By Yuumikan and KOIN. Released in Japan as “Itai no wa Iya nano de Bōgyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham. I’ve said before that I think the Bofuri series works best when it’s just Maple and Sally taking on a fresh new challenge, and the author agrees. Actually, the author may be starting to agree a bit TOO much. This is the 3rd book in a row that’s been about 75% Maple and Sally, 25% rest of the cast. I joked on social media that the extended scene with Kanade was inserted at the request of the editor, as the author had forgotten who Kanade was. (Actually, Kanade gets more to do here than he has…
LATEST FEATURES, ESSAYS, COLUMNS, ROUNDTABLES, & REVIEWS
By Sean Gaffney
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 12
By Sean Gaffney
Secrets of the Silent Witch, Vol. 4 ~after~
By Matsuri Isora and Nanna Fujimi. Released in Japan as “Silent Witch” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse. I had been referring to this as Silent Witch 4.5, which some retailers are using, likely to better differentiate it from the 4th volume. But the author states in the afterword that they did not want to have it be a .5, and I get that. Generally speaking it’s hard enough when you realize that the next volume is going to be a short story volume, and when the volume number ends in .5 it can be even more highly variable. You never know if you’re getting stuff that was too goofy or too pornographic for the main series, or if you’re getting a…
By Sean Gaffney
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Vol. 18
By Kumanano and 029. Released in Japan by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by Lorin Christie. Well, I got my wish. Sort of. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, like My Next Life As a Villainess, has a problem. It has cultivated a large yuri audience it absolutely does not want, but it cannot afford to piss that audience off too much as they’re one of the big reasons that it’s a success. It doesn’t help that Yuna has accumulated a “harem” of underage girls, which yes is the main draw of the series (the moe aesthetic, I mean), but also makes the yuri a bit creepy. Still, here at least we do have Yuna straight up saying that she isn’t…
By Sean Gaffney
An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 6
By Yuishi and Kagachisaku. Released in Japan as “Inkya no Boku ni Batsu Game de Kokuhaku Shitekita Hazu no Gal ga, Dō Mitemo Boku ni Beta Bore Des” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Satoko Kakihara. I’ve talked before about how a lot of these sugary sweet high school romance books tend to be written as a handbook for the awkward teenager reading them, who no doubt does not have a hot big-breasted gyaru girlfriend but would like to know the best way to get one. This really becomes apparent in a scene where Yoshin in checking with his online friends because Nanami is, frankly, coming on really strong to him. He’s a horny teenager, so of course he’s interested, but he wants to…
By Sean Gaffney
A Young Lady Finds Her True Calling Living with the Enemy, Vol. 2
By Syuu and Fujigasaki. Released in Japan as “Oguni no Kōshaku Reijō wa Tekikoku nite Kakusei Suru” by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Kashi Kamitoma. The thing I think I enjoyed best about this short series (it ends with this second volume) is that it is 100% dedicated to its title. This is not about a young lady finding romance living with the enemy, though the book does end with her marriage. That’s not as important, though, and the confession almost seems like an afterthought. What’s important here is Bertine coming alive in this new country, deciding that she’s going to introduce new cuisines, spices, and finally start up a hotel in order to gain financial independence and make herself happy. More to…
By Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N
Manga the Week of 4/17/24
SEAN: Yen Press is here to bury us in titles once more. Yen has slid some releases at the last minute, so their calendar hasn’t quite caught up yet. I believe the only debut for Yen On this week is You Can’t See the Snow (Kimi wa Yuki o Miru Koto ga Dekinai), a one-shot about a college couple who meet in the summer, but she breaks up with him in the autumn – as she has an illness that causes her to sleep half the year. This has “tearjerker” written all over it. ASH: I could use half a year’s worth of sleep. ANNA: I would also look forward to sleeping. SEAN: Also from Yen On: Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World 4, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to…
By Sean Gaffney
Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Vol. 10
By Hayaken and Nagu. Released in Japan as “Eiyu-oh, Bu wo Kiwameru tame Tensei su. Soshite, Sekai Saikyou no Minarai Kisi ♀” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Mike Langwiser. This is a big old sucker punch of a book, telling you that straight off the bat. And this is clearly deliberate by the author. The first half or so has us following Inglis and company to meet with the Highland’s leader, so that they can try to get Eris repaired, as well as see whether anything can be done about Rin. And despite the island, erm, falling out of the sky onto the oceans, which is surely not an ominous sign, they have a good time. Then the second half of the book…
By Sean Gaffney
7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!, Vol. 5
By Touko Amekawa and Wan*Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuukimama na Hanayome (Hitojichi) Seikatsu wo Mankitsusuru” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amy Osteraas. Adapted by Vida Cruz-Borja. The best part of this book I already quoted on Twitter: it’s Arnold pointing out how utterly ridiculous the premise of this series and all others like it really is. They’re going back over the party that began this series, one which, 5 volumes in, is a lot more suspicious than it felt at the time, and he says, and I quote, “A one-sided dissolution of an engagement in a public venue isn’t something that should happen in the first place.” To be fair, a lot of…
By Sean Gaffney
After-School Dungeon Diver: Level Grinding in Another World, Vol. 1
By Hitsuji Gamei and Karei. Released in Japan as “Hōkago no Dungeon Diver: Nihon to Isekai o Ikiki Dekiru Yō ni Natta Boku wa Level Up ni Isoshimimasu” by GCN Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hiroya Watanabe. So much about this book just made me angry. I probably could have saved myself a lot of grief if I’d just read the afterword first. The author states they just wrote this for shits and giggles, as opposed to the two titles that they clearly took seriously (The Magician Who Rose from Failure and The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!). And sure enough, everything about this has a feeling of “eh, this sucks, but lol” to it. The After-School premise is pointless since…