Sean Gaffney

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 21

February 24, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

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

I’ve given every volume of Hayate since I began this blog a full review, so want to keep up the tradition. Of course, that tends to mean I have to keep finding new things to say. Should I talk about how the North American audience views harems… no, wait, did that already. What about the relation between gags and serious… no, did that too. It doesn’t help that Hata is very slowly putting all his pieces into play for what promises to be an epic storyline… but it isn’t yet. As a result, we get a lot interruptions here, including some characters who haven’t appeared in so long that Hayate and Nagi have to direct readers to the appropriate volume.

For those who like Maria, enjoy that cover, she’s barely in this volume. (To be honest, aside from one-shot chapters, she’s never really going to be relevant again, unless Hata comes back to her if/when he wraps this up.) The two major events in this book are a beach volleyball game challenge given by Gilbert, the aforementioned character who no one remembers anymore; and Sonia, the nun with a crush on Wataru, trying to steal the Ougyoku Stone. This Stone has come up once or twice since the series began, but here is where it starts to really play a major role, in that Nagi’s Machiavellian grandfather states if Hayate allows anyone to steal or destroy the stone for more than an hour, Nagi loses her inheritance. And there’s a lot of people who want that to happen, including Athena, now 10 years older and living in Greece. The stone is the gimmick that will drive the next few volumes.

The beach volleyball game is the funniest part of this volume. Gilbert immediately shoots himself in the foot by demanding Hayate partner with Hinagiku, as she’s so “weak and frail”. Unfortunately, Hina is dealing with her usual self-image and tsundere love for Hayate, so she decides to pretend to be as weak as Gilbert says she is. Complete with monotone “Eek” noises. Thankfully, Gilbert is *such* an ass that this only lasts for a couple of pages before she decides to kick his ass. (By the way, I note that now that Hata has revealed that Miki is in love with Hina, he’s allowing her to be a lot more open about it, demanding Hina wear a bikini and essentially lusting after her.)

The most romantic part of the volume is the one with Sonia, though she isn’t the reason why. She’s stealing the stone so that she can help Wataru get his *own* family fortune back, and therefore return Sonia’s love. Hayate is absolutely not the best person to figure this out, given that he has all the sensitivity of a hammer. Luckily, Ayumu is there with him, and once again makes you wonder why she isn’t the heroine of some other manga. She calms Sonia down, points out Wataru wouldn’t like her just for money, gets the stone back, comforts Hayate, *and* gets to kiss him (on the cheek) to boot. She would be the clear winner of any other harem manga, but is only a long-shot in this one. Which is a sign of how balanced Hata keeps his harem… and his readers.

Due to the typical low sales of almost all harem manga these days, the next volume will not be out till August. But Hata, for the most part, delivers what readers want – some fanservice, some laughs, some romantic tease, and a few sweet moments. If you read Hayate scanlated, get over the fact that your pairing may not win and buy the manga. As for new readers… why are you buying Vol. 21?

JManga the Week of 2/21 and 2/28

February 23, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: (I was away last week, so you get a two-fer this time around.)

I appreciate – I really do – JManga getting out all these Vol. 3s and 5s and 7s. For a while it seemed that we’d get Vol. 1 of selected series with nothing else, so it’s great to see that they’re moving on with many titles to further volumes.

That said, damn, it’s hard to come up with new ways to break everything down. But here we go…

Joshi Kousei (High School Girls) has Vol. 6 this week and Vol. 7 next week. For those who are truly HSG fanatics, the release of Vol. 6 here means we now have all the reissued covers, including the ones DrMaster never reprinted. Woot! Funny series, too. Everyone should read it.

MJ: I will. I promise. Soon.

SEAN: More Elemental Gelade.

More PoyoPoyo’s Observation Diary.

A new Ninja Papa, which hopefully will avoid the gentle downward slide it’s had since its ludicrous beginnings.

The Mythical Detective Loki gets a 4th volume, and I continue to be confused as to whether it’s the original or the Ragnarok that ADV put out.

And Sun-Ken Rock has a 3rd volume for me to catch up on, and is easily the MANLIEST thing in this entire list – yes, it even tops Ninja Papa.

MICHELLE: I am sad to say I have absolutely nothing to say about any of these.

MJ: It’s getting difficult, isn’t it?

Anything catch your eye?

Manga the Week of 2/27

February 22, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: The main problem with my list of manga that’s coming out is it originated on my Livejournal page as a list to remind me what *I* might be getting at any given time, with the titles I wasn’t buying included because well, why not? As a result, I tend to keep these lists geared towards me. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the sources I use:

a) My comic shop in New Haven. This is mostly via Diamond Distributors. “But Sean,” (I hear you cry), “Diamond is showing Yen’s stuff coming out the week of 2/27, not 2/20!” Yes, but I got Yen stuff on Wednesday, including this Umineko volume that is as big as a small house. This is because Diamond sometimes splits its shipments over two weeks, shipping to some stores (such as the Northeast Corridor) before others. This happens to me a LOT with Yen, which I frequently get early.

By the way, rule of thumb for Diamond. Ships early: Dark Horse, Fantagraphics, Seven Seas. Ships late: Kodansha, Vertical. Ships on same date: Viz, Yen (except Northeast Corridor).

b) Midtown Comics list, which goes live sometime Wednesday Afternoons. They have their own distribution for many publishers (i.e., not Diamond), including Viz and Seven Seas. This is why they sometimes have Viz titles a week late, and frequently have Seven Seas titles very late. This is what allows Aaron to list the same Seven Seas titles in comments over multiple weeks. :)

c) Amazon, where I usually fill in the blanks from the other two lists.

With that said, almost everyone who isn’t me will get Yen Press titles the week of 2/27, so just port those over to this list.

So what ELSE is coming out next week? Kodansha, mostly. We have the 27th volume of Air Gear, which ships only a few months before they try to entice in new readers with the Air Gear omnibus. For me, though, the prospect of Tenjo Tenge-style fanservice plus rollerblading has always left me a bit cold.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I have never been able to muster the fortitude to try Air Gear.

MJ: Nor have I.

SEAN: Battle Angel Alita: Last Order hits Vol. 17. I got way, WAY behind in this series (as in, I still have to finish the original non-Last Order Alita), so I suspect I’ll just wait for the omnibus. Which has new content anyway, apparently.

MICHELLE: I have the first three volumes of the original series, but I still haven’t read them. One day!

SEAN: Cage of Eden is up to Vol. 9, and will be resolving its psychic arc while no doubt showing that there are a lot of large-breasted females and hideous carnivorous animals in it. As I said, the perfect comic for 12-year-old boys.

MICHELLE: My Air Gear comment can easily be applied here as well.

MJ: Mine, too. Wow, I have so little of interest to say this week!

SEAN: And Kitchen Princess hits its third omnibus. I don’t have much to say about this, except it’s great shoujo that for once you could actually give to a young girl to read – well, mostly. It can get a bit dark at times.

MICHELLE: I can’t believe I’ve owned this series for so long without reading it even though I’ve heard very good things about it! Bad me.

MJ: I missed this series the first time around, so I’m pretty happy to have a chance to catch up now!

SEAN: I have no idea if Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love is any good, but the covers are magnificent. The lead male, despite his gigantic chest of death, still appears to be the grumpiest man on the planet, and his companion is the perfect contrast, having a face that anyone would love to hit. Seriously, look at that “Oops!” face. Anyone would understand why the big guy is so mad. Well, besides “Why did they draw me so wide…?”

MICHELLE: I read the first two volumes of this and didn’t like it very much. The shrimpy guy is just as annoying as he looks and I have no idea what the grumpy dude could possibly find to like about him. I don’t intend to bother reading any more of it.

MJ: My biggest issue with this series (aside from finding it just kinda boring) is that the drawing style and the age difference—particularly in one scene early in the first volume—give it a shotacon vibe I just can’t stomach. It’s definitely Not For Me.

SEAN: Assuming anyone stuck around after the meandering opening, what’re you getting?

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 1

February 20, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Tsutomo Nihei. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Afternoon. Released in the United States by Vertical, Inc.

I will admit to being one of the few people reviewing this title who has not read either Biomega or Blame, the author’s previous series released here. As a result, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, except that the series looked vaguely Gundam-ey. And I have to admit, after finishing the first volume, I’m still not quite sure what’s going on. That said, it’s the sort of manga that rewards trying to find out, and there’s lots of little things here and there that make this well worth a read.

This takes place somewhere in the future on a World Spaceship, a la Heinlein’s Orphans of the Sky. Much of the plot is not told to us via exposition or narrative, but simply by immersing us in our hero’s day-to-day life and expecting us to figure it out as we go along. Our hero, Nagate, has been living secretly underground for years with his grandfather (I think), practicing blowing things up in a flight simulator. When he runs out of food (is his grandfather dead? And for how long?), Nagate goes to find some, and accidentally falls into the processing machine (one of the more morbidly funny scenes in the entire volume). After being discovered, he’s quickly indoctrinated into the military and added to a team whose mission is to battle the Gaunas, alien life forces intent on destruction.

Our hero is not much for words (or indeed facial expressions), so getting some battle scenes almost feels like a relief. My favorite part of the entire manga is probably the cruelest: we meet a new girl, Eiko, who is standoffish and avoiding all the superstition that the other pilots perform. Given she’s in the chapter title, we naturally assume she’ll be like Izana and come to befriend our hero, though given how prickly she seems it may require him to show initiative. But no! They go out to battle Gaunas, and she’s not only killed off immediately but her form is used to become a hideous monstrosity that almost kills off Nagate too. This fakeout was well-played, and I applaud the author for it.

Towards the end of the volume we get a few more new characters, who are a bit too new to really grasp on to, as well as an indication that Izana seems to have fallen hard for our hero. Clearly this is meant to be a series with a few volumes to it, and I imagine all will become clearer as I go along. I’m left, however, with a sense of distance about the whole thing. Nagate has difficulty emoting due to his upbringing (at least, that’s what I imagine), Izana seems naturally repressed, and through most of the volume I kept wishing that I could get closer to our heroes’ mindset while being unable to. I did enjoy Nagate defending Izana against a hotshot egotistical jerk pilot (who then breaks Nagate’s arm), and hope that we’ll see more elements like this. Knights of Sidonia as a series is cool rather than warm, but it’s still fascinating, and I look forward to working out what’s going on in future volumes.

More New Licenses from Seven Seas and Vertical

February 18, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

OK, lesson learned. I will never go on vacation again. Sheesh.

Seven Seas snuck out a 4th license right after I made my post the other day. Aoi Sekai no Chūshin de is being released over here as World War Blue, and is nine volumes long. It runs in Micro Magazine, which is owned by… well, Micro Magazine, and is about a war between Sega and Nintendo with the serial numbers filed off, featuring various anthropomorphic consoles. Honestly, compared with the other three titles Seven Seas talked about the other day, I find this the most intriguing.

Vertical, meanwhile, has two new releases that are quite interesting. Satoshi Kon is better known for his anime productions, but in 1990 he did a short manga for Kodansha’s Young Magazine called Kaikisen, about a young man and the legend of a mermaid. It’s been re-released every few years or so in Japan, and Vertical will now be bringing it out over here, in one complete volume, as Tropic of the Sea.

The other announcement is, surprisingly (to me, at least), from Hakusensha, who seem to finally be getting back into licensing titles to North America after a long Tokyopop hangover. Shi ni Itaru Yamai is a two-volume series from Hikari Asada and Takahiro Seguchi. The author only has one other title (a short ecchi school series), but the artist is well known for his saucy series, including maid series Enmusu, which ADV briefly published before dying, and a very popular series in scanlation, Oretama, which I refuse to discuss. (And no, don’t discuss it in comments, either.) This series, Sickness Unto Death (as Vertical will release it), is about a clinical psychologist who lives at a boarding house while he gets his degree, and a girl who also lives there who has the worst case of despair this side of Zetsubou-sensei. It looks to be a psychological drama, and is probably the title of the three of these that I’m looking forward to the most, despite the reputation of the artist and the fact that it ran in Young Animal.

Pick of the Week: Misanthropy & Other Stories

February 18, 2013 by Michelle Smith, Anna N, Sean Gaffney and MJ 2 Comments

MICHELLE: Wow, pickings sure are slim at Midtown this week. If you’re not interested in the latest Evangelion tie-in, volume 30 of Wallflower, or the paperback reprint of Ayako, you are out of luck. Of these, Ayako would be the one I’d choose (if I didn’t already own it in hardcover)—it may be misanthropic, but it’s definitely worth reading.

ANNA This is somewhat sad. So sad in fact that I’m going to pick something that isn’t even manga at all! It looks like the 10th issue of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples’ Saga is coming out this week. I enjoyed the first trade paperback of this series very much, and it is nice to see more nifty titles coming out from Image Comics. I’m looking forward to the second volume of this adult space opera.

SEAN: Sheesh, I do all I can to expand Manga The Week Of, and everyone then proceeds to stick with Midtown’s paltry offerings. My pick this week is therefore the second Umineko omnibus, which wraps up the first arc. Less heartwarming than Higurashi so far, its grand guignol over-the-top style appealed to me, and you gotta love those screaming faces (from those still alive, that is).

MJ: I’ll admit that I feel hesitant about choosing from Sean’s lovely selection of Yen titles, as even online retailers list their release dates as yet a full week away, but I guess I’ll take this opportunity to highlight a series that rarely makes it into our Picks. That series would be Nabari no Ou—you know, the other ninja manga. I’ve been a fan of this series from the start and though I’ve fallen behind, now that its penultimate volume has arrived, I feel the time for a marathon is now. I’ll be setting up a “book club” marathon in the forums later today. Come join me?

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

New Licenses from Viz and Seven Seas

February 15, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

Well, I’m off on a few days vacation, so naturally everyone decides to pile on licenses the moment I leave. Taunting me with their interestingness. But this will not stop me from breaking everything down, and keeping you, the reader, informed.

magi I’ve spent quite a few posts discussing Shonen Sunday, and Viz’s lack of enthusiasm about the titles as opposed to Shonen Jump. Of course, this is a vicious circle, as SS series tend not to be among the best-sellers or ‘fan-obsessive’ series. That may change with this new license, however. If ever there was a series running in Sunday that cried out to be licensed, Magi was it. The author has been seen on these shores before with Yen Press’s Sumomomo Momomo, but Magi is a better, more mature work with a manga take on Aladdin and the Arabian Nights. This has the potential to be the first really big Sunday title over here since Inu Yasha, and comes highly recommended.

Viz’s Shojo Beat line also announced four new titles, two of which are actually Josei Beat. Yoroshiku Master is a Hakusensha series from the author of Penguin Revolution, one of the old CMX shoujo favorites. This ran in LaLa’s sister magazine DX, and at 3 volumes is a decent investment (and the third volume apparently has a Penguin Revolution short chapter to boot.) As for the plot, if you like bishie demons, bishie vampires, and bishie catboys, you’ll love bishie reindeer boys! Viz is releasing the series as Sweet Rein.

seiyuu-academy I was always a big fan of S.A. and its dense as lead heroine, so I’m quite happy to hear that they’ve licensed Maki Minami’s next series that ran in Hana to Yume, Seiyuu Kaa!, which will come out here as Voice Over! – Seiyuu Academy. The title describes the series – our heroine is enrolled in a voice actor’s high school, and not only has to deal with her less than stellar voice qualities, but also the usual high school shenanigans. This being a Hakusensha shoujo series, I’m certain that there will be a few pretty guys to help her out. The series should be 11 or 12 volumes.

Then there’s the two josei series. Viz must have been at least somewhat pleased with the performance of Butterflies, Flowers, as we have not one but two new titles from the pages of Petit Comic, Shogakukan’s josei romance manga for women who have outgrown the already saucy Shoujo Comic. Maki Enjouji’s Happy Marriage?! is 10 volumes, and has ‘Shogakukan’ written all over it: an office lady, trying desperately to pay off her parent’s debt, finds herself engaged to her company president – who she’s never met before! I have a feeling that this title will be just as compelling *and* frustrating as Butterflies, Flowers proved to be, but at least can be assured that it will be quite spicy.

midnight-secretary The last, and possibly biggest license from Shojo Beat is Midnight Secretary, Tomu Ohmi’s 7-volume story of a secretary who becomes the personal assistant – and so much more – of her company’s president. Unlike Happy Marriage?!, however, this president is a vampire as well! Despite not having the word Vampire actually in the title, I predict this is going to sell like hotcakes, if hotcakes that have to be shrinkwrapped due to content – this, like Happy Marriage?!, will definitely be an M for Mature title. That said, there’s more here than just put-upon heroine and abusive-yet-oh-so-hot boss, and I am very pleased we’ll get to see this.

Of course, Viz was not the only one to drop new licenses on us, as we have three new titles from Seven Seas. Centaur no Nayami (out over here as A Centaur’s Life), is sort of like Seiyuu Kaa!, only instead of voice actresses it’s monsters and other mythological creatures. The juxtaposition of ordinary high-school comedy with girls with centaur bodies and angel wings is what drives this title.

loveinhell Jigokuren – Love in Hell is from Futabasha’s Web Comic High, and features a guy who dies one day and finds himself in hell. But he has the chance to repent. Judging by the art and descriptions I’ve seen, however, this title seems to aim at the reader who enjoys seeing young-looking girls torturing guys in various ways. I’d put it in the I Don’t Like You At All Big Brother/Mayo Chiki category.

Lastly, we have another title from Tokuma Shoten’s Comic Ryu (where A Centaur’s Life also appears). Monster Musume is another harem title, regarding the integrations of mythological monsters (in the form of cute girls) into society. They all glom onto our hero, who I suspect is a nice yet unlucky guy, as these types usually are. Of course, the law prevents interspecies nookie, so the entire reason for this title’s existence would appear to be teasing but not delivering. Luckily, there’s a nice harem audience that this would appeal to. I also note that between Love in Hell‘s heroine and this series, we’re covering ‘breast fetishes’ at both ends – small and large.

As we get further into the year, more of the Fall 2013 licenses will become apparent, but this is already a great number of titles for all sorts of fans. Which of these excites you most?

Manga the Week of 2/20

February 14, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: Third week of the month, which is starting to traditionally mean that Diamond Comics ships Yen Press stuff a week early to me. So this Midtown list is augmented by the Yen stuff my shop will be getting.

Dark Horse has run out of Evangelion spinoffs, so is dipping into the well of doujinshi anthologies, a type of manga we’ve previously seen over here with the Code Geass: Knight and Queen manga. They’re put out by real publishers, so don’t expect anything over 18 rated, and are by various artists and writers. I’m going to guess the majority will be humorous, but who knows?

MJ: Possibly this will put me on many fan hate lists, but… I’ll admit I’m tired of Evangelion. I loved the anime series (like everyone) and I’ve read some of the manga adaptation, but if it’s come to publishing doujinshi, can we just admit that there’s nothing left here to milk but fanfic? Which is fine—I’m pro-fanfic, but I kind of expect that to remain in fan circles. Am I being a big fuddy-duddy here?

MICHELLE: Not at all. I’ve consumed even less of Evangelion than you have and I’m still weary of it!

SEAN: Kodansha Comics has Volume 30 (yes, 30) of The Wallflower, which is to shoujo harems what Hayate the Combat Butler is to shounen harems. It will never ever resolve, and no one will have their character developed. But – funny things will occur! Love those funny things.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is just not my kind of shoujo series. I wish I could like the funny things, but the lack of evolution wears me out after a while. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is another example of that happening.

SEAN: Seven Seas (like Yen, shipping via Diamond but not to Midtown) has the 2nd Dance in the Vampire Bund omnibus. The first one is still sitting in my to-read stack, so I can’t really tell you much about it. Maybe someday…

MJ: This series’ fanbase has made me reluctant to try it out, but I should probably look past that, shouldn’t I?

SEAN: Another softcover re-release from Vertical, this one of Tezuka’s Ayako. It’s still a brick, but may weigh a bit less.

MJ: Ayako has its issues, but it’s well worth reading. If you missed the hardcover, this is a must-buy.

SEAN: And now it’s time for a giant pile of Yen to hit comic shops. The Betrayal Knows My Name has hit five volumes. I guess the betrayal’s knowledge isn’t enough to end the series all that fast, so there must me more to the protagonists than just the name. (You can always tell which of the series I discuss I don’t read, can’t you?)

MJ: I featured this volume in my latest My Week in Manga, so I can make up the difference. :D

MICHELLE: I haven’t read any of this either, but I will someday!

SEAN: We have a new action series that will likely appeal to the Battle Royale/High School of the Dead crowd, this one with the compelling title of BTOOOM! The covers may have been changed to avoid lawsuits, but the contents inside still scream survival game.

MJ: Michelle & I discussed this in Off the Shelf last week. I found it unoriginal but decidedly fun.

MICHELLE: It looks uncomplicated, which is actually a compliment.

SEAN: The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi is the second doujinshi anthology we’re talking about this week, oddly enough. This one’s based off of the Haruhi Suzumiya series, and features the two guys in the main cast. I’m not actually sure how BL-heavy it’ll be – Haruhi‘s fandom still skews very male. But we shall see.

MJ: I’m going to contradict myself and admit that I’m actually kinda interested in this one. So Evangelion fans can start throwing heavy objects at me now.

MICHELLE: Not me. I avoid all manga iterations of the Haruhi story.

SEAN: I’ve long since lost track of what’s going on in Nabari no Ou, but this is the penultimate volume, and would seem to be flashback-tastic. Recommended to ninja fans who can’t stand Naruto.

MJ: That’s me! :D Seriously, though, I love Nabari no Ou. I’m behind on the series as well, but I plan to catch up soon!

MICHELLE: I don’t love Nabari no Ou, but I’ve still managed to read nine volumes so far, and will probably finish it. I don’t hate it, but it just doesn’t seem to stick with me.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts, of course, is nowhere near finishing, even as it reaches 14 volumes. I don’t follow this one either, so I’ll just note that the serious guy on the cover looks very serious indeed. I’d do what he says if I were you.

MJ: This series totally owns me. It’s a perfect example of how deeply I can love something that’s flawed. I love Pandora Hearts with my whole heart.

MICHELLE: Again, I am stopping short of admitting that I love this series, but I am happy when I see new volumes of it.

SEAN: Triage X has managed to get out a 2nd volume. I’m not certain if its cover is as appalling as the first volume, but it certainly tries hard. Meanwhile, nurses, guns, motorcycles, and explosions.

MJ: Ugh.

MICHELLE: Double ugh.

SEAN: Umineko: When They Cry has hit the end of its first arc with this 2nd omnibus. I’m pretty much expecting everyone to die horribly, because that’s what this author does. But will they die horribly in a fascinating and endlessly debatable way? Oh, I hope so. A bit less uuu-uuu would be welcome, though.

MICHELLE: Gah, that “uuu!” crap was so annoying. I will probably read this, since I read the first half, but I am not anticipating loving it.

SEAN: Lastly, in the 3rd omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, our hero and his charge go on the run from innumerable assassins and other killy things. Luckily, they’re the stars. That counts for a lot in a manga series.

MJ: I still haven’t tried out this series, but I’m thinking about it. Thoughts?

MICHELLE: I actually kind of like this series, but I find that I can’t really give a coherent explanation. I like the premise, I guess, and the supporting organization that helps the hero, etc.

SEAN: Omnibus? Doujin anthology? What’s your poison?

Wonder!, Vol. 3

February 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Akira Kawa. Released in Japan by Futabasha, serialized in the magazine Women’s Comic Jour. Released in the United States by Futabasha on the JManga website.

When I left off with Vol. 2 of Wonder!, I was wondering whether the extremely uncomfortable plot twist that ended it would be brought up again in the third volume or just glossed over. In a way, it’s both. But I’m OK with how it resolved, as having it any other way would just give me the creeps (as indeed it does to Kaori at the start of the book). That said, it feels a bit of a cop-out, and makes Kaori’s mother even less sympathetic than she already was. But then, that’s one of the main things about this series: family are always there, even if you try desperately to avoid them, and they always bring their own issues to the table. And not all families are perfect.

That said, the main family – Kaori, Taiyou, Kota and Miya – still tend to be a bit better than you’d expect. Problems that affect them mostly come from outside sources, and even the one time there’s a big screw-up – Taiyou trusts a mother that he bonds with at the zoo to take his girl to the ladies’ room, only for the mother to run off with her – it’s something that resolves in a rather pat way. As for Kota, when your worst flaw is that you’re sometimes too direct and a bit reserved, you’re clearly a great kid. He gets to show off how he deals with both kids and creeps in this volume, and his awesomeness is (so far) rewarded. Only Kaori really seems to have major issues here, and that’s mostly from the fallout from last volume. Everyone’s just a bit too perfect.

However, the author does seem to be trying to shake things up. Kota’s cousin Kaito, who looks very similar to Kota except for his height, arrives, and proves to be a giant pain in the neck. He’s under pressure from his mother to live up to his siblings’ success in school, and it’s driving him to acting up. He’s clearly meant to contrast with Kota, as the cast lampshades, and almost causes Kota to show an actual emotion. His mother, though, once revealed, explains much of his behavior – she’s even worse than Kaori’s mom (and in fact allows Kaori’s mom to have the upper hand for a bit), and makes your nerves grate. Kaori notes to Taiyo that part of the reason they agre4ed to their ‘open marriage’ at first was simply to avoid dealing with each other’s family, and we’ve come to see why.

And throughout all this there is the dog Wonder, who still has odd traces of the supernatural to him, being able to instantly show up whenever there is trouble, even if he’s also still at home playing with the kid. The family seems to have quietly accepted it as ‘awesome dog powers’, but given that said dog has saved their lives multiple times, I can see why they’d want to gloss over and explanations in case they ruin the fantasy. It does add an odd touch to this off-kilter soap-opera of a manga, which never quite allows me to find my footing. While the lack of stability can be annoying, it’s also probably why I find it so fascinating. I want to read more about these people to see how they tick. Yes, even if it means dealing with their families. Here’s hoping for Vol. 4 soon.

Bookshelf Briefs 2/11/13

February 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

This week, Sean, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, VIZ Media, and Vertical, Inc.

Fairy Tail, Vol. 23 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – This volume can pretty much be summed up by: cool things happen. Seemingly every five pages. We’re still in the middle of the battle in Edolas, and we see Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy combine their dragon powers to take on the insane king; Erza fighting her doppelganger while also plummeting from a great height; Edolas Fairy Tail showing up just in time to be Big Damn Heroes and prove their mettle. In the middle of all this is Mystogan, aka the Edolas version of Jellal, who has a cunning plan to save Edolas that, much to my relief, is immediately exposed as being mind-numbingly stupid. And since the best way to combat stupid is with stupid, it’s up to Natsu to save the day. There’s a lot of fighting going on here, but it’s certainly never dull. And the next volume should finally wrap up this arc.-Sean Gaffney

The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 4 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical, Inc. – Though on the surface this series appears to be getting darker, for Nakamura and Takao this volume offers up the opportunity for a kind of camaraderie that hadn’t previously been possible. Where this leaves poor Saeki is another question, but though Takao and Nakamura are clearly headed down a perverted path, the tone is decidedly jubilant as this volume comes to a close—for better or worse. In a way, it just feels like their story is back on track, though I think it needed to fall apart in order to get there, and especially to put Takao and Nakamura on something closer to equal ground. Either way, I can’t deny that I’m more intrigued by this story than ever at this point, which indicates that things are going very much right. Readers who found the first few volumes a bit too dark to handle will not see any relief here, but for the rest of us, this volume is a must-read. Still recommended. – MJ

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 12 | By Julietta Suzuki | VIZ Media – A new arc starts here, as Nanami is abducted by the servents of a spoiled-brat yokai who is engaged to marry Himemiko. The trouble there is Himemiko is already in love with a human boy, Kotaro. Of course, she hasn’t actually told him who she really is. There’s some examination of the huge gulf that exists between kamis and humans, and why most people regard Himemiko’s affair as a mere fling. Nanami doesn’t, though, and she continues to be the best part of the manga simply by being herself. Laying the smack down on the spoiled yokai while trying to espouse the virtue of true love, it’s almost as if she has some other reason for wanting Himemiko’s marriage to a human to happen. There’s a lot of romantic angst here, as we try to resolve a minor subplot that’s been simmering for far too long…-Sean Gaffney

Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, Vol. 4 | By Kenji Kuroda and Kazuo Maekawa | Kodansha Comics – And so the second series of Phoenix Wright manga volumes comes to a close, with two more fairly typical cases. These have been good reads for those who merely want to see more of Edgeworth being cool, or Gumshoe being dumb. But they’re frustrating for anyone wanting long-term character development, as they can’t change (or even mention) their original source material, the games. The best chapter in this series was the one where Ema Skye returned from America, simply as it was a connection to past and future games we were being allowed to see. Most of the series, unfortunately, didn’t have that, leaving it as a series of cute one-shot crimes with little to no emotional content. Also, Phoenix makes a much better protagonist. Sorry, Edgey.-Sean Gaffney

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 9 | By Naoko Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – I firmly believe that there are no bad volumes of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, but this is an especially good one. The aim of the villainous Dead Moon Circus is to turn people’s dreams into nightmares, and so each of the “inner senshi” gets a chapter to herself in which she triumphs over an enemy attempting to instill doubt (and the notion that she should just find a nice boy and settle down) in her, earning a new attack phrase in the process. It’s great to spend some quality time with the girls individually, and there are some truly rewarding moments (especially concerning Artemis), but the best chapter is about the “outer senshi” and the little family they’ve become in the six months since they made a pledge to raise baby Hotaru. All in all, a truly great volume. My only complaint is that the Amazon Trio are vanquished so quickly! Tiger’s Eye in particular is barely a blip. Sniff. – Michelle Smith

Skip Beat!, Vol. 30 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – Lory’s school of Enforced Method Acting to sure his proteges’ deep inner traumas has always been for everyone, not just Kyoko, and here we once again see the effects it’s having on Ren, who’s forced to relive the past that he’s been blocking out. Ren is not doing a particularly good job at this, and is starting to lose himself in the role – something that Kyoko is all too familiar with. And it’s not just the serial killer character of BJ, either – Ren and Kyoko’s roles as Cain and Setsu are blurring together as well, and the intentional incestual subtext is getting to be a bit too much to bear for both of them. Things seem to be reaching a boiling point, though I’ve said that before, and this series has now gone 30 volumes with no sign of romantic resolution. Still, maybe a kiss? Hrm? Sadly, no kiss here. Still great stuff, though.-Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Butlers & Knights

February 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: Given I can barely move my arms after digging out from over 3 feet of snow, I’d better have a comfort manga for my pick of the week. So let’s go with the biannual release of Hayate the Combat Butler. Yes, its art is moe and pandering, and yes, it’s a harem genre of the most brutal kind. But I admire its ability to never take itself seriously, and (when it doesn’t feature Athena) it’s really, really funny. Every single character, even the minor ones, has the ability to bring the funny to any situation. It may sell poorly, but that just makes each new volume a cherished treat. Well, unless lack of romantic resolution upsets you. Then this is the WORST MANGA EVER, as that is its main bread and butter. Not resolving anything.

MJ: I’m in similar pain today, but instead of comfort manga, I will opt for just immersing myself in something really compelling and go with Tsutomu Nihei’s Knights of Sidonia, arriving at Midtown this week from Vertical. Michelle and I read this for Saturday’s Off the Shelf, and I am not sure I’ve gone more than five minutes since without it on my mind, at least lurking around in the background. I found it incredibly engaging and visually stunning to boot. And though I’m anxious for the next volume, for the time being I’ll settle for re-reading the first. It’s that good.

MICHELLE: A big “me too!” on the Knights of Sidonia front. More human and accessible than BLAME!, Knights of Sidonia is still pure Nihei, both visually and in the particular, mysterious feeling reading his works evokes in me. I loved it without reservation.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

JManga the Week of 2/14

February 8, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: The danger of doing a weekly column like this is that you run into weeks where nothing that inspires you is coming out. For the print manga column, that’s somewhat rare, and it’s been more common but still rare for JManga as well.

Next week, we have a 7th volume of PoyoPoyo’s Observation Diary, and the third Tsumanuda Fight Town.

…I got nothing. Look forward to them, fans of those series!

MJ: Yep.

MICHELLE: *nods sagely*

Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game, Vol. 1

February 8, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Quin Rose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru, based on the game by Quin Rose. Released in Japan as “Joker no Kuni no Alice – Circus to Usotsuki Game” by Ichijinsha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Comic Zero-Sum. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

As I’ve noted before, I’m enjoying the Alice series a lot more than I’d expected to. I think one reason may be its similarity to the Higurashi series, another favorite of mine. Both franchises based on ‘visual novel’-type games, and made into manga series where the continuity reboots with each new incarnation. The Alice books, however, haven’t really tied into each other the way Higurashi does – you don’t really need to read them in order, and you can simply pick the series with your favorite guy and only read that one without missing much. Now, though, we have Alice dealing with a new antagonist, Joker, and this very much ties into the previous series, and rewards readers/players who are well-versed in it.

It may come as a surprise, then, to see the volume begin with what amounts to a giant 80-90 page recap of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland to date, from her abduction by Peter to her present life working in the Heart Palace (yes, she’s there in this iteration, not the Clocktower, the Amusement Park, or the Hatter Mansion). We meet the entire main cast, get a brief precis as to who they are and what their damage is, and see how they interact with Alice (who hasn’t fallen for anyone here – romance is, so far, not in the cards in this setup). It’s given a wraparound of Alice reading her diary and reminiscing about the past, which works all right. However, this doesn’t seem like filler but more a way of putting the basic concepts of Wonderland in the reader’s mind before the creators start fiddling with them.

Because it’s April, the Circus is coming to town, and Alice’s memories are starting to go a bit wonky. She’s currently in the country of Clover, yet runs into Julius and Gowland, neither of whom should technically be there. It would appear that this is merely a function of the season, but the arrival of the circus to town might also be a reason – a circus with two creepy children and their master, the titular Joker. We met Joker in a small cameo in the original Alice series, but this is the first time dealing with him in the flesh. He’s a smug trickster-type character, and no doubt will be driving Alice nuts as the series goes on. More to the point, Joker and his two assistants ask Alice why she’s staying in Wonderland and not returning to her world. We get a bit more detail about her life pre-Wonderland here, including a touchingly sad side-story detailing her crush on her tutor, and her sister’s role in it. Again, we see that all of the main male cast seem dedicated to her NOT thinking of her sister, and I have a feeling Joker might try to sabotage that. (Of course, the fate of her sister is about as much of a spoiler by this point as Higurashi’s main villain – if you haven’t figured it out yet, read the main series again.)

This is a more serious and mystery-oriented incarnation of the Alice series, with only one sexual innuendo from the Hatter (a new low!). This isn’t to say it’s without humor, however. Alice’s reaction to Peter’s assault at the start is amusing enough to take the taste of creepy away a bit, and the Hatter’s way of showing her she’s being appalling by comparing him with her tutor is fantastic. There’s also an amusing side-story showing what the series would be like if Alice was a tiny cute little girl instead – let’s just say less romance and more adorable. But the main reason to read Alice, as always, is for the mind games the world brings with it, and this series promises to be the best one yet in delivering them.

Manga the Week of 2/13

February 7, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, MJ and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: I had forgotten that Midtown, for some odd reason, hates Seven Seas and doesn’t get their books in for ages. So I’ll add the books that came out via Diamond this week to next week’s list.

So what is on that list? Dark Horse has a short story collection by Hiroaki Samura, creator of Blade of the Immortal, entitled Emerald And Other Stories. It will come as no surprise that these stories are about Samurai in some way, shape or form. Sounds similar to the recent Kaoru Mori collection, only with samurai replacing maids. Fun!

ANNA: I have the first few volumes of Blade of the Immortal but never got into it as much as my beloved Vagabond. I think I have room in my heart for only one long-running samurai series. That being said, I might check this out because I did really enjoy Samura’s short story collection of college life, Ohikkoshi.

MJ: I can’t decide if I’m interested in this. I don’t love samurai or short stories, but I have always wanted to try Blade of the Immortal, and maybe this would give me the push I’ve needed to dig in.

MICHELLE: I read the first volume of Blade of the Immortal and thought it was awesome, but somehow I have never continued with it. I think it’s ‘cos I have to brace myself for the gore I might encounter, which is why I’ve not continued with Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, either, despite liking the first volume.

Anyway, Emerald and Other Stories sounds pretty interesting and not too full of samurai, if Amazon’s description is to believed. I might have to check this out!

SEAN: Kodansha has what I believe is the final volume of Deltora Quest, the manga adaptation of Emily Rodda’s books that ran in one of Kodansha’s younger titles, Comic Bom Bom.

MICHELLE: I read the first volume of Deltora Quest, which was sufficient to convince me that I didn’t need to read any more volumes of Deltora Quest.

SEAN: Coming out this week via Diamond and Amazon, and sometime whenever via Midtown, Seven Seas has a new Alice series debuting. Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game is a much darker take on a series that can get pretty dark already, and pays more attention to the mystery of Alice’s older sister.

ANNA: I didn’t enjoy Cheshire Cat Waltz very much, but I still have a certain amount of affection for the franchise and would probably read this if some other reviewers think it worthwhile.

MICHELLE: I had no idea there was a Country of Joker incarnation! I think I have at least sampled all of the versions, but this one sounds more promising than most.

SEAN: There’s also the 2nd volume of Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends. Of Seven Seas’ three moe titles this fall, this is the only one I bothered to get a second volume of. It’s on probation, however, so we’ll see if it improves any.

SubLime has Vol. 3 of Awkward Silence, featuring that ever-popular BL cover of a smug guy forcing himself on an angry nervous guy. As seen in everything forever. (As also seen in a lot of shoujo and josei, with the uke replaced with a girl. The pose is equal opportunity.)

MJ: I’m really trying to give Awkward Silence the benefit of the doubt, mainly because of its author. But I’ll admit that volume one did not give me a lot of confidence that this series will transcend its cover art. Anyone want to offer me some hope here? I’ve got both volumes two and three sitting here staring at me.

MICHELLE: I found the first volume to be really generic, if not outright terrible, and was surprised that Takanaga’s been able to sustain the premise for multiple volumes. So, I guess I’ve no hope to offer you.

SEAN: Vertical has the debut of a new sci-fi manga from the creator of Biomega and Blame!. It’s called Knights of Sidonia, and the advance buzz on it has been excellent. It runs in Kodansha’s Afternoon, but is probably not very much like Oh My Goddess! at all.

ANNA: Is there a bear with a machine gun in this manga? That’s my main question. I will pick this up, because I want to support Vertical on principal but not all of their titles appeal to me. Anything from the person that created Biomega is something I am interested in for sure.

MJ: I am totally there. This looks really interesting to me.

MICHELLE: I really enjoyed Nihei’s grimly compelling BLAME!, so I was predisposed to be interested in this, but the phrase on the back cover that really clinched it for me was “the spaceship’s cool-headed female captain.” Sign me up!

SEAN: Viz time. It’s been half a year, so it’s time for a new volume of Shonen Sunday series Hayate the Combat Butler. I love this series and no one else on Manga Bookshelf touches it, so I’ll just say I’m happy to see it and move on. :)

ANNA: I read the first volume and liked it well enough, but it didn’t inspire the kind of loyalty I would need to feel to keep reading such a long series.

MJ: I’ve wanted to try this series for years, so you keep on supporting it, Sean! I’ll fall in line eventually!

MICHELLE: I have to admit, it’s the artwork on this that keeps me away. It looks fairly moe-tastic.

SEAN: And Inu Yasha continues to get its VizBIG re-release, with Vol. 14 covering volumes…. um… (does math) 40-42 of Takahashi’s most popular (in North America, calm down, UY fans) series!

MICHELLE: Yay, InuYasha! I actually still need to read the final ten volumes of this; I’ve sort of been hoarding them until I’m ready for it to actually be over after all this time.

SEAN: So what’s your Valentine manga?

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 7

February 6, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Toru Fujisawa. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Vertical.

Another volume of 14 Days, and the lessons remain the same. Don’t let your past define you, don’t become a bad person just because society thinks you are, there are other people who really do care about you, etc. The telling of this can be somewhat melodramatic, but that works in the story’s favor, to be honest. Onizuka and his story is larger than life. Moreover, to every teenager who thinks their problems are the ABSOLUTE WORST EVER, every decision they make and conflict they have is this dramatic. Indeed, it’s telling that Kikuchi and Urumi’s solution on how to break Miko is simply to ramp *up* the drama.

That said, my favorite part of the volume came in between crises, as Shinomi gets back to the White Swan and runs into Urumi, who’s hanging out after assisting Onizuka with Miko. Seeing the most popular girl in Shonan Jun’ai Gumi meet the most popular girl in GTO is sort of a fan dream, and at the start it goes exactly as we’d expect: Urumi instantly identifies Shinomi as a threat and starts to systematically make her feel small and cornered, with the help of money and a typically oblivious Onizuka.

The best comes in the bath, however, when Urumi learns that Shinomi hasn’t actually gotten anywhere with Onizuka, and realizes that they’re not rivals but the same – doomed to be the ‘little sister’ who can’t be seen romantically. And the tension in Urumi *instantly* dissolves, as she suddenly regards Shinomi as someone to confide in (I don’t think she ever did that in GTO, so it’s impressive). They’re both probably correct, by the way – I suspect if Onizuka ever does end up with anyone in the future of GTO, it’ll be Fuyutsuki, simply as he actually sees her as a possible romance. In any case, Urumi’s juvenile solution to their frustration, and Shinomi going along with it, is a pitch-perfect ending to the scene.

Unfortunately, the real world is due to come crashing into the series. Despite a chapter that pushes the bounds of ridiculousness by having Onizuka literally fly for over a mile. The mayor of Shonan proves to be the sort who wants anything that might be a problem to simply go away till he’s re-elected, and his slimeball assistant appears to want to take advantage of that by having some of the ‘White Swan’ kids returned to the loving arms of their parents – even if those parents are abusive scum. Which means that, with only two volumes of the series to go after this, we may end up right back where we started, with Sakurako being in danger.

For all that Miko and Riko were a credible threat to Onizuka in the past couple of volumes, there was no doubt that they wouldn’t be won over (kicking their deadbeat dad into the harbor likely helped out a lot there). These guys, though, are far less likely to simply be misunderstood or uncaring. Yes, GTO may tell you that you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and move forward, but it never diminishes what you’ve been through. Which makes this new threat all the more scary. That said, this is Onizuka, and I look forward to seeing how he takes it out.