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Otherside Picnic, Vol. 1

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By Iori Miyazawa and shirakaba. Released in Japan by Hayakawa Publishing. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

This is the third in J-Novel Club’s line of “sci-fi yuri”, and it’s arguably the least sci-fi of the lot. In fact, I’d argue it’s more straight up horror with elements of folklore, though there are lots of explanations for what’s going on in scientific terms, and even a “works cited” at the end. As with the author’s previous book, Side-by-Side Dreamers, I think this book would be more for the horror fan than the yuri fan. That said, the relationship between the two leads is one of the main reasons to get the book. It’s told in first-person POV, and does a good job of sublimating its “I am attracted to this woman” vibe beneath a general “she is pretty while I am so plain” mindset. But it’s the plot that brings them together, as they’re relying on each other while exploring – and later, trapped – in another world which has very lethal dangers to both of them. The dangers are the reason I called the book horror – this book is TERRIFYING at times.

Sorawo is our main heroine and narrator. She presents herself as being your typical introvert with a normal past, which turns out to be mind-bogglingly far from reality, but we don’t find out about that till the end. She likes to explore abandoned areas, and one day found an entrance to another world. After a couple of brief minute-long explorations, she decides to investigate for real – and ends up about to drown in a marshland. She’s saved by Toriko, who appears to be Sorawo’s opposite, but again, appearances can be deceiving. She’s in this other world looking for her friend/mentor/crush, who disappeared a while back. They decide to team up and try to find her, and also learn more about this world and its monsters, which are seemingly based on Japanese urban legends… something Sorawo is very familiar with.

I will state here that there was one aspect of the book I wasn’t too fond of. The concept of the brilliant scientist/doctor/genius who looks like an elementary schoolgirl has been done to death in Japanese media, and I don’t think we needed it here. Honestly, Kozakura would have worked exactly the same without that aspect of her character, functioning as “mission control” and later brought in, much to her dismay, to the actual otherside world. It was hard not to think of her as Hakase from Nichijou. Other than that, though, this ended up being a ball to read, though I will state those who dislike horror imagery may want to give it a pass. There’s lots of images and phrasing designed to scare, and it works. Sorawo also grows greatly throughout the book, forced to examine her own personality and realize her shortcomings. Toriko doesn’t fare as well, as we get no POV of her, but the good news is that for once this is not the first and only book in the series, and there are two more to date. Which is good, as the book ends with everyone still trapped, and I’d like to see how/if they get out.

If you enjoyed Last and First Idol and Side-by-Side Dreamers, there’s no reason not to immediately get this book. For those new to the “genre”, I’d recommend it for thrills and great dialogue and imagery.

Pick of the Week: Ramen Noodles and Golden Sheep

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SEAN: While it’s tempting to go for the Ramen Noodles, or the Golden Sheep, both of which I suspect will be talked about by my fellow Manga Bookshelf peeps, it’s no surprise that I’m going with the 3rd volume of the Zaregoto series, SUSPENSION: Kubitsuri High School. When you get the third in a series after the first and second came out about ten years ago, it’s an event. Also, Ii-chan’s irritating, deliberately inscrutability is fun.

KATE: I’m torn between Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, which sounds like a carbohydrate lover’s dream, and Our Dreams at Dusk, which continues to be one of the best new series of 2019, offering a frank, thoughtful look at gender and sexual identity, so my pick is… both. Get ’em both. You won’t be disappointed.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely here for the ramen noodles and the golden sheep, but I’m most excited by a new volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride!

ANNA: I’m very curious about Golden Sheep, The God’s Lie was so good, I’m excited to read more Ozaki.

ASH: It’s another great week of great releases! I can get behind everyone’s picks for the reasons already mentioned, but I’d like to take this opportunity to add The Miracles of the Namiya General Store to the mix as well. It’s a novel rather than a manga series, so this is really the only chance that I’ll get to pick it.

MJ: I’m not one hundred percent sold on anything this week, so I find myself waffling between The Golden Sheep and Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, but the melancholy does tend to have an extra pull for me, so I guess I’ll join Anna in choosing The Golden Sheep!

Restaurant to Another World, Vol. 3

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By Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami. Released in Japan as “Isekai Shokudou” by Shufunotomosha. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Elliot Ryouga. Adapted by Jude Wetherell.

We’re introduced to the third main cast member from the anime here. Kuro (who calls herself Black in her inner monologue, but they mean the same thing anyway) is an ancient legend now living, literally, on the moon because in her true form she causes people to drop dead around her. Fortunately, she can suppress it when she turns into an elf girl and can enter the restaurant, where she falls in love with the chicken curry and stays to become the restaurant’s second waitress. That said, much like the first two books, the staff don’t get much focus at all. The emphasis is on the diners – some old friends, some new – and the food they’re eating. We jump around a lot more here, sometimes confusingly (one chapter ends with an ancient warrior going to see his late lover, who seems to have the same name as our sweets-loving princess), but if you love reading about food, this remains the light novel for you.

Indeed, sometimes the novel seems to actively avoid any conflict at all. The first and second volumes had a few arguments (usually about food), but there’s none of that here, as they’ve learned to simply avoid the people they know would cause friction. It’s especially obvious with Kuro, who once has an ancient Elven priestess come for food and completely not notice her, despite mentioning her fearsome and terrifying past earlier in the book. It was a bit frustrating to me till the end, when it became apparent that – much like her power of “death” – Kuro seems to be making it so that she’s unnoticed by all but the strongest folks – and they’re not saying anything. She was asked by “Red” – the dragon we’ve seen earlier – to essentially be security for the restaurant in case someone tries to kidnap the owner and take him back to the other world. So far she’s done her job very well, but it can lead to a certain… I want something exciting to happen, dammit!

Till then, there’s just getting excited about the food. We get a few interesting variants here. Birthday Cake comes up to celebrate a child’s not-quite-coming-of-age-but-close-enough, and we see the Master preparing BBQ for a Japanese festival he’s participating in (we do not actually see the festival). The sake-steamed clams sounded amazing. And oh yes, right near the end as the legendary warrior is experiencing the wonder of croquettes, we find that the Master and his father (who we also see, as several of these chapters take place “in the past”) may not be as completely unrelated to the fantasy world as previously expected. I liked the idea, very appropriate for a book like this, that since the master was not able to use, say, magic or swordfighting in modern-day Japan, that he was taught how to be a marvelous chef instead. You pass down what you can to teach your children.

We’ve seen a plethora of food-related manga and novels recently, but this one remains in the top tier for both descriptions of delicious food and also giving you enough characterization and plot to keep coming back for more even though it’s still a bit thin. A yummy read.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vols 1-3

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Witch Hat Atelier Volumes 1-3 by Kamome Shirahama

It is rare to find a series that is so fully realized in terms of both art and story that there is absolutely nothing to nitpick, but Witch Hat Atelier is one of those manga. Coco is a young girl who helps her mother who is a seamstress. Coco lives in a world where magic is practiced only by a select few, but she’s extremely curious about how it all works. Her life is changed when she sees a flying carriage land near her mother’s shop and she runs into a mysterious gentleman who wears glasses with one tinted lens. Coco ends up cutting a length of cloth for the man, and she recounts a story that ties in with her fascination for magic. When she was younger, she encountered an enchanter who wore a hat decorated with a single eye, fringed with fabric that obscured his face. He offered to sell Coco a book of magic spells and even gave her a wand. Coco soon found out that people need to be born to magic, and gave up on her dream. When the flying carriage is damaged, the mysterious man identifies himself as Qifrey the Witch, and he decides to fix it. Coco spies on him and discovers that magic isn’t something one is born with, it relies on careful drawing with a pen. She promptly decides to experiment.

witch hat atelier

Like most books that feature a child adventurer and inconvenient parents, Coco’s mother is quickly dispatched when Coco’s first spell goes awry, turning her into a statue. The only solution is for Coco to dedicate herself to learning magic in order to reverse the spell. She becomes Qifrey’s newest apprentice, and travels with him to his school where he is already teaching several other girls her age. Coco has an enthusiasm for knowledge and a unique way of looking at magic but her fellow apprentices are suspicious of her. Coco’s roommate Agott in particular has a cranky attitude which backed up with unusual expertise in magic. The world of magic can be dangerous, for example when Agott goads Coco into taking a test that she’s unprepared for. The girls later get whisked away to a labyrinth guarded by a dragon due to some machinations of the witch with the eyeball hat, and later help with a rescue. The world is filled with odd magical contraptions that take the place of technology, like a water bubble for transporting water, bricks that light up under people’s feet, and shoes that are enchanted to give the power of flight.

Shirahama has a detailed style that is reminiscent of illustrations that might be in a classic childrens’ book. Panels are occasionally decorated with botanical motifs, with a nod to art nouveau. The various costumes of the witches have elaborate decoration, and spells look intricate, causing effects that look both elegant and unnatural. The worldbuilding and illustrations are lovely, but there’s an undercurrent of menace, as the one-eyed hat magical practitioner is intervening in Coco’s life for an unknown reason. The secretiveness of the witches also causes Coco to be threatened with a memory wipe spell multiple times. Her status as an outsider gives her an innovative and instinctive feel for magic, and she often manages to improvise spells due to her unique mindset. Coco’s new found family keeps expanding as the series develops, and it seems like she’s meeting other magic practitioners that ultimately will help her if there’s a confrontation with the dark witches who seem to be far too interested in her. There’s certainly some Harry Potter parallels, but not enough to make it seem like Witch Hat Atelier isn’t original. I’m equally entertained by both the art and the story in Witch Hat Atelier, and highly recommend it if you are looking for a fantasy series that lets the reader disappear into another world for a little while.

Cats of the Louvre

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By Taiyo Matsumoto. Released in Japan as “Louvre no Neko” by Shogakukan, serialized in the magazine Big Comic Original. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Michael Arias.

In the beginning there was Rohan at the Louvre, a one-volume collection published by Musée du Louvre Editions in an effort to publicize the famous museum. It was written by Hirohiko Araki, the author of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and I believe also serialized in Ultra Jump. Then we get Guardians of the Louvre, by the late Jiro Taniguchi, author of The Walking Man (he gets a cameo signing said manga at the end of this volume, which made me tear up.) Both of these were published here by NBM Publishing. And now we have Cats of the Louvre, by Taiuyo Matsumoto, author of Tekkon Kinkreet and Sunny. Each of these volumes, despite all being about the Louvre Museum, have also been books you can pick up and immediately know who drew it. They are all very distinctive artists. And this applies whether we are seeing cats, humans, or the odd cat-human hybrids that Matsumoto decides to use through the story, a choice I was not a big fan of at first but grew to like. Best of all, the plot is terrific.

The cat on the cover is the main protagonist, Snowbebe, a small white kitten who has remained small and a kitten for about six years now. He’s one of many cats that live secretly in the museum, helped out by the night watchmen who know they’re there but don’t say anything. There’s also Cecile, a middle-aged Louvre tour guide who dislikes large crowds and is therefore not at peace with her job. She sees Snowbebe during one of her guided tours, but then he vanishes. Talking about it with the night watchmen, Patrick and Marcel, she is asked – as Marcel has asked everyone for the decades he’s worked there – if she can hear the voices of the paintings. Turns out there’s a very good reason for this question, which ties in with his sister, who also disappeared looking at a painting – but unlike Snowbebe, she did not return. Can the cat really walk through paintings, and if so, which painting is the one Marcel’s sister went into?

This is the basic plot, but I’ve left out all the other cats who also inhabit the Louvre, many of whom have personalities of their own and one of whom is very unhappy with Snowbebe wandering through the museum and paintings when he pleases and getting them in trouble. Usually with a book like this you’d expect to empathize with Snowbebe’s innocent sense of wonder, but after a while you start to see the other cat’s point – it’s looking less like innocence and more like a refusal to grow up (you never age in paintings, which is why Snowbebe is still a kitten). I also liked the minor plotline with Cecile trying to find the correct painting Marcel remembered, and then trying to meet with her old teacher, who is restoring it – we hear that she was on the fast track to be a restorer as well, till her father died and she had to leave school. I do wonder if she might be enticed back to that side of the business, which seems far more her speed.

The plot and characters are very good, but I’d argue the art and mood of the book is the main reason to get it. Matsumoto’s quirky, “indie” art style fits the Louvre well, and there’s many times when I found myself having to go back and read the dialogue as I’d been concentrating too much on the images. This deluxe hardcover edition should be read by anyone who loves manga.

Also, the art opposite the title page has Snowbebe looking just like Kitten Kong from the Goodies, which I loved. Whole lotta cat…

Full Metal Panic!: Trembling Into the Blue

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By Shouji Gatou and Shikidouji. Released in Japan by Fujimi Shobo. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Elizabeth Ellis.

This third book in the series serves as the climax of the first season of the anime, and thus is quite well-remembered. It takes place mostly on the Tuatha de Danaan, as unfortunately Sousuke inviting Kaname to spend time on a south sea island is thwarted by the plot: terrorists are attacking US Special Forces, supposedly for ecology reasons, but in reality it’s all related (as indeed everything in this series is) to Tessa’s brother, still unseen but controlling things from afar (apparently giving orders while having sex too, in case we didn’t dislike him already) and Gauron, who it turns out- surprise! – is not as dead as first thought. Combine this with some evil moles within Tessa’s own people, and you have the basis for another action movie, which is what FMP does best. Unfortunately, Kaname is upset thinking that Sousuke is only with her out of a sense of duty, and Sousuke is still having trouble dealing with his Very Special AS, so they need to get past mental burdens before the day can be saved.

After briefly appearing to be more of a femme fatale in the second book, Tessa slides into the girl we know and love here, who loves Sousuke but has a sneaking suspicion that ship has sailed, and more importantly is more devoted to her ship and crew. She gets to be extra badass here, helped by Kaname, who finally gets to learn more about what she is and how it’s both valuable and incredibly dangerous. The rest of the crew are mostly just names, with the exception of our designated traitors and designated victims of said traitors. Their identities are fairly obvious as they’re the ones who are constantly moaning and bitching about being in MITHRIL while on this mission, and (unlike Kurz) are easily swayed by money and/or racism. And then there’s Gauron, far more competent than any of them but again seemingly just in this for the lulz rather than any sort of agenda. Fortunately, he’s blown up AND drowned at the end of the book, and I’m sure we’ll never see him again.

There are some funny parts of this book, rest assured. The first fifth or so is hilarious, going from Sousuke’s festival fortress to the way that they have to board the Tuatha de Danaan, which seems designed solely to be animated. And I won’t even get into Kaname and Tessa both singing Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine. Which I’m fairly certain was NOT in the anime. But once the terrorists arrive, the mood quickly turns serious. You’re especially reminded that neither Kaname nor Sousuke are quite what the other one thinks of them: Kaname is beset with self-doubt and hesitation, belying the idea that she’s always the confident “hits him all the time” tsundere. And Sousuke screws up a LOT in this book, to the point where Kurz punches him in the face for making Kaname cry. He’s certainly not the stoic superman Kaname thinks he is. They’re made for each other, honestly.

All in all, an excellent addition to the series, and fans of the anime will want to read this to see what else was left out besides James Brown. Next time we get the series’ first two-parter. Oh yes, and thank you, Elizabeth Ellis, for keeping the iconic “everything is gonna happy” from Kaname’s “I’m good at English but not great” message to the crew.

The Way of the Househusband

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The Way of the Househusband Volume 1 by Kousuke Oono

I was looking forward to The Way of the Househusband very much, because the title, premise, and subtly menacing cover art made it seem like just the type of action and humor manga I would enjoy. The househusband in question is a former yakuza member whose nickname was “The Immortal Dragon.” I think it is easy for a reader to tell if they will like this series from the first few pages, which show the househusband waking up, clothing himself grimly in all black, putting on an apron, and then making an adorable bento box for his wife. The househusband loves coupons, sales, and going to grocery stores while wearing his shibainu apron. Unfortunately his past has a tendency to catch up with him. While the Immortal Dragon still has the skills to administer a severe beatdown, often he disarms situations with his househusband hobbies by breaking through people’s emotional barriers with homemade cookies or a pair of deeply discounted gloves.

househusband

I particularly enjoyed the marriage scenes in this manga. The househusband’s wife is a designer who loves anime, and the lengths to which he will go to make her happy display the same relentless attitude that I’m sure helped helped him ruthlessly dispatch his enemies. It would be hard to pull off this title without solid art, and Oono excels at showing the househusband with epic resting bitch face that basically means that regular people find him terrifying. He seems to always be surrounded by film noir shadow effect lighting that throws his features in stark contrast. The larger format of the Viz Signature line makes it easier to appreciate the fight scenes taking place in mundane locations. I had high expectations for this title and I wasn’t disappointed.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1

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By Kousuke Oono. Released in Japan as “Gokushufudou” by Shinchosha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Comic Kurage Bunch. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Sheldon Drzka. Adapted by Jennifer LeBlanc.

Sometimes, it has to be said, an author comes up with a premise that is so magical that you are tempted to say that it writes itself. This is never a good thing to say, especially to the person writing it, but let’s face it: the premise of this manga, which is that a yakuza thug is trying his hardest to go straight and become a househusband, is magical. You should read it for that alone. Fortunately, the execution is also very good, showing off a minimal cast and going in several directions that I wasn’t expecting. I have to admit, I suspected that the gag would be how good the husband is at typical housewife things, but no. He’s really good cooking with knives (a holdober from his former job), but is otherwise trying to learn on the job, so to speak, and we see him fail several times. There’s also the matter of his face. Let’s face it, he has a face that yearns to stare someone down and yell “Huuuuh?!” menacingly.

At some point in the past, our hero met his wife, fell in love, and decided to give up his unlawful career to be a homemaker while she became the breadwinner. In general the series falls into three different scenarios: one where he’s trying to do a housewife thing, and we are amused at the results and at the faces he makes; another where he’s interacting with his wife, who can seemingly beat him up (we see her strongarm him through a window when he overreacts to buying her a birthday gift she had already by cutting off his pinky) and loves PreCure; and interacting with an old member of his gang, who looks up to him and wants to get him back into the old yakuza (mostly, from what I can tell, so that said guy can be protected, as he’s a bit of a wannabe schlub). Through it all, our hero makes it clear: being a househusband is what he does now. And he’s going all in.

Again, the author knows his strength, and it’s in drawing that “Huuuuuuh?” face that our hero wears seemingly all the time. He may no longer be “the Immortal Dragon”, but his face seems to be stuck that way, causing lots of misunderstandings. Sometimes this causes problems for his more down-to-Earth wife, who has to explain to the store clerk that the “white powder” he wants is flour. At one point she tries to do something about his image by dressing him in less stereotypical clothing, which leads to a series of hilarious fashion disasters. It’s also the best chapter for showing off their marriage, as we see them fighting but also trying to accommodate each other. They make a pretty great couple. Oh yes, they also have a cat and a Roomba, and the two combined may make the funniest chapter in the book, at least for pet owners.

There’s not much plot development here beyond the basic premise, but why would you want it? I hope at some point we see a flashback as to how our couple met and fell in love. But other than that, the main reason to get this is that it’s funny. Recommended.

Bookshelf Briefs 9/19/19

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A Bride’s Story, Vol. 11 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – Back to Bookshelf Briefs with this volume. Not that it’s not good; it’s very good. But I don’t have a lot of detailed analysis about it. This is possibly a slower-burning romance than even Amir and Karluk, as Mr. Smith is an English Gentleman and Talas is chasing after love after several husbands have all passed away. The “husband and wife” part goes quickly—in fact, Smith proposes almost immediately—but, as with a lot of couples in this series, actual romance is awkward and relatively innocent—the best part is a ride on a swing where we finally see Talas fully open up emotionally. In any case, we now get to go ALL THE WAY BACK, as Smith and Talas decide to reverse his journey. Which means we get to check up on everyone. Peaceful reading. – Sean Gaffney

Cells at Work! CODE BLACK, Vol. 1 | By Shigemitsu Harada and Issei Hatsuyoshiya | Kodansha Comics – Yikes. I knew this was going to be a bit more serious than the main series based on the premise, which is that we see a red and white blood cell in a crappy body that’s smoking, drinking, impotent… the works. But this ran in a seinen magazine, and is not afraid to pile on the gore… as well as the boobs. A lot of the cast die trying to save the body, the liver is portrayed as a host club with girls galore, etc. In among this is the aggrieved Red Blood Cell, male in this spinoff, and his stoic White Blood Cell friend, who is also busy dealing with the fact that White Blood Cells are vanishing. Heck, even the Killer T’s get brainwashed and then arrested (and presumably executed). For hardcore fans only. – Sean Gaffney

Cells At Work! CODE BLACK, Vol. 1 | By Shigemitsu Harada and Issei Hatsuyoshiya | Kodansha Comics – One of several spin-offs of Akane Shimizu’s Cells at Work, Code Black takes the same premise—personifications of human cells, viruses, bacteria, etc.—and moves the action to, well, a body that’s really not doing so well health-wise. The first thing I noticed about Code Black was its mature content warning. In part this is earned due to subject matter (for example, one chapter deals with erectile dysfunction), but also because the creators incorporate a fair bit of fanservice into their interpretations of physiological processes (the white blood cells’ breasts are barely contained by their uniforms and rest and recuperation in the liver includes some nudity.) Code Black also examines the effects of smoking, drinking, and sexually transmitted infections. (Someone is having a rough time of it.) While the original Cells at Work is so far the stronger series, Code Black, like its predecessor, can be both entertaining and educational. – Ash Brown

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 17 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – After the anime of this aired, and perhaps after hearing from fans, I’ve been noticing that the lesbian members of the class have been appearing more and more and getting more and more out. Though here we hear that it’s not lesbian but “yuri” as yuri is “pure and innocent,” which is meant to be pointed commentary, I believe. If so, it fits right in with the rest of A Centaur’s Life, which continues to have things like parasites trying to blend in while taking over human hosts, kaiju monsters helping to save battleships, and Manami straight up beating her grandfather into the hospital when he accuses her sword style of being soft. I honestly have no idea what’s coming next. Nor does the author, I suspect. – Sean Gaffney

Giant Killing, Vol. 16 | By Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The flashback to Tatsumi’s playing days concludes with him being branded a traitor for accepting an offer with an English team, even though he only did it so his teammates would no longer be so dependent on him. Back in the present, he’s seeking the help of Kasano, the man who recruited him to ETU in the first place, to help bring in some promising new players. This whole scene—“I know his faith isn’t dead yet”—made me unexpectedly verklempt. And then it’s time for a midseason training camp, where Tatsumi attempts to foster team unity by subjecting his players to various weird tasks. I love how skillfully the creators depict that this strategy is actually working, and that some players are discovering abilities they didn’t know they had. I’m glad volumes of this have started coming out again! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 34 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – A high five made me cry. Honestly, that probably tells you all you need to know about Haikyu!! and how Furudate-sensei creates characters so beloved that readers celebrate with them. Finally, Karasuno and Nekoma are facing each other on a national stage, and what really got me here is that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi prove that Kageyama and Hinata are not the only rookie duo to look out for. Yamaguchi’s floating serve paired with Tsukishima’s blocking proves a very effective strategy, only possible because various people have helped Tsukishima both with technique and with allowing himself to shed his reluctance to really try. Unfortunately, Karasuno still can’t manage to win a set off Nekoma, and the volume ends as the second set begins. I’m sure this’ll be a game that spans multiple volumes, but man, is it going to be a good one. – Michelle Smith

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 5 | By Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma | Viz Media – Sometimes all you need is one customer with pull to turn things around. So Aoi finds when she ends up serving a tanuki who enjoyed her boxed lunches and is also a writer… and when he enjoys her meals and also (natch) finds out about her grandfather, he gives the place a write-up. Of course, now that it’s doing better it’s also attracting attention, as Aoi is asked to cater to another couple where the husband is a yokai and the wife is human—what sort of food would serve them best? And yes, there’s more romance here and there, but for the most part this has become a food title. My one complaint is it’s too short—the lower page count means less plot happens. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 37 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – Let’s get the big complaint out of the way: a series that began with a fun cast of three ends with only two of them saving the day, despite a token attempt to have Morgiana do something. She needed to be in the final battle. Still, Aladdin also gets a bit shafted, as in the end this is Alibaba’s journey and his story, as it’s his choices that prove to carry the day time and time again, to the point where they save the world—admittedly a world that is a bit topsy turvy. And we do end with a wedding. Magi got a bit drawn out by the end, and a lot of its best fights were interrupted by lectures and platitudes, but I was happy to read it, and will miss it now that it’s over. More Shonen Sunday series, please! – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 3 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – My wish is granted in this third volume, which has no short stories at the end and is entirely about Shirayuki. She’s still trying to deal with the first prince, and also her own self-doubt. Things are not helped when Prince Raj, the jerk who started this whole mess, shows up on a visit between royals. Fortunately, he turns out to merely be an immature schmuck (tum-tum may be the funniest part of the book), and his presence actually makes her feel better about herself. Which is good, because we continue to get vague romance, and politics, and both of those have to be solved by Shirayuki being clever and plucky. A volume that shows why fans were clamoring for this license for so long. – Sean Gaffney

Wonderland, Vol. 3 | By Yugo Ishikawa | Seven Seas – I must admit, I was expecting the main cast to stay shrunk for the entirety of this title, so seeing our heroines (and the old guy) return to normal due to the power of hot baths was very startling—it was startling to them as well. Unfortunately, Yukko’s parents are still dead by cat, though they also appear to now be normal sized—but still dead. So Yukko is going back to school and attempting to process everything. Fortunately she has her friend Takuya. Unfortunately, she also has a government minder, and she seems intent on erasing Takuya’s memory of everything that happened. I suspect “cast vs. the evil government” may be the theme of this series, but will Yukko shrink again? And can she reunite with Alice? Still weird, still good. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 9/25/19

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SEAN: Even with Yen Press moving a lot of its release dates, this is still a pretty heavy week. Lotsa stuff.

Debuting from Dark Horse is Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles (Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san), another in the series of foodie manga to be brought over here. High school girl is secretly a RAMEN MASTER. This runs in Takeshobo’s Manga Life Storia.

MICHELLE: Oh, this sounds neat!

ANNA: I do enjoy a food manga.

MJ: I’m interested…

ASH: So am I! Plus, I am particularly fond of ramen.

SEAN: Dark Horse also has Berserk 40 (I believe that’s Vol. 40, not the 40th anniversary of the last volume), and the 2nd Elfen Lied omnibus.

ASH: I am now actively reading Berserk in parallel with itself.

SEAN: Ghost Ship not only has the 6th World’s End Harem, but also debuts World’s End Harem: Fantasia. Also running online in Shonen Jump +, it’s basically the premise of the series set in a fantasy isekai-ish world.

J-Novel Club debuts Otherside Picnic (Urasekai Picnic), another in the “yuri sci-fi” genre that we’ve seen recently. I suspect, as with previous entries, this will be of more interest for the sci-fi than the yuri. It’s from the author of Side-By-Side Dreamers, but will be more than one volume.

ASH: I like sci-fi and yuri!

SEAN: J-Novel Club also gives us Record of Wortenia War 2, by the way, if you want something more traditionally “fantasy for guys”.

In print, Kodansha tries to catch up with quite a few titles. We get the debut of the Fairy Tail Manga Box Set, with the first eleven volumes. We also get Interviews with Monster Girls 7, Land of the Lustrous 9, Missions of Love 18, and The Quintessential Quintuplets 5.

ASH: Land of the Lustrous is still incredibly striking.

SEAN: Speaking of Fairy Tail, another spinoff debuts digitally with Fairy Tail: City Hero. This is basically an AU with Natsu and Lucy as cops. It runs in Magazine Pocket.

We also see new digital volumes for Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be (2), Domestic Girlfriend (21), Elegant Yokai Apartment Life (17), I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die (5), and Lovesick Ellie (9).

MICHELLE: I liked Atsumori-kun more than I expected, and have consistently enjoyed Lovesick Ellie.

SEAN: Seven Seas has no debuts but plenty of ongoing series. The Ancient Magus’ Bride 11, Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends 17, High-Rise Invasion 9-10, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord’s 5th manga volume, How to Build a Dungeon 5, Nameless Asterism 4, Our Dreams at Dusk 3, and print volumes for light novels Reincarnated As a Sword (2) and Skeleton Knight in Another World (also 2).

MICHELLE: Somehow I had not noticed a new volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride was coming out so soon! Huzzah!

ASH: Yes! I’m always happy for more of The Ancient Magus’ Bride! And Our Dreams at Dusk is SO GOOD.

SEAN: Sol Press snuck in a release this week that I’ll put in next week’s Manga the Week of, even if they should know better than to flout my whims. Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love? is their new light novel, and its premise is its title.

ASH: Why shouldn’t, indeed.

SEAN: Vertical’s manga debut is The Golden Sheep (Kin no Hitsuji), from the author of The Gods Lie. It runs in Afternoon, and is about a group of friends growing apart. Expect melancholy galore.

ANNA: The Gods Lie was so good. Looking forward to this.

MJ: Always here for “melancholy.”

ASH: The creator, Kaori Ozaki, is a favorite of mine.

SEAN: Vertical also has the first newly translated volume of the Zaregoto novel series since 2010. SUSPENSION: Kubitsuri High School sees Ii-chan dragged by Jun to a girls’ high school that has a dark secret. Will we get another tight-knit mystery? Or will it all be nonsense?

Viz has no print titles, but is debuting Golgo 13 Vols. 1-13 digitally. This came out a while back in the Signature line, and is basically a “best of” collection for the assassin whose lovemaking gets its own endnotes. Fans of MANLY manga will want this.

ASH: Oh, that’s good! Some of the print volumes are very hard to find these days.

SEAN: Yen On has a couple of debuts. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store is another one-shot whimsical title with a movie tie-in. as well as Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou, Aruiwa Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen), which appears to be Romeo & Juliet among a war-torn fantasy world.

ASH: I was very surprised, but happy (as I am a fan), to see Yen pick up The Miracles of Namiya General Store. It’s by Keigo Higashino, most of whose novels have been published in English by Minotaur Books.

SEAN: There’s also light novels for Accel World 19 and Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 9.

On the manga side, Yen debuts Combatants Will Be Dispatched!, a manga adaptation of the light novel we saw debut earlier this month. It runs in my nemesis, Comic Alive. Yen also has As Miss Beelzebub Likes 7, Bungo Stray Dogs 12, Goblin Slayer (manga version) 6, the 2nd manga volume of the KonoSuba Explosion spinoff, Love at Fourteen 9, the 11th volume of the Overlord manga adaptation, and Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops 6.

Quite a lot of stuff. What’s got you most excited?