Volume 2 of We Started a Threesome put a lot of time into developing Emito and his backstory, along with the setting up that Emito was bisexual and also loved Suisei – who so far hadn’t shown any signs of being bi, and was also dealing with some of his own jealousy. So, theoretically, the ending that has been established for the final volume was – “What’s Suisei’s own backstory, how will he handle his own jealousy, and is he closeted bi, or is he heterosexual and this volume will be about how nested polycules handle situations where two members have incompatible sexual orientations, where one of those members is into the other, and both have a common person who they’re both compatible and romantically into?” The question becomes – how do they handle that topic (if they do), and will they have enough time to do it justice?
Continue readingTag Archives: manga
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Manga Review: Ultraman Vol. 6-14
I’ve fallen behind a bit on my reviews of the Ultraman manga, from the last one I’ve reviewed. To a large part, that’s because I’ve hit a stretch of the manga that wasn’t covered in the anime, which feels kinda weird – considering how important this stretch is.
Continue readingManga Review: Cipher Academy
Nisioisn, the creator of the Monogatari series, recently ran a new manga in Shonen Jump, and which ran in on the app in the US – Cipher Academy. The series gained a degree of infamy due to a level of wordplay that lead to a change in translators partway through the run. Well, I’ve read the whole thing, following its conclusion, and I have a few thoughts.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Devilman-Manga-Cropped-1272x716.jpg)
Manga Review: Devilman
I’ve been endeavoring to fill some of the broad gaps in my manga back catalog – I’ve watched far more anime than I have manga – and one of the particularly significant gaps is in the career of one Go Nagai. While I’m familiar with him as being frequently referred to as “Anime’s Horny Uncle”, or “Perpetually Horny On Main” – not all of his works necessarily seemed to fit with that tonally, Devilman more than any other. So, considering the reputation of that work (and its, shall we say, end of The Elric Saga-esque ending), once the Devilman manga became available in print, I decided that eventually, I would take the time to seek it out and give it a read. Having finally finished reading it, I do indeed have some thoughts. There will be spoilers.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Hayate-the-Combat-Butler-35-Cropped.jpg)
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler (Complete)
So, the manga of Hayate the Combat Butler concluded a few years ago – and while the official US English release has not yet reached its conclusion (Viz is moving at a somewhat glacial pace with their releases), the rest of the work has been translated through (*ahem*) other avenues. Consequently, I can provide a reasonable analysis as to whether it’s worth the wait for Viz to reach the ultimate conclusion of the series.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/RecordofLodossCotC_V1Cover-Cropped.png)
Manga Review: Record of Lodoss War – Crown of the Covenant Vol. 1
It has been decades since the last installment of Record of Lodoss War, so I was tremendously surprised to encounter a new installment of the manga coming out in 2023 – subtitled Crown of the Covenant. I’ve picked up the first volume, so it’s time to give my thoughts.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/K-Manga-Art.webp)
Quick Thoughts on K Manga & Manga Up!
So, Kodansha’s planned manga app – “K Manga” – which they’d yanked all their titles from various simul-pub services (like Azuki) in preparation for, has finally come out, and I’d like to give some quick thoughts, and compare it to Square Enix’s Manga Up app, and with it the Shonen Jump, Viz Manga, and Azuki apps.
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Manga Review: Master Keaton
Naoki Urasawa’s Master Keaton is fascinating to read alongside his later series Monster. If Monster is an HBO prestige television series, Master Keaton feels much more like a syndicated TV series. Both are mysteries, but Monster pushes forward on a tightly plotted course toward its conclusion. At the same time, Master Keaton is willing to tell a collection of more episodic stories, often moving back to a particular status quo at the end of each episode. That’s not bad, it’s just a different approach.
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Manga Review: Naoki Urasawa’s Monster
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster was the series that got him on my radar when I learned (10 years ago) that Guillermo Del Toro was trying to get a live-action adaptation of the series made for HBO (which ultimately fell through). That was enough to get me to hunt down the manga and slowly, over time, read it through my local library system (impacted by books falling out of and then back into print). Well, at long last, I’ve finished reading it.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/s-l1600-Cropped.jpg)
Manga Review: The Rose of Versailles
Shojo manga has, historically, been underserved by American manga publishers – and when we have gotten shojo series, they have tended to be more conventional romance series – and not necessarily works in other genres (whether fantasy, science fiction, or historical fiction). However, some of the more influential works of the genre have fallen overlapped with other genres, and probably few more influential and more high profile than Riyoko Ikeda’s The Rose of Versailles. It’s also a manga that until fairly recently, hasn’t been available (legally) in its entirety in English.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/UQ-Holder-Complete-Review.jpg)
UQ Holder: Complete Manga Review
Ken Akamatsu’s most recent (and likely last for a while) shonen battle manga, UQ Holder, has come to a conclusion. So, having previously discussed it the last time I got caught up, now is a good time to give my thoughts on the series.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/the-melancholy-of-haruhi-suzumiya-vol-1-manga-1-Cropped.jpg)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Manga Review
I started going to anime conventions during peak Haruhi-ism. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime had first aired – fans were debating in which viewing order was the “right” one to watch it in, conventions had panels about how to do the Hare Hare Yukai, it was a wonderful time. As the years have gone, and in the wake of Endless Eight, and a general lack of Haruhi content, the visibility of the series has kind of faded to the background. However, the novels and the manga were still out there, so I came to the decision that if I wasn’t able to see the whole story animated, I’d read it in manga form and see how it all played out.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Copellion-Vol-2-e1637025384247.png)
Copellion Manga – Why I Dropped It
It’s been a while since I dropped a manga, and much as when I reviewed Night Head 2041 after having dropped it, it feels appropriate to discuss Copellion for the same reason – particularly since I made it over halfway through the series (with under 100 chapters to go before finishing it) before I had enough.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Knights-of-Sidonia-13-Cropped.jpg)
Knights of Sidonia Vol. 12-13 Manga Review
These volumes of Knights of Sidonia are the lead-in for the big climax of the story. Tanijiro picks his romantic interest in these volumes, and the Sidonia gets ready for their big final assault on the Greater Cluster Ship, only for a new wrinkle to potentially ruin their plans – and the ship.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Silent-Mobius-Volume-6-Cropped.jpg)
Silent Mobius Vol. 6-8: Manga Review
Volumes 6 through 8 of Silent Mobius is where the shit really hits the fan. For the past 5 volumes, the fight between the AMP and the Lucifer Hawk has been pretty conventional. The Lucifer Hawk launch a terror mission, AMP fights back. Starting lightly with volume 5, but more predominantly with 6-8, the Lucifer Hawks start directly taking the fight to AMP.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Knights-of-Sidonia-8-Cropped.jpg)
Knights of Sidonia Vol. 8-11: Manga Review
Volumes 8-11 of Knights of Sidonia are where Nihei steps firmly into New Battlestar Galactica Territory. We had a bit of that in the earlier volumes, but here there’s the level of internal political dissension I associate with that show.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Silent-Mobius-Cropped.jpg)
Silent Mobius Vol. 1-5: Manga Review
As part of this COVID-19 world, I’ve been trying to get through some of the manga titles on my reading list. One of the ones I’ve been working on is Kia Asamiya’s urban fantasy Cyberpunk opus, Silent Mobius.
(Note: For the purposes of this review I am reading the Viz Media release – the Udon release is incomplete, and the Manga Planet release hasn’t come out yet).
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/maison-ikkoku-collectors-edition-vol-1-e1598644327690.png)
Manga Review: Maison Ikkoku Vol. 1 (Re-Release)
In what feels like decades since the last release of Maison Ikkoku, Viz is re-releasing the manga, using the 10-volume format that the series received in Japan, instead of the 15-volume release they used for the previous version, and with a new translation. Since I didn’t get particularly far in the manga with the previous release, I figured now is a pretty good time to start over from scratch.
Continue reading![Alita after her battle with Toji.](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/battle-angel-alita-last-order-66e4ebf9-937b-4a03-93eb-9f49b70a052-resize-750.jpeg)
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (Second Half): Manga Review
I’ve finished reading Battle Angel Alita: Last Order – so it’s time to finally get into the back half of the manga.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/BladeOfTheImmortalOmni1Cropped.jpg)
Blade of the Immortal Vol. 1-8 (US): Manga Review
I’ve been getting back into reading Blade of the Immortal with the new Amazon anime series adapting the manga – which will still be airing as this goes up. Thus far I’ve read the first 8 volumes of the manga (using the US order), and have some thoughts on the work.
Continue reading![Cover of Genshiken Second Season vol. 1](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/9781612622378_manga-Genshiken-Second-Season-Graphic-Novel-1.jpg)
Genshiken Second Season – Vol. 1-8: Manga Review
When a creator revisits an old creation, it can be interesting from a reader’s perspective, as we see how changes with time influence that work, whether it’s the Eva Rebuild movies, or Chris Clairmont returning to the X-Men, Timothy Zahn returning to Star Wars, or what have you. With the revival of Genshiken – Genshiken Second Season – the manga elects not to pick up right where the old manga did, and instead skips forward, to a new generation of otaku and a look at how fandom has changed with time, with some interesting results.
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/9781421594484_manga-hayate-the-combat-butler-volume-30-primary-cropped.jpg)
Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 30-34: Manga Review
So, at last I’ve now gotten caught up on Hayate the Combat Butler – at least the official English release of the manga, so I might as well get through these last 5 volumes at one big whack!
Continue reading![](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/knights-of-sidonia-3606305-cropped.jpg)
Knights of Sidonia Vol. 1-7: Manga Review
I’ve read several of Tsutomu Nihei’s previous series and reviewed them for Bureau42, and in part here – Biomega and Blame, and I’d reviewed a couple of volumes of Knights of Sidonia at the Bureau, but I might as well get up to speed here.
Continue reading![Emiya Family Manga Cover](https://countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/todays-menu-for-the-emiya-family-thumb.jpg)
Today’s Menu for Emiya Family Vol. 1-3: Manga Review
A while back I reviewed the anime adaptation of the manga Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family. At that time the video review went out, the first volume of the manga had come out, and I’d read it and enjoyed it, and since then two more volumes of the manga have come out since then, so it’s time to give this a proper review.
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