Issue #76
Summary post #2 yay!!!
Series Debuts
生き残った６人によると by 山本和音 （やまもとかずね）
Started December 30, finished December 31.
Zombie stories are not my thing, but I’m giving this one a go! It’s pretty cute so far actually. Not too much else to say so far.
真柴姉弟は顔が固い by 菊池まりこ (きくちまりこ)
Started January 1, continued Jan 2, finished Jan 3.
Mixed feelings on this one … I don’t feel particularly drawn in by the premise or characters and I felt tempted in the beginning to just skip it, but there were some parts I liked, and it seems like there may be some exploration around gender… I’ll give it another chapter at least …
Shorts / 読切
夏にビードロ by 佐久間葉 (さくまよ)
Started December 31, finished January 1.
Pretty cute! Definitely got me interested in/curious about glass blowing! There was one thing I felt like I didn’t understand towards the end. The journalist is watching the girl blow glass and thinks ガラスしか映ってないんだろうな… I thought maybe he was thinking that she doesn’t “harmonize” with anything besides glass? But that feels like maybe a bit of a stretch.
Also not sure about the end tagline, which seems like a bit of a non-sequitur. ひと夏の思い出が、あせる間もなく蘇る！ Like, is it maybe a true story the mangaka doesn’t want to forget? I dunno.
向かいの彼女 by 荒木美咲 (あらきみさき)
Started Jan 11. Finished Jan 12.
I didn’t love the art style, and for most of the story I had no context to understand what was happening … By the end I figured out that she was supposed to give a speech (at her graduation ceremony I think) … I like how in the last panel the one girl says ”no way we’re going to be friends”, but you can just tell that they absolutely are gonna become friends.
Ultimately pretty cute, but not my most favorite.
さよなら１００円 by 天野実樹 (あまのみき)
Read Jan 13.
I liked this one! I like the art style and the concept and the flower store setting … I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of 三村. But I haven’t figured out the significance of the title yet …
天狗の赤い髪 by 福浪優子 (ふくなみゆこ)
(Jan 13) I like to read the title page of the next story immediately after finishing the previous story, and this one looks like something I’ll really enjoy! I’m excited! But can’t start yet ……
Started Jan 13, finished Jan 14.
It was a little different than I anticipated, but I still really liked it, both story and art style. Also, I somehow did not realize that Western people living in Japan were illegal (before 開国 happened) before reading this story. I feel so ignorant. Luckily, I got the manga history of Japan during my trip! Unluckily, it is like 20 volumes long and I only have volume 1. But at least I can get started.
Anway, I think I’ll look and see if this mangaka has a published volume of short stories or something.
Continuing Series
はなやっこ by 原鮎美 (はらあゆみ)
Started Jan 3 (read about 8 panels). Continued Jan 4, read 4 strips.
Okay, now I’m enjoying this one too much. 
Just ordered volume one, gonna skip til I catch up probably.
Jan 5, read 5 more strips.
Things I like about it: art style, character types, and absurd and light-hearted comedy.
Jan 6, read 4 more strips and finished.
クプルムの花嫁 by namo
Started Jan 4. Continued Jan 6, 7, finished Jan 8.
I didn’t get what was meant by 水みたいな背中 … I thought maybe it was an idiom, but google wasn’t much help either.
I don’t love this chapter as much, the ending bothered me. Oh well.
ライカの星 by 吉田真百合 （よしだまゆり）
Started Jan 9. Finished Jan 10.
Laikaaa!!! These dogs are about as good at getting bloody revenge as I (a dog person) would expect a dog to be. Two crew members on Laika’s spaceship just got in a fight and accidentally hit the self destruct button, so now they’re all getting in adorable escape pods …
Wow, the ending though. This is amazing terrible amazing. I feel like the end of this story will ruin me. :sad:
Took a quick look at the cover and contents page of the next issue after finishing this one, and there’s some stuff coming up that I’m really excited for!!
Also, @rodan thanks so much for your comment in response to my previous summary! It definitely helped.