Two cynical kids, the smartest in their class, are convinced that every couple has an imbalance of power. They like each other, but since neither wants to lose at anything, neither will be the first to admit their feelings. That’s the premise of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War volume 1 by Aka Akasaka, that “the one who falls in love first loses!” The chapters revolve around the two scheming to force or trick the other into admitting interest. I found it […]

Meca Tanaka’s previous series, Meteor Prince, was a goofy take on “love with a supernatural creature” manga. Here, she tackles the “we knew each other as children and now meet again” genre with similarly silly results. The Young Master’s Revenge stars Leo Tachibana, returning to Japan to start high school. The decade he spent out of the country, he fixated on revenge on Tenma, whose family has suffered a decline. While Leo’s father’s fashion business has since made them rich, […]

I thought the short, silly SP Baby would be a fun read. After all, I liked the similar Flower in a Storm, which also combined romance with comedy violence. But SP Baby never came together for me. I should have paid attention to the creator. Maki Enjoji was also responsible for Happy Marriage?!, a silly, smutty shojo with sex about an arranged marriage with a dippy lead girl. That approach to characterization continues here. Tamaki needs to find a full-time […]

I had hopes for Astra Lost in Space, based on the premise, about a class trip set in the future with space travel. When an accident occurs, the group of students has to figure out how to survive and get back home. It’s a classic setup with lots of promise for character development and exciting adventures. I anticipated something that fans of classic manga science fiction like They Were 11 or Twin Spica might enjoy. Unfortunately, what I got in […]

As indicated at the end of volume 6, the couple of Asuka and Ryu face an even more challenging obstacle than we’ve previously seen: Ryu is being asked to work overseas for some years. It’s a major career advancement, but how will the two cope, and will this change his objection to the idea of marriage? I won’t spoil Everyone’s Getting Married volume 7, because much of the fun of this series is seeing what happens next, but I will […]

A couple of cute and fluffy romance manga series from Viz have recently wrapped up their runs. (The publisher provided review copies.) Love Stage!! Volume 7 This is yaoi, not shojo, but the emphasis on goofy misunderstandings and ridiculously dramatic incidents makes it similar to that genre. For example, young star Izumi has a stalker, so he moves in with his boyfriend Ryoma for protection. They’re loving their domestic bliss, and Izumi wants to talk all about it, but going […]

And so the Master Keaton series ends, with one big story that takes up the last eight chapters of volume 12, wrapping up all the themes Naoki Urasawa (Pluto, 20th Century Boys) has been exploring throughout. But first, four chapters remind us of some of the character basics. In the first two, Keaton finally has a chance to become a university professor. While interviewing, though, an old colleague warns him that this faculty is only concerned with socializing, sucking up […]

Everyone’s Getting Married continues as an enjoyably soapy romantic read. Since I last checked into the series by Izumi Miyazono, newscaster Ryu has been co-hosting a show with his ex, the married woman he had an affair with and who convinced him marriage is a sham and something to avoid. His girlfriend Asuka is ok with that, since she’s got her own issues. Her co-worker Kamiya continues to pursue her, since they both want to get married, and he thinks […]