There’s a little bit of everything in this week’s Reader’s Corner! We’re returning to the ever-expanding worlds of Sword Art Online and Cosmos, checking out a new Gundam adventure, diving deep—literally—into an aquarium 200 meters beneath the sea, and meeting a deeply troubled young would-be mangaka in Sound of a Blink. Whether you’re looking for action, mystery, science, or something a little more unsettling, our readers have plenty to share this week!
Bocchi the Rock! Comic Anthology (Vol. 3) • Cosmos (Vol. 6) • Deep-Sea Aquarium Magmell (Vol. 1) • Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury—Vanadis Heart (Vol. 1) • SAO Unital Ring (Vol. 3) • Sound of a Blink (Vol. 1)
SAO Unital Ring, Manga Vol. 3
One of the things I love about SAO is how the characters and world evolve and grow over time. In Unital Ring volume three, the arrival of two transfer students at the SAO survivors’ school raises an intriguing question that I hadn’t thought of but which makes sense: What will happen to the school as the original students start to graduate and move on? Surely all that infrastructure, both physical and pedagogical, won’t just be abandoned, right? Of course, the main action of the story revolves around the new game into which Castle Aincrad crashed back in volume one, and sure enough, our plucky heroes are soon back in business, exploring the world, figuring out its rules, and gathering their forces. One of the key moments, for me at any rate, occurs when Kirito decides to sacrifice one of his swords—yes, our dual-wielding hero gives up one of his two beloved blades in service to the greater good! Part of the volume, however, follows Sinon as she struggles to survive on her own and meet up with the rest of our friends. Along the way, she encounters a group of friendly birdmen (initially encountered in volume two, but fleshed out more here) who—in my humble opinion—steal the show as the cutest NPCs! I loved her interactions with them! There’s a lot to like here, but I’ll just highlight one more of my favorite surprises: Yui learning sword-fighting. Between her and Alice, our main team will now have two sword-wielding AIs on their side! (Insert “two nickels” meme here.) And Kirito continues to grow as a character, reflecting back on his time in Alicization and how that has changed him. All in all, another solid installment in the SAO saga! ~ NegativePrimes
SAO Unital Ring is published by Yen Press.
Bocchi the Rock! Comic Anthology, Manga Vol. 3
The third edition of the BTR Comic Anthology distinguishes itself from the first two volumes straight out of the gate, opening with a long episode dedicated to Sideros frontwoman Ohtsuki…in collaboration with Hitori (GuitarHero) Gotoh, of course! Up until now, this tribute band anthology series has been dedicated pretty much exclusively to the girls of KSB, but this latest outing finally centers some of the love out there for the vast array of memorable supporting characters. Seika (aka Boss) also gets an episode, as does the Bocchi Multiverse, which consists of all the wacky and artistically de– uh, rearranged variants of a certain pink tracksuited protag familiar from throughout the manga series and the anime. (You’ll see what I mean. ; ) There’s a ton of Ryou ship building in this one too—apparently, she’s just too suave for the guest mangaka to resist! So there we have it: a perfectly entertaining amuse bouche to tide fans over until the next proper BTR meal—whether that be the volume eight release in late November, or updates on season two of the anime. Let’s keep those KSB glowsticks ready to fire up! ~ claire
Bocchi the Rock! Comic Anthology is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Bocchi the Rock Comic Anthology: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury—Vanadis Heart, Manga Vol. 1
This new spin-off of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury begins in much the same way as the anime: with a prologue “episode” depicting the order to destroy the Gundams and their “witches” (scientists) which kicked off the almighty destruction spree known as the Vanadis Incident. We even catch a glimpse of Elnora (Prospera) and Ericht fleeing in Aerial. But they are not the focus of this series. Instead, we fast forward five years to where another “witch” and child, Dr. Miren and Kiyu, are on the run on Earth, secretly hiding another Gundam, which the boy is being trained up to pilot. But what’s fascinating is that his training is largely moral, as he seems to have the same naive sociopathic tendencies as Suletta. Miren is a genius at turning every interaction into a teachable moment, determined as she is to develop in Kiyu the heart to pilot heroically—that is, the Vanadis Heart. Their dynamic is a lot of fun, like a flighty older sister and adoring little brother who inadvertently undermines her at every turn, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from these two throughout the series. The art from mangaka Chika Tojo (artist for The Saga of Tanya the Evil) is all one could hope for in a Gundam manga: detailed, technical, and expansive. The character designs use the same style as the anime, which is also a nice touch. I was a little disappointed by the relatively scant amount of material in this volume, though. The key points of the prologue are repeated in chapter one, and although that chapter was nice and chunky, there was only one more—comparably short—chapter included here. I wish they’d dropped the prologue and given us a couple more chapters of the main story instead. Ah well, this just means I’ll be at the front of the queue for volume two! ~ claire
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury—Vanadis Heart is published by Yen Press.
Deep-Sea Aquarium Magmell, Manga Vol. 1
On opening day at Magmell, the world’s first deep-sea aquarium, little Kotaro sees a sight rarely before witnessed by mortal eyes: a giant squid, large enough to take on a sperm whale. It changes his life. Nearly a decade of hard work and study later, Kotaro at last joins the Magmell team…as a part-time janitor! Sigh. Sometimes, childhood dreams are elusive. But as Kotaro pours his heart and soul into his work, enthusing over the deep sea and its creatures to anyone who will listen—and a few who won’t!—he begins to enjoy his job, even if it wasn’t quite what he’d wanted in life. The concept of a reverse-aquarium—where it’s the people who are in a glass enclosure, peering out at the exotic sea creatures in their natural habitat, 200m below sea level—is really cool, and makes me wish it were feasible! The setup is very much a hybrid between workplace and niche interest slice-of-life, but with a slight hint of mystery and the distinction of a cast that is mostly male, for a change. Mangaka Kiyomi Sugishita’s artwork is stunning! The creatures—most of which I’ll admit, I’d never heard of or seen before—are so beautifully and intricately rendered that the volume could easily be mistaken for an illustrated dictionary of deep sea life. There are also fascinating page-long information sheets on the main creature of each chapter, which are composed by marine biologist Koji Ishigaki. Suffice it to say, I have learned things! And I look forward to learning more in the next volume of this spotlight on a part of the world I will otherwise likely never see! ~ claire
Deep-Sea Aquarium Magmell is published by Yen Press.
Cosmos, Manga Vol. 6
One of the reasons I’m enjoying Cosmos is that it does everything well. Big epic fights? Check. Quirky, funny stories? Check. Emotional, meaningful chapters? Check. All we get all three types in volume six, starting with a lovely story about twin mangaka sisters who age backwards, a Cosmos spin on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The volume ends with the first part of a story that’s action-packed and which introduces a fun, new character. Also crabs. But in between in my favorite, a one-chapter, kooky detective story featuring a character that’s becoming one of my favorite in all manga—Kurogane Soprano, the cute detective who is far smarter and deeper than you’d expect of a gyaru. It all adds up to a series that’s virtually impossible to put down. What a wonderful manga! ~ Twwk
Cosmos is published by VIZ Media.
Read Cosmos Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
Sound of a Blink, Manga Vol. 1
Shuzo Oshimi is one of the most critically acclaimed mangaka of this generation, creating engaging, psychologically intense works with an art style that’s realistic and minimalist. His manga also often involves taboo topics and sex, is full of anxiety, and is unsettling. All of this is true of his newest work, Sound of a Blink, which follows his typical deeply imperfect protagonist in a sort of coming-of-age tale, though aspiring mangaka Shuzo is already a college student as the series begins. The brokenness here is in Shuzo’s selfishness and perhaps psychosis as he relates the tale of his purer, younger brother’s cancer (and presumed death). Cats, girlfriends, isolation, addiction, and parental conflict all follow, leading to a disturbing first volume, even if nothing violent or abusive occurs. It’s also very engaging. I want to know more about Shuzo, and I want to see him grow—even if he’s hard to love, especially compared to his suffering brother and kind parents. I’ve never finished one of Oshimi’s works—they’re tough reads for me, as this one—so I don’t have an inkling whether or not there’s a modicum of hope on the horizon. But I do know that he’s a strong writer with a compelling style, all on display in Sound of a Blink—and I’m eager to read more. ~ Twwk
Sound of a Blink 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.
