Bookshelf Briefs

This week, MJ, Sean, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and Seven Seas!

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The Betrayal Knows My Name, Vol. 6 | By Hotaru Odagiri | Yen Press – Now that this series has caught up with Japan, Yen Press has switched from double-length omnibus releases to single volumes, and I’ll admit this worried me to start. Though I’ve found this melodramatic, BL-leaning, supernatural epic to be a fairly satisfying (if somewhat guilty) pleasure, I was concerned that single-volume releases might only serve to expose a lack of real substance. I’m happy to report that I underestimated the series. Not only does this relatively thin-looking volume manage to successfully engage, but it does so without the constant addition of new characters that had become the series’ greatest point of weakness, at least for this reader. The Betrayal Knows My Name may not be a shoujo masterpiece, but it hits enough of my personal storytelling kinks to remain thoroughly enjoyable. – MJ

Genshiken 2nd Season, Vol. 3 | By Shimoku Kio | Kodansha Comics – Despite the fact that the series has gone from a male-dominated series where otaku talk about ero games to a female-dominated series where otaku talk about BL, the core premise of the series really hasn’t changed, nor have its observational tendencies dimmed in any way. We also get even more gender-bending as another new character is shown to be a ‘trap’ in some way… given the direction both fandom and this series have taken in recent years, this isn’t really a surprise. Hato remains at the core of this new series, though. His gender displacement gets so bad that he draws totally differently depending how he’s dressed, and he still can’t get over his attraction to Madarame. Genshiken’s always been about the characters, and that will never change. Still very good. – Sean Gaffney

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan, Vol. 7 | By Puyo and Nagaru Tanigawa | Yen Press – The nature of this series means that it’s a playground to have fun. We see the main series being made fun of, the nature of 4-koma driven gag comics being made fun of, and Japanese holidays and customs being made fun of, taking advantage of Haruhi‘s obsession with them. Divorced from canon, Koizumi can be far more active in his desire to get our stubborn couple together. Nagato can be far more adorable in her interaction with others… and also far more petulant, as the chapter where she sends Ryouko and Kimidori against a dragon proves. The main manga series is ending, so I’m not sure how long Haruhi-chan will last on its own. Or indeed if the cast from the 9th-11th novels, who show up at the end, will have any relevance. It’s a gag series, after all.. – Sean Gaffney

Otomen, Vol. 16 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – There’s a definite sense of this being the final arc in Otomen – the series is ending in Japan right about now – and as everyone no doubt expected, Asuka’s mother is clearly the final boss, and gets a cover with her son. Her obsession with manliness is starting to look like a mental illness of some sort. Unfortunately, she has lots of influence to get anyone to do whatever she wants, which is… good for most of our heroes, as they find great opportunities that coincidentally take them far away from Asuka. No such luck for Juta, whose Love Chick is summarily canned at the cliffhanger. God only knows what she’s going to do to Ryo… I hope that Asuka can turn things around next volume. Then again, I suspect next volume may be a ‘darkest before the dawn’ type book. Ryo’s not the type to break things off, but…? -Sean Gaffney

Psyren, Vol. 12 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – Most of this volume consists of Ageha, Sakurako and Matsuri walking into the world’s most obvious trap – indeed, it comes as a surprise that the mole leading them to it *isn’t* in on the trap himself. Much of what follows is a battle between good guys and a psychopath, with lots of psychic attacks and near-deaths, along with lots of assorted army officers getting slaughtered (this series has quite a high mook death count). The high point, though, is the appearance of Sakurako’s dark alternate personality. Just in case we miss the point, her skin literally darkens when she takes over. And she has no issues whatsoever with expressing her feelings for Ageha, in the loudest way possible. If this were a romantic comedy, no doubt shenanigans would ensue. But it’s a battle manga, so more likely we go back to fights. -Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 6 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – After the previous couple of volumes of Strobe Edge tried to hit maximum angstosity, this one seems to be more of a breather. Everyone finds out that Ren is now single, and this means that every girl in the school except Ninako is trying to hook up with him. Ninako accurately surmises that he needs time to cope with the breakup, but isn’t quite sure how to help him. Ren, meanwhile, is also dealing with this rivalry/friendship with Ando, and wonders how exactly to define it. A new school year, and some old faces, might mean a lot more tension next time around. This is a short volume, so there’s an unrelated short story at the end. Sadly, it really didn’t grab me the way that Strobe Edge does, as the heroine’s flakiness is less endearing (like Ninako’s), and more simply irritating. It’s clear the author has improved with time. -Sean Gaffney

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 1 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – Let me get this out of the way up front: Voice Over! is every bit as generic as you might suppose. Its lead, Hime Kino, is a “bright-eyed first-year” whom we meet on her first day at a high school with a prestigious voice acting program. She’s ditzy and uncoordinated and possessed of a voice that makes the other students wonder why she was accepted, yet somehow attracts the notice of the most surly/handsome/talented boy in her year as well as that of a popular idol duo. Soon, she discovers a Hidden Talent she is loathe to embrace, but Surly Boy’s taunts fire her up to surpass him. So, okay, a work of genius this is clearly not, and yet… I kind of liked it. Perhaps it just suited my mood in the moment, but I have to admit that I’m planning to read volume two. – Michelle Smith

Zero’s Familiar, Vols. 4-5 | By Noboru Yamaguchi and Nana Mochizuki | Seven Seas – The North American market has seen a glut of manga series adapted from light novels these days, for good or for ill. At one end of the spectrum is a series that can enhance and even outpace its core series… Railgun is a good example here, as is the Higurashi franchise in its later books. On the other end… sometimes you read an adaptation, and know it must have been far more thrilling and emotional in the original story. Such is the case with Zero’s Familiar, where the need to write thrilling action battles finally catches up to its artist. Saito’s sword battles are simply dull, and the facial expressions of the main cast also seem stiff when trying to emote the tragedies contained herein. The light novels are unlikely to be licensed, so this is all we have at the moment. I hope the artist improves. -Sean Gaffney

This week, Anna, MJ, & Sean look at recent releases from Viz Media, SuBLime Manga, and Swedish publisher Nosebleed Studio.

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Demon Love Spell, Vol. 4 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – Part of me reads Shinjo’s recent works with a feeling of wistful nostalgia for the more melodrama-filled antics of her earlier series. However, each volume of Demon Love Spell becomes more hilarious and disarming. This volume of the comedic supernatural romance features Miko and incubus Kagura temporarily becoming parents to a boy who appears from a peach, and Miko’s trip to the demon world features her being confronted with a parade of Kagura’s siblings, each more gorgeous than the next. This is one of those series that leaps up to the top of my to-read stack whenever a new volume arrives. Highly recommended. – Anna N

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 4 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – Now that Mayu Shinjo is no longer at Shogakukan and can’t just have everyone fall into the sack after 2 chapters (though you’d never know it by that seductive cover), she’s forced to find ways to have our heroes not going there. It’s especially amusing in this volume as the last few obstacles that are stopping them are getting removed; Miko now admits that she desires Kagura and is ready to give herself to him, and Kagura has admitted that she is different from his other conquests and he wants to marry her, not just screw her. Of course, this doesn’t mean anything happens. Between peach babies, bodyswaps, interfering fathers on both sides, and a swarm of amazingly sexy in-laws, Miko has her hands full here. But I’m OK with that, as this is the most fun I’ve ever had with a Shinjo series. – Sean Gaffney

Hide and Seek, Vol. 1 | By Yaya Sakuragi | SuBLime Manga – Despite some decidedly positive experiences with the works of Yaya Sakuragi, I can’t deny that my intense dislike of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love caused me to approach this spin-off with great apprehension. With that in mind, I’m happy to report that I’ve been pleasantly surprised! Though Hide and Seek‘s carefree single dad, Shuji Tanihara, and reserved doctor, Takafumi Saji, represent fairly typical BL types, their characterization feels fresh and their slow-building relationship reads as nuanced and unpredictable, even within the predictable confines of the genre. Furthermore, the sex scenes actually enhance characterization and move the plot forward—something I’ve long stopped expecting in BL romance. If anyone ever told me I’d one day consider revisiting Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, I’d have scoffed heartily. Yet here we are. Unexpectedly recommended. – MJ

Kimi Ni Todoke Vol. 17 | by Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Kimi Ni Todoke is one of those longer series that deserves to be whatever length the author wishes to stretch it out to, simply because the length of the series allows the reader to build up an affinity for all the characters and the manga as a whole is so well-executed. Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship is under a bit of a strain, as he attempts to maintain distance between them out of respect for her naivete and she begins to worry that he doesn’t want to be around her anymore. Usually this type of storyline where the characters are kept apart because they aren’t really communicating can cause me to feel highly impatient, but Shiina’s slow, emotionally delicate handling of the situation just wants me to follow along with the progression of this relationship.
– Anna N

Slam Dunk, Vol. 30 | by Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – When most long-running series come to a close after 30+ volumes I usually read the final volumes with a bit of relief, looking forward to the conclusion. I am actually extremely sad that this is the next to last volume of Slam Dunk, because I feel like there are so many other stories that could be told with these characters, 31 volumes is just scratching the surface. There are hints of a conclusion, as Akagi looks back over his career during a timeout and Rukawa continues to evolve on the court. I’m going to be sitting here impatiently waiting until December, because I’m worried that Sakuragi really did injure his back making a key play in the game. It is a shame that sports manga isn’t more commercially appealing in North America, but at least with this series we have the opportunity to read one of the best examples of the genre. Highly recommended as always. – Anna N

Swedish Manga Anthology | By Catarina Batista, Natalia Batista, & Joakim Waller | Nosebleed Studio – This anthology of three global manga comes from Nosebleed Studio, a group of Swedish artists who are not only influenced heavily by Japanese manga, but who have, in some cases, pursued publication in Japan. I mention this, because even in this anthology, which is deliberately Swedish-themed, there is a sense that the authors are writing for Japanese audiences. The book’s second two stories, Natalia Batista’s “Hearts of Midsummer” and Joakim Waller’s “Leo” both read right-to-left, as they would if they’d been intended for publication in Japanese. “Leo,” in fact, doesn’t read as something particularly Swedish at all, aside from the characters’ names, and could just as easily be set in Japanese school. The volume’s standout is Catarina Batista’s “Crying Wolf,” an anti-wolf-hunting story that manages to be more charming than heavy-handed, though all three are well-constructed and enjoyable to read. – MJ

This week, Sean and MJcheck out recent releases from Kodasha Comics, Seven Seas, and Viz Media.

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Cage of Eden, Vol. 11 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – If you’re looking for a volume of Cage of Eden that contains everything the series has going for it, this may be a good choice. There’s cute backstory between the lead ‘couple-but-not-a-couple’ teens, there’s mystery regarding some disappearances that has a clever solution, there’s killer animals that take out a couple of our remaining kids, and there’s another bathing scene showing off naked girl’s bodies. We get a few new characters as well, including a friend of Akira’s who they’ve been searching for since Vol. 2, and a perverted monk with a tendency towards lolicon. As ever, Cage of Eden is a lot of fun eye candy and action adventure, but still has a casual sexism that makes it hard to recommend. Like a lot of Shonen Magazine series, really. Recommended to those who know its type. – Sean Gaffney

Crimson Empire: Circumstances to Serve a Noble, Vol. 2 | By QuinRose and Hazuki Futaba | Seven Seas – Crimson Empire’s strongest selling point continues to be its heroine, who’s easily the most interesting of its huge extended cast. Sheila not only gets to be a killer assassin maid, but she’s more experienced in the ways of the world than Alice is, so is much better at dry humor and teasing others. Unlike the Alice books, I find myself more interested in the romance between her and Prince Justin than I do all the machiavellian politics. Part of this may be simply that I still have trouble telling folks apart – I kept flipping to the character guide at the start, and even then the number of long, black-haired men led me to confuse one or two. Still, I’m more interested in this series than I was after Vol. 1, and it certainly works better in volume format than as short stories in the Alice books. – Sean Gaffney

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 4 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – Despite my momentary reservations about this series’ last volume, Demon Love Spell continues to charm me to an unprecedented extent for this kind of comedic romance. In fact, it’s the comedy that keeps me coming back, which I find endlessly surprising, especially given how over-the-top things begin right from the get-to in this volume. Don’t get me wrong, I love to laugh, but my taste for excess generally applies to supernatural fantasy only, while “cracktastic” romantic comedies typically leave me cold. Demon Love Spell, I suppose, draws upon the best of both worlds, as its outrageous humor creates an atmosphere in which we can just as easily invest ourselves in a story about a rapidly-aging baby born from a giant peach as we can laugh off the lecherous advances of the series’ suave-yet-hapless love interest. Shinjo hits all the right marks. Still recommended. – MJ

Fairy Tail, Vol. 29 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – The cliches in this volume are almost a drinking game. Ultear’s tragic flashback past all but ensures she’ll eventually turn good; our heroes all team up to take out the big boss with their combined powers; and when that doesn’t work, a face from the past arrives to kick ass and show everyone he’s on their side again. But it’s all done with such verve, fun and energy that you’re pretty much willing to forgive Fairy Tail its unoriginality. Things look to be wrapping up pretty soon… we think, though there’s still Zeref to worry about, and I suspect that we’re still a ways away from the end of this arc. But man, check out those fights! Those poses! Those shouts of “Nobody could have survived that!” This title is as shounen as it gets. – Sean Gaffney

Sakarea: Undying Love, Vol. 2 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Kodansha Comics – A lot of harem series tend to balance all the fanservicey romance with some other element, be it teaching magic, getting killed over and over again in a time loop, etc. With Sankarea, it’s horror. And not just the “zombie cliche” horror that you’d expect, although there is that. Rea’s family is truly unhinged, with her mother’s uncaring apathy serving as a contrast to her father’s incestuous possessiveness. (The scene where we see that the only reason they’re still married is she loves his body – or one part of his body – is particularly awful.) And let’s not forget the attempted murder. Luckily, we have Rea and Chihiro contrasting that (sorry, Wanko, you aren’t important enough yet), and they’re sweet and charming, even as there’s still a dark undercurrent behind everything. Harem Horror, not Hammer Horror. – Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 6 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – It’s a testament to the addictive nature of this series that my main reaction to this installment was genuine distress at discovering that the fifty or so pages I thought I had left as I reached book’s final quarter were actually an unrelated short story. So great was my distress that I could not even read it. Such is the power of serialized shoujo, but what’s remarkable about Strobe Edge is how far it has come since its first, trite volume. As Ren reels from his recent breakup, heightened tension in his relationship with our besotted heroine, Ninako, is no certainly surprise to anyone (least of all, Ninako or Ren). But the biggest revelations in this volume revolve around Ren and Ando, whose strained friendship nears its breaking point, with unexpected results. It’s complicated, moving, and downright refreshing—not a word I’d have associated with this series early on. Recommended. – MJ

This week, Sean, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Seven Seas, Viz Media, and Vertical, Inc.

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Bunny Drop, Vol. 9 | By Yumi Unita | Yen Press – I went into this final volume with a great deal of trepidation, but I actually didn’t dislike it. True, I did find one big reveal terribly convenient in terms of making a relationship between Rin and Daikichi less icky—were there hints about this that I missed?—and I remain unconvinced that Daikichi feels something genuinely romantic towards Rin, but there were some aspects that I liked, as well. Daikichi’s reaction to the situation has some genuinely riveting moments—“That is the cruelest thing you could’ve done to me”—and I got a fuller sense of how Rin sees Daikichi that made her side of the relationship make more sense to me. I can imagine them forming a contented little family and dwelling in domestic bliss, but I certainly can’t imagine rollicking sexy times between them. Perhaps that is for the best. – Michelle Smith

Limit, Vol. 6 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – I’ve been a fan of Limit from the start, and though I’ve often seen the series’ later volumes described as “melodramatic,” I personally find use of that word somewhat perplexing when discussing a story in which a group of not-necessarily-friendly teenagers has been stranded in the wilderness after an enormous trauma without necessary sustenance, training, or supplies. Does it really require the use of melodrama to imagine that things might go horribly wrong? I’m thinking not. High stakes naturally lead to life’s Big Moments, and this series is certainly full of those, quite a number of which occur in this tense, final volume. The series’ wrap-up is both predictably dramatic and surprising simple in equal parts, and gratefully hard-won. Compact and satisfying, Limit is hard to beat. Recommended. – MJ

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 16 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – I had been making fun of the last few volumes of Nura for having a Kyoto arc that would never end. it finally does this volume, but the point still remains: this felt really dragged out far longer than it ever should have been. As a result, when the tragic revelations are revealed (as they are here), there’s not as much weight to them as by now we just want to get it over with and move on. Luckily, we start to do that here. Tsurara/Yuki-Onna gets her own mini-arc, showing that she can control a group with her own force of personality and not just moon over Rikuo. As a reward, she gets a cute ship tease with an umbrella. The next arc looks like it involves a shrine where teens go missing, and introduces Rikuo’s new teacher, who knows more than she should about it. At least it’s not in Kyoto. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 17 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – As I pick up each new volume of Pandora Hearts, filled as they have been with increasingly shocking and painful revelations, I find myself thinking, “This is it. This must be the last. Nothing could be more shocking or painful than this.” I am always wrong. I had no idea, Pandora Hearts, where you were headed—what darkness and pain you had in store. I was a fool. I was a babe in the woods. Fortunately, this is not a bad thing by any means. Though I’ve often wondered just how far Jun Mochizuki will be able to stretch her increasingly complicated series before it collapses under its own weight, that day looks to be far off, indeed. For those who have made the sixteen-volume investment required to reach this point, you’re in for some spectacular drama. And the rest… what are you waiting for? Still recommended. – MJ

The Sacred Blacksmith, Vol. 2 | By Isao Miura and Kotaro Yamada | Seven Seas – For those who enjoy fantasy manga, there’s a lot to like here. Sword battles, magic battles, magic sword battles. I find that pretty boring myself. Luckily, there is a bit more than that here. We meet Aria, a human-looking woman who turns out to be a demon sword – one highly prized by many people who have mayhem on their minds. Most of the volume is spent protecting her (see previous discussion of fights), but we also wonder, as Aria does, how responsible she is for the deaths she causes when wielded by others. Combine this with Lisa’s own revelation as a demon – and low self-worth, it would seem – and the scene where Cecily helps exorcize a demon merely so a man can die as a human rather than possessed, and I think we’ve found this manga’s major theme. – Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 17 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – The first half of this volume consists of one-shot chapters, designed to help cleanse the palate after several long story arcs. Komatsu pulls Excalibur (or its equivalent) out, they worship at a shrine, they try to amaze some apples (that story has a great, if immature, punchline) and they talk to an old man about obsession and lost loves. The second half of the book begins a new arc proper, as they team up with Sunny to go after a fish that’s well-nigh impossible to get to. (We also get more people saying they want Komatsu to be their chef and companion – really, there’s not much difference between Toriko and a harem manga at times.) There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s still big goofy shonen fun, which is exactly what I want out of a title like Toriko. – Sean Gaffney

World War Blue, Vol. 2 | By Crimson and Anastasia Shestakova | Seven Seas – The best scene in this volume involves our hero, finally meeting his father after so long, and immediately having to make a horrifying decision. It points out the fantasy aspect of this world, allows a sort of tortured bonding and grieving at the same time, and has some nice heartbreaking depth to it. Sadly, this is offset by the rest of the volume, which is really, really generic RPG-style manga fighting. There are, perhaps, more masturbation jokes than you’d normally find in a more mainstream manga, but other than that, there’s better shonen elsewhere. Even the ‘draw’ of this series, that the characters are based on 80s video games, is wearing a bit thin – particularly as we don’t have a glossary given all the time. Still, that one scene was very good. Perhaps it will gain more depth like that later. – Sean Gaffney

This week, MJand Sean check out recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.

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Bunny Drop, Vol. 9 | By Yumi Unita | Yen Press – So, it’s finally here. Yes, it. You know what I’m talking about, fan of Bunny Drop. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine that any manga fan online has avoided hearing all about the controversial romance between Bunny Drop‘s teenaged Rin and her forty-something guardian, Daikichi, which began brewing out of the blue in the series’ last volume, at least on Rin’s side. Rin’s feelings are revealed fully in this final volume, and though things progress just as reported (feared?), Unita still manages to surprise me. Her ending is both as awkward and as oddly right as I might have wished—emotionally complicated and utterly unsexy (which, for once, is a really good thing). Though it’s still hard for me to buy in to Rin’s sudden feelings, Daikichi’s reaction rings perfectly true, and that makes all the difference, at least for this reader. Still recommended. Honestly. – MJ

A Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 10 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – Well, we’ve been wanting Shin and Maria to finally have a nice long kiss, right? Be careful what you wish for. The scene in the music room with Maria’s breakdown was as raw and shattering as this manga has ever gotten, and I was surprised that it was then topped by Maria in her own apartment, contemplating something unthinkable. Never in this entire series have I been more grateful that Ayu exists. There’s still a lot to work through here, though, and it’s not going to go away due to a sweet hug on the rooftop. I suspect Kurosu just isn’t going to let this go, and it’s hinted that he knows even more about Maria’s past. Altogether, this is one of the best volumes yet of this series, typing together Maria’s past, her friendship with Anna, and her romance with Shin into one big screwed-up package. – Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 13 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – I will confess to being surprised by not one, but two plot twists in this volume. First of all, things were slowly being set up to show that sometimes duty is more important than true love, particularly when it involves a human. Of course, I was then taken aback when true love won out after all, though I appreciated Nishiki’s character growth. More to the point, I was very surprised and happy that Tomoe didn’t immediately cotton on to Nanami’s being ‘fake’. So many fantasy stories have the true love easily able to spot that the one in front of them isn’t the right one, it was great to see that no, Tomoe didn’t get it right away, particularly given it was Nanami’s own body. Another fun volume here, with hints at something darker coming soon, involving Tomoe’s past. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 17 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – A.K.A. “The Payoff Volume”. Everyone knows that long-running romance series run on ‘will they or won’t they’, but there’s only so long you can hold onto that without frustrating the audience away. And so here we get big payoffs to two of our three couples. (Chizu and Ryu are sweet, but sort of take a back seat here aside from one big present moment.) It’s thematically appropriate, given Japanese customs, that this all happens at Christmas, as Yano finally gives in and opens up to Kento, and Kazehaya finally breaks free from his own chains and admits how much he physically desires Sawako. We also get some nice scenes from Pin, who always gives great advice even if he’s being a complete goofball. Overall, this is a pitch-perfect volume that everyone who follows the series will love. – Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 4 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I find it amusing, given this is a sci-fi action horror thriller sort of story, that I keep focusing on the awkward and goofy romantic comedy love triangle that also is happening within its pages. But it’s just so much fun, and really helps to make the series not just one big depressing angstfest. (Also, the book of Secrets about Sidonia should totally have had Toilet Hinako somewhere.) That said, there’s also a lot of dark tension here as well, as we continue to realize just how much the leaders of the ship seems to have it in for Tanizake. There’s also some rather terrifying body horror towards the end, that startled me quite a bit. The plot is still a bit overly complex for me to take in at times (it may benefit from reading in large chunks), but this is still space opera at its most compelling. – Sean Gaffney

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 10 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arakawa | Viz Media – Sometimes it seems that Iku just can’t catch a break. As if it isn’t bad enough coping with her newfound love for Dojo, she also has some buried jealousy of Shibazaki tormenting her (oh, if she only knew how likely it was that the feeling was mutual), more bullying from a new group of girls, and her parents finally becoming aware that she’s a soldier and not merely a simple librarian after all. Of course, all these stress points end up becoming ways to give us compelling, heartwarming and satisfying drama. (We also see more of the still newborn Tezuka/Shibazaki romance, which I love to bits but which will likely be far harder to pull off than simple-minded Iku’s love.) It’s easy to forget this is a spinoff franchise, based on a light novel and with an anime as well It doesn’t read like a cash-in at all. – Sean Gaffney

The Wallflower, Vol. 31 | By Tomoko Hayakawa | Kodansha Comics – Yes, in practice this volume ends the same way that the previous 30 have, with minimal forward movement between our heroes. However, I do think there are some very important signposts here towards an endgame, particularly in the 2-parter involving Sunako’s friend Yuki, who we first met in Vol. 6 (so long ago they have to footnote it.) Yuki is dealing with a painful first love, and at first it looks like things may go badly. But when her love is returned, we see her suddenly morph into… a beautiful, normal proportioned shoujo person. It’s always been only Sunako who pulls off the SD vs. normal switch with any regularity, so this is yet another sign that it’s not literal, but a figurative transformation that depends on the self-image of the person. All this, plus a Yuki chapter! (No, the other Yuki.) Recommended to those who still read it. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Anna, Sean, and Michelle look at recent releases from Viz Media and Kodansha Comics.

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 10 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – This fantasy manga featuring a misfit red-headed princess struggling with her gift to see into the past and future has developed into an engrossing story with a focus on expansive worldbuilding and political machinations. The tenth volume heads into a new direction as Nakaba and Caesar are remarried to other people, while still determined to somehow build the better world they envisioned together. Nakaba has come a long way since her more tentative appearance in the first volume, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she does as she seeks her own political power with only Loki by her side. – Anna N.

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 10 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – It isn’t often that a shoujo manga volume leaves me with conflicting feelings a few days after reading it, but I’ve come to expect the unexpected from this manga. While Shin has been warned off from physical intimacy with Maria due to her psychological issues, he does force the issue with traumatizing results. Maria has unsettling flashbacks as her repressed memories are triggered, and Shin continues for a bit despite her clear distress. In a way this scene almost feels like Tomori’s commentary on the way similar set-ups are romanticized in manga, but in A Devil and Her Love Song it is genuinely unsettling. I predict fallout from this volume will continue for awhile. This is one manga that is always a bit unpredictable, which is why I enjoy reading it. – Anna N

Fairy Tail, Vol. 28 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – Several people may have been surprised, even a bit annoyed, at Cana ignoring her friends’ plight in order to reach the goal of the S-class battle that is clearly cancelled. Now we find out why – it’s tied in to finding her father, whose identity is someone we all know. Cana’s past is rather sad and lonely, and reminds me a bit of Wendy. Meanwhile, the villains strike back in the quest to secure victory on the island, and at one point are so strong they even take out Gildarts (who, it has been said, rarely appears as he’s such a game-breaker). Luckily, Erza wins the day by, well, her psychic connection with Jellal – sorry, folks who hate him. As for Grey, he quickly sees through Ultear’s false crocodile tears. But is that going to do him any good? Still a fun shonen battle manga. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 21 | By Taeko Watanabe | Viz Media – Volume 21 focuses on the fallout from Sei’s stint as an undercover spy—as a result of Okita’s feelings for her jeopardizing the mission, Sei is transferred to another company. She’s never been one for just following orders and so demands an explanation, and when Okita claims he requested the transfer because he’s sick of her, she contemplates giving up on bushi life and becoming a nun until an actual nun helps her gain perspective. I enjoyed this volume, but I was troubled by the number of times various characters equate being a girl with impetuous thinking. Too, Sei blames the female part of herself for wanting love, but isn’t it equally the girl part of her that wants to be a bushi and avenge her father and brother? This is something that Basara got right, and which I thought Kaze Hikaru did too. I must say I’m a little disappointed, though my love for the series remains intact. – Michelle Smith

Magi, Vol. 1 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – I knew absolutely nothing about Magi going in to this debut volume, but it turned out to be pretty fun! The first chapter introduces Aladdin, a young boy with a penchant for good food, pretty ladies, and super-deformity. He’s on the search for a metal vessel for his friend, Ugo the djinn, who currently resides in the flute Aladdin wears around his neck and who can be summoned in times of need. When Alibaba, a destitute young man looking to strike it rich by “clearing” one of the mysterious and deadly treasure-laden dungeons that have sprung up around the world, witnesses Ugo in action, he decides that Aladdin must be his servant friend and accompany him in this perilous endeavour. Magi‘s tone is light and the RPG influence strong, resulting in something that’s familiar and yet sort of refreshing. I’ll definitely be checking out volume two. – Michelle Smith

This week, Sean, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, Seven Seas, Viz Media, and Vertical, Inc.

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Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 5 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – Once again, we have half a volume of the main story and half a volume of a side story, though at least the side story is about Alice and Boris. Aside from that niggle, this volume has a couple of interesting things going on. Ace is back to being the psychopath I like after the miserable Ace of Hearts spinoff, noting he only loves Alice when she’s miserable and indecisive. We also see two faceless spies who actually seem to have motivation and an agenda, which gives a whole new impression as to the real roles of the faceless. Mostly, though, this is Boris and Alice still feeling out their new relationship: what I noted are the interesting irrelevant bits. Still worth getting if you don’t mind the romance and can put up with side stories galore. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 6 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – The final volume of Limit is filled with dramatic, expository speeches that play to the back of the house. It is over the top, it is emotional, it is theatrical, and it has a truly ridiculous plot twist right at the end. Despite that, it’s also highly enjoyable and cathartic… precisely for those very reasons. No one wants a dull blase book about teens fighting for survival in the wilderness. Moreover, teenagers are by definition over the top, emotional creatures – heck, even Kamiya, the closest this series had to a stoic, is losing it by the middle of this book. And so we accept the ridiculous plot twists, and the drama. These are likeable characters put through the wringer, and I liked seeing how they all ended up by the end. Which I will try not to reveal here. I’m pleased that Vertical picked this up, though if it had been any longer I think I might have broken. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 16 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – The best description I can come up with for the events of recent volumes of Pandora Hearts is “dizzying.” And as if volume 15 weren’t painful enough, with its heartwrenching revelations and noble self-sacrifice, volume 16 shows absolutely no signs of relenting. Oh sure, there’s a brief interlude at the beginning in which it seems that our heroes are going to be able to have a moment’s peace to process what has happened, but this is quickly shattered by a thoroughly creepy meeting with their new nemesis, still more betrayal, followed by still more hints of betrayal to come, or at least of intentions concealed and origins heretofore unknown. Now I honestly find myself worrying about the allegiance of everyone Oz is associated with, particularly Break, who in the past seemed to be attempting to strike up an alliance with the Baskervilles. I’m genuinely on edge! Kudos to you, Mochizuki-sensei. – Michelle Smith

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 2 | By Mizuki Sasakibara, based on the franchise created by Sunrise, Masafumi Nishida, and Masakazu Katsura | Viz Media – The beauty of series like these is that I get to write much less than usual, as the list of authors takes up half the review. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this volume of Tiger & Bunny – the art is sufficient, we get more of Barnaby’s backstory which I presume drives the plot, and I liked seeing that the other superheroes are all just as goofy as these two – but there’s nothing really that makes me want to keep reading more. It’s not gripping, and it still feels very corporate – for those who enjoyed the anime, here it is again in book form. Thus I’d recommend the manga for those who love Kotetsu and Barnaby, but it’s easily skippable for those who have no investment in it. – Sean Gaffney

Twin Knights | By Osamu Tezuka | Vertical, Inc. – In this sequel to the original version of Tezuka’s Princess Knight, Sapphire, now happily married to Franz, has given birth to twins—a boy and a girl. Thanks to an internal dispute over the right of succession, the two are separated, and the princess, Violetta, finds herself on an epic journey in search of her lost brother, Prince Daisy. Though Violetta’s path as a cross-dressing swashbuckler is exciting and thankfully devoid of the unfortunate boy’s heart/girl’s heart drama that so heavily compromised the feminist potential of Princess Knight, her ultimate destiny as a conventional princess feels a little disappointing, as does the silliness that so often overwhelms any truly empowering moments the book might have had. Still, Twin Knights is undeniably fun and action-packed, and its heroine is glorious, indeed. Quibbles aside, it’s definitely worth a look. – MJ

This week, Michelle, Anna, & Sean look at recent releases from Viz Media, Last Gasp, Kodansha Comics, & Vertical, Inc.

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Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 13 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – This volume concludes the storyline where Nanami and her companions visit Himemiko’s erstwhile fiance Nishiki for their wedding, even though Himemiko is still in love with her human boyfriend Kotaro. Nishiki has gradually been changed by Nanami’s presence and his growing awareness of other people’s emotions. Nanami sees Kotaro and Himemiko’s relationship progress in a way that gives her hope for her feelings towards Tomoe, but everything is derailed a little bit when a toad spirit possesses her body. Nanami’s possessed form is unusually cheerful and doll-like, and Nanami as an amphibian is comically dispirited. Kamisama Kiss is always delightful and this volume is no exception! – Anna N.

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 3 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – Man, Knights of Sidonia is so good, I think I could happily read, oh, 25 volumes in a row. Plus, compared to Nihei’s enigmatic (to put it mildly) BLAME!, we’re actually getting quite a few answers already. True, new mysteries are cropping up all the time, including the rapid evolution of the enemy gauna that sees them creating a replica of one of Tanikaze’s fallen comrades, but the final chapters, in which readers learn the truth of Tanikaze’s origins, are incredibly rewarding. I’m honestly surprised that this information was revealed so quickly and coherently. About the only thing I could wish for from this series would be more “life on the Sidonia” segments. The battles are fascinating, but I’d like to see more of the characters off-duty. There’s a little of that here, and it’s neat, but more, please! – Michelle Smith

Little Fluffy Gigolo PELU, Vol. 2 | By Junko Mizuno | Last Gasp – Delightfully strange. Wonderfully absurd. If either of these descriptive phrases appeals to you, then you might enjoy Junko Mizuno’s Little Fluffy Gigolo PELU. In this volume, Pelu (an alien fluffball who has come to Earth in search of a bride to have his baby) pines for an enigmatic “soap girl” from afar, is duped by a sentient crocheted puppet, competes for yakiniku on a gameshow, becomes a sex slave and unwitting porn star, nearly runs off with a broken-hearted kappa girl, and meets his niece, who has an adventure of her own involving quintuplets and sparkly, magical sausages. PELU is wholly original and you are guaranteed to encounter scenes you’ve never come across in manga before. And even with all this absurdity, the story is still both coherent and compelling. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 4 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – As I’ve noted before, my tolerance for trashy shoujo manga is basically proportional to the self-confidence of the heroine. This is likely the only reason I’m still reading Missions of Love like it’s eating candy. Everyone in this title is horribly flawed in some way, shape or form, none more so than our heroine, who has no idea what she does to everyone around her. We also have the addition of Mami, who is such a cliched “jealous rival girl” that I have to wonder if it’s parody of some sort. But the big draw for this title is still the sexiness, and more to the point, the dissonance between the brains of the lead couple and their emotions, which give the scenes like ‘bite me on the neck’ an extra erotic charge which you wouldn’t see if it were intentional. This manga is so bad for you, but I can’t stop. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 14 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – This new volume of Natsume starts with two one-shots, one melancholy and one sweet. But the bulk of it is given over to his discovering more about his grandmother Reiko’s past, as we start to see what might become a backstory indicating how she even had a child – noted here to be out of wedlock. Natsume’s opening up to people is absolutely a good thing, and one of the ways in which he’s able to differentiate himself from his grandmother. But it also leads to pitfalls, as he can’t simply take advantage of his friends and family the way Reiko used to do. Caring too much is something Natsume has always done, but lately it’s getting worse, and you get the feeling that we’re headed to a breaking point. For now, though, we get some more yokai, and a slowly advancing plot. – Sean Gaffney

Rin-Ne, Vol. 12 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – The last third of this volume of Rin-Ne is much like the previous 11 volumes, which is to say slice-of-afterlife comedy involving people who weren’t able to fulfill love so were unable to pass on, or alternately laughing at how poor Rinne is. The majority of the book, though, is devoted to a longer plot involving Rokumon, who is taking an exam to see if he can become a ranked Black Cat (which means a bigger budget for Rinne). He faces off against all the other familiars in the series, and the result is, as you’d expect from someone like Takahashi, more of a battle royale than a final exam. It does show off how earnest and dedicated Rokumon is, though, and how he can think fast when the need really arises. If you like Takahashi and don’t mind lack of plot movement, Rin-Ne won’t disappoint. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, Anna, & MJlook at six recent releases from Viz Media.

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Blue Exorcist, Vol. 10 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – As you would expect after the end of a long arc, a lot of this volume is taking a breather while setting things up for the arcs to come (such as the Gehenna Gate). So we see Rin back to school, and dealing with his normal, non-exorcist classmates. Except it turns out that one of then is starting to not be normal, and it’s slowly driving him insane. There’s a lot more silliness here as well, as our heroes are tasked with taking care of the 7 School Mysteries, all of whom are demonic, of course. Cue cross-dressing ghosts, bitchy grudges, and lots of amusing yet broad shonen gags. There’s also a pile of extras, something becoming quite common in these volumes – a short side-story focusing on Renzo, and lots of 4-koma gags drawn by Kato’s assistants. Not as mind-blowing as the last few volumes, but still fun. – Sean Gaffney

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 9 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – The first part of this volume deals with the unwanted attentions of Shintaro, a first-year student who has a crush on Maria. As always, Maria has a way of coming at a problem with a different perspective than other people. While Shintaro’s over the top flirting is annoying to almost everybody, Maria comments that it is just the way he communicates, and gives him the teasing nickname “Eros.” Shin attempts to take a step forward by performing again, but his habit of keeping his distance from Maria to preserve her fragile emotional state may just backfire, as she becomes more and more comfortable with Yusuke being her best friend. The drama in this series continues to be executed with unexpected plot twists, which means that it isn’t getting stale as it nears the 10th volume. – Anna N

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 5 | By Touya Tobina | Viz Media – There is a certain about of subterfuge in this volume that is deliberate on the author’s part. I get that. The true identity of Takayuki, who is the person who father’s Takamichi’s child (not a spoiler, it’s on the cover). That’s fine. The main issue is that everything else doesn’t make sense to me as well. Some series read badly chapter to chapter, and I’m sure that if I read Jiu Jiu in one big 5-volume chunk, I might get more out of it than I did. But I’ve no desire to. This frustrating series kept trying to figure out whether it was epic or not, what its art style was, and if it was going to risk offending people with a romantic pairing that was… problematic, to say the least. It did avoid that last one. But all in all, everything in Jiu Jiu was more annoying than endearing. If you like supernatural stuff, it may be for you. read it all at once, though. – Sean Gaffney

Psyren, Vol. 11 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – This volume manages to spend a large amount of time focused on the villains, and not a moment of it is wasted. I was apprehensive at first – I like our heroes. But this was easily one of the most terrifying volumes the series has ever had, with the battle on the docks between Miroku and Grigori winning the biggest awards (and killing off the most people – being an innocent bystander in Psyren is lethal). I was also fascinated with the subplot of rescuing Riko, where our heroes totally lose – she’s abducted by the bad guys (she’s probably that mini-boss we saw drawing in Psyren world a while ago). Add this to the continuing issues of Ahega and his father, and Miroku making his threat to the world much earlier than expected, and you have a series that still knows how to ramp up the tension. – Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 5 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – I suspect that we won’t be seeing that much more of Mayuka after this volume. If that’s the case, what a way to go out. I loved everything about her arc, from her close observation and realization about Ren once her brother points out the obvious, to the acceptance she has regarding her parents’ divorce, and acceptance that’s shocking to her, and how it finally allows her to realize that she has to accept that Ren’s heart has moved on as well. It’s astonishingly mature, and in marked contrast to Ando, whose own past is shown here. No matter how much he acknowledges he’s being immature, I still want to belt him for it. And in the middle we have Ninako, who knows what she doesn’t want, but can’t quite get past not being able to get what she wants. Absolutely riveting shoujo soap. – Sean Gaffney

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 2 | By Mizuki Sakakibara, Sunrise, & Masafumi Nishida | Viz Media – Manga adaptations of anime series tend to be a sketchy prospect for me. Generally speaking, I’ve found that anime rarely translates well to paper, especially in terms of visual power (see Puella Magi Madoka Magica), and it’s difficult to understand the point. Why take the time to create something that is doomed to be nothing more than a clunky, cardboard version of its source material? Tiger & Bunny‘s weakness, however, may be that it resembles its source just a little too much. It’s breezy, action-packed, and easy to follow—often major stumbling blocks when adapting from the screen—and it’s definitely attractive to the eye. Unfortunately, it’s really not much more, and each volume of manga flies by with the emotional impact of a Saturday morning cartoon. This light, glossy series is undoubtedly fun to watch, but its move to print only accentuates how little lurks beneath the surface shine. – MJ

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

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Alice in the Country of Clover: Ace of Hearts | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – This wasn’t quite as bad as Bloody Twins, but it’s right up there. I’ve said before that the Alice manga is best when it’s not focusing on romance, and this isn’t that; it’s pretty much Alice falling for Ace, and getting lost a lot with him. There’s some attempt at working with Ace’s psychoses – the friendlier she is to everyone, the less he likes her, which would not bode well for them if this relationship lasted longer than half a book. But for the most part this is simply ‘the Ace ending’ for those who read the visual novel. It’s not even big enough to fill the book – about 60% is Ace, and the rest of the volume is two Crimson Empire stories. Which are also dull. Honestly, even if you’re an Ace fan, there are other books that use him better than this one. – Sean Gaffney

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 9 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – I enjoy each new volume of A Devil and Her Love Song, but the reliance on melodramatic tropes keeps it from becoming a favorite. Moments when the drama comes from the characters themselves are the best parts of the series. The highlight of this particular volume is when Maria is able to convince her group of friends to welcome fellow outcast Shintaro, making him profoundly happy. But then there are moments when the drama comes from something trope-y, like that ubiquitous shojo heroine predator, the random thug on the street (a.k.a. “the sidewalk cretin”), one of whom is responsible for causing Maria to miss Shin’s concert hall performance. This plot device is so contrived that it takes away from what’s going on with the characters, which seems to be that Maria’s developing a newfound appreciation for Yusuke. In the end, I really like this series, but I don’t love it. – Michelle Smith

Fairy Tail, Vol. 27 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – Last volume had the villains winning everything, now it’s time for Fairy Tail’s comeback. Sometimes this is hilarious (everything about Natsu and Lucy’s teamup is one of the funniest things in this entire manga, and Mashima has shows he can draw funny faces better than almost anyone), and sometimes it’s badass (Loke’s fight with Capricorn, and how it ties into both Lucy and her late mother). Possibly the most interesting fight, though, is one that was changed at the last minute. Juvia’s battle with Meredy was originally supposed to be a big water powers beatdown, but after the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami Mashima changed it to what we see here, showing that love and acceptance is what is really needed. It’s nice and heartwarming, and fits with Fairy Tail’s basic tenets. – Sean Gaffney

Goong: The Royal Palace, Vol. 9 | by Park SoHee | Yen Press – I enjoy this manhwa, but I stopped following it actively. I stumbled across a bunch of the omnibus volumes at my local library and decided to dive in again. Were the characters’ lips always so bee-stung? In this contemporary story of a modern-day Korea with an active royal family commoner turned princess Chae-Kyung ponders the possibility of announcing her intention to divorce her royal prince Shin even though she loves him. There’s plenty of intrigue and manipulation in this frothy soap opera, as Shin gets framed and the Queen Mother tries dosing the young couple with herbs in order to hasten the appearance of a royal grandchild. I enjoy the way the art turns lavish whenever the royals are wearing more traditional Korean garb. There should be plenty of drama and intrigue in the volumes ahead! – Anna N

Skip Beat!, Vol. 31 | by Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I know I’ve mentioned before that the Heel siblings storyline in the current arc fills me with almost unholy levels of fangirl glee. This latest installment of Skip Beat is just as engrossing as the last. Ren has always been a bit of a handsome and mysterious cypher but Kyoko is gradually realizing the depths of his issues and trying to help him out however she can. A storyline about an actor confronting his inner demons might not seem exciting, but Nakamura’s dynamic and stylish art combined with the fact that Kyoko and Ren seem to be drawing closer together is plenty to satisfy fans of this series. – Anna N

Strobe Edge, Vol. 5 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – Well, I was not expecting that! Interesting! But even before the unexpected twist, there was a lot to like about this volume of Strobe Edge. With Ren keeping his distance, Ninako ends up spending more time in the company of Ando, a former playboy who has confessed his love for her. I really appreciate that he’s become a fully fledged character instead of a simple rival, and we learn a good deal about his past in this volume. There are also many changes going around, and various characters afflicted with longing, and really it’s just so great and somehow refreshing. This is what good shoujo drama is like when you don’t have to result to tired old clichés. Yes, A Devil and Her Love Song, I’m talking to you. It actually reminds me a little of We Were There, which is high praise indeed. Go read Strobe Edge. – Michelle Smith

This week, Michelle, Sean, and Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media, Seven Seas, and Yen Press.

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Blood Lad, Vol. 3 | By Yuuki Kodama | Yen Press – Blood Lad remains the frontrunner for the “Surprise Favorite of 2013” award in my book. True, I could not possibly be less interested in the machinations of Staz’s dastardly older brother, Braz, but there are plenty of characters that I unexpectedly like quite a lot, including Staz’s little sister, Liz, who is like the Yotsuba of the demon world, and the slouchy, laid-back dragon in this volume, who ends up steering our leads onto a new and intriguing path. And true, the fanservice is not my style, but the humor usually is. Also, I especially like that the series goes places I don’t expect—we begin the volume with Fuyumi (the ghost of a human) having been kidnapped, and I was all set for some demon power struggle to ensue, but that is actually not where things go at all. I look forward to more! – Michelle Smith

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 3 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – I have to admit, Shinjo is doing a really good job making me sympathize with the incubus here, particularly in the first half of this volume. In particular, the confrontation between Kagura and Miko regarding her semi-arranged marriage is one of the best scenes so far, really laying out how conflicted Miko is, but also that how she’s handling it is absolutely the wrong way to go about things. As for Kagura, while he admits to pretending to be weaker than he is so that he can get more from Miko, he’s actually being fairly considerate given his creator. I’m not sure if we’ll be seeing his “human” self again, though. The second half is less interesting, but still pretty solid, and shows why these two haven’t gone further in their relationship – Miko’s feelings are still too fragile. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 3 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – This volume exists pretty much to introduce the rest of the main cast. Maria, the 10-year-old nun who’s somehow supposed to be their faculty advisor, is there to be adorable and brattish, just like a typical 10-year-old, and piss off Kodaka’s little sister. That said, I am so grateful Kadota continues to treat both his sister and Maria as cute little kids rather than the manga getting into lolicon areas. Well done. Then again, with a new character like Rika, is more sexual talk really needed? Adding her to the cast is like throwing a bomb into a room, and while she’ll best be remembered in this volume for the mech-on-mech BL doujinshi she shows the others (which is indeed the highlight of the volume), I’m more interested in what her presence will do to Kodaka, Sena and Yozora’s friendship. – Sean Gaffney

Library Wars, Vol. 10 | by Kiiro Yumi | Viz Media – This volume wraps up the somewhat silly banned words storyline and sends Kasahara on a mission in her hometown to protect freedom of expression in an art exhibit. There are catty librarians and subverted organizational hierarchies to deal with! In addition, Kasahara’s secret of being a combat member of the Library Defense Force may be exposed to her family. The feelings between Kasahara and Dojo are growing, and it is fun seeing how capable and mature Kasahara has become as she manages to handle a bad hazing incident all by herself. This was a solid volume in the Library Wars series, with a bit more emotional depth than usual. – Anna N

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 15 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – The good news it it looks like the Kyoto arc will wrap up with the next volume. The bad news is that it’s still going on in THIS one, meaning there’s a lot of fighting, and a lot of minor villains whose faces I struggle to remember. That said, there is one very interesting thing going on here: the villains appear to be winning. Even if they may not destroy Kyoto, I’m pretty sure they’re going to pull off their resurrection no matter how much Rikuo tries to get Hagoromo-Gitsune to remember who she really is. As for the fights themselves, they look OK, but can be pretty chaotic – and honestly, I’m not reading Nura for the fights. Let’s finish up the equipping and fearing and get back to more slice-of-life yokai plots, as this arc is trying my patience. – Sean Gaffney

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 2 | By Mizuki Sakakibara, et al. | Viz Media – Although it feels nearly as much like a Saturday morning cartoon as the first volume, the second installment of Tiger & Bunny at least gives readers a few welcome glimpses into the life of a corporate Hero and fleshes out its supporting cast a little bit. Unfortunately, I find practically all of the supporting cast more interesting than the lead characters—veteran Hero Kotetsu (a.k.a. Wild Tiger) and his newcomer partner Barnaby (unwillingly nicknamed “Bunny”)—and their relationship, which is characterized by much repetitive bickering and questioning whether their company-mandated partnership can really work. Even giving Barnaby some dead parents and a shadowy organization to seek out can’t make him compelling, but maybe it means we’re in for a storyline deeper than “Oh noes, a gang of thieves stole a diamond from a museum!” Here’s hoping. – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 16 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – As opposed to Nura, Toriko’s arcs are usually just about the right length: Mellow Cola wraps up here, after a suitable amount of fighting and cooking, and we’re off on new adventures. I like the way Komatsu, despite remaining a non-combatant, is being worked into the fights in ways that don’t involve him just constantly being rescued. His use of the ancient cookbook to tell Toriko and Zebra how to stop the Salamander Sphinx. That said, the lack of major females in this series tends to mean that Komatsu serves that purpose as well – it’s hard not to hear Toriko and Zebra arguing about who’ll partner with him and not think of various BL answers. Still, Toriko and Komatsu are more concerned with the return of Starjun, and what evil he’s going to be bringing to the table. Not the best, but still good. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, MJ, and Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media, Yen Press, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.

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Cross Game, Vol. 6 | By Mitsuru Adachi | Viz Media – I’m finally finishing out this series! Picking up the 6th volume after a gap in my Cross Game reading reminded me again what a master of manga Adachi is. For a series where on the surface not much happens other than a bunch of kids preparing to play baseball, there’s so much subtext and subtle psychological development being portrayed, that this manga is a delight to read. Ko continues to hone his skills, but the sudden appearance of Akane, a dead ringer for his childhood love Wakaba, causes a bit of consternation in the neighborhood. Romance is more of an undercurrent in this volume as Aoba slowly realizes that people may appreciate her for something other than her pitching skills. – Anna N.

A Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 9 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – Well, that went south in a hurry, didn’t it? The first half of this volume is actually quite heartwarming, despite the opening. It gives the message “forcing yourself on others is wrong”, but also allows the others to forgive Shintaro and allow him back into their inner circle. Moreover, Maria is bonding even more with her friends, and Shin is getting over his own hangups regarding the piano. He decides to do a big, extravagant performance for Maria, at the end of which he will tell her his real feelings. AND THEN IT ALL GOES SO WRONG. Leaving aside horrible assault guy, who ensures she never gets to the performance, it’s more of a classic “misunderstanding comfort as a confession” that leads to the depressing cliffhanger we get here. I really cannot wait for Vol. 10. – Sean Gaffney

Durarara!! Saika Arc, Vol. 2 | By Ryohgo Narita, Akiyo Satorigi, and Suzuhito Yasuda | Yen Press – We continue to have two different stories going on here, and they aren’t quite interweaving with each other until the very end… or so we think. First off, there’s the attempts by Celty to find out what’s going on with Saika, the demon blade that’s slashing people and has professed a deep, stalkerish love for Shizuo. Secondly, and probably more interesting to me, there’s Anri and her attempts to deal with her teacher’s sexual harassment. Anri’s natural emotionless facade doesn’t make the discomfort of this situation any less striking, and the occasional dream she’s having of a happy birthday with her parents turns into a nightmare rather rapidly. Plus, for all that the blade supposedly loves Shizuo, it does seem to be going after Anri an awful lot. A fun, complicated mess (yes, that’s a compliment). – Sean Gaffney

Fairy Tail, Vol. 26 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – Well, the villains are posing on the cover of this volume, so it is not a particular surprise that they come in and completely kick our heroes’ asses, as shonen villains often do at first. Even worse is the identity of the old man who seems to be behind the group of villains… and Makarov’s betrayed reaction. There are one or two jokes here, mostly revolving around Elfman and Evergreen, the couple that isn’t. But for the most part, this is simply pure serious fighting, with lots of people getting knocked unconscious and/or near death. And hovering over all of this is Zeref, who just wants to be left alone – supposedly – but Ultear isn’t having any of that. It looks like we’ve got a long way to go before any of this is wrapped up, to be honest. Oh and hey, was that a Laxus cameo I just saw? Foreshadowing! – Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 3 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I’ll admit, this volume really surprised me. No, not the deaths of even more pilots. And no, not the flashback which showed us the origins of Tanikaze’s birth (at least once I figured out it was a flashback – come on, use black borders like other mangaka do!). No, what really startled me was the middle of this volume, where all of a sudden it became a wacky romantic comedy with a love triangle. It’s actually even more amusing given the artist’s usual unexpressive style. That said, that’s just a moment, and for the most part this volume is serious business, as we try to figure out why Tanizake is piloting every single goddamn mission, learn more about the placenta they captured, which is a little TOO good at mimicking humans, and depressing the hell out of Izana. Still riveting. – Sean Gaffney

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 16 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – Recent volumes of Pandora Hearts have been so chock-full of twists and revelations, that every time I’ve thought that I discovered what was really going on, I’ve been proven wrong in the next volume. This continues with volume sixteen, and it is by no means a bad thing. Things start out lightly, as though to provide a healing balm for last volume’s tragedies. Yet, just when I thought I’d been shocked to the core, something much more shocking is revealed, and oh… GAH. I’m kind of dying at this point. It’s all extremely well-plotted (better than I thought Mochizuki had in her, to be frank) and cleverly painful. Meanwhile, Xerxes Break continues to be the most endearing character ever, and his relationship with Sharon is almost too charming to bear. Thanks, Pandora Hearts, you always come through. Increasingly recommended. – MJ

BTOOOM!, Vol. 2 | By Junya Inoue | Yen Press – No, sorry. You don’t get to have vivid shots of “cool violence”, showing lingering closeups of blown-up corpses and a young deviant raping dead women, culminating in a teaser for the new volume whose entire point is “will this hot girl get naked and raped? Tune in to find out!” … you don’t get to do that and then have the hero go on about how violence is wrong and that it’s self-evident that Kira is a psycho. The manga itself is not practicing what it preaches, and there’s basically no reason not to identify with Kira rather than Ryouta if you’re a typical fan of hentai doujinshi where things like this happen. This *isn’t* hentai doujinshi, but it’s aiming for a similar market – guys who like sexy danger, sexy corpses, and sexy assault – and it’s pretty much lost me. Sorry, BTOOOM!. I’m sure your backstory is interesting, but bye. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 5 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – I admit I’m starting to hit my limit with Limit, and I’m a bit relieved that it’s wrapping up with Vol. 6. My main problem is that I don’t like Hinata that much – yes, he’s not supposed to be likeable here, but I don’t even sympathize with him in a “what a broken guy” way. I was bored to tears during his long monologue. Luckily, Konno is a far more interesting protagonist, and when she’s in control of the narrative things get quite good indeed – particularly the attempt on her life, which was probably the best scene in the book. I’m not entirely sure how this is going to end – it cold go either way, despite the occasional page or two we get devoted to the grieving families – but I’m hoping the final volume has put murder and long, tortured monologues behind it and gets back to a fight to survive. -Sean Gaffney

New Moon, Vol. 1 | By Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim | Yen Press – Now several volumes in to Yen Press’ adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s incredibly popular Twilight saga, I’m more convinced than ever that graphic novels are the ideal format for her storytelling. Though Bella’s obsession with her controlling undead boyfriend is no less disturbing than it ever was (and New Moon, in particular, suffers from one of the most trying cases of Guy #2 in YA fiction history), without Meyer’s cringe-worthy prose dragging them down, these books are vastly more palatable than I ever dreamed they could be. Young Kim’s TV-pretty artwork continues to suit the story’s tone, and though some of the italic text in this volume is questionably readable, it’s possible we’re better off missing some of Bella’s internal narrative. If you’re looking for great girls’ comics, there are far better series available. But if you’re determined to read Twilight, this is absolutely the way to go. – MJ

One Piece, Vol. 67 | By Eiichiro Oda | Viz Media – When I recently talked about the first arc of the “New World” segment of One Piece for Off the Shelf, I described it as fun, but not the series as its best. The problem was that the characters weren’t invested with what they were doing. Happily, that changes with volume 67, which manages to not only be genuinely funny and absurd in several places—not the least of which is the fact that four members of the crew wind up swapping bodies—but also involves injustices that fire our heroes up (particularly Chopper). This is the best volume in a while, and on top of that, there’s some juicy political intrigue at the end when a fellow pirate proposes an alliance with Luffy in his plan to depose one of the Four Emperors. I have no idea if Luffy will go for it, but that could really take the story in an exciting direction! – Michelle Smith

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 14 |By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – This is my favorite stress-relief manga. The ridiculous comedic set pieces in Oresama Teacher entertain me so much that I don’t even mind the lack of forward -moving plot. In this volume Mafuyu manages to restore Kanon’s faith in the male species by saving her while dressed up as Natsuo, a scrappy boy student. Takaomi gives Mafuyu a lift back home for a school break, resulting in a ridiculous scavenger hunt on her old stomping grounds as a juvenile delinquent. We get a brief and hilarious glimpse into Mafuyu and Takaomi’s past, as we see her hanging out with him when she was a young girl and he was the revolutionary gang leader who united rival high schools. Overall, this was a fun volume to read, and Takaomi has been absent from recent volumes, so it was nice to see him more present in the story again. – Anna N

Skip Beat!, Vol. 31 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I wonder if this arc is coming out due to Nakamura missing all the awesome blood and violence she used to draw with Tokyo Crazy Paradise? In any case, they’re still filming as Cain Heel and his sister Setsu, and Ren is still having tremendous difficulty dealing with it. The timing of the chapters here is quite interesting, really – several scenes are flashbacks later on, which allows us to get the maximum drama when Setsu walks in on a murder attempt. (Again, I note I have genuine issues with how the cast handles method acting, but pretty much have to let that go.) I’m also pleased we’re still seeing Sho here – he’s an immature brat, but as a character I love how he interacts with Kyoko. Far more than Kijima, who I merely find a smarmy bastard. Ah well, Skip Beat! 31 is fantastic as always. – Sean Gaffney

Soul Eater, Vol. 14 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – Another chapter of fighting, but things are starting to get a bit desperate – indeed, our heroes suffer a major loss (not a death, I don’t think, and I have no doubt this will be the next major “arc” of the series. The cover is quite stark and memorable, and reminds me that it’s the weird art that drew me into this series in the first place – indeed, the scenes with Soul and Maka as puppets is some of the creepiest stuff I’ve seen in Soul Eater, and this is from a series that had a snake crawling down a little girl’s throat. But they’ve finally hit Arachnae’s base, and Black*Star seems to have emerged victorious, so I suspect we may be nearing an ending of sorts. Excellent shonen with lots of fights, great characters, and weird stuff going on all the time. No surprise this is running in the same magazine that Fullmetal Alchemist did. -Sean Gaffney

Thermae Romae, Vol. 2 | By Mari Yamazaki | Yen Press – Thermae Romae‘s debut volume was enjoyable, no doubt, but even as I reveled in Mari Yamazaki’s playful humor and detailed artwork, I’ll admit to having harbored grave doubts regarding its sustainability as a series. Gag manga in general tends to wear quickly with me, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much mileage a single gimmick could possibly provide, however beautifully drawn. I must now apologize for my lack of faith. With much study and obvious passion, Yamazaki-sensei has created much more than a gimmick with her time-traveling Roman bath engineer, and his story remains both genuinely funny and oddly moving—especially during this volume’s last few chapters in which Lucius has found himself trapped in modern Japan with no apparent means of return. And is romance on the horizon as well? Thermae Romae succeeds as both comedy and long-form storytelling—a rare combination indeed! Highly recommended. – MJ

This week, Sean, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Seven Seas, Yen Press, Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.

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Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game, Vol. 2 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – Despite the cover showing a seductive moment between Alice and Peter White, there’s less romance in this series than ever before – and the series is all the better for it, as it’s allowed to dig a bit deeper into the darkness that haunts the entire Alice series. The cast make it perfectlyu clear that their goal is simply to keep Alice distracted and not thinking of returning to her world – and that having her fall for one of them is merely a means to that end. But Joker is a wildcard – at least one of his personalities is – and he’s just as determined to dredge up all the things everyone wants Alice to forget – particularly her older sister. This is possibly one of the more twisted spinoffs of the Alice series, and thus one of the most intriguing. – Sean Gaffney

Are You Alice?, Vol. 1 | By Ikumi Katagiri and Ai Ninomiya | Yen Press – Given the number of titles that currently match this description, one simply has to ask, do we really need another manga series involving characters from Alice in Wonderland? If that series is Are You Alice?, the answer is… I really don’t know. The premise is this: bishonen “Alice” falls into the clutches of several more bishonen playing roles like the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat. In order to win his freedom, Alice must kill the White Rabbit, as per rules set in place by the (bishonen) Queen of Hearts. Violence and BL subtext ensues. Though there are some intriguing aspects to this series’ first volume (for instance, former “Alice” candidates have lost their identities once they’d failed), it’s difficult not to see it as an excuse to dress up a bunch of pretty men in pretty, pretty costumes. Whether there’s really more to it remains to be seen. – MJ

Arisa, Vol. 10 | By Natsumi Ando | Kodansha Comics – With the King’s identity revealed at the end of volume nine—and coming as no great surprise—we turn now to some explanation of how things came to be as they are. Arisa has awoken, and after a period of coldness that her twin, Tsubasa, thaws with her shoujo heroine powers, begins telling her sister the truth about the origins of the wish-granting sovereign of Class 2-B. I can’t say that the explanation is particularly plausible or anything, but at least it offers us a break from characters suffering from amnesia, falling down stairs, or finding themselves in other positions of peril thanks to over-the-top evil villains. For a series that started off promisingly, Arisa became kind of snickerworthy in its later volumes. I’m still going to see this one through to the end, but I doubt this’ll be something I’m interested in rereading in the future. – Michelle Smith

Cage of Eden, Vol. 10 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – While not spoiling anything specific for this volume, it’s worth noting that after so many volumes where the only characters who die are minor students we don’t really care about, here we see both the death of a major character as well as the non-death of a villainous character I was totally expecting to die. In a series like Cage of Eden, keeping the suspense and surprises coming is the entire reason for reading the series, so that’s definitely a good thing. Well, I admit many may also be reading this for the fanservice, and this volume gives them a long, involved bathing scene with lots of nude women. The cliffhanger teases a couple of answers to our questions, but in general we’re still just watching everyone battle huge animals. But really, this volume is about (spoiler)’s death, and they died well. – Sean Gaffney

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 3 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – So I’ll admit that, despite my immediate adoration of Demon Love Spell, previous experiences have kept me on edge, and some part of me has waited fearfully for that thing to happen—you know the thing—that moment when I’d be suddenly expected to find a super-controlling love interest super-duper sexy. I mention this now, because it almost happened. There’s a moment early on, when hot demon Kagura, jealous as all hell, demands that heroine Miko “Shut up!” and “Stop arguing,” and in her mind, she apologizes. My heart sank, truly. I thought I was done for. Fortunately, the moment passed quickly and never repeated itself; furthermore, the rest of the volume is just as charming and funny as the rest of the series has been so far, and I found myself taking phone photos of particularly charming moments. Don’t scare me like that, Demon Love Spell. Please? – MJ

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 9 | By Toru Fujisawa | Vertical, Inc. – I admit, there were two things that disappointed me in this final volume. One of the bad guys changed his stripes in a very convenient way, and I’m not sure there was enough buildup to make it work. The other is the 2nd half – the GTO story proper finished halfway through, and the rest is devoted to the Twins from an earlier arc dispensing Onizuka-style justice in their own high school. It’s just not as much fun watching them as it is watching Onizuka, and feels more like a typical Shonen Magazine fanservice chapter. But that still leaves lots of Onizuka being awesome, and a big chase, and a jetpack out of nowhere, and all the other fun ludicrousness we’ve known from this series. And, in the end, most of the kids get a happy ending. Which is all we really wanted. (Romantic resolution? Ha!) – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to the Erotic Bookstore, Vol. 2 | By Pon Watanabe | Yen Press – This was an intriguing experiment from Yen, and I’m glad they put it out. That said, I feel it’s safe to say that one volume of this series was absolutely enough. The second volume has less about the lives of the heroine and the various employees around her, and more examination of customers and their kinks. Including some fetishes that I’d really rather not get to know the reason behind, thanks very much. The message here is positive – as long as it’s not hurting anyone, sex is a wonderful and varied thing. But after a while the plotless gag format took its toll on me, and I was sort of flipping quickly towards the ending. If you’re a completist, then by all means pick this up. But for those who were simply curious, I’m pretty sure Vol. 1 will meet all your needs.. – Sean Gaffney

This week, MJ, Michelle, and Sean look at recent releases from Yen Press, Vertical, Inc., and Viz Media.

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Blood Lad, Vol. 3 | By Yuuki Kodama | Yen Press -I’ve liked Blood Lad from the start, but what’s most impressive about it is that it’s constantly surprising me with the ways in which it increases my affection. Though its fun, well-developed characters and humorous meta have been the series’ biggest draws so far, it goes further with both in this latest omnibus by making the meta about its character development. As Fuyumi’s true connections to the demon world are revealed, Staz agrees to a “curse” that forces him to respect her will by only allowing him to do anything with her for which she explicitly grants her permission. So now, after mulling over the difference between being the hero and the anti-hero, Staz must actively work to ensure that the objectified female love interest is granted full agency by the story itself, or (as far as he knows) risk his own death. I *heart* you, Blood Lad. – MJ

BTOOOM!, Vol. 2 | By Junya Inoue | Yen Press – I’m rather torn on how I feel about BTOOOM!. On the one hand, it’s a quick, action-packed read about people on a deserted island being forced to participate in a deadly real-life version of a blow-’em-up video game, and the implication that the protagonist’s mother sent him into this environment on purpose is at least moderately intriguing. On the other, it’s completely lacking in any sort of depth, has mediocre art, and seems to revel in its gross and/or explicit content. A new player, a homicidal fourteen-year-old, is introduced in this volume, and of course we have to see him in the act of committing his particularly disturbing crime in the past. And the preview for volume three is entirely about whether a female player is going to be sexually assaulted, complete with extreme crotch closeup. While I don’t hate this series, this volume left me feeling unclean. I think I may be done. – Michelle Smith

Limit, Vol. 5 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – This volume begins as harrowingly as the last ended, but its trajectory after that I found truly surprising. As the original group is finally confronted with the truth of Usui’s death, they’re left with a problem that may truly be too much for them to handle. Amidst all the horror and chaos, one thing that has remained neatly black-and-white for the group up to this volume has been the subject of murder; guilty or not guilty? These were the only choices. So what to do now that things have become suddenly muddy, even on this point? What began as a tense survival tale has grown increasingly more complicated over the course of the series, finally forcing its characters into a position where they’ll have to make judgements they clearly aren’t prepared for. And I’m truly on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended. – MJ

Psyren, Vol. 10 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – I like how Psyren keeps its characterization grounded in the plot. After last volume, I was expecting “Research Subject 7” to be a sort of smiling mommy mentor type. Imagine my delight that she has nasty mood swings, is completely broken after all the trauma she faced, and removes herself from the battlefield as the best way to help our heroes. As for our heroes, they’re back in the present now (with some nice acknowledgement that if they win, the “future” Elmore Wood gang are stuck), and it’s back to trying to work out how to stop all this. Which may be even more difficult given that Sakurako seems to be losing her memories… and sense of self. At times Psyren feels like a sprawling mess, but when it’s on, it’s as exciting as any Jump series. I look forward to seeing how they march toward the ending.– Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 4 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – My favorite part of this volume was the attention paid to “beta couple” Daiki and Sayuri. I was afraid that after the first volume they’d be making only token appearances, but given that this is a manga about how difficult high school love affairs can be, it’s great to see everyone having to deal with it. Long-distance relationships can be especially rough, as they both learn. As for the rest of the cast, they all compete to see who can be the best at suffering stoically. Ren wins, of course, because he’s trying to be everything for everybody. I am rather impressed that Ninako has managed to keep her shiny happiness through these four volumes without really inching into depression for too long. I hope the same can be said for Mayuka, who the cliffhanger seems to indicate will be headed for a breakup soon.– Sean Gaffney