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Reviews

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 1

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

This is a series that, when I first heard about the license, I was told was really sweet and adorable. And there’s no doubt: it is. The relationship between Zagan and Nephy is very reminiscent of young teenage love, and despite the obvious power imbalance going on throughout the story, by the end of this first book the two seem to have worked things out, although I suspect those looking for sex may be in for a long wait. That said, I tell a lie, because the FIRST thing I heard about this license was its original title with one extra word, and I was… not impressed. In fact, I may have actually avoided it. As such, I definitely approve of J-Novel Club removing ‘Slave’ from the title. But I can see why it was originally there: Nephy isn’t a bride in this at all, but she is definitely a slave, purchased by Zagan, with a collar that will blow up and all the works. What makes this different from, say, Lazy Dungeon Master is how the narrative and the characters handle this sort of thing.

Zagan is a teenage demon lord, who has his own castle (which he essentially inherited from its previous owner due to backstory that is carefully revealed throughout the book) and his excellent magical powers. He spends his day doing things like saving young knights from evil sorcerers while justifying in his head that he’s not doing it because he’s a nice guy or anything. He then hears that one of the archdemons (even higher than his position) has died and their legacy is being auctioned off. He arrives in time to see the last part of this, which is the elf Nephelia, who has giant stockpiles of mana and is also young and gorgeous. The young and gorgeous part attracts Zagan more than the mana part, and he falls in love instantly, spending his entire fortune to buy her. There’s just one problem: he’s an incredibly awkward speaker who can’t say what’s on his mind and doesn’t know how to deal with a girl. Which is fine, because as it turns out Nephy is very similar.

This is not a book I would recommend to someone looking only for sweet, cute romance. It still has all the trappings of the fantasy light novel, with slavery being a major plot point. There are no rapes, but there are several rape threats and mentions, and lots of demonic skulduggery. Indeed, Zagan gets in trouble throughout the book as the rule of thumb is that archdemons = evil, and given he won’t admit that he’s being a nice guy, he never gets the benefit of the doubt. But it’s what the book does with this that is interesting, as it shows the local village is far more accepting than you’d expect, and Zagan’s inner monologue aside, he uses power to defend himself and (later) those he loves, and has to emphasize time and time again that he did not buy Nephy to use her powers, but because he was smitten. Not that he can admit that either.

In the end, the reason I enjoyed this so much despite its settings and overall premise is that the characters were sympathetic and enjoyable, and the actual narrative pushes against the premise. If you don’t mind fantasy LN settings, and like sweet romance that’s probably a slow burner, you should absolutely pick this up.

The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!, Vol. 5

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By Gamei Hitsuji and himesuz. Released in Japan by Overlap. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

It stands to reason that, given this fantasy world is looking for strong heroes, and they’ve gathered three of them from Suimei’s “home” universe (albeit two of them by accident), that there would be other heroes here who hail from Japan. That said, having the hero be Suimei’s childhood friend is asking a bit much of the reader’s suspension of disbelief, methinks. She also has amnesia, which ends up helping the book to pad out its length, because a great deal of time is spent with Suimei trying to get her to trust him and also fending off attacks from her allies, who think that he’s some sort of villain. She is… an OK character, I suppose, but I have to be honest, an overly earnest swordswoman is not really something we need to add to Suimei’s party given that we already have Lefille. Given Hatsumi has her own party, much like Reiji, I’m hoping that when this arc ends she will head off on her own.

We also get a bit more information on our villains, if not their purpose just yet, and honestly I’m wondering if they’re more antagonists than villains. There is a sense that the religion in this world may be what’s actually holding it back, and while Suimei doesn’t dwell on it too much, given that he has some highly religious people in his party, I suspect it’s not something that will go away. This is also not too surprising for a Japanese fantasy light novel, where the Church has a tendency to be evil by default, but given this author’s habit of going deeply into magical theory, I’ll be interested to see if he also goes deeply into this in a way that’s not just “God bad. Grr!”. We also get a whole cadre of demons introduced, and they seem far more villainous – the one behind the battle at the end is a typical smug jerk who needs to get what’s coming to him. (Speaking of which, once again Suimei saves the girl multiple times but the author allows Hatsumi to get in the final blow. I’ll take what I can get, I suppose.)

I mentioned last time that Liliana’s depth suffered as she was essentially the victim in her introductory books. She does much better here, adding to Suimei’s party of white mage and swordswoman by being a top class spy. The scene where everyone comes up with no information whatsoever and she mentions she found “a little bit” and then rattles off every secret in the town is almost hilarious, and as Suimei notes speaks very well of her. Admittedly, you still get the sense that the girls are all doing this to get him to like them more, but given the nature of the genre I can’t really avoid that. This book ends with a cliffhanger, so it looks like another two-parter is in the works. I do wonder if Hatsumi will get her memory back in the next book or not – there’s good plot reasons why it may be best for her to stay amnesiac. Also, will Reiji and company (who have an unwanted addition now in the form of Evil Olivier Armstrong) find the ultimate weapon they’re seeking? Too Far Behind continues to stay just on the good side of “overpowered guy with harem” titles.

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 5

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By Megumi Morino. Released in Japan as “Ohayou, Ibarahime” by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Dessert. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics. Translated by Alethea and Athena Nibley.

I reviewed the first volume of this shoujo series, and then the next three were reviewed as Bookshelf Briefs. This is common for the majority of the series I follow – there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and usually I don’t have 500+ words to say about a title even if I am enjoying it. But sometimes a volume comes along that I just can’t stop thinking about, and this penultimate volume of Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty is certainly that. I actually put it off for quite some time because I had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be too depressing and also driven by Shizu’s antagonistic father. I was wrong on both counts – Tetsu fleeing with Shizu actually turns out to work out for a while, and Daddy Dearest doesn’t get to do much until near the end, because first we have to repair Shizu’s relationship with her mother.

Speaking of mothers, Tatsu’s mom manages to be the star of the show this volume, which is all the more impressive given that she spends the entire book in a coma. This is actually a major plot point, as it’s been eight years, and the family has been sacrificing everything they have to keep her going. Is it time to give up and pull the plug? The family has a difficult decision to make. The reader is not helped in making this easier when we find out who one of the spirits possessing Shizu really is. I’m not entirely sure if the final volume will have Aki waking up or dying, but I did appreciate the backstory given to both her and Sanae, Shizu’s mother – honestly it feels very much like a shoujo manga of its own, and one I’d want to read. It also helps Sanae repair her relationship with Shizu, and come to accept her despite the spirits.

That still leaves her father, who is seemingly a tougher nut to crack. In reality, I suspect this is when the author was told “you need to wrap this up by the next volume”, as this is perhaps a very rushed resolution. That said, it is quite dramatic, and we get to see the past of Shizu’s father as well, showing why he’s such a seemingly emotionless hardass. When you are starving for love, it can be wonderful to find the right person in your life. But if you then have children, you have to accept that this love is not going to be entirely the same anymore, and that can be difficult for many people. Fortunately, despite a dramatic fall, this is not resolved via convenient plot death, and hopefully the family can work things out. This is especially true given that clearly the spirits in Shizu are all, one by one, getting ready to move on. The cliffhanger suggests this will be the thrust of the final volume.

I wasn’t expecting much of this series, but it’s rapidly become one of my favorite shoujo manga this year. Fans of the genre should absolutely be buying it.

I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse, Vol. 9

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By Namekojirushi and Nao Watanuki. Released in Japan as “Ore ga Heroine o Tasukesugite Sekai ga Little Mokushiroku!?” by Hobby Japan. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Mana Z.

Eventually this series is simply going to have to run out of stereotypical heroines to stack on to Rekka’s pile. We’re down to two – well, one, really, but I have my suspicions about the other – in this book, and the cracks are starting to show – I’m OK with beloved childhood friend, but beloved childhood PET? Yes, turns out the cat was a cat yokai of some sort, and now She Is All Grown Up and everything. Of course, she still acts like a cat. Her story is probably the weakest in the book, actually, as this is essentially a book of four short stories with a wraparound, and so it gets resolved quickly and easily. Possibly realizing that, the author gives us a little more depth to both heroines from the 6th book, who R wasn’t quite sure were heroines or not last time. They may not have crises to resolve, but they do both seem to like Rekka. And then there’s R.

I have been crying out for more character depth and insight into R and her future, and it looks like I’m finally starting to get it. The other “girl” in this volume is an assassin from the future, and the moment we hear she’s named L we know she’s connected to R in some way. As it turns out, she’s the prototype for what R is, and it was originally her mission to save the world… but things took too long, and R had better specs, so she was used instead, and L was sent to live her own life and, well, get corrupted by the forces of evil. As frequently happens in this sort of story. I’m not entirely certain if we’re going to add L to the harem list, but the door is open for her return. That said, I found R more fascinating here. For the most part she remains her dry, emotionless snarky self, but dealing with L finally forces some actual anger and rage out of her, mostly because she can’t be like Rekka.

Much as this series tries to have Rekka be a parody of the clueless harem guy, and he absolutely is, when it comes to saving the girl he’s really, really good at it. R has watched him save the day time and again against all odds, and it’s very frustrating to R that she is ultimately unable to talk any sense into L or save her. Unfortunately, the drawback of my enjoying her plotline is that the rest of the book feels off-balance, as if the other three stories aren’t up to the task of the final one. There’s nothing wrong with them – everyone goes to the pool and tries to flirt with Rekka, to no avail; they hold a “summer camp” at the school in an effort to give Midori a bit more depth, which… works a bit, but she still suffers from not really having had much impact in her debut. So in the end this volume of Little Apocalypse is just OK, but the best part is at the end, so it will leave you happy when you finish it.

Shortcake Cake, Vol. 1

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Shortcake Cake, Volume 1 by suu Morishita

I’m always up for more shoujo series, and Shortcake Cake starts off with a very promising first volume. The story begins with Ten Serizawa dealing with her daily 2 hour commute to school. She gets up early and naps on the bus. But as she hangs out with her school friends, she begins to realize that her commitment to the commute means that she can’t take part in after school gatherings with her new classmates, as she has to keep checking the time to be sure she’s able to catch the last bus back to her more rural home. Ten’s friend Ageha points out how much easier it would be if Ten moved in to her boardinghouse. Ageha sneaks Ten in one day after school (the residents aren’t supposed to have outside guests), and Ten experiences the hazards of boardinghouse crashing, like avoiding the house mom, tiptoeing past the boys’ floor. In the process she has a brief encounter with the handsome bookworm Chiaki, who dazzles her with his good looks and quotes Turgenev at her.

Ten sees that the boardinghouse is much more spacious and nice than she was imagining and decides to move in. She meets another resident, the overly flirtatious Riku. As Ten gets settled in, she starts getting entwined in the lives of the residents. She sees Riku gently turning a girl down who asks him out and points out to him that if he would stop flirting with everyone, random girls wouldn’t get the wrong idea. Riku’s ingratiating manners are looked on as odd by most of the boardinghouse. Riku starts falling for Ten, and can’t act like his normal self around her anymore. The new friends go out on an outing, and Ten learns more about Chiaki’s bookish ways and his reactions to his looks-driven popularity. Finally, a third boy is introduced, Rei, who wears traditional clothing and is drawn to resemble a blond L from Death Note. He’s given to odd insulting outbursts.

So a romance being set up where many people slowly fall in love with a relatively ordinary girl is familiar shoujo manga territory, but the situation in Shortcake Cake doesn’t feel artificial or unearned, because Ten is objectively pretty adorable with her Sailor Moon style pigtails and her quirky hobby of following along with radio exercise programs. Morishita does a great job with character development in this volume, leaving just enough mystery for the reader to become invested in finding out why Chiaki is so withdrawn and wonder why Riku is overcompensating by acting superficially pleasant to most of the girls he meets. The volume ends on a cliffhanger which shows Ten forcing a confrontation about something that most shoujo heroines would leave unsaid for 5-6 volumes, which instantly got me onboard for the rest of the series!

Morishita’s art features a liberal amount of screen tone, and her characters quickly switch back and forth between regular and exaggerated facial expressions. Ten frequently shifts into cat face mode whenever she’s being mischievous or startled. The production for Shortcake Cake sets it apart from other Shojo Beat volumes, with matte covers and a cute strawberry on the spine. There are some additional black and white illustrations for chapter covers included as a bonus in the back of the book. I can see why this shoujo series was so highly anticipated, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 1

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By Suki Umemiya and Reia. Released in Japan as “Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami” by Kadokawa Shoten, serialization ongoing in the magazine Young Ace Up. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Angela Liu. Adapted by Tracy Barnett.

There has been a bit of a backlash online about the constant flow of “isekai” stories into North America in the past few years. Of course, that’s because they’re incredibly popular in Japan. Indeed, they seem to be so popular in Japan that we’re starting to see authors who have an idea of a story that need not involve an isekai try to shoehorn it in anyway to get readers. This is a good example of it. Now, I may be wrong – it’s taken from a light novel that is itself taken from a webnovel, and future volumes may take more advantage of the fact that its heroine has been killed and reincarnated in another world. But honestly, if you removed the isekai aspect from this manga series, very little would change at all. Fortunately, the story is strong – which is probably why I’m complaining that an isekai wasn’t needed. I’m perfectly happy to watch Iris save the world.

As I mentioned earlier, it begins, as many series like this do, with a death by car accident. A young woman who works overtime at some company or other and spends her spare time playing otome games is killed, and suddenly finds herself in the climactic scene of the game she just cleared. Sadly… she’s the rival who’s just being taken to the cleaners. She knows what happens next – her character leaves the school and gets exiled to a nunnery for the rest of her life. Yeah, that’s not happening. Oh, she’ll leave the school, but she decides instead to confront her father with all the political machinations that have been going on in the game, pointing out that he had plans and backup plans. He’s impressed enough by this that he decides instead of exiling her to a nunnery to exile her to one of his fiefdoms, and basically tells her she’s in charge. So, with the help of a seeming army of orphans she’s picked up over the years, she sets out to make her country a better place.

I enjoyed this, but there are, let’s face it, a few moments that made me raise an eyebrow in disbelief. For a “villain” character who is seemingly an expert at verbal abuse in the game itself, Iris actually turns out to be a sweet girl who constantly wants to save everyone. Iris claims it’s “first love sickness”, and I guess we’ll go with that, but I’d have liked better use of the actual gimmick. Likewise, Iris immediately having a large force of bodyguards, maids, accountants and such that she can immediately marshal to the cause is a bit… easy? That said, honestly, if it’s going to lead to “let’s see how we’ve neglected the poor people and try to make it so they have a better life”, I’m fine with it. And the supporting cast seem fun, even though, as I noted, none of them seem to regard Iris as the villain type. Honestly, given this runs in a seinen magazine, the best audience for it may be those who enjoy the light novel How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom. It has a similar vibe. In any case, I look forward to future volumes of this flawed but fun book, even if it did not have to be an isekai.

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, Vol. 7

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

I’ve talked before about Hajime as Christ figure, and Hajime as simply another example of the overpowered hero going after the kids that bullied the author in middle school, but in this book it’s also worth taking a look at something that has remained a core part of Hajime’s character despite every possible attempt to extract it: Hajime the nerd. (Yes, yes, I know, chuuni. I never saw that anime, so feel uncomfortable using the expression.) Hajime’s inner monologue has had the occasional taste of otaku culture throughout the series, but this volume really sees it in full flower. When he’s in the bar gathering information, and has to impress the bartender, you can almost hear him squeeing. And while the core purpose of his “arranging a distraction” was to humiliate and get a bit of revenge on Shizuku for laughing at him, the fact that he dresses them all as a sentai team also shows this off. Hajime is badass, but still a nerd.

We seem to have run out of cover girls, as we’re back to Yue. (Technically it should be Liliana, but honestly ignoring her in favor of Yue is perfectly in character.) That said, in terms of content, Shea should really be the one on the cover, as she and her rabbit tribe own this book. Considering that turning the rabbits into savage killers was a passing joke in the 2nd book, it’s become quite a large thing, and the best running gag of the volume was everyone giving Hajime the stink-eye as they realize how much he brainwashed everyone into being Rambo. (They also inherited his nerd tendencies, coming up with hilariously bad “names” for themselves.) Since the Empire is doubling down on Beastmen being enslaved, the rabbits take matters into their own hands – with a little help from Hajime, admittedly, but mostly entirely on their own – to convince the Emperor to change his mind. Again, those who like over the top battles will be very happy.

The demons also get their asses handed to them by the rabbits, but they have a much stronger response, coming up with 400 or so of the Angels that Hajime had a little trouble with in Book 6. I suspect the eighth volume will deal with the fallout from that. One last thing that impressed me, though, was the final extra story. Usually in light novels these extra stories are pure fanservice, but this one not only advances the plot but makes a nice refreshing change from the “all religion is evil” trope we’ve seen in Arifureta and other light novels. A new pope is appointed to fill the void caused by the events of Book 6, and he proves to be an excellent choice, coming across both Yuka (the girl Hajime saved in Book 1) and Aiko and helping them get over their dithering and try to move forward. It comes across as a confessional, and this is exactly the sort of thing that confessions should be about. I really liked it.

A very strong Arifureta book. Except for Tio. God, I hate Tio. More accurately, I hate the way the author writes Tio.

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 13

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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. Translated by JN Productions, Adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.

As we watch Yona and her bunch wandering through the nations doing good and saving people, it would be all too easy to cut back to the usurpers back at the palace and make them simple, cookie-cutter antagonists. But one reason that Yona of the Dawn is so strong is that Su-Won is not a cookie-cutter antagonist. In fact, the reader might occasionally be thinking to themselves, “You know, Su-Won being king may actually be a very good thing?” Yona is dealing with the world at the lowest level, going from small village to small village for the most part, while Su-Won takes on major threats to his kingdom and also tries to get the leaders of the various tribes to think better and learn more. It’s micro vs. macro, and neither choice is bad. And it also means that when Su-Won and Yona see each other towards the start of this volume, the tension involved is absolute dynamite – and it can only last a few seconds before being taken away.

If you do want a more typical evil antagonist, there’s always General Su-Jin, who cannot conceive of a situation where he loses to this upstart new king. But lose he does, as right from the very start we see horses dressed up as tigers (some nice historical research from Kusanagi-san there) and it just goes downhill from there. Su-Jin is the classic example of the obsessive who cannot let something go, and I felt sad that he did not have a moment where he threw up his hands and screamed “THIS CANNOT BEEEEE!”. The best part of his attack on Su-Won was actually when Yona confronted him, as her concern is not only t stop the violence but also to tell him how far Tae-Jun has come. Sadly, it’s all for nought, but it does lead to that beautiful shot of her and Su-Won seeing each other (there is some absolutely gorgeous art in general in this volume. I may not mention it all the time, but Yona of the Dawn is extremely pretty).

There’s also a bit of reverse harem here, but honestly, every single time that one of the other guys (usually Jaeha) shows that they’re in love with Yona, it’s there to underscore how obvious Yona/Hak is as the OTP. Here we see Yona getting a bit jealous when Hak uses his natural charm to get customers at a bazaar, and also tamping it down because she knows one day he’s going to leave her and go with someone else. That will never, ever happen, but hey, this is why you don’t hook up the main couple in the first book. Hak and Yona are perfect for each other. That said, the other guys all have their charms, and I am certainly content for things to simmer a bit as they are now. This is a bit of a transitional book, as we see that Tae-Jun, much as being a nurse is something he’s awesome at, having to return to the Fire Tribe to be temporary leader while his brother studies. As for Yona and friends, I’m sure we’ll be starting a new arc next time. I can’t wait.

Me, a Genius? I Was Reborn into Another World and I Think They’ve Got the Wrong Idea!, Vol. 3

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By Nyun and Sakana. Released in Japan as “Isekai ni Tensei Shitandakedo Ore, Tensai tte Kanchigai Saretenai?” by Overlap, Inc. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Shaun Cook.

Of all the places for Me, a Genius? to go in its third volume, I was not expecting it to go here. Note that I’m not talking about it suddenly becoming a tense techno-thriller a la Tom Clancy – given the fact that we spent much of the second volume in a cod-fantasy world, I barely raised an eyebrow to see that we’re suddenly back in Kouki’s home world and taking on Russians and international terrorist organizations. No, the main thing I wasn’t expecting was that Me, a Genius has gotten rid of the humor. You might argue that it’s trying to be funny and the jokes just aren’t landing, but I’m not sure that’s quite it. We do see one or two “lol!” situations in the book that aren’t funny (Baldy is a lolicon! Hilarity ensues!), but for the most part this seriously looks like it still has its bonkers premise, but is trying to deal with it realistically. Which is… weird.

Yes, that’s Alice on the cover again, despite appearing in the book even less than she does in the 2nd volume. This is especially frustrating given how much of the reason for all this is supposed to be The Alice Project and her illegal genetic creation. But given that’s just an excuse to have cool action and espionage sequences, I shouldn’t really be surprised. Honestly, everyone in this series aside from Kouki and his mother are superfluous to requirements. We do get a very interesting development, though, in that the head of the terrorist organization (who is basically an evil version of Kouki’s mother) has been researching reincarnation, and Kouki is forced to admit that yes, he was reincarnated with his memories. This being Me, a Genius, everyone misunderstands the nature of the reincarnation and things he’s trapped in a Higurashi loop, but I was still surprised, and it gave a brief shade of depth to people (which went away about a page later).

The book should be filled with taut action sequences, this being a pastiche of a techno-thriller, but they’re actually pretty absent – we just see people talking around them or the immediate aftermath. The book also ends with a lot unfinished, which is a shame as there’s no sign of a fourth book coming anytime soon – apparently the writer has hit a block, and so this is all we’re going to get. And to be fair, there may be only so far that you can take this premise. Trying to do a serious version of Me, a Genius? was intriguing for one volume, but let’s face it, if I’m going to be reading a serious light novel about someone reincarnated into another world who’s caught in a worldwide power game and has people constantly misunderstand what they’re thinking, I’m going to be reading The Saga of Tanya the Evil, not this. This is an interesting third volume, but it wasn’t all that funny, and I’m starting to ask how many tricks this pony has.

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1

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Laid-Back Camp may be the most quintessentially Japanese thing I’ve read this year: it features cute girls doing cute things while imparting information about camping gear. There’s no real plot to speak of, just a meet-cute in the first chapter that introduces seasoned camper Rin to enthusiastic newbie Nadeshiko. Through one of those only-in-manga coincidences, Rin and Nadeshiko attend the same school, where two other girls — Aoi and Chiaki — are struggling to recruit members for their Outdoor Exploration Club. You can guess what happens next: Nadeshiko joins the club and, by dint of her Golden Retriever personality, brings the skeptical Rin into the fold.

Each chapter is built around a skill, a piece of equipment, or a location. In “Mount Fuji and Cup Ramen,” for example, Rin explains how to build the perfect campfire, calling dried pine cones “nature’s premier fire starter,” while in “You Can Only Go Camping If You Have the Gear,” the Outdoor Exploration Club pores over catalogs, debating the merits of down and synthetic sleeping bags. These passages are deftly woven into the fabric of each story, playing a natural part of the girls’ conversations as they plan camping trips. Dashes of humor and breath-taking scenery add welcome nuance to the storytelling, preventing it from tipping into edu-manga dullness or yon-koma hijinks. Best of all, Rin is a genuinely interesting character, a small, self-sufficient kid who likes solo camping trips. Though volume one doesn’t explain how she caught the camping bug, author Afro has done such a good job of fleshing out Rin it doesn’t matter; we can see how someone so introspective and independent would welcome the opportunity to be alone in nature. Recommended, even for those who prefer the Great Indoors.

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1
Story and Art by Afro
Translation by Amber Tamosaitis
Yen Press, 178 pp.
Rated T, for Teen

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 1

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By Takuto Kashiki. Released in Japan by Enterbrain, serialization ongoing in the magazine Harta. Released in North America by Yen Press Translated by Taylor Engel.

This was really cute and fun. I mean, I knew going in that it was going to be – that’s the premise. It’s one of those slice-of-life series starring two girls, only in this case the life is fantasy life and they’re four inches tall. But all of the things I was expecting the series to do were done well, and I enjoyed all the characters. The premise is that Hakumei (the extroverted redhead) and Mikochi (the introverted black-haired one) live together in a tree in the middle of the forest, and we follow then as they do things like go shopping, do their jobs, hang out at a bar, and hitch rides on giant birds who also happen to be old forgotten childhood pets. This isn’t aa laugh riot, and not much of anything happens. And despite the fact that the two of them live together, there’s no real yuri subtext either. It just puts a smile on your face.

I think one of the big reasons I liked this so much is that it feels like a slice-of-life with grownups, as opposed to impulsive teenage girls. Hakumei and Mikochi are like Ritsu and Mio when they both grow up, sort of. Hakumei is impulsive and loud, but not obnoxiously so, and she’s likeable and endearing. Mikochi can be fretting and stressing as well, but it too never gets to the point where it’s too much. Despite being tiny creatures, they’re both functional adults. Hakumei works for a weasel as a repair person, and we see she takes her job quite seriously, which is not somethng you’d expect given her stereotype. Mikochi makes preserves and household stuff, and she ends up having more issues with the local tsundere songstress than with Hakumei. The cast is minimal – besides said tsundere songstress and Hakumei’s boss, the only other fellow we meet is a mad scientist sort who means well, but comes off as… well, a mad scientist.

You’re never quite sure if you’re going to be getting fantasy or regular old slice-of-life. Scenes like Hakumei and Mokochi on the sunset kite (which is the first chapter, and has some gorgeous art to show off) or dealing with the lake’s skeletal denizens are definitely fantasy, but other plotlines like Mikochi losing their wallet while out shopping or hanging out at a pub playing games in a blizzard barely need fantasy context at all. And throughout the entire volume there’s a warm feeling of peace while reading it. It’s like a nice hot soup. We do meet our two heroines when they’re already in their house, and I’d like to see how they met, but that’s why this series is six-plus volumes. There are lots of places you can go from here. I’m definitely content to follow the author, as long as I keep seeing these two tiny women going about their tiny lives with aplomb.

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, Vol. 3

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By FUNA and Itsuki Akata. Released in Japan as “Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne!” by Earth Star Entertainment. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Diana Taylor. Adapted by Maggie Cooper.

I don’t think I’ve read a series that’s as consistently funny as Make My Abilities Average. The author simply knows how to write humor and write it well (she also apparently makes a lot of tortured puns and wordplay jokes, which the translators make a valiant effort at adapting). The book starts off relatively sedately, but the entire battle with the Wyvern in the final third is comedy cold from beginning to end. You would think that “Mile suggests something incredibly off the wall” would get old fast, but she’s simply a walking font of ridiculous, and it helps greatly that she has three types of tsukkomis traveling with her. There is the occasional moment of seriousness, mostly involving the background for Pauline’s family, but for the most part Make My Abilities Average knows what the audience wants: laughs.

Mavis and Pauline share the third cover, which is appropriate as their backstories come back to haunt them at the same time. Pauline’s is more serious, involving the murder of her father and loss of her family business. Mavis’ family is still intact, but she is the only daughter of a Count, and as such they would rather she not be training to be the best knight she can be and get back to being a marriage prospect. And so the Crimson Vow heads off (unofficially this time) to deal with the problems and ensure that they can carry on as before. There’s some lampshading of obvious tropes here, which is where the humor is really mined. Mile shows up as Mavis’ teacher, Evening Gown Mask (yes, really) in order to take on the Count in swordfighting. Her disguise is… an eye mask. That’s it. Despite this, and without the use of magic, Mavis’ entire family fails to recognize that it’s Mile.

Then there’s the Wyvern fight, which ends up being a series of toppers. I had assumed that the high point would be the scene that is illustrated (quite well, I might add), but no, it gets better. And then gets better again. The absolute highlight may be the mastermind explaining his plans to (and for) Mile, which involves plans so deeply silly that Mile is forced to play the tsukkomi herself. I’m trying not to spoil because it was simply that funny to me. This isn’t a perfect book – as with a lot of light novels that need to pad out the word count, one of the short stories falls amazingly short, as we see Adele (yes, it’s a flashback to school #1) going on a date with a classmate, where the humor involves a) said classmate being a “nice guy” with extra quote marks, and b) the class rep being a wacky comedy lesbian. I hate wacky comedy lesbians. On the bright side, this does suggest that the series is determined not to have romance invade its fun. which is fine by me.

Last time I mentioned that the lack of a “main plot” was also a flaw, and you can say the same thing about this book – it still feels more like a short story collection that happens to be sequential. That said, the author seems to realize this, and is implying she will add more plot in the next book. In the meantime, if you want a laugh, or want to see a great all-girl fighting team, I highly recommend this series.

Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns

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Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns

I was excited when I saw that Viz was getting into the crafting book business, since there are so many great Japanese pattern books out there. Amigurumi: San-X Crochet Patterns is an English translation of a super cute guide to San-X Crochet. The first half of the book has over 30 color pages showing multiple poses of the amigurumi you can make with the book, including extensive accessories and costumes. I enjoyed the amigurumi sitting in tiny eggshells or lounging around the most.

Japanese knitting and crochet books almost universally rely on charts for pattern information, and this book has charts and construction schematics, followed by a basic stitch guide so someone new to charted knitting can figure out the directions. So, this book might seem a bit unfamiliar to people who are mostly used to written directions, but it shouldn’t be a problem. There are plenty of beginner books out there and I think that there space in the crafting marketplace for a book like this, which is a straight translation of a Japanese book, without any extras added in for an English language audience. There are so many youtube tutorials and other crafting guides like this on the web, I feel like most people can figure out what they need to know in order to follow a chart. I’d be excited to see more Japanese craft books translated like this! I tend to buy single patterns on ravelry instead of books, but this book is the type of thing I’d like to collect in print form for all the great photo illustrations.

I have a gazillion knitting projects going on right now that I want to finish up, but I’ll update this review later with a crochet creation. I think I’m going to start with either the teeny tiny toast and eggs, or Sumikkogurashi.

Toradora!, Vol. 2

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By Yuyuko Takemiya and Yasu. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Jan Cash & Vincent Castaneda. Adapted by J.P. Sullivan.

Having had a first volume that could easily stand on its own, Toradora! now has a second that has to extend the series. So Taiga and Ryuuji are still spending their every waking moment together and even eating the same bentos, but they aren’t actually together, they are supposedly scheming to help each other get together with their crush – something no one buys for a minute, and nor should they, given the ridiculous chemistry of the two leads. And so naturally, in the second volume, we need an antagonist. She’s got to be something that will drive Taiga absolutely crazy with rage. She’s Kitamura’s childhood friend. She’s a tall, long-limbed beauty. She’s a famous teenage model. She acts “oblivious” in a cutesy way. SHE’S GOT THE SAME FIRST NAME AS SAILOR MERCURY. Clearly she is evil and must be punished. And, while technically there is a punishment scene, the beauty and wonder of this book is that it is not about taking down Ami at all.

I think Takemiya is well aware of the fictional tropes involving “new girl as rival”, and she leans on them in her writing to make for greater impact later. Because Ami and Taiga really do not like each other at all. I’ve mentioned Taiga’s reasons, but Ami has heard a lot about her from Kitamura as well, and Taiga is also beautiful in her own, slightly furious way. So seeing Ami rip Taiga apart in the family restaurant, we are not at all inclined to be favorable to her. Showing up as a new transfer student was possibly the most predictable thing that could have happened as well. And so, at some point, we knew the “mask” was going to come off and that Ami would be taken down in front of the class. Technically this does happen, as Taiga and Minori (who has been laying low this entire time to make the payoff better) humiliate Ami in front of the class by mocking her being blase about dieting.

But then there’s the real, genuinely serious plot. Ami is being stalked. And it’s really unnerving and scaring her. And so when Taiga sees the girl who’s been belittling and mocking her all this time beg her and Ryuuji for help… she immediately helps. Yes, this help might also involve having Ami do karaoke for six hours at her place and recording it for future blackmailing material, but Taiga is well-aware that being creeped on by a stalker is bigger than a petty feud. As things escalate, meanwhile, it’s Ryuuji rather than Taiga who is able to wear Ami’s mask down to the point that she finally snaps and goes after her fan in one of the more cathartically satisfying scenes I’ve ever read – even if Ryuuji correctly points out how foolish it actually was. So now the core cast is in place, and I really can’t wait to see how the third novel shakes out.

This isn’t perfect – it ends far too abruptly, in a scene that almost cried out for a sad trombone noise. What’s more, it runs a bit short, so there’s an extended short story attached about a new first-year student with absolutely terrible luck who somehow gets told that touching Taiga will make him lucky. (I think this was adapted to the anime and he DID end up lucky in a way. Here he’s just sort of a shmoe.) That said, those are the only two minuses in an excellent volume.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 1

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Since one in four Americans suffer from insomnia, it seems like there’s a natural market for Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, a manga about a character so determined to get a good night’s sleep that she’d risk death or dismemberment for forty winks. Sleepy Princess plays the title character’s insomnia for laughs, however, turning the heroine’s quest for the perfect mattress into a light-hearted romp, rather than an expensive ordeal involving black-out curtains, melatonin, and meditation videos. That the story is fun and breezy is nothing short of a miracle, though older readers may experience a twinge of jealously at Princess Syalis’ ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime once she has the right gear.

Author Kagiji Kumanomata handles the set-up with great economy: in just two pages, we learn the Demon King has kidnapped Syalis in a bid to conquer the human world. Though the Demon King stashes Syalis in a dungeon populated by fearsome beasts, Syalis quickly sizes up the situation and makes it work to her advantage. “Since I’m hostage, the Demon King has no intention of harming me,” she notes. “I have no duties to take care of here… And the food’s pretty tasty!” The one drawback to her new digs? “I haven’t been able to get a good night’s rest since I was brought here!” she exclaims.

A chance encounter with teddy demons leads to her first epiphany: her captors’ fur is the ideal stuffing for a comfy pillow. Before long, Syalis is roaming the castle in search of softer sheets, mosquito netting, and a more natural light source, the better to regulate her body’s circadian rhythms. Her dogged efforts to sleep longer or more soundly confound her jailers, who are astonished at how brazenly she takes what she needs; Syalis dies at least three times in her quest for the perfect sleep accessories. (Don’t worry; a handsome demon cleric is on hand to resurrect her mangled body.)

As with other one-joke manga, Sleepy Princess occasionally strains for laughs; an episode involving poison mushrooms falls flat, as does a spoof of Princess Knight. The chapters’ brevity helps keep the story from bogging down in bad jokes, as does Kumanomata’s consummate attention to detail; there’s always something funny happening, even if the gags are buried in the background or lurking on the edges of the page. An artful adaptation by Annette Roman helps bridge the translation divide, as do Susan Daigle-Leach’s marvelous sound effects. (If you’ve ever wondered what a posse of demon teddy bears might sound like, she’s got you covered.) Best of all, Kumanomata has barely scratched the surface when it comes to insomnia, leaving the door open for future quests, from finding the right bedtime snack to finding the right temperature for sleeping. Recommended.

SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE, VOL. 1 • BY KAGIJI KUMANOMATA • TRANSLATION BY TETSUICHIRO MITAYKI • ADAPTATION BY ANNETTE ROMAN • TOUCH-UP ART AND LETTERING BY SUSAN DAIGLE-LEACH • VIZ MEDIA • 174 pp. • RATED TEEN (13+) FOR FANTASY VIOLENCE