Bookshelf Briefs

Dr. STONE, Vol. 6 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – So it turns out that the current non-turned-to-stone population are all descended from Senku’s dad and the rest of the crew of the space shuttle, which is honestly more about Byakuya’s faith in his son to eventually save the day even if it takes hundreds of years. Back in the present, Tsukasa and the followers that he’s amassed are planning to invade the village and destroy what Senku has accomplished, but little do they know that Senku has the power of RIDICULOUS SHONEN SCIENCE on his side. The best thing about this volume is that we’re starting to see the non-Senku cast actually come up with inventions—the water wheel revelation was great, and Senku knows it. Dumb fun, masquerading as smart fun. – Sean Gaffney

Farewell, My Dear Cramer, Vol. 1 | By Naoshi Arakawa | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Midori Soshizaki and Sumire Suo played girls’ soccer for different teams in middle school, but Soshizaki is so taken with Suo’s play that she volunteers to go to whichever high school Suo chooses. Suo, accustomed to being the only one really trying on her team, feels kinship with another girl on a lousy team, and so she and Soshizaki both end up at Warabi Seinan, whereupon a couple of other talented players show up along with a new coach, since the current one sees no future in girls’ soccer and isn’t interested in doing his job. This was a pleasant start to a series, but the soccer action isn’t as easy to follow as in other titles I’ve read, and it quickly veers away from the two leads to focus on another teammate. I’ll definitely keep reading, though! – Michelle Smith

Love in Focus, Vol. 3 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – I had forgotten that this was a series that ended in three volumes, but I would have remembered anyway given the rapidity with which Kei and Mako get together and just as quickly break up. “Let’s date first and fall in love later” rarely works in shoujo manga, especially when you’re the blond, who almost always loses out to the brunet. That happens here as well, as dating Kei does help Mako realize her feelings—for Mitsuru. That said, though the plot beats were very predictable, I thought Mako and Mitsuru’s dialogue was sweet and pure in a shoujo sort of way, and I also liked how the “stalker” plot was resolved. As with the author’s previous series, this was decent but not good enough for long-term. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 20 | By Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – I’m sorry to say that I just can’t muster up much interest for Gentle Criminal and La Brava, the villain and his acolyte who get in Midoriya’s way when he’s trying to get back to campus in time for class 1A’s performance at the school festival. Once their fight is finally over, though, it’s time for the feels. The focus on Jiro here is pretty brief, but oh so welcome, and that two-page spread of her smiling so radiantly while performing is incredible. And then, just a few pages later, there’s Mirio who is suddenly moved to tears because Eri, the girl he sacrificed so much to save, is having the time of her life. I love Mirio and Eri together, and I also love Aizawa rushing to be with Todoroki when his dad, now the number-one hero, is injured on live TV. Plus, there’s Hawks! This volume has much goodness. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 1 | By Kohei Horikoshi and Hirofumi Neda | VIZ Media – I’m not really a gag manga sort of person, so I didn’t expect much from My Hero Academia: Smash!!. But despite the warning from creator (and Horikoshi assistant) Hirofumi Neda that it was going to be crude, I actually thought it was quite fun! It follows along with the early events of the main story, up until the first attack by the League of Villains. Often, familiar scenes are subverted in some way, like All Might’s “you can be a hero” moment turning into a sales pitch for vitamins, but sometimes they’re expounded upon in genuinely intriguing ways, like showing how Yaoyorozu used her quirk in the fitness tests Aizawa devised. (I also liked that her classmates now prefer Yaoyorozu brand erasers.) Also, I think one panel features a tiny puking Jesus. To my surprise, I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 5 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court | Viz Media – This volume definitely felt like the fifth book in a four-book series, a constant danger when something gets really popular. Knuckleduster’s plot is resolved, and so he very pointedly, with one or two exceptions, withdraws from the series. Instead we see Pop Step and the Crawler trying to be vigilantes on their own and rapidly coming to a realization, which is underscored by licensed heroes yelling at them—they’re not powerful enough to do much more than get in the way. That said, I did enjoy seeing Midnight in her “casual” clothes, and the kid singers were very cute. A series that has turned a corner but not yet hit the next long straightaway. – Sean Gaffney

My Next Life As a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Vol. 1 | By Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka | Seven Seas – The manga adaptation of one of my favorite recent light novels didn’t have to go very far to impress me, just adapt the novel as well as it could. There’s obviously stuff that’s cut to fit (Katarina’s parents’ relationship gets a one-panel explanation), but it handles introducing the main cast well, and cuts the “alternate POV” parts which would have made the manga repetitive. Best of all is the prose short story at the end, seeing Katarina having a nightmare about the villainess her otome game self is supposed to be, and the bad choices that she makes which our Katarina can’t stop her from despite yelling inside her head. Definitely get this if you like the novels. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 4 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – This is moving at a galloping pace for a romantic comedy, especially one with quintuplet heroines. There’s the bad—Ichika pursuing her dream would mean leaving school, which would mean Futaro losing tutoring money—and there’s the worse—various people getting bad, bad colds due to the weather and circumstance, which leads to a mass search for Itsuki and a bedside vigil for Futaro, whose cold of course turns out to be the worst of all. We also get another flash forward reminding us that he does eventually marry one of them, but continuing to not tell us who. Don’t expect that to be resolved till the final page of the series. For fans of harem comedy/dramas. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 6 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – Anubis has finally given in and allowed a trial period for Sariphi to be Queen Consort. Unfortunately, we then see the problems that this causes, which is that the majority of the populace still isn’t ready for a human girl as the Queen. Fortunately, Sariphi is made of pretty stern stuff, and even when she’s down there are folks who can cheer her up. This allows her to resolve the fractured relationship between a mother and daughter, as well as give Amit the courage to give a token to her beloved Jor, even though as a soldier he may not be able to return that love. Honestly, this does continue to remind me a lot of Fruits Basket, but that’s not especially a bad thing. – Sean Gaffney

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Vol. 1 | By Honda | Yen Press – My first exposure to Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san was through its anime adaptation. I’ve not actually watched the show, but I’ve seen enough screencaps of the titular skeleton dramatically reacting to a wide range of customer service exchanges to reasonably expect that I would love the original series. And, after reading the first volume of the manga, I can definitively say that I absolutely do. To a large extent the manga is autobiographical, based on Honda’s experiences as a clerk in the manga department of a large Tokyo bookstore. It provides entertaining insights into the life of a bookseller, showing the challenges presented by customers, publishing schedules, corporate management, and just trying to keep the shelves appropriately stocked. This could be rather dry as a subject, but in Honda’s hands the portrayal of bookselling is delightfully humorous, intense, and over-the-top in a way that is both engaging and still incredibly honest. – Ash Brown

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Vol. 1 | By Honda | Yen Press – I’ve seen the first few episodes of the Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san anime and this is going to be one of those rare occasions where I have to admit that I kind of like the anime more than the manga. Certainly, Honda-sensei depicts the bookstore (specifically its manga department) as a place way more hectic than I ever anticipated, but that frenetic energy (and the kookiness of his often-foreign customers) just translates better to the animated medium, I think. That said, this volume has a lot to recommend it, particularly if you want a glimpse of what Japanese booksellers think of the global readership manga has obtained. Read it, but maybe watch it, too. – Michelle Smith

Waiting for Spring, Vol. 11 | By Anashin | Kodansha Comics – I’d long been wanting more basketball in Waiting for Spring, and I finally got my wish in this volume. The latest tournament has begun, and if the Seiryo boys want to repeal the no-dating rule, they have to win. They make it to the finals league, where they’re up against Aya’s team, Hojo, and though Seiryo ends up losing, there’s still hope due to the structure of the tournament. Aya realizes his kind of love expected Mitsuki to never grow or change whereas her love for Asakura inspires her to try new things and set goals for herself, so he seemingly steps aside though he does talk about returning (he’s apparently moving back to America) once she’s grown up. Anyway, this is a cute series that I like a lot and though I don’t expect many surprises from its final two volumes, I nonetheless look forward to reading them. – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 16 | By Yuki Tabata | VIZ Media – It’s usually about this time in a long-running Jump manga that one of the cast is killed off for drama, usually an authority figure. And there’s no bigger authority figure in Black Clover than Julius, who is forced to fight against the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun and pays the ultimate price. That said, our heroes are also storming the villains’ base, which should allow for lots of cool fights. Unfortunately, we may also have some friends fighting friends, as magic beams have come down and converted some of our heroes—Luck in particular—into Midnight Sun cultists. That said, it’s the death of the Wizard King that looms over this volume, and while that opens up the position for Asta, this isn’t how he wanted it. – Sean Gaffney

Flying Witch, Vol. 7 | Chihiro Ishizuka | Vertical Comics – If it seems like it’s been forever since the last volume of this series, you’re right—it’s been about a year. That said, it’s easy to get back into the swing of this series that has always reminded me of Yotsuba&! only with the supernatural. The most amusing part of the manga was seeing our girls being given super soft candy that’s actually softened diamonds, and the reactions to this. We also ALMOST see Inukai cured, but family trumps that, in a sort of bittersweet but heartwarming way. And the mandrakes are back, only they’re adorable, and also running all over the house. Nothing ever really happens in this series (which is good as it may be a year till volume eight), but you’re always be smiling while reading it. – Sean Gaffney

New Game!, Vol. 6 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – We’re back to the regular serialized 4-koma here, though there’s a big change a-coming, as Kou decides to take advantage of an opportunity to go study in France, leaving a big hole to fill at Eagle Vision. Fortunately, there are new hires who are here to move into a kohai role, Sunshine Sketch-style. (Speaking of Sunshine Sketch, Kou and Rin have always seemed like Sae and Hiro, and that doesn’t change at all after reading this.) As for the new characters, Tsubame and Momiji, they both know each other—in fact they live together—and will no doubt add to the kinda-yuri pileup this series has. That said, they’re competitive. Will Aoba get to be the sempai she dreams of being, or will she lose out again? Cute stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 26 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – Mafuyu has been abducted by her new teacher Seiichiro Maki and soon discovers that he’s actually a servant of the Hanabusa family. Despite her circumstances, the plot continues to be “Find out about Maki’s past,” and Mafuyu ends up getting the story from Toko Hanabusa, who visits her in captivity because she finds her stupidity amusing. It turns out that Maki has a history of helping lost little girls, having once rescued a young Mafuyu, and in this way ended up meeting Toko and filling the role of her big brother (since her family kept her apart from Miyabi) and shedding his delinquent past. I really wish I could care about any of this, but I do not. Not even a little. It might be time for me to stop reading this series. – Michelle Smith

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 2 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – As a whole, I tend to thoroughly enjoy shoujo fantasy manga, so I’m always happy when a new title is licensed. What makes Snow White with the Red Hair stand out from other recently released series is that, so far, there are no magical or supernatural elements involved. Unless, of course, one considers the practice of medicine to be a form of magic. While she still has plenty to learn, Shirayuki has now successfully become a court herbalist in the kingdom of Clarines. This has earned her a rightful place in Wistal Palace, but there are still those who would question her motivations. Even in the face of this increased scrutiny, Shirayuki has consistently demonstrateda remarkable strength of character and sense of justice. Snow White with the Red Hair is a lovely tale of fantasy with endearing characters and just the right touch of court intrigue and romance. – Ash Brown

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 2 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – I hate these sorts of series. Not the actual manga itself, which is gorgeous and fantastic and makes you get heart eyes, but the fact that it’s hard to figure out what to say about it. I don’t really want to talk about what happens as that will ruin the sense of wonder that I think we’re meant to get from every volume. Several parts of the book I went back and read bits of over and over again just to enjoy the flow, and I also really liked the cliffhanger, which amps up the danger about one thousand percent. And Coco is simply fantastic, being the sort of YA fantasy protagonist everyone wants. Basically, aaaaah, flail flail flail, go buy this. You won’t regret it. – Sean Gaffney

World’s End and Apricot Jam, Vol. 6 | By Rila Kirishima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Hina and Anzu’s love story reached a natural conclusion at the end of volume five but apparently someone really wanted to see them do it, so we get these three “encore” chapters that take place 1.5 years in the future. “It feels like you turned 19 in the blink of an eye,” Anzu tells Hina on the first page, so everyone knows she’s of legal age when they finally have their love scene. Two short stories round out the volume, one of which is a pretty bad early effort and the second of which is about Hina’s friend, Nakatsu. I actually like that, rather than a love story for Nakatsu, this about him setting his girlfriend free when she falls for someone else. This series had some sweet moments and some silly, melodramatic moments, but in the end I enjoyed it. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 15 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It’s hard to believe I’ve read fifteen volumes of Anonymous Noise already but even harder to believe that there are only three more until it’s over! Rock Horizon is here again, and due to another band’s cancellation, In No Hurry is playing on a bigger stage than ever before and their exuberant performance is the highlight of the volume. Meanwhile, Kuro makes progress toward pursuing a new love after losing out with his first one, Nino searches for a foundation for her singing that does not revolve around Momo, and Yuzu is composing up a storm, though he worries that this will stop if Nino ever actually falls for him. In other words, it’s just as angsty and dramatic as usual, yet surprisingly hopeful, too. Good stuff. – Michelle Smith

Beastars, Vol. 1 | By Paru Itagaki | Viz Media – At a high school in which carnivores and herbivores attend classes and live alongside one another in relative peace, there is a natural tension among the student body. But the delicate balance between the two groups is shattered when an alpaca named Tem is found murdered on campus. The herbivores’ mistrust and hostility towards their carnivorous classmates become more blatant and even Tem’s friend Legoshi comes under suspicion. As a large gray wolf, Legoshi is used to being feared and hated, but that doesn’t make things any easier for him. More than anything else, the reason that I’m so eager to read more of Beastars is Legoshi. Yes, there’s interesting worldbuilding. Yes, there’s engaging drama and mystery. Yes, there’s appealing illustration work. There’s even other fascinating characters. But ultimately it’s lone wolf Legoshi, the behind-the-scenes theater kid, in all of his sensitive awkwardness that steals the show for me. – Ash Brown

A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy, Vol. 2 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Yasuhito Nogi |Seven Seas – I have to admit, I’m calling “no way” on the sheer power behind Junko, who seems to suddenly be far more actively involved in every aspect of the plot and can hold her own with villains who are hospitalizing Judgment. This is a lot to accept for someone whose sole character trait before this had been “Misaki’s chew toy.” The plot involves, no surprise, the fact that kids in Academy City are subject to unethical scientific experiments, not exactly big news to regular readers of Railgun and Index. But the fights are nice, and Junko is a sweet and determined girl. It’s just hard for the reader to accept that this is the spinoff we’re getting rather than, say, Itsuwa or Kanzaki. – Sean Gaffney

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 7 | By Ukami |Yen Press – There were no laugh-out-loud moments here like the previous volume, but it continues to keep a smile on your face. I enjoyed the idea of asking Vignette, the demon who’s sweet and nice, if she’d rather be an angel, and her negative response. “Angel” and “demon” are not meant to be good or bad in this manga, despite what you’d expect, and I like Vignette sticking to what she’s already lived with. I also liked the chapter with Taplis challenging Satania to card duels, if only as it’s nice to see Satania actually succeed for once. Gabriel Dropout is unlikely to pick up new readers who aren’t already fans of it, but those fans should enjoy this. It even makes Raphiel briefly sympathetic, which is highly unusual. – Sean Gaffney

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 10 | By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – I like that Golden Kamuy, no matter how bonkers it gets, never quite forgets its roots as a foodie manga. There’s lots of discussion of gross-yet-tasty foods this time around, in among various attempts to rescue Shiraishi, who has gotten captured and is having trouble escaping for once. It doesn’t help that there’s so many different factions going around that the reader has long since lost track of which is which. “The guy with the plate in his head!” “The small plate guy or the large-plate guy?” There’s also a bittersweet implication towards the end of the book that this does have an end in sight, and that it may wrap up by returning Sugimoto to what he lost—though regaining it is another issue. Breathtaking. – Sean Gaffney

Mythical Beast Investigator, Vol. 1 | By Keishi Ayasato and Koichiro Hoshino | Seven Seas – This is another in a long string of “supernatural people investigate supernatural things” titles we’ve seen, mostly from this publisher. It’s not terrible and there’s nothing wrong with it, but I have to admit that the well may be running dry, and this does not really attract a new reader the way that The Ancient Magus’ Bride—or even How to Treat Magical Beasts—does. Ferry investigates issues with beasts, which are usually the fault of humans, with the help of the black rabbit of inlé… erm, Kushuna, who is her cynical bodyguard. Together, they fight crime! Some of this is heartwarming, some of it is tragic, it’s very readable, and you’ll forget about it the next day. – Sean Gaffney

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 10 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – The start of the volume is well written but not all that surprising, as it hits all the beats I was expecting to resolve that arc. The meat of the volume, though, is in the second half, as the Water Dragon God is starting to lose his powers, and may soon disappear. There’s a solution, but he’s not going to take it—and Subaru will never let him do it either. So what’s the solution here? There’s only one volume after this, so it had better come quick. In the meantime, the evocative art and storytelling and led to The Water Dragon’s Bride being my favorite Rei Toma series to date. I can’t wait to see how it ends. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 33 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – The game ended! It was an incredible finish too, and once again I praise the author for having a good feel for keeping the pace exciting and yet also making the action clear. Hate to spoil it, but our heroes win the match, though we end up following the losing team right after the game, showing how this defeat is going to make them get stronger. I really liked the twin (you know, one of them) telling Hinata he was going to set for him one day—it’s a reminder that they could take this past high school. But the break is brief, as by the end of the volume we’re in another battle against Nekoma, and I get the feeling that this one will also take several volumes. Still, I’m up for it. This remains a terrific sports manga. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 6 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – OK, it turns out Ebina’s “confession” was that she’s been searching for her brother, who left home to become a chef. I wasn’t too happy with the suggestion that she’s got a crush on Taihei as he reminds her of her brother, but other than that this was pretty sweet. We’re also given yet another cliffhanger ending, as it turns out that while Umaru is best in the class for the normal kids, there’s an accelerated program with someone who’s shorter, cuter, blonder and smarter than Umaru. I sense a new rivalry coming. Which is somewhat inevitable given Umaru has converted everyone around her into friends already. This is still a bit slight, but it’s cute and fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 9 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – This volume is filled with plot, and it’s all about Ishigami. At last we get his backstory and find out what happened to make him into the beaten-down misanthrope he was introduced as. As you might imagine, it involved scapegoating and punishing the wrong person, completely breaking his spirit. Fortunately, there’s an athletic festival going on, and when one member of his team hurts their ankle, he has to fill in. Does he win? That’s less important than that he tries hard, gets his team to root for him, and—and this was fantastic—sees their faces, which till now have been “faceless” people around him. If there’s one drawback, it’s that the balloon chapter made a poor closer. But overall, a fantastic volume. – Sean Gaffney

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 4 | By Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma | Viz Media – It was never going to be as simple as opening a nice restaurant. Aoi’s new place is beset by sabotage and trickery, from signs pointing in the wrong direction to assassins trying to kill her to literal BANANA PEELS on the steps. We also see Aoi learning about food, in the best foodie manga tradition, and also learning more about her grandfather and his relationships with the other spirits, and just how long-lived they are. There’s a bit of romantic tease when they tour the local izakayas, but for the most part Kakuriyo is content to be a slow-burner that is interested in Aoi and food, not necessarily in that order. That’s fine with me. – Sean Gaffney

Monster and the Beast, Vol. 1 | By Renji | Yen Press – Cavo is a hideous monster with a pure heart, so when he witnesses what appears to be a sexual assault in the forest in which he lives, he intervenes. Liam, the apparent victim, proves to be charming and sexually voracious (he’s the beast of the title) and immediately propositions Cavo. After discovering that Liam is unreliable, Cavo guides him to a nearby village and falls in love with him on the way. So far, so sweet. What I thought was interesting, though, is that once they reach the village, Cavo must remain in hiding while Liam goes out every night and beds various people. We learn that he’s well aware that Cavo loves him, and is content enough to remain together, but also has no desire to change. That’s not the outcome I expected, so I’m interested to see where this goes. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 2 | By Kohei Horikoshi and Anri Yoshi | VIZ Media – This is soooooo much better than the first volume of the School Briefs light novels. Set just before and during the training camp arc, the stories depict the kids during their free time as they try to distract a motion-sick Aoyama on the bus, throw a slumber party, have an arm-wrestling tournament, etc. There’s lots of intermingling between classes 1-A and 1-B, which I appreciate very much, especially the slumber party at which the girls would rather contemplate which of the boys’ quirks they’d like to try than which boy they’d like to date. Mineta continues to be even more awful than he is in the source material, this time in a premeditated and predatory way that’s genuinely alarming. Aizawa lectures him off-camera at least, but he really ought to’ve been expelled. In any case, I’m sufficiently swayed enough to come back for volume three! – Michelle Smith

The Right Way to Make Jump | By Takeshi Sakurai | VIZ Media (digital only) – Four years after Takeshi Sakurai gave up on manga and became an onigiri maker instead, he gets a call from his former editor suggesting they collaborate on a nonfiction series about how Shounen Jump is made. This one-volume manga is the fascinating result. Sakurai and his editor interview people at the printers and paper manufacturer as well as cover and logo designers and various editors. There are pictures of the editorial offices in Japan as well as VIZ headquarters in San Francisco, and a brief visit to Kohei Horikoshi’s studio. It’s all super interesting—I particularly loved learning about all the neat machines that were invented specifically to handle producing Jump—while being fun and amusing, as well. I’d recommend it to any manga fan, but especially to Jump fans. – Michelle Smith

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 2 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Shirayuki passes her exam, which means she’s now working for the Prince. And you know what that means—it’s time to solve crises by working yourself until you nearly die without bothering to tell anyone, in the best shoujo heroine tradition. Fortunately, she has other people around her. Unfortunately, she also has the First Prince, who has returned to the kingdom and apparently is intent on making his brother miserable, and also making Shirayuki do pointless tasks. I’m sure eventually she’ll win him over, but that point is not yet. There’s also a lengthy short story at the end, set in modern times and about a trio who become a duo after tragedy strikes. It was decent, but I wish these were full of Shirayuki. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 2 | By Sorata Akiduki | VIZ Media – Shirayuki begins work as a court herbalist apprentice, and her very knowledgeable boss also happens to be twelve years old. She wins him over with her powers of empathy, and I appreciate that she manages to be both nice and very clever, as she’s able to figure exactly what’s been making the soldiers ill at a fort under Zen’s command. The back cover calls this a love story, and I’m sure we’ll get there eventually, but I really appreciate that what we’ve got so far is a mutual inspiration story. Both Shirayuki and Zen are compelled to help people and end up spurring each other on. “I need to be the sort of man she’ll never turn her back on,” Zen resolves. And then his crappy older brother comes home and begins to interfere. This is a fun series so far! – Michelle Smith

Versailles of the Dead, Vol. 2 | By Kumiko Suekane | Seven Seas – Two volumes into Versailles of the Dead I’m not sure that I actually understand what’s going on, but I still feel oddly compelled to read more. In part this is due to the fact that Suekane really knows how to create an atmosphere. While dark and unsettling, Versailles of the Dead can also be surprisingly sensual, Suekane’s artwork capturing both the horrific and the beautiful—at times simultaneously—to great effect. The decadence of the 18th-century French court and the gruesome death and undeath both inside and outside of it are all strikingly illustrated. The second volume develops existing plotlines (while ignoring others) and introduces new elements to an already full story. Versailles of the Dead has so much going on that it hasn’t quite managed to pull everything together into a cohesive whole yet, but it might be starting in that direction and I can’t seem to look away. – Ash Brown

Candy Color Paradox, Vol. 2 | By Isaku Natsume | SuBLime – I liked this volume of Candy Color Paradox more than I expected to, which was a pleasant surprise. When Kaburagi’s sister, whom he hasn’t seen in eight years, turns up, it at first seems like Onoe is going to go along with her suggestions to take Kaburagi down a peg, but he resists and attempts to reconcile the siblings instead. Next, to keep Kaburagi from having to do one of the deceitful assignments he occasionally undertakes to get a big scoop, Onoe does it instead, leading Kaburagi to treat him coldly for a while—since the major reason he likes Onoe is that he is largely incapable of deception—until they finally talk it out. In her author’s notes, Natsume-sensei says this was originally intended to be the final volume, and it certainly feels that way. I’m not sure we need more, but I reckon I’m intrigued enough to continue. – Michelle Smith

Dead Mount Death Play, Vol. 2 | By Ryohgo Narita and Shinta Fujimoto | Yen Press – Given this is from the author of Baccano! and Durarara!!, a certain amount of crazy antics are expected, but it really boggles the mind how bonkers this series gets, particularly its strange obsession with sharks. We also get introduced to a possessed mechanical pencil, but the bulk of the volume is spent realizing that Polka’s family is still around and has its own issues, and that the Corpse God needs to deal with those if he’s going to continue to use said body as he sees fit. This includes saving the lives of two supposedly creepy but actually really sweet twins—twins appear in Narita’s works a lot. There’s some nasty gore here, as you’d also expect, but I really am liking this title more now. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 36 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I sense the author may be feeling a little bad about all the times that she’s made Alibaba the laughingstock of the manga, given how much he’s praised in this volume. We continue to truck along with the final confrontation, as Sinbad agrees to Alibaba’s suggestion… but David is not taking this lying down, leading to a very funny “no, it is I who am controlling you!” war. That said, it’s a little hard to save the world when everyone in the world wants to die and thinks you’re traitors, which is the situation we end up with in the second half. I admit I am rather annoyed that Morgiana is not participating in this final battle, and given that the next volume is the last I don’t see that changing. Will still get it to see how this overall very good series ends. – Sean Gaffney

Missions of Love, Vol. 17 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – I’ll be honest, this is starting to feel pretty dragged out. Yukina having to reveal to Shigure that she writes cell phone novels and has been using her life (and his) as material is obviously the big climax, but we aren’t there yet, so instead we see Hisame back in jerk mode, as he tries to redo all the earlier scenes Yukina had with Shigure and “rewrite” those memories with ones featuring him. If nothing else, this shows off his own immaturity. As for Akira and Mami, they get a cliffhanger… I assume. We get a cliffhanger moment, but it’s only two-thirds through the book, and we cut back to Yukina for the rest. Is Akira dying? Confessing? Moving? In any case, perhaps because it comes out slower now, I am more weary of this potboiler. – Sean Gaffney

Monster and the Beast, Vol. 1 | By Renji | Yen Press – The genesis of Monster and the Beast is the result of Renji looking for a fantasy BL manga about a middle-aged man and a non-human, not finding any, and so deciding to simply create one. Cavo is the titular monster, a large and powerful but sensitive and kind-hearted demon who leads a lonely, isolated life since everyone is afraid of him. (Cavo is an absolute dear.) The beast in the title refers to Liam, a sexually insatiable man who doesn’t seem to have a fearful bone in his body and who delightedly hits on anyone and everyone regardless of gender or apparently even species. This tends to get him both out of and into a significant amount of trouble. Various circumstances bring the two together, Cavo acting as Liam’s protector and guide as he flees his pursuers. I’m curious to see how the drama and their so far chaste relationship develop. – Ash Brown

Monster and the Beast, Vol. 1 | By Renji | Yen Press – Theoretically this is the latest in a mini-manga genre we’ve seen of monsters and humans falling in love despite obvious differences. In reality, it turns out to be the latest in a different but equally popular genre, the uke being dragged around by the ridiculously charismatic seme. The uke in this case is the monster, who rescues Liam, a mature gentleman who looks like he stepped out of Ristorante Paradiso, and finds that Liam was in fact, trying to have a good time in the woods with the other men, but it was going badly. The reason to read the book is Liam, who is bisexual and loves to show it off, and the monster’s mind-blown reactions to him – as well as a bit of tortured desire. Not sure how this will play as an extended series, but I liked it. – Sean Gaffney

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, Vol. 4 | By Fumita Yanagida | Seven Seas – There’s a lot of backstory in this book, as we find out how Tomo, Jun and Misuzu all met as kids, how Jun could easily mistake Tomo for a boy, and the bond that forms between them. Back in the present day, though, things are still in stasis, but that may change after a trip to the beach, which involves Tomo actually wearing a bikini top and doing things like licking ice cream off her shoulder, which gets Jun to realize that hey, maybe his tomboy friend who can kick his ass really IS a girl. The other reasons to read this series are Carol and Misuzu, who may have risen to become my favorite supporting characters in a manga. They bounce off each other so well. This is fantastic 4-koma. – Sean Gaffney

Whenever Our Eyes Meet…: A Women’s Love Anthology | By Various Artists | Yen Press – Typically, the characters in this women’s love anthology are professionals, like office workers, café owners, postal clerks, etc. Most of the stories are about the start of a relationship, be it through reuniting with a former coworker in a taxi cab or having a one-night stand turn up in the office the next morning or what have you. It’s pretty cute, but the problem is that the stories are far too short to get any real sense of the characters or for the formation of couples to mean much of anything. My favorite story involved the café owner and an artist, since they had unknowingly mutually inspired each other by being passionate about their work, and my least was the two-page (!) story about a married mother who cheats with a female part-timer. All in all, this just isn’t a keeper for me. – Michelle Smith

Again!!, Vol. 9 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – Victories are always hard-won in Again!!. Nothing is tidy. Nothing goes right the first time. In this volume, Imamura and the ouendan help the drama club for the school festival, since they essentially poached the new members the drama club would have gotten in this reality. They were originally going to put on a musical Imamura wrote called “I Want to Die,” despite the school’s attempts to shut that down. That is, until, their club advisor collapses and might actually die, at which point they feel compelled to perform the sanitized “I Want to Live” version instead. After initially feeling left out of this version, Imamura ends up being proud of it, and catches a glimpse of a place he might belong in this world. He’s fallen in love, too, and could be happy here. Now the question is… will he be allowed to stay? – Michelle Smith

Caterpillar Girl and Bad Texter Boy | By Sanzo | Yen Press – Sometimes there’s a manga with a premise so bizarre my curiosity can’t help but be piqued. Caterpillar Girl and Bad Texter Boy is one of those manga. It’s also a surprisingly good tale, the strangeness of which can be taken at face value as well as as an overt metaphor. Believing she’s too good for him, Akane rejects Suzume’s confession of love. Miserable, Suzume makes drastic wish from a local god which transforms her into a caterpillar-like creature. The main characters in Caterpillar Girl and Bad Texter Boy are all dealing with some major issues surrounding love, trust, and self-worth, and they definitely don’t always handle them in the best or healthiest ways. The result is a manga that can be incredibly dark and bittersweet. There are some inconsistencies in the story’s internal logic regarding which wishes can and cannot be fulfilled, but I still rather enjoyed this peculiar manga. – Ash Brown

DAYS, Vol. 14 | By Tsuyoshi Yasuda | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – It’s only volume fourteen and Seiseki has made it to nationals. By sports manga standards, that might seem very quick, but actually, one of the things I like best about DAYS is that the main character, Tsukamoto, never takes anything for granted and always pauses to appreciate things, like the random chance of meeting Kazama and ending up on a team with these guys, or the excitement of taking a long bus ride as a team, or the fun of getting to stay in a hotel with Western beds. In between, there’s soccer aplenty, as the third years play against the younger students in an attempt to imbue them with some passion, but the overall feeling is one of “be sure to enjoy this moment,” which I really like. We get a glimpse here, but the tournament will really get underway next time! – Michelle Smith

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 30 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – I continue to be torn about Food Wars!. I really did like some aspects of this volume, like Soma recognizing Erina’s superior skill and having her taste every component of his dish in their team challenge while simultaneously spurring her on to greater creative heights. I was happy with the outcome, and am curious about what the power structure at Totsuki will be like going forward—will Soma and Erina really be on the Council of Ten? However, I just can’t overlook that a major plot point in this volume involves Azami’s “spiritual essence” pulsating outward every time he tastes something delicious, causing multiple students in the audience to disrobe. I get that there needed to be a gimmick so that Azami could not refute the deliciousness of Soma and Erina’s two-course meal, but I just wish it wasn’t this. Sigh. – Michelle Smith

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 6 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – I really enjoy each volume of this series, but it can’t be denied that it’s hard to fill even a brief with enough words for a review. Hakumei gets a haircut, but it grows back to its normal scruff fairly soon after. The couple also build a new outdoor kitchen with a brick oven for Mikochi, who is always looking for more and better ways to cook. Probably my favorite chapter in here was the one where Sen goes to the bar and runs into Conju, who is very drunk and very talkative, and we get a nice contrast of extrovert and introvert. For the most part, the series delivers more of the same, a peaceful, easy fantasy that will make you smile. Which is what I ask it to do, so that’s good. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 7 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – This has rapidly turned into one of my favorite shoujo manga, even as it comes up with relatively obvious plot beats and complications. It succeeds because of the strength of its cast. Kai wants things to progress now that he’s dating Riko, but a kiss may be a little too much to ask, even with the help of both Ayumi AND Einstein. Meanwhile, an accidental remark by Miki’s sister has Kiyo feeling very self-conscious of her height… and realizing that Riko is not opening up about her own issues puts a “you never talk to me about anything” rift in their friendship. Meanwhile, the one weak link in the series—Tarou and Kagura—had better get an arc dedicated to them soon or else they’re never going to grab the readers. Still great. – Sean Gaffney

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 2 | By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Neko Hinotsuki | Seven Seas – After the first volume introduced the hero and heroine and had them working to achieve their objective (an heir) by having sex (which they do), this second volumes gives us what I think most readers will stick around for: oodles of political intrigue. Zenjiro is finally introduced to most of the major nobles of the area in a dinner party of the damned, and has to navigate being polite but also not overly subservient—and how to accept gifts by not accepting them. He does a very good job, as everyone admits. He may not be able to fend off the need for a concubine or two, though—monogamy is relatively unheard of in this world. Fortunately, he and Aura still really love each other, which counts for a lot. – Sean Gaffney

Satoko and Nada, Vol. 2 | By Yupechika | Seven Seas – There’s a lot more Nada than Satoko in this second volume, which should not be surprising—she’s the one who is “foreign” to Japanese eyes, whereas Satoko’s realization that you can’t get milk bread in America runs a distant second. This is not to say that this volume isn’t great fun, letting the reader learn about Saudi customs (there’s an arranged marriage coming up that it’s hinted will take up a lot of the third book) and also lets her try things that she could never get away with back home (like riding a bike). Satoko is also doing things, like getting a cafeteria job on campus, and her role in this second volume is to become more outgoing—it’s said that she’s gotten better at presentations since she was paired with the gregarious Nada. READ THIS. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 9 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – I loved the fact that this series did not decide to embrace all the usual “we’re living together” tropes—indeed, the best scene in the book has Takane running into Hana dressed only in a towel coming out of the shower, and her reaction (and subsequent teasing) had me cheering. Hana’s been informed by Takane’s grandfather that this is necessary for his growth, so they reluctantly decide to go through with it. But that doesn’t make it any easier given that he’s still a lot older than her and she’s still in school. It also gives Okamon the push to confess to Hana, though honestly I’m not expecting much there. This series continues to be very funny and makes me root for the couple despite its problematic age issues. – Sean Gaffney

Whenever Our Eyes Meet…: A Women’s Love Anthology | By Various Artists | Yen Press – The reason to get this anthology is that all of its content is dedicated to adult women out of school and at the workplace. This is so refreshing it almost drowns out the actual content. It helps that the initial story, featuring an artist accepting a commission from a singer who wears a horse’s head mask to hide her face, is a nice start. But the rest of the stories are also quite good, with some being fleeting encounters and some turning into lasting relationships. I also liked the story of the up-and-coming woman who’s doing a presentation and finds her old coworker is her cab driver. Sometimes this risks being just another anthology, but in the end I enjoyed it. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 14 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – Well, that didn’t last long. In a series about the heroine singing in a band, when she can’t sing if she’s dating one of the guys she likes, it’s best to end it. Or at least that’s what Momo thinks, anyway. Time to see who wins the battle of self-sacrifices. Elsewhere, it’s dawning on the band that they need to think past high school, and Haruyoshi is waffling about the direction he wants to go next. I won’t spoil how this is resolved, but it’s sort of hilarious *and* touching. And of course there’s Nino’s part in all this, as she has to deal with a breakup as well, in addition to trying to find her voice—again. Anonymous Noise never seems to lack for things to happen, and it continues to putter along smoothly. – Sean Gaffney

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 5 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – Sadly, going to the festival turns out to not happen—again—as Kou is once again being drawn away from Futaba, this time because he’s trying to help a distant friend with personal problems. And also possibly because Futaba is hanging out and chatting with Toma, who’s handsome and nice and also has fallen head over heels for her, something Futaba realizes not one bit. And so much of this volume returns us to the halcyon days of Kou being avoidant and difficult. At least Futaba angsting over telling her friends about her feelings for Kou is quickly nipped in the bud. I do really like the reverse costume cafe they do. (They’re right; Murao does look amazing as a butler.) Will this cliffhanger affect anything? Oh, probably. – Sean Gaffney

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 5 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Futaba and Kou had gotten close to confessing their mutual feelings, and he even invited her again to the summer festival they didn’t get to attend in junior high. But then he suddenly cancels and is incommunicado for the rest of summer vacation. When school resumes, it seems he’s actually in good spirits, but is preoccupied with his phone. Eventually it emerges that he’s helping a former classmate get over the death of a parent, and though Futaba thinks this is admirable, she nonetheless feels left out. The fact that this classmate is female is obvious but is held as a reveal until the final page. Meanwhile, a male rival must be introduced too, and so we meet Toma Kikuchi, a boy who Futaba accidentally groped, who comes to like her after realizing she’s perceptive, honest, and not as tough as she might appear. Standard shoujo, but still enjoyable. – Michelle Smith

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 6 | By Matoba | Yen Press – No one seems to be more surprised than the artist that this series has reached six volumes, which results in a meta gag when Azazel’s assistant Samyaza appears, and they note it’s far too late in the series to introduce someone like him. He bounces off Mullin well, though—perhaps a bit too well for Beelzebub’s taste, as she worries that they’re both too shippable with each other. Elsewhere, the exchange diary between Belphegor and Azazel is actually not a half-bad idea, but too many cooks spoil a bit of the pie. Unfortunately, there’s more Eurynome as well, and trying to indicate she’ll eventually be shipped with Samyaza does not balance out her continued lust for young boys. Read it if you already are. – Sean Gaffney

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 9 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji| Seven Seas – As it turns out, the girl that Last Order ran into in the previous volume, despite giving off immense “I am a secret villain” vibes—mostly to Last Order, to be fair—turns out not to be a villain. She is, however, a twin, and it’s her sister who seems to have the villain card as well as the tragic past. It’s also startling to see the princess from the previous book captured fairly easily (possibly as Accelerator is healing so AWOL this book), and the cliffhanger, which involves repeated use of the food/death metaphors that litter the book, is really chilling. That said, if there’s one thing that defines this volume of the series, it’s the big ol’ fight in the middle of it, which is very well done. – Sean Gaffney

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 5 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – I admit I avoided reading this for a while. I still expect it to end with everyone either dead or depressed. I mean, it’s Asano. But as always, when I finally started to read it it was fantastic. The art alone is a main reason to read this. Plus, now that everyone is in college, relationships are allowed to develop more naturally. Unfortunately, in both cases this may end up being a mistake. Oran has bonded with the alien in disguise, and hides him by saying he’s her boyfriend… something that may be coming true. As for Kadode, I was sort of hoping that graduation would mean the end of the crush on her teacher, but apparently it means there’s nothing standing in the way anymore. Will either girl find happiness before the end of humanity that continues to be implied here? – Sean Gaffney

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 2 | By Nagata Kabi | Seven Seas – The sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness ends with the second volume; the conclusion of the series is just as achingly and brutally honest as its beginning. Kabi’s struggle with anxiety and depression continues through its highs and extreme lows. The success of her autobiographical manga ultimately compounds the issue for her as she starts to feel guilty about some of the things that she’s said about family members and has to deal with the consequences of revealing so much of herself to a public audience. A central portion of the second volume of My Solo Exchange Diary is devoted to Kabi’s stays in two different hospital wards—part of her ongoing efforts to get her life back on track. Due to the subject matter of My Solo Exchange Diary, the series isn’t always the easiest to read, but it is still an approachable, compelling, and noteworthy work. – Ash Brown

Queen’s Quality, Vol. 7 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – We’re down to twice a year for this series now, the same as Japan, but it’s making those volumes count. We get lots of Fumi being awesome (toilet brush or no), lots of romantic sizzle between her and Kyutaro, overcoming self-loathing and doubt, and a whole lot of testicle jokes. In case you wondered what all the “golden ball” stuff was. The beauty of this artist is that she’s not afraid to have things get completely silly even in the middle of a dramatic fight, and alternatively have the silliest moments give way to drama. We also get a lot more insight into Kyutaro’s late parents here. But, and the cliffhanger doesn’t quite tell us, will someone finally realize that Fumi + Fuyu = Fuyumi? – Sean Gaffney

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 4 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Ran and Akira are now officially a couple, and this volume features milestones like calling each other by first names, going on a real first date, holding hands, and Christmas. While it cannot be denied that the plot is fairly formulaic at this point, there’s still something special about Ran the Peerless Beauty. Part of it, I think, is that we see just as much of Akira’s emotions as we do Ran’s, and it’s often the case that when she’s nervous or embarrassed or unsure, he confesses that he’s right there with her. Too, Ammitsu’s art is very expressive. I loved a particular smirk of Akira’s (after purloining a strawberry) very much but actually laughed out loud at the panel in which her father finally comprehends that Akira is Ran’s boyfriend. I hope this one gets a print release so it might reach a wider audience. – Michelle Smith

Sweetness & Lightning, Vol. 12 | By Gido Amagakure | Kodansha Comics – I wasn’t prepared for the final volume of Sweetness & Lightning to make me verklempt, but that’s because I didn’t know the final chapter would see Tsumugi going off to college in Hokkaido. Before this, we got a sequence of chapters with Tsumugi at various ages, where we see her growing in independence and culinary skill. And, finally, heading out to experience life on her own. It’s very nice! Too, I really appreciated that nothing about the finale hinges on whether Inuzuka and Kotori might get together now that she’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 30. It’s clear that Tsumugi would like that, but to the end, this is the story of a father and daughter and how they have stuck together after the loss of someone they love. I enjoyed it very much. – Michelle Smith

Takane & Hana, Vol. 9 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – I know it’s contrived and rather over-the-top, but the meddling chairman forcing his grandson and the Nonomura family to live together really works for me. In order to convince Takane to go along with it, Hana has to honestly confess that she wants to live with him, something she later reiterates to Okamon, who is very worried about her whole situation and finally ends up confessing. I’m not sure Hana and Takane are really getting closer—for every sweet study session there’s a misguided, extravagant bedroom redecoration—but the whole setup does at least put a fresh spin on their arrangement and provides, in the chairman’s words, “a place for you two to become certain about each other.” This series continues to be a lot of fun. – Michelle Smith

Arakawa Under the Bridge, Vol. 6 | By Hikaru Nakamura | Vertical Comics – There’s an extra metatextual level of weird at the start of this volume of Arakawa. Did Rec really go to Venus and meet with Nino’s parents, in scenes that are bizarre even for this super-bizarre series? Or did Rec merely go to Hawaii and is putting up an act? Elsewhere, Santa is coming, provided we can stop Sister burning everything down to stop him, P-Ko may literally be some sort of vegetable, the Mayor is pregnant, possibly to inspire some fanfics about him, and we learn the hilariously tragic(?) story of Rec’s birth. For a series that was supposedly ending soon in the last volume, things are back to their normal silly and somewhat nonsensical ways. I still say this works better in a magazine as short chapters. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 19 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Having endured a rather harrowing experience for the last few books, we’re still not ready to go back to villains just yet. Also, Eri’s still recovering, and can’t smile. What better way to fix this than a school festival arc! Jirou can sing! Bakugou can play the angriest drums ever! Mina can dance! And Izuku can be a gofer, which as always leads him to run into the actual plot, in this case with a group of mild-mannered villains who are determined to ruin the festival (which, the principal has explained will be totally shut down if there’s even one suggestion of an attack). Can he stop them? Can he make it back to the show in time? And can Eri learn to actually enjoy things again? I love this series. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 10 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – Emma and the other human occupants of Goldy Pond continue their rebellion against the demon quintet that regularly hunts them for sport. Three teams of kids are tackling four of the demons while Emma is tasked with stalling the most ruthless one who is actually kind of, God help me, elegant. Certainly the most fascinating demon character we’ve seen so far, even if he is bloodthirsty. Predictably, things don’t go according to plan and it’s looking like some of the humans aren’t going to make it. It’s too bad that I don’t care more, really, but Emma hasn’t been there long and we don’t really know these kids. The few flashbacks to their backstory don’t help much. That said, it’s very action-packed and exciting with a really satisfying final scene that still manages to be a cliffhanger. Looking forward to volume eleven! – Michelle Smith

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 7 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – This may be the best volume yet. At the start we’re still going with the premise of Syalis trying to get a good night’s sleep (even if it means her death), but the bulk of it has her returning home in order to get her woolen underwear, with the Demon Lord and associate coming with in vain hopes that this will be simple and that they won’t be discovered. The most wonderful hijinks ensue. We also meet Syalis’ mother, who is (as the manga spells out) a mellow version of her daughter, and she sees what’s going on but is perfectly happy to let Syalis return with the demons if that’s what she wants. For a gag comic that’s supposed to have one joke, this was really well-developed. – Sean Gaffney

10 Dance, Vol. 3 | By Inouesatoh | Kodansha Comics – 10 Dance is really shaping up to be one of the best BL manga I’ve ever read. Did you enjoy Future Lovers? Read this series. Sugiki and Suzuki have developed a routine of dancing all night in a snowy park, each time learning more about each other until Sugiki reveals something unflattering about himself and realizes how much he doesn’t want Suzuki to hate him just as Suzuki realizes how worried Sugiki is about that, culminating with super dramatic big smoochies on a train. They’re falling in love slowly and still confused about what it all means, and man, I’m here for it. Plus, there’s all sorts of dance training going on, with Suzuki getting fired up to compete internationally and Sugiki arranging for him to get instruction from another standard master, all the while thinking, “I don’t want to give him away to anyone.” It’s so good! – Michelle Smith

We Never Learn, Vol. 4 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media -The series continues to be well-crafted and likeable but as predictable as anything, with not one but two reset buttons to assure that the status quo continues. This isn’t too surprising—fourth volumes are always hard for Jump series, as it’s the first volume past the “you’re cancelled” risk—but it can make things a little trying if you don’t like pure harem comedy hilarity. We also get a new cast member, as Nariyuki runs into a short, cute girl at his cram school who turns out to be older than him—and she has the same situation as the other female leads, trying to get into medical school despite her talents being elsewhere. Certainly I prefer the teasing she gives him to the ongoing attempts to add the teacher to the harem, which bleah. – Sean Gaffney

Yuri Is My Job!, Vol. 3 | By miman | Kodansha Comics – Well, the volume didn’t QUITE end with Kanoko knifing someone, but it’s not for lack of trying. She is obsessed to a terrifying degree, and is thus at odds with Sumika, who is trying to point out that the yuri cafe does not need to get actual romantic feelings involved in it… something she knows from past bitter experience. There’s also the whole fact of her being a “gyaru” type outside the cafe, which creeps Kanoko out. It’s all heading to a climax, but that climax is not in this book, so instead we get a lot of simmering. Actually, I’m finding these two more interesting than the main leads, who are dealing with a somewhat rigged popularity contest, as well as still being uncomfortable around each other. Potboiler, but good. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 15 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – The tournament arc wraps up, and the winning team is not really a surprise—Asta may be the hero, but he’s not ready to be a winner just yet. That said, he does get to be a Royal Knight because he showed off his skills—along with Noelle and Luck. This means they get to fight against the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Meanwhile, back at the Black Bulls HQ, a new enemy appears, and almost everyone is away except for the most socially awkward of the group. Fortunately, we meet a new member of the group who’s a … ghost? House? Whatever he is, the fight that follows is visually very, very clever. Black Clover is still Jump‘s answer to Fairy Tail, but it’s almost standing on its own by now. – Sean Gaffney

Kino’s Journey, Vol. 2 | By Iruka Shiomiya, based on the novels by Keiishi Sigsawa | Vertical Comics – A word of warning as we get into Kino proper: it’s not the subtlest series in the world. It has a message, and you are going to get that message. This is not to say that I did not very much enjoy this dark little volume, but this is very much a case of “well, it can’t get more horrifying than it already is—oh wait, yes, it can.” At first we see a city with one survivor in it, and learn how majority rule led to its extinction. Then we see a city which is filled with peace—provided you don’t live in the village outside its borders. Kino and Hermes travel through this, making occasional pointed comments but mostly acting as observers who want to get the hell away. Very good. – Sean Gaffney

Love in Focus, Vol. 2 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – The most interesting thing to me about this volume is seeing Kei instantly regret telling Mitsuru to back off at the cliffhanger to last volume, as it pretty much wasn’t needed at the time, and eventually has the opposite effect. The group goes off to a vacation home for a good portion of the volume, and we see Mitsuru and Mako get closer, as well as some flashbacks that show off how Mako is not merely dense when it comes to romance, but danger in general—seeing her hanging off a ledge to get a good shot was mind-boggling. I was a bit disappointed with the Saionji subplot, which cried out for “they’re a guy” as the answer, but no, it was “they’re married to my brother.” This is still pretty good. – Sean Gaffney

Love in Focus, Vol. 2 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – I was annoyed with Kei for his possessiveness in the first volume, which renders me even more impressed that Nogiri-sensei manages to flesh him out into a sympathetic character in this one. By having him experience another spate of panic over how close Mako and Amemura seem to be getting, followed by another impulsive declaration (this time telling Mako that he likes her), his warning Amemura away in the previous volume is revealed to be another instance of this same behavior rather than any kind of entitled assholery. Indeed, this volume establishes how very important Mako is to Kei and how he has loved her for a really long time. I thought her ending up with Amemura was a foregone conclusion, but now I’m not so sure. Once again, I end up liking one of Nogiri’s works more than I initially thought I would. – Michelle Smith

Popocomi, Vol. 1 | Published by Eriko Obayashi | Popotame – Between Mejiro and Ikebukuro in Tokyo is an art gallery and bookshop called Popotame, described as “a place full of unique things hard to find anywhere else” by its manager Eriko Obayashi. One of Popotame’s projects is Popocomi, an anthology series featuring artists, illustrators, and designers who also release independent manga. For the 2019 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, fourteen manga published in the original Popocomi collections were selected to be released in English. I found the resulting anthology to be consistently delightful as well as occasionally surreal. And since it’s titled Popocomi 1, I’m hopeful that more will be translated in the future. The volume doesn’t really have an overarching theme or subject, although space and/or aliens happen to be present in a fair number of the stories. The style and tone of the short manga vary as well, but that range is one of the reasons the collection is so satisfying. – Ash Brown

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 3 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – This series isn’t We Never Learn, where you can at least rely on each of the girls being geniuses at something. These five are genuinely not very good at studying or test-taking—which is a problem given that their father sets mid-terms as a drop-dead date—if they don’t pass, Futaro stops being their tutor. This despite the fact that he’s making serious inroads—not in their grades, but getting to know each of them better. There may also be some mysterious past going on here, as Nino briefly wonders why she recognizes a blond guy from a photo—my money’s on our hero, frankly. Will they bond further on a camping trip? Now that they can actually go… This is cute. – Sean Gaffney

Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 3 | By Aki Irie | Viz Media – This is so gorgeous and well-drawn that I am almost tempted to continue to read it despite the fact that I spent the entire time screaming at the pages in rage and anger. But not quite. From the dream-sequence first chapter, where Ran tries to rescue Otaro from his bugs and he rewards her by trying to sexually assault her, to a chapter where Ran’s brother, who seems to be in heat, cannot keep it in his pants (and does not seem to get how much Sango likes him), to the final chapters, where Ran (upset at Sango being “taken away” by Jin), runs off to live with Otaro, who still doesn’t know how young she really is and thus this turns into a cavalcade of NOPE. This series, in the end, really makes me wish the author was drawing something else. (Which they are!) – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 10 | By Aya Kanno | VIZ Media – Rumors have been spreading about Richard’s body and Buckingham is determined to learn the truth. Before he can do so, Edward suddenly dies, setting off a whole lot of Woodville scheming for the throne. Richard is determined to defend the Plantagenet line, but when Buckingham literally lays bare his secret, Richard finally admits that he wants the crown for himself. By the end of the volume, Richard and Buckingham have embarked on a twisted sexual relationship and Richard is installed as regent, with only the princes standing between him and the throne. We’re heading into the most infamous part of Richard III’s history and I eagerly anticipate seeing what Kanno does with it. Coldly ambitious Richard is a sight to see, too. Such a great series! – Michelle Smith

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 6 | By Maybe | Yen Press – Is this book about saving the kingdom and getting stronger, or is it about which girl gets to have her virginity taken by Satou? Honestly, it can’t quite make up its mind, and I sort of which it would lean one way or the other. The girl on the cover is NOT a new Ring Princess, but instead Hime’s little sister, who stayed behind to learn magic while Hime was off in another world, and is here to teach it to her big sister like it or not. There’s definitely need for it, sa the evil Abyss King also has a bunch of rings that make him stronger, and now I wonder if there will be EVIL ring princesses. Meanwhile, Satou and Hime… still aren’t getting any. But they’re close. For a harem manga, this is decent. – Sean Gaffney

Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal in Another World, Vol. 1 | By Kakeru | Seven Seas – This was another “I’ll get the first volume, how bad could it be?” sort of book. The answer is pretty bad, at least for readers of my taste. That said, for those in the market this is aiming for, Creature Girls must be a dream come true. A monster girl story with actual coitus, as well as deep down analysis of the girls’ bodies, almost to the point of parody. The plot is the standard “guy transported to fantasy world” stuff, and there’s a few mentions made of battles against enemies that he helps them with. But the target reader is not here for that. He is here to see monster girls show off their boobs, swear they’re 18, and get screwed. This book gives that to you, in spades. I’ll pass on future volumes. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 32 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Oh boy, more full volumes of volleyball. They sure do (punches fist in air) PLAY that volleyball, huh? OK, OK, let me see… the twins’ backstory was quite good, and I enjoyed the end, where we see more of Hinata’s growth to the point where Tsukishima even praises him, as much as Tsukishima is ever going to praise anyone. And credit to the author, 32 volumes in, for continuing to find ways to not make volleyball boring. There are great poses and a fast pace which reminds you why this is such a popular series. The pace is not fast enough that the game is over, though, and I’m fairly sure that the next volume will have me groping for words once more. It’s a good series, though. – Sean Gaffney

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 1 | By Hirohiko Araki| Viz Media – Ten years after the final battle between Dio and Jotaro in Cairo, the fourth part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure returns to Japan. In the first volume of Diamond Is Unbreakable, Jotaro has come to the town of Morioh to investigate a series of crimes and to search for Josuke Higashikata, his uncle and the illegitimate son of his grandfather Joseph Joestar. When Jotaro finds Josuke he discovers a high schooler with a very powerful Stand and a hair-trigger temper (both literally and figuratively) to go with it, a potentially dangerous combination. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure continues to be a violent and grotesque series—the human and animal cruelty present will be too much for some readers—but I continue to love it for its strangeness, over-the-top action sequences, and ridiculous characters. Josuke in particular is one of those delinquents with a heart of gold that brings me tremendous delight. – Ash Brown

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 3 | By Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma | Viz Media – I’m wondering how much of this series is going to be Aoi healing people’s hearts through the power of delicious food. Oryo spends most of the volume sick (well, the impression is she’s also hiding), but even she will eat Aoi’s food. We also get backstory on Suzuran and Akatsuki, and take a trip back to Japan so that Suzuran can pay her respects to the late Shiro, and also stay behind. It’s a perfect opportunity for Aoi to stay behind as well, something her captor knows only too well, but she chooses to return anyway. This series looks pretty slow burn, so I think the food may outweigh the romance for a while yet. But I’m OK with that. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 9 | By Canno | Yen Press – Half this volume is Yukine and Ayaka, who are coming to realize that “winning” or “losing” is not the be-all and end-all of their relationship. Good thing too, as Ayaka finally wins. Elsewhere, we see a girl who’s a repeater (she was injured and couldn’t get attendance credits), so is something of a loner, but also a cosplayer. She ends up falling for a younger, puppy-dog sort of girl, but it’s hard to get over putting people at a distance, so they end up breaking up quickly. But is it really over? This volume frames the “main” pairing right in the middle, with the ‘volume’ pairing as a bookend, and it woks very well. Next volume is the last, so I suspect it will be all Ayaka and Yukine. – Sean Gaffney

Little Witch Academia, Vol. 3 | By Trigger, Yoh Yoshinari and Keisuke Sato | JY – The spinoff comes to an end here, and there’s no real climactic finale—they have to win a flying contest against another school, but Diana is ill, so Akko tries her hardest (and mostly fails) and succeeds in the end, because she’s just that plucky. In the end, I think this spinoff probably works best for the groups it’s marketed for—kids and those who watched the anime. I wasn’t as fond of it as I was the other ones, as it’s clear that any character development is going to be in the main series. But as an advertisement for the main series, it’s excellent—I certainly would like to see more of everyone. Something to get your niece for her birthday—at three volumes, it’s even affordable. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 16 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Every new volume of the series after its first “ending” seems to be designed to annoy me—something that also befell the very similar Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, if I recall. As the cover might give away, this volume doubles down on the teacher-student romance between Akari (who has at least appeared a lot) and Sakurada, best known as the least developed one of Those Three Guys, who looks much older than he is, which I guess is supposed to take the curse off the creepiness but doesn’t. Elsewhere, there is still some good comedy—I particularly liked the chapter with the supermarket sale—but more and more it appears this should have ended with the mutual confession. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 16 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – Still far too serious, and now faced with Saitama barely being in it. Certainly if you like cool fights it’s a good read, but I can get that from a dozen other manga titles. I read this for silliness, and that’s in short supply here. I did like the idea of the superhero “Megane,” who is pretty much just a guy with glasses. There’s also some good development from Garo, whose analysis is top tier, but who sadly is a bit too focused on the wrong things. But then again so are the A-rank heroes—there’s a fair bit of hypocrisy here. At least Genos knows what’s what, and we also get the return of Bang, who has a grudge of his own. It looks like Saitama will show up soon, and thank goodness. Who needs a totally serious One-Punch Man? – Sean Gaffney

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 15 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – Revolution is approaching as the most senior of Iesada’s ministers signs a trade treaty with America without waiting for Imperial approval. This fellow silences his detractors with harsh punishments and winds up assassinated by the end of the volume for his trouble. Meanwhile, the pregnant Iesada has evidently been gotten out of the way by somebody, but it’s unclear who, leaving her bereaved consort Taneatsu in the dark about her demise for a full month. Now he’s doing his best to guide her clever successor, who has just been married to an Imperial prince. She was concerned about deceiving the emperor, since the shogunate’s part of the deal was to oust foreigners, but a big reveal in the final pages proves they’re the ones who’ve been deceived. Still great, if sad. Poor Taneatsu. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 3 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The danger is ramped up a lot more in this volume, which also comes with the return of a familiar face from the Progressive series. When it comes to “NPCs can surpass their programming,” no one’s done it more often than SAO, with the current Alicization arc being all about that. Kizmel was (storywise, at least) first, though, and it’s heartwarming to see Kirito and Asuna reunite with her, even if she doesn’t know who they are. That said, this side story is still all about Premiere, who has a role that she is clearly there to fulfill… and also there’s more than one of her? Not for casuals, but SAO fans should find this a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 11 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The joy of our whole team of six catching up with one another is tempered by the reminder that there can be only one winner of this race… and that the others are going to drop back and fail. It’s a hard lesson for Onoda to absorb, and by the end of the book he’s still struggling to. The rest of the book is filled with the most manly cycling ever, fortunately, and I have to say pound-for-pound this series even manages to out-shonen the Jump titles. That said, holy hell, this is a long race, and we’re still not done. Sports manga go on forever, and nothing says that better than this omnibus, which equates to vols. 21-22 of the original. I hope Sohoku eventually wins. And by that I mean Onoda. – Sean Gaffney

Anne Happy, Vol. 9 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – This is the second-to-last volume, but while there are a few hints of plot (Hibari’s family is lampshaded a bit), for the most part it’s devoted to another test of “happiness,” this time by a VR environment that causes everyone to resemble children. Given our main cast already know each other and are pretty good friends, the stakes are honestly pretty low, and there’s a bit less “everyone is useless” here—I don’t even think Botan coughed up blood once. It does make it feel like this is a series that needs to come to an end, though, which is why it’s good that it’s about to. If you’ve been following Anne Happy, this is a pleasant enough volume, and there’s no reason to stop just before the end. – Sean Gaffney

Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey, Vol. 1 | By Akiko Higashimura | Seven Seas – I’d loved everything by Higashimura that I’d previously read—Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls—so I was looking forward to the release of the award-winning Blank Canvas a great deal. After reading the first volume I can confidently declare that I’m still enamored with Higashimura’s work. Blank Canvas is an autobiographical series in which Higashimura, now a successful manga creator, reflects back upon her early days as an artist. The first volume shows her in high school as she’s preparing to apply for art school, a somewhat daunting challenge since up until that point she’d largely been coasting through her clubs and classes. Determined to become a famous shojo creator, she enrolls in a community art program, the teacher of which isn’t about to let her get away with slacking off. Told with Higashimura’s characteristic mix of humor, heart, and honesty, Blank Canvas is a tremendously engaging manga. – Ash Brown

Dr. STONE, Vol. 5 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Tempted as I am to just copy/paste my review of the fourth volume here, I will try to say something new. It’s hard, though, as the same two things I spoke about last time are focused on this time. Senku is very invested in science, but it’s a ridiculous shonen kind of science. Also, ridiculous is the order of the day elsewhere, as this series really goes over the top in everything it does. Thankfully, the tournament arc doesn’t last too long. The winner may surprise you, unless you’ve read any other shonen manga ever. I admit I laughed at Ruri’s sprint across the village. But we’re getting a backstory flashback as well, as Ruri knows Senku’s last name. How? We’ll find out next time. – Sean Gaffney

Eve and Eve | By Nagashiro Rouge | Seven Seas – Between Seven Seas and Yen Press, we’re getting quite a few yuri anthologies in 2019. This one is a collection of yuri-themed stories by the same artist, and the title comes from the first of these. They’re fairly explicit—Seven Seas actually labeled the title Mature, something they rarely do—and a few of them range towards science fiction. Two of them also involve getting pregnant in a handwavey sort of way, and in fact those ran in “Yuri Pregnancies” in Japan, which I assume is an anthology and not a magazine. There was nothing earth-shaking in here, but nothing truly bad either. If you like yuri, and don’t mind that it gets sexual (or the magical pregnancies), it’s a good volume to pick up. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 32 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – Karasuno’s game against Inarizaki continues in (and beyond) this volume. The plot = “volleyball,” but that allows Furudate’s artistry to shine. Getting caught up in the drama of who will win is unavoidable, but I also marvel at the skill with which Furudate fleshes out the opposing team and imbues moments of individual victory with significance. For example, I loved when terminal bench-warmer Kinoshita thinks he’s missed his chance at heroism only to be credited by Nishinoya for helping him practice a move that pays off on the court. And I especially loved when Hinata not only manages to perfectly return an intimidating serve but proves so defensively competent that even Tsukushima comes to rely on him. That’s major progress! I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

Hitorijime My Hero, Vol. 3 | By Memeco Arii | Kodansha Comics – I’m happy to report that Hitorijime My Hero has improved a lot since its first volume, which left me with some trepidations. In this volume, Masahiro’s friends find out about his relationship with Kousuke and one reacts badly, though it’s mostly coming from a place of feeling like he was the last to know something so important. Starting with volume two, Kousuke has been worried that Masahiro might focus on him instead of his “youth,” so he gives some good advice that helps them sort things out. I also appreciated that Kousuke’s friends are really concerned about his choices and grill Masahiro a bit to find out how much of a threat he poses. No, Kousuke doesn’t actually get arrested—although one of his friends is a cop, he’s an absolutely useless cretin—but it’s nice that it’s acknowledged that he could be. I’ll keep reading. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 8 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – After the plot-filled seventh volume, we’re back to wacky gag chapters in this book. Which is good, as this series does comedy well. It’s still working Ino into the fun, but even when the humor is based around a Japanese concept (one chapter talks about collecting bellmarks, which helpfully is so old in Japan that it’s explained in the text) there’s still laughs. My favorite chapter might be the one where Chika tries to tell Kaguya about the one she likes, and paranoia makes everything so much worse (and also reveals Chika is well aware of Kaguya’s ambiguity towards her). As for our lead couple, well, even Kaguya literally collapsing and going to the hospital can’t stop the laughs—or get them together. Great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 6 | By Afro | Yen Press – There’s some actual character development here, though for the most part the series still runs on ‘cuties camping’ for all its attention. Nadeshiko has been sort of the airhead of the group for most of the series, and I was expecting her desire to own the camping lantern to be blown up in some way, but no—she gets a part-time job, is decent at it, and buys the lamp. The author even toys with us, having her trip and almost break the lamp, but then catching it. What’s more, she wants to try solo camping. Hopefully her camping goes better than Inuko, Aki and Ena, who try a cold-weather campout and thankfully don’t die—though they need a little help to avoid it. This is getting better as it goes on. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 10 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – I never thought I’d say this, but this is actually a pretty sedate volume of Murcielago. Oh sure, Kuroko finds a new girl she wants to seduce, and there’s some naked bathing, but there’s no sex in this one. Even the violence is relatively behind-the-scenes here, though I have a feeling the volume after this will take things up a notch. We’re at a fishing village with a dark secret at the local church, one that’s led to an awful lot of dead people being eaten by sharks. And, of course, Kuroko’s new girl turns out to be the key to it all—or rather, the rosary left to her by her late father is. Will Kuroko and Hinako save the day? Can Suiren avoid getting seduced? Likely no to that second one, but that’s what makes Murcielago what it is. – Sean Gaffney

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 1 | By Yuhki Kamatani | Seven Seas – Tasuku Kaname has recently transferred to a new high school. His classmates are friendly enough, but soon a rumor starts circulating that he’s gay. Tasuku is quick to deny it, though the truth is he’s struggling to come to terms with his sexuality since it carries such a large social stigma. It’s only after he meets and learns the stories of several other people who are likewise not straight that Tasuku starts to feel less isolated and is able begin to accept himself. The fear, anxiety, and agony that results from not being able to freely live true to oneself both inwardly and outwardly is exceptionally well-conveyed by Kamatani in Our Dreams at Dusk. But while the first volume is at times heartbreaking, it’s also not without hope. Emotionally intense and tear-inducing for both sorrowful and joyful reasons, Our Dreams at Dusk is off to an incredibly compelling start. – Ash Brown

A Strange & Mystifying Story, Vol. 7 | By Tsuta Suzuki | SuBLime – And so, A Strange & Mystifying Story comes to an end. I could quibble with some aspects of this finale, like how Tsumugi convinced grief-stricken Magawa to give up on his destructive quest with ease to spare, but since it led to a happy ending for all concerned, I’m not going to argue with it. There are some great moments between Tsumugi and Kurayori, especially a tearful and relieved two-page hug once the effect of Magawa’s spell is reversed, and I adored their first love scene. It’s fumbling and awkward and loving and entirely about the characters. It felt necessary and not gratuitous. This series stumbled a little in the beginning but I’m glad I kept with it because from the third volume on, it became something special. I recommend it highly. – Michelle Smith

DIVE!!, Vol. 2 | By Eto Mori and Ruzuru Akashiba | Yen Press – DIVE!! is not a bad series, but it really needs to slow down and breathe a bit. If we just had more time to get to know these characters, then Tomoki reconciling with his friends, or losing his girlfriend to his younger brother, or making peace with the sacrifices he’s got to make in order to get better at diving would probably mean something. But as it is, everything just moves on too briskly. Tomoki mopes for a couple of weeks across the span of a few pages, and then before you know it, it’s time for the meet that decides which three competitors get to attend a training camp in Beijing. Unfortunately, unlike most sports manga, this one is extremely short. It ends in the next volume, in fact, so we’re likely never going to feel anything for this story that might’ve been so much better. Too bad. – Michelle Smith

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 9 | By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – Golden Kamuy honestly requires a reread every time there’s a new volume, and I found myself getting lost at times. The funny part of the book involves Shiraishi’s backstory of escaping from prisons, which is truly ludicrous in the best Golden Kamuy way. More serious involves our heroes arriving at an Ainu village that may not be as Ainu as they’d like to pretend, and it has Asirpa being clever (and unfortunately getting captured) and Sugimoto getting angry, though not as angry as the caged bear that gets loose right near the end. Golden Kamuy tends to run on mood as much as plot, and so I continue to enjoy the series even as I wonder how long it’s going to stretch out its main plotline. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 5 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – While Hakumei may deny that she’s married to Mikochi as they’re both girls, the series remains quite content to treat them as a couple anyway, as we see Mikochi trying to endure fishing even though she doesn’t like it because Hakumei loves it, and the two of them going on a long trip to try to meet Hakumei’s old mentor. I also really liked the Halloween episode, with everyone trying to scare the kids and lots of fake vampire teeth. There’s never going to be much of a plot to this, so it helps that all the characters are so much fun to read about, even when they’re just doing normal everyday tasks—which is most of the time. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 6 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – Last time I mentioned that Takaya did not seem to be all that into Ayumi, despite their fake relationship, and in this volume we see why, and as a word of warming it might annoy some people. Stepsibling love is a thing in Japan, and to the manga’s credit, it seems unlikely to consummate that love. Plus Ayumi is awesome—I could read about her all day. In the meantime, we have our main couple… or are they a couple? There are still some mixed signals going on, but it looks like Kai and Riko are finally a couple, and can go on adorable dates with each other. This is the shoujiest of shoujo manga, but I’m loving it more with each ongoing volume, and am happy there’s a lot more to go. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 35 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – The majority of this volume of Magi involves a lot of debating about the nature of fate vs. freedom of choice, and how we can allow humanity to choose when they might choose evil. It’s given art that’s filled with cool pew pew light show battles, but if you’re not interested in philosophy, this volume might bore you. The highlight is showing us the immediate aftermath of Alibaba getting killed a few books back, and how he managed to come back from that. The motion of “heaven” served up here may not appeal to everyone, but as the series speeds towards its climax, it’s still holding my interest. That said, I hope for a bit less debate club next time around. – Sean Gaffney

Nyankees, Vol. 2 | By Atsushi Okada | Yen Press – I didn’t want to give up on Nyankees so I came back for one more volume. And I do think it has improved. It’s true that the basic plot is still pretty boring: Ryuusei, the tough new tabby in town, is searching for a calico tom who used to be his closest buddy before suddenly turning on him. Intel leads to one tough calico boss, who turns out to be female. She’s so impressed with Ryuusei that she offers to bear him a litter, causing her subordinates to immediately begin grooming themselves in agitation, and it’s this sort of thing that has improved. Cat jokes. Another fun moment is when they have a fish scraps and catnip spree in the park that turns into a kitty dance party in the moonlight. I can forgive a lot if there’s sufficient whimsy, so I’ll be back for volume three. – Michelle Smith

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 5 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – As you might gather by the cover, there’s a lot of backstory for our chief “villain” here, showing us how he got to be so close to the King and why he’s so dead set against Sariphi. Meanwhile, a ceremony is in danger because the King is in his human form… and can’t change back! This could spell disaster, but luckily, we have the power of Sariphi’s shininess, which even begins to thaw Anubis by the end of this book, though he’s still determined to find some sort of fault with her eventually. If you’re looking for shoujo fantasy, this remains a highly underrated series. Plus His Majesty looks pretty glorious in all his naked beast form posing. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 6 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – This was another strong volume in this very funny series, and my joy these days comes from seeing the expression on Syalis’ face every time she tries something amazingly stupid, and the minion’s looks of horror. Here we see her escaping to the human world so that she can get another fancy sleeping pillow, and the chaos that follows then the main demons escort her. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the Princess has no desire whatsoever to return, if only as she can continue to torture everyone as much as she likes in the Demon Castle. This remains hilarious fun, though it’s best not to take any of it too seriously, or you may find Syalis appalling. – Sean Gaffney

Species Domain, Vol. 6 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – I like Dowa better with the beard, but dwarf beards (and mustaches) make up a large part of this volume of the series, where we see how far Dowa will go to try to stay attractive in her not-quite-boyfriend’s eyes. Meanwhile, the current sort-of-student council is looking for replacements, and comes across our main cast. That said, the roles they’ll be filling are… not quite what you’d expect. I admit I was not thrilled with the new character Kuroki, who hits a few tropes that I’m not particularly fond of. But for the most part this is still fun and goofy, and a good recommendation of a monster people series that doesn’t rely on fanservice. – Sean Gaffney

Wandering Island, Vol. 2 | By Kenji Tsuruta | Dark Horse Comics – For a series with relatively little plot, Wandering Island still has plenty of mystery. It’s a very atmospheric work almost entirely carried by the strength of Tsuruta’s art. In fact, there’s barely any dialogue at all in the second volume. Mikura manages to relocate Electric Island and, after more or less getting herself stranded there, begins to explore the island and its less than welcoming community. It’s peculiar, but engaging, and Tsuruta’s illustrations are striking, conveying a marvelous sense of wonder and place. The volume concludes with a lengthy essay by Dark Horse editor Carl Gustav Horn describing the history of manga publishing practices in North America, comparing them to those of the Japanese manga industry—included mostly, it seems, to explain why it will probably be a while before the next installment of Wandering Island will be released in English. Whenever that is, I’ll definitely be picking it up. – Ash Brown

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 14 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Last time I wondered if Arpeggio of Blue Steel really was going to become a high school series, and it’s certainly trying its best, with a School Festival arc in the offing. That said, the tone of the series is still very much Tom Clancy, with much of the volume taken up by I-402’s negotiation with retired general Ryokan on behalf of the Fog. Meanwhile, we also get a flashback as to how Gunzou started all this in the first place (Iona basically forced it on him, but it doesn’t take much pushing), and start to see pieces shifting into position for the next big battle. Will that battle take place at the school? It might start there, but my guess is we’ll be back to the Navy before long. Still underrated. – Sean Gaffney

Crocodile Baron, Vol. 3 | By Takuya Okada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Crocodile Baron comes to an end without evolving much since volume two. Alfardo and Rabbit Boy run into the former’s bad older brother, who seemingly turns his life around after eating some ramen. Alfardo eats spicy curry with a desperate warthog and possibly saves his marriage. Rabbit Boy hates Christmas because it’s his birthday and buys a cake from a camel. A lovelorn elephant filmmaker finds his muse and eats pond smelts. They have an Okinawan adventure during which Rabbit Boy nearly drowns. Honestly, I cared about no one and found it all boring. If there had been more emphasis on the food, I might’ve felt differently, but this was a big ol’ yawn banquet. – Michelle Smith

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World!, Vol. 3 | By Riku Misora and Kotaro Yamada | Yen Press – Again, I beg the authors for a character sheet. There are quite a number of interesting things going on in this volume, but I suspect the reader may have trouble finding them among all the bouncing boobs. The fanservice is laid on with a shovel here, and can be hard to take. That said, there’s a nice scene with Tsukasa and Lyrule where she berates him for feeling guilty over not prioritizing saving her. The bulk of the serious plot goes to Shinobu and Elch, gathering intel at a seemingly friendly village with a very dark secret. Fortunately (assuming that it’s not a double cross), she may also have come across the resistance. Too many boobs spoiling the pie, alas. – Sean Gaffney

How to Treat Magical Beasts, Vol. 3 | By Kaziya | Seven Seas – Lest we try to run on “the sweet and heartwarming adventures of a vet” for too long, this volume introduces a smiling maybe-villain-maybe-not, who helps Ziska with a cat’s injury and then takes her way out into danger to attend to a wounded Greif, because no series with apprentices and magic is quite complete without a test to see if they’ve got the right stuff. I assume Ziska does have the right stuff, but we’re caught up to Japan, so it may be a while till we find out. In more sweet news, that is one adorable gargoyle, and I’m happy it’s found a friend. Seven Seas has carved out a genre niche with these types of series, and I quite enjoy it. – Sean Gaffney

Mob Psycho 100, Vol. 2 | By ONE | Dark Horse – I keep wanting to call this MPD Psycho, but that is something very different. This is the story of an unassuming boy named Shigeo Kageyama who possesses super powers but wants to live without relying on them. This challenges the worldview of another superpowered boy named Teru, who spends two-thirds of the volume flinging his power at Kageyama in order to make him fight back. (Kageyama is resolute that he won’t use his powers against another person.) The anger meter appears again (with a fun gag about how Teru’s exorcism of Mob’s sycophantic spirit companion doesn’t actually change it at all) and only when his life is in true peril does Kageyama reach “???%.” Will he wreak havoc in the next volume? The story’s definitely getting more interesting, but I’m still not in love with the art. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 4 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court | Viz Media – This gets better with each volume. I had not realized that the Vigilantes series takes place a few years before the main series (though the authors cheat (and say so) for the extra side story). I had suspected that Knuckleduster was somehow connected with the villains, but that connection turns out to be much closer than imagined, and leads to possibly the best fight of the series. Meanwhile, Pop Step finds her confidence and does something only she can do to help out. All this and one of the most horrific images in the manga to date (which also made me wonder if the authors had seen a certain meme about bees). This has become essential. – Sean Gaffney

My Pink Is Overflowing, Vol. 1 | By Yuki Monou | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I bought this hoping it would be hilariously trashy, and for the most part it was. The premise has a girl who’s tired of being screwed over by pick-up artists decide she’s only going to date virgins from now on… then find out that her boss, seemingly an overly serious taskmaster, is one! They enter into a relationship so fast it boggles the mind, especially since their first kiss is interrupted by her having an orgasm as she does it. At its heart, this is a “ditzy girl/serious guy” title with a decent heart, but the girl can get very over the top at times, and the series seems to want to go as far as it can while keeping the hero a virgin. Plus there’s that title. For fans of Cosplay Animal. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 4 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – It has to be said, a lot of the teasing that’s going on here is Takagi-san being as obvious and blatant as she possibly can that she loves Nishitaka. You’d have to be a brick—or a male protagonist—not to get it, and indeed sometimes it’s so blatant he almost shows sings of figuring it out. But this is a long-running series, and resolution just isn’t in the cards right now. So we get Takagi-san visiting his room, playing poker, chasing cute cats, and getting each other’s emails so that now she can tease him whenever she wants to (and have cute photos of her on his phone). Everyone else in their class knows they’re going out. Most of what they do qualifies as a date. But… so dense. Love this series. – Sean Gaffney

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – Even before it was licensed in English, Witch Hat Atelier was a series that had caught my attention, in large part due to Shirahama’s gorgeous, sumptuous artwork, but also because my Japanese-reading friends spoke so highly of it. At times, the exposition is a little heavy-handed in the first volume as the premise of the the world’s history and magic are introduced. (I expect this to become less of an issue as the series progresses.) However, the explanations are regularly incorporated in a way that makes sense—Coco, the story’s heroine, is also new to the basics and she’s learning right alongside the readers. Coco is a young woman who has always been fascinated by magic not realizing that she has a natural talent for it. Unfortunately, the initial budding of her magical skills ends in tragedy as she hasn’t had the training needed to fully understand or control them. – Ash Brown

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 11 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – No, the Inter High still hasn’t come to an end, but this is still a pretty satisfying volume, what with all the inspirational performances and teary appreciation of same! Watanabe does a good job getting readers to root for Hakone, too, and we learn why Arakita is so motivated to propel Fukutomi to the finish line, right before he runs out of speed. Yes, it’s a harsh truth that all six members of Sohoku aren’t able to ride together for long. The first-years prepare themselves to make the sacrifice for their teammates, but that isn’t how it turns out at all. I was fully expecting that Kinjou would be the one to win this, given his experience in the previous year’s competition, and was honestly surprised when he’s sidelined by injury. I suppose the next book will wrap things up but I kinda don’t even remember what this series is like when it’s not the Inter High! – Michelle Smith

Yuri Is My Job!, Vol. 2 | By miman | Kodansha Comics – Now that Hime is aware of who Mitsuki was in her past, everything is terribly awkward, and the number of times “she must really hate me” is said in this volume boggles the mind. If you guessed it’s all based on misunderstanding what the other is thinking, give yourself a gold star. For all that Hime tries to be the perfect little sister, it’s only when she’s honest with herself that things really take off in the cafe. I’m hoping that things will improve soon, but there’s also the problem of Kanoko, Hime’s best friend from school whose phone turns out to be entirely devoted to Hime. I dislike the term “yandere,” but I have a sneaking suspicion we’re going to see the tropes that lead to its overuse in the next book. – Sean Gaffney

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 3 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Things get a bit more interesting with the third volume of this series. First of all, we have a potential love interest for Iris, who has not really been thinking about love ever since her exile. That said, he’s more than what he appears, and I suspect once Iris finds this out any love that is happening may hit the side of the road. Meanwhile, we also return to the school she was exiled from, to meet her former love interest and his new fiancee, who… well, let’s just say she’s no Maria Campbell. The book ends with a cliffhanger, as Iris is invited to a royal ball, where she will no doubt be pilloried. Hopefully she can withstand it. I also hope Dean is a good guy. So “I’m an otome villainess” is a huge genre now, huh? – Sean Gaffney

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 4 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – Just because we have had a love epiphany does not mean everything is hunky dory. We’re still getting tastes of Kou’s past, and why he keeps walling himself off from people. His mother’s death hit him hard, and he’s annoyed at Futaba less for being nosy and more for the fact that she’s refusing to be upset by him and pull away. Her resolve to continue to bring him closer to people—even if through the use of righteous violence—is the highlight of the book. There’s also Yuri, who is trying hard to win Kou’s heart but really has gotten there far too late. The end of this volume comes full circle, with Kou inviting Futaba to keep the appointment that they never did years ago. A very well-handled shoujo romance. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 5 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – This series has gradually moved from amusing jokes about Umaru’s double life as a perfect student and a hikki otaku to the family that the core cast are becoming, and while there are still some great punchlines, we’re moving into the “here for the sweet bits” category. Tachibana may not know who Umaru’s alter ego really is, but she’s damn enthusiastic about being the best friend ever, and while I wish Umaru would just come clean, the Christmas ending was really nice. Speaking of which, Ebina has gradually been coming out of her shell, to the point that the cliffhanger of the volume seems to involve her confessing to Taihei. We’re not even halfway through the series, though, so don’t hold your breath. – Sean Gaffney

My Sweet Girl, Vol. 2 | By Rumi Ichinohe | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Tsugumi Koeda is thin and tiny, and never felt she was the sort of person who would get to experience love, but that changed when she met Masamune Sena. In this volume, summer vacation has arrived and Tsugumi and Masamune visit the sea with friends. Then, he gets sick and she makes rice porridge. And then it’s suddenly the school festival and Tsugumi is playing Cinderella. If you think these sound like major shoujo clichés, you’re absolutely correct. I wish I could like My Sweet Girl more, because I appreciate its themes of self-acceptance, but the shoujo-by-the-numbers approach holds me back. For every genuinely cute moment between Tsugumi and Masamune (and I did appreciate that they’re already open about their feelings), there’s a lame trip-and-fall moment or some randomly snide strangers in a coffee shop. I like it enough to keep reading, though, and to continue hoping it improves. – Michelle Smith

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 2 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – As with the first book, it’s hard not to compare this series to Kimi ni Todoke. If the latter had a more laser focus on the main relationship it might seem a bit like this. Ran and Akira slowly grow closer, despite her introversion and second-guessing of herself. There’s a great bit where she helps out at his flower shop, thinking it’s a good opportunity to grow closer, only to castigate herself when she realizes he’s worried about his sick mother. (We also meet the mom—she’s great.) There are also moments of great character humor, such as an athletics festival that ends with a “princess carry,” which you think is going to be triumphant and… isn’t. It’s sweet, though. As is the whole series. – Sean Gaffney

Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection | By Junji Ito | Viz Media – Gathering together thirteen of Ito’s short horror manga in a single, hardcover volume, Smashed is the most recent installment in Viz Media’s ever-expanding catalog of the master creator’s work. A rather disturbing and disturbed individual named Soichi is featured in three of the stories, but otherwise the tales collected in the volume aren’t directly related to one another. But even so, all of the manga work nicely together as an anthology. The Japanese word that has been translated as “smashed” is “kaidan,” a homophone of which gives name to a particular type of ghost story, urban legend, and uncanny tale. I can’t imagine this was an accident since the manga in Smashed either firmly fall within or are strongly reminiscent of the category. Some of the stories are less memorable than the others, but as a whole, Smashed is still a solid collection of engaging horror manga. – Ash Brown

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 9 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Much as this series has been a romantic drama, it’s also looks at the nature of gods and belief, and how easily that can be swayed by the environment, particularly when bad people are helping to do the swaying. The Emperor has been dethroned, the Water God is particularly unpopular right now, and, in the most chilling scene in the book, Kurose’s desire to resurrect his dead little sister figure has been completely papered over with generic “dark evilness”—this is what being dedicated to revenge gets you. There’s only two volumes to go after this one, and I admit I’ve no idea where the ending is going to go. This has become my favorite Rei Toma series. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 3 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Since my last brief, the anime version of We Never Learn has debuted, and having watched it, I think it’s safe to say I prefer its fanservice in print form. The author is sometimes clever in getting us that service—one chapter has everyone hearing that studying in the bath works better, so we see them all bathing, complete with fantasies they’re doing it together. The series continues to balance the romance with the studying, working them together a lot. We have two obvious pairings now, mostly as Fumino is still trying to be a good friend towards the other two—or just hasn’t realized it yet. As for Kirisu-sensei—well, she turns out to be a bit of a disaster… and also has a tragic past. Mildly recommended. – Sean Gaffney

World’s End and Apricot Jam, Vol. 3 | By Rila Kirishima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Anzu finally stops fighting against his feelings for Hina and they start dating. After a chaste month passes, during which they only manage two smooches, Hina returns from a school trip to find Anzu’s apartment empty. It turns out his band has been signed to a major label and their new producer has demanded that Anzu move out of Apricot House and break up with Hina. Anzu continues to date her in secret, however, and the volume ends with them apparently busted. It’s shoujo drama at its finest. What I don’t like are the mixed singles Anzu sends, particularly when he breaks bad for a second and acts out the scenario Hina most fears, in which he tells her it was all just a game to him. He genuinely makes her cry for a moment, and it was kind of shitty. – Michelle Smith

Bloom Into You, Vol. 6 | By Nakatani Nio | Seven Seas – The bulk of this volume is the play, and I was very much reminded of the play in the Kare Kano manga, which filled much the same function. We see a woman wondering which of the “sides” she sees was the real her, and the answer of course is to look forward. It’s really well done, but it’s uncertain how this will affect relationships between Touko and Yuu. We’ve seen Yuu struggle to define how she feels towards Touko—and indeed love in general—and now she seems to have her answer, but it’s not making her very happy. (I do love the brief POV of her older sister, who gives her good advice and resolves to support Yuu whenever she decides to admit it to her family.) Still great. – Sean Gaffney

Chihayafuru, Vol. 16 | By Yuki Suetsugu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Mizusawa has managed to win the team portion of Nationals! Chihaya’s tearful happiness is heart-wrenching, and I loved that she was able to remind Arata of the joys of competing with teammates. She seems to have fractured her right index finger, however, and though she makes it through the first couple of rounds of the individual tournament by playing left-handed, when facing Shinobu she chooses to go with her right. She makes one really impressive play, but then the pain is too much and she loses by a huge margin. Still, she’s made an impression on Shinobu now, and we see how much it would mean to the latter to have a friend her age who doesn’t expect her to go easy on them. Meanwhile, Taichi has made it to the Class B finals and Arata will soon move to Tokyo. Tune in next time! – Michelle Smith

CITY, Vol. 5 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – After a fourth volume with a long-running story, we’re back to brief snapshots in this volume, which means, of course, it’s not quite as good. A lot of gags land. I liked the photography session chapter, as well as the one with the soccer team’s “accidental” ball control. And the names of the Tekaridake Troupe made me giggle. But a lot of this is random for randomness’ sake, and features recurring bits that I’m not as fond of, like the manga artist who is likely meant to be Arawi himself. I suspect he’s trying not to make it too much about the “main trio” as he wants to avoid having it be Nichijou Mk. 2, but the main trio are where the best chapters lie. Still worth reading, but very up and down. – Sean Gaffney

Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, Vol. 4 | By NISIOISIN and Akira Akatsuki | Viz Media – I didn’t brief the second and third volumes of this, but you can likely guess what happens. In this, the final volume, we’re down to the last few survivors. The best part of the book is the section dealing with, in my opinion, the two best characters—Tiger and Ox. Their backstory, and the discussion of “how to do the right thing,” resonates strongly. Sadly, the zombie rabbit and the almost deliberately personality-less Rat take up most of the end of the volume, and that’s not quite as good. In the end this seems to have been Nisioisin’s attempt to write a Battle Royale-style story, and it works best with his Medaka Box partner on it, but four volumes is definitely enough. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 4 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – As a neighborhood department store plans to reopen after a monster attack, Pop is invited to take part in a celebration. Makoto parlays this into an appearance from Captain Celebrity and, meanwhile, Hachisuka plans to crash the party with her Trigger-augmented monsters. I probably should’ve guessed the reveal about Hachisuka here, especially considering what happened with her classmate before, but it was fairly cool. I liked learning more about Knuckleduster, and it was nice seeing Pop give a competent (and pretty heroic!) performance at the concert. I’ll likely keep reading this series, as I enjoy how it’s fleshing out the world, but I am a little bummed that I just don’t love any of these characters like I do the kids in the main series. They’re not complex enough. I guess nothing will ever really measure up to the original. – Michelle Smith

Takane & Hana, Vol. 8 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The rule of thumb for this manga seems to be that whenever one of the two leads decides to seriously romance the other intentionally, it never quite goes the way they want it to. That’s certainly the case in this volume, where Takane is still on the rise, and he’s not quite out to romance Hana—he just wants his revenge. As a result, he runs her ragged, in what’s probably the funniest chapters of the book. I’m not sure how I feel about the final cliffhanger, though, which seems to be another setup on the part of Takane’s grandfather. The series is 16+ volumes in Japan, so it could simply be the author setting in for the long haul. As long as the power balance is kept even, this is still great. – Sean Gaffney

Wonderland, Vol. 2 | By Yugo Ishikawa | Seven Seas – At heart, this is survival horror, which is not really my thing. As with a lot of things that are not really my thing, I have a number of exceptions to the rule. And Wonderland is so weird and trippy that it fascinates me more than it depresses me. As could probably be predicted, Alice may be responsible for what’s actually going on here, even if she’s not telling the main group that. The “main group” also gets winnowed way down here—Yukko even loses her dog, though he does show up later, in the funniest scene of the book (especially for long-haired dog owners). And of course I haven’t even mentioned Alice’s evil twin, who can turn babies into ZOMBIE BABIES. Wonderland is a trip. It deserves its title. – Sean Gaffney