Shojo manga series have the best conclusions. They’re formulaic, of course, usually jumping us just enough forward in time to see the lead couple have their happy ending, then spending the rest of the final book checking in with the various side characters and showing us their futures and (usually) pairings. Say I Love You volume 18, the last in the series, is no exception. As I noted the last time I reviewed this series, author Kanae Hazuki has already […]

I haven’t had much chance to explore Kodansha’s digital-only manga releases, and I’m not sure why I decided to start with this one, other than that it dealt with a situation we don’t often see here. But I enjoyed the story, in part because it’s unusual, and I’d like to see more. My Brother the Shut-In is about high school student Shino, who enjoys her time with friends and her after-school job. She tells everyone she’s an only child because […]

I don’t have much to say about this volume except to note that, for those hanging on through the series, a major turning point occurs, as Kae finally chooses one of her suitors to focus on in a relationship. Kiss Him, Not Me volume 12 continues directly with the consequences from the previous book, in which there was a ridiculous, life-threatening fall off a cliff. I still miss the fannish behavior (and silly humor that results) that drew me to […]

This is a new one on me. When I heard of Neo Parasyte f, a tribute volume to Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte manga series with stories by other manga creators, I thought it would bring back fond memories of the original. Although it’s horror, I liked it a lot when I read it almost ten years ago. With such a collection of works by fans, I would have hoped to get a feeling of communal enjoyment, of readers coming together to […]

If you like the idea of a girl helping out a family of shape-shifters, but you aren’t interested in committing to the length of Fruits Basket, then That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! is the manga series for you. In only four volumes, Komugi discovers the secret of the school heartthrobs and shows them a new way to co-exist with humans. Komugi has moved to the country from Tokyo. Her mother has been sent away on business, so she’s going to live […]

Continuing the series theme of “cooking is caring”, Sweetness & Lightning volume 5 takes the feelings between Tsumugi and her dad even deeper by more directly addressing the loss of Tsumugi’s mother. Suguru, a little boy in Tsumugi’s class, is acting up. His mother is in the hospital, and he doesn’t want to visit her (because it scares him, what might happen — although she’s not sick, she’s giving birth). Out of the goodness of her heart, Tsumugi invites him […]

I’ve found the next good manga to fill the gaps between Fumi Yoshinaga releases. (I love her work, but since we’ve caught up with Japan, we’re lucky to get one volume a year of What Did You Eat Yesterday? or Ooku: The Inner Chambers.) Haruko Kumota’s Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju has a compelling cast of characters, stylishly drawn, struggling to keep an historic art form relevant. Rakugo is a form of storytelling, where a solo narrator performs for […]

And here’s where the series descends fully into exploitation and fan service. Real Account volume 6 begins with a new game, but instead of being interesting commentary on how we communicate on social media, it’s an excuse to make all the characters look as horrible as possible. Spoilers follow. The Flamer Festival requires revealing embarrassing personal information in order to get plenty of comments from observers. The players aren’t giving juicy items out fast enough, so to shake things up, […]