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Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 2/23/22

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SEAN: STUFF! Just a whole ton of it. As always.

ASH: Yes, indeed!

ANNA: I’m always amazed.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has I’m in Love with the Villainess 4 and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 3, while we get early digital volumes for The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 2 and The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 6.

ASH: Which reminds me that I need to read the first volume of The Haunted Bookstore; it seems like a series tailor-made for me.

SEAN: Dark Horse has a 5th volume of their Blade of the Immortal Deluxe series.

ASH: I am absolutely double-dipping for this edition.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (Kimi no Koto ga Dai Dai Dai Dai Daisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo), a Weekly Young Jump series about a guy with horrible romantic karma who now gets 100 soulmates. Unfortunately, he needs to make them ALL happy – or they’ll die!

ASH: I’ve actually heard some pretty good things about this series, so I plan on giving it a try.

SEAN: Ghost Ship also has World’s End Harem: Fantasia 6.

J-Novel Heart has a digital debut, and one I’ve wanted to read (legally) for years. Prison Life is Easy for a Villainess (Konyaku Haki kara Hajimaru Akuyaku Reijou no Kangoku Slow Life) does not involve anyone getting reincarnated into otome games or sent back in time to fix their future. Rachel is perfectly happy with her present, thank you… and happy to sit in prison while she watches her ex-fiance suffer.

ASH: Interesting!

ANNA: This does sound interesting.

SEAN: J-Novel Club also has My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer 3, the 8th manga volume of I Shall Survive Using Potions!, and The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar 19.

Kodansha’s print debut is The Best of Attack on Titan: In Color. It is what it is.

ASH: Huh. I can only assume this is aimed at devotees of the series; seems like it could make a rough entry point for a newcomer.

SEAN: Also in print: Bakemonogatari 12, Blood on the Tracks 8, Eden’s Zero 15, Flying Witch 10, Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan 3, Real Account 15-17, The Seven Deadly Sins Omnibus 2, Star⇄Crossed!! 4 (the final volume), With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun 6, and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches 25-26. Boat finally make it through the Suez Canal, then?

ASH: Ha!

MICHELLE: This will be the volume I finally check out Star⇄Crossed!!!

SEAN: Digitally our debuut is Sakura’s Dedication (Sakura wa Watashi wo Sukisugiru), a shoujo title that’s been in both Betsufure and Palcy (titles move more easily these days). A girl who just broke up with her cheating boyfriend is suddenly confessed to by an earnest young man. Sadly, he’s not her type. But that’s not stopping him from confessing over… and over… and over again. OK, this is just embarrassing!

MICHELLE: Yeah, not sure what to think about this. That behavior is not great.

SEAN: They’ve also got Back When You Called Us Devils 10, Harem Marriage 14, His Extra-Large, Ever-So-Lovely… 2, Living-Room Matsunaga-san 11 (the final volume), Nina the Starry Bride 6, Saving Sweets for After-Hours 2, Space Brothers 40, and Tesla Note 3.

Two new series from Seven Seas. I’m a Wolf, but My Boss is a Sheep! (Ookami Buka-kun to Hitsuji Joushi-san), a Comic Bunch title about a mattress company consisting of all sheep employees… and one lone wolf. He tries to keep to himself, but his boss is so adorable! Gonna be honest, this looks cute.

ASH: It really does.

SEAN: We also get Monologue Woven For You (Kimi ni Tsumugu Bouhaku), a yuri title from Takeshobo about two drama majors whose paths cross. It’s in full color!

ASH: Oh, ho!

ANNA: Is full color manga now a thing?

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas, Creepy Cat 2, Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers 3, Kiruru Kill Me 2, The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today 3, and semelparous 2.

ASH: A good week for curious cat manga, then.

SEAN: Square Enix has Soul Eater Perfect Edition 6.

Tokyopop has the 2nd volume of Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide.

Generally I tend to skip Viz’s digital-only Jump releases, which come out at the end of the month. But the debut this month is one of my favorite current series, WITCH WATCH. The creator did comedy Sket Dance for years, and also Astra: Lost in Space. This new series has a teenage witch move into the house of her childhood friend and ogre, in the hopes of making him her familiar… and perhaps more? It’s hilarious.

ASH: That’s a solid recommendation.

ANNA: I enjoy witchy manga.

SEAN: Yen On has 86–EIGHTY-SIX 9, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 5, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 5, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 2, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 18, and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 4.

The debut from Yen Press is From the Red Fog (Akai Kiri no Naka kara), a GFantasy title (attn: MJ) that can best be described as ‘historical horror’. A young boy who has been kept in a basement for years grows up, leaves and moves into a nursing home. Except… bad things keep trailing after him. And honestly, given that cover art, he looks OK with that.

ASH: I am likewise intrigued!

MJ: You called? Oooooohhhhh, you DID call. Okay. Yes. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS. I NEED IT.

Yen also have Cheeky Brat 2, Cirque Du Freak: The Manga Omnibus 5, Love at Fourteen 11, Love of Kill 6, Mama Akuma 2, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc 2, the 6th and final volume of RaW Hero, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 2, and Spirits & Cat Ears 10.

What manga would you read in prison?

When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, Vol. 1

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By Kota Nozomi and 029. Released in Japan as “Inou Battle wa Nichijoukei no Nakade” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Tristan K. Hill.

So, Andou is awful. I feel the need to get that out of the way straight off, because I’ve already been told that folks thought I would drop this book because of him. I get it, they’re not wrong. He’s cringeworthy. Yes, by the end of the book you realize he has an empathetic core and is thinking more than he lets on, but that does not stop you from having to read about him making speeches or creating nicknames or drawing dragon tattoos on his right arm. This is a series about how embarrassing you were as a teenager, and it is going to rub your face in it. (If you were not like this as a teen… let’s face it, you probably never finished the book, did you?) Throw in the fact that this is one of those “you’re licensing it NOW?!?!” series (the anime came out seven and a half years ago) and you have a really high bar to clear. That said, I did finish it.

The literature club consists of chuunibyou Andou (pardon me for avoiding his first name), wannabe writer Tomoyo, childhood friend and “normal girl” Hatoko, literal 10-year-old Chifuyu, and club president and BL fan Sayumi. Six months ago they all suddenly acquired incredibly cool superpowers… well, incredibly cool except for Andou, who can create black fire in his hand that doesn’t do anything. Andou is sure this means that they’ve been chosen to fight in an amazing series of light novel-style battles. But… six months later, all they do is go to club and use their powers for mild, meaningless things. Why on earth did they get them in the first place? Does it have anything to do with Tomoyo’s brother, a man who can actually out-chuuni Andou? And can they save the literature club from being shut down?

Not gonna lie, this series is mostly known for one scene from the anime, and I read it wanting to read that in prose form. Unfortunately, it’s not in this first volume. The weak parts of the book, apart from Andou, are the parts where it reminds you that it has a real plot it’s going to try to do. The real plot is boring and you don’t want it to happen. Not a good sign. That said, when the kids are sitting in the club shooting the shit, discussing tropes and cliches and baffling poor Hatoko, that’s when the books become fun. This is one of those “have your cake and eat it too” parodies that also tries to be the thing it’s parodying, but I like it more when it’s making fun of shonen manga, or Index, or any one of a dozen other series namechecked in this volume. I do also really like all the club members apart from Andou, though it never is explained why a 10-year-old is hanging around a high school club room.

If you watched the anime, like “chuuni” novels, or enjoy mocking cliches, you will enjoy this book. For others, can you put up with a man who has a good heart but who also makes you wish you were reading anything else?

My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex: “Why Can’t We Move On?”

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By Kyosuke Kamishiro and TakayaKi. Released in Japan as “Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Gierrlon Dunn.

This may come as a shocking surprise to regular readers of this blog, but I am no longer a teenager. This can sometimes be difficult when you are reviewing books whose primary audience is either teens or those who were just teens a year or two ago. Things that make total sense to you when you are the same age as the main character tend to make you scratch your head or yell at the main character later in life. Fortunately, I think this series is designed so that even those the same age as the characters will be yelling at them. Two awkward teens who break up due to poor communication skills are forced to realize that they’re perfect for each other, but are too stubborn to admit it. What that means in practice is that, under a veneer of caustic sniping and bitter inner monologues, this is one of those “cute kids flirt” romance titles.

Mizuto, a bookish young man, and Yume, a nerdy and shy girl, become a couple and start to date in middle school. Sadly, due to the aforementioned lack of good communication, they also break up about a year later. They managed to keep the relationship a secret from their parents… which might be a bad thing, as now his dad has married her mom, and they’re family! For the sake of the parents (who are barely in this book, to be honest), the two try to put on a public face of getting along, but when alone they’re sarcastic, bitter and constantly sniping at each other. He has a tendency to default to “jerk”. She’s a bit of a mess. Despite this, both of them still do have the characteristics that made them attractive to each other. He’s really caring and kind of hot when he bothers to try. She’s grown up to be gorgeous and is making a big effort to be more outgoing. Dammit… this is terrible!

I will note that I was super relieved when I saw the POV switch to Yume after the first chapter, because this is the sort of story that absolutely would not work if it was told from only one side. The chapters alternate between Mizuto’s grumpy loner guy and Yume’s freaking out internally girl, and it helps to make it more understandable why things went south, and also how easy it would be to fix if they weren’t both really stubborn. Which they are, this is like seven volumes in Japan and has just had an anime announced, so resolution is not forthcoming. There was a rather annoying plot point about 3/4 of the way into the book, where Yume’s new friend in high school is implied to be a dangerous stalker sort, and wants to marry Mizuto so she can be around Yume. I was fine with the plot when reading it as I assumed this was total bullshit that said friend cooked up as a plan to get our leads closer together… then it turned out to be true. Bleah.

That said, overall this was pretty cute. If you like cute teenage romance with a side order of bitching at each other, this is probably one you should pick up.

Pick of the Week: Mirrors, Blessings and Restarts

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MICHELLE: I already devoted a pick to danmei, so although I’m definitely happy to see the second volume of Heaven’s Official Blessing, I’ll pick Restart After Growing Hungry because the synopsis just sounds wonderful. ” Mitsuomi and Yamato fell for each other beneath the endless, unchanging countryside sky. Now, as the days go by in the small town where Mitsuomi was born and raised, and the foundling Yamato made his home, the two men are searching for the shape of their own happiness.”

SEAN: My pick this week is the Rumiko Takahashi collection Came the Mirror & Other Tales. The fact that she has so many 30+ volume series doesn’t mean she can’t write fantastic short one-chapter manga as well, as fans of Rumic World and Rumic Theater know. This should be good.

KATE: I second Sean’s recommendation! As much as I love Takahashi’s long-form series, I feel like her artistry shines brighter in her short stories. Here’s hoping that brisk sales of Came the Mirror inspires VIZ to reissue some of her older short story anthologies for a new generation of readers.

ANNA: I’m also curious about Came the Mirror, but I’m wrapping up the first volume of Heaven Official’s Blessing and enjoying it, so I’ll go ahead with the second volume as my pick!

MJ: I will admit I’ve always been kind of hit or miss with Rumiko Takahashi. In the hopes that this may be one of those hit moments for me, I’ll take a chance on Came the Mirror & Other Tales!

ASH: Came the Mirror is the debut that I am most interested in, for sure! I find that I don’t always have the time that I once did for long series, so I’m glad to see that collections of short manga are being licensed these days, too.

High School DxD: Holy Behind the Gymnasium

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By Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero. Released in Japan by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Haydn Trowell.

I think the author just enjoys suckering people in. For most of the sixth volume of High School DxD, the series is at its default level of horny, which is to say: high, but not beyond all human reason. Sure, there are cosplay battles to see who can turn Issei on the most. Sure, there’s the endless amounts of breast comparison shopping he seems to do as easily as breathing. And yes, I probably should have guessed what was going to happen when we got to the television interview and it didn’t show Issei at all. Still, no amount of preparation could have prepared me for: the theme song. As with the previous volume’s “I can talk to enemy breasts and get them to divulge secrets”, it goes above and beyond in making you wonder what the hell the author is thinking. I have to assume that the author thinks that all this is necessary as otherwise it’s a generic shonen battle manga. Which is a shame as the battles are absolutely fine.

The start of this novel is sparked by two things: Irina returns and transfers into the school, now a full-blown angel but seemingly exactly the same as she’s always been. The other is the upcoming sports festival, where Issei and Asia have to run the three-legged race together. This is difficult, as they’re overly conscious of each other’s bodies, and also because the demon who Asia healed at the start of the series is back, and he wants Asia for himself. The answer is a Rating Game, which is a bit of a surprise so soon after the last one. Unfortunately, that’s far from the only surprise, and our heroes end up fighting against a horde of demon mooks in order to save Asia from a hideous fate at the hands of a demon who turns out to be even worse than we thought – and we already hated him.

I will admit, much as this is Asia’s book, she is mostly a straight up damsel in distress here, though I did like her slapping Diodora for insulting Issei. Unfortunately, she’s still in ‘meek healer’ mode, so her role in this book is to get kidnapped and threatened with rape. This made me grumpy. Other than that, it’s a perfectly good book in regards to the standards of High School DxD, which bear no resemblance to other light novel standards. Issei gets to be cool a few times, and has started to think on his feet much better. The solution for getting Akeno to one-shot kill all the bad guys was hilarious. The theme song, jaw-dropping though it was, was also pretty funny, I will grant you. I have to hand it to High School DxD, it does not do anything in half measures. It is here to talk about tits and it will talk about them until it is blue in the face.

This is apparently the end of the second “arc” of the series, and does include several tantalizing setups for later events. Overall, it was decent. For a value of decent that is a High School DxD book.

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 8

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By Toru Taba and Falmaro. Released in Japan as “Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu ~Sou da, Baikoku Shiyou~” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jessica Lange.

You get the sense that towards the end of this series, whenever it does end (the 11th volume is out in Japan), it’s going to involve a Big East vs. West battle, with Natra in the middle of it. In a way, that’s what we’ve been getting for a while in a political way – both the Empire (and particularly Lowellmina) and the West’s religious Alliance (with Caldmellia trying to use Wein for her own amusement and to make him suffer). And, fair to Caldmellia, we almost get that here as well. We get Wein accused of murder – again – and needing to clear his name, we get one of the West’s nations invading the merchant city on the border, which comes as quite a surprise to its own leader; and we get introduced to the Holy King Silverio, who at first looks to just be a propr being held up so that the real villain can work behind the scenes, but in reality is… well, terrifying. Can Wein think his way out of this?

We also, though it’s more of a teaser for later books, get a better look at the Flahm. They’ve always been an odd combination of albinos, black slaves and Japanese burakumin, but here we see that they’re not a united front, as several in their faction feel they need as many positions of power as they can get to prevent the tide turning against them again. The other viewpoint, which includes Ninym, is that they should fill positions with their best people more than just warm bodies, and in any case she has no interest in regaining their old kingdom but wants to do what’s best for Natra. There’s also a really sweet moment when, after seeing wein asleep in their carriage on the way to the conference, she kneels down and snuggles up against him. This is also pretty bittersweet as well – Ninym does not feel she can ever explicitly show her love as it can’t ever happen. I hope we can find a way to fix that.

We also get to have my other favorite character, Falanya, come along to the conference this time around, mostly to continue to make valuable connections. I suspect the biggest will be her meeting Felite – it does get a color page, after all – but it’s also interesting to see the back and forth between her and her adviser, the “formerly evil” Sirgis. He’s being genuinely helpful and showing her how to be more politically savvy (yes, memorizing all those faces and names really is important), but he also wants revenge on Wein, and a throne war is the way that he’s going to try to get it. Falanya says that if he tries to turn her against her brother she’ll cut him loose, but I have a suspicion she’s going to find that a lot harder to do than she thinks. We’ve been setting up brother vs. sister since Book 4, and I can’t wait.

So another solid book in the series, which currently has an anime racing through its first books at a very rapid pace. It won’t get to this one this season, but perhaps if it gets another…

Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer!: The Invincible Saint and the Quest for Fluff, Vol. 1

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By Inumajin and Falmaro. Released in Japan as “Seijo-sama? Iie, Toorisugari no Mamono Tsukai desu! – Zettai Muteki no Seijo wa Mofumofu to Tabi wo suru” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Meteora.

I had this on my list of new J-Novel Club releases to try out, but I didn’t really have too many high hopes. The author had written a very similar series, Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!, but that one really didn’t grab me at all. So I started to read this book, and I began to laugh. And then I kept reading, and I started laughing a lot. This is a funny book. It has a ridiculous lead character (no, she’s literally described by her brother as ridiculous), her own ridiculous goals in life (and a backstory that might seem familiar to Leadale fans), and a lot of good ridiculous dialogue, though the reader will need to be willing to go along with the standard “I did a ridiculous thing.” “YOU DID A RIDICULOUS THING?!?!?!” style comedy. Basically, this book is hella fun. And, of course, hella fluffy.

Yoshino Kanata spent her entire life in Japan in a hospital bed on life support. She regarded herself as happy because she had the internet, but those in charge of the afterlife think she had SUPER bad karma. As a result, they’re reincarnating her with all the good karma they possibly can. She’s reborn as Kanata Aldezia. Her father is the finest swordsman in the land. Her mother a great sage. She herself has won every award imaginable. And now, it’s time for the ceremony that determines the calling she will have going forward, because isekai worlds only run on RPG logic. Everyone thinks she will be a Saint. She has a different calling in mind. See, in Japan she never got to pet a cuddly animal. And here, she’s so terrifyingly powerful that animals fear her. Therefore, she’s going to be a Beast Tamer and got fluffy animals all around her! One slight problem – Beast Tamer is the biggest loser profession of them all.

So yes, Kanata is a trip, one of those heroines who does not have one ounce of common sense in her head but makes up for it with more power and determination than God. Indeed, as the final scene of the book shows, this is literally true. All she wants to do is leave the city and find fluffy monsters to pet. So far, she mostly has Zagg’iel, aka Zaggy. The former King of Demons, he’s under a curse that has essentially made him into a tubby little cat creature. The interaction between these two is both funny and heartwarming, as she loves him and roots for him even when he’s weak and has no powers. Of course, she never quite manages to leave the city. She beats up on bird creatures, tames dragons, cleans the sewers, restarts magical furnaces, and finally faces off against the new demon king and his army of mind-controlled minions Through all of this, her mindset is set on one thing: Is this fluff? Can I pet it? If not… she’s unimpressed.

So yes, this is better than Woof Woof Story and also deeply silly. I’ll be reading more. recommended for those who love OP ditzes and snuggling small creatures.

Bookshelf Briefs 2/11/22

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Boy Meets Maria | By PEYO | Seven Seas – Taiga is a high school student who falls in love at first sight with a fellow drama club member. Initially he assumes the person is a girl, but is later told his new crush is a boy. Delightfully, he promptly decides it doesn’t matter to him one way or another. It should be noted, however, that at least some of his classmate’s complicated relationship with gender is deeply rooted in psychological abuse and sexual assault, and these are things that are shown and not just hinted at in the manga. Ultimately though, Boy Meets Maria focuses on hope and love while acknowledging past traumas. What really makes the manga work so well is its cast, but Taiga in particular. He has a sort of ridiculous personality and an oblivious nature, allowing him to be inherently honest with and open to others, which in turn allows them to be free. – Ash Brown

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 3 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – Having spent a while introducing us to the two leads, we now get to flesh out the rest of the cast of Kageki Shojo!! in this volume, starting with the twins, who are, needless to say, dealing with twin issues. Which is to say that Chiaki is feeling down about being unable to get into the school on the first try like her sister, and her sister then gets mistaken for her, and… it’s a mess, but you can probably guess how it goes. There’s also some friction among the second years, as Sarasa’s flakiness is starting to upset the others, who are taking it out on her mentor for not disciplining her more. Basically, it’s a big Takarazuka soap opera, and that’s exactly what we signed up for, so I’m happy. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 17 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – I forgot to review this when it came out, only noticing when eighteen was released. The dangers of getting everything digital thanks to COVID now. In any case, my favorite part of this volume is probably the relationship between Chiyo and Kuroko. It looked a bit questionable at the start of the series, but as we’ve gotten to know both of them (OK, mostly Kuroko) we see that Chiyo is a bit different from her usual bedmates. Most of this volume revolves around a yakuza ally of Chiyo’s who is out of prison… and another man from a rival gang who now wants to fight him. It uses Kuroko more as a spice, which works very well. This is still filled with sex and violence, but I still enjoy it. – Sean Gaffney

The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World, Vol. 1 | By Kyouka Izumi, Oumiya, and Reiko Sakurada | Seven Seas There’s not much in this we haven’t seen in other shoujo isekai series: a woman gets chosen by God to save the world, is given awesome powers… and uses them to open a book cafe in the middle of nowhere, because she’s thirty years old, not sixteen. Meanwhile, the other savior chosen is busy being an absolute nightmare in the palace, but has the ear of the prince. Which means much as I’d love for us to stay at the cafe and watch Tsukina clean the shelves using incredibly powerful magic, I think she’s going to get dragged into things. That said, overall the vibe to this book is peaceful and relaxing, and I recommend it to fans of the genre. – Sean Gaffney

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 5 | By Suu Morishita | Kodansha Comics (digital) – Just as readers are here pretty much for the cute and adorable romance between our two leads, any love rivals that may be on the table are also flummoxed by them. Sure, there’s worry, and jealousy, and a lot of “why is that not me?,” but honestly I think they simply run into the fact that the couple is so wonderful together that trying to intervene would be like kicking a puppy. And, again I love the way the lettering is handled here, with the grey text and the occasional backwards phrase showing Yuki’s hearing loss in a way that’s very comprehensible to us all. It really is one of my favorite shoujo series, and I always make time for it when a new volume comes out. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 16 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media The bulk of this volume is devoted to Princess Syalis and the Cursed Musician/pastry chef accidentally being sent back in time via grimoire… only to find, after Syalis steals a down comforter that is legendary for helping with sleep, that the world is now totally different… and the demons are a lot more competent. This is terrible news for Syalis, who might actually start to get treated like a prisoner. That said, the message is pretty clear, and I too prefer my demons goofy and a bit hapless. In other news, Syalis gets a massage… though not a sexy massage, this is not that kind of series. But if it’s comedy you like, with a dash of heartwarming, it’s hard to go wrong with this. – Sean Gaffney

Baccano!: 1935-A Deep Marble

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By Ryohgo Narita and Katsumi Enami. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been here. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we continue to have about three Baccano! novels translated every year. However, the plot in the 1930s, with Firo, Ladd, Jacuzzi, et al can be generally considered the “main” plotline. And since Peter Pan in Chains, the 1934 novel, we’ve seen three books set in the 1700s, two set in the 21st century, and two set in the 1930s but as “side stories” taking place in between events we previously read about. And we still have one more of those to go, I warn you. But for the moment, we’re in the home stretch. The author has stated that the 1935 arc will be the last one set in this time period, with an “epilogue” taking place in 2003. This is the big one. But, as I said, it’s been a while. For English speakers, about three years. For the Japanese readers, over five years. As such, it’s no surprise that this volume, while not exactly a recap, is certainly a reintroduction to most of the main cast.

Several things happen at the start of this book. Isaac and Miria, still trying to not be thieves but also broke, go looking for a job. Jacuzzi’s gang is also broke (I mean, it is 1935), and so he too is looking for work. Ricardo and Christopher are in New York, and are ALSO looking for work. Ladd gets out of Alcatraz prison and reunited with Lua, Graham and Shaft. Another character from a long, long time ago is also released from captivity, and unfortunately ends up right in the middle of things. And of course Huey Laforet is out of prison and therefore back to his usual tricks… which include Chane, who is very happy to be reunited with him but also conflicted due to her love for Claire/Felix. Through all of this, Firo is just trying to run his casino. Unfortunately for Firo, Narita books tend to be “slow burn leading to an explosive climax”, and that explosion is in that very same casino.

This is a fun book to read, despite the fact that it feels like everyone is showing up to do their “bit”. Isaac and Miria are flakey. Jacuzzi cries a lot but also shows gumption. Ladd, Graham and Christopher are incredibly violent, etc. That said, there is an ACTUAL plot going on here as well, involving the Runorata family building their own secret casino and inviting representatives of all the local gangs, including the Martillo and the Gandor ones. They’ve got some heavy hitters in charge, including people you would not normally think would be associated with the dark underbelly of society. And also a new character, named Melvi, who is very interesting to a heck of a lot of people for reasons that only come out at the end of the book… and even then, there’s more of a “how on Earth could THAT happen?” than anything else. Then again, we have seen something like it before with our favorite Big Bad, who is also in this book, albeit in only one scene.

So yeah, it’s all setup, but it’s fun setup. And you’ll be delighted to know that the next book is in fact Part 2 of this arc. So perhaps we can actually keep track of things a little better.

Manga the Week of 2/16/22

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SEAN: Valentine’s Day has gone, so what manga did you get? Chocolate manga? Is it food? Can you eat it?

Viz Media has the one-shot Came the Mirror & Other Tales from Rumiko Takahashi, which seems to be along the lines of her Rumic Theater collections of yore. Five short stories, all “magical realist” in nature. Plus, a rare appearance in a Viz title from Mitsura Adachi, as Takahashi discusses her friendship with him.

ASH: I’m excited for this one, but had missed that there was an Adachi connection, too!

MICHELLE: I will definitely have to check this out!

ANNA: This sounds cool.

MJ: Oh, interesting!

SEAN: Viz also has Golden Kamuy 25, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 17, No Guns Life 12, Urusei Yatsura 13, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 5.

ASH: I really need to catch up with Golden Kamuy.

SEAN: Tokyopop has I’m Looking for Serious Love! (Tadareta Koi ni wa Itashimasen!), a one-shot BL title from Overlap’s LiQulle (Overlap does non-isekai stories?). Naive country boy meets suave city boy. Coitus ensues.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

MJ: *appreciates Michelle’s snerk*

SEAN: Two debuts from Seven Seas. I Can’t Believe I Slept With You! (Ichido Dake Demo, Koukai Shitemasu) is a yuri title from Dengeki Daioh about a young woman who is jobless and hasn’t paid her rent. The landlady will let it slide… if the two of them sleep together. They do, and somehow it becomes an ongoing thing. But can friendship arise from this?

MJ: W. tf.

SEAN: Restart After Growing Hungry is technically a sequel to Restart After Coming Back Home, showing us the further adventures of Mitsuomi and Yamato. It ran in Canna, and is also one volume.

Also from Seven Seas: the 2nd Heaven Official’s Blessing novel, Kageki Shojo!! 4, Kase-san and Yamada 2, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 14, Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 2, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 4, and A Tale of the Secret Saint 2.

ASH: Still very happy to see Heaven Official’s Blessing being translated.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on both Restart and Heaven Official’s Blessing.

ANNA: I’m in the middle of the first book! Need to finish up.

SEAN: One Peace has the 17th manga volume of The Rising of the Shield Hero.

SEAN: In print, Kodansha has The Summer With You, sequel to My Summer Of You.

The digital debut is The Transcendent One-Sided Love of Yoshida the Catch (Chouzetsu Kataomoi High Spec Yoshida), a shoujo title from Palcy. A hot guy who is also great at his job has a secret: he’s in love with a disaster of a manga artist! He’s her assistant, but… she doesn’t know he’s in love with her! This seems amusing.

ASH: Manga-related manga has a pretty good track record with me.

MICHELLE: It’s worth a try.

ANNA: It sounds cute.

MJ: It had me at “disaster.” Count me in!

SEAN: There’s also Defying Kurosaki-kun 18, The Lines that Define Me 2, Our Fake Marriage 8, and Shaman King Marcos 3.

There’s a lot from J-Novel Club. First some print titles, as we see By the Grace of the Gods 7, Full Metal Panic! Volumes 7-9 Collector’s Edition, Her Majesty’s Swarm 2, I Shall Survive Using Potions! manga volume 6, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Omnibus 4, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer’s 3rd manga volume.

J-Novel Club debuts FOUR new light novel series this week. We start with My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World (Kajiya de Hajimeru Isekai Slow Life), a classic slow life title. Guy dies, is reincarnated as a quiet, normal profession… but things keep happening to him.

My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex (Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta) is a romcom title about… well. They dated in middle school. They broke up. Now, in high school, they’re stepsiblings. Can they really get along even after breaking up? This has an anime coming soon.

To Another World… with Land Mines! (Isekai Teni, Jirai Tsuki) has an entire class get killed off and sent to another world. There’s a god offering them cool powers… but why is everyone taking this at face value except our hero?

When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace (Inō-Batoru wa Nichijō-kei no Naka de) already had an anime… in 2014. Another class gets cool powers, and they don’t even have to die! Our hero knows what’s coming next: they’ll have to save the world. Except… why is life carrying on as normal?

Also from J-Novel Club: Ascendance of a Bookworm 17, Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers 2, Holmes of Kyoto 8, Perry Rhodan NEO 6, and Record of Wortenia War 14.

ASH: I say this almost every time, but hooray Bookworm!

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts The Witches of Adamas (Adamasu no Majotachi), from Weekly Young Magazine, about… oh Christ, skip it. Not even gonna.

ASH: I had to look it up and just… wow.

SEAN: They also have Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 18.

And Airship has, in print, Adachi and Shimamura 8 and Planet of the Orcs 2.

And in digital-first we have Classroom of the Elite 10 and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 15.

What Valentine’s gifts did you get? Please tell me it wasn’t The Witches of Adamas.

The Applause of Marielle Clarac

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By Haruka Momo and Maro. Released in Japan as “Marielle Clarac no Kassai” by Ichijinsha Bunko Iris NEO. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Philip Reuben.

This is another one of those volumes where all I want to talk about is the last quarter of the book, but I will try to restrain myself. This is not to see the main storyline is not good or interesting, as it’s very good. As you can imagine with that title, the story revolves around the theater, as an acting troupe that Marielle and her husband go to see is suddenly interrupted by a threatening message… from Lutin! Or is it? This doesn’t seem like his style. We know Lutin is around because his master, Prince Liberto, is there to meet his fiancee Henrietta, one of the princesses of the kingdom. Everything seems great there… till Henrietta notices that Liberto always has a mask of “charming smile” going on, and begins to worry that she has no clue how he really things. Marielle needs to solve both these problems, and she does so with her usual talent of getting involved, accidentally stealing evidence, getting captured, and flirting with her husband.

Marielle is growing up in some ways, and I can’t really call her a scatterbrain anymore. Indeed, as we see near the end of the book, her ability to analyze and lay bare the emotional turmoil around romance is second to none. That said, to Simeon’s frustration, she’s always going to get involved in potentially lethal situations, because that’s just the sort of series that the two of them are in. It was amusing to see that, after going undercover, escaping, getting caught and interrogated by Lutin, and falling asleep in a cold room, she finally comes down with a bad cold, something she was proud of never having had before. (I thought at first it might be signs that she’s pregnant, but if that happens it’s not in this book.) She’s the very model of an amateur detective, and everyone has basically stopped trying to discourage her from this and instead they use her as sort of a guided missile of “trouble follows her” to get to the bottom of things.

The mystery is solved way before the end of the book, and we’re left with the last quarter, where everything is taken to another level. Henrietta is having a nervous breakdown over the fact that she can’t tell what her fiancee is thinking, and the solution is apparently to have her (and her allies, including Marielle and Julianne) locked in a tower with only one high window, which Liberto must scale to prove his love for her (and also to show that he can make faces other than “pleasant smile”). This works even better than planned, as Marielle’s plan is essentially to humiliate him until he snaps, and it works beautifully. This is topped by his true feelings towards his fiancee, which are entirely political and not romantic in nature… something she promptly accepts. It wasn’t that she worried he didn’t love her, it was that she worried she had no idea what he thought AT ALL. Now that he’s said what he thinks, a steady foundation can be built.

So all in all an excellent volume, and I don’t even mind that these books tend towards the lengthy. It’s worth it to spend more time in Marielle’s head.

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 6

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By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Jyuu Ayakura. Released in Japan as “Risou no Himo Seikatsu” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by MPT.

The idea of “You have to take a concubine for political reasons” has been around since the start of the series, but Zenjirou and Aura have been deftly avoiding it by essentially being in the “honeymoon” stage of their relationship. Now, however, she’s had a son and they’re trying for another child (trying an awful lot in this book, though as always there’s nothing explicit) and the murmurs are getting louder. Lots of factions are arranging to have their daughters be what is essentially Wife #2. That said, it is still something of a surprise when Princess Freya does the equivalent of a public proposal to him at her introductory event. Indeed, it’s a surprise to Freya’s group as well, particularly her bodyguard Skaji. They’d have been less surprised if they looked at future cover art for this series: The Ideal Sponger Life has 14 volumes out in Japan so far, and Freya features on more covers than Aura. She’s absolutely here to stay. That said, politics…

Negotiating Zenjirou’s emotional state is also an important part of this volume. We’ve seen how he is mostly a very kind, accepting person (indeed, the main reason Freya moves so quickly is that she realizes that if she becomes his concubine she’ll still have some power, as he’s not a sexist like most of this society) but that doesn’t mean that he’s happy with everything that’s happening. Taking another woman into his bed seriously bothers him (it doesn’t happen here, and it’s implied won’t for several books – negotiations, etc.) but he sees why it’s very politically advantageous for their nation. It’s a matter of sucking it up and dealing with it, unfortunately. Which is possibly why Aura basically decides the best way to pacify him for the moment is “lots of sex”. Still, at least he now has his goats, which means he can make CHEESE! And chocolate, more importantly.

The maids are also here at the end of the book, of course. Indeed, their presence is slowly starting to intersect with the main plot, as one of the older maids is married off to the middle management noble we saw in the previous book, and her two fellow maids are also called back home by their families to marry, meaning there’s a need for new trainees. Naturally, our three “wacky” maids are not being called home to marry just yet (and we are forcibly reminded that they are from noble families, something fairly easy to forget), but they do now have to act as teachers to the new girls – and it can be especially difficult given that Zenjirou is nothing like other guys that might need maids. There’s less comedy schtick here than usual, and it’s implied that the three maids are – slowly – growing up. I wonder how long they’ll be in the cast.

So with Freya added to the mix, I assume that we need to head back to fantasy Scandinavia soon, but Zenjirou has to learn more magic to do that without it taking years. And what of Bona, the other really obvious concubinal candidate? If nothing else, you know the next volume will have lots of extended discussion about it.

Also, the cover art is hilarious to me. “Sure, Aura’s got big tits, but check out THIS!” (twerks)

Pick of the Week: Drowning, Fungus and Lovesickness

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SEAN: Gotta admit, I am most curious this week about what Japan does with Deadpool: Samurai. Given it’s Deadpool, I expect it may be a bit more violent than I’d like, but hey.

MICHELLE: I know shoujo series featuring love triangles are a dime a dozen, but sometimes they’re just appealing, especially when they have a cover as cute as Falling Drowning. I look forward to checking it out.

KATE: After seeing some of the artwork on Twitter, my vote is for Fungus and Iron. Good thing I saw the artwork, too, because Kodansha’s official blurb for this series makes it sound about as interesting as reading someone else’s to do list.

ASH: Fungus and Iron is the debut that I’m most curious about this week, though being a digital release means it’s mostly off my radar. So, my official pick goes Lovesick Ellie since I’ve heard such great things about that series and it’s already made the jump from digital to print.

ANNA: I’m going to go for Lovesick Ellie too, I really enjoyed the first volume.

MJ: I am wildly out of the loop this week, but I’m going to go with Falling Drowning, despite not even having seen the cover, just because I really like the title. Yes, this is where I’m at right now.

Spy Classroom: To My Dearest Grete

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By Takemachi and Tomari. Released in Japan as “Spy Kyoushitsu” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Thrasher.

It’s always tricky writing the second volume of what was clearly meant to be a one-volume stand alone. There’s a bit of reshuffling the cards, a lot of “our work is not yet done”. More importantly, we have to find out about the rest of the cast. Spy Classroom 1 was terrific, but it really only gave insight into two of the girls, so we need to get into a few more heads. Here, aside from Lily (who is clearly the ‘main heroine’), we have Grete, who gets the bulk of the heavy lifting and is the planner of the group; Sybilla, who is the straightforward “when all you have is a hammer” type; and Sara, the meek animal lover. Note that none of these are the girl (girls?) on the cover, as she’s elsewhere during the contents of this book, something the author apologizes for. (Indeed, she’s also on the cover of Book 3, which seems excessive.) In any case, these three, plus Lily, get the important mission of helping Klaus take out a spy.

Klaus is not particularly happy about this, as he doesn’t think that any of the girls are ready to do major spy missions – indeed, Lily and Sybilla are poleaxed when they find out that they’re part of the team chosen. As for the mission, well, there’s an assassin going around killing off left-wing politicians. Nicknamed Corpse, he always makes it appear as though they jumped to their death. And next on his list is influential politician Uwe Appel. Grete, Lily and Sybilla arrive at his house pretending to be maids, while Klaus and Sara provide backup. Of course, there are a few tiny problems. Lily is a classic clumsy shoujo heroine, so asking her to be a maid is a reach. The man they’re protecting seems to be angry constantly and find everything wanting, including them. And Klaus really isn’t doing much except giving the occasional piece of advice. Is this really so straightforward?

Of course it’s not – as with the first book, there’s a lot of Christie-style twists that I will try not to spoil. Amusingly, the identity of the villain is not one of them – those are the easy clues left out for the reader to pounce on so that they miss the other stuff. But it’s quite well written (that said, as I’ve noted before,l I tend to be a sucker when I read mysteries, so YMMV). As for characterization, Grete and Sybilla get the bulk of it. We learn their tragic backstories (as does Uwe, who seems to be a lot more savvy than he lets on most of the time) and root for them, particularly Grete, who is not only dealing with her burgeoning love for Klaus but also androphobia (yes, both at the same time). This resolves in a way that made me smile, as the series reaffirms that it’s not gonna be romantic but is instead about family. Which these kids are.

I’m startled how fast I’ve taken to this series. We’re only two volumes in and I’m already putting it up there with my favorite LN series of all time. It’s just a great read, lots of thrilling action and emotional turmoil. And accidental poisoning. All the best light novels have that. In any case, the third book promises to focus on the remainder of the group, and I can’t wait.

My Next Life As a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Vol. 11

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By Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka. Released in Japan as “Otome Game no Hametsu Flag Shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei Shite Shimatta…” by Ichijinsha Bunko Iris. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Marco Godano.

I get the sense that the publisher may be telling the author “can we start to move towards the ending, however little”, because the first half of this book has Katarina finally admit out loud… and more importantly, admit to Jeord and Keith… that the reason she has been bouncing off their love confessions is not because she doesn’t like them or is afraid of their advances. Nor is it because love is not something that she can feel. It’s because she’s gotten so completely fixated on “if I fall in love I will turn into the Katarina of the game and get jealous and evil” that love terrifies her. As explanations go, it’s not too bad, and works within the confines of the series. She still puts them off, saying she has something she needs to do first. That being avoid the ending off Fortune Lover 2. That said, it’s no surprise that fans of Jeord and Keith loved the spoilers for this book much more than everyone else.

Of course, just because Katarina’s love life may be closer to resolution does not mean we still don’t have lots of plot points dangling. The mad relative in the attic that Katarina keeps running into when she visits the palace insists that she’s leading all her love interests on. And the King also wants to discuss Maria and Katarina’s grimoires, but also tell them about the kingdom’s bloody and brutal past, just in case. Fortunately, both handle it well. The second half of the book forcuses on Dewey, who is dealing with both a crush on Maria and guilt stemming from his family back home. The two come together when a letter calls Dewey home and Maria and Katarina follow along… along with Larna, who has her suspicions. Turns out Dewey’s upbringing manages to be even worse than Maria’s. Can Katarina work her magic? Or, for once, is this a job for someone else?

As with all books since the end of “Season 2”, if you’re a fan of Mary or Sophia, you really should give up (and you probably have, judging by what I see on Tumblr). Fortunately, as with the rest of the series, Maria is an exception. Here we see how, as with Katarina, she too is maturing. Sometimes this comes across when she deftly rebuffs any attempts to date her – Dewey asking her out to lunch becomes “and Katarina will come too” so fast it was stunning. She knows who she likes. More to the point, after resolving her relationship with her mother, and gaining confidence from simply being around Katarina, she’s able to try to resolve things with her father, who has been doing the old “I will make them look good by making myself look bad” shtick. That said… boy, that resolution took five seconds. A bit more conflict might have made more impact.

So even as Jeord fans rub their hands gleefully, and Mary fans bite their handkerchiefs, the series itself is caught up with Japan, and Book 12 is not scheduled yet. So it will be a while. Till then, enjoy Katarina using empathy as a superpower again.