Pick of the Week

MICHELLE: I know I’ve picked Magi at least a half dozen times before, but really it’s just that good. It’s fun, in the way that one expects a shounen adventure to be, but it also prioritizes character growth and world-building. I am really, really enjoying it.

SEAN: Yeah, I’m going to go with Magi as well, which is doing some really great worldbuilding and has some nice smug villains.

ANNA: I will pick Magi too, even though I’m not that far along in reading the series.

ASH: Wow, well, I apparently need to get around to reading Magi at some point! But as for my pick this week, I’m going to go with the third omnibus of Embracing Love. It’s been a while since I’ve read the series, but I’m glad that it was rescued.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: I was originally going to pick Showa here, but Amazon helpfully moved it to late September at the very last minute. So instead I will pick Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Seven Seas’ new series about the coolest high school student around, and how no one else can hold a candle to him. It’s completely hilarious and I want more immediately.

MICHELLE: Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy may not be a classic, but I have grown to like it very much over its run, and so must pick the twelfth and final volume while I can. I hope for a sugary sweet ending with kitties.

ASH: I was all set to choose Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, but then the Sparkler Monthly Kickstarter reached its goal over the weekend. I’m so excited that we’ll be seeing another year of fantastic content, beginning this month!

MJ: I’m pretty much MIA due to my teen opera production which goes up next week, but I had to jump in to add to Ash’s excitement. Yay, Sparkler!! We’re so lucky to be getting more of this magazine!

ANNA: I will go with the third volume of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood. So weird! So manly!

What looks good to you this week?

MICHELLE: If you missed out on the single volumes of Chi’s Sweet Home as they came out, now’s your chance to get caught up with a new omnibus collecting the first three volumes. Honestly, I think I will probably hang on to my originals and this larger-trim edition, as this has been a very popular series in my personal lending library. If you like kitties, or know a kitty-loving young person, you should check it out!

ASH: Chi is indeed a tough kitty to beat, but my pick this week is the second volume of A Silent Voice. Admittedly, the first volume was a bit of a tough read due to the series’ subject matter. The manga is heartbreaking in many ways, but it is an incredibly well-crafted story.

SEAN: I agree with the pick of A Silent Voice. This manga really has something to say, and I want to hear what it is, no matter how uncomfortable it (deliberately) makes me.

ANNA: I will have to go with the Chi’s Sweet Home omnibus, out of all the manga about to be released that sounds the most appealing to me.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There’s a huge pile of stuff this week, most of it Yen. My pick goes to the debut of Durarara!! in light novel form. Narita specializes in huge casts of eccentrics and crazies and disparate plots slowly coming together in a chaotic climax. I prefer his work on Baccano, but that’s coming soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy seeing the origin of ‘Bacon Lettuce’ in all its glory.

MICHELLE: I admit experiencing Durarara!! in its original form has some appeal, but what I really am looking forward to most is the ninth volume of Kodansha’s My Little Monster. I really enjoy this series, and how it allows me to actually believe there’s a tiny sliver of a chance the two leads won’t have a happily-ever-after sort of ending. I don’t expect that, but it’s nice that it seems even a remote possibility.

ASH: Okay, I admit it, I’m intensely curious about Prison School if for no other reason than it’s an astoundingly different work than the creator’s previous manga released in English, Me and the Devil Blues (which I did like). I have a feeling that there won’t be much middle ground with this one and that a reader will either love or hate it.

What looks good to you this week?

MICHELLE: I’m feeling in the mood for some Takahashi, so I reckon my pick of the week is going to be RIN-NE. That said, my real affection this week is directed towards Udon Entertainment for licensing The Rose of Versailles!

ANNA: I think I’m just going to pick Rose of Versailles every week for the next few months.

SEAN: Sticking with Takahashi, I’m picking the new Ranma 1/2 omnibus, mostly as I love Nabiki Tendo. You may assume I am over the moon about Rose of Versailles as well.

ASH: I am beyond thrilled that Udon was able to license Rose of Versailles, but this week I’ll happily (and appropriately) be distracting myself from the wait for its release with the utterly charming and delightful My Neighbor Seki.

What looks good to you this week (or in future months)?

SEAN: There’s some nice Viz stuff out this week, both new and old, as well as a few choice titles from other publishers. I suspect the MB team will be warring between What Did You Eat Yesterday? and Sunny. I will be picking My Love Story!!, because it’s still the most adorable shoujo out there.

MICHELLE: Actually, although What Did You Eat Yesterday? was indeed my initial impulse, especially since I won’t be able to pick it again for who knows how long, I’m going to vote for Yukarism because volume two really won me over and I’m excited to check out volume three.

ANNA: There’s a ton of great manga coming out this week. Since Michelle already picked Yukarism, I’m going to swing my vote over to The Demon Prince of Momochi House because I am shallow and enjoy manga about handsome spirits.

ASH: Well, so as not to completely disappoint Sean, I’ll throw my pick to the most recent volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday?. Actually, I was going to pick that anyway. Or, was I?! My Love Story!! is an excellent choice, as is Sunny. It’s a great week for great manga!

MJ: I’m pretty torn here, but I don’t really have anything original so I’ll simply echo Ash’s sentiment! I choose What Did You Eat Yesterday? as my official pick, but that won’t stop me from picking up the rest as well! Sorry, Sunny, for leaving you in the cold. Yoshinaga always wins.

What looks good to you this week?

ASH: Although there are certainly some interesting releases, this week is a relatively light one for manga. While I’ve been very happy with the new edition of Lone Wolf & Cub, the release I’m most curious about this week isn’t actually manga but The Science of Attack on Titan. I hope it talks about three-dimensional maneuvering gear because, let’s be honest, that’s one of the coolest things to come out of the franchise.

MJ: I actually don’t have a manga pick this week, which normally I’d feel pretty sad about. But instead, it looks like a great week to back the Kickstarter for Sparkler Monthly’s Year 3. I haven’t read everything in this magazine, but every time I *do*, I regret not reading more. This is a project I believe in wholeheartedly, and I really want to see it continue. So that’s where I’ll be putting my money this week!

SEAN: It’s a Seven Seas week for me. I should pick the new series debut, which I’m quite looking forward to. But no, I only get to pick Toradora! once every 16 months, so I want to make the most of it. And this volume has some really awesome sequences. Worth the wait.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There’s so much coming out this week that I’m sure I won’t be able to easily choose what I’ll be… yeah, OK, it’s Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. I hate being predictable, but come on, of COURSE it is.

MICHELLE: Aya Shouoto’s He’s My Only Vampire was a pleasant surprise for me, as it’s quite a lot better than her other title currently being released (Kiss of the Rose Princess). I look forward to seeing what volume three brings.

ASH: Hmmm, there really are quite a few manga that I’m interested in that are being released this week, but I’m with Sean in picking Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. It’s a great series, and who knows when we’ll actually be able to pick it again?

ANNA: I feel like any appearance of Gundam: The Origin deserves a celebration, so that is my pick!

Which manga featuring Char Aznable is your favorite for the week?

MICHELLE: I really am gonna do it! I really am gonna read the first two volumes of Master Keaton daringly followed by the third, which is my pick of the week!

MJ: And I’m gonna stick by my boy Syoaoran and recommend that xxxHolic omnibus! So. Yeah. Take that, Sean. Or something like that.

SEAN: I should pick Fragments of Horror, really, but I suspect I like the idea of it more than the actual book, as I like my horror more manageable. So I’ll pick the 11th Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, as they need all the friends they can get.

ASH: That’s okay, Sean, I’ve got Fragments of Horror covered. I’m very glad to see more of Ito’s work being translated into English. I have no idea if this collection of short manga will live up to his masterpiece Uzumaki (which I think is one of the best horror comics out there) but I’m definitely willing to find out.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: It’s a quiet week all around, with lots of continuing series. I’ll give a pick to one that’s ending, the 4th and final volume of Girls Und Panzer. I had originally thought this to be along the lines of Strike Witches, but to my surprise it’s a sweet and heartwarming school comedy, which just happens to have a completely ludicrous premise. Add in a final volume that includes a very well-drawn and understandable tank battle over multiple terrains, and I will admit that my maiden’s trembling heart was moved.

MICHELLE: I must choose between two frontrunners this week, and since I’ve picked Magi fairly recently, I think I’ll go with Say I Love You. this time. I’m a few volumes behind, but I look forward to picking up volume eight and getting caught up!

ASH: I think I’m going to have to go with Say I Love You, too. It’s been such a consistently good series.

MJ: I’m pretty much at a loss this week, so I’ll go off-list and mention that the KAIJU’s short comic Ring of Saturn just recently became available in paperback from the Sparkler Monthly shop! I reviewed Ring of Saturn back in January, when it was still an ebook only, and found a lot to love. Now all you old-school paper books folk can discover it too! PS: There’s a deleted scene from volume three of Off*Beat in the latest issue of Sparkler Monthly, and it’s pretty freaking adorable. You want it, Off*Beat fans. Trust me.

What looks good to you this week?

MICHELLE: So many of my favorites have new volumes coming out this week! I will definitely be devouring the latest Food Wars! and Voice Over! as quickly as possible, for example. But, as ever, my heart ultimately belongs to Natsume’s Book of Friends, whose eighteenth volume comes out this week, just as I was seriously starting to pine for a new one. I will try not to think about the fact that the next volume isn’t due ’til November.

SEAN: I’m going to go with So Cute It Hurts!. Because twins. Because cross-dressing twins. Because I wanted to see Suki Desu Suzuki-kun!! by the same author licensed, so this is the next best thing. Because cute!

ASH: I’ll admit, cross-dressing twins has me intrigued. Also, juvenile delinquents. So Cute It Hurts! it is!

ANNA: I also agree that the combination of cross dressing and juvenile delinquents has me looking forward to So Cute It Hurts! the most!

MJ: I’m going to have to go with the majority vote here. So Cute It Hurts! looks potentially awesome in a delightfully goofy sort of way, and I’m nothing if not an optimist when it comes to new shoujo manga. Also, I fell off the Natsume wagon a while back (perhaps prematurely). Sorry, Michelle for leaving you all alone this week!

What looks good to you this week?

ASH: Although there are some great manga being released this week, I’m actually (and probably unsurprisingly) going to pick the most recent volume of Wandering Son. I suppose it was technically released last week since it suddenly appeared without notice, but I’m always happy to see a new volume whenever it arrives. And I’m still thrilled that this series is even being released in English at all!

MICHELLE: Speaking of wandering, I reckon I’ll go for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari this week. I tend to like Taniguchi’s works a lot, though it’s been a long time since I read one, and having a stroll through Edo with someone equipped with an “inexhaustible capacity for wonder” sounds pretty wonderful!

SEAN: I’m going to go with A Silent Voice this week. Yes, I may have disliked most of the cast, but that was the point for a series like this, where the entire plot is about how difficult it can be to redeem yourself after doing something truly loathsome, and if it’s even possible. It’s also a good look at disabilities that shows how difficult it can be for a child with hearing loss to fit into a peer group.

MJ: I’m very happy to see the latest volume of Wandering Son and I’m definitely interested in A Silent Voice, but I’ll throw my vote in with Michelle’s this week for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari. These treats from Fanfare-Ponent Mon are so rare and wonderful, it’s hard to let one slip by without making a fuss. So consider this my fuss. Gimme, gimme.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: Let’s see… Goong, Emma, Emma, Goong… so I’m the tiebreaker, huh? Good thing I pick first! Won’t be breaking the tie, though, because it’s time for Sean to highlight another of his pet series. Umineko: When They Cry is technically halfway done, at least in terms of arcs – in terms of actual volume count we have a bit more to go. I’m particularly excited for End of the Golden Witch, as most Umineko fans agree that it’s the best of all the manga adaptations.

MICHELLE: Predictably, I pick Goong, especially since it’s my final chance to do so. I’m in the midst of a reread of this series, and it’s pretty much the quintessential manhwa, with plenty of arguments, true feelings concealed, and true feelings revealed, along with its own special blend of “sweet moments interrupted by really unfunny comedic bits with ugly art.” Really, it can’t be missed.

ASH: No question about it, my pick this week is Emma. Ever since Yen Press started releasing Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story in a gorgeous hardcover edition, I’ve been hoping for a rescue of Emma. And now it’s here! My local library had a run of most of the old CMX volumes, so I’ve read the series before, but I’m thrilled that I’ll finally be able to own it. And in a beautiful deluxe omnibus release, no less!

ANNA: I have to agree with Ash, it is time to celebrate the rerelease of Emma. I’m thrilled for the folks who weren’t able to collect the series before, especially since Yen does such a great job on their deluxe editions.

SEAN: MJhas been busy moving into a new home, but trust me, if she were here to pick she would agonize between Emma and Goong but pick Goong. We all know this.

What looks good to you this week?

ASH: This may be one of the smallest shipping weeks for manga that we’ve seen this year, but there are still some interesting releases coming out. In particular, I’m curious about the debut of the award-winning series The Ancient Magus’ Bride which, if nothing else, has beautiful artwork.

MICHELLE: I suppose I’ll go for Love Stage! this week, as it’s been ages since I’ve read anything by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou.

ANNA: There isn’t a ton to choose from, I will also pick The Ancient Magus’ Bride as the most interesting release this week.

SEAN: Yeah, of all the titles, Ancient Magus’ Bride is the one that leaps out at me.

MJ: I’m definitely interested in The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but for the sake of balance here, I’ll join Michelle in anticipation of Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou’s Love Stage!. I was a big fan of their collaboration Color when it came out here in 2009, so I’ll certainly give Love Stage! a try!

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There’s a lot of good stuff out this week, but I have to go with the continuation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, giving us its retro 80s over the top ridiculousness. Now with added immortality.

MICHELLE: I’m very intrigued by Drug & Drop, though I confess I haven’t read volume one yet. But, as ever, my heart belongs to What Did You Eat Yesterday?. I just can’t help it.

ANNA: There’s a ton of great manga coming out this week, and if Sean hadn’t picked JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure I would probably have gone with that. But instead I will pick Spell of Desire, hooray for weird witchy romance!

ASH: Wow, this is a tough week to choose! Lots of great manga are being released that I’ll definitely be picking up. But since JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and What Did You Eat Yesterday? have already been mentioned, I’ll take the opportunity to highlight The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It’s a rare, full-color manga and it’s by Shotaro Ishinomori. Even if you’re not interested in video games, this should be worth a look.

MJ: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is obviously a no-brainer. I’m also pretty well enamored of Drug & Drop. But since there’s plenty of support for the former, and I happen to know that I have another chance at the latter coming up soon, I’ll throw my vote alongside Michelle’s and go for my beloved What Did You Eat Yesterday?. This series remains a touchstone for me, and I’m always simultaneously thrilled and comforted to see a new volume cross my threshold. Definitely my pick of the week!

What looks good to you this week?