Best New Manga of April 2017

Fruits Basket, Vol. 12, by Natsuki Takaya
Natsuki Takaya’s saga of a kindhearted girl who sets out to deliver the Sohma family from its longstanding curse comes to an end in this final omnibus volume, and the central love triangle is also finally resolved. There’s still a bit of story left, though, as old secrets are revealed and Tohru Honda and the Sohmas adjust to the new status quo. Since the original series ran to 23 volumes, this final double-sized omnibus is filled out with over 150 pages of extras, including a lengthy interview with the manga-ka herself.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 21, by Hajime Isayama
April showers bring a double bonus for Attack on Titan fans: The second season of the anime just started streaming, and we have a new volume of the manga as well! You could start off every blurb about this series with “The battle with the Titans continues…” as the assaults are almost nonstop, but there’s always more to it than that. In this volume, Eren and his companions continue to unravel the mystery that was presented in volume 1—what was Eren’s doctor father up to?—but they also must make a harrowing choice as to who will live and who will die.

Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 12, by Sui Ishida
Over the course of the series, Tokyo Ghoul has gone from establishing Ken Kaneki as a half-human, half-ghoul character and building his world, to an all-out war with the Aogiri Tree, and now, to a slow unwinding of the underlying conspiracy. That thread continues in volume 12, with CCG Inspector Amon making a discovery that builds on the conspiracy. The battle between the CCG and the ghouls also continues with an assault on the 4th Ward, and danger lurks ahead in the 20th Ward as well.

Danganronpa: The Animation, Vol. 4, by Takashi Taukimi and Spike Chunsoft
The students of Hope’s Peak Academy were all selected for their special skills, but when they get to what they think is an elite school they discover they have been tossed into a Battle Royale courtroom situation with a demented teddy bear playing the judge. Basically, in order to survive the students must murder one another and then prevail in a classroom trial The original cast has dwindled down to six students as the final trial begins, and at last they will learn why they have been forced to play this twisted game. The series is based on the video game Danganronpa, but the story stands quite well on its own as a darkly over-the-top take on the kill-or-be-killed genre.

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 1, by Rei Toma
From the creator of Dawn of the Arcana comes another fantasy story with some dark overtones. Asahi is a little girl living a comfortable life in modern-day Japan until she is sucked into the past, into a harsher and more primitive time. A boy about her own age, Subaru, comes to her aid, but then his mother tosses Asahi into the lake as a sacrifice to the local water god. This is not Beauty and the Beast, though, or even the traditional version of the story. The water dragon doesn’t kill Asahi, as he has done with the other young women sacrificed to him, but he doesn’t immediately fall in love with her, either. Subaru, on the other hand, is determined to rescue Asahi, and it looks like the focus of the story will be the struggle between him and the dragon.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Vol. 1, by Ukyo Kodachi, Masashi Kishimoto, and Mikio Ikemoto
Because there’s no such thing as too much Naruto, here comes the saga of Naruto’s son, Boruto. Naruto was a spunky lad with a lot to prove; an outcast in his village, he was determined to become the greatest ninja of his time. Boruto is living in the peaceful world his father created, and with no evil to battle—and his father off working too much of the time—he’s a bit of a slacker. But this is a Shonen Jump manga, so you know that can’t last. This volume follows the plot of the first Boruto movie, but there’s a new story about the origin of Mitsuki. It’s a good pick for fans of the original series (especially because Ikemoto was Kishimoto’s assistant, so the art has a familiar feel) and for anyone who just likes a good battling ninja lad story.

Ghost Diary, Vol. 1, by Seiju Natsumegu
Sukami Kyouichi’s sister has been missing for six years, since shortly after she rescued him from a haunted shrine. They come from a family of exorcists, and Kyouichi’s sister is the stronger one, but after she disappeared, Kyouichi kept her special notebook, which has information on how to defeat all manner of ghosts. He has been searching for her, without success, but as the story opens a mysterious stranger appears who claims to have been her friend, and armed with the information in the notebook, Kyouichi renews his efforts. This story promises plenty of ghost-fighting action.

Haikyu!!, Vol. 10, by Haruichi Furudate
Furudate delivers another sweaty mix of adolescent drama and the fine points of volleyball; Hinata and Kageyama’s squabbles over a move set the team back. Plus when they play against the big boys (Tokyo) they realize they aren’t all that and a bag of chips after all, and they are going to have to step up their game, because the alternative is slinking quietly away.

What new manga are you reading this month?