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You Like Me, Don’t You? So, How About We Give Dating a Try?

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By Kota Nozomi and Azuri Hyuga. Released in Japan as “Kimitte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandeshou?” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Noor Hamdan.

I sometimes get the feeling that light novels have a quota system, where the author is allowed to actually get to the plot they want to write about provided they include at least three scenes of the heroine teasing the hero, one where it rebounds back on her, five different descriptions of her voluptuous body, etc. There’s even the standard sudden cliffhanger that is there for no reason than to force people to pick up Book 3 and not drop the series. (That said, I will warn readers: this volume came out two years ago in Japan, and there has been no sign of a third.) Fortunately, when the book does get around to actual interesting stuff, such as Kasumi’s past and home life, it manages to elevate itself to ‘pretty good’. That said, now that we’re in a semi-glut of “cutest girl in school goes out with reader-surrogate’ books, it’s going to have to lift a bit above its weight class, and it’s not doing so.

The first half of this book is essentially plotless, showing the low-level relationship our two protagonists are in, and watching Kasumi having fun trying to get a reaction out of Soukichi. The two of them discuss cheating, and the definitions of what it entails, and it will surprise no one that Soukichi is quite pure. Even if he does read erotic light novels. The second half of the book introduces actual plot: Kasumi’s friend Ann corners Soukichi and asks him for advice on how to hook up with Soukichi’s friend Tokiya, who rescued her from her ex-boyfriend the other day and who she is now smitten with. Also, Soukichi and Kasumi go on their first real date, and it’s very cute and fluffy… except for one point where Kasumi has an awkward meeting with a middle school girl, who turns out to be connected to her.

The good part of this book is examining the way that Kasumi carries herself and behaves around others, which she seems to see as a weakness, but nearly everyone else sees as her strong point. It will come as no surprise to find that she thinks of Soukichi the same way. The balance between growing up fast and still being able to be childish is tough, and she’s found someone she can relax and be immature around with Soukichi. As for Soukichi himself, he still puts her on a massive pedestal, but he’s also still working with his editor friend on a new novel… and then gets introduced to an actual editor, in a crossover from another of Nozomi’s light novel series, You Like Me, Not My Daughter?!. Overall, though, the main feeling I got after reading this series was that it was pleasant but also a bit flat. A bit boring. The family bits were good, the Ann stuff felt shoehorned in to make the book the right length. (And it’s not a very long book.)

So yes, if you read the first one, read this one, because it’s okay. That said, the fact that there’s no third volume yet should not devastate too many people.

The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent, Vol. 7

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By Yuka Tachibana and Yasuyuki Syuri. Released in Japan as “Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Julie Goniwich.

Let’s face it, as much as we love the slow burn romance between Sei and Albert as a fictional couple, in real life things are not that simple. Sei is a hot commodity, and her age does not seem to be holding people back. As such, we are starting to see her have to deal with the world outside of her little research and monster hunting bubble, and make contacts with important families while fending off families who might merely want to use her fame and power to advance their own position. This is a problem with Sei, who has a certain amount of social anxiety, something that we may have forgotten about given how good the kingdom is about keeping her surrounded by people she trusts. That said, if you DO like Sei and Albert, the last quarter of the book has some tasty romance for you. And if you’re reading this book but hate the romance (???), I feel I should inform you that there is a giant zombie dragon.

The ball starts rolling with Liz telling us something that I’ve been expecting to happen since Volume 1: her engagement to Prince Kyle has been called off. Because this was due to his own issues (he’s being exiled to China), she does not suffer the reputation hit that you might expect from a villainess novel, and in fact will soon have suitors beating down her door. And so will Sei, who doesn’t have to get married but does actually have to poke her head out and wave on occasion. She manages to get past the first tea party, with Liz’s mother and other “safe” noble women, and from that comes up with the idea of showing off the regional foods of all the noble territories by having what amounts to a food festival. Which ends up being a much bigger deal than she was expecting…

First of all, in case you are wondering about Ten’yuu from the previous volume, there is an extended interstitial story here giving his backstory and also reassuring us that Sei’s medicine saved the day. The bulk of the book is dedicated to Sei having to try hard to be outgoing and friendly despite the fact that public events exhaust her, and she ends up doing a pretty good job of it. She also goes on an expedition with the First Corps of Royal Knights, the only ones not to go monster hunting with her, though this ends up being an excuse for them to fawn over her. Honestly, the best reward in the book (which hasn’t happened yet) is the discovery that in the domain of Albert’s family, which is Switzerland in all but name, they have… hot springs! Which can even have healing properties, something that startles the family when she mentions this. And, of course, there is Sei and Albert. Who get their cutest moment when Sei pulls a Katarina and falls through the wall of a cave.

This is never going to be exciting and heart-pounding, but it’s always going to be relaxing and nice. I enjoy it.

Pick of the Week: Spilling the Tea

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SEAN: My pick this week is the final volume of light novel series Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen. There really is an AWFUL lot of torture and gore in it, so it’s all the more impressive that the writer managed to get me addicted to it anyway. Though I admit that I’m expecting it will end with the death of everyone in the world. But gorgeously written.

MICHELLE: There wasn’t a whole lot that appealed to me this week, but Matcha Made in Heaven looks cute enough that I’ll go out on a limb and pick that!

ASH: I’ll admit, Matcha Made in Heaven is the debut that caught my attention this week, too! Which is entirely on the other end of the spectrum from my other top pick, Berserk…

ANNA: Matcha Made in Heaven does sound cute, that’s my pick too.

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: The Lightning Wolf and Upheaval in the Kingdom

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By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by William Varteresian.

I really do appreciate that this series is finding multiple reasons to keep the harem antics going beyond just “he ignores it all” (which admittedly is better than “he doesn’t notice any of it” in other series). It’s made clear multiple times in this book that the issue is that Allen is a commoner, with no last name, and a questionable reputation, and all of his love interests are various kinds of nobility. The Leinsters have been trying to find ways to have him perform a feat that would get him a title and allow Lydia to marry him, but every time it happens, it turns out to be a state secret that can never be talked about, or it turns out he gives everyone else all the credit. Or both. Fortunately, the series seems to have figured out a way to take care of these problems once and for all, which is to kill Allen off.

Allen and Caren finally manage to get the rest of the cast on a train back to their respective homes. This means the book is divided up. Half of it is spent with the other love interests, as we see Tina, Ellie and Stella plot to try to figure out how to get Allen’s attention while also humblebragging about what they’ve done already; and we see Lydia get completely dragged by her whole family for not simply grabbing Allen, declaring her love, and running away (which is apparently how her mother got married). The other half of the book is Caren, as we see some flashbacks showing why she’s so devoted to him, and a few other cute festival scenes. Unfortunately, the rebellion no one thought was going to happen is happening. And now most of Allen’s hometown is on fire.

No, I don’t think the series is killing Allen off, but his absence from the next book might be a good idea, as the one main problem with his harem is that they’re too dependent on him. We see this with Lydia, the classic tsundere, who nevertheless falls completely to bits on hearing he may have been killed. We don’t see the reaction of the others, but I expect it will be similar. As for Caren, well, she does kick a lot of ass here, but sadly she too has to be sent away at the last minute so that Allen can go on a suicide mission and not return from it. I’m fairly confident the war will not last long – the author drops several not-so-subtle hints that the nobility in charge of it are bad planners – but that’s not really helping things now. And I also wonder if the chieftains of the beast people may decide to go after Allen when this is over for disobeying pretty much every order they gave.

So yes, Allen’s dead, o noes. Please enjoy Book 6, which focuses on Lydia, despite the author stating that he was going to balance out the harem antics by sending Lydia away. I’m beginning to suspect we can’t trust a word the author says…

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, Vol. 4

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By Saekisan and Hanekoto. Released in Japan as “Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Ma ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nicole Wilder.

I’m going to talk about the ending of this book, for the one or two of you who have never read my reviews before and don’t know I tend to spoil. It’s sort of unavoidable. Honestly, it’s something of a surprise to see the book has finally come out – it’s been 11 months since the last volume in English, and I’m not sure why there was such a delay. It could simply be to allow the reader time to recover from and prepare themselves for another wacky adventure with Amane’s self-hatred, which continues to drive the plot, because otherwise the series would have been one book long. Unfortunately, since the last volume of this Tentai Books has released a good 3-4 different series with a similar premise, so it now has competition. Can it manage to be sweet and syrupy while also separating itself from the pack? Yes, thanks to the ending. I wasn’t going to wait 5 volumes.

You know the basic plot. Mahiru loves Amane and is trying to subtly show him it’s OK to ask if that is the case. Amane sees the signs, but cannot possibly imagine anyone liking him romantically, so keeps pulling away. If this annoys you, why are you four volumes in? The main events here are exams, which features Amane trying to do better than before for Mahiru’s sake; getting in better shape, which features Amane trying to do better than before for Mahiru’s sake; and the sports festival, which features Amane trying to do better than before for Mahiru’s sake. He’s nearly got it! He’s almost there! That said, he still needs one last push, and it all comes down to the Scavenger Hunt, where Mahiru chooses to give up on “not rocking the boat” and drops a bomb in the middle of the school.

Not an actual bomb, of course, but she makes it clear in front of the student body that Amane is the guy she loves. She is aware this will trouble him, because the last four books have all been “we need to hide our friendship or else I will get attacked at school”, but honestly, I admire her waiting this long. I wanted to punch him in the face, as did his friends. That said, it is in fact the grandest gesture that makes Amane give in and confess to the rest of the class that he is in love with Mahiru. There’s an undercurrent here, seen in a lot of other high school romcoms, of “looks and shared interests are not as important as simply understanding one another”. That said, this honestly works out a lot better than you’ expect. Amane isn’t disliked or an outcast. he’s just “that tall guy who almost never talks”.

Best of all, now maybe Mahiru can stop0 being such an Angel at school. The author assures us they have a lot more volumes planned, even if this felt like an ending. That said, they also warn that we still have Amane’s self-hatred to deal with. Ah well, if you’re going to buy into a fluffy series you’ve gotta buy into its less-fluffy things, I suppose.

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.