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Two for Tuesday Manga Minis!

Pretend you’re in the Pacific US and celebrate Two for Tuesday Manga Minis! With this column, I decided for this edition to consist solely of volume 2 reviews. (Oddly enough, most of these are from Square Enix Manga too!) Without further ado, here’s a new slate of manga releases!

Tokyo Aliens Volume 2 (Square Enix Manga)

Sometimes you just want a modern “aliens walk among us” plot ala Men in Black. Tokyo Aliens is a manga that I enjoy reading even if it veers into generic territory. This new volume gives us some new character intros and details on how the AMO works.

In this volume, Akira Gunji acclimates himself in working with the AMO, an organization that deals with intergalactic alien travel. (Basically alien border patrol.) Akira recently teamed up with Sho, and the duo’s first mission is to protect a child alien. A simple mission for sure, but nothing ever goes as planned.

In addition to this, Akira meets Raika Nadeshiko, a nonhuman being who has a tenuous history with Sho. Her introduction gives Akira questions to his purpose in the AMO. Why is he here, and what’s the latent power that he demonstrated in the training last volume?

This manga continues to grow on me, but it’s still missing something that separates it from the competition. The volume ends with something that won’t stick (and is there for the manufactured “WAIT WHAT ABOUT NEXT VOLUME?” drama). I know this is to force Akira to mature and grow as a character, but it comes off as a cheap plot device. The duo is the best part of the story, and disbanding too soon will worsen the relationships of this manga. The action scenes are nice but not the focal point, which is understandable because the mangaka didn’t want them.

Tokyo Aliens remains an entertainingly readable sci-fi series that I hope will improve in the future!

Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs

YoRHa: Pearl Harbor Descent Record – A NieR:Automata Story Volume 2 (Square Enix Manga)

Two for Tuesday Manga Minis feels better with 2B. Continuing from the first volume, this manga continues the tale of 2B and Rose’s motley crew. Androids old and new bond over their hopeless directive as they fight to survive. 2B becomes jaded with her superiors as she continues to survive with her squadmates.

Unfortunately, one of their own gets infected and it’s up to 2B’s squad to help. While they become fast friends, a sneaking suspicion arises as allegiances are tested among the groups.

I liked the previous volume due to putting us into the action immediately, while here we get more moments of peace. It means that the pacing is a little slower here, which clashes with the last few chapters. The art style consistently impresses, and I love the action shots However, it’s still a wild ride that I’ll continue to check out with future volumes.

Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses Volume 2 (Square Enix Manga)

In this short collection, Komura continues to struggle with his crush’s lack of glasses at school. Throughout the chapters, he will try and confess his love to Mie while she unwittingly declines his feelings. From a communication mix-up with a love letter to a trip to the glasses store, the duo continue their misadventures. While most of the chapters are standalone, there is a central story with Valentine’s Day and White Day. The tale of the desperate boy and oblivious girl continues!

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses remains a cozy manga, even if it doesn’t do much more than that. This title may benefit from an omnibus release because the length feels shorter than most gag manga. However, I appreciate how varied the chapter lengths are, ranging from a few pages to a traditional chapter length. It’s refreshing to make the pacing different depending on the story at hand.

I still laugh at Mie’s default confused face without glasses, but the joke is starting to run a bit thin.  There are hints at improvement with the central Valentine’s/White Day chapters but needs to be a better hook next volume. That said, this second volume suffices for a fun read, so if you liked the first volume, it’s more of the same.

Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs

Penguin and House Volume 2 (Kodansha)

Speaking of lighthearted series, we have another volume of Penguin and House! This time around, Pen-chan continues to spruce up master Hayakawa’s house while dealing with his female counterpart, Madeline! From bowling with Hayakawa’s friends to trying to lose weight, there’s never a dull moment when Pen-chan’s around!

I warmed up to this manga compared to its first volume because the penguin’s owner is less of an airhead. Instead of being near-psychopathic in his negligence, Hayakawa feels like a regular college student. He’s more aware of his blunders and gets his comeuppance at the end of the chapters.

It also helps that Pen-chan feels more vulnerable due to himself getting into conflict too. The story is rounded compared to its debut, and while there’s still room to grow, it’s a solid read. Like my last review, it’s more of the same if you’re into this manga.

Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs

Thanks for reading our Two for Tuesday Manga Minis column! Check out more great manga and anime reviews on Miso!

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Katamaris

During the day, Elisha is an aspiring businessman, but at night, he's a wacky freelance writer. Born into the world with a fleeting knowledge of rhythm games, he loves shonen manga and still wants Pushing Daisies to have some closure. For any manga/anime/video game inquiries, please contact him at edeograc (at) gmail.com
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