Re:Zero ~ Chapter 2 Vol. #02 Manga Review

What you forget, I'll always remember

Creative Staff:

Art: Makoto Fuugetsu

Original Story: Tappei Nagatsuki

Character Design: Shinichirou Otsuka

Translation: ZephyrRZ

Lettering: Bianca Pistillo

What They Say:

Working at Roswaal Manor as a humble servant, Subaru had thought he had reached a comfortable new life with Emilia, Rem, and Ram. However, his unexpected demise puts that naive illusion to rest. Alive once more, Subaru works to uncover the cause of his latest tragedy, but learning the truth might be a fate worse than death!

The Review:

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

Okay, so I know what you're thinking. "Why is the worst character in the entire series on the cover of this volume?" Well guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the unfortunate truth is that, yes, we do have to put up with a little more Beatrice than normal this installment. But don't worry- everything is going to be A-okay. In addition to the abundance of wise loli goodness (?), there's a plethora of violent fanservice and more than enough Subaru-fatality to push us closer to the non-Beako arc and back into the dramatic, more enjoyable portion of Re:Zero that the vast majority of us have familiarized ourselves with.

The second volume of the second chapter (Which should honestly just be called Re:Zero Vol. #04) picks up right after Subaru's untimely first demise in the Roswaal Manor. Shortly after realizing that he has returned by d- *Begins coughing profusely*, Subaru begins to retrace his steps. Not having even the slightest idea of how or why he died this time, he decides that reenacting his every action prior to the death would be the best way to figure it out. Of course, instead of going to sleep on the fourth night, he decides to just stay awake and figure out what's going on- a move that can be, in no way whatsoever, regretful. One important thing to mention, though, is that Beatrice seems to be the only one with memories of Subaru from the previous timeline.

It becomes eerily apparent at several points in the volume that Beatrice knows something that both the reader and protagonist do not. And while she remains willfully oblivious to the underlying events that actually caused Subaru's last death, she remembers meeting him again. This whole situation leads us to believe that her chamber/library/whatever exists in an otherworldly plane, not connected to Earth or Lugunica or wherever the hell everyone is. And while this may be easy-ish for us to process, Subaru has a hard time deciphering it. Either way, he forgets about it almost instantaneously as Emilia takes up roughly 95% of his brain.

Ultimately, Subaru winds up dying a few more times- uncovering a few more hints with each agonizing demise. Eventually, he uses his big-boy brain to try things differently and, instead of working as a butler, devotes his time to studying and furthering his relationship with Rem and Ram. When it eventually comes time for him to leave the mansion, he commutes to a nearby cliff face with the full intention of watching the manor until someone attacks again. However, instead of the mansion being attacked, Subaru finds himself tossed into a spontaneous battle with none other than Rem- who had apparently been suspicious of him due to his 'witch scent.' Of course, Subaru is brutally massacred yet again, but he finally knows what's going on and that's all that really matters.

When he returns by *vomit* for the fourth (Or fifth?) time, Subaru immediately approaches Beatrice to see if she has any idea of what's happening to him. After an entire platter of 'I wonder...'s, she reluctantly agrees to safeguard him for the remainder of the next four days. With a survival plan finally laid out in front of him, Subaru now faces the challenge of coming face to face with a girl who had killed him in cold blood just a day or two ago. He has put every single one of his cards into the hands of the worst character in the series- and I'm sure that everyone who doesn't already know what happens next is now on the edge of their seats.

In Summary:

While it's less eventful than the first volume of chapter two, volume two still has several high points in terms of both artwork and story. The twins outshine Emilia in this installment (Despite how much that hurt me to admit) and Rem's 'crazy' scene at the end of the book is one of the best the series has put forth thus far. However, with some sporadic mood switches and unfortunately necessary repetition, volume two feels a bit bland in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, it sets the stage for the coming book- which may just wind up being one of the most interesting ones we've seen yet.

Content Grade: B

Art Grade: A

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: B

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: August 22, 2017

MSRP: $12.99

Scum's Wish Vol. #04 Manga Review

I'm a creature who can't help himself...It makes me miserable.

Creative Staff:

Story & Art: Mengo Yokoyari

Translation: David Rowe-Caplan & Megan Denton

Lettering: Erin Hickman

What They Say:

Now that Hanabi has discovered how warped Akane's true self is, she's made a certain resolution to herself. In place of the one she loves, as a substitute for the things that are lacking, there is a warmth that people reach out for. The various feelings of love and desire mix and combine with complicated relationships, and the red string of fate is lost in the tangle.

The Review:

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

With three volumes of exposition and several intimate yuri chapters behind us, Scum's Wish has officially plateaued. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the series doesn't have anything left to give us- but now that the tone and the characters are established, Scum's Wish has fully transitioned into an incessant stirring of dark, lust-filled romance. At the forefront of this volume, however, is Mugi. The fourth instalment of Yokoyari's love-pentagon heavily embellishes on the feelings of the male protagonist, leaving Hanabi on the backburner for most of its duration. And while this might sound interesting and different...it's really not?

Mugi makes it overwhelmingly apparent (Hell, he even says it himself at some points) that he isn't all that unique. He's just a normal guy giving into lust whenever he has the chance to. While he isn't fantasizing about banging his tutor, he's using his time wisely to get off with Hanabi or some random senpai of his that bears a disturbing resemblance to Anastasia from Cinderella Girls (Can not unsee). Now, this is all fine and dandy but it gets kind of boring when you're trying to characterize a protagonist whose personality is literally just sex if it took on the form of a human body. Thankfully, after several confusing time skips and perspective swaps, the book regains its footing, albeit ever so slightly.

While Mugi was living the life of a high school playboy, Akane was off on a date with the object of Hanabi's affections. However, even with her affinity for homewrecking, she's having a hard time dealing with how boring Kanai-sensei is. It isn't until he accidentally utters Hanabi's name that she goes into nympho-mode and basically forces him into a nearby love hotel. Of course, this can't stay a secret forever. In fact, she straight up tells Hanabi that she banged him the next day and just walks right by her- an incredibly rude gesture that I do not condone even in the slightest. This ignites a bit of a spark in Hanabi. She goes from 'playing nice' to fighting her way through an inner struggle that will ultimately determine how 'thirsty' she is going to be from now on. She winds up succumbing to Akane's desires and decides that she, too, will become a homewrecker from this point on...Or at least she'll try.

The one home that Hanabi isn't willing to wreck, however, is Ecchan's. Ecchan has somehow managed to stay neutral despite her best friend and the object of her affection turning into a strumpet before her eyes. When Hanabi approaches her and informs her that she's going to dating Mugi "for real" from now on (Don't worry- I purposely didn't go over this because it changes literally nothing), she even says right to her face that she doesn't care and is still willing to be used. Even in the midst of this emotional and physical war, Ecchan proves to be the shining light in Hanabi's life. Of course, the show must go on. Instead of shooting for the true route with Sanae, Hanabi takes her first step into the world of nymphomania and dedicates herself to ruining peoples' lives from this point on. Or something. Man, I don't know what she's even thinking anymore.

In Summary:

Without beating around the bush, this is the weakest volume of Scum's Wish thus far. Riddled with hard-to-follow perspective switches and time jumps, the fourth entry in this series does not gain its footing until its already too late. While there several obligatory sex scenes, none of them are especially interesting or even different for that matter. Volume four is just more of what we've seen so far- only instead of focusing on the interesting protagonist we have to put up with Mugi and his stupid face for half an hour.

Content Grade: C

Art Grade: B+

Packaging Grade: A

Text/Translation Grade: B+

Age Rating: 16+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 18, 2017

MSRP: $14.99

How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend Vol. #06 Manga Review

I saw the sea today. I'm not afraid anymore.

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:

Tomoya and Megumi have managed to complete the alpha version of their dating sim. However, playtesting has revealed an unpleasant truth: In spite of the talent and effort that went into it, their game is hot garbage! As producer, Tomoya needs to salvage the train wreck, but it's going to require bruising the egos of his staff...and neither Utaha nor Eriri takes criticism well! With the winter Comiket only a month away, can they keep it together long enough to make their deadline?

The Review:

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

So after a much-needed break and a 1,200 mile relocation halfway across the country, I'm back in the game and ready to start reviewing again. What better way to break back into the swing of things than with a series that has, at least thus far, established itself as one of my favorite harems in the last several years. With most series, a break this long may diminish my interest or even my recollection of the series most-recent happenings, but with Saekano...well, that's never really an issue. Also, the end of its last anime season still rings true in my mind so that chance of forgetting is all but null as far as I'm concerned. Regardless of any patterns on my own behavior and my less than perfect memory, I'm guessing you want me to just start talking about the actual book now, right?

Jeez, okay. (Cracks knuckles).

Saekano's sixth volume kicks off the same way it always does- each member of Blessing Software is bending over backwards trying to produce Tomoya's dream game. After striking up a bet with Iori about who's game will be the best in show at Winter Comiket, Tomoya has attempted to force his team into overdrive. This, of course, only results in his shortcomings as a producer being pushed out into a more open space than ever before. With the deadline rapidly approaching, Tomoya can't seem to decide on...well, pretty much anything. But the biggest issue he has in this respect is the scenario itself. Not only does Kasumigaoka's script read like a literary novel and not a gal-game, the Ruri route she added into the mixture sends the series down two completely different paths that are equally alluring. So not only does Tomoya demand she redo everything, he demands a third route be added into the picture in which everyone lives happily ever after instead of just one of the girls.

Kasumigaoka scoffs at this idea at first, but is eventually enticed by Tomoya's boyish optimism and naivete. Together, they pull several [platonic] all-nighters and after overexerting and exhausting themselves [again, platonic], they're able to come up with a product that is...passable? This entire exchange is potentially my favorite glimpse into the Utaha route in all of Saekano. Not only is every element and attribute of her character highlighted almost-perfectly, her mannerisms and the way she communicates with Tomoya as a whole add an element of humanity and logic to her that none of the other girls of the series can capture. And while every one of them has one or two high-points throughout the duration of the franchise, this volume really serves to change the game for Utaha, putting her up on a pedestal that every other girl now has to jump through hoops to try and reach.

And with that comes the tsundere. With the story finally being complete, the pressure is now on Eriri to finish the remaining artwork which will, in turn, put the finishing touches on the game. Knowing full well what this means, she elects to retreat to her family's vacation home in the Nasu Highlands in order to better concentrate on the task at hand. Even though he hates the idea, Tomoya agrees and Eriri is off to some remote cabin in the middle of nowhere. Of course, complications arise once she's stricken with writer's block (And some poorly worded emails from our protagonist), leaving the entire group teetering on the edge of scepticism in terms of the game's completion. Things take yet another turn for the worse when Eriri breaks the news to Tomoya that she wants to change the art style as a whole. With only three days remaining until the game's deadline, even Tomoya begins to question whether or not she can rise to the task.

In Summary:

I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but Saekano proves once again that it's not your average harem. Filled with fourth-wall breaking, incredibly developed characters, Saekano rides the coattails of well-timed comedy and satire to levels unreached by most others. And with this volume containing what I imagine is the highest word count for the manga thus far (Trust me, this is more impressive than it sounds), there is no shortage in terms of content. Utaha shines brighter than ever before with a large chunk of the book dedicated to her, so any fans of our beloved senpai novelist are in for a treat if there ever was one. Also, we have officially crossed into long-hair Katou territory. Readers beware, you're in for a scare.

Content Grade: A-

Art Grade: A+

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 16+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: June 20, 2017

MSRP: $12.99