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From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!, Vol. 2

By Masamune Okazaki and Hayase Jyun. Released in Japan as “Mob Dōzen no Akuyaku Reijō wa Dansō Shite Kōryaku Taishō no Za wo Nerau” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Caroline W. As folks may know, I tend to pay attention to publishers a bit more than is normal. I have my favorites, and I have those where I always say “uh oh” (looking at you, GC Novels). Generally speaking I tend to really enjoy TO Books releases. They do Ascendance of a Bookworm, and Tearmoon Empire. They’re solid. And, like most LN publishers these days, they take the webnovel that’s already published online, have the author revise and add a few scenes to it, and publish it. What makes TO Books different from,…

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Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 1

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. It could be argued that I’m reading too many of these sorts of books. Because, not to spoil something you should be used to by now, but there’s an otome game in this novel, and a villainess. We have definitely hit the point where we’ve got burned-out fans, especially as we’re now getting at least an anime a season with that premise. And yet, I persevere. Because sometimes I get something as completely batshit as this book, whose heroine starts out OP in Japan and only gets worse when she’s reincarnated, who can accidentally solve the entire…

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The Obsessed Mage and His Beloved Statue Bride: She Cannot Resist His Seductive Voice

By Crane and Hachi Uehara. Released in Japan as “Yandere Mahoutsukai wa Sekizou no Otome shika Aisenai – Majo wa Manadeshi no Atsui Kuchizuke de Tokeru” by Mitsu Neko Bunko. Released in North America by Steamship. Translated by Molly Lee. Adapted by Kathleen Townsend. I had to remind myself a lot while reading this that I am not the intended audience for this sort of book. Not only is this an erotic light novel written for women (which is why it’s in the Steamship line rather than Airship), but it’s for women who see the word “Yandere” in the Japanese title and go “oh hell yes!”. In that sense, they absolutely get what they want, as Alistair starts the book off as a 12-year-old bratty yandere with tremendous magic power…

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The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged, Vol. 2

By Washiro Fujiki and Heiro. Released in Japan as “Eiyū to Kenja no Tensei Kon: Katsute no Kōtekishu to Konyaku Shite Saikyō Fūfu ni Narimashita” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Joey Antonio. It can be very difficult to combine comedic stuff with serious stuff in the same series, and frequently the balance is off in some way or another. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised by this second volume of Hero and Sage, which I enjoyed more than the first. For the most part this is content to show our lead couple being ridiculously flirty and at ease with each other, and it’s also not afraid to go full on silly with scenes such as Kristia, the nation’s princess and Eluria’s childhood friend,…

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A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady, Vol. 3

By Mashimesa Emoto and Kasumi Nagi. Released in Japan as “Slime Taikō to Botsuraku Reijō no Angai Shiawase na Konyaku” by HJ Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Minna Lin. I get the feeling there’s another story that we’re missing here, especially towards the end. I remember when I was reading Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter and we took two books to learn about her mother’s backstory. Maybe we need that sort of thing here, because all of a sudden Slime Duke is feeling like a sequel series to the main one that starred Adele, a villainess who was shunned by her fiancee and moved to another kingdom, only for the Emperor’s son to fall in love with her. Then we get this series, which is…

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Manga the Week of 11/20/24

SEAN: November continues to be Almost Christmas. ASH: So close and yet so far away. SEAN: Airship has a print bonanza, as we see The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 9, The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 3, Loner Life in Another World 10, Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 7, and Too Many Losing Heroines! 2. ASH: Always love a plethora of print. SEAN: And the early digital releases are Reincarnated Into a Game as the Hero’s Friend: Running the Kingdom Behind the Scenes 3 and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 8. I missed this last week, so already out is The Complete Poe Clan: The ’70s from Fantagraphics, a repackaging of the two hardcover…

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To Another World… with Land Mines!, Vol. 1

By Itsuki Mizuho and Nekobyou Neko. Released in Japan as “Isekai Teni, Jirai Tsuki” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Yen-Po Tseng. Yeah, I know. So I had a brief gap in my insane reading schedule, and a friend had mentioned this series as one I might be interested in circling back to. I had skipped it in 2022 when it came out as I was trying to cut down on isekai stuff. But I’m a big fan of Management of a Novice Alchemist, by the same author, so I figured why not give it a try. And how is it? Well, that’s an interesting question. I think how you feel about it will depend on your answer to the following: Can something be…

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Bookshelf Briefs 11/12/24

Blue Box, Vol. 12 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – Of course, I was right. This is the confession volume. But that’s not really a spoiler, because the nature of this book—it’s still half sports, in case anyone has forgotten—is not going to allow it to wrap up here. Indeed, the nature of both their lives and their current living situation means they actually have to hide their budding relationship. Still, just because we know that further complications and torment will be coming along does not mean that we cannot revel in this sweet and earned confession, which ends up being even sooner than either had anticipated thanks to the sort of coincidence that always happens in manga. They’re really good kids, and I’m glad they’re together. Now,…

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A Tale of the Secret Saint, Vol. 7

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. Sometimes I enjoy a good bit even if it’s obvious. Indeed, sometimes I love it because it’s obvious. And Secret Saint is, let’s face it, a series that runs on comedy, tragic backstories aside. So I have to inform you that I was smiling gleefully all through the main plot of this series, which was a perfect combination of Fia being intuitive and clever based partly on her instinct and partly on her past knowledge, and Fia being a complete dimbulb who has no idea how the world of 300 years later works and doesn’t bother to…

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