Bookshelf Briefs

Bad Friends | By Ancco | Drawn & Quarterly – Only a few Korean comics have so far been released in translation by Drawn & Quarterly, the most recent being Ancco’s internationally award-winning Bad Friends. The work is a devastatingly powerful one, hard-hitting and at times difficult to read due to its emotional heaviness and unflinching portrayal of physical abuse. Bad Friends is told from the perspective of Pearl, a young cartoonist reflecting back upon the good and the bad of her middle school and high school years. At the forefront of her mind is her incredibly important and formative relationship with Jeong-ae, a close friend she hasn’t seen or been in contact with for over a decade. As teenagers, they were both delinquents, finding their own ways to survive in a harsh, cruel, and ugly world; as adults, their lives have taken drastically different paths. Bad Friends isn’t necessarily an easy or comforting read, but it is exceptionally well done. – Ash Brown

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 21 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – “Son of Satan” has always been part of the core of Blue Exorcist, and though Rin is the one who this is talking about, Yukio is apparently not free from Satan. At all. In fact, Satan is apparently talking to people from his eye. So, since his allies aren’t helping him or telling him the truth (well, they’re trying to help him), clearly it’s time to… join the bad guys? Renzo, a natural-born traitor, can help with that. Meanwhile, Mephisto’s getting shot in the head, which doesn’t stop him, but does mean he has to remove the barrier keeping the gate of Gehenna shut. As for Rin, he’s exposed to the full brunt of his power, and it’s almost too much for him, despite Shiemi helping by conjuring up an entire forest. Basically? There’s a LOT here. – Sean Gaffney

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 8 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji| Seven Seas – The shoe is on the other foot, and now a girl is telling Accelerator that he should stay away from HER because she doesn’t want him to get involved with her. Naturally, having this flipped around is irritating to Accelerator. Things aren’t helped by his brain starting to bleed because he’s overworked himself, leading to some of the creepiest POV art I’ve seen in a long time. Also, this new arc promises to feature a lot more of Last Order, who has mostly been a mascot for the series so far. But she’s bonding with Matsuri, who is a classic “I am pretending to be arrogant” princess type, and also runs into an overly affectionate young woman who says she’s a chef but may be a villain. For Index fans. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 13 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – Unsurprisingly, the cliffhanger of Himari being shot by Kasha at the end of volume twelve does not stick. It turns out that he used some kind of ayakashi weapon that expels her soul from her body, allowing him to take over and cast her spirit out of Momochi House. She makes her way back just in time to see him kidnap Aoi. I must say that for a volume where a lot happens, none of it actually lands with any sort of dramatic impact. It’s diverting, I guess, but it’s just not meaningful. (Or memorable, apparently, since there was a character in this volume whom I’d completely forgotten.) However, the next volume does seem to promise the backstory between Aoi and Kasha and I guess I’m at least marginally interested in that. I’ll keep reading for now. – Michelle Smith

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 7 | By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – There’s some amazing horse racing in the first half of this book, which shows off the difference in how the races were run, and also allows Shiraishi to humiliate himself once more. But it’s somewhat overbalanced by the second half, which features our heroes trying to take down not one, not two, but three killer bears, all around the estates of an American Southern Gentlemen. We get the usual reasons we read Golden Kamuy—horrific violence that is also somehow amusing, disgusting-yet-useful discussions of rectal plugs, and two yakuza who are also flamboyantly gay in a stereotypical but nevertheless interesting way. Golden Kamuy is many things, including violent and sometimes gross, but it is never dull. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 30 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – It’s day two of the spring tournament and Karasuno is up against Inarizaki. The player who gets the spotlight this time is Tanaka, who hasn’t played great so far, and we get the backstory of his first year on the team. I really appreciated this look into the mindset of a mentally tough player who admits he’s not the best at anything, but refuses to give up. “I got totally down on myself for whole seconds!” he confesses later. Of course, he gets his moment of vindication and Karasuno wins set one. Next, we check in on Nekoma and delve into Kenma’s backstory. While I’d ordinarily be kind of annoyed at a shift away from our leads at a pivotal moment, this is a really affecting exploration of the disaffected-seeming setter who will give his all for his friends. I might’ve sniffled a time or two. – Michelle Smith

Hungry for You: Endo Yasuko Stalks the Night, Vol. 2 | By Flowerchild | Seven Seas – While this is another in what seems like a lot of manga series lately that read like they were cancelled rather than naturally ended, this second volume is pretty satisfying. We get some backstory for Yasuko, as well as a mastermind who turns out to be a lot closer than folks were expecting. That said, I found the ending most interesting, as I was very much expecting that Shizue was going to join Yasuko in her undead life, and that just doesn’t happen; Yasuko says she wants to be there with Shizue, but admits she’s going to get married, have children, and die eventually. It’s a more melancholy ending than I thought, but it fits this series, which is still cute and sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 6 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The anime is starting possibly as you read this, and I hope it’s a good adaptation, especially for the faces. The faces in this series are absolutely amazing, and this volume is here to provide a bevy of brilliant ones, mostly from Kaguya. She’s learning, but it’s a long and difficult process, and Miyuki is, frankly, much better at flirting when he’s unaware he is, as the rooftop Princess Kaguya story entails. That said, the student council has moved on now… or have they? Will our heroes come together for a new student council? Or will the girl who we see on the last page and is clearly meant to be a new character throw a spanner in the works. Don’t know, but this hilarious series makes me want to read more. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 15 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | VIZ Media – The martial arts tournament is finally over! Unfortunately, Saitama is bummed because he didn’t meet anyone who could challenge him. He felt nothing, learned nothing, and gained nothing. While he’s lamenting having gotten too strong, he even ends up defeating the hero hunter with one kick without even realizing it. I don’t know where ONE is headed with Saitama’s massive ennui, but the rest of the plotline features the Monster Association demanding that the Hero Association send its strongest fighters to rescue the kid (son of an important donor) that they’ve taken hostage. I keep waiting for Saitama to finally achieve recognition, and I don’t know whether to hope this’ll be his chance or to feel like I ought to know better than to expect that from this series. Still a lot of fun! – Michelle Smith

After Hours, Vol. 3 | By Yuhta Nishio | VIZ Media – Well, After Hours is over already. Ultimately, it just doesn’t feel like three volumes was enough. I suppose if you look at this more as the story of Emi finding something to be passionate about, then it was the right length, but in terms of really understanding the two leads and their relationship, I don’t feel I ever really got there. I should’ve felt something when Kei mysteriously disappeared, suddenly deciding to be a dutiful daughter and help her parents recover from a business loss, but I didn’t. Possibly because it seemed like one page she was ready to call it off with Emi, and by a couple of pages later, the crisis was averted and they were trembling thinking about their future together. It was an enjoyable series, but sadly not a favorite. – Michelle Smith

Ao-chan Can’t Study!, Vol. 3 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The series continues to toe the line but not actually cross it, which is good as crossing it would make this an entirely different sort of series. So even though our hero is inadvertently slipped an aphrodisiac, and really want to bang our heroine, he is a good boy and tells her to get away from him for the time being. Ao, meanwhile, is still very unclear as to what she wants—and it is genuinely affecting her studies. This means the climax of the book is Kijima thinking that it’s for he best if he stays away from her, even though he’s clearly fallen for her. How is Ao going to balance having a good education with her boiling hormones? We’ll see next book, and I think an anime is coming as well. – Sean Gaffney

CITY, Vol. 4 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – A stronger volume of Nichijou than the previous one. The “main” plot, such as it is, involves Nagumo being locked in a tower and forced to have a massive award ceremony telling her she’s amazing. Since this is clearly not to be trusted, she resolves to escape. Sadly, escape turns out to be… ridiculously easy, so much so that there’s a lot of desperate tsukkomi going on. Meanwhile, Niikura races all over the city trying to retrieve a pendant with an embarrassing photo that has gotten tangled with a cat. Even the stories that aren’t about the trio are pretty good this time around, with my favorite being the school playing a “mock detective” game. CITY is built on weird humor, and this volume gives you that in spades. – Sean Gaffney

Dragon Half, Omnibus 3 | By Ryusuke Mita | Seven Seas – Much to my surprise, the plot does gain more importance as we reach the end of Dragon Half, though it will never quite be as important as sheer dumb humor. And I do mean the dumbest humor—some of these jokes are so amazingly lowbrow you laugh from sheer shock that the author bothered. This is, of course, the point—who wants Dragon Half with subtle intelligent humor? That said, Mink clears her name, defeats the demon lord, does not transform into a hideous monster, and marries her beloved Dick Saucer, whose backstory actually manages to be tragic. There’s even an epilogue showing off the next generation. Dragon Half was a terrific series for fans of old-school manga, and I’m very happy it was licensed. – Sean Gaffney

Giant Killing, Vol. 15 | By Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The flashback to ten years ago continues! Tatsumi has emerged as the ace of ETU and his performance in the derby against Tokyo Victory draws a lot of attention. For his part, Tatsumi is (even then) seeing chances others can’t and coordinating his teammates to take advantage of them and never once plays like he’s the star. Once he’s injured and ETU falters, it hurts him to hear angry fans lambasting his teammates. Meanwhile, the president of the club wants to show as many people as possible Tatsumi’s entrancing soccer, which seems like a good thing, but we end the volume with this guy ordering the coach to put a not-fully-recovered Tatsumi in the next game so as not to disappoint the fans. I have a feeling the next volume is going to be hellaciously frustrating. What a great series, though. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 16 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Kodansha may not cancel series for low sales, but series that aren’t performing do tend to come out veeeeeeery far apart. That seems to be the fate of Missions of Love, which now seems to be down to twice a year. Fortunately, it’s almost done. Everyone has confessed, but that’s hardly the be-all and end-all, even in shoujo manga. Yukina has to meet the parents. Hisame is back to behaving like an absolute ass. And Yukina’s literary career… and her use of her own life as a template for it… is finally coming out into the open. Is this something that can be forgiven? Oh, probably, but I imagine there will be even more drama next time around. Which is good, as overblown drama is why this series exists. – Sean Gaffney

Outdoors | By Yuichi Yokoyama | Breakdown Press – The three nature-themed stories collected in Outdoors were originally published online in 2009, the first and so far only time that Yokoyama created manga for a website. Interestingly, according to the short interview by Ryan Holmberg also included in the volume, Yokoyama doesn’t own a computer and strictly works using traditional media—he’s never even seen the site on which his manga was released. In general Yokoyama’s work tends to be something that I appreciate more than enjoy. While the short manga in Outdoors are visually striking—especially important as they contain no dialogue and almost no story—they also have a sense of cold detachment. In the interview Yokoyama notes that he has no interest in portraying human emotions or drama, so I think the effect is a deliberate one. I can recognize Yokoyama as an accomplished artist, but when experiencing his work I personally miss having that emotional core. – Ash Brown

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 4 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – If this series were even one small molecule less silly than it is, Syalis would be a hateful monster. The things she does to the demons in this book absolutely boggle the mind. Fortunately, this is absolutely a silly, silly manga and therefore Syalis’ sociopathic attempts for the perfect sleep are absolutely hilarious. She tries to hibernate, carves up even more ghosts, and gets kidnapped by Hades, which as you can imagine does not go very well for him, because Syalis is a law unto herself. Even when she shows a smidgen of humanity, such as when trying to get chocolates on Valentine’s Day, it’s still funny. I want to see this get even more over the top and sadistic. Fun, fun manga. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 10 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – If there’s anyone that can make Midosouji somewhat more redeemable, it’s Onoda, and he manages to achieve it here. Day Three may be a little more difficult, though. Not only do we meet a new rival who’s an absolute creep, hitting on Kanzaki and reminding us briefly that women do exist in this manga. (And then she goes away again.) But even more importantly, the third day is not about teamwork and working together, it’s ‘the fastest one wins.’ So Onoda finds himself overwhelmed by a whole new experience. Fortunately, he’s reminded how much he loves this and recovers. Still, this final day looks to be the most mentally exhausting. Will it end in the next omnibus? I doubt it somehow. Great sports manga. – Sean Gaffney

Abara | By Tsutomu Nihei | Viz Media – Although it’s up for debate how directly or tangentially related Abara actually is to Knights of Sidonia, in my mind the manga is unquestionably a precursor to Nihei’s later work. Even if they take different forms, the two series at the very least share elements of the same dystopic vision, a grim future in which humanity’s survival is not guaranteed in the face of the existence of creatures known as Gauna. Collected in a single, deluxe hardcover volume (along with another of Nihei’s earlier stories, “Digimortal”), Abara feels like the beginning of something grand even while being a complete work unto itself. Rather than prioritizing a narrative telling a coherent story, more than anything else the plot serves as a vehicle to showcase Nihei’s artwork and the astonishing, nightmarish atmosphere it creates. And that is just fine—the illustrations in Abara are stunning, managing to be simultaneously  beautiful and grotesque. – Ash Brown

Again!!, Vol. 6 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – In the original timeline, the fate of the ouendan was sealed when Usami was responsible for a disaster at a baseball practice game. This time, Imamura is working very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. True, he still blames himself for the team’s eventual loss, since he wounded the pitcher’s fragile ego, but some things have clearly changed as a result of his actions. Namely, Usami is able to get the crowd on their side, rallying their spirits with her cheers when all seemed lost, and earning some praise from the school principal for her leadership. Sometimes this series is frustrating in that characters have to work harder for the kind of sports manga successes that make me sniff, but man, there are a few brief, glorious moments in this volume that are all the sweeter for having been hard-won. – Michelle Smith

Giant Spider & Me, Vol. 3 | By Kikori Morino | Seven Seas – There’s a bit of seriousness at the start of the third Giant Spider manga, as we find out why our kidnapper is so upset about the spider—his daughter was clawed by a cute baby bear, and died from an infection from the wounds. The rest of the volume, though, is relatively sedate, and even the big finale, in which Asa appears to be either ill or grumpy but is merely molting is pretty low-key. And yes, it’s a big finale as this is the final volume, even though the author says they know Nagi and Asa have lots more adventures. This is the sort of series that doesn’t really need a dramatic climax, but Nagi has changed thanks to her giant spider friend—she’s now surrounded by other friends as well. This was sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Girls’ Last Tour, Vol. 5 | By Tsukumizu| Ywn Press – Each volume of this gets darker than the last, while still maintaining its mood of “two girls wander around a city in their tank.” Chito almost dies a couple of times, and sprains her ankle at one point, leading to Yuu attempting to do leader-like things, which does lead to some laughs. And there’s a fascinating sequence when they look at modern art in a deserted museum. They’re still going up, though, and are helped in this (after breaking into a building using more high explosives) by an AI unit that begs for them to turn it off. We also get a flashback to how their journey began, showing that they were kids staying with adults at one point, and that things are terrible all over. One more volume to go. Will it end in death? – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 16 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – The big surprise in this volume is that the student council president happens to be Yozora’s older sister. We’ve seen for a while that family issues are a large part of what makes Yozora the way she is, and it’s no surprise that she’s in a relatively foul mood this volume, where the Neighbors Club and the Student Council go on a vacation together. Before that, though, we do get Yozora returning to the Neighbors Club, and a virtual reality game that I will just gloss over as I found it the weakest part of the book. And for fans of Kodaka and Sena, there’s the final scene, even though it’s just a dream that… Rika has? Why is Rika dreaming of things like that? A good, fun volume, though even more perverse than usual. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 3 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – Adorable and relaxing take a back seat to ADVENTURE in this volume, as Conju is kidnapped while in a “rough section” of town, requiring a rescue that involves a lost liquor, hang-gliding, and lots of faux badasses who really aren’t all that. It’s a heck of a lot of fun, and really shows off our heroes at their best. They also do well taking Hakumei’s boss out for a day on the town, showing him that life is not just work 24/7. And there’s a chapter involving sweets and some badgers that is quite funny. I’m really enjoying this series, though it has to be said—Hakumei and Mikochi are a married couple, they’re just not aware of it yet. (Nor do I expect that to change.) – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 4 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – How much you enjoy this volume may depend on how much you can take “I am oblivious to even a direct confession” on the part of Riko, which makes Kai once again spend half the book holed up in his room wondering where everything went wrong. Even when he returns to school and tries to take up his playboy ways once more, things go wrong—right now Riko needs a good friend more than a boyfriend, and if Kai’s not there, well, maybe Takaya will do. (Honestly, Takaya seems to be like he has his own issues, which I suspect may get revealed in a future volume.) Will Riko ever get Kai’s feelings? Does she like him back? Is she even ready to move on? And what of Ayumi, the intrepid newshound? Hatsu*Haru is a well-written soap. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 12 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I imagine there may be some people who have dropped Horimiya by now, and I get it—Hori is sort of a terrible person, groping her friends and joking about getting “technical” consent, and still being upset that Miyamura isn’t hitting her like she really wants him to. She’s a bit of a teenage mess, really. Fortunately, the cast around her have their shit together, so I don’t think things will get that bad. Honestly, seeing Hori groping Sakura reminded me that Sakura is one of the group now—in fact, one chapter has other students surmise that she may have a harem of hot guys. I still love reading Horimiya, even as it’s gone from “romance I’d happily recommend” to “problematic fave.” – Sean Gaffney

Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 2 | By Yumi Unita | Seven Seas – For the most part this was an OK, not great final volume of this series. The majority of it deals with Nerimu’s master trying to recruit Yoneko for the job permanently, and Nerimu trying to point out that this would involve essentially dying. That said, there was a fantastic moment near the end, as Yoneko is shown that her neglectful parents started off with good intentions and are not merely terrible people. And Yoneko says that this is true, and acknowledges it… but also reminds readers (and Nerimu) that the majority of her time growing up has been spent unhappy, and seeing that her parents have good sides as well is not going to change that. Still, at least she decides to live on for now. Like other Unita series, this was weird but worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 10 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The third and final day of the Inter-High begins and since Midousuji got a somewhat sympathetic backstory that might be the start of a redemption arc of sorts it’s time to introduce another odious foe, this time in the form of Eikichi Machimiya, a schemer from Hiroshima who’s got a huge grudge against Hakone due to how things played out the previous year. This is a pretty fun volume, since Machimiya organizes a huge peloton that gobbles up stray riders, Jaws-like, and Sohoku must contend with leaving Onoda—who worked so hard on previous days for the team—behind to be devoured. Tadokoro even cries. Of course, plucky Onoda can’t be counted out yet, but neither can Hiroshima! Looking forward to the next installment, as always. – Michelle Smith

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – Changing yourself is hard. As is high school. As a result, much of this volume revolves around Futaba’s good intentions and attempts to make everything somehow work out not succeeding very well. We are definitively introduced to what appear to be the rest of the core cast, though some of them are still mostly ciphers. The main story is still about Futaba and Kou, and they can’t really go backwards. Still, do they want to go forwards? Trying to fall in love while also trying to make friends and get through school is the reason most high school romances don’t work out. Still, this is shoujo manga, so they have a leg up on real life. I’m enjoying this series so far, even though it’s more dramatic than I expected. – Sean Gaffney

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 4 | By Matoba | Yen Press – Since my last review, the anime has come out, and while I’m watching it and quite like it, there’s no denying it’s a bit of a bomb in the Western fandom. But I’m sorry, the series is just so cute and fluffy it can’t help but put a smile on my face, except when the shotacon shows up, when I flick pages fast till she’s gone. There is a lot of focus here on Molech, the loud and outgoing demon who is the quintessential obnoxious extrovert stereotype. Since I can be like this at times as well, though never to this level, I can sympathize. Mostly, though, you read this to see Beelzebub and Mullin have adorable crushes on each other, and to see Belphegor’s disastrous crush (and bladder issues, which I could also do without). Not good, but I don’t really care. – Sean Gaffney

The Delinquent Housewife!, Vol. 2 | By Nemu Yoko | Vertical Comics – The first volume had the focus on Komugi, the housewife who’s trying to hide her delinquent past. The second book looks more at Dai, her brother-in-law who is falling in love with her despite himself. I will admit, I’m more interested in Komugi’s past than I am Dai’s crush on an older woman. The reason that Dai’s family hates delinquents so much is one of those things that seems minor but to the people involved is a huge deal, and I like that Komugi gets that immediately. She’s just a nice girl, and I think she should eventually win over the family, assuming her husband ever returns. Will that happen? Good question, and I suspect we’ll get more love comedy chapters before it’s answered. – Sean Gaffney

The Honor Student at Magic High School, Vol. 9 | By Tsutomu Sato and Yu Mori | Yen Press – The trouble with side-story manga like these is that they eventually have to follow the plot of the main series. Which is fine, and it’s nice to see Tatsuya being cool, but watching the main cast of this series sit in the audience and cheer him on is not really the reason I want to read this manga. Fortunately, we get to see Honoka’s match before this, which was not in the novel, and it’s pretty nifty, showing off her abilities to a good extent—she’s no Miyuki, but there’s a reason she does so well. As for Miyuki, we get the scene where she mocks Erika for having a brother complex, but I dunno, I don’t feel it plays as well in this format. A lesser volume of a good series. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 29-30 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – Kuroko’s Basketball comes to a close in this fifteenth and final omnibus. It’s the Winter Cup finals and Seirin is facing off against Rakuzan, a formidable team that not only includes Akashi but three of the “uncrowned generals.” There is a fair bit here that is ridiculous, like spectators being able to discern when a player has activated his “wild instincts” or accessed another level of “the zone,” but there is also a lot to like, including some welcome spotlights on background players like Koganei and Izuki. I confess that I sniffled when a certain person in the stands yelled encouragement when Seirin was about to give up. And then everyone learns a valuable lesson about teamwork. Ultimately, Kuroko’s Basketball wasn’t the best sports manga I’ve ever read, but it was consistently entertaining and comes to a satisfying conclusion. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia, Vol. 16 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I was right about this being all action, and there’s a lot of cool fights throughout, though I wish Uraraka and Tsuyu got more to do. That said, even Midoriya doesn’t get quite as much of a spotlight. Instead we get Kirishima, who’s dealing with his quirk still being a work in progress. We get his past in this volume, where he’s a lot meeker and more indecisive guy. It’s nice to see someone like Kirishima, clearly a different person in middle school, contrast with his classmate Ashido, who is pretty much exactly the same then as now. That said, the bad guys are doing pretty well for themselves, and our heroes still aren’t anywhere near Eri. Oh, and here comes Himiko Toga and her orgasm faces again to make things creepier. Solid volume. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 7 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – The underground shelter that the kids find at the coordinates provided by William Minerva turns out to be amazing—beds, hot water, clean clothes!—but not only is the man himself not present, they’ve got to contend with a mentally unstable guy who made the escape himself thirteen years ago and whose companions all died in a mysterious manner. By the end of the volume, he’s agreed to guide Ray and Emma to the next place while plotting to kill them and has purposefully set a bunch of man-eating creatures on them. This guy is pretty fascinating, and I continue to love the problem-solving elements of the series and the intelligent lead characters, but my favorite aspect is just how badass Emma is getting. Some of the shock value in this series has subsided, but it’s still a really terrific story. – Michelle Smith

Takane & Hana, Vol. 6 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – This volume introduces a big wrench in the plot, and it’s just at the right moment, too. Takane was starting to get a bit too far ahead in the relationship, and when you have something like this, with an adult businessman and a high school girl, you just can’t let the power balance get too one-sided. So I approve highly of Takane’s grandfather’s actions, even as they seem to completely break Takane, who we see is far more reliant on having lots of money than even the reader had previously expected. As for Hana, well, she may be falling for him, and admitting it to herself, but let’s face it, it’s all about that last scene, which made me laugh with glee. I love it when these two smug at each other. – Sean Gaffney

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, Vol. 2 | By Fumita Yanagida | Seven Seas – The expansion of the cast comes at just the right time, as we’ve got a number of volumes still to go, and I know that Tomo and Jun aren’t going to be getting together in any of them. So it’s nice to see that we also have another hilariously oblivious relationship involving Carol, who is not nearly as airheaded as she acts, and her childhood friend Kosuke, who thinks of her as a little sister, much to her exasperation. We also get to see the seemingly perfect and stoic Misuzu get jealous, something that is so unusual that everyone seems to be commenting on it. I am very happy with this series as it does not focus entirely on the romance between Tomo and Jun (or lack thereof), but Tomo’s friendships. – Sean Gaffney

Versailles of the Dead, Vol. 1 | By Kumiko Suekane | Seven Seas – I’m a little worn out on zombie fiction, so it takes a bit more to secure my interest in a series than it simply emerging from that particular subgenre. In the case of Versailles of the Dead, that something extra is cross-dressing and 18th-century French court intrigue. Albert is the twin brother of Marie Antoinette, close enough in appearance that he has on occasion served as her body double. When Marie dies while traveling on her way to become Queen, Albert once again takes her place. There is quite a bit going on in Versailles of the Dead—palace infighting, demonic possession, political and religious schemes, supernatural plots, and the beginnings of a revolution to name only a few prominent elements—so much that the series hasn’t completely found its footing yet. But it’s more than enough for this dark historical fantasy to compel me to read the second volume. – Ash Brown

The Young Master’s Revenge, Vol. 4 | By Meca Tanaka | VIZ Media – “All I can do is try my best to become worthy of her. In order to achieve that, I’m abandoning all my pride and learning to love turtles.” Man, I’d forgotten how dumb The Young Master’s Revenge is. Tenma loves Leo, but she’s convinced he’ll reject her once she admits it, since he told her as much earlier in the story. Leo loves Tenma, but he thinks she hates him for how he treated her. A lot of stupid misunderstandings ensue and then they finally get together—after he learns to embrace the turtle-inflicted scars on his butt as precious memories—and I just honestly could not care less. At least it’s over. – Michelle Smith

Akashic Records of Bastard Magica Instructor, Vol. 5 | By Hitsuji Tarou, Tsunemi Aosa and Kurone Mishima | Seven Seas – I had forgotten to review the last volume of this, which likely says a lot. That said, it’s still all right, it’s just its character beats are predictable. Re=L has joined Glenn and the others, and slowly starts to integrate with the class, so naturally something comes along that makes her turns traitor. Rumia’s identity is now a bit more well known, which means she’s stuck playing damsel again. Still, if you like action this is decent enough, and the villains are fun provided you don’t mind that they sneer and cackle. This is not really top-drawer manga, but it’s decent enough if you’re already a fan of the characters. – Sean Gaffney

Anne Happy, Vol. 8 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – Over a year has passed since I last reviewed Anne Happy, and I will admit I had forgotten who some of the girls are. It came back easily enough, though, and the majority of this volume is devoted to wrapping up the school’s athletics festival, whose end result was something of a surprise to me, though they at least do try to give some justification for it. The rest of the book has little chapters that coast along cutely while the author prepares for the endgame, which I believe is coming soon. We see why Ren is so beloved, watch the class pick out library books for each other, and get a glimpse into Anne and Hibari’s home lives—Anne, for once, is better off. This continues to be mildly cute and funny, and will appeal to fans of the same. – Sean Gaffney

Beasts of Abigaile, Vol. 4 | By Spica Aoki| Seven Seas – I was unaware this ended with volume four, and sure enough, the ending is super abrupt. Still, it justifies most of what was going on, and the core of the series—Nina’s plucky stubbornness and caring, and her relationship with Roy—is still there. We also get to know the villainess of the series, and how she too once had Nina’s ideals but was unable to succeed, and in the end is destroyed. It’s a shame it ended so fast, as there were a lot of characters who I felt were going to get more focus in future volumes that mostly just ended up getting a few shots in for the ending. Still, overall I’d call this series a success, and I’d like to see more from the author—fortunately, Yen Press has her new series starting next year. – Sean Gaffney

Durarara!! re: Dollars Arc, Vol. 3 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Aogiri | Yen Press – This volume adapts some of my favorite parts of both the novels and anime, and though it still comes in third, it’s a little better than the previous volume in that regard. We get Mikado and his pen, the return of Vorona and her bonding with Shizuo, Akane joining the dojo and also bonding with Shizuo, and Akibayashi’s backstory, as well as the reintroduction of … um … well, I can’t remember her name, and Izaya can’t remember her at all, to the point where we need a flashback to realize she’s the girl he did the “suicide club” thing with back in the first volume. Honestly, though, she’s there to jump start Izaya, who I’m sure will be making everything worse soon. Recommended for those who don’t read prose or watch anime. – Sean Gaffney

Erased, Vol. 5 | By Kei Sanbe | Yen Press – After the completion of Erased, Sanbe created four additional stories which take place during the events of the series proper. Released as a ninth volume of Erased in Japan, the collection makes up the fifth volume in the English-language edition of the manga. The volume generally (but not exclusively) addresses the time period during which the series’ main protagonist and point-of-view character Satoru Fujinuma is in a coma. The four vignettes follow the people who arguably play the most important roles in Satoru’s life, allowing crucial moments of Erased to be seen from their own perspectives rather than his—Kayo Hinazuki, the girl he was intent on saving; Kenya Kobayashi, his close friend and confidant; Sachiko Fujinuma, his beloved mother (my personal favorite); and Airi Katagiri, the young woman who would come to mean so much to him as an adult. The stories are all an interesting addition to Erased. – Ash Brown

Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 2 | By Natsuki Takaya| Yen Press – It’s been revealed that this manga will end with the third volume, which seems about right. This is not quite as rage-inducing as the first book, despite still having the flaw of viewing the original Furuba cast through their children, rather than viewing the children as their own characters. It does throw a few welcome bones to longtime readers—the creepiest implied ship of the original series does not in fact happen, as Hanajima marries some Italian guy. Oh, and Momiji is back in his sister’s life, and we see her (we can’t see the original cast). There’s still examination of abusive parents, but because we can’t make the original cast do that (they’re more smothering), it’s foisted on the new heroine. For diehards. – Sean Gaffney

Good Dog, Cerberus! | By Moha Arimura | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Good Dog, Cerberus! is a full-color, four-panel comic about Cerberus, the easily bribed guardian of the gates to the underworld, and Lord Hades, who is publicly stern and heartless but a total pushover when it comes to his ill-behaved dog. It’s not even 100 pages long, so it’ll be no surprise that there’s not much to this, really. Cerberus does typical dog things like get dirty and chase pigeons (well, harpies in this case) and try to carry big sticks through doorframes horizontally. There are a few cameos by other mythological figures, like the ferryman of the River Styx, and I learned that Medusa actually had two sisters. That said, it’s neither funny enough nor cute enough nor narratively propelled enough that I can really recommend it. Briefly diverting, at best. – Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 30 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – We have an ending to a great series. Much to my surprise, the two purest kids in all of shoujo manga (well, if you don’t count My Love Story!!) end up actually consummating their relationship in this final volume, though it’s handled very tastefully. Everyone is moving away to college, getting new apartments, or (in the case of Chizuru) running the shop and waiting for her man to come home. Pin has all new students, and hopefully won’t have any fall for him the way Ayano did. I also really liked the ‘flashforward’ for Ayano being that people warm to her and think she’s nice. Honestly, she was my favorite character. That said, Sawako was also amazing, and this series is hers in the end. I’ll miss it, and consider it essential. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 30 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – It seems that a lot of series are coming to a close this month, but I’ve been reading Kimi ni Todoke longer than any of the others. Saying goodbye to it gives me a pang, but at least it’s a good ending, filled with teary scenes during which characters bid farewell to the way things used to be while looking forward to the new life that awaits. Some standout moments involve Kurumi realizing that her crush on Kazehaya led her to the best friend she’s ever had and Sawako being able to greet a new classmate naturally and with a lovely smile on her face. Everyone has changed for the better, including the relationship of our central couple, which has matured and strengthened of late. And did I sniffle quite a lot when they finally called each other by their first names? Reader, I did. – Michelle Smith

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Vol. 2 | By Natsuya Semikawa and Virginia Nitouhei | Udon Entertainment – In case you hadn’t guessed by the cover, we get a new regular in this book. She starts off as a thief, but she’s the cute “stealing for my younger siblings” sort of thief, and quickly becomes a dishwasher and general helper thanks to the kindhearted staff. We also get more of what we saw in the first volume, which is to say fantasy/isekai “types” dropping in and having classic izakaya meals. There’s a few reminders that this is a more medieval world—the girl from the previous volume is now married, much to Shinobu’s surprise, as she was like fourteen. We also get a chapter showing us the other side of the story, as Effa (the little girl) breaks out and gets a tour of modern Japan. Cute foodie manga. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 3 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – Ah, the childhood friend who was always in love with the heroine even though she didn’t realize it. A classic trope, but it’s handled well here, as he also hates beastmen with a passion—which is not a surprise given the flashback to his youth, where a beastman eats his little sister like she was a tater tot. So he’s come to kick ass and take Sariphi back, and of course is not taking no for an answer, even if that means ignoring her own will and feelings. As for Leonhart, well, he’s not used to jealousy, but he cares deeply for Sariphi, so comes off very well here. I continue to enjoy the way this series is handling a common theme, and am pleased that it’s still ongoing in Japan, allowing for more character depth. – Sean Gaffney

Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 7 | By Kiseki Himura and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – Technically the series “ends” here, though we’re told that it will continue on with a different artist in Japan. For the moment, the cover shows us the reason we’ve wanted to read this manga—Kirito and Asuna as back to back badasses, and Argo staring out at the reader reminding us she’s the real star of the show. Well, OK, Asuna and Kizmel are the stars of this volume—for once, Kirito’s fight comes off second-best, as the teamwork between the two women is simply stunning (indeed, Argo, serving as the Greek chorus, gets some great stunned expressions here). As I said last time, a rare light novel adaptation that expands and enriches the source enough that it deserves reading on its own. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 6 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – After a Christmas interlude during which Hana realizes that maybe she really does like Takane and a chapter about chastising Nicola for his thoughtlessly flirtatious treatment of innocent Mizuki, a rather interesting plot development occurs. Worried that Takane’s confidence is “rooted in the things that were handed to [him],” his grandfather freezes all his accounts, demotes him at work, and moves him into a shabby apartment. Ashamed, Takane distances himself from Hana and makes her leave when she eventually discovers his whereabouts. This part is somewhat frustrating, since he should know by now that his wealth was never something she cared about, but it does at least provide an opportunity for her to make that abundantly clear (and for Okamon to give her a cute pep talk). I only wish she’d actually said, “All along, I’ve only ever seen you, Takane” out loud. Probably too soon for that, though. – Michelle Smith

ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department, Vol. 5 | By Natsume Ono | Yen Press – Jean’s identity is, if not in the open explicitly, at least well known among the cast. This is a big problem, of course, especially for his sister, who is the very definition of hostage bait. Fortunately, Jean also has friends that can help him out there—his sister is pretty much the one ray of sunshine in the series, so I don’t want to see her sacrificed. That doesn’t mean that it’s depressing tragedy, mind you—it just means that, as with most Ono titles, the majority consists of discussions among middle-aged men (and one woman). This being ACCA, they’re political discussions, though there’s a bit of food thrown in. As always, a good read if you’re an Ono fan. – Sean Gaffney

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 2 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Since the first volume came out, we’ve seen the appearance of the My Life as a Villainess series, which has essentially the exact same premise. That series is more focused on Katarina changing her fate and bonding with the cast of the VN, though. Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter is more like Realist Hero, wanting to change the world and advance it towards modern times. So we’re not only inventing chocolate, but also coffee, and concentrating on good roads and educating the youth. There’s not really much in terms of antagonists so far—Iris explains what she wants to do precisely and effectively, and everyone agrees with her. This makes it a tad dull, sadly. – Sean Gaffney

Beasts of Abigaile, Vol. 4 | By Spica Aoki | Seven Seas – I didn’t know when I started this volume that it’s the final volume of the series. It was only when one of the central hunky boys got definitively crossed off the list romantically that I was spurred to look it up and, yep, this is it. In her notes afterwards, Aoki-sensei says there was much she wanted and needed to draw that she couldn’t include, which makes me wonder if the series got canceled. Still, it hangs together reasonably well. Nina’s origins are explained, the king makes an appearance, there’s a big escape, noble sacrifice, and one person who seems to entirely lose touch with reality. What we don’t see is how any of the luga fare once they are out in the world but we’re encouraged to imagine a happy ending. Overall, this series was far from deep but still pretty fun. – Michelle Smith

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 5 | By CLAMP | Kodansha Comics – There are interesting things going on in this volume of Clear Card. We meet Sakura’s great-grandfather, who apparently fell out with Nadeshiko when she got married (possibly as she married her teacher), but now regrets it because she’s dead. Speaking of that, Nadeshiko explicitly tells Sakura she should stop summoning her spirit for visions as it’s unhealthy. And Eriol finally coughs up a bit of info, revealing that Sakura is making her own cards using her magic and imagination—and that’s super dangerous if she knows about it. So let’s keep everything from her some more. I’d be more invested in this sequel if it weren’t so dull—the interesting plot points are conveyed tediously. – Sean Gaffney

Frau Faust, Vol. 5 | By Kore Yamazaki | Kodansha Comics – The way that Frau Faust ends is surprising to no one, but it’s done with a lot of style and feeling. Even the villains in this story get a chance to show off how they got that way, and for Marion, it’s an attempt to show off how much he’s grown. Despite that, this wasn’t going to be his story in the end—Johanna is who the reader is invested in. (Sarah is also pretty invested in Johanna, and the way her story resolves is touching but also very sad.) I actually wish that the series had gone on a bit longer—the action sequences here are even better than in The Ancient Magus’ Bride—but I’m also fine with this ending, which is final and yet the teensiest bit ambiguous. Let’s license more Yamazaki. – Sean Gaffney

Frau Faust, Vol. 5 | By Kore Yamazaki | Kodansha Comics – As the volume begins, Johanna has let herself be captured by the church in order to gain access to the holy city, where Mephisto’s final parts are. A lot of the stuff that follows isn’t exactly clear, but the gist of it is that all of Johanna’s friends are there to help her get to Mephisto’s head and there is a lot of action that culminates with her telling him, “I win.” Quite a few aspects of the ending are open to interpretation, which I’m not exactly fond of, but which fits the spirit of the series pretty well. Chief among them—did Johanna actually intend for that to happen all along? I do love how inspired by her everyone else was, and am especially fond the quiet love story between two characters. In the end, I enjoyed this series very much, though I do wish it had been longer. – Michelle Smith

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 5 | By Ukami |Yen Press – We get another new character this time around, in the form of Kurona. She’s a demon who wants to make friends, but is rather awful at it, and it doesn’t help that she’s trying to befriend Taplis, who is an airhead even by the standards of Gabriel Dropout, a series dripping with airheads. Speaking of which, Satanya’s new attempt to defeat Gabriel works quite well, but not in the way she intended. (Yuri fans may like it, though.) We also get more backstory showing how Gabriel became what she is now, which was… exactly what you’d expect, to be honest. There weren’t quite as many laughs in this volume of Gabriel Dropout, but it’s still a cute, fun series. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 3 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – I guess we do need to pair at least some of the spares already, as Miki and Kiyo, the pure cute boy-girl team from last time, end up becoming a couple in this volume in an utterly pure, cute and adorable way. Unfortunately, Kai is the hero, so he’s not going to have nearly as easy a time of it. On the bright side, Riko’s crush on Satoshi pretty much gets kicked to the curb this volume, as we confirm that he’s getting married. Which she knew was coming, but it still hurts. This allows Kai to man up and confess to Riko, though given this series is thirteen volumes and this is volume three, I suspect it may go badly. Still, while this breaks no new ground, it’s a good shoujo story, well told. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 8 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – There’s pretty much a volume full of action here. Some of it is Kuroko and Hinako, who pair up again to try to take out the big bad (and we actually get some backstory for Hinako! It’s as blood-filled as you’d expect.) and some of it is Urara, Kuroko’s hugely muscled and somewhat dim bartender friend, who’s on the cover but is mostly there to be comedy relief. It’s also nice to see Reiko, the cool assassin from previous books, who is still very good at her job but gets very angry if you think she’s a boy. (She also gets the sex scene at the end of the volume, meaning it’s pretty tasteful.) But let’s face it—we read Murcielago for the ridiculous violence. There’s a lot of it here. – Sean Gaffney

One Piece, Vol. 88 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – Having successfully rescued Sanji, the Straw Hat crew is now attempting to escape the clutches of Big Mom, who is rampaging because she didn’t get to eat any wedding cake. I really appreciated the spotlight on female characters in this volume. Nami has actually been extremely smart and capable this whole arc, but now we see super tsundere Pudding stepping up to make a new cake to satisfy Big Mom’s hunger as well as Carrot the mink briefly becoming a badass as she transforms under the full moon. I also like that Pudding seems really into Sanji; I kind of hope they end up an official couple! Luffy’s fight with Katakuri is entertaining, as well, since their powers are so similar. All in all, this is a very well-paced and exciting installment. – Michelle Smith

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 9 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – We continue to stagger onwards towards the events of Richard III, though honestly neither Kanno or the reader are all that interested in matching up with Shakespeare precisely. We also lose Richard’s older brother George, who is done in by a lot of political machinations and Richard essentially being a triple agent. That said, Richard may be in trouble soon, as Buckinghan, the classic “bespectacled bastard,” has learned his body has a secret to it. Fortunately, he also has a mysterious bodyguard, who readers will immediately recognize but Richard doesn’t quite—yet. This is basically Kanno’s best series. Buy it. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 11 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – The concerts are over, and yes, In No Hurry tore it up, though in the end, the battle of the bands becomes fairy literal. That said, for once it’s the romance that made more of an impression on me than the singing, as Momo, tired of hearing how everything Nino’s doing now is for Yuzu, kisses her to stop her saying his name. And given that Nino is (she thinks) in love with Momo, and he with her, they get together. That said, this series has seven volumes to go. Moreover, this FEELS like the wrong couple. The narrative has been set up so that the reader is rooting for Yuzu—who also has bigger stakes. As for Miou, she’s still not quite sure about this new relationship, and it shows. Great potboiler, still a must-read. – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 2 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – This feels oddly like an aborted prologue. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid shonen volume, with lots of excitement and almost death scenes and Yuzuriha actually doing something. But then Senku sends the other two leads off on a mission of their own, and the sense is that they’re being written out for not being quite as immediately memorable as he is. (They remind me a LOT of Video Girl Ai, right down to Yuzuriha’s headgear.) And Senku meets a new girl, who’s far more confident and also not the love interest of his sidekick. I suspect the series is about to really get started all over again, but that’s fine, as Dr. STONE is decent enough. I’m not quite fully into it yet. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 2 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – This continues to be adorable and pretty relaxing. The largest of the slice-of-life stories in here has Hakumei trying to prove that she is good enough to work on repairing a stone wall with the rest of the work crew, which involves being told no a few times but gradually proving her worth. (Also, the crew leader thinks that Mikochi is her wife, though Hakumei points out that she’s a girl. They pretty much function as a married couple.) Elsewhere we meet a flamboyant and eccentric hairdresser who gives tomboy Hakumei an even shorter haircut than she already has, and the couple also deal with an owl who may or may not be a monster. Cute and fluffy. – Sean Gaffney

I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Vol. 1 | By Yuki Fumino | One Peace Books – According to the creator’s afterword, Limit was initially intended to be a one-shot continuation of I Hear the Sunspot, but it ultimately evolved into an ongoing series. I can’t say that I’m disappointed—I absolutely loved I Hear the Sunspot and its first sequel Theory of Happiness, and Limit is off to a great start, too. Limit begins nearly immediately after Theory of Happiness. Taichi has left school in order to work at SIG-N while Kohei continues his law degree studies. Because they’re no longer classmates and are both very busy, the two young men aren’t able to see each other as much as they would like, which puts an understandable strain on their relationship. This sort of realism is something that I particularly appreciate about the I Hear the Sunspot series. Limit also introduces additional characters and their varying perspectives on hearing loss, deafness, and disability to great effect. – Ash Brown

Juana and the Dragonewt’s Seven Kingdoms, Vol. 3 | By Kiyohisa Tanaka | Seven Seas – It has to be said, the ending to this volume screams “you are cancelled,” as the villain’s master plan is wrapped up literally by sucking our heroes into a plothole to get away from him. Before that, though, we get some more explanation of Nid’s issues with his family and his vegetarianism, which turns out to be miscommunication that his parents think is sort of funny but Nid’s still not amused, especially since it seems to undercut his life choices. As for Juana, we get some backstory that explains why she is here, along with some foreshadowing that she may not be alone for long… but then the book ends, as she’d much rather be having adventures with Nid. This was fun, but that sudden ending—oof. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 7 | By Canno | Yen Press – The new couple in this volume is a pair of girls who are relatively close in age, but are also aunt and niece, so I’m not quite sure what to think of it. And to be fair, neither are they, as both know they like each other but both also know that once high school ends, girls give up that sort of thing. Only not anymore, and certainly not in this series. The volume works better when entwining their story with that of Yurine and Ayaka, our “main” couple. Yurine is suffering from the genius label again, and also opening up to Ayaka has led her to realize that her past actions have hurt others. As for Ayaka, Yurine’s feelings are getting deeper and deeper—can she cope with it? A good “sort of anthology” series, as always. – Sean Gaffney

New Game!, Vol. 4 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – What I said for the last book applies to this one, though there is some brief drama towards the end as the company decides that Kou is going to be doing the designs even though Aoba is supposed to be lead. This is entirely due to name recognition, and I was impressed with the fact that they don’t take it back after Aoba does something really impressive—Kou is still better than she is. Aoba’s improving a lot, though, and is figuring out how to get inside character’s heads. Meanwhile, Nene’s applying for a job—will she become even more of a regular? We’re certainly focusing more on her than some of the other supposed leads. New Game! remains cute but slight, aside from the welcome drama near the end. – Sean Gaffney

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 14 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – I’d like to begin with a special shoutout to the Cast of Characters in the front of each volume of Ooku, without which I’d be totally lost, given how infrequently this series comes out. This volume continues the story of Iesada, a poorly regarded female shogun who survived years of abuse from her horrible father, as her loyal advisor Masahiro contrives to find for her a consort whom she can actually love and trust. Unfortunately, Masahiro herself takes gravely ill just as the question of whether to sign a trade deal with America is being hotly contested (we’ve come to 1856 in the timeline), but at least she got to see Iesada looking happy and healthy as her relationship with Taneatsu has flourished. It’s incredibly foolish of me to wish for a happy ending for these two, but I do anyway. So many lovable characters in this series! – Michelle Smith

RWBY Anthology, Vol. 3 | By Various Artists | Viz Media – I am still absolutely the wrong audience for this, having not watched the original series. Still, it’s a sign that the anthology is doing its job that I can manage to follow along anyway. As you have probably guessed, we’re up to the B in the volumes, so these short comics focus on Blake and her moody cat self. There are some lighter stories that show Blake bonding with the others, or dealing with the team’s pet dog, who she naturally does not get along with. There’s also some stories showing she’s still tied to her past. And there’s ship tease with Yang, which I understand is the biggest ship in the fandom, so that makes sense. If you enjoy RWBY, you’ll like this. – Sean Gaffney

Shojo FIGHT!, Vol. 5 | By Yoko Nihonbashi | Kodasha Comics (digital only) – Because of the volleybetting scandal, Kokuyodani is not allowed to play in Tokyo and so instead has entered a small tournament in Osaka. This happens to be where Shino Itami is from and we learn that, as a middle schooler, she was accused of match-fixing because her grandfather is a yakuza. She actually came to Kokuyodani because of its bad reputation, since she wouldn’t be a burden to them. Unfortunately, most of the plot about Itami’s family is dreadfully boring, but I did like that her teammates stand up for her and, as a result, the crowd starts booing them as a whole rather than Itami specifically. I love that they have no problems “playing the heel” and look forward to more potentially villainous deeds. – Michelle Smith

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 4 | By Maybe | Yen Press – For once, we have a princess who’s not all that into Satou. Oh, she still proposes to him the moment he appears, but it’s very much a political matchup, and even at the end of the volume she still sees him as a bit too naive for her. As the writer notes in the afterword, this is entirely intentional, as he wanted to have a bit of variety. We also meet said princess’ younger twin sister, and find out why Marse gave up in the first volume so easily. Things are not looking all peaches and cream plot-wise, as it turns out not all countries are happy to see the hero, particularly when there’s an evil advisor who REALLY reminds me of Caster from Fate. Will we get another princess in the next book? I think five’s the limit, right? – Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 14 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – I suppose Yotsuba has simply become too acclimated to things in her daily life—with some exceptions, like the beads Jumbo gives her as a present or the trash-bag princess dress Asagi crafts—and so Azuma takes his lead duo to Tokyo, where they must confront things like throngs of people, train passes, weird dogs, and luxurious hotel buffets. The best quality of this series continues to be seeing the world through a child’s eyes, guaranteed to expand as they acquire a car at the end of this volume, but I also appreciate the smaller lessons, as when Yotsuba confronts her conflicting desires to hoard all the beads yet be considered nice and when Daddy makes sure she tries again after messing up with the train pass the first time. I hope it doesn’t take 2.5 years for the next volume. – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – As long as you’re writing a series which uses every cliche in the book, you may as well go all in and write a tournament arc, and that’s what we’re getting here. Surprisingly, Asta is not paired with Noelle, but with Mimosa, who I’ll be honest I had totally forgotten about. Given that Noelle fills the ‘tsundere’ love interest bucket, it only makes sense that Mimosa is the Hinata of Black Clover, being shy and tripping over her words in front of him. As for the battles themselves, they’re all good ways to spotlight folks who we don’t really get much chance to see in the main storyline. On the downside, so far they’re all very predictable outcomes. I’d like to see some people win who shouldn’t normally win. – Sean Gaffney

The Bride & the Exorcist Knight, Vol. 2 | By Keiko Ishihara | Seven Seas – We get more of the same here—good character development and action sequences. Shame that they’re really pushing the “I am twelve years old and suave as heck” plotline, and Anne does seem to be falling for him, though thankfully we haven’t advanced quite that far. One thing that did impress me was the fate of Anne’s parents, who would normally get killed off to jumpstart the plot in tales like this, especially given Anne’s status as a magical bride MacGuffin. There’s nothing really extraordinary here, but it’s good solid fantasy romance, and it at least makes noises occasionally about Anne being creeped out about Haru’s age. For fans of shoujo starring cute, cool boys. – Sean Gaffney

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 6 | By Ryoko Kui| Yen Press – Remember when this was a funny series about eating monsters? Last time I said the books were getting a bit darker. Here they take a running leap into grim as we continue to see how Laios and company are seen by everyone else around them—as reckless lunatics who endanger everyone around them. What’s more, Falin’s back, but that’s not good news—the slaughter that follows is a kick in the teeth. Honestly, after that sequence, seeing the “which is the original and which is the shapeshifter” plot was a welcome light relief, and the sequence with Laios helping Marcille with her nightmares was rather heartwarming. Still, Falin’s influence on everyone around her, death, and subsequent “came back wrong” are now THE reason to read this. – Sean Gaffney

Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection | By Junji Ito | Viz Media – The first edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was originally published in 1818, so Viz Media’s release of Junji Ito’s rendition of the story is aptly timed for the two-hundred-year anniversary of the groundbreaking novel. Ito has made a few changes here and there—particularly towards the end—but for the most part the manga adaptation is very faithful to Shelley’s original and Ito’s artwork is well-suited to the more grotesque and disturbing elements of the tale. In addition to Frankenstein, the volume also collects a series of six short manga featuring Oshikiri, a young man who is very self-conscious about his short stature but whose real worries are of a more horrific and supernatural kind. (It doesn’t help that his home seems to be a portal to alternate dimensions.) Also included are two unrelated short horror manga as well as two short manga about the Ito family’s pet dog Non-non. – Ash Brown

Haikyu!!, Vol. 29 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – It’s all volleyball game this volume, so there’s no real plot I can talk about. We do continue to see character growth from Hinata and Tsukishima, who gets one of the cooler moments that also made me laugh when he talks about blocking the quick set. The other team is no slouch, though, particularly the twins, and our heroes are behind the eight ball most of the time. The opponent’s band is not helping either, which is why for once it’s Saeko who gets to have the Big Damn Heroes moment, arriving with Taiko Drums to drown out the band’s odd rhythms. Other than that, this volleyball manga continues to put the emphasis on volleyball. I’m about ready for it to go to every three months, to be honest, and it will be soon. – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 8 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – Aside from Love at Fourteen‘s main couple, who are meant to be the cute and sweet default, the series makes a lot of unusual choices for its romantic pairings. Nagai and Hinohara continue to put the “ergh” in non-consensual teacher-student romance. Shiki and the school nurse bond over being tortured lesbians in love with a straight girl who isn’t going to love them back. And we get a new one here, as Kato, the really short boy in the class, ends up getting entangled with what appears to be a cute older girl… except she’s actually eleven. He’s fourteen, so we’re not anywhere Hinohara’s level of wrong, but Love at Fourteen really enjoys giving the reader heartwarming discomfort. – Sean Gaffney

Mob Psycho 100, Vol. 1 | By ONE | Published by Dark Horse – As a fan of One-Punch Man, I went into Mob Psycho 100 expecting to be amused and I’m sorry to say that never really happened. Shigeo Kageyama is an eighth grader with superpowers who works as an underpaid assistant for a fraudulent spirit medium named Arataka Reigen. Shigeo is called “Mob” because he’s an expressionless kid who blends into a crowd, and his desire to be attractive (and win the girl of his dreams) ultimately leads him into strange situations, like being recruited for a creepy cult. My interest was piqued, however, by the meter running throughout the volume (depicting an increasing percentage) and the payoff when it reached 100% was totally worth it. Plus, Reigen’s pep talk to Mob afterwards was completely unexpected and kind of heartwarming. In the end, I think I’ve been convinced to try another volume. – Michelle Smith

Waiting for Spring, Vol. 9 | By Anashin | Kodansha Comics – Both Towa and Aya have now confessed to Mitsuki and she doesn’t know what to do about it. I appreciate that Anashin shows why each boy feels the way that they do, and also that Mitsuki is completely forthcoming with Towa about everything that’s happening with Aya, so that no plot line ever hinges on “completely avoidable misunderstanding.” Instead, there’s more complicated drama, like Towa feeling frustrated that Aya keeps being in a position to heroically save Mitsuki (this time pulling a ligament saving her from being hit by a car) and wondering if perhaps they aren’t destined to be together. Instead of wallowing, however, he seemingly becomes more determined. It’s nice to see Towa start to become less reserved and I look forward to what volume ten will bring. – Michelle Smith

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 3 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – About two-thirds of the way through this volume, Narumi and Koyanagi are relaxing at a hot sprint on a company trip. Koyanagi wonders if Narumi feels lonely because she’s barely seeing her boyfriend this trip, but she says that, given Hirotaka’s lack of social aptitude, she’s merely happy to see him getting along with other guy friends. Koyanagi points out that that’s a mature answer, but leaves her a little bored. I’m not bored with Wotakoi yet, but it does appear to me that it’s very dedicated to showing that our leads are all pretty happy, with most conflicts resolved over the course of a single chapter. Given the title, you’d expect a bit more, but while it’s still very sweet, love isn’t that hard for these otaku. – Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 14 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – Azuma does not believe in pumping out the chapters for this series—this is the second volume in five years. Still, it’s like we never went away, really. Last time we met Yotsuba’s grandmother, and this time it’s her aunt, who is meeting up with Koiwai in Tokyo so that he can get a car—which I assume will allow for greater scope of adventures in the future. This means that here we get Yotsuba & Tokyo, with much hilarity, including an alien invasion that needs to be stopped, and delicious food at an expensive hotel. Oh yes, and Fuuka and her friend Hiwatari do yoga with Yotsuba, which leads to much frustration as she’s as flexible as a young child and they are not. Yotsuba&! still has its magic; I just wish it was magical more often. – Sean Gaffney

Chihayafuru, Vol. 12 | By Yuki Suetsugu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The Mizusawa karuta team returns to the national tournament and this time (so far), they do not have to forfeit on account of Chihaya falling ill. It’s a battle to keep her focused, however, since she’s convinced Arata is present (she’s right), but they end up prevailing in their first two matches. The first is against a team of Japanese-born foreigners who love the game as honestly as anyone, despite their looks, and the second is against a team of quiz-bowl champs who are ostensibly using karuta as a memory aid but who secretly love it, too. It may not be the most exciting volume out there, but it’s solid and takes us a little bit closer to a reunion with Arata. I look forward to volume thirteen! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 29 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I realize that any sports manga is going to involve its protagonist getting better at their chosen sport, but with Haikyu!! that is somehow more rewarding than most. I think part of it is that, instead of acting on pure athletic instinct, Hinata is actually really thinking now and others are picking up on that, even critical people like Tsukishima and Kageyama. I loved that Hinata was able to mimic a particularly bothersome blocker he’d faced in the past as well as execute a passable emergency set and that he was really keen to have a chance to play defense, whereas before he was obsessed with scoring. I also nearly cried when Yamaguchi nailed a service ace. So, in short, I am a major sports manga fangirl and this volume was my jam. – Michelle Smith

Idol Dreams, Vol. 5 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – Even if she’s not doing anything about the fact that she’s masquerading as a 15-year-old and having boys fall for her, Chikage still does quite a bit right in this volume. First of all, she helps Tokita to move on from her (even if she’s not aware he’s moving on) and reconcile with his girlfriend, whose own lack of self-worth in school has led to her making bad choices now that she’s blossomed into womanhood. I was impressed that the two worked it out, and really felt Chikage did a great job. On the idol front, she also wins by putting on the better “performance,” even if she’s not necessarily the better or more talented idol. Still expecting a train wreck, but at least it’s been put off a bit. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 5 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – There’s some great comedy here, involving things like telling fortunes, gutting a fish in class (in which Fujiwara shows she simply cannot avoid trying to help Shirogane, even as it goes as badly as she expects), and such. But for once, the best parts of Kaguya-sama are about the drama, as it’s summer vacation, and Kaguya’s strict father is not letting her go see the fireworks with her friends. The solution to this, and the emotional roller coaster that follows, is fantastic, even if Shirogane looks back on it later and is hideously embarrassed. More to the point, you realize that once these two idiots finally get together (which isn’t going to happen for a long time), they’ll be a terrific couple. – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 4 | By Afro | Yen Press – At long last, the entire group is camping together, including the club, Rin and Saitou, and their new teacher/advisor, who is the drunken camper we saw last time—and she takes the opportunity to get drunk again. There’s lots of interesting camping talk, including discussing Saitou’s expensive sleeping bag and the different kinds of grills that you can use. For the most part, though, this volume is about showing Rin that it can be just as fun to camp with friends as it can be to camp alone, and drag her out of her shell. It’s mind, to be fair, mostly as Rin is not solitary because of any trauma—she just likes being by herself. But honestly, if you’re going to hang with Nadeshiko, you’re going to have to get used to people. Cute as heck. – Sean Gaffney

Little Witch Academia, Vol. 2 | By Trigger, Yoh Yoshinari and Keisuke Sato | JY – This is an adaptation of a very cartoon-ish anime, and it’s appropriate that the art style is very cartoonish and exaggerated—my favorite example of which is when Akko charging ahead literally breaks Andrew’s word balloon warning her not to. Andrew is introduced here, speaking of which, and he’s your classic British boyfriend type, though given what I’ve heard about Akko and Diana, he may be out of luck here. For the most part we continue to watch Akko Potter trying to succeed at magic school, and she’s having a lot less luck than Harry did—her grades are so bad she can’t even attend the banquets. Will she turn things around? This is marketed to kids, but all ages should love it. – Sean Gaffney

Log Horizon: The West Wind Brigade, Vol. 10 | By Koyuki and Mamare Touno | Yen Press – Last time I wondered if this was the spinoff’s final arc, and it’s pretty clear that it is. It’s one big fight scene this time around, and things are going very badly for our heroes, though they’re trying their hardest. We continue to filter things through Soujirou—both why he loves gaming and doing what he does, and also why he has so many girls fall in love with him. The eventual solution they come up with, to seemingly drive the monster crazy by information overload, is a clever one, though it’s not clear whether or not it worked. This series started out as a somewhat lighthearted (sometimes TOO light hearted) comedy, but it’s gotten more action oriented at the climax. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 2 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – The end of this volume features what seems to have been the pilot for the series, and I’m glad it was included, as it shows off how much it was improved to make it the sweet and amusing series it is today. Takagi’s eyes being “evil” makes her teasing seem more mean-spirited, especially given Nishikata is more of a schmuck here. Nishikata works best when he’s sort of that Charlie Brown “this time I’ll kick the football” sort of guy. Likewise, Takagi’s teasing works best because you absolutely get the love that she has for him, and that she does see him as a great guy—who’s simply really fun to tease and to watch reaction faces of. This series makes me feel warm and fuzzy. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – Despite the subtitle of the series, I rather easily fell in love with the first omnibus volume of Wotakoi. The manga was funny and charming with adult characters who, to me, were immediately endearing. The second omnibus continues the trend of the first while introducing a new character, Ko, who manages to be both heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly socially awkward and anxious. Ko is paired with Naoya, but it remains to be seen whether their relationship will evolve into a romantic one. I suspect that at some point it may—after all, Wotakoi is at least in part a romantic comedy—but then again they could simply be destined to be close friends. The emphasis that Wotakoi places on friendship is actually one of the things about the series that I find particularly appealing. In fact, while arguably little romantic progress is made in the second omnibus, friendships are strengthened. – Ash Brown

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 16 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digitals only) – It’s the semifinals of the Tokyo preliminaries and Sawamura’s middle school friends have come to watch him play. He’s hung up on the previous game, during which he was replaced mid-inning after he fell apart after giving up a home run, but this time he manages to keep it together and Seido advances to the finals. I enjoyed his former classmates noting how he has both changed and hasn’t changed, especially as talking to them prompts him to declare that he loves and respects his teammates and wishes he could play with them forever. Mono no aware at its finest! Next, we’re introduced to the two teams competing to be Seido’s opponent in the finals and Terajima-sensei expertly manipulates me into desperately hoping one of them comes out on top. Alas, I suspect they won’t. I love this series. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 11 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It’s the last show of In No Hurry’s tour and Twitter is abuzz with a rumor about Cheshire’s true identity. To counteract this, Silent Black Kitty joins In No Hurry on stage whereupon Yuzu and Momo seemingly have a guitar battle for Nino’s affections. A kiss from Momo throws Nino into a tizzy, but she calms down with Yuzu’s help, which foreshadows later developments, wherein during an intense moment with Momo (requited love, hooray!) she’s longing to sing Yuzu’s music. I like this dynamic—she loves one boy and is super-grateful to the other one who gives her an outlet for these intense emotions—but must say Fukuyama does better at depicting the frenetic energy of concerts that interpersonal drama. It’s big moment after big moment and I find myself longing to spend some more time with Yuzu and his bitter feelings. Oh, well. – Michelle Smith

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 3 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – I noted how much fun the second volume of Dead Dead Demon was, and while there are a few jokes here and there in this third volume, it mostly serves to remind you that this is still being written by Inio Asano. Fortunately, the book maintains its high level of writing and characterization even as things get more bleak and tearjerking, including one major event that I will endeavor to dance around in this review. That said, we are moving forward, as the girls have now graduated (though both our leads failed to get into college), and there’s also a narrative foreshadowing that implies that the friendship that the readers are enjoying may be fractured sooner rather than later. Fantastic, but the fun’s over. – Sean Gaffney

Grand Blue Dreaming, Vol. 2 | By Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka | Kodansha Comics – Although partying and boozing remain a prominent part of Grand Blue Dreaming, they have been (ever so slightly) toned down in the second volume when compared to the first. Notably, the second volume’s opening devotes a little more time to the series’ other primary subject matter—diving. Iori didn’t really intend to join the Izu University diving club but, like it or not, he’s been roped into the group. Despite not knowing how to swim, Iori slowly becomes more comfortable in the water as he learns more about diving, his upperclassmen assuring him that swimming ability isn’t technically required. However, it doesn’t take long for college antics and club hazing, drunken and otherwise, to return to the forefront of the manga. (Oh, and copious amounts of male nudity.) Grand Blue Dreaming can be pretty ridiculous at times with most but certainly not all of the absurdity resulting from alcohol-infused revelry. – Ash Brown

Heaven’s Design Team, Vol. 2 | By Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki, and Tarako | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – In the vein of Cells at Work!, Heaven’s Design Team depicts the biological processes of evolution as a workplace, complete with angels who relay God’s sometimes random requests (like for stripey animals or a species whose males produce milk for their young) to a staff of designers, each with their particular specialties. It’s not a bad series, but the format grows repetitive and dull even before the end of the first volume, which isn’t a good sign. Thankfully, there’s a bit of variance halfway through this second volume, as the designers go on vacation and then (briefly) have a mystery to solve, but then it’s back to the usual. I’m a little bit intrigued by the sudden downfall of one of the angels at the end of the volume, but I’m not sure that’s enough to compel me to return. – Michelle Smith

Spirit Circle, Vol. 5 | By Satoshi Mizukami | Seven Seas – Last time I asked where this was going, and boy, do we find out in this volume. Well, the second half of this volume. First we get a cute, fluffy, gender-reversed life that leaves Fuuta more puzzled than anything else, and he and Kouko go on what is essentially a date so that she can kill him with no hesitation. But why is she SO intent on killing him? Well, we finally get a flash to the Fortuna life, which features the origin of East and Rune, and looks to be just as slice-of-life but unassuming as all the other lives… until you get to the (spoilers go here). Not going to lie, the last quarter of this book makes your jaw drop, and while I don’t want to see Fuuta dead, I absolutely see why Kouko wants to kill him now. Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 4 | By CLAMP | Kodansha Comics – It has taken quite some time to develop, but it seems as though Clear Card might actually have found a plot of some sort that doesn’t entirely rely on Cardcaptor Sakura nostalgia; while the series can still be repetitive, it no longer exists as just a poor copy of its predecessor. Granted, most of the supposed story development unfolds through cryptic dialogue between characters which doesn’t do much to reveal anything at all about what is going on to the reader. Perhaps this is intended to add an air of mystery and suspense to the manga, but I mostly find it frustrating as well as a bit irritating. To be completely honest, I’m not entirely convinced that CLAMP even knows where the series is heading yet. I largely continue to read Clear Card because I loved the original series, but I really would like to see something more substantial emerge. – Ash Brown

Harukana Receive, Vol. 2 | By Nyoijizai | Seven Seas – The emphasis in this series is still firmly on the volleyball, which is appropriate for a sports title but you always have to wonder when it stars a bunch of girls in bikinis. There is some fanservice, but it’s basic “they’re wearing bikinis” service rather than anything racy—even the discussion of matching swimsuits is related to the games they’ll be playing. As for the games themselves, Haruka is still learning, and there’s a definite beginner’s curve here, but they luck out in this book by playing a team with a similar curve—they’re indoor players, unused to the beach. As such, you get to see both sides struggle, especially Kanata, who is still dealing with A LOT OF STUFF. I want to see these two play more games. – Sean Gaffney

Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, Vol. 1 | By NISIOISIN and Akira Akatsuki | Viz Media – Normally I don’t really get adaptations of novels I’ve already read, but this is the creative team behind Medaka Box, which I love and will never be licensed, so I want to show support. The artist’s fanservice-and-action style lent itself well to Medaka Box, and lends itself even more to this anti-war battle royale, where a dozen people gather to kill each other for the sake of one wish. They’re all zodiac animals, and this volume shows us Boar, Dog, and Chicken for the most part. If you enjoyed the book you’ll like the manga, as this is one of Nisio’s least wordy titles, and thus it adapts pretty well. Not for those who like to see people survive more than fifty pages, though. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 2 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court | Viz Media – I gotta admit, I sort of went “really?” when I saw that Koichi didn’t get into UA because he stopped to help a drowning person (who turned out to be Kazuho, in a very unsurprising plot twist) and thus missed the exam. But then again, folks have indeed ruined their lives by missing important exams or interviews, no matter how much I may not like it. As for the rest of the book, we get to see the origin of a villain from the main series, which is probably the most exciting part of this side story that still seems to be cooking a little. I have a feeling that it may break open in the next volume or two, but we aren’t there yet. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 2 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – My Hero Academia: Vigilantes continues to be better than expected. Koichi, Kazuho, and Knuckleduster continue to look for users of the quirk-enhancing drug Trigger. Meanwhile, a schoolgirl in an eyepatch seeks out interesting people to give the drug at the instruction of someone who wants to observe the results. One of these people seems to be a villain from the main series. In another tie-in, Koichi is nearly recruited by Ingenium, who has a neat organization of his own where he finds roles for people with quirks that might not seem suited for heroism at first glance. I like how this world is being fleshed out and look forward to continuing! – Michelle Smith

My Monster Secret, Vol. 13 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Urgh. I gotta say, this is starting to remind me a bit of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, which is to say a classic example of a manga that kept going long after it should have ended. The author seems to be grasping at straws at the start of the book, with plots like “let’s go to the dentist” or “Mikan’s glasses run away.” (I can’t believe I even typed that sentence.) It gets a little better when it focuses on Asahi’s indecisiveness about his future path, as well as Youko hiding her own decision from him as she’s embarrassed. And the two of them avoiding getting more serious is sort of cute in a frustrating way. But the cliffhanger reads exactly like “I need to wring even more drama from this manga I already ended.” – Sean Gaffney

The Voynich Hotel, Vol. 2 | By Douman Seiman | Seven Seas – Last time I was struck by how gross-yet-funny this series was. This volume I am more affected by its sense of dark melancholy and morbid violence. Both of the main “cute couple” are steeped in violent pasts, and Maria sometimes has to use that in a violent present. Demons exist, and are trying to break the hotel, apparently. There are endless groups of killers running around, and lessons are learned just a bit too late in many cases. Even when those who are gorily killed are somehow brought back to existence, it’s with a morbid joke and a sense that they’ll never be happy or satisfied. The series ends in the next volume, I believe, which is appropriate, as the Voynich Hotel is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 14 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – After the perfection that was volume thirteen, it would be hard for any subsequent volume to measure up. Wisely, Kusanagi-sensei decides to skip ahead a little to Yona and her retinue arriving in Water Tribe lands, where they discover that merchants from the Kai Empire have managed to hook much of the population on a particular drug. During the course of their investigation they meet Riri, the daughter of the chief who is frustrated by her father’s inaction and inspired by Yona. I love the running plotline of people Yona inspires who go on to do good long after she has moved on. Perhaps Riri will be another, though so far she seems pretty overwhelmed. Also somewhat overwhelmed is Jaeha, who has realized that he’s in love with Yona. So good, y’all. – Michelle Smith

DAYS, Vol. 10 | By Tsuyoshi Yasuda | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Seiseki has advanced to the finals of the Tokyo tournament, where they’re up against Toin, the reigning champions. Before the game actually begins, we get a rather neat sequence in which Ubukata, who hasn’t given anything her all in years, works diligently to gain intel on Toin and develop a strategy for Seiseki. Yasuda-sensei does a great job ramping up the tension for the big game, and it’s great to see Tsukamoto’s training beginning to pay off. Now, not only can he steal a ball, he can evade a skilled defender and take a shot. His first attempt fails, and the volume ends just as he gets another, but it’s still very satisfying. I realize the protagonist’s gradual evolution in skill is the point of every sports manga, but I wholeheartedly appreciate it every time just the same. – Michelle Smith

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 27-28 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – Another “darkest before the dawn” volume, this second to last omnibus of Kuroko’s Basketball can be rather heavy going, as it involves a lot of finding out things don’t work and then trying new things that also don’t work. As with a lot of sports manga, there is a whole hell of a lot of “that’s it, there’s no way they can come back,” with faces looking like it’s a literal death sentence. (Which it feels like, because sports.) Fortunately, we’re seeing that Seirin are at least keeping it from being a total blowout. And trying to be a Kuroko is harder than it looks, too. Next time’s the finale. Will our heroes win? It’s not always certain in Japanese sports manga. We shall see. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 15 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Midoriya now has his internship, but it’s running him ragged, and he’s in danger of losing it. Before that, though, there’s a young girl that needs to be saved, one who seems to have a mysterious quirk that Overhaul is using. We thus get together several groups of heroes and interns, including Uraraka, Tsuyu and Kirishima, to try to rescue her. Unfortunately, that mostly means this volume is all setup and not much payoff. It is pretty nice if you’re a Kirishima fan, and he does really well here. I think the main issue with this volume is that everyone’s so down— Midoriya’s depressed the whole book, and Nighteye is moaning about his quirk as well. I suspect next volume will be ALL ACTION, which will help. – Sean Gaffney

Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General, Vol. 2 | By jin | Seven Seas – This continues to give me exactly what I want from a title like this—lots of laughs. Our heroine is settling down a bit, but that’s only compared to the first volume—she’s still thinking up various ways to get closer to Braveman and is not going to let anything stop her. We also meet a few more heroes, who unfortunately find that just because the Black General is a comedy goofball does not mean she’s not dangerous, and they are brought down to size very quickly. The best chapters involve her infiltrating the Hero League to become Braveman’s sidekick—but her idea of “heroism” is as suspect as you’d expect. This has become a fast favorite of mine, as it puts a big grin on my face. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 3 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – Our favorite princess continues to barrel through her problems like a berserker, leaving mayhem and chaos in her wake—and, of course, amusement for the reader. She’s gotten a nice windowpane for her room, as well as a kotatsu and woolen underwear, as the season is changing to winter. In fact, Christmas is here. Fortunately, the manga is self-aware enough to know that the Princess is, if not completely evil, at least utterly amoral, and so she gets the equivalent of coal in her stocking. That’s not changing her ways at all, though, and she even goes outside the castle to try sleeping and tormenting in the fresh air. As long as you don’t care about lack of consequences, this is still hilarious. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 5 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The culture festival concludes this volume, but really it’s all about the latter half of the book, as we’re introduced to Rino, a former underclassman of Takane’s who is harboring feelings for him, and she’s not all that fond of Hana. This culminates in a Christmas party the main cast is going to, where we discover Rino’s secret and her actual relationship with Takane. It’s hard to discuss this without spoiling things, but I was very impressed with the way it was handled, which is shockingly modern and forward thinking for Japan. As for Takane and Hana, Rino’s appearance forces Hana to admit a few things to herself, but honestly what we mostly get is why I read this in the first place—Takane and Hana digging at each other constantly. – Sean Gaffney

Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Vol. 2 | By Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha Comics – Being a fan of Princess Jellyfish, it’s probably not much of a surprise that I would seek out more of Higashimura’s work. And so I happily found myself reading Tokyo Tarareba Girls, a manga series about the lives of three thirty-something women as they struggle to come to terms with the fact that they aren’t getting any younger. All three of them find themselves asking “what if” over and over as they contemplate past decisions and lost opportunities. Their friendship, along with their frequent nights out drinking, tend to see them through the worst of it. While the first volume of Tokyo Tarareba Girls primarily focused on Rinko and the ups and downs of her relationships, romantic and otherwise, the second volume turns to those of her best friends Kaori and Koyuki. Tokyo Tarareba Girls is a lively manga with humor that both highly entertains and cuts to the quick. – Ash Brown

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 7 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Well, Asahi isn’t quite back at the start of this volume, as I said last time, but she does end up returning to the fantasy world and her water god. This causes her a lot of anguish, as she sees how much her family suffered while she was gone, and is slowly bonding with her brother. But in the end she can’t resist returning to him, and just in time too, as there’s a drought in the land due to his depression of Asahi’s departure. Of course, all is not well going forward, as the new mini-villain snatches Asahi away and transports her to the equivalent of the underworld. I’m not sure that we’ll ever return to Asahi’s family, but I’m glad we saw them, even as I’m also pleased she returned to her grumpy tsundere god. – Sean Gaffney

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 7 | By Rei Toma | VIZ Media – I’ve enjoyed The Water Dragon’s Bride from the beginning, but the series has gotten even better in recent volumes. I think Toma-sensei is getting a little better at expressing everyone’s feelings now that the Water Dragon God is beginning to experience some of his own, so that Subaru ends up with some strong character moments of his own even though the bulk of the story is about Asahi’s time back at home and how much she misses the Water Dragon God. I seriously got verklempt when she impulsively decides to return (leaving her poor, adorable little brother behind) and the Water Dragon God simply cannot contain the strange emotion he finally identifies as joy. She has changed him for the better, and I very much look forward to seeing how the final volumes in this story play out. – Michelle Smith

Bleach, Vol. 74 | By Tite Kubo | Viz Media – I have never actually reviewed Bleach as a brief… or indeed at all. I followed its periphery, keeping track of what was going on and trying not to be too invested. The final volume shows off many of its strengths and weaknesses… I enjoyed seeing Ichigo and Orihime fighting together, and the finale was sweet, but far too often the volume was Yhwach screaming “can’t you see your powers are USELESS against me!” like an MST3K villain. Still, say what you will about Bleach, it was always itself. It may feel like it was cancelled for not getting on with it (it probably was), but changing anything seems churlish. It’s that middle son who’s always a hot mess, who always gets forgiven. – Sean Gaffney

Dragon Half, Omnibus 2 | By Ryusuke Mita | Seven Seas – This continues to be a giant nostalgia trip, feeling very much like the sort of anime and manga that North America was getting in the early 1990s. Which it essentially is. Even the translation and adaptation feels like it’s a “dub,” and a good one like Shinesman. It’s not easy to analyze—aside from one or two heartwarming moments that last about one panel, it’s balls to the wall comedy every single page. But the comedy is ridiculous fun, with Mink shedding her skin and becoming stronger (and bustier), the villains still being 100% useless, and Lufa being 100% DTF. I think there’s one more omnibus to go, and theoretically this is coming to an ending, but the plot is irrelevant compared to the laughs. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 26 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Eventually, theoretically, this arc will end. But it’s not this volume, or indeed the one after that. That said, it is nice to see Soma punted to the side here so that we can focus on some of the other cast. Kuga has a grudge, and wants to make his name remembered—I suspect the name will be remembered but he’ll lose. As for Mimasaka, it’s quite interesting to see his stereotypical evil cheat powers used in the name of good. And then there’s Megishima, and though we find out why he’s helping Soma and company in this book, I have to admit I simply like Rindo more, and I hope that she pulls it off. So yes, a good volume, but pretty sure the bad guys are gonna win, which means… more tournament arc. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 28 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – We are nearly caught up with Haikyu!!, which goes to “once every three months” starting with the new year. It’s been fun reading this volleyball title every week, and it helped me keep track of what’s going on better. The bout against Inarizaki takes up much of the second half, and is up to the usual high standards. I was also amused to see a hint of boy/girl romance in this book, as Ryunosuke’s childhood friend—there with her women’s volleyball team—clearly has a thing for him, but in the end, like a lot of shonen titles, she decides to emulate his SPORTS PASSION rather than confess. Besides, he’s still crushing on the manager (has she retired or not?). Haikyu!! is great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 3 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – We are reminded several times in this volume why the two siblings are the way they are—they’re very much on their own in the apartment. Here we learn their mother has passed away, and it seems there’s no father either. This explains a lot of Umaru’s immaturity, as well as Taihei’s tendency to let her do what she wants. I think I like the series best when it shows off the occasional sweet moment. Still, it’s because it’s occasional that it works so well—most of the time this series is content to rely on funny “Umaru is lazy” humor, such as accidentally screwing up the modem and having… NO INTERNET!… or forgetting about her New Year’s Resolution to be less slothful. Cute. – Sean Gaffney

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal, Vol. 2 | By Kaziya | Seven Seas – There’s not much here beyond “heartwarming stories of a magical vet,” but sometimes that’s all you need, and if this is going to be manga’s equivalent of All Creatures Great and Small I’m content to be along for the ride. The chapters are named after either the magical beast or their ailment, and despite involving supernatural creatures manage to be rather educational—the discussion of rye bread was particularly fascinating. Ziska is cute, Niko is patient and caring, and you root for both of them, even as some of the situations prove to be a lot more difficult to solve than others. This is the sort of title that will run as long as the audience is there to enjoy its peaceful, relaxed mood, and I’m one of that audience. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – Twenty-two volumes in, and Natsume’s Book of Friends is just getting better and better. The first two stories involve Natsume’s classmates—first, the story of an inn beloved by good yokai where the staff forget to display the curtain to ward off bad yokai one night, and second, the story of a mysterious nightly visitor who uses Natsume’s face to befriend Nishimura—and seeing events from their perspective ramps up the creepy atmosphere tenfold. As if those weren’t enough, the final story involves Natsume meeting the first yokai whose name appears in the book and learning more about Reiko in the process. It’s a tale both melancholy and lovely and I loved it very much. The twenty-third volume only came out in Japan last month, so sadly we’ve probably got a long wait for our next installment. – Michelle Smith

New Game!, Vol. 3 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – There’s some workplace development here—with Kou’s promotion, Hifumi is also encouraged to take a step forward, which she does shyly and reluctantly. Kou and Aoba also manage to collaborate on a character design, after some brief but well done drama, and the game looks ridiculously cute. For the most part, though, this continues to be about a group of girls and their everyday life, the same as many of these 4-koma titles. I had honestly thought there would be more yuri, but it’s mostly invisible—Rin clearly as a thing for Kou, but there’s no forward movement there. If you enjoyed the anime, or just like this style of manga, it’s a good volume. Needs to have the cast holding hands and jumping in the air. – Sean Gaffney

To Your Eternity, Vol. 6 | By Yoshitoki Oima | Kodansha Comics – Every single volume of this series has managed to shatter my heart and the sixth is no exception. To Your Eternity remains a manga that is both astonishingly beautiful and incredibly devastating. Oima utilizes a fantastical narrative to explore deeply philosophical and existential themes. Even as an immortal, Fushi struggles to survive in a world full of death. Fushi continues to learn, grow, and evolve, but the process is an exceptionally painful one requiring difficult decisions to be made over and over. The sixth volume dramatically concludes the Jananda arc–on an island populated by exiled criminals, Fushi is forced yet again to confront the complexities of human morality and mortality. Yes, there are crushing losses, but along with the sadness comes some amount of hope. The strength of the relationships that Fushi develops with others is a shining, guiding light in a life frequently punctuated with darkness and tragedy. – Ash Brown

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 9 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – Well, the author does indeed seem to be trying to establish Chise and Elias as a romantic couple after all. That said, she seems aware that there was a hideous power imbalance involved, and most of this volume involves Chise working independently to try to rescue Stella and deal with Cartaphilus and his long, long live and mountain of complexes. As for Elias, he has to figure out how to apologize and stop doing things for Chise’s own good—even if that does mean she runs him ragged. Their relationship is a lot more equal by the end of this book, and I’m less wary of it. And now we apparently enter a new arc! Oh yes, and since I haven’t said so in a while, the art is utterly gorgeous. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 20 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – We still don’t know Shiemi’s secret, but we’re getting closer to having Yukio and Rin learn their own secrets. Despite the fun of a Christmas party (which gets wiped out by one Rube Goldberg-esque flipover from Shiemi’s familiar) and Renzo’s infinite family relations, complete with wedding, the gravity of Yukio’s pain and rage envelops this volume. Rin knows something is wrong but can’t help. Shiemi tries to comfort but can’t. He’s taken off active duty because he’s a loose cannon. And finally, in a shockingly brutal scene, he shoots himself in the head. This being Blue Exorcist, he’s not actually killed, but it’s still hard to read. This is starting to get to a point where we need another release of tension soon. – Sean Gaffney

Fate/Zero, Vol. 7 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – Spoiling the cliffhanger from last volume, no, Tokiomi does not actually do anything. Instead, as you can see from the cover, we get a lot more of Caster and his master, though mercifully there’s slightly less (though still some) child murders and lots more philosophizing on the nature of God. Everyone’s taking stock of who they are—Waver feels useless, even when Rider tries to pep him up. Iris’ body is having issues that remind me of what happened to Shirou in some FSN arcs, and Archer spends a lot—a LOT—of time psychoanalyzing Kotomine. There is so much talking in this book that when Caster summons a Giant Sea Beast to destroy everything, it’s a mercy. Recommend for Fate fans. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 26 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – The team shokugeki between Central and the resistance continues. The resistance swept the first bout, eliminating three members of the opposing team, but in response Central has sent out their heavy hitters. Yukihira sits this round out as Kuga gets his opportunity for a rematch against Tsukasa (but is not too proud to accept help from a teammate) and we learn a little bit more about two uber-manly students whose individual specialties are ramen and sushi. This volume is somewhat more fanservicey than the series has been of late, which I don’t love, and ends on a cliffhanger as all six chefs participating in the second bout prepare to have their dishes judged, but it’s still fun. Too, I appreciate that there are now some truly impartial judges overseeing things. I’ll still be happy when this arc is over, though. – Michelle Smith

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 6 | By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – The first half of this book, which is essentially a horror-comedy set in a hotel with infinite winding corridors, is hilarious, if grotesque. It’s reminiscent of an English farce, with lots of opening and closing doors and people missing each other—at one point we get a cross-section of the hotel to show this off. The second half doubles down on the violence, though, as Hijikata’s group is trying to find tattooed skins and also help a young pregnant woman avoid being used as a hostage. It’s a letdown, but that’s only because the first half of the book was so much fun. It also lacks Sugimoto and Asirpa, who are still the best reasons to read the book. Very little cooking this time around, too. – Sean Gaffney

The Manga Cookbook, Vol. 3 | By The Manga University Culinary Institute and Ryo Katagiri | Japanime – The third volume in the Manga Cookbook series collects twenty-five or so recipes (depending on how one counts variations) described as Japanese fusion food. The various dishes, ranging from drinks to dinner to desserts, all incorporate ingredients and flavours from or inspired by Japan. The Manga Cookbook combines food with a little bit of fun. Each recipe is associated with a character that could have come straight out of a manga (mobile suit pirate, personal butler, class president, etc.) and is preceded by a one-page comic which introduces both the character and dish in a humorous fashion. The cookbook is intended to appeal to young adults and is largely suitable for beginning cooks–the fully-illustrated recipes aren’t overly complex but are still intriguing, ready substitutions are recommended for some of the ingredients that might be more difficult to find, and even I learned a few new tricks and techniques! – Ash Brown

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – I love stories with Natsume, Tanuma, and Taki, as I’ve said about eighty times, and so was delighted to see a two-parter starting this volume off which has them visiting an inn with some old yokai documents, which turns out to be guarded by a yokai who loves the view. Like most Natsume stories, it’s beautifully told, and what seems bittersweet becomes sweet later on. Things turn sad later on, though, with a flashback to Reiko’s first victim in the Book of Names, and her reluctant bonding with a young high school girl who at first I thought was dying of some wasting disease but apparently not. Reiko is always going to be prickly and difficult, but seeing her compassion in spite of that is terrific. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 5 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – Normally, I don’t read a manga and think, “Man, this needs to be an anime,” but I had that thought a few times during the opening chapters of this volume, which include some great scenes with Takane at Hana’s school festival. I was a little worried when a bratty cousin and clinging love rival are introduced one after another, but each scenario yields something valuable story-wise. In the former, Hana learns a little bit about Takane’s family situation and in the latter, she’s forced to finally say out loud that she likes him and, in the end, recognizes that the rival’s feelings are genuine, also. Too, kudos for a reasonably good handling of this rival’s secret, which is probably the best I’ve seen in manga so far. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable volume. I hope Takane & Hana keeps going strong for a long time! – Michelle Smith

CITY, Vol. 3 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – I apparently never reviewed the second volume of this, which is fun if you like Arawi but it’s getting really difficult to see why it’s not simply more Nichijou. The three main characters are very hard not to think of as Mio, Yukko and Nano, and they get into similar wacky situations. The manga works best, unsurprisingly, when they’re all playing off each other, such as when they argue over the treasure map, or just be funny. Unfortunately, when the manga is away from the main cast, it simply doesn’t hold the reader’s attention enough to have it pull off the weirdness. Nichijou had a similar issue, to be honest, but faked it better. This is still a good read if you want more Nichijou (which it technically isn’t). – Sean Gaffney

The Delinquent Housewife!, Vol. 1 | By Nemu Yoko | Vertical Comics – Usually when I review volume ones as a brief, it’s not a good sign, but I quite liked this first volume, I just don’t have much analysis of it. It has a strong premise—a young woman is brought into a household that is not all that warm to her, the husband then leaves for Singapore on business, and it turns out that she’s an ex-yanki and also can’t cook, clean, or anything else. With a premise like that, the gags write themselves, but fortunately Komugi has a few allies in the groom’s younger brother and his not-as-senile-as-he-seems grandfather. Komugi the yanki is a lot more interesting than Komugi the housewife, but seeing how long she can keep this up is what will make this manga fun. I’ll read more. – Sean Gaffney

Dementia 21 | By Shintaro Kago | Fantagraphics – A few of Shintaro Kago’s works have previously been released in English by Hollow Press, a small Italian publisher, but Dementia 21 is only the second collection of Kago’s manga to be released in North America, the first being Super Dimensional Love Gun. Much of Kago’s work falls within the tradition of ero guro and can be pretty intense, but overall Dementia 21 is relatively tame when compared to some of Kago’s other work. The stories are not nearly as eroticized or as visually gruesome as, say, those collected in Super Dimensional Love Gun, but they are still incredibly bizarre, strange, and surreal with a wickedly dark sense of humor. The short manga in Dementia 21 all follow Yukie Sakai, a young woman who works as a home health aide caring for elderly patients. The astonishing and frequently horrifying situations she finds herself in are entertainingly absurd, the volume rife with satirical readings. – Ash Brown

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, Vol. 5 | By Nagabe| Seven Seas – This series is so many things simultaneously. The relationship between Teacher and Shiva is incredibly charming—especially near the end of this volume where they’re trying to evade a persistent soldier and she’s attempting to cheer up Teacher with optimism and silly faces—but that makes their plight especially worrisome. For the first time, I really appreciated the distinction between original Outsiders and beings of Teacher’s ilk, especially since Auntie was one of the latter and quickly succumbed to a sad fate that seems to be Teacher’s eventual path, as well, particularly given the dream Shiva has about one day being left all alone. I desperately want things to be okay for these two, but I just really don’t see how that’s going to be possible. What a great series to evoke so many feels! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 27 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – I missed a Haikyu!! brief somehow. I blame the format of sports manga in general, where games can stretch out for six to seven volumes at times. We don’t really see anything here we haven’t seen in the last few volumes, but that’s the point —all the extra work everyone did in the last few volumes is showing here, and we’re marveling at how much our heroes have grown since the early days. I especially liked the little things—how fast Kageyama adjusts to the far larger stadium he’s playing in, the fact that Hinata has learned to read the flow of the game, the fact that the opposing team finds Tsukishima as annoying as the reader always has. This is a great sports manga, for better and worse. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 41 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – There’s so much going on in this volume, and all of it is about Kyoko and how far she’s grown as an actress. She may still be unable to love, which is the main reasons she’s in the Talento group, but her method acting, ability to learn fast and well, and sheer physical ability are jaw-dropping. I’d suggest buying two copies of the manga just to lend it to a friend for the fight scenes, and I love how much it’s emphasized that these are fake stage fights, meant to look cool, not be dangerous—in fact, it can be hard NOT to be dangerous. So Kyoko may have won a role, but will she get to act with Kanae at last? And what about Ren, who’s back in Japan and ready to meet up with a strangely reticent Kyoko? – Sean Gaffney

Toradora!, Vol. 8 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Zekkyo | Seven Seas – Now that Seven Seas has licensed the Toradora! light novels, I can put the manga in the briefs. That said, it’s been about 36 months since the last volume dropped, so I would not blame those who have completely forgotten what’s going on. The cover art is an enraged Taiga, and the fight between her and Kanou is easily the highlight of the volume. The rest of it is the lead-up to Christmastime, but the main issue is that something’s wrong with Minorin, who’s been avoiding everyone. She says it’s due to softball humiliation, and to be fair knocking over the tree really was a shocker, but there’s something else happening, and I suspect we’ll find out next time. Unless the light novels catch up first. – Sean Gaffney

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 6 | By Megumi Morino | Kodansha Comics – Ah, what a satisfying ending! The spirits who have been borrowing Shizu’s body know that soon they will have to go. The more Shizu becomes herself, the less time they’re able to spend in control of her. I couldn’t have predicted who’d be the first to go, though, and it was bittersweet, even though Shizu gained a new friend in the process. I loved that after they’re gone, the story doesn’t just end. Shizu is really distraught without them, and of course it’s Tetsu who helps her pull through, and we get the suggestion that just because she can no longer interact with them doesn’t mean that they’re not still hanging around, watching over the new couple. The we’ll-get-through-it-together vibe is strong between the two leads, especially regarding Tetsu’s mother, who is still unconscious. But man, that final panel is a doozy. Highly, highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 6 | By Megumi Morino | Kodansha Comics – The conclusion to this series gives almost everything a reader could ask for. Another of the ghosts manages to find peace and come to terms with the manner of their death, and as an added bonus Shizu gets a new friend. The ghosts hang around enough to help Shizu, who has simply not had the life experience to be able to see the signs, realize what she’s feeling for Tetsu. The finale is heartwarming, and while the resolution of Tetsu’s mom’s fate is left as a cliffhanger rather than being explicitly laid out, I think that works just as well. In the end, this was a sweet little winner of a shoujo manga, just the right amount of volumes. A greater starter for those wondering about the genre. – Sean Gaffney