While this series has always been a solid read, vol. 6 sees it taking some big strides towards being genuinely compelling.  Not immediately because of how Isao’s rain-soaked, late-night confessional cliffhanger from the previous volume was resolved.  It was handled well, as was Yori’s newfound affection towards Mari.  As the latter believes that the former’s […]

Welcome to another exciting volume of “Garo:  Hero Hunter!”  After our protagonist was left for dead at the hands of the Monster Association, he goes to hunt them on their own turf.  Not just for payback!  But to rescue the one kid who believes in him with all his heart.  That Garo rescues the kid […]

After 14 (really 28) volumes of “Prison School,” it’s safe to say that mangaka Akira Hiramoto has a pretty well-defined style.  It involves utterly ridiculous situations played completely straight, and served up with a near-constant stream of fanservice.  That’s not all he’s capable of (and one day it’ll be time to talk about “Me and […]

After much preparation, it’s time for the Shuchiin Academy Culture Festival!  There are haunted houses and maid cafes galore, and oh so much drama to go around.  That’s mainly because Kaguya and Miyuki have finally made up their minds about how they feel regarding each other.  Now they’re just looking for the right time and […]

Are you ready for a BLOOD FEUD?!  It looks like that’s where the story’s headed not too far into vol. 4 as Mob’s brother Ritsu fully awakens to his own powers (with some questionable help from Dimple).  Unfortunately for him, this has come along at a time when his emotional stability has taken a hit, […]

If there’s one thing that mangaka Hiroya Oku does well, it’s that he’s got a real knack for conveying action on the page.  Even when it felt like “Gantz” was going off the rails, the action scenes were still compelling.  His follow-up series “Inuyashiki” did have some decent moments of android-on-human and android-on-android fighting, but […]

What about vol. 12?  It was notable for the trip Meguru takes with members of his and several other gyms to the Tohoku region to help with cleanup from the (then recent) earthquake and for some friendly competition.  It’s a nice diversion that also sees the series at its goofiest and most slapsticky. While Maki’s […]

Here we have a volume that feels more focused on the struggles of the supporting cast as opposed to its main duo.  Which isn’t a bad thing as that means we get to learn more about some of the newer characters. Like Philomena, who was caught spying on everyone at the end of the previous […]

Vol. 13 has more of an overarching story to it than is usual for this series.  That’s because Hachiken, Mikage and the rest of their horse riding club are trying to make their way to the national championship at Gotemba.  Expect to see mind games played on and by the team, a horse who loves […]

Now that we’re past the Great Translation Consternation of 2019, where does this series stand?  In a pretty good place, actually.  Even if this volume is almost entirely setup for the Shuchiin School Festival that will be happening in the next one.  That leaves Kaguya modeling outfits for the welcoming party in an attempt to […]