Bookshelf Briefs

This week, Sean, Anna, and Michelle look at recent releases from VIZ Media and Vertical, Inc.

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 3 | By Touya Tobina | VIZ Media – The halfway decent second volume of Jiu Jiu must’ve been a fluke, because this one was equal parts confusing and dreadfully dull. It’s primarily about a meeting of the various hunter clan members, including the guy who used to be Takamichi’s fiancé as well as the guy who’s her current fiancé. Some family heads don’t approve of using mixed breeds as minions, but right when their actions are facing the most scrutiny, Snow and Night commit various acts of violence that I assume are provoked by jealousy (but it’s all a bit too muddled to be sure). I’m not even able to appreciate the occasional tidbits of fanservice, since I see Takamichi’s canine familiars more as “dogs who transform into hot boys” rather than the reverse. I’ve given it three volumes to snare me, to no avail. I think I may be done with Jiu Jiu now. – Michelle Smith

Limit, Vol 2 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical – Limit continues to be shojo for the person who is weary of shojo. There’s no boys on the horizon at all, and being stranded in the wilderness takes the typical high school centric plots out of the equation entirely. Suenobu continues to develop the different personalities and characters of the small group of survivors of a school bus crash. What I found most interesting in this volume was the way the horror of the situation really comes from within each girl. Survival depends on being able to drop the programmed responses that they’ve been taught by modern society. Kamiya is pragmatic almost to the point of being sociopathic, but her knowledge of survival skills and ability to handle the tarot Otaku with a sythe Morishige makes it seem like she’s best fit for survival. Usui’s weakness is her lack of self confidence, and her belief that the mean girl norms of highschool are going to continue indefinitely, and she ends up putting herself in a sticky situation. Konno’s dawning self-awareness and her reappraisal of the situation places her in conflict with Kamiya, but I wonder if Konno’s self-prized trait of being able to go with the flow will enable her to continue on as food and shelter remain scarce. I’m looking forward to volume 3! – Anna N

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – I must admit I’m not all that fond of the new character, Aki, who so far has proved to be more of a really annoying pest than anything else. But then, I thought the same thing about Yui at first, and now I love him to bits, the idiot. And speaking of idiots, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Okegawa, who now has to repeat a year because everyone around him is a dork. (But glorious dorks – the traps set up to stop him are the funniest part of this volume). There’s little plot movement here beyond introducing Aki, but I was pleased to see a few heartwarming moments involving Ayabe and his family (and a hint that the student council president isn’t as evil as he seems). Lastly, there’s even a brief feeling of Takaomi possibly getting jealous, and reinforcing his master-servant relationship with Mafuyu. As always, Oresama Teacher is PACKED WITH STUFF. -Sean Gaffney

Otomen, Vol. 14 | By Aya Kanno | VIZ Media – After adoring Vol. 13 and its Ryo focus, there was no way I wasn’t going to be let down by this new volume, which heads back towards its Otomen focus. That said, there’s stuff to like here as well. Kitora is the focus of the first half of the book, along with Juta’s tsundere sister Kuriko, who likes Kitora in the usual ‘constantly angry at him’ way. There’s also a genuine supernatural element to the chapter, which makes things a bit odder. I wasn’t as wild about the second half, as honestly the otomen plot is wearying, given that every single male character in the series is proving to be a secret otomen. One thing does carry over from last volume – Asuka is still uncertain about what he wants to do with his life, but is beginning to realize that he has to resolve things with his mother before he can move forward. Let’s hope that resolution comes soon. -Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Oh, Strobe Edge, you’re as sweet and insubstantial as cotton candy, but I still like you. In fact, sometimes my brain needs a comforting and thoroughly unchallenging high-school romance like this. In this second volume, Ninako is trying to move on from being rejected from her first love, Ren, and has asked that they remain friends. Meanwhile, she meets a flirtatious guy named Ando who is sometimes obnoxious and sometimes keenly observant, a trait that comes in handy when Ninako meets Ren’s girlfriend and learns that she’s super nice and cute. What it boils down to is… there’s really nothing new here. But what is here is well done and compelling and easily digestible. It’s like brain balm. I’ll definitely be continuing on. – Michelle Smith

This week, Sean, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Seven Seas, VIZ Media, and JManga.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 3 | By Hajime Isayama | Kodansha Comics – There are many depressing series that never quite let you forget that hope for the best is behind it all. Attack on Titan, on the other hand, never lets you forget how fast hope can be lost and turn into total despair. Despite the arrival of a timely (and high-ranked) ally, most of this volume has our three leads existing at a knife-edge away from being killed. For once, the fact that I can barely tell anyone apart except for our heroes works quite well – the mob mentality and need to get rid of anything terrifying is at work here, and that tends to trump things like strategy and common sense. That said, there’s not a lot of common sense in what Eren can now do, and the ‘hey, now we have a titan on our side’ plan doesn’t go nearly as well as they thought. Luckily, there’s a cooking battle arc next time (OK, not really.) -Sean Gaffney

A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 6 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Motoi Fuyukawa | Seven Seas – This is adapting the third ‘Magical Index’ main novel, in case readers were wondering why the big battle with Accelerator consists of Misaka standing around watching things. Still, given that you can’t exactly write Touma out, the Railgun adaptation handles things quite well, putting the focus squarely on Misaka and her own suffering. And it is indeed suffering – Misaka cannot stop blaming her own past actions as a child for the mass slaughter of innocents, to the point where the reaches a horrible decision (that, luckily, Touma is there to talk her out of, or at least calm her down a bit). I will admit that Uiharu and Saten, briefly glimpsed at the start, are missed, but this is a big character-building exercise for Misaka, so it’s OK for once to let the spotlight drift elsewhere. -Sean Gaffney

The Earl and the Fairy, Vol. 4 | By Mizue Tani and Ayuko | VIZ Media – The ending to this final volume of Earl & Fairy is strangely open – or not so strangely, as the light novel series extends many, many volumes beyond this point. It’s not a bad ending to the manga, but I get a feeling that it’s simply reinforcing the lessons that Lydia learned at the end of Volume 2, simply filtered through a different scenario. Everyone gets to show off what they do best – Lydia is compassionate yet foolhardy, Edgar is intelligent yet nihilistic, and Raven gets to beat people up and be deadpan. I did like the repair of Rosalie and Doris’ relationship, mostly as Rosalie did not magically turn nice – she’s still as annoying as she was since we met her. This was a decent fantasy series, but I fear that it doesn’t really linger in the memories that long – which may be why the manga ended with this volume. -Sean Gaffney

My Darling Kitten Hair, Vol. 2 | By Haruko Kumota | JManga/Libre Publishing – As is usually the case, MJwas absolutely right about My Darling Kitten Hair—it’s thoroughly charming. The time for confessions of love has long past, and now “Kei-chan” and “Mii-kun” are getting used to actually being together as a couple after six years in a long-distance relationship. The characterization in this series is so strong that the reader is actually truly happy for them when they achieve a breakthrough, and crushed when things don’t go quite right. I especially love that Mii-kun, the languid slacker type (as opposed to Kei’s tidy salaryman), is actually the more vulnerable one in a lot of ways. But on the whole, I love both guys so much that I really can’t wait for the next volume. Plus? Cute cats! I don’t know how I could possibly recommend this more highly.– Michelle Smith

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – For me the best part of this volume was seeing attention paid to ‘Those Two Guys’, i.e. Natsume’s school classmates who aren’t Tanuma and Taki. It’s rare you see such characters get development beyond being a line or two within the hero’s larger story, so giving Nishimura and Kitamoto backstories and reasons for enjoying Natsume’s company (without making them connected to the supernatural the way Tanuma and Taki are) is heartwarming to see. Once again, the emphasis is on expanding Natsume’s world. The earlier chapters, a more action-oriented story featuring Natsume infiltrating a meeting of exorcists, didn’t do as much for me, but then I’ve always enjoyed the smaller, quieter chapters of this series over the main plot-based ones. Still a must read. -Sean Gaffney

Pride, Vols. 3-4 | By Yukari Ichijo | JManga/SHUEISHA Inc. – I’d nearly forgotten just how much I loved this series until I delved back into it this week, and wow do I love this series. Tension ramps up dramatically in these two volumes, as Shio, Moe, and Ranmaru form an unexpected musical trio that ultimately lives or dies on each of their personal career choices—all the while Shio struggles to keep secret her business-only engagement to record executive Jinno (who becomes both more sympathetic and more suspect over the course of these volumes). As melodramatic as the story’s plotting may seem, it’s rooted in exactly enough emotional truth to satisfy a cranky old lady like me. It’s an exciting, exquisitely-crafted, gorgeously dramatic ride that has left me absolutely pining for more. Highly recommended.

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

Ai Ore!, Vol. 7 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – I’m starting to get the feeling that Shinjo is beginning to lose interest in her own series, and am somewhat relieved that the next volume will be the last. Once again we see how well-adjusted Mizuki is when not thinking about Akira, and how thinking about him makes her a nervous wreck. The same applies, of course, to Akira in reverse – and it’s lampshaded by the other characters that this has been going on a bit too long. The main plot here involves Akira starting a solo career, seemingly in a bid to gain Mizuki’s attention. Of course, he has to sing as a girl, which leads to his photographer/manager (who doesn’t seem to care about his true gender) hitting on him and forcing him to question why he does all this cross-dressing. It’s sad that this series has gone from appalling to funny to sweet and now to boring. – Sean Gaffney

Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 3 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – I’m going to have to come out and say it—I found Peter White the most interesting part of this volume. And given that I don’t like Peter at all, that’s saying something. But of course, that’s the point. Peter’s constant war between “I want Alice to be mine” and “I want Alice to be happy” seems to have finally swung in the “happy” direction, and so he has to stay away from her for the sake of her memories. It’s nice to see the main plotline of AitCoH get brought up again, reminding us that despite all the fluffy romance with Boris, everyone here is working with one goal in mind, which is to prevent Alice from recalling some psychological trauma involving her sister. And yes, Boris is doing that too. Will this threaten their relationship? Read on! – Sean Gaffney

Cage of Eden, Vol. 8 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – It’s a shame the fanservice is so blatant and sexist, because this really is quite a fun adventure/thriller manga. There’s young men fighting twenty-foot-tall horse/bear hybrids by kicking them in the face, there’s intriguing plot revelations that force you to rethink everything about the premise (the view from the mountain), and there’s mystery elements that unfortunately seem to reinforce one of the manga’s main themes, “almost all adults are evil,” But really, Cage of Eden 8 can be defined by its cover, featuring Yarai looking grim and cool while carrying his teacher in a way that displays her ass to the reader in the most blatant way possible. Jump may try to quietly cater to both male and female readers – Magazine never bothers. But, getting past the boobs, butts and more boobs, it’s genuinely intriguing. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 2 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – After the first volume’s wild drama, things remain tense and messy in volume two, as the girls figure out their own strategies for survival in a scenario where they are forced to depend on those they most certainly can’t trust. Though some of the character development may seem obvious, there are a few genuine surprises in the mix, and all the girls’ stories are well-told in Keiko Suenobu’s deft hands. Though capable Kamiya, with her well-honed survival skills and calm focus, is the most objectively impressive character in this volume, it’s popular girl Konno who experiences the greatest (and most surprising) personal growth. This series continues to maintain a delicate balance between its scathing commentary on teen social politics and its expressive shoujo artwork, cementing it as one of my favorite debut series of the year. Highly recommended. – MJ

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media -Oresama Teacher is a bit predictable, and I am growing a little tired of the parade of cute young men with severe psychological issues that end up causing chaos in ex-delinquent Mafuyu’s new life. But it also consistently makes me laugh every time I pick up a volume due to the lunacy of the situations and visual gags. In this volume, Mafuyu deals with Aya’s past and gets some unwelcome attention from a new transfer student at her school. I was also happy to see the return of the school’s former Bancho, and his reaction to seeing Mafuyu and Aya talking together was priceless. I hope that the series swings back to the larger plotline about Takaomi and the redemption of the school, but as long as Oresama Teacher continues to reliably deliver funny moments I’m going to keep reading. – Anna N

Paradise Kiss, Vol. 2 | By Ai Yazawa | Vertical, Inc. – Each time I re-read this series, I am surprised all over again by how complex Yukari’s feelings for George are and how seriously cruel he can be, but this time, there’s more. Vertical’s gorgeous reprint of this series also brings into focus just how damned alluring George is, and how genuinely sexy and romantic Yukari’s relationship is with him at times, which really only complicates things more. Emotional complication is nearly always a very good thing, and that’s certainly the case here, especially in this volume, where Yukari is struggling so desperately with first love along with understanding the power (and terror) of exercising her own free will. My earlier reservations about this version’s English adaptations were smoothed over by this volume, which neatly swept me away without distraction. Highly recommended. – MJ

Real, Vol. 11 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – Nomiya takes center stage in this volume, as the time has finally come for him to try out for the Tokyo Lightnings, a pro team. As a devotee of sports manga, I found the whole process undeniably riveting, and even somewhat verklempt-inducing since Nomiya, though lacking in various skills and experience, is nonetheless able to display his best qualities on the court and as a person. (Spoiler: we’re going to have to wait another year for volume twelve to learn whether he’s made the team or not.) Meanwhile, Togawa’s wheelchair basketball team, the Tigers, acquires a feisty new coach and Takahashi, still doing rehabilitation in the hospital, takes a competition wheelchair for a spin. Real is full of struggle and effort, and we’ve seen these protagonists dispirited before. But now, when they’re on the cusp of achieving something so meaningful, the payoff is immensely sweet. Very strongly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Slam Dunk, Vol. 25 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – I always put down a volume of an Inoue manga feeling like I’ve witnessed a very entertaining masterclass in storytelling. Slam Dunk always balances the psychological aspects of playing sports with incredibly well-executed action scenes. The Shohoku team is about to play the tournament favorites Sannoh, and the early part of the volume deals with team strategy on both sides. We see the cipher-like coach of Shohoku knowing just what to say to each of his players to ensure that they won’t be intimidated by their opposing team, and the formation of a new cohesive team identity. There are always a few moments from Slam Dunk that stand out in my mind after I close each volume, and in this case it is the identical looks of disbelief on Sakuragi and Miyagi’s faces when Sakuragi actually manages to do something cool in a competitive game after Miyagi feeds him the ball. – Anna N

Vampire Knight, Vol. 15 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media – For all that it features really hot and sexy vampires being hot, this volume of Vampire Knight excels because it focuses on what Matsuri Hino writes best—politics. Kaname is physically absent from this volume except in a couple of flashbacks, but the aftermath of his actions at the end of the last volume reverberate throughout. Yuki is trying to hold everything together, and in fact given the lack of faith many have in her what she achieves is surprising, but I can’t help but feel, like Zero, that it’s not going to hold up for very long. It’s especially not helped by the presence of Sara, who is such an obvious villain that she gets to simply walk around being villainous and wait for anyone to bother to prove it. And yes, if you do like vampires, there’s even some interesting vampire stuff here. Still addicting soap opera. – Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Yen Press, VIZ Media, and Vertical, Inc.

Aron’s Absurd Armada, Vol. 1 | By MiSun Kim | Yen Press – So, the plot: stupid nobleman coerces his bodyguard to play pirates with him and they gradually acquire a misfit crew. I’m pretty hard to please where comedies are concerned, but Aron’s Absurd Armada delivers the right amount of the promised absurdity to appeal to me. The fact that I started snickering on the character introductions page was a good sign, and there were several bits thereafter that amused me. I like the fact that, though primarily composed in a 4-panel format, there’s actually a sequential story (however silly) being told, so it doesn’t feel like merely a series of jokes. It all flows quite well, actually. Sure, some parts are less funny than others—I particularly fail to find humor in the crew of marines who’re suffering through a similarly incompetent leader—but it’s quite fun on the whole, and I’m looking forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 6 | By Toru Fujisawa | Vertical, Inc. – Again, the best thing about this series is how much of an inspiration Onizuka is. His actual actions may not help much – his plan to get Keiichi in good with his girlfriend’s parents is typical Onizuka, i.e. wildly over the top and idiotic – but his never say die determination lets people he comes into contact with find their own inner strengths. This can sometimes even surprise him – when Ayame goes after the yakuza at the start of this volume, he’s the one that’s nervous. But towards the end we find more and more of the White Swan is in his corner. Of course, they’re dealing with the messed-up twins – well, messed-up twin, as it turns out that they’re not two of a kind. So the cast of this series may not be enough – we have to bring in some ringers from GTO proper. Absolutely cannot wait for Vol. 7! -Sean Gaffney

Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, Vol. 3 | By Kenji Kuroda and Kazuo Maekawa | Kodansha Comics – It would appear I was not the only one annoyed at the complete lack of any Ace Attorney cast other than Miles and Gumshoe. Ema Skye makes an appearance here, coming home from the U.S. for the holiday break. (My guess is she’s about 19-20 here, putting these cases in the gap between Phoenix being framed and the Apollo Justice games – which helps explain the lack of other regulars.) The writers may have played the DS game starring her before they wrote this volume, in fact – the 2nd case has some similarities to her debut. As seems to be a habit with these releases, the first case in the volume is merely OK, but the 2nd is more gripping. Everything is still light as air, but for Ace Attorney fans, this volume is another win.-Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – “I’ll be waiting here at noon tomorrow. If you’re not here, I’ll come by the house.” That sounds innocent enough, doesn’t it? But it’s the threat implied—that exorcist Matoba will tell the relatives Natsume’s living with all about his involvement in the dangerous supernatural world if he doesn’t cooperate—that forces Natsume to attend a meeting of exorcists with Matoba in order to root out the person who’s been attacking them. The ensuing chapters are good though fairly straightforward. I was most captivated by the pair of side stories depicting Natsume as seen through the eyes of a couple of classmates. Midorikawa skillfully creates full personalities for these guys while offering us something new about our protagonist. It’s her skill and the overall warmth and loveliness of the series that left me feeling like this volume was over way too soon. – Michelle Smith

Psyren, Vol. 7 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | VIZ Media – About 2/3 of the way through this series, the main characters are pulled back into the Psyren World, to their great frustration. I share this frustration, as I find the constant fights and posturing in the apocalyptic ruins to be far less interesting than the attempts to change the future in the present. Indeed, the future is already changed – we see the Elmore Wood kids get killed off again on the DVD, but in a different way than they did at first. I’m simply more invested in the present-day plots, and the villains being stock caricatures is not helping at all. I will admit to being amused by the solution to ‘I am being a mook because my sister is in a coma’ – fix the coma, problem solved. But if the majority of the next volume takes place in Psyren World, I’m not really looking forward to it unless something revelatory happens. (coughforeshadowingcough) -Sean Gaffney

Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2 | By Gail Carriger and Rem | Yen Press – The second volume of Soulless finds the supernatural denizens of London sporadically “afflicted with normality.” Getting to the bottom of the matter involves taking a dirigible ride to Scotland, with various attempts on Alexia’s life along the way and some new, though possibly untrustworthy, acquaintances along for the journey. In some ways, this is a stronger volume than the first, with a mystery plot that’s better integrated into the characters’ storyline, though I do miss the banter between Alexia and Conall from their courtship days and the resolution of the mystery is decidedly lame. The introduction of Madame Lefoux, however, is the real highlight. A French inventor who dresses like a gent (complete with top hat), Lefoux’s a scene-stealer whose flirtatious attentions provoke a definite response in Alexia. I hope we’ll be seeing more of her (and, of course, more Soulless)! – Michelle Smith

This week, Michelle, MJ, & Sean check out recent releases from JManga, Yen Press, SuBLime Manga, and VIZ Media.

Ai Ore!, Vol. 7 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m still reading Ai Ore!. It’s a lazily written, episodic type of shoujo comedy that I just can’t like, and Akira as a character is especially grating to me. In this volume, he gets jealous of Kaoru, Mizuki’s childhood friend and former bandmate, and so embarks upon a career as a female idol just to get Mizuki’s attention. When this plan fails, he decides to make a serious bid for stardom, at which point Mizuki communicates her feelings for him in song (barf) and declares that he’s her prince (barf), causing him to abandon the project. On top of Akira’s personality changing half a dozen times over the course of the volume, everything that happens is just so stupid and pointless that I am profoundly relieved that my completist nature will only compel me to to endure one more volume of this mess. – Michelle Smith

Ninja Papa, Vol. 3 | By Yasuto Yamamoto | JManga – I think the author is starting to run out of ways to use his basic theme—I am a wimpish salaryman who nevertheless becomes a BADASS NINJA when pushed—as volume 3’s confrontations seem less over the top and silly, which was really the main reason to read this series in the first place. Honestly, there was too much salaryman and not enough ninja. We get the basic seinen themes restated – don’t let go of your dreams, stand up for what you believe in, even an ugly nebbish loser can attract gorgeous women. Halfway through things perk up when we get a flashback that shows us how Nobuo met his wife and began to doubt the ways of the clan. Unfortunately, his wife proves to be as just one-dimensionally sweet and wonderful in the past. There’s still cool ninja moves, but this series is starting to lose me. -Sean Gaffney

Punch Up!, Vol. 1 | By Shiuko Kano | SuBLime Manga – I’m late to the party on this title, which I only picked up after repeated recommendations in the comments of last week’s BL Bookrack: Best of 2012—and the reasons for those recommendations is pretty clear. Punch Up! is a smart, sexy title with just the right balance of honest characterization and guy-on-guy action for pleasing nearly any BL fan. Shiuko Kano serves up a host of messy characters in messy relationships (the best kind for storytelling, if you ask me), and if it all feels just a bit rushed, well, that’s the fantasy kicking in. That last bit is my only real quibble with the series so far, and I’m anxious to see if things slow down to a more believable pace over the next few volumes. Recommended. – MJ

RIN-NE, Vol. 10 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – It’s been a full year since I last reviewed RIN-NE, and most of what I said about it back then still applies, especially as relates to the part about nothing ever changing in the characters’ personal relationships. Still, I usually enjoy a volume of RIN-NE a bit more than this one, which has rather too much Ageha—a young, belligerent tsundere of a shinigami—for my liking. The chapters having to do with her contentious relationship with her contracted black cat are particularly draining. And speaking of—I need to start a tally box for how many ghosts died as a result of overwork and strain! Maybe this is a common problem in Japan or something. Anyway, Takahashi never fails to muster some fun moments, but there are certainly better volumes of RIN-NE (even if not substantially different). -Michelle Smith

Soul Eater NOT!, Vol. 2 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – The least interesting part of this spinoff for me is what seems to be attracting others – the moe cuteness. I find it far less cute than I’d like, and the faux-yuri shenanigans are simply grating, mostly as they’re so obviously tease with no payoff. That said, I did enjoy this volume more than Volume 1, for two reasons. First, we got to see the series (a prequel to Soul Eater proper) interact with the main title. Liz and Patti as grumpy, just-arrived-at-DWMA waitresses was a thing of beauty, and Maka reminds us once again why she’s the heroine of the main series. Secondly, the dark horror overtones that is a primary reason to read Soul Eater aren’t totally whitewashed here, as the cliffhanger is sudden, tragic and chilling. All of which shows I can never take anything by Ohkubo at face value. -Sean Gaffney

This week, Sean, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from VIZ Media and Yen Press.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8 | By Kazue Kato | VIZ Media – For the most part this is a typical Jump battle volume, meaning there’s lots of fighting and enemies vanquished, but not as much to really mention in a review. There’s enough to really enjoy, though. Shiemi showing her gumption in commanding her familiar to help her save Izumo; Renzo having to face up to the fact that doing the right thing is really annoying and hard; and all of Rin and Bon’s fight against the Impure King (who is truly disgusting adn foul, as you would expect from a giant demonic fungus). But it’s Yukio who gets the most attention here, as he’s dealing with the traitor Saburota, who knows just how to get under his skin and hit his weaknesses. Just as Rin feels his brother outshines him, Yukio feels the same. Hopefully it won’t prove to be a problem in future, but the foreshadowing isn’t looking good. -Sean Gaffney

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 11 | By Julietta Suzuki | VIZ Media – Volumes like this remind me why I keep reading Kamisama Kiss even when it seems that the plot is content to coast along without resolving much. There’s just strong characterization, particularly of the heroine, Nanami. We already knew her father was a scumball from the opening chapter, but the flashbacks we get here show a truly tragic childhood, with the love of her mother (who dies early, in what is hinted to be part of a kamisama’s curse) being one of the few bright spots… and these days Nanami can’t even remember her face. It’s a sign of her strong will that she’s grown up to be the determined young woman she is today, and we see that determination in the second half, where she goes toe to toe with some nameless demons. Cute, intelligent, plucky heroines. What’s not to like? -Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 15 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – Although the friendship between Sawako, Chizu, and Ayane has been a central focus of the series since the beginning, at this point in the story it seems like the three of them have truly become co-leads, as they each face their own romantic problems in this volume. Sawako is troubled by a new distance in her relationship with Kazehaya; Ayane is possibly beginning to feel something for Kent, though she insists she’s not as great as he thinks she is; and Chizu is panicking because Ryu’s confession of love means the end of the sibling-like relationship they’ve shared since childhood. There’s a long and wonderful flashback to the two of them as kids, proving that she’s always been the one who understood him best, culminating in a surprising display of feeling from Ryu. Honestly, it’s giving me goosebumps just typing about it. How can I possibly wait until April for the next installment?! – Michelle Smith

March Story, Vol. 4 | By Kim Hung-Min and Yan Kyung-Il | VIZ Media – After a very exciting and beautifully-crafted third volume, volume four of March Story focuses on March’s secret gender. On the upside, this plays out much differently than in the all-too-common gender-bending comedy. On the downside, it seems to be part of some kind of grand, coordinated effort to boost the series’ volume of fanservice, which is suddenly in full bloom. The artists pull out all the usual tricks in this volume, including ill-fitting clothing that can’t quite keep from falling off and strategically timed gusts of wind. From this reader’s perspective, it reads as distracting and unnecessary pandering that is below these artists’ abilities, but perhaps it’s just a stern reminder that I’m not the series’ demographic after all. There’s enough genuine substance still in this volume to keep my attention, but I can’t deny that I found it disappointing. – MJ

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan, Vol. 6 | By Puyo and Nagaru Tanigawa | Yen Press – The goal of this series is to be as silly as possible. And as logn as that goal is in sight, it doesn’t matter how it achieves it. This time around, we get a discussion of fanservice, the continued humiliation of Mori-san, a far larger role for Kunikida than he ever gets in the main series (though he may not be too happy with why that is), and Ryoko and Kimidori-san teaming up to throw Yuki a school festival in the privacy of their own apartment. But the best chapters, in my opinion, are the two that mock the cliched Japanese over-dramatic plotlines, as we see Haruhi discovering she has to transfer and saying goodbye to everyone, followed by a life-or-death struggle to see who’s strongest on Children’s Day. Neither story has an ending, but endings don’t matter. Are they silly. Yes indeed. -Sean Gaffney

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 12 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – Pandora Hearts doesn’t have the most coherent plotting at the best of times, but volume twelve is more disjointed than most. There’s a lot of exposition here, as the focus shifts towards finding the seals (and their keys) that bind villainous Glen Baskerville and investigating a mysterious, murderous contractor known as “the headhunter.” We go from scenes of Vincent Nightray scheming to seduce Oz’s sister, to Oz’s uncle seeking to dispel the gloomy atmosphere at Pandora by hosting an outdoor tea party, to the group doing some snooping in disguise (with Oz in drag), to everyone attending a fancy dress banquet at the home of a creepy cult leader. This makes for some nice moments—I’m especially fond of the contrast between the female-filtered view of gussied-up Gilbert and the reality—but on the whole, the volume feels rather scattered. That’s not enough to keep me from recommending it, though! – Michelle Smith

This week, MJ, Sean, and Michelle take a look at recent releases from VIZ Media and Yen Press.

Bunny Drop, Vol. 7 | Yumi Unita | Yen Press – After commenting on the last volume that mangaka Yumi Unita seemed “less comfortable writing Rin’s voice than she was writing Daikichi’s,” I’m now prepared to take that back completely. Unita shines in her portrayal of Rin in volume seven, particularly during the last half of the volume when Rin begins to show interest in finding out about her birth mother. Any awkwardness over the series’ time jump has vanished with the previous volume as well, and it almost feels at this point as if those years weren’t missing at all. Older versions of Rin, Daikichi, Kouki, and even absent mom Masako are rich with history, and it seems clear that even if we were not privy to their offscreen years, those years absolutely happened in Unita’s imagination. Ultimately, this series continues to be warm, compelling, and surprisingly poignant. Definitely recommended. – MJ

Durarara!!, Vol. 4 | By Ryohgo Narita, Akiyo Satorigi, and Suzuhito Yasuda | Yen Press – With this fourth volume, which correlates with the end of the first novel, the manga adaptation of Durarara!! comes to a temporary hold (resuming in Durarara!! Saika). And so we get an ending that’s a little bit confusing, with revelations that would mean a lot more if we actually had gotten to know any of these (far too many) characters aside from Celty, who is admittedly pretty fascinating. Unfortunately, Celty and another female character end up declaring their love for unrepentantly murderous fellows, which gets my feminist goat and tarnishes Celty’s moment of empowerment when she realizes she doesn’t need to be ashamed of what she is. Durarara!! has certainly been interesting, and I will definitely check out its continuation, but it will probably never be one of my favorites.– Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 15 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – Our main couple does get a bit of attention here—particularly Sawako’s worries about her relationship’s progression—but this volume’s big focus is on Chizuru and Ryu. We get a long, sad flashback to their childhoods, showing a turning point in their lives, and also hinting (though Chizuru has forgotten) why being treated like a brother bothers Ryu so much. It gets quite emotional, and the catharsis on the last few pages is welcome. The series continues to show stasis as a bad thing in life—always move forward. As for Kent and Ayane, I must admit I still have my issues with Kent—I’d like to see him be a little more flawed, as he was when he first appeared—but his passive/aggressive patience is, I suppose, one way of trying to court Ayane. Will it work? Dunno, let’s find out next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – Tsubaki not being one to let the genre ‘shoujo’ mean much of anything to her, this current arc of Oresama Teacher has read much like a shonen battle arc, or even an RPG. Every volume, Mafuyu needs to take down a new mid-level boss, using both force (which doesn’t work here) and her basic power of being nice and shiny (which does). I admit I didn’t find Ayabe as interesting as I had Wakana in Vol. 10, possibly as he’s not tied to another regular as she is. The actual highlight of the book may be earlier, where Hayasaka gets his long-awaited date with Super-Bun… only for it to be more serious than I expected. That said, there’s still the usual number of hysterical gags here based on the entire cast being idiots. And we get to see Mafuyu lose! For the first time ever, apparently. Still recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – Because of its episodic (and silly) nature, Oresama Teacher is inconsistent in terms of quality, but this volume happens to be one of the good ones! The high point occurs at the beginning, when Hayasaka ends up on a Christmas Eve date with his hero, Super Bun. It’s a highly adorable chapter and creates a good feeling that lingers over the rest of the volume, which involves another minion of the scheming student council president being dispatched to disband the Public Morals Club. This is actually starting to remind me of Sailor Moon or something, where you’ve got the big bad (like Queen Beryl) running through her resources of devotees (like the Four Generals) to take down our heroes. I don’t really mind, but I’d rather read more about Hayasaka’s quirks and contradictions. I suppose if we continue to get a sprinkling of those, I’ll be satisfied. – Michelle Smith

Soulless, Vol. 2 | By Gail Carriger and Rem | Yen Press – After its debut volume’s satisfying, settled (and sexy!) conclusion, volume two of Soulless begins as the best “next” volumes do—with everything coming apart. This sense of unraveling begins immediately, as heroine Alexia is roused from her sleep by her husband’s noisy departure, followed by unwelcome late-night chaos on her own front lawn. She moves on, disoriented, from this point and things really never regain their balance, leaving her (and the reader) increasingly shaken all the way through the volume’s end. This is a tense installment to be sure, and I mean that in the best way possible, as the only response one can have to the book’s decidedly unsettling conclusion is an intense desire for more. Fast-paced, compelling, and oddly beguiling, Soulless continues to be my favorite of Yen Press’ growing catalogue of adaptations. Highly recommended. – MJ

We Were There, Vol. 15 | By Yuuki Obata | VIZ Media – Some manga is all about the plot, and so it’s easy to summarize what happens. We Were There, however, is all about the characters and while it might seem that not much actually happens or changes outwardly, the fact that things seem to be shifting internally for Yano at last is incredibly significant. The story is driven by conversations between characters, mostly people trying to point out to Yano that he can stop striving for atonement while he insists he’s just acting selfishly. Finally, though, the message gets through and he realizes that what Takahashi has always offered—strength, not neediness—is something he might finally be ready to accept. He finishes out the volume helping Yamamoto avoid going down the same path of regret, and then… what’s next? I am honestly not sure this series will end up with Yano and Takahashi together, but this is the first time I have felt like such an outcome would be healthy for all concerned. Truly an amazing series. – Michelle Smith

This week, Michelle, Sean, Kate, & MJlook at recent releases from VIZ Media, Yen Press, and Vertical, Inc.

Bleach, Vols. 50-51 | By Tite Kubo | VIZ Media – The interminable Hueco Mundo arc finally came to an end in 48 with Ichigo losing his soul reaper powers and bidding farewell to Rukia and her world. That would’ve been a terrific place to end the series, but because Bleach continues to be profitable, Kubo must find new ways to keep the story going. He does so by hitting the reset button, as Ichigo (17 months after the big battle) is introduced to a new sort of power called a Fullbring that he is now working to master. I’m rather “meh” about this new arc so far—I don’t care about the group teaching Ichigo or their enemy—but there are more scenes with Orihime and the gang than we’ve seen for a long time as well as some intrigue involving Ichigo’s father and sister that could prove interesting. And hey, no Aizen! – Michelle Smith

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 3 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – I think I enjoyed this volume of A Bride’s Story more than the previous two (despite taking several months to actually read it). I’d felt that the cast was distant and remote at times, especially the heroine. Not an issue here, as most of the volume follows the Englishman, Smith, as he tries to get to Turkey. On the way, he runs into locals that are far less accommodating than the village we know, and almost loses his life. He also falls for a young widow trying to provide for her family despite desperate circumstances. We are led to think that the two will solve each other’s problems—but Smith gets rescued by a deus ex machina, and circumstance conspires to ensure he’ll never see the girl he’s fallen for again. It’s quite bittersweet and sad, and thus more compelling. Oh, and Pariya is terrific. More with her, please. -Sean Gaffney

Durarara!!, Vol. 4 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda & Akiyo Satorigi | Yen Press – The danger of reading the manga after experiencing the novel and anime starts to rear its ugly head here—I felt myself muttering “Celty’s arc was done much better there” throughout the volume. However, this does not mean there aren’t some good moments here. To everyone’s surprise, Seiji ends up “winning” the day, if only temporarily—and Mikado admits that he thinks that Seiki and Mika make an excellent couple, which is probably nastier than he had really intended. Speaking of nasty, Izaya also wins the day (hell, Shizuo doesn’t even appear), gaining a new slave… um, assistant, and reminding Mikado that you can’t just dabble in a world like Durarara!!, you have to sink your claws deep into it. Which can be extremely dangerous. As we’ll find out when the Saika arc starts next spring. -Sean Gaffney

Heroman, Vol. 1 | Created by Stan Lee, BONES, and Tamon Ohta | Vertical, Inc. – It’s not hard to see why Stan Lee is irresistibly drawn to shonen manga; Peter Parker, his best-loved creation, would fit right in with the earnest, super-powered strivers of Naruto and Bleach. Heroman, a joint collaboration between Lee, animation studio BONES, and manga-ka Tamon Ohta, tells the story of Joey Jones, a hard-working kid who lives with his grandmother on the wrong side of the tracks. After Joey salvages a broken robot from a trash bin, his life takes a turn for the better: that robot can transform into Heroman, a giant mechanical warrior capable of saving the world from alien invaders. While young readers may find this marriage of Silver Age superheroics and shonen manga fun, older teens will find Heroman stale and obvious, with plot twists so predicable you could almost set your watch by them, and sloppy, amateurish artwork. A rare miss for Vertical. -Katherine Dacey

Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1 | By Ai Yazawa | Vertical, Inc. – One of the things I like best about Ai Yazawa is her ability to tell convincing stories set in the world of fashion or rock-n-roll; however glamorous her characters and their situations may seem, Yazawa has a knack for writing emotionally resonant scenes that feel true to everyday life. Paradise Kiss is no exception. The heroine’s journey to self-realization may begin with an invitation to model a fashion collection, but the story never veers into soap-opera territory; Caroline seems like a real teenager throughout Paradise Kiss, even as she falls in love with the older, more sexually experienced George. Though the new Vertical edition looks like a million bucks, the translation isn’t as snappy as the Tokyopop version from the mid-2000s—not a deal-breaker by any means, but a little bit of disappointment, given the age and interests of the series’ characters. Still, if you missed Paradise Kiss the first time around, the new edition is worth the splurge. -Katherine Dacey

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 2 | By Magica Quartet & Hanokage | Yen Press – At least one devastating truth is revealed in volume two, and emotions run high as new magical girl Sayaka falls quickly into darkness. Meanwhile, Homura continues to thwart Kyubey’s attempts to recruit Madoka for reasons yet unknown, though the volume’s final pages hint at a highly sinister reveal still to come. While there is no denying that this series is a genuinely fascinating (if ceaselessly dark) take on the genre, this manga adaptation continues to lag behind its source material both in character development and visual storytelling. The book’s battle sequences—filled with tension and surprising beauty in the original anime—tend to be short, messy, and difficult to follow. Worse, their hurried pacing keeps them from really moving the story along or contributing to the characters’ journeys in any significant way. As a result, much of the series’ emotional impact is lost. Not quite recommended. – MJ

Triage X, Vol. 1 | Shouji Sato | Yen Press – As a manga reviewer, I sometimes have a stubborn streak that compels me to try any new Vol. 1, despite the fact that the cover, description, and demographic scream “this is not for you.” And indeed, Triage X is not for me. This does not mean it doesn’t have an audience. The creator also does the art for High School of the Dead, which has done very well for Yen. And while this title lacks zombies, it certainly has a lot of action and cheeky fanservice. The plot is quite similar to Until Death Do Us Part, another title Yen is releasing. A group of vigilantes go after those that are above the law, while the law tries to figure out a way to survive both of them. But unfortunately, the fanservice is so blatant in Triage X that I can’t help but think that the only reason Kadokawa approved it is for the breasts. If you like breasts, go for it. Otherwise, there’s better vigilante manga.-Sean Gaffney

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

The Drops of God: New World | By Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto | Vertical, Inc. – Rather than release a fifth volume of this series, which would’ve included volumes nine and ten of the original release, Vertical has jumped ahead to this New World arc (volumes 22 and 23 of the original), which focuses on wines from regions without a long-established winemaking tradition, particularly the US and Australia. It’s incredibly easy to jump back into the story even after a gap of over a dozen volumes, since so little changes with the characters., though Issei is a lot more prominent now and his hair has mysteriously gotten cuter. Highfalutin’ descriptions of wine still abound, and still make me roll my eyes with regularity, but there’s something captivating about this series that keeps me reading. Honestly, it’s more the sports manga-like themes of perseverence and presumed eventual triumph than the subject matter or the characters, but that’s enough for me. – Michelle Smith

The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 3 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical, Inc. – There are a number of scenarios I might have imagined coming out of the rather stunning final pages of the second volume of The Flowers of Evil, but this series continues to be fresh and surprising in just about every way. Oshimi’s characters refuse to fall into neat categories, while still managing to ring true—in fact they feel truer with each page. Volume three is unexpectedly moving as Kasuga comes to the surprisingly insightful realization that putting his dream girl on a pedestal is not the same thing as loving her, and as all three of the series’ main characters are faced with truths they weren’t quite prepared for. If this series’ first volume read mainly as “better than Sundome” its third proves that it is really so much more. Highly recommended. – MJ

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 2 | By Touya Tobina | VIZ Media – After being so thoroughly unimpressed with the first volume of Jiu Jiu, I wasn’t expecting much from the second volume. Perhaps, then, my low expectations are the reason that I somehow now feel more kindly disposed towards the series, even though it’s still pretty generic and aimless and has weirdly proportioned art. I haven’t been moved to care more about Takamichi, Snow, and Night as characters, but I don’t hate the plot wherein the boys/dogs want to assert their independence, or that they’re prodded in this direction by Meru, a mischievous new character who spends part of his time in the form of a super-cute vampire pig. I hate to think a vampire pig is all it takes to sway me, but at least it’s something unique, which this series desperately needed. – Michelle Smith

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 11 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | VIZ Media – In a contest for ‘Jump manga that varies most in quality’, Nura may not have any serious competition. This particular volume is mostly one long battle, which I generally don’t like to begin with, and unfortunately the author does not manage to save much of it from excessive tedium. There’s a focus in the middle on Awashima, who changes sex depending on whether it’s light or dark (so is rather grumpy about the darkness of Kyoto, keeping her female all the time), which is meant to show her accepting both sides of her, I think, but simply reads as an annoying diversion. At least towards the end we get a really nasty bad guy, who proceeds to take all our heroes and crumple them into little balls of failure. I suspect Nura will get his revenge in Vol. 12, hopefully in a more interesting way. -Sean Gaffney

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 8 | By Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino | VIZ Media – It really is startling how much I’ve come to love this series. I think it’s the fact that all the court intrigue and scheming is presented in both a positive *and* negative light, with the best schemers winning because they are smarter and more devious than the bad guy. This is a series that has a lot of handsome men relying on people underestimating them, which is nice but means the author has to have them be savvy enough to back that up. It works very well here. Our heroine Shurei does very well keeping up with everyone, and is starting to chip away at the ‘she is a woman and therefore weak’ attitude in the court. Well, given the last chapter, she’s going to get a lot more chances to do that in the future. All this plus a tiny bit of romance again. Saiunkoku is simply a great story, full stop. -Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 12 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – Toriko fares much better than Nura this time around, mostly as it’s between arcs and has therefore gotten away from the standard Jump ‘2-3 volumes of people punching each other hard’ syndrome. Instead, we get to see the results of Century Soup, and then set out on a new arc, as Toriko is told he’s not really strong enough yet to take on the Gourmet World. So he does some training by climbing a ten-thousand-meter plus vine to a sky garden with the best vegetables in the world. Actually, Komatsu is the one who really impresses here – not that he does anything, but his simple willingness to carry on is amazing. Toriko is all about world building, which is what makes it so much fun – the combination of food, fighting, and larger than life characters. I also suspect our hero is in for some harsh reality soon, though… -Sean Gaffney

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

Arata: The Legend, Vol. 11 | By Yuu Watase | VIZ Media – The last time I wrote about Arata, I described it as consistently entertaining. Alas, I haven’t really been feeling these two most recent volumes. So much seems to be repeating the same pattern—Arata encounters a hostile bishounen shinsho and employs his shoujo-heroine-in-a-shounen-manga mojo to discover the fellow’s true feelings, which he soothes before the two become allies—that when important things do happen, like the revelation that a pair of characters changed places (between modern Japan and Amawakuni) in their infancy, it fails to register any sort of impact. Things begin to look up slightly towards the end of the volume, though, as the group heads into the territory of the most hostile bishounen of them all: Akachi. Somehow I doubt he’s going to want to talk about his feelings for, oh, at least two volumes. – Michelle Smith

The Drops of God: New World | By Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto | Vertical, Inc. – If Drops of God had sold better, this would be half of Vol. 11 and half of 12, and we’d be reading it a couple years from now. As it is, this is the last planned volume, and I understand the publisher in Japan asked that it jump ahead to focus on American (and Australian) wines. Honestly, there isn’t that much missed – the biggest change is that Loulan, Issei’s hookup from Vol. 4, is now in Japan and acting as his Miyabi. (It’s unclear if they’re married, still lovers, or what have you.) And Issei is the one who clearly has gotten the most character development – he almost seems like a 2nd protagonist than a rival by now, and has mellowed out considerably. Shizuku, on the other hand, still feels as if he’s lagging behind and unable to progress. Which, to be honest, is true – he’s much the same as he was in V. 1-4. I do hope we eventually see more of this. -Sean Gaffney

Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden, Vol. 10 | By Yuu Watase | VIZ Media – In my experience, a long wait between volumes of a manga series can be either a blessing or a curse—maybe even both. On one hand, anticipation is undoubtedly sweet, and a wait of nearly three years certainly provides plenty of that. On the other hand, anticipation can shift quickly to expectation, and after nearly three years… well, you get the idea. Fortunately, Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden delivers, at least where it most counts. Despite the long wait, Watase’s well-paced storytelling and energetic artwork pull us right back into the story (and its awesomely giddy primary romance), as though no time has passed at all. On the downside (or is it?), the volume’s final pages are likely to throw readers right back into the clutches of sweet (and painful!) anticipation once again. – MJ

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 5 | By Toru Fujisawa | Vertical, Inc. – One of the main reasons we enjoy reading GTO is to see Onizuka kick the crap out of people as he tells them how they’re screwing things up. That said, he is meant to be a teacher, and pass on his example to others. This volume doesn’t have quite as much Onizuka in person, but it has him leading by inspiration – including a long mid-volume sequence starring Uchiyamada, the antagonistic vice-principal from the GTO series proper. It’s easy to see Onizuka dealing with young, impressionable teens. But just because folks are adults doesn’t mean they’re wise and all-knowing, or that their problems go away. So seeing Uchiyamada preparing to confront 50 gang members, or Ayame beating the crap out of a yakuza in order to confront the twins behind all this, is just as awesome as Onizuka himself. -Sean Gaffney

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 6 | Story by Isuna Kasekua, Art by Keito Koume, Character Design by Jyuu Ayakura | Yen Press – Here are eight words I never thought I’d type: I liked volume six of Spice & Wolf. Yes, there was some gratuitous nudity, and yes, there was some limp flirtation between Holo and Lawrence, but on balance, volume six delivered enough action to erase the memory of all those Economics for Dummies speeches in previous volumes. Better still, Holo spent most of the volume as a wisewolf, inflicting bodily harm on soldiers, extracting confessions from enemies, and menacing her (perceived) romantic rival Norah. I’ll take Holo in her feral form any day; she’s funny and fierce, using her physical strength, rather than her feminine wiles, to get the job done. I’m not sure that a handful of decent chapters are enough to make me revisit earlier volumes, but they did, at last, help me understand why this series has been such a phenomenon among American otaku. – Katherine Dacey

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 8 | Art by Kairi Yura, Story by Sai Yukino | VIZ Media – Never underestimate the power of Cover Girl — that’s my takeaway from volume eight, in which Shurei decides her only chance of claiming her rightful position as a civil servant is to show her male peers she’s 100% woman… by donning makeup. The resolution of that conflict is a little too tidy, relying on narration rather than dramatization to show us how Shurei establishes her civil servant credentials. On the whole, however, volume eight is a solid installment in this period soap opera, serving up an appealing mixture of comedy, drama, intrigue, and romance, and ending with the kind of cliffhanger that promises to advance the story in a new and meaningful direction. Still recommended. – Katherine Dacey

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 11 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – It’s been nearly a year since I last read any Yotsuba&!. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it until I started to read and the first chapter, in which Yotsuba invites herself into the kitchen of an udon shop to watch how it’s made, completely reminded me of everything that is great about this series. Seriously, this is the kind of manga where you suddenly realize you’re smiling and wonder how long you’ve been sitting there, doing that. Pizza, bubbles, cameras… these are a few of the things that fill Yotsuba with wonder in these pages, but the last page of the volume is the one that really made me laugh out loud and get verklempt all at the same time. Is this praise copious enough? If you haven’t read Yotsuba&!, what are you waiting for? Jeez, man. Get with it! – Michelle Smith

This week, Sean and Kate look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, VIZ Media, and Yen Press.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 2 | By Hajime Isayama | Kodansha Comics – This grim and downbeat story continues to intrigue almost despite itself, as we see humanity battle against the seemingly unstoppable titans. Luckily, they are helped out this time by a mysterious titan who turns against its own, tearing them apart in messy ways. The revelation of the titan’s identity is not as much of a surprise as the author wants, I think, but still well done – particularly Mikasa’s reaction. The main problem with this series, though, continues to be the artwork – I simply can’t tell many of the characters apart, and their being soldiers in the same uniform isn’t helping. At one point I thought I saw one of the soldiers we knew shoot himself in the head, only for it to turn out to be another, similar crew-cut soldier. A character guide at the front of the volume is no help – it only has the three leads. -Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 7 | By Kazue Kato | VIZ Media – One of the things that never ceases to amaze me about Blue Exorcist is Kazue Kato’s ability to tell an intricate story while still providing enough points of entry that a newcomer can follow what’s happening. In volume seven, for example, we learn more about Mamushi and Todo’s true purpose in stealing the Impure King’s eyes. Though these scenes are more emotionally engaging for a well-informed reader, a newbie can readily grasp the basics: Kyoto will be toast if the Impure King’s seal is broken. You don’t need to know much else to appreciate Kato’s smart pacing, crisp artwork, and flair for the grotesque; the Impure King looks like the unholy love child of InuYasha‘s Naraku and AKIRA‘s Tetsuo, and haunted me for several days after I’d finished the volume. Still highly recommended. -Katherine Dacey

Durarara!!, Vol. 3 | Created by Ryohgo Narita, Character Design by Suzuhito Yasuda, and Art by Akiyo Satorigi | Yen Press – Durarara!! is 50% great, and 50% irritating. The good parts involve Celty, a headless Irish spirit who rides through Tokyo on a sleek motorcycle; Celty is tough, funny, and more human than the high school students, thugs, and evil scientists who also inhabit her world. Her quest to be reunited with her head provides the story’s best comic and dramatic moments, including an agonizing scene in which she must decide whether to reclaim it from its new owner. The not-so-good parts involve the rest of the cast, none of whom behave like real human beings. The worst offender is Namie Yagiri, whose obsessive interest in her younger brother crosses the line between eccentric and just plain icky. More frustrating still is how labored these scenes feel; a judicious trimming of secondary characters and subplots would make Durarara!! a more consistently entertaining series. -Katherine Dacey

Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, Vol. 2 | By Kenji Kuroda & Kazuo Maekawa | Kodansha Comics – As with Volume One of this series, the only regulars from the games are Miles and Detective Gumshoe, which makes me sad. Things are simply less silly here, as Miles doesn’t have everything go wrong as much as Phoenix does. The first case is fairly straightforward and obvious, though I loved Miles casually pointing his finger and saying ‘Objection” to an officer, as if he uses it in conversation all the time. The second case is stronger, with a better gimmick – the so-called Gentlemen Thieves. It also has a Maya/Kay surrogate in Monet Kreskin, and a very clever solution – I had figured out half the mystery, but not the other half, and the revelation was quite well done. Mystery fans will enjoy this as a quick, non-filling read.-Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 11 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – One thing I’ve always loved about the Yotsuba series is that the title character is not presented as a weirdo in a world of normal people. Yotsuba can do strange things, yes, but less so as the series has gone by – she’s no longer prone to climbing telephone poles, and is content to buzz around the neighborhood with a camera. Likewise, the adults and teens all have quirks of their own, from Fuuka’s strange sense of humor (which also seems to drive her relationship with Shimau – sorry, Miss Stake) to Yotsuba’s father’s tendency towards overacting. I’ve even grown to tolerate Yanda, their annoying friend, who is growing more tolerant of everyone messing with him – and in fact seems bothered by Yotsuba’s inability to do so because of depression. Lastly, Asagi is the best big sister ever. That is all.-Sean Gaffney

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

The Earl & The Fairy, Vol. 3 | By Ayuko & Mizue Tani | Viz Media – I’m afraid that Edgar and Lydia are not helping their causes when it comes to making me not want to strangle them. Edgar continues to be the sort of hero who hides everything that he does, no matter the reason, because it’s just his way. (To be fair, his upbringing likely invited this.) And Lydia keeps looking for reasons to mistrust him, and finding them, of course, as one does in a series like this. Also, despite the appearance of a bogey-beast partway through this volume, there was a lot less fantasy and a lot more romantic angst. The villain being a typical spoiled brat is also not helping its cause. I’m sure things will get more involved in the 4th (and final?) volume, but nothing in this one convinced me it shouldn’t have ended nicely with two. -Sean Gaffney

Itsuwaribito, Vol. 6 | By Yuuki Iinuma | Viz Media – Volume six of Itsuwaribito reads a lot like an early story line from InuYasha: there are killer dolls, a spider-like villain with eight arms, and a brother-sister pair who would give Kohaku and Sango a run for their money in the pathos department. Alas, that’s where the similarities between these two titles end. Though Rumiko Takahashi did a good job of allowing her story to unfold without too much authorial intervention, Yuuki Iinuma saddles his characters with info-dump dialogue and thought balloons filled with excruciatingly obvious observations. The result is a curiously unengaging story, devoid of suspense or shock; only the most inattentive reader will be surprised by the outcome of Utsusho, Yakuma, Neya, and Pochi’s battle with Naraku the deadly spider demon. -Katherine Dacey

Lizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries, Vol. 1 | By Hey-jin Jeon and Ki-ha Lee | Seven Seas – A new manhwa series! And a mystery series, at that! As if that weren’t enough to entice me, we’ve also got an intelligent, clear-headed, marriage-averse young Victorian lady sleuth as a protagonist, and while that role might be rather cliché nowadays, it’s still a type that I enjoy reading about. Set in London in 1864, Lizzie Newton begins with the titular heroine attending a social function during which the hostess’ despondent brother turns up dead. Lizzie declares the feat a murder, though the obvious signs point to suicide, and then—with the help of her barrister suitor turned family steward, Edgar—conducts her own chemical experiments to confirm the evidence before calmly giving her testimony to an astounded Inspector who comes to call. Again, this kind of story isn’t exactly new, but it’s sort of… invigorating, all the same. I look forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 7 | By Naoko Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – This volume comprises the meat of the “S” arc, the details of which are quite a bit different in the manga than they are in the anime. What’s not different, though, is the dramatic goodness supplied by two groups of Sailor Guardians with opposing missions. Usagi is determined that everyone ought to fight as one, but the older and more powerful “outer” Guardians are equally resolved to save the world at any cost, even if it means taking the life of an innocent girl with the potential to bring ruin and destruction. There are Guardian awakenings, Guardian revelations, and Guardian power-ups in this volume, plus a healthy dose of Haruka awesomeness. (I’m especially fond of her obvious affection for Usagi.) Chalk it up to fangirl enthusiasm if you will, but after the somewhat yawn-inducing “R” arc, it’s nice to be excited about the series again. – Michelle Smith

Psyren, Vol. 6 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – Having killed off the extremely likeable Elmore Wood kids easily in the previous volume, this one (now back in the past before that happens) gets to show off how they’re all actually really talented, so that it looks more impressive. Also impressive was seeing Ageha, up[on finding out that someone is going to die, immediately trying to change the future by telling them. He gets beaten up for this and told, essentially, “You can’t break the rules”, but I liked his moxie. If there’s a drawback here, it’s that this volume, which serves to develop the ‘normal’ world and show how folks can abuse psi powers, doesn’t really tie into the main plotline, leaving everything hanging a bit, Also, Sakurako’s barely in it. Still, if the excuse is ‘broadening the scope of the manga’s worldview’, it’s a good one.-Sean Gaffney

Toradora!, Vol. 5 | By Yuyuko Tamemiya & Zekkyo | Seven Seas – I’d mentioned that I loved this manga for Minori’s goofy moments, so imagine my surprise when it’s Kitamura who proves to be the complete whackjob here, showing us far more of himself than anyone wanted to see. In fact, Minori actually gets some angst here, as we’re starting to see that her outward personality hides some self-doubt and melancholy. Ryuuji’s advice to her is pitch-perfect, and shows who he’s still a harem lead even though he and Taiga are the obvious end couple. Speaking of Taiga, she’s mostly herself here, but gets a lovely moment when Ami and company go out for a girl’s day out, and Taiga comes along. For once everyone manages to have fun, and Taiga’s thanks is heartfelt – even Ami realizes it. This is a cliched title, but works as the characters are simply so likeable. -Sean Gaffney