Manga Review: Komi Can't Communicate, Volume 4, by Tomohito Oda

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2019

Volumes: 17+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

 

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 its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.

School is out for the summer, and Komi is still getting used to this strange new world of having friends. She’s discovering that friendship doesn’t automatically save you from awkward situations with people, but the more time she spends with her friends, the easier it all seems. And to her astonishment, for the first time in her life Komi isn’t anxious for summer to end.

 

Review:

 

It's summer, which means this odd friend group has to find excuses to see each other. There's some video game competition, and some last-minute homework groups. We also get a chapter of Komi just at home, where it's hot and she hangs out with her brother and decides to cook. It's very slice-of-life and quiet, and honestly I rather like it.

Then school is back, and there's sports competitions. We also meet a new character, a new student with an accent who admires Komi. There's one chapter where Tadano shows the other two what Komi is really thinking; they're way off, and somehow Tadano can read her perfectly. They also visit an arcade and take purikura pictures, which is very cute.

I relate a lot to Komi—not as extreme, but a quiet introvert nonetheless—and so I enjoy this series quite a bit. Even just the relaxed chapters, but also just seeing her figure out how to communicate, is all very real to me. I'm enjoying this series a lot.

 

 

 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 3, by Tomohito Oda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 17+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

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 its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.

Summer is about to begin, and Komi would love to be able to spend the long, hot days of vacation hanging out with her new friends. But even though she’s made great strides in her personal quest, her communication issues are still strong enough to ruin her fun. Thankfully just thinking of her dear friend Tadano is enough to help her calm down!

Review:

If nothing else, Komi will always be a perfect example of how a truly introverted person feels at all times. We see this as a big example as the volume starts, and Komi can't help but re-agonize over previous conversations and seem unable to even send a text to her new friends, let alone say words when they call her.

We follow Komi more closely in this volume. There's summer meet-ups, a beach arc, and school tests. But we also follow Komi as she gets ready for these things, as she debates on going on a swing set, and when she visits family for Obon. There's even a really cute chapter between her and her father as they silently communicate to go get shaved ice and we see that he's very much where she gets it from.

There are still some crazy classmates, and we weren't introduced to any new characters in this volume, but her list of friends is still slowly growing, and her struggles are continuing as she slowly overcomes them one step at a time.

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.

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

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: RIN-NE, Volume 30, by Rumiko Takahashi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 40.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 26. 31.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Manga legend Rumiko Takahashi’s lighthearted tale of a girl who can see ghosts and a boy from the beyond.

After a mysterious encounter in her childhood, Sakura Mamiya gained the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! Then one day she meets Rinne Rokudo, a boy who is far more than what he seems.

In the summer season of restless spirits, Rinne and the gang head to a beach house to confront a supernatural spirit who’s obsessed with braids. Sakura’s trademark hairstyle makes her a target of the ghost’s mad desire… Can Rinne figure out how to send the spirit away, ASAP?!

Review:

The episodic plots seem to be extending a bit more, as most of them seems to last a couple of chapters now. Such as the love-lost ghost haunting a bell. And the dead girl who thought her boyfriend cheated on her. Lastly, Rokudo faces off with Masato, with a surprise appearance by Rokudo's salesman father, in order to find a magical mask that turns stuff to stone.

There was a weird theme of people dying for terrible and dumb reasons, though. It's good none of it was taken seriously, or it could have been very depressing and tragic.

These are relatively fun chapters, but very episodic and with not much lasting plot lines. I don't mind these volumes, but I'm not very connected to the characters, either. Easy and fun, but little substance.

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

Manga Review: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Volume 6, by Kagiji Kumanomata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2019

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A captured princess just wants a good night’s sleep! Shhh…

Kidnapped by the Demon King and imprisoned in his castle, Princess Syalis is…bored.

Accompanied by an entourage of demon guards, Princess Syalis takes a field trip to the human world to acquire a special pillow. Then she receives several invitations from her demon captors: first, to replace the cooks who have succumbed to heat exhaustion in the Demon Castle kitchen (somebody needs to make Quilladillo’s Monster Bird Egg Custard); second, to attend a pajama party (despite being woefully ignorant of the concept); and third, to design a new area for the hero to explore (which turns out to be the exact opposite of what the demons commissioned).

Review:

In this volume, Syalis goes on a mission for an as seen on tv pillow, forcing the demons to escort her to the human world in order to get it. Then she gets invited to a sleepover, but she doesn't know what a girl sleepover entails. And then the demons discover that Syalis is having trouble sleeping—that's why she needs so much sleep all the time—and discover who is doing this to her.

The venture into the human world was interesting. It's funny when the demons try to reinforce the fact that she's their hostage, because not only are they doing everything they can to appease her, she's more hostile to them and yet also doesn't seem to want to leave. When we learn more about the hero coming to save her, it becomes clear why that might be.

I like when we find out more about the actual characters. Learning more of Syalis' history, the bits we see of the hero and his progress, and the personality and background of the Demon King. Those are plots I enjoy, though I do appreciate that more of these single-chapter plots are starting to extend. And meeting Bussy was fun, too.

 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 1, by Tomohito Oda

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!

Review:

I was understandably intrigued by the concept of this series, but I was still surprised by just how far it goes. By saying Komi can't communicate is a bit of an understatement—when put in front of anyone, even one-on-one conversations, she doesn't know how to say a single word.

This series is split up with very short comedic chapters, as Tadano is going to a new high school, with no friends, and meets Komi, who everyone thinks of as practically royalty. Slowly, Tadano discovers Komi's issue, and as he forms a friendship with her, he decides to help her with her dream of making 100 friends. It's a hard process, too, as it takes Komi a while to even be able to say “Good morning” to him after this.

The odd characters and the comedic situations are already at a great start with this volume. Tadano helps Komi take little steps, and he tries to get other people to be real friends with her, not just admire her from afar. This isn't helped by the fact that no one really likes Tadano, either. The two other friends they make in this volume, if they count, are very odd people. I appreciate the diversity a lot, too, with the girl-is-secretly-a-guy (maybe?), and the odd pervy stalker girl.

This series is honestly off to a great start, even more than I was expecting, and I can't wait to read more.

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

Manga Review: Itsuwaribito, Volume 20, by Yuuki Iinuma

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 23.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The adventures of a liar and his band of friends who use lies to do good.

Utsuho’s truthfulness as a child resulted in an enormous catastrophe, and he decided to lie from that day forward. Raised in a village of orphans by a monk, Utsuho is an unrepentant troublemaker. The monk eventually inspires him to help people, but there’s no way Utsuho’s going to lead an honest life! Instead, he’s going to use his talents for mischief and deception for good!

Utsuho and his companions continue their fierce confrontation with “hero” and itsuwaribito Gin Hobaku, who has the Land of Owari firmly under his thumb. Gin’s underlings, believing themselves superior to Utsuho’s friends, now find that those same friends are not quite the pushovers they thought they were! In the main event, however, it’s Utsuho against Gin, a foe who has defeated him once already and outwitted him at nearly every turn!

Review:

 I haven't read any of this series, and I had pretty much no idea what was going on as I started this.

We're starting up a battle, in the middle of rubble, it looks like. Light and dark are fighting, basically one guy against a group of people. It seems like a fight that's been a while coming, too. It's a sad ending to the fight, too. Pointed, and not necessarily a good win. But I guess a win nonetheless?

I don't know any of these characters, so I had a hard time rooting for either side, or following the end of the volume.

Meh. It was an okay read, though the art was interesting.

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

Manga Review: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Volume 4, by Kagiji Kumanomata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A captured princess just wants a good night’s sleep! Shhh…

Imprisoned in the castle of the Demon King, all spoiled-sweet Princess Syalis dreams of is a good night’s sleep! Shhh...

Valentine’s Day arrives, and Princess Syalis is hard put to get the haul of chocolate she’s accustomed to receiving back home in her kingdom. Her latest plots to get a better night’s rest include learning to hibernate, becoming a ghost and getting an annoying earworm out of her head. Now how can she put a stop to the Teddy Demons summoning her every time they get into a kerfluffle…? Then the princess gets kidnapped from her kidnappers!

Review:

Princess Syalis continues in her adventures of sneaking around the demon castle in search of the perfect sleep implements. She gets a bear costume, for instance, and thus starts being mistaken for a Teddy demon. She goes in search of the perfect lullaby. But the big surprise comes when she's kidnapped from the demon castle, to the old demon castle.

I honestly thought this would be handled differently. I expected them to be relieved she was gone, and to find humor in her causing havoc with Twilight's brother, Hades. Instead, they try to protect her and get her back. I guess it shows how much they care for her, and are actually trying to keep her in their hold, even though she's a terror.

It was a fun new element, though, and entertaining to see how little Syalis pays attention or cares about her surroundings and the people around her.

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

Manga Review: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Volume 3, by Kagiji Kumanomata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2018

Volumes: 10+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A captured princess just wants a good night’s sleep! Shhh…

Imprisoned in the castle of the Demon King, all spoiled-sweet Princess Syalis dreams of is a good night’s sleep! Shhh...

Winter has come, and Princess Syalis will do anything to stay warm, including creating a DIY magical device (known as a “Ko-tatsu”), knitting woolen underwear and trying to convince the castle blacksmith to make her a window to keep out the drafts. When she accidentally dies yet again—along with Stamper Cat—curious resurrection complications ensue. Then it’s Christmas and New Year’s! Who will the Demon King designate as naughty or nice? And will all of the other demons let poor Syalis join in any demon games…? And now the Demon King has insomnia!

Review:

It's winter, which means it's cold in the castle. This means that the Princess needs a better bed and underwear, and glass to cover that huge window in her cell. It also means that Christmas is coming. In the demon world, though, Santa is a very different thing, and you don't want him to visit. Syalis is determined to get her present, though.

Syalis is pretty much a terrible person. All of the creatures are terrified of her, and are too afraid to fight her or try to keep her trapped. When one demon tries to defend her, she's proven how very wrong she is. Syalis seems to think that all demons are immortal, and so it's okay to carve them up and take their body parts as needed. She's honestly horrible. If this weren't episodic and comedy-based, this could be a horrifying story.

Thankfully, it is a comedy. And it's a rather fun series to read.

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

Manga Review: Case Closed, Volume 65, by Gosho Aoyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 95+

Spoilers?: Very light.

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

Volume: 1. 64. 66.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can Detective Conan crack the case…while trapped in a kid’s body?

Jimmy Kudo, the son of a world-renowned mystery writer, is a high school detective who has cracked the most baffling of cases. One day while on a date with his childhood friend Rachel Moore, Jimmy observes a pair of men in black involved in some shady business. The men capture Jimmy and give him a poisonous substance to rub out their witness. But instead of killing him, it turns him into a little kid! Jimmy takes on the pseudonym Conan Edogawa and continues to solve all the difficult cases that come his way. All the while, he's looking for the men in black and the mysterious organization they're with in order to find a cure for his miniature malady.

On the trail of a gang of bank robbers, Agent Starling teams up with the Junior Detective League. But she finds more than she expected when she uncovers evidence that Agent Akai, believed to have been assassinated by the Men in Black, may be alive! Then Mr. Moore is summoned to a mansion to investigate a strange murder, only to find that the killer isn’t finished. Why were five gifted people invited to live in the mansion, and what is the secret of the Red Wall?

Review:

 The Kaito Kid plot ends rather quickly, and then Conan and the kids end up stuck in a bank hostage situation. Of course, Conan figures it out much too easily, and they don't realize who they're dealing with, as usual.

After that, Doc and Anita get stuck with two potential-murderers, but who end up being police officers that Conan knows. This causes some fun confusion, and of course leads into the next plot point.

I don't mind this series. It's fun to catch up on, and generally I enjoy reading the mysteries Conan finds himself in. But sometimes I wish it had a more serious plot line going, and that he could be a teenager again.

Still, for episodic mysteries, this is a very good series to look for.

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

Manga Review: Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 26, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 25. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Gyokuen, the current Empress of Kou, continues to drive much of the turmoil that has upset the balance of power among nations. Alibaba and Aladdin head for the Kou Empire to try to speak to Hakuryu, but their friend has become one of the Fallen, consumed by his thirst for revenge. What now will become of the Kou Empire and of the world?

Review:

We get the end of Hakuryu's battle with Gyokuen, and it's rough. As it ends, we see that Hakuryu has fallen too far to come back. Aladdin and Alibaba have a hard time accepting this, though. Alibaba taps into a new level of power as he takes on Hakuryu, determined not to let him do this. It's interesting to see Aladdin on par with Judar during this.

It's a little hard to follow some of the fighting here, especially once they undergo the transformations. And it's a lot of fighting in this volume. I have an idea what the outcome will be, but who knows.

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

Manga Review: Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 25, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: Yes.

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

Volume: 1. 24. 26.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

The three nations of Sindria, Leam and the Kou Empire now ponder the story of Alma Tran as told by Aladdin. The tragedy of that fallen world has lessons for all, but disagreements among these powerful countries could mean tragedy might happen all over again! Then, shocking news arrives from the east—a new power is rising in the Kou Empire!

Review:

While everyone was holed up in one spot getting a history lesson, they're still debating what side to take and what to do next, when they get the news that someone else was working to take control. Yep, Judar informs them that he's been working with Hakuryu, to overthrow the Kou empire. They've collected a following, and they're ready to kill the dictator-like queen, it seems.

I find it funny that all of this has been happening in the background, while everyone was getting a history lesson from Aladdin. It gives Alibaba a reason to make a quick decision on what side to take and what to do about it, though.

I'm only, like, kind of paying attention to this series. I'm very behind, and I keep forgetting I have it to read. I think it's too high-fantasy for me, when I originally thought I would enjoy it.

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

Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler, Volume 30, by Kenjiro Hata

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 52.

Spoilers?: Yes, for the beginning.

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

Volume: 1. 27. 31.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A hilarious tale of butlers, love and battles!

Since the tender age of nine, Hayate Ayasaki has busted his behind at various part-time jobs to support his degenerate gambler parents. And how do they repay their son’s selfless generosity? By selling his organs to the yakuza to cover their debts! But fate throws Hayate a bone…sort of. Now the butler of a wealthy young lady, Hayate can finally pay back his debts, and it’ll only take him 40 years to do it.

It isn’t easy being a superstar idol singer who moonlights as an indie manga artist. Ruka is plumb worn out from the nonstop singing, schmoozing and self-publishing. Luckily, Hayate is there to save the day! He goes to work as Ruka’s personal assistant…on top of his usual workload as a high school student, café worker and combat butler. If only there were someone to assist the assistant…

Review:

I didn't realize this series was so comedy-based, and it's kind of odd to me. It's hard to take serious, but I guess maybe you're not supposed to?

I hadn't read the previous volume, so I don't know what this suitcase full of money was for, but they lose it at the beginning of the volume. And there's a mix up as they have to search for it. After that's finished, Hayate gets himself signed on to help this mangaka/pop idol, only she thinks he's a she, and he has to help take care of her, on top of his other butler duties.

This is mostly weird stereotypical plots and gags, thrown in with some real feelings and supposedly serious plot lines, and a couple girls working on their manga and forming friendships.

Maybe I missed the point where I would have grown attached, because I really didn't care much for the characters, and only mildly enjoyed this. It wasn't even all that funny to me. Meh.

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