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Emerald and Other Stories

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By Hiroaki Samura. Released in Japan as “Sister Generator” by Kodansha, serialized in various magazines. Released in North America by Dark Horse Comics.

Well, first off, there’s not a samurai in this thing. It’s an anthology similar to the one we saw recently from Kaoru Mori, aka “I need to do something different occasionally and show off my chops”. As with most anthologies, the quality is highly variable, but the author is good enough that even the stories I didn’t really get into here had something to offer. It’s a good short story collection, all told.

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The collection itself was published by Kodansha, and it’s likely no coincidence that the three strongest stories in it ran in that company’s seinen magazine Monthly Afternoon, also home to Blade of the Immortal, the work that Samura is most famous for. This North American version uses Emerald as the title story (Sister Generator is an amusing title, but I think would convey the wrong image over here), and it’s a straight-up Western, with gunslingers, saloons, and an orphan playing a tortured game in order to save her family’s good name (and her chastity). As with the best Westerns, the morality is incredibly ambiguous, but there’s a heartwarming center to it despite it all.

The stories are interspersed with some short gag comics that ran in Ohta Shuppan’s QuickJapan for a while, all based around Japanese schoolgirls snarking around whatever fashionable trend they’re dealing with at the moment. It reminded me quite a bit of Furuya’s Short Cuts series, and while these aren’t quite ko-gals, there’s the same surreal quality to a lot of their conversations (probably my favorite is where two of the girls compare their fan fiction, and we find that one of them basically writes straight-up bad porn). I like these sorts of stories, but I can see how they might be a weak link for any other readers. Another weak link might be Shizuru Cinema, a short story from Media Factory’s Comic Flapper, which I think ended up being a little TOO weird and diffuse for me. (The same could be said about Brigitte’s Dinner, but that won me over with its stark imagery.)

The real winner, though, is “The Kusein Family’s Grandest Show”, a dark and twisted story about a family where all is not as it seems. I don’t want to give away too much about the plot – the way you can tell I really love a story is I either spend 5000 words or 6 describing it – but it shows a very dark take on daughters taking after their mothers, what we leave behind, and exactly what it means to fulfill a man’s dying wishes. The mood, dialogue, and sinister plot all combine to create something almost poetic – although it’s a subdued, erotic poetry. The whole volume is worth it for this story.

As with a lot of short story collections, you want to come out of them saying “I’ve got to get more of this author’s work!” As such, I’m really interested in both Blade of the Immortal and his other NA short story collection, Ohikkoshi. The man can certainly spin a tale. And if all else fails, you can take pride in his amazing mahjong hand, as seen in perhaps the most obscure manga in this collection.

Bookshelf Briefs 2/25/13

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

alice-jokerAlice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game, Vol. 1 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas- It occurs to me that I’ve started several of the post-Country of Hearts series in this franchise, but haven’t yet made it to the second volume of any of them. It’s not that they’re bad, there’s just nothing about them that really compels me to continue. For the most part, the same can be said about Country of Joker. There are some things I definitely like, especially ominous hintings about both the past and the future, but this volume feels mostly like recap and exposition all at once, and so despite having much more at stake than Alice’s romantic prospects, it ends up being a little dull. Still, if there were any sequel/spinoff I’d be likely to continue, I reckon this is the one. – Michelle Smith

devil7A Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 7 | By Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – And so, for the moment, the Anna arc is over. And it’s as emotional as I expected, with Anna finally getting through to Maria that her sort of help is only making things worse, even if it’s with the best intentions. Anna has to do this herself, and can’t, so seeing Maria and her circle of friends is a fresh wound every day. In addition, the author has perhaps realized that Maria/Shin is becoming a bit too obvious as the endgame, so Yusuke gets a whole lot of face time here, confronting Maria about how she deals with things in ways that Shin doesn’t or won’t. And at the back of the plot is still Maria’s late mother, who appears to us in a nightmare that Maria’s having pretty much all the time. Also, no evil teacher this time, but we do get a new creepy adult to balance it out. Never has “technique” sounded so forbidding. Highly recommended.-Sean Gaffney

genbukaiden11Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, Vol. 11 | By Yuu Watase | VIZ Media – I’m so glad I finally got caught up with this series last October. Now I can enjoy the final volumes along with everyone else! Volume eleven is the penultimate volume in the series, which means that a ton of very important stuff happens. The revelation of truths, or of someone’s true intentions. The willingness of some to sacrifice themselves for the good of others. The feeling amongst your friends that, with all this heavy responsibility, you and the one you love deserve some stolen moments of happiness. It is perhaps a trifle rushed—we barely spend any pages with the final Celestial Warrior before he’s handing Takiko the scroll and they’re preparing to summon Genbu—but the feeling that we’re being carried along to something truly tragic and climactic makes up for it. Highly recommended. Michelle Smith

Haganai2Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 2 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – This continues to be the most interesting of Seven Seas’ recent moe pickups, though it also continues to suffer from the same problems – you feel somewhat dirty reading it. This is not helped by the addition of Kodaka’s younger sister Kobato, who is as screwed up in the head as the rest of the cast. That said, the fact that they apparently aren’t incestual feelings here speaks volumes. The manga is going to play around with horrible moe and sexual tropes, but is not going to take that extra step into horrible. (It comes damn close, though.) This means that you’re allowed to get some character development and (gasp!) sweet scenes, particularly between Kodaka and Sena. I’ll pick up Vol. 3, and am interested in seeing what happens next. Still feel uncomfortable recommending it beyond otaku.-Sean Gaffney

misfortuneThe Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi | By Various Artists | Yen Press – Unlike the Evangelion doujinshi anthology that was released the same week as this, the authors herein are not all that well-known, beyond “see who we can grab at the Kadokawa offices”. Unfortunately, despite having a variety of artists and styles, there’s a somewhat exhausting similarity between the comics. They’re clearly meant to appeal to a more female-oriented audience than Haruhi generally tries to attract, with lots of BL tease (but no delivery). The characterization is also at its baseline to drive the gag humor, meaning that the Haruhi we see here is the default Vol. 1 girl with no character development. There are a few cute gags here, but for the most part I’d recommend this only to the most hardcore Haruhi fans who must possess everything, or to BL fans who likewise must possess everything.-Sean Gaffney

nura13Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 13 | By Hiroshi Hiibashi | VIZ Media – I’m getting rather weary of this Kyoto arc (has anyone done a list of which manga/anime series have “Kyoto arcs” in some way?), and I admit that the parts I found the most interesting were the darkest ones. The ongoing butchering of young innocents for their livers (is it implied that the TV reporter is added to that stack?), the tragic backstory of Aotabo, who became a yokai in order to protect those he loved (yokai who enjoy being evil are not the sort of yokai that Rikuo tolerates), and Yuki-Onna considering killing herself so that she won’t be “bait”. Oh yes, and some blatant Rikuo/Yuki-Onna ship tease (Kana who?). The rest of this volume is showing Rikuo that his power is all about the feelings of his friends/underlings, which we already knew, because this is Shonen Jump, and that’s how it works.-Sean Gaffney

Umineko: When They Cry, Vol. 2

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Story by Ryukishi07; Art by Kei Natsumi. Released in Japan in two separate volumes as “Umineko no Naku Koro ni: Legend of the Golden Witch” by Square Enix, serialized in the magazine Gangan Powered. Released in North America by Yen Press.

And so the first arc of Umineko: When They Cry is finished, and even more than the first Higurashi arc, it shows us that what we’ve been reading for the last 1100 pages is simply a prologue for everything that is to come. It shows us the main players, allows us to see the family drama at the heart of everything, and of course has a number of gloriously gruesome murders, but you keep expecting the last page to be, with apologies to The Goon Show, Wallace Greenslade announcing “And this is where the story REALLY starts.”

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There’s a lot more emphasis on the mystery itself than there was in the Abducted by Demons arc, with each new killing propelling the remaining cast to desperately try to figure out how in God’s name they’re happening. This is made possible by the deliberate closed-in locked-room style of the series, which does not allow much in the way of escaping or trying to forget about everything. Thus Umineko is a more oppressive series than Higurashi, but it’s also more focused. Character allegiances shift rapidly, as Eva, one of the more sensible character in the first volume, proves to be incredibly nasty at trying to pin the crime on Natsuhi; Maria’s split personality is genuinely looked into as possibly being a product of her mother’s resentment; and Natsuhi herself finally takes control of the family at the expense of… well, a whole lot.

Jessica and Kanon are on the cover, but they really don’t get much of a look in beyond the fact that Jessica clearly has a crush on Kanon. (I understand the second arc focuses more on Jessica and George’s relationships.) But the inside cover tells the real story of this book, showing a frustrated and enraged Battler and a smug, grinning Beatrice wielding chess pieces at each other.

Then there’s the tea party. I’ve been reading through a couple of the Higurashi Visual Novels (available legally from Mangagamer, by the way – one of the few non-porn things they’ve done), and each of them ends with a short ‘tea party’ set in the cafe where the cast, out of character, go over what happened in the book and whether it was due to demon or human elements. That said, it’s totally independent of the VNs themselves, and was dropped from the manga adaptation as being irrelevant. Is was therefore a big surprise to me to see the tea party actually adapted for the manga… and it proved to be the biggest plot twist as well. It’s all very well and good to deny the existence of a witch who appears as shafts of light or butterflies, but her physical presence really throws Battler for a loop. And when he continues to deny her involvement… let’s just say things don’t end well for our heroes.

And so we seem to have a plot and a meta-plot, as Battler and Beatrice are now in competition to find the best explanation for the events at Rokkenjima (note that actually trying to stop the murders doesn’t seem to be an option anyone brings up this time). And then at the very end there’s a meta-meta plot, as Beatrice has her own tea party with another witch named Bernkastel… who we’ve seen in the Massacre arc breaking down the Higurashi plot with Rika. Indeed, Bernkastel looks exactly like Rika… and while Ryukishi07 has apparently said that the two are not the same, there’s clearly enough similarities that they’re connected in some way.

The balance between mystery and horror is what drives this series, as the author himself notes at the end. And while events may be more dramatic, gestures more declamatory, and events far more hopeless than Higurashi, the key is whether a reader wants to read on and find out more. I certainly do, especially since I want to find out more about Beatrice, who insists she’s behind everything, but hasn’t really given a reason why beyond “cause I’m evil like that”. I’m going to guess that’s not the real reason.

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 21

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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 given every volume of Hayate since I began this blog a full review, so want to keep up the tradition. Of course, that tends to mean I have to keep finding new things to say. Should I talk about how the North American audience views harems… no, wait, did that already. What about the relation between gags and serious… no, did that too. It doesn’t help that Hata is very slowly putting all his pieces into play for what promises to be an epic storyline… but it isn’t yet. As a result, we get a lot interruptions here, including some characters who haven’t appeared in so long that Hayate and Nagi have to direct readers to the appropriate volume.

hayate21

For those who like Maria, enjoy that cover, she’s barely in this volume. (To be honest, aside from one-shot chapters, she’s never really going to be relevant again, unless Hata comes back to her if/when he wraps this up.) The two major events in this book are a beach volleyball game challenge given by Gilbert, the aforementioned character who no one remembers anymore; and Sonia, the nun with a crush on Wataru, trying to steal the Ougyoku Stone. This Stone has come up once or twice since the series began, but here is where it starts to really play a major role, in that Nagi’s Machiavellian grandfather states if Hayate allows anyone to steal or destroy the stone for more than an hour, Nagi loses her inheritance. And there’s a lot of people who want that to happen, including Athena, now 10 years older and living in Greece. The stone is the gimmick that will drive the next few volumes.

The beach volleyball game is the funniest part of this volume. Gilbert immediately shoots himself in the foot by demanding Hayate partner with Hinagiku, as she’s so “weak and frail”. Unfortunately, Hina is dealing with her usual self-image and tsundere love for Hayate, so she decides to pretend to be as weak as Gilbert says she is. Complete with monotone “Eek” noises. Thankfully, Gilbert is *such* an ass that this only lasts for a couple of pages before she decides to kick his ass. (By the way, I note that now that Hata has revealed that Miki is in love with Hina, he’s allowing her to be a lot more open about it, demanding Hina wear a bikini and essentially lusting after her.)

The most romantic part of the volume is the one with Sonia, though she isn’t the reason why. She’s stealing the stone so that she can help Wataru get his *own* family fortune back, and therefore return Sonia’s love. Hayate is absolutely not the best person to figure this out, given that he has all the sensitivity of a hammer. Luckily, Ayumu is there with him, and once again makes you wonder why she isn’t the heroine of some other manga. She calms Sonia down, points out Wataru wouldn’t like her just for money, gets the stone back, comforts Hayate, *and* gets to kiss him (on the cheek) to boot. She would be the clear winner of any other harem manga, but is only a long-shot in this one. Which is a sign of how balanced Hata keeps his harem… and his readers.

Due to the typical low sales of almost all harem manga these days, the next volume will not be out till August. But Hata, for the most part, delivers what readers want – some fanservice, some laughs, some romantic tease, and a few sweet moments. If you read Hayate scanlated, get over the fact that your pairing may not win and buy the manga. As for new readers… why are you buying Vol. 21?

JManga the Week of 2/21 and 2/28

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SEAN: (I was away last week, so you get a two-fer this time around.)

I appreciate – I really do – JManga getting out all these Vol. 3s and 5s and 7s. For a while it seemed that we’d get Vol. 1 of selected series with nothing else, so it’s great to see that they’re moving on with many titles to further volumes.

That said, damn, it’s hard to come up with new ways to break everything down. But here we go…

girls-high7

Joshi Kousei (High School Girls) has Vol. 6 this week and Vol. 7 next week. For those who are truly HSG fanatics, the release of Vol. 6 here means we now have all the reissued covers, including the ones DrMaster never reprinted. Woot! Funny series, too. Everyone should read it.

MJ: I will. I promise. Soon.

SEAN: More Elemental Gelade.

More PoyoPoyo’s Observation Diary.

A new Ninja Papa, which hopefully will avoid the gentle downward slide it’s had since its ludicrous beginnings.

The Mythical Detective Loki gets a 4th volume, and I continue to be confused as to whether it’s the original or the Ragnarok that ADV put out.

And Sun-Ken Rock has a 3rd volume for me to catch up on, and is easily the MANLIEST thing in this entire list – yes, it even tops Ninja Papa.

MICHELLE: I am sad to say I have absolutely nothing to say about any of these.

MJ: It’s getting difficult, isn’t it?

Anything catch your eye?

Manga the Week of 2/27

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SEAN: The main problem with my list of manga that’s coming out is it originated on my Livejournal page as a list to remind me what *I* might be getting at any given time, with the titles I wasn’t buying included because well, why not? As a result, I tend to keep these lists geared towards me. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the sources I use:

a) My comic shop in New Haven. This is mostly via Diamond Distributors. “But Sean,” (I hear you cry), “Diamond is showing Yen’s stuff coming out the week of 2/27, not 2/20!” Yes, but I got Yen stuff on Wednesday, including this Umineko volume that is as big as a small house. This is because Diamond sometimes splits its shipments over two weeks, shipping to some stores (such as the Northeast Corridor) before others. This happens to me a LOT with Yen, which I frequently get early.

By the way, rule of thumb for Diamond. Ships early: Dark Horse, Fantagraphics, Seven Seas. Ships late: Kodansha, Vertical. Ships on same date: Viz, Yen (except Northeast Corridor).

b) Midtown Comics list, which goes live sometime Wednesday Afternoons. They have their own distribution for many publishers (i.e., not Diamond), including Viz and Seven Seas. This is why they sometimes have Viz titles a week late, and frequently have Seven Seas titles very late. This is what allows Aaron to list the same Seven Seas titles in comments over multiple weeks. :)

c) Amazon, where I usually fill in the blanks from the other two lists.

With that said, almost everyone who isn’t me will get Yen Press titles the week of 2/27, so just port those over to this list.

airgear27

So what ELSE is coming out next week? Kodansha, mostly. We have the 27th volume of Air Gear, which ships only a few months before they try to entice in new readers with the Air Gear omnibus. For me, though, the prospect of Tenjo Tenge-style fanservice plus rollerblading has always left me a bit cold.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I have never been able to muster the fortitude to try Air Gear.

MJ: Nor have I.

SEAN: Battle Angel Alita: Last Order hits Vol. 17. I got way, WAY behind in this series (as in, I still have to finish the original non-Last Order Alita), so I suspect I’ll just wait for the omnibus. Which has new content anyway, apparently.

MICHELLE: I have the first three volumes of the original series, but I still haven’t read them. One day!

SEAN: Cage of Eden is up to Vol. 9, and will be resolving its psychic arc while no doubt showing that there are a lot of large-breasted females and hideous carnivorous animals in it. As I said, the perfect comic for 12-year-old boys.

MICHELLE: My Air Gear comment can easily be applied here as well.

MJ: Mine, too. Wow, I have so little of interest to say this week!

SEAN: And Kitchen Princess hits its third omnibus. I don’t have much to say about this, except it’s great shoujo that for once you could actually give to a young girl to read – well, mostly. It can get a bit dark at times.

MICHELLE: I can’t believe I’ve owned this series for so long without reading it even though I’ve heard very good things about it! Bad me.

MJ: I missed this series the first time around, so I’m pretty happy to have a chance to catch up now!

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SEAN: I have no idea if Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love is any good, but the covers are magnificent. The lead male, despite his gigantic chest of death, still appears to be the grumpiest man on the planet, and his companion is the perfect contrast, having a face that anyone would love to hit. Seriously, look at that “Oops!” face. Anyone would understand why the big guy is so mad. Well, besides “Why did they draw me so wide…?”

MICHELLE: I read the first two volumes of this and didn’t like it very much. The shrimpy guy is just as annoying as he looks and I have no idea what the grumpy dude could possibly find to like about him. I don’t intend to bother reading any more of it.

MJ: My biggest issue with this series (aside from finding it just kinda boring) is that the drawing style and the age difference—particularly in one scene early in the first volume—give it a shotacon vibe I just can’t stomach. It’s definitely Not For Me.

SEAN: Assuming anyone stuck around after the meandering opening, what’re you getting?

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: February 18, 2013

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Title PageSometimes being too much of a fanboy can make life difficult. For example, the lack of One Piece this week has me less than excited about writing this column. Sure, the chapters that were in this issue of Shonen Jump were all either quite good or passable, but I can’t help but be far less excited than I would any other week. But, perhaps the lack of One Piece to fanboy over will give me a chance to judge the other chapters just a little bit more fairly.

One-Punch Man Ch. 005
Not only is this the first story in One-Punch Man that isn’t over in one chapter, it’s also the first time when the joke is the exact opposite of of the past four chapters. Saitama, despite all his strength, finds himself helpless against his sole mosquito tormentor. That’s the sign of good comedy, establishing the status quo, and then breaking said status quo for the sake of laughs.

We also get introduced to another hero, a cyborg. We’re past the introductory chapters here, and it’s time for the world to be expanded. I look forward to seeing how Saitama and this new character interact, since the expanded cast will be crucial to the manga. There’s only so much one can do with variations on the same joke, so hopefully we’ll get a more expanded world after this upcoming story.

Naruto Ch. 620
I’ve done some thinking about last week’s chapter, and while I enjoyed reading it, I’ve come across opinions that the reveal of the source of the sharingan completely undermines what Naruto is all about. It shows how barely invested I am in the story when my analysis doesn’t extend beyond, “Ha, that was funny.”

As for this chapter, I’m liking the second Hokage a lot. I would have been saved a lot of grief were he still the leader of Konoha. Just imagine it, five minutes after Sasuke leaves the village for the first time Tobirama would have dragged him back in a body bag. It’s a shame that didn’t happen, but one can dream, and after all, that is what fanfiction is for.

A lot of not much happens this chapter, mostly we get the Hokage talking about how they need to go take care of Madara, and then we go into a flashback of the first Hokage and Madara fighting. The amount of flashbacks in this series of late has been rivaling the anime for quantity. Hopefully the quality will be somewhat improved.

Naruto

World Trigger Ch. 002
Is anyone else tired of the old, “Oh hey, you bumped into me and broke something of mine, pay me for it”? Does this actually happen in Japan? Or has it happened maybe once or twice and manga artists can’t seem to let it go? Of course the scene where this happens makes me angry like it’s supposed to, but I’ve seen this kind of scene pulled dozens of times and by now it’s mostly just pissing me off because it keeps popping back up. Though I will say, I enjoyed how Yuma handled the situation. It’s probably what I’d do, though in my case I would be thinking something along the lines of, “Are you seriously trying to pull this old trope?”

Most of the chapter was focused around Yuma being the fish out of water, which may be an old trope, but if handled well it could be interesting enough. We do get to learn a little more about the Neighbors, I am moderately interested to see what the deal is with these two worlds, so for the moment World Trigger continues to have my interest.

Bleach Ch. 526
At least we got to see Unohana’s bankai (not that we know what exactly it does) before she apparently died. I’m of two minds about how this could go. On the one hand I would be disappointed if Unohana permanently dies so soon after becoming interesting. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kubo doesn’t go through with killing her. Perhaps Kenpachi’s shikai will be released next chapter and it has some kind of healing powers. Unlikely, but I would be amused by the idea of Kenpachi, whose entire being revolves around fighting, has a shikai that can’t cause any damage.

Bleach

Unohana’s motivations for learning how to heal work for her characterization, though I have to wonder, if she’s so enamored with fighting, why haven’t we seen her actually fight until now? She may have learned how to heal so that she can keep fighting people, but how does that fit in with her doing nothing but healing for the entire series?

Nisekoi Ch. 062
While I prefer Nisekoi when it’s being funny, and not serious, I really liked this chapter. Granted the issue between Chitoge and her mother was resolved much faster than I’m used to with manga, but at least it provided a satisfying ending to this story without overstaying it’s welcome. That and seeing Hana almost run them over with her plane was priceless. This chapter was mostly touching, with just enough humor that it makes for a great resolution to this plot line.

Nisekoi

Toriko Ch. 222
Setsuno vs Chiyo. Granted Chiyo hasn’t been around as long in this series, but when she made her entrance she made it in a big way. And to finally see her and Setsuno face off just goes to show how epic this story is going to be. Not only that but we finally get to see what Setsunos’ specific power is. Personally I could have done without the cooks having their own fighting powers, I thought the idea was that they were skilled in different ways than the Gourmet Hunters. BUt really I’m just amazed at how many creative powers can be built around cooking concepts. And Setsuno’s is possible one of the coolest, and overpowered ones that I’ve seen in a long while.

Toriko

Cross Manage Ch. 021
Not much to say about this chapter, except that I look forward to next week. While most of this chapter focuses on Sakurai and Toyoguchi finally talking about their “confession” from last chapter, I am pleased to note that next chapter will give us some more character development with at least two more of the girls from the team.

Most of the time Cross Manage feels like it doesn’t know what to do. Having a large cast means that the girls should all get their time in the spotlight, but it seems like what this series was supposed to be was a romance, with little interest in the sport or the characters playing it. Which is a shame, because I don’t know how well adapted the current Shounen Jump is to dealing with romances. There are always a few in the lineup, but they never seem to last very long. Still, for now I’ll enjoy what I can get of the cast, and hope that somehow Cross Manage survives the next round of cuts.

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 003
Now we’re talking. Finally the big reveal that most likely caught readers of Dragon Ball in the day off guard. Not only is Goku an alien, but Raditz, the stranger confronting him, is his brother. I’ve always wondered what Dragon Ball would have been like, had Goku not lost his memory when he was a baby. It probably wouldn’t have been the hit that it is, and Goku probably would have been a lot smarter, but I would have loved to see some kind of “what if?” scenario. But, again, that’s what fanfiction is for.

Though, Raditz’s story has a bit of a flaw in it. Granted in general the earth population is weaker than even a Saiyan child. But Dragon Ball had plenty of strong characters that Goku had a hard time beating. Perhaps his transformation would have given him the strength to wreak havoc, but it isn’t like someone such as Master Roshi couldn’t handle it. Sure Goku was stronger in that form, but Roshi already knew what to do. Aka/ destroy the moon. So most likely Goku would have ultimately failed in his mission. Unless of course he was able to grow stronger with his memories intact, perhaps through some kind of Saiyan training. Or perhaps his viciousness as a child would have enhanced his strength. Either way, while this chapter may have been a shark jumping moment for some back in the day, by this point it holds up well enough and this was the first chapter so far that really caught my interest again.

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 archives. For last week’s episode check out Episode 035 – February 11, 2013 – What is Shonen Manga? | Shinmai Fukei Kiruko-san.

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 1

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By Tsutomo Nihei. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Afternoon. Released in the United States by Vertical, Inc.

I will admit to being one of the few people reviewing this title who has not read either Biomega or Blame, the author’s previous series released here. As a result, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, except that the series looked vaguely Gundam-ey. And I have to admit, after finishing the first volume, I’m still not quite sure what’s going on. That said, it’s the sort of manga that rewards trying to find out, and there’s lots of little things here and there that make this well worth a read.

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This takes place somewhere in the future on a World Spaceship, a la Heinlein’s Orphans of the Sky. Much of the plot is not told to us via exposition or narrative, but simply by immersing us in our hero’s day-to-day life and expecting us to figure it out as we go along. Our hero, Nagate, has been living secretly underground for years with his grandfather (I think), practicing blowing things up in a flight simulator. When he runs out of food (is his grandfather dead? And for how long?), Nagate goes to find some, and accidentally falls into the processing machine (one of the more morbidly funny scenes in the entire volume). After being discovered, he’s quickly indoctrinated into the military and added to a team whose mission is to battle the Gaunas, alien life forces intent on destruction.

Our hero is not much for words (or indeed facial expressions), so getting some battle scenes almost feels like a relief. My favorite part of the entire manga is probably the cruelest: we meet a new girl, Eiko, who is standoffish and avoiding all the superstition that the other pilots perform. Given she’s in the chapter title, we naturally assume she’ll be like Izana and come to befriend our hero, though given how prickly she seems it may require him to show initiative. But no! They go out to battle Gaunas, and she’s not only killed off immediately but her form is used to become a hideous monstrosity that almost kills off Nagate too. This fakeout was well-played, and I applaud the author for it.

Towards the end of the volume we get a few more new characters, who are a bit too new to really grasp on to, as well as an indication that Izana seems to have fallen hard for our hero. Clearly this is meant to be a series with a few volumes to it, and I imagine all will become clearer as I go along. I’m left, however, with a sense of distance about the whole thing. Nagate has difficulty emoting due to his upbringing (at least, that’s what I imagine), Izana seems naturally repressed, and through most of the volume I kept wishing that I could get closer to our heroes’ mindset while being unable to. I did enjoy Nagate defending Izana against a hotshot egotistical jerk pilot (who then breaks Nagate’s arm), and hope that we’ll see more elements like this. Knights of Sidonia as a series is cool rather than warm, but it’s still fascinating, and I look forward to working out what’s going on in future volumes.

Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden, Vol. 11

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I am looking forward to the end of this series in an odd sort of way. The next volume will be the last and I’m looking forward to being able to reread the entire series in a couple sittings. There was quite the gap in publication between volumes, so I’m curious to see how the story plays out when I’m not waiting around for four years or so between volumes 9 and 10. Yuu Watase says in her author notes that her series tend to pick up towards the conclusion, and this is definitely true for this volume as Uruki confronts his family legacy, Teg and Urumiya deal with their celestial warrior destiny and the heroine Takiko continues to cough up blood while working bravely to save the country of Bei-Ja. There’s a good balance in the story as it presents plenty of emotional character arcs and action with a general feeling of impending tragedy.

Overall after reading this volume I was struck by how much self-sacrifice is a theme and how this contrasts with the somewhat lighter tone of the original series. Takiko’s devotion to her role as Priestess of Genbu is absolute, but her romance with Uruki does get a bittersweet type of resolution at the close of this volume. One of the things I’m going to miss about this series is the art. Watase’s distinct character designs never leave me confused about what’s going on, even with an extended cast and many subplots happening towards the end of the series. The action scenes are dynamic, and the costumes and setting are detailed enough to make me invested in the World of the Four Gods. I’m looking forward to the last volume, but I’m going to have a box of kleenex ready when I read it!

Harelequin Manga Quick Takes

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I went on a .99 cent shopping spree in the Harlequin manga section of the Kindle store recently, so here are some quick takes on bargain romance manga.

Maddie’s Love Child

The Maddie in question in this title is an Australian headstrong leather-garbed interior designer, who enjoys making rich and remote men fall in love with her and then stomps on their hearts. She’s also longing for a baby but not a husband, so she is determined to track down the perfect sperm donor. Miles McMillan, remote and rich British businessman comes back into her life. Maddie and Miles met previously but he rejected her advances because he was engaged. Now that he’s broken things off with his fiancee, he decides to return to Australia for business…and something else. Maddie and Miles start to date, but will her baby making schemes and romantic foibles, combined with his emotional reticence and uptight British ways result in a romance or just a whole bunch of emotional trauma? Maddie’s internal dialogues sizing up Miles’ fatherhood prospects (“My child would never learn his arrogance or cold pride. And I could give it all of my love!”) were pretty hilarious. The art in this title was a little stilted, but generally attractive. Maddie’s personality and forthright nature was refreshing compared to other Harlequin heroines, so if reading about emotionally distant British businessmen falling in love is one of the romance novel tropes that you enjoy, this title was worth the .99 cents.


Expecting the Boss’ Baby

In Harlequin world billionaire bachelors with attractive secretaries end up accidentally impregnating them FAR TOO OFTEN! Michael is a rich emotionally distant man who accidentally celebrates a business deal with his capable secretary Kate a bit too much. She’s now secretly pregnant and harbors feelings of affection towards Michael the millionaire robot, but he is oblivious and doesn’t want any sort of emotional connection with Kate. When he makes his feelings known to her, she promptly quits. Michael is emotional remote because he grew up in an orphanage, his only friends are a couple of other millionaires who dispense warped advice about women and relationships. When Michael realizes that Kate is pregnant, he’s determined to ensure that his child won’t grow up without a father. This was very much a middle of the road title for me. Both the story and art were about average in terms of what one would expect from a Harlequin manga adaptation. This is part of a trilogy, as I’m sure Michael’s millionaire bachelor friends also find themselves promptly married off in later installments.

The Royal Marriage

This title had the vaguely retro art that I tend to enjoy most when reading Harlequin manga. There are plenty of big eyes and flowing hair abounds as Gabriella, the Brazilian heiress finds herself trapped in a marriage with Prince Ricardo. Ricardo has the reputation of a playboy, but when Gabriella’s father dies, leaving her with no family and a will with some very odd provisions, she decides to go through with the marriage. Gabriella settles into her new rule as princess, while trying to figure out her feelings towards her new husband. There’s a bit of palace intrigue, and Gabriella is a bit sassier than the usual Harlequin heroine. Along with Maddie’s Love Child, this was the title I enjoyed the most out of this batch of four manga.

Word of a Gentleman

I tend to take notice when I find a Harlequin title with decent art, because mostly I tend to expect somewhat lackluster art. Of the batch, this had the worst artistic adaptation, with stilted, out of proportion characters. The sub-par quality of the lettering was also distracting. This was a bit of a shame, because aspects of the story were a bit interesting. Clarissa decides that she’s going to hire herself a poor husband in order to get away from the machinations of her evil guardian Uncle and the loutish pawing of her cousin. She fixates on Hugh Richfield, who actually decides to take her up on her offer to pay him to elope with her. Hugh and Clarissa take off for Gretna Green and have some adventures along the way. Unfortunately the happy ending where everybody suddenly becomes rich strains even my willing suspension of disbelief.

Manga the Week of 2/20

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SEAN: Third week of the month, which is starting to traditionally mean that Diamond Comics ships Yen Press stuff a week early to me. So this Midtown list is augmented by the Yen stuff my shop will be getting.

evangelion-tributeDark Horse has run out of Evangelion spinoffs, so is dipping into the well of doujinshi anthologies, a type of manga we’ve previously seen over here with the Code Geass: Knight and Queen manga. They’re put out by real publishers, so don’t expect anything over 18 rated, and are by various artists and writers. I’m going to guess the majority will be humorous, but who knows?

MJ: Possibly this will put me on many fan hate lists, but… I’ll admit I’m tired of Evangelion. I loved the anime series (like everyone) and I’ve read some of the manga adaptation, but if it’s come to publishing doujinshi, can we just admit that there’s nothing left here to milk but fanfic? Which is fine—I’m pro-fanfic, but I kind of expect that to remain in fan circles. Am I being a big fuddy-duddy here?

MICHELLE: Not at all. I’ve consumed even less of Evangelion than you have and I’m still weary of it!

SEAN: Kodansha Comics has Volume 30 (yes, 30) of The Wallflower, which is to shoujo harems what Hayate the Combat Butler is to shounen harems. It will never ever resolve, and no one will have their character developed. But – funny things will occur! Love those funny things.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is just not my kind of shoujo series. I wish I could like the funny things, but the lack of evolution wears me out after a while. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is another example of that happening.

SEAN: Seven Seas (like Yen, shipping via Diamond but not to Midtown) has the 2nd Dance in the Vampire Bund omnibus. The first one is still sitting in my to-read stack, so I can’t really tell you much about it. Maybe someday…

MJ: This series’ fanbase has made me reluctant to try it out, but I should probably look past that, shouldn’t I?

SEAN: Another softcover re-release from Vertical, this one of Tezuka’s Ayako. It’s still a brick, but may weigh a bit less.

MJ: Ayako has its issues, but it’s well worth reading. If you missed the hardcover, this is a must-buy.

SEAN: And now it’s time for a giant pile of Yen to hit comic shops. The Betrayal Knows My Name has hit five volumes. I guess the betrayal’s knowledge isn’t enough to end the series all that fast, so there must me more to the protagonists than just the name. (You can always tell which of the series I discuss I don’t read, can’t you?)

MJ: I featured this volume in my latest My Week in Manga, so I can make up the difference. :D

MICHELLE: I haven’t read any of this either, but I will someday!

btooom1SEAN: We have a new action series that will likely appeal to the Battle Royale/High School of the Dead crowd, this one with the compelling title of BTOOOM! The covers may have been changed to avoid lawsuits, but the contents inside still scream survival game.

MJ: Michelle & I discussed this in Off the Shelf last week. I found it unoriginal but decidedly fun.

MICHELLE: It looks uncomplicated, which is actually a compliment.

SEAN: The Misfortune of Kyon and Koizumi is the second doujinshi anthology we’re talking about this week, oddly enough. This one’s based off of the Haruhi Suzumiya series, and features the two guys in the main cast. I’m not actually sure how BL-heavy it’ll be – Haruhi‘s fandom still skews very male. But we shall see.

MJ: I’m going to contradict myself and admit that I’m actually kinda interested in this one. So Evangelion fans can start throwing heavy objects at me now.

MICHELLE: Not me. I avoid all manga iterations of the Haruhi story.

SEAN: I’ve long since lost track of what’s going on in Nabari no Ou, but this is the penultimate volume, and would seem to be flashback-tastic. Recommended to ninja fans who can’t stand Naruto.

MJ: That’s me! :D Seriously, though, I love Nabari no Ou. I’m behind on the series as well, but I plan to catch up soon!

MICHELLE: I don’t love Nabari no Ou, but I’ve still managed to read nine volumes so far, and will probably finish it. I don’t hate it, but it just doesn’t seem to stick with me.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts, of course, is nowhere near finishing, even as it reaches 14 volumes. I don’t follow this one either, so I’ll just note that the serious guy on the cover looks very serious indeed. I’d do what he says if I were you.

MJ: This series totally owns me. It’s a perfect example of how deeply I can love something that’s flawed. I love Pandora Hearts with my whole heart.

pandorahearts14MICHELLE: Again, I am stopping short of admitting that I love this series, but I am happy when I see new volumes of it.

SEAN: Triage X has managed to get out a 2nd volume. I’m not certain if its cover is as appalling as the first volume, but it certainly tries hard. Meanwhile, nurses, guns, motorcycles, and explosions.

MJ: Ugh.

MICHELLE: Double ugh.

SEAN: Umineko: When They Cry has hit the end of its first arc with this 2nd omnibus. I’m pretty much expecting everyone to die horribly, because that’s what this author does. But will they die horribly in a fascinating and endlessly debatable way? Oh, I hope so. A bit less uuu-uuu would be welcome, though.

MICHELLE: Gah, that “uuu!” crap was so annoying. I will probably read this, since I read the first half, but I am not anticipating loving it.

SEAN: Lastly, in the 3rd omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, our hero and his charge go on the run from innumerable assassins and other killy things. Luckily, they’re the stars. That counts for a lot in a manga series.

MJ: I still haven’t tried out this series, but I’m thinking about it. Thoughts?

MICHELLE: I actually kind of like this series, but I find that I can’t really give a coherent explanation. I like the premise, I guess, and the supporting organization that helps the hero, etc.

SEAN: Omnibus? Doujin anthology? What’s your poison?

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: February 11, 2013

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Cover PageThere will never be anything like a perfect issue of WSJ. But for what it’s worth, I think this week we got close to it. There was not a single chapter that I hated this week. There were a few I was less excited about, but none that incited any kind of rage. All in all, it was a good week.

World Trigger Ch. 001
I think I can honestly say that this might be the best first chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump Online. Sure we haven’t had all that many first chapters in this magazine, but the point still stands. While I am getting tired of the typical high school setting—I’ve come to realize that it’s a staple of the medium and something I’ll just have to live with—everything else about this first chapter was great. Even the stereotypical bullying, which from what I understand is a real problem in Japan so I can understand the need to bring more attention to it, was used effectively.

Ultimately what sold me on this new series were the two twists at the end. Manga-ka Daisuke Ashihara played with our expectations for an action series like this and was able to use that to turn the tables at the end of the chapter. If he can keep this up throughout the entire series, then I can see a bright future for this new manga.

World Trigger

One Piece Ch. 698
I’m sure anyone who isn’t as big into One Piece as I am must be getting tired of this section of the column. But can you really blame me this week? Sure, the majority of the chapter is just character interaction—no big action scenes here. But it’s that kind of writing that draws us closer to the characters and is ultimately one of the most entertaining aspects of One Piece.

One Piece

And lest we forget—though how could we forget—that cliffhanger. I guess now we know who that mysterious stranger sleeping in the middle of the ocean a few chapters ago was, but ending the chapter by pitting Doflamingo and Kuzan together (and doing so right before taking a week break), is nothing short of gloriously sadistic.

One-Punch Man Ch. 004
I would probably be talking out of my behind were I to say that One-Punch Man was a serious drama whose entire appeal revolves around the pathos of the main character (whose strength is his one true weakness). But I feel entirely justified in saying that this chapter emphasizes how well Saitama’s ennuie can be used for comedic purposes. It also allows us to see that even though Saitama killing people in one punch could become a tired gag, author One is skilled enough to stretch the humor of the situation further by switching up the formula here and there. Possibly the funniest chapter of the series to date.

Naruto Ch. 619
Finally, a chapter of Naruto where I can legitimately say something nice. I know that I start this section every week wishing I could find something nice to say. I feel bad for hating on Naruto so much when I know there is a richness of readers out there who love the series and who I am probably chasing off by hating on their series so much.

Fortunately, this week was my favorite chapter of Naruto in a long time. I do hate Kishimoto’s poorly timed comedy at times, particularly when it is used during what should be an emotional scene. But when Kishimoto manages to insert his comedy appropriately, it is still really funny. Getting to meet the first two Hokage for the first time (Orochimaru’s initial use of their corpses back before the time skip does not count since their personalities were sealed at that point) was a treat that made this a surprisingly funny chapter.

Even more surprising is that I was able to read this chapter without devolving into frothing rage anytime Sasuke was in the scene. Even more so, being able to learn a bit more about the Uchiha was a long overdue blessing. Granted, I don’t buy the idea that “they feel too much love, so they feel too much hate,” and the concept that the Sharingan is ultimately created by the power of love makes me laugh. (Not in a good way. More in a “let’s make fun of Ma-Ti from Captain Planet” kind of way.)

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 002
There’s really not much to say about this chapter, except that I’d forgotten how accurate and justified Krillin’s characterization in Dragon Ball Z Abridged is. I mean, really, he just waltzes up to someone Goku said is strong, who is skilled enough to be able to fly, and expects what to happen? Well he clearly does not expect to get owned, and I have to admit the temptation to keep a “Krillin Owned” count of my own is overwhelming.

The translation, which I assume is the same translation Viz has been using ever since they first started licensing Dragon Ball, could really use an update. If nothing else, we could use an updated spelling for Krillin’s name. I won’t admit to knowing exactly which spelling is correct, but I do know that nobody has spelled it Kuririn ever—at least nobody who has grown up reading and watching the series. There are some other aspects of the old translation that stick out, such as the typesetting and some of the diction. The color is all good and fine, but I would much rather see an update to the translation.

Cross Manage Ch. 020
While I really loved last week’s chapter, this week was a bit weak. The first half or so was fun, mostly because Komatsu featured prominently. But the fact that the game itself only got half a chapter tells me exactly where the focus of this series is. So fans of sports manga can probably give up on learning anything significant about lacrosse.

Cross Manage

The romance between Sakurai and Misora feels rushed, suggesting that the series is probably not going to survive the next round of cancellations. Perhaps it’s a curse for any romance series, but I find the side characters more interesting than our two leads. Sure Misora is quirky and entertaining, but she suffers from protagonist bias, meaning that because of how much time we spend around her she just doesn’t measure up against the other quirky characters that have less time spent on them. Not to mention that I find it hard to care about a romance for a series that hasn’t been around long enough for me to care about the characters. Perhaps that’s why series that don’t focus much on romance at all get all the rabid shippers. The more time you spend with the characters, the more you care about them. And it’s a lot easier to becoming attached to romantic relationships when they aren’t being forced on you in less than twenty five chapters.

Toriko Ch. 221
I don’t know why some series bore the snot out of me when they do nothing but show fight after fight, but for some reason Toriko just gets away with it. Perhaps it’s because of how imaginative the powers are. Or perhaps it’s because in this chapter we finally get to see some neglected characters match up for their own fights. Mansam and Rin have not had much time in the story, compared to others. For someone watching the anime at the same time, they may come across as one-note characters, which they very much are since they have not had any real development before this chapter. Thus, the anime has to go with what they’ve got, and what they’ve got is a collection of tired old jokes that weren’t really funny in the first place.

Toriko

Hopefully we get to see a bit more of those two, particularly Rin, whom I liked from the start for her non-traditional design. Unfortunately while she doesn’t look like your typical girl from a shounen manga, she sure does act like it. So with a bit of luck she will actually get to look like the badass I thought she was supposed to be.

I’m still a bit peeved that we didn’t get to see the rest of the cooking fest, but by this point I’m so excited by all the upcoming fights that I can’t really complain anymore.

Nisekoi Ch. 061
It’s amazing what a difference a single chapter can make. I wasn’t that big on the drama between Chitoge and Hana, but somehow this chapter managed to explain Hana’s neglect in a surprisingly satisfying way. The joke quota for this chapter was still somewhat low, but we seem to be rushing to a conclusion here so hopefully Nisekoi will be par for the course shortly.

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 archives. For last week’s episode check out Episode 034 – February 4, 2013 – Overarching Goals and The Legend of Koizumi.

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 12

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It seems like most volumes of Kamisama Kiss involve human kami Nanami traveling to a new land or meeting some strange yokai. Fortunately this is a plotline that Julietta Suzuki executes so well with both art and story, I don’t mind a bit. I would happily look at a Suzuki art book because I find her character designs so entertaining. I’ve noticed that her underwater characters are often particularly inspired, so there is a lot to like about this volume, which features some major romantic happenings not for Nanami but for her yokai acquaintance Himemiko of the Tatara swamp and her human boyfriend Kotaro.

Himemiko has only appeared to Kotaro in human form, but her secret is going to be tested when her childhood fiance arrives to cause problems. Nishiki is a prince of a neighboring swamp who has grown up arrogant and cut off from contact from most creatures. His solution to his upcoming wedding is to kidnap both Nanami and her shrine, leaving her cut off from Tomoe. Nishiki has a formal way of dressing, accessorized by a scaly headband and fins at the side of his head. When he finds Himemiko in human form she pretends to not know what he’s talking about because she still doesn’t want to reveal her non-human nature to Kotaro. Kotaro gets injured during a confrontation and the god of the sea Ryu-Oh appears again, with his toothy grin, eye patch, and attitude problem.

Nanami struggles with her shrine being trapped at the bottom of a swamp and attempts to get through to Nishiki. Her utter disregard for high court yokai etiquette starts to wear the arrogant Nishiki down towards the end of the volume. His royal mannerism have even cut himself off from his own people, who boggle when they are shown the slightest amount of regard from their ruler. Himemiko and Kotaro start dealing with the true nature of their relationship, even as Nishiki starts to thaw a little bit and begin to understand that he doesn’t know much about the nature of love. Nishiki’s character evolves throughout the volume, and it is always good to see Nanami cause change just simply by being herself.

Even if Nanami and Tomoe’s relationship isn’t resolved yet, it is nice to see things moving forward for the other human/yokai couple in the book. I’m going to look forward to see what happens next at the conclusion of this arc, and if there’s a happy ending for the swamp Princess and her human it will be very interesting to see how Tomoe and Nanami react to that development.

Slam Dunk, Vol. 26

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With each new volume of Slam Dunk I’m simultaneously happy and a bit disappointed – happy because I can read another volume of a great sports manga, and disappointed because we are slowly inching towards the final 31st volume. I continue to find Slam Dunk fascinating even when a basketball game gets spread out over several volumes. Shohoku is still playing tournament favorite Sannoh, but things finally start to click for the loveable underdogs. My favorite aspect of this volume was that the breakout star of the game wasn’t the cool Rukawa or the sometimes doltish basketball savant Sakuragi, but their sometimes overlooked and quiet teammate Mitsui who starts out the volume by hitting three 3-pointers in a row. He’s able to take advantage of the fact that Sannoh’s focus is on Shohoku’s star players and score with simple precision. Everybody is mystified by Mitsui’s sudden confidence, including his own teammates. The Shohoku fans remember that Mitsui used to be a junior high MVP, but his play has suffered because he felt like he had to live up to some past glories. Shohoku’s enigmatic coach concludes that Mitsui is starting to believe in himself again at just the right time, and there’s a great wordless interchange between coach and player as they make eye contact and pump their fists. Simple moments like this where Inoue just uses a few simple panels to underscore a moment do so much more to drive the story forward than pages filled with expository dialogue.

Once the opposing team realizes that Mitsui needs more coverage, Shohoku needs to change up their strategy yet again. Rukawa and Sakuragi both have some moments, but Sakuragi is tested when the opposing team puts a huge substitute player in and his coach tells him that the monster is his assignment. It is a measure of just how far Sakuragi has come that while he does give in to his first impulse of trying to fight strength with strength, he eventually hits on a way to deal with the new player using strategy and observation. Each volume of Slam Dunk always feels very satisfying. To describe the plot, it might seam as if the story is moving forward at a glacial pace, with three volumes or so spent on one basketball game. But the evolution of characters and personalities brought on by the conflict of basketball is layered and dense, and that makes this title such a special sports manga.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Wonder!, Vol. 3

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By Akira Kawa. Released in Japan by Futabasha, serialized in the magazine Women’s Comic Jour. Released in the United States by Futabasha on the JManga website.

When I left off with Vol. 2 of Wonder!, I was wondering whether the extremely uncomfortable plot twist that ended it would be brought up again in the third volume or just glossed over. In a way, it’s both. But I’m OK with how it resolved, as having it any other way would just give me the creeps (as indeed it does to Kaori at the start of the book). That said, it feels a bit of a cop-out, and makes Kaori’s mother even less sympathetic than she already was. But then, that’s one of the main things about this series: family are always there, even if you try desperately to avoid them, and they always bring their own issues to the table. And not all families are perfect.

wonder3

That said, the main family – Kaori, Taiyou, Kota and Miya – still tend to be a bit better than you’d expect. Problems that affect them mostly come from outside sources, and even the one time there’s a big screw-up – Taiyou trusts a mother that he bonds with at the zoo to take his girl to the ladies’ room, only for the mother to run off with her – it’s something that resolves in a rather pat way. As for Kota, when your worst flaw is that you’re sometimes too direct and a bit reserved, you’re clearly a great kid. He gets to show off how he deals with both kids and creeps in this volume, and his awesomeness is (so far) rewarded. Only Kaori really seems to have major issues here, and that’s mostly from the fallout from last volume. Everyone’s just a bit too perfect.

However, the author does seem to be trying to shake things up. Kota’s cousin Kaito, who looks very similar to Kota except for his height, arrives, and proves to be a giant pain in the neck. He’s under pressure from his mother to live up to his siblings’ success in school, and it’s driving him to acting up. He’s clearly meant to contrast with Kota, as the cast lampshades, and almost causes Kota to show an actual emotion. His mother, though, once revealed, explains much of his behavior – she’s even worse than Kaori’s mom (and in fact allows Kaori’s mom to have the upper hand for a bit), and makes your nerves grate. Kaori notes to Taiyo that part of the reason they agre4ed to their ‘open marriage’ at first was simply to avoid dealing with each other’s family, and we’ve come to see why.

And throughout all this there is the dog Wonder, who still has odd traces of the supernatural to him, being able to instantly show up whenever there is trouble, even if he’s also still at home playing with the kid. The family seems to have quietly accepted it as ‘awesome dog powers’, but given that said dog has saved their lives multiple times, I can see why they’d want to gloss over and explanations in case they ruin the fantasy. It does add an odd touch to this off-kilter soap-opera of a manga, which never quite allows me to find my footing. While the lack of stability can be annoying, it’s also probably why I find it so fascinating. I want to read more about these people to see how they tick. Yes, even if it means dealing with their families. Here’s hoping for Vol. 4 soon.