Wolves. Foxes. Pirates. Teenage boys. You tell us: Which is most dangerous? All are the center of manga, manhwa, and a film comic we’re reviewing this week. Check out our thoughts on the brand new series, Beneath the Fur, the latest volume of Honey Lemon Soda, and more on Reader’s Corner!
Beneath the Fur (Vol. 1) • Castle in the Sky Film Comic: All-in-One Edition • Choking on Love (Vol. 5) • Honey Lemon Soda (Vol. 11) • Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Vol. 11) • Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition (Vol. 3) • Uncle from Another World (Vol. 13)
Honey Lemon Soda, Manga Vol. 11
The camping trip for Uka and her classmates continues! It’s the first time she has been able to stay with Kai without having to be back home for curfew. The longer the camp goes on, the more she realizes she wants to touch him and not leave his side. So much so that Uka even sneaks into Kai’s room in the middle of the night?! I never imagined that, at any point while reading this series, I would have anything positive to say about Uka’s dad, given previous decisions he’s made. However, his response to Kai in this volume was incredible. I was extremely impressed and honestly so shocked because I never imagined he would react the way he did, but it was such a good and amazing thing he did! I gave him a mental thumbs up because not only did he admit something about his own ego, but he went out of his way to make sure Kai knew he had someone to come to. I won’t expand on that due to spoilers, but it was definitely the best scene in the volume—though I admit that seeing all those kisses between Uka and Kai was so cute! I was surprised by Uka’s bravery, but also touched by how Kai made it known he wants to care for her and respect her. It made my heart happy! Also, the focus on Uka’s friendships! That was so special! I’m definitely here for all the romance, but I found myself thriving seeing Uka try, do, and discover things she never had before with so many friends. The ending was very sweet, and I was so thankful to see these two grow in their relationship together! ~ Laura A. Grace
Honey Lemon Soda is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Honey Lemon Soda: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10
Choking on Love, Manga Vol. 5
Hibari and Gaku continue to grow closer and closer, even if Gaku’s last show forced him to choose between the band and Hibari. That might not be the last time, as these two move forward in their dreams and new jobs, but they’ll do everything they can to remain close. However, when Gaku’s band is scouted and something unexpectedly holds up a band member, tensions rise higher than they ever have before… I’m still absolutely loving this series! I really enjoyed the focus on Hibari and seeing her work towards her dreams too, which I guess we have been seeing up to this point. However, it felt different in this volume, with her new part-time job and how excited she was for it! Really feels like a career she can do one day too, and I hope it all works out! Plus, there was a fun cameo that I didn’t expect! The concert with Gaku and the guys was intense! I love when you’re reading a music scene, and it just comes to life in a way that gives you goosebumps, where even if you can’t hear anything literally, you can feel and hear it inside. Not sure if that makes sense, but I felt I was on the edge of my seat when they were playing! The ending was such a cliffhanger, and I’m wondering what’s in store for these two with their dreams—and also their relationship! Hopefully, the next volume doesn’t take too long to release! ~ Laura A. Grace
Love at First Memory is published by Seven Seas.
READ Reviews of Choking on Love: Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4
Castle in the Sky Film Comic: All-in-One Edition, Manga
One of the great scenes in all anime is of Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, catching Sheeta as she floats down from the sky. Seeing the scene in the latest film comic from Studio Ghibli is absolute magic. For those unaware, film comics are adaptations of movies that show stills from the film and add dialogue in bubbles to transform a movie into comic format; VIZ Media has been releasing them for Ghibli films in hardcover, “all-in-one” editions. Castle in the Sky‘s film comic release is the best so far, not because it’s adapted from the best Studio Ghibli film (though you can certainly make the case), but because this pirate, steampunk adventure feels more “comicesque” than the previous ones. I think it’ll also be a nice gateway piece for younger children, who are a prime audience for film comics. Finally, some touches were added to this edition that I don’t recognize from the others, like color added to some of the word bubbles, several full-page shots, and opening and closing pages displaying scenery from the movie. Castle in the Sky is one of the most magical movies in all anime—and I’m very happy that it’s receiving a film comic adaptation that’s magical in its own right! ~ Twwk
Castle in the Sky Film Comic: All-in-One Edition, Manga is published by VIZ Media.
Read Studio Ghibli Film Comic Reviews: My Neighbor Totoro // Kiki’s Delivery Service // Spirited Away // Ponyo // Princess Mononoke
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Manhwa Vol. 11
What a fantastic volume! While the most appealing parts of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint have been the striking visuals and relentless action, volume eleven delivers on another front too: character growth. Dokja, like many manhwa protagonists, starts the series as a relatively humble character before quickly becoming arrogant; I find it hard to root for such characters. But here, in volume eleven, we get a glimpse of caring and compassion in Dokja, as well as in another character (perhaps more surprising than for Dokja!), and it works itself well into the story of the Catastrophe of Floods. I was thrilled with this excellent bit of writing, all while the action didn’t slow down. You would think that maybe the story would hit a lull by volume eleven, but Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is getting better and better. I am enthralled by where this manhwa has taken us—and excited to see where it lands next! ~ Twwk
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is published by IZE Press.
READ Reviews of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10
Uncle from Another World, Manga Vol. 13
I get so excited each time another volume of Uncle from Another World comes out: It is so consistently funny—uproariously so—and volume thirteen is no exception. The conclusion of the arc featuring Magatsu fills these pages, featuring multitudes of characters in addition to our main ones. If you’re lost, no worries—so is Fujimiya. But thankfully, a new ability reveals itself to help with that too, which is both helpful from a reader level and humorous! Besides all the laughs, I really found myself appreciating the art in this volume; the scratchy drawings nonetheless convey depth and action in these chapters, and they got my blood pumping some, which hasn’t always been the case for this series’ fight scenes. Still, the central focus of the manga remains humor, and there are a couple of running gags in volume thirteen that satisfy throughout, as well as one drop that took me off guard—which I should have expected as a reader of this series, but didn’t see coming. I’m so pleased that this manga continues to surprise me in the best of ways, while consistently delivering humor in a way few series can. Wildly entertaining! ~ Twwk
Uncle from Another World is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Uncle from Another World: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12
Beneath the Fur, Manga Vol. 1
Beneath the Fur, a series about a cute, persistent bunny falling in love with an odd fox, is probably as close as I’ll ever get to liking an interspecies love story. The art is very lovely—the “bunny” is drawn incredibly kawaii (and I put bunny in quotes because I’m not convinced that this is what it is), and the fox has a charming look as well, and all the main fox characters in the story are drawn quite distinctly. The personalities of the two main characters drawn you in as well—the bunny, having been saved from death by the fox and feeling utter devotion toward it, and the fox being a little anxious and unusually sensitive for his kind. But I never really felt comfortable with this odd couple combination; it feels far more irregular than a more obviously different coupling, like between Elias and Chise in The Ancient Magus Bride, for instance. Perhaps it’s because the series is hitting at being an allegory of something outside the framing of my faith. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it. Who knows. Regardless, the artwork and characterization are so lovely as to demand readers give the series a try—and then you can judge for yourself. ~ Twwk
Beneath the Fur is published by Yen Press.
Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition, Manga Vol. 3
It’s often been remarked that the most sterling quality of Spice and Wolf is its ability to make medieval economics thrilling. Volume three of the Collector’s Edition, which binds the original fifth and sixth volumes of the manga in a lovely faux gilded cover and includes a few small extras as well, does precisely that. In fact, this volume is a perfect combination of virtually all the most wonderful elements of the series: the fantasy ones involving Holo, the hints at romance, adventure, religion, world-building, culture, and yes, economics. It begins with Lawrence on the brink of ruin after having been swindled, and then him desperately trying to find his way out before making an audacious plan. The plan and the way it plays out are unexpected and thrilling. Well, I expected it, having read the light novels, but there are some strengths to the manga. The richness of the prose is lacking, as are the intricacies of the culture, religion, and economics in this world, but witnessing the adventure in a visual way makes it as compelling as the original, if not moreso. The artwork is lovely, helping to make the manga a sumptuous read. Highly recommended! ~ Twwk
Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition is published by Yen Press.
Read Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition Vol. 2 Review
“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.
