What does this second volume of “filler-arc ‘Gantz’ spinoff” have to convince us that it’s not just a tired cash-in?  How about drama between teenage girls!  It’s actually more appealing that I’m making it sound as the dynamics between the five girls who survived the first volume distinguish it a little from its parent series. […]

Okay, so this title’s momentum kind of stalled out in the previous volume.  I’d like to say that “Happiness” gets its groove back here, but that’ll probably depend on how eager you were to learn about Sakurane’s backstory.  While we knew that he was a killer before he met Gosho and went away with Yuuki […]

Yeah, I’m honestly surprised that this volume even exists.  I remember hearing about how mangaka Kiyohiko Azuma had to be cajoled into finishing the last story in the previous volume after putting the series on hiatus for a year.  After hearing that I figured he either had a terrible work ethic or was just plain […]

This volume kicks off with Gadhevi having his last supper with Rajendra, putting an end to the civil war in Sindhura.  As well as an end to the filler arc nature of this storyline too, right?  Not quite. As Arslan and company prepare to head back to Pars, Rajendra still has a trick or two […]

Three volumes in and Inio Asano’s latest is finally starting to make some worthwhile strides towards the level of quality I normally expect from his series.  It’s really evident once we find out that one of Kadode and Ontan’s friends has died as a result of the latest human/alien skirmish. Seeing the way the girls […]

Tsutomu Nihei is a creator who has been moving ever closer to the mainstream over the course of his career.  Looking at his multi-volume series, you get the feeling that after he was fully able to indulge his artistic impulses in “BLAME!” Nihei viewed creating a series with mass appeal as a real challenge to […]

This is easily one of the better volumes of the series.  Why? Because it focuses almost exclusively on creator Gamon Sakurai’s greatest strength:  His ability to create some kick-ass action scenes. So if you were expecting great things in that regard after Sato infiltrated the JSDF base in the previous volume then you’re going to […]

While the main goal of Sugimoto and co. right now is to get to Asirpa’s father in Abashiri prison, this volume shows that the series is in no hurry to get there as it splits itself into two halves.  The first is about our group of protagonists and how they make their way to Sapporo […]

The cover to this volume is best appreciated by looking at the version of it on the color insert on the first page.  That’s because the contrast that glossy version affords allows you to see how creepy it really is. Not that Teacher means any ill will towards Shiva in this volume.  Not intentionally, as […]

Between “Delicious in Dungeon,” “Kaguya-sama,” “Silver Spoon,” and now this, just about all of the manga I’ve been reading in scanlated form have now received proper English releases.  (I’ll keep holding out hope for “Dagashi Kashi,” but if it hasn’t been picked up following the two anime series that it’s received…) “Tomo-chan” is the least […]