This week’s offerings on Reader’s Corner include the first extra-long volume of Ai Yazawa’s shoujo classic, I’m No Angel, the latest volumes of Hirayasumi and Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life, and more! Read our thoughts below!
Cosmos (Vol. 5) • Hirayasumi (Vol. 9) • Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards (Vol. 9) • I’m No Angel (Vol. 1) • Imaginary (Vol. 2) • Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life (Vol. 6)
Imaginary, Manga Vol. 2
When the first volume of Imaginary was released some four years ago, I was over the moon gushing about it. But the years passed without a second release, and though I thought about the series from time to time, I relegated myself to assuming we’d never get it. Then I recently found volume two while browsing my local Barnes—it was back (actually released last year)! So…would I still love this series, after all this time? Sadly, the answer is no. Some of it may be a reevaluation. I reread volume one to remember the story—I didn’t find it quite as charming as I did originally. The characters didn’t pop as much to me, and the “imagination” sequences were fun, but not as intense as I’d remembered them being. And then some of it had to do with volume two, where the negatives were more pronounced and where it appears the manga is in transition. The latter first: Those imagination sequences, in which the conversation between friend groups (Imaginary focuses on Mai and her friends, on the one hand, and Takasu and his on the other) shows what they’re thinking, such as a samurai cafe instead of a maid one (LOL), lead to even less grand illustrations than in volume one. In fact, they don’t feel particularly pronounced at all, which makes me wonder: Why is this series even called Imaginary if imagination plays little part? That’s a huge blow since it’s what set this series apart. And then the qualms I had about volume one—fanservice, particularly of Takasu’s little sister (who to this point seems to only be present to serve that role), remains and feels incredibly out of place, as well some characters just not clicking with me (including Takasu, who is one of the two primary protagonists)—are harder to ignore now that we’re two volumes in. I also noticed that this series is incredibly Japanese—the deep conversations between characters are often hard to understand without context, like an entire chapter about kanji. That may be a positive for some, but it’s a step too far for me when I have to do research to get what the group is talking about. Overall, this is a real disappointment for me, but I still love the artwork enough and am hopeful enough about the concept of a romcom that drifts into the realm of imagination to keep reading; but if it doesn’t find its footing soon, I may end up forgetting about the series once again. ~ Twwk
Read: Imaginary Vol. 1 Review
Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards, Manga Vol. 9
Class 3-4’s wildly successful “performance” at the Sosoji High School Culture Festival has finally put down the Hunting Dogs and the Funeral Garden for good. And not a moment too soon, because Soji Kodo and his—quite literal—Kodo Yakuza Family have launched the final phase of their grand plan to kill Honeko and destroy the Jingu Gang. Though few in number, the Kodos have surprise, preparation, firepower, and a twisted form of loyalty to hold them all together. With the Bodyguards reeling from the initial barrage of attacks, Kuran, the former traitor within the team, takes a desperate gamble: go back “willingly” to the toxic family she left behind and operate as a double agent… There’s been a fun running gag throughout this series that despite Arakuni looking like a typical, brainless juvenile delinquent, he’s actually quite smart both inside and outside the classroom. We’ve seen him use that head of his before, and we get another fun example in this volume. Sure, he’s no Edward Elric or Light Yagami in the brains department, but when our hero pulls off a clever plan, it at least feels like he genuinely came up with that plan instead of author Masamitsu Nigatsu simply handing the MC a win. Of course, there’s also plenty of ridiculous, farcical stuff going on in this volume (especially when Arakuni and Honeko’s will-they-won’t-they-oh-who-are-we-kidding-of-course-they-will romcom arc takes center stage) so I’d never try to sell this series to you as cerebral manga. It’s smart enough to make the story work—so long as you remember this manga’s tone is built around playing the ridiculous completely straight. ~ WacOtaku
READ Reviews of Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards: Vol. 1 //Vol.2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8
Cosmos, Manga Vol. 5
In volumes three and four of Cosmos, events ramp up to the point that I wondered whether the manga would pull back a little. Were we really going to have this massive confrontation involving the Pied Piper and virtually every major character in the series thus far? But volume five emphatically answers: Yes! And it is an explosion of tension and excitement, principally because the battle between the Pied Piper group and Cosmos feels dangerous. It feels like someone we care about will die. It feels like the Pied Piper will win. It’s frightening, and high-paced too—exactly how a confrontation of this kind should be. While I like Cosmos mostly for the quieter stories and character development, for this one volume, I was satisfied with the intense action and drama. It was pretty awesome. The major drawback, however, is that I don’t really have a strong feeling yet for some of the members of Cosmos or STARS, but I’m meant to; honestly, I barely recognize a couple of them. That aside, volume five was excellent, and a demonstration of how a meaningful, warm, mythos-building series can also do battles well—which bodes well for the future of this wonderful manga. ~ Twwk
Cosmos is published by VIZ Media.
Read Cosmos Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4
Hirayasumi, Manga Vol. 9
Optimism, melancholy, humor, and life—these are the pillars of Hirayasumi, which manages to stay grounded in the challenges and joys of learning how to be an adult, but also goes unexpected places. Take, for instance, the ping pong match between Hitoto and Ishikawa, with neither yet knowing that the other is pursuing Yomogi—it’s such an amusing scene, but one tinged with worry and sadness. Or how Nakajima and Natsumi bond after having a falling out—and what the former reveals to the latter through their newfound intimacy. There are so many moments like these in volume nine, as well as a possible extra supernatural encounter that somehow fits right into this slice of life series. I get so excited each time a new volume of Hirayasumi drops, and I’m never left disappointed with how beautiful and meaningful the chapters are. If you haven’t tried out this series, I encourage you to give it a chance now; I think you’ll be joining me in singing the manga’s praises in advance of the anime adaptation, premiering in January. ~ Twwk
Hirayasumi is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Hirayasumi: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8
Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life, Manga Vol. 6
Halloween and Christmas are cause for celebration in volume six of Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life—so, too, is the entire volume, really, which is the best in the series so far. Other than the charming stories surrounding those holidays—one involving the newest character, an “electric” student council president; and the other, what else, but a Christmas date?—the volume excels because it’s clear that the manga has found its stride. The differences between volume one and volume six are vast—Tsumiki herself is still wild and earnest, but her animal instincts are more the kind you would find a palatable romcom, rather than those in a more amorous tale (which they somewhat trended toward early on). There’s less fanservice now as well. But what stands out the most now is that the chapters are cozy with an ease that wasn’t always present early on; it doesn’t feel like the manga is trying—it’s instead just presenting stories about these lovely characters. And as it’s made to do, the series leaves you encouraged and feeling warm. What a beautiful read! ~ Twwk
Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life is published by VIZ Media.
Read Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
I’m No Angel, Manga Vol. 1
With the renewed interest in recent years in Nana, VIZ Media has been releasing (or re-releasing) Ai Yazawa’s other classic works. The most recent is I’m No Angel, a conventional but really fun romantic comedy from the early 90s. I say conventional, because it has the hallmarks of such manga from that era: big eyes, big tears, big moments, and not much depth. Lest that sound too negative, I need to point out: This is perfectly okay if you can get yourself into the mindset of the classics from a time when we weren’t accustomed to straight storytelling, where scenes between climactic moments advanced the plot through everyday moments and interactions that are important but often mundane. I’m No Angel follows the perky, smart, but somewhat absent-minded Midori (that latter quality on full display when she trips and embarrasses herself to the point of “I’m never going to school again” during a pivotal early scene) as she pursues the bad boy Akira, who himself is compelling as the lead with his pompadour and a heart of gold. This is pure 90s fluff done unusually well—the humor hits strongly time and time again, page after page; the characters are lacking in depth, as I pointed out earlier, but so much fun and easy to like—which was no guarantee for heroes and heroines of this era’s shoujo; and the artwork is lovely, as expected from Yazawa-sensei. I’m No Angel is a simple but fun love story that, if you can avoid being too picky—and I admit, I had to reset my approach to manga more than once to remember what it was once like—should deliver all the beats we want in our manga romance tales. ~ Twwk
I’m No Angel is published by VIZ Media.
“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.
