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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Latest Picks

March 9, 2026

Pick of the Week: Manga and Death Gods

March 2, 2026

Pick of the Week: Grim and Gritty or Sweet and Fluffy?

LATEST FEATURES, ESSAYS, COLUMNS, ROUNDTABLES, & REVIEWS

March 12, 2026 By Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N

Manga the Week of 3/18/26

SEAN: Ask your doctor whether manga is right for you. Do not read manga while operating heavy machinery. ASH: This is good advice. Don’t ask me how I know. MICHELLE: Oh, dear. SEAN: ABLAZE has Neo Faust, Tezuka’s third attempt at the Faust story, which ran in Asahi Shimbun and which he was working on when he died. ASH: I’m glad that Tezuka has found a new home in English. ANNA: Indeed! SEAN: Airship has a print debut. Magic Maker: How to Create Magic in Another World (Magic Maker: Isekai Mahou no Tsukurikata) is an ongoing light novel in the genre of “I am reincarnated into a fantasy world and proceed to revolutionize it as a young child because I am so amazing”. There’s also The Condemned Villainess Goes Back…

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March 12, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

To the Monster I Love, Vol. 1

By ryunosuke and Gesoking. Released in Japan as “Bakemono no Kimi ni Tsugu” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Laura Sitzer. I was on the fence about picking this series up, as let’s face it, I read way too many light novels, and the first I heard about it was hearing complaints about the way the title is translated. (My Japanese is not good enough to go into what it should or shouldn’t be, but the title as chosen certainly can fit the book.) As it turns out, I enjoyed this a great deal. It may be a tad grimmer than I expected, with a high body count overall, but none of those deaths are in the main cast. Instead, the main cast are…

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March 10, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

Notorious No More: The Villainess Enjoys Feigning Incompetence, Vol. 3

By Hanako Arashi and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Kitai no Akujo, Sandome no Jinsei de “Musai Munou” wo Tanoshimu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Mac B. Gill. So this volume, at long last, gives us a good long look about what happened in the past, even if actual flashbacks to the death of Beljeanne, while there, don’t give the entire story either. One thing that has come up from those who know the real story is why, after Beljeanne’s death, the ones who benefited the most from it and ended up stronger than ever are the ones who hated her the most. Basically, Beljeanne’s plan did not differentiate between her allies and enemies. Towards the end of this book, while talking…

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March 10, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

The Tale of a Little Alchemist Blessed by the Spirits, Vol. 2

By yocco and Junsui. Released in Japan as “Outo no Hazure no Renkinjutsushi: Hazure Shokugyou datta node, Nonbiri Omise Keieishimasu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Andria McKnight. Adapted by Lex Reno. One of the issues that a lot of isekai/reincarnation books have is the desire to make the main character not only overpowered, but also the only one who’s overpowered. They can do ludicrous stunts that make the normal people around them shudder. They’ve got the finest sword, the best magic, the most potent… you know. And everyone around them exists to be amazed. That’s why I was particularly pleased with this second volume of Little Alchemist. Sure, Daisy is still incredible, doing things that astound everyone. But she’s paired here with a dwarf…

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March 9, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

Looks Like a Job for a Maid! The Tales of a Dismissed Supermaid, Vol. 2

By Yasuaki Mikami and Kinta. Released in Japan as “Maid nara Touzen desu. Nureginu wo Kiserareta Bannou Maid-san wa Tabi ni Deru Koto ni Shimashita” by Earth Star Novel. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Sylvia Gallagher. I do appreciate that, in a story that features a ridiculously overpowered maid, her friend the incredibly powerful mage, her friend the genius inventor, and her friend the incredibly strong wolf girl, that this is a series that still manages to have its feet firmly on the ground. Sure, it would be a lot of fun to see every single problem defeated through the power of being a really good maid, but that’s not the story the author is trying to tell. We especially see that in the longest part…

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March 8, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

The Twelve Kingdoms, Book Four: Sea God in the East, Vast Sea in the West

By Fuyumi Ono and Akihiro Yamada. Released in Japan as “Juni Kokuki: Higashi no Wadatsumi, Nishi no Sōkai” by X Bunko White Heart. Released in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. Translated by Kim Morrissy. Adapted by Monica Sullivan. Everyone loves a good scoundrel who’s secretly smart and caring. They’re a very popular fictional trope. The scoundrel – almost always male, as in this book, though I have seen excellent scoundrel heroines as well – is the sort that always looks like they’re a good for nothing. They drink a lot, they don’t dress or stand properly, they’re always hanging out in the bad parts of town rather than, y’know, ruling the country. It’s always fun to read about how everyone gradually realizes that it was all part of a…

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March 7, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

If the Heroine Wants My Fiancé, I’ll Marry a Yandere Villain Instead!, Vol. 2

By Kobako Takara and Jun Natsuba. Released in Japan as “Heroine ni Konyakusha wo Torareru Mitai node, Akuyaki Reisoku (Yandere Character) wo Neraimasu” by B’s-Log Bunko. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Emma Schumacker. One of the problems that a lot of fiction has, be it in English or Japanese, is the trouble with sequels. In North America it feels like you can’t sell a fantasy series these days without it being a trilogy of some sort. Japanese books are frequently contest winners, which means they’re self-contained in one volume, but if they do well then more volumes are always around the corner. And sometimes a series just doesn’t need to be ongoing. This is the trouble I’m running into with the second volume of Yandere…

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March 5, 2026 By Sean Gaffney

Goodbye, Horrible Fiancé, Hello, Fun Magic School Life!, Vol. 1

By Mashimesa Emoto and Nitou Akane. Released in Japan as “Konyakusha wo Sutetara, Tanoshii Mahou Gakkou no Seikatsu ga Matteimashita” by GC Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by piyo. Now that we have a glut in the market when it comes to broken engagement light novels, it can be hard to really sell one to readers as a reviewer. I enjoyed this book, it has a likeable lead, some fun scenes, good support. It does not really, however, have that one thing that makes it stand out of the pack from other books with this exact premise. There’s no quirk, no eccentricity that made the publisher go “wow!”. The publisher put this out as the author has a proven track record (Expedition Cooking with the…

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March 5, 2026 By Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N

Manga the Week of 3/11/26

SEAN: Please help us, manga. You’re our only hope. ASH: It does seem like that sometimes. ANNA: Some form of hope is needed! SEAN: Yen On has another huge clump of books. Casebook of Kurumi Tokisaki, Magic Detective (Majutsu Tantei Tokisaki Kurumi no Jikenbo) is a spinoff of Date a Live, showing one of its most popular characters solving crimes. Legend of the Far East’s Savior (Kyokutou Kyuuseishu Densetsu) is a sci-fi mecha anime except that it’s actually a light novel. Demons were summoned during World War II, and they now rule the world. A hundred years later, a boy with memories of a different Japan fights back using giant robots. ASH: Mecha novels can actually be pretty good, in my experience. ANNA: I’m a little curious! SEAN: Lycoris Recoil:…

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LATEST POSTS – SITEWIDE

  • Manga the Week of 3/18/26
  • To the Monster I Love, Vol. 1
  • Notorious No More: The Villainess Enjoys Feigning Incompetence, Vol. 3
  • The Tale of a Little Alchemist Blessed by the Spirits, Vol. 2
  • Pick of the Week: Manga and Death Gods
  • Looks Like a Job for a Maid! The Tales of a Dismissed Supermaid, Vol. 2
  • The Twelve Kingdoms, Book Four: Sea God in the East, Vast Sea in the West
  • If the Heroine Wants My Fiancé, I’ll Marry a Yandere Villain Instead!, Vol. 2
  • Goodbye, Horrible Fiancé, Hello, Fun Magic School Life!, Vol. 1
  • Manga the Week of 3/11/26

From the Archives

February 11, 2021 By Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

Manga the Week of 2/17/21

SEAN: Valentine Week is here! Looking for some sweet romance? Or bitter breakups? Manga is here ...

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July 24, 2017 By Ash Brown

My Week in Manga: July 17-July 23, 2017

My News and Reviews Although I've started to include Quick Takes of novels as part of the weekly ...

[Read More...]

January 13, 2023 By Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

The Manga Review: Coming Attractions

According to the collective wisdom of the internet, Best of 2022 lists are out, and What to Read in ...

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May 8, 2019 By Sean Gaffney 1 Comment

Manga the Week of 5/15/19

SEAN: This is... a relatively light week, at least compared to the rest of May. Dark Horse has ...

[Read More...]

October 26, 2023 By Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

Manga the Week of 11/1/23

SEAN: This is that odd "is it October or November?" part of the manga calendar, so expect ...

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Anime NYC 2025, Sunday

It's always striking how calm Sunday is compared to the previous two days. You'd think it would be ...

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Anime NYC 2025, Saturday

Saturday is always the busiest day, but this one proved challenging, with panels ranging from noon ...

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More Unshelved

LATEST FEATURES, ESSAYS, COLUMNS, ROUNDTABLES, & REVIEWS

By Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N

Manga the Week of 3/18/26

SEAN: Ask your doctor whether manga is right for you. Do not read manga while operating heavy machinery. ASH: This is good advice. Don't ask me how I know. MICHELLE: Oh, dear. SEAN: ...

[Read More...]

By Sean Gaffney

To the Monster I Love, Vol. 1

By ryunosuke and Gesoking. Released in Japan as “Bakemono no Kimi ni Tsugu” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Laura Sitzer. I was on the fence about picking this ...

[Read More...]

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