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Pick of the Week: Sleepy Blue Skies

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SEAN: I’ve heard good things about That Blue-Sky Feeling, but feel fairly confident the rest of the team will be weighing in on that one. So my pick this week is Accomplishments of a Duke’s Daughter. I’m a sucker for isekai with a female lead, and this one has the basic premise of the heroine ending up in the otome game she’s played… as the main antagonist. Should be great fun.

MICHELLE: I don’t read much in the isekai genre, but Accomplishments of a Duke’s Daughter might be the exception. Still, Sean is right that I’m most eager to read That Blue-Sky Feeling. Slice-of-life sounds like just the thing.

ASH: Sean has me pegged, too! While as always there are multiple releases that interest me this week, That Blue Sky Feeling is without a doubt my pick. I’ve likewise heard great things about this thoughtful and sweet gay coming-of-age story.

KATE: Since it’s been hot and sticky this week, my vote is for fun. I’ll be picking up the third volume of Toppu GP, which I’ve been enjoying despite my total lack of interest in motorcycles, and the second volume of Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, which I just reviewed and adored.

ANNA: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Volume 2 for me as well! I’m in the mood for a pleasant diversion, and I enjoy the way this fantasy comedy manga subverts the familiar trope of a princess in distress.

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, Vol. 3

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

I don’t think I’ve read a series that’s as consistently funny as Make My Abilities Average. The author simply knows how to write humor and write it well (she also apparently makes a lot of tortured puns and wordplay jokes, which the translators make a valiant effort at adapting). The book starts off relatively sedately, but the entire battle with the Wyvern in the final third is comedy cold from beginning to end. You would think that “Mile suggests something incredibly off the wall” would get old fast, but she’s simply a walking font of ridiculous, and it helps greatly that she has three types of tsukkomis traveling with her. There is the occasional moment of seriousness, mostly involving the background for Pauline’s family, but for the most part Make My Abilities Average knows what the audience wants: laughs.

Mavis and Pauline share the third cover, which is appropriate as their backstories come back to haunt them at the same time. Pauline’s is more serious, involving the murder of her father and loss of her family business. Mavis’ family is still intact, but she is the only daughter of a Count, and as such they would rather she not be training to be the best knight she can be and get back to being a marriage prospect. And so the Crimson Vow heads off (unofficially this time) to deal with the problems and ensure that they can carry on as before. There’s some lampshading of obvious tropes here, which is where the humor is really mined. Mile shows up as Mavis’ teacher, Evening Gown Mask (yes, really) in order to take on the Count in swordfighting. Her disguise is… an eye mask. That’s it. Despite this, and without the use of magic, Mavis’ entire family fails to recognize that it’s Mile.

Then there’s the Wyvern fight, which ends up being a series of toppers. I had assumed that the high point would be the scene that is illustrated (quite well, I might add), but no, it gets better. And then gets better again. The absolute highlight may be the mastermind explaining his plans to (and for) Mile, which involves plans so deeply silly that Mile is forced to play the tsukkomi herself. I’m trying not to spoil because it was simply that funny to me. This isn’t a perfect book – as with a lot of light novels that need to pad out the word count, one of the short stories falls amazingly short, as we see Adele (yes, it’s a flashback to school #1) going on a date with a classmate, where the humor involves a) said classmate being a “nice guy” with extra quote marks, and b) the class rep being a wacky comedy lesbian. I hate wacky comedy lesbians. On the bright side, this does suggest that the series is determined not to have romance invade its fun. which is fine by me.

Last time I mentioned that the lack of a “main plot” was also a flaw, and you can say the same thing about this book – it still feels more like a short story collection that happens to be sequential. That said, the author seems to realize this, and is implying she will add more plot in the next book. In the meantime, if you want a laugh, or want to see a great all-girl fighting team, I highly recommend this series.

Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns

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Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns

I was excited when I saw that Viz was getting into the crafting book business, since there are so many great Japanese pattern books out there. Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns is an English translation of a super cute guide to San-X Crochet. The first half of the book has over 30 color pages showing multiple poses of the amigurumi you can make with the book, including extensive accessories and costumes. I enjoyed the amigurumi sitting in tiny eggshells or lounging around the most.

Japanese knitting and crochet books almost universally rely on charts for pattern information, and this book has charts and construction schematics, followed by a basic stitch guide so someone new to charted knitting can figure out the directions. So, this book might seem a bit unfamiliar to people who are mostly used to written directions, but it shouldn’t be a problem. There are plenty of beginner books out there and I think that there space in the crafting marketplace for a book like this, which is a straight translation of a Japanese book, without any extras added in for an English language audience. There are so many youtube tutorials and other crafting guides like this on the web, I feel like most people can figure out what they need to know in order to follow a chart. I’d be excited to see more Japanese craft books translated like this! I tend to buy single patterns on ravelry instead of books, but this book is the type of thing I’d like to collect in print form for all the great photo illustrations.

I have a gazillion knitting projects going on right now that I want to finish up, but I’ll update this review later with a crochet creation. I think I’m going to start with either the teeny tiny toast and eggs, or Sumikkogurashi.

Toradora!, Vol. 2

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By Yuyuko Takemiya and Yasu. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by J.P. Sullivan.

Having had a first volume that could easily stand on its own, Toradora! now has a second that has to extend the series. So Taiga and Ryuuji are still spending their every waking moment together and even eating the same bentos, but they aren’t actually together, they are supposedly scheming to help each other get together with their crush – something no one buys for a minute, and nor should they, given the ridiculous chemistry of the two leads. And so naturally, in the second volume, we need an antagonist. She’s got to be something that will drive Taiga absolutely crazy with rage. She’s Kitamura’s childhood friend. She’s a tall, long-limbed beauty. She’s a famous teenage model. She acts “oblivious” in a cutesy way. SHE’S GOT THE SAME FIRST NAME AS SAILOR MERCURY. Clearly she is evil and must be punished. And, while technically there is a punishment scene, the beauty and wonder of this book is that it is not about taking down Ami at all.

I think Takemiya is well aware of the fictional tropes involving “new girl as rival”, and she leans on them in her writing to make for greater impact later. Because Ami and Taiga really do not like each other at all. I’ve mentioned Taiga’s reasons, but Ami has heard a lot about her from Kitamura as well, and Taiga is also beautiful in her own, slightly furious way. So seeing Ami rip Taiga apart in the family restaurant, we are not at all inclined to be favorable to her. Showing up as a new transfer student was possibly the most predictable thing that could have happened as well. And so, at some point, we knew the “mask” was going to come off and that Ami would be taken down in front of the class. Technically this does happen, as Taiga and Minori (who has been laying low this entire time to make the payoff better) humiliate Ami in front of the class by mocking her being blase about dieting.

But then there’s the real, genuinely serious plot. Ami is being stalked. And it’s really unnerving and scaring her. And so when Taiga sees the girl who’s been belittling and mocking her all this time beg her and Ryuuji for help… she immediately helps. Yes, this help might also involve having Ami do karaoke for six hours at her place and recording it for future blackmailing material, but Taiga is well-aware that being creeped on by a stalker is bigger than a petty feud. As things escalate, meanwhile, it’s Ryuuji rather than Taiga who is able to wear Ami’s mask down to the point that she finally snaps and goes after her fan in one of the more cathartically satisfying scenes I’ve ever read – even if Ryuuji correctly points out how foolish it actually was. So now the core cast is in place, and I really can’t wait to see how the third novel shakes out.

This isn’t perfect – it ends far too abruptly, in a scene that almost cried out for a sad trombone noise. What’s more, it runs a bit short, so there’s an extended short story attached about a new first-year student with absolutely terrible luck who somehow gets told that touching Taiga will make him lucky. (I think this was adapted to the anime and he DID end up lucky in a way. Here he’s just sort of a shmoe.) That said, those are the only two minuses in an excellent volume.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 1

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Since one in four Americans suffer from insomnia, it seems like there’s a natural market for Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, a manga about a character so determined to get a good night’s sleep that she’d risk death or dismemberment for forty winks. Sleepy Princess plays the title character’s insomnia for laughs, however, turning the heroine’s quest for the perfect mattress into a light-hearted romp, rather than an expensive ordeal involving black-out curtains, melatonin, and meditation videos. That the story is fun and breezy is nothing short of a miracle, though older readers may experience a twinge of jealously at Princess Syalis’ ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime once she has the right gear.

Author Kagiji Kumanomata handles the set-up with great economy: in just two pages, we learn the Demon King has kidnapped Syalis in a bid to conquer the human world. Though the Demon King stashes Syalis in a dungeon populated by fearsome beasts, Syalis quickly sizes up the situation and makes it work to her advantage. “Since I’m hostage, the Demon King has no intention of harming me,” she notes. “I have no duties to take care of here… And the food’s pretty tasty!” The one drawback to her new digs? “I haven’t been able to get a good night’s rest since I was brought here!” she exclaims.

A chance encounter with teddy demons leads to her first epiphany: her captors’ fur is the ideal stuffing for a comfy pillow. Before long, Syalis is roaming the castle in search of softer sheets, mosquito netting, and a more natural light source, the better to regulate her body’s circadian rhythms. Her dogged efforts to sleep longer or more soundly confound her jailers, who are astonished at how brazenly she takes what she needs; Syalis dies at least three times in her quest for the perfect sleep accessories. (Don’t worry; a handsome demon cleric is on hand to resurrect her mangled body.)

As with other one-joke manga, Sleepy Princess occasionally strains for laughs; an episode involving poison mushrooms falls flat, as does a spoof of Princess Knight. The chapters’ brevity helps keep the story from bogging down in bad jokes, as does Kumanomata’s consummate attention to detail; there’s always something funny happening, even if the gags are buried in the background or lurking on the edges of the page. An artful adaptation by Annette Roman helps bridge the translation divide, as do Susan Daigle-Leach’s marvelous sound effects. (If you’ve ever wondered what a posse of demon teddy bears might sound like, she’s got you covered.) Best of all, Kumanomata has barely scratched the surface when it comes to insomnia, leaving the door open for future quests, from finding the right bedtime snack to finding the right temperature for sleeping. Recommended.

SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE, VOL. 1 • BY KAGIJI KUMANOMATA • TRANSLATION BY TETSUICHIRO MITAYKI • ADAPTATION BY ANNETTE ROMAN • TOUCH-UP ART AND LETTERING BY SUSAN DAIGLE-LEACH • VIZ MEDIA • 174 pp. • RATED TEEN (13+) FOR FANTASY VIOLENCE

Attack on Titan: Junior High, Vol. 5

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By Saki Nakagawa, based on the manga by Hajime Isayama. Released in Japan in three separate volumes by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics. Translated by William Flanagan and Taka Tanaka. Adapted by Ben Applegate.

Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that my Attack on Titan reviews were getting less and less enthusiastic as the volumes went on, until they finally petered to a stop about 3 volumes ago. Was it the timeskip? Was it the death of [spoiler]? Was it [spoiler] being turned into a baby factory? All those and more, but mostly it’s the fact that I can’t stop turning a blind eye to the fascist tendencies this series has honestly had since the start. For a while it looked like it was going to subvert them – I mean, it does overthrow a corrupt fascist government – but yeah, that’s not happening. So goodbye, Attack on Titan. What will I remember from you? Killing my favorite girl? Throwing another dead lesbian on the pile of dead lesbians? No, I will remember that you had, at one time, excellent characters that we could not only identify with but also parody. And I’m here today, finally, to talk about that parody.

Attack on Titan Junior High ends as it began: by being absolutely ridiculous. Eren is still hating titans (and constantly being called out for racism, which made me smile). Mikasa is still perfect (and has never farted. It’s in this manga, so is therefore canon and 100% fact). Sasha eats, and eats, and literally turns into a villain in order to get more food. (And, let’s face it, probably farts enough for both her and Mikasa). Armin is a crybaby shut-in. Ymir and Krista (who does not get the Historia upgrade in this series) are still joined at the hip. Everyone who’s been dead in the main series for ages gets a chance to shine, especially Levi’s old squad. Heck, we even get chapters devoted to the spinoff characters, who are also not dead. (technically Before the Fall has not killed its entire cast yet, but come on, we know it’s a matter of time.) Junior High wants to put a smile on your face, and it does.

I should say a word about the translation. Or, more accurately, the adaptation. I haven’t seen a series this loosely adapted since Excel Saga. Also, like Excel Saga, I think it’s all the better for it. Purists may carp at references to Sacha Baron Cohen (and boy, did that joke get outdated fast), but it gives the whole series a rambunctious , anything can happen feeling that fits it very well. You want to keep things fast and furious in a gag series, especially one like this that is a three-volume omnibus, which is the worst possible thing for a broad comedy to be. Special attention must also be paid to the fact that this volume was delayed for almost two years. It became comical to see it almost get released… then suddenly have a new release date six months down the road. The translators are very aware of this fact, and mention it in the text several times. I like a series that can mock itself. And again, that’s not something you’d see with a more “literal” translation.

So, as I say farewell to Attack on Titan, this is how I want to remember it. With a bunch of fun, goofy characters doing dumb things. And everyone living happily ever after. That may be the opposite of the point that the original author wanted to make, but that’s fine by me.

Manga the Week of 8/15/18

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SEAN: 30 manga enter! One manga leaves! It’s manga madness!

But let’s start with light novels, as Bookwalker has a 5th volume of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress.

Dark Horse has the 3rd and final RG Veda omnibus, after much delay.

MICHELLE: I actually forgot this was even coming out.

ASH: (Really) slow but steady, I guess?

SEAN: J-Novel Club’s debut is An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride (yes, they sensibly changed the title after they first announced it), which is apparently cute and adorable.

There’s also new volumes of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (10), I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse (9), and The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind! (5). J-Novel cornering the market in long light novel titles.

Kodansha. A whole lot. Starting with print, we have an 11th Fire Force, an 8th In/Spectre (always a favorite of mine) and the 3rd Toppu GP (in which instead of a harem it’s just bikes.)

Kodansha’s digital debut is Back Street Girls, which I have to admit has one of the more “…what, really?” premises out there. Three yakuza guys who’ve failed one too many times are punished by… getting sex reassignment surgery and becoming an idol group. I admit I’m curious, but let’s face it: it’s morbid curiosity.

MICHELLE: *dubious face*

ASH: Dubious morbid curiosity about sums it up for me, too. (Also, I had completely forgotten about this license.)

ANNA: Feeling enthusiastic about skipping this manga!

SEAN: But there’s plenty of other digital volumes out next week. Aoba-kun’s Confessions 7, Boarding School Juliet 4, Drowning Love 10, Kamikamikaeshi 3, Kasane 13, Lovesick Ellie 6, Those Summer Days 3, and Tokyo Alice 2. Tokyo Alice interests me most in that stack.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely down for Tokyo Alice, and the covers for Those Summer Days make me think I’ll like it as well, but mostly I’m happy for more Lovesick Ellie.

SEAN: One Peace has the 12th The Rising of the Shield Hero light novel.

Seven Seas has a debut with Accomplishments of a Duke’s Daughter (Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami). Based on a sadly unlicensed light novel, it’s part of a rising trend of isekai books where a young girl is reincarnated into a fantasy world… as the villain. And she’s about to get the “bad end”. What is she to do? This runs in Young Ace Up.

MICHELLE: That sounds kinda neat.

ASH: It does seem to be a fresher take on isekai than some others we’ve seen.

SEAN: And there is a 5th Bloom Into You, and a 5th Species Domain.

SuBLime gives us a 4th volume of A Strange and Mystifying Story. Honestly, after four volumes it should be less mystifying.

ASH: This is the first newly translated volume, too!

MICHELLE: *snerk* They did switch up the main couple in volume three, so as to keep the mystification going, one assumes.

SEAN: Vertical has a 4th omnibus of deeply strange Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Viz has a debut this week with That Blue-Sky Feeling (Sorairo Flutter), a Gangan Joker series about a new transfer student who hears a rumor that his classmate is gay. I’ve heard very good things about this one.

MICHELLE: I flipped through a review copy the other day and it looks pretty great. Looking forward to getting around to reading it.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Viz also gives us the 2nd hardcover collection of Fullmetal Alchemist, the 31st Magi, and the 2nd Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle.

ASH: The first volume of Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle was delightful. I’m looking forward to reading more.

ANNA: It was uncomplicated fun.

SEAN: Who won? Who lost? You decide!

ASH: I think we’re all winners here, Sean!

Lazy Dungeon Master, Vol. 1

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By Supana Onikage and Youta. Released in Japan as “Zettai ni Hatarakitakunai Dungeon Master ga Damin wo Musaboru Made” by OVERLAP, Inc. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Quof.

I tend to review a lot of light novels, and try to keep up as much as I can. That said, with J-Novel Club recently taking it up a notch, I have to come to the conclusion that I can’t keep up with everything. Fortunately, their first new release in this huge batch of licenses, Lazy Dungeon Master, allows me to bow out gracefully. A work that seems designed entirely for the “is there snu snu?” reader, Lazy Dungeon Master has many faults, but its largest seems to be that the laziness of its titular hero is not just “wants to sleep all the time”, but also “his moral and ethical sense is that he can’t be bothered”. This is a shame, as the book made a valiant effort to get my interest in its last quarter, where I was genuinely entertained. But it can’t make up for the beginning, and the afterword suggests this is the toned-down version.

Keima is your average Japanese boy who is transported to a world where he has been summoned by a dungeon, whose core takes the form of a cute, busty girl (who can also transform into a far younger girl, but let’s not go there). He’s there to help save the dungeon from being destroyed. The problem is that the dungeon core, who he names Rokuko, has no common sense whatsoever. And the dungeon is already occupied by bandits, who are using it as a home base. It’s also just one room. As such, Keima has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, he may be lazy and morally bankrupt, but he’s rather clever, and so by use of several items, some tricks, and a dog-girl slave named Niku (more on that later), he is able to save the day and slightly expand the dungeon. As the series goes on, hijinks will no doubt ensue. And yes, Rokuko has already fallen in love with him, and I think Niku has as well. Sadly, all he cares about is their feet.

I’ll start with the good. The moment the dungeon battle begins, the series becomes genuinely entertaining, and I found myself smiling and laughing more than a few times. Well done. Now, the bad: the rest of the book. The bandits are scum, and take two sex slaves (no, really, they’re CALLED sex slaves) back to the dungeon to bang. Keima sees this… and does nothing, as his laziness and self-preservation overcome any horror he may have for what he’s seeing. And given his matter of fact “whoah, they’re raping that girl” narration, he’s not that horrified. Niku, the little girl slave (whose name literally means “Meat”, and I thank the Lord it wasn’t translated that way – leave that to Haganai) is introduced to us as basically a dead-eyed husk, and it’s clear what’s been happening to her before this. The afterword suggests that this book was edited so she’s “too young” and merely used as a servant while the bandits screw the older sex slave, but… you can’t remove a backstory but still have the obvious evidence that it happened. The whole thing is creepy.

There’s other things I didn’t like. Parts of the book where Keima and Rokuko simply sit and comment on the things they’re seeing from inside the dungeon core feel like a bad episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Haku is an interesting antagonist who turns out to not really be one, but the yuri scenes seem rather forced and “service, service!” to me. Most importantly: Keima is clever and has the potential to be powerful, but I suspect his uncaring attitude will also keep going. And I don’t trust the author not to make more bad decisions. Recommended for those who are the sort to have read the webnovel version already. I will be moving on.

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 5

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By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu. Released in Japan as “Yakusoku no Neverland” by Shueisha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Satsuki Yamashita.

One of the questions I asked last time is answered fairly quickly in this new volume, which is: will our gang of children really escape with everyone, including the little babies? And the answer is no, they won’t. There’s being idealistic and then there’s being realistic, and even Emma knows that. And what’s more, she and Ray actually trust Isabella enough to know that she’s not simply going to do anything to the little kids left behind out of spite. We see a flashback showing us Isabella’s past, and it’s somewhat like you’d expect – she believes there’s no escaping this, so she’s doing what she can to make everyone as happy as possible before they’re taken away. It’s a decision made with love, even if I disagree with it. And it means we leave Phil and company behind (and very nice scene of him understanding what’s going on) and make their escape.

The escape involves a nice fake-out: since the only way to escape the compound is the bridge, every security measure will be there. So the kids instead actually do go over the wall, using rope and various klugded-together implements to cross the chasm and enter a forest beyond. (As a side note, I love your multicultural cast, TPN, it’s really great, but: Jemima? Really? No one called you on that?) The difficulty, of course, is that they know nothing about the terrain beyond the orphanage, and it turns out that the forest is a lot more alive than they’d really like. Oh yes, and they also have to avoid demons. And the main bad guys themselves, who are still very much in the mood to eat their delicious brains. The Promised Neverland always seems to have a fresh new crisis at hand, which is good, as the premise is basically “jumping from crisis to crisis”.

I think the series spent just the right amount of time in the orphanage and planning to escape it, and now, five books in, I look forward to seeing where Emma and company manage to wind up. Of course, that company is getting a bit smaller, as this time it’s Ray who has to sacrifice himself so that the others might move on. It’s amusing seeing Ray do this given all the times he’s tried to in the past and been stopped, but as he himself says, this time he doesn’t plan to sacrifice his life. But that does mean that the group is now led by Emma… who is realizing that being a child, planning a daring escape and also cutting off your own ear can possibly lead to sickness. Fortunately, there’s a robed stranger who is NOT AT ALL SUSPICIOUS to help the rest of the kids. Can Don and Gilda carry on while Emma is ill?

This series is a sort of high-wire act, as you’re never quite sure when its thriller logic is going to run out. But for the moment, it remains one of the best Jump series out there.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 15

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

The basic premise of this series is that all the many and varied girls who have their eye on Room 106 get together with Koutarou to form a family (yes, they all love each other romantically, but “family” is the first thing that comes to mind to describe themselves, and the reader has to agree). And they’re all beset by various types of villains. So it makes a certain amount of sense that the villains are also joining forces in order to fight our heroes. Of course, unlike Koutarou’s group, this is not a particularly equal partnership. Radical Faction leader Tayuma is a classic laughing villain sort, and you expect he’s going to get taken out in the following volume (this volume) is the first of a two-parter) and then quietly forgotten about. But the pairing of Elexis, Theia’s nemesis, and Maya, the Dark Magical Girl, looks more long-lasting, and there’s also some potential romance there. Yes, villains can hook up, too!

As for our “family”, they’re still getting along well. One thing that’s interesting about Rokujouma is the utter lack of inter-harem conflict compared to most series of this ilk. You don’t even have any scenes of people temporarily walking out in an angry huff. (Where would they go, they all live in the apartment.) It can lead to being a bit self-satisfied, as I noted in my previous review, but it’s also sweet and cute, which is what the author is going for, I’m sure. This group is very much still in the initial blush of first love, and it shows in their actions. Koutarou is getting more comfortable with showing physical affection top people not named Yurika, and the other girls are getting better about asking for it. They’re slowly maturing, and yes, that includes Yurika, even though she seems designed to always be whining and complaini9ng because, well, the author loves writing that.

The main plot of this volume involves our heroes teaming up with the sentai group from like 10 volumes ago (remember them? Yeah, me neither…) to take on the Radical Faction’s attempt at causing a natural disaster so great it will allow them to take over the surface once and for all. It’s a total “evil villain” scheme, but it’s treated seriously because of Kiriha, and because the others discuss the actual consequences of such a thing. One reason I enjoy reading Rokujouma so much is the amount of dialogue going on – now that everyone’s mostly revealed their true background and desires, they’re not hiding anything from each other and can be open and direct. Which I’m sure will lead to better solutions in the next volume. They’re not perfect – they were truly suckered in in the last third of the book, and now the bad guys have a better idea of how to fight Koutarou and company – but they’ll come up with something.

This is a short book in the series, and didn’t take long to get through. Fans of Rokujouma!? should enjoy it quite a bit.