Sweetness & Lightning combines two favorite types of manga series: the uncertain single father raising a child (as in Bunny Drop or Yotsuba&!) and learning more about food and cooking, complete with recipes (as in What Did You Eat Yesterday? or Food Wars!). Inuzaka is taking care of his little girl, Tsumugi, after his wife died. He doesn’t know how to cook, so he feeds her pre-made boxed meals, but he worries about nutrition and whether he’s doing the right […]

I had hopes, from the beginning of this sequel series, that Genshiken: Second Season would be, like the first, a comedy set amongst nerds. I liked the portrayals of geek hobbies and fan pursuits of college students, with all the concerns and struggles they faced. Now, with volume 8, I have to admit that this has firmly turned into a harem series. Which makes little sense to me, since a whole bunch of characters are fixed on club alum Madarame, […]

I don’t know why I have a fondness for “we’re trapped in a video game and have to kill each other!” manga, but they can be surprisingly fun as escapism. Except, usually, I don’t really identify with hardcore video game players, and they tend to overdo the fan service. (I figure that the genre exists so that readers can dream of a world where being really good at video games counts for something.) Real Account, at least based on the […]

I summed up L♥DK volume 1 as featuring sitcom-style contrivances to imply smutty situations, only without being funny. Volume 2 continues in that mode, throwing in every possible engineered situation to imply or force interaction between its girl and boy leads. For example, it opens with Aoi jealous of the woman embracing Shusei, only to find out it’s his sister. She wants her brother to move in with her, but seeing how he doesn’t want to, Aoi suddenly decides to […]

The new character briefly introduced at the end of volume 2 becomes a new friend in Kiss Him, Not Me! volume 3, and her presence is a welcome addition for shaking up the relationships with a bit more conflict. Although Kae first met Shima at a comic convention where Shima was cosplaying, it turns out that they go to the same school. (Yay for manga coincidences! Which is actually called out in the book, amusingly.) Shima is amazing. Everyone wants […]

It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with the mismatched couple, school prince Yamato and shy Mei, at the center of Say I Love You. I liked the emotions she expressed as she began to understand the value of friendship and feeling loved, but I wondered how the series could continue for this long (14 volumes in Japan, 11 so far here) with just them at the center. That’s a hint, since the series doesn’t stay focused on just […]

I enjoyed Kiss Him, Not Me! volume 2 more than the first book, since the harem of guys are developing distinct, recognizable personalities. Fangirl Kae has four admirers, and here, they go on a series of dates in expected manga situations. First, there’s the school festival, and due to the cosplay theme, Kae gets to make outfits for several of the guys (including one who’s playing princess). They get upset at spending all their time with her in a group, […]

Sometimes there’s a place for a completely unchallenging formula story. They can be relaxing or comforting, as events play out as expected. That’s the best way I can describe this shojo manga. L♥DK gives us a hard-working girl who gets involved with the good-looking “school prince” due to their living situation. Aoi lives on her own, so instead of school activities, she spends her time out of class hunting for grocery bargains and cooking. Her new neighbor turns out to […]