Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Features & Reviews

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 19

by

By Fuminori Teshima and COMTA. Released in Japan as “Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga, Dou Medereba Ii?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

Despite the cover art, which is meant to match with the previous volume, there is very little romance in this book, and there’s nothing resembling a wedding. Instead, for the most part, we get a half a book of talking and posturing, and then a half a book of a big shonen fight scene. We all know how much I love reviewing big shonen fight scenes. Did you know that these two really powerful characters fight, and for a while it looks like one is going to easily win, but then the other one pulls out some great moves and so it looks like he is going to win, but then the first guy says “I have told you before that all sorcery is useless against me!” and turns the tables again… etcetcetc. On the bright side, I definitely think we’re getting near the end of the series, as this volume ends very badly for our protagonists.

After letting the bad guys stew for a week or so while Zagan and Nephy admire their engagement rings, they finally go to meet with Marchiosas for the first meeting of all the Archdemons in a long, long time. While there, Marchiosas explains why he’s called the meeting: the entire world is going to be destroyed in about a year’s time, because Alshiera’s barrier is finally breaking down. They throw around ideas to try to fix things, but there really aren’t any good ones. After this goes on for a while, Marchiosas boots out Zagan and half the cast and talks to the most important one there, Furcas, who is the only one who actually CAN save the world. Unfortunately, Marchiosas and Furcas are talking at cross-purposes, because Marchiosas wants to save the world by rescuing Alshiera… and replacing her with Lilith, who will become the new living battery. Furcas does not find this an attractive offer.

So yeah, there’s a LITTLE bit of romance here, and it revolves around the only love triangle in this series. Selphy has been fighting a losing battle from the start, as the only gay character in a series that pairs everyone very heterosexually. She knows that Furcas is madly in love with Lilith. She also knows that Lilith, once she actually figures this out and examines her own feelings, will likely return those feelings. So she hates Furcas… but also knows he’s a good person, so is forced, here at the big penultimate battle, to use an “I want my beloved to be happy” move that leaves her half-dead. Good news, though, she’s far from alone. By the end of this book, Furcas, Zagan, Nephy, Foll, and several other people are heavily wounded, and Zagan is actually in a coma. Oh, and one of our heroines is also kidnapped. Basically, it’s a darkest before the dawn moment.

When is the dawn? Well, Book 20 is due out in Japan next month, so it will probably be a while. Fans of the series, especially if they like cool battles with magic powers and punching things, will enjoy this.

An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 10

by

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.

With apologies to Dorothy Parker. At one point in this volume, Yoshin and Nanami are scuba diving in Hawaii, and as they are about to surface, a school of dolphins goes by next to them. And they see two dolphins who seem to be together, and who Nanami watches closely, and as she waves at the dolphins… they seem to be crying. And it is that point, my darlings, that makes the first place in the tenth volume of An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups at which Tonstant Weader fwowed up. I realize that the entire PURPOSE of this series is to deliver overly cute, couple-y scenes that make the reader go “awwwwwww” and make everyone around this googly-eyed couple sick. But I fear that we have perhaps reached a bit too far when the scene near the end where they exchange promise rings and pretend to get married is, somehow less sugary sweet than this scene.

At last, we are on the long-rumored class trip volume, and it is in Hawaii, on the main island. Yoshin and Nanami have been told by their parents to use this trip to get even closer to each other, and have been told by their teachers that they’d better watch themselves because, as everyone seems to know (including them), the moment that these two give in and kiss with tongue they won’t be able to stop and she will get pregnant. Fortunately, there are other really adorable couple things to do, like a nighttime sneak to the hotel pool, the aforementioned scuba diving, a trip to the beach to show off new swimsuits, and a shopping trip to purchase rings that leads to the oldest church in Hawaii (yes, the author very clearly wrote this based on their own trip), where they exchange vows, to the amusement of the elderly priest who catches them in the act. But do they get any closer? Do they finally do it?

Of course not. This is not the final volume, after all. But they do have a bath together, and she does accidentally see him naked in the shower. And they sleep in the same bed two days in a row. That will have to do for these dorks. There’s also a lot more of the other token male classmate in this series, Hatsumi, who is a mild, friendlier version of the “horndog friend of the protagonist” we get in romcoms like this. We also get the beta couple of this series, Teshikaga and Shirishizu, wop become a couple on this trip, and (it is implied) have already gone further than our main couple. Let’s be honest, Yoshin and Nanami are both essentially perfect in every way, so we have to accept the fact that she can’t even let Yoshin touch her boobs without having an aneurysm and calling the whole thing off. C’est la vie.

Next up seems to be Christmas, with the obligatory sexy Santa cover outfit. Till then, recommended for everyone who likes sweeter than pie romcoms.

Bookshelf Briefs 6/3/25

by and Leave a Comment

Detectives These Days Are Crazy!, Vol. 1 | By Masakuni Igarashi | One Peace Books – Back in the day, Keiichiro Nagumo was a renowned teen supersleuth. Unfortunately for him, his past successes didn’t follow him into his middle age, very few people remember who he is, and making ends meet is a struggle. Enter Mashiro, a high school girl who, seemingly out of nowhere, is determined to become his assistant whether he likes it or not. Although this doesn’t really help much with his finances, it does help him solve a case or two. Mashiro’s approach to life is incredibly chaotic and over-the-top, but she does prove to be surprisingly capable. I actually went into the series expecting it to be a little more serious than it turned out to be; Detectives These Days Are Crazy! is an unquestionably comedic work with running gags, ridiculous characters, and just enough plot to hold it all together. Realistic? Absolutely not. Amusingly absurd? Generally so. It’s silly fun. – Ash Brown

Kase-san and Yamada, Vol. 4 | By Hiromi Takashima | Seven Seas – There’s two main plots in this volume—or, rather, one plot which leads to the other. Kase and Yamada decide they’re going to move in together, and go looking for the perfect apartment. (Coincidentally, they eventually find it next to Yamada’s best friend, as this cast is small.) Unfortunately, this really upsets Kase’s roommate Fukami, who is in love with her but repressed about it, and thinks Kase is moving in with her boyfriend. This ends up turning into a big event, whose outcome is never in doubt, but which at least allows that romantic side street to be permanently closed off. Also, as has been the case ever since they moved magazines, these two are far more innocent than they were, sex-wise. But this is still adorable. – Sean Gaffney

Merry Witches’ Life: The Three Widows of Berlebagille, Vol. 1 | By Menota | Tokyopop – Although she’s a witch, Eliza has never been very good at the craft, ultimately leaving her secluded community of magic users to live among humans. But when her beloved (non-witch) husband Clive passes away and she meets another recent widow, she decides to return to her magical studies in an effort to become powerful enough to bring their husbands and the husband of another close friend back to life. While the underlying premise is rather morose and the series legitimately explores grief and sadness, overall Menota prioritizes gentle humor and the quirkiness of the characters. The appeal of the manga is found in its kindness and charm, the silly little details in the world- and character-building that prevent the series from becoming too bleak even when earnestly dealing with serious matters. It isn’t without drama and bittersweetness, but I don’t doubt that everything will turn out okay in the end. – Ash Brown

Rainbows After Storms, Vol. 3 | By Luka Kobachi | Viz Media – Nanoha and Chidori… are dating. But… they’re keeping it a secret from everyone. Yes, the tag line that would not die is present all throughout this third volume, which shows, at least in the case of Nanoha’s younger sister, how bad they are at actually hiding it from anyone who’s really watching. Honestly, I suspect their other three friends have figured things out as well, and were just trying to be polite. The back half of this book is a sleepover of the group of five girls, and it leans into the main reason to read this series, which is cute, cute, cute. We get Chidori with glasses (cute!), a karaoke session (cute!), etc. That said, if this tagline lasts the entire series, I may be ready to leap out a window by the end of it. – Sean Gaffney

Tamaki and Amane | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Yen Press – I had not actually realized this was a short story book. That said, it’s a linked short story book—each story focuses on the relationship between someone named Tamaki and someone named Amane. A married couple worry after the mother catches her daughter kissing another girl, and the husband thinks about (but doesn’t say out loud) about his own gay attraction in high school. The other stories are in different time periods, and some are more tragic than others, but all of them tend towards frustration and melancholy. Which is not surprising, as Yoshinaga is very, very good at this sort of thing—I was tearing up a couple of times while reading this. If you love the author it’s a must-buy, but it’s also good for LGBT fans or those who just like well-written drama. – Sean Gaffney

365 Days to the Wedding, Vol. 7 | By Tamiki Wakaki | Seven Seas Rika and Takuya are ready to get down and dirty, and you know what that means… arm touching. Yup, Rika’s still not remotely ready for anything further, and fortunately, the text insists that’s fine, even if the reader may be getting a little exasperated by now. The bulk of this book is taken up with visiting Takuya’s parents. (Rika’s mother is avoiding her, and this is clearly going to be a drama bomb in a later book.) There, we find that they’ve accepted Rika, but that things are not going very well at home—his grandmother has gotten to the point where she cannot run her farm any more, and so Takuya is asked to move home, as his dad has to take over the farm. What will this mean for his relationship with Rika… and will he even be able to bring it up with her? Cute. – Sean Gaffney

Virgin Marriage: A Maiden’s Voyage into Passion’s Embrace, Vol. 1 | By Chizu Aoi | Steamship – A couple have an arranged meeting and bond over the fact that they’re both nerds with specialized obsessions. They’re soon married, but a year after they wed they still haven’t had anything approaching sex, and both are starting to get frustrated. This first volume is about them trying to communicate this with each other, figure out what makes the other person feel good, and how far they can take things before they need to back away. There is a lot of nudity and sexual explicitness, but they’re definitely starting slowly, not helped by her getting a part-time job with a coworker who doesn’t know she’s married and shows interest. If you enjoy shoujo manga about two shy nerds but wish there was more … manual manipulation, this is for you. – Sean Gaffney

Wash It All Away, Vol. 1 | By Mitsuru Hattori | Square Enix Manga – This story, about a young woman who has lost most of her memories running a laundry service in a seaside town, feels like it is written almost entirely for those who want long, lingering looks at the heroine. Throughout the book, she makes… not sexy poses per se, but poses that show off to the reader how attractive and compelling she is. Honestly, at times it distracts me from the rest of the book, which is a fairly standard “girl is a breath of fresh air to all the townspeople who interact with her” title. There’s a brief hint that we may eventually find out what happened to her—she has a flashback to a far more depressed and run-down version of herself on a roof—but for the most part this is content to run on vibes. It’s OK. – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to Olivia’s Magic Jewelers, Vol. 1

by

By Rinrin Yuki and Suzaku. Released in Japan as “Olivia Maseki Houshokuten e Youkoso: Ka to Mise wo Oida Sareta no de, Outou ni Mise wo Kamaetara, Naze ka Moto Konyakusha to Gimai no Kekkonshiki ni Dero to Iwaremashita” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Jordan Taylor.

The trouble with having so many light novels is that you cannot possibly read everything. This goes double for light novels written for women, because it used to be we never had those. The villainess craze may be annoying people as much as the isekai craze these days, but it has brought to English translation a solid number of series for young women. But you can’t read everything. And thus you have series like this one, which is a good book. Likable protagonist, the traditional evil stepparents and stepsisters are, for the moment, given short shrift, and the romantic lead is attractive and clearly likes Olivia, though I wish he’d tell her who he really is. The main trouble is – why should you read this when you can just read Dahlia in Bloom instead?

When we first meet Olivia’s she’s having a very bad year. Her parents died, and her father’s brother, who took her in, seems to be evil. her fiance started to be less interested in her and more interested in her stepsister. And now she’s being accused of stealing her stepsister’s designs, and thrown out of the house. She then remembers a letter her late father gave her, which turns out to say that if she’s ever in trouble, go to the capital and look up his old friend Gordon. So, after a brief cranky run-in with a nice young man who called her the wrong thing, she ends up at the capital… where the same nice young man directs her lost self to Gordon, who turns out to run a magic artifact shop. Which is good, as it turns out that’s what Olivia is brilliant at.

This is what I call a 4/4 book. Not meaning four points out of four, but rather that it’s in 4/4 time and every plot beat hits on the beat, with no variation. It’s a pure Cinderella story, with Olivia meeting a handsome young man who becomes her friend (and is clearly far more powerful than she knows), exchanging her evil stepmother and stepsister for a parental boss, impressed co-workers, and an older sister type who makes sure that she doesn’t overdo it… well, no, nothing can stop Olivia from overdoing it. Even in books where they’re NOT reincarnated after working to death in Japan (which this one is – no Japan whatsoever), our heroine is trying to impress dead parents, her mentor, and the entire world, which still apparently thinks she’s a thief. (It turns out no one who knows Olivia at all believes this, but that doesn’t really matter when it’s a rumor.) Basically, even if she’s perfect she can never quite match the perfection in her head, so she tends to run on insecurity, despite literally winning a legendary award that will revolutionize the industry by page 140 or so.

This has at least one more volume,l which promises (ugh) more of her evil stepparents and stepsister. It’s good. I liked it. But you don’t have to read it unless you read literally everything.

Welcome to Monstrous Miss Sophie’s Enchanted Salon of Healing, Vol. 1

by

By Sachi Konzome and Harenochihareta. Released in Japan as “Bakemono Jou Sophie no Salon: Gokigenyou. Kawa Ichimai nara Naosemasu wa” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Dawson Chen.

There have been any number of series about healers in the light novel world, and there is a powerful one in this book as a supporting character. But the reason this book works so well is that Sophie’s healing, the thing that causes her to set up her business, is relatively weak. She can only heal skin deep problems. But skin deep problems are an issue for so many people, and one that is not easily solved, especially in this “magic fantasy” style world. Scars can prevent marriages, can harm familiar relations, can affect someone’s job. And Sophie is someone who can deeply understand that – not just because of her own skin condition, but (yes, surprise, surprise) of her past from Japan, where her daughter suffered from a similar condition. The dignity of everyday life, the little joys of fashion and being attractive, or even just the desire to get the hell away from an abusive stepfamily – all those can be affected by scars.

Mariko is a young woman who had a very rough life. She married young and had a child young, and then her husband died. Her daughter had a skin condition, and was bullied throughout her school life. And then, when her daughter has finally found a career and gotten married, Mariko suffers a fatal stroke. She wakes up as Sophie Olzon, a 17-year-old young woman who has apparently just “fallen” out of her bedroom window, fortunately escaping death. Sophie has a skin condition (which the novel’s illustrations really try to avoid showing more than once, preferring to have her veiled face just look slightly dark) where the skin all over her body is covered in boils, sores and pus. Also, her magic is weak. She had fallen in love and gotten engaged… only to find that her fiance loved someone else and was being bought off by her well-meaning father. So she threw herself out her window. However, now she has 57-year-ol Mariko’s memories as well, and so knows exactly how to cope with this – helping others.

This book amounts to a short story collection with wraparounds involving Sophie’s life. Each chapter we meet a new person, and Sophie has to hear their tragic backstory, because the more she can visualize what happened and identify with the person, the better the healing goes. We see princesses with a curse, noble ladies whose houses have been usurped by a new stepmother/sister, actresses whose arrogance got them knifed, and exotic dancers who have to deal with a baby and still try to arouse men. We even see one of Sophie’s former classmates, who was briefly sympathetic but gave in to peer pressure. That said, Sophie is the best reason to read this. Mariko’s memories do not magically make Sophie better – she spends all of this book still dealing with the crushing despair of having to spend her life like this, and at one point heals someone so much she almost dies from mana loss. Oh yes, and the guy who’s clearly meant to be her love interest does not really understand emotions. At all.

Basically, this series is an emotional roller-coaster and I was quite moved a lot of the time. Also, it ends with the second volume, so I assume things will eventually look up. Till then, please enjoy our heroine healing others because she cannot heal herself. (Also, bonus points for using a fantasy version of The Pickwick Papers to try to get her hard-headed healer friend to understand the foibles of human life.)

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 14

by

By Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. Released in Japan as “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

This fourteenth book dropped in English at the same time as the second anime season is reaching the climax of the fourth book, and it felt like a bit of a wrench to try to get my mind back into this point in the series, as we have moved far beyond the events of that (admittedly fantastic) book. After the short story volume we had last time, this one is mostly setup, though some of the setup comes directly from those short stories, so of course you cannot skip them. The ominous foreshadowing that we had in Book Four with Shisui’s warning made me worry as we seem to be getting some ominous foreshadowing in this book as well, this time of a possible smallpox outbreak. But really, a lot of this book is meant to convey how time is passing – Chou-u has now grown taller than Maomao, to her dismay. And what’s more, Verdigris House may finally have a successor. Mostly as staying in her current position is too dangerous.

As with many Apothecary Diaries books, this is divided into several interconnected story arcs. In the first, a meeting of the named clans is an excuse for Lahan to get Maomao to solve an old mystery, and for Maamei to try to get Basen engaged to Lishu. Then there’s a theft at Verdigris House, and Joka’s room has been ransacked. No prizes for guessing what they were after, and she makes a decision to step back as a courtesan and train to become the new Madam… which, as Pairin might soon be bought out by Lihaku, leaves Maomao with mixed feelings as all her big sisters are leaving her. Then we see two new medical students join the backroom staff, one of whom turns out to have a connection to the smallpox-scarred doctor who works in the pleasure district. And finally, a hunting trip which includes Maomao and Jinshi (yes, the parallels are deliberate) goes awry when it turns into an attempted revenge murder… and Tianyu, Maomao’s male counterpart, is heavily involved.

I know that the author gets comments on their webnovel site about things, but I’m not sure how closely they follow the fandom arguments and shipping. It would not surprise me if it’s pretty close. Leaving aside the slow burn Jinshi and Maomao (no, they still haven’t done it), this volume is a shipper’s paradise… and also a ship sinker’s paradise. For pro shipping, we get Basen’s family doing their level best to try to get their shy boy engaged to the girl he loves (who does not appear in this book, but I’m sure she’ll pop up again soon). We see Lihaku and Pairin are still going at it hammer and tongs, and Maomao helps us understand he not only has to save money to buy her out, he ALSO has to use money to be a regular customer of hers. We’re talking a LOT of money. And then there’s the teased Lahan’s Brother/Yao pairing we saw hinted last time, which would solve so many problems… so it’s a shame that he’s fallen head over heels for the lesbian. Just because she remembered his name. Ah well, I’m the only Yao and En’en fan out there, it seems, so no one else will care.

As always, I skipped some stuff, most notably Chue finding someone so twisted she decides to train him as her successor. Basically, this is a great volume of the series, and fans will be quite happy, unless they want Jinshi to man up, because we’re still working on that.

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 15

by

By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Jyuu Ayakura. Released in Japan as “Risou no Himo Seikatsu” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by MPT.

It’s been about a year and a half since the last volume of this series, which is not a long time compared to some other light novels. But honestly, the biggest plot in this volume hearkens back to the 12th book, which was two years ago. And I had to leaf back through my reviews, because it felt like it was even further back. I have always enjoyed that this series is about political finagling and not about Zenjirou getting his end away all the time. But the trouble with that is that there is a lot of stuff we have to remember. I’m having enough trouble staying current with Zenjirou meeting with the ice giants, I don’t need to crack open three volumes ago to remind me who that fighting young priest who can talk to the young was. Fortunately, if the church has their way, I may not need to have to remember the fighting young priest much longer.

We open with Zenjirou and Yngvi being taken to the far north via Santa’s sleigh, which functions very much like an airplane – which also means Zenjirou accidentally shows off his otherworldly knowledge to Freya’s brother a bit too much. The meeting itself is interesting, involving a loss of raw materials and the need to open a hole to another world to solve the issue – I could swear I’ve seen that plotline before. Then we go back to Capua, where Yngvi is searching for a second wife, and hopes to find her among Aura’s maids – all of whom are noblewomen, remember. The big plotline, though, is that Priest Yan has been captured by the church and is about to be executed. Normally you’d expect Aura to regard that as somebody else’s problem, but that priest has a very interesting trait that brings out the mad scientist in her…

Given that it took forever to come out, this is quite an enjoyable book. The Priest Yan subplot is one I don’t want to spoil but it’s great, with a terrific punchline, and shows off Aura’s cunning to its fullest effect. I also like the continuing attempt that she and Freya have of feeling out each other – Freya is always coming up short, as she herself says, but she, with Zenjirou’s help, comes up with a clever idea that can actually make her some money to have her lands turned into a proper port faster. And then there’s Zenjirou himself, who has a few screw-ups in this book, but for the most part the one issue he has to deal with is his compassion, and how it’s going to be tested given that they’re going to be going to war at some point… which is the reason Aura is letting all this happen in the first place.

All this and the idiot maids being more sensible than usual this time around (honestly, by now, they’re the veterans in the group – it’s just they never want to leave.) I’m not sure if it will be 18 more months till Book 16 (it’s not out in Japan), but I’ll definitely try to remember what happened when it does appear.

The Manga Review: Hark the Herald!

by Leave a Comment

Big news from Anime Herald: the popular website will launch a companion magazine in October! Site founder and editor-in-chief Samatha Ferreira noted that the inaugural issue will celebrate Anime Herald’s fifteen-year history with reprints of “eight classic articles” but will also feature nine new essays from well-known journalists and critics in the field including Lynzee Loveridge, Daryl Surat, Chiaki Mitama, Erica Friedman, Red Bard, Borealis Capps, and Lucas DeReuyter. You can pre-order a print or digital copy by clicking here; the print version will retail for $17.95, while the digital version will have a “a suggested price of $12.75.”

NEWS AND VIEWS

Party like it’s 2007! Yen Press just announced that it would be releasing a deluxe box-set edition of Fruits Basket in November. [ICv2]

Justin and Helen round up the latest manga licensing news. [The OASG]

Naina Singh posts a thoughtful analysis of how Indian characters are depicted in Toboso Yana’s long-running series Black Butler. [Anime Feminist]

Elliot and Andy discuss The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. [Screentone Club]

Helen, Kory, and Apryll dedicate their latest podcast to Kowloon Generic Romance and Neighborhood Story. [Manga in Your Ears]

On the latest Manga Machinations episode, the gang convenes a round table on Fumi Yoshigana’s Tamaki and Amane, then checks in on one of my personal faves, Irie Akie’s Go With the Clouds, North by Northwest. [Manga Machinations]

REVIEWS

Erica Friedman gives Does It Count If You Lose Your Virginity to an Android? a solid B…. Beneath the Tangles publishes a team review of Girl Crush, a new series about Japanese teenagers trying to break into the K-Pop industry… Johanna Draper Carlson checks in on some of her favorite ongoing food manga as well as some cute cat series… and Sarah just persuaded me to pick up Love in the Palm of His Hands.

New and Noteworthy

Complete, OOP, and Ongoing Series

Management of a Novice Alchemist, Vol. 5

by

By Mizuho Itsuki and fuumi. Released in Japan as “Shinmai Renkinjutsushi no Tenpo Keiei” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

This book manages to have the plot that I thought we were going to have in the last book. Actually, this book sort of wraps up all the intertangled plots from the other four, and also tells us that some things that we thought were unrelated, such as the visit from Nord last time, were actually a clever scheme. That said, most importantly, Sarasa and Iris are now married. They go into this a lot in this book, to the point where I’ve stopped finding it baffling and finally get it. There is gay marriage in this world. It’s pretty rare. But Sarasa is, frankly, such a great catch that everyone is fine with Iris marrying her, including her family. Sarasa isn’t romantically interested in Iris (I get the feeling Iris is OK with it being romantic, but she doesn’t push), but this marriage allows her to basically stay with her new “family” forever. And she also gains the cutest little sisters in the world. Who like her more than their actual sister.

Sarasa’s shop has two surprise visitors, one more so than the other. The bigger surprise is Prince Ferrick, who makes everyone nervous as they’re all sensibly concerned with accidentally saying something wrong in front of royalty. He turns out to have a huge bald spot, and wants a hair restorer that will require going into the mountains during winter to get ingredients. Following this visit, Baronet Kahku shows up, and if you’ve ever read any light novel with evil nobles, you know exactly what he’s like. He tries to bully Sarasa, which does not work at all. But it does worry her enough that she takes Lorea with her when they all go hunting for ingredients. Unfortunately, the Baron is not finished trying to get his way, and may even resort to… murder. That said, Sarasa has taken out giant monsters and kicked hellflame grizzlies, so we shouldn’t worry too much.

Not to be a broken record, but the best part of these books for me is the dissonance between Sarasa’s somewhat laid-back, deadpan narrative voice and everything else about her. She tries to insist that she’s just a cute teenage alchemist just starting out, but everything she’s ever done belies this. Indeed, this was true even before the series started. Maris, an alchemist we briefly saw a while ago, is in this book, mostly as a kind of comic relief, but she’s also there to remind us how different Sarasa is from EVERYONE else. Maris calls her a “walking exception”, and it’s a fantastic name. There’s also the dissonance between Sarasa trying to pretend that she’s a cool, uncaring alchemist who only cares about making money and the fact that whenever anything happens when her loved ones can see it, she turns pretty soft. (Bandits will remember, of course, what she’s like when she’s on her own). Sarasa gaining a family is not only the best thing to happen to Iris, but to Sarasa as well. And Kate. And Lorea. Yay for an asexual, aromantic lesbian polycule!

The next volume suggests she’s heading back into the capital, so we may see her master again. That said, I’m sure she won’t stay away long. This is a weird but fun series.

Manga the Week of 6/4/25

by , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: (insert June-related manga joke here)

ASH: (witty response)

SEAN: Airship has only one print title, Adachi and Shimamura 99.9.

ASH: I had to check, but that is indeed the correct volume number.

SEAN: And for early digital they have I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! 3 and Loner Life in Another World 12.

Fantagraphics has a 2nd volume of Search and Destroy.

ASH: Excited for this!

SEAN: J-Novel Club has one print title out next week, Reborn to Master the Blade 6.

No debuts for J-Novel Club, but we see (on the light novel side) An Archdemon’s Dilemma 19, The Boy Who Ruled the Monsters 3, The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows 6, Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived 2, An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups 10, Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain 4, and My Next Life as a Villainess 14.

And for manga we get Ascendance of a Bookworm Arc 4 Volume 3, Forget Being the Villainess, I Want to Be an Adventurer! 4, A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even 4, and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 4.

Kodansha debuts, in print, Attack on Titan 35: FLY Collector’s Box Set, a huge collection of post-series stuff and artbook stuff and everything else that fans of this series will want to wallow in.

ASH: I’m past my Attack on Titan days, but that does sound like a nice set.

SEAN: Another print debut: Roar: A Star in the Abyss (Roar: Naraku no Heroine), a josei title from Palcy. From the creator of Guilty, this is along the same lines. A girl who grew up happy on a remote island now finds herself a star, being manipulated by everyone around her. Is revenge the only answer? (Yes.)

MICHELLE: Could be interesting! Not that I have yet managed to finish Guilty…

ANNA: I haven’t even started Guilty but I enjoy revenge!

ASH: Likewise, actually.

SEAN: Also in print: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 7, Initial D Omnibus 6, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN MSD Cucuruz Doan’s Island 5 (the final volume), A Sign of Affection 11, WIND BREAKER 11, and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun 14.

MICHELLE: Yay, Iruma.

ANNA: Need to get caught up on A Sign of Affection.

SEAN: And for digital we get The Café Terrace and its Goddesses 17, Chihayafuru 50 (the final volume), Killing Line 3, Sayabito: Swords of Destiny 6, Shangri-La Frontier 21, and Those Snow White Notes 29.

MICHELLE: Okay, now I really REALLY need to read Chihayafuru.

ANNA: Wow. Me too. I think I have been digitally hoarding the first 18 volumes or so.

SEAN: Nakama Press has the first two volumes of Infini-T Force: Arc to the Future (Infini-T Force – Mirai no Byousen), which runs in Heros (yes, that’s the spelling). A girl gets a wish-granting pencil, and calls upon Gatchaman, Tekkaman, Casshern, etc. in this sentai mega-crossover.

MICHELLE: Gatchaman (or Battle of the Planets, technically) was extremely important to me becoming a manga fan, but I am still not sure I am up for this, if the *rest* of the Science Ninja Team is not present.

ANNA: I too have very fond memories of Battle of the Planets.

SEAN: One Peace Books has I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons 3.

ASH: As usual, I’m behind, but I do enjoy this series.

No debuts for Seven Seas. We see new volumes, though. Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk 12, The Dungeon of Black Company 12, I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class 2, Killer Shark in Another World 4, My Kitten is a Picky Eater 4, Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn 20, Tokyo Revengers: A Letter from Keisuke Baji 4, and A White Rose in Bloom 4.

ASH: I need to read more of A White Rose in Bloom.

SEAN: They also have two danmei or danmei-adjacent books: Legend of Exorcism: Tianbao Fuyao Lu 2 and Lout of Count’s Family 4.

Square Enix Manga debuts On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance (Kaisha to Shiseikatsu: On to Off), a josei title from Gangan Pixiv from the creator of Ottoman: Henshin Hero Husband. An androgynous young man and a glasses-wearing young woman are co-workers… but after work, he dresses as a gothic lolita, and she dons punk fashions! When they meet up… they don’t recognize each other! This looks cute.

MICHELLE: Potentially interesting!

ANNA: It does sound cute!

ASH: I’d read it without much prompting.

SEAN: Square Enix also has the 12th and final volume of The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses.

From Steamship, we see Loved by Two Fiancés 3 (the final volume) and The Villainess and the Demon Knight (manga version) 4.

Tokyopop debuts Imitation Play, a one-shot BL title that ran in from RED. A bar manager nurses a doomed crush on a guy who just broke up with his girlfriend… but is it doomed?

Wails of the Bound: Return is, well, more Walls of the Bound. ABO fans will be happy.

The Wizard: When Words Kill is a danmei novel that appears to be another in the popular “police procedural but with magic” genre that danmei enjoys.

MICHELLE: Hm.

SEAN: Tokyopop also has a 4th volume of The Margrave’s Daughter & the Enemy Prince.

Udon Entertainment has, according to retailers, Veil, a josei manga from Comic Ruelle. A policeman meets a runaway heiress, and he gets her a job. This will be in full color! Let’s see if it comes out this time!

ASH: I have hope!

SEAN: They also have a big old artbook. LOVE – Arco Wada FATE Art Works is dedicated to Fate/Extra, so if you love Nero this is for you.

Two debuts for Viz. The Bugle Call: Song of War (Sensou Kyoushitsu) is a shonen series from Jump Square. Have you ever wished the Pope could rescue you from your horrible life and tell you to lead a crack military squad? No? Probably for the best, it sounds like a bad job.

ASH: I’ll admit that I am vaguely curious about supernaturally weaponized music.

Kill Blue is a Weekly Shonen Jump title about a hardboiled assassin who is somehow turned into a teenager again? can he survive the horrors of middle school?

MICHELLE: This sounds like it could be fun!

ANNA: Yes, sounds amusing.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 2, Dandadan 13, Dr. STONE 27 (the final volume), Kaiju No. 8 13, Let’s Do It Already! 5, Marriage Toxin 7, My Hero Academia 41, One Piece 3-in-1 35, Rainbow Days 16 (the final volume), A Star Brighter than the Sun 2, and Yona of the Dawn 44.

MICHELLE: Those last two, for sure!

ANNA: Yay!!!!

ASH: Always glad for more Yona.

Yen On has a number of titles that slipped from May. We see Date a Live 14, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 8 (the final volume), The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time 8 (the final volume), I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 10, King’s Proposal 6, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 27, and The Unimplemented Overlords Have Joined the Party! 4.

Yen Press has two debuts. Desperate March for Love (Koi no Zetsubou Koushinkyoku) is a yuri one-shot from Harta. A girl asks her crush out, and she accepts!… but seems far too casual about the whole thing. Can our heroine convince her true love that this IS a true love?

The Skeleton Enchanted by the Cursed Blade: The Greatest Demon Lord, Who Conquers the Dungeon and Commands an Invincible Army (Youtou ni Miirareshi Skeleton ~Meikyuu wo Shihaishi, Muteki no Gunzei wo Hikiiru “Saikyou” no Ken Maou~) runs in Young Animal Zero, and is exactly what you’d expect a series with that title that runs in that magazine to be like. It’s also a “weak to strong” title, and filled with fanservice.

They also have Hell Is Dark with No Flowers 2.

(insert wry comment that reminds folks to buy things here)!

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ Short Story Collection, Vol. 3

by

By Tappei Nagatsuki and Makoto Fugetsu. 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.

This book starts with three more short stories that take place in that period between Arc 2 and 3, and I get the sense that the author knows that they are running out of stories that can really fit in there. The short stories in this book all appeared in Monthly Comic Alive sometime in the “Arc 3” publications, but this volume came out at the end of Arc 4, so the average Re: Zero reader, except for hardcore Rem fans, are likely really hoping to get something else in this series. Fortunately, I have good news for you. Not only does the back half of this volume move away from Roswaal’s mansion, but the next two volumes after this also move on to feature characters OTHEr than the Emilia Camp. Which is good, as the story that takes up the most space in this book is also the best one, showing off the tween years of our favorite silver-haired merchant.

This book has five short stories: 1) A famous chef with tons of rumors swirling around them is coming to the mansion… but he only serves women! To solve this problem, Natsumi Schwartz makes her glorious debut; 2) We get Petra’s POV on her life to date, attitude towards people and fashion, and that annoying new guy who’s hanging around the village; 3) We get a day in the life of Rem, which also shows us (again) how dangerous of a lightweight she is when it comes to alcohol. 4) Ten years before the series starts, we see a 12-year-old Anastasia Hoshin taking the financial world by storm… at least until she’s kidnapped by slavers; 5) a little while before the main series, Priscilla hears about a village where people are vanishing, and she, Al, and Schult investigate.

Anastasia’s story is twice as long as the others, but that’s fine, as it’s the best. It does give the impression of being the third part of an ongoing series, but it shows Anastasia being clever, Ricardo being badass, and introduces us to the Cat siblings, complete with an unhinged Mimi (OK, Mimi is always unhinged). Part of it was also mentioned in one of the anime episodes. I also enjoyed the story with Petra, which helps to give her some depth before she returns in the fourth arc. The first story had a twist that was very predictable, but Subaru cross-dressing was the main feature anyway, and I suspect we have not seen the last of “her”. The weakest stories were Rem’s and Priscilla’s, which weren’t bad but just did not really add much beyond what we already knew about them.

Again, I wish we’d gotten this in the publication order in Japan, but beggars can’t be choosers. Next time we get a good look at Felt, which is desperately needed, so I look forward to that. Re: Zero fans should have a lot of fun with this.

The Reincarnator and the Goblin Maiden’s Happily Ever After: Using a Past Life to Keep a Joyful Wife, Vol. 3

by

By Shinten-Shinchi and Tokima. Released in Japan as “Goblin Reijō to Tensei Kizoku ga Shiawase ni Naru Made: Konyakusha no Tame no Zense Chishiki no Jōzu na Tsukaikata” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Geirrlon Dunn.

I am noticing that a lot of these light novel romances, particularly in the “J-Novel Heart” line, tend to wrap up in three volumes. It seems like a natural ending point, and I’ve grown very used to seeing the classic “couple in wedding gear” cover on that third book. We don’t get that here, because Gino and Ana are already married (instead you get one of their few moments of downtime in the book), but I am pleased that the author has realized this is the time to stop. Mostly, it needs to stop before it becomes a shonen manga. As Gino reveals more of his true abilities, and Ana learns just how powerful her magic really is, they are forced to go up against the king, and also go to war with another country. The book ends with Ana being named a literal saint. Where does one go from there? Best to wrap it up.

Gino and Ana have been gifted new territory… which just had the most important people leave it. Yup, he’s being set up to fail again, so that they can justify having him divorce Ana and getting her properly married to a prince. This is the danger of curing your wife’s condition and showing off the beauty she always had. Fortunately, they’re both very clever and are able to get the territory running smoothly. And then the king is, supposedly, tragically killed on a coach journey. And the queen and crown prince are, tragically, also supposedly dead. Which means the first prince is now the king. He’s already sent assassins to try to kill Gino, that didn’t work. Now he’s going to send Gino to fight in a pointless war. Does this happy couple ever get to relax?

As with so many other romance novels, the unstated message here is “communicate with your spouse!”. Despite growing increasingly more powerful and confident, the pair are still beset by doubts constantly, and therapy can only do so much. Ana, in particular, has PTSD from Gino dumping her in the last book, and is convinced it will happen again if she ever disobeys him. This despite the fact that she was the top military strategist in their school, and also has enough magic power to reduce a battlefield to molten lava. Fortunately, they both get over it by the end of the book. I also liked the subplot with Lady Francess, which reminds people that, as much fun as it’s been seeing Ana’s mother be the power behind everything in the country, sometimes women want to actually run things. I’m not sure that I buy not executing her with the rest of her family, but hey. I also appreciated, once again, the crown prince becoming a better person through the power of therapy. More therapy in light novels!

All this and references to Sailor Moon, Naruto, Jesus, Buddha, and magical stuffed animal bodyguards that will make readers think of Bookworm. This was a solid series, I’m happy to have read it.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Vol. 1

by

By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Hannelore no Kizokuin Gonensei” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

I’ll be honest, I was a bit worried about this title. I have mentioned before that I get very uncomfortable about books where the key feature is “let’s embarrass the main character”, and Hannelore seems to run on that half the time. I was expecting to be cringing a lot. And, well, I wasn’t wrong, to a degree. Especially in the first half, it can be difficult to watch Hannelore attempt to be the waif-ish romantic heroine in a duchy filled with meatheads who only care about fighting. That said, given that we’re getting Hannelore’s POV for an extended period, we get to see a far deeper side of her here, and we discover that she’s not really as far away from the Dunkenfelger default as she pretends to be. We especially see this in the second half of the book, where things go completely bananas and Hannelore shows that it’s not just Rozemyne that can accidentally derail an entire country.

Hannelore shows up for her penultimate year at the academy with a few new complications in her life. After the disaster with the bride-stealing ditter, she has been assigned two fiances from within the Duchy – Rasantark, a typical hot-headed, not-so-bright knight guy, and Kenntrips, a milder, smarter sort. Both grew up with Hannelore and both are in love with her, something that she only finds out as this book goes on. This is to avoid her being snatched away by Sigiswald, who’s an Aub now but still appalling, and still thinks he deserves whatever he wants. Oh yes, and Ortwin, of Drewanchel, *also* proposes to her. The trouble is that none of this surfeit of fiances is who she wants – she’s still carrying a torch for Wilfried. So she decides now is the time to make her feelings clear… and things get weird.

I don’t want to spoil too much about the last half of the book, which comes as a genuine surprise. I will say that it seems to put a nail into the coffin of Hannelore and Wilfried. We see what his future is expected to be, and we also see him trying to convey to Hannelore without actually saying anything that his reputation is actually FAR worse than is publicly known. He indicates that if had been a year earlier he might have said yes… but the Wilfried of a year earlier was far more bratty, immature and impulsive, and that would just be a bigger disaster. The other great thing about this book is Hannelore’s character development, as she’s made to see, over and over again, how her tendency to play all her cards close to her chest and not give away what she’s feeling just makes everyone around her uncomfortable and distrusting, especially after the ditter last year. By the end of the book she’s grown and learned how to lead better… and she’ll need it, as the cliffhanger of the book is (I’m paraphrasing) “My lady, you are fucked.”

The second volume of this sequel (it’s a full sequel, Rozemyne is here but in support – and she’s also clearly the best person to marry Hannelore, except she has Ferdinand and, as far as I can tell, gay people don’t exist in this universe) has just been announced for this August, so it’ll be a year till we see it. I expect the third short story collection will be next. Bookworm fans should love this.

The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods, Vol. 1

by

By Yanagi and Yoh Hihara. Released in Japan as “Mori no Hashikko no Chibi Majo-san” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Nathan Macklem.

This is an excellent book, which tends to wander around genres, but about a third of the way through I reasoned that it’s a disgraced noble book in disguise. Which the first half almost is, but then once she sets off on her journey to another country that has requested her (also very disgraced noble), it suddenly becomes a slow life feel good sort of book. At its heart is Misha, who is the tiny witch on the cover, and her journey from innocent child to grieving, stricken child (it’s not a spoiler, one of the chapter titles is literally “Sudden Tragedy”) and gradually trying to come to terms with that grief and live on. That said, all of that has to war with the insatiable curiosity that permates everything Misha does, which makes her a great apothecary, but like so many other fictional heroines also makes her prone to stumbling on the mystery of the week, which is the genre this eventually settles on.

Misha is a young girl who lives, as the title might suspect, deep in the woods, where she learns medicine from her mother, who is from a people who specialize in medicine. Her father visits every month or so, and they seem happy, till after a couple of months of no visiting it turns out her father was in a war and is on the verge of death… and is also a duke. So her mother takes Misha and rushes to the castle (where, years earlier, her mother had been severely injured by the duke’s wife) to try to save his life. She does this, but, alas, the wife is still around, so you can probably guess what happens. Worst of all, now that Misha is here she’s bound to get involved in… sigh… politics. Fortunately, she’s not only a terrific apothecary but has the ability to charm anyone who spends more than ten seconds around her.

This is a fantasy, sort of. Misha’s mother comes from a people who really, really made me think of elves but are not actually elves. Late in the book there’s also a dragon god, who acts exactly like you’d expect a dragon god to act in a light novel written for women. But it’s also grounded in the reality of Misha’s entire life being upended and her never really being allowed to stand still. She leaves the woods via horse (she’s never been on one before), has to treat all the wounded soldiers (she has very little hands-on experience), and then she’s sent as a student (she avoids concubine when people figure out who her relatives are) to another country, where she comes across attempted murders, attempted sacrifices, and wolf puppies who she heals through the power of goodness and niceness. No, really, it’s hinted that she literally has some sort of magical calm healing powers. The reason this works is that Misha is written terrifically, never getting too cloying, and remembering the grief that she’s still processing all book.

So, to sum up: this is a winner, and you should go get it.

The Manga Review: Robot Cat from the Future

by Leave a Comment

When Toei Animation released its 2025 Business Outlook Report last week, fans immediately began translating the document. Twitter user @Venixys reported that Toei was planning to expand it use generative AI tools in several ways including “storyboard creation,” “coloring,” and “background creation” from photographs. While using AI to perform these kind of detail-oriented, labor-intensive tasks could streamline production, it most likely comes with a human cost, as this work has traditionally been performed by teams of animators. In her coverage of the story, CBR’s Renee Senzatimore noted that Toei and Kodansha had both invested in Preferred Networks, Inc., a startup firm in the generative AI field.

One additional note: if you’re headed to San Francisco this fall, be sure to check out the de Young Museum’s Art of Manga exhibition, which opens on September 27th and runs through January 25, 2026. You can save $5.00 per ticket by pre-ordering them and using the code KODANSHA when checking out. (The fine print: the offer is “valid online only for adult and senior tickets to see Art of Manga from September 27 though October 25, 2025, subject to availability. This offer expires at 11:59pm (PT) on July 1, 2025.”) I’m sorry I don’t have a reason to be in San Francisco this fall, as the show looks great. How could it not be when Deb Aoki and Shaenon Garrity are on the advisory committee?

NEWS ROUND-UP

In international publishing news, Kadakowa recently announced that it has acquired a 70% ownership stake in Edizioni BD, the largest Italian publisher of manga. As part of the deal, Edizioni BD will become a subsidiary of Kadakowa at a time when the Italian manga market is booming.  [Animeconomics]

ICv2 is offering readers a sneak peak at Infini-T Force, a forthcoming series about a high school student who has the power to summon Gatchaman when she’s in a bind. Hilarity ensues (or so I’m guessing from the jokey tone of the press release). [ICv2]

To mark its tenth anniversary, Shonen Jump+ has commissioned anime adaptations of series that ran on the platform. Matt Schely has the details. [Otaku USA]

ICYMI: Brigid Alverson investigates “the ongoing saga of the Diamond bankruptcy,” walking readers through mountains of legal documents to explain why this messy situation isn’t fully resolved. [The Comics Journal]

Your feel-good story of the week: the residents of Takaikamishima—population 11—decided to open a manga academy to put the island back on the map. The school is open in the summer, and caters to tweens and teens. [The Asahi Shimbun]

ESSAYS AND PODCASTS

If Helen Chazan’s writing hasn’t been on your radar, now is an excellent time to get acquainted with her work. TCJ just published her essay on Hunter x Hunter in which she characterizes Yoshihiru Togashi’s series as the “shōnen manga of a free man, every page crackling with hard-earned creative agency.” She elaborates: “The generic springboard of the Shōnen Jump manga premise is an opening for Togashi to draw whatever he pleases, in any style, setting or tone he wishes to explore.” I’ve never been particularly interested in Hunter x Hunter, but she’s persuaded me to give it a second chance. Go, read! [The Comics Journal]

David and Jordan debate the merits of Rash!!, a short-lived series set in a prison infirmary. [Shonen Flop]

The Manga Machinations team has a full plate this week, with Look Back, The Legend of Kamui, and Silver Mountain on the menu. [Manga Machinations]

Gee and Ray dedicate their latest podcast to romantasy, focusing on Dawn of the Arcana and The King’s Beast. [Read Right to Left]

Should you read War of the Adults? Rob offers his two cents as a parent and manga fan. [Dad Needs to Talk]

Petter and James tackle volume twenty-two of To Your Eternity. [Umami Manga]

ICYMI: Xan revisits Kingyo Used Books, which documents the manga-reading habits of the store’s clientele. [Spiraken Manga Review]

And speaking of old school titles, Kory, Helen, and Apryll jump in the WABAC Machine for a look at The Legend of Chun Hyang, an early CLAMP classic  [Manga in Your Ears]

Over at The Outerhaven, Richard Heaton explains why Dungeon Friends Forever is begging for an anime adaptation. [The Outerhaven]

Jocelyne Allen—another writer you should be following—sings the praises of Crystal Dragon, an epic shojo fantasy steeped in Celtic folklore. “While pretty much every panel is a work of art,” Allen notes, creator Ashibe Yuho “pulls off some truly glorious moments of visual storytelling.” Don’t hold your breath for the license, however; the series has been unfolding in fits and starts for forty years and still isn’t finished. [Brain vs. Book]

REVIEWS

Kirkus Reviews gives solid marks to Eike Exner’s forthcoming Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics, which will be released in August… Kathryn Hemmann reviews She and Her Cat, an anthology of short stories inspired by Makoto Shinkai’s short film of the same name… Rebecca Silverman recommends The 13th Footprint, a new mystery from the creator of Erased… and the latest recent installment of The Beat’s Bizarre Adventure focuses on A Drifting Life, Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, and Seduced by the Demon King: A Sensual Rebirth.

New and Noteworthy

Complete, OOP, and Ongoing Eries