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Manga the Week of 5/29/24

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SEAN: May comes to a close in a quiet, peaceful way… mostly.

We start with Yen Press, which has some stray manga that got delayed from this week. The debut is Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology, which should speak for itself.

ASH: I’ve not been keeping up with Bungo Stray Dogs like I should, but I do like these sorts of anthology projects.

SEAN: And we have Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree 3, Stray Cat & Wolf 3, and Teasing Master Takagi-san 19.

Viz Media has JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 6–Stone Ocean 4 and Pokémon: The Complete Pokémon Pocket Guide 2 (the final volume).

ASH: I have some catching up to do with JoJo, too.

SEAN: Udon Entertainment has a 5th volume of Daigo The Beast: Umehara Fighting Gamers!.

The debut from Tokyopop is a one-shot BL title from the magazine & Emo. The Genius Puppeteer Loves the Holy Knight Fiercely (Ningyou Yuugi Roku) is about a knight who, on the verge of execution, is rescued by a sadistic genius who wants to use the knight to create the perfect puppet. For “dark yaoi” fans.

Tokyopop also has the 13th volume of Konohana Kitan.

Square Enix has a 5th volume of the Wandering Witch manga.

Seven Seas also has a one-shot BL title, this one from Rutile. Only the Stars Know (Hoshi Dake ga Shitteru) is about a man who’s lost his job and his girlfriend ends up in the local park, bonding with a stranger… who then kisses him?

ASH: As one does.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Breakfast with My Two-Tailed Cat 2, The Country Without Humans 5 (the final volume), Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth is a Modern City! 9, I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! 4, The NPCs in this Village Sim Game Must Be Real! 6 (the final volume), Otaku Elf 7, and She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 11.

One Peace Books has the 7th volume of Usotoki Rhetoric.

ASH: Yay!

SEAN: The debut for Kodansha Manga in print is Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! (Online Game Nakama to Sashi Off shitara Shokuba no Onijoushi ga Kita), a BL title that was originally digital-only back in 2021. It’s from Ichijinsha’s Gateau, about a guy who tries to destress after days dealing with his evil boss by talking with a gaming friend online. Then they meet up in real life and… yeah, you guessed it.

ASH: Drama!

SEAN: Also in print: The Blue Wolves of Mibu 2, The Great Cleric 9, Magus of the Library 7, ORIGIN 4, Tsugumi Project 5, Vampire Dormitory 11, Wandance 9, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? 21.

MICHELLE: How on Earth did Wandance get up to volume nine already?! I also gotta catch up with What Did You Eat Yesterday?.

ANNA: Those are both titles I feel like I would be reading if I was better at keeping up on things.

ASH: It feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve seen a new volume of Magus of the Library, too.

SEAN: Digitally we get A Couple of Cuckoos 17, DAYS 41, Gamaran: Shura 20, My Home Hero 16, Teppu 7, and With You and the Rain 6.

J-Novel Club has a debut, as we see A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady (Slime Taikō to Botsuraku Reijō no Angai Shiawase na Konyaku). Our heroine does not get her engagement broken – her sister’s engagement is the one that is broken. And soon after, a disaster leaves her family penniless. Selling pastries in the slums, she meets a slime, who introduces her to the Slime Duke, and suddenly she’s married? This had better be better than it sounds.

ASH: Dare I ask what a Slime Duke is?

ANNA: I’m afraid to know.

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: The 4th manga volume of The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 10, the 2nd manga volume of A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires, Only I Know That This World Is a Game 4, and Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord 5.

Hanashi Media has The Dark Guild Master’s Smile Would Fit Best 2 and The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made!.

Four titles from Cross Infinite World, including one debut. By a Twist of Fate, I’m Attending the Royal Academy in Disguise (Wake Atte, Hensou Shite Gakuen ni Sennyuu Shiteimasu) stars a servant who spends her school days pretending to be a noble’s daughter, as she’ll get enough money to live freely when she graduates. Then they go back on her word. Can she get revenge?

Also from Cross Infinite World: The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 4, The Invisible Wallflower Marries an Upstart Aristocrat After Getting Dumped for Her Sister! 2 (the final volume), and Third Loop: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor 2.

In print, Airship has Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! 18 (along with the not-early digital) and Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 6.

And digital-only (no print) is Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Recollections, a short story/artbook/interview collection for the famous (infamous?) series.

OK, kind of relaxing? What interests you?

I Don’t Want To Be the Dragon Duke’s Maid! Serving My Ex-Fiancé From My Past Life, Vol. 2

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By Mashimesa Emoto and Masami. Released in Japan as “Ryū Taikō no Senzoku Jijo wa Goenryō Shitai! Tensei Saki no Okyūji Aite wa Zense no Moto Konyakusha Deshita” by Arian Rose. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Amanogawa Tenri.

I had assumed that this was going to be one of those artifact title type of books, sort of how The Ideal Sponger Life never actually manages to do anything remotely connected to that title after the first half of Book 1. But credit to the author, we actually do get a reasonable excuse for having Mille-Feuille once again disguise herself as the dragon duke’s maid and serving the ex-fiance from her past life. The problem, of course, is that just because she and Van are married does not mean that everyone automatically approved of the pairing. There was an assassination attempt on her last book, and there’s another one near the start of this book, to the point where she’s using body doubles most of the time. Fortunately, we have something that can take her mind off of things: tourism. Now that she’s solved the “donating mana puts women in a coma” issue, folks can actually see the sights. Erm… what sights do they have?

Mille-Feuille and Van are wracking their brains to try to come up with a way to stop having the one vacation destination be “the lake”, if only as the lake is starting to feel the effect of all those tourists. Mille-Feuille then draws on her memories as Charlotte and recalls that up north, in the snowy mountains of the kingdom, there are places where you could have a natural hot spring! And since Van and Mille-Feuille have not had their honeymoon yet, they decide to pay the place a visit, accompanied by his sister and knights and her best friend, battle maid, and squirrels. Unfortunately, when they get there they run into Fenetra, Van’s cousin and one of his fiance candidates from before. And she does not seem to like any of the woman in Van’s party. At all.

Not to spoil too much, but this series comes to a close with this volume, so we can’t exactly bring in too many subplots. Things are both helped and hindered by Mille-Feuille herself, whose dry, matter-of-fact narration works well in some places, but in others you can tell why they need to include a literal “she barely shows any emotion, she’s always been like this” hand wave. Opera, Van’s sister, turns out to be a lot more fun now that she’s no longer a jealous little sister, and the pairing up of her with Van’s chief bodyguard was so blatant and shoehorned in – both in universe and out of it – that I ended up laughing. There’s some nice near death experiences, a few mass brainwashings, and a villainess who turns out to tie back to our heroine’s previous life. Nothing is stunning, but like the first book, it reads well.

The volume (and series) ends with Mille-Feuille announcing she’s pregnant and then giving birth to a son, which might surprise folks who assumed they just never had sex ever. I liked this. And good news, the author has a new series out from J-Novel Club next week.

Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: The Promised Garden

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

While it’s a light novel series, and therefore technically above genre distinctions, I don’t think anyone would argue with me if I said Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter falls under the shonen umbrella. As such, it feels inevitable that it would eventually fall prey to one of the big dangers of shonen battle series, “shonen creep”. You start off with a powerful villain, and our heroes hold on to defeat them. Then you get an even more powerful villain. And then, of course, an even MORE powerful villain. And this series just features a very exciting civil war arc with multiple antagonists, backstabbing, and lots of really cool battles. As such, this volume, ending the arc after it, can’t help but be a bit disappointing, as not only are the villains in this arc ludicrously powerful compared to the previous ones, but they all live to fight another day. We’ve hit the actual series villains, rather than arc villains. Which is great news for the series, but makes this book feel like a letdown.

Of course, just because there’s a desperate battle in which everyone might be horribly killed doesn’t mean that this series is not also a harem romcom. As such, the first half of this book has Allen and Lydia gradually getting back into fighting shape and coming up with plans, while all the while new Allen-lovers show up one on top of the other. This even happens during and *after* the battle itself, which actually makes it funnier. They tried to stop the war, but the Church really, really wants war, to the point where they’re murdering all the peace-loving leaders. And the main warmonger is being kept in place by his comatose wife, who they’re promising a cure for. Any day now. Really. And then there’s our bevy of villains, including the vampire who beat Allen and Lydia so badly last time, who’s pretending to be someone she’s not.

This is the end of the “Allen and Lydia Love Love” arc, though I’m sure nothing is genuinely resolved till we see a wedding. It’s got some really great payoff if you’re a fan of the couple, though, which I think most readers of this series are. (Seriously, if you ship, say, Tina, I assume you moved on long ago.) Indeed, there’s so much payoff that Lydia is starting to regard all the other love interests – including her own sister *and* her own cousin – flying around Allen like bees to be more cute and amusing rather than sparking jealousy. Well, to a point. Lily still makes her a little annoyed. And Alice doesn’t count, she’s evil. As for the climax of the book, not only do the villains get away, but it also undercuts some of the danger. The kidnapped victims turn out to be fine, and the badass who valiantly sacrificed her life in the prologue turns out to also not be dead. Given the villains got away, I suppose killing off anyone we care about would have felt mean, but again, disappointing.

Next time we get a new arc, and I look forward to seeing how Allen once again does not get a title and gets to avoid getting engaged. Till then, OK but not great book in the series.

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone, Vol. 3

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By Shigeru Sagazaki and Tetsuhiro Nabeshima. Released in Japan as “Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru: Tada no Inaka no Kenjutsu Shihan Datta noni, Taisei Shita Deshitachi ga Ore o Hōttekurenai Ken” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

This series leans a little lighter on it than some others I can think of, but it has to be said that this is a harem series that adds new girls every volume. As such, sometimes it feels like the new character acts the way she does not because of their backstory or because of how they’ll fit into the overall story, but because of which “anime girl stereotype” boxes they tick. We have the blond, quick-to-jealousy but cool knight commander, the “I am Yotsuba Nakano with the serial numbers filed off” strong knight, the fiery redhead adventurer, the cool magic users, the adopted daughter, and the “I look ten but I’m really a hundred years old” character, who in this particular case is not a vampire but a mage. And now we have the “ara ara” girl, and I admit I like that type, but I feel she really doesn’t fit her character arc.

Beryl is recovering from the events of the second book, doing things like having a duel with Allusia (which he wins, though he has to cheat) and enrolling Mui in the local magic academy (and meeting her teacher, who, like most other women in this series, seems to fall for Beryl at first sight). That said, there’s trouble on the horizon. The prince of Sphenedyardvania is visiting, a yearly tradition, and will be touring the city with Liberis’ third princess, and Allusia – and, of course, Beryl – are being asked to guard them. And it’s a good thing, too, as assassins are out to ruin things. Fortunately, they have help in the form of guards from Sphenedyardvania, including Rose, who is – you guessed it – another old student of Beryl’s with a crush on him.

A bit of a spoiler for the end of this book, but only a bit, as the identity of the “traitor” is pretty obvious from the get go. Given the sheer number of former students meeting up with Beryl in this series, it was inevitable that one of them would turn out to be an antagonist. That said, we’re not reading the sort of series that would genuinely have a woman Beryl taught using her talents for evil, so of course we get a backstory to show that this is being forced on her and it’s really desperate idealism rather than a desire for power or chaos. I suppose the fact that Rose is an “ara ara” personality ties in with her attachment to children, as they tend to be the motherly sort – she has a long side braid, and does nearly die, so the stereotype fits, I guess. It just feels odd to me. That said, the main draw of this harem series is that I couldn’t care less about the harem, and I think the author agrees with me. The politics is proving more interesting, along with “will Beryl ever accept praise?”.

This continues to be “mid”, but it’s a very pleasant mid, and I think fans of harems who don’t mind an “old dude” as the lead will enjoy it, even with its cliches.

The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain, Vol. 2

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By Bakufu Narayama and Ebisushi. Released in Japan as “Danzaisareta Akuyaku Reijō wa, Gyakkō-shite Kanpekina Akujo o Mezasu” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Alyssa Niioka. Adapted by Vida Cruz-Borja.

Sometimes you know that the worst case scenario is not going to happen. Not because this series wouldn’t kill anyone off – there are one or two deaths in this book, and I expect that trend to continue – but more because sometimes the author hits on a new character who is so good that they cannot bear to pull the trigger and have them die, even if they happen to be the evil mastermind. Yes, that’s right, the major weakness of the first book was the “heroine” being a terrible character, and the author has gone above and beyond to fix it, to the point where, when Claudia manages to save the day, I went “thank God”. Sometimes you just want people to stick around. Well, OK, I mostly want them to stick around. More on that later. But it does make this volume stronger than the previous one.

Claudia has successfully managed to avoid her fate from her previous life, and her younger sister has been quietly sent off (and, thankfully, does not reappear here). Now she’s free to welcome a delegation from the nearby nation of Bari, which is having a bit of political upheaval at the moment, and has exiled the King’s younger brother, Raul, to Harland for the duration. Unfortunately, the political intrigue has gone away from Bari and come to Harland – Sylvester has to leave for several weeks to deal with a situation in a remote part of their nation, Raul’s faction are plotting to put him on the throne despite his own wishes, and his handsome and clever aide is clearly plotting something clever and dreadful. Worst of all, Claudia recognizes Raul from her past life, when he came to her brothel.

I really hate using the word “yuribait”, which these days has been loosely defined as anything that doesn’t end with a confession and a kiss. But if I *did* use it, this series would probably fall under the category. Claudia and Sylvester are still both in love, and the series, which has several opportunities to do so, never even comes close to admitting that lesbians exist. But in addition to the close relationship between Claudia and Helen, her maid, and her rival and best friend Louise, we also get Charlotte, a timid and large-breasted young woman whose parents are trying to get her to use her boobs to get her man, when this is the last thing she wants to do. By giving her incredibly good advice and also being, well, beautiful and cool, Charlotte falls deeply for Claudia, calling her “oneesama” (OK, yes, it’s translated). And then there’s Lestea, who goes from “evil lesbian stereotype” to “obsessive lesbian stereotype” over the course of the book. That was the one part of her arc I was unhappy with. Oh yes, and Claudia also dresses in a suit to secretly visit her old brothel, and manages to not only seduce all her old sex worker friends within thirty seconds but also agrees to fund it. This isn’t going to be yuri, but boy howdy it is an Akogare Festival.

Still, on the whole this was better than the first volume, and I look forward to seeing what happens next, and also hope it is shorter than 406 pages.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Part 5: Avatar of a Goddess, Vol. 10

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By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

It’s honestly been a long, long time since we’ve seen the main raison d’etre of this entire series, which is one girl’s complete and utter obsession with books. Back when Rozemyne was just Myne, she could afford to be a one-note samba, but since she’s been adopted into nobility, the sheer weight of the politics of this world has conspired to keep her from obsessing about reading QUITE as much. As such, I was highly amused by what is supposed to be a dramatic highlight of this book, where we have three contenders for the throne facing off, and maybe killing each other, get utterly defused by a Goddess offering her a chance to read some cool books provided she can borrow Rosemyne’s body. and of course she says “OMG, yes!”. It’s even funnier as the goddess says she’ll forget everything more important to her than books… and as far as I can tell her memory is 100% fine. LOL. Pure comedy.

After the lull of the last book, we’re back to all battle all the time, as Raublat and Gervasio’s plot to overthrow the country has reached its zenith, and it’s going to take the cooperation – willing or otherwise – of a lot of the cast in order to stop that from happening. Detlinde is useless, of course, so most of the traitorous bits from Ahrensbach have actually come from her sister, who does what Mother tells her to and is honestly terrified of Rozemyne and Ferdinand when they’re both really, really mad. I also feel bad for Anastasius, who is at least making an effort (unlike his brother) but I think is going to find that he really should have tried to befriend Rozemyne after all. As noted above, it all ends up coming down to a talk with the gods, who decide to put the matter to a test. A test which Ferdinand, of course, rigs.

As with the last two books, the last third of the volume is devoted to “what everyone else was doing”. We meet Immanuel, who gives us a very good idea of what Hartmut would be like if he were evil (yes, yes, let’s ignore the obvious joke). We also see how this universe is really unforgiving towards honest and innocent people who are tricked into doing bad things – I suspect life is not going to be fun for Hildebrand after all this. We then get Anastasius’ POV, which shows him trying to be proactive but mostly caught up in events and offended with not being treated like a royal. Magdalena, the king’s third wife, shows us what’s going on with the king himself, who was always pretty spineless but is being helped along by some drugs this time around, and also enjoys showing Magdalena kicking ass. We get Gervasio’s POV, which tries to be sympathetic, and then we get Ferdinand’s POV, which reminds us that sympathetic or no, one of the first things Gervasio would do on getting the throne would be to kill Ferdinand. As always, there’s too much going on to talk about.

So yes, two books to go. This was another strong entry, with some excellent illustrations as well. If I had time (which I don’t), I’d want to do a massive reread of the whole series once it ends.

Bookshelf Briefs 5/17/24

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Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition, Vol. 1 | By Kei Itoi | Yen Press – Boy, this was weird. And I was already expecting it to be weird. The premise is that a man suddenly has a daughter, thanks to the wishes of his dead college friend. He has no real idea how to take care of her, and while going through the adoption process impulsively proposes to the woman helping him… who impulsively says yes. The reason it’s weird is that Kudou is heavily implied to have been in love with his old college buddy… and that his new wife looks an awful lot like him. I’d feel a little more worried if I were not fairly confident that this is far more interested in the found family than in any love hangups like that. The cast aren’t that likeable, aside from the adorable child, but they’re very relatable and interesting. I want to read more. – Sean Gaffney

Healer for the Shadow Hero, Vol. 1 | By Kyu Azagishi and Ako| Steamship – This seems to be based on a light novel, which is possibly why it’s a lot less concerned with the smut than some other Steamship titles I’ve read. Oh, it’s there, fear not… in fact, it’s the actual plot device… but for the most part, this series is here more for the budding romance than for the hot sex. Our heroine, an indentured servant at a bullying noble family’s house, is discovered to have fantastic healing powers… but it’s only triggered when she has sex. Now she has to lose her virginity to the hero so that he can continue to save the land. Unfortunately, the hero is under a curse causing him great pain. Also unfortunately, the hero is also a virgin, and very shy. This isn’t the greatest thing in the world, but it’s cute and inoffensive smut. – Sean Gaffney

I Can’t Say No to the Lonely Girl, Vol. 1 | By Kashikaze| Kodansha Manga – I will admit the start of this had me going “uh-oh.” A top student, who is nevertheless at a non-top school because she freezes up during big tests, is offered a teacher recommendation (a big thing to get into the college of choice)… if she will convince the girl who has never gone to school to start going. Said girl agrees to go… if she gets one wish from Ayaka every day, and her first wish is a kiss. It’s a premise that has a lot of questionable stuff to it, especially as the teacher is played as somewhat creepy comedy relief. Fortunately, this is a lot fluffier than that, and it helps that Ayaka immediately falls for Sora, though she isn’t aware of this herself just yet. As such, it’s a cute little read, once you get through chapter one. – Sean Gaffney

Magilumiere: Magical Girls, Inc., Vol. 1 | By Sekka Iwata and Yu Aoki | Viz Media – We’ve seen quite a few workplace sentai series lately, and so a workplace magical girl series makes sense. Kana is a girl with a near-perfect memory who nevertheless struggles with getting a job, till she runs into a professional magical girl. Suddenly Kana finds herself in at the ground floor of a new startup, with a generous salary, a new “broom” to learn, and immediate crises to solve. The manga mostly tries to showcase the differences between the methodical and book-smart Kana and her sempai at the company, the intuitive but loose cannon Hitomi. There’s also her boss, a middle-aged guy who likes to dress as Card Captor Sakura, but the manga does not appear to be here to mock him as much as show he’s as eccentric as the others. Should be cute. – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vol. 9 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital) – This is a hopefully long-running sports story, and we’re still in elementary school, so I had a secret premonition as to where this was going. The good news is that Inori pulls off her amazing quadruple salchow. The bad news is that she falls doing a triple lutz, and while she tries to make up for it with a triple axel that she had not really prepared for, which she actually pulls off… it also shows she did not actually prepare for it. So yeah, she does not end up on the podium, everything is over, please enjoy the artist’s next work… OK, no, not true. Sure, everyone’s super depressed for a while, and coach goes off on a journey to find himself, but we’re ready for the Junior High School arc to start now, and it’s going to be filled with great skating and amazing art. Love this. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord, Vol. 2 | By Yodokawa | Yen Press – Last time I noted that this didn’t seem like a yuri series, and it’s starting to with this book. There’s an internet meme that shows two women making out, and a bystander saying “they seem to be really good friends.” This volume’s final couple of chapters feel like the reverse of that. When Miyako attends the concert for her ex-idol group, who are carrying on without her, they catch up afterwards at karaoke. Miyako, of course, brings Asako along. To the two of them, they’re just good friends who get along great. To the idol group (including its new leader, who appears to be a bit horrified and I think has a crush on Miyako), it reads like the two of them are confessing in front of each other casually. This is proving to be a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 11 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – The bulk of this volume is devoted to Anya and the other Eden Academy kids getting caught up in a terrorist attack, with them being held hostage on a school bus. It’s a good chance to really dig into how Anya is not a typical kid, while also showing off when she really, really is a typical kid. It’s also a great opportunity to sideline Loid (who is seemingly away from the city) and Yor (who only hears about this near the end of its resolution) from the action. This is a situation that Anya needs to resolve… along with perhaps, Mister Henderson and Becky’s minder Martha, who seem to have a history together. And as a bonus we get to see Emlinda come to pick up Damien, and oh boy, her inner thoughts are even more terrifying than last time. Terrific. – Sean Gaffney

Sakura, Saku Vols 1 and 2

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Sakkura, Saku Volumes 1 and 2 by Io Sakisaka

I feel like Io Sakisaka is a great go-to author for heartfelt shoujo stories that reaffirm one’s faith in humanity and young love. Sakura, Saku might not be terribly surprising, but it delivers all the feels that one would want from a shoujo romance. Saku Fujigaya was rescued on a train when she was feeling faint by a mysterious stranger, and she is so inspired by this kindly act that she decides to devote herself to helping others. She rescues dropped train passes, shares umbrellas, carries extra pencils in case someone needs to borrow one, and takes on extra chores at school. When people comment on her being a “goody-two-shoes” she is delighted that she is succeeding in her new life mission.

Sakura, Saku

One of Saku’s biggest regrets is that she wasn’t able to thank her rescuer. She had a note with his name on it, but when she tried to contact him she wasn’t able to locate him. She’s surprised when she hears a familiar last name – Sakura. Her classmate Haruki Sakura’s older brother is potentially her original rescuer who changed the direction of her life. She asks Haruki to deliver a letter to his brother for her, and he immediately refuses. As they cross paths more often he begins to see that she’s not the typical girl that tries to go through him to confess to his brother, and Saku begins to form more ties with her classmates.

Saku’s tendency to throw herself into helping people, and Haruki’s somewhat diffident but forthright personality make them unusual allies in navigating the emotional currents of high school even while they try to figure out their own feelings for each other. Saku’s habit of contemplating Haruki’s shoulders at inopportune times is a great example of the awkwardness that comes with a first crush. Sakisaka’s art is attractive and expressive, and the while first couple of volumes so far step through some typical plot points and situations, the characters are engaging and it fills a niche for anyone wanting some relatively angst-free contemporary shoujo.

Manga the Week of 5/22/24

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SEAN: As May starts to dwindle… oh, wait, it’s Yen week. No dwindling allowed.

But first, Airship. In print, we see Modern Dungeon Capture Starting with Broken Skills 2 and Reincarnated as a Sword 14.

And early digital gives us Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 9.

Denpa Books has a 4th volume of Vampeerz, retailers say as I type this.

ASH: I want to trust them, I really do.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us a 9th volume of Ayakashi Triangle.

Two digital debuts from J-Novel Club, both manga. The Eternal Fool’s Words of Wisdom: A Pawsitively Fantastic Adventure (Yuukyuu no Gusha Asley no, Kenja no Susume) is based on an unlicensed light novel, and runs in Comic Earth Star Online. A failure at the Magic Academy (they all laughed at him) spends 5000 years preparing his revenge, only to realize that everyone who mocked him is long dead. Now what? How about helping people?

MICHELLE: With this title, I was expecting him to turn into a cat or something!

SEAN: His familiar is a dog, I believe.

ASH: That would explain some things.

SEAN: I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic (Botsuraku Yotei no Kizoku dakedo, Hima datta kara Mahou wo Kiwamete Mita) is based on a licensed light novel, also from J-NC, and runs in Comic Corona. A middle-aged commoner is now in the body of a nobleman, so he can finally learn magic! Sadly, see the “Brink of Ruin” in the title.

ASH: Might as well!

SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: The Apothecary Diaries 11, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- 3, Holmes of Kyoto 18, I Don’t Want to Be the Dragon Duke’s Maid! Serving My Ex-Fiancé from My Past Life 2 (the final volume), Record of Wortenia War 24, Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters! 5, the 11th manga volume of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer, and Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster 6.

From Kodansha Books we see the 5th volume of My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1.

The print debut for Kodansha Manga is The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait (Machigitsune to Hito no Ko), a one-shot BL title from Gateau. A prodigy arrives at university, but quickly gets lost and suddenly finds himself without money. He’s saved by an eccentric with a secret.

MICHELLE: The title should’ve warned me that the premise on this one is a little icky.

ASH: And here I was hoping from the title that there were yokai involved… maybe that’s the secret.

SEAN: Also in print: BLOOD BLADE 2, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 10, Magic Knight Rayearth 3, Nina the Starry Bride 4, Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collection 8, and Witch Hat Atelier 12.

ANNA: Witch Hat!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nina the Starry Bride print edition!!!!!!!!!! I’m reserving most (if not all) of my enthusiasm this week for these titles.

ASH: I’m very excited for Witch Hat Atelier, too.

SEAN: In digital we see Boss Wife 8, Gamaran 21, Getting Closer to You 7, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 20, I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! 4, and Love, That’s an Understatement 4.

One Peace Books has a 5th manga volume of The Death Mage.

Two debuts for Seven Seas. My Girlfriend’s Not Here Today (Kyou wa Kanojo ga Inai Kara) runs in Comic Yuri Hime. A girl who has to hide her relationship with her girlfriend gets into online conversations… that become blackmail.

ASH: Oops.

SEAN: Mysterious Disappearances (Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi) has an anime coming out at the moment, and the manga runs in Yawaraka Spirits. A novelist and a demon boy go around Tokyo hunting down urban legends.

ASH: Oooh!

SEAN: We also see Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! 6, Lazy Dungeon Master 8, My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer 6, Skip and Loafer 9, and Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court 5.

Square Enix has the 2nd Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You.

Two debuts from Tokyopop, both (contain your surprise) one-shot BL titles. Heat x Beat: A Shut-In Omega Becomes an Idol! (Heat x Beat – Hikikomori Omega ga Idol ni!?) should not be confused with the other Heat x Beat omega as idol book from the same author, which came out in March. OK, not a one-shot. Sequel? It’s one volume, in any case.

MICHELLE: Tokyopop’s got a really specific niche these days, eh?

ANNA: We do live in a world where I don’t feel concerned about people finding extremely specific reading material.

SEAN: The Man Who Shattered My World (Ore no Sekai o Hakai Suru Otoko) is a from RED title about a top who suddenly finds that the bottom he picked up is really a top who loves destroying other tops and turning them into bottoms. Try to imagine this sentence being read aloud in 1951.

ASH: Lol.

SEAN: The Viz Media debut is Hirayasumi, a Big Comic Spirits title about an easygoing man who suddenly finds himself surrounded by troubled companions. It’s award nominated.

MICHELLE: Ooh, this looks interesting.

ANNA: OK, I’m curious!

ASH: Likewise.

SEAN: Also from Viz: Choujin X 6, Dark Gathering 7, Heart Gear 4, One-Punch Man 28, Tokyo These Days 2, Twin Star Exorcists 31, and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 14.

Three debuts from Yen On. Brunhild the Dragonslayer (Ryū-goroshi no Brunhild) is a fantasy novel about a girl raised by a powerful dragon… who now has to decide whether to get revenge on humanity after that dragon is murdered.

ASH: I am admittedly intrigued.

SEAN: Guillotine Bride: I’m Just a Dragon Girl Who’ll Destroy the World (Dantōdai no Hanayome: Sekai o Horobosu Futsutsukana Tatsuki Desu ga) features a dragon princess about to be executed who ends up meeting a young man… and attempting to romance him hard, because she needs to be kept in check to avoid the death of all humanity.

ASH: Lots of dragons and havoc in store this coming week, it would seem.

SEAN: The God of Nishi-Yuigahama Station (Nishi Yuigahama-eki no Kami-sama) is a novel about a deadly train accident, and a ghost that can supposedly send loved ones back to the day it happened to make peace with those they’ve lost.

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: Also from Yen On: Astrea Record: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Tales of Heroes 2, Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside 11, A Certain Magical Index NT 2, Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody 21, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 10, Durarara!! Side Stories?!, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 6, Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing 4 (print version of the JN-C title), The Irregular at Magic High School 22, My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 4 (print version of the JN-C title), The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices 5, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 11, Spy Classroom 7, and Wolf & Parchment: New Theory Spice & Wolf 8.

And now on to Yen Press debuts. Friday at the Atelier (Kinyoubi wa Atelier de) is a Harta title about an artist who falls in love with his nude model. Unfortunately, she’s depressed and he’s a tsundere.

ASH: Well, that complicates things.

SEAN: Goblin Slayer: A Day in the Life is a manga that collects the episodic short stories in the 12th light novel that the main manga skipped. It runs in Big Gangan.

The Kept Man of the Princess Knight (Hime Kishi-sama no Himo) is the manga adaptation of the light novel Yen is also releasing. It runs in Comic Walker.

She Likes Gays, but Not Me (Kanojo ga Suki na Mono wa Homo deatte Boku de wa nai) is a title from Comic Bridge about a closeted gay man who wants a “normal” life and family but isn’t attracted to women, and the BL fangirl he meets one day. This is based on a novel, and there’s also a live-action series.

ASH: I thought it sounded vaguely familiar.

SEAN: Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad asks the important question “what if we just redid the first manga adaptation?”.

Also from Yen Press (deep breath): After We Gazed at the Starry Sky 2, Angels of Death Episode.0 7 (the final volume), Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World 5, Bocchi the Rock! 3, Cheeky Brat 10, CLAMP Premium Collection Tokyo Babylon 3, Cocoon Entwined 6 (the final volume), The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 6, Glitch 3, God Bless the Mistaken 2, Handyman Saitou in Another World 4, Higurashi When They Cry: MEGURI 2, The Holy Grail of Eris 7, Honey Trap Shared House 3, I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet 9, Maiden of the Needle 3, Mint Chocolate 11, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic 21, [Oshi No Ko] 6, A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom 4, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 4, Trinity Seven 29, Witch Life in a Micro Room 2, and Yowamushi Pedal 25.

ASH: That is quite the list.

SEAN: As I pause to beg Yen Press to stop releasing light novels *and* manga of the same title with the same volume number on the same week, what are you buying?

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 44

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By Takehaya and Poco. Released in Japan as “Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Warnis.

It has to be said, Rokujouma!? is a very methodical series. We’ve gotten so used to seeing series derived from webnovels where the author is clearly making up each chapter… and sometimes each page… as they go along. So it’s refreshing seeing a series that really feels plotted down to its bones. I suspect the author has outlines and spreadsheets up the wazoo to keep track of all this. A “Pantser” they are not. And sometimes this can be a drawback. There are a few conversations in this short story volume between the heroines where you sort of want one of them to snap and turn evil just for the variety – everyone is polite, pragmatic, and thinks things through – even Theia, who gives the appearance of being impulsive. On the other hand, given what happened in Volume 43, I’m honestly OK with everyone being pleasant and casually discussing their polycule. It’s a lot less sad and downbeat than what I expect the start of the 45th volume will be like.

As with previous short story volumes, this consists of three short stories from HJ Bunko’s online website and a longer story at the end. In the first story, Elfaria, Theia, Ruth, and Ceileshu are ordered to take a day off after the civil war (and despite Ceileshu’s guilt about her part in said civil war), and play various board games from Japan (the Game of Life, etc.). In the second story, with Maki unavailable, Harumi and Shizuka are chosen to try to teach our resident Power Ranger knockoffs how to fight against someone who has magic. In the third story Kotori and Kiriha meet with the student council to discuss how the alien transfer students are fitting in, and then discuss Koutarou’s childhood. In the story written for the book, we see Koutarou going out on dates with all nine of his current polycule… and it becomes clear that it’s going to be expanding to more than nine.

It’s been about fifteen books since the first supposed “ending” of this series, which pretty much cemented that the nine main heroines were all quite friendly with each other and would be happy to share Koutarou in a polyamorous relationship whenever he got over his hangups. He’s mostly done that now, at least in terms of no longer thinking “if I admit I love someone they will die”, but he still feels that choosing just one girl will destroy everything. And, well, he’s not wrong. The second half of this book goes into great detail about how his marriage is now a political decision, and there is no way that he will be allowed to NOT marry someone from Forthorthe. Which… could be Theia. Or Clan. But it could also be Elfaria, who is single, the Empress, still young (for an alien race), and in love with Koutarou, something she is reluctant to admit in front of her daughter. The one thing that none of the heroines are allowed to do in Rokujouma!? is bury their feelings of love. And that’s true if you’re the Empress, or if you’re a god in disguise, or even if you’re the little sister of his best friend, who is starting to realize that maybe he isn’t just a “big brother”.

Of course, that assumes they all survive the next book. The author promises it’s back to the main plot next time. Till then, enjoy a staid and somewhat boring but also warm and comforting light novel volume.

I Guess This Dragon Who Lost Her Egg to Disaster Is My Mom Now, Vol. 2

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By Suzume Kirisaki and Cosmic. Released in Japan as “Saigai de Tamago o Ushinatta Dragon ga Nazeka Ore o Sodate Hajimeta” by M Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Jordan Taylor.

The first volume of this series had the past of Lushera hold my interest more than her present with her dragon mom, so it’s ironic that in this second volume it’s the bonding with dragon mom that is the better part of the book. Of course, some of that is due to the fact that, although names are not really clear still due to the nature of the resurrection, everyone now knows who Lushera is. As such, we’re allowed to concentrate, especially in the first half of the book, on Lushera and her mother growing closer, figuring out how to be parent and child as dragons, and parent and child as humans. Unfortunately, that leaves the second half of this book, which features one of my least favorite light novel cliches, a villain who is 100% evil, irredeemable, and sadistic. I was amazed he didn’t do a maniacal laugh. And he also tortured an abused child. This was a lot less fun to read.

We open by learning a bit more about the past of Kaphal, who turns out to be the equivalent of a teenager who eloped and ran away from home and whose husband then died. Now she’s back, and she has a daughter who is this odd human-dragon hybrid. Her dad is not amused, and insists that Lushera have a test to see whether… well, mostly whether she can survive the test. Meanwhile, the kingdom is having to deal with the fact that the big, scary dragon on their mountain is now walking around the capital in human form, doing things like learning about cooking, going for a swim, etc. Lushera also ends up rescuing a Very Important Person from a golem attack, and discovers she is Monica, the disgraced and scapegoated princess of the royal family, who lives under house arrest with a group of revolving servants and her self-hatred. Meanwhile, the kingdom next door, who got most of their knights and their ruler killed off in Book 1, decide to leave things to their new psychopathic manchild of a ruler.

So yeah, getting the bad out of the way first, everything about Julian in this book sucks, which unfortunately also affects Monica’s plotline, as she is reduced to an object of peril for the entire book. It’s so bad that it actually affected my enjoyment of another very good plot twist, which is briefly hinted at much earlier in the book but then allowed to be forgotten about till the reveal. Fortunately, given that CIW deliberately put this volume out on Mother’s Day, everything that does involve the dragon family part of the book is great. I especially like how clever see see Lushera being, given that her nature and general attitude really lend itself well to “dumb muscle” and it’s great to see she isn’t. Her mom is also really trying hard, and comes a long way in this book.

Which is, I think, the final book in the series. That’s fine with me. It was long enough that I really enjoyed the dragon and her mom, the transgender subplots, and a few of the twists. Just… please, stop making all your villains puppy-kickers.

True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends: One Star in the Night Sky, Vol. 1

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By Kosuzu Kobato and Fumi Takamura. Released in Japan as “Unmei no Koibito wa Kigen Tsuki” by Maple Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Julie Goniwich. Adapted by Max Machiavelli.

Yes, I will admit that adding a Vol. 1 to the review title is optimistic. The book itself lacks a volume number, and there’s no sign of a Book 2 in Japan over a year after the first book. But the series has the equivalent of five books as a web novel, and this book certainly does not come to a definitive close, so I’ll include it just in case. I also realize that whenever I talk about series that are unfinished in Japan, a lot of people resolve to never read the title, showing a disdain for “abandoned” works getting a license in the first place. But this got licensed, in my opinion, because the author’s works have been coming out over here from other publishers, and they’re all quite good. And this is also quite good. It’s a normal romance novel, with a heroine who doesn’t quite realize how amazing she is, even if everyone around her does.

Fiona is a young woman who is enjoying her job as a secretary/administrator at the country’s art gallery, and wants to travel to other countries. Unfortunately, her father has decided enough is enough, she needs to be married. Which, in this very patriarchal society, means no job, and no travel. And she’s to be married off to her childhood friend Norman… who’s nice enough, but Fiona has no romantic feelings for him. Then at a party where she heads out to a remote garden to dwell on her problem, she accidentally overhears Giles, heir to an Earldom, who is also desperately trying to avoid getting married. After they meet again due to various circumstances involving a missing cuff-link, Giles’ friend Richard suggests the two of them get engaged to solve each other’s problem – after the fuss dies down, they can call it off. Unfortunately, Fiona is falling in love with Giles without realizing it, and Giles is falling for Fiona and definitely DOES realize it.

This book doesn’t really take off until about a third of the way in, when Giles’ sister talks about getting a new painting from a famous reclusive artist. Fiona takes one look at the painting – a fake – and absolutely destroys the man selling it to her, incandescent with rage. As it turns out, she has a very personal reason to be extremely angry. In fact, most of this book is made up of reasons like that – it turns out that Fiona has accidentally become a beloved contact and ally of most of the truly important people in the kingdom, and they love her all the more because she never uses her contacts for any personal gain. As a result, Giles suddenly finds everyone giving him the stink-eye, telling him he’d better treat her like the wonderful creature she is. And rivals suddenly find that this plain lady from a backwater barony can somehow get an appointment for a dress fitting in two days at the ritziest place in the city, where the wait time is normally months.

In other words, it’s an “unpolished diamond” romance novel, and quite fun to read, if unoriginal. But you don’t necessarily want originality in romance novels. I hope we get more of it.

Fiancée No More: The Forsaken Lady, the Prince, and Their Make-Believe Love, Vol. 2

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By Mari Morikawa and Bodax. Released in Japan as “Konyaku Haki no Sono Saki ni: Suterare Reijō, Ōji-sama ni Dekiai (Engi) Sareru” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Adam.

This series really does enjoy piling on, doesn’t it? Our happy couple are pretty happy, even though, alas, Estelle still doesn’t have much self-esteem and is thus convinced this is still a relationship of inconvenience. Arcrayne is trying to show off his more loving side, but he’s usually too calculating to pull it off, and also not very good at spotting why Estelle might be upset. Then there’s the plot of this second book, in which Arcrayne almost dies due to the machinations of “the Trickster” from the first book, and then Estelle almost dies when a dragon attacks their hunting party and she is forced to use her “this will kill dragons but also probably blow my arm off” gun, which fortunately does not blow her arm off but will likely add to her collection of scars. Worst of all, her wedding ring is broken, and reminds us that they are still not QUITE married. Which I think may be the main plot of Book 3. Not the wedding, but the “not married yet” bit.

The fact that Estelle and Arcrayne are now engaged has made a lot of people mad. The Queen is mad because, well, she hates Arcrayne and Estelle. We find out here why she hates Arcrayne, and it isn’t pretty. Adeline, Olivia’s mother, is mad because Olivia is now a former fiancee and, worst of all, is not all that devastated by it. Olivia’s father is possibly also mad, but sadly he collapses from a stroke and spends most of this book in hospital. This allows someone to infiltrate the Rainsworth household and slowly twist everything. As if that weren’t bad enough, Arcrayne’s brother is also mad, because Arcrayne is still first in line for the throne, and also because he’s forced to do what his grandfather wants, while Arcrayne is free to do as he pleases. It’ll all end in tears, I know it.

Easily the best part of the book is Olivia, who ended up being a much better character than I was anticipating. She’s pissed off at Estelle and Arcrayne, yes – especially Arcrayne, as she blames him for her father’s hospitalization – but she’s trying to stay positive, determined to move forward, and is actively working to help her family. Which makes it all the more irritating that her mother has a mind-controlling charm that turns Olivia into a puppet for the climax of the first half of the book. I feel the author didn’t want Olivia to be evil, but didn’t know how to make the plot work without her being evil, thus mind control. Oh well, at least she’s not punished for it. As for Estelle, again, her low self-worth drives most of her actions, but she’s getting better. And her knowledge of dragons and dragon hunts comes in quite handy. If she’ll only realize that Arcrayne has actually fallen for her, than this series can end.

That said, I’m pretty sure it will end in Book 3, like every Drecom series not named Blade and Bastard has done. A good romance novel with a heroine who’s not a villainess or reincarnated at all.

Manga the Week of 5/15/24

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SEAN: Mid-May, and the summer is on the horizon but not yet here.

Yen Press has a 3rd volume of Kaoru Mori’s Scribbles sketchbook.

ASH: These have been delightful.

SEAN: Viz has a debut this week that I, um, missed. Sorry. You and I Are Polar Opposites (Seihantai na Kimi to Boku) is a Shonen Jump + series about an energetic girl and quiet boy who are drawn to each other. It’s been award-nominated.

ANNA: Sounds cute!

ASH: I’d read it.

SEAN: In Viz titles actually out next week, there is Dragon Ball Super 21, Fly Me to the Moon 23, Helck 9, I Want to End This Love Game 2, Pokémon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire 2, and Sakura, Saku 3.

From SuBLime we get Therapy Game Restart 4 and The World’s Greatest First Love 17.

MICHELLE: I’m always here for more Therapy Game!

SEAN: Steamship has the 6th and final volume of Ladies on Top.

ASH: Which reminds me that I have but still need to read the first volume.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga has Mr. Villain’s Day Off 4, Ragna Crimson 12, and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 18.

Seven Seas debuts a BL anthology, BL First Crush Anthology: Five Seconds Before We Fall in Love (Bokura ga Koisuru 5 Byou Mae ~Ubu Koi BL Anthology~), which features several artists who have other Seven Seas titles out, and is, well, about BL first crushes, in all their myriad forms.

ASH: Oooh! I have a soft spot for anthologies, BL and otherwise.

SEAN: Seven Seas also gives us Black Night Parade 3, A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch 2, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 8, The Duke of Death and His Maid 8, Reborn as a Barrier Master 6, and The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 5.

One Peace has a 6th manga volume of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.

Kodansha has two print debuts. Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law (Kei x Yaku: Abunai Aibou) is a BL title, but it runs in Palcy, so it’s more shoujo BL than the norm. A cop and a yakuza are trying to solve the same cold case, and must pretend to be lovers to continue.

MICHELLE: Hm. Maybe.

ASH: I could be convinced.

SEAN: The other debut is an omnibus of the first three volumes of A Sign of Affection. If you don’t have this yet, go get it.

ANNA: I’ve been buying in digital but might be tempted to double dip for omnibus editions!

ASH: I really need to catch up on this series; omnibus editions will certainly make that easier.

SEAN: Also in print: A Galaxy Next Door 6 (the final volume), Gazing at the Star Next Door 2, My Lovesick Life as a ’90s Otaku 3, A Sign of Affection 8, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 24, To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts 15 (the final volume), and Virgin Love 3.

Debuting digitally is The Beast Player (Kemono no Souja), a Shonen Sirius title from the creator of Seirei no Moribito, and based on her novel. A girl who adores her mother is cast adrift when her mother is blamed for a mysterious illness affecting their clan’s giant serpent mounts. This is from 2008, so is, of course, ancient, but it still looks really cool.

ANNA: Glad some ancient manga is being released!

ASH: I loved the novels, so am looking forward to the adaptation.

SEAN: Also digital: Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For! 3, Gang King 17, Nina the Starry Bride 12, TenPuru -No One Can Live on Loneliness- 10, We’re New at This 16, and You Must Be This Tall to Propose! 2.

ANNA: Always happy for some Nina the Starry Bride!

SEAN: In print, J-Novel Club gives us Ascendance of a Bookworm 24, The Faraway Paladin Omnibus 5, and Tearmoon Empire’s 4th manga.

ASH: That’s a good J-Novel week for me.

SEAN: Still no new titles from J-Novel Club (they tend to release Vol. 1s in clumps.) But we get Ascendance of a Bookworm 31, Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon: My Trusted Companions Tried to Kill Me, But Thanks to the Gift of an Unlimited Gacha I Got LVL 9999 Friends and Am Out For Revenge on My Former Party Members and the World 7, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- manga volume 2, By the Grace of the Gods 14, Duchess in the Attic 2, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone 3, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects 3, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 44, Isekai Tensei: Recruited to Another World 7, My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer manga volume 4, and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 12.

Hanashi Media has a 2nd volume of My Pet is a Saintess.

Ghost Ship has a 10th volume of 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.

Cross Infinite World confounds us all by releasing a title before the final day of the month, with the 2nd volume of I Guess This Dragon Who Lost Her Egg to Disaster Is My Mom Now. (They say it’s because it’s Mother’s Day. That’s sweet.)

In print, Airship has Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord: Production Magic Turns a Nameless Village into the Strongest Fortified City 2 and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 5.

And in early digital, there is The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 2 and Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 10.

Some good stuff coming out! What’s for you?

Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, Vol. 2

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By Umikaze Minamino and Kochimo. Released in Japan as “Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by okaykei.

One of the things that I did not touch on in my review of the first book in this series is how funny it is. And by funny I mean that Nia Liston is a horrible, horrible little gremlin and her thought process is hilarious. I started quoting some of her more batshit moments on Twitter as I read, and it might have seemed as if I was complaining about the book. No… well, if you’re the sort who is not a fan of 6-year-olds who have a thirst for a little old ultraviolence, than yes but honestly, if that concerns you you probably didn’t start the second volume anyway. It also helps that she gets her very own tsukkomi in this book, as Reliared, the girl we briefly saw in Book 1 who decides to make Nia her biggest rival, meets her and immediately becomes the only one in the group with any sense, which means she’s the comeback queen. I mean, it can’t be Nia’s servant, who’s just as bad as she is.

Nia is starting her first year at Altoire, where all the kids go to school, be they royalty or commoner. That said, her core friend group rapidly becomes Reliared, another noble, and Hildetaura, the third princess. Nia is here to find strong people, but is also there to help promote Magivision, and finds two strong allies in her fellow classmates, who both want to get everyone owning a TV set… erm, a Magivision tablet. The idea they come up with is a martial arts tournament among the elementary and middle school students, to be filmed on campus by other students with the three girls acting as “hosts”. This interests Nia not at all, as no one is strong enough for her, but when she finds out about an illegal underground fighting tournament, nothing can keep her away.

I am starting to wonder if the punchline to all of the many and varied sword styles, martial arts styles, and other weapon styles that everyone is obsessed with at this school is that she was responsible for all of them in the past. She remembers nothing about her own past self except in little bits (she seems to imply that she eventually lost control and fell to ruin), but she definitely remembers other strong people in the past… none of whom are as strong as her, of course. That said, I think she has to admit that at times she definitely has the emotional maturity of the 6-year-old that she is now. Not realizing that Lynokis would follow her to the illegal tournament and indeed enter it in order to protect her was *so* stupid that Nia spends a page and a half berating herself for it. That said, her “I apologized, so we’re back to normal and I learned nothing” is also very six-year-old. She’s an immature kid, she just… is ludicrously strong.

The next volume continues to be about half livestreamer, half “let’s punch everything”, judging by the synopsis. That should do find, as long as Nia continues to be the arrogant asshole we know and love.