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: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 13, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 12. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Heya! Kae again! I can hardly believe that Mutsumi-senpai and I are a couple! And on top of that, Mirage Saga has a sequel?! Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

But maybe I'm not in paradise, after all...I got carried away with the Mirage Saga Event and ended up ditching my date with Mutsumi-senpai to spend time with his friend, Yashiro!

And when Mutusmi-senpai finds out about everything, he forces me to face and unthinkable question: who do I love more, Shion or Mutsumi-senpai?! Ohhh...what will I do? Do I go with boys love or the boy I love?!

Review:

Kae is forced to make the true decision in this volume: the real boy (Mutsumi) or her anime obsession (Shion)?

It's a hard decision for her, because she's truly obsessed with her fictional boys, and it's hard to give that up. When there's a special event, she automatically must go, even if Mutsumi wants to do something instead. Mutsumi lets her get away with it for longer than he should, but he's also the only one who sees the real issue. He understands what the true reason behind all this is, and doesn't blame someone else unnecessarily.

It's nice to see the gang still help each other despite being rejected; they're all still friends. I also liked that Kae's competition ended up being the real life version of her fantasies. It was a little cliché, but I also appreciated it, and how it was handled for the most part.

The next part is the conclusion, and I look forward to seeing how it wraps up. I like that instead of making her harem decision be the final one, it made her go through these things as well. Because she is an odd character, and can be a hard girlfriend to have, and it's good they both had to face that.

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 25, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: Yes, to the girl chosen.

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

Volume: 1. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?!

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump's laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series! It's hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.

When Chitoge heads to Tenku Meadowland, Raku, Kosaki, Marika, and Tsugumi all show up to look for her. Little by little, they begin to remember the past… Will they finally get to the bottom of the mysterious promise? Whose love will become real in the end between Raku, Kosaki, and Chitoge?

Review:

And so it all draws to a close.

I think it was pretty obvious who was going to win, who Raku was going to end up with. And it was who I wanted, so I'm happy with that. I'm also glad that it wasn't such a cookie-cutter ending, either—that the girl who had the key, and who Raku liked from the beginning and as a little kid, wasn't who he chose for himself later. Those two waited so long, that I think it was more an ideal than an actual possibility, and instead Chitoge moved her way in.

I'm happy with the way everything wrapped up with the rest of the characters, as well. Ruri and Shu finally cleared things up, and there was finally a misunderstanding cleared between Tsugumi and Claude. We get to see what really happened when they were all kids, and it honestly makes a lot of sense. The friendship between the girls, and particularly Chitoge and Kosaki, really shine here.

I will admit that the only thing about the ending that makes no sense to me, is how long Raku and Chitoge apparently wait. I understand it was long distance, but given how much time has passed, I don't think they should be so embarrassed with each other still.

Aside from that, I'm really happy with the ending. This was a very long, but fun series. A very good harem, with a likable main guy character; I love most of the girls, and I really appreciated their friendship with each other—it was almost more important, honestly.

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

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 23, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 22. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?!
Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won t want to miss out on Shonen Jump's laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series!
It's hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.
On Marika s wedding day, Raku bursts in just before the couple seals their vows. Will Raku and the gang manage to rescue Marika from her mother s minions? And when they return to their ordinary lives, how will the whole adventure affect Kosaki and Chitoge s feelings for Raku?"

Review:

This series is very clearly nearing it's end, as two characters get some kind of closure for their crushes. I've liked most of the characters in this series, but some of the romantic feelings never worked for me. Quite a few of them, actually—particularly the ones in this volume.

(Aside from the end of the date between Raku and Chitoge, of course. That was rather adorable.)

Haru has particularly been very meh to me, both as a character and a romantic option. She's just seemed like a younger version of her sister, who is better and got more character development.

The main things that's bothered me about Tsugumi, on the other hand, is how strong she's always portrayed (supposedly, at least—but let's not get into that), and yet she's always embarrassing and hurting herself around Raku, being “forced” to rely on him. It's just unnecessary and annoying.

On the bright side of this, we also got a bit of time between Ruri and Shu, whom I actually like together. I really like when Shu gets serious, since it barely happens and it's always done so pointedly and so well, like at the end here.

This was a good volume for side-romance endings. I'm looking forward to getting to the more important ones and seeing what happens there.

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 21, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 20. 22.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?!

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump’s laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series!

It’s hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.

Marika is ill but comes to school on Valentine’s Day just to bring Raku a gift of chocolate! Once again, she presses him to respond to her feelings… When her illness reaches a limit, she is forced to return to her family’s home in Kyushu. Unwilling to accept the loss of their friend, Raku and the gang take action!

Review:

This volume is full of Marika drama. We finally get to see what is going on with Marika, why she's been acting so weird.

We don't actually get to find out what's wrong with her, if she's really sick—that's still only hinted at. But we find out what her family situation is like. What her mother expects of her, and how un-moving she is in that. We also find out what is behind Marika's bodyguards actions, as well.

One thing of note with this volume, though: the humor seemed a little off. At times it felt more forced to break up the seriousness of the plot, and I don't feel that was necessary. I understand why, because it is a comedy series and it doesn't want to get sad and realistic, but it still broke up a few moments that I thought didn't need it.

I like how close the whole group is. When Marika leaves without telling anyone, they all freak out, and they work together to figure out what to do, how to save Marika from what's happening. Even though Raku isn't interested in her romantically, he still loves her like a best friend or like family. I love their relationship, and all of the girls friendships with each other, even if they all love the same guy.

Marika is one of my favorites. Marika is unapologetic in her love, in her affection and her feelings, and yet she hides her own weaknesses. I really like her as a character.

This volume ends on a cliffhanger, with the gang going out on their mission to save Marika. I quite enjoy this plot line so far, and am interested to see what the conclusion is. I'm wary of how cheesy it might be, though, and if Marika's big secret is going to be a letdown or not. Either way, I'm looking forward to the next one.

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

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 20, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?!

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump’s laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series!

It’s hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.

When Marika’s plan to watch the first sunrise of the year with Raku goes awry, they find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island! As Marika’s health begins to fail, will they find a way to see the sunrise? Plus, when Yui turns 20, Night comes to her with a shocking pronouncement: it is time for Yui to get married!

Review:

The series is getting closer to the end, and it's obvious by the way that a couple of the girl contenders are starting to get checked off. In this volume, we see the resolution to Yui's plot, which is surprisingly sweet, honestly. I hadn't been a very big fan of her character, but I do like how she cares for everyone, and how she even has a friendship forming with Chitoge.

Then we're growing toward the conclusion with Marika. It's obvious that she's sick, that something more is wrong than she's letting anyone know. Raku has also been made aware that he needs to be honest with her about his feelings, once and for all, though he feels bad because of how much he really does like her, just as friends not romantically.

There isn't much of a conclusion yet for Chitoge or Onodera yet, but Raku is finally starting to reconsider his feelings, and now he's having a hard time figuring himself out. He's conflicted, and it's driving him crazy. None of the others are particularly as present of contenders—they have crushes, but it's obvious none of them have a chance.

Of course, amongst all this seriousness, there's a lot of comedy and crazy antics. New years comes and goes, and everyone makes a wish at the shrine; the girls also get drunk, again, and attack Raku (Ruri captures and lectures Shu, which is fantastic). I quite liked the moment of their wishes, and seeing everyone side-by-side. Other than that, and the conclusion of the island plot with Marika, there's a lot of Yui.

Of course, I'm enjoying this series a ton. I'm rather excited 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: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 7, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: October 2016

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's me, Kae! After resolving my differences with Shima-chan, the gang is all together again for a special trip to visit the shrine of a beloved anime character...I mean, historical figure! Things get steamy at a hot springs inn-communal baths, pillow fights--seeing these gorgeous guys together is just too much!!

But it's not all fun and fantasies when Igarashi buckles down to win me over. Are these feelings I get around him something more than friendship? Mustumi-senpai has also stayed close after his confession, and a strange turn of events o our vacation gives him the chance for more alone time with me.

Back at home, the other boys' progress has Nanashima feeling left out in the cold, without some otaku common ground, he doesn't know how to get closer, but his little sister's anime obsession might be the answer he needs! He's really working hard now, and after all that effort, he makes a shocking move to declare his feelings.

Review:

The yaoi teasing moments in this series makes me interested to read her actual yaoi series. I bet they're good.

The group takes a trip at the beginning of the volume, in which there are some sticky situations, a life or death moment, and a ghost curse. There is one weird moment that I would feel more worried about, if Mutsumi had any bad intentions at all toward Kae, though it is still questionable. Then Nana tries upping his standing with Kae, only to pass out because of working too much at a part time job.

I like the way that Igarashi is trying to get Kae's attention, to be honest. He's slowly working her toward being comfortable around him, and I like it. Mutsumi is also great, because he genuinely cares and is honest about it; he has no underhanded thoughts ever.

That cliffhanger should lead to something fun, I'm sure. This series is always fun to read more of.

Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 11, by Miki Yoshikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: November 2016

Volumes: 28

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 10. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

MASTER OF CEREMONIES With the secrets of the past relationship between President Yamazaki, Leona Miyamura, and Rika Saionji brought to light, Yamada finally has everything in place to begin the ceremony that will restore his friends’ memories. After all the struggles he’s faced, Yamada makes a shocking wish…to erase all witch powers?! Now the Supernatural Studies Club members have to adjust to a new role—normal high school students! Yamada and Shiraishi focus on getting a fresh start in their relationship, but things don’t stay calm for long. Miyamura ropes the gang into his plans for a new Student Council regime, and it seems like former Student Council Secretary Asuka is hatching a plan…

Review:

The main plot line is finally coming to a close—the witch's perform the ceremony and Yamada gets his wish. Yamada and Shiraishi even decide to start dating, though while it's adorable, not a lot happens in that direction aside from attempts to be alone together. They seem pretty lax about it, though.

Because this could be a very fitting ending to the series, of course, we have to start up a new arc and meet new characters. Miyamura is now student council president, and he makes Yamada his secretary, and is keeping him very busy all the time. There are a few suspicious activities happening in the background, but mostly the focus so far is on the new first-years.

On a side note, it's so weird to see a student council so busy and productive and important. My experience in high school was not like that. (Though I wasn't on the student council, a friend of mine was--maybe it was more productive than I thought?)

This series is just fun. I love how it doesn't even try to stall by staying with one plot; it moves into new territory so easily. It's fantastic.

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 19, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2017

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 18. 20.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A laugh-out-loud story that features a fake love relationship between two heirs of rival gangs...plus, a mission to find out which girl actually holds the key to Raku's pendant—and his heart!

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump's laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series! It's hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.

When the missing pages from the storybook that explain the origin of the keys and pendant surface, it seems like Kosaki might be the girl Raku made a promise with…but is that a sure thing? The answer is still unclear when Haru tricks Raku and Kosaki into going on a Christmas Eve date. And just when things are going well, Raku’s pendant goes missing!

Review:

Of course, we get a happy ending for Chitoge and the group. This was never in doubt, for anyone, I'm sure. It's still nice to see that her trying so hard got her father's attention, and that he also noticed how horrible Claude was being.

We get a tiny clue about the key storybook from when they were kids, and Raku even attempts to fix his lock and find out if Kosaki's key is a match. It's small, but at least they're trying to figure it out.

Kosaki and Raku are forced on a date together, and honestly I'm kind of over them as a possibility. I like Kosaki, but I'm not for them, and so having so many people pushing her to go for him is bothering me. After that, Marika kidnaps Raku to a deserted island with her, though we're finding out that she might be really sick. I will admit that, while I'm not on Marika's side, either, I do really like her. Her devotion and unashamed way of going after Raku is nice.

This series has finally ended in Japan, so I'm interested to see how the main plot finally starts moving forward. Aside from that, it's still a fun series.

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

Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 10, by Miki Yoshikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2016

Volumes: 26+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A SISTER'S SECRETS Yamada has finally made progress in his relationship with Shiraishi, and the Supernatural Studies Club is on its way back to normal thanks to the efforts of Odagiri. But the mysteries surrounding the seventh witch, Rika Saionji, are far from over! Finding a soft side to the enigmatic witch may be the key to fully restoring the memories of Yamada’s friends, but to learn about what’s really going on with her and Student Council, Yamada will ahve to seek out the shocking truth behind why Leona Miyamura left school. What painful secretss could Leona be hiding about herself, Student Council President Yamazaki, and Saionji?

Review:

This could very easily be a series that stays in a state of harem antics, with no real progress of plot or character, and it could stay that way for a long time. It's both surprising and pleasing that, instead, there seems to be a new plot point or reveal happening every few volumes.

Yamada is pretty much competing with the student council president at this point, in his attempt to get the witches memories back and get his friends again, while the student council is working against him and particularly thwarting his attempts at Shiraishi.

The biggest reveal in this volume is when we find out what Leona's real part in this was, what she did before leaving school. Saionji apparently has a bigger part in that, that was previously alluded to. And so does the student council president, though even he doesn't know it.

I love where this series is going, and I'm excited to pick up the next one, and see what happens next.

Manga Review: Oreimo, Volume 4, by Tsukasa Fushimi, Sakura Ikeda, and Hiro Kanzaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Dark Horse Manga

Release Date: 2013

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Popular girls vs. geek girls showdown! Kirino's done all she can to keep her two different groups of friends separate, but as much as she'd like to, she can't keep those two worlds from colliding, and this time, big brother Kyousuke may not be able to help her. He's got problems of his own - Kirino's friends can't decide if he's a dreamboat or a pervert! A smash-hit bestseller in Japan, Oreimo is presented in English for the very first time. Who says girls can't be otaku, too?

Review:

I must admit that the sister character had me interested in the beginning. How could I not instantly like a character who literally found a job (as a model, even) in order to continue funding her otaku habit? I love that.

But then everything else about this series just ruined it.

None of the romantic options in this series interests me. Even his sisters' friends. I don’t care about them. And the hinted romance with his sister is just creepy and uncomfortable. I don’t like that at all.

Aside from that, it was also a little boring. I was not impressed with this series.

Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 9, by Miki Yoshikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: July 2016

Volumes: 26+

Spoilers?: Yes.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kiss and Wake up Yamada has managed to find the seventh witch and protect Shiraishi, but the final witch’s memoryerasing powers have a troubling effect on the Supernatural Studies Club. Facing a world where his friends don’t remember him, Yamada and Tamaki discover that to solve their problems, they need to go back to basics: kissing! Using his dupication powers and the help of a few unlikely allies, he may be able to restore what he’s lost…but his plans to outwit the seventh witch’s power don’t go unnoticed by the crafty Student Council.

Review:

After that confession, it's not surprising that Yamada gets rejected. Though it only leads to more confusion, as he tries figuring out who Urara is in love with, and what in her memory has changed with him gone from it. All the possible opportunities he had.

Nene shows up, and we find out a flaw in the seventh witches power. An intriguing solution, and a new change for Nene, as well. It should be interesting to see what happens next. I like that this series is introducing new things in every volume, and that it's not just staying stale with one plot point.

I'm a rather big fan of this series at this point. I'm looking forward to catching up.

Manga Review: Nisekoi: False Love, Volume 18, by Naoshi Komi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2016

Volumes: 25.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 17. 19.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A laugh-out-loud story that features a fake love relationship between two heirs of rival gangs...plus, a mission to find out which girl actually holds the key to Raku's pendant—and his heart!

Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump's laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series! It's hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families.

It's day three of the school trip, and Raku visits a temple known to be a power spot. Little does he know that it’s a place famous for magical bows and arrows that have romance-fulfilling properties! With all the girls determined to shoot him down, which huntress will bring down her prey?!

Review:

Much of this volume continues the school trip arc, in which there are a lot of antics for all of the characters. Roku gets dragged into a lot of schemes, and he gets hit by several of the girls.

And then we get the news that Chitoge is moving away, and thus her and Roku don't need to pretend dating anymore. This brings about a lot of sadness for everyone, including Tsugumi. The surprising part is when Chitoge starts trying to barter with her family/Claude to get them to let her stay, and when instead they lock her up.

I don't have many doubts about her staying in Japan, especially with what Roku is even doing to try to help, but it should be interesting to see how it's wrapped up in the next one.

This is fun, harem-y goodness. Will be reading the next one soon.

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