Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Bookshelf Briefs 5/14/23

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Insomniacs After School, Vol. 1 | By Makoto Ojiro | Viz Media – The anime to this manga is currently airing this season, though I haven’t watched it yet. I hope it does its subject justice, as this was a very nice first volume. It’s clearly a setup for some romance, but that’s not in the cards yet, with boy-meets-girl being more like boy-and-girl-desperately-need-sleep. The problems with insomnia and what it can do to a person are not dwelled on in great detail, but are also thoughtfully examined, and I like how the guy’s crankiness is clearly more the lack of sleep than his actual personality. The one danger I can see in the future is that the lead girl’s insomnia stems from a medical condition, and, as others have already said, I hope this doesn’t go Your Lie in April on us. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 8 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – I was right in that this whole volume was about the reaction to Sarasa leaving the performance to see her grandfather, but I was wrong in that the bulk of the criticism comes from Sarasa herself, especially when her grandfather turns out to be relatively OK, making her journey bittersweet. There’s a lot of discussion over which is more important for an actor, family or performance, and the book settles reluctantly on the latter—as does Sarasa’s grandfather, who reminds her that he’s going to inevitably die before her. Fortunately, there is some levity in this book, and it comes from Ai, who resolves to take over from Sarasa, and does a great job, but flubs a line very memorably, and that’s all anyone can think about. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 25 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – Entirely dedicated to its finale, Kaguya-sama has, for the most part, abandoned its subplots for the main plot, which involves the decline and fall of the Shinomiyas, and how that’s interacting with Kaguya herself. There’s much discussion of how succession and financial success or failure works in a family this large and this corporate, especially when all the siblings seem to hate each other. Or do they? As Chika notes (and yes, this is Chika being serious, because the situation warrants it), Unyou might behave like an asshole, but in the end he’s as much a tsundere as his sister. That said, we still have a long way to go till Kaguya is rescued, and it might require intervention from their chief rivals, the Shijos. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Love, That’s an Understatement, Vol. 1 | By Fujimomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Having loved Fujimomo’s Lovesick Ellie, I figured I would enjoy Love, That’s an Understatement and I did. I must admit, however, that on the surface it has some pretty standard shoujo tropes, such as the manga starting with the heroine saving a beat-up delinquent in the rain—didn’t Honey So Sweet start that same exact way?—and having thoughts like, “This feeling… what do I call it?” But Fujimomo does excel at taking characters who appear cool and aloof and showing their vulnerabilities, and here that’s happening with both model student Risa Amakawa—seemingly composed and super capable—and Zen Ohira the hoodlum. Risa’s upbringing has led to her feeling like she has to handle everything alone, and Zen not only proves to be a reliable ally but someone who sees the real her. Echoes of Lovesick Ellie there, but I am very here for it. – Michelle Smith

No Longer Allowed in Another World, Vol. 2 | By Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu | Seven Seas Good news for those who didn’t like the fact that the first volume was a variation on one joke: this volume does introduce an actual plot, and shows us what power our hero actually did get when he was transported. Unfortunately, for those who DID like that the series was a variation on one joke, there’s far less of that, and far more of the standard bullshit isekai things. This reminds me a bit of The Executioner and Her Way of Life, in that the bad guys are other kids from Japan who gained monstrous powers and, well, turned into monsters. Our hero has a way to “save” them, but I’ll be honest, I was hoping for more of the dark comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 24 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – I still greatly enjoy this series, but it’s pretty clear that, now that it’s pretty much an assured success that can end whenever it wants, some of the arcs are dragging a bit, and this one is a good example. We’re still in the midst of finding out who’s using the drugged scent and why, and the answer probably lies with a young woman who used to be Lord Eisetsu’s gardener. There’s danger, and more danger, with a cliffhanger showing Ryu’s in danger. Kageya is a very interesting tragic figure, but I am 100% certain she’s going to die protecting someone in a few chapters. The question is whether that’s actually the root cause of things, and the answer is probably not. New arc soon, perhaps? – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 9 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – The wrap-up to the cruise ship arc is pitch perfect, and threatens to drown out the rest of the volume. Yor may not have firmly decided to give up being an assassin, but it’s clear her heart is no longer in it anymore. The rest of the book is one-shots, of the sort this series does in between arcs, with highlights being the unlikely team-up of Franky and Fiona, and Becky’s elementary schoolgirl attempts to act sexy and mature so Loid will notice her (then she sees Yor and realizes she’s doomed). There’s also a good mini-arc, where Bond tries to save victims from a fire, which turns out to have been set deliberately. A nice volume that shows off the entire cast well, and I think we’re now ready for more of the main plot. – Sean Gaffney

Usotoki Rhetoric, Vol. 2 | By Ritsu Miyako | One Peace Books – The cases get a little more substantial in the second volume of Usotoki Rhetoric, as the first involves solving a ten-year-old murder, but still a little less than satisfying, as the culprit is apprehended and confesses entirely off-camera. Kanoko has a crisis of self-doubt when her ability to hear lies causes her to suspect an innocent person who was only concealing a certain fact to protect someone else, and we see more about how she was shunned in her home village. She attempts to quit working as Iwai’s assistant, fearing hurting anyone else, but then realizes that he will be hurt if she quits. Lastly, Iwai and Kanoko handle a dispute in which a fountain pen figures prominently, to my delight. All in all, this is more low-key than a true mystery series, but still very enjoyable. – Michelle Smith

Earl and Fairy: The Elegance of a Villain

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By Mizue Tani and Asako Takaboshi. Released in Japan as “Hakushaku to Yōsei” by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

This may come as something of a shock to all of you, but I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to light novels. As such, you’ll need to simply smile and nod when I tell you that my reaction to hearing about the license of Earl and Fairy was not “oh my god it’s a 20-year -old series” or even “oh my god it’s 33 volumes long”. but rather “oh my god it’s a Cobalt Bunko title”. Back in the day, the main reason I became interested in light novels at all was due to an anime – based on a light novel – called Maria-sama Ga Miteru. That was ALSO published by Cobalt Bunko, Shueisha’s novel line for young women. For years, Shueisha light novels were in the “nope” category of license requests, and even after it opened up a bit Cobalt was still “nope”. This is a big deal, folks, and hopefully opens doors. The good news is that the book itself is a classic shoujo potboiler.

Lydia is a bit of an eccentric young woman. Leaving aside her red hair and green eyes (which in England in the time period this is set in means she’s a target of abuse), but she’s also a self-proclaimed “fairy doctor”, trying to follow her late mother. For the most part, no one believes anything she says. Then, when journeying to see her father in the city, she’s kidnapped – and then kidnapped again by a different kidnapper rescuing her from the first kidnapper. Her rescuer is Edgar, a handsome if somewhat jerkass man who not only is the chief suspect in a string of horrible murders but is also possibly the heir to an earldom that has connections to fairies. Only Lydia can help with her fairy knowledge… which Edgar doesn’t really believe in either.

The ‘category’ on my page says this is ‘earl and THE fairy’ because I reviewed the Viz Media manga of this series a long, long, time ago, and they translated it with the extra the. The whole series is old-school shoujo fantasy, and it’s all the more enjoyable for it. Lydia is quick-thinking and intelligent, doesn’t trust Edgar but feels drawn to him anyway, and thankfully is not a constant ball of aggrieved rage, which, frankly, Edgar sometimes deserves. He treats Lydia horribly, but we’re meant to listen more to his two servants, who note how nice and charming he’s being to her rather than resorting to his usual behavior (i.e. threatening to kill). He’s just as drawn in as she is. Also, this is definitely a fantasy, because spoilers, fairies really do exist. The mythology is actually very well done, and there’s nothing here that would scream “this is Japanese” at all. Which may be a good selling point in this era of “long title that is also the plot” books.

I urge people to pick this book up. It’s a good story, buying it means we’ll get more of it, and buying it even more means we might get more Cobalt titles in the future. Less Isekai’d dudes with swords more of this.

Manga the Week of 5/17/23

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SEAN: Mid-May, and will it be a quiet week?

ASH: Is that something that exists anymore?

SEAN: From Airship, we see new volumes! The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 4 and Reincarnated as a Sword 12.

And for early digital there is Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 5 and Vivy Prototype 4 (the final volume).

Ghost Ship gives us a 6th book of 2.5 Dimensional Seduction and a 7th volume of Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal in Another World.

J-Novel Club blesses us with print titles! We see An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride 14, Ascendance of a Bookworm 18, and the 3rd Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles manga.

ASH: Bookworm! In print!

SEAN: Digitally there are two debuts. Accidentally in Love: The Witch, the Knight, and the Love Potion Slipup (Koisuru Majo wa Elite Kishi ni Horegusuri o Nomasete Shimaimashita: Itsuwari kara Hajimaru Watashi no Dekiai Seikatsu) is in the Heart line, as you can imagine. A girl trying to hide that she’s a witch meets the man of her dreams… but she didn’t mean to drug him, honest! I think Cross Infinite World had a series with a similar premise.

ASH: Whoops!

ANNA: An easy mistake to make, I’m sure.

SEAN: There’s also Only the Villainous Lord Wields the Power to Level Up (Ore dake Level ga Agaru Sekai de Akutoku Ryōshu ni Natteita). This is a villainess book… but since it’s a male villain, it means he needs to be trapped in an RPG world as well. There are rules, after all.

ASH: That there are.

SEAN: There’s also new volumes: Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade 5, Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight -Origins- 9, Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ 3, and The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 7.

Debuting in print from Kodansha is The Yakuza’s Bias (Yakuza no Oshigoto). This runs in Ichijinsha’s Comic Pool, but was also a popular webcomic. A yakuza hitman is also a huge K-pop stan! Hijinx no doubt ensue.

MICHELLE: This sounds potentially fun.

ASH: It really could be!

ANNA: It does sound fun.

SEAN: Also in print: Bakemonogatari 16, NO. 6 Manga Omnibus 3 (the final volume), Peach Boy Riverside 11, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse 8, SHAMAN KING: FLOWERS 2, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 11.

ASH: Still glad to see NO. 6 staying in print. (And still living in hope that one day the novels will be translated, too…)

SEAN: The digital debut is Small Nozomi and Big Yume (Chiisai Nozomi to Ooki na Yume), which runs in Morning Two. A high school girl wakes up one day to find she’s lost her memories… and is also about five inches tall. Fearing being eaten by a cat, she takes refuge in the apartment of a drunken NEET and must convince her that she’s not hallucinating a tiny girl.

Also digitally: Blue Lock 19, Gamaran 9, We’re New at This 13 and Ya Boy Kongming! 11.

One Peace Books has a light novel, the 2nd volume of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.

Three debuts from Seven Seas. Last Game is old-school shoujo from LaLa. A young man who is a winner at life (and also rich) arrives at high school and finds… a girl has beaten him! A commoner girl! At study! At sports! There’s just one thing to do: he has to make her fall for him! For those who love goofy but problematic old-school shoujo titles.

MICHELLE: It definitely gives S.A vibes.

SEAN: Shibanban: Super Cute Doggies is a spinoff manga based on the popular LINE sticker set of Shiba Inu dogs.

ASH: They really can make a manga out of anything!

ANNA: I’m amazed.

SEAN: Who Made Me a Princess is a manwha series that ran on the usual manwha online places. A girl finds herself in the story of her favorite novel… as the princess who gets executed! Still, she’s a baby, so has time to change her fate. Right?

ASH: Time will tell!

SEAN: And there’s also The Kingdoms of Ruin 6, Marmalade Boy: Collector’s Edition 2, The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 4, Re: Monster 6, Reincarnated as a Sword: Another Wish 4, The Savior’s Book Café Story in Another World 5 (the final volume), and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 3.

MICHELLE: Speaking of old-school shoujo titles, looking forward to continuing my Marmalade Boy reread!

SEAN: From Square Enix we get The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses 3.

Tokyopop has three debuts. A Complicated Omega’s Second Love (Kojirase Omega no Nidome no Koi) ran in Gentosha’s Lynx, and is complete in one volume. An omega who hates alphas and has resolved to never be mated wakes up one morning… mated with his colleague.

Ogi’s Summer Break (Ogi-kun no Natsuyasumi) is a slightly less sexual BL title from Studio C.I.’s Haruto magazine. It’s a college romance between a boy who falls hard for another boy, who is blind.

And We Can’t Do Just Plain Love (Tada no Renai Nanka de Kikkonai – Kojirase Joushi to Fechina Buka) is josei, from Taiseisha’s Love Coffre. A new office worker discovers that her boss can’t be around women without getting aroused. Fortunately for him, she has a solution… if he’ll help her with her scent fetish.

The big title from Udon Entertainment is an artbook. Hidetaka Tenjin’s Artistry of Macross: From Flash Back 2012 to Macross Frontier is a deluxe 144-page hardcover that should please any fan who hates Carl Macek.

They also have Persona 4 Arena 2.

Viz debuts another horror title, but hey, it’s not by Junji Ito. Dark Gathering runs in Jump Square, and features a young man who is trying to avoid the supernatural (he can see spirits) tutoring a young girl who is trying to find the spirit who took her mother.

ASH: Ooooh, a horror manga, you say?

SEAN: Viz also gives us Choujin X 2, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Official Coloring Book 2, Twin Star Exorcists 28, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 10.

And there’s one single title from Yen Press next week, and it’s a debut. The manga adaptation of a beloved light novel classic, requested by many over the years. Yes, it’s Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon (Jidou Hanbaiki ni Umarekawatta Ore wa Meikyuu wo Samayou). This runs in Dengeki Daioh, and features a young man reborn as a vending machine, though the “wander” part is mostly incorrect. I Now Get Carried Around The Dungeon By My Ludicrously Strong Beastgirl Friend is more accurate.

ASH: Wow!

ANNA: What will they think of next???????

SEAN: Assuming you have not been reborn as a villainess or a vending machine, what are you buying next week?

A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life, Vol. 6

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By Yuu Tanaka and Nardack. Released in Japan as “Deokure Tamer no Sono Higurashi” by GC Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Yuko C. Shimomoto.

This is, for the most part, another solid volume in the series, with one exception that I’ll get to later. For all that I’ve been talking about Yuto accidentally becoming overpowered and a celebrity, that’s mostly just due to his personality and the way that he reacts to things vs. how everyone else in the game reacts. Looked at objectively, he’s rather clever, tends to choose the right option, and his constant experimentation usually pays off, even if it can lead to disasters at the start. Heck, even those disasters can be monetized -I loved the idea of selling his experiments with carbonated beverages as a “mystery box” where you could get delicious or awful. I also enjoy his interactions with Alyssa, whose freakouts every time Yuto casually mentions something he’s done are always funny. As always, there’s limited to no plot or character development, though that may change in the next book in the series, which implies he’ll buy a house. But that’s next book.

Most of this volume consists of Yuto and his companions going through various dungeons, each one hidden in a different cardinal direction. Given that a lot of this involves battling rather than taming or crafting, it’s not a surprise that it takes him a while to plow through them, and both he and his tames monsters suffer a bit. (The image of Sakura constantly being set on fire is, thankfully, not illustrated.) The reward for each dungeon turns out to be a broken child’s toy, and the implication is that this will pay off once you get them all – which turns out to be true. More importantly, though, Amelia invites Yuto to a tea party that’s going to be livestreamed, and leads to hilarious consequences as, once again, Yuto fails to realize how iconic he’s become.

Right, let’s get around to the thing I didn’t like. There is some good in it – the book introduces a necromancer who is a boy dressed in feminine clothing, and Yuto and various people say, a few times, that there’s nothing wrong with that. And, when the same character is bullied and shamed by another player, a few people come to his defense, including, eventually, Yuto. It’s more realistic than I’d expect, with a lot of folks sitting there doing nothing till they realize the tide has turned and it’s safe to speak up. The problem is that the author can’t resist the old anime trope of having everyone, including Yuto, think of said feminine boy in a romantic light and then quickly doing a “no homo!” bit to show off that it’s OK, still safe to read this, any men who might enjoy this series. And unfortunately, the latter eventually outweighs the former. It’s aggravating.

Other than that, though, this is a perfectly good volume in this very mellow series. I think we’re in a “time to renegotiate the contracts” lull right now, so it may be a longer wait till Book 7, but I’m happy to read more.

Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home!, Vol. 5

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By You Fuguruma and Nama. Released in Japan as “Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu: Boukenchuu no Kasei Fugyou Uketamawarimasu!” by Ichijinsha Bunko Iris NEO. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hengtee Lim.

Welcome to Housekeeping Mage from Another World, the Zeno’s Arrow of light novel titles. Every volume we get closer and closer to Alec and Shiori sitting down and talking about their respective pasts, and every volume it continues to not happen. We’re closer than ever here. Shiori has pretty much figured out by researching who Alec really is. Alec has pretty much figured out where Shiori comes from, mainly due to her slipping up on occasion. Indeed, one of the big subplots of this book involves her doing something really impossible for this world. They’re kissing, and petting, and at the end of the book have moved in together. But trauma still holds them back. Shiori is hung up on a) Alec’s status vs. her own, and b) the scars on her limbs from her earlier experiences. Each volume she heals a little more, and we keep hoping to get that final step. Alas, still not quite there.

The bulk of this volume is taken up with a mystery story, though the author makes it a bit easy for us by signposting the guilty party immediately. The whodunnit is not the point. It’s the Nativity Festival, and a singer from another city is coming to give a performance. Unfortunately, someone is apparently trying to sabotage her. Half her orchestra has come down with what appears to be food poisoning, and without a full orchestral sound the performance will not be nearly as impressive. Shiori is asked if she could provide the illusion magic with stories that she’s done at the orphanage to help pep things up. Alec, meanwhile, is asked to help them try to find the saboteur. Is it the singer’s friend, the #2 singer in the city, who might be jealous? Mmmmm… probably not, as when we meet this other singer she’s about as conniving as a ball of yarn.

If I had a nickel for every time Housekeeping Mage from Another World had a major plotline end up being heterosexual when everything before that pointed to it being gay, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. This one is not quite as obvious as the one from the last book, but I was very much wondering if this would be a love triangle with the two singers as a couple, but no, this series is far too heteronormative for that to happen. We’re even given a flashforward to assure readers that everyone is properly married in the future. I will also admit that at times the writer gets a bit too syrupy for my tastes… usually when trying to pour on the heteronormativity, in fact. Other than that, this is a very solid volume of the series, with some fun “mystery” and excellent Alec and Shiori interaction, despite their still not quite opening up fully.

Will things finally come to a head next book? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s definitely worth a read.

The Mythical Hero’s Otherworld Chronicles, Vol. 3

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By Tatematsuri and Ruria Miyuki. Released in Japan as “Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyū Isekai Tan” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by James Whittaker.

This is likely my final review of this series, but I want to assure everyone that it’s not for the usual reasons of “oh hey, this just became intolerably bad”. It’s more that this has simply not become a story I personally wish to read. I can see why others would want to read it, though. It’s very teenage boy. There’s a kickass guy with an eyepatch, taking out swathes of enemies by himself, with multiple girls as love interests, a couple of whom actively try to seduce him whenever they get the chance. It is, in other words, a light novel. The one drawback, and the reason I’m moving on, is that it’s so goddamn serious 90% of the time, I had picked this up as it had a lot of similarities to Altina the Sword Princess, which is on indefinite hiatus forever, but even Altina, which had some dark moments, was fairly lighthearted. This is just too straightforward. There’s no subversion, no meta, no in jokes. It’s a cool guy being cool.

After the events of the last book, Hiro and Liz are asked to come back to the palace to get even more accolades. For Liz this means command of an army, which goes out to quell someone or other. For Hiro is means a new job… a somewhat suspicious job. He’s asked to head north to Lebering, the kingdom to the north of the Empire. Hiro almost immediately finds himself caught up in a throne war while there, and needs to try to escape, save the crown princess who appears to be the one member of the royal family who is not dead or bloodthirsty, and try to quell a rebellion WITHOUT asking for help from the Empire – who would likely simply annex the kingdom and make it part of its own. Can Hiro pull all this off and still find time to pose dramatically?

There’s not a total lack of humor. Liz is by her very nature a fun character, even if she’s written as a bit too naive, and Rosa toes the line of being “the annoying sexy one” without ever actually going over it. The battle scenes are well-written, even if sometimes they go a bit too far into “we’ll write a lot of rape scenes offscreen to show that these are the EVIL soldiers”. The main issue is Hiro, who remains steadfastly uncompelling, despite being isekai’d from Japan *and* the old warrior Mars now come back to life. There are hints that he might get more interesting in future books, but the hints are that he might go down a darker, more amoral path, which are not hints I like. Even the big reveal at the end, which should have been more surprising, suffered because it was filtered through Hiro’s “of course, I knew all along” boringness.

If you’re the sort of person who enjoys those fanfics that rewrite Naruto or My Hero Academia with the hero being “darker and more badass”, this is a great book for you. But I just want something a bit *less* straightforward these days.

Pick of the Week: Cages and Fairies

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KATE: I won’t lie: I love the cover of Soloist in a Cage! Though my inner critic is whispering, “Don’t judge this book by the you-know-what,” my gut is telling me, “Make it your Pick of the Week! It looks cool! And stylish!” So I’m going with my gut on this one; Soloist is my choice.

MICHELLE: I am absolutely in the same boat. The premise didn’t wow me but the cover definitely made me reconsider!

SEAN: No question for me, it’s the first Earl and Fairy light novel. Old-school shoujo LNs are so rare these days, and I really want people to read this. The manga was good too, if I recall.

ANNA: I’m also picking the Earl and Fairy light novel due to my extreme affection for old-school shoujo.

ASH: The cover of Soloist in a Cage caught my eye, too, and dystopian tales often do interest me… but I’m actually going to make The Art of Haikyu!! my pick this week!

The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode?!, Vol. 1

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By Yuji Yuji and Nami Hidaka. Released in Japan as “99-kai Danzaisareta Loop Reijō Desu ga Konse wa “Chōzetsu Aisare Mode” Desutte!?: Shinno Chikara ni Mezamete Hajimaru 100-kaime no Jinsei” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu.

This is a book which tries, and mostly succeeds, in striking a balance between what the reader is expecting to have happen and what would make more sense for the characters. I’ll be honest, I was expecting this to be a lot more cliched. For one thing, I assumed, like most other “yarinaoshi loop” titles, that we’d be going back a few years to try again – nope, there’s almost no time to do anything. But the way this ties into the multiple deaths is clever. Then I assumed that everyone involved was simply being a massive tsundere – which *is* true, but is not remotely the reason that she was executed 99 times. The one thing that was exactly as expected – and the weakest part of the book – is the antagonist, who like most light novel antagonists is not allowed to have shades of grey but has to be 100% evil and awful. Complete with pig noises. But… mostly good.

Princess Alphina has had a bad time of it lately. Accused of crimes she did not commit by the Saint of the country, and condemned to death by her fiancee, friends, family, and the emperor, she is summarily executed… and then has it happen again. And again. What’s worse, she usually rewinds back to right when she’s arrested, so there’s not even time to change the storyline. She attempts to prove her innocence. She attempts to escape. She attempts comedy. By now she is thoroughly sick of this. However, as she starts her 100th time reliving these same events, she now finds she can hear the inner thoughts of everyone around her! Will this allow her to finally escape the time loop and show who the real guilty party is? And does she even want to go back to being a princess?

This has both a well-known writer (the creator of OreShura, aka My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much) and illustrator (the artist of My Next Life As a Villainess), so I shouldn’t be surprised that it reads well and the author knows how to land a gag. It’s predominately a funny series, for good and ill. The best part of it is Alphina, or Arle as she comes to call herself. Deciding to use her newly discovered magic powers to simply nope out of all of this drama is an excellent choice, and frankly I wish it had stuck. The various love interests she has all have inner monologues that verge on the ridiculous, which is the point, but always manage to stay on the funny rather than the annoying side. The exception, as I noted, is Debonaire, the saint, who is a boy-crazy egomaniac who doesn’t even have the decent excuse of being isekai’d from Japan, and whose theme is “pig squealing” for a laugh. It’s no surprise that, rather than surviving to be annoying another day like most good “heroine” villains, she’s butchered here.

This is getting a 2nd volume, though given that cover is “wedding” themed that may be it. I’ll read it. Fans of the genre might want to just ignore the “heroine” and enjoy the antics of the “villainess”, who’s a spunky tomboy princess who kicks ass.

There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…, Vol. 1

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By Teren Mikami and Eku Takeshima. Released in Japan as “Watashi ga Koibito ni Nareru Wake Naijan, Muri Muri! Muri Janakatta!?” by Dash X Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by TNFWIBYLU Translation Team. Adapted by Harry Catlin.

I can understand the appeal of a title like this. It starts off badly, in my opinion, but around the second half of the book we start to get the actual character flaws that will become development. Its lead heroine is (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) intensely self-deprecating to the point where it’s almost her entire personality, and because she’s an introvert who has been unsuccessful at interaction in the past, she has a definition of “friends” that is vast and all-encompassing. The other heroine is the perfect , extroverted, and very forward rich girl whose personality masks a lonely life, and who also has minimal experience in real relationships, so comes on far, far far too hard. It’s the sort of story that can be developed pretty well over the next few books. That said… I have issues. The narrative voice. The lack of consent throughout (which is, to be fair, a plot point). The implied future plot.

Renako is having issues. She’s successfully managed to reinvent herself in high school as a normal, outgoing gal, and is part of a group of friends that includes the school idol, Mai. Unfortunately, she’s an introvert at heart, and all this interaction is too much. So she runs away to the roof… where Mai finds her, and for some reason assumes she’s trying to kill herself. Throwing herself towards Renako to stop her, both girls end up going off the roof. Fortunately, they are rescued by a passing tree. Unfortunately, Mai then confesses to Renako, saying that she wants to be her lover. This flummoxes Renako, who has no idea why the school idol would be interested in her. can’t they just be friends? You know, best friends?

So, my issues. Renako’s narrative voice is very, very panicky teenager, with a near constant repetition of the title words “no freaking way”. I was crying out for the book to switch to another point of view, but alas. Secondly, Mai has no sense of boundaries, being very explicit about what she wants to do with Renako and not backing off even when Renako demands she do so. This actually comes to a head near the end of the book, when Mai forcibly gropes Renako and Renako’s sister walks in, leading to a slap that was much needed. At this point the book begins to address this issue seriously, but that still leaves a lot of the start of the book, which is in “noncon is funny” mode. Lastly, the series is ongoing, and the subplots of this book, showing Renako interacting with the other members of their friend group, seem to imply a “harem” aspect to this series, with Renako as the unwitting object of multiple affections. This depresses me, as I’d much rather see Renako and Mai try to grow up and define what they have together, but instead suspect I will get “no freaking way” repeated a lot more.

So despite some whining on Twitter, this isn’t bad. It just has a lot of things I personally dislike. And, from what I hear, it’s certainly better than the author’s other yuri series. You might be better off reading the very similar Yuri Tama.

Manga the Week of 5/10/23

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SEAN: Hopefully you are keeping your manga as dry as possible in these wet times.

We begin with Viz, who debut a new Shojo Beat title, Wolf Girl and Black Prince (Ookami Shoujo to Kuroouji). This Betsuma title is from the creator of Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, but is actually one of their earlier stories. A girl who made up a fake boyfriend is on the verge of being called out for it. A handsome guy agrees to be her fake boyfriend. Unfortunately, he’s a sadistic type! For fans of sadistic types.

MICHELLE: Pass.

ANNA: Yes, as much as I enjoy new Shojo Beat titles this seems like Not My Thing. More time to get caught up on Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love!

SEAN: Also debuting is The Art of Haikyu!!, an artbook featuring art from Slam Dunk… no, just kidding, it’s from Haikyu!!.

ANNA: I mean, I like Haikyu!! but Slam Dunk is on a whole other level.

ASH: I am likewise an ardent supporter of both series. (And so am looking forward to this even if it isn’t Slam Dunk.)

SEAN: Viz also has Fly Me to the Moon 17, Helck 3, Mao 11, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes 14, Pokémon Adventures: X•Y 5, and YO-KAI WATCH 21.

From Udon Entertainment we get a debut, Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant (Lodoss Tousenki: Seiyaku no Houkan) is a spinoff of the legendary light novel series, and ran in Shonen Ace. When a kingdom is in trouble, will Deedlit come to their aid?

SuBLime has a 2nd volume of Megumi & Tsugumi.

ASH: I’m not especially invested in Omegaverse fiction, buy I do like a good delinquent BL…

SEAN: The folks at Square Enix bring us By the Grace of the Gods 8, My Happy Marriage 3, and Tokyo Aliens 3.

One debut from Seven Seas. Soloist in a Cage (Ori no Naka no Soloist), a Shonen Jump + series, is in the “dystopian tragedy” genre. A girl born in a prison has only her younger brother to keep her going. Then she’s helped to break out… but has to leave her brother behind!

Seven Seas also has COLORLESS 4, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter 8, My Secret Affection 2 (the final volume), Skip and Loafer 7, and Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) 5.

ASH: I really need to get caught up with Skip and Loafer.

SEAN: One Peace Books debuts The Death Mage (Yondome wa Iyana Shi Zokusei Majutsushi), whose light novel they’ve already been releasing. This is the manga version, serialized online on Comic Walker. A guy with terrible luck dies horribly, is reincarnated, dies even more horribly, and is now reincarnated again in hopes he’ll just kill himself rather than go through this again. But he now has… DEATH MAGIC!

ASH: That’s a twist!

SEAN: Kodansha Comics has titles, which unfortunately their new website makes impossible to find. In print, the debut is Twilight Out of Focus (Tasogare Outfocus), a BL title from Honey Milk magazine. Two roommates have rules that they say should not be broken. Who wants to bet these rules won’t last the book?

ASH: I’d say that’s a pretty good bet.

SEAN: We also get Chasing After Aoi Koshiba 4 (the final volume) and PTSD Radio Omnibus 3.

The digital debut is Tsugumi Project, which runs in Young Magazine. Another post-apocalyptic action series, a group of convicts are tasked with retrieving a weapon from a ruined city. But the city is less dead than anyone thought.

And we also see Ace of the Diamond 43, The Dawn of the Witch 6, The Fable 14, Fungus and Iron 3, Gang King 5, and Life 2: Giver/Taker 3.

MICHELLE: We’re rapidly approaching the end of Ace of the Diamond! I hope Kodansha plans to release the sequel, too.

SEAN: Two debuts from J-Novel Club. The big light novel one is Earl and Fairy (Hakushaku to Yousei), a long-running light novel fantasy series circa twenty years ago that spawned a short-running manga version Viz licensed ages ago. A young Victorian woman with an interest in fairies teams up with a noble in a quest to retrieve a treasured sword. Get this, it’s really, really good fantasy.

ANNA: I’m intrigued and I usually don’t go in for light novels.

ASH: Wow, Earl and Fairy, that takes me back!

SEAN: The manga debut is Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon (Maou ni Natta node, Dungeon Tsukutte Jingai Musume to Honobono suru), the manga version of the light novel J-Novel Club also releases. It runs in Dra-Dra-Dragon Age, Japan’s greatest love machine. (Sorry.) (That really is the magazine title, I promise.)

And we also get Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home! 5, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 6, My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer 8, Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! 3, Perry Rhodan NEO 13, and Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer! 3.

Ghost Ship has new volumes of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You 6, I’m Not a Succubus! 3, and Sundome!! Milky Way 6.

Dark Horse Comics gives us Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! 5.

ASH: Another reminder that I am behind on both my manga reading and my anime watching.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has new releases for The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 4, Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 4.5, and I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again! 3.

And for early digital releases, there is Loner Life in Another World 5, Monster Girl Doctor 10 (the final volume), and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 7.

Sounds good! What manga of yours is getting rained on?

I Only Have Six Months to Live, So I’m Gonna Break the Curse with Light Magic or Die Trying!, Vol. 1

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By Genkotsu Kumano and Falmaro. Released in Japan as “Yomei Hantoshi to Senkokusareta node, Shinukide “Hikari Mahō” o Oboete Noroi wo Tokō to Omoimasu.: Noroware Ōji no Yarinaoshi” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by piyo.

Sometimes I get tired, you know? I’ve been a fan of Japanese manga and anime for a long time, and you would think I’d have grown used to all of the cliches, all of the fanservice, all of the annoying little tics that authors, illustrators and editors throw into a work in order to make it successful. But sometimes they all seem to hit at once in the same book, and I get tired. This sounded like a good series with a nice desperate fantasy thriller premise. That’s there, sort of. There’s also “our hero is ten but he’s got love interests” (which is thankfully resolved by a time skip at the end, and to be fair, two of the love interests are also ten). There’s tsunderes so cliched it’s remarked on in the text. There’s girls so shy and awkward I was surprised they didn’t fall over on their face… oh, wait, they did. It drowns out the story.

Callus is a prince… though that’s a secret. The reason it’s a secret is that he was born with a curse, and the rumor has it that those with curses will bring misfortune on the land. He’s struggled to survive for ten years, with agonizing pain at all times, helped only by the royal family and his loyal maid. But now he has a time limit. He’s told that the curse will kill him in six months. There’s only one possible way to solve things… learn light magic, which he could possibly use to heal himself. The good news is that he has a strong capacity for magic, including the ability to see the spirit he’s made a contract with, something almost unheard of! The bad news is that the magic he needs is tough. This curse really, really does not want to let him go…

Another part of the problem may be the artist, whose work I’ve disliked before (they do The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt), and who loves to draw big boobs. Beyond that… aside from the issues I mentioned above, there are things to like here. Callus is fine, a somewhat bland protagonist with a side order of oblivious to love, but he’s likeable enough. Crys and Sissy are cute, despite never ever running off their rails once during the book (two pages after meeting Crys, I knew she would be running off to get in trouble by fighting something she shouldn’t). The possible future antagonist of the book, the head of the Magic Association, is pleasantly evil in a chaotic, Xellos sort of way, and his sadism and viciousness allows the book a couple of dark patches.

For the most part, though, of all the Drecom debuts I’ve read over the last two months, this is the one that reads most like an author asking “so what are the kids reading these days?” and pulling derivative works out of a hat to mix ‘n match. It’s the very definition of “meh”.

Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel!, Vol. 10

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By Rhythm Aida and nauribon. Released in Japan as “Buta Koushaku ni Tensei shita kara, Kondo wa Kimi ni Suki to Iitai” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Zihan Gao.

There can sometimes be a disconnect between when a title is finished and when a title is “cancelled”. Generally speaking, some light novel titles indeed were cancelled for low sales, with no ending ever being published except on the web. Deathbound Duke’s Daughter is a good example, or Roll Over and Die. On the other hand, if a series does have a definitive ending, and yet there’s more content on the webnovel that comes after it, is a publisher obligated to release all of it just to satisfy completists? Arifureta came to an end recently, but fans know there’s about 10+ volumes of “After Story” on the web, which Overlap has shown no signs of releasing. And then there’s Piggy Duke. Yes, there’s more content on the webnovel site that has events after this volume. But this volume comes to a satisfying conclusion, mostly. It doesn’t leave you hanging. As such, I think it’s perfectly fine.

It’s finally time for Slowe to confront his family. First his sister Sansa, a general in the military, who meets up with Slowe after his dungeon adventures to announce that he’s now important enough that he needs a better retainer than Charlotte, so they got him a new one. Needless to say, this does not please Slowe. The new retainer, Mint, seems at first to be a clumsy dojikko type, but it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that this goes out the window pretty quickly. Meanwhile, Slowe’s father is also coming to see him, but for a far more serious reason. There’s a mercenary group, Rust, that has worked with Slowe’s family in the past to do the “dirty work” the government can’t do. Now the queen wants them wiped out, and their leader killed. And the setting for that confrontation… will be Kirsch Mage Institute.

We do finally meet the family here, and it’s no surprise why Slowe has done everything in his power to avoid them all this time – they’re just like him. Especially his father, who made me wonder if Slowe was a clone rather than a son. Slowe is also feeling a little guilty, as this entire “let’s get rid of the guys who do our dirty work” plotline is likely happening because Slowe averted the war, and thus derailed the anime’s story. That said, peace is a good thing, so he doesn’t regret it, but it does lead to the second half of the book being one final battle. Sadly, most of the cast that we’ve come to know is quietly shuffled offstage for that – Alicia is absent dealing with fallout from the last book, and Shuya just helps to give exposition. But they are very good fights, something the author has always handled well.

I will admit the ending, particularly the ending picture, did feel very Shonen Jump “we hope you enjoy the author’s next work”. And yes, Slowe and Charlotte do have more ongoing adventures that will remain a mystery. But this ending was decent enough. I’ll take it.

The Reincarnated Villainess Won’t Seek Revenge, Vol. 1

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By Akako and Hazuki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Tensei Shita Akuyaku Reijō wa Fukushū o Nozomanai” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by JCT.

With the glut of villainess books we’ve seen in recent years, it can help to know which bucket to put them in, in order to help with expectations. One of the easiest is “how serious is the story being told?”. On the one side you have titles like My Next Life As a Villainess, or the initial parts of Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster, where we know that the villainess tropes are being used to have a rollicking good time. On the other side you get titles like I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!, where the reality of what’s happened leads to trauma and severe mental strain. This new title, The Reincarnated Princess Won’t Seek Revenge, is not as dark as that, but it’s definitely more on the serious side of the scale. Mary just wants to life a happy, peaceful life in her new reincarnation, and not worry about her old life as Rosemary. Unfortunately, agency is an issue here. Others want the revenge she does not.

Rosemary Hubert, brought up to be engaged to the crown prince, is accused of terrible crimes she didn’t commit and hung at the gallows. Now the prince is married to Tia, the woman who brought this miscarriage of justice about. Eighteen years later, Mary Edigma suddenly regains her old memories of Rosemary – she was reincarnated as a rural baron’s daughter. She wants nothing more but to ignore court politics and live a new life… but the crown is calling in various noble daughters to serve as handmaids in the palace, in the hopes that one of them will prove to be a wife to Crown Prince Rizel, who has not really shown interest in anyone yet. Once there, she’s forced to interact with both Rosemary’s childhood friend Albert, now a knight, and her younger brother Reynaldo, now a duke. And both men are hellbent on at last getting the revenge for Rosemary’s death they’ve sought all these years.

There are some romance aspects to this book, of course. Prince Rizel falls deeply in love at first sight with Mary, mostly because she doesn’t fall all over him. Albert is still deeply in love with Rosemary, and transfers that to Mary quickly. And, in a creepier vein, Reynaldo is quite content to make Mary his, as “they’re no longer related” with her new reincarnation. But for the most part this volume is about the need for revenge, and who it’s really for. Mary insists that because she herself does not need revenge, the others should stop, but this ignores the suffering they’ve been through all these years. Likewise, both Reynaldo and Albert lie to Mary’s face a couple times about the revenge itself, because they will find it easier to apologize after the fact than to have her show up and stop them in media res. Which, of course, she does. That said, the bad guy got away, so it’s very easy to see how the 2nd volume will go.

This book can be a bit didactic at times, and Reynaldo pushes a few envelopes, but Mary is a strong heroine, and overall it’s a good read.

Pick of the Week: It’s Iruma-kuns All The Way Down

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SEAN: I mean, it’s Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, right? This series has ALL the buzz.

MICHELLE: Absolutely. I’ve been waiting eagerly for this since it was announced.

ASH: Yup, I’m on board for this one, too! It seems like it should be a lot of fun, so I’m looking forward to finding out.

ANNA: I’m not going to go against this emerging consensus!

KATE: At the risk of becoming the most predictable member of the MB Battle Robot, I, too, am voting for Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun.

Lovestruck Prince! I’ll Fight the Heroine for my Villainous Fiancée!, Vol. 1

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By Shakushineko and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Betabore no Kon’yakusha ga Akuyaku Reijō ni Saresō nanode Heroine gawa ni wa Sore Sōō no Mukui o Ukete Morau” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Mittt Liu.

I am once again thinking about genre when I write these reviews. I am, as you are no doubt aware by now, very fond of the villainess genre as a whole. There are several reasons for this, but one of the main ones is simply that it gives us a female protagonist, something that was nearly unheard of in translated light novels before this point. It’s almost a reaction against the potato isekai guys. Of course, if that is the case, then this book has a big issue, which is that this is the series where it’s the prince, for once not inveigled by that sneaky heroine, who is determined to help his sweet-as-pie fiancée. He’s sort of goofy, and not a bad character, but the lack of Elizabeth in this book is a worry. That said, the other part of the premise is quite interesting: what if the “otome game” aspect was in the world itself?

Crown Prince Vincent really loves his fiancée, Elizabeth. Really, really loves her. It’s sort of sickening. Unfortunately, lately things have not been going well, because there’s a new book that everyone at school is reading, Star Maiden. A romance of the “otome game” variety, it features a hero that is clearly Vincent… and Elizabeth as a cruel villainess! What’s more, a new girl at school, Yulisse, is trying to get in close with the prince, just like the book. And events in the book start to magically happen, despite both Vincent and Elizabeth trying their hardest to avoid all contact with Yulisse. What’s really going on here? Will Vincent be forced to publicly denounce his fiancée and break off their engagement at a huge ball? After all, that’s the trope.

I did like the book premise, which, yes, does turn out to involve a reincarnation from Japan, but for once it’s not the villainess or heroine. There’s a lot of political wrangling here, which is mostly good. Harold, the long-suffering aide to Vincent, is also a great character. The trouble is that, in trying to protect Elizabeth, Vincent bars us from learning anything about Elizabeth, whose inner thoughts we are rarely privy to. (This seems to be a family thing, as it’s hinted that his mother is a complete loose cannon, but we get no evidence for this at all.) And there’s also Raphael, one of Vincent’s allies, who is, as the book notes, “a playboy and sadist”. Yulisse can’t stand him, and so while her fate at the end of the book is appropriate given what she was trying to do, it also gives me the creeps. It’s not meant to make the reader assume she’s being sexually abused, but the frisson is there.

So, overall, a mixed bag. And, once again, everything is wrapped up in this book, but there’s a second one due out in the summer. Let’s hope it has a bit more villainess in it.