Manga Review: Takane & Hana, Volume 13, by Yuki Shiwasu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2020

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 12. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A strong-willed high school girl and a hot young scion of a business empire can’t help trying to outwit each other every chance they get… But could these opposites be conning themselves out of the perfect match?!

After her older sister refuses to go to an arranged marriage meeting with Takane Saibara, the heir to a vast business fortune, high schooler Hana Nonomura agrees to be her stand-in to save face for the family. But when these two utter opposites pair up, get ready for some sparks to fly!

While Hana contemplates whether or not to take Rino’s advice on matters of the heart, Takane and Okamon duke it out to determine who’s better suited for Hana! With everything on the line, who will ultimately win in this no-holds-barred love showdown?

Review:

Hana gets to confront the reason why she's giving Takane a hard time, and Takane gets to confront his reactions and attempt to improve himself. They both get some intervention from outside, and then finally talk to each other and are honest about their feelings. It's really touching on both sides, and very real from Hana.

That's not the end of that, though. They have to worry about Hana's family. And then public appearances, because of the age difference and because of who Takane is. It gets a bit complicated there, when they pretend to not be together. I'm curious where that's going to go, as they'll have to confront things at some point, particularly the undermining reason for why they're hiding their relationship.

This series is an absolute favorite at this point, and a must for any shojo fan. The dynamic between them is stellar and the comedy is superb. It's always a delight getting a new volume.

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

Manga Review: I Hear the Sunspot: Limit 2 (Volume 4) by Yuki Fumino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: One Peace Books

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kohei is a college student who, because of his hearing loss, tends to distance himself from others. His attitude starts to change after he crosses paths with an ever-optimistic classmate named Taichi. And over time, the two begin to develop feelings for each other. As the story continues, the pair tries to balance their budding relationship alongside Taichi's inspiring new career and Kohei's continued studies at school. But the harder they try to make things work, the more misunderstandings they seem to encounter.

Review:

Taichi and Kohei are still struggling to settle into their relationship. Kohei is having a harder time with accepting what his deafness could do to their relationship, especially when he learns more about why Taichi is going for the career he is. Whereas Taichi has seemed to accept the difference in their relationship—despite how he's still learning about some of the difficulties and how to handle it,—Kohei is feeling like the burden in the relationship.

This has been culminating for a while, but after a few things are revealed, they're forced to confront it.

  This volume gets hard to take a few times. It's a struggle between them, and it's a struggle to watch, because I just want them to be happy together, but they've got a ways to go still.

Manga Review: Monster and the Beast, Volume 1, by Renji

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 2+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cavo is a hideous monster with a pure heart. Liam, on the other hand, might look like the perfect gentleman, but he's a beast on the inside, and he has an eccentric personality to boot. When Cavo rescues Liam from an unfortunate situation in the forest, the paths of the monster and the beast cross for the first time. Will their meeting be a fleeting encounter or a timeless entanglement? And will Liam succeed in leading the innocent Cavo astray?

Review:

We meet Liam as he's being attacked by some men in the woods, and Cavo comes and saves him. But we quickly discover that Liam had agreed on a trip with those men and now doesn't know which way is out, and that he's familiar with using his body to get what he wants and to get affection.

I was intrigued at the first idea of a Beauty and the Beast take with a gay relationship. I'm a little disappointed with how this pans out, though.

Liam is definitely the monster of the relationship, despite being a handsome gentlemen. Cavo is a “terrifying creature”, and yet he's gentle and sweet, and simply wants to stay by Liam's side. How Liam treats Cavo with so much uncare, and even disdain at times, really puts me off. He seems to humor Cavo at times to let him come along with him, but he doesn't act with any real kindness or affection toward him.

The ending makes me think there'll be a little twist thrown in next, but I don't know if I'm all that interested. I liked Cavo enough, but I really didn't like Liam, and I didn't really get the chemistry between them, either.

Manga Review: Black Clover, Volume 15, by Yuki Tabata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 23+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 13. 16.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world of magic, Asta, a boy with anti-magic powers, will do whatever it takes to become the Wizard King!

Asta is a young boy who dreams of becoming the greatest mage in the kingdom. Only one problem—he can't use any magic! Luckily for Asta, he receives the incredibly rare five-leaf clover grimoire that gives him the power of anti-magic. Can someone who can't use magic really become the Wizard King? One thing's for sure—Asta will never give up!

As the Royal Knights selection test enters its final stage, a surprising team is still in contention! Can Asta or Yuno take the crown? And after the test is over, the real battle begins when the members of the Royal Knights are decided! What will be their first mission…?

Review:

After Asta's battle, it feels like the rest of the competition just rushes through. The crystal is broken quickly for the remaining battles, and while Asta's battle didn't go as he planned, Yuno gets to show off, pretty much.

After that quick ending, we move onto the next round of competition pretty quickly, competing again to be a Royal Knight.

Just as we're learning there's a member of the Black Bulls we didn't know about, the story switches back to the home base, where we find out another aspect of the Black Bulls we never knew about. The member we meet is creepy as fuck. The other surprise, though, I find quite interesting. I'm intrigued to see where these new characters go next.

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

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland, Volume 13, Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2020

Volumes: 17+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 12. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it’s too late.

Life at Grace Field House is good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious food and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

Emma and the other children have been driven out of their safe shelter back into the dangerous demon world. Can they summon the courage to fight against this new imminent threat?!

Review:

Now that their home base has been invaded, the kids have to find somewhere new to stay. They have a back-up, temporary location picked out, and they recover there, hoping for the best for the two who stayed behind.

Aside from the two older kids, Emma and Ray act relatively in charge of the group, and it makes sense that there would be some conflict among the kids, and that some of the kids would disagree with their decision and want to do something else. I appreciate that this is addressed here, and some of the middle-aged kids decide to do something about it, even though it doesn't go very well.

We finally meet some new characters in the second half of this volume. We're discovering what other humans might be out there, who Emma has been trying to reach, but also what they're doing against the monsters. This might be an interesting plot change next, and I'm curious where it's going.

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

Manga Review: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 21, by Mizuho Kusanagi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2019

Volumes: 31+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 20. 22.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom… Now she must rise and fight for her throne!

Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!

When Su-won hears of Riri’s abduction, he launches surprise attacks on Sei fortresses in an attempt to save her. Meanwhile, Riri leaves Yona in a forest in order to lure Sei troops away from her. Will Riri escape capture and execution?

Review:

The dragons are still searching for Yona, only everyone is separated, and there's a lot of fighting going on. Hak has run into his home tribe, and Su-Won, but they're all fighting to get rid of the slave operation. Zeno and Jaeha are flying around searching more directly for Yona. And now Riri is in serious danger, and her own father is on the way.

Things get downright bloody and dangerous here, in several ways. The fighting is bad and intense, and Yona and Riri are in the middle of it, but there's also the protocol pressures with Su-Won joining the fight.

There's a chapter of sweet downtime for Yona and Hak at the end, which is very nice and definitely needed after everything that's been going on.

This series has definitely gotten more intense as it keeps going, and I'm really loving it. Always ready for the next one.

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

Manga Review: Komi Can't Communicate, Volume 2, by Tomohito Oda

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation.

Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.

It’s time for the national health exam at Itan High, and the excitement of eye exams and height measurements have fanned the flames of competition for the unremarkable Makeru Yadano. She’s determined to beat the class idol Komi in the health test, and Komi’s total obliviousness to their impassioned duel just feeds Makeru’s determination. As the epic battle heats up, how will Komi handle her first rival when she’s barely made her first friends?!

Review:

Komi clearly attracts a certain kind of character to herself, as we see more obviously in this volume. She's seen as perfect, and thus draws admiration and awe and jealousy, only that makes people obsessed with her instead of angry.

We meet Yadano in this volume. She's competing with Komi (in her head) during the sport competition in this volume, and this leads to her attempting to be friends with Komi. Only she's so obsessed she's literally crazy and will threaten anyone in her way.

There was a point in this volume were Yadano goes too far, and I really liked how Komi stood up for herself and her friends, despite her own shyness and anxiety and want for friends. But then it kind of dwindles into a friendship anyway. I'm conflicted about this, because Yadano is actually scary and should be put away.

There are some fun plot lines after this, including Komi and friends going to eat ramen, and going shopping. She also meets a new friend in Nakanaka in this volume. She's a bit of an odd one, as is usual at this point, and while she freaks Komi out at first, they soon form an understanding, which is sweet.

This series is crazy. But it's a lot of fun, still, and I like Komi a lot.

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

Manga Review: Become You, Volume 1, by Ichigo Takano

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 1+

Spoilers?: No.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A new high school drama from the Eisner-nominated creator of orange!

Ashie Taiyou is a high school musician with dreams of stardom, but when his bandmates quit on him, it feels like his dreams are slipping away. In an act of desperation, Taiyou strong-arms his sullen classmate Hikari into forming a band with him. Can the two boys turn their dreams into reality? Creator Ichigo Takano–of orange and Dreamin’ Sun fame–collaborated with band Kobukuro around the song Kimi ni Nare in Japan, creating this manga as part of a multimedia expression of hope for a brighter future.

Review:

Taiyou wants to play music, but his friends want to focus on school. When he discovers that Hikaru used to play, he tries convincing him to join in.

Hikaru has a clearly bad history, which is why he's so resistant. Taiyou has a very bright outlook, though, and keeps trying; he's also not afraid to try by himself, if it comes to it.

I don't mind either of the characters in this volume, though I didn't really grow attached to either of them. Then Taiyou has a girl friend that shows up, and she's sweet and supportive. There was no real romance hinted at here, though. Honestly, when I saw the book, I thought it might be leaning more in yaoi or shonen-ai territory. Maybe just a basic bromance or friendship story, though, is also possible.

This was a sweet volume, but it didn't really stand out to me. Honestly, I really liked orange, but then I didn't stick with her other series. I'm a bit iffy on this one.

Manga Review: Ultraman, Volume 11, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2019

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 10. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s time for a new generation of Ultraman!

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined together with Shin Hayata of the Science Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters called Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero—a new kind of Ultraman…

Shinjiro, Moroboshi, Hokuto, Jack, Taro, and even Shin Hayata—the first Ultraman—have all come together in New York City for the ultimate showdown with the forces of the Star of Darkness! Can Moroboshi’s brother be saved? Will the idol Rena Sayama make it through this all-out battle? And what is the Star of Darkness’s ultimate plan? The winners will know the answers…

Review:

This volume centers around a truly terrible brother relationship. Two brothers who were hurt and separated, and are now faced with each other again. Only one of them has change completely, and can't be saved.

The Ultramen are fighting real monsters now, and it's destroying everything around them. It's getting dangerous and violent, and there's only so much they can do to help at this point. The ending looks like there's only more trouble coming, and it's surely not going to be getting better.

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

Manga Review: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Volume 5, by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 8+

Spoiler?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Not everyone needs a license to fight for justice!

In a superpowered society, there is nothing ordinary about evil anymore. Heroes, trained and licensed to protect and defend the public against supervillains, stand above all the rest. Not everyone can be a hero, however, and there are those who would use their powers to serve the people without legal sanction. But do they fight for justice in the shadows, or for reasons known only to themselves? Whatever they fight for, they are called...vigilantes.

Disaster at the Marukane department store's grand reopening was averted thanks to the efforts of Koichi, Pop Step and their band of low-end idols. But a greater calamity was prevented by the clash between Knuckleduster and his own wayward daughter, Tamao, who was possessed by the villainous Kuin Hachisuka! In the end, Knuckleduster nearly had to kill Tamao to free her from the evil entity controlling her. Now that he has achieved his goal and saved his daughter, is Knuckleduster through with his life as a vigilante?

Review:

Since the old man has pretty much taken himself out of the picture, that leaves Koichi and Pop to themselves. Supposedly this means Koichi will be forced to take a more lead role, but I don't see that happening at this point.

For most of this volume, Pop and Koichi are off at a mascot event out of town. During this innocuous event, there's some drug smuggling in which undercover cops and heroes are helping out with. Pop and Koichi miss most of this, though they do get caught in the wreckage.

This was a fun volume. It's always neat to see the heroes from the main series show up here, and how it might connect. There wasn't much plot progression, but it was still fun.

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

Manga Review: Queen's Quality, Volume 8, by Kyousuke Motomi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2019

Volumes: 10+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Will this Queen with mind-control powers incite good or evil?

Fumi Nishioka lives with Kyutaro Horikita and his family of “Sweepers,” people who specialize in cleaning the minds of those overcome by negative energy and harmful spirits. Fumi has always displayed mysterious abilities, but will those powers be used for evil when she begins to truly awaken as a Queen?

Review:

Kyu and Fumi have to face a rather harsh part of their history in this volume. Their childhoods intertwined at a very important part, which Kyu doesn't know most of the story behind, and Fumi doesn't remember at all.

It has a much deeper connection to Kyutaro's parents and the people around them than either expected, and it's intense. Tragic, even. It also gives more reason for the warning Kyutaro was given regarding Fumi, too.

I'm a bit anxious about where that cliffhanger is going. We could be given some miracle solution—and that would even make sense given the agreements that Fumi has made with the Queen's in the past—but we could also be faced with one of the options given. I'm really curious about where it'll go from here.

This series is intense and smart, and I truly love the way it handles these issues and portrays them.

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

Manga Review: Love in Limbo, Volume 2, by Haji

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 2.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A poignant story of love and atonement in the afterworld.

Calen, the new reaper in Limbo, develops feelings for his purehearted caretaker, Makoto. But can love flourish in a place where even existence can be fleeting?

New reaper Calen has spent many a peaceful day with his friend and lover Makoto, protecting the people of Limbo. But one day, the time for Makoto’s father, Seishin, to be reincarnated comes. With him gone, the power sustaining Makoto—who is nothing more than an animated clay doll—will cease to exist. With his precious love’s dissolution looming, will Calen find a solution or be forced to watch as his lover returns to dust?

Review:

Calen and Makoto are settling in comfortably together, despite knowing the potential future ending, up until they're given a due date. This forces Calen to go on an adventure, on a mission to find the solution for Makoto's problem.

This reveals an interesting issue that the underworld has been ignoring/hiding, and that Calen gets to help with in the future. It's an interesting solution for Makoto, too; it's a bit odd but makes sense.

Aside from the serious matters in this volume, it was still a lot of fun. The characters are fun, including the side characters. I like the chemistry between our main couple, and there's some nice steamy scenes mixed in, as well. This was a really nice little series, with a nice ending, not rushed at all. Just sweet and steamy, with a nice afterlife plot thrown in.

Manga Review: Love in Focus, Volume 3, by Yoko Nogiri

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love In Focus manga volume 3 features story and art by Yoko Nogiri, the creator of That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! Mako has lost someone dear to her, and she clings to her love of photography as a relic of the close relationship she once had… Luckily, her childhood best friend Kei encouraged her to join their high school's prestigious photo club. With nothing to lose, Mako grabs her camera and a fresh take on life - plus a mysterious new muse! Everything's coming into focus in this latest volume!

Review:

Mako doesn't know how she feels, so she tries to give Kei a try. He's a sweetheart, but it's not a surprise how this turns out. It gives Mako the chance to really understand her own feelings, though, particularly regarding Mitsuru, now that he's pulling away from her so that Kei can have her.

It's a bittersweet volume, really. Poor Kei, really, as he tries because of his feelings for her. He's really a sweet guy, too. Mitsuru is, too, though. They're both really great, and neither causes much drama between themselves or for the household. But no real bromance here.

I like how this all plays out. Despite the mix of feelings, it's all handled really sweet and relatively maturely, too. No big drama, but good and honest communication, instead. And the ending itself is really nice, too.

I definitely preferred this series to her previous one, and I'm really quite happy with how it all played out.

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher, Volume 26, by Izumi Tsubaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 27+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 23. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can high school delinquent Mafuyu clean up her act and still kick some butt?!

Mafuyu is the no-nonsense, take-charge and hard-hitting leader of her high school gang. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter's wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country.

Review:

Mafuyu has been kidnapped. And she's being forced to play with Toko, the girl Hanabusa sibling. Their new teacher appears to be up to some questionable things here, and slowly Mafuyu is attempting to find out what, and to get communication to the outside world.

We do get an interesting back story here regarding the teacher and Toko. We see what happened to both of their characters to lead up to this moment. There are definite pieces of it that make me sympathetic, but also there's some bad reactions here.

I'm sure it'll wrap up relatively nicely next, if a little crazy as it tends to get. So fun.

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