A blend of old and new releases, and first volumes and those more toward the middle fill our selections in this week’s column. As usual, love stories are among those we review this week, including the first volume of the Kimi ni Todoke spin-off, but other genres include comedy, action, sci-fi, and for the first time in a while, a magical girl series. Check out our thoughts on the volumes below!
After the Rain (Vol. 3) • Dandadan (Vol. 7) • Drifting Dragons (Vol. 6) • Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate (Vol. 1) • Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. (Vol. 1) • Mr. Villain’s Day Off (Vol. 3) • Rainbow Days (Vol. 9)
Rainbow Days, Manga Vol. 9
That’s more like it. After the tepid character development of recent volumes, Rainbow Days goes back to a hokey and doki-doki tone as the characters head off on their senior field trip where not one but two boys will be confessing to Anna! These chapters work really well because Natsuki’s love rival Mocchi and Mocchi’s best friend Kakei are really good dudes. That makes his efforts to get away alone with Anna and keep Natsuki at bay as reasonable as they are angsty for the reader. Natsuki, meanwhile, continues to be the lovable doof he’s always been, while Anna ever-so-slowly seems to be growing more aware of, what are these things called? Oh yes, emotions. All this, plus the nostalgia imbued in the class trip activities, make for the best volume of Rainbow Days in quite some time. I’m still concerned that this series is head toward territory that it’s best avoiding, namely more serious storytelling that the mangaka doesn’t excel at, but at least for volume nine Rainbow Days is again cute and lovely, and all is right with the world. ~ Twwk
Rainbow Days is published by VIZ Media.
READ Rainbow Days Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8
Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Manga Vol. 1
Well here is a combination that almost makes too much sense—magical girl genre meets inspiring workplace series. Volume one of Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., which is also the name of the company at the center of this manga, is a lovely, energetic read about a new graduate finding her place of work and her place in the world. Sakuragi is hard-working, motivated, and excellent at researching and remembering, but her skills aren’t translating to a job. Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., however, needs a new employee to join with their adventurous and capable magical girl, Koshigaya. The match might be just right, but Sakuragi has reservations, not least of which are the strange employees of the business and the generally nature of a start-up company versus what she expected out of her work life. The volume is really effective in expressing what it’s like to be discouraged while hunting for a job, while also staying upbeat, fun, and action-packed. The action scenes themselves are nothing to write home about, but the volume still manages to generate an excitable tone, in part because Koshigiya is equally captivating in her polar opposite role as the boisterous veteran. There’s a lot to like about this series, and the volume also ends on an intriguing note inviting the likelihood of future events that will ensure the story balances workplace humor with heroism, other magical girls, and corporate villains. I can’t wait to see how volume two plays out. I’m all in! ~ Twwk
Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is published by VIZ Media.
Drifting Dragons, Manga Vol. 6
An unexpected reunion with Mika’s former captain has put our lead characters in an awkward predicament. Several years ago, a dragon drifting through the area maimed one of Captain Cujo’s legs, and he’s been working a series of dreary odd jobs on land since then. Now, Cujo is determined to return to the sky to find that dragon and settle the score, while his daughter Nora is desperate to prevent her father from taking flight again—due to both her concerns for his safety and an emotional wound coming from growing up with a father whose work kept him away more often than not. Caught in the thorny position of being outsiders dragged into a domestic squabble, Mika, Takita, and Giraud proceed with caution. But the time for caution ends when the same rampaging dragon that wounded Cujo migrates back across the city of Harley’s airspace… When I was in the Navy, I heard a lot of the guys who had families talk about how much effort it took to overcome the effects of long separations caused by deployments at sea. Clearly, things aren’t that much different even in a world of airships and dragons. And while Captain Cujo’s skills as a skyfarer and dragon hunter are clearly the product of great dedication, we’re given reasons to question if he perhaps should have put a bit more effort into his life on shore. It all adds up to an engaging story about trying to find a balance between one’s passions and responsibilities—and between conflicting responsibilities—as well as making peace with the fact that the people we choose to love might not fit neatly into the role we want them to fill for us. How do Cujo and Nora resolve this dilemma? I won’t spoil it, read the manga yourself! ~ WacOtaku
Drifting Dragons is published by Kodansha.
READ Reviews of Drifting Dragons: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol.3 // Vol.4 // Vol.5
After the Rain, Manga Vol. 3
In a reactionary society, I’m often quick to judge a series based on a storyline, character, or even image that’s morally objectionable. After the Rain, with its budding romance between the teenage Akira and much older Kondo, would fit the bill, but volume three demonstrates what a delicate and sensitive series this is, while its characters remind us that life is sometimes messy and that our choices can, indeed, be objectionable. Akira’s crush on Kondo continues to grow despite protests or stink eyes from every corner, but volume three gets psychological (as expected from the insightful Jun Mayuzuki) as the plot really emphasizes that Akira continues to struggle with her decision to leave track. And it’s made clear that this is a decision; she could have gone through the therapy required to return to the field. Has she instead replaced track with Kondo? Is that healthy? Slice-of-life moments, like visiting an amusement park and making a gift for the manager, carry the plot through this volume, but that theme is the primary focus. Of secondary emphasis are supporting characters who are given opportunities to grow in this volume (or to at least be further characterized for the readers), much to my delight. What a lovely volume, the finest in the series so far as we make our way through the halfway point. After the Rain is at its best when it avoids romantic moments and stays true to what it’s ultimately about—two lost souls trying to find their way. ~ Twwk
After the Rain is published by Kodansha.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate, Manga Vol. 1
Too often, spin-off manga focusing on a supporting character from a popular series capture only a mere sliver of the original’s magic. But the difference in Soulmate, the Kimi ni Todoke spin-off features Kurumi as the main character, is that it’s also written and illustrated by the original series’ maganaka, Karuho Shiina. And so it reads with the same charm as her earlier work. But Kurumi? Really? That formerly backstabbing but still grumpy girl as the lead? Well, I’ve always been a Kurumi fan, but if you’re not, I guarantee you’ll see her in a different light once she takes center stage. Soulmate has Sawako and her attending the same college and still best friends, spending virtually every day together. But as indicated in the series subtitle, Kurumi is looking for that special someone. Enter Sawako’s cousin, the upfront and dashing Eiji. Will love bloom? Well, almost certainly, though stumbling blocks will undoubtedly get in the way, which in this volume include a stalker and Kurumi’s low self-esteem. If you remember back to Kimi ni Todoke, Kurumi only outwardly appeared to have it all together; at heart, she hates herself. And as pretty much anyone can tell you, someone who feels that way about herself is in no position to date. So where does that leave Kurumi and Eiji? Only time will tell! The series is only three volumes long, so this story should all come together quickly. Thankfully, in this short span, there’s plenty of time, too, for Sawako to be involved in the story (it’s so much fun seeing her as a side character), and Kazehaya too. And if all that isn’t enough to get you to try this out, I’ll make my last pitch here: the spin-off of one of the best shoujo ever written is better than at least 75% of the popular romance manga out there. As a heartwarming work, I expect Soulmate to stand on its own. I highly encourage you to pick up volume one. ~ Twwk
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate is published by VIZ Media.
Mr. Villain’s Day Off, Manga Vol. 3
“I had the perfect day off yet again thanks to pandas…” This quote could wrap up the entire series of Mr. Villain’s Day Off, but it’s definitely true for volume three in particular! Need to look at a coworker in a better light? Just imagine them being like the panda at the zoo. Trying to win a mandarin-peeling contest? Just peel it into a cute panda. Unmotivated to take a shower and get ready for bed? Just look at a cute panda plushie. Pandas will help save your day just as they save the day for our evil supervillain! Ha! This was another wonderful volume that had me laughing the whole way through! Well, that is until the final chapter where I never expected to cry, but I did because talk about a gut punch of feels! I was completely shocked that a new ranger was introduced in this volume! Whaaaaat!? I really liked the new ranger though and how they interacted with our “hero”! Speaking of, I love how he loves pandas so much! It’s always a joy to read and see what fun ideas and thoughts he’ll have next! Plus, him wanting to interact with cats also makes me happy, which is exactly what happened in one chapter! Hehe! Excited to read more of this series, though I definitely wish the volumes were longer! ~ Laura A. Grace
Mr. Villain’s Day Off is published by Square Enix.
Dandadan, Manga Vol. 7
Recent trailers for the upcoming Dandadan anime have brought out the fandom for this series, who are terribly excited for the adaptation. I’ve never been that type of cheerleader for this series, initially because of the ecchi elements but now just because Dandadan has shown what it is: a series with breathtaking panels every few pages and a funny and absurdist humor, but which nonetheless features underdeveloped characters, sometimes confusing storylines, and an overall story that I’m not sure I can really pin down and explain. Volume seven continues with all these elements as the crew basically tries to figure out how to separate Jiji from the Evil Eye. It’s a transitional volume, and is maybe of more interest to me because of that, as the goings-on serve to draw Ayase and Takakura closer together and allow Shiratori to get some laughs and some fuller character development, too. That doesn’t mean that the series is suddenly shining in its writing, but these are happy developments nonetheless. Fans of the series will certainly continue to enjoy these chapters; for moderates like me, they continue to show how Dandadan can be an addicting read, but also one that I can leave behind without much thought—maybe permanently. ~ Twwk
Dandadan is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Dandadan: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6
“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.
