Sanda #5

Volume 5 of Paru Itagaki's Sanda arrives from Ki-oon with a cover that feels genuinely alive — a bespectacled young woman in a school uniform grins wide into the wind, her long dark hair swirling around her as small white flecks drift through the air. There's an infectious energy to that smile, equal parts warmth and mischief, rendered in Itagaki's expressive, painterly style. If you've been following this seinen series, volume 5 looks like a rewarding next step.