*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Yutaka is doing a lot if inner work on his feelings and making friends; including his student council duties and helping Tsumiki make Valentine’s Day treats.
Much like with Komi, Tsumiki’s earnest and positive attitude is so refreshing and nice to read. I would like to know more about other beings – Raizen’s portion was interesting – but our main two are adorable. You can tell Tsumiki is working slyly to help Yutaka. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Yodoka is still guarding Aoi as they go through normal high school events like a sports festival and the school camping trip. All the while, battling those who seek to capture Aoi.
This really feels like a slice of life, YA, high school romance with ninjas clumsily grafted onto it. As a result, the original premise feels muddled. Right now, they’re just lobbing new enemies at us while sprinkling in high school drama. It’s not bad but not as amusing as I’d hoped. I hope it comes together in the next volume so it feels more like a cohesive story. 3 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Former member of the idol group Pure Club, Nina Kamiyama, now dresses as a boy after being assaulted at a fan event. She now lives as a normal student, having retired from the group until one of her classmates, Hikaru, finds out who she is.
If you’re triggered by victim blaming, maybe skip this one. While this isn’t exactly subtle when talking about harassment or assault, it works fine. This is also critiquing idol culture, but I get the feeling that this will be more about Nina dealing with her trauma and eventually finding out who attacked her. Because not only is he still at large, but he is still stalking her. 3.9 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
After an emergency teleportation, Kody and Lumine are stranded alone in Terranevo, Lumine’s home country.
I’m enjoying the location change. The new characters are interesting, and of course, learning more about Lumine is a treat. He has a classic tragic backstory for a protagonist, but it makes for a good tone only to bring back a bit of humor later on. We’re slowly learning more about other characters and the world around them, and all the magic and history is intriguing. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Yodaka is an operative for the Ninja Public Safety Force, and his next assignment is to be a bodyguard for a high school girl, Aoi. However, Yodaka does not like interacting with people, and Aoi has been targeted by the underworld.
While this comes off as a comedy, it does not skimp on the action. Yodaka can be goofy, and Aoi’s inability to win a fight with gravity made me laugh, but the ninjas in this comic mean business. It throws a good bit of lore for the world in this first volume, but this is a fun start to a series. 3.5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Modori is a first year high school student, excited to run for a spot on the Student Council. Her classmate, Akira, is also running, putting Midori in close quarters with her crush.
This was just not for me. Sometimes, slice of life doesn’t quite hit that sweet spot of mundane but still interesting enough to read. It felt too mundane for me, if that makes any sense. I think the characters aren’t engaging me like other slice of life series I’m reading right now. It’s not bad but I didn’t like it as much as I like other series by this creator. 3 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
As Isaki checked into the hospital for her surgery, Ganta deals with the stress from that and exams by closing himself off from the whole friend group.
Yup, gonna spoil it: Isaki gets to graduate with all her friends and is still dating Ganta in this final volume. For those who prefer their media to have a happily ever after, you’ll get one here. I’m left with just this happy feeling, knowing a brighter future awaits for most of the cast; not counting the ones we don’t know much about. While I’d love to know more about their adult lives, I’m satisfied with this ending. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Sae and Koki are officially dating and the whole school has opinions about it.
We also dip into Koki’s backstory about his feelings for Sae. We’re at the stage of a YA romance where they’re figuring out what dating actually means for them. Sae is overthinking things and most of this is Koki remembering how long he’s wanted to be with Sae. Since they’re fumbling a bit, there isn’t much progress. Not a bad volume, especially if you’re looking forward to finally seeing these two together. 3.5 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Keiichiro is given an ultimatum and is disowned for one year. While Yuri is happy they can live together, it is a major adjustment.
I’m sure at this point, being disowned temporarily doesn’t really matter because clearly, these two are so in love, these punishments are not really punishments. The family is trying to enforce their rules while also being pulled into the orbit of this lovey-dovey couple. As this is the last volume, it wraps up on a happy note, and I’m glad it ended here. There are only so many times the dance of “we have to abide by the rules, we didn’t, fallout, resolution” can only go on so long before it gets old. This is a cute series. If you like YA romance, it’s not a bad one to pick up, especially if you like it silly. 3 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
At 13, Sadiqah is a teacher’s pet, but her life is thrown into chaos after the Tulsa Massacre. Her family gone, she embarks on a quest to find her ancestral home.
While I love me some historical fantasy with awesome Black protagonists, I feel like the pacing of this book is off. There are places where I can tell it would be so much more impactful if a moment were allowed to stretch or a scene were a bit longer. I totally understand how much work goes into creating a graphic novel. It’s not like a novel where you can sink deep into a scene with a few more sentences. Instead, you have to add multiple panels and pages. But, even still, I have to say some parts felt a bit too rushed, and I wanted more. Wanting more of something isn’t a negative here, really, since I think the book is good. 4 out of 5.
