Features & Reviews

Ranma 1/2, Vols. 19-20

September 18, 2015 by Sean Gaffney

By Rumiko Takahashi. Released in Japan by Shogakukan, serialized in the magazine Shonen Sunday. Released in North America by Viz.

I’ve talked before about how frustrating Ranma can be if you take its characters too seriously. It’s an issue that has carried over to many anime fandoms: if you try to empathize with these characters, and make their actions emotionally realistic, you will find yourself thinking they are all selfish, horrible monsters. It’s not just Ranma, either: Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku ran on this as well, and to this day most of the one-shot ghosts in Rin-Ne are deeply unlikable. At the same time, though, you have to empathize with them to some extent, you have to like and root for the characters or else why would you be reading the series at all? Between these two poles is the sweet spot of Ranma 1/2, and we see some of that in these two volumes.

As always with Ranma, the best stories are the longest. The longest story here deals with Ryouga, who has found a way to weaponize his depression and use it against Ranma. He’s actually not aware this is what he’s doing until later in the arc, which is what makes his baffling attacks on Ranma more entertaining. But the most entertaining thing is seeing Ranma, who is getting beaten by this new attack, try to depress himself, which… really does not work at all. I was highly impressed with Ranma here, as he doesn’t need Cologne to explain an alternative to him, or find an alternate scroll with a better move, but comes up with the attack based on his own confidence purely on its own. I love seeing Ranma being a smart cookie, and wish it happened more often.

Ranma being a stubborn sullen teen fans will enjoy the arc where Ukyou, suffering a crisis of conscience after a 10-year okonomiyaki sauce she made turns out terrible (thanks to Ranma as a child, so he’s guilty) ends up staying with the Tendos and attempting to worm her way into Ranma’s life further. I’ve never seen much of the anime, which I understand softens Ukyou to a great degree, but Takahashi never bothers softening anyone in her manga, so here we see Ukyou being just as bad as Ranma (stubborn jerk) and Akane (jealous), trying to scheme her way into being Ranma’s real fiancee. It almost reads like an English farce at times, with all sorts of power balances going back and forth and sudden revelations, and also tries to bind up Ukyou’s self image as a woman and her self-image as a chef, which she finally resolves doesn’t have to be separated.

As for the rest of the volume, there’s the usual one-shot gag chapters. There’s also some Happosai here, but I hate him, so let’s skip those. Nabiki shows up more here, Takahashi having fully gotten a handle on her last time, selling pictures, information or anything really to the highest bidder. We even see Gosunkugi, who has been absent for a long time, and find out that he’s still as pathetic as ever. The cast of Ranma may be hard to empathize with, but they sure are funny, and you get a lot of humor in these volumes.

Mushishi, Vol. 5

September 16, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Yuki Urushibara
U.S. publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 9780345501387
Released: August 2008
Original release: 2004
Awards: Japan Media Arts Award, Kodansha Manga Award

The manga series Mushishi was Yuki Urushibara’s professional debut as a mangaka. The manga began serialization in Japan in 1999, lasted for ten volumes, and was the basis for multiple anime adaptations and a live-action film in addition to other media. Over the course of its publication, Mushishi would earn Urushibara several awards and honors, including a Japan Media Arts Award in 2003 and a Kodansha Manga Award in 2006. Mushishi, Volume 5 was originally published in Japan in 2004. The English-language edition of the volume was initially released in print by Del Rey Manga in 2008 and then in an electronic format by Kodansha Comics in 2014. Mushishi is one of my favorite manga series and one of the first that I made a point to collect in its entirety. Fortunately, I discovered the series as it was first being published in English, so I was able to complete my set before the manga went out-of-print and became expensive to find. However, I am glad that the digital version is now available for readers who missed the series’ original run in English, though.

Mushishi, Volume 5 collects five stories which, as is usual for the series, largely stand on their own. Ginko’s doctor friend makes a brief reappearance and there are a few nods to some of the series’ previous chapters, such as those exploring Ginko’s past, but it’s not necessary to be familiar with those references to enjoy the stories in the fifth volume. In “The Sea Palace,” Ginko visits a remote island where it is rumored that people are reborn after they die, suspecting that mushi may involved. His search for unusual mushi continues in “Eye’s Fortune, Eye’s Misfortune” when he happens upon a clairvoyant traveling musician with quite a story to tell—blind as a child, she credits a mushi for giving her sight. “The Coat That Holds a Mountain” follows an aspiring artist who leaves his rural village to study in the city, his success coming with unanticipated consequences and costs. In “Flames of the Fields,” a village’s mushishi makes a drastic decision when an unknown, invasive grass threatens lives and livelihoods. Finally, in “The Snake of Dawn,” Ginko is asked to do what he can to help a young mother who is slowly losing all of her memories.

As a mushishi, Ginko travels across Japan striving to learn as much as he can about mushi. Some mushishi see the creatures as little more than dangerous pests that need to be eradicated. Ginko, however, approaches mushi more liberally, recognizing the need to treat them with caution but also advocating for the sanctity of all life and for the coexistence between humans and mushi whenever possible. Mushishi, Volume 5 presents several scenarios in which this harmony has actually been achieved: mushi that facilitate life, mushi that provide healing, mushi that grant health and strength. In some cases, though the results may still be tragic, what would normally be seen as an unwanted side-effect of interacting with a particular mushi can be used to a person’s advantage. But the fifth volume also shows that people must still continue to be vigilant and take great care when dealing with mushi and their powerful influences. This is a concept that of course extends beyond the mushi themselves; mushi are both representative of and a metaphor for those things which humans don’t fully understand or know.

I particularly enjoy the strong influence that Japanese folklore and legends have had on Mushishi. Some of the chapters take direct inspiration from existing stories while others easily fit in with those traditional tales. But there’s another aspect of Mushishi that I find especially interesting because in some way it runs counter to its seemingly supernatural elements—the actual study of mushi. In part, to be a mushishi is to be a scientist and a researcher, someone who pursues and gathers knowledge. Much of Mushishi, Volume 5 deals with rarer and unknown mushi. By investigating them, Ginko and other mushishi are in a better position to make more informed decisions in situations in which mushi are involved. Acting without complete understanding can be extremely dangerous, therefore knowledge is an incredibly powerful and valuable tool granting some amount of control over the world. Mushishi realize how important and vital the accumulation of knowledge truly is and they take their chose profession very seriously.

Dorohedoro, Vol. 16

September 16, 2015 by Sean Gaffney

By Q Hayashida. Released in Japan by Shogakukan, serialization ongoing in a Shogakukan magazine to be named later. Released in North America by Viz.

One thing that Dorohedoro is lacking in is traditional romantic love. Very few of the characters do anything in this title because they’re in love with someone else. As a result, you get to think more about their motivations and why they’re going to such lengths, be it Noi’s kohai adoration of Shin, Fujita and Ebisu’s awkward teasing, or everyone’s respect and allegiance to En, even now that he’s dead. And then there’s Nikaido, who certainly seems to be going above and beyond for Caiman, using her “you can only use this a few times” magic in order to go back in time to try to figure out what’s going on with him. Why is Nikaido going to such lengths? As we see here, those lengths may be having side-effects as well – will Nikaido become a full-fledged devil?

This does lead to the funniest part of the book, though, where Nikaido uses her newfound devil powers to become MASTER GYOZA CHEF. Dorohedoro’s sense of humor has always been a bit skewed and violent, but it’s also been based heavily around gyoza, and it’s the same here. Sadly, it doesn’t last long, as Nikaido wakes from her massive food preparation unable to even remember what she was doing. (We also get a lot of fanservice from her this volume, as turning devil means a lot of exposed skin). But again, Nikaido’s motivation for Caiman seems to be based on their true friendship, rather than any romantic feelings.

The same goes for Fujita, who gets the bulk of the drama in the second half of this book. His non-presence has been a joke throughout the series, and now he’s using it in order to find out how to revive En. But he’s also young and impetuous – it’s just he’s been with people like Shin and Noi, so comparatively he’s looked meek. When he discovers the one behind En’s death, he cannot resist trying to get revenge. He’s pretty awesome about it as well, even if it does mean losing an arm and possibly dying – that’s the danger of cliffhangers. You can tell that it’s serious business as we see him without his mask – unlike Shin, Noi or Ebisu, he’s had his mask on almost the entire series. Oddly, he looks a lot like many other male characters. (Drawing different faces is not Hayashida’s strong suit.)

Meanwhile, of course, there’s the main plot, which as always is the most diffuse part of the book. What’s going on with the various factions fighting for power? Will we get to see En resurrected? Will Risu be able to control his desire to kill caiman? Is Caiman even good or evil anymore? I want to find out the answers to these things, but don’t really mind that it’s taking a while. In a series that’s all about the mood, the fact that the plot meanders is by no means an impediment. Dorohedoro remains a fascinating manga.

Maid-sama! Vols 1 and 2

September 15, 2015 by Anna N

Maid-sama! Volumes 1 and 2 by Hiro Fujiwara

It has been some time since I’ve read this series. I think I read around 4 or 5 volumes or so of the Tokyopop release, so the new omnibus from Viz provided a good excuse to give the series a second try. I totally understand why Maid-sama! would be a strong title to re-release since it has an anime adaptation too. However, a tiny part of me will still hope in vain for some reissues of some of the other less commercial series that got cut off when Toykopop went under.

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The maid in this title is Misaki Ayuzawa, a high achieving girl who has become president of a school that has only recently gone co-ed. She’s uncomfortable around boys and has made it her mission to clean up the school and abolish delinquent behaviors in order to protect the small female population. She’s super stern and has great physical prowess when it comes to beating up her fellow students. While she’s a perfect student at school, Misaki has to make ends meet by working as a waitress at a maid cafe as her part-time job. In the first few pages of the manga, Misaki’s secret is discovered by Takumi Usui, a popular and somewhat cynical boy who attends her school. He promptly decides to hold Misaki’s secret over her head and begins to pop up now and then whenever something might go wrong.

Misaki navigates issues with student-council relations, dealing with a rival school, and navigating random cross-dressing events at her part-time job. Aside from the relationship between Misaki and Usui, the manga is pretty entertaining, as Misaki’s outsize reactions to everything gradually begin to mellow out a bit as she begins to relate to all the students at her school as human beings, not just the girls. I had also totally forgotten about the idiot trio, a group of background characters that also discover Misaki’s secret identity as a maid and mostly function to gaze at her adoringly and act occasionally like a slapstick Greek chorus. Fujiwara’s art is clear and easy to follow, and very dynamic when Misaki is leaping into action to defend womanhood or juggling a ton of customers at her part-time job.

The part of this manga that bugs me and I think contributed to my decision to stop reading it before, is that Usui is utterly unappealing as a shoujo male lead to me. His general mode of interaction is to randomly show up, invade Misaki’s space, and make her feel confused and flustered. He also keeps forcing physical affection on Misaki when she’s not a willing participant, as some sort of power game. Also, Fujiwara goes to great length to demonstrate Misaki’s physical prowess when her being strong is funny or over the top, but Misaki suddenly becomes weak and incapable when it serves the purpose of the plot to have Usui rescue her from herself. He’s also constantly reminding Misaki that she’s a girl who needs help, and it only serves to make it appear like the main message of this manga is that a girl with strong type A tendencies needs a man to help her out. For folks who aren’t put off by this relationship dynamic, I do think that Maid-sama! is plenty entertaining. I just find series like Oresama Teacher or My Love Story! much more amusing if I’m looking for something fun to read in the shoujo comedy genre.

My Week in Manga: September 7-September 13, 2015

September 14, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I was on a much-needed vacation last week; the family spent a fair amount of time in northern Michigan enjoying nature and good food and drink. I got some extra sleep and caught up on some of my reading and writing, too. All in all, a lovely time was had. I wasn’t online much at all except to post a couple of reviews, so I’m sure that I’ve missed out on all sorts of things. (If you would, please do fill me in on anything that was particularly interesting!) The first review I posted was of the rather clever debut mystery novel The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (who also happens to be the creator of the horror mystery Another and the husband of Fuyumi Ono). I also reviewed Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 1 which continues to be marvelously strange and over-the-top.

Quick Takes

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Volume 2 by Kore Yamazaki. The first volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride was one of my favorite debuts of 2015 and I continue to thoroughly enjoy the series with the second volume. Although overall there is a disconcerting, dark, ominous, and creepy atmosphere to the manga, but there are also moments light; the horror and mystery are accompanied by touches of humor and hope that help keep the series from becoming too oppressive. Yamazaki also captures the capricious nature of the fae perfectly. I was rather pleased to see Titania and Oberon, the queen and king of the fairies, introduced in this volume as well. Although more is hinted about Elias’ past—he has connections to the fae, mages, and alchemists, but isn’t really accepted by any of them—he’s still reluctant to open up and talk about it. He largely remains shrouded in mystery, but it seems as though he may have more in common with Chise than would initially appear. Their relationship has a peculiar dynamic to it in addition to a significant imbalance of power, but I’m very curious to see how it develops; there may be healing involved for both of them.

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Volume 1 by Nami Sano. The exceedingly odd Sakamoto doesn’t seem to care at all about what other people might think of him, making him immune to bullying and giving him the reputation of being the coolest student in school despite his weirdness. Somehow, he is able to take control of any situation and use it to his advantage; he always ends up looking good. The girls all love him and the guys, though they would like to hate him, can’t help but admire and respect him. And that’s what makes the manga so funny. So far, Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto is fairly episodic although there are some recurring characters and running jokes. Both the series and Sakamoto are admittedly strange, but the comedy is played seriously with an incredibly straight face. At the same time, Sano’s artwork highlights the drama and humor of the various situations. Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto is kind of absurd and yet highly entertaining. I’m not sure for how long Sano will be able to keep the gags fresh, but I’m looking forward to reading more of the series and finding out.

UQ Holder!, Volume 5 by Ken Akamatsu. Up until this point, my feelings toward UQ Holder! have been fairly lukewarm. I’ve enjoyed the wide variety of immortals and some of the action sequences can be highly entertaining, but the story and characters more often than not are frustratingly directionless and shallow. That being said, I was surprised by how much I actually liked the fifth volume of UQ Holder!. I didn’t have much hope for it at first as the opening battle ends up being extremely anticlimactic. I’m sure this was meant to be an amusing development, but Akamatsu’s sense of humor in the series doesn’t always work for me. But then four of the UQ Holder members are sent undercover as high school students to investigate a string of serial murders in which an immortal may be involved. Not unexpectedly, some silliness ensues alongside the seriousness of the killings. The murder case is interesting, though, even if its solution ultimately feels forced. And while I liked some of the newly-introduced characters, the lead’s oblivious optimism and aggressive friendliness continues to be both an asset and a detriment to the series.

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Bookshelf Briefs 9/14/15

September 14, 2015 by Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

Sean and Michelle are briefin’ it again with titles from Seven Seas, Kodansha, and VIZ.

D-Frag!, Vol. 6 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – This is a gag comedy, one that mostly revolves around a few tsukkomis among a large group of bokes. As such, it amuses me when this is lampshaded over and over—Kenji is told that, more than the loud people fighting, it’s his constant comebacks that are causing a headache; and we meet Kenji and Noe’s mother, who proves to be just as much of a straight man as they are. In fact, this volume may have TOO many new characters—the cover shows “Kussie-sempai,” a girl with a creepy expression but good intentions, and we also meet Roka’s younger (and much taller) sister, who has a huge sister complex. That said, who all these people are isn’t important—they’re all funny, and that’s what counts. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 6 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – There’s no denying that Kiss of the Rose Princess has on occasion been kind of lame, but I find that I’m less critical of its flaws these days. It’s not merely that I’ve given up on expecting it to be something it isn’t, though that’s part of it, but having defined villains to go up against—the fake rose princess and her four fake (though no less bishounen) knights—and the romantically suggestive scenes that inspire various of Anise’s knights to achieve their “first awakening” power-ups have provided new energy and focus that is decidedly welcome. Okay, true, I am still utterly baffled as to why these fellows all love her, and it seems pretty obvious who she’s going to end up with in the end, but I think the series deserves credit for its improvement. Now I’m genuinely curious to see how the story is going to wrap up. – Michelle Smith

Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 | By Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou | SuBLime – So far, Love Stage!! has been about 99% love, 1% stage. In this volume, Izumi makes his celebrity debut and the job offers start pouring in, but we don’t see what comes of any of that. Instead, he spends most of the volume figuring out just exactly what it is he feels for Ryoma, whom he learns had to work quite a bit harder than he let on to get Izumi’s favorite mangaka to give encouraging feedback on Izumi’s laughably lame manga creation. I do like how they finally get together, especially Ryoma’s happy tears, but dangit, I want to see some acting! As it stands, Love Stage!! is a pleasant though fluffy BL romance, but I keep wishing for it to go in the “Izumi finds the thing he was destined to do” direction. Maybe it still will, now that Izumi and Ryoma are an established couple, but I’m not holding my breath. – Michelle Smith

Non Non Biyori, Vol. 2 | By Atto | Seven Seas – I really do wish this cast was just a little bit older—Hotaru being an eleven-year-old with the body of a seventeen-year-old for fanservice purposes will never stop being creepy —but that’s probably the only annoying thing about this peaceful, character-driven slice of life series. The ‘in the middle of nowhere’ aspect still takes precedence—there’s a very funny chapter dealing with waiting for the last train home, and Renge’s older sister trying to show off how awesome everything is in the big city where she goes to school (only to be undercut by Hotaru being an actual city girl). It’s not on a level of Yotsuba, or even K-On!, but it’s friendly enough, and despite the attempts at mild fanservice there’s no indication anything genuinely untoward will happen. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 2 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – Richard in this manga is being redone from the ground up—not just because of the ambiguous gender, which is made even more ambiguous in this volume, but because Shakespeare’s Richard III was a villain from the moment he was first seen on stage in Henry VI Part 2, and only got worse as he went along. We’re meant to feel bad for this Richard, though, whose grief and rage lead him to taking the life of a soldier with a family—and then becoming an unstoppable monster of death. Henry and Margaret, on the other hand, are dead-on in the way they’re portrayed from Shakespeare. This is well done, but I suspect folks unfamiliar with the original may end up getting more out of it. – Sean Gaffney

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 4 | By Miki Yoshikawa | Kodansha Comics – Now that we’re actually talking about witches, they’re popping up more and more frequently. Here we see Meiko, who has the ability to form a sort of telepathic hivemind, and Maria, who can see the future (much to her detriment). That said, what the creator is really good at in this series is making every situation far more complicated than it first appears, for maximum frustration and embarrassment to all involved. That said, we may be running into a bit of a problem—everyone here is too nice for their own good, and Yamada is perhaps the worst offender. The drama arrives quickly but leaves just as quickly. This is a series in desperate need of a larger villain. – Sean Gaffney

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Vols. 7-8

September 13, 2015 by Sean Gaffney

By Satoshi Mizukami. Released in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, serialized in the magazine Young King Ours. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

Akane is the one Beast Knight we’ve never really focused on, so it makes sense that he gets a lot to do in this new omnibus. As we expected, he’s introverted, sullen, and insular due to a poor home life. As is perhaps less expected, he’s also siding with the enemy, though as the book goes on it becomes clear that this isn’t really due to anything but misplaced anger, and that when genuine heroism and compassion are shown to him, he can’t find it in himself to keep up the facade. Like all the other characters in the series, time is taken to explore him in depth, and it’s worth it. Though we still remain puzzled as to what Animus and Anima are doing – are they enemies, rivals, relatives? Is Animus even trying to win? Is Anima even trying to fight? Or does she just love food?

Despite one of the most obvious couples in the series being torpedoed in the last omnibus by virtue of death, these are still mostly teenagers and young adults, so love still drives a lot of the plot. I’ll leave Yuuhi aside for now, but there’s also Yuki and Subaru, who are the two nicest, most innocent characters in the series, so get the most selfless wishes in exchange for becoming knights. Yes, OK, it’s not going in a romantic direction (Subaru’s crush on Mikazuki is so obvious it can be seen from space), but their friendship is amazing when you’re in a series that’s playing with cynicism like this one does.

That brings me to Yuuji. He’s the main character, and thus gets the bulk of the character progression. We see his desire to grow stronger in order to fight by Samidare’s side. But we also see how he uses that strength to grow emotionally as well. The death of his grandfather, after all that he did in order to prevent it at the start, is a shocker, though honestly its the lizard that shows all the outrage that Yuuhi won’t. Anima, though, allows him to achieve closure, both with his grandfather (who let’s remember abused him horribly as a child, something I think might be a bit glossed over here), and with Hangetsu, whose death Yuuhi also needs to move past.

So now that we’ve seen all this, the question remains: are he and Samidare still going to destroy the world? I think the other knights would have something to say about that, particularly Yayoi. And honestly, Samidare needs a bit more development before I can say whether or not she will. But with the final omnibus coming soon, I don’t think Yuuhi is going to be helping her anymore – though that may come as a surprise to him. We’ll see how it wraps up, but I want to say again how much I’ve enjoyed this poor-selling series, and I wish it did better.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 2

September 11, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Hirohiko Araki
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421578804
Released: May 2015
Original release: 1988

For years the only part of Hirohiko Araki’s epic and fashionably strange shōnen manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure that was available in English was the third story arc, Stardust Crusaders. A standalone side story, Rohan at the Louvre was released as well, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the very beginning of the series, Phantom Blood, was translated and released in print, and in a lovely hardcover edition, too. (I have a feeling that the popularity of the recent JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime adaptation probably had something to do with that.) Phantom Blood was originally published in five volumes in Japan between 1987 and 1988, but in 2002 the first story arc was re-released in three volumes. Viz Media’s English-language edition is based on that 2002 release. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 2, published in 2015, collects part of the second volume, all of the third volume, and part of the fourth volume of the original Japanese release.

JoJo’s life isn’t exactly turning out the way that he would have hoped or expected. His father lays dying in his arms after having taken a fatal blow that was intended for him. Behind the knife that will end his father’s life is Dio, a man who was raised as his brother but who has turned against the Joestar family as was always his plan and intention. Not only that, Dio has gained untold powers from a mysterious and ancient stone mask. Now a vampire, Dio is nearly immortal and possesses great strength. Even he doesn’t know the full extent of his astonishing abilities, but he has already begun gathering followers who are drawn to his charisma and promises of power. With the help of a curious man named Baron Zeppeli, JoJo becomes one of the only people who might have a chance of defeating Dio. Zeppeli unlocks JoJo’s own latent talents, training him in Sendo and its use of Hamon energy, an impressive martial technique which when mastered may make it possible for JoJo to destroy Dio and save the world.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a very aptly named series. It is an exceedingly strange manga with nonstop, over-the-top action and drama. Nearly every phrase of narration and dialogue in Phantom Blood, Volume 2 is an exclamation. Even the few relatively quiet moments are fervently intense and the calm never lasts for very long. Most of the second volume of Phantom Blood consists of extended fight scenes and training sequences. Araki keeps Phantom Blood moving along at a breakneck pace which sometimes includes the actual breaking of necks. Blood, gore, dismembered body parts, splattered guts, eyeballs, and brain matter are all fairly common in the series. There is definitely a strong element of horror in the early part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. While Araki’s artwork in Phantom Blood understandably doesn’t show the same refinement found in his later illustrations, it still has a sense of visceral dynamism and the occasional panel can actually be quite beautiful or striking.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a very odd manga. The story, artwork, and characters are all memorable if for no other reason than they are so over-the-top and strange. Additionally, Araki freely mixes historical events with historical fantasy in Phantom Blood. For example, Jack the Ripper becomes one of Dio’s earliest followers and England’s bloody dynastic struggles of the sixteenth century form a dramatic backstory for some of the other warriors that JoJo must face as he pursues his adoptive brother. Plenty of Phantom Blood is completely Araki’s own creation, though. And lest there be any confusion about all the weirdness, JoJo’s faithful and at times even useful companion Speedwagon is there to explain everything that’s going on, as well as to narrate the obvious. Speedwagon’s help isn’t needed to realize how much of a villain Dio is, though. Even before becoming a vampire Dio delighted in his own evil and the evil of others, but with his newfound powers he is in a better position than ever to make his malevolent schemes a reality. How successful he will actually be remains to be seen, but so far the results are marvelously terrifying and outrageous.

Manga the Week of 9/16

September 10, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: If you like tiny weeks where you can take a break from reading all the manga in the world, this is the week for you.

ASH: No, no, Sean. It’s not a week for taking a break, it’s a week for catching up!

MJ: In fact, from the looks of things, that’s my task for the week as well!

SEAN: Dark Horse is re-releasing the Astro Boy volumes in giant 700-page omnibuses, not only larger in size and page count (this is 700 pages), but with added extras and gewgaws. The first is out next week (if you get it from Diamond).

MICHELLE: The original volume three (possibly included in this omnibus) has the story that inspired Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto. It’s really good!

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 2nd volume of quiet country life gag manga Non Non Biyori.

And a 3rd volume of action/thriller/comedy vampire manga Servamp.

Viz has a 4th volume of Master Keaton, which I am very fond of despite some problematic areas.

MICHELLE: And speaking of Urasawa! I am determined to get caught up on this title.

MJ: Hey, I should buy this so that I no longer have any excuse not to return the little volume Michelle loaned me! :D

ASH: I’ve been collecting since I’m an Urasawa completist, but I need to get caught up, too!

ANNA: Me too! I have the third volume stashed somewhere.

SEAN: And an 8th volume of Terra Formars, where there is far less fondness.

Anything here catch your eye?

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 26

September 10, 2015 by Sean Gaffney

By Kenjiro Hata. Released in Japan as “Hayate no Gotoku!” by Shogakukan, serialization ongoing in the magazine Shonen Sunday. Released in North America by Viz.

I’ve talked about Hayate’s parents before, and the sheer loathsome level of evil they produce. What’s worth mentioning is that they aren’t really alone, though they do stand at the top. Hina’s birth parents also left their children with an enormous debt, though it’s implied this wasn’t out of sheer malice. We also meet Chiharu’s parents here, who are having rough times and not selling their child yet, but do set their house on fire by accident. Even Ayumu’s relatively stable parents are not above giving her a gift certificate of $30 for her birthday and saying nit’s from both of them, so don’t go asking Dad for more gifts. In this title, though, being a jerk to your child is almost loving. The only reason Rumiko Takahashi’s parents are worse than Hata’s is that she actually has them ruin her children’s lives in person.

That said, this volume of Hayate is a lot more lighthearted than the past few have been, with Athena mostly removed from the picture (she does answer reader questions at the end, which goes badly as they’re all about her chest). The cast is starting to get tenants for the apartment complex they now live in, with the ‘complex has butler!’ advertisement winning Chiharu over. It helps that Hayate is a cut above… well, everyone. His natural charm and ‘gigolo’ nature (meaning he gets every girl he meets to fall for him without trying) comes up more than once here, and it’s not something that’s easily duplicated. Of course, like many harem protagonists who have all the girls, it’s balanced by a heaping dose of bad luck – this is even lampshaded here.

As for our supposed heroine, Nagi’s growth as always is somewhat fitful. Being an apartment landlord is something of a lazy way to keep earning money while she’s in exile, and we again see her skipping anything that involves physical exertion. But she is developing relationships outside of just Hayate and Maria. Chiharu’s addition to the apartments allows Nagi to have a fellow otaku to bounce things off of (though a horrified Chiharu reminds us several times how young Nagi really is), and in one of the sweetest chapters of the volume, confesses her loneliness to Ayumu in order to trick her back to a surprise party being held for her. She’s never going to be #1 in fan’s hearts, but she is slowly improving.

It is somewhat odd being back to 1-2 chapter long silly gag stories after the epicness of the Athena arc, but that is Hayate’s stock in trade, and the main reason why the manga is so popular. (Indeed, the anime has never animated Athena’s arc – and made it really obvious they’re deliberately avoiding it – likely as it would be too distracting in a ‘gag’ anime.) But those gags are still strong, and for those who are still hanging out for their twice-a-yeaar fix of Hayate, this volume will serve nicely.

The Decagon House Murders

September 9, 2015 by Ash Brown

Author: Yukito Ayatsuji
Translator: Ho-Ling Wong
U.S. publisher: Locked Room International
ISBN: 9781508503736
Released: June 2015
Original release: 1987

Originally published in 1987, Yukito Ayatsuji’s debut novel The Decagon House Murders is credited with sparking a renaissance in Japanese honkaku mystery fiction, a subgenre of classic detective fiction emphasizing logic and fair play. The novel was translated into English by Ho-Ling Wong (the text based off of the Japanese edition from 2007) and released in 2015 thanks to the efforts of Locked Room International, a group which works to publish translations of novels featuring locked room mysteries and impossible crimes. The English edition of The Decagon House Murders also includes an introduction written by Japanese mystery author Soji Shimada, which places the novel within the historical context of Japanese and world mystery fiction, as well as a brief essay by the translator. It was only after reading The Decagon House Murders that I realized why Ayatsuji’s name seemed so familiar to me—he wrote the horror mystery novel Another which was also recently translated and which received both a manga and an anime adaptation. Ayatsuji also happens to be the husband of Fuyumi Ono, the creator of The Twelve Kingdoms which I greatly enjoy.

Located on the currently uninhabited island of Tsunojima is the Decagon House, a peculiar building designed by the eccentric architect Seiji Nakamura, a man believed to have committed a series of murders on the island before taking his own life. The house, the island, and their history provides the perfect setting for some of the more accomplished members of a university mystery club to relax and find some inspiration for their writing during the break before classes resume. But what most of the group doesn’t realize is that Seiji Nakamura was the father of Chiori Nakamura, another club member who recently died as the result of one of their drinking parties. Chiori had a preexisting health condition, but at least one person feels that the club is responsible for her death. On the mainland members are receiving ominous and threatening letters signed with the name Seiji Nakamura and on the island one person after another dies under strange circumstances, and no one but the murderer knows killer’s identity.

The focus of The Decagon House Murders is definitely on its mystery. Character development in the novel is limited, enough to distinguish the individual players and to establish some of their back stories, but not so much that the reader really gets to know them as people. The murderer, whose motivations and meticulous schemes are eventually revealed, is the person who has the most depth as a character. Although there are twists to the story, Ayatsuji’s writing style is likewise straightforward and clean, lacking in heavy description or embellishments. Distraction is kept to a minimum as the facts of the case are laid out one after another, allowing readers the chance to pick up on clues and develop their own theories before everything is explained. At the same time, the members of the group trapped together on the island are themselves struggling to come up with their own solutions before they all end up dead. Ultimately, The Decagon House Murders is primarily about the murderous plot and it its execution.

Ayatsuji’s decision to make a large part of the cast of The Decagon House Murders members of a mystery club is a brilliant one. They are all well-versed in how similar crimes play out in fiction, but now they are faced with an increasingly deadly reality where those rules and expectations don’t necessarily apply; even though they know the possibilities, they can’t anticipate what will actually happen. I, too, am fairly familiar with many of the tropes and tricks used in mysteries about seemingly impossible crimes, however The Decagon House Murders still managed to surprise and satisfy me with its clever twists. I also particularly liked the narrative structure of the novel. At first the chapters alternate between the developing situation on the island and a related investigation occurring on the mainland, but eventually the two connected storylines merge together for the novel’s big reveal. The Decagon House Murders is apparently the first volume in a series of mysteries involving buildings designed by Seiji Nakamura. I have no idea if there are any plans to translate the others, but I would certainly be interested in reading them.

Emma, Vol. 2

September 8, 2015 by Sean Gaffney

By Kaoru Mori. Released in Japan in two separate volumes by Enterbrain, serialized in the magazine Comic Beam. Released in North America by Yen Press.

After the first omnibus set up the romance between our two reserved leads, the second volume keeps them apart until the very end. It’s better for both of them, really. Emma finds work at an estate Oop North that’s owned by a wealthy German couple, and impresses everyone at how fast she picks up on things and the smattering of actual education she has. Meanwhile, William is buckling down and doing everything that’s asked of him, behaving like a perfectly good heir – much to the shock of his sister, who wonders whether a pod person has possessed him. Honestly, I wish that were the case, because William still gets his moments of impulse, and they’re horrible – or will be soon.

Emma is by her very nature reserved and repressed, so it’s nice to see a few more loud, boisterous women added to the cast. The mistress of her new home is very casual about walking around naked, and Eleanor’s older sister Monica makes an immediate impression by storming into William’s house in the pouring rain to drip on his carpet and yell at him for stringing her sister along. Honestly, though she misinterprets what Eleanor says, she’s absolutely right, and sadly her anger leads to William being very stupid. Of course, I say this with a 21st century mindset. In his mind, he’s never going to see Emma again, so why not? After all, Monica’s “oh, I just picked the beau who worshiped me most’ marriage seems to have gone well…

We also meet William’s mother, though at first we’re not quite sure who she is. She offers a nice balance between the over-the-top dramatics of Monica and Mrs. Molders and the stoicness of Emma and Adele. We’re also not quite sure why she’s living away from the family – I’m sure that will come up soon. In any case, she offers the coincidence needed to reunite our star-crossed lovers, as she’s friends with Mrs. Molders, and therefore can borrow Emma from her to be her companion at a ball held to celebrate her son’s engagement. Emma’s shyness as she is prepared to debut in society is adorable yet painful, and the corset certainly doesn’t help. In fact, it may be the corset more than the revelation of William’s engagement that causes her to faint.

The end of this omnibus is absolutely beautiful. After so long apart, and some a shy, repressed love story in the first volume, Emma finally loses it and begins openly sobbing and holding William. Their kiss this time around is much more passionate, and I’ll be honest, I was expecting the worst possible choice to walk in. Luckily, it’s just his mother, and she’s possibly one of the few people who wouldn’t care. Still, this is a nice lead-in to the horrible fallout that I’m sure will happen in the third volume. I wonder if Monica will actually challenge William to a duel of honor? In any case, for those who missed this when CMX put it out, go get it. It’s a classic.

Bookshelf Briefs 9/7/15

September 7, 2015 by Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

Sean and Michelle (but mostly Sean) present a plethora of briefs.

Alice in the Country of Hearts: White Rabbit and Some Afternoon Tea, Vol. 1 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – I’m always happy when the series’ primary artist is back in the saddle. The cover of this volume is very promising, with Peter and Boris holding guns to each other’s heads while Alice sweatdrops. As for the rest of the volume, I can’t stand the idea of an Alice/Peter romance myself, so this one was always going to take more to win me over. It does a good job, though, emphasizing the capriciousness of everyone bar Alice, showing off some flashbacks with Alice at school in the real world, and keeping Peter annoying and yet still amusing. For picky Alice fans, this should be a solid offering in the series. -Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 2 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – While there is tragedy and horror here, particularly for cat lovers, I think the primary focus on this title remains the relationship between Chise and Elias. He’s made a bit less aloof and fatherlike in this volume, as if the artist realized that calling her a bride would involve a bit more give-and-take. Here he seems to show confusion at genuine human emotions at a few points, and it is remarked upon how Chise is changing him. As for Chise herself, she’s a magic sponge, but here finds out that that doesn’t translate to a very long life. The highlight of the volume, though, may be the appearance by Oberon and Titania, who have come to see Elias’ new disciple, judge her, and then tease the hell out of both of them. -Sean Gaffney

Cage of Eden, Vol. 18 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Cage of Eden is one of the more consistent manga out there. Never overly fantastic, never truly dire, it continues to do what it does: put its cast into perilous situations, has them team up and act clever in order to get out of those situations, and celebrates by showing off the large breasts of its female cast. Added to that this time around are the return of a character we thought long dead, and an examination of the psychological terror that captors can exert over their hostages. Still reliably tense and exciting. Also, the two-page breakdown showing exactly what’s happened to Oomori’s clothes over the course of the series is both hilarious and sad. -Sean Gaffney

The Devil Is A Part-Timer! High School!, Vol. 1 | By Kurone Mishima and Satoshi Wagahara | Yen Press – This sort of comedy spinoff is rife in Japan—we’ve seen something similar with Haruhi Suzumiya. Here, the entire cast are not adults trying to hold down jobs, but typical high school students in a typical high school, getting into hilarious (?) situations as Maou attempts to become Student Council President. As you might expect, Maou really loves doing hard work in order to advance, Emi really likes being a giant tsundere (and yes, there’s a panties joke), and Chiyo is just sort of there. If you enjoyed the original, but wished it were duller, flatter, and not as funny, this is the perfect series for you. Everyone else should stick with the primary series. -Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 22 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – In a volume that gives just about equal time to each of the three female leads and their romantic relationships, most of the characters are struggling with selfish impulses. Only Chizu gives voice to these, telling Ryu “don’t go,” even though he’s working so hard for his dream, and feeling terrible about herself afterwards. Kento is debating whether to say the same to Ayane, while Kazehaya has decided not to make such a request of Sawako. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a scene in a shoujo manga where two guys talk about their girlfriends possibly moving away to pursue their dreams and must say that it’s extremely gratifying! I’m not sure how Shiina could juggle following all of these characters as they go their separate ways into adulthood, but here’s hoping she figures out a way. I’m not ready to say goodbye, either. – Michelle Smith

Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 1 | By Maki Minami | VIZ Media – Having fallen in love with Voice Over! quite unexpectedly, I was really looking forward to reading Minami’s next series to hit North America. As a spoiled little rich girl, Komomo Ninomiya loved to torment Natsu Azumi, the son of her family’s pastry chef, but ten years later her family fortunes have evaporated and the tables have turned. Komomo’s attempts at holding down a part-time job are a spectacular failure until Natsu comes along, offering her a job at his pastry shop and relishing the opportunity to make Komomo dance to his tune this time around. I was initially disappointed that neither Komomo nor Natsu is particularly likable, but as the cast broadened out and Komomo entered public school, where she proved naturally immune to mean-girl antics, I warmed to her a bit. I’ll keep going, but right now I can’t tell if I’ll grow to love this one or not. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 13 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – For a series where Alibaba is meant to be one of the major heroes, and probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real romantic lead, it really does enjoy abusing him as much as it possibly can. And, as we see in this volume, there’s a good reason for this. Alibaba when he’s whining and neurotic is hilarious, and everyone knows it—even Morgiana, who is a stoic with a nascent crush on him. Luckily, that’s not all—we also see Hakuryu starting to open up to others, and we end off with another somewhat terrifying villain, who has an army of children to do her bidding thanks to mysterious powers that make her motherly to everyone’s eyes. Magi is still top-tier shonen, and it’s not even in Jump. -Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 11 | By Naoshi Komi | VIZ Media – The main cast gets stuff to do in this volume, with Chitoge’s continued attempts to deal with her own feelings (the amnesia arc is resolved rather quickly), and Onodera’s pure heart and waffling spirit. The best part of the volume, however, is the introduction of Marika’s hometown friend Mikage, who is loud, brash, and likes to snuggle cute girls in the best ‘not really a lesbian, but likes to attract yuri readers’ tradition. Mikage is mostly here so that Marika and Raku can pretend to go out— he’s getting rather good at that—but there’s also hints of something darker, but only hints. (Secretly dying? Secret engagement?) Most importantly, the balance between the girls is not only kept but emphasized—it’s still my favorite part of the series. -Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 2 | By Aya Kanno | VIZ Media – I’ve really been looking forward to the second volume in this series! This installment is pretty intense, weaving together historical high points from the War of the Roses with Richard’s increasingly extreme reactions to those events, culminating in a fascinating yet macabre moment that I won’t spoil but that I’d be willing to bet no one who reads this volume is ever going to forget. On top of all this, the surreal visitations from Joan the Arc continue, Richard reigns in his mad thirst for Lancaster blood and accepts his role as the “darkness behind the light” of his brother the new king, and the repercussions from his desperate actions are seemingly poised to come home to roost in the person of Elizabeth Woodville. Good stuff, riveting stuff, possibly not always the most coherent stuff. – Michelle Smith

Skip Beat!, Vol. 35 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – There’s really no getting around how manipulative Ren is of Kyoko in this whole volume, and it’s a credit to Nakamura’s skill that it ends up coming off as cute and romantic rather than anything else. It helps that Kyoko is still a bit dense about what’s really going on—even though Kyoko’s own evil thoughts realize what’s going on, she still hasn’t quite connected Ren to Kuon. As for Ren himself, he’s still trying to move on from his tragic past, and finding that even with Kyoko’s help, it’s difficult. Despite some production issues (one panel was oddly still in Japanese, and the removal of honorifics made a scene where Kuon asks to not use them confusing), but still a very good volume. -Sean Gaffney

The Wallflower, Vol. 35 | By Tomoko Hayakawa | Kodansha Comics – Given that the series ends with the next volume, you’d think that Hayakawa would be getting around to finally resolving the few main plot points she has. You’d be wrong, and anyone who read this for the plot has long since abandoned it. Fans of the comedy will be quite happy, though, as we see lots of Sunako’s horrified SD-reactions, more of Sunako and Kyohei being perfect for each other but not acknowledging it, Sunako showing off how she’s never ever going to be a real lady, and our pretty boys being really pretty, sometimes to their detriment. There’s not as much Noi here, but we do get a lovely Ranmaru and Tamao chapter. This series is what it is, and I love it, even though I suspect Kodansha USA will be happy it’s over soon. -Sean Gaffney

My Week in Manga: August 31-September 6, 2015

September 7, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

A few different things posted at Experiments in Manga last week. First up was the announcement of the Yumi Tamura Giveaway Winner which also includes a list of mangaka whose work the giveaway participants consistently enjoy and follow. For the second post last week, which also happens to be the first in-depth review of September, I took a look at Takeshi Matsu’s second English collection of erotic gay manga Dr. Makumakuran and Other Stories which I quite enjoyed. Overall, I think it may even be stronger than his first collection, More and More of You and Other Stories, which I also liked. Finally, over the weekend, I posted August’s Bookshelf Overload for those of you interested in what sorts of things I’ve picked up recently.

A little over a month ago I posted my responses to a game of manga tag. Well, that game is still making the rounds! Most recently, I discovered that Daiyamanga’s Krystallina took the opportunity to talk about her collection. Elsewhere online, Shojo Beat posted a brief interview with Kimi ni Todoke‘s creator Karuho Shiina. And in licensing news, Seven Seas has picked up three more manga: Nanatsuki Takafumi and Risumai’s I Was Abducted by an Elite All-Girls School as a Sample Commoner, Amemiya Yuki and Ichihara Yukino’s Battle Rabbits, and Takeoka Hazuki and Tiv’s Masamune-kun’s Revenge.

My News and Reviews

An Even More Beautiful Lie by Kei Kanai. It was the lovely, ethereal, and sensuous cover of An Even More Beautiful Lie that initially caught my eye and first brought the boys’ love one-shot to my attention. And, except for the creepy way that Kanai draws some of the characters’ eyes, I really liked the interior artwork as well with its strong inking and solid blacks. I enjoyed the basic premise and setup of the story, too, but ultimately I felt a little betrayed by the manga. Kurosu is a university student studying art. He’s particularly fond of the paintings by Yukari, a fellow student, genius artist, and something of a recluse. Yukari’s life is devoted to painting. Sometimes while in the grip of inspiration he’s so focused on creating that forgets to eat or even sleep. Which is why it’s fortunate that he left his umbrella on the train—returning it gives Kurosu the excuse he needed to talk to Yukari and the two grow close; Yukari now has someone who not only cares about his paintings, but cares about his well-being, too. I wish An Even More Beautiful Lie would have continued in that vein, but instead there’s an abrupt shift in the story’s tone that’s and a horrible, unnecessary rape scene. But at least it’s not between the two leads and their relationship remains intact.

Fairy Tail, Volume 49 by Hiro Mashima. The forty-ninth volume of Fairy Tail brings to an end the Tartaros story arc while beginning new one. Since Igneel dominates the cover, I was hoping for an epic showdown between dragons. There is a pretty good fight, but sadly it’s over fairly quickly. In fact, the whole Tartaros arc seemed to be wrapped up sooner than anticipated. And indeed, Mashima mentions in the afterword that it was cut short. Even so, it ends in a suitably dramatic fashion and the next arc promises to be very interesting. Of course, Mashima does have to retcon a few things to really pull it off well. That’s one of the things about Fairy Tail that I’m consistently frustrated by—although Mashima claims to have thought out the story well in advance, due to the lack of adequate foreshadowing and what seems like constant rewriting, I’m not convinced. And as the series continues to grow in length (I don’t see Fairy Tail ending any time soon), keeping internal consistency is going to become more and more of a challenge. Even though magic is obviously a major part of Fairy Tail, I think it’s been used one to many times to backtrack the narrative when Mashima has written himself into a corner; major plot and character developments lose their impact if they can so easily be waved away later on.

Prison School, Omnibus 1 by Akira Hiramoto. Some people, like me, may be familiar with Hiramoto as the creator of the acclaimed manga series Me and the Devil Blues, a supernaturally-tinged historical drama about a blues musician. Prison School is a completely different manga that, except for Hiramoto’s tremendous skill as an artist, has very little in common that earlier series. Prison School is an absurdly dramatic and over-the-top comedy. Even though the manga can hardly be taken seriously it will still likely be incredibly offensive and obscene to a large number of readers since the most powerful characters—the young women of Hachimitsu Private Academy’s shadow student council—are also the most sexualized and fetishized. The men in the series are all varying degrees of despicable, and they unapologetically revel in it. And yet, if one can stand the stunningly less-than-flattering portrayal of just about every character in the series, Prison School can be immensely entertaining and engaging. Considering all of the perversion, sadomasochism, nudity, and violence in Prison School, it’s certainly not a series that I would recommend to everyone, though. I expect that Prison School will be a divisive series, but I’m still intensely curious to see how the manga plays out.

Komomo Confiserie Vol 1

September 7, 2015 by Anna N

Komomo Confiserie, Volume 1 by Maki Minami

So far, Maki Minami’s shoujo series haven’t totally connected with me as a reader. I didn’t care for Special A very much, and while I liked the first couple volumes of Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, I haven’t gone on to read the entire series. Maybe Komomo Confiserie will finally be the Minami series that I actually finish!

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The series starts out with a flashback, as the incredibly spoiled and rich little girl Komomo picks on a young boy named Natsu. He’s the son of her family’s chef, and Komomo only likes the sweets that Natsu prepares for her. Komomo is ungracious and bossy, but she has an emotional connection to Natsu’s food, it serving as a substitute for companionship as she lives in a huge mansion abandoned by her parents. In just a few panels, this rich yet emotionally empty life is overturned, as Komomo’s father announces that he’s lost their fortune, and Komomo has to work to support herself with a part time job. Life as a rich heiress hasn’t prepared Komomo with the social graces or work ethic to be able to handle any type of employment and she keeps getting fired over and over again.

It wouldn’t be a shoujo manga if Natsu wasn’t about to return to Japan a triumphant celebrity from studying pastry abroad, determined to seek out his old “friend” to exact revenge, only to find that their positions have been reversed in an ironic twist of fate! Natsu has an exceedingly charming pastry shop to run, and he runs in to Komomo just as she is tossed out into the street from her latest misadventure in employment.

If Komomo was absolutely unrepentant and spoiled, this manga wouldn’t work very well, but what I enjoyed most about this series were the cracks in the facades for both Natsu and Komomo. Komomo gradually begins to realize how superficial her previous life was, when none of her old friends come to her aid. While Natsu initially appears to be slightly psychotic in his pursuit of revenge, he is actually moved a few times when seeing Komomo eat his food and try to adjust to her new life. Komomo’s rich girl attitudes come in handy when she’s faced with a new high school. Mean girl bullying just slides off of her, and she sails through unaffected. Komomo is gradually learning to be a real human being, and as her personality changes, Natsu begins to find her more and more adorable.

Minami is a solid shoujo artist, and I particularly appreciated her being able to dramatize facial expressions that are a bit off, for example when Natsu’s kindness is a facade for his evil plans. I’m hoping that Komomo will become more and more adept with dealing with the real world, changing the power dynamic between her and Natsu more in the next few volumes.