Read For Some Mystery

-Written by: Right Stuf Anime

Every quarter we are running a Manga Review Contest where you can submit a review from a selected list of manga. If you want to participate or learn more, click the link. These are reviews for mystery manga: Spy Classroom Manga Volume 1 and The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Manga Volume 1 .

Spy Classroom Review By Lov

Spy Classroom has an interesting premise that drew me in right after I read the summary on the back. It's essentially a spy-war type of manga, similar to Spy x Family. If you have read Spy x Family, I believe that this manga is worth a shot. I'm really interested to see how this manga is going to go from the first volume since there are so many questions about how the spies fight, what type of information is detrimental to the other side, and whether or not the other side has a similar program or strategy as the one being shown. I found myself laughing at certain parts of the manga, while at other times I was trying to figure out the personality of the characters.

The characters have a lot of background information about themselves that has yet to be revealed but from the snippets from the beginning of the manga I believe that the history behind each character is very dark, which should be presumed since it is a spy-war manga. I mean, it isn't easy knowing that the mission (this is from the summary of the manga) has a mortality rate of 90%, but these characters have a drive to survive. If you can imagine Po, from Kung Fu Panda, the relationship of the disciple and the teacher are very similar. They teach in such a way where it doesn't seem like they are teaching the spies, rather it seems like a bunch of nonsense. Also this aspect seemed very similar to Assassination Classroom like how Korosensei runs away from his students. Overall, this manga has a promising premise and I can see this having an anime in the future.

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Review By Elizabeth

College student, Seigi Nakata, practically sleepwalks through his part-time job as a TV station security guard. Walking home one night, he helps a young man who is being attacked by a drunken gang. Seigi learns that the mysterious, extraordinarily handsome stranger is a British jewelry specialist named Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian. Richard is grateful for Seigi's help, while Seigi wonders if Richard can solve the mysteries of a family heirloom. So begins The Case Files of Jeweler Richard, Mika Akatsuki's manga adaptation of Nanako Tsujimura's light novel.

I'm not the biggest mystery devotee, but I devoured this book in one rainy-day sitting. I hadn't read Tsujimura's original first, but her afterword to this volume implies that the manga version has a more humorous touch. Make no mistake, however—while the pretty gems and beautiful boys make the stories go down as easily as Richard's beloved English-style royal milk tea, the plot twists display a surprisingly dark complexity. The opening story "Justice of the Pink Sapphire" has one pink sapphire ring affecting multiple generations of two families. No one is more aware of this than Seigi, who has been caught in the middle of fraught family relationships since his birth thanks to this ring. Meanwhile, "Truth of the Ruby" is about a love triangle on the surface, but its deeper message is about embracing one's true self.

Those looking for a cozy mystery should keep some things in mind. "Truth of the Ruby" deals with outwardly expressed and internalized homophobia, and both stories mention serious and intentional self-harm by secondary characters. These themes are treated with sensitivity, but certainly could be triggering for some people. Meanwhile, BL devotees drawn in by the cover and blurb may be disappointed: Seigi clearly is fascinated by Richard's good looks, but it seems to be merely aesthetic interest (at least at this point). Nevertheless, this manga subverts multiple tropes while maintaining a classic feel, and I'm eager to see where it goes!

Check back every month for our manga review contest page as we will be adding new manga to the list! Don't forget to submit your reviews for a chance to win a $75 gift card like Lov and Elizabeth did!