Review: SARAZANMAI - REO & MABU

Let's take a look at a much more recent manga prequel to the latest outing from one of anime's critical darlings.

SARAZANMAI: REO & MABU (Reo to Mabu: Futari wa Sarazanmai), written by Ikunirapper with character designs by miggy and art by Misaki Saitoh.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2020.

PLOT:

Reo and Mabu were just another couple of cops working in Tokyo's Asakusa district when they discovered a baby on a plate named Sara.  Together they are determined to be the best possible parents to her as possible, even as they deal with runaway kids, random thefts, and Reo's quest to recreate all the delicious baked goods he encounters.

Review: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING: BATTLEFIELD OF PACIFISTS

There are LOADS of Gundam manga spinoffs to pick from for this month, and that's doubly true for Gundam Wing manga.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING: BATTLEFIELD OF PACIFISTS (Shin Kido Senki Gundam Wing: Battlefield of Pacifists), based on the franchise by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, written by Katsuhiko Chiba, and art by Koichi Tokita.  First published in 1997 and first published in North America in 2002.

PLOT:

In AC 196, the united Earth government are trying to eliminate the last caches of OZ mobile suits.  Helping them are the Gundam pilots, working behind the scenes to investigate reports of new automated Virgo suits and a mysterious mobile suit factory on an asteroid.  The boys will have to split up and work fast, as a former OZ commander and a fanatical pacifist activist are determined to get to it first.

Review: SWORD ART ONLINE PROGRESSIVE

 It's been too long since we've done a round-up of some of the many manga sequels, prequels, and spinoffs out there around here.  Let's rectify that this March, starting with a series that dares to ask "What does Sword Art Online look like from the perspective of someone who isn't Kirito?"

SWORD ART ONLINE PROGRESSIVE (Sodo Ato Onrain Puroguresshibu), based on the light novel by Reki Kawahara and character designs by abec with art by Kiseki Himura.  First published in 2013 and first published in North America in 2015.

PLOT:

Asuna Yuuki seemingly spent all her time studying in the hopes of getting into the best schools and pleasing her cold, demanding mother.  She only meant to check out her brother's virtual game system out of curiosity, but now she finds herself trapped in the virtual game world alongside thousands of others.  It's only after meeting a mysterious lone gamer that she finds the determination to not just survive, but get out of the game.