Covering Sunday February 2018 Edition



I'm not late! I'm not late! I cry as I throw this entry up on the last day of the month. Though it really isn't my fault this time --I had trouble getting the covers for Dagashikashi and Meteor Girl, and even though I got them they're....quite low quality. Still, something is better than nothing.


Starting things up is K.O.I's third volume. I loooove Wakaki's adorable art but question his choice in manga topics, but I think you all have heard me say that, so yeah. It's a cover with wonderful color work aside from the two characters featured (who manage to look very distinct from one another, I might add) and my usual peeve of the volume # being too obtrusive is also taken care of. I'd grade it down for the logo being right in the middle, but I think in this case it's fine. as it doesn't get in the way of anything important. 


Be Blues slides in on the side this week, and in all honesty I wish more series would take this approach rather than trying to fit artwork horizontally. Granted in this case there really isn't much going on here, but It looks nice and accommodates all the characters on the cover. I realize it does probably look awkward from a reading standpoint, but the cover is to entice and you won't be seeing it anyway as you read so.


Saike #11! Not to say Volume 10 was a let down by any means, but 11 is a much better showing by Fukuchi by far, second only to volume 9's amazing cover. I still really like that Fukuchi's name is unobtrusive on the side giving much more room for the illustration itself, which is a great hodgepodge of things that occurred in the arc itself without seeming too messy. 


Feels like so long ago when I was talking about Quadrable week to week...Arai's artwork looks penciled in here --maybe it is, I'm not too good yet at being able to tell. Either way it feels "quaint" like adventure manga of past eras. The use of color here too is warm and enticing as well! Also regaling everything to a square on the side is a nice touch so we can enjoy the cover in all of it's glory. 


Simplicity is the name of the game with Hiiragi's 7th volume, and for the most part it works. Nishimori has very unique artwork that I feel like a busier cover might have obstructed, honestly. Hiiragi is the poster girl for this manga, and as such she should be the one we first see which is what this does perfectly. Plus I like the placement of Nishimori's name, the logo, and the volume number so that they all compliment Hiiragi in the center. 


I just noticed that Evans and Pheebs are holding hands here, sorta. Way to show off your end game Kuriyama, hah. Though I guess if you're reading Evans this is all but obvious to you. I really like that this is clearly a scene out of their daily life opposed to being something flashy for the sake of grabbing attention --it manages to do that all without needing to be garish, which takes a good amount of work. Evans has a strong logo so having it in the center is perfect, and the upper left with the translation of the Japanese is a nice touch too. 


It's Meteor Girl's fourth and final volume and....while I like Hane, I wonder if she was really the best pick for the finale? Like this would have been fine for volume three, but for a last cover it leaves me a little baffled. I read the series so I know what happens, but I do think that the main character --Tetto should have appeared on the final cover at least....and Hane's posing is kinda strange too as are the falling meteor girls. I won't assume that Ishiyama kinda threw something together cause the series got cancelled, but it does kind of feel that way.


And last but not least is Dagashikashi's 10th volume. KOTYAMA certainly knows how to get the most out of a simple concept both in the book and on it's cover. Yutaka and Hajime look smug and awesome, and while the text is a little big for the simple logo, Hajime's coat in mid motion gives this whole illustration a confident flair like "I don't need you to read me, but you may if you wish". And I like it enough to make this my cover of the month. 

I won't make any promises for the next entry since I'm at the mercy of what I can find, but I think I may have figured out something that might mean I can get these out a little sooner. We'll see in March, and I hope I'll see you here as well. 

Comments

  1. I love the Evans cover. Be Blues! anime when?

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  2. I love how Saike covers usually have things that hints to events in the volume.

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