Naruto #69, Hide & Seek #3, Rin-Ne #17, Wallflower #34

Naruto #69:

More final ninja war. We get a spotlight on Gaara which is good because I like Gaara, and there is some great highlighting of the other supporting characters as well. Much like all of the ninja war story arc  so far, there’s just too many characters and the war is dragging on forever. If the ninja war arc hasn’t lost you yet, this volume has some major plot going down as the final players get into position.

 

Hide & Seek #3:

Not a volume for someone who hasn’t read the other volumes, but a satisfying conclusion for those who have. While Tea for Two is still my favorite series by this mangaka, this is a solid second favorite. This story features two consenting adults in a mature relationship with realistic relationship concerns (work, future, custody of child with ex-wife). With three volumes, there’s enough time for the relationship to develop. This is a fun yaoi series and I highly recommend.

 

Rin-Ne #17:

It’s kinda hard to believe there have already been this many volumes of this series. To start with, this is not Rumiko Takahashi’s best series. I keep up with it more for my fondness of the mangaka and for the fact that it’s still at least mildly entertaining.  It is episodic zaniness like Lum/Urusai Yatsura with the demon/myth side of Inu Yasha.

 

Wallflower #34

Don’t expect any plot development. Much like Rin-ne, this series has become a bunch of stand-alone episodes. If you like the characters, this volume is amusing but don’t go in looking for much of a story. The art is pretty when Tomoko Hayakawa puts in the effort, but she tends to get lazy and her characters all tend to look pretty similar.