Girlish Number Episode #07 Anime Review

Your father's not always going to be well, you know.

What They Say:

No one wants to get stuck in a boring profession, so when college student Chitose Karasuma storms into a voice acting training facility, she thinks that her future is poised for awesomeness. However, this bad-mannered beauty is in for more than she bargained for as she gets accepted into the talent agency “Number One Produce.” Together with her coworkers, including a girl with a Kansai accent and a cunning airhead, Chitose charges into the competitive world of professional voice acting.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of this review may contain spoilers)

After last week's episode ended with Kazuha slipping into an alcohol-induced coma, this week's episode picks off the same exact way! And what makes being drunk for an entire week even better? A sporadic visit from your mother! Once Kazuha returns home (Escorted by Momoka and Chitose), she's unable to find the key to her apartment. Just when it seems like all hope is lost, good ole' mama-san shows up and welcomes the three girls inside. After saying a bunch of mom-like things like, "Where are the tea cups you use for guests?" Momoka and Chitose leave and Kazuha is left to fend off her mother all by her inebriated self. It's immediately evident that the reason Shibasaki has been so off-putting of her mother is simply because said mother is such a...well, mother.

The next day begins just like all of the others -- our heroines are promoting Kusure with yet another fan-oriented segment. This time, however, Shibasaki's mother tags along as well. The only catch is that she wasn't necessarily invited. Now, the conflict becomes the difficult task of Kazuha hiding her embarrassment while performing in front of her mom. Of course, this doesn't work, but Shibasaki trudges through anyway because she's such a professional. That is until her father's disapproval of the swimsuit shoot is brought up. And who is better to soothe the worries of a concerned father than...Kuzu-P? Oh god, this isn't going to end well.

And, of course, it doesn't end well.

In order to remedy this entire scenario, the Kusure staff devises a plan to send Shibasaki back home in order to smooth things over. This seems like a completely normal, logical plan...until Kuzu-P decides that it would be best if he came as well. And with Shibasaki's home city being the hot spring capital of Japan, you can bet your bottom dollar that Chitose wants to come as well. And thus begins Operation: Meet Shibasaki's Dad. Unfortunately for us, that's going to have to wait until next week.

On the opposite side of the playing field, things for Momoka aren't going all that well either. Anytime anyone even mentions parental relationships, you can basically feel her cringe. The thing is, the relationship she actually has with her mother isn't necessarily a bad one. I think Momoka's problem is that she wants more of a relationship. Throughout all of her life, Momoka has viewed her mother as not only a star but a sort of consult for her own seiyuu-related doings when all she really wants is just a mother. It isn't the whole 'living in her shadow' thing after all. She simply wants her mother to treat her like a daughter and not another professional voice actor.

In Summary:

This incredibly mom-oriented episode of Girlish Number successfully furthers character development for both Shibasaki and Momoka. With Shibasaki's family being remarkably traditional and Momoka's family being remarkably untraditional, we get to see two completely different sides of the seiyuu-spectrum that ultimately winds up shaping a consistently entertaining and diverse seventh episode. As is the norm for most recent industry-based anime, the characters of Girlish Number are going to be the driving force for the success of the series. Considering how much care is being put into each of the heroines' backstories (With Yae and Koto still on the backburner), I'm very excited to see more Girlish Number in the future. Thanks to an onslaught of subtle, sarcastic humor and an increasingly lovable roster, this is easily one of my favorite shows this season.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Top 10 Cutest Anime Girls Of Fall 2016

Greetings and salutations, avid readers. Now that we've passed the halfway point of the season and given plenty of different heroines sufficient time to shine, it is time for us...well, me to rank them! As you can see, I've switched back to the Top 10 format because frankly, last season just had way too many cute girls. But can the girls from this season harness their respective cuteness and surpass those from last time around? Probably not! But let's do this thing anyway!

Girls will be judged based on appearance, personality, voice, and random other aspects of them that I see fit.

I also want to thank everyone for the very limited hate mail regarding the omission of Rem from last season.

Let us begin!



10) Hinata Kawamoto

Anime: March Comes In Like A Lion

CV: Kana Hanazawa

So, like always, Kana Hanazawa has found her way into my seasonal top ten. This time, however, she plays a someone exceedingly more innocent than last season's Kagari from Rewrite. Hinata isn't the type of cute where you're like, "Yo, I hope she gives me a love letter." But instead, she's the little sister type of cute where everything she does basically makes your heart melt into a puddle of weird organic mush on the floor. And while much of her appeal comes from Hanazawa's performance, she's adorable nonetheless and surprising addition to this season's roster.

9) Makoto Noro

Anime: Trickster

CV: Ibuki Kido

Makoto is a little...odd. And if you've watched Trickster, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't watched Trickster...well, honestly, don't bother. Anyway, if you've read any of my other countdowns you will know I'm a sucker for girls that rock pink and red. I'm also a sucker for thigh-highs. Well, as you can see, Makoto adheres to both of these tastes and, when you toss in the fact that she is a literal shut-in a super tech-geek, you've got yourself a contender for not just my heart but a plethora of sweaty otaku hearts out there. It's too bad that she's a part of such a mediocre anime. That might have hurt her score a little bit. Either way, I'd date her. We could, like, Skype call each other and stuff.

8) Aria Kurenaino

Anime: Occultic;Nine

CV: Miyuki Sawashiro

Okay, back to little sisters. Despite that adorable headband and cute little Santa coat, Aria's a complete psychopath. This, of course, makes her even more attractive. The fact that her obsession with her brother was so immense that, even after his passing, she kept his body in her house...well, I mean, how can you not be turned on by that?...No? Is it really just me? Anyway, Aria's sections in Occultic;Nine are definitely some of the more interesting ones -- and it wouldn't be that way if she weren't such a great character. And while she didn't lock in the best position on this countdown for Occultic;Nine (Insert drumroll), she's got a tight hold on second place.

7) Koto Katakura

Anime: Girlish Number

CV: Yui Ishikawa

Ahh, Girlish Number -- Yet another anime about anime. Koto Katakura is a bit older than that of the average on most of my countdowns, coming in at a still-young 26. It isn't often that a girl older than me earns my love, but when you've got cute Kansai accent and great fashion sense, that doesn't really matter, now does it? Not only do these attributes land her at a decent rank, but look at her hair. What kind of shampoo do you guys think she uses? Aussie? I do have a question about Katakura, though...Why is she wearing three hoodies? It's brave wardrobe choices like this that make me fall for girls...You heard it here first.

6) Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt

Anime: Izetta (The Last Witch)

CV: Saori Hayami

And the award for longest name on the countdown goes to...yeah. So, Princess Ortfiné (Or just Finé for short) is just as badass as she is utterly adorable. Being the figurehead of the principality of Eylstadt's army, Finé is no stranger to harsh circumstances. But even though she is locked in a losing battle, she never gives up hope. OH, and she is probably the only person in the world who can wear a fedora and not look like an idiot. I'm really never the kind of guy that goes for the princess-type, but Finé is different. Instead of being a typical princess, she's like this tomboyish, queenlike crossbreed that gets cuter and cuter as the series goes on. Also, I love Saori Hayami. That is all.

5) Miyuu Aikawa

Anime: Occultic;Nine

CV: Hitomi Yoshida

(Drumroll from earlier ends). If there's anything that says, "I make a great girlfriend," it's being able to tell the future. Okay, maybe not really, but that's not a bad quality to have. Miyuu (Or Myu if we're going by Internet aliases) isn't really as bizarre as her outfit makes her seem. In fact, she's pretty darn normal apart from her freakishly long hair. But it's these average girl qualities and above-average looks that make her so down-to-earth that it's hard to look past her. She's just flat out cool, there's no other way to put it. Being cool scores attractive-points. We all went to high school -- we know that by now.

4) Chitose Karasuma

Anime: Girlish Number

CV: Sayaka Senbongi

So here we are at the Final Four, where Chitose Karasuma makes her debut as a still-untalented seiyuu with an ego the size of the Empire State building. However, that ego is exactly what landed her so high up in this ranking. Chitose is not only the most sarcastic and oblivious protagonist this season, she's the funniest. And even though she isn't necessarily trying to be funny when she thinks she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, it's still a complete joy to watch. Mix that in with, you guessed it, pink hair and you have a fiery bundle of cuteness that you'll want to stuff inside of your pocket for three hours before remembering that the bundle is actually a total bitch and must be thrown into the nearest trash can. In a good way.

3) Izetta

Anime: Izetta (The Last Witch)

CV: Himika Akaneya

"Wow, this guy really does like red hair". You're damn right I do. But don't worry, Izetta here is the last girl on the countdown with that hair color. Being the counterpart and best friend of Finé from earlier on in the countdown, Izetta manages to bust her way in here during the latter stages of her aptly-named anime series. And while she isn't as headstrong and direct as Finé, she can 'effing fly. Think about the places you'd be able to go together! Apart from the whole magic thing, I'd probably go as far as saying that Izetta is the most physically attractive girl of the season. But cuteness isn't skin-deep, guys. And while Izetta's personality doesn't necessarily work against her, the next two girls really had her beat in that aspect. It's okay, Izetta. We still love you.

2) Momoka Sonou

Anime: Girlish Number

CV: Eri Suzuki

You know, I was almost 100% certain that Chitose was going to be my favorite heroine in Girlish Number after the first couple episodes. But honestly, Momoka is just perfect. And even though she also has an incredibly large ego, she's at least polite about it -- something Chitose can't even fathom. Momoka, being an established seiyuu at such a young age, still has her own inner struggles in living in her mother's shadow. And even though the wait of said shadow gets her down at times, she still puts on an energetic and composed front at all times, making her an ideal choice for the runner-up of this season's countdown. Also, twintails.

Fall 2016 Champion: 1) Kumiko Oumae

Anime: Sound! Euphonium Season 2

CV: Tomoyo Kurosawa

This is something I never saw coming. In fact, back during the first season of Sound Euphonium, I didn't even put Kumiko in the countdown -- it was Asuka that represented the series. But now that Kumiko's character has developed and she's given various hints at her borderline yuri outlook on Reina, Kumiko has surpassed all expectations in the field of cuteness. Apart from just that, though, she's so damn chill. Normally, you'll look at anime character and they'll be...you know, animated. Kumiko, however, wears her head on her shoulders at all times and isn't just doing so in order to get by. She feels like an actual character with actual opinions on things instead of just a copy/paste Kyo-Ani heroine. The fact that she's held her ground and worked so hard at improving herself [easily] makes her not only the cutest girl of the season but the best girl of the season.



And there you have it, guys! These are your ten cutest girls of the Fall 2016 season. I'm sorry to anyone that had their favorite heroine omitted this time around, but maybe next time they'll wind up making it in! I mean, they probably won't, but there's still hope! Never give up. Believe in the me that believes in you!

Don't forget to check me out on Twitter @DJNOSTYLE and browse the rest of what this glorious website has to offer. You might just find something awesome. In fact, you will find something awesome.

Adios!

Girlish Number Episode #06 Anime Review

So...what are we going to do about the second season of Kusure?

What They Say:

No one wants to get stuck in a boring profession, so when college student Chitose Karasuma storms into a voice acting training facility, she thinks that her future is poised for awesomeness. However, this bad-mannered beauty is in for more than she bargained for as she gets accepted into the talent agency “Number One Produce.” Together with her coworkers, including a girl with a Kansai accent and a cunning airhead, Chitose charges into the competitive world of professional voice acting.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of this review may contain spoilers)

This week, Girlish Number has decided to adhere to the industry standard of incorporating at least one beach/waterpark episode in a multi-heroine series. That being said, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be some slow-motion splashing and some good, old-fashioned fun in the sun as our girls unwind after a long [unsuccessful] season of Kusure. And even though we didn't get to see our heroines in the swimsuits Kuzu picked out for them (SIGH), we've still got a solid first-time fanservice scene for Girlish Number, albeit an incredibly tame one. But I'm not going to complain. Any amount of Momoka is enough Momoka for me.

Apart from the swimsuit montage (Which was only shot to provide "Bonus" material for those who purchased the blu-ray), we get to see a bit of the aftermath that follows ending an anime series. This aftermath, of course, includes new auditions, new faces, and enough alcohol to kill a horse. Not just a small horse either. Like, a full grown horse-sized horse. Regardless of several specific heroines sloping down an ever-increasing path toward alcoholism, this episode is honestly a ton of fun. We learn more about several of the girls as they begin to open up to one another. Kind of. Koto has a conversation with Shibasaki about how she was going to give up and head home if she wasn't able to land a protagonist role. On the other side of things, the weight of the world on Momoka's shoulders becomes apparent as she is simply living in mother's shadow. In the latter half of this episode, Momoka actually receives an offer to work alongside her mother and, instead of graciously accepting, she gets caught in a rut between real happiness and the facade that she's been working in for years now.

It's not all sadness and frowns in this episode, though. (And no, I'm not flashing back to the swimsuit montage). We get the pleasure of witnessing a couple anime wrap parties! These parties, however, are pretty damn bland in comparison to the ones we got to see back in Shirobako. Hell, in Girlish Number, the Kusure wrap party basically consisted of the girls doing the same thing they did during their stay in Okinawa -- sitting together and drinking away their sorrows. In the midst of this, Shibasaki's problems begin to show up through frequent, ignored phone calls from her mother. All throughout this episode, it's apparent that Shibasaki is pushing away...well, pretty much everything. She clearly has problems with her confidence and this is punched in even harder when she basically says to Chitose, "I have problems with confidence". Gee, you don't say?

After the Kusure wrap party...wraps up...(sigh)...we're brought back to the bar with Kuzu and friends where it is revealed that the second season of Kusure will once again rely on Towada doing literally everything. Poor Towada. Hang in there, man.

In Summary:

If we take all six episodes of Girlish Number and separate them into two baskets (One being the better half, one being the worse half), this episode would be in the better basket. And without transforming this review into a third-grade math problem, I think it's safe to say that Girlish Number has established somewhat of a consistency in what we're going to be getting from it. Character development is actually prevalent and, as the story inches further every week, we're learning more and more about not necessarily the anime industry, but the attitudes and feelings of those who work within it, albeit in an incredibly sarcastic manner. Regardless of the show's tone or even the story itself, every key ingredient that goes into the recipe for fun is located within the confines of this series. I've been reminded why I love it each week so far and will continue to look forward to it over the next month and a half.

Grade: A-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Girlish Number Episode #05 Anime Review

Let's make more fans and become popular voice actresses!

What They Say:

No one wants to get stuck in a boring profession, so when college student Chitose Karasuma storms into a voice acting training facility, she thinks that her future is poised for awesomeness. However, this bad-mannered beauty is in for more than she bargained for as she gets accepted into the talent agency “Number One Produce.” Together with her coworkers, including a girl with a Kansai accent and a cunning airhead, Chitose charges into the competitive world of professional voice acting.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of this review may contain spoilers)

Now that Kusure is finally airing, the only real conflict for our seiyuu should be sticking with the series and supporting it all the way through. Well, for Chitose, this is a slight problem. Considering the platform she's placed herself on is around the size of the Empire State Building, it's safe to say that her ego has grown to be a little too much for her body to contain. So, as always, she begins to act like she's a big deal when, in all actuality, Chitose is still nothing more than an amateur voice actor.

After the girls have their CD debut sell over 10,000 copies, Chitose and the other newbies wind up making a huge deal out of it. But when Chitose confronts Momoka and Kazuha about this, they have essentially no idea what she's even talking about. Of course, Chitose takes this as a sign of what professionals do and, when it comes time to hand out merchandise for the series at Comiket, she [expectedly] comes off as cocky and uninterested to all of the fans that waited in line. Koto and Yae, on the other hand, are extremely gracious and seem to be pretty well-received all around. Another example of Chitose's ego explosion comes earlier in the episode when she full-on disguises herself before going into and anime and manga shop. This girl needs to settle down.

When Chitose is finally done with Comiket and whatever else she's been up to (Nothing), she decides to kick back and watch the video of the hand-out event she was in with the others. To her dismay, almost every single comment on the video was an attack on her persona, which we all know was well-deserved after every other girl was so much more congenial than her. Of course, Chitose throws a temper tantrum and says that everyone is singling her out and she didn't do anything (Which is exactly the point). So now, not only is the anime series itself being bombarded with hate, so is the main actress. Even with all this, though, a second season still manages to be confirmed. Luckily for everyone, the Blu-ray sales at least seem to be doing well.

Meanwhile, back in the production sector, things don't seem to be going all that well. Not only is the series not bringing in the money it needs to remain financially stable, the author seems to have completely erased the series from his mind altogether. And as if that wasn't enough, the director and his staff are losing faith in the project. Hell, his production assistant even recommended quitting. Can all of these things be remedied now that the second cour is coming up?

Probably not! But let's keep watching!

In Summary:

Girlish Numbers remains as consistent as ever in this depressingly Momoka-less fifth episode. Chitose's ego is still managing to increase despite the popular belief that she couldn't be any more self-centered even if she tried. While Koto and Yae do their best to stay under the radar and incessantly work toward improving themselves, Chitose remains in a non-existent spotlight growing dimmer each week. If anything, it's definitely going to be interesting to see how Kusure recovers from its underwhelming first cour. As for our main heroine? Well, I guess we can all hope that she one day learns that she isn't as great as she thinks she is. But hey, that's why we love her. Right?

Grade: B

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected Vol. #02 Manga Review

Die in a fire, youth.

Creative Staff:

Original Story: Wataru Watari
Art: Naomichi Ito
Character Design: Ponkan8
Translation: Jennifer Ward
Lettering: Bianca Pistillo

Cover Design: Hiroyuki Kawasome

What They Say:

Hachiman Hikigaya may be in a club with two hot girls, but this isn't going to turn into a rom-com. He may have given out his number, but his phone will remain untexted. Besides, the only true cutie around here? Yeah, it's a guy.

Hachiman the loser, Yukino the ice queen, and Yui the bimbo have to find some way to put the "service" back in "Service Club" -- but so far they've scored zero points in the game of high school life.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

After completing their first real mission in conquering the kitchen difficulties Yuigahama faced, the service club inches a step or two closer toward being more than just a quiet room where loners read books and shoot condescending remarks at one another. Now that the club roster has grown to an ever-impressive three members, the requests start pouring in. Kind of. Okay, not really -- but at least our main characters have something to do.

The first of these requests comes from Saika Totsuka, who is totally a dude. (You probably won't understand that if you haven't read this yet). Totsuka problem is a little heftier than Yuigahama's, however. Instead of just wanting to figure out how to make a passable batch of cookies, Totsuka want's to essentially save the school's tennis club from an encroaching state of disrepair. According to him, all of the club's older members aren't all that good, and with that in mind, the younger members are beginning to become demoralized and lose interest in improving. Totsuka, noticing the club's shortcomings, figures that the service club may be able to help him in some way or another. And so they do. Or, at least they try to until all of those damn popular kids show up.

Wanting the keep the tennis court for themselves, the popular kids wind up challenging Hachiman and company to a doubles match: Hayama and Miura vs. Hachiman and Yui. The winner of said match will be able to hold the court and the loser will walk away. And while this match is initially in favor of Hayama and Miura, it takes a dramatic shift when Hachiman starts harnessing skills he picked up during his depressingly lonely middle-school days. To make a [kind of] long story short, Yui winds up getting hurt, Yukino steps in, and the service club wins. Totsuka, even though he has barely cooperated in any of this, winds up walking away at the end of the day being magically better at tennis because that's how practice works.

Our next problem comes from good ole' Hayama, himself. Apparently, there have been text messages circulating around school detailing rumors about three of the guys from his group of friends. Hayama, being a textbook 'lawful good' character, wants to put a stop to these texts and restore order to his clique. However, considering how lawfully good he is, he wants to do this without exposing who has been sending the text messages in the first place. Yukino, not wanting to touch this with a ten-foot pole, sicks Hachiman and Yui on the task and the two get off to a rocky start in determining where this is all coming from. Fortunately for everyone, Hachiman has the superhuman ability to read any and all situations and winds up deducting that none of the three guys involved in these text messages are actually friends with one another. Instead, their social lives revolve around Hayama and how he is basically the glue keeping everyone together. After Hachiman reveals this, Hayama decides it is in everyone's best interest if he does not pair with any of the guys in the upcoming class trip and essentially forces them to bond with one another. Really, though, what a great dude. Right?

Just as things begin to wind down for the service club, another request makes its way to Hachiman and 'friends'. Initially brought up by Komachi, it is revealed that Hachiman's classmate, Saki Kawasaki, has sloped into a state of delinquency -- not showing up at home until almost 5:00 AM some nights. This request, initially stemming from Saki's younger brother, Taishi, is gracefully taken on and each member (As well as Zaimokuza for some reason) gets to devise their own plan on how to tackle it. While our main members' plans wind up crashing and burning, Zaimokuza's gets off to a decent start. Somehow or another, the service club winds up linking the word 'Angel' to a location that Kawasaki allegedly has started working at. Being a super-otaku, a nearby maid cafe jumps out of Zaimokuza's memory and the service club makes its way there. In a cliche example of comedic timing, our club members arrive at the same instance that Kawasaki is leaving -- and they manage to do this without even noticing her. DUN DUN DUN.

In Summary:

While this manga tailors beautifully to pre-existing fans of the Oregairu series, it doesn't hit nearly as hard as the other adaptations (Anime/Light novel). That being said, it really isn't bad by any means. There are a few inconsistencies in terms of general artwork, but thanks to an immensely lovable cast and a plethora of modern philosophy from Hachiman, this manga adaptation is still one that I'd go on to recommend to all fans of the slice-of-life genre. Even though it does have a few minor setbacks, the manga is very clearly progressing -- and it's doing so at a pleasant, enjoyable pace.

Content Grade: B+

Art Grade: B-

Packaging Grade: B-

Text/Translation Grade: A

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: September 20, 2016

MSRP: $12.99

Horimiya Vol. #05 Manga Review

To think that just five days could be this long...

Creative Staff:

Art: Daisuke Hagiwara

Story: Hero

Translation: Taylor Engel

Lettering: Alexis Eckerman

What They Say:

Hori and Miyamura are now officially a couple, and everyone knows it. But not everything's coming up roses for Miyamura, who's worried that people are talking about Hori behind her back. When his anxiety about being Hori's boyfriend reaches fever pitch, Miyamura drastically changes his look, which changes everyone's opinion of him all at once...

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Okay, so Hori and Miyamura are finally going out. Awesome. But what does this mean for the series itself? I mean, up until this point, the entire conflict was the whole unrecognized/unlikely love bit. Will the manga be able to figure out a new conflict now that all of our problems have been solved? Well, as the last volume made it seem in its final pages, Miyamura's new appearance might just play a key role in determining that new conflict. Or at least that's what volume five leads us to believe for the first chapter or two.

Right off the bat, Miyamura is bombarded with an array of girls asking questions about where he works, how many piercings he has, and a million other things that teenage girls make up in order to flirt with hot dudes. Miyamura, not knowing how to handle this, is essentially dismissive of all of them while remaining polite. Hori, on the other hand, begins to transform into the 'Ice Queen' and winds up giving any girl that approaches her new boyfriend the death stare as soon as they come within five feet of him. This goes on as if it's normal until a second-year named Honoka Sawada shows up and starts stalking our male protagonist. And while it initially appears that Sawada has fallen madly in love with Miyamura, it doesn't really work out that way...

Apparently...Sawada is in love with Hori. Plot twist. This, of course, isn't revealed until Hori almost kills the poor girl following the incessant stalking of her boyfriend. From this point on, Sawada starts tagging along with Hori and Miyamura far more often than Miyamura's comfort-zone permits. Instead of being totally weirded out, Hori is actually very welcoming of Sawada and even winds up inviting her over for dinner once or twice. And just when the manga begins to develop an alternate-universe yuri route, Sawada's past begins to come into play.

In an unprecedented turn of events, Sawada winds up being Miyamura's neighbor. And, after being locked out of her house one day, Miyamura invites her inside where she goes on to talk about how she had an older brother a few years ago. Key word: Had. After Sawada leaves, Miyamura speaks with his parents who go on to tell him that she was, in fact, telling the truth. After this, it becomes apparent that Sawada has a fear of men altogether. However, she seems to be fine around Miyamura. Could this be the beginning of a totally platonic brother/sister relationship between these two? I hope so. Sawada is straight-up adorable.

The only other major development in terms of story brought on by volume five is the lack of physical contact between our two love interests. In the last chapter, Hori asks Miyamura outright why he never "tries anything with her." This, of course, prompts him to ask the typical manga protagonist question of, "Uhh, is that cool?" before Hori's father bursts in and interrupts the moments in a completely cliche turn of events. Damnit, Kyousuke. Other than this and the whole Sawada thing, though, this volume follows a bit of a different pattern. In between actual development are these random, mini-episode type things that just detail random day-to-day happenings in the Hori household. And even though nearly half of this volume is comprised of said mini-episodes, none of them play a true part in adding to the plot whatsoever. And, all of a sudden, Horimiya begins to have filler. If it weren't for these out-of-place semi-chapters strewn about the book, this would have been another incredibly strong installment in the Horimiya series.

In Summary:

A change in formula winds up working against Horimiya as the series begins to install small, filler-type arcs that go on to distract from an ever-developing story. The addition of Sawada to the character roster is definitely one of the better additions thus far, but the time taken away from her character's role winds up making this volume relatively underwhelming when compared to the others. Even though Miyamura and Hori's relationship hasn't changed much from volume four to volume five, it's still delightful seeing them flourish as adolescent lovers, always eager to learn more about one another. Even with this volume's setbacks, Horimiya remains an extremely endearing romantic comedy with one of the greatest relationship chemistries in the shonen genre right now.

Content Grade: B

Art Grade: A-

Packaging Grade: A

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: October 25, 2016

MSRP: $12.99

How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend Vol. #03 Manga Review

Through hardship comes strength. Pray for good luck.

Creative Staff:

Original Story: Fumiaki Maruto

Art: Takeshi Moriki

Character Design: Kurehito Misaki

Translation: Kumar Sivasubramanian

Translation Consultant: Chitoku Teshima

Lettering: Phil Christie

What They Say:

Though the creative differences between the main writers have led to major head-butting, the plot of Aki's game is completed without further incident after he spends a sweet night with Utaha.

Character design is up next on the to-do list, but before that can get underway, a familiar face from Aki's past shows up waiting for him at the school gate! Little Izumi isn't so little anymore, and her debut sends shockwaves through the other heroines!! A "doujinshi" showdown awaits at Summer Comiket!! Is Aki's dating sim on the backburner?!

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

After leaving Katou hanging at the end SaeKano's last volume, Tomoya has made it a mission to find Kasumigaoka Utaha. Not feeling completely satisfied with her plot for his dating sim, Tomoya decides that he can not let the story progress any further until his concerns are addressed. The main concern, of course, is having Megumi's character (Meguri) essentially wiped clean from the story in the ending. After searching around for hours, Tomoya eventually finds Utaha and the two retreat to her hotel room, where he must spend the night after missing the last train. It is at this point where we begin to see several parallels with Utaha's characters and our story itself. While it is evident that the main heroine for the game is a play on Katou (I mean, that's the entire plot of the game. We all know that), we begin to notice that Ruri's character is actually Utaha's take on herself. Ruri, being the little sister of the game's protagonist, is a walking symbol of the past. Utaha having written Ruri in as the only remaining heroine at the end of the game is metaphorical for still wanting to end up with Tomoya, even after everything that's happened between them. And while Tomoya doesn't necessarily understand that, it still plays a huge role in determining Kasumigaoka's participation in the project.

Eventually, Tomoya is able to convince Utaha to change the ending of the game after several flashback panels detail their previous relationship, which has since started to vanish. As the manga heads back toward its usual happenings, a new heroine appears -- Izumi Hashima. Izumi, another childhood friend of Tomoya's, comes on strong right off the bat, incessantly calling him senpai and inadvertently throwing herself at him. After making a terrible impression on the other three girls competing for the protagonist's love, Izumi hands Tomoya a circle-ticket to Summer Comiket and asks that he help her sell her new doujin, Fancy Wave Vol. 8. Accompanied by Katou, Tomoya ventures out to Comiket and does just that as he harnesses his knowledge of the doujin market and winds up selling out of Izumi's book almost immediately. Here's where the manga trails off into what is perhaps the best few chapters of the series thus far.

Eriri, while wandering around Comiket, stumbles across Izumi's booth. After being offered a free copy of Fancy Wave, Eriri kicks into tsun-mode, hands the book back, and storms off. Tomoya, of course, chases after his childhood friend which ultimately ends up in an argument that further damages the already depreciating relationship of these two characters. Eriri has a crush on Tomoya -- we all know that. The only one that doesn't seem to understand this is Tomoya himself. After talking with Utaha and Katou about wanting to repair his relationship with Eriri, the three come up with a genius plan that is sure to get the tsundere to shift back into dere-mode.

In the middle of the night, in a scene right out of a visual novel (Literally), Tomoya shows up at Eriri's balcony dressed as Servis, one of the protagonists of Little Love Rhapsody (Which, in itself, is a symbol of Tomoya and Eriri's relationship). After reciting a line or two from the game, Tomoya grabs his childhood friend's hand and the two run back to their old elementary school -- where all of their relationship problems started in the first place. Even though it initially seems like Tomoya is planning on apologizing for everything that's happened recently, he does the exact opposite. He demands that Eriri apologize to him. As it turns out, when the two of them were younger, Eriri gave into bullying and stopped talking to Tomoya about anime at school -- fearing that her reputation would be tarnished. This, of course, left our protagonist to fend for himself and figure out a way to repel verbal attacks about how much of a loser he was. As the argument heats up and neither character refuses to apologize, we're brought to one of the most intimate and emotional strings of panels I've ever seen in a manga series.

As the climax of the argument between Eriri and Tomoya reaches its peak, the pages of the book come to life. The highlighting and black levels amplify tenfold, culminating in something that feels more like an argument between the pages themselves. Neither character wants to back down, and that's made incredibly evident through sporadic, yet meticulous artwork showcasing a plethora of every conceivable negative emotion packed into said art itself. You can literally feel the relationship between these two as they furiously pour their hearts out to one another. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I felt so involved in a fictional argument. As the emotions fade away and the argument comes to close, we're left with a lingering feeling of both disappointment and hope as the two push aside their current problems and look toward the future -- complacent with how they feel about each other for the time being.

In Summary:

Not only is this the best volume of How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend to date, it is one of the best installments of manga I have ever read. This particular volume is so centered around relationships and how they affect others that it's surprisingly breathtaking -- especially in the latter half. The surprising part of this series thus far is just how much of an impression each of the characters leaves. They all have their own motives and dreams, and this is one of the very few series out there where you want to root for all of them. As we see these relationships fleshed out and made more complicated and intimate, we develop our own struggles as we try and empathize with each one. This ultimately creates an experience that is not so commonplace in anime and manga anymore -- we feel included. How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend is truly a dark horse and a force to be reckoned with. 

Content Grade: A+

Art Grade: A+

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 14+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 26, 2016

MSRP: $12.99