Talking plush toys, angsting vampires… there’s a lot of variety within shojo manga, as this week’s column proves. First, Jennifer gets us started with a look at the fourth and final volume of Minima! (Del Rey); Erin is disappointed by volume five of Mixed Vegetables (VIZ); Michelle weighs in on volume thirteen of Ouran High School Host Club and volume eight of Vampire Knight (both from VIZ); Ken checks in with volume two of Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi; and Sam rounds things up with his take on volume two of Sumomomo, Momomo (Yen Press).

Minima!, Vol. 4

By Machiko Sakurai
Del Rey, 192 pp.
Rating: 13+

Nicori’s story ends where it began. The amusement park is where things come to a head—Nicori has returned there after hearing that other Nicori dolls are being bought and then discarded as their new owners discover that they don’t talk. He’s also heard the newscast accuse Ame of lying about the fact that he talks, and the thought of his owner, this shy girl he loves so much, being slandered so makes him return to become an attraction.

Things are difficult for Ame, as well. She has no idea of why Nicori has left, and it’s not until her Chicken doll breaks the rules himself and tells her what’s going on. She then rushes off to find Midori, finding out when she gets to his house that the reason he got so angry at her before was that he had just discovered that his parents were getting a divorce.

I hated watching this end, but love the way it ended. It’s so fitting and bittersweet, telling not only of the bond between this girl and her doll but of this girl and the world around her. She’s shifted and changed over the course of these four volumes and her year in seventh grade, morphing from a shy, withdrawn child to a teenager who, while quiet, has the confidence to interact with the world around her. She’s gone from having only one friend to having many, and is learning how to communicate her feelings. Nicori will forever be an important figure in her life—evident, I think, from the first pages of the series where we see him seated at her wedding, but this conclusion brings that home. This is her best friend. This is who helped her grow up. This small, plush thing is a symbol of her adolescence, and that shift from looking inwards to looking outwards. If only we could all have such a toy, such a friend.

Volume four of Minima! is available now.

–Reviewed by Jennifer Dunbar

Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 5

By Ayumi Komura
VIZ, 184 pp.
Rating: Teen

Kate reviewed volume one here.

Mixed Vegetables has the unfortunate distinction of crawling into my list of “Top Three Most Disappointing Shojo Titles” following Magic Touch (Less talking! More shiatsu!) and Sugar Princess: Skating to Win (not nearly enough ice skating). I really love sports manga, cooking manga, and romance, so a title about competitive students falling in love at a cooking high school ought to be a winner. Instead, there’s a lot of talking about feelings and not nearly enough talking about food.

In volume five, Hanayu has started working part-time at her crush’s sushi shop, but Komura doesn’t give us much sushi information because Hanayu’s first duty is to keep the customers’ tea and water glasses full. Meanwhile, Hayato gets a chance to help out at the pastry shop, but he’s pretty much given up on his pastry dream entirely (so disappointing!). Although Hanayu and Hayato broke up in volume two, their romance is now back on.

Komura said in volume three that her art had changed, and she’s right—unfortunately, it has changed for the worse. Starting with volume three, there are too many close-ups and the pacing is weirdly off. Something has gone horribly wrong, but I can’t quite put a finger on it. Further analysis is required!

Volume five of Mixed Vegetables is available now.

–Reviewed by Erin Finnegan

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 13

By Bisco Hatori
VIZ, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen

Feelings. That’s entirely what this volume is about. First, you’ve got Haruhi taking a love quiz and finally realizing that what she feels for Tamaki isn’t just admiration of his many good qualities, but actually love. Not that she’s ready to deal with that just yet, so she resolves to take his advice and start accumulating more life experience. Next, Hikaru informs Tamaki that he loves Haruhi, which sends Tamaki into a tizzy that still doesn’t result in him realizing his own feelings.

Even though I get the sense that not too much about this series is planned in advance, Hatori-sensei does at least offer a credible explanation for Tamaki’s family fixation and exactly why he may be unable to acknowledge his feelings for Haruhi. I also like how Haruhi realizes that Tamaki’s been encouraging her to be less apathetic for quite some time now and how he, who is pursuing his new career goals with much energy, has actually become her role model in a lot of ways.

This series is nothing if not lighthearted, but sometimes the side trips into comedy (or unnecessary appearances by other host club members) get in the way of the love story. Still, it’s fundamentally a warm, fuzzy, and satisfying read.

Volume thirteen of Ouran High School Host Club will be available on November 3, 2009.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi, Vol. 2

By Yu Minamoto
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Mature (18 +)

Yoichi Karasuma is a young samurai who’s lived in seclusion, studying swordsmanship under the tutelage of his father. Unfortunately, Yoichi was too good of a student and surpassed his father. His father, unable to cope with it, sent Yoichi off into modern Japan to study martial arts at a dojo run by underage girls who all develop a fondness for Yoichi. If that’s not enough, two beautiful and young women from a dying martial arts school appear with designs on assassinating Yoichi! Fan service and hilarity ensues.

Samurai Harem is a straightforward harem and fan service book: one clueless guy surrounded by lots of young girls who are fascinated by him for one reason or other, many of whom develop crushes on him as well. The girls spend most of the story pondering why they like him or why they get upset or so angry with him when he looks at another woman, and Yoichi spends most of the time getting nosebleeds, drooling over women and acting anachronistically to get laughs from the reader. There does seem to be some kind of brewing plot about someone out to kill Yoichi, but it’s mostly lost and forgotten amongst the panty shots. Yu Minamoto’s art isn’t horrible but it’s not fantastic, either. It’s a bit bland but it does get the job done, and by job I mean it does a good job at depicting scantily clad underage girls in compromising positions. There was clearly a lot of attention given to the girls’ panties, which makes a certain amount of sense given how often they’re shown.

There really isn’t a whole lot more to say about Samurai Harem. I found it to be average and forgettable in both story and artwork. In fairness, though, harem manga isn’t really my thing in the first place. I’m sure there’s an audience out there for this kind of book given how many of them are kicking around, but clearly I’m not it. But hey, if you’re one of those people who like watching young girls run around in their panties and guys getting lots of nosebleeds, then have I got a book for you!

Volume two of Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi is available now.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

Sumomomo, Momomo, Vol. 2

By Shinobu Ohtaka
Yen Press, 208 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

In my review for volume one of Sumomomo, Momomo, I predicted that the story would move away from the comedy and more towards the martial arts and action. Thankfully, I was wrong. Volume two picks up the story of Koushi as he dodges not only assassination attempts but kisses from his wife-to-be, Momoko. The book has chosen comedy as its forte, and I couldn’t be happier. This volume introduces us to another pair of poor and lovelorn martial artists, as well as develops the class rep character, Sanae Nakajima. It’s nice to see newer characters to build up a good base but I am pleased that the cast isn’t getting spread too thin.

I am very pleased at the directions this book took. The art has remained just as good as it was in the first volume, but just like with the writing, it has finally found what it wants to show us. The first volume was a bit too fan service-y for me; though these scenes were funny, I felt that it really only took away the silliness behind it. Thankfully, volume two only has two outstandingly sexual scenes and rather refines Shinobu Ohtaka’s sketchy art style that drives his comedy. I will admit it; I am hooked and can’t wait for three.

Volume two of Sumomomo, Momomo is available now.

–Reviewed by Sam Kusek

Vampire Knight, Vol. 8

By Matsuri Hino
VIZ, 208 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Have you ever seen anyone claim, in defense of Vampire Knight, “It gets better! Wait until you get to chapter 35!”? Well, it turns out that they’re half right.

Chapter 35 is a game-changer, with the full details of Yuki’s forgotten past coming to light along with unexpected revelations and their attendant complications. I found part of what occurs easy to predict, given the final moments of volume seven, but was genuinely surprised by a few things and absolutely delighted by Zero’s tortured reaction. (And yes, I am being terribly vague on purpose. It really is that big of a spoiler.)

However, I wouldn’t say that the series is necessarily better as a result of this dramatic turn. Kaname’s evil relative, Rido, has emerged as the villain of the piece, but he’s a recent addition and woefully undeveloped. Shifting allegiances are tough to pin down, Kaname behaves inscrutably, and the political maneuverings of the vampire realm can be confusing.

These flaws aren’t anything new—and are ameliorated somewhat by the gorgeous art—so I’d advise against developing unrealistically high expectations. Shocking developments aside, volume eight essentially offers more of the same.

Volume eight of Vampire Knight will be available on November 3, 2009.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith