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Lucia and the Loom: Weaving Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 2

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Esora Amaichi. Released in Japan as “Fukushokushi Lucia wa Akiramenai: Kyō kara Hajimeru Kōfuku Keikaku” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

Dahlia, the protagonist of the main series, and Lucia, the protagonist of this spinoff, are on the face of it not all that alike. Aside from their tendency to deflect all achievements away from them, that is. Dahlia is reserved, while Lucia tends more towards the firey. But it is interesting how both the main series and its spinoff are pushing their respective protagonists into very similar situations. Dahlia keeps coming up with wonderful, insane inventions that will change their entire nation, and as a result is rapidly heading towards a future where she’d better be married and protected, or else she absolutely will be kidnapped. Lucia’s clothing designs are not as revolutionary (though the opera house in this volume may disagree), but her leadership skills and ability to inspire are absolute gold, and she too had better get married soon – she’s already starting to suffer kidnapping attempts.

The first chunk of this book follows the earlier Dahlia plotlines, as we see the debut of the cloth that basically has its own built-in air conditioner. Lucia and her staff have to work out where to best place the cloth, how to deal with those who are ticklish, etc. Lucia is also busy learning about nobility, and what not to say when a noble says something that seems innocent but isn’t. The latter half ot eh book is more along the lines of the latter half of the first, with Lucia running into various people and helping them with fashion/outfits, as well as sometimes being a big ol’ ball of sunshine. We also meet Forto’s attendant Lotta, who is an attendant who is also a blighted (sound familiar), but none of that matters to Lucia, who is great at getting people to come out of their shells. No wonder the “who will Lucia end up with?” sweepstakes are a lot more open than Dahlia’s.

Last time we saw a lot of teasing of a potential relationship with Forto, which is pretty bittersweet given that we’ve read later volumes of Dahlia and see her rejecting him. We’re starting to see a few other alternatives here. Such as Dante, her right-hand man, who is also dealing with trying to put off marriage proposals so he can concentrate on his work, and who is straight up told “do not let her get away” by his grandmother. Or Lotto, Forto’s attendant, who is pretty much given a plotline in this book that’s the equivalent of the sun coming out behind Lucia’s head while heavenly choirs play in the background. Speaking of attendants, Lucia’s found her Mr. Sunset, though he’s deflected it so that she’s not aware. That said, the main thing blocking any of these is Lucia herself, who (in a book that once again tries to be very progressive about gender and sexuality) seems to be demisexual, and has not found anyone she’s that emotionally close to yet.

The main Dahlia series is stalled over here while it finds a new translator, the previous one having stepped down, but we’re getting a third Lucia book soon. Will it catch up with the main series? Can we somehow get Lucia connected to a noble without her managing to avoid it? And will the clothing still be gorgeous? Signs point to yes on that last one.

The Legendary Witch Is Reborn As an Oppressed Princess, Vol. 1

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By Touko Amekawa and Kuroyuri. Released in Japan as “Shiitagerareta Tsuhō Ōjo wa, Tensei Shita Densetsu no Majo deshita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Kashi Kamitoma.

Generally speaking, unless it’s a super-famous author I recognize immediately, I tend not to look at who’s written what else until after I’ve read an initial volume of a book. Usually it allows me to be surprised, and that’s definitely the case with this series, which it turns out is written by an author far more famous for the 7th Time Loop series, which recently got an anime. She’s actually got a number of series going at the same time on her Narou page, and this one seems to have been started a few months after 7th Time Loop. I’ll say straight up it’s not quite as good as that series, but it’s still a very decent start. I will say, and I’m sure that it was just as obvious in the Japanese, if not more so, the lead girl talks with a childish “Elmer Fudd” style lisp. If seeing textual accents bothers you, beware. It’s all over this book.

The opening of the book is absolutely dynamite, as Claudia wakes up to the memories of her previous life – by being pushed out of a high window by her evil uncle. She remembers that she used to be Lady Adelheid, the most powerful witch of legend. Sadly, she’s now Princess Claudia, who theoretically was found to have no magic, and so for the 6 years of her life she was put in a tower and abused. Now that she remembers who she was, she stops herself from hitting the ground – with magic. Turns out the “found to have no magic” thing was faked by the Queen Consort, who was angling for power. Claudia decides to wander into the forest to find a pet, having decided, in this new life, to live as she pleases. What she finds is a 9-year-old kid who has a curse that’s slowly killing him. A curse she is very familiar with…

This is a solid series. Claudia at first seems a bit blase and overly perfect, but as the book goes on and we learn more about her past it becomes clear why she’s acting this way – and why she’s determined to push Noah, the boy she saved, away. There’s a lot of people introduced who are set up as antagonists in an “oh look, it’s another evil noble” or “goody, another spoiled brat”, but who turn out to have better sides to them if you dig hard enough. Well, except for the Queen Consort. And possibly the King, who doesn’t necessarily have a nicer side to him, but is certainly very calculating and rapidly realizes that Claudia is someone he wants to find out more about. Too bad she wants to avoid him as much as possible. The relationship between Claudia and Noah is cute, and manages to avoid being romantic in a weird way, despite her being an 19-year-old in a 6-year-old body and him being 9.

So this was a good start. Recommended – Sorry, Wecommended – to 7th Time Loop readers and fans of smug OP witches.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You: Secret Love Story

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By Hamubane, Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa. Released in Japan as “Kimi no Koto ga Dai Dai Dai Dai Daisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo Bangai Koimonogatari: Secret Love Story” by JUMP j BOOKS. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Kim Morrissy. Adapted by Kathleen Townsend.

This review is dedicated to Nicholas Dupree, who would have loved this book. It’s time for CULTURE, folks!

I was a bit worried when I saw this was announced. 100 Girlfriends is, after all, very much a product of its medium. And, as is the case with all light novels that are spinoffs of Jump titles, even if they’re Young Jump titles, I knew it would be written by someone else. The question is, would the light novel have all of the things that we love about the source? The over the top humor, the breaking of the fourth wall, going way too far to the point of putting off its audience a bit, but above all being a wonderfully romantic story about one of the best polycules out there? The good news is that it has all of that. The bad news is it has ALL of that. Be aware, for fans only.

As you can tell by the eight girls on the cover (plus Rentaro – his first cover!), this book is meant to take place sometime between the 4th and 5th volume of the manga. Sorry, Iku fans. It’s a nested short story collection – five “main” short stories with the entire cast, and four 2-3 page short stories featuring two of the girls bonding. The girl pairings are the three you’d expect, plus Kusuri and Kurumi. As for the main stories: 1) Rentaro spends 30 hours dating each and everyone one of his eight girls, till they force him to sleep; 2) An alien possesses Nano to try to learn about the “emotional energy” that the cast possesses; 3) The vice-principal drinks a drug that makes her turn into a kaiju, and Rentaro and his girlfriends must get into a Giant Rentaro Robot that Hahari has prepared to battle her; 4) The cast end up in the world of Circlet Love Story, and when they accidentally break it, they have to work hard to make sure events unfold as the book says; 5) Rentaro loses his memories of high school, and has no idea who any of his girlfriends are!

As with most short story collections, some are better than others. The giant robot story contains a lot I’m not a fan of with this series – it heavily features the vice-principal, and also leans a bit too much on the fetishes – if the word “diaper play” squicks you, feel free to skip this story. On the other hand, the Circlet Love Story short is fun, and benefits from being in Shizuru’s POV, showing that, in her own inner monologue, she’s quite loquacious. The best parts of the book, though, are the ones that are why we read the manga – Rentaro being the best boyfriend in the universe, all the girlfriends acting like their stereotypes but still being well-rounded, lots of fourth-wall breaking about the fact that this is a novel, and even a bit of the yuri some fans like – when Nano is possessed by an alien, no one notices except Rentaro… and Shizuru, who also spotted it. As for Hakari and Karane, let’s face it, they’re also a couple.

I think people picking up this book know it’s going to go too far – Hahari and Kusuri are still in it, after all. But it was fun to read, and I laughed out loud in several places. Also, Karane gets to use a hammer that’s as big as she is AND we get art of the same. Chef’s kiss.

Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/24

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Friday at the Atelier, Vol. 2 | By Sakura Hamada | Yen Press – The weirdness gets dialed back a lot in this second volume, though we still see our lead woman posing nude with fish on top of her an awful lot. Both of them are growing and changing, and in good ways. She’s slow to realize this; he does realize it, and it’s making him a little nervous, to be honest. He’s used to being an avant-garde artist, so doing ad work is… well, the money’s good, but is this OK? As for Tamaki, she’s no longer a typical wasted pale OL, and everyone is happy she’s feeling better but also worried about why, because she’s the sort to get taken in by scammers. That’s not what has happened, but I get it—if I were her friend, I’d be just as worried. I wonder if we might actually get a confession in the next book? – Sean Gaffney

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – I’m very happy that Yen is releasing this at all, and I was a big fan of the author’s previous series, Inu x Boku SS. This one suffers a bit from the format—4-koma series are always a tough sell, and putting it into a massive omnibus makes it even worse, as after a while it becomes a slog to get through, no matter how cute and adorable the lead couple are. (Also, gotta love the magical girl who says “f*ck” constantly.) That said, this is one giant omnibus due to the unfortunate nature of the manga—it ended abruptly when the author passed away, and even here it’s padded out by another short story of hers. It’s a shame, as I think I’d like to have seen this one come to a conclusion, and that it would have been sweet and funny. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vol. 10 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital) – Inori’s in junior high now, which means she’s not only dealing with crushing self-doubt (she’s still struggling with that triple lutz), but also growing pains, which every teen has to deal with but they’re not usually skating in major competitions in the evening while doing so. All this means that she’s unconsciously ignoring her coach’s advice and trying to find an answer on her own. I very much empathize with Inori’s tendency to make friends with adults rather than kids her own age, as that was literally me. I also liked seeing Tsukasa realize that he still has skills that he can teach her, even if it may be too late for him to use them for his own career. All this plus truly stunning artwork, as always. Did I mention this is getting an anime soon? Can’t wait. – Sean Gaffney

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 11 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship There’s two girlfriends introduced here, so not as much room for wacky one-shot antics, though we do see the Gundam made of girlfriends and also the obligatory glasses chapter. The two girlfriends are Ahko, who is a nice gyaru but whose face has trouble emoting (she has a permanent lazy smile), which has led to trouble with her friends before, and Uto, a self-proclaimed “wandering bard” who is very good at making dramatic proclamations but very bad at actual singing. She’s definitely on the more eccentric side of the girlfriend spectrum. That said, as ever this series is dedicated to showing us it’s not just about Rentaro—the chapter with Ahko and Karane bonding was my favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 12 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – This starts off slow, as it’s in between serious arcs. We do get to see that Handler is a mess, and a reminder that it’s mostly for tragic reasons. We also get another reminder not to let Yor get drunk. But the bulk of the back half deals with one of those questions that we’re eventually going to get whenever this comes to an end, which is what happens if Loid’s cover is blown? It’s not blown YET here, as this ends with a cliffhanger, but Loid is going to have to do some clever scheming to try to dissuade Yuri that he isn’t a spy this time. Assuming Loid lives to do anything about it. Or Yuri, for that matter. The enemy spy we’re dealing with here is a cut above what we’ve seen before. That said, we have Fiona, and her yandere love, so I’m not too worried. – Sean Gaffney

We’re New at This, Vol. 17 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The manga ends with the eighteenth volume, and it feels a bit like, now that the author has decided to do a pregnancy arc, they’re speeding through it a bit. The book starts with the pregnancy, ends with the birth, and seems to imply that the final volume will take place about 16-17 years later. All that, plus the inevitable “surprise” in trying-to-have-a-baby series, the fact that it’s twins. Despite all this, this remains a cute and fun series. Ikuma has sort of a dream-time travel thing to talk with his late dad about how to be a father, and finds his late dad was far more unprepared. Meanwhile, Sumika meets other mothers who are in the “at risk” category, and we’re reminded how stoic and off-putting she is to strangers. I’m gonna miss this when it ends. – Sean Gaffney

An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 8

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By Yuishi and Kagachisaku. Released in Japan as “Inkya no Boku ni Batsu Game de Kokuhaku Shitekita Hazu no Gal ga, Dō Mitemo Boku ni Beta Bore Des” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Satoko Kakihara.

I’ve talked before about how we, as the reader, are being driven absolutely mad by these two being both incredibly cute and incredibly horny at the same time, and yet somehow not even getting to kissing each other on the lips. Well, this volume is dedicated to the fact that we are not alone. It takes place almost entirely at the school, as it’s culture festival time, and everyone in the class is us, because all they can do is stare with their jaws dropped as Yoshin and Nanami do what they think is normal stuff that every couple does, and everyone else sees as the boldest, most shameless acts in the world. These two are in love with each other and it shows in everything they do, and frankly for high school kids that’s something to inspire jealousy. Which, well, probably explains the rumors that open the book…

There’s a rumor going round about Yoshin, and the rumor is that he has a harem. (Yeah, sorry, the idea of polycules is not a thing this series wants to deal with at all.) After all, not only does he have the incredibly hot Nanami as his named girlfriend, but he’s also hanging out with her two gorgeous best friends, AND he recently started hanging out with the class president, who also got a makeover just for him! What a player! This means that yes, Yoshin is dragged before the teachers as well, where he realizes the main reason that rumors like this gain traction: he’s only friends with girls. He needs to figure out a way to fix that. Before he can, though, it’s culture festival time, the class is doing a cosplay cafe, and Yoshin and Nanami are on the committee. Will they have time for the Best Couple Contest?

There are other things going on in this book, including an entire subplot about the class president and her tragic backstory, which turns out to be far more teenage than tragic. But for the most part we’re here for Yoshin and Nanami, and boy howdy does this book deliver on sweet romance. You’ll get diabetes. They discover the magic of falling asleep talking to each other on video call. Nanami wears a giant bunny suit to fake out the class, then shows off a playboy bunny outfit only for her boyfriend. Yoshin dresses up as a maid for the cosplay cafe, and everyone agrees that he looks really cute, much to his chagrin… but he’ll to anything for Nanami. The capper is the Couple Contest, when these two go above and beyond, essentially proposing to each other (again) and capping it off with the kiss we’ve been wanting to see. The whole book is there to make the reader go “squee!”.

The afterword promises the class trip next time. The cover of Vol. 9 has a sports festival, though, so buyer beware. Still buy it, though. This is the sweetest frosting around.

Manga the Week of 10/16/24

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SEAN: The leaves are all colors here, and everything is magical. (Note: some leaves may not be available outside New England.)

ASH: I am so happy for fall; it’s my favorite.

SEAN: We start off with Yen On, which had its debuts delayed to later in the month. But we do get Babel 2, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 14, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 22, Demon Lord 2099 3, The Kept Man of the Princess Knight 3, Orc Eroica 5, and Secrets of the Silent Witch 5.

ASH: Soon every week will be a Yen week.

SEAN: Yen Press does have debuts. Blade & Bastard is the manga adaptation of the light novels being released by J-Novel Club. It’s by the author of Goblin Slayer, and runs in Drecomics. Also, Garbage looks much cuter on that manga cover than she ever does in the LN.

Is the Order a Rabbit? (Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?) is a title that would have sold like gangbusters if it were licensed in 2013, but it is late 2024, so hey. This runs in Manga Time Kirara Max, and spawned a popular anime. It’s a cute girls run a cafe story.

ASH: The timing does seem a bit off, doesn’t it.

SEAN: I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History: It Seems Turning Into a High-Born Baddie Makes the Prince All the More Lovestruck (Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo – Akuyaku Reijou ni Naru Hodo Ouji no Dekiai wa Kasoku Suru you desu!) is based off a light novel that Yen will release next year, and has an anime airing as we speak. This is another “villainess as the good person, heroine is subsequently awful” story. It runs in B’s-Log Comic.

Lethal Dose of Love (Koi no Chishiryou) is a one-shot BL title from the magazine B’s-Lovey Recottia. A young man confessed to our protagonist, then ran off. Now, years later, he’s back… with another man at his side!

ASH: Uh-oh!

SEAN: The Small-Animallike Lady Is Adored by the Ice Prince (Shoudoubutsu-kei Reijou wa Koori no Ouji ni Dekiai Sareru) is a manga adaptation of an as yet unlicensed light novel. Our heroine, a shy fluffy sort of girl, is engaged to the cold, forbidding prince. She’s got to break off the engagement, royalty isn’t for her. Wait, he’s starting to dote on her? This runs in Flos Comic.

Also out next week: 15 Minutes Before We Really Date 4 (the final volume), Assorted Entanglements 6, Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan! 9, A Certain Magical Index 29, Chained Soldier 9, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 7, Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree 4, Final Fantasy Lost Stranger 10, holoX MEETing! 2 (the final volume), Honey Lemon Soda 7, Honey Trap Shared House 4, I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet 10, Interspecies Reviewers 9, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria 24, Kakegurui Twin 14, Laid-Back Camp 15, Mint Chocolate 12, No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! 24, Overlord 19, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 8, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 24, Shy 8, Slasher Maidens 11, Sword Art Online: Kiss and Fly 2, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun: Second Stall (a box set of Vol. 11-20), Trinity Seven 30, Whoever Steals This Book 3 (the final volume, and The Witch and the Knight Will Survive 3 (the final volume).

ASH: So. Many. Words. But I did see Toilet-bound Hanako-kun! Those box sets look really nice.

SEAN: Viz has two debuts, though only one is new. We’re getting a 3-in-1 omnibus release of Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori), the classic shoujo manga that ran in Sho-Comi. If you missed the Viz release of this title (checks dates)… two decades ago, or the digital-only release in 2013, it’s a perfect time to get it again.

ANNA: RED RIVER! Red River has everything – modern girls from Japan sent back to the Hittite Empire. Evil Stepmothers! Evil Water! Warriors! Clashes of armies! Horseback riding! Archery! People thrown into prison! Evil Water! Eclipses! Assassins! Romance! Dark Magic!

SEAN: Is there Good Water to balance out the Evil Water?

ANNA: I mean, there’s some normal water, but a lot of wells or pools of water that end up being Evil!

MICHELLE: I never did finish Red River, but I own all of the original release!

ASH: I’ve been meaning to read this one for what seems like ages! And now I will have no excuse.

SEAN: The other debut is Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, Junji Ito’s memoir where he discusses his history with horror.

ASH: Definitely interested in this one.

SEAN: And we also get Dandadan 9, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. 4, Mission: Yozakura Family 13, Record of Ragnarok 12, Snowball Earth 3, Steel of the Celestial Shadows 4, and Undead Unluck 17.

Square Enix Manga has A Man and His Cat 12.

The debut from Seven Seas is The Barbarian’s Bride (Hime Kishi wa Barbaroi no Yome) is from Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and stars a knight who is told to capture the barbaric tribes of the East… and then, when she fails, is married off to their leader!

ASH: Goodness!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Lonely Castle in the Mirror 4, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life 12, My New Life as a Cat 7, and Mysterious Disappearances 3.

One Peace Books has the 9th volume of Usotoki Rhetoric.

ASH: I’m behind, but enjoying this series.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has the 6th (really the 7th) volume of Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement.

ANNA: I did not realize there was a multi-volume series about retirement planning, but maybe being in Another World and saving gold is the solution to the horrors of capitalism.

SEAN: I am sorry to say that this series is vigorously pro-capitalism (and pro-gun, for that matter). But it’s fun in a “please turn your brain off” sort of way.

Kodansha Manga debuts Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, a spinoff manga showing the Blue Lock series from Nagi’s POV.

Also debuting is Versus, from the creator of One-Punch Man. The demons are taking over the world. 47 heroes resolve to fight and defeat them. But in order to do so, they will have to go down a bad path. This runs in Shonen Sirius.

ASH: I’m curious, mainly due to One’s involvement.

SEAN: Also in print: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 3, Ninja Vs. Gokudo 3, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! 6, Sketchy 4, and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 17 (the final volume.

For digital we see Manchuria Opium Squad 2, My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1 14, and WIND BREAKER 17.

J-Novel Club has, for print, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AO— 6.

And digitally, we see The Apothecary Diaries 12, the 7th Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers manga volume, The Invincible Summoner Who Crawled Up from Level 1: Wrecking Reincarnators with My Hidden Dungeon 3, The Poison King: Now that I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, the Bewitching Beauties in My Harem Can’t Get Enough of Me 2, and Seventh 9.

Ghost Ship debuts The Hungry Succubus Wants to Consume Him (Harapeko Succubus wa Ikasetai no ni!), which runs in Young Magazine Web. A succubus who’s had almost 1000 men finds she’s met her match when she can’t seduce a monk-in-training. But she’ll keep trying!

ANNA: I guess it is good to be persistent about things like this.

SEAN: Also in “mature” titles, we see Succubus and Hitman 7.

From Dark Horse, we get H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu (Cthulhu no Yobigoe – Lovecraft Kessakushuu), another in the series of Lovecraft adaptations by Gou Tanabe. This ran in Comic Beam.

ASH: Tanabe’s adaptations have been excellent, so far.

SEAN: Airship, in print, has Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 10.

And for early digital we see The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 3, Loner Life in Another World 10, and Too Many Losing Heroines! 2.

Do you ever color in the black and white pages in your manga? Also, what are you getting?

ANNA: RED RIVER! (I already have it in multiple formats!)

Ayakashi and the Fairy Tales We Tell Ourselves

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By Kosuzu Kobato and Meij. Released in Japan on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Dawson Chen.

This is one of those books that I probably would not have picked up if I didn’t already know the author. Kosuzu Kobato has basically never written anything I’d dislike, This is also complete in one volume, so it’s a good book to take a flyer on. And, unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it. The plot, though, actually ended up being a lot quieter than I expected. There were dark hints in this book that the heroine has bad ayakashi causing her harm (which leads to a reputation of being clumsy). There’s the heroine’s tragic past, as well as the hero’s tragic past. And there’s these weird ayakashi showing up away from the main house and acting, seemingly, menacing. It felt like it was building up to a big confrontation, or perhaps a kidnapping and rescue, or that sort of thing. But that’s not what happens here, and it’s not the point of the book. This book is about accepting your past, and it’s also about accepting that you don’t need to have your entire future mapped out by the time you’re fourteen years old.

Haruka has recently moved to the town, and is still settling in at school, though she has made two best friends. She’s a relatively shy, reserved person, and despite being exceptional at ballet and cooking she seems to regard herself as lacking in something. Then one day she runs into (literally) Ayako, a woman who was biking and not watching where she was going. Going back to her home to bandage Haruka’s scraped leg, she then runs into Takumi, who she doesn’t know but who clearly goes to her school. As the book goes on, and she stops by Ayako’s house more and more, it becomes apparent that she can see ayakashi, the mysterious spirits that litter the house. Takumi can see them too, and that fact has caused him grief throughout his life. Can these two damaged middle-schoolers be the best things that happened to each other?

This book sneaks up on you – it doesn’t really get into anything supernatural until about a quarter of the way in, and even then, the ayakashi end up being more of a spice than anything else – the book is solely about its two leads. Honestly, there were times when it felt like we were going to get more – Haruka’s childhood featured her being hospitalized, and the description of how it happened made me wonder if it was going to tie in with malevolent ayakashi impulsively seeking to harm her or something. But no, it was just a garden-variety horrible human thing. But that’s fine, as the book really excels in the two kids slowly recovering and looking forward to the future again. Haruka recalls her past, accepts it, and is able to move forward in being a blushing girl in love. Takumi realizes that despite everything that happened with his family, his father is trying to support him the best he can – he’s just horrible at emoting. The end of the book has them essentially becoming a couple without naming it as that, which fits the reserved tone.

It’s just a sweet little book. I wish there were more of it, but there isn’t. It’s a good read about some serious kids.

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor, Vol. 6

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By Sasara Nagase and Mitsuya Fuji. Released in Japan as “Yarinaoshi Reijō wa Ryūtei Heika o Kōryaku-chū” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by piyo.

As I write this, we are less than a day away from the premiere of the anime version of this series. As such, I wish to make it clear that I am well aware of the problematic nature of this series. We’ve discussed it before. The series opens with incest, and then it ends up hitting “I’m going to marry a ten-year-old”. It is the definition of “oh dear”. And I am here to tell you that the author is absolutely reveling in it. Given a chance to, say, have a timeskip, or perhaps move away from the incestuous kingdom, she instead insists on doubling down on everything. This volume in particular talks about how awkward it is for Jill to be eleven years old multiple times, and it also manages somehow to double the incest! Unfortunately… or, well, fortunately, to be honest… that does not double the fun. I can tell you that both plotlines are for plot-related reasons, and the plot is insidious, and REALLY wants war.

After the relative light-heartedness of the last volume, we’re bundled back into political intrigue at Jill and Hadis’ home base in this volume. There’s been a poor harvest, and the three dukes whose support Hadis need are 100% ready to throw Jill under the bus at a moment’s notice. They propose an impossible task – revive the Dragon Flower Crown Festival, something which will require the help of all the other consorts who stay at the Empress’ palace. Unfortunately, they’re all (well, almost all) trying to sabotage Jill – clearly at the behest of some mysterious party. Oh yes, and Jill has been getting mysterious love letters confessing to her and urging that she meet in the Garden of Resting Dragons… a place well known for adulterous affairs. There’s a mad old man setting traps in the Dragon Consort’s Palace (a place Jill didn’t even realize was there). Oh yes, and Minerd’s back, and totally not planning something evil.

It’s refreshing to see this series come back to “at any moment, history will revert and Jill will die” territory again. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re one step closer to war, thanks to the events near the end of this book, which lean heavily on the squickiest of the series’ plotlines and rub it in our faces. it’s chilling. As for the actual bad guy, well, they’re rather pathetic and sad, but that’s the point, and fits pretty well with everything that we’ve heard bfeore. Much better are the other consorts, who theoretically present an enemy that Jill simply can’t beat to submission with her fists. She is being forced to actually think politically and scheme… and then, when that doesn’t work, she beats them to submission with her fists. Jill does not quite shout “IT’S CLOBBERIN TIME!” once a volume, but it’s not for lack of trying.

After that nasty cliffhanger, it’s a good thing we’ve got the next volume coming s–what’s that? Short story volume? Sigh. Of course. In any case, please enjoy this series, which rampages through its problematic aspects with TINY FISTS.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 45

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

After the events of Vol. 43 (44 being a SS volume), you will not be surprised to hear that this is a very serious affair. There’s almost no humor to be found, and even the romance, with the exception of Elfaria (who joins everyone else in the cast in trying to make it clear, but not TOO clear, that he’s the only one for her) is absent. The reason for this is that after the events of the last book, Koutarou is depressed and uncertain how to go forward. It’s a good reminder how little time this series has taken place in – we’re only about two years later here, and much as the girls are all cognizant of their own feelings and able to support each other, when it comes to the man they love they don’t have the fortitude to kick him in the ass, and have to leave it to Kenji, who of course can baseball it out of him. No one is quite mature enough to confidently be in a polycule revolving around one man just yet. Least of all the man.

We pick up just before the cliffhanger of the last book, as we see Ralgwin’s final moments before his soul is overwritten by Maxfern’s. He seems rather calm and accepting of this, and is apparently assuming that Koutarou will somehow save the day. Unfortunately, that point is not this volume. Koutarou, as I said before, starts off in a big funk, especially once Maxfern goes on live TV to declare war on the royal family and ask allies to join him. Now they need to avoid another war, and in order to do this have to infiltrate the enemy… which is a lot easier given that they’re bringing in a lot of new troops and staff. Unfortunately, they all fail to realize that Maxfern is, unlike every other villain we’ve seen in this book, someone who does not care about ANYONE. And that troops don’t necessarily have to be alive.

So yeah, I hate to break it to you, but once you take zombies out of the box, you really can’t put them back. That said, this is part of a new theme with this book. All our previous villains, be they Ralgwin, or Elexis, or even Darkness Rainbow, have all had someone that they care about and want to protect, in some way, shape or form. Their goals are not 100% genocidal. Maxfern is different. He died swearing vengeance, and he will get vengeance, no matter who dies or is left unhappy. The second half of the book sees our heroes infiltrate the e3nemy for clues, and they barely escape with their lives, because the villain doesn’t care about just throwing death at a problem until it goes away. It’s genuinely scary.

We get a cliffhanger suggesting Maxfern is going to attack the “smart girls” in the group – Clan, Kiriha, and Ruth – next time. Till then, this is still good, but it’s a bit less “fun”, per se.

Pick of the Week: Detectives, Seduction, and Magic the Gathering

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KATE: For anyone who missed My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files when it was on the Azuki platform, Seven Seas is putting out a print edition this week. The series will appeal to readers who like kinder, gentler mysteries in the vein of Miss Marple or Columbo, as it’s blissfully free of gruesome serial killers or brilliant investigators with messy personal lives.

MICHELLE: Actually, Kate, that sounds marvelous. I will join you in picking My Dear Detective!

SEAN: An excellent, sensible pick, and one I will try to balance out by picking utter trash. When the Villainess Seduces the Main Heroine is, let’s face it, what we all wanted from Bakarina but never got. It’s not good, but it’s funny.

ANNA: I’m going to pick Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga not because I think I’m going to read it but because I think it is amazing that there’s a manga based on a MTG card.

ASH: While I am likewise amazed at the existence of a MTG manga of this type, My Dear Detective is the (print) debut that has captured most of my attention this week and am most looking forward to reading.