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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

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Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower, Vol. 9

March 19, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

By Miri Mikawa and Kasumi Nagi. Released in Japan as “Ikka Kōkyū Ryōrichō” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hunter Prigg.

This is one of those volumes where the audience knows the answer that the rest of the cast are searching for, but even by the end of the book they still have not quite figured it out. So much of this volume is about sacrificing personal hopes, dreams and happiness for the sake of the country, and the assumption that, deep down, everyone else will also be doing the same thing. Unfortunately for them, we’re able to peer inside Shusei’s head, and we’ve already read the previous eight books, so we know why he’s so determined to burn the entire country down to get what he wants. His birth father was able to throw it all away for the sake of love, but Shusei cannot do that, given Rimi’s position. He has to throw away everything else so he can have Rimi. And even Rimi still doesn’t quite get that, mostly as she still has the self-worth of a bent blade of grass at the side of the road.

After the events of the previous book, Kojin and Renka are being politely held at the palace so that it can be determined what happened to Rimi. The only trouble is that Rimi refuses to point any figures. That said, the answer is obvious, and Shohi has his first massive temper tantrum in some time. This results in Kojin resigning and going back to his seaside estate, and Renka saying she’d like to take up the position being offered, but won’t do it without the Chancellor agreeing to it. And the Chancellor just resigned. So someone has to go to Kojin’s estate and play peacemaker, trying to persuade him to give Shohi another chance so that the country can remain peaceful and stable. The perfect choice to do this, obviously, is the woman Kojin recently tried to murder.

Fear not, those who worry about such things, there is plenty of food in this volume, and it plays the major role in reconciliation here.l Not between Kojin and Shohi, though that happens as well, but between Kojin and Shusei, as we learn that sometimes when you think the only answer is “tough love” but you’re also terrible at real human emotions, it can come off as hatred. I always love how these mysteries are filtered through Rimi, who is actually trying to understand why they’re stubborn and unyielding but can only do so in terms of imagining what foods would and wouldn’t work on them. Kojin’s breakdown is very well handled, and I also enjoyed reading about how yes, his wife really DOES love him, surprise! That said, all this is drowned out by the cliffhanger ending, as Shusei makes war inevitable.

I am assuming that the next volume will be that war. I am also hoping that we finally get a reveal as to Mars’ identity, if only so they can be killed off. (There was an attempt at a tragic backstory here, which didn’t work well because it was too similar to the main tragic backstory.) In any case, this remains an addictive shoujo thriller.

Filed Under: culinary chronicles of the court flower, REVIEWS

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Vol. 8

March 18, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

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.

Reborn to Master the Blade is not, I think, a series that’s really trying to do much beyond having fun and writing a lot of Inglis fighting. The author admits in the afterword that they really don’t have much of an idea of where to go next, so there’s not really an end goal in mind. Sometimes this is a good thing. We’re here to see Inglis fight things, and the back half of this book is all that, showing us Inglis coming as close as she’s ever come to actually getting killed, and actually (gasp!) needing the help of other people once or twice in order to fend off the biggest Prismer yet. On the down side, Inglis does not show up until 100 pages into this book, and as I said last time, without Inglis this book is just spinning its wheels. I’m sorry, supporting cast, you are not quite interesting enough on your own.

The front half of the book features Lahti facing off against his brother, Windsel, with the winner likely becoming the next King. Windsel has several demands, which seem at least vaguely acceptable, but the last one, “let us execute Pullum”, is a no go, so they’ve got to do battle. This allows everyone to whip out their new special moves, which range from unsurprising (Leone, Liselotte) to very surprising (Lahti). After this, we cut back to the Prismer, and though Rafael, Rafinha and Yua try their best, it’s going to come down to Inglis in the end, when she eventually gets there, which is (of course) right when all hope is lost. That said, can she really have enough power to stop it? And, more importantly, can everyone stop her trying to heal it up so that she can fight it even more equally?

This is essentially a series written for guys, but it features a whole lot of kickass women with either swords, magic, or both. As a result, it tries hard to attempt to push back on “why are women fighting, they are too fragile, the man should be protecting them” and actually embracing that, mostly because “a guy has to protect his younger sister” is a stronger cliche than “women can fight as well as men” in the author’s mind. It’s a bit disappointed, but hey, at least Leon and Leone have worked things out. I was also rather surprised, contrary to what I’d guessed in the last review, that the “turned into a magicite beast” process does NOT appear to be reversible. That said, Yua was at least polite enough to rescue the only one we’d actually seen named, and hopefully they can at least do SOMETHING for him.

After a half-volume of fighting, the epilogue features a whole lot of eating. This is definitely an “end of arc” book, and the next one promises to be far more light-hearted. That said, it also promises fewer fights. I hope I’m wrong there.

Filed Under: reborn to master the blade, REVIEWS

The Manga Review: March Madness

March 17, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

Back in February, Twitter users introduced me to dozens of podcasts and websites that hadn’t been on my radar, among them The Wonder of Anime. The site was created by Lisa De La Cruz, who’s been interviewing voice actors and content creators, filing convention reports, and reviewing manga since 2019. Right now, she’s midway through her own March Madness, posting short reflections on her favorite series, from My Love Mix-Up! to Clover, Love*Com, Wave, Listen to Me!, and Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku. De La Cruz also hosts a popular podcast that’s available on Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher; recent episodes have focused on manga translation and lettering.

NEWS

If you’ve been curious about Azuki, check out Rob Salkowitz’s profile of this new digital manga platform. “We want to provide people with a wide range of manga to read, and a wide range of how they can read it,” said Marketing and Licensing Director Evan Minto. “We do our own scouting of titles that subscribers will like. That curatorial approach gives us the mindset of a publisher, not just an app.” [Forbes]

VIZ Media announced that it will be publishing Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology in November. The book will include work from American and Japanese artists including Becky Cloonan, Junji Ito, and Aki Shimizu. [ICv2]

Coming soon to a shelf near you: Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, an H.P. Lovecraft novella set in a coastal New England town where the locals harbor a nasty secret. [Dark Horse]

Dark Horse will also be releasing Shin’ichi Sakamoto’s Innocent, a manga inspired by the life of Charles-Henri Sanson, who was the Royal Executioner of France in the late 1700s. [Dark Horse]

Good news: American fans may get another chance to discover Hiromu Arakawa’s Hyakusho Kizoku (Noble Farmer), as an anime adaptation is in the works. [Last Looks]

ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, AND OPINION

Danica Davidson interviews Fabien Grolleau and Ewen Blain about Guardian of Fukushima, a graphic novel about a farmer who became a folk hero for his unwavering dedication to the animals abandoned during the Fukushima nuclear crisis. [Otaku USA]

Anime UK News compiles a list of staff members’ favorite anime and manga based on video games, from Pokémon to Persona 4. [Anime UK News]

Planning a trip to Japan this year? Trevor Van As has compiled helpful tips for buying manga while you’re abroad. [How to Love Comics]

On the latest episode of Dad Needs to Talk, Robert reviews the new manga adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. [Dad Needs to Talk]

Ray and Gee discuss the merits of Sweat and Soap, a romantic comedy that “features one of the most healthy and communicative relationships in a contemporary romance series” in spite of its “potentially skeevy premise.” [Read Right to Left]

The Mangasplaining crew revisit an earlier work by Inio Asano: Goodnight, PunPun, a coming-of-age story that’s… well, bleak. The pictures are nice, though. [Mangasplaining]

Looking for a good read? The editors at Women Write About Comics plug the comics and manga they read—and loved—in February. [WWAC]

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a manga journalist, check out this in-depth interview with Deb Aoki. [Off Panel]

As part of her year-long celebration of Okazu’s twentieth anniversary, Erica Friedman hosts a roundtable on diversity in anime and manga journalism with panelists Samantha Ferreira (Anime Herald), Vrai Kaiser (Anime Feminist), and Lynzee Loveridge (ANN). [Okazu]

REVIEWS

The Manga Bookshelf gang weighs in on Confessions of a Shy Baker, Kitaro, and Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand… Megan D. reviews the now-forgotten La Cordo d’Oro, a reverse-harem manga set at a music school… the latest Reader’s Corner focuses on Insomniacs After School, SHY, and Solo Leveling… Azario Lopez explains why you should be reading espionage thriller Love of Kill…. and Jocelyne Allen offers her two cents on Lemon Haruna’s surreal comedy Daru-chan, about “an alien from Darudaru, her true form a flesh-coloured blob with a cute bob and a red ribbon in it.”

New and Noteworthy

 

  • Choujin X, Vol. 1 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Choujin X, Vol. 1 (Arpad Okay, The Beat)
  • Choujin X, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • The Coppersmith’s Bride, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Doomsday with My Dog, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Guardian of Fukushima (Adi Tantimedh, Bleeding Cool)
  • Guardian of Fukushima (Comical Opinions)
  • Guardian of Fukushima (Alan Spinney, The Fanboy Factor)
  • Guardian of Fukushima (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Guardian of Fukushima (Tripwire)
  • I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love (Eve Healy)
  • I Fell for a Fujoshi, Vol. 1 (Kaley Connell, Yatta-Tachi)
  • I’m Quitting Heroing, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • I’m Quitting Heroing, Vol. 1 (Antonio Miereles, The Fandom Post)
  • Life, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Love Stage!!, Vol. 1 (Eve Healy)
  • My Clueless First Friend, Vol. 1 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Oshi no Ko, Vol. 1 (Antonio Miereles, The Fandom Post)
  • Shonen Note: Boy Soprano, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • Show-ha Shoten!, Vol. 1 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
  • Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 (Hagai Palevsky, The Comics Journal)
  • Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 (Reid Bratten, AniTAY)
  • Touring After the Apocalypse, Vols. 1-2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Trap? Trap! (Eve Healy)
  • ULTIMATE MAMA, Vol. 1 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
  • Wandance, Vol. 1 (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Welcome Back, Aureole (Sarah, Anime UK News)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • Beauty and the Feast, Vols. 4-6 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 16 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • A Galaxy Next Door, Vol. 4 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend, Vol. 2 (Kevin T. Rodriguez, The Fandom Post)
  • Helck, Vol. 2 (MrAJCosplay, ANN))
  • Hinogawa ga CRUSH!, Vol. 7 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Lost Lad London, Vol. 3 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again, Today, Vol. 5 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
  • Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 5 (Joeh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • The Remarried Empress, Vol. 2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)

Filed Under: FEATURES

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, Vol. 15

March 17, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

By FUNA and Itsuki Akata. Released in Japan as “Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne!” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Diana Taylor. Adapted by Maggie Cooper.

As many have noticed by now, this author really, really loves playing around in isekai tropes and cliches, and the more cliched the better – in fact, it comes as a surprise in this series when it ISN’T the cliche. When they’re investigating a local noble, you can guarantee that he is going to be a scummy noble who treats those he’s responsible for like crap, because scummy nobles are just what isekais do. (This is not unique to FUNA – Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear has similar ideas, though subverts them more often.) It doesn’t help that isekai’d Mile tends to regard this world as a giant bucket list full of things she wants to do, and most of this volume happens because she’s desperate to find a village of beastmen… mostly so that she can pet the little beastgirls. Let’s face it, FUNA is also not afraid to show that Mile can be creepy a lot of the time.

Mile and company start off by having a meeting with the Elder Dragons, which ends up being short on information but long on nail art. We then get the bulk of the book, as Mile really, really wants to find a beastman village, despite the fact that most beastmen are NOT like Lenny but are actually very wary of humans… and we see why when they get to the village, only to find that some of the village’s children have been kidnapped! Unfortunately, this is not a mission the Crimson Vow an take on officially… fortunately, Mile can get in touch with the Crimson Blood, who coincidentally look, act, and are the same as the Crimson Vow! But they’re not on the clock. Now it’s up to our heroines to investigate the kidnappings, which are genuinely happening, but also where each kidnapped girl ended up, which… does not go quite as expected.

So word of warning here, if you’re the sort who avoids slavery in your isekai books… well, first of all, you must read very few isekai books, but secondly, this book delves deeply into the nitty gritty of slavery in this world. It’s illegal officially, except in the “I am broke and enslave myself to pay off my debts” way, but unofficially it’s definitely around. Two of the three kidnapped girls are indeed either being worked to death for no money or imprisoned and in the process of being sold abroad. Mile and the others have no issues destroying the ones responsible. Sometimes, though, kidnapping can actually be a way out. When you’re a girl in a backwater village expected to marry a guy from the same village, which is a very misogynist one… honestly, getting taken in by the local evil noble ends up sounding like a pretty good deal. Especially if the noble, like Mile, has a taste for the fluff. Make My Abilities Average has always had an undercurrent of “sexism is everywhere, and it’s terrible”, and we even see it in a slavery plotline here.

The book ends with the Crimson Vow off to check the last item on Mile’s list… visiting a demon village. Will this advance the plot? Are we getting towards the end of the series? Who knows? But pretty good stuff.

Filed Under: Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, REVIEWS

Bookshelf Briefs 3/16/23

March 16, 2023 by Ash Brown, Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

Confessions of a Shy Baker, Vol. 1 | By Masaomi Ito | TOKYOPOP – Initially, Confessions of a Shy Baker felt to me like a discount knockoff of What Did You Eat Yesterday?. You have a gay couple who have been together for years and live together. One of the men (Gon) is more laidback and is out to his coworkers in a service industry job. The other (Toshi) is more reserved and closeted at work and is the one who lovingly prepares homemade baked goods for his boyfriend. The strange art style—Toshi has giant ears and looks cross-eyed—and instant dive into LGBTQIA+ issues rather than focusing on the characters didn’t help, either. Thankfully, the story seems to relax halfway through and we get chapters about Gon’s obnoxious college friend and Gon and Toshi inheriting a cute dog. In the end, I liked it enough to continue. – Michelle Smith

Doomsday with My Dog, Vol. 1 | By Yu Isihara | Yen Press – In this post-apocalyptic comedy, a young woman wanders a devastated landscape with her trusty shiba inu. The two encounter a variety of animals and aliens in their search for food and shelter, but not much happens; by the middle of volume one, the storylines have fallen into a predictable pattern in which the scatterbrained owner makes a rash decision, seeks counsel from her wise pet, then ignores Haru’s advice. Though a few scenes elicited a chuckle, the aimlessness of the storytelling and the plainness of the artwork left me cold; I never clicked with the characters or the script, not least because the main human character was a flighty bore. Your mileage may vary. – Katherine Dacey

HIRAETH ~The End of the Journey~, Vol. 3 | By Yuhki Kamatani | Kodansha Manga (digital only) – This series comes with a warning that it deals with suicide ideation, and reader discretion is advised. And sure enough, Mika does in fact make the effort when she finally gets to the end of her journey… but she can’t. Her journey has given her too much life and love and joy to go chasing after her lost love. That said, we also get Hibino on the cover, and this is really his book, as he’s forced to confront his immortality and the reasons for it, as well as his own realization that, unlike Mika, he really is ready to move on. This author’s series are usually fantastic, and this was no exception. it’s not for everyone, but it’s why the word “evocative” was invented. – Sean Gaffney

Kitaro | By Shigeru Mizuki | Drawn & Quarterly – Somehow, it’s been nearly a decade since Drawn & Quarterly introduced its first anthology of stories from Shigeru Mizuki’s manga GeGeGe no Kitaro. I loved the collection and so was sad to see it fall out of print and become increasingly hard to find. But now a second edition has been released; I couldn’t be happier that these incredibly influential stories are readily available again. Revisions to the second edition include a new introduction by Zack Davisson (replacing the essay by Matt Alt) and updates to Jocelyne Allen’s translation as well as notable improvements to the lettering and overall book design. Davisson’s glossary of yokai is retained in the re-release, too, further augmenting the general presentation of Mizuki’s manga—thirteen delightful stories originally published in the mid-1960s which have more than stood the test of time. In addition to being an important cultural touchstone, Kitaro is just so much fun. – Ash Brown

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 23 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – At last, the payoff. Manbagi confesses, waiting to get rejected, and actually ends up having Tadano say yes, because Tadano is the way he is. So she has to sort of nudge him to admit that he’d rather be going out with someone else, and by the end of this volume, we have finally achieved blushing confession. This was a fantastic sacrifice on Manbagi’s part, and I sure hope that she’s not going to just become a minor character after this, because that would be terrible. (Foreshadowing, your key to quality literature.) At the moment, though, this was a great payoff, and I’m happy for these two dorks, who still need massive injections of self-confidence but are good kids. – Sean Gaffney

Marmalade Boy: Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 | By Wataru Yoshizumi | Seven Seas – It had been years since I read this series back in the dawning days of shoujo manga being a thing here in America, and mostly what I remembered was that the romance between Meiko and her teacher, which I quite liked back in the day, reads far less positively to me now. Which is true, but that’s not till the end of this volume. Till then, it served to remind me what a good series it is, with likeable, fun leads, a lot of humor, and the shoujo drama does not yet have the heavy hand that it would get later. Also, we have The Parents, and when you say The Parents to a shoujo manga fan, they always know who you mean. Na-chan dating his underage student drowns out the parents. They’re TERRIBLE. Overall, this was great to reread. – Sean Gaffney

Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand | By Yoko Komori | Viz Media – This is an unusual license for Viz—You is not usually a josei magazine they dip their toes into, and I’m not sure there’s a forthcoming anime or anything. I’m very glad they did, though, as this is a beautiful story well told. A young girl moves with her father to a remote seaside village after the breakup of her parents’ marriage, and she must try to make new friends while also searching for the man who saved her life when she was last there at the age of four… and who was a mermaid. The series toes just the right line between “are Mermaids real here, is this a fantasy?” and the mystery of why a town might want to make mermaids real. Complete in one volume, this is a must read. – Sean Gaffney

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs

Manga the Week of 3/22/23

March 16, 2023 by Sean Gaffney 1 Comment

SEAN: Warning: It’s Yen Press week. Be prepared for more than usual.

ASH: Good to know!

SEAN: Airship has some print titles. We get Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 21, Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court 3, and Vivy Prototype 3.

And in early digital we see 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 3 and The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 7.

Denpa Books has an artbook out, TabeGirl: The Art of JUN. It seems to involve pretty women eating food. For those who want to see that, great news!

ASH: I am curious, for sure.

SEAN: A trio of titles from Ghost Ship: 2.5 Dimensional Seduction 5, Do You Like Big Girls? 6, and It’s Just Not My Night! – Tale of a Fallen Vampire Queen 3 (the final volume).

J-Novel Club has a digital manga debut next week. It’s the manga version of a light novel they’ll be releasing next month. A Cave King’s Road to Paradise: Climbing to the Top with My Almighty Mining Skills! (Doukutsuou kara Hajimeru Rakuen Life – Bannou no Saikutsu Skill de Saikyou ni!?) is a Comic Walker title that’s another of those “you have a bad skill and therefore it is OK to bully, shun, and literally exile you” stories. As you can guess, it’s not a bad skill really.

ASH: Very few skills seem to be, honestly.

SEAN: We also have Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest 13 (the final volume), The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom 3, the 4th Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home! manga, Lady Rose Just Wants to Be a Commoner! 2, My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World 6, the 4th Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire manga, and Record of Wortenia War 18.

Kodansha has some print titles. A Condition Called Love 2, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk 3, Noragami Omnibus 4, The Seven Deadly Sins Omnibus 9, and the 28th and final volume of UQ Holder!.

Digitally, we see And Yet, You Are So Sweet 7, Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You 5, Blue Lock 18, The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses 6, Gamaran 7, A Girl & Her Guard Dog 8, GTO: Paradise Lost 20, and She’s My Knight 3.

MICHELLE: A couple of cute-seeming shoujo series in this mix. And a fun sports manga.

SEAN: One Peace Books has Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer 2.

ASH: The first volume set up some interesting premises.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom (Gekkakoku Kiiden), a shoujo title from Asuka (!!!). A prince survives an assassination attempt thanks to a mysterious girl. Just who is she?

MICHELLE: Hm.

ASH: Intriguing.

ANNA: Hmmmm….Intriguing…..

SEAN: There’s also the print debut of The Skull Dragon’s Precious Daughter (Hone Dragon no Mana Musume). J-Novel Club published this digitally, now Seven Seas is picking up the print. This is another in the genre of “Powerful fantasy being adopts adorable urchin”.

ASH: It is a subgenre I tend to enjoy.

SEAN: They’ve also got The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Wizard’s Blue 6, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest 10, Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon 4 (the final volume), The Duke of Death and His Maid 5, His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper 3, Lazy Dungeon Master 3, My [Repair] Skill Became a Versatile Cheat, So I Think I’ll Open a Weapon Shop 3, PULSE 3, and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine 3.

ASH: Well, that’s a sign I should get around to reading Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon sooner rather than later.

SEAN: Viz Media has a debut in its Signature line. Insomniacs After School (Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia) is a seinen title from Big Comic Spirits. A guy who’s extremely unpopular due to his attitude has a secret: he has insomnia! Then he finds a girl with a similar issue. Can the two of them find both a way to fall asleep more easily? This has an anime starting next month.

ASH: Signature offerings are generally of interest to me.

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Alice in Borderland 5, Beast Complex 2, Children of the Whales 21, Crazy Food Truck 3, Jujutsu Kaisen 19, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 19, Orochi: The Perfect Edition 4 (the final volume), and Spy x Family 9.

ASH: Still glad for this Orochi release.

SEAN: Yen On debuts Hollow Regalia (Utsuro Naru Regalia), a new light novel series from the creator of Strike the Blood. One day giant dragons appeared and destroyed Japan. Our hero survived by drinking dragon’s blood, making him immortal. There’s only one thing left for him to do… find precious artwork in the ruined city of Tokyo and bring it to art dealers.

ASH: There are a few twists there I was not expecting.

SEAN: Also from Yen On: Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 8, The Executioner and Her Way of Life 6, Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway 3, Ishura 3, Magistellus Bad Trip 3 (the final volume), Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World 11, Overlord 15, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Lost Singer (10th in the series), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 21 (which starts the 6th arc), Secrets of the Silent Witch 3, Solo Leveling 7, Sword Art Online 26, and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina 10.

ASH: That’s a pretty decent batch of novels.

SEAN: Debuting from Yen Press is Call the Name of the Night (Yoru no Namae o Yonde). It’s from Harta (yay!), and stars a girl whose illness makes her call forth darkness in times of stress, and the doctor trying to cure her.

MICHELLE: Hm (reprise).

ASH: Indeed.

SEAN: The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon (Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru) is a Comp Ace adaptation of the light novel Yen On is already releasing. It’s about a guy who is hired to join a team of experts and take on a dungeon in another world. The trouble is, after the transport, he’s the only one there. Can he find allies?

The Villainess Stans the Heroes: Playing the Antagonist to Support Her Faves! (Akuyaku Reijou wa Kyou mo Karei ni Anyaku suru Tsuihougo mo oshi no Tame ni Akutou to Shite Shien Shimasu!) is a manga based on a webnovel, which runs in Gangan Online. It’s in the subgenre of “girl tries to be a villainess and fails badly”.

ASH: It’s a fun subgenre.

SEAN: There is also (deep breath) The Abandoned Empress 4, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 4, Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan! 4, Coffee Moon 2, Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana 4, Hirano and Kagiura 2, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 2, In the Land of Leadale 3, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II 3, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 10, Kiniro Mosaic: Best Wishes (an epilogue volume), Love of Kill 11, MonsTABOO 3, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World 5, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 5, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, The Frozen Bond 3 (the final volume), Shadows House 3, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 2, Shy 2, So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin? 2, Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included 2, Touring After the Apocalypse 2, and Yowamushi Pedal 22.

MICHELLE: Yay for Yowamushi.

ANNA: I need to pick that up for my kids.

SEAN: Assuming you got through that last blast of manga, what are you getting?

Filed Under: FEATURES, manga the week of

An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 2

March 16, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

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

In my review of the first volume of this light novel series, I said that it reminded me of an eroge where the reader was just following the walkthrough, not wanting to get remotely near any choices that resulted in a bad ending. That still applies, fear not. That said, it also is similar to that genre in other ways. This series is never going to have any sexual content, or if it is it will be much later on. But for all that it is sweet as pie, it is also here for the horny male that is its main reader. Nanami has large breasts, something that the text of this volume will absolutely hammer home over and over throughout, and she and Yoshin are clearly thinking of each other sexually, even if the closest we get is kisses on the cheek/forehead and sticking his arm against her chest as they walk. Which, honestly, does feel pretty teenage.

Nanami and Yoshin are now a couple, and naturally are going to have the standard problems that couples have. Well, to a degree. They have the problems, it’s just they’re dealt with in a ridiculously easy way. For Yoshin it’s that the teachers don’t believe he’d be dating a hot girl, so worry that she’s bullying him. For Nanami, it’s that the other girls in her class are amazed she’s dating an introverted loner. Resolving this takes about five pages at most. There’s also the matter of Nanami meeting Yoshin’s parents, but as it turns out they accidentally run into the couple while they’re sharing a bubble tea. This also goes REALLY well, the only issue being that Yoshin has been taking the lunch money his parents had been giving him every day, since Nanami is making him lunches. There’s nothing getting in this couples’ way, so clearly it’s time for an aquarium date.

The series’ strongest point is the sweetness. These two are ridiculously pure and likeable. Yoshin may be an “introvert”, but unlike a lot of titles like this that does not mean that he’s a loser socially inept dweeb sort. Indeed, we learn late in the book that the whole “dare” that started this series was instigated by Nanami’s two friends in order for her to have someone to watch over her after they graduated, and that Yoshin was their first choice. I think the author realizes that the “we dated on a dare” part is still hanging over the couple, and although most of the rest of the cast knows the truth, Nanami hasn’t confessed it to Yoshin, nor has he told her he knew from the start. That’s the ONLY conflict. Everything else is 80% adorable couple-ness and 20% sexy hot girl, look. It’s almost a perfect example of its genre.

There’s a third book coming, and I’m not sure we’ll be getting to the “confession” that is supposed to happen in a month’s time – this series moves very slowly. But if you’re looking for cute, and are OK with sexytimes that never go anywhere except rated PG, this is a can’t miss title.

Filed Under: an introvert's hookup hiccups, REVIEWS

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 41

March 14, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

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

No short stories this time around, we’re heading to Forthorthe and things are about to get serious. The start of this series, forty-odd books ago, was very much a slice-of-life comedy, with the aliens, magical girls, and underground girls essentially acting as wacky neighbors in a high school romcom. Clan’s arrival, and Koutarou’s subsequent trip back in time, started to kick that in the head. And now here we are, with the back half of this volume featuring a thoughtless disaster on the part of the villains turned into an even more nightmarish disaster by the most unhinged villain, and you get things like living corpses (I’d call them zombies, but they run very fast, so that might give you the wrong idea) in the remains of a burning factory being weaponized and turned on a nearby city and you realize that this has actually gotten pretty dark, hasn’t it? Fortunately, the first half, which involves introducing cool new tech to the masses, is more relaxing.

Our heroes are now back in Forthorthe, and the big question on everyone’s mind is: who is the Blue Knight going to marry? Sadly, for reporters, the Blue Knight is still running away from that question, so there’s no real progress there. There is much more success in introducing a personal force field that can, among many other things, act as replacement limbs for disabled people as demonstrated by Nana doing various gymnastic maneuvers with just a force field for support. Koutarou thought that would be it, however, many other companies, including the military, quickly realize the other uses this sort of tech could provide, and now he’s even richer, to his quiet despair. There’s no time to enjoy it, though: they’ve found one of Ralgwin’s bases, and it’s time to play catch that villain!

As hinted in the first paragraph, catch that villain does not go very well. Rokujouma!? has gotten more serious as the books have gone on, even including a war, but I don’t think we’ve really taken as much time to appreciate the loss of lives as we did here. Now, these are all factory workers we’ve never met before, so it’s not like the author is killing one of the main characters, but the fury at how this came to be from our heroes is very well done. Meanwhile, on Yurika Watch, she gets to do cool things, and her running gag of “magical girl uses evil powers” is still funny, but this is Ruth’s book to shine,. as the author admits that if he’s going to have a balanced harem series he has to work hard to maintain that balance, and Ruth, mostly, rarely gets to fight at the front line. That gets fixed here, and shows off her awesome analytical skills (and love for Koutarou) in a fantastic manner.

Sadly, the villains get away, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them. Till then, enjoy a more serious volume than usual.

Filed Under: invaders of the rokujouma!?, REVIEWS

Pick of the Week: Dragons, Actors and Tea

March 13, 2023 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown and Anna N 4 Comments

MICHELLE: Although I’m tempted to pick the jerk/paragon danmei, my love for Therapy Game is strong, and it’s The Dragon’s Betrothed that wins the week for me.

SEAN: Given the way that Kageki Shojo!! left off last time, it’s definitely my pick this week, mostly as I want to see if Sarasa destroyed her career.

ASH: Kageki Shojo!! is always a good pick, but like Michelle, I’m feeling the BL love this week. In addition to The Dragon’s Betrothed, there’s not only one but two titles by Minta Suzumaru. And from to different publishers, too!

ANNA: I’m very excited for volume 5 of Matcha Made in Heaven! Digital josei for the win!

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 7

March 13, 2023 by Sean Gaffney

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

As I was reading this volume, I was reminded of that meme that went around a while back from the Buzzfeed Unsolved show. “I did meet some of the most insufferable people in the world, BUT they also met me.” Maomao may spend a great deal of time bemoaning the folks she has to deal with, but there’s no denying that she’s even more of a pain in the neck on a regular basis. “Please ignore that man, one of the most powerful in the country, who keeps stalking me and says I’m his daughter. Please ignore that I am good friends with the Empress and Consort #2. Please ignore that I apparently love to ingest poison for fun. I am just a normal woman and want to quietly go about my day… oh look, another murder attempt.” Honestly, some readers might feel less exhausted if this were the adventures of Maomao the cat, back at her apothecary house, avoiding snuggles and yawning, rather than the prickly Maomao the human.

Maomao is forced to take the Civil Service exam once more, and is told that She. Will. Pass. She reluctantly passes, and is now back in the palace, one of five new medical students. Erm, three medical students, as two get culled for essentially being extra baggage. The other two are Yao, who seems like a bullying ojousama at first but turns out to merely be a sheltered and earnest girl, and En’en, her friend and attendant who enjoys watching everything that Yao does. As the three of them learn their trade, we also pick up with events from previous books, as the Shrine Maiden of neighboring Shaoh is now ensconsed in a remote part of the palace, and there seems to be something wrong with her. Is she hiding something? Is she really who she seems? And is she going to be publicly assassinated in a way that might lead to war?

First of all, the best part of this book, by far, are the two new characters. Yao is wonderful, and frankly I was very, very worried that she was going to be killed off for tragedy. (It’s a near thing, and the book lampshades that she’s avoiding the very real consequences of what should have happened to her.) En’en allows us to see a smart, crafty woman who doesn’t have Maomao’s natural bitterness and eccentricity. She’s also in love with Yao, something that is mostly used for comedy here (Jinshi picks her as his attendant as he knows she won’t be there just to hit on him), but which I’m hoping might be taken more seriously later on. And while Apothecary Diaries is not a foodie book like Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower, a lot of this volume relied on food knowledge and what it can do to the human body. It’ll make you hungry, but good luck eating what’s in here.

All this plus zero sexual assaults! A strong volume, and I hope that Yao and En’en become regulars going forward.

Filed Under: apothecary diaries, REVIEWS

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