Bookshelf Briefs

Anne Happy, Vol. 4 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – I am beginning to wonder if the goal of this class filled with luckless idiots is not so much to improve their bad luck as to simply get them to find joy in little things anyway, as this fourth volume mostly involves a school trip that ends up in a giant keep away gave of tag, with the losers sleeping outside and foraging for food. Take a wild guess which team ends up losing. There’s also Karaoke (Anne breaks the equipment by merely attempting to use is) and woodcarving (Anne is quite good, but it shatters fairly easily). In order to appreciate these sad sacks, one must turn the brain off, but if you do, it can be cute and adorable, and a culture festival sounds fun. Recommended if you like moe stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Fate/Zero, Vol. 4 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – One of the biggest reasons to read Fate/Zero is too see the contrast in heroes between Shirou, the naive, hardheaded yet lovable hero of Fate/Stay Night, and Kirutsugu, the cool, pragmatic, “greater good” protagonist of Fate/Zero. And while Saber falls pretty hard for Shirou, it’s pretty clear that Kirutsugu fills her with rage and disgust, which is very well drawn here by Shinjiro. I also enjoyed seeing Irisviel’s attempts at being his balance, which I suspect are doomed to failure, and was weirded out by Sola-Ui, possibly as she looks like Bazett and has a crush on Lancer like Bazett. Oh yes, and we have more lovingly detailed child murder. Fate/Zero is classic Gen Urobuchi, which is to say death and pain, but so well-written. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 8 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – In general, most sports manga that revolve around “it’s our chance to win the big tournament” invariably involve losing in the first tournament they try to win, because otherwise the manga would be quite short. And so it is for Haikyu!!, as despite various stratagem, and almost having a shot, our heroes still go down to defeat. But they can learn from it and let that frustration fill them with the desire to improve. And the graduating teammates may stick around a little longer after all, if they get permission, because yes, college is important, but this is volleyball. All that and we get cool poses, facial grimaces galore, and so much sweat you could float down it in a boat. Haikyu!! is powerful and fun to read. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 23 | By Julietta Suzuki | VIZ Media – I’ve always enjoyed Kamisama Kiss, but I was never particularly excited about it. That has officially changed with this volume. Suzuki-sensei manages to strike the perfect balance between action, plot resolution, and feelings. Instead of the focus being on Tomoe and Nanami’s relationship, it’s on the friendship Tomoe and Akura-Oh once shared and how both of them were able to change through coming to love and understand humans. It’s quite lovely, actually. Creepy Yatori, who still looks like a villain out of Basara, is still in play, though, so our heroes are not entirely out of the woods yet. Having a high-quality ending like this really bolsters my opinion of the series as a whole. – Michelle Smith

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 3 | By Masume Yoshimoto | One Peace Books – Kuma Miko is becoming a lot less weird and a lot more moe. Unfortunately, this has the effect of also making it far less interesting, as the story beats it’s hitting are ones that we’ve seen done better elsewhere (albeit with fewer talking bears). It also means we pay more attention to the interpersonal relationships, which can be somewhat creepy (Yoshio towards Machi, which is thankfully called out by Hibiki) or disturbingly co-dependent (Machi and the bear). We do get an occasionally funny gag (“they’ll throw rocks at me!” seems like country naivete till it gets a callback. I’m beginning to be reminded of another series set way out in the country, Non Non Biyori, and am asking: is there a point to this? – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 7-8 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – The crushing defeat from last volume still weighs on both Kuroko and Kagami, and Kuroko in particular is finding it hard to move past and get to the next level. Luckily there are ways to fix that, such as INTENSE TRAINING. We get sand basketball, which is as rough as it sounds, and poor Kagami running and running and running and then running some more. And then we get to watch more of the winner’s in the tournament, as the battle between Aomine and Kise, which is incredibly badass, and also helps to show that yes, Kuroko and Kagami DO have a ways to go. Luckily, we’ve a number of volumes to go as well. Having this and Haikyu!! coming out at the same time means we’re hitting similar beats, but they’re both good. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 22 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – The heroes of Magi are filled with shiny shonen idealism, and they run up hard against the cynicism of the real world in this volume. Even Sinbad, who’s been presented till now as at least a reasonable ally, is starting to show signs that he may be, if not just as bad, certainly just as problematic. Alibaba is not yet strong enough to refuse offers that he can’t refuse. To the rescue comes Aladdin, who gives everyone a giant flashback to show what happened in the universe he’s from, a parallel one where humanity is fighting evil Mr. Potato Heads, and we also get Solomon and Sheba, because I was wondering when they would show up in this manga clearly influenced by Biblical as well as Arabian Nights myth. Magi is terrific; you should know this by now. – Sean Gaffney

Maid-sama!, Vols. 13-14 | By Hiro Fujiwara | VIZ Media – Y’know, Maid-sama! is certainly not a great manga, but damned if it isn’t immensely satisfying when things finally happen! I suppose that’s owing to the fact that Misaki is a stubborn tsundere, which can be frustrating, but I cannot deny that her confession of love and Usui’s reciprocation, followed by their becoming an official couple and eventually revealing their status to the school is all the sweeter because it took so long. There’s plenty of other stuff in this volume, including a school trip with appearances by random supporting characters and more boring drama about Usui’s family background, but even the plot wherein he transfers schools for his final year is redeemed when Misaki is 100% not cowed by some rich girl claiming Usui is her fiancé. The endgame is afoot! – Michelle Smith

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 6 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I suppose it might seem like an insult to say that this volume of Nozaki-kun is pretty much the same as the others, but I actually mean it as a compliment. Tsubaki continues to spin out amusing scenarios for her characters with no dip in quality. In this volume, Nozaki is doing a lot of research into horror themes, in anticipation of having to incorporate some into his manga, but there are other silly gags like Wakamatsu being transformed into a confident guy via an eye patch, doing summer homework at Nozaki’s house, and finding a suitable girl to pretend to be Mikoshiba’s girlfriend in order to persuade a persistent admirer to back off. Each new volume of this series is like the best kind of brain balm and I’m grateful for it! – Michelle Smith

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 23 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – As we get ever closer to the ending, everything is getting ramped up a notch, and we’re seeing the true villain of the series is not Akura-Oh. Indeed, the humanity that Akura-Oh has inherited by Kirihito leads to some of the best scenes in the book, as the young girl lost in the Underworld turns out to be someone far more important than we thought. And then there’s Nanami, who continues to be told what to do and then just does what she wants to anyway, and usually ends up turning out all right. Best of all, though, is Yatori, who’s always been awful but really goes above and beyond to become a truly hateful villain, the sort you really want to see Tomoe and Nanami destroy. Which will have to wait for next time. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 22 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – It continues to impress me how complex Magi has become. In this volume, Alibaba learns about the Kou Empire’s plan to achieve peace through domination and homogenization, and is pressured into an alliance for the sake of Balbadd. When the world’s leaders gather at a conference, Aladdin finally reveals what happened on the world of Alma Tran, with direct parallels to what Kou is trying to achieve. It’s an affecting tale, with an adorable kitty beast, but what I liked best about the volume was Alibaba learning about and reacting to the terrible things Kou and Sinbad have done to others in pursuit of their goals. Both use essentially the same line about having to get their hands dirty in order to protect their countries, and one wonders how far Alibaba’s own ideals will be compromised for the same reason, especially given his new allegiance. Fascinating stuff! – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 13-14 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – Continuing from my last brief, it’s not just me—Misaki’s sister is definitely sweet on Hinata, which I suspect will pay off nicely next time in a “Pair the Spares” way. And you can tell the next omnibus will wrap things up, as we’re definitely headed towards an endgame, defined in part by Usui deciding to stop fighting against everything and transfer schools. The big reason that you can tell things might be ending, though, is that we finally get the confession from Misaki, and it’s as awesome as you’d expect. Misaki may still struggle with maturity and the fact that everything seems to embarrass her, but she’s come a long way. Maid-sama! has had issues, but I’m pleased we are getting the chance to read it to its finish. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 7 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – We wrap up one arc and begin another here, so there’s a bit of shifting gears and some cute school scenes in between. The kids learn the value of secrecy and propaganda, especially when it applies to schoolchildren who have technically broken the law. They also move on to midterm exams, which involve a practical portion that involves battling their teachers in sets of two. Naturally, Midoriya and Bakugo are paired up, because everyone has noticed Bakugo seemingly can’t stand Midoriya. Expect lessons to be learned, as this fight is definitely going to carry over into the next book. But most importantly, the chief of police in the city appears to be McGruff the Crime Dog. I approve. – Sean Gaffney

My Love Story!!, Vol. 11 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | Viz Media – This volume continues the development from the last one, as Yamato spends a lot of time trying to gently get through to Takeo that she is, in fact, OK with it if he tries to go further physically in their relationship. He gets it in the end, but we don’t really have them go any further—this continues to be one of the purest shoujo series ever, so I’m not surprised. Instead we introduce a new rival, but it’s not another love rival this time around. It’s a new transfer student who immediately seems to bond with Suna… in fact, it looks like he’s doing it on purpose. Could the new guy be using Suna? I’m definitely looking forward to the next book to find out, as Suna’s motivations fascinate me. – Sean Gaffney

Please Tell Me! Galko-chan, Vol. 2 | By Kenya Suzuki| Seven Seas – This is not quite as much fun as the first volume, and when it attempts to add new characters you can sort of hear the gears turning loudly in the author’s head. It’s at its best when it focuses on our core trio and their adorable if somewhat overly awkward interrelations. My favorite part was probably Ojou’s concert recital, where she really shines, and also manages to show off that she actually has friends from school. It’s also adorable when we see her get pissed off for never arguing with Galko or Otako, if only as it means she actually changes expression. And there’s still a bit of sex talk but not nearly as much as the first volume. It’s a fun gag series, and the colors are fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Re:Monster, Vol. 2 | By Kogitsune Kanekiru and Haruyoshi Kobayakawa| Seven Seas – I’m not entirely sure why I kept reading this after the first volume, and if I want to be honest I’m still not sure after getting through volume two. Its flaws are many and obvious—it is a massive overblown male power fantasy, the narrative is unemotional and stoic (though to be fair this sometimes works, usually when Gob-Rou is required to be clueless about women), and the idea of “it’s not rape if they’re drugged into horniness” is appalling in every way. But I dunno, there’s still a compulsive readability to this, and given the large numbers of what amount to orgies in the series it could have been even less tasteful. If you’re going to read a screwed-up male power fantasy, this isn’t a bad choice. Also, T for Teen, Seven Seas? Really? – Sean Gaffney

A Springtime with Ninjas, Vol. 1 | By Narumi Hasegaki | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Sometimes, a shoujo series asks its readers to swallow a ludicrous premise but rewards them with solid characters and emotional arcs. Not so, here. Benio Kasugami is the sheltered daughter of the richest family in Japan, which has the tradition that she will have to marry the first guy who can get past her ninja bodyguards and steal a kiss from her. She rails against her confinement, but naturally, the moment she steps outside she is insta-kidnapped and nearly kissed before her protector (and childhood first love, naturally), Tamaki Kageshita, swoops in for the rescue. Rinse, repeat. There are quite a few clichés here, but the real issue impacting my enjoyment was Benio herself, who is equal parts clueless and reckless, which gives me no reason to root for her. I’ll be passing on the rest of this series. – Michelle Smith

Ten Count, Vol. 3 | By Rihito Takarai | SuBLime – Volume three was to be the deciding factor in whether I’d continue reading Ten Count. I had hoped that more subtle and insightful characterization would be forthcoming, but alas, it was not to be. In her author’s note, Takarai makes it clear that she sees what Kurose and Shirotani are doing as a “dom” training his “sub,” and the result walks a line between run-of-the-mill smutty BL and an icky erosion of the notion of consent. What does it say when in one panel Shirotani is declaring “no means no” and a few panels later, is shown to be willing after all? Kurose continues to be baffling, too, showing concern for Shirotani and pride in his efforts to conquer his OCD one moment, and telling him that if they were lovers, he’d “do even more things to you that would make you cry” in the next. I’m done. – Michelle Smith

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 14 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media – Japan enjoys using abusive parents for the sake of drama, but they sometimes have difficulty following through on this, and a lot of the time the parent is easily forgiven and it’s shown that the right thing to do is really to respect your parents after all. This shouldn’t be surprising, particularly in a Jump title, but Western fans might find Nagisa’s mother’s quick turn to the good fairly unrealistic. And judging by the cliffhanger we see here, we may be about to get the tragic flashback that shows how the school principal ended up being the sort who will literally destroy lives in order to better educate. I betcha two to one he’s easily forgiven as well. Despite this, still very recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 5 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – After gradual improvements from volume to volume, this one is a bit of a step back, as we resolve one plot a little too easily before moving on to the next. Asta’s kidnapping is taken care of in a perfunctory “I needed a cliffhanger” way, and the villains get away to live to fight another day. The best of them is Sally, a sort of Evil Hange Zoe who is perfectly happy to drain magic permanently from a bunch of kids FOR SCIENCE! Things pick up in the second half, when said young kids are kidnapped in a very pied piper sort of way. Unfortunately, Gauche, another Black Clover member, has a sister complex which is explained and deconstructed, but that doesn’t make him any less irritating. A wildly variable volume. – Sean Gaffney

Fire Force, Vol. 2 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Kodansha Comics – I’m still somewhat torn about this series. The characters are fun and the premise is good, and any manga series about firefighters is always welcome, even if we need to make them cool supernatural firefighters. That said, the move to Kodansha has overall been a very mixed bag, as this is simply visually less arresting than Soul Eater, though you can see him trying. The fanservice is also greatly amped up, not a surprise given that it’s Shonen Magazine, but something of a surprise after a series that ended with a giant boob joke. I guess he still had more to do. Overall, this is pretty good, and worth investigating further, but I’m not sure Soul Eater fans will be enjoying it as much. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 16 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – The running gag of the series was that the main heroine was barely in it, but we’re finally starting to see that change with this new volume. Erina was always going to be Best Girl, much to the frustration of some fans, and it was therefore surprising how little she did over the course of the series. Now Daddy Dearest has come home to roost, hijacking the school and impressing his cooking theology on the student body, who I expect will get winnowed down very soon. He’s also shown to have been abusing Erina since she was a child, and his return is very much unwelcome by the now former head of the school, who begs Soma to save his granddaughter. I expect a far more serious arc next. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 7-8 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – What does any character in a sports manga do after suffering crushing defeat? Try to get stronger, of course. Everyone’s got their own wall to surmount, and Kuroko and Kagami realize they must get stronger independently before they’re able to rely on each other again. Kuroko, in particular, lacks any other skills aside from passing, so it takes him a while to figure out what he needs to do. But, because this is sports manga, he does figure it out. Also figuring things out is Kise, whom we spend a great deal of time with in the second half of the book, as Seirin wraps up their training camp with a trip to watch Kise and Aomine duke it out in the tournament. It’s definitely entertaining, though I can’t help but note some members of the Seirin team get a lot less attention than other guys on other teams. – Michelle Smith

One Piece, Vol. 81 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – Man, it is such a relief to finally be done with the Dressrosa arc! In this volume, the two halves of the Straw Hat crew reunite on the island of Zou, populated by talking animal people called minks. I liked the way the story of the conflict there was related after the fact to the new arrivals, including the departure of Sanji, who has taken off on his own to take care of a problem related to his hitherto-unknown past as the son of the leader of an evil army. The problem is, he might end up making an enemy of one emperor of the sea while the Straw Hats have been gearing up for conflict with another. Luffy is far more concerned about losing Sanji as a crewmate, but I really loved the scene of the whole gang back again, debating what to do. And hey, it wasn’t Dressrosa! – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 17 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – All right, Asami’s relationship troubles ended a lot more positively tan I expected, and Mei and Yamato are able to patch things up as well. And we’re even getting the next generation, as the grumpiest cast member, Aiko, is also the first to get pregnant. Given the series ends in the next volume, this is unsurprising. It does mean that the bulk of the dramatic lift is done by Megumi, who remains the one cast member whose life is still unresolved. It’s getting resolution now, but not really in the way that she wants. She and her French boyfriend break up (good, I never liked him), but this means she’s now getting almost no work at all. I doubt the series is going to end darkly, but given the last volume is months away, I worry. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 37 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – This is Toriko‘s final arc, and it’s the first time that I’ve ended a volume thinking “Thank God this is almost over.” The manga has become tedious, as it’s come to suffer from massive cast expansion at the expense of the regulars (Bleach Syndrome), and we’re getting a bunch of fights which feel like recapitulations of fights we’ve seen done better before. I did enjoy seeing Komatsu bond with a young poor kid who lives with his (as it turn out, missing) mom, but then he disappears so that we can move to another locale for more shonen battle rage. This eventually happens to all Jump series (even One Piece lately with Dressrosa), but it’s a shame to see it happen to Toriko. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 4 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – Once again, Yona of the Dawn reminds me of various different shoujo manga, but in a good way. Yona, along with her three male companions, is searching for the other legendary dragon warriors in a very Fushigi Yuugi way, even while she insists (in a very Basara way) that she’s not the incarnation of the Crimson Dragon King. When they do finally track down the Blue Dragon, he’s shunned by the villagers and forced to wear a mask to hide his powerful eyes, and given a sad backstory with an atmosphere that reminded me a bit of Natsume’s Book of Friends. I suppose all these comparisons show that Yona is not exactly the most original story ever conceived, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t extremely enjoyable, and I will always appreciate Yona’s insistence on being able to protect herself. – Michelle Smith

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 16 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – The Moon Festival continues, as does Yukihira’s attempt to outsell Terunori Kuga, a member of the Council of Ten with a popular Chinese food booth. There are a few chapters about Yukihira’s latest concoction being amazing, and at least one day where he comes out ahead, thanks to help from half a dozen friends, and then… the whole idea just kind of fizzles. Instead, we’re introduced to Erina’s uber-controlling dad who has managed to convince six members of the Council to appoint him the new dean of the school. He’s the one who taught Erina to have such a refined palette, but his techniques were akin to brainwashing, so the now-former dean enlists Yukihira’s help to save his granddaughter. It’s not that this isn’t interesting, but it was a really awkward segue. Didn’t he have something major on the line with that challenge? – Michelle Smith

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 2 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical Comics – In these turbulent times, it’s nice to take a mental break and just read about a kitten doing kittenish things. In this volume, FukuFuku opens doors with her face, gets brushed, tries to avoid getting wet, goes outside on a windy day, chases bugs, drinks from a drippy faucet, jumps on the counter, and gets irritated at her owner on a regular basis, particularly when she’s thwarted from attacking things that, frankly, the owner should’ve known better than to wave in her face. In fact, that’s the one frustrating thing about this series—owner, if you have a cat, why on earth do you expected the sliced fish you leave on your kotatsu to still be there after you leave the room?! But FukuFuku’s expressive reactions are definitely amusing enough to compensate, and an unexpected event at the end of the volume is welcome, too. I’m on board for volume three! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 8 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – The third set of the match against Aoba Johsai continues, and it’s a real nail-biter. Perennial bench-warmer Tadashi Yamaguchi finally gets a chance to step in as a pinch-hitter, but regrettably botches his chance. Still, Karasuno manages to tie up the game at 24 points each, and then tense and exhausting back-and-forth scoring ensues until, finally, Aoba Johsai takes the win. I’m reminded of Kuroko’s Basketball, which just did something similar, but this is the way to ensure growth in our heroes, and they’re all determined to work hard, even the third years, who have decided to stay on the team with the goal of participating in the spring tournament together. Individually, Kageyama has changed, too, throwing off his kingly mantle seemingly for good, and I’m pretty excited to see where the team goes from here. – Michelle Smith

My Love Story!!, Vol. 11 | By Kazune Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – We begin with Takeo and Yamato each on their school trip to Hokkaido, and the anticipation of finally getting to spend some free time together. When they do see each other, Takeo thinks he’s able to hide his lustful impulses from Yamato, but she not only knows all along, but purposefully gets close to him because she enjoys making him feel the same way she does. They finally communicate about their feelings and… share a single, chaste smooch in an unoccupied train station. Which I suppose is progress for them. As the volume ends, Sunakawa has evidently made a new friend, which makes Takeo a bit lonely, though the guy seems to be a creep and one wonders why Sunakawa is hanging out with him, when in the past he’d diss girls who insulted his large, good-hearted friend. Only two volumes left! Sad face! – Michelle Smith

My Pathetic Vampire Life, Vol. 2 | By Ishikawa Rose | Seven Seas – I was a bit underwhelmed with the first volume, and that feeling has not changed. To be fair, this may be another case of “I am disappointed as this was not what I expected,” but I still feel that there could be a lot more done with this sort of plot. Instead, it’s a relaxed, slice-of-life comedy manga with a few vampires in it. The odd joke manages to land, and there’s some good backstory for Koide as he talks about visiting his sister, which excites his classmates till they realize he means her grave. I also liked his analysis of cultural festivals and how they work, especially as it’s almost immediately subverted. Still, in this end, this title is merely OK. Fans of comedy supernatural manga may want to read it. – Sean Gaffney

Alice in Matchaland | By Mosoko Miyatsuki | Manga University – This slim volume is both picture and cook book, offering readers a playful riff on Lewis Carroll’s most famous work as well as recipes for matcha-infused snacks. For tween manga lovers, the button-cute character designs, Technicolor palette, and gentle pokes at manga cliche may be enough to justify purchasing Alice in Matchaland. Anyone intent on making Matcha Energy Bites, however, will need a conversion table handy, as the recipes freely mix teaspoons with grams and milliliters. The book doesn’t offer any tips for procuring matcha powder, either—a curious omission, since many Americans won’t find it on the shelves of their local grocery stores. A little more attention to the recipes would have made this book less of a stocking stuffer and more of a must-buy for tea-drinking manga enthusiasts. (The publisher provided a review copy.) -Kate Dacey

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 3 | By Bisco Hatori | VIZ Media – It’s not that Behind the Scenes!! is awful, but that every chapter is essentially filler. In this volume, there’s the one about the bratty child actor whom the team helps emote, the one about protecting a group filming in a park, the one about fundraising through shrinky dinks (yes, really), and the one about creating a haunted house. At times, attempts are made to flesh out the other members of the art squad, but it’s never building on character traits previously established and then paying off in a satisfying way. It’s always Ranmaru noticing on one page that Ruka gives in too easily and then on the next page encouraging her not to give in because shrinky dinks (yes, really). Probably it’s time to accept that this series is just not for me and move on. – Michelle Smith

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 3 | By Bisco Hatori | Viz Media – There isn’t a ton of plot or character development in Behind the Scenes!!, but it does reliably deliver a pleasant escape in the adventures of a college art club that supports various film projects. The first story line in this volume deals with the redemption of a child actor who at first seems spoiled, then there is detour into the value of crafts as the gentle rich girl Ruka stands up for herself. The gang also has to fine tune a haunted house, when they make it dangerously realistic. Even if this series isn’t the most memorable thing Hatori has created, it still is diverting in the moment. I enjoy the interactions between all the characters, and this volume also featured several bonus one page manga at end. – Anna N

Horimiya, Vol. 6 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I said last time that Hori and Miyamura hadn’t quite taken the next step in their relationship yet. They do that here, but blink sand you’ll miss it—unlike most manga of this type, their first time—while sweet—is not earth-shattering and does not really change either of them. Indeed, Miyamura is far more concerned about the required swimming event, mostly as it could get him expelled. We also see Hori being jealous again, but she’s at least cognizant of how annoying it is, and it’s funnier when she uses her anger against other people, like Miyamura’s old teasing classmates from junior high. This is not particularly going anywhere, even with the sex, but it’s still a well-written leisurely ride. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 2 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – This is sort of a harem series—there’s certainly enough students and one teacher in love with Takahashi-sensei. But it feels so laid-back and leisurely, and he’s so non-sexual in general, that I can’t really define it as a classic harem comedy. At heart, it’s about the girls and their monster issues—though the best chapter in the volume has the teacher pointing out that you can’t just think of them as monsters OR girls, but you have to balance both sides. Much of the volume deals with a yuki-onna who worries she may live up to her stereotype, and she’s just as sweet and cute (and somewhat boring) as the other girls. This is a nice series, and monster girl fans will like it. It is, however, not a book that will get your pulse racing. Leisurely. – Sean Gaffney

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest, Vol. 3 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press – At last, a volume of Liselotte I can honestly say was excellent throughout. The bargain that she has to strike to save Engetsu’s life essentially resets things to square one, but that’s really for the best, as I think the baggage was crushing them both a bit. We also get more flashes to what Lise was like before the rebellion, and it’s rather sad and also a bit eerie. There’s also still some comedy, mostly coming from Alto and Anna, though the return of a witch from the previous volume also helps. I suspect things may not stay comedic for long, though, as it appears that Lise is not going to be allowed to be merely exiled for much longer. The less fluffy this gets the more I like it, though the fluff is still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest, Vol. 3 | By Natsuki Takaya | VIZ Media – Man, I can already tell that it’s going to be pretty painful when Liselotte goes on hiatus after two more volumes. Although some of what happens in this installment feels like things I’ve seen before—the heroine who unhesitatingly hacks off her own long hair, the love interest who loses his memories of the heroine, the determined optimism and welcoming spirit—there are some unique things about this story, chief among them the reveal in the final pages that someone has been watching Liselotte and reporting back to her brother, who is being pressured to do something about her. It’d be an interesting development if her world were to get a bit darker; the Akito vibes I got from the tree spirit in this volume were pretty fantastic. – Michelle Smith

Scum’s Wish, Vol. 2 | By Mengo Yokoyari | Yen Press – I have to say, so far this is currently at the top of my “most surprising new series” list, as the second volume is just as strong as the first was. Even as it appears that Mugi and Hanabi may have deeper feelings for each other than they expected, it is shown over and over again how bad this relationship really is, and how much they’re hurting from it. Of course, not having the relationship would not ease the source of the hurt. Meanwhile, we also meet Ebato, Hanabi’s friend who turns out to be in love with her, something that gets revealed a lot more than she’d like at a sleepover, and ends just as ambiguously as you’d expect. This is a fantastic car crash of a romance manga, where even the omake extra is tragic and sad. Well-written and brutal. – Sean Gaffney

Scum’s Wish, Vol. 2 | By Mengo Yokoyari | Yen Press – After making a brief appearance in volume one, a lot of this volume focuses on Hanabi’s only female friend, Ecchan, who has been in love with her ever since the day they took the entrance exam. When she’s invited to a sleepover, she’s unable to contain her feelings anymore and confesses, but more importantly gets Hanabi to confirm that she doesn’t love Mugi. Ecchan offers to be the surrogate herself, but by volume’s end, Hanabi’s in bed with Mugi, seemingly ready to have sex with him. One thing I particularly liked about this volume is though her relationship with Mugi might seem twisted and strange, in a way she’s more pure than other classmates, because she’s acting out of love and not merely juggling two guys, trying to decide who has more to offer her. Looking forward to volume three! – Michelle Smith

Golden Time, Vol. 6 | By Yuyuko Takemiya and Umechazuke | Seven Seas – Getting past the fanservice of the volume—and not necessarily for guys, that’s Banri in the maid outfit on the cover—Golden Time always works best when it focuses on developing its leads, and it does a very good job. Banri is terrified the “old him” will take over again, Kouko is trying to change her old obsessive ways but it’s really hard, especially when she sees Bari and Linda pocky-kissing, and as for Linda, she’s trying to let go of her love for Banri without actually telling him about it, and just like Kouko, this is proving to be really hard. As you’d expect from this author, the manga does a really good job of providing depth to its romantic triangle. Recommended for romantic dramedy fans. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 5 | By Amu Meguro | Viz Media – I talked last time about how much I enjoyed the fluffy angst, and I do, but I feel that it doesn’t work as well when it’s obviously manufactured by the writer to create conflict that shouldn’t be there. Taiga’s mother pretending to be “a mean person” so that Nao could show her resolve was entirely unnecessary, especially since it only lasted about three pages. The rest of the volume fares better, especially with Nao’s fight with her brother, which spins its conflict very well indeed. And as with so many shoujo manga, we get to see the seasons pass, so get ready for Christmas dates and Valentine’s chocolate. Always good, but sometimes tries a bit too hard. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 6 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – We’ve reached the stage where the lead couple is reasonably happy, so it’s time to focus on their friends’ romantic prospects. I was unexpectedly entertained by spending more time with Sengoku, who is every bit as scrawny and weak as Miyamura is, which doesn’t bother the girl who likes him one bit. Speaking of Miyamura, I think he and Hori manage to sleep together in this volume, but the fade-to-black is so demure that I’m not 100% sure. While I do celebrate how naturally the moment occurred, it does still trouble me that by the end of the volume he’s wearing a bandage because Hori went berserk when she thought a girl had called him. At least their friends are both telling Hori she’s to blame and Miyamura not to just let it go, but I wish her violent tendencies would be treated a little more seriously. – Michelle Smith

In/Spectre, Vol. 2 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – There is a mystery here, and it’s a decent one, delving into the sordid business world of gravure idols and showing us how hard things can be for a practical girl who wants to get ahead in the business starting with “spunk” (and large breasts). But as with the first volume, the reader is likely more inclined to follow the hilarious back and forth between Kuro’s ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend. As with the last volume, Kotoko is so comical in her arrogance and jealousy it’s actually hilarious, and Saki’s not much better. Kuro, being (mostly) a stoic, is the weak link. There’s also some cool fighting and amusing monsters. It’s a greatly enjoyable yokai series. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 6 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – In between volumes of Nichijou, I forget how passionately I hate the professor. And then I read chapters where she whines and throws a trantrum over getting an undeserved treat and Nano tries to stand firm, but eventually gives in and rewards her awful behavior. Or a chapter in which Sakamoto objects to, say, being put in the washing machine, but she won’t listen and eventually falls asleep and he just gives up on talking to her. I mean, she’s just a little kid. Why do I want to see a violent fate befall her?! It feels so wrong. There are a few other surreal and/or vaguely amusing stories this volume, but I honestly don’t think I even smiled. Perhaps it’s time to give up on Nichijou. – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 12 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – Now that it’s clear that the series is trundling along with a whole set of new witches, new powers, but the same old Yamada-kun, I will try to get over my annoyance and find things to enjoy. I liked the first new Witch we meet, a basketball jock who finds that power corrupts. We don’t see much of Shiraishi, but what little we do see shows how much she’s struggling with Yamada-kun having to go around kissing all these girls, and unfortunately her stoicism is not helping. And the two new Student Council members are amusingly dumb. But again, this really seems like it’s spinning through the same old tricks, and it’s not as good as the first time around. – Sean Gaffney

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 9 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – As this series has gone on, we’ve been introduced to more and more mental models, to the point where it can be hard to keep track of everyone. I have some bad news for you, but we get even more showing up here. My favorite was Ashigara, who is very much of the “I love combat and BEING LOUD!” sort of Japanese manga stereotype, and her battle goes about as well as you’d expect, which is to say not at all. Meanwhile, we find that not only can Iona do a good verbal impersonation of Gunzou, but she does a fair job of impersonating his captain skills as well. As we gain more cast and more subplots, it’s going to be important to be able to remember who they all are, and thankfully Arpeggio does its best. Solid. – Sean Gaffney

The Black Museum: The Ghost and the Lady, Vol. 2 | By Kazuhiro Fujita | Kodansha Comics – This story wraps up with this volume, though there is more Black Museum out in Japan (and not yet licensed). It’s actually rather interesting to see how well Florence Nightingale’s life works as an action manga and/or medical drama. There’s no shortage of villains, and I’m not even talking about D’Eon. We even get endnotes reminding us that these are based on real people. Still, the fun in this series is to see Florence’s never-say-die pluck, watch Gray be cool, and see the occasional swordfight or spirit battle. Oh yes, and the museum curator, who remains hilarious. Also watch for the cameo by characters from a manga by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. Well worth the hardcover price. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 7 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – I never thought I’d say this about an Aya Shouoto title, but this was a great volume of manga. It was always fairly obvious that Himari’s school project researching a local ghost story with a group of classmates would tie in to what happened to Aoi when he was a kid, but the reveal of exactly why and how he ended up at Momochi House was handled with a creepy atmosphere and suspenseful, engrossing pacing that made for a highly enjoyable read. Plus, although some major, game-changing things happen, the essential threat to Aoi’s humanity remains. If you’re curious about Shouoto and wondering which of her series to try, let there be no doubt: it’s this one. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – As with the last volume, this is entirely about all volleyball, all the time. Unlike the last volume, there’s lots to talk about, as the series goes from good to great. The way that Sugawara works to bring out the best in his team, the way that Kageyama is showing he can learn and evolve, and the communication that develops between everyone—even cranky Tsukishima—are a joy to see, and really drive the series. We must also be getting near the end of the game, as we get tragic backstory for one of the opposing players. And of course there IS lots of volleyball lecturing and discussion, as well as cool action poses. This is one of the most Jump manga ever, and if you don’t read it you’re missing a treat. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 7 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I always love when characters who had previously been in the background get their turn to shine, and there is quite a lot of that in this volume of Haikyu!!. After Kageyama loses his cool and gets benched, Sugawara finally gets to play for the first time in the tournament. Although his skills are average, the way he communicates with his teammates brings them together and calms their nerves, showing Kageyama some ways in which he’s clearly lacking. When he returns to the game, he takes Sugawara’s advice, and finally starts interacting with prickly Tsukishima and figuring out how best to utilize him as a hitter. It means a lot to see that he’s actually willing to listen for the benefit of his team, and his later, awkward attempts at congratulatory high-fiving are fairly amusing. As ever, I eagerly await the next volume! – Michelle Smith

My Monster Secret, Vol. 5 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Still hilarious, still has touches of harem romance, but this volume also shows that My Monster Secret can be quite touching when it wants to be. Mikan is on the cover, and much of the latter half of the volume focuses on her, as she gradually realizes that she’s in a school of monsters. Luckily, not only does she have her own monster issue with her possessed glasses, but an accidental trip to the future allows her to confess to Asahi. Now, he loves Youko, so that’s not going anywhere, but it’s good to get off her chest, and maybe it helped him to finally confess to Youko? That’s the cliffhanger. There’s also plenty of hilarious gags—this is a funny manga. But it’s also got great characters. Best ‘monster girl’ manga right now. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 6 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – This is a more hit-and-miss volume of Nichijou than before, but the hits are hilarious. Nakamura-sensei trying to find out what makes Nano tick, and ending up at her house and meeting The Professor is just one great visual gag after another. Speaking of The Professor, she’s horrified to find Mai coming over “to play,” as she knows her as the girl with the vicious biting dogs. Luckily, Mai’s art skills are more valuable than Mai’s sense of what’s interesting or amusing, so she manages to mollify her. As for Mio, she gets a lot of dream sequences here, be they her own or Yukko’s, and they’re all hysterical, as is her “running away from reality” rampage across town, which the anime animated flawlessly. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

That Wolf-boy Is Mine!, Vol. 3 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – I’m usually dubious when a series gets compared to Fruits Basket, but here it’s more justified than most. Not only are there hot boys who transform into animals and a girl who knows their secret, but now we’ve got a figure filling the Akito role. Yata-sensei was the one who taught the boys to transform in the first place, and makes sure they are able to pass as humans, and when Komugi’s presence (and the tension it causes between Yu and Rin, who both have feelings for her) creates an unnecessary disturbance, he tries to get rid of her. First, he warns her off, suggesting she return to Tokyo to live with her mother, but by the end of the volume, he’s opted for more drastic measures. Exactly what those are, we’ll have to wait for the fourth and final volume to find out. I’m really enjoying this series! – Michelle Smith

Cells at Work!, Vol. 2 | By Akane Shimizu | Kodansha Comics – Given that this is about anthropomorphic blood cells, it can sometimes be a surprise when the series packs an emotional and weighty punch. But that is, after all, the purpose of the anthropomorphism—Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell are memorable because of their eccentricities and human foibles. Here we learn they’re apparently also forgotten childhood friends… sort of. There’s also discussion of Eosinophil, which is more specialized and therefore less powerful against things a normal White Blood Cell can do, and a surprisingly poignant treatment of a cancer cell, which is after all only trying to survive. A good second volume, and I like these cells. Are there ship wars yet? – Sean Gaffney

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 9 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – The pieces begin to fall into place in this, the penultimate volume of He’s My Only Vampire. Unfortunately, Kana is thrust almost entirely into the background, despite a couple of revelations about her past (well, one is not entirely confirmed, but the hinting is so heavy-handed, it might as well be), as the looming confrontation between Aki and Eriya means the hunt for stigma is ramping up. Aki currently has three with a fourth at his disposal, once Jin deems the time is right, but Eriya soon claims his second. The cliffhanger ending involves the manifestation of the final stigma as well as a diary of significance. So far, this is hanging together better than Kiss of the Rose Princess, even if it isn’t 100% coherent. I’ll definitely be reading the conclusion! – Michelle Smith

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 5 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media – There are no fewer than five great big beaming smiles in this volume. Nao and Taiga plan to have a solo date on Christmas, but their friends quickly co-opt the evening for a party. This, in turn, leads to Nao meeting Taiga’s mom, who doesn’t seem to like her much, and then sleeping over and forgetting to notify Sou, who is very upset. Even though there is much going on here that is sweet and sunny—my favorite moment is actually Yashiro giving Valentine’s Day chocolates to Misaki—I actually really liked seeing Nao get angry for once and vow to be rebellious, and then seeing Tai lose his patience with the whole situation and intervene to get Nao and Sou reconciled. Like they themselves conclude in the story, it makes you closer with someone when you can be honest how you feel. And I honestly adore this series. – Michelle Smith

The Honor Student at Magic High School, Vol. 5 | By Tsutomu Sato and Yu Mori | Yen Press – My relief at the novels having caught up to the spinoff didn’t last long, as this volume of Miyuki’s adventures breezed through the third book in only 70 pages or so, leaving the rest of the plot as part of book four, not out here until April. So I’m spoiled by the spinoff again. There’s some good stuff here, in amongst the setup for the next volume or two. Shizuku in particular benefits in this book, becoming more than Honoka’s fiend and deadpan support and gaining character and awesome moments in her own right. As for Miyuki herself, I suspect she’s damaged by the aforementioned setup, as she doesn’t do quite as much here. Still good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 5 | By HaccaWorks* and nanao | Yen Press – Well, the story is certainly moving swiftly along! So swiftly, in fact, that the final four volumes of this series are certain to be action-packed. In this particular installment, we learn a little more about the meal, as well as the fact that Yue’s small and cute fox companion, Kurogitsune, is due a meal of his own and potentially thinks that Yue seems pretty tasty. Yue, for his part, is feeling disinclined to partake of a meal if it means one of his friends will disappear and is seeking a way out of the obligation, but the head honcho of the shrine aims to take the decision out of his hands and kidnaps Tsubaki when he has the opportunity. All sorts of forces are at play now, and I can definitely see the potential for a straight-through reread once the ninth and final volume finally arrives. – Michelle Smith

One-Punch Man, Vol. 10 | By ONE and Yusuke Marata | Viz Media – Tornado of Terror is on the cover, and she gets a significant chunk of the book as well. And you can see why—more than any of the other female characters we’ve seen in the series, she’s a match for Saitama, possibly as she’s also a lot like Saitama—she gets a lot of simplified faces, emotionless stares, and superdeformed art just as he does. Her sister also gets a nice chapter showing how difficult it can be to not worry about others when you’re constantly striving to get stronger than your betters. Among all that, the further adventures of Garo don’t pack quite as much of a punch—indeed, Saitama takes him out handily as always. This continues to be top-tier shonen and top-tier shonen parody. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 4 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I was right that the second years were unable to beat out the first years, who are of course the protagonists so have the writer on their side. That said, I wasn’t expecting so nasty a finish, as they end up giving themselves significant injuries that will take them out of the action for some time. As for Onoda, he’s near his limits, and close to failing, but he gets another reward to give him even more speed—cleats—and that proves to be all the difference. So now we’re ready for the tournament itself, which promises to be grueling, and which features a flashback to the last one, which ended badly for all parties concerned. Is revenge in the offing? Excellent sports manga. – Sean Gaffney

Happy new briefs!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 6 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – This is a book of two halves. The first deals with Christmas, as Chise meets with Alice so they can buy their respective mentors a present, which is mostly light and fluffy (with the exception of Alice’s drug-riddled backstory), and the second half is more supernatural, showing how kids say things they don’t mean, and how in the border between human and faerie that can be incredibly dangerous. Both halves show off Elias’ burgeoning (read: teenage) emotions, as well as Chise’s growing stockpile of good friends. On an ominous note, she’s also now got a pelt that lets her transform, which she feels she shouldn’t overuse, and promptly does. A fantastic new volume in this richly fantastical series. – Sean Gaffney

Cells at Work!, Vol. 2 | By Akane Shimizu | Kodansha Comics – In this volume, food poisoning, heat stress, and cancer must all be fought off (with over-the-top carnage) by the brave members of the immune system brigade. This series is educational as well as entertaining, because now I can tell you that while eosinophil cells are not especially good at fending off bacteria, they kick butt at defeating parasites! I also adored the visual of baby cells on a conveyor belt, waiting to be sorted out by stem cells in nurse uniforms, and I am certainly not going to forget that any time soon. Though it’s true that not even a white blood cell and red blood cell can escape the manga trope of having met previously as children, this series consistently offers things I never expected to see or feel (such as sympathy for a cancer cell), which is much appreciated! – Michelle Smith

Complex Age, Vol. 3 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Complex Age continues to get better and better, as it digs deep into the nuances and complications of Nagisa’s dedication to cosplay, even as her ideals and her reality are moving farther and farther apart. The fact that her mother offers the same reason as her motivation for giving up her Lolita fashions gives Nagisa much to consider. When she attends a class reunion and unexpectedly connects with a male former classmate, Senda, I was at first happy for her, as it’s her first relationship in a long time. Because he shares her love for Magi-Ruri, it seemed that perhaps he could appreciate her hobby. Not so, alas. This is a fascinating series that takes fandom seriously, and I am pretty anxious to see how it all plays out. – Michelle Smith

Complex Age, Vol. 3 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – Again, this volume not only examines the wisdom of enjoying your hobbies from a fan perspective—once again Nagisa is the belle of the ball until Aya appears—but also how it can impact your adult life. Last time it was the workplace, this time it’s relationships, as Nagisa hooks up with a classmate she met again at a reunion. The hookup is quite fast, probably too fast, and therefore it’s not a surprise to see things going south fairly quickly as well, mostly revolving around how the guy is OK with Nagisa cosplaying until he realizes she’s showing off her sexy body to guys who aren’t him. This series doesn’t pull any punches, and I’m genuinely intrigued to see what stand it eventually takes. – Sean Gaffney

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 2 | By Masume Yoshimoto | One Peace Books – Thankfully, there are little to no explicit sexual references in this volume of Kuma Miko, and it is content to do what I expect most people want it to—it’s a goofy manga about an over-earnest young miko who has no idea how a lot of modern Japan does, and a talking bear who knows more than she does, but not much. Of course, Kumamura may be leveling up a bit in this second volume, as she reveals her deep knowledge of the local clothing store, which reveals that she probably could end up eventually making it on her own if she can get past her panic and nerves. The bear, meanwhile, makes gags, and mostly does them well. This is sort of cute, if not enthralling. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, Vol. 6 | By Shirow Masamune and Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas – I debated simply copying and pasting my review of volume five to see if anyone noticed. It’s almost the exact same thing, only this time Clarion gets taken out by a superior enemy, and Nene, in going down after her, shows off once again how she’s not just your average girl with a full-body prosthetic. There’s lots of technobabble here, and a few amusing jokes. We again see that Nene’s obsession with Clarion verges on yuri even if it didn’t have the ‘activation’ fanservice. And there is a bit of Excel Saga mockery, as the main villain this time around talks about this world rotting, no doubt channeling his inner Il Palazzo. Pandora continues to be itself. – Sean Gaffney

Aoharu x Machinegun, Vol. 2 | By Naoe | Yen Press – For the most part, this series has two things that it does, and it does them both well. There’s lots of talk about the survival game tournaments, and we see how even the nicest person can turn into an absolute demon in competition. We also get good advice for Tachibana, who has brilliant instincts, but this isn’t the sort of event where you can just rely on those to get you through. And what makes it worse, she’s still hiding the fact that she’s a girl, and you know it’s going to get outed at the worst possible time, especially as it’s now connected to Matsuoka’s troubled past experiences. This continues to be a surprisingly addicting action manga with a genderbend twist. – Sean Gaffney

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 1 | Story by Kafka Asagiri, Art by Sango Harukawa | Yen Press – After penniless Atsushi Nakajima is cast out of an orphanage he stops a man named Osamu Dazai from committing suicide and is introduced to the “armed detective agency,” whose members all possess a supernatural skill. When it turns out that Atsushi is the “man-tiger” that they’ve been hired to capture, he ends up receiving a job offer. One of the central gimmicks of the series is that each detective is based on a real Japanese writer or poet, and although Wikipedia helped in this regard, I really wish Yen’s edition had included some explanatory notes. It was also a bit jarring that the story jumped into conflict with the main villain so quickly; I’m used to these supernatural team-up stories spending at least the first few volumes on episodic jobs. In any case, this turned out to be an intriguing story and I plan to continue. – Michelle Smith

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 8 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – After a very funny volume, this one is a bit more dramatic, as we have the aftershock from Nanashima’s kiss, which is possibly the highlight of the volume, as Kae’s emotions and fears aren’t downplayed just because Nanashima had a cold and apologized—and he understands that. Less successful is the sequence with Shinomiya finding that his parents are moving away from Japan, and he’s being asked to go with them, which leads to both an emotional breakdown and a long iguana sequence. And while there is comedy here, the ‘overprotective to a creepy degree dad’ storyline has been done better in other shoujo works, and I’m glad he promptly leaves again. But an excellent first half. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 21 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – “A new story arc’s starting!” proclaims the first page and, indeed, after a fast-forward through the aftermath of the Magnoshutatt arc, we find our heroes on their way back to Sindria, where Sinbad is preparing for a conference with Koen Ren on the future of the world. After the latter requests an attendant, Alibaba ends up returning to Balbadd and seeing how drastically it has changed in his absence. All of this is interesting, as is Aladdin’s worry about Sinbad being dangerous, but I confess my favorite part was Alibaba and Morgiana finally making a little bit of progress on the romantic front. I particularly like that even with Alibaba’s moments of heroism and bravery, he’s also shown to be a vulnerable and occasionally angsty adolescent. Perennially recommended. – Michelle Smith

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 5 | By nanao and HaccaWorks* | Yen Press – Ask and you shall receive. I wanted the main plot to come back in this volume, and it does with a vengeance. The shrine denizens want Yue to “eat” someone of their choosing. Kurogitsune helps him to escape, but we find that he too wants Yue to “eat” someone, but he wants it to be one of the two he’s closest with. Yue, meanwhile, knows what the act means, and doesn’t want to eat anyone, but given who he is, is that even a choice that can be made? As for Akashi, I think he just wants to destroy things. There’s a few more volumes to go before this finishes, but it’s nice to see what we at least appear to be driving forward rather than running in place. – Sean Gaffney

Spoof on Titan, Vol. 2 | By Hounori, based on Hajime Isayama’s manga | Kodansha Comics – Two volumes seems about right for this comedic take on the Titan series to not wear out its welcome. We get a big focus on the rest of the cast this time around, with Hitch and Annie shenanigans, and Levi’s doomed squad (all alive here, of course, as this is a parody manga). We do once again get some shout outs to future events—everyone’s saying Historia rather than Krista, and there’s a cute section about the difference between the two. I also liked when it made fun of fan stereotypes—Sasha talks about a dream that isn’t food, but everyone’s bored till she gives in and acts her “role.” This was cute, and I’m glad it was brought over. Though I’m also glad it wrapped up here. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 4| By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I am not a fast reader, but the pace of Yowamushi Pedal is so exhilarating that I flew through this 400-page edition. The first half depicts the tense battle for the remaining spots on the Inter-High team, with displays of determination (even from those who don’t make the cut) and friendship (cue sniffles when Naruko and Imaizumi work together to keep an exhausted Onoda upright) from all involved. Then, just before the tournament begins, we begin a lovely long flashback to what happened last year, where Captain Kinjou was in serious contention to win it all when a rival’s incredulity at being passed cost him the race. Each time I finish one of these volumes, I’m desperate for the next. – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 4 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – So the arrogant heroes we met last time haven’t really learned humility, but at least they’re not regarding Asta and company as total chumps anymore. Instead, it’s our heroes who either get to learn a lesson, kick ass, or both. Noelle learns not to dwell on weakness or mistakes during a battle; Yuno shows that he still has a big complex when it comes to Asta supposedly being “weaker”; and Asta himself gets to beat people up for most of the volume, but also learn how to actually analyze a battle and know his limitations. The result is a volume filled with fights that not only manages to entertain throughout, but didn’t immediately make me think “this reminds me of this other title.” Getting better. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 16 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – This is very much a marking time volume, setting things up for the next big arc and taking a breather from the last one. There’s comedy, particularly with Renzo trying to feel his way back with his group of friends (Suguro keeps calling him “spy”) and a gratuitous bathing scene; there’s possible romantic advancement as Rin finally confesses to Shiemi, albeit under circumstances that don’t really allow a response; and there’s the new instructor, Lewin, who wears a big fishing hat, has hair over his eyes, and is easygoing, so you know he’s super-powerful. And above all else there is Yukio, whose desire to find out whether the power within him is evil or not has become so great it’s making him try to kill himself. Chilling. – Sean Gaffney

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – As one of the manga blogosphere’s most vocal fans of Jun Mochizuki’s Pandora Hearts, it should come as no surprise that I anticipated this series’ debut with great interest. Its first signs are promising. The volume’s opening pages introduce us to Noé, a Mochizuki protagonist if there ever was one, stoic and quietly dashing, complete with top hat and temperamental pet cat, surrounded by a steampunk universe full of ornate zeppelins and the glorious clothing that has traditionally accompanied the artist’s horror-tinged worlds. Unfortunately, that’s where the wonder ends. The rest of the volume trudges along, mired in confusing exposition and fights so dull, even a beautifully elaborate mechanical arm can’t save it. Also, there are vampires. Still, though this series is not as immediately engaging as Pandora Hearts, it warrants patience. We’ll hold out for volume two. MJcannot live on sleeves alone. – MJ

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 3 | By Izumi Miyazono | VIZ Media – Marriage-obsessed Asuka is beginning to get on my nerves. She knew full well that her boyfriend, popular newscaster Ryu Nanami, did not want to get married. He made it abundantly clear. But when she finally decides to try to figure out why he is opposed, and learns that his past experience with a miserably married lover means that he doesn’t share her idealistic view of marriage, she has the temerity to feel as if she’s been deceived. Uh-huh. By yourself, lady. To her credit, she does soon realize that she’s been pushing this idea on Ryu without it being about the two of them so much as this fantasy of hers, so perhaps she’ll be able to table her fixation for a while. We shall see! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 6 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I always like it when the supporting players in a sports manga get their moment to shine. In the first half of this volume, there’s a lot of Azumane and Nishinoya, as they were the two most affected by Karasuno’s previous defeat at the hands of Date Tech. Moments of faith and triumph ensue. Next up, the team faces off against Aoba Johsai, and unfortunately Kageyama starts to fall back on his own habits by attempting to rectify a score deficit by himself. While this makes for a somewhat stressful read, it does give the team’s other setter, Sugawara, a chance to finally see some tournament play. In volume seven. Hmph! Lastly, it’s gratifying that spectactors are starting to appreciate just how much Hinata contributes to the team. More, please! – Michelle Smith

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vol. 5-6 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – This omnibus introduces us to Aomine, a player so talented that he defeats everyone handily and thus has begun to find the game tedious. Naturally, Kagami says that he’ll show that jerk a lesson. Unfortunately, Kagami, you’re only up to volume six. As such, he’s the one who learns the lesson, as he and Kuroko get their asses handed to them—a defeat so bad it has a knock on effect on the rest of the tournament. And so all hopes and dreams are left in ashes. Luckily, these kids are just freshman, and we’re nowhere near done yet. There are other tournaments. But learning from bitter defeat is tried and true sports manga, and Kuroko’s Basketball handled it quite well. – Sean Gaffney

Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Vol. 2 | By Tsukasa Kawaguchi and Nobuhiko Yanai| Seven Seas – When this series is having a giant melee battle, it really shows off how good it is. The hero is talented but not omnipotent; the heroine is talented and yeah, sort of omnipotent, but we knew that from the start; and even the childhood friend gets to look cool before unfortunately having her clothes ripped off and being threatened with assault, because this series also has lots of fanservice, which is much less good. Still, the good outweighs the bad here, and the two leads have excellent chemistry (sorry, childhood friend, you’ve already lost). It looks as if the cast is going to expand next time, so we’ll see if this manages to avoid becoming a harem manga. I hope so. – Sean Gaffney

Reindeer Boy | By Cassandra Jean | Yen Press – Quincy is an ordinary high school student with an unusual recurring dream. Each Christmas Eve, she dreams of a young boy with antlers placing a gift beneath her Christmas tree, and each Christmas she awakens to find a stray gift waiting for her, wrapped in tinfoil. When a gorgeous, antlered transfer student named Cupid arrives at her school, it takes her a surprising amount of time to realize that he is, in fact, the boy from her dream. Meanwhile, a slew of other new students begin turning up, also with antlers, similarly bearing the names of Santa’s reindeer (at which, somehow, nobody at school bats an eye). Not since Sweet Rein have we been asked to accept so silly a Christmas-themed premise. Yet, despite all of that, there is an adorableness to this comic that can’t be denied. Jean’s artwork is attractive and her storytelling effective, ultimately achieving some kind of real success. Though the volume has no number, the story seems to beg for more. Here’s hoping? – MJ

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 3 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – I am starting to get legitimately immersed in the shoujo fantasy epic that Yona of the Dawn is shaping up to be. After receiving counsel from a priest, Yona and Hak travel to a remote village in search of the White Dragon, one of four warriors who can help Yona with her quest, whereupon it becomes clear that Yona is the “Crimson Dragon King” returned. The quest for allies and the female protagonist as foretold leader evoke both Fushigi Yuugi and Basara feels without being derivative of either. True, neither Hak nor Yun, another new companion, is particularly interesting yet, but Gija (the White Dragon) does seem to have some potential. At the very least, he’s a convenient GPS for the other warriors. Can’t wait for volume four! – Michelle Smith

Anne Happy, Vol. 3 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – The stars of Anne Happy may be in a separate class due to their horrible luck, but they also end up getting special attention, which makes the other classmates in the school (who are also in specialized programs, so you can’t really compare it to a gifted program or somesuch) upset. That’s the focus of the new teacher introduced properly in this volume, who thinks the luckless girls are being coddled. But it’s hard to be stern when merely swimming in a school pool might cost you your life, and midterm exams dependent on improving luck have Anne in the basement. This is cute, but absolutely light as air. That said, adding more dramatic stuff wouldn’t help it one bit. It is what it is. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 3 | By Izumi Miyazono | Viz Media – This is a josei series rather than shoujo, and it shows in the maturity of the two leads, who thankfully do not overreact to seeming disasters by running off with tears in eyes. As expected, Ryu’s married ex is back, still married, and still a giant pile of problems that Ryu can’t help but get involved in. Meanwhile, Asuka is getting a marriage proposal from a handsome, successful guy who is perfectly happy to let her achieve her dream of being a housewife. But can she still have that dream anymore without Ryu? As for Ryu, can he let go of his past… and tell Asuka about it? This is still a potboiler, but it’s a mature one, in the best sense of the word. Still totally on board. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 15 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – I keep thinking that Soma is not like other Jump protagonists, but that’s not really true. He’s enthusiastic, stubborn, talented, and tends to fail repeatedly till he works out how to win. It’s just he’s so laid-back that he feels different in comparison to the Luffys of the world. Here the school has the typical Festival arc, except being a bunch of lunatic chefs, they all compete to see whose food sells the most. Soma makes a foolhardy bet with one of the Elite Ten, and while his thoughts on winning aren’t wrong, they aren’t enough. Luckily, he has Megumi to help, and even Erina is giving good advice. It’s hard to believe this is the series I panned so hard long ago. There aren’t even any food orgasm shots this time around. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 15 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | VIZ Media – I should know better by now than to read Food Wars! while hungry, but I challenge any meat-eaters to read this volume and not salivate for the black pepper pork buns Soma creates for his booth at the School Festival! He spends most of the volume figuring out how to challenge one of the Council of Ten who’s a Chinese food expert, and all of his strategizing and flavor-testing are fun to read about, not to mention his salesmanship and the gradual improvement of his standings in the sales rankings. We’ll have to wait until the next volume for the resolution, but I’m certainly impressed how invested I am in the outcome. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 6 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Hope you like volleyball, because it’s all tournament, all the time this arc. Sadly, that means that while it was quite good, I’m at a loss as to what to talk about. The most obvious thing is probably Kageyama, who shows that when you’re a grumpy ball of rage a lot of the time, you can be easily frustrated. Particularly when the opposing team works out your super secret signals to show what you’re going to do. On the bright side, it was nice to see Asahi get past his previous year and kick ass, as they managed to defeat Date Tech’s Iron Wall. The cliffhanger was excellent too, as the best sports manga always take pains to remind you it’s a team sport, no matter how many prodigies may be starring. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 5-6 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – After Kuroko prevents a buzzer-beater shot by Midorima, Seirin moves on to the finals league of the Tokyo Inter-High qualifiers. Their first game is against yet another of Kuroko’s middle-school teammates, Daiki Aomine, an incredible player (and awful person) with an unpredictable playing style. As a long-time fan of sports manga, I was chastising myself somewhat for buying into the idea that Seirin might lose. Then I thought, well, perhaps they might lose this game, thus making their ultimate perseverance that much more poignant. I was not prepared for what happened or for the desolate sentiment, “We were fooling ourselves.” I’ve enjoyed Kuroko’s Basketball up until this point, but this volume surprised me. Now I’m even more eager to see where the story goes from here. – Michelle Smith

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 13 | By Yusei Matsui | Viz Media -As this series goes on, it’s taken a turn for the dark. Not surprising given it’s about child assassins, but there honestly hasn’t been any actual assassination yet. At least not for the kids—a flashback to Irina’s past shows just how young she was when she started her seduction assassinations, and it’s clear she targeted lolicons. As if that weren’t enough, we meet Nagisa’s mother in this volume, and find out a lot about why he is the way he is—she’s a horribly abusive parent, emotionally manipulating him into having the life she didn’t—even if he’s a boy. It’s a sign of Nagisa’s growing moral sense that he doesn’t choose to give up on her. Still excellent, but this volume adds “grim” to that. – Sean Gaffney

Black Butler, Vol. 23 | By Yana Toboso | Yen Press – I don’t love Black Butler or particularly care about the characters, but I continue to follow it in a desultory fashion. In this volume, Ciel and Sebastian are tasked with investigating a music hall that enchants rich and poor alike. The chief suspect is a fortune-teller who discerns Sebastian’s nature right away, so we get lots of Ciel investigating on his own while Sebastian lurks about outside, foisting his affections onto alley cats. The highlight of the volume is an absurd, multi-page boy-band-esque performance by the prefects Ciel encountered a few volumes ago. Though there’s really nothing here that moves or interests me in any profound way, I will probably keep reading it nonetheless. – Michelle Smith

Danganronpa: The Animation, Vol. 3 | By Spike Chunsoft and Takashi Tsukimi | Dark Horse – As with the previous volume, the big weakness of this adaptation is its rushed pacing—at times it was hard to follow what was going on, such as Monokuma killing off the Chihiro AI computer, which felt out of nowhere. We winnow the cast down further, and this time the murderer is not as sympathetic—make that murderers, as we have some multiple manipulations going on here. Much of the second half revolves around us trying to believe that optimistic girl Aoi is the next murderer, which is so unlikely that I’m relieved that they didn’t bother to drag it out. As it is, though, things wrap up next volume, so is anyone else going to die? Aside from the bear that started all this. – Sean Gaffney

Magia the Ninth, Vol. 1 | By Ichiya Sazanami | Seven Seas – Given the sheer number of ‘demon hunter’ manga out now, which are all a variety on ‘groups of people hunt ghosts/yokai/demons that possess humans and turn their emotions negative,’ you really need to be unique in order to keep people reading. The creator of Magia the Ninth tries to do it by using classical music—the bishonen demon hunters in this series are all named after composers, and their magic attacks are their most famous works. There’s also some attempts at goofy humor to lighten the mood a bit. Still, apparently it wasn’t all that unique, as it wraps up in volume two, which means that a lot of the characters and foreshadowing being doled out here won’t amount to much. Something of a trifle. – Sean Gaffney

Masamune-kun’s Revenge, Vol. 3 | By Hazuki Takeoka and Tiv | Seven Seas – There aren’t any major new characters or plotlines introduced in this third volume, and as such it feels a bit like it’s coasting. Of course, there’s still a lot to play around with. Masamune can’t get his revenge if Aki hates him, so he has to work on that. As always, he fares much better when he’s not being manipulative. I wish I could say the same for Neko, but I suspect that she may be the villain here, and volume four may end up shredding a lot of plans. Other than that, there’s really not much going on here—like Masamune, the series feels like it’s backsliding a bit and getting flabby. To be fair, it was hard to top the start, which may be Aki’s most glorious rejection yet. At its best when she’s at her worst. – Sean Gaffney

Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 2 | By Neko Nekobyou and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – Well, last volume was very comedic, but this one certainly isn’t. It turns out we haven’t heard all of Lux’s past, and like everything else in the Sword Art Online series to date it’s intertwined with the death guild Laughing Coffin. Honestly, having them use lackeys that they brand and threaten with death—I think they’d rape her if they could get away with it in SAO, frankly—is one of those “of COURSE they did that” moments, and Lux is sweet enough that it really hurts. Now, of course, her past is being used against her by a nihilist comrade with a grudge against her magically having new friends. Guess how well Lisbeth and company will take that. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to the Ballroom, Vol. 2 | By Tomo Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – I am very relieved that the thrilling last-minute substitution, while certainly a rush for our hero, was called out for the giant illegal move it was. Unfortunately, that would seem to sideline two of our main characters—Hyodo leaves to recover and Shizuku is somewhat upset that she wasn’t informed about Hyodo’s injury. But that’s OK, as we have new characters waiting in the wings, a brother/sister team who are opposites in personality. There’s a lot going on here comparing ballroom partners with romantic partners, and to be fair Fujita does seem to mesh faster with the new girl. And then there is the art, as always the #1 reason to read this series. Addictive. – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to the Ballroom, Vol. 2 | By Tomo Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – I have to wonder whether an editor suggested that Takeuchi write about dance simply because she draws motion so well. Even if one cannot envision the steps, the exhilaration is clear, and I particularly love the way she draws the male physique whilst dancing. Plot-wise, Tatara dances in public for the first time thanks to Sengoku and his machinations, and ends up demonstrating an uncanny ability to achieve unity with his partner. This skill is put to the test when he acquires a new partner (a middle-schooler named Mako) and challenges her brother/former partner to a duel for having had the temerity to cast her aside in favor of Shizuku. I hope we get a more in-depth look at dance competitions next time! – Michelle Smith

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 11 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical, Inc. – Every time Shiro Kakei admits to someone that he’s gay, my heart grows a size. It seems to be coming a little easier to him this time, too. In this case, he’s responding to his landlord’s inquiry, as the latter is worried he might move to Shibuya, where a same-sex partnership law has been passed. Also in this volume, Kenji buys a suit for a birthday dinner and looks like a yakuza, Shiro is double-booked for sakura-viewing (and makes delicious looking bento treats), two of the lead’s coworkers (Shino and Tabuchi) take turns cooking, and Shiro apologizes to yogurt. It’s as charming and entertaining as ever, with multiple things to make a hungry reader drool, though I’ll have to pass on the carrot and tuna salad. – Michelle Smith

Maid-sama!, Vols. 11-12 | By Hiro Fujiwara | Viz Media – I wonder if the author has now been told she can pursue her endgame as she pleases, as things continue to happen in these two volumes of Maid-sama!. Turns out that while Usui is the black sheep of the family, that doesn’t mean he gets to run away and settle down with some normal Japanese girl (if you can define Misaki as normal). As for Misaki herself, she’s trying to take a good look at why she’s constantly angry all the time, and it’s earning results, even if repression is likely not the answer. We’ve gotten to the point where external forces are the only thing keeping these two apart, so we get to ramp them up. (Also, is Misaki’s sister sweet on Hinata or is it me?) Recommended for Maid-sama! fans and angry girl fans .– Sean Gaffney

The Prince in His Dark Days, Vol. 2 | By Hico Yamanaka | Kodansha Comics – Atsuko Okawa is being paid a million yen to impersonate a missing rich kid named Itaru. Though Itaru spent most of the first volume “off-camera,” the possible reasons for the disappearance were still the most intriguing thing about the series. I didn’t really expect any deviation from Atsuko’s fish-out-of-water, gender-bending masquerade, so spending time with Itaru was a pleasant surprise, even if the timeline was a little confusing. Itaru is having an identity crisis, and is terrified of vulnerability after a lifetime being renowned for arrogance and toughness. It’s actually fairly captivating, which makes going back to Atsuko’s story kind of a drag (no pun intended), even if I did like the shoujo soap opera cliffhanger at the end. If you were kind of “meh” about the first volume, the second might change your mind. – Michelle Smith

Psycho-Pass: Inspector Shinya Kogami, Vol. 1 | By Midori Gotou and Natsuo Sai, based on a story by Gen Urobochi | Dark Horse Comics – Once again, I am reading a prequel to an anime I have never seen. I am familiar with Gen Urobochi, however, which means I’m trying not to get too attached to this cast of supernatural detectives who I assume will die in pain and agony. For the moment, however, they’re busy hunting down criminals whose emotional state has been judged to be criminal—technology can do that now, apparently. If you haven’t seen the anime, the reason to get this is that it’s a pretty good police drama with some good action scenes. If you have, then you likely know more than I do why to get it. Pretty good. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 5 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – For one of the greatest of all Shakespearean villains, Richard III makes a pretty nifty shoujo heroine… as well as a shoujo hero, fittingly enough. Here he’s romanced, somewhat unwittingly on his part, by King Henry’s son. Yes, that’s King Henry again, as he’s back on the throne, though it suits him incredibly badly. Kanno gets Henry’s disturbing religious zealotry pitch-perfect, impressing me. He’s also something of a zealot when it comes to Richard, and after Richard is wounded, their interaction takes up much of the last part of the book. If Richard has realized that he loves Henry, where can this go? Nowhere good, that’s for sure. And, as I suspect I’ll be saying a lot in the future, poor Anne! – Sean Gaffney

RIN-NE, Vol. 22 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – It’d been a while since I’d read any RIN-NE, but a mini-marathon this weekend really hit the spot. A few new characters have now joined the mix, most notably Anematsuri-sensei, whose “Peeking Ball” figures into several of the stories in this volume. Mostly, we get stuff like a scythe that functions like a scratch-off lottery ticket, a judo enthusiast cursed by the tree he keeps kicking, one school vending machine haunting another, etc. Probably the best chapter was the one in which we glimpse the characters’ dreams as they attempt to capture a supernatural critter. However, while I do enjoy the gentle, no-pressure read that RIN-NE offers, I can’t help wishing Takahashi were employing her talents on something with a little more plot. – Michelle Smith

Rose Guns Days Season Two, Vol. 1 | By Ryukishi07 and Nana Natsunishi | Yen Press – I mentioned the last volume left things up in the air a lot, and unfortunately, Season Two doesn’t help to answer much, as it becomes apparent we’re going to focus on a new cast for the most part. Oh sure, Rose is around, as is Wayne, and the others get brief cameos. But Leo seems to actually be gone, and taking his place at the protagonist we have “Rapunzel,” a young girl with amnesia who ends up taken in by Rose’s crew. As we get to know her and the group of three misfits assigned to protect her, Rose deals with a growing unease between the Chinese and the Japanese, which honestly we could have predicted after the last arc. Not as good as Higurashi or Umineko. – Sean Gaffney

Twinkle Stars, Vol. 1 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press – I reviewed the two volumes collected here five years ago, but couldn’t let Yen’s much-anticipated release go by without even a brief to commemorate it! Happily, I think I enjoyed the story even more than last time. Star-crazy Sakuya Shiina, like Tohru Honda, hides family trauma behind a cheery disposition and does her best to understand the people in her orbit, namely her cousin/paid guardian Kanade, who has evidently burnt out on the world, and a boy named Chihiro Aoi who wants to escape from reality. Nearly everyone except for Sakuya’s forthright friend Yuuri seems to be nurturing a secret, with readers receiving brief glimpses of some of these, and I am so excited to be able to get the rest of the story! It may not be much like Fruits Basket, but I bet it’ll be very good indeed. – Michelle Smith

Barakamon, Vol. 12 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – The absence of Naru’s immediate family was always very unstated in the series, and it’s unsurprising that Handa thought they were both dead—the reader likely did as well. But her father, at least, is shown not to be dead, but to be away at sea most of the year, and his return for Christmas is what carries most of this volume. Naru is very Yotsuba-esque most of the time, but she is a seven-year-old girl with real feelings, and her need for her father is telling even as she sort of elides it. Her dad, meanwhile, is a well-meaning goof, but should really step up more, and Handa is, as always, a good bridge between the two. Barakamon is sweet and good-hearted and always puts a smile on my face. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 5 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I don’t normally watch the anime versions of the manga I read, but a friend introduced me to the Nozaki-kun anime and it’s pretty great. In fact, watching it gave me a better sense of the comic timing in the series, and I think that has carried over to how I read the manga, because I enjoyed it even more than before. Scenarios in this volume include Kashima having a cold and various guys volunteering to speak for her, the gang going on a drama club training camp, and Nozaki’s search for a cute merchandise-friendly mascot for his series. There is a gag relating to the latter that made me laugh out loud, but I also enjoyed a glimpse at the process for how such things are incorporated into a series, as well as a brief lesson on how cover designs come to be. A little informative, a lot amusing! – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia, Vol. 6 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I did ask for villains, and here they are, including one who seems to be angry at people who are heroes for the wrong reason. This volume has a lot to say about what makes a good hero and what makes a villain. Midoriya gains a mentor, who is impressed at the fact that he can think on his feet and is trying to teach him how to be more intuitive. But more importantly, Ida is bent on revenge against the man who destroyed his hero brother, who will likely never walk again. This is understandable, but revenge is always a BAD reason to be a hero. Luckily, we also see Midoriya being clever here, and he not only saves Ida but also calls for help, something I wish more shonen heroes did. Excellent series. – Sean Gaffney

One Piece, Vol. 80 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – For a while now, I’ve been ready to move on from Dressrosa, but I’ll be damned if Oda’s farewell narration to the island and its inhabitants didn’t make me a little verklempt. That said, this is one of those volumes full of updates on the world at large, hints about plots to come, and glimpses at future foes. I always enjoy it when the story’s scope widens this way, though it makes me wonder exactly how long the series is going to be (and whatever happened with those obelisk things Robin was studying?). The crew reunion at the end of the volume comes as a welcome relief, and I am further manipulated by Oda into being totally invested in the Sanji cliffhanger. Still addicted after 80 volumes! – Michelle Smith

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 12 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – When last we left off, ineffectual Ienari was the shogun and his odious mother, Harusada, was capriciously poisoning those of his heirs that displeased her. In this volume, she gets her comeuppance in a satisfying way, plus Ienari grows a spine and makes perfecting and distributing the redface pox vaccine his priority. The story could almost end here, with a victory for the good guys, except that wouldn’t be nuanced enough for Ooku. Instead, time passes swiftly and we see Ienari gradually being corrupted by power and the knowledge of his (and Aonuma’s, Gennai’s, and Kuroki’s) contributions lost to history because Japan cannot admit any weakness with foreigners literally on the horizon. Captivating and bittersweet, this is a series with broad scope and I trust that Yoshinaga has a destination in mind. I’ll be waiting for volume thirteen! – Michelle Smith

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 11 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – And so Yamada-kun finally wraps things up and comes to an end. Yamada cleverly uses his wish to get rid of the witch powers, most of the witches are pretty happy with that, and most importantly, he confesses to Shiraishi and they become an official couple. This has been a terrif… wait, what? The series is still going? Yes, that’s right, welcome to “this is too popular to cancel,” the inverse of “cut short,” as we now have the adventures of the new student council, with some old friends but also some new characters. How this will develop I’m not sure, given it’s barely begun, and I’ll definitely give it a shot, but I do sort of wish that things had ended here, as it was perfect. – Sean Gaffney