Manga Bookshelf

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Sean Gaffney

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 38

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By Takehaya and Poco. Released in Japan as “Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Warnis.

It can be hard to thread the needle when you’re writing a story that actually *is* being published in light novel form first, as opposed to the usual these days, where a publisher picks up a series published originally on the web. The author admits that, after getting past the ‘we’ll end this in three books’ and ‘we’ll end this in 7-8 books’ hump and getting to the proper ending with Books 28 & 29… they STILL did not have the room to tell everything they wanted to tell. Which is why, even though it’s a 2-volume arc, those books felt a bit rushed. With this book, and its reveal about who their new Big Bad is, we get to go back and tackle the plot-related bits of the ending that were sacrificed for the greater theme. And we get to do that in a way that Rokujouma has become very accustomed to lately… though massive battles. This time in space, as after dealing with villains with fatal flaws up the wazoo for a while, Koutarou and company finally have to take on smart bad guys.

This book starts off with plot and does not really let go of it – any fluffy moments are now pretty much reserved for the short story volumes. Our three magical girls, out on patrol, come back with a surprise… Sanae! But it’s not Sanae-chan, our lovable ghost, or even Sanae-san, the shy but spiritually powerful human. It’s a Sanae from an alternate world… one where things went very badly. The Grey Knight, their mysterious new enemy, has progressively spirited away or killed off a good deal of the cast, and so they sent Sanae to a different dimension to try to warn our heroes about him (and get help if she can). This leads to the back half of the book, which is a battle between our heroes on one side and Ralgwin, the Grey Knight, and the mage Grevanas, back from the dead and experimenting with modern technology. What is the shocking secret identity of the Grey Knight?

…OK, it’s not that shocking. Given Koutarou has spent 30-odd books gallivanting around as the BLUE Knight, and that we have a Sanae from an alternate universe now, the identity of the Grey Knight is actually pretty easy to guess. I did enjoy seeing alternate Sanae, who is exactly what you’d expect her to be: a mature Sanae who is at peace with the fact that she had to fuse her two “selves” together but is still “Sanae” at heart. There is also some amusing romantic progression… amusing because, as you’d expect, it’s unconscious, with Koutarou saying that he hasn’t married Theia “yet”, a definite step up from the previous “we’re not getting married” denials. The dam is starting to crack.

The book ends by implying we’ll be returning to Forthothe soon, and catching up with our team of former evil magical girls, who now work for the Crown. But yeah, I suspect this alternate universe will play out over the next few volumes, though I’m sure we’ll get short story ones as well. Rokujouma may meander a bit these days, but it’s still worth reading.

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~, Vol. 17

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

Well, we knew this was going to happen. Given that the previous book had, with the exception of the final scenes, been a delightful and mostly lighthearted volume showing off the entire main cast, it is no surprise to see that in this next volume, Everything is Terrible. This is not to say that Subaru is doing dumb things out of stubbornness – we’re long past that stage. Heck, he can even participate in battles now, wielding a whip he received training in (I suspect this training was in another unlicensed short story, ah well). But yeah, by the end of this book we have a ton of corpses, an even bigger ton of transformed monstrosities, and even those who are not dead or turned into something else tend to have wounds that constantly bleed and the like. If your idea of a fun Re: Zero book is seeing terrible people doing bad things to good people, well, good news! That said, there’s also a bit of non-violence here that’s fun to read.

When we left off, Subaru was having to deal with the shortest “return by death” he’s ever had to experience – he has fifteen minutes to figure out and fix things. Needless to say, this leads to quite a few Subaru deaths in the first quarter of the book, and he’s not alone. He tries solving the problem himself – he fails. He tries getting Reinhard to solve the problem – this fails. He tries asking Beatrice for help – this actually succeeds, but it doesn’t mean things so well, as we have not one, not two, but THREE Witch Cultists to deal with. Now Emilia is missing, Beatrice is in a coma, Subaru is heavily wounded, and a number of the cast are absent. Oh yes, and Capella, the Witch Cultist who has control of City Hall, says to get her “the Witch’s Bones” or the city is doomed. There is, as always, too much on Subaru’s plate.

I was at first vaguely annoyed when, halfway through the book, the focus shifted away from Subaru and focused on Garfiel. Don’t get me wrong, Garf is a fine supporting character, but given everything else that was going on I did not feel in the mood for “I’m not the strongest in the land woe is me”. And indeed we get that to start, but things quickly become FAR more interesting after Garfiel rescues some children from a potential boating accident. When returning him to their family, he runs into someone whose existence is impossible and yet is also the thing he wants more than anything in the world… but he just can’t actually reach out and take it, because, well, circumstances. Honestly, it’s really refreshing to see something that devastates a character that is a POSITIVE thing, and I really hope that this goes somewhere in future volumes.

As the book ends, everything is even more terrible than it was in the last book, as we deal with the worst of all possible enemies: an arrogant incel who only cares if girls are virgins. Hope he dies! Till then, enjoy the suffering that is this series’ bread and butter.

Pick of the Week: Reluctant Picks

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SEAN: Hrm, I could choose any number of interesting new and continuing new manga titles, or I could pick another Villainess light novel to add on to my teetering pile. What to do… Yup, my pick this week is Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte.

MICHELLE: Although technically it came out last week, I would be remiss if I didn’t choose the final volume of The Girl from the Other Side for my pick of the week. I recently realized I haven’t read this series since volume seven (two years ago) because I am legitimately that worried about the fate of these characters. I reckon it’s time to take the plunge and hope for the best.

ASH: I’ll be joining Michelle in selecting The Girl from the Other Side as my pick this week. Though I am likewise a few volumes behind in my reading, it is such a wondrous series. Hard-hitting, too, but truly special.

MJ: Okay, so I’m recovering from getting my COVID booster, and running a fever for a few days means I’m not really up for much that takes any concentration, so the idea of buying anything to READ is not the most compelling thought in the world. I’d love to hear what our readers are picking up this week, though! Let us know in comments!

ANNA: It is The Girl from the Other Side for me too, one of these days I’ll get back to it.

KATE: I freely admit that I gave up on The Girl from the Other Side. The artwork is gorgeous–truly, Nagabe is a major talent–but the story was just too grim for me, and I bailed at volume seven. That said, I hope that folks who are enjoying this fairy tale know it’s available this week, since this is the final volume.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/14/21

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Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 10 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – The end of this volume states in big, bold letters that there’s twelve hours till the end of humanity, and nothing we see in this volume contradicts that at all. Even seeming antagonists like TV reporters in it for the ratings come to tragic, heartfelt ends here. The plot is expanding so much, in fact, that it’s hard to keep it focused entirely on our main cast, though Oran continues to essentially take over the heroine title from Kadode. It makes sense that the teens all have a final day on the beach with fireworks at the end… this is it, there’s no magic wand. That said, the series goes on hiatus at the drop of a hat, so the final end may be a bit. Still worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

If You Could See Love, Vol. 1 | By Teren Mikami and Yuuki Nanaji | Yen Press (digital only) – A good gimmick is always good when you’re starting a manga. This series stars Mei, who can see little pink arrows (they’re colored throughout the entire volume, which is probably why this is digital only) showing who people love. After a disastrous middle school life where she tried to use this power to help others and just ended up hated, she is now at an all-girls’ school… but now two girls are in love with HER. This works well because Mei has a lot to her backstory that makes her more than a standard romance protagonist. She was ill a lot as a child and also has bad experiences with love, meaning she can see love but can’t read it very well. Looking forward to more of this. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 2 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – After the cliffhanger from the last volume, this one takes place mostly over break, where Sarasa invites Ai to come home with her and meet her family and friends… and also find out, obliquely, why she is who she is. The answer, unsurprisingly, is in kabuki, which Sarasa is fantastic at but which is an all-male profession, despite her being drafted in as a young child to fill in in the chorus. It also shows why she’s struggling with her acting in the troupe—kabuki depends on precise imitation of someone else, whereas the acting required where she is now requires a new interpretation for each actress. Given Sarasa’s drive and innate talent, I think she’ll pick it up fast. This is excellent, even if you’ve already seen the anime. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – The first guidebook for the series to come out in North America, this is actually the second one to be released in Japan. That said, no worries, this one covers all the chapters up through about volume 23. It’s got introductions to the cast framed as tradable cards, so you know some cast members are more important than others—they’re SR, others are N. It also goes over most of the highlights of each arc, and gives little tidbits of information that might otherwise never come out. It’s particularly useful for Class 1-B (and also Yui Kodai gets the best gag in the volume with her “quotable lines” section). If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason not to pick this up. – Sean Gaffney

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 1 | By Aruko and Wataru Hinekure | VIZ Media – Aoki discovers that his crush, Hashimoto, likes another boy, Ida. After pledging to protect her secret (and intending to root for her happiness), he ends up confessing to Ida in her stead. He expects a swift rejection, but Ida says he wants to get to know Aoki better before giving him an answer. I was worried for a minute there that Ida was going to fall in love with Aoki and end up feeling like an idiot when the truth was revealed. Happily, the story doesn’t go that route, as Ida is continually such a wonderful person that by the end of the volume, Aoki begins to think he actually may like him after all! It’s definitely silly and has already trotted out some tropes like the cultural festival performance of Cinderella, but these really are good kids that I already care about. Looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

When Pink Rain Falls | By Yoiyu | Star Fruit Books – As the first print release from Star Fruit Books, a new small publisher generally focusing on indie manga, When Pink Rain Falls immediately caught my attention. Also notable is the fact that the story was originally created for J.GARDEN, a BL doujinshi festival—it is very uncommon for self-published manga to be licensed in English, so I was thrilled to see this translation. When Pink Rain Falls is a short, quickly paced manga just under forty pages. However, it still manages to convey a heartfelt story with satisfying emotional arcs. Yoiyu describes the manga as a “bromance,” but the BL tensions are real. The opening sequence alone shows Hanao, a budding florist, fleeing with the bouquet he was asked to make for the wedding of a male friend for whom he obviously has feelings. Throughout the manga humor balances the bittersweet, silliness the seriousness; When Pink Rain Falls is delightfully charming. – Ash Brown

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – The nature of witches, and how much they can and cannot do to help others, comes up quite a bit in this book. Things may be very tough for our heroes, but they are still witches, meaning they have options other people don’t. At the same time, the danger of creation is also shown—if you make a spell that creates a fake flame and give it to a child, will they end up not realizing you should not touch flames? We’re also introduced to a new witch, who exudes ‘ominous’ from every pore, but might also be able to help Coco with her most pressing issue. Oh, and did I mention the artwork is amazing? We’ve caught up with Japan, so these don’t come out as often, but that makes them all the sweeter. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 5 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – I never reviewed the fourth omnibus of this series—I think Kodansha had an issue getting it on the platform I read their titles on—but it’s not because I dropped it or anything. This volume is not a great one if you love the two “main” leads, as they get less to do, but it’s wonderful if you like the other main characters. (I will say I am grumpy that we did not get the cover art with the wedding couple as the ‘main’ cover for the omnibus.) Hanako and Taro are getting married, and we learn about the difference between compromising and spoiling—and why it’s not that bad to do either. Meanwhile, Ko and Naoya are still shy and fumbling and running away from each other… well, OK, it’s one-sided running. Great stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online: Five Ordeals

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By Keiichi Sigsawa and Kouhaku Kuroboshi, based on the series created by Reki Kawahara. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Stephen Paul.

Gotta admit, this book was an absolute treat for me. After so many volumes of everyone having to fight each other, It really is fantastic seeing all the main characters team up, NOT fight each other, and work towards a united goal. There’s still lots of enemies to defeat, of course, and trust me when I say Shirley is still looking for any opportunity she can to snipe Pitohui, but for the most part this is the most relaxed and fun a SAO Alternative volume has ever been. There’s even a cute dog! That said, while I was very happy, it’s worth noting that this book is about a cast of young women who really, really, REALLY like to shoot at each other. They’re not SAO survivors, there’s no worry of real death, they just like the adrenaline rush, it excites them. As such, the ending of this book should have really been obvious. And yes, it also revolves around the cute dog.

After wrapping up Karen’s karaoke party of sad, with Elza telling everyone her life story (all lies, M gives us her true life story, though she tells him that may ALSO be lies), We hear about a new team event involving “five ordeals”. This will finally allow Llenn’s group to team up with SHINC (it’s made clear that Llenn really does regard the 4th squad jam as achieving her fight with them, despite the interruptions) as well as perpetual hangers-ons Clarence and Shirley. The ordeals themselves are introduces to us by a cute talking NPC dog (a Schipperke), who tells them it’s basically five tasks, all with different rules, different areas, and ascending levels of difficulty. Can they battle zombies, fight robots, ascend snow-buried buildings, and take on CYBER-DRAGONS?

So I feel it’s OK to mention this, as the website Does the Dog Die? is literally namechecked in the book: the dog doesn’t die. This is despite the entire final chapter revolving around the dog dying – it’s a very self-aware book, and allows us to actually get some depth to Miyu, who is allowed to be more than just the wacky comic relief here (though she’s that too, no worries). As for the rest, it’s what you expect from this series: the fights are awesome, the banter is fun, there’s a few betrayals, and the author cannot stop dragging his self-insert around like a corpse. It’s also fun seeing Llenn finally come to terms with the fact that just because she is a cute pink tyke doesn’t mean that she’s not just as scary or even scarier than Pitohui is. Seeing her wonder “wait, is this why everyone is wary of me?” may be the best joke in the book. And again, the entire relationship between Fukaziroh and the NPC dog was fantastic and even heartwarming, which is not really a beat this series is good at.

I suspect we get a Squad Jam next, but for a change of pace this was excellent. Enjoy our heroes working together in peace… even if they don’t want to really.

Accel World: Deity of Demise

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By Reki Kawahara and Hima. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jocelyne Allen.

Well, technically Kawahara was correct, and the arc that lasted nine books ends here. That said,k I can’t see anyone really being satisfied with the way this arc ended. Last time I said that I didn’t really think Kawahara would do a “the bad guys win” arc, but he comes pretty damn close here, and while I get why Haruyuki did what he did, I expect that literally everyone is going to be angry with him when the next book comes out. As for the rest of the book, aside from one major problem, which I’ll get to later, this is pretty good. The beginning has things resolved by Haruyuki essentially pulling shonen bullshit out of his ass, which, well, given this is a shonen manga in light novel form, works fine for me. There’s also a lot of exposition about what to do next, who is the best person to do it, and, possibly most importantly, who will be feeding the owl when they all go on holiday.

Honestly, that’s one of the more tasteful Accel World covers. As for what happens, well, Haruyuki helps to free everyone from the latest certain death that White Cosmos has set up, but unfortunately, they’re going to have to try to free the massive monster, Tezcatlicopa, from White Cosmos’ control, which means hitting all six crowns at once with six swords. This is going to be even more difficult because White Cosmos manages to kidnap Haruyuki, meaning *he* is now the one essentially trapped and unable to do anything, the same as his comrades used to be. This means that everyone is going to have to achieve a lot of stuff without him. Worst of all, once Tezcatlicopa is freed, everyone realizes what a bad idea that really was.

My main issue with this volume, and it’s one I’ve had with Sword Art Online before (which has finally managed to move past it), is that the whole book is from Haruyuki’s POV. This means that the entire 2nd half of the volume is made up of cool fights that the reader only gets to hear about second hand, as he can’t be in them. This is frustrating for him, but it’s murder for a reader, especially after sitting through endless exposition preparing for said fights. It made this volume feel a lot less exciting than it actually is. As for the cliffhanger, well, Harukuyi’s group of players all know each other in the real world and have forged eternal bonds of fellowship, so naturally the “thanks for playing you will forget everything now” ending is going to rankle. It’s also still very unclear what exactly White Cosmos is really up to, especially in regards to her relationship with her sister. Basically, this arc may have been 9 volumes long but I’m not sure we’re that much further along.

Still, the next book promises to be a corker… oh, we’re caught up? It’s not even out in Japan yet? Ergh. Yeah, wonderful, that makes this EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING. In any case, enjoy Haruyuki watching cool things happen far away from him.

Sword Art Online, Vol. 23: Unital Ring II

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By Reki Kawahara and abec. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Stephen Paul.

Definitely enjoying seeing this series now that Kawahara, a good 20 years older than his SAO Vol. 1 self, knowing his strengths and weaknesses and using them to good effect. There are heroines in peril here, but there is very little of the fanservicey “hero saves the girl from the predator” that we used to see constantly in this series. The humor is mostly character-based, and rarely feels forced. Kirito is powerful and tends to still get the “last boss kill”, but the nature of Unital Ring means he’s struggling a lot more, and he also has the grace to pass on some of his rewards to more deserving people. And we get, for the first time in the main series, Argo becoming a supporting player. Created for the Progressive novels and then put in the anime, manga and games, she’s always been a ghost presence in the main series itself. Now she gets a name – Tomo – and an agenda, which is more than just “tease Kirito constantly”. Though, well, she does that too, of course.

The plot is mostly a ‘rescue arc’ of sorts – everyone else in Kirito’s group was playing ALO when the Unital Ring changeover happened, but Sinon was in GGO, so she ends up being a long ways away from any of her allies. She’s confused, mistakenly branded as a PKer, caught dying of thirst in a desert, and forced to fight a massive dinosaur with the help of some bird people who don’t even speak Japanese. It is awesome, easily the best part of the book, and benefits greatly from the lack of Kirito’s POV. Elsewhere, Kirito’s party ad their log cabin are being reinforced, but a lot of players keep trying to attack him. Why? And Argo’s back (yes, she’s Tomo, but Kirito does not really make the switch so I won’t either), and is (unsurprisingly) now a crack reporter, here to rip open one of the more closemouthed folks in the cast – Kikuoka.

I’ve made no secret about my love of Argo, and though she doesn’t get much to do here, there’s a promise of more. I enjoyed the fact that her response to Kirito’s “where have you been all this time” was a polite “none of your business”, and also intrigued that (sorry, game continuity) she hasn’t been in ALO or GGO or even back in a game at all since the SAO disaster ended, though she hints that may change. In the meantime, it’s nice to see the cast work as a core cast, as opposed to being Kirito and his harem. Everyone apart from Alice and Asuna (who are minding the fort) gets something to do, with Yui being the most impressive. Now that she’s a physical part of Unital Ring (and could theoretically die if she’s killed, sorry, Shirou) she’s busy learning sowrds, learning magic, and basically becoming Little Miss Badass. Kirito is, needless to say, both proud and fretful.

So yes, this was a good solid volume, and I’m glad SAO has finally seemed to have matured, after several false alarms. Can’t wait for more.

Manga the Week of 11/17/21

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SEAN: Hey, remember when I totally screwed up? And did all of Seven Seas’s release dates wrong? No? Well. So everything you saw in LAST week’s Manga the Week of should have been on THIS list. Go look at the post for 11/10 for those. I will backtrack and do stuff that should have been on that list for this one. Apologies to Seven Seas.

Airship, in print, has My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s and Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Lily’s Miracle.

Digitally we see Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 3.

Cross Infinite World has the 2nd volume of Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin.

Ghost Ship already has out Double Your Pleasure – A Twin Yuri Anthology. Twincest: the manga. Yaaaaaay.

ASH: Goodness!

MJ: Oh dear.

SEAN: As well as the 8th and final volume of Destiny Lovers.

J-Novel Club debut a new title, Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte (Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endo-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san). Two guys playing a game with a villainess suddenly realize that her fiance can actually HEAR their commentary on the game! Can they change the outcome?

Also coming out next week: Are You Okay With a Slightly Older Girlfriend? 6, Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 2, Demon Lord, Retry! 7, Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World 2, the 2nd manga volume of My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ—, Otherside Picnic 6, and the 2nd manga volume of Villainess: Reloaded! Blowing Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons.

ASH: I’m certainly behind, but hooray for more Bookworm fun!

SEAN: Kodansha, in print, has Drifting Dragons 10 and Sweat & Soap 10.

ASH: I’m reading both those series right now, so this is a good Kodansha week for me.

SEAN: Digitally, the debut is Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You. (Dose Koi Shite Shimaunda), a Nakayoshi title. From the author of I Fell in Love After School, this is straight-up reverse harem fun.

MICHELLE: I am easy to please and this cover is cute so I will check it out.

ANNA: I do enjoy reverse harem fun.

MJ: As do I.

SEAN: Also debuting is Arakawa Under the Bridge. It had come out print-only years ago, now enjoy the digital.

ASH: I enjoyed this series, so am glad that it’ll be more accessible to even more people now.

SEAN: And we get Blue Lock 9, Cells at Work: Platelets! 4 (the final volume), Medalist 3, Mr. Bride 4, and Quality Assurance in Another World 4.

One Peace has a 3rd volume of Farming Life in Another World.

Seven Seas has some debuts. That are already out, please see above.

THE EXO-DRIVE REINCARNATION GAMES: All-Japan Isekai Battle Tournament! (Chou Sekai Tensei Exo Drive: Gekito! Isekai Zen Nihon Taikaihen) is from Mag Garden’s MAGCOMI, and is a parody of the genre, as isekais have become bread and circus tournaments for spectators.

A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic (You to Bakemono ni naru Chichi ga tsurai) is an autobiographical essay manga from Champion Cross. It’s complete in one volume.

ASH: That’s certainly a tough subject, but I’ve heard good things about the manga.

MJ: I suspect this is an important story to tell.

SEAN: And there’s Bite Maker: The King’s Omega 3, The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún 11 (the final volume), Karate Survivor in Another World 2, Species Domain 11, The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary’s 2nd manga volume, and Time Stop Hero 2.

MICHELLE: I am several volumes behind on The Girl from the Other Side, but that just means I have a nice little chunk to read up until the end. I hope it’s happy but it’s hard to see how just now.

ANNA: I really liked the first few volumes but stalled out on this series. I’m curious to see what you think of the ending.

ASH: I’m a few volumes behind, too, but I really do love this series.

SEAN: Back to things actually coming out in the future, Square Enix has Wandering Witch’s 3rd manga.

SuBLime has a surprise non-2nd week of the month release with Sayonara Game. A one-shot from Shinshokan’s Dear+, it’s a baseball BL story?

MJ: I’m listening…

SEAN: Tokyopop has Ossan Idol! 5.

Udon has the 2nd omnibus of Steins;Gate 0.

Viz gives us BEASTARS 15, Children of the Whales 18, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku 11, Urusei Yatsura 12, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 4.

ASH: Whoops! BEASTARS has gotten away from me; I didn’t realize how much catching up I have to do!

SEAN: Yen On has Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 15 and The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody Side Story: The Wonderful Life of a Typical Nobody.

Yen Press debuts the manga version of Reign of the Seven Spellblades (Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru), which runs in Shonen Ace. I love the novels, so the manga should also be great.

ANNA: I’m a little curious about this!

Also debuting… sort of… is Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II, the sequel to the first manga, but let’s face it, it’s just a continuation with a different artist.

We also have Solo Leveling 3, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 11, and A Witch’s Printing Office 5.

ASH: I still need to read Solo Leveling, but I’m ready for more Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun!

So, as I try to forget this list and the previous one ever happened, what are you buying?

Altina the Sword Princess, Vol. 11

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By Yukiya Murasaki and himesuz. Released in Japan as “Haken no Kouki Altina” by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

It’s actually surprising how little Altina the Sword Princess has leaned into the usual anime cliches. It’s very concerned with its sort-of-Europe worldbuilding, and therefore there’s no real room for a lot of bath scenes or accidental groping. I say it’s surprising because this is, after all, the author of How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, a series begun after Altina had started and which eventually grew so popular it may have led to Altina’s extended hiatus. In any case, all that changes here, as Regis, in order to avoid getting caught by Latrielle’s troops, has to disguise himself as a woman. And he makes a very good woman indeed. Cue a lot of “I didn’t know you were into that” jokes, with furious denials. Fortunately, like most everything in this series, it serves the purpose of keeping the plot going, as Regis, now that he has made a mortal enemy, has to do everything possible to stop Latrielle becoming the next Emperor.

We pick up where we left off last time, with Regis and Fanrine being horribly murdered by Latrielle’s soldiers. Except of course they are not – their deaths are faked and they’re spirited away by Jessica and Franziska, who are trying hard to be big bad mercenaries but can’t quite be evil enough. That said, headless corpses, both of whom turn out to be men, is not going to fool the army for long, so Regis goes into disguise to try to get more evidence against Latrielle. The only thing that can really stop him becoming emperor now is for the news of his patricide to come out, but unfortunately all they have is secondhand rumors, mostly as the maids and staff who were there when it happened are all quietly murdered too. Fortunately they also have the Grand Chamberlain, who is under house arrest not avoid him talking. That said, if they had an ally who was ALSO a prince, house arrest might not be too hard to get around.

If you’re wondering how Altina is taking all this, well, she is actually in this book, fear not. She received news of Regis’ tragic “death in battle” and doesn’t believe it one bit but it’s annoying enough to make her take a large part of her army and head over to where Latrielle is, leaving us with a cliffhanger confrontation. (There’s also a side story which shows that being the Sword Princess is possibly the best thing that ever happened to her, as she’s useless at everything else. It also shows the whole “maids have to put up with sexual harassment” thing is bullshit if your superior officer can punch you unconscious. Other than that, as the author admits, this was a lot of talk and moving pieces around and not a lot of action, though that looks to change in the next book.

Altina is the definition of a ‘solid’ series – you’ll never rush to read it the day it comes out, but it’s always good.

Tearmoon Empire, Vol. 6

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By Nozomu Mochitsuki and Gilse. Released in Japan as “Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari” by TO Books. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by David Teng.

It can be hard to let go of a gimmick, especially when the gimmick in question is the main reason you got readers in the first place. One reason everyone loved Tearmoon Empire 1 was not only the dissonance between Mia’s own thoughts and actions and what everyone ELSE thought of these, but also the snarky narrator constantly pummeling her. I’d theorized before that the narrator was hired by future Mia to try to slow the publishing of hagiographies about her. That being said… Mia has grown and matured a little bit, and I feel now that the goofy “she only thinks about herself and food” shtick is holding her back. And the narrator, especially when he’s making fat jokes, is starting to grate. Most importantly, though, I’m starting to feel like all the other cast members Mia has misled: if you ignore Mia’s intentions and the narrator, this remains a fantastic read, filled with intrigue, action, character building, and plot twists. Mia being a dumbass and the narrator pointing it out all the time isn’t needed anymore.

Mia is in the background for this cover picture, which is a good thing, as it shows us that Bel is, finally, going to get some actual attention. Much of the book is about Mia trying to avoid her own assassination in various ways, though honestly she mostly just avoids thinking about it, as she doesn’t want to get anyone else in danger. So we get things like a massive mushroom hunting party in the nearby forest (where she accidentally discovers deadly poison mushrooms that were what killed off a large number of people in the prior timeline) and preparing for the Holy Eve Festival, which we do not get to see because, of course, Bel is kidnapped in order to force Mia to leave the island and then kill her. There’s only one thing Mia can do… exactly what they say, hoping that if she managed to rewind time once she’ll be able to do it once she’s killed again.

Not to spoil or anything, but Mia is not killed off again, this is not that kind of time loop book. And I’ve complained about the parts of the book I didn’t like above, so let me talk about what I did like. Sometimes Mia’s thought processes are wonderful, such as when she discovers Bel is kidnapped and tries to think of the many very good reasons that going after her is a mistake… all the while getting dressed up and preparing to leave, because unconsciously she knows she’ll never abandon her granddaughter. Bel is basically a shoujo protagonist here, winning over the villains by the power of being sweet and kind, and it’s adorable. The villain is obvious and hammy, but hey. There’s also some good worldbuilding here, showing us the underside of the Yellowmoons and also a few flashbacks to the previous world, where everything went terribly. And the chase and fight scenes were wonderful, and also introduce a new minor villain who I hope we’ll see again, along with his huge puppies… OK, wolves.

So yeah, I don’t expect Tearmoon Empire to drop Mia being thought of as smart when she’s really thinking about cookies, or the narrator pointing out how her altruism is bullshit, but I’d like more of the growth we saw in Book 4-5. Also, I have no idea why the narrator is insulting her “mushroom outfit”. She looks stylish! That’s clearly a raffish cap!

Pick of the Week: Frieren vs. Ciguatera

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KATE: I’m intrigued by the cover of Cigureta, so that’s on my must-buy list, but I’ll also be adding the second volume of Mao. The first volume was uneven, but there were some weird and intriguing ideas that made me hopeful that this series is more like InuYasha than Rin-ne.

SEAN: Despite the presence of my beloved Tearmoon Empire, I am going to give the pick this week to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. I’m always happy to see a new Shonen Sunday series, and this one has a lot of hype as being a sort of “after the world is saved, what next?” story.

MICHELLE: I am intimidated by the comparison to Inio Asano, but it’s definitely Ciguatera for me!

ANNA: I’m always curious about Shonen Sunday titles, so it is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End for me.

ASH: While I am likewise intrigued by Ciguatera, I think I may be even more curious to see how Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End plays out. That being said, I finally got around to reading the first volume of I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School and I’m looking forward to reading more of that series’ ridiculousness, too.

High School DxD: Hellcat of the Underworld Training Camp

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

(with apologies to Professor Peter Schickele)

Each time I read a new volume of High School DxD I am filled with this feeling of anticipation, a feeling of exultation, a feeling that… this new volume can’t possibly be as horny as the last one. But so far… Yeah, I know, shut up, Sean, you’re yelling at a series for 13-year-old teenage boys for talking about tits too much, and I get it. I try to recalibrate my standards for these books. Heck, the hot springs scene was even mildly amusing once those standards are recalibrated. But God Almighty, the way that Issei levels up or gets more powerful in this series makes your jaw drop. Leaving aside that the key to unlocking his new super move is to poke Rias’ nipples, there is everything about the climax of the book, where a dying Issei suddenly attains the zen-like ability to hear women’s breasts talking as separate personalities. I… what was the author on when he came up with this? I can’t even say “Oh, Japan” here. WHAT?!?!

Koneko’s on the cover, and actually gets some backstory here, though she gets less to do than I’d like. Our main cast travel to the underworld to train at Rias’ vast estate, meet her parents, and end up fighting a new Rating Game against Sona and Saji, the student council faction. Sona wants to make demon society less class-based, and is being ridiculed for the very idea, so naturally her team wants to win badly here. That said, our heroes are the protagonists. Can they be powerful enough to get past Sona’s cleverness? Maybe, but it’ll take Issei having to fight a dragon everyday, as well as Koneko having to confront her past… literally, in the form of her sister. And of course there’s Saji, who is to Sona what Issei is to Rias. He has a dream of being a teacher… and is very pissed that Issei has groped more boobs than he has.

If you leave out the tits, this is a very normal shonen battle manga. Issei is told that unlocking his Balance Breaker is the sort of thing that’s usually done in a crisis position with strong emotions behind it. We then get what is obviously meant to be just that, with Koneko’s sister attacking her and Koneko feeling tremendous self-hatred. If Issei were in Strike the Blood, this would be where he would talk about “:this is my fight!” and level up. But Issei is in High School DxD, so it’s not enough to be feeling righteous fury, he also has to be getting super horny. Hence the nipple poking. The fight between Issei and Saji is the best part of the book, pure shonen manliness and shouting about each other’s dreams… then Issei gains the ability to hear women’s breasts talking, and any drama and excitement drains out of the body.

As for why I’m still reading this, I’m not really sure. I want to actually see what happens next? Unfortunately, what happens next will likely involve more ridiculousness. But as long as it also has cool fights and some romance that isn’t pure sex, I’ll probably get the next one.

My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me!, Vol. 4

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By mikawaghost and tomari. Released in Japan as “Tomodachi no Imouto ga Ore ni dake Uzai” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

Despite the presence of some of the worst metaphors in the world, this is a better volume than the previous one, mostly because it doesn’t keep hammering on Sumire’s love of young boys. It essentially wraps up the plot from the previous book in the first half, leaving the 2nd half to delve deeper into one of the characters who we’ve been waiting to hear more about: our narrator, Akiteru. Well, sorry to break it to you, but we still don’t learn all that much about him. That said, it’s a good examination of his mindset and how he views himself compared to the others in the group, and a reminder that sometimes middle management really *is* the best skill to have. And of course there’s romance – Akiteru may be slowly (very, very slowly) catching on to what love actually feels like, and iroha reminds the other two heroines that she is still Best Girl round these parts.

Of course, given that Iroha has been on the cover of every volume to date, the idea that this is an ‘equal harem’ series is ridiculous. We start off where we left off, with Akiteru and Iroha in the shrine of love. Unfortunately, the shrine of love does not come with a toilet, so any deep sexual yearnings will have to wait. And, in any case, the real issue resolved here is Sumire’s desire to be an artist warring with her desire to be a teacher. It helps that, in the best Japanese tradition, her stern, unyielding grandfather turns out to be quite yielding after all. Then our heroes finally get a beach vacation, at Canary’s private beach house. Of course, there’s a catch. While brainstorming a new character, Canary essentially comes up with it herself. And also is better at forcing Sumire to work. And their “ghost” writer too. Is… is there anything for Akiteru left to do?

The main reason to read this series is still the two leads, who are the best thing about it. Akiteru may talk a good game about being logical and pragmatic, but he’s repressing an awful lot, and seeing how well Canary can seemingly do what he does every day gets him depressed and jealous. And, of course, it’s up to Iroha to do something about this. I like how her pep talk does help to cheer him up, but it’s not the actual solution – the solution is that Akiteru really *is* better at managing a bunch of eccentrics, as Canary finds out to her horror. (That said, she was doing this to test him anyway.) We’re also seeing secret identieis out in the open – Sumire now knows who Mashiro really is, and Ozuma has figured out who the “secret voice actress” is as well. This sort of series can’t resolve too quickly, but it’s nice to see it determined to move forward a plot point of two each volume.

There’s a cliffhanger that suggests the next book might be a bit more uncomfortable for Akiteru. Till then, this is a decent high school romcom with likeable characters, except for Sumire sometimes, and great dialogue, except for Sumire all the time. Seriously, “the dick in my heart won’t get hard”? That’s the metaphor you go with?

Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On?! ~The Contract Couple’s Happily Ever After~, Vol. 7

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By Tsuredurebana and Rin Hagiwara. Released in Japan as “Dareka Kono Joukyou wo Setsumei Shite Kudasai! ~Keiyaku Kara Hajimaru Wedding~” by ArianRose. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Tara Quinn.

It’s all change for this 7th volume of Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On?!. As you can see, there’s a new subtitle (sorry that I can’t find the Japanese romanji equivalent) that basically is the equivalent of “After Story” – the main story has ended, our couple are living happily ever after, now what? There’s a new translator (the series’ third). And, most importantly there’s a new narrative focus, which means that sadly we don’t get much at all of Viola as the narrator here. Given that at the end of my last review, which kind of tore the series apart, I said that I would keep reading because I loved Viola’s narrative charm, that’s quite a blow. Thankfully, the series also seem s to have backed off on most of the other things that I disliked in the last volume. It’s a lot fluffier and sillier than previous volumes, but that’s not a bad thing in this case. These are “extra” stories, they don’t have to try hard.

Don’t let the cover fool you, our happy main couple and their child are definitely supporting players in this – indeed, the child only shows up in a side story, as most of this takes place only a short time after the previous volume. The actual protagonists are the couple behind them – this is the story of Corydalis, Cercis’ best friend and adjutant, and Stellaria, Viola’s replacement chief maid after her regular maid takes maternity leave. They fall in love. It’s really quite cute… mostly. (I’ll get to that.) Despite the occasional seeming obstacle, everyone approves of the two of them. Both are very mature. There is no need to worry about contract marriages or mistresses here. It would be somewhat dull were it not for the back half, which features a hostage situation and the World’s Dumbest Bandits.

There’s always a ‘but’ with this series. This time there’s no fat jokes, Viola is not kept in the dark, and we don’t have “yay, another victory for white rich people!’. But we do have the book’s running gag, which is that Cercis starts a rumor that Corydalis is avoiding getting married as he’s gay, and the rest of the book has, every 4-5 pages, Cory having to say “I’M NOT GAY!’ in anger as everyone around him laughs. It’s meant to be funny and teasing, but it just reads poorly in this day and age. Other than that, this was a good return to form. As I said, this couple can be defined by their down to earth feel, and we also get some nice observations from the two of them of the events in this book, particularly the first volume where Cercis is still very much all contract, no marriage.

So yes, I’ll read the next bunch of After Stories, which looks like they’ll do what I thought this one would – tell the story of how Lettie Cercis and Viola’s daughter, came to pass. Nice save, though I’m still watching you with a weathered eye.

Turning the Tables on the Seatmate Killer, Vol. 1

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By Aresanzui and Sabimizore. Released in Japan as “Tonari no Seki ni Natta Bishoujo ga Hore Saseyou to Karakatte Kuruga Itsunomanika Kaeriuchi ni Shite Ita” by Monster Bunko. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Noor Hamdan.

Everyone talks a lot about how much they detest clichés, but a lot of the time they don’t really seem to mean it. What they detest are boring clichés. You really do enjoy seeing the seemingly stoic and grumpy guy or the bubbly and somewhat clumsy girl provided they’re written well. They’re types we love. The trouble is that most authors don’t know how to make those clichés come alive, and so you get a series of light novel protagonists that have been dubbed “potatoes” by fans. Replace them with a potato, and the story would be the same. Fortunately, it doesn’t require much to clear this low bar. Just… add a dash of realism to your cliché. Make them seem like a person who could exist in the real world. Doing this solves many issues. Fortunately, Seatmate Killer manages to do this quite well. I was surprised to find myself increasingly gripped by the characters.

The Seatmate Killer is Yui, a cute and popular high school girl who has had a lot of guys sit next to her, fall in love with her, confess… and get rejected. Every changing of seats brings a new guy and a new rejection. That said, if this IS deliberate she has a tough nut to crack when Yuuki sits next to her. A seemingly stoic man who doesn’t react to any of her overtures of conversation, he has no interest in her at all, and is puzzled that she keeps trying to get under his skin and get closer to him. Of course, Yui is not particularly doing this because she’s a tease, she has a very good reason for it. What’s more, Yuuki’s attitude also comes from a realistic place, and also involves his little sister, who manages to be weirder than he is.

As you can see, the two leads are types. The supporting characters also fit that bill. Mina is the classic little sister with an older brother complex, but she’s also fragile and emotionally devastated, and she and Yui have a lot more in common than you’d think. Maki, Yui’s older sister, is the classic teasing oneesama type, but also clearly cares and worries about Yui, and doesn’t want to see her hurt. As the book goes on we get deeper into Yuuki and Mina’s past, and Yuuki’s tendency to smile and go along with things unemotionally is put under the microscope. That, more than any banter at their shared classroom desks, is what allows the two to get closer. That said, this book is still relatively lighthearted, and there’s a lot of humor to be found in Yui’s freaking out about things or Yuuki’s po-faced reactions to her jokes and attempts at conversation. I would also like to note that if THIS is the Seatmate Killer, the other guys in their classroom are all the easiest of chumps. Sheesh.

I said on Twitter I think Tentai Books has a nice niche in sugary sweet romcoms, and this book certainly helps to add to that impression. I’ll be getting another volume. It’s clichéd… but in the right way.