Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 12

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 12
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The opening match of the TGC begins with Toy*Gun Gun vs. Friendly Fire! In this "king match," where one hit to a team's king means defeat, Toy*Gun Gun decides to launch a surprise attack, sending Tachibana, their king, to the front lines to stop Samejima! But not only is Samejima a formidable former mercenary, he also has what some might call the ultimate ability! Will Toy*Gun Gun's strategy of going big send them straight home?! 

Once again we're straight in with the action from when we left off, and Hotaru is facing off with Samejima and while she's holding her own...she's up against a formidable opponent and cut off from the rest of her team. 

Meanwhile, Matsuoka is in the midst of a little freak out about losing and Hotaru getting taken out and this causes him to manage to access some weird kind of spidey sense that he has when he works at the host club. I'd be lying if I said I didn't side eye this development a little bit. It was a bit...odd. 

We get a nice amount of backstory to Akemi and Tamako as well as finally finding out Samejima's secret power. It was nice to see some more of Friendly Fire and how they came to be a team and why they did or didn't do certain things in the match. I do like how this series puts a lot of detail in to the opposing teams and let's you get to know them. 

As you may recall from last volume, Haruki is still missing and we get to see so much about the relationship between he and his twin Haruka. It was actually pretty emotional, I really felt for the both of them because we saw Haruki's side and then Haruka's and it kinda made me loo kat Haruka in a different way after seeing his side of things. He wasn't at all what I thought and I did really like this little development in the storytelling. 

With volume 12 our support characters are brought to life a bit more with some more background on them, and two of our main characters also get to be a bit more fleshed out and have some added depth. After an action heavy opening few chapters, we take a break from the action towards the end ready for the next match. Star White are about to face off against Nine Tails and the volume ends with a rather tense moment between Yukimura and Matsuoka...as well as a shady figure lurking in the background.

Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 11

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 11
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

When Hotaru's mother arrives at Tsukishiro Complex and demands Hotaru be taken off Toy?Gun Gun, even its most steadfast members are shaken to their cores. Despite the fact that the team might not survive Hotaru's loss, much less the TGC, Kane Tachibana wants to take her daughter back to America with her at once! Up against this mama bear who has no patience for weakness, will Matsuoka and his unique approach hit the mark?! 

I think we've all been waiting for the reveal and the fallout with the other members of Toy Gun Gun so I've been living for these latest volumes! 

This one brings us a glimpse of Hotaru's childhood and how she grew up and came to be the Hotaru we know and love, right off the bat. Sure it's because her Mum is trying to get Matsuoka and the rest of Toy Gun Gun to take her off the team...but...I've been so curious about her past! Real talk though...this volume really gives us a chance to see how far the team has come with her helping them fix it, she brought them all back together and they've all really bonded. 

Hilariously...I mean, unfortunately, Matsuoka and Yukimura get a taste of Kane's....skills. Ouch. Poor guys. 

Matsuoka drops quite a bomb Hotaru and I'm not sure how things are going to pan out if she follows what she's been told. I mean, either way I'm shipping them hardcore, but I'm intrigued to see how the plot is going to work around this, or what it could change. 

Meanwhile we get some more background on Haruki and his situation. There's even a bit of drama involving him, especially when he, you know....disappears and is nowhere to be found when the TGC starts. Not ideal. Although we did get to see Midori getting hilariously salty that Hotaru needed Haruka's help and not his. Bless. 

This volume has a cracking pace as we see the fallout from Hotaru's Mum arriving, and then have an interesting plot thread with Haruki thrown in right before the TGC kicks off. There's a lot going on, and there's plenty to keep you occupied right up until the end of the volume.

Speaking of the TGC, it's clearly going to be a good one. We've got Matsuoka's little bomb drop, followed by what we learned in the previous volume. Then we have Toy Gun Gun going up against Star White, and Agartha back to competing, not to mention Friendly Fire! 

Just because Toy Gun Gun are facing friends...or frenemies in some cases, we all know it doesn't mean they're going to win. I'm kind of tense waiting to see how each battle is going to play out, and who's going to come out on top. I have a good feeling about TGG this time around, Matsuoka has come quite far since the first volumes, and it was really satisfying to see him hold his ground with Midori! 

On top of everything else this volume gives us, we get some interesting background on the Manager and Kamenashi...they've clearly had a falling out but it's over something to do with when they where in a three man cell. I'm all kinds of curious about what went down! We do finally get to find out who the third member was too! 

As Toy Gun Gun take part in their first battle of the TGC the odds seem stacked against them, and we see a style of battle we haven't before...the King Game. Hopefully Matsuoka's tactics will work but there's no guarantee our team will win with this series. Guess we'll find out next volume! 

Volume 11 is not only fast paced and full of action, reveals and twists, but it also moves the plot along. We speed through from the conclusion of last volumes cliffhanger to the TGC kicking off with some trouble for Haruki along the way which is going to be an interesting plot thread, and will no doubt provide more background on his character. The reveal we've been waiting for has finally happened, more tidbits about the characters and their backgrounds are being thrown out, and what I'm really loving about this volume is how far the characters and TGG have come since last TGC. This volume also leaves plenty hanging to make you desperate for the next volume as things are really heating up! 

Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 10

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 10
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Stage three of Matsuoka's training camp turns out to be a trip to the hot springs! Not wanting to let her teammates down, Hotaru tentatively ventures into the forbidden men's bath...Are her friends finally going to discover her true identity?! 

I'm sure you're all aware that I've been eagerly and impatiently anticipating the big reveal with Tachibana and I'm also sure you're all wondering....is this it? Is this the volume where Matsuoka FINALLY FINDS OUT!? Well...yes my friends. Yes it is. And it. Was. Glorious. 

We left off with Tachibana and the others ready to enjoy some communal bathing at the hot springs, and she was in quite the dilemma. Haruki is literally no help at the start, like come on dude, help a girl out?! Yukimura also does quite an excellent job of guilt tripping Hotaru, like honestly it was A+ and thus her fate was decided. 

Friends...she most certainly goes in to the male area of the hot springs with the other boys and it was freaking hilarious. I had to snort at one innuendo, I really did. I just couldn't help myself. To top of the whole situation...Midori was even there, for this tense situation, which is you know, just adding fuel to the fire because we all know he won't help. 

Haruki and Hotaru devise a plan, and they merrily go in, just wanting to have a good time but they ended up having a...horrifying experience. Shall we say. Midori and Hotaru have a moment too and I was lowkey screaming. 

Honestly guys, I think this might be one of the funniest volumes yet because Matsuoka and Yukimura finally find out she's a girl, and aside from the whole comical aspect of the bath scene with her trying to hide that she's a she, the reveal was freaking hilarious and I was practically crying with laughter. Their inner thoughts where priceless, as where their facial expressions. 

She also inadvertently gives Midori the smack down he so deserves, and we have the awkward moment when Fujimoto says the exact thing Matsuoka and Yukimura should have said...and they know it. Interestingly, I'm detecting a budding friendship between Fujimoto and Yukimura that should prove to be entertaining, I'm totally here for it! Oh and we finally find out what that number was all about, I'm fairly sure! 

I'm also wondering if I'm detecting some potential romance between Haruki and Hotaru? I think he has some feelings for her and it's kinda obvious Matsuoka feels something for her too....so perhaps we'll be getting some romance coming in to play in the coming volumes, which should be interesting to see play out. I have my ship already. 

Towards the end of the volume we get a new team introduced, and they're supposedly the best team. The ones who used to be on top and are now back in the game. Interestingly Midori and Matsuoka used to be in this team, and it could provide some interesting tension. Particularly judging by Shingen, the leader, who we meet briefly. He appears to hold a grudge against Haruki's brother, but I'm not sure how he feels about his previous team members. 

Aoharu Vol 10 gives us hilarious comedy at the beginning, an intense and sinister battle in the middle, and we end with Hotaru's mother appearing which starts out being kind of funny, but then ends on a cliffhanger that has you screaming "Noooooo WHYYYY?!". Oh and if that wasn't enough we're close to the next TGC starting too! This volume moves things along nicely and brings in some interesting elements to the story! 

Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 9

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 9
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

"I lost everything...I don't have anything left in this world..." 

Toy Gun Gun and Star White team up for the counter battle against 11 DOGs. While fighting alongside Midori as a two-man cell, a glimpse up at the sky brings memories rushing back to Matsuoka. 

This volume opens interestingly as we get an in depth look at Matsuoka's past and his relationship with Midori, and how it all went wrong...sort of. I have plenty of questions along the same line as Matsuoka, but we get to see how he got involved in the survival games and so on. 

Speaking of Matsuoka, he finally manages to get a grip on himself, which I've been shrieking at him to do since last volume. It's been interesting watching his little break down and how he pulls himself out of it and overcomes it. But it looks like he and Midori won't be friends ever again despite working together in this volume. 

This volume finishes off the battle with 11 Dogs, but it plants seeds for some interesting developments next volume. Yukimura has a strange memo in his hand at one point which I'm guessing is a plot set up for the next volume?! Or possibly the future. But you know...I need to know NOW! 

And damn....this volume ends on such a cliffhanger like....FINALLY the reveal is nigh, and I've been waiting for it for ages because how can Matsuoka be so dumb, but the volume's like "nah mate, wait until next volume" like.....I HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY FOR 9 VOLUMES FOR THIS ALREADY DAMMIT, I NEED IT NOW! I'm so ready for next volume, because things are certainly going to change and there's going to be some drama after this volume that set some things up and filled in some important backstory for us! It really does have an excellent plot pace! 

Manga: Aoharu x Machinegun 8

Aoharu x Machinegun Vol 8
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

"We, Star White, will stand with Toy Gun Gun."Star White suddenly shows up to join in on the fight against 11 DOGs. When Midori suggests that they temporarily team up, Matsuoka agrees to the plan. What will come of the counter battle that faces the two-man cells of Tachibana and Ichi, Yukimura and Fujimoto, and Matsuoka and Midori!? And what kind of difficult past does Matsuoka share with Midori and Yukimura...? 

As you'll remember from the end of the last volume, Midori has stuck his oar in to Toy Gun Gun's battle with 11 Dogs and the rest of his team get to make quite the badass entrance this volume. I've never cheered or thought I'd be cheering for Star White to be honest. Although I have been looking forward to Star White and Toy Gun Gun teaming up this volume! 

It was interesting to see Midori and Masamune working together as a team, and how they interact with each other considering everything we've learned about the two of them so far. We even get some more flashbacks this volume that fill in some gaps in Masamune and Yukimura's friendship and past and how Yukimura got in to survival games...as well as showing some more of Midori and Masamune's relationship. I loved how the past and the present where woven together this volume, we get shown things as they become relevant to the story! 

Haruki cracks me up every single time, I'm not going to lie. Meanwhile Ichi and Tachibana are....bonding?! Could we have a new friendship? I hope so because I loved the interactions between the two of them this volume! I actually really like Fujimoto and he helps out Yukimura readily enough! The team up allows Tachibana and Yukimura to learn about what they lack and need to improve on and how to do it from the members of Star White without it being a huge obvious training/improvement move, if that makes sense. It's subtle. It helps the characters we love to improve and develop and gives us some action and fun. Plus it makes it kind of hard to hate Star White and I'm actually really liking Ichi and Yukimura! Midori I have a love/hate relationship with I'm not going to lie. 

Volume 8 provides us with lots of trips down memory lane, and most interestingly we finally get some deeper backstory to Masamune...he's really being fleshed out this volume and the coming volume too by the looks of it! It kind of broke my heart if I'm honest. We'll definitely be able to understand him and his actions and reactions a lot more. I'm still waiting for the Tachibana bomb to drop though! My predictions are clearly terrible because I was sure it was this volume, but hopefully it's next volume because I'm so ready for that drama! 

There's lots of action this volume to go with the blasts from the past, there's also plenty of humour and the usual gorgeously drawn art. All of the memories have a reflection on the characters and show us how they came to be the way they are. It's a nice touch to include them at the point when our characters are growing and developing and improving more, or about to be. They're becoming better than their old selves, and this volume really shows that! 

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Manga: Aoharu X Machinegun 7

Aoharu X Machinegun Vol 7
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Haruki's spirit is broken once again after his battle with his brother, Haruka. Will Tachibana's offer of assistance reach him in the end? And bewildered Haruka's choice is...

The summer training camp looms ever closer. The members of Toy Gun Gun are trying to overcome their weaknesses in preparation for the next TGC, but even that will bring a tumultuous turn of events...!! 

Yaaaaaaayyyy there's a brand new volume of Aoharu you guyyys! I freaking love this series, I've heard it's a love it or hate it kind of series but I really love it! It's so much fun! 

Haruki is so freaking relatable I can't even! Tachibana is trying to help Haruki this volume, and he winds up back with Toy Gun Gun yaaay! It should be interesting to see how the dynamic changes with a new player. We spend a good chunk of time with Star White in this volume which provided some interesting insight in to TGG's arch nemesis, Ichi specifically. My curiosity about Midori and his past hasn't been sated though! 

TGG are off to a training camp to get prepped for the next competition, and to get used to having four members instead of three. I'm loving the relationship between Tachibana and Haruki, I had my doubts about how they'd work together after everything that's happened. I'm reading the volume like "Go on Haruki...just give in and admit your friends now!". 

If you're worried about the volume not having much action, don't worry. There's plenty to keep you occupied, a nice balance is struck between fun, action and some character backstory. We meet a new team in 11 Dogs....they're not very nice. Our four have a very unfair and shady face off with 11 Dogs and then....something very interesting happens. 

It looks like we might get a White Star/Toy Gun Gun team up next volume and I'm so pumped for it! The volume leaves you with plenty of anticipation for the next. Not to mention poor old Masamune is struggling with Tachibana. Poor guy. It only he'd believed her, he'd have saved himself some angst but his loss is our gain as we get a nice dose of angst with the promise of some romance in the future....and a brilliant reveal! I'm so excited for it. It's going to be priceless. 

The volume and story in general moves along at a nice pace as we're heading towards another TGC, but our group has to do some prep before so they can kick some ass! I'm loving how we're getting more background on the characters, and not just TGG! I guess it's the whole "know your enemy thing", it makes them kind of hard to dislike at points! 

The pace is fast, the art is superb...the fights are drawn particularly brilliantly and I love Tachibana's kind of...other persona when it comes to gun fights. The volume excels at interestingly showing the tactics and strategy to the game, never before have I ever wanted to participate in something so much! I'd probably suck at it though! Things are definitely about to get veeerrryy interesting! 
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