By Mizue Tani and Asako Takaboshi. Released in Japan as “Hakushaku to Yōsei” by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns. Once again, as I read this series I am reminded just how far shoujo has come in the last twenty years, and how different it is. Everything going on between Edgar and Lydia in this series is intensely familiar to anyone who read the popular titles of the day back then… and yet it already feels like it’s from a hundred years ago, with Lydia’s inability to think anything but the worst of Edgar and his own inability to show Lydia what his love actually means feeling more frustrating than romantic. There’s also the “Lydia is kidnapped every volume, and threatened every…
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By Sean Gaffney
Earl and Fairy: A Cursed Diamond Imbued with Love
By Sean Gaffney
I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s So Cheeky for a Commoner, Vol. 2
y Inori and Hanagata. Released in Japan as “Heimin no Kuse ni Namaikina!” by GL Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka.. This is a very good second volume in this spinoff series, which sets out to show us Claire’s changing views in more depth and also flesh out some of the minor characters. It succeeds, but there’s also a feeling here that this is the middle volume of a trilogy. A lot of things we know will pay off in the third book are bubbling under here, but the lack of a real climax to the book does make it a bit unsatisfying. That said, overall I’m quite happy. This book reminds us that the goal for the visual novel Rae finds herself in…
By Sean Gaffney
Bookshelf Briefs 3/16/24
Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 2 | By Aki Hamazi | Yen Press – I did not realize that the Bocchi anime only adapted about 1.5 volumes, so the school festival chapters took me by surprise at how quickly they came. It makes sense, though, as does Bocchi’s (seeming) character development—with someone with her personality flaws, it’s harder to read in a 4-koma style book, so we need to eventually have her grow a LITTLE more confident, though I’m sure she will relapse when the humor requires it. (I also remember the internet getting a bit upset that the anime toned down Bocchi’s breasts, which makes sense as I think it was only used for a gag and doesn’t really come up again.) In any case, without the music and voice…
By Sean Gaffney
The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles, Vol. 1
By Reia and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Akutoku Joo no Kokoroe” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Gigi Li. Adapted by Abigail Clark. Even if it didn’t also have the same artist as well, I think that readers of this new series will quickly realize that the author is the same as Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter. In fact, the author straight up admits that the idea for this series came about when she thought “what if Iris’ world had magic?”. The book tries not to go along the same lines, and indeed Luxeria’s story is a lot darker and more tragic than Iris’ (well, at least Iris rewriting her own story). But after the time skip, you gradually see that this is…
By Sean Gaffney
The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival, Vol. 1
By Harunori Biyori and Hitaki Yuu. Released in Japan as “Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyō Survival” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Camilla L. This is another one where I had a different idea of what it was going to be like before I read it. When I typed up the premise in Manga the Week of, I said it was an Otome Game Reincarnation Meets Survival Game. Which… is not inaccurate per se, but I think fans of both genres are going to find this a little less than what they were hoping for. For otome heroine fans, while there are multiple reincarations and a villainess to go with our heroine, it only becomes relevant at one point in the story. As…
By Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N
Manga the Week of 3/20/24
SEAN: ALERT! ALERT! YEN PRESS HAS BREACHED THE CONTAINMENT SHIELD! AWOOGAH! AWOOGAH! ABANDON SHIP! ASH: It’s happening! ANNA: I’m going to run off and take cover! SEAN: Yen On has several debuts, starting with Amalgam Hound: Criminal Investigation Bureau: Special Investigation Unit (Amalgam Hound Sōsakyoku Keijibu Tokusō Han), which possibly has one too many subtitles. Amalgams are war machines that can go rogue, and Theo is the one who has to take them out when they do. But now his new partner is an Amalgam! Can they get along? ASH: I’m guessing yes, or at least well enough to last for more than a volume. SEAN: Classroom For Heroes (Eiyū Kyōshitsu) had an anime come out in the summer of last year. An ex-hero who lost his powers defeating the…
By Sean Gaffney
Management of a Novice Alchemist, Vol. 1
By Mizuho Itsuki and fuumi. Released in Japan as “Shinmai Renkinjutsushi no Tenpo Keiei” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann. It’s been a while since I’ve come at a light novel series from this direction. Lately, the Japanese companies are getting clever, and getting an English-language company to license a series several seasons before the anime is announced, so that the anime can drive up sales of the book. But when Management of a Novice Alchemist came out in the Fall of 2022, the novel and manga were both absent here, meaning the anime was many people’s first exposure, including mine. Well, “many people” in quotes. This is not exactly Chainsaw Man. There was a small following who enjoyed a mostly…
By Sean Gaffney
My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex: “Within Arm’s Reach”
By Kyosuke Kamishiro and TakayaKi. Released in Japan as “Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Gierrlon Dunn. This is the first volume taking place after our main couple have gotten together… again… and as you can imagine, it’s leading up to one big scene. That said, it certainly does meander before it gets there. This series has always played with viewpoint – from the start, the main chapters alternated between Mizuto and Yume, usually with some variation on how they used to be in love but are older and wiser now. As the series went on, we got more and more viewpoints from the POV of other characters, such as the best friends of our lead couple,…
By Sean Gaffney
Fake Saint of the Year: You Wanted the Perfect Saint? Too Bad!, Vol. 4
By kabedondaikou and Yunohito. Released in Japan as “Risō no Seijo? Zannen, Nise Seijo Deshita! Kuso of the Year to Yobareta Akuyaku ni Tensei Shitanda ga” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Rymane Tsouria. It has gotten to the point where it’s rare that we get a modern light novel that is NOT based on a pre-existing web novel in some way, shape or form. Which makes sense – the light novel is still booming in Japan, and it’s much easier to take an author who’s gotten to the top of the rankings on Narou and edit their work into something for the mainstream than to rely on things like competitions and the like. And there’s nothing wrong with the end of this series….