End of spring manga minis, you say? Wow, it’s already June and that means summer is nearly here! We’ve got a few weeks of cold weather, so let’s stay in before we grab our sunscreen and head out! Check out our manga mini reviews below.
Orange -to you, dear one- (Seven Seas)
Back during the pandemic, I picked up the entirety of Ichigo Takano’s Orange series. It was a lovely coming-of-age drama with some cute interactions and sad implications. While the Future volume was a bit divisive (mainly for splitting into two different timelines), there were still unfinished threads. Orange -to you, dear one- is the definitive ending of the series, which offers closure and a satisfying conclusion.
(Please note that the following review will include spoilers.)
Orange -to you, dear one- is the seventh and final volume (though fourth American physical release) of the drama/sci-fi series. This volume takes place in the timeline where Naho and her friends end up saving Kakeru from suicide. Acting as an epilogue, the first four chapters focuses into the supporting characters that have been in the story. From the goofy Saku Hagita to the rough and loyal Takako Chino, everyone but Naho gets a focus chapter. For the most part it’s fine; almost the entire story revolved around her perspective anyways. Each of these chapters ends with the focus character’s letter to the (formerly deceased) Kakeru. It’s a wistful way to incorporate flashbacks and a POV shift for the characters we’ve been following.
After this, we get to see how Kakeru himself is dealing with events in the next three chapters. I appreciate the story having a realistic depiction of depression and how it doesn’t go away immediately. Kakeru is still struggling with his trauma and inner demons, but he wants to improve. While he still has a ways to go, he acknowledges his flaws in trying to process his grief solo. Finally, we get a short crossover story featuring the cast of Orange and Dreamin’ Sun, Takano’s previous manga. I haven’t actually read this series before, so I was lost with the events. It’s still a fun chapter that fits with the slice-of-life themes, so it’s a nice bonus on which to end.
The time travel elements that bogged down the latter half of the story are mostly absent this time around. We do get a few references (not to mention the gang’s original letters), but it’s not a driving force. I prefer this since Orange thrives on the shojo side rather than sci-fi side of its narrative. I’ll miss these characters, but I’m glad I got to see them one last time.
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Centaurs Volume 1 (ABLAZE Manga)
Look, I love centaurs, can’t get enough of them. They’re my favorite mythical creature, and getting the chance to review ABLAZE Manga’s Centaurs was a dream come true. While rough around the edges, I would recommend the title for those who share an affinity for the horse-man hybrids.
Centaurs takes place in a world where humans and centaurs coexist in an ancient land. However, humans have exploited these creatures and force them to do hard labor. Most of those held in captivity have their arms removed; the others are used to lure other centaurs into traps. Enter Matsukaze, the dreaded redheaded stone tiger… who’s just a hard-working family man. After trying to rescue his son Gonta from being enslaved, he ends up being captured instead by Kohibari. Kohibari is an armless centaur that is won over by Matsukaze’s plea to save his son, so the two orchestrate an escape plan to run away. While the plan succeeds, the duo will need to brave the elements as well as a multitude of enemies.
I love the lore explored within this volume, even if the first few chapters consist of Matsukaze and Kohibari traveling. The class divide between species is apparent, and even centaurs are segregated based on their physical abilities and subservience. It’s a political dynamic that cements Centaurs as an interesting action manga with some deeper elements. However, the art style is inconsistent, with a lot of underdeveloped backgrounds and facial expressions in the earlier chapters. It’s something very jarring when there are some pages with lovely character anatomy and facial detail while others are rough sketches. If the manga finds a consistent style, then it will be a definite recommendation. Otherwise, I’d wait until the next volume unless you’re more focused on story or love centaurs.
Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs
Lovely Muco! (Kodansha)
I like a good “person and their pet” manga as much as the next person. Heck, you’ll be seeing another review for “A Man and His Cat” very soon (hint hint). In the meantime, we have Kodansha’s Lovely Muco! a basic slice-of-life with a cute premise but not much else.
Lovely Muco! stars the titular Shiba Inu as she and her owner (the glassblower Komatsu) live in rural Japan. Most chapters are standalone stories with passing references with each other as Muco learns about the world around her. From getting a cold to participating in a photoshoot by Komatsu’s web developer friend Ushiko, there’s plenty of funny adventures! This two-in-one omnibus collects over 200 pages of Muco adventures with some fun twists here and there.
Look, I get gag manga can get away with quickly drawn styles (I mean, I love Pop Team Epic’s minimalism). However, Lovely Muco! feels like there’s a lot missing here. The backgrounds are nonexistent at times, and the gags are underwhelming. I do like the cute naivete of Muco and the relationship between her and Komatsu, but that’s really it. It’s an inoffensive goofy gag manga that doesn’t go anywhere with its story, and there’s a lot of room for improvement going forward.
Rating: 2 out of 5 UwUs
Tokyo Aliens Volume 3 (Square Enix Manga)
Tokyo Aliens is a series that confuses me. I acknowledge that it has some severe flaws and a generic plot… but I just can’t give it up. This third volume amps up the action and starts to advance the story, but it’s hampered by its short length.
Volume 3 picks up where we last left of, with Akira Gunji defending the alien Erika from a monstrous creature. Akira is ruffled up because his partner Sho Tenkubashi just got eviscerated in front of him. A bundle of nerves, Akira needs to awaken his prowess and complete his mission…
…Of course, immediately afterwards Sho revives and the two handily defeat the creature. It comes across as rushed since the manga doesn’t linger on Sho’s fake-out death. I wouldn’t mind Akira musing a bit more on his comrade’s fate for at least another chapter. However, it’s because of this quick pace that we can delve into Sho’s backstory. I enjoyed how the story, uh… SHOws how he was involved in the Alien Management Organization. We also get to see the inner machinations of Reiji Amamiya’s rationale in training someone so young. At the end, we also get a surprising revelation about who Akira might be, which is an entertaining plot twist.
All in all, volume 3 finally marks the improvement of Tokyo Aliens. However, it feels weird that the story covered in this collected volume is barely over 140 pages. It feels like it’s missing a chapter, and as such it leaves me wanting more in a bad way. If you’ve been following the series since the beginning, you won’t be disappointed. However, I’d wait until the next volume to start binging it if you want a bigger piece of the plot.
Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs
Doomsday With My Dog Volume 2 (Yen Press)
On the other hand, I’m impressed with Doomsday With My Dog. While it can get too verbose for my liking, the goofy characters make up for this (mostly) 4-koma comedy series. However, the mix of a comfy apocalypse and philosophical quandaries makes this series a treat.
While volume 2 is more of the same, it feels like an advanced application of the characters. We’ve already established Haru, his master, and the other zany characters in the first chapters. This means that we can build foundations upon them, and brick jokes can occur for maximum comedic effect.
My personal favorite gags were the return of The Honest Woodcutter parody and more of the tanuki comparisons. (Haru insists that he’s a fox shiba, not a tanuki one!) The BL-fangirl Collie was also a silly character. We also get some new faces as well, such as Anubis, which traps the master because she disrespects her dog. (It’s a misunderstanding, but he’s too dense to realize it.)
What I enjoyed about this volume is that it shifts away from purely four-panel comics and moves into longer gags. Some chapters include stories that include longer panels, and some that continue with multiple pages. This gives the story some space to breathe, and some of the jokes land better in these chapters. The mangaka can draw more scenery and other characters when not confined to small 4-koma panels, which is shown here. The full-colored pages are as good as the first volume, and this is one series I think works better in color.
Lastly, I enjoyed the bonus manga at the end of this volume, which parallels the bonus one from the first. Having a young Haru convince his young master to take him in is adorable and oddly philosophical. It works for both characters, and with this manga, the time travel concepts are appropriate. The end becomes a heartrending tale of remembrance, and it’s a very inspiring thing indeed.
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
And that’s it for our end of spring manga minis! Stay tuned for more manga reviews here on Miso!
