Here's the latest series pulling on my nostalgia and purse strings alike.  Kodansha has released an anniversary edition of Cardcaptor Sakura in hardback, and of course I need to get all of them.

​Fourth-grader Sakura Kinomoto, with her latent magical ability, accidentally sets free a deck of magical cards, called Clow Cards, from inside a book in her father’s study. She’s also awakened “Cerberus,” nicknamed Kero-San, the Guardian of the Seal, who gives Sakura the key to the book and the ability to capture the cards again. These cards have gone out into the world and will wreck havoc in their own ways depending on their magical affinity. Sakura must capture the cards and use their abilities to capture even more cards. 

Illustrated by Jen Wang

​Anda gets invited by a guild runner to join up playing a MMORPG (Massive-multiplayer-online-roll-playing-game), Coarsegold Online, as a female avatar in an all female guild. She makes a friend in game and they take on missions that pay real money. Their missions are to exterminate gold farmers who sell in-game gold to players for real money. It’s a lucrative system that is a real part of most MMORPGs. Anda makes a friend with one of the gold farmers and finds out he’s a teen named Ah Duo (Raymond in English) from China.  Raymond is the same age as her, but he's farming gold online as an actual paying job in China. He has health issues, and Anda convinces him that he needs to stand up for himself with his boss, but things don’t turn out well for Raymond.  Anda discovers a darker side of world economics played out in her game, and struggles with how to really help her new friend.

My Life in Transition is a second anthology of Kaye’s web comic, Up and Out, chronicling her life as a transgender woman. Kaye publishes nearly one three-panel comic a day, and this collection is roughly six months of her life. In it, Kaye explores dating as a trans woman, both men and women, and healing after a long-term relationship ends. Kaye also shows instances of people misgendering her, and the anxiety and dysmorphia that often follows. Kaye also navigates friendships and builds personal boundaries with friends, romantic partners, and work. Kaye also struggles with her bio family who is not supportive and exhibits transphobia. A friend suggests a chosen family - building a family of people who are supportive and positive influences. Kaye builds a chosen family of other trans individuals and friends who see Kate for who she is.

Max is a citizen of Kittyopolis trying to gain more followers for his vlog, so decides to interview his friend, super smart scientist Mindy. Max inadvertently leads the robot Robbie, a minion of the evil Agent M, to Mindy’s secret lab, where there is a squabble over a mysterious meatball from space. A piece of the meatball accidentally lands in Max’s mouth, and he gains super powers! He has super strength, can fly, and can shoot electricity from his tail. Mindy and the newly dubbed Cat Crusader must continue to thwart Agent M from getting his hand on the meatball, and never let it into the hands of the Big Boss!

Illustrated by Jey Odin
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In a not-so-distant future, or perhaps an alternate dimension, everyone is gifted in science and math. Robbie is no exception - he’s a super, super genius. Mad scientist Robbie decides to create a state of the art lemonade stand that will mix customers any flavor lemonade they want. His profits will help fund his super secret genius project. But when new girl, Daphne Du-Ri sets up her lemonade stand right across the street, she derails all of Robbie's plans.  Her lemonade somehow resonates with people, and they can't get enough, while with his, the gimmick is sure to wear off.  Robbie and Daphne go head-to-head in a battle for the neighborhood's very soul.

This is a manga adaptation of the classic novel.  Adapted by Crystal Chan, illustrated by Kuma Chan.

Anne Shirley, a precocious orphan girl, was sent to the Cuthberts’ home of Green Gables by accident. the Cuthberts, siblings Marilla and Matthew were hoping to adopt a boy to help around the farm, but they got Anne instead, a girl full of imagination and spunk.  After hearing of the life she could have if adopted by another family, Marilla decides to let Anne stay.  Anne starts at school and befriends a neighbor girl named Diana, and even has her own enemy in Gilbert Blythe.  Anne tries exceptionally hard to make Marilla happy, despite her lack of proper upbringing.  She also grows close to Matthew, who likes her imaginative stories very much.

Full series title: BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Roselia Stage

Yukina is a serious girl with a serious dream: to form a band with other dedicated and talented musicians and play at Future World Fes, one of the largest festivals.  She practices every day and performs often at Live Houses with the hopes of finding other people to compliment her vocals.  Here, she finds guitarist Sayo, who is breaking up with her band for not being serious enough.  Sayo and Yukina's sound mesh well, but now they need to find three more band members: a bassist, drummer, and keyboardist.  Over the course of volume one, the two find their band mates and create a magical symbiosis of sound that leaves them all hopeful.  

For the school cultural festival, Komi and her classmates decide to do a Maid Cafe, somewhat so they can see Komi in a maid outfit, and somewhat because that’s what Komi chooses and everyone band wagons her. Somehow, Tadano is convinced to also dress in a maid costume, and he doesn’t look half bad.  Najimi uses several illicit money making schemes, most involving Komi, so her class wins the best of show but has to forfeit all their profits.  

Vol 3, Encore: illustrated by Sam Johns, Rian Sygh, Brittney Williams, Caitlin Rose Boyle, Katy Farina, Walter Baiamonte

This graphic novel is a collection of Valentine's Day and Halloween stories featuring our favorite Stage Crew. Beckett hates Valentine’s Day and emotions in general, and usually spends Valentine’s Day watching scary movies.  But everything turns out great when his crush joins him for some slasher thrillers. In the Halloween stories, Sasha hates Halloween for showing him clowns aren’t real, but he solves the mystery of a scary giant bug that comes out in the theater on Halloween every year.

Summer vacation is coming to an end, and it's the first time Komi has felt sad about that.  In previous years, Summer vacation just meant a lot of boredom, but now she has friends to hang out with.  Once school starts again, it's time for the Sports Festival!  Everyone wants Komi to be on their team for events like the relay.  The ever-competitive Yodano desperately wants to beat Komi in at least one event, but can't.  During Komi's portion of the relay, she slips in the mud, and everyone is so concerned and happy she's ok that they celebrate her finish more so than the victors.  We also meet Nokoko, a transfer student from a country school, who is likewise enamored by Komi.