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Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Swooning in June

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MICHELLE: Though I have thus far failed to read Barakamon, I pounced on the debut volume of Yoshi no Zuikara and ended up really liking it. Now, the final volume of the short series is coming out and you can bet that I’ll be pouncing on that too.

SEAN: I’ve heard very good things about Uncle in Another World, but picking isekai right now seems sort of eh. There’s also new Komi and Spy x Family. But it’s been almost a year, so I’m gonna pick the next volume of A Certain Scientific Railgun, because overpowered middle school girls kicking ass.

ASH: I was surprised and delighted by how good the first volume of How Do We Relationship was. And so, I’m looking forward to catching up with the second and now the third volumes of that series!

ANNA: Out of everything coming out this week, I’m probably most excited by Spy x Family, one day I will catch up!

KATE: I’m on Team Kodansha this week, since they’re releasing new installments of two great series: Blood on the Tracks and Blue Period. I’ll also put in a pitch for Those Snow White Notes, both for its educational value and its sudsy drama. Hot guys playing the shamisen? Sign me up!!!!

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World!, Vol. 4

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By Riku Misora and Sacraneco. Released in Japan as “Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu!” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Hiroshi Thrasher.

While there are no long-term disasters here, it’s safe to say that this might be the first volume to actually belie its title, as the High School Prodigies don’t really have that good a time here. Trying to get their kingdom to stand on its own so that they can make preparations to go home turns out to be easier said than done. The actual way to go home seems to be offered up to them on a plate… but what’s the catch? Aoi finds that it’s not enough having a really strong sword, she needs a really strong CURSED sword or she’s screwed. And worst of all, economics happens. All of this barely leaves time for the love triangle that still inhabits the heart of this book, but rest assured there’s still time to deal with that. And, thankfully, there’s a minimum of Keine here, so we don’t need to worry about any questionable medical practices.

The book is divided into three, with two medium chunks and one long one. In the first, the prodigies go to negotiate with the Empire, currently being ruled by a proxy, and finds things go… suspiciously well. What’s more, said proxy is also from a different world. In the second story, Lyrule and Winona try to teach Jeanne how to cook, which is interesting more for Lyrule’s own tortured love life than anything else. The final story features the new nation of Elm, with Elch as its new Finance Minister, trying to introduce a new currency to the other nations. Masato is there as well, but he’s trying to be hands off so that the natives can attempt to handle things themselves. m Unfortunately, he underestimates Roo, and thus everything turns out both better and much worse than it could have gone.

Changing a world is not particularly an easy task, and the Prodigies have limited themselves to merely one part of it. When visiting the empire, they get a glimpse of the slave trade there, and we see a maid of the main villain of this book who is horribly abused. But she’s not there to be rescued later on, and indeed isn’t; she’s there to show us that you have to fix what you can for now. Which here mostly means the currency, as there’s a lot of back and forth, deals, secret deals, and endless piles of backstabbing. We get to learn firsthand the difference between politics and economics, and also see what I feel may be the first of many attempts to lure one of the prodigies to the enemy side. (It doesn’t work.. yet.) We also get to see how Roo has been soaking up information and tactics like a sponge from Masato, and though she still ends up getting tricked and almost killed, her resolve is impressive. (I do sort of wish we’d seen more of her after this scene.)

Overall I was pretty happy with this book, and the cliffhanger clearly introduces what’s likely to be the Big Bad of the series. It’s never going to be what one might call a good light novel, but it’s perfectly serviceable popcorn.

Strike the Blood, Vol. 18

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By Gakuto Mikumo and Manyako. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jeremiah Bourque.

I think the author is finally, as we near the end of Strike the Blood, getting the hang of things. As such, I will stop implying that the entire book is written by an AI bot, as I have in previous books, and give credit where credit is due. This is the second of two books expanding on an OAV that came out years earlier, and manages to pull off something we haven’t really seen done before due to the nature of Kojou’s vampiric abilities – mind controlling him to become evil. (You’ll pardon the spoiler, but anyone who is reading a review of the 18th volume of a series and also hasn’t seen the earlier OAV is probably limited to one or two people.) The book manages to divide itself fairly well into halves, with the first part being a political romance of sorts, and the second half being our usual action movie. La Folia gets a large role, which is great, and Sayaka does as well, which… is not so great.

Kojou is in a good mood, as he’s headed up to the long holiday break, where he can finally relax and not have to worry about saving the world… or so he thinks. Instead, La Folia invites Kanon to a ceremony in her home country of Aldegia so that she can try to mend tensions between Kanon and the rest of the family, and Kojou and Yukina to essentially be her bodyguards. (Asagi, Yabe, and Nagisa also tag along.) Of course, this is merely part of a larger plan, which is to get out of various arranged marriages set up for her by saying Kojou is her fiancee. Part one of her plan goes far smoother than anyone intended, possibly as Kanon is a giant sweetie pie. The second part goes OK, despite the fact that La Folia’s father is one of those huge, killer dads who will never let anyone date his daughter and has a giant sword to back him up. And this is all BEFORE the terrorist plot, when La Folia and Yukina are kidnapped… and Kojou is brainwashed.

The last book made it pretty clear that Kojou, in the future, has more than one partner, and this book hammers home that this is perfectly valid for vampire Primogenitors. As such, anyone who was rooting for someone other than Yukina will be pleased to know they’ll still get a place at the table. (Well,l no, they likely won’t, as I sense Strike the Blood fanatics don’t like Yukina much.) In any case, La Folia is perfectly happy to share, especially as Kojou cannot help but be the best guy she’s ever met. He’s like that. As for Sayaka… her absence from the series for so long had made me forget how much of a comedy jealous dumbass she is 90% of the time, honestly. Sorry, Sayaka. I have also told the author multiple times that his humorous scenes aren’t funny, so props to him: the scene with brainwashed Kojou acting like a Byronic hero and spouting lines so cringeworthy that Asagi and Yabe took actual damage? That was really, really good.

As with a lot of recent books in this series, the epilogue serves to set up the next book in the series, with will be back on Itogami Island and no doubt will continue to make it completely uninsurable. In the meantime, Strike the Blood fans, especially fans of La Folia, will be quite happy.

I’m in Love with the Villainess, Vol. 3

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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.

If a lot of this third volume feels a bit like Chekhov restocking his armory, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. The second volume of this series ended at a very satisfactory place, to the point where I was very surprised to see a third volume. This is not uncommon in the light novel or manga genre, with a lot of “short” series becoming very popular and the author trying to extend things a bit. That said, this book is clearly written knowing that there will be a fourth volume coming later (it’s already out in Japan). As such, we get a lot of events here that… don’t really go much of anywhere at all. We know they will eventually, but for the moment they’re just sitting there, on the mantelpiece. Of course, that’s not to say there’s nothing going on in this book. We go to an “enemy” country, fight off demons, and try to prevent assassinating the Pope. There’s something for everyone.

As you can see by the cover art, which feels like a culmination of 100 years of yuri, Rae and Claire are happily together now with their adopted children, May and Aleah. It’s about a year after events in the second book, and they’re both teaching at the academy and being very lovey-dovey. Even setbacks like one of their daughters turning out to have zero magic power is dealt with sensibly and with love. Then… they’re asked to join a political “exchange” with the Nur Empire. Rae is familiar with this plot from the side story sequel to the Revolution game, which, much like its predecessor, has somewhat unimpressive romantic routes and a fantastic non-romance route. The empress, Dorothea, is not here for decorum or political gamesmanship. Its imperial princess is currently too meek to really start any sort of revolution. Oh yes, and the Pope has just shown up, and she looks… exactly like Rae.

The intrigue is quite good throughout, as are the few tragic moments. What I enjoyed most about this book, though, is seeing that the relationship between Rae and Claire is just as fun to read now as it was when Claire was a “villainess”. Rae, honestly, feels like the more immature of the two most of the time. They also both manage to wear the “oblivious to love” hat at different times, as Rae can’t seem to figure out (or at least is deliberately ignoring) a student’s crush on her, while the third princess ends up falling for Claire after Claire essentially enacts a classic otome game “route start” scene in front of her. That said, these two are crazy about each other. I especially loved Claire attempting to act like a bully again, to try to excite Rae, only for Rae to completely fail to pick up on it. The book also has several short stories after the main action, which involves weddings, holidays, and nightmares that involve Claire realizing how lucky she is that Rae is… well, the sort of person she is.

This definitely feels like “Part One of Two”, and I expect most of the dangling plotlines will come up there. But there’s still so much here to love. This is a very hard book to put down, even when you want to, and fans of Rae and Claire will be very happy with it.

Manga the Week of 6/9/21

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SEAN: 2nd June 2nd Furious.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

SEAN: Airship has an early digital debut. Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! (Mezametara Saikyou Soubi to Uchuusen Mochidattanode, Ikkodate Mezashite Youhei to Shite Jiyu ni Ikitai) and seems to be a standard isekai harem title, only in space rather than in fantasyland.

ASH: That’s a newer variation, I think!

SEAN: Also, in print, we get the 2nd volume of Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells and, in early digital, we get Berserk of Gluttony 3.

Dark Horse has the 2nd volume of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!.

ASH: I still need to check out the first.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has two digital debuts, neither one in their main imprint. On the J-Novel Heart end, we get The Emperor’s Lady-in-Waiting Is Wanted as a Bride (Kouteitsuki Nyokan wa Hanayome Toshite Nozomare Naka), a story of a knight who lost her life protecting the crown prince. She then somehow finds herself in the future with all her memories… and now she’s ENGAGED to a prince? This seems fun.

ASH: It does!

SEAN: Also out next week is the first volume of Perry Rhodan NEO, from the J-Novel Pulp imprint. The adventures of Perry Rhodan have been around forever, and this is the 2011 reboot of the storyline. Space adventures, only probably without the isekai and harem like Reborn as a Space Mercenary.

They’ve also got Black Summoner 2 (manga version), Campfire Cooking in Another World 3 (manga version), the 6th and final volume of I Refuse to Be Your Enemy!, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen 12.

In print, Kodansha Manga has Blood on the Tracks 6, Blue Period 4, Real Account 12-14 (I assume… I had it on my Manga the Week of July 1, 2020 list as well…), Shaman King’s 2nd omnibus (Vol. 4-6), and Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 4.

MICHELLE: Blood on the Tracks is riveting, but I need to be in the right mindset for it.

ASH: It’s true. A fair number of Oshimi’s works tend that direction, actually.

SEAN: The digital debut is Police in a Pod (Hakozume: Koban Joshi no Gyakushuu), a seinen title from Weekly Morning. A disheartened officer who is about to turn in her resignation is stunned at the new woman director who arrives at the station. This has been made into a live-action drama.

And we have The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! 6, Nina the Starry Bride 3, Peach Boy Riverside 8, The Springtime of My Life Began with You 2, and Those Snow White Notes 6.

MICHELLE: Six volumes behind on Those Snow White Notes now.

ANNA: Me too.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts the manga version of I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!, whose light novel I have discussed. I found the light novel fantastic, but I’ve heard the manga tells the story quite differently. It runs in Gentosha’s Denshi Birz.

We also get Arpeggio of Blue Steel 18, A Certain Scientific Accelerator 12, and A Certain Scientific Railgun 16.

Square Enix has a 4th volume of My Dress-Up Darling.

ASH: I’m a volume or so behind, but I really liked the first couple.

SEAN: SuBLime has a 6th Caste Heaven.

Viz has two debuts. The first is Kirby Manga Mania, a collection of manga starring the game character. The other is World Piece, a Viz Original graphic novel about a boy who accidentally shrinks Earth to the size of a basketball.

ASH: Oh! I had forgotten about the Viz Original line!

SEAN: Other titles include Call of the Night 2, How Do We Relationship? 3, Komi Can’t Communicate 13, One Piece Omnibus 31, Pokemon Adventures Collector’s Edition 8, and Spy x Family 5.

MICHELLE: I need to check back in with How Do We Relationship?. I enjoyed the first volume.

ANNA: I need to check back in on Spy x Family.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying what I’ve read of both of those series!

SEAN: Yen On has the 19th The Devil Is a Part-Timer!.

Yen Press debuts Uncle from Another World (Isekai Ojisan), the story of a man who’s been in a coma for 17 years… then wakes to tell his nephew he’s been in another world! Despite the isekai, I’ve heard this is better than it sounds.

Yen also has For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 6, Hinowa Ga CRUSH! 5, Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler 13, Phantom Tales of the Night 7, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 14, Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops 7, Tales of Wedding Rings 9, and the 3rd and final volume of Yoshi no Zuikara.

MICHELLE: I really liked the first volume of Yoshi no Zuikara. I’m excited for the conclusion.

SEAN: What manga gets you racing?

Slayers: King of the Phantom City

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By Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi. Released in Japan by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Elizabeth Ellis.

So the title of the last book was Gaav’s Challenge, and as it turns out the challenge for Gaav was living past the first six pages of this book. Instead we get a new big bad, Hellmaster Fibrizio, last seen as the dead little boy Lina and Xellos came across. (You remember, the one where I praised Slayers for showing off how humans are irrelevant in a demon war? My bad.) Because this series has a main heroine rather than a hero, Fibrizio proceeds to kidnap *Gourry* and hold him hostage, forcing Lina and company to journey all the way back to Sairaag to rescue him. But wait, wasn’t Sairaag completely blown up, with everyone in it, in the third book? Yup. But it’s back, and so are all its dead residents. That said, the tree in its center has been replaced with a rather ominous temple. Can Lina save Gourry and defeat Fibrizio without using yet another universe-breaking spell? Eh, probably not.

This novel was adapted into the last chunk of Slayers Next, though readers will note quite a few changes. There is *some* romance here – Sylphiel is in love with Gourry, which is why she returns in this book to try to save him, and she spends much of her time trying to force Lina to admit she loves Gourry so that Sylphiel can move on with her life. Lina does not really do this, occasionally unconsciously realizing she wants Gourry around her, and making up an excuse at the end to keep adventuring with him (even as the rest of the cast break off and goes home), but there is nothing remotely resembling the kiss we got in the anime. Indeed, Gourry, much like the rest of the cast, is irrelevant for the final battle – this has always been Lina’s series, with the others as minor supporting characters, and that’s true here as well – she takes on Fibrizio on her own, though she gets a little possessive help at the end.

Other interesting things: Sairaag being populated by its dead residents, including Sylphiel’s father, is eerie, especially as Lina and Sylphiel can tell they’re fakes, and even THEY know deep down they’re fakes. I’d have liked to have seen a more emotional reaction to this from Sylphiel, but, like Lina, the author shies away from that sort of thing. The Sword of Light takes its leave here, as it turns out to be demonic in origin, so Gourry’s gonna need a new sword (expect this to be the start of the next book). And, as mentioned, Amelia, Zelgadis, and Sylphiel all split at the end, with Amelia returning to Saillune to report to her father (Lina watches the justice-happy Amelia and wishes her older sister is more sensible, a great in joke for those who know the alternate Slayers continuity with Naga the Serpent). Fans of the anime know they’ll all be back for Slayers Try. Fans of Slayers also know that Try was widely despised by the author of the books. Let’s just say, don’t expect them back for a while. (Indeed, I don’t think we ever see Sylphiel again.)

And so we’re now all caught up with the Tokyopop paperbacks from eons ago, the first arc of the series is complete, and we can move on to brand new (in English) content! As for this book, it was a good, solid ending, with a few good gags but mostly relying on battles and suspenseful writing to keep a reader engaged.

Bookshelf Briefs 6/2/21

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Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 1 | By Satomi U | Square Enix Manga – I was worried this would turn romantic, and it still may, but for the moment my fears are unfounded, as this is mostly sweet and devoted to food. A young widow who loved to cook for her late husband rediscovers its joys by cooking for her neighbor, a baseball-playing teen with a bottomless stomach. He’s earnest and doesn’t talk much, she’s earnest and a bit older-sister type… the manga would risk being dull except we also have his childhood friend, who’s clearly in love with him and upset that he has not realized this at all. (His lack of drive is a plot point; the coach sees it too.) The food also looks very tasty, and makes me curious about those really huge rice cookers. Sweet. – Sean Gaffney

I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 1 | By Okura | Square Enix Manga – Having enjoyed That Blue Sky Feeling, I was happy to have the chance to read another work by Okura. The first volume of I Think Our Son Is Gay is an absolute delight. The story unfolds in a series of short, largely humorous vignettes told from the perspective of a loving mother who has some very good reasons to believe her oldest son is gay. Hiroki hasn’t explicitly said as much, but he’s very easy to read and becomes adorably flustered, so the fact that he likes boys becomes obvious to both his mother and younger brother. However his father, who isn’t home much, unfortunately hasn’t come to realize it yet—his unthinking expression of casual homophobia is unintentionally hurtful. I Think Our Son Is Gay doesn’t ignore this sort of tension and pain, but as a whole the work comes across as overwhelmingly supportive and accepting of the endearing Hiroki. – Ash Brown

In/Spectre, Vol. 13 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – In/Spectre tends to work best when it invests the reader in the solution to the mystery, so I can see why some people might be annoyed with the resolution of the plot from the previous volume, which is very much “I asked my ghost friends, and they said the character you’ve totally forgotten about did it.” That said, this is more of a “whodinnadunnit” and how to avoid getting framed. After that we get a one-shot whose point is “other yokai find Kuro terrifying” (the previous story touched on that as well), and then the start of a new arc, which looks fascinating as Kotoko is forced to have Rikka as her Watson rather than Kuro. So, good volume, but I want to read fourteen more. – Sean Gaffney

Our Teachers Are Dating!, Vol. 3 | By Pikachi Ohi | Seven Seas – If you think that good stories rely on conflict and discord, you probably didn’t even bother to try reading this in the first place, but it’s definitely time to get off the train now. This series is built on “aaawwwwwww,” and it’s not letting up. Hayama and Terano are still hideously in love, to the point where they can barely stand to be apart from each other—so why not move in together? There’s a skiing holiday (oh no, we are trapped in the lodge and must make love!), bathing together (as the cover demonstrates)… heck, the series even manages to make a quickie in the back of a car seem adorable. It will never be deep, but it does what its readers want very well. – Sean Gaffney

Sex Ed 120%, Vol. 1 | By Kikiki Tataki and Hotomura | Yen Press – The title and concept don’t really inspire confidence, but this turned out to be really good. Part of it is a sex ed manual of sorts—if you don’t know what a dental dam is, you will by the end of this book—but it’s also the story of a very curious teacher who wants her students to be informed and the students themselves who take in her lessons. One is into BL, one is seemingly asexual but very much loves animals (non-sexually), and the third is a lesbian trying to hide her relationship, though everyone knows by the end of the volume. It’s also an all-girls’ school, so a lot of plots I was worried about don’t apply here. I also like the other teacher, aka the Voice of Reason, a lot. Give this a try, you’ll be surprised. – Sean Gaffney

Species Domain, Vol. 9 | By Shunsuke Noro | Seven Seas – In this volume, we see the growth of Kazamori’s character in many ways, showing off her maturity and the fact that she’s now a major part of the school—it’s no surprise she joins the new Big Four. Ohki is more of a surprise, especially as he has to be added as a secret “fifth” member. He’s always been difficult to get a handle on, and Kazamori almost seems to have stopped bothering, but her disinterest in his latest inventions seems to be hitting him a lot harder than we’d expect. Meanwhile, Tanaka is still trying to get himself to appreciate Dowa’s full beard, trying to start small and work his way up. It’s dorkily awkward. I’m far behind on this series, so expect my review of volume ten a little sooner. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 6 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This is not quite the cishet version of Our Teachers Are Dating!, but it comes close, as this newlywed couple continue to run on sweet schmoopy moments and bouts of really good sex. Even discussing a friend who’s getting a divorce, Sumika ends up turning it into a romantic moment for the two of them. Here we see more of their childhood, where it’s clear the two have loved each other since elementary school, and also get more insight into Sumika’s father, who thankfully is less abusive than I feared, and more “communicates badly with his communication-challenged daughter.” There is SOME conflict here, but it’s easily resolved, and there’s less of the dumb humor we saw in Ao-chan Can’t Study. Fun. – Sean Gaffney

Holmes of Kyoto, Vol. 5

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By Mai Mochizuki and Shizu Yamauchi. Released in Japan by Futabasha. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Minna Lin.

If nothing else, Holmes of Kyoto has let me know that I would be an absolutely terrible detective. Each of my last two reviews has had some equivalent of “well, I was wrong about _____, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have to worry about ________” for a while. And each time I’ve been wring. And I’m wrong again. Fortunately, that’s not the only mystery in this series, which holds an awful lot of genre balls in the air. It’s a travelogue, as we see Holmes and Aoi (and others) traveling to Amanohashidate and getting long scenes explaining why it’s so amazing. We get mysteries, as a Sherlock Holmes society is startled to find they have their own mystery to solve at one meeting. We have the ongoing not-quite-there-yet romance between Holmes and Aoi, and the book sometimes feels like a ticking clock counting down till her 18th birthday. And we get another appearance by Holmes’s Moriarty, Ensho, and their ongoing cat and mouse battle, which is far more deadly serious than previous books. The series gives you bang for your buck.

We get four stories here. In the first, Aoi and Kaori go on a hot springs trip they were invited to before, with Holmes and Akihito tagging along (and Holmes’ dad, so it doesn’t look skeezy) and meet up with Kaori’s sister, who’s now working at the same hot springs… and has a secret. In the second story, Holmes takes Aoi to a meeting of the Sherlock Holmes Society in the area, and there’s also a potentially valuable manuscript… which is promptly stolen. In the third story Holmes and Aoi go to a soccer exhibition match and try to resolve a burgeoning love affair between a player and his ex-teacher. And finally Holmes has to deal with Ensho, who is reduced to burgling the antique shop… as well as dealing with things he’s been putting off for some time.

I want to dance around actual spoilers, so let’s discuss some other stuff. I’ve said this before, but the series is very frank about knowing about what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of an age-gap relationship, and Aoi being seventeen still is mentioned quite a few times. The Sherlock Holmes Society was the funniest part, with lots and lots of Doyle and Holmes trivia (I am amused Holmes saw the manuscript was a fake because of the handwriting, rather than, judging by the summary, because it was mawkish crap). I was also highly amused at Holmes’ soccer fandom, as he talks about the excitement of the local team constantly being promoted and relegated… as if that’s a good thing. That said, the highlight of the book is absolutely the final story, which is 100% thriller. I also have to empathize with Ensho a bit here… Holmes’ “you can achieve anything in life, no matter how poor you are, if you work hard enough” is kind of ergh.

There’s still many, many volumes of this series to go in Japan, and I am curious to see where the series goes from here. If you enjoy mysteries, antiques, or deftly handled college boy/high school girl romance, this is a good read.

Romance of the Imperial Capital Kotogami: A Tale of Living Alongside Spirits

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By Yamori Mitikusa and Tokihito Saiga. Released in Japan as “Teito Kotogami Romantan Kinrou Otome to Oshikake Juusha” by Kotonoha Bunko. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Evie Lund.

When I first saw that this title had been licensed, I thought that the synopsis sounded like one of Viz’s Shojo Beat supernatural titles. We’ve seen a lot of these “young human woman ends up caring for a number of yokai” series there – Kamisama Kiss, The Demon Prince of Momochi House, and Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits. This one is not quite like that – the yokai are definitely serving her rather than the other way around – but it has a similar vibe. That said, it’s not a copycat, and this is certainly a wide genre to pull from. It also deals with survivor guilt, abandonment issues, and even good old fashioned murderous jealousy. Also, despite the ‘romance’ in the title, this is very much a book using the original definition of that word. Which is good, as for most of the volume the power dynamics between our heroine and any potential partner are too vast to be comfortable, and the heroine is definitely not ready for that anyway.

Our story takes place in not-quite-Japan around the Taisho period – the names have been changed to make it a fantasy, as this is a world where yokai are quite active. To help, the world also has Narrators, whose who can “read the story” of a yokai and control their nature, making them a kotogami. (If you think this sounds like Natsume’s Book of Friends, you’re not far off.) Our heroine Akari, however, despises all fiction and anything resembling a story. She works at a company that, among other things, makes grandfather clocks, lives in the company dorm, and avoids men telling her that she really should get married and settle down. Then one day her apartment burns to the ground thanks to a yokai on the loose. In the chaos, she runs into a police inspector and a kotogami who seem to know more than they’re saying, and ends up staying at a manor house filled with books, all with kotogami in them. Can she recover a normal life? Can she learn to enjoy fiction again? And how is this connected to her tragic past?

As with most of the best novels for women, the heroine is the main reason to read this. Akari is grumpy, practical, clearly hurting but also determined to live life the way she wants, and does not take shit from anybody. She’s also very good at her job (which is not always a good thing… there’s an underlying sexist society here, of which Akari and the author do not approve) and, as it turns out, VERY good at being a Narrator, whether she wants to be or not. Tomohito, the kotogami that she first meets, is seemingly goofy, silly, and a bit pathetic, but readers will be completely unsurprised to see this masks a very different sort of being. The “mystery” of the book is handled quite well, with revelations coming in at just the right time, along with one or two dramatic action scenes. And the supporting cast are also fun.

This is a one-shot, and I think ends on just the right note. I’d like to read more by this author (they apparently have another series out from Earth Star, this one more isekai fantasy), but am content with having read this.

The Reincarnated Prince and Felvolk’s Greatest Treasure

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By Nobiru Kusunoki and Arico. Released in Japan as “Herscherik” by M Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by afm.

After the end of the previous book, things are going pretty well for the Kingdom Formerly Known as In Woe. The King and his sons are running around trying to slowly fix everything that Barbosse broke, and also trying to track down the corrupt nobles who benefited from it (as opposed to those who were just threatened into obedience). Indeed, the previously unseen Sixth Prince has returned, as he was going all around to various countries trying to gain allies and also get enough evidence to get rid of the thorn in their side, only to find Hersch took care of everything first. Herscherik is buried under paperwork, because oh my god there’s SO MUCH potentially crooked stuff to review, but there’s still time to go out to his favorite outdoor market. While there, however, he runs into the grocer he likes, who asks him to talk to two clearly suspicious people – a young red-haired woman and a man disguising his huge wings. Disguising because being a beastman in Gracia is punishable by death.

Those who recall the events of the third book might be looking at the cover of the fifth book and saying “oh dear, I hope this isn’t a trend”, but no, I’d be a lot crankier in my review if it were. For the most part this book is very good, showing off how difficult it can be to take definitive action when you are running a kingdom and have to obey its laws… even when some of the laws have reasons that are lost to the mists of time. Both “Kurenai” and “Ao” (Hersch is still giving codenames to people, and is still terrible at the names) have suitably tragic backgrounds, are suitably broken and fatalistic, and are cheered immensely be Herscherik basically being himself. We also meet the sixth prince’s bodyguard, Tatsu, who comes from a land that sounds very much like ancient Japan… and he seems to know that Kuro is still hiding some secrets. But that’s future Herscherik’s problem. The current one has his hands full trying to stop another self-sacrifice that ends in death.

The book has several sequel hooks, and the afterword has the author hoping to see us again soon. Unfortunately, when series are licensed from Japanese publishers, we do not get guarantees that the series will go on until a proper ending, and rumor has it that the series has been cancelled by the publisher in Japan. This is a shame, as it has a lot of elements that I quite enjoyed, using just the right amount of “I have my memories as an office lady from Japan”, having Herscherik be ludicrously good at political intrigue but also ludicrously bad at physical and magical things, so he always needs allies to kick asses for him, and good guys you want to root for. Perhaps one day we can get more of this, but until then, I’m glad I read what I did. Plus, as the books have a bit of “and in later years” history text to them, at least we know the good guys won down the road.

Pick of the Week: Far Too Much Good Stuff

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SEAN: There’s a ludicrous amount of stuff I’m getting this week. The final Beelzebub and a new Takagi-san from Yen, Viz’s new shoujo title Yakuza Lover and Yona of the Dawn, Sweat and Soap from Kodansha, The Apothecary Diaries from J-Novel Club… that said, I have to pick SOMETHING, so after listing all those I will pick the early digital edition of I’m in Love with the Villainess 3. Because OMG, the first two were so good.

MICHELLE: I’ve recently started reading the first I’m in Love with the Villainess novel, and am enjoying it! Still, despite that and the heaps of great stuff from VIZ in particular, this week I’m going with the debut of My Summer of You. I love these sort of low-key, slice-of-life BL stories.

ASH: It is a very good week for manga and light novels! Most of the titles already mentioned are high on my list to read, but I’ll go ahead and add two more: ongoing series-wise, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is always a favorite of mine while another debut that I’m particularly curious about is The Tale of the Outcasts.

KATE: I’m hopelessly behind in my reading, but I always appreciate a series about a grown-ass woman getting her act together, so the latest installment of Wave, Listen to Me! is my top pick.

ANNA: I’m also hopelessly behind in my reading, but one series I’m not behind on is Yona of the Dawn. While I’m very much looking forward to that, I’m going to take the opportunity to highlight some spicy shoujo and make Yakuza Lover my pick.

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, Vol. 11

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By Wataru Watari and Ponkan 8. Released in Japan as “Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatte Iru” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected may not be exactly the sort of harem manga Hachiman’s read in manga or novels, but it’s still a romantic comedy in the end. It has most of the major things that these series have – Hachiman may be far more cynical and bitter than the old-school potato harem lead, but he still has two main love interests and several others who easily could also slot into that place, such as Iroha and Saki. What’s more, Hachiman has changed, much to everyone else’s relief and Haruno’s disgust. It’s gotten to the point where, even if he can’t even narrate it out loud, he knows how Yukino and Yui feel about him. Yukino knows he knows. Yui knows he knows. All three know how this is likely going to end. And Yui desperately wants to put it off as long as possible, to keep their strong three-person club bond. But we know what happens to anime characters who say “I wish this time could last forever”.

It’s Valentine’s Day! And, naturally, the Service Club are roped into it. There are several people wanting to give chocolate to Hayama, but he refuses to accept any, so they ask our heroes to come up with a way they (Miura and Iroha, of course) can give him some. They end up sponsoring a “how to make your own homemade chocolate” event at the community center, with several boys, including Hayama, invited along as “taste testers”. This is a sensible plan that does not involve Hachiman throwing himself under a bus, so I approve. Unfortunately, someone invited Haruno, and she is absolutely the wrong person to be here, especially on a day like this. What’s worse, Yukino’s mom shows up again, and makes it pretty clear that hanging out with Hachiman and Yui is going to be coming to an end – very soon. Can Yui manage to hold things together, even to the point of taking Yukino and Hachiman out on a… date a trois?

It’s interesting seeing Haruno and Shizuka getting along fairly well in this book, as they’re both trying to drag Hachiman in different directions. Haruno is the sort of person you see talking to the former assassin/soldier talking about how they’ve gone soft and lost the edge that made them cool. Shizuka is urging Hachiman to try to actually say out loud – if only to himself – everything he’s been avoiding in his head. And, of course, Yui (and, passively, Yukino) doesn’t want to give up the wonderful bond she has with the two of them. The date at the end is achingly bittersweet, especially the ferris wheel ride. But sorry, Yui, you are not in a fantasy world where the kingdom has declared polygamy legal, and this isn’t going to end with Hachiman choosing two girls. That said, if this keeps up Yukino may lose by default – Haruno may not be as evil as she’s playing, but I bet mom is.

So yeah, another book that is happy most of the way through with a bitter end. Fortunately, there are no more .5 volumes before the climax, so we’ll be back next time to see how much more things can fall apart.

Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, Vol. 9

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By Dachima Inaka and Iida Pochi. Released in Japan as “Tsujo Kogeki ga Zentai Kogeki de Ni-kai Kogeki no Okasan wa Suki desu ka?” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

I can see what this volume was trying to do – well, aside from make an entire volume about Christmas and how it applies to moms and children. Because the main cast are all in their teens (even Porta), we haven’t really had much excuse to delve into the way that moms have to deal with infants and small children, and this volume gives us an excuse to do that. In addition, because Mamako is that sort of mother, we haven’t really gone into what it means to be spoiled or not spoiled in great detail since the (rather comedic) story of Mone and her mother, and combining Masato’s inherent issues, Mone’s unresolved plot and the ongoing travails of Hahako and the Kings is thematically sound. Unfortunately, the need for comedy and fanservice actually serves to turn me a bit against the book this time. I can appreciate the thought behind the plot, but didn’t enjoy reading it.

The main problem with Hahako and the Three Kings is that they’re NPCs literally written to be anti-mom, so changing their minds and accepting Hahako as their parent is well-nigh impossible. Towards that end, Shiraaase and Mamako come up with a Christmas-themed event that will hopefully help things along… especially since a mischievous Shiraaase has made it so Masato and the three Kings are infants. As the events go on, they become toddlers, then young kinds, but unfortunately there’s still a wall that can’t really be broken down between the Kings and Hahako. Unfortunately, the whole situation has to be put on hold when Mone, who’s been quiet and withdrawn through this whole event, suddenly gains a massive hole in her chest that sucks up half the cast. There’s gonna be a whole lotta spoiling going on unless Masato and company can stop it.

There are, I think, two big problems I had with this book. The first is that I’d honestly forgotten about Mone and her “spoil me” tendencies, and so having her as the mini-boss of this volume came somewhat out of left field. The other is that, for once, the parody and humor aspects of Do You Love Your Mom? work against it. There’s a few exceptions – mind-controlled Wise, Mehdi and Porta were amusing, I grant you, as was Shiraaase’s verbal disparaging of Porta’s mother throughout – but everything about Masato as a baby made me want to simply stop reading the series right there and fly to Japan to berate the writer. It’s a small part of the book, only a few pages, but I kept simmering about it through to the end. The books have nudged their way closer to a vaguely serious ending over the ppast few, and this felt like backsliding.

We have two volumes to go, and there’s a hint that the final volumes may be a two-parter, as a “demon lord” who is the final boss is mentioned. (I can guess who this is, but we’ll see.) Those who’ve been reading the series will still want to pick this up, but I was tired reading it.

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 1

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By Reia and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Alexander Keller-Nelson.

Seven Seas has been circling back a bit now that light novels actually sell and has picked up a few of the books they chose to only pick up the manga for earlier. The one that interested me most is this title, whose manga I had reviewed the first volume of in 2018. Since it’s come out, we’ve seen a boom in “villainess” works, mostly helped along by My Next Life As a Villainess but with a bit of help from this series as well. Unfortunately, the novel coming out now does sort of give the reader the feeling that they’ve read this all before, even though it was one of the first to pull off this plot. That said, the isekai aspect of it is barely touched on, and it’s clear that it’s more an excuse for the author to write political intrigue and worldbuilding. To be fair to the author, they are very good at that. As is Iris, though she’s helped along by a built-in support system.

An unnamed young woman, after being hit by a car in Japan, wakes up inside an otome game she enjoyed playing. Who she was is unimportant, because unlike other villainess books in this genre, Iris Armelia is still fully in charge here. Unfortunately, she’s about to get thrown out of school after bullying the “heroine”, and then exiled to a nunnery. Iris, whose influx of isekai memories has caused her jealous heart to come to its senses, is having none of that. She goes to negotiate with her father and, after proving that she’s no longer a lovestruck young lady, he puts her in charge of their local fiefdom. And it needs someone like her in charge – the economy is struggling, there’s a huge gap between rich and poor, and even basic needs such as medicine are hard to come by. Can a former villainess manage to turn things around? And introduce chocolate to the masses?

The biggest fault here is the same as I mentioned in my review of the manga – for a villainess, Iris certainly seems to have everyone on her side already. Her behavior towards Yuri is explained away by iris (and, indeed, the narrative) as basically a temporary lapse of reason, as for the most part she’s been a sensible and kind young noble, whose ENTIRE servant group comes from orphans she rescued from dying in the gutter. (Is this where all the other books get it from?) She has a capable butler, a doting and incredibly strong grandfather, and her savvy mother, who is such fun to read about you wish that she’d get a multi-volume prequel written about her past by the same author. (Good news on that front, though it’s not licensed here.) And of course there’s Dean, whose secret identity is not so secret to anybody but Iris, but that’s fine – he’s there to save her from literally working herself to death, and also setting himself up as the one non-problematic love interest in her life. Villainess? She’s loaded with allies, and did not even need to fall and whack her head to get them.

I definitely think this is a must for fans of the manga. That said, I suspect fans of “I’m in charge of a country and must reform the nobility” books, such as Realist Hero, might get more out of this than the standard Villainess reader. I’m definitely picking up more, though.

Manga the Week of 6/2/21

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SEAN: June’s busting manga out all over. Let’s see what’s fallen in front of us.

Airship has two print releases: Adachi and Shimamura 5 and ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! 3. They also have an early digital release of I’m in Love with the Villainess 3.

ASH: Oh, that means I still have some time to catch up before it’s released in print!

SEAN: Cross Infinite World has a new novel, Romance of the Imperial Capital Kotogami: A Tale of Living Alongside Spirits (Teito Kotogami Romantan Kinrо̄ Otome to Oshikake Jūsha), about a young woman living as a caretaker to a bunch of handsome yokai. This certainly sounds like a couple of recent Viz shoujo manga titles…

MICHELLE: Definitely conjures some Demon Prince of Momochi House vibes.

ASH: That it does, and thus intrigues me.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has several new digital releases, as we get The Apothecary Diaries 2, Discommunication’s 7th manga volume, Girls Kingdom 3, Marginal Operation’s 7th manga volume, My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 5, and The World’s Least Interesting Master Swordsman 6.

J-Novel Club also has print titles. We’ll see By the Grace of the Gods 4, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’s 2nd manga omnibus, In Another World with My Smartphone 16, and Marginal Operation 6.

Kodansha sees the print debut of The Summer of You (Kimi wa Natsu no Naka), a BL story about two teenagers loving to hang out and watch movies, and the love that develops between them. The author is also known for The Two Lions, just licensed by Seven Seas, and about 70 billion Gintama doujinshi.

MICHELLE: I’ve been looking forward to this one!

ASH: I wasn’t previously aware of this series, but now that I am, so am I!

SEAN: Also out in print: Chi’s Sweet Adventures 4, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 14, Hitorijime My Hero 10, Rent-a-Girlfriend 6, Sweat and Soap 6, Wave, Listen to Me! 6, Weathering with You 3 (the final volume), and With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun 4.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on Wave, Listen to Me! and With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day Is Fun; I enjoyed both a lot for very different reasons.

ASH: I’m definitely here for Wave Listen to Me! . I’ve been meaning to give Sweat and Soap a try, too.

SEAN: Kodansha’s digital debut is Ya Boy Kongming (Papiri Koumei), a shonen title from Comic Days about a Three Kingdoms general reborn into modern Japan.

We also get Chihayafuru 26, Girlfriend Girlfriend 3, GTO Paradise Lost 14, My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought 5, and With the Sheikh in His Harem 2.

MICHELLE: Insert traditional “yay!” for Chihayafuru.

ANNA: Yay! Also I’m so far behind!

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts The Tale of the Outcasts (Nokemono-tachi no Yoru), which ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This tale of a young orphan girl and a beast immortal should appeal to fans of Girl from the Other Side and similar titles.

ASH: Oooh, you have my attention.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has New Game! 11, Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time 5, Reincarnated As a Sword 6, and the 15th and final volume of Shomin Sample.

Viz debuts Yakuza Lover (Koi to Dangan – Dangerous Lover), a shoujo title from Cheese! spinoff Premium Cheese!. College girl meets yakuza boy, and despite trying to avoid “bad boys” she’s irresistibly drawn to him. Given it’s Cheese!, I suppose this is more in the “shousei” genre – expect a spicy story.

ANNA: I’m stoked for this and Cheese! spinoffs.

SEAN: There’s also a pile of other Viz. Chainsaw Man 5, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 22, Dragon Ball Super 13, Jujutsu Kaisen 10, My Hero Academia 28, One-Punch Man 22, Seraph of the End 21, Takane & Hana 17, Twin Star Exorcists 22, Vampire Knight: Memories 6, We Never Learn 16, and Yona of the Dawn 30.

MICHELLE: So much good stuff.

ANNA: Indeed.

ASH: A very good Viz week.

SEAN: Yen On has some May remainder titles that got bumped to June: the 10th Haruhi Suzumiya novel in paperback (it’s actually Books 10 and 11 in one big book), High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 4, Overlord 13, and Strike the Blood 18.

Yen Press likewise has a LOT of “this used to be May” titles. We get As Miss Beelzebub Likes 12 (the final volume), Eniale & Dewiela 3 (also a final volume), Happy Sugar Life 9, If Witch, Then Which? 2, IM: Great Priest Imhotep 9, Love of Kill 2, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun 12, Overlord 13, Shibuya Goldfish 9, Teasing Master Takagi-san 11, The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 3, and A Witch’s Love at the End of the World 3 (another final volume).

ASH: Wait, did you say Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun?! Hooray!

SEAN: There’s a lot of series in this list I love to bits. What are you getting?