Saruyama #8

Volume 8 of Shouko Akira's Saruyama arrives from Soleil Manga with a cover bursting in warm golden yellow, gathering the series' lively cast of six teenagers in a cheerful, close-knit group portrait. A grinning boy in a red hoodie takes center stage, flanked by laughing and mugging friends — one flashing a peace sign, another peering through glasses — while a small cartoon monkey perches playfully in the corner. It's a snapshot full of the easy warmth and youthful energy that makes this shojo series such an engaging read in 2011.