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!

Comic Review: Soppy by Philippa Rice

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Release Date: 2014.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

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

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

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

Review:

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

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

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

Manga Review: The Bride was a Boy by Chii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2018

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

The heartwarming transgender love story, based on true events!

Drawn in the style of diary comics with an upbeat, adorable flair, this is a charming tale about Chii, a woman assigned male at birth. Her story starts with her childhood and follows the ups and downs of exploring her sexuality, gender, and transition--as well as falling in love with a man who’s head over heels for her. Now they want to get married, so Chii’s about to embark on a new adventure: becoming a bride!

Review:

I'd heard good things about this one, but it wasn't until I went to glimpse through it at the bookstore, and ended up reading almost a chapter, that I decided to pick it up. The concept grabbed my attention from the beginning, and it's a diverse subject that isn't mentioned much in manga.

The story follows Chii, who was born a boy, and how she slowly discovered and accepted that she always felt more like a girl than a boy. It's autobiographical, and it shows as Chii addresses the audience often, and explains things to us, about legal issues and how she worried about telling people. This is definitely more of a lighthearted story than I'm sure a lot of people experienced, but Chii had a relatively easy time of it. For her, though, her family was rather easy-going, and the boy she meets is perfectly fine with all of it as well. He's so in love with her, that he doesn't mind she's not completely a woman yet, and is perfectly fine dealing with the obstacles of all of this with her.

This is a really cute story, but I also think it's a really important one. It's a tough thing to go through in any society, and there are a lot of obstacles and things to consider and ways to handle it.

This was a fun read, and I think it's a really important one, too. I would definitely recommend it, and would love to see more books like it released.

Manga Review: Flying Witch, Volume 6, by Chihiro Ishizuka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: June 2018

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Spell Celebration

Everyone gathers to grill giblets to celebrate Chinatsu’s first bit of witchcraft. The familiars are lured to school with the promise of a tasty lunch... which draws the attention of an upperclassman witch. Makoto is tasked with solving a case where people get spirited away, but the solution turns out to be very down-to-earth...

Review:

The volume starts with a celebration, as Chinatsu did her first bit of magic. Then, summer starts off with a very odd snow storm—but only in certain patches of the town. In the middle of the volume, we get a little break as the story focuses on the cats. Chito and Keeny decide to visit Makoto at school for the day, and journey their way there for some food.

In the second half of the volume, we meet a new witch, Sayo. She's very intense and strict, but surprisingly sweet and energetic in text. She's a classmate, and they end up going on a job together. It's nice to see Makoto branching out and meeting other witches, getting to learn from them and make new connections.

This series is so fun. It's fast and easy and funny. It's a simple pleasure, and I'm a bit upset that we're pretty much caught up with Japan already. That was fast, and now we have to wait for each volume. But that just means it'll be a fun surprise each time, I'm sure.

Manga Review: Flying Witch, Volume 3, by Chihiro Ishizuka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: September 2017

Volume: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Slice of Magic

Makoto and her cousins visit a café run by a witch that’s cloaked in magic and has regular visitors from folks on the “other side.” Inukai stops by to make amends, and Nao gets a taste of some spicy medicine. Akane drops by just in time for a very special sighting of a rare, sky-borne animal...

Review:

We meet a new band of characters in this volume, the owners of a witch cafe in town. It's hidden, and the waitress is a ghost. The daughter and mother who run it are fun, though, and it's good for Makoto to meet more witches she can learn from.

We also got a lot of simple plots. We get to check up on Makoto's growing garden; Inukai shows up to give Makoto the fortune she forgot about at their meeting. Through a witch newspaper, we discover that there's a sky whale flying nearby soon, and so they go off on broom to see it. This particular chapter showed the creativity this series has. It's subtle and slow, everyday life stuff, that makes this a very easygoing witch series. There isn't even all that much witchcraft, most of the time. But it's easy little mentions and chapters like this that are interesting, something I wouldn't have thought of.

These volumes are extremely fast and easy, and I really enjoy reading them. The anime is the same, really. So good.

Manga Review: Flying Witch, Volume 2, by Chihiro Ishizuka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: June 2017

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Makoto goes to a local cherry blossom festival and happens to encounter someone who has a bone to pick with her sister, Akane. When Akane happens to drop by, she teaches Makoto some new tricks for flying and some easy spellcraft. Their kid cousin Chinatsu is so charmed by the witches’ talents that she makes an unexpected request...

Review:

In this volume, we meet Inukai, who knows Makoto's sister and is a fortune teller. Only, she's hiding her face, because Makoto's sister supposedly put an awful spell on her. This turns out to have kind of been a misunderstanding, though Makoto still tries to help.

Makoto experiences a couple of new things in this volume, but the biggest is when Chinatsu decides to be a witch and asks Akane to mentor her.

There's very light magic-use in this series, it's much more focused on slice-of-life stuff, with Makoto not having experienced much, like food or light spells. It's very fun and light-hearted, and the humor works really well with it.

Manga Review: Flying Witch, Volume 1, by Chihiro Ishizuka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: March 2017

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Prepare to be Bewitched!

Makoto Kowata, a novice witch, packs up her belongings (including a black cat familiar) and moves in with her distant cousins in rural Aomori to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch.

Review:

This took me a while to get around to. Mostly because, despite that I've heard good things, I was worried it wouldn't be that good. A slice-of-life series about a witch with a black cat—right there it sounds right up my alley.

And I shouldn't have waited so long, because it's great. I'm already eager for more.

Makoto moves out to live with some distant cousins, because as a witch at 15 she's supposed to move out on her own, but in modern times that's not very realistic, especially when she's still supposed to be in school.

Everyone can tell that there's something a little off about her, but she's not very good at hiding that she's a witch. We meet Kei and Chinatsu, her cousins; then there's Kei's friend Nao. Chinatsu has the hardest time getting used to Makoto, but mostly because of the weird people that come around for her.

Everyone is rather blasé about everything, and the humor is dry, but drops very well. It's very relaxed and casual, with little surprises. It reminds me a bit of Yotsuba&!, in the best way.

I'm already hooked, honestly, and can't wait to read more.

Manga Review: A Centaur's Life, Volume 1, by Kei Murayama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: 2013

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An adorable supernatural slice of life manga about a regular centaur girl and her daily school life.

Himeno is a sweet, shy little centaur girl. In her world, everyone seems to be a supernatural creature, and all her classmates have some kind of horns, wings, tails, halos, or other visible supernatural body part. Despite their supernatural elements, Himeno and her best friends, Nozomi and Kyoko, have a fun and mostly normal daily school life!

Review:

This is an odd volume. I didn’t quite expect this.

It’s very much a slice-of-life series, given that we’re following high school students, at school and going through drama and crushes and insecurities. Everyone is some kind of creature, with ears and horns and wings and part-animal bodies. None of it is thought of as odd, though there are still prejudices from species to species.

Mostly, I found how open the discussions and topics were. Sex is discussed. The three girl best friends show each other their privates, there’s hints of lesbianism.

I liked how open the topics were, and realistic at times. I enjoyed that, and it surprised me. But otherwise, the characters didn’t really stand out for me. It was an okay volume.

Manga Review: Barakamon, Volume 4, by Satsuki Yoshino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2015

Volumes: 13+

Spoilers?: Some.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aiming for an autumn calligraphy exhibition, handsome young calligrapher Seishuu Handa sets out to get in touch with his creative side. Meanwhile, a man whose appearance screams yakuza, landing him well out of place on the peaceful island, puts in a "request" to have Handa write the name on his boat...!? With the prickly-sweet--prickly-useless, more like--Sensei in tow, the overindulgent islanders unfurl a mature, heartwarming island comedy that fumbles blindly in the dark in Volume 4!!

Review:

This series is slowly growing on me. I want it to grow faster, though.

These are definitely episodic chapters, though with some running jokes and recurring characters. Handa has to call Kawafuji when his computer goes out, having to run to the convenience store and figure out how to use an old rotary phone. He starts practicing for a calligraphy contest, with a renewed sense of purpose and courage. A child gets lost and Naru leads her to safety, kind of. Handa gets pushed into writing the name on a boat for Miwa’s intimidating father. There’s an Obon festival of sorts, where we get to see a more serious aspect of Naru’s life; Handa decides to start gardening, after realizing so many others grow fresh vegetables.

My favorite chapter is when Handa tries child-proofing his house in an attempt to keep Naru and Miwa and all the other kids from showing up in the house and waking him every day. He thinks it’s all good—he fixes the broken board Naru sneaks in through, the windows and doors are locked, but it never stops them from coming in. Only to find out that they all have keys, and there is no stopping them, they know the house better than he does.

This series is very slice of life, with slow moments of character growth, a lot of country life with kids, and a lot of hilarity. There’s a lot to love here, and it’s growing on me. I’m rather enjoying it.

Manga Review: Barakamon, Volume 3, by Satsuki Yoshino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: February 2015
Volumes: 13+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kawafuji, the only friend of handsome young calligrapher Seishuu Handa, has come to visit the island...!! 
...However, the lack of cell phone signal and any useful landmarks is preventing the two of them from meeting up!! Also, why has Kousuke Kanzaki, who beat out Seishuu for an award (in the "Second-Place Calligraphy Incident"), come along for the ride......?! There's a storm brewing in the third volume of this mature, heartwarming island comedy!!

Review:

I really want to love this series. I’m trying really hard. And it’s good, don’t get me wrong—but I don’t love it.
In this volume, friends of Handa come to town. To visit, see how he’s doing, but also kind of to get him to come back home. Just like this was an odd town to Handa, it’s strange to his comrades. Such a small town, with people who know everyone, overprotective of their children, with no real sightseeing opportunities.
There are a lot of comedic opportunities. Like when the newcomers are believed to be kidnapping Naru, and then get forced into drinking as punishment. When the group goes fishing and are pushed into the water. How his rival brings old articles about him to embarrass him with his new friends.
But there are also the moments of development. We see Handa really deciding what he wants to do with himself, his realization about his calligraphy career, when his rival pushes him. That he likes where he is and wants to stay in this tiny town. We also get to see how his new friends care about him, helping him when there’s a storm, and trying to keep his rival from causing him trouble.
This series is fun, and the group of characters are vast and unique and a lot of cause for antics. I enjoy those things, but it’s still not hitting me like I want it to. I’m going to stick with it a bit more, hoping it gets better.