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Slayers: A Chance Encounter in Atessa

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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.

The Slayers main series ended in 2000, but that does not mean that the Slayers series was abandoned by its author. There are 39 novels (!!) starring a younger Lina Inverse with her traveling partner Naga the Serpent, and these continued until 2011 (that said, don’t expect J-Novel Club to be licensing them anytime soon, I expect). There were also two new anime series, Slayers Revolution and Evolution. And then, in 2018, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko was celebrating the anniversary of Dragon Magazine and wanted Kanzaka to write a new Slayers novel in the main storyline. As such, we’re bringing the band back together, at least for this particular book. Well, the band members who weren’t horribly killed in the 2nd arc of the main series, that is. You’ll be delighted to hear that Amelia and Zelgadis are present and accounted for. And there may be someone else, but I’ll leave that a secret -desu. And the plot? Does Gourry meet Lina’s family? Ha. No. Instead, it’s elf wars!

On their way to Lina’s hometown, Lina and Gourry happen upon a city that if having a problem with bandit attacks. The trouble is, these are very well-trained and adept bandits. In fact, notes Lina, one of them seems very familiar… Meanwhile, the situation has grown so dire that Amelia arrives from Saillune to take charge, and also to fight for justice… mostly in that order, for once. There’s also an elf in town, Alaina, who would be very helpful in resolving things if she did not have severe social anxiety. (She has a terrific cap, though. Really, more characters should wear that cap and NOT be a delinquent.) As for the cause, well, it might come as a surprise to the reader of the old, 20th century Slayers novels, because we’ve had Lina hanging out and being allied with elves before… why are we getting cliched elves now?

Because it’s a Slayers novel, that’s why. This one is definitely in a much lighter vein than the previous couple of books, and the body count, while it is there, is minimal. This allows for some more amusing humor, which can stem from Gourry being dumb or Lina being narratively obtuse (her description of a “light” breakfast was pitch perfect.) As for Amelia, I was pleased to see that she really has matured as a princess and acts it. The novels never really had an Amelia problem the way the anime did, but I get the sense the author was listening to anime fans complaining, as she gets a lot of really cool things to do. Indeed, possibly more things to do than Zelgadis, who feels like he’s there because you need to have everyone there. As for the bulk of the book itself… it’s magic battles. Come on, it’s still a Slayers book. It’s ALWAYS 50% magic battles.

Good news! There is another book coming soon, written in 2019. Bad news for fans of “the gang” – it’s a Lina and Gourry solo book. That said, any excuse to reconnect with Lina is a good one, and this was a decent volume that didn’t show any rust after an 18-year break.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/4/22

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Artist | By Yeong-shin Ma | Drawn & Quarterly – Two years after Yeong-shin Ma’s critically acclaimed manhwa Moms was released in English comes a second major work, Artist. Instead of focusing on mothers in their fifties, the hefty, largely full-color volume revolves around three men in their forties—a painter, a musician, and an author. Ostensibly these three artists are friends, but as the story progresses they fall in and out of favor with one another (and everyone else) as their personal creative successes and failures further complicate their already fraught relationships. The realism of the main characters and their interactions with others is one of the most remarkable elements of the work. Admittedly, it can occasionally be an uncomfortable read as Ma doesn’t shy away from unflattering portrayals of people and their sometimes despicable behaviour. However, another aspect of Artist that I particularly appreciate is how Ma utilizes a variety of illustration styles in service of its narrative. – Ash Brown

Imaginary, Vol. 1 | By Niiro Ikuhana | Seven Seas – I picked this up as I tend to love stories from the magazine that it runs in, Rakuen de Paradis. So far, the magazine hasn’t let me down. The overt plot of this title is just ordinary—two childhood friends who never quite got together despite obvious feelings try awkwardly and indirectly to convey them once they’re reunited—but the execution is fantastic, with flights of fancy turning the art into anything it needs to be. One character hangs out with his past and future selves, the other has a group of girlfriends all of whom are interesting in their own right. My favorite is the really tall girl. Definitely recommended if you like imagination. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 21 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – Given how many different high school series have trips to Kyoto so everyone can walk around the historical sites, it’s rather startling to see where Komi’s class ends up going on their school trip—New York City! This, of course, allows for plane gags, foreigners-in-a-foreign-land gags, and a whole new group of strangers dazzled by how amazingly beautiful Komi is. And, of course, the love triangle between Komi, Manbagi, and Tadano, which is not going to go OT3 no matter how much I cross my fingers. The best chapter here may be Komi and her friend Rei (see volume twelve) each trying to one-up each other about how well they know their best friends (who are standing next to them as this goes on). Fun as always. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 32 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – This volume is essentially the “Deku Alone” arc of the series, as our erstwhile protagonist has left UA for their own good, or at least that’s what he says, and is going around helping other top heroes to try to deal with what Shigaraki hath wrought. Sometimes this means that we get old “favorites” back, like Muscular, who is still a terrible human being. And sometimes we get Lady Nagant, whose backstory probably deserves more room to breathe than it gets here, and who is summarily written out if not killed off once she’s served her purpose. This series has not gone off the rails yet, but the rail cars are shaking. – Sean Gaffney

Romantic Killer, Vol. 1 | By Wataru Momose | Viz Media – I am an old-school shoujo reader, and sometimes fall into old-school shoujo reader habits. As such, I found this first volume of Romantic Killer hilarious. It’s got a great reaction face almost every page, comedic violence towards what amounts to a Kyubey knockoff, and a strong, spunky heroine. That said… the plot of this book is about a girl who is not explicitly said to be asexual, but everything about her life implies she is, and trapping her in a dating sim world until she gets together with another guy. As the recent anime version has shown, this is a big NO SALE to a lot of folks. I do think this is enjoyable and fun… but I’d read it in a early 2000s mode, not a 2020s one. – Sean Gaffney

The Summer You Were There, Vol. 1 | By Yuama | Seven Seas – Sometimes a title feels like it’s trying too hard. This is a yuri story about an introverted girl who secretly writes novels, and the extroverted and tiny girl who finds out… and suggests that she get more material by dating over the summer. Part of the problem is that this is in the genre of “extrovert batters down introvert’s walls till they give in,” which is not really what people these days want to read. The other problem is that it rapidly becomes very clear why Kaori is suggesting this, and it’s not “I really want to see Shizuku get better as an author.” It’s trying to be indirect, but it’s about as subtle as a truck. Still, if you like yuri you’ll probably want to pick this up. – Sean Gaffney

Manga the Week of 11/9/22

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SEAN: It’s November, and witty line goes here!.

Yen On is pushing out a lot of new light novels. We get Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 7, The Bride of Demise 2, High School DxD 9, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 4, The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon 3, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Ex 5, and Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen 9 (the final volume).

From Viz Media, we see Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai 5, Fly Me to the Moon 14, Kaiu Shirai x Posuka Demizu: Beyond The Promised Neverland (a short story collection set before and after the main series), Mao 8, Pokémon Journeys 4 (the final volume), Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 19, and World Trigger 24.

ASH: I fell behind with The Promised Neverland long ago, but I do like these sorts of short story collections.

MICHELLE: I still need to finish it, myself.

SEAN: Tokyopop gives us the 4th and final volume of Mame Coordinate.

Already out from Tentai Books is the 2nd volume of light novel You Like Me, Don’t You?.

SuBLime has the 2nd and final volume of Love Nest, as well as the 7th volume of Punch Up!.

ASH: I may have said this last time, too, but I forgot that Punch Up! was an ongoing series. I have enjoyed what I’ve read, though.

SEAN: Steamship gives us a 2nd volume of I’ll Never Be Your Crown Princess!.

Square Enix Manga debuts Tokyo Aliens, a GFantasy series about a young man trying to follow in the footsteps of his police officer father, and the aliens who derail that when they kidnap him.

ASH: That’s the sort of ridiculous premise I like to see.

ANNA: I almost wish it had one additional layer of ridiculousness, but alien kidnapping does sound like something new at least.

SEAN: They also have the 6th manga volume of Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town.

Seven Seas debuts the manga version of Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court (Futsutsuka na Akujo dewa Gozaimasu ga: Suuguu Chouso Torikae Den), which runs in Comic Zero-Sum. What’s that, you say? I’ve shilled for this series before? AND I WILL AGAIN!

Also from Seven Seas: Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 2, I Can’t Believe I Slept With You! 3 (the final volume), Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life 10, The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 3, My Next Life as a Villainess Side Story: On the Verge of Doom! 3 (the final volume), My [Repair] Skill Became a Versatile Cheat, So I Think I’ll Open a Weapon Shop 2, Namekawa-san Won’t Take a Licking! 2, and Tamamo-chan’s a Fox! 6 (the final volume).

One Peace Books has the 7th volume of Farming Life in Another World.

Kodansha’s site is currently empty, but retailers tell me they have some print next week. The debut is Go! Go! Loser Ranger! (Sentai Daishikkaku), a Weekly Shonen Magazine title that’s a sentai series, with all the sentai things you’d expect coming with it.

ASH: Those can sometimes be a lot of fun.

SEAN: And for readers who really really hate themselves, there’s Rent-A-Girlfriend Manga Box Set 1, which has Vol. 1-6.

Also in print: Blue Period 10, those two Love and Lies endings that got bumped from 10/26, Orient 11, Sayonara Football 13, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse 5, Shaman King Omnibus 11, and Something’s Wrong with Us 11.

The new digital debut (the only digital release we know about) is Matcha Made in Heaven (Kono Koi, Chaban ni Tsuki!?), a josei series from Be Love. A young woman breaks off her engagement and returns home to her family’s tea farm (hence the pun in the title)… only to find another guy and a little girl living there? And now she’s pretending to be his wife?

MICHELLE: it sounds potentially cute. I could go for some wholesome josei.

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: Same. And I love a good pun.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a manga spinoff debuting: Campfire Cooking in Another World: Sui’s Great Adventure (Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hōrō Meshi: Sui no Daibōken). It runs in Comic Gardo, and stars Sui the Slime.

ASH: Does this count as a food manga?

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 17, Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World 2, and Monster Tamer 11.

Ghost Ship has a 4th volume of Might as Well Cheat: I Got Transported to Another World Where I Can Live My Wildest Dreams!.

Dark Horse Comics has the 12th Deluxe Edition of Berserk.

ASH: A copy of that will be coming home with me.

SEAN: And Airship, in print, has The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan 3 (yes, the manga and light novel are coming out the same week, just to annoy me), Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 19, and Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 3.

While digitally, we get 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 2.

Insert joke here! What are you buying?

MICHELLE: Not much, apparently!

ANNA: Gonna save my pennies this week!

The Manga Review, 11/4/22

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This week’s biggest news story: Kadokawa has purchased Anime News Network. On November 1st, publisher Christopher MacDonald posted an open letter to ANN’s readership to reassure them that the site’s “editorial independence is contractually guaranteed,” and explain that the biggest changes would be in the site itself, not the content. “KWE will be investing significantly in ANN’s software development,” he noted. “A number of new projects will be launched, and a number of projects that have been stuck in development for way too long will be prioritized.” As expected, reader reactions were mixed, with some posting congratulations, and others voicing skepticism about having a major Japanese publisher as a corporate parent. “Yeah, gonna be tough to trust reviews for Kadokawa stuff now,” opined user Albion Hero. “You can say all you want about ‘we will keep our independence’ but its [sic] been long proven that companies that own sites and magazines don’t like those reviews to be critical of their products… Seen this same song and dance plenty of times in gaming media. All the staff say how good their new corporate overlords are, and how they will keep their independence and all. Then 2 years later all the staff is gone and the site no longer has their original integrity.” They concluded: “Would love to be proven wrong but I’ve seen this story too many times.”

NEWS AND VIEWS

Earlier this week, Seven Seas unveiled a fresh crop of licenses, among them Homonculus, a horror series from the creator of Ichi the Killer; Soara and the House of Monsters, a fantasy manga; and Cat on the Hero’s Lap, a comedy about a warrior whose efforts to save his homeland from destruction are thwarted by a cute cat. [Seven Seas]

In other licensing news, Azuki announced two new acquisitions: BLITZ, a sports manga set in the world of competitive chess, and Zombie Makeout Club, a horror manga about–you guessed it–a teenage zombie. [Azuki]

The October 2022 NPD Bookscan numbers are in, and once again Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, and Chainsaw Man dominated the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels chart. [ICv2]

Bill Curtis posts a complete list of manga and light novels scheduled for a November 2022 release. [Yatta Tachi]

If you’re an avid sports manga enthusiast, you’ll want to check out the newly launched Sports Baka substack, where you’ll find essays on Hajime no Ippo, Dive!!, Days, Ryman’s Club and more. [Sports Baka]

The Manga Mavericks dedicate their latest episode to Red Sprite, a Shonen Jump title from 2019. [Manga Mavericks]

On the latest episode of Shojo & Tell, Ashley and Asher critique Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san. [Shojo & Tell]

Walt Richardson and Emily Myers dissect the October 2022 issue of Shonen Jump. [Multiversity Manga Club]

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, Gee and Ray explore the highs and lows of Junji Ito‘s extensive catalog. [Read Right to Left]

Parents, teachers, and librarians interested in learning more about yokai manga will find Brigid Alverson’s latest article for the School Library Journal a helpful resource; not only does she delve into the history of the genre, she also compiles a list of age-appropriate titles for kids, tweens, and teens. [School Library Journal]

Over at TCJ, Ritesh Babu and Ari Gardner interview Juan Albarran, a Spanish artist who’s currently working with Shoji Fujimoto on Matagi Gunner, a seinen action series about “an elderly rural hunter who proves unexpectedly skilled at video game first-person shooters, and soon becomes embroiled in the colorful world of e-gaming.” [The Comics Journal]

Max explains how BL manga such as Go For It, Nakamura! offered him an alternative model of masculinity. “I could be kind, thoughtful, and cute like the boys in BL anime and manga,” he notes. “Maybe some people wouldn’t understand, but I’d always have BL to reassure me that there was nothing wrong with me, and that it was okay to be myself.” [Anime Feminist]

REVIEWS

It’s a measure of how mainstream Hayao Miyazaki’s work has become that both the New York Times and the New Yorker commissioned reviews of Shuna’s Journey, available in English for the first time this month. Writing for the Times, Susan Napier declares Shuna’s Journey “eerie, enchanting, and surpassingly strange,” while Sam Thielman observes that “Shuna’s Journey moves and surprises because of the reader’s disorientation at being dropped into a world that is both generously detailed and miserly with explanations.”

New and Noteworthy

Complete and Ongoing Series

Spy Classroom: Thea in Dreamland

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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.

The Spy Classroom books, for the most part, are stand-alone but also very much intertwined with each other, and this is especially true of this fourth volume, which features Thea’s existential crisis that began with the third volume. She’s always felt like the most mature, together one of the group, despite her “sex mad” character tic, and so seeing everyone else continuing to only get better and better while she has what amounts to a book-long panic attack can be a bit depressing. The scene with the most impact in this book comes near the start, where Klaus is praising everyone for the most successful attack on him they’ve ever done, and when he gets to Thea (who was deliberately left out of it) he basically says what amounts to “sorry I got nothing”. Unfortunately for Thea, while the others try to help her as best they can, it’s a mental issue, so it is something she eventually has to fix on her own… with the help of a surprise guest, of course.

We’re going to America! Or the Spy Classroom equivalent, which changes the names but still has the team in New York City. There’s a big Economic Conference there, and the city has been infiltrated by multiple spies from multiple countries to try to either stop it, influence it, or just straight up murder a bunch of spies. That last one seems to be the main plotline, as the enemy this time is Purple Ant, a spy who kidnaps and brainwashes civilians to be his “worker ants”. As such, Sybilla is fighting blind, Monika faces a deadly game of darts, and Lily… OK, Lily is the comedy relief. That said, everything is going from bad to worse, and they really need their leader to save them. Except their leader is having a crisis, OK?

Purple Ant is such a loathsome villain that it actually took me away from the story a bit. Spy Classroom tries to balance the funny and serious parts, but its serious parts can get ludicrously dark, so sometimes it overshoots. (Sometimes it overshoots the other way, too… I found the solution to “76 dead spies” near the end to be amazingly mean to Lily.) This is Thea’s book, though, and how much you enjoy it depends on how much you can empathize with her plight. At times you really feel terrible for her, and at times you sort of want Monika to hit Thea over and over again till self-confidence comes out. That said, I really appreciated the “gimmick” in this book… most of the books so far have a twist, and this one is good, tying in to both Klaus’ previous work and Thea’s past, while also finally giving her the ability to kick ass in a way only she can.

So this was a good volume, despite my reservations about a few points. And the girls are now real spies, rather than trainees! What next? What would YOU do, if you were a Japanese publisher? That’s right… short story collection.

Baccano!: 1931 Winter The Time of The Oasis

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By Ryohgo Narita and Katsumi Enami. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel.

This was fun! Possibly as I wasn’t expecting anything from it. This is another book, like Man in the Killer, that was originally written as extras for the DVD releases and has now been fleshed out into a book. In fact, judging by what Narita says, it was barely fleshed out, with minimal editing and a few additions. It also has a plot that revolves around the Flying Pussyfoot train jounrey… again. Thankfully, the main thrust of the book does not take place on the train. Instead this book is a reminder of the best of what Baccano! has to offer. We get a huge number of relatively new characters introduced to us, and they’re all pretty chaotic and have weird character tics. We get a young mafia heir. We get lots and lots of guns, bombs, and hideous violence. That said, this book is very weird in that almost no one actually dies. This is a big surprise given the events of the book itself, but Narita really wants to mention how they’re not dead. It’s a happy book.

As always with Narita, the plot involves several groups coming together. These include: a) half of Jacuzzi’s gang, who are supposed to get the cargo out of the river after Jacuzzi and company rob the train; b) three young women who accidentally kidnap the heir to the Runorata crime family and (without knowing who he really is) try to get a ransom for him; c) The Lemures who are supposed to negotiate with Senator Beriam once Goose and company have taken his family hostage on the train; and d) twin bodyguards of the Runorata Family, who are here to find out who kidnapped the Young Master and make their life very difficult indeed. And throughout all this, there is another player, skulking in the darkness, someone that absolutely no one was expecting to show up in the woods of mid-state New York…

It really is astonishing that there are still members of Jacuzzi’s gang that we haven’t really gotten to know yet. The only one here that we’ve seen before on a regular basis is Chaini (who actually gets to show us that she can speak and is in fact fairly erudite, she just chooses to say “Hya-haah!” all the time). But we don’t really need to know all the new people (who, except for time-obsessed Melody, don’t even get named) to know that they’re family. Pamela, Lana and Sonia are a sort of family as well, and it was amusing to see that their kidnapping idea fell apart in two seconds once they realized that their victim (who had, in fact, stowed away in their truck) is a total cinnamon roll. Even the surprise character, who I don’t want to spoil but is absolutely amazing, ends up becoming part of a family by the end of the book. Families are important in Baccano!, be they street gang, mafia families, or just three youth thieves. Honestly, Huey’s goons don’t stand a chance – they aren’t family.

This is the last diversion from the main plot, and we’re back to 1935 next time. I expect we’ll be seeing Pamela, Lana and Sofia again, as this entire book seems to have been inserted here to set them up for something. Till then, enjoy a lightweight but incredibly fun Baccano! volume.

Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home!, Vol. 3

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

The good news is that this is definitely far less heavy than the first two books, with only occasional panic attacks and memories of past trauma. Alec and Shiori are a couple, and while they still have not talked to each other about their secret backstories, that’s mostly because they haven’t had the time. That said, we do get a brief glimpse at Japan, where Shiori’s disappearance ended up being quite a big thing. We still don’t know WHY she was isekai’d, but we do see what effect her vanishing had on her immediate family, and it’s not really that great, though shared dreams end up offering a modicum of hope. The book has made it very clear this was a one-way journey, and I’m pretty sure we won’t be coming back to Japan again, so it’s a reminder that all isekais leave someone behind, and sometimes that can be devastating.

Alec and Shiori, along with Clemens and Nadia, get a new mission. An artistic noble wants to go visit a scenic tower, which is normally not a problem… but it’s in the dead of winter, which is. Her aide found out that Shiori is a housekeeping mage, which would be ideal for the trip, so arranged things. Unfortunately, her aide then discovered Shiori is “an Eastern woman”, and due to his tragic backstory he has an innate prejudice against Eastern women. Fortunately, he’s self-aware enough to realize this is his problem, so things don’t go too badly. The journey itself goes fairly smoothly, aside from the occasional attacks from snow jellyfish and monstrous bears. But why is Annelie so determined to make this journey? And what about the other party of adventurers they stumble upon, who frankly are far too sketchy?

Given that Alec and Shiori are now a couple, and Clemens is obviously still getting over it so there’s nothing we can do with him, it’s not a surprise that we’re getting a new romance written into the series. Annelie is an “artist” sort of noble, which means she’s far more relaxed about things than the other nobles we’ve met in this series. Unfortunately, her aide Dennis is well aware of what other nobles are like, and this has led to him attempting to keep Annelie at arm’s length, despite the fact that it becomes clear very fast that he’s 100% in love with her. He’s also the one with the prejudice, by the way, so he does the bulk of the growing and changing this volume. I feel bad for the other aide, Walt, who gets very little to do beyond being “the other aide”. As for Alec and Shiori, they’re in the sugary sweet part of their relationship, which still has not moved beyond kissing. It’s almost cloying. Which, after the first two books in this series, is fine.

The arc is not done in this volume, so we’ll have to wait till next time to see if dumbass noble and his two beleaguered servants cause problems for our heroes. Signs point to yes. Till then, I am relieved that this has risen from the darkness and allowed its couple to be adorable.

Unnamed Memory, Vol. 6

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By Kuji Furumiya and chibi. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Tangney.

I do get into the ending of the series in this review, be warned, spoiler lovers.

Readers of the third volume of this series, where we had a happy ending for our hero and heroine yeeted away fro us at the last minute, may be a bit wary of this 6th volume of Unnamed memory. And they are absolutely right to be wary. This series has had the feeling, throughout all six books, of “what will get in the way of them getting married next?”, to the point where it’s almost felt like a short story collection as Oscar and Tinasha go around dealing with crisis after crisis. At first she was the wary one and he was the one wanting to get married. Now, in books 4-6, it’s the reverse. But it’s essentially the same vibe. And for those who enjoyed Tinasha the Witch, good news, you definitely get to see her again. That said, those who enjoyed Tinasha the Queen may be saying “uh oh” right now. This is the trouble with time travel and repeating lives.

The first half of the book, as noted above, is basically “what can get in the way of the upcoming wedding?”. This even includes plots from previous books/timelines, as the “curse song” from earlier gets dealt with a lot more swiftly and neatly. The main snag is when the king of a neighboring country ends up in a coma, and the culprit seems to be The Witch of the Forbidden Forest… who has been noticeably absent from the second arc of this series. Is she really the one trying to destroy Tinasha’s country? That said, the main antagonist here is Valt, who has been trying to find a way to save the girl he loves and not have her take on his own burden, and is coming up empty. Towards that end, he is now 100% behind “destroy everything, start over”, even if he has to get Oscar and Tinasha to do it for him.

The second half is the best part, as usual with these books. The first half isn’t really filler, but can feel like it. (A queen of one nation stabs the queen of another nation, while in her right mind, and we never hear from her again except that her son is now king. Was she executed?) Valt’s backstory hits a lot harder than I was expecting, and I enjoyed the scenes with him and Tinasha. That said, I imagine the ending can be frustrating – again. We don’t quite get the first timeline back at the expense of the second timeline – this is an all-new timeline – but there is a sense that the Tinasha who we’ve been following for the last three books, the human Queen of Tuldarr, “died”. That said, the framing of the finale is “the two of them still live on in legend”, which fits the theme of the books as well, and ties into the author’s (unlicensed) other series. I also liked the short story at the end, which was basically another Tinasha-as-witch what-if.

There is an “after story” volume out in Japan, but I’m not sure if Yen will pick it up – they’re sort of 50-50 on those kinds of books. In the meantime, while I may have found some of the plotting frustrating, Unnamed Memory is a very rewarding read, filled with luxurious prose and great characters.

Pick of the Week: More Sports Manga? In This Economy?

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MICHELLE: Oh, man. I’m forced to choose between perennial fave Skip Beat! and a promising new sports manga. I reckon I’ve gone on record enough about the former at this point, so I’ll pick Blue Box this week.

SEAN: What Michelle said. Blue Box is my pick.

ASH: I’m definitely interested in Blue Box and am glad to see more than one series being brought back into print this week, but my official pick goes to Berserk. It may not technically be the end of the series, but it’s certainly an end of an era.

ANNA: I’m sorry I’m not going to deny my pick for Skip Beat! even with the temptation of a promising sports manga!

KATE: Blue Box for me as well–it looks like fun, and I can’t resist a good basketball manga.

The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend, Vol. 3

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By Kennoji and Fly. Released in Japan as “Chikan Saresou ni Natteiru S-kyuu Bishoujo wo Tasuketara Tonari no Seki no Osananajimi datta” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sergio Avila.

There is a very famous meme in regards to the visual novel/anime franchise Fate/Stay Night regarding Shirou’s obliviousness towards any and all romantic affection from other girls, which has Rin showing him diagrams of sex ending with “Jam it in”, to which Shirou’s response is “..you lost me.” Of course, the real reason beyond Shirou’s lack of emotional sensitivity stems from his traumatic past. Ryou’s past is not quite as traumatic as Shirou’s… despite the cliffhanger to this book… but he is another character whose obliviousness has more depth to it than the standard anime harem lead. That said… it’s been three books, and the solution to all of this seems to have been “add more girl” each time. I’m hoping that Ai Himejima may be the final straw, mostly as she brings something to the table that the other non-Hina girls don’t have: she is also a childhood friend. And, apparently, was also in love with Ryou.

The book starts almost the same way the first one did, with Ryou rescuing a girl from a groper on the train, and almost getting in trouble for it himself. Said girl turns out to be Ai (aka Himeji), who is transferring to their school… in June, an odd time to transfer schools. It is, however, just in time to be part of the annual school trip, which involves lots of shrine visits and cultural education. Himeji is eager to reconnect with Ryou, and also reconnects with Hina, though she’s less thrilled about this. (Ryou finds himself thinking “they must be very good friends” in response to their constant arguing over him… again, this book requires a lot of patience.) Is Himeji going to steal Ryou away from Hina? Why did she transfer in the first place? And can Ryou please stop hating himself?

The main reason that Himeji is interesting is what she brings to the table: she was in elementary school with Ryou and Hina as well, and (as the cliffhanger points out) may have been far more involved with Ryou than he remembers. This series relies heavily on the transient quality of childhood memories, especially when you have a lot of upheaval in your life in between, and I wonder (but doubt, frankly) if this will cause Ryou to actually push back a bit. We also get a sense that Ryou and Hina need each other, if only as without him around she might end up in a lot of trouble. The scene where she tries to give directions to a “lost tourist” and is almost taken off to a dark alley somewhere is chilling, and fits oddly in the midst of this relatively fluffy book. Oh yes, and we get Ryou’s sister giving him condoms – again. She knows someone needs a constant ass-kicking if he’s going to get anywhere.

This is not really an essential high school romcom, but I’m curious as to how things will shake out. It’s not in the genre of “sugary sweet and conflictless” – the love quadrangle won’t let it be – but it’s the next level down.