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Hungry for You: Endo Yasuko Stalks the Night, Vol. 1

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By Flowerchild. Released in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Young Comic. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Christine Dashiell. Adapted by Casey Lucas.

Mever let it be said that the author isn’t putting all her cards on the table here. The cover, which features our titular heroine carrying a blood bag stand, boxes of tomatoes, drinking tomato juice, with with garlic streaming behind her… yeah, this is a vampire manga. And a very silly vampire manga – indeed, the selling point is the humor, rather than the vampirism, though there is the occasional semi-serious element. Mostly what we see here is Endo Yasuko (the vampire) becoming friends with (somewhat by force) Mikaoka Shizue, her self-proclaimed emergency rations. (Given this is a Shonen Gahosha title, I have to wonder if the Excel Saga allusion is deliberate or not.) There has been a string of murders of young women at their school… but is Yasuko really responsible? And perhaps most importantly: is this series actually yuri, or just suggestive and fanservicey?

There’s actually more going on here than I expected with a premise like “comedic vampire girl’. It’s not as slice-of-life as you’d think. As the book goes on, Shizue tries to subtly figure out what really happened with the murders of the three girls, and also see how Yasuko actually deals with her victims. She herself is a victim (mostly willingly) a few times, but it’s clear Yasuko is holding herself back. There’s also a few new characters introduced to help expand things – the overly bitter student who has an ax to grind uses her daddy’s money to hire a vampire hunter from Texas of all places. Vampire hunter is also a teen girl, and in perhaps the most surprising move of the volume starts off as being completely unable to speak Japanese but by the end of the book is almost fluent in it – she is a funny foreigner, but it’s less because of her mangled Japanese and more because of her growing obsession with manzai humor.

This series runs in Young Comic, which is not QUITE as salacious and sex-filled as its sister magazine Young King but comes close. As such, I was rather surprised that there wasn’t more fanservice – this is definitely a Seven Seas title, rather than their Ghost Ship line. There’s the occasional emphasis on Yasuko’s large breasts, and Yasuko and Shizue share a bedroom but nothing really happens. Honestly, this is really somewhat pure. It becomes fairly clear by the end of the book that Yasuko likely ISN’T responsible for the murder of the three girls, though it’s not made clear who is, and Yasuko is going to have a lot of trouble proving her innocence, especially since the police are now sniffing around. There’s also Itami Mitsuri, who seems to be a typical Gal but one or two scenes suggest she may also have supernatural origins. That said, right now she seems to be harassing the heroine more through social media than anything else.

This is a cute, funny title, though I’m not sure where it’s going to be going. If you like vampires and are looking for a less serious take on the genre, you may want to give it a try.

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 10

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By Satoshi Wagahara and 029. Released in Japan by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen Press. Translated by Kevin Gifford.

It’s never a good sign when you can start to see the author and editor’s plotting and scheming as you’re reading a book. I’m not sure which took priority here – if the author decided that he’d had enough of the Enta Isla plot and wanted to end it fast with this volume, or if an editor convinced him to do the same – but there’s no doubt about it, this volume is rushed as hell. That’s not to say there aren’t good scenes or ongoing deep characterization – Emi remains a highlight, and Maou’s use of pizza delivery scooters as a weapon may be one of the funniest bits in the series. But when you take what should have been one of the more dramatic scenes of the book and turn it into a one-page summary by the involved parties after the fact, it’s hard not to be disappointed. Someone at some point said “This isn’t working, let’s solve it quickly and get back to McRonald’s where this series belongs”.

We pick up right from where we left off last time. Emi and Ashiya are being forced to fight to the death thanks to Olba’s scheming, and Suzuno and Maou are trying to stop it. Unfortunately, Maou is still without his demonic powers, so he gets left behind to babysit Alciel. The keyword here is ‘breakneck’, as events happen very fast, allowing Maou to get to where he’s needed and solve what’s happened to him. We get a lot of discussion about what the Yesod fragments really are, and it turns out that they are not really a binary ‘good/evil’ at all – no surprise there, as part of the main plot of this series is that the humans, demons and angels are all basically very similar rather than higher or lower beings. The whole shebang is resolved by a) Maou beating everyone up once he’s back to full power, and b) a deus ex machina that’s a bit ridiculous, so I won’t spoil it here. And Crestia Bell’s righteous religious fury is always fun to see.

Again, the best part of this book was Emi, even though she ends the book at her lowest ebb. She’s reunited with her father, but after being away from work for over a month she’s pretty much fired, and thus unlikely to keep her swank apartment. Rika’s suggestion of working at McRonald’s and moving to Maou’s apartment complex may sound like the author talking instead of her, but it honestly comes as a relief. Now that Emi is no longer trying to kill Maou whenever she sees him, and in fact realizing (slowly) she has feelings for him, it makes far more sense for her to be involved in the action more. So as a setup for future books, I’m very pleased. Unfortunately, as a wrapup to this arc in particular, this book is really not that great a success. I still love the series, but I’m happy to see it moving back to Japan – as is everyone involved, I suspect.

Bookshelf Briefs 5/7/18

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As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 1 | By Matoba | Yen Press – Sometimes you just need to roll with the adorable. This slice-of-demonic-life manga stars Beelzebub, who is a short, busty girl who is excellent at her job but otherwise a complete airhead, and Mullin, her straight-arrow assistant who yearns for her to stop walking around naked or getting distracted. These two clearly like each other, and there are sweet and funny romantic moments mixed throughout. The rest of the cast is more variable (I could have done without Belphegor’s need to pee when she gets nervous, which is all the time), but this is relatively cute and harmless, though the nudity limits its audience to otaku. Also, how can you resist a title that has words like ‘flufficity’ in it? – Sean Gaffney

Erased, Vol. 4 | By Kei Sanbe | Yen Press – While there’s technically one more volume of Erased, the main series ends with the fourth omnibus. At this point, Satoru has lived through his fifth-grade year three times as he tries to stop a string of serial killings. Although he largely succeeds, the third time leaves him in a coma which he only recovers from fifteen years later. The murderer was never arrested and has taken a particular interest in Satoru. For his part, Satoru is still determined to bring the killer to justice. A showdown between them is inevitable. Occasionally I felt that Erased would have been even better as a novel–the visuals used to make dramatic plot reveals work sometimes seemed like cheating (or maybe Sanbe just didn’t have the artistic chops to pull them off in a completely convincing way yet)–but the manga’s story was still wonderfully engaging. As a whole, Erased is a very satisfying series. – Ash Brown

Juana and the Dragonewt’s Seven Kingdoms, Vol. 2 | By Kiyohisa Tanaka | Seven Seas – This is not a long-running series (it ends with its third volume), so it’s very content to simply barrel along with its adventure plot. The characters are very relateable, despite being dragonewts—indeed, that’s the point, as we see Nid’s resolve and also their ‘vamp’ friend Zoila’s efforts to rescue her own friend from the evil circus. These are understandable people. And the presence of Juana in their narrative, alternating as a ball of sunshine and a bolt of energy, is a great thing. We also get some hints of issues with Nid’s family, which I’m sure will be cleared up next time, as well as whether Juana is here to stay or not. For those who like fantasy adventures, this is a great buy. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 2 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – Even as it moves into Weekly Young Jump proper with this volume, Kaguya-sama maintains its basic amusing premise with aplomb. Miyuki and Kaguya continue to attempt to mentally manipulate each other into doing anything that could be considered as a gesture of love, despite the fact that when it comes to matters of the heart (and indeed social interaction in general), they’re both such dorks. Chika, the seemingly bubbleheaded secretary of the Student Council remains my favorite character, providing excellent balance between the two leads’ overbearingness. And there are, as you might expect, one or two really sweet moments in this as well. I’m happy to see this drag out over several volumes. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 29 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – OK, folks, we can breathe out, at least for now. Much as I felt Yano and Pin was a great romantic pairing in my heart, my head was going “No, no, don’t do that.” And so we get a confession here, and a rejection. That said, graduation is coming up, and I’m wondering if a flash-forward to the future may still run with it. Graduation and college plans are on most people’s minds here, especially Sawako and Kazehaya, who are also reflecting back on their relationship. As is the manga in general, reminding us of its origins with “Sadako” and having the girl who gave her the nickname apologize. And that valedictorian speech is just amazing. I am so going to miss this when it ends next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Mermaid Boys, Vol. 1 | By Yomi Sarachi | Yen Press – Very loosely based on The Little Mermaid, Sarachi’s manga Mermaid Boys features Prince Naru, a merman who falls in love at first sight with Nami, a human girl. He makes a bargain with a sorcerer allowing him to transform into a human for a chance to win her affections, but if he fails, he’ll turn into sea foam. Most of the similarities between the two stories end there. I like the premise of Mermaid Boys, and the end of the first volume introduces additional intrigue, but I would probably enjoy it more if I actually liked Naru better. The series’ humor can be pretty hit-or-miss, too. However, I did like just about every other character, especially Nami who doesn’t put up with Naru’s crap. I also appreciate that her personality is completely different from what Naru had assumed, putting him in a rather awkward situation in regards to his deal. – Ash Brown

One Piece, Vol. 86 | By Eiichiro Oda | VIZ Media – This is shaping up to be my favorite arc in a very long while! It’s a lot of fun seeing the Straw Hats (at least temporarily) team up with Bege in order to take down Big Mom. We know what the plan is supposed to be, and when things inevitably go awry, waiting on our heroes to ensure certain pivotal moments still transpire is very exciting. I continue to be happy that Brook is getting important things to do in this arc, and taking Big Mom out would feel like such a big achievement and turning point for the series, particularly as Brook was able to copy a vitally important ponegliff last volume. Of course, she’s gotta have a sad backstory—well, only kind of sad since she’s been unhinged since childhood—and we’ve gotta end on a cliffhanger. It’s a really cool one, though! – Michelle Smith

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 24 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – First off, let’s face it, the true identity of ‘Inuzuka’ is so obvious that I think its obviousness is the joke. That said, there are certainly some surprises here, mostly in regards to Mafuyu’s new teacher. I thought he was just going to be a simple villain, and he’s certainly an antagonist, but he also gets caught up in what seems to be the running motif of this entire series—loss of memories. Mafuyu has memory issues (seemingly due to head trauma as a child), and so does Hayasaka. Momochi’s entire plotline involved memory erasure. The concept of memories are very important to Tsubaki. That said, rest assured, this series remains absolutely hilarious—I laughed out loud half a dozen times this volume. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 24 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – Last volume was the start of Mafuyu’s final year in high school, and by the end of this volume, we’re already at summer break. Miyabi’s troublesome little sister has forced Saeki to resign, and for some reason he’s guarding the bancho at a nearby school, where he runs into Mafuyu’s new homeroom teacher, Maki, putting up surveillance cameras. Why? Who knows. But to find out more about Maki, Mafuyu and friends travel to her hometown over the summer, where there are elaborate lies to hide her bancho past from Hayasaka as well as a thoroughly random watergun fight with some delinquents from West High. Honestly, I don’t even really attempt to follow the plot, and I don’t even laugh at the humor. There’s just something about this series that keeps me reading. – Michelle Smith

Kenka Bancho Otome, Vol 1

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Kenka Bancho Otome by Chie Shimada

Kenka Bancho Otome has many elements that I like present in a single manga. There is a reverse harem scenario in which a girl has to dress as a boy! It is an adaptation of an otome game, and I enjoy the occasional otome game (still playing Ninja Shadow). Also, there is punching and juvenile delinquency involved, and I do greatly appreciate shoujo manga heroines with the ability to perform acts of physical strength.

One thing I found absolutely hilarious was the way the set-up for the whole manga was taken care of in about 5 panels. Hinako, an orphan, is about to start her high school career at an all girls school, when she brushes against a boy who fakes a violent fall. The mysterious boy’s manservant tells her that he has broken his arm, and Hinako is forced to attend his school entrance ceremony in his place. Conveniently, the “injured” boy is Hinako’s doppleganger. She finds herself dressed as a boy, attending an all boys school for juvenile delinquents. Hinako is cosplaying as Hikaru Onigashima, the son of a yakuza boss, whose family obligations require him to become the boss of the school by beating up everyone around him. I sort of wish the rest of the manga took place at such a breakneck speed, but I’m sure that would not be practical to execute.

This being an adaptation of an otome game, handsome boys of different types are introduced in short succession. There’s the mysterious dark-haired uppperclassman with a secret shared past with Hinako, a sporty exuberant boy who blushes all the time, a silent boy with hidden depths, and a flamboyant rock star. I can’t remember their names because the characters are not really all that memorable, but that’s not really the point! Kenka Bancho Otome steps through many standard shoujo plot points with a breezy charm and attractive character designs. It did make me wish that the game was available on android, because I totally would have played it after reading the manga. On that level, I think the manga is a success. It was fun to read, mainly because I’m always up for punching and reverse harem manga. On the other hand, any otome game adaptation isn’t going to have the emotional depth of a manga like Hana Kimi or the hilarity of a series like Oresama Teacher. So Kenka Bancho Otome is nice and diverting, when someone might be in the need of a pleasant distraction, which is a mood I find myself in most of the time.

Pick of the Week: Brides, Kings and Tigers

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SEAN: While I’d argue that The Bride Was a Boy is the most important title this week, and Requiem of the Rose King probably the continuing series of the week, I have been waiting for the Toradora! novels for so long that there’s no question that it is my pick of the week. Put a Taiga in your tank!

KATE: I agree with Sean: The Bride Was a Boy should be on everyone’s reading list, and it’s my top pick for the week. For continuing series, though, I gotta rep for Shuzo Oshimi’s Happiness, one of the most compelling horror series I’ve read in ages. The sixth volume was a masterclass in when to tell the story just through pictures, and when a few words really add value. The sixth ended on a hell of a cliffhanger, so I’m glad volume seven arrives this week.

MICHELLE: Definitely put me down for The Bride Was a Boy, as well. However, what my heart most wants just now is another serving of Sweetness & Lightning .

ASH: As previously mentioned, The Bride Was a Boy is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so it’s the obvious pick of the week for me! But as everyone else has pointed out, there are some really great ongoing series being released this week, too.

ANNA: The Bride Was a Boy sounds like the standout release this week, but I can’t pass up an opportunity to mention Requiem of the Rose King which can always be relied upon for plenty of surreal kingmaking drama.

MJ: I gotta join in with Anna here. I love Requiem of the Rose King too much to pass up the chance to speak its name loudly to the universe. It’s my pick by default.

One Piece, Vol. 86

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By Eiichiro Oda. Released in Japan by Shueisha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. Released in North America by Viz. Translated by Stephen Paul.

Food has always played an important role in One Piece, from Luffy’s voracious appetite to Sanji’s chef skills. And in this arc we’ve seen the dangers of food as well in a kingdom where everything is edible. But I don’t think we’ve ever quite gotten as terrifying as Big Mom and her backstory, one of the most truly unnerving and creepy moments in the entire series, especially because it’s implied – we don’t quite see it, as we’re seeing things from Charlotte Linlin’s point of view. Big Mom is certainly the villain of this arc, but I’m not sure we’ve seen a villain quite as psychologically damaged from a very young age as she’s been, and it makes her ravenous appetite far less of a joke than it had previously seemed (and it was always meant to be disturbing). Kudos to Oda for getting really, really dark here.

Elsewhere in the volume, it’s becoming more apparently that Jimbei actually IS going to be a new crewmember, provided he manages to survive the upcoming battle without a tragic sacrifice. This is actually rather interesting, as he’s the first semi-serious crewmember to be added since Nico Robin. Jimbei’s really cool here, standing up to Big Mom and refusing to cower, and I’m actually looking forward to seeing what he brings to the crew. Admittedly, the gender imbalance of the crew is starting to show itself a bit as well. Maybe we can get Vivi back? It’s certainly not going to be Charlotte Pudding, who despite her best efforts to be super evil, and her genuine irritation at Sanji’s goofy pervert persona, is backsliding into being a good person. I’m not sure how happy I’ll be with this, we’ll have to see.

As for Luffy, I have to hand it to him, that was a very clever (and funny) way to crash the wedding, and shows that he’s starting to strategize rather than just burst in fists akimbo – or rather, he still bursts in but works strategy into it. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned (big surprise there), and it looks as if we’re settling in for the long haul, introducing several of the Charlotte family to no doubt battle our heroes one by one and show off their quirks… sorry, Devil Fruit Powers. I have to say I won’t cry if Capone ends up dying (though it’s always hard to have actual named characters die in One Piece), given that his plan to take out Big Mom relied on basic mental cruelty. I was also amused at the Straw Hat Crew (even Nami!) all sleeping like the dead before the big event, because, as Jimbei points out, they’ve been running flat out for days before this.

I suspect the next couple of volumes are going to be pure chaotic fighting, though hopefully it won’t go quite as long as Dressrosa. Still, this was a stronger volume of Once Piece than we’ve seen lately, and I look forward to seeing how that chaos plays out. Definitely recommended for fans.

Also, the Grand Line has a Pleasure District? How adult!

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 2

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By Fuse and Mitz Vah. Released in Japan as “Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken” by Micromagazine Publishing. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kevin Gifford.

Here I am, back with a book that I found deeply frustrating with occasional bursts of promise in its first volume. I have now read the second volume, and the promise is starting to bear fruit – I was more interested in the worldbuilding this time around when it wasn’t trapped in statland, and the occasional moments in the book that are dramatic action scenes or dialogue are decently well told. The problem is that the deeply frustrating parts of the book are still there and still deeply frustrating – in fact I found them even more frustrating because the rest of the book had improved around them. Our slime hero is still a very boring, matter of fact hero whose chief interesting bit is that he really seems to underestimate how amazingly overpowered he is. And he still goes on about stats. On and on and on. I am not a gamer, and I honestly don’t care if your Flame Throw stat has evolved into Flame Hurl when you level up. Spider So What did this too, but that heroine has personality to carry me through it.

We begin with our slime helping his goblin followers build their village, which has now become about the size of a town. They run into some ogres, who are attacking the goblins on the basis of mistaken identity, something that Rimuru tries to correct but to no avail. Fortunately he’s able to defeat them all fairly handily, to the point where they too want to follow him. After naming them (which knocks him out – you’d think he’d learn) they become Ogre Mages, and are various degrees of fantasy types – the noble leader, the smooth ninja spy guy, the cute princess, and (oddly enough) the sexy secretary, who even gets a business suit but unfortunately may not have the temperament for it. And it’s probably a good thing he gained new allies, as he discovers than an army of 200,000 orcs is coming down and destroying everything in its path. Can Rimuru and his allies, along with some lizardmen and a dryad or two, stop the creation of a new demon lord?

Again, the bits of the book that are not discussing RPG stats are better this time around. Even Rimuru is more interesting, though I wish he had a personality that would evolve beyond “well, huh. That’s a thing.” The ogres are a more interesting secondary cast than the goblins from the first book, particularly Shion (who is a bomb waiting to go off, I suspect) and Soei, the cool ninja. The lizardmen also are complex, and two of the major villains of this arc get to have nuance and be more than just the typical Japanese “Mwah ha ha!” isekai villain. But… I’m sorry, there are large chunks of this book that are boring as hell. It’s a very lengthy book, probably close to 300 pages in print, and if you cut out Rimuru wanking on about his powers and levelups it would be 1/3 of that size and a much, much better book.

Still, it’s improved enough that I will be giving it a third volume, though I will likely skim the stats as I did here. If you like isekais and don’t mind RPG nerdery, Reincarnated as a Slime should appeal to you.

The Bride Was a Boy

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By Chii. Released in Japan as “Hanayome wa Motodanshi” by Asuka Shinsha. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Beni Axia Conrad. Adapted by Shanti Whitesides.

I will admit that when I first saw that this was licensed, my feeling was that it would be something more along the line of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, i.e. very stark and autobiographical. While it is autobiographical, I could not have been more wrong about it otherwise, as this title might best be described as “fluffy”. (The cover was likely a clue I just wasn’t picking up.) The title also makes it sound as if this is meant to be BL, which it isn’t. The emphasis should be on the ‘Was’ in the title, whereas I suspect most readers would see it as “Good Grief, the Bride Was a Boy!”, Kermit-style. But our author, Chii, is a woman who was assigned male at birth, and this manga is her story of exploring that, then transitioning, and finally getting married.

Chii’s art is cute and adorable, as is Chii, and the story flows along fairly well. Each chapter is followed by a brief ‘guide’ regarding transgender touchpoints, such as Gender Identity Disorder, LGBT, gender transition, etc. The story itself starts off with Chii meeting her future husband, though he was more “love at first sight” than she was. The husband is something of an amusing dork, but he’s very understanding, even when she explains to him that she’s a cisgender woman who was born as a man. We then flash back to various points in Chii’s life; growing up and realizing that she didn’t feel the same as the other guys around her; doing research and dating both men and women; and then starting the steps of transitioning and explaining things to her family and friends. The manga then ends with the wedding in question, which goes very well, even if Chii ends up crying when she said she wouldn’t.

If this all sounds somewhat undramatic, I won’t argue with that; it’s hard to take issue at the story since it’s autobiographical, but things honestly went very smoothly for Chii throughout this process, with her immediate family and her boyfriend/husband loving and supporting her no matter what. That said, it is nice to see this sort of story portrayed as happy and sweet, rather than like a YA novel with heavy drama. If you’re a reader who is not up to date on the various aspects of transgernderism, this is also a very good read, getting into greater detail on Sex Reassignment Surgery (which Chii does have, though it’s a tough decision – she ends up flying to Thailand to have it due to the high cost in Japan) and all the legal hoops that have to be jumped through in order to make things official in Japan.

This really ended up being a fun, educational read, and I’m definitely glad I picked it up. Chii’s art style is cute (her husband’s less so – we get a sample), and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to read about a transgender protagonist or even just a “meet cute and get married” story.

Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!: Crimson Magic Clan, Let’s & Go!!

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By Natsume Akatsuki and Kurone Mishima. Released in Japan as “Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!: Chūnibyō demo Majo ga Shitai!” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

Another new KonoSuba novel, another obscure yet nerdy subtitle for the volume. This one never even got licensed in North America at all, it’s for the kids’ series Bakusō Kyōdai Let’s & Go!!, which is about mini-car racing. Fortunately, the novel itself has no actual car racing, but it does introduce us to the rest of Megumin’s Crimson Magic Clan, as we head to her hometown after there is news of an attack that will destroy the village. As it turns out, Yunyun and Megumin are the staid, sensible ones in this group, which consists entirely of overdramatic nerds living out their grand magic fantasies – only they actually have magic power to back themselves up. Even Megumin’s parents don’t escape this, though they’re more concerned with her relationship with Kazuma. And, as it turns out, it’s a good thin they came, as there really *is* a demon invasion happening, though at first it seems like the Clan has it under control.

Despite Yunyun being on the cover and jumpstarting the plot, this is not really her book, it’s Megumin’s. And Kazuma’s, of course. I’ve talked before about how his group feels more like a close-knit (if dysfunctional) family than anything else. That’s definitely changing here, as Megumin explicitly says that she’s fallen in love with him, something that Kazuma somehow manages not to quite understand. it’s a bit difficult for Megumin to admit it anyway, mostly as Kazuma is still several shades of terrible at times, though usually every time he tries to do something stupidly selfish it comes back to hit him in the ass. But Kazuma is Kazuma, so you also see exactly why it is that she fell for him anyway. Darkness is likely in the same boat, though this isn’t her book, so we don’t get much of that and instead get more of her being totally useless at anything except defense. As for Aqua, I’m relieved to say that there is no sexual tension there whatsoever. Let’s keep it that way.

This is the first book that hasn’t (yet) been adapted into an anime, but the adaptation, when it comes, should go very smoothly – there’s going to be a lot of fun set pieces here. Leisure Girl was particularly amusing, and the female orcs wanting to ravish Kazuma is a nice reversal of the standard fantasy “orcs want to rape the women all the time” trope. There’s also a few nice fights, particularly the one at the end, even though it consists of the whole Clan essentially dodging the demon lord while Kazuma tries to figure out what can stop them. The best scene, however, is right at the end. I will try not to spoil it, but it involves Megumin recognizing her own shortcomings and trusting Kazuma to help her get past them… and Kazuma realizing that Megumin’s happiness is more important. It’s really sweet.

Next time, to Darkness’ horror, we will be meeting the princess of this land, and I have no doubt fresh new disasters will ensue. Till then, KonoSuba remains a funny, light read, and anyone who likes to see the standard fantasy light novel tweaked on the nose will want to pick it up.

Manga the Week of 5/9/18

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SEAN: Are you going to Toronto Comic Arts Festival? You should! And here are some manga coming out next week you can read on your way there.

ASH: I am! It’s a great time.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts a new series called Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Spring (Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san). It’s a Weekly Shonen Jump series, but apparently too hot for Viz, so Ghost Ship has it. Expect a lot of ghosts and a lot of nudity.

J-Novel Club has the 3rd How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord (anime coming soon) and the 8th In Another World with My Smartphone (anime now over).

Kodansha, print-wise, has the 7th Happiness (which I have to assume has caught up with Japan) and the 10th Sweetness and Lightning.

MICHELLE: I am definitely in the mood for some warm-hearted food manga!

ASH: Same! I’ve been really enjoying this series.

SEAN: Kodansha Digital gives us new volumes of Grand Blue Dreaming (9) and GTO Paradise Lost (8).

Their debut is Heaven’s Design Team (Tenchi Souzou Design-bu), which runs in Morning Two, and is apparently about a team creating new kinds of animals. It looks pretty weird.

MICHELLE: It does. I hope it’s a good weird.

SEAN: Seven Seas itself debuts two big titles. For manga we have The Bride Was a Boy (Hanayome wa Motodanshi), a story of a husband and wife from the wife’s POV, in which she talks about being assigned male at birth, transitioning, and falling in love. It’s complete in one volume, and looks great.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely looking forward to this one!

ASH: Yes! This is one of my most anticipated titles for the year.

ANNA: Interesting!

SEAN: There’s also the light novel debut of Toradora!. I love the manga series, but sadly the manga only comes out once every 235 years now, so I am pleased we get to read the novels that it’s based on. Out digitally too! (Insert Toradorable joke here.)

SuBLime has a 3rd volume of A Strange and Mystifying Story. I hope it lives up to that name.

MICHELLE: If I recall rightly, around here is where the story began to improve for me.

ASH: This is the last volume that was previously translated; I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.

SEAN: Titan has another volume release of the Sherlock manga that’s been running in Kadokawa’s Young Ace. This one is The Great Game.

Vertical has an 11th Ajin.

Viz has possibly the most Manga Bookshelf week it’s ever had, with just two releases. We get the debut of the re-release of Fullmetal Alchemist in hardcover with extra sketches by the author, though I will let people know that yes, Shou Tucker is still in it.

ASH: I am incredibly tempted by that new edition of Fullmetal Alchemist.

SEAN: And we also have an 8th volume of Requiem of the Rose King, which STILL has not killed off Henry. The last volume was the best yet, so I am hankering to read this. (Yes, hankering. it’s a thing.)

MICHELLE: As a Southerner, I use “hankering” fairly often. I also sometimes “reckon” and “mosey.” :)

ASH: Requiem of the Rose King is well-worth hankering after.

ANNA: Such a great series!

SEAN: There’s also some Yen titles delayed from April. Wolf & Parchment is the Spice & Wolf light novel spinoff, and it has a 2nd volume. There’s also a 3rd DanMachi: Sword Oratoria manga, and a 5th Kagurui – Compulsive Gambler.

And to round things off, we see the debut of Star Wars: Lost Stars, a manga adaptation of the YA novel by Claudia Gray that runs as a manga from LINE Communication, which makes me suspect it’s phone-based. I am always open to more Star Wars.

See something here that floats your boat?