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The Dorky NPC Mercenary Knows His Place, Vol. 4

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By Toryuu and hamm. Released in Japan as “Kimo Ota Mob Yōhei wa, Mi no Hodo o Wakimaeru” by Overlap Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Josh DM.

This was a stronger volume of Dorky NPC Merc than the third one, despite the fact that John is generally in far less danger throughout. I don’t really need him in peril here, though it is nice to occasionally see him struggle. But for the most part we read this to see him do a lot of cool space battle things, and then react to most of the aftermath with a sort of flat stare. It’s just the sort of guy he is. Aside from that, this series has one agenda, and it’s “rich arrogant nobles suck”, and it gives you a lot more of that here. That said, like most of these series which do not want to bite the hand that feeds them, it’s only the BAD nobles that are terrible and deserve death. The good nobles, like, say, the Empress who rules, are absolutely fine. THEY don’t treat people horribly. But fear not, that still leaves lots of terrible failnobles to go around.

After then events of the last book, John spends the start of this volume getting himself a new ship, which basically seems to be “my old ship only newer and with better radar and a better ability to store my doujinshi”. Unfortunately, the noble rebellion that’s been hinted at for a while finally starts, and martial law is declared as the mercenaries are all called in to fight for Empress and country. This goes better than you’d expect – the Empress is acting a bit less competent than she actually is to lure out bad nobles (I’m not sure if her “tits out” royal outfit is also meant to obfuscate, but I suspect it’s just part of the artist’s vibe), and the rebels think they have a mole when in fact he’s being a double agent and has betrayed them all. After this, a lot of now disgraced nobles turn to piracy, so John spends a lot of time tracking them down and basically doing his job for money.

As with Book 3, there’s less overt romance here. First Girl Fialka still seems to be the only one who has extended interaction with him, though her default tsundere state makes things difficult. And Second Girl (and default “childhood friend”) Scuna sees him carrying out an investigation by borrowing a prostitute’s bedroom and gets the wrong idea. The most interesting part of the book is the rebellion – we get the POV of a few noble families who are essentially being blackmailed into doing this, and there’s mention of a horrible financial penalty to all who participated but were coerced in the rebellion – though this too turns out to be a ploy by the Empress. I have a sneaking suspicion, especially after she and Fialka have a relatively friendly meetup at a noble reception, that the Empress is going to meet John pretty soon, and may end up dragging romance back into things. Over his dead body, of course.

This is never going to be required reading, but if you’re bored with fantasy isekais, and would like a bit of space opera that manages to avoid being a misogynistic hellhole, this is a good choice.

Restaurant to Another World, Vol. 6

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By Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami. Released in Japan as “Isekai Shokudou” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Elliot Ryouga. Adapted by Rebecca Schneidereit.

It has been over five years since the last time I reviewed this series, so pardon me for forgetting literally everything about it. Which is a shame, as this is a series that very much rewards the sort of reader who keeps a spreadsheet showing the main characters and when they first arrive and what their favorite meals are. There was a two and a half year gap between the 5th and 6th books in Japan, but the likely reason this one took so long is a) renegotiating the contract with a publisher that is famously cool towards translating its stuff, and b) the fact that we still don’t have a Book 7. Nothing since 2021. Well, the manga is still running. That is to say, the second manga, which is digital-only and chapter-only, apparently. Basically, this is a somewhat cursed series, but at least there’s delicious food throughout. It still makes you hungry as you read it.

As with previous volumes, this consists of 20 chapters, each titled with a food dish of some sort, and gives us a little story about who is ordering it. That said, there are a few other plot-related things going on here. There’s an infestation of moth monsters that’s going to go out of control unless something is done, and this will involve getting the hiding Princess Victoria involved – under her code name Pudding, which makes it especially amusing when she runs into fellow diner Heinrich, aka “Fried Shrimp”. We also meet a new waitress from our own world, who is the niece of the Master and is trying to learn so that she can be a chef and start a restaurant of her own. Fortunately, she has her uncle’s temperament as well, so takes the otherworld stuff in full stride. Though Aletta might be a bit jealous of Saki’s reading and writing skills…

The fact that this takes place across a long period of time, and you never know when each new chapter will be, keeps the mind alive in among the long, lingering descriptions of people eating food. One chapter shows us a woodcutter and his wife, along with their two kids, showing a noble who has gotten lost the restaurant. Two chapters later, we see a younger woodcutter proposing in the same restaurant. And in another we see the late owner of the restaurant running the show, with the current Master just a newbie who’s still learning the ropes. A large chunk of this seems to take place before Kuro arrives at the restaurant, as there’s very little of her here, but we do get a lot of Aletta, who constantly worries she’s not being useful enough (hence why Saki’s arrival sent her into a panic.) Unlike the anime, there’s little to no romance – while the restaurant is encroaching on the fantasy world more and more, it’s in terms of establishing bonds of friendship that will allow them to reach out in times of need.

This was really good. I hope it’s not the last one.

Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance, Vol. 1

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By Rei Kazama and Fujiazuki. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijō wa Seirei ni Aisarete Saikyō Desu…… Dakedo Futsū ni Koi Shitai)” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by okaykei.

I am, as readers of this blog know, a sucker for many things. One of those things is “girl tries to be a normal, average person but it immediately fails because she’s so utterly bad at it”. It’s underlined and enhanced in this new series, where she ends up working out as a small baby, is controlling multiple spirits before she’s a year old, and is talking in complex sentences before she’s three. Fortunately, she’s in luck, as she also has two older brothers who are also freaks, though it takes till the end of the book before we get the full story on both of them. As you’d expect, a lot of this book is Deirdre trying to get everyone to treat spirits well so that they can all be more powerful while, at the same time, trying not to get involved in political disputes as she wants to fall in love and get married normally. Good luck, honey.

A young woman, working to finish a doujinshi in time for the deadline, dies and wakes up in the body of a tiny baby. As it turns out, she’s now Deirdre Abel von Belisario, the daughter of a margrave. She’s got maids! She’s got two older brothers, She’s got a very doting family. And she’s got these spirits that hover around her. As she tries to use context clues to figure out where she is and what’s going on, she finds the traditional “one cheat item you get to take with you when you go to another world”, which is magical Wikipedia, which gives her a lot of information on this world… namely that it’s a political hotbed. Unfortunately, as she grows up, works out, invents radio calisthenics, and gains the attention of more spirits, it rapidly becomes apparent that avoiding politics is simply not happening.

Generally speaking, any series where the main character has magical Wikipedia (and yes, there are multiple series with that cheat) should be ridiculous, but this one has more depth than you might expect. The empress and her sons are in the middle of a power struggle with rich nobility, and it’s led to the royal capital being deforested and bereft of spirits. The empress uses Deirdre and company in order to get the jump on her enemies… but this does not win Deirdre over, and instead puts her more on her guard. Deidre is beloved by the spirits, including the Four Major Spirit Elements, but this is not great when they’re supposedly subjects of the Empire, and the spirits make it clear they support Deirdre over the royals. Even middle child Alan, who seems to be the normal one of the trio, shows off in a side story how that’s only a matter of degree, as he goes on a rampage to stop some kidnappers and does seven impossible things before breakfast.

So yeah, there’s a lot of meat here to get your teeth into. Which is good, as this is 12 volumes in Japan, so we’ve only just begun. For fans of tiny terrors who are trying to keep a low profile but failing miserably.

High School DxD: Professor Valkyrie

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By Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero. Released in Japan by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Haydn Trowell.

This is a shonen series, as I’ve said many times before, and one of the ways that it is most like a shonen series is that the cast is simply too damn large. And no, I don’t just mean trying to remember that minor villain from 7 books ago who pops up again, I mean that I actually had to use the wiki to remind myself about Rossweisse, who’s been around since Book 4 or 5 but who doesn’t stick in my head quite as much as everyone else in Issei’s orbit. This is definitely a series where you think “Thank God there’s a wiki page”. That said, I’m not all that sure that failing to remember exactly who someone is matters all that much at this stage. There are the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys want to do good things and protect people. the bad guys want to do bad things and kill people. Hell, the entire motive rant of the main antagonist here is “I want demons to be seen as bad guys”. Very shonen indeed.

As Issei and the women in his orbit enjoy a nice bath together, Rossweisse comes to them to ask for a favor: she needs Issei to pretend to be her boyfriend. She’s getting a lot more family pressure, especially from her grandmother, to get married and have children, and this will help to delay that a bit (and, of course, she’s got the hots for Issei as well). It becomes more relevant when the main cast all visit Sona’s new school, one that teaches all demons rather than just the rich or powerful ones. This is a controversial school right from the get-go, as you’d expect. Unfortunately, in addition to people disliking the concept of the school, there’s something else going on: mages are being kidnapped, and they’ve all got one thing in common: they’ve researched the Number of the Beast. As has Rossweisse.

This volume is relatively light on erotic aspects, at least from Issei himself. Asia’s dragon going full Gordon Ramsay on everyone showing the best way to cook and eat Asia’s panties was probably enough, frankly. Plus this book is very much about the fighting. Issei is still too intuitive and relying on “punch everything hard”, but he’s gotten better, and we see his analysis of things has grown leaps and bounds since the first few books. He also gets to work together with some former enemies, including Sairaorg, who is frankly Buff Issei, and also likes to punch things. As for Rossweisse, she’s realized she loves being a teacher, which is good, and I hope that we’ll see more of her with the main harem girls so that I don’t have to look her up again. That said, she struggles to stand out among the heroines even in her own focus book, so that’s not all too surprising.

Apparently next volume will see the demise of my running gag, as it apparently *is* an Irina focused book, where everyone goes to Heaven. Till then, boy, this has a lot of characters and fighting.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Vol. 8

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

I’ve talked many times before about the stark contrast between the backstory of Masachika and Yuki and their family drama, the romantic plots with Alya and Maria both being in love with Masachika, and the wacky comedy shenanigans. The drama gets more attention this volume, and the shenanigans are confined to the middle of the book for the most part, and almost feel perfunctory. They read like the author watched a random anime and used that plot as the antics of the book. When I say “there’s a party with chocolates that have a small bit of alcohol in them”, the average fan could write the rest of that scene in their head and be 100% accurate except that it’s only one girl who gets drunk, not all of them. And there’s also an invented game that involves penalties, but since we already had the sexy antics earlier, these punishments are more just silly. The drama, though, is the main reason to get this.

The festival is over, but the aftermath of its events are still reverberating. Masachika’s mother was ill after his performance and had to go to the nurse’s office… and what’s more, Masachika found his father comforting her! Oh, and she’s also now sleepwalking. Masachika himself is filled with all-new self-loathing about his piano playing, which briefly impacts his ability to play until he gets some good advice which is basically “stop overthinking everything you do”. Oh, if only that advice would stick. As for Alya, well, she’s admitted that she’s in love with Masachika, at least to herself, and is briefly really, really happy. Can’t have that, of course. Enter Nonoa, who levels up here from minor supporting character to possibly the main antagonist of the entire series.

The big news here comes right at the cliffhanger for the book – Masachika is finally going to admit the truth about him and Yuki to Alya. This is good, because after overhearing him saying that Yuki will always be the most important person in his life, Alya has spent most of the volume dealing with agonizing unrequited love issues. These two are, frankly, very similar, which is why they’re such a good couple – or at least they will be, eventually, when the series is allowed to end. As for Yuki, she gets less to do here, but is also part of the cliffhanger. I’m not sure if her relapse will last longer than the next book, but it’s a reminder that she’s just as tied into the dark backstory as her brother, and is not simply about being a tease and making incest jokes. There is also a lot of Maria, of course, but even though she’s clearly deeply in love with Masachika, all her plots here are comedic. We know what that means.

And then there’s Nonoa, but let’s save her for another time. Till then, I enjoy wading through the most predictable comedy ever to get to the good bits.

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, Vol. 20

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By FUNA and Itsuki Akata. Released in Japan as “Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne!” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Tara Quinn. Adapted by Maggie Cooper.

One of the very first things I observed about this series, back in the first volume, is that it gives its heroine a supporting cast and then replaces with with another, seemingly similar supporting cast. Now, as the series has gone on, we’ve found that this works fine: the Wonder Trio, for all that they came first, are basically three very similar girls who are “upper class”, “middle class”, and “lower class”. Reina, Mavis and Pauline have been given far more opportunity to show off they are more than just that and also they are lunatics. As is Mile. The Wonder Trio can be a bit eccentric, but compared to our main girls they are common sense personified. That said, now that they’re here, they can help develop the main cast, as they are nearly perfect at everything – and Reina and Pauline, as it turns out, are not.

Our two groups have settled into their new country, and are able to easily fend off merchants who are trying to lowball them on jobs. That said, there is an elephant in the room: Mile has her fantastic Storage Magic. Mavis can now also use it. The Wonder Trio has Inventory, which they are quietly pretending is Storage. But Reina and Pauline, since they’re not Nanomachined up, are struggling. Perhaps… the problem is how they’re being taught? After this, everyone decides to take a quick trip back home to check in on folks, only to find that when you’re the heroes who saved the world, a lot can happen in the little hometown you came from. This hits Reina especially hard.

This was a solid volume, with the usual good points and bad points (Mile once again tells us how AWESOME child labor is if you’re an orphan). I liked how the difference between Mile’s teaching (teaching magic as it’s learned here, trying to convey the power of imagination) and Mavis’ methods of teaching (we must use the power of EMOTION and FEAR to make your storage POWERFUL!) and, as it turns out, this is exactly what Reina needs. She gets the climax of the book, which has some wonderfully black comedy (what’s happened to her parent’s graves in the interim) and some triumphant power-ups (about to be murdered when trying to save a group of children being sold into slavery, she unlocks her inner storage through the power of not wanting to die), and you really feel great for her. Pauline also gets some nice development (quiet, you) as she realizes that maybe, with the Crimson Vow’s weird party makeup, she needs to learn how to direct a battle rather than be the support.

All this plus our heroines asking each other about marriage and gradually realizing that they’re all gay (no, not really, but yes, really). FUNA fans will have a ball.

Manga the Week of 11/19/25

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SEAN: It’s Almost Thanksgiving! Happy Almost Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. And Canadians, who already had it.

Yen Press shifted most of its releases to the week after next, but there’s a couple things. They have Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree 7 and Tales of Wedding Rings 15 (the final volume).

ASH: It’s a Ring sort of week, apparently.

SEAN: Viz Media debuts Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple, a manhwa that’s part of the Assassin’s Creed universe.

ASH: I’m not familiar with this one, but I have enjoyed some of the other Assassin’s Creed comics. (Shockingly, I’ve never actually played any of the games, though.)

SEAN: Also from Viz: After God 7, Choujin X 10, Cosmos 3, Hirayasumi 7, Hunter x Hunter 3-in-1 4, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. 10, Snowball Earth 7, Steel of the Celestial Shadows 8, Terra Formars 23, Trillion Game 8, and Undead Unluck 22.

ASH: Whoa! It’s been so long (six years, I think?) that I’d forgotten Terra Formars was still ongoing.

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Call Me Master (Yaou no Inu), another BL title that ran in from RED. Another host club title, this one features a rookie who manages to top the top host.

They also have a 6th volume of Boys Gilding the Lily Shall Die!?.

Titan Manga has Cosmic Censorship 2, Kamen Rider Kuuga 11, Sanda 2, and Working for God in a Godless World 4.

ASH: I’ve actually heard some pretty good things about Sanda.

SEAN: Steamship has a 4th volume of Loving Moon Dog.

Square Enix Manga gives us Dragon and Chameleon 5 and Otherside Picnic 13.

Lots of Seven Seas debuts again, so let’s start with the danmei. Three Hundred Years of Longing: Bu Jian Shang Xian San Bai Nian stars a nobleman who wakes up one day to find himself chained in prison and branded as an archfiend. We’ve all had parties like that.

MICHELLE: Heh.

ANNA: I hate when that happens!

SEAN: Afterglow is a BL oneshot that ran in Gateau. A troubled doctor who practices in the middle of nowhere after an incident in his past finds his depression being healed by a yakuza.

MICHELLE: Potentially interesting!

ASH: I’m game!

ANNA: It does sound amusing.

SEAN: Dysfunctional Family Theory (Daraku Kazoku-ron) is a BL title from Cheri +. Two guys are told that they’re potential fathers to a 6-year-old who needs a papa, and now they have to live together until she picks one.

MICHELLE: My Two Dads: The Next Generation.

ASH: Oh, goodness!

ANNA: Sounds cute.

SEAN: The Greatest Wolf of My Life is a webtoon series from the creator of Reborn Rich. A girl with a terrible life suddenly finds that it can get even worse after she’s accused by an idol of stalking him.

ASH: Uh-oh.

SEAN: HOOL!GAN’S (horrible apostrophe not mine) is a shonen title from Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. 19th century London, mafia, alchemy… this has most of the popular trends of the last decade.

ASH: Hooligan’s what? Who is Hooligan? I must know!

SEAN: Tease Me Harder: A Sweet and Kinky Romance (Ijimete Gokko) is a josei title from Kuromitsu. Two sweet shy folks have been dating for six months, but not much has happened. Then he finds her secret – she’s a masochist. But he loves her so much! So he’s going to learn to be the best dom ever for her! This is apparently adorable. And also smutty. Please be OK with kinks and cuteness before reading.

ASH: Oh my gosh, this looks delightful. And hooray for josei!

ANNA: Alright!

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas (danmei): The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun 10.

Also from Seven Seas: Black Night Parade 8, The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace 9 (the final volume), My Senpai is Annoying 13 (the final volume), Noss and Zakuro 2, and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 13 (the final volume).

One Peace Manga has Higehiro 12.

Kodansha Books has As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 7.

Kodansha Manga has a print debut that’s actually a “back in print” debut: The Drops of God omnibuses are getting a re-release.

ASH: Whaaaaat? How did I miss that?! These are excellent; glad to see them back in print.

ANNA: Nice!

SEAN: Also, 13 years after the first volume came out here, they give us Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel, as the author decided to revisit Totto-chan in contemporary times.

And apparently we get Witch Hat Atelier Coloring Book?

ASH: Ooooooh.

ANNA: Oh wow, I might get that!

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Lock 24, Gazing at the Star Next Door 7, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 15, Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law 9, Ninja Vs. Gokudo 10, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 13, Sue & Tai-chan 6, and Whisper Me a Love Song 10.

Digitally we see A Couple of Cuckoos 26, Elegant Yokai Apartment Life 31, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 28, and MF Ghost 23.

J-Novel Club has four debuts, all light novels. The Amazing Village Creator: Slow Living with the Village Building Cheat Skill (Bannou “Murazukuri” Cheat de Otegaru Slow Life: Mura desu ga Nani ka?) is another series where a kid has a bad blessing so his family hates, disowns, and banishes him. As one does. Guess what, his blessing is actually amazing! I know, you’re surprised. This seems to be one of those “he wants a slow life, but doesn’t get it” series.

ASH: That’s too bad, the slow life can be good.

SEAN: The Fearsome Witch Teaches in Another World: Pay Attention in Class! (Isekai Teni Shite Kyoushi ni Natta ga, Majo to Osorerarete Iru Ken) is a light novel whose manga came out only a few weeks ago from JNC. A woman is reborn in another world with terrible regrets. But now she knows sorcery, and is headed to the magic academy. Can she do things better in this reborn life?

ASH: Probably?

ANNA: I hope so!

SEAN: Heir to a Monstermancer (Mamono Tsukai no Musume) stars an adventurer who runs across a girl who can tame any monster. Together… they bicker! And possibly fight crime!

One Last Hurrah! The Grayed Heroes Explore a Vivid Future (Jiji Baba Yuusha Party Saigo no Tabi: Oita Saikyou wa Iroasenu Mama Mirai e Susumu you desu) stars a party of heroes who saved the world… decades ago. Now retired, the former hero and his wife, the former saint, go on a journey to visit his great-grandchild… but find adventure hitting on them once more.

ASH: You don’t see too many great-grandpa’s as a protagonist!

SEAN: Other light novels: Blade Skill Online 2, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers 19, Chivalry of a Failed Knight 0 (a short story volume), In Another World With My Smartphone 31, Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 18, Record of Wortenia War 30, This Gyaru’s Got a Thing for…Vampire Hunters?! 2 (the final volume?), and Worthless at Home, Whiz to the World 2.

Manga titles next week are Imperial Reincarnation 2, Only I Know That This World Is a Game 10 (the final volume), and Sometimes Even Reality Is a Lie! 6.

Ize Press continues to have a busy month. We see Kill the Villainess 4, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner 3, the 2nd Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint novel, The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine 6, Semantic Error 4, Unholy Blood 8, The Villainess Is a Marionette 3, and Villains Are Destined to Die 8.

Ghost Ship has 2.5 Dimensional Seduction 16.

Dark Horse Comics has a 3rd and final volume of Danganronpa 2: Chiaki Nanami’s Goodbye Despair Quest.

Airship has print volumes of The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 6 and Loner Life in Another World 13.

And for early digital they have Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 12.5 and Drugstore in Another World 8 (the final volume).

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online: Invitation from Vivi

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By Keiichi Sigsawa and Kouhaku Kuroboshi, based on the series created by Reki Kawahara. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Stephen Paul.

After fourteen volumes, it has not escaped my attention that the volumes of GGO that I enjoy the most are the ones that do not have the words “Squad Jam” in the title. Possibly it’s because of their one-off nature, possibly it’s due to them being a change of pace, and possibly it’s because the Squad Jams all tend to combine a VRMMO game with the most annoying aspects of reality TV where we’re all watching waiting to see when they figure out who the traitor is. So this volume was always going to be starting off well for me. It finished well, too – this may be my favorite volume of the series to date. There’s some really cool game battles, lots of ludicrous things happen to Llenn, everyone’s reasonably funny, and there’s even a surprise or two. This may be Keiichi Sigsawa’s vanity project, but since we’re never getting his main project (thanks, Tokyopop), I’m cool with seeing him work his chops here.

After the events of the last Squad Jam, our core cast are celebrating in a virtual karaoke room when they get a request from David, the leader of MMTM. Vivi, the leader of the machine gun squad XEMAL, has issued a challenge, and if David wins he’ll get to meet her in real life. The challenge doesn’t say that he can’t invite others, so of course he’s turned to our girls, who are reasonably happy to help him with his live life – after all, this is just a game, so if they lose badly, it doesn’t mean anything. Miyu, aka Fukaziroh, is especially excited for this – she’s lost time and again to Vivi in ALO, and thinks she has a good guess as to who she is in real life. That said, first they have to clear Vivi’s challenge… which ends up being nearly impossible. Fortunately, they have a Llenn.

I’ve always been a fan of Fukaziroh as comedy relief, and we get a lot of that here, but this is a really fantastic volume for her in general. She gets to do clever and explosive things during the challenge, and her guess as to Vivi’s identity is… well, it’s wrong, but it’s only wrong by a very little bit. (There is also the joke that she and one of the machine gun players share a name, and will get married in the future, which makes me wonder if Sigsawa has been sitting on that for ages or if he just realized he used the same last name twice and decided to make it into a joke). As for Vivi, not spoiling too much, but this not only makes for a satisfying reveal, but also ties back into the main series. It can sometimes be hard to remember this takes place in the world of Kirito and company, and that VRMMOs can be used for reasons other than just having fun and shooting each other.

There’s no new volume in Japan yet, and if the author wanted he could probably end it here, but I suspect we’ll get another Squad Jam at some point. In the meantime, this is pretty much the series hitting on all cylinders.

Notorious No More: The Villainess Enjoys Feigning Incompetence, Vol. 2

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By Hanako Arashi and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Kitai no Akujo, Sandome no Jinsei de “Musai Munou” wo Tanoshimu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Jeremy Browning.

As with the first book, it frequently feels as if our main character is in a different book from everyone else. This makes sense, of course. Here is a woman who loved as a princess and died young, then lived for 85 years in modern Japan before dying and being reborn as the granddaughter of… well, the backstory of the “villainess”, while a lot clearer than it was before, is still missing a lot of data. In any case, she’s got the mind of an old woman, and she also really does not care for all the drama that her kingdom wants to throw her into again. As such, it makes sense that she wants to spend her time writing smutty romance novels and avoiding anything to do with responsibility and consequences. Unfortunately for Laviange, there’s someone manipulating things behind the scenes, and they’re not done trying to screw everything up. And they get a willing accomplice in Sienna, who is simply terrible.

After the events of the first book, Sienna is rapidly becoming persona non grata, the second prince is basically no longer in this series, and Heinz has been reduced to huddling in his room and avoiding everything. Unfortunately, a mysterious hooded figure is still trying to manipulate things, and gives Sienna an egg that she promises will allow her to get all that she desires. As for Laviange herself, she’s busy composing new books, getting rare and hard-to-cook meat from her friends, and working hard to at least show up to school (if not bother to try to get good grades) so that she can get the lunch special from the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Heinz shows up looking near death, Sienna is in full “I am a bratty younger sister” mode, and students are dropping like flies, their magic appearing next to them like a ghost. How can this be solved? If your answer is “giant paper fans”, you get this series’ vibe.

I understand that this series is not for everyone. Laviange makes a lot of her own problems by her sheer willful desire to not care, and the fact that she’s turned her older brother into a tsukkomi factory does not really offset that. It also clashes badly with a lot of the vile abuse of children that appears in the pasts of several important characters, especially her own past. There’s also a section about 3/4 of the way through the book where the characters stand around for a good thirty pages while the plot is explained to them, and it’s even more irritating that it’s still not the whole plot. This series has not once flashed back to Laviange’s first life, and I suspect it really wants to keep it vague. On the other hand…; Christ, Laviange is just a HOOT. The paper fans and ofuda, as well as her desire to have everyone shout out anime catchphrases as they’re used, cries out to be animated, if this ever gets one. I’m almost ready to forgive her everything. As are a lot of people, really.

So if your need in a villainess book is “complicated but funny bitch on wheels”, this is for you. If not, reader beware.

Engaging with the Plot: A Former Cat’s Attempt to Save Her Now Temporary Fiancé, Vol. 2

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By Usagi Hoshimi and Qi234. Released in Japan as “Konyakusha-sama ni wa Unmei no Heroine ga Arawaremasu ga, Zantei Konyaku Life wo Mankitsushimasu! Anata no Noroi, Kiraware Akujo no Watashi ga Toicha Dame desu ka?” by Earth Star Luna. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Minna Lin.

If I’m going to be honest, this series is, for the most part, fairly generic villainess stuff. We meet the heroine in this volume, and she’s very similar to most heroines who are not either evil or gay: she’s simply too earnest. Needless to say, this makes her face off badly against Lucille, who was a cat in her past life and is a cat in this one, even though she’s walking around in a human skin. Everything Lucille does is informed by her being a cat, including slapdash explanations, poorly thought out plans, and of course the inability to really recognize romantic love when it’s planted in front of her. She’s what makes the series worth reading, even as the plot rapidly advances towards the apocalypse… well, not really, but at least the destruction of their domain by demons.

Things are going swimmingly for Lucille at the start of this book, but she’s startled by the appearance of Elvira, the heroine, and like most villainesses in these books starts to try to get things to go along the lines of what she remembers even though she’s already completely messed up the events of the game. This means getting Elvira and Felix closer to cure his curse, which works on Elvira’s end, but he only has eyes for Lucille, not that she notices. Meanwhile, Lucille discovers that the “Great Sage” is her last owner, now locked into his unaging child body after making a literal deal with the devil. Unfortunately, this deal means that he’s also going to die, which is good (he’s the origin of the curse, so if he dies the curse can be removed from Felix), but also bad (he would die, and that would make Lucille sad).

The epilogues to the book may be more interesting than the actual plot (which ends with Lucille breaking the curse, in case you could not easily guess that). Felix is now free to return to see his parents again, despite the fact that his mother was driven nearly mad on hearing about the curse, and now that he’s better is dealing with guilt and misplaced anger. I liked her discussion with Lucille, who does not really believe in holding on to the past at all, despite her own past influencing the entire country. As for Elvira, she and Lucille get into an argument that amounts to “the few or the one” argument from Wrath of Khan, and no prizes for guessing who’s on the losing end of that one. I like that Elvira sees it as a learning experience (and also perhaps a way to get away from her crush who doesn’t love her back), and that she’s going off to a holy country to learn how to magic better and smarter.

Theoretically there could be more of this, despite a fairly definite “the main plot is over” ending here. After all, Lucille still regards Felix as just a swell guy, not a romantic lead. The author has written a bit more in the webnovel, but I suspect not enough for a third book, and this is probably it. It was fun.

Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 6

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By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Rymane Tsouria.

At last, we are back at the school, and Ekaterina is back to worry about the plot of the otome game. Literally, she is worried that this plot makes no sense. As many other fans of villainess books have noted, if your family is ludicrously powerful, and you are found to have tried to murder a commoner… you’re not going to get the death penalty. At worst, you may get house arrest. But otome games in light novels (as opposed to real otome games, which until recently have rarely had villainesses in them) rely to a large degree on bad writing, which is what makes things so difficult… or easy… for the villainess. In this case, Ekaterina’s memories of her past and ability to use those memories to advance society (or write hit songs) allow her to evade this fate, but just as she can’t see that everyone is in love with her, she can’t see that getting executed is not in the cards anymore. For her, at least.

Alexei and Ekaterina are at last back in the capital, and Ekaterina can finally go back to school, catch up with her friends Marina and Olga, and do her best to avoid tripping any otome game flags. Unfortunately, given she’s the unparalleled prime candidate to be the next Empress, trouble is still going to find her. In this case, trouble is in the form of Lydia, the daughter of a marquess and another theoretical candidate for Mikhail’s hand… though he doesn’t really seem to care for her much. And she really doesn’t like Ekaterina. And since this is otome game world, it turns out that just as art is really important here, so is music. And as Olga’s barony is under Lydia’s marquessery, and Olga has a beautiful singing voice, Lydia discovers a way to make Ekaterina face a very difficult choice.

This is not nearly as silly as Bakarina, but it’s coloring in the same lines, and one of the ways that it does that is that anyone who comes into contact with Ekaterina seems to fall under her spell. In this case it’s not the God of Music,. mostly as he’s found two prodigies, but it is the former Emperor and his wife, as it turns out his wife is also one of the best singers in the country. And, oddly, it even turns out to be Lydia, who is smart but runs on anger and being told what to do by her parents, and after a hefty dose of humility, appears to actually learn her lesson. This series doesn’t like to have villainesses fall, lest Ekaterina join them. On the bright side, romance is resolved here. No, not that one. But Olga meets a music nerd and the two of them fall in beautiful music nerd love together, only we barely see this because the series is filtered through its protagonist, who has to literally be told they’re a couple by the prince. If only he could be more explicit about his own feelings, but I get it. It won’t work while she’s like this.

As long as there’s no sexual attraction, she and her brother can say they love each other and jump into each other’s arms as much as they like, IMO. A good villainess series for fans of “otome game analysis”.

Duchess in the Attic, Vol. 4

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By Mori and Huyuko Aoi. Released in Japan as “Yane Urabeya no Kōshaku Fujin” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by piyo.

So first of all, I need to tell you all something important: despite being kidnapped here, Opal is not locked in an attic. The only sign of the title of the series are at the start, where she waxes nostalgic about the old attic days with her husband, and later on, when she waxes nostalgic about being locked in the attic while she’s being kidnapped. For the most part, what this book is about instead is Opal passing on her wisdom to the generation after her. We meet a troubled young royal, who is trying to avoid an engagement to someone she doesn’t love, and is a bit difficult and hard to deal with. Everyone except Opal spots the similarities immediately, and even Opal eventually admits it. That said, Ellie is a lot more naive and childish than Opal was in the first book, so has a much higher bar to clear. Also, she’s a princess, while Opal was just high nobility. Still, it’s never too early to learn how to get kidnapped.

Opal and Claude are on vacation when they are called back by the King, who asks Opal to mentor the willful princess of Lumeon, who has lost her parents and grown up with bad tutors and has basically become a spoiled brat. After being half-cajoled, half-blackmailed into it, Opal sets out on a sea voyage, first disguised as a commoner (where she meets a troubled woman and her adorable daughter and tries to help get them some work), and later on posing as a flighty airheaded duchess, where she enchants the guy who is trying to con the princess (also incognito) and switches to conning her instead. Fortunately, as Opal gets to know Ellie, she finds that a lot of her spoiled brat is just a very lonely girl acting up as it’s all she can do. Unfortunately, this series is still about the difference between the haves and the have nots.

There’s a lot of Opal being smug and solving her own problems here, but the series also is very clear that she has a tendency to “be one step behind”, as shown by the troubled mother and adorable daughter she meets on the boat, who we later find ended up working in a sweatshop. This is not Opal’s fault, but it does show that someone like her, who does try to save what’s right in front of her, can’t be everywhere. Her brother Julius is still better than her at most of these things, though he fails to be better than her at villainess-type parties, as she absolutely crushes the two ladies who are trying to destroy her reputation with the King. Essentially it’s telling us that even in her early 30s or so (I think that’s her approximate age), and with a husband and kid, she still has a lot to learn.

Fortunately for her, this series still isn’t over. This isn’t essential shoujo light novel, but it’s a good one for those who like women trying to march shoujo light novels into the 20th century kicking and screaming.

My Magical Career at Court: Living the Dream After My Nightmare Boss Fired Me from the Mages’ Guild!, Vol. 6

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By Shusui Hazuki and necomi. Released in Japan as “Black Madōgushi Guild o Tsuihō Sareta Watashi, Ōkyū Majutsushi to Shite Hirowareru: White na Kyūtei de, Shiawase na Shinseikatsu o Hajimemasu! ” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Mari Koch.

It’s been more than a year since the last volume of this, the dangers of catching up. I was looking forward to more romcom shenanigans, but unfortunately, this is the serious, peril volume, and the romcom is saved for the very end. I also noticed that my last review talked about the villains all being cartoonishly evil and trying to destroy the Crown, which is true, but I’m starting to think that maybe it would be for the best if the Crown were destroyed. Michael has always been a bit of a dick, trying his damndest to get Noelle working at the palace even though that’s not what she wants. Here he seemingly tries to have her love interest killed (I don’t know if he was behind the kidnapping, but he was definitely behind the “he’s a traitor” rumors), and the 7th book promises a big confrontation, and hopefully the prince gets kicked in the nuts.

We pick up with the cliffhanger from the last volume: Luke has been kidnapped, and it turns out that he’s in the Holy Nation of Clares, which is run by the Church. Noelle and the others not only find that their rescue attempts are cut off, but also find he’s being slandered, so they are to assume he is Evil Presumed Dead. This does not sit well with Noelle, who ends up resigning fro her post and going to the Holy Nation to track him down. Fortunately, she has allies. Her old friend Nina is adventuring in the area, and there’s always the all-powerful Elf Princess Evangeline, and even her wyvern friend. Plus, y’know, she’s brilliant at nearly everything, be it cleaning a horribly polluted creek in one day or befriending the hidden savior of the nation. Unfortunately, Luke may really *be* Evil Presumed Dead…

We’ve been waiting for six volumes, so it’s nice that we finally get a mutual confession (yes, yes, OK, Luke is not really evil or dead, though his presence in this book is confined to the last part). Unfortunately, the series is not yet over, which means that we’ve got to put off them actually becoming a couple for even longer – especially since Michael is trying to make her his bodyguard/personal mage. But yeah, right now Noelle has a goal, and that goal is not “marry Luke”, it’s “become the greatest mage in the world”. I mean, the title of the series is My Magical Career. As for the rest of the book, it’s decent considering it’s a rescue book. We meet a drunk nun and a gambling-addicted nun, who provide most of the humor. And the savior of the Holy Nation is, frankly, adorbs, and I hope we see more of her.

What’s that, Lassie? Series? Caught up again? No new volume in sight? Ah well, back to waiting. Still, glad we got this.

Manga the Week of 11/12/25

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SEAN: It’s getting dark in the evenings again, folks. Beware.

ASH: I’m still trying to process the time change.

SEAN: We start with Airship, which, like all of Seven Seas’ imprints, has a huge week. We debut The Misdeeds of an Extremely Arrogant Villain Aristocrat (Kiwamete Gouman Taru Akuyaku Kizoku no Shogyou), a male version of the villainess plot, as our hero tries to change his fate by being the most handsome, charismatic and strongest person around. I suspect fate will try to off him anyway, it’s that kind of series.

ASH: Fate does seem to have that tendency.

SEAN: We also have a debut from the creator of Who Killed the Hero?. The Wicked Princess and Her Twelve Eyes: The Legendary Villainess and Her Elite Assassins (Aku no Reijou to Juuni no Hitomi: Saikyou Juusha-tachi to Densetsu no Akujo, Jinsei Nidome no Kareinaru Musouroku) is a one-shot. This is a “rewind to do it over” villainess book, so you know how it starts. That said, this villainess genuinely seems to be a bad person, and she realizes what she did wrong was not having evil minions. Time to fix that.

ASH: When you said she had twelve eyes, I initially assumed she was a spider. (Granted, they usually have eight.)

ANNA: That would be an interesting twist!

SEAN: Also in print: Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! 20, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 21, The Mimosa Confessions 5 (the final volume), Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 12, Sword of the Demon Hunter 11, and The Too-Perfect Saint 4.

And in early digital we see Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord 6, Restaurant to Another World 6 (the first volume in 5 years), and A Tale of the Secret Saint 9.

Drawn & Quarterly have a sequel to their Shigeru Mizuki artbook, Yokai: Shigeru Mizuki’s Supernatural Parade. It is, of course, essential.

ASH: I’m so excited for this! The first artbook was fantastic.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Virgin Ventures: The Hilarious Hijinks of Erotic Amateurs (Negai Ai – Hajimete Doushi no Hajirai Yuugi), a title that runs in Grand Jump Mecha. A guy who writes erotic novels despite having no experience and a girl who loves women’s underwear and also has no experience collaborate. Will things turn steamy? The fact that this is Ghost Ship says yes.

ASH: I feel like I’ve come across a similar premise somewhere before but can’t quite place it.

SEAN: Also from Ghost Ship: Imaizumi Brings All the Gals to His House 4.

Inklore has a 3rd volume of Cherry Blossoms After Winter.

So I missed some Ize Press last week (Yen’s calendar is appreciated but its filtering can get wonky). So out this week we have Beware the Villainess! 5, Itaewon Class 7, and See You in My 19th Life 8.

ASH: Better late than never! I’m still impressed by how much you are able to track.

SEAN: As for what’s actually out next week, they debut THE STAR SEEKERS, which is the 2nd novel this month about a boy band that has to save the world, this one Tomorrow X Together.

ASH: Huh! Didn’t realize that was an established genre.

SEAN: And we see Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom 7 and Overgeared 8.

J-Novel Club has its print titles out next week. We get Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 5, The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows 3, the 2nd Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill manga, Gushing Over Magical Girls 5, Isekai Tensei 3, Making Magic 2, My Next Life As a Villainess 13, and Tearmoon Empire 14.

ASH: At some point I blinked and missed thay the print edition of Tearmoon Empire had made it to the double digits.

SEAN: As for digital, JNC has three debuts. My Death-Defying Dog: Man’s Best Friend, World’s Best Savior (Uchi no Inu ga Tsuyosugirun desu ga? – Tensei Shitara Megami-sama no Shukufuku de Sekai wo Sukuu Koto ni narimashita) is a Comic Pash! manga about a guy who’s reincarnated in another world with his beloved dog, who he lost years ago. Now it’s time to save the world. No, not him. The dog has to save the world.

ASH: Isn’t that generally in the job description for dogs?

SEAN: Promised to a Dragon is another of the chosen titles from J-Novel Club’s Original Light Novel contest. A woman is promised to a dragon at birth, but her parents regret it and engage her to a dragon slayer instead. Sadly, the dragon slayer is so horrible she decides to run away and take her chances with the dragon!

ASH: Good for her!

ANNA: I hope she lives her best life with the dragon.

SEAN: Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance (Tensei Reijou wa Seirei ni Aisarete Saikyou desu… Dakedo Futsuu ni Koi Shitai!) stars an office lady and otaku who is reincarnated as a margrave’s daughter. She died young and without ever having love in her first life, so now she wants to make that her goal! Unfortunately, this world has bigger plans for her… plans she wants no part of!

ASH: Does she inherit a distillery?

SEAN: For novels, they also have DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level 11, Engaging with the Plot 2, Holmes of Kyoto 20, The Misfit of Demon King Academy 10-2, and Notorious No More 2.

And for manga, they have Ascendance of a Bookworm Arc 2 10, From Villainess to Healer 4, The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! 12, Mercedes and the Waning Moon 4, My Tiny Senpai 2, The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival 5, and Rebuild World 13.

No debuts for Kodansha, but in print they have The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride 5, Blue Period 16, Last Samurai Standing 3, Medalist 11, Senpai is an Otokonoko 3, Tower Dungeon 3, and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: IruMafia Edition 2.

MICHELLE: Print Medalist is catching up!

ASH: It is!

SEAN: Digitally they have Blue Lock 34 and Gang King 35.

One Peace Books has the 3rd volume of The Revenge of My Youth: Re Life with an Angelic Girl.

Seven Seas… hoo boy. Let’s start with non-manga debuts. We get a danmei… no, wait! It’s a baihe novel! The Beauty’s Blade: Mei Ren Jian is, I believe, the first baihe book to be released in English. Two female rivals from warring sects make a wager, and a duel is in the offing. Or perhaps… more than that? The Crunchyroll Edition features a variant cover.

MICHELLE: Oh, neat!

ASH: Baihe! That’s great!

SEAN: Thrice Married to a Salted Fish is a danmei debut. A doctor is upset to find his medical dreams dashed when he’s ordered to marry a sickly noble. But the noble might have something that can help him succeed. This also comes with a special edition that has a double-sided bookmark, a poster, a set of five postcards, and a sticker sheet.

ASH: I feel like I’ve heard good things about this one.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has several manga/manhwa debuts. It’s Just a Dream… Right?! is a BL webtoon manhwa. A guy answering an ad for a part-time shaman finds that there’s a lot more supernatural here than he expected.

Mocha the Cat and His Forever Family (Hiroi Neko no Mocha) is a josei series from Kitora. An abandoned cat is adopted by a family and gets into all sorts of mischief.

ASH: I have not gotten tired of cat manga yet, but there are so many options these days!

ANNA: This sounds cute.

SEAN: My Cute Cousin Always Gets Her Way (Itoko no Ko) is a shonen title from Dra-Dra-Sharp#. A boy staying at his uncle’s house in the sticks has to deal with his rambunctious cousin, who also seems to like him a lot and has no concept of personal space. I’ve been told this will fall into the “they’re not really related” romance category.

My Goddess is Precious Today, Too (Watashi no Megami ga Kyou mo Oseru) is a yuri title from Comic GAGA. This seems to be a short story collection about “goddesses” (women who have it all together) paired with “troublesome” women.

ASH: That can be a fun combo.

SEAN: Our Family, Now and Forever (Kyou mo Ashita mo, Kazoku desu) is a BL title from Gateau. A gang leader doesn’t know what to do with his life… till he meets the man he’ll marry. Now they’re raising a son together! This looks sweet as hell.

MICHELLE: It truly, truly does.

ASH: Awww.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World 13, Daily Report About My Witch Senpai 5, Failure Frame 11, I’m in Love with the Older Girl Next Door 3, My Kitten is a Picky Eater 6, Nakamura-san, the Uninvited Gyaru 4, No God in Eden 2, Pet Shop of Horrors: Collector’s Edition 4, Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me 5, Too Many Losing Heroines! 4, The Too-Perfect Saint 4, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! 13, Wolf’s Daughter: A Werewolf’s Tale 2, and Yakuza Reincarnation 14.

ASH: Still need to pick up Wolf’s Daughter.

SEAN: Square Enix Manga has Exquisite Blood: The Heretic Onmyoji 2 and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 27.

Steamship gives us Seduced by the Demon King: A Sensual Rebirth 3, SEX DRIVE – My Sneaky Underling 2, and Virgin Marriage: A Maiden Voyage into Passion’s Embrace 3.

SuBLime has A Man Who Defies the World of BL 2.

Titan Manga debuts Do Women Need Sex Entertainment? (Josei ni Fuuzokutte Hitsuyou desu ka?). This Kurage Bunch manga follows a young woman trying to juggle a career and a love life.

The Raven Dark Hero: From White Knight to Villain (Shikkoku no Dark Hero ~Hero ni Akogareta Ore ga, Areyo Areyo to Last Boss ni!?~) is a seinen manga based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel. In a world of superpowers, our protagonists wants to be a hero… but he has powers that are too dangerous!

ASH: Uh-oh.

SEAN: Titan Manga also has a 3rd and final volume of Dopeman.

Tokyopop debuts In the Twilight of Our Adolescence (Hensei), a one-shot BL title from Flat Heros. It’s a high school romance, but feels more evocative with that title.

MICHELLE: It has piqued my interest, certainly.

SEAN: Tokyopop also has the second and final volume of Do You Really Want Only a Meal?, the third and final volume of Never Let Go, and the third and final volume of You Can’t Live All on Your Own!.

Viz debuts a title I never thought we’d see licensed over here. Kingdom has been running for 20 years in Weekly Young Jump, and is 77 volumes long and counting. It’s the most well-known Warring States manga adaptation, so get ready for some amazing Li Xin action.

ASH: This series has been asked for by so many for so long! And it’s absolutely the type of series I would read.

ANNA: Alright!!!!! Here for any license that we thought we’d never see licensed over here.

SEAN: They also have Mao 22, One Piece 110, Rai Rai Rai 2, Sakamoto Days 19, Sakura, Saku 9 (the final volume), Spider-Man: Octo-Girl 3, and Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life 3.

Yen On has some ongoing light novels. We see Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 8, Days with My Stepsister 6, High School DxD 17, and Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 14.

Yen Press debuts D.N.Angel New Edition, which is exactly what it sounds like. The classic 90s shoujo series, culled as part of the Tokyopop implosion, Yen Press is now releasing it in 2-for-1 omnibuses. As for whether it’s good? Perhaps the other Manga Bookshelf folks can step in here, I could never stand it.

MICHELLE: I didn’t realize this had ever been finished! I think I liked the anime. It’s been a long time.

ASH: It has been a long time, but I remember it being a favorite of one of my siblings.

SEAN: They also have a 7th volume of Bocchi the Rock!.

What manga would you buy to light your way at night?

The Beauty’s Blade: Mei Ren Jian

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By Feng Ren Zuo Shu, Xiao Tong Kong (Velinxi), idledee and Gravity Dusty. Released in China on the Jinjiang Literature City website. Released in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. Translated by Yu. Adapted by Aysha U. Farah.

This is, I believe, the first baihe novel to be published in North America. From what I can gather, it wasn’t the most popular to be found (those ended up with another publisher who has not yet released them), but it had a small but devoted following. I can see why: the two leads are excellent, and the reason to read this. Watching the push-pull between the fiery, emotional, vengeance-driven Fu Wanqing and the cool, icy, and very emotionally masked Yu Shengyan is like watching a long, drawn out dance, and while it may be frustrating given how long they take to admit feeling for each other out loud, I found their relationship very satisfying. I wish I could say the same thing about the book. This may just fall under “not my genre”, but I ended up lost and uncaring in this tale of various sects with an axe to grind and a treasure map that turns out to connect to a past rather than a future.

Fu Wanqing is the heir to the House of Valor, the strongest of the five families that stand on the side of “good” in their community. She’s met one day by Yu Shengyan, the high priestess of the demonic guild, whose skills with a sword are apparently legendary. Fu Wanqing wants to duel her. Yu Shengyan has no interest in dueling, as once her sword is removed from its scabbard it has to kill. She’s there for a rare medicine that can heal her underling, who was permanently crippled in a sword battle… by Fu Wanqing. Fu Wanqing, who is also immediately attracted to the other woman, makes a deal: Stay by her side for three months, and she’ll let Yu Shengyan have the medicine. Of course, it’s not just them: the rest of the plot goes on around them, as a statue with a map is stolen, and everyone wants it.

There are some other subplots in this that are vaguely interesting, particularly the other “yuri” one involving the heir of one of the families and their burgeoning crush on, frankly, a cipher. The biggest issue, though, is there are simply too many characters to keep track of, and most of them are quite unlikable. To a degree this includes the two leads at times – sometimes you want to smack Fu Wanqing for being a smug asshole, or Yu Shengyan for closing herself off. That said, the times I was most invested in the book was watching the two of them flirt off to the side while the rest of the plot exploded around them. Seeing various family faction scream at each other and fight while these two feed each other orange slices can be hilarious. The other annoying factor for me was the writing itself. Chapter breaks feel entirely arbitrary, which I should have expected from a webnovel but it’s still annoying. Sometimes the POV shifts without a marker to tell us it’s now someone else. Another edit would have been good.

If you like baihe, I’d get this. I’d like to see more from this genre, and hopefully better.