Bookshelf Briefs

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 1 | By Tamifull | Viz Media – This title has a lot of things going for it, once you get past the “draw them in with sex” opening pages. It’s a college-aged relationship, still rare enough to be notable. The pair get together very quickly, but navigating being a couple is different for both of them—they have different experiences in lesbian relationships, different comfort levels in being “out,” and different ideas of when they can move forward in terms of intimacy. It’s a push-pull that feels more realistic than a lot of the yuri manga that end when the couple get together, and I’m not entirely sure that this series will end with the couple together. There’s also one really weird friend who can’t keep her mouth shut—I liked her. Want to see where this goes. – Sean Gaffney

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 1 | By Tamifull | VIZ Media –Miwa Inuzuka knows that it’s totally normal that she loves women, but she still lacks romantic experience, despite her physical attractiveness. Just when she’s about to come out to the first friend she makes upon starting college, upbeat and unabashed Saeko, Saeko beats her to the punch. And since they’re the only lesbians they know, they decide to try dating. This is kind of an unromantic start, but I still really enjoyed this first volume. Miwa’s and Saeko’s personalities come through clearly, and all of the hurdles in their relationship come from who they are as people. The one thing that bugged me is that twice Tamifull cuts away from a scene of conflict and picks back up after apologies have been rendered off-camera. That’s kind of unsatisfying. On the whole, though, I’m really looking forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 15 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – There is a good amount of humor in this volume—Ice Kaguya’s desperately obvious attempts to do couple things, and Shirogane’s equally hilarious denseness, is a highlight, as is the Christmas party. But for the most part the drama is more interesting, as “Ice” Kaguya is in charge but her headstrong and blunt approach merely sends a stressed-out Shirogane into the hospital. Their views are polar opposites (she doesn’t want to hide her real self, he desperately does) but talking things out helps a lot, and their second kiss is quite sweet. There’s still a lot more ground to cover in this title (Ishigami’s love life, Kaguya’s awful upbringing, what’s the deal with Hayasaka, etc.), but at least the main premise of “when will they confess” has been put to bed. They’re a couple. – Sean Gaffney

Little Miss P: The Second Day | By Ken Koyama | Yen Press – The second volume of this manga that teaches people about periods has stories that are a lot more long-form than the first. A young couple’s relationship can’t survive a vacation with Little Miss P; two people who don’t match their gender norms deal with periods and a zombie manifestation; an elementary school has a co-ed discussion of periods; an alien couple are trying to get pregnant; a middle schooler who’s been bullied into not attending school worries about her future; a manga editor deals with something that ISN’T her period; an ovarian cyst; and an idol competition is filled with periods and various remedies. This may be better than the first book; it has more variety, and is very well done. – Sean Gaffney

Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – This series is very pretty and likable, but it has to be said it’s not really breaking any new ground. There’s a lot of standard shonen beats here, and you can easily guess what will be happening next. Theo has to learn to work together with another woman who is arrogant and haughty, and does so. He has to think that he’s done horribly at one part of the test and become convinced he’s failed (he hasn’t). He has to meet a random crotchety old woman and befriend her, only for her to turn out to be much more than she seems—check. That said, provided you don’t mind not being surprised, this is good stuff, helped along by the lush, expansive art and the occasional action sequence. It’s a good series that I think we’re already caught up on, but hopefully more soon. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 12 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – Every time Richard and Buckingham are on the page together I want to drop this. I really dislike their relationship and the power dynamics that it shows off. And yes, I know it’s not meant to be a good thing, but that does not change the fact that I hate it. That said, there’s always one woman being awesome at some point in this series, and for this volume it’s Anne, who is given a fine chance to kill her husband and get away with it, but finds the idea that everyone she is surrounded by being a horrible person rather appalling. As such, she chooses the devil she knows, but does it with BADASS panache. Meanwhile, the War of the Roses continues apace, though we’ve wandered far from Shakespeare here. A problematic fave. – Sean Gaffney

Something’s Wrong with Us, Vol. 2 | By Natsumi Ando | Kodansha Comics – I mentioned last time that I wasn’t ready for the author accelerating immediately to ‘everything is awful’ quite so fast, and that doesn’t let up here, as things go from bad to worse with Nao. She’s banned from the kitchen, the family HATES her with varying degrees of “I want her literally dead” to “I want her to simply go away,” and even Tsubaki, her husband, indicates that if “Sakura” ever appeared to him again, he’d make her disappear. Really, it’s amazing Nao is able to concentrate on sweets at all. That said, Tsubaki may want Sakura to disappear, but he’s slowly falling for Nao, and she for him. They consummate their marriage at the end of this book, but… are things going to get worse and worse? – Sean Gaffney

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 3 | By AidaIro | Yen Press – While the first two volumes firmly established Hanako as an enigma, some of that mystery begins to unravel with the third. Up until this point, much of Hanako’s past was only hinted at. But with the introduction of important new characters in this volume come distressing new revelations about who he really is (or was, considering he’s currently a ghost). The comedic aspects of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun and the goofiness of many of its characters keep the series from becoming overwhelmingly oppressive, but there are still some pretty dark elements. Both Nene and Kou—the closest things to friends that Hanako has had in a long while—wanted to know more about him than he himself had revealed; now they have to come to terms with what they’ve learned and how it will impact their friendships. I look forward to seeing how Toilet-bound Hanako-kun continues to develop a great deal. – Ash Brown

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – It’s hard not to make the entire review “OMG GORGEOUS,” because so much of what I love about this series is the artwork, which never gets tiring no matter how much you reread it. There’s more to it than the art, though. The girls’ test was interrupted, and they’re brought to one of the Big Witches in this world, who demands as a make-up test that they simply surprise him with magic. This doesn’t go well at first, but after realizing that they should work together to do this, they come up with a brilliant idea (Coco) and execution (the others) to win him over. Even the translation is great, with some hilarious wordplay around Agott’s name. This is one of the best manga releases out there right now. – Sean Gaffney

Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor, Vol. 9 | By Hitsuji Tarou, Tsunemi Aosa and Kurone Mishima | Seven Seas – Forgot to review the previous volume of this, and may have even forgotten to read it. Honestly, it doesn’t matter, as we begin a new story this volume, finally giving us the backstory of Celica, Glenn’s adopted mother figure and resident mysterious older sister sort. Unfortunately, she quickly learns why we shouldn’t wander into portals that will trigger guardians that want to kill everyone, and it’s up to Glenn and company to save her. This remains decent but not great magical school fantasy. Also, apropos of nothing, Rumi looks a lot like Yotsuba from Quintuplets, right down to the ribbon. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 21 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – Yes, this is the arc that never ends. It just goes on and on, my friends. As ever, Black Clover doesn’t do anything wrong here—the characters get good things to do, there are sparks of character depth and the action scenes are fantastic as ever. But once again, the series shows that it’s never quite going to make it into the pantheon—it’s never going to be a Naruto or My Hero Academia. It’s the best of the second tier, looking up at better series. That said, Jump always needs series like this, and several of them do tend to run and run—Black Clover is now among the longest-running Jump series. Doesn’t mean I don’t want this possessed by elves/devils/what have you arc to end. On the bright side, we finally see what’s up with that bird. – Sean Gaffney

Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition, Vol. 4 | By Kouji Kumeta | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The anime series just ended, and sensibly gave more attention to the heartwarming parental aspects of this series rather than the bitter and cynical manga stuff. Thankfully, we do have the original manga, so we can get the best of both worlds. Because while Kumeta has mellowed over the years, he still has a lot of sharpness in his reactions (and overreactions) to things, and is STILL bitter about assistants after all these years, though thankfully he leaves Kenjiro Hata’s name out of it this time. On the family side, there’s discussion of Hime getting a dog, which doesn’t quite pan out just yet, and a Parent’s Day at school that likewise also doesn’t happen. Funny and heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

Knight of the Ice, Vol. 2 | By Yayoi Ogawa | Kodansha Comics – Again, I really wish that we’d seen the prequel series Kiss and Never Cry before this, though from what I understand that had less of a “gimmick” to pull readers in than Knight of the Ice does. Things actually move pretty fast in this volume, as Kokoro and Chitose are able to somewhat indirectly have a confession, thanks to a pendant that was given to her years ago but never actually opened. The bigger worry is her job, though after some explanations she seems to have avoided being fired for now. It helps that Kokoro is becoming more famous, and he actually triumphs here with a daring free skate jump. Fans of josei romances should absolutely be reading this, as it hits all the things you want it to hit. – Sean Gaffney

My Villain Academia, Vol. 24 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Yes, the entire title changes in this volume, courtesy of our League of Villains changing the logo. It’s also a villain-on-villain battle here, as we get to see some of what makes our anti-heroes tick—reporter and villain Curious tries to make Toga’s “tragic backstory” a thing, but Toga just isn’t having it, and instead levels up and uses Uravity’s powers to drop them all to their deaths. Twice also gets a bit more depth here, as we see more of a running theme in MHA, which is that the system is flawed and a lot of villains are that way because of class issues. And then there’s Shigaraki, who gets a grandma and a backstory… that waits till next time. Uncomfortable but essential reading. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 15 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – I don’t know how it happened, but for at least part of this volume, I was thinking that The Promised Neverland had become kind of… dull. Part of the issue is that I identify more with Norman in his multi-chapter debate with Emma about whether it’s right to annihilate all demons—it would be a more certain path to their safety, and her idealism threatens his carefully laid plans for the pursuit of a fairy tale. I’m sure readers are supposed to be rooting for Emma, though. There’s also a lot about the hierarchy of demon society and Mujika’s place in it. Ultimately, while I definitely appreciate the complication of reuniting with a Norman who is no longer on quite the same page as his siblings (“I’m not wavering”), I’m also glad this series wraps up in another five volumes. – Michelle Smith

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 12 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – A good deal of time is spent by the rest of the cast in this gag manga trying to figure out what makes Princess Syalis tick. Is she, as was hinted at the start, just a spoiled princess who loves to sleep? Is she a demonic force of nature and mass murderer, something that really only applies if you take this title seriously? Is she a young woman on the cusp of her teenage years, as is laughably disproven in this volume when you realize that shame is not something Syalis was ever gifted with? Of course, the answer is that Syalis is a gag comedy protagonist, and therefore is all those things at any one time, because all of them involve funny things happening. Character development is for Komi Can’t Communicate. – Sean Gaffney

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 2 | By AidaIro | Yen Press – Having thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, I was definitely looking forward to reading more. In general, I tend to be interested in manga dealing with yokai, so it’s probably not too surprising that I like the series, but I find the mix of humor and horror in Toilet-bound Hanako-kun to be particularly appealing. AidaIro’s use of comedy in the manga makes some of the narrative twists even more unsettling and impactful than they would otherwise be. The characterization of the titular Hanako (a ghost haunting the third-floor women’s bathroom at Kamome Academy) provides an excellent example of this—his goofiness is sharply contrasted by his sudden and often unexpected streaks of maliciousness. At times he comes across as benevolent or even endearing while at others he seems to be truly dangerous. So far, much of Hanako remains an enigma, from his true nature to his tragic past. – Ash Brown

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, Vol. 7 | By Fumita Yanagida | Seven Seas – As with another series that shall remain nameless but is Fruits Basket, one of the big highlights of Tomo-chan is the school’s production of Cinderella, particularly as, due to being out sick when roles were chosen, Misuzu is the title role, leading to one of the grumpiest Cinderellas ever. Also, Jun finds his inner tree. More importantly, though, Misuzu realizes that she has been subconsciously sabotaging Tomo’s attempts to win Jun, and should have just said “be yourself.” Bit late now. Still, Jun apparently gets his feelings across. Unfortunately, Tomo runs away from said feelings. The next volume is the final one, so I’m sure it’ll be resolved soon. Till then, I love this character-driven romantic comedy. – Sean Gaffney

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 18 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – If you enjoy the way that the series can turn on a dime and drop you into any genre, this volume may disappoint. There’s very little of the weird sci-fi horror aspects of it, and they’re mostly gathered towards the end. Instead, we get the kids, and a lot of the kids. They’re cute! They’re bratty! They’re learning how to be better centaurs and sheep people and other types. We get to see Himeno be impressive and yet also a bit of a dimbulb, there’s more yuri text and boob jokes, and there’s some other fun gags. It’s sweet, but it also feels rather sparse. After taking the series into dark places, it now feels wrong when the series isn’t going there half the time. Balance it better in the next book. – Sean Gaffney

Faded Picture Scroll | By Fujitobi | Futekiya (digital only) – I have no clue how this earned a rating of two chili peppers (Futekiya’s system for indicating a title’s steaminess) because it is one of the cutest, most wholesome boys’ love stories I’ve ever read. When Ryuta was little, he was saved by a young exorcist named Izumo who promised to take him adventuring when he got older. When they meet again, Izumo regrets his promise but Ryuta proves he can be useful by helping to save an incredibly adorable fox spirit named Yamabuki. Over time, these two lonely guys grow closer and ultimately fall in love. Their journey to domestic bliss is sweet and the many comedic moments (mostly Yamabuki, but not always) have a distinct Rumiko Takahashi feel to them. I was utterly charmed and am looking forward to reading the other Fujitobi title on the site. Very much recommended! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 7 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – Romance is not particularly important in this series right now—we’d need a strong rival character for that to happen, and we don’t have that at this point. Plus Komi, while she has improved tremendously, still has issues just communicating with others from day to day, so it would feel mean to throw a love life on top of that. That said, while we can see all of her newfound friends do their best to get her involved in their fun (even Yamai… ugh), it’s Tadano who clearly understands her the best, knowing her likes and dislikes, and also clearly having a crush on her but knowing not to push at it too hard. This series can be quite funny (Komi’s mom is a stitch), but works even better when it’s heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

Let’s Kiss in Secret Tomorrow, Vol. 3 | By Uri Sugata | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I was expecting this series to end with Saya and Yuto’s secret relationship coming to light amongst big drama, but instead, that moment is treated as almost an afterthought, as Sugata-sensei is more interested in delivering a moral about learning to love yourself, forgiving yourself for past mistakes, and having the courage to try again. The end result is optimistic rather than preachy, and I loved that the final image is not some swoony embrace between our two leads (who are, it is gratifyingly emphasized, also each other’s best friend) but a smile from the girl who instigated some shit and whom Saya has opted to befriend. This series surprised me and I would definitely be interested to read more from this mangaka! – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 7 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court | Viz Media – Long time since the last volume, and therefore I was initially a little grumpy that it focused on Captain Celebrity, who’s basically a shallow American All Might. But then we get to see his past, showing that while he’s a ‘dumb jock’ he’s still good at heart, and his ex-wife, who’s terrific (and also, as it turns out, pregnant). We also see, after his farewell event is hijacked by terrorist bad guys and their raptor monsters, that he can be a good guy even if it’s not winning him fame and fortune. Unfortunately, he may not survive into the next volume, though given that’s he’s currently with our hero, I think he’ll be OK. This remains a good, somewhat darker prequel to the main series. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 24 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – This volume is a gift to me. I’ve long said that I love the friendship between Natsume, Tanuma and Taki (OK, yes, I ship it too), and here we get a Taki-centric story followed by a Tanuma-centric story. The Taki one involves her college-age brother returning home. He’s more of a skeptic, but is also avoiding their house for some reason. And there’s an “I entrust you with my sister’s safety” gag that’s great. The Tanuma chapter is a bit more serious, and involves possession, but it also touches on one of the running themes of this series: two yokai who want to talk to each other and are unable to do so due to death, separation, or what have you. This comes out infrequently, but I always adore it. – Sean Gaffney

Queen’s Quality, Vol. 9 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – The arc wraps up here, with those who have died going to a more peaceful rest and those who have not died going back to cleaning really hard. The best part of the book is where Fumi is given the choice: she can save the girl Kyutaro loved as a girl, but lose her memories of everything since then… or she can save herself, and kill the memories of the girl Kyutaro loved. It’s one of those choices that seems hard until you think about it, which is why it’s slightly frustrating that most others before Fumi made the wrong choice. Fortunately, Fumi makes the right choice, and doesn’t even need the help of her boyfriend. Oh yes, they’re dating now, and get in some good kisses. An excellent shoujo series. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 10 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This volume is a LOT. Ichika is still being amazingly aggressive, Miku is being aggressive whether she wants to be or not, and Yotsuba just wants everyone to get along like they used to. But that’s not going to happen, as Futaro points out—picking one thing means not picking the others, and that applies to life as well as romance. The romance ends up with Miku as the seeming winner here, though there’s minimal forward progression, and Futaro revealing he’s not as ignorant of everyone’s feelings as he pretends. That said, the reason this volume is a lot is the cliffhanger, where we finally found out which of the quints has been dressing up as Rena… and which one was Rena from the past. This is terrific romantic comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Sweet Time | By Weng Pixin | Drawn & Quarterly – Collecting comics that were originally created between 2008 and 2017, Sweet Time is Weng “Pix” Pixin’s graphic novel debut. Pix is an artist from Singapore who utilizes a variety of media and methods of expression. The fifteen comics in Sweet Time demonstrate Pix’s striking colorwork, providing examples of both drawings and paintings. While the individual works aren’t necessarily directly related to one another (although there are several series of diary comics), the collection as a whole explores themes of longing, desire, and impermanence. Some of the narratives are more abstract while others are more linear in their portrayal of changing relationships and human connection. Many of the selections included incorporate autobiographical elements, providing the collection with additional layers of realism and reflection. Pervading Sweet Time is a sense of intimacy and melancholy, beautifully rendered in colors that are sometimes surprising but never jarring. – Ash Brown

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 26 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The fall season has begun! Furuya is wearing the ace number and dominates the first game, much to Eijun’s distress, since he’s still suffering from “the yips” after striking a batter with an inside pitch. Thankfully, Miyuki and Coach Kataoka arrange for Chris to drop by and teach Eijun a new trick, which seems to help get him out of his doldrums. Meanwhile, Furuya’s performance begins to deteriorate, rumors about Coach Kataoka’s imminent departure begin to circulate, and the guy who’s been observing them (but who is probably Kataoka’s replacement) plans to focus solely on cultivating Furuya the ace and objects to how much time and effort Kataoka devotes to the other players. I mean, I can only assume that this guy is going to get sent packing at some point, but I definitely appreciate that Terajima-sensei is able to make me this anxious about his presence. Perennially recommended. – Michelle Smith

A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy, Vol. 3 | By Kazuma Kamachi, Yasuhito Nogi, and Kiyotaka Haimura | Seven Seas – The first half of this volume is a giant flashback, and you know those are always bad in the Indexverse. Expect dead kids, dead adults, and a whooooooole lot of evil science. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot here that relies on the reader knowing one of the antagonists is from New Testament Vol. 11… which we have not seen in English, and might never see. Too much continuity. Junko continues to be laughably retroactively strong, going toe to toe with a level 5 here. And there’s the bond between her and Misaki, which may be “master and servant” but is also a close friendship (and yuri tease, as Misaki herself demonstrates). Railgun fans will like this. – Sean Gaffney

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, Vol. 8 | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – The eighth volume of The Girl from the Other Side is unbearably sad—so much so that I struggled to finish it, as watching Shiva come to terms with losing Teacher is a shattering experience. Compounding my sense of anguish were the final chapters, in which we learn why the Inside world was so desperately interested in Shiva. The parallels between her situation and our current health crisis are impossible to ignore, reminding us about the human cost of capitulating to fear, ignorance, and superstition in the face of a pandemic. In a less fraught moment, I’d be inclined to recommend The Girl from the Other Side for the lessons it imparts, but I think it’s OK to decide that Nagabe’s allegory is a little too on-the-nose to offer insight or comfort right now. – Katherine Dacey

Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest, Vol. 3 | By Aki Irie | Vertical Comics – After two messy but interesting volumes that see-sawed between mystery and travelogue, Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest finds its groove in volume three. Michitaka—who disappeared from the previous volume—takes center stage in the latest installment, as Kei inadvertently stumbles across some important clues about what happened to his aunt and uncle back in Japan. Though Kei’s discovery propels the story in a new and unexpected direction, the latest plot twists feel earned; the sometimes awkward shifts in tone and genre that characterized the first two volumes are smoothed over by new revelations about Michitaka, and a new sense of urgency about solving the trail of gruesome deaths he’s left behind. The result is a compelling story that has the trappings of a Scandinavian crime show but the soul of an X-Files episode. Recommended. – Katherine Dacey

Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition, Vol. 3 | By Kouji Kumeta | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Whereas Zetsubou-sensei made a point to seemingly attack everything in the world for leaving the author (and, by extension, Nozomu) in despair, Kakushigoto is zeroing in on the manga profession in particular. Here we get mysteries answered, such as why are the pages of weekly magazines colored differently, who determines the order the stories go in, and what is the exact nature of a deadline? We don’t get real answers for any of these, as it turns out things are very fluid. As for Hime, she’s still cute, and still investigating things with her not-Zetsubou girls mystery club. And there’s still that flashforward threatening us with the death of Hime’s father. Will the series get that dark? – Sean Gaffney

The Misfit of Demon King Academy: History’s Strongest Demon King Reincarnates and Goes to School with His Descendants, Vol. 1 | By Shu, Kayaharuka, and Yoshinori Shizuma | Square Enix – This isn’t my usual fare, but I hoped it would help with my Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun withdrawal. And it actually did! Anoth Voldigord was the all-powerful demon king, but sacrificed himself to end a perpetual war with humanity, pledging to reincarnate in 2000 years. When he does so, he’s invited to a school attended by his many descendants but nobody believes he’s who he says he is because his magic is too vast to be measured and all of the facts about his reign have been distorted or forgotten over time. Anoth isn’t too likable at first, but the fact that his smug announcements of superiority garner no reaction, his jokes fall flat, and he must deal with a pair of doting and dimwitted human parents all help to humble him a bit. I guess it sometimes pays to venture out of your comfort zone! – Michelle Smith

My Senpai Is Annoying, Vol. 1 | By Shiromanta | Seven Seas – Thankfully, the senpai is not annoying in the way that I feared—this is all on her. Futaba is a new OL at a company who is so short she looks about twelve years old. She also has a near-terminal case of tsundere. This mostly comes out when around Harumi, her senpai at the company, who is huge, nice, helps her with her work and occasionally lightly teases her, and she is absolutely not ready to deal with it. This manga has one joke—Futaba is embarrassed and gets mad to hide it—and if you like that joke, it can be fun. It’s also based on a webcomic, with most “chapters” being about two pages. Towards the end, there’s longer original content, and that works much better. Recommended for those who like 4-komas and tsunderes. – Sean Gaffney

New Game!, Vol. 9 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – You got the sense that Kou wasn’t going to stay in France forever, and sure enough, she’s back by the end of this volume. There’s some nice stories here about not-quite-rivalries between her and Aoba’s friend Hotaru, and of course the inevitable yuri tease between Kou and Rin, which will never rise above a certain level but that level is pretty damn high. Other than that, a big part of this volume features the danger of farming out parts of your game to outside companies to complete, as they’re harder to control and can easily affect quality in ways that need to be fixed somehow. We also see Aoba continue to grow into her role as a real adult, even as she continues to never quite take the starring role. Cute. – Sean Gaffney

Primitive Boyfriend, Vol. 1 | By Yoshineko Kitafuku | Seven Seas – Kamigome Mito is popular with the boys at her school but feels nothing for any of them, finding them all insufficiently manly. Mito is lamenting her circumstances while working on the family farm, when she suddenly receives a visit from Spica, Goddess of the Harvest. Mito’s hard work has not gone unnoticed and as a reward, Spica sends her back in time 2.5 million years to meet her soulmate, a member of the species Australopithecus Garhi. He takes care of Mito, she falls for him, and when she’s sent home just as his life is in peril, she’s desperate to return. It’s pretty fun, I guess, if you don’t let yourself get bogged down in the realities of how their relationship will never work. Thankfully, it’s also only three volumes long. It’s short, it’s unique, and thus I will keep reading to see how it all plays out. – Michelle Smith

Species Domain, Vol. 8 | By Noro Shunsuke | Seven Seas – The series has now reached the Culture Festival, and seems like it might slowly be gliding to an ending, which in a series like this means pairing up more people. The “joke” confession that wasn’t in the last volume gets revisited here, with much embarrassment all around. Kazamori’s desperation for other girls to be attracted to Ohki may end up getting her in trouble down the road. Mikasagi explains why he isn’t ready to commit to anything, etc. There’s also an extended bathhouse scene, for those who like fanservice, which includes discussion about where Mizuno should be, on the men’s or women’s side. Again, I appreciate the care they’re taking with this character. Fun. – Sean Gaffney

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 3 | By Kousuke Oono | Viz Media -As I have said in previous reviews, you read this series for its one gag, and should not expect more than that one gag done extremely well. Beyond that, here we see that our househusband is not the only former yakuza trying to make a living doing mundane everyday things, and that it’s much easier to change what you do than how you act. We also see why he’s such a good husband, manipulating things a bit so that his wife can meet some live action Pretty Cure actors (or rather the non-copyright violating Pretty Cure knockoff). That said, I think it’s Santa’s appearance that is absolutely the highlight of the volume, along with the stunned reaction of all the children. Hilarious. – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 11 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Balloons! Yes, Dr. STONE is taking it upon itself to do something it does best, which is show off the gorgeous vistas of this not-really-that-explored future Japan it takes place in. And that means hot air balloons. It also means speedboats! But alas, just because Senku is a scientist does not mean he can cook. So they use some of the last remaining fluid to un-stone a butler-cum-chef-cum-everything, Francois, who is flamboyant and also a lot of fun. There’s actually some really good humor in this volume as well, be it the reporter getting her camera and its undercutting right afterwards, or Senku’s Einstein impersonation. This remains one of the essential Jump titles. – Sean Gaffney

Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth Is a Modern City!, Vol. 2 | By Rui Tsukiyo and Hideaki Yoshikawa | Seven Seas – After wrapping up the cliffhanger from the first volume (he names his first monster girl, which gives her the power-up (and bust expansion) she needs to win), the cast gets down to the nitty-gritty of what he wants to do: build a city, not a dungeon, which feeds on positive emotions. Of course, there are a few problems. Location, labor costs, the neighboring demon lords, and of course Marcho’s impending death, which she seems to have accepted more than Procel has. This remains sort of mid-tier manga—not interesting enough to stand out, but the pages turn easily, and you could do worse. Also, brilliant pun for the back-cover blurb. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – The second of the Éclair anthologies to come out over here, this one seems to focus more attention on love that is already in bloom when the story begins than love that we see the start of. There’s a nice mix of funny, heartwarming, sad, and generally melancholic. Some highlights are “Azalea Corner,” about a minion’s crush on the arrogant ojou she follows; “The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl,” which should be awful but is by Canno so is cute instead; and “That Summer Won’t Come Again,” about a girl trapped in her sister’s past who bonds with a senpai and learns to swim again. There’s good and not-so-good here, but overall well worth buying. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – This is the second Éclair anthology, but aside from two continuations, all the stories here are new. The quality varies, and it seems the better stories are in the front. The first story, Fly’s “Flowers in a Storm,” sets the tone for bittersweet, ambiguous endings with the tale of a first kiss that comes too late. There are also several stories about unrequited love for a friend who loves someone else, be it another girl, an idol, or a guy. Kabocha’s “Though Summer Won’t Come Again” is a standout, about a girl who assumes the senpai she’s developed feelings for prefers her older sister, as everyone else seems to. Unfortunately, I found the stories toward the end of the volume to be less enjoyable, particularly the final one, which includes the most awkward teacher-student embrace I have ever seen. Still, I will read the next installment when it comes out! – Michelle Smith

I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love | By Minta Suzumaru | Futekiya (digital only) – Yoshino Kiritani is a beautiful 30-year-old salaryman who happens to be both gay and a virgin. With no relationship prospects on the horizon and wanting to finally have sex, he goes to a gay bar, meets a charismatic college student named Rou, and sleeps with him. The back-and-forth that follows between these two guys is so well done. Rou is a notorious playboy with a hot-and-cold routine he has employed many times to manipulate his conquests into falling for him and confessing their feelings. He tries this on Yoshino, even though he’s actually serious about him, but it doesn’t work. Self-effacing Yoshino genuinely thinks Rou wants nothing more to do with him, forcing Rou to face the seriously scary prospect of rejection by declaring his feelings first. There are a few explicit scenes, but they serve the characters and story well. Highly recommended! – Michelle Smith

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – First of all, a word of advice to the author: don’t sink people’s ships in your author’s notes, OK? Secondly, this continues to have the strengths of Io Sakisaka titles—it gets teenage love in a good way, has characters who are likeable but clearly flawed, shows gradual character growth, and has clean, easy-to-follow art. She’s still trying to balance out the idealistic girl with the realistic girl, though it may be leaning towards the former. Sadly, it also contains what’s always been one of this author’s big weaknesses to me—I like her series but never love them. Each volume is fun to read and I’d call it good, but it’s never going to be tops in my favorite shoujo manga lists. It’s not life-changing the way a Yona of the Dawn is. – Sean Gaffney

Ping Pong, Vol. 1 | By Taiyo Matsumoto | Viz Media – Ever since Matsumoto was a guest at TCAF in 2013 and spoke in depth about the series, its development, and how it fit into his overall career, I’ve been desperately wanting to read Ping Pong in English. When the excellent anime adaptation came and went soon after and the original manga still hadn’t been licensed, I didn’t expect that we’d ever see it translated. But it is actually here! The first of two beautifully designed omnibus volumes. And I am absolutely in love with Matsumoto’s Ping Pong. Ostensibly a high school sports manga, Ping Pong spends very little time explaining the ins and outs of the game even though table tennis is essentially omnipresent; instead, the series devotes its attention almost entirely to the characters themselves. With strong psychological elements, in part the work’s themes explore talent, motivation, and self-determination, all supported by Matsumoto’s distinctive and spectacularly dynamic and expressive artwork. – Ash Brown

Prince Freya, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | VIZ Media – The land of Tyr is threatened by Sigurd, the empire to the north. Our “wimpy and weak” heroine, Freya, happens to be the spitting image of Prince Edvard, who’s just been poisoned by Sigurd, and so takes on the role of impersonating him to protect her country. Alas, Freya’s performance as Edvard (and characterization in general) is inconsistent and in a way that doesn’t seem intentional on the mangaka’s part. Sometimes she boldly and capably takes action, sometimes she just cries. In my notes I wrote, “This ain’t no Basara,” prompted by a panel in which Freya is making an extremely insipid face because of something sappy her love interest has just said, but then something super dramatic and unexpected occurs and… well, now I’m cautiously on board. It may turn out to be fluffier than I would like, but I will at least give it a couple more volumes. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 9 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – There’s less swapping in this one, but the one time there is a swap it blows the reader out of the water. I suspect Ichika’s popularity took a nosedive after this volume, as her ideal of “all’s fair in love and war” is taken to a somewhat cruel conclusion. She’s not even the thirstiest of the quints, as both Nino and Miku are trying to make their feelings for Futaro as clear to him as possible. Meanwhile, Yotsuba is trying the opposite tactic, saying that she’ll support whichever sister that isn’t her he picks, showing off a core of self-deprecation that we’ve seen before, but never to this level. And then there’s Itsuki, who seems to have forgotten she was supposed to be first girl. Great harem antics. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 9 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – I missed reviewing the eighth volume of this, for some reason; I’m not sure why. It continues to be quietly sweet, with a heroine who perhaps leans a little too much towards “can save everyone by the sheer power of being really nice.” That said, nice can only go so far, and when she discovers a country that’s being blackmailed into slavery, nice becomes determined and fierce. There’s also some tortured romance at the start—the king’s chief bodyguard and the princess’s attendant clearly are headed towards each other, but there are a few steps back here before we can move forward once more. I admit that I’d likely enjoy this more without its central conceit of animal people, but oh well. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 7 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – I admit I was a bit more surprised than Shirayuki was at the identity of the leader of the Lions of the Mountain. That said, it does remind us that Shirayuki is another one of those great “shoujo heroines who underreacts to everything,” which can be quite amusing when done right. That said, this volume is when the series transitioned from the quarterly DX to the main LaLa magazine, and as such much of the middle part is taken up with introducing new readers to the main cast and the situation. This includes an amusing “personality reversal” chapter where Mitsuhide starts acting like a chivalrous knight. the book ends with the implication that their love is going public. How will that go? Great shoujo. – Sean Gaffney

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1 | By Jougi Shiraishi, Itsuki Nanao, and Azure | Square Enix – This is a manga adaptation of the first fourth or so of the light novel, and it’s a very good adaptation. I will admit that Elaina is a lot more expressive than I was expecting… her delivery in the novels is somewhat cool… but it makes sense given the manga’s visual medium, and she’s cute. This volume shows off what we’re going to get from now on: some cute fluffy stories, some melancholic stories with deaths, some stories of Elaina having to extricate herself from a situation, and some backstory showing how she came to be wandering. The final story was one of my favorites in the book, and it’s the best one here too. A nice adaptation. – Sean Gaffney

After-School Bitchcraft, Vol. 1 | By Yu Shimizu and Kazuma Ichihara | Yen Press – Afterschool Boobcraft would be a better title for this supernatural romance about Ririki, a ditzy high school student who accidentally discovers that her chemistry teacher is a sorcerer. Though Ririki quickly realizes that she, too, has hidden powers, nothing about her giggly, helpless behavior suggests that she’s competent enough to tie her own shoes, let alone cast a spell. Renji, her teacher, is even less of a character, defined primarily by his brusque demeanor and perma-scowl. Anyone reading for plot will find the the crude, obvious fanservice irritating, while anyone reading for fanservice will find the series’ pedestrian efforts at world-building an unwelcome distraction from the parade of costume failures and panty shots, all of which are drawn in salacious detail. Not recommended. – Katherine Dacey

Animeta!, Vol. 3 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Miyuki Sanada is making gradual improvement as an inbetweener, though she’s been told that if she doesn’t pass the key animation exam within a year, she’s fired. Meanwhile, her fellow new hire, Maria Date, seems to be leaving her in the dust, is actively campaigning to take her place with the prestigious Studio 7, and gets invited to enter a character design contest by the big boss. I appreciate the sports manga feel this rivalry evokes, but the most compelling part of Animeta! for me is the plight of Yuiko Fuji, the inbetween checker who once tried to become a key animator but had no flair. She’s amazing at her current job, but seeing new talent getting promoted over her is tough. This series has really grown on me, now that its been fleshing out its characters more, and I reckon I’ll stick with it for the long haul! – Michelle Smith

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 10 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji | Seven Seas – Last time I said the cliffhanger was chilling, this time that extends to much of the book. The Index series has usually been too concerned with action and harems to get into pure horror, but its spinoffs have no issues with it, particularly this one. Cannibalism of a scientific sort continues to be the norm here, with our tragic villain continuing to be sympathetic. As is Yomikawa, possibly the nicest character in the whole Indexverse. For those who aren’t reading this for nice, the good news is that Accelerator is back in action by the end of this and ready to beat villains up while continuing to state what a villain he is. Index fans will enjoy this, though may also be creeped out. – Sean Gaffney

Cocoon Entwined, Vol. 2 | By Yuriko Hara | Yen Press – Yes, it is still tempting to review these volumes by just saying “hair” and being done with it. I mean, the start of the second volume seems to be narrated from the POV of a former schoolgirl’s hair, which is now made up of the uniform of our heroine. But there is a bit more to it than that, as we cycle back a bit and get more insight into the mysterious Hoshimiya, whose hair drifting down in single hairlets (hairlets?) continues to be an emotional gut punch for most of the school. There’s also discussion of traditions, why they’re kept and when they might have to be broken for the sake of moving on and fixing things. It’s quite an emotional drama. And rest assured, it’s filled with hair. So much hair. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 3 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – The third volume of The Golden Sheep is its last, and while it was nice that the four friends at the center of the story ultimately resolved their differences, it all felt rather too easy and anticlimactic. I did like that Yuushin finds purpose in striving to achieve enough independence to live with the stray kitty he rescued, though. (It is an extremely cute kitty.) The volume is rounded out by a twisted short story called “Love Letter” in which an unborn soul chooses to be born to a teen runaway and ends up dying from neglect, but loves its mother so much that it opts to return to earth in any guise that allows it to see her, including another cute kitty who soon meets a tragic end. It left a weird taste in my brain. – Michelle Smith

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Vol. 3 | By Yabako Sandrovich and MAAM | Seven Seas – The first volume it was the fanservice that got my attention. The second volume it was the advice on keeping fit. And in this one it’s the comedy that’s really reaching out to grab you, taking the series in places I was not expecting it to go, like turning the main girls (including their teacher!) into a muscle-bound idol group, something that is impressively different but goes over like a lead balloon. Zina has fit in well with the others, and moreover she knows Satomi cosplays, so can cheerfully use that for blackmail. There are also hints that romance may come into this series—Hibiki has always been attracted to Machio when he’s not bulking out, but there’s a suggestion that her feelings may run a bit deeper than that. That said, I expect comedy to prevail. This is fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 14 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The first half of this book is almost all dedicated to Kaguya and Shirogane finally, finally, confessing—not through words, but through actions. It’s the payoff everyone has been waiting for, and it’s handled perfectly. The second half of this book then drags it all back to hilarious comedy, with the chapter about Kaguya french-kissing Shirogane being the highlight of the volume and possibly the series. Of course, there’s the question of where do we go from here—Kaguya ends up breaking her brain so much over this that she reverts to her old icy persona, and there may be a new love triangle developing around Ishigami. So don’t stop reading just because Kaguya got confessed to—there’s still plenty more fun. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 4 | By Hirofumi Neda and Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – The gag series has caught up to the main storyline, or at least wants to avoid the Overhaul Arc, so for the most part this volume is original material. Sometimes that’s good—the author shows a surprising taste for very dark character-based jokes when they want to, including one with Todoroki talking about his mother that made me gasp. There’s also a parents’ day again (it goes a bit better than the one in School Briefs), which allows us to see parents we forgot existed, like Uraraka’s mother. That said, there’s also a sense that the series is starting to get a bit tired. The next volume is signposted to be the last, and that’s a good thing. Go out while you’re still flying high. – Sean Gaffney

Nori | By Rumi Hara | Drawn & Quarterly – Born in Kyoto and currently based in New York, Hara has been creating comics for about a decade, but Nori is Hara’s graphic novel debut. The volume has its origins in a series of self-published mini-comics which earned Hara multiple award nominations. Nori collects six short tales of varying lengths which feature the adventures of the titular Noriko, an imaginative three-year-old, and Hana, her grandmother and caregiver. Except for a surprise trip that takes Nori and Hana to Hawaii, the stories are largely set in Osaka in the 1980s. All of them are incredibly charming. Hara effortlessly blends mythology and legends with the characters’ day-to-day lives and Nori’s fantastical imaginings. Some of my favorite moments are Nori’s interactions with older kids—some of whom really aren’t sure what to do at first with a precocious toddler hanging about as they explore the natural world together. Nori is an undeniable delight. – Ash Brown

That Blue Summer, Vol. 4 | By Atsuko Namba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Rio Funami is a Tokyo girl who’s been sent, along with her bookish little brother, to stay with her grandmother in the countryside for the duration of her 40-day summer vacation. She’s fallen in love with a local boy named Ginzo Izumi, who initially rejected her, believing they belonged in different worlds and valued different things. However, as time has gone on, Ginzo has come to see that’s not true. In fact, Rio seems enraptured by the village he calls home and understands the calling he feels towards graphic design while simultaneously feeling obligated to stay and take over the family liquor store. This is more than just a generic romance—it’s about passions versus practicality and finding reasons for joy in any situation. I’m enjoying it a lot and isn’t that cover a beauty? – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 14 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The race that would never end has ended! And yes, our hero manages to capture first place, The first half of the book is really fantastic, showing off how good the author is at wringing drama and emotion from every last meter. The second half pales in comparison mostly as it’s setting up the next chunk of book, though seeing Onoda suddenly fail so hard simply as his mentor has left (transferred to another country) is poignant, and I suspect he needs another race or two before he can get back into form, so I expect more failure. Oh, and Kanzaki shows up briefly to remind us she exists and also help the core team get new bikes that work to their strengths. Still excellent shonen sports. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 12 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – As much as I continue to love this series overall, this particular volume had some highs and lows for me. When Chise’s new classmates are in a scene with her, I find them interesting (particularly her prickly roommate, Lucy) and enjoy seeing Chise successfully interact with peers when just a couple of volumes ago she had doubts about her ability to do so. That said, the conversations these characters have amongst themselves about their pureblood alchemical family drama are unimaginably boring. At the same time, there’s an important conversation between the leads in which Elias tries to clarify what he meant by “bride” and an eventful camping trip to Scotland at the end of the volume that sees Lucy in peril, both of which I greatly enjoyed. In the end, I’m as eager for the next installment as ever. – Michelle Smith

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 9 | By Matoba | Yen Press – It would appear that the manga author is well aware that Eurydice is not the most popular character in this book, as the first part of it deals with her getting amnesia and forgetting she’s a shotacon… and having people reluctant to cure her. Big same. Elsewhere, it’s all about the three “main” couples in the series, none of whom are official but all of whom are teased to death. Astaroth and Sacchan are stuck on a seemingly deserted island, and both are feeling very awkward around each other. Beelzebub and Mullin are a couple but don’t actually seem to realize it, much to the frustration of others. Most importantly, Azazel and Belphegor hold a real conversation! It’s good setup for the final volume next time. Fluffy fun. – Sean Gaffney

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 1 | By Yuu Toyota | Square Enix – The title of this one gave me the impression that it was going to be smutty, but the reality is anything but (at least so far). Kiyoshi Adachi is a gloomy, average, thirty-year-old virgin who has just discovered he can read the minds of the people he touches. When Adachi decides to see whether his seemingly perfect coworker, Kurosawa, has a secret nasty personality, he instead discovers that Kurosawa is romantically interested in him. As Adachi accesses more of Kurosawa’s thoughts throughout the volume, he realizes that he’s a genuinely good person and wants to get to know him better, but his lack of romantic experience means he gets overwhelmed easily. I think these guys make a cute couple and look forward to continuing the series. I also really enjoyed the bonus stories, especially the one about Adachi’s equally virginal friend and a delivery guy who bond over a kitty. – Michelle Smith

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 8 | By Ukami |Yen Press – The main thrust of this volume is the arrival of Gabriel’s big sister Zeruel, who (as Gabriel knows) will flip her shit when she sees her behaving like a sloppy otaku, and (as Gabriel doesn’t know) has a massive sister complex about her. This amusingly leads to Gabriel acting like a perfect little angel and creeping everyone out. Fortunately, in a “who knows Gabriel best” trivia competition, Vignette’s knowledge of present Gabriel trumps Zaruel’s past knowledge. Speaking of Vignette, her demonic tendencies take another beating when another demon in the group refuses to see her as anything but an angel because she can’t be mean. Basically, be they angel or demon, everyone in this cast is a flake, so it’s all good. – Sean Gaffney

Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition, Vol. 2 | By Kouji Kumeta | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This series continues to be the sweeter, more optimistic version of Zetsubou-sensei, and I’m OK with that. This is not to say that the author does not get a bit bitter about things that are in his wheelhouse, such as constant editor turnover (his current editor, who is a bit of a loser, is there because no one else will have Kakushi) and having to judge new entries in a manga competition (Kakushi judges fine, but is undercut by the stupid editor adding (lol) after every entry). Biting the hand that feeds him has always been Kouji Kumeta’s top skill. That said, it almost seems tempered by age and maturity here, particularly in the scenes with the father and daughter simply being a good family. Ominous future, though… – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – Sometimes it happens that I just don’t have much to say about a volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. I like it best when some modicum of progress is made in one of the core relationships in the series, and for the most part (and despite the claim on the back cover that Wakamatsu finally learns Lorelai’s true identity) we don’t get that this time. Mostly it’s gags about otome games and hypnosis and what if Nozaki did a book signing. That said, there is a very nice tidbit at the end where Hori sincerely tells Kashima that he likes everything about her, and I hope that isn’t forgotten though I realize it’s extremely likely that nothing will come of it. In summation, I think I’m kind of reading this wrong, but ultimately I still enjoy it. – Michelle Smith

Prince Freya, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | Viz Media – While several of Ishihara’s manga have now been released in English, Prince Freya is the first I’ve read. But I’m always happy to see more shoujo fantasy released, so I was looking forward to giving the series a try. The premise of the manga is pretty solid if not particularly innovative—Freya is a young woman who, due to unusual and deadly circumstances, is required to pose as Prince Edvard, the leader of her country. Ishihara has also laid the groundwork for some excellent court politics and intrigue. The pacing, however, especially in the introductory chapter, is extraordinarily fast. In addition, time and distance seem to have frustratingly little meaning in the series. And unless there’s some sort of spirit possession going on (which admittedly would be an interesting twist), Freya’s “becoming” Edvard in the first volume strains belief. But even considering its flaws, Prince Freya continues to intrigue me. – Ash Brown

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro Side Story: Nostalgic Travelogue | By Satoko Kiyuduki | Yen Press – This is nothing more than a series of short stories set during and after the main series, but if it allows us to spend more time with Kuro and friends, I’m 100% down with it. There’s moments of bittersweet tragedy in a story of a princess who sacrifices her life for the sake of her country. There’s amusing moments, such as Kuro and Sen having to play chess to escape a king’s wrath… a very strange game of chess. And there’s heartwarming, such as a young boy who grows older as he hears the stories of the travelers (including Kuro) who pass through his inn, eventually finding himself involved with some of the people he heard about. I love this series; it’s gorgeous and poignant. – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 2 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Now that our main couple has gotten together, it’s time to bring in some things to cause potential drama. The cute underling at work that’s in Kotaro’s department (and clearly has a crush on him) tries to uncover if he and Asako are dating… but fails. Also, he sees her like a little sister. Asako tells her mother she’s dating a guy… and she’s thrilled. The biggest issue in this volume may be Asako’s little brother Keita, who had to defend her from bullies as a kid and thus doesn’t trust anyone who might date his big sister. That said, a nice dinner at Keita’s restaurant (he’s a budding chef) does the trick, with Kotaro winning him over by simply being sincere. Both the sweat and the sex have lessened in this book, leaving pure sweetness. – Sean Gaffney

A Witch’s Printing Office, Vol. 2 | By Mochinchi and Yasuhiro Miyama | Yen Press – This started badly, with an entirely gratuitous boob shot distracting me from what turned out to be a pretty good plotline of a cooped-up rich kid wanting to get out into the world and read more… even if it turns out she might be reading her mom’s doujinshi. The basic premise of this series is that anyone and everyone can be happy buying and reading doujinshi, even if it’s monster guides or magic spellbooks. Yes, even the demon lord, who turns out to be quite nice. In fact, the real danger in this book is a natural one, as there’s a huge typhoon that threatens to take out the island that not-Comiket is held on. And there’s even a cliffhanger… is there another Japanese person trapped here? Aside from one bad bit of fanservice, still very good. – Sean Gaffney

Caste Heaven, Vol. 1 | By Chise Ogawa | SuBLime – I have to wonder why I read this. The warning signs are right there on the back cover—once the ruthless king of his class’s secret social hierarchy, Yuya Azusa is dethroned and given a choice to “become the new king’s plaything… or service the entire class!” I had hoped for more psychological suspense, perhaps, but instead there is sexual assault (that the protagonist later says he enjoyed), threat of more sexual assault, several scenes in which the sadistic new king (a rich kid named Karino) inserts foreign objects into Azusa’s orifices, and once-proud Azusa growing clingy and desperate. The last two chapters are about a different pair who seem to have a healthier relationship, but the main story so put me on edge I kept waiting for the double-cross to happen. I’m still not convinced it won’t, but that doesn’t really matter as I likely won’t be reading further. – Michelle Smith

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 1 | By Yuji Kaku | Viz Media – Gabimaru is a notorious assassin whose ninjitsu skills are so great that he’s nearly immortal. Unfortunately for him, that means he spends most of the first chapter of Hell’s Paradise being subjected to (and surviving) a series of increasingly gruesome executions. His death sentence is temporarily stayed by a highly skilled swordswoman who offers him an opportunity to earn a full pardon for his crimes. If Gabimaru can find and retrieve the elixir of life for the shogun, he will be released. But he’ll also be in direct competition with other convicts and not everything is as it seems. There are many aspects of Hell’s Paradise that I found reminiscent of Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal (a manga that holds a special place in my heart), so it’s probably not too surprising that Kaku’s series appeals to me. I’m very curious to see where it goes from here. – Ash Brown

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 1 | By Yuji Kaku | VIZ Media – I’m not ordinarily drawn to grim-looking Edo period manga with ninjas in it, but something about Hell’s Paradise intrigued me (maybe it was simply that striking cover) and, ultimately, I’m extremely glad I gave it a chance! The infamous assassin Gabimaru the Hollow always thought he felt no emotions until his wife proved otherwise. Set up by his clan for daring to want to leave their lifestyle, Gabimaru is sentenced to death, though he keeps resisting the various execution methods that are attempted. When he’s offered the chance of a pardon—and the chance to reunite with his wife and pursue a simple life together—he accepts, even if it means journeying to a mysterious island with a bunch of other bloodthirsty criminals in search of an elixir of immortality for the shogun. This is a pretty fascinating, if grisly, premise, and I’m very keen to see how it develops! – Michelle Smith

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 9 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – Again, the basic theme of this series, which otherwise tends to run on “cute girls doing cute things,” is that sometimes you need to grow up and mature, even though it can be hard… but it doesn’t have to be right away. This can also sometimes lead to odd continuity—there’s a brief moment where Umaru imagines her brother moving out one day, and he’s clearly meant to be seen with Ebina… only Umaru doesn’t seem to have realized Ebina’s crush on her brother in reality. Despite that, this is another fun, fluffy volume in the series, with gags about trying (and failing) to cook, buying furniture, and being a bit nicer to your brother even though you think he’s a creep (that last is for Kirie). Fans should enjoy it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 5 | By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Neko Hinotsuki | Seven Seas – As ever with this series, the so-called “romantic rival” introduced at the end of the last volume, isn’t one at all, mostly becaase Zenjiro is still completely besotted with his bride, polygamy or no. The politics remains the reason to read this, and while our hero is getting better at it, he still screws up on occasion. He’s also up against a master, as seen on the cover, a goofy and over-the-top prince sort who is in reality using that as a front… but it’s so much a part of him that it’s very hard to tell the difference even if you’re an expert. As for Bona, she genuinely does bond with Zenjiro right away, causing Aura to get a bit jealous. Something might eventually come of that, but for the moment the series is content to be about glass and politics and not about haremettes. – Sean Gaffney

I’ll Win You Over, Sempai!, Vol. 3 | By Shin Shimoto | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This is the story of a relentlessly positive girl (Koharu, who refuses to be rejected by her crush and so confesses to him day after day) and the tsundere object of her affections (Kanzaki-sempai, who repeatedly shoots her down). When I embarked upon this series, I thought it might be annoying and was delighted to instead find that I love it to pieces! Kanzaki-sempai is quirky and prickly yet also compassionate and Koharu truly cares about his happiness more than her own. In volume three, Kanzaki-sempai advises Koharu when her childhood friend confesses his love for her. There are many sweet moments where the main couple shows they really get each other, and though I do not love how often he calls her a moron, I’m still enjoying this series very much overall. Only two volumes to go, alas! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 6 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – It’s good to see that although Komi is starting to make friends and get her thoughts across to people… even if it’s only just Tadano… she still has an amazing amount of difficulty with communication—the title is not any less wrong in the sixth book than it was in the first. Given that just talking to others is tough, karaoke proves a shivering nightmare, and even clothes shopping with her equally-bad-at-extroversion father is tough. As for the rest of the cast, well, the three guys who discuss which girl would be best as a girlfriend would be a bit creepy if it weren’t also pretty wholesome, and we meet a new guy who has resting thug face, so also has trouble communicating to people. Fun comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 7 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Since I last briefed Ran the Peerless Beauty, not only has she gotten together with Akira, but we’ve even had the first female rival come and go. This volume is mostly about the first male rival, and I will admit he can be hard to take—he’s very blunt in the fact that he likes Ran, and tries to force a kiss on her at one point (she deflects him), so the reader is really not loving him. He also has a past with Akira that we’re starting to find out about, and comes from a farm/greenhouse family environment, so his story will continue to tie into the flowers motif. I admit it’s probably a good thing we have him, as Ran and Akira are so soggily sweet that they’re best taken in short, adorable doses. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 11 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – I also seem to have missed briefing the tenth volume of this. I’m sure it was funny, because this one is quite funny. The jokes are no longer “how does Syalis sleep,” though the final page does still end most chapters on her settling down for the night. Sometimes we see stressed-out demons ashamed she’ll see their old cringey photos. Sometimes it’s about Syalis trying to give out Valentine’s chocolates and not understanding the meaning of the word embarrassment. And in the funniest chapters, it IS about her sleeping, as she accidentally ingests some demonic No-Doz and also tries to have a “typical” girls’ pajama party that isn’t typical at all. I love this series. – Sean Gaffney

Something’s Wrong with Us, Vol. 1 | By Natsumi Ando | Kodansha Comics – Remembering my disappointment with the finale of Arisa, I wasn’t sure how I would like Something’s Wrong with Us, Natsumi Ando’s foray into josei suspense. Happily, I enjoyed it quite a bit! Our protagonist is Nao Hanaoka, a 21-year-old confectioner whose mother was accused of murder fifteen years ago and died while on trial for the crime. After Nao receives a note proclaiming her mother’s innocence, she’s willing to do anything to gain access to the renowned confectionary where it all happened and find out the truth, including agreeing to marry Tsubaki Takatsuki, who as a boy was the one to accuse her mother in the first place. She thinks that neither Tsubaki nor his cold and calculating mother recognize her—they knew her under a different name—but is that really the case? I hope the rest of the series is as fun as the first volume. – Michelle Smith

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 8 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – This series has proven that it works at its best when there’s more structure or more at stake. This isn’t to say that the chapters that are just “there’s a thing, Nishikata challenges Takagi, he loses, she teases him” aren’t funny and cute, because they are. But sometimes things get better when there’s a bit more than that, such as the start of this volume, which has… no, not the festival that was implied at the end of last time—not sure where that went… but Valentine’s Day, showing off Takagi having fun torturing Nishikata all day before and confessing in such a way that he would get a real answer if he manned up but he doesn’t. And as usual, Nishikata wins when he doesn’t try, like rock skipping. My favorite “teasing girl” series. – Sean Gaffney

Bloom Into You, Vol. 7 | By Nakatani Nio | Seven Seas – The majority of this volume is devoted to Sayaka, who finally works up the resolve to confess to Touko, despite knowing that she’s in love with Yuu. It goes exactly as you’d expect, but that does not diminish how well told this is. (The second novel might go into more detail.) We also get some backstory for the teacher and her partner, explaining how they got together and reminding both Sayaka and the reader that being in love with another woman is something that does not have to be confined to high school. As for Yuu and Touko, well, they’re almost there (and I will admit the scene where Seiji bluntly tells Yuu that they’re not the same (meaning Yuu isn’t asexual) was very well done). This remains fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 11 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – I’ve pretty much resigned myself to reading this for the side couple, so I was delighted with their half of the manga, as Ayumi, after attempting to analyze love to death in an effort to run away from her own feelings gets a Big Damn Kiss and turns into a sop. It’s sweet, and god knows Takaya deserves it. Unfortunately, I’m still uninterested in Kagura and Tarou—she’s much better when she’s not being a weak drip, which she is here, and he’s so passive and understanding that it’s what’s actually preventing anything from happening. I suspect this story, despite a double convention, is not quite over, particularly given Tarou’s “huh? what’s love? can you eat it?” expression, but maybe twelve will give me more Ayumi. – Sean Gaffney

I Fell in Love After School, Vol. 2 | By Haruka Mitsui | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – While initially reluctant to become the manager of the boys’ volleyball team at her high school, Kao Hayama is now really putting her all into the role. That’s what makes I Fell in Love After School unique, when it otherwise would be a fairly straightforward shoujo romance. Often, when such a series involves a boy passionate about sports (like Waiting for Spring, for example) readers only see an occasional glimpse of games, which is never really enough to suit a sport manga enthusiast like me. Because Kao is the manager, however, much of the plot is sport-related, which I appreciate. On top of this, Kao’s burgeoning relationship with Nagisa Kuze is compelling. I appreciate that she is never a spaz, and that he’s not some cool prince type, but has flaws and vulnerabilities that Kao is adept at perceiving. I look forward to reading the rest of this series! – Michelle Smith

An Incurable Case of Love, Vol. 3 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – I seem to be surprised lately with shoujo or josei romances hooking up faster than I expected. I guess Moonlighting Syndrome is not what it once was. In any case, yes, our lead couple are now a couple, though they haven’t gotten very far and he still tends to be a bit of a jerk if prodded. I am also rather impressed with the book continuing to emphasize the aspects of being a nurse, and what Sakura does well and does badly at, showing how she can’t simply use her natural empathy to win the day all the time. This comes in handy when she deals with a new nurse who is VERY interested in Tendo, and is also a better nurse on the non-empathic side of things. As always with this author, a very well-written heroine carries the day. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 4 | By Kohei Horikoshi and Anri Yoshi | VIZ Media – This fourth installment of the My Hero Academia light novel series centers around the school festival. In “Prep,” Shinso takes out some trash and witnesses the other classes hard at work. (And thinks regarding Mineta, “He’s gotta get expelled for sexual harassment one of these days, right?” I SURE AS HELL HOPE SO, SHINSO!) The longest story depicts class 1-B’s play, and is pretty fun, but mostly just made me wish these characters got their own spinoff a la Vigilantes. My actual favorite was “Festival for All,” which takes a collage of panels from the manga and extrapolates scenes from them, like Shinsho hanging upside down in a haunted house, Midoriya making candy apples for Eri, et cetera. I will try very hard to forget the absolutely VILE thing Mineta says at the end of this otherwise very nice story. I think it was his grossest comment yet. – Michelle Smith

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Vol. 3 | By Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka | Seven Seas – The gag here, and it really is a great one, is that despite winning the hearts of literally everyone around her, Katarina STILL ends up in the exact same cutscene from Fortune Lover that her evil version did. Of course, the cast IS all in love with her, so the scene goes south rather quickly—with everyone noting the bullying plot is far too well thought out to be planned by our Bakarina. The rest of the volume is more serious, as Maria goes missing, and dark magic is suspected. The suspect is obvious, but that doesn’t make the danger to Katarina any less great, and she ends the book in a coma. Can she manage to charm her way out of things while asleep? Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

The Swamp | By Yoshiharu Tsuge | Drawn and Quarterly – As the first volume in Drawn & Quarterly’s series of Tsuge’s complete mature works, The Swamp brings together eleven of Tsuge’s short manga along with an essay by Mitsuhiro Asakawa which provides them with additional historical context. The stories collected in The Swamp were originally published between 1965 and 1966, most of them appearing as contributions to the influential alternative manga magazine Garo. Tsuge’s narratives are compelling, at times unsettling and at times humorous, but always offering insightful commentary on humanity. Even those that are more surreal have an underlying sense of truth. Most of the short manga featured in The Swamp have at least one twist to them to give the reader pause, whether in delight or in disquiet, or some combination of the two. Overall, it’s an immensely satisfying volume. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for Drawn & Quarterly’s second Tsuge collection, Red Flowers; this is not a series to miss. – Ash Brown

Takane & Hana, Vol. 14 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – I will admit, Hana falling off their cruise ship into the water took me by surprise—I had to read it three times to get what was happening. Naturally, Takane goes after her, and so we end up with, of all things, a “castaways on an island” plotline, though it goes in a very Love Hina direction when it turns out that civilization is across the island. On the brighter note, we get the main couple telling the immediate romantic rivals about their coupledom, which is honestly better handled on Hana’s end. And because the only thing better than one problematic age-difference couple is TWO, there’s more with Nicola and Mizuki, as she still has a crush on him, and he is… at least getting to know her better. Unbalanced, but good. – Sean Gaffney

What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Kobayashi | Dark Horse – What’s Michael? is a series I’d wanted to read for years, but quickly discovered is best enjoyed in small doses. The manga consists of six-page chapters that do not tell a cohesive narrative. Michael might live with a yakuza in one chapter and with a single lady in the next. Sometimes he has a mate and children. I liked best the chapters that employ nonverbal storytelling, like when Michael keeps laying on objects people need or when getting a ribbon stuck on his claw leads Michael to perform several pages of rhythmic gymnastics. As usual, I took some things too seriously, getting pissed off at an idiot who punches Michael for being disinterested in playing fetch and utterly failing to find anything funny in the plight of a poor, neglected dog. That said, the majority of this chunky omnibus was enjoyable, and I look forward to the second half. – Michelle Smith

The Dorm of Love and Secrets, Vol. 2 | By Nikki Asada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Five years ago, an elite and a laidback high school combined, resulting in a new school where relations between “high-class students” and “no-class students” are horrendous. Asahi Suzumori is a member of the normal class, and when her dorm catches on fire, she accepts an offer from Tsukigase, the capricious student council president, to masquerade as a high-class student and live in their dorm, where she meets and falls in love with Yokaze Takagi, a kind boy with a sad past. Volume two mostly consists of them growing closer, but with Yokaze holding back because of a deal he made with Tsukigase that will enable him to regain something precious if he follows certain rules. The leads are okay, if a trifle bland, but I do enjoy manipulative Tsukigase and Asahi’s protective friend, Sho. The series is complete in four volumes, which feels right. – Michelle Smith

Fire in His Fingertips, Vol. 1 | By Kawano Tanishi | Ghost Ship – There’s a subtitle as well, but this is only a brief. Ryo and Souma are childhood friends. Both are very bad at communicating. After rescuing her from an apartment fire, she goes to his place and, despite some reluctance/consent issues, they have sex. And indeed they do that the rest of the book as well—this is a josei title, but still firmly within the Ghost Ship mission statement. Ryo manages to be a strong enough character to make this work and show us her latent attraction to Souma. Souma is a little more annoying, as his refusal to admit his own, clearly deep, feelings for Ryo is what leads to all the consent issues in the first place. Cautiously recommended to those who like sex and firefighting. – Sean Gaffney

Gal Gohan, Vol. 2 | By Marii Taiyou | Seven Seas – I’m not sure why this series is not pinging my “be careful, teacher/student romance” radar. I mean, it clearly is going to be. There’s no way that this series is going to pair Miku off with anyone other than her reluctant cooking professor. If anything, the series is going in the opposite direction, seemingly adding at the end a third person to the club (and no doubt adding a new romantic rival). There’s plenty of busty fanservice, and suggestive teasing (both from and of Miku). But, as I noted in my review of the first book, the whole thing is written so wholesomely that you end up accepting all of it. It’s the sweetest title about a big-breasted gal who wants to date her teacher you’ll ever read. -Sean Gaffney

Given, Vol. 1 | By Natsuki Kizu | SuBLime Manga – Since I’m always looking for good music manga and I’m always looking for good BL manga, it really was a given that Given would appeal to me. Ritsuka is a self-taught guitarist who has lost touch with his passion for music, but that missing spark eventually reignites after a schoolmate asks him for lessons. While Mafuyu’s past and personality are both mysterious, he does seem serious about wanting to learn, ultimately winning Ritsuka and the rest of his band over. Although it’s Mafuyu’s presence that really drives the story at this point, it’s the thoughtfulness that Kizu has put into the characterization of the entire cast—both leads and supporting roles—that really makes the manga work for me. How the characters all relate to one another is beautifully expressed not only through words but through Kizu’s artwork. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Given. – Ash Brown

Guilty, Vol. 5 | By Ai Okaue | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Man, Guilty sure has evolved since its first volume! It initially seemed like a soap opera about unfaithful spouses, and it still is that to some degree, but has morphed into psychological suspense at this point, as Sayaka begins to put the pieces together about why Rui has been so intent on ruining her life and for how long she’s been manipulating events. Kazu is a target, as well, but his sins are far worse than Sayaka’s, and he finally seems to appreciate as much here. Sayaka exhibits grit in the face of devastation, Rui is an unhinged (yet not wholly unsympathetic) antagonist, and the main ship for readers is Sayaka’s relationship with her first love, Akiyama, who is seemingly happily married with an adorable child. Complicated! The plot might verge on melodramatic at times, but it never crosses over into ridiculous. Looking forward to the next installment! – Michelle Smith

Knight of the Ice, Vol. 1 | By Yayoi Ogawa | Kodansha Comics – I didn’t realize, before I read Knight of the Ice, how hungry I was for a manga about figure skating! Our two leads are a pair of childhood friends who are on the verge of becoming something more. Petite Chitose Igari works for a magazine while closet otaku Kokoro Kijinami is a world-class figure skater whose star is on the rise, but only if Chitose continues to cast a spell on him from his favorite magical girl anime. The tone is fun and I like the characters, both main and supporting, a lot. My one complaint so far is… I wish there were more skating! There’s a fabulous glossary that explains all about scoring and the various jumps, but I wish we would actually see that in the manga. Perhaps it’s yet to come. – Michelle Smith

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 8 | By Afro | Yen Press – It turns out we didn’t have to wait at all for the next camping trip, as the whole cast goes to Izu in this volume. Well, they get there about halfway in, and it will continue next time. We see Rin bonding with her family (and getting extra equipment for her scooter, which she chooses to drive rather than get in the big van with the others), pranking Nadeshiko into thinking she slept through the entire camping trip, getting caught in horrendous traffic jams, and, when they finally arrive, finding a site that is not closed because of the time of year after all. Basically, all the things that can go wrong or right on a camping trip. There’s also setup for some birthday parties, but we’ll have to wait for book nine for those. Peaceful and wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 1 | By Suu Morishita | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – As expected from this author, this is cute as a bug’s ear. Itsuomi is a student who speaks many foreign languages (and travels to many foreign countries—this may be the first manga I’ve seen where “I’m going to Laos” is a genuine apology and not a desperate excuse) and then he meets our heroine, Yuki, who is deaf. They hit it off immediately, and have some great chemistry, making him want to learn a new language so that he can talk to her better. There’s some romantic rivalry on both sides—Yuki has a childhood friend, clearly in love with her, that she’s oblivious to, and Itsuomi is surrounded by girls a lot because he’s hot. Despite that, I want to see these two grow closer. Excellent debut. – Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 19 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – This serves to give us even more pactios (Karin, Kirie at last, and even the two hangers-on, Shinobu and the other one), remind us that Tota is a deadpan playboy as opposed to Negi’s unwitting playboy (and also that Kirie is still one up on everyone else in that department), wrap up Karin’s backstory with most tsundere Judas Iscariot shenanigans, introduce a new Big Bad, and throw in some truly fantastic fights, reminding us that Akamatsu may love fanservice and tease, but he also really loves battle sequences. We also see who Karin was not around during the events of Negima. As such, the story seems prepared to move in a new direction, and I assume it will do so next time. Fans should be happy. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 12 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – I’m still really enjoying reading The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but there’s no denying that it’s become almost a totally different manga from where it started, even if it does bring back a few guilt-ridden special guests. Chise is all grown up and now has grown-up problems, albeit grown-up student problems. We continue to worry away at labels—what is a bride, what is a daughter, etc.—which makes sense given that this is a world of magic, where names and relationships carry far more importance than they otherwise might. And we even get to have an old-fashioned camping trip, though unfortunately that ends up going very badly for Lucy, who suffers the cliffhanger ending. Still top tier, but very different. – Sean Gaffney

Black Clover, Vol. 20 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – This long arc STILL isn’t over, but we do get a few good highlights, as with any good Jump title. The start has “my dreams become reality” magic, which ends up leading to a fun confrontation between the real, possessed person and their fake, good other self. Gauche and Marie are still possessed by elves, and their relationship remains fascinating both despite and because of that. And, in the final chapter, we get a revelation about Charmy that makes sense and is also completely hilarious—let’s face it, we just assumed she was superdeformed because it was funny. But it looks like it’s her appetite more than her size that’s needed here. This is meat-and-potatoes Jump, never great but usually decent. – Sean Gaffney

Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 1 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical Comics – I wasn’t a fan of Oshimi-sensei’s Flowers of Evil, but the psychological suspense aspect of Blood on the Tracks appealed to me so much that I gave his work another try, and I’m glad I did! Seiichi Osabe is a meek thirteen-year-old who learns from his cousin Shigeru that other family members think his mother is overprotective. Throughout this first volume, Shigeru repeatedly draws Seiichi away from his mother’s side, culminating in a potentially deadly incident during a family hiking trip. The best part, though, is how expertly Oshimi cultivates an ominous atmosphere. From the first panel, Seiko’s control over her son is emphasized and a sense of foreboding pervades every scene, from her creepy facial caresses to a wordless pair of pages in which Seiichi blankly watches his mother vacuum. By the end, it’s finally obvious to Seiichi that something is very wrong. I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

Can an Otaku Like Me Really Be an Idol!? | By Wacoco Waco | KUMA – Takumi Suzuki is an otaku in his second year of high school who’s been crushing on his classmate, Misaki Hayakawa, ever since the entrance ceremony. After Suzuki discovers that Hayakawa is a fan of the same idol group he is, Hayakawa attempts to secure his silence by taking compromising photos of him cross-dressing as an idol. Turned on, Suzuki forces himself on Hayakawa and later agrees to try to become a real idol as a way of making up for his criminal deed. Obviously, the consent issue here is concerning, but I was gratified that Suzuki takes it seriously, and Hayakawa later says he would’ve been the aggressor if given the chance. Mostly, this is the story of two guys getting to pursue the thing they love with the person they love. Some parts are kinda wholesome. Some parts SUPER AREN’T. – Michelle Smith

The Conditions of Paradise | By Akiko Morishima | Seven Seas – This author has been long awaited in coming over here, and this is a collection of some of her stories from Comic Yuri Hime. The main story, which gets the cover, has a woman who has a structured life and her best friend and not-quite girlfriend, who is a freelancer in all senses of the word. They’ve known each other since school, and getting together feels both natural and right. The other stories also deal with relationships between adult women—the only high school seen is in a flashback—and that’s the selling point here. We’ve seen more of these manga lately with actual adults in yuri relationships. It hasn’t gotten old yet. This doesn’t feel as groundbreaking as it might have in Japan, but it’s still very good. – Sean Gaffney

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 1 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Love Me, Love Me Not is Io Sakisaka’s most recent series and features two co-heroines, something I don’t think I’ve seen since NANA. Yuna Ichihara is a shy, innocent girl who dreams of a destined, fairy tale love. Her new friend Akari Yamamoto thinks it’s possible to will yourself to fall in love with a boy who is available. They’ve just started high school and already they have romantic upheaval. Yuna has fallen in love with Akari’s princely brother Rio (which worries Akari since Rio is notoriously only interested in girls’ looks) and Akari’s been dumped by the boyfriend she thought loved her. She ends up confiding in Kazuomi Inui, Yuna’s childhood friend whom Akari hoped to set up with Yuna but who seems to have other ideas. Despite this synopsis, it’s not too melodramatic… until a reveal in the final pages. I’m already hooked. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 8 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – The start of this series had a lot of quintuplet-swapping antics, but it died down as Futaro got to know the others better. That changes here, as the majority of the book takes place on a trip to a hot spring he wins for his family… a hot spring that it turns out is run by the quintuplets’ grandfather, and they’re all there as well. What’s more, because of plot, they’re ALL dressed as Itsuki. What follows is mistaken identity shenanigans galore, showing off that Futaro still can’t guess which is the correct girl (which means he’s not ready to romance one) but also showing one of the quintuplets giving him a kiss… and we see in a flashforward it’s the bride. Who is the bride? Well, we have six volumes to go there. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 6 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Shirayuki and Yona may both have red hair, but it has to be said that Shirayuki is a more traditional heroine. Not that Yona doesn’t get captured as well from time to time, but the kidnapping here feels a lot more traditional. It also feels the prince riding to rescue her, which surprised me, as I thought we would continue the tradition of “he has to stay behind and be a prince.” We do get to see Kiki kicking ass, though I wish she’d finally get a storyline of her own. This series does a good job balancing its politics, romance and action sequences, and it actually does the commendable job of making me remember who the minor cast members are, always a danger. I’m still very happy this finally got picked up. – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 10 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Dr. STONE thrives on ridiculous ideas, of course, but that does not mean that it cannot briefly pause when bad things are happening. Tsukasa is saved from immediately dying, but he is still dying, and the only solution that Senku can come up with is to cryofreeze him. This is handled rather well, though Senku is not shown to the reader when he is being emotional about it. After that,things get ridiculous again, as we need to go searching other continents. This means ships, which means unstoning the world’s most ridiculous ship captain, who iss also an arrogant SOB. Fortunately they have Yuzuhira, who can transform into JoJo when she is doing anything with sewing, be it bodies or sails. A ton of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKare Mania, Vol. 3 | By Yukari Takinami | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – At 27, Yurika Namba is obsessed with “Makochi,” a guy she broke up with five years ago. When they meet again at her new job, she discovers that the real Makochi is not like her fantasy version. After initially trying to forget him by dating someone else, by volume three Yurika has told Makochi that she has feelings for him and is trying to project as much “cool girl” as possible so as not to scare him away from the prospect of a relationship. At first, I thought I might not like this series, as Yurika came off as unhinged and stalkery, but as it has gone on, I’ve come to enjoy it quite a bit, especially the fanciful sequences where various facets of Yurika’s brain (and sometimes Makochi’s!) debate and comment on what’s happening to their hosts. I’m intrigued to see where this goes next. – Michelle Smith

In/Spectre, Vol. 11 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – I had been joking about whether “Kotoko is terrible” was a running theme in this book (along with “Kotoko is thirsty”), but it looks like it may be the actual main plot, as Rikka’s machinations seem to be to get Kuro to realize what a horrible person she really is. This is a tall order, mostly as I think Kuro has realized this from the beginning. In the meantime, we get the end of the family murder mystery, which is done very well with lots of twists and turns and Kotoko being the perfect arrogant detective. I particularly liked the granddaughter, who is the one who comes off as the least self-serving (and the only one who didn’t plot to kill her grandmother). All this and a nyotaimori reference. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 13 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The festival starts but doesn’t end in this volume, and we have several interlocking plots. Kaguya wants to confess but doesn’t. Chika is busy being herself and trying to find a balloon thief. Ishigami manages, somehow, to accidentally confess to Tsubame, which is a problem as she wants to concentrate on gymnastics and not dating but also doesn’t want to hurt him. And then there’s Shirogane, of course, who finally, in the cliffhanger, tells Kaguya he’s leaving to go to Stanford. This is all done with the usual heaping helping of humor, of course, but it’s also heartwarming that the reader has come to prefer the emotional character moments to the gag moments. Will we finally get a confession in the next volume? – Sean Gaffney

Stravaganza: The Queen in the Iron Mask, Vols. 2-3 | By Akihito Tomi | Udon Entertainment – This is one of the more frustrating series I’ve read in a while. The art is absolutely gorgeous, with amazing backgrounds and scenery, and some good action sequences. There are some horrific moments that bring to mind Attack on Titan and its better moments. But then there’s the constant nudity and sadism that is also throughout the books—the author seems to love to put the queen in danger and have her menaced/stripped/flogged by various bad guys. Rape does not come up, thank goodness, but it’s still annoying, because I’d love to recommend this to a wider audience, but once again it’s a series for those who really like the nude female form. Shame. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – Finally, finally, Takane and Hana manage to honestly admit their feelings for each other and become a couple. I loved Takane’s silent fist-clench of relief and joy, as well as some of the dialogue that follows, like Hana telling her father “He means the world to me,” and Hana’s mother being concerned about her daughter’s future options being limited. (Takane awesomely tells Hana, “Do whatever you want to do. The only difference is that I’m at your side.”) The family trip to Okinawa gets a little silly, with Hana working herself up to ambush him with a kiss again, but there are nice moments as well, and I appreciated the reminder that Takane is really not going to try anything physical with her at this point in time. I had a few volumes to catch up on for this review, and now I’m bummed not to have any more. – Michelle Smith

What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Kobayashi | Dark Horse – When I was first introduced to What’s Michael?, it was after the series had already gone out of print in English and was difficult to find. I am thrilled that the manga is being released again, making it available to a wider audience. The first “fatcat” omnibus collect the first six volumes of Dark Horse’s previous edition with no real changes, as far as I can tell. It also includes a newly written essay by Zack Davisson which provides additional context for the series. What’s Michael? may simply be one of the best cat comics that I’ve read. Generally episodic in nature—although with some recurring characters and running jokes—Kobayashi perfectly captures not only the peculiarities and personalities of cats but also those of their human admirers. Some of the stories are more fantastic than realistic but What’s Michael? is a manga that is consistently funny and solidly entertaining. – Ash Brown

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 9 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Ao Haru Ride is probably the most straight-up dramatic shoujo that I am reading at the moment, and though it relies largely on story beats that would usually annoy me—like misunderstandings and poor communication—I still really enjoy it. Kou and Futaba have feelings for each other, but Kou’s misguided decision to reject Futaba in favor of hanging out with a sad former classmate kept them apart. Now, Futaba believes Kou and said classmate are a couple, so she’s trying to move on with Kikuchi, a very nice boy whom she’s trying her best to fall for. I love that Kou’s actions have consequences and also that we see their friends discussing the situation and deciding that they can’t fix things for him; this time he has to be the one to act. I also note that Kikuchi is especially likable for a romantic rival, which is kind of rare. Recommened! – Michelle Smith

Given, Vol. 1 | By Natsuki Kizu | SuBLime – Ritsuka Uenohara got so good at playing the guitar that he started to find it boring. That changes when he meets a mysterious classmate named Mafuyu Sato, who is carrying around a very nice guitar yet has no idea how to play it. Mafuyu sings for Uenohara the melody that keeps running through his head, which proves to be the spark that gets Uenohara excited about music again. Mafuyu joins Uenohara’s band as their new singer—the other members are two college guys who seem poised to have a love story of their own—and they’re quickly gearing up for their first live show. Meanwhile, Uenohara’s confused about just how he feels about Mafuyu. Given already has a lot to love: the band dynamics, the relationship between the two leads, the mystery of Mafuyu’s past… I’m eager for more! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Commmunicate, Vol. 5 | By Tomohito Oda | VIZ Media – Komi Can’t Communicate is a very charming series with likable characters. (The exception, of course, is Yamai, who continues to be thoroughly gross.) In this volume, the gang patronizes a run-down restaurant whose proprietors think Komi is a famous reviewer, meets a couple of new characters (Komi is up to 13 friends now!), and plans/executes a maid café for the cultural festival. What I really like is that though there are many comedic moments, Komi continues to make genuine progress in overcoming her communication difficulties. Her mom is shocked and happy to see her talking on the phone, she’s able to say something when out shopping with the two new characters, and she even manages a brief solo dance with Tadano before Najimi turns it into a group thing. This series is sixteen volumes and counting so far and I am definitely here for the long haul. – Michelle Smith

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 | By Umi Sakurai | Square Enix – A flat-faced exotic shorthair keeps getting passed over at the pet store until a kind older gentleman arrives to take him home. Through a series of short chapters, they get to know each other. The human (Kanda) names the kitty Fukumaru, and it soon becomes apparent that he has lost his beloved wife, who had spoken of the possibility of getting a cat when their children were grown. This is an extremely sweet series about two beings who need each other, with dashes of humor provided by typical cat behaviors. I laughed out loud at a particularly evocative panel depicting what happens when Kanda removes an offending cover from Fukumaru’s litter box. I also appreciated seeing the pair through the eyes of Kanda’s long-time friend, who hasn’t seen him smile this much in ages. I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1 | By Tamekou | Seven Seas – There’s a certain type of advertising line that goes “come for the _________, stay for the _________,” and I definitely feel that this works with My Androgynous Boyfriend. The androgyny is definitely a strong part of the title, such as needing to hide Meguru’s relationship with Wako to avoid fan rage, and pairing him up with another pretty boy model, Kira (which goes south fast when both disagree with the idea). But mostly I loved the simple loving relationship between Wako and Meguru, which is strong, sexy, and not something I was expecting in this sort of series. Wako also gets a lot to do, as well as some of the best lines. It’s a series where I come away going “is the next volume out already?” – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 3 | By Hirofumi Neda and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – Smash!! continues to be pretty fun, though there seemed to be an inordinate amount of Mineta in this particular volume. True, much of that consists of the girls orchestrating his punishment for being such a total creep, which I guess is better than it could’ve been. Story-wise, volume three takes readers through the League of Villains’ attack on the training camp, but there are many diversions prior to that, including summer vacation hijinks, rescue drills, Halloween, etc. What I like best are things I’d never had reason to think of before, like Tokoyami’s inability to perform CPR, or just completely absurd visuals like Todoroki being depicted in a poodle costume or Aizawa playing the victim in a rescue scenario. I don’t know how much reread potential this series has, but… well, “pretty fun” about sums it up. – Michelle Smith

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Vol. 6 | By Natsuya Semikawa and Virginia Nitouhei | Udon Entertainment – This is still, for the most part, a lighthearted series about people enjoying delicious pub food, but there is an ominous undercurrent to the whole thing that implies that the conservative forces are starting to rally against the izakaya as being a den of witches and that things may not be bright and sunny for long. Till then, there’s omelettes, and Hamburg Steak, and any number of tasty food that the customers, even if they may be reluctant at first, come to love. The question is whether that love of food can enter the hearts of the Church, which is very much in a “everything progressive and non-traditional must go into the fire” frame of mind. – Sean Gaffney

Scarlet, Vol. 1 | By Chiri Yuino | Seven Seas – This proved to be a lot darker and less fanservice-filled than I expected given the cover… and yes, I know the cover shows a vampire and her (rather happy) victim. But the vampire’s not all that happy, and in the end this is a book about the horrors of drug addiction, albeit one coached in the language of fairy tales and legends. Fine is a tragic vampire who wants to be human again, and Iris Redblood gets to be Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the same time. Together, they do indeed fight crime, but they don’t always win the day—sometimes the cute little girl ends up dying. And yes, there’s more than a tinge of yuri to this, which is why I suspect folks here will pick it up. It’s pretty good, but not sure if I need more of it. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – Another unbalanced volume, this is definitely front-loaded, with the first half having some of the best material in the entire series, as Takane and Hana open up to each other in a private moment (that turns out to be a little less than private) and admit their feelings. The second half shows them trying to negotiate this thing they now have, going on a date (well, more of an endurance hike), and a trip to Okinawa, where they run into another annoying little problem—they still have to hide things, so she’s the “kid sister,” which irritates Takane no end. And, well, there’s also the problem if Hana lacking a certain sense of shame—fortunately Takane has it for her. The first half, though? Magnificent. – Sean Gaffney

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 8 | By Maybe | Yen Press – I enjoy the art and characters, but the series does love its one plot, which is “make it look like sex will be happening any day now but never actually have it occur.” Yes, they figure out a way to get out of the “bone or die” space without actually boning, and are able to move on with the fantasy part of the plot. Which actually involves the somewhat unwieldy party splitting up, so the next book should at least try to move away from will-they-or-won’t-they? a bit. In the meantime, this is another one where there’s no real conflict between the girls (as opposed to the previous generation of ring bearers). Even Saphir, seemingly the one who cares the least, is more a jerk with a heart of gold. Getting sort of trying. – Sean Gaffney

Umma’s Table | By Yeon-sik Hong | Drawn and Quarterly – Having greatly appreciated Uncomfortably Happily, I was excited that Drawn and Quarterly would be releasing another of Hong’s manhwa in translation, Umma’s Table. The narrative follows a cartoonist named Madang and his struggle to balance (and to some extent keep separate) his life as a new parent and his life as a caregiver for his ailing mother and father. Although shadowed by his father’s alcoholism and the lasting impact it has on multiple generations, some of Madang’s happiest and most nostalgic memories are those of family meals and his mother’s food. Overall, Umma’s Table is a bittersweet, wrenching work, but it’s not without moments of hope as Madang reflects on the complexities and parallels of his experiences both as a father and as a son. While not as explicitly autobiographical as Uncomfortably Happily, elements from Hong’s life are present in Umma’s Table as well, providing a sense of visceral honesty. – Ash Brown

DAYS, Vol. 16 | By Tsuyoshi Yasuda | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Usually with sports manga I can find some emotional beat to highlight, but this volume really is just a bunch of soccer. Not that that’s a bad thing. Seiseki has progressed to the second round of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament and their opponent is Ichiboshi Academy, whose unpredictable playing style proves challenging. Tsukamoto takes a bit of a backseat this time as Yasuda-sensei focuses on some older players like Oshiba, whose experience gets him past Ichiboshi’s impressive defence and allows him to score the first goal of the game, and Usui, who is shockingly bested by Ichiboshi as they score a goal of their own. It may not be deep, but it is fun, and I always appreciate how clear Yasuda’s panels are, particularly in depicting pass and shot trajectory. I’ll keep reading! – Michelle Smith

Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vol. 2 | By Nanashi | Vertical Comics – When it comes to teasing titles, I like this better than Uzaki Wants to Hang Out (which I’ve dropped), but it’s still well below Teasing Master Takagi-san. Where it does succeed is in the art—Nanashi is really, really good at drawing embarrassment, and knows it, so the entire title revolves around both leads getting red-faced and twitchy. The problem continues to be that Nagatoro does not get enough scenes where she’s shown to be teasing rather than just torturing him, and the “senpai” remains a thoroughly wet protagonist. That said, the addition of her two friends did make a nice addition, as it brings out her jealousy. No one toys with my senpai but me! – Sean Gaffney

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Vol. 2 | By Yabako Sandrovich and MAAM | Seven Seas – The blatant fanservice is still there, but there may be slightly less of it, or perhaps I’ve just gotten used to it, as I was not as distracted by it this time around. Instead I remain fascinated by the workout advice, as well as the wacky adventures of the girls getting the advice, primarily Hibiki, who remains the best thing about this book. We’re also introduced to a new character, Zina, a Russian girl who really wants to be true to the stereotypes that Japan has about Russians. She’s fun, losing to Hibiki in a competition and then transferring to challenge her… and ending up in a different class. Again, I’m surprised that, despite some really blatant service, this remains refreshingly non-sleazy. – Sean Gaffney

An Incurable Case of Love, Vol. 2 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – Maki Enjoji’s titles always seem to have heroines that I really enjoy, even when they’re screwing up. Case in point: Sakura at a party gets drunk and basically talks FAR too much, both to the group and later on to Tendo. Despite this, it’s really rather adorable and not pathetic, which is sort of what you’d expect. The manga also gets good later in the volume, as she deals with something that nurses also have to handle: a stalker who became obsessed with her as a patient. As for Dr. Tendo, he’s dealing with a rival for Nanase’s affections… and also a rival in teaching her how to be a good nurse, as he valiantly donates his poor arm until she shows she can put in an IV properly. This is just fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kase-san and Yamada, Vol. 1 | By Hiromi Takashima | Seven Seas – This is not the first Kase-san book, but the title change signals a sea change: the girls are in college, and Kase-san and Yamada are now definitely the focus rather than flowers, pastries, etc. That said, their couple status is both the plus and the minus of this book: as Erica Friedman and others have noted, both of them are dating but decidedly in the closet. And this is a problem on both sides: Kase becomes jealous when Yamada is invited to a group date, and takes steps to intervene; likewise, Yamada realizes that Kase has a roommate, and that, when her love is sick, she cannot simply rush to her side to take care of her. Real life tends to put crimps in a relationship. Maybe next volume they can tell the roommate about it. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 5 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is devoted to a culture festival, where our class has decided to do a maid cafe, mostly as Komi wants to do one. She may have trouble communicating, but she’s still the princess of the school, and a lot rides on her opinions. Of course, there are challenges. Tadano ends up being forced into a maid costume as well, Najimi’s attempts at making money break school rules and come close to violating actual laws, and Yamai exists. We also meet one or two new characters, including a sempai type and an “easygoing” type who tends to wander off, get lost, etc. Komi-san runs on cliches—deliberately so—but it remains at its heart sweet and heartwarming, especially when the two leads are interacting. – Sean Gaffney

Let’s Kiss in Secret Tomorrow, Vol. 1 | By Uri Sugata | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Saya Kanra and Yuto Kozaki have been friends since elementary school and chastely dating since junior high. Yuto gets a makeover prior to starting high school, wanting to look cool and gain some confidence. The makeover proves too successful, alas, and now he has so many fangirls that Saya, fearing ostracism, has pretended not to know him and adopted the guise of someone disinterested in love. Now they’re trying to keep their relationship secret, occasionally aided by nerdy junior high classmate Amabiki, and talking mostly over voice chat, where things have started to get steamy in the tamest possible sense of the word. This may not be the most robust premise for a series, but I did like that the situation causes Saya to question both her own identity and her past assumptions about Amabiki’s quality of life. This series is complete in three volumes, which feels about right. – Michelle Smith

Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Iwashita | Kodansha Comics – Originally a digital-only title, Living-Room Matsunaga-san has now achieved a print release! Due to family circumstances that aren’t fully explained, second-year high school student Miko Sonoda is shunted off to live not with her uncle but at her uncle’s boarding house with a bunch of strangers. Miko’s mother seems utterly unconcerned about this, and expects Miko to handle things herself. Thankfully, Miko is pretty capable for a teenager, with occasional lapses, and though she’s initially intimidated by her new housemate Jun Matsunaga, who comes across as belligerent and domineering, she soon realizes that he’s kind, caring, and passionate about his work as a graphic designer. Various situations ensue and Miko finds herself falling for him. While I’m not enthusiastic about a teen/adult romance, I do like these characters, the art style, and the kitty, so I’ll be proceeding on to volume two! – Michelle Smith

The Man Without Talent | By Yoshiharu Tsuge | New York Review Comics – While several of Tsuge’s shorter manga have previously made their way into translation, The Man Without Talent is his first long-form work to be released in English. In the accompanying essay, translator and historian Ryan Holmberg describes it as “Tsuge’s most popular and accessible work.” Originally serialized between 1985 and 1986, The Man Without Talent incorporates semi-autobiographical elements into its narrative. The story follows a cartoonist who seems to have largely given up on cartooning despite the pleas of his wife. Instead, he tries, struggles, and ultimately fails to make ends meet by selling stones he finds along the river near his home. The manga is an occasionally surreal but compellingly honest work, in part an examination of poverty, creativity, society, and self-determination. Readers rightfully intrigued by The Man Without Talent will soon have more of Tsuge’s manga to look forward to—Drawn & Quarterly has a seven-volume series of collected works planned. – Ash Brown

My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1 | By Tamekou | Seven Seas – Hooray for more josei! Souma Meguru is a beautiful guy who gets profiled in magazines and has many followers on Instagram. He’s been dating Machida Wako, busy editor, for seven years (ever since high school). This slice-of-life series depicts their domestic bliss as well as some of the challenges they face, like rumors that Meguru is actually dating a fellow male model or Wako’s coworker’s assumption that Meguru is female. I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which they go to “Ikeya” and Wako invents backstories for Meguru as he sits in various display rooms. It’s nice to read about a couple that has been together for so long; their relationship exudes trust and devotion. That said, it’s a bit weird that Meguru looks about twelve throughout, when he’s supposed to be so hot. Overall, this was pleasant and I’ll most likely check out volume two. – Michelle Smith

Our Dining Table | By Mita Ori | Seven Seas – I have read thousands of volumes of manga at this point but seldom have I encountered one as intensely charming as Our Dining Table. Yutaka Hozumi is a lonely salaryman who lost his parents at a young age and was never accepted by his adoptive siblings. When a pair of brothers comes into his life, exuberant four-year-old Tane Ueda and harried college student Minoru, Yutaka finds a family that will not only accept him but actively desires he be present as much as possible. I loved the slow progression of Yutaka and Minoru’s relationship; it’s one of those where it’s absolutely clear how they are healing each other of their trauma and what each finds appealing in the other. Also, Tane is incredibly adorable and it’s obvious how much fun Ori-sensei had when drawing him. I loved this without reservation. – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 19 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – The nature of these volumes is they tend to be between 9-11 chapters no matter what, and while some thought is always given for an appropriate “cliffhanger” (and there’s a good one here), it does sometimes mean that the emotional beat can happen earlier than the author might like. That’s definitely the case here—this book is front-loaded as hell, with the absolute highlight being Noelle reuniting with her family, kicking ass, and her older brother apologizing for the constant abuse he hurled at her. It’s really fantastic. The rest of the book can’t help but feel like an anticlimax, though there is a nice bit at the end where Asta and company make a chaotic entrance to join in the fight. Which isn’t over yet, so next time? – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 13 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – This manga has too many cast members in it we have to remember, especially given that it only comes out now about once every six months or so. We see Iura dealing with his younger sister, who is having exam worries, and it’s meant to contrast to his “the guy nobody likes” persona at school, but I can’t really retain enough about what he was like for it to really impact. One good thing about this volume is that Hori is relatively behaved, so there’s a lot less of the “wacky” consent issues we saw in prior volumes. When she acts relatively normal, she and Miyamura remind you why we loved this manga in the first place. That said, it really does not appear to be headed towards any specific conclusion. How long will it go on? – Sean Gaffney

Levius/est, Vol. 1 | By Haruhisa Nakata | Viz Media – I probably should have read the Levius omnibus before picking up Levius/est. As far as I can tell, the first volume is mostly a recap of the original series told at an astonishingly breakneck speed. (Levius ended prematurely when Ikki ceased publication; Nakahata essentially had to restart the series in a new magazine, Ultra Jump.) It’s admittedly impressive how much ground Nakata manages to cover in such a short span, but I’m hoping that Levius/est finds a more sustainable and enjoyable pace soon. I want to see the mixed martial arts matches between cyborgs that will either save or destroy the world. I want a chance to actually get to know the characters beyond a surface-level lightning overview of their tragic backstories. I want the worldbuilding to not need to rely on heavy-handed exposition. Right now, Levius/est‘s greatest strength is Nakata’s stylish artwork, but something more would be welcomed. – Ash Brown

Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – Having enjoyed the first volume of Magus of the Library, I was looking forward to the second, even if the series is not always the most subtle of works narratively speaking. But I can’t help but love the underlying message of libraries (reading in generally, really) as a method of gaining knowledge, expanding one’s horizons, and developing empathy for others. At the same time, the work acknowledges the potential harm the written word can cause depending on its use. As a librarian, I can especially appreciate Izumi incorporating real-world social, economic, and political concerns surrounding libraries (fairly accurately, actually, although with simplification) into the fantasy setting of Magus of the Library. Other related areas the second volume of the series specifically addresses include bookselling and bookbinding. The volume also serves as something like a travelogue and introduces new characters destined, I’m sure, to become Theo’s cohorts in training at the Central Library. – Ash Brown

Murcielago, Vol. 13 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – OK, the master swordsman arc did not finish off quite as fast as I’d hoped, but that’s fine, as it gives us a chance to see Kuroko in action some more (and still really struggling, which is cool), as well as Himiko’s dynamic entrance in her car, always a treat. After that’s resolved, we start a sequel arc, as Goldmarie’s body is not lying mouldering in the grave as it should be, but has gone missing. And now there’s a bunch of murders happening in and around the sewers, which gives the artist another chance to lovingly depict a lot of corpses and gore. Murcielago is never going to be children’s entertainment, but it’s a lot of fun provided ultraviolent lesbians are your bag. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – So Izuku has multiple powers now. That said, he’s still having trouble learni8ng about them at all, so has to finish the fight quirkless. Honestly, Uraraka is the MVP of this battle, and there’s some nice ship tease with her and Izuku as my reward. After that, we switch over to the dark side of the cast—it even gets pointed out, with one chapter being called “My Villain Academia,” and a heavier focus on the League of Villains, who are falling on hard times at the moment. Things are not helped by a new, more corporate set of villains trying to get their foot in the door, and the volume ends with a confrontation. This has become one of the biggest Jump series, and it’s well deserved. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – There is so much going on in this volume. As the battle training with class B comes to a close, Midoriya learns that he will eventually inherit six additional quirks from past wielders of One for All and Shinso gets to use his power to save someone and earns admission into the hero course. Mina gets a couple of badass panels while Uraraka gets several (as well as a rare smile from Aizawa). I love how much Aizawa has taken Shinso under his wing and that we get a glimpse of and a reference to someone he and Mic knew when they were students, a boy called Shirakumo. We also meet the Meta Liberation Army, who are determined to take down the League of Villains. Todoroki and Bakugo get their provisional hero licenses and we learn a little of Shigaraki’s backstory. Phew! I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 3 | By Hirofumi Neda| Viz Media – Again, I like how this gag series is handled. It’s character-based exaggeration, but it also follows the main storyline for the most part, so it can use multiple modes of humor. It’s also not above pointing out its own flaws—when Momo is lacking confidence, Eraserhead tells her to spend a week living with Uraraka, and the latter is quick to point out that “my poverty being of service to you” is offensive. Of course, the series is also not above mocking her love of rich person’s food over and over again, so. We even get a good look at the league of villains here, and they’re just as goofy. This is still a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 7 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Somehow I missed reviewing the sixth volume of this series, and it’s a shame, as the seventh book is fantastic, possibly the highlight of the series in general. After spending about half of it leading up to the exams, and reminding us what’s at stake, we see the girls taking them one by one, each flashing back to their own issues and challenges—the biggest of which may be Yotsuba’s, as she reveals she’s the one who failed the makeup exam at their old school, and the others left with her in solidarity. The results are brought off perfectly, but Nino is saved for last, and she’s the one who gets the best part, right at the end. Still one of the best romantic comedy manga we’ve seen in some time. – Sean Gaffney

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 | By Kousuke Oono | Viz Media – There’s not really much here in plot or characterization beyond the surface. But when the surface is this, you absolutely don’t care. Househusband is all about style, and in that the book succeeds dramatically. I liked that it featured his wife a bit more in the various chapters, and you can see why he loves her. Everyone keeps mistaking him for doing horrible yakuza deals, even when he’s pushing spices for birthday parties. That said, you really can’t blame them given he’s also pushing his yakuza thoughts into his everyday life, such as the yoga poses, which was absolutely hilarious. We also meet his wife’s family, and their desperate attempts at bonding, which they do after a fashion. This is a whole lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 22 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – This volume begins with the aftermath of the adventure in Sei, with Lady Riri dealing with the gratitude of her people, which she doesn’t feel she’s earned; Hak reflecting on adolescent memories of Su-Won, whose ability to see the world impartially means he has no special attachment to anyone; and the Four Dragons working to get back a hairpin for Yona that Su-Won gave her. Then we’re off to another adventure in a foreign land. One of the princesses of Xing is sure they’re Kohka’s next target for expansion and proposes war while her younger sister proposes preemptive surrender in order to save lives. Would-be assassins raid the latter’s compound, where there are a couple of badass fighters and lots of kitties. It’s very much a transitional volume, but still quite good. I’m always bummed whenever I run out of Yona to read. – Michelle Smith