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Haibara’s Teenage New Game+, Vol. 7

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By Kazuki Amamiya and Gin. Released in Japan as “Haibara-kun no Tsuyokute Seishun New Game” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Esther Sun.

One of the things that folks tend to forget about teenage years as they grow older is how wonderful, how absolutely cathartic it can be to see your friends, your pals, those you are closest to and hang out with all the time, be complete and utter dipshits and make the worst choices imaginable. Not in a dangerous and life-threatening way – I don’t mean “I’m gonna take heroin” or that jazz. No, I mean things like “hey, I bet I can eat all these hot pockets in one go” or “I wonder how far I can go if I went down this steep slope on a garbage can lid?”. Dumb teen stuff. So when the cast here try to work out how to get Reita to listen to them and not throw away his entire life, Natsuki is the one who understands: we need to do the dumbest thing. Only that can save us. And it does, of course, because they’re teens, and also because this is a romcom.

Reita’s been suspended for a week for getting into a fight outside school. What’s more, there’s a video uploaded to social media of the fight, which is clearly staged BY Reita to destroy his own reputation. Everyone tries to get him to open up, and they all fail – he is really, really determined to throw himself under the bus. A visit to his home gives Natsuki some answers, but not many – home life not the best. But there has to be something there that’s more than just “I wasn’t thinking about Miori, I am a terrible person”. This also isn’t helping Miori much either – her reputation is not in the dirt anymore, but that’s because Reita is trying to say he forced her to do everything. Can Natsuki come up with a plan to solve everything in one go? See above re: dumb things.

Obviously Reita is the bulk of the book, but there is also the traditional romcom that is the reason you’re reading this. I appreciate that Natsuki and Hikari are dating and yet there’s still an acknowledgement that Natsuki also has feelings for Uta and Miori – in fact, as Hikari points out, right now his feelings for Miori are probably greater. But all of that is irrelevant – it has to be. Yes, he can’t let go of those feelings so easily. But he can reject the others girls and dedicate himself to dating Hikari, which he has done. The last part of the book is a classic Christmas Eve date, and it ends with a big ol’ confession and kiss. I will admit that sometimes this series is a bit too fastball-down-the-middle – Natsuki’s rainbow colored life feels a little too easy – but then again, he already suffered in his first life. And he did get the crap beaten out of him in this book. It evens out.

We’re caught up with Japan again – Book 8 is out early next year – so how things go from here is unknown. I can’t see this series going on too much longer, though. But it’s good overdramatic stuff.

You Are My Regret, Vol. 3

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By Shimesaba and Ui Shigure. Released in Japan as “Kimi wa Boku no Regret” by Dash X Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andria McKnight.

Generally speaking I don’t really pay much attention to the color pages of a book when I’m writing my review, as they rarely affect it one way or another. I glanced back at the color pages for this third volume of You Are My Regret, though, and I almost laughed out loud – definitely the only time I did that while reading this overwrought, dramatic book. The cover is absolutely an advertisement for the content within, showing Risa, with her box cutter, in front of a garage door covered in graffiti. Then you get to the color inserts… And they’re Ai and Kaoru in “cute romcom girls” poses, all three pictures, with none of the other characters, as if this is a standard “who will he choose” series. And, I mean, I *guess* that’s what it is in a shallow way, but really, this is a “he fixes them” series. The romance is secondary and irrelevant. Why we’re here is to see Yuzuru try to communicate with people until they give in.

It’s summer vacation, and everyone’s going to the beach, giving us the opportunity to get in at least a little bit of the love triangle in this book. But Sousuke, who’s in love with Ai but has already accepted that she’s over the moon for Yuzuru, has a bigger issue. Risa, who we met in the second volume, used to play the bass, and she was fantastic, until one day she quit and refused to ever play music again… and this is also when she started to cut herself. The culture festival is coming up after summer break, and Sousuke wants to have everyone form a band and get Risa to play with them… but she rejects him, and the rejections get harsher as the book goes on. Can Yuzuru figure out what’s really going on here and manage to heal Risa’s traumatized heart?

First of all, much to my relief, Risa does not fall in love with Yuzuru as well in this book, so the love triangle remains a love triangle. Secondly, there is a rather annoying mystery. The premise of the mystery relies on everyone BUT Yuzuru, who it’s repeatedly says doesn’t watch TV or pay any attention to things besides books, to know Risa’s tragic backstory… and NOT tell him, because the point of the book is that it’s a mystery for he and the reader to work out. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for at least Kaoru or Misuzu (a mutual friend of Sousuke and Risa) to explain what actually happened. I suppose the incident is so horrific that they’re remaining quiet so as not to shame her, but come on, this girl is cutting herself to escape her own pain. Tell Yuzuru, who’s good at getting to the heart of the matter, why that is.

This book ends with a nasty cliffhanger that promises the next book will remain a drama-filled potboiler… except the last book was out in Japan in May 2022. So, well, that’s it, maybe? Read it if you love TEEN ANGST to the nth degree.

I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Vol. 15

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By Kisetsu Morita and Benio. Released in Japan as “Slime Taoshite 300 Nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level MAX ni Nattemashita” by GA Novels. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Tristan Hill.

This one was scheduled for the summer but got delayed several months, possibly duie to the change in translators we see with this book. Honestly, I’m not too sure it’s a bad thing. As a book series that is supposed to have plot and characterization and an endpoint in sight, this is a failure. This series would run away screaming from actual drama. But I think it’s best if I try to think of it as music. Let’s say you buy a 90s house compilation on CD. You want variations on a basic concept, that concept being 90s house. It should not stray far at all from that core concept, because that is why you bought the CD. Likewise, if people want more drama in their slow life, go read Kuma Bear, which is perhaps one step up from this. This is only the fluff, only the slice-of-life. As such, it’s perfectly fine. It gives you 6 main tracks on the CD, as well as 2 bonus CD remixes that you can skip.

The six main stories: 1) Beelzebub takes the cast to meet a group of living monoliths, as well as their Elder monolith, who houses… well, a big surprise; 2) After hearing that there’s an area of the desert where there are no slimes, curiosity has Azusa and company try to see why, and they find out that they really hate the heat; 3) After Halkara and Laika both discover that this year is unlucky for them, Azusa meets up with a new god, who explains how fate works in this world; 4) Falfa, Shalsha, and Sandra try to discover when Azusa’s birthday is, and then proceed to go on a journey to get her the perfect birthday present (Azusa secretly follows them); 5) The world’s worst thief returns, having been hired to go to a museum that has one of her targets and get rid of the mimics living there; 6) everyone goes to meet a famous hermit, and finds that trying to live up to expectations can be really embarrassing.

There’s also the 2 CD drama scripts. In the first, Falfa and Shalsha try to figure out who hit Halkara over the head with a massive metal jar (knowing Halkara’s proclivities might help get them the answer), allowing them to act like they’re in Case Closed, and in the other, Laika worries that she’s training the same way each time, and meets with each of the rest of the cast to try to figure out how to expand her boundaries. These both suffer greatly from being unable to hear them – they’re written for audio, and it shows. As for the rest of the book, well, it has what you’d expect. Lots of found family, lots of Azusa tsukkomi responses, lots of Laika having a massive crush on Azusa without any danger of it coming to anything. This is more than slow life, it’s almost no life. It does add a mimic to the cast… but we’ll need to wait till the 16th book to find out anything about her.

But it’s still relaxing, and still likeable, and yeah, I’ll likely grump about 16 as well.

Manga the Week of 11/27/24

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SEAN: Let’s all give thanks for manga!

ASH: Thanks!

SEAN: No debuts for Yen On, but we do see Astrea Record: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Tales of Heroes 3 (the final volume), The Detective Is Already Dead 9, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady 8, and Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- 26.

Yen Press has one new title. April Showers Bring May Flowers (Busu ni Hanataba wo) is a seinen romance from Young Ace. An unpopular girl is caught one day by the class hottie when she’s in the classroom by herself “pretending to be a heroine”. Now he’s promising to support her with everything he’s got?

ASH: Sounds like it could be cute!

SEAN: Also from Yen Press: Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition 3 (the final volume), Aria of the Beech Forest 2, Bocchi the Rock! 5, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 8, CLAMP Premium Collection Tokyo Babylon 5, GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! 2, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love 2, In Another World with My Smartphone 13, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Episode Freya 4, She Likes Gays, but Not Me 3 (the final volume), and A Sinner of the Deep Sea 2.

ASH: A good reminder that I should read the first volume…

SEAN: Viz Media has JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 6–Stone Ocean 7 and a huge 584-page hardcover omnibus, Kiki’s Delivery Service Film Comic: All-in-One Edition.

ASH: That is rather large!

SEAN: From Tokyopop we get Boys Gilding the Lily Shall Die!? 2, Lullaby of the Dawn 2, and My Beautiful Man 2.

Square Enix debuts Always a Catch!: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince (Nigashita Sakana wa Ookikatta ga, Tsuriageta Sakana ga Ookisugita Ken). Based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel, it’s about a girl who spent her childhood learning martial arts now finding that all the bachelors are taken. Can a different kingdom help her find her true love?… wait, broken engagement? Huh? This runs in Manga Up!.

ASH: Okay, this is exactly the sort of ridiculous premise I can get behind.

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts a manga whose light novel came out digitally just last week. Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud Of It)! (Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)! @COMIC) is a Comic Corona title adapting the comedy OP maid novel.

Todai Revengers is a parody spinoff of Tokyo Revengers which runs in Magazine Pocket.

The third debut is Wild Roses and Pretenders (Nobara to Pretender), a BL title from Magazine Be x Boy. A man, trying to support his sickly mother, becomes a manservant to a Lord. Unfortunately, the Lord wants to avoid getting married, so demands his new manservant pose as his male lover!

ASH: That always goes well.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 6, Black Night Parade 5, CANDY AND CIGARETTES 10, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 9, The Dungeon of Black Company 11, Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! 7, I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl 7, I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! 5, Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate It in a Different World 6, and Otonari Complex 2.

MICHELLE: I need to get on the Otonari Complex train before it leaves me behind.

SEAN: One Peace Books has a 10th manga volume of The Reprise of the Spear Hero.

Kodansha Books debuts Shimazaki in the Land of Peace (Heiwa no Kuni no Shimazaki e), a Weekly Morning title about a boy who was kidnapped and forced to join a revolutionary army. Now, thirty years later, he’s free and returns to Japan… can he really go back to an ordinary life? Despite sounding like Full Metal Panic!, this is apparently quite serious.

ANNA: Interesting.

SEAN: Also from Kodansha: The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor 2 (the final volume), EDENS ZERO 30, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 20, I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 2, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 18, and Ninja Vs. Gokudo 4.

ASH: Oh, I had somehow forgotten about Arslan.

SEAN: Digitally we see The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses 15, A Couple of Cuckoos 20, and Gamaran: Shura 26.

J-Novel Club has one debut. Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain (Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita) is about a noble girl who is ridiculed for her outdated fashion and heavy makeup. But she’s really sweet. She goes to a ball in a last ditch attempt to get a man, and meets the fiance of the princess… right before the princess breaks off her engagement, branding him a villain! Nice reversal.

They’ve also got the 2nd The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode?! manga volume, Black Summoner 19, the 4th Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- manga volume, the 5th D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared manga volume, the 4th Duchess in the Attic manga volume, Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars 4, I Parry Everything 7, In Another World With My Smartphone 30, Management of a Novice Alchemist 3, and the 3rd My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World manga volume.

Hanashi Media has the 4th volume of Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy.

Ghost Ship gives us Ayakashi Triangle 12 and The Witches of Adamas 9.

And for mature Seven Seas titles, we see Hate Me, but Let Me Stay 2 and You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post – Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen 2.

ASH: Speaking of ridiculous premises, really do need to give that one a try at some point.

SEAN: Cross Infinite World debuts How I Became King by Eating Monsters (Monster no Niku wo Kutteitara Oui ni Tsuita Ken). A young prince is at constant risk of assassination… mostly from the prime minister… and so goes out to hunt his own food. There he meets an eccentric swordswoman who tells him that eating monsters makes you stronger!

ASH: Makes sense!

SEAN: Also from CIW: The Former Assassin Who Got Reincarnated as a Noble Girl 2, Soup Forest: The Story of the Woman Who Speaks with Animals and the Former Mercenary 2, and Third Loop: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor 3.

Airship, in print, gives us the debut of Mushoku Tensei: Redundant Reincarnation (Mushoku Tensei: Dasoku-hen), the “after story” to the main series.

And they have Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 7.

And the early digital debut is A Tale of the Secret Saint ZERO (Tenseishita Daiseijo wa, Seijo de Aru Koto wo Hitakakusu Zero), the story of Princess Serafina’s adventures 300 years before being reincarnated as Fia.

Hope none of these mangas are turkeys!

Dagashi-ya Yahagi: Setting Up a Sweets Shop in Another World, Vol. 2

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By Bunzaburou Nagano and Neruzo Nemaki. Released in Japan as “Dagashiya Yahagi: Isekai ni Shutten Shimasu” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Mizuki Sakamoto.

I always feel a little awkward when I’m reviewing these slow life titles, because I inevitably feel like I’m picking on them. Most of this volume consists of the slow life stuff itself, and it’s fine. I enjoyed it. There’s lots of selling new snacks with odd status buffs, or accidentally giving the gnomes their legendary armor. Meryl is funny, we actually learn a bit about Mira’s family. My favorite part was when the three of them set out to track some monsters that have big treasure chests in their lair, take out the monsters, and actually get the treasure, which does indeed have so much money that even Meryl puts most of it into savings in the bank. The trouble is there’s very little to actually review about slow life. So I have to look for other things to talk about. And frankly, those things are less enjoyable. Ah well. At least we got to see Meryl’s hilariously bad luck a few more times.

After the events of the last book, Chichi is in prison, and Yahagi and Michelle are living a happy if still chaste cohabitational life. Yahagi has realized that, for some reason (honestly, it sort of beggars belief), no one has tried to map the dungeon, so he sets out to try to do so, selling them to adventurers as he completes floors. Also, his stand is now definitely a shop, complete with a living space at the back, much to Michelle’s delight. He’s also discovered that he now has actual magic! And not just his Dagashi-ya magic either. Unfortunately, Chichi is not going to simply sit back and accept being imprisoned. She’s got a plan to escape and get her revenge on her sister and Yahagi…

So, in reverse order from least annoying to most annoying. 1) like a lot of light novel folks, our hero and heroine seem to think that the only sex they can have is the missionary kind that runs the risk of pregnancy, so all they do is kiss and cuddle. I urge them to remember there are other ways to express physical love. 2) Yahagi learns a spell that allows him clairvoyance, to the point where he can even search backwards in time, but it gives him mild to mid-range heart attacks. ARE YOU KIDDING? I hope this is dealt with in later books, but dude, stop giving yourself heart attacks and then NOT TELLING ANYONE. 3) the main redemption arc in this book was carried out through the use of mind-control snacks that charm you into falling in love with someone if used too often (they literally say this), and also having the evil buffed out of you by an angel from heaven so that you’re no longer a main antagonist. I can’t even begin to say how annoyed I was with that whoooole subplot.

But, other than that, it was fine. I’ll read the next one. I would sum it up as “mid (affectionate), with a slight side of mid (derogatory)”.

From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!, Vol. 2

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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.

As folks may know, I tend to pay attention to publishers a bit more than is normal. I have my favorites, and I have those where I always say “uh oh” (looking at you, GC Novels). Generally speaking I tend to really enjoy TO Books releases. They do Ascendance of a Bookworm, and Tearmoon Empire. They’re solid. And, like most LN publishers these days, they take the webnovel that’s already published online, have the author revise and add a few scenes to it, and publish it. What makes TO Books different from, say, Hobby Japan is that the cutoff point for where to end a book is much longer for them. To put it bluntly, these books are too dang long. Even the shortest of them usually top out at 260-270 pages, and most can get in the 350 range. And when you’re reading a book that’s doing obvious things, like this one, it can get exhausting.

Everything that Elizabeth has been changing herself for has finally arrived at school: the heroine is here. Lilia has transferred in, and she has Saint powers. Now all Elizabeth has to do is cut off everyone else’s romance routes and seduce her. Well, friendship her. Elizabeth doesn’t want an actual romance route or anything, she just wants to block the “otome game” from running down its rails. However, when Lilia arrives, Elizabeth is in for a shock: she’s clearly ALSO reincarnated from Japan, and is trying herself to hit those routes… and rather puzzled that she has run into this hunk rather than the sickly Prince Edward. Now Elizabeth has to try to step up her seduction while also dealing with a Lilia who has no idea what she should be doing now. Perhaps… it’s time to give up the act?

The best part of this book is the relationship between Elizabeth and Lilia… eventually. That’s what I meant about these books being too long. Though in this case it actually works in the book’s favor, as all the character development is towards the end of the volume. Lilia is written well – she’s not an “evil” heroine, and she’s not a BL fangirl who will love all the guys swooning over the “handsome” Sir Burton – she’s a girl who found herself in this role and is trying to survive while being rather annoyed and also depressed over how everyone forgives her everything because she’s cute. Yes, she DOES find out Elizabeth is really a girl, and it does lead to a brief fight. But just as Elizabeth realizes she’s been too wedded to trying to stop the game she’s forgotten to treat everyone as people, Lilia realizes that just because she’s the heroine doesn’t mean she has to romance one of the targets. The book ends with Elizabeth admitting she’s also from Japan, and Lilia doubling down and saying she has fallen in love with her and will seduce her. Now, this isn’t a yuri book, quite – Lilia seems very happy the game is Rated “T” so she doesn’t have to do any of the ICKY lesbian stuff – but Lilia seems quite happy with her bisexual awakening.

Elizabeth’s ethics are questionable – she’s no Katarina in that respect – and she’s even MORE oblivious than Katarina at times, who I think at least might recognize the voice of her own fiancee – but I still like this enough to recommend it. Also, she fights a massive bear.

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 1

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By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

It could be argued that I’m reading too many of these sorts of books. Because, not to spoil something you should be used to by now, but there’s an otome game in this novel, and a villainess. We have definitely hit the point where we’ve got burned-out fans, especially as we’re now getting at least an anime a season with that premise. And yet, I persevere. Because sometimes I get something as completely batshit as this book, whose heroine starts out OP in Japan and only gets worse when she’s reincarnated, who can accidentally solve the entire premise of the otome game she’s been reincarnated in without realizing it, who is secretly the daughter of a noble and already has a love interest who is tortured because he can’t reveal that. And the reason he can’t reveal it is that her one goal in life is to be a maid. The BEST MAID EVER. And nobility will, frankly, just get in the way of that goal.

Ritsuko was an incredibly talented child in Japan. So talented she grew jaded… until she discovered MAIDS. The concept of maids fascinated her and became her obsession, to the point where she traveled to England to become a maid… or at least, she would have if not for that plane crash. She’s reborn as Celesty, a silver-haired girl in a small village, and lives a normal life… until her mother dies, which fills her with grief. On reading a letter from her mother revealing her real past, she suddenly develops magic. Strong magic. Impossibly strong magic… which she quickly manages to hide, because having overflowing strong magic would get in the way of her goal. Instead, she bids farewell to the village and heads off to the big city, where she plans to find work as a maid. Because she is still over the moon about maids, no matter what the world.

So as you likely gathered, this is a broad comedy. It’s at its best when it’s leaning into its genre and feels like a deconstruction. Celesty (who quickly changes her name to Melody, which she’ll be going by from now on) is not the only person on that plane crash who was reincarnated. Yes, there’s a villainess as well, and she’s trying to change her fate, along with her “not my boyfriend” who in this world is the crown prince and “not my fiancee”. They’re in a standard otome game light novel, but unfortunately for them Melody is not a standard heroine, and they spend most of the book panicking that the plot has gone off the rails. There’s also a narrator who is quite happy to point out that Melody’s maid-obsessed head is mostly full of air, and they seem borrowed from Tearmoon Empire. Oh yes, and all the girls in this series seem to be bi, despite the chance of yuri being zero. They’re just all really attracted to pretty girls. I can roll with that.

If you’re not yet tired of these sorts of books, this is a winner. It’s funny, knows its genre, and loves maids. Also, it has a cute puppy! OK, sort of a puppy. You’ll see what I mean when you get to it.

The Obsessed Mage and His Beloved Statue Bride: She Cannot Resist His Seductive Voice

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By Crane and Hachi Uehara. Released in Japan as “Yandere Mahoutsukai wa Sekizou no Otome shika Aisenai – Majo wa Manadeshi no Atsui Kuchizuke de Tokeru” by Mitsu Neko Bunko. Released in North America by Steamship. Translated by Molly Lee. Adapted by Kathleen Townsend.

I had to remind myself a lot while reading this that I am not the intended audience for this sort of book. Not only is this an erotic light novel written for women (which is why it’s in the Steamship line rather than Airship), but it’s for women who see the word “Yandere” in the Japanese title and go “oh hell yes!”. In that sense, they absolutely get what they want, as Alistair starts the book off as a 12-year-old bratty yandere with tremendous magic power and a lust for his mage mentor, and ends the book as a 32-year-old yandere who really has not changed a bit. There is a brief scene where we see that he apparently really did do good things in the 20 years in between because he believes in those values, and not just to get into Lara’s pants. Which is good, as that’s really the only scene. I won’t get into what he does to the statue in the interim.

Lara is a low-level mage with not a lot of power but a lot of precision and one really neat trick. She’s told to mentor Alistair, a young boy whose magical power is off the charts and who was abused so much as a child that he not only murdered his parents but also the entire mountainside they were on was destroyed. Fortunately, Lara is a big sweetie pie. Actually, to be honest, Lara is a bit of a saint. And a doormat. Nevertheless, for four years, she trains Alistair and thinks of him as a little brother, ignoring that he’s hopelessly in love with her. Unfortunately, they run across a dragon, and he’s badly injured. Telling him to live on, she draws the dragon away and seemingly sacrifices herself… but in fact her one cool trick is that she can turn herself to unbreakable stone to protect herself. Twenty years pass, and now her stone body comes back to life… but what’s with this hottie?!?

So yeah, if, after reading that description, you went “ergh” a bit, I don’t blame you. This relies on “reverse age gap” romance as its main thing, and if that squicks you, don’t read it. As for the sex, unlike the other Steamship light novel, this does prioritize the plot – somewhat. That said, when the sex comes, there’s quite a bit of it, and most of it kind of consensual, in a romance novel sort of way. I will admit that hearing that men found “nothing sexier than a woman with big tits and a baby face” makes me wonder if this book was trying to draw in male readers as well – Lara is certainly a male fantasy sort, being super nice and caring, has super low self-esteem, and of course is very easily aroused. The main “plot” takes a back seat to their romance, which dominates the book, as you’d expect, though I was amused by her mentor and his wife, who Alistair is insanely jealous of, because see: yandere. Honestly, given how they both treat her, he’s right to be jealous.

In any case, if you’re looking for a romance with sex in it, make sure you fit the narrow demographic this book is in. If you’re in that demographic, it’s fine.

The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged, Vol. 2

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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 can be very difficult to combine comedic stuff with serious stuff in the same series, and frequently the balance is off in some way or another. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised by this second volume of Hero and Sage, which I enjoyed more than the first. For the most part this is content to show our lead couple being ridiculously flirty and at ease with each other, and it’s also not afraid to go full on silly with scenes such as Kristia, the nation’s princess and Eluria’s childhood friend, forcing Raid to participate in a game show to determine who loves her best. But it also has a serious core, as the two of them are trying to work out why she died in the past and who is trying to kill her in the present. And then there’s the entire subplot with Lufus, which is almost all serious and made me wonder if this fluffy series might actually kill a cute kid off.

After the events of the first book, The Magicians’ Association really, really want to expel Raid, but can’t find a good enough reason to, so he is neither rewarded not punished. That said, there are exams coming up, and they will make sure to make them extra impossible for him to do. In the meantime, those exams will happen with the rest of their core team… including Fareg, whose flunkies are still on medical leave, so he needs to be part of their group. They also meet Lufus, the young redhead who was briefly seen in the first book. She’s very proud of her skysteel dragon, Lafika, but more importantly, she can apparently summon four Guardian dragons, which is very unusual. In fact, a bit too unusual. And when Raid and Eluria discover Lufus’ mother is Very Disappointed with her, they realize that things may be more dangerous and potentially tragic than they expected.

I mentioned in my review of the first book that Eluria’s new best friend Millis is comic relief – she even calls herself comic relief – so I was relieved to see that, appropriately, that’s not ALL she is. When she busts out her inscribing skills halfway through the book I was waiting for the punchline, but no, it’s just something that a lot of college kids have dealt with: just because you’re fantastic at something doesn’t mean you want it to be your career. Millis wants to be a magician. And from what we see in the exam, she’s very good at it (after having the crap beaten out of her by Raid and Eluria as part of training). Likewise, Kristia is introduced as a big goofy joke, which lasts just long enough to be funny and then is replaced with an interesting revelation and also shows us how much of this is a deliberate act. This is what I meant by the comedy and drama being well balanced.

The cliffhanger is 100% making me thing “child from the future”, but that’s the third book’s problem. In the meantime, this book is fun and cute – mostly.

A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady, Vol. 3

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By Mashimesa Emoto and Kasumi Nagi. Released in Japan as “Slime Taikō to Botsuraku Reijō no Angai Shiawase na Konyaku” by HJ Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Minna Lin.

I get the feeling there’s another story that we’re missing here, especially towards the end. I remember when I was reading Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter and we took two books to learn about her mother’s backstory. Maybe we need that sort of thing here, because all of a sudden Slime Duke is feeling like a sequel series to the main one that starred Adele, a villainess who was shunned by her fiancee and moved to another kingdom, only for the Emperor’s son to fall in love with her. Then we get this series, which is about what happened to the main character’s younger sister, who was always worried about but never actually seen in the main series. Now, as far as I know that’s not what actually happened, I think this is indeed the main series. But it also possibly explains why I’ve found this series a bit mid-tier when it comes to Japanese romances, especially Japanese romances with slimes. Best duck romance, though.

It’s time for Gabriel and Francette’s wedding, and we spend the entire book getting there. There are two main worries. First, they want her wedding dress to have fancy pearls, and unfortunately the country that gave everyone fancy pearls is having a shortage due to the royal relatives being toxic jerks. So the two of them decide to try and make their own pearls in Gabriel’s land… but this proves easier said than done. Secondly, Francette’s mother and sister will be coming to the wedding, and she’s very worried about finally seeing them, especially since she really did not tell them “by the way, I’m now living in poverty in a slum”, which is where she was at the start of the series. Fortunately, their reunion works out. Unfortunately, we then get a wacky sibling switch leading to a less wacky kidnapping.

I’m used to dealing with heroines with a sense of self-esteem so low it’s on the floor, but this is a rare series where the entire family suffers from this problem. Everyone is very quick to credit everyone else for all the solutions to life’s problems. That said, those crediting Francette are more right than others, as she really pulls off a lot here. That said, the solution on how to make the pearls is one that I was expecting to be the FIRST thing they tried, so it felt a bit underwhelming to come up with it after exhausting everything else. Second, we get a second absentee dad, though at least the series tries to explain how it’s walking a fine line between “they should be allowed to love life the way they want” and “that doesn’t mean they’re forgiven”. And, as noted, I want to read Adele’s story. And Emilia’s, to be honest. Probably more than Francette’s.

This is the final volume, so well done. At least we’ll always have the attack duck.

Manga the Week of 11/20/24

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SEAN: November continues to be Almost Christmas.

ASH: So close and yet so far away.

SEAN: Airship has a print bonanza, as we see The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 9, The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 3, Loner Life in Another World 10, Survival in Another World with My Mistress! 7, and Too Many Losing Heroines! 2.

ASH: Always love a plethora of print.

SEAN: And the early digital releases are Reincarnated Into a Game as the Hero’s Friend: Running the Kingdom Behind the Scenes 3 and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 8.

I missed this last week, so already out is The Complete Poe Clan: The ’70s from Fantagraphics, a repackaging of the two hardcover releases in a nice box. Highly recommended for any student of manga.

ASH: Oh! I had missed that, too! I love that this series is available in English.

ANNA: Ooh, I think I got the first volume but not the second.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us 2.5 Dimensional Seduction 12 and Ero Ninja Scrolls 7

For mature Seven Seas titles, there’s a debut, The Second Alpha (2ban-me no Alpha), a BL title from Be x Boy Omegaverse. (Should I classify Omegaverse as BL, or is it a separate genre by now?) A man finds his destined omega, and they have sex after said omega goes into heat. Unfortunately, said omega is also married?

ASH: It’s definitely its own sub-genre at the very least.

SEAN: We also see Remnants of Filth: Yuwu 5.

J-Novel Club has 3 print titles: Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing 6, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 6, and Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire 4.

Debuting digitally from J-Novel Club is Dimension Wave, from the creator of Shield Hero but apparently far less emo. A young man’s sisters win a ticket to the debut of a popular VRMMO, and give one to him. But he’s been tricked – his character is a girl! Oh well – it’s time to fish and enjoy the slow life.

J-Novel Club also gives us Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig 5, Dagashi-ya Yahagi: Setting Up a Sweets Shop in Another World 2, From Desk Job to Death Beam: In Another World with My Almighty Lasers 2, From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress! 2, Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ 7, I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic 4, Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! 9, the 3rd The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World manga volume, and Zilbagias the Demon Prince: How the Seventh Prince Brought Down the Kingdom 3.

ASH: That’s a decent amount.

SEAN: Kaiten Books has a digital volume, Loner Life in Another World 11.

No debuts for Kodansha. In print, we see Grand Blue Dreaming 20, Suzume 2, To Your Eternity 21, and Vampire Dormitory 12.

ASH: I’ve been collecting To Your Eternity but need to make the point to actually catch up on reading it.

SEAN: Digitally we see And Yet, You Are So Sweet 10, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 23, Lightning and Romance 6, Parasyte Reversi 2, and You’re My Cutie 9.

From One Peace Books we see Parallel World Pharmacy 6.

Seven Seas debuts a manhua based on a danmei novel, but for once it doesn’t seem to be supernatural. I Ship My Rival x Me stars two actors who find that A03 is doing some RL shipping of them! (OK, it’s probably not explicitly AO3.) Are the shippers onto something?

ASH: Could be!

SEAN: We also see Yes, No, or Maybe? (Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka), the manga adaptation of the BL light novel also released by Seven Seas. It runs in Dear+.

ASH: I feel like I read that one; did I read that one?

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Citrus+ 6, Gravitation: Collector’s Edition 3, The Ideal Sponger Life 17, The Lady and Her Butler 2, Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me 2, and Reborn as a Barrier Master 7.

Square Enix debuts Dragon and Chameleon (Ryuu to Cameleon), a Gangan Joker title. A veteran manga artist ends up switching bodies with a bitter, untalented rookie. Now he’s got to work his way back up to the summit.

ASH: Hate when that happens.

ANNA: It sounds complicated!

SEAN: Also from Square Enix: Just Like Mona Lisa 3 and The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love 3.

Steamship has a 2nd volume of Alpha Wolfgirl x Omega Wolfboy.

Tokyopop debuts a villainess light novel that spawned the manga they’ve already been releasing, Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry (Oujo Denka wa Oikari no You desu). A talented young woman, after losing her family to war, takes her own life… and wakes up a thousand years later in the body of a pathetic villainess type who’s being cheated on. What’s worse, the magic 1000 years later is TERRIBLE.

There’s also an award-winning one shot, A Smart and Courageous Child (Kashikokute Yuuki Aru Kodomo), which ran in Torch. A young couple are happily awaiting their child, when suddenly, days from birth, the mother hears about the assassination attempt of Malala Yousafzai and goes into shock. Can her husband be there for her? This is an experimental manga with rave reviews.

ASH: A well-received experimental manga, you say?

ANNA: Alright!

SEAN: This Reincarnated Countess Is Trying to Escape From Her Prince (Tensei Hakushaku Reijo wa Oji-sama kara Nigedashitai) is a manga based on an as yet unlicensed light novel. A princess awakens to her past Japanese memories, and realizes she’s got a horribly tragic and awful life ahead if she marries the prince. Solution: Don’t marry the prince. HOWEVER…

They’ve also got Let’s Eat Together, Aki and Haru 2.

Debuting from Udon is Ottoman: Henshin Hero Husband, a Weekly Young Jump title. A salaryman is infected by an alien… but that’s OK, as his wife is in danger from the forces of evil! He and the alien will have to join forces to win.

Udon also has My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex 2.

Viz Media debuts After God, an Ura Sunday title about a young woman who gets caught up in the God-Killing Institute’s machinations. (Note: Gods are evil aliens here, think Titans and the like.)

ASH: I’m curious about this one. That cover is very striking.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Asadora! 8, Battle Royale: Enforcers 2, Gokurakugai 3, Hirayasumi 3, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 22, Trillion Game 2, and Twin Star Exorcists 32.

Two debuts from Yen On. Festival of Heresies is a book that I can find almost no information about. It’s a one-shot, but is also the first in the “Sasaki Agency” series. It seems to be horror. A young woman can’t tell the living from the dead, and thus has trouble keeping a job. Her worried brother turns to a mysterious agency…

ASH: Speaking of striking covers; I could pretty easily be convinced to read this.

SEAN: In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love (which I also can find little about) is from the author of Even If This Love Disappears Tonight. It’s one of those “I’m dying, so let me have one last bittersweet teenage love” stories.

Also from Yen On: Classroom for Heroes 3, The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant 3, Days with My Stepsister 4, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 15, Ishura 8, Liar Liar 5, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale 7, The Trials of Chiyodaku 2, The Unimplemented Overlords Have Joined the Party! 3, and You Are My Regret 3.

And Yen Press has a pile. Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring (Shunkashuutou Daikousha – Haru no Mai) is the manga adaptation of the light novel already released by Yen. It runs in LaLa.

MICHELLE: This is the first thing on the list that really made me perk up my ears.

ANNA: Agreed!

SEAN: All or Nothing (Ichika, Bachika) is a one-shot BL title from B’s-LOVEY. Two boys come out and reveal they’re now a couple. And now the other two boys in their friend group are looking at each other and going “hrm”.

Brunhild the Dragonslayer (Ryuugoroshi no Brunhild) is the manga adaptation of the light novel already released by Yen. It runs in Shonen Ace.

Candy: Shou Harusono Art Collection is an artbook from the Sasaki and Miyano creator.

Dracula’s on the Night Shift (Dracula Yakin!) is a one-shot manga that ran in my nemesis, Comic Alive. A vampire who works the graveyard shift at a convenience store comes across a blonde vampire hunter… and now they’re living together?

ANNA: What would happen if Sean’s nemesis Comic Alive was a person, and then they were living together?????

SEAN: …please do not ship me with Comic Alive. This is not Hark! A Vagrant.

mono is a manga from the creator of Laid-Back Camp, and it runs in Manga Time Kirara Carat. Two clubs in danger of shutting down join into one club, and go around taking exciting photographs.

Oshi No Ko also gets an artbook, 1st Illustration Collection: Glare x Sparkle.

Praise Me When I’m a Good Boy (Ii Ko ni Dekitara Hometekure) is a one-shot BL manga from B’s-Lovey Recottia. A submissive teacher whose fiancee just left him tries a dating app, and finds his male dom… is a former student?

The Teen Exorcist (Shounen Onmyouji) is based on an as-yet-unlicensed light novel, and runs in Young Ace. It’s ancient Japan, and our hero, the grandson of Abe no Seimei, wants to surpass him!

The War of Greedy Witches: 32 of the Wickedest Women Duel to the Death (Majo Taisen: 32-nin no Isai no Majo wa Koroshiau) is from the creator of Kakegurui, and runs in Comic Zenon. Do you want a death game tournament battle featuring hot evil women? Starring Jeanne D’Arc? Great news.

Also from Yen: The Abandoned Empress 9 (the final volume), Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra 2, Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture 5, Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology 2, Cheeky Brat 12, Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie 6, Game of Familia 5, I Cannot Reach You 8, I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me 3, I’m Quitting Heroing 7, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 4, In the Land of Leadale 6, K-ON! Shuffle 2, Oshi no Ko 8, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? 6 (the final volume), and Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion 8.

ASH: Is it a Yen week? It doesn’t seem to be enough for a Yen week.

SEAN: It’s a lot! Are you drowning? Did you bother to read to the end?

To Another World… with Land Mines!, Vol. 1

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By Itsuki Mizuho and Nekobyou Neko. Released in Japan as “Isekai Teni, Jirai Tsuki” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Yen-Po Tseng.

Yeah, I know. So I had a brief gap in my insane reading schedule, and a friend had mentioned this series as one I might be interested in circling back to. I had skipped it in 2022 when it came out as I was trying to cut down on isekai stuff. But I’m a big fan of Management of a Novice Alchemist, by the same author, so I figured why not give it a try. And how is it? Well, that’s an interesting question. I think how you feel about it will depend on your answer to the following: Can something be good and yet very boring? If you say no, by definition boring things are bad, then don’t read this series, please move on to something with lots of cool things happening. If your answer is yes, it can be good, it depends on what the author is trying to do and the nature of what is boring, then I think, like me, you’ll get something out of this.

Another reason that I never read this when it first came out in 2022 is that I thought it was gonna be about someone whose skill is explosive mines, kinda like the godawful Death Beam story. It’s not. The land mines are metaphorical. A bus full of students apparently is in a fatal accident (we only hear about this secondhand) and are now meeting with a self-titled “evil god”, who wants to put them all in another world, no reincarnation necessary, and offers then some cool skills. Nao, our POV character, selects the ‘help’ skill in order to help him choose better… and discovers that some of the cooler sounding skills have lethal consequences! Those aren’t cool skills, they’re land mines! (Hence the title). Now he and his best friends Haruka and Touya are in this new world, and are finding that it’s not quite like the light novels said it was.

So this is sort of a combination of “isekais should be more realistic, let everyone grubbily struggle to survive” books with “if *I* was in an isekai I wouldn’t do all those dumb things that make interesting stories, I’d be smart and rational”. You’d expect that at least one of our main protagonists would be a loose cannon to justify the title, but no, we have smart, sensible Haruka, nebbish generiguy Nao, and hotblooded Touya, and even Touya listens to Haruka and does what she says. They don’t get any weapons, and their magic (Haruka and Nao are elves, Touya is a beastman) is either basic or nonexistent, and needs to be learned. They gather. They experiment. It’s interesting as a thought experiment, and I want to see what happens next, but as a book it struggles. Nao is especially weak right now, and I hope he gains character development.

So if you skipped this when it came out, you can probably keep skipping it. But I enjoyed it enough to want to read another one when my schedule is free again.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/12/24

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Blue Box, Vol. 12 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – Of course, I was right. This is the confession volume. But that’s not really a spoiler, because the nature of this book—it’s still half sports, in case anyone has forgotten—is not going to allow it to wrap up here. Indeed, the nature of both their lives and their current living situation means they actually have to hide their budding relationship. Still, just because we know that further complications and torment will be coming along does not mean that we cannot revel in this sweet and earned confession, which ends up being even sooner than either had anticipated thanks to the sort of coincidence that always happens in manga. They’re really good kids, and I’m glad they’re together. Now, let’s have basketball and badminton angst. – Sean Gaffney

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 1 | By Sumiko Arai | Yen Press – The sheer amount of buzz this title got was ridiculous—possibly the most I’ve ever seen for a yuri series—and I am delighted to say that it absolutely lives up to the hype. A trendy high school girl has a crush on the guy who works at her favorite used CD store, who shares her taste in 1990s American rock. What she doesn’t know is that this “guy” is the nerdy girl who sits next to her in class! It’s amazing what a face mask and hoodie can do. Some series play up the handsomeness or beauty of a character and the art never quite captures it. That’s not the case here—Mitsuki is absolutely 100% hot, and you immediately see why Aya falls for her. Add to this the green color scheme, which makes the art pop, and you have a total winner. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 15 | By Sorata Akiduki | Yen Press – Given the type of series we are in, it’s not a big surprise that Ryousuke and Miyako are unsure whether they’re dating, even after a confession. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of wacky gags for them to actually get to the “we *are* dating” point. As for the other couples, situation much the same. Seo and Wakamatsu are sorta kinda there, Hori and Kashima have to deal with an accidental first kiss but can’t help but turn every single event of their lives into theater improv, and Sakura… well, Sakura knows that any resolution for her and Nozaki is going to have to wait till the final chapter of the manga, and at the moment the manga doesn’t show a sign of coming to a close. So Sakura is the same Nozaki-centric stalker we know and love. Worth the wait. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 39 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I have made no secret of the fact that I ship Izuku and Ochako. That said, I’m not militant about it, and this volume isn’t for that pairing, despite Ochako literally saying she loves Izuku out loud. No, this is for the Togachako shippers, and oh my God, what a way to go out. Toxic yuri becomes redemptive but still ultimately doomed yuri, it’s as if he read the minds of all the fans as to their favorite AO3 tags. Oh yes, and in case you don’t care about those three, there’s also the Todorokis, who have their own little doomed but redemptive thing going on, as everyone kills themselves (almost literally) trying to apologize at Dabi harder. So much going on it’s hard to remember that we also get All Might’s powered suit, with its attacks based on 1-A hero names. Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite, Vol. 1 | By Julietta Suzuki | Viz Media – It took a while for me to warm up to this one, as it very much leans hard on the otaku side of the equation at first. This despite the heroine being named “Hina Alucard.” Ironically, whereas a lot of these supernatural series find an innocent human unaware her friend is involved with the supernatural, here Hina is already a vampire, she just doesn’t know that her new best fan friend/possible love interest is already being loved by other vampires and the like. That changes in one scene where one mook tries to kill her off, not realizing that she’s not just ANY vampire. When she points to her feet and says “Now kneel,” I went OK, we’re back, everyone. Definitely want to read more of this, which seems to be very fluffy, as fits its author—with a sharp edge, as fits its author. – Sean Gaffney

Pink & Habanero, Vol. 1 | By Mika Satonaka | Yen Press – Although the premise of this series didn’t immediately grab me, I will pretty much give anything published in Margaret a chance. And it’s true that Pink & Habanero is largely paint-by-numbers shoujo. Mugi Miyao has just started high school and would like a boyfriend. She discovers that the prickly hottie in her class, Kei Kosuke, has a part-time job at a knight café, and subsequently proves to him that she’s a good person by not even considering divulging his secret, leading him to defend her from creeps (twice) and help her make a friend when she’s been struggling to do so. While much of this first volume was predictable, I liked their dynamic, especially that Mugi continues to be forthright in her communication with Kei, heading off tiresome plots built on misunderstandings. I will be back for volume two! – Michelle Smith

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 14 | By Maybe | Yen Press – So much for the victory lap. Well, not true. Nefritis’ first time went swimmingly, and Hime ended up coming along for moral support/extra sexiness. Saphir just isn’t into Satou in that way, so doesn’t care. And Amber is also mostly in the “whatever” category. That leaves Granart, and she is finding that getting across to Satou that she wants the same sexual relationship that he has with Hime and Nefritis is going very badly. She’s simply too aggressive, and attempts to try a softer, more subtle attempt at his heart also fail miserably, leading to her running away in despair. Satou is still not really getting the “harem” part of this harem, to be honest, though I do appreciate that there are wives who are just in it for the politics. That said… in the end, Granart gets what she wants. Ecchi fun. – Sean Gaffney

Tamon’s B-Side, Vol. 5 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – Last time I said this wouldn’t get an anime, and whoops! They’ve announced one for next year. This possibly explains why we come close to ending the series with this volume but back away, ending up resetting things after a confession that almost, kinda, but not quite gets through to our heroine who for once isn’t dense about it—she doesn’t WANT to “get it” as it will interfere with the roles she has in her head. That said, if there is an anime the best part will be the comedy and not the romance, as this is still hysterical. At one point Utage gets so excited she jumps THROUGH the ceiling, and in the next panel we see Tamon sponging the blood off her head. Given that Nozaki-kun is not a shoujo book despite appearances, this may be the funniest shoujo running right now. – Sean Gaffney

This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Vol. 2 | By Sai Naekawa | Yen Press – I kinda guessed that there would be more to Miko than it seemed, what with her mysterious absences from school all the time and her possessiveness towards Hinako, but I wasn’t quite sure what sort of monster she would turn out to be. That ends up being the big reveal of the second volume—not that she’s supernatural, but what type. As you can imagine, when you have two very possessive monster girls fighting over the one they love, sparks are going to fly. I do appreciate, though, that the series never gets away from its core premise, which is that Hinako has a lot of suicidal thoughts, and those don’t magically go away when she meets Shiori any more than they do when she met Miko. This is still compelling, and is apparently getting an anime soon. – Sean Gaffney

The Troublesome Guest of Sotomura Detective Agency | By Sakae Kusama | TOKYOPOP – It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a BL one-shot as much as I enjoyed this one. (It took me about halfway through to remember I’d read something else by Sakae Kusama long ago.) Serious and high-strung Kei Matsuda runs a detective agency and when a case brings him back in contact with high school acquaintance and serial freeloader Ryouji Kamiko, the two embark upon a physical relationship that gradually becomes something more. The romance angle is certainly good, but I loved that the cases Matsuda and Kamiko investigate receive even more page time than the steamy scenes and are genuinely interesting. This is one of those times where part of me wishes there were just plain more of a story, even as I concede that the ending here is wholly satisfying. Heartily recommended. – Michelle Smith

A Tale of the Secret Saint, Vol. 7

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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.

Sometimes I enjoy a good bit even if it’s obvious. Indeed, sometimes I love it because it’s obvious. And Secret Saint is, let’s face it, a series that runs on comedy, tragic backstories aside. So I have to inform you that I was smiling gleefully all through the main plot of this series, which was a perfect combination of Fia being intuitive and clever based partly on her instinct and partly on her past knowledge, and Fia being a complete dimbulb who has no idea how the world of 300 years later works and doesn’t bother to find out. There’s also an extended scene between the captains which basically serves as an excuse for Desmond to scream for 65 pages or so at the top of his lungs. That said, by the end of the book I had noticed that, despite having supposedly been the start of a brand new arc to move the story forward, not a hell of a lot happened and there were side stories galore.

Fia returns from her extended vacation to find that all the other new knights have met with the King, which is something that happens with all the first-year knights. Fia, having been absent, now has to have her turn. The king, Laurence Nav, looks about as you’d expect. What is perhaps unexpected is that he has THREE court jesters, all of whom take the opportunity to pour scorn on and belittle Fia. Ah ha! This must be one of those tests! It is indeed, and as you’d expect Fia breaks it wide open. After this, the captains all have a meeting to discuss the strange and terrifying events of the last few books – all of which deal with Fia. And then Fia is asked to meet with the current Great Saint, who is supposed to be marrying the king. That should go well. After all, Fia is a knight, not a saint.

So, apologies for giving away the obvious gimmick of this book, one of the jesters is the real king, and the other two are his closest advisors. Fia figures this out due to a combination of 300-year-old knowledge and her magical saint powers, but it’s the way she carries it off that makes this so fun to read. She’s forced to play a poker game that’s really an excuse for the king to wave his secret identity in front of the knights’ faces without giving it away, so is rather upset when Fia, in fact, figures it out and wins in her own way. I really enjoy this sort of Fia, and hope we see more of her in the next book, which I suspect may get a bit Villainess-ey. I admit I’m not as fond of Fia not realizing that her powerful dragon familiar disguising himself as a chibi-version does not really count as a disguise, or once again not understanding that things are very, very different 300 years later. But you can’t have one without the other, really.

I’m not sure when we’ll get Book 8, but I won’t have to wait long to read more about Fia. Or rather, about Serafina. Tales of the Secret Saint’s getting a prequel series, and it’s out soon. Till then, this was fun.

The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival, Vol. 3

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By Harunori Biyori and Hitaki Yuu. Released in Japan as “Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyō Survival” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Camilla L.

Much as this series seems most of the time to be ignoring the whole otome heroine part of the title in favor of the fight for survival, it never quite forgets about it altogether. There’s always one or two scenes reminding us that not only is Alia supposed to be the “heroine” of this otome game (and has memories that are not hers of life in Japan), but there’s also another minor villainess who is reincarnated – and is terrified of Alia, to the point where its thrown her relationship with the “main” villainess, Elena, off. That said, the next volume of the series would appear to delve more deeply into that plotline, so rest assured it will be relevant soon. But not yet. For this volume is all about Alia’s ability to fight and fight and fight some more, and the various ways she wins against all sorts of enemies and monsters that should be too much for her to handle.

Alia has gotten a bit of a reputation, as we first see her here taking out a team of slavers who’ve been working together for ten years, and she is now known as The Ashen Princess, Lady Cinders. She’s also returning to the city where the first book happened, and running into the same cast, who inform her that there’s an Orc General, 4 Orc Soldiers, and about 50 Orcs who have infiltrated an abandoned village, and they’re on the verge of invading inhabited human cities. It’s time for Alia to do something ludicrous, like take them all on. After this, she’s met by Viro, who has a job offer that she really can’t refuse: kill Graves. Unfortunately, not only has Graves also been training really hard and leveling up since he last tried to kill her, but he’s also brought in a killer panther monster.

The author says that this book is about strength, and that’s certainly true. Alia may not be as strong as the enemies that she’s facing, but to us, the reader, she ludicrously strong – as she is to the residents of that city, as the old blacksmith who gave her her first knife stares in awe at what she’s been doing to wear it out. The author also says this is about “why people and monsters fight”. Alia is very surprised, at the end of the battle between her and the Orc General, when he speaks to her, asking her name and asking why she’s doing this. In that case she has to, as otherwise the human settlement would be destroyed. But later, with the panther monster, she’s more ready to communicate and compromise, and while that doesn’t help with her actual mission – alas, the main villain lives to fight another day – it gets her a friend and familiar. Who is also a killer monster. Even if it sleeps in a cardboard box.

Still full of stats, still full of fights, still strangely compelling. Will definitely read more.