Manga Bookshelf

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Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Still Fighting It

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MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be picking up the latest Waiting for Spring, and I’m somewhat curious about A Kiss, for Real, but the release that really makes me squee this week is the third volume of Shojo FIGHT!. The first two volumes hooked me good and I’m extremely happy to get to read more about Neri, the girl who sometimes turns into a jerk when she lets herself play volleyball without restraint and who wants to change. It’s good stuff!

SEAN: I’m a sucker for a good Guide Book, given how few of them are actually translated over here. So my pick goes to The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Merkmal. That said, I also want to read the new Shojo FIGHT!, and Kabukimonogatari is definitely near the top of my list too.

KATE: I was mourning the demise of Crimson Hero for years… that is, until Kodansha started publishing Shojo FIGHT!!, the best sports manga you’re not reading. It’s got great characters, great volleyball matches, and real-life conflicts that remind us how hard it can be for competitive female athletes. So I’m joining Michelle and Sean and bumping this one to the top of my list. (Sorry… not sorry.)

ASH: Alas! If only Shojo FIGHT!! was being released in print, I’m sure it would be my pick, too. And so instead, this week have my eyes on The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Merkmal.

ANNA: I have to join everyone else in picking Shojo Fight!! Good sports manga with female protagonists is hard to find in translation, so a new volume is a treat for sure.

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal, Vol. 1

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By Kaziya. Released in Japan by Mag Garden, serialization ongoing in the magazine Comic Blade. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Angela Liu. Adapted by Jaymee Goh.

I am pleased with the fact that this sort of manga has now become a popular genre over here. Oh sure, it’s no doubt due to the fact that sales for The Ancient Magus’ Bride really took off and Seven Seas is doing its standard “grab titles that are sort of similar to that”, but hell, when it’s not ‘monster girls rub themselves all over guys’ but rather ‘mellow magical fantasy series in a quiet community’, I’m not going to be saying no. So far this one is not as dark as The Girl from The Other Side or Frau Faust, nor with as problematic a starting point as The Ancient Magus’ Bride. It’s just the story of a young girl and the veterinarian she’s apprenticed to, dealing with magical creatures in a world that is slowly losing magic to SCIENCE!. The thing that really makes this title sing is that he’s learning as much from her as she is from him, and their working relationship is a lot less imbalanced than you’d expect.

The heroine is Ziska, who is one of those adorable young girls with a deep abiding love for everything. She has some magical abilities, mostly handed down from her family in books, but lacks much experience, and can’t really progress past what’s already been written down. She’s working as an apprentice to a vet, Niko, who looks like a smiling villain but is really just a nice but practical guy. Together this series finds them working on various magical creatures who have either gotten injured or are ill, working to save them with Ziska’s knowledge and Niko’s experience. As the book progresses, Niko decides that he wants to learn more about the magic that Ziska does, and Ziska starts to try to branch out from what’s in her tomes and create her own medicines, even though that may be dangerous.

Despite the fact that there’s a lot of animal surgeries here, with intestines and the like, as well as seeing a rabbit in the advanced states of cancer, the basic feel of the book is ‘peaceful’. Ziska is frankly adorable, but tries too hard, and you get the sense that she’d burn herself out without Niko being there to help her out. Aside from one comedy scene where Ziska accidentally gives herself an aphrodisiac, there’s also no indication that this is going to get romantic, and even that scene is polite enough to have Niko immediately cut things off. This is just a nice anthology where Ziska sees something that needs care, she and Niko try to figure out what care is needed to heal them and how to give it (easier said than done, especially with magical creatures), and free them back into the world. Even when it doesn’t work out – the rabbit with cancer is too far along to do much of anything except prolong its pain – Ziska manages to find a way to turn things hopeful, or Niko is able to put his own human knowledge to good use.

This has just started in Japan, So I’m expect it on a twice-a-year schedule. But I’d definitely go get it, it’s a great addition to Seven Seas’ ‘young girls in magical situations’ genre.

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 15

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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.

Last time I said that Index was not in the book at all. Well… she’s not in this book either. More importantly than that, however, is that Touma is entirely absent from this book as well, though one might argue that his presence is felt in terms of the two protagonists who take over for him. In fact, as the series goes on and expands, we’re going to see this more and more. A Certain Magical Index is not just about Touma anymore. And so we have other protagonists that step up. (No, sorry, Mikoto, you aren’t in this one either. But you get the more popular side manga anyway.) The first protagonist should be very familiar to Index readers, as it’s Accelerator, who’s still calling himself a villain and thinking of himself as the worst, despite the fact that he saves more lives in this book than anyone else, and has a guardian and adopted daughter more than willing to lay down their life to stop him going mad and destroying the world. As for the other protagonist, I’m afraid I’m going to have to get EVEN NERDIER than usual.

I’m limiting “Introduced in this volume” only to those who either appear in future books or have an impact on future books. So: Shizuri Mugino, Rikou Takitsubo, Saiai Kinuhata, Frenda (Seivelun), Xochitl, Baba Yoshio, Kakine Teitoku, “Girl in the Dress”, Chimitsu Sunazara, Shiage Hamazura, Hattori Hanzou. The Railgun manga is ongoing, which may explain why Kazari Uiharu gets a bigger role in this book than she ever did before or will again. In terms of timeline, it’s the day after Book 14, so presumably Touma and Index are flying back from France. By the way, I mentioned the Railgun manga. Fans of that series will note that over half the people I just mentioned as debuting in this book had large roles in the ongoing railgun storyline to some degree or another, particularly the members of ITEM. Indeed, Frenda pretty much gets all her development in Railgun, for reasons that will become apparent once you finish Index 15. (She doesn’t even get a last name in this book!) Xochitl too is expanded on quite a bit in that series.

As for the obvious, I told a little white lie in the “this volume” above. Shiage Hamazura and Hattori Hanzou are introduced in the first volume of Index short stories, which came out between Books 13 and 14. Yen Press generally does not license side story volumes, so we’re not seeing this. Fortunately, some of the important stuff is covered in the anime, as it adapted the “Skill Out Uprising” story which introduces Shiage Hamazura and has him confront Touma as a rather two-bit villain. Touma, needless to say, kicks his ass. This happens about 9 days prior to the events in this book, in the long break between Books 13 and 14. At some point after that, Hamazura gets picked up by ITEM and turned into their lackey, which is where we see him in Railgun, and also at the start of this book. (The SS volume also shows us Sasha Kreutsev, who Index readers with long memories will remember had her form used by the villain of the 4th novel.) So while I hate to say “go watch the anime” in my light novel review, go watch the anime.

As for this book, it’s rather hard to review, mostly as I’m coming at it about ten years after it was published, and after the author has spent most of Railgun trying to expand on several of the groups and people introduced here. I have trouble judging if something felt forced or if the reader at the time would shrug and move on. As an example, Mugino going completely berserk and attempting to kill the rest of her team is something that I suspect might have had a reader going “huh, where the heck did that come from?” to someone who is meeting her for the first time here, to the point where Hamazura actually has to spell out her motivations to us in one of his speeches. But fans of Railgun will likely be thinking “I was waiting for her to finally snap, and now it’s happened”.

I’d mentioned Touma was absent here, but he’s very much on the minds of both Accelerator, who puts him on a pedestal that can’t possibly be lived up to, as well as Hamazura, who is inspired by him to actually fight back against a Level 5 for the sake of the girl he loves. (In general Kamachi is not great at writing romance, but I give him props for trying. Hamazura and Takitsubo are pretty cute here, and there are one or two hints dropped before the climax that they like each other.) Most of what occurs here, as with much of Index’s plot lately, is a consequence of the previous volume. In this case, all of Academy City’s heavy hitters being called to Avignon means the villainous groups are running amock. Naturally, our group of villains emerges victorious, meaning it’s the last group standing at the end.

I also want to take the time to praise Uiharu, who only gets about 3 pages to show off her badassery, and gets her shoulder and collarbone dislocated for her troubles, but standing up to the 2nd most powerful person in Academy City, and even sticking her tongue out him? That’s amazing. (I also note that Japan, for some reason, has fanart pairing her and Kakine romantically. To which I have to say: NO.) Also kudos to Yomikawa and Last Order for being able to talk Accelerator down. That said, I suspect that every single person in Academy City knows what his weak point is now, and if I were Last Order I would not feel safe.

There’s little humor in this book, and a lot of action and betrayal. As such, it’s playing on Kamachi’s strengths, and ends up being a quick and exciting read. I would like to check back in on Index next time, though. She is in the title.

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 1

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By Sankakuhead. Released in Japan by Shueisha, serialized in the magazine Weekly Young Jump. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Amanda Haley. Adapted by Shanti Whitesides.

Over the past year or so we’ve seen a couple of titles from Shueisha’s Young Jump that seem to be hear to remind us that Young Jump is not entirely sex, violence, or manly men being manly. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is a good example of this, and now we also have Himouto! Umaru-chan, a series that ran for twelve volumes, got three different spinoffs, and also an anime. Which is impressive given that it’s basically a plotless gag series. Well, plotless is perhaps mean, there is the one plot. It reminded me of the start of Kare Kano, and the idea of a “perfect” student who is completely different at home is well-mined. Umaru-chan’s success with the reader will, I think, depend on how tolerant they are of spoiled brats when it’s being written for humor purposes. Umaru-chan is funny, but I can see how she might wear on people.

As you can see by the cover, this is not a touching melodrama. “Himouto” is a term referring to a himono, who is a young woman who acts perfect in the outside world but is a lazy slob at home. Add “imouto”, aka little sister, and you have this series. The focus, at least for most of this first volume, is definitely on Umaru-s home life with her older brother, a salaryman who tries to be stern and parental but usually just ends up giving in because Umaru is too annoying, too cute, or both. (Fortunately there’s no suggestion of incestual themes in this at all.) By the end of the volume we are seeing suggestions that we’ll get more of Umaru’s school life – her best friend, a shy, busty girl with a crush on Umaru’s brother, has made several appearances, and we also see the arrogant oujo. The cliffhanger also makes it seem like we’ll get more of the misunderstood sinister stalker as well (the manga does not indicate she’s misunderstood in this first volume, but come on.)

There’s reaolly not much to this, but that’s not a bad thing in a gag comedy – you don’t want to have to think too hard. So Umaru games, and eats, and whines, and her brother suffers mobly. The scenes which I liked best are the ones that show off the contrast between her two roles, usually when she and her brother are both outside the apartment and she has to keep up the facade but is starting to lose it. As for Taihei (the brother), he’s driven much by the needs of the particular gag of the chapter, being strict and angry when required, but mostly just being somewhat wishy-washy about it. Umaru is a handful, and if the two of them have living parents they aren’t mentioned, so it’s up to him to try to help her grow up. It’s not going well.

This was quite enjoyable, but as with a lot of similar gag series, I’m not sure it’s 12-volumes-and-three-spinoffs enjoyable. But we shall see, and I recommend Umaru-chan for those who like seeing annoying little sister types.

Manga the Week of 5/30/18

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SEAN: It’s the final week of May, and there’s a little something for everyone next week.

Bookwalker has a 3rd volume of shogi light novel The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done.

Cross Infinite World gives us Little Princess in Fairy Forest, a fantasy novel based around a princess and her knight on the run from an evil lord.

Ghost Ship gives us a 3rd Yokai Girls.

J-Novel Club has a 2nd Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar, as well as a 6th volume of bestseller How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.

Kodansha has, in terms of print, a 6th volume of Waiting for Spring.

MICHELLE: Yay!

ASH: I’ve been enjoying this one, too.

ANNA: I have the first volume and haven’t read it yet!

SEAN: In terms of digital we have a lot more going on. The debut is A Kiss, For Real (Sekirara ni Kiss), a Dessert title about a “sweet but sadistic” relationship.

MICHELLE: The “sadistic” aspect worries me, but man, I do like the cover for that one.

ANNA: Bring on the Dessert!

SEAN: There’s also lots of ongoing titles. Boarding School Juliet 2, Kasane 12, Peach Mermaid 2, The Prnce’s Black Poison 5, Shojo Fight 3, Starving Anonymous 3, and Tsuredure Children 9. It’s nice to see Shojo Fight back again after a long wait.

MICHELLE: It is!

ANNA: Woo!!!

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts. The first is a Guide Book to The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Merkmal. Like most guidebooks, I expect this to be filled with info and secrets – though not too many secrets.

ASH: I plan on picking it up, certainly.

SEAN: The other is a manga adaptation of the light novel being released by J-Novel Club, If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord.

We also get a 7th Merman in My Tub, and a 2nd New Game, which will do its best today. There’s also the 3rd and last Strawberry Panic novel out digitally, though Amazon actually jumped street date on this for some reason.

Vertical has two novels. The Dark Maidens has an anime-ish cover, but it’s mystery-horror subject matter makes it more applicable to Vertical’s other line of books.

There’s also a new Monogatari. Kabukimonogatari: Dandy Tale has Araragi and Shinobu investigating ghost girl Mayoi’s past… and seeing if there’s any way to change it. I warn you (and by “you” I mean Michelle), “Dandy” is not like the Kinks song in this case.

MICHELLE: Heh. Now I need to go listen to that one again! It’s been a while.

SEAN: Yen has a bunch of new digital releases, with Crimson Prince 16, Kuzumi-kun, Can’t You Read the Room? 6, Saki 15, and Sekirei 16.

Lastly, there’s a 6th Spirits & Cat Ears, which is mostly caught up to Japan.

Does anything leap out at you saying “READ ME!” next week?

Infinite Dendrogram: The Lunar Society

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By Sakon Kaidou and Taiki. Released in Japan by Hobby Japan. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Andrew Hodgson.

Despite very much being a book of two halves, this volume has essentially the same theme, one which I suspect will carry over into the next book (yes, it’s another cliffhanger). That theme is how Dendrogram gamers deal with the real world, and balancing the player’s real life with this thing that is more than just another game. We see Reiji starting college and immediately running into people he knows (and would rather forget) from the game. We see him interacting with someone who is exactly the same in the game as in real life, and someone who is seemingly the same, only to turn out to have a hidden side to her. And the second half deals with the fact that players can marry NPCs and father children in this game, though it’s difficult, for reasons which are actually expounded on in detail. We also see a major player log back in after a few weeks offline to find that he’s essentially missed the entire book series to date. There’s a lot going on.

The Lunar Society is, as I indicated above, the subject of the first half of the book, particularly its leader Tsukuyo, played by a real-life college medical student named… Tsukuyo. She’s a cross between Haruhi Suzumiya and Ryouko Mendou, and I suspect some readers may find her irritating. Ray finds her terrifying once he meets her outside the game, and his brother explaining the reason why (which immediately resolves his fear) is one of the funnier parts of the book. As a character, Tsukuyo is not the greatest, being exactly as she seems: a spoiled princess who’s desperate for anything to stave off her boredom and will kidnap people to get what she wants. That said, I like Haruhi and Ryouko, so I found her quite fun. I also liked her butler/assassin, who is exactly what you’d expect a butler/assassin to be like.

Tsukuyo is not the only gamer Reiji meets at his college; he also runs into Kozue, who is far more sensible and reserved – in fact, when we see her character in the game, B3 (or BBB), she seems almost exactly the same as she is in real life, just like Tsukuyo. This *is* a front, though, and leads into an interesting discussion of PKing in Dendrogram. I’ve gotten so used to Sword Art Online being the be-all end-all work on player killing that I’d forgotten that Dendrogram *is* a game, and that the penalty is not actually lethal, just annoying. The PK guild we see here (whose reasons for gathering around their leader I will groan about and try to skip past) has rules about only PKing those who want to duel, essentially – those who want a good fight, with an appropriate “reward” for losing. As for B3, while we don’t get into it due to narrative necessity and Ray’s stunning denseness about women, it’s implied that PKing turns her on. There’s all sorts of gamers.

We’re caught up with Japan now, though I think the next book is out soon if not already. Those who have enjoyed the series will find more to enjoy here, as the books keep examining what it is about this game that’s different and how its reality can suck you in. Plus maybe we’ll see Nemesis evolve past her jealousy? Nah, probably not.

The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!, Vol. 2

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By Gamei Hitsuji and himesuz. Released in Japan by Overlap. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

For all that the first volume of this did a very good job introducing its cast and showing off the basics of the world, it did not really dwell much on the demon invasion beyond it being the reason why the hero was summoned, and why he’s training. The second volume, though, takes that ball and absolutely runs with it. The demons are coming, they’re hard to defeat, and they’re nasty pieces of work, both in terms of powers and personality. I gotta admit, you really want the demon general to get his by the end of this. What’s more, their leader is not only good at murdering people but also at emotional manipulation and torture. Which is fine for Suimei, who at least has a veneer of “I am cool-headed” (which isn’t actually true, but hey). But it’s definitely bad news for the new heroine of this book, Lefille, who is a red-haired noble swordswoman who wears her heart on her sleeve.

This is very much a book that puts all its fantastic stuff on the back end. The start is all right, with Sui9mei trying to join the Adventurer’s Guild and maintain a low profile, something he screws up pretty much immediately. He and Lefille bond right away, but it’s as a good friendship, and there’s not really much romance involved here yet. But things really pick up with the actual invasion, and particularly when Lefille breaks away from Suimei to try to save the party that essentially told her to get lost earlier. This is a significantly darker book than the first volume was, and there’s a lot of brutal deaths here. What’s more, there’s a lot of misblaming going on, to the point where I wondered if it was part of a ploy by the demon general to break Lefille. But no, it’s just people getting the wrong idea and spewing dying vitriol.

I admit, I was worried that this book was not going to stick the landing. It spends a LOT of time setting up the demon general as Lefille’s enemy that she absolutely has to defeat, then breaks her utterly. This is very well done, and emotionally gripping. But when Suimei showed up and started going to town, I thought “uh-oh”. You can’t set up this sort of thing and then have the solution be “I can overcome it thanks to the powers of my cool protagonist friend”. And yes, Suimei *does* get the final shot in. But we see Lefille watching Suimei’s battle and realize what she needs to do, and find her heroic second wind, driving the demon back to the point where he has to retreat. This was very important, and makes her a better heroine than the first one. (That said, this seems like a “new heroine every book” series, so I wonder if she’ll stay on.)

The book does have flaws – Suimei’s “let me read magic wikipedia at you” narration can be tedious, Lefille has a demon curse that seems to be nothing but an excuse to have her masturbate naked on a rock for the benefit of the illustrator/readers, and the ending, where she reverts to being a little girl due to lack of spirit energy, had me going “WTF?” as much as it did our heroes. Oh yes, and please try not to have your hero brainwashing people for fun and profit. But overall, I found the suspense and character depth of this second volume to be excellent, and I’m far more on board with this series now.

Bookshelf Briefs 5/21/18

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Anonymous Noise, Vol. 8 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – This was more of a band volume than a romantic triangle volume, and I appreciated that. Momo and Yuzu have to learn here that in order to survive, they have to write songs that are for other people, as well as songs that occasionally make compromises—such as being easier to sing. They do this by running into two annoying idols whose annoyingness turns out to be half front (and half being annoying). Elsewhere, Miou is having trouble dealing with being in a relationship when she’s still in love with Yuzu, and tries to deal with both issues at the same time, with limited success. And as if that weren’t enough, BATTLE OF THE BANDS again. Shojo’s Beat’s most addictive potboiler. – Sean Gaffney

Baccano!, Vol. 3 | By Ryohgo Narita, Shinta Fujimoto and Katsumi Enami | Yen Press – This final volume of the manga is a relatively straightforward adaptation of the first volume, with a few Easter Eggs thrown in for hardcore novel fans, such as a flashforward to Firo and Ennis’ wedding (Christopher! Rail! People blocked by an annoying arm!). Of course, the manga is cagey about when that wedding takes place—trust me, it’ll be a while. As for other aspects of the adaptation, it’s worth noting that Enami more than the anime or the novels is making Isaac and Miria explicitly a romantic couple rather than a mere comedy double act. There’s some really sweet moments here that shows off their love. Baccano! fans who saw the anime and read the novels will want this too. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – There’s a lot going on here, and as always with Black Clover very little of it will take you by surprise. We see brainwashed villains overcoming it (as well as villains in love), Asta manages to control his anti-magic and become more powerful, and an arrogant sneering villain gets to apologize. We also see Vanessa face off against the Queen of Witches, which gives us a nice opportunity to talk about how much Jump loves found families. A whole lot. The whole is not greater than the sum of its parts—honestly, the whole is about the same as the parts—and I suspect I’ll forget what happened in this volume before the next. But I do enjoy Black Clover as I read it. It’s dumb fun. – Sean Gaffney

The Bride Was a Boy | By Chii | Seven Seas – It probably isn’t much of a surprise that The Bride Was a Boy was one of the manga releases that I was most looking forward to this year. It’s fairly rare in translated manga to see realistically portrayed characters who are transgender, but rarer still is the opportunity to read a manga that is both about and by someone who actually is transgender. The Bride Was a Boy is the autobiography of Chii. It’s an adorably sweet manga about her experiences as a transwoman in Japan, including aspects of her transition and her marriage to her wonderful husband. Some may criticize the work for being too free of conflict–that it doesn’t adequately show the hardships that so many transgender people face–but it’s incredibly refreshing to see such a charming and positive work. Happy, hopeful stories about transgender lives are valuable and important to have, too. – Ash Brown

Chihayafuru, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Suetsugu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Mizusawa’s karuta club has earned a spot at the national tournament no matter what happens in their final match against Hokuou, though it’s still a disappointment when they don’t come away with the victory. Part of the problem is that Chihaya is looking ahead to her next game against Shinobu and spends the entire first half trying to improve her accuracy rather than relying on her real strength—having a higher number of “one-character cards” than anyone else. I love that her resulting funk is short-lived and that her perseverance also serves as an inspiration for her sister, who’s having a bit of a career crisis. After a nice bit of encouragement from the wind instruments club, the gang is off to nationals. I consistently love this series more with every volume and don’t foresee that ever changing. – Michelle Smith

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 5 | By Ryoko Kui| Yen Press – The joy of getting Falin back lasts for about five pages into this fifth volume, and I hope you weren’t looking forward to her as part of the team. But no, instead we get a new villain, the “Lunatic Magician,” who shows the reader what they had guessed all along—Falin came back wrong. Hopefully we’ll see more of her later, but for the moment our heroes have to go back to the surface—they’ve finally gone as far as they can living off the dungeon. We also meet a few other groups, some of whom are familiar with Laos and company, and learn that Laos and Falin are viewed as… rather creepy by everyone else in the area. The series is getting darker, but I’m still enjoying the places it’s going. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 8 | By Izumi Miyazono | Viz Media – The series proves to be very good at looking at multiple aspects of a long term, non-married relationship, and that’s good news for the reader but bad news for Asuka, who has to deal with her workplace hearing she’s involved, and thus demoting her as they expect her to leave to be a housewife. This is so very, very Japan and it’s sad that everyone treats it as “yeah, that’s what happens.” Asuka and Ryu try their best, but she’s also hammered on by the folks in the United States that they need Ryu to be there—and not with Asuka. As such, the end of this volume is sad but inevitable. Fortunately, it’s not the end of the series. This was a bit excruciating, but well told. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 23 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – This is the second volume in a row not to deal with the main Karasuno club, as we’re still playing out Nekoma’s match for the majority of the book. It’s a good match, but I must admit it does not exactly lend itself to new things to say in a review. Cool things happen, people learn about volleyball, their are heartfelt flashbacks, and eventually a team is the winner. The next volume definitely looks like it’s heading back to Kageyama, though, as he’s been picked as what sounds like the equivalent of an All-Pro. Can be do actual teamwork with a team other than his own, though? And what does Hinata feel about this? Fine out next time, same Haikyu-time, same Haikyu-channel. – Sean Gaffney

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 2 | By Maybe | Yen Press – There’s a bit of fanservice here, but for the most part Tales of Wedding Rings impresses me by not going for the obvious harem fantasy tropes. We travel to the country of the elves to meet the next princess (described in the blurb as well-endowed, presumably to separate her from the well-endowed main heroine). Unfortunately, Nefritis is a massive introvert with a fear of others, and her brother not only has a massive brother complex but also seems to have a hate-on for the ring bearer—the two may be connected. There’s some emotional scenes and a nice battle in among the cliches here, and while I’m expecting more well-endowed girls next time around, I still think this is worth your time. – Sean Gaffney

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 4 | By Megumi Morino | Kodansha Comics – Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty has always been good, but I was not expecting so many feels. It all starts so well. Shizu has come so far as her true self, and has a lovely evening with Tetsu at the summer festival. Tetsu patches things up with Chihiro, whom we learn sees a lot of himself in Shizu. With Chihiro’s encouragement, Tetsu begins to ask the spirits occupying Shizu about their lingering regrets, hoping to maybe help them move on. It’s so hopeful! And then evil dad returns and we’re plunged into bleak darkness. Thankfully, it’s brief, as Tetsu has come to care too much about Shizu to let his guilt over being paid to befriend her keep him from helping her escape her dad’s clutches. Evil dad won’t be happy with this turn of events, but I personally can’t wait to see what happens next. – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Sacrifices and Troublemakers

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SEAN: There’s several things I’m interested in. I already reviewed Golosseum, and the Devilman hardcover is a must-have. That said, both are a bit too violent for me to pick, so I will go with The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts from Yen Press, as I will come running for a Hana to Yume series. It may also be violent, but I highly doubt it’s as violent as those two.

MICHELLE: I’m intrigued by Devilman, I love Ace of the Diamond, and I’m sure I’ll love Delicious in Dungeon. That said, I’m also picking The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts this week. Shoujo fantasy romance just seems so appealing at this moment.

ANNA: I know I’m predictable in my love for shoujo, so I’m sure it will be no surprise that The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is my pick as well.

KATE: And I’m equally predictable in my love of Historically Important Manga, so it’s no surprise that my vote goes to Baron Yoshimoto’s The Troublemakers. Manly manga for the win!

ASH: Like Kate, my pick this week goes to The Troublemakers, though I’m certainly interested in The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts and am looking forward to another helping of Delicious in Dungeon, too. And of course there’s the debut of the original Devilman to consider as well!

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, Vol. 5

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By Wataru Watari and Ponkan 8. Released in Japan as “Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatte Iru” by Shogakukan. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

If I said that the pacing of the series had become glacial by the last volume, here it comes to a complete stop, as this is a selection of short stories designed to show off the cast and pad out the time before the new semester begins in Book 6 and the author is forced to actually advance the plot. From what I understand, the majority of this book was jettisoned from the first anime season except for the longest, most plot-relevant story, whi9ch makes sense. These are good character portraits, and show off Hachiman’s cynical yet on point analysis very well, but they aren’t really essential. They’re a meandering tale of a hot summer break. That said, we do finally have Hachiman connect the dots upon seeing the Yukinoshita limousine once more, so now all the participants know about his accident at the start of school. Getting Yukino to open up, though, will likely be another story.

Saika is featured on the cover as if he’s a heroine, which makes sense given that his short story basically involves asking Hachiman on a date. This allows the author do do his usual schtick, though fortunately Hachiman is not quite as bad as usual this time around. We also see Hachiman and his sister agree to babysit Yui’s dog while she’s on vacation, which allows us to see that Hachiman is actually quite a pet person. In fact, a lot of the se stories are good at pointing out that Hachiman has the ability to be kind and considerate, he just constantly undercuts it with everything he says. Indeed, Yui spells his personality right out to us, in another scene that makes the reader realize that she’s totally fallen for him, and is absolutely going to get her heart broken.

The story that did get adapted for the anime involves Yui inviting Hachiman to a fireworks festival (Komachi tricks him into accepting), and the evening that follows, which alternates between cute and awkward as Hachiman is constantly thinking of what normal people would do in a situation like this. I think it’s important to Hachiman that he disconnect himself from others like this – the ongoing use of (LOL) every time he says “normies” reads more like a verbal tic than a conscious choice. That said, the meat of this book is the scene at the fireworks with Yukino’s sister, who is in VIP seats, of course. Her scathing chat with Hachiman and Yui reminds us that Yukino was dragged home at the end of the previous book, and is almost completely absent from this one. The whole novel feels like it’s setting things up for an explosion once school starts.

Which is fine, though if the 6th book turns out to be marking time as well, I may throw my hands in the air. Sometimes you really do need forward development. It doesn’t help that the next book is not out till November, meaning a longer wait to find out if anything blows up. Still, fans of the series will want to get this to see what parts the anime left out, and as always reading Hachiman’s narration is an experience.

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 1

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By Yu Tomofuji. Released in Japan by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Yen Press. Translated by Paul Starr.

I’ve been reading manga for quite some time now, and it’s long enough that I’m starting to see the new generation that grew up reading the old manga classics that I was reading a good twenty years ago. Japanese manga artists are not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeve, and the readers seem far more forgiving of it than Western readers might (hi, Black Clover), especially if it’s simply influenced by and not straight up copying. I mention this because, while the story and characters are not really the same, there are moments at the start of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts where I read a scene and thought “yeah, I loved that scene in Fruits Basket as well”. This isn’t a criticism – it felt almost like a musical quotation that the guitar player would insert in the song, something that makes the reader nostalgic (well, as much as a reader wants to be nostalgic for one of the most abusive families in Furuba). Does the rest of the book hold up? For the most part, yes.

As you may have gathered, there’s a lot of Beauty and the Beast involved here as well. Our heroine is Sariphi, a girl of indeterminate age (more on that later) who is the latest human to be selected as a sacrifice to the King of Beasts, who rules over a land that is composed mostly of beastmen and women, with humans in a minority. Unlike most sacrifices, however, Sariphi is not terrified or furious, but rather endlessly curious and rather sweet – again, if you’re thinking of Tohru, you’re not far off. As with many Hakusensha series, the resolution of this dilemma is resolved in one chapter, then, when the series gets picked up, we get more chapters, as Sariphi and “Leanhart”, as she dubs the Beast King, learn more about each other and deal with the troublesome kingdom, which is very much anti-human and would rather Sariphi be sacrificed and the Beast King take a real queen. Oh yes, the Beast King wants to make Sariphi his Queen.

Let’s just say up front that Sariphi looks pretty damn young. That’s not exactly a red card by itself – Japanese manga is filled with heroines who look far younger than their actual age. But I’d like to hear what the actual age is, as this is a sweet romance between an adult Beast man (who changes into a hot bishie human every so often, of course) and our sacrificial protagonist, and a lot of my enjoyment of it will be dependent on her not being as much of a child as she looks. Of course, this is a Hana to Yume title, so any romance we get is not going to go further than the occasional kiss, but you know what I mean. Apart from that, I found this series to be a very good start. I like how most of the kingdom is not immediately won over by the power of Sariphi’s shininess – Anubis, the King’s servant, is looking to shape up to be a difficult antagonist, and I look forward to seeing how he will eventually fall in the face of that bright, innocent smile.

So to sum up: good new shoujo series, sweet girl and gruff but likeable beast man. If you liked Fruits Basket or Kamisama Kiss this might be up your alley.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 12

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By Takehaya and Poco. Released in Japan as “Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?” by Hobby Japan. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Warnis.

Rokujouma is, of course, a balanced harem sort of series that in all honesty feels like it’s going to end up with some sort of polyamorous resolution. That said, obviously as a reader I have my favorites. After after realizing that the three volumes where she gained character development are my three favorite volumes, it’s time to admit it: Yurika is my jam. (I may have admitted this before, but forgive me for the slight return.) It’s a somewhat unusual choice given that Yurika’s default state is essentially Usagi from Sailor Moon: a whining, clumsy, somewhat bad at life sort of girl. But, like Usagi, when you put her into a situation where she has to protect the world and her friends, she comes through with flying colors. In addition, her scenes with Koutarou in this book really have a nice amount of romantic tension, even if it’s just on her part. And finally, praise the Lord, everyone admits that Yurika is indeed a real Magical Girl. This book is basically everything I want in a character arc.

Being a Yurika book, it’s no surprise that the chief villains here are Darkness Rainbow, though one of the main plot revelations is that they’re getting help from another group of villains. This means that Maki also gets a large amount of character work, following up on her bond with Koutarou in the 8th volume… in fact, the literal bond created between them becomes almost a chain to Maki, who worries that it means that her feelings aren’t her own. And Harumi, who has always somewhat suffered from being the normal girl in the group (Shizuka can beat up monsters with martial arts, so doesn’t count), gets a power up thanks to the narrative explicitly acknowledging her reincarnation of the princess status, even if Harumi doesn’t quite get it herself. Her scenes with Yurika were also fantastic, as Yurika’s guilt in falling for the guy Harumi loves is wiped away by the power of friendship, and the two end up literally merging souls for a bit when things get rough.

The nature of the Rokujouma license means that’s we’re getting these books once a month, and while it can be hard to catch up, not to mention expensive, I also think it’s helped me appreciate the plot and the way the book tie together in a way I wouldn’t if I was reading these three times a year. The last several books have felt like one continuous narrative, even as they change focus and emphasis, and I’ve no doubt that when Vol. 13 focuses on Theia (as the cliffhanger implies), it will also pick up threads from this book and others. Koutarou too is recognizing his faults out loud, and actually doing something about them. Yurika as well, though she needs a lot more help with her more comedic faults. (The funniest joke in the book may have been the final one, where Shizuka points out to Koutarou that not letting Yurika get any sleep at all will not help her study habits.)

Broken record time: Invaders of the Rokujouma!? is the best light novel series you’re not reading. Catch up as soon as possible.

Golosseum, Vol. 1

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By Yasushi Baba. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Nemesis. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics. Translated by Kevin Gifford.

There are two scenes that I think between them perfectly sum up the mood of this manga and the demographic it’s going to appeal to. The first has a cute couple, just married, asking a stranger to take a picture of them outside the church. All three are then shot in the head by passing terrorists. In loving detail. The other is when we see a shirtless Vladimir Putin, whose name has been slightly changed to protect the guilty, drinking tea and laughing as bullets vanish before hitting his incredibly muscular body. Which is also drawn in loving detail. In between this, we get the actual story, which is about alien bracelets that protect and strengthen the wearer – sometimes to ludicrous degrees – and a sad yet incredibly violent woman who can see other people’s past. At heart, though, Golosseum reminds me a bit of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, in that it’s totally ridiculous, and also filled with ridiculous deaths.

There is a certain element of political satire here, though frankly it can get somewhat lost among the muscular posing. In addition to “Vladislav Putinov”, we also see the United States equivalent, “Billary Quintone”, and one of the villains rampaging through America is clearly an ersatz Hulk Hogan. More than a political thriller, though, Golosseum feels like one of those ultraviolent 90s comic books, attracting your attention through fights, murders, more fights and more murders. Sasha, our heroine, doesn’t really seem to want to do this (she’s the one who reminded me a bit of Crying Freeman, though I suspect she won’t be making love to her cute waitress friend anytime soon), but she’s certainly capable of taking on smug Chinese martial artists if need be. As the volumes go on, I’m hoping that her story remains the priority. Also, I could have done without the narrative saying that, despite her age, she has the body of a mature 14-year-old, with accompanying nudity.

That said, glorifying the body is in many ways what this is about. The main villains throughout are people who are wearing the “Peacemaker” bracelets and using them for evil, which mostly involves being really strong. The best reason to read this is to see these guys show off and eventually get what’s coming to them. It’s a glorious spectacle, though not for the faint of heart – being shot in the head like the newlywed couple is at the start is actually one of the milder deaths in the book. As for the politics and backstory, unsurprisingly, the bracelets are being treated as political capital in a quest to have the most world power, so no doubt we will be seeing a lot more of Vladislav and Billary. That said, it’s a bit sad when the most nuanced of your real-life caricatures is Rasputin. Oh, and for those who like Hijikata, we get two desce4ndents here – one male, one female, and one good, one bad.

In the end, I liked reading Golosseum, but more in a “Good Lord” sort of way than actively being interested in the story. It’s complete at six volumes, which should be enough. If you like ridiculous ultraviolence, or just big muscley shirtless guys, come read this immediately.

Manga the Week of 5/23/18

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SEAN: Stuff. A lot. Just… a lot of stuff.

J-Novel Club has new volumes for Arifureta and Infinite Dendrogram, and they’re both Vol. 6s.

Kodansha print has Golosseum, a very manly manga from the magazine Nemesis, which will appeal to fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Crying Freeman, or just people who like really muscular guys killing people gorily.

ANNA: This may be relevant to my interests.

ASH: Also for people interested in spectacularly outrageous political satire.

MJ: I can sometimes get into spectacularly outrageous political satire. Hm.

SEAN: On the digital front, the debut is Can You Just Die, My Darling? (Konya wa Tsuki ga Kirei Desu ga, Toriaezu Shine), a horror romance from Shonen Magazine R that should also appeal to fans of gore.

There’s also new digital titles for Ace of the Diamond (11), Ayanashi (3), Domestic Girlfriend (17), Elegant Yokai Apartment Life (7), Kounodori: Dr. Stork (9), Liar x Liar (2), and My Brother the Shut-In (5).

MICHELLE: I can’t believe I’m so far behind on Elegant Yokai Apartment Life and My Brother the Shut-In already!

SEAN: Retrofit Comics is releasing The Troublemakers, a collection of stories by Baron Yoshimoto. It looks to be rated M for Manly.

Seven Seas has a ton of debuts next week, so let’s also mention they have a 6th Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, a 2nd Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho, and a 3rd Yokai Rental Shop.

MICHELLE: I’ve been reading the first two volumes of Yokai Rental Shop. I’m not yet sure what I make of it, but it’s evidently only four volumes long, so I will probably be getting volume three, too.

ASH: The series hasn’t captivated me nearly as much as Nightmare Inspector, but there’s enough for me to keep reading, too.

SEAN: Devilman: The Classic Collection is a hardcover deluxe edition of the original 70s manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine about 46 years ago. If you liked the modern anime, you’ll love the original. Just… don’t get too attached to anyone.

ANNA: Woah.

ASH: I’m excited for this! It’s a beast of a volume, too, from the pictures I’ve seen.

SEAN: The Dungeon of Black Company seems to be a take on the isekai genre, and… oh, everyone left. In any case, it runs in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Himouto! Umaru-chan is a comedic series that runs in Weekly Young Jump, and there’s also an anime. The premise sounds like Kare Kano – the perfect student at school is a total slob at home.

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal (Watashi to Sensei no Genjuu Shinryouroku) is a Comic Blade fantasy title, and looks to be more for Ancient Magus’ Bride fans.

ASH: In that case, I should make sure to give it a look.

SEAN: Vertical Comics has a 3rd omnibus for Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Viz has a digital only 8th volume of Boys Over Flowers Season 2.

ANNA: Need to get caught up on this series. I keep misplacing my iPad!

SEAN: And there is a pile of Yen. On the Yen On front we have a debut this time around. A Sister’s All You Need (Imouto sae Ireba ii) is from the creator of Haganai, and best known for having the most polarizing first episode of an anime ever. I may hate this, but what the hey.

Yen On also has a 15th A Certain Magical Index, a 5th Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, a 5th My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, a 7th Overlord, an a 9th Strike the Blood.

Yen Press has one debut next week, The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (Niehime to Kemono no Ou). It’s a Hana to Yume title, meaning Anna will be interested, as will I. It looks sort of fantasy, sort of romance, and has a sweetie-pie as the heroine.

ANNA: I am for sure interested!!!!! More Hana to Yume please!

MICHELLE: Hm. I might be interested, too.

ASH: Same!

MJ: I might too!

SEAN: Yen Press ongoing titles. Let’s run through the gauntlet. Baccano! has its 3rd manga volume (it’s the final one). Delicious in Dungeon with Vol. 5. The Devil Is a Part-Timer! has its 11th manga volume. Dimension W is up to Vol. 10, Forbidden Scrollery gets a 3rd volume, Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has its 9th manga volume, KonoSuba has its 6th manga volume…

(pauses, breathes a bit)

…The Royal Tutor is up to Vol. 7, The Saga of Tanya the Evil gives us a 2nd manga volume, Scum’s Wish has its 7th book (I will read it and feel terrible), Tales of Wedding Rings is at Book 2, Triage X has somehow hit Volume 15 (is it the breasts? It’s probably the breasts), and Trinity Seven is at lucky 13.

MICHELLE: So far behind on Delicious in Dungeon!

ASH: You’re in for a treat! I’m enjoying the series immensely.

SEAN: As I said, stuff. Are you buying manga? Or clearing tree debris from the latest nightmarish storm?

Toradora!, Vol. 1

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By Yuyuko Takemiya and Yasu. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by J.P. Sullivan.

This really isn’t a review for the Toradora! newbie. It’s been about 8 years since the manga debuted over here, and I still think the main reason Seven Seas licensed the novels is that they got tired of the slow schedule for the Japanese manga releases. The anime is also ten years old this fall. And, sorry about this, but like A Certain Magical Index, Toradora! is one where I did read the fan translated novels, as I had no confidence it would ever be licensed. I mean, there’s no supernatural content in it! But the novels are finally out in North America, and I am pleased, as I really love the story and characters and want to experience them the way they were originally intended. Which, oddly enough, means reading this book like a stand-alone, as it was clearly written. Despite the author’s afterword saying to look forward to more, the book itself wraps everything up (if slightly ambiguously) in one package.

I’ll do a quick summary, just in case any readers who hadn’t experienced this series finished that last paragraph. Ryuuji is a young man who has “angry eyes” (see also Haganai), and has dealt with people misunderstanding him because of it. But now he’s in high school, and can make a fresh start. That is until he runs into Taiga, a short and angry girl who is a giant cloud of issues all bubbling to the surface. Due to various misunderstandings which make up the bulk of the book, each realizes that they love someone else – Ryuuji loves Taiga’s best friend Minori, and Taiga loves Kitamura, a charming and bespectacled young man in their class. Ryuuji, who is a very nice guy, and not in the modern sense of “nice guy”, tries to help Taiga win her love. This is difficult, because it’s really clear from the start that Ryuuji and Taiga are perfect for each other.

Later in these volumes (the series runs to ten books plus side stories) there is an attempt to try to ‘balance’ the harem a bit, adding another girl and showing more of Minori’s feelings about Ryuuji. But honestly, I hope anyone who doesn’t like Taiga knows enough to stop reading and find another property, because Taiga is absolutely Best Girl here. Taiga is less of a tiger and more of a miniature hurricane, leaving chaos and destruction in her wake. As for Ryuuji, he’s a sweetie pie, something Taiga straight up says near the end of the book. He’s dealing with a lot, and his natural inclination is to try to help this chaotic event that has just strolled into his life. Fortunately, he is the rock that Taiga can cling to.

There’s a few things in this book that make it feel like a first volume – in particular, Minori and Kitamura aren’t given the chance to be as eccentric or deep as they become later on. And Seven Seas’ translation has a few issues – I did notice one point where Ryuuji’s mom, Yasuko, should have been speaking but the paragraph got mangled a bit. Still, any Toradora! fan will want to read this, primarily for the amazing chemistry between its two leads.