Today’s Tub Manga: A Bride’s Story (volume 9)

I’m perpetually in awe of Kaoru Mori’s dedication to research and her artistic intensity. A Bride’s Story is absolutely, incredibly beautiful both visually and with its superb storytelling. Don’t let the title or potential subject matter turn you away–it’s not squirrely-girly shojo. Anyone could (and should!) love this.

As far as volume nine specifically…I loved it. While I love the backward-age dynamic of Amir and her husband, Pariya is the “bride” I can relate to the most. Watching her awkwardness throughout this volume was so endearing and all-too-realistic. And her interactions with Umar were so incredibly adorable and heartwarming.

I love this series and I really loved volume nine. It just made me so so happy.

Today’s Tub Manga: Handa-kun (volume 7)

Volume 6 may have been the end of the actual story but Volume 7 brings us to the true finale of Handa-kun. This volume is comprised mostly of extra-arc short stories–one of which shows us a Handa Army reunion several years after high school graduation. There’s also a mini gallery, some four-panel comics, and a cool “end of series” note from the author (I’m a sucker for those things).

All-in-all, this was a cute and tidy way to wrap up a great series.

Today’s Tub Manga: Barakamon (volume 14)

Barakamon volume 14

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this manga. Every volume is superb and I just want it to go on forever. I can’t rant enough about how adorable and entertaining this series is. With every book I find myself laughing out loud and filled with warm fuzzy happiness by the time I finish.

Except then I get a little sad that I have to wait for more, but that’s typical.

In this volume, Naru and Sensei return from their Tokyo visit, bearing souvenirs. Kind of. Kousuke is crashed at Sensei’s house, vowing to quit calligraphy at the same time Sensei announces he’s quitting calligraphy to teach instead. As expected, mayhem ensues. We do get some resolution to the Great Higashino Daikon Competition…but surprisingly my favorite part was the very realistic liquor store dilemma. Maybe because I live in a small town or maybe because ours is a family business…or both. But for that scene, this slice-of-life was very “life” to me.

 

Today’s Tub Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun (volume 6)

I have to admit, volume six and its Haru-Haruki arc is my least favorite of the series so far. With the introduction of the twins Haruki and Haruka, the story got unnecessarily moody (moodier?) and convoluted. Neither character is particularly interesting to me; they could be omitted from the series entirely and I don’t think I’d miss them.

I do really like and enjoy this series but volume six was a bit weak for me. Aside from the Haru-Haruki drama, the major game that takes up most of the volume is against Nine Tails…a team that specializes not in guns, but in (fake) blades. And while I know this is manga and not to be taken seriously, I just had a hard time suspending my disbelief. I’ve shot real guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns [I know, they’re called “paintball markers” to try and rid themselves of a violent image], heck, even blowguns…and, well…there’s a reason there’s the saying “don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”

I can’t imagine bringing fake knives to an airsoft gunfight is any more effective.

However, as a result of this match, Yukki and Hotaru learn important lessons about themselves and what they need to do to compete. So everyone’s happy and isn’t that really what counts? That Hotaru learns–yet again–what she lacks and needs to do to improve?

Anyway, when it’s all said and done, I always enjoy the interactions between Hotaru, Mattsun, and Yukki. And for whatever reason, I also just love the crap out of Fujimoto (who is barely in this volume).

I was just flipping through again to see if I missed anything and holy crap I did not pay enough attention to the very first page, all in glorious color.

I take it all back; volume six is amazing.

Today’s Tub Manga: First Love Monster (volume 7)

My first thought when I opened volume seven was, “Holy crap. It’s so small!” This volume is…short. And the last almost-half is “extra episodes” of just funny one-off stories. Kind of stories? There are only three actual chapters.

And not a lot happens in those three chapters. It all went by very quickly and I don’t feel like much–if any–progress was made from volume six. Kanade saw Taga kissing Kaho and gets upset and runs away. And is still away by the end of the volume. Volume six ended with him catching them. So…yeah. Not much new to report. Oh, we do get a new “third grader” character in the final pages as kind of a cliffhanger.

I still liked it well enough and I’m not trying to disparage it; obviously I’ll buy volume eight and hope we actually advance the plot a bit.

Today’s Tub Manga: Horimiya (volume 8)

I love(d) this series. I did not love this volume.

There was a sports festival, which I’m usually all about, but this kind of fell flat. Then there was something with dead rabbits that I didn’t remember and kept wondering where it was relevant.

I did wonder halfway through if this was a series better read in one go; there were too many characters I did not remember at all and trying to puzzle out the people and their relationships was a bit distracting. Admittedly, that is my fault more than the mangaka’s.

I will buy Volume 9 and hope that it regains the hilarity and cuteness I fell in love with.

Today’s Tub Manga: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (volume 8)

I’m sure I’ve said this before but I LOVE this manga!

I was actually pleasantly surprised to get another volume so soon. This series just brightens my day. Every volume is hilarious to me.

In volume eight, we get some more great Wakamatsu/Seo interaction (?) made even more interesting by the inclusion of Seo’s older brother to really just screw things up. Misunderstandings abound (hilariously). We also get some super cute scenes with Hori and Kashima.

And I will never tire of Mikoshiba’s love of dating sims.

All in all, adorable and wonderful volume. Sakura still has her work cut out for her, but it’s all good.

Today’s Tub Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun (volume 5)

I think I have a soft spot for manga/anime about survival games because they remind me a little of my paintball days. However, like my paintball days, I tend to lose interest. I love the premise of Aoharu x Machinegun and really enjoyed the anime but did lapse in reading the manga…

However, volume five went by in a flash. We’re about to enter the Haru-Haruki arc which is a bit convoluted but for now, Hotaru is being her relatively simple-minded self and plugging along. The whole “oh no, I’m a girl!” issue is kind of brushed aside early-to-mid volume and I realized at some point that, perhaps because I’ve read so much BL, I don’t really register Hotaru as a girl. It’s no longer an important plot point.

It is the original plot point, though, so it gets resurrected in the final pages of this volume.

Today’s Tub Manga: Prison School (volume 7)

Whenever your manga arrives shrinkwrapped, that’s a sign you’ve got good shit on your hands. Volume 7 picks right up in the ridiculously lewd situation where volume 6 left off and it’s full steam ahead from there.

I laughed so hard I almost choked.

I thought Prison School was funny during the “first half” when the boys were in prison but since the switch…it’s turned into something amazingly hilarious. Incredibly lewd and sweaty and likely to be horribly misunderstood if someone happens to catch a page over your shoulder, but amazingly hilarious all the same.

Totally fucking laugh out loud awesome. Every volume it just keeps getting better.

Today’s Tub Manga: Karneval (volume 7)

I can’t help it; every time I open the latest “Karneval” I think, “Holy shit, this is beautiful.”

Even if the story was complete crap, this manga would be saved by how delicious it is to my eyes. But thankfully, the story is not complete crap, but actually really enjoyable. Heh.

We are now way past where the anime ended and things are ramping up. However, volume 7 continues to do what hooked me with “Karneval” in the first place: maintain a perfectly seamless balance of action, humor, battles, intrigue, wit, and emotion. And oh, right, beauty. 😉

I do hope that someday we’ll see a continuation of the anime because I do love the voice cast (and so does the author-the Behind the Scenes notes from recordings in the last pages of previous volumes were a real treat). Until then, I’ll stick with the crew of Circus and enjoy the journey.