Bookshelf Overload

April saw a fair number of manga, comics, and other books making their way onto my shelves courtesy of some excellent sales and a handful of Kickstarter rewards. Once again, I mostly stuck to preorders this month, though as always a few other purchases slipped in as well. A few months ago I wrote a Spotlight on Mitsukazu Mihara which reminded me that I’ve been meaning to pick up the rest of The Embalmer that never made it into English, and so I now have the last three volumes of Shigeshōshi. I also got my hands on Aki’s The Angel of Elhamburg, which I reviewed a couple of days ago. As for the manga that were actually released in April, I was particularly curious about Naoshi Arakawa’s Your Lie in April, Volume 1 (which I reviewed earlier this month) and I was thrilled to finally see Blade of the Immortal, Volume 31: Final Curtain, the last volume in Hiroaki Samura’s long-running epic (review to come!). As for other books, I’m looking forward to reading Ken Liu’s first novel The Grace of Kings. (His award-winning short story “Mono no Aware” was one of my favorite contributions to the anthology The Future is Japanese from Haikasoru.) And I’m currently reading and enjoying one of Haikosoru’s most recent releases, Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas by Kazuki Sakuraba, so expect a review of that novel in the near future as well.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 4 by Gamon Sakurai
Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Volumes 1-5 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game, Volumes 6-7 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
The Angel of Elhamburg by Aki
Attack on Titan, Volume 15 by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 4 written by Ryo Suzukaze, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Black Lagoon, Volume 10 by Rei Hiroe
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 31: Final Curtain by Hiroaki Samura
Dengeki Daisy, Volume 16 by Kyousuke Motomi
Fairy Tail, Volume 47 by Hiro Mashima
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 5 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Genshiken: Second Season, Volume 6 by Shimoku Kio
Gyo: The Death-stench Creeps by Junji Ito
Karneval, Omnibus 1 by Touya Mikanagi
Let’s Dance a Waltz, Volume 1 by Natsumi Ando
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 13 by Kiiro Yumi
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 8 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Love at Fourteen, Volume 2 by Fuka Mizutani
My Little Monster, Volume 7 by Robico
My Love Story!!, Volume 4 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 9: Lalah by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
New Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 4 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Hideki Mori
Prophecy, Volume 3 by Tetsuya Tsutsui
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 11 by Mitsuru Hattori
Shigeshōshi (The Embalmer), Volumes 5-7 by Mitsukazu Mihara
Servamp, Volume 1 by Strike Tanaka
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 7 by Nakaba Suzuki
SOS by Hinako Ashihira
Terra Formars, Volume 5 written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
UQ Holder, Volume 4 by Ken Akamatsu
Wolfsmund, Volume 6 by Mitsuhisa Kuji
The World’s Greatest First Love, Volume 1 by Shungiku Nakamura
xxxHolic, Omnibus 5 by CLAMP
Your Lie in April, Volume 1 by Naoshi Arakawa

Comics!
Brody’s Ghost, Volume 6 by Mark Crilley
Empowered: Unchained, Volume 1 by Adam Warren and others
Grey Is…, Volume 1 by dee Juusan
O Human Star, Volume 1 by Blue Delliquanti
Sonnet written by Emily Cheeseman, illustrated by Lindsey Rodgers
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Omnibus 1-2 by Stan Sakai

Novels!
Adonis written by EAB, illustrated by Toluenesister
Dandelion Dynasty, Volume 1: The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas by Kazuki Sakuraba

Anthologies!
The Cape and Other Stories from the Japanese Ghetto by Kenji Nakagami
The Legends of Tono by Kunio Yanagita

Nonfiction!
Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura

Anime!
DD Fist of the North Star directed by Akitaro Daichi

Compared to most other months, the number of manga that I had to find space for in March was relatively reasonable. I mostly stuck to preorders for manga, the major exception being the set of the now out-of-print City Hunter that I found. There were a few impulse buys when it came to novels and nonfiction, though. I did finally get my hands on Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 3 by Gamon Sakurai. Technically released in February, my replacement copy arrived in March. (I’m pretty sure the first one that was sent to me was lost in a snow bank somewhere; I never saw it.) As for the manga that were actually released in March, I was particularly happy to see the third and final volume of Yaya Sakuragi’s boys’ love manga Hide and Seek. (I recently reviewed the first volume, which I enjoyed a great deal.) I’m always glad to see a new installment of Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday?, the seventh volume is the most recent addition to the series in English. But the manga I was most looking forward to in March was Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King, Volume 1. Actually, I was almost afraid to read it because I was worried that I would be disappointed. Fortunately, I loved the manga and can’t wait for the next volume.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 3 by Gamon Sakurai
Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game, Volumes 1-5 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Aquarion Evol, Volume 1 written by Shoji Kawamori, illustrated by Aogiri
Barakamon, Volume 3 by Satsuki Yoshino
Butterflies, Flowers, Volume 1 by Yuki Yoshihara
Cage of Eden, Volume 17 by Yoshinobu Yamada
Captain Ken, Volumes 1-2 by Osamu Tezuka
City Hunter, Volumes 1-5 by Hojo Tsukasa
The Drifting Classroom, Volume 8 by Kazuo Umezu
Hide and Seek, Volume 3 by Yaya Sakuragi
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 13 by Tsutomu Nihei
False Memories, Volume 1-2 by Isaku Natsume
Maria the Virgin Witch, Volume 1 by Ishikawa Masayuki
Master Keaton, Volume 2 written by Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, illustrated by Naoki Urasawa
Manga Dogs, Volume 3 by Ema Toyama
Requiem of the Rose King, Volume 1 by Aya Kanno
Seraphim: 266613336 Wings by Mamoru Oshiii and Satoshi Kon
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Omnibus 3 by CLAMP
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 7 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 1 by Miki Yoshikawa

Comics!
100 Crushes by Elisha Lim
Grey Is…, Volume 1 by dee Juusan
In These Words, Volumes 1-2 by Guilt|Pleasure
Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Last Man, Volume 1: The Stranger by Bastien Vives, Michael Sanlaville, and Balak
Only Words written by Tina Anderson, illustrated by Caroline Monaco
Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks
Stallion by Kôsen
Wayward, Volume 1: String Theory written by Jim Zubkavich

Novels!
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
Genocidal Organ by Project Itoh
I Want to Kick You in the Back by Risa Wataya
The Kappa Child by Hiromi Goto

Nonfiction!
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Dylan Foster
The Fall of Language in the Age of English by Minae Mizumura
How to Take a Japanese Bath written by Leonard Koren, illustrated by Suehiro Maruo
Miyamoto Musashi: His life and Writings by Kenji Tokitsu

Anime!
Dear Brother, Boxes 2-3 directed by Osamu Dezaki

JooooooJoooooo! It’s finally here! By far the manga I was most excited to get my hands on in February was Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 1. I’m thankful for the manga’s recent anime adaptation, otherwise I’m not sure we would have ever seen the series licensed in English. Viz has done a beautiful job with the release. (I hope to have an in-depth review of the volume in the near future.) Other February manga releases that I was particularly happy to see included Prophecy, Volume 2 by Tetsuya Tsutsui, the second omnibus of Satoshi Mizukami’s Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (the first volume surprised me, and I’m very curious to see where the series goes), and Gangsta, Volume 5 by Kohske. I’m also looking forward to reading the second Milkyway Hitchhiking omnibus, a gorgeous full-color manhwa by Sirial. And because February usually means Valentine’s Day sales on romance manga, I managed to pick up a random assortment of boys’ love manga by creators whose other work I’ve enjoyed in the past for a great price.

Manga!
Akame ga Kill!, Volume 1 written Takahiro, illustrated by Tetsuya Tashiro
Alice in the Country of Clover: Ace of Hearts by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Alice in the Country of Clover: Nightmare by Yobu
Assassination Classroom, Volume 2 by Yusei Matsui
A Centaur’s Life, Volume 5 by Kei Murayama
Devils and Realist, Volume 4 written by Madoka Takadono, illustrated by Utako Yukihiro
From the New World, Volume 7 written by Yusuke Kishi, illustrated by Toru Oikawa
Gangsta, Volume 5 by Kohske
His Favorite, Volume 7 by Suzuki Tanaka
Intriguing Secrets by Rize Shinba
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki
Juicy Cider by Rize Shinba
Little Cry Baby by Keiko Kinoshita
Love at Fourteen, Volume 1 by Fuka Mizutani
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Omnibus 2 by Satoshi Mizukami
Mars, Volumes 1-15 by Fuyumi Soryo
Mars: Horse with No Name by Fuyumi Soryo
My Little Monster, Volume 4 by Robico
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 6 by Nico Tanigawa
Obediant One by Yutakamaru Kagura
Prophecy, Volume 2 by Tetsuya Tsutsui
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 4 by Nakaba Suzuki
Shy Intentions by Shoko Takaku
Star by Keiko Konno
Tale of the Waning Moon, Volumes 2-4 by Hyouta Fujiyama
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Omnibus 1 by CLAMP
Ubel Blatt, Omnibus 1 by Etorouji Shiono
Wild Butterfly by Hiroki Kusumoto
Witchcraft Works, Volume 3 by Ryu Mizunagi
xxxHolic, Omnibuses 1-3 by CLAMP

Manhwa!
Milkyway Hitchhiking, Omnibus 2 by Sirial

Comics!
Fast Friends written by Dale Lazarov, illustrated by Michael Broderick
Huddle! by Ngozi Ukazu
The Unicorn and the Woodsman by Kate Brown

Novels!
Secondhand Memories by Takatsu

Anime!
Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran directed by Akitaro Daichi
Wolf Children directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Well, 2015 is off to a rather impressive start when it comes to the somewhat ridiculous amount of manga making its way into my household. Thanks to some gift cards, major sales at my local comic book shop (where I picked up a ton of out-of-print manga), and one of the biggest boxes of review copies that I’ve ever received, my wallet isn’t hurting nearly as much as it might initially appear. (Thankfully.) There were still quite a few preorders in January, though. I was particularly pleased to see the third volume of Black Rose Alice by Setona Mizushiro (which I believe was technically released in February and I just happened to end up with an early copy), as well as What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 6 by Fumi Yoshinaga and the debut of My Neighbor Seki by Takuma Morishige. Ken Niimura’s Henshin is another interesting, and rather delightful, release from January. (Review to come soon!) As for out-of-print finds, I was very lucky to come across a complete set of Museum of Terror, an anthology series from Dark Horse of some of Junji Ito’s horror manga. I was also able to fill in a couple of missing copies from my Tramps Like Us collection, which made me happy.

Manga!
Air Gear, Volume 32 by Oh!Great
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Omnibus 3 by Soumei Hoshino
Alice in the Country of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit, Volumes 1-2 written by Owl Shinotsuki, illustrated by Delico Psyche
Apple and Honey: His Rose Colored Life by Hideyoshico
Attack on Titan, Volume 14 by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 3 written by Ryo Suzukaze, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Attack on Titan: Junior High, Omnibus 2 by Saki Nakagawa
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Omnibus 5 by Yukito Kishiro
Black Rose Alice, Volume 3 by Setona Mizushiro
Cage of Eden, Volume 16 by Yoshinobu Yamada
Does The Flower Blossom?, Volume 1 by Shoko Hidaka
Earthian, Volume 4 by Yun Kouga
Fairy Tail, Volumes 44-46 by Hiro Mashima
Finder, Volume 7: Desire in the Viewfinder by Ayano Yamane
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 4 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Hands Off!, Volumes 1-8 by Kasane Katsumoto
Hands Off!: Don’t Call Us Angels, Volumes 1-2 by Kasane Katsumoto
Henshin by Ken Niimura
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volume 2 by Hiromu Arakawa
IC in a Sunflower by Mitsukazu Mihara
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 7 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Manga Dogs, Volume 2 by Ema Toyama
Missions of Love, Volume 10 by Ema Toyama
Museum of Terror, Volumes 1-3 by Junji Ito
My Little Monster, Volumes 5-6 by Robico
My Neighbor Seki, Volume 1 by Takuma Morishige
Noragami: Stray God, Volumes 2-3 by Adachitoka
Oishinbo, A la Carte: The Joy of Rice written by Tetsu Kariya, illustrated by Akira Hanasaki
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 10 by Mitsuru Hattori
Say I Love You, Volume 5 by Kanae Hazuki
R.I.P. : Requiem in Phonybrian by Mitsukazu Mihara
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volumes 5-6 by Nakaba Suzuki
Terra Formars, Volume 4 written by Yu Sasuga, illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
Tramps Like Us, Volumes 11-12 by Yayoi Ogawa
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Omnibus 2 by CLAMP
UQ Holder, Volume 3 Ken Akamatsu
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 6 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Whispered Words, Omnibus 3 by Takashi Ikeda
Will You Be My Cute Crossdresser? by Mitohi Matsumoto
Witchcraft by Yamatogawa
xxxHolic, Omnibus 4 by CLAMP
xxxHolic: Rei, Volume 2 by CLAMP

Manhwa!
Give to the Heart, Volume 2 by Wann
The Tarot Café, Volume 4 by Sang-sun Park

Comics!
Never Forgets by Yumi Sakugawa
Prince of Cats, Issue 6 by Kori Michele Handwerker
Starfighter, Chapter 3 by HamletMachine

Nonfiction!
Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan edited by Mark McLelland, Kazumi Nagaike, Katsuhiko Suganuma, James Welker
Infamy: The shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves

Anime!
Ai no Kusabi: The Space Between directed by Katsuhito Akiyama

Film!
Ping Pong directed by Fumihiko Sori

Music!
Aku no Sanka (Flowers of Evil soundtrack) by Hideyuki Fukasawa

It may have been the last month of the year, but that certainly didn’t stop me at all from acquiring a slightly absurd amount of manga. Part of that is thanks to Right Stuf’s major holiday sales. I picked up a couple of anime series–Shiki and Princess Tutu–as well as a rather large stack of mostly out-of-print boys’ love manga for super cheap. Also thanks to the sale, I finally got around to picking up the new Tokyo Babylon omnibuses. Other than that, most everything else was either a preorder or a gift. December was a particularly notable month for gay manga. Bruno Gmünder’s releases of Takeshi Matsu’s More and More of You and Other Stories (which I believe technically came out in November) and Gengoroh Tagame’s Fisherman’s Lodge are now both available. From Fantagraphics there was Massive: Gay Japanese Manga and the Men Who Make It and it’s fantastic. I’ll be reviewing Matsu’s English debut in the very near future and my review of Massive has already been posted. Chromatic Press also had some notable releases in December. Ellery Prime’s Gauntlet, the first Sparkler Monthly original novel to receive a print edition, is now available. As is one of the books that I’m most excited about (so much so, there’s even a quote from me on its cover), the paperback of the second volume of Lianne Sentar’s Tokyo Demons, Add a Little Chaos. I actually reviewed the novel back in July, but needless to say, I loved it and it looks great in print.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 2 by Gamon Sakurai
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Omnibus 2 by by Soumei Hoshino
Alley of First Love by Ellie Mamahara
Barakamon, Volume 2 by Satsuki Yoshino
Citrus, Volume 1 by Saburouta
Desire written by Maki Kazumi, illustrated by Yukine Honami
Dorohedoro, Volume 14 by Q Hayashida
Drug and Drop, Volume 1 by CLAMP
Fairy Tail, Volume 43 by Hiro Mashima
Fisherman’s Lodge by Gengoroh Tagame
Just Around the Corner by Toko Kawai
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 12 by Tsutomu Nihei
Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu, Volumes 1-2 by Junko Mizuno
Massive: Gay Japanese Manga and the Men Who Make It edited by Anne Ishii, Chip Kidd, Graham Kolbeins
Master Keaton, Volume 1 written by Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, illustrated by Naoki Urasawa
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 8: Operation Odessa by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
More and More of You and Other Stories by Takeshi Matsu
My Love Story!!, Volume 3 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
New Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 3 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Hideki Mori
Ninth Love by Lalako Kojima
Opus by Satoshi Kon
Passionate Theory by Ayumi Kano
Renai Sample by Homunculus
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 9 by Mitsuru Hattori
Say I Love You, Volume 4 by Kanae Hazuki
Steppin’ Stone, Volumes 1-2 by Shiuko Kano
Stones of Power by Azumi Isora
Tokyo Babylon, Omnibuses 1-2 by CLAMP
You See, Teacher…, Volume 1 by Ei Tachibana
Warning! Whispers of Love by Puku Okuyama
Witchcraft Works, Volume 2 by Ryu Mizunagi

Manhwa!
Lie to Me by Youngran Lee

Comics!
Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn by Hugo Pratt
Gaylord Phoenix by Edie Fake
In These Words, Chapter 12 by Guilt | Pleasure
Lucidity by Guilt | Pleasure
The P. Craig Russell Library of Opera Adaptations, Volumes 1-3 by P. Craig Russell
The Ring of the Nibelung by P. Craig Russell

Light Novels!
Gauntlet by Ellery Prime
Cold Fever by Narise Konohara
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Volume 1 by Fujino Omori
Tokyo Demons, Book 2: Add a Little Chaos by Lianne Sentar

Novels!
Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata

Collections!
The Great Mirror of Male Love by Ihara Saikaku

Anime!
Princess Tutu directed by Junichi Sato
Shiki directed by Tetsuro Amino

Once again, November mostly brought preorders and a few review copies to my doorstep, but I also made a point of picking up some first volumes of older series that I’ve been meaning to try, like Pandora Hearts, Bakuman, and Oresama Teacher. As for the preorders I was particularly happy to see arrive, there was the penultimate volume of Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura, Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story, Volume 6, and Takehiko Inoue’s Real, Volume 13. I also picked up a couple of alt-manga releases: Akino Kondoh’s Nothing Whatsoever All Out in the Open and Masahiko Matsumoto’s The Man Next Door. It was a good month for fans of Fumi Yoshinaga, too; both Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 10 and What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 5 are now available. But the release that I was probably most excited about in November wasn’t actually even manga. The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Rampo, a collection of four stories featuring one of Rampo’s most famous characters, has been published by Kurodahan Press!

Manga!
Ani-Imo, Volume 1 by Haruko Kurumatani
Assassination Classroom, Volume 1 by Yusei Matsui
Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Volume 2 by Hikaru Suruga
Barakamon, Volume 1 by Satsuki Yoshino
Bakuman, Volumes 1-2 written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 30: Vigilance by Hiroaki Samura
A Bride’s Story, Volume 6 by Kaoru Mori
Clamp School Detectives, Volumes 1-3 by CLAMP
Devils and Realist, Volume 3 written by Madoka Takadono, illustrated by Utako Yukihiro
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 3 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Gangsta, Volume 4 by Kohske
The Garden of Words written by Makoto Shinkai, illustrated by Midori Motohashi
Genshiken: Second Season, Volume 5 by Shimoku Kio
Love in Hell, Volume 1 by Reiji Suzumaru
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Omnibus 1 by Satoshi Mizukami
The Man Next Door by Masahiko Matsumoto
Manga Dogs, Volume 1 by Ema Toyama
Missions of Love, Volumes 8-9 by Ema Toyama
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 5 by Nico Tanigawa
Nothing Whatsoever All Out in the Open by Akino Kondoh
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 10 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Oresama Teacher, Volume 1 by Izumi Tsubaki
Pandora Hearts, Volume 1 by Jun Mochizuki
Prophecy, Part 1 by Tetsuya Tsutsui
President Momoi-Kun by Higashi Nishida
Real, Volume 13 by Takehiko Inoue
Sense and Sexuality by You Higashino
Showa: A History of Japan, 1944-1953 by Shigeru Mizuki
Tale of the Waning Moon, Volume 1 by Hyouta Fujiyama
Terra Formars, Volume 3 written by Yu Sasuga, illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
Ubel Blatt, Omnibus 0 by Etorouji Shiono
Yukarism, Volume 1 by Chika Shiomi
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 5 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Manhwa!
Milkyway Hitchhiking, Omnibus 1 by Sirial

Comics!
Hotblood!: A Centaur in the Old West, Volume 2 by Toril Orlesky
Oglaf, Book Two by Doug Bayne and Trudy Cooper
Open Spaces and Closed Places, Parts 1-6 by saicoink
Outwards by Elephant Wendigo
The Tribute Album: An Authorized Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal Fan Artbook

Collections!
The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Rampo
Season of Infidelity: BDSM Tales from the Classic Master by Oniroku Dan

I knew October was going to be rough on my wallet since there were a lot of manga that I was planning on picking up. Most of October’s acquisitions were the result of preorders, but there were a few impulse buys as a result of some major sales. There were some out-of-print materials that I was happy to welcome into my home, too. For example, I’ve recently become rather enamored with the Boogiepop franchise, and so I made a point to pick up all of the manga and related music albums that were released in North America to add to my collection. As for the new October manga releases that I was particularly excited to see, Kodansha and Vertical made an especially good showing with Vinland Saga, Omnibus 5 by Makoto Yukimura, No. 6, Volume 9 by Hinoki Kino, and Tsuina Miura and Gamon Sakurai’s Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 1. (Expect in-depth reviews of all three in the near future.) I’m also very excited to read the All You Need Is Kill manga illustrated by Takeshi Obata and Setona Mizushiro’s Black Rose Alice, Volume 2 from Viz. Technically they won’t be released until November, though; I was simply lucky enough to get my copies a little early. October was a good month for independent comics, too.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 1 written by Tsuina Miura, illustrated by Gamon Sakurai
All You Need Is Kill written by Ryosuke Takeuchi, illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Apple and Honey by Hideyoshico
Black Rose Alice, Volume 2 by Setona Mizushiro
Blue Morning, Volume 5 by Shoko Hidaka
Boogiepop Doesn’t Laugh, Volumes 1-2 written by Kouhei Kadono, illlustrated by Kouji Ogata
Boogiepop Dual: Losers’ Circus, Volumes 1-2 written by Kouhei Kadono, illustrated by Masayuki Takano
Castle of Dreams by Masami Tsuda
Dengeki Daisy, Volume 15 by Kyousuke Motomi
Disciplinarian by Inochi Wazuka
The Flowers of Evil, Volume 11 by Shuzo Oshimi
Food Wars!, Volume 2 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
The Judged by Akira Honma
Kamen, Volume 2 by Gunya Mihara
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 11 by Tsutomu Nihei
Last Portrait by Akira Honma
Legal Drug by CLAMP
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 6 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Heartbroken Angels, Volumes 1-2 by Masahiko Kikuni
Magical Girl Apocalypse, Volume 1 by Kentaro Sato
New Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 2 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Hideki Mori
A New Season of Young Leaves written by Venio Tachibana, illustrated by Akeno Kitahata
No. 6, Volume 9 by Hinoki Kino
Nyotai-ka!, Volumes 2-3 by Ru-en Rouga
Sunny, Volume 4 by Taiyo Matsumoto
Twittering Birds Never Fly, Volume 1 by Kou Yoneda
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 5 by Makoto Yukimura
Whispered Words, Omnibus 2 by Takashi Ikeda
Witchcraft Works, Volume 1 by Ryu Mizunagi
World Trigger, Volumes 1-2 by Daisuke Ashihara
Ze, Volume 9 by Yuki Shimizu

Manhwa!
Aron’s Absurd Armada, Omnibus 3 by MiSun Kim

Comics!
My Japanese Husband Thinks I’m Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta
Oh Joy, Sex Toy, Volume 1 by Erika Moen
RAV by Mickey Zacchilli
Smut Peddler 2014 by Various
Snackies by Nick Sumida
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
YU+ME: Dream, Omnibuses 1-2 by Megan Rose Gedris

Artbooks!
The Art of Angel Sanctuary, Volumes 1-2 by Kaori Yuki

Film!
Edge of Tomorrow directed by Doug Liman

Music!
Boogiepop: Music Album Inspired by Boogiepop and Others by Yuki Kajiura
Boogiepop Phantom Original Soundtrack by Various

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.

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. After several months of what I would consider to be fairly reasonable amounts of manga and such making it onto my shelves, August comes along and proves that things can still occasionally go a little overboard. Granted, I actually have a few good excuses this time: a larger than usual box of review copies arrived, a friend who is preparing to move out of the state bequeathed a fair number of books to me so she wouldn’t have to pack them, and a bunch of my Kickstarter rewards arrived. So, even though the number of August’s acquisitions is a bit absurd, at least my wallet didn’t take as big of a hit as it might initially seem.

As for what I was particularly happy to see arrive in August, first and foremost was Wandering Son, Volume 7 by Takako Shimura. (Review to come soon!) Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a release date yet for the eighth volume, so I have no idea when we’ll see another installment. I was also very excited for the release of Jen Lee Quick’s Off*Beat, Volume 3, which is the final volume in the series. (My review of that one has already been posted.) Black Rose Alice, Volume 1 by Setona Mizushiro is another manga from August that I particularly enjoyed, as was the most recent volume in Kohske’s Gangsta. I haven’t read it yet, but there’s a new volume of Crimson Spell by Ayano Yamane, too! And of course I must mention that the Cardcaptor Sakura anime is now once again available, which pleases me greatly.

Manga!
Attack on Titan, Volume 13 by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 2 written by Ryo Suzukaze, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Volume 19 by Yukito Kishiro
Black Rose Alice, Volume 1 by Setona Mizushiro
Chirality: To the Promised Land, Volume 1 by Satoshi Urushihara
Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 11 by Konami Kanata
Crimson Spell, Volume 5 by Ayano Yamane
Devils and Realist, Volume 2 written by Madoka Takadono, illustrated by Utako Yukihiro
Dog X Cat, Volume 4 by Yoshimi Amasaki
Dorohedoro, Volume 13 by Q Hayashida
Dorothea, Volume 1 by Cuvie
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 1 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
From the New World, Volume 5 written by Yusuke Kishi and illustrated by Toru Oikawa
Fairy Tail, Volumes 40-41 by Hiro Mashima
Gangsta, Volume 3 by Kohske
Gunslinger Girl, Volumes 1-6 by Yu Aida
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volume 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
Kinoko Inu: Mushroom Pup, Volume 1 by Kimama Aoboshi
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 10 by Tsutomu Nihei
Kokoro Connect, Volume 1 written by Anda Sadanatsu, illustrated by CUTEG
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 12 by Kiiro Yumi
Loveless, Volume 12 by Yun Kouga
Lust, Volume 1 by Tenjiku Ronin
Monster Musume, Volume 4 by Okayado
Monster Soul, Volume 2 by Hiro Mashima
MPD-Psycho, Volume 11 written by Eiji Otsuka, illustrated by Shou Tajima
My Little Monster, Volume 3 by Robico
Nabari no Ou, Volume 1 by Yuhki Kamatani
No. 6, Volume 8 by Hinoki Kino
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 1 by Adachitoka
Nyotai-ka!, Volume 1 by Ru-en Rouga
Off*Beat, Volume 3 by Jen Lee Quick
The Prince of Tennis, Volumes 1-7 by Takeshi Konomi
Project X Challengers: Cup Noodle by Tadashi Katoh
Raqiya: The New Book of Revelation, Volumes 1-2 written by Masao Yajima, illustrated by Boichi
Say I Love You, Volume 3 by Kanae Hazuki
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 3 by Nakaba Suzuki
A Strange Kind Of Woman, Volume 2 by Inu
Time Killers by Kazue Kato
UQ Holder!, Volumes 1-2 by Ken Akamatsu
Wandering Son, Volume 7 by Takako Shimura
Wolfsmund, Volume 5 by Mitsuhisa Kuji
Yubisaki Milk Tea, Volumes 1-8 by Tomochika Miyano

Manhwa!
Martin & John, Volume 1 by Hee-Jung Park
U Don’t Know Me by Rakun

Comics!
Bad Company, Part 1 by Guilt | Pleasure
Devil’s Cake, Volume 1-2 by Angi Mauri
Golden Rules by Seth T. Hahne
Hell, Nebraska written by Shaun Manning, illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk
If This Be Sin by Hazel Newlevant
Nonbinary by Melanie Gillman
A Rainy Day Love Song by Seth T. Hahne
The Shadow Hero written by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Sonny Liew
Take 2!: Mahou Shounen Breakfast Club Zine by Katie O’Neill and Toril Orlesky
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Water Baby by Ross Campbell
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by Eric Shanower, illustrated by Skottie Young

Artbooks!
Dragon Girl and Monkey King by Katsuya Terada

Novels!
Good Luck, Yukikaze by Chōhei Kambayashi
Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Volume 1 by Yu Godai

Nonfiction!
The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon by Sei Shōnagon
Samurai Confidential by Ryuto Kanzaki

Anime!
Cardcaptor Sakura directed by Morio Asaka
Wonder by Mirai Mizue

Okay! So, I would consider July to be a fairly reasonable month for manga (and other) acquisitions. (I did pretty well in June, too, so hopefully this is a trend that continues.) I’ve gotten to the point that most of my purchases nowadays tend to be preorders, but there were a couple out-of-print things that I picked up (most notably Minako Narita’s Cipher). I also picked up Animal Land, Volume 9 by Makoto Raiku, which I missed getting when it was first released. Particularly exciting in July was that Flowering Harbour, a newly translated manga by Seiichi Hayashi, was released by the UK-based Breakdown Press. As for other preorders that I was happy to see arrive in July: Moyoco Anno’s In Clothes Called Fat is one of the best comics I’ve read this year (which I reviewed very recently); Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 3 continues to endear the series to me (I have a review of that one, too); and Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga, Omnibus 4 is fantastic (no review yet, but there should be one soon). You should also expect a review of Jami Lynn Lano’s The Princess of Tennis, a memoir of her time spent as a manga assistant for Takeshi Konomi, in the near future, too.

Manga!
Animal Land, Volume 9 by Makoto Raiku
Anomal by Nukuharu
Cipher, Volumes 1-11 by Minako Narita
Deadlock, Volume 1 written by Saki Aida and illustrated by Yuh Takashina
Flowering Harbour by Seiichi Hayashi
Flowers of Evil, Volume 10 by Shuzo Oshimi
In Clothes Called Fat by Moyoco Anno
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 5 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Madara, Volume 5 written by Eiji Otsuka, illustrated by Shou Tajima
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 4 by Nico Tanigawa
One Is Enough by Love
Sonny Leads, Volume 1 written by Richard Mosdell, illustrated by Genshi Kamobayashi
Terra Formars, Volume 1 written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 4 by Makoto Yukimura
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 3 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Comics!
Chaos by Philippe Druillet
Dicebox, Book 1: Wander by Jenn Manley Lee
A Distant Soil, Volume 1: The Gathering by Colleen Doran
Forming II by Jesse Moynihan
Hana Doki Kira by the Year 85 Group
How to Be Happy by Elenor Davis
Pinoy Komiks edited by Adam Pasion and Zon Petilla

Novels!
Seikai: Crest of the Stars, Volume 1: Princess of the Empire by Hiroyuki Morioka

Nonfiction!
A Brief History of Manga by Helen McCarthy
The Princess of Tennis by Jamie Lynn Lano

Anime!
Baoh directed by Hiroyuki Yokoyama
Hetalia, Season 5: The Beautiful World directed by Hiroshi Watanabe
Mononoke directed by Kenji Nakamura
Sengoku Basara: The Last Party directed by Kazuya Nomura
Short Peace directed by Shuhei Morita, Katsuhiro Otomo, Hiroaki Ando, Hajime Katoki

Compared to the ridiculousness of the last few months, the number of my June acquisitions is actually quite reasonable. For the most part I stuck to preorders, though there were a few splurges, too. As for out-of-print finds, I picked up the first five volumes of Naoki Yamamoto’s Dance Till Tomorrow (for some reason my library had the last part of the series but not the first part) and Venus Wars, Volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. (More of the series was actually released in English as floppies but never collected; if I like the first volume, I might try to track them down.) There were two preordered manga that I was particularly excited to get my hands on in June–Ayano Yamane’s Crimson Spell, Volume 4 and Showa: A History of Japan, 1939-1944 by Shigeru Mizuki–but my favorite thing from last month was probably Kazune Kawahara and Aruko’s My Love Story!!, Volume 1. In-depth reviews of books from June’s haul that you can expect to see soon will include my thoughts on Dan Mazur and Alexander Danner’s Comics: A Global History, 1968 to the Present, which is pretty great, as well as the Angels’ Border manga, which collects two side stories to Koushun Takami’s cult classic novel Battle Royale written by the author himself. I don’t buy anime as much as I used to, mostly relying on streaming services, but I definitely needed to own Flowers of Evil. Technically, it wasn’t released until July, but my copy arrived early. The first box set of Dear Brother (which I helped to crowdfund) is now available, too!

Manga!
Battle Royale: Angels’ Border written by Koushun Takami, illustrated by Mioko Ohnishi and Youhei Oguma
A Centaur’s Life, Volume 3 by Kei Murayama
Crimson Spell, Volume 4 by Ayano Yamane
Dance Till Tomorrow, Volumes 1-5 by Naoki Yamamoto
Dengeki Daisy, Volume 14 by Kyousuke Motomi
From the New World, Volume 4 written by Yusuke Kishi, illustrated by Toru Oikawa
Gakuen Polizi, Volume 1 by Milk Morinaga
Genshiken: Second Season, Volume 4 by Shimoku Kio
Honey Darling by Norikazu Akira
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 9 by Tsutomu Nihei
Missions of Love, Volume 7 by Ema Toyama
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 6: To War by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
My Love Story!!, Volume 1 written by Kazune Kawahara and illustrated by Aruko
New Lone Wolf and Cub, Volume 1 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Hideki Mori
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 1 by Nakaba Suzuki
Showa: A History of Japan, 1939-1944 by Shigeru Mizuki
Venus Wars, Volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Comics!
Arena, Chapter 2 by Himitsu Studio
Escapo by Paul Pope
Fearful Hunter by Jon Macy
Forming by Jesse Moynihan

Nonfiction!
Comics: A Global History, 1968 to the Present by Dan Mazur and Alexander Danner

Anime!
Dear Brother, Box 1 directed by Osamu Dezaki
Flowers of Evil directed by Hiroshi Nagahama

Film!
Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles directed by Takanori Tsujimoto
K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces directed by Shimako Satō

Not counting the big box of review copies that arrived at the very end of the month, May actually has the distinction of my comics acquisitions outnumbering my manga acquisitions for the month. This is partly due to the fact that I went to TCAF and came away with a lot of goodies. This included picking up the first volume of Hotblood!: A Centaur in the Old West by Toril Orlesky, which is one of my new favorite things, as well as est em’s doujinshi Carmen among many others. As for the preorders that I was particularly excited to receive in May: the third-to-last volume of Blade of the Immortal and the second volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday? were released (reviews to come very soon), as was the second volume of Gangsta, which is a series I’m really looking forward to reading more of. It wasn’t exactly a preorder, but Massive also recently released Caveman Guu by Jiraiya. It’s only sixteen pages, but it’s pretty great. (Caveman Guu will actually be included in Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It from Fantagraphics later this year, too.)

Manga!
Android Angels by Kosuke Kabaya
Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Volume 1 written by Gun Snark, illustrated by Hikaru Suruga
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 29: Beyond Good and Evil by Hiroaki Samura
Carmen by est em
Caveman Guu by Jiraiya
Clan of the Nakagamis, Volumes 1-2 by Homerun Ken
Devils and Realist, Volume 1 written by Madoka Takadono, illustrated by Utako Yukihiro
An Even More Beautiful Lie by Kei Kanai
Fairy Tail, Volume 38 by Hiro Mashima
Gangsta, Volume 2 by Kohske
Hard Rock by Akane Abe
Haunted House by Mitsukazu Mihara
Hetalia: Axis Powers, Volume 6 by Himaruya Hidekaz
Kine In! by est em
Monster Musume, Volume 3 by Okayado
Monster Soul, Volume 1 by Hiro Mashima
My Little Monster, Volume 2 by Robico
No. 6, Volume 7 by Hinoki Kino
Otomen, Volume 18 by Aya Kanno
Palepoli by Usamaru Furuya
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 7 by Mitsuru Hattori
Say I Love You, Volume 2 by Kanae Hazuki
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 2 by Nakaba Suzuki
Sherlock Bones, Volume 5 written by Yuma Ando, illustrated by Yuki Sato
Ultras by est em
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 2 by Fumi Yoshinaga
A Wish of My Sister by Masahiro Itosugi

Comics!
All You Need is Kill adapted by Nick Mamatas, illustrated by Lee Ferguson
Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown
Before You Go by Denise Schroeder
By Chance or Providence by Becky Cloonan
Carciphona, Volumes 1-4 by Shilin Huang
Dinner Ditz by Alexis Cooke
Erogenous by Creative Alchemy
Finn and Charlie Are Hitched, Volume 4: Everyone Is Someone’s Fetish by Tony Breed
Foodwise by Tony Breed
Fujosports! by Various
Hotblood!: A Centaur in the Old West, Volume 1 by Toril Orlesky
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal, Volume 3: Ten Days of Perfect Tunes by E. K. Weaver
My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable by David Rees
Oafanthology: A Collection of Wuvable Oaf Drawings & Stories edited by Ed Luce
This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon, illustrated by Becky Cloonan
Yuri Monogatari, Volume 2 by Various

Novels!
Malice by Keigo Higashino
You and the Pirates by Jocelyne Allen

Collections!
Akiba Anime Art Magazine, Volume 00
Granta: The Magazine of New Writing, Issue 127: Japan

Anime!
Yukikaze, Volumes 1-3 directed by Masahiko Ōkura

Well, I knew at the beginning of the month that April was going to be rough on my wallet, what with all of the preorders and such that I had in place. Fortunately, I also had a couple of gift cards to burn, which alleviated some of the pain, but the month still ended up being a little embarrassing when it came to the amount of manga and other delights that made their way into my place of residence. April had some great releases, though. The manga that I was most excited for was the third Vinland Saga omnibus by Makoto Yukimura. (Review to come very soon. That is, most likely tomorrow.) My copy of the first omnibus in Takashi Ikeda’s series Whispered Words from One Peace Books arrived earlier than expected, which means it will likely become the next entry in my Year of Yuri review project. Comics-wise, I was delighted to see the nice, hardcover release of Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai’s 47 Ronin. (Also of note, Lone Wolf & Cub‘s Kazuo Koike served as the series’ editorial consultant.) Battle Royale is seeing a resurgence in English, including the release of the The Battle Royale Slam Book (it’s great; expect a review of this one soon, too) and a completely new translation of Koushun Takami’s original novel. Oh, and the final Berserk: The Golden Age anime film was also released! I’m still not completely sold on the use of the 3D CG, but I do love me some Berserk.

Manga!
Alive by Hajime Taguchi
Attack on Titan, Volume 12 by Hajime Isayama
Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1 by Mohiro Kitoh
Bunny Drop, Volume 10 by Yumi Unita
Crimson Spell, Volume 3 by Ayano Yamane
Dorohedoro, Volume 12 by Q Hayashida
Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 3: Red Riding Hood by Ayumi Kanou
Drifters, Volume 3 by Kohta Hirano
The Drifting Classroom, Volumes 4-7 by Kazuo Umezu
Fairy Tail, Volume 37 by Hiro Mashima
The Flowers of Evil, Volume 9 by Shuzo Oshimi
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 8 by Tsutomu Nihei
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 11 by Kiiro Yumi
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 4 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Mail, Volumes 1-3 by Housui Yamazaki
Man of Many Faces, Volumes 1-2 by CLAMP
No. 6, Volume 6 by Hinoki Kino
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 3 by Nico Tanigawa
Oishinbo, A la Carte: Vegetables written by Tetsu Kariya, illustrated by Akira Hanasaki
Say I Love You, Volume 1 by Kanae Hazuki
Sunny, Volume 3 by Taiyo Matsumoto
Tegami Bachi, Volumes 1-14 by Hiroyuki Asada
Vagabond, Omnibus 5 b Takehiko Inoue
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 3 by Makoto Yukimura
Whispered Words, Omnibus 1 by Takashi Ikeda
Wolfsmund, Volume 4 by Mitsuhisa Kuji
xxxHolic: Rei, Volume 1 by CLAMP
Yakitate!! Japan, Volumes 1-3 by Takashi Hashiguchi
You and Me, Etc. by Kyuugou

Manhwa!
9 Faces of Love by Wann
Stone Collector, Book 2 written by Kevin Han, illustrated by Zom-J

Comics!
47 Ronin written by Mike Richardson, illustrated by Stan Sakai
Greek Love written by Dale Lazarov, illustrated by Adam Graphite
Juku: A Comics Album by Various
Monsters & Titans: Battling Boy on Tour by Paul Pope
Sex Criminals, Volume 1 written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Chip Zdarsky

Novels!
Battle Royale: Remastered by Koushun Takami

Collections!
Monkey Business, Volume 4 edited by Motoyuki Shibata and Ted Goossen

Nonfiction!
The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
Strong in the Rain: Surviving Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster by Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill

Anime!
Berserk: The Golden Age, Arc III: The Advent directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka

Compared to some past months, the number of my March acquisitions seems completely reasonable to me. I’ve looked ahead to what April has in store for me (and my wallet) and it’ll be a bit ridiculous, so I’m glad that March ended up being relatively light. Even so, there were some things I was very happy to see arrive last month. Gengoroh Tagame had a second gay manga published by Bruno Gmünder, Gunji. Two of my most anticipated releases for 2014 made their appearance in March, too: the first volume in Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? from Vertical and Inio Asano’s Nijigahara Holograph from Fantagraphics. (Reviews to come soon!) I was also happy to see Bento Books newest release, Kaoru Ohno’s novel Cage on the Sea. Not too long ago I reviewed Jeffery Angle’s Writing the Love of Boys, which got me interested in the work of Taruho Inagaki. By some miracle, I actually managed to find a copy of his extremely out-of-print novel Miroku, which had a very small print run from a very small press which, as far as I can tell, doesn’t even exist anymore.

Manga!
Castle Mango, Volume 2 written Muku Ogura,illustrated by Narise Konohara
Embracing Love, Omnibus 2 by Youka Nitta
From the New World, Volumes 2-3 by written by Yusuke Kishi, illustrated by Toru Oikawa
Gunji by Gengoroh Tagame
Hide and Seek, Volume 2 by Yaya Sakuragi
The Incredible Kintaro by Naomi Guren
Japan, Inc.: An Introduction to Japanese Economics by Shotaro Ishinomori
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 5: Char & Sayla by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Monster Musume, Volume 2 by Okayado
Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano
Train Train, Volumes 1-3 by Eiki Eiki
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Ze, Volume 8 by Yuki Shimizu

Manhwa!
Stone Collector, Book 1 written by Kevin Han, illustrated by Zom-J.

Comics!
Black is the Color by Julia Gfrörer
Brody’s Ghost, Book 5 by Mark Crilley
In These Words, Chapter 11 by Guilt | Pleasure
The Sleep of Reason: An Anthology of Horror edited by C. Spike Trotman
The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff

Novels!
The Budding Tree by Aiko Kitahara
Cage on the Sea by Kaoru Ohno
God’s Boat by Kaori Ekuni
Miroku by Taruho Inagaki

Nonfiction!
Understanding Manga and Anime by Robin E. Brenner
One Thousand Years of Manga by Brigitte Koyama-Richard
Twelve Views from the Distance by Mutsuo Takahashi

February may be a short month, but that didn’t seem to have much of an impact on how many manga and other goodies made their way into my possession. It’s been a little while since there’s been an out-of-print find that I’ve been particularly excited about, but in February I came across a complete set of the shoujo horror manga Bride of Deimos (at least, all of the volumes that were released in English) which should prove to be interesting. As for preorders that I was happy to see, I finally got my hands on Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal, Volume 28: Raining Chaos. Technically it’s release date was in January, but my copy took its time in arriving. (Expect a review soon!) The two February releases I was most thrilled to see were Insufficient Direction by Moyoco Anno and the third and final omnibus of Mari Yamazaki’s Thermae Romae. Recently, I reviewed Jeffrey Angles academic work Writing the Love of Boys. I initially borrowed the volume from the library, but found it interesting enough that I decided to pick up a copy of my own. Also, while wandering around a used bookstore, I came across a book of photography from 1984 by Komaro Hoshino which focuses on the taiko group Kodō. I didn’t even know such a thing existed, so that was a pretty cool.

Manga!
After I Win Itsuki Kaname
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 1 written by Ryo Suzukaze, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 28: Raining Chaos by Hiroaki Samura
Blue Morning, Volume 4 by Shoko Hidaka
Bride of Deimos, Volumes 1-7 written by Etsuko Ikeda, illustrated by Yuho Ashibe
A Centaur’s Life, Volume 2 by Kei Murayama
Crimson Spell, Volume 2 Ayano Yamane
Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 2: Snow White by Ayumi Kanou
Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M, Volume 1 Masahito Soda
Gangsta, Volume 1 Kohske
His Favorite, Volumes 1-6 Suzuki Tanaka
Insufficient Direction: Hideaki Anno X Moyoco Anno by Moyoco Anno
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 7 by Tsutomu Nihei
Missions of Love, Volumes 1-4 by Ema Toyama
My Little Monster, Volume 1 by Robico
No. 6, Volume 5 by Hinoki Kino
Power Play! by Yamatogawa
Sherlock Bones, Volumes 2 and 4 Yuma Ando Yuki Sato
Thermae Romae, Omnibus 3 Mari Yamazaki

Comics!
Teahouse, Chapter Five by Emirain
Titty-Time, Volume 1 by Amanda Lafrenais

Novels!
Clamp School Paranormal Investigators, Volume 1 by Tomiyuki Matsumoto
Yukikaze by Chōhei Kanbayashi

Anthologies!
New Writing in Japan edited by Yukio Mishima and Geoffrey Bownas
The Word Book by Mieko Kanai

Nonfiction!
Kodō by Komaro Hoshino
Writing the Love of Boys by Jeffrey Angles

Games!
Golden Sky Stories by Ryo Kamiya and Tsugihagi Honpo