Selections from what I read in March: digest version part 2 of 3

I ended up splitting this by alphabet. Sorry.

• b 13th Boy 3: Well, the mystery of the cactus is solved. We find out some important things about the past. There is crabbiness and stupidity. It's hilarious and awesome.
• b Apothecarius Argentum 6: Argent really just wasn't made to be an assassin. I mean, he was fed poison to turn him into one, so he was technically made into an assassin, but he's just too agreeable for that to have worked out even if he hadn't been rescued/set free/whatever. He's in a land far away trying to find a way not to be poisonous because he'd like to kiss the woman he loves without making her ill. Quirky adventure/political dramedy/romance about apothecary and friends (and enemies and politics).
• b Bunny Drop: Confirmed bachelor gets tired of hearing his family gripe about the surprise his recently deceased grandfather left behind (a very young daughter) and says he'll take care of her. A very grounded, slice-of-life story about what it means to take responsibility for a child. Funny and full of warm fuzzies but also practical, day to day sacrifices and decisions.
• b Emma 9: I love Kaoru Mori's work. I don't really care what she's writing about or whether it has even a passing, tangential connection to Emma. Reading these stories makes me giddy/sighing happy.  I missed the Manga Moveable Feast about this series, but look forward to a post briefly comparing my reactions to the end of the main story in the manga and the anime.
• b Flat Earth Exchange 3-4 of 4: It loses points for being unwilling to let people stay dead and for being so enticingly mysterious without following through (on account of two magazines dying) all while promising answers in the future. At least she's still alive, unlike Nabokov . . .
• b Gakuen Alice 7-10: Totally addicted. Goofy and serious like a see-saw. Dang. Lots of key surprising revelations and thankfully, no descent into let's-make-a-happy-ending land (something the anime is guilty of doing).
• b Hanako and the Terror of Allegory 1: Deserves an award for titling.  (Is there such a thing?)  Don't you want to read it just because of that title? It made me think of Missingwith their shared themes of urban legends coming alive, though this one is much lighter in tone and more action-oriented (I also thought of Hogfatherbecause of the whole belief making things real bit).
• b Key to the Kingdom 5 of 6: OK, that had a lot of surprises, and it looks like the next volume is going to be a tear-jerker, too. Aw, man. Really solid fantasy.
• b Kyo Kara MAOH! 5: Awkward. Honestly, I love that the fierce, frowny, scary-looking guy relaxes by crocheting and has a weakness for cute things of all kinds. Pretty much never gets old.
• b Lizard Prince 2 of 2: Awww. More cute and calm vignettes about the prince who was cursed to be a lizard and still turns into one at inopportune times. Will he and the princess live happily ever after? Relaxing and inoffensive.

I'll post the next set tomorrow, and then, it's on to April, which has been great already!