Manga Bookshelf

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Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Ersatz Spy x Family

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SEAN: There’s nothing that really leaps out at me this week, but I’ll take a flyer on Assassin & Cinderella, which is josei, but it’s a Gangan title, so I assume josei-ish? In any case, I like spies and I like assassins.

MICHELLE: I very much enjoyed the original Tokyo Tarareba Girls, so even though I’ve not managed to check out the sequel, I’m sure it is also excellent!

ANNA: I’m with Sean this week in being curious about Assassin & Cinderella.

ASH: While I am likewise curious about Assassin & Cinderella, my pick this week goes to Minecraft, not so much for myself but for the fanatic ten-year-old at home. (I’m pretty sure I’ll get some bonus parent points for bringing it home, though. )

Lady Rose Just Wants to Be a Commoner!, Vol. 2

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By Kooriame and Nami Hidaka. Released in Japan as “Lady Rose wa Heimin ni Naritai” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Caroline W.

We have had numerous books where I have observed that the protagonist and/or the antagonist tends to be a bit too quick to see the world they’ve been reincarnated in as the actual otome game they remember, rather than as a world with living, breathing humans with real feelings. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a series lean quite so hard into the concept as Lady Rose, in which Lady Rose has to be handed a lot of the answers to the mystery she’s trying to solve as she is SO ingrained into the mindset that everyone is like the characters she remembers that she not only can’t see the forest for the trees, but can’t even see the tree. And when you add in the fact that, like so many other shoujo light novels, she is utterly unable to see her own value, calling everything she does “acting”, and you end up with a book that is less of a mystery and more of a psychological horror story.

We pick up immediately after the cliffhanger from Book One, as Felicia and Seth confront her adopted younger brother and try to figure out why he’s kidnapped Liliana… though this ends up being more an exercise in making Felicia face reality, something that proves to be… very difficult, frankly. Things are not helped by the fact that Liliana is now actively trying to kill herself, and Felicia has to figure out why that’s happening. And oh yes, Evan was also in on the kidnapping. This means that both Shade and Evan are going to be executed, unless… Rose goes back to the castle, and pleads with the King for clemency. Something which is unlikely to have any impact, unless of course she goes ahead and marries Nika, who she at least finally admits she loves. Will she be forced to give up on everything she’s fought for?

I’m gonna be spoiling a bit of the climax of the book here, but I just have to talk about how delighted I was by the ending, which until the last page I thought was going to be reversed. Hell, so did everyone else in the cast, and they’re very surprised at the final outcome. Because this is not “Lady Rose Learns How Important She Is”, or “Lady Rose Makes Sacrifices But Finds True Love”, it’s “Lady Rose Wants to Be a Commoner”, and it’s absolutely committing to that bit. Now, she and Nika are still being cute and blushy at the end, but notably: she’s a commoner, he’s a prince, and they aren’t married. She not only defies fate but defies the narrative, and I love that. (I also love the fakeout opening of Chapter 6, which gave me a brief heart attack till I laughed).

The series ends here… except it doesn’t, as there is a third and final volume, from the perspective of Liliana, the “saint”. Honestly, any perspective that isn’t Felicia’s will be welcome at this point – she’s too unreliable a narrator. Very much enjoying this.

The Dorky NPC Mercenary Knows His Place, Vol. 3

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By Toryuu and hamm. Released in Japan as “Kimo Ota Mob Yōhei wa, Mi no Hodo o Wakimaeru” by Overlap Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Josh DM.

We’re starting to get a bit of an overarching plot for this series, though for the most part it is still fairly episodic, showing us John taking a job, John doing the job, the complications that set in, and the aftermath. There’s far fewer girls crushing on John in this volume – the romance, emphasized in Book One, is almost completely removed now. That said, don’t worry, all the love interests have been replaced by people who are trying to shoot John instead. We are tripling down on people trying to kill him, and while some of it is just garden-variety bad guys, we’re getting the sense that there’s a conspiracy going on here, mostly in scenes with the worst of the nobles, a cartoonishly evil girl who looks like she stepped off the pages of a villainess book. Needless to say, she’s not a threat, but her eventual fate does show us that this series is not afraid to get dark if it has to.

John has been doing pretty well lately, but this book sees him having an awful run of bad luck. On the plus side, he does make enough money to finally pay off his parents’ debt, though he gently rejects their offer to get another job, as he feels that mercenary is the one that best suits him. He tries catching some pirates, only to run into a noble’s territory, which means he can’t go further. He acts as security for a noble party, only for a murder to happen there, and one of the accomplices decides to make their escape with John’s help. At the guild itself, an arrogant ex-noble who can’t get over the fact that she’s not allowed to simply murder anyone who she dislikes really hates John. And when he does pilot duty for an archaeologist, he’s left for dead and his ship is destroyed. Just… not a great book for him.

This book definitely is “guild fantasy in space”, but it’s not afraid to be other things “in space” as well. Sometimes this is for the sake of broad comedy, such as the murder “mystery”, which talks about an amateur detective showing up to solve everything, only to treat it the way amateur detectives are usually treated in real life. That said, that was the weakest section of the book, so I hope we don’t get “pastiche of the volume” going forward. The best segment was the last one, which did not have a strong villain (almost every villain in this book is dealt with ludicrously easily), but does manage to have John in actual peril briefly, though it is a bit deus ex machina to have him rescued by… well, spoiler. Sadly, even deadly peril doesn’t really cause John to move from his default “well, whatever” emotional state. Which might be due to his traumatic backstory, but doesn’t really help us in the present.

We’ve caught up with Japan – Vol. 4 comes out in two weeks there – and that’s probably for the best, as I need a break. I’ll get the next one, and I hope we get more of the evil plotters behind the scenes, but this is almost the dictionary definition of “okay”.

Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived, Vol. 1

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By Masekinokatasa and Kaito Shinobu. Released in Japan as “Tenseishitara Koutei deshita: Umarenagara no Koutei wa Konosaki Ikinokoreru ka?” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Jason Li.

I pay more attention to publishers than most, as readers of my reviews know very well. I’ve talked before about how, if I see something is GC Novels, my rate tends to be 9 failures for every 1 success. If I were to name the opposite, it would probably be TO Books, which is not quite the reverse ratio, but I do find that books I would not normally have tried (Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival, for example) tend to be better than I’d expect. This was the main reason why I took a flyer on this title, which is in a genre I have mostly forsaken at this point. And, sure enough, I found it quite interesting. Well, let me clarify that. I found the actual plot and characters interesting. There is, however, a MASSIVE PILE of backstory in this book, which our emperor is not only expected to learn, but expects US to learn. It feels like homework.

Our dead Japanese man, who can’t recall much about his past life than that it was rather boring and unfulfilling, gets his memories back RIGHT from birth, and finds that he is now Carmine, the new Emperor of the Bundarte Empire. Unfortunately, he is an actual baby, and has not gained his isekai memories (such as they are) when he’s 7 or 8. Or perhaps that is fortunate, as our newborn emperor knows very well what fates historically await child emperors, and decides that the best thing he can try to do is pretend to be a good little puppet, and perhaps a bit stupid, while trying to secretly find out what’s really going on. Unfortunately, what he finds out is that his Empire is on the verge of collapse, and that everyone has taken one of two sides in the political maneuvering, neither of which are his side. On the bright side, he discovers magic exists, and that he’s good at it.

As mentioned above, the thing I least liked about this book was the history lessons, which will likely be important later but which I promise you I have already forgotten. The best part was probably the alternate narrative that I was slowly sussing out as the book went on. Carmine narrates most of the book, and shows us that he’s trying to put on an “I am an incompetent child” persona to avoid getting assassinated, and that, for the most part, folks buy it. Whenever we focus away from Carmine on other characters, we see that he’s actually very bad at the facade to anyone with half a brain. His eyes simply look too clever. I also very much liked his betrothed, Princess Rosaria, who pretty much immediately spots that he’s faking but also falls for him relatively quickly because of this dissonance. She then turns around and shows that she is even smarter than him, which impresses him in turn. This is still a relationship too young to go anywhere (and some concubines are promised as well – I think we meet both of them here, if I’m right), but it’s cute nevertheless.

The first book is about the first eight years of his life. It’s still ongoing in Japan, and later books promise we’ll see him reach adulthood. I’ll keep reading to discover how. Good stuff if you like reincarnation and college textbooks about Prussia.

Manga the Week of 3/12/25

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SEAN: March blows ever onward, and so does the pile of manga.

Airship has print releases for Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord 4 and Loner Life in Another World 11.

And we see early digital for The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 4.

Dark Horse debuts an omnibus release for Drifters, from the creator of Hellsing. Famous warriors from Earth are transported to another world to have a battle royale.

ASH: I actually really enjoyed what I read of Drifters; glad to see it coming back in print!

SEAN: Ghost Ship has Ayakashi Triangle 14, Imaizumi Brings All the Gals to His House 2, and Please Go Home, Miss Akutsu! 8.

J-Novel Club has two print volumes: Ascendance of a Bookworm 29 and the 9th Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles manga.

The digital debut for JNC is They Don’t Know I’m Too Young for the Adventurer’s Guild (Boukensha Guild ga Juunisai kara shika Irenakatta no de, Saba Yomimashita). A nine-year-old boy, after a series of harrowing events, ends up in the care of an adventurer’s guild.

ASH: Oh, goodness. Based on the nine-year-olds I know, that sounds like a potentially dangerous combination.

SEAN: They also have Butareba 6, Cooking with Wild Game 27, D-Genesis 8, The Eternal Fool’s Words of Wisdom: A Pawsitively Fantastic Adventure 4, From Villainess to Healer 2, Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars 5, I Could Never Be a Succubus! 6, I Shall Survive Using Potions! 10, Lady Rose Just Wants to Be a Commoner 2, A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even 5, The Mythical Hero’s Otherworld Chronicles 10, and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 15.

Kodansha Manga debut 23:45, a one-shot BL manga from Gateau. An otaku suddenly finds himself haunted by a ghost that keeps reliving his own death every day.

MICHELLE: Hm. Potentially interesting!

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: They also have How to Deal When Your Intimidating Neighbor is Actually an Omega (Kowamote no Rinjin ga Ω datta Toki no Taishohou) is also from Gateau, and its genre should be self-evident. An alpha is scared by his neighbor till one day he finds out (wait for it…) he’s secretly an omega! This series sounds like it has the least alpha Alpha ever.

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Also in print: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 16 (the final volume), Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 12, Nina the Starry Bride 8, Quality Assurance in Another World 11, Sketchy 5, Tank Chair 3, and Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! 3.

ANNA: I do enjoy Nina the Starry Bride.

ASH: I keep meaning to pick it up!

SEAN: Digitally we see The Beast Player 5, Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For! 7, Gang King 27, Manchuria Opium Squad 5, Our Fake Marriage 15, SHAMAN KING: THE SUPER STAR 9, and Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns 2 6 (the final volume).

MICHELLE: Sheesh, and I didn’t even start it yet!

SEAN: One Peace Books has a third volume of Nukozuke!.

Seven Seas debuts Fake Fact Lips, a one-shot BL manga (though it has a sequel) from Qpa. Two men who have been competitive rivals all their lives compete to see who’s the better lover.

MICHELLE: The coded-as-uke guy on the cover looks surly, so maybe I would like this one. :)

ASH: I could be pretty easily convinced to give it a read.

SEAN: We also see At 25:00 in Akasaka 3, The Big Apple 2, CALL TO ADVENTURE! Defeating Dungeons with a Skill Board 9, The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom 9, Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers 10, Kemono Jihen 15, No Longer Allowed In Another World 8, Otonari Complex 3, Succubus and Hitman 8, This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! 15, and Todai Revengers 3-4.

MICHELLE: Yay for more Otonari Complex!

SEAN: Square Enix debut Assassin & Cinderella, a josei title from Gangan Online. A spy is assigned to get secrets out of an assassin. But then… he proposes to her?? If you wondered what Spy x Family would be like with a lot less Anya and a lot more sex, this is for you.

ANNA: There’s been a lot of assassin manga coming out recently.

ASH: Somewhat more josei, too, which I’m not going to complain about.

SEAN: There’s also The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 23.

Steamship has a 7th volume of Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze.

SuBLime has Megumi & Tsugumi 5.

Tokyopop debuts the alliterative Feigning Fox with a Face Full of Flowers (Usobuku Kitsune wa Hana o Kamu), a one-shot BL title that ran in from RED. A human and a fox spirit live and love together.

ASH: That’s a title that leaves an impression.

SEAN: They also have I Was Reincarnated as the Heroine on the Verge of a Bad Ending, and I’m Determined to Fall in Love! 3, A Tail’s Tale 2, and Wails of the Bound: Beta 3 (the final volume).

Viz Media debut Minecraft: The Manga (Minecraft – Sekai no Hate no Tabi), a Corocoro title. It’s… well, it’s Minecraft. In manga form.

ASH: I know somebody in my household who is very excited about this.

SEAN: We also see Animal Crossing: New Horizons 8, Call of the Night 19, Jujutsu Kaisen 25, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits 10, Komi Can’t Communicate 33, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 27, and X-Men: The Manga: Remastered 2.

ASH: I need to read more of Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle; it’s a lot of fun.

Yen On has Love Is Dark 2 and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 20.

And Yen Press debuts meth-e-meth, a Manga Time Kirara Forward series complete in one omnibus that has both volumes. You too can learn to control golems, even in high school.

They also have an 11th volume of Combatants Will Be Dispatched!.

Isekai? Cat-eared maids? Teen romcom hijinks? Not many of those this week. So try something new!

The Tanaka Family Reincarnates, Vol. 2

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By Choko and kaworu. Released in Japan as “Tanaka-ke, Tensei Suru” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sasha Schiller.

I was a bit reminded of the Dirty Pair while reading this, mostly as Emma tends to think that it’s not her fault a lot of the time she gets into these situations. It kind of is, though? When you create misunderstandings by being an airhead, even if they are good misunderstandings, you have to accept the consequences of your ditzy actions. Here we see Emma take control of the low-level villainess trying to ruin her debut and end up befriending her (and not in a Nanoha way either), we see Emma destroy a noble trying to traumatize her through simply seeing the trauma as a sweet treat, accidentally solve a crime by watching a guy paint, and finally, fail to realize that all these fantasy worlds always have a Japan equivalent, and accidentally just start speaking perfect Japanese to the agog crowd. Sorry, Emma, just as with your brothers, who are also doofuses of their own making, it pretty much IS your fault.

The Tanaka family have arrived in the royal capital, though MUCH later than planned, mostly as Emma can’t stop looking for rare bugs. They barely have time to move into their gigantic mansion they all feel uncomfortable in before Emma and her brothers have to attend a royal ball, where… she’ promptly has wine spilled on her by a petty noble girl… who, admittedly, has been ordered to do it by higher-up petty noble girls. Fortunately, Emma salvages the situation and ends up making a friend of her tormentor, as well as twin sisters from a wealthy port city, a handsome girl who likes to wear the boy’s uniforms, and of course the various boys in love with her, which now includes the handsome girl’s brother. Are there any bad nobles in this series? No fear, we’ve got a nasty one.

There continue to be a few things that I’m not fond of. William as an 11-year-old lolicon is less funny than it sounds, and Emma being a 13-year-old who loves older men is not much better. Mostly it just assures us that this series is not going to be about romance, despite all the men in love with Emma, it’s going to be about the Tanakas upending society. Which has already started, but seems to be getting a few pushes in this book. Emma’s complete lack of trauma after her near-death experience is read my all and sundry as repressed trauma, which works out well for her. Finding that red paint/dye sounds like it will lead to more innovations for their business. And I suspect Emma’s “wait, women just stop education after they get married?” question will be relevant later. Nothing, though, will be as relevant as that cliffhanger, because “I know a foreign language” is going to be hard to explain away.

All this and twins who speak the same thing twice, which I found cute rather than annoying. This remains completely loopy fun.

Bookshelf Briefs 3/5/25

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Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki, Vol. 2 | By Yuu Yoshinaga | Seven Seas – Teenagers are gonna be teenagers. Sometimes that means that you don’t really realize how hard the guy is crushing on you because you’re sure that a relationship can’t happen. And sometimes you decide to date a girl because she’s pretty nice, only to then have the girl you REALLY like accept your confession, meaning you have to show up to the date to dump her. This volume is less of a deconstruction of shoujo manga than the first one was, and more straight-up melodrama, complete with such cliches as “wow, she looks gorgeous without her glasses.” But the melodrama is well-written, and for those who love the shoujo genre, you’ll want to check this out, it’s good. Though… slow-paced. We’re not getting the main couple together soon. – Sean Gaffney

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 2 | By Sumiko Arai | Yen Press – The characterization and yuri vibe in this is excellent, don’t get me wrong, and I love our two leads. But I have to admit, I’m almost 100% here for the art style, which is amazing—I want every panel in an artbook. Every pose looks calculated to make a reader go either “so cool!” or “so cute!” This series blew up before it even came out here at all, and since volume one it’s gotten bigger—the anime announcement being key, though expect a lot less Aerosmith, RHCP and Foo Fighters in the soundtrack, I imagine. Oh yes, and we also get the arrival of Joe’s ex, Kanna, who admirably fills the “strong adult woman role model” Mitsuki needs right now. A lot of this is getting Mitsuki out of her introvert closet… but will that work out for Aya? Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

The Legend of Kamui, Vol. 1 | By Shirato Sanpei | Drawn & Quarterly – Ever since reading and enjoying Shirato’s spin-off manga Kamui Gaiden (previously released in English as The Legend of Kamui), I have wanted to read the original—an influential, monumental epic serialized in the alternative manga magazine Garo between 1964 and 1971. I was absolutely thrilled when Drawn & Quarterly announced that The Legend of Kamui would finally be released in English translation. The first massive tome of ten is now available, and it is phenomenal. A major theme is Shirato’s deft exploration of nature though the lives of wolves. But while woven together with the lives of the series’ human characters, Shirato cautions readers against drawing literary parallels between the two, however tempting. In large part, the series is also a social commentary, examining the highly feudalistic society of 17th century Japan as a way of critiquing human society in general. The critiques are potent and still pertinent, resonating strongly even today. – Ash Brown

Pet Shop of Horrors: Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 | By Matsuri Akino | Seven Seas – I learned an important lesson this week: sometimes it’s better not to revisit old favorites. Pet Shop of Horrors was one of the first manga I read, sweeping me up in its fervid embrace with achingly pretty characters and exhilaratingly weird plot twists. Rereading the new deluxe edition, however, brought the series’ paper-thin characterizations and jarring tonal shifts into sharper relief. The running comic bits—in which Count D toys with Detective Orcot—are strenuously unfunny, bookending stories that run the gamut from icky to illogical. As monkey paw theater, Pet Shop of Horrors is OK, serving up a few genuinely unnerving stories that will stay with you after reading them, though you may wonder if the character really deserved their fate. – Katherine Dacey

A Smart and Courageous Child | By Miki Yamamoto | Tokyopop – Sara and Kouta are preparing to become parents, excited to welcome their first child into the world while understandably being a bit nervous, too. But as Sara’s due date approaches, her hopefulness fades in the face of worry and concern, realizing that the world can be a cruel and dangerous place for children, even for those who are smart, brave, supported, and loved. The artwork of A Smart and Courageous Child, utilizes colored pencils, mostly subdued tones with the exception of the carefully considered use of brilliant red. The result is striking—Yamamoto’s delicate illustrations are eye-catching while still maintaining a sense of softness. Yamamoto’s artwork also helps to skillfully convey the character’s shifting moods and feelings with both sensitivity and honesty. Overall, A Smart and Courageous Child is an affecting work that acknowledges the complexities of being a parent in today’s society as well as the associated mental and emotional turmoil. – Ash Brown

Spy x Family, Vol. 13 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – There is a LOT going on in this volume. We get the end of the Wheeler arc, where Fiona pays for her Loid obsession with a very broken body, but does not die, thanks (ironically) to training to be as strong as Yor. Yuri almost catches Twilight but does not, then almost catches Loid but does not. At least he gets a sempai at work who probably makes a better potential love interest than Fiona. And then there’s the old couple moving in next door, who seem like nice grandpa and grandma types, there for comedy (the grandpa can’t remember anything), but we know nothing is as it seems. The ending of the book has a cute story with Anya putting her name on the door, but she misspells it… and seems puzzled by that. Is there significance to ANIA? We shall see. A very solid volume, with lots of anti-war sentiment. – Sean Gaffney

This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Vol. 3 | By Sai Naekawa | Yen Press – Theoretically this volume is about the conflict between mermaid Shiori and fox spirit Miko, and how they’re both in love with Hinako and want to save her while also really wanting to BE the one to save her. Both agree, Miko more than Shiori, that regardless of their own feelings Hinako’s safety comes first, which is good. And certainly Hinako definitely seems to be in more danger… especially, for some reason, more recently. Their biggest obstacle may be Hinako herself, who simply cannot shake the constant feeling that she’s about to die, will be very happy when that happens, and hopes for a good life for those she leaves behind. Getting Hinako to value herself is a huge hurdle, and I hope they take it on going forward. Great stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 13 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – Why are there laws, and when is it best to break them? That’s the theme of this book, as Coco tries desperately to resolve this without executions, and also tries to explain why “witches aren’t allowed to do that” is not meant to be a hardcore, for-the-rest-of-eternity rule. Elsewhere, Tetia is finding that it’s very hard to run away from royalty who are attached to you, Richeh is reunited with her introverted and somewhat self-hating older brother, and Agott… will no doubt have more to do in the next arc. The best part of this is the climax, which results in the creation of a magical emergency room for magical triage, which can manage to use magic to heal people without having it intrude on what doctors do. Unfortunately, the arc isn’t over yet. Ominous cliffhanger. – Sean Gaffney

Observation Records of My Fiancée: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess, Vol. 2

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By Shiki and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Jishō Akuyaku Reijō na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku” by Regina Books. Released in North America by Hanashi Media. Translated by Ethan Holms.

I realize that, given that most of the Bakarina fans I follow are mostly interested in the lesbian side of the polycule, this may not sound like that much of a recommendation, but it is: if you read My Next Life As a Villainess and wondered what the series would have been like if it were ENTIRELY narrated by Jeord, then this is the series for you. Bertia is the villainess, and her actions are sort of what drives the first book, but by the second book she’s become a supporting character in her own series. Cecil, on the other hand, remains fascinating, continuing to try to grope his way towards figuring out why it bothers him so much that Bertia keeps shoving him towards the heroine and insisting on her own doom, and also what in the world this “otome game” is in the first place. His growth, and emotional opening up, is the main selling point of these novels.

Cecil is in his final year of school, and Bertia in her first year. Unfortunately, Heronia is there as well, and is still being the worst heroine ever, trying her hardest to prove that Bertia is evil despite Bertia… well, ALSO trying to prove that she is evil, except she remains sweet as pie, so that’s not working. Bertia’s biggest danger is gaining weight, as everyone likes her so much they keep giving her sweets. Meanwhile, Cecil is still trying to figure out what his feelings for Bertia are, even as he really, REALLY knows what his feelings for Heronia are: he wants nothing to do with her. Things come to a head at the graduation party for Cecil, where Heronia presents her “proof” of Bertia’s evils, and when this fails, decides to simply go for death from above.

The second half of the book really digs into the otome game aspect of this world, and I appreciated that, while Cecil was initially baffled as to why Bertia would be doing any of this, when it’s all laid out for him he totally understands. In a world in which Bertia was normal and not, y’know, the girl who wants to be knocked down and go “gah!”, Cecil would never find anything that would fill the dull void in his life. The routes are laid out so that, when the heroine tries for anyone OTHER than Cecil, it’s a happy ending of sorts, but there’s war and death. When the heroine ends up with Cecil, there’s peace. THIS, more than anything else, is why Bertia has been doing all this: she wants a safe and happy world. And this Cecil, who readily admits the only thing keeping him from being a possible nightmare is her, agrees with her.

The series ends with this volume, though there is a three volume sequel that we may see someday showing Bertia as a wife and mother. That said, Bertia is not the reason to read this. I really liked Cecil as a tin man trying to locate his heart, and am happy I read this.

Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 2

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By Ageha Sakura and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Vasileios Mousikidis.

I try not to take these books too seriously. Most of the authors don’t want me to get too deeply into the politics, and I try to say “it’s just a book, I should really just relax”. At the same time, well, I have to say more in these reviews than “looks good apart from the homophobia at the end, I’ll read more”. And so… man, these villainess books really want to have their noble cake and eat it too, don’t they? Lady Bumpkin’s first volume showed that she was abused by her family, not uncommon in series like these. Now, in the second book, we discover that apparently young women being whipped by their families to ensure they grow up properly is a THING that happens in this country. The nobility in this book are 80% terrible. But the 20% who aren’t are going to save the day. As for the commoners? Well, there’s Robin, the villain. And, erm, Agnes’ maid. Nobles may be evil, but god save the king, I guess.

While Agnes and her husband are making the best of things in their remote territory, all is not well back at the capital. Mia is jealous of everyone who comes near her lover Robin, and that’s because Robin has been seducing ladies left, right and center, and then the ladies get disowned when it’s discovered. One of these ladies is Liliane, the fiancee of Torre, a knight who ends up becoming Agnes’ bodyguard. It seems the princess and her lover don’t actually like each other that much. Back in Sutrena, Agnes is discovering that her magic may be far more powerful than had previously been expected, and Nazel is discovering that there’s a lot of corruption out here as well, which is perhaps helping the increased monster attacks along. All this culminates in Nazel having a young lady try to kill him… the aforementioned Liliane.

So yes, as with many series of this sort, being of noble blood is inherently a good thing, and nobles are of course the best to rule. (Sarcasm implied.) But when you turn selfish, arrogant, or downright evil, you become the BAD sort of noble. And I have to admit that the contrast between the two sat awkwardly with me. The King has a plan to oust his wife and daughter, but he’s in a weak position, so has to do it over the course of years, mostly by letting it happen. There’s slavery in this world, though offscreen, and illegal. The women who aren’t sold into slavery all end up as maids in Agnes’ mansion, because they are “sullied’ in the eyes of their family, I assume. This is contrasted, bizarrely, with Princess Mia, who after the fallout is exiled to a remote island, where after a year or so of whining proceeds to buckle down, admit she loves reading and studying when Nazel is not around her, and ends up revolutionizing the prison island. It *does* make sense for her character to an extent, but the tonal whiplash made my neck ache.

I also genuinely wanted Robin executed, and his punishment and threat of prison rape did not sit well with me either. Agnes is the best part of this, and I’ll read more, I just the the world she lives in.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement, Vol. 7

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By FUNA and Keisuke Motoe. Released in Japan as “Rōgo ni Sonaete Isekai de 8-Man-Mai no Kinka o Tamemasu” by K Lanove Books. Released in North America by Kodansha Books. Translated by Luke Hutton.

(A reminder that the English Vol. 7 is the equivalent of the Japanese Vol. 8.)

All of FUNA’s series tend to suffer from the same issue, which is that there does not seem to be a goal other than “have cute overpowered girls do fun stuff”. I Shall Survive Using Potions had an obvious end point, but timeskipped past it and started over again. Make My Abilities Average had an even more obvious end point, so moved the main cast to a different continent to do the same old stuff. Mitsuha has also done the continent – or at least country – hopping thing, and we’re a couple volumes now into her antics in this new country. And… it’s gotten a little boring? Most of Mitsuha’s out of nowhere powerful moves are not a surprise anymore, and her tendency towards, if not sociopathy, than at least a sort of apathy, are also less than surprising. Mitsuha is in a rut. Fortunately, we may see a way out – but I’m not confident the author will take it.

This is a book of two halves. The front half is sort of a series of short stories. We see Beatrice glom onto Mitsuha for a trip to Bozes County, where she finds that she’s not Mitsuha’s number one friend, or even number two, and this upsets her. Then Neleah, the third princess in Vanel and part of Mitsuha’s social group of girls, uses her makeup connections to blow away the competition… though she unfortunately finds she can’t then run away for seven years till the fuss dies down. Mitsuha is forced to attend another party, and struggles with being the center of attention. The second half of he book, meanwhile, has Vanel going to war with the country two nations over, Noral, and Mitsuha struggling to help out the country she has a financial and emotional investment in while not helping them so much they get arrogant.

The most interesting parts of this book feature Mitsuha briefly having an attack of melancholy or sense. She meets at one point with her friend Micchan (this is a Japanese friend, not the Vanelian noble), who is home on break from college, and comes to realize that as time goes on they’ll likely see each other less and less. She briefly muses on the fragile nature of friendships over time… then says “well, whatever” and goes back to her shtick. There’s also an increasing sense that she is losing control of her many balls that are in the air. Beatrice has already realized that she’s keeping things from her. Sabine has almost entirely figured out everything about Mitsuha’s powers except maybe the divine interventoin. And a lot of people on both Earth and her isekai’d land are figuring out she can teleport, and where she’s getting her infinite goods from. There’s a reckoning coming…

Except there isn’t, this is written by FUNA. I expect more wacky antics next time. But hey, when all you have is cute tweens, every light novel starts to look like a nail.

Pick of the Week: Surprise Extra Volumes

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MICHELLE: Since I cannot decide between an epilogue volume of My Love Story!! and the debut of A Star Brighter Than The Sun, this week I will award my pick to Kazune Kawahara herself! I have loved everything I’ve read that she was involved in.

SEAN: It’s definitely a tie for me between My Love Story!! and Skip Beat!. Manga with exclamation points for the pick.

KATE: I’m with Michelle: My Love Story!! is one of my all-time favorite shojo manga, so put me down for another installment.

ASH: Likewise! I was not expecting a continuation of My Love Story!!, but I am absolutely here for it; I loved the original.

ANNA: My Love Story!! for me as well, what a nice surprise!

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 2

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By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

If anyone still reads the site TV Tropes, there is a page devoted to what is known as a “Gambit Pileup”, where a storyline is derailed by multiple people who each have their own plan to take control of the narrative. This is frequently used for comedic purposes, but All-Works Maid really takes it to a higher level, as everyone is desperately trying to resolve the plot of the otome game they’ve found themslves in, only to see that Melody has solved everything, done every romantic route, and taken the main villain as her pet puppy. And that’s just in the first volume. This second one gives us an additional reincarnation from Japan, but also shows us that things have not completely been solved. The first villainess boss may now be Melody’s mistress, but the world still needs a first villainess boss, even if it has to use dark powers to create one. Worst of all, though, Melody has a crisis of faith. Maid faith.

We open back in Japan, where a grandmother in hospital, Maika, is talking to her granddaughter about a revival of an old otome game from years and years ago. Maika is upset, as said game was her obsession… until it took the life of her brother and his not girlfriend, who went missing in a plane disaster. Maika then goes to sleep… and wakes up as a little girl in a slum, completely confused. And then gets even more confused when her memories regress to her teenage self. Will she be able to find her brother and interact with the plot? Meanwhile, school has started and Luciana has made a friend… well, one or two. Most everyone else still seems to think of her family’s reputation first. And villain and love interest Bjork has to find a new jealous witch to make violently happy, and uses his knowledge of human behavior to do so. (I’m so sorry.)

The most interesting parts of this book are Melody and new character Micah (as she is spelled in this new world). Melody is at her best when using her talents to do things like resurrect an ancient temple with the power of horrifying magic, or accidentally resurrecting her mother into the spirit of an android maid (the latter is left vague). But at one point she’s asked “what is a perfect maid anyway?”, and trying to find the answer causes her to almost fall to bits, until she realizes how she can move forward and still be happy, even if it does disobey orders. As for Micah, she’s responsible for most of the funny bits in this book, as she goes from desperately trying to resolve plot points that everyone else resolved to simply screaming tsukkomi all the time. It’s good tsukkomi, I like her. I wish her well with her former savior turned evil possessed villain turned butler.

The ending promises we’re still not QUITE done with the main plotline, even if the Big Bad can’t decide whether to destroy the world or play fetch. Whatever he chooses, I’m sure Melody will effortlessly stop it. Very silly fun.

Lucia and the Loom: Weaving Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 3

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Esora Amaichi. Released in Japan as “Fukushokushi Lucia wa Akiramenai: Kyō kara Hajimeru Kōfuku Keikaku” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

As with its parent series Dahlia in Bloom, Lucia and the Loom is an ongoing narrative that also can work as a short story collection. The “plot” of the series, such as it is, is seeing Lucia’s relationships with the various men in her life, and seeing her blithely reject them all (consciously or not) for her one true love, clothing. We get that here, and this book showcases some events from the seventh Dahlia book (without, thankfully, much repeating). And then we get the “short story” chapters, which basically show Lucia getting work for the business. Sometimes this ties to previous books, with former villainesses trying to reform. Sometimes it ties back to Dahlia’s main storyline, such as the kotatsu being invented, and the tailor’s guild determined to make the most beautiful, luxury coverings. And then there’s the story where Lucia is asked to handle a very delicate matter… which, honestly, is *so* good it blows away the rest.

This is actually the second story in the book that opens with Lucia being told she does not have to take the assignment if she doesn’t want to. A 13-year-old girl has died, and her family are asking a female couturier (because it will involve dressing her body) to make an outfit the for funeral. Lucia, who has seen her grandmother pass on, is OK with this, and goes to meet the father, who an Earl and also from a family of knights. As she finds out more and more about Enrica, their late daughter, she starts to realize what she was like (which is not very much like her father imagined her to be) and worked round the clock, enduring the cold of the mausoleum, to dress her in the most appropriate outfit. I have to tell you, it was hard not to tear up at this chapter. It was fantastic, and easily Lucia’s finest hour in this book.

Other highlights for Lucia include protecting Hestia from a leering noble who wants her to become his mistress; making pajamas for Lotto, which includes allowance for his tail (please note Lucia does not remotely consider the idea that making pajamas for a single man, in this world, is at all romantic); getting an assignment to make raincoats for Dante’s ex-girlfriend, which is heartwarming and bittersweet and possibly the second best story in this book; and making a new suit for Jonas, who is Lucia’s childhood hero but who she still doesn’t quite recognize. Dahlia and Volf, in the main series, are in a shonen romance, mostly consisting of food, drink, and willful blindness on both sides. But Lucia is in a shoujo series, with multiple love interests, all of whom seem doomed. Like Dahlia, Lucia needs to be protected. But… that’s gonna be tough, gotta admit.

We’ve caught up with Japan, but fortunately, Dahlia has resolved its issues and we get a new volume of it in just a few weeks. That should have a bit more Lucia as well. This was excellent.

Management of a Novice Alchemist, Vol. 4

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By Mizuho Itsuki and fuumi. Released in Japan as “Shinmai Renkinjutsushi no Tenpo Keiei” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

So remember that angry local lord plot I said would probably happen in this book? Nah. Not even brought up, aside from a brief bit where Sarasa notes that there really should not be as many bandits attacking this village as there are. Instead we get a return to the Salamander plot, and also a return to the marriage subplot. as, even though Lorea says she’s not into girls either, and Sarasa in fact seems to be quite ignorant about most everything sexual (not a surprise given her life), it’s very clear that Sarasa is an amazing catch. A powerful alchemist who is the apprentice of the Master Alchemist, and looks like she’ll surpass her one day. A woman – well, still girl – who can fill the “wife” role in the family and also be Sarasa’a apprentice, who looks to be a very quick study. A powerful knight who’s also pretty and practical. And Zoidberg… erm, and Iris. Who tries very hard. Mostly to seduce Sarasa, which she thinks is the way to get this going. It feels like the author read about yuri in a book once years ago.

A monster researcher, Nordrad, has arrived at the village looking for bodyguards to help him with his latest research project – examining the nest of the Salamander that Sarasa took out last time. Now that the salamander is gone, it’s the perfect time to get a lot more details about it that are otherwise impossible. And he really is offering a lot of gold to just stay with him while he does this, so Iris (happily) and Kate (reluctantly) agree to help him. While they’re gone, Lorea and Sarasa, des;pite both saying they’re not into women that way, propose to each other, Lorea moves in, and Sarasa essentially has a “please be good to my daughter” discussion with her parents. Also, Lorea asks to be her apprentice, but that seems to be secondary to her moving in. And it may just be the two of them, as Iris and Kate are… in trouble.

In a series that already features a very, very eccentric lead character in Sarasa, it would take a lot to top her, and Nord, trust me, is a lot. You want to punch him about eighty times in this book, and I was disappointed that he mostly got what he wanted and then took off, despite trapping himself, along with Iris and Kate, inside a volcanic mountain for over a month because of his research stupidity that said things like “what if I got another salamander to come here, what would happen then?”. That said, there is one benefit, which is that it allows Sarasa to show that, even if she pretends not to be all that interested in them, she will absolutely move heaven and earth to help them if their lives are in danger. She spends a LOT of money and makes a LOT of things in this book, most of which we only hear about in passing, all for the sake of finding her two other not-yet-wives and getting them out of Certain Death Cavern. It’s sweet.

I suspect this book requires a lot more tolerance of weird bullshit than most light novel series, but if you can put up with it, and don’t mind the author avoiding everyone’s barely disguised fetish, it’s quite good.

Manga the Week of 3/5/25

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SEAN: It’s March! The time when all the AO3 writers get out their Lion/Lamb omegaverse stories.

MICHELLE: It had not occurred to me that this existed, but surely it must.

ASH: Of course it does.

SEAN: Yen On has Brunhild and Kriemhild, the third in the Brunhild series, as well as Hollow Regalia 5.

And Yen Press gives us the 2nd Lycoris Recoil and Uncle from Another World 11.

Two debuts from Viz, though the first is a one-shot. Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family (Shihou Yuugi) is a short story collection featuring some of Endo’s earliest work that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump and Akamaru Jump. Expect it to be darker than Spy x Family, and probably have more elves too.

ASH: Definitely curious about this one!

SEAN: A Star Brighter than the Sun (Taiyou Yori mo Mabushii Hoshi) is the latest series from High School Debut/My Love Story!! author Kazune Kawahara, and of course it runs in Betsuma. A girl realizes that her weak childhood friend has grown up and is not so weak any more. Does she like him?

MICHELLE: I love Kazune Kawahara, and am so here for this.

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: Same!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Blue Box 14, Dark Gathering 12, Let’s Do It Already! 4, Like a Butterfly 11, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions 6, My Love Story!! 14 (a one-shot epilogue showing the cast in college), My Special One 9, One Piece 108, Sakamoto Days 16, Skip Beat! 50, and Wolf Girl and Black Prince 12.

MICHELLE: The only thing that could possibly overshadow a new volume of Skip Beat! is a My Love Story!! epilogue!

ANNA: This is an unusually good week!

ASH: I’m looking forward to it.

Tokyopop has My Beautiful Man 3 and World’s End Blue Bird 3.

Steamship has a 2nd volume of Guilty Smile.

Square Enix Manga debuts The Emperor’s Caretaker (Koutei Heika no Osewagakari – Jokan Kurashi ga Shiawase sugite Koukyuu kara Deraremasen), a manga adaptation of an as-yet unlicensed light novel. Do you like Ancient China once removed stories that take place in the Inner Palace with lots of court intrigue? This is another one. It runs in Manga Up!.

ASH: That does sound like something I would read.

SEAN: Also coming out from Square Enix: The Apothecary Diaries 13, Daemons of the Shadow Realm 7, and Mr. Villain’s Day Off 6.

Two debuts from Seven Seas. I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class (Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta) is a manga based on a light novel that Seven Seas will release this fall. It runs in Shonen Ace +. Two high schoolers who hate each other are forced to marry to save his family business. His only worry… why did she agree to this? This also has an anime currently airing.

Rozen Maiden Collector’s Edition is a new omnibus of the classic manga Tokyopop released almost 20 years ago. Now it’s back, and it’s 450 pages. A weird combination of death game and battle manga, its main appeal is the gothic lolita fashion.

ASH: Everything old is new again.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! 5, D-Frag! 18, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation 9, I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl 8, The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife 5, Killer Shark in Another World 3, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 8, and Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me 3.

And in… not light novel, not danmei, but Korean novel news, we get Lout of Count’s Family 3.

A debut from One Peace Books. You Talk Too Much, So Just Shut It Already! (Kimi wa Yakamashi Tojite yo Kuchi wo!) is a shonen title from Dra-Dra-Sharp#. A deaf girl is surprised that the guy in her class keeps talking to her… then, as she reads his lips, realizes he’s talking nonsense!

Kodansha Manga debuts DEAD ROCK, the latest series from Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima. This Weekly Shonen Magazine series is about a school for demon kings, but mostly it’s an excuse for Mashima to draw more Mashima stuff.

Also in print: A-DO 7, Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You 6, Initial D Omnibus 5, Medalist 7, Rent-A-Girlfriend 29, and Thunder 3 3.

Digitally we get Blue Lock 30, The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses 16, How to Grill Our Love 13, Those Snow White Notes 26, and Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister 17.

One light novel debut for J-Novel Club: Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived (Tensei Shitara Koutei deshita – Umare Nagara no Koutei wa Kono Saki Ikinokoreru ka), whose manga JNC released a little bit ago. A history nerd reincarnates as a child emperor… and he knows how long child emperors tend to live. If he wants to avoid assassination, he’ll have to be both clever AND adorable.

ASH: It’s not a bad strategy.

SEAN: Also in light novels: The Dorky NPC Mercenary Knows His Place 3, No One Gets Past This Gatekeeper 3, and Zilbagias the Demon Prince: How the Seventh Prince Brought Down the Kingdom 4.

No manga debuts, but J-Novel Club does have The Coppersmith’s Bride 5, The Invincible Little Lady 7, Safe & Sound in the Arms of an Elite Knight 3, and Stuck in a Time Loop 3.

Ghost Ship has The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You 13 and Becoming a Princess Knight and Working at a Yuri Brothel 4.

Dark Horse Comics is going back to one of their bestsellers. Gunsmith Cats: Omnibus Edition is a collection of the first three volumes of this Guns, Cars, and Girls (in order of importance) series. Yes, digital as well. No, I don’t know if it will have THAT scene. Please move on, 2000s manga fandom. In any case, recommended if you like girls blowing things up and shooting things, and if you don’t mind a lot of fanservice.

ASH: Somehow, I’ve never actually read Gunsmith Cats.

SEAN: Also from Dark Horse: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! 7.

And Airship, in print, has the second volume of Witch and Mercenary.

While digitally we get The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 10.

Lots of old favorites being released anew. Anything catch your eye?