Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

I’ll Become an Elegant Villainess! Time to Enjoy My Second Life to the Fullest, Vol. 1

by

By Shisui Hazuki and kururi. Released in Japan as “Karei naru Akujo ni Naritai wa! ~Aisare Tensei Shoujo wa, Tanoshii Nidome no Jinsei o Okurimasu~” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Olivia Plowman.

We’ve started to see metatextual isekai with folks hit by Truck-kun who are delighted to be in another world, ready to eat up all those great tropes, get a harem of cute babes, and have a +1 sword new life. (Indeed, I have one in my queue for two days from now.) So it should not particularly be a surprise that we’re getting the shoujo equivalent, which is to say girls who are absolutely delighted to find that they’ve reincarnated and they’re now a villainess. For once it’s not due to love of the genre when they were Japanese – this particular girl is reincarnated from THIS world, she just remembers her past life. But it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that “villainess” has once again been twisted a bit to mean “incredibly cool and powerful girl who just ojou-sama laughs a lot”. There will be no evil here. Which is good, as this world is already filled with evil.

We open with Mitia Lumiol… no, she’s not having her engagement broken. Instead, it’s the usual “your magic isn’t what I wanted, so I hate you” from her father. We then get her telling us about her reincarnated memories, her love of romances with villainesses, and how getting exiled from home to a dying part of the country is perfect as this means she can put her master plan into effect. Her master plan… to be AWESOME! Coming with her are her maid, Ciel, who went from “wow, she’s suddenly become a different person” to “she is my literal daughter that I gave birth to only not literally” in a couple short years, and her butler, Vincent, who is actually a spy but who thinks that Mitia is secretly a genius, and decides to ally with her because of her goal. Which is to be AWESOME! … by healing the sick, repairing the land, lowering taxes, and essentially being a good person, unlike most other nobles in this book.

As you may have gathered, how much you enjoy this depends how much you are prepared to buy into the silliness of its lead. It’s basically a cross between Observation Records of My Fiancee (Mitia and Bertia are very, very similar) and The Eminence in Shadow (Mitia’s followers all adore her, and things she makes up later turn out to be 100% true). Her lowly Household Magic turns out to only be lowly if you don’t have all the mana she does, as she can essentially cast it on top of itself till it can do almost anything. She’s also very GOOD at being an evil villainess, which is to say that she’s not a ditz – she can use blackmail and cleverness with the best of them. It’s just that, despite her past memories, she acts like a six-year-old trying to be nineteen. Which is to say, she’s absolutely cute as hell. This is why she gets Ciel and Vincent, who by the end of the book basically admit they’re her new parents (there’s no romance between them yet, or indeed between anyone, but it is a Heart title). And her former village thugs turned crack secret agents. And the prince in disguise, who she… loathes, as she doesn’t see through the disguise at all.

So yeah, enjoyed that. Very silly. And there’s a second volume! Hooray! Surely that will be the start of a long run… what’s that ominous train in the distance?

Manga the Week of 9/23/26

by , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Can’t talk, manga.

ASH: For real.

SEAN: Yen On moved about half its books to this week, including the debuts. Ayakashi à la Mode is a one-shot fantasy novel. A girl abandoned at a shrine is raised by the spirits that dwell around it, most of whom are quite nice. Sadly, this girl also needs to learn not all spirits are nice.

ASH: This absolutely sounds like something I would read.

SEAN: Scarlet is the latest book by Mamoru Hosoda, who wrote Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, etc. A princess trying to revenge her father fails, and ends up in the world of the dead. Can she get her revenge anyway?

ASH: I have enjoyed Hosoda’s previous works and I do appreciate a good revenge story.

SEAN: Why Run? My Summoned Beast Is Cute! (Naze Nigerundai? Boku no Shoukanjuu wa Kawaii yo) asks “what if the cute summoned familiar was actually a terrifying tentancled monstrosity? No one gets our hero’s aesthetic at all.

ASH: Awwwww.

SEAN: Also out in light novels: The Holy Grail of Eris 5 (the first volume since 2023, as the series switched publishers in Japan), I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too 8, Secrets of the Silent Witch 8, Sentenced to Be a Hero 6, and Your Forma 7.

And now we get Yen Press and its 38 volumes of manga. Starting with How to Handle My Sassy Big Sis (Namaiki na Gyaru Ane wo Wakaraseru Hanashi), a seinen series from Tonari no Young Jump. A guy has an older stepsister who constantly disparages him. Then he’s told she may be the sort who’s secretly a tsundere, so he tries to actively cause that.

It’s Strictly Business (Eigyou desu kara) is a BL manga by the author of Cheeky Brat, Spring Storm & Monster, and Stray Cat & Wolf. No het romance this time, though! This runs in Hana to Yume’s BL spinoff Trifle. A guy tries to pick up the girls at his college, but fails miserably. Maybe if he contrasts himself with his cool clubmate? Or will that lead to something COMPLETELY different?

ASH: It just might!

SEAN: JUDGE Ultimate Verdict Edition is an omnibus of the previously released manga. Death game, creepy stuff, etc.

Let’s Go Nirvana! (Joubutsusasete yo!) stars a young yakuza trying to make a name for himself… till killers murder everyone in the family but him and the boss’ daughter! Now he has to hide by posing as a Buddhist monk! This runs in Kurage Bunch.

ANNA: OK, I find this premise amusing.

ASH: Right?! I am absolutely here for this.

SEAN: Mage of Leda (Leda no Majutsushi) is a fantasy manga from Aokishi. A pathetic orphan teen has had a terrible life. He knows the “I’ll teach you magic!” offer is shady. He takes it anyway.

ASH: Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do.

SEAN: Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home! (Tadaima, Ojamasaremasu!) is a shoujo manga from Koisuru Soiree. A young woman who tries to escape her OL life by otaku pursuits finds… her tiny apartment has been expanded, and now has two roommates! We have hot guy (kind ver.) and hot guy (annoying ver.) What’s a girl to do?

MICHELLE: Fall for the annoying one, I predict.

ANNA: I would like parts of my house to be magically expanded but do not need any more roommates.

ASH: Oooooooh.

SEAN: Servant Beasts is a Harta manga, meaning it’s sui generis. A beast man is bought by a witch who uses him like a servant, but his innate niceness gradually wears him down.

Spy Classroom 4th Period: Bonfire (Spy Kyoushitsu 4-bu: Kagaribi) starts adapting the next arc in the series. It runs in Comic Alive+.

Three Days of Happiness: The Complete Omnibus (Jumyou wo Kaitotte Moratta. Ichinen ni Tsuki, Ichimanen de) collects all three volumes of the manga adapting the novel also released by Yen. It ran in Media Works Bunko. A young man sells thirty years of his life for a happy present day.

ASH: There is a sad logic to that.

SEAN: Thus Spoke the Rabbit (Usagi wa Kaku Katariki) is a fantasy manga from Comic Fuz. Man-eating rabbits have ravaged a city. Only a wolf girl and a bunny girl can save them now.

What Six Survivors Told… (Ikinokotta 6-nin ni Yoru to) is a horror manga from Harta. During a zombie crisis, six people hide in a mall.

MICHELLE: Intriguing.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: The Adventure of Black Cat Nyango 2 (the final volume), Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring 5, Assorted Entanglements 10 (the final volume), Blade & Bastard 5, Daughter of the Emperor 14 (the final volume), Dead Mount Death Play Side Story: Phantom Solitaire’s Art of Disguising Oneself as a Supernatural Being 3, The Eminence in Shadow 15, The Failure at God School 4, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman 6, The Holy Grail of Eris 12, Land 3, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 8, Merit and the Egyptian God 2 (the final volume), Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury—Vanadis Heart 2, Murciélago 27, My Lover Is Just Too Innocent to Handle 2, My Super-Cute Black Mage! 2, Overlord: The Undead King Oh! 14, A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage 2, Scenes from Awajima 3, Sentenced to Be a Hero 2, Shino & Ren 2, The Terrifying Students at Ghoul School! 2, Unnamed Memory 8, Victoria of Many Faces 4, Void: No. Nine 2, and Yowamushi Pedal 29.

MICHELLE: I need to read Scenes from Awajima.

ASH: I’ve picked up my copies! (But haven’t actually read them yet…)

SEAN: Meanwhile, in non-Yen manga, There’s Viz, and the Black Torch Complete Box Set, collecting all five volumes.

And Pokémon: Sun & Moon Complete Manga Box Set, which has 12 volumes.

And in non-box sets, we get Dorohedoro Illustrations: Mud and Sludge, a 350-page hardcover guide to Dorohedoro.

ASH: I never expected this to be licensed here and so went out of my way to track down a copy of the Japanese edition when it was first released. Really good stuff.

And we also see JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 7–Steel Ball Run 9 and Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show 6 (the final volume).

Retailers say Udon Entertainment has Hidetaka Tenjin’s Artistry of Gundam, an artbook. They said this in April too.

ASH: Hmmm.

Tokyopop debuts Aoharu Once More, a BL title that’s from from Red (still the most annoyingly titled magazine ever). Two boys almost get together in high school, but don’t. Now they’re adults, can they finally fix things?

They also have Apprentice Nail Artist in a Foreign Land 2, Beneath the Falling Camellia Blooms 2, and My Contract With the Apothecary Monster 3.

Square Enix debuts Boyish Girlfriend (Boyish Kanojo ga Kawaisugiru). A guy is surprised to find his tomboyish, male clothes wearing girlfriend in cat ears and a maid outfit for the school festival. Now he’s hooked on her looking girly. This runs on the Manga Up! app.

ASH: I’m cautiously curious.

SEAN: Seven Seas has some danmei. Joyful Reunion 5 and Silent Reading: Mo Du 4.

They also have a non-Airship novel, Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea 2.

Give Me a Hug, Mr. Frog! (Hug Shite! Kaeru-san) is a one-shot BL manga from Kurofune Pixiv. A student council president falls for the mystery boy in the frog mascot costume at a local cafe.

ASH: No judgement here.

SEAN: The Misdeeds of an Extremely Arrogant Villain Aristocrat (Kiwamete Gouman Taru Akuyaku Kizoku no Shogyou) runs in Kadocomi, and adapts the light novel also released by Seven Seas.

Uesugi-kun Wants to Quit Being a Girl (Uesugi-kun wa Onnanoko wo Yametai) is a shoujo manga from Ciao Plus. A short, cute boy finds girls don’t even see him as a male. He prays at a shrine… and wakes up transformed INTO a girl! This could go one of two ways, I’m hoping for the good way.

ANNA: I mean, it is good to be cautious.

ASH: Agreed on all points.

SEAN: Yuri Yuri Panic: A Case of Extreme Cuteness Has Occurred! (Yuri Yuri Panic: Toutosugiru Jian ga Hasseishiteimasu!) is a yuri manga from Monthly Web Action. An introverted, plain Jane girl suddenly finds the most popular girl in school… wants to marry her!

ASH: Oh, my!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: DEAR. DOOR 4, The Delinquent and the Transfer Student 2, Kageki Shojo!! 16, Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! 7, Roses and Champagne 4, and What It Means to Be You 5.

One Peace Books has Teppeki Honeymoon 3, which they advertise, in the blurb, “Readers can enjoy a character-driven romance featuring exciting action, clean language, and content that remains free of sexual material, nudity, and fan service.” Which makes me wonder who is now paying for One Peace Books to stay alive, and if they’re Evangelicals or something. O_o

MICHELLE: Wow.

ANNA: Yikes. I dunno, anytime I see “clean” in the marketing I am dubious.

ASH: Huh.

SEAN: Kodansha Manga’s print debut is another spinoff. Cells at Work! Cat (Hataraku Saibou Neko) seems to be half “blood cells inside a cat” and half the owners of the cat. It ran in Shonen Sirius.

ASH: I was not expecting Cells at Work to cross with a cat manga, but I am also not complaining.

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Lock 34, Cells at Work! Lady 5 (the final volume), Gachiakuta 12, Mushishi Collector’s Edition 3, and What If I Said, “I Love You”? 2.

ASH: I’m still ecstatic that Mushishi is back in print.

SEAN: And guess what got bumped? Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition 2 should be next week, maybe?

ANNA: I just got the first one a few days ago (not sure what the delay was) and it is gorgeous.

ASH: It really is!

SEAN: For digital we get A Couple of Cuckoos 30, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 23, and Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad 13.

J-Novel Club has some print titles. We see The Misfit of Demon King Academy 8, Safe & Sound in the Arms of an Elite Knight 2 (manga version), and The Water Magician Arc 1 2.

The debut is a manga, seemingly a one-shot, but there’s definitely a sequel. Reset is a J-Novel Knight title, ergo BL, and ran in Chara. Two basketball players get into a relationship, but the codependency may be ruining everything.

ASH: Codependency does have that tendency.

Other manga out next week: Fluffy-Eared Realm Restoration: Taking It Slow with My Cool Big Brother 2 (the final volume), Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived 5, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 13.

Digital light novels from JNC include By the Grace of the Gods 18, Cooking with Wild Game 35, EXP Is Golden 5, Finding My Way to (You) in This MMO World 2, From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress! 6, From Villainess to Healer 7, The Poison King: Now that I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, the Bewitching Beauties in My Harem Can’t Get Enough of Me 8, and The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods 5.

Hanashi Media also has a light novel: I’m Just a Villager, So What? 5.

Airship has one print light novel, Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 3.

And for digital they have I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class 4 and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 10.

Assuming you kept reading after the Yen Press stuff, what are you buying?

Father, Have You Sinned? An Assassin in Priest’s Robes, Vol. 1

by

By Kennoji and Reita. Released in Japan as “Moto Saikyou Ansatsusha wa Inaka de Hissori Shinpu ni Naru ~Daishusse Shita Oshiego-tachi ni Shitawareru Ossan ga An’yaku Suru Hanashi~” by Dre Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Jade Willis.

Boy, do I have mixed feelings about this one. I’ve read this author before – among their titles over here are The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend and Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin – and can’t help but notice that I eventually dropped both of those other series. The author enjoys dabbling in various genres, and it shows. I’d also argue the blurb is slightly false advertising – after spending the bulk of the first half focusing on Emilia, as promised, she promptly vanishes, as this book is not interested in her story. it’s all about the former assassin turned priest, his grim job now continuing in secret, and the crappy, crappy world he lives in. Things may be peaceful, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of terrible people around.

The world used to be at war, and needed people like Zach, a skilled assassin and master of disguise. Now that the world is, theoretically, at peace, Zach decides to retire and lead a humble life as a priest in an orphanage – helped out by his former contact Rebecca, who disguises herself as a nun to help him because she has a not-so-secret crush on him. For the next few years, things seem to go well, and one of his graduated orphans is even now a knight captain in the nearby city. Unfortunately, there’s still lazy, creepy nobles, there’s still arrogant bandits, and there’s still child slavers. Clearly it’s time for a former assassin to put on a fresh new disguise and go out to take care of business so his cute l’il orphans can grow up in peace. He may even have to stop a coup.

So, despite the cover that seems to suggest a slow-life, relaxed sort of book, content warning: this book has a child being raped until she is killed. We don’t see it, but we graphically hear it. It was a repugnant scene, and honestly it wasn’t needed to show off the bad guys were really bad. We also see more child slaves in other sections, mostly there to be rescued by Zach. And there’s also Emilia, a 19-year-old knight captain who doesn’t seem to understand why it’s a bad idea to have all the knights room in the same barracks together regardless of gender. Zach is, honestly, a bit overprotective about this. The book emphasizes the sexism in its universe while also being sexist itself, and that doesn’t sit very well. On the bright side, the prose is pretty zippy, and some of the interactions between clueless Zach and the various women who like him but he doesn’t see it are cute in a light novel way. But honestly, I wish this didn’t have the fluff. It’s meant to be grim, and reminds me a bit of titles like Secret Saint and Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, which also had rape in their early volumes before gradually scrubbing it out.

So yeah, I continue to have issues with this author. But if you liked their other titles, and don’t mind the questionable content, it’s certainly readable.

A Young Maiden’s Growing Pains: I Reincarnated and All I Got Was This 100X Stat Buff!, Vol. 1

by

By Yuno Yozakura and Nimoshi. Released in Japan as “Seichouritsu 100 Bai Cheat no Tensei Youjo ~Heion ni Kurashitai no ni, Mawari ga Sou Sasete Kuremasen~” by Dre Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kim Louise Davis.

I’ve mentioned before that a lot of light novels these days feel like eating stew. The author puts together various ingredients they have around the house, cooks it all up, and if you’re lucky it ends up being far tastier than you were expecting. Unfortunately, sometimes you aren’t so lucky. Sometimes you get what Japan calls “dark nabe”, where people throw deliberately bad ingredients in and the person eating it just ends up unhappy. This should have been a delicious stew. It’s a comedy – in fact, it verges on parody. It’s got a really strong girl who’s also kinda dumb. I normally eat these sort of titles up. Unfortunately, the book cannot quite get past… well, OK, there’s many things wrong with this book, but the biggest is that its heroine, Satie, is thoroughly unlikable. She’s not an airheaded ditz meathead who’s fun to read about, she’s just annoying.

Please count the cliched light novel tropes with me. Our heroine, Saki, is an overworked office lady (1) whose parents abandoned her (2) and who is far too small for her age (3). One day, she saves what she thinks is a cat from being run over by a car, only to die herself (4). She then meets a goddess (5), who explains that what she actually rescued was a plastic bag (6 – OK, so that’s only KonoSuba, but still). She’s offered reincarnation in Japan, or reincarnation in a world filled with fantasy tropes (7). Normally, for once, they don’t give out free stat buffs, but her death was so hilarious – erm, touching – that Hades offers her one cheat skill (8). She decides, having never had a boyfriend due to her small stature, to ask for a smoking hot body. But she words it ambiguously (9), and she ends up smaller than ever – in fact, she’s a perpetual seven-year-old (10) – but her strength is such that she can take down entire armies! (11).

Satie is a pain. Her buffed stats don’t kick in till she takes out a monster, so she doesn’t even realize what’s happened till she’s 13 years old and she kills a slime (12… OK, I’ll stop) that’s terrorizing a cute little puppy that turns out to be Cerberus, a hellhound. Instead, she’s spent most of her time sulking in her room. Her sister loves her, but also sort of regards her as useless, and her parents have given up on her. This is most as she’s given up on herself – she admits she’s not smart and hates to study, so this is not a “sure, my sibling got all the looks and talent but there’s still something I can do” sort of series. Once she gets her powers, she does do things like take on giant monsters, save her sister from a creep trying to use her as a hostage, and prevent a war between two kingdoms by taking one over in half a day. The whole thing is meant to be funny, but it barely raises a chuckle, mostly as Satie is just a whiny girl who doesn’t understand how life works. To be fair, she does manage to avoid breaking up the love between the prince and his childhood friend. Eventually.

This is a Drecom title, and so no doubt there will be one or two more, but they’re not out yet, and I feel comfortable abandoning Satie here. For folks who enjoyed I Shall Survive Using Potions! but figured a 12-year-old body was way too old.

Pick of the Week: And Then There Was Son

by , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Tempting as it is to pick the prodigal LGBTQ manga or the old-school Miyazaki, I picked a retro release last week. So this week I’ll go for… something even older, technically, the manga adaptation of And Then There Were None. As always, I will wonder if it skews to the original novel, or to most of the other adaptations that have been done, in terms of the plot and the survival of those therein.

KATE: I’m with Sean: Agatha Christie FTW!

ANNA: Agatha Christie does sound delightful, but I also feel compelled to shout out the rerelease of Wandering Son!

ASH: Wandering Son was (is?) such an important series to me personally. Even if we don’t see the rest of it translated, I am so glad to see the manga available in print again. It’s definitely my pick this week.

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life As a Noblewoman: To Seize the Throne, Part 1

by

By Kamihara and Shiro46. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijo to Sūki na Jinsei o” by Hayakawa Shobo. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hengtee Lim.

We’re definitely heading into the endgame with this book, though there will be three more after it (the series ended in Japan with book 6, and we’ve been getting it since book 2 in halves). The subtitle is absolutely not wrong, and for once the forced cliffhanger halfway through the book is a terrific cliffhanger – no “the book just kind of stops” here. That said, yikes, that escalated quickly, even for That Escalated Quickly: The Series. The entire volume is Karen trying to get word to Reinald to accelerate his plans, which may be a bit tricky given he was sent away to solve an insoluble problem. And there’s also the issue that, well, Reinald is kind of the bad guy here, and Karen spends a lot of the book firmly declaring she knows this but she is on his side anyway. We are choosing blood and conquest, and our heroine, despite her misgivings about gunpowder now being a thing here, is making it happen more than anyone else.

Karen prepares for Six to transport her to the city of Estaverde, where Reinald is doing delicate negotiations to try to get the city to be part of the Empire again – though so far they won’t even talk to him. Unfortunately, Six’s teleportation sends Karen on top of an assassin trying to kill Kiem, the leader of the city in question, and despite technically saving his life she’s thrown into prison. Quickly released thanks to Reinald, she delivers her message: the Emperor and Wilhelmina are teaming up to get rid of him. This forces Reinald to advance his plans, helped out a bit by the fact that Kiem has something he wants and Reinald can help him get it, and also by Karen, whose hair, in this country, makes her a sort of lucky cat statue. Then Karen goes back home and everything gets worse and worse.

The first two-thirds or so of this book is a lot of fun. We once again see, despite Karen thinking he has no feelings for her at all, and Reinald’s insistence that he’s not taking a wife, that they’re perfect for each other, and that Karen understands Reinald better than anyone except his closest aides, and while I think he still struggles to get Karen’s mindset, he’s now accepted it. We also get a really cool swordfight, showing that Reinald loves to fight dirty, not a great look for a supposed royal. That said, I was unsurprised that the moment Lubeck popped up in the narrative again things got worse, though Karen proves herself a very capable agent provocateur. Still, even she was unprepared for what she finds when she gets to The Box to destroy it. Gotta admit, they picked a really, really clever way to protect the box, despite it also being an atrocity in every possible way.

Excitement! Adventure! Really wild things! Horrors that make you ill and probably prevent this getting an anime! All this can be yours in another exciting Trials and Tribulations, a series whose title still does not lie.

Bookshelf Briefs 9/3/26

by Leave a Comment

Colette Decides to Die, Vol. 7 | By Alto Yukimura | Viz Media – We still had a couple of gods that we hadn’t seen yet, and so it’s no surprise to see Aphrodite show up, finally. Thankfully, Colette and Hades are already together, and Hades is in the Underworld, so any wacky god antics don’t involve them as a couple, but things like Aphrodite’s tendency towards nudity and promiscuity, as well as her quite good relationship advice, particularly “do not stay with a man who hits you.” And of course there’s also her husband, who… well, OK, he doesn’t hit her per se, but let’s just say she should take her own advice. In the meantime, Colette and Hades continue to get closer. Though I’m not sure this is the sort of series to end with a wedding. – Sean Gaffney

The Credits Roll into the Sea, Vol. 1 | By John Tarachine | Dark Horse Comics If there’s anything better that watching a great movie with the one you love, it’s making a movie. Unfortunately for our protagonist, her husband has passed away. Since she’s a senior, starting a new career seems like a pipe dream. And yet, after she goes to the movies for the first time in ages, she meets a young man who likes the way she looks at movies. He’s in a film school, trying to create his own vision despite pushback from others. So she decides, after checking out the school, to join it herself. This has some terrific artwork, and strikes just the right tone of nostalgia and forward thinking, with the focus entirely on the crafting of film rather than any romantic endeavors. It was nominated for an American Manga Award, and you can see why. – Sean Gaffney

The Death Defying Princess Creates a Yuri Harem to Survive, Vol. 1 | By Aoi Akashiro, Moromi Kouji, Shinya Murata, and Nobuhiko Yanai | Seven Seas – We’ve seen “I keep reliving my own death” titles before, most famously with Tearmoon Empire, but I don’t think we’ve met a heroine quite as gleefully terrible as Marie here, who keeps getting guillotined. At first we think it’s because she’s, well, the arrogant, letting-poor-people-starve sort. Which she is. But even after fixing that a bit she still dies… and it turns out to be due to her long-suffering aide. So she seduces the aide… then she has to seduce two loyal (?) maids… and then instead of the guillotine, she’s beheaded by her supposed best friend. All of this is done for the sake of comedy, and you will never laugh so hard at a head flying off. Not to mention the revelation that being a lesbian is a talent. – Sean Gaffney

The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen, Vol. 2 | By mmk | Viz Media – Now that our lead couple are good friends and have acknowledged that they’re into each other, all that’s left is to dial the sexual tension up to 500, which is what this volume does. This takes place almost entirely at the school, and indeed the school festival, where thanks to an unfortunate live mic, not only does the entire school now know about the two of them, but Ikezawa gets in… well, frankly, he could have been suspended, so I guess he lucked out with being the only guy in charge of all the cleanup. As for Eguchi, she may in fact be falling harder than he is, and her expressions near the end of this are amazing. In any case, this is horny and heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

Ruridragon, Vol. 3 | By Masaoki Shindo | Viz Media – I somehow forgot to get this volume when it came out. It was worth the wait. I love how Ruri’s dragonness is not only intrinsic to her high school life, but her high school life is intrinsic to her being a dragon. She’s essentially going through puberty nightmares all at once (this volume it’s barfing up venom, which fortunately is not toxic to others), but she’s also able to use her massive powers to save the day by literally altering the weather. Keeping everything low-key is what makes this charming, though it’s also a big issue for Ruri—her not really caring about others is still a big problem, though she’s gotten a lot better since the start. Book four soon. – Sean Gaffney

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 12 | By Misaki Takamatsu | Seven Seas – For those who wished that this series had more of Shima, great news, as this book manages to feature him heavily. He’s playing Frankenstein’s monster in the school play, and naturally is riveting. What’s more, both his parents show up, and we start to see the first steps being taken—by his mother, as they had to be—for reconciliation. (We also see flashbacks showing why they had such a break in the first place.) As for Mizuki, this volume is mostly to show off how together she is compared to the start of the manga—when her sister gets lost, Mizuki is able to find where she is immediately by just a few half-hearted “I’m standing near this” hints. All this plus Yuzuki as a ghost in the obligatory haunted house. I adore this series. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 27 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Last time I whined that it had been a year between volumes, and I had forgotten everything. How will I handle this two-year gap? Pretty much as I always do, as this is one of the easiest manga to read I’ve come across in a while. Shirayuki is asked to become herbalist to a household where the local lord is thought to be “impossible.” We get some of that here, he tries to get rid of Zen, with some success, and Obi, with far less success. As for Shirayuki, it looks like she has a complicated logic puzzle-style thing to solve, and we don’t get to see how she does so here. But this is still delightful to see, and I can read about these characters doing not a lot for as long as the author needs. – Sean Gaffney

A Tale of the Secret Saint, Vol. 11

by

By Touya and chibi. Released in Japan as “Tensei Sita Daiseijyo ha, Seijyo Dearuko Towohitakakusu” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

There’s a fascinating moment towards the start of this book where, in front of most of the Saint candidates and several doctors and patients, Fia once again does something completely and utterly ludicrous in terms of her magical power. It’s meant to be played for comedy, and it is funny, but it also reminds you what an anomaly she is. Those gathered don’t see her as a Saint, as she’s supposed to be for this competition, or as a Knight, which she insists she is, but as some sort of monster or cryptid. They rear back, and some literally run away. It’s a reminder of just how different she is – and you could say how far downhill the country has come in three hundred years, but while that’s true to an extent, let’s remember what the Secret Saint Zero books have taught us, that Serafina, in her own time, was ALSO ludicrously powerful above all of the other Saints. She’s just that terrifying. (And hilarious.)

We’re still in the middle of the first round of the Saint competition, and Fia is doing what she does best, which is “helping” all her fellow candidates by doing things that no one else could do as if it was nothing. In my review of Book 10 I mentioned that she failed to cure a man who lost his legs, and theorized that would wait till Book 11, and I was absolutely correct. She’s also winning the Saint candidates over to her side – the three from the last book are in her corner, of course, but even prickly Priscilla, who has really disliked Fia until now, starts to falter in the face of her goodness and niceness. Fia doesn’t have a political bone in her body. Which is good, as it means she’s not getting influenced by any of the political wranglings going on here, but also bad, as God, she’s such a dumbass.

If you’ve read my reviews of the last few books you can skip this entire paragraph, but here I go again: God, I hate the way these books are paced. I also dislike that the last third to quarter of every volume is short stories, but I think I wouldn’t mind that as much if things were not moving so glacially in the main storyline. Look, this is a good series, I like it. And yes, it’s very popular in Japan, and has an equally popular spinoff. The anime even starts soon. But come on, I don’t want to be reading it in 2032. I want to resolve the plotlines, bring in the demons, have Fia confront her past, figure out at last which one is really Sirius reincarnated (I *think* it’s Cyril, but…), and have everyone live happily ever after. Loner Life has an even slower pace, but at least it’s nearly 500 pages per book. Make things happen!

After Secret Saint ZERO 6, of course, which should be around in a couple of months. Till them, please stand in awe of the weirdness that is Fia.

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: Tales of the Royal Academy

by

By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi 0” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by William Varteresian.

I had tied myself in a bit of a knot trying to figure out what the header for this review should be. See, this is Volume 0, a common conceit for Japanese manga and light novels that want to do a prequel but sound cool. But it’s also getting a 2nd volume, out in Japan later this week, so it will be Volume 0-2? In any case, then I remembered that I used the subtitles for my reviews anyway so it didn’t matter. In Japan this came out the same day as the 20th volume of the main series, but you know that’s not how we roll here. But we do finally, at last, have the first meeting between Allen and Lydia. Sort of. Amusingly, the VERY first meeting between them is skipped, in order to give the book a more exciting opening scene grab showing the two of them teaming up for the first time. It doesn’t matter, we know why we’re here. For the harem. Which, yes, includes Zel.

The cover features a young Lydia, making a face that we don’t really see at all in this book. The wraparound has Stella, Tina, Ellie, etc. asking Lynne about the time Allen and Lydia were at the academy. From there we cut to the entrance exam, where Allen and Lydia are forced to fight against the headmaster in order to get in. This is fine, though. Lydia can’t use magic, but she has her swordplay, which ends up basically hitting away all magic. Allen, of course, is Allen. Both of them do very well… in fact, they do better than Princess Cheryl, which is controversial, albeit not to Cheryl or her father. Once in the academy, Allen has to deal with the usual prejudice and bullying, as does Lydia to a smaller degree. They also meet Zelbert, who is mysterious and yet somewhat pathetic right from the get go, and honestly comes across as just another character who immediately falls for Allen, just like Lydia and Cheryl. The four of them then get to take on a diabolical dragon conspiracy…

It can be easy to forget that both Allen *and* Lydia are dealing with vicious bullying most of their lives, and with Lydia there’s also emotional abuse from her extended (though not immediate) family. Lydia’s tsundere nature is here in full effect, but the arrogant confidence that she has through most of the main series is completely absent, and without Allen (who she falls for literally immediately), she simply falls apart. We joke about Allen’s dry, deflecting reaction to everyone and everything, but his narration also masks the fact that Lisa and the maids are incredibly, pathetically grateful to him for helping their shut-in daughter to achieve great things. As for Cheryl, she certainly gets more to do here than the main series, and she’s also the secondary narrator when Allen’s not around, but she mostly fulfills the function of “the normal one”, so lacks as much of an impact.

Honestly, reading this book makes me feel like a Leinster maid – not that I’m suddenly a combat expert, but that I want to take the Allen and Lydia stuff, record it, and rewatch it endlessly. Fans of the series should eat this up.

Manga the Week of 9/16/26

by , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: As the leaves start to change and Sean longs for the end of poison ivy season, what does next week bring us for manga?

23rd Street Books, who may be First Second under a new name, are reprinting Shuna’s Journey (Shuna no Tabi), the manga Hayao Miyazaki drew right before he founded Ghibli. A prince goes on a journey to help his people.

ASH: Oh! I had totally missed that First Second had spun off an imprint for adults.

ANNA: Interesting!!

SEAN: Airship has one print book, The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 15.

And in early digital they have Adachi and Shimamura 13 and I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! 5.

Ghost Ship debuts My Useless “Cuddle” Skill Awakened, and Now I’m Building the Ultimate Harem! (Hazure Skill “Soine” ga Kakuseishi, Boku ga Saikyou Harem o Kizuku made: Micchaku Soine de Ganbou Kaihou!? Yuuwaku Saremakkutte Komattemasu!!), which runs in Gaugau Monster. A guy finds that anyone who sleeps next to him recovers all health. Naturally, girls want to sleep next to him… among other things.

ASH: That is quite the talent.

SEAN: They also have The Cursed Sword Master’s Harem Life: By the Sword, For the Sword 7 and Virgin Knight: I Became the Frontier Lord in a World Ruled by Women 3.

Hanashi Media debuts The Side Character Who Thought He Was the Protagonist Mistook the Real Hero for a Side Character and Accidentally Won Everything (Jibun no Koto o Shujinkou da to Shinjite Yamanai Fumidai ga, Shujinkou o Fumidai da to Kanchigai Shite, Yuushou Shite Shimau Ohanashi desu). The title is the plot.

Inklore has the third and final volume of King’s Maker.

No debuts for Ize Press, but they do have Jungle Juice 8, Marriage of Convenience 5, Men of the Harem 7, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner 6 (the final volume), and Villains Are Destined to Die (the novel) 4.

J-Novel Club has a debut. I’ll Become an Elegant Villainess! Time to Enjoy My Second Life to the Fullest (Karei naru Akujo ni Naritai wa! ~Aisare Tensei Shoujo wa, Tanoshii Nidome no Jinsei o Okurimasu~) has a plot you may be able to guess. Yes, she’s reincarnated, she only knows household magic, but she has no Patience whatsoever.

Also in light novels: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon 13, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- 9 (the final volume), D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared 10, The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World 11, Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived 7, The Invincible Little Lady 8 (the final volume), The Petty Villain Plays by the Rules: Rewriting This Otome Game with Honest Work! 3, The Reincarnated Mastermind: Sundering Fate with Magic Swords 2, and The Water Magician Arc 1 7.

Kana has Cat’s Eye Omnibus 4.

ASH: I need to catch up with this and the other series from Kana.

SEAN: Kodansha is looking out for your kids next week, as they debut Cells at Work! Picture Book, an edutainment manga dedicated to laying out the human body for the little munchkin in your life.

ASH: I truly appreciate the range of Cells at Work!; no matter your age, there’s something to learn.

ANNA: I’m always surprised by the greater Cells at Work! universe!

SEAN: Also in print: Dead Rock 5, How to Treat a Lady Knight Right 5, Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits 5, Love, That’s an Understatement 7, Mars 30th Anniversary Edition 2, MF Ghost 7, Sheltering Eaves 5, Snow & Ink 6, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword 13.

MICHELLE: I need to get caught up on Sheltering Eaves!

SEAN: Digitally they have Blue Lock 39 and Ya Boy Kongming! 25.

One Peace Books has a manga debut. The Villainess Who Came to Marry Into the Frontier Noble’s Household Is an Exceptionally Capable Wife, Isn’t She? (Henkyo Mob Kizoku no Uchi ni Totsuidekita Akuyaku Reijo ga, Mechakucha Dekiru Yoi Yome nanda ga?) is an adaptation of an as-yet unlicensed light novel. it runs in Dra Dra Flat ♭. An isekai’d guy finds his new wife is the villainess of the otome game, but she’s actually a sweetie… right now. He has to stop events turning her evil.

ASH: He better be helping out with keeping the household, then.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a danmei debut, Panguan: The Twelfth Gate. This is in the same world as Copper Coins and Three Hundred Years of Longing. There’s cultivation. There’s homoerotic longing. There’s… actually, I think that’s all danmei needs.

MICHELLE: Pretty much!

ASH: It’s certainly a solid start.

SEAN: And in not-danmei-but-nearly, we see Lout of Count’s Family 9.

Two manga debuts. Gilded Seven is a seinen manga from Comic Zenon. What if the Wild West was riding high, but Lincoln was never assassinated? This action series seems to ask that question.

ASH: It does seem like at least a few things would have been different.

ANNA: Is Lincoln also a vampire hunter????

SEAN: I Like Cat Butts (Neko no Oshiri ga Suki Nan Desu) is the story of a cat owner and her chaotic cat and his chaotic butt. It ran in Comic Ruelle. And yes, OK, fine: I like cat butts and I cannot lie, you other owners can’t deny, that when a kitty walks in with an itty bitty… OK, that’s enough.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

ASH: That is immediately where my brain went.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Chainsmoker Cat 4, Exotic Animal Doctor 2, Fluffy Café in Another World 3, Hope You’re Happy, Lemon 4, I’m in Love with the Villainess 11, The Lady and Her Butler 6, Time Stop Hero 15, Wolf’s Daughter: A Werewolf’s Tale 4, and A Yuri Love Story That Begins with Getting Dumped in a Dream 3.

Square Enix debuts My Ex-Boyfriend Loves Boys’ Love (Motokare ga Fudanshi ni Natte Orimashite), which ran in Gangan Pixiv. A girl looking for manga discovers her old high school boyfriend… in the BL section! But he wasn’t interested in BL in high school! What happened?

ASH: I love when fudanshi get a chance to shine.

SEAN: They’ve also got Holoearth Chronicles Side:E Yamato Phantasia 3, A Starlit Darkness 2, and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 32.

Takumigraphics are trying to make sure Gary Groth isn’t a liar by trying again with Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko), and this time it’s coming out in two-volume paperback omnibuses and a digital version. The story may be a bit less cutting edge than it was twenty years ago, but it’s still really good stuff.

MICHELLE: Ooh! Somehow, this was not on my radar!

ASH: I hope we might be able to get the rest of the series with this release, too.

ANNA: Good, glad it is being released again.

SEAN: Titan Manga debut The Assassin Laughs at Twilight (Ansatsusha wa Tasogare ni Warau), a manga based on an as-yet-unlicensed light novel, this ran in Comic Gardo. A doctor killed in an earthquake while operating on his sister finds himself in a fantasy world… where he’s a killer.

ASH: That was somewhat unexpected.

SEAN: Titan Manga also have a second volume of Strange Pictures and a third of Villain Actor.

Three debuts for Viz. And Then There Were None (Soshite Dare mo Inakunatta) is a manga based on the famous Agatha Christie novel, and ran in HayaComic, which seems to be devoted to manga adaptations of novels. The cover features a handsome young man, a pretty woman, and eight background folks. Some are more None than others.

MICHELLE: Huh! I have read the novel, so might have to see how this compares.

SEAN: Nobuo Uematsu: On the Record is a biography of the famous Final Fantasy composer.

ASH: Oooooooh, very nice.

SEAN: Sound of a Blink (Mabataki no Oto) is the latest from Shuzo Oshimi, and it runs in Big Comic Superior. A young man seems to have it all, till his younger brother is diagnosed with a brain tumor and he finds you can’t escape family.

Viz also has Choujin X 13, Fool Night 10, Haikyu!! 3-in-1 10, Kingdom 11, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 26, Not So Shoujo Love Story 4, One-Punch Man 34, Sakamoto Days 23, and Taika’s Reason 2.

Some pretty damn good titles in there. What are you buying?

Spy Classroom: Monika’s Thin Veneer

by

By Takemachi and Tomari. Released in Japan as “Spy Kyoushitsu” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Thrasher.

Don’t worry, this is still Erna’s arc. I’m sure she’ll get the next cover. But each of these books has featured one of the main characters going beyond, finding new ways to live, new ways to be a spy, and new ways to cope with what they are inside, and then getting ushered off the stage for a while. Last time it was Sara, who spends this volume in prison, being tortured. (I was going to bitch once more about how fiction makes people believe torture works great, but the convoluted plot this series always has makes it work.) And this volume it’s Monika, who gets what may be the best “big action scene fight” we’ve seen in this series to date, and makes the most of it. Because she’s up against Nike, who is strong as hell, smart as hell, and angry as hell. This is a good matchup for Monika, then, who is also strong, smart, and angry. And, as it turns out, they may have even more things in common.

We pick up where we left off, with everything being terrible. Sara is in prison and getting the crap beaten out of her, and we hear that she’s revealed the names of her companions. Erna has PTSD after dealing with Nike, a mental block that makes her natural twitchy mess of a self even more of a twitchy mess. And Annette… is Annette, I’m afraid, no matter how much Erna might be trying to make her see the virtue of not being a psychopath. Fortunately, there are more allies. There’s Sybilla, who accomplishes a hell of a lot in this book by just going around, helping people, and talking to them. There’s Thea, who does what she does best – having amazing sex in order to advance the aims of her nation. And there’s Monika, who sees that Nike has made Erna scared and decides that the best solution to this problem is to kill Nike. Easy peasy.

I remain impressed at how this series is handling Monika’s sexuality. It’s a core part of her character. Its illegality in her nation means that suppressing it, keeping her feelings inside, is not only natural to her but what is the right thing to do for her. And she recognizes that in Nike as well, recognizes a fury and drive that stems from a repressed love for another woman. They’re kindred spirits, and Nike even says that she’s incredibly upset Monika isn’t on her side. (There’s also Thea, who sleeps with both men and women in this book, but her arc is more about “enjoying sex is not only part of my job, it’s also great, and I’m not a slut because I have it.) I also appreciated that – finally! – we got a flashback to Monika’s heart to heart with Lily. Monika being Monika, she triers to do the “let’s pretend it never happened” thing, but Lily doesn’t want to do that. She realizes that she hates it when guys leer at her because of her body (can I read this as a tacit critique of most Spy Classroom artists – she gets more skeevy fanart than the other girls combined) and the only thing holding her back is her inexperience with love at all. Basically, I like that this series makes LGTBQ issues part of the intrinsic plot without making the romance the point or making it for fanservice.

The author says the 5th SS collection is next, but bad news, we already had that one. As a result, we have to wait to see when Yen schedules 12, which I think wraps up this arc. Good luck, Erna! And your increasingly small number of allies!

BLADE & BASTARD: Saga of the Unknown Adventurers

by

By Kumo Kagyu and so-bin. Released in Japan as “Blade & Bastard” by Dre Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

I think this may be the 6th time I’ve said this, but I have never played or delved into Wizardry. And so far this hasn’t really been too much of a problem. There’s the vague annoyance of the parenthetical telling you that someone’s mental well-being is really something you should roll for, i.e. all the “hit points”. There’s the hilarity that sometimes comes when one of the ridiculously named spells is accidentally something familiar – TILTOWAIT in this book just kept making me think of the amusement park ride Tilt-a-Whirl. But in this volume, I really get the sense that the author is talking about backstory the reader should already know. Are these characters – who everyone seems to know except Raraja, who I have never identified with more than I do now – something from the Lore? Are they part of spinoffs, sequels, side-stories? And in the end, do I really need to care? Or can I go back to thinking that Iarumas and Ainikki really need to bone?

We pick up right where we left off. The prince is missing (and sorry, court ladies, I guess you’re all really dead dead after all), and the dungeon is being overrun by essentially possession goop monsters. Iarumas’ group has to go down there, as they’re the main characters. Schumacher’s group is also going down there, as they’re the less good, more realistic ones. And as for the top party in the city… well, they’re missing, whoops. It will come as no surprise to learn that the bulk of this book is spent is a slow, almost lethal, sometimes actually lethal dungeon crawl, with trick doors, hidden doors, hidden chutes, zombie dragons, and everything else a teenage boy could want to roleplay with. And when they finally reach their destination… wow, are we finally getting Iarumas characterization? Yes! Spoiler: he shows multiple emotions in this book!

Generally speaking, Japanese light novels tend to have first person narration, or third person omniscient. This one has the POV spin from character to character from scene to scene, and frequently within the same scene. One could argue this is bad writing, and to a degree it is, but it also helps to get across the desperation and determination this book is meant to ooze. Iarumas’ party have become, mostly thanks to Garbage, something pretty famous, but the party themselves are filled with doubt and fear. Schumacher’s party is filled with even more of that, along with a heaping helping of self-loathing (hell, even the left-behind childhood friend seems to hate herself), despite the fact that they’re really freaking awesome this book. There’s also a lot of trying to get past the thing you hate the most, be it a dragon that killed you before, a demon that enslaved you before, or just an evil boss who has your face but does a lot more than you do. Ah well. In the end, we can always listen to the words of Garbage. “Arf”, she said.

We’re caught up with Japan again, but fortunately this book finishes up the arc. What will happen next? My guess: dungeon crawling.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 48

by

By Takehaya and Poco. Released in Japan as “Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Warnis.

I had not realized that it had been over a year since the last volume of Rokujouma. The author apparently had heart issues that left them in the hospital for a while. As such, it’s something of a relief to hear that the series is coming to a close soon – thought I’ll take “soon” with a grain of salt, given I originally thought this was gonna end at Volume 29. This is also the 50th book in the series, counting the two .5 volumes, and I was wondering if we’d get an old-fashioned short story volume of fluff to celebrate. But no, we’re in the middle of the big final arc, and there’s no time for delays. As such, the bulk of this book is something that can be fun to read about but is very difficult to review: it’s strategizing and fighting, as our heroes try to rescue Kenji and Nalfa from the clutches of the Gray Knight. That said, if I’m being honest, having Kenji around may be just what the Gray Knight needs right now.

Kenji has figured out who the Gray Knight is, and is trying to see what makes him tick… as well as get a little more freedom so that he can check on Nalfa, who spends most of this volume asleep or depressed. Also depressed is Koutarou, who is dwelling a lot more than he should. Fortunately, although a lot of contingency plans failed, and some people even died, Clan’s last contingency plan worked, and they can mount a rescue mission much quicker than the enemy might expect. They end up on a planet that seems ready for battle, with drones galore, automatic defenses, and reinforcements coming – for the Gray Knight. So things are not looking great. Fortunately, Koutarou not only has a harem, but it’s a Battle Harem, so he and the girls are all in sync with each other and ready to kick ass and rescue their friends!… maybe.

While it’s always nice to see the girls again, and I enjoyed seeing Sanae, Shizuka and Theia kicking ass, and Maki and Nana being really clever, the most interesting parts of the book revolved around the hostages. Kenji knows that the Gray Knight is really Koutarou from an alternate world, but is trying to figure out how he ended up the way that he did. We’re reminded that Koutarou has the power of eight dead girlfriends at his beck and call, with only Sanae (yeah, remember alt-Sanae? It seems so long ago) missing, and we have assumed, to be honest, that the major point of divergence was that something went wrong and he lost nearly everyone. But that’s not the case, as we find out here. This is a Koutarou that grew up without KENJI. A Koutarou that never ended up trusting anyone because he never had that first crack that made him begin to open up. That’s really fascinating. And it helps me accept the fact that in the end we read 160 pages of fighting back only to achieve very little. They’re still hostages, and will be as long as Kenji gets to play therapist.

There won’t be nearly as long a wait for the next book, though that will catch us up with Japan again. Stay healthy, author!

Pick of the Week: Old Friends in New Outfits

by , , , and Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: I have never read Appleseed, so the prospect of getting the whole thing in one gorgeous hardcover edition was too good to pass up. I am excited to finally check it out!

ANNA: I’m feeling very nostalgic about Appleseed, and am excited to check out the new edition!

SEAN: Same. The new hardcover of Appleseed has all my attention this week.

KATE: I’m going to break ranks and make Say Hello to Mister Wallaby my PotW. I need a light-hearted marsupial comedy right now.

ASH: Say Hello to Mister Wallaby looks like it should be cute, but Appleseed is what has my attention this week. I’ve actually never read the original series before, only Iou Kuroda’s Appleseed Alpha, so a giant omnibus seems a good way to correct that oversight.

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 7

by

By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

Last time I talked about the fact that this world is still trying hard to re-rail things so that they go the way the game wants them to, and that’s still true, but it’s also astonishing how many “doubles” this has led to, and in some cases triples and quadruples. We have Celesty, of course, now Melody, maiding it up. And reincarnated. And not Cecilia, at least not anymore. There’s Serena, a walking, talking, living doll who Melody accidentally and unknowingly put the soul of her dead mother inside. There’s Celedia, who is really an evil minion of darkness, but is also a young girl who’s also a reincarnate. There’s the missing foreign prince, busy being a lothario servant. There’s his sister, who has lived her life as a man, till given the chance in this book to see what the life might have been like. There’s Luciana, who isn’t the tragic dead one anymore, and Luna, who got her role, and Olivia, who almost got her role. Hell, even Anna-Marie disguises herself as her own maid. And then there’s Maika, and the end of this book, where she may be adding to the heroine pile. It’s a Heroine Pileup.

It’s finally time for the school festival! Given all the fuss about the maid cafe, we don’t actually see very much of the cafe itself. Instead we get a lot of the before and after, as everyone tries to finish the uniforms in time and ensure that everything is perfect. That said, Melody can’t participate, so she’s at a loss for what to do. She’s reminded she promised (without thinking) to tour the festival with Schue, so she does this for a while, until Schue’s own subplot comes smashing through the narrative and he literally flees. Then Lect is told to escort her around, which actually goes pretty smoothly, though her lack of romantic interest in him (or indeed anyone) is very obvious. Unfortunately, there’s still supposedly an event that’s due to happen tonight… in the game. Is this world now so different that it won’t happen after all?

Honestly, of all the characters I thought I’d find most interesting in this volume, Celedia would not have topped my list at the start. And yet, here we are. It’s fascinating the way that she’s written, in an almost Umineko-esque way, not quite multiple personality disorder but something else. Tindalos is filled with darkness, rage, evil plans, and an increasing desperation that nothing is going right. Celedia, meanwhile, is clearly suffering from depression. She’s an absolute mess throughout the book, collapsing twice, and even when she’s out and about she’s so clumsy she causes disasters just by walking around. Honestly, her evil side taking over may be good for her. As for Maika, well, she finally has her magical familiar, but as expected with this series, it’s not quite as it should be. It does allow us to get a magical girl parody in here as well, that was fun. That said, the most interesting thing in the book may be the cliffhanger into Book 8.

So yeah, what’s Melody going to do now? Can Celedia use this chance to actually, y’know, achieve a thing? Anything? And will the anime, which ends next week, get a second season? We’ll know in a few months. For Maid fans and Villainess fans.