Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen, Vol. 7.5

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By Keishi Ayasato and Saki Ukai. Released in Japan as “Isekai Goumon Hime” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Hiroshi Thrasher.

I suspect a lot of people looked at the decimal point in the next volume of Torture Princess and went “Really? NOW is when you decide to release a short story volume?”. After all, we JUST began not only a new story arc, but a story arc that is missing three of the four main cast members, and was promising even more horrible things happening to both deserving and undeserving people, and also possibly snarks and boojums. But also, honestly, this volume is a bit of a relief. The last book was excellent but emotionally exhausting, and I wasn’t quite sure whether I was ready to dive right into more torture games. This is not to say that all the stories in this book are fluffy fun. Come on. It’s Torture Princess. The content warnings are baked in. But compared to the rest of the series? Yeah, this is fluffy fun. Ah, yes, and one more thing: don’t read this out of order – the other stories may all come at the beginning of the series, but the last one is a prelude to Vol. 8.

The volume has four “main” short stories, interspersed with two smaller ones split up. We see Kaito, still struggling to be Elizabeth’s manservant, being haunted by a half-flayed ghost; Elizabeth being invited to a grotesque banquet by a bunch of folks who love her for all the wrong reasons; Kaito and Elizabeth realizing that Hina is missing, and searching the entire castle to try to find her; and the last story, which I will get to in a bit. Each one of those has a “front” and “back” side, showing first one POV and then the same events from another POV – while this can be annoying when you’re reading the same dialogue twice at times, that is kept mostly to a minimum. We also get several first-person monologues from the Saint, and a series of short interludes showing us Alice and her “father” are still deeply screwed up. But hey, bunny!

The final story shows us a celebration dinner for Elizabeth’s third anniversary as Captain of the Peace Brigade. Kaito and Hina are back at the castle whipping up a grand feast, inviting all their friends, and flirting shamelessly. The reader is, of course, aware that this is a giant pile of bullshit, as is Elizabeth, but she goes along with it as long as possible, and we get a few scenes that we are likely never going to get near ever again. What makes this so interesting is that some of the narrative critiques the fact that events are still proceeding as they are – in other words, it’s yelling at the author, in-universe, for not stopping Torture Princess with Book 6. I mean, I did that too! But in a review, not in a Torture Princess story. It’s fascinating and layered, and in the end I think the author does actually justify going forward. Which is good, because in reality Kaito and Hina are still locked in their Cage of Stasis, and Elizabeth has to fight a war.

This is not really a skippable short story collection – the end literally leads straight into Book 8 – but that’s OK, as it’s worth reading even if you do normally skip them. A strong stomach is needed as always, but it’s another winner from this author who writes horribly gratuitous gore much better than the author of Roll Over and Die.

Pick of the Week: Dancing About Architecture

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KATE: My pick of the week is The Way of the Househusband. This series should have run out of comic steam after two or three volumes, especially since the sight gags and misunderstandings could be boiled down to one simple idea: He’s a yakuza assassin who clips coupons! Seven volumes in, however, the jokes are still hitting the mark more often than not, thanks, in no small part, to Kousuke Oono’s ability to make everyday situations seem fraught with peril. Highly recommended!

SEAN: I’ll go with the final volume of Species Domain. It lagged a bit towards the end, but for the most part this high school comedy with fantasy elves, angels, ogres, and dwarfs has been the very definition of “better than it sounds”.

MICHELLE: I has been two years since the fifth volume of 10 Dance was released. To say that I am ready for more is an understatement! Volume six is absolutely my pick this week.

ASH: Wow, has it really been that long?! (Time seems to flow particularly strangely these days…) That being said, 10 Dance is definitely one of my top picks this week, along with the also previously mentioned The Way of the Househusband.

MJ: I am incredibly, INCREDIBLY behind on 10 Dance, which is to say I’m not sure I’ve ever read past the first two or three volumes. This needs to change! Hello to my pick of the week!

ANNA: I usually lose interest in comedy series at some point but The Way of the Househusband is still going strong, that’s my pick.

The Magician Who Rose from Failure: Tales of War and Magic, Vol. 4

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By Hitsuji Gamei and Fushimi Saika. Released in Japan as “Shikkaku Kara Hajimeru Nariagari Madō Shidō! ~ Jumon Kaihatsu Tokidoki Senki ~” by GC Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

For those who were hoping to see more of Sue trying to get Arcus to take interest in her, or Lecia continuing to think she’s getting further behind Arcus even as she’s also quite powerful, or Charlotte… well, no, no one was really expecting Charlotte. But none of them are in this book at all, because it’s entirely devoted to the battlefield. Last time the author promised the “war” part of the title, and we sure get it here. We also meet the nation’s prince, who is constantly veiled, super powerful, Arcus’ age, and implied to possibly be a princess in disguise, though honestly only the afterword really makes the implication. If you like cool battles, this is an excellent book. Fortunately, it does have a bit more to dig into in terms of characterization, but honestly, you will remember the awesome magic battles. And also the huge burly guy who almost kills everyone then doesn’t because he’s just gotten lost. He’s tremendous fun.

After impressing so many people at the end of the third book, Arcus is invited to meet the Crown Prince, who will also be leading the forces to battle the traitor Count. Of course, Arcus is still quite young, so there are no shortage of offended nobles who show themselves to have no knowledge of how isekai novels work by complaining about this child being present at their planning. Also not smart to say this in front of the prince who is also a child. As for the battle, well, first one side does really well, then the other side does well, but for the most part our heroes have got this in the bag. So much so that they decide it’s OK for the prince, having inspired the troops, to head on back. Which, sadly, is what the enemy was waiting for all along.

There’s a fair bit of time dedicated to the “bad guys” here, and it shows off how in a war no one thinks of themselves as being on the wrong side, even if the person you’re helping is a dead ringer for the classic Japanese fantasy villain, aka “looks squat and froglike, acts like that too”. We see one man who has decided to fight despite the fact that his sister begs him to return home as he is now the head of their family, and you appreciate his thought process while also wincing because man, that’s a death flag if ever I saw one. We also set up a few things for future volumes, as the other side’s mages now know about Arcus and the fact that he has an imagination that can see things that this world cannot. Oh yes, and there’s Arcus’ dinner with Andre… I mean God, who gives him a quest that should keep the series going if it ever gets another volume.

Yeah, fans of The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!! know where this is going. We’ve caught up with Japan, and the author has started a shiny new light novel series that looks to be following the current cliched trends far more than his other two series. What does that mean? It means I hope we see more of this at some point before I die. Till then, this is a good military fantasy book.

I’m in Love with the Villainess, Vol. 4

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By Inori and Hanagata. Released in Japan as “Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou” by GL Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka. Adapted by Nibedita Sen.

Last time I mentioned that it felt awkward to start a new volume of the series when it could easily have ended in Book 2 with “and they lived happily ever after”. Oddly, towards the end of this book Claire’s father thinks much the same thing, trying to send Rae, Claire and their family back home because “they’ve done enough”. Not in a negative way, though Claire initially takes it that way, but n the sense that the country of Nur is quickly about to become super-dangerous. That said, as events unfold in this book one gets the sense that this world is not about to let either of them go live a quiet, happy life very easily… though it has no such qualms about quietly shuffling most of the new cast we met in the third volume off to the side, to the point where I wondered if this were a Christie novel set on a faraway island. As for why? Well… revolution. Again. Come on, it’s in the game title.

The general thrust of this volume should be familiar to readers of the series. We start off with a lot of cute, fluffy things, like a fantasy cross between Iron Chef and the Great British Bake-Off, and we then start the balls rolling down the hill until you reach a climax that can be summed up by “great googly-moogly, it’s all gone to shit”. Part of the problem is that while Dorothea is amusing as a strong as heck, emotionally blunt empress, she is also a somewhat terrifying dictator, and does not particularly care if that means that the country is hated by everyone around it. As for her daughter, after being the comedy girl with a crush at the start, Philine’s development is actually one of the strongest parts of the book (though I’d argue it does come a bit too fast). Which is better, speaking softly or carrying the big stick?

As with previous books in the series, there are occasional digressions in order to discuss modern gender politics. Rae gives a good explanation of gender identity, and one of the subplots later in the book also resolves around this sort of thing. On the down side… there really is an awful lot of “brainwashed to be evil” in this book, and indeed in this series, though some of it is less “I am here to kill you” and more “I am here to threaten you on behalf of the Church”. Fortunately, the main reason to read the books is Rae and Claire, and they’re both excellent. There’s a recurring theme of Claire being beloved by all (including her daughters) and Rae getting either slightly less attention (her daughters) or outright dislike (one of her classmates). It’s amusing but also makes sense, as Rae’s personality is the sort that is difficult to trust… the exact opposite of her partner.

The book ends on another cliffhanger, and seems to indicate the 5th will be the last. Till then, this remains for the most part a well-plotted and compelling series with excellent LGBTQ content.

Oh yes, and mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be tsunderes.

Manga the Week of 1/19/22

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SEAN: The third week of January brings many and varied things to help warm us up in these cold nights.

Yen On has three debuts. Dragon and Ceremony (Ryu to Sairei) stars a wandmaker who has to repair a wand within a time limit. The trouble is, it needs the heart of a dragon… which haven’t been seen for centuries!

ASH: Wait, is that a non-isekai fantasy novel?

SEAN: The second debut is My Happy Marriage (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon). A noble who has endured abuse from her family most of her life is married off to a cold, uncaring soldier. But will this turn out to be a wonderful pairing after all? I’ve heard good things about this.

MICHELLE: I might check this one out.

ANNA: It sounds intriguing!

MJ: Hmmm, maybe?

SEAN: The third title is Sabikui Bisco, which was briefly Rust-Eater Bisco until it was decided to keep the Japanese. Our heroes try to find a miracle cure in the middle of a post-apocalyptic desert. This sounds very, very Shonen Jump, and was very popular in Japan when it first came out.

ASH: And another!

SEAN: We also see Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 4, Bungo Stray Dogs 7, The The Irregular at Magic High School 18 (I will die on this running gag hill), I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 11, Magical Girl Raising Project 12, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 9, So I’m a Spider, So What? 13, Sword Art Online Progressive 7, and You Call That Service? 5.

Yen Press has new volumes! Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 3, Carole and Tuesday 3 (the final volume), Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance 4, Murcielago 18, Overlord 14, Slasher Maidens 4, Teasing Master Takagi-san 13, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 12, and Val x Love 11.

ASH: It’s a good week for Yen readers!

SEAN: Viz debuts Record of Ragnarok (Shuumatsu no Walküre), which runs in Comic Zenon. Do you like muscles? Do you like martial arts? Do you like tournament arcs? This is the manga for you.

ASH: I will admit to being curious.

ANNA: OK!

MJ: Another maybe for me!

SEAN: We also see Assassin’s Creed: Blade of Shao Jun 3, BEASTARS 16, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku 12, No. 5 3, The Way of the Househusband 7, and Ultraman 16.

MICHELLE: I need to get caught up on The Way of the Househusband.

ASH: Same. I’ve loved what I’ve read so far, though!

ANNA: It is so great.

SEAN: Udon Entertainment has the 3rd and final omnibus of Steins;Gate 0.

Tokyopop has Her Royal Highness Seems to be Angry 3.

Square Enix Manga gives us Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition 5.

Seven Seas has a spinoff debuting: Reincarnated as a Sword: Another Wish (Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita Another Wish). I’m… not sure how it differs from the main series, but hey.

They also have a rare Mature title that isn’t Ghost Ship: Succubus and Hitman. It runs in… oh dear. It runs in Champion Red, and is about a succubus who forces a college student to murder the wicked. The lack of sex keeps this on the main label, I think.

Also from Seven Seas: Bloom Into You Anthology 2, The Ideal Sponger Life 10, Love Me for Who I Am 5 (the final volume), Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life 9, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 2, No Matter What You Say, Furi-san is Scary! 2, The NPCs in this Village Sim Game Must Be Real! 2, Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) 2, and Species Domain 12 (also a final volume).

In print, Kodansha has 10 Dance 6, APOSIMZ 8, Sachi’s Monstrous Appetite 6 (the final volume), Toppu GP 6, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 3.

MICHELLE: At last, more 10 Dance!

ASH: Yes!

MJ: I am depressed to be so far behind in 10 Dance, but I guess I need to fix that!

SEAN: Kodansha did one of their “let’s announce the day before release to screw Sean up” announcements. Out already is MF Ghost, which focuses on the MFG racing circuit, and is from the creator of Initial D. No, the MF is not what you’re thinking. It runs in Young Magazine, and 10 volumes are now available.

MJ: I wish more things with “ghost” in the title were actually about ghosts. I like ghosts.

SEAN: The digital debut for next week is The Lines that Define Me (Sen wa, Boku wo Egaku), a Weekly Shonen Magazine title about the joys of India-ink painting. The mere fact that a title like this can get licensed these days is a joy.

ASH: It really is.

ANNA: Wow.

SEAN: Also digital: And Yet, You Are So Sweet 5, Blue Lock 11, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 6, My Darling Next Door 4, Saint Young Men 15, and Yozakura Quartet 28, which Kodansha says is the final volume, though I can’t verify that. Remember when Yozakura Quartet 1 came out? From Del Rey?

MICHELLE: I sure do.

ANNA: Me too.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has Altina the Sword Princess 12, Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On?! 8, Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte 2 (the final volume), The Great Cleric 6, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 15, Maddrax 2, Slayers 12, and The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 6 (which is a surprise to me, as I was sure 5 was the last).

Ghost Ship has a 2nd volume of Desire Pandora.

And Airship has 4 new light novel volumes in print. Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 4, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 14, Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 3, and The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 3.

While digitally we get Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 4 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 5.

Don’t burn manga for warmth! Read them!

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Vol. 7

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By Yuki Yaku and Fly. Released in Japan as “Jaku Chara Tomozaki-kun” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Winifred Bird.

If you don’t want to know who Tomozaki ends up with at the end of this book, be warned I talk about that, but not till the third paragraph.

There’s a lot of metatext in the Tomozaki series. To a degree, it’s deconstructing these sorts of high school romcom series, especially the way that the lead tends to be this asocial schlub who nevertheless has the plot revolve around him. As we’ve seen, it’s only when Tomozaki makes an effort that he gets noticed and gets romantic attention. That said, the series has not forgotten that it’s also a real story and that realistic things need to happen, and as such we get a resolution here to the love triangle between Tomozaki, Mimimi and Kikuchi. But there is a little niggling thought at the back of the reader’s head, because at its core this series is about two people: Tomozaki and Hinami. It’s not a matter of “first girl” or anything, it’s a matter of who gets the most narrative attention. And therefore the most interesting part of the book is when Kikuchi, who sees things from an author’s perspective, tries to abandon her own ship and pair Tomozaki with his *real* girlfriend.

Gumi is on the cover but is just a minor part of this book, which revolves around the culture festival. Tomozaki is dividing his energies between Mimimi and her comedy routine and Kikuchi and her play. What’s more, Hinami is setting him goals that require him to enter one of the girls’ “routes” by the end of the festival, without waffling or putting it off. The trouble is, Tomozaki is still trying to figure out how love and romance work. This can be quite funny, especially when he asks Nakamura for advice, but it’s also really making him miss the forest for the trees. In addition to this, Kikuchi is having trouble with the character Hinami is performing in her play, so she and Tomozaki interview people from Hinami’s past… with some very confusing results. Then we get the festival itself… and Tomozaki realizes he may have been rejected by a “Dear John” play.

I have to feel absolutely horrible for Mimimi. She’s a great kid, and a wonderful character, and her reaction to Tomozaki choosing someone else is very well-handled (possibly as it’s not Hinami he chose). But come on, when someone has to choose between two girls and you come in third, that’s just mean. Kikuchi gets it, though. Mimimi isn’t even on her radar, she knows where the narrative of this story is going, and it’s Hinami. That said, thanks especially to Mimimi kicking his ass, Tomozaki won’t let this lie, and reminds Kikuchi that “this is a story” can only take you so far. I also really liked the idea that it’s possible to be an idealist *and* be selfish, and that it’s not wrong to want to have it all. As a result, by the end of the book, he and Kikuchi are a couple.

Will they be a couple by the end of the series? Mmmmmmm… questioning. After all, there sure was a lot of Hinami baggage dropped in the middle of the book and then just left there. She is the other protagonist in this book. (Also, notably, Tomozaki never said “but I’m not romantically interested in Hinami” or tried to contradict Kikuchi’s play, which surprised me.) For the moment, though, Kikuchi is best girl, and they do make a great couple. As for Mimimi fans… at least she gets the manga spinoff?

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