What Manga are you reading?

[the_wolfs_howl]

D.Gray-man chapter 221

FINALLY SOME ANSWERS!!!! Well, sorta XD It wouldn't be DGM if they spelled it all out helpfully for you But I'm mostly just glad to see Allen again. It's been a looooooong time since we've seen the actual main character. Literal years of real time.

[GeneD]

Wow apparently the last time I posted in this thread was a little over a year ago. That's kinda terrible and I can't promise it'll get any better but I'll try.

I've been reading a lot more (comparatively, for me) manga recently, due to signing up for MAL's 2016 manga reading challenge. I've generally liked most of the stuff I've read but some highlights include Bakuman, Ran and the Grey World (fanservice warning), Dungeon Meshi, Horimiya and Dorohedoro (um everything warning, but seriously the gore and body-horror is probably at one of the highest levels in any medium I've ever seen, too bad the actual story so very, very interesting). Mushishi is of course also good, but since I've seen all of the anime it's not exactly new ground.

I'm kinda struggling with Fruits Basket though, it's one of the series I've always heard good things about, basically since becoming an anime/manga fan, but idk, I'm just not getting into it. Maybe it's too shoujo for me. I'd be happy to hear anything in "defence" of it, I know it's a favourite for a lot of people.

A lot of the recent stuff has been slice-of-life/coming-of-age/drama type series so I might be heading to a bit of a burnout on that genre if I'm not careful.

Also finished Assassination Classroom, which was surprisingly emotional for me. It's one of the longest completed series I've read and also one I've been reading for the longest time, since February 2013. For something that felt like a light, fun but kinda throwaway series a lot of the time, I sure got attached to the characters along the way.

[MangaRocks!]

I'm kinda struggling with Fruits Basket though, it's one of the series I've always heard good things about, basically since becoming an anime/manga fan, but idk, I'm just not getting into it. Maybe it's too shoujo for me. I'd be happy to hear anything in "defence" of it, I know it's a favourite for a lot of people.

Well it's my #1 favorite manga of all time, so hopefully-adequate defense incoming~

I mean, I certainly can't deny it's very shoujo, LOL; however, IMO, by the end of the series it's easily one of the best manga in that category. For one thing, the main character is absolutely amazing-- she just pours light and hope and life into everyone around her, no matter what (a very Christian-like attitude, in fact). So, when she comes into contact with this big extended family of generationally-cursed (and thus, at this point, pretty seriously screwed-up ) people, the effect is truly awesome. Add to that the fact that (despite their large number) all of the characters, complete with their personalities, mental states, emotions, relationships, and etc., are fleshed out pretty well, and even the outrageous ones are believable by the end; the drama is (at times) fairly intense; the humor is absolutely hilarious; and the finale is so emotional and so perfectly beautiful that it left me both speechless and in tears (in a VERY good way!!)... and that's why it's still my favorite manga out of all the ones I've read so far. <3

TL;DR: It gets really good once the serious stuff starts (a few volumes in)~

[Mouse2010]

Chapter 34 of Sweetness and Lightening: wow, kindergartners walking to school? I live near an elementary school, and I do see kids walking or biking to school, but I don't think they start them that young around here!

I don't have much else to say about this chapter. It feels pivotal, in that it's the beginning of a new school year. I can see the potential for major changes ahead for Kotori as she begins her last year of high school. I have to wonder if SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the romance hints that have largely been underplayed will be increasingly picked up as Kotori nears adulthood. I guess time will tell!

[KazeShiki]

Well Sengoku Youko ended. It's always hard to keep up with monthlies because I forget what happened last chapter but by the end of it, I'm sad it's over. Was a great, fun read, as expected from the author of Samidare. Which reminds me, Spirit Circle ended somewhat recently too. Wonder what the next work will be.

[MangaRocks!]

Well Sengoku Youko ended . . .

^ Welp, I know what I'm reading next! That mangaka is amazing~~




...And here are the (number of!) *new* series I started reading over the past few months!



Behind The Scenes!! vol. 1 (so far): This is the new series by Bisco Hatori of Ouran High School Host Club fame, and while it's not as hysterically funny as that series (nor was I actually expecting it to be, since that series was a parody and this series is not ), I'm liking it so far. It's set in college this time; and the MC is timid/easily scared, physically frail, and has a serious inferiority complex due to bullying/general social condescension (which is unfortunately understandable, albeit infuriating {and wrong!} ), but he's a *great* artist/crafter, and he not only notices *everything* (even things the other crafters don't!) but also has the natural ability to intuitively compile those observations and extrapolate them into very useful conclusions. And at their arts-focused college, he has complete acceptance and affirmation of his talents and gifts, which is just <3 . Looking forward to more~



Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai chapters 1-17 via normal methods, 18-36 via raws + text translations (ON HOLD): This is a (supposedly ) josei romcom by the mangaka of Lovely★Complex... however, unlike Love★Com, this one's a disappointment. Unfortunately, Dame... does not even come anywhere near Love★Com's level of charm and amusement; the two main characters are not very likeable at all (and aren't all that fleshed out, either)-- particularly the female MC, who is desperately, face-palmingly, annoyingly, and downright suspension-of-disbelief-breakingly naïve for her age ( + not to mention hopelessly stupid on top of that!) ; and there are more clichés than expected (given that it's supposed to be a josei...). That said, it's not *terribly* bad-- there were certainly some smile-(and even, on occasion, laugh-)inducing moments, especially later on-- but, on the other hand, it's not actually good, either, writing-wise. Oh well. I suppose I *might* eventually continue to catch up with it in batches here and there; however, it will definitely *not* be a priority (and definitely not a recommendation, either! ).



Joou no Hana chapters 1A-12B (so far): I previously read (and quite enjoyed! ) the Ni no Hime no Monogatari one-shot by the same mangaka, and this (full-length) story actually takes place in another part of that same (fictional) land. And the first thing I have to say is that I love the MC's. <3 The princess is a realistically capable young woman who is put into a very cruel position by her power-hungry royal 'family' and constantly underestimated/looked down upon by almost everyone else, and her Caucasian 'slave' (mostly in name only-- he serves her, yes, and completely so; but in practice they're more like partners than anything ), while also having his own issues due to racism on top of his slave status, is wonderfully frank/blunt (and so in sync-- and in love -- with the female MC that he feels whatever she does)... and their complete lack of inhibitions when it comes to physical contact/closeness is refreshing in and of itself when it comes to anime/manga, given Japan's generally less-touchy-feely culture (...although, that *did* actually end up backfiring pretty darn hard on the male MC when it turns out that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: she actually had a very different perspective on their relationship than he did...... ). Oh, and their light and easy banter is delightful, too. And then, of course, being historical fiction, there's plenty of politics and battles going on. (There is also some truly heartbreaking stuff in here-- not gonna lie, I teared up very fiercely indeed at the whole thing with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Aki and Seitetsu... It's so good, though~ <3 ) Suffice it to say, I'm really looking forward to more of this!



Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, a.k.a. The World God Only Knows/TWGOK, 1-268(Expanded Version) (complete): This is the famous somewhat-parodic harem series that I've heard great things about for years-- and, to my (quite pleased!) surprise, it was indeed not only a great series (!), but it was also far sweeter (and {minus two of the 'routes' } a lot less fanservicey) than I expected! <3 It's actually more about helping the characters fix their hearts' issues (well, and saving the world, too ) than anything; and lest you worry that it might get repetitive, it does not do so at all. Indeed, it seems like a fairly straight parody for the first few chapters, but as it goes on it starts gleefully twisting the 'archetypes' (and even some of the 'routes' themselves) quite nicely (and quite amusingly )-- and then the plot itself takes a few sharp turns, and gets far more interesting than you'd assume from the initial synopsis. Also, despite the MC's numerous protests that the real world (and, by extension, the real people in it) mean nothing to him, he's actually a really good kid at heart who can be hurt by cutting words (and people forgetting him, and at one point even having to hurt others) just like anyone else, never takes inappropriate advantage of anyone (...er, well, at least for his own gain, or to anyone who doesn't deserve it... ), and, deep down, genuinely does care about the well-being of everyone he interacts with. <3 And he even changes for the better throughout as well, letting go of his own protective fantasy-world shell to indeed acknowledge the 'real world' bit by bit. <3 In all, I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and am quite glad I finally gave in and read it!



Koudai-ke no Hitobito chapters 0-3 via normal methods, 4-31 via raws + text translations (so far): I was in the mood for some good josei, and had heard good things about this, so I went for it, and I am indeed enjoying it so far. The female MC is a 29-year-old office lady who just so happens to be blessed with a fantastic imagination that runs off on vivid (...and downright hilarious!! ) daydream tangents at the slightest provocation, and the male MC is an intelligent and easygoing businessman who just so happens to come from a line of people blessed(/cursed) with telepathy. (I'm sure you can see where that's going, and it's just as amusing as it sounds. Let's just say that while his telepathy {understandably} doesn't seem to have been much of a positive thing to him {or really to any of the rest of his family} in the past, he finds it *extremely* difficult to keep a straight face whenever she's around, and he actually quite likes that... And his {equally-telepathic} siblings are just as amused. ) This also leads to things moving along much faster and smoother than they usually do in romance stories. And, even better, it's really not only about the two of them-- the rest of the family (including the siblings, the parents, and even the grandparents) actually end up as MC's themselves, and get plenty of development of their own. <3 So, yeah, worth the read so far~



March Comes In Like A Lion, a.k.a. 3-gatsu no Lion, chapters 1-65 via normal methods, 66-114 via raws + text translations (so far): Oh. My. Gosh. I had heard that this series was fantastic, but I had no idea that I would end up downright *adoring* it!! <3 The characters and the stuff they went through in the past/are going through in the present are just so real, and-- despite the small (but also quite real) thread of darkness/melancholy woven throughout due to the aforementioned situations-- in the end this series just makes you feel so warm! <3 And the shogi-playing is woven in very naturally (it's the MC's actual profession, after all), and is not heavy-handed at all, either (nor is it even really the main focus; this story is more character-driven than anything)-- in fact, towards the end of the first volume it's revealed that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: despite being great at the game, the MC doesn't even really like it. Oh, and when the MC finally meets Souya-- the true genius who is holding the very top ranking(s)-- it's downright mesmerizing! See, at first, you're purposefully led to assume that Souya is merely going to be just another embodiment of the 'elusive genius rival' trope... however, it then actually gets a brilliant twist once they meet, where the truth about him is revealed-- for one thing, while he certainly is a genius, he's actually really, genuinely nice (indeed, he's one of the nicest genius characters that I've seen!); and for another, his perceived elusiveness/eccentricities also actually have a beautifully-explained reason (which rather impressed me in both its inclusion at all + how naturally it's handled): SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he's actually been deaf for years. And to top it all off, while he and the MC have a sort-of immediate understanding of each other and there are certainly some similarities between them, both the characters as well as the series itself are all very realistic about the differences in talent/ability levels even between pros, and there is no presumption whatsoever that the MC will reach Souya's level anytime soon (if at all). (Again, love the realism. <3 ) And oh my goodness the MC is so adorable (especially once SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he realizes that he's in love with one of the sisters~! <3 <3 <3 ). (+ Bonuses of note: The cats are adorable and hilarious. <3 And I also love how all of the chapter covers tell their own {extremely adorable! <3 } sequential story in and of themselves. <3 <3 ) ...TL;DR: This series is awesome and I wholeheartedly recommend it!!



Noragami: Stray Stories vol. 1 (DROPPED): Hmm... These are some random little side-stories by the mangaka of the main series; however, they're a lot more OTT and fourth-wall-breaking (and thus may or may not be canon), plus they're both quite a bit more fanservicey than the main series + really not all that funny, either. Basically, I would definitely not recommend this-- just read the (actually really good!) main series instead.



Sensei Kunshu chapters 1-7 via normal methods, 8-27 via raws + text translations (so far): Welp, as you might possibly guess from the title , this features a student-teacher (or, rather, student - substitute-teacher-who-becomes-a-full-time-one) romance; however, I have no problem with student-teacher relationships in fiction so long as it's entertaining/written well, and this one is certainly entertaining. In fact, it's often downright hilarious (those faces...! Those hysterically OTT reaction faces!! ), and the romance isn't half bad, either (...especially because at first she's freaked out by the very idea that she might fall for him, and he's *very much* not at all romantically interested until well after she is; and also because even after they start dating he acts as responsibly as he can given both his rather brusque personality and the various circumstances/situations. For example, the male MC fully understands (and fully explains to her) the possible consequences of them having a relationship, and even after they start going out he does what he can to avoid her having any. Now, the female MC is not smart at all, but she is so one-track/dead-set determined (and her facial expressions in reaction to everything are just so OTT) that it always ends up being hilarious. There are a couple of clichés on occasion, of course, but they're either used for (usually actually quite amusing) humor, or are averted at the last minute (...or, in the case of the 'blackmail,' actually provide an opportunity for them to make sure her parents know about everything and are okay with it); etc. Now, I do have to give a content warning in that all of the female students (including the female MC) are almost shockingly open/frank about discussing sex-- I mean, not shocking in terms of realism, unfortunately , but rather in terms of not usually being so bold about it in a shoujo manga. (Though, due to the male MC actually being responsible about it, thankfully nothing actually happens, despite the female MC's best efforts to the contrary... ) Oh, and the MC's friends-- two female, one of whom encourages the MC to a hilariously ridiculous degree , and one male, who is completely baffled (and understandably a tad horrified) by the whole idea -- along with the sub-teacher's slyly encouraging helpful brother {and even the slightly creepy regular teacher that the sub-teacher effectively replaces! } make it even better ). ...All that said, I mean, let's be honest, this is still complete fluff, of course ; but at least it doesn't wholly disregard the readers' intelligence and truly is a lot better-written than most student-teacher stuff I've skimmed through, and again it's just entertaining regardless , so I'm enjoying it despite it being complete fluff.



And Takane to Hana chapters 1-21 (so far): Again, I'd heard good things about this, and it did indeed turn out to be a great little romcom that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. <3 The MC's are quite amusing-- in some ways the girl is actually more mature than the guy, despite him being older; and neither can admit 'defeat' (i.e. that they actually kinda fell for each other ), so they keep on trying to outwit each other (spoiler: Hana-chan usually wins. Not *always,* though... ). I mean, it's not very often that *both* halves of a couple are tsundere, so that's also quite amusing in and of itself ) Really looking forward to more~!

[Mouse2010]

I have to disagree about Noragami: Stray Stories. I found them to be entertaining, even though they were silly. It isn't a series I would recommend on its own, but I would recommend it for a Noragami fan who was hungry for more than what's currently out.

And speaking for Noragami fans, I finally found something to keep me entertained while I wait for more Noragami. I've just read The Story of Saiunkoku, vol 1-3. I actually picked up the first volume free, and I liked it so much I read it twice before starting the second volume. This is the kind of series I like: the heroine is sensible, brave, and kind. She was flaws, but she's neither ditzy, nor too hot-tempered, nor too timid. I absolutely LOVED the part in volume 3 where she's asked how she would spend money if there were surplus money in the budget, and she proposes maternity leave! As for Lord Ryuki . . . I like that he's never mean to her. (He reminds me just a tiny bit of Tamaki from Ouran Host Club, to be honest!)

I could easily barrel through this series in a week, but I'm trying to restrain myself a little. The fact that there are only 9 volumes initially seemed like a good thing, but I'm seeing now that it probably won't take long before I finish it and find myself wondering "what next?"

[NekoNinja16]

The Gamer (korean webcomic)

When I started reading it, I didn't think it would have so much magic. -_- I kind of skipped over the really bad (IMO) parts, 'cause I wanted to see what happened with the characters. I really do like the concept and the characters. It's funny too. (and yes I did read up to the most recent chapters)

Tonari no Kashiwagi-san

Usually I kinda stay away from shounen-ish romance since it sometimes suck and other times has too much fanservice, but this one has such a perfect art style I started reading it. There isn't too much fanservice so far, I mean the main girl's dressed modestly all the time (tho I'm sure there'll be a beach chapter eventually OTL). It's just soo cute, otaku love <3

Black Cat

Watching the anime too. Been LOL'ing at the people who are like "this Train is weird..." in the anime, since he was that way from the first chapter of the manga~

[the_wolfs_howl]

The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapters 33-34

Ah, good to get back to Arslan again and get the team back together. I'm really curious to see where the story's going after this.

Bakuman chapters 18-19

Ugh, Niizuma Eiji is really starting to get on my nerves. C'mon, guys! You can beat him! XD

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer chapter 21

Wow, so we finally get a look at the villain, huh? About time!

HaruXKiyo chapter 11

I was kind of hoping Mineta would defend Koharu a bit more, but I guess it's the baby steps that count

[Rusty Claymore]

Yotsuba 13.

[TheChocolateGamer]

Started reading Koe no Katachi (Silent Voice)

[Rusty Claymore]

Started reading Koe no Katachi (Silent Voice)

Get your Heart Trauma Repair Kit ready. It's worth it.

[TheChocolateGamer]

Started reading Koe no Katachi (Silent Voice)

Get your Heart Trauma Repair Kit ready. It's worth it.

Oh yes feels! Thank the Lord!

[NekoNinja16]

Read and finished Houou Gakuen Misoragumi. I liked it, just wish it was longer. Reminds me a lot of Ouran, but different as well. (seems like gender-bender is one of my fave manga genres?? I like at least five of them, probably...) Seems like number of chapters listed on MAL is often wrong for manga... said it ended at 23, but the final chapter was 22... Oh well.

Oh yeah, I finished Black Cat awhile ago, and caught up with the Working!! manga as well as I could.

Also started reading Shinobi Quartet, really interesting! (though unfortunately it sometimes reminds me of Shirayuki with how the main girl will say something unusual or whatever, then the other character will be surprised/impressed by it, and start laughing or something... dunno, just never liked that in AnS) Ninja shoujos are good ^^ like Shuriken and Pleats. Also, Shinobi Quartet is another that reminds me a bit of Ouran. More bishies, red-headed bros, a idiot main guy, normal/not suuuper girly main girl, etc. (oh, and the cute on holding a plush toy)

I also have been reading Tanaka-kun (before I started watching it), Ojojo (I just like 4komas), and something else I can't remember. -w-;

[the_wolfs_howl]

Hoshi no Samidare chapter 22

AHHHHH TOO MANY KNIGHTS!

[TheChocolateGamer]

Hoshi no Samidare chapter 22

AHHHHH TOO MANY KNIGHTS!

You can never have too many knights.

[Mouse2010]

Noragami Volumes 14 and 15. Have I not posted a reaction to these? I think not. Well, they were both great! Volume 14 introduced us to more of Hiyori's family, which I really loved. I think Hiyori is going to grow up to be just like her grandmother. Or, to put it another way, I think meeting her grandmother explains a lot about Hiyori (because let's face it, Hiyori really doesn't take after her mom). Volume 15 introduces a new storyline with Bishamon at the very end, and it is intriguing. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: That new shinki looks VERY cool. Also, Kofuku gets up to some wacky hijinks at the gods' matchmaking ceremony. No real surprises there, but some fun stuff. Verdict: right now, this is still my favorite manga.

Ancient Magus' Bride Volume 5. I've really been on the fence about this series. Just now I don't have a lot of money to spend on buying manga, so I've considered dropping this one. But apparently I preordered volume 5, then forgot about it. So much to my surprise it arrived this week . . . and it was GOOD. Good in the sense that after reading the volume in a single day, I plan on rereading it again, more slowly, so I can savor it. Verdict: I'm going to keep reading it.

[Kaori]

Basara vv. 1-14

Reread these volumes (in English). This manga is incredible and it's a shame I never read the second half of it (reread the first 14 volumes because I want to read the second half but it has been so long since I read the first half that I had forgotten most of what happened and needd to reread it before continuing). It's very well-plotted, often with subtle hints about upcoming things in the plot or details that are briefly mentioned that turn out to be significant later. Also the plot is extremely intense: the main character is a twin who grew up in the shadow of her brother, Tatara, who was supposedly the child of destiny who is destined to overthrow the tyrannical Red King, and in the first volume alone, she loses her home, her father, her brother, her grandfather, and the girl who was in love with her brother, and she takes on her brother's name and his role to become the leader of the rebels standing against the Red King. Another major plot point in the first half of the story (this happens very early on, so it is not a spoiler) is that she and the Red King fall in love with each other without knowing each other's true identities, while in their public roles they are bitter enemies who want nothing more than to kill each other. There's plenty of political intrigue, moral dilemmas, and the conflict is not at all black-and-white but really shows the damage that is done even by people trying to do good, as well as the good and bad sides of what the Red King does as a ruler (although he is violent and merciless, he has also abolished slavery, rooted out corrupt governors, and turned a couple of desert areas into prosperous and thriving merchant towns). The heroine has quite a bit of strength and backbone, but she is also still very much a young teenage girl and she does things at times like having emotional breakdowns or making foolish decisions, so she is a very complex and realistic character. The plot does, however, have quite a few things that are rather contrived, starting with the fact that Sarasa and the Red King fall in love without knowing each other's identities and meet up by coincidence on several occasions. So it is rather like Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities in that regard: it has a lot of very extreme changes happening politically, a lot of extreme things going on in general, and also has a plot that includes a lot of very unlikely coincidences (but that is part of the point). Oh, and I guess another mild complaint is that (so far at least) the author goes easier on the heroine's party, the core members of her followers and allies, than she is on other people in terms of how many people die. There are a lot of deaths of named characters, both within the antagonist's party and among other characters, but after the slaughter in volume 1 not a whole lot of people who are really close to the heroine die (so far).

One particular highlight is getting to see the characters travel throughout Japan and visit various places and learning a few things here and there about Japanese literature and some famous Japanese historical figures (I have the first 14 volumes in English, published by Viz, and it is really nice when there are editor's notes explaining some of these things).

There is some mature content, e.g. beheadings, crucifixion, rape, and so on, but the violence and sexual content are usually not portrayed in extremely graphic ways; there is frequent character death, but often it is portrayed in a somewhat stylized way; I'd say the violence is not particularly worse than FMA.

With that as a caveat, I highly recommend that everyone who doesn't object to the content mentioned above read this classic manga. It is possibly the single best thing that shojo has to offer.

Aozora Yell

Reread, in Japanese this time, the first several chapters (volume and a half or so?), having picked up a few volumes while I was in Japan. This is another manga that I'd highly recommend (at least based on the first several chapters); it's one of those manga that has very admirable characters that really exemplify what Japanese people consider to be ideal character traits, and the sentiments that are expressed in this manga are really Japanese. It's not as if they don't translate into English--they do--but there is just something different about the feeling when you read it in Japanese, so I was very glad that I reread those chapters in the original language.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapter 35

I surprised myself by actually recognizing some of the names in the ancient legend from the Shahname (The Epic of Kings, a classic Persian text). ARAKAWA-SAN, YOU ARE THE AWESOME.

[Kaori]

Galaxy Express 999 v. 19

Back on track with reading this, and in this volume Matsumoto Reiji is also back on track; it's an improvement over the previous volume, which was a bit poor compared to other volumes in the series. In this volume Tetsurou actually meets the antagonist face-to-face and there's quite a bit of clarification about who the enemy is and is not. Also a lot of strong-willed fighting spirit among certain characters.

[artisticDreamer]

Read up to PandoraHearts vol. 16. Will probably be getting the next two in the mail today.
How can there be so many plot twists in one series? This should be illegal.
I love it.

[MangaRocks!]

Read up to PandoraHearts vol. 16. Will probably be getting the next two in the mail today.
How can there be so many plot twists in one series? This should be illegal.
I love it.

^ IKR? (And just wait, there are a few more *even bigger* twists ahead! ) PH is one of my all-time favorite series. <3



...BTW, I read 4 more new series!



First, Imuri chapter 1 (so far):

Oh wow-- I've been wanting to read this ever since Kaori recommended it back in 2013, and by now I'd basically given up on it being translated at all, figuring I'd just read it once I get proficient in Japanese... however, to my *very* pleasant surprise, someone (*finally!*) did indeed just pick it up! Kaori did a fantastic job at explaining how interesting this series is, so I'm just going to leave a few quotes here:

... This is a sci-fi seinen and a 2009 Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Prize winner, so why nobody has translated it yet is beyond me. It’s about a group of people called Karma, who inhabit two neighboring planets, and presumably also about the Imuri, who lost a war to the Karma a few hundred years ago and whose existence is pretty mysterious so far. Also, people have an ability called sairin, which is mind-control that allows you to do stuff like compel people to give truthful answers when you question them or even temporarily control their actions. (The main character’s dad routinely uses this technique to question him . . . talk about a domineering parent!)

In the first few chapters we’re gradually introduced to the world and its concepts as Dulk goes through his everyday life as a new candidate, which is a pretty effective way of introducing the reader to the society and the mind-control abilities of the sci-fi world by showing concepts in action rather than info-dumping. However, those first few chapters are sort of like being pulled up the first hill of a roller coaster, and in the second half of the volume we go down that first big hill and through the first loop. In other words, things really take off. ...

The main character is a generally nice and unassuming guy, although he started out as comfortably oblivious to the evils of his society which were constantly going on around him; the scholar Rald is interesting in a “I want to know what this guy is scheming” sort of way but not at all personable; and it looks like the manga is shaping up to largely be about power struggles between people, maybe even extending to dramatic political upheaval having to do with clashes between the governments of the two planets. Pretty excited to read more of this.

Imuri vv. 4-5

There are currently 16 volumes out, and the manga is still ongoing, so I am not very far into the story, but so far this manga is incredibly intense, excellently paced, has great world-building, and has fantastically good psychological realism in its characters.

In many ways the story feels like a political thriller because there is just so much going on in these volumes with the turmoil between the two main political groups. But it's also a SF story with its own kind of special ability, sort of like a magical/psychic ability but with a concept and mechanism that are unique to this author rather than just being stereotypical magic. And in addition to all of the political and military things going on in the plot, there is also a great deal that is being gradually revealed to the reader about this special ability, and the way that different people groups have different techniques that they use, and also about the society and the world of the story in general. But this information is revealed in a very natural way, usually as the main character discovers and learns things, so it never seems like the author is just dumping information on us, but it is integrated very smoothly and skillfully into the story.

I also want to touch on the characterization because it's fantastic. This manga successfully does something that I feel like almost every manga tries to do but fails--and that is to make the reader sympathize (and even empathize) with a villain. Now, there are two groups of people that have power in this manga, and both of them mostly have leaders that use extremely unsavory tactics and are really Not Nice People, so one can't say there is a good side and a bad side, but I am designating this character as a villain because he is on the opposite side of the conflict from the protagonist. He, like almost everyone else in power on either side, is a rather bad person and uses a lot of dirty tactics, and one really cannot like him. But the mangaka does an extremely skillful job of showing the reader some of the things that he sees and experiences in a way that makes you feel sympathetic pain and anger for the evil that is done to him, and there's also a portion of the story where you see what is going on from his perspective and see the way that as he decisively tries to take actions to save himself and his men his every step is thwarted and he is headed off by the enemy, and mangaka's techniques very effectively make that reader experience his feelings of desperation and frustration. One also sees and comes to appreciate his ability as a military commander. But none of that makes you like him as a person--he is still a vain, short-tempered, nasty person, and none of those faults are glossed over. So unlike every other manga, where the trend is to portray a villain as being a horrible, unsympathetic person, then show the reader that they have some awful sob story of a background, then pretend that all their faults and the wrongs they have done don't exist and they're a nice person now, this manga actually makes you see things from the villain's perspective and feel the things that he feels as he is experiencing the events of the story, but it does not in the least gloss over the flawed and evil aspects of him as a person. I was extremely impressed by how well that was handled.

The other characters are also handled very realistically, though I won't dwell on them at length; we see a wide range of reactions to some extreme circumstances, but each character responds in a way that is very realistic and believable based on who they are and what their background is. I should also put in a few words about the visual aspect of the story, because things like facial expressions, line of vision (both the reader's and sometimes the characters'), and visual pacing are used sometimes to great effect.

The ending of v. 5 was truly powerful, and I will just leave it at that, because it's impossible to say much of anything about what is going on in the story without spoilers. But this is a manga that is almost impossible to put down, it is just that good, and someone needs to translate it already so the non-Japanese-speaking world can appreciate it for the exceptionally well-crafted piece of work that it (so far) is.

The one other thing I'll note is that this series' art style/character design is pretty unique (albeit a style that makes it rather amusingly difficult to tell which gender some of the characters are at first... ), but I like it for that very uniqueness; and even though just the first chapter has been translated so far, I'm already fascinated (and hooked). Can't wait for more (especially after Kaori's previews)!



Rainbow Days, a.k.a. Nijiiro Days, chapters 0-34 via normal methods + chapters 35-48 via raws + text translations (so far):

First let me preface this by saying that this series... wasn't quite what I expected, LOL (...uh, the sadists in particular... )-- I went into it assuming that it'd be something along the lines of Kimi to Boku. / Seishun Kouryakuhon, but in reality, instead of clean and innocent slice-of-life adorableness like those, this is actually more of a straight-up rom-com... with some definitely-*not*-innocent comedy, LOL. (Guess I should've actually looked at the synopsis a bit more closely! ) ...All that said, however, even though it's not really anything like what I expected, it's still actually quite good (yes, even with the sadists, LOL... In fact, the pairing with the main sadist is one of the most interesting couples of the series)-- after the first few chapters (where their 'quirks' are a bit OTT on purpose), the characters really do become endearing, especially with how the guys (affectionately ) tease each other and genuinely try to help each other out (particularly with their love interests ); and I downright love the fact that the 'otaku' of the group is actually the most grounded, intelligent, thoughtful, and observant one (and him and his girlfriend are easily the best couple, too <3 )-- so, yeah, I'm enjoying it.



Sengoku Youko chapters 1-99 (complete):

This is yet another great series by the ever-brilliant Satoshi Mizukami-sensei. While IMO his Spirit Circle is an indisputable masterpiece (and The Lucifer And Biscuit Hammer is not very far behind), this series is not *quite* on that level... but holy crap is it good nonetheless! It features some of the unexpectedly-timed humor and downright delightful trope-twisting he's known for, as well as a few very clever meta ideas (such as SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the 'fate power' reveal, which I absolutely *loved* , as well as the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'observed future' element {which brings in some quantum physics + time laws, which I also love}). Plus, after it having now been revealed at the end of Spirit Circle that all of his stories take place in the same multiverse ( + all the details that go with that), it makes things even more interesting-- for example, the reasons behind its 'recognizable cast' of sorts, and 'golems' of sorts (which hearken back to The Lucifer And Biscuit Hammer), and 'spiritual beings/energy/attacks' (which hearken back to Spirit Circle), and the aforementioned little bit of playing with time/different dimensions (which has happened in one form or another in both of those series); etc. etc. ...Oh, and Shinsuke (one of the MC's) is freaking awesome. So, yeah, like everything else I've read by Mizukami-sensei, this is recommended.



And Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii chapters 0-11 (so far):

I'd put this on my plan-to-read list fairly recently due to hearing good things + the premise, but it was actually Rainbow Days that spurred me into the mood to read it right away (because of that series' really great otaku couple <3 , which made me want even more of that sort of thing ). And I was not disappointed in this in the least! WotaKoi actually features *two* otaku couples-- each of the four characters having varying levels of, tastes in, and openness about it -- and not only are all 4 of these MC's working adults, but they're also all totally adorable. <3 (I mean, they have Mario Kart parties {gah the nostalgia!!}. And SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (essentially) Rickroll (!)/otherwise spontaneously quote songs/etc. at each other. And purposefully troll. <3 And actually sit and talk things out when they're upset like rational human beings. And just when it looks like there's going to be a rival, it's completely turned on its ear and it turns out that he actually just wanted the already-established couple to be together in the first place. In other words, they actually just pretty much act and feel like real working adults with real senses of humor who also happen to be real geeks {of which I and many of my friends are in RL }, so I seriously adore them. <3 ) (Also-- speaking of adoration {and adorableness}-- the little drawings/flashbacks to when they were children are extremely adorable SPOILER: Highlight text to read: {and Hirotaka has clearly adored Narumi ever since they were kids; just look at the way he looked at her~! <3 <3 }.) Also, it's hilarious. In other words, this series is great, and definitely recommended so far!

[Kaori]

@MangaRocks!:

^___________^

Awwww, thanks for the kind words--and for going all the way back and digging out my review of v. 1 from 2013. (Wow, has it really been that long? And have I still only finished six volumes?)

I'm really glad to hear that someone finally started translating this.

I'm also pleased to say that this prediction from when I read volume one came true:

maybe even extending to dramatic political upheaval having to do with clashes between the governments of the two planets

Yeah.

P.S. I picked up vv. 7-9 when I was in Japan. ^^

. . .

Galaxy Express 999 v. 20 was so-so, but the Japanese really love dinosaurs, and they are convinced that had they survived they would have evolved to a high level comparable with that of humans. (That idea is not just in Chrono Trigger or Getter Robo.)

[the_wolfs_howl]

D.Gray-man chapter 223

Still confusing, but there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon - the hope of some kind of explanation in the future @_@

(But really, the main thing that's getting me excited about DGM is that they're finally dubbing the rest of the anime, as well as the new season coming out! )

[artisticDreamer]

Bunny Drop vols 1-9
Why did I do this to myself. Why couldn't I have just stopped reading this. Why???

[NekoNinja16]

Bunny Drop vols 1-9
Why did I do this to myself. Why couldn't I have just stopped reading this. Why???

I knoww... :/ I just casually read the first part, but then kept reading when the time skip appeared.

I shouldn't have. -_-

[Terabyte]

Lately I've been reading Orange, which I've been enjoying a lot. I've also been watching the anime along with it. Such a good series in my opinion.

[Zeldafan2]

The Boruto manga. There's some promise, but I'm not feeling a lot of the new characters, and the artwork's garbage compared to Kishimoto's work. I mean, it's no where near good enough to reach the quality I'd expect from a monthly manga.

[MangaRocks!]

...So, hey, I guess I haven't posted about the *ongoing* series I've been reading in quite a long while (uh, whoops!), so ridiculously big post on all of that coming now~!




Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, a.k.a. Snow White With The Red Hair, chapters 76-79: Oh man-- while I was fine with the previous (glitter stone) arc, this new arc with the spy twins is turning out to be way more interesting. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: LOL at the 'rumor'-- and Zen's reaction because he knows just how true it really is~! <3 And I literally LOL'd at that (fake) reasoning Hisame gave at his proposal... Seriously, though, that was actually pretty clever, given the reveal about Kiki's supposed potential suitors being targets, etc. Although, now this whole thing *really* makes me want to see Kiki proposing to Mitsuhide soon, like she had said that she planned to! <3 And as for that attack: Ohhh snap, the twins clearly just got a huge shock from being targeted-- even Hisame noticed it!-- which makes things even more interesting (since that almost certainly means that they knew who it was and just got betrayed/used for the attackers' own purpose {...which at this point appears to be framing Mitsuhide, among other things}). Also: Ohohoho, never make Zen angry! Looking forward to seeing where this goes!




Amatsuki chapters 102-104: ...Yes, I just made that big on purpose-- because OH MY FLAMING GOODNESS, after being stuck on chapter 101 for two whole years due to the previous translator having apparently disappeared off the face of the planet, unfortunately (and me not even being *close* to reading raws at that level {nor will I be for quite a while yet, for multiple reasons} ), I am understandably super excited to finally be able to continue what is literally one of the best series I've read so far!! <3 <3




The Case Study Of Vanitas chapters 6-9: LOL, I laughed so hard at Noé's flat SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "Huh? NO." at the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: supposed-fiancée thing, as well as the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "actual roses?!" bit. And while I don't entirely trust Domi just yet, her 'friendship' with Noé is definitely interesting. And oh man, poor Noé... so that's how he got involved with the aristocracy... There was also a really interesting little bit of backstory on the world itself + how its version of 'Babel' came to be. And ohhh man, so not only do we finally see what Vanitas was hiding under those gloves , but we also finally get the explanation for why he's doing what he's doing, and it actually makes perfect sense! And then holy crap, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Charlatan actually showed up, and apparently it has 3 (or more?) forms...! And then the whole bit with Vanitas and Jeanne SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (with him offering his blood, in particular) was... well, to be honest I still can't quite tell if he's actually 100% serious about being infatuated with her, but it was certainly interesting, regardless. And wow, that flashback to the whole thing with Louis... SPOILER: Highlight text to read: it was horrifying and sad , and then (farther back) extremely adorable and heartwarming <3 , which of course just makes the later tragedy hurt even worse. (Also, *crap,* Domi and Louis' grandfather-- Noé's teacher-- is one of those 'experiment' types... ...No, wait-- HOLY CRAP, HE'S ACTUALLY THE BADDIE??!!! ) Cannot wait for more!




Cheese In The Trap chapters 180-202: HA! It's about flipping time stalker-boy was publicly humiliated. Woot! (Also, Sul's dad and bro's reactions to stalker-boy chasing her were awesome and hilarious, respectively. ) And the honest talk Sul and Jung finally had was excellent (and very necessary). (Also, that bit... um... afterwards... was adorable. <3 ) And ohhh man, so Jung actually knew that In-Ha has always been obsessed uh, I mean 'in love' with him... And wow, Jung and In-Ho actually seemed like decent friends before that 'break...' The way Sul fought back at In-Ha was awesome, though. But holy crap-- that no-holds-barred fight between SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Jung and In-Ho... Yeah, that really needed to have been aired out long ago, and it's no surprise it finally boiled over now. (Still, yikes on the, er, visible damage, as it were... )




Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun chapters 77-80: ROTFL, "1 Seo per day..." And OH MY GOODNESS, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: drunk Hori...! Too adorable!!! <3 (Also, wow, this ship is really sailing, isn't it? I mean, first it was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kashima actually outright stating that she likes SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Hori, and then there's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Hori's drunk honesty here... <3 ) Also, LOL at the avatar Nozaki made for himself-- it looks almost exactly like SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Sakura! <3 -- but then he just draws SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Sakura as a walking hair bow!! And, finally: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "Chiyo-chan." + all those compliments (plus, didn't he once say that he liked girls with guts? )... *collapses* <3




Haikyuu!! chapters 205-222: Lev's 'connection' moment near the end of the former chapter was awesome. (And that was a great SPOILER: Highlight text to read: win for Nekoma, too. ) And oh man, I enjoyed that mini-arc, but getting back to Karasuno is just pure joy. (Also: Whoa, was *not* expecting that development at all! That's *amazing* for Kageyama... but poor Hinata... ) Though LOL at Hinata SPOILER: Highlight text to read: sneaking in anyway and poor Tsukki being so embarrassed. Glad Hinata got all the verbal admonishment that he very well deserved (he *really* messed up by SPOILER: Highlight text to read: sneaking in like that... ), but it was nice that they let him SPOILER: Highlight text to read: stay to watch/be a ball-boy, at least... and, indeed, he could still learn a lot of things while doing so, just from a different perspective (...and, in fact, that's precisely part of what he needed!). Also, Hinata cajoling Goshiki into playing in the practice was hilarious. And ha, Hinata's focus is even firing Tsukki up. And then ohohoho, Kageyama's interactions with the others... (...I laughed sooooo hard at him basically telling that new 'Little Giant'-like character that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he was merely a 'good reference,' ROTFL!!! ) And oh man, Hinata's extremely rapid growth (in personality as well as observation and skills-via-osmosis) is both fascinating and fantastic! And Kageyama utilizing his own observations to teach Hinata even better techniques (even if he does kinda stink at explaining it, LOL ), and Hinata nonchalantly helping others via the new observations of his own... <3 And Kageyama's actually having fun with the pressure from the blockers now-- but then that last comment from him had me going "WHAAAAAT...?!" along with everyone else, LOL! (Although I'm pretty sure I know what he meant, it's just that he doesn't have the people skills to explain it nicely, heh~ ) Oh man, this series... <3




Haru x Kiyo chapters 14-15 via normal methods + chapters 16-36 via raws + text translations (END): Chapter 14 was so sweet~! <3 (The brothers made up! And oh my gosh Mineta's line at the end... ) For real, though, I *adore* Mineta. <3 <3 ...Anyway, I realized after reading that chapter that I should see if this series had raws + text translations on the same sites that I've been using to blast through some of the *new* series I've been reading, and it turns out that they *did*-- all the way to the end, in fact! And it was just as amusing and adorable (and Mineta-being-fantastic ) as it ever was. That said, I did think it was a bit unnecessary to add in a new (female) 'rival' towards the end (despite it being obvious to the readers and every other character except her-- and despite those other characters all trying to make it VERY clear to her -- that nothing at all would come of it), but it wasn't really that annoying and was resolved just fine (as was the old male 'rival'), and the end of the series was quite sweet, so I'm satisfied. <3




Joou no Hana chapters 13A-13B: ROTFL, I laughed so hard at Aki's response to the new guy when he asked her to rein Hakusei in... Anyway, she really is a great character. <3 And I honestly was not expecting to ever see SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Seitetsu again-- so any extra little bit SPOILER: Highlight text to read: with him before his imminent end was quite welcome!-- but that little conversation SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he and the emperor had was pretty illuminating (and pretty darn good-- the fact that the emperor actually SPOILER: Highlight text to read: split the royal seal in two and sent both halves to her in particular ). I mean, the emperor is still not really a great guy , but my opinion of him has *considerably* risen ( SPOILER: Highlight text to read: especially since he not only didn't execute Seitetsu, but was totally fine with helping Seitetsu escape-- and possibly even become Aki's consort! ). Holy crap, though, speaking of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Seitetsu... that just broke my heart all over again {nooo}...! )




Kimi to Boku. chapters 32-55: Oh man. The translation for this had been stalled for so long that I had actually almost forgotten just how hilariously adorable this series truly was; but (finally!) getting to read all these great new chapters instantly reminded me of all the laughs and warm feelings this series so generously gives~ What a wonderful pick-me-up! <3



Mikado no Shihou chapter 3: Ah, this adorable fluff~! (Also, LOL-- I'm guessing the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: reveal of her age is going to be a recurring gag, then? )




Noragami vol.'s 12-15: ...Welp, I wasn't expecting that flashback/reveal to be pleasant (at all ), but holy crap, that was even worse than I'd expected...! Poor Yato's 'father' is the most evil, manipulative, abusive [CENSORED ] I've seen in manga/anime in a long, long time... And oh man, that whole hospital thing was intense. Really liked the addition of Hiyori's brother-- he's hilarious -- and the thing with their grandmother was really touching in a SPOILER: Highlight text to read: bittersweet sort of way. Also, awww, Yato got told that he already was a 'god of happiness' from both Yukiné and Hiyori~ <3 ...As for the fate-tying ceremony: Oh dear, I have *really* mixed feelings about that -- I mean, obviously I want SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Hiyori and Yato to be together, so technically the fact that they were 'officially' tied together should have made me ridiculously happy; but on the other hand, it was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: *Kofuku* who tied them-- and we all know what happens to everything she touches... Finally: Ohhh man-- I had pretty much just assumed that Yato's 'father' was going to be the real main baddie/conflict of the series, but now it actually seems like a full-fledged war among the gods is brewing, with Takemikazuchi actually *wanting* trouble + the native gods getting restless + Bishamon actually taking control of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the shinki who dared to attack the sun itself (and basically saying that she wanted her to do so again...! ) (On a sidenote: I'm getting worried about Kazuma, too {nooo!}... </3 )




QQ Sweeper vol. 3 (end of the part of the story under this title; but the story is still continuing under a new title!): As this is not really an ending (the story continues straight into its 'sequel' {really just a changed title}, Queen's Quality, which Viz has thankfully also licensed! ), I don't have much to say about it that I haven't already, except that it was both sweet and a bit suspenseful, and I'm quite looking forward to its continuation!




Rainbow Days, a.k.a. Nijiiro Days, chapters 49 + extra + 50: LOL, that was perfect. I mean, it did get a bit serious towards the end there, but I liked both how and why it was done ( SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the why being that Keiichi needs to get some more character development + the guys *are* coming up on the end of their time in high school, and the how being Tsuyoshi-- who has always been the most grounded and mature one of the group-- having that talk with him, as his 'opposite'). That little extra was cute, too. And it was very interesting that Tsuyoshi was the one who SPOILER: Highlight text to read: didn't write anything down, after him thinking the most about it...




Sensei Kunshu chapters 28-36: Ah yes, the series of *not*-innocent, utter-(yet-entertaining-)fluff. Aside from the entire thing with Samarun's tiny little cousin vs. sensei being downright hilarious and that little bit of backstory on sensei ( + bit of an explanation of how he sees Samarun) being both interesting and adorable, there's not really anything else to say about these chapters except that they're still complete fluff and yet still entertaining, LOL.




Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii chapters 53-54: As I think I've mentioned before, this series has unfortunately been kinda disappointing me a bit ever since the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: loli arc , but I have to admit that I did like the fact that the hints of darkness about SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Nike's true power seem to have finally paid off, and Livi redeemed both himself here and also the geezer trio, too, LOL. We'll see how it goes from here...




Spirit Circle EPILOGUE (YES!! THERE WAS ONE!!! ...So end for real now, then~ ): This was a fantastic extra few pages featuring a farewell from SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Koko's soul and a beautiful little discussion about hatred and forgiveness, providing the absolute *perfect* cap to a masterpiece of a series. <3




Takane to Hana chapter 22: LOL, all the interactions between Takane/Hana and Luciano/Mizuki were hilarious (and, eventually, sweet), as usual. <3




Until Death Do Us Part omnibus volumes 9-12 (Japanese volumes 18-24): Don't remember if I commented on omnibus volume 9 or not (I think I'd originally read that one back around October last year; so, as most of you know, any potential review of that obviously may have been affected by the goings-on at that time... ), but oh well. Suffice it to say that volume was as good as usual. Anyway, as for the rest of the volumes: I was outright giggling at Senji with all his SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'bullet sponge' stuff (said completely seriously, no less!!). Oh man, though, that extra Mamoru backstory... ...And even more oh man, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Genda. I mean, that was the absolute perfect end for him; but it was heartbreaking. Finally: Haruka being a total B.A.-- and the leader of the element network not only having chosen her to be in complete command of the new team, but everyone accepting it without even batting an eye, and treating her with the respect due that station (and then her living up to it and then some! )-- was pure awesome. Just one more omnibus vol. to go~!




Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii, a.k.a. It's Difficult To Love An Otaku, chapter 12: ...Best excuse for a phobia of lightning ever. (...I mean, personally, I actually like lightning, but I can still relate. ) Also, yay more extremely adorable flashbacks to when they were children (oh my goodness I just can't~)! <3 <3




Yotsuba&! vol. 13: I don't know whether I was just more in the mood for this series right now or what, but this seemed like the most hilariously adorable volume yet! <3 Yotsuba's extremely blunt interactions with her grandma (and her grandma's reactions/interactions/clever ways of handling her in turn ) were just priceless.




And Zetsuen no Tempest chapter 44 + the final 6 extras (END): This is basically just aftermath/wrapping up some of the loose ends/some epilogues/extra backstory/etc. (since the main portion of the ending was essentially in chapter 43), but I'm quite glad they were written, because these last few chapters were a really great wrap-up to an already-excellent series. (And LOL, Yoshino, stealthily cunning to the end... <3 )

[Kaori]

Galaxy Express 999 v. 21 by Matsumoto Leiji

Over five years after I first started reading this manga (in Japanese), I finally finished it.

Although there was some fanfare and visual drama going on in this last volume, mostly it had a fairly inconclusive "The journey goes on" feel, both for Tetsurou and for a new character who was introduced and who started his own journey on a different train (so the author was going for that full-circle, a new person starts out on a new journey sort of thing). And I think I of understand what Matsumoto was trying to do and why, but it was pretty disappointing that the whole more-serious story arc having to do with some antagonists that we saw a lot of in earlier volumes petered out and had absolutely no conclusion whatsoever, and that I think is a real shortcoming of the writing.

But there were lots of pictures of lots of different models of flying trains, and hey, flying trains is one of the main things I came for, so at least that was satisfying.

Also I learned in this volume that there is no greater manliness than to give up one's life for one's friend.

As sort of a retrospective, and to give people reading this thread some perspective on what the beginning of the manga was like, I'd also like to share some things I wrote back when I first started reading this manga and was only on volume 2. As background, the manga has two story arcs, and there was a several year gap (1981-1996) between when Matsumoto finished the first arc (supposed to be the end of the series) and when he began the second one. Also, the general idea is that the main character visits a different planet every chapter, so it's very episodic with not an extremely strong connection between one episode and the next. Anyways, the following is about vol. 2:

The first chapter’s floating cows were so amusing that I laughed really hard; the hollow planet with the holes in its outer layer was charmingly quaint.

The second chapter was more elegiac and poetic, commenting on the brevity of human life, speculating about the eventual death of the universe, and giving more hints that immortality might not be everything that Tetsurou expects it to be.

There are enough hints about the larger overarching plot that is slowly going to unfold to keep me more than satisfied; in the meantime, this manga is really all about the journey—and with so many weird planets to explore, the journey is definitely enjoyable. [. . .] A quest for immortality, quaint (and occasionally pulpy) sci-fi, sinister hints, flying trains . . . what more can one ask for?

So, earlier I was saying some things about the second arc and how it had a more serious, focused atmosphere, and I did like that about the second arc (until that focus dissipated, that is), but despite having very patchy quality with some chapters being comic relief, or not as good as other chapters, that first arc also had some moments when it really made me think about things like aspects of human experience that we should treasure, and it also had a much more bildungsroman feel (you can't really have a coming-of-age story about a character who has already come of age), and looking back I am not sure I can say that the second arc is better. In retrospect, I think the first one, in its unhurried way, said more important things.

P.S. This means that, in regard to things that I own in hardcopy, I can move on next to either more of Imuri or read my first few volumes of Aozora Yell. Imuri is fantastic and of course reading more of it is always a good thing, but on the other hand I am really digging Aozora Yell. (Also it's possible I might read something on Renta! before either of those, so no guarantees.)