Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Reviews

Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress!, Vol. 2

by

By Ameko Kaeruda and Kazutomo Miya. Released in Japan as “Onna dakara, to Party wo Tsuihou Sareta no de Densetsu no Majo to Saikyou Tag wo Kumimashita” by Overlap Novels. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Molly Lee.

As we start the second volume of Sexiled, things are looking good for Tanya and company. They’re celebrities now, heralded by the women in the city for what they did. They’re now guiding other parties to grow and learn. But, of course, there’s still the inherent sexism of everyday life. Some of the parties they’re guiding just want to show off in front of them. Sexual assault is framed as “she was asking for it by wearing that outfit.” Promises of marriage are extorted by drugging a girl. Even fashion is against them, as Tanya is told that only men can wear swords at the palace ball… even though Tanya is there as a bodyguard. And then of course there is Laplace’s behavior, as lately she’s seem distracted or even depressed at times. Why was she sealed up in the first place? And is is possible for her to also get revenge?

As with the first book, the writing here reminds you of the sort of thing that women deal with every day. The first half is filled with frustrating assumptions and casual misogyny that makes our heroine’s brains burn. Katherine, the fox-sorceress who was a minor antagonist in the first book, has joined Lilium, and she proves to be an excellent addition to the party, gaining confidence, inventing popcorn chicken, and also helping save the day so that things don’t have to end with a lot more deaths. Because the back half of this book is a lot more serious than the first one. Many of the relationships in this book are abusive, including the princess of the realm, as well as Laplace, whose determination to stand up against her abuser is very well done. I also liked how the kissing was reframed as plot-relevant (and Tanya noting that it was non-consensual at first, even if she ended up not minding it), and this leads to an excellent callback at the climax of the book.

The book is still a light novel fantasy, of course. We briefly see Tanya and Laplace fighting goblins, and there is much discussion of mana and its ability in helping to attain immortality. The fight scenes are relatively simply but breezy, never getting too bogged down in spell creation or other pitfalls. There’s also a healthy dose of humor – I quite liked Nadine yelling “POW POW” in Tanya’s ear, and the smarmy tone of one of the jerks dealt with in the book is mocked by criticizing the very typography of his lines. There’s also a nice scene at the very end of the book which shows a young palace guard who was also inspired by Tanya’s party to chase after his own dreams, and his genuine gratitude and admiration of her feels like a “not all men” that’s actually earned for once. I will admit I think the art that comes with the book is merely adequate – there are some nice scenes of Tanya and Laplace in the middle of the book where the illustrations feel very flat. I wonder if we’ll get some fanart from others.

I’m not sure where the series goes from here – we’re caught up with the Japanese release – but I will definitely be devouring the next book in the series. Still an excellent takedown of misogyny as well as a good light novel fantasy.

So I’m a Spider, So What?, Vol. 7

by

By Okina Baba and Tsukasa Kiryu. Released in Japan as “Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jenny McKeon.

(Note: This review, especially towards the end, gets more spoilery than usual as you can’t not talk about the end.)

I have to admit that “they battle a bunch of fighter jets in order to infiltrate a UFO with tanks and robots” was not really the plot I was expecting when I picked up the seventh volume of Spider So What. But, having finished the volume, I can’t say I’m too disappointed in it. We’ve seen robots and cyborgs in this series before, of course. It also helps to show off the true arrogant brokenness of Potimas, who manages to be an evil elf while at the same time being an embarrassed chuuni who can’t bear to see people using his old design specs that he made back in the day. There is not one moment in this book where you like him, and the relationship between him, White, and the Demon Lord helps to remind us that the “truce” between the later two is miles and miles ahead of the loathing and antipathy they feel for Potimas. They might even be… friends?

After accidentally freeing two world-killing pieces of tech from an underground bunker simply because of her insatiable curiosity, White and the rest of her merry band have to join forces to destroy it. Unfortunately, this means joining forces with Potimas, whose designs they’re based on, as well as the Pontiff and a group of local dragons. Most of the book is spent on the battle, with White’s chatterbox narrative voice, constantly belittling and mocking herself and showing self-doubt at every confrontation contrasting with how everyone ELSE sees her, which is to say an emotionless, morally ambiguous nightmare who is STILL GETTING STRONGER. There’s a lovely moment where White is in a fury and the Demon Lord wraps her in thread to stop her. White immediately teleports out of it, and while she’s calm again, she notes offhandedly the Demon Lord looks super surprised but doesn’t get why. This push and pull on her character is one reason this series works.

Then we get to the climax of the book, where the Demon Lord, Potimas, and White are faced with a bomb that is about to explode. There are really very few options that are available. Still, I suspect only White could come up with “swallow the bomb”, which causes a Daffy Duck-esque explosion but does not, remarkably, kill her off. Good thing too, as Vol. 8 is due in the spring. What’s more, she has now leveled up to the point where the “game system” part cannot help her anymore… she’s a god. “D” helpfully explains this, and decides to give her another name: Shiraori, which I will start using in future. (Notably, “D” does not suggest calling her “Wakaba”, supposedly her old name from Earth, and refers to her as “nameless spider”. This feels very much like ominous foreshadowing.) As a God, Shiraori as all the power she used to and more… but has to learn how to do everything without the “game world” help. Including walking on her new human legs. To her, this is very much “restarting from zero”.

So overall, a solid book of fighting, but the last fifth or so is dynamite (literally), with one revelation after the other. I can’t wait to see where things go next. (Also, when will we catch up to the other kids?)

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 8

by

By Fuminori Teshima and COMTA. Released in Japan by HJ Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

This series started out starring two people, but the cast has grown exponentially sine then. As such, it seems appropriate that this volume is fairly light on both Zagan and Nephy – in fact, it actually manages to work that into the plot, as Foll is planning a massive party for the not-Christmas holiday that is upon us and wants to surprise both of them. Zagan is completely in the dark about the holiday, but Nephy isn’t – in fact, she’s working part-time at a pub to get money for a present. As such, both are absent from the main plot itself till the end, though there’s many scenes with both of them, of course. The main plot focuses again on Kuroko, who is literally confronting her past – unfortunately, she has to confront it as a small kitten. She (accidentally) joins forces with another sorcerer, one who has a troubled past that is a lot closer to hers than she’s aware. And worst of all, due to a villain and also the nature of the holiday, the dead are rising up.

Also on the cover is Alshiera, the vampire who’s trying her best to get everyone to see her as someone not worth saving but doing a fairly terrible job of it – indeed, by the end Zagan has figured out the way to handle her best – it’s how to handle Nephy, and Chastille, and indeed literally everyone in the cast. Yes, be really nice to her until she cowers in embarrassment. She and Shax, the sorcerer that Kuroko befriends here, are both examples of the classic “can a former villain be redeemed” school of writing, and the answer is fairly firmly “yes” in both cases. Indeed, Shax is pretty much set up here as a love interest for Kuroko, complete with a father who now wants to kill him for daring to have his daughter take interest in him. Combining this with the somewhat sad and pathetic pairing of Chastille and Barbatos (who both have a long way to go), and you can see the author is definitely “pairing the spares” here.

The holiday during this book is Alshiere Imera, which (it’s hinted) is named after Alshiera, the vampire whose birthday it is. It’s an odd fusion of Christmas, Halloween and the Day of the Dead, which allows for the plot to happen (the zombies are created easily as it’s the one day per year when the line between here and the afterlife is so thin) but, let’s face it, is also an excuse to put Nephy and her friends in Santa outfits, even though Santa is never quite mentioned. Much as I mocked Chastille and Barbatos earlier, she and Zagan are not all that further along, though at least they have confessed. The present-giving scene is the sort of “so sweet it makes you sick” scene that people read this series for.

We are almost caught up with Japan on this series, as the next volume is the latest. Will it move the plot along/ Depends on what you’re calling the plot. In any case, this is a nice, solid volume of this sweet series.

Aria The Masterpiece, Vol. 4

by

By Kozue Amano. Originally released in Japan by Mag Garden, serialized in the magazine Comic Blade. Released in North America by Tokyopop. Translated by Katie Kimura.

It is, a great deal of the time, very difficult to remember that this manga takes place in the future on a different planet. Honestly, a lot of that may be engineered by the residents of Aqua, who have deliberately set things up so that anyone coming to Neo-Venezia is going to be thinking “old-time Venice”, not “new, modern, future Venice”. It’s brought up explicitly in the chapter where Akari helps the old mailman deliver his letters – why are there so many letters, when the world has email? We’ve even seen Akari send emails. But it’s because people who stay here want to revel in the low-techness of it all. It’s for the mood. There’s also an element of slight fantasy throughout, usually involving Cait Sith, but even that makes the reader think of older stories of that nature rather than an alien for The Planet Formerly Known As Mars. And let’s face it, we the reader want that as well. With the odd exception of floating islands and Woody’s Miyazaki-esque bike, we want to take it easy.

The last of the main cast is introduced in this omnibus, as we meet Alice’s mentor Athena, who also turns out to be the last of the “three fairies” along with Alicia and Akira. Athena’s skill is in her gorgeous singing voice (which, by the way, is another reason to get the anime adaptation, which really does a great job), but she’s also an oddball who frequently simply flakes out or is misunderstood by the Very Teenage Alice. She and Alice, both being the “oddballs” of their groups, balance out Aika and Akira (angry tsunderes) and Akari and Alicia (balls of sunshine). And, like Akira and Alicia, she’s keeping a close eye on Alice and trying to help her develop into a first-class undine… despi8te occasional hiccups like the right-handed Alice deciding her left hand is useless, or the sudden adoption of a tiny Martian cat found at canalside. They make a good pair.

When I called Akari a “ball of sunshine” earlier, I wasn’t alone – one of the themes in this book is people staring open-mouthed at her ability to enjoy everything and describe how wonderful it is. Whether it’s glass-blowing, mail delivery, fireworks, or simply sitting at a cafe that keeps moving its seats to stay in the sun, Akari is a one-woman tourist brochure… a fantastic quality for an undine, of course, even though she remains blissfully unaware of her own talents. She’s still got a ways to go with the gondola, of course, and we’re only halfway through the manga, but we are gradually seeing the three apprentices mature and grow up, and the though it beginning to niggle into our heads that this may end with the older generation moving on to make way for the younger.

Fortunately we aren’t there yet. What’s more, starting with the next omnibus we’ll be reading material as yet unseen in North America. I can’t wait, this series is itself a ball of sunshine.

Arifureta Zero, Vol. 3

by

By Ryo Shirakome and Takaya-ki. Released in Japan as “Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Rei” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen.

I’ve been comparing Miledi to Hajime in these reviews of Zero. And just as Hajime was written to be the ultimate in “I am cool and badass and will happily abandon anyone other than Yue to a fiery death” and then walked back to where he is now reasonable a decent person, likewise Miledi was introduced in the main series as the most annoying person in the world and then we gradually see in Zero how much of it is a front. It’s a front she feels more comfortable with, in fact – despite her complaining, she’d much rather be yelled at for being irritating than praised for being a force for good, mostly as it embarrasses her too much. It’s also a good way to avoid simply having her be too perfect – Miledi is going to save everybody, loves everybody, and has magical powers that can take out a demon lord possessed by a God. Of course she has to be annoying. You need SOMETHING.

As you might guess by the cover, the new Liberator who join’s Miledi’s forces in this book is male, and men don’t get Arifureta covers, meaning Meiru and Miledi pull double-duty. They’re headed back to meet up with Oscar and Naiz’s group, to see if they can revive the comatose kids (spoiler: not quite yet), when they suddenly find out that there was an attack on the base and most of the group was kidnapped. As it turns out, they were kidnapped to avoid ANOTHER kidnapping. Vandre is half-demon, half-dragon, and all tsundere, as he kidnapped Miledi’s group to try to get them to help him own group of people being tortured for experiments by the Demon King. Of course, Miledi will totally save them anyway, especially when it looks like there’s more to the Demon King than meets the eye. But can she do it while fighting off a powerful local disease?

First off, the book begins and ends with broad characterizations of cross-dressing gay men who are, of course, sexual predators for the lulz. Ugh. This is not the first time the author has gone to this well, either. Aside from that, it’s a decent enough book. As with the other Zero books, it leans heavily on fight scenes, particularly in the second half, but there is also a decent amount of characterization, particularly of Vandre, the new guy, and Miledi. Vandre and Oscar also look to be adding a new annoying trait to the Liberators, as they don’t get along and snipe at each other constantly in a “vitriolic best buds” sort of way. I do wonder if they can actually weaponize this trait, the way that Miledi has weaponized being annoying to the point where it throws villains off.

We do also get a look at the Church here, briefly, and see that, thanks to evil people and also brainwashing, it may only have one sensible person in it. They’re also trying to get a jump on Miledi in snatching up Ancient Magic Users, so next time we head off to the forest. Till then, this remains a decent spinoff, particularly if you like fight scenes.

Gal Gohan, Vol. 1

by

By Marii Taiyou. Released in Japan by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Young Animal. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Andrew Cunningham. Adapted by Bambi Eloriaga-Amago.

Sometimes Japanese manga companies have a broad spectrum of things they release across all genres and age groups… and sometimes they specialize. Hakusensha is one of the latter – it has no shonen titles per se, and is best known over here as the top shoujo publisher with its magazines Hana to Yume and LaLa. But… they do also have Young Animal. As with most magazines with ‘Young’ in the title, it caters to the young adult male, with each cover featuring a cover and insert section of an idol singer or model. Unlike the shoujo end of the company, Young Animal titles rarely get licensed over here – the most famous one still going is probably Berserk, which has lots of the gool ol’ ultraviolence. But there’s also fanservice and ecchi titles, and Young Animal has plenty of those as well. A good example of which we’re reviewing today, Gal Gohan. That said, like some of the best ecchi manga, there’s a certain purity of tone to it.

Shinji is a relatively new teacher, having difficulties making connections with students and doubting himself as with all good newbie teachers in manga like this. Shinji, however, teaches home ec, which makes it even harder – he doesn’t even see the students as much. Meanwhile, Miku is a very stereotypical “Gal” – tanned skin, loose socks, accessories, etc. – and is in danger of flunking out of school. The jaded principal suggests bribing her teachers with cookies, and so she goes to Shinji to try to get some help. Things go badly at first, but he gradually realizes that under her Gal exterior is a rather tender young maiden, and she starts to fall for him pretty hard – to the point where she decides to join the cooking club, even though – well, actually, because – it’s just the two of them. How far can Miku take her teasing… and how serious is it meant to be? And can Shinji avoid the temptations of his student?

This pretty much is the perfect setup to a series designed to entice young men. Miku is pretty, outgoing, busty, and is not ashamed to panty flash her teacher… at first. As the manga goes on, she starts to get a little shyer about that sort of thing, hinting that her teasing has gotten closer to an actual crush. Despite being a manga about a cooking club, there’s minimal attention to the recipes or preparation – this is not a foodie manga. You’re here to see if Shinji can resist the extreme forwardness of Miku (he has so far), and if Miku can get across to her teacher that she’s not just teasing but really does like him (she hasn’t so far). Part of Shinji’s reticence is simple – he’s her teacher, she’s his student, this is a forbidden relationship. But we also do get a bit of him not quite understanding a “maiden’s heart”, which allows Miku to be frustrated in a cute way.

I’m assuming anyone reading this knows what sort of manga they’re getting. But it caters to its readers very well, enticing without getting too over the line – Miku’s teasing and flashing of her body is relatively innocent compared to where the series could have gone. Worth a read if you like this genre.

86 –Eighty-Six–, Vol. 3: Run Through the Battlefront [Finish]

by

By Asato Asato and Shirabii. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Roman Lempert.

True to its title, this is the second half of the story that began in the second volume. The Legion now have a massive Railgun that they used to destroy 40% of the Federation’s forces. Given that the Federation lacks Kamijou Touma, they need to defeat it by more military means. Fortunately, the railgun was slightly damaged when it was dealing out masses of deaths, so there’s time to send a strike force. That said, the chance the strike force survives and takes out the Railgun is basically 0%. It’s essentially a suicide mission. And so, as you likely guessed, it’s time to send out the 86, who are not fitting in well with the other soldiers and don’t seem to want to retire somewhere and grow potatoes. It’s very much a “if you love war so much why don’t you MARRY it?” sort of attitude, and our heroes just sort of shrug and get on with it. They’re the only ones who can really do this anyway. But will they have help?

As you might expect, a great deal of this book is very grim. We see soldiers with wives and families tragically blown to bits, and drivers shielding their superiors and ending up as corpses. There’s also the 86, who are, as is pointed out, still children, but we’re not really in a position in this war when they can avoid using them. They want to try not to be like the Republic… but when things go badly and someone has to be sacrificed, it’s all too easy to go with the ones who everyone already pities, especially when they’re so… well, stoic. Especially Shin, who in this book contrasts himself with Kiriya, one of the Legion’s main forces but still with memories of Frederica, his “princess”. We get POV from both of them in the book, and near the end Shin realizes that the main difference between them may simply be that Shin isn’t dead… something he’s not confident is a good thing.

Fortunately there is a bit of… well, I won’t say humor, but less bleak stuff here. I did laugh out loud at the reveal halfway through the book. We all knew it was coming, but it’s still really funny seeing every single one of the 86 (yes, including Shin) scream “ARE YOU AN MORON?!” at the same time. We also get the appearance of Lena, who has been fighting a losing battle against the Legion on her own end, and ends up meeting with Shin at the final battle with the Railgun. Neither one know who the other one is, though Shin eventually figures it out. It’s a reminder at how good Lena is at strategy, and I look forward to her actually joining the main cast again after this. She’s also a reminder that Shin actually was more emotional and occasionally smiled in the first book, something we haven’t seen at all in this two-parter. Frederica has helped, to be sure, but maybe Lena is just what the 86 need – someone who accepts them without pity.

The author has said the next book will be lighter in tone, something I don’t believe for a minute, but it should at least be another one-volume book. In any case, if you enjoyed the first two book in the series this is still a very good read. It’s not quite as good as the first, but that’s a high bar.

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 21

by

By Mizuho Kusanagi. Released in Japan as “Akatsuki no Yona” by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by JN Productions, Adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.

It can sometimes be hard to remember that Hak, in the context of this series, is a normal human. He does not have any Dragon Warrior powers, but gets by by simply being very, very, VERY strong. This becomes very clear about two-thirds of the way through this volume, where the tension that has been slowly building about how long can Su-Won and Hak get away with not meeting face to face finally breaks – there’s just no avoiding it in the melee battle to save Riri that is going on. Indeed, it’s the unspoken communication between the two that saved Riri’s life, and I really long for some sort of alternate universe where the two of them fight crime. But unfortunately, they are enemies. Ju-Do certainly doesn’t forget that, and he alone is ready to take down Hak for the benefit of the Kingdom. But there’s more complexities going on here than can be dealt with by a murder. Hak and company saved so many lives. They do have to ignore each other right now.

The first half of the book is quite serious and action packed, though I’m not entirely sure Zeno saving Yona by literally dropping himself like a bomb on the enemy can be called 100% serious. Su-Won is once again doing far more than a King should be doing, which to be fair Riri is very grateful for. He’s still not really recognized by his subjects or indeed neighboring kingdoms, which leads to scenes like the one we get here, where a thousand soldiers are taken down by him and his four generals… and yes, the Happy Hungry Bunch, an alliance that makes both uncomfortable. The second half is lighter in tone, starting with Hak, whose nerves are frazzled by having to ignore Su-Won here because of circumstance, becoming a cuddlebug and hugging Jaeha and Zeno, both of whom react appropriately for such an occurrence.

This then leads to a wonderful chapter where, having moved back to the forest to camp out, Hak and Yona try to have a heart to heart. There’s an earnest core here, as Yona has felt fairly “princess in need of rescuing” this arc, which makes her unhappy, and Hak is dealing with her being in danger PLUS Su-Won, so is, as I said, a bit frazzled. But Hak is hugging others, and Yona wants to be hugged… except (she thinks to herslf) she hasn’t had a good bath in a while, so she must stink. Hak has not, in fact, noticed this, and later says she’s been filthier before (not the right thing to say), which leads to an amazing battle between the two of them, Yona avoiding his touch and Hak trying to capture her. It all ends well, though, with hugs being had, and Hak being reassured. That said, though, Yona still is apparently unaware of her own feelings towards Hak. How long will that last?

To no one’s surprise, this is an exceptional volume of Yona, and brings this arc to a close. What happens next? Intrigue? Action? Shenanigans? All of the above? Please read this series.

You Call That Service?, Vol. 1

by

By Kisetsu Morita and Hiroki Ozaki. Released in Japan as “Omae no Gohoushi wa Sono Teido ka?” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jasmine Bernhardt.

This book lets you know right away that it’s a comedy, and, with the exception of one or two bits near the end, does not really let up on that throughout the volume. The characters do comedic things, the setup is written to be highly amusing, there’s a lot of boke/tsukkomi humor, and you get the standard harem novel staples, lots of girls after the hero, misunderstandings, etc. There is even a psycho lesbian and a yandere stalker girl, which Japan seems to find far more hilarious than I ever have. Actually, that seems to be the issue I have with this entire book. It really really sets itself up to be a laff riot, but it’s not particularly funny. There were times I smiled at an obvious gag, and there were points where you could clearly tell I was supposed to laugh, but the laughs just were not coming across. Which is a problem when your series is a comedy.

Our hero is Ryouta, whose grandfather made a misplaced wish that has cursed him to be attractive to all girls around him, which is a pain when the girls are mentally unstable or his immediate family. He’s walking in the mountains one day to get away from it all and happens on a city… and a young girl, who quickly bites him on the neck. She’s a vamp–erm, part of the Sacred Blood Empire, which this entire city is now made of, and wants Ryouta to be her minion. Sadly, he’s less obedient than she’d like. As they live together and go to school, he meets more Sacred Blood denizens, all of whom have their eyes on him, and learns about the Emperor, all the while yearning for the one girl in his life he actually felt love for, his elementary school crush. In the end, all these plotlines converge and Ryouta has to decide who he wants to be loyal to.

This was written in 2011, which is several generations old in light novel years, and it shows. The lead girl, Shana… erm, Taiga… no wait, Louise… Nagi? Ah, I got it, Shiren, cries out to be played by Rie Kugimiya, and Ryouta is the sort of bland, nice-but-snarky harem lead that you get in this sort of thing. The first 2/3 of this book is mostly them interacting, and while it’s comedy that I don’t find funny, it’s not all that bad. Shiren is clearly desperately lonely, and Ryouta realizes this fairly quickly. That said, there was one part where I did actively scream “fuck this”. As I said above, I’m not fond of “psycho lesbian” as a character trait to begin with, and this one went from zero to murderous in about ten seconds… then, after being forced to lick our hero’s blood in order to avoid dying, suddenly is into him as well. It’s one of the plotlines you’d assumed writers had given up on because it always gets bad press these days… but here it is.

The author is VERY prolific, having also written I’ve Been Kiling Slimes for 300 Years (which IS funny, though not always as funny as it wants to be) and the upcoming A Mysterious Job Called Oda Nobunaga. Both of those are likely better than this, which I recommend only to those anime fans who want to watch anything with a small, angry blonde with twintails.

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 11

by

The Water Dragon’s Bride Volume 11 by Rei Toma

I was genuinely not sure what to expect in the final volume of The Water Dragon’s Bride. While I naturally tend to assume that a happy ending is a given in a shoujo series, this series has explored the nature of humanity through the slowly changing personality of a god. It has also been unflinching about portraying all the petty and dark aspects of human nature, especially the machinations of humans who attempt to take advantage of the divine.

Water Dragon Bride 11

In the end, the final volume of this series has an elegantly constructed ending that allows for multiple moments of closure, another opportunity to ponder the nature of immortality, and some flashbacks that add additional resonance and meaning to the previous volumes. The Water Dragon God’s power is now fading after investing power into Asahi. Before he becomes too weak and disappears, he announces that he will send her back to her world. Asahi decides that she wants to spend time enjoying regular activities like picking berries and going fishing. Asahi, Subaru, and the Water Dragon God enjoy some brief lyrical moments just doing basic human activities. Toma’s skills in paneling and illustration are shown off to great advantage throughout this final volume, as brief wordless scenes convey a depth of emotion that make dialog and description unnecessary.

As the Water Dragon God prepares his farewell, Subaru gets a chance to be heroic yet again, looking out for Asahi and her future in a way that she might not immediately appreciate. Themes of longing and loss are explored as The Water Dragon God moves into a new plane of existence and Asahi integrates back into the life that she’s left behind twice. Overall, this was a tremendously affecting series, with a mystical and elegiac quality that sets it apart from other fantasy shoujo that I’ve read. I hope more of Toma’s manga makes it over here.

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online: 3rd Squad Jam: Betrayer’s Choice (Part 2)

by

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

As with most of these volumes, I find that this volume of SAO Alternative starts slow and gradually gets going till a 2nd half that verges on fantastic. The first part of the book briefly checks in with all the other teams, showing us what they were doing while Llenn and company were having their adventures by the train depot in the first part. They all gradually get the same notice: one of them is a traitor, please report to the traitor area for debriefing. The reactions range from vague dissatisfaction to rage to deep sadness, and then there’s Pitohui, who is OVER THE MOON. The story then moves to a massive ocean liner that is grounded on the island… except the island is sinking under the ocean, so gradually it becomes a real boat. Can everyone get to the boat before they drown? Can they defeat this new team made up of “betrayers”? And will the betrayers really work together anyway?

There are some nice moments with characters other than the two leads, I will briefly admit. The soldier that Pitohui fought in the 2nd Squad Jam gets a name and some righteous fury, not that it does him much good. SHINC are still the best huge Russian women who are really cute middle schoolers out there, and I really loved it when Llenn and Eva teamed up – if they can’t have their long-awaited battle (and it’s become clear by now the narrative will ALWAYS stop them in some way), this is almost as good. Fukaziroh is also a lot of fun, with quips at the ready, though she also functions as a good sounding board for Pitohui to actually (gasp!) open up. And the final battle between Fukaziroh and Eva is almost as good as Llenn and Pitohui’s. But not quite. Because, once again, we’re here to read about these two girls and their twisted relationship.

A warning for those who love reading SAO spinoffs but hate Kirito: he’s not in this book, but a flashback shows Pitohui, as a beta tester for SAO, fighting a swordsman who is very clearly him. I’m very glad that Pitohui missed getting trapped in SAO despite what it ended up doing to her already somewhat broken self, as I suspect she would have ended up in Laughing Coffin. (So does she.) But it’s seeing Pito’s vulnerability that’s the best part of this book – admitting to Fukaziroh that she’s terrified of Llenn, her real-life bodies own limits impacting her performance towards the end, and her own latent attraction to Llenn, who is not only cute and lethal (especially when in a rage-filled haze as she is towards the end here) but also in real life tall, athletic, and pretty. Sadly, Llenn still seems to have no interest.

I left out the book’s big spoiler, as it’s a very well done twist. And the ship’s AI was wonderful. Other than that… well, people read Alternative for the gun battles, and there are certainly a lot of those here. I read Alternative for the characters, though, and it was great to see some development with them as well. Will we get a 4th Squad Jam next/ Or something else?

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~, Vol. 11

by

By Tappei Nagatsuki and Shinichirou Otsuka. Released in Japan by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jeremiah Borque.

I was sort of expecting this volume of Re: ZERO to be a lot of dying and repeating, and that’s what it is, but we have the added factor, which is good for the reader but bad for Subaru, that things are not repeating in the same way. Due to the nature of Subaru’s Return by Death, every time he dies and comes back the people he needs to convince distrust him more and more as a possible Witch Cultist. Also concerning (and thankfully pointed out by the text) is that Subaru is getting perhaps a little too used to his Return by Death, to the point that his normal emotions are getting a bit flattened. Now, admittedly, the end of the book shows this is not necessarily the case, but if Subaru is going to be a pragmatist I would like him to be one who shouts and waves his hands and is sarcastic to people he dislikes. Grimdark Subaru is not a thing I want.

Having been ignominiously killed by a familiar face at the end of last book, Subaru wakes up in the Tomb, having just completed the first task. He now informs the reader that the one who killed him was Elsa. Remember Elsa? From Book 1? She’s back, and as he finds out when he returns to the mansion again, this time with Ram, she’s there for slaughter and not much else. Even when he can escape her he’s eaten by some sort of beast creature. And things aren’t much better back at the Sanctuary. As I said earlier, Garf is disliking him more and more due to the “witch smell” he gives off the more he returns by death, Roswaal is being very cagey and suspicious (Subaru asks him point blank at one time “are you the enemy?”), and Emilia is sadly still not passing her trial – in fact, she’s barely in this book, much to the annoyance of fans who would like to see her at least try to pull even with Rem.

A lot of this series relies on really good scenes that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading, and here the best of those is at the end of another Bad End in the mansion where Elsa is killing everyone. Subaru is already near death’s door from wounds and missing limbs when he happens upon the door to Beatrice’s library. Unfortunately, he was trying to rescue Rem at the time, so she’s toast. And Beatrice heals him, making it harder for him to go back and die. The ensuing temper tantrum that comes from him is understandable but also awful, and Beatrice’s hurt reaction, and then her enraged response, not only makes the reader feel horrible but also provides very important plot details. I suspect it may be Beatrice who gets development before Emilia here. Also nice to see Petra here again. Let’s give her a hand, people. (Sorry.)

So this was very much still a setup book, being Book 2 of 6 in this arc. There’s a lot of witches I didn’t really get into, including one familiar one who shows up right at the cliffhanger ending. Fans of the series will find a lot to sink their teeth into, though. Just… Subaru, are you OK?

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Vol. 1

by

By Yabako Sandrovich. Released in Japan as “Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?” by Shogakukan, serialization ongoing in the magazine Ura Sunday. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Wesley O’Donnell. Adapted by Sam Mitchell.

I must admit, I’ve seen titles devoted to giving the reader a bunch of fanservice. I’ve also seen titles that are “instruction” manga, where they’re teaching a lesson to the reader, usually via an unknowing protagonist. But, aside from maybe Futari Ecchi, I can’t think of a title that’s managed to balance them fairly equally as much as How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, a series that really wants to go into great detail about how to properly work out and gain muscles, but also really wants to show you that it has a bunch of cute, large-breasted young women who frequently bend over, take showers, get very sweaty indeed, etc. It should be terrible, but somehow you get the feeling that, if asked to choose one, the author would jettison the service in favor of the lessons. (They wrote a long series about muscular men, Kengan Ashura, that supports this – though to be fair, if you like heavily muscled men, they are in this title.)

Hibiki is a high school girl who loves to eat, to the point where she’s getting a bit too chubby for her uniforms and swimsuits. She tries running… and gives up. Exercise at home… failure. Clearly she needs something more regimented. So she goes to a local gym. There she is surprised to meet the student council president, who is also there for gym membership. Hibiki, who feels a bit uncomfortable (she’s a “gal” sort, Akemi is the “pure” type), and notices the gym is filled with muscular men being beefy, is about to bail, but then she sees the instructor, Machio, who is a total bishie!… at least till he takes off his jacket, then he becomes a poster boy for beefcake. But Hibiki is smitten anyway, and, with Akemi and Machio helping her, she gradually begins to gain muscle mass (though she’s not losing weight yet) and learn the ins and outs of keeping in shape.

To a large degree this is a comedy. Hibiki is good at reacting to extremely silly situations (she also lampshades the fanservice frequently, even though she’s the most frequent body used) and noticing things like Akemi’s muscle fetish being disturbingly sexual, as well as the fact that Machio’s upper body seems to be a TARDIS. But the advice on weight training really is quite good, and I actually learned a thing or two. Plus, while there is an awful lot of fanservice, it doesn’t ever descend into mean-spiritness, and as I said earlier, the author wants to draw the girls working out just as much as looking hot. We also do see their muscle mass – Hibiki’s friend Ayaka looks at first to be the “normal” one in the group, then it turns out she’s part of a boxing family. (Speaking of which, Hibiki’s own undiscovered strength shows she might want to lean in that direction as well.)

It’s definitely for the male reader, make no mistake, but compared to what I was expecting, I found the first volume of this dumbbell manga to be rather interesting. I’m definitely going to be reading more.

The Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’s Heroes: No Reply. It’s Just a Saint.

by

By Sakuma Sasaki and Asagi Tosaka. Released in Japan by Famitsu Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jordan Taylor.

Sometimes I get a bit ahead of myself. I was really enjoying this second volume of Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’ Heroes, and tweeted as such. The second “hero” they had to face off with was very different from Arian, Shinichi’s plans were clever enough, the banter between him and Celes was fun. It was a really fun book, despite the occasional lecherous joke that made me wince. And then came the last quarter or so, where the lecherous jokes that made me wince became the resolution of the entire plot, and the bottom dropped out of the whole thing, leaving it once again something I can only recommend to those who don’t mind the usual light novel perversions, with an added slice of homophobia. It’s really irritating, as the characters are engaging, the plot lends itself well to a 6-book series (as this is), and some of the humor is great. Just… stop with the pedophilia and “gays are predators” jokes. I beg you.

The religious oligarchy trying to take down the demon lord (for their own personal gain, of course) now sends “the Saint” after him. Sanctina has been raised in a box since she was a baby, the daughter of talented magic users who were bribed to have a child and leave it with the Church. There were four others like her, but one by one none of them were quite as “devoted” (read: unwilling to question) as she was, so they vanished or were sent away. Now she’s in a neighboring kingdom taking people’s life force to power a magical container big enough to destroy the demon lord once and for all. Shinichi and company quickly figure out that, because her personality is somewhat blank due to her upbringing, normal means aren’t going to cut it. And so they decide to make Rino, the demon lord’s daughter, into… a pop idol?

As I said, most of this is fun. It mocks idol culture, and Sanctina does make a genuinely disturbing villain. Then we get the climax. First of all, Shinichi hired an incubus to disguise themselves as Sanctina and go around anally raping muggers (and later, after the denouement, Sanctina’s other “Holy Knights”). No. Do not do this. I don’t care how evil the muggers and knights are, and they’re pretty bad, don’t. Do. This. Secondly, Sanctina’s jealousy and hatred of Rino, who is not only a popular idol who can also heal the sick but shows a genuine love and compassion for everyone around her that Sanctina lacks, finally causes her to break. Which is fine. And be sexually attracted to Rino. Who is underage. We’d had a few pedophilia jokes scattered though the book that grated, but this is the climax, and given Sanctina returns with the protagonists, is likely not going away. Shinichi even observes “Great, she’s a lesbian”. Again, just… fuck this.

So yeah, I retract my prior tweet. Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’ Heroes has a lot of potential, but in the way can’t quite escape its tendency to wallow in nasty stereotypes for both humor and plot resolution. As such, recommended only to those who are used to that sort of thing and don’t care.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? On The Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 10

by

By Fujino Omori and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka? Gaiden – Sword Oratoria” by Softbank Creative. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

The long delay in the 14th book in the main series reaching North America has meant that the side series has been able to catch up quite a bit, and this book benefits from covering two books in the main series, the 10th and 11th, from the perspective of Loki Familia. Last time was very Aiz-heavy, and so she ends up not quite as featured in this book, though that does not mean that she’s not completely devastated by the end of it. And no, that doesn’t mean it’s Lefiya-heavy either, though she does get to barrel through the entire book fueled on pure rage at Bell, and also gets some of the more badass fight scenes. No, it’s Finn who’s the biggest protagonist in this book, as you might guess from the cover, which shows him, Aiz and Bell in a three-way standoff sort of situation. Bell inspires Aiz, much as he is unaware of this… and also, by the end of this book, Finn.

The majority of this book revolves around the Xenos getting out of Daedalus Street and back to the dungeon, only from the perspective of Loki Familia, who are here to kill them… well, that’s a secondary goal, but the primary goal is to use them to draw out the Evils and get another key (or two… or three…) to Knossos. Things are not helped by Hestia Familia, who are driving Finn and company to distraction (we see Lilly’s deception in this book from the Loki Familia side, where it just looks like picking on Raul, and it’s a lot less triumphant). Oh yes, and Hermes family is in there as well. And then there are the random adventurers who are simply really pissed at Bell, and the poor and orphaned who live here, who are also a little pissed at Bell, though they’re less certain about that.

Finn has no doubt that Bell is NOT being a selfish adventurer, but when he figures out his actual motive it’s tremendously difficult to accept. The story of Loki Familia has featured, time and again, folks who lost their families and loved ones to monsters. Aiz, Finn, Bete…it’s no wonder that Finn’s response, on hearing that these are intelligent monsters with emotions and morals of their own, is “I don’t care”. But seeing him gradually piece together what’s been happening, and fighting against his own instincts (which tell him not to kill these particular monsters), along with one of Riveria’s elves being saved by a Xenos taking the bullet, essentially, shows that he can’t simply stick by his rock-solid principles. He has to move forward just as fast, if not faster than Bell Cranel, and if that means changing how he thinks about monsters, then he will.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s not above using them, and he now has another group that can help them take on Knossos. The next two books seem to be tied together, and may be more Lefiya-centric. Which, given that Aiz ends this volume somewhat shattered, is probably a good thing. If you haven’t been reading this as it’s a spinoff, or because you hated the anime, please change your mind and get it immediately.