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

Viz-heavy month, here, but there was still some variety.

• b Black Bird 4:  Ah, uncomfortable.  There are a lot of similarities between this series and Butterflies, Flowers, but this one actually seems to have some real depth and politics and plays more than one note over and over.  I'm looking forward to how the relationship evolves now that sex is really out of the question for the time being.
• b Crown of Love 2: Yun Kouga does uncomfortable REALLY well.  She makes ambiguous, hard-to-read characters not out of clumsiness but out of intent, and the results are definitely interesting.  Fantastic quote here from Melinda Beasi's review: "This series’ hero, Hisayoshi, continues to be both intensely creepy and surprisingly relatable. It’s a combination guaranteed to make most readers uncomfortable, but it’s also one of the series’ greatest strengths. Watching Hisayoshi perilously straddle the line between crushing teenager and bona fide stalker quickly becomes a rather terrifying series of 'There, but for the grace of God,' moments for anyone who has experienced unrequited love (in other words, roughly everyone). His inner thoughts echo the kind of late-night self-confessions that rarely see the light of day, tucked firmly away in those dark, hidden corners where shame and denial conveniently coexist."  Yeah, go read the rest of the review.
• b Flower in a Storm 1: Fun, frothy shojo action.  One review I read a while ago said it was like what would happen if chicks made an action flick.  Yeah, I can kind of see that.  And it's only two volumes long, so enjoy.
• b Happy Boys 2: I didn't read 1 because our bookstore seems to think it's a good idea to carry later volumes of series they never carried earlier volumes of.  It didn't really matter much.  More plot-y than Cafe Kichijoji-de but equally as full of frothy eye candy.  Based off of a live-action drama from what I understand.  Made me crave another re-read of the superior Antique Bakery.
• b Kekkaishi 21: AWESOME.  The smart character development that happens in this volume and the way the characters relate to each other once again shows me why this is basically my favorite serious shonen series EVER.
• o Laon 2: Still a muddled, sometimes-offensive mess.  Unless I get some hint that the lost girlfriend plot is going to pick up a lot of steam in volume 3, I will have to write this clunker off.
• b Rasetsu 5: So others apparently suspected the same thing I did (that a certain character was really another character in dusguise).  I thought the last volume sort of disproved that theory, but some people are hanging onto it.  I don't really care either way because he's a delightfully, darkly mysterious character whoever he is.  And I love the way he picks on Yako.
• b Record of a Fallen Vampire 3-6: I was only going to read volume 3.  I had other series to catch up on.  I had a job interview to prepare for (even though I'd already spend four hours prepping that day).  I couldn't stop myself.  One awesome reversal after another left me reeling and then reeling again.  Incredibly compelling stuff.  I'm so glad I waited until this one was all available in English, or I would have gone crazy waiting.  And forgotten everything between volumes.
• b Sand Chronicles 8: I was surprised at how this one resolved.  I enjoyed every sad and melancholy and dramatic minute of it.
• b Shaman King 28: I'm kind of lost right now.  It may be better to read these later volumes in chunks, so you don't forget who's dead and stuff. Also, does ANYONE know what the cover is about? It made me laugh, but I just don't get it.

What've you read lately?