manga the week of

SEAN: There’s so much stuff coming out next week you’d think it was a first week of the month. Remember when Yen Press was just three or so titles a month?

We’ll start off with Dark Horse, who are still releasing Gantz, even as it’s up to Vol. 32 and surely running out of rubber bodysuits by now.

And look, it’s an old friend, MPD-Psycho, who have Vol. 11 out next week as well. This doesn’t quite have the cult following of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (it lacks a lot of the humor), but is still very good for horror thrills.

ASH: It’s been what… almost three years now since the last volume was released? Glad to see that Dark Horse didn’t completely drop it.

MICHELLE: I have a couple of volumes of MPD-Psycho, but I haven’t been able to muster the courage to actually read them. Still, I’m also glad it’s still coming out!

SEAN: And Battle Angel Alita has its fourth omnibus. I will assume they’re still in the tournament arc, which I think went over 10 volumes eventually, right?

Vertical gives us another Moyoco Anno title with the one-shot In Clothes Called Fat. From what I gather, it’s a sharp look at body image pressure, low self-esteem and eating disorders. I expect it will be amazing.

ASH: I’m a huge fan of Moyoco Anno’s work, so I’m really looking forward to this release.

ANNA: This is really the only thing I’m wanting to pick up this week. Thanks again to Vertical for translating more Moyoco Anno!!!!!

MJ: This is a huge draw for me as well!

SEAN: Yen’s new light novel imprint, Yen On, gives us the first volume of Accel World. Apparently this takes place in the same world as Sword Art Online, just 20 years later, but it’s not really a sequel as such. It’s also famous for having a chubby male hero.

MJ: I’m interested in this, for sure.

SEAN: Black Butler must be feeling very jealous. Time was when it was the series with all the volumes in the NYT bestseller list. Now Attack on Titan has stolen all its thunder. Still, it’s up to Vol. 17. Can’t be bad.

MICHELLE: It’s pleasant. :)

SEAN: I’m surprised the Blood Lad omnibuses have been coming out so fast, given it’s a fairly recent series in Japan. I suspect this may be the ‘we’re caught up now’ volume, though. Always a treat in any format, though.

MICHELLE: Wow, this came sooner than I thought it would! Still, it does mean that the wait for the next one will probably be quite long, indeed.

MJ: This is always a favorite for me!

SEAN: Inu x Boku SS has been surprisingly serious, and I understand this volume will not change that one iota.

Is This A Zombie? Ends with its 8th volume. I presume we can say “yes” at last and move on.

We also have the 4th No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! (aka WataMote). It’s hard to read, but even harder to type out the full title.

ASH: It can be rather painful to read. The series has some incredibly dark humor.

SEAN: Speaking of titles that have caught up with Japan, here’s Vol. 12 of Omamori Himari, which has every single plotline a male otaku could possibly want in one handy series.

And Vol. 21 of Pandora Hearts, which has also caught up with Japan, and has every single plotline a female otaku could possibly want in one handy series.

MICHELLE: And *cuffs*. Right, MJ? :)

MJ: YES, CUFFS. Also, everything else. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell anyone I’ll be gobbling this up as soon as it hits my doorstep.

SEAN: Soul Eater begins its final arc in Vol. 21, and I am here to tell you that it will be AMAZING.

And for those who want a kinder, gentler Soul Eater, here is the 3rd Soul Eater NOT!, compiling chapters that have been available digitally for a few months now.

Lastly, Umineko: When They Cry starts its 4th arc, Alliance of the Golden Witch. While Battler will still be around, his younger sister Ange is the focus here, now all grown up and trying to figure out what happened 12 years earlier. As you can see, she’s also a source of fanservice for manga artists. Maria’s tragic upbringing also gets a lot of attention here.

Is this enough? Or do you want even more manga next week?

SEAN: Mid-month always tends to bring the oddest stuff. Anything unusual here?

First off, Seven Seas apparently delayed the release of Alice in the Country of Clover: Knight’s Knowledge 1 at the last minute, after we went to press. It’s actually out next week.

ANNA: I hope it features Ace murdering people and getting lost in the woods.

SEAN: Fairy Tail hits its mid-life crisis, as the Big 4-0 hits. Will Erza needs to buy a really big car and drive around with the wind blowing through her hair?

Seven Seas debuts a new series, with the first volume of D-Frag!. This apparently is a high school club comedy, starring one guy and a bunch of weird girls. Despite that, I’ve heard good things about it, as the emphasis is firmly on weird.

There’s also the 2nd Devils and Realist, where I suspect my ongoing enjoyment will hinge on the ridiculous denial our hero continues to exude. Do not disappoint me, manga.

ANNA: I found the ridiculous denial much more amusing than I was expecting with the first volume.

ASH: The first volume was rather amusing.

SEAN: And we have the 6th volume of fantasy/video game encyclopedia pastiche World War Blue.

Vertical gives us a 3rd volume of seinen manga What Did You Eat Yesterday?, which I’m hoping might have a bit more characterization and a bit less cooking this time, but I suspect that’s not in the cards.

MICHELLE: Phew! Finally something on this list that I will be buying for sure!

ANNA: YAY! TAKE MY MONEY, VERTICAL!!!!!!

ASH: Mine, too!

MJ: What they said, plus extra exclamation points! !!!!!!

SEAN: If you didn’t catch the suspense, tragedy, and all around terror from Urasawa’s cult classic Monster, now is the time to pick up the new Perfect Edition omnibuses.

MICHELLE: I’m glad to see this series getting a re-release. I liked it quite a bit!

ANNA: I’m looking over at my stack of unread 20th Century Boys and feeling vaguely guilty.

MICHELLE: I have a stack just like it, I’m afraid.

ASH: Personally, I like Monster just a bit more than 20th Century Boys. I’m really happy to see it back in print.

MJ: I’m thrilled about this release, since I am one of those who missed it the first time around.

SEAN: And speaking of tragedy, Viz’s new seinen debut is Terra Formars (spelling intentional), a sci-fi story of colonizing Mars which goes horribly, horribly wrong. I’m greatly looking forward to this title, even though I know it will likely gut me a lot of the time.

MICHELLE: I tend to like grim, seinen sci-fi, so I am definitely looking forward to this.

ANNA: This sounds intriguing.

ASH: Terra Formars is a series that I’ve been looking forward to, too. (Plus, I happen to have a thing for Mars…)

MJ: I’m definitely on board with this!

SEAN: What excellent yet depressing manga are you reading this week?

SEAN: It may not be hot where you are, but Connecticut? It’s hot. Too hot. Can manga save us from the doldrums of summer?

MICHELLE: I am in Florida. Such hot. Very yuck.

MJ: New England, also hot. And stormy. Which sounds sexier than it is.

ANNA: I will be in Central Illinois, which will be hot and humid!

SEAN: Digital Manga Publishing has another BL series trundle along, with Vol. 5 of multi-punctuated Hey Class President!!.

Kodansha unveils a slew of July titles. Seven Deadly Sins hits its third volume, and I have no doubt will give us a little more background on the newly-introduced Ban/Greed.

ASH: It took a few chapters to hook me, but at this point I’m looking forward to reading more of Seven Deadly Sins.

SEAN: Sherlock Bones has leapt forward in time to show our leads as adults (or adult dogs) right as the series hits its penultimate volume.

ASH: I was happy to see that the protagonists weren’t going to be stuck in high school forever.

SEAN: Fans of Akamatsu may have been keeping up with UQ Holder via Crunchyroll’s site, but for those who crave print, the 2nd volume also drops next week.

MICHELLE: I wish I had something to say about any of these, but I do not.

MJ: Same.

SEAN: And we have some more goodies from Viz. 07-GHOST has Vol. 11 come out, and I think the Manga Bookshelf team finds itself falling further and further behind?

MICHELLE: Yep. I look at the growing pile on my shelf periodically and remind myself that I need to read it.

ANNA: Me too! It is a really good series, I am looking forward to binging on back issues once I do start reading it.

SEAN: Speaking of impossible catchups, Case Closed is now at Vol. 51.

Fullmetal Alchemist is down to its last two omnibuses. If you get all nine, you’ll have the truly essential parts of this manga – which is to say, all of it.

ASH: Fullmetal Alchemist is great!

MJ: Yes, it is! And to Sean’s point, one of the things I love best about it is that, unlike a lot of long-running manga, it is a single, coherent story with a real beginning, middle, and end. Nothing is superfluous, so yes, every volume is essential.

ANNA: I need to finish this series one day! Actually, I think I’ll start by rereading from the beginning.

SEAN: The third Ranma 1/2 omnibus introduces a major antagonist (Cologne); a major antagonist/butt-monkey (Mousse); and a minor yet incredibly irritating thorn in Ranma’s side (Gosunkugi). All this plus the usual Takahashi comedy and non-romance.

And if that’s not enough Takahashi for you, the 15th volume of Rin-Ne drops the same week, forcing unfortunate comparisons between its sedate, mild couple and Ranma 1/2’s violent, boisterous one.

MICHELLE: Some Takahashi sounds awfully appealing right now, actually.

SEAN: What manga cools you down the most?

SEAN: It’s not QUITE as bad as last month’s pile, but there’s a ton of things out the first week in July. Let’s to’t.

Dark Horse continues to give us omnibuses showcasing Lone Wolf & Cub in larger trim size and far more pages. Here’s the fifth.

ASH: Excellent! I’ve been needing to do a binge read of Lone Wolf & Cub and the omnibuses make that much easier.

MJ: I’m always happy to see more of these!

SEAN: Six volumes is an awfully long time for a Blue Sheep Reverie from DMP. Maybe the sheep should come out of it soon.

MICHELLE: *snerk* I actually kind of liked this one—at least it tried to have a plot—but just sort of drifted away from it. I’m glad it continues to exist.

SEAN: And another ‘we’re not just BL!’ title from DMP, as they put out the first volume of seinen dog-focused manga Kinokoinu – Mushroom Pup, which runs in Comic Ryu (home of A Centaur’s Life), and involves a man who can’t get over the death of his pet dog.

MJ: That sounds… heartbreaking.

Seven Seas has a quartet of titles dropping. Knight’s Knowledge is a Country of Clover title from the Alice franchise. It stars Ace. I’ve found titles where Ace is supporting are much better than titles starring him, but maybe this will be different.

ANNA: It probably says something about me that Ace is my favorite because he is so murderous. I haven’t read any of his solo titles, maybe I will give this a try.

The new series from SS this month is Arpeggio of Blue Steel, which runs in Young King Ours, home of Excel Saga and Hellsing. I warn you in advance, this is another ‘sentient warfare/battleships shown as cute girls’ series. That said, I’ve heard this one is a slight cut above the usual fare, so we’ll see what it brings to the table.

Haganai is a popular series, both here and in Japan, so it makes sense that we’d see a few of the spinoff manga. Now With 50% More Fail is apparently filled with cute comedic one-shots that don’t impact the plot (such as it is).

Lastly, The Sacred Blacksmith continues to nudge its way forward towards its own main plot, here with Vol. 5.

Flowers of Evil 10 is a good 3 volumes over what I expected it to be, but hey, more creepy arty manga is always welcome, even if I dropped the series ages ago. Others here like it, right?

ASH: I do, indeed! The series seems to get better and better with each arc.

MJ: Indeed!

SEAN: The rest is Viz. They’re still giving readers of D.Gray-Man a chance to see it again, with the 4th 3-in-1 due out.

Demon Love Spell features what I believe is the 6th and final volume, and therefore I suspect will finally have a love scene that takes place in the *real* world, unless Mayu Shinjo has been corralled by the Margaret editorial department.

MICHELLE: Will Miko become more powerful than her dad and break his spell so she can get it on with her boyfriend?!

ANNA: I think this is the series where Shinjo effectively blends the sexy angst that was the trademark of her earlier series like Sensual Phrasewith the comedy stylings of Ai Ore. I’ve really enjoyed this series, and I hope Viz has another Shinjo series waiting in the wings.

MJ: I have fallen behind on this series, and am feeling very regretful!

SEAN: Midnight Secretary is almost over, this being the penultimate volume, so no doubt things will get far more serious and dangerous for our vampire and human couple.

ANNA: EEEEEEEE, Midnight Secretary!!!!!!!!

MJ: Heeeeee.

SEAN: Viz’s new shoujo series, My Love Story!!, is one I’ve been looking forward to. By the author of High School Debut, it’s about a guy who longs for a shoujo romance (and this is a shoujo title), despite looking like your typical big, burly, not bishonen at all guy. His struggle begins here.

MICHELLE: I am looking forward to this so much!

ANNA: This sounds great. Planning on picking this up!

ASH: My copy arrived early and I’ve already read it and I loved it and Takeo is the best!

MJ: I am so on board with this.

SEAN: Naruto hits Vol. 66. Be careful! That’s the Third Cousin Once Removed of the Beast!

Nisekoi drops the print volume of Vol. 4. Will it continue to juggle the girls it has, or add a new one to the mix? The eternal question of every harem title.

Phantom Thief Jeanne has Vol. 3, and I suspect things will get even more serious soon, given we’re just about halfway through this omnibus-ish rerelease.

MICHELLE: I’m enjoying this quite a lot.

ANNA: This is my favorite Tanemura series. I’m glad it is getting reissued with an updated translation.

SEAN: Speaking of omnibuses, though not ish in this case, Skip Beat! has its 8th omnibus pop up as well.

MICHELLE: Yay, Skip Beat! Now if only the next standalone volume would hurry up and come out!

ANNA: Skip Beat! is the best.

SEAN: Sweet Rein comes to an end with its third volume, ending inappropriately enough in mid-summer. Expect more Santa and reindeer antics.

ANNA: This was sweet and cute, if not very deep.

MJ: I can’t say that I’m sad to see it go. Does that make me a grinch?

SEAN: Lastly, there is a Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal 5, which I can’t even make jokes about. Here it is, Yu-Gi-Oh fans.

What’s tickling your fancy?

SEAN: The final week of June, and the end of Manga’s Fiscal Year 13-14. There are a few interesting titles coming out.

It’s right about time for a new Vampire Hunter D novel, so Dark Horse has Vol. 21 all ready for us.

ASH: You know, I’ve read the manga adaptations, but have yet to actually read any of the novels. I should probably get around to that one of these days.

SEAN: There’s also a 31st volume of Air Gear. That is a lot of roller blading.

The volume Attack on Titan fans have been waiting for, here is the first volume of No Regrets, giving us some (not all) the backstory on Levi, along with a good look at Erwin too. It’s a shipper’s dream, even though they barely interact here. I reviewed Vol. 1; it’s a good ‘un.

ASH: I actually just posted my own review of the volume. I’m liking the series, too.

SEAN: The last Sankarea ended with our heroine being spirited away by the morally ambiguous teenage scientist. Will she end up dissected, and thus have this volume be the last? (checks) This volume is not the last, so I guess not.

Vertical has the 2nd volume of Cardfight!! Vanguard, which I have not really looked at whatsoever, so… cards? Fighting? Shonen excitement?

And we have June’s slate of Yen Press. There’s the 5th Are You Alice?, indicting that Alice has still not quite discovered the answer to this himself. Yes, him. It’s that sort of title.

MJ: Heh, I need to get back into this title, I think.

SEAN: I was a bit less enthused with the 2nd volume of Bloody Cross, but there’s still enough potential that I look forward to the third. It’s at its best when the two leads snark at each other.

A new volume of Judge, the 4th, means we are 2/3 of the way through this series, and therefore, what, 2/3 of the cast must be dead by now?

Madoka Magica has the 2nd volume of its Different Story, focusing on Mami and Kyouko.

I was fairly gushing about my praise of the first Sword Art Online manga/novel, to the point where I got several people telling me that it went way downhill with its second arc. Naturally, this makes me want to read the 2nd arc and find all the great things about it, because I am a contrary sort. Here’s Vol. 1 of Fairy Dance (no more omnibuses), where we find out what life is like after Aincrad.

MJ: I thought the anime had some issues in the second arc as well, but I still want to read the novel. Count me in!

SEAN: This Fairy Dance is the manga, actually. The novel ships in December, after the 2nd Aincrad novel in August.

Lastly, remember Tales of the Waning Moon? It’s been almost 2 years since the last volume, possibly as it runs in Houbunsha’s Cita Cita magazine, which only comes out quarterly. But rejoice! Here is Vol. 4!

MJ: This. I. Really, I can’t believe there is enough story left to tell for more volumes. I can’t.

SEAN: What titles make you want to spend your hard-earned cash?

SEAN: It’s no Week 1, but the 3rd week of the month gives us a chunky pile of manga, which should have something for most everyone.

The Shinji Ikari Raising Project manga from Dark Horse has now reached the same number of volumes as the regular Evangelion manga, and I don’t think it’s finished. Will this lighter take on the Evaverse surpass its predecessor? …mmmm, probably not. But it’s fun.

I swear I’ve had Alice the 101st Vol. 4 coming out from DMP before this week. But in any case, here it is again, and I suspect I will be confused all the way to Vol. 101.

MICHELLE: I forgot this series existed.

SEAN: I enjoyed Vol. 1 of Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat, which came out right before DMP’s print hiatus. Now that it’s back, I look forward to seeing what wacky comedy Vol. 2 can give us, especially since the anime has now come and gone.

Fairy Tail has hit its Jack Benny volume, and I am starting to fall behind. I believe this is one of the more serious volumes. Lotsa harsh battle scenes. (Vol. 39, for those of you who are wondering what the hell I’m talking about.)

There’s also the 7th volume of No. 6, which simply ruins the symmetry and makes me bitter. So bitter. Why must manga be numbered anyway? Manga should be free!

ASH: The beautiful symmetry may have been ruined, but this is one of the best volumes in the series yet!

SEAN: The 2nd xxxHOLIC omnibus has some really excellent stories, and a minimal amount of crossover with Tsubasa. Neither of those two will last.

ANNA: I feel sort of bad that I never finished either xxxHOLIC or Tsubasa, and then I remember how long they are and I feel OK with it all.

MICHELLE: I didn’t finish them either, actually. But I intend to one of these days!

ASH: And the omnibus releases make it easier than ever!

MJ: I feel somewhat out of place here admitting that I finished them both, and with great enthusiasm! I’m very happy to see these omnibus releases coming out.

SEAN: In case you thought Seven Seas had put out everything Dance in the Vampire Bund-related, here are some Forgotten Tales. Probably fell behind the desk or something.

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends hits the 7th volume of wacky comedy with Kodaka and the friends he insists he doesn’t have.

I’m a big fan of Morinaga Milk, author of Girl Friends, so am looking forward to the new series from Seven Seas, Gakuen Polizi. Which is not translated as School Police, for reasons why I do not know. I don’t think this one’s yuri, but I bet it’s cute.

ASH: I’ve enjoyed the other manga by Morinaga released in English, so I’m looking forward to this series’ debut.

MJ: Same here!

SEAN: The Sky That Connects Us is the next in the Strike Witches franchise, and will give you lots of cute girls and aerial battles, but less pants than most series.

Vertical’s deluxe release of Mobile Suit Gundam hits its 6th collection, which I believe may be the halfway point? In any case, still essential.

ANNA: So deluxe! I’ve been buying these as they come out but am a couple volumes behind. I see a Gundam reading binge in my future.

MICHELLE: Much mecha.

ASH: I believe this volume will once again feature a fair amount of Char, which pleases me greatly.

SEAN: Lastly, Viz has the Battle Royale: Angels’ Border manga, which ran in Akita Shoten’s Young Champion and focuses on six girls who got short shrift in the main series.

ASH: As a fan of the original novel, I’ve been enjoying the recent Battle Royale releases from Viz, so I’m happy to see this one, too.

SEAN: Is there something here that appeals to you?

SEAN: After this week’s deluge, the six books coming out next week feel like a mild summer breeze in comparison. Makes me feel fine.

MICHELLE: Okay, Seals.

SEAN: Kodansha has the second volume of Say “I Love You”. It runs in Dessert, which is technically shoujo in the same way that Shoujo Comic is technically shoujo, but there really is an awful lot of nudity and sex in this volume, so it really edges towards josei a lot more than My Little Monster (which runs in the same magazine).

MJ: I haven’t delved into this series, but I’m interested. Though I can’t decide whether all the nudity and sex is a plus or a minus. :D

MICHELLE: I liked the first volume, and I have a feeling the second will wring all the dramatic potential out of its sex scenes. So… probably a plus. :)

ASH: I also liked the first volume and am interested in seeing where it leads.

ANNA: This series hasn’t been on my radar before, but now I find myself intrigued.

SEAN: SubLime has quieted down a bit, but they’re still giving us some top quality BL. Vol. 4 of Crimson Spell has almost the same cover situation as Vols. 1-3, and I like to imagine that the entire title is just 800 pages of one man slowly taking the shirt off of his lover and nothing else. With many stern, dangerous looks passing between them.

ASH: I need to catch up with Crimson Spell now that we’ve made it past what was previously released in English. I suspect more happens than just a loss of a shirt, though.

ANNA: I keep meaning to check this out. One day!

SEAN: There’s Vol. 18 of Arata the Legend, which is now in terms of length Watase’s most successful series, though I suspect it has a ways to go before it catches up to Fushigi Yuugi’s obsessive fanbase.

And there’s Vol. 3 of Deadman Wonderland, whose cover is trying to exude cool, but isn’t quite getting there for me.

MJ: Same here, though I’m still giving it a chance.

SEAN: Magi has Vol. 6, and has barely begun to mine The Arabian Nights for characters and plots, so we are no doubt in for a long ride. Can’t wait.

MJ: I’ve finally caught up on some of this series, so I’m looking forward to more!

MICHELLE: Whereas I am somewhat behind, but I really did like the first couple of volumes.

SEAN: Lastly, Tiger & Bunny 5 catches us up with Japan, which means the next one could be a while. That said, this fandom knows how to create its own content, so I suspect they’ll be fine.

What manga is blowing through the jasmine of your mind?

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Are we ready? Deep breaths, everyone. Here we go. BUY ALL THE THINGS!

Dark Horse gives you the first volume of New Lone Wolf & Cub, in case you had finished all of the Old Lone Wolf & Cub.

ASH: I’m certainly interested in this one! (Confession: I actually haven’t finished reading the original yet…)

ANNA: I’m glad this is being translated! I only read a few volumes of the original series!

MJ: Count me in!

SEAN: Drawn & Quarterly is releasing the 2nd volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s Showa, this one covering the Pacific War (Japan’s term for WWII), 1939-1944. Ending with a major cliffhanger, it’s amazing how so much dry description of battle and history can be so riveting and involving. I reviewed it here.

ASH: Showa is excellent! The second volume covers history that I’m more familiar with, so I’m curious to see what Mizuki does with the material.

ANNA: I feel like I should read this but I’m too distracted by the piles of shoujo manga I need to read to invest the time in it.

MJ: I wish I’d read the first volume. I need to make a commitment here.

SEAN: DMP has the fourth volume of Private Teacher, which I like to imagine has its own USA Up All Night-esque tag lines. “He’ll give you tutoring… in gay.”

Given we’re being buried in Alice spinoffs, it’s always nice to see a new volume of Circus and Liar’s Game, which I consider to be the best of the sequels. Vol. 5 lands next week.

A Centaur’s Life has been getting more slice-of-lifey and less creepy, which is a good thing, as its weird worldbuilding is the main reason to get it. Vol. 3 is out next week.

ASH: The worldbuilding in A Centaur’s Life really is interesting.

SEAN: If you like girls and tanks, then Girls Und Panzer is the series for you. Set in a universe where tank warfare is a martial art and done at high schools, it looks to be in the Strike Witches tradition, but with less anthropomorphism and I am hoping fewer panty shots.

MJ: Is it weird that I might consider reading this?

SEAN: Vertical has the 9th Knights of Sidonia volume, and I hope will not be killing off another likeable cast member.

MICHELLE: I have fallen a few volumes behind on this one, somehow. Must catch up!

ASH: Yes, you must!

ANNA: Me too! I will catch up! I do enjoy this series!

MJ: I’m always happy to see a new volume of this series!

SEAN: Everything else is Viz. Dengeki Daisy continues to try to balance thrilling suspense and its odd February/May romance. It’s top-of-the-line shoujo in my book.

MICHELLE: Or not-so-thrilling suspense, as the case may be. But the Teru/Kurosaki stuff is good!

ASH: I’m a few volumes behind, but Dengeki Daisy is a series I really enjoy.

ANNA: Dengeki Daisy is the best.

SEAN: There is the 5th Dragon Ball 3-in-1 omnibus, because why not?

We also have the 3rd Dragon Ball Full Color book, which I think is actually Z, but I’m still not sure. In any case, want some color in your manga? Here you go.

We’re halfway through Happy Marriage?!, so things are bound to get fluffier and more lovey-dovey for our lead couple. Right?

ANNA: Viz is a champ for bringing out more commercial josei romance. That’s all I have to say.

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: We’re almost halfway through this list, by the way. How’s everyone doing? Need a break?

ASH: A break from manga? Never!

MJ: Maybe a small one? Hold on… okay, I’m good.

SEAN: Kamisama Kiss 15 is likely to stay stuck in the past, but that’s not a bad thing with this series, as it’s giving us tons of backstory.

ANNA: I love the character designs and the wandering yet interesting storyline in this series. I’m actually looking forward to a binge reread of this series. I tend to read each volume as it comes out, but I think it might be more fun to read 3 or 4 at a time.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke remains completely adorable and heartwarming, and I do not expect that to change merely because we’ve gotten to Vol. 19.

MICHELLE: Seriously, is basically EVERY Shojo Beat series (except Skip Beat!, alas) releasing a volume on June 3rd?!

ANNA: So adorable. So much blushing and teenage awkwardness.

SEAN: It’s been so long since the last volume of Millennium Snow, which got sidelined by the huge success that was Ouran High School Host Club, that Viz has decided to re-release the first two volumes as an omnibus, followed by the 3rd volume (which is new). Find out why we enjoyed the series when it first appeared 7 years ago!

MICHELLE: I look forward to seeing how this series is different now.

ANNA: I liked the first two volumes back in the day!

MJ: I missed this series originally, so I’m looking forward to going back for the first two volumes.

SEAN: Natsume’s Book of Friends is doing its best to make me very happy with its 16th volume, as my OT3 is on the cover! I wonder if they’ll be in the actual volume as well…

MICHELLE: <3

MJ: Here’s hoping!

SEAN: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan continues to attempt to kill absolutely everybody we care about in horrible ways, and luckily has been failing so far. Will Vol. 21 be different?

One Piece is at Vol. 71. Really, what more is there to say? Only that it’s still one of the best shonen titles out there.

MICHELLE: Yep.

ANNA: I’ve only read the first 6 or so volumes and it was great, but I’m sort of terrified of a 70+ volume long shonen series. If only Glass Mask was this universally popular.

SEAN: In case you were unaware of this, here’s the 9th One Piece 3-in-1, which I think is up to the Skypeia volumes.

And let’s have another shonen manga debut! Seraph of the End, I feel I should tell everyone, has vampires in it. But it’s in Jump Square, so I’m not sure how pretty they will be.

ASH: I’m not sure either, but I have heard good things about the manga.

MJ: After reading Derek’s columns, I’m looking forward to seeing this for myself.

SEAN: After all this manga, I’m feeling very hungry, so I am gratified that we are now at the 22nd volume of Toriko.

And at last, we are done, as Viz has the 5th volume of Voice Over: Seiyu Academy, which has far less denseness than the author’s previous series S.A., but there’s still enough denseness to satisfy.

MJ: Denseness ftw?

SEAN: Buy *all* the things? :/

SEAN: Do you like stuff? Of course you do. Let’s look at some stuff!

ASH: I like stuff! I like lots of stuff!

MICHELLE: Stuff and junk and stuff!

ANNA: Stuff is awesome!

MJ: Bring on the stuff!

SEAN: If you’d wondered what the fuss was all about with Attack on Titan, and also wanted something heavy enough to beat small children to death with, have we got the release for you! Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition collects the first 5 volumes of the series into one massive, thousand-page TOME. And of course, it apparently has some added content so that obsessives must buy the whole thing again. If you haven’t seen this series before, get ready to see what all the fuss is about and ask “why is the art so crappy?”

ASH: This thing is going to be a HUGE monster of a book. I’m happy with my individual volumes, but I would be curious to see the the Colossal edition in person.

MICHELLE: Ugh. I must say the thought of hefting this thing doesn’t entice me to catch up on the series.

ANNA: I’m sort of tempted by this, since I bought the first book when the kindle version was on mega sale but haven’t gotten the subsequent volumes.

MJ: Hmmm… I’m tempted here. Kind of. Not sure I have a shelf big enough.

SEAN: Cage of Eden trundles along with Vol. 14. Will this be a monsters eating people volume? A fanservice-laden nude girls volume? A ‘I really liked Lost and want to rewrite it with Japanese students’ volume? Who can say? Most likely all three, I suspect.

My Little Monster was a lot of fun, even if I had issues with the male lead being a manic pixie dream guy to a certain degree, and I look forward to seeing how he and our heroine develop.

ASH: I rather enjoyed the first volume of My Little Monster. Plus, there’s a pet chicken!

MICHELLE: I love the pet chicken with every fiber of my being.

MJ: Pet chicken! How did I not buy this?

SEAN: Remember back in February when I discussed Wallflower 32 and they bumped it back to May without telling me? Well, here it is, still in May for now.

I apologize to Tokyopop. The fact that their one Japanese series is only available via Right Stuf now means I forget to add it to these lists, EVEN WHEN IT IS SITTING NEXT TO ME AS I MAKE THEM. Aheh. Anyway, Hetalia Axis Powers 6 was out last week.

ASH: I really do wonder how well this partnership between Tokyopop and RightStuf has been doing, and what other projects we might see because of it.

ANNA: Demon Sacred! Shinobi Life! Sky Blue Shore! Oh, how I miss you, but I have no hopes of reading you in English.

MICHELLE: Silver Diamond!

MJ: *sigh*

SEAN: BTOOOM! continues to make me count the number of O’s in its title, even now that Vol. 6 drops.

And now I want to add a third o to Goong, whose 15th volume is out, to the delight of the rest of the Manga Bookshelf team.

MICHELLE: Yay!

ANNA: Woo hoo!

MJ: Me me me me me me me!!

SEAN: In general, I have a better record with Yen than Seven Seas when it comes to otakubait series. And yet High School DxD – with its harem plot, promises of fanservice, and ‘angels and demons’ fantasy worldbuilding – seems to worry me. I’m watching you warily, Vol. 1.

MJ: That sounds… well, probably not for me.

SEAN: Jack Frost 10! Wow, how many decapitations have happened by now?

Kadokawa has decided they don’t want the manga to come up with new content that the novel hasn’t covered (bar the odd original short chapter), so The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will be ending its manga version soon while they wait for the next novel to appear. Here’s Vol. 18, featuring new character Yasumi on the cover.

Kazumi Magica has been one of the longer franchise spinoffs of the Puella Magi-verse, but it comes to an end here with Vol. 5. Will it have a happy ending? Our good friend Kyubey says he’s very happy!

Soul Eater has gotten up to Vol. 20, and I think is getting closer to its massive final arc. More to the point, this volume contains one of the scariest manga chapters I’ve ever seen – full stop, any series.

MJ: Really? Hm. Maybe I should check it out.

SEAN: Triage X has hit Vol. 6. See above about why I can’t always trust Yen when it comes to fanservice-laden series. At least I don’t think this is based on a series of light novels…

Lastly, we get another omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, which features characters named Mamoru, Haruka, and Wiseman, yet is not actually like Sailor Moon at all.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on this. I liked what I read of it.

SEAN: Stuff? Stuff!

SEAN: Some newer series, some old favorites, and some back from the dead in Week 3 of the month of May.

DMP is releasing print volumes again, including two of their old non-BL series. Takasugi-san’s Obento gets a 2nd volume, and continues to charm readers and make Bunny Drop fans stare at it warily.

ANNA: I liked the first volume a lot, and I really hope it doesn’t go into Bunny Drop territory.

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: And we have at last the return of Itazura Na Kiss, everyone’s favorite bitter black coffee of the shoujo manga world. Will its leads ever stop being so… themselves? Probably not, but here’s more of it, and I can’t wait.

MICHELLE: Yay yay yay yay yay!

ASH: I’ve heard nothing but good things about Itazura Na Kiss; I really should get around to reading it one of these days!

ANNA: A classic! I’m so glad to see more print volumes coming out from DMP. I need to order this!

MJ: Nice to see this back!

SEAN: Kodansha has the 3rd Air Gear omnibus, with 3 more volumes of the roller blading superhero-ish manga for your perusal.

They also have the 5th volume of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which I should really try to catch up on.

ASH: It’s actually a pretty decent adaptation.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a pair of titles for their readers who prefer the more ecchi-oriented catalog of Seven Seas. Dragonar Academy has Vol. 2, and still reminds me of Zero’s Familiar too much – the annoying points of Zero’s Familiar.

Meanwhile, Kanokon has a 3rd omnibus, which ends the manga release. And thank goodness, as this is the last time I will have to avoid saying something about it.

MICHELLE: Nothing for me here.

SEAN: If I had to drop a series after Vol. 1 merely as I found the lead unlikeable, I’d never be reading a lot of series. Thus I will look forward to Vol. 2 of Vertical’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? and its very prickly lead guy – being a good cook only gets you so far with the reader, though.

MICHELLE: Yay yay yay yay yay!

ASH: I’m excited to see this one, too!

ANNA: My shopping list is growing this week! So excited for more great foodie manga!

MJ: MORE MORE MORE.

SEAN: Lastly, Vol. 2 of Gangsta drops, and I’m hoping it keeps to the high standard set by Vol. 1, as I enjoyed the debut volume quite a bit.

ASH: I really enjoyed the first volume of Gangsta and so look forward to reading more soon!

ANNA: I’ve read this already and enjoyed it! Gangsta is rapidly becoming one of my new favorite ongoing series.

SEAN: What manga are you rebelling against?

SEAN: First weeks of the month, man. I don’t know… June will be even worse, by the way.

First off, Dark Horse has its third Trigun Maximum omnibus, for those who missed it the first time around. Or just can’t get enough of Meryl and Milly. (And Vash, I suppose.)

Another title I don’t know much about from Gen Manga, called Android Angels. The cat eared girl on the cover really doesn’t play to my demographic, to be honest.

ASH: It has androids, so it has my attention!

MJ: I’m always interested to see what Gen is up to, if nothing else!

SEAN: This one is actually coming out this week rather than next, Amazon surprised me by moving the date up at the last minute. It’s also a highly anticipated title. Whispered Words is an omnibus from One Peace Books, better known to the yuri manga crowd as Sasameki Koto. It runs in Comic Alive, but for once don’t let that put you off – this is great stuff.

MICHELLE: Ooooh. Something just got added to my Amazon cart!

ASH: My copy has already arrived, and yes, this is great stuff.

MJ: MUST BUY.

SEAN: I’m starting to weary of the endless Alice spinoffs, but this new one, Love Labyrinth of Thorns, at least features Julius, one of my favorites of Alice’s many suitors.

Mayo Chiki 6. Mm. Yes. It has certainly reached 6 volumes.

There’s also Monster Musume 3, which has been a huge runaway success, to the point where I’m wondering if I got some other manga by mistake when I tried to read it. Oh well, no one ever said I had to be right all the time.

There’s also the first volume of Zero’s Familiar Chevalier, a sequel to the manga about everyone’s favorite tsundere. I’m not sure how long this will run – the author sadly passed away a while back, so I suspect the ending may be sudden.

Want Viz? We’ve got Viz! How about another Bleach 3-in-1, the first of many of that type of omnibus coming out this week.

Claymore hits Volume 24, and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.

MJ: I’m good with that!

SEAN: High School Debut has its second 3-in-1. I’m trying to catch up on this series after losing track of it first time around, so this pleases me.

MICHELLE: *flaily Kermit arms*

MJ: Heeeee.

SEAN: Midnight Secretary hits Vol. 5, and I believe gets even further into family politics. But no doubt will still have hot vampire sex as well.

Naruto has an 8th 3-in-1, much like the holy trinity of Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke functions as a 3-in-1 with every chapter. Wait, isn’t this the academic conference?

Nisekoi 3 has been out digitally for ages, but now those who like print can catch up on the latest harem comedy.

MJ: I’m glad to have the opportunity to read this in print. Weirdly, I sort of like it.

SEAN: Otomen has reached its final volume, and it will be hard to top that cover. This is a title that’s gotten stronger as it’s gone along, even if the basic plot beat (new male character turns out to be secret otomen) was beaten into the ground. I’ll miss it.

ASH: I love that cover and I love this series. I’ll miss it, too.

SEAN: Phantom Thief Jeanne was a somewhat darker magical girl take in its first volume, and I expect things to continue in that vein with Vol. 2.

MICHELLE: I really enjoyed volume one, so I’m looking forward to this!

MJ: Me too!

SEAN: Psyren also ends with Vol. 16. This was one of those mid-range Jump series that never got quite as popular as I expected over here, but did well enough. Let’s hope it all wraps up nicely.

MICHELLE: One day I really will read Psyren.

SEAN: If you saw Nisekoi is out but prefer your harem comedy a little more old-school, there’s the 2nd Ranma 1/2 omnibus, which features the debut of Shampoo.

The last of our final volumes next week, Strobe Edge hits Vol. 10. Will our heroine finally be able to get what love is? And will it be happy?

MICHELLE: And here are two more I’m eager for! It’s nice to be excited about things. :)

MJ: I’m still hooked on Strobe Edge.

SEAN: Lastly, not a final volume but a penultimate one, as Vampire Knight is almost at its conclusion. What will we do in a world without any vampire manga in our lives? Well, except for those dozen others. Regardless, this volume should prove as addicting yet confusing as the others.

What manga will you be catching up on at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival?

SEAN: As usual with a fifth week, it’s small, but not as small as you’d think!

Another DMP blast from the past, as we get the 2nd volume of Otodama: Voice From The Dead, the first having come out in 2010. Does anyone remember what it was like?

ASH: Wow, that is from a ways back!

MICHELLE: I thought I had read and reviewed this one, but evidently not!

SEAN: There’s also Vertical, with its debut of a new series that surprised me when they announced it. Cardfight Vangaurd is a card fighting game, along the same lines of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and has a large cult following. Its manga ran in KeroKero Ace magazine.

Everything else this week is Kodansha. We see the 12th Attack on Titan manga, and I greatly enjoyed it. Which may be the last time for a while, as having read the chapters on Crunchyroll, the series is getting into some very problematic areas for me.

ASH: I’ve been waiting for the print releases, so I’m interested to see where things head with this volume.

SEAN: Sankarea rolls on, and no one is permanently dead yet, nor has anyone consummated their harem relationship. Still, it’s a lot of fun and has some exciting sequences.

They also debut the 2nd series from Dessert magazine in 2 months, this one called Say “I Love You” (Kodansha left off the quote marks from the Japanese version, which I think is a shame). It has an anime I expect a lot of folks have already seen.

MICHELLE: I haven’t! But I’ll definitely be checking this one out.

SEAN: Vinland Saga hits its third omnibus, meaning I’m now 4 volumes behind. The curse of omnibus releases.

ASH: Vinland Saga has become one of my favorite series currently being released. What are you waiting for?

ANNA: Vinland Saga is wonderful. I agree with Ash, I’m surprised you aren’t reading it!

SEAN: Lastly, xxxHOLIC begins its sequel… or is it a reboot? What on Earth is going on here anyway? In any case, it has the Sean seal of approval, i.e. it does not mention Syaoran once.

MICHELLE: I must admit that I never actually finished the original xxxHOliC! But the omnibus releases will make it easy for me to finally get the final volumes I missed picking up. But, nevertheless, it’ll be a while before I read the sequel/reboot thing.

MJ: xxxHolic xxxHolic xxxHolic, that is all I have to say this week! Also, <3

SEAN: Are April Showers bringing manga flowers?

SEAN: The 4th week of April brings us a variety of stuff, even if the majority comes from Yen Press, who always enjoy getting a week mostly to themselves (Viz usually owns Week 1 for this purpose).

There’s not nearly as much Korean manwha coming out these days, so I can actually highlight it when it does appear. This week sees the 15th volume of Bride of the Water God, which I believe the Manga Bookshelf team has greatly enjoyed in the past.

MJ: I am so happy that this series continues to be published! It’s beautiful.

ANNA: I’m fairly indifferent to this series. I thought the first two volumes were lovely, but the plot was so thin that the book didn’t maintain my interest at all. But good on Bride of the Water God for being one of the few surviving translated manwha series!

SEAN: There’s also the 31st volume of Gantz, which I believe the Manga Bookshelf team has not particularly enjoyed in the past, but whose collected costumes in all 31 volumes could power the rubber and lycra industries for the next twenty years.

ASH: I enjoyed the first five volumes or so, but never quite got around to reading more of the series. The length makes the prospect a little daunting at this point…

SEAN: Kodansha gives us the 9th volume of Animal Land, which, like Zatch Bell (by the same creator) I keep hearing good things about but can never quite get into.

ASH: It took me a few volumes to really get into Animal Land, but I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

SEAN: Vertical has the 9th volume of Flowers of Evil, which is ending next month in Japan, I believe, so we should be getting near a climax.

MJ: All right!

ASH: I’ve been waiting for this entire arc to be released before reading it. And now the wait is over!

SEAN: One of the most contested manga of the last few years comes to an end with Vol. 10 of Bunny Drop. I understand this volume mostly features chapters devoted to Rin as a child, but will also have a flashforward past the end of the series, so be warned in advance. I look forward to an post-series interview from Yen Press regarding this title!

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading it, for the sake of completeness if nothing else.

MJ: I’m rather looking forward to it.

ANNA: I dropped it after the third volume because I just found the plot squicky.

ASH: I’m interested in reading this volume. Some of Bunny Drop was incredibly well done. Other parts of it…not so much.

SEAN: Unless Yen decides to surprise me at Sakuracon by announcing the Dice-Killing optional epilogue, this is likely the final volume of Higurashi: When They Cry, containing the final two volumes from the Festival Accompanying Arc. This is, at last, the good end. Not a series I ever thought I’d read, I have since become totally obsessed with it, and thank Yen for exposing me to its charms. Nipaa~!

I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by Inu x Boku SS, which manages to be less moe than I feared and with dark undertones that are handled rather subtly. I am eagerly awaiting this new volume.

As for the 3rd volume of WataMote… all right, fine, No Matter How You Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, the key is to try to balance the excellent art, humor and characterization with the fact that reading about the lead too much makes you lose faith in humanity and possibly the will to live.

MICHELLE: Ugh, no thanks. Life’s too short.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Spice & Wolf’s novels have reached double digits, something which is entirely down to the economics examined through the series, and not at all for the moe and occasionally naked wolf-eared girls who also occupy the series. The novels recently ended with Vol. 17, so we’re over the halfway point.

ASH: I finally gave up on the novels a few volume back, but I’m glad that devoted fans are getting more of the series.

SEAN: I appear to be one of the few people out there who loved the first Sword Art Online manga omnibus, as those who had seen the anime and read the novels said it was very rushed. Luckily, here is the first novel so that I can compare them. I look forward to enjoying them even more. Wish Yen had the digital rights, though.

MJ: This is probably my most-anticipated release this week. I loved the anime adaptation of these novels, and I’m very excited to have the chance to read the source material!

SEAN: Lastly, we have the 2nd and final omnibus of the 3rd Umineko arc, Banquet of the Golden Witch. This should be the last of the truly doorstopping omnibuses – the series went from 5 volumes per arc to 6 after this, so further omnibuses will be 2-2-2 rather than 2.5/2.5. As for the content, after this ends you should have a lot more clues as to Beatrice’s true nature.

MICHELLE: Is that one kid still going “Uuu! Uuuuuu!!” all the time?

SEAN: She’s dead at this point in the arc (Umineko and Higurashi are the only two series where I can say that and have it not be a spoiler). The 4th arc will explore her life in depth, and explain the background of the “uu-uuu’ thing. It’s far more tragic and depressing than just an annoying tic. (Though admittedly, we aren’t there yet, and I admit it is a very annoying tic.)

What’s on your pull list from this group?

SEAN: Mid-April brings us a wide variety of titles, with something for absolutely everyone.

I often feel guilty for forgetting about Gen Manga’s releases, so will take the time to point out a new collection called Alive, which is apparently “a collection of melancholy love stories”, which will likely appeal to, well, indie comics fans.

ASH: Gen releases some interesting material; I like to support its print releases.

MJ: That actually sounds like it might be up my alley. I should check it out.

SEAN: I suspect that the Tournament Arc Fairy Tail has been doing is about to get totally derailed in Vol. 37, which is likely for the best. This has been around the right length for a tournament arc.

As for Missions of Love, this 7th volume will no doubt see everyone continue to not get together in the most soap opera way possible.

ASH: This series is such a guilty pleasure for me.

SEAN: And the volume that everyone has been waiting for (or at least people like me who enjoy amusing name/number jokes), No. 6 No. 6.

ASH: No. 6, No. 6! Not to be confused with No. 5, No. 5. That’s a different manga entirely.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: A Certain Scientific Railgun is a rare case of a spinoff outdoing the original both in popularity and quality. We’ve caught up with Japan, so are back to only 1 volume every 8-9 months or so. Vol. 9 should be worth the wait, as Misaka finds herself without allies.

Devils and Realist is a new series from Seven Seas, and it seems to be more for the Alice crowd than the Monster Musume crowd, as it’s a josei manga from Comic Zero-Sum. It has a certain Black Butler tone to it judging from its description, and I suspect will please fans of that series as well.

ASH: I’m looking forward to giving this one a try. (I also really just like the cover of the first volume.)

MICHELLE: It *is* quite pretty.

ANNA: Huh, I hadn’t realized that this was a josei manga. The cover is pretty! I will likely check this out.

MJ: I am always up for anything from Comic Zero-Sum, I admit, though I’m not a fan of Black Butler, so we’ll see.

SEAN: And Love In Hell wraps up with its third volume. Can our hero and heroine live happily ever after in the hereafter? Or will we just have more amusing bloody injuries?

Meanwhile, World War Blue 5 continues to combine standard shonen fantasy manga with ‘spot the 80s Japanese gaming reference’.

Vertical has the 4th volume of grim yet worthy medieval manga Wolfsmund.

ASH: Grim might be putting it mildly, but if you like dark manga Wolfsmund is definitely worth checking out.

ANNA: I have too much to read! I do want to check this out one day.

And SigIkki yet lives, even if it’s down to 2 or 3 titles. Afterschool Charisma 9 will no doubt involve celebrity clones who just happen to look like hot bishonen. For some reason. I understand it’s gotten darker and more serious as it’s gone on.

MICHELLE: One day I will get caught up on this.

ANNA: I also want to get caught up on this!

SEAN: Dorohedoro has also gotten darker and more serious as it’s gone on, which is a surprise given it was already pretty damn dark, just not very serious. Poor En! What will happen to everyone now?

ASH: I’m always happy to see more Dorohedoro! It’s such a weird series.

SEAN: Lastly, it may have come out digitally on the 1st, but Vol. 3 of Sunny ships to stores next week. I always manage to be startled at how good it is, even if I can’t quite figure out what to say about it. I don’t expect that to change.

ASH: I’m glad to see Sunny, too. Viz’s deluxe hardcovers are a treat.

MICHELLE: It’s simultaneously accessible and impressive. I’m really looking forward to volume three!

ANNA: This manga really does deserve the deluxe production.

MJ: Yes! Yes!

SEAN: An Easter Basket of manga treats. What’re you seeking?