Bookshelf Overload: September 2013

Recently, I’ve mostly been able to limit myself to preorders and review copies when it comes to the manga that makes its way into my domicile. However in September I took advantage of some nice sales at Right Stuf to pick up some out-of-print or otherwise hard to find boys’ love titles. Other out-of print goodies that I acquired in September included the two volumes of Sin-ichi Hiromoto’s Stone and Mari Okazaki’s Sweat and Honey. I was recently re-reading Okazaki’s Suppli and wanted to read more of her work—Sweat and Honey is the only other manga of hers currently available in English.

As for some of the preorders that made me particularly happy in September—well, technically, the first Vinland Saga omnibus won’t be released until next week, but I got my copy early! I’m very excited that the series is finally making its debut in English. Expect a review soon! You can also expect reviews of Satoshi Kon’s Tropic of the Sea and the most recent volume of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son in the very near future, too. Most people probably won’t be seeing Wandering Son, Volume 5 until later in October, but I ordered mine directly through Fantagraphics and so got it a bit sooner.

In addition to being a good month for manga, September was also a good month for me for comics in general. Archaia’s Cyborg 009, based on Shotaro Ishinomor’s manga, was an interesting project and physically a very handsome release. Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints was also published in September. It is one of the best comics that I’ve read this year; I highly recommend it. I also picked up some comics directly from artists that I follow online: E. K. Weaver, HamletMachine, and Kori Michele Handwerker.

Manga!
Arisa, Volume 11 by Natsumi Ando
Attack on Titan, Volume 7 by Hajime Isayama
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Volume 18 by Yukito Kishiro
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 27 by Hiroaki Samura
A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori
Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 10 by Konami Kanata
The Day of Revolution, Volumes 1-2 by Mikiyo Tsuda
Fairy Tail, Volume 30 by Hiro Mashima
Genshiken: Second Season, Volume 3 by Shimoku Kio
GoGo Monster by Taiyo Matsumoto
Junk! by Shushushu Sakura
Lies & Kisses by Masara Minase
The Man of Tango by Tetuzoh Okadaya
Missing Road by Shushushu Sakurai
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 3 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Not Enough Time by Shoko Hidaka
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 8 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories, Volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi
Restart by Shoko Hidaka
Secrecy of the Shivering Night by Muku Ogura
Sherlock Bones, Volume 1 written by Yuma Ando, illustrated by Yuki Sato
Sky Link by Shiro Yamada
Sleeping Moon, Volume 2 by Kano Miyamoto
Stone, Volumes 1-2 by Sin-ichi Hiromoto
Sweat and Honey by Mari Okazaki
Tropic of the Sea by Satoshi Kon
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 1 by Makoto Yukimura
Virtuoso di Amore by Uki Ogasawara
Wandering Son, Volume 5 by Takako Shimura
Your Honest Deceit, Volumes 1-2 by Sakufu Aijimine

Comics!
Anything That Loves edited by Charles “Zan” Christensen
Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Cyborg 009 written by F. J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp, illustrated by Marcus To and Ian Herring
Devil’s Dance by HamletMachine
Freelancers, Volume 1 written by Eric Esquivel, illustrated by Joshua Covey
Mail Order Bride by Mark Kalesniko
Nothing Is Forgotten by Ryan Andrews
Pervert Club, Volume 1 by Will Allison
Prince of Cats, Numbers 1-4 by Kori Michele Handwerker
Whisper Grass by E. K. Weaver

Novels!
Lonely Hearts Killer by Tomoyuki Hoshino
The Shogun’s Daughter by Laura Joh Rowland

Collections!
Monkey Brain Sushi: New Tastes in Japanese Fiction edited by Alfred Birnbaum

Nonfiction!
The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan by Ivan I. Morris

Anime!
Kick-Heart directed by Masaaki Yuasa
Michiko & Hatchin directed by Sayo Yamamoto