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Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 3/9/22

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SEAN: We’re hitting March proper now, so watch out for winds.

ASH: Sound advice.

SEAN: We start with Airship, which has print releases for Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 4 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 5.

For early digital, they debut Survival in Another World with My Mistress! (Goshujin-sama to Yuku Isekai Survival!). A young man wakes up in a dark forest, finds he can gain resources via a video game menu only he can access, and ends up being protected by a dark elf who says he’s her property. Oof.

We also see the 3rd and final volume of The NPCs in this Village Sim Game Must Be Real!.

Cross Infinite World has another light novel debut with Reflection of Another World (Yugami no Kuni Monogatari). A girl is pulled through a magic mirror into a fantasy world where her plain jane looks are admired and the handsome man she meets is seen as abhorrent.

Dark Horse has a 10th deluxe hardcover for Berserk.

ASH: Glad to see these being released so regularly.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us Do You Like Big Girls? 3, Parallel Paradise 9, and Sundome!! Milky Way 3.

J-Novel Club has a light novel debut with Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home! (Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu: Boukenchuu no Kasei Fugyou Uketamawarimasu!). We’ve got another Japanese OL who finds herself teleported to a fantasy world. 4 years later, she’s a ‘housekeeping mage’ – and a top adventurer! But can she find romance?

And they also have Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness 3, Goodbye Otherworld, See You Tomorrow 2 and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 2.

Kodansha, in print, gives us Grand Blue Dreaming 15 and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 4.

ASH: I’ve fallen far behind on the former, but I’m more interested in starting the latter.

SEAN: Kodansha didn’t announce March digital releases till this week, so I missed being able to tell you about two titles already out: Having an Idol-Loving Boyfriend Is the Best! (Otatomo ga Kareshi ni Nattara Saikou Kamo Shirenai) is the first. This shoujo series from Palcy is about a girl who loves to fangirl about idols with her best male friend. Then… said friend confesses to her! The author also did Yen Press’s School of Horns.

They’ve also got, already out, Twilight Out of Focus (Tasogare Outfocus), a BL title from Honey Milk about two roommates who have rules not to fall for each other or get in the way of each other’s dalliances… but can that hold up?

MICHELLE: This one looks like it could be good.

SEAN: Kodansha’s first digital debut next week is Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms (Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsuujinai), a Weekly Shonen Magazine series about a monk-in-training who can’t have a relationship with anyone… but that’s not stopping the school’s top girl from trying!

They also have Apple Children of Aeon (Sennen Mannen Ringo no Ko), a josei title from Itan which may be of most interest to the Manga Bookshelf crew. A man who marries an apple farmer and moves to her town sees a mysterious apple one day that changes his life. This has won awards.

ANNA: I’m curious about this for sure.

ASH: Yup! Same.

SEAN: Also digital next week: Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 8, Ace of the Diamond 36, Guilty 9, Lightning and Romance 2, My Darling, the Company President 4, Peach Boy Riverside 10, Police in a Pod 10, and Vampire Dormitory 8.

MICHELLE: I really, really need to get caught up with Ace of the Diamond.

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts. The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Housekishou Richard-Shi no Nazo Kantei), a josei title from Comic Zero-Sum, a mystery series based on a just-licensed novel that got an anime recently. A college student rescues a man who turns out to be a jeweler. Adventures ensue.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: I’ve heard great things; I’m excited to read it.

SEAN: The other debut is The Girl in the Arcade (Gesen no Kanojo), a Shonen Ace Plus series about a nebbish guy who works at an arcade and the hot girl who needs his help to beat one of the games… and also asks him out?

We also see Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 4, The Kingdoms of Ruin 4, and Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn 15.

SuBLime has Black or White 2, but more importantly they have Dick Fight Island 2!

ASH: The first volume of Dick Fight Island was absolutely ridiculous, but in a good way, actually?

SEAN: Viz Media has Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2, Fly Me to the Moon 10, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End 3, Kirby Manga Mania 4, MAO 4, and Pokémon Journeys 2. That’s a weird tie-ins to normal manga ratio.

Yen On has King of the Labyrinth 3.

Lastly, Yen Press debuts New York, New York, a BL manga from Hana to Yume back in the pre-Fruits Basket days when it was a lot darker and gayer. A police officer keeps the fact that he’s gay very well hidden… but when he falls in love with a man with a troubled past, will he be able to keep things at arm’s length? This is an omnibus of the first two volumes.

MICHELLE: Looking forward to this, as well! A good week.

ANNA: I’m intrigued.

ASH: I’ve got my eyes out for this one, for sure.

SEAN: And Yen Press has Delicious in Dungeon 10, Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods 9, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 3, and Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 0 (the volume number is deliberate).

ASH: Huzzah, more Delicious in Dungeon! And more Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, even if I still have a backlog.

SEAN: There’s actually quite a variety there. What are you interested in?

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 2

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By Sarasa Nagase and Mai Murasaki. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijo Nanode Rasubosu o Katte Mimashita” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel.

Given the sheer number of villainess novels and other similar “this is the same world as the game I played!” scenarios, it’s surprising that we’ve had so many of the protagonists accept that this is their new reality. Admittedly, VR technology has not gotten to the point where this sort of thing could be faked well, but “I’m dreaming” is probably a valid response. Of course, the main reason that we don’t see this too often is that if you think that you’re just inside some game world, you start to think of the world as not having real people but ‘target characters’, and that death is irrelevant because you can restart and they’ll all be alive again. That’s not true in these books, and the villainesses usually know it. But this is one of those ‘good villainess = evil heroine’ books, so it should come as no surprise that, when the heroine gets her OWN memories of Japan back at the start of this volume, she decides to send things off the rails.

Having successfully avoided her doom, Aileen is safe within the demon lord’s domain. Unfortunately, the game she played back in Japan had a sequel, which she also played. New heroine, new love interests, new bad guy. And now it seems someone is trying to make events in that game happen, which will be very bad news for the demons in this world. To try to prevent this, Claude is going to the duchy of Mirchetta to investigate. Aileen is told to stay behind. A ha. A ha ha ha. Disguising herself as a boy, she infiltrates the academy where the second game took place, then inveigles herself onto the student council and establish a guard unit to protect the students (mostly from each other). But investigating is going to be a little hard when her fiancee is the school principal. A clever disguise is needed. Or, failing that, the most bizarre disguise ever.

This book is more well-written than a lot of the villainess novels I’ve seen, and you really find yourself drawn in – I can see why an anime is coming. Aileen is a combination of clever and too-clever-by-half, and she gets a new cast of characters in the student council, who are all fun types. Given that the second game had a different heroine and a different villainess (though it takes place in the same world), it’s no surprise that Aileen quickly makes friends with said villainess, who turns out to be a sweetie pie with poor self-esteem, as you’d expect. This doesn’t really break new ground – mind controlling drugs as the main threat has been seen before, and the evil church being behind it surprises no one – but it’s fun to read, and Aileen is a hoot. If I had a complaint it’s that we only see one picture of her in her masterful disguise. More art was needed.

The end of this book established that we’re going to be seeing evil heroine vs. good villainess for some time to come, so it’s a good thing this is ongoing. Even if you’re tired of villainess books, this is worth the read.

So You Want to Live the Slow Life?: A Guide to Life in the Beastly Wilds, Vol. 1

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By Fuurou and Yuki Nekozuki. Released in Japan as “Shishi Kamori de Slow Life” on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Andrew Attwell.

If you do want to read slow life books, you’re going to have to put up with the slow life. And that can sometimes be hard. I have a few slow life books I’ve had to drop simply because the everyday descriptions of their slow life were putting me to sleep. On the other hand, if you can come up with a good plot and characters, you can usually hook your reader enough that they will put up with your slow life anyway. That’s exactly what we get here. I have to tell you, there is a lot of food preserving in this book. A whole lot. Honestly, the book should have been titled “So you want to preserve food?”. And, having peeked at the webnovel itself, that is absolutely never going away. That said… likeable leads who are both adults, good worldbuilding in terms of how this sort of thing would work, and an occasional action scene. I enjoyed it.

Our main character is Mikura, who is decidedly NOT hit by a truck and does not end up in any sort of fantasy world. That’s because it’s already come here. There is a massive forest in Japan called the Beastly Wilds, host to Beastpeople. Grownups look like humans with animals ears and tails, but the kids look like animals wearing clothes. There are all sorts of rules and regulations about going into this forest at all. And Mikura’s great-grandfather had a house here, where he paid the beast people to tend to the chestnut and walnut trees and sat around preserving food as a hobby. Now that he’s passed away, Mikura decides to quit his fast-track office job and follow in his footsteps. Of course, there’s a bit more to it than just moving in… for one thing, he’ll need to deal with the locals.

I’ll be honest here, the best thing in the book by a mile is the main female lead, Techi. She’s essentially a grade school teacher/foreman/minder for all the kids who are working on Mikura’s farm (and there is a welcome discussion of child labor laws and how they apply to beastmen who essentially get a lot less agile as they get more human), and she takes a while to warm up to Mikura… or anyone, really. She is what I would call a ‘lovable grump’ and Her basic expression most of the time is :| or variations on it. Seeing her slowly start to fall for Mikura is the highlight of the book, even as she’s also helping him acclimate to this new situation and fighting off crooked chestnut dealers who want to use the beastfolk for their own ends. The first half of the book is all plot, for the most part, and I loved it. The second half is about 1/3 plot, 2/3 recipes, and I felt like I was googling ‘pancetta’ and having to read someone’s life story before I got to the recipe.

Despite that, and the risk of future volumes being worse, I really loved the lead couple, even if they aren’t a couple yet. (He sensibly sees her flirtation as more of a fascination with romance than him specifically, though I’ve no doubt that will change.). If you’re a cook, this is a must read. to everyone else, recommended if you like relaxed isekais or chipmunks.

Bookshelf Briefs 3/1/22

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Hello, Melancholic!, Vol. 1 | By Yayoi Ohsawa | Seven Seas – Minato Asano is great at playing the trombone, but ostracization in junior high has rendered her timid and terrified of offending people or asserting herself. She can’t give up on music, though, so she uses her exceptionally good ear to just blend in with whatever others are doing. Hibiki Sugawa persistently recruits Minato for the school band she’s been working to reinstate, and though her pushy tactics are a bit much, she’s genuinely compelled to help Minato enjoy music again. This is a yuri series but it’s taking its time, which I appreciate. The most pivotal moments are when Minato can’t stand to see Hibiki enraptured by the skills of another girl and when she alone can detect subtle differences in Hibiki’s playing that reveal she’s been hiding an injury. I really enjoyed this first volume and these characters, and look forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 1 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship – The premise and the imprint for this book made me go in expecting the worst, but this turned out to actually be really great. I assume the Ghost Ship content is in future books, as there’s not much naughtiness here. Our male lead is a thoughtful, kind and loving young man, who tries his best to have multiple girlfriends without pissing them off or prioritizing any of them. The girls are all types, but work well together. And the series leans hard on the fourth wall, making references to it being a manga. I assume as we get more girls involved things will go off the rails, but in this book there’s only three, and I quite liked it. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 17 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – This is the one, folks. Most fans of the series regard this volume as the high point of the entire series. It’s easy to see why. For one thing, Komi speaks—really speaks—more in this volume than the previous sixteen combined. And there’s a good reason for that, as Manbagi, her best friend, is trying to throw herself and her love for Tadano under the bus so that Komi can be happy. But it doesn’t work that way, and it requires all of Komi’s newfound communication skills to convey this to her. You will cry, you will also laugh, and you will see Tadano in drag an awful lot. So yes, the love triangle is now official, and sure, we all know Manbagi is doomed, but damn, it doesn’t matter, because this is so sweet and heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 2 | By Fujimomo | Kodansha Comics – “Cute shoujo manga continues to be cute” isn’t the most surprising assessment, but Lovesick Ellie continues to build on the slightly off-kilter relationship dynamics of the first volume as the teenage protagonists miss the last bus away from the school festival only to end up in close proximity to (what else?) a love hotel, which is the perfect setup for Eriko to engage in more of her thirsty fantasies about Ohmi. Ohmi’s old friend Aoba keeps popping up in this volume which prompts her to wonder, “Am I in a hottie sandwich?” While the premise of the manga is plenty goofy, Eriko’s insistence on getting to know the real Ohmi shows that she’s starting to be able to navigate relationships in the real world despite her first reactions to most situations being firmly rooted in fantasy. Lovesick Ellie provides a refreshing spin on shoujo romance. – Anna N

The Mermaid and the Prince | By Tada Yumi | Glacier Bay Books – Though not a strict retelling of The Little Mermaid, Tada Yumi’s short manga The Mermaid and the Prince does take clear inspiration from that classic fairy tale. What’s immediately most striking about the manga is its artwork, the full-color illustrations with their gentle hues and soft lines. (Other examples of Tada Yumi’s luscious, languid artwork are included in a small illustration gallery at the end of the volume.) Narrative-wise, the plot is less important than the overall mood and atmosphere of the manga. Tada Yumi creates a beautiful, dream-like story that is intimately melancholic and tragically romantic, but that is also not without moments of humor. The mermaid declaring “what a useless fellow” in exasperation while aiding the shipwrecked prince in particular brought me great delight. (Also, she’s not wrong.) The Mermaid and the Prince is a lovely manga; I hope to see more of Tada Yumi’s work released in English. – Ash Brown

Murcielago, Vol. 18 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – The previous volume, despite being filled with violence, was fairly light and fluffy. This is not. The main story involves Noel, a young girl arriving at the classroom of child killer (trying to do better) Rinko, who wonders why the girl seems so familiar, then realizes that he literally murdered Noel’s father. This leads to her having a breakdown and running off. Unfortunately, that’s NOT the darkest part of this book, which also features Noel getting kidnapped by a man who wants to make her into his new daughter. This is portrayed without the usual goofy parts of the manga that offset its morbid moments. As such, it’s merely terrifying and awful. And, of course, we now have to wait to see how it’s resolved—cliffhanger! – Sean Gaffney

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 2 | By Wataru Hinekure and Aruko | VIZ Media – For those who liked the first volume of this series, the second volume delivers more of the same, with further mix-ups in the developing love quadrangle that is sure to prompt plenty of ongoing misunderstandings. As the volume opens Aoki, Ida, Aida, and Hashimoto decide to have a study session together which provides plenty of opportunities for anguished teen internal monologues due to the close proximity of all the characters. Aruko continues to be a great comedic artist. While little can match the hilarity of the sight gags in My Love Story!!, Aoki’s over-the-top reactions and expressions as he announces that he’s going to exile himself to a lonely mountaintop only to take refuge on a jungle gym were a highlight of this volume. While the reader might need a complex diagram to document all the misunderstandings and awkward moments in this volume, all of the romantic drama is unfolding with a group of friends who are genuinely supportive and understanding of each other, which makes this series both wholesome and extremely funny. – Anna N

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 14 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – This volume might best be read with the one after it, as it’s very much ‘the big finale.’ That said, as you might guess, this is all the bad stuff happening to people volume. Our king is outed as—gasp!—partly human, and Set is taking advantage of this to start up his own kingdom where the haves and the have-nots know their place. Fortunately, Sariphi is a complete badass, and has spent most of the series slowly winning over strong allies, so she has the support of most of the regular cast. Unfortunately, that may not be enough right now, especially as the King himself is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. Can’t wait to see how this ends next time. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 17 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – This really is not Mitsuhide’s arc, though he is taking the attempt to frame him for multiple murders with far more aplomb than is in fact deserved. Indeed, he, Kiki and Zen seem to have all of this pretty well in hand, though it feels a lot like the ‘calm rage’ you tend to see in such characters. As for Tariga and Tsuruba, well, unsurprisingly they’re the focus of this arc, and we get a few explanations why they are the way they are and why they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s all quite tense. As for Shirayuki, she does appear a bit, but for the most part she’s absent here—even Obi, now returned to Zen’s side, gets more to do here. This is up there with Yona of the Dawn as one of Shojo Beat’s best. – Sean Gaffney

Species Domain, Vol. 12 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – The final volume wraps everything up in a nice bow while also going in directions I did not remotely anticipate, such as having a massive flying tree city be where our epilogue takes place. As you’d expect with a series like this, most of the main couples get together, there’s some marriages and children, and everything has worked out for the best. I also enjoyed seeing how magic and science have finally managed to understand each other and work together, though magic honestly has the advantage here. This was one of my favorite quiet yet fun comedies of recent years, and while it sagged a bit near the end, I’m happy to see it had a solid ending. I’ll miss it. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 13 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – This series continues to do what it does best, which is make any situation between our lead couple adorable. Nishikata tries to sense Takagi’s presence, fails at making a wish due to modern road construction, tries to guess the prince of Takagi’s school supplies, goes back to retrieve something after school and is horrified to find only couples hang out then, finds out at the beach that he’s unable to lip read from a distance very well, fails to be a star pitcher during cleanup time, etc. The cutest is probably the rock/paper/scissors match where she gets away with kissing his forehead as she knows he’ll never admit to it having happened. Honestly, Takagi has the patience of a saint. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Koi and Dragons

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MICHELLE: My pick this week is Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love for the very simple reason that I almost always adore manga from Margaret and its offshoots.

SEAN: I’m not sure if it will be my thing or not, but it feels like the right decision to make Dragon Quest my pick this week. We need more titles that remind you an 80s/90s hit can still come out even 30 years later.

ANNA: I’m not going to turn down the opportunity to pick a new shoujo series, Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love is my pick too!

MJ: Okay, I feel like I genuinely have no opinion worth sharing this week, so I’m just going to follow the herd and go with Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love? Where Michelle goes, I go also?

ASH: That’s where I’m going this week, too! Although Dragon Quest certainly has my attention, the debut that has my heart this week is Ima Koi.

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~, Vol. 18

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By Tappei Nagatsuki and Shinichirou Otsuka. Released in Japan by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

I always enjoy the books in this series that are more about rallying around the flag. The author in the afterword says that the series is always remembered for all the death and gore and terrible things, but that the hope and turning things around is just as important, and I agree with them. It does help that the plotline I was most worried about, Emilia being kidnapped, was handled in the best possible way. Certainly her would-be husband is a loathsome and terrible man, but she still manages to have agency, gaining valuable information and passing it off to allies before returning to her forced wedding because escaping would mean Regulus would take it out on his other wives. That said, for a series filled with Best Girls there are an awful lot of them this book. Crusch is mostly at death’s door, but manages to rally Subaru; Anastasia proves when it comes to actual administration she’s by far the best Royal candidate; and Priscilla… well, Priscilla just IS.

After the disaster of the City Hall assault last time, our forces regroup. Ironically, City Hall is now theirs, but there’s lots of bad things happening. Subaru’s leg… and Crusch’s entire body… are cursed. Emilia is, as I said, kidnapped. Wilhelm has figured out that one of the villains who attacked them was in fact someone he knows very well; heck, even Reinhard had a terrible time, though it was offscreen. What’s more, after Lust ups the demands (she now wants the Book of Knowledge (seemingly burned), an artificial spirit (i.e. Beatrice) and Regulus and Emilia’s wedding to go forward (that last one is obviously his addition). This means that all the citizens of this city are a bit scared and angry and upset. Can someone manage to win them over with a dramatic speech? And is that someone really Subaru?

As I said above; my God Priscilla’s presence in this book is just amazing. She’d be the worst person to interact with ever in real life, but her arrogance, confidence and strength here are just what the doctor ordered; her berating Liliana until she gives in and agrees to help is a thing of beauty. I would love to read some Re: Zero from her point of view. Speaking of points of view, it’s very amusing to see how everyone in the room reacts – particularly Julius and Al – when Subaru casually tells everyone that he loves Emilia. He may constantly regard himself as just this guy getting by, always scared and wanting to run away, but to everyone else he’s a tower of strength and confidence, saying things no one else has the courage to. He is topped, perhaps, only by Otto, who continues to be Best Boy, and unfortunately because he is Best Boy has to face the cliffhanger ending on his own.

The next book will be the counterattack against all the archbishops, and it promises to be a combat filled melee. Till then, enjoy a Re: Zero with no return by death by a whole lot of heartwarming moments.

86 –Eighty-Six–, Vol. 9: Valkyrie Has Landed

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By Asato Asato and Shirabii. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Roman Lempert.

There is an awful lot going on in this volume of 86, but we have to start by talking about Kurena, who pretty much owns this book. When we last saw her at the end of Book 8, she was in a very bad place, her screw-up having cost lives, and throughout this book we see her fragile psyche try to recover from it. She’s grasping for a renewed purpose, which for the most part in previous books has been “Shin”, but now that she’s finally acknowledged that he’s in love with Lena she needs something else. It could be the war – after all, getting back her mojo and becoming the best sniper of all the 86 is certainly something that would be an excellent goal for this book. But, as she realizes to her growing horror, having something war-related as a goal is not cutting it anymore. It’s not what the others are doing. They’re all trying to END the war, to find a future that does not involve constantly fighting the Legion. And I’m gonna be honest, that nearly breaks her.

Our core unit that we’ve known since the first book is now down a member, as Theo is forced to retire from military service, something that he tries to cope with over the course of the book. As for the rest of the group, they’re all headed to The Holy Theocracy of Noiryanaruse, a country whose religion and military needs have combined in a disturbing way, and whose general is an odd mix of high priestess and idol singer. Several countries are sending units to try to take care of the Noctiluca, the Legion’s main weapon from the previous book, which has settled in a ruined and ash-filled area of the Theocracy. The battle will be tricky. The ash turns out to be very hard to navigate in, the entire plan hinges on a sniper who’s having a crisis of faith, and, most importantly, when you combine several countries to try to achieve a task, they may not always be on the same page – or even in the same book.

As usual, the bulk of the back half of this book consists of a large battle, which I can’t really review except to say “hey, nice combat, 5 stars!”. So I’ll go back to 86’s core theme, which is that war is terrible, the idea of “constant war” is an easy one to slip into, and that to prevent that everyone needs SOMETHING that they can think of doing when this war finally ends – because otherwise it never will. Shin has Lena, Anju has Dustin, Raiden… will be getting a book to himself soon, I expect, and this entire book is about Kurena’s journey to find a purpose in life. As for Theo, while I doubt we’ve seen the last of him, I suspect we’re going to see him about as often as we do Annette (who does show up here to rally his morale). His future is not in battle, much to his dismay. As for the war itself, our heroes are faced with actually having to fight soldiers who are not Legion… and they hate it.

This feels like we’re headed towards a grand finale, but we’re not there yet. Nevertheless, this is a fine entry in a very fine series.

Prison Life Is Easy for a Villainess, Vol. 1

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By Hibiki Yamazaki and Tetsuhiro Nabeshima. Released in Japan as “Konyaku Haki kara Hajimaru Akuyaku Reijou no Kangoku Slow Life” by Enterbrain. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

We’ve seen enough villainess stories by now that we’re used to the subgenres and deconstructions. We’ve seen ditzy villainesses, crafty villainesses, fleeing villainesses, and depressed villainesses. We’ve seen women who are aghast at how the relationships have changed around them, and other women who have no idea that they’ve become a beloved and cherished young lady. That said, for the most part even the most excessive of the villainess books has had a similar theme, which is “I am a villainess and I want to stop being one”. But what if our heroine is in fact a terrible person? What if she has not awoken to her past memories but simply been holding back her true self naturally? What if the world she lives in is, in fact, a cartoon? This novel is here to answer those questions. If you’ve been dying for some gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing, Rachel Ferguson is here for you. Even if she’s also behind bars.

Despite the villainess tag, there’s no past life from Japan or otome game hijinks here; it just describes our protagonist. Rachel is the duke’s daughter and the fiancee of the prince… however, he accuses her of bullying his new love, Margaret, and (as the King and Queen are conveniently away) tosses her into a cell. A… strangely full cell. What are all those packing crates doing there? Why is Rachel sitting on a chair eating canned food and sipping wine? Why does she have a COUCH? Most of all, why is she not sobbing and begging for mercy? Unfortunately for Prince Elliott, it turns out that Rachel’s somewhat detached, doll-like demeanor was hiding her true self… which everyone but him (and the other men Margaret is manipulating) seems to know about. And now that the beast has been let loose, Rachel is going to destroy him. Peacefully. While enjoying her prison life.

As noted, this book works best if you think of it as a cartoon, with Rachel as Bugs Bunny and Elliott as Yosemite Sam. The main reason for this is that if you try to find sympathy for any of these people, the story will collapse. The author wants the reader to be delighted at Rachel torturing people for her own amusement. Fortunately, for the most part, I am. Rachel is a bitchy delight. Elliott is the perfect dumb clown villain the book needs (it would not work with anyone smart of likeable). Oddly, Margaret, the commoner-turned-baroness’ daughter who started all this, ends up coming off as oddly cute, possibly as she’s clearly meant to be an innocent teenage brat rather than a scheming vixen. The book expands a lot on the original webnovel, and the author freely admits in the afterword that when you have a scene that doesn’t star Rachel in prison, it’s new to the light novel. These scenes don’t work quite as well, but they’re also fine.

If the idea of a woman casually destroying her idiotic fiancee over the course of 240 pages makes you go “hrm, not sure”, I’d avoid this book. If, like me, it makes you say “OH GOD, YES PLEASE”, then this will delight you. Also, the next volume is the last, so Rachel won’t wear out her welcome.

Manga the Week of 3/2/22

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SEAN: Our long nightmare, aka February, is over. What does March bring us?

Yes Press is mostly off this week, but we get two titles: I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 3 and To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 4.

Two debuts from Viz Media, one for each of their main imprints. Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (Dragon Quest – Dai no Daibouken) is the classic 1989 manga from the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump! It’ll be coming out here in omnibus form, 2-in-1. It’s one of the biggest manga ever. Its authors later did Beet the Vandel Buster. The plot? Boy has adventures.

ASH: Always glad to see more classic manga being released!

ANNA: Nice!

SEAN: The Shojo Beat title is Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love (Ima, Koi Wo Shite Imasu), a Betsuma series that features yet another guy who seems to be scary but is actually really nice. The author is best known for Wolf Girl and Black Prince, which has not been licensed, alas.

MICHELLE: I tend to like those sorts of stories, so I’m down for this.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Surprising no one, me too.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Mashle: Magic and Muscles 5, My Hero Academia 30, the 14th and final volume (thank God) of Platinum End, Rosen Blood 2, Undead Unluck 6, World Trigger 23, and Yakuza Lover 4.

ASH: I didn’t get very far with Platinum End.

ANNA: I think I lasted for a couple volumes.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts Classroom of the Elite (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e), based on the light novel, which runs in my nemesis, Comic Alive. Kiyotaka is entering a prestigious high school known for educating the children of the future. Unfortunately, he ends up in Class D, which is where the rejects go to get ridiculed and vanish from society forever. Unfortunately for the school, there’s a lot more to Kiyotaka than it seems.

Also from Seven Seas: DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level 3, I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! 3, The Invincible Shovel 3, My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer 2, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 5, Sorry for My Familiar 9, and A White Rose in Bloom 2.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to A White Rose in Bloom.

ASH: As am I. I really love Asumiko Nakamura’s manga.

SEAN: One Peace Books has a 14th volume of Hinamatsuri.

ASH: I’ve fallen behind, but I’ve gotten a kick out of what I’ve read so far.

SEAN: Kodansha, in print, has Beyond the Clouds 4, Chasing After Aoi Koshiba 3, Love and Lies 11, Saint Young Men 8, and Yuri Is My Job! 8.

ASH: I’m still here for Saint Young Men, as usual.

SEAN: Digitally, the debut is… not announced yet, so will have to wait.

Also digitally: A Couple of Cuckoos 6, Girlfriend, Girlfriend 8, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 21, My Master Has No Tail 4, the 22nd and final volume of Smile Down the Runway, and We’re New at This 10.

J-Novel Club debuts Magic Knight of the Old Ways (Furuki Okite no Mahou Kishi), a story of knights and kings that also has to deal with the fact that its leads are named Sid and Alvin, which makes me worry this will become Carry On Magic Knights.

J-Novel Club also has some digital manga releases as we see Bibliophile Princess 5, The Emperor’s Lady-in-Waiting Is Wanted as a Bride 3, Infinite Dendrogram 9, and Marginal Operation 12.

Ghost Ship has new volumes. We get Does a Hot Elf Live Next Door to You? 3 and Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams! 2.

Cross Infinite World debuts So You Want to Live the Slow Life? A Guide to Life in the Beastly Wilds (Shishi Kamori de Slow Life), a bit of a reverse isekai. Our hero stays in Japan, and inherits his grandfather’s estate. Unfortunately, his estate is in the Beastly Wilds, a section of forest off-limits to humans… as it’s filled with beastmen! That said, it’s a slow life book, so don’t expect battles.

ASH: Could possibly be an interesting isekai inversion.

SEAN: In print, Airship has Berserk of Gluttony 5 and The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 6.

And in early digital, they have a debut: The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior (Higeki no Genkyou tonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu). You know the drill. Reincarnated in an otome game as the villainess. Tries to be a good person instead. Does it a little TOO well.

Anything catch your fancy?

Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Vol. 5

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By Zappon and Yasumo. Released in Japan as “Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasaretanode, Henkyou de Slow Life Surukoto ni Shimashita” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

Sometimes you just can’t balance a book so that the coolest, most exciting stuff happens at the climax. Oh sure, you do your best. There’s an insurmountable monster that has never been killed before, that can easily take on the magic of your two strongest characters. Good stuff, everyone has to work together to achieve victory, lots of near death experiences, etc. But then the readers get to the book and no one is talking about that. They’re all saying “Did you see the part where the tiny spider rides to the rescue on a horse? Because that is a thing that happened.” I’m not even sure how you could top that in future books. The victim being saved is even a former bad guy, and so there’s a “we’re friends now, bond between brothers” scene. Again, one of the characters in that scene is a small spider. Mr. Crawly Wawly is the real hero here.

As you can see by the cover, this book reunited Red and Rit with Yarandrala, the high elf who helped the hero’s party for a time and also had some romantic ship tease, though she is quite accepting of their relationship. In fact, she’s there to invite both of them, as well as Ruti, to come live with her in the elf kingdom… because humans will betray your trust. Yeah, she’s still not over the whole “banished from the hero’s party” thing. As for Red, he wants to get the perfect gem for Rit’s engagement ring, but that involves a long journey to the land of giants, which may not even work out. Still, it’ll be fine. Rit is with him. And Ruti. Oh, and his dwarf friend. And the former mayor of the city, who happens to be a mage. And then Yarandrala shows up with Tisse, Godwin, and Mr. Crawly Wawly. This party is even bigger than the Hero’s Party!

Despite the action sequences, this book is trying its best to be a bit more slow life than the previous one. Ruti is still trying to search for a purpose in life (yay!) and also wants to become lovers with her brother (boo). Fortunately, Red has enough common sense that I’m sure this will go nowhere. Red and Rit are by now sickening everyone they come across with their flirting, even if they’re unaware of it. There’s even time for a visit to a natural hot spring, and the whole book ends with a citywide festival. That said, there are hints that we’re starting to set up for a second arc, as the epilogue has assassins in town, and we also get a long prologue reminding us of the large number of other kingdoms that are also trying to defeat the demon lord. Ruti may be adventuring only when she wants to for now, but can she keep that up?

Overall, good book, and those who watched the anime can start here. Long live Mr. Crawly Wawly.

My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World, Vol. 1

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By Tamamaru and Kinta. Released in Japan as “Kajiya de Hajimeru Isekai Slow Life” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Linda Liu.

Obviously one should not read too much into the life of the author from the work they are writing. But sometimes it can be pretty easy to see that the creator is a little bit older than most light novel creators. Especially these days, where Truck-kun has been going after beleaguered office workers rather than shut-in high school NEETs. There’s a lack of gaming terminology and dungeon crawling. The harem, if there is one (there usually is) tends to be more familial than horny, at least on the part of the lead. And, of course, despite having super amazing powers and the ability to save the world, our protagonist wants to do nothing but relax and putter around the house doing what they love best. This is all very well and good. In this book, it turns out what the protagonist (and the author) love best is DIY. You will be reading about making swords and knives. You will be reading about building additions to houses. You will be reading this a LOT.

The setup is cookie-cutter. Our hero, Eizo, dies after saving a cat (but not himself) from a truck while on his way home from his crippling IT job. Turns out the cat was a goddess, and that it was not Eizo’s time to die. To try to salvage this, the goddess sends Eizo to a fantasy world, 10 years or so younger than he was (so about thirty). Eizo wants to be able to create things, so he gets knowledge of blacksmithing and the like, as well as some self-defense skills and magic. And then he’s dumped by a cabin in a forest. He wastes no time setting up shop, and quickly gains two companions: Samya, a beastgirl that he saves after she was savaged by a bear, and Rike, a dwarf who sees his handiwork and demands that she become his disciple. Because yeah, turns out he’s not just a normal blacksmith, he’s The Best There Is.

The edges of this book are interesting. There’s a prologue and an epilogue taking place many years after the main events that play this as “the creation of legends”, complete with a hero vs. demon lord scenario, that I found worked really well. We get two side-stories at the end that show the POV of other characters, and it’s interesting, particularly Helen, who is introduced to us (from Eizo’s POV) as something of a meathead swordswoman, but who turns out to be far more serious and practical when we get inside her own head. Unfortunately (and this is a common problem with slow life books) most of the book is from Eizo’s POV, and Christ, he’s dull. Show, don’t tell is left to die at the side of a ditch here, as we get page after page of him making swords, making knives, doing woodworking, chopping trees, all of which goes on forever. Even the fight near the end, where he takes on a massive bear, is fairly tedious as fights go.

As I said, there’s the hint of a good story around the edges of the book. I may read the second volume. But I think the author would be better off getting into woodworking and metallurgy themselves rather than have their creation tell us about it in excruciating detail.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Part 4: Founder of the Royal Academy’s So-Called Library Committee, Vol. 5

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By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

I feel this volume is almost deceptively relaxing. On the one hand, everything goes pretty well. Rozemyne does not make social faux-pas that can’t be glossed over somehow. There is an ambush to try to kill her… but she’s nowhere near it and it’s thwarted immediately. There’s a wedding to a woman from an enemy duchy… but she turns out to be a big sweetie pie who just has a case of resting “I look just like my ancestor who nearly destroyed you all” face. That last one, though, hints at the undercurrents we see in this book that I suspect are going to pay off in big explosions down the line. We’ve talked before about how the class system in this series is not going away anytime soon, but that also means that the nobility are going to be what nobility tend to do, which is find ways to quietly murder each other. Time to pick a side. Meanwhile, Rozemyne wants fish.

The author admits in the afterword that this cover (and indeed most of the covers in the series) is theme related rather than specifying actual events. In this case it’s the dyeing competition that Rozemyne is holding in order to introduce the new techniques (and bring back the old, forgotten techniques), and it turns out that Myne’s mother Effa is one of the contestants. Elsewhere, they’re setting up the printing business in the Groschel area, but the way that the nobility treats the commoners who live there turns out to not only be arrogant but also have legitimate negative effects on the printing. And then there’s the aforementioned marriage, as Lamprecht is marrying a woman from the far, far higher in status Ahrensbach district. It’s a political move, yes, but fortunately there seems to be actual love there as well. Finally, Rozemyne heads back to school to start Year 2 at the Academy, where she will face even more problems… not least of which is that the young prince of the realm has confused her for her younger sister.

As I noted above, Rozemyne is getting better at this. She still screws up enough to make Ferdinand (who is in this book far less than usual) smack his forehead, but that’s mostly just when she’s fantasizing about her ideal library, which would require more magic than there is in the world. She can do the meet and greets and keep up with the nobility, and has learned to translate when they’re being condescending, rude or threatening. The best example of this is her discussion with Aurelia, the bride I mentioned before. She screws up in that she’s not supposed to speak directly to the bride in her position… but she doesn’t bat an eyelid as she immediately says she was just talking to herself out loud, and she AND Aurelia then proceed to have an entire conversation like that. (I hope we see more of Aurelia, she seems sweet.)

So yes, an excellent Bookworm volume, and almost calm and peaceful. Ominous. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Also, when Rozemyne finally does grow up (signs point to Book 28), she will be absolutely terrifying.

Pick of the Week: Witches, Prisons, and Red Fog

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SEAN: I feel I am required to pick Prison Life Is Easy for a Villainess this week, if only as I worry that if I don’t Rachel, the aforementioned villainess, will find out and ruin my life.

KATE: I’m torn this week between From the Red Fog, which is giving me serious Kaori Yuki vibes, and I’m a Wolf and My Boss Is a Sheep!, which sounds like a potentially great set-up for a workplace comedy. (Or a tedious exercise in milking the same joke for laughs over and over again—I can’t decide.) I think I’m in need of laughs more than jump scares right now, so I’ll cast my vote for I’m a Wolf.

MICHELLE: There’s not one title that sings to my hear this week, but WITCH WATCH seems like it could be fun. Though, honestly, it just makes me pine for an English release of Mairimashita! Iruma-kun more than anything.

ASH: While I’m interested in everything that’s been mentioned so far, I’m going to throw in one more manga for consideration. My pick this week goes to Monologue Woven For You as I can’t resist the combination of yuri and theater.

ANNA: There’s not a ton out there that I’m super interested in, but I’m going to go with WITCH WATCH just to support manga featuring witches as a matter of principle.

MJ: Anyone who read this week’s “Manga the Week of” should know there’s only one pick for me. It’s From the Red Fog all the way. I’m so ready.

There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?, Vol. 3

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By Sekaiichi and Tomari. Released in Japan as “Yujinchara no Ore ga Motemakuru Wakenaidaro?” by Overlap. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Alejandro de Vicente Suárez.

When the first novel in this series first got translated into English, the romcom was still very much a rarity in the market. When the second one was published, the genre was starting to be licensed here, if not yet seen. But it’s been a good 15 months since the 2nd volume came out over here, and since then we’ve had absolutely PILES of cute high school romantic comedies. Indeed, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In For Me! manages to hit a lot of the exact same plot points as There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?, down to the character types. Unfortunately, that also means that I’m a lot less forgiving of said types when they hit on things I don’t like. And this one absolutely does that, as it adds a third romantic love interest to our “side character”, his teacher Makiri-sensei. Should be fine, should be fine, we know how well teacher-student romances go over here. Buckle up, folks.

After the events of the second book, Yuuji now has a fake girlfriend, Touka (who is genuinely in love with him but he doesn’t get it) and a rejected childhood friend Kana (whose love he DOES get, but he rejects her because of what’s going on with Touka). The two of them unfortunately spend the majority of the book sniping at each other in a classic romantic comedy “jealous girls fighting over their boy” way that irritates Yuuji’s friends almost as much as it does the reader. While this is going on, though, he makes a discovery about his teacher, Makiri-sensei. We already know that she’s much kinder than her seeming cold exterior – now we find that she’s an awful drunk, thjat’s she’s very upset about still being a virgin, and that her father is setting her up for an arranged marriage. It feels like a pulled a slot machine and got three lemons. But I really don’t want to make this lemonade.

The book does have some interesting moments, usually when it tries to push against its romcom cliches. Yuuji’s got the face of a thug, but also has had violent incidents in his past, and in this book we get to see his relationship with his father, which is… really, really uncomfortable and also far more interesting than anything else with his teacher. He and his dad are alike in far more ways than either of them are willing to admit, and seeing Yuuji snap and finally air his grievances – so to speak – in that flashback was chilling. It’s then followed up wtih his father also being a secret manga otaku who reads We Never Learn adn is therefore OK with his son banging his teacher, and I’m ready to hit my head against the table again.

I like the dynamic between the two leads in this series. Touka is fine here, and I can feel her frustration. But it was going to take a miracle to get me to like this plot, and the book didn’t even turn water into Sprite, much less wine. Skip this and see if the fourth book gets back to entertaining romcom stuff.

A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life, Vol. 2

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By Yuu Tanaka and Nardack. Released in Japan as “Deokure Tamer no Sono Higurashi” by GC Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Yuko C. Shimomoto.

It can often be very tempting to say “please see previous review” rather than trying to find 500+ new words about a series. Oh, there’s nothing particularly bad about this second volume. It continues to manage to make me want to keep reading it despite the fact that it is really just a gaming log of this guy building up his stats and choosing his bonuses. For 350 pages. The fact that I enjoy it is a big point in the author’s favor. And yet… there’s not really a lot to delve into here. Yuto is never really going to have major character development, as this is not that sort of book. He’s in an actual game, rather than trapped in a game or in a fantasy world that looks like a game, so there’s never any worry of bad things happening to him. Heck, it’s a G-rated game, so his two tamed monsters have a child by their magic intermingling, rather than for any more sordid reason. It’s not boring per se, but boring surrounds it like a cloud.

Yuto continues to chug along. He’s now hatched his monster egg, which produces a bear. No, not a normal, realistic bear – a teddy bear. Who Yuto promptly names Bear Bear, because that’s the kind of guy he is. He also meets a few other people, mostly young women (aside from his friendship with elf boy Sawyer, who is attractive and thus forces us to trot out the loathed “I’m straight, though” rejoinder) who assist him in running his farm, not dying from fighting ghosts, or just building him woodworking projects because his tamed animals are so KYUTE! Admittedly, he does still have a bit of negative attention. Not as bad as the first book – permabanning can send a message – but they’re not happy he always seems to be getting cool new things and has some hot babes hanging out with him. That said, he’s more concerned with tea and cookies.

It really does feel as you read this volume that the author is someone who wants to play a very specific kind of game, the one we are seeing in this book, but can’t quite find the one that has all the bells and whistles they want so has decided to just write it as a light novel. It is an ode to the sort of player who actually tries to do the useless quests everyone else avoids, or experiments with combining two completely disparate things into a recipe because why not? It also shows how rewarding this kind of thinking is – though only if you’re original about it, as people who are trying to do the exact same things that Yuto did are finding the game does not crank out the same cool rewards. I will admit I do also like the fact that Yuto is the opposite of a fighter. He’s saved by badass women from certain death twice in this book, and the book ends with a special event literally being created for him because he’s clearly not interested in the martial arts tournament. The devs have their eye on him. (Possibly in a disturbing way.)

Again, if you like Bofuri, you should give this a try. It really does make ‘a +3 boost to strength for 30 minutes’ come alive. (OK, no, it does not do that. But it tries.)