Pick of the Week

ASH: There may not be many manga shipping out this week, but one of those volumes just so happens to be the debut of a series that I’m particularly looking forwad to–My Neighbor Seki. If I recall correctly, Vertical was initially planning on releasing “best of” collections, but happily plans changed and we should get to see the entire series. The anime adaptation was marvelous, so I’m very glad to get a chance to read the original manga.

SEAN: SekiSekiSekiSekiSekiSekiSeki…

MICHELLE: Couldn’t have said it better myself, Sean.

MJ: I’m in complete agreement with everyone here. Seki all the way.

ANNA: I have to agree with everyone! Seki sounds like the most interesting title by far shipping this week.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: Meteor Prince looks fun, and there’s lots of my favorites out. That said, I suspect this week will be a landslide, and who am I to get in its way? Drug & Drop is the continuations of fan favorite Legal Drug after a 10-year absence. The characters look prettier, the plot looks heavier, the crossovers to other CLAMP works are stronger, and the BL tease is, of course, off the charts. Also, Legal Drug was very well-written. If you liked xxxHOLIC but wish Watanuki and Doumeki were gayer, this is the title for you!

MICHELLE: I still love My Love Story!! with all my being, but even so, I am going to have to pick Drug & Drop, too. It’s just been so long in coming, and at least something that was left hanging is getting continued.

ASH: While I’ll definitely be reading Drug & Drop, my love for My Love Story!! will not be denied. One of my favorite shoujo series to debut last year, I’m looking forward to reading even more of it if for no other reason than the manga simply makes me incredibly happy.

ANNA: There are so many great manga out that I want to pick! But I am forever distracted by the lure of the new, so I’m going to have to go with Meteor Prince just because the premise is so ridiculous.

MJ: I’m sure there are plenty of perfectly lovely titles coming out this week, but the truth is, I can’t see anything but Drug & Drop. I was a fan of Legal Drug, but even more than that, I’m a fan of abandoned CLAMP titles coming back to life. Drug & Drop stands not only as an exiting title in its own right, but also as a beacon of hope for fans of X, or really any abandoned series from anyone, in my view. My point is, IT CAN BE DONE. With the right publisher, it can be done. So let’s hear it for Drug & Drop! PS: For the record, if you didn’t think Watanuki and Doumeki were gay, I don’t know what series you were reading. ;)

What looks good to you this week?

MICHELLE: I’m tempted to highlight some of the digital releases this week, but honestly, the volume I’m most excited about is volume five of Say “I Love You.” I’ve been fully won over by this series and it’s a guaranteed automatic buy every time a new volume is available.

ASH: The fifth volume of Say I Love You is definitely on my list of manga to be read, but since Michelle already picked it I’ll actually go with Stones of Power this week. It’s been a while since I read the serialization of first few chapters, but I do remember liking them. I’m curious to see if the completed volume lives up to my memory.

SEAN: Definitely Say “I Love You” for me as well. I’m hoping that 2015 might bring over a couple more licenses from Dessert Magazine.

ANNA: I’ll have to pick Say “I Love You” as well. It is certainly the most interesting manga coming out this week.

MJ: Okay, I think I need to go with one of the digital releases this week. Although I have considerable interest in Gen Manga’s Stones of Power, it’s pretty hard to resist Yen’s digital release of Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, after Sean described its genre as “MJ.” I mean, how can I ignore an insight such as that? I can’t. So I’m buying.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There are a bevy of choices this week. I’m tempted by an English edition of Master Keaton at last, or the new yuri title Citrus. But I will go with Love at Fourteen as my pick of the week. It’s the story of two childhood friends, both mature for their age, who are dealing with love and everything that comes from it. The magazine it runs in, Rakuen Le Paradis, is one of Hakusensha’s best new titles, technically being shoujo/josei but really more ‘sui generis’. I cannot wait to read this.

MJ: I am decidedly with Sean this week. Though there are a number of titles on my radar, the one that intrigues me most by far is Love at Fourteen. Everything about this title sounds like exactly what I like best in a manga, and I am a bit ashamed that I didn’t even realize it was on the way until this week. Now I can’t wait to read it!

MICHELLE: I’m in the opposite camp! I did know Love at Fourteen was coming, so the one I wasn’t aware of until recently was Master Keaton. I really love Naoki Urasawa, so I am super excited to read this one!

ASH: I’m with Michelle this week. While I’m interested in Love at Fourteen, my pick absolutely goes to Master Keaton. Urasawa is one of the reasons I developed such a healthy obsession with manga, so I’m very happy to see more of his work being released in English.

ANNA: I’m also with Ash and Michelle! A newly translated Urasawa series takes precedence over everything in my mind!

What looks good to you this week?

ASH: It’s a somewhat smaller batch of manga shipping this week, but there’s still a nice variety from which to choose. But I’ll admit, the release I’m most excited about is the Massive anthology of gay manga from Fantagraphics which technically came out last week. Featuring interviews, essays, and the work of nine of some of the most well-know creators of gay manga, it’s a groundbreaking collection that shouldn’t be missed for anyone interested in this underrepresented genre in English.

MICHELLE: I’m all for the publication of Massive, but if I’m honest with myself, the release I’m most looking forward to is volume 9 of Shinobu Ohtaka’s Magi. This has quickly become one of my favorite shounen manga being released currently, and I’ve been quite impressed by it so far.

ANNA: There isn’t really anything shipping this week that appeals to me, so just I’m going to go with my latest purchases from Viz Media’s digital manga store. One Punch Man volumes 4 and 5! This series is so hilarious, I am perplexed as to why it is available only in digital format.

SEAN: Massive is the worthy title, but I’m picking Magi as well. We’re starting a new arc, which generally means an increase in comedy. Can’t wait.

MJ: I’ll bring things full circle here by going back to Massive. I’ve been really pleased with Fantagraphics’ commitment to bringing us types of manga that are underrepresented in the English-language market, and Massive falls decidedly into that category. It isn’t the first volume of gay manga we’ve seen over here, but it’s the first volume (to my knowledge) dedicated to bringing us work from a variety of creators, which is something I’m certainly looking forward to. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this. It’s definitely my pick this week.

What looks good to you this week?

Feeling like a fool.

SEAN: There’s a really obvious pick for me this week, as I already mentioned in my Manga the Week of. I’m a sucker for stories where groups of delinquents and misfits are given reasons to fight back and find worth in themselves, and if it’s an alien smiley-face teacher who’s also a bit of a pervert, so much the better. Assassination Classroom is a long awaited addition to the Jump line, and I can’t wait to dig into it.

MICHELLE: I was all set to pick Yukarism here, and I really do look forward to that one, but Sean, you really got me with the description of delinquents/misfits finding worth in themselves. I love stories where kids like that find somewhere they belong, or a passion that they can excel in. It’s a huge reason that I love Slam Dunk so much. And so, I guess I’m picking Assassination Classroom, too!

ASH: Assasination Classroom is one of the manga I’m most curious about this week, too, but since it already has such strong support, I’m going to go ahead and pick the debut of Yukarism. I haven’t read any of the mangaka’s previous works, but the art looks beautiful and I’m intrigued by the story’s premise.

ANNA: I join with Ash in also being intrigued by Assasination Classroom, but as someone who has read all of Chika Shiomi’s other works, I have to pick Yukarism as the manga I am most looking forward to this week.

MJ: Oh dear, oh dear. Well. Though I am feeling the same torment as everyone else here, I will also side with Yukarism in the end. My love for Rasetsu coupled with the rather adorable nature of the title compels me. Yes, indeed it does. Yukarism FTW!

What looks good to you this week?

MJ: My pick this week is probably pretty obvious, but I’ll put it out there anyway. Not only was I a well-documented fan of CLAMP’s xxxHolic, but I was also one of the few people who did not hate the end of the series. That xxxHolic: Rei seems to be starting off as though much of that ending didn’t happen, I admit I’m kind of hoping it’s got a lot more up its sleeve, and I’m willing to wait to find out. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the continuing adventures of the series’ original cast. So, yeah. I’ll be buying up the second volume with no hesitation whatsoever. Bring it on.

ASH: Even though it’s a smaller shipping list this week, there are still quite a few manga in which I’m interested. But, there’s only one that stands out for me as an immediate must-buy and that’s Satoshi Kon’s Opus. I’m very happy that his works are being released in English. I enjoyed Tropic of the Sea and am looking forward to reading more of his manga a great deal.

SEAN: The obvious choice would be Opus, but Ash already got that, so instead I will go with the final Neon Genesis Evangelion volume (available 11/25). I’ve been reading this series since Viz was putting it out in flipped 32-page comic books, and am ready to see if the ending will keep the main themes but avoid some of the depressing nihilism of the TV series.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: This may be the last chance I get to do it, so I apologize to all the other worthy series out this week. But my pick of the week is Higurashi: When They Cry: Dice-Killing Arc. An epilogue that delves further into the psychology of Rika Furude, it’s a lot darker than you’d expect, and while some of its motivations don’t make sense to me, it’s a fitting conclusion to the series (barring other side-stories that might get licensed in future). Also, Rika’s mom!

ASH: So many great manga are being released this week that it’s difficult to pick just one. But then I realized that the most recent volume of Takehiko Inoue’s Real was an option and that I couldn’t choose anything else. Real is a fantastic series and, in my opinion, one of the best comics currently being released in English.

MICHELLE: It is no exaggeration to say that I literally make a noise of delight upon realizing that another volume of Real is due for release, so I am going to have to go with Ash on this one.

ANNA: I knew there would be a lot of love for Real this week, which it certainly deserves. I’m going to make my pick the fourth volume of Gangsta though. This stylish seinen manga alternates between being gritty and heartwarming, and I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Worick and Nik as they navigate issues with the local mafia, the city of Ergastulum, and their own traumatic pasts.

MJ: Okay, wow, there are so many things here for me to choose from, I honestly do not know what to do. I’m always thrilled to see new volumes of Ooku and Real. They accumulate so slowly, I feel that I must carefully savor each new volume. And with both a new volume of Pandora Hearts *and* the art book Pandora Hearts Odds & Ends, I’m running the risk of fangirl overload this week. But the cover art alone has persuaded me to go with Yen Press’ new manhwa series, Milkyway Hitchhiking. I had a lot of love for the author’s earlier series One Fine Day (and I still maintain that if people aren’t actively ‘shipping No-Ah/Aileru, I don’t know what they’ve been doing with their time). The more I think about a new series from Sirial, the giddier I become. Gimme, gimme. Like. Now.

What looks good to you this week?

MJ: There are a number of really great choices coming our way this week, but since I’m guessing the juiciest of them will be chosen by others, I’ll allow myself the pleasure of picking the final omnibus volume of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist. This is not only one of my favorite shounen series of all time, but also one of my favorite manga series, full stop. I’m thrilled that new readers may finally just be getting to the series’ glorious final chapters. I’m reliving my own experience vicariously through them—in my imagination at least.

ASH: Technically, the All You Need Is Kill omnibus was released last week, but because we initially forgot to mention it I’ll make a special point to pick it this week. I really enjoyed Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s original novel and I’ve been looking forward to reading the manga adaptation ever since I first learned that Takeshi Obata would be working on it.

ANNA: I know the fact that I’m so behind on 07-Ghost is a running joke, but I am really interested in finishing the series! So the latest volume is my pick of the week.

MICHELLE: I’m actually going to side with MJ on this one—Fullmetal Alchemist should be read by all manga fans!

SEAN: I kind of gave this away in my Manga the Week of post, but my pick is absolutely Showa: 1944-1953, Shigeru Mizuki’s story of WWII and its aftermath, how it impacted Japan, and how it impacted his own life. Go read this volume.

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There’s another giant pile of stuff that I’m interested in, but I’ll take the first omnibus of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer from Seven Seas. I’ve reviewed the first volume digitally before, but am very pleased to see it in print: it’s rare to see a manga in the superheroes genre (as opposed to sentai or “group of fighters”), and there’s a lot of highly disturbing backstory to make this more edgy than most. Also, lizard. Can’t forget the lizard.

ASH: It is another great week for manga! Both What Did You Eat Yesterday? and Black Rose Alice are at the top of my list. But, seeing as I have yet to master the skill of simultaneously reading two manga at once, I’ll be reading Black Rose Alice first and so will make it my pick of the week. I absolutely loved the first volume of the series and can’t wait to read the second.

ANNA: There’s a lot of great manga coming out this week, and if Ash hadn’t picked Black Rose Alice that would have been my pick. I feel like I have an extra chance to highlight some great manga, and the finale of Phantom Thief Jeanne is not to be missed. I’m not sure if any other manga has an ending quite as unique as this one, but it’ll be on my top 5 of crazy manga endings, for sure.

MJ: While I’m decidedly interested in everything that’s been mentioned, but I’ll be the one to go for volume five of Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? I really don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of this series (or Yoshinaga in general, frankly). The food is scrumptious, and she’s got a way with dialogue that is truly unmatched. More, please!

What looks good to you this week?

ASH: So many great manga are being released this week that it’s difficult to choose just one. There are debuting series, like Barakamon, that I’m intensely curious about. There are continuing series, like A Bride’s Story, that I will definitely be picking up. But if I have to choose just one manga this week, I must go with the penultimate volume of Blade of the Immortal. The series has been one heck of a ride, and there’s no way I’m going to miss finishing it.

MICHELLE: Although I had fun reading the latest volume of Bloody Brat, it kind of feels too insubstantial to be a pick of the week. Instead, I’ll go for Barakamon. I don’t know much about it, but it seems like it has potential to be my sort of thing.

ANNA: I’m a bit torn between A Bride’s Story and Barakamon, and I think I’ll have to go with Barakamon because new series are always exciting! The idea of a manga focusing on a fish out of water calligrapher sounds interesting to me.

SEAN: I’m getting far too much this week, but as for the pick, let’s make it one of my old favorites, Umineko When They Cry. These omnibuses are good value for money, and the story is getting clearer even as it also gets much darker. Always an excellent read, provided you don’t mind the omnipresent bullying and child abuse the title is throwing a light on.

MJ: I’m pretty much equal parts excited about Barakamon and the latest A Bride’s Story, but to satisfy my love of all things Makoto Shinkai, I’ll go for the manga adaptation of The Garden of Words, out this week from Vertical. I’ve enjoyed the manga adaptations of both Voices of a Distant Star and (especially) 5 Centimeters Per Second, so this release is a no-brainer for me. There is something about Shinkai’s inner world that always, always draws me in, and so far, I’ve had the same experience with manga adaptations of his work. Let’s hope my luck holds this time around!

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: I suspect that most of Manga Bookshelf will be of a Sunny disposition this week. So I’ll pick out the Alice in the Country of Diamonds light novel, Bet on My Heart. Alice has always done very well for Seven Seas, so you’d think that this would be a gimme for them to pick up. But the company is known for being highly reluctant to get any novels after their past struggles, so I’m hoping this one is really something special. Plus we can look at Alice’s trauma in prose form now!

MICHELLE: When you put it like that, I feel bad that I likely won’t be checking it out. I’m just kinda overdosed on the whole Alice thing. But yes, I am definitely keen on this week’s release of a new volume of Sunny, which I am nowhere near tired of.

ASH: Sunny is definitely a must buy, but I’m actually going to take this opportunity to pick the final volume of No. 6. The series has gotten better and better with each installment and so I’m hoping that the conclusion will be a satisfying one. After being disappointed with the rushed ending of the No. 6 anime, I’m particularly interested in seeing how the manga will handle it.

MJ: I’m certainly buying Sunny—of that there’s no doubt. But since that’s already been chosen, I’m actually going to reach off the list this week to take a chance on the first volume of NETCOMICS’ Give to the Heart. It was officially released in stores last week, but NETCOMICS has been so far off our radar for the past couple of years, that it nearly skipped my notice completely. As I mentioned in last week’s 3 Things Thursday, I’ve had mixed feelings about the author’s prior series, but I’m feeling up for a bit of a risk when it comes to new women’s manhwa. I’m fairly heartened by the series’ first user review on the NETCOMICS website, which reads, simply, “This book gave me a reason to live longer.” I’ll take it!

ANNA: I’m going to go with Vagabond for my pick. Takehiko Inoue’s exploration of the life of Miyamoto Musashi is a modern day manga masterwork, and every new volume deserves to be celebrated.

What looks good to you this week?

MICHELLE: There are a few things I’ll be checking out this week, and while Say I Love You. and Blue Morning are certainly good enough to earn my pick, I must say that I am most looking forward to volume eight of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, a compelling shounen adventure with some well-developed characters.

ASH: This is a good week with all sorts of manga releases that I’m interested in reading, but the manga I’m most curious about is Ajin. I’ve heard good things about the series, and dark seinen manga dealing with immortals and immortality sounds like it should be right up my alley.

ANNA: I just finished Say I Love You Volume 3 in preparation for the 4th volume coming out this week, so that is my pick! This series delves into some more realistic details about teen sexuality than many shoujo series. The characters also have much more frank discussions about the issues they are grappling with than I tend to expect. It is romantic, but much more grounded in reality than most of the shoujo that gets released over here.

SEAN: I’ll go with the 2nd omnibus of Whispered Words. It really is one of the best yuri stories to come out of Japan in the last few years, and manages to be in Comic Alive and yet not have a ton of fanservice. I greatly look forward to delving into Sumika and Ushio’s angst-ridden destiny some more.

MJ: Since many of this week’s releases have already been named, I’ll give my vote to the fifth volume of Shoko Hidaka’s Blue Morning. It’s been a long time since I had the opportunity to enjoy a plotty, multi-volume BL series like this, and it’s a real pleasure. Though aristocratic intrigue isn’t perhaps my romance genre of choice, Blue Morning is just idiosyncratic enough to charm me. This is perhaps my favorite of SuBLime’s licenses so far. Count me in for volume five!

What looks good to you this week?

SEAN: There’s an embarrassment of riches to pick from this week, but there’s one title that will be an obvious immediate read ASAP: Oresama Teacher. It’s simply the funniest shoujo manga out there, and I hope that anime fans who enjoyed Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, a shounen series also by Izumi Tsubaki, will give this one a try and see why the silliness may be partly biographical.

ASH: Any other week and I probably would have picked Vinland Saga, but I’ll stand with Sean this time in going for hilarious shoujo. Except my must read for the week is My Love Story!! I adored the first volume and am extremely curious to see how the manga works as a series.

MICHELLE: Despite a few of my favorites also on this list (it does give me a pang not to pick Natsume’s Book of Friends, given how much I’ve been loving it lately), the fact that volume two of My Love Story!! has been in my Amazon cart for at least a month makes it the obvious choice this go ’round.

ANNA: I love both hilarious and heartwarming shoujo. However, with autumn coming I find myself thinking that it would be fun to read manga where the main characters are bundling themselves up in furs, trudging through snow, and slaughtering the innocent. Therefore, the excellent Vinland Saga is my pick of the week.

MJ: I suppose I also come down on the side of slaughter, for though there are a number of interesting releases on the way this week (and, like others here, I’m very enthusiastic about the second volume of My Love Story!!), but it’s hard for me to look elsewhere in the wake of a new volume of Knights of Sidonia. This is still one of my favorite series currently running, and not just for its compelling mix of romance, sci-fi, and horror. I love its artwork so much, that if Vertical stopped releasing it today, I’d continue buying it in Japanese just so I could look at it. Definitely my must-buy title for the week.

What looks good to you this week?