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Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: Saving the Kingdom Over Summer Break with Ladies of Ice and Fire

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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 appreciate that the author, in the afterword to this volume, acknowledges the main issue with this as a modern “harem” genre series, which is that Lydia is such an obvious winner that it’s irrelevant to read about the others. The only other one with any chance at all is Tina, and that’s because she’s in the title. That said, I don’t think that “write Lydia out of the story for a while” is really going to help much, mostly as I’m pretty sure Lydia is simply not going to ALLOW herself to be written out for any length of time. This volume does wrap up one plotline while continuing another, and it’s looking very likely that impending civil war might be a good reason to stop having cute harem antics… or it would if this series didn’t run on harem antics half the time. You need to balance your cool battles and attempted murders with headpats and snuggles, after all.

Exams are finished, and the girls have finished terrorizing their teachers with their raw power. Tina and Lynne are the top scorers, but Ellie wins Allen’s challenge as she improved the most. Now everyone is off to Allen’s home, where he has to finally confess to his parents that he failed his Court Sorcerer exam. Now, given that he only failed because the examiner insulted his parents, I think they understand. His parents are exactly as you’d expect. Lydia not so much, as she spends much of this book in “prim and proper” mode, to the horror of everyone else but Allen. Unfortunately, capturing that rogue Prince has not gone as well as hoped. Worse, they’ve finally finished decoding the book Allen gave them, and it’s clear there’s multiple great spells involved. A big fight is needed.

The main draw and also main flaw of this series is that most of the really amazing stuff I want to read about happened already, and we only hear about it tangentially. Allen and Lydia’s school days, whatever tragedy befell them in Allen’s hometown, etc… these are dangled in front of us and then whisked away, to be replaced with scenes of who gets to be the one to sit next to Allen at the table that meal. The harem is somewhat unbalanced, as noted above, but not just because Lydia is so obvious. The other girls simply act far too young to really be thought of as competitors. They’re all little sisters, not romantic partners. This does make things awkward in the final battle, as it’s one of those series where a kiss-powerup is sometimes needed, and Allen gets one from both Tina and Lydia. Tina’s is very “I’m sorry about this”, Lydia is the aggressor, and loves it. Also, it’s nice to see Allen struggle in a battle and get seriously injured. He’s seemed a bit too impervious lately.

So, the next book promises no Lydia. And apparently no Tina, Ellie, or Lynne as well. That leaves the actual little sister, so I’m not sure how much hareming we will get – I expect more of the “the kingdom is in danger” plotline. Till then, still enjoying this harem fantasy series, despite its awkward harem.

Pick of the Week: Corpses, Cameras, and Househusbands

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SEAN: I reviewed the 14th volume of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service in June 2015, and it is now August 2022. Even by Dark Horse standards, this is wack, yo. That said, I’m just grateful the 15th volume has come out at all, even as part of an omnibus. It’s definitely my pick. Now who was everyone again?

MICHELLE: And this is also the week we get a new Black Lagoon volume! Granted, the prior one did come out in 2020 but there was a five-year gap before that. That said, this week I’ll go for She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons because queer love triangle from Morning Two sounds very interesting.

KATE: I’m ecstatic that there’s a new installment of The Way of the Househusband, a series that’s continued to be funny, even though it’s built on the slenderest of premises. Count me in for volume eight!

ASH: I’m always game for a new volume of The Way of the Househusband, too! But this week I’ll join Sean in choosing The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service because who knows when I’ll be able to pick it again? It’s such a great series.

ANNA: Way of the Househusband for me!

MJ: I’ve been reading so little lately, I feel a bit at sea here, but I think I’ll go along with Michelle’s pick, She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons, because a queer love triangle sounds like something I’d always enjoy!

Arifureta Zero, Vol. 6

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By Ryo Shirakome and Takaya-ki. Released in Japan as “Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Rei” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen.

My biggest fear with this 422-page final volume was that it would be one long fight scene, and thankfully that is not the case, though the first third of the book is one long fight scene. My second fear was that it would be unrelentingly grim, and while it is grim, with lots and lots of deaths of people we care about, it’s not unrelenting, and there are moments of silliness and humor in the middle of the book. Heck, even some of the main characters survive, because I’d forgotten the main series talks about their descendants. But for the most part this book is “Miledi tries her hardest but fails”, as we knew it would be – it’s a prequel, after all. It also helps to set up the final volume of the main series, coming soon I hope, which will likely feature her showing up to save the day. At least I hope she does, because the day is certainly not saved here.

The first chunk of the book, as I said, is one big fight, and goes fairly well for our heroes right up until the very end, when they’re forced to retreat. They then take the time to try and gather a few more allies – the dragons are now ready to help them, and even the vampires are willing to pitch in… that is, after we discover their long-lost royal daughter (who is closer than you’d think) and resolve the issue of the missing heir to the throne. We also discover that you can access the most powerful magic ever if you get really, really drunk. Unfortunately, Ehit has finally had enough, and decides to force the hand of Miledi by brainwashing everyone who is not a Liberator to kill all their allies. This takes up most of the rest of the book.

As always with Arifureta, this book had a lot of things I enjoyed and some things I could really do without. The main issue with the last third of the book is that this cast is simply too damn large, especially with the books coming out every year or so, and it’s hard to get sad when a character who you can’t really remember well dies. I needed a guide at the start. Also, Naiz marrying one of his emotional support 8-year-olds once she came of age is not something I wanted at all. On the bright side, Miledi and Oscar are handled perfectly, and her execution and subsequent golemification are also done well. There’s even some good horror here, as one of the few bad guys who’s likeable has her soul destroyed so that the big bad can take over her body.

So yeah, not everyone dies, but the majority of the cast die, and Ehit still rules. It’s gonna be up to Hajime and company to fix things. In the meantime, this was a fun yet annoying prequel, just like its heroine.

Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 4

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Osman Wong.

If the first few books of this series are about how Dahlia is not ready to enter a new relationship so soon after the wounds of her old one, this new volume is about how she soon may not have much choice. Dahlia has rocketed to stardom almost overnight, and it’s not really a surprise that people are assuming that either a) she’s not a magical toolmaker at all but just a pretty face fronting for someone else, or b) her backers are financing her because they want access to her body. Neither one is true, of course, but you can see why someone who knows nothing about Dahlia might think that. Unfortunately, Dahlia is the sort to internalize any worries is stress that she has, so it’s very difficult to get her to kick back against this and take charge. Fortunately, when this does happen, it’s pretty awesome to watch. As for Volf, well, you get the impression that he will realize his feelings before she does, but they’re both still incredibly stubborn.

Since Dahlia is going to be selling stuff to royalty pretty soon, and Volf has frankly been avoiding interacting with them, both need a crash course in manners and etiquette. After this… and several scenes showing them eating and drinking, with a pile of descriptive pages discussing same, she’s ready to sell the new portable camp stove. She’s also figured out a way to make self-cooling fabric, which essentially runs wind through your clothing… a great boon to a town like this one where all the clothes are heavy and stuffy. Things are looking up, and she and Volf both plan to do deeds that might net them a barony. Unfortunately, before she can sell to the Order of Beast Hunters, she needs to get the approval of the treasury, which is casting a disparaging eye upon her.

We’ve seen this before in prior books, but it’s really hammered home here: Dahlia and Volf act like they’ve been married for some time, and when you combine that with their constant refrain of “we’re just good friends”, it sends the mother of all mixed signals. That’s fine for Volf, who mostly has to deal with sudden bouts of jealousy when she’s interacting with other men, but Dahlia can still be painfully naive when it comes to how she has presented herself, and it leads to bad assumptions. Fortunately, once she starts nerding out about magical inventions, no one can really doubt she is the genius she says she is. She’s also getting better at asking for help, and we meet another guild whose leader might become a regular in the future… provided he does not drug Ivano again. Honestly, Dahlia’s barony is likely going to happen sooner rather than later… and I get the feeling it may screw up any relationship between her and Volf rather than help it.

This was a very strong volume in the series, one of the better fantasies for female readers J-Novel Club is putting out. Its magic system is similar to others (slimes, etc.) without feeling like an RPG, and the leads are terrific. More, please.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Part 4: Founder of the Royal Academy’s So-Called Library Committee, Vol. 8

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By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

This is the penultimate book in the fourth arc, and each of the arcs has featured a game-changing plot twist, so what we see happening in this book should not be a surprise, and yet it still feels a bit unreal. Ever since the 4th volume in the series, Ferdinand has been the second most important character after Rozemyne, and his presence… and ability to rescue her in case she got herself in a jam… were always there. Now he’s going to be leaving, and not in a happy way, either. As a reader, I know that something is going to happen to stop this, but I’m not sure when it will happen, meaning we may have to wait for Rozemyne to graduate before we get any results. And, um, I highly suspect that the civil war that keeps bubbling under will be underway well before then. Times are dangerous.

The first half of the book is pretty normal. Rozemyne finally meets her younger brother, Melchior, who is shorter than her! – just. She’s doing temple stuff, pushing publishing, and working on the finances of the duchy. Then we get the Archduke’s conference, and everything goes to hell, as Ferdinand is asked to marry Detlinde, an Ahrensbach noble. We know from the Royal Academy sections of the story that she’s the girl who wants to bully Rozemyne, so we already hate her. Needless to say, Ferdinand says no. Then the King tells him he has to do it. You cannot really say no to the King. We gradually over the course of the rest of the book hear the official reasons why this is happening, as well as the unofficial reasons, but hovering over all these is a secret reasons: Georgine is plotting bad, bad things.

One thing that this series has hammered home time and again is that very few marriages in this world are based on love, or even have any romantic feelings at all. Political and practical marriages are the watchword. Rozemyne is engaged to Wilfried, but neither of them really care about it. Angelica’s engagement is broken in this volume, and she literally has to practice being devastated by it, as in reality she just doesn’t care. So it’s not surprising that Ferdinand’s own feelings are being ignored here. (Indeed, a side story tells us that other duchies think he’s being abused by Sylvester and company!) But I mention this because the scenes with Ferdinand and Rozemyne here, while not romantic, are intense. She literally says that all he has to do is give the word and she will raise hell and go rescue him. Even if you are still wary of them as a match, it’s heartwarming in a familial sense.

The next volume, as noted, is the last one in this arc, and should feature Rozemyne and Ferdinand permanently “breaking up” – not that I expect that to actually happen. Will she be able to help? Will the country explode in war? And will Rozemyne ever stop looking like a 7-year-old so that all of this can get slightly less creepy? Can’t wait to find out.

Manga the Week of 8/17/22

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SEAN: We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave… the temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising, she certainly can Can-Can.

Yen On has three debuts, though one has already come out here from another publisher… sort of. The Bride of Demise (Shuuen no Hanayome) is a new series from the creator of Torture Princess, and seems to have much the same vibe. A soldier is about to die when a girl in white appears, swearing to protect him.

Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (Hige o Soru. Soshite Joshikousei o Hirou) is a series where we’ve already seen the manga… and an anime… and the light novel. The light novel was released by Kadokawa but only in parts, and the quality was meh. Yen promises their version has new, exciting things such as editing. As for the plot, read the title.

ASH: It’s interesting to see the variety of ways titles are licensed, different editions from different publishers being released in close succession would have been unheard of not too long ago.

SEAN: Sasaki and Peeps (Sasaki to Pii-chan) is a series about a man who adopts a pet sparrow, only to find it’s a sparrow from another world… and it grants him magic! Comedic fantasy is the watchword here.

ASH: Sparrows were certainly not the next genre variation I was expecting to see.

SEAN: Also from Yen On: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 6, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 2, The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody 8, The Holy Grail of Eris 2, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 3, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady 2, and The World’s Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker 7.

Yen Press debuts Chained Soldier (Mato Seihei no Slave), a manga from Shonen Jump + from the author of Akame Ga Kill!. As you can see, the title – and the cover art, which had SLAVE in big English lettering on the Japanese cover – has been changed, and thank God for that. Years ago, girls gained magical powers from eating demonic peaches from another dimension. Now a “typical Japanese high school boy” is caught in a gate and finds himself saved by one of those girls.

MICHELLE: I truly wish there was a band called Demonic Peaches from Another Dimension.

ASH: That would be such a great band name.

SEAN: We also get New York, New York Omnibus 2 (the final volume), Teasing Master Takagi-san 15, To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 5, and Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 15.

MICHELLE: Looking forward to New York, New York!

ANNA: I still need to read it!

ASH: Same! But I’m still looking forward to the second volume.

SEAN: Viz Media debuts Rooster Fighter (Niwatori Fighter), a seinen title from Shogakukan’s Comiplex about a rooster who manages to defend humanity against giant kaiju. It’s a comedy.

ASH: It’s such a ridiculous premise, I’ll admit to being curious.

SEAN: There’s also Black Lagoon 12, Case Closed 83, Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction 11, Jujutsu Kaisen 17, Levius/est 10 (the final volume), Ultraman 17, The Way of the Househusband 8, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 7.

MICHELLE: I need to get caught up on The Way of the Househusband.

ANNA: This is a favorite of multiple people in my house.

ASH: I’ve really been enjoying it.

SEAN: Tokyopop gives us The Fox & Little Tanuki 5.

Square Enix has a 6th My Dress-Up Darling.

A quiet week for Seven Seas. They have A Centaur’s Life 21, Classroom of the Elite 3, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi 3, and Happy Kanako’s Killer Life 5.

MICHELLE: Obligatory hooray for danmei.

ANNA: Woo!

ASH: Hooray, indeed! Grandmaster has been my favorite so far, too.

SEAN: Ponent Mon are doing a new edition of the Jiro Tanaguchi classic A Distant Neighborhood.

ASH: A Distant Neighborhood is one of my favorite Tanaguchi manga; glad to see it staying in print.

SEAN: One Peace Books has Hinamatsuri 16.

Kodansha has some print books. BAKEMONOGATARI 15, Blood on the Tracks 10, Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro 11, Fire Force 28, Saint Young Men Omnibus 10, and Welcome Back, Alice 3.

MICHELLE: Welcome Back, Alice looks intriguing. How is it on three volumes already?!

ASH: I’m still here for Saint Young Men.

SEAN: They also have a new 700-page omnibus of Princess Knight. Which is nowhere on their website, annoyingly.

ASH: That’s a big omnibus and a touchstone series. Glad to see it coming back in print, too!

SEAN: The digital debut is She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons (Kanojo to Camera to Kanojo no Kisetsu), an LGBT title that ran in Morning Two. It’s girl loves girl, girl loves boy, boy loves girl triangle romance. This has the Erica Friedman seal of approval.

MICHELLE: Ooh.

ANNA: Good to know!

SEAN: And we also get A Condition Called Love 10, Drifting Dragons 11, Golden Gold 3, GTO Paradise Lost 18, Hella Chill Monsters 2, Nina the Starry Bride 7, Piano Duo for the Left Hand 5, Rent-A-Girlfriend 14, A Serenade for Pretend Lovers 3, This Vampire Won’t Give Up! 3, and With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun 7.

ANNA: I recently started reading Nina the Starry Bride and enjoy it.

SEAN: Kaiten Books has a print version of The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting 3.

It’s J-Novel Club print week. We see Ascendance of a Bookworm: Fanbook 2, The Faraway Paladin 5, Her Majesty’s Swarm 4, In Another World With My Smartphone 23, My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In For Me! 5, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 7.

ASH: I’m already behind, but I’m still glad that The Faraway Paladin is being released in print so that I might actually read it.

SEAN: Two digital debuts for J-Novel Club. Did I Seriously Just Get Reincarnated as My Gag Character?! (Neta Chara Tensei Toka Anmarida!) has a guy hit by a bus and reincarnated in the game he loves. But not as his regular player character… as the dragon princess he made as a joke.

Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World (Isekai Tensei no Boukensha) is a reincarnation isekai that honestly has absolutely nothing I can see that makes it unique.

We also get The Greatest Magicmaster’s Retirement Plan 14, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey 18, and the third and final volume of Walking My Second Path in Life, only four and a half years after Volume 2!

Dark Horse has… dare we get our hopes up… the 5th omnibus of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, which has the previously unpublished Book 15! And there’s also Mob Psycho 100 9.

ASH: Oh! The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is a great series! That’s been a long time coming.

SEAN: And Airship has early digital for She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 5 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 7.

What popular songs are you quoting while it’s Too Darn Hot?

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 14

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By Fuminori Teshima and COMTA. Released in Japan as “Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga, Dou Medereba Ii?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

Last time I asked where the story could go after the previous volume really seemed to wrap up most of the plots and put a bow on them. I really should have been able to guess, as the answer is: a short story volume. This one has a wraparound of the cast all having a post-saving the world party at Zagan’s castle, and Gremory (who is in a wheelchair, and also looks 16 years old becauze of, I assume, nearly dying) is trying to get everyone to tell her love stories, which ties in to Foll going around asking about love a couple of volumes ago. There’s a bit of ongoing romance stuff – Selphy has clearly very much come to terms with her love of Lilith, and is going to try harder to make sure she does not take the het route. (She probably will, be warned.) But really this volume is about the four stories, which range from good but slight to excellent.

In the first story, Zagan, Nephy and Foll go to visit a haunted house… one that looks very familiar. Chastille is there as well, separately, and runs into a boy who seems to have gotten lost. In the second, shortest story, Shax and Kuroka eat cute. In the third and longest story, we learn the story of how Raphael met Kuroka’s mother, and the love affair that sadly never was. And in the final story, Zagan and Nephy go on the most adorable date you ever did see, buying cute outfits eating parfaits, and making everyone else around them ill. It’s basically everything that readers of this series have dreamed of, except it doesn’t end with them banging each other like drums at the end of the date.

The reason to get this book is the third story, where Raphael comes to a merchant town to try to track down a serial killer who has been murdering people with swords. Also there is Heidi, who by day is a waitress at an inn and also helps out the local church, and by night goes around masked and attacks people with swords. Is she the person with swords who’s been killing everyone? This one was very compelling, and I sort of hoped that they’d get together, even though I know based on what we know about Raphael and Kuroka that wasn’t happening. It does, however, really require the reader to know what the significance of “the moon is beautiful” is. The first story (and the wraparound) give us the return of crybaby Chastille, who I’ve never really been too fond of, but oh well. The last story is absolute 100% pure sugar, and will be perfect for those who love that sort of thing. Also, Zagan and Nephy’s outfits are pretty cute.

I assume next time we will kick off whatever the next plotline is – Alshiera, I assume – but till then, this was a pretty solid short story collection.

Bookshelf Briefs 8/9/22

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Blissful Land, Vol. 1 | By Ichimon Izumi | Kodansha (digital only) – You can almost imagine the pitch for Blissful Land: “It’s like A Bride’s Story, only it takes place in Tibet! The main character is a boy who’s training to be a doctor! Oh, and his best friend is an enormous dog! Readers are gonna love it!” And, truth be told, that’s not a bad summary of this digital-only offering from Kodansha. Like A Bride’s Story, Blissful Land takes place in the 19th century, and focuses on life in a vibrant, rural community where arranged marriages are the norm, and youngsters are betrothed at age 13. The artwork is homey and appealing, and the local customs rendered with historical specificity, but the complete absence of drama makes Blissful Land kind of a snooze, even for readers who are genuinely interested in learning more about Tibetan medicine. Your mileage may vary. – Katherine Dacey

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Vol. 3 | By Shio Usui | Seven Seas – This is a series that just continues to hit all the right notes. It gets into the sacrifices that adults have to make for the next generation… in this case the older sister and her younger sister… and how those sorts of sacrifices don’t work if you don’t get the opinion of the one you’re doing it for. It has a realistic, sympathetic rival character who manages to fill the unlucky childhood friend trope without being pathetic, the way those sorts usually are. And the main protagonist struggles with what romantic feelings and desires are at all. I don’t think this is going down the asexual route, but there’s certainly elements of it here. Can’t wait to read more of this. – Sean Gaffney

Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata, Vol. 2 | By Hal Osaka | Kodansha Manga (digital only) – Unfortunately, I did not find the second volume of this short series nearly as compelling as the first, as it may be josei but its tropes are pure shoujo, and it falls into several cliches. The romantic rival seeming like he’d be a serious alternative might work in a series that was going to be longer, but by the end of this volume you’ll be convinced it will end with the third book. Kanna’s inability to feel real love or desire with a partner, unlike, say, Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, just feels immature here. On the bright side, I am glad that it’s focusing just as much on her job as the romance, and how her job is ridiculously tough. Still, not must-read. – Sean Gaffney

Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family, Vol. 4 | By TAa | Denpa Books – It can be a lot of fun reading this series and seeing how the author can get more of the cast involved. By definition, this series’ main cast are those who eat everyday at Emiya’s house: Shirou, Saber, Sakura, Rider, and Taiga. It can be harder to shoehorn in those who aren’t there every meal without good excuses, which is possibly why we get only two pages of Rin this time around. And sometimes excuses just aren’t needed, such as having Saber Alter appear purely because the author wanted to do a burger chapter and Saber Alter’s love for burgers is practically a meme. If you were traumatized by any of the main Fate franchises, this is like a balm to your soul. I’m happy to see this volume after a long delay. – Sean Gaffney

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Vol. 1 | By Hitoshi Ashinano | Seven Seas – I have, of course, read this already. Long, long ago. It’s rare that you get a series licensed that was near the top of the license requests in 2000, where your only real choice was to lean towards Dark Horse and pray. But now it’s 22 years later, the series has fancy new 450-page omnibuses, and we can finally read it over here. Is it worth the wait? I think so, if you like manga where not much happens at all. Alpha runs a coffee shop sometime in Earth’s future, when everyone agrees that humanity’s time is winding down. Fortunately, she’s a robot, so she stays the same. And she even gets a meet cute romance, though the actual “romance” part is as vague as 1990s yuri was. I definitely recommend it, though. – Sean Gaffney

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Vol. 1

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By Satsuki Nakamura and Kana Yuki. Released in Japan as “Futsutsuka na Akujo dewa Gozaimasu ga: Suuguu Chouso Torikae Den” by Ichijinsha Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Tara Quinn.

As I think I’ve said before, I’m not the biggest fan of bodyswap stories. It’s just a personal squick, and always makes for uncomfortable reading, particularly when one of the people swapped is responsible for it. And also a terrible person. So, as you can imagine, the premise of Though I Am an Inept Villainess did not fill me with glee. That said: villainess book, one of my big genres. Also recommended by the authors of Bookworm AND Apothecary Diaries AND Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent. This book had a huge amount of expectations for me. As always with my reading, it would probably depend on the lead character. How does she react to this? How does she fight back? Also, unique to bodyswap stories: how does the rest of the cast not immediately sense something is off? Especially in a world where bodyswapping IS possible? Well, good news all round: the book passes both tests with flying colors. In fact, the book is amazing.

Reirin is a beautiful court lady beloved and doted on by everyone, though also suffering from illness frequently. A butterfly. Keigetsu is a gangly, freckled, bitchy court lady that everyone hates, mostly as she’s terrible to anyone she doesn’t have to suck up to. A sewer rat. Then one day Keigetsu pushes Reirin over a balustrade… and Reirin wakes up in Keigetsu’s body. Which is now in prison, awaiting execution. She’s been bodyswapped! Worse, thanks to the nature of the swap, she’s physically and mentally unable to explain this to anyone. So, now she’s got to somehow avoid execution – which involves being eaten by a starving lion – and then somehow make a life where everyone hates her and she’s in this… wonderful, healthy, robust body? Meanwhile, Keigetsu discovers that Reirin isn’t just sick a lot, she’s at death’s door most of the time. Whoops.

Reirin is astonishingly good. Her combination of joy and guilt over being able to suddenly do ordinary things like eat fried potatoes all the time is hilarious, of course, but she also gets to unleash the tempered blade that is her personality, honed under years of training to not die from fever at any given moment, and use it to do things like show righteous fury, or spend an entire night sewing a new robe for her attendant (the old robe was damaged when the attendant tried to murder her). We also get the sense that she’s not fully formed yet – there’s a realization towards the end of the book that she always tried to keep everyone at arm’s length and made every conversation as if it would be her last, and she’s just realizing now how sad that is. As for the swap itself, I appreciate how everyone IMMEDIATELY realizes that there’s something up, as Keigetsu’s personality has done a complete 180, but it takes till the end of the book to actually figure out HOW. This means there’s less annoying bodyswap humor, which I always dislike. I will admit I wasn’t as fond of Keigetsu in Reirin’s body, but that’s because her character journey is “oh fuck (slowly begins to die)”.

There is a particularly vicious cliffhanger at the end of this volume, not helped by the extended short story that follows (though the short story is excellent, giving much needed backstory to several characters.) It is going to make waiting rfor the next volume a chore, though, especially as I’m not sure how they’ll keep the bodyswap up. Regardless, I found this book a wonderful read.

Pick of the Week: Old Favorites, Departures and Arrivals

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ASH: I’ll admit, I’m having a hard time selecting just one release this week as my pick with the number of excellent new and continuing series being published. Debut-wise, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou seems like the obvious choice, but I’m also thrilled to see more of Asumiko Nakamura’s work in translation, so Tales of the Kingdom is pretty high up there for me, too. And that’s not even mentioning all the others that I’m curious about…

SEAN: The pick this week is me traveling back in time twenty years and telling my younger self to put away those text files of fan translations and raw Japanese manga volumes, because Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is finally here! You’ll just… have to wait a bit, younger self.

MICHELLE: That’s exactly how I read Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket back in the day! I still have the raw Japanese manga volumes somewhere. I’m not sure I will like Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, though I’m curious about it, so instead I’ll pick the eleventh and final volume of Knight of the Ice.

KATE: Someone’s gotta raise the flag for Kaze Hikaru, so here’s my pitch: volume 30 has just come out. In the 10+ years VIZ has been releasing this series, I don’t know that it’s ever found the passionate fanbase it deserves, but Kaze Hikaru is one of the best shojo series available in English. There’s no time like the present to get started!

ANNA: There’s a bunch of manga coming out that I’m excited about. I always look forward to the annual release of Kaze Hikaru and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou sounds great. But I’ll make my pick the final volume of Knight of the Ice, a josei title that is both hilarious and heartwarming.