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Reviews

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, Vol. 11

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By Wataru Watari and Ponkan 8. Released in Japan as “Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatte Iru” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected may not be exactly the sort of harem manga Hachiman’s read in manga or novels, but it’s still a romantic comedy in the end. It has most of the major things that these series have – Hachiman may be far more cynical and bitter than the old-school potato harem lead, but he still has two main love interests and several others who easily could also slot into that place, such as Iroha and Saki. What’s more, Hachiman has changed, much to everyone else’s relief and Haruno’s disgust. It’s gotten to the point where, even if he can’t even narrate it out loud, he knows how Yukino and Yui feel about him. Yukino knows he knows. Yui knows he knows. All three know how this is likely going to end. And Yui desperately wants to put it off as long as possible, to keep their strong three-person club bond. But we know what happens to anime characters who say “I wish this time could last forever”.

It’s Valentine’s Day! And, naturally, the Service Club are roped into it. There are several people wanting to give chocolate to Hayama, but he refuses to accept any, so they ask our heroes to come up with a way they (Miura and Iroha, of course) can give him some. They end up sponsoring a “how to make your own homemade chocolate” event at the community center, with several boys, including Hayama, invited along as “taste testers”. This is a sensible plan that does not involve Hachiman throwing himself under a bus, so I approve. Unfortunately, someone invited Haruno, and she is absolutely the wrong person to be here, especially on a day like this. What’s worse, Yukino’s mom shows up again, and makes it pretty clear that hanging out with Hachiman and Yui is going to be coming to an end – very soon. Can Yui manage to hold things together, even to the point of taking Yukino and Hachiman out on a… date a trois?

It’s interesting seeing Haruno and Shizuka getting along fairly well in this book, as they’re both trying to drag Hachiman in different directions. Haruno is the sort of person you see talking to the former assassin/soldier talking about how they’ve gone soft and lost the edge that made them cool. Shizuka is urging Hachiman to try to actually say out loud – if only to himself – everything he’s been avoiding in his head. And, of course, Yui (and, passively, Yukino) doesn’t want to give up the wonderful bond she has with the two of them. The date at the end is achingly bittersweet, especially the ferris wheel ride. But sorry, Yui, you are not in a fantasy world where the kingdom has declared polygamy legal, and this isn’t going to end with Hachiman choosing two girls. That said, if this keeps up Yukino may lose by default – Haruno may not be as evil as she’s playing, but I bet mom is.

So yeah, another book that is happy most of the way through with a bitter end. Fortunately, there are no more .5 volumes before the climax, so we’ll be back next time to see how much more things can fall apart.

Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, Vol. 9

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By Dachima Inaka and Iida Pochi. Released in Japan as “Tsujo Kogeki ga Zentai Kogeki de Ni-kai Kogeki no Okasan wa Suki desu ka?” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

I can see what this volume was trying to do – well, aside from make an entire volume about Christmas and how it applies to moms and children. Because the main cast are all in their teens (even Porta), we haven’t really had much excuse to delve into the way that moms have to deal with infants and small children, and this volume gives us an excuse to do that. In addition, because Mamako is that sort of mother, we haven’t really gone into what it means to be spoiled or not spoiled in great detail since the (rather comedic) story of Mone and her mother, and combining Masato’s inherent issues, Mone’s unresolved plot and the ongoing travails of Hahako and the Kings is thematically sound. Unfortunately, the need for comedy and fanservice actually serves to turn me a bit against the book this time. I can appreciate the thought behind the plot, but didn’t enjoy reading it.

The main problem with Hahako and the Three Kings is that they’re NPCs literally written to be anti-mom, so changing their minds and accepting Hahako as their parent is well-nigh impossible. Towards that end, Shiraaase and Mamako come up with a Christmas-themed event that will hopefully help things along… especially since a mischievous Shiraaase has made it so Masato and the three Kings are infants. As the events go on, they become toddlers, then young kinds, but unfortunately there’s still a wall that can’t really be broken down between the Kings and Hahako. Unfortunately, the whole situation has to be put on hold when Mone, who’s been quiet and withdrawn through this whole event, suddenly gains a massive hole in her chest that sucks up half the cast. There’s gonna be a whole lotta spoiling going on unless Masato and company can stop it.

There are, I think, two big problems I had with this book. The first is that I’d honestly forgotten about Mone and her “spoil me” tendencies, and so having her as the mini-boss of this volume came somewhat out of left field. The other is that, for once, the parody and humor aspects of Do You Love Your Mom? work against it. There’s a few exceptions – mind-controlled Wise, Mehdi and Porta were amusing, I grant you, as was Shiraaase’s verbal disparaging of Porta’s mother throughout – but everything about Masato as a baby made me want to simply stop reading the series right there and fly to Japan to berate the writer. It’s a small part of the book, only a few pages, but I kept simmering about it through to the end. The books have nudged their way closer to a vaguely serious ending over the ppast few, and this felt like backsliding.

We have two volumes to go, and there’s a hint that the final volumes may be a two-parter, as a “demon lord” who is the final boss is mentioned. (I can guess who this is, but we’ll see.) Those who’ve been reading the series will still want to pick this up, but I was tired reading it.

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 1

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By Reia and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Alexander Keller-Nelson.

Seven Seas has been circling back a bit now that light novels actually sell and has picked up a few of the books they chose to only pick up the manga for earlier. The one that interested me most is this title, whose manga I had reviewed the first volume of in 2018. Since it’s come out, we’ve seen a boom in “villainess” works, mostly helped along by My Next Life As a Villainess but with a bit of help from this series as well. Unfortunately, the novel coming out now does sort of give the reader the feeling that they’ve read this all before, even though it was one of the first to pull off this plot. That said, the isekai aspect of it is barely touched on, and it’s clear that it’s more an excuse for the author to write political intrigue and worldbuilding. To be fair to the author, they are very good at that. As is Iris, though she’s helped along by a built-in support system.

An unnamed young woman, after being hit by a car in Japan, wakes up inside an otome game she enjoyed playing. Who she was is unimportant, because unlike other villainess books in this genre, Iris Armelia is still fully in charge here. Unfortunately, she’s about to get thrown out of school after bullying the “heroine”, and then exiled to a nunnery. Iris, whose influx of isekai memories has caused her jealous heart to come to its senses, is having none of that. She goes to negotiate with her father and, after proving that she’s no longer a lovestruck young lady, he puts her in charge of their local fiefdom. And it needs someone like her in charge – the economy is struggling, there’s a huge gap between rich and poor, and even basic needs such as medicine are hard to come by. Can a former villainess manage to turn things around? And introduce chocolate to the masses?

The biggest fault here is the same as I mentioned in my review of the manga – for a villainess, Iris certainly seems to have everyone on her side already. Her behavior towards Yuri is explained away by iris (and, indeed, the narrative) as basically a temporary lapse of reason, as for the most part she’s been a sensible and kind young noble, whose ENTIRE servant group comes from orphans she rescued from dying in the gutter. (Is this where all the other books get it from?) She has a capable butler, a doting and incredibly strong grandfather, and her savvy mother, who is such fun to read about you wish that she’d get a multi-volume prequel written about her past by the same author. (Good news on that front, though it’s not licensed here.) And of course there’s Dean, whose secret identity is not so secret to anybody but Iris, but that’s fine – he’s there to save her from literally working herself to death, and also setting himself up as the one non-problematic love interest in her life. Villainess? She’s loaded with allies, and did not even need to fall and whack her head to get them.

I definitely think this is a must for fans of the manga. That said, I suspect fans of “I’m in charge of a country and must reform the nobility” books, such as Realist Hero, might get more out of this than the standard Villainess reader. I’m definitely picking up more, though.

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, Vol. 3

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By Yu Shimizu and Asagi Tosaka. Released in Japan as “Seiken Gakuin no Maken Tsukai” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Roman Lampert.

It’s always the same, isn’t it? You get a thousand-year-old powerful being with a desire to take over the world resurrected, and all of a sudden the bus arrives with ten more. Still, it keeps you busy. this series continues to feel like someone wrote a Shonen Jump manga and, instead of getting it published in Jump, decided to novelize it. Well, OK, this would fit Shonen Magazine better than Jump, especially given the large number of kickass women who like to take baths with our hero. (It’s OK, he’s 10! Right? It is somewhat odd to see the “she looks 8 years old but she’s really 600” cliche used to justify underage fanservice seen in the opposite direction… again, also to help with fanservice.) Fortunately, aside from said bath scenes, this third volume is much like the first two. It will never be anyone’s favorite, but I’m probably going to be reading the next book in the series. And it is starting to show off its plot, though that relies on Leonis being dim.

We’re briefly back in actual classes at the start of the book, as Riselia and Leonis are doing team battles against a top-standing rival. This mostly serves to show the school that Riselia is not “that girl with no holy Sword” anymore, and she can kick ass and take names. She’s also a vampire queen, but that’s still pretty much a secret. The main plot, however, starts when the Third Assault Garden, Riselia’s birthplace and last seen being totally destroyed by monsters, has now floated back into vision… and there’s a distress signal. As such, our team is sent out to see what’s happened. Will Riselia be OK with digging up her past? Who’s behind the distress signal? Can we really work an elf AND an evil priest into the same book and not smack our foreheads? And gosh, who is Roselia reincarnated as, anyway? It’s a mystery…

Again, this is a good book. The girls are likeable and also take on a majority of the combat. The combat scenes are well done, and the villains are also good at being villains. There are some things I was annoyed by. After a second book where a confrontation I was waiting for didn’t happen, the same thing happens here, as Riselia is definitely set up to have a big showdown… that does not actually occur. Instead, she grabs an ancient book. Secondly, it’s gone from amusing to vexing to really really annoying that Leonis is unable to understand, as everyone else who sees her manages to do, including anyone who might see their two names side by side, that Riselia is Roselia’s reincarnation. One of the villains literally dies of happiness on seeing this, but Leonis remains clinically thick about it. As a running gag, it drives me nuts, especially as I expect it’s only going to be drawn out more. (It has been pointed out to be the two don’t look alike, and OK, I can kind of accept that.)

Still, as with previous volumes, this was good enough to warrant my reading more. If you want a great light novel, look elsewhere. If you want a book for an afternoon’s read on the beach, this would be fine.

Durarara!!SH, Vol. 1

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By Ryohgo Narita and Suzuhito Yasuda. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Stephen Paul.

It’s been a year and a half since the final volume of Durarara!! dropped in English, and coincidentally that’s also how much time has passed between that book and this sequel. That said, it does not really feel that all THAT much has changed. Some folks have left the city for various reasons, some others have graduated, and we have three new “main characters” to take the place of Mikado, Masaomi and Anri. Of course, “main character” in a Narita work is always a fluid title, and one could argue that this book stars Ikebukuro, in which case nothing has changed. That said, it’s definitely more story than can fit into this book, and the author apologizes for making this a multi-parter right off the bat. There’s a lot of stuff going on. A young man treated as a monster comes to the city to learn how to be human. Another young man is trying his best to be the next Izaya. And a young woman is searching for her missing sisters, both supposedly done away with … by the Headless Rider.

The first three books in the DRRR!! series proper each focused on one of the three high school students, and there’s a sign this sequel may do the same, as Yahiro is definitely the protagonist of this particular book. A young man from Akiba who has spent his life getting attacked and desperately fighting back, to the point where most people consider him to be a complete monster. He hears about Ikebukuro, a place which not only has the Headless Rider but also Shizuo (whose backstory is very similar to Yahiro’s, deliberately so) and decides to go to high school in Tokyo. But finding the Headless Rider is not recommended given the string of disappearances involved with everyone who looks for her. As for Shizuo, well, Yahiro has spent his entire life accidentally beating the crap out of people, so there may be no avoiding it. But who’s gonna win?

As noted, a lot of the “main cast” of the earlier series isn’t here or only shows up later. Shinra and Celty are on a long vacation, Izaya is still AWOL (though he does get a cameo, setting things in motion towards chaos as always), Kadota, Erika and Walker are only mentioned, etc. That said, the new characters blend seamlessly into the cast herd, and there’s so many minor characters in this series that it doesn’t feel like there’s a gaping hole missing. Yahiro is highly likeable in just the sort of way that Mikado never quite managed to be, and Kuon and Himeka also look to have promising, if twisted, stories in the future. It’s clear the city has been in stasis since Izaya left. We see Akane has grown older and is in middle school now, but Shizuo and Tom are still doing the same old thing, as is Simon, as are the Orihara twins and Aoba (he’s still not dating them, mostly as he’s just not into Mairu). Peace is good, but makes for dull storylines. In that sense, I’m grateful to Izaya for siccing Yahiro on the place.

This is a typical DRRR!! multi-parter, in that the cliffhanger ending is fairly mild, but also definitely makes you want to read more. Good news! There are three more books in the series to date. And the next one should be out soon. DRRR!! fans will definitely want to pick this up: it’s like welcoming an old friend back into your life (and then having them destroy your house again).

The Magician Who Rose from Failure: Tales of War and Magic, Vol. 2

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By Hitsuji Gamei and Fushimi Saika. Released in Japan as “Shikkaku Kara Hajimeru Nariagari Madō Shidō! ~ Jumon Kaihatsu Tokidoki Senki ~” by GC Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

As with the first volume in the series, I would describe this book as “solid”. It keeps things interesting, has some fun new characters, balances political intrigue and character development (the first half) with an adventure against villains with lots of fighting (the second half). The protagonist is, of course, a prodigy who is praised by everyone else in the story – need I remind you what genre you are reading? – but he’s still probably the best reason to read this, being mostly sensible but with a core of ludicrousness that pops up whenever he tries to bring in ideas from his Japanese life. Oh yes, and this is still an isekai, but it’s used pretty sparingly, mostly to show why Arcus is a better thinker than the magicians in this world. All that said… as with the first book, solid is all I can give it, and it didn’t really knock my socks off. Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind fans are justified in being annoyed.

The book starts off with Arcus’ big invention being shown off to the leading magicians of the Kingdom. We’re briefly shown the group before the presentation, and they’re all stereotypical eccentrics who each have their own agendas and do not get along with others. But the thaumometer blows them all away, to the point where they’d all be fighting to see who gets it first if they didn’t all get one because this was a predictable outcome. After this we jump forward two years and see Arcus as a 12-year-old. The device is still a state secret, but the other kingdoms know something is up, and there are now spies trying to get it at any cost. Arcus joins forces with Orco from He-Man… erm, a mysterious elf, his (ex)-fiancee, his sister, and his “magical partner” to take out the enemy… though he may need help from a passing pirate.

The Arcus generation are all still in their tweens, so romance is not happening yet, but it’s clear that Charlotte likes him and would like to reignite their engagement, and that Sue (who we find out here is the daughter of a duke, though that’s hardly her only secret) is really possessive of him. It’s a love triangle I’d be more invested in if the King had not blithely said he could have two wives as a reward for the magical measuring stick. (Multiple wives getting a bit overdone? Yes.) As for Arcus, he has the fantastic spells, and can sometimes make them devastating (his magic machine gun boggles the mind), but he still lacks the mana to be a powerhouse like his sister (who still adores him). That my change in the future, as he gets a temporary power-up via his elf guide, which implies the same sort of thing could happen again.

In general, the series is better then it’s doing politics and character than battle scenes, which means both volumes so far fall down in the second half. Still, it’s one I’ll be reading more of. As I said, it’s solid.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Vol. 6

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By Kumanano and 029. Released in Japan by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by M.B. Hare.

Towards the start of the Bakemonogatari series, when the protagonist, Koyomi Araragi, meets Tsubasa Hanekawa for the first time he talks about how he doesn’t have any friends as they would “lower my integrity as a human”. This is, of course, the sort of self-assuring bullshit that a lot of lonely teenagers go through, trying to reframe their social ineptness as cool reserve. Eventually, Araragi grows past this sort of attitude. That said, our bear girl Yuna may have a large number of acquaintances from all over the kingdom, but at heart she seems to think much the same thing about having friends, holding herself at a remove from everyone else and telling herself that she’s really a cool, somewhat selfish teenage girl who is not remotely a great hero. Mostly, I think, as she does not want to deal with potentially tragic consequences if she does end up getting closer to others. That said, I don’t think she can keep this up forever. Sometimes you just want to buy your best friend/protege a really cool knife.

As with a lot of books in this series, there are basically two main plotlines. The first has Yuna reluctantly agree to be a bodyguard for Shia and three of her classmates as they go into the woods as part of their classwork. Yuna is only to help them in a dire emergency. That said, once again we are reminded that, to folks who haven’t met her and seen her in action, Yuna is a small girl in a bear costume. (Later in the book, Yuna angrily reminds the other students that she’s the same age as they are – they thought she was much younger.) Needless to say, by the end Yuan wins over the other students AND defeats a hideous tiger monster. Then in the second half of the book Yuna helps Anz, the girl from the seaside city who wants to start her own restaurant, as well as the four young widows who Yuna rescued from the bandits who want to start over in a place with fewer memories.

I mentioned Yuna’s social ineptness above, and it’s never been quite as visible as it is towards the end of the book. The reader may recall that the four assistants Anz has were all raped by bandits and had their families brutally murdered a couple of months earlier. (Remember, cute bear girl series, really. It’s just like K-On!.) They’re there to help Anz with the restaurant, but Yuna decides to also have them help at her orphanage, which she feels is understaffed. One of the young women is CLEARLY distraught over being around children who are presumably the same age as her own children she saw murdered not long ago, but the story is still from Yuna’s POV, and the most we get out of her is a “huh, maybe I should not have done that”. Fortunately, it all works out well, but there is a reason why I keep highlighting the dark bits in this otherwise fluffy light novel series – they’re the most interesting, character-wise.

As the book ends, Yuna is off to battle a cave of endless golems, and we are briefly reminded that this is supposed to be based on a video game. I assume Yuna will win, but… the jagged edges that surround the big pluffy bear girl are why I really enjoy reading this series.

I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!, Vol. 1

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By Reina Soratani and Haru Harukawa. Released in Japan as “Kondo wa Zettai ni Jama Shimasen!” by Gentosha Comics. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Kimberly Chan. Adapted by Jennifer Rawlinson.

One of the real joys of reading a large number of novels with the same sort of plot, characters, themes, and plot twists is that when something comes along that is surprising to me, I always enjoy it that much more. Let’s face it, we now have enough “villainess” novels out over here that it’s starting to become old hat. This book is not that, despite featuring many of the same beats you’ve seen before. Our heroine, Violette, is imprisoned after trying to murder her younger stepsister in a fit of rage. She’s filled with regrets and apologies, and swears that if she could only go back to when she and Maryjune were first introduced to each other, she’d do things differently, resolving to never bother her again. And then… she suddenly does return to that day. But she has no memories of a past life, this isn’t an otome game, and she can’t simply avoid conflict. As a result… she falls into depression.

Not to spoil too much about the book, but Violette is not your typical spoiled brat villainess we normally see, but a child of abuse, manipulated by her late mother, who forced her to live as a boy for several years, and then abandoned her when puberty made that impossible. Her father found a mistress he truly loved, and had a child with her, but as for Violette, he can’t stop seeing her mother in her, so is cool and unloving. As for Maryjune, she’s sweet and idealistic, but… she’s naive and VERY idealistic, and was raised as a commoner in a world where you can’t just say “nobility is wrong!” and expect to get away with it. All of this is filtered through Violette’s point of view, and frankly it’s not hard to see why Maryjune’s appearance made her snap. Here, on her second go-round, she just barely holds back, but this does not get rid of the rage, hurt, and loneliness that inhabits most of her being.

While not an “otome game” book per se, the plot certainly resembles that kind of genre, with Maryjune as the “protagonist” to Violette’s villainess. Violette has two allies; her childhood friend Yulan, who adores her but whom she sees as a younger brother type, and Marin, her maid (who was a dying orphan she found on the street as a child… I told you it hit all the standard plot beats), who is sometimes in tears as she sees just what Violette has to deal with every day. Violette tries to avoid the main things that led to her trying to kill Maryjune in her previous timeline, but she’s only gone back in time about a year, so it’s harder to prove that she’s changed. And, above everything else, she’s just so tired ALL the time. She’s resolved to become a nun after graduation, which I doubt will happen, but it does show that far from trying to find a happy life for herself, she’s almost given up from the start.

There’s a manga coming out next month, but I hear that this removes a majority of Violette’s inner monologue (as is common with adaptations), and thus she seems far less depressed and trying desperately to hold everything together. That said, I’m very happy we have this light novel, which shows why the Villainess genre has blown up lately – you can do a lot with it.

Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Vol. 3

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By Zappon and Yasumo. Released in Japan as “Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasaretanode, Henkyou de Slow Life Surukoto ni Shimashita” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

As far as I can tell, this entire volume had one purpose: to make me feel guilty for calling Ruti terrifying over and over in my previous review. I mean, not to say that she still isn’t a bit much – waltzing past deathtraps that would have destroyed anyone else, taking the killer drug from the previous volume and having it only affect her slightly, and of course saving people when she runs across people who need saving… whether she wants to or not. Indeed, even her companion Tisse, who starts off the book sticking with Ruti seemingly because she’s being forced to, suspects that Ruti is going to turn on her beloved pet spider and kill it, which… isn’t actually true. (The spider’s name is Mister Crawly Wawly, which probably says a lot about Tisse, but let’s move past that.) But in the end, what this book is here to remind us is that behind her hero’s blessing, Ruti is a lonely young girl who HATES being the hero.

In fact, the majority of this volume, at least until the cliffhanger ending, is meant to undercut the previous two. After seeing Ruti as the stereotypical “yandere little sister” sort, she finally is told her brother and Rit are together, and… is not all that happy about it, but does not going on any killing sprees whatsoever. She arrives in town trying to get more of the drug that can kill her blessing, though it’s working pretty slowly so far. It *is* working, though – Ruti’s emotional range widens considerably throughout the book, which also helps to sell what she’s been forced to go through. After two volumes where a “slow life” start was followed by dark content and action scenes, this volume gives us slow life right to the end, with lots of Red and Rit being lovey dovey to each other, etc. Unfortunately, there is that ending… the rest of the hero’s party arrive in town.

I suspect the long term goal for Red and Rit might be figuring out a way to get rid of blessings entirely, though they may earn the ire of the church by doing so. They’re SUCH a liability in this world, with folks who are happy with them outnumber4ed in the narrative by folks who are not. Just as Ruti’s shy, introverted side is transformed by the hero blessing into an emotionless behemoth, so Tisse is an assassin because… well, if she doesn’t kill people, bad things will happen to her, so what choice does she have? (She levels up big time in this book as well, thanks mostly to her emotional support Mister Crawly Wawly.) Everyone is starting to question whether free will is an illusion or not, and this is a fantasy world where that questio9n is very much up in the air. That said, as long as Red is on the side of good they should be fine.

This volume was mostly all slow life, but I doubt the next book will be, as it looks like Ares is going to be having a huge fight with Red. Or Ruti. Or both. Till then,l this remains an excellent example of its genre.

Adachi and Shimamura, Vol. 5

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

o/~ Come on baby now throw me a right to the chin
Just one sign that could show me that you give a shit
But you just smile politely
And I grow weaker… o/~
–Ben Folds Five, Selfless, Cold and Composed

For a little less than half of this volume of the series, it is a very typical Adachi and Shimamura. Adachi stresses out and worries about what Shimamura is doing/thinking and whether any of it involves her. Shimamura, in contrast, barely thinks of Adachi, instead living her normal life and occasionally attempting to have a real human emotion. Tarumi, her childhood friend with a crush that is obvious to everyone but Shimamura, asks to to a fireworks festival, which she agrees to, though of course her sister and Yashiro come along as well. Adachi is also at this festival, working at a booth for her restaurant, and spots Shimamura and some other girl she doesn’t know in the distance. Oh dear, the reader thinks. Now Adachi is going to stress and stress to herself and avoid Shimamura and do all the other little coping mechanisms that she’s perfected over the last four books. Well, reader, be relieved, that does not happen. Instead, we get what must be one of the most epic meltdowns in the history of light novels.

This happens when Adachi is on the phone with Shimamura, trying not-so-subtly to find out who was that lady Shimamura was with last night. When Shimamura is her usual oblivious self not really listening to anything she’s saying, Adachi proceeds to whine. For one paragraph that goes on for almost six pages. A massive block of text. Everything that she has kept suppressed from the start of the book comes out in one long rant, showing off exactly how obsessed with Shimamura she really is, and also how much she really does feel like a child. Every time you flip a page you think it is almost over, but no, Adachi keeps shouting over the phone, forever. Eventually she runs down into hysterically sobbing Shimamura’s name… and Shimamura’s response is our response as well. “So annoying.” (click).

So, as you can imagine, I was prepared for a second half of DRAMA. This is my own fault, as I forgot a) what series I was reading, and b) what Shimamura is like. Adachi, actually showing some gumption after realizing how much she has fucked up, asks Shimamura out, and Shimamura agrees readily, and seems to have completely forgotten about Adachi’s breakdown the previous day. Actually, this is MORE annoying to Adachi, who would like something a bit more than “indifference”, but well, she fell in love with Shimamura, so she has to take what that means. That said, Shimamura does get something out of this whole debacle: Adachi needs more friends that are not her, to broaden her social life. So she tries to rehabilitate Adachi, who goes along with it for a bit, and they invite Hino and Nagafuji for karaoke, but… meh. It’s not remotely fun for Adachi. Now what?

Adachi comes to a big realization at the end of this book, which she can now admit to herself out loud (at least while no one else she knows is around). Shimamura, on the other hand, while seemingly being the mature, responsible one (something brought up here multiple times by others) continues to make me want to scream until the universe finally ends and then keep screaming after that. I worry that even if Adachi does confess, Shimamura’s reaction will be “well, okay” or something like that. Basically, I suspect these two are going to be in a relationship soon, but neither of them should be. At all. What will Volume 6 bring? Dunno, but I’ll read it, if only to scream more.

Altina the Sword Princess, Vol. 8

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By Yukiya Murasaki and himesuz. Released in Japan as “Haken no Kouki Altina” by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

Since this volume was released on the same day as the short story compilation, you end up with two Altina reviews in a row. Fortunately, there’s a lot of ground to cover here, as we pick up right where we left off – with Latrielle having just murdered his dissolute father and consort in a fit of disgust. Naturally, this particular part is covered up, but the fact that the King is dead is absolutely not – meaning not only that Latrielle is going to be the next King, but that Altina is no longer in the line of succession. Admittedly, he’s not quite crowned yet. What’s possibly worse is that the military and the crown are finally forcing Regis to return to the capital to get his promotion and title… and no, Altina has an army, she can’t just tag along. That’s right, we’re breaking the fellowship here, and I have a suspicion it may be for multiple books. That said, those who are fond of the low-flame romantic feels in this book might be pleased.

There are, of course, other things going on besides Altina and Regis liking each other and being unable to convey it properly. Regis’ impact is felt on multiple people, especially Clarisse, who may couch it in the form of teasing but clearly likes Regis a whole lot more than she’s ever going to let on. There’s also the matter of Gilbert, the mercenary that was captured last volume, and trying to negotiate so that he’ll join them rather than simply be executed as everyone expects. Unfortunately, the news of the King’s death makes negotiations fall apart a bit. Gilbert’s three sisters are still at large, although they’re a lot less dangerous on their own. And Bastian and Eliza are returning from Britannia after events in the short story collection, meaning there’s another royal to throw into this chaos. With all this going on, there is also personal defeat – Eric’s injury has injured their hand to the point of being unable to use a sword anymore, and Eric is devastated by this.

Despite all the bad news, there is quite a bit of comedy in this book, mostly stemming from Regis’ inhuman self-deprecation, which has actually become a genuine weakness – praise seems to cause him pain. Given that he’s generally considered by everyone not named Regis to be a brilliant strategist, you can imagine how he holds up when he’s escorted by a gorgeous young woman to return to the capital to get a promotion and a title – he’d rather be doing anything else. Altina is also her usual blockheaded, mildly tsundere self – please do not pull anyone into your boobs when you are wearing armor, kid. I get the feeling she’s gonna miss Regis more than he’s gonna miss her, at least in terms of the war. What’s more, given Latrielle assigning Regis as his aid for the immediate future, their separation may be longer than expected.

The author continues to write both this and How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord at the same time, which if nothing else shows off their ability to write in different styles. For those who like a fun, action-filled fantasy with much less fanservice than the other title, Altina remains a solid bet.

Altina the Sword Princess: Loose Threads

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By Yukiya Murasaki and himesuz. Released in Japan as “Haken no Kouki Altina” by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

Yes, as you guessed from the title of the book, it’s time for a short story collection. That said, there’s only three stories in this volume, so they’re pretty long. The first of these stories is essentially an Encyclopedia Brown story with Regis as the title character and Altina as Sally, made all the more impressive by the fact that they haven’t actually met each other yet when it occurs. Altina is at her new command, but no one is taking her seriously yet. Meanwhile, Regis’ commander has just died and he’s busy waiting to be demoted/exiled. And then a crate of expensive wine goes missing in Altina’s camp, and they try to find the culprit. This shows off Regis’ ability to be “the smart one”, although frankly the solution to this problem was not all that hard. More to the point, it establishes the relationship he and Altina will have before they even see each other, and as such it’s rather sweet.

The second story is also a “how they met”, as we get a closer look at Eddie, the erstwhile knight protector and lover of Auguste… or rather of Felicia, the 5th princess who is pretending to be Auguste. There is some cute writing here, mostly in the author trying to have the reader think some sexytimes are happening and then having it be something totally innocent, but for the most part this is a serious story. Eddie is renowned for being a soldier who doesn’t kill, and as such is regarded as a coward and a failure, mostly as his detractors are a bit too rock-headed to see how strong you have to be to do the level of not-killing that Eddie does. The revelation that it was Felicia who started him on this path is a bit on the nose, but nice. I also enjoyed the multiple descriptions, both in this and the following story, of Altina as this monster who can lift cows by herself and is not someone to imitate at all.

The final story is the one specially written for this book (the other two were previously published), and continues the story of Bastian and Eliza from the fourth volume, who if you’ll recall were last seen near death and had a death warrant put on them by the usurper queen. They’ve managed to find refuge with one of the few families not willing to sell them out, but it’s still tough times. This story hammers home something we also saw in Eddie’s story, which is that the best way to have peace is not to fight. Unfortunately, that can be difficult, especially as Bastian’s family has been doing nothing but fighting for four centuries now. He also gets a crash course in democracy from a young student who is also having to lay low while the war is going on, and might be reconsidering the whole “noble/commoner” dichotomy. This is the most serious story in the book, and looks like it might serve as a way to get the third prince back into the main storyline.

Which we will see next time, as Altina the Sword Princess 8 is… already released! But definitely read this volume first. It’s a good collection.

Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 2

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

Much to my surprise, after a humdinger of a reveal towards the end of the first book, the second book in the series does not build on that reveal beyond a few ominous scenes. Instead, this book proves to be 100% magical academy adventures. This is not a flaw, as the author is really excellent at writing magical academy adventures. We get broom lore, epic sword and magic duels, wacky classwork, terrifying classwork, and more of The Labyrinth, which is likely going to take up more and more of the books as the series goes on. Here our group of six decides to make a home base inside it, the better to do all the little things they really don’t want others to find out about. Unfortunately, our kids are all Very Special People, and as such have attracted the attention of others. This means even more battles, more secrets revealed, and more magical sword battles. Unfortunately, it also means a nasty cliffhanger.

While Oliver and Nanao continue to be the “protagonists” part of the group of six, the others are getting development, and in this book it’;s Pete and Chela who get it. While I will try not to spoil too much, Pete’s plotline in particular is quite well done, and I liked the fact that everyone was understanding and that he was immediately introduced to a support group of people with similarities. And if it also feels like a “fuck you” to a certain other magical academy book writer, well, all for the better. As for Chela, her plot is tied into her family history and the way magical families work in particular. In my last review I compared her to Rin Tohsaka, and that comparison holds up very well here, even including a younger sister that she’s unable to publicly acknowledge. She continues to be my favorite of the six.

As for others, I am hoping Guy gets a book of his own soon, as he’s currently “the other one”. Katie builds nicely on the first book, and I appreciate her discovery that even groups that supposedly share the same belief as she does are not the sort of groups she wants to be involved with. This society is complex, and changing ingrown prejudices is not going to be as easy as a well-timed lecture to the head. The minor villains in the book include an arrogant not-Italian kid (in the same way Nanao is not-Japanese) who tries to show Oliver why learning the basics is bad, the aforementioned younger sister and her servant/best friend, and another guy who acts the part of an arrogant asshole because he was essentially traumatized into it. In this book, both good and bad guys have a rich characterization to them. Well, except Guy. Sorry, Guy.

The cliffhanger makes me want to read the next in the series right now, but we’ll have to wait a bit. In the meantime,l please read this, it’s one of the best light novel debuts from 2020, and 2021 proves it was not a fluke.

Reincarnated As the Last of My Kind, Vol. 2

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By Kiri Komori and Yamigo. Released in Japan as “Tensei Shitara Zetsumetsu Sunzen no Kishou Shuzokudeshita” on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Roman Lempert.

It’s always fun to see a cute, slow life sort of tale fight against its own narrative, which is trying to make sure that the slow life speeds up in a hurry. This second volume sees Tina and her family continuing to try to make improvements to the inn, better food, and better quality potions over the course of about four years. Indeed, when the call comes to invite her to a school where she can learn to be a better alchemist… she declines, as she’d rather stay where she is right now. Unfortunately, these are Troubled Times, and it’s going to be very hard to escape the pull of the incoming war, especially when you’re a prodigy with mad skills that no one has ever seen in their life. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s also a combination religious/ecological crisis going on, which could mean the literal end of the world unless it finds a savior. Two guesses who that’s supposed to be.

The first chapter in this book is unique to the book, i.e. was not pat of the webnovel, as Tina and her family play host to a scholar with a preference for very hot food, which involves making udon. After this we get two larger chapters, featuring Tina at age 10 and 12 respectively. In the first, Lico and the other knights arrive at the inn searching for a group of demihumans that got lost in the forest. This is a fantasy series, so naturally you get one elf, one dwarf, and one kobold, though the angel is a surprise, to both Tina and the reader. They have to fight off a nasty monster attack that almost kills off Lico – again. The second story sees Tina and her family head into the big city to attend the funeral of Marcus’ former commanding officer. Unfortunately, on their way back they meet some twins under attack by a very nasty zombie. In fact… there have been a LOT more monsters and zombies lately…

A lot of this is very fun. I liked Shida, the elf, who is an arrogant SOB in the elf tradition but also strangely likeable, and I appreciated that he and Tina did not remotely hit it off. Marcus’ pathetic attempts at romance, combined with his daughter Nakona’s sheer obliviousness to the many men in love with her is amusing, and we, as read3ers, empathize with Tina’s frustration, especially when Marcus and Lico are trying to out-selfless each other. (Lico wins, by virtue of being near death.) That said, a lot of this book is pretty ominous and scary. Both the text description and the illustration of the zombie attacking Tina and company is harrowing, and you start to wonder if this really will be the sort of series to kill off its regulars. Then there’s the subplot regarding human religion and prayer literally killing the world, which might upset some readers, but is pretty well done in universe.

So the question at the end of this 2nd volume is, will the 3rd book involve Tina heading off to save the world, or will Tina try to save the world while still doing things like making honey and trying to create supreme potions? Regardless, if you enjoyed the first book in the series (and are perhaps not evangelical Christian), this one is definitely worth your time.

Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower, Vol. 1

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By Miri Mikawa and Kasumi Nagi. Released in Japan as “Ikka Kōkyū Ryōrichō” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by afm.

It is somewhat hard not to start reading this and not think of The Apothecary Diaries, which also features a young woman arriving at the Emperor’s palace and featuring a number of young women who are there to be his courtesans, as well as a eunuch who is rumored not to be. Oh yes, and clearly based on Chinese rather than Japanese tropes. That said, the two series end up going in a slightly different direction, as Maomao’s one smart cookie who’s there to be a Jessica Fletcher sort. Meanwhile, all poor Rimi wants is somewhere to prepare delicious food and a sense that she belongs. Unfortunately, getting either of those proves difficult. Despite almost immediately running into most of the “very handsome men” part of the inner palace, she finds her homemade fermented rice in danger, the other women of the palace bully her tremendously, and, oh yes, the Emperor takes one look at the gifts her nation sent along with her and decides to have her executed. How can she make dashi like this?

Rimi can be a hard character to get a hold of. At first I thought she was a “fluffhead” sort of character, but that’s less due to her natural state of mind and more due to her spending most of her life as an extraneous extra. For the last ten years she’s lived with only one other person, her older sister, and cooking was essentially her entire life. Most of the decisions she’s made over the course of her life have involved “I’ll do this so that they don’t worry about me”. Now she’s having severe culture shock (much of the novel is about the differences between this “not-China” that she lives in now and the “not-Japan” she was born in), can’t even really speak the language very well (the translator does a good job of showing off how her attempts to speak to the emperor or Shusei can occasionally be incredibly blunt or even coarse), and, of course, has been threatened with execution multiple times. She faints more than once here, but she certainly earns them.

As for the men, well, this is a reverse harem series, so they’re all very pretty. I’m guessing the main love interest is Shusei, the self-styled culinary scientist, whose attempts at healthy food are not well-loved. He bonds with Rimi over food, and seems pretty smitten with her by the end of the book, though of course he has no idea what that feeling is. The Emperor may threaten to cut off her head multiple times, but shows himself to be a big softie when presented with food he doesn’t hate – which is to say, food in the proper environment. As for the food itself, well, given the ingredients are clearly meant to be the fantasy equivalent of kombu and katsuobushi, we can guess why she’s so desperately pointing out that they are not “planks of wood”. There is much here to interest a foodie, especially if you like discussing the difference between Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

This is 11 volumes total in Japan, so we’ve clearly got a ways to go. but it’s a very good start, and if you like plucky heroines, handsome bishonen, and a LOT of talk about dashi, this is a winner.