Sara Campbell Comic Reviews

This classic manga feels very inspired by Dragon Ball, but without the bawdy humor that mars some of the earlier volumes of that series. Many of the same tropes exist here - mysterious wise sages come to offer training and advice, and young heroes face insurmountable odds. But Kawamata also shows emotional depth on more than one occasion and reminds readers that Arus is still a young child who grew up without the love of his parents. Kawamata and Fujiwara’s monsters also occasionally have emotional moments as they contemplate their actions and the benefits of blindly following a demon lord’s orders. A mark of a great story is getting lost in its pages and being sad when the volume is over — both of which happened during my reading experience.

This volume has some payoffs and beautiful ah-ha moments as we finally get explanations for how special Miyo is. Special thanks goes to Hazuki, Kudo’s sister, for explaining the dynamic between Kudo and Miyo and finally getting things through Kudo's thick skull because the two of them would be lost and helpless without her. There may be long periods of time between volumes in this series, so if you have die-hard readers waiting patiently, do them a favor and make sure the next volume is on your purchase list as soon as possible.

This is the fitting conclusion that brings closure to the blips of memories we've been seeing throughout the story and ties everything together with some satisfying time manipulation. The emotional stakes are also high, but this is a satisfying way to bring everyone to a climax and end it all in a tidy three-volume arc.

The beginning of this volume starts off with a flash back and some insight on Jeff, which is helpful and appreciated but slightly jarring considering the wall of text exposition we’re given and the place we left off in the first volume. Once it becomes clear the mangaka are diving into character work, these scenes are heartbreaking and emotional. Later, when Victoria gets into her teaching moments, it's clear she cares for Nonna, and her relationship is very sweet and uplifting. This volume is a roller-coaster of emotionally poignant scenes between family.

As readers have most likely been going along with Penelope's plan to dump all of her time and energy into one guy in what is supposed to be a reverse harem, this volume reminds readers that there is, in fact, more than one love interest, and Callisto has come to play. Penelope still has to do so much scheming and maneuvering even though she's so close, but the security she's been building around herself is really called into question. The creators have done a great job in this volume of keeping us on our toes and craving more from every interaction,

For readers who have been with this series since the beginning, there is a certain amount of suspense in this volume as we are nearing several key moments for dear Penelope. The creators have done a decent job of keeping the narrative tension high throughout this volume and providing ample opportunity for readers to be rooting for our dear protagonist (couldn't be heroine, could it?), but tragically, we are reminded of the title of the book a few times over the course of this volume -- that all of Penelope's scheming and best laid plans may all be for nothing, especially because she is her own worst enemy at times.

This is one of the most action-packed volumes of the series, and we finally get to see many of the characters get into the fray who have been talked about as being amazing or powerful and scary. Shirahama manages to still pack in plenty moments calling the entire structure of the witch and magic society into question as characters doubt the secrecy of magic while people suffer and are exposed to danger. Especially of note here was the separation of magic and healing between the witches and doctors.

We're continuing the intense battles from the last volume, and there are also some twists in this volume that I absolutely did not see coming! Thirteen volumes in and Shirahama can still surprise me. The entire dilemma with Cuestas breaks my heart, and I love how Shirahama continues to use him as the prime example for the struggle of witches keeping magic a secret. The conflicts between the Brimmed Hats and the Pointed Hats remains brutally intense in this volume with the clash between Qilfrey and Cuestas' "friend", and I cannot wait for volume 14 so we can resolve the cliffhanger from this volume.

There are some beautiful meta-moments on drawing and realizations from Coco about the importance of everything she’s learned so far that are bringing this story into some heartwarming full-circle moments for the readers. There was no Qilfrey in this volume to the disappointment of probably many fans and myself, but we did get a touch of Olruggio backstory that would be wonderful to explore in much greater depth.

This larger format, 10"+ sized manga is the perfect way to appreciate Sheng's gorgeously detailed illustrations and intense fighting throughout volume one. From the very first page, Sheng draws the reader in with a dark, viral moment that resonates with readers who are often caught in a cycle of scrollable content on their own devices. These reels often start off innocuous, just as Yan's did. Once we are hooked with this dark setting, Sheng doesn't let up with twist after twist of beautifully realized and choreographed fights. The mystery builds steadily and new characters are introduced skillfully and brought in with distinguished personalities, movements, and voicing. From start to finish, this was a wild, entertaining, beautiful ride, and the ending promises even more outlandish fun to come.

The humor and over-the-top reactions in this series continue to be my favorite. Mimi is definitely one to act first, think later, which nearly has consequences in this volume. Raimondo, Prince Renato’s advisor, is so serious and such a good balance to Mimi’s bombastic personality. Having the two of them flit about Renato like the angel/devil combo is wonderful, even though it's more like impulsive/sensible side of his conscience. This is a romance story at its core, but there is a lot of humor and a strong female lead that will appeal to young readers.

This volume continues to endear Mimi and her almost ingénue qualities despite other volumes where she kicks butt. In this volume, she's very naïve and somewhat needs saving, giving Renato a chance to be her hero for a change. Renato also has some pure and tender moments, which continue to show how wonderful and gentlemanly he is. If readers want a funny, sugary-sweet romance, this is the one for them.

The comedy keeps on coming in this volume with Mimi’s family being the stars this time around. There is a little bit of seemingly needless back and forth as we were just at Mimi's home, but now we have to go back with Renato. Nevertheless, there are some great moments in this volume. Mimi’s adorable little brother steals the show with some beautiful one-liners and heartfelt chibi eyes that will be sure to melt readers. Momoyo and Nagato keep us in suspense even more with the build up between the two leads. The pay off is going to be sweet. ​

The epic showdown is finally upon us between Asa and the monster, but Shota getting into the mix with his story line. Urasawa takes some twists and turns inspiration from his previous works, like Pluto, to heighten the intensity and reward longtime readers and fans of his work. Shota's plot line and his descent is in direct contrast to Asa's courageousness and relative success in her heroic story line. I was rooting for Shota to resist the entire time knowing he wouldn't, but I also was excitedly surprised to see the direction Urasawa took it in

This is absolutely over the top in a good way. Baki is full of outlandish fight scenes with elaborate and unbelievable power-ups and abilities that absolutely couldn't exist in real life. Baki himself is an overpowered and rather dopey, doe-eyed main character who has apparently seen some things but has still retained his innocence.

There is an entire connected curriculum for the Digital Lizards of Doom universe that has been piloted in several schools, and has been met with initial success amongst elementary students. The curriculum includes prompts for reading questions, writing, and stoking students' curiosity. There are also connected activity pages, but some teachers have used these more as inspiration for creating their own materials. Check out their website for more information and to hear success stories.

What a way to begin a series. Tension was immediately created from the first chapter with establishing a dark atmosphere and deception with Lady Bale. Camellia is forced into living a lie and the reader is along for this impossible life, waiting for the moment when everyone finds out the truth. There's a clear romantic interest set up as well, tantalizing readers for the reveal in that situation as well. The illustrations in this story are also very interesting. There are a lot of really beautiful panels drawn from interesting perspective that heighten tensions or show unique moments that I truly appreciated throughout the story.

Get ready to suspend some disbelief a little further because it’s not extremely clear why all of these gents want Camellius other than he’s pretty and they seem a little bored. Wade and Claude make it a bit of a competition, but Ian comes a bit out of nowhere with his obsession of Camellia/us based on what Kieran has conveyed of his sibling. Regardless, the romantic tension and build up hits differently in this series because many of the leads believe they are chasing a male, so this might scratch a little bit of an itch for BL readership as well as shōjo fans. The art is exceptionally beautiful with gorgeous coloring.

While we didn’t get much forward progress in the storyline in this volume, we did get to see Camellius dress as a woman, which compounded many of the male figures complexes and feelings for Camellius. We also learned Ian’s intentions. Camellia was put in a terrifying situation with a potential predator and only Claude saw the danger despite repeated warnings. Our lead character also got a few opportunities to stand up for themselves, which was gratifying. The many layers of Camellia switching gender via clothing aligns beautifully with the many switches in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, which would provide an interesting opportunity for readalikes.

This body swap story reminds readers that everyone has challenges, and not to assume what other people are going through. Ukazu develops deep characters who are navigating the difficulties of high school, and through them reveal the issues of privilege, equity, and overall lessons in loving ourselves. The line art is clean and minimalist, keeping the focus on the events. Even with few facial details, Ukazu conveys much of the story with a wide range of emotions.

Since we've only been able to see Frieren and her original party in flashbacks, this is an exciting opportunity to witness the dynamic in a longer, uninterrupted narrative. Within the flashbacks, we haven't had as much of a chance to get to know Eisen the Dwarf, so has opportunity to have more page time in this volume. As with volume 11, this ended on a huge cliffhanger, so Yamada-san really knows how to bate the readers into desperately needing the next volume.

The art on this series continues to blow me away with beautifully original fight sequences and electric paneling that make every page extremely captivating. Even the most emotionally gripping moments become intense and hyper realized because of the dark lines, disproportionate characters, and distorted movement. All of it flows and works brilliantly to make a unique reading experience that captures punk rock on the page.

Much of this title is very intense and hyper-realistic, but grippingly engaging. Sugimoto and Asirpa are a fantastic duo - Asirpa is knowledgable about the natural world, while Sugimoto is exceedingly violent and keenly aware of the twistedness of his fellow man. The premise is slightly absurd, but Noda brings you in with this captivating tale and heartfelt motivation for Sugimoto that you can't help but be swept up immediately and along for the ride. The art is also extremely realistic with exquisitely detailed scenery in large panels and spreads that are beautiful to behold.

I loved the cultural richness of visiting Asirpa's village and learning more about the Ainu people in this volume. Asirpa is a fascinating character and steals most of the scenes she's in despite Sugimoto also being a compelling character. Noda has created some great tension by pitting Sugimoto's need to protect Asirpa against his need of her skills, as I predict he won't last long in the wilderness without her.

This beautiful full color manga for all ages is encouraging and sweet. As the two work through the audition process, a lot of attention is given to idol culture and its impact on Japanese society, but enough explanation is given that young readers will be able to understand the differences between idols and pop stars in North America. There are beautiful illustrations of dancing and singing that are brought to life with a pastel color pallet and vibrant illustration style that make this manga engaging and energetic.

The connection between Keito and Fujinaga in this first volume is beautiful and inspiring. Keito notes that Fujinaga is patient and always repeats when he accidentally looks away or forgets to show Keito his lips. This sweet moment caused me to reflect on times I have not been patient in my life and makes me want to do better next time. These empathy-building moments are extremely important for readers. Also, the illustrations of Fujinaga signing and becoming lost in the moment, especially when his story takes life -- those pages were transformative. The illustrations were beautifully realized and fluid. I hope we can all create a human connection that personal and meaningful. This was a great beginning to a beautiful story, and one worthy of inclusion because of its captivating moments AND its disability representation.

As it begins, this is a story about a young girl trying to find her grandma and learning who her grandma really is, but this deceptively deep story is so much more than that. Hidden within a fantastical adventure with complex magical creatures are two young girls struggling with their families and the pressures they face from their familial expectations. Readers can draw their own real-life parallels -- pressures to choose the right career path and college, pressure to choose a pathway in school at a younger and younger age, and so on. Lu and Ren also have disagreements but come back together in healthy and supportive ways that model good communication and positive friendship. To top all of this off, the animals are adorable and colorful, perfect for fans of O'Neill's The Tea Dragon Society who might be slightly older now.

This behind-the-scenes tell-all provides intimate details about George’s struggles to get people to believe in the epic many of us readers know and love. I appreciated reading the different versions of the script and loved watching these be depicted panel-by-panel as the creators assumed their readers would understand the differences to the final movie. The narration and dialogue partner together to create a blend of showing and telling that make this feel less like watching a documentary.

​The art throughout this volume is very beautiful. The coloring is bright and vibrant, especially the vibrant greens that pop in a world full of dark hues. Within a few pages, the Mundt creates an environment where you feel Camille’s high stakes and the pressure of her family’s expectations. Her cousin takes a bit of a back seat in the second half of the volume to make way for Camille’s journey of self-discovery, which is necessary but it’s an unfortunate punishment for a fun character. Hopefully, we see more of her in volume two.

This volume begins with quite a bit of action and some much deserved backstory for Amelia who, until this point, has been traveling with Akira for unknown reasons other than just helping a person who seems like they could defeat the Demon King. Now that she has a little more development, we need to see a bit more time devoted to Akira's classmates to make them fully individual people.

This volume focuses more on Amelia and develops her character and personality more than previous volumes. We see her grow and struggle as a companion to Akira while she tries to find her usefulness as a party member to a person who is very powerful. I appreciate Amelia trying to find her place, as this is something I have tried to figure out for a few volumes. There is a bit of "food manga" asides in this volume as Amelia  prepare delicious-looking meals for herself, Crow, and Night. The ending of this volume is quite a nasty cliffhanger, so I, and other readers enjoying this series, am eager to read the next volume.

This deceptively complex, emotionally rich series continues to build upon the themes and layers of character development from previous volumes by providing ample opportunities for Abigail and Sabrian to be fully realized characters. We get a few beautiful moments between Blanche and Abigail as well, though not nearly enough page time for Blanche in this volume. Sabrian's other family members also come into this one to complicate things -- his older brother, who is probably up to something, and the shadow of his mother threatens the final few pages, leaving readers on a menacing cliffhanger.

What I love about this series is just how much we get in each volume without feeling overwhelmed or rushed. Mo9Rang has mastered a pacing that keeps everything flowing by introducing one major crisis at a time to focus the tension on while developing character relationships. There are still through-lines and ongoing story points that carry from volume to volume, but readers are able to move at a decent pace as Mo9Rang gives each thing weight and a seriousness that these topics deserve.

More elements of the Snow White tale, along with other classic fairy tale tropes, have come into play here, which was a nice reminder that this story is ultimately a retelling. The last few volumes have focused more on the relationships between the characters and less on the fairy tales, so the tropes didn't feel overplayed. There is also a touching moment with Abigail where we get another look at her past life that reinforces some of the painful things we already knew. The scenes will resonate with readers as Abigail works through her doubt and self-worth.

The body image issues are back but Abigail isn’t so sure of herself this time. The struggle to maintain a positive sense of self-worth will definitely hit home with readers. Some days, it's harder than others remain confident and not give in to the negative comments. This volume reminds us that even those who seem assured may be struggling, and we should be positive to everyone. Abigail also turns fashion of this world upside down yet again and does something scandalous, which is always great. We're also into the miscommunication trope of shōjo manga, so be prepared, readers!

In previous volumes, this series tackled heavy topics like body issues, eating disorders, and self-esteem. In this volume, the creators wade into the topics of LGBTQ+ issues, particularly gendered fashion, gender roles, and transgender issues. Some of it is subtle, like calling out gendered shoes and asking why women's shoes are impractical and painful compared to men's shoes that are comfortable and sensible. The creators use the mermaid culture of this fantasy world to ask these questions that one could say is examining humanity, or it could just be a fantasy world.

This story is part culinary manga, with fine details about food preparation, preserving, seasonings, and descriptors of flavor and taste, but it's also part relationship and romance manga, where the two leads showcase open communication and flirtatiousness that makes me smile. There have been many stories recently with the trope of rescuing a young lady from a less-than-ideal home life, whisking her away to a better situation where she can heal and thrive, and it's a storyline I will read over and over again. This story brings Delicious in Dungeon together with elements of My Happy Marriage, and as a fan of both series, I'm here for more delectable sounding monster dishes and wholesome romance content.

There was a lot of food preparation in this volume and tons of discussion around how to properly butcher and serve fish. Despite this being a monster, the culinary properties of the zanas were the same as many other fish. Melphie and Lord Aristide have some very touching moments as their romance is deepening, and there is and some light teasing that will delight shōjo fans. We also delve into the backstory of Lord Aristide a bit more, and I’m very excited to finally learn more about him. This volume does not fail to deliver on the continued themes of this series of food manga, romance manga, with a dash of comedy.

Volume two is even more hilarious than volume one. Much of the focus is on Mogari and Korekishi’s plight, so unfortunately Tamon and Kaoru take a little bit of a backseat in this one. Neoshoco does have a flair for introducing funny characters with something interesting about them, so this means we get a stoic ASB president who is a paranormal fanboy with lots of internal monologue, and Mogari's family member who acts like an excited tourist. These bits of comedy are beautifully executed, though this volume could have done with a little bit more paranormal activity.

The creative team is back for another beautifully illustrated and colored adventure for our lovely heroine, and this time they got to bring some other amazing DC characters with them. The only knock I have for this fun adventure is how hard-headed Ashley is and how many times she makes the same mistake, but that also seems very on brand for a young teenager. Otherwise, this is a great, fast-paced superhero adventure to especially hand to fans who want to see girls getting into the mix of a male-dominated superhero world.

At first, the premise seems convoluted and a fairly in depth — the prologue to set up the soul’s journey is nearly a full chapter without clear explanation as to why we are receiving so much exposition. But the payoff is worth it for those who stick around. Not only is the art beautiful throughout, the stories are touching and skillfully crafted. There are fantastical creatures and magical moments seamlessly woven into every day life, but the fantasy sits in compliment to stories that have much deeper, human connections. The mangaka expresses and explores grief on many levels and touches upon some intimate human fears and emotions, such as belonging, loss, and family.

This is a fantastic full circle moment for readers who have been on this journey from the beginning because we finally get to go back to where it all began and confront the powerful monster that kicked this all off. It's nice to see how much Jinwoo himself has leveled over the volumes considering how weak he was when he first walked through this duneon. This volume provides a lot of interesting answers and insights into how Jinwoo came into the power that he has and why the "system" has developed into what it is.

After the big lore dump of last volume, get ready for more! This one gets into the age old struggle for power between the monarchs and rulers, and because of the similarities of the terms, it was a bit I had to read twice. There are some consequential decisions in this one that make me wish this really was a was a video game where I could play out the different choices and see which one really is the “correct” choice, but the power of good storytelling in this volume is I don’t know what the consequences are for Jinwoo, and I'm excited to see the outcomes.

Things are coming to a head in the battle between the Monarchs and the Rulers even though not all of the Monarchs have come at Jinwoo at once, which means there’s an even bigger battle to come.  We’re starting to see some payoffs from many volumes ago, which is always satisfying. However, I’m disappointed overall that the female characters all seem to be throwaways. We haven’t seen Hunter Cha for many volumes, and she shows up here for a throwaway moment only to be discarded quickly.

So many answers and payoffs are finally happening in this penultimate volume! Some of the answers may not be fully satisfying, but at least the story is starting to knit itself together. The action sequences are still enjoyable and very cinematic. However, the major detractor of the series continues to be the disposable female characters. As this is all about Jinwoo and his journey, every other side character is on the sidelines, including his potential love interest. That side story has been completely abandoned, and Hunter Cha is all but forgotten.

Getting to see Loid in action is always a treat, and the build-up of intensity in this volume is particularly well executed. The tense cliffhanger ending will absolutely frustrated readers and have them reaching for the next volume as soon as it's available. I personally enjoy when Yor and Twilight are opposed to one another because of the suspense Endo draws into their scenes. Yor's insecurities in this volume with her relationship and being perceived by others are hilarious and adorable, particularly as an adult, but some teen readers might relate to what she's going through.

This single-volume story has wonderful pacing and drew me in from the very beginning. It became clear very quickly that there were multiple levels of a mystery to be sorted out and that many things were not as they originally seemed. There is a steady amount of character development for the child inspector and both of the potential parents he is investigating. Horoyama creates a whirlwind of emotions for the characters that had me feeling mixed emotions right up until the twist ending.

While most of this volume was backstory into Haretake and not focused on moving forward with Konosuke or Tsuki, I'm actually excited to learn so much about the antagonist and pleasantly surprised at how in depth we're getting and how soon. Normally, this level of deep dive is saved for the closing of the series when you're meant to build empathy for the bad guy right before he's run through or something. Matsuura continues to impress me with the level of commitment given to building each character and providing a rich contribution to the world at the same time.

This trip into Haretake’s background has enriched this storyline and finally revealed our big-bad's full motivation, but it has also shed some much needed light on the world and set the high stakes for Tsuki’s situation. Konosuke understands the gravity of what he has stepped into, and to some extend, so does the reader. The mystical world has become much wider than a man with a strange curse against metal with weird people chasing after him, though the allure Tsuki first saw as Konosuke as her source of protection is still a bit of a mystery. Matsuura has beautiful illustrations and world building for those who can stick through the complicated names and the layers it's taken to set this stage.

Tenroku is given nearly an entire volume of dedicated backstory exploration and character development, and I appreciate all of it. This level of dedication to building empathy for side characters and villains reminds me of the time and dedication spent to all characters in Demon Slayer. Matauura is an amazing storyteller who ​can makes readers care for even the most despicable villain. This type of storytelling does detract slightly from the main quest, so we don't get to see as much of Tsuki in this volume.

This volume is mainly a large battle between the two sides that has been building up for several volumes since Konosuke has been hot on their tail for a while, and the payoff is sweet. The spell casting is fun to see and it’s rewarding to watch Konosuke finally be able to use some of the abilities he has been learning along his journey. Bokutake's background is tragic, as have most of the character backstories so far, but not as dark and gruesome as some of the others in previous volumes.

The illustrations in this series were always beautiful, but the level of detail and coloring in this volume have reached a new level. The clothing design in this and stunning details on make up and hair is what truly made this volume stand out above the others. Junepurrr provided one heck of a sympathetic backstory for Raizo, but it's not enough to excuse the despicable things he's doing in the present. This is definitely one complicated villain! And, in previous volumes, there has been a reason to have two camps: Team Kyro and Team Aaron. After this volume, there can only be one camp moving forward. The storytelling in this volume has stepped up significantly.

As the pressure to figure out Daijin’s plan ramps up, the suspense builds in this story, and the emotional stakes are very high. This volume gets intense and leaves on a gut-wrenching moment, particularly for those who haven’t seen the movie and know what all of this is leading up to. Some of the conflict brewing in Souta is lost in this format compared to the movie version, but there’s still plenty to grapple with in the manga. This story has the distinction of being one of the few that actually brings me to tears.

This is very cute and Felia is infectiously bubbly and optimistic. She has an uncanny ability to come out on top and read every social situation correctly. She's constantly prepared, which might be a little too convenient at times, but it's also refreshing to see every scheme of every bully fall flat on its face. She's quick witted as well, so her banter and come-backs are biting and have just the right amount of sting to them that they don't come off as overly rude. This is a cute romance that doesn't have many of the frustrating slow-burn aspects of many manga romances.

So much happens in this volume, and we learn so many important details about several important houses, Tia’s father and mother, more interesting tidbits of history, and some consequential moments between main characters! Everything is coming to a boiling point and the tension is exciting! There are still some loose ends to figure out, but this beautiful series ramping up towards an interesting conclusion.

As much as Tia has steeled herself against loving any of the many boys who have vied for her heart, it pains me to see her walled off from even Ross, who is trying so hard to protect her and be there for her every step of the way. The twists in this volume regarding Jieun and Tia’s mother were satisfying payoffs to have after waiting so long. INA is finally starting to see some of the hard work of tying together storylines that have been laid down throughout the series, and I'm eagerly anticipating the culmination of everything coming together at the end.

It's clear by volume two that Yako intends to take care of Nanao and that she is much shafe in her new home than what we saw in volume one with the Byakurenji clan, which warms my heart. However, Yako is still mysterious, and there is some misunderstandings between Nanao and Yako, which are guaranteed to keep readers invested.The chemistry between Yako and Nanao is a little steamier as they are already a little physical by volume two, so readers who have been frustrated by the slow pace of other romance series will be pleasantly surprised here. Pages are full of gorgeously detailed clothing, scenery, and tender moments between the two leads.

Fujimaru consistently illustrates Akemi as an over-the-top villain with outlandish facial expressions conveying her childish anger and temper tantrums. In this volume, she finally gets her satisfying comeuppance as all of her amateur schemes come crashing down around her. I’d feel a little more sympathetic for her and the terrible situation she was forced into if she wasn’t just a horrible person.

The mangaka has really done their homework in terms of encapsulating some American divisive discourse, and parts of this volume were starting to give me anxiety from the tension. There are uncensored f-bombs throughout, and the mangaka doesn’t hold back -- there’s racism (though, thankfully censored n-words), and a brutal school shooting in this volume. There is a lot here to cause readers anxiety, but there is something to be said about art imitating life in this series. I hope this series causes readers to reflect if they feel uncomfortable, and causes discussions to arise about how we can treat living creatures all over with more respect and dignity. Hats off for moving me and causing me emotional responses.

What a dark, twisted, but poignant story. This story says a lot without saying much at all. There’s sparse dialogue throughout, and the illustrations are haunting.  There are dark lines and lots of maddening scribbles conveying the chaotic hopelessness. The older man makes the story very tense, which could serve as fodder for discussion with readers. The symbolism is rich in this story, and this one would be good to discuss with a literature class, especially one that specializes in dystopian literature.

There are finally some beautiful moments of emotional payoff that we have been waiting volumes to see! Some of my favorites include: Soveishu having to eat his humble crow to grovel and beg for forgiveness only for Navier to tell him he’s an idiot; Rashta spurning Navier’s advice and having tons of things blow up in her face; and Navier having some happiness with Heinrey. Because of all the misfortune all series, I am always waiting for a shoe to drop as I read, especially when Navier is happy or getting her way, but I’m hoping Navier just gets to bask in some pettiness for a moment.

Rashta continues to be her irritating and terrible self, though Sovieshu might be starting to see some of her horrible tendencies. The big wedding is finally here for Navier, including all the wonderful anticipation that comes with it for readers — Navier’s gorgeous wedding gown and her ball gown to follow were exactly what I had hoped for with a series that emphasizes beautiful dresses and fine details on clothing. Plus, Navier and Heinrey finally become intimate more than the simple hands brushing that we've seen so far, including some

In this volume, we get to see Heinrey and Navier's relationship deepen as Navier finally starts opening up to her new husband. There might even be some moments to garner sympathy for Rashta after everything terrible she's done all series. There are still many political machinations going on, this time in two different courts, so it's quite a lot to keep track of with these large breaks between installments in the series. This is still beautifully illustrated and colored, and wonderfully entertaining for those readers who enjoy political intrigue as a main plot device.

Villainess stories are very popular at this moment, and here's another entry in the reverse-harem trope where Luciana, at this point in time, not particularly liked by all of the love interests. What I enjoyed about this take on the reincarnation story is that the main character's advanced knowledge of the game seems to fail her very quickly, and unexpected things happen or characters behave in ways that she does not anticipate. This keeps the narrative fresh and doesn't make her as overpowered as other entries in the regressor field of stories. The art in this story is also fantastic and extremely detailed.

The artwork of this series is very soft and full of beautiful people, especially beautiful young men. All of the clothing is elaborate and filled with billowing, puffy dresses, and there are tons of flowers everywhere, especially once a character like Wisteria is on the scene. There is opportunity for the storyline to get lost in its shōjo tropes, but the creators instead use some well loved tropes to their advantage to fill their pages with gorgeous artwork and an endearing story.

As an outsider in need of a fresh start away from the accusations of what happened to her friend at her previous school, Abby is easy to empathize with. Abby's frustration mounts when this begins to be another situation where girls are just supposed to be quiet and not upset institutional powers. The remote setting of the school intensifies the trope of youth naïveté. Readers will enjoy uncovering the harrowing truth hidden by the seemingly elite student theater group alongside Abby and Claire, revealing that some secrets are deadly to keep, and making This Place Kills Me a strong addition for social justice and activism units.

The ghoul hunters themselves don’t feel like altruistic “good guys” making this story a great example of examining true protagonists and antagonists that don’t fit the traditional stereotypes. One of the ghoul hunters is as creepy as the ghouls and relishes in the kill nearly as much, so the philosophical discussions continue in this volume about motivation, humanity, and right vs. wrong/good vs. evil. There could be some great morality conversations and connections with other literary works, like Crime and Punishment or A Picture of Dorian Gray.

There are some beautifully subtle story points Ishida uses in singular panels that express so much meaning, and the storytelling and suspense that’s being built through those moments is masterful. The visual imagery is powerfully conveyed, like one panel showing a wedding ring on a finger to hint to the audience that a character might have had have a whole family waiting for them. While this volume has a lot of fighting going on, there are so many other things happening as well thanks to the complexity of the investigators and the struggle of morality Kaneki is going through. As readers, do we know who the true "good guys" are? The investigators are not really portrayed as altruistic characters, nor are these ghouls fully evil, so the struggle all around is masterfully executed.

After some intense fighting, this is a great volume full of world-building and character development where we are introduced to several other side characters who are interesting and will definitely make things even more complicated for Kaneki. To drive things home even more how despicable ghouls can be, they offer up Kaneki to this absolute creep, Shu, who will no doubt give readers the heeby-geebies. Once again, I am absolutely enjoying the play of morality and the dance Ishida is doing making readers question who really is good because, aside from Kaneki, every character is morally bankrupt in this story.

The first half of this volume is an intense battle with many “power ups” as ghouls break out their kagune against each other. Ishida provides a nice balance in this volume with Rize's backstory and focusing on the CCG's investigations and inner workings. There's also a moment bouncing back to Anteiku Cafe so we can see how the ghouls recovered from their devastating fight. The story pacing is good once again even if this volume doesn't have quite as much depth philosophically as some of the other volumes. There are some some moments that defy expectations and allow for some discussion, such as the definition of beauty, and continuing the conversation of good vs. evil.

Maxi clearly needs some healing and a lot of time to deal with her trauma. Her delicate and sympathetic nature makes her a relatable character, but also one that readers will want to reach in and wrap in a hug. This is a great candidate for a New Adult section despite the publisher rating of 16+ because a good amount of the plot is spent on the two sneaking away to continue their marital duties, as Maxi refers to it. The scenes themselves are mostly covered or blocked so there isn't nudity in this volume, but things are pretty heated for most of the story. The illustrations themselves are beautifully colored and full of gorgeous fantasy details -- lovely dresses, elaborate castles, and, of course, handsome knights running around everywhere.

There are a few poignant and well conveyed moments of Maxi’s anxiety, depression, and self-doubt that make this comic powerful in showcasing mental disorders. Riftan often doesn't pry or delve deeper with Maxi, but there are a few instances in this volume when he does, and it is heartbreaking. In between the action where Riftan is showing off his temper and the carnal urges where he can't keep his hands to himself, the two are starting to form a relationship on a intellectual level that I hope continues to evolve in the next volumes.

Hayan continues to be epically strong and awesome, while pretty much everyone else in her life is letting her down. So much of this volume focuses on Euntae and his past, which was tragic, sad, and left me with some mixed emotions. I’m appreciative of the deep dive we finally got on him because he’s been a bit of an enigma, but it also left me feeling more like Hayan has no one to trust. This series is riveting, violent, a little creepy, and so much more. I am hooked on rooting for Hayan as the over-powered hero, and invested in learning more about all of these powerful vampires she has to take down.

The first thing that drew me into this BL manga was the beautifully designed cover and dazzling art. The character designs for Sirius and Ombre and gorgeous. Ombre is the perfectly quintessential brooding male, constantly scowling, lead while Sirius is the typical innocent, pretty boy. Sirius can sometimes lack definition, however. Soutome's beautiful details also extend to the forest scene surrounding her characters. Illustrations aside, Ombre and Sirius are both sympathetic characters battling a lifetime of hurt, and seeing them come together to heal is satisfying. There are a few unfortunate time jumps that skip over interesting points in the narration but this is potentially due to forcing this into a single volume.  Fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope will appreciate this single-volume payoff.

This deceptively simple manga packs an emotional punch that is poignant and hits on a sensitive subject for many in our world. As global events are ever-present and violence is continuously part of our every-day life, many people have real fears of bringing another life into this world. This manga would also be an interesting tool to spark discussion about how historical moments impact and cascade outward and impact people across the globe; Sara didn't know and had no interaction with Malala, so why was she so deeply moved by what happened to her? Having students examine that level of empathy and impact would lead to some interesting discussions.

Aso is really pulling out the emotional stops with this volume, and readers would do well to remember not to have favorite characters in a battle royale type storyline. This volume also leans more into the mature rating that the series was given as there is an attempted sexual assault, and the psychological horror and violence is much more intense. As with the first volume, Aso is not afraid to show characters die, bleed, or be tortured right on the page.

In this volume, Aso balances the intensity and narrative flow with interspersing backstory of different side characters while moving the plot forward with intense action. There's also some reprieve from the violence with a side story involving an unknown character that shows Aso's strength in character development. Some sexual violence in this volume continues to keep this elevated as an Adult title, and the level of violence and intensity of psychological turmoil remains as high in this volume as previous entries.

What started out as a somewhat carefree, kind of slice-of-life buddy adventure ended as a bit of a mystery with some twists along the way. There’s a dash of food-manga for posterity, highlighting traditional Irish dishes Aria cooks for herself and Gwyn, and some beautiful illustrations to round it all out. There's enough intrigue here to pique readers' interest, but it's also very cute and full of heart. Everything so far is sweet and rather innocent, though it's hard to say if it will get darker later based on the small crumbs of mystery we have so far. Aika mixes beautiful scenery illustrations, delicious-looking food, and some cutesy reactions every so often for Gwyn and Aria.

This story is full of food puns and wise cracks at the expense of our titular characters, and there are plenty of jokes for all ages, including the adults who might be reading this with their kids. Only one pun receives an editorial note, and its explanation may still require readers to know the difference between nuts and legumes. Humor aside, the chemistry and camaraderie between Peanut and Jelly is as wholesome as Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc. -- friends supporting each other through lofty goals and working through difficult challenges as they arise. Perry's bright animation-style illustrations give characters lots of energy throughout and heighten the overall silliness without crossing into caricature.

Itagaki blends character backstory in between brutal fight sequences to balance world-building in a way that creates suspense for the fights overall. We slowly learn about this scary opponent as Itagaki doles out information to make him creepier as the fight goes on, ramping up our concern for Baki’s safety. There are also some nice tid-bits throughout this volume of Baki’s past and we get a taste for why Baki is putting himself through all these fights. However, some of the wonderful side characters from volume one are completely absent in this volume.

To begin, this title seemed like a regressor to Beatrice/Chloe, but there's another twist that brings in another past life in Korea. The real-world connection comes much later in the volume, perhaps as a way to be different than other regressor titles. Instead, it hits as a bit jarring because it's a second stab at a previous life and becomes billed as Chloe having even more convenient background knowledge to help her in her current environment. Once the narrative begins to weave all of Chloe's talents, everything smooths out and makes me wish that there were hints to Korea at the beginning of the volume. On the positive side, Chloe is sweet, hardworking, and caring. There's most likely going to be a romance, but it's a slow burn that will build over multiple volumes.

this is a heartbreaking and sweet story about two broken souls who will hopefulyl find some acceptance with each other despite their harsh upbringing. Haruichi sets good boundaries and seems to be hoping to round out Tsubaki’s education and life skills so that she’s not set up for failure later in life. There are a lot of positive moments of healing for both of them while they try to wrestle with the trauma they've been dealt by their families.

This fun take on the Journey to the West mythology provides a familiar setting for ZENZO's artwork to shine.  Within a relatively few pages, ZENZO creates tension and builds enough of a connection with Goku where I already feel upset that Sanzo has betrayed his trust. Emotions are well conveyed throughout the illustrations, and I particularly liked the use of shading and screen tones to portray the different textures within the mountain setting.

Any kid who has moved, lost their friends, and/or experienced some culture shock will empathize with Lilico’s struggles to find her place in her new school and figure out where she belongs now. Misako draws on some familiar tropes of childhood friendship, falling out, and the need to fit in pushing us to make difficult choices. Each of these difficult topics is treated with compassion and care, and given weight, not dismissed as "childish" or insignificant as sometimes can happen with stories concerning growing up. The coloring is very soft and pastel throughout, which, coupled with the subject matter, provides a comforting quality to the story.

In this volume, there are more tropes typical to childhood stories -- sorting feelings, figuring out who you are -- but Emma has to work on her relationship with her family more than what we saw in the first volume with Lilico. Also, Emma has a lot of complicated emotions about how her family impacts her identity and being able to fully feel her range of emotions, especially as it relates to being able to fully express herself when she feels frustrated and unsupported by her family members. These difficult transitional periods are common amongst tween and teen readers, and I think a lot of them will relate to the struggles Emma is facing on and off the basketball court.

Seasoned readers of BL will clue in pretty quickly why Taesung didn't want Haebom to live with them, but less experienced readers might be along for the ride on this slow-burn romance. As Taesung begins to stand up for Haebom and show his protectiveness, the story becomes very sweet. Haebom's bullies are pretty one-dimensional and classic stereotypes, so there is a part of me that hopes we are done with them so they can be gone, but another part of me hopes that they can come back and have some more depth or development and not just be a trope. Bamwoo has put a lot of effort into Taesung and Haebom to make them relatable and likeable, but so far, other characters are only around to serve as plot points or decoration. Regardless, romance fans will enjoy the misunderstandings and revelations between the two leads as they finally understand and open up to each other about years of unrequited love.

The budding relationship between the Lord of the Underworld and our strong willed apothecary takes a few steps forward in this volume, but it’s still progressing at a glacial pace. It was also enjoyable to see the Celestial Realm and involve more gods from the pantheon, even if the goddesses were running Colette ragged with their demands. The story line overall has a slow and pleasant atmosphere, which makes the two-in-one volumes worth the investment for romance fans wanting a long-form story to sink their teeth into.

Some of the advice is specific to Japanese cosplay events and may not be as applicable, but the book is still a solid primer for creating costumes and getting into the cosplay culture. Another challenge with creating nonfiction content is that some of the websites listed will become defunct or not be available in North America, or will be links to Japanese websites without international shipping. Regardless, the sentiments are still consistent, such as finding some pre-made pieces versus hand-making all pieces, or researching costumer makers available to your local region. Despite the challenges of localizing something that's specifically made for a community in Japan, this title still provides insight into a popular community that readers in North America are interested in.

Creepy Cat, like many other cat protagonists in manga, is often hilarious, but at times can be a bit ghastly. This story has the right amount of horror to appeal to younger audiences and provide them with a bit of scary while not being completely nightmare-fuel. The format is narratively connected, mostly 4-panel (yonkoma) comics, which makes the overall storyline a bit choppy but lends the voicing to a juvenile, children's comic playfulness. Valent's art is drenched in dark colors to set the gothic mood, but there are plenty of pastels and whites to stay connected to black-and-white manga.

As a consummate Fullmetal Alchemist fan, I'm constantly holding every Arakawa series up to that standard, and it's an unfair bar to set. I went into this series pleasantly surprised to be reading another fantasy series, but the twist halfway through this volume had me reeling... not so pleased at first, but with some space and reflection, I'm actually glad that Arakawa chose to make this an entirely different series from previous outings. The suspense and character development in the first volume has me invested enough to continue reading, even if this wasn't the fantasy action I was initially promised.

Now that the narrative is more or less settled after the shocking turn in volume one, things are starting to get interesting and Arakawa is able to establish the magic system with the daemons and their wielders in a bit more of a logical sense. The action in this volume is easy to follow as the daemons move in pairs and are often a foil or compliment to one another. There's a lot about this story that reminds me of Ceres: Celestial Legend with twins on competing sides of a celestial battle, so I'm getting very nostalgic with the storyline.

After a little more info dumping, we finally get some forward progress and a clear direction into where the story is going to go and potentially who some of the bad guys are. The powers the twins have still isn’t fully clear, but there’s enough groundwork to get the narrative rolling. This volume also has some more classic Arakawa humor as Yuru explores his new surroundings and figures out the “magic” of the strange world he now finds himself in.

The pacing and action in this volume have definitely improved over volume one. The level of violence and people dying is pretty steady, with some of the most gruesome bits happening just off the page, but there are still plenty of bloody scenes happening right in full view to make this a grisly body horror title. This story is great for battle royale style fans, like if there was actually death to Blue Lock.

This truly is a wacky adventure with tons of silliness that is bound to make kids laugh and giggle. There are some fun one-liners that bring internet culture in and are definitely references for the adults to enjoy (like the throwback to “I’m not you buddy, pal!”). The illustrations in this volume add more comics-style paneling into the mix, and there are some clever reasons given for why the illustration style changes (someone switched the graphics card on Pineapple Pete!). The fidelity to the bit (video games) is admirable and will encourage re-reads to pick up on all the little Easter eggs. This volume has a little sophomore slump in managing two plotlines between Dizzy's crew and Commander E.K.O. where the first volume kept the pace exhilarating throughout, but younger readers likely won't notice.

After sixteen volumes of bawdy humor and tournament fighting, plus fetch quests and training in martial arts, not to mention Goku being descended from a monkey, Toriyama flips the narrative on its head by changing Goku’s origin story. Holy Ret-con batman! As much as Dragon Ball was about fighting, Dragon Ball Z takes the fighting and turns it up to 11 by introducing increasingly more powerful foes for Goku to fight, and higher stakes for him to overcome. DBZ is also quintessentially what people think of when they think of Dragon Ball. While some of the charm and mythos of the overall story is lost, as well as the historical fights, from starting with what is essentially volume 17, there is a bit of a soft reset on the series where Toriyama allows for new readers to join in the fun and put behind them some of the humor that doesn't stand the test of time.

Similarly to Horimiya, these two teens find themselves becoming vulnerable and real with someone outside of school, but there's more romance earlier on in this series. Horimiya also seemed a little more grounded, while Otogi and Toki have a little more whimsy to their personalities and fanciful character designs. The expressive character reactions bring in humorous elements and dramatic moments, heightening the comedy of this story.

This adorable book reads like a picture book with very scarce text outside of text boxes, and there are ridiculously cute illustrations of cats doing all sorts of fun activities. Occasionally, there’s a precious little puppy or other animals thrown in, but everything is fluffy and fuzzy. This is a lot longer than a traditional picture book, but it’s broken up in sections between the traveling section and the food section where there is a distinctive shift in narrative style. When Mufosand is sharing favorite dishes, it’s not really a story anymore. The traveling chapters are still short and manageable for younger readers, but it might be good to chunk this up and take chapter breaks.

This story was really compelling and enjoyable, particularly the use of the trope of the mentally unstable love interest (possibly "kichidere" or even "yandere"). The mental gymnastics and sparring that went back and forth between Satoko and Shinpei was an entertaining game of chicken that will either aggravate readers or have them giggling. There is one moment of attempted sexual assault when Satoko's captors threaten her before Shinpei steps in. Between that an some of the tėte-a-tėte, this might be better for older romance readers.

Hime is larger than life and over the top in her reactions and protectiveness of Akira that bring humor to this title. Despite the theatrics, there are some deeper, touching moments and introspective dialogue that invite the reader to examine gender expression, especially in the importance of clothing and how that contributes to others' perception of us. Takase's illustrations rely on heavy outlining and can be comical at times, but character designs are adorably done.

Occasionally, it's refreshing to find characters who are not instantly skilled at everything and to see that they'll need to grind their way through something. There are so many storylines where reborn characters are given everything they need and they just have to discover their skills. Poor Scarlet here had her booty handed to her! This volume was definitely more comical than the first, but Graveweaver still hooked me with the development of Scarlet in this volume. The mystery around the Red Spades in this volume is supremely intriguing, so hopefully we get to find out more about them in volume 3.

This volume is full of action but it also showcases Ichi’s creativity. Thanks to the different trials that he has to go through, we really get to see that he’s not all just action and sword. There are many funny moments between all of the witches, but it seems Desscaras has that permanent look of disappointment/ embarrassment that is featured on the cover. Despite being in her care, Ichi is constantly putting Desscaras in a position to be embarrassed in front of her colleague witches (in a funny way for all of us readers)

It was so satisfying to see Mio take charge and create a plan that protected other unhumans, rather than continue to be a helpless girl in constant need of saving. While she was still a bit of a damsel in distress for a moment, she still used her powers to protect people and was able to show her strength in front of a powerful king. She's learning and growing! Fumikawa also shows some emotional range in this volume, as it also has some difficult moments with a bit of torture and cruelty.

All of the skills and courage Mio has learned along the way has led to this moment where she is standing up for herself and what she wants, and I am so happy to see the pay off of her journey. Some of the back and forth with Chika is a little less satisfying as they are now out in the open about their relationship and he’s not respecting her feelings as much as he could be, so hopefully we see some more healthy relationship habits at the conclusion of the series in the next volume. There is a LOT to wrap up in one volume!

This series is always interesting for learning about different insects and powers that are brought in as inspiration for this large cast of characters, and it’s fascinating to see them paired up in fights. The one detractor has been the fight scenes because the panels full of zoom lines with some colors to indicate which character is involved in that motion, and then a few panels later we see the fall out of all the zipping around.

Mischievous students are going to do what mischievous students do best, right? Plot against all the best laid plans of their teachers and still end up in the biggest wad of trouble they can, then have to be rescued after doing massive amounts of property damage. Volume six continues to deliver on the action of this series and makes things even more ludicrous than some of the previous entries because, of course we're not going to involve the adults who work at the school who have never steered us wrong. As an adult reader, this one made me laugh. As a student reading this, the premise will probably make much more sense.

This is a heavy book dealing with some difficult questions, and it does so in a realm that not many other books occupy at the moment. This series could be the basis for a lot of great conversation on gender, stereotyping, and relationships that would resonate with teen readers. There are a few moments as Hinase works through their feelings and Ritsu is shown in her underwear that it gets a little up close and personal, but this isn’t done in a fan-service or ecchi way — Hinase is legitimately struggling with some intensity of attraction and identity. This title approaches gender topics with care and weight, not with comedy or punchlines.

While Sarasa is positive and cheerful to a fault, there are some moments of character development in this first volume that are excellently executed, particularly of one of the professors whose backstory is explored brilliantly. This manga will appeal to readers who are themselves thespians or fans of the theatrical arts, including those who are interested in set and costume designs. The "twist" ending of this volume may come as a shock to some readers, but will be a narrative payoff for those who paid attention to Sarasa's vignettes throughout the volume, and it very well could hook readers who were only casually interested until that point.

This is a very emotionally gripping and surprising story, and it's captivating and satisfying for many readers. Pages are filled with fight scenes but they're not overly gratuitous; Hokazono has made me care about characters within two volumes only to rip them from me and make me upset; and there's a sprinkle of comedic relief to keep it a little refreshing. The one thing that has disappointed me this volume is that the quality of the illustrations has suffered compared to volume one. There were some gorgeous moments with Chihiro's introduction and the magic of the enchanted swords, but we really didn't get very much of that this volume. Instead, we are leaning more towards the rough, sparse illustrations of Chainsaw Man that kind of irk me. Most shōnen fans at this point in time will probably be just fine, so if you have readers enjoying the series, keep on supplying them with more volumes.

The overall premise of this story has a pretty funny set up, though I was a little concerned this was going to be a slice of life on repeat when the first two chapters were almost identical. Chiba did change up the formula significantly and introduced new elements in the following chapters, but similar through lines and call backs kept the laughs flowing and helped the absurdity. There is a lot of uncensored violence and mild cussing throughout that might make this better for high school audiences.

There’s a weaving of fantasy with reality that reminds readers that we’re reading about children, but usually the fantasy setting is whimsical and beautiful. In this case, the fantasy world is dreary and terrible, symbolic of the hurt in Gu Won's heart. Sa Rang is a breath of joyful air who teaches Go Won to be happy despite the pain his family puts him through through. This story is an emotional roller-coaster that will appeal to fans who enjoy complicated, slow-burn romance stories. The last moments of volume one have some jarring bits that might throw readers and may completely change their perception of the whole story if they aren’t familiar with the Netflix show or don't know where volume two intends to take us.

While  Sookyuk’s station in the palace is horrifying, creators Haga and Jiyoung do well to hint at the king’s pedophilia and not blatantly putting anything on the page, giving us just enough to be sickened and provide enough to prove Sookyuk’s desperation and motivation. Sookyuk and Wolfgang are complex and have their clear reasons for readers to compassionately care for them and want to continue reading their journey. Both characters have complex backstories that are well developed in this first volume, and the motivations driving both to want a better kingdom is compelling. It is clear from this first volume that a lot of thought and care has been put into developing these characters and their relationship.

This silly collection of short stories is full of juvenile humor, and it made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Hikawa's author’s note at the beginning of each chapter gives a bit of context for each story or gives reason why it was included in the volume. Because it’s a collection of short stories, this reads like slice of life and doesn’t have a connected storyline. This makes it a perfect fit for younger audiences who have shorter attention spans or who can’t always read these volumes in order.

This title continues to take all of the perceived gender stereotypes of magical girl manga and society and play with them as much as possible with a lot of humorous moments. The lore dump of magical system is mostly fine except for the rather confusing Life Box, which Sakura is told must be guarded at all times. Then, they find out his is missing but they don’t seem to be in that much of a hurry to go find and retrieve it.

In this final volume of the story, Akabane is hard pressed to tie up many storylines, and this is doe through may wild twists and turns that I didn't fully see coming. One in particular that I didn't anticipate but I enjoyed was Misaki's villain origin story. This series is short and sweet, ad it doesn't waste time with a lot of filler or unnecessary monsters, but it also doesn't full explore concepts or build out the world fully. There are some side characters that were introduced that are unfortunately never seen again. However, what this series excels at is taking many tropes and stereotypes and playing with expectations.

Thanks to Hana's frequent mess ups, this manga is full of hilarity. Hana herself is energetic and good-natured, always trying to do her best but often failing miserably. Hana's fellow maid, Iris, is a bit more serious and does everything with an air of importance, making her a great foil for Iris' carefree effervescence. There are moments in between chapters dedicated to skating knowledge where readers can learn about board construction, trick names and history, as well as the characters. This slice-of-life can be a stand-alone as a single volume, or libraries can continue to purchase the series when volume two hits shelves in November of 2026.

In order to contextualize these real historical moments, Nanbo creates characters and grounds them in each chapter and provides an audience stand-in for us to follow and sympathize with. There are fast facts peppered throughout and other explanations of details for readers, which may pull them out of the narrative as these footnotes happen within the panels, so I suggest waiting until a proper pause to go back and read the notes to avoid chopping the narration. This is written from a Japanese perspective, and the final chapter provides a refreshing and varied look at world events, especially given the climate this is being published into. There are many opportunities for use in classroom discussions and parring with anchor texts, especially using individual chapters along with primary sources in study of history.

Despite getting a second chance at life, Bianca does not come back as a perfectly reformed character, and she still has plenty of rough around the edges. She's tough, and potentially hard to love. There are some very real and relatable moments in this first volume, as well as some beautiful examples of honest conversations between two adult people building a life together who obviously have some hurt to overcome. Bianca is a flawed main character who doesn't have it all figured out, but readers will still want to root for her to succeed this time around.

This book has humor, action, and a powerful female character early on. The instant trust and dependence between Alma and Hikaru begets hilarity and creates some precarious situations as one can imagine from high tech being affixed to a sweater. There isn’t a big lore dump in this first volume, so things are still a bit confusing but explained enough to keep the story flowing. The full color illustrations and the cinematic panels capture the full experience of the anime adaptation of Mecha-Ude. The tease within the last few pages hints at much larger stakes to come in volume two if readers stick around to see it unfold.

CoryxKenshin and Mikell start this story with violent action, not world building. While people get ripped apart, the focus is on the importance of working together and the need to trust each other to survive. In this dystopia, we learn what is at stake along with Jabari. There are hints of relying on technology being problematic. The art has a Western influence. Extra lines during monster fight scenes make those panels darker while also blurring reality and blurring the lines between monsters and humans. This story is perfect for fans of Blue Exorcist.

These powerful personal narratives present fascinating and honest portrayals of what everyday life is like for people whose brains process information differently, and the care in which Monzusu conveys their stories is commendable. Not only is this a beautiful collection for readers to be able to empathize with the daily life of other people, there's a chance that readers may see themselves in the life experience of one of these nine people and be motivated to talk to a medical professional about their special brains. This book is definitely something that all teen and adult libraries should consider purchasing.

The reborn trope and coming from an abusive family is nothing new, but having common items show up is different and interesting. Erden Halstead is an intriguing character, and the mystery of his curse has me hooked into reading more to discover the origin and nature of his affliction. As the title suggests, the mask may not be needed, but we aren't sure why in this first volume. The first half has some comedic moments, but the second half settles this story more into a fantasy epic with mythical creatures, castles, battles, and more.

In volume two, this series starts to step away from some of the other series in the same vein and becomes its own storyline. We find out pieces of why Erden thinks he’s ugly, but the mystery grows more intriguing. Letitia’s wit is on full display in this volume, and I love every moment of Erden being supportive and impressed by his wife. The supporting characters are all amazing, including the three grannies of Halstead castle and my favorite, Letitia’s dragon, that she swoops away from Erden. The dragon behaves more like a cat than anything else, which means fans of cat manga will feel right at home.

This volume provides some great comedy and humor surrounding capitalism. I was thoroughly entertained by Letitia's use of financial scams from her experiences in South Korea, particularly how common some of the scams were with what is happening in the United States. Pulling these into the demon world makes for some interesting content for perhaps older readers who have been exposed to these types of marketing and sales pitches, but they could also be conversation starters for younger readers and good exposure for the ludicrous things people try once they become involved in financial planning and decisions later in life.

If readers enjoy being frustrated with delayed gratification, this is definitely the story for them. The constant back and forth of will they / won’t they get divorced and/or confess is very tense! There are also plenty of comedic interruptions every time something gets too serious, much to Erden and reader’s disappointment. Letitia is extremely clever, and she takes on a slightly villainess roll in towards the demons by creating superb schemes based on her life in Korea that trick them for all their worth.

As the back-mater indicates, this volume served as a bit of a prologue to the rest of the series, setting up the backstories of the two girls named Nana who we will see in the rest of the series. Because of that, this volume felt more like two short stories put into one. Regardless, the stories are still compelling, and Yazawa is a master at developing characters in a short period of time. This series has been central in an age-relevancy debate for some time, sometimes finding a home in high school libraries while other times seeming too mature. There are some heavier topics of sexuality, drug use, and some sexual situations with brief nudity. While the story is rich and has beautifully developed characters, some schools may find the subject matter too mature for their high school audiences.

I love to see Nina becoming more confident and accepting more of an authoritative role with her princess responsibilities. There's no way she can know if she's becoming more like "Alisha", having never met the princess, but with nurturing and acceptance, she is realizing that she doesn't have to cower and she can assume the power that comes with being a princess. How, with any good political drama, there is still some pitfalls and vipers waiting for our heroine, so she has to be careful! Romance fans are definitely going to be frustrated by Nina's decisions at the end of this volume, and are going to want volume 3 on hand to figure out how things get resolve (or don't)!

Through these stories, Higa explores a subject that many Okinawans don’t always want to discuss — the war that cost so many lives of soldiers and civilians — and also touches on the island’s sense of identity with the American military base that exists there today. Through the yuta priestess, Higa is showcasing some of the traditional beliefs of the island and encapsulating them, as well as contrasting the traditionalism to the modernism of the island's inhabitants and the current conflict with the base. At first glance, some of these stories seem simplistic, but there is plenty of content for deeper discussion with manga groups or literature classes.

Aside from a few advanced vocabulary words, these tales are broken down for younger audiences and are fast paced to be engaging. The included tales are shocking, funny, and important to the overall ethos of the goddess Artemis. There are many foundational tales that establish her temperament as a goddess and showcase her treatment of mortals, especially how she interacted and felt about mortal men, and other tales that showed her tumultuous relationship with the goddess Hera.

What starts off as a silly book with a really fluffy plot about anime and fandom ended up having a twinge of mysteriousness and intrigue as well. There are definitely some humorous moments between Kyuta and Hina caused by Hina's obsession with her favorite character, and some meta moments as readers consume the manga and can probably see themselves and their behavior reflected in Hina's actions. This is a cute, silly story for those who want to laugh and decompress, with a hint of something deeper running underneath to keep up the intrigue.

There are elements of mystery sprinkled throughout what is otherwise a comedy starring the one woman show, Yumeko. She had confidence pouring off of her, but those around her don’t share in her outlook on life. Other characters make rude comments behind Yumeko’s back, making this a heartbreaking but realistic depiction of the hardships of being a plus-sized person unable to escape the negativity regardless of the positivity one might exude. There are aspects about this story that may be refreshingly positive for readers as they find comfort in Yumeko's attitude despite the world around her, but others might find the chatter annoying or distracting.

Yumeko continues to exude positivity and self-confidence, and it thankfully spreads to another person in this volume. The comedic moments are often elaborate and accentuated with boisterous illustrations. The mystery takes a bit of a backseat in favor of furthering Yumeko's career plot points and the interpersonal relationships around the office, and we only get a few more intriguing bits at the very end to serve as cliffhangers to lead us into the next volume.

Yukiko has one speed in her post-accident life — I’m amazing, keep up. Her boundless confidence brushes the line of being a punchline, but Mamakari keeps it ever so slightly on this side of being totally silly.  This volume has some emotionally poignant moments as Yukiko discovers a bit more about herself pre-acciedent, and not all of it is as bad as we have been led to believe. The newly introduced character from the marketing firm is quite enjoyable and a bit of fresh air that Yukiko needed to keep the bit from getting stale.

There are many things to love about this story so far. the art is beautiful — I loved all of the detail and development of the village lore, especially the inserts after each chapter that made this tribe feel real and bits that connected their history to customs rooted in the real world. Kelí, however, was a little annoying as a main character and couldn’t learn his lesson regardless of how many times he was presented with it.

This short and sweet romance develops over three chapters and thus moves very quickly. Everything seems fine at the end of chapter one, but chapter two swerves and Sayuri's doubts keep the narrative interesting and relatable. The final chapter provides some closure and leans into a few romance manga tropes, which readers will probably forgive for the overall good feelings engendered. There are a few chaste scenes of adult content which elevate this from the publisher's recommended 13+ age rating. This is otherwise a simple yet satisfying sapphic romance.

This is a humorous storyline with no shortage of video game vocabulary. Rakuro is an over-the-top player, albeit a little overpowered with his level of knowledge, but there are plenty of high school video game players like this with extensive knowledge who have put in thousands of hours into different games despite their short lifespans. This title is fast-paced with lots of action and fighting, but Katarina still has a couple of good character moments and a hopeless romantic already for readers who need character-driven storylines.

In this final volume of the main story, some of the characters are still treated as throwaways rather than getting any sort of wrap up to their importance or interactions with Jinwoo, especially some of the other monarchs, in favor of giving more time with the King of Dragons. The final ending is also quite rushed and puts everything in a pretty tidy bow, but still leaves some questions unanswered.  There could be room for more to be explored in other related spin-off series. Or, online information leads me to believe that the light novels do a better job of fully explaining the ending without rushing the conclusion.

For the die hard fan who had read through this series and knows the exact placement for each of these stories, this exploration gives wonderful insight for some pivotal moments. If readers have forgotten these side characters or moments, there’s not a lot of context or explanation provided to ground them in the main storyline. Given how popular this series is, this is still a solid purchase for libraries.Sara's Rating: 8/10Suitability Level: Grades 10-12Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4, vol 5, vol 6, vol 7, vol 8, vol 9, vol 10, vol 11, vol 12, vol 13Publisher: IZE PressPublication Date: Dec 30, 2025ISBN: 9798400904646​ (Paperback)​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manhwa, Dungeon, Action Adventure, Magic, IZE Press

This graphic novelization of the show follows the plot moment for moment and attempts to capture the intensity of what is portrayed on screen. As this a black and white medium, the true darkness and grittiness of some of the scenes doesn’t fully come through on the white backgrounds Osawa uses throughout each of the locations, but the detailed illustrations of armor, creatures, and settings make this a stunning piece to read. This is fun to revisit for fans of the show, but it can also be a way for readers to experience the storyline if they don’t have access to Disney+.

This series is full of beautiful illustrations, and the coloring is fantastic. The story has also gripped my heart with the many attractive characters on all sides vying for everyone's attention. Clove can be a damsel in distress at times despite her intellectual side that we saw in the first volume, and Kyro is actually starting to show he cares a little bit despite his continual protests that she's his enemy. I'm intrigued by the interactions we got between their dragons and hope we can see more of that in volume three.

While there is a slight through line of story to these chapters, mostly this first volume is told in semi-slice-of-life format with reoccurring characters being the thing tying everything together. Readers to get to know Chojo better as time goes on, and the ways he tries to get out of doing his police work are kind of hilarious. Deep down, Chojo does care about the public around his precinct, even if he is a grade-a jerk while doing it. Each chapter adds another funny character to the mix who will pop in and out of the station. I wonder if that’s a trend that will continue because that will be quite a cast of characters to keep up with.

Unlike some other stories where the protagonist starts out overpowered and stays that way, it seems that Natsuo will need to train and find her footing in this new world of MMA competition. Natsuo is also not a sweet and likeable main character to start out. She’s a bit of a bully and rough around the edges. This might be an instance where the side characters are more in line for being readers' favorites for the moment until we see more of what makes Natsuo tick. While many sports stories exist showing characters training to get stronger, this one takes a different approach in having Natsuo start out seeking a challenge and craving failure.

This begins as a wholesome story full of intrigue that explores family dynamics. A phone for tracking. A release arsonist. A sneeze. A postcard discovered by Ao. Secrets of the past. Secrets of the present. Traumatic events are discussed broadly, making this suitable for younger readers while also serving as an access point for deeper conversations. There is a scene where a child plans to jump off the roof, but a postcard prevents this from happening. Art style has a lightheartedness that helps balance the seriousness of keeping Ao healthy and the dangers depicted on the mysterious postcards and a fire of the past.Katie’s Rating: 8/10Suitability Level:  Grades 6-12Publisher: Yen Press Publication Date: July 15, 2025ISBN: 9798855417326 (Hardcover)​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Mystery, Family, Yen Press, Katie's Reviews

With all of the festivities going on, there are plenty of opportunities to see all of our favorite characters dressed up in beautiful outfits, and we even get to meet some new folks and see their finest attire. There are some humorous moments with some great comedic timing that had me smiling and chuckling. All these new princesses around seem like an easy out for Tia once again, but they really complicate her situation further, and it's intriguing to see that her feelings are not as clear cut as she once thought.

The mysteries come fast in this one as Mao Mao settles into her new living situation. We meet a few new supporting characters but don’t get a lot of page time with them owing to Mao Mao having more mysteries to solve. The aged maid of Sir Jinshi is cute and funny, so hopefully we see more of her interactions with Mao Mao and the young lord. There are some humorous pokes at Jinshi’s overt sexuality and how much he can’t control his attractiveness, as well as a few references to a well-endowed lady who doesn’t like Mao Mao very much. Mao Mao is clearly comfortable in her own sexuality and expressing sensuousness after being around courtesans for most of her young life, but these moments, as well as the complexities of some of Mao Mao’s mysteries, make the series better for high school libraries overall.

This is an adorable story complete with cute chibi style illustrations to heighten the overall cute and romantic tone of the story, but it's also informative. After each chapter, Chi gives explanations for clinical and community-based terms to help provide context and understanding for readers, particularly where cultural differences occur. These helpful vignettes not only create opportunity for readers to gain knowledge, they are an opportunity for readers to see themselves and gain needed vocabulary. The interactions between Husband-kun and Bride-kun are so lovely and genuine that you can't help but be glad that the two end up together. The theme of love and acceptance makes this story feel like a warm hug.

This volume services a bit like a prologue for the first half as we delve into the background of Luca and set up the world of the Branch-hexed soldiers that all serve a holy order to protect the powerful and treasure-filled Spire. Sora mixes world-building within the outbursts of war to keep the pacing of the story steady, so readers learn much about the magic and the history of the conflict Luca finds himself caught up in. This series has the battles and violence of Vinland Saga, the mercenary and magical adventure storyline of Almark, and the the mysterious Outsiders from The Girl from the Otherside all mixed in to create a magical war story with a touch of mystery.

Rintaro has lots of page time to try to figure out his feelings and how to be respectful to friends of someone important to him, but it comes at a cost of his own friends. Hopefully the next volume gives him a chance to figure out how to balance both sides or give the boys from Chidori some more page time. This volume gave a lot of space to Subaru and developed her character heavily, which was appreciated. There were still plenty of closer ups and lovely facial details over many panels, though many characters have extremely long necks.

We got some nice time with the boys in this volume, and we’re starting to get some distinct personality between the three of them. There were also some sweet moments with Rintaro’s mom, and a great delve into Rintaro's past that gave him some extra depth. Rintaro taking lead to bring the two groups together is adorable, and I think it will resonate with readers who are navigating their own social situations. The illustrations continue to be beautiful and immensely detailed, particularly the many close ups of emotive characters.

Now Rintaro has to sort out his feelings and navigate his shyness while keeping his cool around his friends, but he definitely has his tells. This volume spends more time inside Chidori and with other students aside from the core group. We also finally start to learn more about Rintaro’s dad as Rintaro begins to take an interest in baking, and there are hints that volume five will incorporate the quintessential summer festival trope popular to shojo manga.

This story is overall pretty wholesome, and there's most likely going to be more to this office romance even if Fuyutsuki starts off not really having feelings for Himuro. There are adorable moments where Tonogaya works in winter humor as Himuro's powers are on display, so it's apparent that the mangaka is enjoying the illustration work and adding seasonal easter-eggs for the readers. The main storyline moves at a glacial pace as this is a slice-of-life, so readers should be ready to be in this for the long haul.

This absolutely hilarious take on fan culture might be an introductory course for some, but for other readers who may be otaku themselves, this comedy may be like looking into a mirror. There are a lot of otaku-specific vocabulary words used, but everything is explained so as not to leave anyone out. The otaku-obsession level is on full blast from beginning to end with little reprieve, which will work for some readers but might exhaust others. The art is adorably beautiful with plenty of pretty folks of all walks of life for all readers to stan for th

Aria has so many schemes and irons in the fire at one time that this series would definitely benefit from reading all the volumes close together. This is a binge series, not a slow sipper. In addition to the intricate plots, there are references to characters or actions from previous volumes that are carried over into the next volume, and a lot of minor characters become important down the line. Some readers might be frustrated with how Aria is developing and her use of the hourglass, but it's also an interesting mechanic that makes this villainess story a little unique compared to others in the vein.

These three witches are delightfully funny, witty, and inquisitive, while the colors of this story appealed to the pastel lover that I am. Readers will most likely have a favorite (mine's aqua-haired Clover), and will no doubt have a or moment that they can relate to -- being parented by a sibling, having feelings of not fitting in, or learning to be responsible. There are also some tender moments as the sisters figure out their sibling dynamic and relationship with each other.. This is beautifully and brightly illustrated with some imaginative adventures that will appeal to fans of magic, mermaids, and mysteries.

Through this orb, we as readers are going to learn a lot about human interaction. Already in volume one, we are being invited to examine human frailty, the value of life, and the cycle of life and death. While the switch between the Arctic and March is a bit jarring, the connection eventually makes a lot of sense, and the cut actually fits together satisfyingly if suspend disbelief long enough to see how the stories relate to one another. This first volume was very intriguing, but definitely more philosophical with touches of action and adventure.

While this is a horror story at it's core is a monster story, there are a lot of deeper themes swirling around that make this text a rich reading experience and ripe for use in literary text sets. As the story quotes Kafka's Metamorphosis and Hesse's Demian, the core of the story wrestles with some quintessential questions about the essence of humanity and others that explore the spectrum of good and evil. Everyone seems to be morally gray, and Ishida presents enough information along the way to show how complicated and intriguing every character can be.

Despite the complicated manner in which these two must become family, Yuta describes the process very positively, and the entire book is filled with adorable chibi illustrations to lighten what otherwise might be a dreary or overwhelming topic. This narrative is presented in a matter-of-fact manner, providing information and insight for others to understand the perspective of Japanese culture and the hurdles presented to gay couples just hoping to exist and find belonging in the society.

We're still getting Harry Potter vibes off this volume, only now we're on to the Tri Wizard Tournament. This volume also comes complete with bullies going after our lovable hero who is not as talented as those around him. Colette is shaping up to be one of my favorites and definitely gives off Hermione vibes with how quick-witted she is. The artwork around the spell-casting is beautiful and fantastical!

This borderline slice-of-life story tackles many fears and dilemmas of young adults trying to figure it all out. They are faced with challenges of finding partners in a world that is increasingly online, and where there are more demands and commitments of their scarce free time. This title succeeds in creating four distinct female characters with their own unique voicing in addition to their personal struggles and situations they've been placed in. Their stories weave together when they come home and share common space. Their interactions are sweet, and it reminds readers that romantic love is not the only type of relationship that's important.

This wacky story is told with intermixed manga and light novel style chapters that show the mangaka’s original musings and ideas for Mizuchi’s origin. These short stories also provide different perspectives and ways for readers to interact with 9banta’s world and characters. Everyone character so far has a larger-than-life personality and is drawn exaggeratedly to match. The illustrations in this manga are unique and full of interesting, heavy line work with bold coloring instead of screen tone shading. The limited page count did leave me wanting more, so I'm hoping volume two provides more illustrated chapters.

This first volume covers a lot of ground in the plot department and is a typical volume one of Shonen manga. A lot of characters are introduced, including ones from Asta and Yuno's childhood but also a fair amount of rivals and compatriots in the trials. Some of these side characters are not always fully clothed, including a witch who lazes about the Black Bulls headquarters in her underwear. Tabata also lays a lot of foundational world-building in this entry volume with the introduction of the magic system and the social strata magic-users recognize amongst each other. So far, there's nothing about this series that stands out from other shonen manga, but it may need time to develop given how packed this first entry was.

Rin’s training and journey for self-discovery is one part Run on Your New Legs, one part Medalist, with a dash of shonen battle manga training arc. She’s got the beginnings of a jealous bully even. Her coach is not as warm and cuddly as the coaches in Medalist, but her bubbly attitude and wealth of positivity is enough (once she very quickly gets over her sadness at the beginning). Shigematsu could stand to slow down and write the big feelings Rin must be feeling with a little more care instead of rushing the plot.

Aibi is a complicated character, made so from her environment and the circumstances of her curse. It’s nice to see a protagonist who is a little bit twisty and not completely altruistic, but the switches from “good girl” to slightly manipulative are subtle and can be off-putting at times. The god of death gets cheated, actually, as Aibi steals the show in this first volume, so he gets relegated to more of a cookie-cutter shojo romance character instead of having more page time dedicated to his development. Hopefully, he has time to shine in further volumes.

The first chapter hooked me immediately with Allen's compelling fight against a terrifying human weapon. But, after that, the story got a little complicated as Allen joined the Black Order and the action started back up. The world-building and exposition was very quick, as was the introduction of several side characters who didn't get a lot of time to develop before many of them were sent on a mission to obtain Innocence. Hopefully, there will be time to sort out all of that important information, as I've heard nothing but good things about this series.

Now that we’ve landed on this storyline of chasing down material as being the main motivator, the action and plot development is a little more even than it was in volume one. Some of the action sequences in this volume were slightly hard to track, but within a few panels, everything gets figured out. Most of volume two is consumed with battling the akuma and Allen learning to fight a much more advanced enemy than he's ever fought before, which allowed for his character to develop slightly, but didn't leave much room for many others. Kanda is a dark-and-broody type with an interesting foundation of mystery in this volume.

There are already quite a lot of characters to keep track of in this story so far, and I hope readers are in for a few more. We also don't get a lot of information on the characters we've already met, so it can be challenging to keep everyone straight. There are a few flashes back and forth to the Kagemori compound to check in on Asa, but they're not illuminating enough, especially considering Jin Kagemori was chosen for the cover photo. This series is suffering slightly from balancing multiple perspectives and providing enough information to move the narrative forward.

This haunting story is fully of wacky people, none of whom we spend enough time with in this volume. The pacing is incredibly fast but marred with some pacing issues, and the dialogue can be a little hard to follow, causing some confusion and narrative flow issues. Despite these drawbacks, there is a lot of suspense and intrigue created in this first volume, mixed with a fair amount of violence and bloodshed. Readers who enjoy fast-paced, action-packed stories mixed with a bit of horror will enjoy this story.

The overall feeling of this entire story is very speculative and etherial, and even by the end, there's plenty left to ponder. Kajio doesn't give characters nor the reader many satisfying conclusions, which is part of the appeal of this story. Emanon's story to our protagonist begs the question of who we are to each other, among other philosophical quandaries. This story may not get wide readership with most avid manga fans, but it's a piece of speculative science fiction that deserves a spot in collections where readers are looking for something more cerebral and challenging.

The first two chapters of this story started as a monster-of-the-week capture story, and the narrative pace was a little inconsistent. However, once things became established in the third chapter and the mangaka settled on a storyline with a clear objective for our Hero in the Hood and an antagonist, everything became more interesting. Pacing was not fully resolved, and there is the authors have given into intrigue over character development, so we know very little about our Hero by the end of this volume. Still, this could be a good recommendation for readers who are interested in Japanese folklore and ghost stories, a subject that still fascinates modern Japanese readers.

This volume feels like a sprint to the end compared to the pace of some of the previous volumes. We cover quite a lot of narrative ground in a very short amount of time, and certain pieces are not given time to marinate before the characters have moved on to the next piece. In the beginning of this volume, We move through an entire kingdom in the span of a few panels where we had a few volumes dedicated to other kingdoms. This, unfortunately, happens towards the end of a manga series either due to the series being cancelled or to the mangaka's failing health, so I hope that the latter is not the case here. Regardless of the pacing issues, I am relieved to finally have some answers for Yuri’s past and to see what has been driving him for this entire series.

The passage of time passage is shown very minutely, as I’m not sure there’s an actual sun on the snow sea. Everything is very white-washed and there is no distinction between night and day, so it's hard to tell how long Kaina and Ririha spend in climbing down the tree spire. Likewise, it's hard to know how long Ririha's men spend searching for her and fighting off the more well-equipped soldiers on their full-sized ships. Despite this disorientation, there is a lot of action in this volume. Large panels of majestic battle moments fill this volume as Takemoto demonstrates his skills as an artist.

The energy and illustrations in this volume are of high quality, but this manga might feel dated very quickly because of the need to keep Yua “trendy.” She uses phrases like “lit” and “no cap" which are already going out of style as soon as this reaches our libraries. Yua is a “gyaru”, and the choice to translate this to “gal” is an interesting one because it just sounds like they’re calling her a girl rather than a specific type of subculture that makes more sense in Japan. There is some sweetness to the friendship between Yua and Otakura, and this is the part that will have appeal to some teen readers.

Other than Sorawo being a thrill seeker, it's not entirely clear in this first volume what keeps her going back to the Otherside for exploration. Hopefully, she gets a bit more of a motivation or explanation in later volumes. Toriko has a solid reason to enter into such a creepy place and to continue risking her life, but I'm not as convinced Sorawo is just an adrenaline junkie. Nevertheless, if readers are looking for a story full of horrific monsters with a touch of yuri undertones, this series will be right up their alley. The monsters so far have been well drawn and just scary enough, but I'm sure as the two continue their journeys, there were be even more nightmare-fuel waiting for them.

This is a fairly dark series considering the creators' other work is Death Note — there is a lot of time spent on Mirai contemplating suicide and the worth of his own life, as well as the value in taking the lives of others to further one's own ambition. The angels in this story are not the altruistic creatures one would expect from religious mythology; they also have their own goals and seem to be using their human candidates to further them. The major detractor in this story so far is the pacing, which struggled to strike a balance between emotionally tense scenes and getting us information-heavy lore to set up the competition for the God seat.

Overall, this is a very fluffy, fun story where the magic and cleverness of youth will most likely win out in the most dangerous of situations, and everyone will feel good at the end of the day. There is a bit of an air of Sherlock Holmes-esque cleverness to figuring out the mystery, where several of the boys draw conclusions that the audience couldn't possibly have followed until it was all pointed out, but that's part of the charm. The five main boy characters, having a rule to embrace their boyish nature, are whimsical and rakish at times. Expect everything be visually appealing and drawn perfectly, especially the abundance of beautiful male characters running about, but this definitely more of a dessert story than anything to expect any sort of substance from.

If readers are looking for a wholesome, slow burn romance with adorable doggos as central characters, this is definitely one to consider. Within a few chapters, we get Tsuba and Monjuro's inner monologue as commentary to the slowness with which Chiharu and Kiyotaka should see more of each other. Tsuba's adoption story is heartwarming and a wonderful way to round out this relatively short first volume. Here's hoping volume two provides us with insight into how Monjuro and Kiyotaka came to be in each other's lives.

The story itself is a little bit outlandish, but that is to be expected from a writer like Boichi who embraces craziness and mixes comedy with dark humor. While there is fanservice in this story, for some characters it is a feature of their personality rather than the gratuitousness of someof Boichi's other works. In that this is a story about the criminal underworld, there are female characters being sexually assaulted, which may be too intense for some readers. In keeping with Japanese decency laws, nothing is explicit on the page, but it is extremely clear what has happened.

According to online discourse, the author and the adapter rushed the ending of the story given the backlash from fans, which led to unevenness of this volume. For eight volumes, this series has been calculated and steady, but this volume was a sprint to the finish and left a lot of things unsettled. It's truly a shame because we were robbed of the intended conclusion. What we got instead was some convenient answers and attempts at tidying up loose ends while leaving many characters out in the cold. Some of the illustrations are still beautiful and the coloring is still very pretty, but the volume suffered overall and there aren't as many gorgeous scenes or thoughtful details compared to the rest of the series. I still adore the series overall despite the ending being a bit of a low note.

At times, the narration of this gorgeous narrative is choppy and requires some re-reading to discover where the jumps are leading you. The moments surrounding Wangi in particular can be a bit disjointed. Additionally, the motive of the narration himself is unclear. Despite the disconnects, the art in this graphic novel is absolutely gorgeous. The panel layout conveys the enormity of the animals as well as the under water environments, and several pages have sweeping progressions of partial splashes that show this grandeur. The water colors are beautifully blended, and Valenza's color palette is well chosen for the environments Kristantina wished to convey with her inks.

This manga starts off a little bit confusing with the switch between Erina and Alvis' points of view, but once the main problem is established, the narrative perspective settles and it becomes much easier to follow. The beginning also uses quite a few well-known tropes, such as broken engagement, false accusations, engagements rearranged, but something refreshing is that this fantasy is told from the male perspective instead of the wronged female lead or from the reincarnated/isekai'd person's perspective. By the end of this volume, Alvis is a much more interesting character, and I'm excited to see the bond between him and Erina develop.

The first two-thirds of this reads like a traditional short story compilation from Ito -- it just happens to be set in the same place with the same main character. Towards the end, Ito brings everything together and gives a reason why the town seems to be cursed with the spiral, and the explanation divulges from creepy, horror stories into speculative strangeness. The story itself seemingly spirals into itself into a maddening conclusion that makes little sense and may be unsatisfying, but it's completely on brand for other Ito stories that often have no discernible moral, no happy ending, no riding off into the sunset as the monster-of-the-week has been destroyed. It also wouldn't be Ito if there wasn't one obligatory nudity story, which is entirely non-sexual and just adds to the overall body-horror aspects of his work.

There’s a lot of cuteness and dumb luck that gets Irumi where he is, which is not only inside a dangerous demon school, but friends and lording over some pretty powerful demons. This volume has a lot of silliness throughout, and plenty of demons making fools of themselves. The humor and outlandish ways Iruma continues to escape danger would definitely be appealing to young readers.

There are a lot of stories that begin with sick patients becoming reborn into their favorite media, but this one loses out on being a little too ambiguous as to whether it’s a separate world or actually the game or not. Takuto and Atou spend a lot of precious page time trying to figure out whether it's a video game or not. The back of the book summary says it’s within the video game, but the story can't seem to make up its mind one way or the other. If a choice was made one way or another, then we could spend time and cognitive effort focusi

Perhaps in an effort to depart from the fairy tale source material, this ending takes a wild turn into surreal territory, mixes in time travel and celestial-ism, and, for me, sort of ruins the rest of the series. I'm not sure why there needed to be such a leap in the last 100 pages of this volume, but I really would have enjoyed the series more if it had been more of a retelling of the fairy tale. The explanation was extremely rushed and disjointed, as if Yuki was cramming a whole volume's worth of exposition and exploration into a chapter or two. I enjoyed the first four volumes, and Yuki's illustrations are gorgeous. Unfortunately, because the ending sought to weave itself throughout the series and explain, moments going back to the beginning, the ending left me highly dissatisfied, and I sort of wish I hadn't read the last half of this volume.

The narrative structure of this first volume feels very convoluted. The flow feels like the pieces were pulverized in a blender before put together in the volume. There are few transitions to clue readers into the next section or to let us know we’re seeing a flashback, so navigating is confusing. The art, however, is phenomenal. The nights are illustrated with large, full panel details to give a sense of their scale. Gao and Jin have a sort of choreographed dance to execute their powers, and the illustrations are gorgeous. But, there are some unfortunate moments of fan service, such as strange female body poses to capture both posterior and chest, or Gao's mother's chest inexplicably enlarging with every page.

This story started off with several very strong chapters, particularly the flashbacks where we learn about how Zoe and Clive met. By the middle of this volume, the pace slows significantly, and it starts to feel like a slice of life novel. Zoe and Eliza are not adept at learning magic, and I’m afraid to think what will become of Clive while Zoe is learning. There is a little undercurrent established with some tension between Zoe and another character, and that created some interest throughout the book, but there's a bit too much meandering — is it about the magic? Is it about the three ladies dealing with their grief? Is it about the people in the village? Is it a romance? Is it a mystery? There are a lot of individual threads established in a relatively short amount of time, so nothing gets enough time to fully develop.

Though it’s nice to focus on a Romanov story outside of Princess Anastasia, the pacing of this story marred the overall delivery. There beginning was methodical and set a slower development of scene and relationship between the two leads, but the second half became a sprint of information overload and reveals that hardly lets the absorption of information happen before another important fact is cresting and threatening to overwhelm. There's a three-year time jump that sets off a deluge of information and action. If that transition were a bit smoother, this story would have been better overall.

This started as a fun tet-a-tet between the two of them, but quickly became a reinforcement of gender stereotypes. Amane is helpless to do cooking or cleaning without Shiina, and her offer to clean his apartment for him felt a bit like Amane tricking her into it with his learned helplessness. Here’s to hoping he has absorbed some of what she taught him while organizing and he can keep his apartment clean without having to have her come over. At this point, I can see why Amane would have feelings for Shiina, but I don’t see why Shiina would reciprocate other than Amane is the only guy who can have a conversation with her without falling madly in love at first sight.

There is quite a bit of violence and gore in this manga, but it also lays bare the cycle of slaughter and consumption that humans participate on a daily basis as we raise and consume animals for our nourishment. This is eye opening and says a lot about being thankful for the life we take in consuming an animal, and there is also opportunity for discussion about the disconnect between consumers and buying meat in the supermarket or from a restaurant without understanding or paying mind to where it came from. However, this story moves beyond and loses the plot a bit with scenes of bestiality. The back 1/3 of volume one develops hastily into a larger society with tumbling world-building that goes much too fast, almost like it was rushing to keep readers engaged before they cancelled the series. It develops into something else entirely different than the commentary on consumption where it began.

There are a lot of exorcism manga on the market at present, and there wasn't anything particularly stand-out about volume one to make this memorable. Instead, there were a ridiculous amount of fan-servicy panty shots, and disproportional female characters. Many of them have small heads and comically large chests or extremely long legs (coming from a Sailor Moon fan, that's saying something). The illustrations were enough to take me out of the story several times and make it overall unenjoyable. Online, fans of the series say it improves, but I didn't love the premise enough to excuse the artwork and continue.

Cam's dad is aggressive and wants his son to use his abilities to get what he wants including winning Basketball games. The anger isn’t directly addressed. Dad reads as someone who peaked in high school but still rules in this small town. We don’t know what happened to Cam's mom. Dad’s ex-girlfriend is dating the Coach. Vibrant pop art helps distract from plot issues.

This is an adorable story, and I appreciate the spotlight on a “nerdy” skill. If you get sucked into the excitement of the battles, you may be able to forgive the lack of character development. While the backstory drives the present action, we don’t know much of the backstory. Perhaps a follow up volume could tell us what really happened to Webster’s parents and why Merriam has a secret identity.