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Anna N

Manga the Week of 4/12/23

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SEAN: April continues apace!

ASH: That it does!

SEAN: We start with Yen On finally getting a trailing aspidistra of a release, the 4th volume of Magical Explorer: Reborn as a Side Character in a Fantasy Dating Sim.

From Viz Media we see Case Closed 86, Dandadan 3, The Hunters Guild: Red Hood 3 (the final volume), Kaiju No. 8 6, Komi Can’t Communicate 24, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 11 (the final volume), Pokémon: Sword & Shield 6, Sakamoto Days 7, and Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 20.

ASH: I need to catch up on quite a few of these! Most likely starting with Twilight Princess.

SEAN: Udon debuts Persona 4 Arena, a Dengeki Maoh series for all you folks who wished Persona 4 were a fighting game. This is, in fact, an adaptation of a video game. (It got bumped. Again. I will keep doing this over and over, I warn them.)

ASH: (It’s only fair.)

SEAN: They also have a 5th volume of Daigo The Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers! (which also got bumped).

Some interesting debuts from Tokyopop, which is now Stu Levy-free. My Coworker Has a Secret (Wakeari Danjo no Secret Days) is a josei title from Comic Qurie. A young woman works in a bookstore and tries to hide her huge otaku secret. Then her coworker finds out… but he also has a secret.

MICHELLE: Hm. The cover is kind of cute and it is josei…

ANNA: Ok, this might break my vow to ignore Tokyopop releases…..

ASH: I am cautiously curious, for sure.

SEAN: There’s also Sengoku Youko, an older shonen title by the creator of The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer and Spirit Circle. It ran in Comic Blade, and features two demon siblings trying to right wrongs.

MICHELLE: This cover is the TOKYOPOPiest thing I have seen in years.

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Lastly, the inevitable BL title from Canna, another one-shot, Snow Fairy (Yuki no Yousei). A photographer trying to photograph fairies ends up stranded in the snow, and is taken in by a country farm boy.

Titan Manga has the 4th volume of ATOM: The Beginning.

From SuBLime we get the 6th volume of Black or White and the 11th volume of Don’t Be Cruel.

Square Enix Manga gives us My Dress-Up Darling 8 and My Isekai Life 6.

ASH: My Dress-Up Darling is another series I need to catch up on; I rather enjoyed its earlier volumes.

SEAN: Two debuts from Seven Seas. First we have My New Life as a Cat (Neko, Hajimemashita: Nyantomo Ki ni Naru Nyao). It’s reincarnation isekai (high school student hit by a car), but he’s a cat. It runs in Ciao Deluxe, so is probably written for tween girls. (His owner is a girl.)

ASH: I guess this technically counts as a cat manga?

SEAN: The other debut is There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (Watashi ga Koibito ni Nareru Wake Naijan, Muri Muri! (*Muri Janakatta!?)), the manga adaptation of a light novel Seven Seas will be releasing in a couple months. A gloomy girl is trying to reinvent herself in high school… with limited success. She then forms a friendship with the school idol. Then things go pear-shaped when the idol confesses to her! This runs in Dash x Comic.

Also from Seven Seas: Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 6, Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth is a Modern City! 7, The Ideal Sponger Life 13, Kingdom of Z 6 (the final volume), Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari 2, MoMo -the blood taker- 4, No Longer Allowed In Another World 2, This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! 6, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 7.

From One Peace Books we see Multi-Mind Mayhem 7.

Kodansha Books has some print titles. We get Am I Actually the Strongest? 2, Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro 14, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 13, Orient 14, Real Account 21-22, Shonen Note: Boy Soprano 3, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 12, To Your Eternity 18, and the 17th and final volume of Witchcraft Works.

MICHELLE: I really need to read Shonen Note.

ASH: A good Kodansha print week!

SEAN: Digitally, we see The Fable 13, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest 12, Gang King 4, Giant Killing 36, Girlfriend, Girlfriend 13, Life 2: Giver/Taker 2, Police in a Pod 22, Space Brothers 42, and Tokyo Revengers 30.

We have some debuts from J-Novel Club. Reincarnated Mage with Inferior Eyes: Breezing through the Future as an Oppressed Ex-Hero (Rettougan no Tensei Majutsushi – Shiitagerareta Moto Yuusha wa Mirai no Sekai o Yoyuu de Ikinuku). A strong and powerful mage is hated and feared by everyone around him because his eyes show just how powerful he is. He sends himself into the future in hopes there won’t be the same prejudice. This is J-Novel Club’s first novel license from Shueisha, which is the only reason I’ll be trying it.

Survival Strategies of a Corrupt Aristocrat (Akutoku Kizoku no Seizon Senryaku) is a relatively new title from their partner Drecom. A guy burying himself in games after his wife betrayed him ends up inside the game as Jack… whose life is far, far worse. Fortunately, our hero knows how the game turns out, and also knows the strongest support character. Can he turn his life around? I’ll be honest, I decided not to read this when I saw the word betrayed.

Also from J-Novel Club: Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 9, The Game Master Has Logged In to Another World 2, The Invincible Little Lady 2, Rebuild World’s 3rd manga volume, The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes 7, and Seventh 3.

Ghost Ship has several titles next week. Call Girl in Another World 6, GUNBURED × SISTERS 4 (the final volume), Parallel Paradise 13, World’s End Harem Vol. 14 – After World, World’s End Harem: Fantasia 8, and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 23.

Denpa has said this should be available next week, so here we go. March Comes in Like a Lion (Sangatsu no Lion) is a legendary manga from the creator of Honey and Clover. It’s about a teenage boy with a very troubled life, and it’s also about shogi. It runs in Young Animal.

MICHELLE: Fingers crossed!

ANNA: Yay!!!

ASH: Here for it whenever it’s here!

SEAN: In print from Airship, we see Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 2, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 6, Skeleton Knight in Another World 10, and The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 7.

And for early digital we get Raven of the Inner Palace 2, Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 6, and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 5.

That’s a whole lot. I’m exhausted, how about you?

ASH: Utterly.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/5/23

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Ayashimon, Vol. 1 | By Yuji Kaku | VIZ – Ayashimon starts with a bang: we meet Maruo, a boy who’s so obsessed with shonen manga that he devotes his entire childhood to becoming as strong as his favorite heroes. In a few nifty sight gags, author Yuji Kaku establishes how quickly Maruo becomes invincible, to the point where he’s feared by everyone and unable to work a normal, nine-to-five job. A chance encounter with a demonic mob boss puts the despondent Maruo on a new path, however, leading to a steady gig as the muscleman for a scrappy yakuza gang. It’s at this moment in the story that volume one begins to sag; the later chapters lack the comedic flair and brisk pacing of the introduction, as Kaku relies too much on expository dialogue for world-building purposes, in the process squandering the good will he created with his energetic, imaginative introduction. – Katherine Dacey

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife, Vol. 1 | By Iwatobineko | Seven Seas – This one has a bit of a gimmick, as it’s in shades of blue rather than in black and white. It might need the gimmick as it’s basically sweet and nice and that’s about it. A detective agency is run by a man who is invisible, helped by a boisterous beast girl, a grumpy but kind human guy, and the secretary, who is blind but always seems to know just where her boss is. The two quickly fall for each other. Sadly, the two are also both terminally shy and awkward, so this is a very slow-burn romance, mostly consisting of dinner dates and discussion of how each of them deals with the problem surrounding sight. I’m not sure I want to read this in an ongoing manner, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. If you like cute, it’s here for you. – Sean Gaffney

Marmalade Boy: Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 | By Wataru Yoshizumi | Seven Seas – Marmalade Boy was one of the first manga I ever read, and I’ve always remembered it with extreme fondness. Thus, I was fairly concerned that I’d not like it as much upon a reread. Happily, I needn’t have worried, because this series is still great and conjures up many nostalgic feelings. Yes, the premise of Miki and Yuu’s parents switching partners, remarrying, and merging their families under one roof is kind of out there, but I enjoyed Miki’s reactions to everything going on in her life and Yuu was actually a lot kinder—and more obviously interested in architecture—than I remembered him being at the outset. The color pages in this new edition are also really nice. True, there is a student-teacher romance that has not aged at all well, but that’s not going to stop me from relishing revisiting a beloved fave. – Michelle Smith

Medalist, Vols. 6 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This is now an award-winning manga, and I assume it’s selling like crap, or else it would definitely be getting a print release. It deserves it so much. The first chapter in this volume is a fist-pumping burst of joy, as everything Inori has been training for up to that point comes together and she absolutely blows everyone away. And then we get the rest of the volume, where she realizes that there’s still so much more she has to learn—and learn fast—or else she’s toast. The manga never hesitates to remind you what a cutthroat world figure skating is, and how it has no mercy for anyone who cannot keep up. Tsukasa is also realizing this as well, and has just as many self-esteem issues as Inori… with the added pressure of needing to be her rock. I cannot wait to see what happens next, and hope she goes as far as possible. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, Vol. 3 | By Yoko Akiyama and Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – It’s hard to review this kind of spinoff because the stakes are so low. Nothing unusual can happen, as it can’t break canon. And, sadly, a huge chunk of it has to feature the stars—there’s a major story here that’s once again about Bakugou being really mad, and Izuku flinching a lot. In the main part of the series, he’s apologized for the bullying, but not the constant rage, really. Oh yes, and there’s a Mineta chapter where he dresses up as a small dog for perverse reasons. The girls are disgusted with him, but no one bothers to file a complaint with the school or anything—by now I assume they go unread. I think what I’m trying to say is that I take My Hero Academia too seriously to enjoy this wannabe version. – Sean Gaffney

My Special One, Vol. 1 | By Momoka Koda | VIZ – Sahoko hates attractive boys and is almost pathological in her dislike of idols, loudly proclaiming that she hopes that all of them are cursed to become fat and bald. She’s still suffering from the aftereffects of her first love confession going terribly wrong. However, her feelings begin to change when she meets an idol in real life. Kouta appears in the neighborhood diner that Sahoko’s family runs. Sahoko becomes flustered when she asks Kouta for an autograph for her best friend Yuko, and when he turns his charm on her she becomes filled with unfamiliar feelings…could she actually be developing a crush on a cute boy?! The first volume of this manga is cute, if a bit predictable. While there’s some humor, I wasn’t extremely invested in the characters. I’m not sure if it is going to make it into my regular reading rotation, but I could definitely see myself binging on it at some point in the future if I’m in the mood for low-stakes romance. – Anna N

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 2 | By Sakaomi Yuzaki | Yen Press – Food is still the primary reason for the manga, but now that it’s settled in this new volume is ready to delve deeper into the lives of both its leads. Notomo is being pressured to marry, and constantly sees dating advice given as if it assumes that she’s cishet, and is not a happy camper. We also learn Kasuga’s past, as she was part of an abusive household growing up, where she and her mother were treated as second-class citizens due to being women. As this is happening, both are subtly trying to feel out if this is just a really good friendship or something more, but unfortunately neither one of them have the answer yet. This manga is frankly fantastic, one of the best I’ve read recently, and every LGBTA fan should pick it up. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 12 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – We’re New at This is trying its best to give us good observations about how to be a loving couple and not annoy your partner too much, and now that we’re observing more than one couple we get to see some things we wouldn’t with our leads, such as how to deal with a pregnant wife. As for Ikuma and Sumika, they are here for that, but they also get to carry the bulk of the OTHER reason readers love this, which is the sexy times. Here a cherry blossom party quickly turns alcoholic, and a horny Sumika asks her husband to get them to a love hotel… which turns out to have a few devices that might take their heights of ecstasy even further. These two really, really love each other, both as a married couple and as two folks who really love sex. It’s still cute. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Cinderellas and Akitas

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SEAN: Tempting as it is to go with the manga featuring what looks like the dumbest dog ever on the cover (Lovely Muco), I will instead go with Tista. I’ve heard the author’s pre-Spy x Family stuff can get pretty dark, but I’m willing to try it, mostly because it looks hella cool.

KATE: After living with a smart, stubborn dog for 13 years–one who was intent on herding me everywhere, and woke me up at 5:45 am every morning–I fantasize about owning a cheerful, dim, and uncomplicated pooch! I’m not quite in the right spot to adopt a new dog right now, so Lovely Muco sounds like the next best thing.

MICHELLE: Cinderella Closet has a premise that doesn’t exactly thrill me—transform with the power of makeup!—but it gives me a little bit of a Princess Jellyfish vibe and it ran in Margaret, so I’ll take a chance by picking it this week.

ASH: More often than not, I choose a debut for my pick of the week, but this time I’m going to try to actually make good on my promise to catch up with My Love Mix-Up!, so that series gets my vote.

ANNA: I’m also going to go with the lure of the new and pick Cinderella Closet!

Manga the Week of 4/5/23

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SEAN: It’s April! The best month! Let’s see what’s coming out next week.

ASH: Let’s!

SEAN: We start with Airship, which has some print releases. There’s Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut 4 and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 3.

And for early digital, we see The World’s Fastest Level Up 3.

Per Denpa’s twitter, they say that they should have Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji 4 and Heavenly Delusion 5 out next week, so we’ll go with that.

ASH: Oh! I’m reading both of those series.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Please Go Home, Miss Akutsu! (Kaette Kudasai! Akutsu-san), a Young Ace Up! title that is another in the genre of “girl teases the guy she likes”. This one takes place at his apartment, though, and is apparently pretty sweet – the Ghost Ship imprint is more for nudity than actual sex, I think.

ASH: There is definitely a range when it comes to Ghost Ship titles.

SEAN: Also from Ghost Ship: Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams! 5.

No debuts for J-Novel Club, but we do have a large number of ongoing series. Ascendance of a Bookworm 24, Bibliophile Princess 6, Black Summoner 12, Holmes of Kyoto 14, The Ideal Sponger Life 11, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar 22, The Misfit of Demon Academy 4 Part 1, Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 7, The Saga of Lioncourt 4, and To Another World… with Land Mines! 6.

ASH: As always, yay, Bookworm!

SEAN: Kaiten Books has a 3rd print volume for Gacha Girls Corps.

Kodansha has a print debut of a formerly released digital title, Quality Assurance in Another World (Kono Sekai wa Fukanzen Sugiru). It’s a Comic Days title about a young girl who meets a “Seeker”, someone who tries to fix problems in their world. But… just what *is* their world, anyway?

ASH: I am glad to see more of Kodansha’s digital titles released in print.

SEAN: Also in print: Attack on Titan Omnibus 10, Lovesick Ellie 9, and Sweat and Soap Manga Box Set 2 (which comes with a free thing of soap).

ASH: Ha! Hopefully it’s a good as the series itself.

SEAN: The digital debut for Kodansha is Lovely Muco! (Itoshi no Muco), the story of a dimwit Akita dog and their glass-blower owner. It comes from Evening magazine, and is based on a real dog.

We also get Chihiro-kun Only Has Eyes for Me 8, Chihayafuru 37, The God-Tier Guardian and the Love of Six Princesses 7, Life 2, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 6, MF Ghost 12, Phantom of the Idol 5, Raised by the Demon Kings! 7, and Watari-kun’s ****** Is about to Collapse 13.

Seven Seas has one new debut. Cinderella Closet is a shoujo title from Betsuma about a plain jane girl who gets transformed by her office coworker with the power of makeup! But that same coworker has a secret…

MICHELLE: Hm…

ANNA: OK, I’m a bit intrigued.

MJ: Is the makeup… magic? I must know.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Bite Maker: The King’s Omega 7, The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls 2, Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate It in a Different World 3, My Sister, The Cat 2, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 8, and World End Solte 2.

Steamship gives us GAME: Between the Suits 3.

Udon Entertainment has a 5th volume of Daigo The Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers!.

Viz Media debut Tista, a title from the creator of Spy x Family, it ran in Jump Square back in 2007. A young, church-going girl turns out, in the evenings, to have a job as a deadly assassin! Spy x Family fans will recognize the subplot.

ASH: Oh, ho!

ANNA: Nice!

MJ: Here for this.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Dr. STONE 25, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 25, Moriarty the Patriot 11, My Love Mix-Up! 7, One Piece 102, Rainbow Days 3, Romantic Killer 3, and Snow White with the Red Hair 24.

MICHELLE: I look forward to catching up on My Love Mix-Up!.

ASH: Likewise! I have some reading to do.

ANNA: Oh man, I’m quite a bit behind.

SEAN: Actually relatively short for the first week of the month. Any good stuff here for you?

Pick of the Week: Not You, Manga

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MICHELLE: I really loved The Last of Us, and one thing I can enthusiastically plug this week is HBO’s official companion podcast, in which the creator of the game, his co-showrunner, and the original voice of Joel go through each episode offering up all kinds of extra detail and interpretation.

SEAN: I’m running behind on this series, which everyone I know has already read, but The Locked Tomb has been my reading in between light novels lately (which is to say, about a chapter a day). Gideon the Ninth was fantastic, and I’m halfway through Harrow the Ninth, which is confusing but also fantastic. “Lesbian necromancers in space!”, as the pull quote says.

ANNA: I’m currently watching the k-drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha on Netflix. It is about a dentist who moves to a small town and gets involved with the quirky community in unexpected ways. I’m around halfway through, which is when I assume the hero’s psychological trauma appears to make everyone start crying after several solid episodes of rom-com antics.

MICHELLE: That reminds me that live-action version of The Full-Time Wife Escapist is on Netflix now and is also a great deal of fun!

KATE: I was disappointed in the second season of Picard, but the new season is a blast; sure, it’s got plenty of fan service, but the old gang have such great chemistry together that I can forgive some of the show’s clumsier references to characters and events from the original Next Generation series.

ASH: I finally got around to reading R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War trilogy and am just about finished with the third book. An award-winning epic fantasy partly inspired by twentieth-century Chinese history, the series can be brutal but it’s also excellent. I already have more of Kuang’s work lined up ready to read (Babel: An Arcane History) and on pre-order (Yellowface).

MJ: In anticipation of its season two *hopefully* coming out in April sometime, I’ve been rewatching the first season of Link Click, a Chinese animated series about a trio who run a unique time travel service, available from Crunchyroll (originally licensed by Funimation before they merged). The English subtitles are… well. Um. But the story is so good and the characters so compelling, we’ll take what we can get. Check out the trailer for season one here and the opening theme here. It was one of our greatest finds during the pandemic and I’m pretty hyped up for the new season.

Pick of the Week: Dragons, Actors and Tea

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MICHELLE: Although I’m tempted to pick the jerk/paragon danmei, my love for Therapy Game is strong, and it’s The Dragon’s Betrothed that wins the week for me.

SEAN: Given the way that Kageki Shojo!! left off last time, it’s definitely my pick this week, mostly as I want to see if Sarasa destroyed her career.

ASH: Kageki Shojo!! is always a good pick, but like Michelle, I’m feeling the BL love this week. In addition to The Dragon’s Betrothed, there’s not only one but two titles by Minta Suzumaru. And from to different publishers, too!

ANNA: I’m very excited for volume 5 of Matcha Made in Heaven! Digital josei for the win!

Manga the Week of 3/15/23

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SEAN: March marches on!

We start with Viz, who give us new volumes! Animal Crossing: New Horizons 4, Call of the Night 11, Fly Me to the Moon 16, Helck 2, Mao 10, Mashle: Magic and Muscles 11, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions 3, and Yakuza Lover 8.

MICHELLE: How did Mao get up to volume ten already?! Sheesh.

SEAN: Tokyopop has a one-shot, Be My Love, My Lord (Ban ni Natte, Goshujin-sama), which runs in Overlaps’s BL magazine LiQulle. A nobleman has always had a beastman servant… but now those feelings turn to love. And lust.

Titan Comics has Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia 2.

ASH: I haven’t really been following the manga very closely, but I did like previous Sherlock volumes.

SEAN: Tentai Books has a 2nd digital volume of How to Melt the Ice Queen’s Heart, which came out last week, but hey.

SuBLime debuts The Dragon’s Betrothed (Kamisama no Uroko), a new title from the creator of Therapy Game. Ever see those shoujo titles where a young girl goes to a shrine and meets a hot god? Here it’s a young man who does that.

MICHELLE: This premise doesn’t thrill me, but I really, really like Therapy Game, so I’ll give it a shot.

ASH: I’ve enjoyed the creator’s past work, too.

SEAN: They also have Golden Sparkle, a one-shot from Homesha’s Mellow Kiss. A sheltered young man has never been told about sex and is having puberty issues. Fortunately (?), he has a caring new friend from school to teach him. If you like this author, good news, it’s not their only appearance on this week’s list.

ASH: I don’t know if I do yet, but I suspect I might!

SEAN: From Square Enix we get Ragna Crimson 8 and YoRHa: Pearl Harbor Descent Record – A NieR:Automata Story 2.

Seven Seas debuts a BL oneshot, I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love (Koi wo Suru Tsumori wa Nakatta). It runs in Homesha’s Mellow Kiss, and is from the same author as Golden Sparkle. It stars a 30-year-old salaryman with no romantic experience who runs into a young college student at a bar. They hit it off well. VERY well.

MICHELLE: Oh! I read and reviewed this back when it was on Futekiya. It’s very good!

ASH: Oh! I really should check this one out, then!

SEAN: Also debuting is a new danmei novel, Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu. A very talented jerk takes a paragon of virtue under his wing, hoping to teach him about how much life sucks.

ANNA: That sounds like a promising dynamic.

MICHELLE: I’m a sucker for jerks and paragons of virtue.

ASH: You are certainly not the only one.

SEAN: Seven Seas also brings us Dinosaur Sanctuary 2, Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten 2, I Get the Feeling That Nobukuni-san Likes Me 2, Kageki Shojo!! 8, and Kiruru Kill Me 4.

MICHELLE: *insert obligatory text about getting caught up on Kageki Shojo!! one of these days*

ASH: Indeed. I’ve been collecting the volumes, but I haven’t had the chance to actually read all of them.

SEAN: One Peace Books has a second volume of The Death Mage.

Two light novels from Kodansha Books. We get a debut, As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World (Tensei Kizoku Kantei Sukiru de Nariagaru – Jakushou Ryouchi o Uketsuidanode, Yuushuuna Jinzai o Fuyashite Itara, Saikyou Ryouchi ni Natteta). Its title is its plot.

And we get The Dawn of the Witch 2.

Kodansha Manga has The Great Cleric 2 in print.

Digitally, one week after Life, they debut Life 2: Giver/Taker. This spinoff ran in the seinen magazine Afternoon, and features a cop whose little sister’s death years ago led her to become someone devoted to preventing tragedies.

ASH: No time wasted there!

SEAN: There’s also Ace of the Diamond 42, The Fable 12, Gang King 3, JOY 2, Matcha Made in Heaven 5, Quality Assurance in Another World 7, Shaman King: The Super Star 6, WIND BREAKER 9, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 10.

ANNA: I’m very excited for more Matcha Made in Heaven.

ASH: I still love that title.

MICHELLE: I am actively getting caught up with Ace of the Diamond. It’s only got five volumes left, so I hope we see an announcement soon about Kodansha putting out the sequel.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has some print titles. We see Ascendance of a Bookworm 17, Marginal Operation 13, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 2nd manga volume, and Tearmoon Empire 8.

Most of J-Novels’ digital titles this week are manga. With two debuts. Karate Master Isekai (Karate Baka Isekai) comes from Dujimi Shobo’s Comic Hu, and features our hero refusing any cheat skills, as he has karate.

ANNA: I also have karate (no I don’t).

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: The other debut is the manga version of Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want (Itsudemo Jitaku ni Kaerareru Ore wa, Isekai de Gyoushounin o Hajimemashita), whose novel is also published by J-Novel Club. It runs in Hobby Japan’s Comic Fire.

Also from J-Novel Club: the 9th manga volume of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex 6, Perry Rhodan NEO 12, the 9th manga volume of Record of Wortenia War, and the 2nd manga volume of Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster.

Digital Manga Publishing has the 3rd and final volume of Only the Flower Knows.

ASH: I’ve been meaning to give that series a try; better get on it.

SEAN: Denpa Books has a 4th volume of The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes.

In print, Airship gives us Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest ZERO 6 (the final volume), The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior 3, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 8.

WHOOPS! Airship dropped an early digital edition of Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average in My Next Life 15 on me this week, and I therefore missed it for last week’s list.

And early digital this week gives us Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut 4 and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 3.

Manga manga manga!

Pick of the Week: Oranges for Sale

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SEAN: I am definitely pleased that we’re getting one final look at the characters in orange, still a top-tier “use hand-wavingly explained time shenanigans to fix things” series. As such, my pick this week is orange -to you, dear one-.

KATE: While I’m also pleased to see another chapter in the orange saga, my vote goes to Ayashimon, as it looks like a hoot, sending up cliches about yakuza *and* yokai manga.

MICHELLE: It’s definitely orange -to you, dear one- for me, though I’m also eager to get caught up on The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

ASH: I am absolutely reading everything that’s been mentioned so far, but orange has become something of a touchstone series for me, so it’s latest epilogue is my pick this week, too.

ANNA: There’s a lot of great manga coming out this week, but if there’s a new volume of Yona of the Dawn coming out that’s always going to be my pick.

Manga the Week of 3/8/22

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SEAN: It’s March, and to celebrate New England is finally getting a bit of snow. But what manga are we getting?

Airship has no print releases, but they do have an early digital one: Reincarnated as a Sword 12.

Dark Horse gives us a 13th volume of Berserk Deluxe Edition.

ASH: I’ll be picking this one up, surprising no one at this point.

SEAN: Denpa Books has a second omnibus volume of Nana & Kaoru.

There’s a debut from Ghost Ship. Rise of the Outlaw Tamer and His Wild S-Rank Cat Girl (Dappou Tamer no Nariagari Boukentan ~S Rank Bishoujo Boukensha ga Ore no Juuma ni Natteimasu~) is a Comic Ride series. A low-ranked tamer is asked by a high-ranking catgirl to “tame” her in hopes she’ll evolve. In reality, it’ll probably just lead to horniness.

ASH: Sounds about right.

SEAN: Also from Ghost Ship: World’s End Harem: Fantasia Academy 2.

J-Novel Club has a debut, but it’s one of the Sol Press rescues: Let This Grieving Soul Retire (Nageki no Bourei wa Intai Shitai – Saijaku Hunter ni Yoru Saikyou Party Ikuseijutsu). Our hero’s friends have cool powers. He does not. But for some reason they keep expecting things from him.

Also from J-Novel Club: Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower 9, D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared 3, An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me! 2, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 41, Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire 8, the 4th manga volume of Tearmoon Empire, and the 7th manga volume of Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!.

Kodansha, in print, gives us Am I Actually the Strongest?, which has been out in digital since 2020, but I think is either getting or just got an anime.

Also in print: As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 4, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability 4, Magus of the Library 6 (!!!), and SHAMAN KING Omnibus 12 (the final volume).

ASH: Ooh! Magus of the Library!

SEAN: The digital debut will be familiar to old school Tokyopop fans. Life is a shoujo manga from Betsufure, and TP published 9 volumes of it before cancelling it. Now Kodansha is doing a digital version, which hopefully will go the distance. This is an award-winning manga, but be warned, it’s a tough one: our heroine starts cutting herself in the first book.

MICHELLE: Amazon shows I purchased the first volume back in 2006, but I don’t think I ever actually read it, so now’s my chance!

ANNA: Maybe this is an indication (Silver Diamond) of other (Demon Sacred) Tokyopop (Immortal Rain) series getting picked up.

ASH: I live in perpetual hope!

MELINDA: My well of hope runs dry, but… maybe?

SEAN: Digitally we see Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 10, Doing His Best to Confess 4, I Guess I Became the Mother of the Great Demon King’s 10 Children in Another World 7, MF Ghost 11, Raised by the Demon Kings! 6, Shangri-La Frontier 10, The Shape-Shifting Witch’s Kiss 4 (the final volume), and Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister 7.

MICHELLE: Doing His Best to Confess looks cute. I’ve been meaning to try it out.

SEAN: From Seven Seas, we see Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi The Comic, the webtoon adaptation of the popular danmei series, in full color.

ASH: Looking forward to giving this one a try!

SEAN: We also see orange -to you, dear one-, the final epilogue to the orange series, which tells the story of the rest of the main cast in this new future.

MICHELLE: So excite.

ANNA: I still have the first volume of orange lurking around my house, unread!

MICHELLE: It’s so good!

ASH: It really is. Very glad to see the epilogues being released.

MELINDA: !!

SEAN: Seven Seas also has The Ancient Magus’ Bride 17, The Girl in the Arcade 3, Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero 5, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 16, and Yokai Cats 3.

MICHELLE: It’s been 84 years since I read any of The Ancient Magus’ Bride. I’ve really been missing it.

ASH: I’m somehow behind in my reading, but I enjoy this series so much.

SEAN: Square Enix debuts My Clueless First Friend (Jijou o Shiranai Tenkousei ga Guigui Kuru), a Gangan Joker series which is getting an anime. A bullied elementary school girl is startled when a new transfer student arrives and finds that all the things people bully her for are, to him, cool!

From Steamship, we get Ladies on Top 2.

ASH: Which reminds me I still need to read the first volume.

Udon debuts Persona 4 Arena, a Dengeki Maoh series for all you folks who wished Persona 4 were a fighting game. This is, in fact, an adaptation of a video game.

Viz Media debuts Ayashimon, a Shonen Jump series from the creator of Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku. A guy who wanted to grow up to be strong like a manga hero does his job a bit TOO well.

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Black Clover 32, Blue Box 3, The Elusive Samurai 5, Ghost Reaper Girl 4, Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love 5, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits 8, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible 6, and Yona of the Dawn 38.

MICHELLE: Must have a Yona binge soon!

ANNA: Need to get caught up on Ima Koi and always excited for new Yona!

SEAN: That’s it! What will you read if you’re snowed in?

Pick of the Week: Long Awaited Volumes

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KATE: Holy smokes–a new volume of Versailles of the Dead?! In 2023?! I reviewed the first volume in 2018. File this under Better Late Than Never, I guess. It’s not the best zombie manga I ever read, but it definitely earns style points for its outrageous plotting and gorgeous costumes; the undead never looked better!

SEAN: One of the “this will never get a full release in English” titles now finally has a full release in English, and it’s an excellent one as well. The final volume of Urusei Yatsura is my pick.

MICHELLE: It’s The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife for me. They had me at “detective agency.”

ASH: I certainly interested in The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife, but I’ll be joining Kate this week in picking Versailles of the Dead. It’s an odd zombie manga, but it’s a stylish one.

ANNA: I’m going for The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife, as it sounds most intriguing.

Manga the Week of 3/1/23

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SEAN: Technically March, but it’s still February for most of our list.

Yen On’s sole release next week is Tezcatlipoca, a crime novel featuring a Mexican drug lord and his Japanese boy protege getting involved in organ donation. It is award-winning, and also not for the squeamish.

ASH: I am very curious about this one (but probably not in the mood to read it right this moment).

SEAN: And from Yen Press we see The Beginning After the End 2, Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin 5, and The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious 5.

Viz Media has a 2nd Demon Slayer light novel, One-Winged Butterfly. There’s also JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 5–Golden Wind 7, the 17th and final omnibus of Urusei Yatsura, and WITCH WATCH 5 digitally. Thank you, Viz, for finally releasing all of UY for its fans.

ASH: It really is great to see these longer classic series being released.

SEAN: Square Enix has By the Grace of the Gods 7 and The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses 2.

Seven Seas had been quiet the last couple of weeks. That ends now. There’s so much. That said, there’s only one debut, The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife (Toumei Otoko to Ningen Onna: Sonouchi Fuufu ni Naru Futari), a Futabasha series about an invisible man and a blind woman who find love while running a detective agency. Gotta say, this sounds fantastic. The author also wrote The Country Without Humans.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this very much!

ANNA: OK, this sounds cool.

ASH: It does seem worth a look!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: A Chinese Fantasy: Law of the Fox (the 2nd in this series), The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace 4, Karate Survivor in Another World 4, Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More 4, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 4, My Deer Friend Nokotan 3, My Wife Has No Emotion 4, Otaku Elf 5, Pompo: The Cinéphile 3, Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger 2, ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! 3, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 7, SPRIGGAN: Deluxe Edition 3, This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! 5, and Versailles of the Dead 3.

ASH: You weren’t kidding! That is quite a bit. It’s been literal years since the last volume of Versailles of the Dead was released, but I do vaguely recollect getting a kick out of it.

SEAN: KUMA debuts A Home Far Away (Haruka Tooki Ie), a one-shot from Canna about a directionless young man looking for a purpose, and his encounter with a young cook.

MICHELLE: Judging purely by the cover, this looks good!

ANNA: Sounds interesting.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has another digital release of an old Vertical crime drama from the 00s, this one Kenzo Kitakata’s Winter Sleep.

ASH: Another one I haven’t managed to read yet, but am glad is being made more broadly available.

SEAN: In print, Kodansha Manga gives us BAKEMONOGATARI 17, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro Manga Box Set 1 (the first six volumes), EDENS ZERO 21, Hitorijime My Hero 13, Peach Boy Riverside 10, Rent-A-Girlfriend 17, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse 7, Shonen Note: Boy Soprano 2, Something’s Wrong with Us 13, and The Witch and the Beast 10.

MICHELLE: I need to get started on Shonen Note.

ASH: As do I, I’ll have to admit.

SEAN: The digital debut is My Home Hero, a drama about a salaryman who finds himself embroiled in crime syndicates and murder. It runs in Young Magazine.

Also digital: Am I Actually the Strongest? 7, Boss Bride Days 2, Elegant Yokai Apartment Life 25, The Food Diary of Miss Maid 4, Gamaran: Shura 5, Heaven’s Design Team 8, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 12, My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! 6, The Prince’s Romance Gambit 12 (the final volume), The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 6, We’re New at This 12, and With You and the Rain 4.

Kaiten Books has a print volume of My Dad’s the Queen of All VTubers?! 3.

J-Novel Club have some digital debuts. Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored (Tensei Shite High Elf ni Narimashitaga, Slow Life wa 120-nen de Akimashita) is one of those reincarnation books. Sadly, the life of an elf involves staying put and being a vegetarian… and also living for a thousand years! After a century of this, our hero decides to go on a journey.

Grand Sumo Villainess (Ouzumou Reijou ~Seijo ni Hirateuchi wo Kuratta Shunkan Sumō Budatta Zense wo Omoidashita Akuyaku Reijō no Watashi wa sute Neko Ōji ni Chanko wo Furumaitai Haadosukoidosukoi~) is a “reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game” book, and our heroine is already at her doom. Fortunately, she knows sumo!

ASH: That’s a new twist to the genre I wasn’t expecting!

SEAN: I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m the Strongest? I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! (Ore wa Subete o “Parry” Suru: Gyaku Kanchigai no Sekai Saikyou wa Boukensha ni Naritai) is one of those books about an OP hero who doesn’t realize he’s OP, in the style of Last Dungeon Kid.

And one manga digital debut, I’m Capped at Level 1?! Thus Begins My Journey to Become the World’s Strongest Badass! (Genkai Level 1 kara no Nariagari: Saijaku Level no Ore ga Isekai Saikyou ni Naru made) is a Comic Walker title. It begins with our hero being summoned, given powers, condemned for having weak powers, and sentenced to death. So, one of those series.

Also from J-Novel Club: The Apothecary Diaries 7, An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride 15, Cooking with Wild Game 20, Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools 6, Doll-Kara 4, John Sinclair: Demon Hunter 9, Maddrax 5, Making Magic: The Sweet Life of a Witch Who Knows an Infinite MP Loophole 2, the 4th manga volume of Oversummoned, Overpowered, and Over It!, and Rebuild World 2 Part 1.

Ghost Ship gives us The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You 5 and Manga Diary of a Male Porn Star 3.

Cross Infinite World debuts The Inconvenient Life of an Arousing Priestess (Kon’yaku Hakida, Hatsujou Seijou). A hardworking young woman is engaged to a prince and working as a priestess! Unfortunately, her powers have a bad side effect. As a result, you guessed it, broken engagement, ruined reputation, shunned, etc. Fortunately, the next country over needs her powers!

They also have Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes: Hide and Seek in the Wintry Mountains 2 and the 5th and final volume of Reincarnated as the Last of my Kind.

Airship has the print debut of I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner, the spinoff series giving us Claire’s POV.

Also in print: The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 3, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 13, and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 4.

And in early digital we see Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 7.

What interests you? What arouses you? What appalls you?

Pick of the Week: Mermaid Josei

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SEAN: Josei? From a magazine we almost never see anything licensed from? Complete in one volume? Sold! Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand also looks quite pretty, and is definitely my pick this week.

KATE: My thoughts exactly, Sean–done-in-one josei? With gorgeous, stylish art? And a plucky heroine? Sold! (Literally… I pre-ordered this one.)

MICHELLE: What else is there to say besides, “I concur”!

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: Ditto! (I really have been looking forward to this one and already have my pre-order in.)

MJ: Not to be predictable, but I’m going to go along with everyone else here! I’m so ready for this!

Manga the Week of 2/22/23

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SEAN: February. I can’t believe I’m still in February.

ASH: It really seems like it should be over by now, doesn’t it?

SEAN: Airship starts us off. We see print volumes of Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 6 and Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 18.

And for early digital there is Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 8 (the final volume) and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 21.

Dark Horse Comics has Psycho Pass: Inspector Shinya Kogami 6 (the final volume).

ASH: I really ought to get around to giving this series a try at some point.

SEAN: DMP has the 8th Vampire Hunter D manga (it got bumped).

ASH: That doesn’t seem to be unusual for DMP these days…

SEAN: Drawn and Quarterly has a new reprint of the Kitaro anthology. This was fantastic, a wonderful representation of the series, and if you didn’t get it then, get it now. It doesn’t duplicate much content, if any, from the more recent collections.

ASH: I am so glad to see this one staying in print! I loved the first edition and am looking forward to reading the new essay included in this one.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a giant pile. The debut is The Disowned Queen’s Consulting Detective Agency (Kandō Sareta no de Tantei-ya Hajimemasu! Jitsu wa Bōkoku no Joōda Nante Naisho Desu), from the creator of I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss. Octavia is found to be illegitimate, and swiftly disowned. Unfortunately, she has a bunch of heirlooms her old family really want. But she doesn’t care: she’s going to become a detective!

MICHELLE: I’m always tempted by anything that might have a mystery element.

ASH: They can be fun!

SEAN: Also out next week: Gushing over Magical Girls 5, Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ 2, I Shall Survive Using Potions! 8, Infinite Dendrogram 19, the third Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World light novel, the third Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World manga, My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer 7, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 13, the 7th manga volume of My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ—, Outbreak Company Gaiden (the final volume), Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! 2, Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! 9, and The World’s Least Interesting Master Swordsman 9.

ASH: That is quite the pile!

SEAN: Kodansha debuts, in print, The Great Cleric, a series it had been releasing digital-only. It’s Reincarnated In Another World As a Cleric, and is on the more serious end of the isekai spectrum.

Also debuting is the one-shot Sweet Poolside, another Shuzo Oshimi title that ran in Young Magazine back in 2004. Two swimmers have similar but opposite problems. A boy is ashamed he has no body hair. A girl is ashamed she has too much. She then asks him to shave her. This is apparently less dark than other Oshimi titles.

ASH: It certainly still sounds a lot like an Oshimi title, though!

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Lock 5, Fire Force 31, Flying Witch 11, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 3, Grand Blue Dreaming 18 (it got bumped), Last Gender 2, Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You 3, Run Away With Me, Girl 2, and Shangri-La Frontier 4.

ANNA: My kids are Blue Lock fans, so I’ve pre-ordered this!

ASH: That’s a solid recommendation, then!

SEAN: Digitally we see Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You 5, Beast #6 3 (the final volume), The Café Terrace and its Goddesses 5, Changes of Heart 9 (the final volume), The Full-Time Wife Escapist 11 (also a final volume, unless they license the guidebook, which I doubt), Gamaran 6, Golden Gold 9, HIRAETH -The End of the Journey- 3 (also a final volume), Medalist 6, This Vampire Won’t Give Up! 4, Ya Boy Kongming! 10, and You’re My Cutie 5.

MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be reading The Full-Time Wife Escapist and am working on catching up with Medalist, too.

ANNA: I need to read both!

SEAN: One Peace Books has the 2nd manga volume of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.

From Seven Seas, we get CALL TO ADVENTURE! Defeating Dungeons with a Skill Board 5, Classroom of the Elite 5, Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk 3, Futari Escape 2, I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl 2, Kemono Jihen 4, Reincarnated as a Sword: Another Wish 3, and Time Stop Hero 6.

Titan Books has a 3rd volume of ATOM: The Beginning.

New titles from Tokyopop. The Flower That Seems to Truly Dance (Makotoshiyaka ni Mau Hana wa) is a BL title from Canna, about a young man trying to find someone at the outbreak of World War II. It’s a one-shot.

MICHELLE: Gotta say, that setting really does appeal to me.

ANNA: I remain steadfast in my resolve to not read things from this publisher.

SEAN: SCRAMBLUES (Bokura no Scramblues) is a BL title from Canna, about the relationship between a popular musician and a graphics designer. It’s a one-shot.

The Snake Who Loved a Sparrow (Suzu Hebi Kyuuairon) is a BL title from Canna, and it’s, well, about the love between a snake and a sparrow. It’s also explicit. And a one-shot.

There is also a 6th volume of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, which is from Comic Corona, not Canna, and is also not BL, per the author, though I’d argue it’s for BL fans.

Viz has a big debut with Choujin X, the new title from the creator of Tokyo Ghoul. A young man, trying to fight against injustice, injects himself with a drug that turns him into a powerful creature. Can he keep this a secret?

Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand (Aoi Uroko to Suna no Machi) is a josei title from You, about a girl and her father moving to a rural town to start over, a town which reminds her of her childhood… when she was saved by a merman? This is complete in one omnibus.

ANNA: I was getting worried that there might not be much for me this week, but I’m intrigued by this.

SEAN: I have heard that Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is REALLY good. Also, how often do we get anything from You? Maybe if this sells we can get Gokusen.

ASH: I am likewise intrigued and have heard good things!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Golden Kamuy 28, Hayate the Combat Butler 41, Mission: Yozakura Family 3, Rooster Fighter 3, Twin Star Exorcists 27, The Way of the Househusband 9, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 9.

ASH: I need to get caught up with Househusband; I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far immensely.

Yen On debuts Hirano and Kagiura, a light novel side story to Sasaki and Miyano. By the way, if you read the Hirano and Kagiura manga, this is a separate story taking place six months before that.

It also has Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 2, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten 5, Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World 2, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 8, The Bride of Demise 3 (the final volume), Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 3, Date a Live 8, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 18, Magical Girl Raising Project 15, A Sister’s All You Need 14 (the final volume), and You Call That Service? 7 (the final volume).

Yen Press debuts Assorted Entanglements (Fusoroi no Renri), a yuri series from Comic Newtype. It’s an anthology! Sometimes. It’s a series of interconnected stories! Sometimes.

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices (Watashi wa Gotsugou Shugi na Kaiketsu Tantou no Oujo de aru) is a manga adaptation from Flos Comic of the light novel Yen also releases. It’s a good reincarnated villainess story, if only as, while our heroine tries to change her fate, she may accidentally be making things worse.

ASH: I haven’t read the original light novel, but I still like that title.

And they have, in digital-only form, Rose Guns Days Sorrowful Cross Knife (Rose Guns Days – Aishuu no Cross Knife), a side story to the main Rose Guns Days series focusing on Wayne.

There is also SOTUS. From Kadokawa’s Ciel and based on a Thai webnovel. Have you ever wanted to have ritualized hazing and bullying be super sexy? This book’s for you.

MICHELLE: …

ANNA: No thank you!

SEAN: And Yen Press also has Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple 2, Chained Soldier 3, Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie 3, Daughter of the Emperor 3, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 13, The Detective Is Already Dead 4, Final Fantasy Lost Stranger 8, Hinowa Ga CRUSH! 7, The Holy Grail of Eris 3, Mint Chocolate 7, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 5, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 5, Sasaki and Miyano 7, School-Live! Letters (a one-shot sequel to the original manga), Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 17, Uncle from Another World 6, Unnamed Memory 2, The Wolf Never Sleeps 3, The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 4, and The World’s Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker 5.

ASH: That’s quite the pile, too!

SEAN: I miss when Yen delayed everything so they had ten titles per week rather than 40 in the same week. What are you getting?

Matcha Made in Heaven, Vols 1-4

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Matcha Made in Heaven, Volumes 1-4 by Umebachi Yamanaka

I need to get over my tendencies of forgetting to keep up with digital only releases, I am bad enough about unread manga when I have piles of it to remind me of my backlog, but I’m even worse when it comes to digital releases. However, sometimes a series is so charming that it sizes my attention, I overcome my usual inertia, and I end up absolutely delighted. This was the case with Matcha Made in Heaven!

Chako is a fairly typical big-city dweller, making her way through life, engaged to be married until she starts having reactions to being surrounded by sexism. When she sees her future Mother-in-Law wiping off her fiance’s feet her immediate feelings of revulsion (and the fact that her fiance is seriously creepy) has her fleeing to the countryside to her family’s traditional tea farm. Chako has been out of touch with her family for some time, so she’s a bit startled when she runs across a little girl named Futaba and a giant stern man named Isshin who demands to know what she’s doing in the house. It turns out that Isshin has taken over the family tea business while Chako’s brother works as a writer on the side to earn extra income. Being a writer apparently means abandoning all household duties, as Isshin is basically acting as Futuba’s guardian as well as working in the fields. He makes a comment about how Chako’s not going to be suited to working on her family’s farm and her instinct to rage against sexism and prove him wrong is awakened

matcha made in heaven

Chako’s mysterious yet terrible ex-fiancee shows up at the farm, and in attempt to dodge him, she leaps onto Isshin as he drives a tractor in the fields with Futaba, claiming that he’s her husband. Futuba is absolutely delighted by this development and obviously not over the death of her mother and her absentee father, so Isshin and Chako agree to go through the motions of having a fake marriage. This also has the benefit of all of the neighbors backing off a little bit from trying to set Isshin up. A fake marriage of convenience isn’t a terribly surprising story to structure a multi-volume manga around, but Yamanaka’s execution is top notch. Futuba is an amusing combination of needy 4 year-old and an old soul who is filled with delight about Chako and Isshin’s slowly developing relationship. Isshin is passionate and expressive only about tea, but Chako finds herself more and more charmed by him as she gets to know him.

matcha made in heaven

A fake marriage is nothing without additional obstacles to overcome, and they appear in Chako’s old friend Jin and Isshin’s ex-girlfriend who happens to be the heir to a tea conglomerate. The art is expressive and delicate, with Isshin’s normally stoic expressions only shifting when he’s enraptured by tea or utterly perplexed at how to react to Chako’s presence in his life. I enjoyed the slice-of-life aspect to Match Made in Heaven combined with all the details of tea farming, blending tea, going to markets and trying to salvage a struggling family business. I recommended this series for those who like uncomplicated josei romance.

Pick of the Week: Classic and Modern

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MICHELLE: Part of me really wants to pick Marmalade Boy here, as it’s one of the first manga I ever read and I have tremendous nostalgic feelings about it. However, I do realize that some aspects of it were decidedly not great. So, instead, I will go with the second volume of Usotoki Rhetoric since the first was absolutely delightful!

SEAN: I agree with Michelle regarding Marmalade Boy, though I will of course be reading it, because who doesn’t want to relive their old problematic media? That said, my pick this week is The Girl That Can’t Get a Girlfriend, about one woman’s search for the butch of her dreams.

ANNA: I’m going to choose chaos this week and pick Marmalade Boy!

KATE: Break of Dawn sounds like it’s just my speed, so that’s my pick.

ASH: Break of Dawn seems like an obvious pick for me, too, but this week I’m going to choose the print debut of Raven of the Inner Palace. I’ve heard great things about the series as a whole and the cover artwork for the first volume is stunning.