Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 34, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 42+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 33. 35.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

The long-awaited Dumpster Battle has arrived! Nekoma, known for its focus on defense, shocks everyone by going with aggressive synchro attacks! Meanwhile, Tsukishima watches blocking master Kuroo effectively curb Karasuno’s assault and declares he can’t outdo the other…at least, not on his own!

Review:

The game against Nekoma feels a lot more personal than the others have. While the previous game was very intense, and others have had very specific rivalries, Karasuno's relationship with Nekoma is more personal. There's definite rivalries here, and we're getting to see which characters relate more to each other as well. But there's also a different kind of familiarity and bond between these two teams.

Nekoma was the first team that Karasuno really played against, but this is also their first real game against each other. They've practiced with each other several times. But this time it could really matter, and they're all invested in seeing who wins this time.

There's also the cheering section, which has a few well-known family members. It's nice to see them cheering and angsting over the game with everyone else.

Most of this volume features the first set. Both teams have grown a lot, but it takes a while for Nekoma to fully analyze the changes that Karasuno has gone through and how to counter them anew.

I definitely think this game is going to last a bit longer, and I am here for it.

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

Manga Review: Kuroko's Basketball, Volume 15 & 16, by Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~2

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2017

Volumes: 30.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1&2. 7&8. 17&18.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seirin High’s greatest basketball superstar was the one no one literally saw coming—the invisible Kuroko!

Tetsuya Kuroko doesn’t stand out much. In fact, he’s so plain that people hardly ever notice when he’s around. Though he’s just as unremarkable on the basketball court, that’s where his plainness gives him an unexpected edge—one that lets him execute awesome moves without others noticing!

It’s the third quarter of Seirin’s game against To-oh, and the team faces a tough time when Momoi’s strategies nullify Kuroko’s effectiveness. His misdirection is failing, and Aomine’s unbelievable skills are leaving Seirin in the dust… Now all hopes for victory rest on Kuroko’s ultimate move!

Review:

There's a game going as the volume starts, and there's a lot of technique and emotion behind everything. We get some strategy and some back story moments. Then they get to prepare for the next game, strategize against this new team.

I think there's a lot going against this series for me to like. Firstly, I've discovered that I really don't care about basketball. At all. It might be my least favorite sport, and I don't really like any sport. I also don't understand how the game works, really, and so jumping in here with so little explained didn't help. If you like basketball—and were following the series—I'm sure this was better than I experienced.

I also don't really care for the art. Something about how sweaty the characters are drawn, in a somewhat realistic way, just doesn't sit with me right. Then one of the characters, Aomine, refuses to go to practice, because apparently he's so good it's a waste of time, and he wants to find an opponent who will actually give him a challenge.

I hate this. That motivation is rude and there's so many reasons why that's an asshole motivation; practice helps you learn from the other players, which he could still try to do, and also helps with team morale and building an actual team that works together. There's so many things wrong with this character's ideal and I hate him for it.

I just cannot get into this series. I tried, and I don't want to read any more of it.

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

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 32, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 42+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 31. 33.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Galvanized by Atsumu Miya’s selfless setting, Inarizaki gets back into a groove! It’s the back half of the last set, and Inarizaki is in the lead. But right when the Miya Twins think they’ve got Karasuno dead to rights, their attack is stopped by the last person anyone expected!

Review:

I'm not a sports fan, at all. And somehow this is the only series that has gotten me so very much into any kind of sports game. But man do I get into these volleyball games. I want to cheer right along with the crowds in the manga.

This volume continues the game against Inarizaki. They're in the third set, and it's intense. It feels like one of the most intense games they've played at this point. It's a very close game the entire time, and a few times Inarizaki thinks they're winning and beating down on Karasuno's morale. But the thing about Karasuno is that they know how to turn themselves around, and the longer a game gets, the more pumped Hinata becomes sometimes.

There isn't very much background stories in this volume. There's more growth between the characters, moments where they form new understandings with each other and push each other to do better.

All leading to the cliffhanger. This game will be ending in the next volume, and it could go either way at this point. It's intense.

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

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 31, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 38+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 30. 32.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Inarizaki’s Atsumu Miya has found a target to pick on, and he’s racking up service aces off of…Nishinoya?! Even though Karasuno is falling deeper and deeper into a hole during the second set, they’re still slowly chipping away at Inarizaki’s momentum. Will they get their chance to turn the tables?

Review:

This volume almost solely focuses on the game. There isn't very much character background, only some introspection and struggle and competing. We see Nishinoya getting a little frustrated, as he's focusing and trying to perfect his playing to counter the other team. We do discover that he used to be a scaredy-cat, until he learned it was a waste, which is a cute tidbit about him.

It's an intense game, and they're giving all they've got to win against Inarizaki. It looks like the game will be going for a bit longer, though.

Comic Review: Spinning by Tillie Walden

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Themes: YA, Comic, LGBTQ+, Ice Skating

Publisher: First Second

Release Date: 2017

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark.

Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again.
She was good. She won. And she hated it.
For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden’s life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. Skating was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she’d outgrown her passion—and she finally needed to find her own voice.

Review:

This is an autobiographical comic, about Tillie as she was growing up, as an ice skater, and a lesbian.

It's about ice skating, and discovering herself, and coming out, all as a growing teenager.

This has a pretty good mix of all of these things. We see Tillie practicing, as she gets up very early every morning to ice skate, whether she enjoys it or not. We see her with good and bad coaches, with good and bad friends, as she enjoys it and works hard, and as she starts to question whether it's just habit and discovers that she doesn't actually like ice skating. Friendships form, and she falls in love for the first time, and decides to tell her family.

I understood parts of this book, and I really enjoyed following her as she discovers herself and decides what she wants for herself. It was also very frustrating to see her coming out, and how some people react to it, like her family. Seeing people react as if it's wrong (and parents, as if they've done something wrong) bothers me, so much, and I know it happens, still.

I really enjoyed reading this. I don't read a lot of American comics, but some of them are definitely worth reading. And I liked following this journey.

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 30, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2019

Volumes: 37+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 29. 31.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as "the Little Giant" compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Review:

The first half of this volume was all about Ryunosuke, and honestly, I'm all for it. We get to see what happened when he first joined the team, as he's faced with a tough opponent, and is determined to stay upbeat even though he hasn't done much in this game yet. He struggles, but it doesn't last very long. Ryu is pretty optimistic, which annoys his teammates after a point. He doesn't let himself get down. This also counts for love, and I'm intrigued by his devotion to Kiyoko. It makes me feel bad for his childhood friend, though.

In the latter half of the volume, we got to see Nekoma's game, and this meant a backstory on Kenma. This was also really interesting to me. I like Kenma a lot, and enjoy his odd friendship with Hinata. Seeing what made him join volleyball, and his long friendship with Kuroo, was nice. It also made me understand him and his gaming obsession better. It makes me like his contrasting friendship with Hinata even more.

I'm excited to see what happens next in the game. It look like Nishinoya is next, and I'm also excited to see his story, because I love him as well.

I love most of these characters, though, to be fair.

Manga Review: Again!!, Volume 2, by Mitsurou Kubo

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 12.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

To Keep the Flame Burning

Kinichiro's traveled back in time, and whether this is reality or just an incredibly realistic dream, he's doing high school all over again. He's decided that bringing the school's ouendan cheer squad back from the brink of dissolution is the key to a better high school life, but it might take some begging to get there. Kinichiro's not much good at begging--but a former ouendan member known as the "Master of Groveling" might be able to pull it off...

Review:

Kinichiro is determined to make this ouendan club a success at the assembly, and so he tries to get the old members to come back, and he tries to get the current members to not ditch at the last second. He has quite a failure attempt at it, too, which is disheartening to him, and leads to him going it alone.

It's rather an uphill battle for him.

It leads to a temporary success for him, as he officially gets to join the club. Afterward, we get to see, once again, that Aki is messing up her new school life. She's so used to her great present time, that she's screwed everything up, since she forgot to act like she used to. Ruining the future and acting all uppity has ruined her friendships, and now her future boyfriend thinks she's crazy. It's not going so good for her.

Now that they've passed one hurdle, I'm not sure what's coming up next for the Ouendan club. But I'm definitely enjoying their personal life changes and struggles.

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 29, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 37+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 28. 30.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Review:

They're still in the first set of their game with Inarizaki. The twins are a new kind of opponent for Karasuno, and despite it feeling like they're up against a whole other level of teams, they're really quite evenly matched.

First of all, Karasuno's cheer squad shows up. They're there to show those other teams up, to prove that Karasuno also has some loud and active fans, some real support. It's super sweet to see them all show up (though too bad for Tsukki's brother), it makes me happy to see them being cheered on (and I loved seeing Shoyo's reaction to being cheered for directly—so adorable!), but it's also good for this particular game. Inarizaki's cheer section needed to be quieted, to be countered so they were less distracting.

Inarizaki takes a lead, but it doesn't take long for Karasuno to catch up, and even try to surpass them. It's an intense start to the game. There are some mess-ups (Hinata gets stuck in his head and focused on trying a new technique a few times), but there are also some really good plays by their members. Inarizaki proves to be a tough competitor, as they show Karasuno that they're also quick learners and willing to try a new technique mid-game. Hinata and Tsukishima both play a particularly good move in this volume.

There's a lot of emphasis in this volume that Karasuno doesn't have the luxury of giving up, and it's a nice sentiment, and also true for them. Karasuno has worked very hard to get where they are, and they don't have the time to worry about what's happening, to waste feeling depressed or upset or disheartened. They have to take what's happening and continue trying hard, continue trying to win over the other teams.

I think this is going to be a long game, and I'm curious to see what happens next.

It's kind of crazy how in-depth and utterly captivating just one game of volleyball can be in this series, especially to a non-sports fan.

Manga Review: Baseball Heaven by Ellie Mamahara

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Blu Manga

Release Date: 2010

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ogata is a shortstop for the baseball team, the Tokyo Elephants. A new rookie pitcher named Uno is popular among the team. But for some reason, Uno is cold only to Ogata. Ogata is worried that it's his sexual orientation that is keeping Uno away. So one day Ogata decides to confront Uno. But what he finds out from Uno is completely different from what he expected.

Review:

The artwork was more average in this story, pretty in some panels and more okay in others. The expressions and faces were just average to me. The story line and the characters didn’t really stand out for me, and I found it a little slow-going at points; it did drag on with open endings for several chapters, and that annoyed me a little. Not much in the way of smut, and the romance was slow and just a little meh.

Otherwise, it was okay, and a little cute.

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 28, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2018

Volumes: 36+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 27. 29.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Karasuno wins their first match of the Spring Tournament! Hinata goes to watch Fukurodani and Nekoma play their games and runs into the other Little Giant from the All-Japan Youth Camp, Kamomedai High’s Korai! Then day two of the tournament begins, and the seeded teams join the fray!

Review:

Since Karasuno won their first game, the first half of this volume shows them prepping for the next game, and they get to watch the other games going on. They get to see Fukurodani and Nekoma play. The biggest moment, though, is when Hinata sees Hoshiumi, his real competition for the Little Giant spot. This could have been intimidating and upsetting for anyone else, but Hinata takes it as inspiration. Just like how Kageyama reacted when they met, Hinata wants to do what he's doing, and better. It's a good comparison for him, though.

In the latter half of the volume, Karasuno starts their second game. It's against Inarizaki, a big competitor for them, a team that has come in third before. It sounds like a team that would be hard for Karasuno to play against, but they've come a long way. This new team has some good players on it, but a large part of it is that their audience is trained to help them. They go quiet for concentration, but then boo and make noise to mess up when the other team plays. It's a very dirty way to play, in my opinion, and I look forward to seeing Karasuno's audience compete with it.

This series is so good. I really enjoyed the scene where Hinata gets to watch Hoshiumi play, and when he attempts one of his moves during their next game... That moment made me pause reading, I was laughing so hard. Man, I love Hinata so much, sometimes he's so ridiculous. Adorable.

I'm excited to see how the game goes from here. Karasuno is doing really good so far.

Manga Review: Kuroko's Basketball, Volume 7&8 (2-in-1 Vol. 4), by Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: 2017

Volumes: 30.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1&2. 9&10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seirin High's greatest basketball superstar was the one no one literally saw coming—the invisible Kuroko!

When incoming first-year student Taiga Kagami joins the Seirin High basketball team, he meets Tetsuya Kuroko, a mysterious boy who's plain beyond words. But Kagami's in for the shock of his life when he learns that the practically invisible Kuroko was once a member of "the Miracle Generation"—the undefeated, legendary team—and he wants Kagami's help taking down each of his old teammates!

Fresh off their devastating losses in the Finals League, the Seirin High team members find themselves face-to-face with Teppei Kiyoshi—the basketball club's original founder! He's come back to the team after some time off and wants to inspire them to make a new start. With the Winter Cup coming up, they dive into a summer training camp. Meanwhile, Kuroko is worried about his playing style…

Review:

I haven't read any of this series, I am not a sports fan, and my only real experience with sports manga is Haikyu!!. Saying that, I have become a huge fan of Haikyu!!, but it's my only real reference point. I don't typically care for sports at all, and I know very little about basketball. But I was optimistic about this volume.

Having no idea about the characters or plot before this, I did quite like Kuroko. The way he plays the game and hides among everyone is interesting to me. He's quiet and seems to support everyone in the game. I'm curious about his reasoning for being okay with that, though; if it bothers him at all, or if that's just how it works for him, that's just how he is.

I also really liked their coach; having it be a girl is a fun choice to me, and I like how tough but caring she is with the team. The other team members seem nice, and seem to have a good camaraderie going.

This was definitely a more realistic style of drawing, and it focuses on drama and motivation and inner monologue more than Haikyu!!. I don't necessarily mind that, and I do enjoy the character development it brings. It didn't feel like there was a lot of actual basketball in this volume—but, saying that, it still seemed like the plot moved forward. There were things to discuss and prepare for, and they go on a training trip over summer break in this volume that pushes them and seems to help quite a bit. I found the coach's reasoning behind the camp's setting really smart, too. Also, I think it worked for me that this didn't only focus on each game and instead had outside plot focus, since I'm not really a fan of basketball in particular.

This isn't a series I want to catch up with, or would follow on my own, but I didn't mind it.

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

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 27, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2018

Volumes: 36+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 26. 28.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Round one of the Spring Tournament begins! Karasuno faces off against Tsubakihara Academy, a team that’s come to nationals for the second year in a row. Karasuno’s difficulty navigating the court in such a huge gymnasium quickly becomes apparent, and the one suffering most is Kageyama! Plus, the Tsubakihara players aren’t pushovers, and they have a secret weapon!

Review:

Karasuno is competing against Tsubakihara in this volume, in their first spring tournament game. It takes them a while to get into the groove of things, particularly Kageyama, since the court is so much bigger. It's taller and wider, and the way he sets the ball for the other players is altered a bit. But once he gets used to it, they're back at it, and they're showing a bigger audience what they can do.

I don't think that Tsubakihara got as much development or individuality as the other teams have. We get some brief history, and we get to know a select few a little bit, but it doesn't feel like they get as much attention as the other teams Karasuno has played have gotten. Even saying that, though, we get to check in with them, and see how they're focusing and working together and trying hard to win this.

This is an intense battle. Each character is working hard, focusing all in, as they try to score every point they can. Both teams want this very badly.

I get sucked in so easily to each volume of this series, and very quickly I'm rooting with the audience and chanting with them, rooting for Karasuno to win. It's so much fun to experience.

Manga Review: Haikyu!!, Volume 26, by Haruichi Furudate

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2018

Volumes: 35+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 25. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

Review:

The practice game with Date Tech finishes up. It ends up being pretty even, and is a long practice, but it's good for all of them. Particularly Karasuno, because they have to re-sync up with each other. It takes a while for everyone to meet in the middle with each other again, to figure out how to work together again. Kageyama has a particular struggle, because he has to accept that how he plays is okay, and be clear with direction but maybe not so rude.

After that, there's a little break. It's Christmas break and New Years, and some of them meet up a few times. We get to see the third-years meet up for a New Years shrine visit, and it's nice to see how close they are outside of volleyball, including Shimizu. We get a little bit of history, seeing what Shimizu was doing before being the manager, and how she came to accept and enjoy that role. It's sweet.

We also got to see Hinata practicing, and when he shows off to his little sister. I wish we got to see more of their family interactions.

And then, they're off to Tokyo. They've got a hotel room, and a hot springs, and they get to see the other schools again. But their current issue is the difference in court—it's bigger and taller than they're used to. They'll need to adjust.

I can't wait to read the next one. We're up against a new school this time, and it's only just started. It's going to be good.

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