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recentanimenews · 3 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 12/17/20

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1 | By Tatsuki Fujimoto | Viz Media – It’s a little hard to live up to the hype that this title has gotten on social media, and I admit this first volume did not wow me as much as I’d expect. It seems to run on gonzo and gore, and (from what I’ve heard) gets better as it goes along. That leaves us with this volume, where a young man trying to pay off his father’s debt gets nearly brutally murdered, only to fuse with a chainsaw dog, making him the titular character. He’s taken in by an agency whose head seems so deeply, deeply suspicious I’ll be very surprised if she turns out not to be evil. It’s OK, though, because it means he might one day squeeze her chest! I might have liked this better in a different year, but I will give it another shot with volume two. – Sean Gaffney

The Invincible Reincarnated Ponkotsu, Vol. 1 | By Reona Umitsuki | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This may be one of the dumbest manga I’ve read since the halcyon days of Sasameke. That said, it’s not trying to be anything else—ponkotsu means “airhead,” but apparently not the same way a tennen is. Our protagonists get reincarnated into heroes. Sanae has absolute brute strength, but only when used by accident. Shota has supposed high defense, but he keeps ending up near death anyway. And Kana can heal Shota (because she has a crush on him)… but only with her boobs. It’s deliberately over-the-top and silly, and sometimes I did crack a smile, but mostly I just sighed, especially towards the end when it briefly tried to be serious. For hardcore ponkotsus only. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 10 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – I was running behind when I reviewed volume nine, so I got to read volume ten straight away. And it’s a big sea change—there’s a new year and new classes, and most of Komi’s friends are not in her new class. Fortunately, Tadano is, so she’s not completely alone. (Also fortunately, this means Yamai is now elsewhere, though we see her once or twice.) In their place we get Rumiko Manbagi, who is a hardcore gyaru with tons and tons of makeup, who is also suffering from her friends now being in another class. The makeup doesn’t last, but she and Komi bond more than any other friend Komi’s had except for Tadano. Speaking of Tadano, Manbaki is acting awfully tsundere with him. A great addition to the Komi cast. – Sean Gaffney

Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams | By Naoki Urasawa | Viz Media – I primarily picked up Mujirushi for two reasons: (1) Urasawa is one of those creators whose manga I will always try and (2) the volume is part of the “Louvre Collection,” a series of comics commissioned by the Louvre highlighting the museum and its art. Considering these two things, as well as the somewhat ominous cover image, I really was not expecting Mujirushi to be as much of a comedy as it is. (I also wasn’t expecting masks reminiscent of President Trump’s face to come into play multiple times.) In addition to the Louvre, Mujirushi is also inspired by Fujio Akatsuka’s Osomatsu-kun. In particular, Iyami, a character from that franchise, is pivotal to Urasawa’s story. The real star of the show for me, though, is the whip-smart Kasumi on the cover. Mujirushi is an entertainingly absurd caper, featuring an art heist which is certainly not to be taken too seriously. – Ash Brown

Practice Makes Perfect, Vol. 2 | By Ui Hanamiya | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – There’s a sweet romance going on here, as our two protagonists realize that they’re not really content with this just being practice after all, and I enjoyed the big press conference at the end of the book after they’re found out, where both admit—on air—to being virgins. I read this title more for the hilarious aspects of treating sex as another Olympic sport like volleyball or judo. The two shouting at each other about training harder is great, but I think the top moment of the title was when (pardon me, it is a mature manga) Takaya tries to get advice on how to use his fingers to pleasure Nohara, and whines “they’re going to cramp up!” Still better than I expected. – Sean Gaffney

Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, Vol. 1 | By Keigo Maki | Kodansha Comics – This did not really go in the direction I expected. Shikimori is indeed cute, and does show off that side of her to her boyfriend. Sadly, he has bad luck and is pretty weak, so essentially needs saving constantly, which inevitably makes her more cool than cute. Of course, he loves that too, but Shikimori is a fragile young woman, and would much rather be cute. There’s no real ‘are we going to break up’ dangers here, and indeed they start the book already together. The reason to read this is Shikimori’s embarrassed blushes and cool poses, which is exactly the same reason that her boyfriend loves her. It’s not the best romantic comedy in the world, but it’s pretty damn cute. I mean cool. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 3 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – There is so much wonderful comedy in this series. Yuri’s huge sister complex, Anya and the dodgeball game (complete with Bazooka Bill!), and everything about the “extra chapter,” where Yor gets shot in the ass during an assassination and has to endure the pain with a massive frown on her face. But there’s also a lot of heartwarming family stuff here as well—Yor doubting her skills as a wife, Anya getting upset whenever Lloyd and Yor aren’t getting along, even that same extra chapter, which is very funny but also has Anya tell an enemy agent to hang it up and go keep his girlfriend happy instead. It’s that balance that makes this one of the breakout hits of the last two years. – Sean Gaffney

UQ Holder, Vol. 20 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics – There’s a lot going on here—flashbacks (or is it flashforwards?), training arcs, lots of big old battles, and, for once, surprisingly minimal perverse antics. (Akamatsu is in shonen fight mode rather than harem nudity mode.) The general question we see in this book… and really the entire series… is “is being immortal a good thing?” Especially if it comes at the expense of a great deal of the solar system. Touta continues to show off how much he’s not like Negi—unfortunately, that makes him far more normal, and there’s less to distinguish him from other idiot heroes. I still enjoy reading UQ Holder, but, as with all of Akamatsu’s series, it feels like it should have ended a while earlier and is coasting a bit. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 3/7/20

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 9 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Ao Haru Ride is probably the most straight-up dramatic shoujo that I am reading at the moment, and though it relies largely on story beats that would usually annoy me—like misunderstandings and poor communication—I still really enjoy it. Kou and Futaba have feelings for each other, but Kou’s misguided decision to reject Futaba in favor of hanging out with a sad former classmate kept them apart. Now, Futaba believes Kou and said classmate are a couple, so she’s trying to move on with Kikuchi, a very nice boy whom she’s trying her best to fall for. I love that Kou’s actions have consequences and also that we see their friends discussing the situation and deciding that they can’t fix things for him; this time he has to be the one to act. I also note that Kikuchi is especially likable for a romantic rival, which is kind of rare. Recommened! – Michelle Smith

Given, Vol. 1 | By Natsuki Kizu | SuBLime – Ritsuka Uenohara got so good at playing the guitar that he started to find it boring. That changes when he meets a mysterious classmate named Mafuyu Sato, who is carrying around a very nice guitar yet has no idea how to play it. Mafuyu sings for Uenohara the melody that keeps running through his head, which proves to be the spark that gets Uenohara excited about music again. Mafuyu joins Uenohara’s band as their new singer—the other members are two college guys who seem poised to have a love story of their own—and they’re quickly gearing up for their first live show. Meanwhile, Uenohara’s confused about just how he feels about Mafuyu. Given already has a lot to love: the band dynamics, the relationship between the two leads, the mystery of Mafuyu’s past… I’m eager for more! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Commmunicate, Vol. 5 | By Tomohito Oda | VIZ Media – Komi Can’t Communicate is a very charming series with likable characters. (The exception, of course, is Yamai, who continues to be thoroughly gross.) In this volume, the gang patronizes a run-down restaurant whose proprietors think Komi is a famous reviewer, meets a couple of new characters (Komi is up to 13 friends now!), and plans/executes a maid café for the cultural festival. What I really like is that though there are many comedic moments, Komi continues to make genuine progress in overcoming her communication difficulties. Her mom is shocked and happy to see her talking on the phone, she’s able to say something when out shopping with the two new characters, and she even manages a brief solo dance with Tadano before Najimi turns it into a group thing. This series is sixteen volumes and counting so far and I am definitely here for the long haul. – Michelle Smith

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 | By Umi Sakurai | Square Enix – A flat-faced exotic shorthair keeps getting passed over at the pet store until a kind older gentleman arrives to take him home. Through a series of short chapters, they get to know each other. The human (Kanda) names the kitty Fukumaru, and it soon becomes apparent that he has lost his beloved wife, who had spoken of the possibility of getting a cat when their children were grown. This is an extremely sweet series about two beings who need each other, with dashes of humor provided by typical cat behaviors. I laughed out loud at a particularly evocative panel depicting what happens when Kanda removes an offending cover from Fukumaru’s litter box. I also appreciated seeing the pair through the eyes of Kanda’s long-time friend, who hasn’t seen him smile this much in ages. I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1 | By Tamekou | Seven Seas – There’s a certain type of advertising line that goes “come for the _________, stay for the _________,” and I definitely feel that this works with My Androgynous Boyfriend. The androgyny is definitely a strong part of the title, such as needing to hide Meguru’s relationship with Wako to avoid fan rage, and pairing him up with another pretty boy model, Kira (which goes south fast when both disagree with the idea). But mostly I loved the simple loving relationship between Wako and Meguru, which is strong, sexy, and not something I was expecting in this sort of series. Wako also gets a lot to do, as well as some of the best lines. It’s a series where I come away going “is the next volume out already?” – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 3 | By Hirofumi Neda and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – Smash!! continues to be pretty fun, though there seemed to be an inordinate amount of Mineta in this particular volume. True, much of that consists of the girls orchestrating his punishment for being such a total creep, which I guess is better than it could’ve been. Story-wise, volume three takes readers through the League of Villains’ attack on the training camp, but there are many diversions prior to that, including summer vacation hijinks, rescue drills, Halloween, etc. What I like best are things I’d never had reason to think of before, like Tokoyami’s inability to perform CPR, or just completely absurd visuals like Todoroki being depicted in a poodle costume or Aizawa playing the victim in a rescue scenario. I don’t know how much reread potential this series has, but… well, “pretty fun” about sums it up. – Michelle Smith

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Vol. 6 | By Natsuya Semikawa and Virginia Nitouhei | Udon Entertainment – This is still, for the most part, a lighthearted series about people enjoying delicious pub food, but there is an ominous undercurrent to the whole thing that implies that the conservative forces are starting to rally against the izakaya as being a den of witches and that things may not be bright and sunny for long. Till then, there’s omelettes, and Hamburg Steak, and any number of tasty food that the customers, even if they may be reluctant at first, come to love. The question is whether that love of food can enter the hearts of the Church, which is very much in a “everything progressive and non-traditional must go into the fire” frame of mind. – Sean Gaffney

Scarlet, Vol. 1 | By Chiri Yuino | Seven Seas – This proved to be a lot darker and less fanservice-filled than I expected given the cover… and yes, I know the cover shows a vampire and her (rather happy) victim. But the vampire’s not all that happy, and in the end this is a book about the horrors of drug addiction, albeit one coached in the language of fairy tales and legends. Fine is a tragic vampire who wants to be human again, and Iris Redblood gets to be Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the same time. Together, they do indeed fight crime, but they don’t always win the day—sometimes the cute little girl ends up dying. And yes, there’s more than a tinge of yuri to this, which is why I suspect folks here will pick it up. It’s pretty good, but not sure if I need more of it. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – Another unbalanced volume, this is definitely front-loaded, with the first half having some of the best material in the entire series, as Takane and Hana open up to each other in a private moment (that turns out to be a little less than private) and admit their feelings. The second half shows them trying to negotiate this thing they now have, going on a date (well, more of an endurance hike), and a trip to Okinawa, where they run into another annoying little problem—they still have to hide things, so she’s the “kid sister,” which irritates Takane no end. And, well, there’s also the problem if Hana lacking a certain sense of shame—fortunately Takane has it for her. The first half, though? Magnificent. – Sean Gaffney

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 8 | By Maybe | Yen Press – I enjoy the art and characters, but the series does love its one plot, which is “make it look like sex will be happening any day now but never actually have it occur.” Yes, they figure out a way to get out of the “bone or die” space without actually boning, and are able to move on with the fantasy part of the plot. Which actually involves the somewhat unwieldy party splitting up, so the next book should at least try to move away from will-they-or-won’t-they? a bit. In the meantime, this is another one where there’s no real conflict between the girls (as opposed to the previous generation of ring bearers). Even Saphir, seemingly the one who cares the least, is more a jerk with a heart of gold. Getting sort of trying. – Sean Gaffney

Umma’s Table | By Yeon-sik Hong | Drawn and Quarterly – Having greatly appreciated Uncomfortably Happily, I was excited that Drawn and Quarterly would be releasing another of Hong’s manhwa in translation, Umma’s Table. The narrative follows a cartoonist named Madang and his struggle to balance (and to some extent keep separate) his life as a new parent and his life as a caregiver for his ailing mother and father. Although shadowed by his father’s alcoholism and the lasting impact it has on multiple generations, some of Madang’s happiest and most nostalgic memories are those of family meals and his mother’s food. Overall, Umma’s Table is a bittersweet, wrenching work, but it’s not without moments of hope as Madang reflects on the complexities and parallels of his experiences both as a father and as a son. While not as explicitly autobiographical as Uncomfortably Happily, elements from Hong’s life are present in Umma’s Table as well, providing a sense of visceral honesty. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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