February was a rather reasonable month for me when it came to additions to my collection, though I did end up with a little bit of everything. After a small delay, Persona 4, Volume 1 by Shuji Sogabe was finally released which I was particularly curious about, so I made sure to review it. I’ll have a review posted of Mechademia, Volume 10 in the very near future as well, which may be of interest to those looking for a scholarly approach to the study of Japanese pop culture. I finally got around to importing Takako Shimura’s Illustration Works, an artbook that includes some Wandering Son material among other artwork. (I don’t expect that we’ll ever see an English-language release, but it’s mostly illustrations, anyway.) As for February releases, some of the things that I was most excited about weren’t manga-related at all. The most recently translated volume in Keigo Higashino’s Detective Galileo series, A Midsummer’s Equation, is now available, for one. (I also discovered that another of Higashino’s works, Journey under the Midnight Sun, was released in translation a few months ago, but only in the United Kingdom. I’m not sure if there will be a North American release or not, but either way I’ve got some catching up to do!) And surprising no one who is aware of my obsession with Lianne Sentar’s Tokyo Demons, I’m also thrilled that the collection of the series’ sexually-charged short stories Know What You Want has now been released! I should hopefully have a review of that one at some point, too.

Manga!
A Bride’s Story, Volume 7 by Kaori Mori
Ding Dong Circus and Other Stories, 1967 to 1974 by Sasaki Maki
Does the Flower Blossom?, Volume 2 by Shoko Hidaka
Franken Fran, Omnibus 1 by Katsuhisa Kigitsu
Hey, Class President!, Volumes 1, 4-5 by Kaori Monchi
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 2 by Hirohiko Araki
Ouran High School Host Club, Volumes 1-3 by Bisco Hatori
Pandora Hearts, Volume 10 by Jun Mochizuki
Persona 4, Volume 1 by Shuji Sogabe
Tomodachi x Monster, Volume 1 by Yoshihiko Inui

Manhwa!
Behind Story, Volume 3 by Narae Ahn

Artbooks!
Guin Saga Artbook by Naoyuki Kato
Illustration Works by Takako Shimura

Novels!
Journey under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino
A Midsummer’s Equation by Keigo Higashino
Silence by Shusaku Endo

Anthologies!
Mechademia, Volume 10: World Renewal edited by Frenchy Lunning
Tokyo Demons: Know What You Want by Lianne Sentar

Anime!
Free! Eternal Summer directed by Hiroko Utsumi
Library War directed by Takayuki Hamana

Another month has passed and my manga collection continues to grow and evolve. The nice thing about December and January is that I usually end up with at least a few gift cards (and gifts), so I can splurge a bit even though I’m actively reducing the number of manga and books I’m buying at the moment. There are a few things that I definitely didn’t want to miss out on though, such as  Requiem of the Rose King, Volume 3 by Aya Kanno (review to come soon!) and Orange, Omnibus 1 by Ichigo Takano, which at the moment is a strong candidate for becoming one of my favorite series of the year. Also released in January, though I’m not sure when I’ll be able to actually get around to reading it, was Casey Brienza’s Manga in America: Transnational Book Publishing and the Domestication of Japanese Comics, one of the very few works about the North American manga industry. I also managed to snag an early copy of Tokyo Decadence, a “best of” collection of short stories by Ryu Murakami due to be released in March. (I recently posted my review of the volume which, though engaging, definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste.) Also arriving in January, though technically I believe it was released in December, was one of Chromatic Press’ most recent paperbacks, KaiJu’s delightful Mahou Josei Chimaka . (Unsurprisingly, I reviewed that one, too!)

Manga!
Aldnoah.Zero: Season One, Volume 1 by Olympus Knights
Brave Dan by Osamu Tezuka
Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka
Even So, I Will Love You Tenderly by Kou Yoneda
A Girl on the Shore by Inio Asano
Kamisama Kiss, Volumes 2-4 by Julietta Suzuki
Kaze Hikaru, Volumes 8-11 by Taeko Watanabe
My Love Story!!, Volume 7 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Volumes 4-8 by Yuki Midorikawa
Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Volume 1 written by HaccaWorks*, illustrated by Nanao
Orange, Omnibus 1 by Ichigo Takano
Requiem of the Rose King, Volume 3 by Aya Kanno
The Tyrant Falls In Love, Volume 9 by Hinako Takanaga

Comics!
Bug Boys, Volume 1: Welcome to Bug Village by Laura Knetzger
Mahou Josei Chimaka by KaiJu
Shades After by T. A. Kimpton
The Tipping Point edited by Various

Novels!
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Anthologies!
Biogenesis by Tatsuaki Ishiguro
Tokyo Decadence: 15 Stories by Ryu Murakami

Nonfiction!
Manga in America by Casey Brienza
Sake Confidential by John Gauntner

Anime!
Ouran High School Host Club directed by Takuya Igarashi

Well, here it is! The last Bookshelf Overload for 2015. For anyone who regularly follows this particular feature, it’s probably immediately obvious that the number of books that made their way onto my shelves last month is significantly smaller than usual. As alluded to in November’s Bookshelf Overload, it will likely be quite a while before the days of absurdly large monthly acquisitions returns. There’s a very good reason for this: In what is simultaneously one of the best and worst decisions that I’ve made in my life, I’m currently in the process of buying a house. Thus, my spending habits must be adjusted accordingly and for the foreseeable future I’ll need to be much more selective in my purchases. That being said, there were a few manga released in December that I simply couldn’t pass up. It was a great month for Makoto Yukimura fans, whose Planetes is once again available in English in a new and improved edition courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. The most recent Vinland Saga omnibus was released, too. (Look for a review to come soon; it was excellent.) I was also very happy to see the release of Kore Yamazaki’s The Ancient Magus Bride, Volume 3 and am greatly looking forward to starting Wataru Watanabe’s Yowamushi Pedal. Also, Die Wergelder by Hiroaki Samura of Blade of the Immortal fame has made its debut. (I’ll likely be reviewing this series as well.)

Manga!
The Ancient Magus Bride, Volume 3 by Kore Yamazaki
Die Wergelder, Omnibus 1 by Hiroaki Samura
From Far Away, Volume 13 by Kyoko Hikawa
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 12: Encounters by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Pandora Hearts, Volumes 11-19 by Jun Mochizuki
Planetes, Omnibus 1 by Makoto Yukimura
Tenjo Tenge, Omnibus 8 by Oh!Great
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 7 by Makoto Yukimura
Yowamushi Pedal, Omnibus 1 by Wataru Watanabe

Comics!
Purity: The “Post-Yaoi” Anthology edited by Anne Notation and A. E. Green
Teleny and Camille by Jon Macy

Anthologies!
Southern Exposure: Modern Japanese Literature from Okinawa edited by Michael Molasky and Steve Rabson

November’s Bookshelf Overload will very likely be the last of its size for quite some time. A few things happened to make the number of manga that I received last month particularly absurd. Right Stuf recently changed its website and had stopped automatically sending out partial shipments. Well, that service has now resumed. As a result, I ended up with multiple giant boxes arriving at once with orders that had been piling up on Right Stuf’s shelves instead of mine. Akadot has been having some huge sales lately, so I made a point to stock up on some Digital Manga titles, especially as they’re becoming more difficult to find elsewhere. It’s also the time of year that Right Stuf has massive sales, too. I took advantage of that fact to fill in the gaps in my Slam Dunk collection. Other manga that I was especially excited to get my hands on in November included but wasn’t limited to The Contracts of the Fall by Gengoroh Tagame, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki, and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Volume 1 by Izumi Tsubaki. Last, but certainly not least, two new Chromatic Press paperbacks are now available! I just reviewed Studio Kôsen’s Windrose, Volume 1, which I loved, and will eventually have a review for Jessica Chavez’s novel Dead Endings as well. I started reading it not too long ago and am already really enjoying it.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 6 by Gamon Sakurai
Akuma no Riddle, Volume 1 by Yun Kouga, illustrated by Sunao Minakata
Alabaster, Volumes 1-2 by Osamu Tezuka
Alice in the Country of Clover: Bloody Twins by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Clockmaker’s Story by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Bambi and Her Pink Gun, Volumes 1-2 by Atsushi Kaneko
Beast Master, Volumes 1-2 by Kyousuke Motomi
Black Rose Alice, Volume 6 by Setona Mizushiro
Caramel by Puku Okuyama
Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 12 by Konami Kanata
The Contracts of the Fall by Gengoroh Tagame
The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Volume 2 by Aya Shouoto
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 8 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Itazura na Kiss, Omnibuses 2-3, 6-10 by Kaoru Tada
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki
Kamisama Kiss, Volume 1 by Julietta Suzuki
Kamunagara: Rebirth Of The Demonslayer, Volumes 1-6 by Hajime Yamamura
Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances, Volumes 1, 4-21 by Masami Tsuda
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 14 by Tsutomu Nihei
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibuses 9-10 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Love Stage!!, Volume 4 by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 14 by Kiiro Yumi
Maid-sama!, Omnibus 2 by Hiro Fujiwara
Merman in My Tub, Volume 1 by Itokichi
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Volume 1 by Izumi Tsubaki
My Love Story!!, Volume 6 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
My Neighbor Seki, Volumes 3-4 by Takuma Morishige
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 6 by Adachitoka
One-Punch Man, Volumes 2-3 written by One, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Slam Dunk, Volumes 15-16, 21-22, 26, 28-31 by Takehiko Inoue
Voices of Love by Kanae Hazuki
Witchcraft Works, Volume 6 by Ryu Mizunagi
You Make My Head Spin by Kazuhiko Mishima

Manhwa!
Behind Story, Volume 2 by Narae Ahn
Masca, Volume 1 by Young Hee Kim
Void’s Enigmatic Mansion, Volumes 1-2 by HeeEun Kim

Comics!
Eat More Comics: The Best of The Nib edited by Matt Bors
Love in All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer edited by Serafina Dwyer
Sfeer Theory: The Uitspan Era, Volume 2 by Alex Singer and Jayd Aït-Kaci
Windrose, Volume 1 by Studio Kôsen

Novels!
Dead Endings by Jessica Chavez, illustrated by Irene Flores

Anthologies!
Ten Nights Dreaming and The Cat’s Grave by Natsume Soseki

Anime!
Another directed by Tsutomu Mizushima
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Another month has passed and my collection of books and manga continues to grow. (I am, however, in the process of pulling together a rather large library donation, so at least there will at least temporarily be space for new acquisitions.) I had quite a few Kickstarter rewards arrive last month which I was happy to see. I’m especially looking forward to reading the TJ and Amal epilogue comic Five Years Ago and Three Thousand Miles Away by E.K. Weaver and the queer science fiction and fantasy comics anthology Beyond. Last month I started trying to collect Kyoko Hikawa’s manga series From Far Away, which may take some time to complete since it’s out of print, but if that fails at least it’s now available digitally. I also managed to find a fairly nice copy of Hideshi Hino’s out-of-print Panorama of Hell for a reasonable price, which is one of the best horror manga that I’ve ever read. (It’s definitely not for the weak of heart or stomach, though) Speaking of horror, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, probably my most anticipated October release, is now available! Expect an in-depth review to come soon, but for now know that I absolutely loved it.

Manga!
Alice in the Country of Clover: March Hare by Soyogo Iwaki
Alice in the Country of Clover: The March Hare’s Revolution by Ryo Kazuki
Battle Angel Alita, Volumes 1-5 by Yukito Kishiro
Because I’m a Boy! by Asia Watanabe
Boys Over Flowers, Volumes 1-4 by Yoko Kamio
Citrus, Volume 2 by Saburouta
Devil Survivor, Volume 1 by Satoru Matsuba
Fairy Tail, Volume 50 by Hiro Mashima
From Far Away, Volumes 1-3 by Kyoko Hikawa
Horimiya, Volume 1 written by Hero, illustrated by Daisuke Hagiwara
Imadoki!, Volumes 4-5 by Yuu Watase
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu by Junji Ito
Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances, Volumes 2-3 by Masami Tsuda
Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 1 by Junko
LDK, Volume 1 by Ayu Watanabe
Love at Fourteen, Volume 4 by Fuka Mizutani
My Little Monster, Volume 10 by Robico
Ninja Slayer, Volume 1: Machine of Vengence written by Yoshiaki Tabata, illustrated by Yuki Yogo
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 7 by Adachitoka
Otouto no Otto by Gengoroh Tagame
Pandora Hearts, Volume 4-9 by Jun Mochizuki
Panorama of Hell by Hideshi Hino
QQ Sweeper, Volume 1 by Kyousuke Motomi
Say I Love You, Volume 9 by Kanae Hazuki
Slam Dunk, Volumes 3-14, 17-20, 23-25, and 27 by Takehiko Inoue
Tenshi Ja Nai!!, Volumes 1-3 by Takako Shigematsu
Tokyo ESP, Volume 1 by Hajime Segawa
Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 3 by Sui Ishida
Witchcraft Works, Volume 7 by Ryu Mizunagi
Wolf Magic by Natsuki Zippo
The World’s Greatest First Love, Volumes 2-3 by Shungiku Nakamura

Comics!
Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology edited by Sfé R. Monster
Check Please!, Year One by Ngozi Ukazu
Darlin’ It’s Betta Down Where It’s Wetta, Volume 1 by Megan Rose Gedris
The Fall of the House of West written by Paul Pope, JT Petty, illustrated by David Rubín
Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi written by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose
Five Years Ago and Three Thousand Miles Away by E.K. Weaver
Last Man, Volume 3: The Chase by Bastien Vivès, Michael Sanlaville, and Balak
Lost in the Snow, Volume 2 by Velvet Toucher
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by E.K. Weaver
Lumberjanes, Volume 2: Friendship to the Max created by Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, and Shannon Watters
Meaty Yogurt, Volume 1: Small Town Blues by Megan Rose Gedris

Anthologies!
Hanzai Japan: Fantastical, Futuristic stories of Crime from and about Japan edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington

Artbooks!
Art Collection, Volume 1: 2011-2015 by Inuyoshi

Anime!
Kitaro directed by Katsuhide Motoki
Paprika directed by Satoshi Kon
Tekkon Kinkreet directed by Michael Arias