells, and, it is mentioned a few times, loves sex with her husband. Their kids are 1) so smart they’re past university level, and now joining Dad at his job; 2) ridiculously strong and powerful, and 3) good at magic and can talk to magical beasts despite being five. It’s a great family to read about… for about a book. But this is book two, and I think right about the time that Shouzou ran across the ocean to talk to a water dragon without, y’know, falling into the water that the author realized there needed to be a new cast to focus on. As a result, we pull back to examine the local kingdoms, and meet a slothful young prince and a calculating young princess.

Sharlo is shown to be a very familiar type to Japanese readers: thought to be mediocre compared to his genius younger sister, he took things hard, holed up in his room, gained about 120 pounds, and sits there eating potato chips. He is not, needless to say, prince material, but needs to be leveled up due to political dealings. As such, Shouzou has him become an adventurer and start off with the job that absolutely no one wants: sewage cleaning. As a result, we gradually see there’s a decent person under this who acn also be fairly savvy when he wants to be. He was just abandoned by his minders for not being perfect. In another kingdom, Yuliana is 11th in line for the throne, but is good enough for her father, King Evil IV, to arrange a marrage for. The princess, despite her maid’s protests and fat-shaming of the prince she’s supposed to marry, decides to investigate… by disguising herself as her maid’s bodyguard and going to Sharlo’s kingdom. Romantic comedy bits ensue.

The protagonists are nice enough, and I liked their story, but it has to be said it’s not the story I signed up for. Shouzou flits in and out of the book, stopping a bad guy here and there, nudging our couple in the right direction, doing various political dealings, etc., but the book doesn’t know how to make him the main character again, so doesn’t bother. The book also has one of the most hiarious “cut short” endings I’ve ever seen, seemingly setting up events for the next book in the series… then saying “but Shouzou had to leave that for the denizens of this world, as he would be leaving soon. The end!”. It reads like the editor put it in after the book was submitted to show the series was over. I did enjoy the side story, showing Sharlo’s genius sister, who has a bit of a brother complex but not, thankfully, in a “I want to marry my brother” sort of way, trying to find her own fiancee and being gently reminded she’s 8 and should grow up first.

If you enjoyed the first book, definitely read this one. Sharlo and Yuliana are likeable enough, and reminded me a bit of some Realist Hero characters. But the series seems to end here, possibly as if it continued our OP family would go back to Japan and leave it as a normal fantasy book. And who wants that? We isekai or die here.

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 20

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By Mizuho Kusanagi. Released in Japan as “Akatsuki no Yona” by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by JN Productions, Adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.

In general, Yona of the Dawn is not a series that relies greatly on “our heroine is in peril, she must be rescued”, so it’s almost refreshing when we see a volume that mostly relies on that. Not that Yona is sitting around on her laurels. After she and Riri are brought to a slave labor camp, she quickly guesses that the “alcohol” they’re given in lieu of water is laced with the addictive drug they’ve been trying to shut down for so long. Then she and Riri both escape, and Riri even kills a guard when doing so, showing how far she’s come since her introduction. Unfortunately, it’s hard to escape in this sort of situation, leading to a cliffhanger where Riri tries to sacrifice herself to save Yona, they’re both exhausted and injured, and time is running out. Even if you don’t necessarily see this as a ship, as a friendship it’s top tier.

Meanwhile, Yona and Riri’s capture has been noticed by the rest of the cast. Our heroes go off to rescue them, though that does mean dividing their forces as they could be in one of two separate places. Tetra stays behind due to injury, but unfortunately this means she has to face a one-two punch of a) Riri’s father, and b) Su-0Won, both of whom show up to ask what’s going on. The series has been running for a while on the fact that Su-Won knows what Yona and Hak are doing but is deliberately ignoring it; that fact is tested to its limits in this book. Tetra tries very hard to explain everything that’s happened without mentioning Yona and her crew, even if that makes things sound suspicious. Later, when Su-Won arrives at one of the two slave labor camps, he and Hak communicate with a stone wall between them, agreeing to arrange a signal so that the army will know when to begin. It’s very tense, and you can see Hak’s frustration and anger at having to once again not acknowledge who Su-Won is because there are greater problems to be solved.

For the most part this volume is fairly series. There is one exception, which is amazingly funny, which involves the fact that the Wind Tribe has arrived to assist Su-Won in rescuing Riri. There ends up being a giant melee battle, during which Hak manages to blow up his allies – twice. The art is deliberately structured for maximum comedy value, as we see the exact same sequence of events only with two different people. This is followed by a few pages of Hak being totally befuddled at the fact that the Wind Tribe is here at all. I always enjoy the fact that, while some characters are funnier than others, Yona does not have a designated comedy guy, and everyone can be silly or serious depending on where the story needs them to be.

Another cliffhanger, though. Will Yona and Riri survive? (checks volume count) Oh, probably. But the excitement is in seeing how. And also who Hak will blow up with his comedy bombs next.

My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 3

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By Kouhei Horikoshi and Anri Yoshi. Released in Japan by Shueisha. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Caleb Cook.

Another volume of giving the readers what they want, which is more light and fluffy stories that Horikoshi would like to tell but doesn’t have the time for. This time they’re set in and around the move-in to the dorms, and indeed “Dorm Life” is the subtitle. That said, the volume is bookended by non-kids in dorms stories, as we see All Might attempting to bond with his fellow teachers at an izakaya, giving us a chance to see most of the faculty completely drunk off their asses (except All Might, who is a teetotaler and also the world’s most awkward man) and the final story, which is a “what if My Hero Academia were an RPG fantasy?” based on the color pages Horikoshi drew of the kids in that style of costume. This story did remind me how often the novel author refers to Uraraka’s poverty, but is relatively cute and breezy. It’s also nice to know that Midoriya still collects All Might figures even in alternate worlds.

The other stories are, as you guessed, set in and around the 1-A dorm rooms. The weakest story in the book features Iida trying to have a normal day while the rest of the class avoids him and makes stuttering excuses. At the start of things the reader guessed “oh, one of those surprise birthday party stories” and waits to see if anything will be subverted. Nothing is, it is a stupidly predictable tale. The story from the POV of Koda’s rabbit is not quite as predictable, if only due to the fact that it’s from the POV of a rabbit, but doesn’t really add much to the narrative except giving us a chance to see more of Midoriya and Bakugou cleaning the dorms as part of their post-fight punishment. There’s also a “scary stories” chapter that tells us, unsurprisingly, that Tokoyami is the best at being scary. I also liked the anti-Mineta measures the girls have set up for the dorm.

The best stories are earlier in the book. We see Todoroki’s extreme discomfort with the generic Western-style room and how he managed to get the Japanese-style flooring and furniture to renovate his. This also involves him meeting Hatsume, who as always is very over the top and working on inventions that are not quite as perfected as she would like. The best story in the book also indirectly features Hatsume. Monoma shows up at the 1-A dorms, ready to be obnoxious and disdainful. Fortunately Kendo, Tetsutetsu and Tsunotori show up to stop him, and things settle down a bit. Highlights include seeing Tetsutetsu’s room is almost a carbon copy of Kirishima’s (these two really need a “same hat! same hat!” gag) and Todoroki bringing out a Pop-Up-Pirate game that Hatsume had given him when Monoma, as always, suggests a challenge. The game, being made by Hatsume, ends up being more like a “dark nabe” sort of thing, with every participant getting some form of punishment. I also enjoyed seeing Pony’s room as, as you’d guess, filled with anime crap.

These books are designed to not affect canon all that much, though we do see the Big Three in a brief cameo from before they meet 1-A. They’re fluffy and fun, and should be enjoyed by most MHA readers. This volume also had less Mineta, which I appreciated.

Pick of the Week: Nothing but Blue Skies

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SEAN: This week I feel the Manga Bookshelf eye is turning towards That Blue-Sky Feeling, and I have to agree, I really want to see how it turns out.

MICHELLE: You’re definitely right where I’m concerned. There are a couple other things I’ll check out from this week but none with the emotional impact of That Blue Sky Feeling .

KATE: I’m going to make a pitch for volume two of Queen Bee, a cute–if predictable–shojo series about a girl with a serious case of Resting Bitchface and a temper to go with it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a manga quite so… relatable.

ASH: I am absolutely here for That Blue Sky Feeling, but I’d like to give a shout out to Roadqueen, too. It’s not manga, but it looks delightful.

ANNA: I’m now curious about Queen Bee which sounds delightful. But to be honest I’m attempting to catch up on my unread manga pile instead of reading anything coming out this week. Maybe I’ll actually be able to take a volume or two off that stack!

MJ: I’m definitely intrigued by Kate’s description of Queen Bee (and I’m apparently a volume behind!) but it’s hard for me to pick anything else but the lovely and poignant That Blue Sky Feeling. It’s exactly my thing.

Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress!, Vol. 1

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By Ameko Kaeruda and Kazutomo Miya. Released in Japan as “Onna dakara, to Party wo Tsuihou Sareta no de Densetsu no Majo to Saikyou Tag wo Kumimashita” by Overlap. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Molly Lee.

There is a variety of stories seen, mostly on television, that are described as “ripped from the headlines”. You take a current real-life story and fictionalize it in order to craft a good drama. you rarely see that extend into the field of fantasy light novels, but in this case the book was definitely inspired by a real life event: the discovery that Tokyo University (and others) were fudging medical exam results to admit fewer women into medical school, ostensibly as they believed they’d just get married and become housewives anyway. This news surprised a lot of people who had not been paying attention to the inherent sexism in women’s everyday lives. And so this author decided to write a version of the story where a harried and underpaid mage, kicked out of her party by her “childhood friend” Ryan for being a woman, ends up getting her revenge. And it is a glorious revenge, make no mistake.

Tanya is furious at the actions of her smug party leader Ryan, and decides to blow off steam by going to a nearby deserted area and throwing off a few Explosion spells. Doing so wakes up a woman called Laplace, a legendary sorceress who had been sealed away for three hundred years until Tanya woke her up. Tanya is actually a fantastic mage, and Laplace can actually “change her class” (via kissing – there is a bit of yuri in this), making her an even more powerful Magi-Knight. Given that Laplace is already super-powerful in her own right, the two form a tag team to take on Ryan and his party in the upcoming tournament. OK, they may be a bit TOO overpowered, so they also take on the guild secretary Nadine, a level 3 healer whose stats help the party to average out… though she has secrets of her own. Will Tanya get her revenge? Or… will she realize that revenge is not really what she’s after?

Hell yes, she gets her revenge. This book is a marvel from start to finish if you are sick of men and their smug sexist attitudes. Tanya may be filled with rage and anger at Ryan and society, but is otherwise a relatively happy and fun person. Laplace is wonderful, combining the “airhead” personality with a bit of the ancient wisdom that she has, and also leads to the best translated gag from the book, where Tanya gives her the nickname “Stone Cold Stunner”, which she loves, and proceeds to use all the time. There is a scene that mirrors the medical school scandal as a young girl Tanya had been tutoring in magic finds that the local Mage school doctors its scores so that there are fewer women – this gets taken care of fast. And then there’s Tanya’s fight with Ryan near the end of the book, which I don’t want to spoil but is simply magnificent.

There’s a second book in the series, and we do see a few plotlines that could be used going forward, mostly involving the royal mage Maxwell, who is as old as Laplace and also the one who sealed her away. I also want to see more of the other characters – I liked Katherine, introduced to us as Ryan’s girlfriend and the replacement for Tanya in the party, she quickly learns what he’s really like and becomes much more sympathetic after being shown some basic kindness by Nadine. More to the point, I loved the writing in this book, filled with great humor, telling observations about the sexism in everyday life, and a wonderful female power fantasy that does not particularly concern itself with being “fair and balanced”. I quoted liberally from it on my Twitter feed, and could easily have done three times as much. This book will put a big grin on your face and make you pump your fist in the air.

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 3

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By Yuhki Kamatani. Released in Japan by Shogakukan, serialized in the magazine Hibana. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jocelyne Allen. Adapted by Ysabet MacFarlane.

“You have to learn to let it go.” A sentence that has been uttered by a lot of people over the years. Sometimes it’s correct. But sometimes it’s also sending the wrong message, and repressing things is not the answer. The third volume of Our Dreams at Dusk has two parallel narratives, and neither of them involve Misora, who after the events of the last book does not appear at all. Instead, we see Tasuku feeling guilty but also returning to work on the house project with the rest of the Cat Clutter folks. Unfortunately, Tsubaki is there as well, and is giving Tasuku some very mixed signals (which, as becomes clear later on, are mixed in his own mindset as well.) Meanwhile, an old classmate of Utsumi’s shows up and tries to be as well-meaning as possibly, in all the negative senses of the word. It’s upsetting everyone else, so why is Utsumi letting her continue to try to be “helpful”? Can Tasuku move forward after seeing how Utsumi deals with things?

Tasuku’s narrative is fraught with highs and lows. Tsubaki is working with him, and being nice, and seeming close and friendly. But he’s also using some homophobic slurs when describing the group to others. A very telling point comes when he and Tasuku are out at the local dockyards, which Tasuku briefly imagines as a date till Tsubaki invites two girls from the volleyball team to come along as well. As they have a meal, Tsubaki once again uses a slur to describe the group, only to be stopped short, not by Tasuku, but by one of the two girls, whose friend’s older sister is married to a trans man. Once Tsubaki realizes his words upset people he knows, he apologizes. Tsubaki himself is upset at his own feelings about Tasuku, leading to a confrontation at the end where Tasuku wants Tsubaki, the man he likes, not to hurt other people. It’s very powerful.

Then there’s Utsumi, who has been one of the pillars of strength that Tasuku has been leaning on throughout the manga. Reuniting with Shoko, whose attempts to be sympathetic, understanding, and accepting grate on absolutely everyone around her. But Utsumi is dealing with it with a smile and some kind words… till on a bike ride with Tasuku one day the repressed fury all comes out at once. Being consistently misgendered constantly is NOT something to accept with a shrug, and when Utsumi goes to a lunch with the other girls from that class, he finds that he can’t do this anymore. Shoko’s “you aren’t like other homosexuals” again reminds us that it’s much harder for some people to deal with this when it;s someone they know well, rather than the nebulous other. (I also loved that Shoko’s daughter keeps going to see the Cat Clutter people, even after her mother stops.

We have one more volume to go, and I suspect that it’s going to be dealing with Tchaiko’s past and the wedding. I’m going to miss this series with its stunning visuals and excellent LGTBQ cast.

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 20

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By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “To Aru Majutsu no Index” by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Prowse.

I talk a lot when reviewing Durarara!! that Narita likes to write books that set up plot guns on the mantelpiece than then books where the guns are all fired. To a certain extent, the next three volumes of Index are Kamachi doing the same thing, as all the back and forth of the last nineteen volumes between the Magic and Science sides has led to World War III, with Russia and Catholic Europe fighting against Academy City and Protestant England. Of course, the war is merely a front for Fiamma of the Right, but you could say that about a lot of real-life wars. This book is also notable for trying to feature the three male protagonists equally, all of them somewhere in Russia: Touma and Lesser are trying to find Sasha Kreutzev before Fiamma does; Hamazura is trying to get someone to help Takitsubo but ends up pinned down by a group of privateers; and Accelerator is trying to save Last Order but is hampered by the worst possible person coming to stop him. Literally.

There are an awful lot of folks introduced in this volume who are only in this arc. The two who seem to warrant mentioning further are Elizalina, a young woman who has an alliance of various states right next to Russia which are totally not the Baltics in the same way that the Roman Orthodox Church is totally not the Roman Catholic Church; and the “Femme Fatale”, who we know very little about from this book, but we’ll be seeing more of later. Ah yes, and Misaka Worst, of whom much more just below. Meanwhile, Lesser is attached to Touma here as the author knows that he works best when bouncing off someone else, and also that her type (the tease) hasn’t really been used around him before. Of course, she reckons without Touma’s complete lack of interest; I don’t think he’s ever really calmed down or had two days to run together since the start of the series to think about which girl who wants to bang, if any. In any case, Touma fails at his main objective, and is also guilt-tripped by Fiamma. Fortunately…

There’s Accelerator’s plot. I have to be honest, the concept of Misaka Worst is excellent. From the meta of describing herself as the “Third Season” of Misaka clones (though given how bad the anime’s Season 3 was handled, that joke gets a bit dark) to the concept of her being the repository of all the negative feelings the other clones have (which is why she gets to be something other than ‘deadpan’) to the scientists of Academy City creating her as the ultimate Accelerator-stopping weapon as they know he’s resolved to never kill another clone, so he has to other kill one and break or let himself be killed. He avoids killing her for the moment, but breaks anyway, in a truly epic primal screamfest of despair and fury. Fortunately, Touma shows up, not only to punch sense into Accelerator by telling him to stop getting hung up on “good and evil”, but also to stop himself from getting caught in in Fiamma’s bullshit and realizing it’s OK to save Index even if it means admitting he lied to her about his memory. Oh yes, and to reset Last Order’s fatal sickness with his right hand, though she’ll get worse again fast.

I didn’t mention Hamazura, but then he didn’t really get to do much except show how the “powerless” guy can also be cool and save the day. (Speaking of which, a mother and her kids are saved by Touma, and then later saved from a different crisis by Hamazura. I was bummed Accelerator didn’t save them as well.) That said, Vol. 21 promises he’ll get more to do; Academy City sent Misaka Worst to stop Accelerator, and now we get Mugino, who unsurprisingly is STILL not dead, being flown to Russia just to destroy Hamazura. Oh yes, and there’s the real Misaka as well, who is frustrated at Touma being in Russia saving the day without her and decides to hijack a plane so she can see what the fuss is about. If nothing else, this means we’ll get a lot more women in the next book… and also possibly a much higher casualty count.

If you’re interested in reading Index 20, the series is likely review-proof for you. But this was a good volume, light on the fanservice (Lessar’s pathetic attempts are pretty much it), heavy on the action, and filled with war being hell. The war continues next time.

Bookshelf Briefs 10/3/19

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Akashic Records of Bastard Magica Instructor, Vol. 7 | By Hitsuji Tarou, Tsunemi Aosa and Kurone Mishima | Seven Seas – Despite the wedding picture on the cover, don’t get too excited. The plot does revolve around an arranged marriage for Sisti, which Glenn interrupts at the last minute, but this an arc about Glenn’s past tragedy and his inability to save his previous partner. Naturally, the villain that killed her is back here, lording it all over Glenn, spreading killer drugs around and generally being a standard Japanese light novel villain, who never can be just a little bit evil. On the bright side, the class is still in Glenn’s corner, and that also means Sisti, who’s ready to get over her own fears and defend Glenn from certain death. This remains “pretty good.” – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 11 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – As predicted, the second volume of Chise Potter helps to flesh out the student cast a bit, including Chise’s roommate, Lucy, and we learn various secrets. Honestly, this is starting to feel a bit like Fruits Basket as well with everyone’s past trauma. The start of the book was a bit stronger, with a threat to Simon ending up showing us his extremely tragic past, filled with death and cookies. And we get a bit more insight into Elias’ character, or rather the fact that his character is cribbed from one of his teachers, who Chise meets in this book. And then there’s Stella, who makes what I suspect will be an unwise pact, though honestly she still has a few more to go to pass Chise. This remains excellent. – Sean Gaffney

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 7 | By Matoba | Yen Press -As long as you’re introducing a major new character in the previous volume, you may as well have another one here. Thus we get Mammon, a money-grubbing dojikko who fits in rather well with this dojikko-filled cast. Elsewhere, Mullin and Beelzebub continue to want to be closer to each other, and they continue to not be. Same with, well, everyone, really. This is the classic series filled with romantic pairings that never get anywhere—even the succubus wannabe can’t find it in herself to seduce poor Mullin. If you enjoy cute fluff, it’s more of the same, and picks up where the anime left off. If you like closure, on the other hand, look elsewhere. – Sean Gaffney

Cats of the Louvre | By Taiyo Matsumoto | VIZ Media – If you’re looking for a cute kitty book, this is not it. There are scenes of cat injury and cat death, the latter accompanied by grisly sound effects. If you can get past this, Cats of the Louvre is a rewarding read. It’s a largely melancholy tale of a dissatisfied tour guide who learns that an aging security guard’s sister disappeared into a painting 50 years ago and tries to help him contact her. This plan involves Snowbébé, a seven-year-old perma-kitten—part of a cat colony that has lived at the Louvre for generations—who can also travel into paintings. The art is truly gorgeous, with many pages that make one stop and marvel. My favorite is an all-black panel wherein tiny, white Snowbébé watches his spider friend munch on a meal, but many images will stick with me, for good and for ill, especially Matsumoto’s depiction of the cats. – Michelle Smith

Classmates, Vol. 2: Sotsu Gyo Sei: Winter | By Asumiko Nakamura | Seven Seas -This sequel to the one-volume original pretty much picks up where it left off: they still haven’t graduated but are thinking about it, and their relationship is still somewhat hidden but does involve quite a lot of making out, as well as dealing with their teacher, who remains the one part of this series I don’t like. Hikaru’s having trouble thinking about his future, and Rihito’s family is causing him quite a few issues, especially when his mother is diagnosed with cancer. How do you reach out to someone for comfort when you’re seriously bad at that sort of thing? That’s what this series lives to answer, and it’s emotionally dramatic but also quite compelling. Also several shows of ludicrous hands, arms and torsos, for BL fans who follow that. – Sean Gaffney

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil, a Run, Vol. 7 | By Nagabe| Seven Seas – Last review I started with the good news that Shiva didn’t seem to be infected by touching Teacher. Welp. I joked on Twitter that by the tenth volume of this series it would just be 180 pages of black scratches and nothing else, and nothing so far leads me to change that hypothesis. There are actually a few action scenes here, though the mood still seems to keep that dreamlike, silent atmosphere the series specializes in. Everyone is angry or sad in this. It’s a really well-written series, and you long to see what will happen next, but it is a bit difficult to tune in next time to get punched in the face again. That said, it is an extremely beautiful and dignified facial beating. – Sean Gaffney

Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest, Vol. 2 | By Aki Irie| Vertical Comics – Having given us an odd combination of supernatural murder mystery and travelogue last time, the second volume comes down firmly on the “travelogue” side, as the plot barely advances till the very end. Kei’s friend Kiyoshi has arrived for a visit, and Kei is here to show him the wonder that is Iceland. Aki Irie’s last series lost me by combining gorgeous art with a sketchy premise, but this one doesn’t have that issue, and revels in its beautiful scenery and gorgeous women—mainly Lilja, whom Kiyoshi spots at a bookstore and gets a completely different impression of than Kei managed to get. If you love Iceland, this series is for you. If not, at least it’s super pretty, though it seems to have put aside its plot. – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 17 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – We’re finally getting the details of Yozora’s past, and they’re not hideously tragic or anything, just emotionally devastating for a child. Kodaka’s solution involves playing a game together with both the club and the student council, involving choosing which player is a killer and which is a normal villager. It’s the bulk of the book, and is a lot of fun, allowing the characters who enjoy being nasty to let it all out. Meanwhile, Sena actually comes to some self-realization about herself, and Kodaka’s solution, although cribbed from Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, actually seems to work far better than expected. This leads Kodaka to make his own change, which… is a cliffhanger that’s both shocking and hilarious. Great volume. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 34 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Ugh. Another volume that’s all volleyball game. It’s a good volume, but as always I find it hard to pick out things to review. I did really like showing off the bond between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, and seeing that this isn’t going to be the usual shonen “our heroes start in a big hole and are always behind”—they’re really evenly matched. Kozume is also leveling up here, and we get a nice look at his mindset—he doesn’t care about the meaning of the game, or the rivalry, or that this could be the end of the season. He wants to stop Karasuno. Now. And by the end of the book he’s off to a good start, as Karasuno does indeed lose the first set. Will they pull it off? Probably, but my guess is not next volume. – Sean Gaffney

If I Could Reach You, Vol. 1 | By tMnR | Kodansha Comics – Reiichi and Kaoru are former childhood friends who fell in love and got married. Reiichi’s little sister, Uta, always adored Kaoru and only realized her feelings were romantic love the day she saw Kaoru marry her brother. Now, Uta is living with the newlyweds—some family turmoil is hinted at but not yet explained—and struggling to give up on her feelings for her sister-in-law. She knows it’s “a one-sided love… a too-late love,” but can’t help feeling occasional flashes of hope, which at the same time she knows are going to cause her pain later. This series reminded me a bit of Daytime Shooting Star, in that I don’t know if I’m supposed to root for Uta’s unrequited love for an out-of-reach adult to be reciprocated. I hope not, but we shall see! – Michelle Smith

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 7 | By Afro | Yen Press – Again, the author enjoys playing with Nadeshiko’s reputation as an airhead. Her solo camping jaunt goes fine, though it reminds her she enjoys group camping more. That said, both her sister and Rin worry that she’s going to somehow accidentally kill herself, so both sneak along separately to try to verify that she’s doing everything right. It’s pretty cute. That said, we might have to wait a bit for the next big camping trip, as a) exams are coming up (to some of the cast’s dismay) and they’re also somewhat broke after so many trips. This remains a series that runs on mood, and that mood is cute and relaxed. This volume is particularly good at it. Also, there’s some nice foodie stuff here as well, for those who enjoy that. – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 9 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – When focused on its main couple, Love at Fourteen can’t go wrong. Said couple has a lot of troubles this volume, as a) Kanata sprains an ankle by not watching out for some ice, and b) Kazuki’s father is moving, and no, Kazuki can’t stay there just because he’s in love with Kanata. This actually causes a communication issue for most of the volume, and I wonder how it will resolve itself. Meanwhile, when Hinohara is trying to get her boy to sing like he wants to win, I smile. When it shows off the teacher-student romance still going strong, I don’t. Not all that find of Shota and his depressed office worker romance either. Basically, this is still a great manga, but only for the leads. – Sean Gaffney

Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 9 | By Fujimomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Lovesick Ellie has evolved since the last time I wrote about it. Akira and Ellie are now dating openly and talking about having sex soon. Ellie’s enthusiastic consent continues to be refreshing, even though she doesn’t know a lot about the act to which she’s consenting. She gets the wrong idea from some classmates and avoids Akira for a bit as a result, but as usual, they end up being honest with each other before too long. While the “Akira is entered into a contest for hot guys” plotline that follows could be really lame in other hands, here it’s largely about how Akira is just an awkward kid at heart who gets burdened by the expectations of others. I like both these characters very much and look forward to seeing how their relationship develops from here. – Michelle Smith

Smile Down the Runway, Vol. 2 | By Kotoba Inoya | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Chiyuki Fujito desperately wants to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week. Fortunately for her, her dad runs a modeling agency. Unfortunately, she stopped growing when she was ten and is only about 5’2″. Meanwhile, Ikuto Tsumura tells himself he’s content merely making clothes for his family, but through his association with Chiyuki, he has the opportunity to work for a temperamental designer who is about to stage an incredibly important debut show. In fact, when Chiyuki substitutes for an absent model and Ikuto hastily alters her (hideous) dress, they kind of save the day. I enjoy how these two encourage each other while simultaneously not wanting to lose to the other. The subject of bare bosoms backstage was also handled way better than anticipated. I reckon I’ll keep up with this one. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 6 | By Neko Nekobyou and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – When you’re in a non-lethal game, it can be a lot easier to have a new ally turn out to betray you. Or double or triple betray you. Our girls may have stumbled upon such an ally here, who can tell a decent sob story but seems to be on the side of the villains… or is she? Meanwhile, the past data of SAO continues to seemingly be influencing ALO, including not only Kirito but also Lux’s deceased friend. Liz and Silica also get some good character scenes in this volume. (Sorry, Leafa. You’re basically comic relief here.) It’s not as compelling as its first arc was, and reads a bit like it’s continuing just because SAO is really popular. But I like reading about these girls, so I’ll continue on. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 10/9/19

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SEAN: A relatively light week? Could be.

Denpa gives us the 5th volume of Inside Mari.

ASH: Still a compelling read.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has no debuts, but we get the 2nd and final Middle-Aged Businessman, Arise in Another World!. There’s also Crest of the Stars 3, which wraps up that “arc”, though stay tuned for more “of the Stars”.

On the manga front, J-Novel Club has Infinite Dendrogram 2 and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 2.

Kodansha’s print lineup has the debut of Granblue Fantasy. Based on the game, this series runs in the obscure Cycomics, and should be fun for those who like fantasy manga.

ASH: Manga based on games can sometimes be hit-or-miss, but I’ve read some very good ones and I do like fantasy series…

SEAN: There’s also Boarding School Juliet 8 in print.

Digitally, it’s another Cells at Work! spinoff. Cells at Work and Friends, fittingly, runs in Betsufure (Bessatsu Friend), so is a shoujo take on the franchise. The plot involves a Killer T Cell who has an intimidating expression, and as a result… Doesn’t Have Many Friends. Where have I seen this plot before?

We also have new digital volumes of Farewell My Dear Cramer (3), The Knight Cartoonist and Her Orc Editor (3), My Pink Is Overflowing (4), Queen Bee (2), and Tokyo Revengers (12).

MICHELLE: I will at least be reading a couple of these.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts How to Train Your Devil (Maou no Mama ni Narundayo!). which runs in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade. Our heroine is tasked with defeating the Demon King… but he’s a baby. She resolves to reform him… and promptly gets named his primary caregiver. Hijinks, as they say, ensue.

Not technically manga but of interest to fans is Roadqueen: Eternal Roadtrip to Love. This yuri comic was funded by donors, and is apparently really good. I can think of one Manga Bookshelf peep who will be all over this.

ASH: Is it me? Because I’m really looking forward to this one!

MJ: I am interested in this as well!

SEAN: We also get the 11th Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash in print, If It’s for My Daughter I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord’s 4th manga volume, the 4th Mushoku Tensei novel digitally, and Plus-sized Elf 3.

SuBLime has an 8th volume of Don’t Be Cruel.

And Vertical gives us a 3rd Master Edition of Knights of Sidonia.

Viz has a good lineup for Week 2, aka the Shonen Sunday week. Case Closed 72, Komi Can’t Communicate 3, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 9, and That Blue-Sky Feeling 3.

MICHELLE: It’s the final volume of That Blue Sky Feeling, as well, and I’ll definitely be picking that up.

ASH: That Blue Sky Feeling has been such a lovely series so far; I’m very glad it got an English-language release.

MJ: What they said.

ANNA: I need to catch up on this!

SEAN: Lastly, Yen On gives us a 2nd volume of better-than-it-sounds light novel Torture Princess. (The writing is better than it sounds. The plot is still as dark and torture-y as you’d expect.)

Anything leap out at you here?

Durarara!!, Vol. 13

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By Ryohgo Narita and Suzuhito Yasuda. Released in Japan by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Stephen Paul.

And so, in the end, so much of DRRR!! turns out to be about love. First and foremost we have the love of Shinra and Celty, which is twisted (as Shinra cheerfully admits, saying he values his love for Celty over her own happiness) but also romantic, with Celty continuing to be the most tsundere Dullahan ever. She also saves the day about ten times over here, making sure that Mikado doesn’t kill himself, stopping the zombie Saika outbreak for a bit, etc. There’s also the love Anri has for Mikado, which is still in its nascent form but at least she can now admit to herself that love is what it is. Mikado’s feelings are a bit more vague, but he did save her from being stabbed (and was apparently in a coma for a month afterwards!), so that counts for something. There’s Seiji and Mika, who have Celty’s head keeping them together, even if their motives are totally in opposition. And then there’s Haruna and her teacher, who get one of the more horrifying but also satisfying twisted ends. Love is everywhere.

And yes, let’s also talk about Shizuo and Izaya. I think if you told canonical Izaya that he was in love with Shizuo he’d have something nasty to say to you, but it is striking how dedicated he is to proving that Shizuo is a “monster”. Izaya, who loves humanity as an abstract whole but can’t be attached in any way to individuals, pales in comparison to Shizuo, who gets TOO emotional when confr4onted with individuals, and needs to learn restraint, something Vorona helps teach him a bit. (Basically, he needs people to be a good example for.) I would not say Izaya is jealous of this per se, but I think he does not want Shizuo, whose body is almost indestructible and who can throw vending machines with one hand, to be a normal human. Moreover, while Izaya needs to have Shizuo as his nemesis, Hark a Vagrant style, I’m, pretty sure Shizuo would be happy to never see Izaya again. They’re both dark mirrors of each other.

This was one of the few LNs where I’d watched the anime before I read the book, and I was surprised that the epilogue made a few changes. Aoba sitting himself down in front of Anri and Masaomi at the hospital and being smug reads oddly, and you wonder why Masaomi doesn’t slug him. I think the anime wondered this as well, adding in a scene with Akabayashi threatening him to replace it and make it clear that this isn’t Aoba’s win. That said, the epilogue does seem to wrap everything up, at least as far as the current plot points are. The afterword mentions the sequel LN Durarara!! SH, but it’s not clear if that will be licensed here, and Narita’s current erratic writing schedule means it’s somewhat stalled at the moment. Fortunately, DRRR!! works as a contained unit here. Celty comes to terms with herself, Mikado realizes that being a villain is not what he wants to be, and they all live happily ever after. Except Izaya.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 34

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By Kenjiro Hata. Released in Japan as “Hayate no Gotoku!” by Shogakukan, serialized in the magazine Shonen Sunday. Released in North America by Viz. Translated by John Werry.

The history of Hayate the Combat Butler is an interesting one. Very much a funny gag sort of story for the first 16 or so volumes, it attracted that sort of audience, and the first couple of anime were of that nature as well. Then came the Athena arc, which was really good, and set up a far more serious backstory for the manga, which attracted fans who really wanted to know about that story. And so the last ten to fifteen volumes have made an attempt to still be light-hearted gag comedy while throwing out the occasional plot bone to keep readers here for the plot satisfied. It… hasn’t really worked. This will reach its apex about two volumes from now, in the series’ most infamous chapter, but for the moment readers who want more about castles and coffins will be delighted to find there’s an extended section here where Hayate discovers a hidden room in the boarding house, with something very familiar inside.

It is notable that everyone involved in the discovery of the hidden room is not one of the “normal” cast members, if such a word can be used to describe people like Hinagiku or Nagi. It’s Hayate, Tama the tiger, the ghost priest, Alice, who still doesn’t remember her past but is there because of who she is, and Isumi, who reminds us that this is still a comedy even in the dramatic plot sections by making an absolutely ridiculous entrance through the wall of the building, knowing full well how awesome she will look. Sadly, she looks less awesome when up against the series’ new minor villain, whose name I’m not sure of yet but she does enjoy wearing her Gurren Lagann cosplay shades. This doesn’t answer many questions… well, OK, any questions, except who shade-wearing woman is working for… but it does remind you that this plot exists, and it weighs on Hayate’s mind.

Elsewhere,the boardinghouse continues to fill up, first by adding Ruka, who has “run away from home” because they’re trying to make her stop being a doujinshi artist and stick to pop idoling, as well as Ayumu, who literally has a mom and dad to live with but scrapes up the money to live in the boarding house for a month because she senses how big a threat Ruka is in the Hayate sweepstakes. (This leads to the best gag in the volume, where Hinagiku is stunned to find that she isn’t a threat – after all, if she can’t confess, what good is she?) We also get more of Ruka’s backstory, which matches Hayate and Hinagiku’s on the “bad parents” front (the bad parents are always in silhouette). And Nagi’s manga continues to be the series’ achilles’ heel, as her attempts to get better at it are bad and she still remains pretty annoying.

Still, overall this was a very good volume for the 5-6 people still buying this series, and if anything else we got to see Isumi performing feats even an olympic gymnast might have trouble with.

Suspension: Kubitsuri High School – The Nonsense User’s Disciple

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By NISIOISIN, illustrations by take. Released in Japan as “Kubitsuri Hai Sukūru: Zaregoto Tsukai no Deshi” by Kodansha. Released in North America by Vertical, Inc. Translated by Daniel Joseph.

(This review was based on a copy provided by the publisher.)

It’s been a long time coming, my friends. We got the first two books of Zaregoto back in the Del Rey days, and they did not sell well at all. But Nisio’s reputation grew, and the Monogatari novels did better, and then Zaregoto got an anime, not to mention the constant fan begging on Twitter, and here we are: the third in the Zaregoto series, a mere nine years later. Was it worth the wait? I think so. It’s not as good as the second book, but that’s a very high bar to clear. More to the point, while it’s still invested in lampooning the mystery genre, Nisioisin is not as concerned with the intricacies of the Whodunnit anymore. Which is good, as it’s pretty obvious early on who the killer is. Instead we get what the Zaregoto series does best, which is a book that looks at what it means to be a normal human told through the story of people who aren’t remotely normal.

Ii-chan is abducted… erm, invited by Jun Aikawa to help her with an escape. There’s a certain girls’ academy that has a student that would like to leave it. And so Ii-chan dons a girls’ school uniform and goes to meet this girl, Ichihime Yukariki. Of course, things do not go quite as easy as that, as Ii-chan quickly finds that the school seems to be training up assassins. Needing to get rescued from the rescue by Jun, the three of them try holing up in the office of the Director, only to find that there’s no escaping a pile of corpses that keeps getting larger. In the meantime, Ii-chan continues to entertain the reader by being his usual self, deflecting, prevaricating, omitting, and outright lying most of the time. The question is, how is he going to deal with it when he runs into someone who’s a little bit like him? No, not Zerozaki, someone else.

This is a slim book, the shortest in the series (there was apparently a contest, which Nisio used as an excuse to add an extra book to his contracted amount), and it’s also far more action-filled than the previous two. Which is to be expected given that Jun plays a much larger role here. It’s also got a lot more corpses than the previous two, though to be fair most of those are offscreen. The reason to get the book, though, is the dialogue and conversations between Ii-chan and the cast. He still avoids saying his name, but does give a few hints to one of the students which might help narrow it down for those who might know Japanese and also be good at math. And Ichihime is also a fascinating new addition to the cast. I’m not sure if she’ll show up again, but I suspect that Ii-chan inviting her to live in the apartment complex he currently does is some fairly unsubtle foreshadowing. I also really liked the other two students we met here, but sadly this is the last we’re going to see of them, unless Nisioisin does something weird like write them into a prequel in his Zerozaki side series. Lastly, Jun calls Ii-chan out on being a mystery protagonist – like Jessica Fletcher, wherever he goes, murders follow.

This does not have the psychological fascination of the second book, as I said earlier. It’s a quick hit-and-run. But it’s still a really good read, and I certainly hope that it does well enough that we get the 4th and 5th books (a 2-parter) before 2029.

Pick of the Week: Ease on Down the Road

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MICHELLE: There’s a new volume of My Hero Academia plus a lot of VIZ shoujo coming out this week that I will absolutely be reading, including a particular favorite in Natsume’s Book of Friends, but my pick this week is The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms. I literally know nothing about it other than it’s by Nagabe, creator of The Girl from the Other Side, but that’s quite enough.

KATE: What Michelle said! I’d read just about anything by Nagabe, as he’s such a terrific artist and storyteller. If people buy The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms, maybe Seven Seas will get around to licensing Nagabe’s older work, too; this collection of short stories looks amazing.

SEAN: I am very interested in the new josei manga from Shojo Beat, but I have to go with Sexiled this week. The standard light novel fantasy is absolutely filled with tropes best described as problematic (read: misogynist), and I long to read a book pinning them to a wall and then stabbing them over and over.

ASH: As intrigued and delighted as I am by what I know about Sexiled, I’m with Michelle and Kate this week – The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms is without question my pick.

ANNA: I’m also intrigued by The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms and An Incurable Case of Love but I’m not going to pass up a chance to celebrate another volume of Kaze Hikaru which is by far one of my favorite historical shoujo series.

MJ: I’m jumping on what apparently is the majority pick this week: The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms. Everything about it—from the artist to the magical creatures to the magazine it runs in—screams that it’s for me. So what other choice do I have?