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Watch This Space!

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If you’ve been a long-time MangaBlog reader, you may have noticed that posts have been a little sporadic lately. Brigid and I have teamed up to ensure that the blog is updated on a more regular basis. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing a few new features. For those of you who read MangaBlog for Brigid’s impeccable news round-ups, fear not—those will continue to be our bread-and-butter. And for those of you who remember The Manga Hall of Shame with fondness, we’ll be flexing our reviewing muscles as well. Stay tuned!

On to the links…

Remember NETCOMICS? Back in 2006, NETCOMICS broke new ground by offering readers an inexpensive way to read manhwa and manga online. Print editions of its most popular series soon followed, though by 2009 NETCOMICS appeared to be a digital-only operation again. In 2013, NETCOMICS dipped its toes back into the print waters with a handful of BL titles. This month, the publisher will release Give to the Heart, a series about a handsome water god and his would-be human bride. (Hat tip to Lori Henderson.)

The folks at Vertical, Inc. address fan concerns about manga pricing with a refreshingly candid response.

Once again Attack on Titan dominates the New York Times’ Manga Bestseller list. You might be surprised to learn, however, that it’s the first volume of Titan that tops this week’s list, not the most recent—an impressive feat, considering that volume one was released in June 2012! Other titles making a strong showing include the latest installments of One Piece—now up to volume 72 in English—and Soul Eater.

Volume 2 of The Ancient Magus' Bride, to be published by Seven Seas in 2015.

Volume 2 of The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

Seven Seas continues to unveil new licenses for 2015. Among the most promising are Nami Sano’s Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, which documents the exploits of an impossibly cool teenager, and Kori Yamazaki’s The Ancient Magus’ Bride, which explores the relationship between a wizard and an orphan girl.

Erica Friedman posts her weekly round-up of yuri manga news.

Over at Heart of Manga, Laura makes an impassioned licensing plea for Ao Haru no Ride, a shojo series by Strobe Edge manga-ka Io Sakisaka. She also offers a brief run-down of all the series currently running in Bessatsu Friend magazine.

Headed to New York Comic Con this week? The New York Times revisits the first New York comics convention, which was held in 1964. Fun fact: Fantasy author George R.R. Martin—yes, that George R.R. Martin—attended.

Reviews: Shaenon Garrity jumps in the WABAC machine with a nostalgic look at Rumiko Takahashi’s short story anthologies Rumic Theater and One or Double. If you haven’t read them, her post may send you scurrying to eBay to scare up copies. Other reviews of note:

Allen Kesinger on vol. 1 of Doubt (No Flying No Tights)
Allen Kesinger on vol. 2 of Doubt (No Flying No Tights)
Marissa Lieberman on vol. 1 of Dragon Ball Full Color: Saiyan Arc (No Flying No Tights)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Durarara!! Yellow Scarves Arc (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
John Rose on vol. 34 of Fairy Tale (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 2 of Food Wars! (Comic Book Bin)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 3 of Gangsta (The Fandom Post)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 1 of Honey Blood (Anime News Network)
Rebecca Silverman on The Man of Tango (Anime News Network)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Moonlight Kreuz (Manga Xanadu)
Danica Davidson on vol. 1 of Noragami: Stray God for Hire (Otaku USA)
Jessica Chautin on Sakuran (No Flying No Tights)

Pick of the Week: Shoujo & Slaughter

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potwSEAN: There’s an embarrassment of riches to pick from this week, but there’s one title that will be an obvious immediate read ASAP: Oresama Teacher. It’s simply the funniest shoujo manga out there, and I hope that anime fans who enjoyed Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, a shounen series also by Izumi Tsubaki, will give this one a try and see why the silliness may be partly biographical.

ASH: Any other week and I probably would have picked Vinland Saga, but I’ll stand with Sean this time in going for hilarious shoujo. Except my must read for the week is My Love Story!! I adored the first volume and am extremely curious to see how the manga works as a series.

MICHELLE: Despite a few of my favorites also on this list (it does give me a pang not to pick Natsume’s Book of Friends, given how much I’ve been loving it lately), the fact that volume two of My Love Story!! has been in my Amazon cart for at least a month makes it the obvious choice this go ’round.

ANNA: I love both hilarious and heartwarming shoujo. However, with autumn coming I find myself thinking that it would be fun to read manga where the main characters are bundling themselves up in furs, trudging through snow, and slaughtering the innocent. Therefore, the excellent Vinland Saga is my pick of the week.

MJ: I suppose I also come down on the side of slaughter, for though there are a number of interesting releases on the way this week (and, like others here, I’m very enthusiastic about the second volume of My Love Story!!), but it’s hard for me to look elsewhere in the wake of a new volume of Knights of Sidonia. This is still one of my favorite series currently running, and not just for its compelling mix of romance, sci-fi, and horror. I love its artwork so much, that if Vertical stopped releasing it today, I’d continue buying it in Japanese just so I could look at it. Definitely my must-buy title for the week.

What looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 10/6/14

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This week, Sean, Anna, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, & Kodansha Comics.

accelworld1Accel World, Vol. 1 | By Reki Kawahara, HIMA, and Hiroyuki Aigamo | Yen Press – When I reviewed the Sword Art Online manga, I was fortunate that I had not read the initial light novel first, so I was able to enjoy it for what it was, then read the novel and see additional depth. With Accel World the novel came out first, an the manga can’t help but suffer next to it. Not that there’s anything particularly bad about this adaptation; I dislike Haruyuki’s character design, but that’s on the original author and designer. It gives visuals to a static light novel. But nothing is really added to make this essential, so if you’re a fan of the Accel World light novels, I’d recommend just sticking to them. This is OK, but it doesn’t grab you and say “read me too!”. – Sean Gaffney

foodwars2Food Wars, Vol. 2 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – I felt a bit ambivalent about this series after reading the first volume, because I enjoy manga about food battles a bunch, but I’m just less of a fan of random nakedness and upskirt shots. The second volume of this series shows Soma, the brash hero and champion of neighborhood Japanese cooking move into a rundown dorm with a ragtag band of roommates, challenge a top student to a Donburi cook-off, and continue to make people’s cooking fall off with the power of his cooking. Soma is set up for additional challenges in upcoming volumes. I found myself still on the fence about this title, because while I do enjoy the cooking bits, I also find myself really distracted and wondering how these culinary students will function in the real world if their knowledge of basic food safety is so lacking that they think cooking beef in a bikini is a good idea. – Anna N

goong16Goong, Vol. 16 | By Park SoHee | Yen Press – There are few slow releases I look forward to with as much verve as Goong, and this volume reminds me very much why. Relentlessly (and unapologetically) soapy as this series may be, it still manages to be refreshing in its own way, time after time. Volume sixteen seems particularly so, as its characters aggressively push through the layers of misunderstanding that have served as the backbone of the series’ plot for… well, pretty much forever, in order to finally get at some real truth. Even cowardly Yul gets in on some of this truth-seeking, setting up the story’s teen royals to eventually (hopefully) blow apart their family’s messed up legacy for good. As always, I’m grateful for this series’ omnibus-sized chunks of soapy goodness, and I eagerly wait for more. – MJ

monster4My Little Monster, Vol. 4 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – A good 80% of all shoujo manga licensed for the North American market is about kids in high school, but for the most part it’s rare that I see a cast who are hampered by immaturity, puberty, and a desperate need for life experience as the cast of My Little Monster. I’d said in the first volume that I felt Haru was too dangerous, and that feeling hasn’t gone away, as his jealousy is starting to lead to subtle death threats. Shizuku’s inability to communicate properly is shown to be a family trait, and Natsume just has massive trust issues as well as a big crush that may or may not be love. This is the sort of cast that makes a long-running series not repeat itself, even if they can frustrate. – Sean Gaffney

My Little Monster, Vol. 4 | By Robico | Kodansha Comics – I’ve praised My Little Monster before for its characterization, but I really do think it can’t be mentioned enough. Even though the previous volume featured the school festival and this one covers Christmas and New Year’s—overused shoujo tropes all—because the characters are well developed, it feels fresh and interesting. Shizuku has confessed again to Haru, but his inability to accept her refusal to give up studying (and cram classes with a guy who likes her) manifests in some potentially disturbing ways. Shizuku is largely ignorant of these for the most part, but I wonder if we’ll be moving into darker territory soon. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this volume, particularly Yamaken (the guy who likes Shizuku despite himself) and Natsume (who’s struggling with romantic feelings of her own). This was probably the best volume of the series yet! – Michelle Smith

souleater22Soul Eater, Vol. 22 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – This volume consists of a big old melee fight, so I don’t quite have enough to say about it to warrant a full review. Not that this isn’t excellent; the villains may be mooks, but they’re infinite mooks, so eventually our heroes will wear down and die. Stein is allowing his madness to drive him to a certain extent, which makes him formidable but also dangerous and worrying. But most of all, there’s Maka confronting Crona, and Crona’s admitting that after killing Medusa, there’s no turning back. Maka still plans to beat the tar out of Crona, but I think this volume tells us there will not be any easy redemption here, and that we may see more sacrifices soon. Dark yet endlessly fascinating. – Sean Gaffney

Bookshelf Overload: September 2014

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The number of September acquisitions was definitely more reasonable than August’s, which is a good thing especially since it looks like October will be pretty rough on my wallet. What was unusual about September was the arrival of a nicely sized box of Japanese manga that I had shipped to me from Japan. I wanted to read the endings and side stories of a couple of series that sadly were never finished in English–Kaori Ozaki’s Meteor Methuselah (aka Immortal Rain) and Nari Kusakawa’s Ryuu no Hanawazurai (Two Flowers for the Dragon)–and I had some coupons that were almost ready to expire. I also ended up with a random box full of mostly out-of-print hentai. As for the preordered manga that I was particularly looking forward to in September, Vertical made a good showing with What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 4 by Fumi Yoshinaga (which I reviewed not too long ago) and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 7: Battle of Loum (review to come soonish). Vertical released Before the Fall, Ryo Suzukaze’s light novel prequel to Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan manga series, too. (I recently reviewed that one as well.) September also brought Haikasoru’s Phantasm Japan anthology and Peter D. Shapinsky’s Lords of the Sea, which I was very happy to see.

Manga!
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Omnibus 1 by Soumei Hoshino
Angel Sanctuary, Volumes 1-20 by Kaori Yuki
A Centaur’s Life, Volume 4 by Kei Murayama
Domin-8 Me! by Sessyu Takemura
The Four Immigrants Manga by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama
From the New World, Volume 6 written by Yusuke Kishi, illustrated by Toru Oikawa
Juicy Fruits by Yumisuke Kotoyoshi
Kamen, Volume 1 by Gunya Mihara
Kinou Nani Tabeta?, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Meteor Methuselah, Volumes 9-11 by Kaori Ozaki
Misty Girl Extreme by Toshiki Yui
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 7: Battle of Loum by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
The Original Bondage Fairies, Volumes 1-2 by Kondom
Ryuu no Hanawazurai, Volume 7 by Nari Kusakawa
The Spirit of Capitalism by Tuna Empire
Terra Formars, Volume 2 written by Yu Sasuga, illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
Touhou Shinigami: Meteor Methuselah Gaiden by Kaori Ozaki
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 4 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Comics!
DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary, Volumes 1-2 by Erika Moen
Family Portraits, Issues 1-3 by Sam Orchard
Impatience by Kori Michele
Megahex by Simon Hanselmann
Les Misérables adapted by Crystal Silvermoon, illustrated by SunNeko Lee
Musashi adapted by Sean Michael Wilson, illustrated by Michiru Morikawa
Portals by Kori Michele
Pride & Prejudice adapted by Stacy King, illustrated by Po Tse
The Rise of Aurora West written by Paul Pope and J. T. Petty, illustrated by David Rubín
Speculative Relationships by Various

Light Novesl!
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall by Ryo Suzukaze
Boogiepop at Dawn by Kouhei Kadono
Boogiepope Returns: Vs. Imaginator, Parts 1-2 by Kouhe Kadono
Cold Light by Narise Konohara

Anthologies!
Phantasm Japan edited by Nick mamatas and Masumi Washington

Nonfiction!
Attack on Titan Guidebook by Hajime Isayama
Lords of the Sea by Peter D. Shapinsky

Anime!
Arakawa Under the Bridge, Seasons 1-2 directed by Akiyuki Shinbo.

Durarara!! Yellow Scarves Arc, Vol. 1

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By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Akiyo Satorigi. Released in Japan by Square Enix, serialization ongoing in the magazine GFantasy. Released in North America by Yen Press.

You’ll note in my header that I said ‘serialization ongoing’, even though this particular arc has ended in Japan. Square Enix and the author have decided to sell this series in self-contained arcs, each one taking in one of the light novels it’s adapting, rather that putting it all under one umbrella of volumes. Technically this is the 8th volume of Durarara!!, and it’s time to sit back and take stock of where we are. The first arc served to introduce one of our teen protagonists, Mikado, and show why he wasn’t quite what he seemed. The Saika arc did the same for Anri, and now here’s Masaomi on the cover of the Yellow Scarves arc, so it must be his turn.

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In some ways, Masaomi’s past is the least surprising of the three kids. He’s always seemed like his over the top happy, perverse guy side has been a front for something, and here we see what it is. The Yellow Scarves are his gang, and though he may not have had intentions of it becoming what it is today, what matters is that his people were hurt by the slasher. As such, he’s pulled back in in order to give the gang a figurehead and leader, and to get revenge. The irony here being that in the end, the person he may need to seek revenge on is also the girl he’s been hitting on this entire time.

Naturally his past is also tied up in Izaya’s, who appears here not just in his monomaniacal ranting phase of the present day, but also as a manipulative bastard in Masaomi’s past. I will say this for DRRR!!, it is not afraid to paint Izaya as an utter asshole. He confidently manipulates those he knows into doing what he wants; he spouts cod-philosophy that even makes Namie, a girl who has justified murder and her own incestual feelings, retch; and if it happens that someone who is equally broken latches onto Izaya and treats him almost like a savior, well, that’s fine too. Everyone in Ikebukuro is a game piece to Izaya, and since he mashes games together at will, the more pieces the better the chaos.

This leads me to Saki, who is introduced here. I had been spoiled a bit on who she was and the internet backdraft she was hit with when the anime came out. She is Masaomi’s old girlfriend, who suffered a crippling injury that has kept her hospitalized for an extended period, and she’s also utterly devoted to Izaya. Thus we have fans who hate her for being manipulative towards Masaomi (which she would be the first to admit, I suspect – I’m not pretending she’s a nice, innocent girl) and those who hate her for pairing reasons. Frequently I find myself drawn to characters who get this sort of backlash, and I find myself liking Saki, and wanting to see more of what makes her tick. Does she really love Masaomi? Is she merely a sleeper agent of Izaya’s? Both?

I suspect that this arc will lead up to a confrontation between the three kids – the cliffhanger here, showing Masaomi almost catching Anri spying on the gang, suggests it. This is a good thing. You can only sustain a buildup so much, sooner or later you have to have a payoff. We’ve had two smaller ones in the first two arcs, and I want a big one here. It should also be a lot of fun.

A Preliminary NYCC 2014 Schedule

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This year the Thursday that used to just be “Pros and Press” has become a full-blown day, meaning it’s just as busy as the others, if not worse. I also note with trepidation that almost all my panels are in the small panel rooms from last year. Sigh. As always, this is what I have as planned to go to, but it may not reflect what I actually get to.

Thursday:
1:00 – 2:30 Big Hero 6 preview (Main Stage)
2:15 – 3:00 The Mary Sue Presents Fight What You Know (1A14)
3:15 – 4:00 Viz Media Panel (1A14)
5:00 – 5:45 New Simon & Schuster imprint (1B03)
6:00 – 6:45 – Weekly Shonen Jump (1A10)
7:00 – 7:45 LGBT in Comics (1A10)

I may duck out of Big Hero 6 early, as I want to see the Fight What You Know panel, as well as Viz, which is in the same room right after. The new S&S imprint may also fall prey to the dreaded “I have to eat sometime” rule, not to mention the Jump panel will have a huge line. This is a very busy Thursday, but at least it ends for me at a reasonable hour.

Friday:
11:00 – 11:45 Crunchyroll Industry Panel (1A21)
1:15 – 2:00 Yen Press Industry Panel (1A14)
3:15 – 4:00 Damsels in Distress Need Not Apply (1A01) (warning: Gillian Anderson)
4:15 – 5:00 Archie Comics Panel (1A05)
5:00 – 5:45 Takeshi Obata panel (1A10)
8:00 – 8:45 Sailor Moon Panel (1A21) (?)

The questionmark is because I’m not sure if this panel is just a screening. If it is, I’ll skip it. The warning is because “celebrity = very, very long lines”, so it will likely be hard to get into. Yen has, at least, been moved out of the tiny rooms at the back, though the rooms are still small – manga fans, be warned! I suspect I won’t be able to do the Archie panel and the Obata panel.

Saturday:
11:15 – 12:00 The Art of Animation and Saturday Morning Cartoons (1A01)
2:15 – 3:00 IDW Artists (1A14)
3:00 – 3:45 Harrassment in Fandom (1A21)
4:15 – 5:00 Official Sailor Moon Panel (1A14)
5:15 – 6:00 Vertical Manga Panel (1A14)
8:15 – 9:00 Ranma 1 /2 (?)
8:15 – 9:00 Doctor Who Fan Screening (Empire Stage)

Usually Friday is my biggest day, but this year it’s Saturday. You’ll note the same questionmark next to Ranma – if it’s a screening, then I’ll go to see Mummy on the Orient Express, which is what I assume the fan screening is. It’s a packed day from 2-6, but otherwise I should find time for the DR and AA.

Sunday:
2:00 – 2:45 Kodansha Comics (1A18)
3:00 – 3:45 Crunchyroll Manga (1A18)
4:15 – 5pm – Toon Tunes (1A01)

A surprisingly late Kodansha panel, but being my first panel of the day I have time to do everything I didn’t before. Toon Tunes sounds fantastic, but if I’m burned out and just want to take the train home, it may be jettisoned.

Wireless connection allowing, I will be doing daily posts regarding the con every evening. I hope to give you all a lot of great info, news and tidbits about NYCC!

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall

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Attack on Titan: Before the FallAuthor: Ryo Suzukaze
Illustrator: Thores Shibamoto
Translator: Ko Ransom
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781939130860
Released: September 2014
Original release: 2011

Hajime Isayama’s manga series Attack on Titan has become extraordinarily successful not only in Japan but worldwide as well. The series has inspired numerous manga spinoffs, anime, games, and more. Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is the first of three light novels written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto which serve as a prequel to Isayama’s original series. The second and third novels have been adapted as the manga series Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki, which is being released in English by Kodansha Comics. The first Before the Fall novel, however, was licensed and released by Vertical in 2014 with an English translation by Ko Ransom. Currently the novel, which was originally published in Japan in 2011, is chronologically the earliest story set in the Attack on Titan universe. I’m fascinated by the Attack on Titan phenomena and the large fanbase that it has developed, not to mention the series itself, so I was very interested in reading the Before the Fall prequel.

Angel Aaltonen may be young, but his ingenuity is impressive. A master craftsman, he and the others at the workshop he is a part of strive to design, create, and improve the weapons used in humanity’s fight for survival against the Titans. Except that Angel has never actually seen a Titan. Neither has most of the human population which seeks safety within a series of enormous walls. But while for a time they may be safe, they are also trapped by their own defenses. Only the members of the Survey Corps and Garrison forces have directly confronted the Titans, gigantic monstrosities that devour humans and bring destruction and terror. Even more dire is the fact no one knows how to stop or defeat the Titans. Angel and many others fear that one day the unthinkable will happen and the walls will fail. They are determined to discover the Titan’s weaknesses before that can happen, but the existing political and religious situation will make that prospect even more difficult than it already is to accomplish.

Most of the stories in Attack on Titan as a whole follow those characters who serve in the military–the people who are on the front lines directly fighting the Titans. Before the Fall, however, focuses on those who work behind the scenes to make those battles possible–the scientists, craftsmen, and engineers. (Granted, by the end of Before the Fall, Angel has become fairly hands-on himself.) It’s an interesting approach, giving a slight spin to an already familiar story, and one that I particularly liked and appreciated. Among other things, Before the Fall shows the development of some of the most iconic technology in Attack on Titan, the three-dimensional maneuvering gear. But as intriguing as the story is in Before the Fall, sadly the writing itself isn’t particularly engaging and the novel ends up being fairly slow going despite several intense action sequences. There were also a few frustratingly obvious oversights made by the characters; I found it difficult to believe that their logic would have been so flawed. Ultimately, I liked the premise of Before the Fall much more than its execution.

Although the writing might not be the best, where Before the Fall excels is in providing Attack on Titan with more thoroughly grounded worldbuilding, backstory, and lore. Suzukaze not only explores the development and creation of the equipment and weapons that will be used to fight the Titans, he also shows the beginning of the unrest between the general population, the military and government, and the religious cults and factions. There is enough of a basic introduction to the world that even readers who aren’t familiar with Attack on Titan should be able to easily follow Before the Fall, but the novel will appeal most to those who already know and enjoy the franchise. Before the Fall doesn’t tend to have the overwhelmingly bleak atmosphere of the original manga series, but it is still definitely a part of Attack on Titan, meaning that there are many casualties and several gruesome and horrifying turns of events. The air of dark mystery generally found in Attack on Titan remains in Before the Fall, as do the desperate punctuations of human hope and determination in the face of annihilation.

Manga the Week of 10/8

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SEAN: Manga. Lots. Let’s go.

It wasn’t on Amazon 2 weeks ago, but now I see there is a release for Volume 9 of Ze. A series whose release dates are almost as convoluted as its content.

ASH: I was wondering what was going on with Ze‘s releases.

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SEAN: Sadly, Kodansha did not stick with the original title for this series, GDGD-DOGS. But Manga Dogs works just as well, and for fans of Missions of Love it’s by the same author, and has another reverse harem.

MICHELLE: Huh. While Missions of Love was not for me, I kind of liked Toyama’s I Am Here!. Still, I dunno… the temptation is pretty faint.

ANNA: I like reverse harem as much as the next gal, but this isn’t really on my radar.

SEAN: And there’s also the 9th volume of Missions of Love as well, featuring the most likeable, well-adjusted cast in all of shoujo.

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: And the 5th volume of Vinland Saga, which is unlikely to get a shoujo spinoff in Aria anytime soon, unless Ylva ends up going to high school in Japan or somesuch.

ASH: I… would actually read that. (And I’m definitely reading Vinland Saga!)

ANNA: I would also read that! Vinland Saga is so well-executed, each new volume is a treat.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the first volume of Magical Girl Apocalypse, which seems to be for folks who thought Madoka Magica to be too light-hearted and cheerful. But hey, Akita Shoten license! A rarity these days.

And there’s a 2nd Strike Witches: 1937 Fuso Sea Incident.

Vertical has an 11th volume of Knights of Sidonia, which I hope will have more cute romance and action sci-fi (and perhaps a bit less tragic horror?).

ASH: One can never tell with Knights of Sidonia.

MICHELLE: I absolutely must get caught back up on this series. Looks like we’ll be caught up to Japan fairly soon, too.

ANNA: I need to get caught up too! I am so pleased that we have so many manga titles set in SPACE!

MJ: This!!

SEAN: The rest is Viz. If you didn’t pick up the 2nd Food Wars! When it came out digitally, it’s now available in print. I’m hoping for slightly less naked food reactions, but I know there will be some.

ASH: I still prefer my manga in print, so I’ve been waiting to pick up the second volume until now.

MICHELLE: I’m actually kinda looking forward to this.

ANNA: I thought that there were glimmerings of an interesting title here, but I have to admit when I read the first volume I was put off by all the upskirt panels and naked food reactions.

MJ: I’m cautiously optimistic.

SEAN: Happy Marriage?! continues to be a very ironic title as we hit Vol. 8.

MICHELLE: This series has grown on me, so I’ll definitely be checking out volume eight.

ANNA: I think it has gotten a bit meandering as the series go along, but I’ll still read every volume shortly after it comes out.

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SEAN: Then there’s Honey Blood, which (say it with me, folks) has vampires in it! The cover art makes me go >_> a bit, but I’m hoping that the relationship in this series is not as unequal as it first seems.

ANNA: Did someone say supernatural shoujo!? I hope this is more like Midnight Secretary than Black Bird. Will be checking it out for sure.

SEAN: Heartwarming supernatural shoujo #1: Kamisama Kiss, which has gotten up to Vol. 16, and shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

MICHELLE: Yay! I like it, but I think I still prefer the author’s Karakuri Odette.

ANNA: I actually like it more than Karakuri Odette! This series is consistently charming.

SEAN: I was a huge fan of the first My Love Story!!, despite the multiple exclamation marks, and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

ASH: I absolutely loved the first volume of My Love Story!! So much so, here are a few extra !!! for good measure.

MICHELLE: My Love Story!! is a glorious thing. Volume two has been in my Amazon cart for a few weeks now.

ANNA: I have read this volume and loved it just as much as the first!!!!!!!!!

MJ: Definitely looking forward to this… so sweet.

SEAN: Naruto seems to be finally grinding to a slow halt, but that still leaves several volumes to go. And several more times for Sasuke to turn evil.

Heartwarming supernatural shoujo #2: Natsume’s Book of Friends, which has gotten up to Vol. 17, and shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

MICHELLE: Yay! I suppose this means I am a sucker for heartwarming supernatural shoujo.

SEAN: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan has started its final arc, but that’s going to be a few volumes as well. Here’s the 23rd.

If you missed One Piece the first time around, the 3-in-1 is the perfect catchup, and it’s at Vol. 10.

Oresama Teacher is not supernatural, and I wouldn’t call it consistently heartwarming, but if you want funny shoujo, this is the manga for you, and I adore it. Here’s Vol. 17.

MICHELLE: Maybe it’s the lack of heartwarmitude that makes me only like this one. I catch up on it periodically, but I don’t love it.

ANNA: I do love it, just because it is so ridiculous. This is the only long-running comedy title that has consistently captured my interest.

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SEAN: The new arc in Toriko will apparently focus on Komatsu rather than Toriko, as it’s a cooking battle. Should be fun.

Voice Over: Seiyu Academy is over halfway done, and I’m hoping we see a bit more fleshing out of the male lead soon beyond “CATS”.

MICHELLE: *snerk* I do like the cat bits, though. And, surprisingly, I’m rather enjoying Voice Over.

SEAN: Lastly, we get the debut of a new Jump title as well as its 2nd volume, as Viz pushes a fast start to World Trigger. It’s at 8+ volumes in Japan, so has broken the “early Jump cancellation” curse. Should be interesting.

ASH: I’ve recently heard some good things about World Trigger. And two volumes at once? I may have to check it out.

MICHELLE: Whereas I have heard precisely zero things about it! I’ll wait for Ash’s review to decide.

ANNA: I know nothing about this but I will be reading it!

MJ: I’ll be checking this out for sure.

SEAN: Are you exhausted yet? What manga here makes you want to take it home?

Seven Licenses in Seven Days from Seven Seas

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Non Non Biyori

Non Non Biyori

Seven Seas is announcing seven new licenses in seven days; the first is Non Non Biyori.

And Viz has rescued another Tokyopop title, adding Kyo Kara Maoh to their Viz Select digital line.

ICv2 has the September BookScan numbers, which cover sales of graphic novels in bookstores. There are eight manga on the list, including three volumes of Attack on Titan, plus the spinoff, Attack on Titan: No Regrets; the first volume of Noragami; and the latest volumes of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, One Piece, and Naruto.

Lori Henderson checks out this week’s new manga at Manga Xanadu.

In case you haven’t heard, Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Bakuman, Hikaru No Go) is coming to New York Comic Con.

Reviews

Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of From the New World (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 5 of Genshiken: Second Season (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Ash Brown on vol. 7 of Wandering Son (Experiments in Manga)
Ash Brown on vol. 4 of What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Experiments in Manga)

Manga Giveaway: Triton of the Sea Giveaway Winner

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Triton of the Sea, Volume 1And the winner of the Triton of the Sea manga giveaway is…Haley S.!

As the winner, Haley will be receiving a copy of the first omnibus in Osamu Tezuka’s series Triton of the Sea. About a year ago, I came to the realization that I had read quite a few manga that featured merfolk of one sort or another. And so for this giveaway, I was interested in learning about all of the mermaids and mermen that other people had come across while reading manga. I’ve complied a list below of manga that feature merfolk, but be sure to check out the giveaway comments for more details on some of them.

Some of the manga in English featuring merfolk:
Castle of Dreams by Masami Tsuda
Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi
A Centaur’s Life by Kei Murayama
Berserk by Kentaro Miura
The Earl and the Fairy by Ayuko
Legendz written by Rin Hirai, illustrated Makoto Haruno
Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi
Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls by Okayado
Moon Child by Reiko Shimizu
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
Pichi Pichi Pitch written by Michiko Yokote, illustrated by Pink Hanamori
Princess Mermaid by Junko Mizuno
Selfish Mr. Mermaid by Nabako Kamo
Triton of the Sea by Osamu Tezuka
Tropic of the Sea by Satoshi Kon

I was a little lenient with the definition of merfolk above (mostly because I wanted an excuse to include Daisuke Igarashi’s Children of the Sea) and I’m certain that it’s not a comprehensive list, either. But, it should be a good place to start if you’re looking for some mermen or mermaids in manga. Thank you to everyone who participated in this month’s giveaway; I hope to see you all again for the next one, too!