Manga Monthly: Graceful Debuts and Titanic Returns in February

A new month means a new Manga Monthly and we’re back to keep you in the loop with the best new series straight from Japan! This month features some interesting debuts and some popular returning series, so let’s get started. Don’t forget to pre-order your favorites at your local comic shop!

Kodansha gets us started with the latest volume in Attack on Titan (FEB151487). This action manga is easily one of the most popular series as of late, thanks to its running on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block. In this world, humanity has been devastated by giant humanoids known as Titans. Join Eren, Armin, Mikasa and the rest of the Survey Corps as they battle the Titan threat!

Kodansha is also debuting Let’s Dance a Waltz (FEB151489). When Hime Makimura was young, her mother told her that she could be like a princess someday. Now that Hime is in middle school, overweight and unpopular, life is a cruel disappointment. Tango Minami is a popular high school boy who hides his job as a ballroom dance instructor to maintain his image. But when Tango's mom urges Tango to take Hime as a student, everything gets turned upside down! Will Tango's classmate find out about his embarrassing job? And will Hime find the self-confidence needed to be like a princess on the ballroom floor?

Maria the Virgin Witch will also continue with its second volume (FEB151490)! This manga just recently got turned into an anime in Japan, so there’s never been a better time to start reading. In medieval France, the powerful witch Maria aims to stop the never-ending battles waged between England and France in the Hundred Years War using any means necessary.

If it will put a stop to the needless slaughter, she'll use all her magical abilities to summon basilisks, golems, and even succubi - despite the fact the she herself is actually a virgin. But the Kingdom of Heaven will not standby as a witch interferes with the lives of men, and the Archangel Michael punishes Maria for her folly, cursing her to lose her powers if she is ever to lose her virginity. Maria must then make a choice - she needs her powers to stop the war, but to keep her power, she must never taste the forbidden fruit of adulthood.

One Peace Books will be debuting the first volume of Aquarion Evol (FEB151514). This story follows Amata Sora, who meets Mikono Suzushiro on the planet Vega.

Together, part of the organization Neo-DEAVA, they must defend their planet from relentless invaders attacking from Altair, a sister planet devoid of females. These two unexpected heroes, along with other young men and women, known as Elements, pilot massive robots called Aquaria, in defense of their planet, in a battle against malicious assailants trying to abduct woman from their home planet.

Seven Seas Entertainment also has a number of new books coming out soon. The Ancient Magus’ Bride (FEB151590) is an all-new manga series that features a fascinating relationship between a troubled teenage girl and an inhuman wizard.

Chise Hatori has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls.

Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise's life will never be the same again. The man is a "magus," a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice, and his bride!

Evergreen (FEB151594) is also a new series from Seven Seas. This new book is written by Yuyuko Takemiya, who is best known for his work on Toradora!. As a second year high school student and president of the school's manga club, Yoshimatsu seems like your average, well-acclimated teenager, but a past surgery and a present handicap haunt him. Lacking the confidence to approach the radiant female ace of the swim club, Niki Awaya, Yoshimitsu can only admire her dazzling beauty from afar. So when a chance opportunity allows for a meeting between Yoshimatsu and Niki, what does the future hold for such disparate individuals? Could they possibly have more in common than meets the eye?

Viz also continues a number of popular series, including one under their Perfect Square imprint – Pokémon Black and White (FEB151564)! The adventure continues as Black and White themselves battle Team Plasma and look to protect their precious Pokémon!

Competitive cooking shows are popular these days, so why not have a manga on the subject too?

Viz continues their releases of Food Wars: Shokugeki No Soma (FEB151689) this month.

The assignment is to invent a new dish worthy of appearing on the high-class Totsuki Resort's breakfast menu.

To create their dishes, Soma and his friends use the combined knowledge and confidence they've gained while at the cooking camp to individually pass the challenge - everyone, that is, except for Soma!

Having made a critical error, he finds himself behind with little time left. What can he do to overcome his biggest hurdle yet?!

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic has proved to be a popular anime series, and Viz will release the eleventh volume this year (FEB151703)!

The sinister organization Al-Thamen seeks the wisdom of Solomon, and they don't care who they have to go through to get it! Deep within the dungeon, faced with opponents capable of using powerful magic, and with their friends the Tran under attack by Al-Thamen as well, Aladdin and Alibaba must use all their skill and strength to stay alive.

Viz has also been successful with their re-releases of older series, and their VIZBIG edition of Vagabond (FEB151726) is definitely one of these! Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro's intertwining paths lead them toward what will be the greatest samurai duel in Japanese history. Sasaki Kojiro heads to Kokura for his new position as sword instructor for the powerful Hosokawa Clan. Meanwhile, Musashi is at a crossroads dealing with the aftermath of single-handedly destroying the mighty Yoshioka clan. After he starts to question his quest to be invincible and his whole reason for existence, will his confidence in himself ever be the same?

Yen Press has a bunch of new series coming out soon, and one of these is the first volume of Kagerou Daze (FEB151743), the manga adaptation of the massively popular light novel series about a group of teenagers with mysterious eye powers! Shintarou Kisaragi, a NEET - a person "Not in Education, Employment, or Training" - has refused to leave the comfort of his room for two whole years. But Shintarou's easy and solitary life is about to take an unexpected turn when his computer crashes and he is forced to venture into the world he was happy to shut out forever, whereupon he stumbles into the middle of a hostage situation!

While many have become familiar with the popular magical girl series, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Yen press looks to expand that story with the first volume of Puella Magi Tart Magica: The Legend of Jeanne D’Arc (FEB151744)! This latest spin-off focuses on Joan of Arc, who is revered by the French as a hero of the Hundred Years' War and a saint of the Catholic Church. But her leadership and strength of character in her time did not escape the notice of Kyubey, who, even in the 15th-century, sought Magical Girl candidates for their valuable energies. With her friends and fellow Magical Girls fighting at her side, Joan fights the English occupiers of France - but will she soon find herself fighting something much more sinister?

Yen Press will also debut So I Can’t Play H! (FEB151745) this year. One fateful day, Ryousuke Kaga, a typical hopeless romantic and hopelessly perverted high school student, has a chance encounter in the rain with a beautiful girl. After graciously offering both his home for her to dry off in and his help for anything she might need, the mysterious red-eyed beauty thanks him by stabbing Ryousuke in the chest! To further complicate matters, the girl, Lisara Restole, is actually a shinigami - that is, a goddess of death - and Ryousuke has somehow unwittingly agreed to let her use his "essence" to remain in this world. But instead of shaving years off his life like one might expect of a typical shinigami, Lisara seems more interested in leeching the letch right out of him!

That wraps it up for what we have featured in this month’s PREVIEWS for manga, but this is just the tip of the iceberg! Pick up your PREVIEWS at your local comic book shop to get a full list of the latest releases from these great publishers and be sure to pre-order your favorites today!