#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS!" Shokugeki No Soma Volume 36

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 36
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1542-8; paperback (June 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
248pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki, a culinary researcher, also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  Food Wars! was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under two imprints:  first, “Shonen Jump Advanced” and then, “Shonen Jump.”

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira (Saiba), so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 36 (Chapters 309 to 315; entitled “Shokugeki No Soma”) opens, the “Blue,” a world-renowned cooking tournament for the best of the best young chefs from around the world, approaches its conclusion.  This year, for the first time, traditional chefs clash with the “underground noir” (or “cuisiniers noir”) chefs.  Soma has been eager for a rematch with the noir, Asahi Saiba, who defeated him.

Now, the two are facing off, and the judge is the impossible-to-please “Lady Mana,” who is Erina Nakiri's mysterious mother.  Like Erina, Mana suffers the “curse of the 'Divine Tongue',” and Mana has not found a dish that satisfies her in years.  As “the Book” (highest judge), Mana has demanded that Soma and Asahi prepare a dish that represents the “five grand cuisines of the world,” which are French, Chinese, Turkish, Indian, and Italian.

Asahi has shocked the audience with his dish, the “basty,” a soup covered with a lattice pie crust, and it represents the five grand cuisines.  Even Lady Mana is so impressed by what she tastes that she both experiences “the gifting” transfers it to those around her.  And what is Soma's answer to Asahi's basty?  It's fried rice?!

Can Soma win with what seems like a rather ordinary dish?  And finally, can Soma inspire the dispirited Erina to be herself again?

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga spent the last 30 or so chapters racing towards the conclusion of its narrative.  At the grand cooking tournament, the Blue, readers prepared to learn the answer to the question of who is the best chef?

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 36 is the final tankobon (graphic novel) volume of the series.  The English-language edition was originally published in June 2020, but I only recently had a chance to finish reading the last few volumes of the series.

What can I tell you, dear readers?  To the end, writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki maintained the series' mix of competition, camaraderie, and cooking.  As he has been doing since the beginning of the series, Yuki Morisaki, wrote home versions of shokugeki recipes, which, in this volume, was Soma's winning dish.  It is that consistency that kept Food Wars! an exciting read throughout its six-year, 315-chapter, 36-volume run.

To the end, Adrienne Beck's translation catches the sense of competition and of comedy-drama in all their varies modes.  Letterers James Gaubatz and Mara Coman created a rhythm that kept this often dialogue-heavy story from overwhelming readers.  Of the foodie manga that I have read, I think Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma is the one most likely to continue to capture the interest of readers in the decade of the 2020s the way it did in the decade of the 20-teens.  I think it is a must for fans of Weekly Shonen Jump series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9 out of 10

The volume includes the following bonus features:

– Afterwords written by Yuto Tsukuda, Shun Saeki, and Yuki Morisaki

– The three-part epilogue, “Food Wars! Le Dessert,” that was originally published in Jump GIGA Summer 2019.  The three parts are entitled  “Le Presént,” “Le Passé,” and “Le Futur.”

– “Special Commemorative Illustrations on the End of 'Food Wars!'” from Eiichiro Oda of “One Piece,” Kohei Horikoshi of “My Hero Academia,” Yuki Tabata of “Black Clover,” and Tadahiro Miura of “Yuna of the Haunted Hot Springs”

– miscellaneous illustrations

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS!" Shokugeki No Soma Volume 35

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 35
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1258-8; paperback (April 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  Food Wars! was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under two imprints:  first, “Shonen Jump Advanced” and then, “Shonen Jump.”

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira (Saiba), so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 35 (Chapters 300 to 308; entitled “The Divine Tongue's Despair”) opens, the “Blue,” a world-renowned cooking tournament for the best of the best young chefs from around the world, rages on.  This year, for the first time, traditional chefs will clash with the “underground noir” (or “cuisiniers noir”) chefs.  Soma, eager for a rematch with the noir, Asahi Saiba, who defeated him, heads to a certain famous old castle in a famous city where the event will be held.

Totsuki's brightest:  Soma, Megumi Tadokoro, and Takumi Aldini, as well as recent Totsuki graduate, Eishi Tsukasa, have joined the competition, but they are swiftly dispatched – except for Soma.  Now, their classmate, Erina Nakiri, who got to skip the early stages of the “Blue” because of her past achievements, is forced to face off against multiple opponents.  But who is doing the forcing?  Who is “Lady Mana,” and what does she have to do with the “curse of the 'Divine Tongue'”?

Plus, Soma finally has his rematch with Saiba!

[The volume includes recipes and miscellaneous illustrations.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga races towards its conclusion.  The narrative prepares to answer the question of who is the best?

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 35 is the second-to-last (or penultimate) volume of the series.  There are some surprise reveals in regard to Erina Nakiri's past, and one of them is the answer to an obvious question.  Writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki usually delve into the details of recipes, the processes of cooking, and the skills of the competing chefs.  In Vol. 35, they seem more intent on moving onto the final confrontations, so this volume lacks the full fun of the cooking battles that we have been getting since the very beginning of this series.

However, Adrienne Beck's translation catches the drama and conflict between characters in the raw and with edgy intimacy, so that takes the sting out of having only one cooking battle presented in some detail.  Letterers James Gaubatz and Mara Coman expertly close in on the focus on the dialogue and the exposition that prepares for the grand finale.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------

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#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS! Volume 34

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 34
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1171-0; paperback (February 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  Food Wars! was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under two imprints:  first, “Shonen Jump Advanced” and then, “Shonen Jump.”

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira (Saiba), so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 34 (Chapters 291 to 299; entitled “Crossed Knives”) opens, the “Blue,” a world-renowned cooking tournament for the best of the best young chefs from around the world, continues.  This year, for the first time, traditional chefs will clash with the “underground noir” (or “cuisiniers noir”) chefs.  Soma, eager for a rematch with the noir, Asahi Saiba, who defeated him, heads to a certain famous old castle in a famous city where the event will be held.

Much to the chagrin of the noirs, some traditional chefs have survived the “three gates” challenges and are now in the finals.  They are Totsuki's brightest:  Soma, Megumi Tadokoro, and Takumi Aldini, as well as recent Totsuki graduate, Eishi Tsukasa.  They are joining their classmate, Erina Nakiri, who got to skip the early stages of the “Blue” because of her past achievements.

Now, these traditional young chefs must take on the “freakishly” talents noirs.  First up, Soma faces “Sarge” of the cuisiniers noir!

[The volume includes recipes and miscellaneous illustrations and two side-stories (“Treated Like a Child?” and “A Christmas Recipe”) and a bonus short, “Yukihara the Diligent.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga races towards its conclusion.  The narratives continues to delve into the mysteries of the “cuisiniers noir.”

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 34 is pure shokugeki shonen battle manga.  Writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki offer some of their most surreal and oddly crazy cooking battles to date.  It is hard to tell, though; this manga has always been packed with crazy cooking competition, but Vol. 34 offers a baker's twist.

Adrienne Beck's translation keeps up with the crazy, and letterers James Gaubatz and Mara Coman create the fonts for the unusual declarations of these unusual battles.  Dish by dish, Food Wars! continues to be both a unique and an entertaining reading experience.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------------------

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#IReadsYou Review: HAIKYU!! Volume 37

HAIKYU!!, VOL. 37
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Haruichi Furudate
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Erika Terriquez
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1169-7; paperback (March 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Haikyu!! is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.  This manga was serialized in the manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, from February 2012 to July 2020.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of Haikyu!! as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since July 2015.

Haikyu!! focuses on Shoyo Hinata.  As a child, Hinata saw the legendary volleyball (haikyu) player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals.  From that point, Hinata began a quest to be the best volleyball player ever.  In a sport in which tall athletes dominate, however, Hinata's height of 5'4” is considered too short.  Now, he plays for Karasuno Public High School with his rival, Tobio Kageyama.  Hinata does not believe that a player needs to be tall in order to play volleyball, especially when a player can jump higher than anyone else – as he can.

As Haikyu!!, Vol. 37 (Chapters 323 to 331; entitled “The Party's Over”) opens, it is Day 3 of the “National Spring Tournament.”  The third set in the match between Karasuno (representing Miyagi Prefecture) and Nekoma Municipal High School (Tokyo Venue Sponsor representatives), which some call the “Dumpster Battle,” nears its end.  This longtime dream match between Karasuno and Nekoma on center stage must come to an end.  So who will end?

Then, the narrative moves away from Karasuno for another big showdown.  It is Mujinazaka High School (representing Oita Prefecture) versus Fukurodani Academy (Tokyo second representative).  And Fukurodani's Kotaro Bokuto is hyped to face one of the top three aces in the nation, Mujinazaka's Wakatsu Kiryu!

[This volume includes a bonus story, “Couples.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  I am continuing my run through the Haikyu!! manga.  This calendar year I have read six volumes in a little under ten months, after not reading the manga for a year and a half.

Haikyu!! Graphic Novel Volume 37 brings the Karasuno-Nekoma Dumpster Battle to an end.  Since the series does not end with this volume, it must be obvious which team creator Haruichi Furudate made the winner.  Furudate's big twist is that the series focuses on the volleyball journey of two other schools.  I won't lie.  Focusing away from Karasuno's journey makes the series feel different, and it does affect my concentration on the main narrative.  I don't know which team to support because both are sympathetic, so …

Adrienne Beck's translation deftly captures the end of the Dumpster Battle and quickly moves onto a new story angle.  Letterer Erika Terriquez continues to shine in creating the furious comic book noise of Haikyu!! and of the game of volleyball … regardless of which school is in battle.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of sports manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Haikyu!!

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
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The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------------

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#IReadsYou Review: HAIKYU!! Volume 35

HAIKYU!!, VOL. 35
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Haruichi Furudate
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Erika Terriquez
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0945-8; paperback (November 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Haikyu!! is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.  This manga was serialized in the manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, from February 2012 to July 2020.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of Haikyu!! as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since July 2015.

Haikyu!! focuses on Shoyo Hinata.  As a child, Hinata saw the legendary volleyball (haikyu) player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals.  From that point, Hinata began a quest to be the best volleyball player ever.  In a sport in which tall athletes dominate, however, Hinata's height of 5'4” is considered too short.  Now, he plays for Karasuno Public High School with his rival, Tobio Kageyama.  Hinata does not believe that a player needs to be tall in order to play volleyball, especially when a player can jump higher than anyone else – as he can.

As Haikyu!!, Vol. 35 (Chapters 306 to 314; entitled “Birdcage”) opens, it is Day 3 of the “National Spring Tournament.”  Now, the second set of long-awaited match between Karasuno (representing Miyagi Prefecture) and Nekoma Municipal High School (Tokyo Venue Sponsor representatives), which some call the “Dumpster Battle,” has begun.  Although Karasuno takes an early lead, Nekoma's vaunted defense gains the momentum, and they win the first set.

In the second set, Karasuno once again takes a lead, but Nekoma's defense once again rises to the challenge.  And Hanata and his almost-legendary “quick set” are being frozen out, with Hanata seeming to always be out of position.

[This volume includes “Bonus Shorts” comics.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I am continuing my run through the Haikyu!! manga.  This calendar year I have read five volumes in about eight months, after not reading the manga for a year and a half.

Haikyu!! Graphic Novel Volume 35 continues the Karasuno-Nekoma Dumpster Battle.  Creator Haruichi Furudate puts our heroes of Karasuno's backs against the wall, and he focuses on game play and strategy.  I think that this may be the volume that most depicts and discusses strategy and delves into the idea of players really knowing their opponents.  And planning, and dear readers, following these machinations makes this a fun volume to read.

Adrienne Beck's translation continues to capture the game action and, when necessary, the evolution of the characters' games and skills.  Letterer Erika Terriquez shines in creating the furious comic book noise of Haikyu!! and of the game of volleyball.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of sports manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Haikyu!!

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS!" Shokugeki No Soma Volume 32

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 32
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0947-2; paperback (October 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  Food Wars! was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under two imprints:  first, “Shonen Jump Advanced” and then, “Shonen Jump.”

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira (Saiba), so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 32 (Chapters 272 to 281; entitled “A Subversive Visitor”) opens, the mystery of the “underground shokugeki” continues.  It is apparently connected to a group of underground chefs known as the “cuisiniers noir” that have invaded Japan.  Behind the invasion is a mystery man known as “Asahi Saiba.”

Meanwhile, Totsuki has a new teacher, Mr. Suzuki, a cheeky young chef with his sights set on Erina Nakiri.  Soma finds himself foiled by Suzuki, but he can't worry about that now.  It is time for the first semester final examinations for the second-years, and, of course, failure means expulsion from Totsuki.

[The volume includes recipes and miscellaneous illustrations.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga jumps right into its next big story arc.  As usual, the fate of our heroes is on the line as the series moves towards its conclusion.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 32 finds the creative team of writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki introducing a new threat to our young heroes and heroines.  After establishing what I call the “NTO,” the new Totsuki order, the creators do not dwell on the characters' new exalted status.  They instead introduce a new adversary, one that is more than a match for the series' favorite characters.

Adrienne Beck's translation serves readers a piping hot dish of intrigue and gamesmanship.  Letterers James Gaubatz and Mara Coman set the tone for a volume that offers conflicts and challenges on several fronts.  Even as it moves towards the end, Food Wars! is as tasty a read as ever.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: HAIKYU!! Volume 34

HAIKYU!!, VOL. 34
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Haruichi Furudate
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Erika Terriquez
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0780-8; paperback (September 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Haikyu!! is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.  This manga was serialized in the manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, from February 2012 to July 2020.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of Haikyu!! as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since July 2015.

Haikyu!! focuses on Shoyo Hinata.  As a child, Hinata saw the legendary volleyball (haikyu) player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals.  From that point, Hinata began a quest to be the best volleyball player ever.  In a sport in which tall athletes dominate, however, Hinata's height of 5'4” is considered too short.  Now, he plays for Karasuno Public High School with his rival, Tobio Kageyama.  Hinata does not believe that a player needs to be tall in order to play volleyball, especially when a player can jump higher than anyone else – as he can.

As Haikyu!!, Vol. 34 (Chapters 297 to 305; entitled “Cats' Claw”) opens, the “National Spring Tournament” continues.  Now, the long awaited match-up between Karasuno (representing Miyagi Prefecture) and Nekoma Municipal High School (Tokyo Venue Sponsor representatives), which some call the “Dumpster Battle,” begins.

Nekoma is know for their defense, but they immediately shock Karuso with their aggressive “synchro attacks” on offense.  Meanwhile, Nekoma's master “middle blocker,” Tetsuro Kuroo, plays mind games with Karasuno's master middle blocker, Kei Tsukishima.  Are Karasuno, suddenly favorites in a match for the first time, ripe for an upset?

[This volume includes “Haikyu! vs. Let's Haikyu?! – Special Collaboration Bonus Short” drawn by Retsu.  Let's Haikyu!? is a gag manga based on the Haikyu!!]

THE LOWDOWN:  I had not read the Haikyu!! manga in almost a year and a half.  Now, I have read four volumes in seven months.

Haikyu!! Graphic Novel Volume 34 begins the Karasuno-Nekoma Dumpster Battle.  Creator Haruichi Furudate has been telling readers that this is the match for which the players of both schools have been waiting for quite some time.  Well, the wait was worth it for both players and for Haikyu!!'s readers.  Vol. 34 is one of the better recent volumes.  Furudate is so good at depicting the excitement of volleyball matches, and he excels here, making sure that the Dumpster Battle does not become a narrative “dumpster fire.”

As usual, Adrienne Beck's translation captures the game action and, when necessary, the evolution of the characters.  Letterer Erika Terriquez shines as she continues to create the furious comic book noise of the game.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of sports manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Haikyu!!

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douressseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: BLUE FLAG Volume 2

BLUE FLAG, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Kaito
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1302-8; paperback (June 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
224pp, B&W, $12.99 US, $17.99 CAN, £9.99 UK

Ao no Flag is a high school romance manga written and drawn by Kaito.  The manga was serialized on the online manga magazine, Shonen Jump+, from February 2017 to April 2020.  VIZ Media is publishing Ao no Flag as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Blue Flag, under its “VIZ Signature” imprint.

Blue Flag focuses on an unassuming high school student named Taichi Ichinose.  It is his senior year at Aohama High School, and he finds himself in the same class as shy Futaba Kuze, of whom he has conflicted feelings.  Taichi and Futaba begin to fall in love, but each has a same-sex best friend – Taichi's Toma Mita and Futaba's Masumi Itachi – who are in love with them.

As Blue Flag, Vol. 2 (Chapters 6 to 12) opens, it is time for Aohama High's school festival.  Toma accepts the position of cheer squad captain on the condition that Taichi and Futaba participate.  The problems are that Taichi does not want to participate, and that Futaba is deathly afraid of performing a cheer in front of the student body.  Later, Masumi makes a series of surprising confessions to Taichi about her “boyfriend.”  Plus, Toma, the captain of the school's baseball team, looks for success at the high school summer tournament

[This volume includes the bonus story, “After the Festival.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Blue Flag manga is not any one thing.  It is a mixture of genres and themes:  romance, high school drama, coming-of-age, shonen, LGBTQ, and light comedy.

Blue Flag Graphic Novel Volume 2 is my first experience with the series.  The series is so easy to read that readers do not have to read the first volume to understand the story.  I would, however, recommend that due to the ending of Vol. 2 readers at least start the series with the second volume and not start with the third volume.

Kaito presents characters that are likable, even lovable, simply because the four leads have genuinely different personalities.  That makes the desire, yearning, self-doubt, and internal and external conflict feel real because the characters are truly seeing things from their own different points of view.  This is a high school romance that has dramatic heft.  As usual, readers get a superb English translation from Adrienne Beck that makes every thing resonate with the reader.  Also as usual, Annaliese Christman's lettering sets the tone for individual moments as well as for larger scenes.

I am utterly shocked by how much I like this second volume of Blue Flag.  Honestly, I didn't expect much because of the title and Vol. 2's cover illustration.  Neither hints at how powerful the story is.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of coming-of-age stories and of LGBTQ-themed manga will want to read the “VIZ Signature” title Blue Flag.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-------------------------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: HAIKYU!! Volume 33

HAIKYU!!, VOL. 33
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Haruichi Furudate
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Erika Terriquez
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0743-0; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Haikyu!! is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.  This manga was serialized in the manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, from February 2012 to July 2020.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of Haikyu!! as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since July 2015.

Haikyu!! focuses on Shoyo Hinata.  As a child, Hinata saw the legendary volleyball (haikyu) player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals.  From that point, Hinata began a quest to be the best volleyball player ever.  In a sport in which tall athletes dominate, however, Hinata's height of 5'4” is considered too short.  Now, he plays for Karasuno Public High School with his rival, Tobio Kageyama.  Hinata does not believe that a player needs to be tall in order to play volleyball, especially when a player can jump higher than anyone else – as he can.

As Haikyu!!, Vol. 33 (Chapters 288 to 296; entitled “Monsters' Ball”) opens, the “National Spring Tournament” continues.  Karasuno (representing Miyagi Prefecture) won its opening match and, in the second round, matches up against Inarizaki High School, one of the favorites to win the entire tournament.  Plus, Inarizaki has a set of “wonder twins,” the brothers, Osamu and Atsumu Miya, who even have their own version of Hinata and Kageyama's “freak quick.”

If underdog Karasuno gets past Inarizaki, awaiting them is Nekoma Municipal High School (Tokyo Venue Sponsor representatives).  Karasuno and Nekoma have faced each other in practice matches in the past, but Karasuno has never won any of them!

[This volume includes “Bonus Story” and “Bonus Story 2.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  I had not read the Haikyu!! manga in almost a year and a half.  Now, I have read three volumes in five months.

Haikyu!! Graphic Novel Volume 33 brings to a close the Karasuno vs. Inarizaki High story arc, which began in Vol. 29 and ran through three entire volumes (Vols. 30 to 32), before ending four chapters into Vol. 33.  It is easy to forget how really good this series is at depicting all that is fast and furious about a volleyball match... until you read it again.  In fact, Haikyu!! creator Haruichi Furudate is so good at depicting the excitement of volleyball that I am not bored even when following a match that runs through several volumes.

As usual, Adrienne Beck's translation captures the game action and, when necessary, the evolution of the characters.  Letterer Erika Terriquez shines as she continues to create the furious comic book noise of the game.  This duo keeps us going as this series approaches its end.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of sports manga will want the “Shonen Jump” title, Haikyu!!

A
8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS: Shokugeki no Soma Volume 30

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 30
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0638-9; paperback (June 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  Food Wars! was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under two imprints:  first, “Shonen Jump Advanced” and then, “Shonen Jump.”

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira, so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 30 (Chapters 254 to 262; entitled “The Way They Do Things”) opens, the fifth and final bout of “the Régiment de Cuisine Shokugeki” begins.  There were three cards in the previous four bouts of the Régiment, pitting three members of Soma and his allies' group, known as “the Resistance,” against Totsuki's “Council of Ten.”  If the Resistance wins the Régiment, they save their expelled classmates and gain seats on the council.  If they lose, all students connected to the Resistance are expelled and Soma's father, Joshiro, becomes a slave... of sorts.

In the final bout there are only two cards, but each side's two competitors must work together, one producing a dish that is an appetizer and the other a dish that is the main course.  Representing Council of Ten are the Council's top two chairs, Eishi Tsukasa (Chair #1) and Rindo Kobayahsi (#2).  Representing the Resistance are Erina Nakiri and Soma, and Erina's father, Azami Nakiri, is the lead judge.  And he wants his daughter to lose!

While Tsukasa and Kobayashi work together, Erina and Soma argue over which of them will create the main course, because both consider creating the appetizer an admission that he or she is the lesser chef of the two.  After Tsukasa and Kobayashi finish their dishes first and blow the judges and the audience away with the appetizer and main course, can Erina and Soma finish bickering long enough to do the impossible... and cause an episode of “the Gifting” that is beyond anyone's experience?

[The volume includes a recipes, miscellaneous illustrations, and bonus comics.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga finally reaches the end of the great shokugeki – a battle of chefs – that will decide the fates of many students.  And the dishes produced during this great competition made me want to eat each page of this epic story.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 30 is a pivotal volume in the series.  Not only does it end “the Régiment de Cuisine,” but it makes us wait for the aftermath.  The entire focus of Vol. 30 is about the actual kitchen battle, with some of the story devoted to why the major players think the way they do about cooking.

Adrienne Beck's translation captures the character nuances, but also gives the competition depth and weight.  This story arc isn't just another fight; it shapes the direction of this narrative's final quarter.  So it is a must-read for fans of the series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump Advanced” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



----------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: SERAPH OF THE END: Vampire Reign Volume 17

SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN, VOL. 17
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Takaya Kagami
CARTOONIST: Yamato Yamamoto
STORYBOARDS: Daisuke Furuya
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0781-2; paperback (June 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Seraph of the End is a Japanese dark fantasy manga written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto, with storyboards produced by Daisuke Furuya.  It has been published in the manga magazine, Jump SQ, since September 2012.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language adaptation of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, since June 2014.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is set in a world in which the trumpets of the apocalypse proclaimed the fall of humanity in the year 2012.  Vampires rose from the shadows and began their reign over the Earth.  A mysterious virus killed almost all adult humans, sparing those younger than 13 years of age.  The children were subsequently enslaved as livestock for vampires.  In 2016, the orphan, Yuichiro “Yu” Hyakuya, stepped forward, seeking revenge; his goal was and is to kill each and every vampire.

As Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 17 (Chapters 64 to 69) opens, Lt. Guren Ichinose has captured the angel that was summoned with the original apocalypse.  Now, Yuichiro and the angel have a lot of crap to say to one another, although Yu wants to save the angel.  Plus, Asuramaru, the demon spirit of  Yu's possessed weapon, is struggling with memories.  He tell Yuichiro that he doesn't want the memories, but when we see them, we'll want to know more – much more.

[This volume includes an “Afterword,” miscellaneous text, and a full-color mini-poster insert.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga is one of my favorite vampire comics.  With its tales of military politics and demonic possession, it also offers unique character drama built on secrets and lost memories.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Graphic Novel Volume 17 does all those things.  I don't think that Vol. 17 starts off as a promising volume, but then again, I did not expect the kind of secrets that would be revealed.  I want to be a spoiler, but that would be wrong because this is so good.  I think Vol. 17 is certainly one of those payoff volumes for longtime readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire manga will want to try of the “Shonen Jump Advanced” series, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



--------------------------------

#Yaoi Review: ESCAPE JOURNEY Volume 1

ESCAPE JOURNEY, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA/Libre Publishing – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Ogeretsu Tanaka
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0131-5; paperback (September 2018); Rated “M” for “Mature”
266pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S. (6.99 digital), $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Escape Journey is a yaoi manga from manga creator, Ogeretsu Tanaka.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Escape Journey focuses on two former high school lovers forced back together when they attend the same university.

Escape Journey, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5 plus “Last Escape”) introduces Naoto Hisami and Taichi Hase.  In high school, they were lovers.  Naoto thought they were dating, but during a heated argument, Taichi tells Naoto, “You're nothing but a fuck buddy I blow off steam with sometimes.”  That leads Naoto to dump Taichi's ass.

One year later, Naoto is a student at a liberal arts college, and he is still angry about what Taichi said to him.  So Naoto is shocked to discover that Taichi, a science track student, is also a student at this liberal arts college.  The two soon find themselves forced together, again, with Taichi being an aggressive seme (top) to Naoto's submissive uke (bottom).  Taichi pounds Naoto's ass until it is raw, and all Naoto can do is howl and pant in pain and pleasure.

Taichi, however, is not verbal about his true feelings concerning Naoto.  Does he want them to be a “couple,” again?  Naoto begins to wonder about their future when he discovers that a young woman and fellow student, Fumi Matsuyama, has a crush on Taichi.  Will this discovery finally end the slowly mending relationship between Naoto and Taichi?

[This volume includes “Escape Journey Bonus Story” and “Afterword.”]

Yaoi manga is not pornography.  Explicit depictions of sexual intercourse may be inevitable in this genre, but yaoi mangaka deliver boys' love stories that are about drama, character, and romance.  In the best of the genre, the creators also take their characters' careers, professions, jobs, and/or social status seriously.

Still, Escape Journey Graphic Novel Volume 1 features some of the most explicit depictions of sexual intercourse between two men that I have ever seen in manga.  The artist includes full depictions of Taichi's penis penetrating Naoto's anus, but there is often a white stripe right at the point of penetration.  Sometimes, a series of three white stripes will cover portions of an erect penis in a pattern-like fashion.  Also, sometimes, the erect cock and balls are entirely in white silhouette.

The “bonus story” contains this volume's most explicit depictions of sex... by far.  That is saying a lot, because the main chapters have plenty of intense sex, including a scene that would probably qualify as rape in the real world.  The last three pages of the bonus story are... a riot.

That aside, there is a sweet and edgy side to the romance in Escape Journey.  It is the story of boys who don't quite understand the emotional side of their relationship, although the sexual side is quite prodigious.  This first volume is about the journey Naoto and Taichi take to understanding the inevitable relationship that they will share.  I have to say that this is a rich rewarding read, both as a romance and as a sex romp.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at SubBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, Tumblr at http://sublimemanga.tumblr.com/, and Instagram at @sublimemanga/.


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


-----------------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS! Shokugeki no Soma: Volume 29

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 29
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0510-8; paperback (April 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  The manga was serialized in Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series from August 2014 to June 2020 under its “Shonen Jump Advanced” and “Shonen Jump” imprints.

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira, so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 29 (Chapters 245 to 253; entitled “Final Battle”) opens, the “fourth bout” of the Régiment de Cuisine Shokugeki begins.  There are three cards in each bout of the Régiment, pitting three members of Soma and his allies' group, known as “the Resistance,” against Totsuki's “Council of Ten.”  If the Resistance wins the Régiment, they save their expelled classmates and gain seats on the council.  If they lose, all students connected to the Resistance are expelled and Soma's father becomes a slave... of sorts.

First, the Council's Momo Akanegakubo battles the Resistance's Erina Nakiri with “brown sugar” as the ingredient.  Then, Satoshi Isshiki takes on the Council's Eishi Tsukasa and the ingredient is “rabbit meat.”  In the final card of the fourth bout, the Council's Rindo Kobayashi meets Takumi Aldini in a battle of “spear squid.”  All is going well until someone powerful decides to crash the judges table!

[The volume includes a recipes, illustrations, and a bonus story, "Our Golden Days On Moon's Shadow."]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga is moving towards the end of the great shokugeki – a battle of chefs – that will decide the fates of many students.  That's just fine because this manga is usually at its best during the cooking battles.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 29 is rolling along as it has been the past several volumes of this battle between the resisting students and the school's ruling council.  Then, writer Yuto Tsukada and artist Shun Saeki throw the readers for a loop with a suite of surprises in the last three chapters of this volume.

These surprises are the kinds of delights that hit shonen battle manga offer as tidbits and treats to keep readers coming back for more.  In Food Wars!, there is always another delicious dish.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump Advanced” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



-----------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: SERAPH OF THE END: Vampire Reign Volume 16

SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN, VOL. 16
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Takaya Kagami
CARTOONIST: Yamato Yamamoto
STORYBOARDS: Daisuke Furuya
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0397-5; paperback (March 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Seraph of the End is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto, with storyboards produced by Daisuke Furuya.  It has been published in the manga magazine, Jump SQ, since September 2012.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language adaptation of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, since June 2014.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is set in a world in which the trumpets of the apocalypse proclaimed the fall of humanity in the year 2012.  Vampires rose from the shadows and began their reign over the Earth.  A mysterious virus killed almost all adult humans, sparing those younger than 13 years of age.  The children were subsequently enslaved as livestock for vampires.  In 2016, the orphan, Yuichiro “Yu” Hyakuya, stepped forward, seeking revenge; his goal was and is to kill each and every vampire.

As Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 16 (Chapters 60 to 63) opens, the battle to save the vampires, Lord Ferid Bathory and Krul Tepes, begins in full force.  They are undergoing exposure torture (via sunlight) by the “Fifth Progenitor” vampire, Ky Luc.  The plan is for Lt. Guren Ichinose and the “Shinoa Squad” to launch a series of diversions at the nearly unbeatable Luc.  That will allow Yuichiro to unleash the Seraph inside himself and to use it to overwhelm Luc.  But can Yuichiro keep himself in control long enough to do the job?  Is his power enough to defeat Ky Luc?

Later, Yuichiro is confronted by memories from his past, and even Asuramaru, the demon spirit of his cursed katana, cannot access all those memories.  What else exists inside Yuichiro, and was he part of Lt. Guren's experiments?

[This volume includes a bonus chapter, “The Demon Army of Ikebukuro;” an “Afterword;” miscellaneous text, and a full-color mini-poster insert.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga always delves in intrigue.  It is one of my favorite vampire comics.  With its tales of military politics and demonic possession, this series is as much a dark fantasy as it is a vampire manga.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Graphic Novel Volume 16 is a pivotal volume in the series.  Like previous editions, Vol. 16 digs deep into the secrets and lies of this narrative and of its cast.  This time, however, creators, artist Yamato Yamamoto and writer Takaya Kagami, open up the can of worms that is its star character, Yuichiro Hyakuya's lost memories.  I would say that Kagami and Yamamoto have given readers another reason to keep this series close to their hearts and in their blood.  Despite Yu's blasé attitude about his memories, they hold the potential for riveting storytelling.

Adrienne Beck's translation ably serves this volume which offers a lot of dialogue in terms of revealing conversations.  Sabrina Heep's lettering conveys the intense sounds (especially the yelling and the grunting) that shape the intense battle against Ky Luc that dominates the early part of Vol. 16

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire manga will want to try of the “Shonen Jump Advanced” series, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



-----------------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: FOOD WARS!: Shokugeki no Soma Volume 28

FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, VOL. 28
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Yuto Tsukuda
ART: Shun Saeki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
CONTRIBUTOR: Yuki Morisaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz; Mara Coman
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0254-1; paperback (February 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is a Japanese shonen manga series written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki.  Yuki Morisaki also works as a contributor, providing the recipes for the series.  The manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from November 2012 to June 2019.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series since August 2014, first, under its “Shonen Jump Advanced” imprint and then, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Food Wars! focuses on teenager Soma Yukihira.  He grows up cooking in his father's Yukihira Family Restaurant.  The 15-year-old wants to be a better chef than his father, Joshiro Yukihira, so he hones his skills day in and day out.  His father decides to enroll him in a classy culinary school, Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate.  If Soma Yukihira really does not want to attend Totsuki, how can he succeed?

As Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Vol. 28 (Chapters 236 to 244; entitled “First-Year Kid”) opens, the “third bout” of the Régiment de Cuisine Shokugeki continues.  There are three cards in each bout of the Régiment, pitting three members of Soma and his allies' group, known as “the Resistance,” against Totsuki's “Council of Ten.”  If the Resistance wins the Régiment, they save their expelled classmates and gain seats on the council.  If they lose, all students connected to the Resistance are expelled and Soma's father becomes a slave... of sorts.

In this crucial “third bout,” Soma will take on the Council's Somei Saito in a battle with butter as the theme ingredient.  In a duel of the sweets, Megumi Tadokoro takes on the Council's cutie-pie, Momo Akanegakubo, in a contest of apple-themed dishes.

Now, it is Takumi Aldini vs. the Council's Etsuya Eizan in a beef battle.  So how will Takumi beat Eizan, after the latter designed his artichoke and beef dish so that it will neutralize the flavors of the former's dish?  Well, Takumi answers with a half-beef and half-cheese pizza!  Say what?!

[The volume includes a recipes and illustrated character profiles and character poll results.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Food Wars! manga continues the great shokugeki – a battle of chefs – that will decide the fates of many students.  This manga is almost always at its best when the kitchen is the battleground and cooking is the weapon.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma Graphic Novel Volume 28 offers a new delight – the ingredient as a blade in a battle of samurai warriors.  Writer Yuto Tsukada and artist Shun Saeki continue to blend character histories and personalities with almost supernatural cooking techniques and inventive chefs.  In Vol. 28, the blade metaphor resonated with me; it is something that sticks out in this volume and makes it memorable.

I am a fan of all three theme ingredients in the third bout:  butter, beef, and apples.  One of the many things that Tsukada and Saeki do so well is make readers believe they can smell the scent of cooking wafting from the pages of a Food War! graphic novel.  Oh, lawd!  The smell of butter melting in a hot skillet is divine.  I love sinking my teeth into a crunchy, crispy apple, and I certainly enjoy apple-based desserts.  And beef, literally and metaphorically... can be so satisfying.  Vol. 27 was a volume to savor, but as the third bout theme ingredients carried over, I found Vol. 28 to be the most savory.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers hungry for good manga will want the “Shonen Jump Advanced” title, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma.

A
9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



-----------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: CASTE HEAVEN Volume 1

CASTE HEAVEN, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA/Libre – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Chise Ogawa – @ogawaccc
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Deborah Fisher
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1245-8; paperback (March 2020); Rated “M” for “Mature”
220pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Caste Heaven is a yaoi manga from mangaka, Chise Ogawa.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Caste Heaven focuses on a group of high school students who play a cruel game that determines class rank... and who's on top.

Caste Heaven, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1-6) introduces Class 2-1.  The students in this class play a secret game called the “Caste Game.”  Students hunt the campus for playing cards that will determine the class' rigid hierarchy.  The highest value card is the “King” card, and the lowest card is the “Joker.”  The one who finds the “King” card becomes the king (or queen).  The one who finds the “Joker” card becomes “the target” or “the bullied one,” and is subject to extreme pain and humiliation from all the other students – especially from the king.

The past school year, Yuya Azusa, has been the king.  Ruthless and arrogant, he lorded his status over the other students.  This is a new school year, however, and it is time to play the Caste Game again.  Azusa plots to be king again, but after he is betrayed, he may have to accept a new position – the new king's bitch!

[This volume includes bonus story, “Behind the Game,” and an “Afterword.”]

The Caste Heaven yaoi manga tells a story in the spirit of many manga.  There is an implausible scenario, but if the author (or mangaka) can weave a captivating story from that implausible premise, the result can be a winning manga.

Caste Heaven Graphic Novel Volume 1 starts off from its first page with a ridiculous concept.  Honestly, I didn't think that I could finish this first volume, but then, I started to enjoy the struggle that creator Chise Ogawa depicts.  Azusa and the other characters in these first chapters struggle with what they really want, with what they really think, and with whom they really want.  There is a conflict between what they present to society at large (in this case, their high school class) and what they reveal in intimate settings when they are with the person they (might) love... or the person that makes them hot and horny.

Adrienne Beck's translation expertly captures the inconsistencies, the vagaries, the fickleness, and the angst.  Beck reveals how this series moves from raunchy lust to love and hot sex... that could end up being real love...”?

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

SubBLimeManga.com


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: SEVEN DAYS: Sunday-Monday

SEVEN DAYS: SUNDAY–MONDAY
SUBLIME MANGA/Taiyoh Tosho Co., Ltd. – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Venio Tachibana
ART: Rihito Takarai
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Deborah Fisher
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0927-4; paperback (December 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
372pp, B&W, $16.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £10.99 UK

Seven Days is a boys' love manga from writer Venio Tachibana and artist Rihito Takarai.  Boys' love (or BL) manga depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  There is a sub-set of boys' love manga known as “shounen-ai,” that usually does not feature graphic depictions of sexuality.  Seven Days is essentially shounen-ai.

Seven Days was serialized in the Japanese yaoi manga anthology magazine, Craft, from 2007 to 2009.  The story was released in two parts, Seven Days: Monday–Thursday and Seven Days: Friday–Sunday.  Seven Days was collected in two tankobon (graphic novels) under those titles, Seven Days: Monday–Thursday (published in Japan in 2007) and Seven Days: Friday–Sunday (2009).

Digital Manga Publishing's (DMP) imprint, Juné Manga, released an English-language edition of the first graphic novel in 2010, and the second in 2011.  In March 2019, VIZ Media took over English distribution rights.  In December 2019, VIZ published both Seven Days graphic novels in a single, English-language paperback omnibus edition (a “2-in-1 edition”), entitled Seven Days: Monday–Sunday, under its SuBLime Manga imprint.

Seven Days: Monday–Sunday introduces two male students attending Hoka Private Academy.  The first is Yuzuru Shino, a bored and disillusioned third-year high school student.  The second is Toji Seryo, a popular first-year student at school.  Yuzuru has heard the rumor that Toji will accept anyone who asks him out on a date at the beginning of the week (on Monday), and that he ends the relationship after seven days of dating (on Sunday).

On a lark, Yuzuru decides to ask Toji out as a half-hearted joke, but, to his surprise, Toji accepts the offer.  Over the course of seven days, Yuzuru's feelings for Toji grow, and although Toji seems sincere, Yuzuru does not quite trust this erstwhile playboy.  Still, Yuzuru begins to dread the impending day when Toji will inevitably end their relationship.

[This volume includes a bonus story, “Goodbye for Now,” and an “Afterword” and an “Author Note.”]

The Seven Days: Monday–Sunday manga may or may not be “shounen-ai” as I have labeled it.  However, it is such a gentle, puppy-love type, high school romance that I could also label it as quasi-shojo manga, which are essentially comics for teen girls.  The primary audience for BL manga is female readers.

The Seven Days: Monday–Sunday Graphic Novel is rated “T” (Teen), and although I have previously read BL manga with a “teen” rating, I have not read many.  Thus, it is jarring to see two teen males starring in a BL manga and not “getting it on.”  Talk about non-graphic depiction of a sexual relationships; Yuzuru and Toji do not engage in sexual intercourse.

Still, creators Venio Tachibana (writer) and Rihito Takarai (artist) present a story that is so oddly endearing.  Every time, I picked up the Seven Days: Monday–Sunday Graphic Novel, I felt an urgency to keep reading so that I could see where Yuzuru and Toji's relationship was going.  Obviously, I was hoping to eventually come across some good-old fashioned male-on-male action of the yaoi manga variety.  However, a part of me wanted to see if their love was real, or see who would dump whom.  Would Yuzuru break-up with Toji before he could break-up with him?  Or was Yuzuru simply going to wait for the inevitable and proverbial “shoe-to-drop?”  That is when Toji would say to Yuzuru, “I'm sorry. I couldn't fall for you. Let's break up.”

Well, there is a happy ending, so there... I have spoiled it for you, dear readers.  Seriously, Adrienne Beck's translation makes this cool story simmer by turning awkward dialogue into conversations full of longing, searching, and yearning.  Deborah Fisher's lettering gives this story a steady pace and keeps the dialogue from seeming too measured and too cool.  So, the English-language edition of Seven Days: Monday–Sunday is not the greatest boys' love story of all time.  Still, it finds a way to make a seven-day romance seem like the most important thing in the world – simply because readers will end up rooting for the romance to lunge past the seven-day mark.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

www.SubBLimeManga.com


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou Review: PERSONA 5: Volume 1

PERSONA 5, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Hisato Murasaki
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1175-8; paperback (January 2020); Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”
216pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Persona 5 is a role-playing video game that is an installment in the Persona video game series, which is itself part of the larger Japanese media franchise, Megami Tensei.  In 2016, manga artist Hisato Murasaki began producing a manga adaptation and spin-off of Persona 5.  It is published on the Web comic site, Ura Sunday, and (apparently) on the app, “Manga One.”  VIZ Media is publishing an English language edition of Persona 5 as a series of graphic novels, beginning this month (January 2020).

Persona 5, Vol. 1 (Chapter 1 to 6) introduces high school student, Akira Kurusu.  An act of bravery got Kurusu in serious legal trouble (showing, once again, that no good deed goes unpunished).  Now, banished to Shibuya (a ward in Tokyo), Akira lives in a back room of “Cafe LeBlanc,” owned by his caretaker (of sorts), Sojiro Sakura.

Living with very little room for error or for mistakes, Kurusu is now enrolled in Shujin Academy, a prestigious private college preparatory high school.  On his first day, he meets an eccentric cast of characters, including a fellow “delinquent,” Ryujin Sakamoto.  Shortly afterwards, a mysterious app on Kurusu's smart phone seemingly transports him and Sakamoto to a strange place called, “the Palace.”  Now, Kurusu finds himself thrust into the world of “Personas” and also discovering that he has a “very rare and unique power.”

[This volume includes an afterword and “An Extra Bonus.”]

Until my VIZ Media rep sent me a copy of the first volume of the Persona 5 manga, I had never heard of the video game of the same title.  I don't play video games, but I must admit to being a fan of several manga adaptations of various video games, such as Resident Evil and The Legend of Zelda.

Persona 5 Graphic Novel Volume 1 introduces a lot of characters, settings, and plot lines – enough for three volumes of graphic novels.  However, I am intrigued.  Right now, Akira Kurusu isn't a particularly interesting character, as far as his personality goes, but I want to know more about his powers and his past.  There, on the other hand, are some interesting personalities among the supporting cast.  I would say that Hisato Murasaki writes in a manner to constantly and consistently intrigue his readers into wanting to keep reading.  That's a good thing.

Murasaki's illustrative style is pretty and also nicely shadowy and mysterious.  In fact, the graphical storytelling relies on a sense of mystery and on making the reader wonder what hides in the shadows of the unknown and in the characters' dreams.

Adrienne Beck's translation is edgy and captures all the tension in these first chapters.  Annaliese Christman's lettering is very good at helping readers understand the meanings and moods in the dialogue.  Her sound effects totally sell the moody, mysterious, and darkly magical atmosphere of this manga.  I can't imagine that I would let everyone's efforts here go to waste by reading only this first volume.  Heaven forbid it.

8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.


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