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Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel!, Vol. 7

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By Rhythm Aida and nauribon. Released in Japan as “Buta Koushaku ni Tensei shita kara, Kondo wa Kimi ni Suki to Iitai” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Zihan Gao.

The Piggy Duke series has always had a tendency, much like its title character, of avoiding difficult confrontations. We’ve seen in the last few books Slowe trying to work up the courage to confess to Charlotte and failing miserably, and the revelations about Charlotte’s past and how much everyone knows about it, while they have been coming out, are almost inevitably interrupted by some crisis needing attention, and by the time it’s over the moment has passed. Well, those who have been waiting seven books for Slowe to get off his ass and say something will be pleased to see that it finally happens here, as a stupid series of “high school drama” events manage to force his hand. The confession scene is excellent. As for the aftermath? Oh, sorry, it’s crisis time. The aftermath will have to wait. Sadly, Charlotte gets little to do in this volume, despite her heritage being one of the reasons for the crisis.

The title once again is a lie, as, in order to get rid of the stress he’s been dealing with recently, Slowe has taken to working out by lifting weights all over campus – something that the student body actually finds a bit terrifying. That said, he’s slimmed down again, so is attracting looks, and his “commoner” friend Tina tries to get him to branch out by actually interacting with other women besides her, Charlotte and Alicia – something that sadly proves disastrous for his reputation. Fortunately, a distraction comes along. The Witch, fresh off the last book, has gone to attack the Queen, and the fallout from that means that the Queen, her Guardian Knight, the Princess, and the Royal Knights are ALL now at the school, trying to bait the Witch. Unfortunately, this is also a family argument between mother and daughter… who do NOT get along.

We’d met the lazy princess before, but the narrative is a lot more sympathetic towards her this time, putting her behavior in much-needed context. Her behavior also ties into Charlotte’s past, which (of course) is not nearly as secret as Slowe would like, and I really enjoyed that this was part of the bargain made. That said, most of this book, as with the other books in the series, relies on you finding Slowe’s behavior amusingly annoying rather than just annoying. Again, I really wish we had more of Charlotte’s POV in this series, as she’s still technically Slowe’s retainer, and is having to deal with him being the talk of the school – again – and also some incredibly nasty rumors about him – again. If you add in his accidental confession to her, you can see why she spends the last quarter of the book unconscious. I’m sure we’ll find out what she thinks of Slowe’s confession of love in the next book… maybe.

I have been accused before of caring more about the romance in a book than the plot, and that’s probably true, but a lot of the plot in Piggy Duke is the romance, so I think I have the right to be a bit annoyed. Still, the Princess made this book worth reading, and I hope we see more of her in the future.

The Saint’s Belated Happiness: Newly Single, Now Living with the Demon Prince

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By Hari Garasumachi and Yotsuba Hanada. Released in Japan as “Iki Okure Seijo no Shiawase – Konyaku Hakisareta to Omottara Mazoku no Ouji-sama ni Dekiaisaretemasu!” by M Novels f. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Kai Sadler.

This is another book that falls into the category of “not a villainess, but villainess things happen to her” books. You know, dumped by her fiancee, exiled from the royal palace, etc. Generally speaking, most of the stories in this genre tend to go for the aware, savvy sort of heroine. This is not one of those stories. Honestly, the heroine of this book, Marialite, may be more on the Katarina Claes end of the spectrum – in terms of outward personality they’re not that similar, but they both have “empathy” turned all the way up to ten while “intellectual” is at about a two. Marialite is not an airhead per se… she’s just the sort of character I refer to as the “ara ara” woman. You know, Kasumi Tendo from Ranma. Every situation, no matter what it is, is met with a hand to the cheek, a tilted head, and an “ara, ara”. That’s what we’re dealing with here.

Marialite has had a pretty rough life, though if you asked her about it I doubt she’d say the same thing. Her parents are dead. When she was discovered to be the Saint, her fiancee (who was already cheating on her) was dumped and replaced with the Crown Prince. She then spend the next several years saving the kingdom with her plant-based powers. Now the kingdom has “magic tools” that will do the same thing. And she’s twenty-seven years old. So the Prince dumps her, planning to get a younger wife. Going back to her abandoned childhood home, Marialite finds a young boy hiding inside. Sorry to spoil the surprise (it’s not much of one), but he’s the Demon King of the title, and he gets much bigger very fast. He’s also over the moon for Marialite… who seems to not really realize what love is.

This book is, to be honest, highly variable. The sections with the Crown Prince are amusing if you like to see asshole misogynists get wrecked (and I do), but he’s so one-note it’s hard to really be happy. The best part of the book involves Cornelia, the daughter of a rival dukedom to the Demon King, who is a) an obnoxious ojou-sama, b) with fire magic, c) with cat ears, and d) secretly weak to characters like Marialite, who she can’t intimidate. Everything about her is great, though I wasn’t that wild about the “now she’s a maid” subplot. As for Marialite herself, her naivete about love is presented as the fault of her past relationships, both of which were terrible, but she also admits she doesn’t think she was in love with them either, so there’s little to no hurt feelings or devastation about them. This makes her something of a blank slate, to be honest. I suppose if we can have harem protagonists who are potato boys, we can have the same with shoujo romance protagonists. I just wish she had more personality.

This book does not really have a definite ending, and there may be more coming, but if so it’s not immediately obvious. Till then, if you like “dumped by the asshole prince and finds a better life” stories, or cat-eared red-headed girls who yell a lot, this is worth your time.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Vol. 6

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By Hayaken and Nagu. Released in Japan as “Eiyu-oh, Bu wo Kiwameru tame Tensei su. Soshite, Sekai Saikyou no Minarai Kisi ♀” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Mike Langwiser.

Several characters over the course of this series have noted an odd disconnect between Inglis and, well, everything she says or does. We, the reader, know the reason for this, i.e. she’s a reincarnation of an ancient King. Of course, that’s not entirely the explanation, because the previous King was honestly nothing like Inglis – this seems to be that King unfiltered, with “fight fight fight eat eat eat” as their main theme song. Sometimes, though, this disconnect ends up happening to the reader as well, because some of the events in this volume feel like straight up horror, or tragedy, but they’re not written that way at all. They’re written the Inglis way. Which is to say “Aw, shame that happened, anyway, next battle plz”. And the effect can be jarring. I already have tremendous trouble with remembering anyone in this series who is not Inglis or Rafinha, I need my books to be uncomplicated. And what happens here… is, but that’s the problem.

To sum up this entire volume: “what if Smaug was a woobie?”. Inglis and the others have found an ancient sleeping dragon, but it’s hard to wake him up, so they decide instead to cut off his tail and use it to feel the starving people of that area (well, and feed Inglis and Rafinha, who gets first shot). The tail grows back, so no issues there. Finally the dragon does wake up, and he’s really, really pissed off at Inglis. Sadly for him, Inglis not only really wants a good fight, but is good enough to back up her talk. What follows is almost bullying, and it’s only resolved when the dragon finally decides “why am I bothering?” and stops rising to her taunts. That said, Inglis may have a bigger problem… the folks in the town they’re staying in want to execute Pullum for her brother’s crimes.

As I said, I liked the dragon. He was clearly being led by the nose by Inglis, and his solution to the problem was funny. Even the cast thinks that her plan was “become friends with the dragon”. That’s why the sudden ending of that plotline left such a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like it should be terrifying, sad and awful, but this author cannot really seem to do convey that mood, so it comes out, as most things in this series do, as “OK, so that happened”. Similarly, Ian’s story, which is similar to what happens to the dragon’s, comes to a sudden fatal end here, but there’s no real time for any emotions or grieving because we’ve already moved on to the next crisis. I get that they’re at war, but it’s not letting the reader connect with any of this either, and the result is that we don’t care.

This is still a good book if you like meathead girls who love to fight. But it’s very, very shallow.

Loner Life in Another World, Vol. 3

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By Shoji Goji and Saku Enomaru. Released in Japan as “Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Eric Margolis. Adapted by Veles Svitlychny.

Increasingly reading Haruka’s narration in Loner Life is sort of like trying to solve a puzzle. Class Rep actually lays it out for us midway through the book: Haruka simply is incapable of seeing anyone’s actions except in the absolute worst way – and that includes his own. It’s especially true of him, in fact, because – with the exception of Angelica, who he has a very different kind of relationship with – he does not want to have anyone get too close to him or even like him all that much. For all that he complains about constantly getting lectured or having no money, it’s a situation he deliberately engineers himself. And I hate to break it to him, but the ship has definitely sailed with some of the girls – Class Rep, if no one else, certainly has feelings for him. But it gets to the point where even a spy sent to see what Haruka is like gets the absolute worst impression of him… at least till everything blows up.

After getting back from the Ultimate Dungeon, Angelica in tow, Haruka and his friends now have to go around trying to clear out all the other, lesser dungeons that lie around their town. Haruka’s casual, vicious approach to this makes everyone feel incredibly sorry for the monsters who just happened to be in his way. That said, he’s also casually doing things like saving the livelihoods of a dying hamlet by getting rid of the dungeon (and also giving them medicine and food, something he fails to mention in his tortured narration) or converting the general store in town into a 5-story department store with the latest fashions (also created by him, which prompts the girls to wonder when exactly he read so much about fashion). But when the “Stalker Girl”, aka spy, arrives from the noble city that financially cripples their town, it’s Haruka who sees the larger picture as to what’s going on.

It’s not quite as jaw-dropping as the speech from When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace, but Haruka’s breakdown near the end of this book is startling in how (seemingly) out of character it is, as for once he briefly breaks his facade to try to convince the girls that they’re all in serious trouble here. The corrupt lord ruling the area is not above sending soldiers to wipe them out, and he’s also certainly going to kill the spy once she gets back and delivers her report. He spent the entire time he was dungeon crawling with the spy at his absolute trashiest and worst in order that she could go back and say that he’s not worth caring about, but when this didn’t work he finally snaps and has to fix things. Class Rep and the others get it, even if Haruka doesn’t want them to – she says he and Angelica “destroy tragedies”, and that’s as good a description as any.

One last thing: yes, this is the one with the vibration magic. Between that and Haruka’s “nighttime activities” with Angelica, the light novels are 200% hornier than the manga equivalent. The manga is still probably a safer bet, but the light novels remain a fascinating but flawed experience.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 1

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By Ichibu Saki, Nemusuke, and Ushio Shirotori. Released in Japan as “Moto, Ochikobore Koushaku Reijou desu” by Mag Garden Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Andrew Schubauer.

The idea of the “twist ending” has gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent years. This can mostly be blamed on the films of M. Night Shyamalan, whose films got to the point where the real twist ending would be that there wasn’t a twist. There’s always the danger of alienating your audience as well – to quote Futurama, “it’s not ironic, it’s just mean!”. When done properly, though, a good twist ending can cause a person to immediately go back and look at the entire plot all over again. And, in a case like Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, it can cause you to want to get the next book in the series. I won’t lie, this felt very much like a “villainess by numbers” storyline. Claire is more a rival than a villainess, but every single plot point in this book is predictable and right on the beat. At least, until everything turns out bad.

This book hits the ground running, picking up right as our protagonist, Claire, is rejected by her fiance, sister, and family. She quickly realizes that staying in her kingdom will do her no good at all, so resolves to escape to a nearby abbey. That said, it’s hard to escape when you’re the daughter of a duke and you have retainers that go with you everywhere. Then she runs into a young man and his group of friends, who help her ditch the retainers and offer to take her to their nearby country – which is much better off than the one she just came from. Oh, and said young man is really the prince of said country. Plus, the pitiful amount of magic she thought she had turns out to have been a massive trap. She’s really ludicrously powerful. So far so boring. But… why does she keep waking up in Japan? Is this a game? Is this a secret hidden route of the game?

Let’s start with that last part, because after a number of books where the “villainess” dies in every route, it’s refreshing to see this is the one bad route for Claire in the game. The player character, Charlotte, has a normal amount of routes and friends, and is helped by her older sister and NPC Claire, who is set to marry the prince. But if you play the secret hidden route, where you do something truly nasty to destroy Claire’s life in many ways, you get the chance to win the heart of the prince for yourself. That fits with the portrayal of Charlotte in this volume – she’s astonishingly stupid and petty, as befits a side route that was only added later for extra content, and where not as much thought was required. And then there’s the ending, which made me wonder what in God’s name the series was really going to be about. Nicely done.

That said, you’ll have to plow through a lot of “pleasant but predictable and a bit boring” to get to the good bits. it’s worth it, though.

Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade, Vol. 1

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By Maito Ayamine and Cierra. Released in Japan as “Shinigami ni Sodaterareta Shoujo wa Shikkoku no Tsurugi wo Mune ni Idaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sylvia Gallagher.

It has become very common in novels these days, be they Japanese or no, to have something that is basically “I want to write my kind of book, but it won’t sell unless I give it the current popular gimmick”. So we get isekai economic policy books, and isekai military history books, and villainess fantasy magic battle books. Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade sort of falls into that category, though the genre it’s using – generally referred to as “raised by wolves” – isn’t hugely popular. The idea is that you have a protagonist who was raised by something so outside of normal humanity that they grow up to be very weird. Technically Faraway Paladin should have been this, if he hadn’t basically grown up to be Superman. But Olivia in Death’s Daughter definitely qualifies. She is described more than once as lacking in manners and common sense. But boy, she can kill people really, really well.

Three shinigami discover a baby outside of an abandoned temple, and rather than eat the baby’s delicious soul, one of them decides to try raising them as a child. Olivia gets fifteen years of combat practice, history lessons, and not much else. Then one day her mentor simply vanishes without a trace, and she goes off to look for him. Meanwhile, the Empire is battling the Kingdom, and the Empire is winning. For some reason, while searching for her shinigami dad, she decides to join the Kingdom as a soldier, something she does by going to the nearest Empire stronghold, decapitating everyone, and presenting their heads to the general. This is good enough for them, and now we watch Olivia tear her way through enemies, befriend nerdy guys who have a good eye for tactics, and try to learn what it’s like to be human.

To be honest, that last part doesn’t happen very much. The biggest flaw in this book is that Olivia does not really develop all that much as a character. Sure, she’s introduced to the wonders of soft bread and cakes, but she still does not understand how humans think, and mostly does not bother to try. I did appreciate that her aide (and oh boy, there’s an OT3 there I’d love to see but will not) is able to get her to dress up and perform basic award etiquette, but that’s about all we get. (Also, be warned, there’s a “the chest is too tight/the hips are too loose” gag here. I thought those were banned by the Geneva Convention?) The bulk of the book, though, it military combat, with the Empire gradually realizing that the tide is now turning against them, thanks entirely to the presence of Olivia cutting down most of their important generals.

This is the sort of series where I know development will be slow in coming, so I’m willing to give it more time. Olivia is fun, and I also liked Ashton and Claudia. Recommended only if you like military histories and don’t mind a lot of battle carnage, though.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 17

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By Fujino Omori and Suzuhito Yasuda. Released in Japan as “Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka?” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

The term ‘gaslighting’ has gotten so overused lately that I hesitate these days to mention it in a review. But, I mean, the definition of gaslighting is ‘manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity’, and that’s exactly what’s happening for most of this 17th volume of DanMachi, so… there we are. I expected this volume to be really dark, and indeed it was, with the first half of the book in particular being nothing but punches to the gut over and over again. But that’s something this author specializes in, and for once we don’t have to worry about the turnaround and hope spots coming in the next volume. No, this is not the end of the arc, but at least this book is allowed to come to a definite emotional conclusion, as Freya plays her last desperate card and ends up losing. Now it’s just a question of what’s going to happen to her… assuming that her Familia don’t just murder everyone.

After Syr is rejected by Bell at the end of the last book, Freya finally snaps. Hestia’s family is taken out in approximately two seconds, and Freya basically tells Hestia “give me Bell”. Hestia refuses, and Hermes reminds Freya of a rule that shows off to the reader the ludicrous timescale of this entire series. As a result, Freya decides to go all out and brainwash ALL OF ORARIO, including the Gods, into thinking Bell has always been with Freya Familia. The exceptions to this are a) Freya herself, b) Bell, who rapidly loses his mind when everyone seems to recognize him as someone else, c) Hestia, who fired off all her divine power at once to avoid this, and d) Asfi and Lyu, who were able to escape the city in time. Now Hestia has to figure out a way to stop this before bell finally breaks and accepts that he’s under a memory “curse”.

I joked on Twitter that Books 1-10 supposedly starred Hestia, but really starred Aiz, and that Books 11-20 were the same but with Lyu. Hestia has been Bell’s goddess, but as a character she’s always played a supporting role in the series, and sometimes barely shows up. Thus it’s nice to see her actually managing to save the day, and her entrance at the end is appropriately awesome. That said, once again the thing that saved Bell from cracking and giving in is not Hestia, or any of the other women in love with him, but Aiz. All of the women with strong attachments to Bell are less affected by Freya’s mind control (and bravo to Eina, who gets a great scene of defiance before she’s beaten down by EVEN MORE MIND CONTROL), but it’s seeing that Aiz is able to remember a different past with Bell, one where she trained him, that gives him hope and strength. All the other female leads are still chasing after her.

And so we’re ready for another War Game, with Freya Familiia vs… well, possibly everyone else, though I suspect the rules will winnow down the opposing team a bit. Still it, should be great fun to read whenever it comes out. It’s still not out in Japan. But this was an excellent psychological torture volume with a pump your fist ending.

Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower, Vol. 7

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

I’m starting to get the feeling that the consummation that keeps getting put off between Rimi and Shohi is never actually going to happen. Leaving aside the fact that Rimi still thinks of herself as a mom more than a lover to him, there’s also the fact that the Chancellor exists. There are other aides in this book as well, and some of them like Rimi and some of them dislike Rimi, but they all seem to see Rimi as, well, as a real human being. The Chancellor, on the other hand, regards Rimi as this sort of otherworldly poisonous creature whose mere presence destroys the Emperor and everyone around him. Leaving aside the fact that there’s a name for that and it’s called “being the protagonist”, it does mean that Rimi is going to find becoming Empress very hard to do. We already knew that, of course, but it’s getting even harder, especially with the arrival of an even bigger rival than the Four Consorts: a better political marriage match.

Rimi is delighted to hear that the court will be seeing the return of Shar, ambassador from Saisakoku. Things get less delightful when the delegation also has an extra person, Princess Aisha. The princess is gorgeous, and is clearly there to deepen ties between the two countries. What’s more, the best way to do this would be to move Rimi quietly to the side and let Aisha be impress. It’s the sensible thing to do. That said, Shohi is reluctant, not just because he loves Rimi, but also because the young princess is a little hellraiser, running around the court like a bull in a china shop and taking very badly to any attempt to criticize her. When things finally blow up to the point that the princess runs away, Rimi and company need all the allies they can get to find her. Even if that means seeing Shusei again.

This series is mostly a romantic thriller, but I do appreciate that in every book there’s always one scene which is hysterically funny, and here it’s right in the center, with Princess Aisha showing off to the four consorts in a way that is both jaw-dropping and also makes you want to find a ball to see if she can balance it on her nose. The best part of the book is Rimi and Aisha’s relationship, as, even though she knows that Aisha is there to destroy everything Rimi has done up till now, she can’t help but try to make things better because she’s that sort of person. (She does, this, of course, with a meal, in case you’d forgotten what book you’re reading.) Shohi too continues to develop and grow into his Emperor title. If it weren’t for the Chancellor, there would be very little getting in the way of their union.

Sadly, there is the Chancellor, and another vicious cliffhanger. We’ll have to wait till next time to resolve it, but I remain addicted to this series… so much so that I look forward to Sugar Apple Fairy Tale in a few weeks from Yen On, by the same author.

Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 6

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

It has to be said, when your goal is to kill a bunch of teachers and get away with it, it will become harder and harder as time goes on, mostly because the other teachers are starting to investigate. That’s the dilemma that Oliver and Company (I’m so sorry) find themselves in here, as the headmaster is starting to get very annoyed about these deaths, and is investigating absolutely everyone. That said, our conspirators do seem to have the next victim chosen, and their plan may very well be to upset her so much she spontaneously combusts in rage. That said, this book mostly deals with two things: 1) Oliver’s recovery from the last book, which is much harder than he expected and needs a drastic solution, and b) the tragic but triumphant story of Diana Ashbury, and a reminder once again that Reign of the Seven Spellblades as a series is likely to end with Nanao the sole survivor walking away from the smoking corpse of a campus.

First off, let’s get the one terrible thing about this book out of the way: there’s a creeper who is defined by a) his desire to rape another man, complete with lascivious grin, and b) his enormous erection, which is described far more than I would really like. He’s a massive negative stereotype, and it’s something of a relief that he doesn’t show up much more in this book. That said… this series is really, really horny. We recall Oliver’s magical handjob from two books ago, and now we get his burgeoning relationship with Nanao, where they’re not having sex but everyone assumes that they are. So honestly, when Oliver was having his soul problems I was expecting our sextet to come up with a more AO3-fanfic sort of solution. That said, their actual solution – a game of hug tag – is adorable and sweet.

And then there’s Ashbury. One of the things that this series hammers home over and over again is that much o the cast is obsessed with one thing or another, and with Ashbury it’s speed. She’s head and shoulders above anyone else, and the faculty have their eye on her to break the world record for speed on a broom… without the inevitable death that comes along with it. But even in this part of the book things are tied together in a shipping sort of way – Ashbury’s catcher (and, it’s implied, romantic partner) has been missing for the last two years, and so while she’s amazing, she’s not the amazing she wants to be. The final quarter of the book is absolutely stunning, and I also loved the bond that develops between Ashbury and Nanao, and wish we could see more of it. Still, this ending was pretty much the series in microcosm.

I haven’t even mentioned the student council elections, but that’s OK, because I suspect they will take up a lot of the next book. Till then, this is absolutely terrific to read, but can also be very painful. In a good way.

Knight of the Ice, Vol 11

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Knight of the Ice Volume 11 by Yayoi Ogawa

I often feel a little wistful at the end of a series, especially one as consistently entertaining about Knight of the Ice, but the final volume concludes in a fashion that will satisfy readers, even though the outcomes were easy to foresee at the start of the series. As Kokoro prepares to take the ice at the Sochi Olympics, the field of skaters is shaken up by a dark horse contender with multiple quads from the United States. Kokoro also has to face a major competition without Chitose by his side to support him, since she’s recovering from necessary heart surgery. It is great to see the progression in Kokoro’s personality and how he’s able to make more decisions and assert himself as a skater, instead of drifting through life in an attempt to live up to his family’s expectations.

Ogawa nails the tension of Olympic ice skating as different skaters attempt to skate their best due to a variety of reasons, sometimes succeeding and sometimes having the small mistakes and spills that happen in competition. I always appreciate the paneling and action sequences of Knight of the Ice, which really serve to heighten the When Kokoro pops his quad lutz, readers are treated to a detailed discussion of scoring system issues, making the moments of Kokoro’s next decisions to modify his program on the fly even more dramatic. Even issues with Russian judges come into play as the final scores are tallied, making this manga enjoyable for a casual or more serious skating fan. One thing I really liked about this series was the way it developed all the supporting characters as well, and many of Kokoro’s compatriots get a sense of conclusion at the end of this volume as well.

One thing I appreciated was a bonus story that takes place before the first volume, which shows how Chitose and Kokoro reconnected after being close as childhood friends. It served as a nice way to think about how far they’ve both come as they’ve evolved over this series. I’m very glad that we’ve now gotten two Yayoi Ogawa series translated into English, but I have to say after reading both Kima wa Pet and Knight of the Ice, I feel a little greedy for more.

Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash, Vol. 2

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By Tofuro Futsukaichi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Gendai Shakai de Otome Game no Akuyaku Reijou wo Suru no wa Chotto Taihen” by Overlap Novels. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

Oooof. I’m starting to suspect that having villainess books with modern ties is a mistake. Give me a villainess who’s in fake nobility land with some magic and a few broken engagements and I’m golden. But I’m remembering Villainess Reloaded, the story of the young woman who decided to solve everything by bringing a bigger gun. I had to drop that one as I was starting to get the sense that the heroine was morally bankrupt. There’s far less doubt here – Runa is appalling. In the game her life was destroyed because of the modern economy that crashed in 2008. She’s decided to fix the economy… but she’s still not changing her villainess ways. Indeed, she’s doubling down on them. When your heroine decides to build a gated community to protect the rich folks, you start to wonder if reading this series is an ethical problem. It’s a shame, because other than that insurmountable problem, the series is otherwise excellent.

The book essentially divides itself into two alternating sections. Half the time we’re watching Runa the capitalist, still trying to solve all of Japan’s debt problems. She has a time limit as well – the current government that she has so many ties to is falling, and the new government, headed by real-life prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, is far less favorable to powerful families like hers. The other half of the book is Runa’s life at school with her friends, where she does things like the culture festival, a snowball fight, etc. She’s still in grade school here, something that she emphasizes a great deal, but that does not stop her from having to worry about a fiance or hiring a new group of servants-cum-bodyguards. No one thinks that she’s just a cute little girl anymore.

The author REALLY nails Runa’s colors to the mast here. She attends the Republican National Convention in 2000, clearly supporting George W. Bush. She also meets with Norman Schwarzkopf and then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hugh Shelton for one of her many money-making schemes (though I suspect the author may have been thinking of Colin Powell there). Note that, aside from Koizumi (who is mentioned but never seen), none of these people are actually named in the book, but you know who they are. The main problem is that I can’t tell whether we’re supposed to condemn her actions or not. There are several people, throughout the book, who tell her to slow down and stop buying up all this failed debt, including her own brother and several of her minders. She even admits at one point she’s completely forgotten about the value of actual money. I think the main issue, unstated for the most part, is that she can’t stop seeing herself as the bad guy of the game this comes from. And she doesn’t really want to.

As I said, the writing here is good, and I want to see what happens next. But, as noted above, it may be morally and ethically wrong to read this series. Let the buyer beware.

High School DxD: A Demon’s Work

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

Generally speaking I’ve been able to skate by on these High School DxD reviews because I can usually somehow get past all of the boob talk and the “funny” comedy antics and even more boob talk to find something I can actually discuss like a reasonable reviewer, be it the fights, the character development (it does actually exist), or the overall plot of that particular book. So, you’ll have to pardon me if this review in particular seems to be a little lacking in content, as this is a short story volume. Meaning there is no overall plot, and no character development. Oh, and almost no fighting either. In its place, we have even MORE boob talk and “funny” comedy. As such, we are forced to fall back on the usual rule of light novel short story volumes: the longer the story, he better it actually is. That holds true here, as the last story in the book is the longest and one of the few that deserves attention.

In this book: 1) Issei and Rias try to help a woman who summoned a demon to help her love life… but she’s American, and her idea of Japan is more samurai-oriented. 2) Issei and Asia are told they need to get familiars, but Issei’s choices are all super powerful rather than super sexy. 3) Issei explains to the club the story of how he became obsessed with breasts, which involves a creepy old man corrupting a child. 4) The club has to play a tennis match against a rival in order to complete a club activity report. 5) Asia and Rias are turned into little kids by a spell gone wrong. 6) Azazel accidentally clones Issei three hundred times, and the clones are even more breast-obsessed than he is. 7) Sirzechs and Grayfia show up at Issei’s, and remind Rias that she has to perform a ciming of age ritual with a loved one… i.e. Issei.

There are precisely three stories in this book that cannot be summed up by the words “Oh my God, fuck off.” The first story is actually pretty funny, especially Susan’s misplaced sense of what Japan is actually like. The story of Asia and Rias as kids is at least mildly cute, and features Azazel abusing Issei in a much more acceptable manner than the other story he’s involved in. And the final story is the most involved. We meet the other Demon Kings for the first time, and we get another example of the “they are wearing an obvious disguise but no one notices this except the protagonist” joke, which always seems to work for me for some reason. Other than that, please see above. High School DxD may be unabashedly horny, but I have my limits, and they were pushed hard here.

Despite the presence of one or two non-sucking stories, this is a volume that can easily be skipped, IMO. Next time we should get a school trip… and hopefully a plotline.

Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out

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By Hajime Kamoshida and Keji Mizoguchi. Released in Japan as “Seishun Buta Yarou wa Odekake Sister no Yume wo Minai” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

The last two books in the series were pretty much crushingly emotional, with some genuine grief and horror in them, and I imagine that readers are hoping for a slightly more light-hearted volume at this point. Unfortunately, thay may have to wait a bit longer. The eighth Rascal book is not a tragic heartbreaker like the last arc. It’s merely a quiet, unflinching study of how Kaede is trying to get better and move on with her life, and how she’s being hindered not only by her own trauma over what happened in the past, but also the way that the Japanese school system works. And, of course, there’s “the other” Kaede, who hovers over this volume like a ghost, present and influential despite already being gone. Last time Sakuta was able to go back and save Mai from being killed, but there’s no way to really save “both” Kaedes, at least not at this point in the series. He just has to support her as best he can.

Sakuta is getting ready for Mai’s graduation, and being forced to think hard about his own future. Mai wants them to go to college together, so much so that she’s taking a year break to wait for him. This means that he needs to buckle down and actually study rather than being a lazy SOB, his natural state. Things are not helped by the fact that he’s having a dream of her as a small elementary school girl. That said, studying is going to have to take second place to Kaede, whose future is far more fragile. She’s now going to school again… but can’t actually leave the nurse’s office. There are a wide variety of high schools she could attend… but with a complete lack of grades for the last two years, it’s a high bar to clear. And to make matters worse, she’s determined to go to the same school Sakuta and Mai attend. Is that really something she can achieve?

I had forgotten that Japanese education is only compulsory through junior high, so high school is optional. This makes things very difficult for Kaede, though, as with a complete lack of junior high grades, it’s hard to get into a good high school, and that makes it hard to get a good job, etc. She’s made great strides, especially now that she has recovered her old memories, but there are still certain obstacles that still traumatize her, especially relating to her old school. And there’s an even bigger obstacle beyond that, one that has her feeling guilty and unloved. Despite that, Sakuta is an awesome older brother here. He’s trying to support what she says she wants to do, coming up with contingency plans on what to do if that fails, and not pressuring her. There’s also an extended section on remote learning schools that is very good at showing how they can be a help if you find the right one, while also showing that everyone automatically thinks they’re sketchy.

Aside from a plot twist near the end, which I found a bit unbelievable, this was an excellent volume in the series. I do wonder how it would be animated, though… perhaps that’s why there hasn’t been any ore of the anime since the movie. In any case, next time we resolve Sakuta’s new dream. Till then, fight on, Kaede!

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Vol. 11.5

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

As Kuma Bear has gone on, and gotten more attention, and particularly when it got the anime, the author has been slowly but subtly erasing its past a bit. I had remarked in my reviews of the first few books that one of the more interesting things about the series was the way that it would balance “cute girls doing bear things” plotlines with some very dark storylines. This short story volume features stories that were bonuses with in-store purchases and also some new stories, and also summarizes the events of Books 1-9. The dark storylines are not even mentioned in the summaries, and have zero stories featuring them. The author realizes that this world being terrible and needing Yuna to save it is not really why people want to read this series, and honestly that decision may be for the best. The undercurrent of “and that evil guy has also been raping those women” was always uncomfortable, and as for Yuna’s parents, well, I don’t think we’ll ever return to Japan, so we don’t need to care. In the meantime, there is bear.

As noted, these are stories that were originally either exclusives you got when you bought the books at a specific store, online short stories, or short stories from the original webnovel. There’s also ten or so new stories exclusive to this volume. One or two of them have Yuna’s POV, but for the most part they’re exactly what the short stories at the end of the main volumes are: a chance to see the same events from the perspective of different characters. There’s Fina’s stress about meeting nobles and royalty, Cliff’s stress about the fact that everything Yuna does changes the world, everyone’s stress at not being able to get the ever-so-popular bear books or bear plushies. There are no real revelations in this book except the most obvious one, which is that Yuna is less of a teen in a bear suit and more of an Act of God.

It really gets hammered home in this book how strange and inexplicable Yuna is to everyone who encounters her. Her desire to not attract attention to herself, discussed in previous books, is laughable here – any time she appears, she immediately does something that makes sure no one will ever forget about her. She’s not even an adventurer here: she’s a savior, changing everyone’s lives for the better (except perhaps the aggrieved Cliff, who ends up having to clean up after her when she nonchalantly does things like digging a tunnel through the mountain). We also get a bit more depth to minor characters like the guild masters, etc, though again, it’s only a tiny bit more. The problem with short stories that are exclusives and not part of the main work is that they can’t actually impact the main work – they have to be entirely optional.

So yes, you can probably skip this, but at the same time, if you’re already enjoying Kuma Bear, you’re probably the sort of person who’d enjoy this anyway. Also, it’s pretty long – there’s 50 short stories here, and the book itself is almost 400 pages. Inoffensive fun.

Sabikui Bisco, Vol. 3

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By Shinji Cobkubo and K Akagishi. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jake Humphrey.

Sabikui Bisco, as I noted on Twitter while reading this volume, bases itself around two aesthetics: “cool” and “gay”. Both of these aesthetics are present and correct in this third volume, which wraps up the story arc the author had in mind on creation, though it’s clear there are more volumes coming. Now, it may come as a surprise that I am saying that this volume of Sabikui Bisco is really gay, given that, over the course of the book, Bisco marries a woman and the book ends with the two of them going off on their honeymoon. And yes, that does happen. But it’s irrelevant. Bisco and Milo is still THE pairing in this book, and even the flashbacks to the memories of the villain falling in love with another woman have Bisco and Milo laid over the two of them. It’s ridiculous, but that’s part of this series’ charm. It runs on ridiculousness. Ah, I suppose that’s a third aesthetic.

We open with our heroes celebrating, complete with quasi-religious ceremonies. Unfortunately, we then get the arrival of this book’s Big Bad, Apollo. He’s determined to return Japan to the way it was in 2028, and to do so he has particles that will convert anything – building, animals, people – into cities. Now some folks are belching out tiny buildings, telephone poles and power lines. To make matters worse… or possibly better… Tirol ends up being possessed by an an aspect of the villain who is on our heroes’ side, and tries to explain what’s going on. What follows is a series of extended battles against the encroaching citification of everything. But in order to get to that point, as I said above, Bisco and Pawoo are going to have to get married. Because the villain runs on etiquette, and it would be rude to interrupt a wedding procession, even if it’s heading off to defeat you.

Again, this book runs on cool as much as gay, and the cool in this book is very cool. The sheer imagery of the cities popping out all over people is stunning, and it will be amazing if it’s ever animated. That said, there are a few issues I had with this book. About 2/3 of the way through, most of the major characters except for Milo and Bisco get killed off one by one, and I’ve read enough shonen manga to know that there was inevitably going to be a resurrection at some point. Not to spoil, but yep. Sabikui Bisco is a shonen manga in light novel form, and that sometimes means it has the bad aspects of shonen manga as well. And the fact that this book runs almost entirely on aesthetic means that there’s not an awful lot of depth to it. We are never really going to see a different, more shaded side to Bisco or Milo. They’re who they are. And while I was asking for more Tirol in future books, “possessed the entire time” was not what I meant.

Still, this book doesn’t really need to be good in the way other light novels need to be, it needs to be good in the way that One Piece or Fairy Tail are good. In that respect it passes with flying colors.