Seven for the seventh! Melinda starts us off with a review of volume two of Amefurashi: The Rain Goddess (Del Rey), Connie’s up next with the fifth volume of Aria (TOKYOPOP), Jennifer reviews Boys Love from DMP as well as Liberty Liberty! from BLU Manga, Phil checks out a couple mid-series volumes of Dark Edge (DrMaster), Grant weighs in on the tenth volume of Rosario+Vampire (VIZ), and Michelle takes a look at the third and final installment of Tsubasa: Those with Wings (TOKYOPOP).

Amefurashi: The Rain Goddess, Vol. 2

By Atsushi Suzumi
Del Rey, 240 pp.
Rating: T (13+)

At the end of volume one, Sora, Gimmy, Mil, and Mel set off on a quest to retrieve the core of Sora’s tree. Volume two opens with this quest well underway, though Mil and Mel are mysteriously absent and Gimmy’s guardian is with the group instead. The volume starts strong as Sora and Gimmy face off with two other Amefurashi in order to prove Sora’s claim to the title. Sora learns the value of letting herself get to know humans and Gimmy learns to show Sora that he cares, all over the backdrop of a standard adventure as they head toward a final battle with the power-hungry Amefurashi, Ciel.

Sora and Gimmy’s adventure begins well, but what comes as a surprise as the volume nears its end is that this is, apparently, the final volume of the series. One can’t help but wonder if this was a surprise to the mangaka as well, since the beginning of the volume is paced as though it is the start of something truly epic. The final battle arrives abruptly, tying up loose ends in startling (and not quite graceful) haste. The result is rather jarring and even disappointing as things wrap up just as the story was finally finding its groove. The series’ ending is not entirely unsatisfying but there is a sense that much has been left untold, and it’s rather sad to wave goodbye to the story’s young characters before they’ve really had time to grow.

Though this volume shows great promise in the beginning, easily surpassing the strength of the first, a rush to conclusion in its final chapters keeps it from truly building on that promise.

Volume two of Amefurashi: The Rain Goddess is available now.

–Reviewed by Melinda Beasi

Aria, Vol. 5

By Kozue Amano
Tokyopop, 180 pp.
Rating: OT (16+)

We return to Neo-Venezia once again to find the season has turned to autumn, and we are treated to stories about wasting time, learning from a different gondola teacher, watching a meteor shower, and spending a day in the life of a mail carrier.

I always find myself at a bit of a loss to describe this series. It’s hard to put into words what makes reading each book a pleasure. In this volume, the best example of the nature of the series is probably the chapter where Akari decides to wait for Alicia at a cafe for several hours and ponders the nature of how one spends free time, and how even spending free time simply thinking about how to spend free time can be a joy. The narrative meanders through a meeting with a gentleman, an explanation of “shadow chasing” to preserve the taste of wine, where latte comes from, and some history about San Marco Square in Venice.

Nothing really happens, which is generally the case in all chapters of Aria. But the charm in the series lies in how the characters spend their time admiring their surroundings and take time to pause and appreciate life. It’s a breath of fresh air to read this amid fast-paced shonen or high-drama shojo series, and Aria is made even better by its extremely well-realized setting and the likable cast of characters. It’s a different kind of read, and while not everyone will appreciate the lack of narrative thrust (it’s there, a little bit, and the issue of becoming Primas promises to come up next volume), it’s great for anyone who wants to take a little extra time to savor it.

Volume five of Aria is available now.

–Reviewed by Connie C.

Boys Love

By Kaim Tachibana
Digital Manga Publishing, 200 pp.
Rating: 16+

When magazine editor Taishin Mamiya is assigned to do a profile of teen model Noeru Kisaragi, the last thing he expects is for Noeru to make a pass at him. By “pass,” I mean that Noeru gets Taishin drunk on expensive champagne and goes down on him in the men’s room. The next day, Noeru’s agency calls to complain to Taishin’s magazine, prompting Taishin to go back and see Noeru again to “fix” the article. Another pass at him, and Taishin gives up the article to someone else—he can’t deal with it anymore.

After the article is published, Taishin tries to go see Noeru and meets Chidori, a (male) childhood friend of Noeru’s. Chidori is clearly in love with Noeru, but has never told the other boy. Instead, he does things like housekeeping and shopping and sitting by while Noeru sleeps around with men as if he’s training for some sort of x-rated tournament. Taishin isn’t there for romance, he’s there for answers, but that doesn’t stop jealousy from rearing its ugly head. There’s something in Noeru and Chidori’s shared childhood, the death of an older friend, that has left a scar on both of these young men. There’s something of the dead boy in Taishin, and it pulls at both Noeru and Chidori in different ways.

The story here is told well, and I believe the journey Taishin takes as he gets to know Noeru and develops feelings for the younger man. Their relationship isn’t easy, nor is it portrayed as something blatant. Instead, it’s told through character moments and conversations, the interactions treading a line between a platonic brotherly friendship and something more. Chidori’s childish jealousy adds a complication, blaming Taishin when the real problem is that he’s not capable of relating his true feelings to Noeru until it’s too late. The biggest problem I have is with the ending, which is both predictable and lame. I’m not saying that I necessarily want happy endings on the stories I read, but when previously intelligent characters leap into moronic inaction in order for the author to exact a specific result, it leaves me feeling empty and flat.

Boys Love is available now.

–Reviewed by Jennifer Dunbar

Dark Edge, Vols. 7-8

By Yu Aikawa
Published by DrMaster
Rating: Ages 15+

With only two volumes of Dark Edge under my belt, I wouldn’t dare call myself an expert. The plot of the series, as far as I can tell, involves a school in which the teaching staff is made up of vampires and zombies, the former of whom feed upon the student body after sundown. Actually, they don’t feed on everyone since certain students are “carriers,” meaning they have an “evil gene” in their blood, and if a vampire tries to make a supper from one, they disintegrate or something. I have no idea what part zombies play in any of this.

I mention all this, not because I’m making fun, but to illustrate what new readers’ experiences are likely to be. Neither volume represents an ideal jumping-on point; there’s already an ongoing storyline involving something called the “seed,” which designates the next king of the vampires, provided the bearer dies. Volume seven does feature a character named Kikuchi discovering the school’s carnivorous, supernatural element for the first time. This brings her into contact with Dark Edge’s main cast; however, it proves less of a proper “in” than one might expect, if only because the central protagonists’ backstories are treated like common knowledge.

What newbies will likely take away is the somber atmosphere communicated by Yu’s artwork, which befits the main characters, many of whom are dejected-looking males with beautiful features and longing stares. Some of the vampires also seem patterned after the bishonen aesthetic, and there is a homoerotic subplot involving a young male student who tempts a vampire teacher with his blood in exchange for immortality. Such scenes, as well as the occasional interesting creature design—severed body parts reanimated with bat wings, in one instance—give this series whatever edge it has.

Volumes seven and eight of Dark Edge are available now.

–Reviewed by Phil Guie

Liberty Liberty!

By Hinako Takanaga
Blu, 208 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Kouki Kuwabara, cameraman for a tiny cable station in Osaka, has been tasked with watching the garbage of a woman who lives on 3rd Street in hopes of discovering the identity of the person stalking her. What he finds in the trash, however, is not a stalker. It’s Itaru Yaichi, a young man who has stumbled drunkenly onto the pile and passed out atop it. Kouki, being only human and finding the sight of a college-age boy giggling at himself in a pool of his own vomit to be quite funny, laughs at him. This is a mistake. Itaru leaps into drunken action, tossing a bag of garbage at Kouki and breaking the $2,000 video camera he’s holding.

So Kouki takes him home, sobers him up, and informs him the next morning that he owes the station the cost of the camera. Itaru is a sweet-hearted boy—a writer who had his story idea stolen by his best friend and has run home to Osaka—and offers to volunteer for the station until he finds a job. All the while, he continues to stay with Kouki and strikes up a friendship that very quietly shifts into something more.

No, Liberty Liberty! is not the best BL manga I’ve ever read, but it’s pretty good. It has steady, energetic art and a side cast of characters who make me want to know more about them. The other employees of the station are interesting and fun, especially the anchor, a drag queen named Kurumi who passes well enough that Itaru doesn’t recognize her as biologically male until Kouki tells him. If you’re in the mood for something light and fun to read, you couldn’t go wrong with Liberty Liberty!

Liberty Liberty! is available now.

–Reviewed by Jennifer Dunbar

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 10

By Akihisa Ikeda
Viz Media, 208 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

By volume ten, Rosario+Vampire has spiraled back into the same old schlock that is constantly peddled by the harem genre. Any semblance of deeper storytelling is abandoned in favor of several plot arcs that lead to the girls clamoring after Tsukune and losing various articles of clothing (and only the tiniest shreds of dignity) in the process.

After Tsukune’s fully human cousin, Kyoko, arrives at school with a mysterious envelope, complete chaos ensues. The campus quickly devolves into full-on monster form due the content of the envelope: a spirit and her magic mirror that breaks disguises of those who gaze into it. It turns out the mirror spirit is evil and has to be vanquished to restore order. Unfortunately, everyone in a position to do so is reduced to their base desires and hatreds. This results in all sorts of gratuitous fan service and a cat fight among the girls. The headmaster proves to be completely worthless (what a surprise!) and Kyoko is whisked away by the Bus Driver and is never mentioned again. I guess she is expected to be good about keeping secrets when it comes to the campus.

The campus has to be shut down for repairs after the mirror incident, which results in a trip home for Tsukune. His relaxing downtime quickly turns crazy, as it turns out he was followed home by pretty much all of his female friends from school. It all comes to a boiling point when Tsukune is trailed into the shower, which results in an all-out brawl in his neighborhood. All of this prompted me to say, “Hasn’t this been done before?” My reply to myself: “Yeah, actually. In the previous chapters. And several times in past volumes.”

Those of you who love Rosario+Vampire for its light tales and not-so-light fan service will find plenty to love here. Me? I was hoping Ikeda would offer something that was more than skin deep. He’s proven before that it’s possible.

Volume ten of Rosario+Vampire is available now.

–Reviewed by Grant Goodman

Tsubasa: Those with Wings, Vol. 3

By Natsuki Takaya
TOKYOPOP, 400 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

After a disappointing start and lackluster middle, Natsuki Takaya finally delivers a mostly satisfying conclusion in this, the final volume of Tsubasa: Those with Wings.

We begin with Kotobuki and friends (sans Raimon, who is prohibited from leaving the country by a bomb in his brain) in Japan, where they conveniently meet the Tsubasa’s creator and learn the secrets of its origin. After several tedious chapters featuring characters sitting around and talking, the plot picks up when Raimon is captured by the army. Kotobuki wants to rescue him but lacks confidence so Rikuro, a mysterious boy who has helped her on a few occasions, shows up and replays Raimon’s past for her so that she can see how much she has helped him already. Painful backstories are Takaya-sensei’s forte, and Raimon’s proves to be unexpectedly touching.

From there, the story morphs into an enjoyable sci-fi action tale, with Kotobuki making her way through a sprawling military complex to rescue her love and ultimately facing off against the big villain (who, of course, has angst of his own). Along the way, she lends encouragement to allies and enemies alike, showing a profound resemblance to Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket. Indeed, this quote about Kotobuki could easy apply to Tohru, as well:

She isn’t supposed to have the time to be worrying about anyone else right now. Still… her foolishness somehow always winds up becoming much-needed support for someone else.

Coming back to the same themes and character types might, in some creators’ hands, feel like uninspired regurgitation, but with Takaya it feels more like someone playing with and fine-tuning ideas. If nothing else, Tsubasa: Those with Wings is interesting as a milestone on the way to a greater work.

Volume three of Tsubasa: Those with Wings is available now.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith