Three is a very fine balance in a story that has to be maintained. We have to care about the characters we’ve been asked to care about…we have to be invested in the ending. When a story…
Jul 12, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this
Mayu, Matou Volume 3 (繭、纏う)
In Volume 2, I noted that this series is detailing a love triangle, but only one participant seems to have noticed. In Mayu, Matou Volume 3 (繭、纏う) by…
Mayu, Matou, Volume 6 ( 繭、纏う)
The cover is a spoiler, there’s just no way to avoid the obvious, so let’s address that right away. We last left Hana, reaching into blackness, looking desperate. …
Mayu, Matou, Volume 4 (繭、纏う)
As have all the volumes of Hara Yuriko’s series, Mayu, Matou, Volume 4 (繭、纏う) begins with a short scenario. In this one we meet younger Youko and her…
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 5 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
The battle of the bands is coming! Now that Yori-sempai has officially joined the SS Girls, they are raring to go. Only, they seem to have developed a…
Common Japanese Mistake No. 5 ～そう
Learn Japanese with Me - https://bit.ly/4drmyU2
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 10 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
In the wake of the final episodes of Whisper Me A Love Song anime finally seeing light of day, and the cancellation of a Blu-ray release, I wanted…
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 2 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
In Volume 1, Himari saw Yori up on the stage playing with a band and was blown away by her. When she told Yori-sempai, Yori replied that she’d…
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 3 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
It’s not like Takeshima Eku’s high school love story is groundbreaking. It’s not that it’s game-changing. It’s just that this story is so pleasant and full of such…
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 6 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
It’s summer! It’s time for one last gasp of wholesome fun, hanging with your friends, eating ice cream, going on dates. Both Yori and Himari are very interested…
Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 8 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
In Volume 7, Shiho finally addressed the elephant in her room and admitted that the source of her bad temper was unrequited love. Having shot her shot, it…
The Various Forms of うかがう
The newsletter and podcast are online: This month, the core topic I looked at was how easy and broadly useful is 伺う (ukagau) is, especially for folks struggling…
Sasayakuyou no Koi wo Utau, Volume 10 (ささやくように恋を唄う)
In the wake of the final episodes of Whisper Me A Love Song anime finally seeing light of day, and the cancellation of a Blu-ray release, I wanted…
Ai Ore: A Different Mayu Shinjou Manga
So I was reading older blog posts that I have neglected due to being super busy and I came across one about a Mayu Shinjou manga called Demon…
Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 3 (百合と声と風纏い)
In Volume 1, we met Matoi, a high school senior with a talent for music and vocals. Surrounded by people her age who are in an out of…
Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 3 (百合と声と風纏い)
In Volume 1, we met Matoi, a high school senior with a talent for music and vocals. Surrounded by people her age who are in an out of…
Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 4 (百合と声と風纏い)
When we met Matoi, she was an uncertain high school student, with a crush on an older woman who had returned to their town. Yuri was a young…
Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 2 (百合と声と風纏い)
In Volume 1, we met Matoi, a high school senior who is a talented songwriter who doesn’t understand love. She meets Yuriko, older by a few years, attractive,…
Honey Lemon Soda Vol 1 by Mayu Murata
Honey Lemon Soda Volume 1 by Mayu Murata I was aware that there was a great deal of anticipation when Honey Lemon Soda was licensed, and the first…
Cocoon Entwined, Volume 5
Guest Review by Patricia Baxter. If there is one word you could use to describe the penultimate volume of Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon Entwined it would be “change”. While…
Otherside Picnic, Volume 5
Otherside Picnic, Volume 5 begins in the middle of a story and for the rest of the book, that is pretty much where we stay. A scenario occurs,…
Assorted Entanglements, Volume 5
by Matt Marcus, Staff Writer Have you ever been on a bad first date? Like, a really bad one? Maybe you neglected to vet the content of the…
Storytellers (うたうひと, Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Ko Sakai, 2013)
Ageing residents of the Tohoku region keep the folktales of ancient Japan alive in Hamaguchi & Sakai’s strangely comforting documentary
Yuri Manga: Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 1 (百合と声と風纏い)
In Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 1 (百合と声と風纏い) Matoi is a young woman who doesn’t really get love. She can see her sister and her friends…
Higanjima (Manga) Volume 5 Review
Plot: Akira manages to free Atsushi from Miyabi’s mind control, and the group makes their escape. Most of them make their way across a rope bridge, but Atsushi…
Mieruko-chan Volume 5 Review
Volume 5 of Mieruko-chan's big story aside from Miko and Hana is the developing clash between Rom and Mitsue.
Chainsaw Man (Volume 5) – Minor
Denji tracks down Samurai Sword. Their confrontation is brief but explosive. Denji gets into a pickle when a civilian gets in the way, giving Samurai Sword an opening.…
Pandora Hearts Volume 5 Review
Does contain some minor spoilers.
Bloom Into You – Volume 5
The first word I’d use to describe Bloom Into You’s manga, particularly in contrast with its animated adaptation, is sparse. Panel compositions are often defined by their vast,…
Harukana Receive Volume 5 Review
Haruka and Kanata face Claire and Emily in the regional finals, meaning lots of challenges await on the sand in Harukana Receive Volume 5!
Magical Girl Apocalypse (Volume 5)
Kaede went to get some medical supplies for Kii but stumbles upon Tsukune and her father. She pulls her gun and prepares to confront them. Meanwhile, Rintaro is…
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 5
The end is nigh in Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 5. There were never many humans in Ashinano Hitoshi’s story, and now most of them have left. The grass…
Otherside Picnic Manga, Volume 5
Otherside Picnic, Volume 5 is significant turning point in the narrative. It is in this volume (equivalent to the beginning of Volume 2 of the Light Novel series),…
C-pia! Magazine Volume 5
After a big ol’ break (I spent a month making GBA games…) our retro magazine is back for another helping of moe madness. With a selection of big…
行こう ikou VS 行きましょう ikimashou #learnjapanese
Learn Japanese with Me - https://bit.ly/4drmyU2
Intimate Stranger (親密な他人, Mayu Nakamura, 2022)
A middle-aged woman bonds with a young man claiming to have information about her missing son in Mayu Nakamura’s noirish psychological drama.
Witch Hat Atelier Volume 5 Review
The end of the trial arc! What will become of Euini and the apprentices?
Thoughts on Cocoon Entwined Volume 5
Time for more hair from Yuriko Hara – oh, and I’m sure there’s some story stuff as well, in this fifth volume of Cocoon Entwined. This volume contains…
Citrus (Volume 5) – Sister vs. Sister!
The new school year promises to be interesting, especially as Harumi’s older sister is back and is prepared to stir things up thanks to the new girl with…
Thoughts on Cocoon Entwined Volume 5
Christmas approaches in the fifth volume of Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon Entwined manga. Certain students are still enthralled by Lady of the Cocoon, but that’s not going to deter…
Thoughts on Otaku Elf Volume 5
The Yumimimi Festival approaches in the fifth volume of Akihiko Higuchi’s Otaku Elf manga. This volume contains chapters fifty-five to sixty-nine.
Thoughts on Assorted Entanglements Volume 5
Heke and Lala schedule a meetup in real life in the fifth volume of Mikanuji’s Assorted Entanglements manga. This volume contains chapters ninety-eight to one-hundred and five.
Our Fake Marriage Volume 5 Review
Volume 5 of Our Fake Marriage contains the sort of story and sensualness that will keep a number of romance manga readers entertained.
Hinowa ga CRUSH! Volume 5 Review
Hinowa ga CRUSH! continues to suffer from the same "too much narration" syndrome as things get worse and worse for Soukai, Hinowa, and Akame.
Goblin Slayer Volume 5: King Me!
Our look at the light novel of Goblin Slayer continues! We are at the fifth volume now, and the story is once again starting to kick into high…
Kageki Shojo!! volume 5 (manga review)
A review of Kageki Shojo!! Volume 5 manga by Kumiko Saiki published by Seven Seas
The Rose of Versailles, Volume 5
Today we look at what was, until 2015, the final volume of the grand historical epic The Rose of Versailles, by Riyoko Ikeda. After the death of Lord…