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Adachi and Shimamura, Vol. 11

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By Hitoma Iruma and raemz. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Molly Lee.

It may not feel like one, but the Adachi and Shimamura series comes out as a Dengeki Bunko title. One of the heavy hitters of the light novel world, skilled at many things, including, of course, cross-promotion with other series. And if you add to that Hitoma Iruma, who loves throwing in “if you get this, great, if you don’t, it doesn’t matter” references to their other series, you can sometimes get a crossover cameo pileup. And since we’re also dealing with a series that has not been (and probably is unlikely to be) licensed over here, I will let you know (and thanks to translator Molly Lee for confirming) that the kimono girl and the senpai who take up about half the narrative in this book are from the 3-volume light novel series “Watashi no Hatsukoi Aite ga Kiss Shiteta”, also a Dengeki Bunko title. Oh, and another Yashiro shows up. Not our Yashiro, and not the Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl Yashiro, but the third one that we met earlier in this series. I need diagrams.

This is one of those volumes that really should be called Shimamura and Adachi – all the POV for the “main story” is hers this time around. It’s more a series of short stories than a novel (not the first time we’ve seen this), as we get to see Shimamura at 8 years old (hyperactive, full of life, hanging at the pool with her bestie Taru-chan), Shimamura at 15 years old (sullen, teenage drama, getting close to the Shimamura we meet at the start of the series), Shimamura at 18 years old (the present-day Shimamura, having a study date with Adachi that turns into a discussion about whether the attraction between the two of them is sexual or just romantic), and Shimamura at 22 years old (going on a vacation with Adachi, full of life and love, comfortable with herself and her girlfriend). There’s also brief chapters with Yashiro and Shimamura’s mother, Hino and Nagafuji, and Shimamura’s sister meeting another Yashiro.

Given that most of my experience with this series has been dragging Shimamura constantly in these reviews, it’s really amazing to see how far she’s come. The Shimamura at 18 and 22 is a Shimamura who has finally found the thing that she needed to shake her out of her torpor: being in love with Adachi. She’s still trying to figure out what this love is. Her discussion with Adachi about sex is, for this series, very frank (for any other series, not so much), and while it’s funny to see Adachi completely lose it multiple times over the course of a single minute, I also appreciated the conclusion they came to: Adachi wants to do sexual things but refuses to unless Shimamura does as well, and Shimamura has never thought about this at ALL, so is not ready. And that’s fine. Instead, we get the power of Adachi as a transformative force, transforming Shimamura into someone with real human emotions, joy, and energy. Go back to, say, the fifth book and read Shimamura, then re-read this one. Night and day.

12 is still the final volume, but before that Dengeki Bunko is releasing a short story volume (how is that different from most of the last few?), and “Vol. 99.9”, which is a collection of the bonus stories that came with the Blu-Ray release of the anime. That said, both of those will be a few more months till they get here, I imagine. Till then, enjoy Shimamura’s happiness, and Adachi’s Adachiness.

Bookshelf Briefs 10/17/23

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Blue Box, Vol. 6 | By Kouji Miura | Viz Media – A lot of things are finally done in this book. We get Hina’s confession, and Taiki’s subsequent rejection, as well as the two of them trying to go back to the friendship they had before. We get Chinatsu hearing about this, which neither of them know about, and now she’s awkward around both of them. And, most importantly, we get Chinatsu’s growing feelings for Taiki. So far the romance in this sports romance manga has been more one-sided than anything else, but it’s now swinging the other way, and we even get the standard “a storm has trapped us in an inn for the evening in the same bedroom” plot. As for the sports part, well, Chinatsu’s team lost, but there’s still one more semester to go. Good solid Jump manga. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 11 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – This took almost a year and a half to come out, but it serves up the finale pretty well. Takahashi and Sato got together last time, so there’s not really much else about them except “boy, they’re sweet.” Instead we go back to this series’ bread and butter, how people feel about demis. The decision to do a podcast, which will allow semi-anonymity but also let the girls talk about their demi status and also how they’re also dealing with the same issues regular humans do is inspired, and it makes sense that the one to take the reins as the main driver behind this is Hikari, our first “heroine.” I also appreciate how they rope in the rest of the cast, even the zashiki-warashi, who is briefly visible. Honestly, if you’re going to read a cute manga about monster girls, this should be the one to read. – Sean Gaffney

Like a Butterfly, Vol. 2 | By suu Morishita | Viz Media – I have to say, the art in this is really fantastic. Shoujo titles tend to come in two varieties, “cluttered and messy” and “expansive and lots of white space,” and this is the latter, where a conversation (or, given this series and who stars in it, a failed conversation) can take up an entire chapter. I’m not all that fond of one of the main conceits of the series, which is that Suiren is so gorgeous that she cannot go anywhere by herself for ten feet without being accosted by guys, but then, I’m a guy, so I can’t really speak to that. But yeah, this has the same strengths as the first book: really shy beautiful girl tries to tell really shy handsome guy that she likes him. It’s a lot of fun to read. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 35 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – This volume starts the final arc that is still ongoing right now, and so can feel a bit like setup. That said, my shipper heart will forever love this one, which has a ton of IzuOcha in it, from their bonding over sympathizing with villains towards the start to Toga basically outing Uraraka’s love after Izuku ends up grabbed and taken to the wrong place, throwing off all the heroes’ plans. The rest of what follows is “there will be fighting,” though it was nice to see Aoyama playing his part (and, notably, Aizawa didn’t say he WOULDN’T be expelled but also insisted he’s still one of his students, which is a very Aizawa thing to say). And, as always with long-running Jump series, this reads better in volume format. – Sean Gaffney

My Picture Diary | By Fujiwara Maki | Drawn & Quarterly – Although eventually formally published, My Picture Diary is an autobiographical work by Fujiwara Maki, wife of the renowned mangaka Tsuge Yoshiharu, which was originally intended to serve as a personal family record for their son Shōsuke. Nearly every day from January through April of 1981, and then sporadically throughout the remaining part of the year, Fujiwara drew an illustration to accompany a brief note about her daily life. Addressing the same time period as Tsuge’s manga The Man Without Talent, My Picture Diary provides more context and insight into Tsuge’s work but also shows Fujiwara as an artist in her own right. Before marrying Tsuge, Fujiwara was involved in avant-garde theater, only later turning to writing and illustration as creative outlets. With Fujiwara’s charming illuatrations and honest portrayals of the ups and downs of family life, it’s easy to see why My Picture Diary continues to remain in print in Japan. – Ash Brown

Nejishiki | By Tsuge Yoshiharu | Drawn & Quarterly – When Drawn & Quarterly first announced its series of Tsuge Yoshiharu’s mature works, immediately knowledgeable fans of alternative manga started talking about “Nejishiki,” arguably one of Tsuge’s most important contributions to avant-garde comics. It is now finally readily available in English, lending its name to the third volume of the series. Nejishiki collects seven of Tsuge’s short works, including “Nejishiki,” originally published between 1968 and 1972, most but not all in the influential alternative manga magazine Garo. Also included is an extensive essay by the series’ translator and comics historian Ryan Holmberg which places Tsuge and these particular selections into greater context. (I greatly appreciate this aspect of the series.) The stories in Nejishiki are surreal, disconcerting, and provocative, many utilizing dark, and often sordid, eroticism to convey the psychological underpinnings of their characters and narratives. Certainly not always the most comforting to read, Nejishiki is without a doubt a volume with impact. – Ash Brown

Tales of Wedding Rings, Vol. 12 | By Maybe | Yen Press – I stopped briefing this for a while, but am still reading it, despite the various issues it has. (It’s also getting an anime soon.) This final arc has basically been “the past hero was exactly like you and also had a bunch of girls who liked him, but they weren’t as strong, so everyone died, and as a result I won’t let you have your happy poly relationship,” which our hero and heroines beat back with the power of pure shonen manga. Honestly, this whole series sometimes feels like a textbook example of “shonen by numbers”—lots of cute, voluptuous girls not quite having sex with our hero (though we have at least gotten to the sex with the main girl) and lots of fantasy battles. This ends soon, I believe. Keep reading if you are already. – Sean Gaffney

The Mythical Hero’s Otherworld Chronicles, Vol. 5

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By Tatematsuri and Ruria Miyuki. Released in Japan as “Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyū Isekai Tan” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by James Whittaker.

As I’ve mentioned before, I keep vacillating back and forth on whether I like this series or not. The books themselves don’t help, being variously filled with things that I really want to see more of and things that make my teeth grind. The author himself notes that this book is a bit of a throwback to the first in the series, which is good as it allows the books to pick up various threads that they’d put aside in order to have a throne war (the Fallen and why and how they get that way), but is also bad because it means we still have to cling to some “who is this written for?” light novel conventions (our hero plans things out so that the women can save the day, but they fail and he has to step in himself). That said, I’m still going to be reading the next one, as I want to see if a) Hiro will go full villain, and b) if Aura will worship or execute him.

Everyone’s heading back to the Emperor, and it’s probably bad news. Liz and Aura had some very public defeats, and they’re going to have to accept some punishment for them. That said, Liz is also determined to make sure that Scáthach and her family are compensated… well, as much as they can be given it’s Scáthach and a collection of heads. Unfortunately, everyone (including Hiro) is thrown off their game by the first prince, Stovell, renouncing his claim to the throne… which, of course, is actually a prelude to an attempt to overthrow the Emperor. He’s got 30,000 men. Hiro, Liz, Aura and Scáthach have about 3000. Those are not good odds, even with Liz being who she is, and with the helpful addition of Scáthach’s Gae Bolg. Hiro might actually need to try this time around…

Hiro remains the most interesting part of the book. As I said earlier, I’m not quite sure where we’re going with him. Certainly Hiro is absolutely not doing any of your shipping nonsense, as he plans on simply fading away once Liz is on the throne and has trustworthy allies. There’s also the fact that he’s not quite human, and also his battle bloodthirst is inevitably going to take him over at some point. This is wonderfully hypocritical given he yells at an enemy general for doing much the same thing here, but Hiro is our… well, hero, yes, thanks, I got that pun. He’s going to need the entire female cast giving him a cooldown hug at this rate. And then there’s Aura’s obsession with her Bible of past glories, which is amusing given that she’s the one who notices most when Hiro is doing his suicidal battle lord stuff. She’s still probably my favorite.

If you like edgelord military throne war stuff, this is a must. If you don’t, like me, you’ll probably consider dropping it but get the next one anyway.

The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl, Vol 1

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The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl, Volume 1 by Miyuki Tonogaya

I was curious about this manga, because I’ve heard good things about the anime, which I have not watched yet. The premise of a man descended from snow spirits and his evolving relationship with his work colleague sounded amusing. This series started off being serialized online, and that definitely shows in the episodic nature of the early chapters and the same humorous situation being repeated multiple times. Fortunately, I enjoy scenes of people being overcome with emotions over and over again. I think pacing out reading the first volume over a period of a few days would make for a less repetitive reading experience, and it certainly was pleasant to dip in and out of this manga.

Ice Guy and the Cool Girl

Himuro is the decedent of a snow spirit, and his heritage causes him to have incidents where he inadvertently chills or freezes things in his environment. Fuyutsuki is pretty self-contained, but she does notice Himuro’s challenges and tries to come up with ways to make his life easier. She brings in straw that he can use to insulate the flowers he likes so they won’t freeze over, and brings him cat whiskers as a good luck charm when she realizes that he can’t pet a real cat. Fuyutsuki’s deadpan expression and lack of awareness about her emerging crush provide a contrast to Himuro’s over the top realizations of his feelings for her, which usually involve being overcome with emotion and causing a blizzard in his immediate vicinity. Tonogaya’s art is expressive and the contrast between Himuro’s over the top reactions and Fuyutsuki’s self-contained demeanor is funny. I really liked the bonus story at the end, because it gave a bit more insight into Fuyutsuki’s internal thoughts. Overall, this is a pleasant manga to keep on the reading pile, flipping through a few pages now and then for a bit of cute romantic comedy whenever it is needed.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9

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By Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. Released in Japan as “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

I may not mention it often in these reviews, possibly as I’m distracted by all the crime solving, political dealings, and Maomao slowly learning that she can rely on others for things, but The Apothecary Diaries can also be a comedy, and it has some very, very good jokes. This is possibly the funniest volume of all, featuring a new character (we’d seen her a bit before, but she’s in full flower here) who is here solely to be hilarious, and it works. Honestly, some of the humor is fourth wall breaking to an extent, be it Chue pulling little flags of the nations out of her sleeves (I hope we see some doves or rabbits next book) or En’en pulling out fans with “:Go for it, Yao!” written on them to cheer her on when she’s trying to earnestly get her point across. Unfortunately for Yao and En’en, we may not see them for a volume or two, as The Apothecary Diaries is going on a world tour.

After the stunning events of the last volume, Maomao is now being forced to learn surgery on the fly in order to tend to Jinshi’s brand and make sure that it doesn’t get infected. This will require more knowledge than she has, so she’s forced to go to her adopted father, who presents her with an impossible problem to solve… well, it would be impossible for Maomao by herself, as she doesn’t care about things that don’t interest her, but with Yao and En’en also there, she’s able to discover it (and learn more about Luomen’s somewhat tragic past). Now she’s learning how to be a surgeon the hard way, especially since women aren’t allowed to be surgeons, but everyone is politely ignoring it given who her father is, who her adopted father is, and who her not-yet-lover is. All of this is to prepare for a sea voyage, as Jinshi is being sent to the West to see what’s going on with Gyokuyou’s older brother.

It has to be said, a lot of the appeal of this series is “weak-willed men are led around by the nose of strong women”, and if you like that, this is also the volume for you. Basen’s older brother Baryou is so ill and apathetic that Chue basically has to “do all the work” in order to get a child (and she’s being asked for a second one, so asks Maomao not to bother her at night). As for Jinshi, he and Maomao are sort of being cagey around each other after the last book, and it lasts until the end of this one, when Maomao finally snaps and tells Jinshi that if he’s going to be so manipulative that he brands himself to get her to stay with him, the least he can do is actually manipulate her properly, rather than being half-assed about it. Jinshi’s response to this is that he wants her to slap him, which is a bit too masochistic for my tastes, but certainly fits his character.

I didn’t even get to talk about Yao, who is fantastic in this book, though I fear she’s going to be a lot less happy because she lacks Maomao’s connections. In any case, this is a good read, especially if you’re waiting for the anime to debut later this week.

Tearmoon Empire, Vol. 10

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

This volume starts off with something we have rarely seen in this series: the actual beginning of a new story arc. For some reason or another, the author and publisher of this title are very bad at making climaxes in this series happen at the end of the volume itself, so we have the next book start with the climax instead or an epilogue chapter rather than the next arc. But here, at last, we start off with something new: Mia, Rafina, and company headed off to Equestria, there to meet up with the chiefs who make up that nomadic people. Or at least, they are until Mia and Rafina, our for a ride, are beset by bandits. The head of the bandits turns out to be the daughter of one of the tribe leader, and there’s a good reason that her people are reduced to this: a poor harvest means they’re hard up for food. Something that Mia understands all too well…

I’ve been complaining about the narrator for a while now, so it’s time I turned around and mentioned the points where I do appreciate it. The manga doesn’t really use a narrator, making Mia far more sympathetic, but the new anime adaptation (which so far is excellent) is definitely playing it up. It was a highlight of the early books, but grew a bit wearying as we began to see Mia genuinely growing as a person. Where it works best in this book is when it’s looking at everyone else’s thoughts – seeing Ludwig or Rafina staring at Mia talking about what is inevitably food, and thinking that this is the point when they realize that she’s not a great sage but a massive faker… and then they leap to a different conclusion to support their own love for Mia, and the narrator is disappointed once more. This is funny as hell.

Bel, as always, gets little to to in this volume, but for a change what she does get is fantastic. We haven’t paid quite as much attention to her past… which is to say, the Bad Future #3… in a while, but that does not mean that she isn’t constantly dwelling on it, especially given that her entire existence is something of a secret. But now she’s best friends with Citrina, and may finally be able to reach out and make promises without getting her hopes dashed by everyone promising to come back and then dying on her. (There is some mild subtext between her and Citrina, which I’m content to ignore, partly as they’re both 10 and partly as I’m sure it’s unintentional, but…) She also says she’s going to tell Citrina about her secrets when they get back to the Empire, which should be very interesting if it happens, and might be the start of a new arc.

But first we have to end this arc, which of course does not neatly wrap up here. Is Abel’s sister irredeemably evil? Can Mia possibly win a horse race riding a horse the narrator repeatedly compares to Mia herself? And did we just see the start of a Rafina x Malong ship? The next book is… for once, not that far away! Also, go watch the anime.

Surviving in Another World As a Villainess Fox Girl!, Vol. 2

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By Riia Ai and Mucha. Released in Japan as “Scenario Nante Iranai! Rival Chara no Kitsunekko” on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Miki “Zombie” Zuckerman.

I will admit, my memory is not that great. I’m fine when a book comes out so frequently that I can retain everything easily, like Bookworm. But when a series catches up, it can be a struggle for me to recall what was happening before, or who the minor characters are. And this goes double for when it’s been a year since the first volume, as I’ve forgotten almost ALL the main characters. All I recalled from the last book was the basic plot, and the two “reincarnated from Japan” characters. I also recalled they mentioned that the “heroine” would be appearing soon, something that filled them with dread. Well, she’s here, and her annoying, obviously evil behavior was making me twitch, and reminding me that the writing and characterization in the first book were not the best. But we then got to the twist, and I also remembered that yeah, the author’s ideas are what’s worth remembering. They work well.

Miku is settling in at the guild, and going on fun errands with Macro, who talks bluntly but she can see the good in him. Unfortunately, she’s almost immediately kidnapped and taken off in a cart. There she meets Laura, a Sound Butterfly girl who can combine her powers with Miku’s to help them escape the gang’s clutches! Back at the guild, it’s revealed to Miku that Laura is the heroine of the game that Claire has always said this is, and that means that Miku is that much closer to dying… especially since Miku has finally realized that she’s fallen in love with Macro! And Laura suddenly declares that she too is in love with Macro (after, oddly, declaring that she’s in love with Ektor and then backtracking on it), and is so sad that she’s going to have to win his heart and have Miku tragically lose! Is Laura really as evil as she seems?

No, thankfully, though it took me a while to cotton on. I’ve seen this sort of heroine before, in I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, and I assumed Laura was similar to Lilia, in that she can’t see the events as anything but achievements in a game. And to be fair, Laura is doing her level best to be as evil-sounding as possible, just to turn everyone against her. Laura’s true identity works much better, and also allows Miku to be able to change her fate and survive. That said, this book still has a Miku-shaped hole in the middle of it. She’s very nice, and I admired her resolve towards the end, but she’s just not as affecting to m as she should be. The same applies to Claire and Ektor, whose not-romance is thuddingly predictable in the best “Th-there’s no way I’m interested in this jerk!” way.

This is the final volume, so I will not have to stretch my memory come next October. I do recommend reading the series for its interesting take on “villainess” books and point of view, but it feels like a series by someone whose writing still has room to improve.

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor, Vol. 3

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By Sasara Nagase and Mitsuya Fuji. Released in Japan as “Yarinaoshi Reijō wa Ryūtei Heika o Kōryaku-chū” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by piyo.

When I was younger and more emo, I would sometimes write things that I knew people would hate just because I wanted to amuse myself watching their reaction. Not my finest moment, let me tell you. Sarasa Nagase is not quite that bad, but there’s a sense when reading this series that she knows that no one wants to deal with the fact that Jill is 11 years old (10 in the first two volumes). the characters in the book are disgusted by it. Judging by the afterword, the readers are not very happy with it either. So of course, it is ground in our faces throughout this book how these two are over the moon for each other but Jill is so, so underage. It’s a shame, because otherwise this would be a terrific LN series to recommend, especially if you like kickass women, because Jill does kick ass. But any time you have to say “she’s not 11 technically”, that’s not great, Ryan.

Having won over two of his family, Hadis is still dealing with the fallout of everything else that happened in the second book. Everyone just seems to default hate him, and he can’t introduce Jill as the Dragon Consort because it will come out that she’s from Kratos and cause even more uproar. Into this mess wander more family members: Natalie, the second princess, who has low self-esteem but is otherwise the most normal and put-together of the royals; Frida, the young third princess, who is shy but also very good at magic; and, most importantly, Vissel, Hadis’ older brother, and one of the few people that he trusts. Which makes it a shame that, as Jill knows from her prior life, Vissel will be the big betrayal that leads to Hadis finally snapping. How’s Jill going to solve THIS mess?

To be honest, mostly by hitting things. The villainess books as a genre run the spectrum of different types of heroines, some of them crafty and long-term planner sorts, some of them massive improvisers, and some who rely on their large pool of allies. And then there’s Jill, who has never mean a problem she cannot beat the shit out of. She is definitely on the “dumb muscle” side of the equation, which is sometimes a problem, but honestly, “straightforward talk and occasional violence” genuinely seems to be the way to go in this case. She also claims that she’s absolutely terrible at romantic things, and so is Hadis, but the two of them make up for any conscious effort by pure subconscious effort – they don’t so much flirt as scream their passion at each other at massive volume. Which is adorable, of course, but… again, Jill is 11.

There’s several more books in the series out in Japan, but after three in a row over the last six months, which is highly unusual for Cross Infinite World, it appears we’re taking a break before the next one. If you can get over its biggest hurdle – and I don’t blame you if you can’t – this is worth reading purely for Jill’s force of personality.

Manga the Week of 10/18/23

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SEAN: At last, it’s finally getting chilly in the mornings again.

ASH: Finally!

SEAN: We start with Airship, which has 3 print titles: Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells 8, Monster Girl Doctor 10 (the final volume), and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 24.

There’s also an early digital release for A Tale of the Secret Saint 4.

Dark Horse has the 10th volume of Blade of the Immortal: Deluxe Edition. It’s the final volume.

ASH: I’ve been gladly double-dipping to upgrade to the deluxe version. (My wallet will appreciate the break, though!)

SEAN: Ghost Ship has Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire? 6 and Wicked Trapper: Hunter of Heroes 3. And in Ghost Ship-adjacent mature titles, we also see Love is an Illusion! 4 and Succubus and Hitman 5.

One debut from J-Novel Club, in their Heart line. Fiancée No More: The Forsaken Lady, the Prince, and Their Make-Believe Love (Konyaku Haki no Sono Saki ni: Suterare Reijō, Ōji-sama ni Dekiai (Engi) Sareru) It’s another Cinderella story, with the heroine’s ability to read people’s emotions causing her issues, especially since the Prince is trying to pretend he’s madly in love with her.

ASH: Uh oh. Awkward!

SEAN: Also out: the 9th Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill manga volume, The Coppersmith’s Bride 3, Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade 6, Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke 4, I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage 4, Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon 6, Only I Know That This World Is a Game 2, the 3rd Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want manga volume, VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral after Forgetting to Turn Off My Stream 6, and When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace 8.

ANNA: I imagined that this block of text was one manga with a really, really, long title.

ASH: All in good time.

SEAN: Kodansha Books has the 4th volume of The Dawn of the Witch.

Kodansha Manga has a print debut for a book they’ve been releasing digitally: Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister (Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi), a Weekly Shonen Magazine romcom, features a guy trying to get into medical school who’s offered a place to stay at a shrine… provided he marry one of the three hot shrine maidens who live there.

Also in print: Blue Lock 9, Parasyte Full Color Collection 4, and The Seven Deadly Sins Omnibus 12.

ANNA: Going to remember to pick up Blue Lock for the fans in my house.

SEAN: Digitally the debut is Searching for My Perfect Brother (Watashi no Tadashii Onii-chan), a josei title from Be Love. A college student who was separated from her brother by divorce has been searching for him… he used to help her sleep, and she’s been suffering from insomnia. She gets closer to a co-worker at her part-time job, who reminds her of her brother… but he has a very big secret.

MICHELLE: Hm.

ANNA: Yeah, I dunno, but I also am always curious about new josei.

ASH: Likewise.

SEAN: We also see Boss Wife 7, Gamaran 14, Issak 3, and Mr. Bride 9.

There’s a new manga from One Peace Books. It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too (Futari Ashitamo Sorenarini) is a seinen title from Kurage Bunch. It’s one of those ‘watch the sweet couple’ titles, as we see them having lived together for two months.

ASH: I’ll be giving this one a closer look soon.

SEAN: Two debuts from Seven Seas. Dungeon Friends Forever (Dungeon no Osananajimi) is a Romcom from my nemesis’ spinoff, Comic Alive+. As you can likely tell, it combines a dungeon crawl and the childhood friend romance genre.

A Stepmother’s ‏Märchen, aka The Fantasie of a Stepmother, is another Tapas webtoon put out in full color. A beleaguered mother, whose stepchildren grew distant and cold with her after their father died, finds herself back in time to the day her husband was buried. Can she try to mend the relationship with her stepchildren?

Also from Seven Seas: Dragon Goes House-Hunting 9, Gap Papa: Daddy at Work and at Home 3, Hunting in Another World With My Elf Wife 4, I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl 4, Kageki Shojo!! 10, My Deer Friend Nokotan 4, Reincarnated as a Sword 11, Servamp 19, and Versailles of the Dead 5 (the final volume).

ASH: Oh! I should catch up with Versailles of the Dead.

SEAN: No debuts for Viz, but we do see Asadora! 7, Boy’s Abyss 3, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End 9, Golden Kamuy 30, Love’s in Sight! 4, Mission: Yozakura Family 7, Record of Ragnarok 8, Spy x Family 10, Twin Star Exorcists 29, and Undead Unluck 13.

Yen On has two debuts. If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love (Akuyaku Reijō to Akuyaku Reisoku ga, Deatte Koi ni Ochitanara: Nanashi no Seirei to Keiyaku Shite Oidasareta Reijō wa, Kyō mo Reisoku to Kisoiatte Iru Yō Desu) combines so many current trends. Weak-to-strong, magic academy, villainess, broken engagements, etc.

The other one, The Lawyer in Shizukuishi Sleeps with a Wolf (Shizuku-ishi-chou no Horitsuka wa Ookami to Nemuru) looks like it’s BL but isn’t. It’s about two brothers, one of whom turns into a wolf for mysterious reasons, and their struggles with justice (the brother who does not turn into a wolf is a cop). I’ve heard this is pretty good. I think it’s a one shot.

ANNA: OK, I’m a little curious about this.

ASH: I could be pretty easily convinced to give it a try.

SEAN: We also get Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 4, High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 9, My Happy Marriage 5, and Sasaki and Peeps 5.

The big debut for Yen Press is Bocchi the Rock!, a 4-koma that spawned a cult hit anime in fall of last year! Hitori wants to be a popular rock guitarist. She’s got the skills, but she also has terrible social anxiety, and that’s where the comedy comes in. It runs in Manga Time Kirara Max.

ASH: I shouldn’t be surprised, but I somehow missed that it started as a 4-koma.

SEAN: Yen Press is also releasing a new, fancy, awesome edition, CLAMP Premium Collection Tokyo Babylon. That said, I’m not reading this again. It ran in Wings, meaning I can resurrect my ancient joke of calling its genre “whatever Wings is”.

MICHELLE: I do love it, and am happy new readers might discover it, but I already own it twice over.

ANNA: Every time a new edition of a CLAMP title comes out, an angel with black wings sheds a tear for X/1999 being unfinished.

ASH: Alas, it’s true.

SEAN: Minato’s Laundromat (Minato Shouji Coin Laundry) is a BL title from Gene Pixiv. A man who runs a laundromat finds that one of the high school kids who frequents the place is gay.

Sasaki and Miyano Official Comic Anthology is what it sounds like.

Also from Yen Press: Angels of Death Episode.0 6, Breasts Are My Favorite Things in the World! 7, The Case Study of Vanitas 10, Cheeky Brat 8, Coffee Moon 4, Dead Mount Death Play 10, For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 11 (the final volume), From the Red Fog 5 (also a final volume), Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana 5, Hi, I’m a Witch, and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion 3, In Another World with My Smartphone 10, Kowloon Generic Romance 5, Laid-Back Camp 14, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 6, Mint Chocolate 9, Murciélago 22, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 3, So I’m a Spider, So What? The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters 6 (also also a final volume), The Summer Hikaru Died 2, Triage X 26, and a 3rd artbook for Yana Toboso Artworks Black Butler.

MICHELLE: I still need to read Kowloon Generic Romance and The Summer Hikaru Died!

ASH: Same! And I’ve heard such good things about both of them.

SEAN: So much manga, I’m starting to feel like Bocchi. What manga makes you anxious?

Accidentally in Love: The Witch, the Knight, and the Love Potion Slipup, Vol. 2

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By Harunadon and Eda. Released in Japan as “Koisuru Majo wa Elite Kishi ni Horegusuri o Nomasete Shimaimashita: Itsuwari kara Hajimaru Watashi no Dekiai Seikatsu” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Arthur Miura.

I have to give this book credit. I finished it and it kept me reasonably entertained, despite doing literally everything wrong that it could possibly do. First off, it was going to be hard to begin with. The first volume was very much finished. Done in one. So a second (and, it would seem, a third) seems like overkill. But, I get it, new novel imprint, please produce content. Secondly, the title, which is entirely about the events in the first book, makes about as much sense as The Ideal Sponger Life when it comes to future books, right? Wrong. What if we used ANOTHER love potion! And of yes, the forgotten, slightly evil childhood friend is here too. Plus, Charlotte is back. Remember the girl who says loins constantly? She’s still saying that, more than ever, and she’s also playing detective and being watched over by a guy who I know is being shipped with her but I’m ignoring that. Despite ALL this: not too bad.

Cecily and Zeke are now in love, and she’s met his family and gotten their approval to get married. Her mother also approves, though she seems to be constantly smirking about something. Now she just has to get her father’s approval, which is likely to be a problem, as he’s one of THOSE fathers. This also means that she has to go back to her witch village, which she supposedly can’t return to for another year. But her mom says it will be OK, so…? To add to all this, Charlotte decides she’s going to come with her, mostly as she feels lonely without Cecily. This means Alphonse, her guard, and Maria, her maid, also tag along. This trip has gotten much bigger. Still, they all arrives, and things seem to be going well… till her childhood friend Cain arrives. Turns out he’s also a witch… and he’s just dosed her with a love potion!

Despite all my whining above, most of this is handled pretty well. Except the loins thing. Still annoyed about that. But Cain is an antagonist without slipping over into pure evil, and his motivations are mostly “a childhood thing I dreamed of for ten years has been smashed to bits by reality”. The love potion may have Cecily says she loves Cain and want to spend all her time with him, but that’s ALL that it does, and when Cain, out of frustration, DOES try to kiss her, she’s able to resist it. As with the first book, true love wins out over dosed love. Cecily and Zeke are, frankly, a bit too wet and soppy for my taste, but that is the genre that I am reading, so I suppose I can forgive it. And while Charlotte may act more like a 7-year-old than a 14-year-old, her “detective” bits were pretty cute and funny.

There’s a third book on the way, which I assume will have the second wedding, back in the capital. I do wonder how they’ll work a love potion into it, though… In any case, this was decent, despite (waves hand aimlessly) everything about it.

An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 4

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By Yuishi and Kagachisaku. Released in Japan as “Inkya no Boku ni Batsu Game de Kokuhaku Shitekita Hazu no Gal ga, Dō Mitemo Boku ni Beta Bore Des” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Satoko Kakihara.

As I was reading this book and looking at the inner illustrations, I am reminded that the core audience for this is meant to be guys, and most likely guys trying to relive their past high school history only with much better luck with women. As such, the art is very reminiscent of old-school visual novels: try not to show the guy at all, and if you do show him, make it as little as possible. That can’t quite be done here, because so much of this art is “the perfect date”, which involves things like our young couple making the ‘heart’ sign with their hands, but it mostly fits, as do the covers. The Introvert is the reader. The Gyaru is what we’re here for. Well, that and the happy ending, which this book drags out as long as possible but eventually gets to.

Well, Yoshin and Nanami have finally gotten to the one-month mark, and they’re both ready to confess their terrible, terrible secrets. But before that, they have one last date to go on… or rather, two dates, which they insist is the same date. The first day is her choice, and we see them go to a sweets-themed amusement park, where they see chocolate made, go on train rides around the park, and take cute pictures of each other. The next day is his choice, and they go to a petting zoo, getting to deal with sheep, monkeys, polar bears, and many others, and take cute pictures of each other. Then they go to a shrine, where both basically pray for the gods to watch over them as they confess their terrible, terrible secrets. Finally, we get to the following day at school, where Nanami leads Yoshin to the spot she confessed to him… and says it was all a lie.

I will admit, this book can be a bit trying at times. It is so sweet it’s almost sickness inducing. Not only are Yoshin and Nanami adorable together in the eyes of the reader, everyone else in the book thinks so too. Amusement park employees squee over them. Little kids point out how they’re holding hands. Old folks who’ve been married for fifty years say that the two of them already feel like they’re married. All of this despite the fact that, until the end of the book, kisses on the cheek is as far as they’ve gone. Even the confession, where Nanami admits she asked him out on a dare, and Yoshin admits that he overheard this and knew, is framed adorably, with a “Gift of the Magi” quality to it as they both beg each other for forgiveness and affirm their love. Heck, they talk a lot in this book about what they’ll do when they have kids. These two have it bad for each other.

So yes, this is good, but a bit much at times. What’s worse, there is a 5th book, so we get even more sweetness without the pull of “they’re secretly sad because they think they’ll break up”. What could possibly happen now? Licking ice cream off each other’s face? Who knows?

The Deer King, Vol. 1

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By Nahoko Uehashi and Masaaki Yamamoto. Released in Japan as “Shika no Ō” by Kadokawa Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Cathy Hirano.

I was not originally planning to read this book, as I have sort of given up on any license that is basically “we got this because there’s an anime movie version of it”, and most folks saw this when the movie came out two years ago. But then I saw it was from the author of the Moribito series, and I recalled a lot of friends were very much into that series, so I thought I would give it a shot. I’m glad I did, as it’s a very different kettle of fish to the standard “what if we were transported to another world?” fantasy novel that you see these days. The Deer King is a more fantasy kind of fantasy book, exploring a world where, over two centuries ago, a plague ravaged the land. Now that plague has returned, and doctors are desperately trying to figure out how it’s spreading and how to cure it. Meanwhile, one of our two main characters has it, and instead of dying he seems to be changing.

The book is divided between two protagonists, alternating their stories. Van is a rebel leader who was captured and has now been sentenced to work in the salt mines as a slave. Suddenly the mine is invaded by wild dogs – and those who are bitten go into convulsions and die. Van does not die, though, but seems to gain some sort of unworldly connection with something instead. He takes the one survivor – a toddler who was also bitten but did not die – and escapes, trying to find a place to stay. Meanwhile, a doctor, Hohsalle, has discovered that an ancient plague is returning, seemingly brought about by being bitten by wild dogs/wolf hybrids. Is all of this somehow being deliberately engineered in order to kill off the conquerors? and can Hohsalle find a cure or a vaccine while also negotiating troubling politics?

The double viewpoint can be frustrating – this 350-page book is divided into sixths, with Van getting part 1, 3, and 5, and Hohsalle 2, 4, and 6. Just as you’re getting into the narrative from one protagonist, it switches to the other. That said, I also appreciate the different viewpoints. Van can be difficult to like, despite the fact that he’s clearly meant to have the audience’s sympathy – it’s not quite clear what he’s become after being bitten, but the general sense is that if he ever gives into it and stops trying to be human, Bad Things will happen. Which, um, makes it a bit of a problem that Yuna, the little girl he rescued and then adopted, has been kidnapped. As for Hohsalle, his care as a doctor is excellent, and he clearly wants to save people, but he’s also rather casual and flippant about the other aspects of life. We frequently follow his bodyguard and straight man, Makokan, just for a more down-to-earth viewpoint.

Still, the plot was interesting enough that I’ll read the second volume. recommended for those who like high fantasy combined with race-against-time thrillers.

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-Up, Vol. 3

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By Rino Mayumi and Machi. Released in Japan as “Jimihime to Kuroneko no, Enman na Konyaku Haki” by M Novels F. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Evie Lund.

I am pleased to report that, at long last, this series about a break-up actually has it. As for whether it’s satisfying or not, well, I can’t speak for the characters, but as a reader it exceeded my expectations. Given that this series began with a misunderstanding because a bunch of teenage dumbasses were shit-talking at each other, so I’m amazed that in the end everything is resolved by people maturely behaving like adults. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone is happy… honestly, the only happy one may be Seren… but it does mean that this book is blissfully free of people doing dumb impetuous things or kidnapped fiancees or any of the plot twists that happen in countless other light novels. The main complaint, as with the previous books, is that the books are still a bit too long, and Seren ad Viol are still a bit too dull. That said, this book features a speeder bike chase through the forests, which surprised me. All it needed was Ewoks.

As the book begins, Seren is already ridiculously good at magic, and we see her in this book go from that to ludicrously good at magic. She’s a prodigy, and that’s honestly the only reason this plot works at all. She even manages to surprise Viol several times, especially when she takes the cart she’d been using and combines it with flying to essentially make a hovercraft. She’s also still training with the others in the salon, though her sister Marietta is starting to feel the crush of expectations, and it’s depressing her, because she’s not a prodigy like her sister. Finally, in order to get Seren to do what she’s unconsciously been avoiding and TELL EVERYONE what she’s doing, Vi reveals the truth: he’s actually Viol, something that she frankly takes much better than I expected given she’s been clutching this cat to her bosom every night. Now all she has to do is tell her family and the royal family she’s dumping them.

As I said, this *is* a satisfying break-up. Seren explains exactly what she wants to do, what was the inspiration for her studying to do it, and shows off that she absolutely has the skills to pay the bills. The reaction of her mother and father is basically “we are bad parents because she didn’t even consider telling us about any of this”, but they do make sure to tell Seren that, yes, she SHOULD have told someone else about this, and that is a fault of hers. As for Prince Helios, given that this basically arose because of one accidentally misheard conversation where he was agreeing with his dumbass friends to brush them off, he’s a bit devastated, but once he sees her resolve (and possibly her love for Viol, though that doesn’t really occur to her till the end of this book), he makes the best of things and moves on. Hell, even Marietta, who I was certain was going to snap at some point, recovers from her depression slightly and resolves to try her best.

So yes, a bit boring still, but this was probably the best in the series to date. And yes, there’s a 4th and final book in the series, which may consist entirely of sweet love-love moments, since most everything wrapped up here.

Raven of the Inner Palace, Vol. 4

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By Kouko Shirakawa and Ayuko. Released in Japan as “Kōkyū no Karasu” by Shueisha Orange Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason.

Usually when you see character development, it’s meant to be heartwarming, or affirming, and generally a good thing. And there is that here. Seeing Jusetsu gradually open up to being around others, helping people, and growing more comfortable in her own skin is absolutely a good thing, and the Emperor knows it. That said, the fact that she is the Raven Consort makes this a bit of a double-edged sword. The classic joke “I’m not like other girls” is eerily true here, and that’s why there’s a sense of this series moving faster and faster down a hill towards a crash that Jusetsu is not going to be able to stop. It does not help that certain factions in the court are trying to apply the accelerator rather than the brakes, and suddenly instead of being fond of Jusetsu, or looking up to Jusetsu, they are WORSHIPING Jusetsu. And that’s definitely a bad thing, give that’s she’s already a part of a god, and the other god who is the enemy may be getting back to full strength.

The main plot shows the Crane Consort’s father, Choyo, arrive at the palace, supposedly in order to apologize to the Emperor for what happened in the last book, and grace him with some of their most valuable silkworm cocoons. In reality, Choyo is there to blackmail/threaten the Emperor with the knowledge that he knows who Jusetsu is and that she should stay isolated in her own quarters. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the events of the third book, Hakurai, may have lost an eye but is not remotely down and out, and he’s here to try to kill Jusetsu *and* destroy her reputation – and nearly succeeds at the second. And, of course, these events are interspersed with the meat and potatoes of this series; a ghost is in the palace, let’s figure out why.

Generally speaking the main reason to read any of these “inner palace of the Emperor” series, be it Apothecary Diaries, Though I Am an Inept Villainess, or this one, is for the court politics, and that’s no exception here. Jusetsu is trying her best, helping people and making sure to right wrongs and save those who can be saved (and send to the afterlife those who can’t). But by the end of the book she’s basically been asked to stay shut up until further notice, and while I doubt that will last long, it feels like a loss for her. This is not to say that Choyo wins, however. Banka easily gets the most interesting plotline and the best moment in the book, as she’s seemingly ineffectual, useless, and getting sicker and sicker over the course of the book. I say seemingly because she confronts her father angrily near the end, reveals a secret she’s been holding back that upends a lot of what will be coming, and basically says “I’m not your toy anymore”. It’s great. I can’t wait to see how she nobly dies in a future volume.

Good intrigue, great characters, worrying that it will end with half the cast dead, but hey. Romance is sort of vaguely there but very much in the background. To sum up: read this, it’s good.

Maiden of the Needle, Vol. 2

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By Zeroki and Miho Takeoka. Released in Japan as “Hariko no Otome” by Kadokawa Shoten. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kiki Piatkowska.

I’m still really enjoying this series, possibly more than it deserves. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, being another variation on the Cinderella story we’ve seen come up a lot in light novels lately. The first volume features Yui being rescued from her terrible fate and given all the love and comfort she’s ever wanted, but the second volume shows that things are not exactly happily ever after yet. There’s still far too many curses around this kingdom, be it from the old king’s late wife or from Yui’s twisted family. But Yui is developing at just the right pace, not abusing her “I’m from Japan” buttons too much, and frankly still unable to eat more than half a plate of dinner or speak for longer than 30 seconds without coughing. I appreciate that the abuse has not gone away no matter how loved she is. As for the rest of the cast, well, this is a book filled with people discovering their old family bonds. Sometimes they were deliberately hidden, and sometimes they were nearly destroyed.

Due to her constitution, Yui is leaving Rodin’s employ for the moment and going with Argit to Menesmetlo, which has winter weather – and also a labyrinth where they might be able to find some things to help undo all the curses. Once there, all the girls quickly check out the hot springs – but what at first seems like a “wacky” comedy scene with everyone trying to stop Mimachi from sexually harassing Yui gets more serious when she accidentally activates a long-buried underwater terminal, which can apparently transport certain people to the Gods’ dwelling. No, Yui does not go to the gods – but Senri, a commoner maid who’s as normal as can be except for her superhuman strength, does, and finds out a lot of secrets about her family. Meanwhile, Yui’s old family is quickly sliding faster and faster into evil, and a purge is required.

The other girl on the cover, by the way, is Yui’s sister Meilia, who, like the rest of her family, had turned on Yui over the years, but is pretty much the only one who regrets it, and finds herself wishing she could see Yui again. The scenes with Meilia may be the best in the book, filled with subtle horror (the pain Meilia is in from the weight of the spider on her shoulder, showing that it’s turned into a monster even though she never looks at it), non-subtle horror (the end of the Nuir family itself, as well as the friendship bracelet from Yui being what saved Meilia’s life and soul), and also bittersweet redemption (Mei is saved, but has lost her memories, and the implication at the end of the book is that she’ll live the rest of her (admittedly very happy) life without ever seeing Yui again). It’s hard being a child in a dissolute family of spider monster manipulators.

Unfortunately, this series comes out VERY slowly in Japan, and the third book is not yet on the horizon. Till then, enjoy this story of fairies, spiders, and girls who don’t realize they’re descended from gods.