Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel!, Vol. 4

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By Rhythm Aida and nauribon. Released in Japan as “Buta Koushaku ni Tensei shita kara, Kondo wa Kimi ni Suki to Iitai” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Zihan Gao.

As each of these books have happened, the title has been less and less accurate, because Slowe has slowly but surely been losing a lot of that weight. It’s possible the author realizes this, as in this book Slowe spends the majority of the time disguised as an orc – which means he has pig-like features. That said, everyone seems to think he’s turned the corner in terms of popular opinion – everybody but Slowe, who is not really ready to take up the mantle of the heir after blowing it off in the past. For one thing, he still needs to stop the anime plot from happening, and for another, he has a much better idea than his old friends as to just how much he torched his reputation, and how much more it will take to get that back. Especially if he blows off the Queen because another disaster is about to take place… yet, the books aren’t self-contained anymore. Cliffhanger time!

Slow is disguised as an orc, and Charlotte as a pixie, in order to infiltrate Charlotte’s old kingdom, which is now overrun with monsters. Slowe is there to try to head off the next big event of the anime, where one of the antagonists murders a pixie ambassador and helps to jumpstart a war. To do so, he makes contact with an Orc King and his village, as well as the ambassador, Elyas, passing himself off as an Orc Mage – something that is theoretically impossible, given orcs are barely above goblins on the fantasy monster hierarchy. Elyas is trying to have all the monsters unite to defeat the human who’s destroying them. Unfortunately, not only is the human stupid powerful, but Shuya and Alicia (well, just Shuya really) decide to take a shortcut through the monster-infested country and end up in the mix as well!

I’ve said before that I think this series is solid, not great, and that trend continues, though it’s still very readable. Having a “monsters are people too” volume after the previous three is an interesting way to go, and you get the sense that we’ve reached the “the series is successful, you can plan for the long future” part that most Japanese media face. That said, Shuya and Alicia are still very generic, as fits the anime that they belong to, and Slowe and Charlotte’s fight is filled with teenage angst that is more interesting to have read than to be reading. That said, the ending fight is really very well done, and the book promises more of that sort of thing in the next volume. There’s some good humor too, as Slowe is both drawn to and exasperated by his “orc brothers”, who are cliched as heck but in a good way. I hope we see them again.

If you like fantasies with this sort of cliched plot, you could do a lot worse than this.

Pick of the Week: Running the Gamut

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SEAN: I admit I am tempted to pick It’s That Reincarnated-as-a-Virus Story, just for the sheer balls of releasing it at the height of COVID. Instead I’ll pick my old favorite Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, whose 7th light novel looks pretty important given the page count is almost twice that of the previous ones.

KATE: If you haven’t read Boys Run the Riot, put it on your list NOW. It’s funny, profane, heartbreaking, and unabashedly queer. One of the things I appreciate most about Riot is its simple but powerful affirmation of a basic human truth: we all rely on clothing to express our identities, even if those identities don’t fall along simple gender binaries. For my money, this was one of the best series of 2021, and I’m sad to see it ending after just four volumes.

MICHELLE: I have absolutely loved reading Lovesick Ellie in its digital incarnation, and am delighted it’s getting a print release. I love that the princely boy turns out to be incredibly awkward and that the heroine is unabashedly horny for him. Truly fun shoujo and my pick for this week.

ANNA: I’m always up for some josei, and dragons sound like a bonus! The Dragon Knight’s Beloved (Ryukishi no Okiniiri) is the manga I’m most curious about this week.

ASH: As curious as I am about both Lovesick Ellie and The Dragon Knight’s Beloved, and as delighted as I am with what I’ve read of Sweat and Soap, I have to echo Kate this week. Boys Run the Riot has been a terrific series and I don’t see that changing with it’s final volume; I’m so glad that it was licensed.

MJ: I will confess that though I have failed to read any volumes of Boys Run the Riot to-date, I really, really WANT to. So perhaps this is my chance! There’s my pick of the week!

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 4

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By Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. Released in Japan as “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

Ah, nothing like another review where I can’t talk about half of what I want to because it would spoil. I know that half the time my reviews spoil the entire book anyway, but there are very good plot twists here, and I don’t really want to give them away. As such, I will simply say that I am looking back on some comments I made in my review of the third volume and laughing hollowly. Other than that, well, this particular volume is taking care to wrap up all the plotlines that have been dangling since it began. Jinshi’s identity and why he’s hiding it, Maomao’s friendship with Xiaolan and Shisui, and the long-standing question of who will be Empress are all dealt with here, and we even get a few action scenes towards the end and some chilling torture… well, it would be chilling were it not Maomao, who does have the ability to be terrified, but not when the danger is this pathetic.

After the events of the last book Maomao has been studiously avoiding Jinshi and trying not to think about what she found when she accidentally groped him. She’s back with Gyokuyou, who is quite pregnant. That said, the pregnancy may be an issue, as all signs are that the baby wants to come out the wrong way around. This means they need an expert, which brings Maomao’s adopted father to the rear palace. Elsewhere, Maomao may have found her new calling in body hair removal, and Maomao the kitten is busy getting up to no good. However, things take a far more serious turn in the second half of the book when Maomao attempts to sleuth on her own about various lingering mysteries from the previous books… and ends up kidnapped! Can she manage to get back to the rear palace, and if she does will she get punished anyway? And what’s with our favorite bug-loving maid?

As of this review, there are 11 volumes of The Apothecary Diaries out in Japan, so the series isn’t ending. But this certainly feels like a good stopping place. By the end of the book most of the subplots have been resolved, Jinshi has been forced to stop hiding, and, as Maomao herself puts it, with Gyokuyou now being Empress Maomao is out of a job. The romance is not really resolved, but then it’s hard to imagine how it COULD resolve – leaving aside status issues, which can easily be taken care of if Maomao acknowledges who her birth father is, there’s the fact that Maomao is seemingly apathetic about it. I think she has repressed desire for Jinshi, no question, but I think the idea of being a consort, bride, wife, whatever you call it galls her. No doubt it galls the reader too, who would much rather watch Mao wander around playing Murder, She Wrote.

So the question now is, what needs to happen to get Maomao back to the rear palace, because I’m pretty sure the rest of the series is not going to involve her sitting in her apothecary shop in the pleasure district. Can’t wait to find out, because this is one of the best written light novels coming out right now.

I’ll Never Set Foot in That House Again!, Vol. 3

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By Milli-gram and Yuki Kana. Released in Japan as “Nidoto ie ni wa Kaerimasen!” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Emily Hemphill.

There is one, brief shining moment in the third volume of this very sweet and also very dull series where I was engaged and interested, and (as with the second volume) it’s where we are reminded of the past that Chelsea has had. About halfway through this third volume a group of kidnappers enter the mansion of her friend and hold them hostage. After the situation is resolved (there’s really no suspense at all), Glen talks to Chelsea about why she wasn’t scared, and she reveals that she was fine once she knew there would be no pain, because it was the physical abuse that was the worst part of her old life. Chelsea casually talking about getting whipped on a near daily basis is jaw-dropping, mostly as she now possesses a defensive barrier and can literally create massive Venus Flytrap monsters to eat her enemies within seconds. She’s come a long way, and while I’m happy for her as a person, it damages the book.

Glen has proposed to Chelsea, and she’s now actually looking her age (though whether she acts it is in question), but we still have a few hoops to jump through before they can marry, and not just “wait till she gets older”. First she needs to make her debut in society, and that means gowns! It also means meeting the Queen, who thinks Chelsea is adorable and cute and also treats her like a Barbie doll whose clothes get changed 6 times a day. And she gets a new friend… almost by force… in Noel, a young noble who is enthusiastic about gardening and plants and therefore is very eager to talk with someone who knows her stuff. Unfortunately, as I noted above, there’s the break-in and hostage situation. And it turns out that the people trying to kill Chelsea, who we met in the previous book, are still trying to kill Chelsea. Can she survive to her engagement ceremony?

I mean, yes. She can create anything in the entire world from seeds as long as she can visualize it. She has a personal defensive barrier. She has an army of soldiers ready to defend her. And now she’s creating monsters to eat her enemies. She has maids who love her, a cook who not only loves to feed her (and she can finally actually eat meals now that she’s no longer being starved to death) but can also interrogate enemies with her own special magic, her research team, her cool older brother, and of course Glen, who adores and wants to protect her. There’s an after story where she and Glen go to his home and discover that the enemy is a giant crab, but once Chelsea is there she creates a trap (with a seed, natch) and the problem is solved.

You know what this series needs? Fagin. No, not the anti-semitism, but Chelsea is like Oliver Twist if he was rescued from the orphanage by Mr. Brownlow and the rest of the series was just meals and clothes. Chelsea desperately needs to be lured into evil or spirited away. Not because of her as a character – she’s a sweet girl, I don’t want bad things to happen to her. But for me, as a reader? Yes, I want bad things to happen to her.

The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes, Vol. 2

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By Bisu and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Tensei Oujo wa Kyou mo Hata o Tatakioru” by Arian Rose. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Tom Harris.

Generally speaking, most reincarnated folks who end up in the body of a little kid do NOT act like they’re an adult. This even applies to Rosemary, the protagonist of this series. Sure, she’s talking and making decisions that are far beyond what a child her age should be doing, but her emotional maturity remains at about the right level. There are many times this comes up in the books – her inability to get that other kids are in love with her is baked into the genre, but certainly her tearful confession to her crush and the scene that follows shows her as having the easily broken heart of a 10-year-old girl. This most applies, though, when she’s dealing with her father. Who, to be fair, is the King. But the reader recognizes the type that he is, and what he’s actually doing to help her – or at least test her – and I don’t think she sees this as the tough love it’s meant to be. It makes Randolf the most interesting character in this new volume.

Rosemary is still doing her best to try and avoid the dreadful fate her country is going to be in in a year or two, but it’s not easy, especially since she’s changed things so much that she can’t rely on her memories of the game shoe once played. She needs to research the Demon Lord, who possessed the body of a young priest… who she then runs across, pre-possession. She also discovers that most Demon Lord books are kept in the King’s personal library, which means she has to ask to read them and put up with his cold, calculating attitude. And, of course, she’s still in love with the Captain of the guards, Leonhart, who is quite a number of years older than she is – and also she’s ten, yes, a fact that definitely influences her thoughts on her crush. Worst of all, if she doesn’t figure out how to be incredibly useful to the King in the next two years, he’s going to do the obvious thing – marry her off to another country’s royal.

Rosemary remains the best reason to read this, especially when we see her (relatively low) opinion of herself versus everyone else’s (very high) opinion. This comes out best in a scene with Randolf, who castigates his daughter for thinking herself stupid for being unable to catch every possibility in advance. She’s not a God, even though she does have the knowledge of the game from her past life. Fortunately, she does reveal this (in a way, she treats it as a prophetic dream) to Leonhart, so at least has one ally she can turn to. Unfortunately, she’s falling more deeply in love with him by the day. And is, as I said, ten years old. So nothing’s gonna happen, but the emotional turmoil is still there.

The ending of this book implies the next one will likely be Rosemary’s tour of various lands, as she tries to discover more about what’s around her so that she can be a better person and of use to her father. I look forward to reading it, this is in the upper end of the Reincarnated Villainess charts, despite Rosemary not technically being a villainess.

Unnamed Memory, Vol. 4

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By Kuji Furumiya and chibi. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Tangney.

As I predicted, the afterword of Vol. 3 was not, in fact, telling the truth. We are still following the story of Oscar and Tinasha. Indeed, the story may start to seem a bit familiar. Oscar and his aide are still traveling to try to find a way to end his curse, and they run into Tinasha, who says she will do it in a certain amount of time. The trouble is that this is the changed timeline. In the last book Oscar changed history, and so he is not quite the Oscar we know. Tinasha is also different, though at least we’ve seen her before – the young queen who Oscar saved put herself in stasis for 400 years so that she could meet him again. As such, the main amusement with this new volume is that it’s Tinasha who’s instantly lovestruck and talking marriage, and Oscar who is the reluctant one putting her off. That said, they’re still clearly made for each other. Unfortunately, a lot of the same issues that were problems before are back, and still problems.

One thing that I find hard when I write about this series is that it really is a pure fantasy, with virtually none of the standard “Japanese light novel;” schtick we’ve gotten so used to. A lot of my reviews write themselves because I can talk about the standard tropes and how well they work, or how this character is slightly less bland than the norm. With Unnamed Memory, though, the plot and writing is so well done and the book so immersive that I can’t use that crutch. What’s more, I don’t really want to spoil the plot twists (aside from the one that, well, happens right at the very start of the book) because they’re good twists. So what am I supposed to do? Talk about how Oscar is a really good fighter and that Tinasha is cute when she’s angry? You already know that.

I could talk about the deaths. There are an awful lot of assassination attempts in this book, mostly against Oscar but also against Tinasha, and all of them involve finding the culprit and their accomplices and killing them. While Oscar and Tinasha are trying to move the world they live in into a more modern and peaceful age, this is not that age, and there are quite a few characters who are captured, forced to talk, and them killed – or kill themselves before that can happen. Indeed, one of the few surprises I will talk about is one where a villain is, in fact, NOT killed off – mostly as he was clearly trying to do this in order to help his country and their somewhat meek ruler, rather than because of evil power grabs. If you’re going to assassinate someone, you’d better have a damn good reason for it, it can’t just be “they obstruct my path to all-encompassing glory!”.

So yes, sorry to be a broken record, but this is still excellent. My one major complaint is how long each book is. This is going to be six volumes total, and there’s no reason why it could not be twelve normal-sized books.

Manga the Week of 1/12/22

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SEAN: 2022 is only just beginning and already the manga feels like it’s getting away from me.

ASH: While I delight in the amount of manga being released, you are not alone in that feeling.

SEAN: Airship has some print light novels. The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 2, My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s 3, and The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 5.

Digitally, we get early releases for Adachi and Shimamura 8 and I’m in Love with the Villainess 4.

ASH: I’m in line for the print personally, but still, hooray!

SEAN: Cross Infinite World debuts a new light novel series, I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-loving Villainess (Sonna Koto yori, Neko ga Kaitai ~ Otome Game no Sekai ni Tensei Shimashita ~). On the plus side, our reincarnated villainess has her old family as her reincarnated family in this world as well. On the down side, she’s still a villainess. How to solve this? …who cares? KITTY!

ASH: That was not a isekai variation I was expecting!

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams! (Sekkaku Cheat wo Moratte Isekai ni Teni shita n dakara, Suki na you ni Ikitemitai), a Comic Ride title that adapts an unlicensed light novel. Our reincarnated hero may be able to make fantastic healing potions, but he’s not here to adventure – he’s here to check out the local sex workers!

J-Novel Club has some print stuff. We get Ascendance of a Bookworm manga 8 (aka Part 2 Volume 1), How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom manga omnibus 3, In Another World With My Smartphone 19, Marginal Operation 8, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 3.

ASH: Yay, Bookworm!

SEAN: Digitally we have Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 3, In Another World with My Smartphone 24, The Magician Who Rose from Failure 4, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! 5, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 8, and Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! 4.

Kodansha has the 4th and final volume of Boys Run the Riot in print, as well as the 11th and final Sweat and Soap. They’ve also got Living-Room Matsunaga-san 9, the print debut of Lovesick Ellie (which has been released previously digitally), Rent-A-(Really Shy!)-Girlfriend 2, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 8, and A Sign of Affection 4.

MICHELLE: I didn’t realize Boys Run the Riot was so short. Hooray for Lovesick Ellie in print!

ASH: I somehow hadn’t realized that, either! Also, I finally got around to starting Sweat and Soap and it’s great. Really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

SEAN: Digitally we have two debuts. I Was Reincarnated with OP Invincibility, so I’ll Beat ’em Up My Way as an Action-Adventurer (Zettai ni Damage wo Ukenai Skill wo Moratta node, Boukensha to shite Musou shite miru) is a Suiyoubi no Sirius title that sounds like it will melt the skin off anyone who reads it.

It’s That Reincarnated-as-a-Virus Story (Virus Tensei kara Isekai Kansen Monogatari) is… well, a villainess story, sort of? It is also from Suiyoubi no Sirius, and yes, the protagonist is a virus that can cause a pandemic. Timely!

ASH: Quite.

ANNA: Maybe too timely for me.

SEAN: Also digital: Cells at Work! White Brigade 2, The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! 7, My Roomie Is a Dino 6, Police in a Pod 8, SHAMAN KING & a garden 2, and Shangri-La Frontier 5.

One Peace has Farming Life in Another World 4, Multi-Mind Mayhem 2, and The New Gate 8.

Seven Seas has two debuts. Daily Report About My Witch Senpai (Majo-senpai Nichijou) is a shoujo Akita Shoten title from Manga Cross. An office worker’s senpai is a witch, as the title might suggest – and she’s overworking herself! Can he help?

The Dragon Knight’s Beloved (Ryukishi no Okiniiri) is a josei series from Comic ZERO-SUM, based on a webcomic. A young maid, who loves caring for the dragons at the castle, gets a startling request from a knight when she comes of age – pretend to be his lover!

ASH: You had me at dragons and josei.

ANNA: Woooo!

MJ: Oh!

SEAN: Seven Seas also has Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear manga 6, Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero 3, and Reincarnated as a Sword 8.

Square Enix has the 4th manga volume for By the Grace of the Gods.

SuBLime has the 3rd and final volume of Bad Boys, Happy Home and The World’s Greatest First Love 15.

ASH: I liked the first volume of Bad Boys, Happy Home, so I should probably give the last two a read, too.

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Assassin’s Creed Dynasty, which seems to be based on, besides the AC franchise, a Chinese webcomic.

As one series begins, another must end. So it is with Viz, which sees the debut of Pokémon Adventures: X•Y and the final volume of Pokémon: Sun & Moon. What are they about? Come on. They’re Pokémon manga.

Viz also has Star Wars: Tribute to Star Wars, an artbook with works from lots of Japanese creators, such as the creators of the Zelda manga, Witch Hat Atelier, and Tekkonkinkreet!

ASH: Oh! That should be pretty good, then!

SEAN: We also get Case Closed 81, Fly Me to the Moon 9, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End 2, Mao 3, and Persona 5 8.

MICHELLE: I still need to check out Frieren and Mao.

ASH: Same, I’ll have to admit.

ANNA: Me too, although I think the first volume of Frieren is at least somewhere in my house.

SEAN: Lastly, Yen On has Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 7, Date A Live 4, Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 8, and Torture Princess 7.5.

What manga are you being reincarnated as?

Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie, Vol. 1

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By Hiroro Akizakura and Dangmill. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijou, Cecilia Sylvie wa Shinitakunai node Dansou suru Koto ni Shita” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Tangney.

All novels, to one degree or another, require a certain suspension of disbelief by the reader in order to make the book function. If you pick too hard at things, you’re never going to enjoy anything. Or, as MST3K put it, “it’s just a book, I should really just relax”. Sometimes, though, it can be hard. We’ve seen enough villainess titles by now to know how they usually go down, and it’s always interesting to see what variations our heroines make to avoid their tragic fate. Cecelia’s answer is to pretend to be an invalid for 11 years, then go to school disguised as a boy, without telling her parents, so that the “villainess” doesn’t even exist in the story. Which… why is that what she thought of? We hear once or twice that she was a theater geek in her old life, but this goes above and beyond. That said, she has very sturdy plot armor on, so it mostly works fine.

Our heroine loves to play the otome game Holy Maiden of Vleugel Academy 3. So much so that she and her BL-loving friend go to see a movie based on the game… and tragically die in a fire at the theater. Now she finds that she’s Cecilia Sylvie, a duke’s daughter and the villainess of the game who’s doomed to die on every route! (And yes, before you ask, her fiancee is the prince and she has an adopted brother who dotes on her. Bakarina fans will be right at home here.) Cut to 11 years later, and we see her solution: disguising herself as Cecil Admina, a young man attending the same academy. After all, bad things can’t happen to Cecilia if she isn’t there. That said, the plot is still going to happen, and the heroine of the game, Lean, is still around. Only… why does Lean not seem to care about the other romance targets? In fact, why is Lean more interested in the romance targets ending up with each other?

This is not *quite* a BL title – Cecil is definitely Cecilia in disguise – but there’s no denying it has BL elements. Her adopted brother Gilbert knows her secret and is in love with her, and that comes out regardless of how she’s dressed. Her fiancee Oscar is rather disturbed to find how attracted he is to this young man who he’s supposed to dislike, especially when Cecil does things like crawl into his bed at night on a camping trip because of fear. And then there’s the fact that Lean and her childhood friend Jade have started up a robust line of spicy novels featuring romance between two men who are a LOT like Cecil and Oscar. This is probably the biggest reason to get these books, because honestly as a villainess book it’s not great – Cecilia’s not particularly clever, as you can probably tell by her solution to her problems, and tends to get by with strength and guts.

If you really like this genre, then you’ll probably want to read more. For fans of Hana-Kimi.

Bookshelf Briefs 1/4/22

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F | By Imai Arata | Glacier Bay Books – Japan’s triple disaster of 2011 has understandably influenced the creative output of the country’s artists, both directly and indirectly, but I haven’t encountered anything quite like the underground manga F before. Originally self-published under the title I Am John Cantlie, Imai portrays a Japan in which the devastated Tōhoku region has declared its independence but struggles to maintain it amidst increasing violence and terrorist influences. The story follows a war photographer who gains entry to the area using a fake passport and is ultimately taken hostage. The horror of what he witnesses and is subjected to is chilling, especially knowing that Imai is drawing upon the reality of actual events. Accompanying the manga is an extensive essay by the volume’s translator Ryan Holmberg which places it within larger historical and political contexts, examining the underlying sources and development of Imai’s F. It’s an intense and astonishing work, thought-provoking and impactful. – Ash Brown

In/Spectre, Vol. 14 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – The promise shown by the previous book, which ended with Kotoko and Rikka having to team up on a murder case. This sees a lot of Kotoko suggesting a very plausible way that the crime could have happened, and then kicking her castle down and saying no, that’s not how it went after all. The actual crime turns out to be rather prosaic—and the killer thoroughly unlikable—but Rikka has a point when she says that Kotoko is playing at being a detective—or, more accurately, playing at being a human. Something which none of the main cast are anymore. Despite that, I can’t see In/Spectre stop being a detective manga—that’s its bread and butter, after all. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 21 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – This book very much shows us the end of one section and the start of the next. The end comes between Tsubame and Ishigami, who finally gets why getting rejected by the woman you love hurts so much. The start of a new arc comes both from Kaguya, who informs Shirogane that she will NOT be going to Stanford with him but staying to fight her family, and the school itself, who have put every single major character—even Shindo!—in the same class. And yes, this includes a new transfer, Maki’s twin brother and Shirogane’s nemesis. Again, there’s still great comedy here, mostly from Fujiwara (who will never get a serious arc), but the drama is still not going away anytime soon. – Sean Gaffney

Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – Last time I said that we met about 25 new characters, but would not have to remember them all at once. I was wrong. We do, and I am struggling. For all that folks yell at My Hero Academia or Negima for not using all its cast, there’s a reason classes of 20-30 don’t have 20-30 main characters. Especially as we see another character introduced in this volume as well, along with their minder. Fortunately, Magus of the Library is the sort of story where, even if I can’t remember a lick about the plot or the characters, it will get by anyway entirely on art and coolness. Which is probably a good thing, because I can’t remember jack, especially with nine months between volumes. Needs a reread. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vols. 3 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Given that I recently had this as my pick for 2021, you can imagine how I felt about this third volume, which builds on the first two and becomes truly fantastic. The first reason to get it is still the artwork, which looks fast and furious, just like the ice skating that it’s depicting. It has an energy that propels you forward. The other reason to read it is if you’re a fan of sports manga, which this absolutely is, despite—in fact, it’s even better because—the main character is a ten-year-old girl rather than a sixteen-year-old boy. Seeing each of the competitors do their routines and get judged, each surpassing the next, was so good I forgive the artist for the “whoops, I forgot my skates, have to run to get them” bit. This needs print. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 26 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – The first half of this volume sees the resolution of the very long arc involving the multiple cat statues, which ties into the horror aspect of the title and shows off our favorite antiheroes being antiheroic. After this the second half moves more towards mystery, as a retired expert Natsume has met before is going to visit the house of a late friend that he lost touch with. The trouble is that his friend is supposed to have two daughters… so why are there three there? This is a quieter, more moody piece about words that are not said, and I felt it was stronger. That said, this series has basically become an anthology—when is the last time we saw Natsume using the Book of Friends anyway? – Sean Gaffney

Queen’s Quality, Vol. 13 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – As with Magus of the Library, I’ve sort of given up on trying to remember who is who or what is actually happening with all of the factions and snakes. Fortunately, as with Magus of the Library, the series is able to get by anyway on sheer moxie. We sort of resolve the arc from last time, though we get a new villainess in this one who reminds me a bit of similar types I’ve seen in Black Clover and Negima. The other recurring plotline is the fact that our two leads are very horny for each other, but something keeps interrupting them before coitus can ensue. Given that I think that something is “the editor,” I suspect they may have to wait till the end of the series, but it’s amusing and also sexy to see them try. – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 11 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – The final volume of this series does not, in fact, feature any crisis management at all, mostly as our leads are too competent to really screw much up. The only thing Asako forgets is to shave her back before the wedding, but that just leads to a sexy scene. The rest of the book is mostly a victory lap/epilogue, though there is a very interesting section where we see the POV of Kotaro’s mother, which is basically a bunch of blurs, but is still rather sweet. After the wedding we see a few scenes showing Asako getting pregnant and the two of them raising their daughter. From a manga that started with a premise that made me go “ew,” this has become one of my favorite adult romance manga ever. I’ll miss it. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 18 | By Yuki Shiwasu | VIZ Media – With the major conflict of the series having wrapped up (rather anticlimactically) in the previous volume, this one is basically one more dose of cute for the road. The Chairman gifts Takane and Hana with a condo and instructs them to move in together and deepen their bond. Takane doesn’t want being married to interfere with Hana’s high school life or studying for entrance exams, but she enjoys doing wifely things when she has the time. Hana gets into college. They eventually announce their marriage to the Takaba family and hold a wedding ceremony. The limited edition version comes with a pamphlet of bonus stories, including one that shows where everyone is seven years later. It’s a very satisfying conclusion for a series I’ve loved a lot, and I’ll miss these characters very much. Mostly, though, I think I’ll miss Takane’s facial expressions. – Michelle Smith

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Vol. 8

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By Kumanano and 029. Released in Japan by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by M.B. Hare.

One of the odd things about this series is how it references its premise several times while also being completely uninterested in doing anything with it. Yuna was, as we saw in the first volume, a very disaffected Japanese teenager, someone who literally paid her parents to go away. This is crucial for seeing how she deals with people in this fantasy world as well, and also in figuring out how much of her narration is simply pretending that she can’t see the obvious problem. And yet, after Yuna’s original transport into the game, we’ve never really dwelt on who put her there and why it happened at all – it reads as “I needed an excuse for an isekai”. It feels awkward to have it both ways, but I suspect that’s what we’re going to have to deal with, because the series in Japan is up to the 18th volume and I don’t think has devoted one iota of its time to “why did Yuna end up here?”.

The bulk of this book has Yuna, Fina, Cliff and Noa going to attend the birthday party of Misa, the noble they’d met in an earlier book. Unfortunately, Misa’s family is currently on the bad side of a power grab by the other noble family in the town, and her party – as well as a party for adults held by her grandfather – is desperately required for them to survive. Also unfortunately, the other noble family knows how these sort of fantasy isekais work – Yuna even says they’re like she imagined nobles to be like. Their grandson is sneering and bullying, they employ thugs to break the arms of head chefs, etc. Fortunately, Misa and company have Yuna, who solves things by just popping over to the palace and asking the King if she can borrow the palace chef. That said, Yuna also faces the biggest crisis she’s had to deal with so far… attending a party in a dress, instead of her bear onesie.

As always, the main reason to read this series is to watch everyone’s reactions to Yuna, and her reaction to everyone. They’re in a new town this volume, so there’s even more “it’s a bear!” than usual. Yuna knows this is a normal reaction to someone like her, but still gets irritated by it. She is a very nice, overpowered person to have in your corner… provided that you do whatever she says, something that I suspect I am thinking about more than the author would like me to. Unfortunately, she does not seem to have learned anything from Fina’s blowing up at her last time. That said, part of the problem may be that she had less to do than usual here – this is a second volume in a row with little conflict, aside from the political power struggles. In fact, we’re due for something to happen soon. Yuna works best when she’s hitting things, I think.

Fans of the series should definitely enjoy this one, though it’s pretty clear that there’s no overarching plot beyond “whatever the author wants to do next”. If you don’t mind that, hang out with the bear some more.

Pick of the Week: Easy Rider

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KATE: One of the things I appreciate about Seven Seas is how much they’ve diversified their catalog. Yes, they still publish things like Trapped In Another Dimension with a Ridiculously Hot Girl: Have You Seen My Three-Hit Attacks?, but they’ve also made a commitment to publishing older series, offering North American readers an opportunity to read foundational texts such as Claudine, Cutie Honey, Captain Harlock, and Devilman. I’m excited to see what they’ve done with Shotaro Ishinomori’s Kamen Rider, which, as my colleague Sean pointed out, is “the inspiration for most anything you’ve ever loved.” Sold!

SEAN: Kamen Rider would absolutely be my pick if I had any confidence I’d finish it. Since I do not, I’ll go with something more in my wheelhouse: the first volume of Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie. Combining villainess novels with Hana-Kimi seems like a great idea.

MICHELLE: I think it’s very cool that Kamen Rider is coming out and I will certainly give it a try. If I’m honest, though, my heart belongs to My Love Mix-Up!.

ANNA: I’m going to go with the final volume of Love Me, Love Me Not. Shojo Beat has really been bringing some great, heartfelt series recently and I’m looking forward to seeing how this wraps up.

ASH: It’s Kamen Rider for me this week! I’m very happy to see more of Shotaro Ishinomori’s work translated, and especially such an influential series. This omnibus is huge in more ways than one!

The NPCs in This Village Sim Game Must Be Real!, Vol. 2

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By Hirukuma and Namako. Released in Japan as “Murazukuri Game no NPC ga Namami no Ningen to Shika Omoe Nai” by Enterbrain. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

I will give credit to the realistic NPCs, they’re not doing a bad job here. Aside from the one annoying running gag of “the sister likes her brother a little too much”, they’re all nice people. The seeming traitor from the last book, the doctor, returns after their village is wiped out, and their guilt and suffering is well drawn out. Heck, even the two red pandas who are brought in to add bodies are cute and also strong – and I loved “please do not touch our high explosives”. That said, the NPCs may be real, but I’m far more interested in what’s going on with Yoshio, whose problems in this book escalate until, when the book ends, you’re screaming at the author to release the next one already. Especially when we learn that Yoshio is not the only one whose loser life has been improved by a mysterious game… and that his game’s opponents may be closer than he thinks.

After surviving the first monster rush, our NPC heroes are busy preparing for the next one, and their world is expanding a bit more – though they’re not quite ready to leave their cave as of yet. The same could be said of Yoshio, who is interacting more with his family and co-workers but is still having trouble with Life In General. This includes his unlucky childhood friend, who everyone thought he was going to marry when he grew up. Unfortunately, she got a nice job, he did not, and he began the downward spiral that led him to where he is at the start of Book 1. And now that they’ve reunited, he’s sure she deserves someone much better than him (and is not seeing the fact that she seems to be as lost as he is right now). Additionally, his sister is still worried about being stalked – with good reason – and his coworker is also really immersed in a strategy game… one that seems very familiar.

A lot of this book, obviously, seems to rely on what I would call “magical realism”. Yoshio’s game clearly isn’t just a game – even if his new pet lizard is not a clue, the ending of this volume certainly shows us that. The scene with Yoshio facing down his sister’s stalker – and his former attacker – is tense and gripping but also feels a bit too on the nose in terms of narrative convenience. But then, in a book where our hero can manipulate the narrative in order to save others, perhaps that’s not what I should be paying attention to. The final section is chilling in the best thriller way, with Yoshio suffering a vicious attack and trying to protect his friend while ALSO trying to save his village. He does not achieve all of these things, unfortunately, but at least he’s not completely done, and That Cliffhanger promises he can, perhaps, fix things.

The author has stated that this series was always meant to be three volumes, so the next will be the last (unlike Vending Machine, which was very open ended when it got axed). Fortunately, we should get the next volume soon. Very fortunately, because I’m absolutely on the edge of my seat wanting to see what happens next. Get this.

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. 4

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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.

Due to a translation schedule that can only be described as bananas, we are slowly catching up with the series in Japan. Slowly being the word – this is the 16th book in the series, and it came out in Japan in 2018. The latest book is the 28th, which came out in December. But if we continue to do 6 a year, while Japan does 4, we will eventually get there. It’s enough to make a reader feel confident about looking at fanart. But, as anyone who’s ever looked up Japanese Bookworm fanart knows, this can be very dangerous. Look, I don’t know who Rozemyne will end up married to in the future. Indeed, this particular book makes it very clear that Wilfried is a very good choice – and that Ferdinand would be a politically bad one. That said, anyone looking at pixiv will see that one pairing is overwhelmingly the favorite, to the point where it’s 95% of all the art. And it ain’t Rosemyne/Wilfried. We shall see.

As with all Bookworm volumes, there’s a lot going on here. Rozemyne’s desire to avoid a lot of hard embroidery work causes her to not only revolutionize the ink industry, but also invent invisible ink, which will no doubt prove very useful in future books. The spring prayer happens in the middle of the book, and a discrepancy between the bible that everyone else knows and the one that Rozemyne has read in the High Bishop’s office leads to a literal miracle. The archduke learns that, in terms of the “commoner” parts of the city, his territory is at the very, very bottom, which leads to a need for sewers – and a mass cleansing. Most importantly, Rozemyne is engaged to Wilfried, and while some readers may still be grumpy with him due to past events, it’s shown to be a political necessity, as Rosemyne is a Hot New Item.

As I have said many times before, these books are long. This one is 343 pages, which is actually 30 pages shorter than the previous one. And yet I always find myself wishing that the books went into more depth. Worldbuilding can be tedious when it’s another boilerplate isekai talking about casting from hit points, but this series really is entirely about the worldbuilding – it’s a major reason why it’s a huge hit (though I will admit our smol book gremlin is the main reason). Even the side stories told from other perspectives are excellent – we get Wilfried’s thoughts on his engagement, and show off how much he’s matured. We also get to see Gunther and Myne’s family once more. And, most importantly, we get the politics. It’s not entirely Rozemyne not caring about anything but books – the politics in this world is genuinely hard, and you need a lifetime of training.

This volume ends with the implication that the next one will be even more focused on infighting and intrigue. Which is great, I love that. But I do hope it also shows Rozemyne casually inventing more stuff, and playing more magical rugby, and causing Sylvester, Ferdinand and Benno to hold their heads in pain at her antics. The books are long, and yet all too short.

From Toxic Classmate to Girlfriend Goals, Vol. 1

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By Sametaro Fukada and Fumi. Released in Japan as “Yatarato Sasshi no Ii Ore wa, Dokuzetsu Kuudere Bishoujo no Chiisana Dere mo Minogasazu ni Guigui Iku” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Callum Conroy.

In general these days, if you are in a classroom and you see a girl sitting next to you who either a) has a face that makes her look evil and threatening or b) a cool beauty who no one can approach, odds are that she is going to be an incredibly sweet girl who merely has tremendous communication issues. If you weren’t aware that this book is another in that type of series, you haven’t been paying attention to Tentai Books’ recent licenses, as they’re starting to have a niche in the “sugar sweet romance between weird boy and aloof girl” genre (though Seatmate Killer reversed those adjectives). If you are the sort who believe that good books need conflict, then this is not for you: there’s only one major conflict in the book. Instead, sit back and watch Koyuki be the world’s worst tsundere, and Naoya realize that, in fact, he does want to get closer to her.

Naoya is a young man who has become an expert at reading people’s faces to figure out not only their emotional state but also their backstory, family connections, and what they’re thinking. He credits it to a family backstory that we get some of, but it’s hinted there’s a lot more to it than that. One day he runs across a creeper trying to pick up a young woman who clearly does not want his attention, and proceeds to verbally destroy him to get him to back off. Little does he know that this woman is Koyuki, legendary at their school for her callous words and cool attitude towards everyone. Except, now that he comes to really look at her, he realizes that all this is wrong and that she’;s just colossally bad at offering help or accepting thanks. Worse, she falls for him rapidly, and he is trying his hardest to avoid getting in a relationship. Will she be able to break down his walls?

A lot of the humor in this book for me came from, as I hinted, the lack of conflict. Throughout, we see things set up where they look like they might lead to some drama… but they don’t. Naoya may be reluctant to get into a romantic relationship, but once he realizes that’s where this is heading he doesn’t back off or try to change how he acts around Koyuki. We meet her sister, who’s trying to make sure that he’s good boyfriend material… and he passes easily. Then we meet his family, including an overprotective father… and he STILL passes easily. This actually makes it funny when we finally DO get to the drama in the volume… and it comes from him confessing to her too quickly, something she has (supposedly) spent the entire book trying to achieve. And when she finally gets what she wants? She has a total meltdown.

Not to worry, though, it works out. The author, in the afterword (and apparently also the publicity for the series) guarantees a happy ending. Which is good, because we have other books if we want drama. We have this if we want to see an incredibly dorky girl try to point at her boyfriend in a haughty way but fail because she’s simply too adorable to pull it off. Cute and sweet.

Manga the Week of 1/5/22

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SEAN: Welcome to 2022, a year unlike any other (and hopefully nothing like 2020 or 2021). What manga do we have?

Well, we start with light novels, as Yen On debuts Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie (Akuyaku Reijou, Cecilia Sylvie wa Shinitakunai no de Dansou Suru Koto ni Shita). It’s an otome game villainess story, but this time our heroine, instead of changing the way she lives her life, decides to completely disguise herself… as a boy!

We also see Unnamed Memory 4.

Yen Press has just one title, and it’s an artbook. Visions 2021__Illustrators Book covers 170 artists from Pixiv, showing off their stunning artwork.

ASH: Other artbooks from Yen have been nicely done, so this definitely has potential.

SEAN: No debuts for Viz Media, but we do see the final volume of Love Me, Love Me Not.

MICHELLE: Man, already?!

ANNA: I’ve been collecting this series, but am several volumes behind. Looking forward to binge reading the rest of it.

SEAN: We do get a new side story, but as it’s one volume it’s more of a one-shot. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba–Stories of Water and Flame is a short story manga volume based on the super popular manga.

ASH: I’m far behind on Demon Slayer, but am still curious about this one.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 13, Dragon Ball Super 15, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits 7, Mashle: Magic and Muscles 4, Moriarty the Patriot 6, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions 2, My Love Mix-Up! 2, Snow White with the Red Hair 17, Twin Star Exorcists 24, and Undead Unluck 5.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to more of My Love Mix-Up!.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Tentai Books slipped out a release this week while I wasn’t looking. From Toxic Classmate to Girlfriend Goals (Yatarato Sasshi no Ii Ore wa, Dokuzetsu Kuudere Bishoujo no Chiisana Dere mo Minogasazu ni Guigui Iku) is another in what is almost becoming a genre, the “girl sitting next to me has a bad reputation but is really just covering up her embarrassment” genre.

ASH: I’ll admit to liking this particular subgenre.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga debuts My Isekai Life 01: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World! (Tensei Kenja no Isekai Life – Daini no Shokugyou o Ete, Sekai Saikyou ni Narimashita) has as its one thing different from all other books in the genre that our hero is not coming from Japan, but from a fantasy world where he already had a class. Just a weak one. Now he has two! And is strong!

We also see The Apothecary Diaries’ 4th manga and Ragna Crimson 4.

ASH: Looking forward to reading more of Apothecary Diaries.

MJ: I haven’t even started Apothecary Diaries but I admit to being very drawn to it for the title alone.

SEAN: Only one debut for Seven Seas, but it’s a biggie: Kamen Rider: the Classic Manga Collection. This 850-page omnibus has all 4 volumes of the original 1971 manga in hardcover format. This was the inspiration for most anything you’ve ever loved.

ASH: That’s a pretty easy sale for me.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor 13, Blue Giant 7-8, Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 3, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 13, Magaimono: Super Magic Action Entertainment 2 (the final volume), Manly Appetites: Minegishi Loves Otsu 3 (also a final volume), The Tale of the Outcasts 4, and Time Stop Hero 3.

MICHELLE: I’ve been meaning to check out Blue Giant and Manly Appetites.

ASH: Manly Appetites has been a delight.

SEAN: Kodansha Manga has print books! Including the debut of The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!, which came out digitally last year.

We also see Battle Angel Alita 4 and Eden’s Zero 14.

Debuting digitally is My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! (Oshi ga Tonari de Jugyou ni Shuuchuu Dekinai!), also in the ‘sweet romance with the girl sitting next to me’ genre, only this time our protagonist is also a girl.

ASH: I don’t mind that twist.

MJ: Here for it.

SEAN: ANN also reports that Kodansha has Hiraeth: The End of the Journey (Hiraeth wa Tabiji no Hate), a Morning Two title from the creator of Our Dreams at Dusk. It’s already an award winner, and starts off dark, as a woman who wants to see her friend who has died tries to kill herself. She’s stopped by two travelers who take her on a journey.

ASH: Oh!

MJ: This sounds potentially great.

SEAN: There’s also Girlfriend, Girlfriend 7, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability 4, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 19, My Darling, the Company President 2, My Master Has No Tail 2, and Princess Resurrection Nightmare 7 (the final volume).

Kaiten Books has three new print titles for books they’ve previously released digitally. We get Loner Life in Another World 4 (manga), My Dad’s the Queen of All VTubers?! 2, and Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant! 1 (manga).

Quite a bit from J-Novel Club. The Apothecary Diaries 4, Black Summoner 7, Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend: Roomies and Romance 4, Hell Mode 2, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 7 (manga), I’ll Never Set Foot in That House Again! 3, Jessica Bannister and the Family Secrets (4th in the series), Marginal Operation 11, Monster Tamer 7, The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes 2, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey 15, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 7.

ASH: That is quite a bit!

SEAN: There’s also more than usual for Ghost Ship. The debut is Into the Deepest, Most Unknowable Dungeon (Fukafuka Dungeon Kouryakuki: Ore no Isekai Tensei Boukentan), which runs in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade. There’s a dungeon that has repelled even the strongest armies. But our recently dead and reincarnated from Japan hero knows how to take them on: with a group of hot and powerful women.

ASH: Obviously.

SEAN: Ghost Ship also has Ero Ninja Scrolls 2, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World 2 (manga), Parallel Paradise 8, and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 17.

Speaking of publishers sneaking out volumes without telling me, I’m TWO weeks late in noting that Inside Mari 8 is out from Denpa Books!

Dark Horse has the 8th Gantz omnibus.

Airship, in print, has Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 4.

And digitally they give us Planet of the Orcs 2.

Which of these titles gives you a Rider Kick?