Manga Review: Oresama Teacher Vol. #13

Mafuyu is a high school delinquent who wants to turn over a new leaf. So when she transfers schools, she thinks she’ll finally be able to live the life of a normal girl. There’s just one problem: her teacher  Mr. Saeki is a bigger delinquent than she is and is out to take advantage of her fighting skills!

Oresama Teacher is a shojo manga that offers humor of the silly variety. Volume 13 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (For those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

So far every Student Council member who has gone up against Mafuyu and the Public Morals Club has fallen to the team’s superior friendship skills. But Kanon Nonoguchi has a plan to turn their strengths against them! She’s spreading rumors that Midorigaoka girls are in danger and counting on Super Bun to run to the rescue… and right into her trap!

The RevieW

Having added a new member to the Public Morals Club, Tsubaki-sensei returns to the business of introducing Student Council officers bent on thwarting the efforts of Mafuyu and her friends. This time it’s Kanon Nonoguchi. Not only is she super skilled at martial arts, she’s fairly crafty. Her one weakness and major quirk, however, is that she detests men (something Miyabi uses to his advantage despite the fact that he is a guy himself). As such, Kanon has a tendency to exacerbate things, and what starts as a focused investigation on the Public Morals Club’s two mystery members turns into a dangerous conflict with the delinquents at Kiyama High.

All the Public Morals Club members are involved in this arc, but Akki in particular gets to show what he can (and can’t) do. Unlike Hayasaka and Yui, he’s actually perceptive enough to pick up on the actual identity of secret members Natsuo and Super Bun, and Tsubaki-sensei uses him to great comedic advantage when Mafuyu finds herself in a situation where both Super Bun and Natsuo have to be in the same place at the same time. From what he’s shown so far, Akki promises to be a great addition to the club.

Some of the plot is predictable; it’s fairly obvious Natsuo/Mafuyu will somehow win Kanon over, but as things escalate into a Public Morals Club versus Kiyama delinquents brawl, Tsubaki-sensei throws in a surprise: help for the Public Morals Club from not one but two unexpected individuals. Overall, this volume delivers a nice balance of character development, comedy, and action.

In Summary

The Public Morals Club faces its next Student Council challenger, Kanon Nonoguchi. Her target: Natsuo and Super Bun. Tsubaki-sensei lays on the comedy with this man-hating Student Council member trying to get to the bottom of the Public Morals Club’s secret members. It’s pretty obvious Mafuyu will work a change of heart in Kanon, but a couple unexpected allies will surprise fans in the face-off against the Kiyama delinquents.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 11

Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi’s Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 11 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as  a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

The RevieW

In terms of relationship, Teru and Kurosaki have pretty much settled into the role of the established couple. Certainly Kurosaki’s keeping his passion for his underage love interest in check, but the two are in each other’s space a lot now. One chapter in Volume 11 opens with Teru waking Kurosaki up from his bed. Another opens with a freshly showered and shirtless Kurosaki walking around his living room while Teru’s there. With most of the mystery and tension in their relationship resolved, Motomi-sensei switches to Kiyoshi, Rena, and Rena’s fiancé Morizono to provide the tension, romantic and otherwise.

Volume 11 provides us with our first actual glimpse of Morizono. He’s an arrogant and somewhat dim rich bully with bad news written all over him. He serves the dual purpose of introducing the threat of a new Jack Frost virus and providing Kiyoshi with a villain that he can rescue Rena from.

To be quite honest, Kiyoshi and Rena have completely transformed over the series’ eleven volumes. As Motomi-sensei points out in the author’s notes, the very first chapter of Dengeki Daisy shows Kiyoshi standing behind Teru as she defends him from Rena and the Student Council bullies. In this volume, he wields a bamboo sword to thwart bad guys and lends a sympathetic ear to Rena whenever she gets weepy. As for Rena, she’s gone from spoiled rich girl that everyone hates to spoiled rich girl that everyone loves. The “Everyone Loves You, Rena” snowball fight is somewhat sappy and contrived, but the plot shapes up once Rena gets trapped by Morizono. As a villain, Morizono’s not the sharpest opponent, but he’s got the resources and clout to cause Teru and company problems, and that’s good enough to drive the story forward.

By the way, for Kurosaki fans, one of the extras included in this volume is a guide to drawing Kurosaki’s face.

In Summary

Akira’s been the bad boy of late, but he fades into the background as Motomi-sensei gives readers a new guy to despise: Rena’s fiancé Morizono. Not only is he a bad match, he’s also trying to set loose a new Jack Frost virus on the world. That of course gets Teru and friends involved, especially when Rena gets abducted by Morizono. It’s a little odd having Rena as damsel in distress and Kiyoshi playing knight in shining armor, but I am intrigued to see how Morizono intends to pull off his “engagement party plot.”

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Message to Adolf, Part 2

Osamu Tezuka is one of the giants of manga. While he’s best known for Astro Boy, he has an extensive list of works most Westerners are unaware of. But Vertical has recently made one more of his books available in English: his espionage thriller Message to Adolf. Part 2 has just been released and you can read on for the review. (For a review of Part 1, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

In part two of Message to Adolf, with World War II escalating things have become quite heated for the Adolfs. Adolf Kaufman is now enrolled in a Hitler Youth Academy. While there he quickly is taught to distinguish between races and religions. He would eventually hand out stars of David to Jews in his community. His work, some of which would be physically difficult, would lead to a visit with the Führer. Unfortunately as young Kaufman would reach such heights, he like Kamil and Toge before him would find out that Hitler may have a very heavy secret he is hiding.

The RevieW

While “secondary character” Toge dominates Volume 1 of Message to Adolf, Volume 2 focuses predominantly on Adolf Kaufmann, the half-Japanese boy who gets shipped off to Adolf Hitler School. It follows his Nazi indoctrination, and you sympathize with his plight as he struggles to reconcile Hitler’s ideals with his mixed ethnic heritage and his friendship with Jew Adolf Kamil. To complicate matters, Kaufmann falls in love with Elisa, a Jewish girl, and on top of that, discovers by accident the secret of Hitler’s lineage.

All these factors add up to mold Kaufmann into an SD officer with a twisted personality. Having gained Hitler’s favor, he devotes himself wholeheartedly to the Nazis, but he must continually delude himself to justify the inconsistencies between the Nazi worldview and reality – not the least of which is the fact that the Fuehrer is part Jewish. But he can’t completely ignore his conscience. En route through the Arctic Ocean via submarine, he nearly loses his grip on sanity as the ghosts of the hundreds of Jews he’s murdered come to haunt him.

In a sense, Kaufman is a reflection of the entire Nazi party. Blinded by patriotism and fervor, Hitler’s deranged minions carry out his brutal and pointless orders unquestioningly while anyone trying to be a voice of reason gets killed off as a traitor. Even after Hitler’s paranoia nearly results in Kaufmann’s execution, Kaufmann remains loyal despite knowing that his Fuehrer isn’t right in the head. And the decline of Kaufmann’s fortunes in the SD coincide with the Nazis’ fall on the world stage.

As for the other Adolfs, Hitler serves mainly as a caricature of himself. A couple times Tezuka-sensei does show him agonizing about his impure heritage. Other than that, he’s just a standard crazed dictator. Meanwhile, back in Japan, Kamil continues the espionage arc and also provides Kaufmann someone to hate when he returns to Japan.

The impetus for Kaufmann’s return, of course, is the secret documents. But although intrigue remains an element of the plot, the main drama arises when the Nazi-brainwashed Kaufmann clashes with the people he once knew. In fact, the fall of Germany turns the Hitler documents into a non-issue, but the story continues past World War II to show how utterly Nazi doctrine estranges Kaufmann from former loved ones and ruins his life.

As in Volume 1, Tezuka-sensei doesn’t hesitate to depict the worst of humanity. Between the Nazi party and Japanese militarists, Volume 2 includes torture, rape, and genocide as well as the harrowing aftermath of war strikes. However, Tezuka-sensei’s intent clearly isn’t to glorify violence but to warn against it, and his illustrations of the casualties of war aren’t nearly as graphic as, say, Barefoot Gen.

In Summary

Although the manga opener states that this story is about three Adolfs, the half-Japanese Nazi officer Adolf Kaufmann gets the lion’s share of the narrative in Volume 2. While the Hitler documents do remain as a plot driver to torment Adolf Hitler, these chapters are less cat and mouse espionage and more a commentary on Nazi atrocities and the horrors of human violence in general. Tezuka-sensei keeps the content from getting dry with the grudge that arises between Kaufmann and his former Jewish friend Kamil, but the story does takes a preachy tone at its conclusion.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: A Bride’s Story Vol. 4

Kaoru Mori is best known for her work, Emma, an exquisite romance/slice-of-life set in Victorian England. Her latest work to be released in the United States, A Bride’s Story, is also a historical/slice-of-life but is vastly different than Emma. Set in Central Asia in a rural town near the Caspian Sea during the early 19th century, A Bride’s Tale revolves around a young woman, Amir, who arrives from a distant village across the mountains to marry Karluk, a boy 8 years her junior. Volume 4 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

As he journeys to India, Mr. Smith is snapped out of his melancholic reverie by a tumble from his camel into a river and by the pair of identical twin girls who dive in to pull him out. Leili and Laila have reached marrying age, but their minds are more on mischief than romance.

Meanwhile, back in the Eihons’ village, Pariya has finally caught the interest of a suitor. But now that the moment has finally arrived, will Pariya’s outspoken personality draw him in or drive him away?

The RevieW

Volume 3 hinted that trouble might be stirring for Amir’s native clan, and in Volume 4, we discover just how bad things get when a clan can’t provide a necessary bride. The opener is tense with the Halgal facing potential starvation, and Amir’s brother and his companions get the dangerous task of negotiating an alliance with another clan. Even beyond the Halgal, emotions are running high in the region, with everyone from Russians to Persians to tribesmen on edge. Mori-sensei’s illustrations are excellent as usual, and she inserts stunning scenes of wolves that parallel the ongoing human drama.

The story then steps back from the broader geopolitical situation to focus on more personal matters–namely marriage. The tone quickly goes from suspenseful to comical with marriage talks for Pariya. This episode is relatively brief, but those who like the outspoken, slightly surly baker girl will enjoy the two new characters who take up the rest of the volume: the twins Laila and Leily.

Much about these fishing village girls will appeal to modern readers. They’re spunky. They’re loud. They talk back to their elders. They’re also like Amir in that they’re very athletic, but the place where they shine isn’t on horseback with bow and arrows, but in the water with nets and baskets. Their chapters are full of illustrations of them swimming, and they make their grand splash of an entrance by rescuing Mr. Smith from drowning.

Despite these traits, the young teens know very well that they must marry, and indeed are already concerned about becoming old maids. The way they go about their dilemma, however, is very modern. Having grown impatient waiting for their father to find them prospects, they decide to get their own grooms. Their selection criteria, though, is best described as shallow, and ditzy as they are, the story turns into a sitcom as the girls fail over and over to catch a “big fish.”

The comedy continues when dad finally finds their less than ideal matches. The story does take a sentimental tone as the girls warm up to their fiancés but drops right back into comedy with mom giving her slacker daughters a crash course in bridehood. As the reluctant students suffer through their mother’s teachings, readers get a glimpse of what marriage negotiation, wedding preparations, and the role of women in an Aral Sea fishing village are like. The story wraps up just before the double wedding, and like Mr. Smith, I’m looking forward to the celebration.

In Summary

Bride’s Story switches from melodrama to sitcom with two new brides, the twins Laila and Leily. These Aral Sea girls are very different from the women encountered so far, but marriage is just as important to them! With their father slow to bring them prospects, they take matters into their own hands with ridiculous results. Volume 4 definitely has a modern ditzy-girl-desperate-to-find-Mr.-Right flavor, but despite the silliness, Mori-sensei continues to beautifully showcase different aspects of life from this time period.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura Vol. 9

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works currently being translated into English is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. Volume 9 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on Sakura, the granddaughter of the Moon princess Kaguya. As her descendent, Sakura wields the power to defeat Youko, monsters from the Moon, but Sakura’s Moon heritage also means she’s predisposed to becoming a Youko herself…

Back Cover Blurb

Princess Sakura has been staying at the estate of Fujimurasaki, the future emperor. Fujimurasaki tells Sakura he loves her and keeps her hidden from Aoba. Sakura yearns to be reunited with Aoba, but he’s to marry Princess Yuri…

The RevieW

With Volume 9, we get the conclusion of the Princess Yuri introduction arc, which is lighthearted in one respect but heavy on the other. Regarding Yuri’s anger toward Sakura, its basis turns out to be something completely stupid, and she quickly folds as a rival for Oura’s affections, thanks to conveniently well-timed intervention from Fujimurasaki.

On the other hand, we discover that Oura struggles with his own curse. I’d thought his wolf form was the result of magic skills training, but his situation is actually closer to Asagiri’s. I should note that in the pages where Sakura witnesses the effects of Oura’s nightmare, it is unclear which panels depict reality and which are Oura’s thoughts. At any rate, this revelation not only deepens Oura as a character, it heightens Sakura’s feelings for him and adds a layer of urgency and tragedy to their romance.

The story then shifts from politicking to espionage – of sorts. Of Kohaku and Hayate, I’d considered Hayate to be the more capable ninja, but I am reconsidering that assessment. Apparently, Hayate has his weaknesses, and though his interactions with Rurijo were probably intended to showcase his kindness, he winds up looking pathetic as a ninja (and a man). Shuri, on the other hand, makes for a much more impressive ninja. He only appears on three pages in this volume, but that’s enough to get you wondering what kind of game the double agent is playing. Between his and Rurijo’s activities, a rematch with Enju’s forces appears to be imminent.

By the way, Volume 9 includes several extras including bonus funnies and closing remarks from Tanemura-sensei and her assistants.

In Summary

Sakura Hime continues to take a break from Youko attacks and battles with moon people to focus on intrigue and romance. In fact, the only time Chizakura shows up in this volume is when Sakura has a jealous fit. The trouble stirred up by Princess Yuri gets resolved much too easily, and the Rurijo/Hayate chapters make me lose all respect for Hayate as a ninja, but the volume does provide new insight into Oura’s past that makes him a much more interesting character.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Bakuman Vol. 17

Bakuman is the latest collaboration of Ohba and Obata, the creators of the wildly popular Death Note series. Unlike Death Note, Bakuman is more or less grounded in reality, but it is no less entertaining as it follows the ups and downs of a mangaka duo as they strive to make it big in the publishing world!

This series is a personal favorite of mine, and Viz Media has just released Volume 17. (My reviews of earlier Bakuman volumes can be found here.)

Back Cover Blurb

As the veteran manga artists start taking over Weekly Shonen Jump, the younger artists feel the pressure. But what is behind this sudden surge of older artists making a comeback in the magazine? And what is the connection between Azuma and Moritaka’s late uncle?

The Review

When Nanamine got trounced by Team Ashirogi a couple volumes back, I was pretty certain he’d return to the story at some point as a reformed mangaka. Well, he is back, but he’s a bigger sore loser than I thought. The Shinjitsu Corporation manga machine arc feels like a rehash of Nanamine’s previous showdown against PCP. The scope is grander with Nanamine’s father’s money backing him and the various Team Fukuda creators wanting to take him down, but the overall feel of this battle is the same. Even so, the plot keeps you interested with the sorry plight of the older mangaka, and the ultimate outcome has a surprising and rather satisfying twist.

Interestingly, Taro Kawaguchi features prominently in these chapters, and it’s interesting that Ohba-sensei seems to incorporate some of Kawaguchi’s “stand-alone that doesn’t stand alone” technique into Volume 17. While none of the chapters are stand-alone stories, they do revisit a number of things unanswered in the early volumes, such as why Moritaka’s grandfather kept Taro Kawaguchi’s studio untouched all those years.

Ohba-sensei also uses this technique with the editor-in-chief’s unexpected transfer from Jump. While his leaving doesn’t impact Team Ashirogi’s as directly as when they lost and then regained Hattori as editor, it does provide the framework to show how far they and rival Eiji have come. His upcoming departure also sets the stage for the young mangaka to focus on their original rivalry once more, which, after Nanamine’s extreme strategies, will be a refreshing change.

In Summary

Nanamine returns, and he’s more determined to destroy Ashirogi than ever before! Sadly, his methodology hasn’t changed much so the rematch is very similar to their first showdown. However, the final outcome does have an unexpected and interesting twist, and we gain some interesting backstory about Moritaka’s uncle thanks to old-timer mangaka Azuma and the editor-in-chief.

This title is highly recommended for young teens and up.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manhwa Review: Aron’s Absurd Armada Vol. #1

An oft-used archetype in popular literature are pirates. Pirate stories are so numerous nowadays, you can find all sorts of buccaneers, ranging from romantic to sly to sinister, and now joining to the ranks of Captain Hook and One Piece’s Luffy is the idiot pirate Aron!

Back Cover Blurb

On a whim, Aron Cornwall decides he wants to live a pirate’s life of thrills, sailing on the high seas in search of distant lands and buried treasure. And when you’re the son of a duke, you generally get what you want. Accompanied by his reluctant manservant, Robin, Aron scrounges up a crew – including a cook who cannot cook, a transvestite assassin, and a boy (girl?) genius – and sets off on the craziest pirate adventure you’ve ever seen!

The RevieW

If you’re looking for an introductory manhwa (Korean graphic novel) for someone used to Western comic strips, consider Aron’s Absurd Armada. Buccaneers on the high seas and European-style royalty in castles comprise the characters and settings, and although story arcs last several pages, they’re presented in comic strip-sized bites.

The format is similar to the Japanese 4-koma with four panels read top to bottom, but Armada’s format is slightly wider. Occasionally, Kim divides panels into smaller sections to squeeze in more details. Each strip also includes a side illustration based on the main punchline. Some Korean cultural references are made, but they are explained with footnotes. In addition to the strips, a few arcs in full-page format are interspersed through the book. The entire manhwa is printed in color on glossy stock, and except for smudges on a couple pages, the print quality generally does justice to Armada’s elaborate period costumes.

The title is Aron’s Absurd Armada, but while the main character is Aron and he is absurd, he doesn’t really have an armada. Instead, as the back cover declares, Aron and company are pirates. But it would be more accurate to say Aron is a wannabe pirate with a crew of misfits compelled to follow him.

Most of the comedy stems from the fact that Aron has no business being a pirate. The son of a duke, Aron is a spoiled imbecile with zero fighting ability and no sense of responsibility. Wealthy as he is, he has no need for nor interest in obtaining booty. The one time his crew goes on a treasure hunt, he doesn’t bother to join them. He simply wants to be known as a pirate because he’s bored and thinks they’re cool.

Obviously, such an idiot can’t survive on his own. Thus we have Robin, Aron’s bodyguard. Beautiful and vain, Robin’s narcissism is only matched by his love for money. Between the sizable allowance received from Aron’s overindulgent mother and Robin’s unsurpassed sword skills, they keep the rest of the crew in line. That crew, by the way, consists of a girl whom everyone thinks is a gay boy; a transvestite assassin hairdresser; a brawny chef who can’t cook; and two flunkies who serve as the straight men for this ridiculous cast.

With this hodgepodge of characters, the plot is less action and adventure and more about the mental damage they inflict upon one another. In one arc, Aron’s ship has a run-in with the Marines, but it’s not so much a naval battle as it is about Aron putting the Marines’ lieutenant Luther, who just happens to be Aron’s childhood pal, into a pinch. By the way, this Luther is also the illegitimate son of an admiral; gets no respect from his subordinates; endures a peculiar bullying from his half-brother; and is madly in love with his half-niece who happens to be his ensign. That’s the type of craziness Armada has in store for readers.

I should mention that this title is rated older teen, partly because of violence and language, but also because the characters continually rip on one another about cross-dressing, sexual orientation, and BL (boys love).

Regarding the artwork, don’t let the front cover fool you. Kim does use deformed characters when the occasion warrants, but for the most part, illustrations are clean shojo-style artwork with a predominantly attractive cast. And although Yen Press presents this book as Volume 1 of Armada, it actually contains Volumes 1 and 2 of the manhwa as released in Korea and provides the character introduction pages used in both.

In Summary

Beware Aron the pirate! Actually, the ones that really need to look out are Aron’s misfit crewmates as their inept leader gets into one scrape after another. If you want to see all the havoc that one self-centered duke can cause country, family, and friends by charging onto the high seas with a gender bending crew, give Armada a try. And while the $18.99 cover price might seem a bit steep, the book is printed in full color and actually contains Volumes 1 and 2 of the original Korean releases.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Best Manga of 2012

So at the close of 2012, Chris, the editor over at the Fandom Post, asked his contributors to write a list of our top five for the year. That was a little challenging for me because I’m pretty bad about remembering exactly what I’ve read and when I’ve reviewed it. But after slogging through my manga pile and my 2012  reviews, these are the gems I pulled out.

1). Bakuman: Viz’s translation of this series is up to its 17th volume, and I still find myself eagerly anticipating each new release. A manga about mangaka might not sound too interesting, but the team of Ohba and Obata has turned Bakuman into a battle manga where the magazine Jump is the battleground their characters use to prove themselves. Although some of the recent challenges for Team Ashirogi have veered into the realm of unrealistic, the plot remains engaging and the main characters relatable even as they grow beyond their teenage years.

2) Bride’s Story: I love so much about this title – its historical setting, Mori-sensei’s exquisite artwork, its vibrant characters. It is a slice of life tale, meaning the story often slows to showcase different aspects of Amir’s culture, such as food and needlework, but a slower pace doesn’t mean a boring story. The bonds Amir forges in her new home draw readers in, and conflict between different tribes and European forces keep the tension up. The main reason Bride’s Story didn’t take first place is the age gap between Amir and Karluk. I don’t have a problem with their marriage per se; arranged marriages are the norm for many cultures. However, Mori-sensei draws Amir as a mature woman while Karluk looks like a little kid so there is a squick factor when Amir develops romantic feelings for him.

3) Spice and Wolf: Like many fantasy stories, Spice and Wolf has a medieval style setting with complex geopolitical elements, but what sets this manga apart is its economics bent. Knights, priests, and kings do exist in this world, but the main characters are a young merchant and his wisewolf companion, who is thoroughly knowledgeable about humans and their business dealings. The pair get into one exciting scrape after another in the pursuit of profit, and as you follow their adventures, you might just pick up some economics principles along the way.

4)  Bamboo Blade: A sports manga about a girls kendo team, this title is both uplifting and funny. Kendo may not be a mainstream American sport, but the quirky cast of Bamboo Blade presents it in a way even newbies can enjoy. Although it does go a bit overboard with its “alternative manga rendition” of events, you can’t help but get swept up in the characters’ enthusiasm as they strive to improve themselves.

5) 07 Ghost: A supernatural action title, 07 Ghost tells the tale of an underdog hero caught in an epic battle between good and evil. It’s definitely shonen fare, but female readers will appreciate the fine looking bishounen that make up the cast.  Go!Comi originally licensed the title but only released the first few volumes before they stopped publishing in October 2009. However, Viz Media has recently picked up the series so hopefully all the adventures of Teito and his friends will finally get translated to English!

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher Vol. #11

Mafuyu is a high school delinquent who wants to turn over a new leaf. So when she transfers schools, she thinks she’ll finally be able to live the life of a normal girl. There’s just one problem: her teacher  Mr. Saeki is a bigger delinquent than she is and is out to take advantage of her fighting skills!

Oresama Teacher is a shojo manga that offers humor of the silly variety. Volume 11 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (For those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

Hayasaka has been gloomier than usual since he hasn’t been able to see Super Bun in a long time. Shinobu butts his ninja nose in and suggests Hayasaka and Super Bun go on a date for Christmas Eve. Mafuyu very reluctantly agrees to play “matchmaker,” and dons the rabbit mask to help cheer up her friend. But the date goes much better than she expected! How is she going to deal with Hayasaka now?

The RevieW

Volume 11 starts off with two holiday themed chapters. First, it’s Christmas time, and with Hayasaka in a funk after missing Super Bun’s last appearance, Mafuyu arranges for him to have a date with his hero. Tsubaki-sensei’s gotten some mileage out of Hayasaka’s Super Bun crush, but she milks it for what it’s worth by having a giddy Hayasaka and a self-conscious Super Bun/Mafuyu touring the town doing typical Christmas date stuff. Then it’s New Year’s at home with Mafuyu’s former minions Kangawa and Maizono. The humor in this chapter is a little more difficult for Western readers to understand as most jokes require knowledge of hot pots and Japanese New Year’s traditions, but you do get to enjoy Mafuyu having fun with her old pals.

After ringing in the new year, Tsubaki-sensei picks up with the next challenge to the Public Morals Club: Ayabe Reito. The arc begins well, presenting an enemy with an astounding strength that belies his nondescript appearance. His everpresent guitar case, bouts of illness, and the fact that he’s the only officer that wants out of the Student Council add to his mystique.

Mafuyu’s battles of late have been under the guise of Natsuo or Super Bun so it’s refreshing when Ayabe recognizes her actual capabilities. His directness forces Mafuyu to respond in kind and revert to the intensity of her gang leader days. Tsubaki-sensei truly draws you in as Mafuyu struggles to figure out how to take Ayabe down on her own. Once the secret behind his power is revealed though, it’s a bit of a letdown. The intensity disappears, and their duel devolves into a kind of silliness that leaves you wondering how Ayabe could have ever posed any kind of threat.

In Summary

After some holiday themed comedy, Tsubaki-sensei introduces the Public Morals Club’s next threat: the mysteriously powerful Ayabe. Unlike previous Student Council members, Ayabe recognizes Mafuyu for who she is and forces her to battle him with everything she’s got. But once Mafuyu figures out the trick behind his strength, the ultimate outcome of their fight is rather disappointing.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Otomen Vol. 13

There are many stories about tomboys, girls with boyish tendencies, but what about the opposite? In fact, what would you call a boy with girly interests? The manga answer is: Otomen!

For those unfamiliar with this series by Aya Kanno, “otomen” is a play on the Japanese word otome (乙女), meaning “young lady” or “mistress,” and the English word “men.” The plot centers around Asuka Masamune, the manliest guy in his high school.  However, he has a secret: the things he really loves are sweets, shojo manga, and sewing. He hides this part of his life from everyone until he meets Ryo Miyakozuka, the least feminine girl in school. Volume 13 of the series has just come out and you can read on for the review! (For those interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

Ryo ends up coaching a high school judo team, but women aren’t allowed at that school! She finds a way around this obstacle, but the real challenge comes when she finds herself facing off against… Asuka?!

The Review

With Asuka finally aware of his dad’s true identity, that leaves Kiyomi Masamune’s anti-otomen attitude and Asuka’s never-quite-dating relationship with Ryo as the main plot drivers for this series. In regard to the Asuka/Ryo romance, it’s been dragging for a while. In Volume 13′s opening chapter, even Ryo’s family expresses concern over the lack of progress between her and Asuka. For readers who’ve been feeling frustrated, Kanno-sensei finally delivers with a Ryo-centered arc in this volume.

The story’s set up to create tension between the couple when Ryo starts coaching judo at Odo Boys’ School but doesn’t tell Asuka. Yet despite Juta’s suspicions and the Odo team captain’s crush, you never really feel that Asuka’s relationship with Ryo is in any real danger, especially when Asuka immediately recognizes the “suspicious boy at Ryo’s house” to be Ryo herself, but it does push Asuka into mopey mode as he wonders if there’s truly anything between him and Ryo.

Ryo for the most part is oblivious–as usual–to the feelings of the men around her, but even she comes to the realization that her actions may have hurt Asuka’s feelings. The resolution is almost a parody of shonen “communicating through fists” with the two of them determined to “clash head-on” in the Odo-Ginyuri judo match. Fortunately for the romantics, a last-minute development changes the match from that of a couple wanting to work things out to a duel between boys interested in the same girl. And when Ryo finally does make up with Asuka, she does it in an unexpectedly romantic way. Sadly, Kanno-sensei cuts that scene short, keeping us from seeing Asuka’s response to Ryo’s Christmas gift, but she makes up for it with a Valentine’s Day chapter guaranteed to delight Asuka/Ryo fans.

In Summary

Finally, progress in Asuka’s relationship with Ryo! Kanno-sensei takes her time getting to it, working around a plot that has Ryo cross-dressing in order to coach a boys’ judo team, but readers get real confirmation of Ryo’s feelings toward Asuka at last. However, Ryo/Asuka fans will be even more thrilled with Asuka’s Valentine’s Day gift at the end of the volume!

First published at the Fandom Post.