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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Latest Picks

August 15, 2022

Pick of the Week: Corpses, Cameras, and Househusbands

August 8, 2022

Pick of the Week: Old Favorites, Departures and Arrivals

LATEST FEATURES, ESSAYS, COLUMNS, ROUNDTABLES, & REVIEWS

August 19, 2022 By Katherine Dacey

The Manga Review, 8/19/22

Attention manga shoppers! Kodansha is currently holding a blow-out sale on digital manga. And when I say “blow out,” I mean it: they’re offering deep discounts on over 3,000 titles, with first volumes priced as low as 99 cents, and later volumes discounted 50%. It’s is a great opportunity to try a buzz-worthy series such as Blue Period, Boys Run the Riot, Knight of the Ice, PTSD Radio, or Witch Hat Atelier; to catch up on long-running favorites; or to check out classic titles such as Black Jack and Princess Knight. Don’t wait, though; the sale ends on Monday, August 22nd. MANGA NEWS The July NPD Bookscan Numbers are in, with My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, and Kaiju No. 8 topping the list. Also making a strong showing on this month’s bestseller…

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August 19, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

Walking My Second Path in Life, Vol. 3

By Otaku de Neet and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Watashi wa Futatsume no Jinsei wo Aruku!” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Andrew Schubauer. Frequently we find that we, as readers, do not want what the author, as a writer, is writing. This is especially true as the series goes on. Any glance at AO3 fanfiction will see a graveyard of incredibly popular fanfics that got abandoned because the author got very angry at the source material. As such, I should not be annoyed that a romance novel turned out to end with a romance novel ending. But I am, a bit. It doesn’t help that even the author kind of realizes that this is the wrong move, with everyone second guessing…

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August 18, 2022 By Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N

Manga the Week of 8/24/22

SEAN: As August nears its end, we continue to see manga making its way towards us, zombie-like. No print for Airship this week, but we do get new early digital releases for Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 5 and Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 11.5. J-Novel Club has several digital debuts. Full Metal Panic! Short Stories is exactly what it sounds like, and is much more lighthearted than the main series. Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon (Maou ni Natta node, Dungeon Tsukutte Jingai Musume to Honobono Suru) has a dude wake up as a demon lord in a dungeon. He thinks he’s going to have to strengthen his environment and protect everyone. But… no? He…

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August 18, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

Slayers: The Demon Slayers!

By Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi. Released in Japan by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Elizabeth Ellis. And so, we come at last to the end of the Slayers novels. Well, not really. This volume came out in May 2000, and after 18 years, a new volume appeared in 2018, and another the year after that. But this book has a feel of “final” to it nevertheless, wrapping up the plot points from the second arc, bringing back a few familiar faces, and even throwing in a hint of romance that doesn’t really go anywhere (which is a step up from the series’ usual no romance at all). It has the usual strengths of the series – the fights are snappy and well-paced,…

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August 17, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

The Princess’ Smile: The Body-Double Bride Searches for Happiness with the Reclusive Prince

By Yuuri Seo and m/g. Released in Japan as “Hidenka no Bishou – Migawari Hanayome wa, Hikikomori Denka to Shiawase ni Kurashitai” by M Novels f. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Jenny Murphy. I’ve said before that I don’t mind cliches, or books which start with the same things happening, but I will admit that I have my limits, and The Princess’ Smile was pushing them as we got about 3/5 of the way through the book. The main issue is that every major plot point plays out in the most predictable way possible. The actual princess turns out to be a terrible person, check. Schlub of an ex-boyfriend who doesn’t speak up, check. New husband is reclusive, truculent, and clearly hiding a secret, check….

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August 16, 2022 By Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith

Bookshelf Briefs 8/16/22

HIRAETH ~The End of the Journey~, Vol. 2 | By Yuhki Kamatani | Kodansha Manga (digital only) – In the first volume, we met a girl who’s desperate to die, so it seems only fitting that the second volume would involve another woman who is desperate to live, which unfortunately leads to her stalking poor immortal Hibino. That said, the god they’re traveling with may be in the most danger of passing on. Death is handled as realistically as you can imagine in a series that features an immortal man and a god, and the questions that the series asks are good ones—Mika nearly has an existential crisis when she tries to imagine death not having an afterlife. And, of course, there’s the fantastic art, as you expect from this…

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August 16, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: Saving the Kingdom Over Summer Break with Ladies of Ice and Fire

By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by William Varteresian. I appreciate that the author, in the afterword to this volume, acknowledges the main issue with this as a modern “harem” genre series, which is that Lydia is such an obvious winner that it’s irrelevant to read about the others. The only other one with any chance at all is Tina, and that’s because she’s in the title. That said, I don’t think that “write Lydia out of the story for a while” is really going to help much, mostly as I’m pretty sure Lydia is simply not going to ALLOW herself to be written out for any length of time….

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August 15, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

Arifureta Zero, Vol. 6

By Ryo Shirakome and Takaya-ki. Released in Japan as “Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Rei” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen. My biggest fear with this 422-page final volume was that it would be one long fight scene, and thankfully that is not the case, though the first third of the book is one long fight scene. My second fear was that it would be unrelentingly grim, and while it is grim, with lots and lots of deaths of people we care about, it’s not unrelenting, and there are moments of silliness and humor in the middle of the book. Heck, even some of the main characters survive, because I’d forgotten the main series talks about their descendants. But for the most…

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August 13, 2022 By Sean Gaffney

Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 4

By Hisaya Amagishi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Osman Wong. If the first few books of this series are about how Dahlia is not ready to enter a new relationship so soon after the wounds of her old one, this new volume is about how she soon may not have much choice. Dahlia has rocketed to stardom almost overnight, and it’s not really a surprise that people are assuming that either a) she’s not a magical toolmaker at all but just a pretty face fronting for someone else, or b) her backers are financing her because they want access to her body. Neither one is true, of course, but you can see why…

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LATEST POSTS – SITEWIDE

  • The Manga Review, 8/19/22
  • Walking My Second Path in Life, Vol. 3
  • Manga the Week of 8/24/22
  • Slayers: The Demon Slayers!
  • The Princess’ Smile: The Body-Double Bride Searches for Happiness with the Reclusive Prince
  • Bookshelf Briefs 8/16/22
  • Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: Saving the Kingdom Over Summer Break with Ladies of Ice and Fire
  • Pick of the Week: Corpses, Cameras, and Househusbands
  • Arifureta Zero, Vol. 6
  • Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 4

From the Archives

February 10, 2014 By Ash Brown

My Week in Manga: February 3-February 9, 2014

My News and Review Last week I announced the winner of the Vinland Saga manga giveaway. The post ...

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February 28, 2013 By Sara K. Leave a Comment

Special Post: In the Fires of 2/28

Today is "Peace Memorial Day," a national holiday in Taiwan. Though every other national holiday I ...

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September 30, 2013 By Ash Brown

My Week in Manga: September 23-September 29, 2013

My News and Reviews There were a few different things going on at Experiments in Manga last week. ...

[Read More...]

October 9, 2014 By Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

Manga the Week of 10/15

SEAN: With only ten new volumes, this is the lightest week of the month. Let’s all enjoy ...

[Read More...]

August 26, 2011 By Melinda Beasi 11 Comments

BL Bookrack: August 2011

Welcome to the August installment of BL Bookrack! This month, Melinda and Michelle take a look at ...

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More Posts from the Archives

Recommended Reading

  • Off the Shelf: Fullmetal Alchemist
  • Off the Shelf: Moon Child
  • Off the Shelf: Basara
  • The NANA Project
  • Breaking Down Banana Fish
  • Roundtable: Hikaru no Go
  • BL Bookrack: Wild Adapter
  • Off the Shelf: Tokyo Babylon
  • Please Save My Earth with Melinda & Michelle (at The Hooded Utilitarian)

DRAMA DIARY

By Anna N

Skip Beat! the drama

I recently marathoned 14 episodes of the Tawainese live action version of Skip Beat! which is airing now on ...

[Read More...]

By Anna N

Drama Diary: IRIS Episodes 1-5

I tend to watch mostly romantic comedies when I am viewing k-drama, but IRIS is a bit different. This is a ...

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MORE DRAMA DIARY

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