Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Slayers: The Long Road Home

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

After the previous volume, which was essentially an anniversary special, Kanzaka seems to have remembered how much fun it was to write Lina and Gourry, and so has returned to Slayers once more to kickstart a new arc. That said, he knows that he’s already used up most of the plots and fight scenes that he can in Lina’s world. There’s only so many times that you can battle a Dynast General and not have it seem dull, you know? Of course, he COULD just give in and write Lina taking Gourry to meet her family, which she’s been trying to do for the last couple of books, but that would involve writing her family, and we already know that characters like Lina’s older sister Luna work better as an unseen threat. As such, this volume DOES start with a battle with a Dynast general… who promptly gives in because Lina’s reputation is Just. That. Bad. Unfortunately, when they emerge from the fight they’re not in Kansas… erm, Zephilia anymore, but in a completely different place.

As it turns out, Lina and Gourry hail from the demon lord side of the continent. There’s also a dragon side of the continent, separated by a strong barrier to keep the two sides from meeting. And now Lina and Gourry, thanks to that annoying Dynast general, are in Ceifeed lands, with no idea how to return home. They spend most of the start of the book trying to decipher the different writing system, figure out the money conversion, and slowly making their way towards a real city. Along the way they run into a spunky young girl, Ran, who may act like a hyperactive tween but also can use wind magic and has an incredibly powerful staff. Unfortunately, as they move along, it becomeds apparent that Lina’s type of sorcery is far more powerful than these foiks are used to… and they want it for themselves.

The main issue I have with this book is that it’s a setup for more books down the line. Ran is a fun character, but we learn next to nothing about her, nor do we know anything about her motivation for traveling with Lina and Gourry. The villains in this book (leaving aside the city guard guys, who are more mooks than anything else) tend to blend together like most minor Slayers villains do, but they certainly show a callous disregard for human life or property… something that becomes more understandable when you realize who they are. Other than that, this is a perfectly decent Slayers book. Lina and Gourry are always fun, and we get to see Lina trying to get past her own reputation even in a place where it doesn’t precede her. The fights are action packed, and if they ever animate Slayers again might be fun to see. It will be interesting to see where this arc goes.

Unfortunately, this book came out in 2019, and there’s no Vol. 18 on the horizon, so we may never see how the arc goes. Which is the most frustrating part of this book, to be honest.

Tearmoon Empire, Vol. 9

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By Nozomu Mochitsuki and Gilse. Released in Japan as “Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by David Teng.

I’m not sure how long Tearmoon Empire is supposed to be, or even if the author has an ending in mind. Certainly Vol. 12 is due out in Japan soon, so we’re not anywhere close to the end at the moment. And yet it feels that we have at least started to hit the back half of the series, if only because we’re getting flash forwards that aren’t always depressing nightmares. The last couple of volumes of Tearmoon Empire have shown us glimpses of the main cast in the original world after Mia is executed, and this volume has one as well. It’s meant to show us all the good that Mia has done her second time around, even when she doesn’t always realize it. But here we also start to see flashforwards that seem to be the ACTUAL happy future, showing us an older Mia still happily running rings around everyone even if the narrator insists that she’s being a selfish coward. I really enjoyed reading them.

We pick up right where we left off at the end of the previous book, with Mia and company trying to stop Prince Sion from being poisoned by his younger brother. They succeed at this… accidentally, but the actual poisoning that happens is much worse, and requires everyone (but particularly Tiona and Citrina) being incredibly quick-witted. After the fallout from this, there’s still a massive party with nobles to attend to, so Sion and Abel decide to fight for Mia’s hand once and for all in a sword duel. Which comes as a big surprise to Mia, who as usual in matters of the heart seems to act like a girl her age. That said, when Sion actually confesses to her, she knows that this isn’t something she can actually brush off or deflect, and gives him an honest, sincere answer. Even the narrator is (mostly) silent here.

Tiona spent most of the start of this series either absent or barely appearing, which was a surprise given the role that she had in Mia’s original timeline. But gradually she’s grown in importance as a character, and here we see what Mia’s actions have wrought, which is that she and Sion have now had enough character development that they can genuinely confide in each other. While Tearmoon Empire isn’t quite a “villainess” book per se, and is not derived from an otome game, Tiona absolutely fulfills the “heroine of an otome game” archetype, including being able to see past noble bullshit and get to the heart of the matter. As for Mia, she’s getting smarter by the book. I especially loved when Citrina praised her for her foresight in finding the antidote mushroom, and Mia briefly debated taking credit for it, but decided to tell Citrina that it really was just pure coincidence. I’m hoping that in future books we can see her be even more honest with others about her real motives, though the basic premise of the book tells me I won’t see it too often.

This was an absolute banger of a book, wrapping up this arc in fine fashion, and with several real dramatic moments. Next time we’ll be going to The Valley of Horses, but hopefully not in a Jean M. Auel way, and presumably we will slowly set up the next arc but not pay it off. These books are long, as are the arcs.

Adachi and Shimamura, Vol. 10

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By Hitoma Iruma and raemz. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Molly Lee.

Finally, after two volumes with illustrations ranging from minimal to none, we have a new artist. I had speculated last time that Non, the old artist, had left the title as they were ill, but I’ve since found out that it’s more “they are shifting their career goals”, i.e. they’re only drawing BL now. Which is fine. Replacing them is raemz, who is best known over here for the gorgeous illustrations for Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle. So things are back to normal with this series… for the most part. This volume, following up on the 8th book, spends far more time in the future with Adachi and Shimamura moving in with each other after graduating and getting jobs. Iruma has never really been all that fond of linear storytelling, so I’m not too surprised, but it does also remind you that the series is winding down. Indeed, the author states in the afterword that the 8th book was the “final” one, and the four to follow are afterwords. And Dengeki confirmed 12 will be the last.

As noted, the book is divided into ‘present’ and ‘future’ sections, with the former narrated by Shimamura and the latter mostly by Adachi. In the present, now that Adachi and Shimamura are dating, and given that the author is not really going to do anything with Hino and Nagafuji here after they got a major spotlight last time, there’s really only one plot thread to wrap up. Or rather, to cut. Tarumi is still around, still has a major unstated crush on Shimamura, and still wants to hang out with her. And credit to Shimamura, here we see what all this interaction with Adachi and Yashiro has wrought, as she decides to deal with the issue head on telling Tarumi that she’s dating Adachi now. The scene is meant to be heartbreaking, but sadly, most of Shimamura’s narration still puts a layer of gauze over everything, so I think it’s merely bittersweet.

There’s quite a bit of Yashiro in this book, as she spends most of it dressed up in onesies of various kinds of animals. I’ve joked before about how I’m the only fan of the series who likes Yashiro, but I do think that her role in the story is very important. First of all, she deserves just as much credit as Adachi for getting Shimamura out of her passive daze and forcing her to take a good long look at herself. Adachi does this directly by being a vibrating ball of gay, but Yashiro always does it indirectly, so it’s harder to spot. She also gives Adachi and Shimamura a gravitas that they would not otherwise have. The idea from prior books that there are many alternate universes, and that all of them have Adachi finding Shimamura in them, is a nice one that distracts you from the fact that these books can be very, very dull if you let them. Future Shimamura also seems to realize that even after they’ve moved to a different city, Yashiro is gonna show up anyway. She’s the spice.

Adachi and Shimamura 11 just came out in Japan last month, so it will no doubt be a while before we see it here. Till then, enjoy the present, as Shimamura cuts ties with an old friend, and the future, as Adachi and Shimamura move in together and share a bed but are quite asexual about it all.

Pick of the Week: Exciting Icelandic Sagas

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SEAN: No question, my pick this week is I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner. We’ve seen “the same events from another perspective” in other light novels, but usually as briefly changing narrators, not an entire new series. Plus… More Claire! More Rae!

MICHELLE: Given is no doubt a nicer series than The Shadows of Who We Once Were, but since I haven’t read it in ages, I don’t feel as though I can really pick it these week. Whereas I’ve been binging Shadows and, though I am still not entirely sure how I feel about it, the end being in sight definitely inclines me in its favor. So… half-hearted endorsement, I guess?

ASH: Debut-wise, I think the series that I’m the most curious about this week is The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls, but if I look towards currently ongoing series (and favorites) Vinland Saga is always a top choice for me.

ANNA: I may be far behind, but I won’t pass up a chance to hype Vinland Saga either.

KATE: All the enthusiastic praise for Vinland Saga makes me think I should give it a second try, so I’m joining Anna and Ash and making it my pick of the week.

My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex: “The Only You in the World”

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By Kyosuke Kamishiro and TakayaKi. Released in Japan as “Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Gierrlon Dunn.

This series is definitely one which enjoys being for otaku nerds, and expects its readers to keep up. Fortunately, it also has Yume, who is not an otaku nerd, and who sometimes needs things explained. (There’s a Haruhi Suzumiya joke here, and it’s remarked on how old that series is.) It also leans heavily on the sort of stereotypes such fans enjoy. And Isana Higashira leans heavily into those stereotypes. She’s the weird one. She talks like she’s from the 19th century. She’s got a really big chest. The whole nine yards. She’s also a hoot to read. I was quoting this book on Twitter while I read it, and everything I was quoting was one of her lines. That said, there’s a reason why, despite her plotline supposedly wrapping up in the second volume, the author came back to look at her in more depth. It’s because real life is not like light novels, and people don’t really get over being rejected by their first love that easily.

Mizuto and Yume return from their trip worse off than before, thanks mostly to Yume’s inability to spit her feelings out and Mizuto’s talent for rationalizing anything as “not in love with me”. They’re back home, though, which means that Isana can come over. A lot. And hang out with Mizuto, and get in compromising situations with Mizuto, and go out on a date with Mizuto (and Yume, who invites herself along), and introduce Mizuto to her mother. It should not really come as a surprise that, when school finally goes back into session, the rumor among the class is that Mizuto and Isana are dating. And Yume, trapped by her own inability to get her own feelings across, can’t say anything. Unfortunately, suddenly being the center of attention, and having the reason for that be a lie that everyone believes, makes Isana very unhappy.

The subtitle of this volume comes from Isana’s awesome mom, who sounds like she starred in a light novel series of her own as a teen. Isana suffers from an inability to read social cues, and when she asks things that to her are not obvious, she binds that everyone gets upset and she’s isolated. Mizuto is the first person her own age she’s met who not only does not get upset by her but is able to interact with her as a friend. This is why she fell for him so hard, and it’s also why, despite everything she’s told him, she can’t get past being rejected quite yet. The author mentions in the afterword that he originally ended the volume with Mizuto being more cool and dramatic, but that Isana was telling him that something wasn’t working there, so he went back and wrote the ending we have now, which feels more in character.

Yume will still eventually get together with Mizuto, of course, whenever this series ends. That said, I can understand why the author says Yume “feels like she’s losing” after this book. Isana, if nothing else, deserves her own spinoff.

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-Up, Vol. 2

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By Rino Mayumi and Machi. Released in Japan as “Jimihime to Kuroneko no, Enman na Konyaku Haki” by M Novels F. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Evie Lund.

Last time, I mentioned that we’d gone an entire novel without having the satisfying break-up of the title. Well, I’ve just finished the second volume, and I have some bad news for you. Now, this is not entirely bad. The scenes dealing with Prince Helios, how Seren thinks he feels about her and Marietta, how he *actually* feels about her and Marietta, and the fact that he’s really starting to mature and come into his own now lend a nice air of anticipatory horror to the whole thing. Helios isn’t a bad guy, just a teen who was overheard once at the exact wrong time and it’s going to destroy his life. That said, that’s about 15% of this book. The other 85% is Serena and Viol being adorable at each other while he teaches her magic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute, and they make a good not-yet-couple. It’s just compared to the underlying tension it feels a bit… dull?

The exam to become a High Mage is not that far away, so it’s time for Viol (or his alternate self/cat familiar Vi) to train Marietta to do better and better things. It helps that she’s a complete genius who picks up on everything much faster than he anticipates, to the point where he has to forbid her from learning how to FLY for fear she’ll try too hard and injure herself. Instead, they sneak out of her mansion and go to find magical beasts to destroy, so that she can gain experience. Which is good, because she really does show off that she’s unused to this, being terrified on her first encounter with one, and her magic therefore not being as strong as usual. But she improves, very quickly, and all is going well. Including her feelings for Viol, and Viol’s feelings for her. Now if they could only tell each other…

So yeah, it turns out that what this really is is one of the current genre of “sweet and syrupy romance” books, with a side order of magical creatures. Seren can’t stop staring at Viol, or thinking about how to please him, and near the end of this book realizes that she’s fallen in love with him. She’s also fully made her decision to become a High Mage and not the Queen, which is all very well and good but she really needs to tell someone about it. Viol loves Seren and sweets, in that order, and sort of suspects that Helios still likes her, but is certainly not going to try to fix things on his own. The result is a book where the high tension is surrounded by fluff. That said, I do really like the minor subplot of bringing more women into the “salons” that the noble men attend. Even if Seren does misread the reason, it’s good to see that for once we have a group of nobles and none of them are sexist dickheads! What are the odds?

There’s certainly more to this story – the author is still writing it as a webnovel. That said, these are the only two books to come out in print in Japan – two more seem to be digital-only. In any case, I really, REALLY hope that the break-up is dealt with in Book 3, because there’s only so many times I can read about these two eating sweets, y’know?

The Saga of Tanya the Evil: Alea Iacta Est

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By Carlo Zen and Shinobu Shinotsuki. Released in Japan as “Youjo Senki” by Enterbrain. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Richard Tobin.

For most of this light novel series, there has bee one character pushing back against its main premise: Colonel Lergen. He’s been the one to boggle at the fact that a child is behind most of their major battles, and he also is able to see the terrifying soullessness that Tanya’s combination of military training and past-life management memories can do. We sympathize with him as the lone voice of reason. As such, the scene near the start of this book where he tries to “negotiate” peace with Ildoa is absolutely jaw-dropping. No one in the Empire (except Zettour and Tanya) is really aware of exactly how badly they’re losing the war, and nobody (including Tanya) is quite aware of exactly what the rest of the world thinks of the Empire as a nation. Actually, Rudersdorf may realize this as well. But his solution to the problem is not one that even the Empire can tolerate, and thus Zettour and Tanya are forced to once again make the title of the light novel be as accurate as possible.

For a series with the title The Saga of Tanya the Evil (or, for that matter, The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl), Tanya is not in this book as much as previous volumes. Huge chunks of the volume are dedicated to Lergen’s negotiation with the Ildoans,. and later with his leading the attack on those same Ildoans. We get lots of Zettour here, as he attempts to persuade his friend that he’s being stupid, and then, persuasion having failed, is reduced to assassination. But even this goes pear-shaped, because the Empire’s foreign office is so bad at everything that the Commonwealth use this opportunity to put in their own assassination attempt. As for Tanya, she’s still trying to think of ways that she and her unit can defect (and kudos to her for actually thinking of the unit here at all), but that’s getting more and more difficult.

I want to take some time to talk about the artwork of Shinobu Shinotsuki, which tends to run to two different kinds. There’s the overdramatic gorgeous pictures, such as the ones we see in the color pages. And there’s the ones that look like a total cartoon. Sometimes literally, as one shot of Lergen and Calandro screaming at each other shows drops of snot coming from one nose as if they’re Crayon Shin-chan, while the background has cute l’il caricatures of Tanya and Visha. (Visha also gets a picture of the volume’s funniest moments, trying to eat as much as possible as quickly as possible because they finally have good food and will never get more of it.) The most telling moment, though, is when we read, in Tanya’s matter-of-fact narration, about her idea for an initiative, along with her misgivings about it, and the illustration shows her laughing maniacally as if she’s just shot a dog. One wonders how much of this chronicle can be trusted.

Good news, we get the 12th volume in a few months. Bad news, that’s the latest from Japan, and it came out three years ago. That said, we have a long ways to go before the Empire finally falls, so strap in.

Manga the Week of 1/11/23

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SEAN: Manga is here for you whether it’s far too warm for January or far too cold.

ASH: Far too warm and rainy here, at the moment.

SEAN: No print releases for Airship, but we do get an early digital debut, and it’s a spinoff! I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijō: Heimin no Kuse ni Namaikina!) retells the events of the main novel series from Claire’s point of view. I can’t wait to dig back into this world.

ASH: Oh! Very nice. (This also serves a reminder that I need to finish reading the main series.)

MICHELLE: So do I. I did enjoy the volume I read.

SEAN: Another debut for Denpa Books. Under Ninja is a Young Magazine title from the creator of I Am A Hero. Our hero is a ninja!… but he’s also a NEET. What happens when he finally gets a mission?

ASH: I’ve been very curious about this one.

SEAN: There is also the 6th and final volume of Pleasure and Corruption.

Ghost Ship gives us The Witches of Adamas 4.

J-Novel Club has some new volumes. We see Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill: Sui’s Great Adventure 2, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 8, Hell Mode 5, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! 9, Perry Rhodan NEO 11, Rebuild World’s 2nd manga volume, Seventh 2, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 10.

In print, it’s time for Kodansha to roll out Ghost in the Shell once more. The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled is an 832-page hardcover that has Ghost in the Shell 1, 1.5, and 2.

ASH: Dang! That’ll be quite the volume!

ANNA: Woah.

SEAN: Speaking of omnibuses, they also have the first manga omnibus of No. 6. This contains the first three volumes, which first came out almost 10 years ago.

ASH: I’m glad to see this series staying in print. (Also, has it really been a decade??)

SEAN: They’ve also got A Galaxy Next Door 4, Gleipnir 12, Noragami: Stray God 25, The Seven Deadly Sins Manga Box Set 3 (Vols. 15-21), Vinland Saga 13, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 9.

ASH: Always glad to see the newest Vinland Saga release!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: The digital debut is Gang King, a 37-volume monster that started in Shonen Gahosha’s Young King then jumped companies, and has been in Magazine Special, Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and finally Evening. It’s a delinquent manga, and it’s quite well known.

Digitally, we also see Ace of the Diamond 41, The Fable 10, My Boyfriend in Orange 13, Police in a Pod 20, The Shadows of Who We Once Were 8 (the final volume), and WIND BREAKER 8.

MICHELLE: I’ve been reading The Shadows of Who We Once Were these past few days, and am glad I won’t have to wait too long to see who survives to the end!

SEAN: One Peace Books has the 11th volume of The New Gate.

Two debuts from Seven Seas. The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls (Kishitan wa Jouheki no Naka ni Hanahiraku) is a Comic Gardo title about a girl who dreams of being a knight, which means she’ll need to start out as a squire.

ASH: I like the premise and so am duly intrigued.

ANNA: Oh, I’m curious about this too.

SEAN: Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari runs in Ultra Jump, and features a man who loathes spirits and wants to send them back to the otherworld. Unfortunately, he’s sent to live with a girl who shares an apartment with a bunch of spirits!

Also from Seven Seas: Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 5, Dungeon Toilet 3 (the final volume), Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 6, Hunting in Another World With My Elf Wife 2, Machimaho: I Messed Up and Made the Wrong Person Into a Magical Girl! 11, Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō 15, and You Like Me, Not My Daughter?! 2.

Square Enix Manga has the 2nd volume of My Happy Marriage.

SuBLime has Caste Heaven 8 (the final volume) and Given 7.

ASH: I’m behind on Given, but have enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

MICHELLE: Same. I really need to get caught up on it.

ANNA: Unsurprisingly, me too.

SEAN: Viz has a debut from Ura Sunday. Helck is a manga about the competition to become the next demon lord… which is being entered by a human!?

Viz also has Case Closed 85, Dandadan 2, Fly Me to the Moon 15, Kaiju No. 8 5, Mao 9, Mashle: Magic and Muscles 10, Pokémon Adventures: X•Y 4, Skip Beat! 3-in-1 15, and YO-KAI WATCH 20.

That’s it! Man, it’s lonely at the end of the list now. No worries, Yen Press will be back with a vengeance the week after next.

Bookshelf Briefs 1/5/23

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Asumi-chan Is Interested in Lesbian Brothels!, Vol. 1 | By Kuro Itsuki | Seven Seas – I wasn’t originally planning to read this at all, but several people I respect said it was actually quite well done. So I read it, and they were right. Asumi is a young gay woman who pines after her older friend who took care of her when she was younger. She wants to find her, but the only reliable rumor is that she works as a sex worker in a place for other like-minded women. This is very consensual and sex-positive, despite the cover art. Each chapter is a different hostess, and the sex is explicit without getting too tawdry. The actual payoff is hinted at the end of the first chapter, but this is essentially a foodie manga, but with lesbian sex. The journey is the reason to read it. – Sean Gaffney

Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer, Vol. 1 | By Atsuhiko Itoh and Tomomasa Takuma | One Peace Books – Isekai seems nearly impossible to escape these days, but even so it’s not a subgenre that I tend to frequent. The manga adaptation of Captain Corinth caught my attention, however, by promising to meld science fiction and fantasy elements without relying on reincarnation to propel its lead character into a different world. Corinth’s near-death experience is still pivotal, though—as the only surviving crewmember of a starship, his escape pod crash lands him on a planet of magic-users, a rarity in the universe. Granted, his survival largely depends on highly advanced technology that may as well be a form of magic. His successes come far too easily as a result at this point, but that may soon change. This early on in the series the balance between science fiction and fantasy hasn’t quite been realized, but the potential is definitely there for them to be combined in interesting ways. – Ash Brown

The Food Diary of Miss Maid, Vol. 1 | By Susumu Maeya| Kodansha Manga (digital only) – There is a bit of a plot here, but only a bit. Suzume, a maid who works in an English mansion, is on vacation in Japan for a week or so… then her master tells her the mansion has been destroyed. While they rebuild it, she has to stay there. What this means is that you get a cute girl in a maid outfit who is Japanese but (having lived in England) has little idea what Japanese food and food etiquette is like, trying out various Japanese delicacies and telling us about them. As such, it’s a foodie manga (with no lesbian sex). It’s well done, as it made me hungry for the items in question, especially the dango. That said, there’s no character development here beyond her meeting her neighbor, who is essentially a straight (wo)man. – Sean Gaffney

The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 10 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This volume opens with a thoroughly charming sequence that I shan’t spoil, reminding us of the whimsy this series is capable of before it gets down to SO. MUCH. ADULTING. Mikuri and Hiramasa are expecting! Her morning sickness is extremely bad, so Hiramasa takes over a lot of household tasks (all while not letting on how worried he is) while they both try to navigate the many rules their employers and others have about leave time and applying for this or that. Meanwhile, Yuri is having a health scare and one of Hiramasa’s coworkers starts to fall for him (while dealing with rampant sexism in the workplace). A lot of emphasis is on Mikuri and Hiramasa functioning as a team, and that Hiramasa’s request for a month of paternity leave is frowned upon because what could a man possibly contribute? As good as ever, thankfully! – Michelle Smith

Night of the Living Cat, Vol. 1 | By Hawkman and Mecha-Roots | Seven Seas – Night of the Living Cat is to manga what Shaun of the Dead is to movies: both are loving spoofs of the zombie genre that faithfully reproduce its signature tropes. The central joke in Living Cat is that infected humans don’t turn into flesh-eating monsters but adorable kitties; the main mode of transmission is snuggling. While that premise sounds hilarious, the authors’ commitment to telling the story with a straight face ends up weighing down what should be a goofy, buoyant send-up of I Am a Hero and The Walking Dead. The result is like watching a Naked Gun movie in which every actor delivers their lines in a natural, conversational tone; the jokes are there, but the delivery is off. – Katherine Dacey

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 6 | By Misaki Takamatsu |Seven Seas – The main story of this manga continues to be terrific. Mitsumi is still bright and shiny, but has lost a lot of the country hick that she started off with (though she still needs other’s help buying “city-specific” presents). It’s also Valentine’s Day, so it’s time for Mika to shoot her shot and confess to Shima, even though she, the school, and the reader know how that’s going to go. And we also get a great chapter from Nao’s point of view, where she confesses to her friend that seeing Mitsumi’s supportive family and circle of loving friends makes her envious for all the support she never had. This is not a trans manga per se, as Nao is a supporting character, but trans readers should find it very welcoming. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 16 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – For the most part, unlike the anime (which expanded the cast out of necessity), this manga is very much about two kids and not much else. But, as the series has gone on, we have gotten side couples (such as Nakai and Mano, who remain adorable) and Those Three Girls. But now we’re moving up to second year (making the cast fourteen years old), and the series’ resident grumpy tsundere, Hojo, who is clearly in love with her neighbor and friend but is not really admitting it. All of this helps to balance and contrast Takagi and Nishikata, who pretty much have their one gimmick. It is a VERY good gimmick, though, and Takagi is blushing more and more each volume. This should please fans. – Sean Gaffney

Usotoki Rhetoric, Vol. 1 | By Ritsu Miyako | One Peace Books – Urabe Kanoko was driven out of her home village due to her ability to hear lies. She arrives in Tsukumoya Town in search of a job, and soon becomes the assistant of a perpetually penniless detective named Iwai Soma. He’s the first person who has wanted her by his side even after learning of her power, declaring, “I think you can become a real force for good!” Together, they test the limits of her ability and come up with a system by which she can inconspicuously signal when someone involved in a case is lying. In this volume, they solve such mysteries as “where did that kid go?,” “why did Iwai lie about knowing that lady?,” and “where did that other kid go?” Though the mysteries are light so far, I still really enjoyed this volume, especially the 1926 setting, and very much look forward to more! – Michelle Smith

Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster, Vol. 1 | By Saki and Tsukasa Satsuki| J-Novel Club (digital only) – As you can likely guess, this is another villainess story. Mary Albert realizes one day that she’s the villainess in an otome game, and will end up destitute and her family in ruins. The gimmick here is that she decides to embrace her fate wholeheartedly, and seeks out the various scenes with the heroine, Alicia, so that she can be as nasty as possible. There’s just one issue: Mary Albert is sweet as pie, both with and without reincarnated memories, and her attempts to be mean backfire horribly as she helps Alicia at every turn. There’s no reason she chooses to be evil other than “comedy,” but the comedy is fun, and I also like her long-suffering servant who’s in love with her. – Sean Gaffney

Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight, Vol. 15

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By Hyougetsu and Nari Teshima. Released in Japan by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen.

This is a perfectly decent volume of Der Werwolf. There’s lots of politicking, and there’s a big fight against a danger to every country towards the end of it. Fans should be pleased. That said, when the author stated in the afterword that the 16th volume would be the final one, it was hard not to think “Thank God”. It’s gotten harder these days to end popular series, and Der Werwolf is a classic example. I enjoy the next generation, but it really isn’t doing much beyond the same things that the previous one did. Indeed, Friede gets less page time here than in the two prior books, and Veight once again takes center state. This is partly because Friede doesn’t travel to a new foreign country, but the foreign country comes to Friede. But it’s also because Friede is her dad, only with “bright-eyed young woman” added to it. Even other characters note that they’re the same. When you’re just writing the same things over and over again (much like this review), it’s probably time to call it quits.

Meraldia is visited by the crown prince of Kuwol, Shumar, who gets off to a very bad start with Friede due to cultural differences, but seems a pretty nice guy at heart. He’s unlikely to be added to Friede’s group of friends anytime soon, though. Veight, meanwhile, is starting to think of the future, specifically what will happen to the world after he and those of his generation pass on, so he’s trying to explain the differences between Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy to that next generation, with limited success. Unfortunately, disaster soon arrives in the form of a massive dragon, apparently powered by mana, which is slowly making its way out of the woods and towards the other countries. Parker is send to investigate… and is incinerated into bone dust. Can anything defeat it?

‘Dragon’ isn’t one of the fantasy creatures we’ve seen in Der Werwolf. The reason for that is that we already have reptilian humanoids, and they pretty much fit in that little block next to the werewolves and vampires. This, though, is not so much a dragon as a kaiju – instead of fire, it fires off laser beams from its mouth, which reminds me of several Gamera films. Given that it absorbs mana, most of the traditional ways this series fights things don’t work at all. One interesting thing that comes up is that the dragon needs to be stopped before it evolves into a Hero. We haven’t really dealt with Heroes since the very beginning of this series, and it’s worth remembering that, to Veight and the others, a Hero is the worst thing that could happen to the world. Fortunately, Veight is able to use the power of diplomacy plus the power of being a one-man fighting machine to help take the dragon down, helped in the end by his daughter.

I’m not sure what the final volume will give us – retirement? I highly doubt it ends years in the future with Veight’s death. Mostly as it’s hard to imagine him ever dying. But Vol. 16 is not out in Japan yet, so we’ll have to wait to find out.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Vol. 7

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By Hayaken and Nagu. Released in Japan as “Eiyu-oh, Bu wo Kiwameru tame Tensei su. Soshite, Sekai Saikyou no Minarai Kisi ♀” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Mike Langwiser.

This is getting an anime starting in a few days, and it will be interested to see what sort of tone it takes. I suspect it will be more towards the light-hearted end, because there’s just no other way to see Inglis and Rafinha otherwise, but there is a lot of darkness and tragedy in this series as well… which is frequently glossed over, let’s be honest. In any case, the anime will likely adapt at least three books and possibly four, because these books are short and read very fast. They are not interested in stopping to think about what happens to the people left behind, or to the buildings destroyed in Inglis’ fights, they are moving on to the next fight. That may change in Book 8, though, as the cliffhanger to this book is a nasty one, and is bringing the “let’s kill generic monsters” part of these volumes a lot closer to home.

Believe it or not, things happen away from Inglis as well, and the first third or so of this book shows us Rafael, Eris and Ripple trying to combine fighting a war with fighting monsters and getting very frustrated that they’re the only side that wants to call off the first part because of the danger of the second part. The enemy commander is very determined to destroy Karelia, and he has a somewhat naive but deeply besotted hieral menace to help him. Fortunately, when all seems lost, along comes Inglis to save the day… mostly because saving the day, for once, involves fighting a really strong opponent and going all out. Yes, for once, everyone’s interests align with hers, and only Rafinha seems to care that this is merely Inglis doing what she would have done anyway.

The front of the book is interesting as it reminds us that there are normal people in this world doing things sensibly. Rafael, Rafinha’s brother, is an upright, honest young man, who spends much of this book infuriated that people are not fighting honestly or sensibly. Eris and Ripple are both there to essentially hold him back from the last ditch move that he has against horrible threats, which does resolve the threat but also kills him. They’re all good people, and I’d say that they deserve a book of their own, but it would probably be very dull, because we’re reading this for our meathead heroine and her total lack of common sense. Heck, even her bad habits save the day here – not only her fighting, but also the fact that she and Rafinha brought along a huge chunk of ancient dragon meat, which turns out to have healing properties. Yes, Inglis has now combined her fighting and eating to have infinite fighting without having to worry about killing her opponent. Tremble in fear.

And then there’s that nasty cliffhanger… theoretically. This series is on the lighter end of the spectrum, despite all the bad things happening, so I suspect the answer to “is this reversible” will be “yes”, but you never know. Till then, enjoy the fighting.

Pick of the Week: Ravens, Killers, and Isekai

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MICHELLE: I was originally going to pick I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero, but a commenter on the Manga the Week of post described the Raven of the Inner Palace anime as “sad and lovely,” so now I am super curious about that. Thus, I’m actually picking a light novel this time!

SEAN: Raven of the Inner Palace is definitely on my list, because I am happy to add another “behind the scenes of the emperor’s harem” title. That said, the one that is most intriguing to me this week is No Longer Allowed In Another World, which has the potential to be amazingly funny or a giant trainwreck, and I want to see which.

ASH: I’ll throw another title out there for consideration since I’ve been waiting for it for so long—Rakuda Laughs—but honestly I’m interested in everything that’s been mentioned so far and will join Sean in picking No Longer Allowed In Another World for the reasons already outlined.

KATE: I’ve heard a lot of good things about Romantic Killer–especially its blunt, no-nonsense heroine–so that’s my pick of the week.

ANNA: Put me down for Romantic Killer too, I’m intrigued.

Loner Life in Another World, Vol. 4

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By Shoji Goji and Saku Enomaru. Released in Japan as “Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Eric Margolis. Adapted by Veles Svitlychny.

Welcome back to another volume of “Unreliable Narrators: The Light Novel”. Most of this is due to the presence of Haruka, who deliberately obfuscates his own activities to be extremely annoying, obnoxious, or (most often) both, but also in how he describes the activities of everyone else in the series. In fact, the most important parts of the book are probably not his rambling descriptions and horny fantasies, but the “Interlude” chapters from other points of view – especially Class Rep, who I’m not certain is 100% reliable either, but is certainly better than Haruka. What he describes as the sports jocks out “playing tag with kobolds” because they can only relate to folks as dumb as they are, Class Rep describes as going out every day to grind and level to try to get stronger. Haruka will talk about his creating new Japanese food and having the girls all fight over it, Class Rep will talk about the fact that they sob as they eat it because they miss home so much. This series has layers.

Even the cover art has layers – the cover seen here features the Princess of the kingdom looking cool and noble, but turn to the color pages and you’ll see her half-naked and broken. This is, of course, due to Haruka, no matter how much he insists that it’s not really his fault. Most of the first half of the book is spent in the dungeons, with Haruka and the girls taking on a dungeon and finding a lot of useful books. Haruka also acquires tentacles (just like Maple – is this a thing now?), which he uses mostly to sew clothing for the girls with multiple appendages, though it’s implied that Angelica sees a more traditional use in their bedroom activities. He’s also been busy trying to kick start the Industrial Revolution in their frontier city, to the point where the kingdom sends its Royal Guard (led by the Princess) to put them down. Of course, she knows this is wrong, but she has to obey their commends… something she rapidly regrets.

There is a lot of goofy humor, over the top happenings, and sheer horniness in these books – the girls all level up Sense Presence in this book, it’s heavily implied so they can hear what Haruka and Angelica do every night), but it’s also a lot darker than you’d expect – and darker than its manga equivalent, which makes Haruka more tolerable but also less interesting. Class Rep here doesn’t go into detail, but mentions twice how his entire family in Japan is dead, and she also talks about how she would break completely if he dies. What Haruka sees as the girls stubbornly throwing themselves into danger they’re not capable of handling, they see as trying desperately to level up enough so they can protect HIM – he has a low level, and can’t rely on what everyone else does, so could easily die at any moment, despite his belittling of this. The book, like Haruka, is actively trying to drive the reader away from it, but the rewards are also great.

That said, you will need to sit through several mentions of his exhausting Angelica so much in the evenings he gets lectured the next day. For fans who were already gonna read this only.

Hell Mode ~ The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing, Vol. 2

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By Hamuo and Mo. Released in Japan as “Hell Mode – Yarikomi Suki no Gamer wa Hai Settei no Isekai de Musō Suru” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Taishi.

Having now circled back to read the 2nd book in this series, which came out about a year ago, I find that I will be struggling to write a review of it, because so many of the strengths and weaknesses in the book are the same as the previous volume. In general, whenever Allen is NOT using his summons to fight things, I am reasonably entertained. It’s an interesting reincarnation fantasy where we’re learning about the world at the same time as the main character is, and the climax of the book is action that is actually exciting and cool. Unfortunately, the weakness of this book is that it’s still written for game heads, and I do not give a rat’s ass about how many summons it takes to screw in an orc’s lightbulb this time around. Plus, this is a one-man series still. Cecil plays slightly more of a role here than Krena did in the first, but sadly most of that role is to run away or get kidnapped.

After the events of the first book, Allen is now at a Baron’s house, serving as the servant to the young lady of the house, Cecil. Of course, we don’t really see much of his servant duties. Instead, we see him leaving the city to go out and hunt monsters, experimenting with different types of birds, beasts, stone creatures, and even fish that can buff you. He also starts taking out goblins, then moves up to orcs, which gains him the attention of the local soldiers, who see that he is clearly not Talentless but turn a blind eye. Things change when (it’s implied because pf Allen’s activities) the local dragon moves to the other side of his mountain, meaning that the poor city will soon be able to be rich again. Unfortunately, there are evil nobles who want to change that reality.

The last quarter of the book really is the best part. Allen and Cecil’s escape from what amounts to a dirigible is exciting and also ludicrous (break both legs? Use a leaf and heal myself instantly!). You’d think someone who was a 2-level magic user might try to contribute a bit, but I’ll put it down to Cecil being sheltered. We also get a much better look at the world itself, as after saving his daughter the baron tells Allen the real secrets about this world… and how it ties into his Japanese self selecting “hell Mode” in the first place. Of course, what this ends up meaning is that we’re going to be going to a different locale for the third book in a row, though at least Cecil will be coming along (and I suspect we’ll see Krena again too). I really enjoy the plot, and wish that I didn’t have to wade through 150 pages of experimentation to get to it.

The series is out up to Book 5, but I’m taking a break here so I can read in increments another book people have been demanding I try. In any case, recommended for those who enjoy books with lots of gaming talk in them, as well as books where the hero is not immediately OP but has to work to be OP.

Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 7

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

This is not, in general, a light and fluffy series in the least. However, with the exception of the start and final pages of this volume, this is definitely one that is on the lighter side. For one thing, our main group of six are now in their third year, and we’re long past their finding out how this school works – they know it well by now. Everyone (except Chela, who is sadly ignored for almost this entire volume, and who I hope gets some nice plot bits in 8 to make up for it) gets a chance to show off, especially Pete, Guy and Katie, who each get a nice bit at the start that allows them to be the elder student advising the newbies. This is especially welcome for Guy, who has honestly the least character development of the six. As for Oliver and Nanao, well, they get the bulk of the book to themselves, as always. Everyone is a protagonist, but some are more protagonist than others.

This book is the start of what amounts to a Tournament Arc, as there’s a Combat League competition coming up, and since there’s so no real stand-out winner in the election yet, it’s going to be a factional battle. Fortunately, the initial stages are grouped by year, meaning Oliver and company don’t have to fight Seventh-Years. That said, he and Nanao will need a third, as Chela’s dad clearly designed this year’s complicated rules, so she wants to keep a low profile. Fortunately, they have everyone’s favorite ball of sunshine, Yuri, to be on their team. (Guy, Katie and Pete also form a team, and get a chunk of the book to show off as well.) Their team will be up against three others that they’re unfamiliar with, which is a pain. Oh yes, and a seventh-year student is stealing other student’s bones.

That last bit is what forms the serious part of this book, and it is quite creepy, though it remains unclear how much permanent damage it actually does… or what the end goal is. It does show off Yuri’s worrying tendency to go after mysteries the way that the Scooby Doo gang do, and Oliver has to be the voice of reason multiple times throughout trying to keep him from haring off and getting himself killed. Other than that, this book is mostly here to show off everyone’s cool magic fighting. It does a very good job, and there are lots of interesting applications, but Oliver and Nanao are leagues above everyone else in their year, and that fact does not change with anything that we see in this volume. We also get to see the 4th/5th year and 6th/7th year fights, the latter of which is most interesting as it shows off Vanessa Aldiss, who loves to fight and who clearly is not above killing people if there aren’t rules in place. It’s clearly meant to show readers that the next Oliver v. teacher battle will be even harder and more vicious.

So yes, good volume. Needs More Chela. Not much to say.