Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, Vol. 4

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By Umikaze Minamino and Katana Canata. Released in Japan as “Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by okaykei.

I will admit, as I was reading this new volume about a small little girl beating the absolute hell out of things she has no business beating, I could not help but think of Do-Over Damsel, which has an anime running this fall and also features lots of this sort of thing. They even have similar “this is vaguely creepy but doesn’t quite cross a line, but I’m watching you” characters. That said, whereas with Jill I tend to really enjoy it when she finally lets loose and lets violence be her answer for everything, with Nia there’s no question that the magivision has become more interesting to me. There’s simply not much about Nia murdering ancient giant crabs by punching them a few times that I can say anything about, beyond “nice punch”. But if she’s being manipulated by royalty (again) or trying to think of things to get ratings besides outrunning dogs, I’m intrigued. And, so far, those are the two plots – though that may change soon.

Nia is a bit grumpy at the start of this book. Relia has stolen Nia’s thunder with the paper play show, and everyone in the school is talking about it. That said, she’s not frustrated enough that she won’t help Hildetaura come up with her own popular show – even if the extent of Nia’s help is “let me ask my brother to be clever for me”. Her greater concern, though, is earning that one billion. Adventuring is earnin g tons of cash, but tons is not enough. As a result, she and Lynokis take a trip over the holidays to a different country filled with expensive monsters that Leeno – or rather, Leeno’s child assistant – can murder without destroying their value as a carcass/magic corpse. Unfortunately, doing feats no one has been able to do in a hundred years attracts the wrong kind of attention.

Possibly the most interesting part of this book was the occasional “had I but known” hint that implies things are going to go very badly for Nia at some point in the future, implying she may have to flee the kingdom. Certainly, while she can quickly take action when her future is definitely being threatened, she is otherwise completely uncaring about being manipulated by the two royal princes in order to get what they want – and, let’s face it, Nia’s best resource is her position as Nia Liston, not her secret super strength. She’s a celebrity, and outrunning dogs is all very well and good, but that’s just more important than punching crabs. Unfortunately, a lot more crab punching may be needed to get that tournament, so I suspect we’ll be getting more fighting next time, though it’s also possible that the politics that threatened in this book overflow at last.

This was a decent volume, but again, I’d like a bit less “Nia hits things”, please.

Manga the Week of 10/23/24

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SEAN: Psst. Halloween’s behind you. Creeping ever closer. Step by step.

ASH: Wait, behind me? What month is it??

SEAN: Airship has print releases for Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord: Production Magic Turns a Nameless Village into the Strongest Fortified City 3, Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 11, Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash 5, and Raven of the Inner Palace 7 (the final volume).

And for early digital we have The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 9 and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 7.

Ghost Ship has Booty Royale: Never Go Down Without a Fight! 15-16, Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time 13 and Welcome to Succubus High! 6

And in mature Seven Seas titles, we see Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben 3 and The Titan’s Bride 5.

J-Novel Club graces us with FIVE new debuts. The Boy Who Ruled the Monsters (Kaibutsu-tachi o Suberu Mono) is a “banished from the party” story, though at least this time two of the party join him. This is because (try to contain your shock) his ability is great after all! Now he’s going to make his own party of monsters. (Taking a wild guess that the monsters look like hot girls.)

EXP is Golden: The Queen of Destruction Speedruns Her Ascension (Ōgon no Keikenchi) looks like the dark counterpart to A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life. Leah is eager to play the hot new MMORPG… and finds she can take powerful NPCs and use their EXP as her own! And she’s a powerful enchantress! And is building a dark army!… wait, isn’t this the path to being evil? Well, whatever.

I Only Have Six Months to Live, So I’m Gonna Break the Curse with Light Magic or Die Trying (Yomei Hantoshi to Senkokusareta no de, Shinuki de “Hikari Mahou” wo Oboete Noroi wo Hodokou to Omoimasu. – Noroware Ouji no Yarinaoshi) is the manga adaptation of the light novel J-NC also puts out. It runs in Drecomics.

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter (Kōjo Denka no Kateikyōshi) is the manga adaptation of the light novel J-NC also puts out. It runs in Shonen Ace plus.

The Reincarnator and the Goblin Maiden’s Happily Ever After: Using a Past Life to Keep a Joyful Wife (Goblin Reijō to Tensei Kizoku ga Shiawase ni Naru Made: Konyakusha no Tame no Zense Chishiki no Jōzu na Tsukaikata) is a light novel about a reincarnated man who wants to do anything to find a happy marriage. In his previous life, he was single for almost a century due to his looks. Now he’s handsome, and gets a proposal offer for a Duke’s Daughter… whose appearance looks like a goblin! It’s OK, though, he knows what she’s going through. This looks really sweet.

ASH: Okay, out of the five, this is the one that interests me the most.

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases 3, D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared 7, Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored 8 (the final volume), the 13th The Faraway Paladin manga volume, Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers 12, the 2nd I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic manga volume, Through the Viewport: Child of a Ruined World 3 (the final volume), the 2nd To Another World… with Land Mines! manga volume, and You Were Experienced, I Was Not: Our Dating Story 5.

Three debuts for Kodansha Manga, though only one is a debut per se. Blue Lock Season 1 Part 1 is a box set with the first six volumes of the series.

ASH: Perhaps the perfect time to finally get around to actually reading it.

SEAN: Your Lie in April Omnibus 1 contains the first three volumes of this tear-jerker.

ASH: That takes me back.

SEAN: The actual debut is The Spellbook Library, the new title from Uta Isaki, creator of Sayabito: Swords of Destiny, Generation Witch, and Is Love the Answer? (wow, one of those titles is not like the other). This book is being published in English first via KManga. As for the plot… if you read Magus of the Library and thought “I want something just like this”, I have good news!

ASH: Oh!

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Period 15, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World 11, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea 3, Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up 2, Parasyte Full Color Collection 8 (the final volume), Rent-A-Girlfriend 27, A Sign of Affection 10 (whose print and digital are now released at the same time), and Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen 5.

MICHELLE: I know I really need to read A Sign of Affection.

ASH: Same, actually.

ANNA: It is so good! I think I’m three volumes behind now.

SEAN: Digitally we see Am I Actually the Strongest? 12, Gamaran: Shura 25, Issak 10, and Undead Girl Murder Farce 7.

One Peace Books has a 4th volume of Tales of the Tendo Family.

ASH: I should check in with this series again; the first volume intrigued me.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a couple of debuts. Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki is, amazingly, a shoujo series from Betsucomi. Our heroine has low self-esteem. Her brother is a popular athlete. Her mother is a famous shoujo mangaka. All she wants is friendship. Real friendship. Her brother disagrees, though, and brings home impossibly cool Sena to show her what she really needs to come out of her shell is love. This is “critically acclaimed”, apparently, which might make up for a premise that seems a bit ergh.

MICHELLE: Hm.

ASH: Huh.

ANNA: OK, maybe…..

SEAN: My Boyfriend is a Dog (Inukei no Kareshi) is a BL title from Monthly Action. Two co-workers are falling for each other. One is a human, and one is an anthropomorphic dog, which is to say a handsome guy in a suit, just with the face of an Akita.

ASH: Huh!

SEAN: Nakamura-san, the Uninvited Gyaru (Oshikake Gal no Nakamura-san) runs in Manga Town. A gyaru and an otaku work together, but are polar opposites. Surely they can’t become a couple! But what if I told you she was really a shy, blushing girl pretending to be a flashy gyaru? NOW how much would you pay?

MICHELLE: Hee.

ANNA: Amazing.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: The Dangers in My Heart 9, Even Dogs Go to Other Worlds: Life in Another World with My Beloved Hound 4, I’m in Love with the Villainess 7, The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace 6, Kageki Shojo!! 11, Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero 6, Night of the Living Cat 5, Royal Tailor: Clothier to the Crown 2, Skip and Loafer 10, Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) 7, Stay By My Side After the Rain 2, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… 6, Throw Away the Suit Together 2, What He Who Doesn’t Believe in Fate Says 5, and World End Solte 3.

MICHELLE: I should also be reading Kageki Shojo!!.

ASH: I enjoyed the early volumes and really need to catch up!

SEAN: Square Enix gives us My Dress-Up Darling 12, Soul Eater NOT!: The Perfect Edition 2, and Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 12 (the final volume).

ASH: I’m so far behind with My Dress-Up Darling, but I’ve greatly enjoyed what I’ve read.

SEAN: There’s a debut from Steamship. A Suitable Fetish (Suits ni Seiheki) comes from Betsucomi Flower, aka “SPICY Betsucomi”. Two office workers discover that they’re far less buttoned-down outside the office, and decide to explore their fetishes.

ASH: Oh, my!

SEAN: From Tokyopop, we get two debuts. The Gardener’s Favorite Poisonous Flower (Jarudinie no Aishita Doku Hana) is a BL title from Canna. An itinerant is hired as a gardener for a male brothel, where he finds the employees are “furless” – human-looking but treated as animals. This is complete in one volume, and that summary doesn’t even come close to explaining how weird it is.

Wails of the Bound: Beta (Kurui Naku no wa Boku no Ban ;β) is a sequel to Walls of the Bound, clearly. It’s more angsty omegaverse shenanigans.

And we also see A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 9.

Viz Media has Boy’s Abyss 7, My Name Is Shingo: The Perfect Edition 3, and Vampire Knight Complete Box Set, a 3800-page (!!) box with a day planner and an artbook to boot.

ASH: Whoa!

ANNA: That’s a whole lot of Vampire Knight.

SEAN: Yen On has two light novels out next week: Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 12 and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina 14.

And two debuts for Yen Press. Days with My Stepsister (Gimai Seikatsu) is the manga adaptation of the light novel Yen also puts out. It runs in Shone Ace plus.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All (Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta) is a yuri title from Kadokawa, based on the serialized manga from Twitter. It has gotten absolutely amazing buzz, and Yen and Kadokawa have been pushing it hard here, as you know if you saw the booth at Anime NYC. Aya has a huge crush on the guy who works at the music store she goes to… not realizing the guy is a girl, Mitsuki, who sits next to her at school.

MICHELLE: Interesting!

ASH: I am very curious about this one!

ANNA: Ooh.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Ako and Bambi 3 and Horimiya 17 – Special Edition: A Piece of Memories (the final volume – I think).

ASH: I didn’t realize Horimiya was still going…

SEAN: You know, for a week light on Yen Press, this was a bit ridiculous. What appeals to you?

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement, Vol. 6

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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. 6 is the equivalent of the Japanese Vol. 7.)

I seem to recall that in earlier reviews of this series, I would applaud the very rare effort to give Mitsuha some depth, such as her reaction of grief when discussing her family in the first book, etc. Anyone who has been following later volumes of this series will, I think, agree with me when I say that depth is the last thing I want now. That honestly applies to all three FUNA series, I think. As they’ve gone on and gotten bigger and bigger, it’s clear the author knows exactly what their skill set is, and it’s writing a cartoon. Not a Japanese anime-style cartoon, but like a Hanna-Barbera cartoon with Mitsuha as both Dick Dastardly AND Muttley. Not only do we not take Mitsuha seriously, but none of her allies take her seriously. The only ones who do take her seriously are the ones desperately trying to either curry favor from her or sabotage her. She destroys those people.

The bulk of this book continues to take place in Vanel, as the royal family finds out that Mitsuha holds grudges forever (though the third princess manages to find a way around this, in one of the funniest scenes of the book). She deals with a rival company breaking into their warehouse and stealing their merchandise, and then decides that the best thing to do is to start a society of cute teenage noble girls, get them to bond with each other over a shared goal (get Mitsuha’s makeup, which she starts to introduce here), and make then the biggest force in the country, as they also end up funding a relief column for one of their members whose barony is experiencing a famine. Meanwhile, back in Yamano County, she’s building entire islands just so she can trade as a tax dodge, and once again setting up a young girl to run it so they can get better marriage prospects.

As with all FUNA series, if you scratch at the core of this you find “I want to write about cute 8-13-year-old girls, but not in a sexual way, just in a cute and empowering way”. Potion Girl and MMAA also do this, with the “gimmick” being the lead is always a reincarnate in a permanently 12-year-old body. Mitsuha’s not a reincarnate, and is 18, but her looks are basically the same thing. And the goal of 80K Gold seems to be to get all these little girls running the economy. After 7 volumes they’re all store owners, merchants, etc., finding better ways to transport goods and Mitsuha can barely keep up with them, to the point that she needs to invent a better sugar here so she can make rum to use as a bribe. Honestly, this volume is best when it’s making fun of Mitsuha and itself – her tendency to monologue for pages on end about her grand plans are now shown to be her saying them all out loud without realizing it, which reminds me a lot of Elgala from Excel Saga. And honestly, this series sort of fits in with the vibe of Excel Saga. We’re even siding with a villain. (Mitsuha. Mitsuha is the villain.)

As always, if you don’t read everything by this author, don’t read this. If you do, it’s good.

Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster, Vol. 8

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By Saki and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Albert-ke no Reijō wa Botsuraku o Goshomō Desu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Ray Krycki.

Usually when I say that a final volume of a series is doing what I call a “victory lap”, I don’t mean it literally. And yet that’s exactly what happens here, as we join the main cast as they take a tour of every major character we’ve met before, every major place we’ve visited, and have all the possibly comedy antics you could want. Honestly, probably more than you’d want. It’s been so long since the first volume that I’d forgotten how particularly thick-headed Mary can be when she wants to ignore things that troubled her, A lot of the humor near the start of this book is her having to be reminded of all the bad things that happened to her in previous books, and her having completely forgotten everything about them entirely. That said, she and Adi at least have an excuse: Their lovely daughter, who is the spitting image of her mother both in appearance and attitude and is ready to take the world by storm.

This volume takes place six years after the previous one. Roxanne, Mary and Adi’s daughter, has a mission. She’s written invitations for a big party where her mother has an important announcement, and now she plans to deliver them all by hand in person – by herself. Needless to say, this requires strategy, so Mary and Adi seemingly agree while also secretly tailing her. She starts off visiting the royal palace, where we meet Patrick and Alicia’s son Felix, who if nothing else proves that Alicia does actually seem to love Patrick more than Mary – romantically, at least. Felix joins Roxanne in her solo (?) jaunt, and Patrick and Alicia join Mary and Adi in tailing them. We then get to see most of the major characters from previous books, including Parfette and Gainas’ newborn twins (it makes sense they’d take six years to get around to this). But what *is* Mary’s big news at the party?

This is pretty much one of those “everyone is going to be in male/female pairings by the end of it” series, so it’s rather surprising that the most interesting parts for me was when it went outside that bubble. Helene, the single mother from the last book, has moved to Albert Country, and is being courted by BOTH of Mary’s brothers, as well as their attendant. What’s more, it’s made clear from discussions about the brothers that they function as a unit far better than they ever would when competing. It’s no wonder this is the one romance left up in the air – a woman marrying three men would likely be one bridge too far for most readers of this genre. Then there’s Mary and Alicia, who manage to reaffirm their relationship and also admit that they love each other – and that they are NOT the villainess and heroine in an otome game, something Alicia has to sort of pound into Mary’s head. They’re still my favorite part of the series.

The ending twist promises that otome game villainesses may continue into the next generation, but we’re not going to be seeing that. Let’s be content with Mary Albert, drill-less, happily married, with a lovely daughter and another child on the way. She failed spectacularly in trying to engineer her doom. But then, so did Katarina Claes, who I remind everyone debuted only one month before this series in Japan.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

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By Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. Released in Japan as “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

It’s very tempting to just type “Holy crap!” and leave the review at that, but I will try to go into more detail. This is the final book in the Western Capital arc (yes, we are back home by the end of the book, woo hoo), and it fires off all the guns it has been saving up since the 9th volume, with the last two-thirds or so being a very tense ride in which (sorry to spoil you a little, but this shouldn’t surprise you too much) Maomao is caught up in events and gets sort of kidnapped. She and Jinshi are apart, again, almost the entire book, but end it closer than ever before, with words not said but actions taken that will make the reader cheer. That said, what made *me* cheer was Chue. I’ve loved her since she was first introduced, even as I realized that she was clearly more than she seemed, and here’s where we find everything out and also worry that the author is going to kill her off. It’s a dangerous book.

At the end of the last book we saw the assassination of Gyoku-ou, and unsurprisingly we now have a succession crisis. The first son wants to give up his rights, the second son is against that, and the third son… is a very strange and deferential young man. Meanwhile, Maomao also meets the little grand-kids of the family: Gyokujun, a spoiled brat who serves as the annoying young boy you love to hate the entire book, and Xiaohong, a far-too-mature for her age girl who Maomao previously helped get over eating her own hair. As Maomao tries to sort out this tangled web of relationships, and also treat the occasional terrible nausea and horrible headaches, the first son is shot with a poison arrow. And the fallout of this puts Maomao far, far from the Western Capitol and in more danger than ever before.

I’ll be honest, I frequently have trouble with series that have huge casts with similar names, most of whom are some relation to each other, so a lot of the time I was trying to act like Maomao and just smile and nod. This isn’t even getting into the political situation, the fact that we’re still trying to save the capital from a famine, and even more bandits who somehow manage to be even worse than the first bandits, and one of the antagonists trying to immolate themselves. But come on, let’s talk about Miss Chue. After Maomao, she’s probably become my second favorite character in the series, even passing Shisui. And here we get her inevitable tragic backstory, and also frankly we almost get her tragic end. Possibly the most heartbreaking moment in the book is when Chue says “do I have no value anymore?” to her mentor (who I’ll leave a surprise). Fortunately, the answer appears to be “yes, you do still”, though Chue is probably going to have to find new ways to pull flags out of her sleeves in the future.

All this and Lahan’s brother too. Poor Lahan’s brother. Sometimes I can still hear his voice. In any case, this series remains amazing.

Pick of the Week: Red River, Red River, Let Manga Come Iver

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SEAN: Just as kids these days have no idea what I’m talking about when I mention watching a cartoon “in syndication”, I imagine there are manga readers who don’t know what old-school shoujo releases were like back in 2004 (when Shojo Beat was a magazine!). But now they can! My pick goes to the omnibus edition of Red River, aka Anatolia Story. It’s a classic about a Japanese girl who is called to… ancient Egypt? To be used as a sacrifice. Because her blood is special. Wow, did isekais all get their ideas from Red River?

KATE: I second Sean’s pick! Red River is old school shoujo at its best: it’s got a handsome male lead, a power-hungry queen, magic spells a-plenty, and enough plot twists to satisfactorily fill out its 28 volume run. It’s the perfect way to waste an entire weekend when you should be doing something else–like raking the leaves or putting away your patio furniture.

MICHELLE: It’s gotta be Red River!

ANNA: I agree, it is wonderful that Red River is coming back into print. It is epic in scale that only a very few manga manage to pull off.

ASH: I haven’t read Red River yet, but I’ve been wanting to. And you all make it sound amazing, so old school epic shoujo is my pick this week, too!

Lucia and the Loom: Weaving Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 2

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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.

Dahlia, the protagonist of the main series, and Lucia, the protagonist of this spinoff, are on the face of it not all that alike. Aside from their tendency to deflect all achievements away from them, that is. Dahlia is reserved, while Lucia tends more towards the firey. But it is interesting how both the main series and its spinoff are pushing their respective protagonists into very similar situations. Dahlia keeps coming up with wonderful, insane inventions that will change their entire nation, and as a result is rapidly heading towards a future where she’d better be married and protected, or else she absolutely will be kidnapped. Lucia’s clothing designs are not as revolutionary (though the opera house in this volume may disagree), but her leadership skills and ability to inspire are absolute gold, and she too had better get married soon – she’s already starting to suffer kidnapping attempts.

The first chunk of this book follows the earlier Dahlia plotlines, as we see the debut of the cloth that basically has its own built-in air conditioner. Lucia and her staff have to work out where to best place the cloth, how to deal with those who are ticklish, etc. Lucia is also busy learning about nobility, and what not to say when a noble says something that seems innocent but isn’t. The latter half ot eh book is more along the lines of the latter half of the first, with Lucia running into various people and helping them with fashion/outfits, as well as sometimes being a big ol’ ball of sunshine. We also meet Forto’s attendant Lotta, who is an attendant who is also a blighted (sound familiar), but none of that matters to Lucia, who is great at getting people to come out of their shells. No wonder the “who will Lucia end up with?” sweepstakes are a lot more open than Dahlia’s.

Last time we saw a lot of teasing of a potential relationship with Forto, which is pretty bittersweet given that we’ve read later volumes of Dahlia and see her rejecting him. We’re starting to see a few other alternatives here. Such as Dante, her right-hand man, who is also dealing with trying to put off marriage proposals so he can concentrate on his work, and who is straight up told “do not let her get away” by his grandmother. Or Lotto, Forto’s attendant, who is pretty much given a plotline in this book that’s the equivalent of the sun coming out behind Lucia’s head while heavenly choirs play in the background. Speaking of attendants, Lucia’s found her Mr. Sunset, though he’s deflected it so that she’s not aware. That said, the main thing blocking any of these is Lucia herself, who (in a book that once again tries to be very progressive about gender and sexuality) seems to be demisexual, and has not found anyone she’s that emotionally close to yet.

The main Dahlia series is stalled over here while it finds a new translator, the previous one having stepped down, but we’re getting a third Lucia book soon. Will it catch up with the main series? Can we somehow get Lucia connected to a noble without her managing to avoid it? And will the clothing still be gorgeous? Signs point to yes on that last one.

The Legendary Witch Is Reborn As an Oppressed Princess, Vol. 1

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By Touko Amekawa and Kuroyuri. Released in Japan as “Shiitagerareta Tsuhō Ōjo wa, Tensei Shita Densetsu no Majo deshita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Kashi Kamitoma.

Generally speaking, unless it’s a super-famous author I recognize immediately, I tend not to look at who’s written what else until after I’ve read an initial volume of a book. Usually it allows me to be surprised, and that’s definitely the case with this series, which it turns out is written by an author far more famous for the 7th Time Loop series, which recently got an anime. She’s actually got a number of series going at the same time on her Narou page, and this one seems to have been started a few months after 7th Time Loop. I’ll say straight up it’s not quite as good as that series, but it’s still a very decent start. I will say, and I’m sure that it was just as obvious in the Japanese, if not more so, the lead girl talks with a childish “Elmer Fudd” style lisp. If seeing textual accents bothers you, beware. It’s all over this book.

The opening of the book is absolutely dynamite, as Claudia wakes up to the memories of her previous life – by being pushed out of a high window by her evil uncle. She remembers that she used to be Lady Adelheid, the most powerful witch of legend. Sadly, she’s now Princess Claudia, who theoretically was found to have no magic, and so for the 6 years of her life she was put in a tower and abused. Now that she remembers who she was, she stops herself from hitting the ground – with magic. Turns out the “found to have no magic” thing was faked by the Queen Consort, who was angling for power. Claudia decides to wander into the forest to find a pet, having decided, in this new life, to live as she pleases. What she finds is a 9-year-old kid who has a curse that’s slowly killing him. A curse she is very familiar with…

This is a solid series. Claudia at first seems a bit blase and overly perfect, but as the book goes on and we learn more about her past it becomes clear why she’s acting this way – and why she’s determined to push Noah, the boy she saved, away. There’s a lot of people introduced who are set up as antagonists in an “oh look, it’s another evil noble” or “goody, another spoiled brat”, but who turn out to have better sides to them if you dig hard enough. Well, except for the Queen Consort. And possibly the King, who doesn’t necessarily have a nicer side to him, but is certainly very calculating and rapidly realizes that Claudia is someone he wants to find out more about. Too bad she wants to avoid him as much as possible. The relationship between Claudia and Noah is cute, and manages to avoid being romantic in a weird way, despite her being an 19-year-old in a 6-year-old body and him being 9.

So this was a good start. Recommended – Sorry, Wecommended – to 7th Time Loop readers and fans of smug OP witches.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You: Secret Love Story

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By Hamubane, Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa. Released in Japan as “Kimi no Koto ga Dai Dai Dai Dai Daisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo Bangai Koimonogatari: Secret Love Story” by JUMP j BOOKS. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Kim Morrissy. Adapted by Kathleen Townsend.

This review is dedicated to Nicholas Dupree, who would have loved this book. It’s time for CULTURE, folks!

I was a bit worried when I saw this was announced. 100 Girlfriends is, after all, very much a product of its medium. And, as is the case with all light novels that are spinoffs of Jump titles, even if they’re Young Jump titles, I knew it would be written by someone else. The question is, would the light novel have all of the things that we love about the source? The over the top humor, the breaking of the fourth wall, going way too far to the point of putting off its audience a bit, but above all being a wonderfully romantic story about one of the best polycules out there? The good news is that it has all of that. The bad news is it has ALL of that. Be aware, for fans only.

As you can tell by the eight girls on the cover (plus Rentaro – his first cover!), this book is meant to take place sometime between the 4th and 5th volume of the manga. Sorry, Iku fans. It’s a nested short story collection – five “main” short stories with the entire cast, and four 2-3 page short stories featuring two of the girls bonding. The girl pairings are the three you’d expect, plus Kusuri and Kurumi. As for the main stories: 1) Rentaro spends 30 hours dating each and everyone one of his eight girls, till they force him to sleep; 2) An alien possesses Nano to try to learn about the “emotional energy” that the cast possesses; 3) The vice-principal drinks a drug that makes her turn into a kaiju, and Rentaro and his girlfriends must get into a Giant Rentaro Robot that Hahari has prepared to battle her; 4) The cast end up in the world of Circlet Love Story, and when they accidentally break it, they have to work hard to make sure events unfold as the book says; 5) Rentaro loses his memories of high school, and has no idea who any of his girlfriends are!

As with most short story collections, some are better than others. The giant robot story contains a lot I’m not a fan of with this series – it heavily features the vice-principal, and also leans a bit too much on the fetishes – if the word “diaper play” squicks you, feel free to skip this story. On the other hand, the Circlet Love Story short is fun, and benefits from being in Shizuru’s POV, showing that, in her own inner monologue, she’s quite loquacious. The best parts of the book, though, are the ones that are why we read the manga – Rentaro being the best boyfriend in the universe, all the girlfriends acting like their stereotypes but still being well-rounded, lots of fourth-wall breaking about the fact that this is a novel, and even a bit of the yuri some fans like – when Nano is possessed by an alien, no one notices except Rentaro… and Shizuru, who also spotted it. As for Hakari and Karane, let’s face it, they’re also a couple.

I think people picking up this book know it’s going to go too far – Hahari and Kusuri are still in it, after all. But it was fun to read, and I laughed out loud in several places. Also, Karane gets to use a hammer that’s as big as she is AND we get art of the same. Chef’s kiss.

Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/24

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Friday at the Atelier, Vol. 2 | By Sakura Hamada | Yen Press – The weirdness gets dialed back a lot in this second volume, though we still see our lead woman posing nude with fish on top of her an awful lot. Both of them are growing and changing, and in good ways. She’s slow to realize this; he does realize it, and it’s making him a little nervous, to be honest. He’s used to being an avant-garde artist, so doing ad work is… well, the money’s good, but is this OK? As for Tamaki, she’s no longer a typical wasted pale OL, and everyone is happy she’s feeling better but also worried about why, because she’s the sort to get taken in by scammers. That’s not what has happened, but I get it—if I were her friend, I’d be just as worried. I wonder if we might actually get a confession in the next book? – Sean Gaffney

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – I’m very happy that Yen is releasing this at all, and I was a big fan of the author’s previous series, Inu x Boku SS. This one suffers a bit from the format—4-koma series are always a tough sell, and putting it into a massive omnibus makes it even worse, as after a while it becomes a slog to get through, no matter how cute and adorable the lead couple are. (Also, gotta love the magical girl who says “f*ck” constantly.) That said, this is one giant omnibus due to the unfortunate nature of the manga—it ended abruptly when the author passed away, and even here it’s padded out by another short story of hers. It’s a shame, as I think I’d like to have seen this one come to a conclusion, and that it would have been sweet and funny. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vol. 10 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital) – Inori’s in junior high now, which means she’s not only dealing with crushing self-doubt (she’s still struggling with that triple lutz), but also growing pains, which every teen has to deal with but they’re not usually skating in major competitions in the evening while doing so. All this means that she’s unconsciously ignoring her coach’s advice and trying to find an answer on her own. I very much empathize with Inori’s tendency to make friends with adults rather than kids her own age, as that was literally me. I also liked seeing Tsukasa realize that he still has skills that he can teach her, even if it may be too late for him to use them for his own career. All this plus truly stunning artwork, as always. Did I mention this is getting an anime soon? Can’t wait. – Sean Gaffney

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 11 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship There’s two girlfriends introduced here, so not as much room for wacky one-shot antics, though we do see the Gundam made of girlfriends and also the obligatory glasses chapter. The two girlfriends are Ahko, who is a nice gyaru but whose face has trouble emoting (she has a permanent lazy smile), which has led to trouble with her friends before, and Uto, a self-proclaimed “wandering bard” who is very good at making dramatic proclamations but very bad at actual singing. She’s definitely on the more eccentric side of the girlfriend spectrum. That said, as ever this series is dedicated to showing us it’s not just about Rentaro—the chapter with Ahko and Karane bonding was my favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 12 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – This starts off slow, as it’s in between serious arcs. We do get to see that Handler is a mess, and a reminder that it’s mostly for tragic reasons. We also get another reminder not to let Yor get drunk. But the bulk of the back half deals with one of those questions that we’re eventually going to get whenever this comes to an end, which is what happens if Loid’s cover is blown? It’s not blown YET here, as this ends with a cliffhanger, but Loid is going to have to do some clever scheming to try to dissuade Yuri that he isn’t a spy this time. Assuming Loid lives to do anything about it. Or Yuri, for that matter. The enemy spy we’re dealing with here is a cut above what we’ve seen before. That said, we have Fiona, and her yandere love, so I’m not too worried. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 17 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The manga ends with the eighteenth volume, and it feels a bit like, now that the author has decided to do a pregnancy arc, they’re speeding through it a bit. The book starts with the pregnancy, ends with the birth, and seems to imply that the final volume will take place about 16-17 years later. All that, plus the inevitable “surprise” in trying-to-have-a-baby series, the fact that it’s twins. Despite all this, this remains a cute and fun series. Ikuma has sort of a dream-time travel thing to talk with his late dad about how to be a father, and finds his late dad was far more unprepared. Meanwhile, Sumika meets other mothers who are in the “at risk” category, and we’re reminded how stoic and off-putting she is to strangers. I’m gonna miss this when it ends. – Sean Gaffney

An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 8

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By Yuishi and Kagachisaku. Released in Japan as “Inkya no Boku ni Batsu Game de Kokuhaku Shitekita Hazu no Gal ga, Dō Mitemo Boku ni Beta Bore Des” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Satoko Kakihara.

I’ve talked before about how we, as the reader, are being driven absolutely mad by these two being both incredibly cute and incredibly horny at the same time, and yet somehow not even getting to kissing each other on the lips. Well, this volume is dedicated to the fact that we are not alone. It takes place almost entirely at the school, as it’s culture festival time, and everyone in the class is us, because all they can do is stare with their jaws dropped as Yoshin and Nanami do what they think is normal stuff that every couple does, and everyone else sees as the boldest, most shameless acts in the world. These two are in love with each other and it shows in everything they do, and frankly for high school kids that’s something to inspire jealousy. Which, well, probably explains the rumors that open the book…

There’s a rumor going round about Yoshin, and the rumor is that he has a harem. (Yeah, sorry, the idea of polycules is not a thing this series wants to deal with at all.) After all, not only does he have the incredibly hot Nanami as his named girlfriend, but he’s also hanging out with her two gorgeous best friends, AND he recently started hanging out with the class president, who also got a makeover just for him! What a player! This means that yes, Yoshin is dragged before the teachers as well, where he realizes the main reason that rumors like this gain traction: he’s only friends with girls. He needs to figure out a way to fix that. Before he can, though, it’s culture festival time, the class is doing a cosplay cafe, and Yoshin and Nanami are on the committee. Will they have time for the Best Couple Contest?

There are other things going on in this book, including an entire subplot about the class president and her tragic backstory, which turns out to be far more teenage than tragic. But for the most part we’re here for Yoshin and Nanami, and boy howdy does this book deliver on sweet romance. You’ll get diabetes. They discover the magic of falling asleep talking to each other on video call. Nanami wears a giant bunny suit to fake out the class, then shows off a playboy bunny outfit only for her boyfriend. Yoshin dresses up as a maid for the cosplay cafe, and everyone agrees that he looks really cute, much to his chagrin… but he’ll to anything for Nanami. The capper is the Couple Contest, when these two go above and beyond, essentially proposing to each other (again) and capping it off with the kiss we’ve been wanting to see. The whole book is there to make the reader go “squee!”.

The afterword promises the class trip next time. The cover of Vol. 9 has a sports festival, though, so buyer beware. Still buy it, though. This is the sweetest frosting around.

Manga the Week of 10/16/24

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SEAN: The leaves are all colors here, and everything is magical. (Note: some leaves may not be available outside New England.)

ASH: I am so happy for fall; it’s my favorite.

SEAN: We start off with Yen On, which had its debuts delayed to later in the month. But we do get Babel 2, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 14, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 22, Demon Lord 2099 3, The Kept Man of the Princess Knight 3, Orc Eroica 5, and Secrets of the Silent Witch 5.

ASH: Soon every week will be a Yen week.

SEAN: Yen Press does have debuts. Blade & Bastard is the manga adaptation of the light novels being released by J-Novel Club. It’s by the author of Goblin Slayer, and runs in Drecomics. Also, Garbage looks much cuter on that manga cover than she ever does in the LN.

Is the Order a Rabbit? (Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?) is a title that would have sold like gangbusters if it were licensed in 2013, but it is late 2024, so hey. This runs in Manga Time Kirara Max, and spawned a popular anime. It’s a cute girls run a cafe story.

ASH: The timing does seem a bit off, doesn’t it.

SEAN: I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History: It Seems Turning Into a High-Born Baddie Makes the Prince All the More Lovestruck (Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo – Akuyaku Reijou ni Naru Hodo Ouji no Dekiai wa Kasoku Suru you desu!) is based off a light novel that Yen will release next year, and has an anime airing as we speak. This is another “villainess as the good person, heroine is subsequently awful” story. It runs in B’s-Log Comic.

Lethal Dose of Love (Koi no Chishiryou) is a one-shot BL title from the magazine B’s-Lovey Recottia. A young man confessed to our protagonist, then ran off. Now, years later, he’s back… with another man at his side!

ASH: Uh-oh!

SEAN: The Small-Animallike Lady Is Adored by the Ice Prince (Shoudoubutsu-kei Reijou wa Koori no Ouji ni Dekiai Sareru) is a manga adaptation of an as yet unlicensed light novel. Our heroine, a shy fluffy sort of girl, is engaged to the cold, forbidding prince. She’s got to break off the engagement, royalty isn’t for her. Wait, he’s starting to dote on her? This runs in Flos Comic.

Also out next week: 15 Minutes Before We Really Date 4 (the final volume), Assorted Entanglements 6, Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan! 9, A Certain Magical Index 29, Chained Soldier 9, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 7, Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree 4, Final Fantasy Lost Stranger 10, holoX MEETing! 2 (the final volume), Honey Lemon Soda 7, Honey Trap Shared House 4, I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet 10, Interspecies Reviewers 9, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria 24, Kakegurui Twin 14, Laid-Back Camp 15, Mint Chocolate 12, No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! 24, Overlord 19, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 8, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 24, Shy 8, Slasher Maidens 11, Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly 2, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun: Second Stall (a box set of Vol. 11-20), Trinity Seven 30, Whoever Steals This Book 3 (the final volume, and The Witch and the Knight Will Survive 3 (the final volume).

ASH: So. Many. Words. But I did see Toilet-bound Hanako-kun! Those box sets look really nice.

SEAN: Viz has two debuts, though only one is new. We’re getting a 3-in-1 omnibus release of Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori), the classic shoujo manga that ran in Sho-Comi. If you missed the Viz release of this title (checks dates)… two decades ago, or the digital-only release in 2013, it’s a perfect time to get it again.

ANNA: RED RIVER! Red River has everything – modern girls from Japan sent back to the Hittite Empire. Evil Stepmothers! Evil Water! Warriors! Clashes of armies! Horseback riding! Archery! People thrown into prison! Evil Water! Eclipses! Assassins! Romance! Dark Magic!

SEAN: Is there Good Water to balance out the Evil Water?

ANNA: I mean, there’s some normal water, but a lot of wells or pools of water that end up being Evil!

MICHELLE: I never did finish Red River, but I own all of the original release!

ASH: I’ve been meaning to read this one for what seems like ages! And now I will have no excuse.

SEAN: The other debut is Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, Junji Ito’s memoir where he discusses his history with horror.

ASH: Definitely interested in this one.

SEAN: And we also get Dandadan 9, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. 4, Mission: Yozakura Family 13, Record of Ragnarok 12, Snowball Earth 3, Steel of the Celestial Shadows 4, and Undead Unluck 17.

Square Enix Manga has A Man and His Cat 12.

The debut from Seven Seas is The Barbarian’s Bride (Hime Kishi wa Barbaroi no Yome) is from Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and stars a knight who is told to capture the barbaric tribes of the East… and then, when she fails, is married off to their leader!

ASH: Goodness!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Lonely Castle in the Mirror 4, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life 12, My New Life as a Cat 7, and Mysterious Disappearances 3.

One Peace Books has the 9th volume of Usotoki Rhetoric.

ASH: I’m behind, but enjoying this series.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has the 6th (really the 7th) volume of Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement.

ANNA: I did not realize there was a multi-volume series about retirement planning, but maybe being in Another World and saving gold is the solution to the horrors of capitalism.

SEAN: I am sorry to say that this series is vigorously pro-capitalism (and pro-gun, for that matter). But it’s fun in a “please turn your brain off” sort of way.

Kodansha Manga debuts Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, a spinoff manga showing the Blue Lock series from Nagi’s POV.

Also debuting is Versus, from the creator of One-Punch Man. The demons are taking over the world. 47 heroes resolve to fight and defeat them. But in order to do so, they will have to go down a bad path. This runs in Shonen Sirius.

ASH: I’m curious, mainly due to One’s involvement.

SEAN: Also in print: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 3, Ninja Vs. Gokudo 3, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! 6, Sketchy 4, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 17 (the final volume.

For digital we see Manchuria Opium Squad 2, My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1 14, and WIND BREAKER 17.

J-Novel Club has, for print, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AO— 6.

And digitally, we see The Apothecary Diaries 12, the 7th Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers manga volume, The Invincible Summoner Who Crawled Up from Level 1: Wrecking Reincarnators with My Hidden Dungeon 3, The Poison King: Now that I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, the Bewitching Beauties in My Harem Can’t Get Enough of Me 2, and Seventh 9.

Ghost Ship debuts The Hungry Succubus Wants to Consume Him (Harapeko Succubus wa Ikasetai no ni!), which runs in Young Magazine Web. A succubus who’s had almost 1000 men finds she’s met her match when she can’t seduce a monk-in-training. But she’ll keep trying!

ANNA: I guess it is good to be persistent about things like this.

SEAN: Also in “mature” titles, we see Succubus and Hitman 7.

From Dark Horse, we get H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu (Cthulhu no Yobigoe – Lovecraft Kessakushuu), another in the series of Lovecraft adaptations by Gou Tanabe. This ran in Comic Beam.

ASH: Tanabe’s adaptations have been excellent, so far.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 10.

And for early digital we see The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 3, Loner Life in Another World 10, and Too Many Losing Heroines! 2.

Do you ever color in the black and white pages in your manga? Also, what are you getting?

ANNA: RED RIVER! (I already have it in multiple formats!)

Ayakashi and the Fairy Tales We Tell Ourselves

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By Kosuzu Kobato and Meij. Released in Japan on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Dawson Chen.

This is one of those books that I probably would not have picked up if I didn’t already know the author. Kosuzu Kobato has basically never written anything I’d dislike, This is also complete in one volume, so it’s a good book to take a flyer on. And, unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it. The plot, though, actually ended up being a lot quieter than I expected. There were dark hints in this book that the heroine has bad ayakashi causing her harm (which leads to a reputation of being clumsy). There’s the heroine’s tragic past, as well as the hero’s tragic past. And there’s these weird ayakashi showing up away from the main house and acting, seemingly, menacing. It felt like it was building up to a big confrontation, or perhaps a kidnapping and rescue, or that sort of thing. But that’s not what happens here, and it’s not the point of the book. This book is about accepting your past, and it’s also about accepting that you don’t need to have your entire future mapped out by the time you’re fourteen years old.

Haruka has recently moved to the town, and is still settling in at school, though she has made two best friends. She’s a relatively shy, reserved person, and despite being exceptional at ballet and cooking she seems to regard herself as lacking in something. Then one day she runs into (literally) Ayako, a woman who was biking and not watching where she was going. Going back to her home to bandage Haruka’s scraped leg, she then runs into Takumi, who she doesn’t know but who clearly goes to her school. As the book goes on, and she stops by Ayako’s house more and more, it becomes apparent that she can see ayakashi, the mysterious spirits that litter the house. Takumi can see them too, and that fact has caused him grief throughout his life. Can these two damaged middle-schoolers be the best things that happened to each other?

This book sneaks up on you – it doesn’t really get into anything supernatural until about a quarter of the way in, and even then, the ayakashi end up being more of a spice than anything else – the book is solely about its two leads. Honestly, there were times when it felt like we were going to get more – Haruka’s childhood featured her being hospitalized, and the description of how it happened made me wonder if it was going to tie in with malevolent ayakashi impulsively seeking to harm her or something. But no, it was just a garden-variety horrible human thing. But that’s fine, as the book really excels in the two kids slowly recovering and looking forward to the future again. Haruka recalls her past, accepts it, and is able to move forward in being a blushing girl in love. Takumi realizes that despite everything that happened with his family, his father is trying to support him the best he can – he’s just horrible at emoting. The end of the book has them essentially becoming a couple without naming it as that, which fits the reserved tone.

It’s just a sweet little book. I wish there were more of it, but there isn’t. It’s a good read about some serious kids.

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor, Vol. 6

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By Sasara Nagase and Mitsuya Fuji. Released in Japan as “Yarinaoshi Reijō wa Ryūtei Heika o Kōryaku-chū” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by piyo.

As I write this, we are less than a day away from the premiere of the anime version of this series. As such, I wish to make it clear that I am well aware of the problematic nature of this series. We’ve discussed it before. The series opens with incest, and then it ends up hitting “I’m going to marry a ten-year-old”. It is the definition of “oh dear”. And I am here to tell you that the author is absolutely reveling in it. Given a chance to, say, have a timeskip, or perhaps move away from the incestuous kingdom, she instead insists on doubling down on everything. This volume in particular talks about how awkward it is for Jill to be eleven years old multiple times, and it also manages somehow to double the incest! Unfortunately… or, well, fortunately, to be honest… that does not double the fun. I can tell you that both plotlines are for plot-related reasons, and the plot is insidious, and REALLY wants war.

After the relative light-heartedness of the last volume, we’re bundled back into political intrigue at Jill and Hadis’ home base in this volume. There’s been a poor harvest, and the three dukes whose support Hadis need are 100% ready to throw Jill under the bus at a moment’s notice. They propose an impossible task – revive the Dragon Flower Crown Festival, something which will require the help of all the other consorts who stay at the Empress’ palace. Unfortunately, they’re all (well, almost all) trying to sabotage Jill – clearly at the behest of some mysterious party. Oh yes, and Jill has been getting mysterious love letters confessing to her and urging that she meet in the Garden of Resting Dragons… a place well known for adulterous affairs. There’s a mad old man setting traps in the Dragon Consort’s Palace (a place Jill didn’t even realize was there). Oh yes, and Minerd’s back, and totally not planning something evil.

It’s refreshing to see this series come back to “at any moment, history will revert and Jill will die” territory again. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re one step closer to war, thanks to the events near the end of this book, which lean heavily on the squickiest of the series’ plotlines and rub it in our faces. it’s chilling. As for the actual bad guy, well, they’re rather pathetic and sad, but that’s the point, and fits pretty well with everything that we’ve heard bfeore. Much better are the other consorts, who theoretically present an enemy that Jill simply can’t beat to submission with her fists. She is being forced to actually think politically and scheme… and then, when that doesn’t work, she beats them to submission with her fists. Jill does not quite shout “IT’S CLOBBERIN TIME!” once a volume, but it’s not for lack of trying.

After that nasty cliffhanger, it’s a good thing we’ve got the next volume coming s–what’s that? Short story volume? Sigh. Of course. In any case, please enjoy this series, which rampages through its problematic aspects with TINY FISTS.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 45

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

After the events of Vol. 43 (44 being a SS volume), you will not be surprised to hear that this is a very serious affair. There’s almost no humor to be found, and even the romance, with the exception of Elfaria (who joins everyone else in the cast in trying to make it clear, but not TOO clear, that he’s the only one for her) is absent. The reason for this is that after the events of the last book, Koutarou is depressed and uncertain how to go forward. It’s a good reminder how little time this series has taken place in – we’re only about two years later here, and much as the girls are all cognizant of their own feelings and able to support each other, when it comes to the man they love they don’t have the fortitude to kick him in the ass, and have to leave it to Kenji, who of course can baseball it out of him. No one is quite mature enough to confidently be in a polycule revolving around one man just yet. Least of all the man.

We pick up just before the cliffhanger of the last book, as we see Ralgwin’s final moments before his soul is overwritten by Maxfern’s. He seems rather calm and accepting of this, and is apparently assuming that Koutarou will somehow save the day. Unfortunately, that point is not this volume. Koutarou, as I said before, starts off in a big funk, especially once Maxfern goes on live TV to declare war on the royal family and ask allies to join him. Now they need to avoid another war, and in order to do this have to infiltrate the enemy… which is a lot easier given that they’re bringing in a lot of new troops and staff. Unfortunately, they all fail to realize that Maxfern is, unlike every other villain we’ve seen in this book, someone who does not care about ANYONE. And that troops don’t necessarily have to be alive.

So yeah, I hate to break it to you, but once you take zombies out of the box, you really can’t put them back. That said, this is part of a new theme with this book. All our previous villains, be they Ralgwin, or Elexis, or even Darkness Rainbow, have all had someone that they care about and want to protect, in some way, shape or form. Their goals are not 100% genocidal. Maxfern is different. He died swearing vengeance, and he will get vengeance, no matter who dies or is left unhappy. The second half of the book sees our heroes infiltrate the e3nemy for clues, and they barely escape with their lives, because the villain doesn’t care about just throwing death at a problem until it goes away. It’s genuinely scary.

We get a cliffhanger suggesting Maxfern is going to attack the “smart girls” in the group – Clan, Kiriha, and Ruth – next time. Till then, this is still good, but it’s a bit less “fun”, per se.