No Taichi, No Arata, no problem? I wouldn’t go that far. Change is definitely the theme in Chihayafuru these days. There’s still no sign of Taichi, Chihaya isn’t playing, and the Empress is thinking about the future as much as the present. Maybe it’s a test of how big a […] Read more
“To the North” We got a mini-chapter of Otoyomegatari sandwiched in-between the usual releases from Mori-sensei, a short check-in with the remnants of the Halgal clan. As Karluk’s family sifts through the spoils of war, Azel and his kin have headed north, with Azel now officially in-charge of the clan. […] Read more
“Are You Sure?/Because We’re Brothers” Fittingly it’s Mix that completes the first ever manga triple play at LiA… It’s been so long since we’ve seen a translated chapter of Mix that I’d almost forgotten where the story left off. Such are the frustrations of being a manga fan who can’t […] Read more
That was quite the unexpected turn of events. What a strange chapter of Chihayafuru this was. I found it quite unsatisfying, and there was something that just felt “off” to me – though there was certainly a good deal of tension inside the Mizusawa ranks as they prepared for the […] Read more
“Pariya Sews” Yes, I did skip Chapter 44 – for blogging purposes anyway. The reason being that I simply couldn’t think of any more to say about Anis’ storyline. I never found it all that interesting to begin with, it was supposed to end at Chapter 43, and I was […] Read more
Dammit Suetsugu-sensei – you got me again. Chapter 143 Once again Chihayafuru clocks in with a deceptive chapter – one which seems like a relatively low-key change of pace, only to amp up the stakes exponentially in the final few panels and leave you feeling a bit breathless and on-edge. […] Read more
There are no uneventful Chihayafuru chapters any more – only varying magnitudes of earthquakes. I should know better than to be lulled into suspecting Suetsugu-sensei is going to give us a breather chapter. Until you’ve read the last panel you’d damn well better keep looking up, because sooner or later […] Read more
Suetsugu-sensei, just what in the world do you have planned for our put-upon male lead? There’s never a dull moment in Chhayafuru these days, as pretty much every chapter is packed with drama fit to bursting. The only thing that seems certain is that things can never be the same […] Read more
Fittingly for a series about a card game, the deck seems to have been thoroughly shuffled. By the standards of the highly dramatic series Chihayafuru has become, this has to count as something of a breather chapter. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a lot of angst here – only […] Read more
“A Garden For Two” The story of Anis and Shirin (let’s be honest – it’s really the story of the cat) finally draws to a close, and while it finishes with a strong and beautifully-drawn chapter I can’t say I’m going to miss it. I’m ready for Otoyomegatari to move […] Read more