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My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 3

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

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

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

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

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

An Incurable Case of Love, Vol 1

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An Incurable Case of Love Volume 1 by Maki Enjoji

I’ve been looking forward to this manga! I’m glad that the Shojo Beat imprint’s experiments in what I think of as “stealth josei” are successful enough that we reliably get titles like An Incurable Case of Love released here. Often for romance manga, I am irrationally fond of titles that embrace the ridiculousness of the genre with a touch of irony. After reading the first few pages of this manga, I was confident in Enjoji’s abilities to keep me entertained.

An Incurable Case of Love

The manga opens with a love confession going disastrously wrong, as a doctor with a grim look asks a newly minted nurse if “there is something wrong with your head.” The nurse in question is Nanase, who decided to study medicine after a fateful encounter years ago where she tried to help someone in medical distress on the street, only to attract the attention of the dangerously handsome yet kind Kairi Tendo. Of course after one brief meeting with Tendo, Nanase concludes that he is “THE PRINCE I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!” and builds her entire life and educational plans around the possibility of meeting him again. Nanase soon finds out that while Tendo has an exemplary bedside manner with patents, he’s harsh and exacting with the hospital staff and there are rumors that he’s a womanizer as well. Thoroughly disillusioned, Nanase tries to throw herself into her nursing orientation activities. There have been plenty of ridiculous premises like this to start off many romance manga, but one thing I found especially charming about An Incurable Case of Love is the fact that Nanase’s love confession provokes some supportive instead of malicious teasing from her new co-workers. Her new nickname is “Valiant One” and her co-workers take to calling Tendo “The Dark Lord” after Nanase refers to him with that phrase.

The hospital setting provides a twist on on office romance antics as Nanase attempts to put her schooling into practice. While she isn’t perfect all the time, she’s often effective in emergency situations and Tendo’s mannerisms towards her begin to change. I knew I would like this series after reading the first chapter, but I found the rest of the volume equally entertaining. Recommended if you are in need of a dose of josei romance.

Pick of the Week: Nothing but Blue Skies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beastars, Vol. 1

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Beastars Volume 1 by Paru Itagaki

I’m always curious to see what Viz will decide to publish in their Viz Signature line, and I wasn’t really aware of Beastars other than just knowing that the initial license announcement was greeted with plenty of enthusiasm. Beastars takes place in an anthropomorphic high school where carnivores and herbivores are thrown together in their classes and clubs, but generally seem to stick to their own kind for dormitory arrangements.

beastars vol 1

It is made very clear in the opening panels that not all is well in this high school as Tem, an alpaca student is hunted down and murdered by a mysterious carnivore in the opening panels. Suspicion lands on the grey wolf Legoshi, who was in drama club with Tem. The herbivores are mostly terrified and the carnivores are resentful at being under suspicion. A lot of the plot of Beastars seems fairly typical for any manga with a high school setting, but the animalistic nature of the students puts a bit of a spin on drama club shenanigans and random meetings across different animal families. Legoshi struggles with his own instincts and seems to be resigned to his status as an outcast. Seeing the twists of the animal nature of the students on fairly typical student roles can be amusing, as the imperious head of the drama club turns out to be the literal king of the forest in the form of Louis, a majestic red deer.

The art for Beastars is really well done, with somber grey tones that give the high school a bit of a dangerous noir vibe. In times of extreme emotion, Itagaki often fills the panel with just a character’s eyes surrounded by a dark background as a way of punctuating the intense instincts that the student body rarely acts on. The story sometimes shifts points of view, and it is interesting to learn more of the backstories of the student body. The idea of a “Beastsar,” an animal who is raised to have dominion over both carnivores and herbivores is raised briefly, and I expect the political jockying to be more intense in future volumes. I’m still a bit mystified as to why the students aren’t caught up more in an actual investigation of Tem’s murder, but I’m hoping this will be explored more in future volumes as well. The first volume of Beastars was very intriguing, and it capably set up Legoshi as a complex protagonist.

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 3

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

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

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

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

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

Short Takes: Museum and Phantom Tales of the Night

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I have a confession: I am a complete chicken when it comes to horror movies. I watched Alien through my fingers and made it to the end of Fright Night by staring at the ingredient list on a candy wrapper; even the hot vampires of The Lost Boys weren’t soulful or shirtless enough to fully hold my gaze. But horror manga is another story, as I count Mermaid Saga, Gyo, Tomie, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, and PTSD Radio among my favorites series. I can’t explain why horror manga doesn’t affect me the same way that movies do–no soundtrack, perhaps?–but I’m glad that I’ve found the intestinal fortitude to read Junji Ito and Kazuo Umezu’s work. Alas, I had less patience with the two most recent horror series I read: Museum, a digital-only offering from Kodansha, and Phantom Tales of the Night, a cautionary tale about a mysterious innkeeper.

Museum, Vol. 1
Story and Art by Ryosuke Tomoe
Kodansha Comics
Rated M, for Mature (graphic violence)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a mask-wearing vigilante kidnaps and tortures his victims in grotesque fashion–feeding them to dogs, severing their ears, tying them to toilets–then leaves cryptic notes that characterize each act as a “punishment,” daring the authorities to catch him. The mystery of who the vigilante is and what motivates him is the main driving force behind Museum, but you might not want to soldier through the carnage for answers to those questions since Ryosuke Tomoe can’t decide if his vigilante is a hero or a monster. Tomoe depicts the violence with such fetishistic detail that the reader is invited to admire the killer’s technique rather than meditate on the true horror of what the character has done. The ugly, utilitarian artwork and  relentlessly dour tone are the nails in the proverbial coffin, underscoring just how unpleasantly banal Museum really is. Not recommended.

Phantom Tales of the Night, Vol. 1
Story and Art by Matsuri
Yen Press
Rated OT, for Older Teens (violence and sexual themes)

Phantom Tales of the Night is the kind of bad manga that’s difficult to review: it isn’t offensive or ineptly drawn, but it’s a chore to read thanks to its poor plotting, muddled characterizations, and maddeningly opaque dialogue. Ostensibly, the series focuses on the Murakamo Inn, where the demonic host cajoles his guests into revealing their secrets. The rules governing how the Murakamo Inn operates, however, are in a constant state of flux, making it hard to pin down what, exactly, Phantom Tales is about. In some chapters, characters share their secrets with the inn’s owner in exchange for having a wish fulfilled, while in others, characters learn a terrible secret about themselves. The later chapters hint at a potentially longer, more complex arc that will play out over several volumes, but the set-up is so abrupt and confusing that it robs the final pages of their full impact–a pity, since Matsuri has a flair for drawing genuinely creepy monsters. Perhaps the most damning thing about Phantom Tales of the Night is that the characters talk incessantly about “secrets” but lack a basic understanding of what a secret really is or why it holds such power—a key failing in a series that is predicated on the idea that secrets are a kind of supernatural currency. Not recommended.

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bookshelf Briefs 10/3/19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manga the Week of 10/9/19

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SEAN: A relatively light week? Could be.

Denpa gives us the 5th volume of Inside Mari.

ASH: Still a compelling read.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: I am interested in this as well!

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: What they said.

ANNA: I need to catch up on this!

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

Anything leap out at you here?