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The Dorky NPC Mercenary Knows His Place, Vol. 2

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By Toryuu and hamm. Released in Japan as “Kimo Ota Mob Yōhei wa, Mi no Hodo o Wakimaeru” by Overlap Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Josh DM.

As I started to get near the end of this second novel, I began to wonder if the author is actually interested in any of the fanservice or romance in it at all. I know this might be a surprise given that the cover of this volume looks like the title of the series is “That Ass Knows Its Place”, but there’s a lot less thirst for our dorky hero this time around, with the obvious exception of Fialka, the designated tsundere and lead girl. But most of the sexy in this book is entirely down to the artwork rather than the plot and characters, John still has zero interest in anyone, and the author states in an afterword that they got into an argument with the editor about how robotic Shelly the maid should look. (The author lost, and passes it off as editorial making the right decision, but still…) In the end, if you want a harem look elsewhere. This is about space battles. 9-to-5 workaday space battles.

John (and it feels weird to use that name, given that it only appears three times in the entire book and everyone else has space names) is doing his usual thing, taking jobs once he knows that they’re not inherently dangerous, keeping his head down, avoiding nobility (with little to no success there), and being very, very good at what he does. He’s helped by a new guild receptionist who will not treat him like a creep or scum, and she’s a gorgeous young… woman? No, wait, really pretty young man. Never mind. He’s good at his job, though, which not only John but also the recently disgraced “hero” appreciate. And he’s got plenty of work, as there are more and more pirates, and more and more mercs are being hired to help take care of them.

Once again, the series’ main draw is how good it is at validating its hero’s mindset towards his life and job. Even the other characters are admitting he has a point about staying a knight and not getting involved. Partly as there are more jobs you CAN’T turn down when you get promoted, but mostly as almost every noble in this entire series seems to be some variation of “sack of shit”, and they all seem to run into John and hate him personally. It’s not clear if they recognize him from his famous past, or if they’re just like “portly guy who’s not gorgeous like everyone else in this universe, must be someone I can bully”, but it does make me wonder if the author has a bit of an agenda. Not that I mind all that much. The space battles here are pretty good, the girls who seem to revolve around him are, with one exception, nice enough, and the exception is comedy relief.

So, like the first book, this isn’t great, but it’s good, and the setting interests me. I’ll keep on trucking.

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ Short Story Collection, Vol. 2

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By Tappei Nagatsuki and Shinichirou Otsuka. Released in Japan as “Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Tanpenshuu” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Moon.

The first volume of the Re: Zero short stories was supplemented by some stories written directly for the volume. Unfortunately, that appears to be a one-off, as the volumes from this one going forward consist entirely of stories from Monthly Comic Alive. This volume came out near the end of the third arc, between Books 8 and 9, but is still entirely concerned with that period after the second arc, with every story happening around Roswaal’s mansion. The stories themselves appeared between July 2014 and July 2015, which is to say around the start of the third arc. Why am I writing so much about trivia like this? Because this is still a short story book in the end, and there’s a limited amount of things they can do to affect canon and be important characterization, especially given they’re all “buy in a manga magazine” stories. That said… this is a lot of fun, and should be greatly enjoyable for Re: Zero fans.

There are six stories here. 1) After the events of Liliana’s visit, the mansion’s residents are horrified to discover that Emilia is tone-deaf, and try to teach her how to sing; 2) Subaru accidentally uses Ram’s special medicinal tea that she needs to help her mana, and now he, Ram, and Puck have to go into the forest to get the dangerous ingredients required to make it again; 3) Subaru asks if there are ghosts in this world, and discovers that some of the residents of the mansion may fear them (they’re “hollows” here. He decides to use the Japanese “divination” game of kokkuri to have some fun; 4) Trying to get sedentary Beatrice to be more active, Subaru bets her that he can catch her in a game of tag played around the mansion. Beatrice accepts, but forgets how cunning Subaru cam be; 5) The mansion is freezing over due to Puck needing to get rid of his magic, and Subaru decides to help him along by holding a snow festival in the village; 6) Subaru finds a stash of alcohol under a trapdoor, and Roswaal gives permission to host a party with it, since in this world Subaru is old enough to drink.

The last two stories were adapted into an OAV of the anime, and it’s easy to see why, as they lend themselves very well to that sort of thing. Last time I talked about how odd it was to read about the “original” Rem from Arc 3 after all the time we’ve spent (in North America) with her in a coma. This one reminded me that I’ve gotten spoiled by the Emilia of the 5th and 6th arcs, who’s gotten herself together and is kicking ass. This is a return to the old, naive and somewhat goofy Emilia, which isn’t as cool but I will admit can be funnier; Emilia with Mr. Bucket may be the comedic highlight of the book. Most of these are downtime stories, with little danger. The second story has Subaru step off a cliff and get menaced by monsters, but honestly he was more in danger from Ram’s sarcasm there than anything else. Likewise, the danger of potentially dying of the cold in the 5th story is hilariously undercut by Subaru pointing that that Puck has to “fart out all that mana”. This stays on the funny rather than heartwarming side of the scale, though the final scene with Subaru and Beatrice is sweet.

For obsessives only, but it’s great the obsessives finally have a chance to buy it.

Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, Vol. 5

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By Umikaze Minamino and Katana Canata. Released in Japan as “Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by okaykei.

Last time I asked for less of Nia hitting things, and that’s what I got – Nia’s antics being super overpowered are confined to the final quarter of her part of the book (the last fifth of the book is a short story starring Fressa), and most of the rest of it is devoted to what I’m actually here for, which is the magivision stuff. Admittedly, I’m more worried about Nia on that front. After the first couple of books talked about her programs, each successive one has cared about them less and less, which this fifth book in the series only noting that she’s filming a lot and that it makes her tired. It’s even pointed out point blank that Reliared and Hildetaura are having far more popular shows and are coming up with far more innovative ideas. Nia briefly worries about it, and thinks they need to come up with some ideas in her own domain, but then goes back to earning cash. Maybe her “downfall” is due to low ratings.

The start of this book has Nia hired by the second prince to film the wedding of Zackford and Phyledia, so that he can better show off the strengths of magivision to his kingdom. This requires a ridiculous amount of prep, as filming is still brand new, so there’s all sorts of rules to follow and contracts to sign. It ends up coming off perfectly, though. Back at school there’s now a junior magivision club, which our heroine is not a member of, but her advice is sought out when it turns out that their ideas and actual filming experience are subpar. She also continues to train her underlings in chi… and is very angry when she finds out that one underling has been training others without her permission. Finally, she’s accosted by space pirates, which allows her to do the overpowered Nia Liston things that are increasingly difficult to hide as being her own invention and not her “master”.

It will not surprise folks that I find the quiet character moments in this book more interesting than child whupass time. The best scene in the book is when Nia takes the newlyweds into a side room so that she can show them the magivision video they spent the previous day flying all over to record – greetings from all their family and friends who were unable to attend the wedding. They’re brought to a side room as Nia knows they’ll cry and she doesn’t want that to be public. It’s very sweet. We also meet new supporting players who I suspect will get more to do later, but I did like the surly punk-looking one who, after observing the art of magivision, realizes that not only does this actually interest him but he could probably be really good at it. We’ve all had those “eureka” moments when we find something that we love and can achieve. It’s nice to see here as well.

Is Nia still marching slowly towards her doom? Is her doom a late-night cable magivision show where she sells pocket fisherman and veg-o-matics? Is this the era of Nia Popeil? Probably not, as long as she can keep punching things.

Adachi and Shimamura: Short Stories

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By Hitoma Iruma and raemz. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Molly Lee. Adapted by Emlyn Dornemann.

I wasn’t really expecting a lot out of this short story volume. The stories are, with one exception, microstories, ranging from half a page to about 6-7 pages, and feel like the sort of bonus you’d get if you bought the book in a certain store (they probably were). But they’re laid out cleverly if that is the case, thematically giving the book a weight and progression it might not otherwise deserve. We see Shimamura finally expressing herself in ways she really never has before, we are taken once again into the deep, deep, drowning waters of Adachi’s obsessive love, and we even get a short story from the point of view of Yashiro, which honestly reads more like she’s an AI than an alien. But the last quarter of the book is one story, from the POV of Adachi’s mother, and it’s both the most interesting and the hardest to read. Our heroines are very, very much like their mothers, and that’s both good and bad.

The first third of the book is the closest to the normal series, as it’s all from Shimamura’s POV, showing her hanging out in the gym with Adachi around the start of the series, several stories after they’ve become a couple, and a few stories of her office life after they’ve gotten an apartment together. The second third is Adachi’s POV, which is much the same only it’s a lot pricklier and more desperate, both in a good and bad way, and also shows us Adachi’s idea of heaven, which is kind of sweet but also very worrying. After a few stories from the POV of various side characters (but not Hino and Nagafuji, who are absent from this collection), the final story, a full quarter of the book, has Shimamura’s mother dragging Adachi’s mother to a “sleepover” with both their families, which turns out to be an attempt to have Adachi and her mother try one last time to communicate with each other.

The Shimamura stories were adorable, honestly. They have a healthy dollop of Yashiro, as you’d expect, but for the most part what you get out of them is that Shimamura has come to terms with loving Adachi, and she’s extremely soppy about it. Adachi’s stories are less interesting except for one, where she finds herself in a black and white cityscape where every person in the world is a teenage Shimamura. It’s said that this is Adachi’s idea of heaven, and she does not dispute it – she thinks of this as the goal after her life, an afterlife where she can care about only Shimamura with literally no one else. It’s eerie, but shows the bottomless depths of her love. As for the story with Adachi’s mother, it’s painful to read. She confesses to Shimamura’s mother that she finds interaction exhausting as it’s hard to “read the room and manage all their feelings”, which Shimamura’s mother boggles at, wondering why she bothers to do that. The story ends with Adachi’s mother giving her daughter the only advice she feels she can: “please don’t turn out like I did”. Chilling, but compelling.

So yeah, this is still a series by Hitoma Iruma, meaning I recommend it, with reservations.

Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends: The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest At Her Own Pace, Vol. 6

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By Yu Sakurai and Kasumi Nagi. Released in Japan as “Tenseisaki de Suterareta no de, Mofumofu-tachi to Oryouri Shimasu: Okazari Ouhi wa My Pace ni Saikyou desu” by M Novels F. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Emma Schumacker.

This is the final volume of the series, and so it has quite a lot to pack into its pages. We have to resolve the Queen situations, of course. And then there’s Laetitia’s past life issues. There’s also the fact that several countries appear to be at war with several other countries. I’m going to be honest, of the six books, this one has the least amount of cooking with the fluffy friends. There’s pancakes coated in honey at the start, but that’s about it, really. That said, it’s quite good, and manages to have some nice elements of romance, thriller, and isekai. Admittedly, the romance may be the least important element. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is romance here, as our clueless couple finally manage to get together. But I get the sense that the author is not nearly as interested in this as they are with the thriller, backstabbings, and isekai shenanigans.

We’re getting closer to when Glenreed has to choose his queen. He’s pretty much decided, but unfortunately for him, Laetitia can’t get rid of the “temporary” in her head and is doing everything she can to try to help him find someone else. She meets with the fourth of the queen candidates, Fillia, who… seems nice. Unfortunately, the obnoxious princess from a foreign country is lurking around Laetitia, doing her best to frame her for something every chance she can get. As this is going on, meanwhile, Laetitia and Glenreed are learning some secrets about this world, secrets which go back over 600 years, and are apparently responsible for the prosperity each of the countries around them has had. Unfortunately, things come to a head when Laetitia confesses her past life memories to Glenreed, which leads to him… pulling a sword on her and trying to kill her? What’s going on here? And did the evil princess somehow manage to poison herself?

The twist for this final book is an interesting one, tying in past lives, curses, and free will. The question is, do you rule wisely for years and then risk leaving your beloved country to a son or daughter who might not rule wisely? And if that’s the case, shouldn’t you do something to stop it? That said, we’re all meant to agree with Laetitia, and I do. You have to let people screw up, you have to let them learn from mistakes, because that’s what leads to progress. The message is a bit heavy-handed, but I didn’t mind it. In lighter news, I was very happy to see Laetitia admit that she was in love, though I was worried, as the confession on her end came in the second side story, after the main one had ended. And for those who like tear jerkers, we also get a reunion with the one thing she cares about more than anything else from Japan. No, not her family, her dog.

In the end, this was a good series, and one which did manage to justify its length. Recommended for those who like to see women who can kick your ass as well as cook sweets, and decide to prioritize the sweets.

Manga the Week of 1/22/25

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SEAN: This week we see January, traditionally the month with the fewest releases, take on Yen Press, which always buries us in stuff on the same week. Who wins?

ASH: We all do! Somehow. I think?

SEAN: The debut from Yen On is a one-shot and award-winner, Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky (Toumei na Yoru ni Kakeru Kimi to, Me ni Mienai Koi wo Shita), a romance title about an introverted college guy whose world opens up after he meets a blind woman. This is not an adaptation based on a movie but feels like it is.

ASH: Oh, interesting.

SEAN: We also see Solo Leveling: The Novel Omnibus, a giant brick featuring all the books to date.

ASH: That’s one way to do it… and does remind me this is a series I’m supposed to try at some point.

SEAN: And we get new volumes! Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture 5, Even a Replica Can Fall in Love 2, Gods’ Games We Play 4, Hell Is Dark with No Flowers 2, Hero Syndrome 2, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love 3, The Irregular at Magic High School 24, My Happy Marriage 8, Sabikui Bisco 9, and Sasaki and Peeps 8.

MICHELLE: I should potentially check out My Happy Marriage.

ANNA: Oh, me too.

SEAN: From Yen Press, we debut Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret (Houkago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga aru), a seinen title from Manga Park. A young man who needs to get top scores or else ends up screwing up the answer sheet and gets sent to remedial classes… where he meets the prettiest girl in school!

Hell Is Dark with No Flowers (Jigoku Kurayami Hana mo Naki) is a manga adaptation of the light novel Yen is also releasing. It runs in Young Ace.

I’m Here, Beside You (Anata no Osoba ni) is a BL title from B’s-LOVEY. Our protagonist always loved the very straight class president in high school, but never did anything. Now he finds the ex-president is getting married… to a man! Drinking himself into a stupor filled with regrets, he wakes up… in his high school past?

MICHELLE: Welp, that’s an instant pre-order.

ASH: I am likewise intrigued!

ANNA: I’m curious!

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Ako and Bambi 4, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen 3, Call the Name of the Night 5 (the final volume), Chained Soldier 10, Cheerful Amnesia 5, Days with My Stepsister 2, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 8, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman 2, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 8, Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana 7, Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods 12, The Holy Grail of Eris 9, Kowloon Generic Romance 9, Lord Hades’s Ruthless Marriage 3 (the final volume), Magical Explorer 2, Miss Savage Fang 2, Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer! 5, Sasaki and Miyano 10, Sasaki and Peeps 3, Shadows House 8, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 5, Shy 9, So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin? 7, Spring Storm and Monster 2, Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly 3, This Monster Wants to Eat Me 3, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 21, Tougen Anki: Legend of the Cursed Blood 2, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet 9, and Your Forma 2.

ASH: Okay, yeah, Yen might have won.

SEAN: Viz has two debuts. Tokyo Alien Bros. is a seinen title from the creator of Hirayasumi, and ran in Gekkan! Spirits. Two aliens come to earth to investigate humans. One is very good at blending in. The other… isn’t.

ASH: Sounds absolutely like something I would read.

We also get Vagabond Definitive Edition, which is self-explanatory. 728 pages, $55 hardcover, filled with Takehiko Inoue, which justifies the price.

ASH: This should be glorious. I’m seriously considering upgrading from my VizBig editions.

ANNA: I’m not in favor of double dipping since I also have the VizBig editions but that is tempting.

SEAN: Also from Viz: After God 2, Record of Ragnarok 13, Red River 3-in-1 2, Snowball Earth 4, Steel of the Celestial Shadows 5, Trillion Game 3, and Undead Unluck 18.

ANNA: Red River! Red River! Red River!

SEAN: Square Enix has a 3rd manga volume of The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten.

Seven Seas has two debuts, one manga and one danmei. The manga is Only I Know the World Is Ending and Getting Killed by Rampaging Beasts Only Makes Me Stronger (Kono Sekai ga Izure Horobu Koto wo, Ore dake ga Shitte Iru) is based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel, and its very title exhausts me. It runs in Magazine Pocket, and is a reverse isekai and a “I can return by death!” sort of thing, only unlike Subaru, this guy also gets skills.

Run Wild: Sa Ye is another one of those books which has spawned lots of adaptations. A young man who decides that living with his gambling-addicted dad is better than the contempt he gets from his adoptive parents goes to live with him, only to run into a brother and sister who end up changing his life! (It’s danmei, so you can probably guess which sibling changes his life more.)

MICHELLE: Heh.

ASH: Why, whatever do you mean?

ANNA: It must be the sister.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: After School Etude 2, A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch 4, Cat on the Hero’s Lap 4 (the final volume), Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki 2, Dinghai Fusheng Records (manhua version) 2, Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 9, How My Daddies Became Mates 2, I Abandoned My Engagement Because My Sister is a Tragic Heroine, but Somehow I Became Entangled with a Righteous Prince 2, The Lady Knight and the Beast-Eared Child 2, My Kitten is a Picky Eater 2, ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! 6, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 11.

A manga debut from One Peace Books. The Revenge of My Youth: Re Life with an Angelic Girl (Inkya Datta Ore no Seishun Revenge – Tenshi sugiru Ano Ko wa Ayumu Re Life) is a shonen series based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel, and it runs in Comp Ace. An office worker at a black company drops dead and wakes up back in high school! Now he can make his high school life more vibrant, and also save the life of the cutest girl in school, who committed suicide after being bullied. Hence the revenge part of the title.

KUMA is listed as having two one-shots out next week. Even if There’s No Rainbow Tomorrow (Ashita Niji ga Denakute mo) is a one-shot title from On Blue. An online romance between a drag queen and a sleepy salaryman.

MICHELLE: I’ve had this pre-ordered for a while. I’m definitely looking forward to it.

ASH: What a pretty cover!

ANNA: Sounds cool.

SEAN: And there’s also Guardians of the Far Frontier (Hategaikaku no Bannin), a Lily Hoshino series from Rutile. An aristocrat with PTSD after being the only survivor of a battle is sent to a faraway outpost. Can a sorcerer help him with his nightmares?

ASH: Lily Hoshino is a name is don’t remember seeing for a while!

ANNA: Oh yeah, that’s a bit of a throwback.

SEAN: Kodansha has debuts. Dogs and Punching Bags (Inu to Sandbag) is the latest title from Kaori Ozaki, creator of The Gods Lie and Mermaid Prince. This ran in Gekkan! Spirits, and stars a woman returning home to help her drunken father live out his final days. She runs into a man whose enthusiasm for life contrasts entirely with her own. This release has both volumes, so is complete in one.

MICHELLE: Intriguing!

ASH: I missed that we were getting more Kaori Ozaki manga! That makes me very happy.

ANNA: It makes me happy too!

SEAN: Dra-Q is a seinen title that runs in Young Magazine. A quiet high school student has a secret… she’s a vampire! (Yeah, sorry, Dra-Q does not mean drag queen, this is not that kind of manga.) She can attend school but is forbidden to fall in love, so naturally the guy she has a crush on finds out her secret.

ASH: Seems right.

ANNA: Listen, these things happen when you are a secret vampire.

SEAN: Also in print: Gachiakuta 5, The Great Cleric 12, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World 12, Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law 4, Ninja Vs. Gokudo 5, and Shimazaki in the Land of Peace 2.

Digitally there’s Boss Wife 9 (the final volume), Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 24, MF Ghost 20, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 15, and Ya Boy Kongming! 18.

J-Novel Club actually had some print out that should have gone on last week’s list, but it wasn’t on Yen’s site. Cross-pollination of publishers confuses me. THIS week they have Blade & Bastard 3 and My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AO— 7 out in print.

Last week they had Ascendance of a Bookworm 28, I Shall Survive Using Potions! 9, and Tearmoon Empire 11.

As for digital titles, there are two debuts. The first is the manga version of Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived (Tensei Shitara Koutei deshita – Umare Nagara no Koutei wa Kono Saki Ikinokoreru ka), which runs in Comic Corona, and whose light novel JNC will be releasing soon. Our hero is reincarnated as a young child emperor who everyone wants to use as a puppet. Can he somehow control his own destiny?

The other debut is one I’ve been waiting for for some time. The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman (Tensei Reijou to Suuki na Jinsei wo) has a deceptively dull title but has been called “the light novel Game of Thrones”. Our heroine is reborn as a rich noble, but with no magic or powers, just a normal woman. Unfortunately, when she hits fourteen, the drama starts, as she’s exiled from her home, and then at sixteen she’s dragged back to an arranged marriage. I have been told that this is dark but really good.

ASH: My curiosity has been piqued.

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: Ascendance of a Bookworm: Short Story Collection 2, Chivalry of a Failed Knight 4, the 7th The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects manga, the 8th Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers manga, the 9th Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World manga, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 12, When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace 12, and You Were Experienced, I Was Not 6.

Ghost Ship has Ayakashi Triangle 13, Inside the Tentacle Cave 4, Monster Marriage Shop 2, and Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World! 2.

I can feel Ed Chavez glaring at me from here, but retailers say the legendary They Were 11! (11-nin Iru!) is out next week. I know it’s probably still a placeholder date. Sorry. It *is* coming soon. A shoujo story from 1975 by Moto Hagio that ran in Betsucomi, and honestly if you did not order this when you heard the name Moto Hagio, then you should probably be reading some other weekly manga releases post.

MICHELLE: I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of Four Shojo Stories, in which the original run of “They Were Eleven” appeared, but this new edition also contains a sequel series, so I am definitely looking forward to that!

ASH: I also have one of the illicit copies of Four Shojo Stories and am likewise really looking forward to this release whenever it happens to come out.

ANNA: Did you know that I also have a copy of Four Shojo Stories somewhere in my house? But I can’t find it and will totally buy They Were Eleven whenever it is available.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 8 and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 12.

And in early digital there is Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 11.5 and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 8.

So, it turns out January is no longer the month no one releases anything. What are you getting?

Pick of the Week: Samurai, Swords, and Sharks

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SEAN: I can’t guarantee that I’ll be devouring it immediately, but given its legacy I think The Legend of Kamui has to be my pick of this week.

MICHELLE: I should probably pick that, too, but in all honesty, I’m interested in reading more Sheltering Eaves. I liked the first volume quite a lot!

KATE: It’s Kamui for me–what’s not to like about samurai, swords, and sharks?!

ASH: My pick this week is unquestionably The Legend of Kamui. It may be a little early to say for certain, but I suspect it will be my pick of the year, too. I am absolutely thrilled that this monumental work is being released in English.

ANNA: I already have my copy of The Legend of Kamui, looking forward to reading it.

The Promise of Marielle Clarac

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By Haruka Momo and Maro. Released in Japan as “Marielle Clarac no Yakusoku” by Ichijinsha Bunko Iris NEO. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Jasmin Thairintr.

Usually when it becomes apparent the author is getting a little tired of writing their best-selling series, it’s not quite as blatant as this. Oh, don’t get me wrong, this is another fine book in the franchise for those who like the sort of things Marielle Clarac gives you. But the author states flat out that they had not expected to still be writing this as Marielle hits her 20th birthday (which she does at the end of the book), and they don’t really have a desire to write an adult Marielle. (This re-emphasizes my feeling that we won’t ever see her as a mother, or if we do it will be in an epilogue in the last book.) And I get it. This series is meant to be about Marielle Clarac, but she’s been Marielle Flaubert for far longer. She’s no longer the teenage girl who can lurk in the background and hear juicy gossip, the juicy gossip is now about her. Not great.

Marielle is horrified to find that the gossip newspaper La Mome has a story accusing Agnes Vivier of plagiarism. After talking her down a bit, Simeon agrees with her that her publisher should handle things themselves… but of course, Marielle can’t help but investigate anyway. She meets up with the reporter that she teamed up with a couple of books ago, and discovers that the article was in fact meant to lure her out, as a piece of jewelry described in her latest book perfectly resembles a piece that a young nobleman needs to get his inheritance. Needless to say, that story is absolutely full of holes, and Marielle doesn’t buy it either. This does not stop her from getting involved, chased, kidnapped, kidnapped AGAIN, and seemingly nearly murdered a few times. Fortunately, she has her overprotective husband by her side. Most of the time.

One of the things I liked best about this book is it has a double bluff revelation. We get the somewhat obvious revelation I was expecting about 3/4 of the way through the book, which I did not complain about because it made a lot of the previous peril Marielle was in make a lot more sense. But then there’s another revelation near the end that was more of a surprise. And it’s always fun seeing Marielle sleuth, and fangirl over her husband looking dark and menacing. But I will admit, it *did* feel a bit like the writer is going through the motions, giving the readers what they want. There is a plot point dangled which promises to be of greater importance in the next book (which should be out faster than this one), but a lot of the most exciting things in this book are looking back at past triumphs rather than ahead to the future.

If the author does not really want to write Marielle as an adult, there’s not much further this can go. But it’s going another volume, at least. For fans.

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Vol. 8

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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.

This was supposed to be the final arc of the series, but the author says in the afterword that it’s being extended, supposedly because there’s so many stories still to tell, but also probably because this sells quite well in Japan. That said, I get the feeling the bulk of this volume may have been written before the series got the OK to continue, as there’s very much a “headed into the final act” feel to this, with the danger ramped up even more, and with one of the most violent and hard to read sequences in the series so far, which is thankfully cut off by a series of punch the air moments. Honestly, this is a punch the air series much of the time, as the first half of the book shows us how dangerous things are going to be, and the second half sees Keigetsu managing to succeed somehow and Reirin simply blowing everything up and doing exactly as she pleases. That said, this one is gonna be hard to fix.

Our two heroines have still not been able to swap back to their own bodies, even a month after the 7th book. The reason for this is the Emperor is very suspicious, and wants to execute any magic users he finds. They try to figure out a way to do the switch during a ritual that’s coming up, but the Emperor figured out they were going to do that, and instead sends them all out into the poorer areas of the country to distribute food. Keigetsu (really Reirin) will be sent to the most dangerous, remote part of the country, a land that’s caught between two families and thus has no one taking responsibility for everything. He also sends an assassin after her. Meanwhile, the Emperor himself surprises the other four maidens by showing up at their own distribution site, and he’s determined to prove that Reirin is not Reirin. Which is going to be easy, as she isn’t.

This is the first volume where we’ve really had to dig into the Emperor himself, as mostly we’ve seen the generation after him – his son Gyoumei and the maidens. As it turns out, Genyou’s had it very rough as well, and is consumed by the idea of revenge – which is the main reason that he’s trying so hard to uncover Keigetsu’s magic. Elsewhere, as you’d expect, this volume is filled with Reirin doing jaw-droppingly amazing things, but it also has yet another instance of our two besties completely misunderstanding each other. Reirin has spent so much of her life at death’s door that she has no idea how to deal with things like depression, longing, and love – and let me tell you, this book may not be yuri, but even Reirin’s fiance AND her brothers agree that she’s head over heels in love with Keigetsu. Fortunately, they make up in the most overdramatic way. Unfortunately, they’ve sort of blown any chance of keeping things a secret.

After last volume’s one-volume breather, we’re back to a cliffhanger ending, but fortunately the 9th book came out in Japan a couple months ago. Also fortunately, this is going to continue. I want to read the stories the author says are still to be told.

Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite, Vol 1

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Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite Volume 1 by Julietta Suzuki

Hina is an otaku vampire who has decided to move to Japan to devote herself to her fandom, an anime called Vampire Cross. She’s basically a shut-in, only venturing out to try to score limited edition items at merch drops. She takes occasional calls from her father who seems supportive of her lifestyle choices but can’t help reminding her that vampires sometimes find a special human who they want to bite. Hina is resolute in her decision to only drink from blood bags and fully indulge her fangirl nature. She does become distracted one day by her next door neighbor who looks exactly like Mao, the character she’s obsessed with. Kyuta recoils in disgust initially when he realizes that Hina is an otaku, but something about her draws him in. On Hina’s side she finds that Kyuta smells irresistibly delicious. She notes that there’s a mysterious voice coming from his apartment occasionally – who or what could it be?

Otaku Vampire's Love Bite

Suzuki excels at portraying tsundere heroes. Kyuta initially finds Hina off-putting, but when he realizes that she truly knows nothing about how to live on her own he starts helping her. He gives her practical advice about taking out her trash and even joins her for a special Vampire Cross cafe event when the internet friend she was supposed to go with stands her up. Kyuta ends up being a vampire magnet, and Hina has the ability to protect him because she’s unexpectedly powerful even if she has no desire to engage in vampire activities like sucking blood. I enjoyed the developing relationship dynamic between Kyuta and Hina. Hina has powerful supernatural abilities but only cares about arranging acrylic standees and Kyuta’s ability to function in the modern world balances her out. Suzuki’s art is so whimsical and cute. Hina’s tiny fangs and pointed ears are adorable and Kyuta’s exasperated but kind in spite of himself mannerisms make him sympathetic. Suzuki’s series are always delightful and the first volume of Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite started off strong.