Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

High School DxD: Ouroboros and the Promotion Exam

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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.

This contains spoilers for the end of Book 11, but not till the third paragraph.

High School DxD remains one of the most shonen series ever written, because it’s absolutely filled to the brim with what makes a shonen series – on both sides. On the one side we have the shonen battle manga, with lots of powerful enemies, dealing with almost certain defeat, discovering that the person you just struggled to take out was merely the weakest of the ones you have to fight, etc. It’s the classic old-school “you defeat the bad guy by everyone in the cast shouting the hero’s name in unison as they hit him” shonen. But it’s also very much the other kind of shonen, in that the hero is excessively horny and can only think of sex, the girls are all in love with him and have big breasts, and the one who doesn’t have big breasts asks him to marry her once she grows up and gets them. That kind of shonen series. And when we combine them, what do we get? Well, we get the Breast Beam, of course, possibly the most High School DxD thing ever.

Issei, Kiba and Akeno have been through a lot recently, and have many accomplishments to their names – enough that they really should be high-ranked demons. But there are procedures to follow, so first they must take the exam to become MIDDLE-ranked demons, which, because demon society bases a lot of things on humanity, consists of a written and a practical test. The test itself proves to not be too much of an issue, even for a “poor grades” guy like Issei. The problem is that they’re being forced to take in a hideously powerful infinity dragon, Ophis, because Azazel is trying to achieve a greater peace with the other factions and hopes that she can help. Ophis, for her part, just wants to sit back and observe Rias’s group. Unfortunately for Azazel, if he wants peace, he’s in the wrong series.

Most English-speaking High School DxD fans, and yes, that includes the ones who actually *buy* the books, are familiar with the series to a ridiculous degree. They know that it’s 25 volumes long, and has a sequel that might equal that. And, of course, there’s the afterword from the author, where they discuss what’s going to happen in Book 12. That said, if High School DxD was not selling as well here, maybe if it was more like Index, it would be cruelly amusing for Yen On to simply cut the afterword and pretend that this was the final book in the series. “Yup, Issei dies. Bit of a downer ending, huh?” Of course, even someone who isn’t spoiled probably doesn’t buy that Issei’s death is anything but temporary. Still, it does make the final moments in this book nicely depressing, and also makes me wonder who’ll be narrating the next volume.

Solid book in the series. Fights. Breasts. And tragedy.

Baccano!: 1935-D Luckstreet Boys

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

At last, we are forced to discuss the elephant in the room. This volume came out in Japan in August 2016, and there has not been another one since. Ryohgo Narita has been battling a lot of health issues. He’s also been writing another Bleach novel series, which was licensed in North America, and an ongoing manga series, which was licensed in North American AND got an anime. And, most importantly, there has been Fate/strange Fake, a light novel spinoff of the super duper popular Fate series, which began in 2014 but has had five new light novels since the last Baccano!, the most recent being this year. And it’s ALSO getting an anime. It has to be said, Dengeki Bunko know what is popular and what is merely a cult series. It has gotten to the point where, after I joked on Twitter about Narita forgetting about Baccano!, he actually replied to me to apologize and say it’s coming. So we’ll hold out hope. But till then, hope you enjoy this, as it may be a while till the conclusion we’re supposed to get with 1935-E.

The main thing that happens here which ends up dragging everyone into one place is that Charlie, the massive grizzly bear from a previous book, is now wandering around the streets of Manhattan. Fortunately, he very quickly ends up at the Grey Doctor’s office, where he finds friends in Isaac and Miria (who will befriend anyone). Unfortunately, Firo and Victor are also there, and they’re quickly joined by Ladd and Graham. Then everyone there (including the bear) is lured to Central Park, where ALL the Lemures have gathered, along with Maria and Luck’s other paid shit-stirrers. Oh yes, and Chane has come running, seeing that Ladd is there and really, really, REALLY wanting to kill him. None of this is surprising. What *is* surprising is that Lua gets a couple paragraphs all to herself, possibly the most she’s spoken in this entire series.

Usually in Narita’s books there’s always some normal guy who has to pretend not to be normal in order to get by. In Durarara!! it was Mikado, though he very quickly shot past that character type in a big way. It’s been a few people in Baccano!, most notably Jacuzzi. But in this entire arc, it’s been Nader, and that continues here – he’s basically the protagonist of this arc. (Melvi should be the antagonist, but everyone the last two books has spent all their time talking about how pathetic he is compared to the rest of the cast, so nah.) Nader is a two-bit villain who does not have the drive to be anything more, but when he finds out that Sonia is not only no longer in his hometown waiting for a hero to save her, but is actually the protege of Spike… well, let’s just say this is where the dramatic theme music starts playing behind him. Even Ladd notices the difference. I hope he lives, but it’s gonna be tough.

It’s also gonna be tough waiting for the next book, but at least we’re waiting a lot less time than Japan. Come back to Baccano! soon, Narita-san!

Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 8

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By Bokuto Uno and Miyuki Ruria. Released in Japan as “Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

I have grown used to this series casually killing people off. It’s easy to guess when they’re one of the people on Oliver’s hit list, but we’ve also seen the glorious death of Diana Ashbury and others. The author knows this, of course, and plays with it throughout this book, making me assume once or twice that we were going to see yet another tragic student fate. Because, well, every student at this academy has a mission just as important to them as Oliver’s, a mission that they will kill for (OK, maybe not Guy, I can’t see Guy turning into an instrument of vengeance), and that unfortunately a lot of these goals and missions end prematurely and in death. It’s the nature of how they’re being taught in this academy that, frankly, takes sink or swim to all-new heights. It doesn’t help that – again – this volume ends with no epilogue or cooldown, just a climactic final scene and then the end.

The combat league continues, but there’s a more important issue to deal with: Godfrey’s sternum bone has been stolen by Cyrus, and without it his abilities are down to about 1/20th what they should be. No, this is still enough for him to slip through the early rounds of this tournament, but he needs that bone back if he’s going to get further – or win the election. And so everyone who is supporting him in the election, including our heroes, go on a journey to find Cyrus and get the bone back. Along the way they discover exactly WHY Cyrus is going around stealing everyone’s bones, and it will come as no surprise to find that it’s not because he’s just a giant jerk, but because of a life goal he has to achieve.

Fans of Spellblades will find a lot of things they like in this, including the fact that every single time Oliver and Nanao converse with each other at all, it’s interpreted by everyone else as “flirting” – much to the annoyance of Katie and Pete, the others in his unwanted harem. (I say again, poor Guy, who has so many issues. He’s the least developed character of the six, he’s clearly being paired off with Katie but she likes Oliver, and he’s R*n W**sl*y in all but name.) There are also some truly fantastic fights, and we get to spend time with the badass Lesedi Ingwe and the badass but also hilarious Tim Linton. That said, the best part of the book is Cyrus and why he’s doing this, and the final pages are really well handled. To say more would be to spoil.

I have no idea what’s going to happen next, thanks to this volume ending so abruptly. I assume more combat league stuff, as you can’t really drag a tournament arc on too long… (stares nervously at The Asterisk War)… right?

Maiden of the Needle, Vol. 1

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By Zeroki and Miho Takeoka. Released in Japan as “Hariko no Otome” by Kadokawa Shoten. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kiki Piatkowska.

This book’s plot and characters have a familiar feel, to the point where the biggest surprise I had in the first volume is that the male love interest has a goatee. So permit me to talk about one of my pet problems with light novels in general, which is that the writers don’t feel content to have antagonists be bad people, they’ve got to be THE WORST PEOPLE EVER. Sure, you could have a simple parent who favors one daughter over the other and just, y’know, frowns when she walks by, but why do that when they can starve her to death, lock her in a room, not teach her anything (which is an issue given the heroine is inevitably a reincarnation from Japan), etc? Oh yes, and let’s make them incompetent as well. And secretly housing possible terror weapons? Hell, even the heroine’s Japanese family was awful. Of course, this means you don’t have to worry when they’re all inevitably executed. Serves them right! Easy peasy.

In Japan, Tsumugi was dealing with an abusive father, a cowed mother, and her joy was hanging out with friends. Then she dies (I assume from the traditional traffic accident) and she is reincarnated as Yui. In this world, which is the traditional sort of fantasy kingdom, her family is supposed to have a special power to weave protective magic. Unfortunately, they’ve fallen on hard times, possibly as they’re all evil (see above), and the first fifteen years of her life are a living hell. Then she’s sold to another merchant for a large sum and, once given adequate food, water, and actual explanations about how things work, turns out to not only be a prodigy but close to a goddess, with her powers being able to heal fairies (the main source of magic here) and also cure fashion faux pas. But will she survive long enough to be acknowledged?

Yui is probably the reason I enjoyed this more than it possibly deserved. She’s a character that has to walk a fine line. She is definitely still suffering the effects of her abuse – even after proper food and water, she still looks thin and years younger than she is, and she has trouble speaking through the entire book, with extended conversations leading to coughing fits simply due to her never speaking before this. But she’s relatively matter of fact about things, not being too excited or too depressed. The book does not have much time to devote to her suffering in any case, as this is 100% the story of Yui being amazing and everyone praising her for being amazing. It’s fairly charming, and never annoyed me the way I’d expect, but this is a book you should only read if you love Cinderella stories, and it definitely has a lot of light novel cliches. In addition to the abusive family, we also get the shy but large-breasted knight, and the maid who loves cute things (including our heroine).

This could easily have ended in one book, but there is apparently a second, as Yui needs to power up so that, when she cuts off ties with her family, she isn’t cursed. I’ll probably pick it up.

Manga the Week of 5/31/23

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SEAN: It’s the 31st of May, so get back indoors, you filthy people. (Sorry, Jonathan Coulton joke.)

ASH: I lol’d.

SEAN: Airship debuts, in print, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (Watashi ga Koibito ni Nareru Wake Naijan, Muri Muri! Muri Janakatta!?), whose digital edition came out last month. If you like protagonists who tell you how much they dislike themselves, you’ll love this.

Also in print: Disciple of the Lich: Or How I Was Cursed by the Gods and Dropped Into the Abyss! 5, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 7, and The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 8.

In early digital, we see Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 3 and Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court 4.

A debut from Cross Infinite World, as we see The Invisible Wallflower Marries an Upstart Aristocrat After Getting Dumped for Her Sister! (Kon’yaku Haki Sareta “Kūki” na Watashi, Nariagari no Dan’na-sama ni Totsugimashita). This too seems to feature a protagonist who puts herself down a lot, but this genre tends to bear that more than the “high school yuri comedy” genre, so I’m a bit more hopeful.

Also from CIW, we see Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends: The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest At Her Own Pace 5.

From Ghost Ship, we see The Witches of Adamas 5.

J-Novel Club has one debut next week: Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord (Akuyaku Reijō Level 99: Watashi wa Ura Boss Desu ga Maō dewa Arimasen). This one’s already getting an anime soon. An introverted gamer is reincarnated as the villainess, and does the sensible thing of avoiding most of the cast. The trouble is… man, her stats are so awesome! Her gamer instinct awakens! So she grinds till she’s Level 99, and, well, now she can’t avoid attention.

Also out next week: The Apothecary Diaries 9, Ascendance of a Bookworm 25, Cooking with Wild Game 21, Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools 7, Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored 2, Gushing Over Magical Girls 6, and I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m the Strongest? I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! 2.

ASH: I somehow missed that Cooking with Wild Game was already in the 20s. Probably because I was distracted by apothecaries and bookworms.

SEAN: Kodansha Books gives us another gorgeously illustrated Japanese short story, The Surgery Room, as well as the second volume of My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1, which is slightly less prestigious.

ASH: Very much looking forward to The Surgery Room.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has some print manga. Am I Actually the Strongest? 3, Blue Period 13, A Condition Called Love 3, Fire Force Omnibus 4, The Great Cleric 3, and I’m Standing on a Million Lives 14.

The digital debut is The World of Summoning (Shoukan Suru Sekai). It’s a Bessatsu Shonen series from the creator of Blood Lad. A boy trying his best to be a summoner, who can bring things from other worlds to his own, finds the job is not as popular as he expected.

And we also see Having an Idol-Loving Boyfriend is the Best! 3, My Master Has No Tail 9, Otherworldly Munchkin: Let’s Speedrun the Dungeon with Only 1 HP! 7, The Untouchable Midori-kun 4, and Yozakura Quartet 30.

Debuting from One Peace Books is Parallel World Pharmacy (Isekai Yakkyoku), based on a webnovel (not licensed) and also with an anime. It runs on Comic Walker. A man dies in Japan from overwork, and finds himself in medieval fantasy land, where medicine is the province of shysters and frauds. Time to overwork himself some more, I guess, but at least he has the usual OP cheats…

ASH: I’ll admit to being intrigued by this one.

SEAN: Seven Seas’ danmei line has Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu 6.

Debuting from Seven Seas is Don’t Call it Mystery (Mystery to Iunakare), which will be an omnibus of the first two volumes. This josei series from Flowers (pause for Michelle and Anna to freak out)…

ANNA: YES! I AM INDEED FREAKING OUT! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

MICHELLE: Kyaaaaaaa~!

ASH: Oh!

SEAN: By the author of 7 Seeds and Basara (pausing even longer for the same reason)…

ANNA: WHY WILL SOMEONE NOT LICENSE 7 SEEDS, WHY WHY WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

MICHELLE: I READ A THEORY IT WAS BECAUSE THE ANIME WAS KIND OF LAME BUT I WILL HAPPILY ACCEPT THIS IN ITS PLACE!!!!

ASH: Oooh!!

SEAN: The book is about a young college student with a huge head of hair who keeps getting involved in crimes – first as the suspect, then as the detective! It’s won multiple awards.

ANNA: I AM HYPED UP FOR THIS!

MICHELLE: COULD IT BE BOTH YUMI TAMURA AND A GENUINE MYSTERY MANGA? IS THIS HEAVEN?!?!

ASH: I am here to find out!

SEAN: In non-josei from Flowers by the author of 7 Seeds news (yes, there is some), Seven Seas also has The Duke of Death and His Maid 6, My Room is a Dungeon Rest Stop 6, Polar Bear Café: Collector’s Edition 2, Sakurai-san Wants to Be Noticed 4 (the final volume), Servamp 18, and Skeleton Knight in Another World 10.

ANNA: I mean, I don’t really care if Don’t Call it Mystery coming out.

MICHELLE: Srsly. All other manga is dead to me this week.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga has The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! 5 and SINoALICE 3.

And Steamship gives us the 3rd volume of Ladies on Top.

And that’s it, because it’s the 5th week of the month, so a lot of publishers punt. What interests you?

ANNA: I’m tentatively interested in i>Don’t Call it Mystery. Perhaps.

MICHELLE: Just a smidge.

How to Win Her Heart on the Nth Try

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By Ichine Kamijo and Yu Shiroya. Released in Japan as “n-kaime no Koi no Musubikata” by Kadokawa Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Judy Jordan.

Years ago, in the pre-light novel days, it always seemed that manga brought over to English speakers was written purely for teenagers in middle school and high school, and the romances all revolved around school clubs and walking home after practice. I would wish that for once, just for once, we could get a romance about grownups, in real jobs, and dealing with grownup concerns. So! I have good news and bad news. The good news is that this is definitely a book for and about grownups, with grownup concerns, and they have white-collar office jobs. The bad news: if you, the reader, work in a white-collar office job, be aware that this book will hammer on your anxieties and fears for 250 pages until you want to shriek. Every “you or your subordinate screwed up, please come to the manager’s office at once” nightmare is seen here, right down to having your laptop stolen. Fortunately, this book is written for exhausted workaholic women, and so there’s a guy who can come to the rescue.

Nagi is a systems engineer with a tragic past, working at a smallish company owned by her uncle. She has two juniors, and her entire life seems to run on stress and last-minute deadlines. There’s certainly no time for romance. That said, she also has Keigo, a childhood friend who works in the same company. He’s a great guy. And a good friend. On Keigo’s end, he’s been trying for the last fifteen years to subtly convey to the oblivious Nagi that he loves her, and none of it has stuck. And in a high stress office like theirs, the question is not “when will these two finally realize that they’re a couple?”, but “can they get together as a couple before they either die of overwork or end up having to take the fall for some disaster that seems to constantly be happening?”.

I can definitely see this book’s appeal to women, with the core not being “I just need a man who can understand me” but “I just need a man who can finish all my work for me”. Both hero and heroine are flawed people with very real hangups that prevent this from easily resolving, and even after getting together we see things aren’t smooth sailing. The most interesting part of the book was probably Nagi’s junior Saotome, who is small and cute, which gets her a lot of attention. This is unwanted attention, because she’s in love with Nagi. She and Keigo don’t get on, of course, but eventually manage to work things out. Other than that, I will again note that this book can make for uncomfortable romance reading. You keep waiting for Nagi to be fired for some reason or another, or have bad things happen to her. It’s definitely showing me I could never make it in Japanese office culture.

So if you want a workplace romance, and don’t mind that the male lead tends to swoop in to save the day a lot, this is pretty good.

A Pale Moon Reverie, Vol. 1

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By Kuji Furumiya and Teruko Arai. Released in Japan as “Tsuki no Shirosa o Shirite Madoromu” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Jason Li.

This is definitely one of those series where you can sell it to others by simply saying who wrote it. For the right reader, “from the same author as Unnamed Memory” is quite the draw, and this series has a lot of the same strengths that made Unnamed Memory such a compelling work. Most notably that it feels like a “normal” fantasy work, rather than one filtered through Japanese light novels and webnovels. It’s refreshing these days to read books without stats, adventurer’s guilds, and the rest. This series is creating its own world, thank you very much, and the world is quite compelling. The two leads will also seem very familiar to those who’ve read Unnamed Memory, though they both lack the experience and maturity of Oscar and Tinasha. And, of course, there’s also the prose, which is excellent (and well translated). This is a book to curl up in a chair and take your time reading (and you’ll have to, it’s a long one).

Xixu is a shadeslayer, trained to seek out shades (basically evil ghosts) and destroy them. He’s very good at his job, but is overly serious and dour. He’s sent by the king (at the behest of the king’s seer) to Irede, a legendary city devoted to wine, women and song… literally. While there, he’s introduced to Sarida, the proprietress of the Pale Moon, a courtesan house with very strict rules – the courtesans pick their customers, not the other way around. Sari is only sixteen, and (as it turns out) has not yet chosen any customers, but she has other things that concern her, mainly that she has supernatural powers that can aide shadeslayers in binding the shades to make them easier to get rid of. As the book goes on, Xixu and Sari find themselves growing far closer to each other than they’d expected.

As with Unnamed Memory, this is basically an omnibus of two volumes that could have easily sold as normal 200-page books, but the author seems to like doorstoppers. Xixu is a good male lead, being dedicated and humorless but also caring and perceptive. Sari is more complicated, partly due to reasons I won’t spoil, but she’s also the one who tends to get in trouble a lot – she’s not quite a damsel in distress, don’t get me wrong, but when the climax of the book is about to happen you will find her at the center being restrained by the bad guys. As for the rest of the cast, I was a bit disappointed that the traitor in the first book was the obvious choice, though at least there was some attempt to throw us off the trail for a bit. I also very much like the idea of a courtesan house where the first rule is consent. But mostly I loved the worldbuilding and the writing. It’s the reason to read this.

This came from a webnovel, which is finished online, but we all know that doesn’t necessarily mean anything to publishers. Still, I hope it does well for Drecom, as I love this author and want to read more of this odd but endearing couple.

Accidentally in Love: The Witch, the Knight, and the Love Potion Slipup, Vol. 1

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By Harunadon and Eda. Released in Japan as “Koisuru Majo wa Elite Kishi ni Horegusuri o Nomasete Shimaimashita: Itsuwari kara Hajimaru Watashi no Dekiai Seikatsu” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Arthur Miura.

I don’t expect every book I read to be good, and I know that a lot of them can pretty much be summed up as “this is an adequate representation of its genre”, but I usually like something that I can grab on to, if only for the reviews. Something that’s a bit odd, or weird, or different. No, I’m not going to talk about THAT word yet, more on that later. Instead I will note that this rather normal, generic romance novel has an odd quirky humor at times that sort of leaps out and grabs you. It’s as if the author is coloring in the lines in a book, but can’t resist all of a sudden just drawing halfway across the next page. And the scene in this book, about halfway through, when Cecily gets eaten by a wyvern, was exactly that. I laughed till I cried. The only drawback is it wasn’t illustrated.

Cecily, who grew up loving fairy tales about princess tricked by evil witches, is horrified when she comes of age to discover that she is, in fact, one of those witches. Now she has to live on her own for two years, as is tradition, and peddle her craft. The trouble is that Cecily is horribly introverted, so for the most part lives in a little house in the big woods. One day, her potion that changes her eye color wears off right as she’s wrongfully accused of theft, and a nasty incident is about to happen. Fortunately, she’s saved by a handsome knight. Unfortunately, she misunderstands something when overhearing him later and gets mad, deciding that (just as her mother did to her father), she’s going to brew a love potion and have the knight drink it! Surely nothing can go wrong.

So, let’s talk about the Princess. To be fair to the translator, I’m fairly certain there was no good way to translate this and not have it have the exact impact it has, that vague frisson of “a 14-year-old princess should not be using that word”. That said love potions aside, this is a sweet and fluffy romance novel for the most part, so when you recommend it you’re really going to have to say “also her best friend the princess says “loins” constantly”. Or else you’ll get glared at. The loins also fall into that quirky humor I mentioned above. I’m glad it’s there, as the two leads are not anything to write home about. I admit Cecily’s type, the nervous, self-hating introvert, is never my favorite protagonist to read, so that doesn’t really help. That said, I did enjoy the quirks, and, as you might have guessed, no one really does anything against their will here.

Feels complete to me, but a second book is on the way. If you enjoy collecting J-Novel Heart titles or just want to see a young woman get swallowed by a lizard, this is a good book to check out.

Pick of the Week: So Much Stuff

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KATE: My pick of the week goes to Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture, as it checks a number of boxes for me: supernatural elements, characters with weird but useful superpowers, and characters whose primary field of study is folklore. (I may be the only reader holding out for a manga on Charles Seeger. Just sayin’.) The story also gets high marks for having an original premise—something that seems to be in short supply lately.

MICHELLE: There are a good many things coming out next week that I’m interested in, but what I’m most looking forward to is BL murder mystery Manner of Death, because I’m always on the search for good mystery manga.

SEAN: Yeah, there’s a pile, with many things I’m reading. I could pick problematic fave Horimiya, or one by a favorite author, A Pale Moon Reverie. But I think I feel like hiding from my responsibilities in a library, so will choose The Dragon King’s Imperial Wrath: Falling in Love with the Bookish Princess of the Rat Clan.

ASH: I have definitely hid from my responsibilities in a library before, but the debut that’s really caught my attention this week is Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture. I simply cannot pass up the premise of BL-adjacent folklore studies.

ANNA: I’m excited to read the second volume of Honey Lemon Soda!

Bookshelf Briefs 5/21/23

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Catch These Hands!, Vol. 4 | By murata | Yen Press – When two people who already know each other well decide—or are trying to decide—to be a couple, it can be very easy to start second-guessing. That’s what we see in this final volume, as Takabe realizes that she has no idea what Soramori’s likes, dislikes, and hobbies are outside of their tiny little interactions, so tries to nudge Soramori into doing things she enjoys. The trouble is, and Soramori feels shamed about this, she doesn’t really have anything much of a life outside Takebe. She worries this will mean Takabe thinks her too much trouble to be worth it, but Takabe is able to use this to finally admit how she feels. In the end, the two are a couple, but still feeling things out, and that feels very appropriate. – Sean Gaffney

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 | By Hiromu Arakawa | Square Enix – Any new series by Hiromu Arakawa ought to be a cause for celebration, but her latest effort feels more like something produced by ChatGPT than a person. All the right ingredients are there, from a brother and sister with supernatural powers to a boisterous supporting cast of bounty hunters and demons—sorry, daemons—but the first four chapters are so jam-packed with events and characters that it’s easy to lose sight of the main storyline. Even the jokes feel tired, as they focus mainly on the characters’ surprised reactions to modern technologies such as the automobile; you’ve seen this kind of fish-out-of-water humor done with more panache in dozens of other series. About the best I can say for Daemons of the Shadow Realm is that Arakawa still has a flair for drawing monsters and villains, including the most menacing set of teeth since Jaws terrorized movie-goers. My verdict: skip it and read Silver Spoon instead. – Katherine Dacey

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 24 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – The next ‘arc’ of this manga is teased in this volume, as we see it’s the start of a new school year and unfortunately this means Komi is in a classroom with a whole lot of new cast members who don’t know who she is. But for now we have fluffier things to deal with, as Tadano and Komi try to go out on a date. This involves shopping for clothes on Komi’s end, and getting vetted by Komi’s dad on Tadano’s end, though Tadano is so pure that the outcome is never in doubt. And then there’s the new year, and Manbagi is not in the same class, but fortunately for Komi Tadano is. Good stuff, and the series now has to cross the high hurdle of continuing after the romantic resolution. Can it succeed? – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 13 | By Afro | Yen Press – After the last volume went totally off the rails (in a good way), this is a return to form for the series, which knows what its readers want, and for the most part gives it to them. (The readers also want a Rin/Nadeshiko ship, but that’s not happening.) So we get lots of scenes of the girls camping, separately this time, and an excuse to draw a whole lot of gorgeous Japanese scenery and show off what are presumably some excellent campgrounds. We even get what may be a couple of new characters in one chapter, where we see an artist trying to find inspiration who settles on Ena and her dog, asleep on a bench. There’s never any plot or character development in this, but that’s just fine. It’s relaxing. – Sean Gaffney

Nights with a Cat, Vol. 1 | By Kyuryu Z | Yen Press – Though there are dozens of great pet manga now available in English, Nights with a Cat has something genuinely new to offer: simple, observational storytelling that doesn’t shamelessly tug on the heartstrings or anthropomorphize our furry companions. The series explores the relationship between Fuuta and Kyuruga, his roommate’s cat. As someone who’s never lived with a cat before, Fuuta is fascinated by Kyuruga, marveling at Kyuruga’s anatomy—his pupils, his sandpaper tongue, his retractable claws—as well as Kyuruga’s ability to silently materialize in surprising places. Kyuryu Z doesn’t play these moments for laughs, choosing instead to emphasize how strange and amazing cats really are; his illustrations capture the fluidity of Kyuruga’s movements and the changeability of his moods. Recommended for new and long-time cat owners alike. – Katherine Dacey

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 6 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship This will always be a Ghost Ship sort of title, which can make it hard to recommend to anyone who is not intensely horny 90% of the time. The opening scenes, involving hair evolving out of control to the point that it becomes tentacle porn, are a good example. But we also get a new girlfriend, a shy girl who is convinced eventually to show herself in front of the guy she loves. And, in the best part of the volume, Karane’s tsundere character is deconstructed when she drinks a de-tsun potion and turns into a lovey-dovey girl. The question is… is she better off like this, able to say she loves Rentaro directly? Or is it better to be her old self? Love it. – Sean Gaffney

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 7 | By Misaki Takamatsu |Seven Seas – Given the cliffhanger ending to this volume, I should probably be talking about its two leads some more, but let’s face it, the entire volume is stolen by Yuzuki. It’s the start of everyone’s second year, and that means new classes. Everyone in their group is at least with someone they know… except Yuzuki, who is by herself. This means that all the teen drama she used to deal with all the time is back full force, complete with guys trying to force their way into a date and girls lying to her in order to make said date happen. It’s no wonder she breaks down in tears. Frankly, she’s better off with Makoto, who is able to run to her rescue at the end, if only with pudding. I love Yuzuki so much. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 20 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media Despite being, for the most part, a gag series, there is a bit of plot in Sleepy Princess, and it crops up a bit here, which is the fact that humans and demons are still at odds with each other. This is what Syalis and Twilight are trying to fix, but it can be hard on both ends. The biggest “story” in this book has Poseidon accidentally hitting a poison needle that makes the recipient sleep for a year. (It was made for Syalis’ grandmother, implied to be THE Sleeping Beauty herself.) There’s a demon who will fix it… but she refuses to deal with humans. Can Syalis break past her misgivings by being polite and asking nicely? Or will she simply be herself? – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 17 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – I’ve said this before, but the main struggle this series has is that the ending is obvious but it can’t go there yet. The series is still too popular, it’s still getting anime series and movies, and even the spinoffs are doing well, though not licensed here. But if you want character development, either Nishikata or Takagi is going to have to genuinely confess. And you can’t DO that without ending the series, because the whole point is that she’s trying to be subtle and Nishikata is the very embodiment of not picking up on something unless it’s ludicrously direct. There’s a lot of teasing here, but in terms of romance they’re both still more immature than they should be for fourteen-year-olds. – Sean Gaffney

Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade, Vol. 4

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By Maito Ayamine and Cierra. Released in Japan as “Shinigami ni Sodaterareta Shoujo wa Shikkoku no Tsurugi wo Mune ni Idaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sylvia Gallagher.

Getting back to a niggle I had last time, I will grant the fourth volume of the series this: the adjutant in the battle here does not appear to be in love with her commanding officer. That said, we do get a lot of similar beats, where the younger adjutant is told to retreat so that the older commander can die protecting the retreat. I admit that I am very fond of just how many women are in this book, and of course it stars Olivia, who is a monster in human form. All the same, I’m seeing similar things happening over and over in this series, and would not mind a female adjutant who stays behind and dies so that her commander can get away. You know, as a change of pace. I’m also not all that happy with the running gag of the women in love with the oblivious men, even as I will reluctantly admit that’s truth in literature.

Olivia’s success is having repercussions. First with her and her close companions – she’s made a major general, and given an army of her own to command, with Claudia and Ashton by her side. She gets to attend royal balls, where she interacts with the King, and also meets emissaries of foreign nations, like the Not At All Suspicious (TM) Sofitia. But in addition, her mere existence has caused the Empire to try to find other ways to win, such as proxy wars that they force an allied nation to take up for them (it goes badly). And Fernest is also having to deal with invasions of its own, though it’s helped there by the commander and the ruler in charge of the invading state both being very, very stupid. Don’t poke at Olivia to see what she does, you won’t like it.

There’s a lot of plot stuff going on here, to be honest, but Olivia’s actions seem to flow around it. Apart from trying to find out where Z has gone off to, she really has zero interest in all of the political machinations happening around her. She’s aware it exists, and does tell her aides that she is aware that Sofitia is probably inviting her to Mekia for nefarious reasons. But she’s never, ever had any fight cause her trouble since she last saw Z, and that doesn’t change here. Her reputation is starting to be less “oh no, that’s not possibly true” to “OH MY GOD IT’S HER”, and she’s definitely going to be facing stronger opponents, but I’ve yet to see anyone who can really take her on. Which might be for the best. No one is reading this book to see Olivia struggle and have self-doubts. She can delegate that to Claudia, probably.

This is a good “military strategy” series, provided you aren’t turned off by Olivia’s glorious OPness throughout. Frankly, that’s why I read it.

Haibara’s Teenage New Game+, Vol. 3

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By Kazuki Amamiya and Gin. Released in Japan as “Haibara-kun no Tsuyokute Seishun New Game” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Esther Sun.

There *is* a serious element to this series, and it’s 100% down to “every girl is falling in love with Haibara, and he has to make some of them sad”. He’s not at a point where he can do that yet. That will likely lead to bad things down the road. Still, that’s the only REALLY serious part of the series. It’s not the sort of book that, having given Haibara a chance to redo his crappy high school and college years, is going to turn into a “no, you screwed up again, try a third time” sort of series. That said, I must admit that I was sort of on tenterhooks midway through the book. These are still high school kids, and when there’s a very strict controlling parent and a runaway kid who stays over at the house of a boy she’s clearly falling in love with, well, things could have gone very bad. As in “I will notify your parents and the school” bad. But this is not that sort of series.

It’s summer, and everyone has passed their exams, albeit by the skin of their teeth for some. This means it’s time for a summer activity. Let’s hit the beach! Everyone agrees, and they rent a nice cabin with rooms for everyone. The only issue is Hoshimiya. We’ve heard before how strict her family is, and trying to get around it by pretending there aren’t any guys going on the trip is the sort of lie that’s easily discovered. So she’s not going. Fortunately, she and Haibara manage to bond anyway, as he runs into her at a cafe, where he discovers her big, big secret – she’s a novelist! He agreed to pre-read her book, whose main characters seem somewhat familiar. Unfortunately, daddy dearest discovers this, and announces that a) she can’t be an author, and b) she has to distance herself from her friends. This goes badly.

Hoshimiya is still very much “in the lead” in this harem series, and this book gives us a much needed focus on her and her family, and shows that she and Haibara are a lot more alike than he may have realized. In fact, my favorite part may have been when she admitted that she didn’t really like him much at first because of all the fronts he was putting up. That said, of course, by the end of this book she’s totally smitten, and although you would think this would be good news for Haibara – she’s the one he likes, after all – he still can’t quite reject Uta yet. And that’s not even getting into his childhood friend, who he’s 100% oblivious to. She, at least, seems to have made her own decision, even if it hurts her, and I hope things go better for her with someone else, though I doubt it will.

All this plus a new girl, who comes on like a relatively blasé storm, and who will no doubt feature heavily in the next book. If you like good old-fashioned “who will win” romcoms, this is for you, though be prepared for your favorite to lose. That always happens in old-fashioned romcoms.

Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer!: The Invincible Saint and the Quest for Fluff, Vol. 3

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

It’s been about a year since the last volume of this series, but the core of it remains mostly the same. Kanata runs all over creation, finds all-powerful villainous creatures, and somehow manages to turn them into adorable puffballs, which they grudgingly submit to. It’s not a series to read for the character development, really, as there isn’t any: Kanata is not the sort of person who grows and learns, she’s just immediately OP and will never stop being goofy and slightly sketchy about snuggling her big fluffy beats. The comedy, thankfully, is also still good, with lots of great gags here, some of which don’t even involve Kanata burying her face in fur. And, as with previous books, there’s a somewhat terrifying plot and backstory in the background, if you care to look at it. Which Kanata does not. She is not here for past lives or gods eating souls. Are souls fluffy? NO!

Kanata’s general likeability and hideous strength means that people at least are not hearing the words “beast tamer” and trying to abuse her, at least. Arriving at a village, she hears a legend about an old mysterious monster who lives in an abandoned castle. She decides to go check it out… and finds the church’s knights attacking a gorgeous (but heavily wounded) vampire. This vampire is not really the evil sort, so tries to get Kanata away from her own struggles, but Kanata ignores that, and instead heals the vampire… who, of course, instantly becomes a pink ball of fluff. The vampire has fallen in love with Kanata, so happily comes along with her and her fellow beasts, though she’s rather grumpy about needing to stay fluffy. As for the goddess who has been trying to destroy Kanata, well…

The main story is only 2/3 of this book, with the last third being a side story that is mostly “let’s watch Melissa be incredibly strong but also mentally suffer”. The author indicates that health problems were why this book was so late, but I do think the presence of such a big story at the end of the book undercuts the terrifying cliffhanger ending. The goddess is basically “what if Aqua was evil”, but this does not make her fellow gods any better, and her fate ends up reminding me a bit of the ending of The Lottery. There’s also the description of the first saint’s travails (which involve the vampire we met earlier), and how the saint’s plan to return to this world basically involved reincarnating in different worlds for a thousand years, each life being terrible. It gives a certain heft to Kanata that she is not otherwise going to possess, and I wonder if the first saint part of her will ever come to the fore. Mmmmmm, probably not.

So yeah, enjoy the fluff, though some of it has a bitter aftertaste. Still fun.

Manga the Week of 5/24/23

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SEAN: Bad news, folks, it’s Yen Press week. Can we make it out alive?

ASH: Fingers crossed!

SEAN: We start with Yen On, who have a number of debuts. Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture (Jun Kyōju Takatsuki Akira no Suisatsu) is a BL-adjacent series about a college student who can see if someone has been lying (which has left him ludicrously unpopular) and his folklore studies professor, who takes him under his wing to find out if things are really folklore or simply lies.

ASH: Oh! BL-adjacent and folklore studies? This pertains to my interests.

MICHELLE: Sounds potentially promising!

ANNA: OK, I’m also interested.

SEAN: Even If These Tears Disappear Tonight (Kon’ya, Sekai kara Kono Namida ga Kiete mo) is a sequel to Even If This Love Disappears Tonight, and is for people who like to read books and cry.

How to Win Her Heart on the Nth Try (n Kaime no Koi no Musubikata) is a one-shot. A young woman in her late 20s worries she’ll never have a romance. Then her childhood friend shows up… but she’s only ever seen him AS a friend. Can that change?

Maiden of the Needle (Hariko no Otome) is another one of those “I don’t have a skill, so I’m abused and disowned by my family and friends till I find out that really my skill is amazing” books, only since it stars a young woman it’s her “savior” (read: love interest) who rescues her.

ASH: It has such enchanting cover art! And I do really like the skill in this case.

SEAN: My Summoned Beast Is Dead (Ore no Shōkanjū, Shinderu) is a magic academy series. The poorest student there has to prove himself, and seems to do so by summoning a legendary god beast! There’s just one slight hitch – the title.

ASH: It does seem like that could be a problem.

ANNA: I’m imagining a Weekend at Bernie’s scenario.

SEAN: Also coming out: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 3, Baccano! 22, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense 9, Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin 5, High School DxD 11, High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 8, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 5, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 8, Sasaki and Peeps 4, and Spy Classroom 5.

ASH: So much Yen, and we’re not even done yet!

SEAN: Yen Press also has some debuts. Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree (Elden Ring: Ougonju e no Michi) is based on an obscure video game one or two people may know. It’s from Kadokawa’s Comic Hu, and is apparently a comedy spinoff starring a very odd hero.

Magical Girl Incident (Mahou Shoujo Jihen) is a seinen title from Young Ace. An office worker who wanted to be a hero as a kid… now finds he’s a magical girl? This is supposed to be quite funny.

MICHELLE: Hm.

SEAN: Manner of Death is a BL title from B’s-Lovey. It’s a murder mystery where a coroner suddenly finds himself being told that a death needs to be ruled a suicide… or else.

ASH: Haven’t seen too many coroners in licensed manga.

MICHELLE: You had me at “murder mystery.”

SEAN: Me and My Beast Boss (Kemono Jōshi ni Jitsuwa Mitome Rareteita Hanashi) is a shoujo title from B’s-Log Cheek. An office worker is bullied by her beastfolk colleagues because she’s human. Then the CEO calls her into his office… to make her his personal secretary?

MICHELLE: I say “Hm.” yet again.

ANNA: Haha!

SEAN: My Dear, Curse-Casting Vampiress (Boku no Noroi no Kyuuketsuki) is a Shonen Gangan series about an anti-vampire group who plan to kidnap a vampire known for her beauty that drives men mad.

Puella Magi Suzune Magica: The Complete Omnibus Edition is what it says. 3 volumes in 1.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun: First Stall is a boxed set collecting the first ten volumes of the manga. You can guess what the box looks like, but it’s actually quite cool.

ASH: It really is. And it’s perfect for the series.

SEAN: What This World Is Made Of (Sekai wa Are de Dekiteiru) is a news series from the creator of Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter that runs in Dengeki Maoh. Two brothers try to make money using a game app, but it has a secret…

Yokohama Station SF (Yokohama Eki SF) runs in Young Ace Up, and is a manga adaptation of the novel (also licensed by Yen). It is a science fiction manga about Yokohama Station. (Look, I can’t be funny all the time. Or even most of the time.)

ASH: Oh! I somehow missed that there was a manga adaptation!

MICHELLE: I meant to read the novel but of course never did. Maybe I’ll fare better with the manga.

SEAN: In non-debuts, we get Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 6, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple 3, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 3, The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess 7, Delicious in Dungeon 12, The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring 4, For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 10, Gabriel Dropout 12, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 3, Hi, I’m a Witch, and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion 2, Honey Lemon Soda 2, Horimiya 16 (the final volume), I Cannot Reach You 6, I’m the Catlords’ Manservant 4 (the final volume), Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler – 16, The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious 5, Murciélago 21, Oshi no Ko 2, The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter 3, Overlord 17, Sasaki and Miyano 8, Sasaki and Peeps 2, Spy Classroom 3, To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 6, The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 4, and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 5.

And that’s just Yen! Christ!

ASH: Phew! Fortunately, I saw Delicious in Dungeon in there before my eyes started glazing over.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward on getting caught up with The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter.

ANNA: I spotted Honey Lemon Soda in that wall of text!

SEAN: From Viz Media: JoJo 6251 is the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure artbook you know you always wanted.

ASH: It’s true. I’m so glad it’s being released here; I’ve been eyeing the Japanese edition for years.

SEAN: There’s also JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 5–Golden Wind 8, and WITCH WATCH 6 digitally, which is not JoJo’s, but is quite funny.

ASH: I really should check it out at some point.

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts My Dear Agent, which runs in LOVE xxx BOYS pixiv, so you can guess it’s BL. A cool and serious bodyguard finds that the new guy he’s supposed to train won’t stop flirting with him!

Also from Tokyopop: Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry 5 (the final volume).

Square Enix gives us Beauty and the Feast 8 and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 12.

Seven Seas also has some debuts. The Dragon King’s Imperial Wrath: Falling in Love with the Bookish Princess of the Rat Clan (Ryuuou Heika no Gekirin-sama ~Hon Suki Nezumi Himedesuga, Naze ka Ryuuou no Saiai ni Narimashita~) is from Zero-Sum Online, and features a princess who tries to nope out of the “who will be my bride” sweepstakes by going to the library, but to no avail.

ASH: It was worth a try!

MICHELLE: I just want to state for the record here that Ash totally made me LOL.

ANNA: I’m always in favor of going to the library.

SEAN: Even Dogs Go to Other Worlds: Life in Another World with My Beloved Hound (Isekai Teni shitara Aiken ga Saikyou ni narimashita – Silver Fenrir to Ore ga Isekai Kurashi wo Hajimetara) is a Comic Ride adaptation of the light novel (put out here by Cross Infinite World). Man and dog reincarnated. Dog is massive legendary silver wolf. Fun times.

A Story of Seven Lives (Gojussenchi no Isshou) is a done-in-one omnibus from Comic It. A stray cat tries to help some struggling humans.

There’s also CANDY AND CIGARETTES 4, Classroom of the Elite 6, How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift? 11, Hunting in Another World With My Elf Wife 6, Lazy Dungeon Master 4, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 5, Reborn as a Barrier Master 4, The Tale of the Outcasts 7, Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii 3, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition 2, and Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games 5.

ASH: Some good stuff in there.

SEAN: One Peace Books has Hinamatsuri 18.

Kodansha Manga has some print titles. The debut is Tsugumi Project, which runs in Young Magazine. Another post-apocalyptic action series, a group of convicts are tasked with retrieving a weapon from a ruined city. But the city is less dead than anyone thought. (I thought this was digital-only, it’s not. The digital was 2 weeks earlier.)

And there’s As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 5, Miss Miyazen would Love to Get Closer to You 4 (the final volume), A Sign of Affection 6, Toppu GP 11, Wandance 5, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword 4.

MICHELLE: I desperately need to catch up on Wandance or I’ll be too far behind to recover!

SEAN: Digitally we see Boss Bride Days 5, A Couple of Cuckoos 11, DAYS 35, Gamaran: Shura 8, Love, That’s an Understatement 2, My Home Hero 4, and Piano Duo for the Left Hand 7.

MICHELLE: Love, That’s an Understatement isn’t winning any awards for Most Original Shoujo Series Ever, but I did enjoy the first volume. Maybe I’m just inclined to like Fujimomo’s work.

ANNA: Oh, I meant to check this out!

SEAN: Three debuts for J-Novel Club. Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness (Totsuzen Papa ni Natta Saikyou Dragon no Kosodate Nikki: Kawaii Musume, Honobono to Ningenkai Saikyou ni Sodatsu) is the manga adaptation of the light novel J-Novel Club has already released. It runs in Comic Ride. Girl meets dragon, heartwarming ensues.

ASH: Not a bad combination.

SEAN: Make It Stop! I’m Not Strong… It’s Just My Sword! (Yametekure, Tsuyoi no wa Ore Janakute Ken nan da……!) is basically “what if Elric were just some dude who wants an easy life, and his sword only ate bad souls?”.

ANNA: This seems less angsty. Any wanna be Elric needs more angst!

SEAN: A Pale Moon Reverie (Tsuki no Shirosa o Shirite Madoromu) is the new novel from the creator of Unnamed Memory. That alone should make you purchase it sight unseen. A supernatural courtesan meets a shadeslayer in the streets of a very special town.

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: We also get the 9th manga volume of An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, the 2nd Karate Master Isekai, Maddrax 6, and Making Magic: The Sweet Life of a Witch Who Knows an Infinite MP Loophole 3.

Ghost Ship has a 5th volume of Ero Ninja Scrolls.

And Airship has print for The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 5, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 16, and The World’s Fastest Level Up 3.

And for early digital we see The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 8 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 10.

Oh man, look! The Manga Bookshelf team all fell asleep trying to get through this list! See what you’ve done, Yen?

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer, Vol. 8

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By MOJIKAKIYA and toi8. Released in Japan as “Boukensha ni Naritai to Miyako ni Deteitta Musume ga S-Rank ni Natteta” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

Given that we’re near the end of the series, it’s no surprise that we’re actually picking up a number of plot threads that have been lurking around since the start of the book, and some of those plot points are quite a bit darker than we’re used to. As an excuse for not meeting up with Bel and company for the last 20 years, “I was running around the country trying to rescue women from being used in forced breeding experiments with demons” is a good one. If I’m being honest, it’s what isn’t here that’s more of a surprise: Ange spends most of this volume brooding and in a blue funk, and I wondered the entire time whether it was going to tie in to her secret demon heritage and all that. But no, it’s just typical daddy issues, because that’s what this series runs on, really. And as Ange grows up, those issues get less fun for her.

After locating Percival, our intrepid group has only one to go before they can get the band back together. That said, all they can find of Satie are rumors… until they arrive at a city which is apparently trying to kill an elf woman. This is not good news for Marguerite and Maureen, who have to remind folks that elves are, in fact, unique persons. Fortunately, Ange has friends in high places, so things settle down. Even more fortunately, the elf being hunted is, of course, Satie, who has been doing the things I alluded to in the last paragraph. Unfortunately, the “prince” has nearly caught up with her and is really trying hard to kill her, probably because she knows that he’s not the real prince. Can Belgrieve, Percival and Kasim manage to rescue Satie, or is that going to fall to Ange?

So yeah, Ange is starting to regret her own actions a bit, mostly the fact that she was going around to every woman she knew and asking if they wanted to marry her dad. Now they’re about to reunite with Satie, who the others admit had a thing for Belgrieve, and he probably did for her, and she starts to realize that she might not be the closest person in his life anymore. Ange is old enough and mature enough to know that this is unfair to Belgrieve and that it’s just envy, but that does not make the feelings go away, and her wrestling with them is probably the best part of the book. The other good part of the book is a nice bit of light horror, as there is a spell that can be used to disguise a person as another person so well that the other person does not even know they’re a disguise, and this is used to chilling effect here.

Good stuff, and a rare cliffhanger for this series, so we’ll have to wait till the 9th volume to see if we can save the day. (I suspect the day will be saved, this is not that kind of series.)