Helck vs. Claes, Class F vs. each other, Kurumi vs. herself, and Mirai vs. the expectations weighing on her? Challenges for the characters in the series that Twwk is reviewing this week are both external and internal, but in all cases, they come with a heavy weight. Join us as he reviews several premiere volumes (including possibly the sweetest romance of the year) and a couple of series further on down the line, including the latest installment of Helck.

Battle Royale Enforcers (Vol. 1) • Black Summoner (Vol. 2) • The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity (Vol. 1) • Helck (Vol. 10) • Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate (Vol. 2) • Naruto: Konoha’s Story—The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Manga (Vol. 1)

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Naruto: Konoha’s Story—The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Manga, Manga Vol. 1

I don’t know how significant a role Mirai Sarutobi plays in Boruto—not very, I imagine, since even though this story is adapted into the anime series, it’s apparently not part of the manga proper—but the first volume of the tale focusing on her feels more than filler and more like a natural progression of the Naruto series at large. That’s a good thing. And it’s not just because of who Mirai (“Future”—Naruto isn’t necessarily subtle) is as the granddaughter of the Third Hokage and daughter of Kurenai and Asuma (you may remember her as a baby from the original series) or because major characters from Naruto figure into this arc; the tone, too, brings to mind the less serious fare from Naruto. In this volume, Mirai is ordered to escort Kakashi and Might Guy on a secret mission that she eventually determines is really just a vacation. All the while, she’s questioning her worth as a ninja and the legacy she’s carrying. Volume one introduces a small story filled with humor, mostly because of the older guys she’s accompanying, but also with tenderness. Mirai is an endearing character—determined, spunky, and sincere; the story takes her to the very country in which her father was killed, pushing her to confront the question we all have at her age—Who am I really?—and those only asked by ninja—Are we even needed in this modern world? Konoha’s Story is not particularly deep, but depth isn’t required; it’s sweet and funny, with hints of action to come, a welcome addition to Kishimoto’s grander tale. ~ Twwk

Naruto: Konoha’s Story—The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Manga is published by VIZ Media.

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The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Manga Vol. 1

Rintaro has blonde-dyed hair, stands 6’3″, and attends Chidori High School, a boys’ school known for poor academics. Kaoruko is academically-inclined, tiny, and a student at Kikyo Girls’ High School, known for its high standards and located next door to Chidori. By all rights, according to Rintaro, these two shouldn’t have anything to do with one another, but the pair’s mutual kindness, openness, humility, and connection to yummy pastries bring them together. And so begins a story of possibly star-crossed lovers—and in volume one, despite the mutual attraction between Rinator and Kaoruko (and their shared goodness as people), the forces pulling them apart—social, academic, and even financial—appear to be even stronger. And therein lies the conflict, one that’s perhaps surprising for shonen romance, where the challenges are most often interpersonal. Here, it’s established early on that these two are attracted to one another and very likely to become romantically involved if it’s up to them; but it isn’t entirely their choice. Or is it? Readers will discover their route in the volumes ahead, and I encourage them to do just that; I’ve read about 90 chapters of the series through Kodansha’s K-MANGA app, and have just adored it. Rintaro and Kaoruko are beautiful characters, and right from the opening pages are a pair that are so easy to pull for, not only as a couple but individually too. And not just them—you can detect it already in the first volume, but the supporting characters are also written with unusual depth and creativity. Yet, there’s some heaviness here with all the social pressures at work, and perhaps also conveyed through a drawing style that is at once pretty but also a little dark: eyes are set a little deeper, features are a little sharper, and there’s a weary quality sometimes to the characters’ looks. It’s perfect for a series like this that balances romance with a weight that would crush it. The Fragrant Flowers Blooms with Dignity is walking its own road with creative art, character designs, and story—and I believe you’ll enjoy walking along with it. ~ Twwk

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is published by Kodansha.

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Black Summoner, Manga Vol. 2

Black Summoner is so tropey and unoriginal that despite having read volume one fairly recently, I couldn’t remember much of anything about this story when I started volume two. But my experience with isekai made it easy enough to catch up. An OP hero? Check. Goddess supports and desires the hero? Check. Guild adventures where the hero’s party is called upon to help others? Check. The possible resurrection of the Demon Lord? Check. So far, so good—and harmless fun, too, even if it lacks creativity. But wait, there are a couple of more tropes to wedge in. Elf girl bought as a slave? Uh, check. Hero has sex with underage slave? Uh…check? I didn’t actually expect Kelvin (worst isekai protagonist name ever) to go through with this encounter so easily and without much ado, but that’s the tone of this series: super easygoing. It’s also written unabashedly as male wish fulfillment. It’s hollow. It reads like fan fiction. And it is obviously heading very strongly toward a harem route. Honestly, the sexual encounter complicates what I felt in volume one was a series that was too simple to consider deeply. So if you’re still willing to hang on—and I am for now—we’ll have to see what the future brings, which will hopefully be a little more consideration when it comes to how it portrays relationships. Though based on what I’ve read so far, that might be expecting the series to summon too much. ~ Twwk

Black Summoner is published through Yen Press’s J-Novel Club imprint and released digitally through J-Novel Club.

Read Black Summoner Vol. 1 Review

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Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate, Manga Vol. 2

Spin-offs aren’t supposed to be this good, this involving and heartfelt. But Soulmate, the three-volume series that turns its attention to Sawako’s rival-turned-best-friend Kurumi, is exactly that. Why? It’s simple, really: these aren’t Karuho Shiina’s characters, developed into a manga by another artist; this is 100% her’s (with a major assist from her editor, as comically but critically described in the author’s notes). It’s not a hired gun but Shiina sensei herself who’s creating this story. And she’s drawing not just from her masterpiece, Kimi ni Todoke, but from her previous work Crazy for You as well, especially in this volume as Eiji (who was featured in that series) meets with old friends. But first, conflict! Eiji continues to demonstrate that he would be a boyfriend of the highest caliber, but Kurumi struggles to let him into her life. Her worst tendencies, which fans of Kimi ni Todoke know all too well, begin to shine through. But what Eiji realizes (and what we as readers do too) is that Kurumi has grown, changed, and matured—she’s not the person who manipulated Sawako to uncaringly. She has transformed, even if she takes some missteps along the day. But Kurumi herself doesn’t realize this. And at the heart of this story is the young woman’s learning to love someone—not Eiji, even though there’s plenty of romance for readers to gush over, but herself. And as Shiina does so well, she takes us through this story with warmth, humor, and a little angst too. Soulmate is the rare spin-off that is worthy of being connected to an original classic; I only wish we had more volumes left than just the third and final one that remains. ~ Twwk

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate is published by VIZ Media.

Read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate Vol. 1 Review

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Helck, Manga Vol. 10

I’ve been worried that Helck has hung on too long—that it should have concluded by now and that it’ll get more and more convoluted the further it continues. However, volume ten demonstrates that there’s still a whole lot more story to tell and that what lies ahead will be every bit as captivating as what we’ve left behind. But the first half of volume ten is straight-up about action. It begins with a panel that virtually wraps up the whole of Helck in one image, humor + optimism + dread: Vermilion looking awesome and ready to rock while holding Twigelion. Awesome. The volume then continues through an amazing battle that builds and builds, with its centerpiece being a confrontation, finally, between the brothers Claes and Helck. The tension is palpable, particularly because the enemies are almost as well-established as the heroes. When they pull a trump card, it’s believable; we expect them to find ways, somehow, to continue countering Helck’s immense strength. There’s also a wonderful rhythm to the panels, a duh-duh-DUH that moves the action right along, even when said action isn’t fighting but story revelations, which is what the last half of volume ten is about. Although relatively tropey, I was still taken aback by the revelations in the final few chapters, and wholly entertained by them. For the first time in quite some volumes, I’m excited that Helck still has a long way to go in completing its tale; there’s plenty of gas left in this tank, and I’m fully on board to ride it to the end. ~ Twwk

Helck is published by VIZ Media.

READ Reviews of Helck: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9

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Battle Royale Enforcers, Manga Vol. 1

It’s a given that battle royale manga have passed their peak. Time has left these series by. Or has it? A new series from VIZ, Battle Royal Enforcers, proves that there may be still life in this type of story yet. What’s more surprising to me, though, is that volume one shows absolutely no signs of doing anything different from others in this realm when you’d expect the opposite from a staid genre. The story takes place at a school in an alternate timeline/dystopian setting, features a cast of characters—both heroes and villains—with lots of depth and backstory, and almost immediately has them set upon each other in violent conflict. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as these plot devices are what make volume one compelling. The action centers on the misfit kids of “Class F” who are divided into squads that are instructed to hunt one another. Japan, in this scenario, has become a fascist country, and the idea that high schoolers will be forced to kill one another feels appropriate for the tone set in the manga, even as some of the more reasonable students push back against it. Those students, including kind and passionate protagonist Rion; his compassionate and nerdy friend, Kunimitsu; and the athletic and strong-willed Hikaru, are all made compelling by immediately having their personalities fleshed out, while their character designs are serious and adult-like, adding further gravity to their characterization and the series overall. There’s plenty of violence in volume one too, which also helps to make it gripping. Will Battle Royal Enforcers continue to be a captivating read, though? Again, there’s nothing in the writing that leads me to believe the series will push into creative directions that sets it apart from other battle royale manga; the art is also sometimes lacking, with unintentionally strange facial expressions in some scenes. The signs point to a series that won’t rise above the fold, but for one volume, at least, it provides solid entertainment as we witness yet another group of unfortunate kids tossed into an unfair, bloody, dystopian adventure. ~ Twwk

Battle Royale Enforcers is published by VIZ Media. Volume one releases on July 16th.

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“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.