Melinda Beasi

SEAN: BOO!

Cross Infinite World gives us the 2nd volume of Another World’s Zombie Apocalypse Is Not My Problem!, which surprises me, as I thought it was a standalone.

Dark Horse has the 6th volume of Mob Psycho 100.

ASH: While I’m not quite as taken with the series as I was in the beginning, I’ve still been enjoying it.

SEAN: There’s a triple dose of not-quite-porn from Ghost Ship, who have Destiny Lovers 4, Parallel Paradise 3, and To-Love-Ru Darkness 17.

J-Novel Club debuts a new manga, Campfire Cooking in Another World, based on the light novel of the same name.

They also have Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On? 4, Der Werwolf 9, When the Clock Strikes Z 2 (a final volume, I think), and The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 3.

ASH: I haven’t actually read that last one, but that series title is great.

SEAN: Kodansha is still making up for lost time, so get ready. Print Debut #1: Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (Kawaii Dake Janai Shikimori-san) is a Magazine Pocket series that seems to be part of the “girl teases the guy she likes” genre, though in this case they’re already dating.

Print Debut #2: The Witch and the Beast (Majo to Yajuu), an action-adventure series from Young Magazine the 3rd that seems to run on being really cool.

MICHELLE: It really does look very cool.

MELINDA: I like cool.

SEAN: Also in print: Cells at Work: Code BLACK 6, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest 5, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 13, If I Could Reach You 5, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight 11, Love and Lies 9, Sue & Tai-chan 2, and UQ Holder 20.

ASH: I’m not actively reading too many of these, but I am really glad to see the print titles picking up again.

SEAN: Two digital debuts. The first is another Shaman King spinoff, Shaman King: Red Crimson. This one started AFTER the artist moved to Kodansha, so ran in Shonen Magazine Edge. It’ll run 4 volumes.

The other is When We’re in Love (Hana-kun to Koisuru Watashi), a Betsufure series featuring a model student and a delinquent. Sure, throw another shoujo on the pile.

Also coming out digitally: Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 5, Atsumori-kun’s Bride to Be 5, Cells at Work: Platelets 2, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 17, the 7th and final volume of Love Massage: Melting Beauty Treatment (I assume she has now melted and man and puddle can live together as one), Maid in Honey 2, My Best (♀) Butler 2, Orient 7, and Shaman King: Flowers 2.

MICHELLE: I couldn’t even make it one volume through Abe-kun. I am, though, happy for more of Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be!

SEAN: Oh yes, and 12 more Drops of God volumes hit digitally, 22 to 33.

One Peace has a new debut: Farming Life in Another World (Isekai Nonbiri Nouka). This series from Fujimi Shobo’s Dragon Age is… exactly what it sounds like, but there’s more sex than you’d expect.

ASH: Huh. The farming aspect vaguely interests me, but…

SEAN: Seven Seas has two light novel debuts, one print and one digital-first. The print is ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!, which I reviewed when the digital version came out. It had a lot more horror than I was expecting, but should also satisfy yuri fans.

The digital first is Berserk of Gluttony (Boushoku no Berserk), a dark-sounding light novel about a man who’s lived his life always hungry finding out that he can feed on BLOOD AND SOULS! Not Elric of Melnibone, I’m sure, but close.

Also out from Seven Seas: Buck Naked in Another World 2 (mercifully the final volume), Classroom of the Elite 7 (early digital), Dance in the Vampire Bund: Age of Scarlet Order 3, The Girl from the Other Side 9, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear novel 3, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka 9, Mushoku Tensei 7 (novel), Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World 3, and Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn 13.

ANNA: I’m ashamed at how far behind I am with The Girl from the Other Side but I fully intend to get caught up.

MICHELLE: I think I have read through volume seven, but I also have a little catching up to do.

ASH: The Girl from the Other Side is still one of my top series; Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World is really wonderful, too.

SEAN: Square Enix has NieR:Automata – YoRHa Boys, a novel based on… well, take a guess.

They’ve also got Hi Score Girl 4.

Tentai Books says they’re releasing the 2nd volume of There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?.

Vertical has the 3rd volume of Owarimonogatari: End Tale, which wraps up the Monogatari series… OR DOES IT?

Yen On gives us four more light novels to round out the month. There’s I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years 8, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle 2: Episode Freya, KonoSuba 12, and Strike the Blood 16.

Yen has two manga debuts. Heterogenia Linguistico is a Young Ace Up series that looks like it does for monster research what Delicious in Dungeon does for monster food.

MICHELLE: The covers have a similar aesthetic, too.

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan is a LINE manga title based on some obscure movie, and deals with Leia’s teenage adventures.

ANNA: I’m a little curious about this.

SEAN: Yen also gives is Happy Sugar Life 6, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years 3 (manga), Kemono Friends a La Carte 4 (final volume), Our Last Crusade 3 (manga), and Restaurant to Another World 2 (manga).

Are you scared?

SEAN: Is this Phase Three of Manga reopening?

Cross Infinite World gives us a third volume of I Became the Secretary of a Hero!.

J-Novel Club has Ascendance of a Bookworm 9, Campfire Cooking in Another World 8, and the fourth Marielle Clarac book, The Wedding of Marielle Clarac.

ASH: I’m definitely behind on Ascendance of a Bookworm, but I’ve been enjoying the series.

SEAN: Kodansha seems to be making up for the lack of print lately. There are two print debuts. Heaven’s Design Team (Tenchi Souzou Design-bu) we’ve seen before digitally, it’s about animals designers with a bunch of questions for God. It runs in Morning Two.

MICHELLE: It’s not bad, but perhaps the most interesting thing about it is that it’s co-written by Tsuta Suzuki, creator of the supernatural BL series A Strange & Mystifying Story.

ASH: Even though I’ve really been looking forward to giving this one a try, I had somehow completely missed that connection, Michelle!

SEAN: Whisper Me a Love Song (Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau) is a ‘cute girl falls for her sempai” series from Comic Yuri Hime.

MICHELLE: It does indeed look cute.

ANNA: Nice.

SEAN: Also in print: Chobits 20th Anniversary Edition 2, Perfect World 3, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 10 (the final volume), Rent-a-Girlfriend 3, Sweat and Soap 4, Wave, Listen to Me! 4, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku 4, and Yuzu the Pet Vet 3.

MICHELLE: Super excited for more Wave, Listen to Me! and Wotakoi!

ANNA: I’m so behind on Wave, Listen to Me! but I want to read it someday!

ASH: Oh, Kodansha really is making up for the lack of print! I’m reading (or have read) most of these.

SEAN: Digitally there are also debuts. Shaman King: Flowers is a sequel to the original series, and ran in Jump Kai.

The Writer and His Housekeeper (Shousetsuka-sama wa, Monmon Shitagaru) is a josei series from Kodansha’s Ane Friend. Woman who housekeeps for an eccentric erotic novelist finds herself moving in with him when her place burns down. Not my thing, but hey.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this’ll be a pass from me.

ANNA: I love josei but am not into the whole servant thing.

SEAN: Lots of other digital-only titles. Cosplay Animal 14 (the final volume), Dolly Kill Kill 7, Fairy Tail: Happy’s Heroic Adventure 6, GE: Good Ending 10, Heroine for Hire 2, Kakushigoto 8, Shaman King: Zero 2, and Shojo FIGHT! 13.

MICHELLE: I have fallen quite far behind on Shojo FIGHT!, alas.

Seven Seas has no debuts, but plenty of ongoing series. We get Alice & Zoroku 7, Arifureta 10 (print version), Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average?! 4 (manga version), Getter Robo Devolution 5 (the final volume), Himouto Umaru-chan 11, Love Me for Who I Am 2, Reincarnated As a Sword 4 (manga version), Restaurant to Another World 5 (early digital), and Wonderland 6.

ASH: I somehow haven’t actually read the first volume of Love Me for Who I Am yet; I should probably fix that.

SEAN: Udon has the 13th and final volume of Persona 4.

Vertical has a 2nd volume of The Daily Lives of High School Boys.

Viz gives us Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection, which has eight short stories that mostly ran in Big Comic Spirits. Obviously, a must buy for Urasawa fans.

ASH: I’m really curious to see how Urasawa does with shorter manga, having previously only read his multi-volume works. (Well… unless you count Pineapple Army…)

MELINDA: I guess I’m in for this.

SEAN: They’ve also got two box sets: The Legend of Zelda Legendary Box Set (5 volumes, in Hardcover, with a “treasure chest” box) and Tokyo Ghoul: re Complete Box Set (16 volumes, comes with a poster).

ASH: That is a very pretty looking Zelda box set.

And we also have Blue Flag 4, Golden Kamuy 18, and Ultraman 14.

MICHELLE: Yay for Blue Flag!

ANNA: Also behind on this, gotta get to reading.

MELINDA: Oh no, same.

MICHELLE: Honestly, I live in a constant state of “Behind on this, gotta get to reading.”

ASH: Glad to see more Blue Flag and Golden Kamuy, too, though I’m also a little behind on those series.

SEAN: A lot of Yen’s October releases got delayed to later weeks. The ones that kept the same release date must be the STRONGEST Yen Press releases!

This includes no less than THREE debuts from Yen On. The first is long, long awaited by many horny anime fans. High School DxD has had its manga coming out here for a while, but finally we get the novels. Issei is contracted to a demon and getting involved with Fallen Angels, but what he really wants is a harem.

In the Land of Leadale (Leadale no Daichi nite) starts off with a woman who gets in a horrible accident… but doesn’t die. She is on life support, though, and her VR Game Leadale is a comfort. However, having now passed away, she finds herself in that same game world… 200 years after the events of the game! I’ve heard this is similar to Overlord, only without the evil.

Lastly we have a one-shot, Three Days of Happiness (Mikkakan no kōfuku). A college student sells thirty years of his life, for both cash and to try to find something worth living for. This sounds like it’s for fans of Makoto Shinkai’s earlier, more depressing titles.

ASH: Oh, is that me? That might be me.

SEAN: Also out from Yen On: Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 12, The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn As a Typical Nobody 4, High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 2, and Re: Zero 14.

Yen Press has an expensive but no doubt gorgeous artbook due out next week: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Official Artworks. Based on the game, Yen also released a manga side-story of this world a few months back.

Yen also has Bestia 2, The Monster and the Beast 3, RaW Hero 3, To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 2, and Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 5.

ASH: I’ll be picking up Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun for sure. And probably The Monster and the Beast, too.

SEAN: Is this too much? Or just enough?

SEAN: October 2020, where you have to bar your doors against trick-or-treaters. This year sucks. Let’s brighten it with manga.

Denpa Books says they’re putting out the 3rd Pleasure and Corruption.

J-Novel Club’s digital debut is a manga. Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Youthful Journey. By the title, I’d guess it’s a prequel to The Wayward Journey?

Also from J-Novel Club: Bibliophile Princess 4, Epic Tale of the Reincarnated Prince Herscherik 2, the 4th The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar manga, Record of Wortenia War 8, and Wild Times with a Fake Fake Princess 3, which I believe is the final volume.

Kodansha has a few print titles coming out. The debut, which I am very excited for, is Blue Period, an Afternoon manga from the author of She and Her Cat. A young man finds a calling in painting, but it’s one that might ruin his future if he’s not careful.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this, too!

ASH: Same!

MELINDA: This sounds great!

ANNA: I’m officially intrigued.

SEAN: Also in print, the 5th Attack on Titan Colossal Edition, Grand Blue Dreaming 11, Interviews with Monster Girls 8, and Something’s Wrong with Us 3.

ASH: In case anyone hasn’t actually seen the colossal edition in person, it is indeed colossal.

SEAN: Two debuts digitally. The first is Practice Makes Perfect (Acchi no Renshuu Hajimemashita), a shoujo manga from Ane Friend. Two jocks who were just dumped by their respective partners due to lack of experience try to “practice” with each other.

The other is Shaman King: Zero, which contains various short stories of the main series that ran in Jump Kai back when this was owned by Shueisha.

And there’s All-Out!! 16, Domestic Girlfriend 27, Vampire Dormitory 4, and We Must Never Fall in Love! 2.

MICHELLE: I believe this is the penultimate All-Out!!, a sports series I have still not even managed to start. Shock!

SEAN: One Peace has a 3rd volume of The New Gate.

Seven Seas has a debut. Well, two, really, as The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter has a print release now. It’s trash, but very readable.

ASH: Sometimes you need a series like that.

SEAN: The other debut is Cutie and the Beast (Pujo to Yajuu: JK ga Akuyaku Wrestler ni Koi shita Hanashi), a Betsufure shoujo manga about, well, a high school girl who falls in love with a wrestler who looks like a villain. This looks adorable.

MICHELLE: I have a soft spot for stories where a scary-looking guy is actually very sweet.

ASH: I am incredibly curious about this title; it looks and sounds great!

ANNA: I’m going to check this out too!

SEAN: Also out: The Ancient Magus’ Bride 13, Classroom of the Elite 6 in print, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 9 (the manga version), Kingdom of Z 2, My Next Life As a Villainess 4 (manga version), and There’s a Demon Lord on the Floor 8.

ASH: Hooray for more The Ancient Magus’ Bride! I need to catch up on the last few volumes (and spin-offs).

SEAN: Square Enix has a 2nd volume of The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest.

SuBLime has two manga: His Favorite 11, and Jealousy 2.

MICHELLE: I bought Jealousy volume one, but haven’t managed to read it yet. It looks very dramatic.

ASH: His Favorite is so goofy; I really enjoy it.

SEAN: Vertical has two books: CITY 9, and Knights of Sidonia Master Edition 7.

Viz has two not-quite-manga debuts. The first is The Art of Magic the Gathering: War of the Spark.

The second is Fangirl: the Manga, a Viz Original by Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nam about a fanfic-writing twin who now finds herself in college with her fanfic writing disparaged and her twin not there.

ASH: Interesting! This had slipped my radar.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Case Closed 76, Komi Can’t Communicate 9, Persona 5 4 (or Persona 4 5, whichever you prefer), Pokemon Adventures: Collector’s Edition 4, Radiant 13, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 13, and Transformers: The Manga 3.

ASH: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle continues to delight me.

SEAN: So? Whadja get?

SEAN: Try to remember the kind of September when manga was slow and discussion was mellow. Ready? Then follow.

MELINDA: (Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow…)

SEAN: Going by their website, Denpa Books finally has the 2nd omnibus of Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji.

ASH: Happy to see this series get back on track!

SEAN: Seven Seas’ ero label Ghost Ship has FOUR titles out, including a debut. Welcome to Succubus High! (Succubus Gakuen No Inu!!) is a Takeshobo title from Web Comic Gamma Plus. An average boy is transferred to an all-girls school full of succubuses to teach them about men. Naturally, he does NOT want to have sex with any of them, because this is a Ghost Ship title and not a Fakku title. The line may be far away, but it’s there.

Other Ghost Ship titles out are Creature Girls 4, Yokai Girls 11, and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 10.

J-Novel Club has a trio of titles. The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress 8, Cooking with Wild Game 9, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 2.

Kodansha, again, has no print titles. Digitally, we have a debut: My Best (♀) Butler (Ore no Shitsuji (♀) ga Iketeiru), a Dessert title that I could describe the plot of but instead I’ll just note it’s another “poor girl is toyed with by rich boys” series and go with that.

MICHELLE: Pretty much.

MELINDA: Ugh.

SEAN: I’ve made a decision to stop reporting Kodansha’s “early digital” series as they simply change the date at the very last minute too often. So, in digital-only land, we have Heaven’s Design Team 5, Lovesick Ellie 11, the 16th and final volume of My Boy in Blue, Princess Resurrection Nightmare 6, and Seven Shakespeares 13. As you can see, this week is devoted to “new volumes of titles we’ve caught up to Japan on”.

MICHELLE: I’m glad for more Lovesick Ellie!

SEAN: One Peace Books has The Reprise of the Spear Hero 2.

Seven Seas has three debuts. The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Wizard’s Blue (Mahou Tsukai no Yome Shihen.108 – Majutsushi no Ao) is another spinoff of the popular fantasy manga, it runs in Mag Garden’s Manga Door, and has been described as a genderswapped version of the parent series.

We Swore to Meet in the Next Life and That’s When Things Got Weird! (Raise o Chikatte Tensei Shitara Taihen na Koto ni natta) is from ichijinsha’s Zero-Sum Online. Two lovers vow to meet again in their next life. They do! Except she’s a 39-year-old OL, and he’s still in high school! This sounds… uncomfortable but cute if you ignore the premise.

MICHELLE: I will probably check out both of these, albeit with a certain degree of trepidation.

MELINDA: I. Hm.

ASH: Things did indeed get weird there.

SEAN: The digital-first light novel is Muscles Are Better Than Magic! (Mahou? Sonna Koto yori Kinniku da!), a fantasy comedy about a guy who’s trained forever and the elf girl who needs his help.

Also out next week: Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average?! 10 (print), How to Build a Dungeon 6, The Invincible Shovel 2 (print), Mushoku Tensei light novel 8 (digital first), and Servamp 14.

Vertical has two titles. On the manga end, we get the 2nd Blood on the Tracks.

Pretty Boy Detective Club (Bishounen Tanteidan) is a novel written by NISIOISIN, but it’s a far cry from the Monogatari or Zaregoto series – it’s a reverse harem! A young woman trying to find a star that appears only once every ten years ends up being helped by, well, the title club.

MICHELLE: I cannot resist this.

MELINDA: Okay, maybe need this.

SEAN: Yen also has some runoff from last week. Yen On gives us a 4th Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World.

Yen Press debuts Yoshi no Zuikara: The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean, a Gangan title from the creator of Barakamon, about a fantasy manga artist trying desperately to draw realistic manga.

MICHELLE: Huh. The Yoshino series was not on my radar.

ASH: Oooh, I am intrigued!

SEAN: Lastly, we get Éclair Rouge, the latest in this yuri anthology series.

More to discuss than I thought. Fantastick. What are you getting?

SEAN: Manga is here and nothing can stop it!

Except perhaps fire. Pacific Northwest-based Dark Horse has two manga releases currently scheduled for next week, but has already said the wildfires might delay releases. But we will note them anyway: Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls 2 and Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles 2.

ASH: Yikes, that is a completely understandable reason for possible delays.

SEAN: J-Novel Club once again has two debuts, one which I care about and one which I do not. The “do not” is My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! (Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou Sugite, Isekai no Yatsura ga Marude Aite ni Naranai n Desu ga). Leaving aside the fact that no light novel with the word ‘Cheat’ in the title should ever be licensed, this is by the author of My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World, and apparently ties into that story, but I’m still not interested enough to look at it. But it should appeal to those who like this sort of thing.

Far more to my taste is The Sorcerer’s Receptionist (Mahousekai no Uketsukejou ni Naritaidesu), a J-Novel Heart series about a commoner woman whose goal is to become a guild receptionist, and the duke’s son who she keeps running into while she achieves this.

ASH: That one’s more to my taste as well.

SEAN: Also coming out next week: I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! 3, Lazy Dungeon Master 12, My Next Life As a Villainess! 7, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen 8.

Kodansha has a very light week next week. No print books, and the digital side is light as well. The debut there is Maid in Honey, a Dessert title whose synopsis and cover art makes me cringe, but I know there’s a big audience for series like these.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is another of the “girl with a service job” titles I mentioned last week. The style of the cover looked familiar so I did a search on the mangaka and, yep, she’s the one who did Beauty Bunny also. I think I’ll be passing on this one.

SEAN: We also see Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 4, Altair: A Record of Battles 22, DAYS 20, and the 20th and final Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, which I’m not sure if it completed or if it was simply cancelled.

MICHELLE: I’m hoping for the former! I have been meaning to read it for ages.

SEAN: KUMA has a print release of Canis: Dear Mr. Rain (which I thought we’d had before, but…)

MICHELLE: I am pretty sure it was supposed to come out earlier but got pushed back.

ASH: Yup, I think that’s the case. I’ll probably check it out at some point now that it’ll be available.

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts, one print and one early digital, but both yuri. The print is Our Teachers Are Dating! (Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei wa Tsukiatte iru), a Comic Yuri Hime title about a gym teacher and nurse who are in a relationship… and the school is rooting for them! This looks cute, though future covers suggest it will also be ecchi.

ASH: I’m more in the mood for cute than ecchi at the moment, but I’ll admit to being curious.

SEAN: The digital debut, from GL Novels (you can guess what GL stands for), is I’m in Love with the Villainess! (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou). As with many light novels recently, an OL dies and is reincarnated in an otome game. However, she’s the heroine. But she’s not interested in the guys… This looks fun, and I’ve been reliably informed is very well written.

Also out next week: Cosmo Familia 2, Gal Gohan 4, the 7th print volume of How a Realist Hero Rebuilds the Kingdom, the 2nd print volume of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, My Androgynous Boyfriend 2, My Senpai Is Annoying! 2, Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time 2, the 6th print volume of Reincarnated As a Sword, and the 8th and final volume of Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, which I have really loved from day one.

MICHELLE: Hooray for more My Androgynous Boyfriend!

ASH: I’m looking forward to reading more of that series, too!

SEAN: Tokyopop has a 2nd volume of Koimonogatari: Love Stories.

Vertical has the 1st volume of Weathering with You in print. Which I know I said 3 weeks ago, but this year has just been VERY BAD for release dates slipping.

There are a LOT of light novels from Yen due out next week. Including one debut, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita). “Slow Life” in Japanese loan word has become “Quiet Life” in English for these sorts of books, but the intent is the same: the heroes shun him, so he goes off to do basic boring tasks. I’ve heard good things about this.

Technically there is another debut, but it’s a sequel to a spinoff. Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Bonus Story moves the timeline forward a bit, but still has the premise of “Megumin and Yunyun have side adventures”, this time with Princess Iris along for the ride.

Other light novels: The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life 4, Baccano! 14, Combatants Will Be Dispatched! 4, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! 17, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) 4, A Mysterious Job Called Oda Nobunaga 2, Re: Zero EX 4, Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 3, and Torture Princess 5.

ASH: Wow, it really is a full week for the Yen ON imprint!

SEAN: Yen Press has three manga debuts. If Witch, Then Witch? (Majo Raba Majo Reba) is a Shonen Gangan title about a boy whose life is saved by a girl donating her blood. He wants to repay her anyway he can… and finds to do this, he has to dress as a witch and help her pass the magic exams. My expectations are low but not zero.

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: The second debut is King of Eden, a Korean horror manga that got a limited release a few years ago but is now out in a two-in one omnibus (it’s 4 volumes total, so the 2nd should finish it). Given it’s horror, it’s not my thing, but… Ash?

ASH: Well, now that it’s made its way to print, I may very well take a look!

SEAN: Lastly, we see the manga version of Last Round Arthurs, which I have described as “King Arthur meets Haruhi Suzumiya”.

We also see A Bride’s Story 12, The Elder Sister-Like One 4, Kakegurui Twin 7, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected 14 (manga version), Plunderer 5, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 11 (manga version), the 15th and final volume of Silver Spoon, Trinity Seven 21, and Yowamushi Pedal 15.

MICHELLE: Hooray for more YowaPeda!

ASH: Oh yes, and A Bride’s Story, too! And of course, Silver Spoon. Yen manga is where it’s at for me this week.

SEAN: Leaving aside Melinda (SILVER SPOOOOOOOOOOOOON!), what are you all getting next week?

ANNA: I’m going to use this week as a breather to catch up on all my unread manga!

MELINDA: Hey, I think I missed my cue. SILVER SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

SEAN: Mid-September, and, for once, quite a light week. We do have some very impressive debuts, though.

J-Novel Club has two new digital light novels. The first, and more sensible one, is Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party (Hazure Skill “Mapping” wo Te ni Shita Shounen wa Saikyou Party to Dungeon ni Idomu), a standard “my skill seems useless so everyone hates me but in reality it’s super overpowered” light novel. I’d planned on skipping this, but have been told it’s better than it sounds. We’ll see.

ASH: I mean, cartography is incredibly useful.

MELINDA: I kind of have a thing for maps, but I tend to NOT have a thing for light novels, so???

SEAN: The next one I am absolutely not skipping. This may be the most ridiculous license we’ve ever seen. WATARU!!! The Hot-Blooded Fighting Teen & His Epic Adventures After Stopping a Truck with His Bare Hands!! (Truck Uketome Isekai Tensei! Nekketsu Butouha Koukousei Wataru!!) is a massive parody of isekai works where the hero gets hit by a truck and dies. Wataru does not die, though, he’s JUST THAT TOUGH. I am hoping this is as silly as it sounds.

MICHELLE: I am amused by the phrase “the hot-blooded fighting teen.”

ANNA: I hope this is as silly as you are expecting!

ASH: I am amused by the premise, at least!

MELINDA: I, too, am amused. Probably not reading this, but still amused.

SEAN: We also get Deathbound Duke’s Daughter 2 and the 3rd and final volume of The Extraordinary, the Ordinary and SOAP!.

Kodansha has some print debuts, both of which have appeared before digitally. Sayonara Football is from the creator of Farewell, My Dear Cramer (in fact, it may be an noutright prequel), and came out digitally around the time the author’s other series Your Lie in April was doing well. Now it has a print release.

MICHELLE: Yep, Sayonara, Football came first, which is something I didn’t know when my first reaction to Farewell, My Dear Cramer was basically, “Why did the mangaka introduce these two girls and then quickly start focusing on someone else instead?”

MELINDA: That sounds frustrating.

SEAN: Sue & Tai-chan is, of course, the new cat manga from the author of Chi’s Sweet Home.

Also in print: Eden’s Zero 9 and Witch Hat Atelier 6.

MICHELLE: I still need to read Sue & Tai-chan and Witch Hat Atelier.

ANNA: I love Witch Hat Atelier, excited for the print volume. The art is so fantastic.

ASH: It is an astonishingly beautiful series, both art-wise and story-wise.

MELINDA: I’m behind on everything, but I like both cats and witch hats, so I feel like I should be on board for these.

SEAN: There’s two digital debuts, but one has print coming 2 weeks later. Whisper Me a Love Song (Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau) is from Comic Yuri Hime, and looks quite sweet.

Digital-only for now is Heroine for Hire (Heroine Hajimemashita), a Dessert series about a very strong girl who becomes bodyguard for her high school classmate, who says he will make her “the most important girl in the world!”. Any title that has the heroine suplexing people is always on my watch list.

MICHELLE: I will check out both of these. Kodansha has a couple more of these “girl with a service job” series coming out over the next couple of weeks, but this one looks the most promising.

ANNA: I enjoy this type of dynamic in shoujo, I might overcome my usual resistance to digital shoujo and check it out.

ASH: Likewise.

MELINDA: Same.

SEAN: Also: Dolly Kill Kill 6, GE: Good Ending 9, Kakushigoto 7, Men’s Life 4, Orient 6, and Saint Young Men 8. Also, Something’s Wrong with Us 3, which will also get print in 2 weeks.

MICHELLE: This is the final volume for Men’s Life, also. I never hear much about Orient.

SEAN: Seven Seas is taking a break, they have one print release, which we’ve discussed when it came out digitally: Sazan and Comet Girl.

ASH: Now that it’s out in print, I’ll likely be checking it out!

SEAN: Digitally they have the 3rd volume of light novel Magic User: Reborn in Another World as a Max Level Wizard.

Udon has Persona 4 12, meaning it is as strong as three Persona 4s.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Viz has the debut of one of the most beloved manga classics, now getting a re-release with all the bells and whistles. And digitally as well! Maison Ikkoku is the story of a guy who didn’t quite make it into college and his attempts to live at an apartment complex filled with eccentrics… and a gorgeous apartment manager! I have… very mixed feelings about this series, but cannot deny it’s super loved by everyone who isn’t me. Love to see it get this release.

MICHELLE: I’m not surprised that it inspires mixed feelings. There were definitely things I found kind of annoying, but on the whole I love it anyway. I’ve reviewed all of it before, but I will at least do briefs for the re-release.

ANNA: I’m glad it is getting a re-release too.

ASH: I had just finished putting together a complete set of the out-of-print volumes when the new edition was announced. Still, I’m glad it’ll be more readily available for others again!

MELINDA: This is THRILLING. I suppose I also have mixed feelings about aspects of this manga, but in most ways I adore it. I was never able to compile a complete set for myself, so here’s my chance!

SEAN: Ping Pong also comes to an end with its second and final omnibus, speaking of super beloved series.

MICHELLE: I decided to wait for the second volume and read it straight through. I’m looking forward to it!

ANNA: Haven’t read the first volume yet, but I have it!

ASH: I am absolutely thrilled we finally got this series in English.

MELINDA: Like Michelle, I’m behind, but I can’t pretend it was on purpose. I must catch up and read them both together!

SEAN: And we also get 20th Century Boys Perfect Edition 9, BEASTARS 8, Hell’s Paradise Jigokuraku 4, Levius/Est 6, No Guns Life 7, and The Way of the Househusband 4.

MICHELLE: I am steadily falling farther and farther behind on BEASTARS. Sigh.

ANNA: Always delighted by another Way of the Househusband volume.

ASH: Ditto and ditto! I’ve also been meaning to read more of Hell’s Paradise, too.

SEAN: Is your life being destroyed by Yotsuya-san? Or are you buying manga?

SEAN: My computer rebooted while I was typing this up, so I am now typing it up again and mad.

MICHELLE: Ugh.

ASH: I have been there before and empathize.

MELINDA: Sadness.

SEAN: Cross Infinite World has Past Life Countess, Present Life Otome Game NPC?!, a reverse Bakarina where the fantasy world countess ends up reincarnated as a modern-day commoner girl in an otome game. She’s still stealing events from the heroine, though.

ASH: Huh, that’s an interesting variation.

SEAN: J-Novel Club debuts Black Summoner (Kuro no Shoukanshi), a 12+ volume novel that features a man who sacrificed his memories for more power. OP fans will like this.

The other debut is Holmes of Kyoto (Holmes at Kyoto Teramachi Sanjo), an antique-store oriented mystery that feels like the antidote to titles like Black Summoner. It’s a J-Novel Heart title, and is 15+ volumes in Japan.

ASH: That sounds like it could be fun!

SEAN: There’s also a 3rd Cooking with Wild Game manga, a 3rd Demon Lord, Retry! manga, The Holy Knight’s Dark Road 3 and Seirei Gensouki 11.

Kodansha debuts in print the first Clover collector’s edition. They’ve also got I’m Standing on a Million Lives 7 and The Seven Deadly Sins 39 in print.

ASH: Clover is one of my favorite CLAMP works; I suspect I will be double-dipping for the fancy hardcover omnibus.

MELINDA: I may as well!

SEAN: Digitally the debut is We Must Never Fall in Love! (Zettai ni Tokimeite wa Ikenai!), a Dessert series from the author of The Walls Between Us. It’s… well, it’s stepsibling romance. Which Japan sure loves more than North America.

MICHELLE: I didn’t realize that, but I might give it a shot anyway at some point.

ANNA: Maybe…..

SEAN: Also out: Ace of the Diamond 28, Giant Killing 22, and Tokyo Revengers 17. Quiet week for Kodansha.

MICHELLE: I suppose comparatively it is a quiet week, but two of those titles are among my favorites, so I’m happy.

SEAN: One Peace has a 14th volume of The manga version of The Rising of the Shield Hero.

So much from Seven Seas. The print debut is BL novel Sarazanmai, which we’ve discussed before.

ASH: I’ve still not delved into Sarazanmai… I need to get on that!

SEAN: Who Says Warriors Can’t be Babes? (Onna Senshi tte Motenai desu ne!) is a fantasy comedy from Kodansha’s Palcy. A girl has a crush on the hero, so she trains to be a strong warrior. Sadly, she trained TOO hard, and now he doesn’t see her as a woman!

MICHELLE: One-punch woman?

ASH: Hmmm. I could see this premise going either in a direction that I would really like or in a direction that I really wouldn’t.

MELINDA: I’m. Hm.

SEAN: And we see the 2nd print volume of Adachi and Shimamura, The Dungeon of Black Company 5, Failed Princesses 2, Gal Gohan 4, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 2 (digital version), The Ideal Sponger Life 6, The Invincible Shovel 3 (digital version), the 2nd Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear manga, Monster Girl Doctor 6 in print, the 11th Mushoku Tensei manga, and Skeleton Knight in Another World 6.

Square Enix has a 2nd volume of Cherry Magic!.

MICHELLE: I liked the first volume more than I expected to, and look forward to the second!

ASH: Maybe I should give the series a try, then!

SEAN: SuBLime gives us Caste Heaven 3 and Therapy Game 2.

MICHELLE: Caste Heaven was not for me, but I did mostly enjoy Secret XXX, of which Therapy Game is a spinoff, so I should check that out too.

ASH: I’m surprisingly behind in my BL reading and already have some catching up to do.

SEAN: Tokyopop has the 6th omnibus volume of Aria the Masterpiece.

Vertical, in print, has the 5th APOSIMZ. Digitally, they have a 15th volume of Ajin: Demi-Human.

Viz debuts Fly Me to the Moon, a new romantic comedy series by the author of Hayate the Combat Butler. A young man meets a very strange, possibly alien girl, and they get married almost immediately. What happens after that? And who the heck is she? This is getting an anime soon.

MELINDA: Maybe?

SEAN: Also out from Viz: Pokemon Sun & Moon 8, Rin-Ne 35, Splatoon 10, and YO-KAI WATCH 15.

Are you a reincarnated countess? A lovestruck warrior? A possible space alien? What manga are you buying?

SEAN: It’s always September, somewhere in Manga Land! What do we have for you this first week of the month?

Cross Infinite World has a 2nd volume of Beast Blood.

Denpa snuck out a release last week, though apparently the print comes a bit later. The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes (Sanpakugan-chan wa Tsutaetai) is a Gangan Pixiv manga about a girl with “mean eyes” and her travails. Our own Kate Dacey reviewed it here.

ASH: Thanks for the review, Kate! I’ve been curious about this one.

MELINDA: I have, too!

SEAN: No debuts for J-Novel Club this week, but a whooooole lotta other stuff. In print, we get An Archdemon’s Dilemma 7, the first Ascendance of a Bookworm manga (I guess that’s a debut), Infinite Dendrogram 8, My Next Life As a Villainess 3 and Sexiled 2.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying the Bookworm novels, so maybe I should give the manga a try, too. As for the second volume of Sexiled, I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on it.

SEAN: Digitally, there’s By the Grace of the Gods 4, Full Metal Panic! 8, The Greatest Magicmaster’s Retirement Plan 6, Kokoro Connect 10, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar 12, The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 6, and A Very Fairy Apartment 4.

Kodansha has some print for us. Knight of the Ice 3, L*DK 15, Living-Room Matsunaga-san 4, The Quintessential Quintuplets 10, Saint Young Men 3, To Your Eternity 12, and Waiting for Spring 13.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading several of those, and am especially eager for more Knight of the Ice.

ASH: Oh! It’s a good Kodansha week for me, too!

MELINDA: I need to catch up with both Knight of the Ice and Saint Young Men.

ANNA: Glad for the reminder about Knight of the Ice, I’m already behind!

SEAN: There’s also digital. The debut is That Time I Got Reincarnated (Again!) as a Workaholic Slime (Tensei Shite Mo Shashiku Datta Kudan), another spinoff of that popular series. This one is only 2 volumes long.

And we get All-Rounder Meguru 16, Cells at Work: Bacteria 3, My Boss’s Kitten 6, Smile Down the Runway 13, Stellar Witch LIP☆S 2, To Be Next to You 9, and Yuri Is My Job! 6. (The last will have print later, I imagine.)

MICHELLE: I’ve been getting caught up on To Be Next to You and liking it a lot.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts Cube Arts, a “gamer invited to beta test a game that is more than it seems” story. It ran in Shinchocha’s Comic Bunch.

Digitally there is a light novel debut: ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!. A much requested yuri light novel title, this apparently starts off very dark (expect slavery), but has good buzz.

ASH: Hmmm, a yuri light novel could be intriguing.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has, in print, Makeup is Not (Just) Magic: A Manga Guide to Cosmetics and Skin Care, as well as the 3rd Arifureta: I Heart Isekai and My Monster Secret 21.

ASH: I’d actually like to give Makeup is Not (Just) Magic a read.

SEAN: Square Enix gives us a 2nd volume of My Dress-Up Darling.

ASH: Whoops, I haven’t actually read the first volume yet, so I’ve already fallen behind.

MELINDA: Oops, same!

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Ossan Idol! (Ossan (36) ga Idol ni naru Hanashi), an adaptation of a novel that runs in Comic Pash!. A Middle-Aged Man, bullied most of his life, turns his life around and gets buff, cool and handsome… but is unaware of this. Now he’s been scouted. This looks pretty fun.

Vertical has two debuts. The first we saw a digital release of earlier, but now the Weathering With You manga gets a print release.

MELINDA: I didn’t read this in digital, but I enjoyed the movie and I tend to like manga adaptations of Shinkai’s work, so I really should check it out.

SEAN: The other one, With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun (Inu to Neko Docchi mo Katteru to Mainichi Tanoshii) is definitely for animal lovers. Expect “indie” art styles, too.

MICHELLE: Definitely checking this one out.

MELINDA: Okay, want.

SEAN: The rest is Viz, mostly. No debuts, but lots to look at. For shoujo stuff, we get Daytime Shooting Star 8, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits 6, Love Me Love Me Not 4, Not Your Idol 2 (not a final volume, but the series is on hiatus in Japan after this), Skip Beat! 44, and Snow White with the Red Hair 9.

MICHELLE: I intend to read every single one of these, sooner or later. I didn’t realize that about Not Your Idol, though. That kind of stinks.

ASH: It’s a good shoujo week! I thought the first volume of Not Your Idol was excellent, so at this point I plan on reading the rest whenever it may be released.

MELINDA: Yes, same for me. Apparently my role in this week’s column is to point to whatever Ash says and repeat, “same.”

ANNA: It is a great week for shoujo! I’m sort of glad I didn’t read the first vol of Not Your Idol if it is on hiatus. I’m also especially happy to see a new volume of Skip Beat!

SEAN: On the shonen end, we get Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 16, Dr. STONE 13, Dragon Ball Super 10, Haikyu!! 40, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 16, One Piece: Ace’s Story 2 (final volume, and also a novel), and SPY x FAMILY 2.

MICHELLE: My love for Haikyu!! is pretty well documented at this point, so I will instead squee about how cute and great SPY x FAMILY is.

ASH: Likewise! Those are the two series from this batch which are getting most of my love this week.

ANNA: Nice, I need to read more SPY x FAMILY

SEAN: Lastly, Yen On had one August title skitter all the way into September: the 9th So I’m a Spider, So What? novel.

Which of these make the best titles to hide in your textbook while class is going on?