Ash Brown

SEAN: This is the way the August ends.

ASH: Not with a bang, but still plenty of manga. (And light novels.)

SEAN: Four print titles from Airship, with two debuts. I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! (Atashi wa Seikan Kokka no Eiyū Kishi!) is a spinoff of I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!. It seems to star a knight? I suspect things will go badly for her, given the parent series.

ASH: Seems accurate.

SEAN: Ripping Someone Open Only Makes Them Bleed (Hara o Wattara Chi ga Deru Dakesa) is the latest trauma from the creator of I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. A high school girl has what seems to be the perfect life… and she’s made sure her every move and utterance is done to help that along. Then a boy shows up who looks just like the main character of her favorite book, and bad things start to follow.

ASH: That title sounds intense.

ANNA: Yikes!

SEAN: And we also see the 2nd and final volume of The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 6.

Early digital volumes, meanwhile, give us I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner 3 (the final volume) and Trapped in a Dating Sim: Otome Games Are Tough For Us, Too! 2.

A debut from Cross Infinite World, as we see Too Strong to Belong! Banished to Another World! (Saikyou Joshi, Isekai e Iku!). A girl is simply TOO STRONG TO DIE in her original world, so God banishes her to another world where she can supposedly be a weak love interest and get a hot boyfriend. But… will that REALLY be how it goes?

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Also from CIW: By a Twist of Fate, I’m Attending the Royal Academy in Disguise 2, The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 5, and So You Want to Live the Slow Life? A Guide to Life in the Beastly Wilds 4.

Denpa Books has a 5th omnibus of Gambling Apocalypse: KAIJI.

ASH: Definitely reading this whenever it ends up being released. Could it really be next week?

SEAN: Ghost Ship has Ero Ninja Scrolls 6, Rise of the Outlaw Tamer and His S-Rank Cat Girl 4, and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 6.

There’s also a mature Seven Seas debut, which I slot in here. This is a new danmei title, You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post – Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen. How did gay men in 400 AD exchange dick pics, you ask? Via an ancient singles’ club and some really good art! This is a “raunchy romantic comedy”.

MICHELLE: Huh. Somehow, I hadn’t heard of this one.

ASH: I am absolutely delighted by this premise.

SEAN: There’s one debut from J-Novel Club: The Blessing of Liefe: Leave This Magical Letdown Alone! (Liefe no Shukufuku: Muzokusei Mahou shika Tsukaenai Oochikobore Toshite Hottoite Kudasai). A girl is born with the abilities of Liefe… which means she can only cast really difficult spells that are mostly useless. Naturally, she and her mother are banished and she is laughed at by all. Can a magical academy for arrogant young nobles help her?

ASH: What a problem to have!

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: Black Summoner 18, Earl and Fairy 7, Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother 2, Knight’s & Magic 4, Rebuild World 5, the 9th Rebuild World manga, and Tearmoon Empire 13.

Kodansha Manga has a debut, but it’s a box set. Fire Force has its first six volumes in a box.

Also in print from Kodansha: Am I Actually the Strongest? 7, Blue Lock 14, The Blue Wolves of Mibu 3, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro 17, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 11, In/Spectre 20, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea 2, and Shangri-La Frontier 13.

And for digital we see The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses 14, Elegant Yokai Apartment Life 28, Gamaran: Shura 23, Koigakubo-kun Stole My First Time 7, and The World is Dancing 6 (the final volume).

One Peace Books has a 3rd volume of Tales of the Tendo Family.

MICHELLE: Another title that is getting away from me.

ASH: I enjoyed the debut volume; I really should read more.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts. Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Tsureneko – Maruru to Hachi) is a seinen title from Comic Days. A spoiled family cat gets lost one day, and meets up with a stray who doesn’t need anyone. Can the two become pals? Or… more than pals? (No, just pals. This is a freaking cat manga.)

ASH: Lol! I’m game for some cat manga. Look how cute they are together!

SEAN: Someone’s Girlfriend (Aitsu no Kanojo) is a dark romance from Sunday Web Every about a boy who falls in love with his best friend’s girlfriend… only to find that she’s now coming on to him.

ASH: Uh-oh.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon: My Party Tried to Kill Me, But Thanks to an Infinite Gacha I Got LVL 9999 Friends and Am Out For Revenge 6, Dai Dark 7, Gravitation: Collector’s Edition 2, Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord: Production Magic Turns a Nameless Village into the Strongest Fortified City 3, I Married My Female Friend 3, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 7, Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General 10, and Tokyo Revengers 23-24.

Tokyopop has A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 8 and I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 5.

Viz has a novel based on the mobile game, with art by the Black Butler artist. Disney Twisted-Wonderland: Rose-Red Tyrant makes us all nostalgic for last decade, when you could not read a single Manga the Week of without one or two Alice titles.

And for fans of bulky hardcovers, we see My Neighbor Totoro Film Comic: All-in-One Edition, 584 pages of pure, undiluted Totoro.

And we get Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 220409-0625, which is a guide to the first 12 episodes of the super popular series.

They also have How Do We Relationship? 11.

ASH: I really need to get caught up with this series; I really enjoyed the early volumes.

SEAN: Lastly, Yen Press still has some stuff. Including some stuff I told you about last time, because they split the digital and print titles. I’ll skip repeating myself.

Riviere and the Land of Prayer (Inori no Kuni wo Lilliere – Majo no Tabitabi Gaiden) is a manga adaptation of the light novel, which Yen also has. It’s a spinoff of Wandering Witch as well. A shop assistant learns about curses and prayers from a mysterious shop owner.

Also from Yen: Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World 6, Bocchi the Rock! 4, CLAMP Premium Collection Tokyo Babylon 4, The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess: Short Story Collection, The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 4, Gahi-chan! 3, Glitch 4 (the final volume), Handyman Saitou in Another World 5, Higurashi When They Cry: MEGURI 3, Let This Grieving Soul Retire 8, Maiden of the Needle 4, Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord 3, [Oshi No Ko] 7, A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom 5, So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin? 6, and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 6.

MICHELLE: Definitely gotta read Glitch. I enjoyed Lost Lad London by the same creator so much.

ANNA: Oh, this is on my radar now then!

SEAN: This is a big week given that it’s AFTER a Yen Week. Are Yen Weeks a thing of the past?

SEAN: Next week is Anime NYC and also Yen Press week. Yikes!

ASH: Here we go!

SEAN: Several debuts for Yen On. Hell Is Dark with No Flowers (Jigoku Kura Yami Hana mo Naki), a horror title about a boy who can see monsters getting room and board in exchange for sending those possessed by yokai… to Hell!

ASH: Well, now, that sounds exactly like something I would read.

ANNA: That does sound charming.

SEAN: My First Love’s Kiss (Watashi no Hatsukoi Aite ga Kiss Shiteta) is a yuri light novel series from the creator of Adachi and Shimamura. Our heroine is annoyed when her classmate and her mother are now living with them. It doesn’t help that the classmate is so pretty. But where does she go at night?

ASH: Glad to see more yuri novels being licensed.

SEAN: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Short Story Collection is what it sounds. This collection takes place after Vol. 3 of the main series, and also is the introduction of a character we were supposed to already know from the 5th arc. The dangers of licensing short story collections.

Sword Art Online Alternative Clover’s Regret is the second in the Alternative series, now that we’ve caught up with Gun Gale Online. This series follows the adventures of the Sleeping Knights in a Japanese-themed game.

Also from Yen On: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 5, Blade & Bastard 2 (a JN-C print release), The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey 4, Hell Mode 5 (a JN-C print release), The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time 7, High School DxD 14, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 8, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 19, King’s Proposal 5, Magical Girl Raising Project 18 (the final volume), The Misfit of Demon King Academy 4-1 (a J-NC print release), My Happy Marriage 7, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 5 (a JN-C print release), Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus (the 13th in the series), Riviere and the Land of Prayer 2, Sabikui Bisco 8, Sentenced to Be a Hero 3, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 19, and Your Forma 6.

ASH: So many books.

SEAN: As for Yen Press, they also have debuts. The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love (Hachiouji Meibutsu Tengu no Koi) is a shoujo title from Asuka. A young man returns to his home village… where he has to marry a tengu demon he met as a child! He doesn’t want this, but she won’t let that stop her.

ASH: Interesting, that plot is more commonly encountered the other way around.

ANNA: Hmmmm.

SEAN: In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name (Isekai de Ane ni Namae wo Ubawaremashita) is a shoujo title from Flos Comic. A girl has been communicating with a boy from another world via a magic hand mirror… then her older sister and the mirror disappear. Now her sister has stolen her life in another world?

ASH: Uh-oh!

SEAN: The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies (Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita) is an omnibus containing the entire series before the author’s unfortunate death. She also wrote Inu x Buku SS, and this is getting an anime. It ran in Gangan Joker, and is another one of those “good guy and bad guy fall in love” series.

Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Shin no Nakama ni Narenakatta Ohime-sama wa, Henkyou de Slow Life Suru Koto ni Shimashita) is a spinoff of Banished from the Hero’s Party, showing what Rit was up to between the first time she met Red/Gideon and the second. It runs in Shonen Ace Plus.

ASH: I highly recommend the quiet countryside life when dealing with rejection. Or anytime, really.

SEAN: Strategic Lovers is a shonen title from (oh dear) Dragon Age. The son of a wealthy businessman and his mistress, our hero didn’t think he was in the line of succession… but he is! Now he’s been kidnapped by young women, all of whom are after his body! This is basically softcore porn, for that sort of audience.

ASH: It does have that vibe, doesn’t it.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Breasts Are My Favorite Things in the World! 8 (the final volume), Bungo Stray Dogs 24, Cheeky Brat 11, Friday at the Atelier 2, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too 5, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 6, The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 4 (the final volume), My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic 22 (the final volume), She Likes Gays, but Not Me 2, The Summer Hikaru Died 4, The Tiger Won’t Eat the Dragon Yet 2, and Witch Life in a Micro Room 3.

ASH: The Summer Hikaru Died is definitely the one that interests me the most out of that batch.

SEAN: Onward. Debuting from Viz this week is I Wanna Do Bad Things with You (Kimi to Warui Koto ga Shitai), a romcom from Shonen Sunday. A girl offers to help a jealous younger brother derail his perfect older brother’s student council campaign. But is he just a “villain”?

Also from Viz: Hirasuyumi 2, Jujutsu Kaisen 23, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. 3, Mission: Yozakura Family 12, The Way of the Househusband 12, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 15.

ASH: Oops, I’ve got some The Way of the Househusband catching up to do.

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Steamship has a 3rd volume of Revenge: Mrs. Wrong.

From Square Enix we get Mr. Villain’s Day Off 5 and Ragna Crimson 13.

Seven Seas has two debuts. Hate Me, but Let Me Stay (Kiraide Isasete) is a BL title from Be x Boy Omegaverse. Yes, that’s now an entire magazine. I… look, it’s A/B/O. You know what the premise will be, I don’t need to summarize it.

And Too Many Losing Heroines! (Make Heroine ga Oosugiru!) is the manga version of the light novel we’ve talked about, and runs in Ura Sunday.

Also from Seven Seas: 365 Days to the Wedding 4, Black Night Parade 4, Cat on the Hero’s Lap 3, Don’t Call it Mystery 9-10, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 19, My Girlfriend’s Child 5, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth 5-6, A White Rose in Bloom 3, and You Like Me, Not My Daughter?! 4.

MICHELLE: I’ll never not cheer for Yumi Tamura!

ASH: Ditto!

ANNA: Yes, although I’m so far behind!

SEAN: One Peace Books has the 5th and final volume of It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too.

KUMA gives us Even if There’s No Rainbow Tomorrow (Ashita Niji ga Denakute mo), a one-shot title from On Blue. An online romance between a drag queen and a sleepy salaryman.

MICHELLE: This looks really interesting!

ASH: I am likewise intrigued.

SEAN: The print debut from Kodansha Manga is Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up (Kusunoki-san wa Koukou Debut ni Shippai shite Iru), a josei title from Comic Pool. A new high school boy is determined to be rid of his horrible middle school life and remake himself. Unfortunately, one classmate from his middle school knows the real him… and she’s trying to do the same thing! For those who enjoy seeing introverts attempt to change.

ASH: Hooray for josei!

ANNA: Indeed!

SEAN: Also in print: Bakemonogatari 22 (the final volume), I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability 13, Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In 6, and Welcome Back, Alice 7 (the final volume).

And digitally we get Issak 9, Medalist 10, and WIND BREAKER 16.

No new volumes for J-Novel Club, as they had so many last time. But we do see The Crown of Rutile Quartz 2, Duchess in the Attic manga volume 3, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects manga volume 5, The Invincible Little Lady manga volume 4, Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 13, Sweet Reincarnation 10, Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters! 6, and VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral after Forgetting to Turn Off My Stream 7.

Ghost Ship debuts an omnibus of a previously released title with Do You Like Big Girls? 1-2. There’s also the 7th and final volume of JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. And in mature Seven Seas stuff, we get The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun 6.

Apologies to Drawn & Quarterly, who I missed in last week’s list. They’ve got another Yoshihara Tsuge title, Oba Electroplating Factory (Nejishiki), a collection of short stories from Garo.

ASH: I just picked up my copy!

SEAN: Airship, in print, has Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 7 and I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! 7.

And digitally we see a one-shot debut, An Autumn in Amber, a Zero-Second Journey (Kohaku no Aki, 0-byō no Tabi), another book by Mei Hachimoku, Seven Seas’ resident “bittersweet sci-fi teen romance” author. Not sure if this is bittersweet, but there’s sci-fi and teens. A boy who hates being touched and a snarky delinquent girl find time has stopped for everyone but them.

And there’s also Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 19.

I’m so tired. So very, very tired after writing all that.

ASH: You’ve more than earned you rest. Thank you for your service.

SEAN: Typing out Manga the Week of in the short break between killer thunderstorms.

ASH: There have been a few, haven’t there?

SEAN: Debuting in print for Airship is Too Many Losing Heroines! (Make Heroine ga Oosugiru!), whose anime is currently getting a very large animation budget. It’s a romcom about (sigh) a plain, boring guy who suddenly finds that all the hot, popular girls in his class are confessing to the guys they like… and being shot down! What’s going on here?

ASH: Only time will tell, I’m sure.

SEAN: Also in print: Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 7, Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 12, and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 7.

And for early digital we see 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 6 and There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… 5.

Denpa Books has a 5th omnibus of Nana & Kaoru.

From Ghost Ship, 2.5 Dimensional Seduction 11 and Inside the Tentacle Cave 3. And, in Mature Seven Seas titles, we get Killing Stalking: Deluxe Edition 7.

ASH: I really need to get around to giving Killing Stalking a try.

SEAN: There’s a GIANT PILE of J-Novel Club debuts for next week, all light novels. We’ll start with The Fake Hero Crashes the Party (Kono Hi, “Itsuwari no Yūsha” dearu Ore wa “Shin no Yūsha” dearu Kare wo Party Kara Tsuihōshita) stars two boyhood friends, one of whom is the hero… and one of whom is, unbeknownst to anyone else, “Fake Hero”. After the obligatory banishing from the hero’s party, can this “bad guy” find a way to do good?

The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged (Eiyū to Kenja no Tenseikon) stars two soldiers who fought for years for their respective nations, but the rivalry was never resolved as one passed away. Now they’re reincarnated, and really want to fight to resolve their rivalry! Clearly, the best way to do that is to get engaged.

The Poison King: Now that I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, the Bewitching Beauties in My Harem Can’t Get Enough of Me (Doku no Ō: Saikyō no Chikara ni Kakusei shita Ore wa Biki-tachi wo Shitagae, Hatsujō Harem no Ō to Naru). A boy inherits a curse from his late mother, which means everyone except one loyal maid despises him. When a doctor examines him and shows him how to overcome the curse, he discovers his other true power: get every woman he knows to want to have sex with him. This is one of THOSE books.

ASH: There have been a few, haven’t there?

SEAN: The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World (Saikyō Onmyōji no Isekai Tenseiki) is… um,. honestly, the title should tell you exactly what’s going to happen. Reincarnated as a noble, supposedly no magic, but he has SORCERY, which is so much more powerful. I bet he goes to a magic academy too.

The Royal Hostage Has Vanished: The Black Wolf Knight Yearns for the Persecuted Princess (Hitojichi Hime ga, Shōsoku wo Tatta. Kuro Ōkami no Kishi wa Rinkoku no Shiitagerareta Hime wo Zenryoku de Aishimasu) is the one J-Novel Heart title in this list. A knight goes to retrieve a princess offered up as war reparations, only to find she’s been abused most of her life, and is also now dead. Stunned, he returns home… to find a mysterious young woman who looks a lot like this princess.

ASH: Unsurprisingly, it’s the Heart title that interests me the most out of those.

ANNA: yeah.

SEAN: There’s also a pile of ongoing titles. We see Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- manga volume 3, DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level 8, Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored 7, The Faraway Paladin manga volume 12, Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother manga volume 2, Holmes of Kyoto 19, The Invincible Summoner Who Crawled Up from Level 1: Wrecking Reincarnators with My Hidden Dungeon 2, Management of a Novice Alchemist 2, Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon manga volume 7, Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! 8, and A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady 2 (the final volume).

ASH: That list really does keep going.

SEAN: Kodansha has no print debuts, but we do see The Fable Omnibus 3, Gazing at the Star Next Door 3, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World 10, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 8, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! 5, Quality Assurance in Another World 9, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 8, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse 13, Sketchy 3, Wandance 10, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun 9, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword 8.

MICHELLE: Insert obligatory remorse for not yet having read Iruma-kun.

ASH: It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen so much print from Kodansha all at once.

SEAN: The digital debut is That Beauty Is a Tramp (Sono Bijin (Otoko) Fushidara ni Tsuki), a josei title from Comic Tint. A woman traumatized by a past incident wants a boyfriend, but any man who touches her causes her to reject them. Then she meets an androgynous model. Can he help her out? This is from the author of Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata.

Also digital: Gang King 20, Giant Killing 44, I Have a Crush at Work 5, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 13, and Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns 2 2.

One Peace Books has Usotoki Rhetoric 8.

MICHELLE: I need to get back on this series.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying it!

SEAN: Seven Seas has, in their danmei line, the 3rd and final volume of Guardian: Zhen Hun. There’s also a special edition with posters, stickers, etc.

MICHELLE: Over already?! Waah.

SEAN: Two debuts from Seven Seas. The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store (Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san), a seinen manga from Bic Comic Zoukan. A new employee finds that her department store caters to talking animals!

ASH: This looks like it could be fun.

ANNA: Sounds amusing!

SEAN: Killer Shark in Another World (Isekai Kuimetsu no Same) is a seinen title from Comic Valkyrie. A young girl is a terrible summoner who everyone mocks… till she summons a monster that can transform into B-movie sharks. This is one of THOSE books, though in a different way than The Poison King.

Also from Seven Seas: CANDY AND CIGARETTES 9, Classroom of the Elite 11, Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 8, How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift? 15, Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout 4, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 19, My Cat is Such a Weirdo 4, and Yokai Cats 8.

Square Enix Books has The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses 11, The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl 6, and My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World! 14.

ANNA: I need to read more Ice Guy and Cool Girl.

SEAN: Steamship has a manga debut. Alpha Wolfgirl x Omega Wolfboy (Oukami α-san to Oukami Ω-kun) is a josei title from Jour that asks “what if A/B/O but het?”.

ASH: Hmmm.

ANNA: I dunno.

SEAN: SuBLime has Don’t Be Cruel: plus+ 3 and Given 9 (the final volume).

ASH: Given is another one I’ve been enjoying but need to catch up on.

ANNA: Same!

SEAN: Udon Entertainment has a debut. More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers (Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman) is a seinen series in Young Ace. A school forces its students to do mandatory couples training, where they have to prove – under surveillance – they can live with another person. But our hero’s other person… is a gyaru! Horrors! This is an omnibus of the first 2 volumes.

ASH: Oh, my!

SEAN: Debuting from Viz is Deadpool: Samurai—The Official Coloring Book. It is what it says.

They’ve also got Akane-banashi 7, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy 3, I Want to End This Love Game 3, Kaze Hikaru 32, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions 5, Pokémon: Sword & Shield 10, Sakura, Saku 4, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 25, Splatoon 3: Splatlands 2, and Star Wars: The High Republic: Edge of Balance 3.

MICHELLE: It’s time for the annual rejoicing about Kaze Hikaru!

ASH: Huzzah!

ANNA: Yay!!!!

SEAN: And Yen Press has three J-Novel Club titles for print. We get Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3 Volume 2 (that’s the manga), By the Grace of the Gods 11, and Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 11.

So it turns out the cat titles are here, not in the last Manga the Week of. Rejoice!

ASH: Woo!

SEAN: The Dog Days and Cat Manga of August are here.

ASH: How? How is it August already??

MICHELLE: I truly do not know.

SEAN: No debuts for Viz Media, but we do see Blue Exorcist 29, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 20 (the final volume, though the continuation to this is still going), The Elusive Samurai 12, In the Name of the Mermaid Princess 3, My Special One 7, Neighborhood Story 3, Rainbow Days 11, Spy x Family 12, and You and I Are Polar Opposites 2.

MICHELLE: I’ve really gotta read Neighborhood Story.

ASH: I’ve been collecting them, but I really need to read them at some point, too.

ANNA: I read the first volume! I’m glad it is coming out in English.

SEAN: Tokyopop has the 4th and final volume of Since I Could Die Tomorrow.

And Square Enix Manga has Daemons of the Shadow Realm 5.

Debuting from Seven Seas next week is The Strange House (Hen na Ie), a horror/mystery manga based on a novel, that runs in Ichijinsha’s Comic HOWL. A supernatural consultant runs up against a creepy house with a very creepy room.

MICHELLE: Ooooh.

ASH: I’m very curious about this one.

ANNA: Sounds interesting!

SEAN: A spinoff also debuts, Tokyo Revengers: A Letter from Keisuke Baji (Tokyo Revengers – Baji Keisuke kara no Tegami). This Magazine pocket title is, I’m going to guess, about one of the supporting cast of the main series.

On the danmei front, Seven Seas has The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong 2.

ASH: I am still very pleased by the danmei trend.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 10, Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk 9, Kemono Jihen 12, The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be 4 (the final volume), The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 7, and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition 5 (the final volume).

ASH: Gotta get caught up with that one, as well!

SEAN: One Peace Books has the 6th manga volume of The Death Mage.

One print debut for Kodansha Manga: Pupposites Attract (Seihantai na Watashitachi), a shoujo/josei title from Comic Pool that started as a Pixiv title. A man and a woman with opposite personalities meet when they walk their dogs… who also have opposite personalities! Will romance follow? (Hint: yes.)

MICHELLE: This title made me think it was going to be about puppet romance.

ASH: Haha! I’m sure there must be one of those out there somewhere.

ANNA: Maybe it will be on next month’s list!

SEAN: Also in print: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 2, My Lovesick Life as a ’90s Otaku 4 (the final volume), That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Omnibus 3, Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister 6, and WIND BREAKER 7.

MICHELLE: I definitely want to read the ’90s Otaku manga!

SEAN: On the digital side, we see Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 13 (the final volume), Chihayafuru 45, Life 17, and Those Snow White Notes 20.

There’s only one debut for J-Novel Club, and it’s a manga adaptation of a light novel they already had. Stuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainess (Loop kara Nukedasenai Akuyaku Reijou wa, Akiramete Suki Katte Ikiru Koto ni Kimemashita) is a Drecomi title about a villainess who’s also looping, and who finally decides “screw it” and takes charge.

ASH: Someone has to!

SEAN: J-Novel Club also has This Art Club Has a Problem! 4, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- 4, the 4th Hell Mode manga, I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m the Strongest? I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! 6, Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World 9-1, the 5th My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer manga, Record of Wortenia War 25, Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! 9, and Zilbagias the Demon Prince: How the Seventh Prince Brought Down the Kingdom 2.

The debut from Ghost Ship is She’s the Strongest Bride, But I’m Stronger in Night Battles: A Harem Chronicle of Advancing Through Cunning Tactics (Isekai Saikyou no Yome desu ga, Yoru no Tatakai wa Ore no Hou ga Tsuyoi you desu – Chiryaku wo Ikashite Nariagaru Harem Senki), which runs in Futabasha’s Gaugau Monster. An isekai’d guy with a nerdy interest in military history is now the husband of the demon queen… and also terrific in bed, as this is a Ghost Ship series.

ASH: Well, of course.

ANNA: That’s some combo of interests and skills right there.

SEAN: Also from Ghost Ship: Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams! 8 and World’s End Harem: Fantasia 12.

Denpa has three titles listed from retailers as coming out next week: Heavenly Delusion 7, Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family 6, and Vampeerz 5. (I suspect Emiya Family is wrong, but the other two are more likely).

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: And Airship gives us Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 9 in print, and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 11 in early digital.

Hey, there was no cat manga at all. Boo! Anything else interest you?

ASH: I was waiting for the cat manga!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: It was the end of Julys, it was the beginning of Augusts…

We start off with Airship, which has print for Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court 7.

And the early digital debut is I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! (Atashi wa Seikan Kokka no Eiyū Kishi!). As the title might suggest, it’s a spinoff of I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!. It seems to star a knight? I suspect things will go badly for her, given the parent series.

ASH: Seems accurate.

SEAN: And there’s also Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 7.

Cross Infinite World has two debuts. The Former Assassin Who Got Reincarnated as a Noble Girl (Moto Ansatsusha, Tenseishite Kizoku no Reijou ni Narimashita) is sort of a villainess reversal, as a former killer is now nobility… but this is still Villainess nobility, so she can’t just relax.

Let’s Get to Villainessin’: Stratagems of a Former Commoner (Saa, Akuyaku Reijou no wo Shigoto wo Hajimemashou: Moto Shomin no Watashi ga Idomu Zunousen) is one of those “modern-day Japan” stories rather than fantasy Europe world, but the plot remains the same: our heroine has to survive three years pretending to be an elite at a rich academy. The catch: this is an otome game, and the girl she’s replacing is the villainess. Great title, if nothing else.

MICHELLE: I gotta admit, “Villainessin'” definitely caught my eye.

ANNA: Amazing.

ASH: So many villainesses these days! Villainii?

SEAN: Also from CIW: The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Scores an Enemy General! 3.

Hanashi Media has a debut. Observation Records of My Fiancée: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess (Jishou Akuyaku Reijou na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku) is a light novel whose manga came out from Alphapolis a while ago. A crown prince is somewhat baffled by his fiancee telling him she’s a villainess who is reincarnated, and she’s trying her hardest to be evil. There’s one slight issue. She’s an idiot.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

ANNA: Ooops!

SEAN: They also have the 2nd volume of Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy.

A quiet week for J-Novel Club. No debuts, but we get The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World 3, Moon Blossom Asura: The Ruthless Reincarnated Mercenary Forms the Ultimate Army 3, Through the Viewport: Child of a Ruined World 2, The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 13, Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord 6, and You Were Experienced, I Was Not: Our Dating Story 4.

No debuts for Kodansha Manga either, but we get As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 11, A Condition Called Love 9, Fire Force Omnibus 11, The Great Cleric 10, I See Your Face, Turned Away 2, ORIGIN 5, Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen 5, and Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen 4.

MICHELLE: A couple of nice shoujo titles in there!

ANNA: I keep meaning to check out Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen!

ASH: I’ve been collecting them! (But still need to read them…)

SEAN: And for digital, we see How to Treat a Lady Knight Right 6, Our Bodies, Entwining, Entwined 8 (the final volume), Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence 13, and Saving Sweets for After-Hours 4.

Seven Seas has a danmei novel debut: Peerless. It’s set in the universe of Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu, and has two rival cops fight to solve a case and get over their sexual tension.

MICHELLE: This sounds fun.

ANNA: What if the case just increases the sexual tension??????? What will they do?????

ASH: You’ll never guess!

SEAN: Noss and Zakuro is a comedy that runs in East Press’ Matogrosso. It’s a comedy about a vampire mom and her vampire daughter.

Seven Seas also has The Summer You Were There 5, The Titan’s Bride 4, and Yakuza Reincarnation 6.

Steamship debuts I’ll Never Be Your Crown Princess! – Betrothed (Outaishi-hi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Konyakusha-hen), a sequel to the first book which runs in Comic Zero-Sum. It basically sounds like a continuation.

Also from Steamship: Healer for the Shadow Hero 2 and Sundome!! Milky Way 10 (the final volume>.

Tokyopop has A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 8.

Yen On has the 7th volume of Sasaki and Peeps.

Meanwhile, Yen Press’ July was so huge that half the titles got bumped a week. There are no debuts, but we get (deep breath) 15 Minutes Before We Really Date 3, Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture 4, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 8, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 6, I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me 2, In Another World with My Smartphone 12, Kiss the Scars of the Girls 3 (the final volume), Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 17, Minato’s Laundromat 3, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AO— 5 (a JNC print title), The Reformation of the World as Overseen by a Realist Demon King 4, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 23, Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer! 4, Shy 7, Sword Art Online Progressive Canon of the Golden Rule 2 (the final volume), To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 7, Touge Oni: Primal Gods in Ancient Times 4, Trinity Seven Revision 2, The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions 5, and When I Became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement! 3.

ASH: Dang! At some point every week is going to be a Yen week.

SEAN: Assuming you’re still reading after that block of text, what are you getting?

SEAN: It’s still July, and still hot, but don’t worry, you can relax in the shadow of Yen Press releases.

ASH: That could possibly work.

SEAN: There is one debut this week for Yen On: The Trials of Chiyodaku: Running the Supreme Court of Another World With My Sister (Chiyodaku Ōkoku Judgment: Ane to Ore to de Isekai Saikō Saibansho). A guy and his sister end up in another world. She’s fantastic at law but knows nothing of fantasy worlds or monsters. He’s a gamer who knows all about those things. Together, they fight crime and the cover art. (The cover art wins, sadly.)

ASH: Wow. The law angle is at least vaguely intriguing, but, wow.

SEAN: And there’s also a side story from a popular franchise. Bungo Stray Dogs: Another Story: Yukito Ayatsuji vs. Natsuhiko Kyougoku features, well, those two characters, I guess.

Also from Yen On: Agents of the Four Seasons 3, Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture 4, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 13, Bride of the Barrier Master 3, Classroom for Heroes 2, The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant 2, The Detective Is Already Dead 8, The Eminence in Shadow 5, The Executioner and Her Way of Life 8, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) 12, Ishura 7, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady 7, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World 13, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 25, and Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 15 (the final volume).

ASH: You did warn it was a Yen week, but that’s still quite the list.

SEAN: And then there’s Yen Press debuts. Aria of the Beech Forest (Buna no Mori no Aria) is a shoujo series from Asuka. It’s about a witch who lives in the woods and a talking wolf she finds one day.

ASH: Witch manga seems to be a particularly popular (or at least common) genre these days.

SEAN: Excellent Property, Rejects for Residents: Baths, Lavatories, and Angels Are Communal (Yuuryou Bukken Mou Dame Sou – Furo, Toilet to Tenshi wa Kyoudou desu) is the latest ecchi shonen manga from the creator of Plunderer and Heaven’s Lost Property. An angel tries to help a loser guy who lives in an apartment house full of losers.

GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is a josei title from Comic Bridge. After being fired from her OL job, a woman is living on temp gigs and desperation. Is she desperate enough to team up with a ghost lady?

MICHELLE: Hm. Josei + ghosts?

ASH: I’m in.

SEAN: Kind of a Wolf (Aimai na Wolf) is a one-shot BL manga from Bloom. When his pet cat sneaks into the apartment of the noisy guy next door, our hero has to sneak in after them… and discovers a secret!

ASH: What could it be?

SEAN: Miss Savage Fang: The Strongest Mercenary in History Is Reincarnated as an Unstoppable Noblewoman (Savage Fang Ojou-sama – Shijou Saikyou no Youhei wa Shijou Saikyou no Bougyaku Reijou to natte Futatabime no Sekai wo Musou suru) is an adaptation of the light novels Yen also releases. It ran in Isekai Young Jump.

My Oh My, Atami-kun (Iyahaya Atami-kun) is a BL manga from Harta. A high school boy is constantly being asked out by girls because of his handsome face. Can’t they realize that he’s gay?

MICHELLE: This looks potentially cute.

SEAN: This Wolf Is Not Scary (Ookami-kun wa Kowakunai) is a BL one-shot from B’s-Lovey Recottia. Wolf boys, rabbit boys, heats… not full on A/B/O, but in the ballpark. Also, two wolf oneshots in the same week?

MICHELLE: Any BL with a wolf in it, nowadays, I basically assume is not gonna be my sort of thing.

SEAN: And also from Yen: The Abandoned Empress 8, Bungou Stray Dogs Wan 8, Chained Soldier 8, Delicious in Dungeon 14 (the final volume), The Eminence in Shadow 10, Game of Familia 4, Honey Lemon Soda 6, I’m Quitting Heroing 6, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 13, My Poison Princess Is Still Cute 3 (the final volume), No Longer Heroine 7, The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices 5, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 7, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special 4, and Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion 7.

Viz has one debut, another collection of horror, Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection (Rojiura). These ran in Monthly Halloween.

ASH: I’m behind in my Junji Ito reading, but do plan on picking this up.

SEAN: They also have Boy’s Abyss 6, a re-release of the GoGo Monster box, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 6–Stone Ocean 5.

ASH: Oh!

SEAN: Two debuts from Tokyopop. Jealousy Blinds Love (Shitto wa ai o Kumoraseru) is a one-shot from from RED. Can BL and piano exist together?

Too Close to Fall in Love (Koi o Suru ni wa Chika Sugiru) is also a from RED oneshot. What about a “we’re stepsiblings!” romance, but BL?

And they have Lullaby of the Dawn 4 (which is also from RED, in case you were worried).

Steamship has a 3rd manga volume of The Villainess and the Demon Knight.

Square Enix manga debuts Soul Eater NOT!: The Perfect Edition. This spinoff of Soul Eater was far less popular but had far more yuri subtext. It ran in Shonen Gangan.

And they’ve also got The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love 2.

No debuts from Seven Seas, but we do see COLORLESS 7 (the final volume), The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 2, Ennead 3 (which comes in teen-rated paperback and adult-rated hardcover), His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper 6, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 9, and Magical Angel Creamy Mami and the Spoiled Princess 7 (the final volume).

From KUMA we see Qualia Under the Snow (Yuki no Shita no Qualia), a oneshot BL manga from Craft. An extrovert and an introvert find themselves drawn together to help deal with their pasts.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely more interested in traumatized extroverts and introverts than wolves and stepsiblings!

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Kodansha Books has a 5th volume of Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement.

No print debuts for Kodansha Manga, but we do see Blue Lock 13, Gachiakuta 3, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 19, I Can’t Say No to the Lonely Girl 3, King in Limbo Omnibus 3 (the final volume), Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collection 9, and A Sign of Affection 9.

There is a digital debut, just announced at AX. My Journey to Her (Boku ga Watashi ni Naru Tame ni) is a complete in one volume series that ran in Weekly Morning. It’s a memoir of Yuna receiving a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and the journey to getting gender-affirming surgery that Yuna, with her family and friends, goes through.

ASH: It’s really interesting to me how many memoirs and autobiographical works of this type were seeing translated. Not that I’m complaining!

Also digital: Am I Actually the Strongest? 11, A Couple of Cuckoos 18, DAYS 42 (the final volume), Gamaran: Shura 22, and Teppu 8 (the final volume).

MICHELLE: Ah! I hadn’t realized DAYS was ending. Time for a marathon.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a lot, including three debuts. 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), the manga adaptation of the light novel JNC already released.that runs in Drecomics.

From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress! (Mob Dōzen no Akuyaku Reijō wa Dansō Shite Kōryaku Taishō no Za wo Nerau) is a light novel about a girl reincarnated in an otome game as… a minor villainess. She decides to seduce the main character by dressing as a man. Unfortunately, everyone else has the same idea. This is infamous in Japan for its art that commits to the bit – the art makes it look BL as the cross-dressing women are so good at it.

MICHELLE: This sounds kooky but potentially fun.

ASH: Agreed!

SEAN: The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World (Saikyou Onmyouji no Isekai Tenseiki ~Geboku no Youkaidomo ni Kurabete Monster ga Yowaisugirundaga~) is the manga adaptation of the light novel JNC is also releasing. It runs in Gaugau Monster.

Also from J-Novel Club: the 3rd D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared manga, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects 4, the 8th Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World manga, My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex 11, Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden 3, The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! 3, The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival 2, the 10th Record of Wortenia War manga, Seventh 8, The Troubles of Miss Nicola the Exorcist 3 (the final volume), The Water Magician 2, and Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster 7.

ASH: That is a decent sized list, too.

Ghost Ship has Ayakashi Triangle 10. There’s also, in Mature titles from Seven Seas, Remnants of Filth: Yuwu 4.

A new title from Fantagraphics: Search and Destroy. Have you ever wondered what the classic Tezuka series Dororo would look like in the hands of the author of Bambi and Her Pink Gun? Wonder no more. This ran in TezuComi, a magazine devoted to Tezuka tributes, reimaginings, etc.

ASH: Really looking forward to this one.

SEAN: Lastly, we have Airship. In print they have Riku Can’t Be a Goddess (Riku-kun wa, Megami ni Narenai). The story of a girl who serves as a dress form for her crush who wants to cross-dress and uses her to see how to be feminine. Then he kisses her and she flees. This apparently is part of an anthology about their high school class and identity in general.

And for early digital we get the 2nd and final volume of The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 6.

I’m reduced to begging for mercy. How about you?