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Archives for June 2026

A Tale of the Secret Saint ZERO, Vol. 5

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By Touya and chibi. Released in Japan as “Tensei Sita Daiseijyo ha, Seijyo Dearuko Towohitakakusu ZERO” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Sarah Burch. Adapted by Melanie Kardas.

Well, here we are back in the past again, with six-year-old Serafina. We’re still quite a few years away from her death, but the series has been teasing that it’s going to get dark, and this book continues that trend… though in an odd way. We open with an ominous scene of a demon waking and finding someone who smells “quite delicious”. No prizes for guessing who that is… and then we have the entire rest of the book, with the demon’s actual meeting with Serafina coming right at the end, in order to provide the cliffhanger ending. In between that… well, in between that is a typical Secret Saint ZERO volume. Serafina is cute and ludicrously powerful. The knights are all weirdos. Sirius is deeply in love with a six-year-old girl but in a pure, non-sexual way. The same old “this is good but Japan, why you gotta do this?” sort of stuff.

A meteor has fallen, and thus everyone is predicting terrible things. Serafina wonders why portents always have to be bad, and wishes we’d have dire portents of cake and meat raising from the sky. (The portents, unfortunately, are correct in this case – but not immediately). She then finds out that the knights have opened a “knight cafe” for the month… which is basically a butler cafe, with the hunky knights catering to young women. And at night it becomes a knight bar, which is basically the same only sexier, as they open up a swimming pool and the knights dive into it for fruit and other ingredients. Serafina wants to see them… so Sirius comes along. In disguise. That’ll go well. Elsewhere, she goes to a show and accidentally gets proposed to, she plays a game of straw millionaire which reminds us she has no concept of what is normal, and Ludo rescues a child who I’m sure will be more relevant in the next volume, as they sure aren’t here.

There’s an interesting bit near the end of the book, where Serafina meets the spirit of wind, who has come to see her after he found out she speaks spirit languages. This leads to a bit of conflict with Seven, who we’ve always seen as a cute, child-like spirit… and it’s now very clear that Seven is staying that way deliberately, and does not want to grow up. Serafina brushes off Seven’s worries, saying she only wants to be contracted with him no matter his apparent age, but to the reader, choosing not to grow up makes me immediately think of Peter Pan. It’s not really a good thing. It also reminds me that, unlike the main series, this spinoff has, theoretically, a shorter shelf life. How many cute mini-stories can the author wring out before they’re forced to have Serafina grow to her teenage years and face her cruel destiny?

As ever, for fans of the series, but it does remind me, kind of like Kuma Bear does, what a juggling act it can be balancing “adorable children” and “this world is kinda dark”.

Bookshelf Briefs 6/22/26

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A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 20 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Motoi Fuyukawa | Seven Seas – So between the last volume and this one, the series ended in Japan, and if my count is right this one will be the penultimate volume. The plot of this arc continues apace, but I’ll be honest, I’m not interested in it. The main cast has always been why I read this series. Fortunately, they get things to do. We see Mikoto’s compassion and we start to see why Kuroko falls for her so hard (canonical). We see Kuroko starting to be a part of Judgment. We see Saten and Uiharu meet, see Uiharu struggling to not be a 90-pound weakling, and see Saten start to fall for her (not canonical). And yes, we get a really cool battle with powers and everything. The Railgun series, in the West, has always been more popular than its parent, and this continues to show why. – Sean Gaffney

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 14 | By Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe | Viz Media – This is still setup for what is going to be an epic battle, but I will admit that I feel it is adding a few many new characters all at once. We get a whole bunch of bad guys here, each with their own eccentricities, and some more likeable than others. We get to see Fern be utterly badass, and we get to see Stark have bad things happen to him and have the stamina of several oxes. But the big news is the return of Sein! He’s here; he’s still looking for his friend; and I have a sneaking suspicion he may find said friend before the end of this arc. That said, I’m not sure whether the series is the sort that can kill off one of its main supporting characters, so we will have to see if the mass assassination attempt really gets going. It’s Frieren. You know it’s good. – Sean Gaffney

Hitting Rewind with You, Vol. 1 | By Hanamaru Kira | Kodansha Manga – There’s been quite a few “I wish I could go back and redo my crappy teenage years,” but most of them tend to star guys and involve time travel. Here we see Wakaba regret her introverted bookish school days, so she takes advantage of Halloween to wear her old uniform… and runs into a hot high school student! At this point the savvy shoujo reader is ready to say “uh oh,” but no fear, as he’s also in his uniform despite being in college, because he was helping a cosplay group that then cancelled on him. The two of them start to date but can’t let go of the uniform thing… though that may also be because Wakaba doesn’t actually realize that the two of them are dating, as she suffers from classic “shoujo heroine” syndrome. This wasn’t lights-out amazing, but was cute and fun. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vol. 13 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Manga – Inori, in this series, has had moments where she’s lost to others, and times when she’s almost but not quite won it all. But she hasn’t really had a complete disaster of a day like she does here… one so bad it means she doesn’t get to compete on Day Two, she’s just done. Unfortunately, this reminds us that all the intensity that we’ve seen middle school Inori have can also work against her, as when she sees Hikaru she has a total breakdown, and when she sees Tsukasa she has a raging, screaming fit. Hikaru shows her that there’s still someone to chase and that she’s not abandoning Inori as a rival, while Tsukasa shares his past and tries to show her that “what do you do if disaster strikes” is also a skill a skater needs to learn. I love this series so much. It’s amazing every time. – Sean Gaffney

Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty, Vol. 2 | By Hiroshi Fukuda | Yen Press – This second volume introduces the other two main characters, and while I love Tina and her struggles, Tamaki is definitely the one with the stronger impact—trying to lure Otoha away, disparaging Lilisa’s guitar, and saying (rightly) that Tina’s lack of ability makes her someone they can’t work with. The good news for Lilisa is that we also get the front half of this volume, featuring the Battle of the Bands, where the two of them unleash the power of rock in order to inspire a rather lackadaisical concert band and also show up an arrogant singer with delusions of grandeur. Those middle fingers have never felt more right. That said, Lilisa is going to struggle a lot more before she gets her ideal guitar heroics going, so let’s hope the battle of the bands goes well. Great stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 13 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – Another series where it’s been a year and change since the last one. Fortunately, Coco realizes this and is utterly awesome in this book, joining with the others to come up with a brilliant plan. Unfortunately, she also runs afoul of the Knight dude who wanted to wipe her memory way back when, and he still wants to do it… and wipe everyone else’s memory as well. This guy has issues, as everyone else seems to realize, and it can be painful to see. It can also be painful to see Coco’s plan run up against the scientific method, as it turns out that the leech is also very clever and is not going to give them time to carry out this plan. Fortunately, Agott and Coco are the baby lesbian power couple (not canonical), and they’re here to SAVE THE WORLD! Next book. – Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 16 | By Kiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – Five. Freaking. Years. Even by Yotsuba&! standards, that’s a bit ridiculous. The biggest reason to be excited about the book is near the end, but before that, we continue to see Yotsuba’s dad reflect that she actually will be doing things like going to school and growing up soon. (Soon, but not yet. No worries, fans of her being five years old.) There’s also a heaping helping of Yanda, as he and Yotsuba have to get along or else her dad will abort their mountain climbing. But most importantly… it’s Osaka! From Azumanga Daioh! And she’s Ema and Miura’s teacher, and just as flaky as she’s always been, though I get the sense she’s a pretty good teacher overall. It was wonderful to see her, and I hope she shows up again. Whenever the next book is. – Sean Gaffney

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 16 | By Hiyohiko Azuma | Yen Press – It had been almost eight years since I had read a volume of Yotsuba&!. In that time, I had forgotten just how delightful it really is. In volume sixteen, there is a lot of emphasis on Yotsuba starting school soon and Koiwai being encouraged to do fun things with her while she still has this much free time. As a result, most of this volume is about hiking Mount Takao. One particular element about this series that I love and had forgotten about is the scene-setting panels. I love panels of apartment facades, the reflection of an electric pole in a building’s windows, a plump bird on a tree, a trio of little girls riding their bikes down the street… Reading this reminded me anew what a joy this series is and finishing it left me bereft because how many years ‘til the next one? – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Fish, Love and Sails

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MICHELLE: As interested as I am in Fish and Water, I think josei wins the day for me, this week, so I’m going with Whoever You Are, I Love You.

SEAN: I have heard *very* good things about Set Sail: The Art and Making of One Piece, and the live-action series really is incredible, so that’s my pick this week.

ASH: I’m with Michelle this week, although I’m going to flip the order around. I’m definitely intrigued by Whoever You Are, I Love You, but I love that we’re getting the full range of Gengoroh Tagame’s work in English and that I’ll be able to recommend Fish and Water to a wider audience than I would some of his other manga.

KATE: One order of Fish and Water for me, please!

ANNA: I’m most likely to check out Whoever You Are, I Love You, so that’s my pick!

Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 12

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

It has not escaped my attention that the Lucia and the Loom spinoff series to Dahlia in Bloom has not had a volume out in Japan for the last three years. I was reminded of it with the plot for this book, 2/3 of which revolved around Jonas, Guido’s attendant and one of the many suitors in the Lucia partner sweepstakes. You’d assume that, with a much larger role for Lucia than actually happens here, this should be something happening in that series. And yet, here we are, Lucia is back to being a minor character, and every man in the series is though to be in love with Dahlia or actually *is* in love with Dahlia. Sorry, Lucia. Still, good news for Dahlia, who gets something to do other than work at her company and have delicious food and drink with Volf, her platonic bestie. Unfortunately, some of the things that happen in this book end up being things Dahlia really doesn’t WANT to experience. At least not again.

Dahlia and Jonas are still not QUITE barons yet, as they need to visit the Castle first. Dahlia has fewer issues, as she merely has to deal with stress about the visit and her own dreadful self-confidence (she’s back to calling herself plain and dull again, and I dearly want to slam her head into a heated table till it fills with confidence). Jonas has far more problems. He wants to remain Guido’s attendant and bodyguard, but Guido’s family is also getting elevated, so guess what? Class issues are happening again. What’s more, he needs to be adopted by a noble family for this to work, and for some strange reason, no one seems to want to do it. And then there’s the matter of his actual mother, who is back in Israna, and his stepfather, who is here, who really want to mend fences that Jonas is still very reluctant to mend.

Aside from the usual frustrating “just bang already!” romantic antics, the highlight of this book is undoubtedly Jonas’ stepfather, Yusef having a stroke, and Dahlia recognizing the signs because of what happened to her father. It’s wonderful that because of her quick thinking she’s able to help save Yusef’s life, but it does end up stirring up a whole host of grief-stricken memories. As you may recall, the “extra story” that’s been at the end of each volume reached an end last time with Dahlia’s father’s death (it turns out that tragic backstory is still on the menu, fear not, we merely get Volf’s mother before HER death), and she’s still trying to come to terms with it. This is another reason why, much as they understand his reasons for not wanting to, everyone wants Jonas to reconcile with Yusef. Fortunately, it’s not all downers: watching Dahlia and company twist themselves into pretzels to try to avoid taking huge rewards for things and feeling that it’s overkill takes on even more hilarious proportions.

The next volume is also not getting near Dahlia finally getting her barony, so instead we’ll see more monsters, more Volf and Dahlia drinking, and meeting more really powerful women. Till then… again, Lucia, hang in there.

The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain, Vol. 8

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By Bakufu Narayama and Ebisushi. Released in Japan as “Danzaisareta Akuyaku Reijō wa, Gyakkō-shite Kanpekina Akujo o Mezasu” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Alyssa Niioka. Adapted by Vida Cruz-Borja.

So yeah, I get to deliver a big apology here. I was fuming at the end of the 7th book in the series, which I saw as throwing away most of the good character development that we’d seen at the start of the volume as if someone accidentally set Fermina’s switch to ‘good’ and now it was back to ‘evil. As it turns out, the author was doing this deliberately, and it played into the start of THIS book, which shows us what happened between all that character development and the big brutal ending. Which is a whole heaping helping of gaslighting from “Father Norris”, who is of course Cardinal Nigel. Essentially, after hanging out with the most evil character in the series and being fed lies, of course Fermina is going to snap. Fortunately, this is still a cut above most other villainess books with “bad heroines”, and we get a nice subplot where she realizes that, in fact, being played for a sucker is not something she wants to experience the rest of her life.

As noted above, the prologue shows Nigel twisting the truth into a pretzel about the very real issues with refugees. This leads to the start of the book proper, where Claudia is being taken by Nigel to an Inquisition, where she will quietly be burned to death. Fortunately for all concerned, Claudia has friends in low places, so manages to get rescued and have Nigel put under house arrest for re-entering the country. Unfortunately, this does not solve her being accused of witchery, so she heads to a port to lay low for a bit… and ends up running into a drug-fuelled conspiracy that’s supposed to manufacture more evidence that she’s evil. Can she fix things and also help the adorable children of the town who are just worried why their daddies aren’t coming home? Meanwhile, Sylvester has started to have nightly dinners with Fermina. Which are only partly about manipulating information from her.

So now that I know what was going on, I can once again really love Fermina’s plotline, which only lacks a reunion with her little red-haired girl from the previous book. Sylvester is very patient with her, but frankly, he doesn’t have to do much at all, because it turns out when she’s free of both Claudia *and* “Father Norris”, she’s actually pretty good about thinking things through and realizing how much everyone around her is trying to use her for their own purposes… even when it’s not “evil purposes”. I have also never been so happy that someone keeps a diary. I did appreciate the end when she and Claudia are reunited, as it’s very clear Fermina still is not remotely near being friendly with her, despite literally coming to her defense at her Inquisition. Some things are personal. As for Claudia, she’s reunited with Sylvester (though Helen gets all the affection… damn, why isn’t this yuri?), and they’re both determined to be married ASAP. I also really enjoyed her confession to Sylvester, which, contrary to her assumptions, mostly made him go “ah, so that’s why”.

The next book… does not have a wedding outfit, so don’t expect it to happen there. Still, it feels like we’re nearing an ending. Recommended to all villainess fans.

Manga the Week of 6/24/26

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SEAN: School’s out for most kids by this point, so let’s give them some manga reading!

ASH: The time has come!

SEAN: Airship has print releases for I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One 2 and I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! 11.

And for early digital we get a 17th volume of She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man.

Retail sites say that Denpa Books has the 8th volume of Heavenly Delusion.

ASH: I should probably try to catch up since I enjoyed the earlier volumes.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You 18.

ASH: Still actually need to start this series.

SEAN: Hanashi Media has a 4th volume of I’m Just a Villager, So What?.

J-Novel Club have two print debuts, with the manga version of The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode?! (99-kai Danzaisareta Loop Reijō Desu ga Konse wa “Chōzetsu Aisare Mode” Desutte!?: Shinno Chikara ni Mezamete Hajimaru 100-kaime no Jinsei). A falsely accused noble is on her hundredth try to not be executed. Only now… she can hear their thoughts!

ASH: The title does ask a very pertinent question.

SEAN: They also have the manga version of Safe & Sound in the Arms of an Elite Knight (Doinaka no Hakugai Reijou wa Outo no Elite Kishi ni Dekiaisareru). It’s a Drecomics title. Not isekai’d or reincarnated, but the heroine is still abused by her family. When she runs away and is rescued by a knight, will things improve?

ASH: Perhaps they will. Likely after they get worse, first.

SEAN: Digitally there’s no manga! There’s also no debuts! But there’s plenty of ongoing titles. We get Blade Skill Online 5 (the final volume), Chivalry of a Failed Knight 10, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects 14, Let This Grieving Soul Retire 10, Long Story Short, I’m Living in the Mountains 6, The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods 4, To Another World… with Land Mines! 13, The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman 4 Part 2, and The World’s Least Interesting Master Swordsman 11 (the final volume).

Kodansha Manga has one debut, Whoever You Are, I Love You (Kimi ga Daredemo Aishiteru), a josei title from Be Love. A 32-year-old woman has it all. A successful career, and she’s engaged to a successful guy. Then she starts to find all is not as it seems, and is forced to figure out how much she’s been manipulated.

MICHELLE: Potentially interesting!

ANNA: We’ve had so much josei coming out recently, it is great.

ASH: It really is!

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Lock 31, Don’t Tempt Me, VP! 4, GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis 6, Hitting Rewind With You 3, and Kirio Fan Club 2.

Digitally we see Bootsleg 6, The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye 5 (the final volume), The Great Cleric 16, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 31, I Want To Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die 14 (the final volume), and Love, That’s an Understatement 8.

Retailers say KUMA has a debut: Indomitable Zono (Fukutsu no Zono). This one-shot BL manga from B’s-LOVEY recottia features rival delinquents. One finds out the other’s secret – when touched in the right spot, he moans erotically!

ASH: I tend to enjoy delinquent BL manga.

SEAN: One Peace Books has a 12th volume of Farming Life in Another World.

Pantheon debut Fish and Water (Uo to Mizu), a gay manga from Web Action. It’s by Gengoroh Tagame, which is why I’m not saying BL. Pantheon describes it as “What if The Odd Couple were living during COVID-19, and were gay?”.

MICHELLE: Interesting!

ANNA: It does sound interesting!

ASH: I’ve been looking forward to this one!

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts Workin’ the Night Shift at Akumart (Konbini Yakin no Akuma-chan). It’s a 4-koma from Manga Time Kirara Max about a demon manager who tries to keep her convenience store normal despite its staff and clientele.

ASH: I can appreciate her efforts.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom 13, It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love 6, Kemono Jihen 21, The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 11, My Darling Devilish Daughter 2, My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files 6, My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren’t Wicked 8, Mysterious Disappearances 9, A Prince of a Friend 2, Punch Drunk Love 5, Ripples in the River 3, and Wait, I Love You 2.

MICHELLE: I have been meaning to read My Dear Detective.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga gives us Dragon Quest: The Mark of Erdrick 4 and Otaku x Gal 2.

Steamship has a third volume of Winter Wolf.

Titan Manga have ATOM: The Beginning 14.

Udon Entertainment has Blue Archive: Comic Anthology 2.

Viz Media debuts Set Sail: The Art and Making of One Piece, the artbook for the live-action Netflix series.

They also have Insomniacs After School 14 (the final volume) and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 20.

Yen On has one release, not technically a light novel. It’s Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! TRPG Advanced Rule Book.

ASH: I find it interesting that Yen is starting to release games of various types now.

SEAN: Yen Press has STUFF. We’ll start with The Daughter of the Demon Lord Is Too Kind!! (Maou no Musume wa Yasashi Sugiru!!), a comedy manga from Manga Park that had a recent anime. A demon lord worries about his sweet as pie daughter, and assigns an underling to instruct her on how to be evil. Sadly, the daughter’s sweet as pie nature rolls over any possible attempt. This is apparently cute as hell.

ASH: It sounds like it!

See You There, Beyond the Ocean (Mao Yu Hai de Bi Duan) is a baihe manhua (Chinese version of yuri manga) about an introvert and extrovert who bond over drawing comics. This is done in one, and has my Bridge to Terabithia alarms tingling, but we shall see…

ASH: There’s at least one way to find out!

SEAN: There’s also Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 (Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku), the manga version of the LN already released by Yen. It runs in Dengeki Comic Regulus.

Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri (Uchi no Banri ga Osewa ni Narimasu) is a shoujo manga from LaLa. A college girl gets a job as temporary manager of her idol… only to find he’s actually a complete asshole. Sadly for both of them, this is a romance manga from LaLa.

MICHELLE: A less charming Tamon’s B-Side.

ANNA: I don’t know, I hope for her sake he reveals that he’s secretly charming very quickly.

ASH: One can hope.

SEAN: The last debut is A Timid Lady Was Turned into an Ugly Cat, but on the Verge of Fainting Is Picked Up by the Most Fearsome Military Duke (Busa Neko ni Kaerareta Kiyowa Reijou desu ga, Sai Osore no Gunjin Koushaku ni Hirowarete Kizetsu Sunzen desu). Based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel, this runs in GA Comic. Not only does the evil sister steal our heroine’s boyfriend, she curses her to become a cat and leaves her to starve on the street! Fortunately, the obligatory duke who has a bad reputation but is just waiting for the right woman rescues her.

ASH: That title took several unexpected turns. I suppose it counts as a cat manga?

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Animan 2, April Showers Bring May Flowers 5, Blade & Bastard 4, Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan! 13, Corpse Knight Gunther 2, Dara-san of Reiwa 3, Dead Mount Death Play 15, Divine Incursions 2, Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice 3, Even a Replica Can Fall in Love 2, The Fake Alchemist 2, The Hitman Stans 3, I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class 3, Konosuba: Even More Explosions on This Wonderful World! 3, Level Up with the Gods 3, Lycoris Recoil 5, A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans 3, Please Look After the Dragon 2, The Ragnarok System of the Desperate Reincarnated Demon Lord and the Seven Aggressive Maidens 3, Shadows House 11, The Skeleton Enchanted by the Cursed Blade 3, Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san: The Complete Omnibus, Strategic Lovers 5, Super String: Marco Polo’s Travel to the Multiverse 3, A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School! 18, Trinity Seven 32, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet 12, and Übel Blatt Deluxe Edition 6.

ASH: That’s quite a bit! Glad to see Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san again; I really enjoy that series.

SEAN: Good old Yen, always making the end of the month terrifying. What are you buying?

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: The Star Rod, Herald of Dawn

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

Last volume I started with the plot synopsis to avoid instant spoilers, but there’s no need for that here. The last volume featured several big surprises, not least of which was Lydia taking a curse meant for Allen and almost dying, a state that she pretty much stays in this entire book, so Lydia lovers may be a bit sad. (Good news about the next in the series, fear not.) But again, I think we were all expecting that. We were also expecting Allen’s reaction, and the theme of this book is that everyone knows what he’s going to do, they just have to figure out when he’ll do it and bring enough firepower to stop him. Allen’s never met a problem he won’t solve on his own by trying to sacrifice his own life, after all. They can read him like a book, despite his best poker face. Also, as it turns out he’s just like Lydia, really. When faced with her possible death, he also goes bonkers. Just… politely.

The author says the cover is a contrast to Tina on the cover of the first book, and certainly the climax of the story shows how far she’s come, both in terms of overall magic power and in terms of strategic thinking. (Admittedly, I think much of the strategy was Stella.) She is technically the second protagonist, so her doing cool things is welcome. No worries for Tina haters, though, she gets the first half of the book, where she’s so naive that she gets called a sucker by a great elemental. I also joked online about this biggest shock of the book being Ellie doing something, but she also gets more than once chance to be awesome. I really appreciated Allen trying to distract Ellie by mentioning her mother is actually alive, and her response being “fantastic but I’m going to stop you anyway”. And the other main heroines (bar Lydia, obviously) all get nice bits to do and show up near the end (bar Stella, Lily, and Cheryl, who are on “don’t let Lydia die” watch.)

The series remains a breezy, fun read, but its flaws are still its flaws. This series has a monstrous, gigantic cast, and you’re supposed to remember everyone. And just in case you don’t, the characters make sure to use everyone’s full name, nickname and job title whenever they meet them, just so that you can update your boards with little pins in them. The characters spend any time that they’re not having wacky romantic hijinks praising each other to the skies, to the point where it starts to get annoying. I love Ellie, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t need the entire cast to tell me how awesome she is. As for what they say about Allen, I can think of an appropriate metaphor, but I’ll keep this clean. It’s why this series will always be fun but not great.

Still, good news, Lydia fans! No, not her eventual return in Book 21, though I’m pretty sure that happens too. But we’re getting a Volume 0, taking place during Allen and Lydia’s time at the academy. Will we finally see the backstory that’s been hinted for so long? (This came out in Japan at the same time as Book 20, but you know North American publishing doesn’t work that way.)

Once Upon a Witch’s Death: The Curtain Rises on a Neverending Story

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By Saka and Chorefuji. Released in Japan as “Aru Majo ga Shinu Made: Hateshinai Monogatari no Maku ga Agaru” by DENGEKI no Shin Bungei. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Megan Turner.

I guess I should start with something of a content warning. If you are deeply religious… well, you’re likely not reading Japanese light novels. But it did not escape my attention that a large chunk of this book gives the word “messianic” a whole new meaning. To be fair, Meg Raspberry being the greatest thing since sliced bread is not new to this series. However, she’s taking her act on the road now, and there’s a section in the Middle East where we learn about an all-loving savior who used prayer to heal the world. Named Asura, so we’re mixing and matching mythology here, and I guess I should be grateful he wasn’t explicitly called Jesus. Suffice it to say, though, Meg manages to do everything he did and even more, and saves the world to an even greater extent. It is a bit ridiculous, to be frank, and my “folks who hate OP don’t read this” warning should now be extended to “folks who hate literal miracle working.”

(See, even the cover is religious-tinged.) After the events of the last book, Meg is something of a celebrity among the Witch community. Back home, though, she’s not having a good time, being plagued by prophetic nightmares that are interrupting her sleep. Also, Faust invites Eldora to their home, and Meg discovers that Eldora was once Faust’s apprentice and daughter surrogate as well… and also learns much darker secrets. Now she and Faust are all awkward around each other so it’s great timing that she’s asked by Bennett, the Head Witch, to go on a tour of war-torn battlefields to use the emotional magic that she showed off in order to help save lives and heal the land. She agrees, mostly as this tour will end in Orloff, the country she was born in, laid waste and destroyed by… the witch Eldora.

Lest you worry this is all drama and tragedy, there is still a heaping helping of Meg being incredibly bubbly and annoying, and hitting on women while she continues to talk about a harem of hot guys. That said, the bulk of this book is to expand Meg’s world. She visits places where you have to prioritize which lives to save, and it’s no surprise that “the poor” is lowest on the list. She goes to places where a tree, much like the one she dealt with in the second book, has leeched all life and hope from the land, and the country’s religion is reduced to thievery. And she goes to Orloff, filled with the crystallized corpses of the country’s people, including Meg’s mother (who she finds a bit ridiculously easily, but hey, I’ll handwave it.) This is all well and good, but there’s also ominous foreshadowing. She’s got about 100 tears of joy to collect with 50 days to go, but I think the reader pretty much has figured out that there’s one witch who won’t survive the next book, and it’s not Meg. What is Faust planning, besides trying to assuage her guilt by any means necessary?

I’m really enjoying this series, and the next volume will be the finale. For those who like witches who are full of themselves but absolutely can back up their talk.

Pick of the Week: cocoon, Not Entwined

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SEAN: I admit it looks a bit too depressing for me, especially given when it takes place, but there’s no doubt that cocoon is the eye-catching prestige title of the week.

KATE: cocoon is 100% in my wheelhouse: Historical setting? Check! Graceful artwork? Check! Tragedy and heartbreak? Check and check! That said, I also want to make a plug for Dark Horse’s new coffee table book The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope–The Manga. If you haven’t read the original Star Wars manga, you should: it’s stylish, funny, and very much its own thing while still hewing closely to the film.

MICHELLE: It’s cocoon for me, as well!

ASH: I have already heard so many great things about cocoon that it’s absolutely my pick this week, too. That being said, I also expect it to be heart-wrenching, so suspect I will need to be in a very particular mood to read it.

ANNA: I agree that cocoon is absolutely the pick of the week, but I want to take some time to celebrate Mars being reprinted in such a deluxe edition too! It is nice that this shoujo classic is being re-released.

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ Short Story Collection, Vol. 5

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By Tappei Nagatsuki and Makoto Fugetsu. Released in Japan as “Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Tanpenshuu” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Moon.

I tend to enjoy these collections quite a bit, mostly as they are the exact opposite of a “let’s just throw together all the bookstore exclusives” short story collections we see from other light novel series. Most of these were taken from my nemesis Monthly Comic Alive, to be fair, but they are very much canon to the main series, and the author uses them to give us characterization and backstory that they can’t put into the main series itself. It also teases future events, or ties in with the present volume coming out in Japan. Basically, much like the Index series, you don’t need to consult the wiki, but it sure helps. It also allows for lighter fare, as I’m fairly certain that, while there are certainly stories dealing with death and tragedy, we are unlikely to have the main series’ own struggles here. It’s fun to see the gang. Especially if we haven’t actually seen them in about two years or so.

We’re down to three short stories this time around, and glory be, none of them have Priscilla. 1) About 4 years before the start of the series, we see Ferris learning healing magic from the foremost authority in the land… though he’s also an eccentric weirdo who Ferris doesn’t get on with. When his teacher is murdered, Ferris and Crusch try to figure out who the killer is. (published between Book 8 & 9) 2) About 9 years before the start of the series, Anastasia is trying to get the guardian of the three cats she met in the previous SS story she was in to join her, which accidentally ends up with her foiling a robbery/assassination and making a compact with a fox spirit who we all know well from the 6th arc. (published between Book 16 & 17, i.e. well before the 6th arc.) 3) A little while after the 4th arc, Otto is directed to visit his family, and Subaru and Garfiel come along. They not only find his younger brother, who is a vet, but also Otto finds a familiar face from the previous short story book, and they take on a dangerous spirit… but is it evil? (Published right before this book came out in Japan, i.e. with Book 21.)

As I said, all these stories are good in and of themselves, but also serve to jog our memory and plant seeds. The Ferris story reminds us of the close, deep bond that he, Crusch and Fourier all had for each other at this point in the story, and therefore reminds us of the tragedy to come. We also get to see more of Heinkel being the most hateful person in the entire series… though we’re also shown a big reason why, and you can see why it’s driven him to drunken fury. We get to see Anastasia’s stubbornness and greed, but also her intelligence and compassion, and it’s clear exactly why Echidna (no, not that one) saw something in her. As for the Otto story, I suspect maybe too many people were asking when Otto was gonna marry the cute girl he met in the last SS book he featured in? This author doesn’t usually torpedo ships, but it’s pretty clear that they see Otto’s value in being unlucky in general, and having a cute girl in love with him would only get in the way.

Next time we’ll get more of “the idiot” trio, as well as Rem and Ram, but we also introduce exclusive side story characters! re: Zero fans, of course, will want this. Non-Re: Zero fans will not.

New Game Plus After Defeating the Last Boss: All These Beautiful, Problematic Girls in the First Town Have Gotten Really Attached to Me… , Vol. 2

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By Touwa Akatsuki and Falmaro. Released in Japan as “Last Boss Toubatsu Go ni Hajimeru Nishuume Boukensha Life: Hajimari no Machi de Wakeari Bishoujotachi ga Mechakucha Natsuite Kimasu” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kamishiro Taishi.

And here’s where we find out why this series didn’t last past the second volume, and any goodwill I had towards it quietly vanishes. There’s a reason that writers love to create conflict for their characters: unless it’s handled well, everyone getting along is boring. Rearguard has a similar problem, but usually moves at a fast enough clip that it can avoid the worst of it. This book, though, really doesn’t pick up till about 2/3 of the way into it. Not great. And there’s also Falmaro’s art. I used to, if not like, at least not mind Falmaro as much. But as time as gone on, their art is not only fanservice for fanservice’s sake, but looks tedious. Everyone seems to fall with their legs spread open, or dance so their panties fly up. I think it’s meant to be funny? Hey, look at the obvious? It made me groan and want to move on.

(See? Even the cover art is an upskirt shot.) Returning back to their hometown after defeating the demons from Volume 1, Might and company get a hero’s welcome. They’re headed off to the capital as well, but there’s a bit of a worry. As Raksha, the dead demon who manages to nevertheless be alive enough to exposit, tells them, there’s another demon, a vampire, who’s even stronger than the ones from the previous book. And as they set off for the capital, it would appear that the vampire’s kin have been getting busier and busier recruiting new women (always young women), and they’ve even gotten a hold of one of Might’s old allies, Elk. Actually, Might’s old allies from his former “life” may end up being the cause of all these issues, along with a goddess who may not be what she seems…

So now that I’ve bitched about the entire book, what did I like about it? I did like how they worked in the old cast, though “mischievous sister goddess pretends to be her good twin to cause chaos” is a bit eye-rolling. Falina’s a good, noble girl who’s tricked badly and has to do her best not to turn evil. Unfortunately, vampirism is a real threat here, plus of course she’s in love with Might along with every other woman in the cast, so it’s hard to simply sit and do nothing. And given this is a book where everyone gets along, it was appropriate that Might’s vampire cure ended up making everyone fine with no after effects. Likewise, when Lystia returns home after running away, the reaction of most everyone is “ah well, you had your reasons.” Also, when we hear that Might’s so young at this point his voice hasn’t dropped yet (isn’t he 15?!), it makes sense why all the sexy teasing goes absolutely nowhere. This is about family, not who gets to be his lover.

The end of this volume wraps up most of the plot points that were outstanding, and it’s pretty easy to not write more. The author seems to have returned to Rearguard after a hiatus to write this. I hope they concentrate more on that, Best Lizard could kick the ass of any of these girls.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 9

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By Piero Karasu and Yuri Kisaragi. Released in Japan as “Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Haydn Trowell.

There was a long gap between Book 8 and Book 8.5 in North America, which allowed the series in Japan to not only get further ahead but even finish – the final volume will be lucky number 13. Fortunately, there’s less of a gap between 8.5 and this book, so we can start to catch up. This is the start of the final arc, according to the author, and as such we’re finally going to be looking outside of Palettia to other countries – in particular the Ailean Empire. Anis and Euphie have spent most of the series dealing with troubles in their own backyard, be it Anis’ magical inventions, the wicked nobles scheming to make her a puppet Queen, Euphie’s own broken engagement, etc. Now that most of that has been resolved, it’s time to look outward… though Anis and Euphie really don’t want to look outward. They’re still laser focused on progress at home. Unfortunately, when you’re making really cool things that can change the world, “sorry, they’re not for sale” isn’t going to cut it.

As Anis tries to deal with all the paperwork that starting a new Magicology City entails, she ends up discovering something terrible – denizens of the Ailean Empire want to assassinate her! See, the Empire had a massive “take over everything” phase a while back, and took over some countries that bordered on Palettia and traditionally hated them – and that tradition hasn’t gone away even though they’re now subjects of the Empire. Fortunately, Anis now knows in advance, and can take precautions. This leads her and Euphie to meet with the emperor, who sounds like a freak, and acts it too a lot of the time, but ends up being one of those “I disguise my intelligence behind an annoying false front” sorts, and he’s here to psychoanalyze Euphie – much to her displeasure. Can all this be resolved by a visit to the Empire?

I really did like the Emperor’s talk with Euphie. He points out, and he’s not wrong, that she has no desires of her own as ruler. She’s only doing it for Anis. In that sense, Anis really is the driving force behind the country at the moment. It’s a good point, and I can see why people would be wary of someone who doesn’t seem to have any wants or needs. There’s also what amounts to a resolution of Tilty’s storyline – I get the sense the bulk of the rest of the series is going to be visiting the Empire, and she’s definitely not coming. Searching or a way to fix her issues has led to a solution that works well for her, but I agree it should stay secret till they sort everything out. I also really liked the way to bring Ilia back into the plot, as she’s done very little lately, short stories aside. She also does nothing in this book, but the future looks better for her and Lainie.

In the end, my favorite scenes in this series remain Anis and Euphie being lovey-dovey even as they discuss assassins, empire building, and a turbulent future. Still great fun to read.

Manga the Week of 6/17/26

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SEAN: We’re finally officially hitting summer, despite it feeling like we’ve been here a while. What’s up in the world of manga?

ASH: Hopefully less humidity.

SEAN: Viz Media have two debuts. Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tales of Iga runs in Young Magazine Web, and is, well, a video game spinoff. For those who like ninjas.

cocoon is a one-shot josei historical manga that ran in Elegance Eve, and is based on the true story of the student nurses pressed into service during World War II.

MICHELLE: Ooh! That is very much my kind of thing.

ASH: This one’s been on my radar! Looking forward to reading it.

ANNA: This sounds cool!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Fool Night 9, Haikyu!! 3-in-1 9, Kingdom 8, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. 13, Mission: Yozakura Family 23, One Piece 3-in-1 36, Rainbows After Storms 10, Seraph of the End 34, Steel of the Celestial Shadows 10, and Undead Unluck 25.

Tokyopop debuts Beneath the Falling Camellia Blooms (Koizome wa Ochiyuku Tsubaki no Shita de), a josei manga about a man tortured by the mysterious death of his parents getting a job caring for a young girl whose family may have been involved.

MICHELLE: Intriguing!

ASH: I am likewise intrigued.

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Also from Tokyopop: Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! 3 (the final volume) and Touched by Twilight 2.

Titan Manga debut The One. Later On… (Sono Mono. Nochi ni…), based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel. A guy rejected by the hero’s party goes off to get stronger, and returns to find the girl he grew up with engaged to his tormentor. Time to go off and learn what else has changed in the world. This runs in Comic Earth Star.

ASH: I suspect a few things might be a little different at this point.

ANNA: Things are tough in Battle Arenas.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga gives us By the Grace of the Gods 14, Mechanical Buddy Universe 1.0 2, and Wash It All Away 8.

One danmei for Seven Seas, the third volume of Thrice Married to a Salted Fish.

Two manga debuts. Gladiator Battle Life (Teikoku Kizoku no Kentoushi Seikatsu) is a Young Animal Web series. A guy is determined to control his own fate in the Battle Arena, even if this means being a despicable person.

ASH: I’ve known people who have made worse life decisions.

SEAN: Wild Love: A BL Guide to the Animal Kingdom (Ikimono BL Zukan: Sekai wa XX ni Michiteiru) is a done-in-2 omnibus that ran in Pureri. If you love animals but wish they looked like hot guys who have lots of sexual tension and desire for each other, great news.

MICHELLE: Huh.

ASH: It’s filled with ecology trivia!… among other things.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has Aharen-san is Indecipherable 3-4, Berserk of Gluttony 14, Chainsmoker Cat 3, Fluffy Café in Another World 2, Get Married So I Can Curse Your Firstborn and Finally Be Free! 2, I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! 3, The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife 7, Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! 3, This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! 19, and Too Many Losing Heroines! 5.

One Peace Books has a 2nd volume of Tamer: Trash-Tier to Top-Tier.

Kodansha has a big print debut next week: MARS 30th Anniversary. This classic shoujo manga, as Kodansha points out, was once as beloved as Nana, but has been out of print forever. Broken girl meets broken boy, in the best 90s shoujo tradition. This is coming out in 2-in-1 omnibuses, print only (Kodansha released it digitally in 2019) and hardcover, with new covers and a new translation.

MICHELLE: Nice! I still have my original editions, but this is tempting.

ASH: I’m so glad to see this series in print again!

ANNA: I have the original series too, it is so good. Great that this is coming back in print.

SEAN: Also in print: Nezumi’s First Love 4 and Parasyte Paperback Collection 7.

ASH: Parasyte is still one of my favorites.

SEAN: And for digital they have Blue Lock 38, I Have a Crush at Work 14, and My Home Hero 25.

No debuts for J-Novel Club. We do get, for light novels, The Boy Who Ruled the Monsters 6 (the final volume), Dahlia in Bloom 12, and The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World 10.

And for manga there is The Eternal Fool’s Words of Wisdom 9 and The Water Magician 7.

Dark Horse Books have The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope–The Manga. Going back to the original storyboards, this is both a manga and an artbook, and a must for Star Wars fans.

Dark Horse Manga have the third and final volume of Adabana.

ASH: I should get around to reading this.

SEAN: Airship debuts The Confession Strategy (Kokuhakugeki), another angsty light novel from Yoru Sumino. A woman is getting married, but before she does, she wants her old friend, who she knows is in love with her, to confess and get rejected, so he can move on. So she plots to have this happen… and it goes as well as you’d expect.

MICHELLE: Hm.

ASH: Drama!

SEAN: Also in print: Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! 2.

There’s one early digital debut: History of the Kingdom of Orcsen: How the Barbarian Orcish Nation Came to Burn Down the Peaceful Elfland (Orcsen Oukokushi: Yaban na Orc no Kuni wa, Ikanishite Heiwa na Elf no Kuni wo Yakiharau ni Itatta ka). The orcs and the elves are at war, and you’d expect the elves to be the good guys, but they’re doing ethnic cleansing of the dark elves. So one dark elf decides to join the orcs and get her revenge.

ASH: Good for her!

SEAN: Also in early digital: I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class 3 and A Tale of the Secret Saint ZERO 5.

And that’s it! Happy for a smaller week?

Even Exiled, She’s Still the Beloved Saint! St. Evelyn’s Weird and Wonderful Friends, Vol. 3

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By Harunadon and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Tsuihousareta Seijo desu ga, Jitsu wa Kunijuu kara Aisaresugitete Kowain desu kedo!?” by Earth Star Luna. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Camilla L.

And then it all falls apart. The afterword of this series mentions that the author really wanted to do this sort of plot, which made me raise an eyebrow, and that they suspect no other author has taken a swerve like this, which I know isn’t true. They then tell us that the editor has asked that the next cover they want to see Evelyn smile, and encourage us with a “so you’d better buy this enough!” threat. Reader, they did not buy this enough, and this third and final volume came out in 2023, with Evelyn still not quite married. That said, unlike another series I read recently, everything is pretty wrapped up here. In fact, everything was pretty wrapped up in Book 2. The most painful thing about this book is that it’s unnecessary, flabby, and will do something for a laugh and then abandon it when exposition is needed. It’s not good.

Evelyn wakes up in a room with the other eleven supporting characters of this series, where they are told by a mysterious rabbit that they are going to be playing… a DEATH GAME! Evelyn, needless to say, finds this horrifying, especially when she’s told that a lot of people in the kingdom go missing every year, and it’s now assumed they’re killed off in this game. In the first game, they run a relay race against zombies, who bite Alex and Mary, who are theoretically now zombified… though it seems to be taking a long time. In the second death game, they’re divided into two teams of six to play “Wolves and Villagers”. Evelyn’s group is narrated by her, and Kira gets the narration for the other group. This allows everyone to play detective… some badly. But who’s really behind all this?

I appreciate that this series runs on Rule of Silly, but I do expect some consistency. We get an extended gag of Evelyn not getting the Wolves and Villagers rules as she’s too thick, but then near the end she’s able to rattle off all the various deductions she’s made with ease. I am generally not a fan of death games in general, so his was always going to be an uphill battle. But the relay race vs. zombies thing didn’t really make any sense, and only worked as a sort of way to force Mary to apologize to her sister without making it sound out of character. Evelyn is engaged to Theodore, and loves him, but really the only reason she’s not marrying Kira is his age – they have the far stronger bond. And the revelation of the culprit’s motivations just made me sigh, but at least it fit in with everything else in this series.

I don’t expect more of this. It was very silly but fun, then very silly and a lot less fun. Go read the author’s other series, which are far better.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Short Story Chronicles

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By Dojyomaru and Fuyuyuki. Released in Japan as “Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

Siiiiiiiigh. No, that’s not a sigh over the content of the book, it was quite good, and I enjoyed it very much. That was a sigh over the fact that it is, like a lot of this type of book, unreviewable. It’s a short story volume that serves as the final volume of a long-running series, so I’m not going to be selling it to anyone but folks who have read the other 20 books, who will buy it regardless of what I say. It’s micro-stories, so I can’t even do a nice summary of them that uses up 1/3 of my word count. But come on, they’re fine. They mostly seem to cover what happened just before or just after some of the more notable scenes in the series, and a few of them try to cover characters or relationships that weren’t delved into much before. Mostly, though, it’s one last round-up of the folks who you enjoyed reading about for nearly a decade. Machiavelli, thankfully, is absent.

The cover shows Souma with his eight wives, including the surprise final wife Juno. The wraparound story takes place about two decades or so after the final book, with Juno’s son and Aisha’s daughter going up north to go adventuring, which sadly gets immediately aborted when they run into jerks who insult their moms, meaning that beatdowns are coming… for the jerks. Luka is, much like Souma, a bit potato-ey, but like all his moms, he can kick eight kinds of ass… in fact, literally like his moms, that’s his power. Misha is an eight-year-old dark elf, meaning she’s old enough to see the world, despite the worries of her mom. And we also meet Shanti, adopted daughter of Mugal and Fumi (no, I don’t remember them either), who wants to battle now and is very pissed off Luka won’t do so. (She hasn’t gotten permission from her dad yet.) Oh yes, and Musashibo is there, and everyone knows who he is.

That takes up about 30 pages. The other 376 (!!) are the micro-stories. I have no idea if these are “bookstore exclusives” or what have you. I liked seeing more of Serina, who’s perfect for this sort of book: funny and didn’t really get a lot of screen time explaining why she fell so hard for Pancho. Likewise, there’s a series of stories showing Maria going round to visit the wives, not really getting their permission but more showing that she’s one of them now. Everyone likes each other in this. That may be its big weakness, of course. Since it covers nineteen books where we know what’s happened already, these stories are generally a bit boring. That said, who wants angst and drama at a time like this? This is heartwarming out the wazoo, the main women (it’s mostly driven by the women) are great, and it ends as it began, with Souma and Liscia riding a horse through town, only now he can ride, and she’s in front of him.

So yes, this is the final end, full stop, I’m sure there won’t be any more. Maybe. Bye, Realist Hero. You were far better than anything Eliezer Yudkowsky has come up with.