What I read in March 2013: Digest Version, part 1 of 2

b Aria Volume 5: More serenity on Aqua as the young undines explore and train and live drenched in whimsy and wonder.  So relaxing.  They learn more about Akira and her very strict style of training, have coffee, watch a meteor shower, get lost and found, and discover things about each other and the world around them.  IF you are not in the mood, this slice of life sci-fi series will likely bore you to tears, but if you are in the right mood, it's like a balm to the roughed-up soul.

b The Betrayal Knows My Name 5:  I really, really want to know what's up with this newest Zweilt guy.  I think he had a thing for Yuki in the last reincarnation, but it seems more complicated than that.  There are hot springs, mysterious kidnappings, and yet another obnoxiously tense cliff-hanger ending.  I like the way that the bonds between the various Zweilt are being explored (not just between the pairs)

b Cross Game 6: More subtle humor and drama and baseball as life moves and time marches on.  I do like the effortless way the author shows us how easy it is for people to drift apart.  There isn't really a love triangle vibe that you get in a lot of shojo (and even shonen) manga.  This is a tangled web of a shape, but it's all understated and in the background.  There isn't much in the way of manufactured drama or hysteria.  Things just happen, and we don't get much of a glimpse into the deeper, psychological reasons why it is happening.  I can't describe why I like this so much, but the ambiguity that arises from being shown only what the characters say and do makes this story breathtaking reading.  He did this, but why?  We don't know, and that makes us curious.  Makes me curious, anyway.  Oh, yeah, and there's baseball.  Lots of practicing and working hard and seeing each other in new lights.  LOVE IT.

b Genshiken Second Season 1: Fun and chaos reign in this entertaining follow-up series.  The new crop of oddballs keeps the Genshiken afloat, but it's full of Fujoshi.  I like the way the new folks interact with each other and the way that some of the old guard are still involved.  It captures something about college that is pretty accurate these days: the way graduates drift apart at varying speeds.

"Girl otakus and fujoshi are different things!"