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Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 5

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

In general, I’m always a bit wary of ‘chosen one’ narratives, which Yona of the Dawn is shaping up into being. The difficulty is striking a balance between following the chosen one because you know they will be a good person who can change the world, and following the chosen one out of a literal compulsion you can’t control that draws you to them. Yona of the Dawn tries to have this both ways, and I like that the new Dragon, Jaeha, is reluctant to follow his supposed destiny, being very happy being what he is, which is a showboating, girl-loving pirate with the classic Hana to Yume “sleepy eyes”. Of course, this is still a shoujo manga, and thus the cliffhanger has him running into Yona and immediately his heart skips a beat, because of course it does – if you’re going to write romance cliches, do them properly.

Meanwhile, as predicted, the Blue Dragon decides to come with them, and even gets named by Yona, who is, of course, still the Chosen One but balances this out by being caring and loving and sweet and nice, etc. Names turn out to be pretty important in this book, as the male cast who aren’t Hak gradually start to call Yona by her first name. Hak is an exception, though, and this is the best scene in the volume, as Yona tells him the reasons that she wants him to still call her “your highness” and treat her as royalty. It’s so that they don’t forget her father or what he did. This is immediately followed up with the heartbreaking revelation that most people in the country seem to regard the late King with contempt as a terrible King, much to Yona’s distress. (In reality, putting the distance between her and Hak may be authorial fiat – let’s face it, this is a reverse harem manga with an obvious endgame, and it’s best to delay it as much as possible.)

Most of this volume is, of course, the standard quest, as Yona and company continue wandering the land hunting for Dragon Warriors. This means that they have to stop and fight injustice whenever they can, of course, even if they’re supposed to keep a low profile (Yona’s red hair really does not help with stealth missions). The humor in this book is fairly predictable, mostly revolving around Hak’s inability to practice what he preaches, and everyone (including Yona) seeming to think that he spent time in a brothel, much to his frustration. Jaeha looks like an excellent addition to the cast, balancing nicely with the other guys’ personalities. This of course assumes that he does join the main cast, and I suspect the next volume will show us Yona trying to convince him of the righteousness of her cause.

In the end, this is another top-notch volume of Yona of the Dawn, which continues to be one of Shojo Beat’s best series.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/17/17

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The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 8 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – Even though they both involve a girl with modest spiritual powers and a sexy, white-haired, fox-eared ayakashi guy, The Demon Prince of Momochi House is quite a distinct entity from Kamisama Kiss. That said, this volume’s plotline is somewhat reminiscent, as Himari goes in search of Aoi’s past in order to help him with a present predicament. What she finds out is quite sad, as readers likely expected, but the part I liked the best was when she was presented with the choice to either delve into Aoi’s past or her own. After indulging in a single pang for the things she was passing up, she chooses Aoi without hesitation. I always seem to say that this is Shouto’s best series by far, but it continues to be true. – Michelle Smith

Domestic Girlfriend, Vol. 1 | By Kei Sasuga | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This manga begins with the hero losing his virginity to a girl he just met, a somewhat unusual start for a romantic drama. Said hero, Natsuo, has a crush on his young teacher, and hopes this might get it out of his system. He then finds out that his father is remarrying, and the new wife is bringing along her two daughters. If you guessed the girl he slept with, one point, but you get ten points if you guessed that the teacher is ALSO now part of his family. And so begins a torrid soap opera of a manga. I found it worked best when not focused on the romance—Natsuo’s attempts to help stoic Rui make friends was hilarious, as was his dramatization of two people having an affair. A decent start, recommended for those who like more mature titles. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 9-10 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – There’s a lot of character development in this omnibus—everyone’s trying to improve, even Kuroko, who’s practicing a secret move. We also get even more new characters, one of whom thankfully has long hair so I can easily pick him out from all of the crew-cut guys in this series. The sports manga cliches are all present and correct, but they’re well done—one of the best ways to tell a sports manga is exceptional is that you care equally whether they’re in a game or not. The game provides the cliffhanger, though, as Seirin gets a rematch with Shutoku and we find out that Midorima has been working on improving as well. Each volume seems to coincide with a desperate cliffhanger—bring on the next one. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 23 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I knew we’d get more flashback here, but I wasn’t aware it would take up all of this volume (and presumably some of the next). In addition to hooking up Solomon and Sheba (who no doubt have Aladdin as their child), a romance that is honestly a bit rushed and underdeveloped, we also get discussion of the difference between a strong leader who rules with the will of the people and a king who rules by fiat. Solomon wants to avoid becoming power mad, a good lesson to learn, and is not being helped by everyone asking him to essentially be their chosen one. Meanwhile, David is still around, and not quite dead. A lot of good stuff, and even a bit of humor, but I’m wanting to get back to our main cast. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 23 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – Aladdin’s tale of the fate of Alma Tran continues. Solomon was the son of King David, an arrogant and authoritarian ruler, and desperately did not want to become like him. He strove to unite all species, aided by several faithful companions, including powerful magician girl named Sheba who falls in love with him. In time, he ends up reluctantly accepting the mantle of kinghood, and fathers a child with Sheba who I am assuming will turn out to be Aladdin. It’s not that it isn’t a compelling story, but it drags in spots when delving into deep discussions of rukh, and it still isn’t over, as the volume ends on a cliffhanger. I continue to be impressed with how complex Magi is for a shounen manga, but this might be a better volume to read when you’ve got the next one handy. – Michelle Smith

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, Vol. 7 | By Shirow Masamune and Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas – Lots of action this time round means less wacky fanservice comedy, though there is an “activation” sequence, and the villain finds that opening what he thinks is the final firewall to what he wants merely uploads Buer’s upskirt pics to the entire world. Fortunately, most of it really is the cool action sequences, which are reasonably well done and clever, and show strong heroes and easy-to-hate villains. Lots of amusing cameos as well—in addition to Kabapu and his secretary as always, I saw “Sader” at one point, as well as Tatsuya and Miyuki from Mahouka. Pandora will always be a combination of mecha (Shirow), fanservice (both authors), and whatever the heck Rikdou wants to do. Pandora is Pandora. – Sean Gaffney

Toppu GP, Vol. 1

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In a week when The Fate of the Furious is roaring into theaters, it seems only fitting that Kodansha is releasing the first volume of Toppu GP, a manga that extols the virtues of “family values and hot rides” almost as doggedly as Vin Diesel and the rest of his car-boosting gang. The similarities don’t end there, either: both series boast cartoonish villains, pretty girls in skimpy outfits, and dialogue so ham-fisted you could serve it for Easter dinner.

I love them both.

The “family” unit in Toppu GP consists of Toppu, the eleven-year-old hero; Myne, the local motorcycle racing champion; and Teppei, Toppu’s father. Toppu is a classic shonen type: he’s sullen, brilliant, and reluctant to try anything outside of his nerdy comfort zone. (He likes to build elaborate Gundam models.) There are hints, however, that Toppu is destined for the track: he accurately gauges Myne’s qualifying times without benefit of a stopwatch, for example, and instinctually rides to victory in his second race by copying Myne’s technique.

Myne, too, is a familiar type, the sexy “big sister” who squeals and fusses over a smart, promising boy a few years her junior. (Toppu even calls her “Big Sis,” emphasizing the degree to which she’s part of his “family.”) She strides around in a tight-fitting tracksuit dispensing advice and hugs to her protege, goading him to victory with bribes. And just in case we find her more competent than adorable, she suffers from one of those only-in-manga ailments: pathological clumsiness so acute it strains credulity.

The third family member is Teppei, a single parent who’s raising Toppu while writing a novel. Though Teppei professes to be working hard on his book, his actions suggest he’d rather hang out at the track than sit at a typewriter; he spends most of volume one playing coach and mechanic to his kids, dispensing wisdom about the art of motorcycle racing. Dad’s editor must be a forgiving guy.

In contrast to the characters, who are painted in broad strokes, the layouts are executed with thrilling precision. Veteran artist Kosuke Fujishima drops us into the action through deft use of perspective and speedlines, capturing the bikes’ velocity and the riders’ positions, as well as the sheer danger of high-speed maneuvers in close proximity. Fujishima complements these images with a handy primer on G-forces, using an invisible hand to show us what Toppu and Myne feel when they accelerate down a straightaway or bank a sharp turn at high speed:

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Fujishima’s layouts are their economy. While many shonen artists might be tempted to stretch Toppu’s racing debut over several chapters, Fujishima uses just a handful of panels to show us how Toppu succumbs to the pleasures of competition. This transformation is bookended by two closeups, the first of Toppu’s terrified face as he pulls back on the throttle for the first time, and the second of Toppu’s gleaming eyes as he completes his final lap of the track. We see just enough action between these two panels to grasp the disparity between how quickly the race is unfolding and how slowly time passes for Toppu as he struggles to gain control of the bike, snapping back to “real” time only when Toppu realizes just how much he’s enjoying himself.

In a nod toward gender parity, Fujishima dedicates an entire chapter to showcasing Myne’s tenacity on the track as well. Though Fujishima employs many of the same strategies for immersing us in Myne’s race as he does Toppu’s, Fujishima periodically interrupts the competition with goofy, arresting images of Myne as a tracksuit wearing, sword-wielding avenger and a fiery, Medusa-haired biker. These fleeting visions are a nice bit of comic relief, echoing iconic scenes from Kill Bill and Ghost Rider, but they serve an equally important purpose: showing us how Myne’s rivals see her in competition.

As dazzling as these racing sequences are, I’d be the first to admit that the familial banter between Myne, Toppu, and Teppei feels as perfunctory as the dastardly scheming of the the Niimi brothers, the series’ first villains. (They resent Toppu’s meteoric rise in the standings and want to put him in his place.) The dialogue, too, often veers into the faintly pompous, with characters declaring how much they love “the roar of the exhaust pipe,” “the smell of burning gas and oil,” and “the gaze of the crowd” when they’re at “home.” But when Toppu or Myne jump on their bikes, the series shifts into high gear, offering the same kind of thrills as The Fate of the Furious: fast rides, fierce competition, and the ever-present threat of crashing. Recommended.

A word about buying Toppu GP: Kodansha is simultaneously publishing Toppu GP with the Japanese edition; readers can purchase new installments through Amazon and ComiXology on a weekly basis. Folks who prefer print will find the first volume available in stores now, with volume two to follow in September.

TOPPU GP, VOL. 1 • BY KOSUKE FUJISHIMA • KODANSHA COMICS • RATED T, FOR TEENS (13+)

 

My Week in Manga: April 10-April 16, 2017

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My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga was relatively quiet, but I did post the Bookshelf Overload for March. As mentioned in that post (and I think sometime prior to that as well), I’m currently in the process of changing jobs, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied to say the least. (If you follow me on Twitter, this largely explains my sporadic appearances there.) This week is my last week in my current position, so I’m understandably pretty busy with meetings and tying up loose ends and such. I still plan on finishing up and posting my review of the first volume of Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side sometime this week, but it will probably be towards the end.

Over the last week, Seven sees announced a couple more new licenses: Yoshikazu Takeuchi’s Perfect Blue novels (which were the basis for Satoshi Kon’s anime film of the same name) as well as Jin and Sayuki’s manga series Nirvana. Yen Press also had a slew of announcements: Natsume Ono’s ACCA 13 (probably the one I’m most excited about), Kudan Naduka and Nakoto Sanada’s Angel of Slaughter, Matoba’s As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Rihito Takarai’s Graineliers, Afro’s Laid-Back Camp?, Mufirushi Shimazaki’s The Monster Tamer Girls, Koromo’s A Polar Bear in Love, Matcha Hazuki’s One Week Friends, Fuse’s Regarding Reincarnating as Slime light novel (Kodansha Comics has licensed the manga), both the light novel and manga of Carlo Zen’s The Saga of Evil Tanya, Okina Baba’s light novel So I’m a Spider, So What?, Keiichi Shigusawa and Tadadi Tamori’s Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online, Abec’s Sword Art Online Artworks artbook, Reki Kawahara and Shii Kiya’s Sword Art Online: Calibur, Mai Tanaka’s Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Kakashi Oniyazu’s Though You May Burn to Ash, and Ryousuke Asakura’s Val X Love.

As for crowdfunding efforts, Digital Manga will be launching its most recent Juné Kickstarter sometime later today in an effort to publish print editions of some of Psyche Delico’s manga which were previously only released digitally. (This is in addition to recently announced print licenses of Psyche Delico’s Even a Dog Won’t Eat It and Choco Strawberry Vanilla.) Another Kickstarter project to keep an eye on is Retrofit Comic’s Spring 2017 collection which includes Yuichi Yokoyama’s Iceland. (In general Retrofit Comics releases some great books, but this will be the publisher’s first manga to be translated.) Finally, the wonderful people behind Queer Japan are currently raising funds for the film’s post-production as well as some of the non-profit organizations featured in the documentary.

Quick Takes

Dawn of the Arcana, Volume 7Dawn of the Arcana, Volumes 7-13 by Rei Toma. I enjoyed the first part of Dawn of the Arcana a great deal and so was looking forward to reading the rest of the series. As the manga progresses it becomes less reliant on the standard fantasy tropes that form its base, although it never escapes them entirely. However, even considering this, Dawn of the Arcana is still a satisfying and enjoyable series. The story’s most dramatic plot twist I guessed at long before it was actually revealed, but there were still developments and directions that the story took that managed to surprise me. At times it felt like Dawn of the Arcana was only scratching the surface, as if the manga was only providing a summary version of a much more complicated narrative. The characters and story have depth to them, but not everything is thoroughly and completely explored, much of the more nuanced interpretations being left to the readers to form. I really liked Dawn of the Arcana. It can be heartbreaking–the characters’ struggling with circumstances that have no easy resolutions–but also thrilling as they find ways to take control of their own fates.

Murciélago, Volume 1Murciélago, Volume 1 by Yoshimurakana. I was forewarned about the violence, gore, and otherwise explicit nature of Murciélago, so I was well aware of what I was getting myself into by picking up the manga. Murciélago is ridiculous, absurd, extreme, over-the-top, and a great deal of fun if someone doesn’t have a problem with the series’ aforementioned blood and brutality. Interestingly, the risqué lesbian sex scenes which both open and close the first volume, while being deliberately lewd, scandalous, and outrageous are also entirely consensual and in a way are bizarrely one of the more wholesome aspects of the manga. The lead of Murciélago is Kuroko Koumori, a dangerous, murderous, and lecherous woman who has been sentenced to death for her crimes. Kuroko is a monster and is portrayed as such. (She’s an awful person, but I really like her as a character.) The only reason that she’s still alive is that the police have indefinitely postponed her execution in order to take advantage of her impressive skills as an assassin. So, yeah, Murciélago definitely isn’t a series for everyone, but I certainly plan on reading more of it.

Triton of the Sea, Omnibus 2Triton of the Sea, Omnibus 2 (equivalent to Volumes 3-4) by Osamu Tezuka. It has been a very long time since I read the first half of Triton of the Sea. So long ago in fact that I had forgot that I hadn’t actually finished the series yet. Fortunately, the manga was pretty easy to pick up again. I seem to like Triton of the Sea best when the story centers its focus on family. In the first omnibus, it was Triton’s relationships with his human family that really captured my attention and in the second it was his experiences as a new father that most delighted me. (It probably didn’t hurt that the baby merfolk were super cute.) Triton of the Sea is also a story of revenge. Triton is determined destroy the Poseidon clan for the sake of his people who have been nearly driven to extinction, his desire for retribution blinding him from seeing other courses of action that might allow the two clans to establish a lasting peace. This of course only serves to continue the cycle of violence that puts him and his loved ones in danger. Triton of the Sea isn’t Tezuka’s strongest or most notable work, but I did appreciate the themes that Tezuka was exploring with the series.

Wandering Island, Volume 1Wandering Island, Volume 1 by Kenji Tsuruta. The premise of Wandering Island is fairly simple: Mikura Amelia is a pilot for an air delivery service based in the Izu Islands that she and her grandfather established together. When he unexpectedly passes away, she understandably takes it pretty hard. While in mourning she discovers package among her grandfather’s belongings with an address on it that shouldn’t exist, leading Mikura to become obsessed with a search for a mysterious, disappearing island. Although there are some wonderful scenes of Mikura in flight, there’s not really much action in Wandering Island. Instead, the manga is rather leisurely paced with a contemplative and melancholic feel to it. Wandering Island is also beautifully illustrated, Tsuruta’s artwork being one of the series’ highlights. I love how Tsuruta is able to capture a sense of place and the people who live there. I’m not sure when or if the second volume of Wandering Island will be published in English (the Japanese edition itself isn’t even scheduled to be released until next month), but I would definitely like to see it translated.

Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains PureHorses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure: A Tale That Begins with Fukushima by Hideo Furukawa. Fukushima has been on my mind lately which reminded me of the fact that I had yet to read Furukawa’s Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure, one of the first major literary responses to the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters associated with March 11, 2011. The work is rather curious, but it’s also worthwhile and powerful. In part it’s a sequel of sorts to Furukawa’s novel Seikazoku (The Holy Family), which hasn’t actually been released in English. However, familiarity with that earlier work isn’t at all necessary. Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure also delves into the history of Fukushima as a whole, both before and after 2011. But perhaps most importantly, it’s an incredibly personal memoir. Though he was away at the time, Furukawa was originally from Fukushima. Soon after the disasters struck, he traveled back to the area in order to witness the aftermath of the events himself. A fair amount of the volume is devoted to Furukawa’s profound experiences while on that trip, combining fiction, history, and biography in a compelling way.

Pick of the Week: Endings and Beginnings

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SEAN: An avalanche of stuff this week. Baccano!, Horimiya, Sword Art Online… so many things. I think I have to go with the final Fruits Basket, which has been a fantastic re-release, and one of the best shoujo out there. Buy it and be frustrated by the final side pairings!

MICHELLE: I love Horimiya and Liselotte and Fruits Basket, but my most exuberant squee is reserved for the latest omnibus of Yowamushi Pedal!

KATE: I don’t know much about Yokai Diary, though the cover art and promotional blurb irresistibly remind me of the kind of manga TOKYOPOP used to license by the truckload. Count me in for this one!

ASH: I’m definitely torn this week. Like Michelle, I’m probably most excited for Yowamushi Pedal (and the wait between omnibuses seems far too long), but like Kate, the debut of Ghost Diary has definitely caught my attention.

ANNA: Ghost Diary does look interesting, that will have to be my pick as well!

MJ: There’s a big part of me that wants to go with Ghost Diary but the cover art has me all conflicted… Do I trust Seven Seas enough to give it a shot? I don’t know. In the interest of safety, I’ll join Sean in celebrating the last of the gorgeous Fruits Basket omnibus series. I’m pretty thrilled with that.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol 8.

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The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Volume 8 by Aya Shouoto

This volume of The Demon Prince of Momochi House opens with a crisis, as Aoi hasn’t been able to reverse his usual transformation into the Nue, and he might be lost forever as his ayakashi form completely takes over. Himari has to go on a quest to try to find Aoi’s lost memories, which are her only hope of getting him back.

Himari first tries to locate Aoi’s family to see if there are any clues there that she can use to restore him, but her encounter with them takes an unexpected turn to the unsettling. There are always a few moments that stand out in each volume of this series when the combination of the otherworldly setting and lush detail of the art make the reader feel transported. In this one, as Himari travels into the ayakashi realm with her way lit by Nekobaba’s hairpin, she manages to find her way past a guardian who makes some references to her true name and her long-lost parents. Himari ends up at an archive for memories, which I found quite interesting as a librarian. She sees “drawers of thought” stretching into the distance and is faced with yet another choice – recovering some of her own lost memories about her past, or forgoing that choice to save Aoi. Of course, Himari doesn’t hesitate in trying to save her beloved friend.

Aoi’s memories show him close to the spirit world as a young child, even before his existence was bound to Momochi House. As Himari travels back, liberating her friend might prove more complicated, as the Nue embarks on a seduction campaign in order to preserve his existence. Demon Prince of Momochi House blends unsettling movements of supernatural mystery with some short sketches of character development and found family antics with Himari and the Momochi House spirits. Things seem to be turning in a darker direction now, but I’m confident Himari will find a way to persevere somehow.

Paying to Win in a VRMMO, Vol. 2

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By Blitz Kiva and Kuwashima Rein. Released in Japan as “VRMMO wo Kane no Chikara de Musou suru” by Hobby Japan. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Elizabeth Ellis.

Having established its premise and characters in the first book, the Paying to Win series goes about trying to tweak and fix a few things that weren’t as strong as they could be in the second. This involves a) introducing a new potential love interest who isn’t in middle school and Ichiro’s cousin, and is also able to be a little more critical of Ichiro’s callous lack of tact; b) have a flashback to show us how he managed to get so ridiculously leveled up before Asuha was able to join him, and also explain things like how he got a suit of armor that is literally a business suit. But most importantly, and most effectively, this second volume doubles down on showing you how obviously, knowingly, and teeth-grindingly irritating Ichiro is to everyone and everything around him, and the effect this has on both the secondary characters and the reader.

I cannot emphasize this enough: holy Mother of God, Ichiro is annoying. You will want to punch him in his cool, smug, self-satisfied face multiple times as you read this book. It’s far more clear in this second novel that it’s deliberate, and reader sympathy is meant to be with the young gamer and wannabe fashion maven Iris rather than him. He is the sort of character that, were he an antagonist or a villain, would receive the absolute best retribution possible, possibly while screaming “THIS CANNOT BE!!!”. Sadly, Ichiro is the hero, and the book’s whole purpose is that he really is this good at everything. Only King Kirihito was able to actually challenge him in the game, and since this is a flashback to the previous week, you know that he’s going to succeed at everything ridiculously easily here. That said, I liked his insistence that it doesn’t matter if Iris’ butterfly brooch is aesthetically good or not – he likes it, so therefore it’s fine.

Iris herself is a good character, far more developed than Asuha/Felecia, mostly as she gets to express everything the reader wants to. Every time Ichiro praises her creations, it sounds like he’s really calling them awful, simply due to how bluntly he speaks all the time. I liked the glimpses of her real-world life, and showing off how talented kids who are used to being the center of attention can get crushed when they go to a school that specializes in talented kids and realize other people are, in fact, better than they are. She also has a nice sense for biting retorts, as I’ve said. The author’s afterword says that webnovel readers have nicknamed her “the Evil God”, and I look forward to seeing why, though I can hazard a guess or two.

Other than Iris, the main reason to plow through this book despite Ichiro is the writing style – it’s funny and assured, and the narration has its own distinct voice, something I always enjoy. This is also due to the translation, of course, which is excellent – probably my favorite J-Novel Club translation to date in terms of noticing the quality (though Sera did get gendered at one point, which only serves to remind us how ridiculously difficult it is to avoid giving away gender in English). Recommended to anyone who loves seeing smug jackasses win effortlessly and be smug about it. Also, bonus points for having Voltron show up, only one volume after the SAO sentai team parody.

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 1

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By Rei Toma. Released in Japan as “Suijin no Ikenie” by Shogakukan, serialization ongoing in the magazine Cheese!. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Abby Lehrke.

Holy catfish, this is dark. Don’t be thrown off by the cutesy picture of the heroine looking adorable on the cover, this is a fantasy that comes close to pure horror at times. Starting off with every parent’s worst nightmare, we move from crisis situation to crisis situation, and it’s a small miracle that Asahi (the aforementioned heroine) manages to be as strong as she does throughout. The water dragon in question is one of those “what are these strange things called human emotions” types, who has to be reminded of things like “humans eat in order to stay alive” She manages to find a good friend in a small village, but sadly Subaru’s mother comes from the School Of Evil Moms (TM) and Asahi ends up in probably worse trouble than if she’d just stayed hidden. There’s a lot going on here, so it’s a good thing you can’t tear your eyes from it.

We actually start off in modern times, as Asahi is a normal and seemingly somewhat spoiled girl who ends up being literally dragged into her family’s backyard pond by a wave of water and winds up in a fantasy-style world. (I have a sneaking suspicion the parents will never be seen again, and shudder to think of their reaction to their daughter literally vanishing when they turned away briefly.) Luckily, she meets Subaru, a nice young kid about her age. Sadly, she has pink hair and purple eyes, something that this world does not seem to have run across, and therefore must be EEEEEVIL. As a result, they perform a ritual to the local Water God and offer up Asahi, which is to say they tie a large rock to her ankle and throw her to the bottom of the lake. Then she meets the Water Dragon, who reminds me a bit of Ayame from Fruits Basket. Sadly, it’s Ayame before he grew up and wised up, so he’s pretty much a callous jackass.

Things move on from there, and I won’t keep describing the plot, but I will once again say that there’s some amazingly traumatic stuff in here, and the artist captures it beautifully. Asahi’s sacrifice, the starvation, the skeletons in the water, the hallucinations of each other that she and Subaru see… there’s a good reason this runs in shoujo/josei hybrid Cheese! and not, say, Ribon. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom, mostly thanks to Asahi’s basic spunky personality, as even when she’s despairing she still tries hard. And there are a few laughs in the book, mostly involving the Water God getting roundly mocked by the other nature gods for being, well, a petulant manchild. I have no doubt that his maturation, with the help of Asahi, is the point of this book. That said, Asahi is about 8-9 years old, so if it does end up being a romance I’m rooting for her kid friend rather than the God. I suspect a timeskip in the near future.

In short, I was somewhat blown away by this new series. Dark it may be, but I can’t wait to read more.

Manga the Week of 4/19

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SEAN: It’s another one of those weeks next week. Hunker down.

We start off with J-Novel Club, which has the 3rd volume of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. This is the first book that wasn’t adapted to the anime (which stopped with Book 2), and is apparently even more grim than Grimgar normally is.

Kodansha has its usual plethora of digital-only license rescues next week. Alive 13, Gakuen Prince 11, Pumpkin Scissors 10, and Yozakura Quartet 9.

ANNA: I liked some of these when they were coming out, but probably not enough to snag them as digital only. Still, this is so nice for fans of these series who were left in limbo before!

SEAN: If you enjoy Attack on Titan’s anime adaptation, which has just started up again, Kodansha has Attack on Titan: The Anime Guide.

And Attack on Titan: Before the Fall has now reached double-digits, and still has more plot to go.

ASH: Overall, I do like the Before the Fall manga more than I like the original light novel; it seems more well-developed to me.

SEAN: Kodansha had some digital-only debuts THIS week, which I didn’t mention last week as Kodansha didn’t announce them till the day they came out, much to my frustration. The first is Domestic Girlfriend, a shonen romantic drama from the creator of fan-favorite GE Good Ending. It’s the shonen equivalent to those “shoujo potboilers” I talk about.

The second is a more familiar face: GTO: Paradise Lost has its first volume out. This has been running on Crunchyroll’s manga list for some time. It features Onizuka… in jail?

MJ: Hmmmm, I’m always a fan of GTO, so I may check this out.

SEAN: Back to next week: Kiss Him Not Me! has also reached double digits, and will likely go longer now that Kae has been reassured she doesn’t have to worry about stringing her guys along.

Maga-Tsuki has 13 volumes, and this is the 7th, so it’s the halfway point.

And there’s a 4th Welcome to the Ballroom, which I expect features our lead collapsing in exhaustion.

MICHELLE: Heh.

ANNA: Already behind on this series!

SEAN: One Peace has more than one title out this week! The first is the 4th volume of heartwarming, oddball, and sort of creepy Kuma Miko.

And there’s a 7th volume of Rise of the Shield Hero, for those who like isekai-style male power fantasies.

Seven Seas has an 11th Dragonar Academy.

Ghost Diary is the debut from Seven Seas, a supernatural fantasy from Dengeki Daioh that, at 3 volumes, is at least short. That said, it looks more on the Ancient Magus’ Bride end of the spectrum.

ASH: I’m really curious about this one! (Also, I didn’t realize it was only three volumes.)

ANNA: Huh, that sounds manageable.

SEAN: I missed a SuBLime title last week; they also have a 2nd volume of Spiritual Police.

MJ: Somehow I must have missed this first volume. But based on the title alone, I’m inclined to check it out.

SEAN: Vertical Comics gives us a 4th volume of Immortal Hounds.

Viz has a double dose of Tokyo Ghoul. Not only do we get the 12th volume, but we also get another novel based off the series, called Past.

And now let’s jump into Yen, starting with the light novels from Yen On. The Asterisk War has a 3rd volume of magical school battles.

Baccano! has a 4th volume the last one to be adapted to the anime. That said, the anime cut about half the novel from its adaptation, so there’s lots of new content for fans to get into here.

Black Bullet’s 6th volume wraps up another two-volume arc. Will it be depressing? Bet on it.

The Devil Is a Part-Timer! has a 7th volume that is composed of short stories set towards the start of the series.

Goblin Slayer’s 2nd volume promises a lot more… well, goblin slaying.

The Irregular at Magic High School’s 4th volume will wrap up its tournament arc, and is a very long book. It would be the longest out this month except…

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? tops it, with this 8th volume (ALSO composed of short stories) hitting 400 pages or so.

KonoSuba rolls out its 2nd volume only two months after its first (I think the first was meant to be December), and hopefully will be as hilarious as that first volume was.

The debut novel is much anticipated. Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, a fantasy with heroes and stuff that… OK, I know extremely little about, but I look forward to finding out.

Sword Art Online has a 10th volume, and Kirito is still stuck in Alice-land. Will he and Eugeo be able to rescue her? And will our other regulars get mentioned at all?

MJ: i have fallen way behind in my SAO reading… going to have to fix that.

SEAN: As for Yen’s manga titles, there’s a 10th Akame Ga KILL!.

Alice in Murderland has a 6th volume of very very pretty looking murder.

Aoharu x Machinegun has a 4th print volume.

ASH: So far I’ve only read the first volume of Aoharu x Machinegun, but I found it entertaining and so plan on reading at least a few more volumes.

SEAN: And A Certain Magical Index’s 9th manga volume is adapting the 7th light novel.

Fruits Basket’s Collector’s Edition comes to an end with the 12th and final omnibus. Given the series only had 23 volumes, I expect there will be a lot of extra content at the end to fill it out.

ASH: I’m really glad that Fruits Basket is back in print again. I’ve been meaning to give it a re-read; looks like the time is right for that.

MICHELLE: There was at least one fan book, and maybe two. So I guess a bunch of that stuff will be at the end.

MJ: So much love for this. So much.

ANNA: Looking forward to fan books!

SEAN: Horimiya’s 7th volume will have great romantic comedy and hopefully not have the binding fall apart on me like the 6th volume did.

ASH: Oh, no!

MICHELLE: Yay, Horimiya!

SEAN: KonoSuba also has a 3rd volume of its manga adaptation.

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest has a 4th volume, for a double shot of Takaya.

And everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure, Scum’s Wish, has volume 3.

ASH: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first two volumes.

MICHELLE: Me, too.

SEAN: Taboo Tattoo has a 6th volume, and I’m sorry this is starting to sound like a broken record, but I have little to say about these titles.

And I believe this is the 3rd and final volume of survival game manga Tohyo Game.

Finally, Yowamushi Pedal gives us a 5th omnibus or this cycling manga and its desperately earnest hero.

ASH: Woo-hoo! I enjoy Yowamushi Pedal so much! I wish there wasn’t such a wait between omnibuses.

MICHELLE: Same! For a series so long, even the omnibus treatment is going to take forever.

SEAN: That’s a ridiculous amount of manga. Are you getting any?

Bookshelf Overload: March 2017

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Well then, I managed to acquire a rather large number of books in March. Unexpectedly, most of them weren’t even manga. In part this was due to a bunch of comics that I had previously backed on Kickstarter showing up last month. I can also thank both online retailers and my local comic book store for offering some massive discounts throughout March. (On top of that, I have a tendency to buy books when I’m under stress. Seeing as I’m in the process of transferring from one job to another, there’s been a fair amount of added stress lately, too.) But as for the manga I picked up in March: I was particularly delighted to come across Mitsuru Adachi’s Short Program, which has been out of print for a while now. I also decided to give Kazune Kawahara’s High School Debut a try since I’ve been enjoying My Love Story!! so incredibly much. I was admittedly a little surprised to come across The Secret Devil-chan, Volume 1 by Emu, the first book to be released under Digital Manga’s new PeCChi imprint. The book has actually been available since September I think, but only directly from Digital Manga; I wasn’t sure if any of the publisher’s titles were still being released outside of it’s own web stores. And while 100 Manga Artists isn’t manga it certainly is manga-related. I didn’t realize it at first but it turns out the volume is actually a revised and updated edition of Manga Design which was released back in 2004 (and which I also own). I haven’t had a chance to closely compare the two, but 100 Manga Artists is nevertheless an interesting resource.

Manga!
Bungo Stray Dogs, Volume 2 written by Kafka Asagiri, illustrated by Sango Harukawa
Crimson Shell by Jun Mochizuki
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 16 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Hana & Hina After School, Volume 1 by Milk Morinaga
High School Debut, Volumes 1-5 by Kazune Kawahara
Kaze Hikaru, Volume 24 by Taeko Watanabe
Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Volume 1 by Canno
Maid-sama!, Omnibus 3 by Hiro Fujiwara
New Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 8 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Hideki Mori
One-Punch Man, Volume 11 written by One, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
The Prince in His Dark Days, Volume 3 by Hico Yamanaka
Persona 3, Volume 3 by Shuji Sogabe
Prison School, Omnibus 6 by Akira Hiramoto
The Secret Devil-chan, Volume 1 by Emu
Scum’s Wish, Volumes 1-2 by Mengo Yokoyari
Sherlock: A Study in Pink by Jay
Short Program, Volumes 1-2 by Mitsuru Adachi
Sweetness and Lightning, Volume 4 by Gido Amagakuure
That Wolf-Boy Is Mine, Volume 2 by Yoko Nogiri

Comics!
Ancestor by Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward
Arclight written by Brandon Graham, illustrated by Marian Churchland
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen
Bones of the Coast edited by Shannon Campbell, Jeff Ellis, and Kathleen Jacques
Check Please!, Year 2 by Ngozi Ukazu
Crossed Wires, Volume 1 by Iris Jay
Compass South written by Hope Larson, illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Daughters by Bianca Bagnarelli
Extended Play by Jake Terrell
For the Love of God, Marie! by Jade Sarson
Hit: 1955 written by Bryce Carlson, illustrated by Vanesa R. Del Rey
Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
Ignition Zero, Volume 1 by Noel Arthur Heimpel
Lafcadio Hearn’s The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan written by Sean Michael Wilson, illustrated by Michiru Morikawa
Larimar by Michael K
Last Man, Volume 4: The Show by Bastien Vivès, Michael Sanlaville, and Balak
Letters for Lucardo, Volume 1 by Noora Heikkilä
No Exit by Annie Mok
O Human Star, Volume 2 by Blue Delliquanti
Perfect Hair by Tommi Parrish
Power & Magic by Joamette Gil
Pretty Deadly, Volume 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Ríos
Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess, Volume 1 written by Jeremy Whitley, illustrated by Ted Brandt and Rosy Higgins
Sakana, Volume 1 by Mad Rupert
Secure Connect by Carta Monir
Spacejinx, Volumes 1-2 by Ocicatsy and Wensleydale
Sprawling Heart by Sab Meynert
Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero by Michael DeForge
Wayward, Volume 4 by Jim Zubkavich and Steve Cummings
The Whipping Girl by Nuria Tamarit
Wilde Life, Volume 1 by Pascalle Lepas
Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky
The Woods, Volume 1 by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas
The Worrier’s Guide to Life by Gemma Correll
The Worst by Molly Mendoza

Artbooks!
100 Manga Artists edited by Amano Masanao and Julius Wiedemann
Infecta by Michael K
Otomo: A Global Tribute to the Mind Behind Akira by Various

Novels!
Dream of Ding Village by Lianke Yan
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
Orbital Cloud by Taiyo Fujii
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Silent Dead by Tetsuya Honda

Anthologies!
Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa

Anime!
Kyousougiga directed by Rie Matsumoto