Manga Review: Kaguya-sama Love is War, Volume 7, by Aka Akasaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two high school geniuses scheme to get the other to confess their love first.

Two geniuses. Two brains. Two hearts. One battle. Who will confess their love first...?!

Will Miyuki get reelected as student council president? Is newcomer Miko Ino going to be serious competition…or a school laughingstock? Then, Kaguya and Miyuki draw each other in art class (results may vary). Yu wants to do the right thing. Miyuki catches up on sleep, which has an unexpected effect on his attractiveness to women—especially Kaguya. And Kaguya anxiously awaits a certain invitation.

Does underwear make the man?

Review:

This volume contains the student council campaign arc. The student council is open for re-election, and Kaguya has persuaded Shirogane to run for president again. All of this is mainly because Kaguya doesn't want their time together to end, and she doesn't know what excuse they would have for spending time together outside of the council. Shirogane already has a pretty good reputation and background as president, so it would take some good competition for him to lose. It's up for debate whether Miko Ino is that good of competition.

I rather liked how this plot developed and concluded. The conclusion had little doubt, really, but Miko made some good conflict. Despite her very strict views, she does have good intentions, and it's actually pretty easy to like her.

By the end of the volume, things have mostly gone back to normal, it seems. I'm excited to see what this expansion of characters adds to the series.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Platinum End, Volume 7, by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the creators of Death Note! Mirai may have been saved by an angel, but his battle is just beginning…

As his classmates celebrate their middle school graduation, troubled Mirai is mired in darkness. But his battle is just beginning when he receives some salvation from above in the form of an angel. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 other chosen humans in a battle in which the winner becomes the next god of the world. Mirai has an angel in his corner, but he may need to become a devil to survive.

With Mirai and Mukaido trapped in a mirror house at an abandoned amusement part, Metropoliman thinks he’s won. But Mirai has one last desperate plan!

Review:

Mirai is still in the stand-off with the crazy woman as the volume starts, with everyone around him analyzing his potential moves. Honestly, the stand-off goes on for a weird amount of time, where he's just holding the woman's arm, deciding whether he can kill her or not. And then in a weirdly slow-motion-like dramatic move, everyone moves and tries to protect each other, and the conclusion is very much not surprising.

But then this leads to just another stand-off, now between Mirai and Metropoliman. This is also a weird to-the-death stand-off. During this, at least, we get a backstory on Metropoliman. We see what led him to suicide and thus the angel offering him this chance. It's, uh... just as disturbing as expected, I would say. This whole sequence also includes him broadcasting the battle, and declaring to the world what he intends to do once he's God—you know, kill off all the poor and ugly people.

This whole series is rather disturbing, particularly a few of the characters. Women are treated as side-pieces, essentially. The whole battles are shown in such a weird, dramatic way. I also don't quite get the whole social-media aspect; I will admit it makes sense in the modern times, and I can see the added aspect of tension and drama. It played a role in Death Note, as well. I don't mind it, and I can appreciate it's significance, but I wonder if it's necessary.

I really don't care for this series, as a whole, but I was surprisingly interested in the latter half of this volume. To the point that I actually want to know what happens next. So there's that.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: That Blue Sky Feeling, Volume 2, by Okura and Coma Hashii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A butterflies-in-your-stomach high school romance about two very different high school boys who find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other.

Outgoing high school student Noshiro finds himself drawn to Sanada, the school outcast, who is rumored to be gay. Rather than deter Noshiro, the rumor makes him even more determined to get close to Sanada, setting in motion a bittersweet tale of first love.

The kids at Noshiro’s new school are finding out that being in “like” can be pretty intense. Noshiro’s getting closer than ever to his classmate Sanada, who is gay; Ayumi is hopelessly in love with Sanada, who happens to be her childhood friend; and new student Makoto arrives on the scene to knock everyone off-balance.

Review:

Sanada and Ayumi have to confront their feelings for each other. In a normal romance, they'd end up together, but Sanada's gay, and Noshiro's doesn't quite get that that wouldn't work. Ayumi was holding onto hope despite herself, and Sanada was ignoring Ayumi's feelings to hide behind her. They both have to confront their actual feelings, from opposite sides.

We meet a new character in this volume, Morinaga. He's an underclassman, and puts all of his feelings out there, very dramatically. He clearly likes Noshiro, but he's more like Sanada than he realizes. I found the misunderstandings here fun, and we get to see Noshiro trying to be nice while still not quite understanding what being gay entails. It's a long process for him, it seems. It's also been a process for Sanada and Noshiro, though. These things take time, it seems.

Despite how loud he is, I actually liked Morinaga, and enjoyed how he pushed Noshiro and Sanada in this volume. They needed something to push these feelings forward.

I really like this series. I'm so glad it's being published and we're getting more stuff like this. I look forward to seeing how it wraps up.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Astra Lost in Space, Volume 5, by Kenta Shinohara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 5.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can eight teenagers find their way home from 5,000 light-years away?

It’s the year 2063, and interstellar space travel has become the norm. Eight students from Caird High School and one child set out on a routine planet camp excursion. While there, the students are mysteriously transported 5,000 light-years away to the middle of nowhere! Will they ever make it back home?!

Conspiracies begin to unravel as the truth behind the Astra crew members’ circumstances start to come to light. And when the crew reaches their last pit stop, Galem, the saboteur is revealed! Don’t miss the shocking conclusion in this final volume!

Review:

In the first half of this volume, we discover what happened with Earth and what planet the kids are from. Then we discover who is behind the murder attempts, and why. It's honestly a pretty interesting back story regarding Charce and Aries. And in the second half of the book, we get back to their home and confront their attempted murderers.

I enjoyed what I read of this series. The ending is a bit much, but I didn't really expect any different. I liked the twists it threw in, the whole conspiracies and idea behind Earth and the clones. I liked a few of the characters, though I didn't grow quite close enough to any of them by the end. But still, this was a fun sci-fi series.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Radiant, Volume 5, by Tony Valente

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Evil creatures called Nemeses fall from the skies and the only ones who can fight them are Wizards—infected ones who survived a Nemesis's corruption. Seth, one of these survivors, vows not only to fight the Nemeses, but to find their mythical nest, Radiant, and destroy it!

Having escaped Rumble Town, Seth, Doc and Mélie are back at the Artemis Institute. With Alma’s help, Seth learns more about his mysterious brother Piodon. But as much as Seth would like to stick around and learn, the search for Radiant has already been put off for too long, so Seth and his friends head for the island continent of the Wizard Knights. There, he discovers a world that’s completely falling apart!

Review:

As this volume starts, Seth decides to go off on his own to see the wizard knights, hoping to continue his hunt for radiant. He comes upon several road blocks on his journey, though, since he's not a wizard knight and isn't allowed in the restricted areas, and he doesn't know what they're fighting at the moment.

He makes a new friend here, Ocoho, who helps him in his quest to get more information on radiant. But, at the same time, the knights are fighting a spectrum nemesis, which is suspicious, and Seth also stumbles upon its starting point. I'm curious to see what's actually behind that.

Melie also confronts him, since she thought they were friends and he left without saying anything, which I thought was very warranted.

This is a really good shonen series, and I'm really enjoying following it so far.

  

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Novel Review: Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4) by Tahereh Mafi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: March 2018

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

The Cover:

I absolutely love the covers of this series. They're gorgeous, and simple and eye-catching, without being embarrassing or typical young adult paranormal romance at all. Each one is very similar, but the colors are different enough, and they each depict something else. I love the beauty in the details of them.

Review:

It has been such a long time since the original trilogy ended, that I had forgotten some of the main plot points, and how it ended. But that didn't really hinder me in any way, as this book just starts it right back up.

Juliette is now in charge, and she's learning the responsibilities and what that entails. Warner is coming to terms with his new position, and the fact that his father is dead, and that he has siblings now. It's all very complicated.

And then the kids of the other world leaders show up to meet Juliette, with supposedly innocent reasons, but we all know this isn't true. Warner is keeping things from Juliette. And Juliette is trying to be a leader on her own, without Warner, who never wanted that position anyway.

And then we discover that Juliette can do more damage than anyone ever suspected, and we get thrown an even bigger curveball than I could have seen coming.

I still absolutely love the writing style in this series. I love the characters—Juliette and Warner and Kenji are my favorites, and I'm quite intrigued by Nazeera and Haider.

There are so many bombs dropped in this book, though. Juliette is told more about herself than she wanted to know, I think. And then that ending. That ending was awful, and leaves so many questions and so many things left open. I have a hard time processing it, and I am not okay. I am not okay with it.

I'm kind of glad I waited to read this, because it's not too long till the next book is out, thankfully. Because I need to know what happens next. As soon as possible.

Manga Review: Anonymous Noise, Volume 14, by Ryoko Fukuyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 18.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 13. 15.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Music and longing collide in this ballad of unrequited love!

Nino Arisugawa, a girl who loves to sing, experiences her first heart-wrenching goodbye when her beloved childhood friend, Momo, moves away. And after Nino befriends Yuzu, a music composer, she experiences another sad parting! Luckily, Nino reunites with Momo and Yuzu in high school, but things haven’t played out the way anyone expected…

Nino’s voice remains in terrible shape as she takes the stage at Tokyo Sailing… In a last-ditch effort, a determined Yuzu removes his mask and whispers, “Sing with me, Alice”… Will they be able to save In No Hurry’s performance?

Review:

Because of how Nino appears to be handling her struggle, Momo decides to make a drastic decision. It doesn't necessarily help in the moment, and Yuzu has to help her come to a better conclusion, still. I definitely see why Momo did what he did, but I'm conflicted about it.

It really bothers me how Nino needs someone specific to sing for, to strive for. Why can't she just do it for herself, or her fans, or her love of singing? Why does it have to be Momo? But, then again, I can see how maybe their actual relationship doesn't seem to work with what they want in life, however sad and frustrating that is.

Aside from the main triangle drama, we see Kurose making some realizations about his feelings, and fighting himself over not wanting to move forward. Yuzu has a sweet moment with Haruyoshi, and Momo gets to confront his mom and their relationship, in a real way for once.

I'm not too sure where Nino is going next, but I like where the other characters are heading at this point, at least. Still a very strong series, touching but easy to read.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: A Foreign Love Affair by Ayano Yamane

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: 801 Media

Release Date: 2008

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. RightStuf.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Japanese yakuza clan heir Ranmaru just got married on a lavish cruise ship, but things aren't as they seem. The marriage is just for the appearances, and he ends up getting drunk and spending the night... not with his bride, but with the sexy ship captain! When the two men meet again in Italy, it is the start of a spectacular love story.

Review:

I figured I would give this a try, since I really enjoy Yamane's current series. This one, not so much...

Ranmaru, a yakuza son, is on his honeymoon in Europe, when he meets Al, the ship captain. Al is instantly attracted, and Ranmaru has a hard time refusing his advances. Thus starts an intense romance, as Al saves Ranmaru a few more times in Europe, as Ranmaru gets separated from his new wife, who equally doesn't seem to care much about him.

The second story in this book features a matchmaker and his client, who in the midst of finding one of them a wife, end up falling in bed together instead.

I was not all that impressed with this book. The first story was just not very interesting. I didn't care for Ranmaru at all, and I didn't care for having him be newly married and then falling in love with a man he just meets instead, even if he and his new wife didn't choose each other or want this. The second story didn't seem to have any chemistry or connection, up until the second half when they confess their feelings, even though they showed no signs of attraction before that. The second story was worse in this way, but I think both stories were pretty lackluster when it came to chemistry and actual development of feelings. They were both very one-dimensional.

There was quite a bit of sex in this book, too, but even that was just meh to me.

I had hoped to enjoy this story a lot more. Instead, I'm a bit disappointed, as it was very underdeveloped and lacking.

Manga Review: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Volume 2, by Fujita

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: June 2018

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

NOTHING VENTURED, NO XP GAINED Frustrated at the slow pace of their relationship, Hirotaka asks Narumi on a real date, with one critical stipulation: They can’t show their otaku sides at all! Can the two find something to bond over in the absence of games, manga, and anime? Meanwhile, Hanako and Taro revisit the origins of their own tempestuous relationship back when they were in high school, and even Naoya seems to be spending more time with a new friend!

Review:

This series is very quickly growing on me.

In the first half, the author plays around with mixing up the chapters, extending a main plot line. It makes for a fun read, though I think she does it better in the second volume with timing.

We get to see Hirotaka and Narumi go on a real date and try to leave out anything otaku related. It's hard, as that's a large part of their lives. Narumi also gets to act like a “real” girlfriend and take care of Hirotaka when he's overworked himself. In the second half, we get to see how Narumi and Hanako actually became friends by revealing their otaku obsessions. And we go way back, to see how Hanako and Taro met in high school and started going out. We got to see a vulnerable side of Hanako during this, which was really sweet—and honestly a surprise.

My main excitement in this volume, though, was seeing Naoya. He is literally the cutest, and I love him so much. I realized just how much in this volume, and I'm a bit obsessed. In this volume, he meets a girl, Ko, who is awkward and shy and afraid of interacting with people. Given how oblivious and outgoing Nao is, it makes for a really sweet pair. I will admit I was a little disappointed that Naoya doesn't meet a cute boy instead, but that's okay. I was kind of hoping there would be more diversity in the characters, but I was very quickly won over by Nao x Ko.

It might be mainly because of Nao at this point, but I'm a bit obsessed, and feel like I must read the next one as soon as possible.

Manga Review: Orange: Future by Ichigo Takano

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 6.

Spoilers?: Very light.

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Volume: 1. 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this long-awaited sequel to the critical and commercial hit, orange: future contains two stories that continue from where the series ended.

Review:

This is the conclusion to the Orange series, a tag-along volume.

It goes back and forth in time line, and back and forth in each version of their lives. Much like when the series started, we get to see the version where Kakeru lived in the future, where they all meet up again as they're all grown. And we also get to see how the original versions went on after Kakeru passed. How Naho and Suwa grew closer and started dating. The small moments that led up to it, the time that they mourned and Naho had to heal. How they moved on, kept going, even as they kept Kakeru in mind and never forgot.

This was a really sweet final volume. We got to fill in some of the pieces, and catch up with both sides of the story. It was really nice.

Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Volume 18, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2019

Volumes: 23+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 17. 19.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world's greatest hero, but greatness won't come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called "Quirks"? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Review:

The fight between Deku and Overhaul goes out with a bang. Overhaul is a big enemy to defeat, and with Eri helping Deku, it's still a dangerous line to work with.

A bit of this volume is dealing with the aftermath of what happened. A lot of people are hurt, and even more of them are affected emotionally. Particularly Mirio, who is affected in a few different ways. I actually like him a lot, and I'm wondering where he's going to go from here.

The villains also throw in a last fight at the end, which is surely not going to lead to anything good next.

The latter half of this volume includes the heroes who get to re-take the hero test. Their new test is a different kind of battle than they're used to, and I think it's a good challenge for them.

I'm mostly wondering where the heroes are going next. They're back in school and training, and several of them have new motivation and have realized what they want to do and what they're fighting for. I'm curious what's next.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Comic Review: Soppy by Philippa Rice

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Release Date: 2014.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

True love isn’t always about the big romantic gestures.

Sometimes it’s about sympathizing with someone whose tea has gone cold or reading together and sharing a quilt. When two people move in together, it soon becomes apparent that the little things mean an awful lot. The throwaway moments in life become meaningful when you spend them in the company of someone you love.

SOPPY is Philippa Rice’s collection of comics and illustrations based on real-life moments with her boyfriend. From grocery shopping to silly arguments and snuggling in front of the television, SOPPY captures the universal experience of sharing a life together, and celebrates the beauty of finding romance all around us.

Review:

This was a cute, very light and easy comic. It's mostly pictures, with not a lot of dialogue. It's a slice of life kind of book, where we get to watch this couple before, and then as they live together, and the little moments of their life together.

We see the cute, odd conversations, how they tease and decide what to eat for dinner. Snuggling on the couch, the realities of how they sleep in bed, what they do in the morning as they get ready and then work.

It's all the little moments. And I appreciate that.

Manga Review: Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Volume 2, by Waco Ioka, Midori Yuma, and Laruha

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Faced with the choice of being married to a strange spirit or being made into dinner, Aoi decides to create a third option for herself!

Aoi Tsubaki inherited her grandfather’s ability to see spirits—and his massive debt to them! Now she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo, the spirit world, to make good on his bill. Her options: marry the head of the inn her grandfather trashed, or get eaten by ayakashi. But Aoi isn’t the type to let spirits push her around, and she’s determined to redeem her grandfather’s IOU on her own terms!

Aoi’s having no luck finding a job at the Tejin-ya inn, but a chance encounter with the tengu Matsuba might give her another option! Her home cooking and kind manner impress the crow demon, and when he finds out why she’s in Kakuriyo, he offers to welcome her into his family as a daughter-in-law to pay off her debt! Can the still unemployed Aoi afford to turn down such a generous offer?

Review:

Aoi's standing at the inn is still very shaky at this point. She's temporarily staying at the empty building connected to it, of a recently closed restaurant that didn't work out. Aoi's good at cooking, but it's questionable whether they need another restaurant. She refuses to marry the ogre who owns the inn, but she's having a hard time finding a place to work off the debt.

In this volume, she makes friends with an influential tengu, though not on purpose. It helps her, at least a little. And when another girl at the inn attempts to sabotage her, she forms a possible agreement or even friendship with her, when she tries to help her.

There was an extra story at the end of the volume, and it was sweet. A nice look at Aoi before all this, her sweet interactions with yokai, and a peek at her relationship with her grandfather.

I didn't mind the first volume, but I understood some of the comments during this second one. As the volume kept going, it definitely felt more one-dimensional to me. The reactions and characters were feeling less complex, and the relationships and developments weren't really hitting me. I want to like this a lot more than I currently do, so I hope it gets better.