#the gangs finally back together after the hell that was the vol 8 finale

[teddiecircus]

gsuys i missed rwby sm im so happy it's finally back

[lightningcrown]

My top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe couples. Trust me, there’s a lot more, because I pretty much ship anything; but these are the main ones I ship. Yeah...I was tied between Valki and Hulkyrie, and realized I liked both for Valkyrie. So Valki is now an Honorable Mention while #4 is now replaced by Fitzsimmons.

Yeah, I don’t regret a fucking thing.

A couple warnings though. Firstly, there are spoilers to the character's respective shows/films in the meme’s description, so just a heads up. Infinity War spoilers, too. Second, I have either not seen or not finished the shows The Defenders, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Iron Fist, also Cloak and Daggar isn’t finished, so I can’t put Ty/Tandy on the list just yet (Honestly, Tandy is just a bitch at this point in the show).  As I finish the shows, I’ll move the couples around or add/remove them. And third, but most important without a doubt, this is my list, as in my personal opinion. I will not trash you for your ships if you do not trash mine. Ship and let ship.

Okay, let’s begin.

~Honorable Mention~ Valki -  Not canon...I think...seriously, Tessa Thompson has hinted that these two are in a...somewhat relationship? Like the other couples, I think these two would be good for each other. I mean, come on, Loki needs a partner to smack some sense into him every once in a while. I think they’d work in a unique way. A real power couple. I seriously might change this to a better couple, but I’m not sure. All I know is that I like this ship….but I like #3 more.

Alright, now onto the top 10.

#10 - Victor “Chase” Stein and Gertrude Yorkes -  When I found out that the Runaways were going to be adapted into the MCU, I got super excited! I love the comics, and I couldn’t wait to see how the show was going to turn out. I was satisfied with most things, including the romance between Chase and Gert. Their romance in the comics was/is beautiful and sad, so I couldn’t wait to see it. Gert and Chase are polar opposites in a charming way, with Chase originally being shown as a stuck up jock and Gert as a tumblr fueled activist, but they seem to bring their true selves out by being love struck and oblivious dorks. It’s so cute when they finally wake up, like ‘Oh shit, the one I was looking for was right in front of me the whole time’ kinda wake up. They’re the kind of characters you just can’t picture with anyone else, the just work that well together. They’re the only couple in the show I love at the moment. Yes, I hate Deanoru. Come get me.

#9 - Robbie Reyes and Daisy Johnson -  While they’re not official, I can’t help but imagine how they’d look as a couple. By the time they meet in season 4, Daisy has lost too many people, and she has too many regrets and too much grief. She desperately wants to make it right, and is afraid to let people get close because it always ends with either her or them getting hurt. Her parents, the agents that died to save her as a child, the breakout of the inhumans due to her sending the terrigen crystals into the ocean, and finally, her boyfriend’s death. Going by the codename Quake, she uses her powers to try and make up for what she believes is all her fault. Robbie is a man trying to make up for getting into gang trouble, which resulted in his brother being paralyzed from the waist down in a deliberate crash meant to kill Robbie. After he is possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance and becomes known as Ghost Rider, he takes to the streets at night, killing gang members and slowly cleaning up the city of people that the Spirit of Vengeance deems guilty and unworthy of life. Their paths cross, and while they don’t start off on a good note, the two eventually team up to connect the dots in front of them. They’re so alike, and I believe that they would be good for one another. It’s her meeting Robbie that kinda snaps her out of the daze she’s in, and it’s ultimately each other that heals the other and gets them out of their rut. It’s a shame, because I know they’ll never be official, but I love them, and I will continue to ship them despite of that.

#8 - Peter Quill and Gamora -  If you’ve seen the films, I think you know why I don’t even need to explain these two…but I will a bit anyways. He’s goofy and carefree, but knows when to be mature, and she’s been trained her whole life to be a weapon, and is just now being able to finally have the family she’s always wanted, with Quill being someone who’s helping her realize she’s more than a monster. Avengers Infinity War broke my heart. When the two kissed, their relationship being established between Guardian’s Vol. 2 and Infinity War, I was so happy...until Gamora told Quill to kill her if Thanos ever got his hands on her. Sadly, it happened, but Thanos used the reality stone to keep it from happening. When Quill later learns that Thanos murdered Gamora to gain the Soul Stone...his cry of despair and grief as Tony tried to hold him back broke my heart. I think he was perfectly justified in flipping out like he did. They’re just another one of those couples that are a perfect example of soulmates, and I hope they are reunited.

#7 - Phillip Coulson and Melinda May -  These two are like FitzSimmons, always together. They have each other’s back, and they support each other in almost everything they do. They’re like the mom and dad of the group. And while they do fight, it’s in a very...married couple sort of way. I don’t think there’s ever been a better team up in S.H.I.E.L.D. history since them, and I’m glad their relationship isn’t rushed. Once they officially got together, it was easy to see that it was slowly building the whole time, even if it wasn’t too noticeable at first.

#6 - Vision and Wanda Maximoff -  Their relationship is so much like teenagers flirting, just in an...adult way? Maybe that was a bit confusing, but my point is, these two are adorable. Another couple that managed to stomp on my heart in Infinity War. Turns out, after Captain America Civil War, Wanda and Vision became an official couple and began to travel the world. Their relationship is pure and innocent love. Nothing dirty, no sex jokes, just...they’re so in love; you can see it whenever they’re in the presence of the other. Seriously, it’s like they’re looking at the whole world when they’re looking at the other. Cheesy, but it fits. In Infinity War, Wanda is the one who has to destroy the mind stone in Vision’s forehead, despite it still being a part of him. She doesn’t want to, but he tells her that she must “It shouldn’t be you, but it is.” And she’s, understandably, upset, so Vision comforts her with some of the most romantic words I’ve ever heard in the MCU “It's alright. You could never hurt me. I just feel you.” He knows that he’s about to die...yet he’s doing his damndest to make sure she’s comforted. And sadly, she uses her powers to destroy the stone and kill him…until Thanos uses the Time Stone to rewind time, revive Vision, then rip the Mind Stone out of his head, killing him in front of Wanda for a second time! I...I just want these two to be happy.

#5 - Tony Stark and Pepper Potts -  Just...watch any movie with these characters, and you’ll know exactly why I put them on this list. I can’t really anything else other than that they’re perfect for each other; and in my opinion, I don’t believe either character could ever work in a relationship with a different person. These two are the best canon couple in the MCU, hands down.

#4 - Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons -  These two are literally two halves of a whole. Where one struggles, the other supports and the two succeed. Hell, people in the show don't even refer to them as individuals, they're called FitzSimmons. Seriously, these two had a canon ship name from the beginning, the other characters thought they were a perfect match. If soul mates are a thing, these two are definitely it. These two characters have been through so much in the first 4 seasons, and when they finally got together in season 3 after the massive cliffhanger in season 2; I cheered. Ever since, the two have continued to be a model of relationship goals. Fitz has put his life on the line several times in order to protect and rescue Simmons, literally jumping through an alien portal to find her on the other side of the universe. Simmons is no different. She suffered through a computer world that showed her death and made Fitz hate her, yet she managed to get through to him and save him. I haven't seen season 5 yet, but I do know that the two of them get married, and let me just say....it's about damn time!

#3 - Bruce Banner/Hulk and Valkyrie -  These two...need to be canon. I’m sorry (Pfft, no I’m not), but I...I really despise Bruce/Natasha. Their interactions feel so forced...it’s just awful! But these two? It’s so natural and amazing! Hulk and Valkyrie have known each other for couple years by the time Thor Ragnarok rolls around, and they’re so playful! Hulk doesn’t hate her, he smiles at her, and whenever she’s called to his room, she becomes happy and the two playfully spar and even have nicknames for each other. And once Bruce returns from being Hulk, he and Valkyrie immediately go “Do I know you? I feel like I know you!” And they get along perfectly from there. Seriously, when Bruce sees Valkyrie for the first time, he’s in complete awe! He notices the markings around her eyes and asks Thor about them, describing them and her as “beautiful and strong”. Seriously, in this one movie, Hulk/Valkyrie was shown to be more natural and smooth than Bruce/Natasha. These two would be in the category of being friends first and then a couple later on. The Hulk likes her, Bruce likes her, and neither have a problem with her, and she doesn’t have the problem with either of them. It works out. Also, in the first few movies where Bruce is shown…he’s always forced to become the Hulk by someone, but in Thor: Ragnarok, Bruce changes into the Hulk willingly. I can’t help but think that Valkyrie’s acceptance of both personalities might have had a small hand in it. Oh well, I’m stupid, moving on.

#2 - Peter Parker and Molly Hernandez -  A crack ship I made, but a cute one. Peter is Spiderman in the MCU, obviously, while Molly is a character in Marvel’s Runaways, being Gert’s adopted sister with Hulk-like strength. Both of these characters are young people swept up in horrible situations, and learning to cope with powers, abilities, and responsibilities they didn’t have before. I think it would be cute and emotional for the two of them to bond over their shared experiences. I’ve got so many story ideas for this cute pair. Also, I just...don’t like Michelle that much. I don’t know why, she just seems so...ugh, I’m gonna get hate for this, but I don’t like how they dealt with her in the movie. Also, now that I think about it, I’ve never really liked MJ in any Spiderman film, so...yeah. Anyways, I think Peter and Molly would be adorable together. Moving on.

#1 - James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes and Princess Shuri - My OTP in the MCU...and I don’t regret a fucking thing for shipping it. Shuri is canonly the one who gets all of HYDRA’s programming out of his head, built him his new arm, and taught him about Wakanda in the MCU...and I can’t help but love that there’s finally another person for Bucky to be close with that isn’t Steve. I love their friendship, but I’m happy that Bucky is finally free from HYDRA and can finally depend on an befriend other people; expand a little. The little after credits scene at the end of Black Panther had me squealing and imagining all the scenarios for their relationship. I went back and saw it a second time to see that scene again (I also saw it a second time because that movie was fucking awesome, but seeing the scene again was good^^!). Shuri is officially my favorite female character in the MCU. Also, fun fact, me mentioning that I like this ship had given me so much shit on here. I’ve been called a pedophile, a pedophilic enabler, and a stucky fan once told me to kill myself...it’s fucking hilarious. I’ve never been in a fandom shipping war before, so it was an amazing anf funny experience XD I love these two so much, and no 12 year old on tumblr is going to change my mind. These two, I could see their relationship developing over time and it’s just...I would love to see these two develop together.

[ppgang]

[Series compilation]GANG PARADE Vol.2 Yui Ga Dockson “I want to live to my fullest now”

GANG PARADE, 7 members group from from WACK, same agency as BiS and BiSH. On 2017/5 an indefinite trade between Kamiya Saki and Aya Eight Prince happened; they released their first album with the new formation with Aya and had an overcrowded huge success live at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM. Since 2018/2 they are on a tour of 8 cities; on 2/20 the last single with these 7, including Aya, will be released; on 2/23 the tour final at Mynavi BLITZ will take place. Then on 3/3 the rental trade will end and a closing ceremony will take place at BiS one man live <BiS 2nd BEGiNNiNG TOUR FiNAL WHO KiLLED IDOL??>, on ¾ at Ryoukoku Kokugikan. In the midst of this shocking situation we'll publish GANG PARADE individual interviews. Second one, Yui Ga Dockson appears.

Interview: Yui Ga Dockson

Even within GANG PARADE she has a peculiar sense of humor, together with Coco Partin Coco she's lively, but has a redoubled serious personality, Yui Ga Dockson. During the “WACK Sousenkyo” in the end of 2017 she didn't make it to the top ranks, but with an unexpected twist got a surprise solo debut from an indie label. In this interview we heard from Dockson “If I die now I'll think “I wanted to have lived tomorrow as well”, so I want to live now at my fullest”.

Interview: Nishizawa Hiroo Photos: Jumpei Yamada Edition assistence: Okamoto Takayuki

THE GRATEFULNESS FEELINGS GOT STRONGER AND STRONGER

- Quickly enough we are already rushing into February. The GANG PARADE with Aya Eight Prince will last until march, the time you 7 got together is getting short but, how is GANPARE's atmosphere now?

Yui Ga Dockson (under, Dockson): Now we are at our best condition with this formation of current 7. When Aya joined we valuate the “We'll turn the feelings of the 7 of us into 1” but, I think now is when we got it the most.

- Since the “WACK Fes” at Zepp DiverCity TOKYO on 12/08 when the end of the trade was announced, did it became stronger?

Dockson: Well, that doesn't have much to do. In fact because I'll get sad if I think that it'll be over, I try not to think much about it. Other members too don't touch on that subject. But every once in a while I'll tell Aya “Will you go back~?” (laughs)

- (laughs) During the current national tour “BREAKING THE ROAD” each member is in charge of one MC. On Hiroshima Dockson said “Lately we remembered we cried a lot of frustration after the very first live after Aya joined, since then it has been 9 months, just remembering it we were greatly troubled, sad, happy, enjoyed. There were a lot of things but, right now I like GANG PARADE and Asobinin to the point of being troubled”.

Dockson: There's also the feeling that this current formation with us 7 will end soon but, I think there are also fans who don't know about the trade between Aya and Saki. People who think she was GANPARE from the start, that she has always been here. That's why again I conveyed the feelings to please watch the current GANPARE. Also, we went with BiS on the two man “HELL!! CLASH!! BREAK!! TOUR” to a lot of live houses but, I was really happy we were also able to have our one man sold out.

- Practically, the number of fans increased, there's a rise in the attention, I think we are able to see the luck on GANPARE's force, do you feel that?

Dockson: I don't know myself about “GANPARE is coming~” but, my gratefulness feelings towards the fans are getting stronger and stronger. Towards the members as well.

- When you participated in “Idol Koushien” on 1/3, from the 4 WACK groups you were the 3rd to perform, right? Didn't you feel everyone else's expectations?

Dockson: Regarding the expectation feelings we really have to work hard, and the feeling of living up to it is strong. But from a society point of view our recognition is still far from it, I want to take this overturn at “Idol Koushien” as an opportunity to keep going vigorously.

- A feeling like this is yet just the start.

Dockson: Yes. I want to go to a place where anyone can notice that “GANPARE turned over the performance order~!”

I DECIDED NOT TO DO THINGS THAT WOULD BE PAINFUL FOR WHOEVER SAW IT

- The talk will go back in time but, in the end of last year during “WACK Sousenkyo”, Dockson got a surprise solo debut from an indie lable.

Dockson: Waa~! (clap clap clap clap)

- During the period of sounsekyo, how did you passed the days?

Dockson: During that time, my feelings were always uneasy. But, there was something I decided within myself. During the appeal or anything, I decided to not do things that would be painful for whoever saw it. I did it thinking to myself that I wanted people to say “Ah, the sousenkyo was fun”.

- There was the aspect of being ranked, so it wasn't unexpected to become a tense mood.

Dockson: Everyone uploaded appeal videos on twitter, right? Because I couldn't rank in high places, it continued as a period where I couldn't show any result to the people who were voting for me. While thinking I should give them something back, I thought it would be nice if everyone could think that it was fun. I think it's also honest to spill out the hard feelings and crying but, I myself wanted to make it a festival. I thought I wanted to give my best with those feelings. That said, I uploaded a video doing an impersonation (laughs).

- Ahahahaha (laughs). But it was like you had irritating and frustrating feelings during the middle ranking announcements when you saw your name wasn't there.

Dockson: There was. No matter what you say, for the fans it will be happier if they saw I ranked, right? That's why I thought “Ah I let them down again”. But at that I cried, and thought I didn't want to get votes to the point of giving them a bad memory. My two selfs of “It's like that, but I want to do this” and “What should I do” got mixed up.

- According to Dockson's philosophy, you wanted to light it up in a fun way to the end.

Dockson: That's right. Assuming it's restricted to WACK Sousenkyo, in the end tears are the content that move people's feeling the most, right? I think there're time that's ok to let those feelings surface. But inside myself I wanted to make WACK Sousenkyo something different.

- As the result you couldn't go to the higher ranks but, at the end you were randomly selected by surprise and it was announced a solo debut from an indie label. I don't think you could have imagined that.

Dockson: Yes, I was surprised.

- What did you feel when the solo debut was announced?

Dockson: The 2 girls before me, they had to eat a spicy curry with WACK's special death sauce, right? I thought something that wasn't curry was prepared so I was thinking “What will I have to eat?”. Because I was thinking that finally something that will surpass the death sauce will come, I was really surprised.

- Coco was also happy as it happened with us, so there was also happiness from that.

Dockson: Coco is like that (laughs). I thought I really like this aspect of her.

THERE'S ALSO THE FUN ANTICIPATION OF NOT KNOWING WHAT WILL HAPPEN

- I want to talk about Aya's last singe, “BREAKING THE ROAD”, but the coupling song “toro ikura uni tabetai” is a song with great impact. What did you think the first time you hear “toro ikura uni tabetai”?

Dockson: This was a song that lasted to the finals of a song competition that happened including the members some time ago, so we heard it as a rumor. But because I didn't think that would be actually used, I was surprised. But I think there's no one else but GANPARE who can sing “toro ikura uni tabetai” (laughs). The sound is really cool, isn't it? Lyrics are also good, you can see a story.

- By the way, with which feelings do you sing this song?

Dockson: I sing it with the feelings of “I want to eat toro, ikura and uni!!” (laughs). With that there are a lot of feelings. The feeling of “I want to eat!!”, or “I wanted to have eaten!”. I sing while placing all those feelings.

- Regarding “BREAKING THE ROAD”, it's a straight song with melodic hardcore. With which feelings do you sing this song?

Dockson: This one I sing putting all my current feelings in it. During “Beyond the Mountain” I sang with the feeling of a future from now on but, for “BREAKING THE ROAD” is a “let's run trough now” sort of feeling.

- At the LIQUIDROOM from last time, you started to move in a path different from the live house itinerary that POP had reached. This time you will have a one mad live at Mynavi Blitz but, how are you dealing with it?

Dockson: This current tour is really fun but, when lives end it's sad somehow. Love is born in each one of the lives. During the Fukuoka stage at night when I was alone I thought “I'll have regrets if I die now”. I reflected that was a proof that I'm still not giving my 100%. I thought that even if I die now it has to be in a condition that I can reach nirvana. That's why lately I'm thinking 100% about now, the Mynavi BLITZ feelings I still don't know.

- Do the things you can see today giving all your best.

Dockson: Even so I think it's not enough. I want to give my best more and more. Thinking about tomorrow, because if I die now I'll definitely think “I wanted to have lived tomorrow too”, I want to live at my fullest now and not like that.

- On March the WACK auditions will happen again, there's also the part that you don't know what kind of future is waiting.

Dockson: Surprisingly enough my heart is quite positive at that. There's also the fun anticipation of not knowing what will happen. There's not just the sadness of Aya going back, there's also the anticipation of wondering what will happen after March.

- Dockson herself joined GANPARE after SiS disbandment, you came this far, among that there were a lot of positive things. Please live everyday without any regrets.

Dockson: Eh, why at the end you say something forsaken like that (laughs)?

- E, it's not forsaken (laughs). I'm cheering for you!! Dockson always add something in the end that wasn't said but, is there any thing else you would like to say?

Dockson: I feel like there's something unsaid but, I can't remember it (laughs). This morning, whily in the shower I thought “I want to say that today”. But I think it's close enough to “I wan't to treasure now” and I want to share that with a lot of people (laughs). I'll live everyday at my whole energy and go to BLITZ.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/4/19

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 23 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Seido is reeling from their surprising loss in the final round of the West Tokyo qualifiers. Promptly, the third years retire to focus on college while the rest of the team gears up for the fall tournament. Many pivotal spots have been left vacant, so the junior varsity players are fired up to finally secure a place on the varsity squad. Not fired up are Eijun, who has trouble shaking the image of his pitch hitting a batter, and Kawakami, who squandered Seido’s lead and ruined the upperclassmen’s hopes of making it to Koshien. I always appreciate anything that leads Eijun to a more humble state of being and also really liked seeing Miyuki seriously step up to a leadership role after he is made the new team captain. I’m excited to see how this iteration of the team fares. – Michelle Smith

Barakamon, Vol. 18 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – Much of the final volume in this series involves showing us that time is slowly marching on. There’s no time skip or anything, but life keeps happening. Tama gets a manga published. Miwa’s father is leaving to work on a ship, similar to Naru’s father, and Naru and Hina move on to the next grade, though the island is so small that they don’t get any underclassman to be sempai to. As for Handa, he’s become the stable part of the group; still teaching calligraphy, still being a bit of a goofball, but not going anywhere—this is where he belongs now. The overall tome of this series was relaaxing and fun, and that’s how it ended up, with the characters undergoing mild but meaningful journeys. I’ll miss it. – Sean Gaffney

Count Fujiwara’s Suffering | By Mahito Aobe | Yen Press – I’ve talked before about how I think that omnibuses of comedy manga are a bad idea, and this 540-page volume bears that out. That said, I don’t think I’d love this even in single volumes. Count Fujiwara is a cat, whose thoughts we are privy to. He’s dealing with two sisters—one an airheaded NEET who stopped going to school after a past event we only find out about near the end; the other is a more “normal” girl who has an unfortunate crush on her sister—unfortunate in that it contains all the annoying “comedy lesbian” tropes. There’s a speck of a storyline here about what happened to make Shizuka like this, but for the most part it’s “look at the silly girls and their frustrated cat.” You can do better. – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 8 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – I have occasionally wondered as I read a manga where a character discusses the fact that they’ve never felt love like other people if said character will actually end up being asexual. It’s rarely happened, and I don’t expect it to happen here, but it’s an interesting thought. Ayumi’s thoroughly analytical personality is great for a career as a newshound, but very bad when dealing with Takaya, who we’ve known for a while has fallen for her in his quiet, hard-to-read way. Her thesis paper on why they should or shouldn’t go out doesn’t help. Fortunately, we have Kai and Riko being adorable fluffs in love to balance things out. And this time Kagura’s on the cover, but STILL gets nothing to do. Arc when? -Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 2 | By Tomohito Oda | VIZ Media – Much of this volume is cute. A classmate declares herself Komi’s rival in the national health exams. Komi attempts to tell (lame) jokes in writing. The gang goes out for ramen after school. Najimi encourages Komi to go shopping for clothes and the gang all chooses different outfits for her to try on and rate. And then there’s Ren Yamai, who has a crush on Komi and promptly goes into scary, knife-wielding psycho mode. I liked that Yamai’s threats against Tadano prompted Komi to firmly state (in writing) that she decides who her friends are, as well as the fact that this whole situation prompted Komi to “talk” a lot with Tadano and allowed for some funny Najimi moments. But I really disliked that, after all Yamai’s terrible, alarming behavior, Komi consents to be friends with her after all. Yamai is the Mineta of an otherwise really fun series. Sad face. – Michelle Smith

Murcielago, Vol. 11 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – The police have had a very odd relationship with Kuroko, for obvious reasons, but they find themselves more drawn into the current case than usual. The people getting eaten by sharks rapidly led to brains in jars, including the wife of Tsuru, who he’s been trying to avenge but sadly reality gets in the way. Also, his partner may be secretly evil? Fortunately, Suiren is saved, and deals with her grief. She’s not even seduced by Kuroko—yet. And so we move on to a new arc, which involves someone going around killing master swordsmen. Murcielago will never win any good taste awards, and its leads are all sociopaths (even the police, to a degree), but it’s fun, and there are some great Kuroko faces here. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 17 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – When the hell did this get so boring? Its strength remains its humor, and the best parts of the volume are showing off that humor, such as Fubuki desperately trying to rally the incredibly apathetic troops, or Saitama only getting really pissed off because the hero hunter keeps ignoring him. But for the most part, it’s serious fights between serious heroes and serious villains, and honestly I can get that much better in My Hero Academia. The world is also pretty nihilistic here—we need the heroes because the villains are not going to stop and wait for them, as a Private Merc Force finds out when they are quickly beaten and enslaved. I want more funny stuff, please. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 8 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – It’s time for new employee orientation, including a field trip and a hot springs visit. This actually means a bit more fanservice than the other seven volumes combined, as of course Syalis goes along with everyone—they have to pretend she’s working as a demon in order not to give it away. (This being a comedy manga, the author lampshades that Syalis is in a swimsuit twice within three chapters.) The jokes are the same, though—Syalsi is spoiled and a bit appalling but also too difficult to say no to, and also sort of cute and adorable. At least she’s not gleefully killing everyone anymore, so that’s a plus. It even feels a bit like an extended family now. – Sean Gaffney

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 7 | By Maybe | Yen Press – We’ve hit a new harem manga record with this volume, as fully HALF THE BOOK is set up to have Satou and his fiancées get it on so that they can gain the power needed to defeat the Abyss King. Sadly, for anyone hoping for a payoff, there’s lots of skin and titillation but everyone is still a virgin by the end of the book. We also get some details of the prior hero, who was seemingly corrupted by the situation of “get to bone all these girls” and ended up getting killed by said girls, one of whom is still around thanks to the long lives of elves. Will Satou end up going down the same path? Well, not if this keeps up. This is a good series for fantasy fans but harem fans may be getting irritated. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 5 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – As with the series’ spiritual successor, Nisekoi, We Never Learn is very good at balancing out each girl in the romantic comedy stakes so that they all get something to do. Unlike Nisekoi, the choice is not obvious from chapter one, either. It doesn’t help that Fumino seems to be honestly trying to help Naruyuki get together with someone else… even as she gets the shippiest chapter in the book, the classic “we have to share a hotel room and there is only one bed” trope. But the others get their moments as well (including the teacher, which I suppose I will have to get used to), and it’s cute, fun, and a bit sweet and romantic as long as you don’t mind it then snapping back to status quo. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 3 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – Sometimes series can falter after their respective love interests get together, but so far that hasn’t been an issue with Wotakoi. There are some chapters that I find less engaging (generally the few that take place “in game”—I prefer the manga’s exploration of real life experiences), but as a whole it’s still consistently entertaining. I especially appreciate the importance placed on the series’ non-romantic friendships. The fact that Hirotaka and Narumi are dating is still being kept a secret in the workplace, so one of my favorite running gags in the third omnibus of Wotakoi is that their coworkers are all essentially rooting for them to hook up. In part this requires Fujita to introduce a few new recurring side characters who end up being a rather amusing addition to the manga. I continue to greatly enjoy Wotakoi. – Ash Brown

Yuri Life | By Kurukuruhime | Yen Press – Yuri Life is a collection of 4-koma vignettes about various cohabitating couples, the vast majority of whom are working women in their twenties. Some stories are kind of cute, but none is in the least bit funny, so it’s not that kind of 4-koma. Probably the best story in the lot is “Life with a Grim Reaper,” in which a grim reaper falls in love with a woman who’s supposed to die soon. I could see a concept like that filling at least one volume, but not so much the rest. The collection also includes “Life with a Yandere,” in which we get creepy inner monologues like, “If I snipped off those small, slim fingers, would I be the only one you touched?” Um, that is seriously fucked up! Why is that in the same collection as these other frothy tales? This is definitely a mixed bag. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 4/2/18

ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department, Vol. 2 | By Natsume Ono | Yen Press – I’m not entirely certain how seriously I should be taken the plotting against the crown here, or indeed the crown’s own attempts to overthrow ACCA. It does seem like Jean has no shortage of people who hate him and want to see a) his department obliterated and b) him arrested for treason. The trouble, of course, being he’s not actually plotting any sort of coup. In fact, he seems to be doing his job more because he has the hots for his superior officer more than anything else, although that’s as much of a lost cause as his own junior who has a crush on him. ACCA is a great series to read, but I don’t think I quite feel the sense of ominous danger I’m meant to. It needs a corpse or two. – Sean Gaffney

Battle Angel Alita: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2 | By Yukito Kishiro | Kodansha Comics – Having previously read only a portion of the sequel/alternate ending Last Order (parts of which I greatly enjoyed although as a whole the series didn’t overly impress me), I never quite understood the immense popularity of Battle Angel Alita. But now, thanks to the deluxe, hardcover edition from Kodansha Comics, the original manga is back in print in English and I finally get it. The series is terrific, with an appealing lead, intense action sequences, and a striking and visually imaginative cyberpunk setting. The story of the second omnibus (most closely equivalent to the third and fourth volumes), turns to the dangerous and deadly sport of Motorball. After a tragic end to her first romance, Alita leaves behind her life as a bounty hunter to become a rising star of the game. Her search for identity continues as she strives to find purpose and meaning in who she is. – Ash Brown

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 14 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – I’ve said this before, but the longer this series goes on, and the less the main cast appear in it, the more I suspect that the anti-war story with the frogs that he has going on is the story he really wanted to tell, only he had to write about 7-8 volumes of fanservicey monster girl antics in order to get the series so popular he could get away with it. This is not to say we don’t still see Hime and company, or that there’s not fanservice—just look at the first chapter. But there’s more and more of the warfare in this book, and as it goes on it’s becoming clear that the participants being centaurs or frogs or angels is irrelevant to war being hell for all concerned. Easily the strangest monster girl series coming out these days. – Sean Gaffney

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 11 | By Aya Shouoto | VIZ Media – Anyone expecting any sort of evolution of Aoi and Himari’s relationship in the wake of his confession at the end of volume nine will be disappointed, since here we are in volume eleven and the gang is primarily focused on getting control of a spreading darkness at the back of Momochi House. Himari is learning more about what happened to the previous Nue(s) and what fate might await Aoi, too, but for the most part this volume just has a lot of battles between Aoi and his immediate predecessor, whose body has been resurrected by his one of his shikigami. I appreciated the BL vibes I got from them during their final panel, but otherwise this volume was a trifle meh. – Michelle Smith

Flying Witch, Vol. 5 | By Chihiro Ishizuka | Vertical Comics – There actually is some plot development here, as Makoto is starting to get jobs, though the job amounts to ‘babysitting.’ More importantly, Chinatsu has been watching witches and magic for some time, and apparently her body is allowing her to use mana now, meaning… she can become a witch! For the moment that just amounts to squirting people with water, but I’m sure that the series is going to have a lot more to do with this going forward. Other than that, and the affirmation that there really is not going to be any romance in this series, even one-sided, thankyouverymuch, and that it is content to have chapters like “try to cure hiccups.” For fans of Yotsuba&! and similar series. – Sean Gaffney

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 4 | By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – There is… a bit less gore this time around, though that’s mostly relative. In fact, at times the genre of Golden Kamuy seems to be switching with every volume, as this time it’s turning into a political thriller, as there’s a lot more focus about what to do with the gold once it’s found, as well as showing off that the comedy relief character, while still funny, may be a bit less goofy than we expected. But rest assured there’s also lots of what brought people to Golden Kamuy in the first place—cooking wild anmals, lots of discussion of poop, and the occasional bloody death and cool action shot. Also, please do not let your heroine get kidnapped by eagles. She is far too valuable. Thank you. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 5 | By Canno | Yen Press – Another volume, another relationship, this one featuring the classic forgotten childhood friend. Sawa and Itsuki are entertaining on their own, but there’s no real drama as to whether or not they’ll get together The best part is that Sawa takes a while to struggle with “oh, yeah, I guess I do like her this way,” rather than having an immediate epiphany like some other couples we’ve seen. We also get more attention devoted to the main couple, as we see Ayaka dealing with her Education Mama and her frustration at not being able to be number one… even if she’s not sure that should be her goal anymore. This is not the best yuri manga out there, but it’s pretty solid overall. – Sean Gaffney

Twinkle Stars, Vol. 5 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press –Twinkle Stars, Vol. 5 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press – And so, Twinkle Stars comes to a sometimes painful, sometimes lovely close. Just when Chihiro has finally accepted his feelings for Sakuya, he gets a surprise phone call from Sakura, who has actually been awake for some time. He’s afraid that she’ll try to kill herself again unless he shows her what he learned from Sakuya—that kindness and warmth are not an illusion—and so he chooses to leave for Tokyo to be by her side. Not before Sakuya realizes that he’s in love with her, though—in a majorly tear-inducing scene!—and not without telling Sakura that he can’t consider her his girlfriend anymore because he’s fallen in love with someone else. There’s a lot of self-sacrificing going around, including Sakura eventually realizing that she alone can make Chihiro happy… by setting him free. This was such a great series and I look forward to rereading it in the future. – Michelle Smith

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 3 | By Megumi Morino | Kodansha Comics – Well, that cliffhanger from the last volume went nowhere fast. Instead, we deal with Tetsu’s love of soccer, and the fact that various circumstances led him to leave the team despite that love. This has not sat well with some friends of his, and Shizu and her ghosts end up being dragged into things in order to get him to reconcile with the team. This is pretty heartwarming, and also shows us that Shizu is getting better at being herself when she’s outside, even if the ghosts still occupy her body much of the time. We’re now halfway through the series, and I suspect things may get a little more serious towards the end, so it’s nice to see something like this that is serious yet easily solvable. Also, Shizu’s cute. – Sean Gaffney

By: Michelle Smith