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Blue Morning, Vol. 6 | By Shoko Hidaka | SuBLime – Volume six is somewhat of a fresh start for this complicated BL series. Akihito Kuze is the reluctant viscount who has been scheming to retire from his position in favor of his lover, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who also has a claim to the title. Meanwhile, Katsuragi has been scheming in Akihito’s favor. Now we’re in the aftermath of Akihito refusing to play along with Katsuragi’s plans for the first time, which has left Katsuragi feeling adrift. Akihito is able to navigate the changing world with ease, but Katsuragi is unable to see that he too could flourish as an individual—the way he revitalizes a struggling spinning business is proof of that—if he could get over his loyalty to the peerage system. Pretty atypical BL fare, eh? I don’t think I’ve ever read a BL series this complex before, and it really should not be missed. – Michelle Smith

Idol Dreams, Vol. 3 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – We spend more time with the adult Chikage this time around, and as a result the problems feel deeper. Haru clearly still has feelings for her, as they both realize that his rejection wasn’t a rejection but in fact her simply being too stunned to answer. As for Tokita, he couldn’t be more obvious about is feelings if he wore a neon sign. I’m not sure if Haru is meant to be a villain here or not—but he’s certainly being more forceful than Tokita. Meanwhile, in the fifteen-year-old part of this, “Akari” gains Ru as a boyfriend, despite telling him that she doesn’t think of him that way. Add to that that she’s getting sloppy in her taking of the youth medicine, and this could go south very quickly. Problematic but readable as ever. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vols. 25 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Last time I asked for forward progression and I got it, but alas, not all dreams come true, and the forward progression we see here is Ryu’s team losing their game. That said, what’s important from a character perspective is Chizu accepting that they’re going to be apart, and that she feels it’s OK to wait for him. (There’s implication they have their first time after the game, but as it would involve telling Pin, implication is all there is.) As for Sawako and Kazehaya, they’re both so protective of each other’s feelings that they end up backing into a fight about her desire to go to the educational university. Of course, it’s really about the fact that they haven’t opened up completely to each other, particularly Kazehaya. Excellent as always. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – My guess is that the audience let the author know they enjoyed raging, fired-up Komomo, as that’s what we get here as well, and once again it’s the best part of the book. Unfortunately, the rest of the book seems to be trying to drag out “they get together” till the required length, and I admit I was startled to see Komomo’s family regain their fortune—it seems very pat, even if she chooses to stay with Natsu. The whle thing was even a private wager between the two families. Still, it was pretty sweet, and at five volumes it ends at just about the right time. I’m just not sure I enjoyed how much Komomo was manipulated through the entire series—she’s best when she’s righteously furious. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 5 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – There have been times when I was sufficiently entertained by Komomo Confiserie, but I have to say I found this final volume both boring and frustrating. First of all, it’s entirely obvious who is going to end up together, so the random introduction of Natsu’s friend as Komomo’s last-minute fiancé fails to deliver any dramatic impact whatsoever. Then Natsu is an ass, kicking Komomo out of the one place she wants to be, and then he has the gall to chase after her when she’s justifiably upset about being replaced. Although this does lead to the one great moment, when she calls him out for his crap, we are soon swept up in sudden love confessions and blah blah. I find myself agreeing with Natsu—Komomo is too good for you. I’m glad this series is over before it completely trampled on my residual Voice Over! goodwill. – Michelle Smith

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 17 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – The best way to keep your harem series balanced is not necessarily to show that the lead has good chemistry with all the girls, or to show off how cute and different in personality they are. It’s to show that no matter what girl he chooses, it will make sense within the plot we’ve read. It’s really obvious that Chitoge is the lead because that’s what this genre does in Japan, but Onodera winning makes perfect sense. And as we see in an extended arc here, so does Yui, despite the fact that she was introduced late. Aside from romance, there’s some funny bits (the best is Raku and Onodera desperately trying to get to the field trip site), and some heartwarming sweetness that doesn’t even involve romance. Highly enjoyable. – Sean Gaffney

Paradise Residence, Vol. 3 | By Kosuke Fujishima | Kodansha Comics – This is the final volume, and it reads very much like a “you’re cancelled” sort of ending, which is a shame after the long-runner that was Oh My Goddess!. Still, there wasn’t much further this could really have gone, unless he wanted to do more than merely tease that our two heroines have amazing chemistry with each other. In fact, when Suzuna meets Hatsune’s family (who are, of course, bike mechanics, because this is Fujishima), they all profess they want to marry her. The latter half of the book gives us a genuine villain in the daughter of the school chairwoman, taking over for her ill mother and determined to do away with the titular dorm, which is old and out of date. Spoiler: the dorm stays. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 3 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I don’t mind volumes that are all setup if the setup is entertaining, and that’s exactly what this omnibus is. We go to training camp, where the new first years all have to deal with their weaknesses. We meet the driven second-years, who are the stars of their own story and determined that they will be the ones going to the Interhigh. (There’s a cliffhanger, but I doubt these guys are going to beat basic narrative.) And we start to get introduced to other schools, who no doubt will prove to be thorns in the side of our new kids. Oh yes, and a new sempai, the one of the cover, who proves to be quite nice despite grinning like a villain and twisting his body in half. Excellent sports manga. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!, Vol. 3 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – So now that we’ve had the first practice match, it’s time for the training volume, and fleshing out the cast some more (series like these always end up with casts of thousands). So we meet the kid from the last cliffhanger, who is hot-blooded and earnest, and the team’s absent ace, who collapsed from pressure and needs to be coaxed back. Oh, and there’s the new coach, who looks more like a delinquent, but that’s what makes it fun. And then there’s our two heroes, who are still very talented and very raw—as the coach notes, no one on the team can receive at all. Luckily, we have another practice match coming up in the next volume. There’s no need to focus on classes or romance in this series—all volleyball all the time is fine. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 3 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – The first half of this volume is primarily about persuasion. Persuading the feisty pint-sized libero, Yu Nishinoya, to return to the team. Persuading the big, mild-mannered ace, Asahi Azumane, to do likewise. And persuading Keishin Ukai, grandson of the man who once made Karasuno great, to become their coach. Part of what fires everyone up is the upcoming practice game against Nekoma, a school that once had a friendly rivalry going with Karasuno before both faded into mediocrity. So, not only do we spend a lot more time with older members of the team this volume, watching as the rift caused by a dispiriting match is finally mended, but we also get a welcome bit of team history while we’re at it. It’s all very enjoyable and I’m eagerly anticipating the next volume! – Michelle Smith

Masamune-kun’s Revenge, Vol. 2 | By Hazuki Takeoka and Tiv | Seven Seas – A general rule of thumb: if you’re trying to learn life lessons from shoujo manga, you need to rethink things. Much of the first half of this book involves Masamune and Aki flailing around as they try not to be the socially inept losers they are—Aki is this naturally, and Masamune could function if he weren’t obsessed with Aki, but he is. Into this mix we add Neko, a rich young girl who claims to have met Masamune years ago—and fallen in love with him. The story is bogus, and the love may be as well. Of course, just in case I thought this would be something I could recommend to non-Seven Seas readers, the cliffhanger involves Neko not wearing any panties. Sigh. Fans of Haganai and other “Oh My God You Glorious Losers” titles will like this. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 4 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I really enjoyed this volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! I mean, I always like it, but this volume achieved a balance of humor, fresh scenarios, and actual potential romantic progress (maybe?) that was quite satisfying. Nozaki’s quest for inspiration for his manga leads him to go on a campaign to shock Chiyo, play a dating sim game from a female point of view (in which the girl literally ends up with Satan), have a sleepover with his buddies, and attend a festival. In between, all of the characters get a little more attention and appear in different combinations and settings. Oh, and we meet Nozaki’s little brother, too. Overall, Nozaki-kun feels a lot more like a cohesive story than a 4-koma gag manga, and I wholeheartedly approve! – Michelle Smith

One-Punch Man, Vol. 8 | By ONE and Yusuke Marata | Viz Media – After the epic battle of the last two volumes, we’re back to everyday life here, mostly, as we get a deep look into the mind of King, a superhero who’s really just this guy but who everyone THINKS has done heroic things. As a result, he’s scared stiff—even more so when a villain tries to take him out. Luckily, Saitama’s there with his one punch and his usual advice that applies and yet doesn’t—just get stronger is easier said than done. There’s also some nice setup for future volumes as we meet several villains who will not join the heroes to battle for the planet, and Genos’ forgotten revenge ends up being not so forgotten after all. Of course, One-Punch Man is still funny, but there’s deeper stuff going on here. A solid volume. – Sean Gaffney

Shomin Sample: I was Abducted by an Elite All-Girls School as a Sample Commoner, Vol. 2 | By Risumai and Takafumi Nanatsuki | Seven Seas – Cover: still reprehensible. Fanservice: still all over the title, with the addition of a loli who can’t stop stripping and placing Kimito in awkward situations. Oh, and there’s a Motoko Aoyama clone whose blade is better at stripping people than cutting them (and yes, even Kimito gets stripped naked with a convenient censor flower.) In among all of this is a somewhat standard harem comedy, as our hero tries to get the girls to act more social while learning more about them, datesim style. It’s still not horrible, but the constant service is wearing, and it doesn’t have the humor or depth that let me put up with it, like Haganai does. Skip this. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 37 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I was tempted to simply use my review of the last volume for this one as well. We’re still dealing with Kyoko’s mother, and I still worry the series will eventually excuse her abuse. Box R is still not doing well, and Kyoko still hasn’t really noticed. And she and Sho still have a great scene together. But really, this volume deserves more of a look, because it has double the emotional heft of the previous one. Nakamura’s art has gotten amazing, especially in Kyoko’s expressions—blank and hollow after seeing her mother on TV, then finally breaking down in front of Tsuruga (who she thinks is Corn—again). Skip Beat! is coming up on being the longest shoujo manga in North America, and this shows you why—its depth of feeling is AMAZING. – Sean Gaffney

Spoof on Titan, Vol. 1 | By Hounori, based on Hajime Isayama’s manga | Kodansha Comics – This is the second of the comedy spinoffs of Attack on Titan, and this one is more traditional, both in format and adaptation. This takes place within the series proper—more accurately, within the first couple of volumes showing everyone still living in the barracks and training. That said, it’s meant not be read by those who know everything—Reiner and Bertholt mention their real identities, Krista’s ‘royal’ qualities come up, etc. It’s also not as freely adapted as Titan High School. That said, if you enjoy Titan, particularly its fandom in-jokes—Sasha eating, Mikasa’s obsession with Eren, etc.—this is a lot of fun. And it’s just the right size for a 4-mkoma title. Short. – Sean Gaffney