Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Features & Reviews

Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 7

by

By Ageha Sakura and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Vasileios Mousikidis.

I had forgotten last volume, when we were dealing with Robin, the horrible villain from the start of the series, that there were of course other terrible people at the start as well. There’s Princess Mia, who has been exiled to Conveniently Close Prisoner Island. She gets a brief cameo here, though unfortunately she and Agnes don’t get to see each other again. And then there’s a family I had completely forgotten about. I’m so used to Kelly being the unflappable supermaid that she is in this series that I forgot how we were introduced to her, and it comes back to haunt her here, as her family, long used to treating her as a combination slave and object, demand she return to get married to an old guy twice her age. Even unflappable Kelly is flapping a bit here. Fortunately, Agnes is not going to take this lying down. Also fortunately, her family are so comically evil that it takes no effort to absolutely destroy them.

Kelly’s impending arranged marriage is not the only thing going on in this book. It turns out that the second prince of Myzahn has more abilities than he’d let on, and he’s gone back to his country with something extra that will make invading other countries a lot easier. Agnes’ son has magic powers that are far more active at his age them most people, and she has to stop him from constantly running away. She and Nazelbart are finally going back to the capital (sans child) to talk to the King and Queen, helped out quite a bit by the Purge finally having taken place, meaning Agnes is surrounded by people who at least don’t hate her. Unfortunately, all this pales in comparison to the second half of the book – Polypstan is being invaded, and the war is going badly thanks to a certain prince. Can Desnim help without getting too involved?

Well, of course not. For one thing, this is a light novel series with a bit of action in every book. For another, the Queen is from Polypstan, and is not going to sit back while her homeland gets wiped out. That said, if you like tense battles where you’re not sure who will come out on top… this isn’t that. It’s laughably easy once Agnes forcibly invites herself along. Actually, the bigger issue may be the number of people who find out about other secret powers. The Myzahn Prince has multiple abilities, including a copying ability. The King’s teleportation ability is also a storage ability, something he’s tried to hide to avoid being used… well, like he’s used here. And of course more people find out that Agnes’ cool power is really a SUPER cool power, which is unavoidable when you accidentally cure a lethal poison. Agnes, honey, you need to try harder not to be the next saint, y’know?

Fortunately, Agnes will have other things to worry about next time: she’s pregnant again, and I suspect the next book will deal with that child. Till then, please don’t treat your daughter like a slave just because she’s a competent girl.

Zero Damage Sword Saint: I Enrolled in a Magic School and Wound Up in a Contract with the Demon Queen, Vol. 3

by

By Isle Osaki and kodamazon. Released in Japan as “Kougekiryoku Zero kara Hajimeru Kenseitan: Osananajimi no Oujo ni Suterare Mahou Gakuen ni Nyuugakushitara, Maou to Keiyakusuru Koto ni Natta ” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu.

The light novels are still ongoing in Japan, but the webnovel this is based on finished last month. The author gave their feelings about all the characters, and for Eugene they wrote, essentially, that they felt a little guilty, given that he was an incredibly cool swordsman who has a loving family and good friends who believe in him, as well as multiple beautiful lovers. The author has a point, this once again falls into the category of “if you like your protagonists to struggle, reading this must feel like acid in your veins”. But I dunno, it’s so unassuming I actually enjoy it more with every book I read. There’s a lack of surprise so far, but that fits – this isn’t slow life, but it’s almost the OP equivalent, and so we see Eugene go home to meet the folks with his new lover, make up with his childhood sweetheart (eventually), and save the world. As a treat.

Eugene is off to his home city, taking along Sumire, who is delighted she gets to ride an airship. Sara is trapped in the land of demon paperwork and will have to arrive later. Erinyes is, of course, still sealed in her “prison”. Sumire has an even easier time than expected, as it turns out Eugene’s dad is from not-Japan, and therefore his favorite foods are things like sukiyaki and bento boxes. Eugene’s father takes him to visit the palace, where he’s made a baron, and he also sees his ex Airi, who keeps trying to speak with him but gets prevented from doing so for some reason. He also goes to visit… no, not his mother’s grave, but a church, where he makes a very startling discovery about his origin and why he has his white healing magic. It’s also a good thing he’s there, as one of the legendary sealed beasts of the kingdom is becoming unsealed, and it’s up to everyone to do something. Even if that means sleeping with more girlfriends.

Like a lot of light novels these days, this has a lot of sex in it without actually being all that sexually explicit. We cut away before the deed is done. That said, the sex is a combination of “we both are really hot for you and have decided that this isn’t happening unless we both do this at the same time” and “sex will help our magic power up and save the world!”. In other words, patently ridiculous, but likely why a lot of folks are reading this. As for Airi, unsurprisingly she’s still in love with Eugene, never dumped him at all (the girl who made the catty remarks ends up getting mojo’d by Eugene to be his spy, in one of the more uncomfortable scenes in the book. Don’t do that), by the end of the book she wants to be one of the lovers as well, but circumstances will likely prevent that for a bit. Other than that… good sword battle, he’s a real sweetie, lookit all the babes.

We’re back to school/dungeon crawling next book, and I do wonder if the polycule (I’ll call it that as Sara and Sumire at least now seem to get along pretty well) adds anyone else or if this is it. If you like male fantasy … fantasy novels, this gives you what you want.

Manga the Week of 4/29/26

by , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Buckle up, kids, the end of the month is stacked.

ASH: Are we there yet?

SEAN: Airship has four print volumes. We get Loner Life in Another World 14, Too Many Losing Heroines! 7, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 12, and Witch and Mercenary 6 Part 1.

And for early digital we get Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! 2 and Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 15.

No debuts for Cross Infinite World, but they do have Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra 8, Fluffy Paradise 8, and How I Became King by Eating Monsters 5.

Dark Horse Manga has the 2nd and final omnibus volume of Gunsmith Cats: Burst.

ASH: I feel like this is a series that I should be reading, for some reason.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us Into the Deepest, Most Unknowable Dungeon 13 and Tamamori’s Fantasies Never Stop! 4.

Hanashi Media has a debut. A Journey Through Another World: Raising Kids While Adventuring (Isekai Yururi Kikou: Kosodateshinagara Boukensha Shimasu) has a guy accidentally killed by a god isekai’d into a deadly monster forest, where he meets adorable twins who know kung fu. As one does.

ASH: While I’m a little worn out by the sheer amount of isekai titles being released these days, I do appreciate the parenting angle.

SEAN: Also from Hanashi Media: The New Gate 3, An Observation Log of My Wife Who Calls Herself a Villainess 3, Re:Monster 3, and Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy 15.

J-Novel Club has print debuts for two of its contest winners. ATLAS: Her, the Combatant, and Him, the Hero is a futuristic dystopia that lives and dies on its main characters.

ASH: I will admit to being intrigued by the JNC Original Light Novel Contest.

SEAN: The Adorable Dungeon Master is exactly what it sounds like. She’s reincarnated and she wants cute.

They also have My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! ―AO― 10 in print.

J-Novel Club has one debut, a manga in their J-Novel Knight line. All Eyes on Nekoyashiki-kun! Notice Me, Not My Characters (Kabesaa Doujin Sakka no Nekoyashiki-kun wa Shounin Yokkyuu wo Kojirasete iru) is a BL manga from Comic Ryu. An indie artist who draws gay manga is startled to find that his childhood friend, an idol, is back in his orbit.

ASH: Lucky him!

SEAN: Digital light novels from JNC: The Bladesmith’s Enchanted Weapons 4, The Canon Fodder’s Ascension from Pawn to World Unifier 2, Earl and Fairy 12, Holmes of Kyoto 0 (a prequel short-story volume), Rebuild World 8 Part 1, and Worthless at Home, Whiz to the World 4.

Other digital manga from JNC: Fired? But I Maintain All the Software! 3, Hell Mode 10, Rebuild World 14, and The Skull Dragon’s Precious Daughter 6.

Kodama have the 15th and 16th Baki the Grappler volumes, as well as MAGICA 2 and Smile! 3.

ASH: Pretty sure I should be reading all of these, too.

SEAN: Kodansha Manga debuts Kirio Fan Club, a comedy manga from Comic Ruelle. This just got an anime. Two girls are obsessed with the boy they like in class. Let’s put it this way, the first bit is about the smell of his farts. We’re talking COM, not Romcom.

MICHELLE: Yeesh.

ASH: Huh.

SEAN: In print they have Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow 5, Blue Lock Omnibus 2, Cells at Work! Lady 2, The Great Cleric 13, I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day 8, Killing Line 2, Nina the Starry Bride 15, Pupposites Attract 4, Rent-A-Girlfriend 36, Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns 2 2, Toppu GP 14, and You Must Be This Tall to Propose! 2.

MICHELLE: Hooray for more Tokyo Tarareba Girls in print!

ASH: Indeed! And Ashita no Joe, too!

SEAN: Digitally we get Am I Actually the Strongest? 17, And Yet, You Are So Sweet 13, Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You 12, Drops of God: Mariage 15, and I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! 6.

One Peace Books has a 16th manga volume of The New Gate.

Seven Seas time, which means we start with danmei. There’s Dinghai Fusheng Records 4, Legend of Exorcism: Tianbao Fuyao Lu 5, and The White Cat’s Divine Scratching Post 2.

ASH: That it does. I’m delighted.

SEAN: There’s only one manga debut, and it is DOGGO (INNU). This Young Magazine title stars a down-on-his-luck pug who gets picked up by a cute high school girl. Little does she know… he can talk. And fight! And is hiding from the yakuza. Little does he know… she’s the daughter of a yakuza boss. This looks very silly.

Also from Seven Seas: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon 11, Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi 6, Failure Frame 12, The Fed-Up Office Lady Wants to Serve the Villainess 3, The Ideal Sponger Life 21, Mii-chan Wants to Be Kept 4 (the final volume), Monster Musume: I Heart Monster Girls 6, My Girlfriend is 8 Meters Tall 3, My Girlfriend’s Child 10 (the final volume), My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer 8, My New Life as a Cat 13, Painter of the Night 3, Romelia War Chronicle 2, Servamp 23, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… 8, Yakuza Reincarnation 15, Yonoi Tsukihiko’s Happy Hell 5, and Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games 9.

Steamship has a 6th volume of A Suitable Fetish.

Titan Manga debuts Grendizer U: The Inception, based off the giant robot manga. It runs in Hero’s.

Tokyopop debuts Bride of Ignat (Ignat no Hanayome). It’s in from RED, so no worries, this is BL despite the title. A survivor of an epidemic is seen as cursed, so is “volunteered” to be the sacrifice to the dragon. We know how that will go.

ASH: I must say, it does have a very pretty cover.

SEAN: Also from Tokyopop: I’ll Never Fall In Love With Amano! 3 (the final volume), If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die 11, The Prince Is in the Villainess’ Way! 6, and Wandervogel 2.

MICHELLE: I need to read Wandervogel!

SEAN: Viz Media has one spinoff debut. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Purple Smoke Distortion (Hajishirazu no Purple Haze: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken yori), a one-volume light novel about what happened to Pannacotta Fugo.

ASH: Unsurprisingly, I’m interested.

SEAN: Make that two spinoff debuts, as we also get Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show. You know what this will be like. It’s for your 8-year-old.

Also from Viz: Boy’s Abyss 13.

Yen On has only one title, and it’s a debut. Our Party Nearly Wiped and Then Everything Went Downhill (Zenmetsu End wo Shi ni Monogurui de Kaihishita. Party ga Yanda) stars a man who wakes up in his favorite grimdark manga, in the body of the schmuck who dies to set the series’ tone. He somehow manages to not die, though he’s gravely wounded. Only now… why are all these women so obsessed with him?

ASH: Why, indeed.

SEAN: And here comes Yen Press. Debuts first. Merit and the Egyptian God (Merit Aikyuu God) is a shoujo title from Hana to Yume. (When I was much younger, I typed those words multiple times a month.) A girl winds up trapped in the underworld, and has to talk a grump God into bringing her home.

MICHELLE: Possibly fun!

SEAN: My Lover Is Just Too Innocent to Handle (Koibito ga Ubusugite Komaru) is a BL title which ran as a web manga. A gloomy, introverted guy is confessed to by a hot, outgoing guy. How to get to know each other? Exchange diaries!

MICHELLE: Also possibly fun!

ASH: Sounds cute, for sure.

SEAN: My Super-Cute Black Mage! (Uchi no Kuro Madoushi ga Kawaisugiru!) is (gasp!) another shoujo title from Hana to Yume. At a magic school, our heroine avoids the scary-looking black mage. Then when she accidentally gets close to him, she can hear his thoughts… and they’re kinda cute?

MICHELLE: Hm. Less sold on this, but Hana to Yume!

ASH: But cute is even in the title, this time!

SEAN: You Can’t Escape from Mizudako-chan! (Mizudako-chan kara wa Nigerarenai!) is a romantic comedy from Comic Fuz. An average high school guy finds a very strange girl transferred into his class… who is half-octopus!

MICHELLE: That sounds handy. (Smirk.)

ASH: Lol.

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Ako and Bambi 7, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 3, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 12, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 8 (the final volume), The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess 14, Days with My Stepsister 5, The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 7, The Eminence in Shadow 14, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman 5, Hell Is Dark with No Flowers 4, Hirano and Kagiura 5, Honey Lemon Soda 11, I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World 8, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love 5, Interspecies Reviewers 11, Kindergarten Wars 4, Land 2, Lycoris Recoil Official Comic Anthology: Repeat 2, Mieruko-chan 12, Oshi no Ko 13, The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices 6, The Reformation of the World as Overseen by a Realist Demon King 8, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special 6, So I’m a Spider, So What? 15, Stomp, Kick, Love 4, The Summer Hikaru Died 7, To Sir, Without Love: I’m Divorcing You 3, and Touring After the Apocalypse 7.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely intrigued by The Summer Hikaru Died.

ASH: As you should be!

SEAN: That’s a lot! Anything jump out at you?

A Tale of the Secret Saint, Vol. 10

by

By Touya and chibi. Released in Japan as “Tensei Sita Daiseijyo ha, Seijyo Dearuko Towohitakakusu” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

I’ve talked before about the series’ biggest draw, which is that Fia is a complete airhead who runs on instinct and misapprehension of everything. The big reveal over the course of these ten books is that it’s not due to her having the memories of someone who lived 300 years ago, but that 300 years ago she was exactly the same – no common sense, head empty. But it’s important to remember the other half of this, because when you have one of those ditzy, strong women protagonists, invariably they amaze everyone around them with their goodness and niceness, and that’s been the case here as well. We meet several new saints, most of whom are either doing the saint gig because they have been forced to, or are trying to use the saint gig to get a good husband. And then they run into Fia, and they’re reminded no, wait. I forgot what I felt when I first gained powers. I forgot that healing people and making them happy is wonderful. That’s Fia’s greatest strength.

We pick up where we left off, with the Evil Queen Hyacinthe being told that Fia will be entering the next Saint Competition. Hyacinthe is against this, but Cerulean is determined to have Fia put Hyacinthe in her place. He does this without bothering to ask Fia, who keeps insisting she’s a knight, and has very good reasons why she does not want to be recognized as the next great saint. (Her backstory of her first death, mentioned in the first book and then quietly dropped, is alluded to here, mostly as to why she’s still viscerally afraid of meeting another demon.) Plus for some reason Fia still can’t really think of Hyacinthe as evil, even after we get backstory of Colette, who is of course sweet as pie and tragically ill. As for the Saint Competition itself… well, that’s where we get back to the funny part of the series.

It is a sign of how desperate everyone is in regards to Colette that they decide the answer is simply to let Fia do her Saint stuff and just tell her to be careful, which is sort of like pulling the pin off a grenade and telling it not to explode. They give Fia a veil to hide herself… except her red hair is immediately recognizable, and in any case she takes it off almost immediately. She realizes that some folks may regard her as Fia the knight, so she decides to skip instead of walk. During the saint ceremony. In front of everyone. She skips. I laughed till I cried. She explains that she’s dropping out as she doesn’t have a lot of mana, but she heals people almost instantly and never feels tired. The only time I was surprised is when she met the guy who lost both legs and didn’t magic them back, and I then realized the only reason she didn’t do that is it’s probably being saved for Book 11. She is an adorable, sweet, all-loving menace to society.

Unfortunately for Fia, I think she is going to attract attention, and that demons will show up again. That said, this is the slowest light novel series out there in terms of dribbling out its plot, so it could be Book 20 by the time that happens. In any case, this is fun.

I Saved Myself with a Potion!: Life in Another World, Vol. 1

by

By Akira Iwafune and Sunaho Tobe. Released in Japan as “Potion, Waga Mi o Tasukeru” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by Hanashi Media. Translated by Harris Hayes.

I sometimes feel guilty that I don’t read more Hanashi Media. Aside from Observation Records of My Fiancee/Wife (now with an anime!), most of their output has basically looked like things I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. They had a recent round of licenses, though, and a couple of them jumped out at me, including this one. Slow life! Cute female protagonist! Struggling to get by in a world she knows nothing about! And sure enough, all those things are here. It’s mostly a cute book. It’s content to coast along, and Kaede is something of a female Potato-kun, but it’s nice enough. That said, when I started it I read the table of contents and said “uh oh”. Sure enough, this ends up being another in a long line of “welp, guess I gotta buy a slave” books. Yes, I’m sure she and Kaede will become bestest friends. Yes, Kaede treats her wonderfully. Don’t really care. Stop with the slavery shit.

Kaede wakes up, not on her way to high school as she had been, but in an alley of a fantasy world. She has it easier than some – she can speak and read the language – but she has no money, no food, and no idea how this world works. But she finds a book in her backpack – it tells her how to make potions, and the easiest uses just grass and water. Gradually, using the potions she makes, she gets food, a room and a guild card that gives her ID. She could theoretically make stronger potions, but the ingredients are much harder to find. Then she runs into a party of dragon hunters, who tell her – try to contain your shock – her normal potions work MUCH better than others. What’s more, the way she makes them is unheard of. If she can just survive the massive dragon that landed right in front of her, maybe she’ll become someone really special!

As I said, for the most part this is earnest slow-life stuff. Kaede makes potions, buys things, makes more potions, meets adventurers, takes out a dragon with a one-shot crystal she just powered up that day… you know, the usual. By the end of the book she’s moved to the capital, has made friends with a woman so terrifyingly powerful everyone rushes to obey her (she thinks Kaede is really cute – Kaede suffers from “I’m 17 but look 12” syndrome), she’s got a great cabin in the middle of nowhere, and she’s befriended a fairy. Unfortunately, “make a ton of money selling potions then walk back alone to my remote cabin where I live alone as a young woman” carries dangers that you can probably guess. And guards are expensive and also won’t be live-in guards. Hence: welp, guess I gotta buy a slave. Kaede feels uncomfortable, but is shown that you don’t HAVE to abuse your slave, so treats the 6’5″ gorgeous wolfgirl she buys well. I’m sure they’ll be besties. Nevertheless.

I was sort of hoping to add this to my list of “cute girl does OP things”. It’s 11+ volumes in Japan, so looks popular. But I really try to avoid “welp, guess I gotta buy a slave” books these days, no matter how nice and non-harem the relationship is.

Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 14

by

By Bokuto Uno and Miyuki Ruria. Released in Japan as “Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

The previous books have been packed with stuff, so many plots that it was hard to remember them all. What’s more, we were leisurely strolling through the years at school. Those days are gone now. Not only are Oliver and Company now 5th years (yes, it’s graduation for Tim Linton, though don’t worry, he’ll be around), but there is no leisurely strolling in this book – it’s war. Even worse, the war looks to continue into the next book. This means that the book is almost entirely battle scenes, with some no-names dying, some people we know getting grievously injured, and our heroes all getting the chance to show off both how cool and powerful they are and also that they are the biggest weirdos and freaks in the school. But that’s fine – it’s Kimberly, so everyone’s used to that. The trouble is that most of the powerhouse teachers were suckered away from the school, and the school itself is lacking powerhouse teachers as SOMEONE keeps killing them off.

It’s time for the war against the Gnostics, but fear not – everything has been foretold, and the teachers have gone to the most likely incursion spots. Unfortunately, the foretellers were compromised, and the Gnostics’ true plan becomes clear – attack and wipe out Kimberly. That means the students have to battle it out, led by student council president Vera Miligan, who is staying behind for an unheard of eighth year just so that she can whine about why this is happening to her. Katie and Nanao are sent to the front lines, while the other four (well, OK, other three, Pete is barely in this except for the cliffhanger setup) stay behind to battle the soldier/mages that will inevitably get through. All our old familiar friends and enemies chip in – even Teresa’s group, who find themselves in the midst of an attack from within. Can everyone show off why they’re awesome?

Of course they can, that’s the whole point of this book. Oliver, for once, is merely normally amazing, having lightning fast reflexes taught to him by a supposed traitor, and he does well enough but it’s not jaw-dropping. Same with Chela. Nanao gets the best action set piece, with what can only be described as “death from above”, and I liked the tie-back to Ashbury’s broom arts. But let’s face it, the best scene in the book, and one of the best scenes in the series, is Katie forcing an enemy general to explain why they’re fighting, and then trying to see how she could improve on it. Katie is regarded as a walking time bomb even by her friends, and we know that she’s got demi-human rights on the brain, but I have to tell you that when I saw “I just thought it’ll be my turn next“, I both shuddered and howled with laughter. Chela, Pete, your goal of a six-person harem living happily ever after is severely hampered by the other four.

As I said, cliffhanger, so we’ll have to see who lives and who dies next time. Thrilling stuff.

Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 6

by

By Kana Akatsuki and Suoh. Released in Japan as “Shunka Shūtō Daikōsha” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sergio Avila.

So the first two-part arc of this series involved the past and present trauma of Hinagiku, the Agent of Spring. The second two-parter gave us even more trauma, mostly present, for the twin Agents of Summer. Now, after a one-volume “break”, we’re ready to dip into Autumn. Nadeshiko has been involved quite a bit in the last few books, both as a victim of kidnapping and as an Agent in her own right. That said, she’s still an eight-year-old girl who has been through far more than most eight-year-olds should. And, as is pointed out several times in this book, she’s much more mature than someone of her age should be when confronted with all this. She should be more like… well, like Ruri, to use an example Ruri herself would probably get mad at. In this book, though, we hear more about Nadeshiko’s life before she became an Agent… and it’s a very depressingly familiar tale. There’s no supernatural forces or twisted destiny here, just a young girl whose parents quickly realize they don’t want a child after all.

Nadeshiko is not having a great time at the moment, though it’s certainly better than it’s ever been for her. Rindo is running himself ragged trying to avoid having to answer a summons from Kyokoku, which is this world’s equivalent of the United States. There used to be a mutual aid policy between countries to help out when an Agent needed it. This is no longer the case, for many reasons, some of which might be that Kyokoku is a very dangerous country filled with religious fundamentalists whose Agents live fast and die young. (If you are looking for light, subtle political commentary, this is not the series for you.) Eventually Rindo realizes that he can’t avoid this, so Nadeshiko is going to not-America… along with a passel of guards and aides, as well as the Agent of Winter and his Guard, the Agent of Summer (Ruri version) and her guard, and Tsukihi, the National Security Agent we last saw with the Agent of Twilight. They expect treachery. They get it.

The author of this series has been talking with the author of My Happy Marriage, I expect, as they included in the Afterword a bit about how readers who would like all the trauma to stop soon are reading the wrong title. “It is a story for the scars you bore back then.” It certainly is, as Nadeshiko’s past of neglectful parents goes down like you’re choking, and her present is worse. The two on the cover are the Kyokoku Agent of Autumn, who is a year younger than her, and his Guard. They’re both unable to fight back against the Church. (Anyone reading this series who loves American unconditionally or is deeply religious may want to drop it here.) I also warn that there is the most dreaded of literary devices here, which is the overheard and misunderstood conversation. That said, when you have so little regard for yourself as Nadeshiko does, it’s hard not to misunderstand that people might care about you.

On the bright side, Ruri is fantastic in this, and I love the banter between her and Rosei. They’ve both grown so much. I hope Nadeshiko is allowed to do the same. In any case, we need to wait for Book 7, which… yeah, is not yet scheduled by Yen. Essential reading for fans of the series or those who love to read about good people overcoming suffering.

A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans, Vol. 3

by

By Kurusu Natsume and Sai Izumi. Released in Japan as “Jingai Kyōshitsu no Ningen-girai Kyōshi: Hitoma-sensei, Watashi-tachi to Mirai ni Susundekuremasuku…?” by Media Factory. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by airco.

In the long interim between the second and third volumes coming out over here (there was a gap in Japan as well, plus a translator change), we had the anime version of this title, and while I’m not sure if it was a success in Japan, I do know that it went down over here like a lead balloon. I didn’t watch it, but a lot of folks made it sound like it was a romantic fantasy of a nebbish guy meeting a smorgasbord of supernatural monster girls, rather than what the novels make it clear that it actually is, which is another in the long line of “teacher arrives at school and proceeds to make the kids’ lives better whether they like it or not”. That said, there was a past trauma that made it sound like maybe he had a teacher student romance in his past? This third volume makes it clear that it was a lot more ordinary than that… while also maybe making you think the anime had a point.

It’s a new year, with two new students, who as usual appear on the cover. What’s that? No, the third girl is a human… and Hitoma’s new assistant teacher. Which is a problem as Haruna is also the high school girl who caused him to resign and become a shut-in for two years as well. The bulk of the book is in the present, but each chapter ends with a past flashback to the two of them in their previous school, and why things happened the way they did. (Spoiler that isn’t one: bullying is omnipresent, and teachers who try too hard to stop it get destroyed.) As for the new kids, Wakaba is a cool elf girl with a surprising past, and Okonogi is a gyaru-type oni girl with a depressing past. That said, we’ve had one graduation per book so far, and given that Haneda isn’t going anywhere, the end of the book becomes “what’s going to happen with Usami?”.

The Usami plotline is easily the best part of the book, to be honest, which makes sense given she’s the student we’ve known the longest who’s still there. As for the new folks, Wakaba’s origins are a terrific idea that ended up being less interesting than I expected, and she doesn’t really feature after her spotlight. Ononoki provides some nice drama, but I was a little uncomfortable with the reverse of the usual blonde vampire rule – instead of “she’s 800 years old but looks 8”, here we have a girl who looks like a 16-year-old high school girl who’s much younger. And then there’s Haruna. I clocked what was going on with her long before Hitoma did. That said, I’m not sure how I feel about her feelings for him even though she’s now a colleague. We see Hitoma rejecting Ryuzaki here as well, so I don’t know if he’d go for it regardless, but… it does make me wonder if this was meant to be a romantic fantasy after all.

I had assumed that the series would end with the third book, and it definitely wraps up the major plotlines from the start. But there’s two more to go, and I think we get a seed of that when we see Hitoma telling the director that his goal for next year is to see Haneda graduate. This is an awkward series that either doesn’t do enough or missteps, but you end up liking it a lot anyway. Much like its main character.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Vol. 9

by

By Sunsunsun and Momoco. Released in Japan as “Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Matthew Rutsohn.

There was only so long that the main mystery of this series that doesn’t involve “who will the winning girl be” got cleared up. (And honestly, “who will the winning girl be” is not much of a mystery, either – this isn’t the sort of series that’s going for a last-minute swerve.) So yes, Masachika admits to Alya what the relationship between him and Yuki really is, and then goes to visit her. That said, the series still wants to be a romcom, even in what amounts to the most serious volume to date, and so it also flashes to Alya’s POV during these scenes, which amounts to “OMG we’re holding hands no stop I’m comforting him, shut up brain” over and over again. Alya may be a romantic wreck, but thanks to the boy she not-so-secretly loves she’s found a way forward in life. In this book, Masachika also finds a way forward in life, but sadly he manages to botch that in a really bad way.

Yes, that’s Yuki on the cover, only the 2nd person to feature on a cover that isn’t Alya. She’s looking surprisingly serious as well, which fits the tone of this serious volume. After arriving at his sister’s house, and seeing how far Yuki has relapsed, Masachika decides that it’s time he stop running away from everything and has a long chat with his mother about why she started to reject him. Unsurprisingly, the answer turns out to be that they have a lot more in common than they possibly imagined. He then comes to a decision – he’s going to return to the family and become its head, which means Yuki doesn’t have to. He talks with his father about this, who is as easygoing and hands-off as always. He talks to his grandfather about this, who is grumpy but will let him try. He does NOT talk to Yuki about this. That’s where he botches things.

Of course, not all the upcoming chaos is going to be caused by Masachika. Nonoa still exists, of course. I’ve talked before about how much I appreciate her role in this, and I still do. I really liked her showing up late to “comfort” Masachika, and being genuinely a bit annoyed at Alya for getting there first. Which leads to what she does best, making Alya doubt Masachika. She frames things she found out by coincidence – which she freely admits – as if Alya ended up being the last to find out, and this plants seeds that I’m sure will extend this series into at least three to four more books. She’s also seemingly working on Ayano, and I have a sneaking suspicion that will be Nonoa’s downfall. Don’t try to outplot the woman who freely tells Masachika he makes her womb tremble.

I also did not mention Yuki’s complete meltdown when she hears what happened, or her heart-to-heart with Alya, where we realizing just how much all the incest subtext we love (OK, everyone but me loves) is an act – ALL of it. Basically, the next volume promises to be filled with a lot of repressed rage and tension…..short story volume? (checks) Oooh, differently numbered short story volume! So may be 10, may be BTS, which I assume stands for Behind The Scenes rather than a crossover with the KPop band.

The World’s Strongest Witch: I’m Starting My Free Life in a World Where Only I Can See the Online Strategy Guide, Vol. 2

by

By Mochimaru Sakaki and riritto. Released in Japan as “Sekai Saikyou no Majo, Hajimemashita: Watashi dake “Kouryaku Site” wo Mireru Sekai de Jiyuu ni Ikimasu” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Phil Charbonneau.

This series is definitely written to be incredibly silly first and think about everything else second. That said, it is at least thinking about other things. This volume makes it very clear what it would be like to be in a game world – not one with a linear through plot, like most isekais that have game elements are based around, but something where there’s a weekly “event”, which is a valuable opportunity for amateur players to earn skills killing monsters, or there’s a way to get “familiars” that involves a random gacha pull. Only it turns out that the town that the weekly event happens in is tormented by the fact that it happens over and over and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. And duplicate gacha pulls, mostly annoying for a player, can lead to existential crises. Fortunately, this is also a “no thoughts, head empty” sort of series.

Lorna is still heading to the capital, barring a few shortcuts, such as through the evil swamp to the evil church staffed by the evil minions, who are no match for her niceness and mayonnaise. She ends up at the shore, but unfortunately the ferry to the capital is a little booked, because tomorrow is … WEDNESDAY. Every Wednesday the monsters attack and destroy the town, and then they do it again the next week. Sure, sometimes strong adventurers can stop it… but it always comes back, so they get discouraged. Luckily, Lorna has her wiki page and her cheat guides. She then ends up looking for a “cute familiar” sort and accidentally summoning the Water Dragon Princess… and then the same Princess again, as she got a duplicate pull. Now there are two identical princesses… who she’s accidentally kidnapped? Uh oh…

I was worried this would get old fast, and it does still worry me a bit. So far, though, the humor is mostly dead on and very funny. (I could do without the lesbian guild leader into cute little girls, but I think I may have to sigh and just give up on telling Japan not to do that stereotype.) Lorna’s horror at finding that looking up guides in front of others may lead to unskippable ads of incest pornography games is hysterical, though. And there is a BIT of non-silly near the end, as the villain of this book (who is taken down ludicrously easily due to Lorna’s cheats) turns out to have been a bitter thousand-year-old sacrifice, and there’s a message from the man she loved apologizing for it. Again, one game’s mid-tier boss is a fantasy world’s tragic victim, and while this series is never going to lean too hard on the tragedy, it’s nice to know it’s there, if only so Lorna can make things better. Also, it turns out the Princess’ father is fine with twins, so that works out as well.

If you can’t stand the broadest of comedy, stay away. If you love the broadest of comedy, though, dig right in.

Manga the Week of 4/22/26

by , , and Leave a Comment

SEAN: Spring continues to try to become early Summer. In April. Sigh.

ASH: Spring is going to spring.

SEAN: Viz Media debuts Bug Ego, the latest title written by ONE, the author of One-Punch Man, and it runs in Weekly Young Jump. A popular kid tries to help a loner kid get better at socializing. The loner kid… can turn back time? And break reality?

ASH: I am curious about this one, mainly due to ONE’s involvement.

ANNA: OK, might be interesting.

SEAN: Also from Viz: The Climber 5, Kingdom 6, Mission: Yozakura Family 22, Rainbows After Storms 9, Record of Ragnarök 18, Red River 3-in-1 7, Show-ha Shoten! 10, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 19.

ASH: I really need to start reading The Climber.

ANNA: I think I have the first volume stashed around my house somewhere.

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Waiting for You at the End of the Runway (Crush on Teen Edge), a BL oneshot that ran in from RED. An actor retires, and now finds himself trying to manage his former childhood friend… and former lover.

Also from Tokyopop: the 2nd manga volume of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! and the 3rd light novel volume of Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry.

Titan Manga debuts Unemployed Killers Support Group, a Taiwanese manga about a former assassin who joins… well, please see the title.

MICHELLE: Huh. I looked this up and the blurb says, ” For fans of Reservoir Dogs-style dark comedy and chaotic criminal camaraderie,” which is kind of appealing!

ASH: I’d give it a chance.

ANNA: Ooh, this sounds fun.

SEAN: Titan Manga also gives us Cosmic Censorship 3 and The Elegant Courtly Life of the Tea Witch 3.

Square Enix has the 15th and final volume of My Dress-Up Darling, Tokyo Aliens 10, and Wash It All Away 7.

ASH: I’ve definitely fallen behind, but I’ve really enjoyed what I have read of My Dress-Up Darling.

SEAN: Seven Seas has no danmei debuts, but we do get Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu 7 and Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi 3 (the final volume).

Seven Seas does have manga debuts. Everything for Demon King Evelogia (Maou Evelogia ni Mi wo Sasage yo) is another title from BL Screamo, a magazine name I am still sniggering at. (I imagine the title as declaimed by Count Floyd.) A man dies and is reincarnated in a game, where he can be with the Demon King, his favorite character! OK, so he’s a young boy, but life isn’t perfect.

MICHELLE: “Ooh, scaaary!”

SEAN: KILLING ME / KILLING YOU (ah haaaaaaaaa) (sorry) is from Dragon Age Extra. A meteorite caused the apocalypse. Most turned into monsters, a few turned immortal. This follows two immortals trying to die.

MICHELLE: I had the literal same reaction to that title.

ASH: Haha, great minds! Also, immortals, you say?

SEAN: My Darling Devilish Daughter (Boku no Manamusume) is a seinen title from Big Comic Spirits. It’s by the creator of Himouto! Umaru-chan. A human man tries to raise his half-demon daughter, and needs to keep her happy… or else her demon mom will kill him.

ASH: It can be tough being a dad, sometimes.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Wizard’s Blue 10 (the final volume), The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 6, Glasses with a Chance of Delinquent 6, and It’s Just a Dream… Right?! 2.

Nakama Press has a 7th volume of Infini-T Force.

Mahjong Pros has the debut of a title I never thought would be released here. Reform with No Wasted Draws: The Legend of Koizumi (Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku) is a mahjong manga from Kindai Mahjong, and reimagines world diplomacy as if everyone is a mahjong player. Features a cast that will seem very… familiar to anyone who follows world politics.

MICHELLE: Interesting.

ASH: I have been wanting to read this series ever since I learned it existed. I was explicitly told it could never happen. I am absolutely delighted.

ANNA: Oh wow!

SEAN: Kodansha has redone their webpage, how delightful. It’s not in alphabetical order anymore, FANTASTIC. OK, never mind, I can do this. The print debut… sort of… is Chi’s Sweet France, a spinoff of the adorable cat manga. You’ll never guess where Chi is. This is complete in one volume, and ran in Comic Days.

ASH: I adore Chi, wherever she may be.

SEAN: Also from Kodansha Manga in print: As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 14, Blue Lock 29, The Blue Wolves of Mibu 9, The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé 5, Drifting Dragons 17, Gachiakuta 10, Hitting Rewind with You 2, Shoot Juliet Down 2, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Trinity in Tempest 10, and Wave, Listen to Me! 11.

MICHELLE: Ooh, a new Wave, Listen to Me!.

ASH: Definitely something to look forward to!

SEAN: In digital we get A Couple of Cuckoos 28, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 30, Sayabito: Swords of Destiny 8 (the final volume), and Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad 12.

One J-Novel Club debut, and it’s a manga. The Accursed Chef and His Pair of Furry Foodies (Noroware Ryourinin wa Meikyuu de Mofumimi Shoujo-tachi wo Sodatemasu) is based on the LN also licensed by JNC. Guy who dies saving a child gets reincarnated with cool powers – in this case, he can cook monsters. Sadly, his new life is awful. On the bright side, he seems to like beast people like most other isekai’d folks do.

ASH: I may have mentioned it before, but I really didn’t expect cooking monsters to become its own sub-genre.

ANNA: The world can be surprising!

SEAN: Digital light novels from JNC next week: The Banished Former Hero Lives As He Pleases 7, Chivalry of a Failed Knight 9, Dimension Wave 7, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 22, Imperial Reincarnation 5, Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain 7, and Reborn to Master the Blade 13.

And for manga we have My Fiancé Cheated, But a New Love Rings! 4 and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 10.

No debuts for Ize Press, but we do get Finding Camellia 7, I Tamed My Ex-husband’s Mad Dog 6, Lover Boy 5 (the final volume?), Men of the Harem 6, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint 10, The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine 7, Tomb Raider King 14, and The World After the Fall 13.

HarperAlley gives us Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love! 3.

ASH: I had somehow already forgotten about HarperAlley!

SEAN: Dark Horse Manga has a 3rd volume of Cat + Crazy.

No print volumes for Airship, but we do see early digital of Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord 7 and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 13.

And ABLAZE has the 2nd and final volume of HAPPYLAND.

Assuming you have not lost everything in a mahjong game, what manga are you buying?

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 17

by

By Yuumikan and KOIN. Released in Japan as “Itai no wa Iya nano de Bōgyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

Last time I was quite happy, as the author was setting up the end of the series, and there was a lot of non-gaming stuff… well, a little bit of non-gaming stuff… that I could get my hands on. This volume is gaming gaming gaming, and the number of times ‘Kaede’ and ‘Risa’ appear in it is zero. As such, here I am again trying to wring five hundred words (see what I did there?) out of “and then Maple put on her angel throne thing again and they all won”. That said, there are differences here. Maple started this series by essentially playing by vibes, and getting ahead by doing stuff no normal gamer would think of. While the words “normal gamer” still don’t apply to her, she is now thinking like a veteran, and knows when to use her gonzo build to acquire additional buffs that will help her get by in future levels. Our Maple has grown up.

The nostalgia tour continues, as Maple and Sally wander the tenth level, which is made up of bits of the previous levels, and try to get bits of the “demon king’s mana” which will help them in the final floor battle. This means hitting the third level part to teach Maple how to use those flying shoes a lot better than she did last time, as well as help Iz (who reminds us again that everyone in Maple Tree is eccentric and looney tunes a bit). They walk the clouds of the fifth level, where they deal with clouds that may suddenly be less walkable than is ideal. They help Kasumi with her quests on the fourth level, meaning it’s a lot of antiquing and sword battles. And they even team up with Lily, which mostly means that she and Maple can combine to make an even more terrifying atrocity. That said, we all know the Demon Lord battle is not gonna be the end of this book.

There is one bit of through line with the previous book, and it’s Sally pining for Maple. No, not that way – I wish – but there’s a scene where they have to decide if one part coming up will be PvP or party vs. monsters, and you can feel Sally’s anguish as Maple obviously chooses the second. Sally really really REALLY has a fight boner for Maple by now, to the point where she fights both Frederica *and* Velvet and neither one can touch her because she’s saving her first time for … look, sometimes a cigar isn’t just a cigar. The trouble is that Sally has internalized “Maple hates PvP and will agree to this but be unhappy” in her mind, and has therefore decided without bothering to ask Maple at all. I other words, in case it wasn’t clear, Sally is a teenager. Maple is not the girl you remember, Sally. She’s grown up.

All this plus Iz has a tank, something that I really feel should have had the cover art, but oh well. Two volumes to go, hang in there, yuri fans. Your scraps that are plausibly deniable will be coming.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Vol. 2

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.

It’s been a while since we last saw Hannelore, chasing her love into the past and learning a valuable lesson, that lesson being “Wilfried is not the one”. (Wilfried waxes and wanes as the books require it, but he is absolutely not at his best in this book – I equated his thought process on social media to that of a bagel.) On the bright side, the goddess has allowed her to remember everything she did in the past, and all her character growth. Oh, don’t worry, she still blushes a lot and shies away from the idea that anyone would be in love with her for anything other than political reasons. But in many other ways she’s grown and matured a huge amount. Which is good, as, well, she accidentally created a huge crisis, and Rozemyne is not around to help fix things this time. Mostly as Rozemyne is off in her own adventures… offscreen. Yeah, sorry, she is Miss-Not-Appearing-In-This-Book.

Hannelore is back in the present, and everything has gone bonkers. Since the Goddess of Time used Hannelore’s body as a vessel, everyone is now also saying she’s chosen by the Gods, despite Hannelore pointing out that she was just a messenger. That, plus the fact that she fixed her poor reputation during the recent war, means EVERYONE now wants her hand in marriage… and are challenging Dunkenfelger for it. Sometimes this is merely annoying (most of the lower duchies). Sometimes it’s a lot more serious (Ortwin, who tries to make his case that he really does love her, but suffers from his reputation). And sometimes it’s a nightmare, as Sigiswald is still after her, and he’s set up this Bride-Stealing Ditter match to get her, by hook or by crook. Unfortunately, for everyone who is not part of Dunkenfelger, no one knows what Bride-Stealing Ditter really entails.

It’s hard to talk about this book in brief, as it’s filled with terrific moments. My first favorite moment comes when Hannelore meets with Eglantine, and it becomes very clear that Eglantine, like most people (and the readers) assume that this is just a big soccer match. In reality, Bride-Stealing Ditter is frequently lethal, and a lot more like the war they just had. Eglantine assumes that Hannelore, being a fluffy bunny sort of person, will object to this. Hannelore, though, is only a fluffy bunny sort of person compared to the rest of her friends and family, and is not backing down on this. They need to prepare to die, she says. (Eglantine does not have a fun book.) My other favorite moment is right at the end, when she turns down Ortwin’s marriage proposal. She explains that the protection and sympathy he can offer her, even if it does come from love, is something she doesn’t need anymore and has grown past. She admits if he asked a year ago she might have accepted, but his “timing was poor”. Given that this is something Hannelore has always seen as her biggest weakness, the irony is absolutely delicious.

We end before we get the ditter itself, and while I would never wish death on anyone, Sigiswald is fictional, so come on, throw me a bone. Bookworm fans should be quite happy.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/13/26

by and Leave a Comment

Ayaka Is in Love with Hiroko, Vol. 1 | By Sal Jiang | Love Love – Ayaka is a beautiful newbie at an office, who is in love with her cool and attractive boss. For Ayaka, this doesn’t have much to do with gender at first—she simply has this massive crush on Hiroko, and it’s only at the end of the volume that she realizes that this actually extends to women in general. For Hiroko it’s a lot more complicated—she’s convinced Ayaka is straight, and what’s more, she does not want the office knowing she’s gay—though she does spend a lot of her time complaining about this at the local lesbian bar. For the first half this reads like a typically frustrating “why don’t they just GET IT?” sort of romcom, but the addition of a third person in the mix, as well as Ayaka’s growing awareness, make me want to read more. – Sean Gaffney

Colette Decides to Die, Vol. 6 | By Alto Yukimura | Viz Media – At its heart, this series is about the romance between Colette and Hades, and that’s true here as well, but I do appreciate that it takes the time to expand its worldview and focus on other things—especially Colette’s job. We get to see an apothecary who is suffering from overwork because his town has a very rigid “who can take over the position” system. We also get to see Colette’s parents in the afterlife, which is impressive given that, like all the souls that pass to the afterlife, they are basically “street sign” designs, i.e. black bodies and blank heads, like you see on no crossing signs. And yet we’ve left with no doubt that those are her parents. I need to hype this series up every time I review it. GO GET IT. – Sean Gaffney

The Ghostly Darkness of Kanata, Vol. 1 | By Nokuto Koike | Titan Comics – A young woman named Kanata has lost her ability to feel fear. Now, she seeks out encounters with ghosts, looking for something that scares her so badly that she returns to her past self. The overall creepy vibe of this volume is excellent, but the execution so far is a bit disjointed, with various characters and spooky happenings introduced that do eventually intersect with Kanata, but some more impactfully than others. The meeting with a fellow paranormal investigator seems like it will continue to be significant in the next volume, but what about the YouTuber? Is that plotline just… over? It’s also sometimes hard to tell what’s happening, visually. I’m intrigued enough to keep going, but I hope a cohesive story coalesces soon, because sheer atmosphere can only take you so far. – Michelle Smith

Ichi the Witch, Vol. 1 | By Osamu Nishi and Shiro Usazaki | Viz Media – The most recent breakout hit from Shonen Jump, I was wary of this at first because “only women can become witches, but we are Shonen Jump, so now a guy is a witch” made me raise an eyebrow. But it’s handled so well, and all the characters are delightful. Plus the amazing art is from the artist behind act-age, and I’m so happy to see her recovering from that minefield and getting a real success. Ichi is very much a Jump guy, and I like him, but I’m really here for Desscaras, the arrogant, eccentric witch who ends up having to take him under her wing, and is simply a delightful bitch, in the best way. I do think that I might enjoy this better in volume form, so I eagerly look forward to the second book. – Sean Gaffney

Marrying the Dark Knight (for Her Money), Vol. 1 | By Suoh and Sometime | Kodansha – As you’d expect, a lot of the reason to read this yuri title is it’s funny. Clarice is trying to save her ailing sister and decides to marry the terrifying armored Dark Knight, who in fact is a woman concealing her identity. Initially deciding to simply kill Clarice, as it turns out Frost is easily susceptible to good food, good chess playing, and not being treated like a terrifying monster. Which is good, as her staff has all resigned bar a few maids, so Clarice needs to make life better around here fast or she’s never going to get that money. Clarice is the main reason to read this, as she’s fun and the money-grubbing is clearly for a good cause. She’s also clearly attracted to her “husband,” so I hope that develops soon as well. – Sean Gaffney

My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 15 | By Shinichi Fukuda| Square Enix Manga – (This is based on a review copy from the publisher.) The big climax of the series turns out to have been in the previous volume, and this one is mostly just wrapping things up. It turns out that Gojo and Marin’s friends ARE surprised—they thought they’d already been dating for a long time. The surprise is that they weren’t. We get an extended scene with Marin’s dad, who Gojo worries is going to be a big scary dad but is a pushover, really. We get cute out the wazoo. And we get a flashforward to the future, showing the couple with their kid. Sadly, the series does not give us the extended first time that the fans were craving but that’s what fanfic is for. An excellent manga, with a pretty good ending. – Sean Gaffney

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 17 | By Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa | Ghost Ship – As always lately, there’s one new girlfriend here, Nekonari Tama, whom Rentaro discovers in an abandoned box, and who resolves to live her life as a cat. As you’d expect with this series, it’s both a very silly bit and also grounded in genuine character, as Tama has decided life as a socially awkward human is far too difficult. Elsewhere, we meet Karane’s family, which consists entirely of tsunderes, including the baby and the pet. Karane turns out to be worrying their child will end up like her, which leads to the realization that yes, these girls are all going to marry Rentaro (and each other) someday. This remains the best polycule comedy there is. – Sean Gaffney

Short Game: Mitsuru Adachi’s High School Baseball Collection | By Mitsuru Adachi | DENPA – I was excited to learn this collection was coming out, but now that I’ve read it, I’m underwhelmed. There are five stories of substance here, interspersed with unfunny gag strips, and they’re similar in that they don’t include much in the way of actual baseball. The absence is especially felt in the first story, “Relief,” in which a pitcher sidelined by injury since middle school gets his second chance, except that this occurs entirely off-camera! Some plot points recur, too, like a girl who’s in love with an unassuming guy or an error that cost a team their chance at Koshien. I liked best “Over the Fence,” about a team unknowingly giving their fathers another chance at baseball glory, and was irritated the most by “Team Reunion,” in which Adachi’s idea of humor is to never show the face of an overweight female character. Wow. Hilarious. – Michelle Smith

They Are Still Being Shaken This Morning, Vol. 1 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. The premise is terrific. A boy and a girl sit next to each other on the train, but are far too shy to interact. The manga is from the POV of the other riders, for whom this is their daily soap opera, and they’re desperately rooting for the couple to get together. It’s a great one-shot, and indeed the first chapter is great. But it continues. By the end of the book, when we’ve already had to cameo the cast of My Monster Secret (the author’s other series), I really wanted to see some progress, even though I know the whole point of a series like this is that there is no progress. It’s cute for those who love blushing teens, but don’t expect anything but the blushing. – Sean Gaffney

The Tanaka Family Reincarnates, Vol. 6

by

By Choko and kaworu. Released in Japan as “Tanaka-ke, Tensei Suru” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sasha Schiller.

Haaaah. Did I say the 5th volume was Part 1 of 2? Try Part 1 of 3. That said, a lot of what was potentially horrible was taken care of in this volume, and for once it was not directly due to Emma and her family. Though you could argue they did it indirectly. It’s also a great example of how this series can have drama, with real consequences, and then turn on a dime and have the most hilarious bullshit imaginable. The first prince returns from the West, and there’s something… off about him. The Queen can tell something’s wrong, but can’t prove it, and everyone else thinks that things are absolutely fine. But then, he talks to Rose, the king’s concubine who we remember from previous volumes… and doesn’t stare at her enormous breasts. And this fact is SO mind-boggling that everyone immediately gets on board with him being compromised and starts to investigate. The sublime and the ridiculous are married in this series, ad it makes things even funnier, as it takes the edge off the fact that there’s about to be a war.

Emma is back at school, despite most of the student body convinced that she’s dying due to being Too Frail For Words. And just in time, as they’re all going on a field trip to view monsters in the forest, an incredibly dangerous foray that few usually do… except not only are all three Stewarts going, but so are all of Emma’s besties. Naturally the rest of the student body falls into line, including Edward and Arthur… and the King, who has somehow managed to finagle himself onto this so he can see what monsters are really like. What they all find is that this is all part of a crafty plan the Western Empire have been doing to invade and wipe out the kingdom, something unheard of in an age where all nations unite to fight monsters. Is it already… too late?

Lest you think that there’s not enough of Emma being a disaster here, think again. One of the big emotional climaxes also balances between trying to bring the King, who is out of his mind due to being covered with monster blood (which acts like a drug), back to his senses, and also trying to feel the King up because Emma is a giant pervert who loves middle-aged dudes. That said, it’s not ALL laughs. The invasion is very real, and while Juana feels bad about it she is also very dedicated to firing the cannons that will lead to mass death in the capital… death that does not happen thanks to the cats and bugs playing a giant game of “hit the cannonball”. And of course the book ends with the Western Empire sending in very dangerous monsters, which make even the Stewarts act seriously as opposed to just seeing them as food and/or goods. By the end of this book, we’re still about to be at war.

So yeah, things look bad, but they’ve already solved most of the really dangerous issues, and I’ve no doubt that Book 7 will be really silly. Let’s just remember the lesson learned from this volume: no man can resist looking at a pair of really exceptional tits. Unless they’re mind-controlled.