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What’s Michael?: Fatcat Collection, Vol. 1

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By Makoto Kobayashi. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Weekly Morning. Released in North America by Dark Horse, originally in six separate volumes. Translated by Dana Lewis, Toren Smith, Jeanne Sather, Alan Gleason, Hisashi Kotobuki, Lea Seidman, and Elin Winkler.

This is the first of two huge re-releases of Dark Horse’s What’s Michael? collections, this one containing the first six volumes. Despite that, it’s only 530 pages – they weren’t big volumes. They’re compiled as they were in the late 1990s, so don’t expect the book to read right-to-left or the missing chapters with violence and nudity to be put back in. That said, I’m not particularly concerned, as it allows this marvelous creation to come back into print after all this time. What’s Michael? is not only a joy to read if you love cats, but it’s also a wonderful experience for those who love its creator, Makoto Kobayashi. This is his most famous title, though Dark Horse did also try to publish his early 90s host club comedy Heba! Hello-chan (aka Club 9), which also desperately needs a re-release. Kobayashi’s cartoonish, rubbery humans are even more fun than his cartoonish, rubbery cats.

Michael is the titular cat, and is the sole recurring character in every chapter. The series has a sort of semi-continuity, in that there are a series of households, any one of which has Michael as their pet for the duration of the 6-page chapter. He doesn’t travel around from house to house – you’re just supposed to say “ah, this time it’s the young OL who owns him”, and then a new chapter happens and “ah, this time it’s the couple with the kid”, etc. Kobayashi picks the owners that best fit the mood of the chapter. Sometimes, although not nearly as often as its reputation suggests, we also see an “all-cat” chapter where Michael and other cats act like humans, as he’s interrogated by police, has a boxing match, etc. For the most part, however, Michael is a cat who acts like a cat here, albeit a cat who can be quite eccentric. Kobayashi has clearly enjoyed a lot of cat-watching creating this series, and owners will find much to identify with here.

There are a few running gags throughout the series, such as the tough guy yakuza who tries to hide how much he loves cats (his talk about the danger of the “Kodansha gang” reminded me of Pop Team Epic’s treatment of Takeshobo), and the burly guy who’s just trying to live a catless life but finds the neighborhood cats constantly wandering into his house to hang out with him. Reiko, the OL, is the most frequently seen owner, and with her Michael is one of about ten cats that she has, most of whom sleep on top of her and make it impossible for her to get a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, the married couple have Michael as a father with a wife and kid (an early chapter sees them buying a female kitten for Michael, and she grows up rapidly to fit the role). As I noted, the series is curated to be all-ages, with the possibly exception of one chapter where Michael ends up at what is clearly a cat brothel, but I think adults may find this funnier than kids for the most part.

I believe that Dark Horse released 11 volumes total, so the next collection should have the remaining five. They’re an absolute must get for cat lovers, and for those who want to experience the unique eccentricities of Makoto Kobayashi.

Kokoro Connect: Step Time

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By Sadanatsu Anda and Shiromizakana. Released in Japan by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Molly Lee.

I get the feeling the author needed a break from the angst as much as the reader did. The last few regular volumes of Kokoro Connect have been rather excruciating, if well-written, and all signs point to the next two books coming up as being even worse. (There are some hints and foreshadinwg in this book as well, the only really serious moment in it.) As a result, even more than the last collection of Short Stories, Step Time allows us to relax and enjoy the cast being together without the threat of Heartseed hanging over them. It also allows the author to go back and take care of some business. Kokoro Connect began with the Cultural Research Club fully formed, our heroes all in it and friends with each other, and Iori and Inaba best friends. So here we get to see how that happened in the first place, in two stories which read like one part destiny to eight parts slice of life.

The book has four largish stories in it. The first, as I suggested, deals with how the CRC was first formed by their teacher (still a normal lazy teacher at this point) and Taichi and the rest talking and realizing they don’t share many interests and all want to be in different clubs anyway. That said, there’s clearly something about these five kids… it’s not the most subtle story in the world, but does a good job of showing why the CRC hang out with each other in the first place. It’s part of a mini-theme in this book of “don’t overanalyze things”, which brings us to the second story, where Inaba and Iori tell the CRC how they came to be friends. This is probably the strongest story in the book (the lack of Taichi POV helps), as Inaba’s natural grumpy cussedness hits up against Iori’s “I am already losing my ability to pretend” complexes and the two have to deal with a stalker of Iori’s.

The third story is also good, though you kind of want to take Kurihara and throw her into the nearest lake. She’s one of the group of girls in the class who aren’t Iori, Inaba or Yui, and she’s very frustrated at the fact that, although there are now three couples in their little group, none of them are having lovey lovey date time. As such, she and an enthusiastic Iori decide to have the three couples (Taichi x Inaba, Yui x Aoki, and that other girl x that other guy) do a triple date, supervised by Kurihara herself. The best part of this is Taichi and Inaba, who really are a terrific couple, as they find out. The last story focuses on Fujishima, who is once again brilliant at everything except ordinary social interaction, and her attempts to figure out why others in their school consider the CRC members “cool”. She’s joined by the two junior CRC menbers, Shino and Chihiro, both of whom are equally socially awkward. What follows is, again, “don’t overanalyze things”, with a healthy dose of Fujishima being oblivious to her own powers of attraction. (She also confirms she is bisexual, almost offhandedly.)

So again, if you love the cast but hate seeing them suffer, this is a terrific volume to pick up. And if you enjoy seeing them suffer… well, Volume 9 should be coming soon.

Manga the Week of 2/19/20

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SEAN: February. I can’t believe we’re still in February.

ASH: It really does seem to be taking its time this year.

SEAN: Fantagraphics gives us the 2nd volume of Kago’s (has he dropped his first name?) Dementia 21, which promises to be disturbing in many and varied ways.

ASH: The first volume was pretty great, in true Kago fashion, so reader be warned.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has dabbled in shoujo light novels (Bakarina), but at Anime NYC they announced a big push to start a shoujo LN line. The first of those is out next week, I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! (Watashi wa Teki ni Narimasen!). It’s from PASH! Books. The premise is quite similar to Bakarina: the heroine realizes that she’s the villain character in an RPG… but she’s not the villain till she gets married! When her future husband shows up, she decides to RUN AWAY!

MICHELLE: Sounds potentially fun.

ANNA: Running away from husbands is a good trope.

SEAN: J-Novel Club also have Banner of the Stars 2, Cooking with Wild Game 6, and The Greatest Magicmaster’s Retirement Plan 4.

In print next week, Kodansha gives us Drifting Dragons 3, Eden’s Zero 6, Fairy Tail 100 Year Quest 3, Gleipnir 6, and O Maidens in Your Savage Season 6. That’s more print than the last four weeks have had.

ASH: I’ve been meaning to give Drifting Dragons a try now that it’s available in print. I’m a volume or so behind, but O Maidens in Your Savage Season has been consistently excellent.

SEAN: The digital debut is I’ll Win You Over, Sempai! (Senpai! Ima Kara Kokurimasu!), a 5-volume shoujo series from Nakayoshi. A girl has lived a life when she’s always confessed successfully and never been dumped… till now. Still, she persists… because if she just keeps confessing over and over, eventually he’ll say yes! This seems like the sort of series that had better be very funny or it may be excruciating.

MICHELLE: Forsooth.

SEAN: Also out digitally is GE: Good Ending 2, Living Room Matsunaga-san 7, Lovesick Ellie 10, MabuSasa 2, and Shojo FIGHT! 9.

MICHELLE: Yay for more Lovesick Ellie and Shojo FIGHT!.

ANNA: I need to get caught up.

SEAN: Seven Seas has four titles, all 2nd volumes. We get Arifureta ZERO’s 2nd manga volume, How to Train Your Devil 2, the 2nd (early digital) volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA, and Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World 2.

ASH: The first volume of Nicola Traveling Around the Demons’ World was an absolute delight! The second is high on my list to pick up.

SEAN: Tokyopop gives us the done-in-one volume Dekoboku Sugar Days, another BL title from Gentosha, this one from LOVE xxx BOYS Pixiv. A boy who always had to be protected by our hero as a kid is now all grown up… and huge! Can there still be any protecting? What about a confession?

Vertical has the 7th Arakawa Under the Bridge and a 2nd Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro.

Viz gives us Downfall, an Inio Asano title for those who think Dead Dead Demon is too light and cheery. It’s depressing, realistic, and no doubt excellent. It ran in Big Comic Superior.

MICHELLE: I’m sure it’s excellent, but I just can’t handle depressing these days.

ANNA: Me too, I’ll stick with the cheerfulness of Dead Dead Demon.

ASH: I’ll definitely be reading this, but will need to wait for the timing to be just right.

MJ: Wow.

SEAN: Also from Viz: The Drifting Classroom Perfect Edition 2, Golden Kamuy 14, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 13, Ran and the Gray World 6, Tokyo Ghoul: re 15, and, most importantly, Urusei Yatsura’s 5th omnibus.

ASH: Ooooh, I’ll be reading quite a few of those, too!

MJ: I still mourn what Ran and the Gray World was in its first volume.

SEAN: Yen On has a 10th volume of No Game No Life, the first to come out without any delays in ages. They’ve also got Log Horizon 1-11 out digitally, meaning every Yen On series is now available in both print and digital. Hooray!

As for Yen Press and the manga end, no debuts, but we do get Interspecies Reviewers 3, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 6, Kakegurui Twin 5, Overlord a La Carte 3, Re: ZERO Arc 3 Volume 10, The Royal Tutor 13, Silver Spoon 13…

MJ: Silver Spoooooooooooooooon!

ASH: Silver Spoon is a terrific series.

SEAN: …Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san 3, and Tales of Wedding Rings 8.

ASH: Looking forward to spending some more time with my Skull-Faced friend.

MJ: I’m here for Skull-Face.

SEAN: That’s quite a bit. Anything tickle your fancy?

A Man & His Cat, Vol. 1

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As someone who’s suffered a lifetime of embarrassment over my tendency to cry at movies and books about animals—even ones with happy outcomes—I realize that that my reaction to A Man and His Cat may not, in fact, be warranted by the quality of the storytelling or artwork. I should also disclose that I’m almost 50, so I’m hungry for stories about people old enough to have a few grey hairs and wrinkles. And I should probably mention that I live with two cats, one of whom is contentedly snoozing by my feet as I type.

Reader, I loved it.

There’s no real plot to speak of; the most dramatic event unfolds in the opening pages, when Fukumaru, a grumpy-faced cat, is adopted from the pet store where he’s spent a lonely year waiting for an owner. His knight in shining armor is Mr. Kanda, a middle-aged music teacher and empty nester who exudes an aura of sadness, despite his outward composure. Though Fukumaru frets that Kanda might suffer buyer’s remorse, Kanda is thoroughly smitten with Fukumaru, throwing himself into cat ownership with abandon, buying toys and collars, and taking selfies with Fukumaru. These scenes are engineered to elicit a strong, uncomplicated emotional response from the reader; Umi Sakurai doesn’t pluck or tug at the heartstrings so much as tear and rend them, giving Fukumaru a running interior monologue about his fears and hopes. And if seeing a cat worry about being returned to the pet store isn’t enough to make your lip tremble even a little, Fukumaru’s speech is peppered with feline-specific pronouns that underscore his plight in a shamelessly sentimental fashion: who but the most jaded reader could laugh at a chubby cat who worries that he might “go meowy whole life without a name?”

Fukumaru’s vulnerability is further amplified by Sakurai’s depiction of him as round and awkwardly proportioned, with an enormous face and stumpy legs. (One character helpfully describes him as “ugly-cute.”) Though Fukumaru’s penchant for tearing up is chalked up to his breed—the pet shop labels him a “short-haired exotic”—almost every kind gesture, separation, reunion, and potential setback makes Fukumaru’s eyes glisten with great, beady tears. Kanda, on the other hand, is drawn in a somewhat stiff, bland fashion with a few perfunctory laugh lines to suggest his age. The contrast between Fukumaru—who looks like the kind of off-brand stuffed animal you might win at a carnival—and his slim, be-suited owner is an interesting artistic choice, as it makes it easier for the reader to understand why Fukumaru initially feels such trepidation about Kanda. (It’s also a pretty amusing visual gag, too.)

By now, reader, you’re probably wondering, but would I like it? That’s a question I can’t really answer, since this manga’s wholesome sentimentality appealed to me against my better judgment. But if there’s a cat in your lap as you read this review, or you share your house with a pet you rescued from a shelter, I think you might appreciate the warm dynamic between Kanda and Fukumaru, as watching these two wounded souls revel in each other’s company is a genuinely heartwarming experience. Recommended.

Square Enix provided a review copy.

A MAN & HIS CAT, VOL. 1 • BY UMI SAKURAI • TRANSLATED BY TAYLOR ENGEL • SQUARE ENIX MANGA & BOOKS • 146 pp.

A Man & His Cat, Vol. 1

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By Umi Sakurai. Released in Japan as “Ojisama to Neko” by Square Enix, serialization ongoing in the magazine Gangan Pixiv. Released in North America by Square Enix Manga. Translated by Taylor Engel.

There’s a new publisher in the North American market, and Square Enix Manga has chosen this series to be their debut. It’s a strong choice. The series hits on several popular manga genres, is heartwarming and touching without getting cloying, and is also one of those titles where pet owners will be nodding their heads in understanding and sympathy. Since it is a new publisher, I’ll briefly get into the technical details before starting the review. The book looks nice, with thicker cover stock than others, and good solid paper. There are color pages at the front and the back. The translation is fine, though be warned that one of the narrators is a cat, which means that there are lots of “inserting meow into every word” choices. This mirrors the Japanese, of course, but I know some people might find it aggravating. That said, the main reason anyone will be picking up and continuing to read this is the titular man and cat.

A cat, nearly one year old, sits unloved in a pet shop. He’s an exotic shorthair, and looks odd, so no one cares… plus he’s now too old. Into this shop comes Kaito, an old man who takes an immediate liking to this cat, who he buys and names Fukumaru. The man and the cat are both very lonely people through circumstance, and so bond almost immediately. The rest of the volume consists of glimpses into Kaito’s current and past life and amusing “this is what it is like to own a cat” stories. Fukumaru is very loving and hands-on for a cat, so the series ends up being full of heartwarming moments. Kaito’s friends and co-workers are also very nice, sweet people. There’s no real conflict beyond things like “will he be OK when I leave the house for the day”, but that’s fine, as this series gets by on pure heartwarming.

One thing I love about this title is its subtlety regarding Kaito’s life, which is still only somewhat sketched in. He’s an older gentleman, and we see a few flashbacks to him and his wife, where they discuss getting a cat. It’s never explicitly stated, but it’s very clear his wife has now passed away, which weighs heavily on him. A flashback suggests they knew each other from childhood, which makes it even more painful. Kaito seems to be a music teacher, and there are some lovely scenes of him playing the piano. But the kids he teaches note that he only played sad songs till recently (i.e. pre-cat), and he implies he has a love/hate relationship with his piano (and, inferred, his career in general.) Basically, while I definitely think people are buying this manga for the cat, the man gets just as much attention, and is fascinating.

This is definitely a title that “hits you in the feels”, and I think it’s a great choice for Square Enix to mark its debut. I highly look forward to the second volume.

Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen, Vol. 3

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By Keishi Ayasato and Saki Ukai. Released in Japan as “Isekai Goumon Hime” by Media Factory. Released in North America Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Hiroshi Thrasher.

Given how many of the villains were dispatched in the last book, it should come as no surprise to find that Elisabeth and Kaito finish off her task by the end of this book. The twelve villains she was ordered by the Church to destroy are, more or less, destroyed. Of course, that means that it’s her turn to be executed next. And therefore this is the final volume. Bye, everyone!… wait, no, of course it isn’t. There’s always an out, and the author is now describing the book as the end of the first arc. But what do you do when you’ve killed off the bad guys? Simple, have ma new bad guy for everyone to fear, twice as mean and terrifying, and set Elisabeth out to destroy him! Of course, there is one slight problem, which is who the villain actually is. (It should not be hard to figure this out.) It’s a very clever and also very foolish plot.

This book takes place in the capitol, and as such the cast expands greatly, though really there’s only one name we need to remember. The various knights and paladins of the church are doing their best, but in the end this is something that mercy and compassion are a bad fit for. Izabella in particular is so pure and shiny that she no doubt will be a powerful antagonist in future volumes (she’s the name to remember). In case you were worried that there would not be descriptions of horrific graphical body horror, torture and fates worse than death, fear not, they’re here in abundance – one featuring a children’s theater was particularly horrible. But then you get a fantastic line of dialogue, or an evocative description, or even just Elisabeth briefly turning into Teru from Dengeki Daisy and demanding Kaito go bald, there’s always a new element to remind you why you’re reading this series. (If you are reading this series just for the gore, good for you, and also you may want to visit some other blog.)

And then there’s Hina, who is only in one or two scenes in the book, but they’re so memorable they threaten to overshadow everything else. (That said, props to “The Butcher”, who remains ridiculous in the extreme.) Still in a coma for the majority of the book, she literally dive bombs into the final battle, declaring her love for Kaito as loud as a ball-jointed doll possibly can, and their reunion is actually really sweet. What follows is also the funniest point of the book, where Hina says she loves him even though they can’t have kids, and Elisabeth explains how they CAN have kids – even if the act she’s describing makes her blush. As I said in the other reviews, fans of Rem from Re: ZERO may as well start reading this, because you’re not getting more of her in the main series right now and this Rem actually gets the guy.

And so, at the end of the book, Elisabeth sets out to execute this new villain, Kaito and Hina are reunited and possibly making babies (though I doubt it, honestly), and Torture Princess remains a fantastic read, despite all the gore and torture. For those with strong stomachs, absolutely recommended.

Jackaby, Books 1-4 by William Ritter

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jackaby1Jackaby
I’ve seen this series described as “Sherlock meets Doctor Who,” and that is pretty apt. It’s January 1892 and our plucky British narrator, Abigail Rook, has just arrived in New England and needs employment. No one is hiring except for the eccentric investigator, R. F. Jackaby, who is looking for a new assistant since his previous one is “currently waterfowl.” Jackaby’s physical description is evocative of Benedict Cumberbatch in character as Sherlock, and he’s occasionally tactless, but aside from one early demonstration, he doesn’t do much in the way of deduction. Instead, he’s more like The Doctor—a kooky, scarf-wearing fellow who dashes about warning townspeople of supernatural threats while they regard him as “a crackpot imbecile.” Abigail is, of course, the companion—a clever girl who has always longed for adventure but who has until now been denied it. Happily, there is no hint of romance between them.

In this first installment, Abigail and Jackaby work together to solve a series of murders afflicting a particular apartment building. Jackaby, of course, can tell the culprit is a creature of some sort while the policeman in charge scoffs at this assertion and, at one point, locks Abigail and Jackaby up for impeding his investigation. Although I liked the characters—especially Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly resident of Jackaby’s headquarters—the mystery portion of the book was sadly predictable. “Obvious culprit is obvious,” I wrote in my notes, and though I didn’t work out what sort of creature was to blame, another character’s bestial secret was no surprise.

Still, I did enjoy Jackaby and like the characters and tone well enough to continue. I do hope the next mystery is a little less transparent, though.

the-map“The Map”
This short story takes place on Abigail’s birthday. She’s been quite clear about not wanting a fuss, but Jackaby is determined that they will have an adventure. Their first stop is a magical market, which she doesn’t enjoy much, to Jackaby’s disappointment. While there, however, they pick up a treasure map and proceed to complete a series of challenges in search of the treasure buried by the notorious rogue, the Bold Deceiver.

“The Map” may not be an essential piece of reading, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I especially liked the challenge in which they must get past the enormous hare guarding a castle—that one was sad and funny simultaneously. I also like that they’re not 100% successful with all the tasks, since centuries have passed since they were set up. On the whole, it’s worth checking out.

jackaby2Beastly Bones
It’s now the spring of 1892 and Jackaby and Abigail have been sent to the nearby town of Gad’s Valley to investigate thefts from a paleontological dig site. Abigail is mad for fossils, so is very excited about this prospect, while Jackaby must be convinced it’s worth their time. Another benefit is that Abigail gets to spend more time with Charlie the handsome policeman, for whom she has feelings, though she’s unsure what to do about him. Jenny the ghost has advised her to go for it and make the first move while Nelly Fuller, intrepid lady reporter, chastises her for thinking about love. “Do you want to be safe and happy or do you want to be great?”

As I had hoped, the mystery in Beastly Bones is a definite improvement over the first book; despite being a fine example of Chekhov’s Gun, its multiple layers made for a more complex case. Mostly, however, I liked that one aspect of it remains unsolved. Even though this series has Sherlockian elements, it hadn’t occurred to me that there’d be a Moriarty equivalent, but it looks like there is!

Still, the characters remain the main draw. Jackaby can be brash and insulting, but he doesn’t talk down to Abigail or treat her like a kid. I enjoyed his aversion to hearing about her romantic problems, and his awkward attempts to be sweet. “Buck up; you’re dreadful company when you’re melancholy.” Abigail continues to be resourceful and likable. And though there wasn’t much of Jenny, the ending finds her enlisting Jackaby to delve into her own murder. I’m very much looking forward to it!

jackaby3Ghostly Echoes
I’d really been looking forward to Ghostly Echoes and the truth behind Jenny’s murder, but it wasn’t exactly what I’d been hoping for.

True, Jenny’s murder is solved, but there is practically zero exploration of the person she was when she was alive. The plot is more about the evil council responsible (turns out that Moriarty-seeming character from previous books was only stirring things up to keep Jackaby busy so this group of dark fae could keep an eye on him) and the looming threat to mankind. Jenny did grow tremendously in both confidence and ability, and had a few genuinely badass moments in which she got to save her friends. I also appreciated her realization that she is more than a mere echo of the girl who died, but has her own thoughts and feelings. “I’m my own somebody.” I liked all of that, but I still wish she’d been the focus throughout instead of only in places.

Too, there’s not really much Jackaby, either. Yes, we learn about his childhood friend who was the Seer before him and how the council was after her too, but he just seems so… deflated. I guess it’s reasonable for him to be subdued given the case and its implications—he was worried that closure for Jenny might mean she’d move on—but I missed the humor he used to bring to situations. I reckon there shan’t be much of that in the next volume, either, in which our heroes face off against the bad guys and attempt to save the world.

The Dire King
The final entry in the Jackaby series wasn’t bad but, like the previous installment, certain character moments that I really wanted to see play out were completely glossed over.

Jackaby and company are trying to prevent the Dire King from destroying the veil that separates the Annwn and our world. This involves locating a particular magical artifact, attempting to destroy a diabolical machine, clashing armies, and lots and lots of fairies and magical creatures. I cannot possibly express how little interest I have in lots and lots of fairies and magical creatures.

There was at least more Jackaby here, and a somewhat warmer one, which I appreciated. I just wish there was much more about him and Jenny. She’s finally able to overcome her inability to touch him when his life is on the line, and there’s the suggestion that they’re going to live happily ever after once the crisis has been averted, but man, I really wish we’d gotten a scene where he pours his heart out and she scolds him for taking so long while also crying happily. Similarly, while I like where Abigail ultimately ends up, the very end is briefly pretty great but then it’s just… over.

I know cheesy epilogues get maligned pretty often, but in this case I would’ve appreciated one!

Altina the Sword Princess, Vol. 2

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By Yukiya Murasaki and himesuz. Released in Japan as “Haken no Kouki Altina” by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

This very much feels like the 2nd part of a two-parter, and in fact I think a re-release of the series in Japan saw these two grouped as a single novel. It picks up right where the first one left off, and sometimes that can be a problem, as Altina still has a broken arm, which makes swordfighting difficult. Unfortunately, the plot is not going to wait for her to recover. There are barbarians at the gate – literally – and Regis has to come up with a plan to solve that. The Empire has sent a couple of evil inspectors to see how things are going/sabotage Regis and Altina. What’s more, they’ve been given an impossible order, to attack one of the best defended forts in the area and emerge victorious. In other words, they’re being sent off to die. Of course, there’s an easy way to get around that. They just have to win against the impregnable fortress. Easy-peasy.

Again, the series succeeds best due to its two very likeable leads. Altina is a young, impetuous princess who nevertheless has a really good head on her shoulders, does not believe in needless killing, and knows exactly what she’s fighting for. Her speech to the soldiers as they’re about to storm the fort is fantastic, and reminds you how important the right motivation can be. As for Regis, he remains very clever and very self-deprecating – it takes moving mountains to get this man to admit that he was responsible for something good happening. He also has his amusing flaw, which is his love of books, and that leads to some excellent banter between him and Altina. They’re clearly intended to be a couple in then future, but the author has quite rightly decided not to rush things, which is fine.

There is an attempted rape in this book, from one of the evil inspectors, I will warn people. I do wish that this was not a common “show they’re evil by having them do this” plot. In addition, at the end one of the maids tries to force herself on the suddenly popular and single Regis, and that’s just as bad. Other than that, however, the book is relatively free of all the fanservice-laden exploits you might see in, oh, one of the author’s other licensed series. We also meet Eric, a young soldier who is devastatingly handsome, devastatingly earnest, and who I suspect I should be using gender-neutral pronouns in describing them, as they seem to be hiding a secret (which would be less obvious if the author hadn’t gone “did you spot that? Hmm? Hmm?” in the afterword). He makes a nice change from the rest of the soldiers, who are more like the grumpy Jerome, who seems to get constantly angry at whatever Altina and Regis do but then does it anyway.

Next time Altina will be headed back home to meet the family, and I suspect political intrigue will follow. Till then, enjoy this nice, breezy read.

Strike the Blood, Vol. 14

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By Gakuto Mikumo and Manyako. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jeremiah Bourque.

This is definitely a stronger volume than the previous one. It starts off by slowly removing all of Kojou’s allies, which gives a nice feeling of impending doom. Asagi is supposedly helping with the rebuilding the island needs by being… a pop idol, but anyone who’s met Asagi knows this is fake. In reality, she’s being held hostage. So is Motoki, who is recovering from his grievous wounds from last time, and thus can’t put up much of a fight when he’s used in a corporate struggle. And even Yukina ends up being a liability when, due to the various events that have been happening since the start and her own superweapon, she’s now turning into a faux-Angel, just like Kanon was. Fortunately, Kojou still has his own typical battle plan, which is use his Beast Vassals, see them fail, get nearly killed, and drink someone’s blood to power up. So far it’s been a sound strategy. Of course, there’s a little catch here.

The subtitle for this volume is Golden Days, which is how Yukina views her time here with Kojou. Leaving aside her romantic feelings for him, this is the closest thing she’s ever had to a normal life, something that Sayaka and Yukina’s mentor Yukari both point out. Yukina’s past has been shown to us on occasion in bits, and we certainly have no doubt that this is true. As such, despite his good intentions, when Kojou readily accepts that, in order not to be turned into a faux-Angel, she’ll never be able to see or help him again, she is very quick to reject this. It’s a lot of good, solid scenes. As for the solution to the problem… well, it’s sort of a macguffin, really, but I suppose we could do worse. While “fiancee” may be a bit much (mostly as it would require Kojou to admit to actually having romantic feelings for a girl without another one beating him up), certainly they’re much closer after this, and Yukina can stick around.

There were a few things I wasn’t as thrilled with. As ever, Strike the Blood’s attempts at humor are terrible, and the whole “this isn’t really a pregnancy test but” joke, even with it signposted a mile away, still made me roll my eyes. Asagi’s skills are shown off here, but – as she herself is quick to point out – all she did was sit around for two weeks. I like books that are more Asagi-heavy. And of course, despite having stronger scenes in general, the overall plot of this book is remarkably similar to about five or six others in this series – I’ve joked before about it being written by an AI, and the joke still holds up. It is designed to be made into an anime. I like the characters, but, except for Yukina a bit here, they simply don’t have the depth to elevate this series above “satisfactory”.

Still, satisfactory is not bad, and this book should please those who enjoy Strike the Blood, particularly Yukina fans, which I’m sure there must be one or two of. Next time we get the “end of Part One” of the series, but I’ll believe it when I see it, to be honest.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Vol. 5

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By Rifuin Na Magonote and Shirotaka. Released in Japan as “Mushoku Tensei – Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu” by MF Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Paul Cuneo. Adapted by JY Yang.

I was pleased to see that almost all of the things I brought up as negatives in the last review were improved here. Yes, OK, there are several scenes of Rudeus getting distracted while fighting as he literally cannot stop staring at large breasts, but compared to prior volumes, this is on the light side of him perving out. Eris gets a great deal more to do, and the scenes with her and Cliff on her goblin hunt were probably the funniest in the book. It’s also made clearer, in case it wasn’t already, that she is over the moon in love with Rudy. She also plays a part in the main plot point of this book – indeed, the entire book seems a letdown compared to these scenes – where Rudeus is finally reunited with his father and younger sister. Sadly, due to misconceptions on both sides, it’s not exactly a happy meeting. In fact, things go south far more rapidly than anyone could have guessed.

The biggest point of interest in the series is, of course, the dissonance between Rudeus’s adult reincarnated otaku brain and his physical (and, let’s face it, emotional) child self. Here, after getting caught beating up kidnappers who turn out to be his father’s group rescuing slaves, we get the biggest contrast yet, as he tries to impress his father with everything that he’s been through to reassure him that he’s fine, but is confronted with a very real question: why does he not know what’s going on with the entire kingdom being teleported and displaced? I mean, Eris knows – she’s been keeping silent as she assumes Rudy is keeping silent for her sake. And everyone else in the world knows. But Rudy, by various plot coincidences, has never seen ANY of the messages his father left at various guilds. The result of all this? A huge father-son fight.

Paul is handled well here – he’s at his wit’s end trying to save people, getting drunk and depressed as most of his family is gone, and suddenly here’s his son back, being smug, and accusing him of sleeping with women when he hasn’t actually done it. You can see why he snapped. At the same time, Geese is absolutely correct in reminding him that Rudy is a child (has he turned 12 by now?) and the mere fact that he survived at all is stunning. Rudy’s genius makes people expect things of him that he is not functionally equipped to handle at times. As we see in the best scene in the book, when Rudy, post-fight, simply lies dazed in his room at the inn Eris tries to comfort him in a really awkward yet sweet way. Fortunately, things are mostly resolved, with father and son making up. That said, the younger sister will take longer – her seeing Rudy punch her dad’s lights out means she is not forgiving him ever ever ever. Eris hates Paul too. Fun times!

So yes, a stronger volume in the series. I also liked seeing another of Rudy’s relatives here, and hope we see more of her. The side story about the princess and her retainers (including the mysterious Finn) was also excellent. I could hope for less horndog antics, but I know that’s vain. Just sit back and enjoy it.

Given, Vol. 1

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Given Volume 1 by Natsuki Kizu

Even before I read this manga, I remember scrolling past something on twitter and seeing the cover. Who is the mildly cranky guitarist? What’s up with the diffident dude with the red guitar? Has there been yaoi manga translated here featuring a rock band since Gravitation? I have no idea, but I was more than ready to check out this series.

Uneoyama is a cranky high school student and guitar player who is quite irked to see another boy passed out holding a guitar in his favorite sleeping spot. Uneoyama is perturbed that the guy is clutching a Gibson with rusted out strings, but the mysterious boy says “Can this be fixed?” with a look of desperation on his face. Uneoyama quickly tunes the guitar, strums a cord, and is promptly asked for guitar lessons. Uneoyama isn’t sure how to teach an absolute novice the guitar, but his newfound companion tags along to band practice and introduces himself as Mafuyu Sato. Mafuyu meets bassist Haruki and drummer Kaji, and continues to be relentless about asking Uneoyama for guitar lessons.

Given

Throughout most of this first volume, Mafuyu is presented as an innocent enigma, but as Uneo gets to know him he begins to discover that Mafuyu’s emotional attachment to the Gibson he can’t play is rooted in a tragic event from his past. Uneoyama’s jaded attitude towards music is gradually changed by Mafuyu’s enthusiasm and he begins to think about his mysterious new friend more and more. Given perfectly executes the “I’m mad at you because you are so pretty” trope that is so enjoyable when done well. The scenes of the band playing music are dynamic, and Uneoyama’s growing feelings are built up in a subtle way even though he’s not yet ready to be honest with himself. Haruki and Kaji also have some cute scenes together, and as older band members spend a bit of time being amused at Uneoyama actually feeling off-kilter due to the fact that he is finally emotionally invested in something. Kizu’s character designs are all distinct and stylish, and I enjoyed the bonus illustrations of all the major characters that showed sketches of facial expressions as well as vital statistics. This was an extremely promising first volume, and I’m expecting this series will continue to entertain with a winning combination of slow burn romance and music.

Manga the Week of 2/12/20

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SEAN: It’s Valentine’s Week! Instead of chocolate, why not get your crush manga?

Dark Horse is giving up a 500+-page omnibus of What’s Michael?, the first of two, I believe. I’m pretty sure this is just a straight re-release of the 6 volumes we’d seen way back in the day as an omnibus – still flipped, still censored, etc. But I don’t really care, as I love What’s Michael? to bits, and seeing it back in print in a giant omnibus delights me.

MICHELLE: !!! I’ll take what I can get!

ASH: Same! While I would love to see the rest of What’s Michael released in translation, I’m just happy that it’ll be back in print at all.

MJ: What they said!

SEAN: J-Novel Club has two debuts. The digital manga debut is Cooking with Wild Game, whose novel J-NC has already put out. A boy and his elf village who have no idea how to cook meat.

The digital novel debut is Teogonia, which seems like a somewhat grim fantasy with reincarnated memories.

J-Novel also has Seirei Gensouki manga volume 3 and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen LN 6.

Kodansha’s debut (in print or once!) is Beyond the Clouds, which has been called Ghibli-esque, so has a lot to live up to. It originally comes form a French publisher, and its premise reminds me a lot of… well, Laputa, so Ghlibi comparisons fit.

The digital debut is The Dorm of Love and Secrets (Koi to Himitsu no Gakuseiryou), another Dessert title, from an author whose Heart Break Club has been released digitally here by MediaDo. This one’s a quarter of the size of that, and is about… sigh… a school divided into average and elite kids, and… sigh… an average girl who ends up in the elite group. Sigh.

MICHELLE: That does not bode exceptionally well.

ANNA: Oh wow, that has never been done before.

MJ: I guess we can just… hope that there will be something fresh about it? I. Yeah.

SEAN: Also out next week digitally: 1122 For a Happy Marriage 5, All-Out!! 12, Ex Enthusiasts – Motokare Mania 3, Farewell My Dear Cramer 7, That Blue Summer 2, and The Prince’s Romance Gambit 6.

Seven Seas makes up for its absence last week. There are SIX debuts (two have come out digital first). Bloom Into You gets a light novel spinoff, Regarding Saeki Sayaka, which I found VERY enjoyable when it came out digitally last year.

The Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice (Sojou no Koi wa Nido Haneru) is the sequel to The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese, and thus has several interested Manga Bookshelf parties.

MICHELLE: Forsooth.

ANNA: Yes!

ASH: It is true.

MJ: This!

SEAN: Citrus+, the sequel to Citrus, had a digital early release, but this is the print version. I’m guessing there’s angst.

Kase-san and Yamada finally gives up on the “and ________” title format and gives us what we really want – the two leads, together, in college.

My Androgynous Boyfriend (Genderless Danshi ni Ai sarete imasu) is a josei title from Shodensha’s Feel Young, and the mere fact we’re GETTING another Feel Young title makes me happy. It is about a woman who works in publishing and her boyfriend, who makes himself beautiful for her. It sounds terrific. The author also had the BL title A Lotus in the Mud released digitally recently.

MICHELLE: Definitely looking forward to this one!

ANNA: I am intrigued.

ASH: I’m really looking forward to this one, too.

MJ: I’m so here for this!

SEAN: Lastly, there’s Scarlet, a Comic Yuri Hime title about a vampire who got that way by ingesting a drug, a werewolf who’s also Red Riding Hood, and their tortured yuri relationship. Also: they fight crime!

The non-debut from Seven Seas is the 2nd volume of Our Wonderful Days. (So that’s seven new titles from Seven Seas next week, all queer. Dang.)

ASH: That makes me happy.

MJ: Well, that’s lovely.

SEAN: We have a new publisher debuting! Square Enix Manga finally has its first release, and it’s one the Manga Bookshelf team are most excited about. A Man and His Cat (Ojisama to Neko) is listed as ‘shoujo’ but also runs in Shonen Gangan, and, well, that’s Square Enix for ya. The title is the story, but this one looks super good.

MICHELLE: A good week for cats!

ANNA: This looks cute.

ASH: Very curious about this one.

MJ: And that demographic confusion is my love affair with Square Enix in a nutshell, isn’t it?

SEAN: SuBLime has a debut as well, Given. It runs in Shinshokan’s Cheri +, and seems to be the gay version of Anonymous Noise.

MICHELLE: I’ve seen the first chunk of anime episodes and liked it a lot.

ANNA: It is absolutely adorable. Love the cover.

ASH: I’m excited for the chance to read this!

MJ: I didn’t love the straight version, so maybe this is the one I’ve been waiting for!

SEAN: They also have a 2nd volume of Yarichin Bitch Club.

Vertical given us the 5th Kino’s Journey manga.

Viz gives us the 8th Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Hayate the Combat Butler 35, Komi Can’t Communicate 5, and A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow 2.

ASH: I just picked up the first volume of A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow; maybe I should go ahead and pick up the second, too.

MJ: There are a few things I’m interested in, there.

SEAN: Lastly, Yen On has a straggler light novel with the 2nd volume of The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn As a Typical Nobody.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Which of these titles will you accidentally eat thinking they’re chocolate?

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 22

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By Mizuho Kusanagi. Released in Japan as “Akatsuki no Yona” by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by JN Productions, Adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.

Last time I asked when Yona was going to finally realize her romantic feelings for Hak, and I guess the answer is “not that long after”, as she admits it to Riri, if not to Hak. The two have a heart to heart, and Riri, of course, wants Yona to immediately confess. Yona, though, is now aware of her feelings but has to contextualize them with the rest of her life with Hak – she can’t simply flip into “oh, I love him” right away. Especially as we’re still not quite sure how she feels about Su-Won. Though Hak seems to think he knows how she feels, and proves it by spending most of a chapter trying to retrieve the hairpin that Su-Won gave Yona. Hak’s self-sacrifice can verge on the ridiculous at times, and it should be clear to the reader that we’re likely a couple of volumes away from a confession. Still, it’s nice to see Yona’s awareness.

While it’s clear to the reader that Yona and Hak are the big romantic pairing in this series, romance is only one facet of this fantasy action series, and the facet begins and ends with those two. This leads to an amazing scene where Su-Won goes to visit a recovering Riri, and sparks absolutely do not fly. In fact, he begs her to treat him normally, as it’s just too uncomfortable having Riri using polite language to him. (Given how often Su-Won goes undercover, this must happen quite a lot.) Others may see her as a potential bride for the King (witness the amazing sword dance that goes on as Riri gets a quick makeup job) but Riri likes Yona… erm, pardon me, older men like Geun-Tae, and Su-Won does not seem to grasp the concept of love and romance, something he freely admits. Which is possibly why he gave Yona that remarkable hairpin before murdering her father.

We finish up one plot and begin another in this book, which means we get nice comedy moments in between arcs, as always (no, Jaeha’s foot does not grow huge like Gija’s hand) before the Happy Hungry Bunch are called to Xing, another kingdom that is about to go to war with Kohka. The kingdom is divided between the two princesses, and Yona and company meet the younger one, Tao, who is trying to save lives by having her country surrender. Needless to say, this makes her a target for those who disagree. Tao looks like a classic “I appear to be an adorable pushover, but am actually very clever” sorts, and I took to her right away – especially when she noticed Yona’s discomfort around the guys due to the sudden incursion of an unusually painful period, and took immediate action. Hopefully she survives the cliffhanger ending, though given she’s with Zeno, who has gotten very good at using his powers now that we know what they are, I think she’ll be OK.

As always, it’s hard to say “this is a must buy and essential shoujo” after every review, but it’s true. An excellent volume.

The World’s Least Interesting Master Swordsman, Vol. 1

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By Rokurou Akashi and Shiso. Released in Japan as “Jimi na Kensei wa Soredemo Saikyou desu” by PASH! Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Noboru Akimoto.

I was very much on the fence about this title when I heard it announced. The idea of a boring but overpowered lead is not new to the world – see One-Punch Man for the most obvious example – but whether the title succeeds or not is very much dependent on the surrounding cast and situations. In this regard Least Interesting Master Swordsman does a fairly good job. The cast is hefty, especially for a first volume, with a kingdom with four noble families, several princesses, several isekai’d heroes, and any number of magic powers and romantic back and forth. Contrasting all of this is our hero, Sansui, who not only has been practicing with his wooden sword for so long that he’s unbeatable but also has been living for so long that he no longer has the desire to eat, drink, or get romantically involved with anyone. All this is fine. The problem is that for the majority of the story, Sansui is also the narrator, and his tone is just as dry and boring as his swordsmanship.

Sansui is, as so many of these stories begin with, a typical Japanese boy accidentally killed by God – his name is sort of the equivalent of Amos for North American countries, and therefore God thought he was old and killed him. As an apology, he’s sent to another world, and offered the choice to get insanely strong, which he happily takes up. Unfortunately, his teacher teaching the sword just has him doing practice swings. And, as he’s immortal, he does them a long time. After five hundred years, he’s got nothing more to learn, and also comes across a baby about to be eaten by wild animals, so heads towards the civilization (with baby). Years later, he and his adorable adopted daughter are living with the House of Sepaeda, with him serving as the bodyguard to its spoiled princess Douve, alongside Blois, her bodyguard and attendant, who has a crush on Sansui. They head off to the Magical Academy, and the plot comes with them…

Sometimes this book feels like I’m reading an isekai from the POV of the villain’s party. Sansui is relatively nice, but he’s so monotone it doesn’t come off well, and he will happily kill people if his mistress asks him to. Douve is pretty awful, seemingly doing anything as long as she’s entertained, but fortunately this makes her fun to read rather than annoying. There’s a 2nd cast that’s meant to read as “the normal isekai party”, with a Japanese guy with superpowers (who loses to Sansui over and over, of course) and his harem of princess, foreign princess, and cursed princess. They contrast nicely with Sansui, and when the narrative voice switches to one of them the book comes alive a bit more, not a good sign. As for Sansui, he doesn’t really get aroused anymore after 500 years, and his reaction to Blois can be summed up as “OK, whatever”, but he at least doesn’t reject her.

Again, there’s a lot to like here – the plot is pretty good, and there are some funny lines throughout. It just feels lugubrious when Sansui is narrating everything as if he’s reading his grocery list, and it took me a while to plow though. I’ll read another, but I hope he gets a bit more interesting.

Isekai Rebuilding Project, Vol. 1

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By Yukika Minamino and Kotokan. Released in Japan as “Isekai Saiken Keikaku” by Legend Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Adam Seacord.

This is a title with a lot of things going for it, starting with one of the best pieces of cover art I’ve seen for some time. The premise is also strong. Our hero Eiji is… a man who is happy with his life. He has a good career, a fiancee he loves, etc. But one day he is… NOT killed by a truck. Instead he ends up transported in front of a “goddess” (though it’s made clear that’s how his brain is formatting this) and told he’s being asked to help save worlds that had heroes sent to them before. Unfortunately, those heroes, in introducing modern concepts to an otherwise pre-industrial world, ended up making things worse. Eiji is being asked to fix this, then he can go back to his cool life. He’s well-versed in light novels and isekai… as is the author, clearly. There’s also a well-handled twist at the end. It’s just that I found the actual plot in the middle… a bit boring?

Speaking of that twist, this paragraph will be spoiler-free. Then I’ll put a break line in the review, and then I will discuss the end of the book. In any case, Eiji arrives and is given a partner, a female dragon (she’s his own height and walks on two legs, though) who he names Tiamat, because of course. The two of them end up at a city where the inhabitants are slowly dying from beriberi, aka B1 deficiency, because the previous isekai’d hero loved his white rice and introduced the area to it, forgetting that brown rice is where the vitamins are. So he and Tiamat, through trial and error (he very deliberately has no powers at all) have to find substitute foods with B1 in them. This is not as interesting as it sounds. There’s also a lot of time spent deconstructing isekais, which is fine, and Eiji has a point, but I don’t think that this series is sufficiently different enough for him to be too smug about it.

Break line summary: the twist means I’ll be reading more, but I’m finding that Legend Novels trying to be for older readers means that sometimes the book is also duller.

OK, let’s talk that twist. It’s handled well enough, making the reader guess something is up as the book goes on, but not quite what. It doesn’t really kick in till they tell you WHO the prior hero was. That said… I found Tiamat’s constant spouting of Japanese trivia and media through the book rather irritating, and the fact that she turned out to be who she is didn’t mean that I went back and said “Aaah, so she’s not annoying!”, it just made me say “ah, that explains it”. While I don’t think that’s what we’re getting in the second book (Eiji herre dying – ironically not on Earth but in the isekai world – and asking to try again) , I’d love to see a book from Tiamat’s perspective, which would also get into how she feels about the previous hero. In addition, the way the world is “saved” feels, not to put too fine a point on it, grim and gritty. It’s why Eiji wants to return – it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. But it does in mine as well.

So good idea, great cover, the execution could use some work. Still worth reading for those who enjoy deconstructions or snarky dragon women.