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Hell Mode ~ The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing, Vol. 4

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By Hamuo and Mo. Released in Japan as “Hell Mode – Yarikomi Suki no Gamer wa Hai Settei no Isekai de Musō Suru” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Taishi.

Most of the time, when you’re reading a Japanese light novel and all of the magic powers, combat stuff, etc. comes out in the same way as a Japanese RPG, it tends to be… not laziness, per se, but it’s a way to allow the writer to easily explain things without having to create an entire fantasy world system and let them get on with more important things, like having the protagonist be super awesome and attract all the girls. Sometimes, though, you read a book and you realize that the RPG stats are the point. This is one of those series. The Hell Mode author is not really interested in plot or characterization all that much. Heck, they’re still not bothering with romance – there’s none of it in this book. They are here to roleplay their elf vs. demons campaign, and it’s going to take 367 pages to get through it, so you’d better settle in. Hope you like stats.

We left off with Allen and friends being sent to the front lines and almost certain death just because the royal family don’t really like him. This is fine with Allen, though, who of course sees this as a great opportunity to level up. They can’t take Meruru (whose country is asking her to go to her own war front), but everyone else goes. When there, they find the elves are really on their last legs, about to suffer an ignominious defeat. Fortunately, Allen has 80 billion magical total heal things, as well as any number of summons that can destroy, maim, eat, or spy on the enemy. Honestly, through most of this book his biggest concern is Krena and Dogoro, who are still having trouble accessing the “I was cool but now I’m SUPER COOL” part of their powers. That said, the main boss we get here is enough to make even our protagonists struggle. They will need another ringer. They will need… the hero.

The majority of this book is pure fight scenes, and thus unreviewable. Aside from that, I did appreciate that Allen, who is now relatively comfortable and trusting of everyone around him, finally fesses up and admits that he’s a reincarnation from a different world. I especially liked Cecil’s immediate reaction, which was “ah yes, so much makes sense now”. Allen is a freak in a very different way to the others… is what I’d like to say, but I’m not sure it’s true anymore. All the others are equally obsessed with getting new levels, new titles, and new powers. It’s the way this world works. Either you keep getting strong and stronger and more overpowered, or you die. (Hence the title.) Also, while Cecil and Krena don’t seen romantically interested in Allen all that much yet, the same can’t be said for his summons. Ellie, aka “Spirit B”, seems to be deifying “Lord Allen” a bit, and it’s slightly worrying… well, it would be if the narrative wasn’t doing the same thing.

This will always remain a “I might read the next book if I get a gap in my schedule” sort of series to me. But if you enjoy watching Allen wave a hand and watch OP bullshit happen, this is still giving you what you need.

Pick of the Week: Friendship and Monsters

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MICHELLE: Anything by the author of My Love Story!! automatically receives my endorsement, so it’s The Secret of Friendship for me this week!

SEAN: I’m very tempted by Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!, which sounds right up my street. But yeah, of course my pick is going to be the glorious (?) return of the A Certain Magical Index franchise with its second season of light novels.

KATE: This is one of those rare weeks when I can’t limit myself to just one pick! There are new installments of Akane-Banashi, Glitch, and Marmalade Boy AND several intriguing new titles. If I had to narrow down my list to a single title, though, I’d join Michelle in choosing The Secret of Friendship.

ANNA: The Secret of Friendship it is for me!

ASH: I’m leaning towards The Secret of Friendship, too, since I adored My Love Story!!, but I’ll have to admit to being greatly intrigued by the debut of Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!, too.

Bookshelf Briefs 12/11/23

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Blue Box, Vol. 7 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – Taiki has been dealing with a lot. We do get a bit of his romance issues here, as he’s still awkward around Hina, mostly as he’s a teenage boy who has a girl who says she likes him, and even though he doesn’t feel the same way it’s hard not to feel a bit horny about it. But it’s the badminton that’s the most interesting part. He’s pushing himself far too hard, and I thought the message of the book was going to be “don’t forget to relax and remind yourself that sports are fun.” But no, this is a Japanese shonen sports series. So the message is actually “try harder, and harder, and break yourself into bits, and eventually you’ll get past that wall and victory will be yours!” And that happens here, if only in practice. Let’s see if it can translate into a real match. – Sean Gaffney

Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 1 | By Aki Hamazi | Yen Press – I never did watch the <iBocchi the Rock! anime. Its lead character’s social anxiety—and the exaggeration thereof—ended up making me uncomfortable. Still, I’ve had this problem with sounds and images before, so wondered if the written page might be better. And I admit I was able to get through this with few issues. What I didn’t expect was that this would be because, without the anime’s directorial attempts at spicing things up and animation tricks, Bocchi the Rock! is a very normal 4-koma series in the Kirara mold, with Bocchi’s anxiety sometimes barely registering due to the tight panels of the required format. The most interesting part for me, as you’d expect in a 4-koma series like this, was the relationship between the four leads, and it’s definitely worth reading if you enjoy 4-koma. – Sean Gaffney

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 9 | By Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe | Viz Media – Obviously the anime did not time itself with the release of this volume in North America (it was released in Japan in September 2022), but it seems like kismet that, after a fabulous but controversial arc about the true nature of demons, we’re headed back to that well in this book. We also see the welcome return of Denken, one of the most interesting mages from the Tournament Arc, and his own regrets about seeing the city he was from turned into gold by a demon’s powers. And into this comes Frieren, who takes one look at what’s happening in the golden city and says that it’s impossible for Denken to win. This series is at its best when it examines the cliched fantasy tropes. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 10 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – Sarasa is fun, funny, and the main reason most readers are probably following this. But she doesn’t have the training that a lot of these theater kids have, and when she goes out of control (as can be seen near the end of this volume), it can not only be impossible to stop her but actually damaging to the actresses she’s appearing with. She needs to be smacked down a bit, I expect. Ai, on the other hand, is flourishing in Sarasa’s absence (the two switched rooms with the twins for the sake of the Orpheus and Euridyce performance they’re doing), and is starting to realize that not all the advice she spurned from those in her idol group years was wrong or bad. That said, the main attraction to readers for this volume might be the girls in suits. They’re amazing. – Sean Gaffney

Like a Butterfly, Vol. 3 | By suu Morishita | Viz Media – If you get frustrated when two people who obviously really like each other but are too shy/stubborn/self-loathing to actually speak to each other, then this volume of Like a Butterfly must be pure torture. Suiren keeps trying to get Kawasumi to have a conversation with her, or say a word to her, or even look her way, and he is resolutely not doing any of these things, even going so far as to stop going to the group roof lunches. This is not only frustrating to everyone else in the cast, it’s frustrating to Koharu, who likes Kawasumi and has confessed to him but can’t get past it because he won’t admit his own feelings and confess to Suiren. Basically, it’s a high school romance cocktail, and very old school shoujo manga, which makes sense given this series is ten years old. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord, Vol. 1 | By Yodokawa | Yen Press – I enjoyed this, but it didn’t really go the way I was expecting it to. I’d heard it was a yuri series, and there’s a bit of that here, but the setup shows it’s more interested in contrasting the sensible, somewhat tightly wound manga editor Asako with the laid-back, relaxed, and at loose ends former idol Miyako. They bounce off each other well, and a lot of the first volume deals with the fallout of Miyako’s sudden retirement, be it stalkers harassing her or her grumpy grandmother trying to take her back home. Miyako is a lot of fun, even though she’s a bit of a mess. Asako is responsible and likeable, even if she’s a bit of a mess. The two clearly need each other badly, and I’m hoping future volumes capitalize on this. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 22 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – We’re starting a new arc in this book, which involves a lot of things that readers of this series love. There’s a perfume that makes people go mad and literally eat other people. There’s some sort of immortality drug, which (judging by the cliffhanger) may even work on people who are down to just a head. There’s a bunch of new characters from the FBI, including two hot women who Kuroko immediately pays attention to. That said, Kuroko does very little this volume—even the standard sex scene goes to the bad guys this time around—and indeed the plot itself seems to involve Urara getting into a huge fistfight with a monstrously huge guy. Which, let’s face it, is another thing that readers of this series love. – Sean Gaffney

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 8 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship The first half of this volume is a parody of idol groups, as all of Rentaro’s girlfriends become one huge idol group for a Culture festival event. Unfortunately, not all of them have idol group talent, and their coach wants to concentrate on the good ones and ditch the bad ones, which won’t fly in THIS series. In the second half of the book we meet the newest girlfriend, a huge girl (she’s 6 foot 7) who tends the school gardens and is a lover of all living things, to a ridiculous degree. She has a complex about her height, and she also has a complex about the fact that this is a man with thirteen other girlfriends. I think she’ll fit in quite nicely on the “sweetie pie” end of the cast. – Sean Gaffney

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 8 | By Misaki Takamatsu | Seven Seas – At the end of the last volume (my review was all about Yuzuki, sorry/not sorry), Mitsumi and Shima agreed to start dating, though they’re both so awkward about it that they call it dating for a trial period. That in itself should clue you in about how well this volume goe—if the start of the book was everyone’s dream come true, the rest of this book is like Alex Norris’ Webcomic name, as we all say “oh no.” The whole book is excruciating but necessary, and it’s really driving Shima and all of his hangups into a corner, especially when he thinks the best way to resolve a conflict is not defending Mitsumi but in not revealing their relationship at all, something she understandably gets very angry about. Fortunately, I doubt this is the end for them. – Sean Gaffney

You Were Experienced, I Was Not: Our Dating Story, Vol. 1

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By Makiko Nagaoka and magako. Released in Japan as “Keiken Zumi na Kimi to, Keiken Zero na Ore ga, Otsukiai Suru Hanashi” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Adam.

Other folks have said this besides me, but I will join in: the least interesting part of this series so far is the relationship between the two leads. He’s a nice guy. She’s a sweet girl. They’re really cute together. Which is fine, but you can read more interesting versions of that in 8-10 other stories from J-Novel Club or Yen On. Where it holds up better is the “gimmick”, so to speak, where it tries to walk a fine line between telling a teenage girl she doesn’t have to have sex to be in a relationship while also asserting that there’s nothing wrong with having it once you want to. Once the author and editor had that idea, that’s what this book was going to HAVE to be, because if it became “I will save you from the terrible things you have been doing”, it would have been the worst thing ever. That said, the guy… takes a while to get there.

Ryuto Kashima is a standard potato-kun light novel protagonist, who does not have the looks or confidence to be on the cover next to his girlfriend. He’s a shy, introverted guy who pines after Runa Shirakawa, the gorgeous, trendy, and confident girl in his class. The rumor mill says that she’s gone out with a ton of guys, and they’ve even had sex with her, but none of the relationships have lasted. Ryuto, of course, is content to just pine away, but when he loses a bet and is dared to confess to her, he goes through with it, figuring she’ll reject him and he can rip the band-aid off and get on with life. To his surprise, she accepts… and that evening, they end up at her house, with her father and grandmother away. Is this it? Is he going to have sex with the hot girl?

If you were thinking that yes, he is, I suspect that light novel romcoms must be a constant disappointment to you. As it turns out, Runa (whose parents got together in middle school, and she focuses on that and not the fact that they’re now divorced) thinks that having sex with a guy is just what you do in a relationship, and is absolutely boggled when Ryuto tries things like thinking of what she wants and asking her about her hobbies. That said, she’s not annoyingly naive, and the disconnect comes from a sensible emotional place. It took me a long time to warm up to Ryuto, who has an awful lot of “no one could ever likle such a giant loser like myself” vibes that he has to struggle with. His 4-page long monologue about bubble tea shops won me over, and also won Runa over. (Runa expects that he will break up with her soon, like all guys have done, so any genuine affection for anything is amazing.) As for the other major character in this book, I suspect she will be the focus of Book 2, so I’ll save her for then.

The book does what it sets out to do, which is to say “indicate that slut-shaming is bad”, and I hear the anime (currently airing) is pretty solid as well. I just hope that Ryuto and Runa can be a bit less… vanilla in their relationship. Just because you’re not having sex doesn’t mean that hand-holding should take 60 pages.

The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent, Vol. 9

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By Yuka Tachibana and Yasuyuki Syuri. Released in Japan as “Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Julie Goniwich. Adapted by E.M. Candon.

This ninth volume in the series comes out just in time, as the second season of the anime is currently airing and looks like it will adapt till the end of Book 8. So if you want to continue onward, you can pick right up where it leaves off. Of course, I will warn you in advance that you’re only getting 3/4 of a book. The manga version of this title runs in Flos Comic, but it would fit right at home in LaLa, because, like many LaLa manga, it’s packed with filler to pad out the volume. Now, this is not always a bad thing. The short stories that bookend each Bookworm volume are just as important as Rozemyne’s POV, and some of the side stories are fun. But what we get instead here are scripts for audio dramas starring the voice actor for Albert… talking to himself, as I guess “situational audio drama” means that the reader invents Sei’s half of the dialogue? Not sure, but it’s not worth it.

Sei and Albert are now engaged, and this is officially announced at a ball. Much to Sei’s surprise, there’s a second engagement being announced – Elizabeth is now engaged to the second Prince, Rayne. That said, their wedding will be a year from now, as there’s just that much pre-preparation involved. Sei is content to go back to the research labs, but then the palace gets an urgent missive from Prince Kyle’s delegation in Zaidera, saying one of the most important members was deathly ill, and help was urgently needed. Everyone suspects this is a ploy, but they can’t just ignore it, so Yuri decides to go there and take one of Sei’s panaceas, the one that healed Prince Ten’yuu’s mother. The problem is… Sei wants to go too! She’s so curious! So of course Albert goes along as well. This becomes a problem when the thing they thought was a plot turns out to indeed be a ploy.

So yes, we get the return of Prince Kyle here. Much to my surprise, very little is made of his past by the main cast. He gets a side story near the end, which shows that while to Sei and company he looked calm and collected, inside he was panicking that she was going to start getting furious with him. Setting off abroad seems to have done him a world of good, and I think he agrees. As for the story itself, it’s OK, not great. It’s mostly an excuse to delay the inevitable wedding a bit longer and take a look at this world’s version of China, complete with a few recipes a la foodie manga. The actual plot won’t really get going till Book 10, so instead we get things like Yuri being a giant magical nerd and… more of Yuri being a giant magical nerd. At least Sei has more female friends besides Liz and Aira now.

This is not one of the best in the series, but as a setup for a new arc it’s OK, and it will satisfy anime-onlies wanting to see what happens next.

Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters!, Vol. 3

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By KAYA and Naru. Released in Japan as “Tensei Shōjo wa Mazu Ippo kara Hajimetai: Mamono ga Iru toka Kiitenai!” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Amy Osteraas.

It can sometimes be difficult, when a series is told entirely from one person’s point of view, to remind ourselves that they may not necessarily be the best narrator for the job. Sara tells the entire story in these books, and for the most part that’s fine, but there is a good deal of snark, apathy and general grouchiness to her entire character that makes the narration fun but also reminds us that everyone else doesn’t necessarily adore her. That said, the people she’s grouchiest to (Ted, the knights) generally deserve it. As the series goes on, I’m hoping that we get more of her joyful delight at seeing the ocean, which we get at the end of this book, and a bit less of her “whatever, I don’t care” attitude when people try to railroad her into annoying things. Though she’s right, she really should settle on figuring out what to do with her life soon.

Sara and Nelly head back to Rosa to do some shopping for clothes, but end up getting sidelined by a ton of plot. The other Invited we met in the capital last time, Haruto, has arrived in the town, and is acting like a 10-year-old kid – which, to be fair, is about when he died in Japan, so Sara has a big leg up on him. More dangerously, the knights are returning to get Sara and forcibly have a noble adopt her and get her working for the state. She really does not want to do that, so after letting Haruto and fellow Invited Bradley handle the cottage on the mountain, she, Allen and Nelly join Chris is a trip to a town two weeks away that is trying to train new apothecaries. Unfortunately, when they get there it turns out almost every single apothecary has in fact left the town. Oh yes, also frogs. LOTS of frogs.

Because Sara has for the most part been living on a mountain with a mentor who does not really care about much of anything, or else in a town that is very clearly the “last dungeon” town in this fantasy world, she has not really had a normal isekai reincarnation like everyone else in this series. That’s clearly for the good, as it turns out that while reincarnates are coddled, they’re also pretty much used as government-sponsored slaves, with a name change. You can see why – Sara is really, REALLY powerful, and we see more of that here, though at last we seem to have finally hit a magic thing that makes her feel tired rather than just being easy as pie. The next book is set up by Nelly suggesting they go to her hometown to get her family (who are nobility) to adopt Sara, which should stop the knights from trying to abduct her. I’m fairly certain it will not be that simple.

So yeah, Sara’s not sure what she wants to do with her life here yet, but till she’s safe and can relax, I don’t really blame her. Also, the gimmick is that Sara attracts monsters, right? I think we all get that by now, even if the cast don’t yet. She’s a Monster Magnet.

A Young Lady Finds Her True Calling Living with the Enemy, Vol. 1

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By Syuu and Fujigasaki. Released in Japan as “Oguni no Kōshaku Reijō wa Tekikoku nite Kakusei Suru” by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Kashi Kamitoma.

As we have advanced into the 21st century, we have thankfully moved on from one of the more egregious fan terms (and one I used myself back when I was younger), the “Mary Sue”. Originally used as an example of a character created by a writer purely to be the “perfect” love interest for her favorite character, it then morphed into, supposedly, any woman who lacked flaws and was seen as too perfect. Which, naturally, meant any woman protagonist, if you’re a guy reading it. Meanwhile, male protagonists who kill all the monster, gets all the babes, and wind up leading the nation are a dime a dozen, and despite the attempt to use “Gary Stu” to describe them they never got any flak. And of course let’s not get into the “Strong Female Character”, as best seen by Kate Beaton’s wonderful comics. I mention all this because Bertine, the protagonist of this new series, starts her own business, unites warring tribes, shoots burglars with her rifle, and has such innate economic skills that she was raised by her father to be his successor. And you know what? It’s amazing.

Bertine du Jeanne, daughter of the Chancellor of San Luenne, an independent nation and financial powerhouse, is preparing for her upcoming wedding when she is told that the Empire, which their nation has been giving financial support to, has lost its war with the Federation. The Federation has demanded 1000 large gold coins in reparations. The royal family have decided instead to send them Bertine, as the new bride to the leader of the Federation, Cecilio. She is barely given time to hear this before she and her lady maid are bundled off to Ybit, one of the major cities in the Federation. There they are told Cecilio is away, that he never accepted the bride deal in the first place, and to go home. She can’t go home, though, as it would disgrace her country. So instead the staff at Cecilio’s estate decide to slowly starve Bertina and her attendants to death, and passively abuse them. Having had enough of this, Bertine chooses to leave the estate and make her own way in this new country.

I always enjoy novels that give greater depth to the main character as the book goes on. At first Bertine just seems like a basic “stiff upper lip” noble, though she does seem very exhausted by everything near the start of the book. We then learn that everything has been terrible for her since her mother died over a decade ago, her stepmother tried to kill her and is actively trying to prevent her returning to her own country, that she had *two* marriages called off before this, and that even when her sickly mother was alive, her father, recognizing her economic talent but being unable to properly express love, gave her hellish training that made her think he hated her. She tells Cecilio flat out that when she got to his estate and the staff abused her, she was near suicidal. Fortunately, the book wants us to know that but not dwell on it. What it does want us to dwell on is Bertine empowering herself, then empowering other women around her. There isn’t even any romance in this first novel, though I’m pretty sure she’s gonna end up with Cecilio by the second (he’s nicer than his staff). It’s just Bertine being badass. Oh, and the Candy Ma’am pun is hilarious, well done translator.

I had an absolute ball reading this. Is Bertine too perfect? Damn straight.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Vol. 18

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By Dojyomaru and Fuyuyuki. Released in Japan as “Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

The Realist Hero books have struggled since the start with having to deal with two types of audiences. The first one has been well-served by all of the Machiavelli stuff, the political worldbuilding and military strategy, and they’re really looking forward to the upcoming major war against Fuuga Haan. And then there’s the regular old light novel audience, who are delighted with Souma having eight wives and seemingly everyone in the entire cast of well over 200 people all having weddings. It can be hard to reconcile the first and second groups, especially since the second group does not really want the logical outcome of a war, which is that many named characters who are married with children will die. In an effort to compromise, this book mostly tries to avoid the war, but does feature two minor characters tragically sacrificing themselves. It’s OK, they’re old men and also single. The marriages are safe.

After all the conflicts of the previous books, along with reluctant alliances, there’s no putting it off any longer: Fuuga wants to conquer the world, and Souma is the one standing in his way, so war it is, despite Yuriga’s best attempts to convince him. Of course, Souma is not going to simply roll out there with troops for an old fashioned Mongol Horde battle. He has schemes. Schemes that involve people like that old guy who warned them about the monster from the sea over a dozen books ago, or utilizing Trill and her bonkers impractical ideas that are nevertheless a bit more practical now that it’s a war. Or breaking the faith of the holy church through the power of evangelical broadcasting. That said… can he actually sacrifice people he cares about?

The book is, for the most part, a tense military thriller, where the question is “what’s the big plan that Souma is getting together?”. It’s supposedly something that would stop the reason for the war existing in the first place, or at least stop those following Fuuga. The answer proves to be pretty clever, and utilizes everything we’ve seen in the last couple of books, as well as the initial conflict that Souma was first isekai’d in order to solve. I ha to laugh when I saw Juno and company at the climax – I knew the adventuring party had to be part of the big final battle, but they weren’t in any of the war parties, and honestly don’t seem like the type, so they had to be part of Souma’s solution. He’s hearts-and-minding Fuuga’s army, and it works really well.

How well we’ll have to wait and see. But at least we have an end volume now – the author says 20 will be the last. I’m sure he can marry off one or two more single people by then, and probably not kill off anyone that would make us sad.

Manga the Week of 12/13/23

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SEAN: It’s a bit early, but this is Yen Press week, because of the holidays. That said, they’re at the end this time around.

Two print books from Airship: Disciple of the Lich: Or How I Was Cursed by the Gods and Dropped Into the Abyss! 6 and Free Life Fantasy Online: Immortal Princess 5.

And for early digital we see The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 7 (the final volume) and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 9.

ASH: At the very least, I still love the basic concept of The Haunted Bookstore.

SEAN: Ghost Ship has Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time 11 and World’s End Harem 16 – After World.

J-Novel Club has some print titles. We get Infinite Dendrogram 19 and the 16th and final volume of Marginal Operation.

Three digital debuts for J-Novel Club. D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared (D Genesis: Dungeon ga Dekite 3-nen) is based on the light novel J-Novel Club is already putting out. The manga runs in Comp Ace.

The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World (Arafō Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki) is about a 40-year-old guy who loves the VRMMO he’s playing… then when he beats the final boss, the boss curses him to die and be reborn as his character!

ASH: Succession planning at its finest.

SEAN: Forget Being the Villainess, I Want to Be an Adventurer! (Tensei Reijou wa Boukensha wo Kokorozasu) is also based on the light novel J-Novel Club previously released. It runs in Flos Comic.

Also from J-Novel Club: Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 12, the 2nd The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom manga, Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers 10, Full Metal Panic! Short Stories 9, the 10th How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom manga, I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m the Strongest? I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! 4, Lady Rose Just Wants to Be a Commoner! 5, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 8, the 10th The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! manga, The Magician Who Rose From Failure 6, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 14 (the final volume), and the 3rd Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon manga.

Kodansha Books has Spring Comes Riding in a Carriage, the latest in the Maiden’s Bookshelf series, based on the story by Riichi Yokomitsu.

ASH: This series is great; I’m really glad it’s being translated.

SEAN: Kodansha Manga has quite a few debuts. How I Met My Soulmate (Unmei no Hito ni Deau Hanashi) is a shoujo title from Dessert. the story of a college student looking for… well, her soulmate, it’s by the creator of Waiting for Spring.

MICHELLE: Oh! I liked Waiting for Spring.

SEAN: There’s also a new print release of the first volume of Magic Knight Rayearth. If you have not read it yet, do so. (It ran in Nakayoshi.)

ASH: Despite the number of different releases it has had, I somehow haven’t actually read it yet.

ANNA: Aww, maybe I’ll dig out my old Viz volumes.

SEAN: Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (Akujiki Reijou to Kyouketsu Koushaku – Sono Mamono, Watashi ga Oishiku Itadakimasu!) is a shoujo title from Palcy. A young woman can’t seem to find a fiance in noble society, just because she likes eating monsters and mutant plants. I mean, god forbid a girl have hobbies.

MICHELLE: Right?!

ASH: Ha! Surprisingly, she wouldn’t be the first to have this particular interest.

ANNA: Amazing!

SEAN: Also in print: Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 4.

Digitally we get The Dawn of the Witch 7 (the final volume), The Fable 21, Gang King 12, Giant Killing 40, Guilty 13 (the final volume), Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 9, That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside 3, and Those Snow White Notes 12.

Two debuts from Seven Seas, with similar sounding titles. I Married My Female Friend (Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita) is from Comic Yuri Hime, by the creator of Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon. Two women agreed to get married if they hadn’t found anyone in the next five years. They do… and maybe love comes after?

The Secret of Friendship (Tomodachi no Hanashi) is a one-shot from the author of My Love Story!!. A shy girl and a popular girl are best friends, and no guy has been able to come between them… yet. This ran in Betsuma.

MICHELLE: Ooh.

ASH: Count me intrigued!

SEAN: Seven Seas also has The Ancient Magus’ Bride 19, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 7, COLORLESS 5, Dai Dark 6, Don’t Call it Mystery 5-6, Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten 4 (the final volume), Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers 7, Marmalade Boy: Collector’s Edition 4, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Elma’s Office Lady Diary 7, Mushoku Tensei: Roxy Gets Serious 10, and The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent: The Other Saint 3.

MICHELLE: Already more Don’t Call it Mystery!

ASH: So many series in this batch I need to catch up on.

ANNA: Ack, me too!

SEAN: Square Enix gives us The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl 2 and My Isekai Life 10.

ASH: The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl is pretty cute.

ANNA: Agreed!

SEAN: SuBLime debuts Pink Heart Jam, which ran in a magazine called Mellow Kiss. A country boy comes to college and wants to see if he’s gay. He gets help figuring that out from another guy.

ASH: Makes sense, really.

SEAN: And we get the 3rd and final volume of MADK.

From Tokyopop we get Acid Town 3, The Black Cat & the Vampire 2 (the final volume), and If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die 4.

Viz Media debuts Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy (Kimetsu Gakuen!), for those who thought Attack on Titan High School was the best version of the series (i.e. me). It runs in Saikyou Jump.

There’s also Akane-Banashi 3, Call of the Night 14, Mashle: Magic and Muscles 14, One Piece Omnibus Edition 33, Pokémon: Sword & Shield 8, Yakuza Lover 11, and Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon 4.

And now it’s Yen time. Are you ready?

ASH: Not really, believe it or not.

SEAN: Starting with Yen On, Anime Bungo Stray Dogs: Novel Version is a novelization of the anime that was based on the light novels. I can’t even.

ASH: Huh.

SEAN: Blade & Bastard is a print version of the light novel released digitally by J-Novel Club, based on the old Wizardry RPG.

It’s back, despite Yen On’s prayers that Dengeki Bunko would just let them ignore the series. A Certain Magical Index NT (Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index) is finally here, and the NT stands for New Testament. World War III is over, and Touma is missing presumed dead. Now what?

And Suzume is (sigh) a Makoto Shinkai movie that he also wrote this novelization for. A young girl finds doors connecting past, present and future.

ASH: Not entirely unexpected at this point.

SEAN: Also from Yen On: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 11, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 20, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 5, Hollow Regalia 3, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too 4, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 7, Ishura 5, Magical Explorer 6, No Game No Life 12, Spy Classroom Short Story Collection 2, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 17.

In more sensible Bungo Stray Dogs news, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen (Bungou Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Juugo-sai) is a manga based on the spinoff light novel (OK, slightly more sensible), and runs in Shonen Ace.

ASH: Slightly.

SEAN: Fruits Basket: Complete Anime Natsuki Takaya Illustrations is a sort of artbook-ish manga volume, with the author’s sketches for each anime episode and commentary.

My Poison Princess Is Still Cute (Boku no Dokuhime wa Kyou mo Kawaii) runs in Big Gangan. A demon princess who spreads poison on the battlefield. A human knight who can revive from death. Why not marry them off? And what if they’re stupid cute?

ASH: Awwwww.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie 5, The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 2, The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring 5, Gabriel Dropout 13, Game of Familia 2, The Geek Ex-Hitman 3 (the final volume), Glitch 2, Hirano and Kagiura 4, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too 4, I’m Quitting Heroing 4, The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 2, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Memoria Freese 2, Love of Kill 13 (the final volume), Lust Geass 7 (the final volume), My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! —AΩ— 3, My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman 2, Overlord: The Undead King Oh! 11, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 7, Secrets of the Silent Witch 2, Shy 5, Slasher Maidens 9, So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin? 4, Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included 4, Tales of Wedding Rings 13, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 19, Touring After the Apocalypse 4, The Witches’ Marriage 2, What This World Is Made Of 3 (the final volume), and Yowamushi Pedal 24.

WALL OF TEXT! See anything there?

MICHELLE: Glitch!

ASH: A lot of words. I saw a lot of words.

ANNA: Gotta get Yowamushi Pedal for my kids.

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: The Millennial Capital

by

By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by William Varteresian.

Imagine a horse race, with a lot of impressive participants. The race starts, everyone is going flat out… except one horse who just stands there, staring, and perhaps snorting with amusement. What’s going on? Is she just going to let the other horses win? Then, when everyone else is about 3/4 of the way into the race, the remaining horse starts to run. She ends up winning by 10 furlongs. That’s sort of how this book feels for those who are wondering who Allen will end up with in this series. It’s Lydia’s world and we just live in it. There are a few scenes dedicated to the rest of the cast, but even there, the main POV character is not the titular Duke’s Daughter, but her older sister, who is also possibly the only one of the harem herd Lydia regards as a rival. Tina? There was a character poll in Japan. Tina came in 6th. No prizes for guessing who won, and it wasn’t close.

(I want you to look at the cover to Volume 6, and then look at this volume. They’re the same character.)

After the events of the last book, Allen and Lydia (and Atra) have gone on the run to the City of Water, in the middle of the Southern Alliance that is currently at war with Lydia’s family. They check into a hotel under an an assumed name, and, Lydia ensures, as a married couple. What follows is about half a volume of the sweetest gloop you could possibly want. Sadly, the plot has to kick in sometime. The Doge is trying to broker for peace, especially after he and Allen have a secret discussion at a fantastic cafe, but one of the countries is being particularly difficult… because, of course, their reins are being held by the Church. The younger brother of the City’s Don has the Church trying to kidnap him for nefarious reasons. And there’s a mysterious woman who is, according to Atra, a “scary, sad fiend”. Which is true, especially the scary part.

I hate gushing (that’s a lie, I love gushing), but this book is a massive reward for Lydia fans who have been waiting for her to spend an extended period with Allen since the first volume. She’s at her most self-confident here, having Allen pamper her, declare that he will never hate her, and connecting their mana together, something she’s longed for for years, even if it’s just temporary. Even the climax of the book, which technically has Allen and Lydia fight against a powerful enemy and lose, is triumphant. As for the others? Well, Stella’s still having mana leakage issues, and I’m sure she’ll get a book of her own later. And, um… Felicia and Lily’s breasts are big? Yeah, I may love this series, but it’s still what it is, so of course there’s a “small-breasted girls vs. large-breasted girls” argument. All of them miss the point, as Allen is not the sort to pick a partner based on looks. Honestly, Allen is not the sort to pick a partner, period. Lydia’s working on that.

This looks like a multi-volume arc, and I’m sure the girls will intrude on Allen and Lydia’s love-love honeymoon in the next book. Till then, though, please enjoy a victory lap from the angriest redhead around. (OK,. the angriest redhead in this series, at least. Sorry, Lina.)