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Dinners with My Darling: How the Former Monster King Ate Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 2

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By Mugi Mameta and Nagisa Hanazome. Released in Japan as “Aisanai to Iwaremashite mo – Moto Maou no Hakushaku Reijou wa Kimajime Gunjin ni Ezuke wo Sarete Shiawase ni naru” by M Novels f. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by JC.

There are times throughout this second book (and indeed the first one as well) when you can kind of feel everything about to go off the rails. Abigail is a lot, and not only does the cast have trouble trying to control her, so does the author. Perhaps we did not need quite so many scenes of her yelling ‘coitus’, especially as the writing has not quite mastered the difference between “Abigail sounds like someone who has grown up isolated and also is more monster than human a lot of the time’ and ‘Abigail sounds and acts like a 6-year-old”. Where the book does succeed, though, is the divide between genres. The rest of the cast are in a tense political thriller, and also investigating a corrupt domain that abused our main character horribly. Oh, and killer monsters are everywhere. Abigail, however, is in a cooking manga.

The first half of this book is all smiles, as Gerald and Abigail travel to the sea for fish and souvenirs, try to decide if a whole sheep or a whole cow is a better gift for someone, and finally have their first time, which is offscreen but which Abigail seems to like a whole lot, given how much she uses it as a go-to “calm my husband down” thing later. In the second half, though, they’re both forced to go visit the royal family, and deal with the fourth prince, who is in charge of the old lands that Abigail grew up in. Unfortunately, the officials sent there to take care of things have all disappeared/been murdered, so he really needs Abigail (and Gerald) to head over there to help him figure out why. What they find there is that Abigail’s blase description of her abusive life proves to be more horrifying than what they thought.

As with so many other series that are basically “everything was terrible till the start of the first book, everything is wonderful from that point on”, the best parts tend to be the jagged edges that stick out on occasion. Everyone seems to be trying to kill Abigail, be it hired bandits (who she spots running alongside their carriage) or the citizens of her former land (who try to poison her), and things get to the point where an angry dragon decides to kill every human in the area because they’re just that terrible. The best part of the book, as it’s the most horrifying, is when Abigail decides the solution is to let the dragon kill her and be reborn as a human again and get married 15 years down the road. It has to be explained to her why everyone hates this. Then again, Gerald is no better, as he doesn’t seem to understand why Abigail is upset he ran off to fight and left her behind, to the point where she had to climb to the op of a high tree to fix everything.

This is not in the top tier of Cinderella style genre books, but it’s solid. I’ll read another.

The Invisible Wallflower Marries an Upstart Aristocrat After Getting Dumped for Her Sister!, Vol. 3

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By Makino Maebaru and Murasaki Shido. Released in Japan as “Kon’yaku Haki Sareta “Kūki” na Watashi, Nariagari no Dan’na-sama ni Totsugimashita” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by piyo.

The first two volumes of this series were pretty rough, and while I knew this third one would be the finale, I also wondered if we’d have to get through a lot of pain and drama to get to the inevitable wedding photo cover art. As it turns out, not only did the book start with the wedding, but this came a lot closer to the “victory lap” I’ve talked about before than I was expecting. Oh, sure, there’s a murder attempt, a blackmail attempt, and a relatively serious resolution to the matter of Lucas’ parentage. That said, the fact that the parentage was resolved in any way other than “dead deadbeat dad” surprised me. What this mostly was was Lucas and Iris in love, and having to prove over and over they’re in love because everyone is trying to get them to back out of their relationship. Fortunately, they’ve already consummated… oh, right, they’re both innocent virginal dorks. Well, heck.

Lucas and Iris have moved up their wedding, mostly as the third prince has been sending potential fiancee towards Lucas,. trying to get him to call things off. Lucas, of course, refuses. Meanwhile, he and Iris are busy searching for his father, and decide to start by going back to the convent where his mother gave birth to him. This reveals a secret that is not exactly a shock to Lucas, Iris, or the reader – his mother was a noble, and was cast out of her family for being in love with a commoner. What’s more, this is also known to the noble family itself – who are down on their luck right now, and could really use a fresh new pawn to blackmail into doing whatever they say. As for Iris, well, that’s what murder is for. OK, it’s not ENTIRELY a victory lap here.

The outcome of the dangerous evil nobles is not exactly a surprise – in fact, it’s so little of a surprise that we never actually find out how Iris manages to get out of being murdered, she just shows up to rescue Lucas and save the day. That said, as I noted above, I was surprised that we actually had some resolution with Lucas’ long-lost father, who turns out to be hard done by but who also married too young, and the way that Lucas reacts to all of this information coming at once feels very true to life. I will note that this book definitively ends with the third volume, but it may have been a last minute decision – Things are set up so there could be more,. but then we get a quick epilogue explaining they had many children and lived happily ever after. It does have a really killer ending sentence, though, which ties up the theme of Iris’ character nicely.

These two have spent three books trying to stay married, let’s leave them to it. A fun read.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Vol. 11

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By Yuki Yaku and Fly. Released in Japan as “Jaku Chara Tomozaki-kun” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

Last time I said that this volume is the final one, which is not true anymore. That said, last time I reviewed this series it was June 2023. Yuki Yaku has been busy with the anime, as well as writing Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. But, he assures us, the 12th volume is done and will be out a few months later. Um, well, this came out in Japan in January 2024. And there’s no sign of it. But honestly, that’s fine, as this book was a jaw dropper, and I was emotionally worn out by the end of it. We’re at the finale even though this is not the final volume, and you can tell because the cast has narrowed considerably. It feels thematically relevant that everyone who ends up in the sciences classroom for third year doesn’t appear for the rest of the volume. We can’t solve this with numbers. In fact, that may be part of the problem. We need to solve it with words… which Tomozaki is good at, but “good” isn’t enough anymore.

We pick up where we left off, with Aoi seeing the family video that was made for her. Let’s just say her reaction is… viscerally bad. After we return to school, and the main cast starts their third year, Aoi is absent from school, and does not appear to be returning. It doesn’t help that she’s not in either arts OR sciences, but the “advanced” classroom, meaning she’s isolated. And so Tomozaki is forced to do things that are, well, sketchy. Namely, lurk around her house, and eventually start talking with her younger sister Haruka, who, after verifying Tomozaki is not a kidnapper or creeper, opens up to him – a bit – about her family. Eventually these meetings do drag Aoi out of the house, and she too opens up to Tomozaki. Unfortunately, learning the full story of the death of her other sister does not fix everything magically.

There’s a lot of really big scenes in this book – the author excels at writing compelling set pieces to advance the story. Fuka, who is the secondary heroine of this whole series, shows off why she’s the only one besides Tomozaki who’s been able to rattle her, and Fuka’s response when Haruka explains her family is stunning – and also drives home the fact that she truly thinks like a writer. The lightest part of the book is at the live Atafami competition, with Mimimi’s novice commentary, but even that has Tomozaki realize that while he wants to be a gamer he doesn’t really have a compelling enough dream that will make him attract others. Lastly… we really had not seen much of Aoi’s mother at all, but we get a much better portrait of her here. And oh, I wish we hadn’t. There are some things you should not say to grieving children.

We came very close to ending on a MASSIVELY depressing cliffhanger, but fortunately, Fuka exists, and as always is there to pull Tomozaki up and push him forward. Though if they’re going to save Aoi, they’ll need the entire cast, not just this scaled-back version. As for when we’ll see the finale? Or if it really will be the final book? Stay tuned.

Tearmoon Empire, Vol. 15

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By Nozomu Mochitsuki and Gilse. Released in Japan as “Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Madeleine Willette.

Generally speaking, unless God is literally involved in the plot, the “how and why” of these time loop stories is rarely examined. We know why – so they can redo their life and get it right this time. And for a lot of Tearmoon Empire, that’s been the case. Even with vanishing diaries and conflicting timelines, the premise has been “Mia fixes things so she’s not executed”. But with Bel and Patty, things aren’t quite so clear cut. We can guess that Patty might have been sent back to screw up Mia’s timeline fixes, but if so that’s going pretty badly. As for Bel… is it really just to help her mature and keep Citrina happy? Or is there some deeper purpose to her presence? Is there a guiding hand in this that is not Saint Mia and her sarcastic narrator? Unfortunately, this is Bel’s problem to solve, as Mia has a whole host of new things to deal with. Which, mostly, she handles very well.

This is a “set up the next arc” volume, so there’s a bit less drama and a lot more talking. What drama there is comes from Patty, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Mia realizes that she may have left it a bit too long before she needs to tell her the truth. We also get more details about Patty’s brother, who was supposedly very ill, and also supposedly assassinated by Citrina’s family… though we discover most of those “assassinations” were “ship them overseas on a boat” instead. Once Mia returns to home base, she must deal with her clingiest friends being out of sorts about not spending time with her, and also has to win over a new princess in order to further her own plans. Unfortunately, this princess is following daddy’s orders, and while she’s savvy she’s not really that clever… except when it comes to fish.

After last volume reminded us that Sapphias exists, this volume does the same for Esmeralda, who has mostly been absent from the story since the shipwreck arc. She’s very aware of that, in fact, and has been hearing about Mia having all of these adventures – some of them dangerous, but that doesn’t matter – without her. As for Esmeralda herself… look, with Mia, we have her genuine character growth constantly undercut by the narrator, so we have to pick it out in between the snark. The narrator, however, mostly shuts up when Mia or her immediate offspring aren’t involved, though, and it allows us to see that Esmeralda has changed as much as Mia.This also means that she not only spots regrets in others – such as one of Mia’s ex-maids who is now at the Mia academy – but also in herself, as she finally gives Arshia a richly deserved apology… which, to Arshia’s credit, she doesn’t accept. More needs to be done before the bridges can be repaired. It’s also a good example of the timeline changing as we read. as the start of her arc in this book has Esmeralda an obscure, mostly forgotten figure who worked behind the scenes, while at the end she’s a famous diplomat.

I was annoyed that the fat jokes seem to have returned here, but other than that this was an excellent volume, showing Mia actually thinking things through and making clever decisions, though it’s her empathy, as always, that wins the day.

Homunculus Tears: Alchemy for the Brokenhearted

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By Inori and Aonoshimo. Released simultaneously in Japanese, English, Spanish and German by the author. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka.

(I try not to spoil too much about this book, but I do spoil the final resolution of it. Reader beware.)

This is a spring/summer that will have two works by I’m in Love with the Villainess author Inori coming out. The second, The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero, came out the traditional way in Japan via Dengeki Bunko, and is coming out the traditional way here via Yen Press. But this is a self-published work, releasing digitally on the same day in four languages, and translated by the same translator as ILTV. As such, thoughts like “experiment” and “risk” come to mind. Which may be true, but in the end, I think the most important thing is that it’s a good book with a lot to say about why we exist and what to do when someone feels they no longer want to. It’s also got a good couple at the center of it, who can be boiled down to “the grumpy one and the sunshine one”, but also contain greater depths. Best of all, I love the narrator, whose deal is my favorite part of the book.

In a dystopian world where humans are at war with the demons (and the men appear to have all been killed off – this is a yuri genre, after all), Maha is a grim but excellent soldier, who uses alchemy to wipe out the demons, though the cost of the alchemy she does is that she deliberately destroys past ties to herself, such as her memory of those who died, or of the taste of good food, in order to give equivalent exchange to power her spells. One day, her researcher mother (who has spent most of her life ignoring her daughter) reveals they have created a homunculus, who hopefully will be able to fight against the demons so that humans no longer has to. Maha has many feelings about this, most of them angry, but unfortunately, the homunculus herself, Ruri, is adorable, innocent, and really likes Maha a lot. And Maha’s grumpy, closed-off heart gradually starts to open up again.

There were a couple of minor things that made me a bit annoyed during the book – I’m not fond of the “loli that’s really x00 years old” archetype, and the relationship between Maha and Ruri starts off with “we’re like older and younger sister!”, which I’ll be honest had me saying “oh no, not again” after ILTV. But for the most part, this was a very rewarding read. The narrator is not Maha, as you’d expect, but instead… well, I don’t want to spoil too much, but someone who is both a guide for Maha and also a filthy shipper who really wants Maha to fall in love with another woman. The narrator is also deeply tied to the past of this book, which reminded me a lot of the 5th ILTV book, and I’m wondering if the author first thought of this concept while writing that. I also appreciated the fact that it managed to not only argue for the value of living, but did so without (I’ve got to spoil this) a tragic sacrifice, while I was expecting from about Page 20, and had steeled myself for. Instead everyone goes for a swim. I smiled.

The author says there may be more self-published works in this vein. Honestly, I’d like to see a different story done the same way, as I feel this wraps up very neatly in a volume and doesn’t need a sequel. Fans of the author should enjoy this a great deal.

Too Many Losing Heroines!, Vol. 4

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By Takibi Amamori and Imigimuru. Released in Japan as “Make Heroine ga Ōsugiru!” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Acro.

I feel that as this series has gone on it has very much decided to be a normal romcom with an oblivious protagonist rather than a satire/deconstruction of same, and I like it better this way. Sure, I still want to strangle Nukumizu, but that’s the point, and everyone else in the story agrees with me. Unfortunately, because this is a romcom, all the women in the series who are not otherwise seeing someone seem to be falling in love with him. Including new candidates this volume, because unlike previous ones, the plot forces him to stay involved the entire time and not try to blow everyone off. What it shows is that when he tries, he can be observant, caring, and genuinely nice… provided he’s not thinking about it. Once he does, and he gets into that “no, I’m overthinking this, there’s no way she could be interested in me that way” mode, that’s when he makes girls want to punch him.

This is one of those series where each volume has the heroine of that particular book, so as you may have guessed, this volume focuses on Shikiya, student council secretary and vaguely emotionless weirdo. That said, the book starts with Tiara Basori, the uptight vice-president of the student council, confiscating Tsukinoki’s later BL novel, which features… erm… a genderswapped student council president and Nukumizu in RPF. Naturally, she threatens to submit it to the faculty, which will definitely lead to Tsukinoki getting suspended at least, the dissolution of the literature club, and possibly Nukumizu, who’s in the book, also getting suspended. As such, there’s a new goal for Nukumizu to achieve… find a way to blackmail Tiara and get that book back! Of course, this is not an issue, because, as Shikiya says, “Tiara is easy.”

Note that easy means a romantic pushover, and not easy in the western way. She falls for Nukumizu almost immediately, it’s honestly one of the better jokes in the book at how comically fast it is. That said, she’s also the duller, more standard part of the book. The more interesting bit is with Shikiya and Tsukinoki’s fractured relationship, and how no one really wants to talk about it. Shikiya has been amusing but an enigma in the first three books, and in this one we see that her emotional difficulties are actually a major issue for her, and that she regards other people smiling – even if it turns out to be just a faked smile – as something that she can’t really do. As with every other girl in this series, if she and Nukumizu became a couple, they’d be a good one. Also like every other girl in this series, that would require Nukumizu to be self-aware, which he painfully isn’t. Right now he has a better chance of scoring with his “still walking the incest line but not going over it” younger sister.

Still, if you like romcoms with a greater emphasis on “com”, and don’t mind the fact that everyone in the cast is a failure pile in a sadness bowl, this is perfect for you.

Manga the Week of 4/30/25

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SEAN: As April becomes May, we have a week equally divided into both.

Yen has some stragglers. From Yen On we get Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 11 and Wolf & Parchment 10.

Yen Press debut To Sir, Without Love: I’m Divorcing You (Haikei Mishiranu Danna-sama, Rikonshite Itadakimasu), a manga based on a light novel that will be coming out from Yen in the summer. It runs in Flos Comic. A woman who wants a husband-free life is delighted when, immediately after her marriage, her husband goes to war. Now, eight years later, he’s coming home, and she wants a divorce. He seems less inclined.

ASH: Uh-oh.

ANNA: That doesn’t seem great for her!

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Blend-S 2, Brunhild the Dragonslayer 2, mono 2, Senpai, This Can’t Be Love! Brush Up 2 (the final volume), and The War of Greedy Witches 2.

Viz Media gives us Dragon Ball Super 23, Firefly Wedding 2, and – for digital fans – The Legend of Zelda manga will finally be available digitally. This is Vol. 1-10, which includes Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords, The Minish Cap, A Link to the Past, and The Phantom Hourglass.

ASH: Oh, nice!

SEAN: Steamship has Alpha Wolfgirl x Omega Wolfboy 3.

Square Enix Books has a big ol’ artbook, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail — The Art of Succession -Relics of Heritage-. Recommended for those who know what that title means.

ASH: I don’t, but I bet it’s pretty.

SEAN: Seven Seas has some debuts. Cat Man (Neko Ningen) is a shoujo title from Kurofune Pixiv. A humanoid cat struggles with everyone just seeing them as cute, and they don’t really want to be affectionate. This is apparently more serious than you’d expect, examining preconceptions and prejudice.

MICHELLE: Hm.

ASH: I am potentially intrigued.

SEAN: IDOL x IDOL STORY! is a new series from the creator of New Game!, and it runs in Comic Fuz. A convenience store worker was once a hopeful idol, but fell short. Then she meets an up-and-comer inspired by her story. Can she try again? Either way, there’s probably yuri subtext.

ASH: Naturally.

SEAN: Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary (Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai) is a seinen horror manga from Kurage Bunch, and has an anime coming soon. A kindergarten teacher discovers that one of her class has a secret and disturbing ability… she can punch out evil spirits!

ASH: That seems like it would be a good ability to have.

ANNA: These are perilous times.

SEAN: My New Boss is Goofy (Atarashii Joushi wa Dotennen) already had its anime air, and it runs in Manga Cross. A man changes jobs, and his previous boss was sadistic and cruel. His new boss… isn’t. This looks BL but isn’t, apparently.

MICHELLE: That cover absolutely looks BL.

ASH: It really does.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Checkmate 3, The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 4, Dai Dark 8, Dance in the Vampire Bund: Age of Scarlet Order 14, The Dangerous Convenience Store 5, Dungeon People 5, and ENNEAD 5 (in paperback and unedited hardcover).

One Peace Books debuts Detectives These Days Are Crazy! (Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara), a Dengeki Maoh series about a middle-aged detective who suddenly has a high school girl show up wanting to be his assistant.

ASH: I’d give that a try.

SEAN: Two debuts in print for Kodansha. GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis (Daikai Gaea-Tima) is a seinen title from Monthly Young Magazine, from the creator of COLOR/LESS. A monster devastates a community, with one survivor of its attack. However, a decade later it’s a tourist destination, and the survivor is selling monster souvenirs! But what happens when there’s another monster attack?

A Vampire in the Bathhouse (Sentou to Vampire) is a one-shot josei title from Zero-Sum Online. An overworked bathhouse attendant suddenly finds that an overworked vampire has started showing up! Comedy ensues.

ASH: Hooray, josei!

ANNA: Josei AND vampires? Sounds good!

SEAN: Also in print: Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Omnibus 2, Blue Lock 18, EDENS ZERO 31, and Nina the Starry Bride 9.

MICHELLE: I was thinking it was about time for another Ashita no Joe installment!

ASH: Excellent.

ANNA: What will he be able to punch this time????

SEAN: And digitally we get Parasyte Reversi 4, The Transcendent One-Sided Love of Yoshida the Catch 4, and Ya Boy Kongming! 19.

J-Novel Club has two debuts, both manga. My Fiancé Cheated, But a New Love Rings! (Konyakusha no Uwaki Genba wo Michatta no de Hajimari no Kane ga narimashita) is a manga based on a light novel out in two weeks or so, also from J-Novel Club. The manga runs in MAGCOMI. Fans of this genre will know the basics. Noble girl, doing her best as a future queen, catches the crown prince cheating on her with her younger sister. So she runs away, with the help of a guy who’s always loved her.

My Tiny Senpai (Uchi no Kaisha no Chiisai Senpai no Hanashi) is not based on a light novel, and runs in Manga Life Storia Dash. It was also made into an anime. Big shy guy. Office manga about a tiny teasing girl. Clearly they both like each other. Why aren’t they together? A question the entire office is asking. This is from the author of She’s My Knight.

For light novels, J-Novel Club has EXP Is Golden 2, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects 8, Magic Stone Gourmet 9, The Poison King 4, and Tearmoon Empire 15.

For manga, they have The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases 6, The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power 3, Rebuild World 11, A Royal Rebound 2, and Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster 6.

No debuts for Cross Infinite World, but they do have Dinners with My Darling 2, How I Became King by Eating Monsters 3, and The Invisible Wallflower Marries an Upstart Aristocrat After Getting Dumped for Her Sister! 3 (the final volume).

And no print titles for Airship, but we do see Adachi and Shimamura 99.9 (a second short story volume) and Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 12 digitally.

Has spring sprung for you yet? What titles interest you?

The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged, Vol. 4

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By Washiro Fujiki and Heiro. Released in Japan as “Eiyū to Kenja no Tensei Kon: Katsute no Kōtekishu to Konyaku Shite Saikyō Fūfu ni Narimashita” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Joey Antonio.

It is honestly getting a bit hilarious about how relaxing this series is. Generally speaking you want a series like this to have, well, tension or suspense. But with this series you get the exact opposite. At no point in the book’s 202 pages do you ever, EVER think anything will not go exactly the way our leads want. Their plan is a fait accompli as soon as they come up with it. And while you’d expect that to be a disaster, it’s the bread and butter that makes this go. The running gag in the series is that character tell Raid and Eluria to stop shamelessly flirting in front of them, but the audience wants MORE of that. The flirting is the point. The battle against alternate world goons from the past is irrelevant. Nothing a massive magical world tree can’t solve.

There’s a war coming, but Raid and Eluria have more important things to worry about, and I don’t just mean the massive pile of exposition at the start of the book, which even the two of them say needs to be dumbed down a little. No, I mean Eluria has to meet Raid’s family, including his overserious brother, his overzealous mother, and his incredibly strong and bonkers younger sister, who is basically “NOW FIGHT ME!” for about 35 pages. There’s also a reunion with the beastgirl Raid saved a thousand years ago, who is still alive, ruling a kingdom, and still in love with him. (Don’t worry, the amount of romantic drama is zero. She and Eluria get along great). Then we get the exams, which Raid knows will be interrupted by an invading army of alternate world suicide bombers who are also OK with killing innocents. Can they stop this without anyone dying? Have you forgotten what series you’re reading?

This was another one where, after reading the ending of the volume, and seeing JN-C had not put its usual “go to our site for the next volume!” blurb, I had to check to see if this was it. It’s not, there’s two more volumes out in Japan. But boy, it really feels like it could have wrapped up here. This despite the fact that it ends with an obvious lead-in to the next volume, with Raid and Eluria going to the alternate world to try to save it. But I could easily see that as an “and our adventures continued” ending, especially as it comes with a mutual confession of love. Still, I will happily read more of these two lovesick overpowered goofs, as well as their goofy friends, their beleaguered headmaster, and all the others. The next book may only have Raid and Eluria, but I know what to expect. Everyone lives, we banter a lot, and we’re very cute.

If lack of tension bothers you, avoid. But this is my catnip.

One Piece: Heroines, Vol. 1

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Created by Eiichiro Oda. Written by Jun Esaka. Illustrated by Sayaka Suwa. Released in Japan by Jump Books. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Stephen Paul.

It’s been a while since I’ve dipped my toe into reviewing One Piece, but here they are with a light novel. Like most Jump light novels, the content is light as air, and you can read it in less than an hour. That’s not to say it’s bad, though. The author apparently is an old hand at this, having written a number of Sasuke spinoffs for the Naruto light novel series. The artist seems to be more on the fashion end, but it’s a terrific style – Oda does not do anything besides the cover art, but I didn’t miss him, as these have a style all their own. As for the stories themselves, well, they’re a mixed bag, as you’d expect. Our main two heroines do better, but things lag a bit in the second half. overall, frankly, the book suffers somewhat from what the manga itself does at times – it wants to write cool, strong women, but it also can’t help but objectify them.

In the first story, Nami buys shoes that will supposedly let her run fast in heels, but they’re terrible. When she goes to return them, she finds an arrogant designer and his jaded girlfriend/assistant. Told he’ll give her proper good shoes if she models for him, Nami does so, but also tells the assistant she’s better off without this jerk. Robin’s story takes place while she’s with the revolutionaries, as she tries to help the crew eat some very bitter mushrooms and Koala to decipher a newly discovered lost script. In the third story, a young boy has fallen in love with Vivi and writes a letter to her saying this, but it blows away. Trying to catch it, Koza ends up in trouble when everyone thinks he wrote it. Lastly, Zoro and Perona are living with Mihawk, and have a nice interlude – and a lot of fighting – when three bottles of delicious wine wash up at their castle.

The series is best when it’s living up to its title. Nami and Robin may be praised by the narrative as amazingly beautiful and stunning, but they’re also cool and clever – Nami gets exactly what she wants, gets a bit of revenge that nets her money, and (a distant third) helps a woman realize her life has value without a boyfriend. Robin could do everything in her story herself, but does not, knowing that Koala is undergoing the joy of discovery and working something out for herself. I also loved her washing the dishes. The weak story is the third one. It’s supposed to be about Vivi, but she only shows up for the resolution, and is used 100% as an object of worship. Koza’s relationship with her means that he takes over the narrative – Nami and Robin fortunately lack men in their lives. Perona is shown here midway between her “I am a minor villain” debut and the “I am Zoro’s friend and ally” we see later, and hers is probably the funniest story – yes, it revolves around Zoro and Mihawk too, but she’s the POV, so it works fine. (She’s not praised as the other three are. Shame, she’s cute.)

So overall, two excellent stories, one funny and good story, and Vivi’s story being hijacked. Not a bad batting average. Next time we’ll have Hancock, Tashigi, Reiju and Uta. For One Piece fans.

From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!, Vol. 3

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By Masamune Okazaki and Hayase Jyun. Released in Japan as “Mob Dōzen no Akuyaku Reijō wa Dansō Shite Kōryaku Taishō no Za wo Nerau” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Caroline W.

I’ve said before that the least interesting part of these villainess books tends to be “who will she end up with in the end?”. Either it’s obvious from the start, such as in Villainess Level 99; it’s obvious but the creator knows it won’t be popular so is delaying it as long as possible, such as My Next Life As a Villainess; or it’s not obvious but it doesn’t really matter as who she marries is mostly irrelevant, such as this series. Honestly, at the end of this third volume, the love interest with the biggest lead is still Lilia. The webnovel version of this series does list “GL subtext” as a warning, so they know what they’re doing, but I’m not convinced that’s an endgame – Lilia here suggests seducing Elizabeth’s older brother so that she can “be in the family” and get to be around her all the time. The good news is the worldbuilding is still pretty interesting.

There’s a new transfer student in school, and he surprises everyone by declaring he’s in love with Elizabeth and asking her to marry him. Constantly. At every possible moment. This is especially surprising to Elizabeth and Lilia, as they recognize him. Prince Yoh Won Lei is from the Eastern lands, and while he is meant to be a spy, he’s not supposed to be like this. For one thing, shouldn’t he be going after the saint? Unfortunately, as the book goes on, absolutely nothing seems to put the man off, and the other random girls in the class all seem to ship it – to the point where they set up a play of Snow White with Elizabeth – in a dress – as Snow White, and Yoh as the Prince. He’s gonna go for a kiss – everyone knows this. More importantly… what’s he really after?

This book has three real highlights. The first is the play – after so many “Sorta Cinderella” bad high school plays in manga, it’s nice to see “Sorta Snow White”, and Lilia as the fourth-wall breaking narrator is a delight. The second is early on when the four male love interests corner Lilia in the student council room and try to get her to back off Elizabeth, as she was rejected. Lilia points out, correctly, that she was rejected as she actually confessed, something none of them have done. Then there’s the climax, which not only has Elizabeth coming to a dramatic (if mostly offscreen) rescue, but also has Lilia confessing that she’s figured out what’s wrong with this world – the gods, or whoever, are trying to keep the game script accurate, but she is now too powerful for it, so can alter the script. She’s not the only one – I think Elizabeth has that power as well, she just doesn’t know it. They may both need reality-breaking powers, though, as more and more people seem to have identified Elizabeth as the reason their evil plans are not working.

The author makes sympathy whining about this possibly being the final volume, but there’s at least two more in Japan. I’ll read more, though honestly, Elizabeth’s baffled density about why all these guys seem to want to hang around her may be the book’s big flaw.

Manga the Week of 4/23/25

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SEAN: It’s still April, and there’s still manga. A lot of it.

ASH: Time is really weird these days; I could have sworn April was almost over.

ANNA: Is it the longest month? I feel like April is a full year.

SEAN: Airship has three print releases: The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 10, Reincarnated Into a Game as the Hero’s Friend 4, and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 9.

And for early digital there is She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 13 and Too Many Losing Heroines! 4.

Dark Horse has the 10th volume of their Hellsing re-release.

Retailers say the legendary They Were 11! (11-nin Iru!) is out next week from Denpa Books… and Ed says it’s shipping from their warehouse, so this may be close to accurate!. A shoujo story from 1975 by Moto Hagio that ran in Betsucomi, and honestly if you did not order this when you heard the name Moto Hagio, then you should probably be reading some other weekly manga releases post. Ed also says this will be the only printing.

MICHELLE: Woo!

ASH: I’ll be watching out for my copy like a hawk.

ANNA: Yay! I’m super stoked!

SEAN: Ghost Ship has Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal in Another World 12 and a 3rd omnibus of Do You Like Big Girls?.

Inori Books, which is to say the author Inori, is releasing Homunculus Tears: Alchemy for the Brokenhearted simultaneously in Japanese, English, Spanish and German. It’s a yuri light novel from the creator of I’m in Love with the Villainess, and is about an alchemist who finds meaning in life in fighting on the front lines of the army suddenly being told that just-created homunculi can now do all that.

ASH: I have been known to enjoy Inori’s previously translated work.

SEAN: Ize Press have two debuts. Lady Devil stars a woman who is imprisoned after supposedly ripping out her husband’s heart on their wedding night. Terrified of being married off to some schlub, she makes a deal… which transforms her twin brother into a devil!

ASH: Well now, that took some unexpected turns!

SEAN: Lover Boy is about an obsessed boy who has loved the man next door since he was three, only to be constantly rebuffed. Now he’s in college, can he finally get his ludicrously obsessive feelings across?

ASH: Is this romance or horror? Or both?

SEAN: Also from Ize Press: 7FATES: CHAKHO 7 (the final volume), Beware the Villainess! 3, The Boxer 10, Itaewon Class 5, Overgeared 7, See You in My 19th Life 6, and SSS-Class Revival Hunter 3.

It’s a quiet week for J-Novel Club, but they do have a debut. Three Cheats from Three Goddesses: The Broke Baron’s Youngest Wants a Relaxing Life (Dōyara Binbō Danshaku-ke no Suekko ni Tensei Shitarashii Desu: San Megami ni Moratta Mittsu no Cheat de, Saikō no Slow Life o Mezashimasu!) is a must-have for anyone who loves the word “cheats” in a light novel title. An overworked office worker dies and is reborn as a noble… but his family is broke and there are monsters in this world! Fortunately, see title.

For light novels, they have Dimension Wave 3, The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged 4, and I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic 8. And for manga there is The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World 5.

Kaiten Books has the 4th manga volume of Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant!.

Kodansha debuts, in print, Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan (Chii-chan), which is by Shuzo Oshimi and ran in Young Magazine. It’s complete at one volume. A girl who was always obsessed with insects but had been absent recently shows up at school causing a commotion. The class “good guy” decides he’s going to save her. This is by Oshimi, so I bet that will go SWELL.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

ASH: I’m sure you’re right.

SEAN: Also in print: Ajin: Demi-Human Complete 3, Gachiakuta 6, Rent-A-Girlfriend 30, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 10, Shangri-La Frontier 16, To Your Eternity 22, and Your Lie in April Omnibus 4.

ASH: I really need to catch up with To Your Eternity! I have the books, I just need the time to read them.

SEAN: And digitally we see Drops of God: Mariage 12, Gamaran: Shura 31, and ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister! 9.

One Peace Books has an 8th volume of The Death Mage manga.

No debuts for Seven Seas. But we get Black Night Parade 6, Drugstore in Another World 10, Gravitation: Collector’s Edition 5, Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! 8, The Ideal Sponger Life 18, The Kingdoms of Ruin 10, Modern Dungeon Capture Starting with Broken Skills 4, My New Life as a Cat 9, Reincarnated as a Sword 14, Someone’s Girlfriend 3, Tiger and Dragon 3, The World’s Fastest Level Up 5, and Yes, No, or Maybe? 2.

And for Thai novels, we see KinnPorsche 3.

ASH: I still love that we’re getting Thai novels in translation.

SEAN: Square Enix has one title, a debut. Wash It All Away (Kirei ni Shite Moraemasu ka) is a seinen series from Young Gangan, by the creator of Sankarea: Undying Love. A young woman with amnesia runs a laundry service and has heartwarming moments with those around her.

ASH: Sankarea did have its moments; I might give the first volume a try.

SEAN: Steamship debuts Virgin Marriage: A Maiden Voyage into Passion’s Embrace (Shojo Kon – Kohinata Fuufu wa Shite Mitai) is a josei manga from Choco Love. A young couple in an arranged marriage are not only virgins, but completely ignorant of sex. On their first anniversary, she wants to try changing that… This is from the creator of Loved by Two Fiancés and The Yakuza and His Omega.

ASH: Depending on how it’s handled, I could actually see this being a really sweet manga.

SEAN: Two debuts for Tokyopop. Fated NOT to Meet (Unmeidakedo Ai Irenai) is a BL title that runs in from RED. A young man is extremely angry that his top salesman title has been stolen from him by the new guy. Then he meets his new online date… and guess who?

ASH: I couldn’t possibly!

SEAN: We’re Not Cut Out to Be Lovers (Oretachi wa Koibito ni Muitenai) is also BL, and also in from RED. An auto mechanic lives next to a streamer who claims to be a romance expert, and whose streams are too loud! What will shut that guy up? A kiss?

ASH: I wonder about that.

SEAN: They also have The Person I Loved Asked Me to Die in My Sister’s Stead 3.

Viz Media has a light novel debut. One Piece: Heroines is a short story collection that originally ran as part of One Piece Magazine, each dealing with a different woman from the series. The first volume has two stories with Nami, as well as Robin, Vivi, and Perona. Who is… technically not a heroine? Well, I guess she’s no longer evil, so it’s fine.

There’s also Boy’s Abyss 9, My Neighbor Totoro: The Official Cookbook, and Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance 4 (the final volume).

Hey, remember when Yen Press delayed everything last week? Let’s start with Yen On, who only has one title, Before the Tutorial Starts 2.

Fear not, Yen Press has more than one title. They debut The 31st Consort (31-banme no Okisaki-sama), a shoujo manga from Flos Comic… or B’s-Log. Not sure, it changed magazines. A woman is the 31st consort of a king, which means that she only sees him once a month… if there’s a 31st in it. Shame she’s fallen in love with him.

ASH: Whoops.

ANNA: That sounds like a predicament.

SEAN: Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary (Bocchi the Rock! Gaiden – Hiroi Kikuri no Fukazake Nikki) runs in Comic Fuz. If you read Bocchi and wished it was all about the terrible drunk, good news.

Reincarnation Coliseum,: The Weakest Skill Conquers the Strongest Women and Creates a Harem (Tensei Colosseum – Saijaku Skill de Saikyou no Onna-tachi o Kouryaku shite Dorei Harem Tsukurimasu) is from the creator of Kingdom of Z, and runs in (of course) Dragon Age. It’s about… Christ, I can’t. I just can’t.

ASH: That’s fair.

SEAN: Spy Classroom 2nd Period: Daughter Dearest (Spy Kyoushitsu Part 2: Mana Musume) is the continuation of the manga based on the light novel, and runs in my nemesis, Comic Alive.

Tamaki & Amane is a one-shot josei title from Cocohana, and it’s by Fumi Yoshinaga. That should be enough, really. This award-winning manga starts when a mother sees her daughter kissing another girl one day. She talks to her husband about it… and he admits he had a crush on a boy back in school.

MICHELLE: I gasped. I didn’t know we had new Yoshinaga coming out!

ASH: I just found out about it recently! I’ll definitely be picking this up.

ANNA: Woah!!!!

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring 2, Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra 3, Be My Worst Nightmare! 2, Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology 3, The Case Study of Vanitas 11 (there’s also a special edition with a 128-page booklet), Chained Soldier 11, Days with My Stepsister 3, The Eminence in Shadow 12, Game of Familia 6, I Picked Up This World’s Strategy Guide 2, I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me 4, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love 3, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Episode Freya 5 (the final volume), Minato’s Laundromat 5, My Oh My, Atami-kun 2, Nights with a Cat 5, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 9, Stomp, Kick, Love 2, Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad 3, The Teen Exorcist 2, The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions 6, Übel Blatt Deluxe Edition 2, and With You, Our Love Will Make It Through 2.

Woof. Tired now. What are you buying?

The BS Situation of Tougetsu Umidori, Vol. 2

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By Kaeru Ryouseirui and Natsuki Amashiro. Released in Japan as “Umidori Tougetsu no “Detarame” na Jijou” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

Generally speaking, my reviews these days tend to follow the pattern of “first paragraph discussing book, cover image, second paragraph summarizing plot, third paragraph giving good/bad/etc, epilogue”. And that’s what this will be too. That said, after reading this book I feel I have to put up a warning: I Swear I Am Not Making This Up. Because frankly, after reading the summary of this volume, I think one or two people might suspect I hated the book so much I just started making up absolute nonsense. Which isn’t true, I quite liked this book. But wow, the plot is indeed absolute nonsense… and yet, in the context of this world, it makes perfect sense. It’s true to the characters. It’s especially true to Umidori, and I have to admit, when she got that phone call asking her to guess who this was? I guessed it fairly quickly. Because this is a series that glories in being utterly unhinged. (And gay.)

Tougetsu Umidori is relatively happy, two weeks after the first book. She’s coming home from her job, telling Bullshit-chan she’ll be home soon, when she gets a mysterious call from someone who says they know her very well. Intimately, in fact. Despite the fact that they’ve never been to school or hung out together. As it turns out, we know the caller very well too. Because in the prologue for this book, we saw Umidori digging a grave in the back of her apartment complex and burying someone… and now they’re crying out to her, demanding that she dig them up. Unfortunately, at the same time, a mysterious cooking accident knocks Bullshit-chan unconscious, so she’s unable to help with the fact that the pencils that Umidori deep-fried and ate have gained sentience and can communicate with her. And love her. In fact, the love is pretty much mutual.

As I said, not making this up, and it’s not even the weirdest thing in the book. Honestly, the character of the pencils, who ends up taking the name Togari Tsukishigaoka, may be the best part of the book, wanting to help Umidori but also knowing what that help will cost her. The nature of the lies and what they can do to people’s psyches is explored further, and there is perhaps a worrying amount of co-dependency going on here, but in a series that has a girl in a love triangle with her best friend and a bunch of sentient pencils given human form, that’s probably the least of my problems. If there’s a weak part of this book it’s probably the villains, who simply are not as good as Hurt (who’s also back in this book, taking on the role of the tsukkomi/sidekick when needed). They mostly exist because we need a villain to drive the plot.

This is apparently halfway through the series, though the third volume doesn’t have a date here yet. If you’re looking for weird ass stuff with not-quite-monsters, this is right up your alley.

My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex: “There’s Only One Guy For Me”

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By Kyosuke Kamishiro and TakayaKi. Released in Japan as “Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Gierrlon Dunn.

This is a really short book, even for a series that does not generally have long volumes to begin with. It’s 142 pages. I actually found myself wondering if it was supposed to have the Isana plotline going on throughout, but the main plot got away from the author, so they simply cut it out. But then, it does make sense that you’d want to keep the focus entirely on Akatsuki and Kawanami. Their backstory was always a very spiky and uncomfortable one in an otherwise mostly mild romcom series, and a lot of the books have been trying to bring them both to a point where they can finally take a step towards each other again and have it be believable. The way that it does that is by looking even further at the issues that Kawanami has with women, and how they are, in a very real sense, PTSD. As such, it makes sense that this volume feels like the series finale of M*A*S*H at times, as his own memories may not be reliable.

Kawanami wakes up one morning in his bed, dressed only in boxers. He sees a girl leaving his room in a hurry. He also has no memory of the previous evening. At the same time, Akatsuki also wakes up in her bed, in bra and panties, and does not remember what happened the previous night. A horrible thought crosses their minds: did they, y’know, DO IT? Unfortunately for the both of them, Mizuto and Yume are out of town, off on the annual family reunion that we’ve seen in a previous book. What’s worse, Kawanami goes out for karaoke and bowling with his friends, and it becomes very clear that something happened with his good friend Makoto, who is being referred to very carefully so as not to spoil the reader. As things come to a head and he has a complete breakdown, Akatsuki grabs him and the two run away to Osaka… and a love hotel.

This series has always been very horny, and the author jokes that they may have taken things a bit too far this time with that love hotel scene. No, they don’t go all the way, but certain things are done, and both of them get a nice view of each other naked. That said, the reason this is a pretty good book is the emotional catharsis that Kawanami gets, as Akatsuki points out that he’s basically cured of his reaction to women, he just doesn’t actually realize it. The bit where Mizuto points out to him the way that he’s misremembering things made it clear that this really is very similar to PTSD, and as such it’s definitely a good thing the two stopped when they did. In any case, they’re now a couple, which means we likely have only one major arc left in this series, the “what will we do after graduation?” bit.

If you enjoy this series, this is a decent read. And short. Also, while I hesitate to mention current memes in a review, it’s really hard not to look at that cover art and not think “let’s take ibuprofen together!”.

Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Vol. 13

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By Zappon and Yasumo. Released in Japan as “Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasaretanode, Henkyou de Slow Life Surukoto ni Shimashita” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

There’s a very startling beginning to this book, which is the very, very perfunctory final battle against the forces of the demon lord. Now, yes, I am aware that there’s actually a plot involving Ruti and her blessing that will be going into Vol. 14, which involves the demon lord, but in terms of the plot of this particular book, it’s all about the end of the war and what comes after. This means that our main cast in Zoltan are ready to settle in and find something they’re going to do for the rest of their lives, but it also means that those who have spent years on the front lines – those who are still alive – are coming home, and many of them are dealing with PTSD at the very least. That’s right, this is the Banished from the Hero’s Party version of The Best Years of Our Lives, and Ruti, for one, is not really sure how to cope with it.

It’s fall festival time in Zoltan! Rit suggests trying to push some of their medications by putting them in nice-looking wooden canisters, so she and Red have their booth all set. Ruti admits that her farm of medicinal herbs is going into the red, so she, Tisse, and Mister Crawly Wawly are going to have a food booth to show everyone how they can be used without needing the Cooking Skill. And Habotan, who is still doing her level best to be a ninja fangirl, is going to sell shuriken and other ninja tools that look really cool. The festival runs into the aforementioned end of the war, though. One man comes back to tell his aunt that her son will not be coming home to her. A young woman was given the fantasy equivalent of morphine on the front, and has developed an addiction. And, of yes, there are still demon lord plans. Which I’m sure won’t impact Red and Rit’s wedding at ALL.

This is very much a book of two halves. Though we hear about the end of the war at the start, the first half is concerned with the series’ usual slow, relaxed pace. Mister Crawly Wawly now has a suit of armor he can control so he can be an adventurer (He has a card with a name. The name is AAAA.), and he and Red investigate forest fires with a mysterious cause. Ruti and Red then go to investigate a very loud mad scientist whose entire plot feels that it was written to pad out an already short book. The latter parts of the book, though, are much better, showing us soldiers that are still dealing with flashbacks, or drug addition, or depression that ends up leading to sexual assault. And while Red has some good answers, Ruti finds she doesn’t feel confident in hers. After all, she left the battlefield… something that comes out at the end of this book as well.

The next book will have the wedding (Yen says it’s the finale – is 15 an “after story” that’s not part of the main license?), so we’re almost done. Still, this book did a mostly good job of emphasizing the “war is hell” part of the series as well as the “relaxed happy life” part.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/14/25

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Blue Box, Vol. 14 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – At last, this sports manga has returned to being a sports manga. Not that romance is not still part of this, but the bulk of the book is devoted to either new first-years in the clubs or the sports festival. The new first-years include a younger brother who deliberately went to a different school to get out from his brother’s shadow, and a young girl who is clumsy but earnest, and who seems to really like Taiki a lot right away. Or, well, so it appears. And let’s not even get into Ayame dealing with the horrors of having to actually pursue a guy she likes rather than be pursued. As for the sports, Taiki gives off the appearance of a newbie, and there are jokes about people mistaking him for a first year, but when it comes to badminton skills he wipes the floor with the new kids. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 6 | By Aki Hamazi | Yen Press – As with the previous volume, this is also a manga of two halves, though thankfully both halves are on the funny side. In the first half, Nijika decides to have a party/concert for her sister’s birthday, but struggles to come up with enough bands to fill out the bill. In the second half, Kita has “run away from home,” as her mother is objecting to her listing musician as a career, for sensible reasons, and also feels that this Gotou boy is a very bad influence on her daughter, which is wrong but also hilarious, especially when Bocchi actually shows up, and proceeds to be… herself. The other big thing in this book is we see Hiroi sober for the first time, and, well, she’s Bocchi. She’s Bocchi, and has found that alcohol is the cure for that. Sure feels like a lead-up to a spinoff. Good fun. – Sean Gaffney

I’m Here, Beside You, Vol. 1 | By TEA natsuno | Yen Press – Ibuki Doi learns that Mikami Baba, the boy he was in love with in high school and whom he had assumed was straight, is marrying a man. This news spurs him to get massively drunk, after which he wakes up in the past with a chance to do things over again. I normally like these kinds of stories, so I’m Here, Beside You was an instant purchase for me. Unfortunately, it was merely okay. One factor is that Ibuki quickly becomes frustrating as a protagonist, but the bigger issue is that halfway through there is an out-of-nowhere revelation that Mikami’s sister is going to be murdered soon. Given the utter lack of foreshadowing, it feels like an editorial course correction. Does the story get more interesting after this? Admittedly, yes. Enough so that I will read the second and concluding volume, at least, but I remain disappointed. – Michelle Smith

Rainbows After Storms, Vol. 2 | By Luka Kobachi | Viz Media – I’m not sure how long the “we need to reintroduce the series for new readers every chapter” thing is going to go on, but I hope it’s not for the entire series, because trust me, I know that the two of them are dating but they’re keeping it a secret from everyone else, and I also know that if you cut out the panels telling us that, this volume would be much shorter. It’s good otherwise, though, with Chidori being the one worried about their relationship this time around, as she fears that Nanoha had a past male crush, and is too afraid of what the answer is to ask about it. That doesn’t really get resolved, but we do have a lot of cute G-rated yuri situations, and I’d happily recommend it to those who like their wlw romance on the mild side. – Sean Gaffney

You Talk Too Much, So Just Shut It Already!, Vol. 1 | By Shunpei Morita and Aldehyde | One Peace Books – Tsukino Hiiragi has just transferred to a new middle school, which would be challenging enough, but she’s also deaf. Resigned to being lonely, she’s taken by surprise when her classmate Taiyo Enomoto instantly befriends her. While Tsukino can read lips, she communicates through writing and sign language. Taiyo communicates by constantly talking. Misunderstandings abound, in part because Taiyo believes language barriers can be overcome by sheer willpower and enthusiasm. This… is definitely not the case. But thanks to Tsukino’s charming nature and Taiyo’s incredible kindheartedness, things do generally work out in the end, even if both of them are completely confused. Some of the scenarios that play out in the series are rather silly—the creators don’t hesitate to favor comedy over realism—but the characters are earnest and the heart of the story is authentic. The first volume is funny and endearing; I look forward to reading more. -Ash Brown