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Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, Vol. 12

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By Toshio Satou and Nao Watanuki. Released in Japan as “Tatoeba Last Dungeon Mae no Mura no Shonen ga Joban no Machi de Kurasu Youna Monogatari” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

This is a series that is a broad comedy, and is usually content to be just that. The characters are hilarious but also pretty much unrealistic, and the plot will always take a back seat to a joke. That said, there have been a few moments of drama in the books, usually involving Alka’s generation, and it’s the same here. In particular, it’s Eug. There was one scene in the book that had be basically recoiling and going “Jesus Christ”. Surprisingly, it was not the part where she dropped off weapons so horrifying that her soldiers are all appalled at the very though of using them, or her inevitable downfall after being manipulated by Eve. It’s where she gets so angry at the thought of Lloyd that she accidentally breaks her own fingers from clenching her fist too hard. That’s terrifying, and it gives the scenes afterwards a bit of pathos.

It’s time for military exercises, as everyone is posted to a different department. That said, our boy Lloyd is so over-powerful that he’s posted to handing out food to the soldiers, mostly as that also helps to avoid one department getting an advantage over the other. Unfortunately for the country, Eug’s nation has decided (with a little help from Big Bad Eve), that now is the perfect time to invade for real. They have traitors in Azami’s forces. They have really powerful tac nukes. They have soldiers who have recently been given delicious hot meals… by Lloyd? Wait, what the hell is Lloyd doing aiding and abetting the enemy? Unfortunately, Marie has an even bigger problem: some hussy in a hood is the new military advisor, and she’s taking the queen’s place in her father’s heart!

A series like this advances its plot bit by bit, so it’s no surprise that only three real things of consequence happen here. The first is that Rinko reveals herself to Marie, which is mostly played for comedy, but allows the joke to not get stale. The second is the revelation of what actually happened to all the Earth scientists, which turns out to be totally different from what we thought. And indeed what most of them thought as well, particularly Eug, whose repressed guilt over the population of Earth is what allows her to be so easily manipulated. And the third, of course, is the removal of Eug from the board, though I expect that will be temporary. Eve is now very definitely the main antagonist, and it will be interesting to see how things go. Oh yes, it was also nice to see Lloyd essentially lose here, and even get injured enough he had to be carried off. That’s a rarity in these books about Lloyd being basically invincible.

So yeah, a decent entry in the series, though I admit Marie’s patheticness is starting to wear on me. The author knows she’s #1 in the harem stakes, but is doing too good a job of knocking her back.

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, Vol. 2

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By Mamecyoro and Mitsuya Fuji. Released in Japan as “Watashi wa Gotsugou Shugi na Kaiketsu Tantou no Oujo de aru” by B’s-LOG Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Moon.

This is one of those “everything is the same as the previous volume, until it isn’t” volumes. For the most part, the first three-quarters of Book 2 are the same as most of Book 1. Octavia is attending a ball in the hopes to find a (fake) boyfriend, and has someone in mind who will be there. Unfortunately, she’s dealing with the fact that everyone else sees her thinks she’s some sort of evil spectre with supernatural influence on the lives of everyone she meets. Most of this volume deals with her learning about this, and trying to use it for her own ends, with limited success. (Octavia’s life can sometimes be described as the “I’m a Genius!… Oh no!” meme.) Then we get to the point where she’s about to achieve her goal and meet the guy she’s come there to see… and actually seeing him terrifies her so much that she flees immediately. Then… the rest of the book happens.

Octavia, with her bodyguard Klifford about about 8 other guards (she *is* a princess, after all) is on her way to a ball held by noble Rosa Reddington, where she will hopefully get to meet Rust Byrne, the person she’s tagged for her “get a fake boyfriend” plan. On the way there, though, she meets up with Sil, who is about to have a tragic carriage accident, and rescues him. Sil is going to the ball as well, without telling his lover Sirius. He wants to find out about his real family… something he says that Octavia secretly inspired him to do. (This is true, but it was mostly by accident.) Once at the ball, it becomes apparent that Rosa has engineered for Octavia to dance with someone, because it turns out that any dance partner she’s ever had has either risen to glory or fallen to destruction. This is news to Octavia. And then there’s the man she supposedly came to meet…

Of all the light novels I ever thought I would comp[are this series to, The Saga of Tanya the Evil was certainly not one of them. The last quarter of the volume, though, reminds ,me quite a bit of the start of Tanya. Octavia recalls her death, and has the obligatory meeting with “God” afterwards. Except that God is an asshole. And says her death was an accident, but he can’t be bothered to revive her because her soul isn’t that important. This causes her to get angry… and the negotiation that follows upends this entire series. That said, the biggest takeaway that we get is that Octavia, whose attempts at bettering her life were mostly centered around herself, is now going to try to better her life by changing the entire kingdom. That’s definitely going to put her up against her brother, and probably the majority of the nobility, but it’s also the only way to get back at God. She may even have to become a villain.

So yeah, still loving this series a lot more than I expected. Can’t wait for the third book.

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 5

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By Sarasa Nagase and Mai Murasaki. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijo Nanode Rasubosu o Katte Mimashita” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel.

I am a great fan of this series, which is one of the best in the Villainess genre. That said, reading every volume can be stressful and exhausting. More than any other book, you get the sense that if Aileen relaxes at all, takes her foot off the gas one little bit, she’ll immediately be executed. There’s never any downtime in these books. Hell, that’s the running gag at the start of this volume, before things inevitably turn serious: she can’t consummate her marriage because plot keeps happening. And the plot really, really wants things to happen the way the games were written. Interestingly, for once no one talks about trying to execute Aileen here. That said, they do say that Claude has to marry someone else, and also that he will be turning into a demon. You get the sense the implication is there. But yes, here we go again, time for Aileen to fight fate, and this time even her allies are seemingly turning on her.

Aileen and Claude are now back home after the events of the last book, and are ready to consummate. Sadly, even if the plot weren’t getting in the way, Aileen’s still too nervous about sex for anything to happen. But things do happen, and they’re interrupted by the arrival of Luciel, a demon who claims to be Claude’s father, and refuses to recognixe Aileen as Claude’s wife. What’s more, the nearby Kingdom of Hausel is having a Bridal Royale, with the winner getting to become the new ruler… oh, and also getting Claude, of course. Honestly, this is sounding a lot like the plot of the fourth game, to be honest, but there’s one slight problem: the fourth game took place six hundred years before the first three! Is fate out for Aileen’s head so badly that it will redo everything to get the ending it wants?

I hate to inform you, but this is a two-parter, so we don’t get all the answers in this first book. That said, the answer definitely appears to be “yes” so far, as Grace Dark, the antagonist of this book, is going around trying to get the “real” heroines back on their routes. She’s only mildly successful in this regard. Sahra is a pushover, and mostly goes along to help Ares. Serena knows this is fishy, but is at present so disgusted with Auguste’s waffling that she’s prepared to be a traitor. And Lilia just finds the whole thing hilarious, of course. And then there’s Aileen, who spends the whole book running around putting out fires, getting kidnapped, crashing a wedding, and generally being as badass as possible. Which is fantastic, that’s why we read these books. It’s just there’s is, as I said, the problem that if she ever stops for a breath everything she loves will be destroyed.

So yeah, very good book, but read it when you’re ready to be tense. I will say that so far Aileen has not died. We’ll see what the 6th book brings.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/20/23

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The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 17 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – It’s been a long time since I reviewed this series, but I have been keeping up. We’re currently at an interesting point, as we see a war between the “magic has consequences, and sometimes those consequences are tragic, and there’s nothing you can do about that” part of the story, and the “screw that, I’m going to save my friend no matter what” part of the story, which is to say, Chise’s part. I’m honestly still not sure if we’re going to be able to not have Philomela die… and even if she is saved, she may have to be written out of the cast anyway. Also, there are some terrifying drawings here, and a nice examination of how family frequently is terrible. Still excellent. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Box, Vol. 3 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – The author is finally starting to give Chinatsu some focus here, which is good. The focus is more on her struggles in sports, though. This title is balancing the sports and romance, but I’d say at the moment it’s more a 65-35 split, with sports being the 65. That means we also get the results of Taiki’s badminton competition, where he does much better than anyone expected… but does not win. That sort of result is fairly standard in these sorts of Jump sports manga, and you can see why—it always leaves an impact. As for Chinatsu, I think she may have to have a girls’ talk with Hina soon so that we can resolve the fact that Hina is The Other Girl in a series that’s not going to tolerate that for long. – Sean Gaffney

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Vol. 4 | By Shio Usui | Seven Seas – Last time I said I didn’t think this would go down the asexual route, and here I am eating my words. The emotional climax of the story comes both from Hinako and Asahi admitting that they love each other and want to make a life together, while also confessing to each other that they don’t really have the desire to kiss or other stuff with their romantic partner. I’m so used to seeing series like this quietly walk back the lack of sexual attraction once the main couple get together that I found this all the more affecting. The rest of the book also wrapped things up very nicely, including some closure for the other two cast members. One of the better yuri titles we’ve seen lately. – Sean Gaffney

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 6 | By Nene Yukimori | Viz Media – The main thrust of this series continues to be the cute, adorable moments, but I will grant you that we are seeing considerable character development as well. Shiraishi still has to cross a monumental chasm to get a hold of some self-esteem, but people are noticing him more, and he did a group event well. As for Kubo, here we find that a lot of her own classroom habits stem from having to live up to the example of her older sister—who we’ve seen as the one who teases Kubo but apparently was also effortlessly good in school… whereas Kubo really needs to put in a LOT of effort. It’s good stuff, and will keep you going till new episodes of the anime return in May. – Sean Gaffney

May I Ask for One Final Thing?, Vol. 1 | By Nana Otori and Sora Hoonoki | AlphaPolis (digital only) – This small Japanese publisher has released a few titles in English, and we’re getting volume releases (sadly, exclusive to Kindle for now). This was the one I picked up, as it has a LOT of buzz. It’s a standard villainess start, with our seemingly cool, stoic villainess being shamed by her fiance, who declares his love for the smug heroine. So far so normal. Then we get the title remark… and our villainess lets loose a punch that will have you cheering. Turns out she just loves violence, and has been holding herself back for the sake of the kingdom. Thankfully, there is another (eccentric but not evil) prince, who appreciates her more. This was hilarious. Volumes two and three are also available. – Sean Gaffney

orange: to you, dear one | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – It’s been over five years since the last volume of orange, but I was easily able to slide back in and remember all the characters and situations. (Which is more than I could say for Dreamin’ Sun, the author’s other manga, which gets a somewhat pointless crossover at the end of this book.) Each of the main characters gets a chapter or two focusing on advice from a future self they’re never going to be, and those future selves also write letters to Kakeru encouraging him and giving him hope. Which he needs, as he meets his father in this volume as well, who is an absolute asshole that will make you want to throw your book across the room. Thankfully, Kakeru has his friends. Oh yes, and yay, confession at LAST! -Sean Gaffney

Under Ninja, Vol. 1 | By Kengo Hanazawa | Denpa – When we’re first introduced to seventeen-year-old Kuro Kumogakure, nothing about his behavior or living situation suggests that he’s actually part of a secret ninja organization. He drinks beer in the middle of the day, blows darts at the ceiling, and watches DVDs to pass the time. His dull but safe existence is upended by the arrival of a messenger who gives him an assignment: infiltrate a local high school by posing as a student. Though the premise seems ripe with comic potential, the story can’t settle on a tone. There are a few outbursts of graphic violence that cast a pall over the early chapters, as do some uncomfortable jokes at the expense of Kuro’s landlady. Perhaps the worst running gag involves a wannabe Russian ninja whose inability to read Japanese results in gory mayhem; his enthusiasm for Japanese culture might be darkly amusing if the rest of the story was lighter on its feet, but instead reinforces the sour mood. Not recommended. – Katherine Dacey

The Villainess and the Demon Knight, Vol. 1 | By Nekota and Seikan | Ghost Ship – I was just about ready to drop this after the first chapter. As a “villainess,” Cecilia is a bit of a drip, and as a love interest, Lucas is a bit too forceful and obsessed. Fortunately, it sort of improves as it goes along, with a few laugh-out-loud moments, and backstory showing that she’s not as pathetic as she appeared, and he is… well, no, he’s your standard shoujo “being a an obsessed psycho is kinda hot” boyfriend, but his intentions beyond sex are at least good. And the sex scenes aren’t too bad. Villainess fans can skip this, but Ghost Ship fans should find something here to like. And it’s got a maid who can terrify people with merely a smile. I love that. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 4/26/23

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SEAN: Manga the Week of is here for all of your manga needs. All of our contributors are with other customers right now. Please hold.

MICHELLE: Your position in the queue is… 7.

SEAN: We start with Yen Press, who have two stragglers from last week: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria 19 and Kowloon Generic Romance 3.

ASH: Only two, eh? I hear Kowloon Generic Romance is a good one!

SEAN: A brief detour to look at academic publisher Wiley. They’re putting out six books in a series called Manga for Success, that are basically corporate help books that use manga to break things down in an easy to follow way. They appear to be based on a set of Japanese books that came out about eight years ago.

ASH: Wow! It’s not often that academic publishers are releasing manga.

SEAN: There’s a new Viz Signature debut, Boy’s Abyss (Shounen no Abyss). It’s a Weekly Young Jump series that’s Boy Meets Girl, but also has the tags ‘psychological’, ‘drama’, and ‘tragedy’, so expect a bit more than high school hijinks. A high school boy with a very dull life finds a pop idol working at his local store one day.

MICHELLE: Hm …

ASH: The cover artwork is striking and I am intrigued.

SEAN: There’s also The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (an artbook) and Jujutsu Kaisen: Thorny Road at Dawn (a light novel).

ASH: While I’ve fallen behind the Demon Slayer curve, I am glad the artbook was licensed.

SEAN: Two BL one-shots from Tokyopop. Cut Over Criteria runs in a magazine titled NUUDE, and as you can imagine is a mature title. Office romance between a new recruit and a brooding systems engineer.

There’s also Platinum Blood, also running in the same magazine, about the relationship between a priest and a vampire, and it has like 5 different content warnings on he solicit.

(Yeah, I know, shut up. I swear it said 4/18 on their website last week.)

A debut from Square Enix. Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Yomi no Tsugai) is the latest title from Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon, etc.) and runs in Shonen Gangan. A boy lives a quiet life in his quiet mountain village… until his younger sister is called to work at the local jail. Which also means being confined in the local jail. What’s going on here?

ANNA: OK, I’m curious now!

ASH: Hiromu Arakawa, you say!

SEAN: We also get Otherside Picnic 4 and Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town 8.

Two debuts from Seven Seas. My Girlfriend’s Child (Ano Ko no Kodomo) is a shoujo series from Betsufure. A young couple in high school have to deal with the fact that she’s now pregnant. This has been nominated for some awards.

MICHELLE: The art on the cover is interesting!

ANNA: Also intrigued.

ASH: Likewise.

SEAN: And there’s a new danmei novel, Remnants of Filth: Yuwu. This is set in the same world as The Husky and His White Cat Shizun. Two commanders in love are torn apart when one betrays their nation. But what’s the real story?

ANNA: I need to read so many other danmei novels.

ASH: I am so glad these are coming out, but I am so far behind.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 3, The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Deluxe Edition III, The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 3, My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer 4, My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s 4, Reincarnated as a Sword 10, Succubus and Hitman 3, and Yakuza Reincarnation 5.

ASH: The deluxe editions of The Girl From the Other Side are so pretty.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has the second volume of Am I Actually the Strongest?.

Kodansha Manga has more. In print: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 13, EDENS ZERO 22, Fire Force 32, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 17, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability 5, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World 5, Phantom of the Idol 5, and Shangri-La Frontier 5. (That’s a lot of 5s.)

Debuting digitally is Love, That’s an Understatement (Hikaeme ni Itte mo, Kore wa Ai). This is a new Dessert series from the Lovesick Ellie creator. A high school girl saves a delinquent she finds beaten up in the park. She refuses any repayment… but suddenly finds that this guy and his minions are all around her now!

MICHELLE: Having adored Lovesick Ellie, I’m really interested in this one!

ANNA: Oh, as a fan of Lovesick Ellie I am intrigued but I wish it was coming out in print.

SEAN: Other digital titles: Boss Bride Days 4, Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest 7, Gamaran: Shura 7, Girlfriend, Girlfriend 13, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 13, Koigakubo-kun Stole My First Time 4, Love After World Domination 6 (the final volume), My Home Hero 3, Our Bodies, Entwining, Entwined 5, and Space Brothers 42.

There’s three debuts and one side story debut from J-Novel Club. The side story is Ascendance of a Bookworm: Short Story Collection, which is just what it sounds like, and covers everything from Myne’s early days making paper to Rozemyne’s academy adventures.

ASH: Yay!

SEAN: The Apothecary Witch Turned Divorce Agent (Kusushi no Majo Desu ga, Nazeka Fukugyō de Rikon Daikō Shiteimasu) is sadly not about a crusading woman going after asshole husbands, which is what I thought it would be. Carla’s not a very good witch, which is why she runs the divorce agency. Though… everyone who sees her for a divorce ends up getting back together?

ANNA: I wish it was about encouraging divorce, that sounds much more interesting.

SEAN: A Cave King’s Road to Paradise: Climbing to the Top with My Almighty Mining Skills! (Dōkutsu Ō kara Hajimeru Rakuen Life: Bannō no Saikutsu Skill de Saikyō ni!?) is one of those “I have a power everyone thinks is useless, so suddenly I am hated, exiled, and left to die series. Spoiler, it’s not useless.

There’s also A Royal Rebound: Forget My Ex-Fiancé, I’m Being Pampered by the Prince! (Konyakusha ga Uwakiaite to Kakeochi Shimashita. Ōji Denka ni Dekiaisarete Shiawase nanode, Ima sara Modoritai to Iwarete mo Komarimasu). A young woman is happily engaged and studying to be a mage… but when she gets to the academy, suddenly her fiance is shunning her? What’s going on here?

And we get I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage 2, Monster Tamer 13, Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! 10 (the final volume), and The Tales of Marielle Clarac’s 6th manga volume.

From Ghost Ship we get Ayakashi Triangle 3, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World 5, SUPER HXEROS 10, and Wicked Trapper: Hunter of Heroes 2.

Two debuts from Cross Infinite World. Lovestruck Prince! I’ll Fight the Heroine for My Villainess Fiancée! (Betabore no Kon’yakusha ga Akuyaku Reijou ni Sare sou na no de Heroine-gawa ni wa Sore Souou no Mukui wo Ukete Morau) is both a “someone is trying to make a non-evil girl into a villainess” book as well as a rare villainess book with a male protagonist.

The Reincarnated Villainess Won’t Seek Revenge (Tensei Shita Akuyaku Reijou wa Fukushuu wo Nozomanai) is also a Villainess book, of course. A young noble is hanged for a crime she didn’t commit. Now reincarnated, all her new self wants to do is live a quiet life away from politics. Sadly, she’s not the only one reincarnated, and everyone ELSE around her wants to get her revenge for her.

Airship gives us 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 3, Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! 15, and I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! 4.

And in early digital, they have Disciple of the Lich: Or How I Was Cursed by the Gods and Dropped Into the Abyss! 5 and The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 5.

Thank you for holding, how may we assist you?

Spy Classroom Short Story Collection: Bridal Royale

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By Takemachi and Tomari. Released in Japan as “Spy Kyoushitsu” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Thrasher.

When I reviewed the 4th volume of The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady the other day, I talked about how the success of the anime gave me a new appreciation and love of the books. The same season that that anime ran, we also had the first season of the adaptation of Spy Classroom. Sadly, here I have the opposite problem, as I have to remind myself that I actually did enjoy this series and was looking forward to the next book. Fortunately, this short story collection is in prose, which is the series’ greatest strength, and so I don’t have to worry about lame attempts to hide Erna under a table. Also, I know it’s a short story collection, so am not really expecting it to be more than it already is. As such, I am pleased to say that this is a solid book in the series, with the ending especially pleasing me a great deal, even as it really leans in to having its cake and eating it too.

The wraparound plot, and final short story, involves the girls finding out that Klaus has married one of them on paper for the sake of missions where he needs a wife. However, no one is admitting they’re the wife. As such, interrogations ensue, which form the four main short stories. We see Klaus and Sybilla embark on a miniature Oliver Twist story, only one where Bill Sikes rather than Fagin is the leader. We then see Sara, who already has low self-esteem in regards to being a spy, trying to make herself usual by repairing the mansion, which ends up turning into a contest. Monika goes on a solo mission where we learn her backstory, and she also bonds with the mark she’s trying to take care of, despite her best efforts to be cool and collected. And Grete tries to help Klaus by saving the local meat pie shop he likes, which ends up becoming an escalating comedy of errors. Finally, there’s only one way to resolve the wife question… have a winner-take-all fight to determine who gets to be Klaus’ new bride!

The four main stories all ran in Dragon Magazine, which exists primarily to run short stories for light novel franchises. They’re all pretty decent, though the meat pie story was struggling to keep my attention. The four girls who star were chosen as they weren’t the focus of the first volume in the main series, so this fleshed them out. (This takes place mostly before the climax of Vol. 1, with the rest happening right before the start of Vol. 2). If you like romance, you’ll enjoy this, as most of the cast are in love with Klaus, and a few are not shy of saying so. If you hate the idea of romance, though, you will also love this, as Klaus makes it very clear that he sees his relationship with the girls as teacher and students, does not want to cross a line he shouldn’t, and hopes they all find other partners. I am in the camp that prefers this cast as a found family, so to me this was the best part of the book.

So yes, wipe that taste of the anime out of your mouth, the books are fine. What’s more, for some odd reason, this SS volume did not follow Yen’s normal publishing schedule, meaning we only have a month till the fifth book in the main series. I look forward to it.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 4

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By Piero Karasu and Yuri Kisaragi. Released in Japan as “Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Haydn Trowell.

Since my review of the third volume, we have had the anime version of this series, which covered the first three books. In my opinion, it was a fantastic success, and the way that it adapted the books, changing and cutting things to the anime’s benefit, was a definite highlight. That said, there were some people who bemoaned a lot of the world building and discussion of magical technicalities getting cut from the anime. If that was you, good news! The books are still here, and they are still being very nerdy. This volume digs deep into the heart of magic vs. magicology, and why the latter is terrifying a number of the nobles remaining at everyone’s least favorite ministry. Can you change the prejudices and thoughts of an entire country by letting go of the past, or does the past need to be embraced as well? And, most importantly, why are all the books written like they sell for $200 on Amazon from Paletia University Press?

Anis and Euphie are now a couple, although it would appear their intimacy in bed is limited to Euphie taking Anis’ magical energy rather than taking Anis. Moreover, Anis now has two new assistants, since Euphie’s additional responsibilities mean she can’t be Anis’ assistant anymore. Halphys and Garkie… erm, Gark help Anis to think about what about magicology would help win over the nobles, who already have magic to do what she’s doing with kettles and the like? There’s also the problem of Lainie. Now that the dust has settled and she has a prominent position in Anis’ household, she’s getting marriage offers she does not want. And, of course, there’s the succession, as Anis’ father decides that now is the time to step down from the throne and let the next ruler take over. Who will be Queen? (I mean, we know who’ll be Queen, but let’s pretend we don’t.)

I had to laugh at the appearance of Tilty in this book. She’s there for about five pages, tells everyone they’re idiots, is absolutely infuriated, and storms off, having started the process of solving the problem. Unfortunately, the problem with Lainie is her crippling self-hatred, as the idea that anyone might actually be in love with her and not just influenced by her vampire powers causes her to have a complete meltdown. It was also nice to see Ilia actually screw up, and show that the relationship she and Anis have is very beneficial to them but can also be detrimental in regards to others. As for Anis and the Ministry of the Arcane, I also enjoyed how that played out. The remaining nobles know what the winning side is, they just want to ensure that they still have a place somewhere on it. You don’t want to help with your own downsizing.

I had a ball reading this book, and think those who enjoyed the anime will as well. It also wraps up nicely as a finale to the series… but don’t worry, there’s more coming.

Pick of the Week: Manga? Or Manwha?

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SEAN: Tempting as it is to pick one of Yen’s 7 new titles, this is the last time I get to pick Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, so it has to be that. My hope is for the end of the series to not have the death of all of humanity. Gonna be tough.

MICHELLE: The lure of josei manhwa calls to me, and so What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? is my choice this week.

KATE: I agree with Michelle: grown-up manwha for me too!

ANNA: Me too! What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? sounds quite interesting.

ASH: I definitely plan to be reading What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? at some point, but my pick this week goes to I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons. I’ve really been enjoying the series, so I’m looking forward to picking up the most recent installment.

Raven of the Inner Palace, Vol. 2

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By Kouko Shirakawa and Ayuko. Released in Japan as “Kōkyū no Karasu” by Shueisha Orange Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason.

I mentioned last time that this was a mystery series, and that’s still true here. The book is set up so that we have the chapter itself, which is a self-contained “a ghost is causing problems” thing for Jusetsu to deal with, but each chapter also adds to the overall narrative of Jusetsu and the Emperor getting closer to each other despite the entire world seeming to throw “do not do this” signs at them. But this second volume also amps up another part of this series, which is the horror. There is some deeply creepy shit going on here, and honestly the chapter that began with a court maid being found dead with her throat ripped out was on the milder end of the spectrum. These ghosts have issues, and just because Jusetsu is here to try to get them to the afterlife doesn’t mean she’s always going to succeed. Especially since it seems she has a distaff counterpart, the owl to her raven. And he’s trying to kill her.

The first story here has Jusetsu meet a young eunuch who is tormented by a ghost that only he can see, one that keeps apologizing in the direction of the concubine of that quarters. Who is the ghost and what does it have to do with gorgeous blue feathers? In the second story (and the most horrific of the lot), an old woman begs Jusetsu to try to put to rest the spirit of a young concubine who drowned herself, but the main issue is that some people, even when grieving, have to make it all about them. The third story has a mask with holes in the eyes which, when put on, shows a ghost who seems to be very interested in a specific kind of lute playing. And the final story has Jusetsu get involved with a concubine who has been somewhat off the rails since her brother died, and who will accept any help in order to get her brother back.

It’s very odd seeing the inner narrative push back against what we, as a reader, want. Jusetsu is a kind and lonely young girl who is starting to really come out of her shell now that she’s surrounded by people. She’s got a cute servant girl, a nice bodyguard, an older woman to give (wordless, her tongue was cut out) advice, and of course the Emperor dropping by all the time, seemingly infatuated with her. This is definitely good in an emotional way. But man, the backstory and the actions of others within the narrative have it being painted as this massive disaster, and honestly you can’t help but since every time she shows empathy to someone new and yet another person reminds her “the raven consort but always be alone”. And then there’s the end of the boo, which gives her her very own nemesis, who is going to murder her for her own good. Well, for the raven’s own good. Jusetsu is just unfortunate baggage.

As you can imagine, these are very good books. If you like your fantasy dark and don’t mind some creepy ghosts, definitely get this.

The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes, Vol. 7

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By Bisu and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Tensei Oujo wa Kyou mo Hata o Tatakioru” by Arian Rose. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Esther Sun.

This is not the final volume in the series – the eighth book is currently streaming on the J-Novel Club site, and has the standard romance novel final volume cover (heroine in wedding dress), but this does pretty much resolve all the remaining plot points that we had. This includes the love story, which takes up most of the first half of this book, and the demon lord story, which takes up most of the second half. I actually quite like the way that one shifted to the other. After the traditional Misunderstanding (TM), Rosemary has locked herself in her room and refuses to see anyone. Now, in reality this is because she’s a lovesick teenager who thinks the guy she loves is confessing to another woman, but to the rest of the palace it looks like she’s trying to protect everyone because she knows she’s possessed by the demon lord. Which is… not QUITE true, but honestly, events happen in the same way they would if it were.

After the events of the last book, everyone is basically terrified that the demon lord has possessed Rosemary, and her father is in fact coming up with a plan just in case they’re unable to save her. Kanon, our Japanese import, is of course devastated that all this has happened because Rosemary took the attack meant for her. And Leonhart is upset that he wasn’t able to protect her, upset that he cannot convey his love to her, upset that he’s unworthy of her because he’s too old/too common/whatever. That said, no one is sitting around waiting for things to get worse. The sorcerers are busy trying to design a demon lord-catching trap, and Rosemary, despite being a devastated teenager, really is researching possible ways out of this. That said, the actual power behind the demon lord turns out to be far closer to her than anyone could have guessed…

There’s some interesting isekai physics here, which Kanon and Rosemary discuss. Basically, she’s been summoned but they can send her back fairly easily at the moment… but the longer they wait, the more the “hole” that she went through to go from Japan to this world will deform, and eventually she won’t be able to return. Hell, I’m not even sure whether she will be returning – there’s no way she can miss the wedding next book, right? As for Rosemary and Leonhart, yeah, sorry to spoil the obvious, but they’re not destroyed by the demon lord, and they do eventually manage to confess to each other, after not one but TWO false starts where they do it while the other is sleeping. As for her other potential boyfriends, well, they’re sad, but I think in the end it’s very much a case of “as long as Rosemary is alive, that’s fine”. Which, given the entire premise of this book has been “trying to stop Rosemary getting killed”, thematically fits.

So we’ve almost wrapped everything up, and I for one am quite happy to have a victory lap if that’s what we get… unless, of course, there’s one final assassination attempt that Rosemary has missed. Either way, this has been a good romantic thriller.