No foolin’—we’ve got a cool selection of works to present to you today! They include the newest volume of Dandadan, the first volume of GL series Pink Candy Kiss, and a Frieren art book! So check out our reviews below and see what series and works you might want to check out!

Dandadan (Vol. 12) • Friday at the Atelier (Vol. 3) • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Art Works • GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! (Vol. 3) • Pink Candy Kiss (Vol. 1) • Unnamed Memory (Vol. 6)

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Art Works, Artbook Vol. 1

The Frieren anime adaptation was so stunning and well-made that I’d almost forgotten just how beautiful Abe Tsukasa’s artwork in the manga is. Art Works, an art book featuring Tsukasa-sensei’s illustrations, reminds us of how masterful the original drawings are. This beautiful release (available at a reasonable price) includes already-published illustrations (going through volume twelve of the series) and brand-new ones as well. Every single one is enjoyable, but of particular note are Tsukasa-sensei’s new renderings of scenes from the manga in full color and his coloring of pages and panels that were monochrome in the manga; virtually every page in this collection is in full color. The book also features illustrations from Tsukasa-sensei’s Twitter account. Art Works is a beautiful and perfect companion to the manga; Frieren fans will unquestionably want to add it to their collections. ~ Twwk

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Pink Candy Kiss, Manga Vol. 1

The opening chapters of Pink Candy Kiss make up an absorbing, cute, and deeply flawed first volume. A surface reading may induce squees and perhaps proclamations of its wholesomeness, but this yuri series has some concerning elements underneath its pink-hued, bubbly surface. The story centers on two women—Takara, a bright young lady whose serious boyfriend has just broken up with her after complaining that she never feels “possessive” about him, and Ema, her childhood best friend with whom she reconnects by chance. When they do, Takara—from whose point of view we witness this budding romance—is flooded with memories of their precious friendship and a budding feeling of that “possessiveness” that was lacking with men in her life. Takara fills the role of the slightly bumbling lead, while Ema is quieter, more sensitive, and waiting for a metamorphosis in her life. The volume moves back and forth between cute, funny scenes and more heart-pounding ones that perhaps hint at erotic content to come. But that’s not my major issue (readers of this blog can certainly decide on whether this material is for them); more concerning to me is how the material is subtly (and often not-so-subtly) leaning toward the violation of marriage being considered a good outcome, and defining a lasting relationship as being based on a continual feelings of passion for one another instead of work centering on commitment, grace, and serving. While either of these ideas could be how teenagers or very young adults feel toward relationships, a series with lead characters in their mid-thirties changes things somewhat. This isn’t a naive look at love which is to be understood as such, but rather an imagining of one that’s more purposely misleading. If you’re looking for a cute yuri romance, it’s possible that Pink Candy Kiss will fill that void, but be warned, it may fill it up with other, less commendable ideas too. ~ Twwk

Pink Candy Kiss is published by VIZ Media.

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Unnamed Memory, Manga Vol. 6

In volume six of the manga adaptation, Unnamed Memory continues down the excellent path it laid out in volume five; although the storyline featured in that volume concludes in this one, the overarching heaviness of Tinasha’s past and the romance between her and Oscar potentially being star-crossed bursts forth even heavier here. As Tinasha continues to search for a way to remove Oscar’s curse (and while he continues to pursue her romantically), the greater mechanics at play in their world—hatred against mages, fear of witches, and dark magic—fully impact the would-be couple at last. I say “at last” not because I want their relationship to break (the dynamic between the two is as beautiful and strong as virtually any in anime and manga), but because the weak points hitherto in the series have been the lack of strong supporting characters/antagonists and the lack of story development; the new arc featured in volume six answers the latter and maybe the former too—though that remains to be seen. Regardless, this is a fascinating volume for how strongly it turns the series into a different and possibly sinister direction. And while my heart is disappointed that the flirtations between the two protagonists are less a part of this book than in others (thought there is one major romantic scene within these chapters), I’m happy to see their story take further shape and move Unnamed Memory into new territory that should ultimately improve an already remarkable series. ~ Twwk

Unnamed Memory is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Unnamed Memory: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5

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GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!, Manga Vol. 3

By volume three of GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!, the series has found a consistent tone and started focusing on the journeys that its main characters—the messy Akechi, supportive Masako, and skeptical Hashiba—are taking. And what that means is that the edginess from volume one has somewhat gone away: Akechi isn’t quite so vengeful, and every “cursed” character clearly has it coming to them (and they’re never killed or suffer anything permanently distressing), making for more palatable if less intense reading. Additionally, Akechi and Hashiba are on their way toward storylines of healing. Even more interesting is the hint that Masako has a redemption tale coming as well; as the most likable character in the series (and the one we know least about), I’m excited to see where that subplot goes. But until then, GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! continues its “horrible person of the week” structure, with an awful junior co-worker and a privacy-invading custodian among the villains in this issue. The series remains a great deal of fun, featuring interesting character designs and off-kilter characters. It hasn’t set my world on fire, but it’s nonetheless an enjoyable read. And now that the tone and story are established, I’m eager to see if it’ll take the step from “good series” to something even better. ~ Twwk

GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Friday at the Atelier, Manga Vol. 3

As I noted in my review of volume two, the strength of Friday at the Atelier is how quickly it involves us in the lead characters’ lives and then leads us into caring about them; in volume three, we get to see those lives expand deeper and further through their relationship with one another and friendships with others. For instance, Ishihara still says and does awkward things (his coldness upsets Tamaki greatly at one point in this volume), but he is now consistently considering Tamaki’s feelings and is working diligently to show her kindness. Meanwhile, Tamaki is growing in confidence, and in a funny twist of fate, her outrageous love for food leads to a new opportunity at work that also helps her friendships. And speaking of friendships, the supporting characters receive a lot of attention in this volume; more of the chapters are presented from their point of view than that of the leads. And it’s just as joyous getting to know them as it is Tamaki and Ishihara! That said, I admit I was left wondering: How did this become such a typical series? Where did my quirky manga go? While I can’t say I fully embraced the oddities of the first two volumes, particularly Tamaki’s modeling and Ishihara’s unusual art, it did add a unique flavor to this series. That quirkiness disappeared during these chapters (a modeling scene depicted here seems perfunctory). Are the stranger elements to Friday at the Atelier (along with the adult content) becoming a thing of the past? That’s something to keep an eye on. At this point, I’m not really sure if I’d be fully happy if the series transitioned into a more typical seinen romcom, though even if it did, volume three proves that it would be a satisfying one. ~ Twwk

Friday at the Atelier is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Friday at the Atelier: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Dandadan, Manga Vol. 12

Dandadan is an inconsistent series—not necessarily by arc, but within its stories, demonstrated very well in volume twelve. As Okarun searches for a way back into his body, the rest of the gang completes preparations for their epic battle against the alien invasion. The very cool visuals you expect from Dandadan are present in abundance, as are the weak points—namely that the action scenes don’t really convey a high level of excitement, despite the high stakes, and the random contrivances in the story (like panels included where the team gets psychically connected communication devices that allow the fight scenes to move along more smoothly team to talk freely during the battle) that show the mangaka’s shortcomings as writer. But then Yukinobu Tatsu does something amazing, like the choice he makes at the end of this volume to bring a unique tale in (which I won’t spoil) right after he also surprises us in a funny and cool way (featuring my favorite character in this manga!). And I remember, I’m not reading because this is a beautifully woven tale with incredible fight scenes; I read because of the imaginative art and quirky, loveable characters. And those highs will never depart from this very cool series. ~ Twwk

Dandadan is published by VIZ Media.

READ Reviews of Dandadan: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11

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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.