Manga Review: Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Volume 5, by Waco Ioka, Midori Yuma, and Laruha

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4.

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 demons. 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 has hopes that her time in Kakuriyo will mean more than just toiling to repay her grandfather’s debts. She has a personal mission to find the yokai who kept her from starving when her mother abandoned her. Yet all she has to go on is the memory of a simple white-faced mask. She gets an important clue when a well-fed guest in a similar mask tells her it’s a common souvenir from the southern lands. But how can Aoi investigate further when a lone human in Kakuriyo is sure to become a snack for the first spirit to pass by?

Review:

This series throws me off a lot. For a second it'll feel like we're getting some progress with the Odanna, and then it'll completely forget about him for the rest of the volume. Honestly, for a shojo series with a pretty big romantic main plot point, there's basically no romance in this series. So little interaction even between the two main leads, even.

During this volume, mostly Aoi is trying to get some good publicity for the restaurant, and slowly getting hints toward the mystery masked yokai that helped her when she was younger.

I just don't really feel much for this series. It's okay, it's not really memorable. There is basically no romance elements, and even the main character is kind of boring.

Meh, still.

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

Manga Review: Black Torch, Volume 5, by Tsuyoshi Takaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 5.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ninja and animal lover Jiro Azuma’s life is changed forever when he finds himself in the middle of a war of ninjas vs. demons.

Jiro Azuma is descended from of a long line of shinobi, and he also can talk to animals. One day, he rescues a very unique black cat named Rago, a supernatural being, and is dragged into a secret supernatural war.

With Jiro’s ability to fully awaken and use Rago’s power, the final battle with Amagi is about to begin. Will Jiro and his friends be able to stop the rampaging Amagi in time? Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion!

Review:

They've figured out what Amagi is doing and what his plan is, and then the fight basically comes to them. Jiro and Rago take the reins here, and everyone else is backup to help them get to the main fight.

It feels like maybe this series was cut short, because there was a lot of potential with these other characters, who could be considered main characters and plot lines were started for, and yet we didn't quite get enough. I really wanted to know more about them, honestly, and for the relationship to reach something more real. But there wasn't enough time to go further with them, I don't think.

And I don't mean that this was rushed, either, or that the characters weren't fleshed out. It feels more like they were fleshed out and then weren't given anywhere to go.

This volumes wraps things up relatively well, though. The big fight happens, and the team is made up, for the most part, and clearly needed. I will say that when Rago and Jiro form together, they look a lot like Venom.

This was a fun, short shonen series. I think there was more potential here than was given the space for, because I really wanted to know more about the side characters, in particular. But sometimes it can be nice to have a short ending to a shonen series, which are known to never end.

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

Manga Review: Mermaid Boys, Volume 1, by Yomi Sarachi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 3+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The mermaid prince is super-popular with all the girls lining up to be his bride. But the one he falls in love with...has legs!

Review:

Naru is a mermaid prince, and he's obsessed with this pretty girl on land. He often come to the surface in order to watch her, and after saving her from drowning, he makes a deal with a witch to become human. Instead of giving away his voice like Ariel did, he gives away some of his good looks. So now he looks like a typical teen boy when he goes to meet the girl he believes he loves. Only, upon first meeting, she hates him.

This is definitely a shonen take on the Little Mermaid story. It sounded good, but some of the humor was very much a guys'.

I'm a little iffy on this series. I really like the idea behind it, and some of the characters were okay, but it didn't really grab me in this volume. I kind of want to read more, I kind of have my doubts about how much I'll like it. But maybe it'll get better?

Manga Review: The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil, A Run, Volume 2, by Nagabe

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2017

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Untouchable

To be touched by an Outsider is to become an Outsider. A clawed, black hand reaches out to touch Shiva's cheek in her sleep. The hand does not belong to Teacher. Who is this strange new Outsider, and what do its creepy murmurings about "mother" portend?

Enter a fantasy realm shrouded in mystery, in a dark fairy tale-like setting for fans of The Ancient Magus' Bride.

Review:

Shiva getting touched and almost-attacked by a different Other freaks Teacher out, but Shiva's curiosity is what makes them explore this potential solution. It's unclear how this Otherness is spread, but it's very apparent that it happens somehow, and each side has their own theories.

Meeting these new Others adds a new foreboding feeling to the book. They're very odd creatures, who even Teacher doesn't quite understand, though he tries. He wants to find a cure for this, and he wants to keep Shiva safe.

Meanwhile, the humans from the Inside know that Shiva is out there and believe she's dangerous. Thus, they're planning an attack.

This series is so good and yet sometimes hard to read. There's more darkness to it than I expected, and it's frustrating and sad at times. I just want Shiva and Teacher to be okay and happy, and all these people are trying to ruin it.

Manga Review: The Water Dragon's Bride, Volume 10, by Rei Toma

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 11.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A modern-day girl gets whisked away to a strange land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god!

In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she meets a water dragon god!

Asahi continues to fight against the god of darkness and his minions, and the water dragon god lends her the totality of his power. Unfortunately, the battle greatly weakens the water dragon god to the point where his very existence is threatened! Can Asahi do anything to save him?

Review:

Asahi finally gets to show some power to the people floundering on the ground. And Kurose gets a reality check he very badly needed.

This relationship between Asahi and the Water Dragon God has taken a surprising affect on him, though. It leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger.

I feel a bit bad that Subaru has fallen so far to the background at this point, and yet I do really like the Water Dragon God, particularly for Asahi, as well. I'm rooting for this relationship, so much so that I've forgotten about Subaru at points.

The next volume is the last, and I'm mostly hoping it doesn't feel rushed. I hope there's a nice ending to this series.

Manga Review: Behind the Scenes!!, Volume 7, by Bisco Hatori

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ranmaru Kurisu comes from a family of hardy, rough-and-tumble fisherfolk and he sticks out at home like a delicate, artistic sore thumb. It’s given him a raging inferiority complex and a permanently pessimistic outlook. Now that he’s in college, he’s hoping to find a sense of belonging. But after a whole life of being left out, does he even know how to fit in?!

The Art Squad has always felt like home to its members, but as their chief’s final year winds down, doubts being to assail them all. Tomu worries he has no talent, Ruka decides to quit the club early to live up to family expectations, Izumi’s amnesia finally starts to get to him, and Maasa plans to give up zombies in order to find a man. Now it’s up to Ranmaru, the newest and most neurotic club member, to save the spirit of Art Squad!

Review:

I really liked where this series went in the previous volume, and for most of this volume. Ranmaru took a drastic turn for the better, finally gained some confidence and some courage. He pushed Goda to get back into his real passion, and along the way several of the other characters finally discovered what they wanted to do.

It was all going so well into a really sweet conclusion, even if some of the romances weren't quite perfect.

I had mixed feelings about where the main romance was going already, and then a curve-ball gets thrown in at the last second. I don't want to spoil how it ends, but I don't appreciate how the main romance concluded. I don't care for that pairing, and honestly don't feel it was necessary. I was perfectly happy with them having a normal relationship, not a romantic one. Basically every other part of the story was great and concluded in a sweet and fun way, and I like how it all wrapped up, even with the jump forward in time. Just that one part that leaves me a little wicked out.

Aside from that, this was a really fun series, and I liked the theme of it, and the characters. I do wish we got a little more with the side characters. And I really hope we get to see whatever Bisco Hatori releases next.

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

Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God, Volume 20, by Adachitoka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 21+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

Goodreads Synopsis:

GEARING UP

Yato has promised Hiyori that he's going to confront his father, and now there's no turning back. The first thing he'll need is a shinki powerful enough to take the crafter down, but vessels that can survive an attack from Chiki aren't easy to come by. As he contemplates his options, he realizes an even bigger problem: now that Bishamon knows what the crafter looks like, her life is in grave danger...

Review:

Things are getting complicated.

As Yato is off on a potentially suicidal mission, the crafter is only messing up more things. It looks like Bishamon is in danger, and for some reason Yukine can't seem to leave the stray alone. Yukine and the Stray are an odd companionship, but I suppose it makes sense. I'm wary at this point, though.

Yato ends up with a somewhat surprising choice for help in his mission against the crafter/his father. It's not surprising, because we all know that Kazuma will go to any lengths for Bishamon. And yet, it's very apparent how dangerous this could be.

This series can be extremely light and funny, but when it's serious, it can go so dark at times. Both themes are done very well, too.

I'm glad this series is back to somewhat normal releases, as I can deal with consistent twice a year releases. And I love this series so much.

Manga Review: The Delinquent Housewife!, Volume 1, by Nemu Yoko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: September 2018

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A family comedy manga about a high school boy and his sister in law who moves in, who has a BIG secret from her past.

Tohru Komukai and his bride-to-be, Komugi, move in with his family just until they find a place of their own. Or, that was the plan, until Tohru suddenly leaves for a long-term business trip overseas, leaving Komugi to fend for herself on her in-laws’ turf. While Komugi is pretty, considerate and appears to be an ideal housewife, the truth is she doesn’t know how to do a lick of housework, and can’t cook at all. Also, she has a secret past as a member of an all-girls bosozoku biker gang! The only member of the family to learn these secrets is Dai, Tohru’s younger brother, and he helps Komugi keep up appearances until she can learn how to hold her own as a domestic goddess...

Review:

Komugi and her fiance have moved in with his family while they plan and settle things, and then suddenly he's called away overseas on business. Which leaves Komugi with her fiance's family, not knowing them too well at this point.

Komugi is trying hard to help and fit in and get along with everyone. But she's clearly the odd one out. And also, she used to be a delinquent, and now she sneaks out of the house at night to meet up with her girl friends, and of course she can't tell her fiance's family any of this, because they wouldn't approve.

I was honestly very interested in this series, originally. I don't really understand why she would be living with her fiance's family, but maybe that's an American thing for that to seem weird; especially once he's gone for who-knows-how-long. But once it was obvious that Dai, her fiance's brother, likes her, I lost some interest. I'm still intrigued by Komugi's character and her challenges regarding her delinquent past, but I'm not interested in that whole unrequited soon-to-be brother-in-law drama. I don't think that's necessary.

I believe this is a short series, so I might try more. I'm not sure at this point.

Manga Review: Radiant, Volume 6, by Tony Valente

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

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!

As spectrum Nemeses start to appear all over Cyfandir, Seth is drawn into a nefarious plot against his will. Suspicion stalks the very halls of the Wizard Knights’ castle, and the Merchant Barons watch with pleasure as these supernatural events unfold. And it’s only a matter of time before Captain Dragunov and Captain Liselotte get their hands on Seth!

Review:

This whole fight with the spectrum ghosts takes a very different turn in this volume, and by that I mean, we basically go no a training montage in the second half of this volume.

We learn who Myr, the drunk big-bearded man, actually is, and what his connection with the forest is. Mellie and Ocoho meet and work together to try to save Seth, though they're both a little confused as to what's going on with him. The main plot progression is that we discover a bit more about what's going on with Seth, where this thing inside him is coming from and what it might do to him.

I think we're getting back to the current time next, and I'm curious. This volume went off a little bit, and I kind of just want to get back to the main stuff.

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

Manga Review: Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Volume 4, by Waco Ioka, Midori Yuma, and Laruha

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Faced with the choice of being married to a strange spirit or being made into dinner, Aoi creates 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 is finally ready to open her restaurant on the grounds of the Tenjin-ya inn, but not everyone is as excited about it as she is. Some of the chefs of the main restaurant are doing everything they can to destroy her business before it even has a chance to start! Aoi is determined to keep going, but her detractors are deadly serious about stopping her.

Review:

In this volume, Aoi is finally opening her new restaurant, Yugao. They're setting everything up, preparing, and even having a soft opening. They're trying hard and getting good responses from the people who come, and yet someone is trying to make this harder on her. Someone doesn't want this restaurant to work, and their plans are working, since no one is showing up. Their location is just too hard to find, it seems.

This volume was all right. Aoi is working hard, and she's a good cook, but she's fighting against yokai who have been there a lot longer than her. Her relationship with the ogre seems to be getting better, and I like how it appears that he likes her. They're forming a kind of friendship, I think, or at least growing more comfortable with each other, which I like.

It's very clear that this is trying to be a food manga, and yet I forget that, because there just isn't enough food in it. The things Aoi makes sound good to me, but there isn't enough detail or description in any of it, for me to consider this a food manga.

This is an all right shojo. I don't mind it, but it feels very meh and not fleshed-out enough, still.

Manga Review: The Gods Lie. by Kaori Ozaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: 2016

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Natsuru Nanao, a 6th grader who lives alone with his mother, strikes up an unlikely friendship with the reserved and driven Rio Suzumura. Natsuru plays hookey from soccer camp that summer, and instead of telling the truth to his mother, he spends all his time with Rio and her kid brother at their rickety house, where a dark secret threatens to upend their fragile happiness.

Review:

This is a story about Natsuru, a boy, who forms a friendship with Rio, a quiet girl. He lives alone with his mom. She lives with her little brother, and takes in a cat that Natsuru finds. They form an odd friendship at first, and slowly grow closer. When Natsuru finds out some of the things that Rio has been through, has had to deal with in order to grow up and take care of her brother, he wants to help her, and take her away from it all.

Life can be very unfair at times, and for some people in particular. Rio has been through some very bad things, and she did what she thought she had to, to move past it. When everything is revealed, it's a sad story. But Rio and Natsuru still had their close friendship, even when they were apart.

Despite some of the awful things, this was a really sweet story. Bittersweet, maybe. And the ending is really nice. It leaves it a little open, I suppose, but I think it leaves it open for better things. I think they both were able to grow and be better despite, or because of, it all.

I really liked this story, and I hope that Ozaki's other manga gets picked up at some point. (I'm still holding out hope for Immortal Rain.)

Manga Review: Kaguya-sama Love is War, Volume 9, by Aka Akasaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

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 Chika agree to train genius Miyuki one more time to make up for yet another of his surprising deficiencies? Then, Miyuki’s sister and father meddle in his (mostly hypothetical) love life. Are they too soon or too late? Rumors that plague Ishigami have serious personal and academic consequences. The much-anticipated, much-dreaded Sports Day finally arrives! And Chika dreams up a new game for the student council to play together—with literally explosive results.

Who cares what other people think?

Review:

Kaguya is having a hard time with her feelings of love, as her heart goes crazy and she thinks she must be dying. So she's trying to find ways to cope, including finding rituals to calm her mind.

In this volume is also the sports festival. This includes some competitions and odd miscommunication. We get to meet Shirogane's father, and Chika's father and sister. This explains some things, and creates some issues for Kaguya.

In a surprising serious-ish plot, we find out some of Ishigami's history, what led to him being on the student council and why people seem to have a misunderstanding of his character. His new understanding of it and coping with his new reality after it all, leads to him opening his eyes to the world again. It's an oddly sweet plot, and I think will give Ishigami more to work for. He's finally starting to see the people around him.

This is a fun series, and I'm glad it's expanding the plot lines a bit more. 

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

Manga Review: Boarding School Juliet, Volume 1, by Yousuke Kaneda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: October 2018

Volumes: 16.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

At Dahlia Academy, a prestigious boarding school attended by students of two feuding countries—the eastern Nation of Touwa, and the Principality of West—Romio Inuzuka, leader of the dorms’ Touwa first-years, wishes for a romance that can never be. For his ladylove is none other than his arch-enemy, Juliet Persia, leader of the dorms’ West first-years! Is Inuzuka ready to risk it all to confess his feelings? And even if Persia somehow agrees to go out with them, how long can they keep a forbidden relationship under wraps?!

Review:

I had higher hopes for this volume.

Two countries are practically at war, and the prestigious academies share a plot of land, though they're extremely separated. Romio is head of the black doggy side, and Juliet is head of the white cat side. They have daily battles, and neither wants to give in. But Romio has been infatuated with Juliet for a while, though of course he's not allowed to tell anyone, let alone her.

When they decide to secretly start dating, it causes some conflict in their fights.

Romio is kind of cute, how he fawns over Juliet and wants her affection. Juliet has to put on a brave face, since she's a woman in charge of her school, so it's a little harder to see whether she actually likes Romio or not. It seems like he's growing on her, but their start to dating seems more like her just giving in to appease him, a bit.

We meet a couple of other characters, and seeing Juliet's friendship with the tyrant princess adds some humanity to her character, I think. Otherwise, her side of the romance doesn't quite seem as believable.

This series just didn't really hit me. I wanted to like it, but it reminded me of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, and I think that one does it better. So far, at least.

But to be fair, I'm also not big on the Romeo and Juliet thing?

Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Volume 20, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 24+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

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?

With All Might in retirement, Endeavor takes up the mantle of the number one hero, a position he’s coveted for years. But now that he has it, he’s not entirely comfortable with the responsibilities and risks that come with it—both heroes and villains are always gunning for number one. What does the future hold for Midoriya, and what do his dreams about One For All mean?

Review:

Deku's entire goal in this volume is to make the school festival a success—particularly, his class's concert. He wants it to be a success for the class, and he wants Eri to see it and have a good time.

And then he runs across this viral video villain who wants to cause chaos for the fun of it. I was actually surprised by these characters, their relationship and the depth put into them. It was an interesting side story to note.

I love the dynamic with Eri so, so very much. Deku and Mirio are like older brothers to her—or possibly like dads. I love it so much, and it makes me so happy to see them with her, and to see her out and exploring and learning things. It just warms my heart.

In the second half of the volume, we see an adult villain fight, with a very big surprise for Todoroki. I wasn't expecting this, and the missed potential in that relationship makes me sad for him.

This series has gotten quite intense at this point. I'm definitely hooked into the series at this point.

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