Manga Review: Escape Journey, Volume 3, by Ogeretsu Tanaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Naoto and Taichi’s turbulent high school love crashed and burned, but a reunion in college puts love back in the air.

Naoto and Taichi’s first try at love during their high school days crashed and burned. Years later the two unexpectedly reunite on their first day of college. Tumultuous love often burns hot, and the glowing embers of their previous relationship reignite into a second try at love.

Nao is hurting over his relationship with Taichi, and his new friend Nishina wants to help—but he ends up confessing his own feelings in the process! When two men are in love, the world can be a very callous place, and even friends and family sometimes hurt the ones they love. Can a couple like Taichi and Nao ever find true happiness?

Review:

I had some issues with the first volume, and then I skipped the second, and then I get to see how it all wraps up in this volume.

I definitely wish that this series handled the more serious issues a bit better, as there are some sketchy ways the plot points are handled. Especially because it's really steamy and hot for quite a bit of it, and I do like that.

This series might be a good guilty pleasure, to be fair. I have a hard time letting myself fully even like it for that, though.

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

Manga Review: Hatsu*Haru, Volume 7, by Shizuki Fujisawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 13.

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After an uneasy start to their relationship, Kai and Riko are officially dating! But now Kai has a new ocean of relationship questions to cross -- first up: what kind of lunch do you bring your girlfriend?!

Review:

Now that Kai and Riko are official, they must figure out how to work as a couple. Kai is the typical girl here and learns how to make Riko a bento lunch. And then he frets over their relationship moving forward, since Riko is avoiding his advances, kind of.

At the same time, Kiyo and Miki are dealing with a miscommunication over their height differences, and this culminates into Kiyo and Riko not really talking to each other, either.

It's a bit of a square of issues, only the guys still talk and discuss things better than the girls. They figure it out, though, of course.

I like the couples in this series. They're cute and fun, and I like the boys' friendship as well as the girls'. I'm wondering when we'll get more from the other characters, though.

Manga Review: Gangsta: Cursed. Ep_Marco Adriano, Volume 5, by Kohske and Syuhei Kamo

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2019

Volumes: 5.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A spin-off series from the hit manga Gangsta that tells the backstory of Marco Adriano.

The man named Marco Adriano is a loyal and beloved member of the Cristiano Family, helping them protect the persecuted Twilight population in the city of Ergastulum. But he was once a boy code-named “Spas,” raised as a Hunter and assigned to the Destroyers Second Group for a single purpose: to track down and kill Twilights.

Spas has lost the sense of justice that gave his life meaning. Striker still lives only for the thrill of the hunt. The rift between their moral stances forces Spas to break the promise they’d once made to each other, initiating a bloody parting that will scar them both forever.

The final volume of Marco Adriano’s hidden history of savagery and redemption.

Review:

The fight between the hunters comes to a head in the first half of this volume. Spas has turned on the other hunters, and despite his grief and his wanting to stay with his friends, he has to be honest and do what he believes is right.

It gets real bloody there for a bit. It's a bad stand-off, a bad fight. But thankfully it proves, at least to one person, that Spas isn't a hunter anymore and he wants out. This leads to some more hardships for him, as he knows he's done terrible things, and no one wants to accept him.

I haven't read any of Gangsta, so I don't know where that series starts up after this prequel. I'm not sure where Spas/Marco's story goes from here. This history was definitely dark and bloody and awful, and there's hints of more underlying issues aside from the major ones. But I actually found this to be an interesting spin-off series nonetheless, and I did like Marco's character and the way it was done, how he realized they were doing awful things and yet we still saw that they were his makeshift family with happy memories.

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

Manga Review: The Way of the House Husband, Volume 1, by Kousuke Oono

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s a day in the life of your average househusband—if your average househusband is the legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon”!

A former yakuza legend leaves it all behind to become your everyday househusband. But it’s not easy to walk away from the gangster life, and what should be mundane household tasks are anything but!

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to walk another path—the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy!

Review:

He used to be the immortal dragon, a yakuza boss everyone feared, and now he's gone in hiding and is simply living as a house husband. He stays home, cooks and cleans, while his wife goes to work every day. While sometimes people recognize him and try to start a fight, he's mostly just trying to get the best deals at the grocery store.

I honestly wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did. The premise is great, and there are some pieces of this that was fun. But mostly it just didn't hit me with the humor as much as I expected it to. I also wanted more cute couple moments, though there is one chapter where his wife tries to make him look less intimidating. She is a fun character.

This was an okay volume. I hope the future ones get better, mostly with the humor aspect.

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

Manga Review: Takane & Hana, Volume 11, by Yuki Shiwasu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 10. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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

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

Takane gives Hana a surprise kiss on the nose, and now a flustered Hana is dying to know what it means! Meanwhile, Takane’s cousin Yakumo wants to be reacquainted with Takane, but there’s an ominous vibe about him… What exactly is he after?

Review:

There are some of the best Takane reactions in this volume. Takane's moment of drunken weakness has caused him some real mental struggles. He's embarrassed about it and doesn't know how to act around Hana, and Hana is wondering if this could mean something real and is trying not to react too much.

Just as they're struggling and fighting about this, Takane's jealous cousin shows up, who decides to play with Takane for revenge. His cousin is really despicable, but kind of in a pathetic way, too. He's terrible, but not scary. He needs to get beat up, honestly.

This was a big volume for Takane and Hana, actually. It feels like they took a step forward, though we'll have to see in the next volume for sure; either way, they were put through some trials here.

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

Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 3, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

When Tasuku attends a workshop organized by Cat Clutter, the last person he is expecting to see there shows up: his crush, Tsubaki! Is this the beginning of a dream come true?

Review:

After the last volume, Tasuku is still getting over his fight with Misora and worrying about what Tsubaki knows. This leads to Tsubaki suddenly helping out with the remodel business, and thus being around Tasuku a lot.

There's some interesting themes confronted in this volume. One of the characters at Cat Clutter is trans and this causes some issues when someone from his past shows up. And Tasuku gets to see when someone around him stands up for an lgbt issue during a conversation. While all of this is happening, he's growing closer to Tsubaki, only for Tsubaki to freak out about it because of his own denial issues.

This series is rough. The way these issues are handled are realistic and hard to take some times, but I'm so glad to see this kind of representation because of it. These issues shouldn't be denied and shameful in the way that they are here, and yet it's true still.

Highly recommend.

Manga Review: Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Volume 7, by Yu Tomofuji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sariphi has carried out her first official job as Acting Queen-giving a royal blessing to the newborn prince of the nation of Sarbur. That night, Leonhart summons her, and when they are alone, he tells Sariphi of his violent past, which only deepens their bond. But just as Sariphi is sure that nothing could ever come between them, she is tasked with an unthinkable duty...

Review:

In the first half of this volume, we get to see Sari and Leo being adorable together. They have a very important moment between them, addressing their future as well as Leo confessing some of his past to Sari. It's touching and beautiful, and in the following chapter, Sari makes something special for Leo.

At one point, I thought Leo was going in a different direction and it worried me, but I love how he explains himself to Sariphi. And it makes perfect sense where his stance on this is, and what he wants. It also just proves even more how perfect these two are for each other.

In the second half of the volume, Sari gets another task to prove her worth as acting queen consort, this time all by herself and away from Leo. This is a big moment for her, since they haven't been apart very much, and it could be a big job for her. We meet a new character in this volume, since Sari needs her own queen's guard, and only one person steps up to the plate for her. He's an interesting character, and there's clearly a type that Sari attracts to herself. Thankfully, though, she always sees through a tough exterior, and handles herself well in just about any situation.

I'm curious where this plot will go next, and am excited to see how well Sari handles it. I'm a little confused by what Anubis' motivation is at this point, since his inner monologue always seems to be about tripping Sari up and proving how terrible she is for this job, when he's also not sabotaging her any more and he seemed to have accepted her in some way. His internal threats to her just kind of seem empty now? Which makes me wonder what the point of them is, unless that's going to change some time soon.

Overall, loving this series still. It's sweet and beautiful and fun. Can't wait for the next one.

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.

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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: Blue Exorcist, Volume 22, by Kazue Kato

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 24+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 21. 23.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rin and his exorcist classmates are caught in a secret war against the forces of darkness.

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth – the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself.

The seals binding the artificial Gehenna Gate are broken, and the world is gripped by demonic chaos! As the Exwires try to figure out what to do without Rin and Yukio, and the Knights of the True Cross scramble to regroup, everyone seems lost. As nations around the world struggle to contain the outbreaks, Rin faces Mephisto, demanding to hear about his past. Mephisto couldn’t be more delighted to show Rin what happened all those years ago—but as Mephisto warns him, the story can only end in tragedy…

Review:

Yukio is off on a new adventure, and Shiemi's secrets are starting to be revealed. But all of that is left behind as Rin gets to confront his past, and thus see what happened with his mother.

Yukio is so stuck on being alone and wondering about the past, that he's spiraling and is forcing himself away from all of his friends and his brother. So of course, Rin needs to confront the past that he didn't think he wanted anything to do with. It actually makes sense, really.

We're also getting to connect some dots here. We're discovering what led to Rin and Yukio, and we're discovering what Lucifer is actually up to underneath all of this, as well.

Slow releases, of course, and this series can be rather complicated—but it feels like we're finally starting to get some answers to this mess that's happened.

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

Manga Review: Snow White with the Red Hair, Volume 2, by Sorata Akiduki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 21+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A romantic retelling of a classic fairy tale about a beautiful herbalist and a lovestruck prince.

Shirayuki is an herbalist famous for her naturally bright-red hair, and the prince of Tanbarun wants her all to himself! Unwilling to become the prince’s possession, she seeks shelter in the woods of the neighboring kingdom, where she gains an unlikely ally—the prince of that kingdom! He rescues her from her plight, and thus begins the love story between a lovestruck prince and an unusual herbalist.

Shirayuki begins her duties as a court herbalist apprentice in the castle, but her mentor is a bit odd. He’s quiet, shy, moody and…a child? Her first official duty is to accompany the prince to help quell an illness going around one of the forts that house Clarines soliders. Will she be able to discover the cause of the outbreak in time?

Review:

I had a hard time getting into the anime for this series, and I wasn't all that impressed with the first volume. I'm happy to say that this volume was better.

The first half was still very ehh. Shirayuki is getting into her role as herbalist, and Zen is the prince but also staying close when he can, trying to be around her without showing too much favoritism. They go on a trip that turns into Shirayuki helping him cure a town of sick people, in which they both have to understand their roles and do what's right. This was actually interesting in the second half.

We got a little more characteristics from his guards, but they're still just kind of background right now, there for some friendship fun moments.

But in the second half, Zen's older brother shows up, and that adds some drama. Izana and Zen don't quite get along, though I think we'll get more of that story in the future. Right now, this causes some issues for Shirayuki, as it's obvious Zen likes her and thus is a weakness for him.

This volume ended on a small cliffhanger that actually has me intrigued to read more.

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