Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 7 | By Aki Hamazi | Yen Press – This is not really the sort of manga that’s heading for a definitive conclusion, though we are seeing two of our cast of four graduating here. I assume it will end, if it’s allowed to, with Bocchi and Kita graduating as well. But there are the occasional stabs at character development. The best section in this volume sees Bocchi end up bonding with a fellow introverted guitar hero who’s genuinely famous but also cannot speak to others without her voice cracking, something represented in the printed text by it showing up backwards. We’re also getting more of Bocchi trying to be overly self-confident, even if it’s mined for humor a lot, and I appreciate that more than Bocchi hating herself. I’m not getting yuri here, but I do enjoy the girl time that this series gives us. – Sean Gaffney
Colette Decides to Die, Vol. 5 | By Alto Yukimura| Viz Media – This omnibus marks the halfway point of the series, so it makes sense that it’s towards the end that Colette realizes the feelings she has for Hades. It’s handled really sweetly—again, the title is perhaps the ultimate example of a title that doesn’t sell anything but the first chapter, and it’s even wrong there. We also see the resolution of the otter’s plotline, as it turns out his being fired relates to accidentally destroying a priceless memory of Poseidon’s wife—sometimes, as in real life, you can screw up badly enough to get permanently fired. Fortunately, there are other avenues open to him. All this and Colette even practices medicine sometimes. I love this series so much. – Sean Gaffney
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 3 | By Sumiko Arai | Yen Press – We get SO CLOSE to a confession and couple with this volume, but not quite. The big dramatic event that happens here is that Mitsuki is “outed” in class, and decides to deal with it, after a brief freakout and a week off school, by ripping the bandaid off and coming to school dressed as she normally does at the record store… even the piercings, which I assumed not-school safe. Needless to say, everyone basks in the hotness that is Mitsuki… including Aya, who finds herself dealing with the fact that the person she loves is no longer just hers anymore. Things are going to come to a head at the prom, which is normally not a thing in Japan but they’re doing one here, because the vibe demands it. We’ll have to wait till Book Four, though. AMAZING. – Sean Gaffney
My Love Story!!, Vol. 14: In College! | By Kazuke Kawahara and Aruko | VIZ Media – I was both delighted and wary when I learned a fourteenth volume of My Love Story!! was coming out. In the first story, a smartly constructed follow-up, the series’ three leads have reunited for college, and one of their fellow students is someone Takeo and Suna knew in elementary school. When they were kids, Takeo caused this guy to cry in front of a girl he liked, and his retelling of the story serves as a great way to get reacquainted with these characters. I liked the second story less, in which the trio gets a part-time job over winter break that turns into a closed-circle murder(?) mystery and features cliché shoujo moments like “Yamato falls off a cliff.” However, it does also provide a lovely moment when, after Takeo is accused of the crime, Suna expresses absolute trust in his innocence. This ended up being pretty good! – Michelle Smith
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 16 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship – Our girlfriend of the volume this time is Kaho Eira, who, like Yor from Spy x Family, can kick a car, but is terrified of anything she CAN’T beat up. It’s a cute gimmick, and does perhaps take the curse off her being too cool—each new girl needs a big flaw to provide the laughs. That said, easily the highlight of the volume is a serious two-chapter arc where Shizuka’s mother, upset that her daughter doesn’t talk, taking away her phone—which nearly causes Shizuka to break down and forced Rentaro to intervene, stating that this is simply how Shizuka communicates, and trying to make her be “like the other girls” is only harming her. It’s terrific, and made me tear up. – Sean Gaffney
Our Dining Table: Seconds, Please!, Vol. 1 | By Mita Ori | Seven Seas – Having loved the original Our Dining Table, I wasn’t initially sold on this sequel. There’s less of an emphasis on everyone eating together, and on Minoru’s cute little brother Tane, and more on Yutaka and Minoru’s deepening romantic relationship. An antagonist in the form of Minoru’s meddling ex is introduced. It was kind of feeling like standard BL fare. I’m happy to report, however, that I was won over by the end. Instead of melodrama, the meddling ex storyline leads to moments of vulnerability and acceptance that bring Yutaka and Minoru closer together. We get to know them better as individuals and as a couple and Tane remains a highlight. I especially appreciated the bittersweet milestone of him learning to pronounce “Yutaka” correctly. I’m equal parts relieved and looking forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith
Rainbows After Storms, Vol. 6 | By Luka Kobachi | Viz Media – Inevitably this series was going to have a big fight, and it ends up being right before the class trip. Nanoha finds that Chidori and Mai have been talking without her, gets the wrong idea, and decides to get really mad about it—which means that Chidori, who is upset that Nanoha is not trusting her, also gets mad. Their mood colors the whole trip, forcing their friends to do an intervention, and thank goodness, because it’s the same for the reader as well—when these two are apart and miserable, this series is far less fun. Fortunately, they make up near the end of the book, and exchange vows in a church, though we have several volumes to go before we get the inevitable “we’re dating” “we already knew” ending this is clearly going for. Good yuri fun. – Sean Gaffney
Spy x Family, Vol. 15 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – There is a black hole in the center of this volume that draws everything else towards it. At the front you have the resolution of Martha’s storyline, which is bittersweet but at least we know that Henry’s wife was a good woman and that he and Martha can now have tea together. At the back end we see a town festival, and Melinda’s surprise appearance as a fortune teller… where the stress gets to her so much that Yor actually suggests she see Loid in a professional capacity. In between these two we get the Desmond Family Dinner. I don’t think we’ve had a single chapter in the series quite as terrifying as this one, or as sad, or as cringeworthy, and all it is is a family having a meal together for the first time in a long time. If this is why Loid has to beat, look out. – Sean Gaffney
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