Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Eight

Article first published as Manga Review: A Devil and Her Love Song – Volume Eight by Miyoshi Tomori on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Eight is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2013. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

The main character of the series is Maria Kawaii, a girl who transferred to Totsuka High School after being expelled from St. Katria for beating up a teacher. At the beginning of the series, she was misunderstood and bullied by many of her classmates; however, she was still able to make friends with Yusuke Kanda, Shin Meguro, and Tomoyo Kousaka.

The second story arc of the series focused on Maria reuniting with Anna Mouri, a girl she considered her best friend while she was a student at St. Katria. As Tomori promised in her Author’s Note at the end of Volume Seven, this story arc resolves in Volume Eight; in fact, the resolution of this story arc is the very first section of Volume Eight. Personally, I was satisfied with how Tomori brought this story arc to a close; it was a realistic way to end that story, and she made sure she didn’t drag the conclusion out very long.

This volume sees Maria realizing that she’s still in love with Shin, even if he doesn’t seem to be returning her feelings. Unfortunately, Maria’s feelings become confused by the introduction of Shintaro Kurosu, a new freshman who has taken an interest in Maria. Shintaro is a loner and doesn’t really try to hang out with the other kids in his own grade level.

So Maria is now up to three potential love interests: Shin, Yusuke, and Shintaro. However, Volume Eight focuses more heavily on Shin and Shintaro, and not much on Yusuke. Unfortunately, Shintaro comes across as a stalker and acts rather possessive of Maria. I assume Tomori designed him this way intentionally, so the reader doesn’t want Shintaro and Maria to get together.

For me, Shintaro is such an unlikable character that I hope this story arc resolves sooner rather than later. I think Tomori’s whole point with this story arc is to open Shin’s eyes up to the fact that if he likes Maria that he’d better make his move before someone else takes her away. However, I think this can be accomplished rather quickly, so I’m hoping this storyline doesn’t go on for more than one more volume. Tomori ended Volume Eight with a cliffhanger, so if you want to know what happens next, you have to read Volume Nine.

While Volume Eight was a decent read, I didn’t think it was quite as strong as the previous seven volumes in the series. If you’ve enjoyed reading A Devil and Her Love Song prior to this volume, you’ll need to read Volume Eight to find out what happens next; however, you could potentially be a little disappointed by the new story arc introduced in Volume Eight.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Eight that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Sailor Moon” Volume 11

Article first published as Manga Review: Sailor Moon – Volume 11 by Naoko Takeuchi on Blogcritics.

Sailor Moon Volume 11 is a manga with the story and art by Naoko Takeuchi. Kodansha Comics has the North American distribution rights for the manga, and their English adaptation of this volume was released in 2013. Sailor Moon is rated “T” for teens 13 and up; from what I’ve read of the series, I would agree with this rating.

A new story arc begins in Volume 11, and Mamoru is heading off to America to study at Harvard. When Usagi goes to see Mamoru off, he gives her a ring. After she’s given the ring, something strange happens to Mamoru and Usagi passes out. She’s rescued by three people who have not appeared previously in the series. Around this same time, Chibi-usa returns to the 30th century

Shortly after, a boy band called Three Lights hits it big, and the three members transfer into Usagi’s high school. As the volume progresses, it’s revealed there’s more to Three Lights than meets the eye. Chibi-Chibi-Chan also enters the storyline; she looks an awful lot like she should be related to Usagi somehow, but the child doesn’t give any information about who she is or where she comes from.

The new villain introduced in this arc is Sailor Galaxia. She is wanting to acquire all of the Sailor Crystals, and it appears she is ultimately after Sailor Moon for her Silver Moon Crystal.

With this volume, Takeuchi has drastically expanded the concept of the Sailor Guardians and now there are a lot more of them that come from all over the Milky Way. To be honest, by the time I finished the volume, I found myself feeling rather overwhelmed and a bit confused by just how quickly Takeuchi expanded the Sailor Moon universe.

One of the biggest questions in this volume is who exactly Chibi-Chibi-Chan is; however, by the end of the volume, the reader is still no closer to understanding who she is at the end of the volume than they were when she was first introduced into the story. There’s only one more volume of the Sailor Moon series left, so I suspect more information about Chibi-Chibi-Chan will be revealed during the final volume.

While I have thought that the plots in some of the earlier volumes were strange, I think this story arc wins the prize for being the strangest of them all. Volume 11 spends a lot of time building up the storyline, introducing a whole bunch of new characters, and expanding on the already established universe; combining all of these elements makes this particular volume a bit of dense read. With only one volume left, I’m afraid Takeuchi ended up rushing through this storyline in order to conclude it.

There’s a preview of Volume 12 at the back of the book that’s in English. It’s definitely from the first five pages of the next volume, and it picks up exactly where Volume 11 ends.

After reading Volume 11, it seems like it would probably appeal more to the die-hard Sailor Moon fans than to more casual readers like myself. It’s not that it’s a bad read, but I think a more casual reader is more likely to be left confused by this storyline than anything else, and may not feel as invested to go on to Volume 12 in order to find out what happens.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Sailor Moon Volume 11 that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Nine

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White – Volume Nine by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Nine is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2013. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Nine begins with Black and White heading their separate ways and going on their own adventures. The volume opens with Black on his way to Driftveil City, but is unable to get there due to a bridge malfunction. Black learns there’s more going on than a simple bridge malfunction, and finds himself tangled up in a Pokemon battle.

Meanwhile, White is on the Battle Subway, where she’s training in order to try to improve her skills for Pokemon battles. While she’s on the subway, White finds a stowaway who claims to write books about Pokemon. During their ride, legendary Pokemon appear, and it’s revealed the writer is more than simply just a writer.

The volume ends with Black arriving in Driftveil City and running into his friend, Cheren. The two friends find themselves caught up in a battle with Team Plasma, the antagonists of the series who believe in liberating Pokemon.

Story-wise, what I read in Volume Nine is essentially the type of stories I have come to expect from the Pokemon Black and White manga series. It was also nice to see Team Plasma show up again during this volume, because I do like the idea of an antagonist group thinking they’re fighting for a cause like Pokemon liberation. Unfortunately, at this point in the series, I don’t think that Team Plasma is utilized as much as they should be in order for this motivation to be as strong as it should be. I keep hoping that Team Plasma will have a bigger role to play as the series progresses.

Probably my favorite portion of this volume is the story that takes place on the Battle Subway. I thought I had an idea who the writer was really affiliated with, but I was surprised when I discovered that my guess was wrong. While I think the three Legendary Pokemon that appear in this portion of the story are a little on the ridiculous side, I liked the overall execution of that storyline.

And to me, the weakest portion of the volume was the story about the bridge; in the long run, it doesn’t appear to add anything important for the series. Perhaps I will discover later on in the series that there was more significance to that storyline than there currently appears to be on the surface.

If you’re a Pokemon fan who has enjoyed the previous eight volumes of Pokemon Black and White, I think you’ll also enjoy Pokemon Black and White Volume Nine.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Nine that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle” Volume Eight

Article first published as Manga Review: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle – Volume Eight by CLAMP on Blogcritics.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Volume Eight is a manga by CLAMP, and it was published in North America by Del Rey Manga in 2006. The series is rated “T” for teens 13 and up; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

A young man named Syaoran is in love with Princess Sakura from the country of Clow. After Sakura loses her memories through an unexplained event, Syaoran goes on a journey to different worlds to try to find and regain Sakura’s lost memories. Unfortunately, as part of his journey, he mad to make a deal with the space-time witch Yukito in order to receive her help; Syaoran had to agree that Sakura would never regain her memories of the time she had spent with him. Syaoran is accompanied by Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona on his quest.

Volume Eight begins with Syaoran and the others ending up in a world where large rabbit-like creatures are being terrorized by a monster. The creatures make Fai stay with them as a sacrifice if Syaoran and the others can’t take care of the monster. The others find the “monster” and are quite surprised by what it turns out to be.

Fortunately, this particular story is the short side, which is a welcome change of pace after how long the story took place in the county of Oto. Also, the story that’s being told with the rabbit-like creatures would not have worked very well if it had been any longer than what it was.

Syaoran and the others move on to a new world, and the remainder of Volume Eight is set in this world. The story being told in that world does not finish in Volume Eight, so you have to read Volume Nine in order to find out how it continues.

The world they have come to is the Country of Shara; according to the translation notes, this world is based on the opposition between the pleasure quarters of Edo period Japan and the religious culture of the temples and shrines. Fai and Kurogane are separated from the others when Mokona transports them to Shara; they end up at a jinja, which belongs to the religious faction on the land. The others have ended up Yuka-ku, which provides entertainment. Each side has a statue; the jinja has a statue of Yasha, while Yuka-ku has a statue of Ashura. The jinja blame the Yuka-ku and their Ashura state for misfortunes that have happened, and the two sides don’t like each other.

Having the travelers split between the two factions is an interesting idea, because it allows the reader to get a feel for both sides of the conflict. Also, it should potentially provide for interesting material when the traveling companions find each other with the other faction and needing to get back together. I can’t wait to read Volume Nine to find out where this story ends up going.

For those keeping score, this volume of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle features crossover characters from X and RG Veda.

Overall, I was satisfied by what I read in Volume Eight of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. If you’ve read the previous seven volumes of the series and enjoyed them, I think you’ll also enjoy Volume Eight.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Volume Eight that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Miyoshi Tomori’s A Devil and Her Love Song – Volume Seven on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Seven is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2013. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Maria Kawaii transferred to Totsuka High School after being expelled from St. Katria for beating up a teacher. During the first four volumes of the series, Maria was misunderstood and bullied by many of her classmates; but even with that, she still was able to make friends with Yusuke Kanda, Shin Meguro, and Tomoyo Kousaka.

In more recent volumes, Maria has reunited her Anna Mouri, a girl she considered to be her best friend at St. Katria. At the same time, Maria came to realization that she had fallen in love with Shin. Anna fell for Shin as well, and was trying to find ways to keep the two of them from getting together. Near the end of Volume Six, Anna shared some information with Shin in regards to Maria, which has made Shin question whether he wants to get closer to her or not.

Back in my review for Volume One of the series, I had commented that it seemed like there was a setup being established for Shin and Yusuke to both become love interests for Maria. This aspect was really scaled back during Volumes Two through Six. However, Yusuke has made it plain in Volume Seven that he is in love with Maria. Maria now finds herself conflicted. While she likes Shin, she sees that he’s becoming more distant from her. Yusuke, meanwhile, is being kind to her and is trying to get closer to her.

I really appreciated how Tomori has advanced the story from the end of Volume Six. While the inevitable love triangle has come to pass, there’s also some very interesting backstory that is revealed for both Maria and Anna in this volume. I also appreciated how Maria has also come to the realization about what the true dynamics in her friendship with Anna are.

The music school is also becoming an integral part of the storyline, so it’s not simply a device that helped bring Anna into the storyline. It also appears that one of the teachers at the music school is going to become an integral character; however, from what I’ve seen of him at this point, I’m not sure that I entirely trust him.

In an author’s note at the back of Volume Seven, Tomori mentions that the story arc with Anna is going to be resolved in Volume Eight, and that a new story arc will be starting. I can’t wait to see how Tomori brings this story arc with Anna to a close, and I’m also very curious as to where Tomori will take the story next. If I had to guess, I would say that the next story arc will probably focus on the love triangle that has formed between Maria, Shin, and Yusuke.

If you’re a fan of the A Devil and Her Love Song manga series and have enjoyed the story arc that features Anna, then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with how to story progresses in Volume Seven.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Seven that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Lone Wolf and Cub” Omnibus Volume One

Article first published as Manga Review: Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus Volume One by Kazuo Koike on Blogcritics.

Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus Volume One is a manga written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima. This omnibus release collects the first three volumes of the series into one volume that spans a little over 700 pages in length. Dark Horse Manga has the North American distribution rights for the series, and this omnibus edition was released in 2013. There isn’t a rating published anywhere on this volume; however, after reading it, I would recommend Lone Wolf & Cub to manga readers who are 16 or 17 years of age and older.

The “lone wolf” character is Ogami Itto, who served as the Shogun’s executioner during the Edo period. The “cub” is his young son, Daigoro. After Ogami’s wife gave birth to Daigoro, she and the rest of the household are murdered; however, Daigoro’s life is spared. After Ogami is framed for wishing death on the Shogun, he is branded as a traitor and has to forfeit his post. Ogami, along with little Daigoro, travel as ronin and become known as Lone Wolf & Cub. Ogami vows to avenge the death of his wife and his own disgrace.

The first omnibus follows Ogami and Daigoro on their travels. To make money during their travels, Ogami takes on assassination jobs. Because of these jobs, he often finds himself is dangerous and precarious situations. But at the end of the each job, Ogami finds ways to get himself and Daigoro out of those situations so they can continue on their journey for vengeance.

The tone of Lone Wolf & Cub is rather dark, and at times, it can even be intense. There is a lot of action that takes place, and there’s also quite a bit of violence and blood included in the action. There is also a few panels in this omnibus that include female nudity, with some of those being scenes of women being raped. It’s these elements of violence that nudity that made me decide that this series is more appropriate for older teens and adults. Lone Wolf & Cub is not a manga series for the faint of heart.

But even with all that violence, there is still a compelling and fascinating story being told. Ogami is a well-developed character, and the reader finds that they’re cheering for him to succeed. It also helps that his son, Daigoro, looks so adorable. Even though Ogami may be an assassin, he’s still a good guy and a caring father; this is especially evident by how he makes sure Daigoro is taken of and that his needs are being met.

Lone Wolf & Cub was originally published in the 1970s. However, the art style used for this series doesn’t look “dated”; in fact, I didn’t know it was a series from the 1970s until I did some research. From what I’ve read, it appears that Lone Wolf & Cub is a manga series that has held up well over the years, both with its story and its art. It’s no wonder that this series has been held in such high esteem as it has over the years.

Lone Wolf & Cub has a good story, but it’s definitely on the intense side. If you like stories about ninja and samurai and don’t have any problems with the intensity with the violence and action in this series, then you will probably enjoy it. However, if you like ninja and samurai stories, but want a story that’s less intense, then you should probably stick with Naruto.

I wrote this review after reading a pre-release digital copy of Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus Volume One that I acquired through the NetGalley.com website.

Manga Review: “Fullmetal Alchemist” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: Fullmetal Alchemist Volume Six by Hiromu Arakawa on Blogcritics.

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume Six is a manga by Hiromu Arakawa, and it was published in North America by Viz Media in 2006. Fullmetal Alchemist is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the manga and from seeing both of the anime series, I would agree with this rating.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers who have learned how to perform alchemy. After trying to perform a forbidden alchemy technique to bring their mother back to life, Alphonse lost his body and Ed lost one of his legs. Ed loses one of his arms in order to attach Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. Ed has “auto-mail” prosthetics designed by his friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother, Pinako.

Edward has become the youngest State Alchemist in history and has been given the name “Fullmetal Alchemist.” The series follows Ed and Al as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary artifact that they believe will allow them to recover their bodies.

The end of Volume Five stopped in the middle of a flashback showing Ed and Al when they were younger, when they first went to train under Izumi Curtis. In fact, the majority of this volume provides a lot of background information on the brothers and how they came to perform the forbidden human transmutation. However, the flashback doesn’t end there. It goes on to show what happened to the brothers directly after the incident, and shows how Ed and Al got to be where they were when we first met them in Volume One.

On the surface, it seems like a manga volume that has a strong focus on character backstory could be a little on the boring side. However, Volume Six of Fullmetal Alchemist is anything but boring. The drama and humor the reader has come to expect from this series is just as prevalent in the flashback as it is in the regular story.

Volume Six is also important for providing some more background on Ed and Al’s teacher, Izumi, and why she acts the way that she does. This volume also begins to provide some more insight to the reader in regards to the characters of Ford Mustang and Riza Hawkeye.

Even though I’m already familiar with the story due to seeing the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series, I still found myself riveted to what I was reading on each and every page in this volume. I attribute this to Arakawa’s abilities as a storyteller; she is able to tell such a compelling story that the reader wants to read or see it multiple times.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the previous five volumes of Fullmetal Alchemist, then I believe you’ll enjoy reading Volume Six of the series.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Fullmetal Alchemist Volume Six that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Naruto” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Naruto Volume Seven by Masashi Kishimoto on Blogcritics.

Naruto Volume Seven is a manga by Masashi Kishimoto, and it was released in North America by Viz Media’s Shonen Jump imprint in 2005. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the manga and from what I’ve seen of the anime series, I would agree with this rating.

Naruto Uzumaki is the main character of the series, and he is the number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village. His dream is to become of the leader of the village one day, and he wants everyone to acknowledge him. Naruto has spent his entire life up to this point being shunned by the adults in the village due to the fact that he has a fox demon sealed inside of him.

Naruto is a member of Team 7, along with Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. They are competing in the Chunin Exam; at the end of the exam, the ninja who are deemed worthy enough are promoted from the Genin rank to the Chunin rank.

Volume Seven continues the second test of the Chunin Exam, which is survival test that requires the teams to acquire two scrolls and reach the tower before the end of the exam. The teams that can’t accomplish this task within the allotted time are eliminated from the Chunin Exam.

The early portion of the volume focuses on Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino trying to help Team 7 out of a predicament they’re in with a team from the ninja of the Sound Village. There’s also quite a bit of focus on Sasuke and Curse Mark he had received from Orochimaru in Volume Six. Team 7 also receives unexpected help from a ninja named Kabuto; however, is Kabuto’s help sincere, or does he have an ulterior motive?

It’s been an interesting experience for me to read the manga after seeing the corresponding anime episodes first. By reading the manga after seeing the anime, I was able to pick up on at least two instances of foreshadowing that appeared in Volume Seven. I couldn’t help but smile when I picked up on this foreshadowing, because I knew exactly what was being referenced.

This volume also lets us see a little more of the Sand Siblings (Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari) and their interactions with each other. While we saw a little bit of this interaction back when the Sand Siblings first arrived in the Leaf Village for the Chunin Exam, there’s a scene in Volume Seven that expands on the interactions and helps the reader to understand the character of Gaara a little bit better.

In the opening author’s note, Kishimoto mentions that this is the first Naruto volume to be created entirely digitally. I can definitely see a difference in the style of the art in this volume in comparison to the previous six volumes. Overall, the characters have a “smoother” look to them, and are starting to look a lot closer to their anime counterparts.

Even though I may already know what’s going to happen from seeing the anime series first, I’m still riveted by what I read in the manga; in fact, I have a hard time putting it down. If you’re read the previous six volumes of Naruto and enjoyed them, then you should also enjoy what you read in Volume Seven.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Naruto Volume Seven that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “One Piece” Volume 11

Article first published as Manga Review: One Piece Volume 11 by Eiichiro Oda on Blogcritics.

One Piece Volume 11 is a manga by Eiichiro Oda, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shonen Jump imprint in 2006. The series is rated “T” for teens; from the 11 volumes that I’ve read of the One Piece manga series, I would agree with this rating.

Monkey D. Luffy is the main character of One Piece, and he dreams of finding the fabled One Piece treasure on the Grand Line. Not only that, but Luffy also wants to become the king of the pirates. Unfortunately during his youth, Luffy ate some devil fruit, which turned his body into rubber and has made it so he is unable to swim. Even with that disadvantage, Luffy still pursues his dream. At this point in the series, Luffy has acquired some crew members: Zolo, Usopp, Nami, and Sanji.

Volume 11 picks right where Volume 10 ended during the battle at Arlong Park. In fact, about half of this volume focuses on the battle at Arlong Park and the aftermath of the battle. The actual battle is really intense, with quite a few panels focusing on action and sound effects and not much on dialogue.

There are a couple of panels in this section that really stood out to me. One is on the top of page 56; this is a close-up on Nami watching the fighting, with her hand up to her mouth and tears coming out of her eye. The other is on the top of page 58, which is a close-up on Luffy looking extremely angry. I thought that Oda did an incredible job of capturing the emotions of these characters in these particular panels.

Another story arc begins in Volume 11, which sees Luffy being branded as a dangerous pirate and having a 30 million berry bounty being placed on his head. For this story arc, Luffy and his crew visit Roguetown, which is where Gold Roger was executed.

While in Roguetown, Zolo meets a swordswoman who bears a striking resemblance to his deceased friend, Kuina. Luffy and the gang also have an encounter with two previous antagonists, and the volume ends in with them in the process of trying to flee from these adversaries, as well as from the group that the woman Zolo met is affiliated with. A couple of other characters that the reader has already met also make a brief appearance in this story arc as well.

The title pages for the chapters in this volume continue the story of Koby and Helmeppo serving in the navy. While this is an OK mini-story, I haven’t enjoyed it quite as much as I did the Buggy the Clown mini-story that had appeared on the title pages in earlier volumes of One Piece.

In this volume, Oda didn’t do any question and answer pages like he had in several of the previous volumes of One Piece. Instead, he includes a cut-away view of the Merry Go, as well as sketches of the various areas of the ship. Personally, I enjoyed these a lot more than I did the question and answer sections. The background information that’s provided for the ship in this volume helps to give me a better feel and understanding for how the Merry Go is designed.

I have to say that I enjoyed reading Volume 11. I was very satisfied with how the Arlong Park story arc resolved, and the Roguetown arc has definitely piqued my interest. I really hope that the Roguetown arc will continue to be an enjoyable read in Volume 12.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of One Piece Volume 11 that my son checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “A Devil and Her Love Song” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six by Miyoshi Tomori on Blogcritics.

A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six is a manga by Miyoshi Tomori, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

At the beginning of the series, Maria Kawaii transferred into Totsuka High School after being expelled from St. Katria for beating up a teacher. During the first four volumes of the series, Maria was misunderstood and bullied by many of her classmates; however, she did manage to make friends with three of her peers: Yusuke Kanda, Shin Meguro, and Tomoyo Kousaka.

In Volume Five, Maria realizes that she’s fallen in love with Shin. Unfortunately, the situation becomes complicated with Maria’s old friend from St. Katria, Anna Mouri, enters the story. Anna meets Shin at the music school they both attend, and Anna develops feelings for Shin.

There’s a lot of emotional tension that takes place over the course of Volume Six. There’s also a big revelation about Maria that Anna shares with Shin, but as a reader, I’m left wondering if what she shared is really true or something she’s trying to use to keep Maria and Shin from getting together. It will be interesting to see how Tomori moves forward with this particular plot point.

As a reader, I felt really bad for Shin. We know that he’s in love with Maria, but it’s obvious that’s he being torn in several different directions due to Anna’s actions. I’m really rooting for Shin and Maria to be able to work through this setback and find a way to become a couple. While Anna may not make me quite as angry as the girls who were bullying Maria in the first four volumes of A Devil and Her Love Song, I still find myself frustrated with Anna and her meddling.

Overall, I found Volume Six of A Devil and Her Love Song to be as riveting of a read as the previous five volumes. I was so interested in what was happening in the story that I found myself not wanting to put this manga volume down.

Just like in the previous volumes of the series, Tomori included several effective close-up panels of the characters during very pivotal and emotional scenes. Tomori definitely seems to have a talent and knack for knowing how to use these close-ups and when to use these close-ups. These close-up panels also utilize some of Tomori’s best use of detail.

If you’re a fan of the A Devil and Her Love Song manga series, then I think you will be satisfied with how Volume Six continues the story.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of A Devil and Her Love Song Volume Six that I checked out through the King County Library System.