This second volume marks the half-way point in My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku, and it will be interesting to see how the story progresses. For one thing, if modern-day Megumi is catching up with her old friends, does that mean we will also meet the adult Masamune too?

My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku is only four volumes long, so it wont be long for us to discover how Megumi will finally come to terms with everything in her life. It will hopefully be a fun ride as we progress.

One More Step, Come Stand by My Side thus makes for an entertaining collection of stories that are likely to grip the reader. If you want something a bit out of the ordinary, then it is something to dip into.

Touring After the Apocalypse makes for an interesting read, combing elements of the sweet and tranquil with the dark and disturbing. It will be nice to see where Youko and Airi go next on their travels along provided that is, that they are alone…

This volume ends on a cliff-hanger moment with lives in danger, and given the mysterious nature of the story, it should be worth looking into more.

While it may take some getting used to once again following the six-year absence, it is nice to see that Nichijou is still able to produce some funny, unexpected laughs. It was worth waiting for to see the old gang again.

This is perhaps the biggest problem with Shuffle: being a spin-off, it is always going to be in the shadow of the original. The fact that the cameo of the original characters feels like the best moment in this first volume is a worrying sign. However, once the manga is able to find its own feet, it may well develop into something more unique. The fact that Shuffle does follow primarily an entirely new set of characters means it can be enjoyed in its own right without having to read the original K-On!, but it will take time to see how good it will be in comparison to the original.

This series does seem to have the potential to become a hit, especially when the anime adaptation debuts. It will be worth keeping an eye on this.

When you compare The Wallflower to other similar series such as Ouran High School Host Club, which debuted two years later and brilliantly parodied the harem genre, you can see how things have changed. Ouran is for me one of the best comedy manga series made. The Wallflower was admittedly a big deal in its day, with anime and live-action adaptations, and the manga having run longer than Ouran, but it just doesnt feel as good, and the series these days seems forgotten. While this edition does come with some nice extras like useful translator notes and an (untranslated) preview of the second volume, I doubt this is a manga I will be returning to.

There are several elements of Bomba! which are difficult to deal with, but much of the story does provide some shocking thrills.

The series has been adapted into an anime which began airing in Japan earlier this month. It is not currently available on any English-language streaming websites, but you can watch the original Japanese episodes on the shows official YouTube channel. The second volume (of three so far) is due out in September from Yen Press.

If you can handle some of the more grisly aspects of the story, Ode to Kirihito is certainly a title that is worth investigation, dealing with all kinds of ideas that still speak to us today.

Things in Catch These Hands! may well get better in the second volume, but Im unsure if it will.

Sex Ed 120% has been a fun read and it is a shame it only had a short run. It has been one of my favourite manga of recent months and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.

When it comes to manga serial killers, Ruwanda Bailey is unlikely to be as remembered when compared with Death Note‘s Light Yagami, CLAMP's Seishiro Sakurazuka or Danganronpa‘s Monokuma. While the action is mildly entertaining, I doubt there is much in From the Red Fog that will keep me reading.

The introduction of Motorball and the change in the relationship between Alita and Ido have made this second volume of the new edition an improvement on the first, and hopefully will create more intrigue as the story progresses.

Robo Sapiens stands out as different in terms of look and writing, and its themes will appeal to those interested in a more esoteric work. If you are looking for something beyond the mainstream isekai fantasies, then it will appeal to you.

This side story is both moving as well as entertaining, and in fact feels better than most of the rest of the content of this second volume. Hopefully, Volume Three will actually start to go deeper into the sinister plot.

It seems the manga is thus better than the light novel and out of the two, it seems that this version of The Eminence in Shadow is the one to go for. Having said that however, the series is to be adapted into an anime as well by Nexus. If the visuals are the key to what makes this series good, perhaps the best adaptation is yet to come.

Yotsuba&! is still as fun and entertaining as it has always been. If absence does make the heart grow fonder, then the three years the series has been away help to prove this statement although a shorter absence for Volume 16 would be welcome.

Sex Ed 120% continues to be entertaining. It still also has the one big problem why have Yen Press given it a Mature '18' rating, when an Older Teen 15-16 rating would be more useful?

It has to be said that Sensor is perhaps a bit below par in comparison to some of Itos other works, but even then Itos work is still clearly creation that stand out from the crowd.

Issues of production aside, Battle Angel Alita still remains one of the key works in cyberpunk manga. It is not the most famous, but it is still one that those interested in the genre should read.

This opening volume comes with a fair number of extras: colour pages, an interview with an author, translation notes and a lengthy acknowledgements section from the editor. It is clear that Kodansha are going for this series in a big way. Hopefully it will become a success.

It will be interesting to see how it progresses, with the end of this volume revealing what appears to be an antagonist, but at the same time this is going to be tinged with the feeling that this series is not going to live up the full potential the author was probably hoping for.

Going into this manga, I wasn't expecting much. It was hard to imagine what new information could be extracted, it being a prequel, that would be vital to the main story. When Rei is first introduced, it seems a bit gimmicky and it feels odd that this robot was not mentioned in the original Dr. Stone manga. Things change though when Byakuya and Rei become separated. Rei's continued efforts to keep everything going are at times thrilling, at times funny, and at times moving.

This opening volume sets up plenty of tantalising treats as to what comes next, and it should make for a thrilling read.

Volume 2 has been pretty entertaining. Just a shame that Volume 3 will be another long wait.

Remina will appeal to fans of Ito, and this unusual venture into a more sci-fi driven tale sees the author working in different styles, while remaining true to the horror-driven work that has made him popular.

For these reasons, Im less keen on this second volume. Hopefully the developing plot with the Gun Devil will improve things in future releases.

One thing that deserves to be brought up is the coronation scene. Given the nature of the person, in both real life and in Shakespeares play upon which the manga is loosely based, it is perhaps only fitting that Richard III takes to the throne in the unlucky 13th volume. There is also the design of the crown which Richard wears in the coronation, which we also see on the front cover of this manga. This black, horned crown along with his heterochromic eyes all add to gothic, demonic vibe that adds to the tone of menace that is to come. Whether we witness how Kanno deals with the fate of the Princes in the Tower in the next volume or not is something that I am keen to find out.

Each of the stories comes with a commentary from Urasawa himself, and it is also nice to see two of these stories being coloured entirely. John Werry also appears to have no problems with his translation. For this and many other reasons, Sneeze is one of the best short story manga collections I have come across.

Chainsaw Man has some things going for it and hopefully may well build up from a promising start.

It does feel that the story is becoming a bit less entrancing as it is relying more on the sex and violence rather than the plot to move things forward. Hopefully things might pick up again in Volume 5.

Venus in the Blind Spot is still a thrilling, gripping read, if your stomach can stand some of the more grizzly aspects of Itos horror.

As we move forward, it certainly looks like there will still be more action to come as the gang continue in their quest, and face more dangers in their attempt to find the elixir. As to what the dangers are and how they will overcome them, that is to come.

Many of Urasawas works are pretty lengthy, and so new readers might be put off by most of them. Thus, if you are new to him, then this short work may well tempt you into examining more. Of course, this title also has the ability to make you want to learn more about Osomatsu-kun. The latter is certainly true in my case.

Overall, this edition is a somewhat impressive release, and one that makes the prospect of the next volume a highly anticipated one. However, some of the ways the story deals with the disguise of Freya are starting to seem a bit thin.

The manga has already attracted praise, being nominated for a Kodansha Manga Award. It is also establishing other characters and rivalries. The end of the first volume sees Kei auditioning for a Battle Royale-style film in which the main talent from Stars, a woman named Chiyoko Momoshiro, is also starring. Thus we can expect growing tension, at least between Arisa and Sumiji and possibly between Kei and Chiyoko too. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

The series continues to be gripping, but the most disturbing part of the story is still to come. Given that this is all based, admittedly loosely, on historical fact, the next volume deals with the most contentious part of the entire story of Richard III. In unlucky Volume 13, we will begin to see what is in store for the Princes in the Tower.

The story is again slowly building its world as the characters continue to find themselves in even greater peril. For these people due to be executed, there really is no peace for the wicked.

If you are into sports anime but are looking for something a bit different, then Ping Pong is a title to seek out.

If you can get past the fan-service and pile of fonts, you can see the relationship between Wakana and Marin is one that will probably expand and develop as the story continues.

Overall however, this manga is still worth a read for fans of the games and has been a long while coming. Hopefully the manga for V3 may eventually come soon too.

It will be interesting to see how the story will now develop, as the first volume ends with Freya coming to the rescue of a kidnapped soldier. Let's hope for some added intrigue appears as the story progresses.

So far, it is an interesting read, and it will be good to see in what way the story progresses.

As it stands however, Blood on the Tracks has been thrilling reading so far, and it will be interesting to see where Oshimi takes the story.

So far, the first edition of Penguindrum is a mixed bag, but the way the story is being told does tempt me into reading at least the next volume, especially given Ikuhara's previous work.

A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow is certain a good manga. The only thing that really needs clearing up is an explanation of the title. No snow appears in the first volume and Im not sure if there is a phrase or saying it relates to.

So, if you havent familiarised yourself with the earlier titles, it's best to do so before reading Another Episode, but this is still a fun edition to the series.

It is hard to know how fans of the original series will feel about reading this. Code Black is much darker in tone, it feels rather conflicting in the way it treats certain subjects, and the fan service might put people off, but it for those who want to know about some of the bad things we do to ourselves it is worth a read. After all, if this is what we do to ourselves when we live badly, it might make us improve our lifestyle and live better lives as a result.

Knights of Sidonia is a series that has attracted acclaim from other people in the world of anime, and the story itself is certainly entertaining. This complete collection will be pretty expensive, but there is plenty going for it.

Obviously, with these collections, certain stories are better than others. My personal favourite is Library Vision, because it has a more psychological bent to the horror. There are spirits involved in this one as well, but there is the element of the victim's own paranoia taking hold which adds an extra layer to the plot. Meanwhile, I don't think that the haunted house stories needed to be a three-part tale. Those stories may have been more engaging as separate from each other because the characters lack a bit of depth to them.

The battle between Mob and Teru is not over by the end of this book, so we will have to wait until Volume 3 to see how it progresses.

In terms of an overall reaction, while the story is enough to make me want to review the second volume, there are other titles I would probably want to spend my money on first before returning to this.

These are however, minor quibbles. Mostly the manga is entertaining and fun. The second volume is out on March 20th.

Overall, though, you suspect the main elements in the arc are coming in the next volume of the story, which appears to be nearing its conclusion.

The best way to comment on this series is that if you are a fan of Fairy Tail, then Edens Zero should also be right down your street. It is hard to tell what will come next. We havent even seen the actual Edens Zero yet, and the manga itself is very new. The second collected volume was only released in Japan a few weeks ago (it will come out in English in February), although individual chapters are available electronically every week. While I personally doubt it will become as successful as Fairy Tail, it is still worth a read, and I, for one, plan to look into some later chapters.

Many of the stories follow the same basic structure of someone with magical abilities fighting off some wrongdoer, and thus they eventually become a bit predictable. While the Fairy Tail pilot is the main draw for most people, for me it was his earliest works, Magician and Bad Boys Song, that were the most interesting: Magician as it demonstrates what would be his signature style of storytelling, and Bad Boys Song for being drastically different to everything else in the collection.

As we have not entered the main body of the story, it is too early to say how big a hit Dr. Stone will be, if at all, but the early signs are promising.

Moteki is a nice fun read, and it will be interesting to see how the story will finally conclude.

You should also be familiar with Arawis wonderful art style, and with the translation, which is still using Jenny McKeon, the original nichijou translator in this work. There are some bits of the translation that have been made to simplify things for English readers though. For example, the police officer is never properly named in the manga, so in the Japanese version he is called Honkan, meaning Officer; while in English, he is just Officer or sometimes Mr. Officer. There is also a difference in presentation between the two books in that CITYis printed in a slightly larger format.

However, the outdated phone technology is only a minor detail. In terms of the story, it is a nice tale of long-distance lovers, separated by light years. In terms of the plot concerning the effects of time dilation between two people, Distant Star is by no means the first to deal with it. Hideaki Annos Gunbuster dealt with similar ideas back in the 1980s, but Distant Staris more concerned with the relationship between Mikako and Noboru. It is a charming, and sometimes tragic tale about two people whom you worry will never be able to meet each other again.

But having read the manga, it did make me laugh a lot, and I look forward to the anime as well.

The artwork though might put off some readers. It is not the traditional, standard manga look, with Land of the Lustrous being more sketchy and often having very simplistic backgrounds. Sometimes there are no backgrounds at all. You get feeling however that if you read this manga in colour, and noticed how shiny and colourful the gems actually are, it would work better. The cover and introductory colour pages look great. Land of the Lustrous therefore might be one of those cases where the anime adaptation might be better than the original manga.

It is certainly a jolly title and it already has built a fan base. There is currently an anime adaptation of the series in the works, so watch out for more.